"Hey, you two," Haoran interrupted, causing both Yichen and Qixian to snap their heads toward him. "Could you go buy some ingredients? We don't have nearly enough for dinner right now."
"Yichen can go by himself," Qixian stated flatly.
"But this is a massive list..." Haoran replied, deliberately unfurling a long sheet of paper that was practically overflowing with items.
Qixian raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Is that supposed to be a month's worth of stock?"
"Yichen, I know you're strong, but carrying all of this alone might be too much," Haoran added, casting a look that was clearly designed to make Qixian feel guilty.
Yichen opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out.
"Fine!" Qixian snapped, snatching the list from Haoran's hand. He grabbed Yichen's wrist and began pulling him toward the door. "Let's go."
"What?" Yichen muttered, though he allowed himself to be dragged along without much resistance.
"Finally, some peace. That was a solid plan, Haoran," Sihan praised once the door clicked shut. Haoran just stood there with a wicked, satisfied smile, watching the retreating figures of Qixian and Yichen.
"Of course! Mission accomplished!" Haoran said happily.
_________________
"It's been a long time since you've come here to buy ingredients for a homemade cake, Madam Gu!" a clerk exclaimed happily.
"It really has been," Madam Gu replied with a warm smile. "Yichen's birthday is next week, so I need to prepare in advance. I'm just so glad you could accompany me today, Miss Wen."
"You truly adore your son, Madam. He's such a handsome man—he's twenty-two now, right? Turning twenty-three next week?" Miss Wen asked.
"Yes, that's correct," Madam Gu answered.
"When do you think he'll finally find a partner, Madam?" Miss Wen ventured curiously.
"I honestly don't know, I can't quite understand him. I just wish he would find a better partner instead of clinging to that guy, with Sihan as his rival." Madam Gu murmured, her tone dipping into disapproval.
"That guy?" Miss Wen asked, leaning in.
Madam Gu was about to answer when her gaze caught someone across the store. She froze, watching her son walk down an aisle with someone by his side.
"Wait... is that the person you were talking about, Madam?" Miss Wen asked, following her gaze.
"No. Who is that? He looks so familiar..." Madam Gu knitted her brows, trying to place the face of the young man standing beside Yichen.
"They seem quite close," Miss Wen added in the background.
'Wait... isn't that Zhou Qixian? The second son of the Zhou family? Why is he so close to my son?' Madam Gu wondered, her confusion deepening.
"Should we approach them, Madam?" Miss Wen asked.
"No," Madam Gu said, her expression suddenly shifting as her eyes began to sparkle with happiness. "It looks like my son has finally changed and found the right partner!"
"Why do you say that? Do you know the person with him?" Miss Wen asked, surprised by the sudden change in mood.
"Of course I know exactly who that child is. I saw him two years ago while I was doing business with the ZH Group. He was so polite and respectful—I'd even go as far as to say he's the kindest young man I've ever met," Madam Gu said softly, her voice filled with newfound hope.
Meanwhile, Qixian let out a sudden, violent sneeze that nearly made him drop the shopping basket. 'Who's spouting lies about me right now?' he wondered, rubbing his nose as he scanned the aisles. He turned his attention back to the man towering over the produce section. "Are you finally done buying all this? We've been here forever," Qixian asked Yichen, his voice laced with impatience.
"If you actually offered an ounce of help instead of just standing there like a statue, maybe I could finish this faster," Yichen snapped, shooting him a sharp glare as he compared two different types of flour.
Qixian rolled his eyes so far back he practically saw his own brain. "Oh, poor big daddy needs help with the heavy lifting," Qixian mocked, his voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness.
"Say that again?" Yichen's voice dropped into a low, dangerous register, his shoulders tensing as he turned fully toward the smaller man.
"What? You prefer me calling you something else? Hmmm... baby? Honey? Darling, perhaps?" Qixian teased, leaning in with a playful grin and a melodic laugh that echoed through the quiet aisle.
Suddenly, Yichen's hand shot out, grabbing Qixian's wrist with startling speed. "Is it funny to you? Amusing yourself at my expense?" Yichen asked, his grip firm as he pulled Qixian flush toward him.
"Let me go," Qixian hissed, his smile vanishing instantly as he glared up at him, twisting his arm to break the hold.
"Take it back first," Yichen commanded, refusing to budge. He leaned down, his face hovering just inches from Qixian's, his presence overwhelming.
"Oh, no way. I said what I said," Qixian countered, a defiant smirk returning to his lips despite the racing of his heart.
"You—" Yichen started, but he was cut off by a sharp, audible gasp from a few feet away. Both men froze and snapped their heads toward a store clerk who was clutching her apron in excitement.
"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to interrupt! I didn't know you two were such a lovely couple!" the clerk chirped, her face flushed with excitement.
'Wait... lovely?! Us?!' Qixian's eyes widened in genuine horror, looking absolutely terrified at the mere suggestion..
"Please, take our free ice creams as our gift! And as compensation for the... uh, intensity... we're going to give you a massive discount on everything in your cart today!"
"What? Eh? No, wait!" Qixian stammered, his face turning a bright shade of red. "We aren't—" But the clerk had already scurried off toward the counter to prepare the treats, ignoring his protests entirely.
Qixian looked over at Yichen, who was now wearing a dark, triumphant smirk, clearly amuse. With a look of pure disgust, Qixian finally managed to wrench his wrist free and took a sharp step back.
"What's so good about that? You could've told her we aren't a couple!" Qixian hissed, smoothing out his sleeve.
"Why would I? You're the one who called me 'darling' loud enough for the whole store to hear," Yichen retorted smoothly.
"That was—" Qixian bit his lip, trying to formulate a logical defense before settling on another glare. "Still, they're giving us a discount and free food based on a total lie! That's practically stealing!"
"Not like this is your first time lying, right?" Yichen said, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Qixian's reaction.
Qixian opened his mouth to shout an insult, then snapped it shut, his throat tight.
"See? And your biggest lie of all is that ridiculous claim that you're an Alpha," Yichen said, looming over him with an air of absolute certainty.
"I told you, that wasn't a lie!" Qixian said defensively, his voice rising in pitch.
"Sure," Yichen replied, his disbelief palpable.
"I am stating a fundamental fact of my existence!" Qixian yelled, frustrated by the Alpha's smug expression.
"Hmmm. In that case, since you're so confident... do you want to stay at my house instead?" Yichen asked out of the blue.
"Why on earth would I ever go there?" Qixian scoffed, crossing his arms.
"So that I can monitor you properly," Yichen reasoned, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
"Monitor me? Are you telling me to stay at your house until the day I die like some kind of prisoner?"
"If you prefer it that way," Yichen said with a shrug, turning his back to finally head toward the checkout counter to pay.
"No way! I'd rather die! Staying with you would be a never-ending headache!" Qixian barked, following close behind.
"The feeling is mutual," Yichen called back over his shoulder.
"Then why would you even suggest it?" Qixian asked, though he still reached out to help Yichen bag the heavy ingredients as they were scanned.
"You said it yourself—it's for the certainty. I was just going to ask you to stay at my place for a month or two. Purely professional," Yichen said, taking the two ice creams from the clerk and handing the chocolate one to Qixian.
"For what possible reason do you need to monitor me?" Qixian asked, taking an aggressive bite of the cold treat.
"For me to know for certain if you're telling the truth. To see if you really are an Alpha... or just a very stubborn Omega," Yichen said, his gaze dropping to the scent glands on Qixian's neck.
"Why are you so obsessed with that? I've told you a hundred times I am an Alpha!" Qixian protested, his face heating up again.
"Wanna prove it right now? Want me to sniff your neck again to be sure?" Yichen teased, leaning his entire body weight toward Qixian.
Qixian scrambled three steps away, nearly hitting a display of canned peaches. "Don't you dare! If you do that, I'll be able to smell your annoying, overbearing pheromones again!"
"Are my pheromones really that strong to you?" Yichen asked, his voice tilting into a faux-innocent tone.
"They are! They're terrifying! They give me the creeps!" Qixian shouted, faking a dramatic shiver that shook his whole frame.
Yichen let out a short, dry scoff. "Why? Is it because they might trigger your hidden Omega instincts?" he smirked, his eyes flashing with challenge.
"I am telling you this for the thousandth time! I am NOT an Omega!" Qixian screamed, turning on his heel and stomping out of the store into the parking lot.