Chapter 11

“It’s no trouble,” Zuo Nian said, still searching the bed for his missing underwear.
Yesterday, he’d taken the clerk’s advice to heart: supposedly, when an Alpha saw an outfit like that, his inner beast would come roaring out—he’d be unable to resist tearing it to shreds and ravaging its wearer.
Under the clerk’s relentless persuasion, he’d even bought ointment and soothing spray, and thoughtfully laid out a spare pair of underwear by the bed, just in case Duan Baisui ripped the first pair apart.
But in the end, the ointment had gone unused.
And his underwear had vanished.
First thing in the morning, being bare‑bottomed like this was really embarrassing.
“Fish shouldn’t be kept too long, or it won’t be fresh. You sleep a bit more, Gege. I’ll wake you when breakfast’s ready,” he went on as he padded over to the wardrobe, squatting down to rummage through a drawer.
Sitting up, Duan Baisui rubbed at his brow. Sleep was the last thing on his mind.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the snowy curve of Zuo Nian’s rear. It was torture.
Just then, Zuo Nian finally found his little briefs and turned around, only to see that Duan Baisui was already up.
The hair he usually kept so meticulously styled was now sticking up every which way.
The face that normally looked cold and sharp was softened with drowsy languor.
All at once, the man in front of him overlapped with the fierce little dumpling he’d known as a child.
Gege hadn’t changed at all. He’d just grown up.
Feeling his gaze wandering over him, Duan Baisui frowned. “What are you looking at?”
Zuo Nian’s eyes drifted lower, lingering for a long moment before he glanced down at himself and sighed. “Gege is so big. Are all Alphas this big?”
It took several seconds for the comment to register.
“You—”
“Ah?” Zuo Nian blinked at him with pure innocence.
“I…”
Heat flooded Duan Baisui’s ears. Words failed him.
The worst part was that there was no malice in it. Zuo Nian wasn’t being lewd—he was just asking a question.
Which made it impossible for him to even scold him.
In the end, he resorted to a hasty, “I’m going to shower,” and fled to the bathroom.
“Oh,” Zuo Nian said, still bewildered.
The bathroom had a dry‑wet separation.
The divider was made of rippled glass—light passed through, but shapes did not.
While Duan Baisui showered inside, Zuo Nian brushed his teeth and washed his face outside.
Once he’d finished, he left the bedroom, stopped by the nursery to feed the kitten, then happily bounced downstairs to start cooking.
The fish had finished marinating, and the rice porridge was bubbling away.
He also wanted to steam two braised pork buns.
Humming under his breath, he opened the fridge to take them out.
Just then, Duan Baisui knocked on the kitchen door. “Anything I can help with?”
Tilting his head, Zuo Nian thought for a moment. “Can Gege wash fruit?”
“…”
“Yes,” he said at last.
“Then please help me wash some. We can have it with breakfast, and I’ll bring some to the shop too.”
“All right.”
There was plenty of fruit at home. Standing at the counter, Duan Baisui sliced apples into neat wedges, picked the seeds from a pomegranate, and soaked the strawberries in salted water, ready for a final rinse.
When the porridge started to boil, Zuo Nian tipped in the marinated fish slices.
Reaching into the cupboard, Duan Baisui took down Zuo Nian’s little bento box and arranged the fruit inside.
Remembering how Zuo Nian had recently vowed to lose weight, he said, “You can’t just eat this for lunch. You still need proper food.”
“Okay~” Zuo Nian answered obediently.
His tone was so sweet that Duan Baisui couldn’t help glancing over at him.
Just then, Zuo Nian looked up, and their eyes met.
The fragrance of braised pork buns and fish porridge filled the air. Zuo Nian’s eyes curved into crescents as he smiled.
Yes, this was how it should be.
Even a brief moment of shared time could make him this happy.
Something so easy to give—why had he been so stingy with it?
This was the person he’d chosen to spend his life with. From the moment he’d chosen him, he’d taken on the responsibility of caring for him.
In every way—material and emotional.
After breakfast, Zuo Nian brought over his tie to help him put it on.
It was only eight o’clock. Duan Baisui had to head to the office, but it was still early for Zuo Nian to open the shop.
They parted at the front door. Standing outside, Zuo Nian watched him with reluctance written all over his face.
After a brief pause, Duan Baisui turned back. Under Zuo Nian’s startled gaze, he asked, “Want a hug?”
His eyes went round, then he flung his arms open and launched himself forward. “Th‑then… just a little one.”
He clung to him like he’d never let go, as if afraid he might change his mind.
His dark hair brushed against Duan Baisui’s jaw, tickling faintly.
For a long moment, he still didn’t let go. Finally, Duan Baisui patted his back lightly. “That’s enough. I need to go.”
Only then did Zuo Nian step back, cheeks pink. “I… I was just too happy.”
“Mm.”
“Then… can we do it again tomorrow morning?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“And the day after?”
“Yes.”
Zuo Nian’s smile blossomed, his eyes shining. “Gege, Nian‑nian’s going to start looking forward to every morning.”
Waving, he said, “Bye‑bye, Gege. I hope work goes smoothly today.”
“Mm.”
Once he was in the car, Duan Baisui caught sight of his own reflection in the window glass—lips unconsciously curved up at the corners.
Xu Yi had been right. A hug really could make both people happy.
With the year drawing to a close, the company was busier than ever.
He spent the entire morning in meetings and going through financial reports.
Around four, Luo Yin came in with the speech he was supposed to give at the annual gala the next night.
Scanning it briefly, he set it down and asked, “How’s Ju Xiao doing?”
The lawsuit was still moving forward. After Rong Jin had been taken in, Meng Cheng and Ou Kai had also been summoned for questioning.
He wasn’t sure if that counted as justice.
Whatever sentences awaited the three of them, their entertainment careers were more or less over.
“Much better,” Luo Yin said. “He’s more outgoing than before. He’ll be attending the gala tomorrow. He said he wants to thank you in person.”
“Mm.”
Ju Xiao had chosen not to terminate his contract. After TR was disbanded, the company drafted a new development plan for him and reassigned him to a tough, no‑nonsense female Beta agent.
She’d launched a lot of big‑name actors and was one of the best in the business.
As a fellow Beta, she understood better than anyone how hard he’d had it.
His popularity was still high, and the new agent had seized the opportunity to land him two endorsements and a lead role in a major director’s new film.
Soon, he’d be returning to the public eye under his own name.
That was exactly what Duan Baisui wanted for him—a chance to walk out of his nightmare and toward a better future.
In this industry, Resources were overwhelmingly tilted toward Alphas and Omegas. They had all the built‑in advantages: strong bodies, good looks, high learning ability.
“Ordinary” Betas were constantly overlooked and pushed aside.
He hoped that after all this, more people would start paying attention to them.
Their hard work shouldn’t be ignored, nor should their lives be defined by their secondary genders.
Business at the shop had been slow that day—maybe it was the weather.
By five in the afternoon, Zuo Nian had only made 156 yuan.
He put down the half‑finished plush outfit in his hands and propped his chin on his palm with a sigh.
At this rate, how long would it take him to earn back that thirteen thousand?
How could he have been so impulsive that day?
Just then, his phone chimed twice with incoming WeChat messages.
He unlocked it to see a text from “Clerk Mister 13K.”
Clerk Mister 13K: Dear VIP customer Mr. Zuo, thank you for choosing our products. This is a follow‑up message. How do you feel about them after using them? Is there anything we can improve? We’d love to hear your feedback.
Staring at the screen for a long while, Zuo Nian slowly typed: Hello, can I return them?
The reply came quickly: Mr. Zuo, we’re so sorry, but for safety reasons, intimate products can’t be returned. Is there anything you’re not satisfied with? We’d be happy to help.
Zuo Nian: My husband… doesn’t like them.
Clerk Mister 13K: Oh, my dear customer, maybe the problem is with how you’re using them? We could always try some other options. You bought so many that at least one of them is bound to work for you. If you have any questions at all, you can always ask me. Jiayou~
“…,” typed Zuo Nian, then deleted it again.