This chapter contains a brief depiction of self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.
"If he's running a clinic, why the hell did you describe him as some charity case? Like why did you say he was poor? And if he's really that broke, why would anyone target him, let alone want to trash his place?" Qixian remarked casually, eyeing the small clinic as his secretary parked the car.
"I never said he was poor?" His secretary looked innocent, as if being accused of a crime he didn't commit. "Also, how do you plan on approaching him? You've read the files, right? Then you should know he hates being looked down on especially by the rich folks like you for example."
"I know, I know" Without any hesitation, Qixian drew a pocketknife and drew a jagged line across his wrist.
The metallic click of the knife was followed by a sickening slice. Secretary Wu's breath hitched, his hands flying to the take the pocketknife. "You! Are you insane?" His secretary's voice was filled with concern and anger. "Slitting your wrists?!"
"You're probably the first person who's dared to call their own master a lunatic," Qixian shot him a glare and pushed the door open to get out. "Bye~" Before the secretary could even react, he had already walked off.
"That total psycho" the secretary muttered under his breath, watching his boss's retreating figure enter the clinic.
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"Uh... hello? Is the clinic still open?" Qixian asked the moment he stepped inside.
The person inside looked up at him, he was exactly the one that he was looking for.
"Well I accidentally cut my wrist..." He lifted his bloody wrist and gave it a little wave.
The man's pupils contracted. Seeing the blood on Qixian's hand, he immediately hurried over. "Come here, let me take care of that for you."
"Heh, thanks." A smirk played on the corner of Qixian's mouth.
"You should be more careful," the man urged.
Qixian didn't say a word, he just stared at the man as he treated the wound.
"Remember to change the dressing tomorrow," the man said after finishing the bandages.
"I don't know how to take it off or change it. Can I come back tomorrow?" Qixian made up an excuse. "You've got great hands, it doesn't even hurt now that it's wrapped up." As he spoke, he carelessly shook his injured hand like it was nothing.
The man clicked his tongue and pinned Qixian's wrist down. "Don't shake it, the wound will rip open. If you really can't do it yourself, just come back tomorrow."
"Thanks in advance, then." Qixian said with a smile.
"Haoran!" A guy entered a room which made the man who's treating Qixian's injury look at the door. Hinting that he's the one the guy called Haoran.
"Yichen?!" Haoran lit up and waved at the guy standing at the door.
'Yichen? I think I heard it somewhere...' Qixian thought to himself as he look at the man who entered the clinic.
"Who's he?" Yichen ask Haoran.
"Ah, he's a patient, I'm just treating his injury" Haoran replied.
Yichen didn't say any more and just showed Haoran a takeout.
Since Qixian's injury has been treated he bid farewell with Haoran as he walked out of the clinic, and went straight back to the car. "See? Perfect. He even told me to come back tomorrow."
"You said you'll protect him but it looks like you're deceiving him instead" Facing Qixian's glare, the secretary only laughed.
"But I saw someone called Yichen... I think I heard it somewhere..."
"Ah! You mean the man who just entered the clinic?" The secretary ask.
"Yes, that one" Qixian clicked his tongue as he tried to remember the familiar name.
"That's Gu Yichen—" The secretary got cut off.
Qixian realize it with a sense of dread. "Yeah I remember now, Gu Yichen the one who owns the biggest and strongest company of Gu family and was know for his coldness." Qixian let out a huff. "How can you miss such an information secretary Wu?" Qixian side eyed his secretary.
"Well I didn't know you need that information!" His secretary defended.
"Ha... fine, fine, just drive, I don't like anyone knowing that I came here" He said and leaned back to his seat.
His secretary started the car. "Back to the club, or back to 'that' family, I mean you're house?"
"I have to go home to that so called family so drive home" Qixian replied. "Ah I'm exhausted. Wake me up when we get there." With that, he drifted off to sleep.
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"Young master, we're here." The secretary repeated.
Qixian opened his eyes and groaned in frustration. "I should have stayed asleep. Reality is a downgrade." His self-deprecating comment made the secretary chuckle. "I'm going. Take a cab, don't drive my car." With that, Qixian got out and entered the house.
"How did I end up with such a cruel and prickly master?" the secretary grumbled, but complied anyway.
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The moment Qixian stepped inside, he was met with a cold, piercing glare and a powerful, oppressive pheromone pressure. The scent was so heavy it made his legs go weak, forcing him to lean against the wall, 'An omega will always be an omega.' his fists clenched tight. An Alpha might feel oppressed by an S-tier, but an omega wouldn't, he can only endure it since he is an S-tier omega, and was used to it.
The scent was a sandalwood, a dense, milky depth that smooths out the air around it, layered with a hint of savory spice and sun-baked earth. Clearly that was his father's, Mingze, the S-tier Alpha in the Zhou family.
"You unfilial brat! I told you to come back last night, and you only show your face today?!" his father roared, his angry pheromones leaking out wildly with every shout.
A twisted, cold smirk painted on Qixian's face that is clearly making no effort to hide his disgust. Because every second that he chose to come to this house, a theater of noise that always died down the moment he entered, leaving only the hum of living sturdy enough but not alive enough to acknowledge, felt like drowning in shallow water.
"What, was Father waiting for me? It doesn't look like it." He rolled his eyes, ignored the furious roaring beh
ind him, and headed straight upstairs, slamming the bedroom door shut with a loud bang.