“Lie down. Did you hear me?”
Zuo Shihuan raised a brow, amusement glimmering in his light brown eyes as he gestured toward the cold, metallic couch behind Gu Heng.
Gu Heng froze for a moment, his dark gaze shifting toward him.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re scared?” Zuo Shihuan’s calm tone carried a sharp edge of provocation. Propping himself up with one hand, he leaned closer, his eyes deepening in shadow as his cool red lips curved slightly.
Like a hunter hidden at dusk by the lakeside, watching a deer bend down to drink, quiet and patient, but behind the still surface of the water, golden vertical pupils gleamed with predatory intent.
The moment the prey showed weakness, the hunter would strike.
Gu Heng arched a brow, meeting Zuo Shihuan’s gaze under the faint pressure of his challenge. Then, with a slight, teasing smile in his eyes, he said, “Of course not.”
Under Zuo Shihuan’s wary stare, Gu Heng bent his arm and, moving with unhurried ease, leaned back onto the couch. His half-open collar revealed his powerful, graceful physique, all wild beauty and strength.
His long legs stretched out boldly, one sliding between Zuo Shihuan’s, brushing casually against his bare ankle.
That light, unintentional touch was enough to make Zuo Shihuan lose balance, nearly falling right onto him.
Luckily, his reflexes saved him; he caught the couch’s backrest in time, avoiding both the fall and a painful collision.
After all, as a tall Alpha of over 1.8 meters, falling knee-first on someone would’ve meant at least a bruise, if not worse.
As Zuo Shihuan steadied himself, relieved he hadn’t hurt anyone, suspicion flickered in his heart. Was Gu Heng doing this on purpose?
He didn’t want to think so badly of him.
Unfortunately, his kindness was rewarded poorly because when he looked up again, he caught the faint hint of regret in Gu Heng’s eyes.
And in that instant he understood everything.
For an instant, Zuo Shihuan was so furious he went blank, his hands even started trembling.
Even though he had vaguely suspected this might happen, even though he was already used to this b*stard Gu Heng doing all sorts of outrageous things that would make even a dog grit its teeth, he still couldn’t hold back his anger this time.
Normally, he could tolerate Gu Heng—no, indulge him was more accurate. And in that indulgence, there was always a strange kind of fascination, a yearning almost like envy. Watching this b*stard’s unyielding, maddening vitality sometimes made his own dull, colorless life seem to take on a faint light again.
But this b*stard, couldn’t he at least pretend a little? Just pretend!
Zuo Shihuan’s composure finally snapped. Clenching his fists, he tried to calm himself down, but when he saw Gu Heng’s utterly unrepentant, infuriating expression, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He lunged forward, grabbed Gu Heng by the collar, and ground out between his teeth, “You godd*mn b*stard, you did that on purpose!”
Because he had!
Either that, or he was deliberately provoking him, wrecking things the moment he sensed Zuo Shihuan’s intent.
Zuo Shihuan was about to explode.
He, who was usually so perfectionist and rational, could tolerate lying to himself; he could patch over a lie so seamlessly it looked flawless. But he could not tolerate being tricked by crude, idiotic means, much less when Gu Heng didn’t even bother to act, leaving him without even an excuse to fool himself.
Gu Heng, held by the collar, didn’t get angry at all. Instead, his gaze turned teasing and wicked, lips curving into a provoking smile. “Shihuan, how could I have done it on purpose? If you can’t keep your balance, I can take your place.”
“In your dreams!” Zuo Shihuan spat, seething.
“Is that so?”
Gu Heng’s dark eyes glimmered. Languidly reclining against the metal couch, he tilted up that divinely handsome, arrogant face of his. The crimson lips curved brighter, and a low, magnetic chuckle escaped his throat.
At once, goosebumps prickled down Zuo Shihuan’s arms. A foreboding sense of danger pounded at his nerves, warning him over and over.
And sure enough—
He soon felt a hand slide around his waist through his white suit jacket. Before he could react, his half-open suit slipped apart, his soft silk shirt falling messily across his thighs. At some point, Gu Heng had already undone his buttons. The cool air brushed his exposed skin, making him shiver but before he could react, something even more audacious coiled around him.
His waist tightened suddenly.
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes sharpened, alert. Looking down, he saw beneath the white shirt, a large, intrusive hand gripping his waist, firm and possessive, like a cold, powerful serpent coiled tightly around him, controlling even the rhythm of his breathing.
Now, he was practically straddling Gu Heng’s lap.
The scene that was supposed to show his dominance had been completely overturned. The one in control now wasn’t him.
Zuo Shihuan gave a short, incredulous laugh. Of course this b*stard wouldn’t be so easily handled. He glared down fiercely, teeth clenched. “Had enough yet? Let go of me!”
“What’s wrong, dear? Isn’t this just what you wanted?”
Gu Heng half-lowered his dark eyes, Adam’s apple bobbing as he spoke with that arrogant, languid drawl, his smile brazen, almost indecently tempting. Yet in his deep, shadowed gaze, there was something darker, more complicated, fixed unwaveringly on Zuo Shihuan’s now-shaken expression.
“W–what I wanted?” Zuo Shihuan stammered, speechless. No matter how he searched his memory, he couldn’t find a single word or hint that might support such an accusation.
He couldn’t let this b*stard keep twisting the truth.
He had to take back control, had to remember what he’d meant to do in the first place.
Zuo Shihuan’s gaze steadied again, sharp and composed. Suppressing his fury, he forced a thin, calculated smile. “I never said that. You’ve been running around all day, Gu Heng, why don’t you let an Alpha like me handle things for once? Just lie back and enjoy yourself, won’t you?”
Gu Heng paused, as if actually considering it.
That moment of hesitation made Zuo Shihuan oddly anxious, expectant. The longer the silence stretched, the stronger the illusion that he might actually succeed and his palms began to sweat from the tension.
After all, as an Alpha, he’d always believed he should be the one on top, not constantly overpowered by this infuriating man who liked to push boundaries and tease him to madness.
But now, a strange thought flickered through his mind, what if Gu Heng did agree? What then? He had no experience at all. What was he supposed to do next?
Especially after his second differentiation into an Alpha, he still barely understood what being one meant. He couldn’t even distinguish others’ pheromones properly, just like when he’d been a Beta, unable to tell Alphas from Omegas by scent.
And back then, as a Beta, he’d been too busy scraping by to ever think about… those things. He had no idea what was normal or taboo between an Alpha and a Beta. What if he did something wrong? What if he hurt Gu Heng?
No matter how often Gu Heng angered him to the point of snapping, deep down, Zuo Shihuan still wanted their first time to be something good, something beautiful.
Being the kind of person who overthought everything, Zuo Shihuan, even before Gu Heng could answer, was already overanalyzing, his brows knitting with tension, light-brown eyes clouded with worry, lips bitten nervously as he thought things through.
Originally, Gu Heng had just wanted to tease him, pretend to hesitate, drag things out a little. He’d never actually planned to yield.
Reversal? Impossible.
Zuo Shihuan was far too adorable for him to ever give that up.
But when he saw that, in this crucial moment, Zuo Shihuan had spaced out, his attention completely elsewhere, not even looking at him—
A familiar, unwanted irritation stirred in Gu Heng’s chest.
That feeling of being ignored.
He’d known it well as a child, back when everyone overlooked him. He no longer cared about those people now, no longer expected anything from them.
But still…being ignored by Zuo Shihuan sparked something old and raw inside him again.
Zuo Shihuan was different.
Zuo Shihuan was the only exception.
Gu Heng didn’t want to see Zuo Shihuan like this. He hoped that Zuo Shihuan would always have him in his eyes, never ignore him, and that he would occupy the most important place in Zuo Shihuan’s heart more than anyone else, becoming Zuo Shihuan’s closest and most intimate partner.
Even if he is considered greedy, he will still say that.
He doesn’t even want children.
He hoped that Zuo Shihuan could devote all his feelings and attention to him alone, so that even without blood ties, they could become the closest people in the world, loving and accompanying each other for life. He didn’t want anyone to interfere between him and Zuo Shihuan, not even their blood-related child.
Putting aside the fact that two Alphas cannot have children, even if they could, Gu Heng would resist and reject it from the bottom of his heart.
Even now, when Zuo Shihuan was distracted for a moment, Gu Heng felt a pang of jealousy. The anxiety and disappointment of being ignored by Zuo Shihuan was tormenting him more than anything else.
Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Heng half-closed his dark eyes, reached out and hugged Zuo Shihuan’s waist, who was lost in thought. The waist was supple yet firm and elastic, and felt quite nice to the touch. But to ignore him, this would be a big mistake.
Then, in a very angry and childish manner, he hugged Zuo Shihuan and shook him vigorously.
The sudden earthquake startled Zuo Shihuan, who was deep in thought, making him think something terrible had happened.
When he looked down, he saw that the culprit was Gu Heng again.
Zuo Shihuan looked at Gu Heng with a sense of helplessness. Before he could say anything, Gu Heng, who was still unhappy and pursing his lips, shook even more violently when he noticed Zuo Shihuan’s gaze returning to him.
How incredibly childish.
Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help but curse, “Are you treating me like a rocking horse? Stop it right now, I should have fallen on you, you b*stard.”
Despite being scolded, Gu Heng managed to draw Zuo Shihuan’s attention back to him without getting angry. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, his dark eyes lit up, and following Zuo Shihuan’s words, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Zuo Shihuan’s waist with possessiveness, and smiled.
“It’s not too late now, Shihuan. If you’re tired, you can sit on my lap and rest for a while.”
As he spoke the last sentence, Gu Heng’s expression turned malicious. His dark eyes gleamed strangely, and he continued with a smug, wicked smile.
“I’m always in great shape, so don’t worry. On the contrary, you were so tired you almost fell over just now. Why don’t you lie down and rest, Shihuan? Leave the rest to me.”
The abacus beads were hitting his face; this b*stard was clearly no longer pretending.
Zuo Shihuan chuckled twice, his cold gaze sweeping over Gu Heng’s hands that were still clinging to his waist. He gritted his teeth and sneered, “I regret it. I should have granted your request to smash down on you. I should have smashed you down as hard as possible, and broken your restless arms and legs too.”
Gu Heng frowned slightly, his half-closed dark eyes looking melancholy and mysterious. He said sadly, “Shihuan, what you said hurt me a little. I listen to you so much. I lie down obediently when you tell me to. Why are you always so demanding of me?”
The hand that roamed freely around the waist was not as obedient as its owner’s words.
His slightly moving fingers lingered around his waist, then quickly wandered off again, seemingly unsatisfied.
Unpredictable fingers, laced with cunning and heat, sometimes caressed and pressed on the waist, then gradually moved to the tailbone to play, groping and climbing up the collarbone, igniting surges of desire wherever they went, causing the pale skin to flush a strange, sensitive pink against its owner’s will.
Zuo Shihuan was startled, his waist went limp, he pursed his lips and let out a muffled groan, his cheeks flushed red, and his bewildered, light brown eyes gradually filled with tears and an angry blush.
Zuo Shihuan was immediately startled and hurriedly reached out to stop and resist.
Unfortunately, Gu Heng knew him too well, including knowing his sensitive spots on his body that even Zuo Shihuan himself was unaware of after only a few encounters.
Despite Zuo Shihuan’s repeated attempts to stop the scoundrel who always took advantage of his vulnerability, his cheeks grew increasingly red as if he were with fever, and his youthful and immature body experienced waves of intense and unbearable lust, even his breathing became rapid and disordered.
Even so, Zuo Shihuan was still too proud to admit his mistake. He bit his rosy lips and tried his best to hold back his panting, determined not to make any more embarrassing noises and give that b*stard a chance to laugh at him.
But the more resolutely he resisted, the more the shameless b*stard saw it.
“Shihuan, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you not satisfied with how obedient I am?” Gu Heng raised his eyebrows and asked with a shameless smile.
“Listen to my *ss!” Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help but curse, his eyes, filled with shame and anger, glaring at Gu Heng, then he lowered his head and gasped for breath, fine beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.
Gu Heng remained cheerful despite being scolded, and even smiled more broadly after suddenly noticing something.
“Zuo Shihuan, you’re arous*d.” Gu Heng lowered his voice and deliberately whispered suggestively in Zuo Shihuan’s ear.
Zuo Shihuan froze for a moment, but deep down he didn’t want to be looked down upon by this wicked b*stard. He suppressed his shyness and gritted his teeth, turning around to provoke Gu Heng, saying, “I’m a normal Alpha man, of course I’ll react. I’m not impotent. Gu Heng, if you’re so capable, let me take your place. I’ll definitely give you a satisfying experience!”
“Oh—” Gu Heng narrowed his dark eyes and replied with a playful yet meaningful tone, “Sure, as long as you can do it.”
Before the words had even faded…
His gaze suddenly flipped 180 degrees.
Zuo Shihuan looked up in astonishment at Gu Heng, who was above him. He was bewildered for a couple of seconds before frantically turning his head to the left and right, only to find that Gu Heng had already placed his hands on either side of his shoulders, leaving him with nowhere to escape.
