Before My Withering [枯萎之前]

Chapter 43

 [Don't look back at me, my dear]

Summer has passed. The weather suddenly grew cold after a few rainfall.

The art exhibition of Xu Xingze took place towards the end of September. Zhou Chen gave me a pair of thin gloves to wear before heading out. When I put on my clothes, I saw that my bow tie and his tie were the same color, and the brooch was also a pair.

"I can't help myself; my little rose is too charming," he said as he leaned in and kissed my ear. "There will be a lot of young, intelligent, attractive, wealthy alphas and omegas there today, and I'll become nervous if I don't do the small trick of proclaiming sovereignty."

He would not let me say that I was no good, and he praised me so constantly that I began to question if I was really good enough.

At the very least, I've been looking a little better recently, no longer as drab and dry. Zhou Chen stated it was all his credit, and after he finished speaking, he requested for a passionate kiss as a reward.

He'd constantly be unreasonable when he should be, and reasonable when he shouldn't be, and put on a gentleman's air, asking,

"May I kiss you?"

"Is it all right to go deeper?"

"Would you like more?"

I was about to be tormented insane by the lust all over my body, and he'd ask questions like this, as if he wouldn't move if I said no.

I was embarrassed and angry, and I wanted to shove him out of bed, but my body and mouth weren't listening to me. I opened my mouth only to utter a bemused, "Want..."

I think he did that on purpose.

"What are you thinking, blushing again?" he said, flicking his index finger over my face.

I gathered myself, hesitant to acknowledge that I was thinking such things in broad daylight, and covered it up by replying, "Do you wish I was an omega..."

——Because I was an omega, I might be marked, and a mark was worth a thousand words. Even without a bow tie or brooch, others would know that I belong to him.

"Not at all." His gaze went solemn. "I hope you are with me because of love and nothing else," he added. Moreover, marking isn't the only way to finalize an agreement."

I couldn't come up with a response. "What else is there besides the mark?"

He gave me a deep look. "There's also getting married."

"Don't joke about it." I reflexively avoided his gaze. "How can you marry a beta?"

Not to mention a beta who has experienced being kept, got pregnant, miscarried, and carried a timed bomb named heart disease buried in his body, and faced an uncertain future.

"Even if you were an alpha battling me in bed with pheromones every day, I'd still marry you," Zhou Chen replied.

"That won't do either." I retorted without thinking, unable to say why it wouldn't.

Because I've worn Qi Shu's ring... I rubbed my left ring finger unconsciously.

The word of Qi Shu's marriage had traveled across the city at the time. What would people say if they found that I had married Zhou Chen?

They would say Zhou Chen was a villain who robbed his didi's fiance.

No, no way. I forbid them to insult Zhou Chen.

I wish I had been stronger back then; I should not have worn Qi Shu's ring...

Zhou Shen could certainly tell what I was thinking. "Sorry, I was in such a rush... Don't think about this now. Be cheerful. Let's go visit Ah Xing's art exhibit," he embraced and soothed me.