When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 45

Once the cameras moved away, Old Wo looked at Shen Qiao from one corner of the rest area and sighed while cradling his thermos. "What a big mosquito."
Shen Qiao said nothing.

Lu Zhe's little joke almost had Shen Qiao quaking and laughing with anger in his heart.

Even an excuse like 'I just had my wisdom teeth removed' would have been better than some nonsense about a mosquito. What kind of mosquito was sharp-eyed enough to pick such a perfect spot to bite, right where it could be covered up by a face mask?

Qian Bao took in Shen Qiao's expression, then turned to Lu Zhe and disdainfully spat, "Ugh."

Er-Hua instantly echoed, "Ugh."

But Lu Zhe didn't pay them any mind. His eyes were still curved with a smile, forming crescents of mirth, and he focused his attention solely on Shen Qiao.

Shen Qiao felt that scorchingly hot gaze on him. He kept his own gaze fixed on the large projector in the room, which Coach Fang was using to play some gameplay highlights of the team they would be facing momentarily. Shen Qiao struck Lu Zhe's arm with his elbow and whispered, "Pay attention."

Lu Zhe knew when to get serious. He took Shen Qiao's advice and good-naturedly shifted his gaze to the projected screen. The giddiness on his face retreated as he lifted his gaze to the highlights that they'd already reviewed countless times. The dancing mirth in his dark eyes was replaced by an earnest look of concentration.

When the game was due to start-

A staff member came to inform the team. The five players of DG got up and started filing out along with their coach and analysts. Shen Qiao, walking at the very back of the procession, gazed at Lu Zhe's back and detected the faint, almost negligible scent of cedarwood in the air, suppressed by the pheromone-control bracelet Lu Zhe wore for the match.

Possessed by some inexplicable urge, Shen Qiao suddenly called out, "Lu Zhe."

Lu Zhe turned back to look at him. The gentle lights inside the room spilled across Lu Zhe's bangs and face, casting intoxicating shadows across his warm, doting eyes.

Shen Qiao's throat bobbed. As though propelled onwards by some invisible force, he opened his mouth again and blurted out, "After the international tournament ends, let's..."

After the international tournament ends, let's be together again.

A burst of noise sounded out from the stage. The commentator's enthusiastic introductions were ringing out through the sound system. Although the speakers had distorted the words themselves into something unintelligible, the crowd was already shrieking with excitement. The door to the rest area was open, and all that noise flooded in, drowning out the rest of Shen Qiao's words.

With that interruption, Shen Qiao abruptly cut himself off. He suddenly realized that this wasn't the time or place to be saying something like that. He could have thrown Lu Zhe completely off his game with those words.

However, even though Shen Qiao stopped himself short, Lu Zhe seemed to see right through him. The corners of his eyes crinkled. Although the lower half of his face was covered, there was no doubt that he was smiling.

He stopped in his step and reached out to softly tousle Shen Qiao's hair, then lightly acknowledged Shen Qiao's half-unspoken words with a nod.

It was like he'd heard everything Shen Qiao wanted to say.

And that nod was practically answering-

Okay.

Shen Qiao suddenly felt like an immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders. When he started moving again, his steps even felt lighter. He all but floated out to his own seat on stage, where he took a deep breath. After staring blankly at his monitor for a few seconds, he patted himself on the cheeks a few times and placed his focus on the match ahead of them.