Chapter 64 – Parallel Extra 03: Indeed, It’s You

Guan Heng had expressed his dislike for crowded places, so Ye Zhou promptly arranged a small conference room, excluding all irrelevant personnel and streamlining the meeting process as much as possible. Guan Heng was indeed somewhat difficult to please, never quite satisfied no matter what, leading to Ye Zhou eventually briefing him on the plan contents alone.

Their company wanted to collaborate with the Guan Consortium, using the latter’s influence to promote their products worldwide. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement, making the plan particularly crucial. Ye Zhou had to make Guan Heng understand the advantages of their company and product within a few short days, the feasibility of both short-term and long-term development, and persuade him to sign the contract. Though time was pressing, Ye Zhou wasn’t worried; negotiating privately with each other actually saved time and trouble.

But just as Ye Zhou was about to start, Guan Heng suddenly released a wisp of pheromones.

A meticulous, restrained Alpha gentleman wouldn’t leave his scent everywhere; that would be akin to a puppy marking its territory by urinating all over the place. Thus, almost no one knew what Guan Heng’s pheromone scent was like, as if no one could stir his heart or emotions. And yet, Ye Zhou caught a whiff of a profound, tranquil forest aroma, like the first dewdrop of morning, or the faint fragrance inadvertently revealed after a heavy rain washed over a cypress grove.

Ye Zhou didn’t think much of it, assuming it was merely the scent of Guan Heng’s cologne. Many people used cologne to mask their pheromone scent. After all, someone of Guan Heng’s status, with a capable Alpha secretary as a subordinate, would likely have a strong pheromone scent, impossible to be so gentle.

However, Ye Zhou failed to notice that his own pheromones had been inadvertently provoked, leaking out a hint of the intoxicating sweetness of white wine.

Guan Heng took a discreet breath, “White wine?”

Stunned, Ye Zhou covered the back of his neck and hurriedly apologized, releasing pheromones in front of another Alpha was a grave breach of etiquette, “Sorry, did you catch that? I didn’t mean to. Yesterday, I…”

Ye Zhou assumed he was affected by an Omega’s pheromones, causing him to accidentally release his own. He thought the suppressants were working, but it seemed he should go to the hospital for a check-up when he had some free time these days.

“I don’t mind,” Guan Heng then asked, “Does this happen often? Helping strangers on the road?”

Seeing that Guan Heng wasn’t bothered, Ye Zhou also breathed a sigh of relief internally. He rarely made such low-level mistakes, smiling, “Not really, it’s just that I happened to run into them and couldn’t ignore it…”

Guan Heng pressed further, “Aside from yesterday’s Omega, have you helped anyone else? Or…saved anyone?”

Ye Zhou wondered why Guan Heng was interested in this, but since Guan Heng wanted to talk about it, he naturally wouldn’t spoil the mood. The best salesperson didn’t aggressively push how great their product was; instead, they smoothly closed deals during relationship-building without discussing any business. If the client trusted you personally, they would naturally want to do business with you.

Ye Zhou pondered for a moment, there was indeed one incident, saving someone was something anyone would remember for life. He said, “I think I did save someone once.”

“Think?”

“Mm, because I was young at the time, probably just a teenager. I saw someone drowning in the river, so I stood on the rock and grabbed their hand.”

Guan Heng’s voice tightened slightly, “And then?”

Ye Zhou didn’t notice Guan Heng’s odd behavior, as if carefully recalling the scene at the time, “It took me a lot of effort to pull him ashore, but later the police arrived, so I don’t know what happened afterwards.”

Guan Heng asked again, “Do you remember what the person looked like?”

Ye Zhou shook his head with a smile, “No, I was so nervous at the time, how could I spare the time to see what they looked like. Besides, so much time has passed, I wouldn’t recognize them even if I saw them now.”

At this point, Guan Heng finally confirmed his speculation, looking at Ye Zhou with a deeper gaze, almost speaking to himself, “Indeed, it’s you.”

“Huh?” Ye Zhou didn’t hear clearly what Guan Heng said.

Guan Heng resumed his usual tone, “That person must be very grateful to you.”

Ye Zhou chuckled, “Probably.”

They chatted happily for the whole morning, eventually returning to business matters. Ye Zhou didn’t find Guan Heng particularly difficult to deal with, rather, he found him quite amiable. Did Fang Ji’s information turn out to be incorrect? He was somewhat puzzled but didn’t dwell on it.

To entertain the distinguished guest Guan Heng, Ye Zhou had booked a lunch at a high-end hotel a month ago. Originally, the company CEO and executives would attend, but Guan Heng said he disliked noisy crowds, politely declining.

In reality, given Guan Heng’s status, how many grand occasions had he seen? Saying such things was merely an excuse to decline. But Ye Zhou feared he hadn’t entertained properly, or perhaps he had done something wrong, only thinking of ways to remedy the situation, “If you don’t like Western food, we can eat something else, anything you want to eat, just let me know, I’ll arrange it.”

Guan Heng simply smiled, “It’s not that I dislike it, I’m just a bit tired of socializing. Chatting with you is pleasant, it would be even better if we could have a meal together.”

Having come this far, how could Ye Zhou not understand? So what was originally supposed to be a business lunch ended up being a private meal between the two of them, not counting the secretary trailing behind at a distance…

Secretaries naturally couldn’t sit at the same table as their bosses, sitting a considerable distance away without disturbing their conversation.

When Ye Zhou saw Guan Heng wiping his hands with the hotel napkin before eating, he remembered something, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, “Oh, this is yours…”

But Ye Zhou then recalled what Fang Ji had reminded him, Guan Heng had a phobia of touching things others had touched. But he had already taken out the handkerchief, putting it back now seemed strange, he could only explain, “Sorry, I’ve already washed it clean. But if you’re concerned…”

Guan Heng looked at the neatly folded handkerchief in Ye Zhou’s hand, suddenly asking, “You carry it around with you?”

“Yes.” Ye Zhou was startled, then realized his physical condition over the past two days might have left residual pheromones on it, planning to take it back, “Then I’ll still…”

Unexpectedly, Guan Heng casually accepted it, naturally stuffing it into his breast pocket. When he lowered his head to put the handkerchief away, he indeed caught a whiff of the crisp sweetness of white wine, greatly uplifting his mood.

Ye Zhou inexplicably blushed, due to the expression on Guan Heng’s face, too much like someone collecting a cherished possession.

There was no doubt, even disregarding Guan Heng’s family background, he was still an extremely charming man.

Ye Zhou’s originally planned meeting and business lunch had to change plans last minute. This was something he needed to report upwards first; their company would certainly do their utmost to meet Guan Heng’s requirements in order to achieve cooperation with the Guans. Therefore, the news that Guan Heng didn’t want to meet with other company executives, only willing to have lunch with Ye Zhou, spread quickly.

Before leaving, Ye Zhou returned to the office, coincidentally encountering Fang Ji. Fang Ji had the most accurate information, only managing to warn him, “Ye Zhou, be careful, he can’t have set his sights on you, right?”

Ye Zhou laughed at the time, thinking Fang Ji was overthinking it. Although such things weren’t uncommon in business negotiations, firstly, he wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful, and secondly, he was an Alpha. If Guan Heng really set his sights on him, he wondered what the other party could possibly see in him.

But now…

Ye Zhou quickly regained his composure. Impossible, what fun could he have as a hard Alpha, not as good as a supple Omega.

Guan Heng had other places to go in the afternoon. His business trip schedule was quite tight, negotiating while also visiting other suppliers, it was normal to visit three to four companies a day. But they would still meet frequently over the next few days. Ye Zhou always handled things meticulously, covering all bases. Even if the other party already had arrangements, out of politeness, he would still ask, “Have you found a hotel to stay at? Do you need me to help arrange it?”

Arranging accommodation for clients was also part of a salesman’s job, though few people were willing to go to such lengths.

Guan Heng brought a secretary along, naturally not needing to worry about such trifles. But looking at Ye Zhou’s face, he said, “No, you arrange it for me.”

“Alright.” Arranging a room for Guan Heng required reporting expenses, Ye Zhou immediately picked up his phone to search for a presidential suite. The more satisfied Guan Heng was with his service, the higher the chances of a successful contract signing.

While Ye Zhou was looking for a room, Guan Heng sent a message to his secretary on his phone: 【Cancel the current hotel reservation.】

The secretary was stunned upon seeing the boss’s message, thinking the boss wasn’t satisfied with the accommodation, immediately replying, 【Understood, which hotel would you like to switch to? I’ll arrange it right away.】

But several minutes later, Guan Heng sent another message: 【No need to switch, just move my luggage to Room 1314.】

The secretary genuinely wondered, “???”

The hotel Ye Zhou arranged for Guan Heng happened to be where he was originally staying, close to their company, just a ten-minute drive away, just booking another room. This presidential suite had a living room, two bedrooms, and a shared bathroom. The room was on the top floor, with a large glass window in the living room, offering a panoramic view of the city.

Guan Heng pondered for a moment, saying, “Something came up at the branch, I’m quite busy these few days, I may not have much time to discuss, but I’m very interested in your company’s proposal…”

Ye Zhou’s mission was to secure this collaboration. Once an opportunity was missed, it wouldn’t come again, “No problem, I’m available anytime, I can be at your beck and call.”

Guan Heng smiled, suggesting, “How about this, there are two rooms anyway, I can’t use such a big space by myself. To facilitate detailed discussions, why don’t you stay here for a few days?”

Guan Heng’s tone was serious, the manner of someone strictly handling business, not giving room for any inappropriate thoughts.

Ye Zhou didn’t overthink it, he was straightforward. He suddenly recalled the rumors that Guan Heng was difficult to deal with, thinking that Guan Heng might just be difficult in these small demands. But this trivial matter meant nothing to Ye Zhou. Refusing might upset him, so he quickly agreed, “Okay.”

After all, they were both Alphas, what could happen with two Alphas together?