Chapter 69 – Parallel Extra 08: He Must Love You Deeply

At nine in the morning, Ye Zhou arrived at the office punctually. He had gotten pretty hammered last night, but fortunately, Alpha bodies were typically robust, and he didn’t suffer from a hangover. After an hour, Ye Zhou was mostly back to his normal state.

Fang Ji had gone out in the morning to visit a client. When he returned and saw Ye Zhou, he asked, “What’s wrong with your mouth? Why is it so red?”

Ye Zhou felt a bit guilty but played it off as nothing, “Last night at the banquet, I probably ate something I’m allergic to.”

Fang Ji sat back in his seat and lowered his voice, “How did your talk with Guan Heng go?”

Ye Zhou almost blurted out “very well,” but he immediately realized that Fang Ji was asking about business, not a love affair. Everyone in the company knew that Ye Zhou had accompanied Guan Heng to the banquet last night, waiting for him to bring back good news. However, Ye Zhou got drunk last night and not only failed to make progress, but he even did something absurd. Ye Zhou was someone who kept work and personal life separate. He wouldn’t assume he could win the deal just because he was now with Guan Heng. He believed that Guan Heng was someone who could distinguish between personal and professional matters, which was why he didn’t mention anything about their relationship this morning. Ye Zhou sighed, shook his head, “Still working on it.”

Fang Ji misunderstood Ye Zhou’s meaning, “I told you he’s hard to handle.”

Ye Zhou gave a bitter smile. He wanted to say that Fang Ji’s insider information might not be entirely accurate. Guan Heng was very approachable and tolerant of him.

“Let me tell you another piece of insider news…”

Again, insider news. Ye Zhou wouldn’t disrespect Fang Ji, so he listened attentively.

Fang Ji looked around, this time lowering his voice even more, “I heard that Guan Zhao originally planned to cooperate with Li Sheng Trade and privately agreed on the terms. But unexpectedly, Guan Heng snatched this deal. So I suspect this person might make moves behind the scenes…”

Ye Zhou immediately thought of Guan Heng being pressured to drink last night. He initially assumed that Guan Heng genuinely wanted their companies to compete fairly, but it now seemed that wasn’t the case. Li Sheng Trade was just a small company to the Guan conglomerate. For them to dare to target Guan Heng indicated someone was backing them. If Guan Heng didn’t want to attend the banquet, no one could force him. It seemed he was somehow constrained, leaving him with no choice but to go.

Thinking more pessimistically, if Ye Zhou hadn’t helped Guan Heng drink, Guan Heng might have ended up in bed with someone else last night, potentially leading to a scandal.

Although he trusted that Guan Heng wouldn’t be completely defenseless, his act of drinking on his behalf wasn’t grandiose. It was just one possibility among many. Still, he couldn’t shake off the fear and anger.

Perhaps because their relationship had changed, or perhaps it was the Alpha’s protective instinct. He had already claimed Guan Heng as his territory and couldn’t tolerate others bullying him.

Seeing Ye Zhou’s unpleasant expression, Fang Ji called out to him, “Ye Zhou, what’s wrong?”

Ye Zhou snapped back to reality, “Nothing.”

Fang Ji noticed that Ye Zhou didn’t want to elaborate, so he could only remind him, “In any case, I hope their sibling rivalry doesn’t involve us. But you should be careful yourself.”

Ye Zhou nodded, “I understand.”

Approaching noon, Ye Zhou was indeed summoned by the company’s higher-ups for questioning. The situation didn’t look promising, as they seemed to have heard the rumors circulating privately, frequently asking him about the progress of the contract. Ye Zhou was grilled by several bosses, so busy that he didn’t even have time to eat lunch. It was already two in the afternoon when it ended.

Ye Zhou was so hungry that he lost his appetite. After eating something to fill his stomach, he went to the pantry to brew himself a cup of coffee. While washing his hands after brewing the coffee, he realized the paper towels were out. He instinctively pulled out the handkerchief from his left breast pocket to wipe his hands. Guan Heng had given him the handkerchief and never asked for it back. Ye Zhou had grown accustomed to carrying it with him, considering it a token of their love.

As Ye Zhou was lost in thought with his head down, a female employee suddenly gasped softly behind him.

Ye Zhou turned around and saw the company’s receptionist, “What’s wrong?”

“Ye Zhou, you…” The receptionist wasn’t overly surprised, just noticed a noticeable bite mark on Ye Zhou’s back neck, visible only when he lowered his head, “Are you dating someone?”

Ye Zhou was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood that she spotted the bite mark on his gland. Dating was true, and there was no point in hiding it, so he smiled and replied, “Yes.”

Ye Zhou was generally well-liked in the company. Omegas from other departments had shown interest in him, but he had never seemed interested in anyone.

The receptionist couldn’t help but sigh. She wondered who could capture the heart of their company’s ace salesman, bold enough to bite an Alpha’s gland, indicating strong possessiveness. “He must love you deeply.”

Ye Zhou knew the receptionist assumed the other party was an Omega, but he didn’t intend to clarify. According to her logic, since he bit Guan Heng even more aggressively, it meant he loved him even more.

Ye Zhou received a message from Guan Heng just before he was about to leave work, stating that he had something to attend to and would be returning late tonight, so Ye Zhou didn’t have to wait for him.

Guan Heng was always busy, and Ye Zhou didn’t hold it against him. Ambition in Alphas was normal, especially for someone in a high position like Guan Heng. But when he packed up his things, ready to leave for the hotel, he suddenly received a call from Fang Ji.

Fang Ji had been out visiting clients all afternoon. He was likely on the street, as the background noise was loud, “Ye Zhou, I just passed by Li Sheng’s area and saw President Chen getting into a car with a lawyer, heading towards the trade center. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the contract, but I thought I’d let you know.”

Guan Heng mentioned this morning that he was going to the trade center to handle matters related to the branch office. That area was the Guan conglomerate’s territory; logically, nothing should happen. But Ye Zhou couldn’t help but worry when he remembered Guan Zhao had already secretly teamed up with Li Sheng. Moreover, he didn’t believe that Guan Heng would deny him any opportunity and decide to sign with Li Sheng without discussion.

After hanging up the phone, Ye Zhou pondered for a moment and decided to drive out. As a salesman, there was still a chance of salvaging the situation before the contract was signed. Even if it was a misunderstanding, he had to personally confirm Guan Heng’s safety.

Meanwhile, Guan Heng was indeed caught up in a minor issue.

A mishap occurred with the branch office’s business, escalating to the headquarters. Consequently, Guan Zhao conveniently sent someone to watch over him, claiming to assist but actually aiming to prevent him from signing with Zhoujishi Trade.

Guan Heng didn’t need to guess who orchestrated this clumsy self-directed drama.

Guan Zhao couldn’t come in person due to his scandal, so he dispatched his confidant, Secretary Lin. On the surface, Secretary Lin said he had important matters to discuss. After Guan Heng dismissed everyone, he took out a stack of secretly taken photos. They captured the scene of Ye Zhou being escorted into the hotel room last night. Ye Zhou was drunk, leaning heavily against him. Their postures were quite intimate, and several shots taken from behind looked like they were kissing. Such professional angles suggested that this wasn’t a leak from a hotel staff member but rather a photographer disguised as a guest secretly snapping photos.

Guan Heng’s expression didn’t change, “What’s the meaning of this?”

Secretary Lin tried to appear respectful but couldn’t hide his smug demeanor. They had finally caught Guan Heng in a compromising situation and wouldn’t let it slip away, “Vice President Guan, this person is Zhoujishi Trade’s sales manager, right? Men can play around in private, but if the other party has ulterior motives, it won’t be easy to explain to the chairman.”

Guan Heng chuckled, “Are you suggesting he sold his body for the sake of the contract?”

Secretary Lin didn’t expect Guan Heng to be so direct, “Isn’t that the case?”

“If he’s willing, I’d consider it.”

“What?”

Guan Heng wasn’t actually threatened by this. He just wanted to see what tricks Guan Zhao could pull. He pretended to lose patience and waved his hand, “Enough chatter. What conditions do you want to propose?”

Secretary Lin thought the tactic had worked and continued, “President Guan can overlook past incidents and hopes both parties can make concessions. He won’t interfere with this case, but you have to sign with Li Sheng.”

On the surface, it seemed like Guan Zhao was making concessions, allowing Guan Heng to save face and boost his reputation. However, if they truly signed with Li Sheng, it could lead to endless troubles. Before leaving on a business trip, Guan Heng had already conducted a detailed investigation into the trading company. Li Sheng had unclear funding sources and countless bad debts, raising questions about potential illegal activities. Guan Heng knew everything Ye Zhou hadn’t told him. Therefore, signing the contract was out of the question. To gather more evidence, he sneered, lowering Secretary Lin’s guard, “Then, should I also overlook the incident where he drugged me when I was young, almost drowning me?”

Secretary Lin had been by Guan Zhao’s side since he was a teenager, so he was definitely aware of the situation. His expression visibly changed but quickly regained composure, lowering his voice, “Vice President Guan, President Guan is your brother and wouldn’t harm you. Besides, this is an unproven matter, don’t jump to conclusions…”

Guan Heng indeed lacked evidence, blaming himself for being too young at the time when all evidence was wiped clean before he regained consciousness.

Secretary Lin seemed guilty, fearing Guan Heng might have uncovered something. Suddenly, he softened his attitude, first reminiscing about the brothers’ childhood, appealing emotionally, then steering the conversation back to the contract, “President Chen is on his way and should arrive soon.”

Guan Heng showed little emotion, “You’ve arranged everything. Do you still need my opinion?”

Secretary Lin interpreted Guan Heng’s attitude as yielding. Once President Chen arrived, he immediately arranged for them to meet. President Chen, upon successfully meeting Guan Heng, knew the deal was secure. He couldn’t hide his delight, mentioning numerous benefits and even preparing gifts, “Vice President Guan, I noticed you seem to enjoy white wine, so I brought a few bottles of my collection to celebrate our cooperation in advance.”

Guan Heng looked at the wine President Chen offered, remaining silent and not declining.

President Chen probably assumed Guan Heng wouldn’t refuse. Knowing Guan Heng didn’t drink opened bottles, he specifically brought in a professional sommelier to uncork the wine. The sommelier was an Omega, wearing a tight-fitting vest that accentuated his slim waist and round, perky bottom. More importantly, the sommelier bore a resemblance to Ye Zhou, particularly around the eyes, with a refreshing fruity fragrance emanating from his pheromones.

Guan Heng didn’t display any disgust but simply stared at the sommelier.

During the decanting process, the sommelier occasionally glanced at Guan Heng, sending subtle flirtatious signals. He poured the first glass of wine and personally handed it to Guan Heng.

Guan Heng accepted the glass, elegantly swirling it before bringing it to his nose for a whiff. The rich aroma of white grapes greeted him. President Chen and Secretary Lin watched intently, as did the sommelier, gazing at him with affectionate eyes. Guan Heng’s lips touched the rim of the glass. His slender fingers lifted the glass, clear wine sliding down the crystal-clear glass surface, about to enter his mouth…