Liang Xiao had prepared himself to be frozen at the door again, but when he asked the head of the bodyguards, he learned that President Huo had actually locked himself in the master bedroom.
President Huo was slightly taken aback by his question and was quiet for a moment: “I… didn’t know how to enter.”
Liang Xiao: “…”
Liang Xiao: “Did you forget the password?”
The iron door was too easy to get frozen on, so they couldn’t switch to a fingerprint lock, and now it seemed that a password lock wasn’t safe either.
Modern technology had too many variables.
Liang Xiao lamented: “I said we should use a key…”
“…That’s not it.” President Huo pressed his forehead. “I-”
President Huo didn’t know how to tell him, was silent for a while, and then softly admitted: “I damaged the problems.”
Liang Xiao didn’t understand: “What?”
“The problems you gave me.” President Huo said, “I had reached the last problem and was almost about to solve it… accidentally.”
President Huo: “I could have solved it.”
Liang Xiao was taken aback, held his hand, and squeezed it, looking up at him.
President Huo gently squeezed back, gradually holding tight.
The past had left too many regrets. He should have done his best to compensate Liang Xiao, to make up for the ten years they had missed, but instead, he had been driven to a dead end by his obsession, unable to continue, and had ended up burdening Liang Xiao, who had to worry about him.
At that time, he had no energy left to adjust his state and could only repeatedly and futilely revisit countless details in his memory.
He couldn’t protect Liang Xiao, couldn’t understand the clues Liang Xiao had left for him, couldn’t solve the problems, and had even damaged the problem statement written by Liang Xiao’s own hand.
President Huo felt he had no right to enter that small study again; being able to stay in the master bedroom, which still had traces of both of them, was already the most extreme leniency he could give himself.
Liang Xiao held his hand, somewhat moved: “Really?”
“Really.” President Huo had no intention of defending himself, clenched his fist, closed his eyes. “I-”
Liang Xiao patted the back of his hand: “Don’t worry, I have fifty more.”
President Huo: “…”
President Huo opened his eyes.
“Competition problems.” Liang Xiao held both his hands and shook them. “I’ll go copy them.”
President Huo: “…”
President Huo wanted to explain himself a bit: “I-”
Liang Xiao solemnly: “I understand.”
Although Liang Xiao had returned in a hurry this time, he had brought a complete assortment of miscellaneous items. He reached out from President Huo’s embrace several times and pulled over a bag.
Liang Xiao hugged the bag, unzipped it, and took out three large brand-new sketchbooks.
…
Mr. Liang, with his abundant problem bank, thoroughly cured President Huo’s habit of frequent self-blame.
Finally having a chance to reminisce about the past, Liang Xiao was very interested. Seeing that President Huo really couldn’t sleep, he simply pulled him along to enter the small study, where they thoroughly looked through everything.
“This is what I secretly hid back then.”
Liang Xiao swayed as he took down a reference book, the memory vivid: “At that time, I really didn’t want to memorize anymore, so I hid it under the bed and lied to you that I couldn’t find it.”
President Huo was still thinking about the fifty problems when he heard this, came back to his senses, and reached out to help him down: “I know.”
Little Liang Xiao hated these books to the point his teeth itched, but when hiding them, he was particularly careful, wrapping them in several layers of kraft paper.
Not a speck of dust had touched them.
Liang Xiao had gradually become accustomed to being carried and skillfully hung on his arm. Hearing this, he was surprised: “You knew?”
President Huo nodded slightly: “Mm.”
After all, losing one or two books might not be noticeable, but when about ten books all went mysteriously missing, even someone as slow as him could see some pattern.
Especially since Liang Xiao always hid the books in the same place.
President Huo stroked his head: “I could tell you really didn’t like studying back then.”
Liang Xiao recalled the dent he had made in the wall with his head and ground his teeth with particular nostalgia: “Thank you so much…”
President Huo nodded slightly.
Liang Xiao saw that he actually nodded meticulously and became angry, wanting to jump up and knock on his knee, but President Huo pulled him back into his arms: “I originally wanted-”
Liang Xiao was taken aback: “Wanted what?”
President Huo looked at him, opened a candy wrapper with one hand, and touched it to his lips.
Liang Xiao wasn’t so easily distracted. He lowered his head to take the candy and asked indistinctly: “What did you want?”
Liang Xiao really wanted to hear and tugged at him encouragingly: “It’s been so long, what should be let go has been let go, just say it casually…”
It had been too long, and sometimes President Huo felt these words no longer needed to be said, but meeting Liang Xiao’s bright eyes, his heart still warmed slightly. He lowered his gaze and smiled: “I thought… if you really didn’t like studying, then you didn’t have to study anymore.”
Liang Xiao: “??”
Liang Xiao couldn’t let it go: “Why didn’t you say so back then?!”
President Huo: “…”
Liang Xiao was distressed and heartbroken, clearly not taking it as casual talk at all.
President Huo felt guilty, embraced him, and lowered his head to kiss him: “Back then, I brought you walnuts, opened the door, and saw you copying books, banging your head against the wall, and crying.”
Liang Xiao felt this scene didn’t need to be described in such detail and coughed with red ears: “You don’t need to mention this…”
President Huo rarely had the chance to reminisce properly about the past and wanted to continue: “When you saw me come in, you ran over and hugged me, saying you really didn’t want to memorize anymore.”
Liang Xiao hadn’t had the heart to tell him that at that time, he had wanted to tackle him and perish together. He opened his mouth and nodded vaguely: “And then?”
President Huo said softly: “That was the first time you hugged me.”
Liang Xiao was slightly taken aback.
“I… thought back then,” President Huo was quiet for a moment, stroking his hair. “If you really didn’t want to study, then you wouldn’t have to. I would study more, try hard to test well, and support the family.”
At that time, he didn’t yet have to bear the burden of the family business. Both of them had countless uncertainties and possibilities, and the paths of their futures hadn’t yet been laid out before them.
Youth knows not the taste of sorrow. He never dared to say it, but he had secretly imagined countless possible futures for them.
President Huo knew the bitterness well and didn’t want Liang Xiao to be distracted by the past either. He held his hand: “Let’s not think about it anymore, we-”
Liang Xiao’s eyes filled with tears: “Why didn’t you say so back then?”
President Huo was taken aback by his question, pressed his lips together, and couldn’t answer.
Liang Xiao pressed his heart and took deep breaths, swayed as he took a couple of steps, then tremblingly collapsed, only to be caught by President Huo, who carefully carried him back to the bedroom.
–
By the time Liang Xiao realized that his bond with the bedroom was too tight, he had already eaten three dinners with their President Huo in the room, losing track of time.
“Is the company alright?”
Liang Xiao, holding a small snowman, caught the butler when President Huo went out to inquire: “I left in a hurry this time, and the crew can’t keep giving me leave indefinitely. I need to go back soon…”
He hadn’t left the bedroom much these days, and President Huo had been accompanying him every step of the way. Even when he took time to work on his laptop, his efficiency was undoubtedly much lower.
Liang Xiao wanted to go back once to finish the remaining scenes and also try to give President Huo some time to focus on work before the variety show, to avoid having to worry about both sides at once.
The butler was startled: “How could you go back now?”
Liang Xiao was taken aback and tried moving around: “I can’t?”
President Huo’s pheromones had completely stabilized, and everything that needed to be clarified had been clarified. Liang Xiao thought carefully and felt it was indeed time to withdraw.
Going back and forth had already delayed quite a bit of time. If he didn’t quickly return to film the last few scenes, the filming period might overlap with the variety show.
Liang Xiao was used to it and wasn’t afraid of the hassle. But if President Huo were to join him in the variety show and also had to run back and forth to the film set with him, he might not be able to adapt immediately.
“President Huo’s mental state is very stable now,” Liang Xiao assured the butler. “I’ve left President Huo fifty problems, there won’t be any issues…”
The butler thought to himself that Liang Xiao seemed afraid that President Huo wouldn’t have issues. He looked at Liang Xiao but didn’t dare to say it, instead persuading gently: “It’s not convenient for you to leave now… Can you ask the crew for a week’s leave?”
Liang Xiao could indeed ask for leave but couldn’t understand why: “Why is it not convenient?”
The butler was older and couldn’t provide such a direct explanation. After struggling for a while: “It’s really… not convenient.”
Liang Xiao was confused. He played with the small snowman for a while and, seeing it was about to melt, got up to open the refrigerator door: “Does President Huo have something else to attend to? Don’t hide it from me. If there’s a problem, we can solve it together. Two people definitely have more solutions than one.”
Liang Xiao put the snowman in the refrigerator, his heart suddenly beating faster. He frowned slightly but didn’t pay much attention: “Tomorrow-”
Liang Xiao frowned, unable to finish his sentence immediately, and steadied himself against the refrigerator door.
The butler was startled: “Mr. Liang?!”
Liang Xiao’s chest inexplicably felt hot. He opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound, closed his eyes briefly, and fine beads of sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.
The butler was at a loss, about to call someone, when President Huo quickly pushed open the door.
“President Huo!” The butler turned around anxiously. “Mr. Liang-”
“I know.” President Huo had sensed Liang Xiao’s suddenly erupting pheromones from outside the door. He gestured for the butler to leave first, closed the door, and quickly went over. “Why didn’t you keep it with you?”
Liang Xiao was embraced by him, and his extremely uncomfortable state improved slightly. Still shaken, he asked: “The… protective little snowman?”
President Huo: “…”
President Huo felt his forehead, quickly carried him back to the bed, and had Liang Xiao sit on his lap: “Close your eyes.”
Liang Xiao’s heart raced: “Didn’t we already complete the permanent marking?!”
President Huo couldn’t explain, stroked his back, and released some pheromones: “…It’s complicated.”
He had specifically undergone theoretical training for permanent marking and had also received relevant research papers from the doctor. Not very clear about where Liang Xiao had learned about the process, he could only try his best to stabilize his pheromones first: “At least seven days.”
Liang Xiao had indeed read about this standard in romance novels. With his reminder, he also remembered and murmured: “Exceptionally gifted, seven days and seven nights…”
President Huo had clearly bitten him for half a century that day.
Liang Xiao had been living with his days and nights reversed and thought the seven days had long passed. He hadn’t expected that the few pages in romance novels were not at all a case of time flying by.
An omega in the marking period cannot leave the alpha’s pheromones. Liang Xiao had only been away for a short while, but his gland was already extremely uncomfortable, his body unbearably hot, and he instinctively clutched President Huo’s sleeve.
His sense of touch also seemed to have reached its peak sensitivity. When President Huo’s palm covered the back of his neck, Liang Xiao let out a stifled groan and closed his eyes: “Huo Lan…”
President Huo gently kissed him: “I’m here.”
Liang Xiao’s voice trembled as he panted urgently: “Does permanent marking still require applause?”
President Huo frowned slightly: “What?”
Liang Xiao had always thought permanent marking was just an excuse for deeper communication and had never considered that the latter might actually be the correct procedure for the former. He clutched President Huo’s clothes and took a low, gasping breath: “Driving…”
President Huo didn’t understand these overly obscure descriptions. After a moment of silence, he explained softly: “It requires knotting.”
Liang Xiao: “!!”
Liang Xiao pressed his chest, weakly leaving his last words: “I still have scenes to finish filming, there’s still an ending left, and we have a variety show together, remember to go…”
President Huo held his hand and lowered his head to kiss his brow: “Not now.”
Liang Xiao hadn’t yet managed to hold back his tears. Hearing this, he was taken aback and looked up with a red face.
“Alphas and omegas are naturally affected by pheromones.”
President Huo kissed him tenderly, letting Liang Xiao rest against his neck, relaxing his muscles to make it easier for him to bite: “The higher the compatibility, the more harmonious, the stronger the mutual attraction, the more inseparable.”
Liang Xiao’s mind was blurred by his calm, gentle voice. He swallowed dryly and instinctively nodded.
“We’re not like that.” President Huo embraced him tightly, his arms protecting Liang Xiao’s back. “We were attracted to each other first, which is why our pheromones became completely compatible.”
It was rare for Liang Xiao to hear him speak romantically. His ears grew hot, and he tugged at the corner of his mouth, unconsciously regretful: “It’s just… if you had told me back then that I didn’t need to study and you’d support me, it would have been even better.”
President Huo: “…”
President Huo kissed his ear and bit the back of his neck, applying slight pressure.
The top alpha’s powerful, fierce aura burst forth without any concealment.
Liang Xiao let out a muffled groan, his body suddenly tensing, as a vast white mist abruptly rose before his eyes.
The previously undeniable pain and strange discomfort became thinner with each wave. With the influx of powerful pheromones, a strange longing surged up from his spine, making him tremble repeatedly.
Liang Xiao couldn’t make a sound, instinctively tilted his throat back, and closed his eyes tightly.
After an unknown amount of time, the particularly intense impulse finally began to dissipate. The pure, cool pheromones firmly enveloped him, completely calming the unbearable instincts triggered by the pheromones.
“Liang Xiao.” President Huo called him softly: “Open your eyes.”
Liang Xiao’s eyelashes moved slightly. The tension from being suppressed by the top alpha’s aura dissipated, and he opened his eyes to meet President Huo’s gaze.
President Huo’s eyes were clear and detailed, particularly focused on him.
Liang Xiao had thought his body would be too exhausted to move, but when he tried to shift his arm, he found he still had quite a bit of strength.
“These days,” President Huo stroked his hair and asked softly, “how many times have we tried?”
Liang Xiao tried to remember: “Six times…”
Except for using the inducer on the first day, he hadn’t really needed marking these past few days, but President Huo had insisted on biting him once at regular intervals, and no matter what they were doing or where they were going, he had always personally accompanied him every step of the way.
Without realizing it, Liang Xiao found that he seemed to have completely adapted to President Huo’s pheromones.
Adapted to the point where the icy scent seemed to have thoroughly merged into his gland, into every corner of his instincts.
Liang Xiao instinctively raised his hand to touch the slight sweat on President Huo’s lashes, meeting the deep clarity in those eyes.
Such large-scale, high-frequency flushing of the gland with pheromones, providing an adaptation period for the gland in advance, could maximize the reduction of the impact of pheromones on both parties during permanent marking.
The alpha would not be completely controlled by instinct, and the omega could remain conscious and maintain the ability to act.
“Our meeting, our liking each other, our being together.”
President Huo’s physical exertion was even greater than his. His chest heaved as he pressed his forehead against Liang Xiao’s: “It was our own decision.”
Liang Xiao pressed his lips together, looking at the undeniable, unyielding, fierce pride in President Huo’s eyes. His eyes warmed, and he smiled: “Mm.”
“We are meant to be together.”
President Huo said word by word: “Permanent marking should also be our decision.”
Liang Xiao closed his eyes and raised his head to kiss him.
President Huo embraced Liang Xiao’s shoulders, his stubborn nature about to surface again as he wanted to ask for Liang Xiao’s opinion, but his omega promptly silenced him.
Liang Xiao’s voice was a bit hoarse, and he smiled: “It’s alright now.”
With a slight nasal tone, his particularly intimate manner mixed with the breathy voice stirred by arousal, he said between his lips and teeth: “The atmosphere is best right here, we really can’t apply for this…”
President Huo was quiet for a moment, embraced him in return, and pulled him tightly into his arms.
Liang Xiao became somewhat alert: “And we can’t write an afterword-”
“…” President Huo tightened his embrace, closed his eyes, and kissed him deeply with reverence.
Cool, fresh snow fell, wrapping around the misty rain, wet and moist, as the mountains and grass colors boldly explored life.
…
…
The doctor, hearing that the patient’s condition was abnormal, was hurriedly brought over by the butler. Running to the door, before he could knock, he was mercilessly slapped in the face by the fierce snow and wind pouring through the door crack.
The doctor declined coffee and cookies, covered in frost, and left shaking off ice crystals, looking world-weary.
Early the next morning, President Huo personally went out, promised to accompany the lead actor to the film set, and secured another three days of leave for Liang Xiao from Director Jin.
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")
