I Have To Love【Abo】 Chapter 17
byPink Face Takes the Stage
All night, Su Tai was tormented by Xie Qiao’s three words, unable to sleep. When he decided to give Xie Qiao Mei Yuren’s brooch, he only used the time it took for Xie Qiao to change clothes. Perhaps from that moment on, his feelings for Xie Qiao were different, but he couldn’t cross the line of ethics and morality. He even found himself wishing that Su Kun hadn’t married Xie Renqing.
He realized he had fallen into an unprecedented nihilism, which made his reality even more painful.
Lying in bed, he recalled Xie Qiao’s voice just now. His pheromones surged within him, perhaps because he hadn’t released his desires in a long time. He was alone in the room, and the pheromones were so thick they were choking. Slowly, he closed his eyes. Xie Qiao had entered the Su family at the age of eight, and he had watched him grow up. Only now did he feel that Xie Qiao was truly an adult.
Xie Qiao was usually timid. If he said something, it would surely scare him… But what if he did say it? Would Xie Qiao blush and hide from him? No, Xie Qiao wouldn’t hide from him. Su Tai didn’t know where this confidence came from, he just felt that Xie Qiao wouldn’t.
The wind of the North America plains intensified in the late autumn, howling outside the window, chilling Su Tai’s heart. The room was extremely quiet; he could even hear the frantic thumping of his own heart.
Suddenly, a voice popped up in his mind, asking him.
Do you like Xie Qiao?
But immediately, it changed to: Why can’t you be in a relationship with him? What is the reason? What are you afraid of?
He searched his heart, looking for the obstacle between himself and Xie Qiao.
The obstacle.
Yes, the obstacle.
All obstacles can be solved.
And then? How to solve them.
His thoughts transitioned in seconds from liking to solving the obstacle, deftly avoiding the ethical and moral issues, and focusing on the one thing he was best at—problem-solving—as casually as thinking about what to eat tomorrow morning.
Su Tai gave a self-deprecating smile. As he aged, his mind became so prone to wandering. When did he start attributing a child’s dependence to love? That was truly immoral.
The wind outside the window didn’t stop all night, seemingly destroying everything outdoors like the end of the world. The next morning’s newspaper reported that the previous night’s wind had caused several shantytown houses to collapse, though no one was injured.
Su Tai met his old friend from North America in the hotel restaurant. They had met during a mountaineering trip when Su Tai was still a young man.
Edward was a black-haired, blue-eyed Alpha, a curator with artistic flair, sporting black, medium-length hair. This time, he brought his newlywed wife.
They got married this spring; Edward said his wife loved spring. The two met at an art exhibition and fell in love at first sight, quickly diving into a relationship. Later, when Edward brought his wife home to meet his father, he discovered that his wife’s father was his own father’s boyfriend. The four of them felt the serendipity was marvelous.
They weren’t constrained by the concept of a blended family, this non-blood-related brotherhood, and even married on the same day as their fathers. Edward laughed, calling it a double blessing.
Upon arriving, Edward warmly embraced Su Tai, greeting him and introducing the slender, beautiful Omega beside him, “This is my wife, you can call him Xilan.”
“This is my friend, Su Tai, whom I told you about last night.”
The two held hands, Xilan instinctively leaning against Edward’s shoulder. Their eye contact was filled with newlywed sweetness. Su Tai felt they were about to kiss in front of him.
Su Tai and Xilan exchanged greetings and took their seats. The waiter handed them the menus.
Edward asked, “I thought we wouldn’t see each other until Christmas. Are you here for work?”
Su Tai replied, “Yes, and it’s almost finished.”
“Are you here alone?” Edward knew Su Tai had a beloved younger brother and had met Xie Qiao. He was perceptive and had noticed Xie Qiao’s unique feelings for Su Tai, but he never mentioned it to Su Tai. Despite Su Tai leading trends in the business world, he was essentially a conservative heir raised in a prominent family.
Su Tai saw the implication and joked, “I don’t have a partner here in North America.”
“I meant Xie Qiao.”
“He’s in school. If he were here for vacation, I would bring him.” Su Tai flipped through the menu. This restaurant was famous for its oysters. Su Tai was allergic to seafood, but he chose this place to accommodate Edward’s taste. “The seafood here is good, you should try it.”
Edward said, “Of course, I’ve wanted to come for a long time, but we’ve been on our honeymoon and haven’t made it yet.”
When they ordered, the waiter stood by. “Sir, the three-person serving of oysters might be too little.”
Edward replied, “He won’t eat it. He’s allergic to seafood.”
The waiter apologized and recommended other dishes. Finally, they confirmed the quantity and types of dishes, and the waiter left after ensuring no changes were needed.
The white wine in the glass had a faint champagne color. Su Tai remembered that Xie Qiao liked to drink this; it was refreshing and not intoxicating.
Xilan was quiet, only occasionally chiming in during the conversation. The two complemented each other perfectly.
Edward asked Su Tai, “Do you have time to go hiking together? There’s a newly opened trail nearby.”
Su Tai didn’t have much appetite and stopped after two bites. “I need to finish my work early and return home. Next time.”
“Something wrong?” Edward asked.
Seeing Edward’s teasing, scrutinizing gaze, Su Tai knew exactly what he was thinking. Su Tai didn’t mind the scrutiny; after all, he wasn’t exactly a positive role model in relationships.
To put it nicely, he was romantic; to put it bluntly, he was promiscuous. Being devoted was a fantasy to him, and he wouldn’t easily mark an Omega. Marking represented a bond, and the influence between Alpha and Omega was mutual. After marking, the Alpha would also become infatuated with the Omega. If he accidentally made a permanent mark, he would have to marry them, as an Alpha could only have an heir with a marked Omega.
“Qiao is sick. I need to go back and take him to the doctor.”
Edward and Xilan exchanged a look. Edward laughed, “How old is Xie Qiao? He still needs you to take him to the hospital when he’s sick? Don’t you give the kid money for medicine?”
Edward didn’t know about Xie Qiao’s Gland issue, and Su Tai wasn’t willing to disclose such private information. “The kid doesn’t take care of himself. I have to accompany him. Maybe I’ve spoiled him too much; he can’t manage without me.”
Clang. Edward’s fork fell onto the porcelain plate. “What’s going on with you two? Are you together?”
Su Tai said, “What are you thinking? How could that be? Why would you think that?”
Edward gave him a meaningful look. “No?”
“Maybe you have Newlywed Syndrome.”
“What kind of illness is that?”
“I just made it up.”
Edward was speechless. Xilan was amused by their conversation. “I hope you don’t mind. Lately, whenever he sees a couple, he wants them to get married and shouts about the happiness of marriage.”
Su Tai smiled, “I understand. He really is someone who can’t hide anything when he’s happy.”
The two began talking about Edward’s embarrassing moments, recounting his love for hiking and camping but always encountering rain, and the funny things that happened on their honeymoon, like Edward sitting on the roadside eating ice cream only to have it snatched by a Golden Retriever…
Edward couldn’t stop them and joined in the laughter.
The amusing stories were relaxing. This was the most pleasant meal Su Tai had eaten since arriving in North America.
After the meal, Su Tai said goodbye to Edward and his husband. As soon as he got into the elevator, he received a photo of Xie Qiao sent by his bodyguard. There was a young boy beside him, an Alpha judging by his build, leaning close to Xie Qiao, saying something. They seemed to be chatting happily.
Su Tai felt a strange emptiness in his heart. His gaze fell on Xie Qiao’s face. He looked very healthy and didn’t need him to rush back home.
If he were still rational, he would realize that the blurry Alpha in the picture was the same person who accompanied Xie Qiao to the police station.
“Don’t let them find out.”
“Understood.”
Xie Qiao and Han Zheng met at the debate competition. Han Zheng was a last-minute addition to the debate team from the School of Architecture; their original debater was hospitalized with the flu.
Xie Qiao joined the debate team in his freshman year only because his teacher said it helped train the mind. He had always been a person with little ambition. The hardships of his childhood made him crave only a simple, stable life. Su Tai was the only variable.
Han Zheng was a handsome, refreshing man, and even his pheromones smelled like a crisp sea breeze.
“What do you want to eat?” Xie Qiao asked as the two walked toward the cafeteria after the debate.
Han Zheng replied, “What do you want to eat?”
“Anything is fine.”
“I know a great pizza place outside campus. Want to go?”
Xie Qiao never had strong preferences. After being sent to a private school by the Su family, he realized that everyone had their own likes and dislikes. People there seemed to know exactly what they liked and disliked. He felt it was hard to fit in. Once, he was squatting on the main road, spacing out, when Su Tai unexpectedly appeared in front of him and asked if he was acting like a stray dog, and if Su Kun had gotten tired of Xie Renqing and kicked him out.
He didn’t know why, but Su Tai’s words didn’t bother him. He just thought his older brother was incredibly handsome.
“No.”
“Then why are you squatting here? Where’s the driver?”
“I wanted to go home by myself. I was just thinking about what my classmates said today.” Xie Qiao had big eyes and a childish voice.
“What did they say?”
“They said I don’t fit in because I don’t have anything I like or dislike.” Xie Qiao’s voice grew softer. “I think having a house that doesn’t leak and a stable meal is enough.”
He had his head down then and didn’t notice Su Tai’s expression, only hearing him say, “That’s easy to fix. Just copy others.”
Han Zheng looked at him, waiting for an answer while Xie Qiao was lost in thought. Xie Qiao snapped back. “Okay.”
The pizza place was in a nearby mall. They took a taxi and arrived in a few minutes. Since it was a weekday, the mall was quiet, and the pizza place wasn’t crowded.
“See what you want to eat. I remember their seafood pizza is new.”
“Sorry, I don’t eat seafood.”
“Allergy?”
Xie Qiao nodded lightly. “If you want to eat it, you can order a serving.”
“I’ll remember that. You pick what you like. I’m only so-so about seafood too.”
Throughout the meal, Han Zheng took on the role of caregiver, not even letting Xie Qiao pour his own water.
“Thank you, I can do it myself.”
“We went to the police station together; that’s a bond. Don’t be polite.” Han Zheng glanced at Xie Qiao and continued, “I have a younger sister at home, so I might be used to taking care of others. Don’t feel pressured.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Xie Qiao was quiet, Han Zheng did most of the talking. “Where did you learn boxing?”
Xie Qiao replied, “At the Suburban Boxing Gym we went to that day.”
“Really? Then I’ll have my sister go learn there too.”
Xie Qiao pondered for a moment. “Maybe choose a different one.”
“Why?”
“That place is too remote. If your sister encountered what happened to me that night, it wouldn’t be good.”
“You’re very thoughtful.”