I Have To Love【Abo】 Chapter 21
byPink Face Takes the Stage
Su Tai stood in the garden by the hospital parking lot. The cedar trees were tall and straight, their winter greenery forming a dense canopy. The cigarette smoke on his fingertips curled away in the wind.
Su Tai was the only son of the Su family in this generation. He had excelled academically since childhood and was groomed as the heir. At 17, he went abroad to study at an Ivy League university, and at 25, he formally took over the family business. In the arena of fame and fortune, he transformed from a promising young talent into a decisive and efficient leader, capable of noticing even the smallest pin drop.
He had never previously considered the relationship between Xie Qiao and his father, Xie Renqing. Today, Xie Qiao’s simple statement about not liking soup made him reconsider the matter. An attractive and gentle omega, bringing his only son, managed to hook Su Kun, an old hand in the world of romance, and even convinced Su Kun to marry him. A pretty face alone was far from enough.
Before taking over the Su family, Su Tai rarely lived at the Su Family Ancestral Home. On the rare occasions he encountered the Xie father and son, it was always Xie Renqing doing the talking; Xie Qiao was either silent or stayed in his room. He wouldn’t usually dwell on something as minor as drinking soup, but…
Su Tai made a rough deduction and called his assistant. “Help me investigate someone: Xie Renqing’s past background, reputation, and any financial transactions he may have had. I need that too.”
He needed to investigate Xie Renqing from scratch. Su Tai vaguely felt this might be related to Xie Qiao’s illness.
After hanging up, Su Tai returned to the company. It had been a while since he worked in the office, and it felt somewhat unfamiliar. There was no smell of disinfectant in the air, only clean air circulated by the constant temperature system.
Su Tai signed several procurement and cooperation agreements; his desk quickly became piled high with documents. His phone rang, and he turned to see a message from Aunt Wang.
“A’Qiao finished everything and is resting now.”
“Stay at the hospital to look after him.”
“Okay.” Aunt Wang sent another message, “Are you coming to the hospital today?”
“Depends on the situation.”
His absence from Xie Qiao was not just due to being busy with work; it was because he still didn’t know how to face Xie Qiao. He had never experienced that subtle emotion before. If Xie Qiao had completely forgotten, he would simply act as a good older brother. But Xie Qiao woke up choosing to forget some things, yet unable to forget his affection.
He covered his chest. His right ear still retained the sound of Xie Qiao’s heartbeat, slowly synchronizing with his own. Was he going to fall for Xie Qiao?
The private dining room was thick with cigarette smoke. Su Tai was having dinner with people from the Resource Bureau. He chose a low-key restaurant serving home-style cuisine. Two bottles of the five-thousand-plus yuan wine on the table were already gone.
Su Tai was there for the new project in the west of the city, and socializing was unavoidable. Su Tai accompanied them for a few drinks before handing over to his secretary. He didn’t smoke any less, but a hint of melancholy clouded his brows.
“CEO Su doesn’t seem to be in high spirits today,” a man beside him joked.
Su Tai extinguished his cigarette, offering a wry smile. “Just flushed from the alcohol.”
The man on the other side teased the first man, “You have time to worry about others? Haven’t you worried enough about your cousins?”
Su Tai held a thin cigarette handed to him by the person next to him, resting his hand on the table. His eyes were slightly raised at the corners, and his smile was charmingly flirtatious.
“What kind of talk is that? Do my cousins need me to worry about them?” The man took a sip of wine. “I just thought CEO Su looked like he’d been wronged, so I was showing some concern.”
“In Tancheng, CEO Su only ever wrongs others,” another man laughed playfully.
“You flatter me too much,” Su Tai poured wine into the man’s glass. “I toast you.”
The man drank the wine and then steered the conversation to another topic.
Stepping out of the private room, the cold winter wind of Tancheng blew, carrying the smell of smoke clinging to his clothes. Su Tai frowned.
“CEO Su, there are clean clothes prepared in the car.”
“Mm.”
Su Tai got into the car and changed his jacket. The river running through the city turned into a long black cloth at night. The warmth inside the car made him drowsy.
“It looks like it might snow tonight,” the driver said from the front. “Sir, are we going home or back to the hospital?”
Snow? Xie Qiao seemed to have mentioned wanting to watch the snow with him before. Su Tai leaned back against the dark cashmere seat, his eyes clear. “Go to the hospital.”
Su Tai had rarely visited the hospital these past few days. Xie Qiao had sent Aunt Wang away and met with Cheng Yong. Cheng Yong reported on the recent near-raid by the police on the Underground Fighting Ring, and that the doctor’s whereabouts had been located, just waiting for Xie Qiao to recover before they could meet him.
After quickly finishing his report, Cheng Yong finally asked about Xie Qiao’s health. He used to run with gangs, but after Xie Qiao beat him, he followed him. Xie Qiao even provided the coffin money when his mother passed away, making him fiercely loyal. “I was worried you might have amnesia this time, I’ve been anxious for a long time.”
“Amnesia?”
“You were in a coma last time too. When you woke up, you asked me who I was. Fortunately, you remembered the next day. I specifically came to see you because I was afraid it would be like last time.”
Xie Qiao couldn’t recall the previous incident. He only had one memory of it. Cheng Yong wouldn’t lie to him; he must have forgotten some things.
“I do feel like I haven’t remembered everything, but it doesn’t affect anything crucial, so there’s no need to worry about it,” Xie Qiao said. “Finish up the Underground Fighting Ring, clean it up.”
“I know what to do. You focus on recovering.”
Xie Qiao had already planned to close the Underground Fighting Ring. He had reassigned the staff to the Suburban Boxing Gym and other locations. Only the final cleanup remained, and the entire boxing gym had been built for this purpose.
“You’ve all worked hard during this time. The New Year is approaching; make sure everyone has a good holiday.”
Xie Qiao was generous, and this had been the rule for several years. Cheng Yong only needed to follow his instructions. “Yes.”
When Su Tai arrived, Xie Qiao was sitting by the window on a chair, covered with a blanket, watching the scenery. The room lights were off. The cold moonlight fell on the balcony, making the omega’s slender figure appear even more fragile in the cool light.
An alpha’s sense of smell was keen. As soon as he entered, he caught an unfamiliar scent and saw a yellow paper crane resting on Xie Qiao’s bed.
“A’Qiao.”
The omega turned his head and saw the tall alpha walking towards him. Broad shoulders supported a black cashmere coat, and a belt cinched his lean waist. The shadow cast by his body enveloped Xie Qiao before he did.
“Why are you sitting here?”
Xie Qiao looked intently at Su Tai. “Waiting for you. Have you been very busy lately?”
“Yes, just came from a dinner party.” The alpha bent down, one arm sliding under Xie Qiao’s knees and the other around his waist, lifting him and the blanket together. “Brother won’t drop you, don’t be afraid.”
Xie Qiao wrapped his arms around Su Tai’s neck, pressing his face against his shoulder to smell his Gland. The S-Class Alpha Pheromones quickly calmed him. “Did you smoke? You smell strongly of it.”
Su Tai’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice captivating the omega. “Little dog nose.”
The alpha held the omega in his arms with one hand, using the other to pick up the paper crane from the sheet and put it in his pocket. He pulled back the covers, placed Xie Qiao on the bed, and tucked him in. “Did a friend come to see you today?”
“A classmate from Tancheng University,” Xie Qiao hedged.
“Has Han Zheng visited these past few days?”
“He’s busy with his competition; the finals are coming up. I told him not to come.” Xie Qiao placed his hand on Su Tai’s. “The weather forecast says it’s going to snow tonight. Are you leaving?”
“I’m too tired today. I’ll make do here for the night. I’m going to take a shower. You should sleep first.”
“There are no pajamas for you here.”
“Don’t you have yours? I can make do for one night.” Su Tai ruffled Xie Qiao’s hair. “I wonder if it’s because I raised you well, or if your body is special, to grow into a physique rarely seen among omegas.”
The alpha’s gentle voice struck Xie Qiao’s heart. “Maybe you raised me well.”
“That’s true. When we have children in the future, I’ll definitely be adept at taking care of them.” Su Tai took off his coat, grabbed a set of pajamas from the small wardrobe nearby, and headed toward the bathroom.
Only Xie Qiao’s frantic heart remained behind.