I Have To Love【Abo】 Chapter 23
byPink Face Takes the Stage
An hour ago, Su Tai messaged Xie Qiao to wait for him in the underground parking lot so they could go home together. Xie Qiao said goodbye to Han Zheng and waited in the parking lot.
As the banquet dispersed, Su Tai exchanged a few polite words with acquaintances before bidding them farewell. At the elevator door, someone called out to him.
“Su Tai, do you have time to grab a meal with me?”
Su Tai turned his head at the sound, his tone polite but distant. “CEO Liu, it’s year-end, and I’m very busy. I probably don’t have time.”
Miss Liu from Mingshang looked at him, composed and relaxed. She was certain of success but was rejected, causing her to lose face. “You’re using that excuse to turn me down?”
Su Tai was not surprised by her reaction. Young ladies raised in such pampered environments could not tolerate rejection, as no one had dared to refuse them during their upbringing.
“Miss Liu, we are the same type of person,” Su Tai said. “And the same type of person is not suitable to be together.”
Su Tai thought he had been very considerate and tactful in his wording toward a woman, especially since he hadn’t yet settled the score with her for the subtle intimate behavior that had caused Xie Qiao to leave the banquet earlier.
“Then what type of person are you compatible with? Xie Qiao, who just left the ballroom?”
The open elevator door closed again. Su Tai frowned slightly, scrutinizing the woman. She wore high-heeled boots and a professional suit, appearing capable and intelligent, yet her words were jarring.
“I think it’s best if you don’t inquire about certain things.”
“Everyone says Hengling’s Su Tai has a magnanimity that can float a boat. Do you also have moments of flying into a rage out of shame?”
“This is a warning,” Su Tai dropped the politeness. “We are neither lovers nor engaged. You have crossed a line.”
“I’ll advise you one last time: cooperation is fine, but don’t think about anything else. You are currently surrounded by wolves; you should take care of yourself.”
Su Tai tore off his gentlemanly mask, dropped his warning, and entered the elevator, leaving. After the Alpha Pheromones receded, Miss Liu leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. The pheromones of an S-Class Alpha, even those merely overflowing due to emotional fluctuation, were startling.
Su Tai entered the parking lot and saw Xie Qiao standing beside his car, still wearing the clothes Han Zheng had given him. Xie Qiao’s eyes brightened for a moment upon seeing him, then returned to normal.
“Get in the car, let’s go home.”
“Did someone upset you?” Xie Qiao sat in the passenger seat, observing the Alpha’s gloomy face. “I can smell your pheromones.”
“Yes, I was provoked by someone who lacks foresight.”
“Oh.”
Oh? Su Tai drove out of the parking lot, circled the hotel’s front green area, and headed home. The tight expression on his face suddenly twisted into a sneer. “Oh what? Are you sulking with me? I thought you were having a great time chatting with Han Zheng.”
Xie Qiao stopped talking, burying his face in his scarf, his nose twitching. In Su Tai’s eyes, this looked like Xie Qiao was smelling Han Zheng’s scent, which was no different from a provocation.
“Lift your head. What kind of posture is that, slouching?”
Xie Qiao pulled his face out of the scarf and mumbled softly, “I didn’t provoke you.”
Su Tai slammed on the brakes. Due to inertia, Xie Qiao was thrown forward and then pulled back by the seatbelt, his entire back hitting the seat. It felt like his internal organs were about to spill out.
“Do you know you are an omega?”
“…I know.”
“Get out and grab the spare clothes from the trunk to change into.”
“Why the sudden change of clothes?”
“The Alpha Pheromones on you are giving me a headache. Didn’t the school teach you physiological knowledge? Pheromones between Alphas are mutually repulsive.”
Xie Qiao got out of the car. Su Tai didn’t know why he was so angry—whether it was at Han Zheng and Xie Qiao, or at Liu Rumin’s overstepping. From the moment he saw Xie Qiao in the parking lot, every small movement Xie Qiao made was like gasoline, fueling his rage higher and higher.
Xie Qiao quickly changed and got back in the car. “I’ve changed.”
Su Tai looked at Xie Qiao’s flushed face. A pang of conscience reminded him that Xie Qiao’s departure was caused by Liu Rumin’s misunderstanding, and his tone softened. “Why didn’t you change in the car?”
“You didn’t like it, did you? Besides, there was no scent of Han Zheng at all.”
Xie Qiao’s retort made his conscience vanish again. Su Tai radiated an unprecedented sense of oppression, like a beast whose food had been stolen, ready to pounce and tear at any second.
“What are you angry about?” Xie Qiao looked at Su Tai with clear eyes. “I didn’t complain about the Omega Scent on you. Han Zheng is just my friend. He only came out to comfort me and make sure I didn’t catch a cold.”
“Ge.”
Ge, ge, ge, ge. What kind of cheap older brother was he? Could their blood even mix if they did a blood recognition test?
“Han Zheng likes you. If you like him, you can maintain the status quo. If you don’t, don’t string him along.” Su Tai spoke through gritted teeth, using all his strength to suppress his Alpha possessiveness. “I checked his background. His father is a leader in the Commercial Development Department, which is why he could invite you to this conference. His background is clean; you can rest assured.”
“Ge, I also said that Han Zheng and I are friends. You can’t get angry every time an Alpha appears near me. You’ll exhaust yourself.”
“I know you’re popular, don’t get arrogant.” Su Tai reached for a cigarette, then stopped himself after glancing at Xie Qiao.
“Aren’t you the same? How many people want to climb into your bed?”
Su Tai turned to look at him. Xie Qiao never used such coarse language.
“A’Qiao, I’m an Alpha.”
“So what if you’re an Alpha? Does being an Alpha mean you can be promiscuous and not loyal?”
“I don’t have anyone I like, no one who requires my unwavering loyalty.”
“Then why do you think I do?”
Su Tai’s hand gripping the steering wheel trembled slightly. “It’s very important for an omega to find a partner. I just hope you find happiness and marry the person you love.”
Xie Qiao felt a lump in his throat. Su Tai was still so resistant to him. “As my older brother, I won’t marry until you marry first.”
Su Tai didn’t respond, and they drove in silence all the way home. The night streets were more bustling than the day, illuminated by a blend of gold and silver light.
Xie Qiao rested his head, looking out the window. The neon lights made his eyes dry, so he simply closed them and fell asleep.
Su Tai couldn’t gauge how much of Xie Qiao’s memory had recovered. He had contacted Chen Yi, but Chen Yi had no solution either.
Memory was an untraceable part of the human brain. He couldn’t exactly hire a shaman to hypnotize Xie Qiao.
“Ge, I’m going to sleep. I have class tomorrow.”
“Take this. The doctor said you still need pheromone conditioning.” Su Tai took a tube of medicine from his pocket. Xie Qiao was familiar with it; it was Su Tai’s pheromones.
“When did you go to the hospital?” Xie Qiao held the medicine, carefully placing it in his pocket.
“During the day,” Su Tai said. “Go to sleep now.”
“Ge, just now… I didn’t mean to speak to you like that.” Xie Qiao knew Su Tai responded better to softness than hardness, and he proactively backed down.
“I apologize too. I shouldn’t have taken my temper out on you…”
Xie Qiao interrupted him, urgently confessing, “You can take it out on me, just don’t misunderstand that I like someone else.”
The entire second-floor corridor was empty. Xie Qiao’s words, meant to prove his sincerity, circled back and entered Su Tai’s ears. “Got it.”