Chapter 23: He Had Just Committed Sin!

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Shen Shuyi walked out of the club alongside Xie Chenzhou.

Once outside, he realized he might have left his coat inside.

Whether it was the club’s overly strong air conditioning or the lingering fatigue from earlier, the sudden chill of the evening wind left him shivering. He instinctively wrapped his arms around himself.

He stopped, thinking about asking Xie Chenzhou to wait, but at that moment, Xie Chenzhou appeared with his coat in hand.

This time, the coat rested on Shen Shuyi’s shoulders.

“I’ll go get it for you,” Xie Chenzhou said, turning back toward the club.

The familiar scent clinging to the coat unexpectedly calmed Shen Shuyi.

As the tension and unease melted away, a heavier feeling took its place: guilt, even stronger than before.

He couldn’t fathom what Xie Chenzhou had been feeling while facing him.

He knew he had doubted him.

With Xie Chenzhou’s position and abilities, if he had truly wanted to act against Shen Shuyi, there would have been no way to resist. Their physical differences were vast, and even the Shen family would have been powerless. Even the police, who had promised justice for Shen Shuyi, might have been ineffective within the bounds of marriage.

There was no reason for Xie Chenzhou to detour into a dark restroom to do anything improper.

The man who had offended Shen Shuyi earlier simply could not have been Xie Chenzhou.

And yet, he had doubted him.

He hadn’t even felt anger. Xie Chenzhou had spent the entire time helping him, trying to prove his innocence.

Xie Chenzhou didn’t have to go that far. Their agreement placed no real obligations between them.

But when the line between duty and voluntarily assumed responsibility blurred, Shen Shuyi couldn’t help but wonder if Xie Chenzhou was simply being too kind.

And what could Xie Chenzhou want from him?

He couldn’t really like him, could he?

If he did, why had he insisted on having Secretary Zhao arrange that pre-marriage agreement?

Shen Shuyi could not make sense of it. A Beta like him could never attract an Alpha like Xie Chenzhou.

The only conclusion he could reach was that Xie Chenzhou was, at heart, just a good person.

To calm his scattered thoughts, or perhaps to atone for having doubted Xie Chenzhou, Shen Shuyi bent down and quietly inhaled the faint scent lingering on the coat while Xie Chenzhou was gone.

It was easy to understand why some Omegas became dependent on pheromones. Scent was a memory that lasted, and it could soothe the soul.

The smell from Xie Chenzhou’s coat had inexplicably become a source of comfort.

Carrying Shen Shuyi’s coat in the crook of his arm, Xie Chenzhou walked briskly to avoid keeping him waiting. Just as he reached the club’s entrance, he suddenly froze.

His pupils constricted, and he slipped into the shadows.

He looked down at the coat in his arm.

Shen Shuyi was secretly smelling it.

The sight sent Xie Chenzhou’s mind into chaos, as if countless bubbles were boiling in his head.

What was he doing?

What was he doing?

Shuyi was smelling his coat.

His pupils trembled, unable to believe what he was seeing.

He didn’t dare step out of the shadows to confirm it again.

Shuyi, Shuyi…

Repeating Shen Shuyi’s name in his mind, he felt a familiar stirring within him. His body reacted.

No.

He couldn’t let this happen.

He looked around desperately and finally used Shen Shuyi’s coat to shield his reaction before striding into the nearest restroom.

It felt sinful. He had just committed a sin.

Why?

His desire for Shen Shuyi seemed boundless.

Even if he were discovered, arrested, locked up, and sentenced to life, he could not stop wanting Shen Shuyi.

Leaning against the restroom stall door, he closed his eyes in despair.

Who could save him now?

Who could possibly save him?

He had ruined Shen Shuyi’s coat.

It could no longer be used. He didn’t even know how he would explain to Shen Shuyi why he had been gone so long.

How could he explain that he went to retrieve the coat, only to ruin it?

Xie Chenzhou’s dark eyes glazed over in thought. After a long moment, he folded Shen Shuyi’s coat neatly and tossed it into the trash.

He needed a psychologist.

No.

He had to save himself.

Gathering himself, he left the restroom with a heavy heart.

It was just a small incident in Shen Shuyi’s life. Life went on, and a week later, Xie Chenzhou’s sensitive period leave ended.

Shortly after, Shen Shuyi received a call from Shen Shuhan.

Shen Shuhan had returned from out of town, taking advantage of a break in his filming schedule and canceling unnecessary work. He was still a little worried about Shen Shuyi because of what had happened earlier.

Not wanting to return home for this brief trip, he had booked a hotel. With a face everyone recognized, he couldn’t wander freely, so he asked Shen Shuyi to make time to meet him.

Fortunately, Shen Shuyi had taken leave from Xie Chenzhou’s company and hospital for school matters. Once he finished, he hurried to the hotel where Shen Shuhan was staying.

In the hotel’s high-rise café, Shen Shuhan sat in an inconspicuous corner, oversized sunglasses covering half his face, his back to the entrance. Shen Shuyi searched for him for a long time.

When he finally sat down, Shen Shuhan realized he had arrived and removed his sunglasses.

He asked what Shen Shuyi wanted to drink. Shen Shuyi browsed the menu for a long time before ordering a cola latte. Shen Shuhan frowned, muttering that he had no taste, and summoned a server to place the order.

“I had someone check this for you,” Shen Shuhan said, sipping his black coffee. “Do you know what happened to your classmate Tan Yu’s family?”

Shen Shuyi shook his head.

“Their business ran out of funds. I heard the partner used the contract as an excuse to terminate it. Do you know who the partner was?”

Shen Shuyi shook his head again.

Shen Shuhan leaned closer. “Xie Cheng. I suspect someone deliberately made things difficult for the Tan family, maybe targeting just one person, like Tan Yu, who returned early to inherit the family business at his parents’ request.”

“Who would make things difficult for him? Xie Cheng?” Shen Shuyi tilted his head, confused. “The office is full of ordinary employees. Who would bother with him? Shen Shuhan, are you letting business dramas affect your judgment?”

Shen Shuhan poked him on the forehead. “I’ve thought Xie Chenzhou was strange from the start. How could an Alpha like him be interested in a Beta like you? Anything that seems too good to be true usually is. I feared you’d be tricked by him.”

“Are you saying Mr. Xie arranged all that just to marry me?” Shen Shuyi took a sip of his drink. It wasn’t good. Pure cola suited him better.

“You might be right.” Shen Shuhan was momentarily convinced but still didn’t understand Xie Chenzhou’s motives. Was it just jealousy over his ordinary younger brother’s former crush?

Shen Shuhan sighed and appraised Shen Shuyi. He still found nothing remarkable about his younger brother. “Did the thug at Chengding Mansion get caught that day?”

“No,” Shen Shuyi shook his head. “The surveillance didn’t capture him, and I don’t want to pursue it.”

“Why not? You’re not pursuing it? Those police might think you’re an easy Beta. If you were an Omega, failing to investigate would be a prosecutable offense.”

Just then, Shen Shuyi’s phone rang. He gestured to Shen Shuhan and answered.

On the other end, Xie Chenzhou’s voice was faint. “The driver said he couldn’t find you.”

Shen Shuyi realized Xie Chenzhou knew he had school today and had sent a driver.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you sent a driver, Mr. Xie. I’m with my brother right now.”

“Location?”

He gave the hotel name.

“What time?”

Shen Shuyi glanced at Shen Shuhan. “I’m not sure yet. If needed, I’ll contact the driver myself.”

“I finish work at six,” Xie Chenzhou said.

Shen Shuyi checked his watch. “Then I’ll try to finish by six.”

“Good. I’ll have the driver pick you up on the way.” The call ended.

Shen Shuhan listened the whole time, his spine tingling. After a moment, he frowned and asked seriously, “Shen Shuyi, tell me honestly, is Xie Chenzhou PUAing you?!”

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*Note: “PUAing” means emotionally manipulating someone in a romantic context, often making them doubt themselves or feel controlled. (Lol I had to google the meaning 😅)