No one could have imagined that a place specializing in selling greenery like the Green Plant Emporium would see such fierce competition over a low-level flower.
Even the customers couldn’t get their hands on it.
When the news spread online, many refused to believe it.
Sunflowers? Aren’t they practically useless? Too mediocre to be worth much.
As greenery goes, they aren’t exactly cheap, and their utility is limited.
Yet they were snatched up in a frenzy.
Xia Ze’s name had recently become a household topic across the Star Network.
It couldn’t be helped after all, he was Qi Jing’s Omega, and that alone was enough to make him famous.
Not to mention the waves his wedding had caused in the fashion world.
Lately, many Alpha-Omega weddings had specifically requested Xia Ze’s wedding as their template.
He had even become an idol for countless Omegas.
With what seemed like a perfect marriage, a perfect partner, and now even a budding career, everything was falling into place.
But in the end, they were just sunflowers, and they had already been bought out by competitors. Most people remained unaware of the situation.
However, the public was well aware of another piece of gossip:
Xia Ze was going to appear in a magazine shoot alongside several famous Omegas!
Even though Qi Jing’s expression darkened at the idea, he didn’t outright oppose it.
He only insisted on being present during the shoot.
The night before the shoot, Xia Ze had just settled into bed when he noticed General Qi’s intense gaze sweeping over him from head to toe before the man finally sat beside him.
Since returning from their honeymoon, the two had been sharing a room, and Xia Ze had grown accustomed to it. Puzzled, he asked, “Why aren’t you lying down?”
Qi Jing glanced at him, then turned off the main light, leaving only the dim glow of a nightlight, obscuring their expressions.
Propping himself up on one elbow, Qi Jing finally spoke, “Tomorrow, you’re going to the magazine studio.”
Xia Ze nodded. “Yeah, you already agreed to it.”
This had been Uncle Qi’s suggestion since Xia Ze was now running a greenery shop, interacting with magazines and similar platforms would be inevitable. The shoot was also a way to build connections.
Qi Jing remained silent, his thoughts lingering on the boy’s noticeably different attitude toward Omegas. His fingers lightly brushed Xia Ze’s neck, deliberately avoiding the scent gland, yet the touch still sent a shiver down Xia Ze’s spine.
Just as Xia Ze was about to squirm away, General Qi spoke again, “You’re a Beta.”
“Yeah,” Xia Ze replied, a hint of guilt in his voice. “You’ve known that for a while.”
“Mm.” Qi Jing’s tone was steady. “So tomorrow, don’t get too close to the other Omegas.”
Without a trace of shame, he added, “They’re all Omegas. They might notice something off.”
They wouldn’t notice a thing.
Xia Ze kept the thought to himself, nodding obediently.
Seeing how quickly the boy agreed, Qi Jing felt an inexplicable irritation rise within him. Taking advantage of the darkness, his possessive gaze grew even more pronounced.
A long silence passed, and Xia Ze was nearly asleep when Qi Jing finally muttered, “I hope so.”
“What’s so great about Omegas, anyway?”
Half-asleep, Xia Ze instinctively defended himself, mumbling, “They’re nice… except for the pregnancy part.”
His words were barely audible, but in the quiet of the night, they reached the ears of the top-tier Alpha, Qi Jing.
Qi Jing took a deep breath, ready to demand an explanation, what exactly is so nice about them? but when he heard Xia Ze’s steady breathing, he held back.
Lately, with the reopening of Greenery Store 506, Xia Ze had been handling everything himself. Riding on the success of the sunflowers, he had purchased numerous seeds and was busy cultivating them.
Exhausted from the workload, Xia Ze fell asleep almost instantly.
If it weren’t for the prior commitment to the magazine, he’d probably still be buried in work at the greenery shop.
The plant store had just opened, and there were bound to be many skeptics. The success of the sunflowers was only the first step.
Moreover, the Greenery Plaza ranked the highest-selling stores each month. With July already halfway over, Store 506 was lagging far behind.
Xia Ze wanted to catch up as much as possible and, more importantly, not embarrass General Qi so he was pushing himself hard.
Qi Jing watched quietly as strands of soft hair fell across the boy’s fair forehead, looking just as delicate as the boy himself, as if a single touch could pull him into an embrace.
Why would someone like this prefer Omegas?
Was he not strong enough? Or not handsome enough?
Unable to resist, Qi Jing pinched the boy’s cheek and then brushed his fingers against his hand. Just as he was about to pull away, Xia Ze instinctively clung to him, wrapping around his arm like a body pillow.
Before Qi Jing could react, Xia Ze rolled over, hugging the blanket instead, exposing a sliver of his waist.
Fine.
He was a tormenting little thing.
Qi Jing’s glands burned faintly, his body reacting instinctively.
Just looking at him was enough.
If they actually touched, he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
Resigned, Qi Jing lay down, waiting for the heat to fade.
By midnight, he was still awake. He took out the greenery bottle Xia Ze had made for him, forcing himself to close his eyes.
The next morning, Xia Ze found that General Qi had already left.
Every time he woke up, the general seemed to be out training already?
So disciplined, no wonder he had abs.
Still preoccupied with those abs, Xia Ze pushed open the bathroom door and was met with the sight of General Qi shirtless, brushing his teeth.
Xia Ze froze, his gaze involuntarily glued to those abs.
What was he supposed to do? Every time he saw them, they just looked so ridiculously good.
Noticing this, Qi Jing’s mood improved slightly, despite the fact that the boy was about to go shoot a magazine spread with an Omega.
Maybe he wasn’t entirely without merits.
Before Xia Ze could react, Qi Jing had already squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and set it aside for him.
Xia Ze walked over, glancing at their reflections in the mirror, one tall, one shorter, and those perfect abs.
Lifting his own shirt for comparison, he sighed. “Yeah, there’s no competing with that.”
His slender waist was fully exposed, so soft and pale it looked like it could be encircled with one hand, an unintentionally tempting sight in the morning light.
Qi Jing, watching the oblivious boy, was the first to leave the bathroom.
On the way to the magazine shoot, Xia Ze instinctively sensed that General Qi seemed agitated so much so that it was practically radiating off him.
The magazine editor clearly noticed it too, too intimidated to even breathe loudly.
The other Omegas waiting for the shoot immediately shrank back.
Apart from the editor, this was everyone’s first time seeing the legendary General Qi in person. Though they’d been curious, the sheer intensity of his presence made them instinctively retreat.
Who would dare marry someone so terrifying?
Oh. Xia Ze would.
The Omega movie star, the Omega idol, the socialite Omega, and the wealthy Omega, all of them shot Xia Ze looks of admiration.
To endure someone that intimidating impressive.
Xia Ze didn’t understand their reactions. Qi Jing, at least, reined in his temper around him, though traces of irritation remained. “Go ahead with the shoot. Afterward, I’ll take you to the military base.”
The military base?
Qi Jing added, “You sent greenery to my subordinates before. It’s a good chance for you to meet them.”
Xia Ze faintly sensed that General Qi was paving the way for his departure.
Combined with General Qi’s recent busyness, could that time be approaching soon?
Noticing his concern, Qi Jing ruffled his hair: “Don’t worry, go ahead.”
Then he pulled Xia Ze closer, whispering in his ear: “But don’t get too close to others.”
Xia Ze nodded.
The general might as well have directly said “Alpha and Omega must maintain propriety”!
Only after they separated did Qi Jing turn his gaze toward the photographer who’d been secretly snapping shots.
The photographer nearly knelt under that piercing stare, immediately offering: “My apologies, General Qi—I’ll delete them right away.”
Heaven knew he’d just acted on instinct!
Who could blame him when the scene was so breathtaking?
A tall, handsome Alpha embracing his delicate, lovely Omega though their temperaments and looks were completely different, both were exceptionally striking.
Not to mention the palpable tension between them, radiating chemistry even in silence.
The photographer’s professional instincts had compelled him to capture a few shots.
He’d thought General Qi hadn’t noticed, but the moment Xia Ze walked away, those sharp eyes locked onto him, nearly making his knees buckle.
Before the photographer could delete anything, Qi Jing spoke: “No need.”
“Post them.”
“Y-yes, deleting now, wait, POST them?!” The photographer stammered in disbelief.
Why?!
One glance from Qi Jing had him nodding frantically.
Who cared why just post them!
Whether for clout or artistic merit, this was gold!
While Xia Ze continued his photoshoot, three images went viral across the star network:
Alpha Qi Jing and Omega Xia Ze.
One showed their intense eye contact, another the waist embrace, and the third the whispered exchange. Though no explicitly intimate gestures were captured, the chemistry was undeniable.
Netizens’ sharp eyes immediately dissected Qi Jing’s gaze:
【That look could devour someone alive.】
【Do elaborate on the devouring process.】
【So predatory, bet he’s just as fierce in bed.】
【Like a gray wolf and a rabbit.】
【A docile little bunny and a scheming big bad wolf must be delicious (sobbing).】
【Why is this so NSFW first thing in the morning?】
【We demand NSFW!】
The magazine editor was thrilled with this organic hype.
If not for the military’s recent major affairs, he’d have absolutely arranged a couples’ cover shoot with General Qi and Xia Ze.
Something told him Qi Jing might actually agree, if it involved Xia Ze.
The buzz was perfect, and the shoot progressed smoothly.
Among the four Omegas, both the award-winning actor and the rising idol had modeling experience. While the socialite and Xia Ze were newcomers, their stunning looks and the photographer’s guidance ensured no issues.
Four top-tier Omegas together created a visual feast, though the photographer privately noted nature’s particular favoritism toward Xia Ze, whose beauty somehow outshone the rest.
As camera shutters clicked incessantly, Qi Jing’s frown deepened.
“Wu Xiao, move closer to Xia Ze perfect, that’s the shot!”
Wu Xiao, a round-eyed, charming Omega frequently cast in idol dramas, remarked while leaning in: “You’re actually taller than me.”
Though Xia Ze stood slightly shorter than Qi Jing, his height was notable among Omegas, even surpassing Wu Xiao, who was considered tall for their secondary gender.
Xia Ze puffed out his chest proudly. “That’s right, I’m quite tall.”
Wu Xiao was baffled after all, many people didn’t like Omegas being too tall.
Of course, Xia Ze was definitely an exception. With his slender, graceful build, his height only made him look even more striking.
The two chatted and laughed, while Qi Jing’s mood darkened further.
After finishing this set of photos, they moved on to the next outfit. The award-winning Omega actor nearly stumbled, but Xia Ze reacted swiftly and caught him.
The scatterbrained Omega actor often had such mishaps. He gave Xia Ze an apologetic smile, which Xia Ze naturally returned.
Smiling again.
By the time all the photos were done, the high-society Omega lady even invited Xia Ze for tea sometime.
They all exchanged WeChat contacts.
Qi Jing took a deep breath, grinding his teeth in frustration.
Were Omegas really that great?
So infuriating, yet there was nothing he could do.
Qi Jing called the photographer over again and said, “We’ll take a few more shots later and post them online.”
Photographer: ???
What now?
Do you really need the whole internet to witness your PDA???
Qi Jing remained stone-faced.
If he didn’t see the netizens gushing about how perfect they looked together, he wouldn’t be able to calm down!
