27 Sweet like Chocolate

Jian Yu smacked Zeke's shoulder and huffed playfully. "You are the one needing a shoulder to cry on, with your Alpha pride bruised."

Zeke brightened up. "Are you going to offer me your shoulder too?" 

"If yes, I wouldn't mind losing then," He continued, smiling. Jian Yu's cheek flushed red and he turned away. Avoiding making eye contact with Zeke's. 

"Sir Roderick, that's inappropriate--" 

"So, where are we going?" Zeke cut him off. 

"We?" 

"Yes, you and me, me and you. We." 

When Zeke saw Jian Yu sitting on that bench, he immediately brightened up. Bounding over to greet him, he never expected his friends to follow him. 

When he was asked who Jian Yu was, God just had to bless him with such a friend. Dearest Mika just had to say that. 

What the hell was he thinking? 

He was kind of disappointed when Jian Yu declined the offer since he wanted to show off his skills, but then… When he heard he was doing an errand for Malakhi Zero, his facial expression hardened. 

Malakhi Zero. 

He gritted his teeth. 

He was the one behind all of the explosions in the lab. 

The one that killed his mother. 

But why? For what reason did he decide to burn the whole lab down? Was he hiding something? 

He slipped away from the tournament, went unnoticed, but he still could not escape Dong-Hyun's eyes. 

They made eye contact when Zeke planned his escape route. Fortunately, Dong-Hyun wasn't Mika, he didn't voice anything out, only his eyebrow went up. 

Zeke had hurriedly mouthed 'I will tell you later' before hurrying off.

He chased after Jian Yu who was crossing the stone bridge at the moment. Why was he going that way? 

The direction he was going was the most deserted part of the town during the day and the crowdest part when the moon made its appearance, the red light district. 

Zeke pulled the corner of his lips, curling them back and growled. What the hell did Malakhi Zero want?

"--Sir? Sir Roderick?" 

Snapping out, Zeke came face to face with Jian Yu's worried one. 

"Are you okay? You are growling for a while there." 

"No-- no, I am fine," Zeke reassured him. "Let's go." 

"You don't have to… I mean, that place," Jian Yu stammered out, his cheeks heated up once more. "It would be bad if someone saw you in a place like that." 

"And do you think I care? Also, I don't like the idea of you wandering in this part of the town by yourself." 

Jian Yu paused, his mouth agape, but he couldn't get anything out. 

His heart thumped once. 

Twice. 

Why…? 

Why do you care? 

"Huh? Did you say something?" Zeke leaned his face closer to Jian Yu. Due to their height differences, Zeke had to bend down slightly. 

Jian Yu snapped his mouth shut. Had he said it out loud? 

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The scent of chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon powder whiffed through the air and washed over him. He frowned and scrunched his nose, too sweet! 

There was no one nearby or any bakery shop, so that smell could only come from… 

Jian Yu trailed his eyes up and stared into those jade ones. 

"Did you eat some sweets before?" He sniffed out. 

Attacked by the abrupt question, Zeke tilted his head in confusion. 

"Why would I eat sweets when I am already this sweet?" Zeke frowned, he was talking as if everything that came out of his mouth were anything but nonsense. 

Jian Yu snorted. "Shameless man." 

"And back off, you are popping into my personal bubble." He pushed past Zeke and headed to the address given, fanning his flushed face. 

"Eh? Wait up!" 

Jian Yu ignored his calls and stalked forward. That sweet smell, so fragrant and pleasant in his nose, it made him feel uneasy. 

It made him… Feel. 

Jian Yu smacked his palm against his cheek to wake himself up and shook his head. 

Stop! 

Stop thinking! 

And stop sniffing! Goddammit! 

That's your client's fiance!

'Not yet,' His inner demon whispered. 

Jian Yu grabbed his inner demon and squashed it in his hands. He pulled and twisted it like how he wrung water out of his clothes before drying them. Just because someone treated you kindly, didn't mean that they were attracted to you! 

He didn't like you that way! And he needed to stop thinking about love too! 

Zeke was just being kind, living up to his infamous name. 

The prince charming, always ready to serve and help those in need. 

And here, he was just someone who rarely received any kindness. 

And… 

He was just a Beta. 

A nobody. 

No one special. 

Gah! 

Jian Yu felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. He felt sad for himself. 

"Hey, hey! Wait up! Why are you walking so fast?" 

Zeke appeared beside him, sweats dripping from his face, glistening his already so perfect skin. 

He was tall, he was perfect. 

Why would Zeke talk to him though?

Jian Yu halted his steps and narrowed his eyes at Zeke. He had unbuttoned the two top buttons of his white shirt and fanned himself. Jian Yu could see those defined muscles peeked out of it. 

All of sudden, he was surged by unfairness. How easily could an Alpha gain those while he had to work so hard for it and only got a few waist lines? 

Jian Yu clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw the only thing around, which was the box from the antique shop, at Zeke. 

Zeke flushed at the intense stare he received from Jian Yu. 

'Admire all you want, this is your future husband--'

His thought was cut off abruptly. Zeke's eyes widened at the incoming object coming at him and caught it. Fumbling about before it managed to tumble out of his hands. 

Once he secured it, he looked up only to see Jian Yu had walked away. 

Zeke ran to catch up with Jian Yu, all the while trying to think what he had said that might have offended Jian Yu.