Before My Withering

Translator: Eyljee

It was a rare occasion that I slept soundly and had a long dream. 

I dreamt that when I was fifteen years old, I quietly wrote Qi Shu’s name in my diary for the first time.

At that time, I was young and fearless, and even felt happy keeping a secret love. 

During my third year of senior high school, I didn’t have many opportunities to see Qi Shu, so I formed the habit of reading financial weekly magazines and TV news. It was like buying lottery tickets. If I saw him one day in a magazine or on TV, I’d be happy all day.

It may be more of an admiration than liking at first.

I wanted to be close to him. 

I wanted to caress his light. 

I wanted to be such a shining person.

Only later did I realize that some people could only be watched from afar. 

Looking up at him, he’s the noble and cold moon. All would be well with the solitary light.

Only when the moon was really within reach did I realize that the nature of the moon was a hard stone. Only because it was far away could we not see the fragmented and mottled moon. 

However, it’s too late to see.

Love was the water that couldn’t be returned.

When I woke up in the morning, Qi Shu was still sleeping. The sleeping man didn’t seem so sharp and dangerous, and even gave the illusion of gentleness.

I unscrupulously buried myself in his arms and rubbed it.

“I miss you so much.” 

But I don’t want to love you anymore.

Yesterday’s wounds were hastily treated, and then they were ripped open again by Qi Shu after an intense bed session. He’s passionate about hurting me and leaving scars on my body.

Under his well-dressed skin, he was always a cruel and cold-blooded beast.

Probably tickled by my rubbing, Qi Shu said a dissatisfied “don’t move”.

He had long arms and legs and easily confined me. 

So I fell asleep again. 

When I woke up once more, Qi Shu wasn’t around. 

When I came downstairs and saw him on the phone, I remembered that he didn’t have to go to the company this weekend.

“Xiao Yu.” He called out to me, “Go change your clothes and come back to the old mansion with me.”

There were a lot of problems in a wealthy family, and Qi Shu didn’t like to deal with the relatives who had ulterior motives. He wouldn’t be in a good mood every time he came back.

“I… I’m going too?”

I was a little nervous. Qi Shu’s parents took off their burden early and left the world. He was brought up by his grandfather.

I’ve heard that Grandfather Qi has an iron grip, and even Qi Shu wouldn’t dare to misbehave in front of him. I was such a worthless beta, he could strangle me as easily as an ant.

Qi Shu disdained to say it the second time. He blocked my words back with a gaze.

It wasn’t until I got into the car that he told me that today was a family dinner to wash the dust for his cousin who had recently returned to China. 

He snorted, “One by one live well abroad. Yet they didn’t know what to do when returning home.”

It seemed that Qi Shu didn’t like this cousin very much. 

“My grandfather loves his daughter the most in his life, and he also loves his grandson. But unfortunately, my cousin doesn’t love business nor does he want to pursue an official career.” Qi Shu said carelessly while using his mobile phone to deal with his work, “It’s boring.”

I didn’t quite understand, “Isn’t it good that he’s not fighting with you?”

“Don’t you know,” Qi Shu glanced at me lightly, “I love to fight with people.”

I don’t.

I was under the impression that Qi Shu had everything he wanted and didn’t need to compete with anyone.

The so-called family dinner, in essence, was a gathering of celebrities. They dress up and go around in the castle-like hall. The gregarious exchanges could easily change the next political and economic trend of the whole country. 

No wonder Qi Shu brought me. On such a large number of occasions, I quietly followed him with the role of an assistant, which would not attract people’s attention at all.

Qi Shu’s entrance was the focus of the audience, and he was surrounded by smiling men and women like bees.

I couldn’t understand the pleasantries in their words, but I felt that there were a few eyes sticking to me like flies, making me uncomfortable.

All the alpha and omega in the room were wearing suppression patches, but even so, the environment still made me feel a bit stuffy and breathless.

“President Qi…” I called to Qi Shu in a low voice. 

His back stiffened for a moment and he glared back at me.

A chill ran down my back and I changed my tone uncertainly, “Mr. Qi…?” 

“What is it?” He didn’t have a good temper. 

“I want to go to the bathroom ……” 

“Go.” 

With permission, I slipped away.

The house was so big that I had a hard time finding the bathroom. I went in and wash my face with cold water and felt a little better. 

I looked up and suddenly ran into the gaze of another person reflected in the mirror.

I was startled, “D-Dr. Zhou.”

Zhou Chen stood behind me and looked at me with interest.

The man without his white coat had a different aura; strange and vaguely familiar. 

He took two tissues and handed them to me, asking, “Why are you here?” 

That was the question I wanted to ask him. But I could only answer him first, “I accompanied my…boss.” 

He wasn’t my partner, and sponsor didnt sound good. So I thought that only the boss is safer. 

“Oh…”

I don’t know why, but I always felt that this had a deeper meaning.

“Are you not feeling well?” Dr. Zhou asked again.

I didn’t have to hide anything from him and admitted my condition honestly. 

“You’re not in the best shape for intense sexual intercourse.” He said in a matter-of-fact way.

?! 

I suddenly knew why his eyes and tone were strange. In order to wash my face, I unbottoned a button, revealing the traces of Qi Shu on the exposed skin. 

I want to find a hole to drill into… 

Dr. Zhou, who didn’t find it difficult to open his mouth said with a steady expression, “Come on, I’ll take you to rest.”

Of course I couldn’t just go with him, Qi Shu was still out there. 

“I’m fine… I’ve got to go back.” 

Dr. Zhou shrugged his shoulders and didn’t force me.   

We went back to the lobby together. I wanted to ask him why he was with me, but when I saw how calm he looked, I thought I was being too sensitive.

I found Qi Shu in the crowd just as he raised his eyes to look over. I didn’t know what he saw, but the look on his face changed slightly.

“Mr. Qi…”

I had just opened my mouth when Qi Shu came over. 

He didn’t look at me, but at Dr. Zhou beside me, and said, “Cousin.” 

Cousin..?!

Dr. Zhou smiled a little. “Qi Shu. It’s been a long time.” 

I was dumbfounded. 

What a small world. 

I suddenly realized that Dr. Zhou knew that I was ill and pregnant. He and Qi Shu were a family. Will he…

Was it too late to pretend not to know Qi Shu? 

I was in a panic and looked at Dr. Zhou for help. He felt my gaze and looked sideways, shaking his head comfortingly.

Did that mean he wouldn’t tell Qi Shu? 

Before I could relax, Qi Shu’s cold voice rang out, “Xiao Yu.”

I looked at him in a hurry and saw that his expression was difficult to distinguish between joy and anger. He frowned and asked, “Where have you been? You’ve gotten your hair wet. “

Then he lifted his hand to brush the remaining water drops from my fringe and pulled me to his side by the neck.

My whole body was stiff, resembling a piece of wood, not daring to speak or move. 

Dr. Zhou’s eyes wandered back and forth between me and Qi Shu for a few moments, with an intriguing smile on his face. 

“This is…” he asked Qi Shu.

“Oh, it’s just a little thing I raised.” Qi Shu was unimpressed and said, “Cousin likes it?” 

His tone made me suspect that if Dr. Zhou had said yes, he would then say, “Then I’ll send it to you to play for a few days”.

I felt tired. 

Perhaps in the eyes of these self-proclaimed alpha men, betas didn’t need dignity.

Dr. Zhou laughed. “No. It’s just that I ran into him just now and saw that he wasn’t feeling well, so I was a little worried. Since it’s one of your people, I won’t ask any more questions.”

They pretended to talk about something else, but I didn’t bother to listen. 

After Dr. Zhou left, the smile on Qi Shu’s face disappeared instantly. His whole body’s pressure dropped to freezing point.

He gave me a cold look, “Come here.”