Instantly, their instincts as reporters activated. Without a second thought, they moved closer—cameras ready, eyes wide and sparkling with the promise of a breaking headline.
"It's a human," one of the reporters whispered, seeing a leg poking out from Haoran's arms. They glanced at each other, excitement bubbling as they quickly snapped photos, making sure the flash was turned off.
Zooming in on the image, their eyes widened in shock.
"Mr. Fu?" one of them gasped.
How could they not recognize him—the infamous playboy of the Fu family? But what truly stunned them was the sight of Mr. Li, the cold and elite heir of Li Enterprises, carrying an Enigma in full heat.
As they quietly planned to dig deeper, the car door slammed shut—Haoran had already gotten in with Zixuan and vanished from their view.
"Where are they going?" one whispered.
The other reporter shook her head. "No idea."
"Did you bring your bike with you?" she asked suddenly, her voice low.
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with—"
"You'll see," the first reporter smirked, mysterious and determined.
---
In the Car
"Sir… why is Master Zixuan with you? Especially in this condition?" Tianyu asked, quickly slipping on a nose mask he kept in the car for emergencies.
Haoran didn't answer. He held Zixuan tighter in his arms, his head resting heavily on Haoran's shoulder. His expression was uncomfortable.
"Did you bring the suppressant?" he asked flatly, ignoring Tianyu's question.
"Yes, I did." Tianyu opened a small box and handed the syringe to Haoran in the back seat.
Without hesitation, Haoran grabbed Zixuan's wrist and injected him.
Zixuan flinched with a soft moan as the needle pierced his skin. A sharp sting shot through him—followed by a warm, calming sensation flooding his body. The haze, the desperation, the fire in his veins—all of it faded.
His lashes fluttered once before he fell limp, drifting into unconscious sleep.
---
The car zoomed off instantly, heading toward the nearest hotel. It wasn't far from the venue, and within minutes, they pulled up in front of a luxurious building.
"This is the closest and most comfortable hotel I could find," Tianyu said, parking smoothly.
Tianyu stepped out first and opened the back door. Haoran climbed out carefully, still cradling Zixuan in his arms. The enigma didn't stir, his head resting against Haoran's chest, soft breaths brushing the curve of his neck.
Inside the lobby, the soft click of Haoran's shoes echoed as he walked toward the reception desk—drawing eyes immediately.
The receptionist looked up, blinking at the sight. Her eyes widened.
"M-Mr. Li…?" she stammered, trying to hide her shock at the young master of Li Enterprises carrying what was very clearly an omega—or
"I called ahead. The suite?" Haoran's voice was calm, but sharp enough to snap her back to reality.
"Yes—yes, sir!" she fumbled quickly, reaching under the desk and producing a card key. "Room 1207. Top floor. The elevator is to your right."
Her eyes darted between Haoran and the sleeping beauty in his arms, but she said nothing more. She knew better.
"Thank you," Haoran replied coolly.
He turned and walked to the elevator. It took a bit of maneuvering to hit the button with his elbow while balancing Zixuan, but he managed. The moment the doors slid shut behind him, the tension in his jaw eased.
He looked down at the enigma in his arms.
"You're more trouble than you're worth," he muttered, though his grip never loosened.
Raising Zixuan slightly with one arm, Haoran managed to fumble the key into the lock. The door clicked open, and he pushed it inward with his shoulder before stepping inside. As the door shut behind him with a soft thud, silence filled the air.
His eyes landed on the king-sized bed at the center of the spacious room.
Without hesitation, he walked over and gently laid Zixuan down. He straightened up, ready to leave him there and retreat to a corner chair—but one glance down made him pause.
Zixuan was still dressed in his sweaty, rumpled suit and shoes. The fabric clung uncomfortably to his skin. Haoran's jaw twitched.
Nope. I can't. Not like this.
His mysophobic tendencies kicked in with full force. With a sigh of resignation, he knelt beside the bed.
He unbuttoned Zixuan's suit jacket and slid it off his shoulders. Then came the pants. Haoran tried not to think too much as he worked the fabric down Zixuan's legs, muttering under his breath.
Finally, he crouched to pull off his socks and shoes, setting them neatly aside. What remained was a half-dressed Zixuan—bare-chested, sprawled in nothing but a pair of black briefs.
Haoran blinked.
"Seriously?" he muttered. "He couldn't even wear a 런닝셔츠?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, he stood and made his way into the bathroom. He grabbed a clean towel, soaked it under warm water, and wrung it out carefully. His hands moved on autopilot, but his mind buzzed.
Why am I doing this? he thought.
He couldn't even answer his inner question as he used the wet cloth to clean up Zixuan's sweaty body.
Phew.
Haoran was finally done with the cleaning as he returned the towel. Looking at Zixuan one last time, he used his hand to check his temperature on his forehead, planning to leave.
But just as he was about to retract his hand, Zixuan stirred in his sleep and pulled him onto the bed, snuggling him into his embrace.
"Don't go," Zixuan murmured, his eyes still closed.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Haoran cursed in his mind, confused at how he ended up in this position. He wanted to struggle out, but something made him pause—something he couldn't quite understand.
Was it because he didn't want to wake Zixuan?
Or maybe… he was also feeling hesitant to leave.
Haoran made up his mind to stay for a few minutes, then leave afterward.
Tick tock. Tick tock.
Sleep was a beautiful thing that humans couldn't control
Haoran fell asleep in Zixuan's embrace.