Apex Predator - Chap 44

After finishing their business at the bank, all Shen Dai wanted was to see Qu Moyu as soon as possible. But Qu Moyu could be anywhere in the world right now – the only place he wouldn’t be was back at home this early.

He grasped his mobile phone, hesitating for half a minute, before finally sending Qu Moyu a message on WeChat: Are you busy? I’m done with things on my end.

Once he had sent it, he felt an immediate tinge of regret, worried that it might be disrupting Qu Moyu’s work.

When he saw that they were about to reach home, he tried his luck. “Assistant Cheng, by any chance do you know where President Qu might be? Is he at the office?”

“Let me have a look at his agenda,” replied Cheng Ruoze, flipping open his diary, before checking his watch. “At this hour, he should be at the Huize building having a meeting with a client.”

“Does he have a dinner appointment scheduled?”

“No. Recently I try to avoid arranging appointments over meals as much as possible. Alphas’ appetites tend to increase by a lot before rut, which makes it unconducive to discuss things over the dining table.”

“Thanks.” In which case, Qu Moyu would surely be back early. Better then to wait for him at home.

Cheng Ruoze sent Shen Dai back to the Qu residence. After bidding each other farewell, Shen Dai alighted, only to see the company car which had just driven off make a U-turn and come back.

He thought he might have left something behind, but when the window slid down, Cheng Ruoze grinned at him and said, ”I’ve just received a call from President Qu. He asked me to take you over to him.”

Shen Dai’s eyes lit up. Realising immediately how silly he must have looked, he hastily lowered his head and got into the car.

Once settled in his seat, he checked his phone. Qu Moyu hadn’t replied to him at all, but he must surely have seen his message, right? The corners of his lips couldn’t help but turn upwards. Clearly, they lived under the same roof and could see each other in the evening, yet he still couldn’t contain his happiness at the thought of meeting him a few hours earlier.

After the car reached the Huize building, the two of them waited inside for half an hour before Qu Moyu and a few of his subordinates came walking out through the revolving door. Just as Shen Dai was wondering why Old Wu wasn’t there to pick him up, Qu Moyu walked directly towards them and got into the car.

Seeing him, Shen Dai’s face lit up. “All finished?”

As soon as Qu Moyu sat down, he slipped his finger into the knot of his tie, loosening the silk accessory which had constrained him throughout the entire day.

“I’m going to take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“That’s a secret – for now,” replied Qu Moyu, with a mysterious smile.

“President Qu, we’ll be leaving first,” Cheng Ruoze informed him, respectfully.

“Alright. Thanks for your hard work today.”

“Not at all. See you tomorrow, President Qu.”

“Okay.”

As both the assistant and the driver got down from the car, Shen Dai gave Qu Moyu a look of incomprehension.

“We’re switching cars. We just need to wait for Old Wu.”

Shen Dai took hold of Qu Moyu’s hand, then said softly while looking into his eyes, “About the apartment – I’m really grateful to you for it. But there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Qu Moyu gazed quietly at him.

“In fact, I don’t need or want such extravagant gifts. They’re too much of a psychological burden for me. You might find it hypocritical of me to say this, considering that I married you for You Xinghai’s money, but I was simply weighing my options – because my grandmother’s health and old age are far more important to me than my dignity. Also, I now have the ability to pay off the mortgage and support my family at the same time. As an adult, it’s only right that I should be self-sufficient. I know that you want to treat me well, and I am grateful to you for it. But the help that you’ve given me is already more than enough.” Then, gently stroking Qu Moyu’s hand with both his hands, he continued, “Of course, I want the career opportunities you talked about, but I can rely on my own abilities to get them. That’s the future I intend to achieve through hard work. And if you should give them to me one day, I hope it would be because of these abilities.”

With an incisive gaze, Qu Moyu carefully studied the person in front of him. In their few exchanges of eye contact, all he could see in the pupils of Shen Dai’s eyes were openness and sincerity.

The omegas he had encountered could be broadly categorised into two groups. The first were those blatantly out for profit, who would – in their interactions – do their utmost to extract as many benefits as possible from him.

The second were those who liked to portray themselves as valuing relationships over money. But whether it was for the sake of appearing morally superior or playing the long game, he would reward only the self-aware former, having a distaste for frivolous omegas who enjoyed playing mind games with him.

Yet Shen Dai was an exception – in every sense and every angle. He was the first person he had shared his bed with who had truly inspired his admiration — A pure and unadulterated admiration, based not on his gender, but on his social competitiveness, his intelligence – both emotionally and intellectually, his temperament, and the way he conducted himself in society.

Having observed Shen Dai for a while, it became clear to him that this person was well-suited to remain by his side for a very long time.

He returned the grip on Shen Dai’s hand, a smile in his eyes. “I understand what you’re telling me. I also believe in your abilities. At the same time, you can also accept my kindness to you. Though, the next time around, I will ask for your opinion first.”

Shen Dai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had spent the past few hours mulling over how to express his thoughts without dampening Qu Moyu’s spirits.

Though he knew that the money was nothing but a small token of appreciation for Qu Moyu, he was determined to maintain his self-respect in this relationship – even if just a little. He was one-sidedly in love with a top alpha, and this kind of extreme imbalance was undoubtedly a test of his mindset. After all, on the road to success, it was mindset that determined victory or defeat, whether in one’s career or one’s personal life.

He leaned in and gave Qu Moyu a kiss, his eyes brimming with a smile, and each time they twinkled there was deep unspoken affection.

In return, Qu Moyu gave him a kiss on his cheek. The two of them smiled at each other.

Just then, Old Wu arrived. Qu Moyu instructed him: “The school.”

Half an hour later, the car reached the No. 1 Primary School.

This school was renowned throughout the city and even the entire country. As one of the earliest established primary schools, it was situated in the heart of the central district where land was both scarce and valuable. The surrounding area consisted mainly of houses for retired officials. One could spot security guards on duty just by passing through any residential estate.

In spite of its old-fashioned campus; its enrollment rate ranked among the top three nationwide. Those who were admitted would either possess exceptional intellect or significant wealth and status.

“Is this where you used to go to school?” asked Shen Dai.

“Yeah,” Qu Moyu replied. He pulled open the door. “Parking’s not allowed here. Let’s go.”

Both of them got down from the car. Shen Dai curiously asked again, “Are you bringing me to visit your alma mater?” School had long been dismissed at this hour, and only a handful of students could be seen by the road. Seeing the young faces passing before his eyes one by one, he couldn’t help but imagine Qu Moyu in the same school uniform, looking like a youthful and vibrant teenager.

How he would have loved to have seen that. He must have looked both innocent and adorable – or maybe a little cocky. The mere thought filled him with a sense of joy that he couldn’t explain.

“No. We can’t go inside,” answered Qu Moyu. Nodding towards the opposite side of the street, he added, “I’ve had a craving the past few days for beef noodles from that shop over there.”

Shen Dai followed his line of sight. That was a shop which had been around for a very long time, apparent from the first glance. Since it was located in front of a school, the bulk of its customers were undoubtedly students. Consequently, large signs indicating the prices were pasted on the windows. The classic beef noodles were at fifteen yuan a bowl.

Shen Dai was stunned for a moment, having already grown accustomed to seeing white truffles priced at two thousand yuan per gram sprinkled over Qu Moyu’s breakfast, or vegetables being stir-fried over a hundred thousand yuan cooking range. Taking another look at the noodle shop, he couldn’t help feeling like they were in the wrong place.

As they were crossing the road, Qu Moyu quite naturally took hold of Shen Dai’s hand. Shen Dai’s gaze was fixed on the back of Qu Moyu’s head, a smile of happiness spread across his face. He suddenly sensed a genuine human warmth radiating from Qu Moyu’s presence.

Both of them stepped inside. Qu Moyu expertly ordered a bowl, even adding an extra portion of meat

“And what will you have?” he asked.

“The same as you.”

“I’m not going to have just one bowl. You can try the other flavours,” said Qu Moyu. Contemplating seriously for a moment, he added, “The one with beef and pickled vegetables is not bad.”

Shen Dai smiled. “Okay then.”

The two of them found a corner to sit down. Looking around, Qu Moyu remarked, “This place has been renovated a few times already. It’s a lot cleaner than it was before.”

“Did you come here often to eat when you were at school?”

His gaze seemed to be clouded in a thin layer of mist, memories unfurling within it. “Sometimes. My father was strict about what food I could consume outside of the home. I was young, so naturally, the more he wouldn’t let me eat something, the more I would crave it. But also, the noodles at this shop were really delicious.”

The two bowls of noodles were served promptly. Shen Dai wasted no time in giving it a try. “Wow, this is delicious!” he exclaimed. The broth was rich and fragrant, with a hint of spiciness, and the noodles were springy and chewy. It really was a great bowl of noodles.

Qu Moyu also took a mouthful, and a slight smile emerged on his face. “The taste hasn’t changed one bit. “Though, back in my schooling days, one bowl only cost five yuan.”

“Did you used to come here with your classmates?” asked Shen Dai.

He wanted very much to hear more stories about Qu Moyu. Returning to familiar places, people would more easily open their hearts. How he wished he could spend the entire evening sitting here, being with Qu Moyu as he reminisced about the past.

“Yeah,” replied Qu Moyu. Pausing for a moment, he added, “And sometimes with my mother.”

“Mrs Qu also ate here?” said Shen Dai, astonished. In fact, what surprised him even more was that mother and son, who were now as distant as mere relatives, had once shared the experience of sitting together in a humble roadside shop eating noodles.

“I was still quite young then, so my mother would sometimes send me to school.” Glancing over at Shen Dai, he said, “Do you find that our relationship is different from your typical mother and son?”

Shen Dai didn’t quite know how to answer. He didn’t want Qu Moyu to feel as if he was someone that liked to pry into people’s secrets, but he did indeed have his suspicions.

“She dislikes me,” he said indifferently, as if he were only describing the weather. “But she took care of me when I was a child because she had to”

Shen Dai stared blankly at him. A long time passed before he asked, “How come? How could someone dislike their own top Alpha child?”

“My mother was pregnant with a beta girl before she had me,” Qu Moyu said, a trace of contempt flickering across his face. “But my father forced her to have an abortion. At the time, my elder uncle just had an A-class alpha girl. My father couldn’t accept that his first child would be a useless beta.”

Shen Dai fell silent. All of a sudden, he understood the origins of Mrs Qu’s resentment.

Qu Moyu, on the other hand, resumed his expression like nothing had happened, “I don’t know why, but I just felt like having these noodles today. My appetite right before rut is so erratic. It’s such a hassle.”

Shen Dai held his chopsticks tightly. He thought of Qu Moyu when he was young, long before he became the powerful and unfeeling top alpha he was today.

Would Little Qu Moyu have felt happiness for a long time, just being able to share a simple bowl of beef noodles with his mother?