71

Shen Dai returned to the room to find Qiuqiu already awake, having an exchange with Mrs Qu. Though Qiuqiu was almost never this calm when with someone unfamiliar, he seemed to feel very safe in her arms. Shen Dai couldn’t help but be moved by the power of innate family bonds.

Mrs Qu beamed. “Look how close he is with me already, he’s smiling at me.”

Shen Dai hadn’t quite recovered emotionally and forced a smile. “Isn’t he?”

Noticing how pale he looked, she cautiously asked, “So, how did the talk go?”

“How did you know I was back?” He sat down on the edge of the bed. “What I mean is, why would he tell you I was back?”

“After getting back from Lancheng, he went into rut. During that time, he missed you intensely.” Qu Moyu’s reactions during rut made her realise that her son truly did care for Shen Dai, and that the best possible outcome would be for the three of them to reunite as a family. “After his rut ended, he wanted to go to Lancheng to look for you, but once he found out you had returned to Beijing, he asked if I wanted to see Qiuqiu.”

Shen Dai thought to himself: Just as he had expected. How could someone like Qu Moyu, who never did anything unless he stood to gain from it, lower himself and come and find him for no reason, and even apologise on top of it?

The mark they once shared had affected them physically and mentally. Even though it was gone, there were still residual effects. The difference was that after it was removed, his attachment and submissiveness towards Qu Moyu had weakened considerably, while all the hurt that had built up over time had made Qu Moyu only repulsive to him. But during rut, Qu Moyu’s feelings and desires were amplified, and his unwillingness to give up his mark meant that he was destined to suffer through it alone, so he would inevitably think back on the time they had spent together.

It seemed that Qu Moyu indeed “liked him”, liked for him to be an easily accessible lover, just like he had been before.

Mrs Qu couldn’t read his silence. “He said you came back to hand in your resignation. Do you really plan on staying in Lancheng?” she asked, trying to probe him.

“I’ve found a job there, and I’m pretty much settled in.” Before he had been still undecided and hesitant, but Qu Moyu’s behaviour today had made him all the more determined to stay far away from him.

Mrs Qu gazed at Qiuqiu in her arms, unable to conceal her disappointment. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but held back.

Shen Dai could tell that she was reluctant to part with Qiuqiu, and he also felt a twinge of regret. “My grandmother will be staying here, so I’ll come back from time to time. And if you ever miss Qiuqiu, you’re always welcome to come to Lancheng to visit us.”

Mrs Qu nodded sadly. “When are you heading back? Can I see Qiuqiu again before that?”

“I’m waiting for the resignation process to be complete so I still have to be here for a few days. If it’s not too inconvenient for you, you can visit us at the hotel.”

“Why not stay here? This apartment is under my name. It has everything you need. I can quickly get someone to get all the supplies for the baby.”

“Thank you, but I think we’ll still stay at the hotel,“ replied Shen Dai tactfully.

・・・

That evening, Shen Dai returned to the hotel in Mrs Qu's car. He had been busy since morning, not to mention his “stand off” with Qu Moyu. By the time he had fed Qiuqiu and put him to sleep, he was already physically and mentally spent, yet he still couldn’t fall asleep.

He always had the feeling that Qu Moyu was never going to let the matter rest so easily. Still, he hoped to finish everything as quickly as possible and leave early, to give less time for things to go wrong.

・・・

The next morning, he received a call from the Human Resources department informing him that there was an issue with his resignation. Because of his extended leave, he was required to submit medical documentation from the hospital; otherwise, it would be treated as long term absenteeism. Under those circumstances, he would not be able to resign through the normal process, but would instead be dismissed, with his base pay during his leave and social insurance benefits considered improperly claimed.

Shen Dai tried to explain, “But my sick leave was approved from the start.”

“It was,” replied the Human Resources employee in a formulaic tone, “but it does not meet routine or company regulatory requirements. The manager who specially approved it violated company regulations and will be punished accordingly, and you are also required to provide proof that your sick leave is valid.”

For a moment he could only feel his anger bubbling up.

He had no doubt this was Qu Moyu’s doing. After all, wasn’t the person who specially approved his leave Qu Moyu himself?  What punishment could Human Resources possibly impose on a majority shareholder of the company? Cutting his salary?

Pushing his anger aside, he asked, “What if I can’t provide the relevant medical documents? My leave was already approved, shouldn’t it be valid?”

“This sick leave does not meet routine or company regulatory requirements,” they repeated, “If you have an objection, may I suggest you go through labour arbitration.”

After hanging up the phone, he was fuming so much his eyes turned red. His sick leave had been specially approved by the Executive president. Of course he was right. Only, the company was not going to acknowledge it. If he wanted to be ”right”, then he had to request arbitration, and where was he going to find the time and energy for that? But if it were classified as an unauthorised absence, it would be a major stain on his resume. Returning this year’s base salary was a small matter, if the company deliberately made it difficult for him to transfer his social insurance, then that would be even more troublesome.

When he handed in his resignation the day before, the Human Resources staff hadn’t raised any questions. Today, their attitude was completely different. It could only be Qu Moyu’s doing, otherwise, which employee would dare say Qu Moyu had violated company regulations?

He had never expected that Qu Moyu would stoop to something so low. Why did this person keep hurting him, and even now still refuse to let him go?!

He gripped his phone tightly and dialed Qu Moyu’s number.

Before the first ringing tone ended the call was picked up. Qu Moyu’s deep and sonorous voice came through the receiver: “A-Dai.”

“What are you trying to do now?” asked Shen Dai coldly.

“I already told you. I don’t accept you resigning or transferring.” Qu Moyu let out a soft sigh. “A-Dai. Don’t go to Lancheng. Stay here. Stay by my side.”

Shen Dai looked at the baby on the bed, still blissfully unaware of the troubles going on, and his hand tightened into a fist. “President Qu, please just let me go.”

“There are many things where changing your perspective can change your way of thinking.” Qu Moyu's voice was unnervingly calm. “You work in scientific research and should understand better than most how to be flexible. You don’t have to be this stubborn, alright?”

“It’s as you said. We are not the same. I have my own idea of the life I want to live.”

Qu Moyu was silent for a moment. “Then think about Qiuqiu. He needs his true Alpha father. He needs the best environment to grow up in, the best education, and more than that, he needs every possible opportunity for his future. What you can give him is far too limited, when he could have had so much more.”

Qu Moyu picked up Qiuqiu’s medical file, which had been sitting on his desk all along. He flipped through it distractedly; every word seemed to carry a special kind of warmth, because it was about his and Shen Dai’s child.

“Everyone has their own destiny. He may not have extraordinary advantages, but I won’t deprive him of anything either. In the end, how far he goes will depend on himself. Besides…” Shen Dai continued, biting back his anger, “he was never even supposed to have the chance to be born. Did you already forget that you never wanted him?”

A sharp pain seized Qu Moyu’s heart. He lowered his voice. “I regret it. I admit. I want him, and I want you too. Qiuqiu is our child. No matter his gender or pheromone grade, I’ll give him the very best.”

Yet when he turned the page and searched for the column listing the child’s pheromone grade, it was blank.

How could it be blank? Was it not entered into the system by mistake?

Shen Dai took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly. “He. Doesn’t. Need. It.”

His child didn’t need a cold and callous Alpha father, he didn’t need to be brought up learning to put profit above all else. He didn’t need to be extraordinarily rich, all he needed was to become an ordinary, kind-hearted person.

Qu Moyu’s eyes darkened: “A-Dai. you’re trapped in your emotions right now. You’re resisting me but also my good intentions. Give yourself a few days to calm down, carefully consider my proposition, think about the benefits, for you, but also for Qiuqiu. If we were to be together as a family, we would definitely be happy."

Shen Dai hung up. He didn’t want to hear any more hypocritical and cutting words from Qu Moyu.

The greatest mistake he had made in this lifetime was falling for Qu Moyu, then believing he could use feelings to move someone who had none. He would never make the same mistake again.

・・・

After Shen Dai told Liu Xi and Cheng Zimei about the issue with his resignation, Liu Xi was also furious, but there was nothing he could do. The three of them discussed it for a long time but couldn’t come up with any good solution. In the end, Liu Xi decided to ask his friend to go to the Human Resources department first to inquire about the situation.

Shen Dai was beside himself with anxiety. He was afraid of what else Qu Moyu might do, but what worried him even more was not knowing when these matters would be resolved. Each additional day he stayed here meant paying for another night at the hotel. Were he alone, he could have made do with a cheap motel, but having Qiuqiu with him, he needed to stay somewhere at least a little more decent.

Cheng Zimei quickly realised the predicament he was in and offered to let him stay at her place. She had previously managed to buy a studio apartment with the help of her parents. Although it was small, it was warmly decorated. Under pressure, Shen Dai had no choice but to become the sort of person who caused trouble for others.

Over the past few days, Cheng Zimei had either arrived late to work or left early just to help him look after the baby for a while, making Shen Dai both moved and ashamed by her kindness.

At the same time, seeing her in her lab coat that she hadn’t had time to change out of, entering the house wearily, casually complaining to him about work, it was as if he were looking that former self of his who was busy yet fulfilled. Inside, he was filled with a mix of jealousy and bittersweet sadness.

Liu Xi's friend quickly came back with a response - no news. The Human Resources department refused to say anything about his case, it was obvious they had been instructed not to do so.

Shen Dai was so angry he couldn’t eat. He knew that Qu Moyu was waiting for him to back down, but he absolutely could not accept being “flexible” in the way Qu Moyu meant.

After serious consideration, he concluded that the worst outcome would be to be fired officially, which would leave a black mark on his resume. But Bai Xiangwan had already agreed to hire him. A year’s base salary was not that much. If he had to pay it back, he would. If there were issues transferring his social insurance, he was prepared to cover it himself. All of these problems could be overcome. He had already managed to climb out of the abyss once and he wasn’t going to fall down here.

His mind made up, he called up the Human Resources department and told them that while he was unable to provide his medical documents, he still would return the wages he had received during his sick leave. He accepted their terms.

Just as long as he could get as far away from Qu Moyu as possible and start his life afresh.