Chapter 48: Gu Xiujue
Whether in old-school angst novels or today’s sweet stories, the feelings between the main characters often came about inexplicably.
Maybe that is why readers cannot accept it. The protagonists are so exceptional, yet they are unconditionally abused by a scummy gong.
If it were real love that grew naturally, then even the angst would feel justified.
Think about it carefully. Why did Gu Xiujue fall in love with Huo Leishao?
Because Huo Leishao is the gong in that book. It really is that simple.
Li Dong sighed. He returned to the real world’s link pod, opened his eyes, and lifted the hatch.
The next day, R Star, District One, Military Headquarters Annex.
Huo Leishao, in full uniform, walked down the busy corridor, enduring the teasing looks thrown his way.
“Good morning, Major General Huo.” The greeting carried a layered meaning.
“Morning.” Actually, there was no hidden meaning at all. He was overthinking it.
Yesterday afternoon, the incident at the StarNet combat arena spread with shocking speed. Everyone on R Star knew about it.
Two young major generals fought each other to the death in the ring over an Omega.
In the end, the once-abandoned Gu Major General won by a landslide. No, wait, was Huo Leishao also abandoned by that Omega?
Whatever the case, the three of them were once again on the front page, everyone’s favorite topic over tea.
“Xiujue.” Huo Leishao arrived at Gu Xiujue’s office door and was surprised to see that Chu Huanyan’s father was inside.
“I apologize, Major General Gu,” Father Chu said. “I apologize for suddenly saying these things to you, but as Huanhuan's father, I hope the person he bonds with will at least be an Alpha.” As for the excellent Major General Gu before him, he was a Beta. He could only say he was sorry.
Huo Leishao was stunned and immediately turned his gaze to Gu Xiujue’s face.
“I understand,” Gu Xiujue said. “Your concern is reasonable.” Seated, he answered the father with a calm, composed air. “Chu and I are friends. Yesterday I was only helping him out of a tight spot.”
“If that is so, then I was overthinking. My apologies, and thank you,” Father Chu said, bowing to Gu Xiujue.
“You are too polite,” Gu Xiujue said. “In that case, I still have some work to do.”
“Of course.” Father Chu said, “I will take my leave.” Having received a satisfactory answer, he tactfully excused himself.
At the doorway, Huo Leishao met Father Chu. “Hello, Mr. Chu.”
“Hello, are you Major General Huo?” Father Chu asked. “Are you here for Major General Gu?” He already knew about yesterday’s events. He found this Alpha major general quite decent.
Unfortunately, his youngest son did not like him, so Father Chu had decided to consider other Alphas.
“Yes,” Huo Leishao said. “Huanyan’s coming-of-age ceremony is next week. May I still attend?” He smiled. “I will not cause trouble. I only want to see if there is still a chance.”
“Of course, you are welcome anytime,” Father Chu said. Perhaps after he compared a few candidates, his son might take a liking to this one again. After all, he was one of the top single Alphas on all of R Star.
After a few pleasantries, Huo Leishao said goodbye and pushed open Gu Xiujue’s door. He went in with a serious expression. “Xiujue, what was that yesterday?”
In front of so many people, Gu Xiujue had made him lose all face.
Thanks to Gu Xiujue, he had once again become the laughingstock of the entire interstellar net.
“What about it?” Gu Xiujue tossed the pen in his hand aside and lounged in his chair with reckless ease.
He rarely showed this side of himself in public, but in front of Huo Leishao he was used to it and could not pull it back in time.
“I know you are frustrated and want to prove how capable you are,” Huo Leishao said. “But you do not need to compare yourself to me in everything. Some things are innate.” Bracing his hands on Gu Xiujue’s desk, he continued, “Even if you beat me, it is only a momentary show of glory. It will not change your life in any way, Xiujue.”
“Very true,” Gu Xiujue said, looking up at his ex. “So think about it carefully. Why are you standing here telling me this?” He spread his palm and spoke evenly. “Because I am a threat to you. You are afraid.”
“Since the war campaign ended, you have changed a lot,” Huo Leishao said. “The way you are now is not likable.” He assumed it was the result of physical damage and the broken engagement. Gu Xiujue’s mindset had twisted, and his face had become ugly.
Gu Xiujue said nothing for a beat. “The Omega was right. You are a bastard who never considers other people’s feelings.” He now saw Huo Leishao clearly as a strong man without mercy, who fought only for honor and profit, a truly selfish person.
Once a former comrade or lover lost value, he would cast them aside without hesitation.
“What?” Huo Leishao frowned. “Omega?” He wanted to get one thing straight. “So you beat me yesterday only to sabotage my chance. It was not because you like the Omega?”
“Right. I do not like Omegas,” Gu Xiujue said. “But I do like someone.”
“Who?”
StarNet, the shooting range.
Banned from entering the gym, Li Dong was bored out of his skull at home every day.
The range had become his favorite place these past couple of days.
There were many shooting modes here: solo clear, duo or squad coordination.
PUGs, free-for-alls, guerrilla battles, everything you could want. He was having the time of his life.
On his first day, with no past record to his name, he could only start grinding solo matches.
One-on-one, one-versus-many, guerrilla fights, chaotic melees.
From easy to hard, Li Dong cleared them step by step. After accumulating enough experience, he slipped into a simulated hundred-player melee.
By the end, he single-handedly took thirty-two heads, becoming the dark horse of that hundred-man brawl.
How did he do it? Ever played Counter-Strike?
Shooting games had been Li Dong’s favorite in college. After arriving here, all he had to do was learn the performance and features of each firearm. Once you get used to it, your touch comes back quickly.
With Li Dong’s reflexes, standing out in the normal tier was only natural.
After a few hundred-man melees, Li Dong started playing coordinated modes and team fights.
【Shooting Range · Public Channel】Allen: Need one for a five-man team fight, calling for a carry! Need one for a five-man team fight, calling for a carry!
【Shooting Range · Private Chat】Chu Huanyan: Request to join. Let me in.
Captain Qin Xiao was getting impatient and asked Allen, “Found anyone yet?”
Allen said, “Someone applied to join, but…” He trailed off, not wanting to scare his boss and the others. It was too shocking.
“Damn it, hurry up. Two minutes until we queue into the intermediate lobby,” Qin Xiao said, checking the time as he loaded his gun. “What do his past records look like?”
“He’s new, but I could not bring myself to reject him…” The young guy’s finger twitched and he let Li Dong in.
Everyone’s terminal displayed: Chu Huanyan has joined your squad.
Captain Qin Xiao’s reaction: that name sounded so familiar. Where had he seen it before?
“Hello, is this K Squad?” Li Dong arrived at the rally point in full gear, wearing camo, combat boots, and a gun.
The five-man squad went slack-jawed.
Their first impression of Li Dong: handsome face, striking presence, short, O… Omega.
Li Dong was not surprised. He drew a pistol, chambered a round, and said coolly, “Ignore what you should not be focusing on. Get ready to enter.”
“You are an Omega?” Qin Xiao shot Allen a glare. The little idiot had actually admitted an Omega to the squad.
Wait, how could an Omega even be in the shooting range?
“Yeah,” Li Dong said. Facing the sexism, he felt helpless. “Time’s up, boss. Are we going in or not?”
Jolted by the reminder, Qin Xiao realized there were only seconds left before entry. “Queue up,” he said, slamming the YES key and decisively sending them in.
The six-man squad was teleported to the wilderness.
This map was clearly treacherous, but no one paid attention. They were all stunned. Good grief, they had brought an Omega into an intermediate team brawl.
The squad members stood there gaping at the Omega.
Whether they fought or not did not matter. They were obviously going to be wiped, no second outcome.
“Outdoor map?” Li Dong studied his terminal, dove into the layout, then realized something was off. “Why are you staring at me?” He frowned. “Look at the map, memorize the routes, make a plan. Any objections?”
A bunch of wooden blocks, but what could he do? Only beginner teams were willing to take him.
“Yes, look at the map,” Qin Xiao said, finally snapping back into his role as captain, even if he was still rattled.
The other members’ hearts were pounding.
Oh my god, we are playing a team fight with an Omega. This will be bragging rights for a year.
“At seven o’clock from our position there is a shrub belt,” Li Dong said. “We can head there first for cover.” Having processed the map, he guessed other squads were making for the woods already. If they got there now, they could harvest heads and seize the grove.
Qin Xiao froze. Was he about to be out of a job?
He had no objection to the Omega’s proposal.
The six moved back to back, advancing with care.
At first, to accommodate the Omega’s stamina, they deliberately slowed their pace. Then they discovered that this Omega’s endurance was shockingly good.
“Enemies at six o’clock!” Allen called.
At the warning, Li Dong dropped low, pivoted, instantly found his angle, and squeezed the trigger. Anyone who has played CF or shooters knows you never stand still while firing. You shoot and reposition fast.
A top marksman can fire precisely while dodging perfectly.
Li Dong’s aim was decent. In that sudden, close-quarters clash, he took two heads.
The whole squad gaped. Holy sh*t, their jaws hit the floor.
Was he really an Omega?
“Is this your first time in the intermediate lobby?” Li Dong jogged and swapped in a fresh magazine. “I’m guessing they were caught off guard. If we run into a squad of veterans…” Then they would be toast.
“Yes,” Allen said, face flushed, sprinting up. “Your aim is sharp. Are you really an Omega?” He had never seen an Omega this manly.
And this one seemed taller than average for an Omega. Maybe a very pretty Beta?
“The real deal,” Li Dong said. “We are at the treeline.” He made a hush gesture, then looked to Qin Xiao, waiting for the captain’s orders.
At least someone remembered he was the captain. “There could be an ambush ahead,” Qin Xiao said. “Stay tight and cover each other in pairs.”
But ever since they learned there was an Omega in the squad, their attention had been fed to the dogs.
“Captain, movement at three o’clock. I will go take a look,” Li Dong said. Compared with the others, he was a bit smaller, perfect for sneaking and striking.
“Captain, that is an Omega. How can we let an Omega go alone?” a brawny, dark-skinned teammate called Tank protested. “I will cover him.”
The rest exchanged looks and in the end all followed.
This was no longer a team fight. It had turned into a mission to protect the Omega.
Li Dong treated it like a game, playing light and free. “Tank, see that rock pile? Throw a grenade.”
“Got it,” Tank said. With his tremendous arm strength, his grenade tosses were pinpoint accurate.
After the blast, his personal tally went up by two more heads.
Tank grinned his white teeth, and Li Dong’s mood soared. “Come on, celebrate the win.” He raised his hand and high-fived Tank.
Once the others joined up, they wiped a six-man enemy squad.
The newbie team kept fighting without realizing it. Data showed there were still five or six people left on the field.
Panting, Li Dong hid in a trench, covered in dirt and sweat.
His soaked camo clung to his chest, and gray tracks of sweat marked his collarbones.
He felt near his limit. The muscles in his legs trembled.
“Chu,” Tank said, leaping back with a depressed look and shielding his head with his cap. “The captain is down.” Only the two of them were left.
“How many minutes to grab the flag?” Li Dong gasped. Even raising his arm felt hard now.
The closer you got to the flag, the more players and NPCs there were. Trying to punch through the crossfire to seize the flag was f***ing hard.
“Seven minutes,” Tank said.
“Got it.” Li Dong pulled off his cap and lay flat on the ground. “Give me three minutes to rest. Then we make one last push.”
In the shooting range’s public concourse, a giant screen broadcast highlights from inside the simulation.
It usually showed advanced-tier matches, but today, one panel was broadcasting a fight from the intermediate tier.
Not because the fight was especially brilliant. Only because there was an Omega on the field who had held out until the end.
When the other four from K Squad came out, they rushed over and watched the screen.
“It is Chu, and Tank,” Allen said.
“Chu has excellent combat sense. It is no surprise he made it this far,” Qin Xiao said, worry in his upright features. “But Chu’s stamina is falling behind. He is an Omega.” By nature, his endurance was lower than an Alpha’s or Beta’s.
The crowd erupted. He really was an Omega?
“Breaking news,” Neil said. “The Chu family’s Omega is playing a team fight at the shooting range?” That was real combat. “!!!” Baby, can you be any wilder!
Thanks to Neil’s big mouth commentary, the entire StarNet heard that an Omega was being livestreamed in a team battle.
People who wanted a spectacle came running, packing the concourse shoulder to shoulder.
When Gu Xiujue got word, he was not at the combat arena. He had locked himself in the mecha practice room, grinding simulated scenarios till the sky spun.
He always chose the harshest climate and terrain, SSS level.
It was a miracle he had not killed himself doing it.
He dropped the mecha sim and, drenched in sweat, rushed to the shooting range, where a sea of bodies blocked the way.
A few quiet cries of pain vanished under the roar of the crowd.
No one noticed that Major General Gu had forced his way through with raw strength and reached the front of the screen.
The three minutes happened to be up. The camera cut to a close-up of Li Dong’s face.
The audience stared without blinking. “An Omega… he really is an Omega.” Too unexpected.
The Omega’s skin was fair and fine, streaked with dirt and sweat. His red lips were pressed together in calm as he told his teammate, “I will cover you. You grab the flag.”
“Chu,” Tank said. “You are smaller. You are better at sneaking.”
“My stamina is not enough,” Li Dong said.
With four minutes left, Li Dong shouldered his gun and ran, drawing fire the whole way to give Tank a chance at victory.
Those four minutes were not dazzling. The Omega on the screen fought heroically.
He was gritting his teeth and wavering. One look and you could tell he was showing signs of severe exhaustion.
Yet he kept firing. Every extra second he bought was a second for his teammate.
“Chu,” Tank said, running while glancing back at the Omega being shredded by crossfire.
The Omega went down on one knee. The last teammate fell.
“I am taking the flag. I will take it for sure,” Tank growled, sprinting with everything he had. He set a personal speed record.
The crowd’s hearts were still stuck on that moment the Omega knelt. The image was brutal.
They snapped back to focus on Tank, the Omega’s comrade.
“Run faster… faster… even faster,” they shouted. They could not let the Omega die for nothing. If they lost this fight, they would never again believe that perseverance meant victory. “Yes, like that, damn it! So close!”
Tank forced his legs to churn and threw himself toward the flag.
A bullet screamed through the air and hit him.
Silence fell. “Damn,” someone said. It had struck home. They watched Tank collapse.
This ending had been likely, but it still stung.
“Captain,” Allen choked out. He felt awful and wanted to cry.
Suddenly, on the screen, a big body began to crawl.
Thick muscles, dark skin, a flash of bright white teeth. “Oh my god,” Allen cried. “It is Tank!”
Tank pushed himself up, dragging his shot leg, inching toward the flag until he reached it and seized it.
System announcement: 【Congratulations to K Squad for winning this match. All six members receive an Intermediate Team Battle Blue Medal.】
“Fantastic!!!” Allen yelled, hugging the captain beside him. “Captain, it is a blue medal!” Their very first intermediate match, and they had a blue medal.
“Did we win?” a breathless voice asked from behind.
Everyone turned and gave way.
The Omega who had been riddled with bullets stood there, dripping sweat.
The audience was even more excited than K Squad. It was that Omega.
“Chu,” the K Squad members yelled, swarming him. “Hahahahaha, we won!” They were as happy as children.
A fight they had assumed would be a total wipe had earned them a medal. It was too much of a surprise, and they were too happy. They were deeply grateful to the Omega who had held out for them until the end.
“I do not know what to say. I want you to be captain,” Qin Xiao said sincerely as he hugged Li Dong.
“I do not want a squad this noob, okay?” Li Dong said. He was joking. He actually had a very good impression of K Squad. “Captain, keep leading everyone.”
“Chu,” Allen said. “You and Tank were insanely cool. I feel ashamed.” With his tall frame, he scooped Li Dong into a hug.
“Do not say that. You are excellent, Allen.” Li Dong stood there, taking time to talk with his teammates one by one.
Gu Xiujue walked over and stood at a measured distance, watching.
Li Dong spotted the familiar face and was surprised. It was the male lead, Gu Xiujue. So he was here too.
“Major General Gu,” Li Dong said with a nod, then turned back to his teammates.
Gu Xiujue took a step, wanting to speak, but just then Tank, the hero of the hour, returned, and it was not a good time to interrupt.
In the end, he stepped back a few paces and chose to leave quietly.
Li Dong glanced at the man’s retreating back and smiled with interest.
The members of K Squad had all been acquaintances moments ago.
Once the excitement settled, Qin Xiao said, “Let us exchange contact info and run the range together in the future.” He hesitated, looking at Li Dong. “Chu, will you be coming up again?” After all, he was an Omega and seemed to be unmarried.
“I will,” Li Dong said. “Here is my contact. Let us play again when we can.” After they swapped, he added, “I am heading to the locker room. See you.”
On the approach to the nearby Omega locker room, a tall figure was already waiting.
Li Dong saw him from far away. He walked over and said with a playful look, “This is Omega territory. What are you doing here?”
What a fool of a male lead. If he had chosen another locker room, this wait would have been for nothing.
“You performed excellently today,” Gu Xiujue said. “People have not seen an Omega like you.” He could vouch personally that many Alphas and Betas would like this person.
“Thanks for the praise,” Li Dong said, pointing at the locker room. “I am going in first.”
Gu Xiujue turned his face slightly and watched the Omega’s back with deep eyes.
Li Dong was the quick, rough type in the shower. He came out ten minutes later.
Seeing Gu Xiujue still standing there, he sighed inwardly and walked over.
This time he did not greet him. He kept his eyes forward and passed right by.
He had noticed how conflicted the other man looked and did not want to add pressure.
If Gu Xiujue could figure it out himself, great. If he could not, then he could stew.
“Were you lying about being friends?” Gu Xiujue asked. He had not received any message from the Omega these past two days. The line about being friends felt like empty politeness.
“Major General Gu,” Li Dong said, “whether it is true or false depends on you, not me.” He had come here, and barring surprises, he was only a passerby.
“Do I have the right to decide?” Gu Xiujue stared intently at Li Dong.
“Who says you do not? Come here,” Li Dong said, curling his finger in a beckon, calm as ever.
Gu Xiujue obeyed and stepped in front of him, pressing his pretty lips together.
“Do you like me?” Li Dong asked bluntly, his gaze as bare and inescapable as ever. He had looked at the male lead like this more than once. “See, you have decision power again.”
Gu Xiujue flicked a glance at him, then his whole face flushed hot and he looked away.
But he disagreed inwardly. Liking someone was never something you could decide.
To Li Dong’s eyes, the male lead’s budding, first-love reaction was already a clear answer.
“Then…” An Omega passed by and cut off what Li Dong had been about to say. He shut his mouth. “Let us talk at your place.”
“Alright,” Gu Xiujue said. “But there is one thing we have to be clear about.” He lowered his voice. “If I do anything out of line, please stop me at once.”
“You do not need to keep track of what you are doing,” Li Dong said. “If you want, you can leave that part to me.” What amused him was how, when reading the original book, he had not felt the male lead’s intensity. Standing in front of him in person, these emotions were especially obvious.
“Alright,” Gu Xiujue murmured. He was surprised, but when he recalled Li Dong’s blood-and-iron presence on the battlefield, it felt natural.
This was not an ordinary Omega.
Back at Gu Xiujue’s StarNet home, it was as quiet as ever.
Li Dong, however, noticed many new touches. A fluffy rug. Warm-toned sofa covers. Brightly colored wall art. He stopped himself. Did the male lead think he liked these things?
“Xiujue.”
Gu Xiujue’s heart gave a small tremor. “Yes?” The Omega had called him Xiujue again, not Major General Gu.
“Nothing,” Li Dong said, defeated. There was no point explaining any of this. “Your new decor looks nice.” Better to resign himself and let the man keep misunderstanding.
“Thank you,” Gu Xiujue said, sneaking a deep breath. “What were you going to say back at the locker room door?” He leaned against the wall near the Omega and waited.
“Just now? I wanted to tell you that I hate the idea of bonding with an Alpha,” Li Dong said, tucking away his brief crack in composure. “But as an Omega on R Star, it seems I cannot escape the fate of bearing children for an Alpha.”
It was bullsh*t. He had just started getting to know the everyday world and had not expected this.
Thinking back, that book list contained quite a few worlds with extreme and twisted settings.
“You are saying you do not want to bond with an Alpha and you do not want children?” Gu Xiujue was stunned. How could an Omega think this way?
In this world there was no concept of gender role reversal. An Omega was an Omega. They were born to like strength, born to like Alphas.
“Yes. I do not want to bond with an Alpha, and I do not want children,” Li Dong said. “If I cannot find a suitable Beta to be with, I may have my glands removed.”
“What?” Gu Xiujue’s eyes flew wide. He shook his head. “Your parents will never allow it.” This Omega was too bold. Gland removal was a prohibited procedure in the Empire. If discovered, there would be penalties.
“I would do it in secret,” Li Dong said. At worst, he would find a reliable private doctor. “Alright, I have been online too long. I need to go.” His terminal pinged a reminder. An Omega could not stay logged in for more than three hours, or they would be forcibly disconnected and even blacklisted.
Gu Xiujue followed.
At the door, Li Dong said, “If you are willing to help, I can change the gland removal to a pheromone implantation procedure.” His eyes fixed on Gu Xiujue’s neck. “I could have your pheromones implanted into my body.”
Gu Xiujue raised his fingers to his neck as if bewitched. The reaction was extremely sensitive.
Li Dong could hear the change in the man’s breathing. It was like he had been fed an aphrodisiac.
Those deep black eyes misted over, though his words stayed rational. “With respect, your decision is impulsive. You have not thought it through, and you do not truly know me.”
“My coming-of-age is in three days,” Li Dong said. “That will be my heat. Do I have that kind of time to get to know you?” He grabbed Gu Xiujue by the collar. “If you want something, you fight for it yourself. Nothing will wait around for you to hesitate.”
With that, Li Dong hauled him back inside and shoved him onto the sofa.
Obviously, Gu Xiujue had been half-yielding. Otherwise, an Omega could not have pushed down a powerful Beta.
Li Dong was far too direct. He did not kiss Gu Xiujue or touch any other part of him. He went straight to the restricted zone. “Does this make you uncomfortable?” He wondered whether a Beta would dislike being handled like this.
But come on. In their world, people grew up with six genders. How could he be repulsed?
“No,” Gu Xiujue said. “I am not uncomfortable.” He was just stunned, and the rush of shyness spread through him at once. His handsome face went bright red.
There was also an odd, shameful edge. Being dominated by an Omega in this area felt even more embarrassing than being pinned by an Alpha. It felt like a crime.
“I was judging by my own standards,” Li Dong said. He was about to lean down and give the male lead a little bonus when the system forcibly disconnected him.
F*ck.
Gu Xiujue stared at the spot where the Omega had vanished, torn between loss and relief. Then he lay back on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling.
Li Dong had moved so suddenly that he had not been mentally prepared, which was why he had seemed so calm.
A powerful Beta did not need that part of himself, unless he married an Alpha.
When he had been with Huo Leishao, it had only ever been hugs and kisses. There had been no intimacy.
In all their years together, he had never fantasized about bonding with Huo Leishao.
Yet just now, he had been touched by an Omega. He had not disliked it. He was even secretly replaying it.
Then something even more mortifying happened. With a face tight enough to fry an egg, he got up, found a small suspicious stain on the sofa, and wanted the floor to swallow him.
Author’s Note:
(I received a lot of “liquid” yesterday~ Please continue irrigating from today on. As much as you have, pour that much!)
Little Note: Liquid and irrigation~~ Probably a JJWXC site slang for virtual support items like “nutrient solution” that readers give to authors.
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