Chapter 5 – “Alright, I heard you.”
Back then he had been dizzy and weak, fixated only on whether that Alpha he ran into would chase after him.
With danger right at his doorstep, who could think of anything else?
Looking back now, after the man helped him up, he never made another move. Even when he asked if Gu Xi was alright, his tone was politely distant, not a hint of impropriety.
Which also meant that man had not been affected by him.
Gu Xi, what are you thinking? Who said every Alpha has to be affected by your pheromones? That is way too self-centered.
Mo Dian said, “You’re asking this… wait, was there really an Alpha who ignored your pheromones?”
What kind of rare species is that!?
Gu Xi’s face tightened a little. Something in that sentence struck a nerve. He pressed his lips together.
“Let’s go.”
He put on his sunglasses, hiding his deep, dark eyes, and returned to the cool, composed image everyone knew.
He took long strides, even his walk seemed to cut the wind.
As if the weakness and pain from a moment ago had vanished. Outwardly, he was always perfectly confident.
He had barely gone a few steps when he turned his head and saw a crystal wristband lying at the doorway of Man A. It was one of today’s support items.
He suddenly remembered it had been yanked off when he collided with that Alpha.
That man, leaving, had forgotten the wristband, but he had not forgotten to close the door for Gu Xi. Gu Xi’s gaze tightened, a feeling he could not name hovering in his chest.
Either way, today he had been careless. If not for that Alpha, who knew what might have happened in that sudden situation.
And because his schedule had been announced in advance, paparazzi and gossip reporters were everywhere. If anyone had tried to take advantage while he was at his weakest, it could have been catastrophic.
He had been sunk for three years and had only just resurfaced for a breath of air. If scandal broke now, all his efforts would shatter into sand and he would be ruined beyond redemption.
The suppressant’s aftereffects still lingered in his body. His fingers twitched slightly from time to time, the lingering fear draining the color from his face.
He hated owing favors, even to a stranger.
Human favors are the hardest debts to repay.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again? We can ask for leave and rest.” Mo Dian saw how pale he was and tried to guide him away.
He noticed Gu Xi staring at something on the floor and bent down to pick it up without looking.
Gu Xi stopped him. “I’m fine. If we keep taking leave, who is going to pay back all that debt?” His smile was easy, no hint of weakness. On his thin face was only clear resolve. Though he was an Omega, he felt upright and independent like an A. No wonder so many people said Gu Xi was both A and fierce; it came from the bones.
He picked up the crystal wristband and lightly brushed off the dust with care.
If it is clean, do not dirty it.
They headed to the underground garage. The driver rushed back, a wave of smoke rolling off him. He always had to work overtime at night and used cigarettes to stay alert.
Gu Xi disliked the smell. It brought back very bad memories, but he said nothing and got into the back seat, then lowering the window a crack.
He knew the driver had a months-old infant at home and a wife who was breastfeeding. He did not want to make things hard for a man just trying to feed his family.
As the car started, Gu Xi took out the wristband again and noticed the little plastic charm: a chibi of himself.
Seeing him examine such an ordinary wristband, Mo Dian finished instructing the driver, then stuck his head over. “Ah, isn’t that the Q-version art Lingjiu, the famous fandom artist, drew for you? It is huge in your fan circle. They even turned it into a support item now?”
Gu Xi retracted the band and smiled. “You know that?”
Mo Dian scratched his head, laughing. “I lurk your fan circle sometimes and check the updates.”
Gu Xi did not comment. He switched on the backseat dome light, buckled the band around his wrist, snapped a casual shot of his arm, and posted it.
EatEatEat-GuXi: [heart] [attached image]
In the dim car, warm amber light fell across his pale jade-like wrist, the black band dangling a cute cartoon charm.
The post sent his fans into a frenzy. Comments broke a hundred in a flash.
- Aaaa that is today’s support item! I was the one who printed it! When did our Alliance Lord slip out to pick it up, how did I miss it!!- I am losing my mind picturing us cheering outside while our Lord sneaked out to grab a support gift. I am melting aaaa!
- He is the most fan-loving baby ever. An actual angel, too sweet!!!
- Be confident. Remove “like.” He is an angel!
- Can we talk about those hands? Are they even mortal hands?
- My mom asked why I am kneeling and licking the screen~
It’s used to express overwhelming emotion,
often from something too cute, beautiful,
funny, or touching. A similar kind is when someone says
"I'm dying coz of cuteness!" awsl
His Weibo account had been under company control for three years and had only recently been returned to him. From now on he would post regularly.
To him, it was not publicity. After being caged for so long, it was one of the few places he could relax.
Gu Xi unclasped the band and slipped it into his pocket, then leaned sideways and closed his eyes to rest. “Wake me when we get there.” The sound pickup on the drama he had just shot was poor.
He needed to go in and re-dub. He had no idea how late it would run. The only time to sleep was this short ride.
Exhaustion from nonstop work and the onset of his heat dragged him into a light sleep.
The driver and assistant were both Betas and had no idea he had almost triggered a shopping-mall riot just now.
Mo Dian, heart aching, switched off the dome light and draped a thin blanket over him. The driver adjusted the rearview mirror to look at the sleeping Gu Xi. A flicker of conflict crossed his eyes.
Rong Jing did not think much of the little episode earlier. He had merely lent a hand. It had cost him nothing.
He hurried to the entrance of the jewelry launch event and saw people trickling out. The two enthusiastic girls who had given him directions earlier were excited to see him and said he was late; it had ended a while ago, and Gu Xi was surely already in his nanny van.
No wonder the mall felt emptier when he walked over. So this was what they meant by top-tier traffic.
He nodded, then noticed a life-size standee nearby, made to Gu Xi’s actual height.
If he could not see the real person, a standee would do. He was after the flash of familiarity that had streaked through his mind, that faint hint of truth that slipped by every time he reached for it.
On the standee, Gu Xi wore a black suit. His brow bones were exquisite and deep, his whole aura cool and untouched by the mundane. It had the kind of presence that made mortals feel ashamed. Yet the gaze held a teasing purity, like deep affection. Rong Jing suddenly thought of the phrase: pure and tempting.
If the standee alone was this striking, the real person must be unimaginable.
Still, his eyes hardly rippled, only a mild appreciation.
He stood aside and looked for a while, hope dimming by degrees.
It felt like looking at photos on a phone. 2D and 3D were not much different. The face stirred no familiarity. He only knew the name Gu Xi and the titles of his films.
In a new world, when everything and everyone is unfamiliar, even strong-minded people find comfort in things that feel known.
A keepsake, then. He took a selfie with the standee.
His face was expressionless, and the standee looked indifferent behind him. The picture felt as grim as a funeral procession.
He had worked in the circle in his past life and had basic standards for a photo.
He almost never took selfies. Feeling awkward, he tried a peace sign. Finally, the picture felt a little more balanced.
He went to an ATM to check his cards. Indeed, Xie Ling kept his word; the cards were unfrozen. A few were from his stepfather and older brother, Xie Ling. As for the original’s mother, she could not even steer her own life, let alone spare money for her son.
Only one Peony Card was money the original had earned from part-time jobs. Most daily expenses had come from there.
He was not pretending to be poor, nor picking a fight with the Xie family. He knew that whether he admitted it or not, to the outside world he was the Xie family’s young master. It was just that memories of childhood poverty ran deep; frugality was habit.
He withdrew some cash, paid off his X-credit, and felt light as air.
Like most men, he had little interest in shopping. He hit a few streetwear shops from memory, put together two casual outfits and one casual suit. One for daily life, one for formal occasions. Streetwear did not obsess over seamwork like luxury brands, but it was stylish and more affordable. Best cost-performance for now.
Appearance is a calling card, the bridge by which others come to know you.
Next he went to the drugstore, headed for the pheromone-blocking sprays. The salesgirl was thrilled the handsome guy had returned and introduced scent after scent. By the fifth, Rong Jing felt he was losing his sense of smell.
He bought all the ones he had tried. The bathroom incident earlier had left a deep impression. Better keep one on him.
Shopping bags in hand, he noticed a commotion in the distance, like someone making trouble. He was not interested in gawking and left the mall, thinking about where to stay that night.
After graduation, the original had been called back to the Xie home by his mother and had no place outside. Then trouble had hit one after another, his cards were frozen, and he had no way to rent. He had already searched up an economy hotel nearby. His phone battery was at two percent. He flagged a cab to get there and charge.
A person in a red dress swooped in and stole the cab, eyes glassy with drink. Seeing Rong Jing still standing there, they slurred, “I knew that back view looked familiar. It’s you! What are you waiting for, get in!”
Then they gagged a few times, like they might throw up.
Rong Jing’s eye twitched. “You take it.”
It was the Omega who had argued with Qi Ying at the cat café. Reeking of alcohol, with a faint leak of pheromones. Only a trace. The blocker’s time limit had probably run out.
Yet despite the Omega’s leak, he felt only a tug of allure, not the surge of impulse.
Even ten times this would not compare to that one breath earlier that had cut to the bone.
He did not know that for some scents, the first inhale is the peak.
He had only met this red-dressed Omega once. He did not really know them.
They giggled foolishly at him. They had to be very drunk. Rong Jing could not even be sure if it was “she” or “he.” Slender frame, hot dress, but the voice forced deep. He had seen plenty in his past life’s circle and had sharp eyes by now.
Out of respect, he decided to use “she” for the moment.
Next second, she tottered on stilettos and kicked his knee.
Rong Jing: …
He was not without temper. He took a deep breath and thought: Do not discuss manners with a drunk.
He recalled what she had said in the cat café. He did not need anyone to fight his battles, but he could not deny her good intentions. Ignoring her squawking, he photographed the license plate, handed the driver some cash, and said to please deliver her safely.
There was an unwritten rule here: all taxi and rideshare drivers must be Beta. It was for everyone else’s safety.
The driver, however, just stared at the sultry, drunk Omega in the back.
Rong Jing’s gaze went cold, seeming to see through a soul. His voice dropped. “If anything happens, this plate number is the evidence.” He tapped his phone.
He made no threats, yet the driver’s scalp prickled. With a strange look, he nodded slowly.
Rong Jing turned to go, then remembered something. He pulled one of the blockers he had just bought and shoved it into her hand without checking the scent.
He had barely taken a few steps when the Omega in red lurched out and vomited on him.
He stared at the mess on the ground, dumbfounded. He had dodged fast, so only a little got on his clothes. The culprit looked on the verge of tears, tugging at him like a wronged lover.
“Don’t go. Why does nobody like me…”
People were already staring at an Alpha and an Omega tugging at each other. Rong Jing had no desire to trend on the hot search. With quick efficiency, he hefted her into the cab like a sack. “Nearest hotel.”
The driver, having witnessed everything, took off like the wind.
When his gentle look fell away, a cutting sharpness showed that made troublemakers think twice.
Thankfully, in the cab the Omega calmed down as if she got her way and drifted to sleep.
If she had kept going, he would have gotten out.
As always: boys need to protect themselves out there.
He would help, but only within reason.
Cross the line, and it was: read and dismissed, next.
In this world, there were few protections for Alphas. The law did not even consider harassing an A a crime.
In some ways, Alphas were a vulnerable group too.
At their destination, Rong Jing glanced up at the gilded hotel that screamed I am expensive.
The driver admitted he wanted to teach this Alpha a lesson for meddling and had picked the priciest option. But under Rong Jing’s calm gaze, he forced a smile. “Th-this really is the nearest.”
Rong Jing could not be bothered to argue. He asked the Omega slumped beside him if she had ID or a phone. She was completely asleep and even snoring.
The attendant opened the door. Rong Jing said, “Please have an Omega staff member take her up. And someone else help me check in.”
Because of how rare and important Omegas were, and since this one had no companion, hotel policy required Rong Jing to accompany her to the room.
If anything happened to an Omega, the hotel could not shoulder the blame.
It was also why he would not dump her on the street. He was the last witness, like it or not.
After handing the Omega to a staffer, Rong Jing followed into the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, two large hands slapped them open.
“Hold up, hold up!” Two Alphas with heavy scents shoved in. They did not notice the reserved Rong Jing. They glanced at the Omega with the staffer, but since he had sprayed a ring of blocker around her just before they got out of the cab, there was no pheromone scent, only a faint acidic whiff from the vomit. They frowned and looked away, chatting like no one else existed.
One said, “What was that back there? Getting thrown out for inciting a scene. Embarrassing. Lucky your bro bailed you out. If people found out that the crown prince of Hushi nearly got blacklisted by a mall, tsk tsk…”
“Shut up. I caught a whiff of a god-tier O and got knocked out before I could even taste it,” the other Alpha snarled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look at this. Isn't it bruised? I have never taken a loss like this. Unbelievable!”
Rong Jing arched a brow and glanced over.
Oh. Small world.
There really was a bruise on the guy’s neck. Rong Jing knew his own strength. He had trained at Shaolin as a kid, so he did not strike lightly.
This time he had controlled his hand. At worst it was a soft-tissue bruise. No real problem. It would just hurt for a few nights.
Yes. Quite a bit.
“Where’s the wifey?”
“Pah, don’t mention that woman. We broke up. What,It means someone is being kept around
as a backup or only valued seasonally,
like a decoration you only bring out during a holiday. keep her for the holidays?
“How the hell would I have hypoglycemia, huh?!”
“You really don’t?”
“I only have high blood pressure right now! She is bewitched by that pretty boy. Pah. Shallow!”
Says the guy who does not judge by looks, right. His buddy stifled a laugh. “And then?”
“Then I, of course, stood my ground and tried to settle scores, and maybe I got a bit worked up, and she almost called the cops on me as a psycho!”
“So that’s why I showed up to you getting hauled out by security? By the way, that god-tier O’s pheromones were really that intense?” His buddy could not imagine it. They had met plenty of top-tier Omegas. How different could it be?
“Heart-shattering. I can’t describe it. I have never smelled anything like it. I lost control but I barely caught a trace before I got taken out,” the hothead growled, clearly more fixated on the Alpha who had dropped him. “That A better pray we never meet. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, find him for me!”
Behind them, Rong Jing watched silently.
Their floor arrived. The hothead staggered out still cursing, clutching his neck and yowling with tears in his voice. He told his buddy to hire the best TCM massage therapist. If that failed, call an ambulance.
He heard a soft chuckle behind him. He spun around, but the elevator doors slid shut.
He snorted and shouted down the empty hall, “I could recognize him even if he turned to ash! Have the guts to stop hiding!”
Alright. I heard you.
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