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HOYSE CHAPTER 20
Chapter 20 — “Shall I… let you continue?”
Rong Jing really is theSomeone on campus who gets tons of attention,
is constantly trending in student circles,
and draws eyes whether through
looks, drama, or popularity. campus’ internal traffic king.
The thread titled #WhyIsRJPretendingToBePoor# blew up among the rubberneckers almost instantly.
Once classmates caught wind of it, someone immediately asked who had spilled the pot. They were still trying to piece together what really happened. Was it even appropriate to post something like this now? This stream was supposed to be just for them to get hyped in private. They had already put Ji Leping in an awkward spot. Now that it had blown up this big, how were they supposed to explain it to him?
In the end, not a single classmate stepped up to claim the traitor badge.
Since there were no pics, no truth, the thread was quickly marked as fake.
Someone offered a very “objective” analysis. If Rong Jing were actually rich, how would Qi Ying ever be willing to break up with him. Wouldn’t he be letting a gold mine walk away for free? The “Qi Ying loves money” persona was rock solid and widely recognized, so this reply won a lot of nods from onlookers.
That one user who had sworn he would eat his keyboard on stream if Rong Jing ever acted again seemed obsessed. He turned up under almost every post related to Rong Jing, swinging away. He immediately posted: If even Rong Jing can be from a rich family, I will invite him to be my leading man. Mark my words. This post is my receipt.
The forum is anonymous, but a few people are distinctive enough that others can guess who they are. This guy is known for being extremely active, which is exactly why no one thinks he has any real clout. People who get things done do not have that much time to fight the sky and yell at the sea online.
Most readers were not stuck on whether Rong Jing came from money. Everyone knew that as one of the film academy’s campus top traffic, he was famously broke, the poster child for work-study life. Some even felt a little bad for him. He had pinched every penny to bankroll Qi Ying’s spending, only to get dumped. People say never be a doormat. See, here is a case of licking the boot and ending up with nothing.
What piqued their curiosity was the keyboard warrior’s righteous tone. Maybe he actually had carved out a name somewhere. The thread drifted into a tally of who on campus had made it, who had landed a big production, and who was about to audition for which crew.
Before long, someone dropped a bomb. Director Liu Yu of The Sovereignty said in an interview he might cast a newcomer this time. That line pulled a swarm of lurkers to the surface. Liu Yu also directed Lota’s 365 Days, a film that laid bare the struggles of the underclass and made the Venice competition slate.
Many eyes were on his next move. Would he extend his glory or be a one-shot meteor? Which is why casting The Sovereign was a huge deal for him.
A new post shot to the top from “Little Eight,” the academy’s famous gossip squad account.
#I heard from Old Zhang in Audiovisual Language that Director Liu is one of our alumni and has a special soft spot for the alma mater.
Aside from the open call, the three homeroom teachers of the acting department each get to recommend one student straight to the audition. A recommendation does not guarantee anything, but it puts your name in front of a big director. Rare chance. Guess who Homeroom Hu from Class B recommended?
People ran through a round of guesses. After drawing the suspense out, Little Eight finally dropped two characters: Rong Jing.
- Is Teacher Hu trying to wash away past shame? He got laughed at for RJ for years. Must have stung.
- Hu was unlucky. He saw RJ’s face and thought it could be the banner of the department.
- Hu really does have a soft spot. He always helped out Class B kids who hit hard times. And to be fair, RJ would be top-tier even in the entertainment circle. Small face, sharp features, mixed-blood look, absolutely photogenic. In person he is even more delicate than on camera.
- None of that matters if he cannot face the camera. That is the key.
- Sister, you hit the nail on the head.
There were grumbles about fairness, and others saying it was the teacher’s right to recommend who he wanted. But one point was unanimous: no one believed that after four years of effort with no results, Rong Jing would suddenly be able to face the lens again.
Rong Jing had once skimmed the forum to understand the original’s environment. He gathered that while he had no public name outside, his campus notoriety was high, so people would @ him for any and every reason. But Rong Jing is lazy and often mentally on 2G. He obviously does not track gossip.
“Rong Jing?” Ji Leping finally called to him, hesitant. Rong Jing was surprised to bump into him here. The two exchanged a few words. Ji had a thousand questions, but seeing that same calm expression, he wondered if pretending to be poor or getting exposed made no difference to this man. Was this some kind of hobby. Perhaps with the Xie family halo suddenly around him, Ji did not even know where to start.
The crowd did not give Ji much time to catch up. A few small-time stars who wanted face time with Rong Jing drifted in and naturally shouldered Ji to the fringes.
Rong Jing knew this was inevitable in a setting like this. He did not like mingling, but as the youngest of an acting family in his last life, he had attended more than a few identical events. Raised under klieg lights, his basic manners were intact. He did not slight anyone who came over to speak.
After a while people noticed that even with the noise and cross-talk, the conversation flowed. They had come with all sorts of agendas, yet somehow, in talking, they realized this young man was different. A rare one without the usual second-gen airs.
Not far away, Wu Hanqi watched, smiling. He had only wanted to tease the kid a little because the boy had acted like he wanted to bolt. A little harmless joke, see how the child handled it.
To his surprise, the seemingly introverted kid managed the room with ease. Wu raised his glass from afar, as if to toast the once-teary little boy who had grown up. Rong Jing returned the gesture politely. He thought that if Wu Hanqi set his mind on getting close to someone, he could do it in minutes. The man understood other people’s hearts far too well.
Xie Zhanhong also noticed the exchange and remembered something from years ago. “That brat once ran after your car, yelling he wanted to be your bride. After you left he locked himself in his room and refused food and water for three days and nights. We tried to tell him Alphas cannot marry anyone, but he would not listen. In the end it was Ling who dragged him out.”
“That happened?” Wu Hanqi arched a brow and shot Rong Jing a meaningful look. Rong Jing felt a faint tightening in the air, a touch of danger without a source. The feeling faded as quickly as it came. Wu truly had not known there was such follow-up. His smile turned casual. “Children say ridiculous things. When they grow up and look back, they regret it.”
Thinking of that little tail trailing him years ago, then looking at the young man’s clear, relaxed gaze now, Wu asked, “How is he doing. Working under Little Ling?”
Xie Zhanhong noticed Wu seemed genuinely interested in Rong Jing. Perhaps it was that sliver of past interaction. He decided to grease the wheels. “The kid is stubborn. All he wants is acting. You cannotBasically, “Even nine oxen couldn’t pull him back.”
(九头牛也拉不回来) drag him back with nine oxen
In this context, Rong Jing is being compared to
a young horse that ran off. Free-spirited, idealistic, and maybe
naive for following his dreams (of acting)
without restraint or guidance. runaway colt.
If Rong Jing could build a stronger connection with Wu Hanqi and become a favored junior, maybe the Xie family could expand a bit.
Wu glanced at Rong Jing and shook his head. “Kids these days do not listen to an old man like me.”
At 7:30, there was a crisp snap. The lights dimmed. The opening dance began, led by the high-spirited Xie Zhanhong and Han Lianmei, who stuck to her husband’s side and had never even been on Rong Jing’s radar.
Next, Xie Ling invited a sweet-looking Omega from the Ji family to dance. Seeing that Xie Ling did not push her away, the Ji clan exchanged satisfied smiles. Second Young Master’s unexplained absence did leave a gap on the floor though.
Rong Jing should have been a lead dancer as well, but the original had always refused such events and had even driven out the etiquette teacher Xie Zhanhong hired. Of course Rong Jing could dance, even proficiently. Then he realized a problem. He needed plausible learning arcs for his skills.
In the rear courtyard of the guest house, Gu Xi retied the dog’s leash. The animal panted with its tongue out, eyes shining as it stared toward the ballroom. Gu Xi poured some kibble from a nearby sack. The dog would not eat. It pawed at the leash, itching to bolt.
Gu Xi laughed. “You want to go find him, is that it?”
The mutt tilted its head in a very human way. Gu Xi patted its head. “Enough. Do not pine. What is not yours will not be yours.”
When Gu Xi stood, a wave of dizziness hit him. He knew how brutal his heats could be. Missing a cycle had only made this one worse. He found the nearest restroom, locked himself into a stall, and pulled out a suppressant. He jabbed himself. Worried it would not be enough, he hesitated, then took a second shot. The pain of the injections crashed against the chaos of the heat. The two forces clashed inside him until it felt like his whole body seized.
Seeing the heat only building, he texted his agent to cancel most events for the next few days. He did not even look at the agent’s ranting reply. A cancellation meant the penalty fees would skyrocket. Just thinking about those numbers made his skull throb. He also called The Sovereign’s production. He might not make the audition. Director Liu Yu was surprisingly easy to speak to and asked about his health. Gu Xi smiled and said he was fine. He did not want anyone to know what was going on. When he hung up, his body loosened and he slumped.
Mo Dian had been nagging him to take an AO compatibility test. In a database that spans the whole country, they could find the Alpha with the highest match. If that person agreed to give him a temporary mark, his heats would not be so brutal. But Gu Xi knew himself. He was afraid of drawing down a disaster he could never shake off. Better to endure it.
He sat on the lid, waiting for the stabs of pain to subside. When his head cleared, he heard the occasional footfall outside. A glance at his phone said it was already nine-thirty. The party was nearly over.
He heard the banquet captain calling for him but did not answer. He had used an alias and had no interest in schmoozy events anyway. He was here to look for the little sister he had not seen in years. After that Alpha marked her for life, he had never seen her again. The law is clear. Once there is a lifelong mark, if the marking Alpha refuses visitation, even family will struggle to see their kin. That Alpha had worked it so that Gu Xi lost visitation rights. He could not break the law. The man wanted to use that right to force his hand. Gu Xi simply refused to obey.
He had just braced a hand to stand when a familiar voice started shouting outside.
The bleached-blond had hung around the main hall with the other punks long enough. Now he had slipped out for a smoke. Thinking of how Rong Jing had shoved his head into the pool earlier, he fumed. But this Xie family brat had Xie Ling as a shield. Even the crown prince could not touch him tonight.
“Where’s that waiter. Did you find him?”
“Bro, let it go. If that Xie kid spots us again, we are screwed.”
“We do it quietly. The prince can deal with Xie’s brat. I want that waiter. If I do not get him in my bed tonight, I am not Huang. Did you see that waist when it showed. So damn thin. It screams sl**.”
The earlier beating had made him cautious, but clearly not wise. The glimpse he had caught would not leave his mind.
“He’s a Beta, bro. Why not hit a bar and find an O?”
“What about it? B can be great in bed. And the back is clean. With that little tease’s look, if I do not take him tonight, he will just end up in someone else’s hands.”
The voices drew closer. Gu Xi clenched his fists. He felt like he had rested enough. He slipped out of the stall, eased into a utility room, and found a woven sack. He dumped it and grabbed a roll of tape. In his head he walked back through the positions and angles of the corridor cameras. The one near this restroom was around the corner. It should not catch anything. He took out the devil pepper spray he always carried. It was homemade, a blend of the world’s hottest peppers.
Slowly, silently, he moved to the restroom door and listened.
If they came in a pack, he would abort and try another time. If just one came…
He told the others to go find Wu Fuyu up front. He would take care of some urgent business first.
Something closed in behind him. He turned his head. A sting hit his face, a cloud of fine mist with a piercing smell. “Ah—” he cried, but a hand clamped over his mouth and nose. While he squeezed his eyes shut against the burn, the tape ripped and sealed his mouth. A quick kick slammed the stall door shut with a hard crack.
A sack came down over his head. Darkness swallowed him. Then the blows. They looked light, but every strike landed on a vital point. Pain had him baring his teeth, but with the sack on he could not fight back and could not see his attacker. Even his mouth was taped. All he could manage were helpless muffled grunts.
Gu Xi thought of what he had just overheard. His eyes went cold. The corner of his mouth curled. If you want ugly, I can do ugly. He yanked open the guy’s belt and started on his pants. An Alpha running naked makes the society pages. Let him learn what shameless really means.
Rong Jing had finally shaken off a clingy up-and-comer. After too much orange juice, he needed a bathroom. He found Man A’s door closed, thought nothing of it, and turned the handle.
As the door swung inward he was greeted by a very awkward scene. A somewhat familiar “waiter” had another man, clearly an A, pinned and was about to do something that could not be described in polite society.
Rong Jing froze for three seconds. The “waiter” also turned, equally startled. Their eyes met. Rong Jing backed out several steps. He checked the sign again. No, he had not gone to the wrong restroom.
A better look at the A’s clothes suggested it was the same bleached-blond. Given his behavior earlier, catching a beatdown now felt about right. Rong Jing decided his sympathy belonged elsewhere.
He thought about it for a beat, then asked, very politely, “Shall I… let you continue?”
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