HOYSE CHAPTER 41

Chapter 41 — One Lemon, Two Lemons, Three Lemons

No one expected Gu Xi to show up. He had been added to the group chat when it was first created, never said a single word since, then suddenly appeared.

Everyone thought Gu Xi was being considerate. He must have sensed they might cancel the celebration, so he sent that one line.

Surprise mixed with disbelief. Gu Xi’s schedule was packed and most of the time he was invisible. The moment he appeared, the chat flooded with concern and greetings.

Rong Jing glanced at the notifications and gave him a look that said he did not approve. “You just got discharged. You are really not going to rest?”

When in Rome, one learned to avoid certain sensitive words. Let them stay unspoken.

Gu Xi always felt comfortable around Rong Jing. It was the tiny courtesies, the little details that carried a quiet respect. Even if Rong Jing did not have his current status and looks, an Omega would still be drawn to him.

Gu Xi replied to the messages, some heartfelt and some perfunctory. His heart was unsettled, yet his expression was as calm as still water. “I am not a porcelain vase, I do not shatter that easily.” He had gone without sleep for dozens of hours not long ago and he was fine. Every time he recalled that night, though, he would think of entering XieLier’s with Rong Jing. No, absolutely cannot let Rong Jing find out, otherwise he would have nowhere to put his face.

Rong Jing did not know how to answer. You certainly are not fragile, he thought, but with a temperament like yours, you rarely explode and when you do, it is catastrophic. In the original novel, the protagonist shou was exactly the type who grew under pressure and carried everything alone.

They were not close enough to bare souls. Rong Jing had simply offered a few days of shelter at a difficult time, nothing near real intimacy, so he knew when to stop talking. In the “Sovereignty” production group chat, though, he noticed a familiar avatar. It was Qi Ying. Rong Jing had deleted his ex long ago.

He scrolled through the chat records. Aside from an initial greeting after joining, Qi Ying had not said anything else. He remembered that when Qi Ying had dated the original Rong Jing, he boasted he would debut as a lead. He was too handsome to play a supporting role, he said, then dumped Rong Jing to chase a sugar daddy. Rong Jing had no idea which role Qi Ying was auditioning for now, yet the leads were already set and everything left was supporting roles. Was Qi Ying really willing to swallow his pride?

Still, “Sovereignty” carried weight on its own, so it was not hard to understand if Qi Ying came aiming for a breakout. Back then he had said enough ugly things that even a gold-digger would know Rong Jing would never give him another coin. Maybe this was just a coincidence.

Rong Jing decided to act like he knew nothing. The best version of an ex was the one who pretended you were dead. Of course, he preferred the ex to treat him as dead as well.

He had just closed the app when two friend requests popped up. One note read: Ji Jiongjie. The other was more interesting: Wu Fuyu, and the message said, “If you don’t add me you’re dead!!!”

Well now, two at once. Wu Fuyu even came with threats and exclamation marks to underline his sincerity. Wu Fuyu, however, ranked low on the danger scale. The man was vicious by nature but left you alone if you did not provoke him. Half the time he seemed like a lovable idiot, the closest thing to normal among the five scummy gongs.

Ji Jiongjie was a different story. Rong Jing remembered the original book. That man locked Gu Xi up for 36 days. No one knew what Gu Xi experienced in those thirty-odd days. When he was released, his mind was broken. He babbled nonsense, failed to recognize anyone, and treated Ji Jiongjie like a god. Perhaps by then Gu Xi had already gone mad.

Because the victim refused to press charges, and because the Ji family threw their full weight behind Ji Jiongjie, a crime that should have drawn a heavy sentence only brought two years, then even that was suspended.

Infuriating. Rong Jing was livid.

In the later part of the original novel, after going through continuous cycles of torturous love and mutual destruction with the other scumbag Alphas, with countless almost-but-not-quite moments that hooked readers’ hearts, the author finally arranged for Gu Xi's younger brother to attempt assassinating Ji Jiongjie, only for the latter to detect it early.

Gu Xi's brother was killed right in front of him. Gu Xi's sanity returned, and he struggled and fought back madly, but lost all ability to resist after being injected with sedatives.

Then came the sleazy routine. Ji Jiongjie drugged Gu Xi while he drifted in and out.

Thousands of words later:

“That night, the bed was strewn with crimson blossoms, like roses in full bloom, brilliant and decadent.”

Gu Xi looked as though he had died. The light in his eyes went dull, then dimmed further, and finally went out. The next day when he woke, his gaze had become seductive and bewitching, as if he had turned into someone else.

Those were the book’s exact lines. This was where Rong Jing could no longer stand it. He could not imagine what it looked like to do something until there was blood everywhere. Terrifying.

Why had his second sister recommended a novel like this? First, she had been busy rushing into the crew and had only read the beginning, not the later insanity. Second, she thought her little brother lived like a monk with no desires and wanted to toss him a plot full of high-tension carnal sparks to shake him up.

As for logic, who cared. Hook the reader and call it a day. If you want strict logic, how are you going to enjoy the meat?

If Rong Jing had known he would transmigrate, no matter how angry he was, he would have forced himself to read to the end. Now it seemed obvious. Ji Jiongjie wore the imperial edict aura. He did not even like this type of Alpha, yet the system would bend him in that direction.

Rong Jing did not want to add any more perverts to his orbit, but here they are.

He ignored Wu Fuyu’s request and accepted Ji Jiongjie’s. Then he opened the man’s Moments. It was all curated tranquility. The leisurely life of a rich third-generation heir, the kind of charming playboy persona that made little O’s swoon. They had only one mutual friend, Wu Hanqi, who clearly could not be bothered with junior melodramas, so there were no likes or public comments to read.

One post caught Rong Jing’s eye. It was from a few days ago. In a rainy photo, a Tiffany-blue box sat discarded beside a trash can, water splashing. On the wet ground lay a quarter of a gem-inlaid doll, exquisite and shattered to pieces.

Looking closer, the doll’s clothing matched one of Gu Xi’s performance costumes, and the little face somewhat resembled him. Gu Xi was the type who would still show respect to a suitor even when he turned a gift down. Who smashed this doll? Gu Xi or the giver?

The photo caption read: “Broken, yet still breathtaking.”

Put that line next to the original text and it sent a chill up the spine. It talked about the doll, yet it also sounded like it was talking about a person, as if Gu Xi were not alive but an object.

Rong Jing remembered, after Wu Hanqi saved Gu Xi from the abyss of a suicide attempt, Gu Xi threw himself back into work. Ji Jiongjie showed up on set with a jewel-studded doll and staged a grand fireworks confession. At that time Gu Xi had already been dragged through the mud by rumors after a mall stampede. Director Liu Yu alone encouraged him to start again. Gu Xi had only just begun to recover, working hard with his family to forget the wave of public scorn. He had zero mood for romance.

This protagonist shou was career-focused to the bone. To Alphas he was autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves. To be blunt: get lost, all of you.

After watching the fireworks, Gu Xi returned the doll and called the police. He reported illegal fireworks ten minutes later. Ji Jiongjie spent a night receiving “education” at the station before his family hauled him out. Then came the drugging and the forced abduction to the villa.

Rong Jing’s right eyelid began to twitch. Left for fortune, right for disaster. This pervert had completed his evolution. There was no saving him.

Rong Jing had originally decided not to bother with a watch, then changed his mind. A gift might be necessary, so at least try.

He pinged his walking encyclopedia, Zhou Xiang. “Is there a saying that an Alpha should not give an Omega a watch casually?”

Zhou Xiang: “Depends on the relationship. Husband and wife or lovers is fine.”

In this world, giving watches between A and O implied mutual devotion. No watch then. Something else. He had finally raised this little cabbage round and healthy, with a psyche that looked stable. He could not just watch him walk into danger and do nothing.

The conversation continued.

Rong Jing: “Just a normal friend.”

Zhou Xiang: “Oh, so you are confessing.”

Rong Jing: “No.”

Zhou Xiang: “The vice president and the president both care deeply about your love life.” By that he meant Xie Ling, who worried about his brother having an AA romance, and Xie Zhanhong, who believed in delivering beauties to the bed with full service included.

Rong Jing had a headache and told the truth. “I am worried about a friend’s safety, so I want to give a watch with GPS.”

Zhou Xiang: “Do you know how an Omega would feel receiving that?”

Rong Jing had a bad feeling. “No.”

Zhou Xiang was a machine for ruthless words. “Creepy. Sick. Stalker. Alpha go to h***!” Then he sent: [Smash the mutt with a hammer.jpg]

Rong Jing: [Tactical retreat.jpg]

In another building, Xie Ling noticed his assistant daydreaming during a meeting and the room temperature dropped to arctic. When he saw whose avatar was on the phone, his aura went from glacier to polar night.

Even if he did not reply, Zhou Xiang could guess the swirl of emotions. Ever since the ten-year ice between the brothers had begun to thaw, his boss had shown more humanity. He was no longer the Xie family’s eldest son who had to be flawless every waking minute to secure the Xie Group.

Zhou Xiang was a survivor. He switched to voice messages. He did not speak himself, just recorded the president’s cold, hoarse voice tearing through the meeting. Rong Jing listened and realized Xie Ling’s throat was rough. “What happened to Ling-ge’s voice?”

Zhou Xiang was almost moved to tears. What a little cotton-padded jacket this young master was. “Probably seasonal pharyngitis.”

Rong Jing: “Have ge leave work on time. Ask the family doctor to prescribe something soothing for his throat. I will go back to the main house to make pear soup. Will he drink it?”

As Xie Ling glanced over at his assistant, Zhou Xiang quickly held up the screen. The department heads all craned necks, thinking some major news had arrived. Xie Ling read his brother’s concern. His gaze softened a fraction. He signaled that Zhou Xiang had done well and replied to Rong Jing: “I'll drink it.”

The meeting had barely ended when Xie Zhanhong called. Xie Ling rejected it. On the third call he finally picked up. Compared to Xie Jisheng and his mother, whose scheming had indirectly caused his biological mother’s death, Xie Zhanhong, who had never acted like a father, angered him more. Because Xie Zhanhong could not control himself, disaster followed.

“What is it,” Xie Ling said. When a panicked woman’s voice sounded on the other end, his hand froze around the phone. After a long beat he managed, “Say that again.”

---

After finishing with Zhou Xiang, Rong Jing fell into thought.

On Rong Jing’s side: buying a GPS device felt a little guilty. 

On Gu Xi’s side: he intended to do something big tonight and felt double the guilt.

They looked at each other at the same time, both startled to find their gazes had collided. Each quickly, precisely looked away.

“I need to buy something.”

“Oh. Me too.”

The exchange felt natural and unforced. Rong Jing thought, he probably did not notice I was sneaking glances. Gu Xi thought the same.

Rong Jing chose a mall. Near it stood a glass building with a minimalist logo, a wooden pear with a bite taken out of it. The company was Mu Li, known for high-end phones, computers, and electronics. In this novel’s world, the bang-for-buck champion was Payson, crowned by plot armor. Foreign brands like Mu Li were expensive and considered low value by comparison.

Even though the internet and satellites were more advanced here, Rong Jing would not choose Payson. Never mind the price, why give the Wu family money. Besides, Mu Li and the Xie Group had business ties. No reason to hesitate.

More importantly, the GPS function worked like the “Find My Phone” feature. You had to log real credentials to link devices. Big companies protected privacy. Thus, location data would not leak. He had to remember this was a world spun from a novel. If he used Payson, who could guarantee it, and which Wu would act like a decent human being.

Carrying their respective secrets, they rode up from the underground parking to the first floor. Along the way plenty of young people were streaming toward a milk tea shop. Rong Jing recognized the logo. It seemed to be the current internet-famous brand.

He noticed Gu Xi glancing that way now and then. Obviously he wanted one. But Gu Xi was strict about his figure. Even if he craved it, he would hold back. He was already slim. He weighed nothing in one’s arms. One cup once in a while would not hurt.

“What are you buying?” Gu Xi asked.

“Going to take a look at Mu Li,” Rong Jing said.

Gu Xi disliked crowded places, not only because of a professional instinct to avoid being recognized. When his mind-reading flared, a dozen inner voices would crash through his head at once. Crowds were a disaster. Yet as long as Rong Jing was nearby, the discomfort was bearable.

[Not sure he will accept this gift. Chances are slim.]

Gu Xi quickly picked out which voice was Rong Jing’s. He is buying a gift. For whom?

They exited the mall and immediately saw the giant screen on the building across the street playing a drink commercial. On it, Gu Xi faced the sea with a group of friends and popped a can open. Droplets sprayed into the air, then came his lethal beauty close-up. A group of girls squealed, shouting Gu Xi’s name.

As the two of them walked by, one girl pointed at the heavily disguised Gu Xi. Her friends elbowed each other. Gu Xi quickened his pace and then felt a large palm slip behind his head. Fingertips brushed the nape of his neck. Being touched in a non-sensual way by an Alpha made his skin pebble with goosebumps. He did not move, letting Rong Jing draw him against his shoulder.

To strangers, it looked like an Alpha bristling at others eyeing his Omega, a possessive display that was hardly rare. The girls realized they had the wrong person. How could Gu Xi show up here and be handled like that by an Alpha.

Only after the group left did Rong Jing start to release him. A slender arm looped his elbow. Gu Xi’s quiet voice came. “Since we are acting, we should commit.”

Rong Jing did not recover until a clerk greeted them like a couple. For one second, he felt as if Gu Xi had accidentally, gently flirted with him.

His second sister had once warned him that casual flirting could be fatal, especially from someone unaware of his own allure. If you met that kind, good luck.

Rong Jing told himself, He is a man, a man. The mantra worked like a calming pill. Sort of.

They wandered a lap. Gu Xi kept trying to catch Rong Jing’s thoughts, but there were too many people. It was hard to tune to the right frequency. He was ready to curse this half-useless ability. What good are you if you fail me at the key moment.

So he asked straight out, eyes forward. “Is it for me?”

Fine. If he knew, he would stop being so anxious.

The offhand question, with that cool tone, felt like it came with a warning glare. If he dared give a gift like this, the goodwill he had built over a few days would drop to zero and then go negative.

Rong Jing had already deciphered those Alpha glances around them and denied it immediately, as if afraid a delay would be taken as guilt. “No. I am just curious about the tech.”

Gu Xi made no comment. Rong Jing relaxed slightly and turned to an in-store signboard. The slogan read: Love in the heart, held in the palm.

Which really meant, I will control you in my hand. A fantasy tailor-made for most Alphas, and lethal to Omegas.

Forget Gu Xi, even ordinary Omegas would blow up. No wonder there were no couples here. A gift like this felt like surveillance. After so many ugly experiences, Gu Xi would never accept a present dripping with moral polish and hidden malice.

Rong Jing, what are you doing here?

[When the time comes, he'll hammer your dog head. Even if he's gentle enough, who gave you the courage, Liang Jingru?]

Gu Xi gritted through the sleazy inner voices around him, most of them belonging to the Alphas nearby. Their minds were gross. He felt irritable but stayed. He had finally tuned to Rong Jing. Liang Jingru, who is that?

Is she the gift’s recipient? What kind of person could make Rong Jing choose so carefully, even wanting to know the exact location. If some other Alpha sent this, it would feel suffocating and creepy. But if it was Rong Jing, perhaps it meant something else, like worry for the person’s safety.

Gu Xi had noticed after they got out of the car that people of every gender kept staring at Rong Jing without thinking, but Rong Jing had long since grown used to attention and never cared about it.

Gu Xi shifted his gaze to the window. The building across the street was playing another jewelry commercial of his. He did not care. When he had accepted that endorsement, the brand had given him an extremely expensive piece to wear to events.

He owned plenty of jewelry already, all purely decorative with no GPS, ideal for Omegas. Gu Xi absolutely refused to let anyone see he had just swallowed a lemon.

Whoever the gift was for, what a lucky person. Gu Xi could not help a trace of envy.

“I don’t know much about this stuff,” Rong Jing said. “Can you help me pick something?”

Gu Xi pressed the second lemon down and focused, choosing like a professional. “What kind of person is it for? Age, gender, clothing style. Bracelet, necklace, ring?”

“Around twenty. He… has good taste and dresses casual.” If he said more, he might reveal too much. Rong Jing’s gaze snagged for a moment. Gu Xi was studying the display, neck bent slightly. His pale nape looked like a swan’s and his translucent skin drew the eye. Rong Jing felt the Alpha gene changing his sense of beauty and forced himself to look away. “A necklace.”

Gu Xi pressed down lemon number two again. There were all kinds of chains, from 925 silver to platinum, then leather cords and straps. After some browsing, he picked a new model. “Unisex, casual, never goes out of style.”

He had chosen a leather cord with a platinum-plated silver cross pendant set with a small ruby. The ruby was actually a hidden panic button. Twist open the carved tip to power on and start GPS. It looked like an accessory, discreet and safe, which was exactly what Rong Jing needed.

At the register they learned the simple-looking design was by a famous designer. The designer had once been the chief at XIE, recently moved to a top European luxury house as design director, and had made waves at Fashion Week. A heavyweight.

It was expensive because of the name and because it was, yes, platinum plated with silver. The ruby was real and the hidden mechanism made the craftsmanship complicated. Limited production pushed the price higher. Low-key and luxurious.

The moment he heard it was rare and would sell out soon, Rong Jing decided on it. Only this was worthy of Gu Xi. Seeing him barely glance at the price, as if anything the recipient liked was worth it, Gu Xi turned his head in silence.

Lemon number three went down without resistance.

His chest felt as if it was carrying a stone. On the drive back, Gu Xi was even quieter. Rong Jing assumed he was still caught in the shadow of Ji Jiongjie. He placed the gift bag on the back seat, said he needed to step away, and asked them to drive to the curb to pick him up.

Gu Xi stole looks at the bag.

First look: the packaging is clever.
Second look: heh, platinum plated with silver, what a counterintuitive idea.
Third look: you are so ordinary, yet so confident, and someone actually buys you.

At the fourth look, Gu Xi opened Mu Li’s website. He found the limited section. That cross leather cord was already out of stock there. Limited items had their pomp. Only five worldwide.

But it was open for preorder and would ship in a month. A month was fine. He was not planning to wear it out anyway. What if Rong Jing saw and misunderstood. Gu Xi checked his bank balance, opened the calculator app, counted the penalty fee he still had to pay for breaching a contract, then how much would be left after selling his mortgaged apartment and clearing the loan. After everything, there was still a little left.

No big deal. It was only a hundred and fifty thousand. The young master had money. He bought it. He placed a second-round preorder, paid a two-thousand deposit, and did not bother looking again at the remaining balance. The corner of his lips lifted. As for anyone else, he simply thought the chain was simple and casual, perfect for his style. Not jealous at all. Not even a little.

Zhou You pulled the car to the curb. They waited together for Rong Jing. Gu Xi saw him coming out of the mall with a cup of milk tea in hand. The slanting sun fell on him. The noisy street that made your heart feel jittery seemed to turn into a vivid oil painting the moment he appeared.

Gu Xi could not help a faint smile. Warm light shimmered in his eyes. Then he saw Rong Jing stride forward and set a fallen warning sign upright, then walk straight toward an uncovered manhole.

The cover had been stolen and the work crew had not arrived yet. Had he not seen the warning sign he had just fixed, why was he still walking that way?

Rong Jing seemed entirely unaware of the danger. Gu Xi knew something was wrong. He tried to lower the window, but for privacy the car’s glass was sealed. In the rush, he flung the door open without checking the rearview and collided with a woman on an electric scooter. The impact smashed into his arm.

Ignoring the pain, he shouted to Rong Jing, who was one step from the hole, “Rong Jing!”

What Rong Jing saw was a potted plant fallen by the curb, the kind of phalaenopsis you often saw on lawns. He set it upright and headed for the car. He heard only the noise of people. Everything around him felt unchanged, and he did not hear Gu Xi’s shout at all.

His foot found nothing and his body plunged straight down.

---

PREVIOUS           TOC           NEXT