HOYSE CHAPTER 42

Chapter 42 — I want to flip the script entirely

He had only a few seconds to react. He was very clearly falling, yet the world in front of his eyes was still an intact roadway, rain-washed asphalt and shallow puddles catching the sunset’s red glow. It was gorgeous and real.

His body, though, felt half swallowed by the ground, a special-effect gone wild.

Rong Jing simply shut his eyes so nothing could distract him, then reached up without hesitation. His fingers caught the rim of the manhole cover at the last instant. Veins stood out on his forearms with the strain.

If he had not spent those years at Shaolin where masters woke them in the middle of the night for reflex drills, this would have ruined him.

The onlookers gasped. Only then did the scene in front of him fully resolve.

What he had taken for a flowerpot was actually a warning cone.

There was a hole in the sidewalk. In all other people’s sight he was just walking normally. He had been blind to the warning and stepped straight into danger.

So the crosswalk illusion before had not been his imagination.

Something real and irresistible had just tried to kill him. This was not human design.

And it was nastier than last time.

Before anyone could react, Rong Jing moved on instinct. He planted his feet, gathered his strength, and rose with a clean, practiced drive. No wasted motion, no showmanship, just power and precision.

He rose out of the manhole at a steady pace to a chorus of shocked exclamations. This Alpha was so unflappably manly it made hearts skip.

He moved slowly for a reason. Some invisible pull kept trying to lure him back down into the hole.

It was pitch black in there. It should have been ordinary city infrastructure, yet it felt bottomless.

He lifted his eyes to the sky, blue fading to gold. A damp wind brushed his face as if mocking him for struggling in vain.

You want me dead? Then I refuse to die. What can you do about it?

He did not look back into that abyss. He gathered himself again.

A familiar pair of shoes stepped into his line of sight. He lifted his head.

The setting sun drew a long silhouette in backlight. Beneath the brim of a cap, a glimmer like dew on a leaf caught his eye.

The moment Rong Jing fell, the aunt who had bumped into Gu Xi had grabbed him by the arm and would not let go, arguing about who should be responsible. From Gu Xi’s angle the greenery blocked his view. He could not see what had happened on the sidewalk where Rong Jing’s figure had vanished.

A flood of bad feelings rushed him and his mind went white.

He fumbled out his wallet. Lifting his arm made pain shoot up, yet he did not slow. He yanked out every card, stuffed the remaining cash and the wallet into the aunt’s hands, and only cared about running as fast as he could.

“Hey, young man, why are you giving me so much!”

Gu Xi did not look back. He ran until he saw Rong Jing climbing out of the manhole, and only then did he stop as if waking from a trance.

He crouched low, his expression grim, and his presence radiating tension. Even the bystanders, curious and clueless, could sense it. This Omega was in no mood to be tested.

Gu Xi scanned him carefully from head to toe. “Are you hurt? His tone was even, stripped of any warmth or spark.

“No. I got lucky and reacted fast.”

“Did you not hear me call you or did you not see the warning sign in front?”

“I was lost in thought and missed it.” No one would believe something this absurd. Even if they did, they could not help, and it would only create more trouble. Now that his head had cleared he glanced at the mouth of the manhole with a touch of regret.

“My milk tea fell in. What a shame.”

A shame? You could circle the planet three times and it would not be a shame. Is your life worth less than a milk tea?

Gu Xi’s face went cold. His eyes fogged with heat. Seeing Rong Jing fresh from a brush with death, looking so innocent, he could not bring himself to scold.

Gu Xi, who do you think you are, lecturing him?

You’ve only been crashing at his place for a few days and already acting like you own the place.

He spun on his heel and headed for the car at the curb.

As soon as Gu Xi slid into the passenger seat, Rong Jing got in as well.

Zhou You had a call coming in. Rong Jing reached over and cut it off. “Do not tell Zhou Xiang or my brother about this.”

“Sir…”

“I am fine. It was just a small accident and it is already handled.” Zhou You still hesitated, so Rong Jing used the trump card. “Your salary comes from me every month. I think you know what should be said and what should not.”

Rong Jing was gentle most of the time, so gentle he seemed to have no sharp edges at all.

When he got serious though, you could not help but obey.

Gu Xi turned his head away and said nothing. He clutched his other hand so tight his fingers trembled and would not stop. Even when faced with that powerful freak, he had not been this afraid.

Rong Jing had said he had not noticed, which was only to soothe him.

What lay beneath was a roiling vortex.

He was hiding something.

“Gu Xi.” There was another ancestor in the car he could not forget to appease.

Gu Xi ignored him.

Outside the window, the throb of the city lights slowly shook off the earlier terror. Vendors under umbrellas hawked grilled skewers. Rain-beaded plastic flapped in the breeze. Laughter skipped past. It was full of life.

The tautness in Rong Jing’s chest softened a little once he saw Gu Xi breathing, moving, alive.

He lied.

Gu Xi had replayed everything he had seen and heard. Rong Jing heard the couple beside him talking. The girl called to her boyfriend. Rong Jing had even smiled and glanced their way. Then he righted the warning cone and took two steps, and just like that he vanished.

So in Rong Jing’s eyes that had been a road.

It would look like he had chosen death. There was no mystery. So many witnesses would see a natural “suicide,” with only the motive missing.

The memory stitched itself to the earlier crosswalk illusion without a seam. It had been quiet for a while, long enough that Rong Jing had set it aside while still staying cautious. He did not drive himself. When he saw a light change he checked how others moved before he walked.

That vigilance and self-control had bought him more time. Or perhaps the will of this world had let him relax on purpose.

The sky had shifted between clouds, he had just met with Wu Hanqi and his nephew, bought a necklace and a milk tea. His guard was down.

If there was a best time to erase a cannon-fodder, it would be now.

Cold crept through him. He did not know when the next strike would come or if he could dodge it.

A soft sound.

Weight settled against his shoulder. Gu Xi had fallen asleep at some point and leaned on him.
Under the soft hair, the eyes that were usually bright and cool were closed, as docile as a child.

One moment he had been analyzing the situation like a textbook. The next, that weight made him melt. He lowered his voice. “Gu Xi.”

No response. The silence of someone truly asleep.

He knew Gu Xi was worried. This was just too complicated. He had not sorted it out himself.

He shifted slowly so Gu Xi would be more comfortable, and made a sign at the rearview mirror for Zhou You to drive slower.

After a quiet stretch he said, “I made you worry.”

Gu Xi’s lowered gaze lifted. His eyes were clear and rational.

What must I do so you stay safe.

He listened to the thought and felt Rong Jing, oddly, had heard nothing at all.

Back at the villa gate, Gu Xi did not move. He rested with his eyes closed.

Rong Jing did not wake him, only waited.

He scrolled his phone. Gu Xi’s latest Weibo had rocketed to number one. Impossible to miss.

So it was that day, the day they met in the rain. What he had run into.

It had been up for almost a day.

Beneath a sea of comments telling Gu Xi to call the police, protect himself, and punish the trash company, a top reply stuck out: If Gu Xi had not done something to give the wrong idea, the boss would not have barged in. It takes two to clap.

Another victim-blaming take. As if Gu Xi deserved it. Because he chose entertainment. Because he was an Omega. It was his fate and his fault.

Rong Jing knew this, even in his former world. If you were public, you drew fire.

When it was Gu Xi, he still wished the harm could be less.

Shengteng Entertainment was already shaky. The bank had refused the loan, and the rumors Rong Jing had seeded were eating at it. With this video out, who would still want to acquire the company.

The timing he had been waiting for had arrived.

Another trending topic caught his eye, one that involved him.

#Imperium, baiting fans#

Early PR and Xun Jiarui’s team had practically confirmed he would star in Imperium. With the fresh rumors about Gu Xi and all the shipper buzz, everyone assumed the two would be working together.

Xun Jiarui’s fans were already hyping the news on forums and message boards.

Then a verified gossip account dropped a bomb: the role might’ve been handed to a no-name rookie instead.

No past credits. No public reputation.

Xun’s fans were furious. Even Gu Xi’s supporters, who had been pitying him just minutes before, were stunned. Why should their brother be doing charity work?

What was the production crew thinking? Who was this newbie, and where had he even come from?

His name hadn’t gone public yet, but the boycott had already begun.

What Xun Jiarui had seen as a done deal had been overturned, thanks to Gu Xi, who had allegedly used his veto to replace the lead and force him out.

How were fans supposed to accept that? Especially for someone like Rong Jing, whose comment section was a graveyard of past flops.

Rong Jing scrolled through the debate. In this industry, unless you crossed a red line, skill could still carry you.

At the very least, people were talking. Wondering who had landed the role.

His phone buzzed. A call.

He usually kept it on silent, but Gu Xi stirred awake.

Gu Xi blinked, dazed. He glanced around. He had only meant to make sure Rong Jing was there, then the comfort had been too much and he had dozed off for real. Pink rose under his pale skin. Even a mask could not hide it.

Your face, where is your face?

How can you sleep that easily? 

Beneath the lofty surface, Rong Jing discovered, Gu Xi was shy and flushed easily. It was endearing.

The sourness from the illusions eased. He answered. “Ge.” Then the smile drained from his face as he listened.

His Alpha aura sharpened, aggression bristling under his skin.

“Rong Jing…” Without a trace of a smile, his presence made the Omega uneasy.

“I have to go.” He worried his look would startle Gu Xi and forced himself gentle again.

He had nearly died moments ago. Now came word that Xie Zhanhong was in critical condition.

Assistant Mo Dian had reached Gu Xi early that morning and rushed to the address Gu Xi sent.

Only upon arrival did he realize Yushui Bay was that terrifyingly expensive villa enclave where a single square meter cost a fortune.

It was said you could not buy here with money alone. You needed power, influence, and connections. The guards at the gate had checked with the owner before letting him in.

Mo Dian felt like a bumpkin on a tour the whole walk up.

He had noticed the car by the curb, and the model had made him freeze. A luxury brand that made his scalp prickle.

Two people got out. One was Gu Xi. The other was unfamiliar.

An Alpha with a commanding aura and a face that made you avoid on instinct. Exactly the type Gu Xi usually steered clear of.

At the door, Rong Jing said, “Remember to eat dinner. Do not go anywhere on an empty stomach.”

Gu Xi’s erratic mealtimes were an old problem.

You raise a delicate cabbage long enough and you grow attached.

Gu Xi nodded, completely unaware he had been classified as a fragile ornamental cabbage.

It was the first time Mo Dian had seen Gu Xi show such a soft, O-like expression to an Alpha.

If he did not know Gu Xi, he would have assumed the man was a sugar daddy. He was so handsome he did not need to be one.

People would line up anyway.

Gu Xi took Mo Dian upstairs, embarrassed and hesitant. “Did you bring it?”

Once he had decided to give his first time, he had asked his assistant to find something through certain channels, a drug that could force a short-term heat.

It was meant for… A and O… certain games.

His heat had just ended. If he waited for Rong Jing to mark him naturally it could be forever. Better to be direct and strike at the source.

“I brought it. Gu Xi, are you going to—” Weren’t you the one who hated heat?

Mo Dian stared like he did not know him, shocked and confused.

“I will not explain for now.” Gu Xi squeezed the packet. He was tense before anything had even started.

---

By the time Rong Jing reached the hospital, Xie Zhanhong had already been rushed into emergency.

He hurried to the doors. Xie Ling was already there. In the corner, Han Lianmei sat sobbing, her eyes swollen, looking ready to faint. Xie Ling quietly asked the butler to take her home.

Rong Jing’s eyes posed the question. Xie Ling shook his head.

The red light above the doors stayed on, casting a steady light. Fate, it seemed, had entered a new round.

Zhou You gave the explanation.

Xie Zhanhong had grown restless and gone to visit an old mistress, a high-end escort. A few of her “sisters” even came along. They were planning to party, just the three of them.

For fun, he’d taken a stimulant.

He usually kept the dose small, carefully controlled. Otherwise, after years of playing by the river, his medical exams wouldn’t still come out pristine.

But something was different this time. In the haze, he realized he’d been fed something. Women’s voices drifted in his ears, coaxing.

Never eat anything from outside.

The warning hit him hard.

At that, he realized something was wrong.

He played dead and held on. When they finally left, he spat out half the pill. Clinging to a sliver of awareness, he managed to call an ambulance.

Because of that moment of clarity, he hadn't fully passed out when the medics arrived. He could still speak, but just barely and only in broken phrases.

The half-dissolved pill was sent to a lab. The results came back fast. A party drug, on the surface—but the dose had been tweaked to kill.

Compared to the strange hallucinations he'd experienced before, this time was different. This was deliberate. Someone familiar with his habits had planned it.

Rong Jing and Xie Ling met each other’s eyes. Neither spoke, but they both knew who it was.

Even in detention, the man wouldn’t rest or maybe the plan had been set in motion long ago. Since no one had touched Xie Ling yet, step one had clearly been to take out Xie Zhanhong.

The plot had twisted back into motion through a different route.

Rong Jing stared at the red light above the doors. If Xie Zhanhong made it through this time, then all his work hadn’t been in vain.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before red finally turned to green. Xie Zhanhong was wheeled out, unconscious.

The doctor spoke gently but firmly that their father needed to restrain certain activities. During the rescue, his heart had nearly stopped. A few minutes later, and they would have been sending him to the funeral home.

Rong Jing’s knees nearly buckled, but Xie Ling thought it was relief.

In truth, Rong Jing was thinking that he had beaten fate by one step. The story had looped around, but the ending had changed.

He didn’t like Xie Zhanhong much either, but even a reckless stepfather was better alive than dead.

Xie Ling’s face was dark as soot. The doctor’s words landed like slaps.

What did this father ever do besides make trouble? Was this how he’d die, on top of a woman, just like Grandfather warned?

Half an hour later, Xie Zhanhong opened his eyes. He blinked at the white ceiling.

I'm alive?

They had pumped his stomach and sedated him. There was no pain yet.

Eventually, he turned toward his two sons. His gaze flickered with countless thoughts. Then he saw the same cold expression on Xie Ling’s face that hadn’t changed in ten years.

He sighed. “So… when did you two finally lose your virginity?”

Who could have guessed that even after brushing past death, he would still talk like that.

Xie Ling laughed. This man would never change.

“Evil lives a thousand years,” he snorted. “You watch him. I’m going for a walk.”

He turned without another word.

Rong Jing watched his back until it hurt. That stiff posture spoke of disgust and disappointment. If he hadn’t been disappointed down to his bones, he wouldn’t have walked away like that.

A flicker of something wistful passed through Xie Zhanhong’s eyes.

Rong Jing noticed it and gently tugged on Xie Ling’s sleeve.

Xie Ling shook him off and left.

Rong Jing looked at Xie Zhanhong’s still-handsome face. Compared to the glow he had at the banquet, age had started to show at the edges.

“Do you know who drugged you?”

“Those two bi***es,” he spat, voice full of venom. “Tell your brother to catch them. Don’t let them get away.”

“If you know you need him, why do you talk to him like that?”

He turned to the window where night had deepened into blue.

After a long silence, he spoke again, almost mocking himself. “If he had the choice, Ling would rather not have me as a father.” He paused. “If we were drowning, he’d save you first.”

Flirting with death had changed him—at least a little.

In that key moment, it had been Rong Jing’s warning that snapped him out of it.

He hadn’t taken it seriously before. But when the pill touched his tongue, some buried will to survive had dragged the words back into his head, forcing him to spit it out.

Rong Jing had become a bridge between him and Xie Ling.

And now, Xie Zhanhong wanted to talk.

“When his mother died, I should’ve cleaned up. I managed a month, then failed. I’m not cut out for business. That’s why Ling had to shoulder everything so young.”

Rong Jing fell quiet. So you do know.

“When he was born, the old man said, ‘This is our only heir.’ Then told me to stay away or I’d ruin him. Ling has always looked down on me. Smart as hell, but his EQ? Down the drain. Just look at him, who would want him?”

“My brother is better than 99% of people by a thousand miles,” Rong Jing said coldly. “And you know it.”

So, Rong Jing thought, he was aware of what a mess he’d become.

Desire had long drowned out whatever principles he once had.

He did care about Xie Ling, but between them was the shadow of his first wife’s death. That knot couldn’t be cut with words.

Still, Xie Zhanhong looked oddly relieved by Rong Jing’s response. At least someone in this family understood Xie Ling.

One was enough. Ling had always been too alone.

He looked toward the door again, knowing Xie Ling wouldn’t return anytime soon.

“Don’t take him at face value,” he said. “He’s got a sharp tongue and no patience. But the more he cares, the worse he acts. If I really died, who do you think would care if he lived or not?”

“He might not even get a proper grave.”

He paused, then said with unexpected softness, “Rong Jing, Dad’s not dying.” He called himself “Dad” again.

“I’ll live. If only to annoy him.”

He turned his face away after that.

A man who had drifted through half a life had finally spoken a true word as the storm passed.

A scene from the original storyline flashed in Rong Jing’s mind.

Xie Jisheng, mad with power, had taken someone’s ashes, ground them into dust, mixed them into clay, and made ceramic cups. He displayed them in his study as art.

One day, he had shown Gu Xi the cups and asked, “Guess who’s inside this?”

Gu Xi ignored him.

Xie Jisheng had admired his own handiwork. Another time, he poured water and made Gu Xi drink from it.

Whose ashes were they? Or were they all mixed together?

Rong Jing didn’t dare follow that thought too far.

When Xie Zhanhong began to tire, Rong Jing left the room.

He found Xie Ling outside, leaning against the wall, and lost in thought. He had clearly been standing there a while.

When he saw Rong Jing, the tension around him eased.

“Come on. I’ll see you out.”

“Ge…”

“He’s a master manipulator. Slick tongue. Don’t fall for it.”

“…Okay.”

Fine. Father and son could fight their own battle.

Before he left, Rong Jing reported, “We caught the two women before they could board. Looks like this was planned well in advance.”

Xie Ling nodded, as if confirming something. He reached over to ruffle Rong Jing’s hair. “I’ll take care of it. You’ve done enough.”

Not enough, Rong Jing thought. I want to flip the script entirely.

His expression still carried dissatisfaction. Xie Ling couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re not even twenty, already thinking like that? Didn’t you say you landed the role? Why are you still running around? If this is your dream, go live it. Don’t call yourself my brother if you don’t bring back results.”

“Got it. I have a cast dinner later.”

In the original, Xie Ling had opposed Rong Jing’s acting career. Now, he had silently accepted it. Even if he didn’t agree, he wouldn’t stop him.

Rong Jing thought back to the near-death earlier.

“Ge, aside from that accident, has anything else happened lately? Anything that felt… off?”

Xie Ling frowned. “No.”

Rong Jing was puzzled. Just me?

We’re all cannon fodder. Why am I the centerpiece?

Forget it. He couldn’t figure it out now.

“And the old man…” In the original, Xie Ling had died of sudden cardiac arrest, Xie Zhanhong from overdose, and Grandfather soon after from a heart attack.

“There’s a scene with Grandfather. You’re coming. He wants to see you,” Xie Ling said after a pause. “And Rong Jing… he’d prefer you call him Grandfather.”

The old man was half-comatose in a care home.

Rong Jing had been dropped into this world alone, skirting the edges, just trying to survive and find a way back.

He didn’t know when that had changed. Maybe now. Maybe earlier. But he no longer felt so alone.

A simple word settled quietly in his heart.

Family.

“Okay.”

---

Rong Jing arrived at the KTV around ten.

It was in a downtown tower, one of those all-in-one venues with a self-serve buffet and glossy decor. The staff led him to the private room the crew had booked.

The moment the door opened, a thick wall of smoke hit him in the face. His eyes stung.

He remembered both Director Liu Yu and the assistant director were heavy smokers.

In this industry, the pressure never let up. Smoking was how they got through the nights.

He coughed once.

Not good. The nicotine ghosts in this body were starting to twitch.

On stage, under a spotlight, was a familiar face. Qi Ying turned back, catching his eye with a teasing smile that said everything without needing words.

An Omega who knew how to wield his charm.

If Rong Jing were still the original owner of this body, he might have already fallen into that game of push and pull.

But now, he simply looked away.

If I can handle Gu Xi, you don’t even make a dent.

Someone had already spotted him who was half-drunk and a little too loud.

“Hey, look at this guy. Damn handsome.”

Director Liu Yu raised his glass. “Well, if it isn’t our Fu Qianming. We were just missing you.”

Fu Qianming is Rong Jing’s character in Imperium.

Rong Jing smiled and toasted him politely, eyes scanning the room.

No sign of Gu Xi.

He leaned closer. “Director… where’s Gu Xi?”

Liu Yu scowled. “You Alphas, every last one of you. Always here for the wrong reason. Can’t function without him around? He took one look at the room and ran. Got scared off by you lot drooling over him. I hid him somewhere. Let you all stew a bit.”

Rong Jing glanced around.

A few Alpha actors and crew members gave him knowing looks.

We get it. Everyone’s greedy for Gu Xi.

Liu Yu clapped him on the shoulder, heavy-handed. “Rookie, you’re the only new face tonight. Show some manners. Pour drinks, say hello.”

He laughed and grabbed the mic again, launching into another round of loud, off-key singing.

Rong Jing smiled through it. But nearby, he could feel it, a look, sharp and appraising.

The assistant director still hadn’t warmed up to him. And he didn’t hide his displeasure.

When Liu Yu got pulled away, Rong Jing was left standing near him.

“I hope Gu Xi’s choice doesn’t end up embarrassing us,” the man said bluntly. “Otherwise it’s not just your reputation getting dragged.”

They’d lost a major investor over this casting. Of course the crew was salty.

He downed his drink in one go, eyes on Rong Jing like he was testing him. Before Rong Jing could respond, another actor came over with a toast.

Then another.

And another.

Everyone here had more seniority. Even Qi Ying.

One round later, Rong Jing was already feeling a little lightheaded.

He excused himself to find the bathroom as the smoke was suffocating.

As he walked out, he pulled out his phone and texted Gu Xi:

Where are—

He didn’t finish the message.

As he passed a dark private room, a hand suddenly reached out from the shadows and yanked him inside.

---

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