HOYSE CHAPTER 57

Chapter 57 — Foxes of a Thousand Years

Both of them froze when they realized what the other meant, yet neither let go.

Qi Ying had always struck first. “There are other room cards that would suit you better,” he said. “Gu-ge, why don’t you go try another one?” The subtext was blatant: with your status you can have any room you want, so why fight me for this.

Gu Xi was used to juniors in the industry calling him “ge,” but Qi Ying had deliberately stressed that word, as if to hint they were not of the same generation.

Gu Xi met his gaze with polite composure. “You are joking. I may have debuted earlier, but if we go by age, you are older than me.” He had not forgotten that when he first investigated the benefactor he was searching for, he had looked into Rong Jing’s circle. The school forum had coughed up plenty of résumés, including the tidbit that Qi Ying, though a senior by year, had actually repeated two grades and was older than all of them.

On the surface it sounded humble, but he had slipped the needle in.

Yes, not of the same grade. See, we have graduated. Why is our Elder Student still in school?

Qi Ying saw red. He had not expected the cold, aloof Gu Xi to hit where it hurts with such precision. “I did not know a nobody like me could leave such a detailed impression on a busy person like you,” he said lightly. “You know a lot about me.” What was his angle?

“Just heard people talking,” Gu Xi said. “I also heard that any project backed by the Xie Group cannot have a ‘Qi Ying’ on the roster. Looks like it was not a rumor after all. Or should I say there is someone else behind that rule?” He had already decided he would not let this wolf get near Rong Jing.

Qi Ying’s smile would not hold. So much for a high mountain flower. What flower was this troublesome? In truth, this was the terms of a private bet with Xie Ling.

When he learned Slantline Entertainment would be co-investing in the film, he knew he might be replaced. He used Rong Jing’s name to secure a call with Xie Ling and made his stance clear. Even if the Xie family wanted to half-blacklist him from the industry, he could still appear anywhere Rong Jing appeared. However rich the Xies were, they could not strip a citizen of his legal freedom.

Besides, given how obsessed Rong Jing had once been, would the Xies really go that far? Were they not afraid of wrecking the fragile reconciliation between the brothers?

Qi Ying remembered Rong Jing refusing to mention his family. If relations were good, how could there be no contact? He concluded that back then Rong Jing had not been putting on a performance of poverty; he had been drawing a line with the Xies.

The line was meant to wound, but Xie Ling had been softened by his younger brother more than once lately; thus, his tolerance had grown. He wouldn’t doubt him so easily now. Still, when he recalled what their investigation had uncovered about Rong Jing’s dating history, and the possibility that the kid had a thing for AAs, he couldn’t tell if it was heartbreak or just disgust toward Omegas. He gave Qi Ying one condition: he could appear in the film, but only if Rong Jing showed no sign of being moved by his attempt to win him back. If Rong Jing stayed completely unmoved, Qi Ying would be out on the spot.

Xie Ling had given Rong Jing the choice because he had seen the bitter four years that came before. He wanted his little brother to see that ex-boyfriend clearly, then turn toward a new life. Tear off the old scab before it hardened into something permanent in his heart.

For Qi Ying, it was a risky move. As long as Xie Ling cared about his brother, there would be a chance to climb back up. Luck was with him. The move had been right.

Qi Ying was about to retort when Director Liu Yu noticed their little tug-of-war and walked over. “What are you two doing?” he asked, stepping between them. Both let go of the keycard at once. Liu Yu plucked it out, completely unbothered. “It’s just a business suite. The investors have money to spare. There are still two available on the floor above, and they happen to be next to each other. That’s even better. Two Omegas side by side. That’s ideal.” Two Omegas looking out for each other.

Gu Xi: “…”

He took two cards from the staff and handed their contested card to the lighting director. For a breath, Gu Xi and Qi Ying locked eyes in midair, hard and clean, then looked away just as cleanly.

Qi Ying hurried after the director to plead for another arrangement. Gu Xi was about to head for the elevators with Mo Dian when Rong Jing came past, chatting and laughing with a young actor. Ever since that “not working” phone call, they had kept to short messages on WeChat. Gu Xi also felt he had almost cracked his persona.

For now they had both agreed with the director to pretend they did not know each other. If Rong Jing could do it flawlessly, Gu Xi would do it flawlessly.

As Rong Jing passed without glancing sideways, Gu Xi stepped forward. At the instant they brushed by, a draft settled in his pocket, then fled. By the time he looked up, Rong Jing was already gone, not even a look tossed his way.

Gu Xi fished out a strawberry lollipop. A habit of his, so he always carried a few on him. They had not touched at all, so why was his heart pounding like a drum?

As the elevator rose, Gu Feng’s lazy voice echoed in Gu Xi’s head with its usual wicked bite. He lives next to you. What does that have to do with you?

Gu Xi, mild as ever: a trusted friend. I cannot watch him walk into the tiger’s jaws. Could you stop interpreting everything so filthy?
Gu Feng: Fine, fine.

The “newcomer” chatting with Rong Jing was an old acquaintance, Ji Leping. He only had a minor role, confirmed at the last minute.

Ji Leping had been keeping one truth at the front of his mind: his real job was preventing Alphas from getting too close to Rong Jing. The moment he had free time he beelined over. “How are you here on this set? What about the one you were on?” he asked.

“It was a small part. It is wrapped. This is better anyway, since we are familiar.” Something struck him.

“By the way, someone asked me about you. You will never guess who.”

In Ji Leping’s mind, the two men did not know each other.

“Ji Jiongjie or Xie Jisheng?” Rong Jing lifted a brow. His urge to smoke was acting up. He reached for a lollipop, then remembered he had just palmed them all to Gu Xi. He should have kept one. Forget it. He would buy a new box later.

“How did you know? Ji Jiongjie. And you know how the core family looks down on us branch nobodies. He never speaks to people like us. This time the sun must have risen in the west.”

They had not seen each other in a while and fell into easy talk. Ji Leping followed Rong Jing inside. Zhou You was already in the living room of the suite, luggage open. He had one of those poker faces that made people uneasy. The Zhou brothers modeled themselves on Xie Ling. Ji Leping saw the resemblance and immediately sat up straighter, murmuring a careful hello.

Zhou You glanced at him and nodded, then kept laying out Rong Jing’s clothes and shoes. Xie’s new collections, full looks. The boss had said since the young master was entering the industry, he would be the best living billboard for the family. Doing ads for their own brand was a duty of a Xie.

Under his brother’s tyranny, Rong Jing dared not protest. He only bargained for a sliver of say in his casualwear. He had also run to the set like a man fleeing. As Xie Zhanhong’s health improved in the hospital, he had already started arranging blind dates. Someone had discovered he seemed more interested in A than O, and lately they had been pushing well-bred Omegas at him. 

Basically saying that it's time to make him understand that AO was the way of heaven and AA was a cult.

Rong Jing insisted that since big brother was not married, he could not break his principle and lead by a bad example. It suited him fine to flee to the set. In his last life he had seriously considered settling down because he had reached the age and wanted stability. In this one? He did not even know if he would see tomorrow’s sun. Where was the mood for love?

Ji Leping had barely sat when Rong Jing, entirely unselfconscious, shrugged off his jacket and tugged on a comfy tee. The back he revealed was all flowing lines and coiled power, a thin layer of muscle laid on cleanly. He had never slacked on training, and this body was steadily tuned to its best.

As an Alpha, Ji Leping could not help swallowing. That build was insane. Sexy as hell. And definitely straight-A, too. Absolutely no shame about skin, as if letting the same sex see a bare torso was nothing at all.

“How did you answer him?” Rong Jing asked.

“I told him we were not close. You can look that up anyway.”

“You showing up here, is he behind it?”

“Give me a break. Him? I am branch family, and our branch has nothing to do with the core’s business anymore. Who cares what that guy says when he does not even know basic respect.” Judging by that, he truly disliked Ji Jiongjie. “He did ask though whether you and Gu Xi were close. What your relationship was.”

Rong Jing lounged into the chair, whole body at ease. Head lowered, he fiddled with his phone and brought up the Mulberry app’s backend. The blue dot overlapped with his own location.

He blinked and looked up at the ceiling. “We are not close. Not familiar,” he said evenly.

Ji Leping exhaled. “Good. You do not know how unhinged he is. In primary school he courted a female Omega and practically ruined her family, pushing them to the edge of suicide. There was a phase where he swore to send 9,999 roses to whomever he loved most, mobilizing half the staff to hunt dew-kissed Bulgarian blooms all over the world. Anyone who crosses him, their luck goes to sh**. He is a sanctimonious piece of work.”

Rong Jing gazed at the sky outside. “Maybe this time it is his luck that runs out,” he said. The future was unwritten.

---

Upstairs, Gu Xi read the brass number on his door. 1307. Which was directly above Rong Jing’s room. Serendipity had handed him something unexpected. He tucked away his smile so Qi Ying would not see his mood. As if on purpose, Qi Ying walked very slowly.

When Gu Xi set his hand to the knob, the other man mirrored him. Their eyes met. They nodded. Not a hint of swordpoints crossing.

Watching Gu Xi’s back as he went in, Qi Ying remembered the mess at the crew dinner. He had been worried about the safety of the industry’s No. 1 gorgeous Omega and had overlooked something else.

Even though Gu Xi had not been drunk, he had fallen into Rong Jing’s arms like he meant to.

Qi Ying did not believe it. He took Gu Xi’s hostility as the protectiveness of a friend or relative toward Rong Jing’s ex. Besides, the word was Gu Xi did not entertain Alpha advances. No matter how powerful the Alpha, if he tried, he would fail before he began.

He had noticed another detail. When Gu Xi went upstairs, an Alpha staffer showed him the way. Through it all, Gu Xi had kept the man from touching him. Even if they drew close, he eased away without a ripple. So the rumor of him rejecting A was definitely not smoke without fire.

Such an Omega would hardly fall for any A. Still, a thread of unease ran under Qi Ying’s ribs. In the days to come he would watch carefully.

Once inside, Gu Xi made his calls, checking with the friends he had asked to coach Rong Jing through his camera phobia. They reported honestly. “We showed you his practice clips. He is working very hard.”

Gu Xi heard the tone and knew a “but” was coming. Of course.

“But he still has misfires. When he is fully immersed, he is close to normal. But if he remembers the lens, the symptoms pop back up in bursts, much milder now. On set, try to pull him into the scene. Make him forget the camera.”

Pull him into the scene? What pulled the fastest? The most charged confrontations. Gu Xi flipped open the script. Kisses, forced kisses, forced pin-downs, a half-spoken cabin scene… all clustered around Scene 37 and…

Snap. He slapped the script shut. What was he even thinking???

That night he sent a WeChat to Rong Jing: How is your prep. Do you feel good about tomorrow?

No reply yet. He was probably busy. Another message: Tomorrow the crew will allow a few objective entertainment reporters in. Do not be nervous. Just do what you do.

Before Rong Jing answered, Gu Xi heard a door close next door. From the right. He went over and cracked his own door. There was Qi Ying, in an oversized coat that showed bare, sleek legs, heading quietly toward the stairwell.

Foxes of a thousand years. Who is trying to fool who.

There was nothing under that coat or very little.

Where was he going? Gu Xi’s right eyelid twitched. Was it left for fortune and right for trouble?

He threw on a quick disguise, ignoring Mo Dian’s gaping face as he slipped out the door. He was simply going to check whether the person next door was about to have an accident. That was all. Really.

---

PREVIOUS           TOC           NEXT