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HOYSE CHAPTER 68
Chapter 68 — ！！！
Has anyone ever had that kind of dust-storm in the chest, when anger floods up all at once and you are furious yet powerless?
In that moment, you cannot even be bothered to care about consequences.
Wu Fuyu had spat filth with a sneer, smearing Gu Xi by some so-called Alpha standard.
He wanted to grind him into ash. Wu Fuyu was crushing his confidence first so his goal would be easier.
Gu Xi understood all that, but understanding did not stop the feelings from roaring like a swollen river, ready to burst his skull.
He ducked into a corner and kicked the wall. Thud, thud, thud, without stopping.
He muttered through his teeth, “You are the dirty one, you are. You are ten thousand times dirtier than me.”
How many ex-girlfriends have you had, huh? Probably wore out more cucumbers than a market stall. And you dare say that about me. Try it again.
The surge shook Gu Feng awake. He skimmed the memories and whistled. Yo! Yet you call me impulsive.
Gu Xi: no one asked for your commentary.
Savage.
Tsk.
It was rare to see the main personality like this. That big loudmouthed five-fortune fish, who always looked brainless, got laser-sharp when he caused trouble and stabbed right where it hurt.
Gu Xi kicked a few more times and only managed to hurt his own toe. He slumped onto the steps.
His breath went from jagged to steady. He plucked at a tuft of grass by his shoe.
He took out his phone. His fingertip hovered over the two characters of Rong Jing’s name.
After a while, he dialed a number he thought he would never dial again.
Wu Hanqi’s voice came through. “Did you run into trouble?”
The opening line sounded familiar, a little like Rong Jing. Only Gu Xi had never once mistaken who was who.
Not similar. Completely different.
Putting Rong Jing and anyone else in the same sentence was wrong.
Gu Xi retold what had happened, sanding off the edges. He made it sound like Wu Fuyu had pursued him and been rejected, got hit accidentally, might be injured, but would recover with rest. He expressed strong apologies and said he would cover all follow-up medical costs.
“A single Omega can injure him? The one who needs to reflect is not you, it is him,” Wu Hanqi said, unimpressed. “He deserved it.”
In Wu Hanqi’s eyes, losing outside meant his son lacked skill.
If an Alpha gets caught off guard by an Omega and actually takes damage, all that special training was a waste.
Useless brat. Still dares howl about revenge. Wu Hanqi found it embarrassing.
Gu Xi’s mind flashed back to that day of endless drizzle. He had torn his hands bloody to pull free of the cuffs, wrapped them with a ripped sheet, smashed a window and jumped from the second floor of the villa.
If he could escape, he did not care about injuries.
Even now, his once-broken ankle flared up in rain. A long ache, deep in bone, reminding him how many nights of fear he had crawled through.
He had deliberately run toward places with fewer people. He did not know which way was home, only that he had to keep going, far enough that Chu Yang could not find him.
He didn’t dare take the road as it left him far too exposed. So he slipped through the trees instead.
He did not know how long he ran before collapsing in the mud.
Rain pattered on his face. Through the blur he saw polished handmade shoes coming through the water toward him, then arms lifting him.
“Found you.”
Gu Xi had been emptied out by then.
He blacked out. When he woke and fully understood, he realized he had met the greatest lifesaver of his life, Wu Hanqi.
There was a time he felt deep gratitude to Wu Hanqi. He had been young then, painfully naive.
While calming him, Wu Hanqi had the Chu family put Chu Yang through a psychiatric evaluation.
When it all wrapped, Wu Hanqi offered a kept-relationship contract.
Sitting on the bed, brows calm as still water, he said, “Your looks and your pheromones are too dangerous. This world cannot protect you. I can. Perhaps you need this.”
He gave him three days to think. From any angle, it was the kind of offer that would make an Omega’s heart pound.
Wu Hanqi’s presence shattered Gu Xi’s assumptions about Betas. He was extraordinary, quiet authority radiated from him, enough to make anyone, regardless of gender, bow their head.
But Gu Xi refused.
It didn’t matter if it came from an Alpha or a Beta, he couldn’t accept it.
He was himself. No one had the right to leash him.
Pride was all he had left.
Wu Hanqi saw the resistance in his eyes and didn’t push.
“I won’t report Chu Yang. You can rest easy. I hope you’ll also ask them to stop interfering with my life.”
That was what Gu Xi said at the time.
On the surface, it meant: Thank you for saving me. I’ll let this go.
But beneath it: This is the price I’m paying, don’t act like I owe you anything.
Wu Hanqi understood. He appreciated it.
He liked this Omega.
He had suffered too much yet still had not lost himself.
Rong Jing’s changing room was close to the restroom. The set had booked out the entire location and there were almost no outsiders.
He tried calling Gu Xi and could not get through. With Wu Fuyu on set, he got worried.
No answer. His anxiety deepened.
He heard a familiar shout. In a hurry he grabbed the nearest clothing and ran.
He came upon Wu Fuyu half kneeling on the ground, curled up, and knew it was bad. Staff were already heading over. Rong Jing hauled the groaning man into a nearby supply room. Wu Fuyu was sweating cold, past caring who was dragging him. He only panted, “Call a doctor. Now.”
Silence answered.
He looked up and saw Rong Jing. For a second he even forgot the pain.
Rong Jing’s face was ice. The kind of cold that kills.
Seeing the murder in Rong Jing’s eyes, Wu Fuyu realized something was wrong. Too late to run. Rong Jing drove a knee into his abdomen. Swift and brutal.
No one knew better than Wu Fuyu how hard Rong Jing could hit. He rushed to say something, anything, to stop him. “Enough, Rong Jing!”
Rong Jing kept hitting, each word a blow. “What did you do to him?”
“You bullied him.”
“How dare you.”
The one I would hold in my palms. Who are you to hurt him?
So is this the so-called lead gong.
“Pah. Me, bully him. Look at me. Who bullied who?” Faced with Rong Jing, Wu Fuyu’s swagger dropped by thirty percent on the spot.
Rong Jing’s eyes flashed. That kind of Omega like Gu Xi is not the easy kind to bully.
He did not believe it. The way Wu Fuyu hunched looked like he was hamming it up.
“A single kick and you are performing like this. Who are you fooling?”
The disdain in Rong Jing’s eyes made Wu Fuyu see red. “Who is faking?! Who? I am in agony and you are gloating. Are you even human? I even helped you drag your old campus bullies here and this is your attitude.” Did he know how hard that Omega kicked? That had to be trained.
All his careful scheming around Gu Xi was gone. He was pure heartbreak now. How did things go this wrong.
Rong Jing honestly could not tell what medicine this fish had in his gourd. “Helped me do what?”
“Obviously I…” Was chasing you.
Sh***. Could not say that.
“Forget it. Get me a private doctor. Private.” Getting nailed in that place, he was not going to a hospital. He would die of shame.
Voices rose outside the door. Staff had heard the earlier yell.
Rong Jing clamped a hand over his mouth and said in a warning hiss, “I can get you a private doctor. But about today…”
To protect his little brother’s health, Xie Ling had arranged a medical team on set. The attending physician happened to be their family doctor.
Wu Fuyu snarled low, “Fine. Fine. I will drop it.”
Rong Jing eyed him. “Really?”
Wu Fuyu was close to vomiting blood, but he knew targeting Gu Xi right now would only hurt himself.
After a fast tally of gains and losses, he grit out, “Yes.”
A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years.
Little vixen, just wait.
Who does not wantthe Chinese classic Journey to the West.
In the story, demons believe that
eating the flesh of Tang Monk
(a pure and holy monk) will grant them immortality.
Thus, It can describe someone who is
highly desirable, tempting, or sought after.
Sometimes with flirtatious
or suggestive undertones. Tang Monk’s meat
“And listen. Do not cover for him so blindly.” Seeing Rong Jing about to go, Wu Fuyu added, “He is a lot more dangerous than you think.” The kind where you get eaten and do not even know when it started. Gu Xi looked like a clear breeze under a bright moon, but in his bones might be fiercer than him.
Rong Jing’s answer was a cold laugh. He did not believe a word.
He considered himself the authority on Gu Xi. He had read the book.
Gu Xi was simple and resilient. Even when he realized the story would have a happy ending, he still couldn’t bear to keep reading. The path to that ending was too painful. After crossing that point, the pull only grew stronger. Everyone else might be dangerous. Gu Xi could not be.
Swaggering in,(lit. “ran off bent over, tail between their legs) bent-double scuttling out
He sent a message to Xie Jisheng on the way. If you do not get back, your little rose is about to end up in someone else’s hands.
He had promised not to make a fuss.
That did not mean he would do nothing else. Plenty of people coveted Gu Xi. Toss a random bomb and you could blow a few of you to pieces.
Try ganging up on me again.
“Awooo. Quick, check me.” Wu Fuyu was teary-eyed as he dragged the doctor’s hands down.
The family doctor had only ever treated normal ailments. He had never met a patient who immediately lowered their trousers the second they reached the room.
Professional ethics left him speechless as he examined the injury. He silently saluted that Omega. Beautifully done.
Though, if he had to critique the technique, maybe kick the head next time.
On Gu Xi’s end, after enough wind, he called Rong Jing back.
He was ready to explain what he had done. It had caused a small mess but he had already handled it.
Rong Jing told him Wu Fuyu would not be back on set for a while and that he should not worry. If that guy kept causing trouble, Rong Jing would take care of it.
To this moment, Rong Jing still had not figured out who Wu Fuyu’s real target was?
Gu Xi was startled and wanted to laugh. He had no idea what to say, so he swallowed the smile and hummed in answer.
With outside interference gone, their odd, careful rhythm returned. Both fell quiet.
Gu Xi changed the subject. “How is your classmate?”
He hadn’t thought much of those classmates as he’d seen the posts on the forum, but seeing Lü Jin today reminded him of his own past. Maybe he'd been pushed too far too.
“Not great. I plan to take him to a psychologist.”
“You still have scenes this afternoon. I have someone I know. I will take him.” Right then Gu Xi got a reminder from the clinic. He had already missed several sessions and was running out of medication.
Time to go. The therapist, Xiao Ming, was a senior from his younger brother Gu Yue’s school, recommended by Gu Yue. A strict keeper of other people’s secrets.
For years Gu Xi had gone to him. Only since meeting Rong Jing had he… slipped.
“This will be too much trouble for you.” Rong Jing’s vision blurred a little. He had been shooting nights and thought it was lack of sleep.
“It is not trouble. He is my junior.” He was going anyway. If he kept skipping, Guan Hongyi would probably drag him there himself.
Gu Xi felt like he was holding a water balloon, getting fuller and fuller with time. Wu Fuyu’s words had pushed his pressure faster.
He didn’t want to drag others into his darkness. On Weibo, he always played the part of the sunny, carefree guy. No one knew what he’d actually been through.
In front of Rong Jing, his mask had already worn thin but still, he wanted to be just a little better in Rong Jing’s eyes.
After they wrapped for the day, he set up an appointment with Xiao Ming and brought Lu Zhan to the clinic with Mo Dian.
The place looked like an ordinary hospital, check-ins, waiting rooms, names being called, but behind it were ten top specialists who had come together to open it.
With an appointment, Xiao Ming first ran the simplest checks.
Young, accomplished, handsome, he was a recognized expert.
The initial judgment was acute stress disorder, possibly with other comorbid issues. He recommended a colleague who specialized in that area.
Gu Xi did not know exactly what Lü Jin had suffered. Thinking it all traced back to Wu Fuyu, his mood sank darker.
Something itched in his chest. He wanted to do something. He could not settle.
“Sit. I saw your brother Gu Yue while I was on a trip. He asked me to bring you some things. Take them when you go.”
Gu Xi nodded and texted Rong Jing his approximate return time.
“I am not going to scold you for missing several sessions. But you cannot stop your meds. You do not want your depression to rebound.” Xiao Ming’s tone was gentle. Therapists are soft and patient at work.
They are also very used to seeing straight through people.
Gu Xi did not say everything. Some things he would never tell anyone.
Xiao Ming was a senior his brother admired. On trust alone, Gu Xi respected him.
He watched the sky darken outside. The hanging cloud made him not want to speak.
Sitting on the sofa, his pallor looked sharper, quiet as porcelain that caught the light.
“I still have the pills. I did not stop.” His voice was low.
“Are you feeling down. Can you tell me.” The warmth in Xiao Ming’s voice pulled him level.
“I feel like a terrible person.” Gu Xi pressed his temples and spoke slowly.
He talked about his recent state, the roses, what happened at the airport, the Alpha’s filthy mouth today. Only the parts about Rong Jing he kept back. That was a treasure he did not want to be found.
To relax him, they went to the next room, a rest suite with a VR projection in 5D. When turned on, it felt like floating in the sea, waves lapping at your ears. White noise that soothed.
Different patients needed different scenes and they could switch as needed.
He had come here often. When he was too tense or dipped, Xiao Ming would let him rest a while.
He had just layed down and closed his eyes when Gu Xi heard a voice.
[When will I dare tell you I love you. I love you so much I am going insane.]
[Do you know I stayed in the country for you.]
[My sleeping beauty, if you would sleep a little longer, I want to do everything I want to you.]
[Gu Xi, look once at the man kneeling before you…]
Gu Xi’s eyes flew open. He stared at the gentle man in front of him, hair prickling.
He wanted to ask when it started, but what was the point?
Xiao Ming’s tone grew even softer, eyes full of Gu Xi. “What is wrong?”
“I…” The stabs in his chest were too sharp. Dizzy, reeling. “I just remembered I have a promotional appearance. I forgot. I am going to be late.”
His trust shattered with a tap. Every time, in the end, it cracked the same way. Sometimes he did not even know what could be believed.
Was heaven playing with him on purpose.
Xiao Ming blocked the door and tried to calm the composed-looking Gu Xi.
Helpless, he said, “If Gu Yue learns you refused treatment again, he will blame me for failing as a senior.”
“I will tell him myself,” Gu Xi said.
Does Gu Yue know you are a pervert?
He did not want to stay. If this was what his three-year therapy had really been, then he would never step inside again.
So Fang Juelian was not a one-off. What a strange world. Why did these Alphas circle him like this? What was so good that they went crazy?
It was not an illusion. He was in a swamp. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank.
Maybe he had never actually climbed out of hell.
Seeing he was determined, Xiao Ming stopped the session, wrote a prescription and told him to come back when he could. If symptoms worsened they would adjust the medication.
Gu Xi nodded. He looked no different than usual. Xiao Ming did not notice anything off.
Just then Lu Zhan came out. Gu Xi asked after him and told Mo Dian to switch him to another hospital.
“Gu Xi, what is wrong,” Mo Dian asked carefully.
“I am fine,” Gu Xi said with a light smile.
Only, he would never see a psychologist again in this lifetime.
He would rather be a madman than be treated by a madman.
A second impact. After the first hit, Gu Xi remained eerily calm.
That calm felt like the stillness before a storm.
He appeared numb, distant, laid-back, cool, and detached. He even had the energy to tease Rong Jing with stickers.
By evening, when Rong Jing saw Gu Xi’s “arrived safe” message, he checked the backstage schedule and finally relaxed.
Making sure Gu Xi was safe had become second nature to him since entering this story.
Outside, it was dark. The sky was heavy with clouds, no stars in sight, and the wind howled.
Rong Jing couldn’t shake the feeling that he had forgotten something, maybe a crucial plot detail.
He went outside to close the windows and heard a light thud. Like something tapping against metal.
Not below.
He looked up, nearly jumping out of his skin. A pair of feet.
Ghosts. At night. Seriously?
He looked again. It was Gu Xi.
Gu Xi sat on the balcony railing, one hand gripping the guard bar. His legs swung back and forth.
Rong Jing’s heart leaped into his throat.
Wait. Gu Xi. Let’s talk about this.
Gu Xi hadn’t noticed him yet. Rong Jing didn’t dare make a sound; the wind rustling through the grass could be enough to startle him and send him falling.
He paced back and forth inside, still unable to think of a way to coax him down.
His only choice was to have Zhou You check the hall for reporters. Once he confirmed the coast was clear, Rong Jing went to knock on Mo Dian’s door, his request straightforward.
Mo Dian, already preparing for bed, almost yelped. “Do you… need something?”
“Give me Gu Xi’s keycard,” Rong Jing said, voice firm.
“Ah?”
What does he want? What’s he planning? What’s going to happen?
Would he give it to him or not?
Mo Dian hesitated. At first, he’d been wary of Rong Jing. But after spending time together, he’d realized something strange: Gu Xi might have some feelings for this Alpha. And this Alpha? Too oblivious to take a hint.
“Or I could just ask him myself. He’ll probably give it to me, right?” Rong Jing’s smile, faint in the dim corridor, looked more suggestive than he intended.
Mo Dian still didn’t want to hand it over. Gu Xi was surrounded by so many people who could have their own agendas. What if Rong Jing changed his mind?
Rong Jing went harder. “Hurry up. If you don’t, something bad might happen.”
That line made Mo Dian freeze.
Was he exaggerating? Rong Jing’s face was pale, but the urgency in his tone was real.
Don’t think like that, Mo Dian told himself, but the thought was already there.
He remembered how Gu Xi had acted after the clinic, not softer like usual, but cold, and closed off. He’d even asked to switch clinics, something he’d never done before.
That wasn’t normal.
The realization hit him like a stone in the chest.
Rong Jing wasn’t joking.
With the keycard in hand, Rong Jing slipped into the room, motioning for Mo Dian to stay outside. Too many people would make noise.
Gu Xi hadn’t noticed him yet. He was sipping fruit wine, surrounded by empty cans on the balcony.
The image was strangely reminiscent of a scene from a drama.
Rong Jing stood there, staring at his back in the night, the loneliness sharp enough to make his chest ache.
In the story, Shao Hua had endured so much. What about Gu Xi?
Gu Xi still didn’t notice anyone inside.
His alcohol tolerance wasn’t great. The buzz had dulled his senses.
He drank and laughed, the sound of his laughter mingling with the emptiness around him.
The laughter faded as alcohol dripped from his chin, trailing down his hand.
Then, in an instant, a strong arm yanked him down.
They tumbled together, their bodies tangled.
Gu Xi was already teetering on the edge. A slight nudge would send him over.
The second he caught the scent of an Alpha, his nerves went taut. His eyes darkened with anger. Who dared come near him? Fine, whoever it was would go straight to hell.
But then, he caught a familiar note in the scent, and his strike faltered.
His expression shifted, confusion turning into a loneliness that shattered everything inside him.
Palms braced by Rong Jing’s temples, he straddled him.
Looking down, his breath hitched when he saw Rong Jing’s face. The tears he’d been holding back finally spilled, one by one, onto Rong Jing’s skin.
They were warm, burning straight to Rong Jing’s heart.
Rong Jing’s hand reached up, trembling. Gu Xi caught it, pressing a soft kiss to his fingers.
Rong Jing was frozen, shock etched on his face. He could only stare up at the Omega.
Gu Xi traced the contours of Rong Jing’s face. In the storm, he looked like something carved from glass, beautiful enough to captivate the world.
Rong Jing couldn’t tear his eyes away.
On the distant ridge, lightning cracked across the sky.
Gu Xi exhaled, barely a breath. “Don’t.”
Rong Jing.
You’re done.
Completely done.
I gave you so many chances to walk away. Yet you kept getting closer.
If you won’t leave, don’t blame me.
Tonight, there’s no going back.
In a haze, he recalled Gu Feng’s bold analysis of his heart.
You fear there will be no ending, so from the beginning, you’ve been looking for a reason to step back.
You fear too many things. Why not accept it, the imperfect you, honestly?
In that moment, the weight of everything broke. The last straw snapped.
The pressure that had built up finally exploded. Sparks flew.
I want you.
With everything I am, I want you.
Gu Xi stopped thinking and gave in to his deepest desire. He bent down, pressing his mouth to Rong Jing’s chest.
! ! !
The jolt ripped a sound from Rong Jing before he could stop it.
And just like that, the sweetest pheromones flooded the air, drowning reason.
No. This felt like ten thousand bottles of baijiu.
Author’s note: Oh ho, did I just slide into the real thing without noticing!
When the emotions crest, go with it. Ahahahaha. Congratulations, babies. Wuwuwu what a happy day. Two hundred red envelopes to celebrate.
Sweethearts, Merry Christmas. Chu-chu. I am so happy to spend it with you.
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