HOYSE CHAPTER 85

Chapter 85 — Premarital Relations Prohibited

 Rong Jing knew he didn’t understand romance and wasn’t particularly domineering. Didn’t quite fit the mate selection criteria for omegas. At times like this, all he could think of was using his sincerity to move Gu Xi.

Each item he listed was an objective evaluation of himself. The good and the bad should all be laid bare with Gu Xi.

Seeing Rong Jing’s series of serious expressions today, Gu Xi had held almost no hope and simply decided to give it his all.

Result? a sudden turnaround?

This unreachable alpha had finally turned back to look at him.

With each word Rong Jing spoke, his heart sped up a bit. Fireworks in his heart bloomed one by one. Boom, boom, boom. By the time Rong Jing said the last word, they shot into the sky with a whoosh, crack, crackle, pop.

Gu Xi’s emotions were too elevated. For a moment, he couldn’t even produce an appropriate expression and stood frozen in place.

Looking at this most precious gift heaven had given him, he felt somewhat reluctant to open it.

Aside from that day at the pheromone matching center, this was the happiest day of his life.

Only after Rong Jing finished speaking did Gu Xi replay it once, then opened his eyes in shock: “You... you call yourself like this ‘slightly above average’?” 

Setting aside everything else for now, this was somewhat intolerable. How misguided was his self-perception? Couldn’t he see the earth-shattering reactions of omegas when they saw him? Did he know how much thought Gu Xi had put in to stand out among so many omegas and get him to notice? Did he know how many brain cells he’d exhausted pretending to act casual?

Rong Jing was using his past life self as the standard. Not as good-looking as in his past life, physique not as well-trained as in his past life, he wasn’t exaggerating nor really diminishing himself.

Seeing Rong Jing’s serious, earnest gaze, Gu Xi’s heart stirred.

This alpha truly thought this way in his heart.

Moreover, listening carefully, Rong Jing used the word “man” rather than “alpha.” Gu Xi recalled what Guan Hongyi had once mentioned that Rong Jing’s mind seemed to only have two genders.

In his ears was the sound of lake water rippling in the wind. So quiet, as if only the two of them remained in the whole world.

Gu Xi took several breaths, pressing his irregularly beating heart. Meeting Rong Jing’s gaze, as if possessing infinite courage, he wanted to embed himself deeply in Rong Jing’s heart all at once.

“I’m also slightly above average, just right to match you.”

“My specialties are composing music and acting. We have common ground.”

“If you like quiet, I can accompany you. If you like liveliness, I’ll enliven the atmosphere. I can be calm or active, whatever you want, I have it.”

“Even if you lose all your assets, I can earn money to support you.”

“You don’t need to have a house or car. I have all these.” You just need to give yourself to me, that’s enough.

Gu Xi was actually more accustomed to that adult style where everything went unsaid. But Rong Jing had laid everything out so clearly, item by item, that Gu Xi was led astray too, responding just as earnestly to each point.

The two were simply like students in school who hadn’t dated yet. Green everywhere, methodical and rigid.

“So, if you could bestow this man who meets the minimum standard upon me, I would be... very grateful.” By the end, Gu Xi’s voice actually carried a trace of choking emotion.

Rong Jing stepped closer and cupped Gu Xi’s face, wanting to see if he was crying. Shallow heartache flowed through his heart.

But he saw Gu Xi’s lifted eyes sparkling with starlight, as if gathering the stars from across the sky, breathtakingly beautiful.

Not a single trace of tears, just beautifully tempting someone to commit crimes.

Rong Jing sensed Gu Xi’s cautiousness and the joy he couldn’t conceal. He wondered when Gu Xi had started...

“Alright, he’s yours.”

Three words, resounding with authority.

Landing without warning in Gu Xi’s heart, dancing with the fireworks. He was truly going crazy!!!

Gu Xi inconspicuously placed both hands behind his back and pinched hard. Hiss!

It hurts! this was real!

After working so hard for so long, thinking this time was completely finished, this huge surprise just smashed into him without warning.

This pie falling from the sky, in the end, he couldn’t resist. He wanted to thoroughly brand this top-quality delicacy with Gu Xi’s mark.

By the lake, a family with several children held sparklers, laughing and playing. The children had already run under the bridge.

Having just confessed their feelings, at the most bashful moment, they suddenly separated.

“Let’s go back.” Rong Jing felt the night breeze was a bit cool. Seeing Gu Xi wasn’t wearing much, he suggested.

“Okay...” So, so soon? Shouldn’t they do something more? The temperature on Gu Xi’s cheeks rose.

“What are you looking for?”

“Are you cold?” Looking for clothes to drape over you, he shouldn’t have worn a hoodie.

“I’m fine, not cold.” To show off his figure, he’d deliberately worn thin clothes today. Being a bit cold was nothing. Looking good in front of Rong Jing was more important.

Gu Xi always felt Rong Jing was still so calm, doing everything methodically. Rong Jing never seemed to have urgent moments.

Gu Xi, don’t be afraid. Maybe under Rong Jing’s calm exterior was all magma.

At the moment of opening up, the most direct emotions aside from excitement, happiness, and wish fulfillment, another feeling was growing, that awkward sense of being neither too close nor too distant.

These two people, not exactly strangers, needed to gradually transition from their original interaction mode to a new one.

By the time they returned to the cinema, the movie had already reached the latter half. The two sat in the back row in unison.

“Should we move back later?”

“Okay...”

Tacitly wanting to keep each other company a while longer.

Separated by an armrest, their bodies didn’t even touch, yet they were so tense they couldn’t speak.

Gu Xi racked his brain for topics but found them all boring and crossed them out one by one.

Clearly, he hadn’t been this nervous before pursuing him. Why, after receiving this alpha’s approval, did he feel even more uncomfortable?

Rong Jing: “Want some popcorn? I’ll go buy some.”

Gu Xi: “No need, it’s almost over.”

Rong Jing: “Should we go back to our original seats?”

Gu Xi: “Ah.”

Though they said this, neither moved from their spots.

They both discovered that interacting now was even more unnatural than before.

The movie’s images continuously flashed across their faces. Both stared directly at the screen, yet who knew what they were thinking. Both pretended to be completely focused.

Gu Xi’s mood fluctuated. He wanted to confirm once more and asked quietly: “Are... are we together now?”

Rong Jing habitually ruffled Gu Xi’s hair: “Mm.”

This gesture was something he’d done frequently recently. Gu Xi’s hair was very soft, ruffling it felt like ruffling a cloud. This was also how Rong Jing expressed affection before.

In the darkness, Gu Xi’s gaze looked directly over. Rong Jing’s palm froze. Those originally soft strands became tantalizing, tickling fluffily into his heart.

Now their relationship was different. Originally simple gestures carried ineffable ambiguity. At such close distance, it was as if their breaths mingled.

Something in his heart was ready to burst forth. The two leaned closer and closer, almost able to smell each other’s breath.

“Gu Xi!” Someone called from below.

Rong Jing abruptly pushed Gu Xi away and quickly bent down, his expression somewhat annoyed.

No, when he’d realized his own feelings, he’d planned to take it step by step. He knew Gu Xi had never dated in the original novel.

Though there’d been physical accidents before, psychologically they’d just made contact.

Regarding beautiful memories, he wanted to create them slowly.

Pushed away, Gu Xi looked utterly bewildered. What just happened? Why push me away? Are you regretting this?

A series of questions swept through Gu Xi’s mind like a violent wind. Seeing Rong Jing lower his head with lightning speed, hiding his tall frame below the front seat, he felt both amused and exasperated.

No rush, Gu Xi. This white radish has already fallen into your hands.

Even if he’d only gained a little understanding, you could hook him until he couldn’t resist, make him actively lose control. That day would come sooner or later.

Gu Xi, you can do this.

A minute earlier, Liu Yu had watched the scene of Gu Xi running through snow and said with deep emotion to the person beside him: “I still remember when you filmed this scene, you ran barefoot in the snow over thirty times. Afterward, your feet were covered in frostbite before we got this shot... hm?”

Liu Yu was admiring his masterpiece when, looking back, Gu Xi had disappeared. How did Gu Xi suddenly vanish? He didn’t even know when he’d left.

Liu Yu knew many unimaginable things often happened around Gu Xi, so he immediately panicked.

Liu Yu suddenly stood up: “Gu Xi, where’s Gu Xi? Has anyone seen Gu Xi?!”

“I’m here!” Gu Xi naturally waved and walked down.

“What were you doing up there?”

“Good scenery.”

“Really? We don’t believe it.”

“Believe it or not.” Gu Xi bantered with the crew members.

Those in the crew who’d been about to search sat back down. Xia Manni noticed Rong Jing had also been gone a long time and checked her watch: “Wait, Rong Jing’s been in the bathroom for 45 minutes?”

Xia Manni suddenly thought of something and gasped softly: “Ah!”

Everyone looked over. Gu Xi tensed up too.

Xia Manni: “Could Rong Jing have an upset stomach!?”

Gu Xi: “...”

Rong Jing hiding in the back: “...” Thank you for caring so much about your colleague.

Liu Yu planned to send someone to find Rong Jing. Gu Xi: “Oh, I just saw him outside being pestered by an omega. Might need to wait a bit.” Omega = me.

“Hahaha, worthy of him, romantic encounters everywhere!”

“If I were an omega, I’d wait at his room door every day. Won’t give up until I succeed!”

“So jealous. Only he gets this treatment. Last time a super beautiful omega, pure yet alluring, ran up to him and loudly declared she’d wait this lifetime for Rong Jing to marry her, or she’d die alone.”

Gu Xi had only planned to gloss over it but unexpectedly heard gossip about his own husband.

He touched the necklace at his throat, sour bubbles continuously emerging.

Rong Jing waited ten minutes before pretending to return from outside during a scene transition.

After briefly explaining to the others, he casually glanced past several people at Gu Xi.

Only to be glared at reproachfully by Gu Xi.

Attracting bees and butterflies the moment you appear; you should just go out in a burlap sack from now on.

Rong Jing: “?”

Because of today’s incident with the collective AO pheromone outbreak, after watching the movie everyone went home separately. To prevent further accidents, everyone traveled in same-gender groups of four. If numbers were insufficient, betas would accompany them.

The two were thoroughly separated again. Perhaps due to their unfamiliar appearance in public and their consistently polite yet distant manner toward each other, people around them kindly kept them apart.

Aside from that brief stolen moment outside, they had no chance to be alone together again.

But Rong Jing felt those previous times were accidents. Now was when they truly began interacting so no need to rush.

As soon as Rong Jing opened his door, he saw Zhou You working at the living room computer, with Xie Ling standing beside him guiding his work.

Rong Jing’s heart, which had just risen and fallen like tides, seemed to hit a pause button.

“The wanderer returns.”

“Ge.” Rong Jing immediately walked over obediently. “I just went to a crew dinner. That wording is excessive.”

Xie Ling suddenly leaned close to Rong Jing and sniffed around him.

“The scent of blocking spray on you is twice as strong as before.” Xie Ling looked meaningfully at Rong Jing.

If he hadn’t done something, why spray twice? Must be covering something up.

Rong Jing felt even guiltier and signaled Zhou You to say something to change the subject.

Zhou You did indeed have new information. Almost all the small companies in Rong Jing’s second batch of selections had been acquired in advance by the Wu family.

Moreover, the Wu family seemed to do it deliberately. Whenever they negotiated cooperation, the Wu family would make their move the next day. But Rong Jing’s investments were personal, while the Wu family was a renowned industry giant. Of course small companies would choose the latter.

Rong Jing thought of the time during his confinement when Wu Hanqi had asked the replica to go out. The replica, following his initial instructions, temporarily hadn’t contacted Wu Hanqi.

But Rong Jing could tell the replica was gradually developing its own thinking. For instance, its attraction to and possessiveness of Gu Xi. Who knew what it might do the next time he was confined?

Had his investment intentions already been seen through by Wu Hanqi? Had Wu Hanqi discovered something?

Xie Ling: “From now on, use the Xie Corporation name when negotiating cooperation.”

Rong Jing: “But... the Wu and Xie families have always been friendly. Won’t this damage the cooperation between our families?”

Xie Ling: “Business is business. If they dare intercept, you don’t need to be timid either.”

Rong Jing: “Ge...”

Xie Ling: “Hm?”

 

Rong Jing stepped forward and hugged his eldest brother: “That was so domineering!”

Xie Ling pushed away his clingy younger brother: “Don’t stick to me! Go, go, go.”

Just then someone knocked. Xie Ling tossed his younger brother aside toward Zhou You and went to open the door himself.

Gu Xi nervously smoothed his hair, coughed once, confirming his voice was soft and sweet. And his current outfit, both pure and figure-flattering. This kind of dress didn’t seem too deliberate either. Should be able to stay... right?

The instant the door opened, Gu Xi closed his eyes, face flushed and heart racing: “My, my bathroom faucet broke. Could I possibly borrow your...”

For a long while, no response came.

Gu Xi cautiously opened his eyes. Immediately, an embarrassed blush crept up his cheeks. Before him, Xie Ling stood like a door god, expressionlessly scrutinizing him from top to bottom.

“Faucet broke?” Xie Ling asked word by word, as if looking at an omega trying to seduce his younger brother.

“No, no, you you you you carry on. I can solve it myself very quickly!” Gu Xi bowed once and fled like flying, frantically pressing the elevator button, afraid being one step slower would mean being caught.

Entering the elevator, he crouched down hugging his head, face completely red. What am I even doing!?

Will Rong Jing’s elder brother think I’m some improper omega?

“Runs so fast... like a rabbit?” Xie Ling watched Gu Xi disappear in a flash, staring directly at the elevator entrance.

“Ge, I’ll go check.” Seeing Gu Xi had come over, Rong Jing planned to go see what was happening.

But Xie Ling grabbed his arm.

Rong Jing: “What’s wrong?”

Xie Ling’s thinking was rather conservative, and in his eyes, his little brother was still young.

Xie Ling seriously educated his younger brother: “I’ll go. You stay. Premarital sexual relations are prohibited.”

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