HOYSE CHAPTER 86

Chapter 86 — This brat needed teaching

Gu Xi fled back to his room like a wisp of smoke. What happened a few minutes ago was embarrassing enough to dig out a whole castle with his toes.

His phone buzzed. One glance at the avatar told him it was probably Rong Jing, but Gu Xi was too mortified to look.

A knock soon sounded at the door. Gu Xi pulled himself together and opened it to find Xie Ling, face solemn and even more proper than Rong Jing.

The flush on Gu Xi’s cheeks had not faded, and now his composure visibly crumbled. The cool aura around him melted by half. “M, Mr. Xie, I… I went to the wrong door just now!” Heaven please help him, how did that excuse make it out of his mouth?!

Xie Ling lifted a toolbox with a flat expression. “Are you going to move aside?”

Gu Xi shuffled out of the way. There was an air about Xie Ling that made people want to submit. Gu Xi started to close the door, but Xie Ling turned back. “You are an Omega and have no sense of precaution?”

“Ah?”

“When you are alone with an Alpha, how can you close the door? Keep it open.”

Gu Xi meekly opened it again. If the man were not Rong Jing’s very close older brother, he would not be trusting him like this.

Only then did he realize Xie Ling had come to fix his so-called broken faucet. The embarrassment doubled.

And most of all, Xie Ling was the CEO of a multinational group, yet he had actually brought a toolbox to fix Gu Xi’s hardware. It made Gu Xi’s heart tremble a little.

He hurried to block the bathroom door. “T-there are still some of my personal items inside. I will… just tidy up first.”

Xie Ling stopped without crossing the line. He was always mindful of boundaries with Omegas.

He gestured for Gu Xi to call once he was done, then sat upright on the sofa and began replying to important messages. He even gave his kid brother’s Moments a like. A book called How to Make Peace With Your Child’s Rebel Phase said to keep up with the times and join in the younger generation’s lives. Xie Ling agreed wholeheartedly.

Today Rong Jing had posted a movie ticket. Xie Ling remembered that Rong Jing even owned a collector’s edition of Lota’s 365 Days. He had watched it countless times and still went to the theater. So free, yet he did not come help at the company?

With a hint of vinegar, Xie Ling glanced at Gu Xi. Gu Xi felt something off in that look and, uncomfortable, ducked into the bathroom. He stared at the perfectly fine faucet, racking his brain for how to break it in a way that would look very natural.

A little later, Rong Jing arrived with the hotel maintenance staff. The workers joined the rescue effort at once. None of them recognized the man with rolled sleeves and a serious face gripping a screwdriver as the heir of a major conglomerate.

Rong Jing and Gu Xi waited in the living room. The residual warmth of their mutual confession still lingered. Even a simple look carried a slow, smoldering heat.

With the bathroom crowded, only the two of them remained in the living room.

Gu Xi’s heats were frequent. During these stretches, every Alpha’s perception of his charm skyrocketed. Every lift of his hand and turn of his head was threaded with the particular allure of an Omega.

Especially for the Alpha who had marked him. Instinct put his gaze on his own Omega. Even one look between them lit little sparks.

You know, when a top-shelf Omega is moved, every part of him becomes an invitation to the Alpha who marked him. His looks, his scent, his eyes, even the tone of his voice turn into traps. Even the fragrance of his skin.

Rong Jing dragged his eyes away with effort. They landed on a shipping box on the plush rug. He said quietly, “Do not look at me like that. I am afraid… I will not be able to control myself.”

Gu Xi’s smile was pure with a hint of wickedness.

He took one step forward. Rong Jing stepped back.

Another step. Another retreat.

He backed up until he hit the cabinet. With nowhere left to go, he watched Gu Xi stroll over, lean in without actually touching. Breath spread from Rong Jing’s chest to his neck. A pink tongue flicked out and licked the air above his favorite place, his Adam’s apple.

A floral scent curled under Rong Jing’s nose. It was Gu Xi’s smell. In bed, that flower would bloom into a fragrance that drove an Alpha wild.

“Then why control it?” Gu Xi rose on his toes, eyes catching and holding Rong Jing’s.

Rong Jing could feel himself wavering. His will was on the verge of collapse, a hundred feathers skimming his heart’s surface.

That soft hand pressed to his chest. Fingers teased. “Your heart is beating so fast. I thought nothing ever got to you.”

Little demon.

Rong Jing’s hand twitched, ready to act. Sensing it, Gu Xi slipped away, sly as a fox.

The old game of reeling out and reeling in might be clichéd, but it worked like magic on a man like Rong Jing who moved and then refused.

Heat evaporated as a cool draft slipped in. Everything stilled for a heartbeat, including Rong Jing’s expression.

At the wide-open doorway came a sharp inhale. Xia Manni stood there, half-frozen, takeout in hand for a late-night barbecue run. Who knew how long she had been watching.

She screamed inside. Who else? Who else gets live seats like this?!

A brand-new convert to the Arctic Circle CP, she kept her face neutral, dipped her head to them, and walked way down the hall before silently howling.

Why is Gu Xi this seductive??? Even an Omega cannot take it.

This could be taught as a class. When will I be able to do what he does, say nothing at all and, with only a look and a few gestures, almost make an Alpha of Rong Jing’s level lose control.

And Rong Jing still held the line? Pin him down and mark him. Ruin him so he cannot get out of bed!

Oh, Manni, you have changed colors.

Are they still in the ambiguous phase or are they already together? I want to ask so badly. What do I do?

She could not help but shout in the CP group chat:

- You will never guess what I just saw!!!!

The CP chat was frozen as ice. It had just barely broken into double-digit membership.

Fans chimed in asking what. Xia Manni went mysterious: “The Buddha says: unsayable.”

This feeling that only I in the whole world know the truth is way too good.

Meanwhile, Xie Ling came out of the bathroom and found his kid brother had disobeyed and come over anyway, and looking like he had been ravished. How could an Alpha be ravished.

Gu Xi, on the other hand, looked perfectly normal. He thanked them politely for the trouble.

Xie Ling grabbed his brother and hauled him back. When Gu Xi was finally alone, he exhaled a long breath. “Hoo—”

If there were a favorability meter, Rong Jing’s confession earlier would have been a 60. Just now, did it go up by 1, 1, 1?

Truth be told, Gu Xi had never done anything like that. He had swallowed his shyness and, under Gu Feng’s whispering temptations and tips from the sidelines, he just went for it.

He had combed through plenty of forums, summarized the experience, and tested a little tonight. Seemed to work.

Keep at it. While Rong Jing has no defense against me, dance to your heart’s content.

If Gu Xi had a tail, it would be straight up.

He opened the shipping box. Under layers of exquisite packaging was a necklace exactly like the one around his neck.

He had shown off the first one to the entire world on a livestream, too thrilled to hide it. He had thought about returning this second one, but the official shop said preorders were nonrefundable, so Gu Xi kept it.

He held the necklace and drifted into thought.

Back in his own room, Rong Jing’s head was still a little foggy. He could not shake the images of Gu Xi’s every move, dripping with temptation.

Zhou You reported that several companies needed video conferences. After setting the times, he brought up something else. Since the black clip of Rong Jing’s stage accident had resurfaced, multiple outlets had gone digging for his college classmates, hoping to excavate his past for a big scoop.

Rong Jing had rocketed up too fast and blocked many people’s paths, so backlash was natural. His first burst of attention came from the Sovereignty audition leak that Xun Jiarui started: the rumor that Gu Xi had slept his way to the role for him. Later it was proved baseless, but the stage accident was undeniable.

Unexpectedly, those classmates had either refused to be interviewed or pushed back against loaded questions.

Rong Jing opened one of the most-circulated clips. It was Lu Jin answering, “Who does not make mistakes when they are young? What is the point of clinging to the past? Pay more attention to his work.”

In the video, Lu Jin had returned to the stage of Absolute Idol to record the first episode.

Rong Jing opened WeChat and saw Lu Jin’s message in the university group chat. He formally apologized to Rong Jing for the three years of unending humiliation. After being scared half to death by Wu Fuyu last time, Lu Jin had gone to therapy. Once he improved, he had immediately gone to thank Gu Xi.

Gu Xi had said, “If this had not involved him, I would not have stepped in. The person you should thank is not me.”

Rong Jing’s WeChat was famously hard to add. Lu Jin could not DM him, so he wrote in the group instead.

When people asked, he roughly explained that Rong Jing had helped him and made no mention of specifics. Saying more would drag in another big shot, and that one was not to be messed with.

This apology was neither casual like the first, nor forced by circumstance like the second. It sounded sincere.

Rong Jing also knew the original owner owed this group of classmates an apology. It had been his obsession, something he wanted to do but did not dare.

After the accident, the original owner had never apologized. To others, “he” showed no remorse. It was one reason he had been quietly ostracized.

Now that things had reached this point, it had to be settled. Rong Jing, who almost never spoke in the group, replied to Lu Jin: As for the incident three years ago, I am sorry to everyone.

Forgiveness or not was another matter. The hurt on both sides had already been done.

But what was his to shoulder, he would shoulder.

The reply dropped like a stone and stirred a thousand ripples.

The class chat exploded.

Compared to the accident, many thought the cold shoulder and also abetting were worse. Even if Rong Jing did not apologize, they would have understood, but he did.

Anyone who knew shame felt uneasy.

What followed was like a mass apology meeting. People who had not had the courage before stepped forward one by one.

Maybe it was thanks to Rong Jing. Some took the chance to confess to a crush. Others apologized to classmates they had clashed with in life.

Late or not, who knew if it could still count.

Once the first apology was spoken, everything else got easier.

That day, everyone in the chat felt lighter. The knot that had sat for years finally loosened.

Rong Jing smiled and exited. He found dozens of friend requests from unfamiliar accounts. Judging from the swaggering tone, they all came from the same person:

How dare you delete me!

Add me back!

Rong Jing, do not play dead!

Enough already. One last chance.

I mean it. Last chance. Do not get cocky.

Adding me will not cost you a chunk of flesh. Hey!

I am begging you, Grandpa Rong…

…

Rong Jing could not help a laugh at the later ones. He thought for a moment and accepted the newest request.

Across the city, in a dark room, Wu Fuyu, who had been about to sleep while registering yet another new account, shot up from his bed.

“Ahhhhhhh!” he screamed, waking Ji Jiongjie, who lay drunk at the foot of the bed.

Without opening his eyes, Ji Jiongjie growled, “What are you yelling for?!”

Wu Fuyu yelled back, “None of your f***ing business! Letting you crash here is me doing you a favor!”

Then the corners of his mouth curled. He fired off a message to Rong Jing at once: You know who I am, and you still added me!

Rong Jing: I know. Fish?

Wu Fuyu: Ah.

Sh***. The word “Fish” sounds so good. I am dead.

It was only text, but he could imagine it in stereo.

Rong Jing: Do me a favor.

Wu Fuyu cocked a brow. I knew it. You did not add me for nothing. Spit it out.

Rong Jing: Help me monitor Ji Jiongjie’s movements.

Wu Feiyu: !

Say what? I did not read that.

It had been Ji Jiongjie who sent people to set the fire. From the very start, he had even used someone else’s name to buy the floors above and below Gu Xi’s apartment to make things easy. If Gu Xi had still been living there, any accident would have left him with nowhere to call for help. The cleanup had been thorough, leaving no trail to him.

They had caught the arsonists red-handed, but Rong Jing wanted to pull the thread all the way back to the man behind them. Just when the culprits were about to name him, they killed themselves in detention a few days ago. Their families received large sums and promptly went abroad.

It was obvious someone had coached them to commit suicide to escape punishment. The trail was cut. Right now there was no way to get evidence on Ji Jiongjie.

If the one on-site had not been the copy, but Rong Jing himself, maybe he could have stopped it. Now the matter was decided, and Ji Jiongjie had slipped away again.

Rong Jing felt a step from success fall apart.

Ji Jiongjie was dangerously capable. Catching him would be harder than any of the others. Rong Jing had no good plan for now and decided to seek outside help.

He had observed Wu Fuyu for a while. Maybe it was time to tighten the net.

Ji Jiongjie’s days had been rough. Even though the police had ruled it a gas leak, Rong Jing had still found proof of human interference.

He had paid a steep price to silence those greedy families. Of course, when the case died down, he would make sure they suffered. He stewed in anger and had slipped off to see Gu Xi. Gu Xi had not spared him a glance and had even called security. So Ji Jiongjie hid at his cousin’s to drink.

Gu Xi, his Omega, had neither him in his eyes nor his heart.

Wu Feiyu: You did not forget he is my cousin, right?

Rong Jing: I did not. But didn’t you say that you were not like them?

That shut him up. Still not happening. Family is family. If I do him dirty, how do I survive after?

Rong Jing: Just watch his movements. No need to report him yourself. Just tell me if anything unusual happens. The rest has nothing to do with you. Think of it as punishing evil. You might save lives.

When Ji Jiongjie went mad, he did not care about innocent life.

Wu Fuyu paced, glancing at the drunk on the bed and feeling irritated. Should he agree or not?

He knew Rong Jing was using him, trying to turn Ji Jiongjie’s own cousin.

He had to admit it. No wonder he liked this Alpha.

Look at him. Daring to think and daring to do. Who else would try to recruit me for this? Only Rong Jing.

He looked down at his cousin. Earlier, over drinks, they had talked plenty, most of it about Gu Xi.

Wu Fuyu leaned over him. “Cousin, if you found out who almost made you slip up this time, what would you do?”

“Tie them up. Sink them in the sea… heh.” He did not bother to hide his nature from family.

Damn! Of course, it is so you.

Wu Fuyu was arrogant, but he did not take lives. That was his line.

Cousin, this is where you went too far.

Forget the flowery talk. The thought of Rong Jing being caught and tossed into the ocean made him grit his teeth. He typed, furious: No benefit, why the F*** should I help?

He started naming terms. It was impossible for him to help for free. Not in this lifetime.

Rong Jing: What do you want?

Wu Fuyu: In half an hour, downstairs. Underground lot, E12.

That spot was right by the elevator. As a frequent set visitor, Wu Fuyu knew it well. Twelve was also his lucky number. His birthday was December 12, extra auspicious.

A little superstitious, he decided to move again. Do not think he would give up so easily.

Even if you get married, you can still divorce. That hot pepper Gu Xi had only the advantage of being the opposite sex. They were on the same starting line. The only difference between him and Gu Xi was gender.

Rong Jing waited until Xie Ling was asleep to go downstairs. He moved lightly. He knew Xie Ling had never slept well.

Xie Ling slept shallowly. Even so, he opened his eyes.

The door clicked shut. Xie Ling opened his own door. Off to rendezvous at this hour?

So my words went in one ear and out the other. He frowned and could not sit on his worry. He decided to follow at a distance. If it really was Gu Xi, he would make sure everything was safe.

He threw on a knit cardigan over his pajamas and slipped out.

He discovered Rong Jing was not going up, but down to the garage.

Puzzled, he followed, and then an unexpected face appeared.

His little brother was having a late-night meet with an Alpha?

And that Alpha was the very one once suspected of AA romance. Xie Ling’s mind roared.

No, maybe it was a misunderstanding.

Earlier, fixing the faucet, he had noticed signs of purposeful tampering. Light ones, but he still pretended not to see. There were things enough to only know in your heart. He did not plan to meddle too much in his brother’s love life. He trusted Rong Jing’s character. Aside from being slow to act, the rest would come naturally.

But the more he watched, the worse it looked.

Were they not mortal enemies before?

What was Wu Fuyu so excited about?

He watched Wu Fuyu brimming with confidence, practically wearing I am into this Alpha on his forehead.

The longer he watched, the more danger he felt. His brother had finally stepped away from the gay path, and now someone wanted to drag him back?

This brat needed teaching.

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