HOYSE CHAPTER 95

Chapter 95 — I’m Here

After striking his bargain with Wu Hanqi, Rong Jing was trapped in a boundless fog.

This time he could not think at all. His consciousness sank and drifted, yet through that darkness a steady current of longing kept pouring in from somewhere far away. The yearning nourished what was left of him. He tried to tear through the shackles, but his mind grew heavier and heavier. Only when a second force surged up to meet the first did he wrench himself free of that suffocating grasp. Once, twice, again and again, he fought until he finally gained the upper hand and forced the copy’s soul back down.

Wu Hanqi had warned him that each confinement would double in strength.

He had also refused to tell Rong Jing how to escape. He had to find the way alone.

There would be two more confinements. If Rong Jing could break out ahead of time each round, the victory would be his.

This was the third confinement and it was set to last six months.

Rong Jing had thought it would be easy. The first two had only been chaotic because he had not prepared. Yet as soon as fate stopped being fate and became a man’s game, the difficulty jumped several levels and turned unfathomable. Wu Hanqi seemed to be able to make the replica align perfectly with the world’s rules. In a sense the copy was Heaven’s creature, more legitimate than Rong Jing. Rong Jing became the bug. That feeling of being out of control was a kind of powerlessness, a constant pressure bearing down on his soul.

Only then did he understand the meaning in Wu Hanqi’s last smile. If it were simple, how could it be a worthy wager?

When Rong Jing opened his eyes, he had no idea how much time had passed.

He stood under night skies in the plaza outside Maya City. People flowed past on all sides. A child darted by clutching a balloon. The bustle in his ears felt impossibly distant, like waking from a long, strange dream.

The sensation of having been away too long, cut off from the world, came crashing back, just like in his first three dazed days after crossing over.

He needed an anchor. He needed to see that person. He needed it badly.

He pulled out his phone and checked the date. He remembered exactly when he had left, the day he wrapped filming.

He sent Gu Xi a message. A red exclamation mark bounced back.

Gu Xi had blocked him?

Rong Jing scrolled up through the chat and discovered the copy had been pestering Gu Xi for weeks, using his name to set up fake “dates.”

Gu Xi had gone the first few times, then disappointment piled on anger until he finally snapped and added Rong Jing to his blacklist.

Luckily the copy had wanted to keep living in this body, so it had maintained basic appearances.

Rong Jing grew anxious. He saw several girls holding promotional materials with Gu Xi on them. After asking, he learned there was an exhibition event today.

Why was the duplicate here? After thinking back briefly, Rong Jing realized the duplicate actually hadn’t given up and was still waiting for Gu Xi to accept him.

Walking through the first floor of Maya City, Rong Jing also thought about the scene of their first meeting, when he hadn’t even known what to wear.

Rong Jing took a support item for Gu Xi from a fan’s hands. This time it was a keychain. It felt more round and cute than the first one, making him want to pinch those cheeks.

By the time Rong Jing entered the venue, several of Xi’s fans were huddled together whispering:

“That alpha just now was so tall! Those long legs, wow, I want to pounce on him!”

“Did you guys think he looked a lot like Rong Jing? I really wanted to see his face under that mask and cap!” 

“That’s not very likely. It couldn’t be Rong Jing. Probably just looks similar. Since filming ended, they really have had zero contact. Some people even say that Xi Xi once said he wouldn’t attend any event where Rong Jing was present.”

“Really?”

“How would I know? But RJ is really handsome. Our Xi Xi is just different fireworks. Even this kind of top-tier alpha somehow has no feelings for him.”

Rong Jing stood in the distance, gazing at the person radiating brilliance on stage, so at ease. This was the omega who made his heart flutter. Looking at him, it felt as if his return had meaning.

The sense of isolation from just coming back finally dissipated the moment he saw Gu Xi.

A surge of pride rose in Rong Jing’s heart. He thought that perhaps even if he wasn’t there someday, Gu Xi would still live very well.

He worried about being recognized by Gu Xi. Sometimes his little lamb had exceptionally sharp eyesight.

Rong Jing didn’t want to interfere with his work, so he left first, planning to revisit old places and then pick up Gu Xi after the event ended.

Rong Jing was squatting at the entrance of Men A in a daze when he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out.

Looking up, he saw Gu Xi’s cautious expression. Rong Jing thought about the duplicate’s previous deceptions.

He was about to explain, but Gu Xi didn’t hesitate at all. He just rushed over and, without a word, clung to him like a koala. Rong Jing immediately supported Gu Xi’s bottom to prevent him from falling.

Rong Jing’s first reaction was to look around. Fortunately, this was a VIP restroom and there was no one around at the moment.

The overly soft sensation in his hands made Rong Jing’s earlobes redden. He wasn’t ready for this yet.

Rong Jing felt wetness on his shoulder, silent sobbing. Gu Xi’s trembling body conveyed nothing but overflowing longing.

Rong Jing’s heart ached. Even without words, he could feel Gu Xi’s emotions in this moment. He gently patted his back. “I came back late.”

Gu Xi really wanted to maintain his usual image, but he simply couldn’t hold back. The moment he saw Rong Jing, he couldn’t care about anything else. He cried messily, like a lost child who’d finally found the way home. His hands gripped the man tightly, his head buried in Rong Jing’s shoulder, absorbing the familiar scent.

“You are not late,” Gu Xi rasped, trying to soothe him first. “You are actually three months early.”

“You figured it out?” Before he vanished, Rong Jing had circled an approximate date on the calendar at Waterfront Bay. He had not expected Gu Xi to find it so fast, much less draw the right conclusion.

“Do you think I am stupid?” Tears clung to Gu Xi’s lashes as he lifted his face and glared at Rong Jing in accusation.

Those trembling droplets barely held on. That small, aggrieved pout made Rong Jing’s chest ache.

He brushed a thumb gently across Gu Xi’s skin to wipe his tears away, only to find more falling. So Omegas really were made of water.

The door opened. Someone had come looking for this side’s restroom. Rong Jing swept Gu Xi into the inner stall at once.

Outside, a chorus of girls chattered and debated. By the time they left, Gu Xi had reined himself in. Embarrassed by his outburst, and still clinging to Rong Jing, he murmured, “I am heavy. Put me down.”

“Light as a feather.” Rong Jing deliberately hefted him a bit, knowing how much Omegas minded their weight. Gu Xi was feather-light to begin with.

It was always the simplest things Rong Jing said that undid Gu Xi. He looked so serious and cool, yet his words sent Gu Xi’s nerves scattering.

Gu Xi shifted without thinking. Soft warmth slid against Rong Jing’s palm and he flashed on that afternoon in the car when his mind had run wild. They were close enough that Gu Xi felt the tightening through Rong Jing’s body.

He had not done it on purpose this time. Still, if this Alpha who once wore a gas mask to avoid him now reacted to him like this, did that not mean Rong Jing’s guard was dropping, bit by bit?

The realization tasted like relief after a long spell of hardship. They held each other’s gaze and sparks seemed to leap in the air.

“Do you still have activities scheduled?” Rong Jing asked.

“No.” Why would I be thinking about work when you are here?

Work had been his anesthesia. From this moment he would let himself drift for a few days and breathe.

They said nothing more and slipped out the back door in quiet sync.

Neither of them noticed the man watching from the shadows of a corner.

A small pile of crushed cigarette butts lay at his feet. He had been waiting a long time.

Chu Yang had been following Gu Xi’s schedule for weeks. He knew the Alpha named Rong Jing had bodyguards keeping close to Gu Xi and that those bodyguards had been instructed to listen only to Gu Xi.

Rong Jing had clearly worried that once he was gone the copy might exploit his people against Gu Xi, so he made himself into a wallet and nothing more. If their orders ever clashed, they were to obey Gu Xi.

The consequence was simple. As long as the scumbag got close enough, the bodyguards could not act without Gu Xi’s word.

This also meant that the scumbag attacker would easily be discovered if he got too close. Chu Yang could only follow from afar like this, waiting for an opportunity.

Most of these bodyguards were alphas, making many places still very inconvenient, like certain indoor areas or restrooms. Rong Jing was already considering recruiting omega bodyguards, though this hiring process might be extremely long.

Chu Yang had originally been somewhat satisfied to discover that Rong Jing was shut out like himself. At least Gu Xi really hadn’t been close to Rong Jing these three months. Perhaps these two only had a work relationship, and he’d been worrying needlessly.

But not long after, he saw Gu Xi appear, staring at that alpha with eyes full of affection, as if he couldn’t see anyone else. That undisguisable joy could be felt even from so far away.

Following him for so long, he knew Gu Xi’s schedule had been busy and packed during this time, like a spinning top that couldn’t stop. This was the first time he’d seen him look so relaxed.

Chu Yang couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t reconcile this gentle-as-water omega with that cold-as-ice beauty. They were like two different people.

Chu Yang watched them exchange secret signals and get into a ride-share together. He slowly walked to where they’d disappeared, watching the car leave his field of vision.

Then he broke down laughing. “Hahahahaha!”

He still hadn’t recovered his memories, but he believed he and Gu Xi had once had something, otherwise how would he have that photo of sleeping beauty?

He took out his phone, removed the original SIM card, replaced it with another, and contacted someone. “Wait for my signal before you act.”

This person was no simple character and even had some connection to Rong Jing.

A few months ago, after Wu Fuyu refused his proposal to join forces, that crazy guy had widely smeared his reputation in the capital circle, leaving him without even a single friend now. Then he thought of Xu Juelian, someone who shared his misery.

Xu Juelian was now like a stray dog. He had no money for treatment and had offended the Wu family, falling to the point of going to a shelter.

But before that, Xu Juelian had provided him with a contact and whispered, “This person will be very useful.”

Later Chu Yang learned this person was the omega serial killer the police had been hunting for a long time. This person had spent a fortune at an underground clinic for plastic surgery and was skilled at counter-surveillance, so for a long time had evaded police pursuit.

If this person hadn’t committed another crime and been recognized and reported by a passerby, he’d still be at large even now.

Chu Yang followed Juelian’s hint to find the fugitive’s residence.

He offered to send him out of the country in exchange for help.

The advantage of this was that even if traced back to him, he could completely deny it. Plus with the Chu family’s influence, there was nothing to fear. He, Chu Yang, was no longer that impulsive young fool from back then.

The fugitive’s demand was to find the person who reported him. Before leaving, he must give this person an unforgettable memory for life.

Chu Yang had channels. He asked around and soon learned who that “random bystander” whistleblower was.

The world could be vast. It could also be very small.

Sometimes coincidences stacked perfectly.

The person who reported him was Rong Jing.

When he heard, Chu Yang laughed out loud.

He could have chosen the easy path. This was the price for sticking his nose in. After Chu Yang finished speaking to the person on the phone, he casually threw down the lit cigarette in his hand.

The red firelight flickered on and off, repeatedly stamped by his leather shoes.

Rong Jing and Gu Xi split and got into the back seats of separate cars. They had their signals. When Gu Xi slid in, Rong Jing sat up terribly straight, clearly remembering a certain car-bound incident.

Gu Xi grinned and leaned over.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Seatbelt.” Gu Xi blinked at him, enjoying the way Rong Jing flustered.

“I can do it,” Rong Jing muttered, ears a little warm.

The driver checked the map. “Headed to Waterfront Bay? It is Friday night. Everyone is leaving the city. This route will be slow.”

Gu Xi said, “As fast as you can.”

Rong Jing said, “As fast as you can.”

Both thought they were being dignified, then blinked when they heard the other answer the same way.

A current ran between them, unspoken and thick.

They did not look at each other. After a moment, two hands that had been resting at their sides edged closer.

In the dark, fingertips brushed and retreated, brushed and lingered, the way brand-new lovers play silly little games no one else would find interesting. They kept it up for long minutes until their palms were damp. Then Rong Jing suddenly caught that mischievous hand and laced their fingers tight.

Waterfront Bay had not changed much. The copy had not liked lingering where Rong Jing lived. It preferred to separate itself from anything that felt like him.

Gu Xi had only come here to search for clues. Once he found what he needed, he left and waited.

They were both impatient the second the door closed.

They had held themselves together all the way here. After three months of emptiness, both needed the other’s warmth.

Gu Xi had barely stepped into his slippers when the man in the dim hallway pushed him to the wall and lifted him. The sudden height made Gu Xi’s stomach flip.

He obediently closed his eyes. Rong Jing’s large hand skimmed carefully over his face, tracing features as if to memorize them before he finally moved on.

Gu Xi clung to his shoulders, urging him on, quick and sure.

Suddenly, outside the door came knocking.

Xie Ling stood at the door. He’d just received a WeChat message from his brother-in-law with only a few words: He’s back.

Xie Ling immediately dropped a pile of work and rushed over at top speed.

He glanced at the garden. The living room was dark, with only distant streetlights casting dim light through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After knocking for a while with no response, Xie Ling waited. The two people inside didn’t dare move.

Gu Xi had thought that with Rong Jing’s personality, he’d definitely open the door, but this time Rong Jing just held him, warm thin lips wandering along his face.

After waiting a while, Xie Ling had just prepared to turn and leave when he suddenly heard a very soft, suppressed low moan, soul-stirring.

This sound... Xie Ling whipped his head around. He was an alpha. Even if he hadn’t seen a pig run, he’d seen pork.

Xie Ling realized what that was. He took out the small box from his pocket that he’d never managed to give, coughed awkwardly, and quickly got into his car.

Zhou Xiang asked, “President Xie, aren’t you going in?”

Xie Ling replied, “Tomorrow. Well, maybe in a few days.”

For the first time, Xie Ling personally broke the principle he’d always upheld.

Premarital sex was a rule Grandfather had instilled after he came of age. He’d always adhered to it, but if it concerned his little brother’s happiness... even if the rule was broken, what did it matter?

Inside the house.

Rong Jing and the omega in his arms were intimately close. Outside came the sound of the car engine starting again.

Rong Jing said, “I’ve been sweating too much. Can I wash up first?”

Actually, the duplicate had picked up a smoking habit. This addiction that Rong Jing had finally almost quit had been reaccepted by this body. He didn’t want to touch Gu Xi carrying this smell.

Gu Xi’s bright eyes instantly dimmed. “Oh...” He tried to make his voice sound not so disappointed.

He knew it. Getting used to it was just... fine, my foot!

Today it had almost happened, but now they’d just be purely sleeping under covers again.

Rong Jing carried Gu Xi upstairs as he spoke. Gu Xi circled the alpha’s neck, lying docilely in his arms, sulking quietly.

As they passed the storage room, Gu Xi glared fiercely at it. Did he think I didn’t know the gas mask was in there?

Rong Jing placed Gu Xi on his bedroom bed. Rong Jing hesitated, looking at Gu Xi’s obedient appearance. His heart melted. “Wait for me a moment.”

Gu Xi said, “Fine.”

Rong Jing took his change of clothes into the bathroom.

Gu Xi first rolled around on the bed once, still feeling somewhat unwilling.

Was his charm too low? Or was he too reserved? Actually, the previous few times, like in the car and just now, Rong Jing had definitely felt something.

Gu Xi thought of something and looked at his excessive layers of clothing.

Wrapping dumplings? Wrapped up like this, how could Rong Jing possibly feel anything? That blockhead definitely needed maximum stimulation before he might budge even a little.

Act-actually, being a bit more proactive wouldn’t be impossible. Gu Xi pulled at his sweater, his face flushed with heat.

One piece, then another.

They fell onto the carpet.

Later, in the steam of the shower, Rong Jing rinsed off in a daze. He always needed a little time each day to let his mind wander, and now was apparently it. He soaped his hands and tried to remember where he had put the lube. He went over the notes he had made in his head: steps that would make an Omega comfortable. Handholding, hugging, kissing, deep kissing. If they moved straight to the next thing, would that be too fast?

The void had been too much. He wanted Gu Xi scented through to the bone.

Alphas really were animals. He was the worst of them.

He sighed. The bathroom door opened.

He never locked it when Gu Xi was home. No matter what happened, he was not the one at risk.

The shower glass was fogged over. He slid the door back and saw Gu Xi in nothing but lounge pants, bare from the waist up.

Rong Jing’s throat rolled. It felt terribly dry.

He had never thought he would see this.

Gu Xi padded in barefoot like a proud white cat, all elegance and light. Water drops burst and scattered under the spray as he lifted his face, eyes shining.

He set his hands on Rong Jing, rose on his toes and brushed a kiss across his skin, looking up through his lashes at his Alpha.

“Do you not want me?”

“How could I not?” How could I ever resist you?

Rong Jing dragged him in.

He had planned to get clean first and think through the steps properly. He wanted to do it right and give Gu Xi the best experience he could.

The first time had been a blur and a mess, not a memory he was proud of. He said nothing, but the marks under that red moon had taken days to fade. He had worried the whole time.

Because he cared, he held himself back.

He did not have much experience. If he lost control, he would hurt Gu Xi.

He had not accounted for this little demon, who went wherever he would be most provoked and always acted before he thought. Right now he wanted nothing more than to taste from start to finish.

Steam wrapped the room. Droplets chased each other down the glass.

Two indistinct figures moved in the mist. Sounds rose, soft at first, then breathless.

Gu Xi did not hold back this time.

His voice, his eyes, every inch of him radiated an Omega’s allure. It pulled the Alpha down and deeper.

They urgently hoped to confirm each other in each other’s warmth, letting their unsettled hearts completely calm down.

Eight hours later, the omega fell into unconsciousness from excessive fatigue. Before passing out, he wondered why... it had still only been once?

......

...

---

Rong Jing discovered that while there was no injury, there was still some redness.

Why couldn’t he control himself better? Even shortening the time would have been fine.

While thinking this, Rong Jing took the ointment and carried the person into the bathroom. The omega was like a small cat, soft hair brushing against him.

Rong Jing cleaned with difficulty, mainly because during this period the omega moved too much. Gradually Rong Jing felt heat rising within himself again.

Rong Jing helplessly pressed down. If this continued, his lifespan would shorten by several years.

Gu Xi’s endurance was very strong, possibly related to attributes from the original novel, but Rong Jing was still extremely careful.

After tidying up the omega, Rong Jing casually took care of himself, then carried the person to bed.

Gu Xi automatically found a position in Rong Jing’s arms to sleep in. Before sleeping, he vaguely mumbled, “Why...”

Rong Jing wondered, “?”

Probably too tired, Gu Xi made no more sound.

Rong Jing looked at the dark circles under Gu Xi’s eyes after removing his makeup and kissed his forehead tenderly.

Rong Jing had just experienced a battle of souls, plus physical exertion. He was also very tired. Holding the warm omega, he fell asleep too.

...

“Ah!” Gu Xi cried out sharply, then suddenly raised his head. His ice-cold hands touched the alpha’s face, confirming the person was still there.

“What’s wrong?” Rong Jing had just fallen asleep not long ago and was still very drowsy.

“Nightmare.” I dreamed you could never come back.

Gu Xi leaned against the alpha’s chest listening to his heartbeat. Rong Jing soothed his hair.

Gu Xi closed his eyes again, growing drowsy again under the caressing.

Another hour passed. Gu Xi gasped and woke from his dream again.

Though the commotion wasn’t as big as before, Rong Jing finally noticed something was wrong with Gu Xi. Gu Xi seemed very uneasy.

After coaxing him for a while, knowing Rong Jing was beside him, Gu Xi closed his eyes again.

But Rong Jing didn’t dare close his eyes. He kept observing the person in his arms. This time only a few minutes passed before Gu Xi, eyes still closed, suddenly had tears fall without warning.

The warm temperature almost burned Rong Jing.

Gu Xi was murmuring something, his voice too soft.

Rong Jing leaned close to listen. He was calling: Rong Jing, Rong Jing...

Rong Jing stared dazedly at the omega who couldn’t sleep peacefully even in dreams. This was a Gu Xi almost never seen when awake.

Gu Xi never said how much he missed him. Even his hope for him to stay was only implicitly written as one character in his palm.

The current Gu Xi was fragile and helpless. Were these his true thoughts?

Rong Jing felt his heart had never ached so much.

And had never been so warm.

“I’m here.”

---

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