Chapter 59

Xie Ling didn’t have the temperament of a spoiled young master, but having been used to a certain standard in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation since childhood, he had his own expectations.

When traveling, he usually stayed in presidential suites. This hotel, located near a filming venue, was one of the better ones in the area, but it leaned more toward practicality. Xie Ling was an expert in this kind of thing. Just one glance and he could tell that the materials used in the decor ranged from grade B2 to A1. Not exactly terrible, but just barely acceptable.

“What, what’s with the ‘ah?’” Xie Ling said while critically inspecting the layout of the room. Did this hotel cut corners on the investment or what? Why does it look so shabby inside?

Rong Jing saw Xie Ling heading toward the tightly shut bedroom door. He wanted to stop him, but couldn’t come up with a good excuse in time.

He knew how important an Omega’s reputation was in this world. He couldn’t let Gu Xi be misunderstood just because of his own oversight.

Just as Xie Ling was about to open the door, he suddenly remembered something and said, “Dad’s been restless even while lying in bed lately. He’s been busy finding ways to cause me trouble. I heard it’s because someone told him that he won’t be entertaining anything related to marriage unless his big brother gets married first?”

Rong Jing felt a twinge of guilt. He’d been found out this quickly.

Well, this was his problem. “Ge, I’m still young.” Could you please help me shoulder the burden a bit?

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Actually, he’d always planned to stay in the guest room. He’d only come here to see whether the space was suitable for an actor undergoing high-intensity work, whether it was comfortable enough. Relying solely on his subordinates’ reports wasn’t as good as checking things in person.

This time, his younger brother had entered the production crew on his own merit, fulfilling a dream he’d had since childhood.

Xie Ling had never said it out loud, but truthfully, he was proud.

Rong Jing followed behind, even more nervous than Xie Ling. His eyes scanned the room nervously.

No one? Where did Gu Xi go?

“Xiao Jing, what are you so nervous about?”

“Tomorrow’s my first scene. I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.” Yeah right, that wasn’t it. I’ve already been through all kinds of scenes in my past life.

Xie Ling was planning to stay until after the opening ceremony tomorrow before leaving. Since it was his younger brother’s first scene, he didn’t want to miss it. Otherwise, there’d be no need to rush over so late at night.

“What’s there to be nervous about? It’s just acting.” Even if you mess up, I’ve got your back.

Of course, that last part was a bit too sentimental—Xie Ling didn’t say it out loud.

Xie Ling chose the guest room and had just finished tidying up, ready to head to the bathroom, when Rong Jing suddenly remembered Gu Xi had used it earlier.

“GE! I just took a shower! Let me clean it up first!”

Before Xie Ling could reply, he shot toward the bathroom like a bullet.

Sure enough, he found Gu Xi’s worn clothes still inside. He quickly scooped them up and stuffed them into his arms to eliminate the evidence. A faint sweet scent lingered in the air. While it wasn’t pheromones, it could easily conjure thoughts of an Omega.

Rong Jing sprayed a scent blocker in the room, making absolutely sure there was no trace left, before stepping out.

He was nervous, like he was a thief.

When he came out, he saw Xie Ling standing at the main door of the room, seemingly speaking to someone outside.

Xie Ling had already switched on his sharp-tongued mode, his tone filled with disdain as he looked the visitor up and down. “So this is how you try to win someone back? Really?”

He scanned the person from head to toe.

The visitor seemed both humiliated and frustrated, but perhaps afraid of Xie Ling’s imposing aura, didn’t dare talk back.

Xie Ling sneered. “Better go think it through. You don’t have much time left.”

The person didn’t know how to respond. Intimidated by Xie Ling’s presence, they realized there was no chance of success tonight and had no choice but to leave.

Xie Ling closed the door and saw his younger brother looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes, an expression that seemed full of admiration.

He felt both exasperated and amused, and said, “If you don’t like someone, just say no. Even if you do like them, you still need to look at their character. Keep your eyes open.”

After exchanging goodnights with Xie Ling, Rong Jing finally returned to the master bedroom.

He locked the door behind him. Finally, a moment of peace.

Rong Jing called out, “Gu Xi?”

There was no answer for a while. Could he not be here after all?

Just as Rong Jing was about to go searching, a soft reply came from the wardrobe. “Here.”

Rong Jing opened the wardrobe. Inside, a number of his clothes were neatly hung and arranged. There, curled up among them, was Gu Xi. His long arms and legs were tucked in, and his peach blossom eyes were glistening as he looked up at Rong Jing, carrying a trace of something hard to read… a quiet yearning, mixed with unspoken words and a hint of desire.

Rong Jing didn’t know why, but his heart skipped a beat.

No Alpha could resist that gaze. When he looked at you like that, it felt as though the noise of the world faded away.

That line was from the script. Clearly, Rong Jing shouldn’t remember it that vividly. But now, thinking back, he realized he remembered every single word.

But now that he was experiencing it in real life, each word seemed to carve itself back into his heart.

Almost instinctively, he reached out and helped Gu Xi out of the wardrobe.

A blush bloomed on Gu Xi’s cheeks. The space inside the wardrobe was cramped, and all the clothes hanging there were infused with Rong Jing’s unmistakable Alpha scent, mixed with a faint trace of cologne. In just those few minutes, it felt like he’d been completely surrounded by an overwhelming, almost aggressive presence.

As soon as Gu Xi stepped out of the wardrobe, he lost his balance and suddenly fell forward, straight into Rong Jing’s chest.

His nose bumped against firm muscle. Startled, Gu Xi panicked, and as he instinctively tried to steady himself, his hands pressed against the chest in front of him, and then stopped.

Rong Jing immediately caught him, his hand resting gently and politely at Gu Xi’s waist—completely proper, not crossing any line. “Legs went numb?”

“En…” Rong Jing always seemed to know what was wrong without being told. After squatting for too long in the wardrobe, Gu Xi felt a deep, prickling numbness in his legs, and his face was practically on fire. “Don’t move please, it’ll pass in a bit.”

Rong Jing understood that feeling well. When your legs go numb, even the slightest movement can make you snap.

“Don’t worry, no big deal.” Rong Jing hadn’t thought much of it at first, but when he glanced down, his gaze landed on that slender, soft neck, tinged faintly pink… as if shy.

Gu Xi seemed to get flustered easily. And that kind of flustered look had a way of getting under your skin.

His eyes also caught the black rope of the necklace he’d given him, now wrapped around his pale skin, standing out vividly.

Why had he chosen a necklace back then, of all things? Because even from the beginning, Rong Jing had always thought that Gu Xi’s neck was beautiful. Like a swan’s. It made you want to reach out and gently soothe it.

Realizing his thoughts had veered into dangerous territory, Rong Jing quickly looked away.

He’s a man. No matter how good-looking, he’s still a man.

The room’s temperature had somehow risen without them noticing.

Gu Xi’s eyes drifted to the Adam’s apple right in front of him. Gu Feng had once said something that might’ve been right. He always thought this part of Rong Jing was really sexy.

Gu Xi slowly rose up onto his tiptoes.

A knock came at the door.

“Xiao Jing, do you have any extra toiletries?”

Rong Jing snapped out of his daze, gently pushed Gu Xi’s head down, and cleared his throat, “Yeah, in my suitcase. The code is three ones.”

Through the thin fabric of Rong Jing’s shirt, the Alpha’s body heat transferred directly onto Gu Xi’s face. He couldn’t tell whether his own face was hot, or if it was the heat coming off Rong Jing.

His mind wandered back to what he saw earlier when the door opened. That sharply defined chest.

Gu Xi’s hand, still resting against Rong Jing’s chest, couldn’t help but squeeze slightly.

So it didn’t just look good, but it also feels surprisingly…nice.

Hmm?

Rong Jing felt the faint pressure, but when he looked down, Gu Xi was still resting innocently against his chest.

…Was that just my imagination?

The two waited until Xie Ling’s voice faded into the distance

“That was your big brother, right?” The Xie family’s prodigy.

“En, he’s staying here tonight.”

“Then I…”

“I’ll sneak you out once he’s asleep,” Rong Jing paused, “You’ll have to hide out here for a while.”

The tiny spark that had just flickered to life inside Gu Xi was doused by a small bucket of cold water, snuffed out before it had a chance to burn.

“I don’t mind,” Gu Xi said quietly. What was there to be disappointed about? This was how things were supposed to be, wasn’t it?

When enough time had passed and Rong Jing hadn’t heard a peep from Xie Ling, he figured his brother must be asleep.

He quietly cracked the door open, and the two of them crouched low, sneaking forward inch by inch like a cat. Just as they were about to pass the adjacent room…

He hadn’t expected that Xie Ling’s door would be slightly ajar. Likely worried about his younger brother’s first performance tomorrow, he’d left it open to keep an ear out.

Xie Ling was a light sleeper. At the faintest noise, he turned over and mumbled groggily, “Xiao Jing?”

“Ge,” Rong Jing flinched.

“En, what’s wrong?”

“Just going to the bathroom.”

Trying his best to stay calm, Rong Jing subtly motioned for Gu Xi to stay still.

Gu Xi held onto the edge of Rong Jing’s shirt and gave a small nod. His bright eyes never left Rong Jing’s face, looking too obedient and soft.

Rong Jing felt that Gu Xi was simply too likable.

They didn’t give up. Rong Jing headed off toward the bathroom, pretending all was normal, while Gu Xi quietly retreated back into the master bedroom. Both of them continued to wait for Xie Ling to fall asleep.

Gu Xi settled back onto the bed. Maybe it was because of the commotion earlier, but the director had stopped by Gu Xi’s room to check on him only to find him gone. It was dangerous for an Omega to be out alone this late at night.

The director called to ask where he’d gone. Gu Xi gave a vague excuse to brush it off.

Meanwhile, Rong Jing stayed by the door, listening carefully. When he was finally sure that Xie Ling had fallen asleep this time, he gave Gu Xi the signal to try again.

Their second attempt was even more cautious than the first, each step placed with painstaking care.

But it was as if Xie Ling had radar built into him. He picked up on the near-silent sound of soles brushing against the floor.

“Xiao Jing?”

“I’m just getting some water.”

“Go to bed soon. Stop wandering around so late.”

“I know.”

“If you’re too nervous to sleep, Ge can tell you a bedtime story?”

“N-no need.”

Seeing that Xie Ling looked like he was about to sit up, Rong Jing quickly said goodnight and darted back to the room with Gu Xi in tow.

This feeling of being caught by an elder hovered over them like a cloud.

When the door finally closed behind them, both of them felt a little rattled, hearts still pounding.

Rong Jing suddenly remembered something from a long time ago, something not from the original novel, but from the original soul’s memories. Xie Ling had been kidnapped once. Later, for some inexplicable reason, the case wasn’t pursued thoroughly. Rong Jing felt like there was more to the story.

After that, Xie Ling’s sleep had never been particularly good. He was easily startled awake.

With this thought, Rong Jing felt a little guilty, reluctant to leave.

He turned to look at Gu Xi, who was standing in the dark not far away. The only sign of life was his shallow breathing. They could hardly see each other clearly.

A faint moonlight spilled in from the window, casting a dreamy, almost ethereal glow.

Rong Jing hesitated before saying: “How about—”

Gu Xi spoke first: “I’ll sleep here tonight.”

[What if I turn into a beast?]

Gu Xi heard what Rong Jing thought and couldn’t hold back, almost laughing out loud.

Then go ahead, turn into one and show it to me.