The postcard shimmered with a soft, lustrous glow, its corners adorned with intricate patterns. Though printed, the bold red block letters left no trace of evidence.
[Long time no see, dear. I wonder if you’ve missed me?
You’re the most unruly lover I’ve ever known. Flitting between men, changing your mind constantly…]
He spent a long paragraph accusing Xia Yan of promiscuity, then abruptly shifted tone to profess his admiration, portraying himself as a devoted, affectionate man, hopelessly trapped in a love of his own imagination.
Xia Yan: “…” Help! This guy needs medical attention!
Without hesitation, he dialed the police, waiting for them to collect evidence.
Due to certain reasons, the bar’s backstage didn’t have surveillance cameras, and during the week Xia Yan was away, countless people came and went. There was no way to pinpoint the culprit.
The only suspicion was that the criminal was intimately familiar with the bar.
–
It was 10:30 p.m., and the bar was bustling.
Wu Qin had waited outside for a long time, but Xia Yan still hadn’t come out. It wasn’t until the police arrived that he finally reacted, rushing backstage in a panic.
He was incredibly anxious, afraid something had happened.
Only when the young man’s slender figure came into view did he let out a heavy sigh of relief. His worry and fear had caused him to lose control, and he grabbed Xia Yan into a tight embrace.
“You scared me to death.”
The man’s voice was low and husky, his hot, hurried breaths brushing against Xia Yan’s ear, sending a tingling sensation down his spine.
Xia Yan turned his head uncomfortably: “What are you doing?”
“Just let me hold you, just for a moment.” Only by feeling the young man’s warmth could he calm down.
“?”
However, Xia Yan couldn’t understand his feelings at all—or perhaps, he never even considered any inappropriate implications. He simply thought the embrace was too tight, making it hard to breathe.
With some force, he pushed Wu Qin back a little, lifting his eyelids lazily as he said, “There’s an extra charge for hugs.”
Great, his persona as a money-grubber remained unshaken.
“…”
Watching Wu Qin fall into deep thought, Xia Yan felt quite pleased. Who would have expected the man’s next words to almost make him break character?
Wu Qin: “What’s the charge for a kiss?”
Xia Yan: “???”
“And what about sleeping together?”
“…”
“If possible, what’s the price for marriage—”
“Shut up.” Xia Yan scolded, while two officers searching nearby, who had overheard everything, lowered their heads, muffling their laughter.
In the distance, they could vaguely hear them saying, “Young couples really know how to play.”
Xia Yan… Xia Yan didn’t understand.
Why is there always something off in this world?
The only thing that brought him comfort was the fact that the protagonist shou was an omega, so he didnt need to worry about being dominated, and because most of his missions were related to Shen Wenqing, he had little connection with the protagonist gong.
Yes! Why would the protagonist gong come looking for him?
Xia Yan suddenly realized this and questioned the system.
After pondering the chaotic plot for three seconds, the system confidently replied: [As long as we complete the mission and earn points, the process doesn’t matter.]
Xia Yan, somewhat confused: [That makes sense.]
With absolute certainty, the system declared: [Trust me, you’re definitely the scum gong in this world, and there’s no way you’ll be dominated. As for the protagonist gong, he’s definitely spending money on you to reveal your ‘true nature’ to the protagonist shou, making him abandon the darkness and turn to the light.]
To be honest, Xia Yan had suspected that the protagonist gong might like him.
But as soon as the system spoke, it all seemed to make sense again!
According to the character setup the system gave him, after the protagonist shou started dating the original owner, he couldn’t tolerate the fact that the original owner blatantly accepted gifts from others and continued to flirt with a bunch of people, so he dumped him.
Due to the stalker issue and the mission, Xia Yan has been staying home recently.
The protagonist gong conveniently filled the lack of flirtatious targets.
Feeling quite clever, the system offered advice: [So, you should make the most of the protagonist gong. Flirt with him more so the protagonist shou finds out.]
Xia Yan’s eyes lit up, suddenly enlightened.
[I get it.]
The two were chatting happily when Wu Qin, feeling left out, sulked his way over, rubbing against Xia Yan like a large dog, resting his head on the young man’s shoulder.
“What are you thinking about?”
Xia Yan answered vaguely, “Nothing important.”
Wu Qin softened his voice, coaxing gently, “Can’t you tell me?”
“No.” Xia Yan shook his head without hesitation. Of course not! If he told anyone about the conversations he had with the system, they’d definitely think he was crazy.
The police investigation was coming to an end. With no substantial evidence, they simply registered Xia Yan and the others before leaving.
By now, it was already 11 p.m.
Xia Yan packed his things, ready to head home. Wu Qin followed closely behind, alert to everything around him. With his exceptional S-class Alpha senses, it seemed no one could escape his detection.
He was tall, with a slightly fierce face, exuding an air of menace like a wild dog guarding its master.
Those who had been eyeing Xia Yan for his good looks—both men and women—shivered and quickened their pace.
Wu Qin nodded in satisfaction.
With him around, Xia Yan was sure to be safe.
Xia Yan: “…”
–
As October came to an end, the weather grew colder. A thin sliver of moon hung quietly in the pitch-black sky, accompanied by a few scattered stars.
With each breath, the young man exhaled a faint mist of white.
In a secluded corner, Shen Wenqing stood, watching from afar as his boyfriend stood intimately close to another Alpha, like a couple.
An indescribable pain pierced his heart.
It hurt even more than when he first discovered he had differentiated into an Omega.
He had rushed out of the house today, only wearing a white shirt. After standing in the cold wind for a long time, his fingers had turned bright red and felt as cold as ice.
He stood there quietly for a long time, watching until they walked side by side into the underground garage. Only then did he slowly step out.
“Yan Yan.”
The intimate way he called those two words rolled off his tongue like a gentle caress, filled with such burning love that it could almost make one’s ears tingle.
The two simple words landed like a thunderclap.
Xia Yan was startled: “What are you doing here?”
On the other hand, Wu Qin clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning his head away with an expression full of disdain, clearly not wanting to see him.
Shen Wenqing barely managed to maintain his usual grace. “I came to pick you up. But now, it seems…” He paused mid-sentence, sighing heavily. His eyelashes fluttered uneasily, making him look both melancholy and sorrowful.
He continued, “It seems…you don’t need me anymore.”
Xia Yan…felt a twinge of guilt.
He looked at Shen Wenqing.
Shen Wenqing had been raised with strict discipline since childhood. His shirts were always meticulously tucked into his trousers, his suit pants impeccably pressed without a wrinkle, his hair forever neat and clean, exuding an air of chastity.
But today, his shirt was slightly wrinkled, one sleeve rolled up while the other hung down, and the wind tousled his hair, adding a touch of forlorn beauty.
All of this was because of his own “scumbag” behavior.
But what could Xia Yan do? The plot of the small world had been arranged this way. He could only silently comfort Shen Wenqing in his heart: all this suffering is for the sake of future happiness.
On the surface, Xia Yan remained indifferent, waving casually. “Wu Qin’s taking me home today, so you don’t need to.”
“…”
Shen Wenqing’s face visibly paled. He staggered back a step, the autumn wind billowing his thin shirt.
He looked so cold! Xia Yan worried silently. Could he catch a cold?
As this thought crossed his mind, Shen Wenqing suddenly doubled over, covering his mouth as he let out a muffled cough.
“Cough… cough…”
The man coughed for two full minutes. When he finally looked up, his face was flushed from the effort, and a thin layer of moisture glistened in his dark eyes.
Gone was his usual dominance, replaced by the vulnerability typical of an omega.
Forcing a smile, Shen Wenqing said weakly, “Yan Yan, I’m fine…cough cough…you can go, I’ll manage on my own…cough cough…”
Who could possibly leave now?
While the original Xia Yan liked accepting gifts and flirting with others, letting his precious omega catch a cold in the wind was another matter entirely.
Xia Yan immediately removed his black sports jacket—he had worn inconspicuous clothing on purpose for the bar observation mission. He still wore a sweater, which was much warmer than a shirt.
He handed the jacket to Shen Wenqing, commanding, “Put this on.”
“This…” Shen Wenqing hesitated, glancing at him. “Aren’t you cold, Yan Yan?”
“I’m warmer than you.” Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘What are you waiting for? Put it on already!’
Shen Wenqing’s fingers twitched, and a faint smile tugged at his lips, hiding his worry as he donned the jacket, which still carried the warmth of Xia Yan’s body.
“Thank you, Yan Yan.” He lowered his head, tugging at the collar of the jacket and sniffing it lightly, as if naturally sighing, “What would I do without you?”
His eyes were misty, full of trust and dependence on Xia Yan.
Xia Yan: “…”
Wu Qin ground his teeth audibly, inwardly cursing, ‘Where did this scheming green tea come from?’
Shen Wenqing had always been strong and confident, cold and aloof, like a snowflake at the peak of a distant mountain—beautiful but never evoking pity.
But now…he had learned to fake illness and play weak, exploiting others’ sympathy.
Wu Qin was certain—it had to be an act.
He had sparred with Shen Wenqing since middle school and knew him inside out. An Omega who could fight him to a standstill, afraid of the cold?
Ha!
Unfortunately, Xia Yan wouldn’t believe it even if he said so.
After all, the Omega identity served as Shen Wenqing’s perfect shield for playing the victim.
Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
Xia Yan had thought the situation was already chaotic enough, but in the next second, reality proved it could get worse.
A sports car screeched to a stop by the side of the road, and a tall Alpha, along with his three roommates, got out and headed straight for Xia Yan.
“Xia Yan.” Yan Ming spoke. “I brought them. I only told them about you receiving Shen Wenqing’s million-dollar gift. If it leaked, it must’ve been one of them.”
The usually strong bonds of brotherhood suddenly seemed insignificant.
All three roommates rolled their eyes simultaneously, glaring at Yan Ming in disdain for betraying their friendship for love.
“I told you it wasn’t me,” said the tall Alpha roommate. “I’ve always kept your secrets. When have I ever spilled anything?”
Another Alpha roommate chimed in, “We Alphas wouldn’t bother with snitching.”
“Hey, hey! What are you guys implying? Are you accusing me?” The only Beta roommate glared at them in frustration. “We’ve been roommates for two years. Don’t you know me by now?”
Each of the three insisted they hadn’t said anything.
Yan Ming, equally baffled, added, “If that’s true, then who posted the message about ‘my roommate saw Xia Yan accept a million-dollar gift from Shen Wenqing’?”
The post clearly pointed fingers.
Besides his roommates, Yan Ming couldn’t think of anyone else from S University who could have witnessed it that night.
He had trusted them enough to vent about it to them. So when Tang Zihang showed him the screenshots, he was utterly shocked.
In a hurry to prove his innocence to Xia Yan and to catch the “traitor,” he had dragged his roommates here.
The four of them exchanged confused looks, torn between not wanting to suspect their friends and being unable to fully trust them.
“Wait? What post?” Wu Qin was completely lost.
“You don’t know?” Yan Ming sneered, quickly filling him in, finishing with a sarcastic, “Hmph, how can you call yourself someone who cares about Xia Yan when you don’t even know this?”
Wu Qin: “…” No comeback.
The last time he checked the forum was when Xia Yan first arrived at S University, and certain people shipped him with Shen Wenqing, which made Wu Qin so angry that he hacked into the forum and shut down several accounts.
Under the dim streetlight, Shen Wenqing fiddled with the cuff of Xia Yan’s jacket, his expression suddenly turning serious as he listened to Wu Qin’s explanation.
“The post defaming Xia Yan wasn’t your doing?” he asked.
Wu Qin also realized something was wrong and didn’t confront Shen Wenqing. For once, they stood on the same side when it came to Xia Yan’s safety. He shook his head, “No, I haven’t logged in for a while.”
“Wait! You didn’t shut it down?” Yan Ming’s roommate looked at Shen Wenqing. “You’re Xia Yan’s boyfriend and have connections at school. We all thought it was you.”
Shen Wenqing narrowed his eyes. “By the time I acted, someone had already done it.”
Xia Yan was completely lost.
What on earth is going on here?!
