最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 43
He An was silent for a moment and replied, “No, I’m not.”
“What… what did you say?”
Zheng Feiluan froze and thought he heard it wrong.
He An then clarified what he said, “I’m not willing.”
Zheng Feiluan instantly choked on his own words.
How is this possible?
How can his He An, being the kind and clumsy omega that he is, see someone in need of help and not lend them a hand? Zheng Feiluan thought that no matter how many times he had failed before, showing a bit of vulnerability now would guarantee some success.
He quickly took out his phone, fearing He An didn’t believe him.
Jiusheng’s CEO change is not trivial news; just a keyword and hundreds of different kinds of news articles will show up, including short comics, shallow criticism, and everything else you’d expect to see in the typical business media.
He thought this could always prove that what he said wasn’t true, so he showed his phone screen to He An, but he only grinned strangely, “Did you think you were good at lying?”
“These… these are all true.”
“I’m not talking about Jiusheng. Obviously, you won’t spread that kind of misinformation that can be easily proven to be wrong. I’m talking about you—having no place to live.”
“You have savings, properties, and investments in Yuanjiang, and your last name is Zheng, so people would kill to have your social as well as financial status,” He An said, pressing down on his phone and pushing it back, “You already have more than most people will ever have in their entire lives; even if you never work again, you can’t possibly reach the point of being homeless, right?”
“Even if you really have nothing left after stepping down from the position, you’ll always have your twelve years of experience in the hotel industry with you. All those magazines say that you’re a legend in the business world, and in Jiusheng, you’re also known as Young Master Zheng, so if you were to leave the company, you’d still be a professional who is chased by many but hardly caught. Assuming that you can work elsewhere, I think there should be a lot of people lining up to have you work with them.”
“I…”
Zheng Feiluan couldn’t utter a word.
There was a “pfft” of laughter behind him, and he turned around, only to see Cheng Xiu trying to hold back his laugh and giving him a sympathetic look, which clearly meant: “I’m sorry, Mr. Zheng, He An really isn’t as stupid as you think.”
Zheng Feiluan’s throat felt tight, and he found it hard to breathe, then he turned his head to look at He An again.
Despite the fact that the omega was a full head shorter than him and needed to lift his chin a little to make eye contact, the height difference didn’t weaken the omega’s aura at all, instead it was Zheng Feiluan who felt like he was the shorter one of the two.
His frustration reached new heights.
Of course.
Threats, sweet-talking, showing weakness—none of these was ever going to work.
Once blinded by love, He An believed him without question, but now that love has gone away and the light of distrust is shining straight at him, his sloppy lies are exposed in an instant.
He An took advantage of his silence by pushing him away with all his strength, twisting his tiny waist, and slipping through the space between them.
Cheng Xiu also reacted fast, quickly pulling the person behind him and blocking the front with a large step, his hands raising the feather duster high like a golf club.
“M-Mr. Zheng, you see, we’d appreciate it if you left the premises, please be on your way…”
The duster was tilting, and its feathers were shaking in the direction of the inn’s small courtyard.
They’re kicking him out.
Zheng Feiluan looked at the cold and unyielding He An, finally realizing that the other party was dead set on cutting ties with him and wouldn’t budge no matter how much more he bargained.
This is the end of the line.
“I understand.” He slowly retreated, about to go outside, and said to He An, “You and Linglan… Take care.”
⋮
In the center of the courtyard stands a golden laurel tree with green foliage and bundles of bright yellow flowers.
When Zheng Feiluan, who was passing by while pulling his suitcases from under a tree, met the wind, his shirt blew off his shoulder and landed on a heap of burnt ashes.
He stopped, looked around the place: a folding gallery, wooden ceilings, swings, and shades of flowers—a peaceful, small, but elegant inn, remote but not shabby, cold but not neglected. Its location is more or less a little poor, but it was cherished by its owner with the desire to maintain it. Those who have been given the privilege of calling this place home will always remember it fondly.
But he had to leave.
Everything that needed to be said had been discussed; he had made an honest and genuine confession; and he had resorted to unethical means, every single one of which had failed.
He could definitely keep pursuing him; as an alpha with a solid reputation for authority, he had more than enough power to force He An to submit. If he was really cruel, he could even bring the person back to Yuanjiang for a reverse surgery, which would turn He An back into a smitten spouse, love him like before, cling to him, and no longer be able to say “no” firmly.
But then, what’s the point?
Except for a partner who has thrown away his soul, he gains nothing, including the answer he has been searching for so long: the ruler in his heart, constantly switching uneasily between love and rationality, wandering so far, and yet struggling to find the right balance.
⋮
Carrying his luggage, Zheng Feiluan left the Olive Inn and stood on the stone bridge in front of the entrance, dialing Yu Yue’s number and asking her to book him a flight to Yuanjiang in the afternoon.
Yu Yue’s position hasn’t changed. Now that she has a reasonable and decent boss, her productivity as the personal assistant to Jiusheng’s CEO has improved. However, due to an emergency at the office today, she was too preoccupied to take a break for lunch. This call from her previous boss came in the middle of a dozen other calls, and it was purely a coincidence.
When Zheng Feiluan was ready to hang up after giving the order, Yu Yue said, “Wait, wait!”
“What is it?”
“Mr. Zheng, I’m afraid you won’t be able to return today,” Yu Yue stated urgently. “All four of Yuanjiang’s airports were closed forty-five minutes ago, with an announcement saying that the earliest they are able to resume operations is tomorrow when the sun comes out.”
“Why?” Zheng Feiluan asked.
“A blizzard is expected to hit Yuanjiang tonight. It’s going to be blowing all night starting in the evening, and all flights have been temporarily canceled.”
Zheng Feiluan’s scowled, “How big of a blizzard? None of them can fly?”
“No, not a single one.” Yu Yue’s side was worried as well; her work journal was full of knives that had just been drawn on it, “This time it’s an emergency red alert; the Meteorogical Bureau just issued it. The snow is reportedly twenty centimeters deep, and the visibility is zero. Not only in Yuanjiang, but even the airports in nearby cities are closed. I still need to adjust about a dozen schedules here, and all of tomorrow’s meetings will be postponed. Mr. Zheng… your brother is also actually very worried right now.”
“Okay, I get it. Good work.”
With this news, he knew there was “no airplane to fly” and he hung up the phone.
He double checked the latest flight details, and sure enough, whenever he saw “Yuanjiang” on the departure and arrival sides, the flight status had been updated to a bright red “canceled.”
The weather conditions in Yuanjiang this winter have been significantly lower than average, and snowfall has been heavier than in past years. However, the winds have been quite mild, and storms have only occasionally swept through the city. So this is the first time in a while that they have canceled all flights.
This is a disaster.
Zheng Feiluan clasped the railing of the bridge, and his other hand, which had been resting on the suitcases, tensed up as well.
It looked like there was still a way to make it through the night.
⋮
It’s a great idea.
He put away his phone and started pulling his suitcase across the river. When he got to the bridge, he felt a weight on his feet, like something was holding him back, and he took a quick look behind him out of habit.
Red lanterns hang from blue vines.
At a short distance from the river, under the bright wooden signboard, He An was stepping on a half-foot high doorstep, looking at him with an empty basket hanging on his arm, seeming like he was prepared to go out.
The was no sign of surprise or alarm in the omega’s eyes. This made it clear to Zheng Feiluan that He An had heard everything he had said.
At that moment, he felt an extremely strong intuition—
He can stay.
“One day, just one day. No, just one night. I’ll leave before sunrise. Is that okay?” He seized his final chance to ask.
“A… blizzard?”
“Yeah.”
With a bright red flight status screen on his phone screen, Zheng Feiluan left his suitcase and walked across the stone bridge to He An, telling him, “There’s a blizzard in the evening, and it’s a red alert. It’s expected to last all night, and flights over the city have been canceled.”
He An hesitated for a second, but eventually took the phone and slowly scrolled down the screen.
Nicely grouped in a bold red text, a dozen airlines, over a hundred planes, and truly not one of them took off or landed as normal.
While the iron is hot, Zheng Feiluan strikes, “You also know… how the snow is in Yuanjiang. Once it starts pouring, there’s no getting out of it, and even in the daytime, it might get too heavy to see the road. There is a dangerous situation tonight, and I’m stranded. I’m sorry, He An, but I just can’t go. If there is no one staying in the room I reserved, maybe you can let me…”
He pleaded with all his might, “Stay just for the night.”
“….”
He An remained as silent as possible as he looked at the screen.
“Just one night, really, only one night. I promise not to do anything, I’ll leave at dawn, I won’t stay a day longer.” This was a chance of a lifetime, and Zheng Feiluan had managed to grab it; how could he be willing to let go so easily?
“He An, please…”
He looked carefully at He An, hoping the other man’s hatred for him would be touched with sympathy.
Blizzards in Yuanjiang are absolutely terrifying.
How could He An forget it?
The snow was falling and the wind was howling. He lived alone in an ice cellar-like rented house, listening to the harsh wind howling outside all night, his heart pounding in his chest, and his fingers almost losing sensation when they got close to the gaps in the window. After a night of snow and wind, the streets were covered with fallen trees, blown signboards, and collapsed shacks…
Nevermind.
I can’t let him freeze to death.
For obvious reasons, he can’t tolerate Zheng Feiluan staying for an extended period of time, but he can for one night out of goodwill.
Nothing should happen with Dai Xiao and Cheng Xiu around.
⋮
He An gradually softened and quietly said, “Just for one night.”
Zheng Feiluan was thrilled, and a spark of hope appeared in his eyes.
His intense staring was uncomfortable for He An so he said, “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t mean you’re allowed to stay for a long time. Once the weather calms down, you’ll return the key to me right away and go back to Yuanjiang.”
“Of course.” Zheng Feiluan smiled, “It’s better than not getting to stay even for a night.”
He An was still uncomfortable, and after some thought, he made a deal with him, “In the inn, you’re not allowed to act like a young master.”
“I promise I won’t.”
“And don’t get too close to Linglan.”
“Understood.”
“We have several people here who are omegas, so you have to hide your pheromones to avoid causing disturbances.”
Zheng Feiluan responded naturally, “I already have an omega. I don’t have any desire for that, and I’m not going to look for sex for the rest of my life, so don’t worry about that.”
“…..”
He An gagged in his throat, immediately regretting something—Cheng Xiu wasn’t there, Dai Xiao wasn’t there, and he was alone next to Zheng Feiluan, as if he’d fallen into the sneaky trap again.
“Then… come on in, so you can check in.”
He turned around reluctantly and leaped over the doorstep, carrying the basket towards the courtyard. Zheng Feiluan followed fast, not bothering to take the suitcase he left behind at the end of the bridge.
⋮
Zheng Feiluan came out of the lobby with the spare key: shiny silver with a green olive keychain dangling from it, the design matching the logo on the inn’s signboard, and the keychain clip, which was curved and very cute.
He turned it over for a closer look and saw that the room number was neatly written on it.
He couldn’t help but frown slightly.
The key wasn’t separate from the room number. A rookie mistake.
Zheng Feiluan’s workplace attentiveness makes him meticulous about every single detail, from the check-in period to checking out, and this habit can be tough to adjust even in Luotan Town. He wanted to go back and talk to He An, but on second thought, he was scared that if he gave a lecture right after getting the key, he’d be tossed out before he ever reached the room.
It’s best to leave it aside for now.
⋮
He carried his things and went up to the second floor, into the second room on the right.
When he opened the door, the room greeted him with clear windows, an original wood theme color, a tea set, a pillow cushion, beautifully arranged bedding, and the style of colorful paintings. The sun shines in through a floor-to-ceiling south-facing window, and when you look up, you can see flower branches, streaming clouds, and flying birds.
On the nightstand, there was a sticky note.
Zheng Feiluan bent down to pick it up and saw a beautifully handwritten message:
Welcome to Olive, and thank you for choosing us from among the hundreds of inns in our town of Luotan. We have accommodated many short-term guests, but you are our very first long-term guest, and we hope that Olive Inn will be able to provide you with the comforts of home over the next year. Kindly let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.
A sketch of a fat, lazy cat, signed Liubailiu, is used as the dedication.
This penmanship…
Zheng Feiluan remembered the discarded magazines in the rental house.
It was written by He An.
He looked down at the note paper and read the words on it again and again, and the more he read, the softer his eyes became, and in the end, he found himself laughing out loud, almost feeling like every word was a love letter from He An to him.
He suddenly had another thought, raised his head, and scanned around the room—
The gray knitted slippers, the towel with white flowers on a blue background, the bouquet… He An took care of all the little things, such as flowers made from branches cut from the courtyard. Then doesn’t this mean that even the bed he’s about to sleep on has been touched by He An’s hands?
Zheng Feiluan was once very concerned about the standardized guest room process, believing that only flawless, reliable, repeatable services could most efficiently improve quality, but he no longer believes this. He felt that only such an exclusive guest room could bring out what He An did for him—something unique and so highly valuable.
Zheng Feiluan opened the card folder and tucked the note between the first and second layers.
⋮
He sat on the bed’s edge, checking the weather forecast.
The storm was only going to pass through for one night, and Yuanjiang would be greeted with sunny skies the next morning, so it was impossible for him to stay at the Olive Inn for long.
He only had one night.
This was his one and only chance.
✕✕✕
Man, this chapter was hella long 😩
Translated and edited by janemoyu (11/01/23)
