TCFGBH Chapter 77

The cold wind whistled as sparse snowflakes fell, mingling with rain and hitting the ground. Pedestrians in puffer coats hurried past, umbrellas in hand.

At Longyue Hotel.

The only three-star hotel in town—barely up to the standard and a far cry from those in the city—had two front desk clerks gossiping together, occasionally giggling softly.

They didn’t notice when someone quietly entered from the spiral staircase. A tall Alpha approached the front desk, holding two ID cards.

“Hello, is 606 and 608 available?”

“Hello.” The front desk clerk greeted him quickly, checking her computer. “606 is available, but 608 is occupied. Shall we switch you to 609?”

The Alpha turned and looked back at the man behind him for confirmation.

The front desk clerk followed his gaze and couldn’t help but be impressed.

What a striking Alpha? No, wait! With that collar…an Omega. Her eyes darted between the two of them, her mind racing.

Are they a couple?

It doesn’t seem like it… The Alpha seemed respectful and obedient, like someone deferring to a superior. Only after the Omega nodded did he agree to take 609.

The clerk took their IDs, noting their names and addresses.

Why were people from Shanghai here?

She processed the check-in quickly and cheerfully welcomed them. As soon as the two men entered the elevator, she excitedly turned to her colleague to gossip.

“What a powerful Omega.”

“And this close to New Year’s—why are they even coming here?”

“By the way, 606 is right next to 607.”

They exchanged a look, and then glanced around, lowering their voices even more. “The guy in 607, Mr. Xia, not only looks great but also really generous.”

“You think they’re here for him specifically?”

“I’m smelling some juicy gossip.”

…

Hotel, Sixth Floor.

Shen Wenqing took the key card for 606, but as he stood in front of his door, he couldn’t help but glance toward the number 607… The hotel’s soundproofing was decent; he couldn’t hear anything from outside.

609 and 606 were separated by two rooms. His bodyguard whispered, “Young Master, do you want to visit 607?”

“…Not yet.”

Shen Wenqing withdrew his gaze and entered his room. The space wasn’t large, furnished like a typical hotel, with its one redeeming feature being the cleanliness—there wasn’t a speck of dust in any corner.

He placed his luggage in the closet, changed the bedding with his own clean sheets, tidied up his things, and then sat in a chair by the window, staring out at the sleet and lost in thought.

When he couldn’t find him, he’d been desperate to do so; now that he’d come all the way here… he wasn’t sure what to say.

The relationship between him and Xia Yan was always vague and undefined.

Time passed, and as night fell, only the city lights illuminated the room. He thought he heard muffled voices through the walls.

Shen Wenqing opened his door, hearing familiar voices in the hallway.

Xu Rang: “Are you up for hot pot delivery? We could make some in my room tonight.”

Xia Yan: “Make it in your room.” He wasn’t about to go to bed with a hot pot smell lingering.

Always the unbothered guy, Xu Rang gestured with an “OK”: “No problem. I’ve ordered the usual stuff like potatoes, enoki mushrooms, and beef slices. Want to add anything?”

Xia Yan leaned in close to look at the phone. “I want omasum, lamb rolls, shrimp paste…”

The two Betas stood close, casually looking at the screen together. They were both at ease and open, with no hint of romantic tension.

After placing his order, Xia Yan became aware of a gaze fixed on him. He looked up, meeting the other’s eyes.

Instantly, his heart raced.

Thump-thump-thump!

Xia Yan could clearly hear his own heartbeat.

Shen Wenqing stood just inside his room, the door ajar with only a palm-sized gap. Light from the hallway cast across his face, sharply dividing light and shadow.

He had always looked striking, with that refined and upright elegance—like a green bamboo, upright and unyielding, exuding his own unique aura.

Combined with the perfect lighting, he looked like he was in a photograph by a professional photographer.

Even Xia Yan couldn’t help but admire him—for a moment, until he remembered it was Shen Wenqing.

Goodness, that scared him half to death!

Xia Yan almost thought he was dreaming. He pinched his palm, felt the pain, and shivered slightly as he realized—it really was Shen Wenqing?

Why was he here? Was he still hung up on him? But wait! He’d blocked and run away from the guy—pretty ruthless and heartless, so what was still to be hung up on?

Or… could he be here to beat him up?

No, that’d be a bit much, right?

Hold on! Was he forgetting something?

Xia Yan’s gaze fell on the man’s neck, where a familiar black collar was tightly fastened, locking in the Omega’s vulnerable gland.

He had left without taking off Shen Wenqing’s collar!

Who could endure that? As a boyfriend, it was almost inhumane.

But… why hadn’t Shen Wenqing just taken his ID to the Halda direct store and had the collar removed? Sure, the process was long and complicated, but it would’ve done the trick.

Back then, Xia Yan had felt wronged, feeling like he was being held back. He’d left in a huff out of a sudden burst of frustration.

After a few days of lying low, he realized he may have overreacted. From Shen Wenqing’s perspective, he must have seemed completely inexplicable.

While all these thoughts raced through his mind, only a few seconds had actually passed. Feeling awkward, Xia Yan raised a hand, greeting him weakly, “Hi! What a coincidence.”

Shen Wenqing watched his face change from pale to flushed, and then, sensing Xia Yan’s eyes repeatedly darting to his neck, he subtly reached up to touch the collar and made an uncomfortable face.

Sure enough, Xia Yan’s expression became awkward.

“Are… are you okay?” Xia Yan asked.

“Not really,” Shen Wenqing said softly, stepping out of his room. “Yan Yan, I want to talk with you about us. Alone.”

Xu Rang, who had been standing nearby, quickly caught on: “You two talk. I’ll head back to my room.”

He was in 608 and could slip away in a single stride.

Xia Yan: “…” Help! What was he even supposed to say?

“Not coming in?” Shen Wenqing asked.

He took the initiative to push open the half-closed door to 607 and walked inside.

The room was similar in size and layout to his own, though unlike Shen Wenqing’s spotlessly clean, almost model-room-like space, 607 had a few personal touches that made it feel more lived-in.

The single room only had one chair, which was already cluttered with random stuff.

Pausing for a moment, Shen Wenqing ended up sitting on the bed, patting the spot beside him, and inviting the visibly tense young man to join him. His calm confidence made him seem more like the room’s owner. “Have a seat.”

“No need,” Xia Yan said quickly, waving his hand. “I’ll just stand.”

“…” Shen Wenqing looked at him in silence.

Under his gaze, Xia Yan suddenly felt a bit guilty. This was maddening! It was Shen Wenqing who had pushed things to the final step… But, their mutual support had been equally important to each other.

There were no laws saying that an Omega had to be the shou, right? Maybe he had held a double standard all along.

But Shen Wenqing was a maniac—using ankle chains to restrain him… though he had released him in the end! It was like playful experimentation between a couple, not the end of the world.

And Xia Yan had put a collar on him.

Xia Yan racked his brain, trying to find a reason to get angry and sever their relationship for good. But whatever reason he came up with, he found himself mentally contradicting each one.

“Yan Yan…”

Shen Wenqing looked up, his gaze soft and vulnerable. His dark eyes quickly welled up with tears, wetting his long lashes. He blinked, and a few drops fell along his cheeks.

Xia Yan’s mind went blank.

Shen Wenqing… was crying??

The first time they’d met, he’d suddenly shifted from a Beta to an Omega, enduring nasty verbal assaults from three lowlife Alphas.

According to the system’s mission, Shen Wenqing had been going through a particularly rough time then.

Yet even at his lowest, he hadn’t cried.

Xia Yan had never seen him shed a tear before. In his memory, Shen Wenqing was refined, gentle, strong… and, occasionally, a bit neurotic.

In short, he was not the type to cry out of helplessness.

Panicking, Xia Yan reached out, hastily wiping away the tears on his face. “Don’t… don’t cry! We can talk things through.”

“Yan Yan, are you really going to break up with me?”

“Well…” Xia Yan looked away. “I’m kind of dating Xu Rang right now, so being with you too…” isn’t really right.

Xia Yan wasn’t familiar with the original plot, only guessing from the missions, but from what he’d seen of Shen Wenqing and Wu Qin’s relationship, imagining they’d go from enemies to lovers was a wild dream.

The story was already far off course, and there was no reason for him to be the one stepping up as the new protagonist!

He’d have to leave sooner or later; better to end things early.

“We haven’t broken up yet.” Shen Wenqing’s tears only fell harder, his eyes reddening, each tear glistening as it dropped, lending him a fragile sort of beauty.

Xia Yan couldn’t think of a response. He wasn’t the smooth-talking type, nor did he have a talent for creating the right atmosphere. And when it came to relationships, he was barely experienced.

Fortunately, Shen Wenqing didn’t keep him waiting too long.

“When will you break up with Xu Rang?” he asked.

“…”

“Are you going to stay together forever?” Shen Wenqing softened his voice, almost sounding casual, “Maybe you’re just together for a month?”

Xia Yan didn’t answer, but his surprised expression seemed to say, ‘How did you know?’

Internally, Shen Wenqing sighed in relief, relaxing a bit as he continued his vulnerable act. “Sorry, after you blocked me, I tried to find you and asked around in bars. I found out Xu Rang only took a month off.”

“Fine, since you’ve guessed it, I won’t keep it from you.” Xia Yan nodded, pretending to stay calm. “I got tired of Shanghai. This time I’m just home for the New Year, playing around with Xu Rang for a change of pace.”

Shen Wenqing blinked, appearing wounded.

Inside, though, he smirked. He didn’t believe a word of it. The atmosphere between Xia Yan and Xu Rang had no trace of romance—more like a prince and his servant.

And Xu Rang was that servant.

“You’re studying in Shanghai, so you can’t be here with me. Obviously, we’d have to break up,” Xia Yan said, not even blinking as he found an excuse.

“Just because of that?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“So… if I could be with you, would we not break up?” Shen Wenqing asked quietly, “I’ve already finished my third-year courses. I could take a leave of absence and return just for exams.”