Lu Heng raised his hand, his fingertips touching the back of his neck.
There was an extra piece of something inside.
The signal of heat was coming from here, as if a nerve was connected to the brain, impossible to ignore.
How troublesome.
Lu Heng put out his cigarette and turned around to search the room.
The room was large, but there were not many things inside. It was furnished with only a wardrobe, a bookshelf, a bedside table, and three cabinets. It was basically empty.
The Lu Heng of this world was still a student who wore his school uniform most of the time, so there were few clothes in the wardrobe. He didn’t like studying, so there were pitifully few books. Only the bedside table had more things.
The upper layer mostly contained small items. Lu Heng casually rummaged through them but saw no sign of suppressants. He closed the cabinet and pulled out the bottom drawer.
The drawer was filled with a dazzling array of toys, nearly blinding Lu Heng.
Lu Heng: “…”
Although he had heard Jiang Yunxing talk about the position of Omegas, Lu Heng was still shocked.
So the original owner relied on these things to solve his heat instead of suppressants?
Lu Heng closed the drawer, took out his phone, and called the butler.
Five minutes later, the butler sent over a box of suppressants.
Seeing Lu Heng take the box, the butler’s expression remained indifferent, still not saying a word.
Although he respectfully called Lu Heng “Young Master,” Lu Heng could sense that he did not receive the treatment befitting that title.
He didn’t even have the authority to go to the third floor. His status was even lower than a butler’s.
Was it because the “Lu Heng” in the book was too incompetent?
But in reality, Lu Tian was even more useless, yet he still had the status of a young master at home.
Although Lu Shenghua was strict, he wouldn’t waste time on useless things. He focused his energy on Lu Heng, and Lu Heng didn’t disappoint him, so he was more indulgent towards Lu Tian.
Lu Tian had no burdens since he was a child and lived a very comfortable life. While Lu Heng received respect from others, Lu Tian received favor.
Lu Tian lived as he pleased. Even if he caused huge trouble, someone would solve it for him. If the Lu Shenghua of this world was the same as in reality, Lu Heng shouldn’t be in this state.
Even in the latter part of this book, the “Lu Heng” was violated by Xu He, and the Lu family directly sent him away.
There must be a reason…
The back of his neck suddenly stung, and the scent of lime surged out in large quantities, out of control.
Lu Heng’s body went soft, lacking even the strength to hold the box.
He went to sit on the bed and placed the box on top. A thought flashed through his mind.
Was the reason he was treated so poorly now because of his gender?
He was an Omega, the dominated one, just like his sister Lu Ying in reality. Because of her gender, she had lost the right to inherit the Lu family from the start.
Lu Heng’s expression turned cold as he opened the box and took out a suppressant.
If that was really the case, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
In the face of real power, gender meant nothing.
Lu Heng raised his arm where the wound from a few hours ago remained. He lifted the suppressant and decisively jabbed it next to the wound.
After pushing all the liquid in, Lu Heng let out a breath.
Before he could relax for even three seconds, his vision went black, and he collapsed straight onto the bed.
–
A knock sounded at the door.
“Young Master? Are you resting?”
The housekeeper’s voice came from outside, followed by three more knocks.
Lu Heng slowly regained consciousness, his head still throbbing dully. He rubbed his brow and forced himself to wake up before getting up to open the door.
The aroma of food hit him, and Lu Heng instantly felt hungry. Looking down, his brows furrowed slightly.
He quickly adjusted his expression, but his tone still carried an unmistakable coldness. “Didn’t I say to remove the bones?”
He liked fish but hated picking out bones. In reality, he had never touched fish dishes with bones.
A household with dozens of private master chefs couldn’t even fulfill a simple request to debone fish? Just how low was his status?
Lu Heng’s anger seeped out, very different from his usual arrogance. The housekeeper didn’t dare meet his eyes and even shrank back a little.
“The chef was supposed to remove the bones,” the housekeeper said nervously. “But when the Second Young Master came back and saw it, he scolded the chef and told me to bring it to you directly…”
Second Young Master? Lu Tian?
The housekeeper risked a glance at Lu Heng before lowering her head again. “He also told me to tell you that the chefs are very tired every day, and you shouldn’t trouble others with such small matters in the future…”
Lu Heng: “…”
Damn this bastard.
After all the times he had covered for Lu Tian in reality, this was how the Lu Tian in the book treated him?
Burning with anger, Lu Heng tried to walk past the housekeeper, who wore an expression as if the sky was falling and frantically blocked his way.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Lu Heng frowned. “To find Lu Tian.”
He moved another step sideways, and the housekeeper followed, like a mountain blocking his path.
Lu Heng grew irritated. “What are you doing?”
“You can’t go out now. The others are still having their meal!” The housekeeper’s voice rose. “Without an invitation, you can only stay in your room and wait until they finish eating before going out.”
Her eyes were full of fear and panic, as if his leaving would trigger the apocalypse.
Lu Heng stopped, suddenly becoming calm.
This world was different from reality. He couldn’t be so rash.
“Lu Heng” had no status or rights here. He had only been here for a few hours and didn’t understand this place. With no allies, acting rashly could lead to irreversible mistakes.
He needed to think long-term.
“Alright, I understand.” Lu Heng suppressed his anger and took the tray, then added, “Could you bring me a bottle of red wine? That’s not too much to ask, right?”
The housekeeper hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, I’ll get it right away.”
Perhaps fearing what Lu Heng might do, she returned quickly with an especially good bottle.
“Just leave the tray outside your door after you finish eating.” The housekeeper carefully observed Lu Heng’s expression, and couldn’t help adding before leaving, “You have school tomorrow, so please don’t drink too much.”
After she left, Lu Heng put the tray on the table. Besides fish, there was a vegetable dish and soup, but Lu Heng had no appetite.
He probably hadn’t eaten lunch because of the Lin Yao incident. Even though he didn’t want to eat now, his stomach protested loudly.
Lu Heng irritably picked up his chopsticks, lifted the fish skin, and poked at the meat underneath.
The chef’s skill was undeniable. Even a simple braised fish was made exquisitely, but Lu Heng’s palate wasn’t ordinary.
After poking several holes in the fish belly, Lu Heng dropped his chopsticks and went to the window with his cigarettes and phone.
Maybe order takeout?
But who knew if outside food would meet his standards…
The screen lit up, and Lu Heng didn’t rush to unlock it, instead looking at two messages from unknown numbers in the center:
–Brother, I’m home.
–Mom and Dad are fighting, it’s really bad T-T
–
Jiang Yunxing arrived at school just as the evening study hall bell rang.
He had asked for leave from his homeroom teacher earlier, dealt with a few classmates’ greetings, then found his seat based on his memory of the novel.
There was no teaching during the evening study hall. Jiang Yunxing took out his homework from the drawer, feeling dazed looking at the problems.
In reality, he had just finished his college entrance exams not long ago and still remembered these questions, but not how to solve them.
His grades were barely average, and his attitude toward studying wasn’t good. The day after the exam, he had basically returned everything he’d learned to the teachers.
However, this actually fit Jiang Yunxing’s character setting.
The Jiang Yunxing in the book had poor grades and no interest in studying, but because of Lin Yao, he hadn’t given up completely. He even made a final push before the college entrance exam and got decent scores.
Before they started dating, Lin Yao often tutored him, leading to many intimate moments. After they got together, they used these opportunities to do many heart-racing things.
Thinking of the upcoming plot, Jiang Yunxing’s face heated up. He buried his head, then suddenly became calm.
The one who was with Lin Yao was Jiang Yunxing, not him.
Even though he was using Jiang Yunxing’s body now, he was a different person from the real Jiang Yunxing.
How could he be at peace with being with Lin Yao…
This conflicted feeling lasted until school ended. Jiang Yunxing didn’t want to walk with Lin Yao, but since he didn’t know where home was, he had to force himself to go upstairs to find him.
Lin Yao was with the boys from lunch, who had appeared several times in the book as Lin Yao’s close friends from his class.
They walked out of school together and split up at an intersection, leaving only Zhou Qi walking with them.
After a few steps, Zhou Qi asked Jiang Yunxing, “Lu Heng didn’t come to school this afternoon. Do you know why?”
Hearing Lu Heng’s name, Jiang Yunxing’s heart instinctively trembled before answering, “He went to the hospital.”
Zhou Qi snickered with schadenfreude but said nothing more.
Lin Yao asked, “Did you take him there?”
Jiang Yunxing froze, looking at Lin Yao, whose gentle eyes carried a deceptive quality that could lower one’s guard.
Jiang Yunxing nodded numbly.
“What? Why did you take him to the hospital?!” Zhou Qi’s expression changed instantly as he shouted, “He was in heat! You’re an Alpha. It’s bad enough you didn’t stay away, but you got that close to him?!”
“Zhou Qi, you’re starting again.” Lin Yao’s tone was slightly stern, and though reluctant, Zhou Qi obediently shut up.
Jiang Yunxing explained, “I gave him suppressants.”
“You gave him suppressants?” Lin Yao looked at Jiang Yunxing, confused. “Then why did he still go to the hospital?”
Jiang Yunxing opened his mouth, almost revealing Lu Heng’s condition, but caught himself in time and swallowed his words.
The author had given Lu Heng these conditions to better establish him as a villain, but now Lu Heng came from the same world as him and was no longer a villain.
These settings could become stumbling blocks for Lu Heng. The fewer people who knew, the better.
“Maybe he endured the heat too long, so the suppressants weren’t very effective,” Jiang Yunxing said.
Lin Yao stared at Jiang Yunxing for a long while before smiling, “I see. I haven’t presented1I’m changing differentiated to presented because it’s to exhausting to type lol yet, so I can’t really understand.”
Zhou Qi jumped in, “What’s there to understand? After you present, just keep plenty of suppressants. I’ll help you stock up too.”
“Isn’t it just one dose per month? Why stock up so much?” Lin Yao laughed, “Besides, I don’t need your help. Yunxing already has some ready for me.”
Suddenly mentioned, Jiang Yunxing lowered his eyes and hummed in agreement.
Because Lin Yao’s presentation was imminent, the Jiang Yunxing in the book had already prepared suppressants.
That’s why Jiang Yunxing had suppressants to bring when he arrived.
Zhou Qi talked the most on the way home, with Lin Yao patiently responding. Jiang Yunxing, whose character was naturally quiet, didn’t speak again and managed to get home without giving himself away.
As soon as he entered, a glass bottle flew past his eyes and shattered on the floor.
Glass scattered everywhere as Mother Jiang’s heartbreaking voice rang out, “Divorce! Divorce me right now!”
Father Jiang stood by the broken glass, sneering, “Idiot, you want to divorce me? Do you have money to remove the bond mark?”
Mother Jiang collapsed in the corner, screaming and crying while clutching her head, only able to vent by throwing things.
After she threw several bottles, Father Jiang suddenly snapped, walking over to grab her hair.
This was daily life in Jiang Yunxing’s home.
The Jiang Yunxing in the book never intervened in their fights, and neither did the current Jiang Yunxing.
He slipped into his bedroom during the chaos, shutting out the noise.
The house wasn’t well soundproofed. Even at his desk furthest from the door, Jiang Yunxing could still hear the commotion from the living room.
He covered his ears and stayed quiet for a while before taking out his phone.
His phone only had Lin Yao’s number saved, with Lu Heng’s added this afternoon.
After staring at their names for a while, he clicked on Lu Heng’s number and sent two messages.
The messages disappeared like stones in the sea, with no response.
Jiang Yunxing lay on his desk, repeatedly turning the screen on whenever it went dark.
He had lied to Lin Yao at noon. He hadn’t eaten lunch at all, and now he was very hungry.
Given his parents’ current state, dinner seemed unlikely.
The hospital visit and registration fee had used up all his money, so he couldn’t go out to buy food.
Perhaps he should have gone to Lin Yao after all…
But he wasn’t the real Jiang Yunxing. If he spent too much time with Lin Yao, he would eventually notice something was off.
Jiang Yunxing felt miserable, burying his head in his arms as his eyes stung.
His phone suddenly vibrated. After a stunned moment, Jiang Yunxing looked up to see a message notification on the screen.
–Senior year gets out this early?
Jiang Yunxing’s eyes lit up. He sat up, holding his phone with both hands to type back quickly.
–School hasn’t officially started, we got out at 6 ovo
Because he replied promptly, the other side responded quickly, too. This time with a phone call.
Jiang Yunxing almost dropped his phone. He stared at it for a long while before reluctantly answering.
“Hello? Ge…”
Lu Heng took a drag of his cigarette and asked directly, “Didn’t you go to Lin Yao?”
There was a pause before the reply came. “No, I’m afraid of giving myself away, and I don’t know exactly where he lives.”
A reasonable excuse.
But Lu Heng wasn’t some teenager in the spring of youth. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush.
“Don’t want to stay at home?” Lu Heng asked.
Jiang Yunxing: “Um… it’s not that, just… I don’t know how long they’ll fight. Maybe it’ll keep going…”
Lu Heng closed his eyes, cutting off Jiang Yunxing’s words, “If you don’t want to stay, come to my place.”
Jiang Yunxing suddenly went quiet, then burst out, “Ah, ah?! Your house?”
Lu Heng held the phone away until the shouting stopped, then said, “Yeah, I have something to discuss with you anyway.”
“Okay, okay, where’s your house, Ge? I’ll come right over.”
Lu Heng gave him the address and hung up, waiting by the window with a cigarette.
His window faced the main gate so he could see when Jiang Yunxing arrived.
After several cigarettes and nearly forty minutes, Lu Heng was getting impatient when Jiang Yunxing finally appeared.
He was pedaling an old bicycle frantically fast, then stopped at the gate looking lost, glancing around like a country bumpkin who’d just arrived in the city.
Lu Heng texted him to come in when the gate opened, then left his bedroom.
The dining activity had ended, and Lu Heng was no longer restricted. He went downstairs to open the main gate.
He waited at the entrance with a cigarette, watching Jiang Yunxing push his bicycle in.
Jiang Yunxing saw him, too, parked his bike nearby and walked nervously toward him.
The late August weather was still hot, and having just cycled, Jiang Yunxing’s cheeks were flushed, and his hair was damp with sweat.
Lu Heng caught the tobacco scent on him, and his intended harsh words changed. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”
Jiang Yunxing’s expression froze as he lowered his head embarrassedly. “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was so far…”
“Take a taxi next time. I’ll reimburse you.” Lu Heng turned around after speaking, “Come on, let’s go upstairs.”
Lu Heng led Jiang Yunxing to the second floor. The butler saw them but didn’t stop them.
They made it back to Lu Heng’s room without issue.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Yunxing started coughing from the cigarette smoke, too distracted to admire the room’s size.
Lu Heng ignored him and walked to the table, looking at the two dinner sets.
The earlier one had gone cold, so Lu Heng had asked for another. Amusingly, requesting a new meal was easily granted, but removing fish bones was somehow impossible.
Lu Heng’s gaze turned cold again, as if determined to stare through that fish.
Having adjusted to the smoke, Jiang Yunxing remembered Lu Heng’s words on the phone and asked, “Ge, what did you want to discuss?”
Lu Heng snapped back to attention and turned to look at Jiang Yunxing. His face, which should have appeared youthful, looked particularly noble and cold due to Lu Heng’s aura.
He didn’t answer immediately, instead turning sideways and lightly tapping his long fingers beside the fish dish.
“Remove the bones.”
TL Notes
- 1I’m changing differentiated to presented because it’s to exhausting to type lol
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