The phone rang, and Lu Heng glanced at it. It was from Lu Tian.
“Where did you run off to?” Lu Tian’s tone wasn’t pleasant. “I’m in your office right now. Come back quickly, we need to talk about work.”
“Talk about what?” Lu Heng rested his elbow against the car window, his voice flat. “Dad gave you the company, but he hasn’t asked you to take over yet. Your only task now is to learn.”
“…” After a moment of silence, Lu Tian snapped, “Lu Heng, what’s wrong with you? The company isn’t even yours anymore, why are you still hanging around? Do you know what people think when they see an Omega surrounded by Alphas every day? Do you know how dangerous that is?”
Lu Heng’s tone remained even. “They can’t hurt me.”
“Are you so sure? Because of that Alpha with 100% compatibility with you?” Lu Tian’s voice rose. “What else does he have besides that? Could he protect you when something happens? Then why were you attacked before and almost forced?”
Lu Heng frowned. “How did you know about that?”
“…” This time, the other end fell truly silent.
In the past month, Lu Heng had only been attacked once, by Wu Chong.
But Lu Heng only briefly mentioned this to Fang Zaiqi and never brought it up again. How did Lu Tian know so much about it?
Moreover, Lu Tian’s attitude toward his brother seemed strange to Lu Heng.
“Lu Tian, I’m managing the company well now so it’ll be easier for you when you take over. Stop meddling in my affairs,” Lu Heng spoke again, his tone turning cold. “And don’t casually call me by name. I’m your older brother.”
Before Lu Tian could respond, Lu Heng hung up.
After a moment of silence in the car, Jiang Yunxing carefully asked, “Ge… what’s happening with the company?”
“Nothing important.” Lu Heng’s tone was as casual as discussing what to eat when hungry. He changed the subject and turned slightly to ask Lin Yao, “Was what you said earlier true?”
Lin Yao shrugged. “I have no reason to lie to you.”
Lu Heng thought for a few seconds. He obviously still did not believe Lin Yao. “But I saw my own death…”
His soul left his body in that instant. He watched his family crying, saw Gu Lanzhi cover him with a white cloth…
“You were just in critical condition, nothing was certain. Trust me, your bodies are still lying safely in the hospital,” Lin Yao said. “Neither of you had fatal injuries. Waking up wouldn’t be a miracle.”
Lu Heng frowned slightly. “What will happen to our bodies if we don’t go back?”
Lin Yao: “That’s unclear.”
Lu Heng turned to look at Lin Yao.
Lin Yao continued, “I’m being honest. If you don’t want to go back, I don’t know what will happen to your bodies there. They might actually die, or they might just sleep forever.”
Lu Heng: “What about the time limit? How do you determine if we’re willing to go back?”
Lin Yao shook his head. “There’s no exact answer. I can only guarantee one thing: I’ll send you back after you fulfill my request.”
“What’s your request?” Lu Heng asked.
Lin Yao didn’t answer right away. He glanced at Jiang Yunxing, as if something crossed his mind. Some emotion flickered across his face before he turned back to Lu Heng.
“I want you to stay with me on the day of my presentation,” Lin Yao said.
Lu Heng froze. “Why?”
Was Lin Yao’s request really that simple?
“I’ve thought about it for a long time. I’m sure everything went wrong starting from that day,” Lin Yao explained. “My presentation is special. I’ll go into heat the same day, and strangely, suppressants won’t work that day.”
Jiang Yunxing’s head moved slightly before he quickly stopped. Lu Heng glanced at him, and when their eyes met, Jiang Yunxing quickly looked away.
A heat that suppressants couldn’t control. Lu Heng experienced it just over a month ago. During that time, the Omega had completely lost their mind and retained no memory of it. Even now, Lu Heng couldn’t remember what happened during those forty minutes that night.
“During heat, Omegas enter an irrational state. Without suppressants, even if they lock themselves in a room, they’ll find ways to seek out Alphas.” Lin Yao’s expression turned serious. “I don’t know why suppressants failed that day of my presentation. They worked fine afterward, and medical checks showed nothing wrong. It was as if… that day was specially arranged for me.”
It was because the plot demanded it.
This thought popped into Lu Heng’s mind.
He remembered what Jiang Yunxing told him. In the novel, Jiang Yunxing and Lin Yao bonded on Lin Yao’s presentation day. They confessed their feelings afterward and lived happily together. As for Xu He, who had also planned to find Lin Yao, he missed his chance because of the novel’s Lu Heng, and that was when Lu Heng’s suffering began.
Because the plot demanded it, Lin Yao had to go into heat that day and something had to happen between him and Jiang Yunxing.
But he couldn’t tell Lin Yao this. It would be too complicated. If he told Lin Yao they were just characters in someone’s story, he probably couldn’t accept it.
But one thing was certain. Lin Yao didn’t want Jiang Yunxing’s mark that day. Without that mark, perhaps Lin Yao never intended to be with Jiang Yunxing.
Moreover, Lin Yao knew clearly what happened afterward in the book.
“How do you know?” Lu Heng asked. “Your presentation hasn’t happened yet. How do you know what will happen?”
At this point, Lin Yao seemed done with hiding. He smiled and replied, “Because I’ve lived through it.”
“…What?”
“I lived through the next six years once already,” Lin Yao said. “Now that I’m back, I want to be different.”
This sounded like… rebirth?
Lu Heng looked at Lin Yao, feeling strange. But since he and Jiang Yunxing had transmigrated into a novel, someone being reborn wasn’t that odd.
He admired Lin Yao’s thoughtfulness. The events of his presentation day were fixed. Even living again couldn’t change the fact that he would go into heat that day. To break that ending, removing the novel’s Lu Heng and Jiang Yunxing was the best solution.
Not only would he have someone to protect him, but there would also be no one to mark him.
“If I help you through that day, will you send us back?” Lu Heng asked again.
“Yes.” Lin Yao confirmed.
“When?” Lu Heng asked.
“Let me check…” Lin Yao leaned in to look at the date. “In a week.”
So soon.
The thought of returning in a week made Lu Heng feel dazed for a moment. He quickly came back to his senses and gazed into the distance through the car window.
He had only been in this book for a little over a month, meeting many familiar people but experiencing completely unfamiliar situations.
If asked whether he had any attachments to this place, the answer would be none at all.
If he could go back… that would be the best outcome.
“Okay,” Lu Heng said.
–
In the end, Lu Heng didn’t go to Lin Yao’s house. After dropping Lin Yao off, he took Jiang Yunxing to a hotel.
He had been processing Lin Yao’s information the entire way, causing him to overlook Jiang Yunxing’s unusual behavior.
Since their first meeting, Jiang Yunxing had been as obedient as a well-trained puppy, complying with Lu Heng’s every wish.
Since Lu Heng was going back, he naturally assumed Jiang Yunxing would go with him.
It wasn’t until after they showered and were kissing on the bed that Lu Heng noticed something was off about Jiang Yunxing.
“Focus,” Lu Heng said with a slight blush, pushing Jiang Yunxing gently. “What’s wrong?”
“…” Jiang Yunxing remained silent.
Just like before, he couldn’t hide his emotions. His dejected expression was clearly written on his face.
Lu Heng wrapped his arms around Jiang Yunxing’s neck and asked again slowly, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yunxing lowered his eyes. “Did someone take over your company?”
It was obviously an attempt to change the subject, but Lu Heng still responded with a “mm” and said calmly, “Not exactly taken over. I saw it coming, so I made backup plans.”
Jiang Yunxing asked in confusion, “What plans?”
“I bought stocks in Lu Corporation’s branch under my personal name. With all the projects I’ve negotiated recently, the stock value will increase at least tenfold within two years,” Lu Heng explained. “Even without running a company, that money would be enough to live comfortably running a small shop for the rest of our lives.”
Lu Heng’s arm grew stiff from holding Jiang Yunxing for too long. He withdrew it and shifted to his side.
Jiang Yunxing was stunned for a while. He also turned to lie down, still looking confused. “…Is that enough?”
Was Lu Heng working this hard just so he could take it easy later?
He thought Lu Heng was trying to make a name for himself and wanted to return to how things were in reality.
Lu Heng looked at Jiang Yunxing’s expression and unconsciously curved his lips. “Do you know how I died?”
Sensing Jiang Yunxing’s body stiffen, Lu Heng continued, “I wanted to prove myself so badly that I worked myself to death.”
According to Lin Yao, he hadn’t actually died at that point, but seeing Jiang Yunxing’s expression, Lu Heng kept that part to himself.
“When I first arrived here, I thought about giving it my all again, recreating my real life here. Back then, I thought I was still Lu Heng even though I’d transmigrated into a book. Nothing had changed except the setting.” Lu Heng paused. “But later I realized I was wrong.”
“Everyone around me was familiar, but they were completely different from their real-world counterparts.” Lu Heng turned to look at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting. “You mentioned before that the Lu Heng in the book was a villain who, after being forced by Xu He, went on to serve others.”
Jiang Yunxing: “…Mm.”
According to the author’s intent, the main storyline was a sweet campus romance between Lin Yao and Jiang Yunxing. Lu Heng’s subplot leaned more towards non-con. The book’s popularity stemmed from the author’s skill in writing steamy scenes, with Lu Heng’s storyline taking up the majority.
That being the case, there must have been plenty of details written about him.
Lu Heng: “Who were these people?”
Jiang Yunxing: “…”
“Lu Tian was one of them, wasn’t he?” Lu Heng said flatly.
Jiang Yunxing’s silence confirmed his answer.
Lu Heng had sensed something from his interactions with this world’s Lu Tian.
Lu Tian’s attitude was strange. While appearing considerate, selfishness leaked through every aspect.
In this world, it seemed all Alphas viewed Lu Heng this way, except for Jiang Yunxing.
A 100% compatibility rate was Lu Heng’s only hope for salvation, but the author had erased this possibility.
Jiang Yunxing, who could save Lu Heng, was the protagonist of this book and would never feel sympathy for Lu Heng.
This was a world that couldn’t be judged by real-world values. It was terrifyingly dark.
“Lu Tian is my younger brother by three years, a useless crybaby who still respected me.” Lu Heng sighed and muttered, “This story is absolute trash.”
Jiang Yunxing remained silent but tightened his arms, holding Lu Heng closer.
Lu Heng hugged him back, gently closing his eyes.
After a while, Jiang Yunxing said, “We’ll be able to go back soon.”
Once they returned, all of this would be nothing more than words on paper. It wouldn’t have any impact anymore.
Although it should have been a happy moment, there was deep sorrow in Jiang Yunxing’s voice.
“Jiang Yunxing.” Lu Heng looked at him. “You don’t want to go back?”
“…” Jiang Yunxing buried his head in Lu Heng’s neck without saying a word.
His breathing was heavy, and his arms trembled slightly as if he was holding something back.
Lu Heng suddenly realized that Jiang Yunxing had also died before entering the book.
Lu Heng softened his voice, “How did you get in here?”
He had wanted to ask this for a long time, but from the bits and pieces he heard, he sensed that Jiang Yunxing’s real-life experiences weren’t good.
As expected, Jiang Yunxing remained silent, just quietly holding Lu Heng.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” Lu Heng said.
Having bad experiences wasn’t a big deal. Once they returned to reality, he could solve any problem.
“Ge, I’ll do what you want,” Jiang Yunxing finally spoke, his tone firm. “If you want to go back, I’ll go back.”
His hands were still shaking as if he had made an incredibly difficult decision. Lu Heng patted his back.
“Don’t be so nervous,” Lu Heng said. “You’re in Guangxi, right? Where exactly? I’ll find you when we get back.”
Jiang Yunxing hesitated before giving an address. Lu Heng nodded and said nothing more.
Lu Heng’s body was warm. The scent of his clothes mingling with his pheromones created a comfortable fragrance.
Jiang Yunxing took a slow, deep breath and let it out softly, his heart aching intensely.
What would happen after they returned?
Lu Heng could continue being his boss, living the life he wanted, without the trouble of his gland condition or the suffocating stares he received here.
It sounded wonderful.
But… was there any place for him in that picture?
He was just an ordinary person, with no good family background or promising future. He couldn’t even get into a good university.
Once they returned, he would have no value to offer. Lu Heng would probably forget about him quickly.
Even if Lu Heng did come to find him, he would surely leave in disgust after seeing what he really looked like.
After making arrangements with Jiang Yunxing, Lu Heng was in a good mood. After lying together for a while, he felt aroused again.
Just as he wanted to continue what they were doing earlier, Jiang Yunxing let go and sat up.
Lu Heng pressed down on his hand. “What are you doing?”
Jiang Yunxing kept his head down and mumbled, “Doing my homework…”
“…” Lu Heng frowned. “You’re leaving in a week. What’s the point of doing homework?”
After they returned, the ABO setting would no longer be in effect. Honestly, although this setting had many annoying bugs, Lu Heng was quite satisfied with Jiang Yunxing’s pheromones.
He really liked Jiang Yunxing’s pheromones, and with the ABO setting, making love was particularly pleasurable.
He wouldn’t be able to experience that after they went back.
Lu Heng raised his hand and pulled Jiang Yunxing back, wearing that expression that brooked no resistance.
Jiang Yunxing: “…Ge.”
“It’s the last week,” Lu Heng said coolly. “We should make the most of it.”
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