The week passed quickly.
During this week, Lu Heng rented a suite outside, and Jiang Yunxing took leave from school. The two hadn’t been apart since.
Strangely, even though Jiang Yunxing didn’t go home for a week, his parents acted as if they didn’t know. They did not even send a single message.
Mrs. Jiang only paid attention to Jiang Yunxing for a few days over a month ago, then went back to treating him like air. Mr. Jiang cared even less. Maybe he would be happier that Jiang Yunxing was not here, so that he could save a lot of money for living expenses.
Lu Heng deliberately stepped back from company matters, gradually withdrawing from management. After dealing with He Zhenting’s case, he didn’t return to the company.
Looking at it this way, even if they both suddenly disappeared one day, it wouldn’t affect how the world turned at all.
No one would care.
During this week, Lu Heng and Jiang Yunxing stayed close together, spending most of their time in bed. Lu Heng had never experienced such intoxicating pleasure before.
Sometimes he wondered if Lin Yao’s words were lies. That he was just using him to get through his presentation period without any real way to send them back. But these were just thoughts. He wasn’t one to give up when facing setbacks; rather, challenges motivated him more.
If Lin Yao deceived them, they could find another solution. These carefree days could be considered a vacation for himself.
Sometimes Lu Heng would talk to Jiang Yunxing about reality, but Jiang Yunxing remained tight-lipped about himself, not even willing to share his real name. Lu Heng wasn’t in a hurry to ask. After all, once they returned, Jiang Yunxing couldn’t hide these things anymore.
The day of Lin Yao’s presentation fell on a weekend. Early in the morning, someone knocked on their door.
Lu Heng was a light sleeper, and even though the knock was soft, he woke up quickly. As he stirred slightly, Jiang Yunxing, who had been pretending to be asleep while holding him, opened his eyes.
Still groggy, Lu Heng said hoarsely, “Lin Yao’s here.”
“I’ll get the door,” Jiang Yunxing said.
After Jiang Yunxing went out, he didn’t return for a long while. He was probably attending to Lin Yao outside. Lu Heng rolled onto his back, rubbed his face to shake off sleepiness, and after washing up in the bathroom, walked out of the bedroom. As soon as he opened the door, he ran into Lin Yao.
Lin Yao’s expression made him pause briefly. Usually, Lin Yao would greet him with a fake smile, but today he looked extremely tired.
Seeing Lu Heng, he still managed a smile. “Good morning.”
Lu Heng nodded. “Are you sick?”
“The first time I thought it was illness, so I was especially careful this time, but still couldn’t avoid it.”
This must be part of the plot setting. After all, Lin Yao was an Omega who could counter Alphas with his pheromones. It made sense for him to be weak when presenting.
Lu Heng said nothing and let Lin Yao enter while he went out to find something to eat.
Since they didn’t know when the presentation would start, Lu Heng ate his fill and asked Jiang Yunxing to guard the door while he went into the bedroom.
There was no couch in the bedroom, but Lin Yao made himself comfortable on the bed.
Lu Heng stood at the doorway, staring at Lin Yao in silence, neither of them speaking.
After a long while, Lin Yao finally compromised, “Are you just going to stand there? I’m fine being alone here. You don’t need to keep me company.”
Lu Heng tilted his head slightly. “I have questions for you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you bring Jiang Yunxing and me into this world?” Lu Heng said. “At this point, I hope we can all be honest. I don’t like beating around the bush.”
Lin Yao shrugged. “There’s nothing to hide. The Lu Heng of this world affected me the most. If you hadn’t come, ‘Lu Heng’ would have been marked by Xu He, the person you met when you first arrived. Being marked wasn’t actually a big deal, but that ‘Lu Heng’ had serious mental issues, which led him to many extreme actions and a tragic end. When I saw you dying, I knew with your personality, you wouldn’t stay stuck in petty school drama.”
From Lin Yao’s words, it seemed he didn’t know that Lu Heng had already heard all this from Jiang Yunxing.
“What about Jiang Yunxing?” Lu Heng asked.
“I told you before, he was just a placeholder.” Lin Yao said, “For certain reasons, I needed someone to replace Jiang Yunxing’s soul at that time, so I picked someone randomly.”
“What reasons?”
Lin Yao smiled bitterly. “Do you really need to dig so deep?”
Lu Heng remained silent, but both his expression and eyes conveyed his determination. Having such a unique experience of transmigrating into a book, he naturally wanted to understand everything clearly.
“Fine.” Lin Yao compromised again. “I could bring you both here because the Lu Heng and Jiang Yunxing of this world died before I came back.”
Lu Heng stayed quiet, waiting for Lin Yao to continue.
“Lu Heng had been tortured for so many years, he couldn’t find himself anymore. His mental breakdown was inevitable. Death was actually a release for him. As for Jiang Yunxing…” Lin Yao paused, saw the curiosity in Lu Heng’s face, and decided to be frank. He said casually, “I killed him.”
Lu Heng’s expression froze for a moment before quickly recovering. He stared at Lin Yao with a grim face. He really didn’t expect such a turn of events.
Didn’t these two reach a happy ending? How did it end up like this?
“On the day I presented, I happened to run into him. He marked me and confessed his feelings. I had feelings for him too at the time, so I agreed in a daze.” Lin Yao fell into his memories, his tone flat. “We were together for a long time and got married right after graduation. It sounds like an enviable love story, but one day I suddenly realized that because of him, I had unknowingly given up many things.”
“I gave up my dreams. Despite being the top scorer in the college entrance exam, I chose an ordinary university just to be with Jiang Yunxing. After marriage, I stopped working because with my low academic credentials and being an Omega, no one would hire me here. I gave up all my freedom and drowned myself in false comfort.
One day, I seemed to suddenly wake up. I remembered my original goals. How hard I studied because I wanted to reach higher places and have my own freedom. Looking back at those years, I realized people were only moved by my love story, but not a single person advised me to prioritize my own dreams. After that, everything I experienced daily took on a different flavor.
I talked to him about it, and I discovered that in his eyes, all of this was natural. He said he would protect me and I wouldn’t need to do anything. But I was stronger than him in every aspect. Whether in academics, career, or life skills, I could do everything better than him. I never needed his protection.”
Lin Yao paused, took a deep breath, and continued, “I was in so much pain I could barely breathe. But even then, when my heat came and I wanted to use suppressants, neither he nor my instincts would allow it. Later, he even claimed it was because I couldn’t control myself. He never considered that losing control wasn’t my choice, and while he could have helped me regain my rationality, he chose not to.”
“I hated him and myself. I regretted it every day. One day I decided to end it all. He came to save me, and we died together. I was lucky enough to come back, but he didn’t.” Lin Yao smiled slightly. “I’m glad he didn’t return, because, in that moment of death, I was actually touched, thinking he still cared about me. I almost forgave him.”
Lu Heng listened quietly without commenting. Lin Yao didn’t need to explain in such detail, but he probably just needed to vent. He didn’t need opinions or comfort.
“Sorry, I talked too much.” Lin Yao quickly returned to his usual self, showing his enigmatic smile. “That’s how it is. I had to bring someone to replace his soul.”
Lu Heng asked, “So after we leave, they’ll disappear?”
“I suppose so. These things aren’t based on science anyway. Who knows what will happen?”
“Stay here and call if you need anything,” Lu Heng said.
After they left this place, he and Lin Yao would belong to different worlds. He wasn’t curious about what Lin Yao planned to do next.
Lu Heng turned to leave, but Lin Yao called out behind him, “When you get out, will you look for Jiang Yunxing?”
Lu Heng’s steps faltered. “That’s none of your business anymore.”
He left the bedroom.
Jiang Yunxing sat on the living room sofa, head lowered, lost in thought. Lu Heng watched him from afar and did not rush over.
He realized he had automatically assumed he would look for Jiang Yunxing once they returned to reality. But why should he?
They had only known each other for two months. If not for these strange settings, they wouldn’t have become so close. Now that they were returning to reality, these settings would no longer exist. They would walk different paths.
If it was just to thank Jiang Yunxing for his help here, he could simply have someone transfer money to him. No need to meet in person.
But before Lin Yao raised this question, these thoughts had never crossed his mind. Even now that they had, he didn’t plan to act on them.
He wanted to meet the real Jiang Yunxing. He wanted to know what Jiang Yunxing had been through and wanted to keep him close.
Lu Heng walked toward Jiang Yunxing. As soon as he got closer, Jiang Yunxing looked up. “Ge.”
“Mm.”
Lu Heng sat down beside him.
Jiang Yunxing stared at his hands. “We can go back tomorrow?”
“I suppose so.” Lu Heng turned to look at his profile. “Jiang Yunxing, is the address you gave me real?”
Jiang Yunxing paused. “It’s real. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
He had given the address readily enough, but until now, Jiang Yunxing wouldn’t even tell Lu Heng his real name.
Even if he didn’t tell Lu Heng, with the address it would be easy to find out. But Jiang Yunxing’s attitude bothered Lu Heng a bit.
He raised his hand, ruffled Jiang Yunxing’s hair, and tugged at a strand.
“Don’t worry about anything when you get back. Just wait for me to find you.”
Jiang Yunxing nodded but looked gloomy. After a moment of silence, lost in thought, he asked, “Ge, why do you want to find me?”
Lu Heng said, “Meeting here was fate. Wouldn’t it be nice to get to know each other properly when we go back?”
“I’m just a student who just finished the college entrance exam. I have nothing.”
“I don’t need anything from you.”
“What if I’m ugly, short, and fat?” Jiang Yunxing pressed his lips together. “Or what if I’m broke and can only cause you trouble?”
Lu Heng chuckled. “Well, are you?”
“…I’m a bit better than that.”
“Your cooking is pretty good. I’ve enjoyed these past few days.” Lu Heng withdrew his hand and patted Jiang Yunxing’s back. “Don’t overthink it. The real me isn’t as great as you imagine either.”
Lin Yao’s heat arrived around ten in the morning.
In the original story, both Lin Yao and Jiang Yunxing were at home at this time. Xu He was on his way to Lin Yao’s house to deliver some food at his grandmother’s request.
While Jiang Yunxing’s parents were having their routine argument, Jiang Yunxing couldn’t stay in his room and went to find Lin Yao. He stumbled upon Lin Yao during his heat. Xu He missed this opportunity due to Lu Heng’s interference, which led him to suppress Lu Heng even more afterward. The day of Lin Yao’s heat became a turning point for both him and Lu Heng.
Lin Yao had already locked his bedroom door. Without an Alpha’s help, he would soon lose control. The sound of breaking objects came from the bedroom. When Lu Heng approached, Lin Yao was frantically ramming against the door.
He even managed to open the door himself and rushed out, his pheromones flooding the space. Jiang Yunxing ran away in fright.
Lu Heng frowned as he pushed Lin Yao back into the bedroom and locked it from outside. Worried about Lin Yao’s condition but unable to leave the house unattended, Lu Heng could only wait in the living room.
Lin Yao’s state continued until evening when the room finally fell quiet.
Jiang Yunxing was nervously cooking in the kitchen. After the noise ceased, Lu Heng walked over and heard knocking from the bedroom.
“I’m fine now.”
The voice was hoarse. Lu Heng opened the door to find Lin Yao standing there, looking dazed but back to normal.
The bedroom had been cleaned thoroughly, leaving no trace of what happened. All windows were open, and Lin Yao’s pheromones had mostly dissipated.
Looking at him, Lu Heng grew curious and asked, “What are your plans after this?”
“Continue studying, get into A University… a really good school,” Lin Yao said. “In this world, Omegas live in terrible conditions. Five years from now, someone will stand up to fight for Omega rights. I want to study law so I can meet him then.”
Lu Heng nodded slightly without further questions.
“Let’s just spend today normally,” Lin Yao said. “After I wake up, I should be able to send you back.”
Lin Yao left quickly and did not even stay for dinner.
Their last night passed like any other. They had dinner together, watched a movie in the living room, then returned to the bedroom.
Lin Yao’s scent had completely disappeared, quickly replaced by Lu Heng and Jiang Yunxing’s. Given that this was the last night they could enjoy the setting of pheromones, Lu Heng was reluctant to let go and kept Jiang Yunxing busy for a long while.
After it was over, Lu Heng felt satisfied and closed his eyes to rest. When he opened them, he found Jiang Yunxing staring at him.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Lu Heng asked.
“I’ll wait until you fall asleep,” said Jiang Yunxing, then added in a whisper, “When you wake up, I won’t see you anymore.”
Lu Heng chuckled softly. “It’s just a few days. The real me isn’t much different from now, just a bit taller. You, on the other hand, I don’t even know what you look like.”
“…What if I’m ugly?”
Here we go again.
Lu Heng looked up, studying Jiang Yunxing’s face. As the protagonist of this book, his face was indeed pleasing to the eye. Not many people could look this good in reality.
“That’s a valid concern,” Lu Heng said. “If you’re not up to my standards, I’ll pay for your plastic surgery in Korea. Don’t worry, there’s nothing we can’t fix.”
“…”
Lu Heng was amused by Jiang Yunxing’s aggrieved expression and laughed. “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to go abroad? Do you still want to?”
Jiang Yunxing shook his head without saying a word.
He wanted to go abroad because foreign countries were more accepting of same-sex relationships. If Lu Heng wanted him, he’d be happy anywhere as long as they were together. If Lu Heng didn’t want him, he wouldn’t have the means to go abroad anyway.
The thought of Lu Heng possibly not wanting him made Jiang Yunxing dejected again. His face seemed to have “gloom” written all over it. Lu Heng patted his cheek and closed his eyes again.
“Go to sleep,” Lu Heng said. “Everything will be fine when we wake up.”
This bizarre journey into the book was about to end.
–
The steady beeping sound reached his ears as Lu Heng regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes.
Everything was a white blur at first, and it took a while before his vision cleared. He saw the stark white ceiling, smelled the antiseptic, and heard someone standing up.
“Ge!”
Lu Heng couldn’t turn his head yet, but he glanced sideways to see someone rushing towards him. It was his younger brother, Lu Tian.
Lu Tian’s eyes were red, and seeing Lu Heng awake made them even redder as tears spilled out.
“Ge, you’re finally awake, I…”
Lu Tian choked up and buried his face in Lu Heng’s blanket, sobbing loudly.
That familiar face, those familiar expressions… This was his little brother Lu Tian, three years younger than him, who never did anything except cause trouble.
Lu Heng closed his eyes and smiled.
He was really back.
Raine: Just one more chapter.
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