Beat Him to Death

Shattered Star Island was small, but it had every amenity.

Xie Lin and Lu Ye spent most of the day exploring and only returned after dinner.

"You know this place pretty well, President Lu!"

"Mm, I come here on vacation occasionally."

That was true. He was usually so busy that he had no time to come here at all.

Xie Lin glanced at him and said nothing more.

The two returned to the villa and opened the door to find a man with his entire upper body wrapped in bandages sitting on the living room sofa, his face thunderous.

Fu Yunxi's searching gaze moved back and forth between them.

"Where did you go?"

Xie Lin scoffed.

"You have to stick your nose into everything, even where your daddy goes?"

Lu Ye, meanwhile, looked bashful.

"I took my wife shopping."

Xie Lin slapped him on the back of the head.

"Shut up!"

Fu Yunxi kept feeling that the two seemed closer after the day he had spent away, and his anger surged.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, his tone mocking.

"Xie Lin, you really can't stand being lonely, can you? Our engagement hasn't even been broken off, and you've already lined up your next man?"

Lu Ye's expression darkened, and he took a step forward.

Fu Yunxi instinctively shuddered, once again feeling the fear of being suppressed by someone of the highest rank.

"Stay back! If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll call the police immediately!"

Before Lu Ye could act, Xie Lin darted forward and kicked Fu Yunxi in the chest.

When he tried to kick him again, several crew members held him back.

"Mr. Xie, Mr. Fu just got out of the hospital! Please have mercy-aaah!"

If Fu Yunxi went back to the hospital, were they even going to be able to keep filming this dating show?

Xie Lin spent a long while furiously kicking at the air before finally letting out a cold laugh and standing still.

"Mention the engagement again, and I swear I'll beat you to death!"

"Hah!"

Fu Yunxi looked smug, oblivious to the danger.

"You just still have feelings for me. That's why you can't stand hearing me say that word."

"Fuck, you want to die? I'll grant your wish!"

Xie Lin flew into a rage, dragging the crew members forward step by step. They were on the verge of losing their hold on him.

One of them rolled their eyes.

"Mr. Fu, please stop talking!!"

The director shouted:

"Get Film Emperor Fu out of here!"

A crowd immediately rushed forward and hauled Fu Yunxi upstairs, dragging and pulling him along.

At last, the entire first floor quieted down.

Drenched in sweat, the crew members looked at Xie Lin, who had the strength of an ox and was still fuming.

Was he really an omega?

Why was he harder to hold down than a pig being slaughtered for the New Year?

Lu Ye stepped forward and held Xie Lin against his chest, his palm stroking his back again and again.

"Be good. Don't get angry over scum like him. I've already sent someone to retrieve the things you left with the Fu family."

Xie Lin went still, his attention instantly diverted.

He tipped his head back to look at Lu Ye.

"...They got everything back?"

"Mm. I just checked the inventory. I'll send it to you in a bit. There are nine items in total, including a Cold Plum Painting, right?"

"...Right!"

Xie Lin struggled to speak, his voice hoarse.

He could give up everything else, but that painting had to be retrieved.

It was the gift his alpha grandfather had given him on his eighth birthday.

Before he differentiated, Xie Lin had been as mischievous as a monkey.

Elder Great-Grandfather had just finished the painting, and before the ink had fully dried, he had darted over, leaving a distinct fingerprint on a plum branch.

Not only had the old man not been angry, he had laughed heartily and tapped the tip of his nose.

"From now on, this painting belongs to our Taotao alone."

Wen Xubai was a master of traditional Chinese painting renowned at home and abroad. After Xie Lin's parents died, he had been so grief-stricken that he could no longer bring himself to pick up a brush and had simply retired from painting altogether.

The Cold Plum Painting became his final work, carrying over a decade of the Xie Family's joys and sorrows.

Lu Ye looked down at the dejected man in his arms, gently kneading the back of his neck.

He kept murmuring:

"Don't be afraid. I'll always be here from now on!"

Back upstairs, Xie Lin was staring out of the window when his phone screen suddenly lit up, interrupting his thoughts.

He froze when he saw the caller ID.

"Elder Great-Grandfather?"

Wen Xubai's voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of teasing.

"Still filming the show?"

Xie Lin's hair immediately stood on end, and he even began to stammer.

"H-how... how did you know?"

On the other end, Wen Xubai sounded secretive, as though he were hiding from someone, his voice extremely low.

"While your grandpa's away, come on, tell Elder Great-Grandfather. Who are those alphas of his? Is that bastard Xiao Ji one of them?"

Xie Lin gave a few dry laughs.

"...Haha, I made that up!"

"Impossible. Taotao never lies!"

Xie Lin scratched his cheek, feeling a little guilty.

"You're seeing me through some seriously rose-colored glasses..."

"Hiss-so it wasn't true?"

"Ah, right. It was for the show!"

Like every alpha, Elder Great-Grandfather was possessive and petty.

Sure enough, after hearing his explanation, Wen Xubai let out a long breath, his tone turning lighter.

"I knew it. Qiuqiu would never do something like that behind my back."

Xie Lin's eyes curved with his smile too.

"Hehe, Elder Great-Grandfather, did you call just to ask about that?"

Wen Xubai was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke.

"...We're back."

Xie Lin froze, then abruptly sat upright on the sofa.

"You're-back in the country?"

Wen Xubai's voice sounded a little weary, but above all, it ached for him.

"Mm. If we didn't come back now, who knows how badly the Fu family would bully my precious grandson?"

"Elder Great-Grandfather, I'm fine..."

"All right, my dear boy. Just focus on filming the show. We'll have a proper talk once this episode is over. The plane just landed. We'll head back to Snow Hall and wait for you."

"...Okay. How's Grandpa doing?"

"He's much better."

Wen Xubai's voice lowered.

"He's just worried about you. He hasn't slept well these past two nights."

Xie Lin could no longer hold back his tears, and they pattered onto the floor.

"I'm sorry. It's all because of me..."

"What have you done wrong?"

Wen Xubai's voice abruptly deepened. Even over the phone, Xie Lin could feel the pressure of that S-Class Alpha.

"It's all that bastard Fu Yunxi's fault. Did you earn that certificate for nothing? Beat him to death! Don't be afraid if anything happens. Your grandpas will back you up!"

"Mm!"

After hanging up, Xie Lin held his phone, staring blankly into space.

A startled cry suddenly came from behind him.

"Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Lu Ye climbed in through the balcony window and immediately noticed his reddened eyes and the tear tracks still wet on his face.

He rushed over in a few strides, dropped to one knee, and looked up at Xie Lin, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Tell me. What happened?"

Xie Lin flushed and hurriedly wiped his tears away, his voice still thick and nasal when he spoke.

"Nothing. Elder Great-Grandfather called. They're back in the country."

Lu Ye's brow furrowed slightly, as though he had remembered something.

"I remember your omega grandfather was recuperating abroad, right?"

"Right!"

Xie Lin switched back into sarcasm mode.

"You even know that, President Lu? Is there anything you don't know?"

Lu Ye took his hand, gently rubbing the back of it with the pad of his thumb, his eyes full of heartache.

"I also know that after your parents died, your alpha grandfather got into a car accident while in a daze and lost one lower leg."

Xie Lin's body abruptly stiffened.

Before he could speak, Lu Ye had already stood up, taken out his phone, and called Qin Zheng.

"Boss!"

"Xie Lin's grandfathers are back in the country."

Lu Ye's voice was calm, carrying the commanding pressure of someone in authority.

"Send the very best medical team over. Have them on standby twenty-four hours a day."