The Beta from the Countryside (25)

Duan Xingyan had gentle, clean-cut features, and the delicate necklace looked perfectly at home on him.

The star pendant rested just below his collarbone, partly hidden by his collar.

"The gift Xiao Xue Ci gave me is beautiful." Duan Xingyan's hand was slender but strong, and the pendant looked tiny when it slipped into his palm.

Just like the feeling the boy before him gave him.

So beautiful he couldn't look away.

In this world, everyone who treated you well and approached you had an ulterior motive.

Duan Xingyan had once believed that.

His first dozen or so years had been brief but eventful-he had been abandoned by one adoptive family after another, and met with disappointment and cold looks when they learned his gland was damaged.

All of it had gradually made him hide his emotions, wrapping his true feelings in layers of polite warmth.

But... Xue Ci wasn't like that.

The boy's gentleness slowly melted the heart he had always kept cold.

Perhaps he had been too guarded. He should try to accept the love and compensation the Gu Family offered.

Oh, except Gu Xu.

Duan Xingyan gently touched his lips to the pendant, turned around, and ignored Gu Xu's stormy expression as he went downstairs.

Romance was worth the least to someone who had struggled through the mud, but Duan Xingyan thought that if he had only a hundred yuan, he would spend it all on roses for Xue Ci.

Of course, he wouldn't just buy flowers. He would keep earning money and buy Xue Ci everything he wanted.

After giving out his gifts, Xue Ci was planning to return to his room and rest. But Gu Xu strode over in two or three steps, looking so imposing that he took a small step back in fright.

The Alpha's lips were pressed tight, his brows drawn and the corners of his mouth turned down. But he didn't look fierce or annoyed. Instead, he seemed a little... aggrieved?

What was wrong?

Xue Ci could tell Gu Xu was in a bad mood, but he didn't know why. He ventured, "Did you get a lot of questions wrong on your test?"

"..." Gu Xu was at a loss for words.

How could he be so oblivious to his feelings? Hadn't he made them obvious enough?

He wanted scar-removal cream too, and a meaningful gift.

The words rose to his lips, but Gu Xu swallowed them. In the end, he awkwardly went along with Xue Ci and said, "Mm."

"That was a past exam paper. It's normal for it to be difficult." Xue Ci was afraid the protagonist would lose motivation and affect their progress. "You can start by practicing with easier ones."

Seeing how concerned Xue Ci was for him, Gu Xu felt most of his grievance fade. He held out his hand, palm up, in front of Xue Ci.

?

Xue Ci gave him a puzzled look.

"I was trimming the garden yesterday, and I pricked my finger."

It was really just a tiny prick that didn't hurt or itch, and Gu Xu normally wouldn't have cared at all. But for some reason, he now desperately wanted to show Xue Ci the nearly healed wound.

Seeing that Xue Ci was still looking for it, he volunteered, "It bled quite a lot. It'll probably leave a scar."

Was that so?

Xue Ci couldn't find the wound, but he offered a few words of concern anyway. "You should be more careful from now on. But a scar on your finger won't be noticeable."

Heh. Duan Xingyan got scar-removal cream.

But a scar on him didn't matter.

Xue Ci's favoritism left Gu Xu wanting to speak, but he couldn't very well ask for anything. That would make him look petty over a box of ointment. In the end, he went downstairs with a belly full of sour feelings.

After returning to his room, Xue Ci finished unwrapping and putting away his gifts, then officially began his month-long summer vacation.

11 didn't issue any missions, saying that all the important plot events happened after school started.

Xue Ci began to slack off, saying a couple of things to Gu Xu every day as if clocking in, maintaining his persona of secretly loving him.

His skin hunger flared up occasionally, but the symptoms were mild. He could get through them on his own and didn't need any additional desensitization treatment from Gu Ling.

Seeing how carefree he was every day, Gu Ling didn't bring it up again. He spent his free time looking through nutritious meal plans.

He still thought Xue Ci was a little too thin, like a fragile kitten that needed to be well cared for.

Among Xue Ci's gifts were game cards, puzzles, comics... Even staying home every day wasn't boring. He also remembered something he had promised to do-help Hu Shenglan tend the flowers and plants.

It hadn't been convenient while he was at school, but now that he was on vacation, he decided to set aside a little time each day for it. He even arranged for the butler to wake him up early.

But... putting it into practice proved especially difficult.

Whenever he woke up, it was at least past nine, and at that hour in the height of summer, the sun was already blazing. Xue Ci stepped outside and immediately began to melt in the heat.

Gu Xu happened to see him and strode over in two or three steps to pull him back.

"The sun's so strong. Where are you going?"

Gu Xu knew that a little sun turned him pink and white, and even the sweat that beaded on his skin smelled sweet. He was like a soft little dumpling.

The Alpha was hard all over, and pressing against him was uncomfortable for Xue Ci. "I was going to trim the roses, so I came out to see how hot it was."

Feeling the person in his arms struggle, Gu Xu slowly let go.

"Wouldn't you melt if you went now? Your skin is so delicate, you'd definitely complain that it hurt."

Of course Xue Ci wasn't stupid enough to deliberately stand in the sun in such hot weather. Gu Xu had simply moved too quickly and pulled him away before he could return to his room.

He looked up.

Gu Xu looked a little serious, his brows slightly furrowed. "Once the sun's gone, I'll come trim them with you."

"Oh," Xue Ci said.

Gu Xu was probably laughing at him inwardly, thinking he was stupid and couldn't even manage something like trimming flowers and plants.

It was a lucky accident. In the original plot, that was the impression he had left on Gu Xu too.

The gardening plan was postponed until after sunset.

The air conditioning in the living room was on full blast, and the two of them occupied the sofa, playing games.

Gu Xu looked focused, but he was actually a little distracted.

Xue Ci was sitting close to him. Not only could Gu Xu constantly smell his faint fragrance, but a casual glance also revealed things he shouldn't be seeing.

It was hot, so Xue Ci wasn't wearing much. His exposed skin was either white or pink, and his toes were plump and pinkish-white from the air conditioning.

Now and then, the butler brought ice cream, and after eating it, his lips would be red and plump too.

Whichever part it was, Gu Xu thought... it looked very kissable.

If he took one into his mouth and bit down, Xue Ci would probably tremble all over without resisting, only pleading softly for him not to do that.

The increasingly strange thoughts made Gu Xu's Adam's apple bob, and his breathing grew slightly heavier.

A rich woody scent wafted from the back of his neck. He immediately took a deep breath and controlled his pheromones, so he wouldn't embarrass himself like last time.

"Do you want some?" Carrying out his daily secret-crush task, Xue Ci pushed the strawberries toward Gu Xu.

"Oh," the Alpha said, picking one up and tossing it into his mouth.

Soon, Xue Ci heard the sound of points being credited, and the corners of his lips curved in satisfaction.

After eating the strawberry, Gu Xu asked casually, "By the way, do you have any plans lately?"

Xue Ci was puzzled. "Hm?"

"For the vacation." Gu Xu thought that Xue Ci had grown up in the countryside and might not have been to many places, so the vacation was a good chance for him to get out. "Didn't someone mention an art exhibition in Europe last time? Do you want to go see it?"

Xue Ci shook his head.

The progress bar was already at 75%, and he didn't dare casually add unnecessary plot.

Gu Xu said nothing.

Perhaps going to Europe would be too much of a burden for Xue Ci. They could go somewhere nearby instead.

"Then do you want to buy clothes? Or is there something you want to eat? A new mall opened nearby, and we could go to the indoor amusement park too. If you think it's too sunny to go out, we can go at night."

Why was he suddenly asking all this...

Xue Ci thought Gu Xu probably wanted to go, and since he had nothing else to do, he nodded and agreed.

Gu Xu's lips curved upward.

He still remembered the big teddy bear Xin Yue had won last time. This time, he planned to win an even prettier, bigger plush toy for Xue Ci.

The thought of Xin Yue and Xue Ci going out alone made Gu Xu jealous and restless again.

"By the way, has Xin Yue messaged you recently?"

Xin Yue and Gu Xu were good friends, so Xue Ci didn't find the question strange.

"..." He nodded like a kitten.

Both Xin Yue and Xie Yishu had been messaging him lately, but Xin Yue sent more-nine out of every ten messages were from him.

Most were everyday chat, though he occasionally sent photos of himself playing ball, and Xue Ci replied whenever he saw them.

As for Xie Yishu... Artificial intelligence had ideas of its own now, and Xue Ci couldn't figure out what the system used to judge how close a relationship was. So replying to Xie Yishu had become a risky business.

After the progress bar was deducted twice in a row, he didn't dare respond to every message. At first, he replied once every other day, then eventually stopped replying altogether.

Fortunately, Xie Yishu might have been busy too, and he didn't send any more messages after that.

Gu Xu pretended not to care. Just as Xue Ci thought he could focus on the game, Gu Xu suddenly asked, "What does he send you? Does he ask you out?"

Startled by the interruption, Xue Ci mishandled his character, who fell straight into the lava.

He pouted. "Mm, we agreed to go to the hot springs."

"What?!"

The sudden rise in his voice startled Xue Ci. "...What's wrong?"

"He already tried to kiss you last time, and you still agreed to go to a hot spring with him? Are you soaking in the same pool? Will you wear clothes? Or go in completely naked? You know the more enclosed a space is, the harder it is for an Alpha to control his pheromones, right? What if his susceptible period starts? Do you know what he'll do to you? Even if you're a Beta, he'll get his pheromones in there, and then-"

Xue Ci had heard similar things before. In a panic, he clapped a hand over Gu Xu's mouth. "N-no more."

His cool fingers covered the lower half of Gu Xu's face, his palm pressed against lips that weren't particularly soft.

They were very close, and Xue Ci's sudden action left Gu Xu stunned.

His fingers are so soft...

His brain couldn't think. His mouth pressed closer against the gaps between Xue Ci's fingers, his breath hot and heavy, soon leaving them damp.

From his angle, he could see the boy's faintly trembling lashes. His expression was clearly both embarrassed and annoyed, but he was too stupid to know how to retaliate and only knew to make him shut up in the most direct way.

He was so stupid and easily softened. If Gu Xu said he felt unwell during his susceptible period and asked for help, he thought Xue Ci would soften and come closer. Even if his neck were bitten and his belly filled, he would only cry softly.

Saying things like his belly felt swollen and uncomfortable.

A layer of hot sweat broke out on Gu Xu's back, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Xue Ci felt something wet and hot lick his palm. He immediately jerked his hand away and stared at Gu Xu in disbelief.

Gu Xu's heart pounded. Realizing what he had done, he awkwardly averted his gaze, his ears and neck flushing red.

"You covered it too tightly. I was trying to speak, and my tongue accidentally touched you."

He seemed to care a great deal. After explaining himself, he only relaxed when Xue Ci's gaze returned to normal.

Xue Ci made it seem as if he were some pervert who liked licking pretty boys' fingers.

Only a simp like Xin Yue would be willing to suck on someone's fingers. Even if he were in a relationship, he would definitely do normal intimate things, like kissing on the lips and sucking on that. How could he possibly do something like lick fingers?

Xue Ci paid no attention to Gu Xu's jumbled thoughts. He ran to the kitchen to wash his hand, then came back and continued playing.

But Gu Xu wouldn't let the hot spring matter go, as if he were deliberately picking a fight.

"Wouldn't soaking in a hot spring in this weather give you heatstroke? It's bad for your health, and hot springs are so dirty. You're a clean freak, so you definitely wouldn't like it."

Seeing that Xue Ci didn't look very happy, he toned it down.

"If you want to go, I'll find one with private baths. You can soak by yourself, without having to stay with a dangerous Alpha like Xin Yue."

Xue Ci missed the point. "It's not just me and Xin Yue. Duan Xingyan's coming too."

Gu Xu: "?"

Xin Yue was going, and Duan Xingyan was going, but not him?

He asked expressionlessly, "Why is Duan Xingyan going too?"

Xue Ci explained, "Xin Yue sent the address to the dorm group chat. Duan Xingyan saw it and asked if I was going to the hot springs. He said he was free that day too and asked if he could come along."

"And you agreed?" Gu Xu remembered there was one more person in the dorm group chat. "Is Xie Yishu going too?"

Xue Ci shook his head. Xie Yishu hadn't spoken in the group chat lately. "The class monitor is probably too busy."

Good. Gu Xu was still bothered that he hadn't been added to the group. If he had been in it, would he only be hearing about this now?

But the thought of Xue Ci going to a hot spring with two Alphas who had ulterior motives still made him uneasy.

"Are the three of you soaking together?"

"That place has private baths." Xue Ci thought Gu Xu seemed very interested in hot springs, since he had been asking about them for so long that he had even stopped playing. So he ventured, "Do you want to come?"

Gu Xu froze. His face flushed red, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Then he straightened up.

He cleared his throat with an air of composure, but his voice was still much hoarser.

"What day?"

"The weekend." Xue Ci thought for a moment. "But you'll have to ask Xin Yue. He booked the hot spring villa."

"Okay." Gu Xu immediately picked up his phone from the coffee table and sent Xin Yue a WeChat message.

Gu Xu: [Count me in for the hot spring this weekend.]

Xin Yue: [?]

Xin Yue: [Wait, why should I?]

Gu Xu: [Xue Ci said to include me.]

Xin Yue: [?]

Xue Ci was considering whether to start another game when his phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from Xin Yue.

Since Gu Xu and Xin Yue were good friends, Xue Ci answered right in front of Gu Xu. As soon as the call connected, he heard the slight grievance in Xin Yue's voice. "Are we bringing Gu Xu too?"

He used "we," as if Gu Xu were a third party intruding between them.

Xue Ci found it a little strange.

Weren't they good friends?

"Don't you want to bring him?"

Of course Xin Yue was unhappy, but when he remembered that Xue Ci liked Gu Xu, he could only say, "Bring him. As long as you can come."

Damn it. It was supposed to be just him and Xue Ci, but now they had enough people for a game of mahjong.

Xue Ci hung up, and after that little hiccup, they could finally get back to the game.

The two spent the afternoon gaming at home. As the sun was about to set, Xue Ci remembered to go into the garden and trim the plants.

But Gu Xu seemed worried that he would butcher the rose branches. He took all his tools and silently finished the job himself.

When he was done, the Alpha casually dusted off his hands.

Xue Ci, who was a bit of a neat freak, noticed a leaf in his hair and told him about it.

Gu Xu couldn't find it, so Xue Ci simply plucked it out for him.

Why did this feel so... couple-like?

The corners of Gu Xu's mouth lifted as he cheerfully asked if he wanted to go to the amusement park in the city now.

Xue Ci obligingly nodded. He could make some progress on the progress bar while they were at it.

But a phone call from Hu Shenglan put an end to the date Gu Xu had been looking forward to.

Hu Shenglan said she needed Xue Ci's help with something and suggested they all have dinner together that evening.

Though Gu Xu wasn't happy about it, he didn't dare go against Hu Shenglan.

He had already planned to win Xue Ci a whole pile of stuffed toys, but it seemed that would have to wait.

That evening, everyone sat down at the dining table except Father Gu, who was abroad on a business trip. Looking at Xue Ci's rosy cheeks, Hu Shenglan felt the satisfaction of having raised a child.

She put a piece of fish on Xue Ci's plate. "Xue Ci, are you free tomorrow?"

Xue Ci looked up. Thinking Hu Shenglan wanted him to go shopping with her, he obediently nodded.

Only after seeing that he was free did Hu Shenglan explain. "A friend of mine has recently been trying her hand at photography, but she couldn't find a suitable model. I showed her your photo, and she immediately thought you were perfect. She begged me to ask you out for a shoot."

Before Xue Ci could speak, Gu Xu spoke up beside him. "Mom, where did you get a photo of Xue Ci?"

How come I don't have one?

Hu Shenglan said, "The one on his student ID."

Duan Xingyan agreed. "I've seen it. It's a very cute photo, but not as cute as Xiao Xue Ci in person."

Gu Xu: "?"

You've seen that too?

Xue Ci agreed, of course, but he thought he looked stiff in photos and was a little worried about wasting her time.

Hu Shenglan said, "How could you possibly look stiff? You're so good-looking. It's fine, you'll relax once you get started."

She had her own little wish, too. Her friend specialized in vintage court-style photography, mostly featuring beautiful, elaborate European dresses with delicate lace.

But no matter how pretty Xue Ci was, he was still a boy, and she was worried he might mind. "Some of the outfits are dresses, though. Is that okay?"

Xue Ci was taken aback.

He really had never worn a dress before.

But there was so much anticipation in Hu Shenglan's eyes that he agreed. "I'm fine with anything."

He didn't notice that after he agreed, the Alphas present all had flickering looks in their eyes.

Hu Shenglan was thrilled. "The shoot will be a little tiring, so get a good rest tonight. I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

As soon as she finished, Duan Xingyan spoke up. "I'm free tomorrow. Can I come along, Mom?"

Duan Xingyan's tone was a little awkward, as though he still wasn't quite used to calling her that. But Hu Shenglan could clearly feel the change in her second son lately. He was gradually accepting her attempts to make it up to him.

Not only did he take the initiative to go shopping with her, he didn't reject the spending money she gave him, either. They got along exceptionally well. Her second son was emotionally intelligent, had excellent taste, and knew how to give compliments, unlike the other two, who just sat down in the stores whenever they went shopping.

It seemed Xue Ci really was a little lucky star who could keep the family harmonious.

Hu Shenglan reached out and pinched Xue Ci's soft cheek. "Let your second brother go with you. If you get tired, have him help you."

Xue Ci looked like a cat whose face had been squished out of shape. He was a little shy around strangers, so he was naturally happy to hear that Duan Xingyan was coming along.

Hu Shenglan was very pleased to have the two considerate boys, Xue Ci and Duan Xingyan, accompany her. But when she came to pick them up the next day, they could barely all fit in the car.

She hadn't expected Gu Ling and Gu Xu to come along too.

After noticing the open and subtle rivalry between them, Hu Shenglan said nothing and drove the whole carload to her friend's villa.

Hu Shenglan's friend was called Li Man, and the two were about the same age. Li Man had only recently taken up photography, so she had specially converted the living room of the villa into a studio and used the other rooms to store digital equipment and clothes.

This was her first shoot too. She had everything ready, but she didn't have a model. When Hu Shenglan brought Xue Ci over, her eyes lit up. Both Xue Ci's looks and his bearing were completely natural, far exceeding her expectations.

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Li Man's face.

But... what was the deal with the three Alphas behind him?

Seeing her reaction, Hu Shenglan introduced them of her own accord. "Those three are all my sons. They thought it sounded interesting and wanted to come have a look."

Of course Li Man didn't believe her.

Their expressions didn't look like they were interested in photography. It was more like... Seeing their gazes fall on Xue Ci from time to time, she looked thoughtful.

After giving them a brief tour of the dressing room, Li Man picked out a vintage lace dress with a fitted waist and tiny gems. It was in a very old-fashioned court style, with intricate, detailed workmanship, and came with a hoop skirt and milky white stockings.

Besides those accessories, Li Man also picked out a small hat for Xue Ci.

"I only photograph these clothes once, so no one's worn them before. After you wear them, I won't give them to anyone else to wear either."

Of course, she thought Hu Shenglan's sons might find an excuse to take the outfit away.

For Xue Ci, who was a bit of a neat freak, Li Man's words were undoubtedly reassuring.

He carefully took the dress and accessories and went into the changing room.

Court-style dresses were already cumbersome, let alone one inlaid with gems. Xue Ci moved very carefully, and by the time he had the dress on, a thin layer of sweat had already formed on his skin.

But the zipper in the back didn't slide smoothly, and he couldn't pull it all the way up.

Xue Ci quietly opened the changing room door. Through the gap, he could only see Duan Xingyan.

"Second Brother... could you come here for a moment?"

His voice was faint, but Duan Xingyan, whose five senses were sharp, still heard him.

Of course, he wasn't the only Alpha with sharp senses.

Xue Ci had clearly only called for his second brother, but soon, three people appeared in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Gu Ling was the first to speak.

"Oh..." Xue Ci was a little embarrassed. "I can't reach the zipper in the back."

"Let me take a look."

Gu Ling was tall and long-legged, with broad shoulders. His head nearly touched the changing room doorframe.

Xue Ci stepped aside. After Gu Ling came in, he was about to close the door, only to nearly bump into the next person's chest.

Duan Xingyan and Gu Xu followed him inside too.

With a click-

Gu Xu, the last one in, shut the door behind him.

Why... did they all come in...

The changing room was cramped to begin with. Gu Ling stood at the very back and reached out to pull up the zipper on Xue Ci's snow-white back, little by little.

The Alpha's fingers were hot, and their occasional touch made Xue Ci's shoulders tremble involuntarily.

Duan Xingyan was right in front of him, half-crouching as he helped arrange the hoop skirt.

Gu Xu stood at his side, his gaze sometimes falling on the milky white stockings on the stool and sometimes on Xue Ci's face.

Everyone was breathing heavily, their breaths densely packed together, stealing the oxygen away.

As if starved of oxygen, Xue Ci was squeezed in so tightly that the slightest movement brushed him against someone's arm or thigh.

Don't, don't crowd him anymore.

But everyone seemed oblivious to how hard it was to breathe, earnestly helping him adjust his outfit.

Xue Ci held on for a little while, but in the end he really was a little short of oxygen. He spoke between little gasps for air.

"Could... one of you go out first..."

Author's note:

Boo-hoo, the baby's going to get squished, boo-hoo.