The Beta from the Countryside (29)

The corridor was growing louder. Through the door, Xue Ci couldn't make out what was being said, only that there were quite a few people.

But no one came to knock on his door.

Xue Ci stood inside, hesitating over whether to open it. He glanced at the task deadline and saw that only a few minutes remained, so he steeled himself and went to the door.

Opening it gave him quite a fright. Several tall Alphas were blocking his doorway completely. They had been arguing a moment ago, but at the sound of the door opening, every one of them fell silent and turned to look at him.

Their stares made Xue Ci a little uneasy.

Gu Xu was the first to approach. The Alpha's voice was urgent and cold. "You... who taught you to take photos like that?"

Xue Ci heard the sound of points being credited, just as he had hoped, but Gu Xu looked so frightening that his fingers instinctively drew back from the door.

Thinking he was about to close it, Gu Xu quickly reached out and held down his pink-and-white fingers.

Xue Ci was too slow. Once Gu Xu caught his fingers, he couldn't pull them free.

"...Wh-what's wrong?"

"What are you doing? If you've got something to say, say it. Why are you putting your hands on him?" Seeing that Gu Xu had frightened him, Xin Yue snapped at Gu Xu.

Duan Xingyan, standing nearby, also said coldly, "Aren't you going to let go?"

Gu Xu realized he had lost his composure and released him at once.

Duan Xingyan motioned for Gu Xu to get out of the way, then squeezed in front of Xue Ci. "Xue Ci, was that you in the photo in the group chat? Why did you suddenly send that?"

The little Beta was a bit sensitive to heat and wore cool, loose shorts at the villa every day. Duan Xingyan had recognized Xue Ci's legs at a glance, but to avoid giving anything away, he asked first.

Xue Ci's face turned bright red with embarrassment.

It seemed everyone had seen it.

He had recalled it so quickly, too.

He thought for a moment. "I... just took it randomly, then sent it to the wrong place."

At that, the faces of the two Alphas besides Gu Xu changed dramatically. "The wrong place? Who were you going to send it to?"

Xue Ci glanced at Gu Xu, waiting for his cutting remarks.

But Gu Xu said nothing and instead looked away.

Xue Ci was a little confused.

"Xue Ci, have you been chatting with some random person online lately? Did they ask you to send a photo like that?" Xin Yue thought Xue Ci must have been led astray by some bad man. If the man was already asking for photos of his legs, wouldn't he be asking Xue Ci to meet him at a hotel next?

Damn it, he had already kept such a close eye on Xue Ci, doing his best to leave him no time to chat with anyone else, but no matter how careful he was, he still couldn't guard against everything.

"Did you send it? What else did you send?" Duan Xingyan looked much sterner than usual. "Xue Ci, tell me the truth. I'm very worried about you."

At first, Gu Xu had been the only one questioning him. Now it was the other two, while Gu Xu was the one keeping quiet.

Fortunately, Gu Xu hadn't said anything. Otherwise, everyone's opinion of him would change, and the plot wouldn't unfold as it should.

Xue Ci wanted to find an excuse to gloss over it, but just as he was about to speak, he heard the system issue an OOC warning.

He lowered his eyes in dejection. His little face was pink and damp, and he looked pitiful, surrounded so tightly by the Alphas that it was as if they were giving him a hard time.

Gu Ling saw the scene as soon as he came downstairs.

His expression darkened, and he asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

A moment later, he saw the little white bundle squeeze through a gap between the Alphas and run to his side, bringing a fragrant breeze with him.

"Big brother..."

His voice was soft and sweet, as if he regarded him as his savior.

A tingling sensation ran down Gu Ling's back, but he remained calm and composed. "I know what you want to ask, but having so many of you here will frighten him."

Now that their elder had spoken, the young men went back, though reluctantly.

Only the stunned Xue Ci remained, obediently letting the man take his hand and lead him into the room.

How...

Had big brother seen the photo too?

Later, in the room, Gu Ling asked much the same questions as the others. Xue Ci nervously licked his dry lips, unsure how to answer.

"Did someone ask you for a photo like that?"

Gu Ling was still asking.

Xue Ci couldn't lie, but he didn't deny it either. He wanted the matter to be over and pleaded softly, "I won't dare do it again."

His voice was pitiful.

This didn't seem like something Xue Ci would do of his own accord.

Gu Ling was very afraid that such an innocent little Beta would be deceived by a bad person. He reached out and stroked Xue Ci's fluffy head. "It's not your fault."

Then he said, "There are lots of bad people out there. Xiao Ci, don't listen to their nonsense so readily again. If you really want to date someone, you can ask me."

Huh?

Big brother doesn't seem to have dated anyone either.

Maybe he's older, so he knows a lot in theory.

Xue Ci didn't notice the meaning behind those words and nodded.

Gu Ling didn't bring it up again. He had Xue Ci delete the person's contact information before leaving the room.

Xue Ci finally relaxed, and an evening soak in the hot spring helped him recover.

He hadn't expected the outing to cause unnecessary trouble for the plot. Afterward, he turned down everyone's invitations and planned to stay home until school started.

However, he noticed that Gu Xu had been a little off since they returned.

He was still willing to talk and play games with him, but sometimes he would stare at Xue Ci's face, looking as though he wanted to say something but couldn't.

There were probably too many people around that day, so he couldn't scold me. Now he's looking for a chance to do it. Xue Ci struggled to find the piece he wanted among a pile of puzzle pieces.

Gu Ling had bought the puzzle, saying he could use it to pass the time at home. But it clearly wasn't something a beginner could put together. Sometimes Xue Ci spent an entire afternoon on it without finishing, leaving him to wait eagerly for Gu Ling to come home from work. Then he would carry all the pieces to the study and ask Gu Ling for help.

I wonder if he'll be really fierce.

Xue Ci knew what Gu Xu was like when he was angry. He would corner him and say things that made him feel embarrassed.

11: If he dares to be fierce with you, host, 11 will teach him a lesson! But don't worry, host. The protagonist has grown a lot and isn't as impulsive as he used to be.

That's good.

Xue Ci heard a noise at the door. When he saw that Gu Ling had returned, he held up his puzzle, of which he had only managed to put together a small corner.

"Big brother, the one you bought this time is so hard. I spent all afternoon on it and only managed this much."

Gu Ling glanced at the unhappy look on the young man's face and smiled. "Let me wash my hands first."

Xue Ci poured the puzzle pieces into the box, carefully put away the section he had completed, then carried the box upstairs with the man after he had washed his hands.

Apart from scheduled cleanings, Gu Ling never let anyone into his study.

The room had been gray and white all year round, but over the past few days, it had grown more colorful. A thick white plush rug lay by the gray sofa, and a comic book with a few pages read had been tossed carelessly into a corner of the sofa.

Now puzzle pieces were scattered all over the floor as well.

Xue Ci remained completely unaware that he had already entered a sweet trap meant just for him.

He sat cross-legged beside Gu Ling and, as always, left the hardest part to him. Distracted, he picked up the comic he hadn't finished the night before.

After they had worked on the puzzle for about ten minutes, Gu Ling received a work call.

The call went on for a while, and the voice sounded like a lullaby. Xue Ci's eyelids gradually drooped shut, and just as his head was about to fall onto the sofa, the man caught it in time.

The assistant on the other end paused at the sound. "President Gu... what's wrong?"

The young man looked well-behaved in his sleep. His thick eyelashes cast shadows beneath his eyes, and the light made his already misty-looking skin appear even softer.

Gu Ling lowered his voice. "Just send me the rest of the report."

The assistant stared blankly as the call disconnected.

He didn't know when it had started, but the boss had become less focused on work. He strongly suspected that the man was keeping a lover hidden away.

The afternoon's puzzle had taken too much energy, and Xue Ci slept deeply.

He didn't know how long had passed before his eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes.

He was about to stretch when he realized something was wrong...

How had he ended up in big brother's arms while he was asleep?

"Xiao Ci, you're awake?" Gu Ling sat on the sofa, his large hands easily encircling Xue Ci's waist. He held him tightly. Xue Ci sat on his lap, light and soft, his sweet, fresh scent wafting into Gu Ling's nose like a feather.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, warmth passing between them through the thin fabric.

Of course, his body temperature was more than a little higher than Xue Ci's.

"Mm..."

Naturally, Xue Ci didn't suspect Gu Ling in the slightest.

He thought he must have moved around in his sleep and burrowed into big brother's arms, and that Gu Ling had been too embarrassed to push him away, so he had let him sleep like that for so long.

Next time he got sleepy, he had better go back to his room. It wouldn't be good if he fell asleep and drooled on big brother.

He wanted to get off Gu Ling's lap, but his arms and legs were weak, and his attempts to struggle free were completely ineffective.

"Xiao Ci slept so soundly." Gu Ling's voice was huskier than before.

Thinking he was being reproached, Xue Ci touched his nose. "The puzzle was too tiring..."

His voice had the soft, nasal quality of someone not quite awake, making him sound just like he was acting spoiled.

Gu Ling didn't let him go. Instead, he distracted him with conversation so he could hold him longer. "Has Xiao Ci been chatting with any strange people lately?"

It was a baseless accusation. Xue Ci shook his head. "I always listen to you, big brother."

"That's good."

Gu Ling's voice took on a note of pleasure.

But... he still didn't put Xue Ci down. Instead, he drew him closer.

Xue Ci hadn't noticed while he was asleep, but now that he was awake, he felt that Gu Ling's body was hard, pressing against him uncomfortably.

"Big brother, I want to get down."

"Hmm?" Gu Ling clearly didn't want to let him go. "Aren't you going to sleep some more?"

"Your belt is digging into me a little..." the little Beta said weakly.

Gu Ling's eyelid twitched sharply.

His arm, veins standing out, tightened around Xue Ci's waist. After gently setting him down, he took something out of the desk drawer.

Xue Ci looked and saw a pair of white stockings.

It was a little strange to find something like that in the study. His ears reddened, and he quickly took them from Gu Ling and returned to his room.

He had just closed the study door when Gu Xu's voice came from beside him. "Why did you spend so long in his room?"

Xue Ci jumped and instinctively tried to hide the white stockings in his pocket.

Gu Xu noticed the little movement and saw them clearly. His voice was a little stiff. "You... were you wearing white stockings the whole time you were in the study?"

He had never known that Gu Ling liked such perverted games.

Xue Ci froze, his cheeks burning.

Gu Xu seemed to have misunderstood something about Gu Ling...

Seeing that he was about to say more, Xue Ci immediately stopped him. "Big brother had these stockings custom-made for me. He just gave them to me, and I haven't tried them on yet."

Only then did Gu Xu's expression ease somewhat.

Xue Ci was still sleepy, but Gu Xu kept blocking his way, just staring at him without saying what he wanted.

Was it coming?

Was he going to scold him fiercely?

Xue Ci prepared himself for a reprimand and asked cautiously, "Is something wrong?"

Gu Xu looked away awkwardly.

Since returning from the hot spring villa, he had been left in suspense by Xue Ci and hadn't had a single good night's sleep.

Xue Ci had sent that photo specifically to him, which meant that Xue Ci cared more about him than the others, and might even have feelings for him.

But after sending the photo, Xue Ci had never taken the initiative to speak to him again, nor shown him anything.

"You..." Gu Xu gritted his teeth. "Why don't you send me photos of your legs anymore?"

Xue Ci: "?"

Why is he asking that?

Heat crept into his face. He endured his embarrassment and analyzed Gu Xu's words bit by bit.

It's a question... no, it should be a rhetorical question.

He's probably asking whether I still dare send him photos of my legs.

The slightly mocking words suited the protagonist's character. Thoughtful, Xue Ci made his position clear. "I know you don't like that. I won't do it again."

"..."

When did he say he didn't like it?

Gu Xu parted his lips, seeming to want to say something, but swallowed the words in the end.

"I shouldn't have sent it to you that day either." Xue Ci was very afraid of confronting him directly. He said softly, "I'm a little sleepy. I want to go to bed."

Gu Xu felt unbearably choked up, but when he heard Xue Ci's pitiful voice, he could only say "Oh" and let him return to his room.

The corridor fell quiet in an instant, and soon even Xue Ci's scent faded away.

He had agonized over it for days and finally worked up the courage to bring it up with Xue Ci, only to get those few words in response. Gu Xu felt as though he had fallen into a pile of cotton and couldn't get back up. Dejected, he returned to his room, closed the door, and opened his phone.

He couldn't bring himself to ask Hu Shenglan for photos, and there were very few of Xue Ci in his album.

So the one Xue Ci had sent of his own accord was especially precious.

It was also a photo of his legs taken from that kind of angle.

Recently, whenever Gu Xu was alone, he couldn't resist staring at that photo.

He felt very satisfied-after all, Xue Ci had only sent it to him.

What annoyed him was that the others in the group chat had definitely saved the photo too.

Gu Xu lay back on the bed, keenly aware of the restlessness in his body.

He didn't know much about dating, and he had never liked anyone before.

Why did he turn cold after sending the photo?

He should have at least a little bit of a crush on me, right?

Gu Xu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Xue Ci had nearly reeled his soul away.

He posted a question, and the replies were all the same-

[Getting you wrapped around his finger is as easy as handling a dog.]

[Getting you wrapped around his finger is as easy as handling a dog.]

Some people also replied that he had met an expert who was definitely stringing several people along at once; otherwise, the other person was after something of his, either his money or his body.

Gu Xu scrolled through them one by one, dismissing each in turn.

How could Xue Ci be an expert? He had not even realized it when his brother picked him up, put him on the table, and touched his thigh, much less knew how to seduce a man.

Even the leg photos had been taken at the urging of some people on their basketball team.

After his money? Even less likely.

Could he be after his body?

Gu Xu hesitated.

Xue Ci really had said that he was very strong and made him feel safe.

But those external qualities were the easiest to change. Xue Ci had plenty of strong Alphas around him. What if one day he really was attracted to an Alpha...

Gu Xu did not dare think any further. He exited the webpage and opened WeChat.

Gu Xu: [I asked him. He said he thought I didn't like it, so he wouldn't do it again.]

Gu Xu: [What do I do?]

Li Xun quickly replied: [Then just tell him you like it.]

Li Xun had heard so much about Gu Xu's feelings these past few days that his ears were practically callused.

So the young master had only just figured it out.

He had thought Gu Xu had been simping for him all along.

Gu Xu: [?]

Gu Xu: [Are you stupid? Wouldn't I ruin my image if I said that?]

Li Xun: [Then what do you do now?]

A few seconds of silence passed.

Gu Xu: [I think he's gotten cold toward me. It's like he doesn't want to talk to me anymore.]

Gu Xu: [He might be falling for someone else.]

Li Xun did not know whether Gu Xu was too passive or too innocent, but he could not even take advantage of being close to Xue Ci.

They lived under the same roof, and summer vacation had been so long, yet his relationship with Xue Ci had not made the slightest progress.

A faster-moving Alpha might have gotten him pregnant by now!

Of course, as his friend, he was still on Gu Xu's side: [Brother Xu, have you told Xue Ci you like him?]

Gu Xu froze when he saw the message.

Is this... about confessing?

[What else do I need for a confession besides roses?]

Li Xun: "?"

If he knew, he would have had a partner long ago.

The two messaged each other until nearly dawn, but still failed to work out the details of the confession.

Gu Xu hesitated not because he could not bring himself to do it, but because he was wondering what Xue Ci would see in him if he really confessed.

Besides, Xue Ci seemed to prefer people with good grades. Anyone could tell from how he was always sticking close to Xie Yishu.

Gu Xu hesitated for a moment, then finally made a plan in the early morning-

If he placed in the top ten on the monthly exam after school started, he would confess to Xue Ci.

Also, during this time, he would spend as much time with Xue Ci as possible and leave no opening for anyone else.

Xue Ci's progress bar had risen to 80% in just a few days.

He had done nothing; it was all thanks to the protagonist's own efforts.

Lately, Gu Xu had been full of energy. He had asked Hu Shenglan to hire several tutors, and his days were packed, though he had not neglected exercise either.

[Why did he suddenly become so disciplined?]

11: Heh.

Rather than discipline, it was more like a peacock fanning its tail.

[Maybe he's put on weight lately.]

Xue Ci: "Hm?"

He remembered that, in the original plot, Gu Xu had grown the fastest after ignoring Xie Yishu's advice and suffering a setback in the thing he was proudest of.

Growth needed a catalyst.

Xue Ci thought for a moment. [Is he still hung up on those messages I sent?]

11 did not dare tell his host that many people had saved his photos on their phones, afraid his host would think there were too many lunatics: [The protagonist does care a lot, but you don't need to worry, host. Our progress bar is already at 80%. Once school starts, you just need to stick to Xin Yue until he gets sick of you, and there won't be many important scenes left.]

Xue Ci was pleased with how quickly the progress was moving and paid no further attention to the reason.

When random tasks were issued, he took advantage of the other person's absence to secretly slip little notes through the crack in the door, writing things like "keep it up" and "you're amazing."

Sometimes he also drew "·" and ">v