The Beta from the Countryside (31)

Xue Ci could feel Gu Xu's gaze on him.

He was definitely angry.

He thought Xue Ci was being frivolous, but couldn't make a scene with his older brother present.

Xue Ci pretended not to notice and lowered his head to stare at his phone.

After a moment of silence, Gu Ling was the first to speak. "Aren't you going to look at the documents?"

Xue Ci didn't understand at first. He turned to look at him. "Huh?"

Gu Ling held several sheets of A4 paper between his fingers, his knuckles slightly bent and the veins on the back of his hand clearly visible. He casually fluttered the papers and murmured, "Didn't you want to look at them just now?"

Remembering his bold actions, Xue Ci stole a glance at Gu Xu. Sure enough, his expression wasn't pleasant, giving Xue Ci the illusion that he might call him wanton and frivolous in front of his older brother at any moment.

He gave a vague "Mm" and changed the subject. "I'm a little hungry. Do you want to eat?"

The man put down the documents and rose from the sofa at the same time as Xue Ci. They headed for the dining room, one behind the other.

Gu Xu stood where he was for a few seconds before following them.

At dinner, everyone observed the rule of no talking while eating or sleeping. Apart from Gu Ling occasionally putting food in the boy's bowl and telling him to eat well, there was no unnecessary conversation.

Gu Xu was especially quiet. He barely ate, his face expressionless, and there was no telling what he was thinking.

Xue Ci was quite afraid he might suddenly lose his temper, so he ate faster than usual. When he finished, he didn't linger in the living room for another second, slipping straight back to his room, his movements lighter than a cat's.

Still, sticking close to the older brother had proved very effective.

Xue Ci decided to keep it up for the time being, letting Gu Xu gradually grow tired of him.

Gu Xu had been a little listless lately.

He grew even more restless when he saw that the banned "White Moonlight Campus Beauty" post had resurfaced on the forum.

He had paid someone to hack the previous post because he didn't want so many people seeing Xue Ci's photos.

Seeing him looking so miserable, Li Xun suddenly recalled how, before Xue Ci came to Shengxuan, Gu Xu had casually mentioned that his family had an unwritten childhood betrothal. He'd said his fiancé came from a small place and had traditional values, believing the childhood betrothal meant they were going to get married and seemingly eager to marry him.

And now, he had become Xue Ci's simp instead.

And an unsuccessful one at that.

But as his friend, Li Xun still comforted him. "Don't worry, Brother Xu. They can only look at him online. In real life, they can't even lick a single one of his fingers."

Gu Xu's expression grew even worse.

"I can't even lick a single one of his fingers either."

"..."

Li Xun awkwardly scratched his hair and began playing the role of a scheming adviser. "Pursuing someone usually takes time. Song Xueci is testing you. He looks like the softhearted type. If you keep pursuing him, he'll definitely be moved eventually. Or you could think of a way to make him feel sorry for you."

Gu Xu also thought Xue Ci was easily softhearted.

When Xie Yishu had been hit by that little ball before, Xue Ci had taken attentive care of him for days.

Fortunately, the guy was a pervert and had already been kicked out of the running.

But he still had plenty of rivals.

Xin Yue had been practically living at the swimming pool lately because of the swimming championships. On the surface, it looked as though he couldn't spend time with Xue Ci, but he was always sending voice messages in that disgusting, cutesy voice, saying how pitiful he was and asking if they could video chat.

Then there was Duan Xingyan, who had become addicted to playing nanny. He even washed Xue Ci's underwear for him. Who knew what filthy things he might be doing with it behind his back?

Of course, the one he worried about most was still his older brother, Gu Ling.

Xue Ci had been giving him the cold shoulder lately, yet he was very close to Gu Ling.

His eyes always sparkled when he looked at Gu Ling, beautiful enough to kill. Without the slightest guard, he drank from Gu Ling's cup, linked arms with him, and even took the initiative to fold his clothes, sniffing them as he folded...

Gu Xu was so jealous he nearly ground his teeth to pieces.

With his brother's keep-your-distance personality, he must have noticed, yet he still let Xue Ci behave that way.

He was even more forward than Xue Ci. Once, he'd come out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a bath towel around his lower half.

He'd definitely done it on purpose.

He was getting on in years, yet he was so frivolous.

Gu Xu ground his molars.

Li Xun held out his phone screen. "Look, it says here that he won the goddess's heart by pretending to be sick. Brother Xu, why don't you try pretending to be sick too?"

Gu Xu scoffed. "What do you take me for? Would I lie to Xue Ci?"

"..." Li Xun pondered for a few seconds. "You could skip the lying and try pouring cold water over yourself?"

Gu Xu glanced at him, his expression gradually turning serious.

Li Xun jumped. "I was joking."

It was almost December. He'd already put on his long johns, and getting out of bed in the morning took sheer willpower. Even if Gu Xu was a very strong Alpha, he couldn't withstand dousing himself in cold water.

It wasn't like he was an idiot.

Li Xun thought nothing more of it and changed the subject, but Gu Xu took his words to heart.

Their conversation was loud enough to disturb Xue Ci, who was reading nearby, and he glanced at them.

[The protagonist doesn't seem to like studying again. His progress hasn't gone up lately.]

Xue Ci complained quietly to 11.

Gu Xu was the one who had asked him to come to evening self-study together.

So why had he started chatting with Li Xun as soon as they got there?

Xue Ci lowered his head and went back to his homework. Gu Xu soon returned to the seat beside him.

"Half an hour has gone by, and you haven't done a single problem."

Like a stern little teacher, Xue Ci held out his own workbook for him to see. "I've already finished this subject, but I'm not lending it to you. You have to do it yourself."

Why is he being so cute again...

Gu Xu coughed and leaned closer.

His breath brushed Xue Ci's face.

Ever since reading those harassing texts Xie Yishu had sent, he'd become a bit of a pervert himself, staring at Xue Ci's skin from time to time and wondering whether it really was that sensitive.

He'd heard that sensitive people reacted strongly when touched in certain places.

Gu Xu's head was full of dirty thoughts. He'd rarely thought about such things before and couldn't help feeling ashamed, but he couldn't stop himself.

He put his jumbled thoughts aside. "I'm not wasting time chatting with him anymore, so don't be angry. Aren't finals coming up soon? Why don't we come to the self-study room every day?"

Xue Ci gave Gu Xu's suggestion serious thought, then hesitated. "We still have to go back on Fridays."

Otherwise, how could he get close to the older brother?

Meeting Gu Xu's displeased expression, he said, "Let's go back together."

The word "together" smoothed Gu Xu's furrowed brow. "Okay."

When they returned to the villa on Friday, Xue Ci took out the jigsaw puzzle and poured it onto the floor as soon as he entered. Gu Xu wanted to help, but he refused.

"You need to study hard. I don't want to take up your study time."

Xue Ci felt a little bad. He'd become the kind of parent he hated most, pushing his child to study relentlessly and leaving him no time for leisure.

Fortunately, Gu Xu had become much more obedient. He didn't argue and took out a book for one of his major courses.

Xue Ci sorted the puzzle pieces absentmindedly, then immediately got up when he heard a sound at the door.

Seeing Xue Ci turn into a clingy kitten the moment his brother came home, Gu Xu's eyes dimmed, full of resentment and jealousy.

Xue Ci was focused on doing his task well. He gave the man only enough time to change his shoes before immediately tugging him by the sleeve over to the pile of puzzle pieces.

Gu Ling had taken off his watch beforehand, afraid it might hurt the boy's fingers.

Recently, Xue Ci had suddenly become very fond of being close to him and had grown quite clingy. Perhaps... it had suddenly clicked for him.

Gu Ling said nothing. He loosened his tie slightly and sat down on the rug in his suit. He glanced at the puzzle. "I'll do it. Go try the pastries first."

The butler, who had followed close behind him, had already cut the pastries President Gu had queued a long time to buy into small pieces and arranged them on a plate, along with some washed fruit.

Xue Ci brought the plate to the coffee table. After taking a small bite, his eyes curved with pleasure.

Apparently, they tasted good.

Gu Ling's lips curved. "Xiao Ci, could you feed me a piece?"

It was a good chance to get close, and Xue Ci didn't miss it. He picked up a piece with a fork and brought it to Gu Ling's mouth.

The man's lips accidentally brushed his slender fingers.

Gu Xu, who was pretending to read nearby, saw the whole thing.

He should get up and leave, go back to his room and settle down to read, instead of sitting here watching Xue Ci be intimate with another man.

Or he could confront Gu Ling right in front of Xue Ci, asking why he didn't reject Xue Ci's unwitting intimacy and whether he was trying to steal his own younger brother's love interest.

But he couldn't move at all. His throat felt dry and uncomfortable, as if he were holding bitter medicine in his mouth.

Fortunately, Xue Ci soon fed him a piece too.

The rich sweetness of the pastry diluted the bitterness, and Gu Xu felt he could carry on again.

Xue Ci treated the two of them fairly. He couldn't sit here worrying over every little thing like a resentful husband. He needed to take the initiative and make Xue Ci favor him.

That thought sustained Gu Xu as he stayed on the sofa until his brother and the person he liked, leaning against each other, finished the puzzle.

Gu Ling received a work call and got up to go to the balcony.

Everything about the spot Gu Ling had occupied bothered Gu Xu. He promptly took it over and swiftly finished the remaining puzzle.

Xue Ci: "?"

He looked at Gu Xu in surprise.

"It's getting late. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest." After speaking, Gu Xu hesitated for a few seconds. "Do you want to go to the amusement park together tomorrow?"

Xue Ci hesitated.

He'd read in a book that people who went to an amusement park together were very likely to become a couple afterward.

But he hadn't been to an amusement park in a long time either...

He'd have even less chance once he returned to the countryside.

Xue Ci frowned in distress and lowered his eyes in thought.

[If I reject the protagonist, that would be OOC, right?]

[I don't actually want to go that badly, but Gu Xu seems very interested.]

11 saw that its host kept fidgeting as he said this and seemed to have a guilty conscience. But how could it possibly expose its host?

[You need to go. Otherwise, there's a high chance of going OOC.]

A satisfied expression appeared on Xue Ci's face.

After Xue Ci nodded, Gu Xu secretly rejoiced. Because he was going on a date with Xue Ci, he laid out the clothes he planned to wear the night before and was too excited to sleep much at all.

Xue Ci wore a thick, light blue hoodie that made his skin look even paler and cooler in tone. With the hood up, more than half his small face was hidden.

Watching the boy's bouncing figure as soon as he entered the amusement park, Gu Xu felt every pore relax. "What ride do you want to go on first?"

Xue Ci didn't hesitate. "The roller coaster!"

Gu Xu said, "Okay."

The park was crowded on the weekend, and most of the visitors were couples. The two of them stood out as they walked together.

Xue Ci was excited and took out his phone to snap pictures everywhere. After they'd been on most of the rides, they browsed a shop, and Gu Xu tossed anything Xue Ci glanced at twice into the shopping basket.

Seeing that the basket was nearly full, Xue Ci stopped him in time. In the end, they bought only a plush toy and a headband.

Gu Xu was the one who wanted to buy the headband. It was expensive and had only two cat ears on it, so Xue Ci didn't think it was worth the price, but he still brought it home with a delighted smile.

After a full day of fun, his energy was completely spent. Xue Ci lay down as soon as he'd washed up.

Knock, knock.

Someone was knocking at the door.

"Xiao Ci?"

Muffled by the door, Gu Ling's magnetic voice sounded even richer.

Once Xue Ci had lain down, he didn't want to get up. "I didn't lock the door."

As soon as Gu Ling entered, he felt that it was several degrees warmer in here than outside.

The room was well heated. Xue Ci lay on the bed in a loose, oversized short-sleeved shirt, its hem just covering the shorts underneath.

Gu Ling forced himself to look away, but his eyelid kept twitching. "I took the clothes from the bathroom downstairs."

"I should have taken my dirty clothes out of the bathroom..." Whenever Xue Ci was sleepy, he would act spoiled without realizing it, his voice soft and sweet, the end of his sentence rising.

Half his face was buried in the soft quilt, making his voice muffled and damp. The tip of his nose was red, and his eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes.

He wasn't lying still either. He looked limp all over, but had quite a talent for making a mess. He rolled himself up in the quilt, rolled back and forth twice on the big bed, then popped out of it again.

Gu Ling's lips curved as he walked over, intending to smooth the boy's disheveled hair. But Xue Ci suddenly let go of the quilt, and his shirt twisted up to his waist, unexpectedly exposing his curves to him.

"I don't want to get up..."

Oblivious, Xue Ci was still acting spoiled with him, completely unaware that cold, sharp pheromones had already filled the room.

Gu Ling took a deep breath, doing his best to suppress the desire surging in his heart, but his gaze fell on that small stretch of slender, pale waist.

Soon, pheromones began leaking copiously from his gland.

Xue Ci's cheeks had turned pink and pale in the warm air. He had just closed his eyes when he heard the door lock click.

Did Big Brother leave?

Xue Ci half opened his eyes and struggled to raise himself, but partway up, his cheek bumped into something cold.

His cheek was already hot, and the cold made his shoulders shiver. He instantly woke up quite a bit, accompanied by a bone-deep chill and danger.

Black suit pants were in front of him. It turned out he'd bumped into a metal belt buckle. Looking farther down, he saw a prominent bulge... Xue Ci froze for a moment, then awkwardly looked away when he realized what it was.

"...Big Brother?"

His face was astonishingly hot. Pretending he hadn't seen anything, he softly called to the man in front of him.

Gu Ling said nothing, only stared fixedly at him.

His gaze looked as though he wanted to devour him.

Xue Ci's scalp tingled under that stare, and he shrank farther onto the bed, only to be yanked back with great force the next moment.

The man held his slender ankle in his hand. The heat of his palm was a little too much for Xue Ci to bear, and he let out a trembling cry, his voice tearful now that he had sensed danger.

"Big Brother, you... what's wrong?"

Gu Ling seemed to have finally regained his reason, and some clarity returned to his eyes. But he didn't let go. Instead, he sat down beside Xue Ci, bracing his other arm on the sheet, his shadow enveloping the small Beta.

"Xiao Ci, can you help me through my susceptibility period?"

His voice was unbearably hoarse, and his eyes were full of the desire to possess and devour.

Xue Ci sniffled before lifting his face to look at the back of Gu Ling's neck. It looked no different than usual, but he knew that an Alpha's gland produced large amounts of pheromones during his susceptible period, using them to take control of his body. Their physical needs drove them to mark Omegas.

But he was a Beta.

"I... can't help you."

Xue Ci's tolerance encouraged the Alpha to push his luck.

"I won't mark you, Xiao Ci. I won't hurt you." Large beads of sweat had already broken out on Gu Xu's forehead, and his expression suggested he was struggling to hold something back. "You just need to kiss me."

Realizing that Gu Ling was asking him for a kiss, Xue Ci froze. But he didn't have much time to think, because his eldest brother, who had always doted on and spoiled him, looked to be in pain and needed a kiss to ease it.

I should help him, right...

His eldest brother had helped him with his touch starvation last time, too.

But kissing was uncomfortable, and it made his mouth sore.

Xue Ci hesitated.

The heat inside Gu Ling's body continued to rise. His breathing grew heavy, and every muscle in his body tensed.

He still had some rationality left. If Xue Ci refused, he would have the housekeeper bring up an inhibitor injection.

But he was still torturing himself by staying here because he held on to a little hope.

He hoped... Xue Ci wouldn't refuse.

When no answer came, Gu Ling pressed his lips into a thin line, then quirked a corner of his mouth in self-mockery.

He tried to get up and leave the room, but the hem of his clothes was soon tugged gently.

Xue Ci tilted his face up, the corners of his eyes appearing to turn upward. His expression was so pure and innocent, yet his words sounded seductive.

"Then kiss me quickly..."

The temperature in the room rose rapidly.

The lightly dressed little Beta was lifted onto the man's lap, his arms resting limply over his shoulders.

He had been kissed until he was wet and soft, his whole body seemingly about to melt from the heat.

The man's high nose had pressed several red marks into his cheeks. His own nose was red, his eyelashes were damp and clinging together as they trembled incessantly, and faint whimpers escaped his throat.

He looked thoroughly ravaged.

None of the promises made earlier-to "kiss quickly," "just touch lips," and "not suck"-had been kept. He had been kissed for half an hour in total, first on the soft bed, where they kissed for ten minutes with their fingers intertwined. When they finally stopped, he had rested for less than two minutes before he was lifted onto Gu Ling's lap and held close in a pose like that of a trapped beast.

Gu Ling's embrace was airtight and scorching. Xue Ci had the illusion that he was being pressed into the other's flesh and blood.

The second kiss was long, lasting nearly twenty minutes.

Xue Ci's mouth was already very sore, every part of it having been licked forcefully. He strained to lift his neck, trying to escape the tormenting kiss.

His voice sounded as though it had been soaked in water, sticky and wet. "No, you can't kiss me anymore..."

Gu Ling finally drew back a little. He first fixed his gaze on Xue Ci's face, looking at the boy's features, made vivid by his kisses, and his unfocused eyes.

Soft, powerless, his lips richly red... Gu Ling's bones trembled as he suppressed his primal urge to possess him.

"Xiao Ci, your saliva is so sweet."

Xue Ci no longer had the strength to argue with him. His eyelashes drooped, and he sniffled.

Soon, a flurry of little kisses fell on his forehead, eyelids, nose, and cheeks. Even the small, soft bit of flesh on his earlobe wasn't spared.

Xue Ci drew in small breaths.

Gu Ling was kissing him less forcefully now. The area around his earlobes and neck tickled, and he began to whimper softly.

"Xiao Ci, it feels good, doesn't it?"

Xue Ci hung his head and gave a muffled reply.

"There's something that feels even better. I'll help you, Xiao Ci."

Huh?

Xue Ci was still somewhat conscious, but all he remembered was the man telling him to bite down on the hem of his shirt.

Xue Ci felt as though he was about to become dehydrated. His saliva had been consumed, and everything else was scattered in droplets across the man's black suit pants and belt.

A sense of shame gradually spread through him.

He was too embarrassed to face Gu Ling. Once he regained his strength, he put on a stern little face and refused the other's offer to help him bathe.

Gu Ling also realized he couldn't do anything more. He carried him to the sink, then went to the bathroom on the first floor himself.

The bathroom was heated, so Xue Ci didn't feel cold. He moved a little slower than usual, turning on the faucet and gradually washing away the stains left on his body.

The clock in the hallway made a sound as its hands moved.

He was bending over to wash his face when a voice suddenly came from beside him. "Are you dating my brother?"

What...

Xue Ci froze and turned sideways. His palm-sized face was wet, and tiny droplets gathered together and rolled down his chin onto the floor.

Gu Xu stared at him coldly, blocking the doorway like a giant.

"No." His lips had been kissed soft and tender. Xue Ci licked them awkwardly, trying to make them feel better.

But to Gu Xu, it looked like the gesture of someone who hadn't been satisfied.

His face cold, he almost imperceptibly curled a corner of his mouth and let out a self-mocking laugh. "Then why did he kiss you into this state?"

"Do you know you smell of Gu Ling's pheromones inside and out right now?"

Before Xue Ci could explain that Gu Ling had entered his susceptible period, he felt Gu Xu walk behind him.

His pale chin was seized, the Alpha's fingers digging into it and forcing Xue Ci to look straight at the mirror in front of him.

The person in the mirror looked, in every way, as though he had just been ravaged. Even his eyelids were pink.

"Look what my brother's kisses did to you." Gu Xu's jealousy was like a fire, consuming all the hurt and resentment he had felt during this time. "Didn't you say you'd consider me? If you like my brother, why keep stringing me along, and even agree to go to the amusement park with me?"

"You... why do you like my brother?"

The light gradually faded from Gu Xu's eyes, as though all his pride had been shattered. After his outburst, he lowered his face, speaking as if to himself.

"Like me too."

"Stop liking my brother."

"I like you so much. I've never even kissed you, never even licked your fingers."

"Did he lick you all over?"

"Will you let me lick you all over too? I'm good at taking care of people. I'll do all the things my brother won't."

Xue Ci was bombarded with words, but he didn't take any of them in. He only felt that he could use this chance to stop giving Gu Xu hope.

He turned around, his back brushing against the other's chest. The startling heat gave Xue Ci a fright, and when he looked back, Gu Xu's cheeks were an unnatural red.

Xue Ci froze for a moment, then immediately reached for Gu Xu's forehead.

So hot...

His temperature was too high. Xue Ci grew anxious. "Gu Xu, you have a fever. You need to see a doctor and take medicine."

"I won't take it." The corners of Gu Xu's eyes drooped, revealing a vulnerability he had never shown before, though his words remained stubborn. "You don't even like me, so why do you care about me?"

Xue Ci tried to push him out, but he didn't budge. Xue Ci grew so anxious that his voice rose. "You're really burning up."

The urgency in the boy's voice gave Gu Xu hope again. He looked a little listless as he answered, as though accepting his fate, "I'll take the medicine."

Xue Ci's brow relaxed.

"Before I take my medicine, I need to eat something else." Gu Xu stared at Xue Ci, as though looking for somewhere to put his mouth.

The boy trapped in his arms was utterly bewildered.

He was a lot like a fragrant, soft little strawberry cake, giving off an appetizing scent.

"I said I'd take care of you. I'll eat..." Gu Xu bent over, staring at the spot he had chosen. "I'll swallow it all."

His fever had left him delirious, so naturally he didn't notice the footsteps behind him.

"Gu Xu."

Gu Ling stood outside the door, his voice devoid of warmth. "What are you doing?"

Author's note:

[Yellow heart][Yellow heart][Yellow heart] Baby's running low on fluids. Everyone, hurry and replenish baby's white fluids.