The Beta from the Countryside (End)

The next day was the day to pay respects to the ancestors, and the two of them got up early to visit Xue Ci's parents' graves.

Xue Ci had planned to go alone, but Gu Ling readily offered to come along.

He still vaguely remembered some of what had happened the night before. He had thought it was just treatment, but the man kept saying very strange things.

Xue Ci didn't want to think about it and gave a vague agreement.

The two ate breakfast at home before setting out. Song Chengzu was as obnoxious as ever, deliberately making noise in front of Xue Ci. After Gu Ling gave him a casual glance, he was so frightened that he immediately hid in his room.

Li Jianming made a show of scolding Song Chengzu, saying the boy was still young and didn't know any better, and that it was all his own father's fault for not raising him properly.

It was just something polite to say, but to his surprise, Gu Ling actually responded. "He really doesn't know any better."

Li Jianming looked embarrassed. For a moment, he thought Xue Ci had come back to show off after attaching himself to the Gu Family. He shot Xue Ci a fierce glare behind Gu Ling's back, but Xue Ci seemed interested only in the steamed sweet buns and didn't look at him at all.

What frightened him even more was that the timid air about Xue Ci had disappeared. It wasn't as though he had gained confidence after finding someone to back him up. It was as if it had never been there in the first place.

Full of suspicion, he planned to have a proper talk with Xue Ci that night when the Gu Family members weren't around. He wanted to find out whether Xue Ci was already engaged to the man who had come with him, and see whether he could use that to ask the Gu Family for some money for raising him.

Xue Ci ignored the family of three and took some change with him when he went out.

On the way, they came across an older woman from the village squatting by the roadside, selling paper money and paper ingots. He bought a bag, and Gu Ling, who was following behind him, offered to pay. But the woman didn't know how to accept mobile payments, so Gu Ling put his phone away, looking a little awkward.

"That's ten and a half yuan. Here you are." After paying, Xue Ci looked at the man with a hint of pride. "Wasn't I smart to bring change with me?"

Gu Ling offered to carry the plastic bag. "But Xiao Ci, why aren't you using the coin purse I bought you?"

Xue Ci paused. Duan Xingyan had given him this purse, saying he had seen it while working part-time and bought it. The kitten on it was very cute.

He liked it a lot himself and often kept it in his schoolbag.

He hadn't expected Gu Ling to mind...

Xue Ci thought for a moment. "The one you gave me was too expensive, big brother. I was afraid someone might steal it on the way. I do use it normally."

Gu Ling pinched Xue Ci's cheek, suddenly recalling the sweet juices he had tasted the night before.

Like sweet nectar flowing across the ground.

"Xiao Ci?" Once a person had tasted it, they would become insatiable, just like the man. "Do you still need treatment tonight?"

His gaze stayed fixed on the youth as he watched his round earlobes slowly turn pink.

Xue Ci shook his head, failing to notice the man's wicked intentions. Fighting his embarrassment, he said, "N-no need... It probably won't flare up again tonight."

The graves were behind another village, more than twenty li away. Heavy rain had fallen a few days earlier, and once they left the village's concrete road, the path over the hill behind it had been washed into a muddy mess.

Xue Ci struggled along, sinking unevenly into the mud. Several times, he lost his balance and nearly fell.

Gu Ling caught him in time. "I'll carry you."

Xue Ci reached for the bag, but the man wouldn't let him do anything.

All he had to do was sit obediently on Gu Ling's back.

Winter in the countryside was cold, and the wind was biting. Xue Ci's face and head were wrapped snugly in his scarf, so he wasn't cold at all.

Gu Ling exercised year-round and had formidable stamina. Besides, Xue Ci was light. Even after walking a long way, his breathing hadn't changed.

Afraid Xue Ci would fall asleep in the cold wind, he chatted with him from time to time.

When Xue Ci's voice began to grow indistinct, Gu Ling stopped walking. "If you fall asleep here, Xiao Ci, I'll kiss you awake."

Xue Ci jolted, all traces of sleepiness gone. He opened his mouth to protest, but he was clumsy with words. After struggling for a while, all he managed was a slow attempt to dissuade him. "You can't do that..."

His slow-witted reaction only made people want to tease him more.

Gu Ling suppressed a sound in his throat and deliberately asked, "Do what?"

Heat rushed to Xue Ci's face as everything the man had done the night before came back to him.

"You can't keep kissing me."

He thought for a moment, then added, "It's a little uncomfortable."

Teasing had its limits. Gu Ling felt he couldn't be too much of a beast, so he changed the subject.

Only then did the heat in Xue Ci's face slowly fade.

Near noon, the two finally arrived at Xue Ci's parents' graves.

Xue Ci hadn't known them, but he instinctively felt that they had been good people who had led difficult lives. He quietly spent a little longer burning paper money for them.

They had already digested their breakfast, and Gu Ling in particular had carried him for a long way. Xue Ci decided to find a car nearby and go into town for lunch.

There were quite a few vans at the village entrance. Gu Ling hired a relatively new-looking one, and they reached town in fifteen minutes.

With the New Year approaching, the rural town looked livelier than the city. Instead of heading straight for a snack shop, Xue Ci found a men's clothing store that looked decent enough.

Gu Ling's leather shoes and dress pants had been splashed with mud and water while they were walking along the muddy path. Now that they had dried, they were all wrinkled.

The man was usually particular about his lifestyle, yet he hadn't complained once.

Xue Ci picked out an outfit for him and insisted on paying.

After he paid, Gu Ling changed into it: a white turtleneck sweater and a gray overcoat. The coat was long enough to look disastrous on an ordinary person, but the man was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The clothes only served as a backdrop for him.

Xue Ci was very pleased. He asked the clerk for an extra bag and put Gu Ling's dirty clothes inside.

As they walked out of the store, he heard Gu Ling chuckle softly.

"What is it?"

Xue Ci tilted his face up toward Gu Ling's clean, sharply defined jawline.

Gu Ling said, "Nothing."

Just as Xue Ci thought he wouldn't say anything else, the man suddenly added, "You look like my little wife."

W-what...

Unable to understand Gu Ling's train of thought, Xue Ci didn't respond. The two turned right after leaving the store and found a noodle shop nearby.

After eating, they wandered around. The streets were lively, with ring-toss and air-gun stalls. One moment, Gu Ling was helping Xue Ci win a toy at a ring toss; the next, he had the toy in hand, but the person behind him was gone.

Xue Ci was easy to find. He was the prettiest and fairest person in the crowd.

Gu Ling found him at a stall selling hamsters and rabbits. Xue Ci was squatting on the ground, gazing longingly at a rabbit in a cage.

The little rabbit had red eyes and soft, snowy-white fur. It looked a bit like Xue Ci.

Gu Ling asked, "Do you want to buy it?"

The man took Xue Ci's hand and pulled him to his feet. Xue Ci thought it over with a troubled expression, but finally shook his head. "I had some when I was little, but I couldn't keep any of them alive."

"I could only keep puppies alive."

Perhaps puppies weren't delicate and could survive even as strays.

"Then just keep dogs from now on." Gu Ling handed him the toy and comforted him. "A dog only needs a little reward, and it'll recognize you as its only owner."

Xue Ci didn't catch the implication in the man's words. The two wandered aimlessly from stall to stall. Xue Ci wanted to eat everything he saw, but he had a small appetite and didn't want any more after one bite, leaving Gu Ling to finish the rest.

It really did turn out like what Gu Ling had said-he was like his little wife.

Xue Ci received several calls from Li Jianming along the way, but didn't answer any of them. He didn't want to go home so early.

Gu Ling could tell. So they spent the whole afternoon in town and returned laden with purchases.

Holding the toy, Xue Ci thought Li Jianming would point a finger in his face and berate him for coming back so late. But as soon as they reached the entrance, he saw a familiar black sedan parked there.

"I called my assistant." Gu Ling straightened the fur on the front of Xue Ci's hat. "Whenever you want to go back, you won't have to change vehicles again."

Sure enough, the assistant saw them returning in the rearview mirror and got out of the car.

Then-

One person got out of the back seat, then a second, then a third.

Xue Ci was dumbfounded. Why had everyone come?

"Xue Ci." Duan Xingyan hurried over. "Why didn't you say anything before coming home?"

Xue Ci looked up at him. "I... had something urgent to do."

Duan Xingyan had wanted to ask why Gu Ling had been able to accompany him, but he felt asking would only humiliate himself, so he didn't.

After making sure Xue Ci was all right, Gu Xu glanced at Gu Ling and said disdainfully, "What are you wearing? It's so tacky."

Xue Ci's eyes widened.

Was the outfit he had picked out that tacky?

Gu Ling said lightly, "Xue Ci bought it."

Gu Xu fell silent, jealousy showing on his face. Then he immediately changed his tune and asked Xue Ci where he had bought it and whether he could buy him an outfit too.

The Gu Family members were all there. Xin Yue had only caught a ride, and seeing Xue Ci was enough to satisfy him, so he said nothing more.

Inside the house, Li Jianming was still discussing the luxury car outside with Song Cui, thinking they could demand an exorbitant sum and make some money this time. Then footsteps came from the doorway. He turned around to see four tall men standing behind Xue Ci, all of whom looked difficult to deal with.

The living room was already cluttered, and once the Alphas came in, there was even less space.

Xue Ci went next door to fetch some stools, and Gu Ling followed him, while the others looked around the room.

Apart from Duan Xingyan, the other two hadn't expected Xue Ci to have lived in a place like this. Xin Yue saw some paintbrushes scattered on the floor and picked them up, only for Song Chengzu to stop him.

"Those are mine!"

"Ah," Xin Yue said. One look told him the kid was a troublemaker who had probably made plenty of trouble for Xue Ci. "You paint too?"

"Song Xueci's things are mine!" The men looked young and didn't have Gu Ling's oppressive air, so Song Chengzu was bold enough not to fear them. Pointing at the toys Xue Ci had bought in town that afternoon, he said, "He has to give me half of those too!"

Xin Yue was so angry he laughed. "Who are you talking to? Don't you know to call me big brother?"

Gu Xu looked like the coldest of the group. He gathered Xue Ci's toys into his arms. "Sure. Come and get them if you've got the guts."

Intimidated by him, Song Chengzu glowered and began making noise in the main room.

Duan Xingyan calmly took out his phone and started playing a game. Song Chengzu's phone was an old model Li Jianming no longer wanted, and he had never seen such a large screen. Duan Xingyan had his full attention.

Compared with Gu Xu and Xin Yue, Duan Xingyan looked much gentler. He smiled at Song Chengzu, though there wasn't a trace of amusement in his eyes. "You can only download this game on a big phone. You can ask your dad to buy you one."

Song Chengzu was spoiled rotten. He immediately ran out of the room to find his stepfather, who was still preparing tea for the visitors.

When Xue Ci came back with the stools, he heard a commotion outside. A loud slap rang out, followed by Song Chengzu's howls.

Xue Ci: "?"

He had no idea what had led to Song Chengzu being hit and looked bewildered.

Gu Xu put the toys back. "That kid needed a beating."

11: [It's true. 11 even flew over to watch him get hit just now!]

Xue Ci: "..."

The men sat in the main room, showing no intention of leaving. Seeing that it would soon be dark, Xue Ci couldn't help asking, "Are you going back?"

They all gave the same answer.

They weren't going back.

Xue Ci reminded them, "Then you'll have to stay in town. There aren't any hotels here."

Gu Xu raised his eyes. "Did my brother stay in town last night too?"

Xue Ci shook his head.

Gu Xu understood immediately. "Then I'll stay with you too."

Xue Ci looked troubled. "There's only one room and only one bed."

Gu Xu had no objection. Xin Yue and Duan Xingyan were even less bothered, saying they were roommates anyway and could squeeze in together.

Li Jianming tried to strike up a conversation several times, but hardly anyone paid him any attention. Seeing from their clothes that they were all from wealthy families, he suppressed his anger and offered to help tidy the rooms.

That night, Xue Ci still slept in the same room as Gu Ling. After washing up, he went to bed. Half asleep, he accidentally pressed against a source of heat, so he moved backward, only for his back to meet something scorching hot too.

Xue Ci woke up fully and discovered he was sandwiched between Gu Ling and Gu Xu. The bed was a little crowded with three people in it. He struggled to sit up. Moonlight cast a soft veil over the room, where Xin Yue and Duan Xingyan, who were supposed to be in the room next door, had made beds on the floor and gone to sleep.

Why were they all in his room...?

Unable to move and trapped between the sources of heat, Xue Ci grew drowsy and fell asleep again.

The plot didn't specify how many days Xue Ci had to stay with his uncle and aunt. He only had to complete two things: "learn that Song Chengzu was pretending to be sick" and "pay respects to the ancestors."

Afraid of being squeezed in bed again, Xue Ci planned to return to Fog City early the next morning.

Li Jianming had plenty he wanted to discuss with Xue Ci alone, but someone was always following Xue Ci around like a bodyguard. He didn't dare express his displeasure, telling the group to travel safely and asking Xue Ci to come home and visit often. Openly and indirectly, he made it clear how difficult it had been to raise Xue Ci when he was little.

The Alphas could all hear what he was implying and scoffed at the affected behavior of Xue Ci's two relatives.

On the way, Xin Yue suddenly took out a few paintbrushes and handed them to Xue Ci.

Xue Ci froze. "These are...?"

Xin Yue said, "I took them from your relatives' house. That brat took them from you, didn't he?"

Xue Ci hadn't expected Xin Yue to retrieve them for him. He quietly said, "Thank you."

The group began talking about Song Chengzu. They had only stayed for one short night, yet they already found the child nasty, not to mention that the family had pocketed all the money meant for Xue Ci's schooling.

Fortunately, Xue Ci had made it to Fog City safely.

Otherwise...

None of them dared imagine the consequences. They only swore to treat Xue Ci twice as well from now on.

At Xue Ci's request, they didn't tell their elders. They only asked him to call them along whenever he went back in the future, so he wouldn't be bullied.

After they returned, the progress bar rose to 99%.

Dropping out of school and returning to the countryside was Xue Ci's final task. He waited patiently for a call from his relatives.

Strangely, however, Li Jianming didn't call him. Xue Ci thought he might have accidentally blocked the number and even checked to make sure.

11 said the plot had deviated by 10% and told Xue Ci not to worry, as this wasn't within the scope of his task.

The days passed, and amid a light snowfall, Holy Spiral Academy's final exam came to an end.

But the vacation hadn't officially begun. There were additional winter courses and study tours.

Xue Ci still hadn't received a call from his relatives, but he couldn't put it off any longer.

He decided to tell his two roommates what he was thinking first.

Both were surprised when they heard.

The reason Xue Ci gave was vague. "I... want to go back. I don't want to stay here. Nobody likes me."

"Nobody likes you? How could that be?" Xin Yue was very reluctant to see Xue Ci leave. Compared with the Gu Family, his bond with Xue Ci was weaker. Perhaps, in Xue Ci's eyes, he was only an ordinary roommate. At the thought, his eyes dimmed. "At least I... we all like you very much."

Xue Ci had only been making excuses and hadn't expected Xin Yue to seriously dispute them.

He pursed his lips. "Anyway, I don't want to stay here anymore."

Duan Xingyan and Xin Yue both fell silent for a long while.

Finally, Duan Xingyan spoke. "Whatever you choose, I'll follow you. What are you planning to do afterward?"

With only a few days left before he left this place, Xue Ci hadn't given it much thought. "Stay at home for a few days first."

"Home?" Xin Yue's face filled with impatience at the thought of Xue Ci's relatives, and he tried to dissuade him. "Why don't you stay in Fog City for now?"

Xue Ci shook his head.

Xin Yue was disappointed. "Then I'll come find you later."

Seeing that he had successfully convinced two people, Xue Ci grew confident. That evening, when he returned to the villa, he brought it up at the dinner table.

The Gu Family elders tried to persuade him otherwise, but seeing how determined Xue Ci was, they said no more.

Hu Shenglan stroked his head. "I know you're a child with ideas of your own. We won't stand in your way, but don't put yourself through hardship either. If you run into any difficulties, you must tell us."

Gu Xu hadn't expected Xue Ci to be going back after less than a year, either.

His emotions churned, but he feigned composure. "Don't you like painting? How about applying to an art school instead? Shengxuan's art department really isn't very good. I'll help you find a school."

"Thank you..."

Xue Ci glanced at Gu Ling.

Ever since he had said he wanted to withdraw from school and go home, the man hadn't uttered a word. His expression was a little frightening, too.

Sure enough, after dinner, Gu Ling called Xue Ci into the study.

After Gu Ling had spent some time trying to persuade him, Xue Ci still insisted on going back.

He hadn't expected the mild-mannered boy to be so stubborn deep down, even saying something as hurtful as "I don't need you meddling."

"I can't just leave you alone," Gu Ling said coldly. "You'll never get rid of me for the rest of your life."

The atmosphere in the study grew oppressive.

Xue Ci raised his face, his cheeks puffed up with anger, as if he knew the other man wouldn't do anything to him. "I'm going to withdraw from school right now."

Gu Ling seized his wrist and pulled him forcefully onto his lap.

He easily pinned down Xue Ci's still-struggling limbs.

After staring at his face for a few seconds, Gu Ling sighed.

In this standoff, he was clearly the loser.

"It's dark now. I'll go with you to withdraw tomorrow."

The man's sudden concession took Xue Ci aback, and he grew embarrassed about the willful things he had just said.

He murmured, "Oh."

Gu Ling still didn't let him go. "Is school putting too much pressure on you?"

"..." He shook his head.

"Then am I putting too much pressure on you?"

Xue Ci looked at him in confusion.

The man's gaze was serious. "I like you. Does that put you under a lot of pressure?"

Xue Ci was stunned.

He hadn't expected Gu Ling to suddenly confess while they were arguing, either.

Big Brother... likes me?

Xue Ci's mind grew sluggish, and he bit his lip as he began to think seriously about something.

Having confessed his feelings, Gu Ling didn't push Xue Ci for an answer. He set him down. "When are you moving?"

Xue Ci was a beat slow to respond. "Tomorrow afternoon."

Gu Ling had to leave on a business trip the next day. He prepared the withdrawal documents that night and took Xue Ci to the principal's office the following morning.

With Gu Ling present, the withdrawal process went quickly, and the school never asked why.

With the withdrawal notice in hand, Xue Ci finally felt a weight lift from his heart.

After they left the office, Gu Ling stroked his head. "Could you leave a few days later? I'll have a moving company pack your things first."

Xue Ci was used to having his big brother ruffle his hair like this. Only after a few seconds did he remember that the other man liked him.

But if he moved away... Big Brother would be upset, wouldn't he?

Xue Ci didn't move away. He urged him on instead. "Big Brother, hurry downstairs, or you'll be late for your business trip."

Gu Ling left reluctantly.

Xue Ci returned to the dorm to pack, and Duan Xingyan was already helping him.

Thinking of the dilapidated old house back home, Xue Ci took out the two large plush toys.

I won't take you back there to suffer with me.

Take care of yourselves. I'll come back for you when I have money.

Xue Ci said goodbye to them in his heart.

His luggage was packed quickly. He put some of the more valuable things in a separate box, including the black card Gu Ling had given him and another bank card he had opened to hold the money Gu Xu had transferred to him.

But Xue Ci discovered that the protective charm 11 had given him was missing.

He searched the dorm, but still couldn't find it.

I must have dropped it somewhere on the way.

Xue Ci felt sorry, and a little sad too. He had really liked that puppy bracelet.

[11, I lost your protective charm.]

11 didn't mind. He fluttered his wings. [11 is happy! The charm fell off because it was warding off a disaster for the host!]

To make it up to 11, Xue Ci opened the system store and used points to buy him something he liked.

11 excitedly spun around several times. [If Host likes puppies, I'll learn to bark! Woof, woof, woof!]

"..." Xue Ci looked at 11's body, which was already that of a puppy, and held back from pointing it out.

After packing, Xue Ci went downstairs. As soon as he reached the dorm entrance, an elderly man in a suit called out to him.

The old man was the Xie Family's butler. He told him that Xie Yishu wasn't doing well and had shut himself in his room, refusing to see anyone. When the butler had gone in to bring him food, he had seen Xue Ci's photos on the desk and come to ask for help.

At Xue Ci's side, Gu Xu heard Xie Yishu's name and instinctively shielded Xue Ci behind him. "If he's sick, he should see a doctor. What's he looking for Xue Ci for?"

The old man looked embarrassed, but still earnestly asked Xue Ci for help.

Xue Ci wavered.

So much time had passed that he was no longer as afraid of Xie Yishu.

Or rather, Xie Yishu had never hurt him at all. He had even been injured for his sake.

That's right, he was injured for me.

Xue Ci was a child who repaid kindness, and in the end he agreed to go with him to the Xie Family home and see how things were.

"But I might not be able to help."

To ensure Xue Ci's safety, Gu Xu got into the car with them. Half an hour later, they entered the villa complex.

The enormous villa was unusually quiet. The butler led Xue Ci and Gu Xu to the door of a room.

"Young Master Xie, your classmate has come to see you."

There was no movement inside.

Gu Xu said, "He's not opening the door. Let's go."

"..." Xue Ci stopped him and tried knocking. "Xie Yishu?"

There was finally some movement inside.

A few seconds later, the door opened from within. Xie Yishu's bangs covered his eyes, and he had become gloomy and lifeless.

Like a dog whose spine had been pulled out.

Xue Ci was surprised to see such a drastic change in him.

Gu Xu was startled at first, then gave a derisive snort.

"Xue Ci." Xie Yishu's voice was hoarse and thick, as though he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

Seeing that Xie Yishu had finally responded, the butler was overjoyed and went downstairs to prepare tea and refreshments for Xue Ci and Gu Xu.

Looking at Xie Yishu now, Xue Ci sensed no threat from him. He patted Gu Xu, signaling him not to be so wary.

No one spoke.

Xue Ci glanced into the room. "Can I come in and talk to you?"

Gu Xu said, "Then I'll-"

Xue Ci said, "You stay by the door."

Annoyance showed on Gu Xu's face. In the end, he lowered his eyelids. "Got it."

Xue Ci went into the room, but didn't close the door. He glanced at the desk, and sure enough, it was covered in photos of him.

"He listens to you," Xie Yishu suddenly said from behind him.

What...

Sensing intense jealousy, Xue Ci changed the subject. "Haven't you been going out at all?"

Xie Yishu didn't answer the question. His expression was gloomy. "I couldn't reach you."

Only then did Xue Ci remember that he had blocked all his contact information.

He let himself become like this because he couldn't reach me?

He took a deep breath. "You can't do this. You need to go out and go to school. You can't stay in your room all the time. While you've been away, someone else has taken your first-place ranking."

Seeing Xie Yishu lower his face without speaking, he thought for a moment. "If you go to school like you should, I'll answer your messages."

Xie Yishu's eyes suddenly lit up.

Seeing this, Xue Ci pressed on. "If you behave and see a doctor, I'll video call you."

Xie Yishu's eyelids twitched. He suddenly took two steps forward and gripped Xue Ci's delicate shoulders, his voice dry and strained. "You... promised. Don't lie to me."

Under normal circumstances, Xue Ci wouldn't say something so conceited.

But it seemed to work well on Xie Yishu.

"I won't lie to you." He breathed a sigh of relief and, in front of Xie Yishu, removed his number from the block list. "All right, now we're going downstairs for afternoon tea."

Gu Xu was standing at the door. Within minutes, Xue Ci came out of the room, with Xie Yishu close behind him. Xie Yishu looked completely different from when he had first opened the door.

What the hell? What exactly did Xue Ci promise him to have him trained like a dog?

Xue Ci stayed with the Gu Family for two days, then prepared to return to the countryside.

He turned down everyone who offered to accompany him. After some bargaining, he finally agreed to let the Gu Family's driver take him back.

On the way, Xue Ci had already decided to lock his door and avoid any contact with Li Jianming's family for the next few days. But when he arrived, he was completely dumbfounded.

The doors to Li Jianming's house were locked, and through the gaps, he could see that the place had been emptied. They had clearly moved away.

As for his own home, the dilapidated parts had been repaired, and it was fully furnished, everything looking brand-new.

Xue Ci could guess that the Gu Family had helped.

He was very grateful to them, but given how the plot was progressing at this point, he couldn't take the initiative to contact them anymore.

Xue Ci settled into the country cottage. He couldn't cook, so he went to the village communal dining hall, but the food didn't taste very good, and he couldn't eat much at each meal.

After two days of this, Gu Ling came to see him and even found a cook especially for him.

Xue Ci caught on. "Are you keeping tabs on me?"

Gu Ling said, "I'm pursuing you."

Xue Ci pressed his lips together and said nothing more.

Still, the cook Gu Ling had found was very authentic, and the food he made suited Xue Ci's taste.

Thinking he only had a few days left before leaving this world, Xue Ci decided to enjoy it for now.

But the days passed one by one, and after half a month in the countryside, the progress bar still hadn't reached 100%.

[Maybe it's because Xie Yishu has only just gone back to school and hasn't had a chance to clash with Gu Xu yet. That means the protagonist can't grow.]

The conflict between the two later on stemmed from a competition. Xie Yishu had taken a long leave, and by the time he returned, it was too late to sign up.

[It's all right, Host. There's a competition like that every semester.]

At this rate, Xue Ci would have to stay for at least another semester.

He wasn't in a hurry. What troubled him more was Gu Ling, who had become even more uninhibited since making his feelings clear. He sent Xue Ci expensive gifts every few days, and flowers arrived every day.

He even secretly tucked the black card under his pillow.

Xue Ci didn't dwell on these unexpected developments.

He still had plenty of time left in this world, so he planned to sign up for an art class to prepare for applying to art school.

Xie Yishu sent him messages every day.

[Xue Ci, I came in first.]

[Xue Ci, I grew two centimeters.]

[Xue Ci, my susceptible period is here. I miss you so much.]

[Xue Ci, I recently saw a psychologist. He suggested I keep a diary.]

Seeing a doctor was a major step forward, and Xue Ci also hoped he would keep getting better.

[What did you write?]

He hadn't realized that, without meaning to, he had already trained a disturbed stray dog into an obedient, loyal house dog.

Two minutes later, Xie Yishu sent him a video.

Xue Ci opened it. In the video, Xie Yishu's long, pale fingers turned the pages of a diary.

But every page was filled with the Alpha's intense possessive desires-

[I want to kiss him.]

[I want to fuck him.]

[Mark him.]

"..."

Xue Ci's face flushed red, and his eyelashes trembled incessantly.

He didn't reply that night. He put his phone aside, washed up, and went to bed.

Outside the door came the sound of a vehicle's engine switching off.

The man, who had long since acquired a key, entered the house. Seeing that Xue Ci had tossed about in his sleep, he chuckled helplessly, carried him back to the middle of the bed, and tucked the covers around him.

But the next second, a text message popped up on the phone on the table, freezing the smile on his face.

Is Xue Ci still in contact with Xie Yishu?

"Xiao Ci..."

Xue Ci was awakened by kisses, his whole body like a fledgling trapped in a gilded cage.

His mouth was completely covered, the other's kiss too lewd and forceful.

When he could barely breathe, he whimpered, only for his chin to be seized.

A finger pressed down on his tongue, pinching it lewdly. Saliva wet his lips, and soon his chin was soaked.

Xue Ci tried to push him away, but felt himself lifted with great force. Then came the man's low, coaxing voice.

"Baby, relax."

Xue Ci gave a soft whimper, his toes curling as he was held, his back pressed against the wall.

He hung half suspended in the air, supported entirely at one point.

The Alpha was not in his susceptible period, but intense jealousy made him release pheromones that Xue Ci could barely withstand.

There were so many pheromones that his once-flat little belly soon swelled.

A finger gently pressed it flat, drawing a quiet sob from the little Beta.

The Alpha stayed in the room for two days. Xue Ci was in a daze, fed a meal along the way, and after only a short rest, he was lifted up again.

Gu Ling looked sated. He tenderly placed a light kiss on Xue Ci's face, as the latter clung to a sliver of consciousness.

After he lifted Xue Ci into his arms, there was a splat-

The man looked down and saw something cloudy on the floor.

His gaze gradually darkened.

Soon, the sound of running water filled the bathroom for a long time.

Half a month later.

The art class Xue Ci attended finally had a two-day break.

He packed up his drawing board and palette, wondering where to spend the two days as he walked toward the school gate.

After Gu Ling had bullied him for two days last time, he had woken up, packed his bags, and joined this closed-off training course.

He hadn't returned any calls or messages either.

The messages Gu Ling left were full of apologies.

At first, Xue Ci had thought his older brother had entered his susceptible period, and he had been willing to help.

But it had gone on too long, and the man had been too rough.

He suspected it had been deliberate.

Even now, the memory of how it had felt made his scalp tingle, and Xue Ci had no intention of responding.

"Student Song." Someone called out behind him. "Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Xue Ci had made quite a few friends in his new class, including the one now inviting him to dinner. Before he could think it over, a voice that sounded like it was asking for a beating rang out beside him.

"Sorry, he already has a partner."

Xue Ci looked up. Gu Xu was staring darkly at the person who had approached him.

Seeing how striking Gu Xu looked and knowing he couldn't compare, the boy left in disappointment.

Xue Ci asked, "What are you doing here?"

"If I didn't come, there'd be another rival." Gu Xu scratched his hair. "How about I pretend to be your boyfriend?"

Xue Ci didn't answer and changed the subject. "Did you come to hang out with me?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy shaking those guys off." Gu Xu was still working out their plans for the next two days when he saw a familiar black sedan parked at the school gate.

The car door opened, and Gu Ling stepped out, his gaze falling on Xue Ci. "Xiao Ci."

Xue Ci gave a quiet "oh."

Gu Xu frowned. "Xue Ci, you agreed to me first. You can't go back on your word, but you have ten minutes to turn him down."

11's voice suddenly sounded in his head. [Host, the progress bar has reached 100%.]

Xue Ci was surprised. [Weren't we supposed to wait until next semester?]

11 read the explanation given by the official AI-

The protagonist's emotional growth: understanding that both possession and letting go were forms of love.

Xue Ci only half understood, but he could now retrieve the small world and leave.

11 said, [Are you leaving now, host? We can also retrieve the fragment.]

Xue Ci thought for a moment. [Wait.]

Soon, Gu Ling took him by the wrist and led him toward a nearby park.

In another black sedan at the school gate, Xie Yishu watched the two walk away. Only when they disappeared around the corner did he lower his eyes and write stroke by stroke on the last page of his diary-

"I still want to fuck him."

On this rare sunny day, the water rippled and shimmered on the park's lake.

Only after they had walked once around the lake did Gu Ling let go.

The man's sudden approach made Xue Ci instinctively take a step back.

Gu Ling froze, then stepped forward.

His voice was hoarse. "You're not allowed to be afraid of me."

Xue Ci pressed his lips together.

His wrist was suddenly lifted, and Gu Ling fastened the amulet he had thought lost around it.

[11!] Xue Ci was thrilled.

"Xiao Ci." Gu Ling didn't let go. Instead, he slipped his fingers between Xue Ci's and intertwined them. "If I said I'd never let go for the rest of my life, would you hate me?"

Did he hate him?

Xue Ci stared at the little dog pendant on the bracelet, sunlight reflecting off it.

He blinked.

Probably...

He didn't hate him.

Because-

Gu Ling had helped him find the little dog.

No one would ever get tired of a little dog.

Author's note:

The first world is finished.

Not hating him doesn't mean he likes him. Baby is very slow on the uptake, and it'll be a very, very, very long time before he understands.

Every story has a happy ending. (As long as baby is happy before the small world is retrieved, it's a happy ending.)

The next world-the missing husband has returned.

Keywords: rural romance / mistaking someone for her husband / twins / divorce / cornfield

Hehe... hehehe...