The scorching sun spilled over the ground. The moment Shi Yuxing closed the passenger door, his neck was encircled by a pair of hands reaching over from the back seat. Xiao Zhou’s voice rang out: “Wuwuwuwuwu, wife, I missed you so much! You have no idea how miserable I’ve been these past few days—there was no signal in the basement, I couldn’t reach you at all, wuwuwu. I was stuck staring face-to-face with that old man the whole time.” Shi Yuxing patted his hands, telling him to stay hidden. The hands withdrew just before the driver’s door opened, letting out a soft “wu wu”—so pitiful.
“Knock knock knock.” The window was tapped. The butler in his suit bent down politely and handed over a bag. “These are the clothes the young masters left behind.” Shi Yuxing took it, nodded to him, and looked around, searching for a certain figure that made his heart race.
The butler smiled and said: “The Madam has been away these past few days. Would you like me to bid her farewell on your behalf?” Shi Yuxing nodded, and as the window rose, the butler waved goodbye.
The starship drove out of the Old Mansion’s grounds. The people in the back sat up straight. Shi Yuxing turned and handed the bag over. The next second, his wrist was caught and rubbed against Xiao Zhou’s cheek. Only then did he get a clear look at what they were wearing—hospital surgical scrubs. “You’ve been wearing this all this time?” Da Ling took the bag. “Mm. You’ve worked hard these past few days.”
A faint, rapid sniffing sound came from the air. Xiao Zhou’s lips flattened, and then he dropped a bombshell: “So that’s it… the magnolia scent really got pounded out.” Shi Yuxing, who had been dazed a moment ago, suddenly realized what they were talking about. Instantly, he turned red from head to neck, even the skin on his hand held by Xiao Zhou thinning and flushing red. Shi Yuxing yanked his hand back, sat up straight, lowered his head, and twisted his hands awkwardly over his knees—looking exactly like a poor child caught doing something wrong and being scolded by their parents.
“Don’t bully him. He’s not feeling well.” Gu Lingzhou quickly glanced at the pillow under Shi Yuxing’s butt—the one he’d specially asked the butler to bring.
A light snort came from behind. “Bully him? Us? The two of us have been diligently collecting evidence for days, and you’ve been having a great time!” Xiao Zhou, young and hot-tempered, glared at the back of the driver’s head and rattled off his argument. If someone hadn’t held him back, all four of them in the car would have gone down together.
Da Ling grabbed his arm, his cold glare freezing him as if they were back in the basement. Xiao Zhou clicked his tongue and abruptly pulled his hand back, rubbing his wrist and twisting it. “Seven days and six nights—who’s really bullying who here…”
The fabric over Shi Yuxing’s knees grew even more wrinkled. His prominent shoulder blades made the omega look like a turtle retreating into its shell. Shi Yuxing gritted his teeth, his ears burning red. Normally, he would have told them all to shut up, but right now, his butt really hurt too much. Every bump of the starship made him think of the dangling ring and his legs hooked over Gu Lingzhou’s shoulders.
He simply pressed his body close to his thighs, folding himself down, resting his forehead against the starship’s glove compartment, and closed his eyes to rest. Gu Lingzhou thought he was uncomfortable, pulled the starship over to the side of the road, and reached over to touch his burning skin. Shi Yuxing suddenly looked up, but his body stiffened instantly, his stomach trembling. He let out a soft “mmph,” holding back from crying out in pain.
Involuntary tears leaked out. Two heads leaned in from the back seat. “What’s wrong?”
In unison.
Rough fingertips brushed the corners of his eyes, the redness deepening. Shi Yuxing held his stomach. “Pulled something—it hurts.”
“Scared me to death—I thought you were about to give birth.” Xiao Zhou clutched his chest and let out a breath of relief. His rumor-mongering earned him a simultaneous glare from the other three.
Shi Yuxing slowly straightened up with support. Gu Lingzhou rubbed his stomach, easing some of the discomfort. Shi Yuxing looked down: “Who gets pregnant from just one time? A hundred percent accuracy—what do you think he is, a sharpshooter?”
The person hailed as the “sharpshooter” during his military academy days—Gu Lingzhou himself—fell silent, along with the retired general in the back seat. Only Xiao Zhou, oblivious, stared at Gu Lingzhou’s hand and seized the opportunity to cut in: “Let me rub wife’s stomach—you keep driving.”
Da Ling stared at Shi Yuxing’s soft, enchantingly beautiful side profile for a long while, then suddenly spoke: “Yuxing, why don’t you lie down in the back seat?”
Several stares shot over at him. Instantly, this mature, steady man became the target of everyone’s attention. He said unhurriedly: “I’ll rub your stomach. Lying on my lap for a nap would be more comfortable.”
Shi Yuxing thought this was a very good idea. Since there were people in the back, he couldn’t recline his seat much. If he lay down in the back, it would perfectly solve that problem. Da Ling saw the possibility in his eyes—just waiting for him to take the bait. The next second, two rejections came as expected.
“No.”
“No!”
Xiao Zhou: “If you’re going to lie down, it has to be on my lap. You’re old—the protein in your legs has already wasted away.”
Da Ling sneered: “There’s no such thing. My muscles are way more solid than yours.”
“Muscles are too hard. I’m much more comfortable to lie on.”
Shi Yuxing pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to listen to their pointless bickering. He pushed his palm against Gu Lingzhou’s head, shoving him back toward the driver’s seat. “I’m not lying down. Just drive—you still need to pick up Officer An.”
The starship started moving again. The group stopped their ruckus and returned to the original mission route. The alphas in the back seat laid out everything that had happened over the past few days and all the information they’d learned from Steward Sun—it basically matched what Gu Lingzhou had told him.
The greenery outside the window blurred into a solid line. Xiao Zhou said cheerfully: “Perfect—since you’re going to see the police, we might as well hand over these photos to them too.” Shi Yuxing rested his chin on his hand, hesitating before speaking: “But if we turn in our own family like this, won’t you—as children of the Gu family—get caught up in it too?”
The air fell silent. Shi Yuxing turned to look out the window. If they exposed these unspeakable things, Grandmother would face her due punishment—but correspondingly, Gu Lingzhou, as heir to the Gu family, would face judgment from the entire universe.
He would be branded as the descendant of a murderer.
Shi Yuxing closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about it, but that imagined feeling of being glared at with hatred by everyone was like nails piercing into his body. He would once again become the subject of gossip… the wife of a murderer’s descendant? Shi Yuxing laughed, opening his eyes—and met his own reflection in the glass.
Those beautiful, agate-like eyes. Shi Yuxing was momentarily captivated, until darkness fell, making his features even clearer—only then did he realize this was the basement of their own villa.
The handbrake was pulled. The two in the back got out first. Gu Lingzhou unbuckled his seatbelt but locked the door. Under Shi Yuxing’s confused gaze, he said: “I’m not afraid of being implicated.” Shi Yuxing met those pitch-black eyes, filled with love and an inexplicable sadness. Just as Shi Yuxing was about to ask what was wrong, Gu Lingzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed his emotions, and he said very softly: “Maybe… we should separate for a while…”
It was like a heavy hammer striking down, the shockwaves sending a rippling blast through this small space. Shi Yuxing’s eyes were full of shock. A giant label with two words suddenly appeared over Gu Lingzhou’s head—”SCUMBAG” echoed in his skull. Gu Lingzhou’s words weren’t finished; the latter half was still incomplete.
“Are you insane…” Shi Yuxing was frozen in his seat, his slightly parted lips trembling. Then, his gaze sharpened, transforming into an enraged large feline, roaring: “Gu Lingzhou! Say that again!” His voice was so loud that even the soundproofing let a trace escape. The two alphas waiting outside straightened up, trying to open the doors. Finding them locked, they anxiously pounded on the windows.
Shi Yuxing stared at him without blinking, his chest heaving, the rims of his eyes flushing crimson. He didn’t miss a single change in Gu Lingzhou’s expression. “…You dare divorce me? Hah—Gu Lingzhou, we just did it and now you bring this up? Are you toying with me? Or is it that once you’ve got it, you don’t value it anymore? * me and then leave—what do you take me for?! A f*ckbuddy?!” Gu Lingzhou opened his mouth to explain that wasn’t what he meant, but before he could even get out the word “no,” a sharp slap turned his head to the side. Shi Yuxing’s fingertips were trembling. The mark on Gu Lingzhou’s face was even redder than the rims of his eyes, faint heat rising from it.
Then, gleaming pearls fell one after another, like a snapped necklace scattering across his hands in the blink of an eye. Gu Lingzhou’s heart clenched—he knew he’d misspoken. He frantically unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and tried to wipe away the glistening tears on his face. “Baby, I didn’t—” Slap! Before he could finish, Shi Yuxing slapped him away. His tear-filled eyes glared at him resentfully, his lower lip bitten white. “Get away from me! If you don’t want to be with me, then leave! I kindly helped you through your rut and opened my legs for you—not so you could trample on me! GET OUT!” His voice was hoarse and ragged from screaming, barely producing sound anymore.
His mind overheated, and curses started pouring out recklessly, all sense of dignity forgotten.
The two alphas pounded frantically on the windshield from outside. They couldn’t hear what was happening inside—only saw Shi Yuxing slap Gu Lingzhou and then start crying.
“Yuxing, Yuxing, what’s wrong? Open the door—let me take you home.”
“Wife, are you okay? Gu Lingzhou, you bastard—lock the car again and I swear I’ll smash it open right now… Wife, don’t cry—I’ll go find something to break it open.”
“Before, you were happy when I said in front of Wen Lan that I wouldn’t divorce you. And now you’re rushing to divorce me? You have no conscience. You’re worse than Wen Lan. Get lost!” Shi Yuxing let every angry word fly. His vision blurred and cleared alternately. The ringing in his ears drowned out Gu Lingzhou’s moving lips. He resisted Gu Lingzhou’s approach, his lips pursed as he sobbed. “You won’t leave? Fine—then I will!” He turned, yanked up the lock, ducked down before Gu Lingzhou could reach him, and slammed the door shut—nearly catching Gu Lingzhou’s fingers.
Xiao Zhou, who had returned holding a fire extinguisher, put it down when he saw Shi Yuxing emerge. Da Ling rubbed the back of Shi Yuxing’s neck, which trembled every now and then, speaking soothing words. Shi Yuxing rubbed his eyes, unable to hear a thing—not because he didn’t want to, but because he’d screamed so loud he’d given himself tinnitus.
“Let’s go home. I’ll make you something good to eat.” Da Ling wrapped an arm around his shoulders and patted him gently, then shot a glare at Gu Lingzhou standing exposed in the open—the message was clear: if you can’t take care of him, step aside. Gu Lingzhou was about to step forward when his phone rang like a death knell. He hung up, but it came again. The next second, his phone was silenced. He quickly stepped in front of the omega flanked by the other two. “Baby, that’s not what I meant. Let me explain.”
“What are you doing, what are you doing—get away, you bad man who made wife cry!”
Shi Yuxing didn’t even look at him, dodging the obstacle again and again. He wanted to sleep right now. As for Gu Lingzhou—he could go as far away as possible. That slap had hurt his chest more than his palm.
His tea-colored eyes closed. In that instant, Gu Lingzhou’s knees hit the ground—a faint whisper of wind and floating dust. The alpha knelt without a shred of dignity behind Shi Yuxing, the fabric at his feet pulled taut, outlining the slim contour of his calves.
Leave a Reply