“Ming Yi, if the rut truly comes…”
In the evening, Xie Yunxie arrived as promised. He picked up Ming Yi and drove for half an hour until they reached a shop filled with the lively atmosphere of everyday life.
Ming Yi put on his mask and got out of the car. He looked around at the slightly desolate streets. The location of this shop was somewhat remote, and he wondered how Xie Yunxie had found it. Fortunately, although the shop was small, it had private rooms that ensured their privacy.
The waiter stir-fried fresh chicken and pressed dough cakes onto the side of the pot right in front of them. Meanwhile, Xie Yunxie elegantly rolled up the sleeves of his understated luxury shirt. He proceeded to rinse the bowls and chopsticks with boiling water with refined grace, then gallantly asked Ming Yi, “Should I rinse yours for you as well?”
If one did not know better, they would think he was in a Michelin-starred restaurant rather than an Earth Pot Chicken eatery with rustic decor.
Ming Yi reached for the kettle with mixed feelings. “No need, I will do it myself.”
The freshly stir-fried chicken required some time to cook. During the wait, they naturally fell into conversation.
Amidst the swirling steam, Xie Yunxie asked, “How did the audition feel today?”
Ming Yi took off his mask, set it aside, and gave a shallow sigh. “It did not feel like much. I do not have any technique, so I was basically just acting blindly based on my feelings.”
“I see,” Xie Yunxie said thoughtfully. “I have read that script too. Actually, I think you are very suitable for that role. Even if you act based on feeling, the result will not be too bad.”
Ming Yi thought for a moment and said sincerely, “True. I felt a lot of resonance while acting. It felt completely different from before. It is a very good role. I really hope I can play it.”
Xie Yunxie had seen Ming Yi at his most pathetic moments and clearly understood all of his hatred and lingering grievances. Consequently, in front of Xie Yunxie, Ming Yi discarded his disguise, opened his heart, and shared his thoughts completely.
It was rare for Ming Yi to be so candid. Hearing this, Xie Yunxie could not help but smile slightly. “Speaking of which, I used to tell fortunes for people under bridge holes, and I was quite accurate. Do you want me to give you a reading on your career luck? The first one is free.”
Ming Yi was puzzled. Why was Xie Yunxie always like this? Just when you thought he was normal, he would occasionally say something startling.
Ming Yi studied Xie Yunxie, his gaze reflecting unmistakable doubt. “You? Telling fortunes under a bridge?”
Xie Yunxie sighed. “Sigh, that starts from when I refused to submit to the Xie family’s arrangements to be a full-time nanny for the real young master forever. I resolutely left the family to start my own business.”
“It was raining so hard that day. I had only ten yuan left in my pocket and was soaked like a stray dog. I had no choice but to squat under a bridge and tell fortunes to earn my first pot of gold for my startup.”
Ming Yi asked skeptically, “Can you really tell fortunes?”
“Of course,” Xie Yunxie answered confidently. “Give me your hand.”
Ming Yi did not actually believe him, but seeing Xie Yunxie’s poised and confident manner, he could not resist his curiosity and handed over his hand. Xie Yunxie pinched Ming Yi’s hand and squinted at the palm.
Because he had done a lot of farm work, there was a thin layer of calluses on Ming Yi’s hand. Xie Yunxie instinctively rubbed it with his thumb, wondering how it felt. Caught off guard, Ming Yi immediately curled his fingers from the itch and glared at him. “Do you touch every customer’s hand before telling their fortune?”
Having been caught sneaking a touch, Xie Yunxie felt a bit guilty, but he remained righteous on the surface. “This is a necessary step. I need to use my fingers to measure the length of your career line.”
Ming Yi asked, “And what have you measured?”
Xie Yunxie replied, “Look at this career line. Does it not intersect with your life line? This is called a petty person pattern. It means you will be hindered by petty people in your youth. As long as you cross this hurdle, you will be able to achieve your own new world.”
Before he finished, he took a sip of tea and added solemnly, “Look at this life line again. It looks like it is cut off, but it does not matter. It is the same as what I said before: cross that hurdle, and you can live a good life.”
Ming Yi cooperated and asked obediently, “Then may I ask the master, how am I supposed to cross this hurdle?”
Xie Yunxie said, “Simple. Whatever cut it off is what you use to break it. Since the career line cut it off, then working hard on your career is the solution.”
Xie Yunxie’s fingertip lightly scraped a spot on Ming Yi’s palm again. “Look at how thick your career line becomes later. You will definitely achieve world-renowned success in the entertainment industry. Since the two lines complement each other, as the career line thickens, the life line follows suit.”
Ming Yi endured the itchiness as a series of thoughts flashed through his mind. Was Xie Yunxie reminding him that only by achieving great success in the entertainment industry could he escape the control of the plot and the system to survive until the finale?
He had gotten the message, but could Xie Yunxie stop scratching his palm? It was very itchy. Ming Yi could not escape the sensation even by curling his fingers, so he tried to pull his hand back. Unexpectedly, Xie Yunxie instinctively gripped it tight, not letting him retract it. “Customer, I am not finished yet.”
“I am done looking,” Ming Yi said through gritted teeth. “You seem a bit unreliable.”
Xie Yunxie was instantly dissatisfied. “How am I unreliable? Everyone who had their fortune told by me said it was good! Not a single bad review! Tell me, what are you unsatisfied with? I can change.”
Ming Yi stared at him and said slowly, “A reliable master does not touch a customer’s hand randomly and keep holding onto it.”
Xie Yunxie, having been called out so directly, could only awkwardly release his hand. Just then, the waiter came in to open the pot lid. As the white steam rose, the two of them could no longer see each other’s faces clearly.
Xie Yunxie rubbed his fingers together, feeling a bit annoyed. He did not know what happened just now, but his fingers seemed glued to Ming Yi’s hand and would not move away. It was not like Ming Yi’s hand had glue on it. Or was it actually the base instincts of an Alpha acting up, wanting to touch a beautiful person’s hand?
How lustful and immoral, he thought. Xie Yunxie criticized himself harshly.
Across from him, Ming Yi was also secretly rubbing his palm, trying to dissipate the itchy feeling. Although he felt it was strange, he thought that Xie Yunxie had good intentions and wanted to guide him through fortune-telling. He probably did not touch his hand on purpose. When he was coerced by the system before, Xie Yunxie did not take advantage of him, let alone now.
Both of them found excuses in their hearts. Once the mist cleared, they returned to their surface-level nonchalance.
“Eat, we can eat now,” Xie Yunxie said, picking up his chopsticks to break the silence.
Ming Yi hummed in response and also picked up his chopsticks. Unexpectedly, the Earth Pot Chicken was exceptionally fragrant. After eating a few pieces of chicken, Ming Yi completely forgot about what had just happened and focused solely on eating.
Seeing that he seemed to like it, Xie Yunxie could not help but feel proud. “I specially looked for this shop. How is it? Is it good?”
“It is good,” Ming Yi said, unable to even lift his head from the food. He took a moment to ask, “How did you find this place?”
Xie Yunxie said, “Just looking at guides on various platforms. It is all about experience. Try this cake too, it is also delicious.”
The shop had pressed ten cakes, but five per person was not enough. Xie Yunxie directly asked the waiter for ten more. The waiter walked in with the bowl and, catching a glimpse of Ming Yi with his mask off, showed a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He could not help but keep staring at Ming Yi.
Ming Yi let him look freely. He already had enough scandals; adding a report about “eating Earth Pot Chicken with a strange man in the evening” would not hurt much. The waiter ultimately remained professional and said nothing. He nimbly pressed the cakes and took a few more glances at Ming Yi before slowly walking out of the private room.
While waiting for the new cakes to be ready, Xie Yunxie picked up his phone and replied to a few messages. Ming Yi rested his chin on his hand, staring at the rising steam. He suddenly asked, “Is it okay for you to change your avatar and nickname like that?”
Xie Yunxie must have many business partners or other acquaintances on his phone. If he suddenly changed his style drastically, would that count as breaking character in front of outsiders?
Xie Yunxie said calmly, “It is fine. That was a work account; this is my private one.”
“And,” Xie Yunxie paused and said helplessly, “I am not the real Xie Yunxie. I will have my own social circle in the future. The two must be kept separate.”
Ming Yi turned his gaze toward him, his eyes showing a bit of confusion. Was Xie Yunxie not being controlled by the system? How did he plan to bypass the system and develop his own social circle?
Xie Yunxie saw Ming Yi’s confusion and pointed to the back of his neck as a reminder. “You forgot, I am an Alpha. If I do not have suppressants, the rut will be very dangerous.”
Ming Yi’s expression shifted slightly, revealing a bit of surprise. “Do you plan to develop suppressants in this world?”
Xie Yunxie nodded and showed a bit of helplessness. “I can only try. After all, if I cannot produce suppressants, my pheromone disorder will flare up, and I will not be able to work for the system anymore.”
The implication was that to ensure Xie Yunxie could finish the plot, the system would agree to this operation.
Ming Yi still felt that Xie Yunxie’s idea was too far-fetched. “How do you plan to develop suppressants?”
“I remember the formula for suppressants. If I can find the same materials in this world, it might work,” Xie Yunxie said, appearing exceptionally steady and reliable at this moment. “In any case, I plan to find a biological laboratory to collaborate with and then carry out the relevant research.”
Ming Yi pursed his lips slightly. “Have you started looking for a laboratory?”
Xie Yunxie nodded.
Ming Yi was still a bit worried and could not help asking, “If they discover your glands, will they catch you and study you like an alien?”
Ming Yi’s question was so cute that Xie Yunxie could not help but laugh out loud. “That would not happen. Based on the data I have checked these past few days, the so-called glands in our ABO world would probably be defined as some kind of rare tumor structure.”
“Yes, to be precise, a tumor structure that affects various hormone levels in the human body.”
Hearing this, Ming Yi tried to mobilize his limited biological knowledge. “Since it is linked to hormones, does that mean it cannot be cured by removing the glands?”
Xie Yunxie gave a bitter smile. “Yes. If they could be removed, I would have cut them out long ago.”
He instinctively touched the back of his neck. The rough, crisscrossing texture made him immediately retract his hand, not touching it further.
“Then… good luck?” Ming Yi knew nothing about the production of suppressants and could only hope that Xie Yunxie could successfully produce the life-saving medicine in this world. “But the two worlds are different after all. You must be careful with the medication.”
Seeing the concerned expression on Ming Yi’s face, Xie Yunxie’s mood suddenly became very good. Being cared for by his favorite character felt great. He could not resist curling his lips. “Do not worry, I will be careful.”
After finishing the meal, Ming Yi was extremely full. It was so delicious that he did not care about his figure. He ate freely and felt very stuffed by the end. However, Ming Yi felt very satisfied. He remembered when he was young, his foster parents’ family had also taken him to an Earth Pot Chicken shop. At that time, all the chicken and cakes went into the mouths of his foster parents and second brother. He and his eldest sister could only eat rice mixed with the soup and a tiny bit of side dishes.
Back then, Ming Yi had watched the cakes and chicken in the pot longingly, wishing he could have just one. Today, many years later, he actually got to eat it. He could eat as much as he wanted, and the taste was even better than in his memory. He felt a sense of happiness, as if a past regret had been fulfilled.
Xie Yunxie went to pay the bill. As a celebrity, it was not good for Ming Yi to linger outside, so he went out first and sat in the passenger seat.
A while later, Xie Yunxie came out. He got into the car and told Ming Yi, “The boss probably recognized you. He insisted on giving us this meal for free.”
“What did you say?”
“I refused, of course! Eating without paying would only attract hate for you. So I insisted on paying, but then I turned around and escaped from the boss’s warm, welcoming arms.”
Ming Yi did not know what to say, but he was inexplicably amused and laughed. Xie Yunxie started the car and drove toward home.
After the meal, Ming Yi felt more curious about this visitor from another world. He leaned in a bit and asked, “Are the cars in your world the same as in this one?”
Xie Yunxie said, “The same. Except for the car brands, the driving methods are no different.”
Ming Yi said “Oh” and asked again, “Are suppressants injected into a vein? Or directly into the glands?”
“They can be intravenous, but glandular injection is more effective and harder to operate,” Xie Yunxie paused suspiciously and then said with some difficulty, “Especially when the rut occurs, Alphas often have hands that shake too much to hit the glands. So they can only hit the vein.”
Ming Yi imagined the scene and got a bit of goosebumps. “Then does that mean everyone except Betas, both Alphas and Omegas, must learn intravenous injection?”
Xie Yunxie had never thought of it that way. He said hesitantly, “It seems so. There seemed to be such a lesson in biology class.”
Ming Yi fell into deep thought. “Then should I also learn intravenous injection? If you need it in the future…”
Following Ming Yi’s words, Xie Yunxie thought of the scene where Ming Yi helped him and suddenly shivered. “No! If the rut truly comes, you must stay away from me.”
Although a Beta cannot release pheromones to attract an Alpha like an Omega can, it is still not absolutely safe if a Beta recklessly approaches an Alpha in heat. There is a certain probability that a Beta would be held down by an Alpha who has lost his mind and then be violated without restraint.
Even Xie Yunxie could not guarantee that he could maintain his reason during a rut and not hurt Ming Yi. After all, Ming Yi was the fictional character he had truly liked for a long time. Because he liked him for so long, Xie Yunxie did not want Ming Yi to die like that. That was why he kept encouraging Ming Yi and giving him hints to break the deadlock, hoping he could walk out of this dark time and have a happy, complete life.
Xie Yunxie knew very well what kind of person he actually was. He hoped he could help Ming Yi out of his predicament and be an important passerby in Ming Yi’s life, but he did not want Ming Yi to get too close to him, only to be hurt by him in the end.
Ming Yi did not know the mess of thoughts in Xie Yunxie’s head. Hearing Xie Yunxie’s answer, he did not doubt it and nodded to himself. “True, professional matters should be left to professional people.”
Xie Yunxie looked ahead and curled his lips into a joyless smile. Tonight, Ming Yi seemed to be in a very good mood and even spoke more. It seemed the shop he chose suited Ming Yi’s taste.
That was good. He had made up for that meal of Earth Pot Chicken that Ming Yi did not get to eat when he was young.
While the two of them were full and heading home leisurely, a growing storm was sweeping across the internet. However, at this moment, Ming Yi still had no inkling of the news he was about to receive.