The NPC security guards couldn’t understand the cryptic exchange between the two men. They exchanged glances and returned to their duties, dutifully pushing Xie Nanyi inside.
It wasn’t until the hospital room door was completely shut that Assistant Qin, standing outside, snapped back to reality. His back was soaked with cold sweat without him even realizing when it had happened. He looked down at his hands, they were trembling, though he couldn’t say when that had started either.
The pheromones of a high-quality Alpha truly lived up to their reputation. Just the faint trace that had leaked out was nearly enough to make him lose his composure and drop to his knees right there.
The harder he tried to calm himself, the more violently his hands shook. Giving up on controlling his body, Assistant Qin pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
The ember burned down to his fingers before the lingering effects of the pheromones gradually faded. Assistant Qin crushed the cigarette butt in his palm, then fumbled for his communication device and sent a message.
Only after doing all this did his heart finally settle slightly.
He had done everything the young master had instructed. As for how things would unfold from here, that was beyond what he could foresee.
…
In the underground bar, Pei Xingzhi collapsed onto the sofa, covering his mouth with his hand in a desperate attempt not to throw up. He didn’t know how much he’d been fed, but he knew that if he drank even one more drop, he’d die.
“I can’t anymore. I really can’t drink another drop.” Pei Xingzhi’s consciousness was hazy, and his words came out slurred and garbled. Chu Ling had to listen carefully several times before he could make out what he was saying. “I-I’ve got some special hangover pills in my pocket. You-you grab them for me.”
Following his instructions, Chu Ling found the pills and fed them to him. After taking them, drowsiness suddenly hit Pei Xingzhi, and he leaned directly against Chu Ling, falling asleep. Chu Ling laid Pei Xingzhi flat on the sofa and looked at the drunkard still babbling nonsense in front of him, unable to help but find it somewhat amusing.
The two had just finished dinner outside when Chu Ling received a call from the bar owner, they were short-staffed and needed him to come back and help out for a while.
Chu Ling hung up and hesitated, weighing whether to skip his boss’s shift or find somewhere else for Pei Xingzhi to kill time. But before he could decide, Pei Xingzhi spoke up first, asking to be brought along to see the place.
Although Chu Ling was happy that Pei Xingzhi was volunteering to solve his problem for him, the bar where he worked was hardly a respectable establishment. He had been entrusted with looking after Pei Xingzhi, and if something happened after bringing him there, it would be hard to explain to the client.
Chu Ling tried to talk him out of it, but Pei Xingzhi wouldn’t listen to what he thought were tactful objections. He even brazenly declared that if Chu Ling could go there, why couldn’t he, and became even more determined to follow him.
Chu Ling couldn’t be bothered to argue. He had been half-hoping for some entertainment anyway, so if Pei Xingzhi wanted to come, Chu Ling would just bring him along.
Pei Xingzhi didn’t waste his expectations either. Within half an hour of walking in, he’d been hit on no fewer than a dozen times. And since he didn’t know how to say no, he drank whatever anyone handed him. The moment Chu Ling looked away, he’d already drunk himself into this state.
Chu Ling grabbed a blanket and draped it over his face, then thought better of it, pulled the blanket off, and snapped a photo to send off.
Anyway, he was only responsible for stalling for time. Whatever state Pei Xingzhi ended up in wasn’t his problem.
Seeing that the time was about right, Chu Ling shook Pei Xingzhi to wake him. Pei Xingzhi rolled over, pushed aside the loose strands of hair falling over his face, and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.
The bar’s lighting was seductive and ambiguous, the glow falling across his face as Pei Xingzhi revealed himself fully under the light.
Chu Ling had a mild case of face blindness, Pei Xingzhi’s image in his eyes had always been blurry in the past. But in this instant, the Pei Xingzhi before him suddenly became clear.
Pei Xingzhi’s face was almost too beautiful. He looked like a highly poisonous yet gorgeously alluring poppy flower, one that would make anyone who tried to get close pay the price.
But Chu Ling knew exactly how innocent this young man before him was. Just show him a little kindness, and he would stubbornly believe you were a good person. Such a beautiful face, yet such a kind heart, Chu Ling suddenly understood Xie Nanyi a little.
If it were him, he wouldn’t be able to resist either.
But a deal was a deal. Chu Ling quickly retracted his wandering thoughts and helped the man up with a smile.
“Are you okay?”
“My head hurts a bit.” Pei Xingzhi held his head and spoke honestly. He only remembered that after the two of them finished eating, Chu Ling said he had to go to work. When Pei Xingzhi heard that an Omega like him was working at a bar, he immediately decided to come along, at least if any danger occurred, he could protect Chu Ling.
But the moment he walked in, he was surrounded by a group of people and forced to drink a lot of alcohol. As for what happened after that, he couldn’t quite remember.
“You drank a lot just now, so a headache is normal.” Chu Ling said as he gently massaged his pressure points. “It’s already very late. Let’s head back.”
The two had left in the afternoon, and by the time they returned, the sky was pitch black. Pei Xingzhi didn’t drink much, and even though he’d taken medicine, his condition was still less than ideal. He was practically hanging off Chu Ling, moving only through Chu Ling’s guidance.
“I’m never drinking this much again, if I do, let me end up homeless like those drunks!” After vomiting who knows how many times, Pei Xingzhi clutched his stomach and swore fiercely. Chu Ling gave him a look as if he wanted to say something but held back, a meaningful expression surfacing on his face, hidden behind his scarf.
“Xiao Zhi, better not say too much.”
Pei Xingzhi, who was busy vomiting his guts out, naturally didn’t notice any of this, simply taking it as Chu Ling comforting him. He waved his hand to tell Chu Ling not to worry, that he could still walk fine on his own, but before he even finished speaking, he collapsed straight to the ground again. He tried walking independently a few times, but each attempt failed, and in the end, he could only make it back to the dorm with Chu Ling’s support.
Standing in front of the dorm door, Pei Xingzhi suddenly felt Chu Ling look at him with what seemed like pity. Pei Xingzhi didn’t understand what that look meant, but the next second, when the dorm door opened, Pei Xingzhi understood everything.
His bed had collapsed.
His bed. Had. Collapsed.