CH 2.2

Zhen Xin's eyes clearly have no tears, but they appear to be filled with a large pool of water.

Liang Ren looks at him, his heart in contradicting emotions.

Every time, all the time, Zhen Xin's eyes never failed to make him do everything in his power to keep the puppy happy, as if he was tightly wrapped around its little paws.

Without complaints or second thoughts, he arranged a place for him to live, tried every means to secure him a student status, and usually squeezed time to tutor him with his homework, check for mistakes and prepare mock exams... He carefully wrapped the dirty puppy in his coat and brought it home, gave it vaccination and deworming medicine, had it bathed and groomed, and raised it as his most precious little one.

He was doubtlessly earnest in helping him without expecting anything in return. It was Zhen Xin who held his hand and said he liked him. It was the puppy who took the initiative to stick out its small tongue and lick his cheek, coquettishly barking to be with him forever.

Despite feeling embarrassed and concerned that he might be taking advantage of the other party, he eventually agreed after careful consideration.

As a result...

He painted himself a pie in the sky, imagining a jubilant version of the future. After fantasizing, he spoke only good words about him in front of his parents and friends, hoping that everyone in the world would love his puppy baby.

And then...

With his own ears, he saw this person, who had always been shy and obedient in front of him, dealing with those unsavory characters, trading some shady underground drugs, and bandying with hooligans with a cigarette in his mouth.

It turned out that he was just a meal ticket, an ATM, a sucker and a fool.

But in spite of his fury, he still took the puppy home, forbidding him to associate with those lowlives.

"You are not allowed to associate with these scoundrels in the future, you hear me?"

However, Zhen Xin's expression changed. He shrugged his shoulders and spoke in an extremely unfamiliar tone.

"That's enough. I've had enough. It's really not worth it. Let's just end it here and call it quits."

——————

The precious puppy he treated with great care bit him back in the end, but now he pitifully calls him "brother" in a panic.

"Zhen Xin." Liang Ren stares into the other party's eyes, saying cruelly, "Today is not the same as before."

I gave you a chance three years ago. It's you who threw it away.

"There are many other rich people in this world apart from me and Li Duoyu. You can always just collect wool from other sheep, right?" The puppy sheds tears again. Liang Ren finally stretches out his hand and wipes away the tears with his fingertips. "Can you just let me go? I beg you."

21

"Xiao Zhen, what's the matter with this month's performance? Why has the listing we talked about earlier not been settled yet?"

"I'm sorry, Manager. The negotiation with our previous client fell through, but I have already picked up a few more clients and have arranged viewings this afternoon."

"That's all right. You are working hard. You've have been distracted lately. You should take it easy, you know."

"I know, I know. Thank you, Manager, for your concern," Zhen Xin said with an apologetic smile on his face. "I will work harder."

Alas.

Zhen Xin sighs silently. Following the incident at the party, he apologized to Li Duoyu online and transferred the refund, effectively severing all ties.

Although meeting Li Duoyu is purely coincidental, he really doesn't want Liang Ren to think that their reencounter is another deliberate scheme.

——————

He and Liang Ren ended up to this point, and he only has himself to blame for everything wrong.

What made him harbor bad intentions from the beginning, thinking of making a fortune from the rich second generation? The more lies he told, the more the glass wall between them became a fortress, so close at hand but untouchable.

If only he has not pretended to be an omega from the very start.

If he didn't pretend to be an omega, he wouldn't have to go to great lengths to disguise pheromones and estrus periods. He wouldn't have contacted those gangsters, and he wouldn't have been targeted by those vermins who wanted to carve out a piece of flesh from Liang Ren.

He was originally the same as those hooligans, but it was because of Liang Ren that he broke free from the mud and lived a good life.

His good fortune made the eyes of many vermins in the gutter red.

"Ohhh, what a rare visitor." The heavily tattooed beta grinned his nicotine-stained teeth. "Say, what will happen if your lover discover that you're a beta?"

"So what." Zhen Xin had lost count of how many times he had heard similar lines. He was like a ticking time-bomb planted beside Liang Ren, which could detonate at any time and tarnish the latter's reputation. The only thing he could do was to remain calm and pretend that he didn't care. "I can always hook up with anyone who has money. One day, if he can't give me what I want, I'll kick him to the curb and find a new sugar daddy..."

Everyone thought he was sinister and greedy for money.

Nobody knew that he only wanted someone to love him.

21

"Hello, welcome to Heartful Homes, wholeheartedly serving you for your home needs."

Heartful Homes Real Estate Agency Co., Ltd. receives an unexpected visitor today.

"I want that real estate agent surnamed Zhen to serve me."

This guest has an aloof face, but his attitude is very firm.

After receiving the notice from the Manager, Zhen Xin hurries back from his site visit.

He wonders how he managed to provoke the bad elements again. Things aren't really going well recently.

But when he arrives at the office, he is stunned when he sees the poker-faced omega sitting on the soft chair.

"Feng... Mr. Feng?"

"You're quite hard to find." Feng Fan adjusts his glasses and frowns. "Those two guys are useless. Liang Ren's lips are tightly sealed, and that bigmouthed Li Duoyu is surprisingly being secretive...... Fortunately, I'm smart enough to find you."

Zhen Xin awkwardly asks, "What can I do for you?"

"I want to buy a house."

This reason is valid.

——————

Zhen Xin is directly taken away by Feng "God of Wealth" Fan.

"Mr. Feng, what can I do for you?"

Zhen Xin is nervously sitting in Feng Fan's Land Rover.

"I'm not in a hurry to buy a house. I'm here to learn from you. I want you to teach me how to make an alpha like me and treat me well."

"What..." Zhen Xin is dumbfounded, unable to grasp his client's meaning. "Mr. Feng, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Just saying!" The omega, who has always been calm and quiet, blushes when talking about the person he likes. He hesitates for a long time before muttering, "I am obviously with him, but why is he still thinking about other people......"

Zhen Xin's heart breaks.

"Mr. Zhen, can you just let him go? I really love him."

23

"Mr. Zhen, can you just let him go? I really love him."

Zhen Xin has imagined such a scene countless times when he was with Liang Ren in the past.

A fraud like him would be exposed one day, and then a truly outstanding omega would become Liang Ren's partner, while he could only run away in despair with his tail tucked between his legs.

However, after many years, Zhen Xin is relieved to hear such words again.

It seems like the sword of Damocles hanging over his head has finally fallen, and he will no longer be uneasy.

The omega in front of him is naturally much better than him, with his extensive knowledge, superior family background and good upbringing.

This is the kind of omega he had fabricated for himself, the kind that is most compatible with Liang Ren.

Feng Fan's serious expression makes Zhen Xin smile slightly. "You don't need to seek me out. I'm not with him. He is free and can be with anyone he likes."

"But……"

Feng Fan is not satisfied. He doesn't want to be driven away by Zhen Xin with just a few words.

"Just like there are methods and skills in conducting experiments, there should also be methods for falling in love."

Zhen Xin is taken aback.

"True," he smiles. The traffic outside the window is endless, and the flashing headlights vaguely illuminates the moisture in his eyes. "A person's preferences can be traced and understood. You have known each other for so many years. You can sort out his information, so you can package yourself in a way he likes..."

"Sort out his information, and package yourself..." Feng Fan even whisks out a notebook from nowhere and begins to take notes. "Uh-huh. Go on, Teacher Zhen."

"Don't bother taking notes." Zhen Xin snatches the pen and shakes his head. "Even if you succeed in pretending to be someone he likes, what good does it do to be in a relationship built on false pretenses? The love you'll receive while pretending to be someone else is just a castle in the air... You'll be more scared, anxious and miserable with each passing day."

Feng Fan raises his eyebrows in confusion. "Why? Isn't it good to be together?"

"But who is he in love with? Can you tell the difference?"

I couldn't.

24

Liang Ren did love him, but as this love grew more intense, so did Zhen Xin's fear. He couldn't tell whether Liang Ren loved the real him or the made-up persona.

Zhen Xin's continued to endure the pain, day after day, as if his heart was being simmered over a low flame in a pot of oil. Even breathing was painful.

In truth, there was still a room for them to turn back at the beginning.

Liang Ren was such a good person with bottomless tolerance. Even after knowing that he was a scumbag, he wouldn't just abandon him so easily.

However, when the goldleaf on Zhen Xin's body was completely stripped off, exposing the muddy and dirty body inside, how could he continue to stand next to the innocent Liang Ren?

Instead of continuing to live in apprehension and waiting for Liang Ren's love to be completely spent, it would be better to end it decisively and directly turn Liang Ren's love into a hatred so vicious it cuts to the bones.

Let him be the villain who burned a hole in Liang Ren's pure heart.

Even if there is no more love, at least the hatred belongs to him.