After My Engagement Was Broken, I Married My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 14

“Jiang Xingyuan, you damn well dare to play tricks with me! Believe it or not, I’ll kill you!”

Jiang Xingyuan struggled with difficulty and tilted his head. He had almost forgotten that there was still a Xie Zhao waiting for him at school. He shifted his body slightly, finding a more comfortable position.

Was it just him, or has Xie Zhao been particularly irritable lately? he wondered. Firing off at the slightest provocation.

At this moment, Jiang Xingyuan’s mind was exceptionally active. His gaze involuntarily swept over the other’s bloodshot eyes and the crimson coating on his tongue.

Classic signs of internal heat!

“What are you looking at!” Xie Zhao barked, his scalp tingling under Jiang Xingyuan’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Looking at you!” Jiang Xingyuan blurted out with utmost sincerity.

Xie Zhao gritted his teeth, his eyes locked onto the other. What is there to look at? We’re both Alphas! What a pervert!

“Am I not allowed to look?” Jiang Xingyuan raised an eyebrow, his expression innocent yet laced with a hint of curiosity.

The atmosphere plunged into a chilling silence. The sound of Xie Zhao’s knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists was deafening in the quiet space. If his hand weren’t still clamped around Jiang Xingyuan’s neck, one might have thought they were just having a casual chat.

Xie Zhao lowered his head and took a deep breath. No matter what, he was going to teach Jiang Xingyuan a lesson today. The moment he looked up, his eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He increased the pressure of his grip and leaned in close, his voice dangerously low: “Do you have any idea?”

“I don’t know…” The sudden suffocating pressure made Jiang Xingyuan uncomfortable. Looking at the Alpha pressing into his space, his eyes widened. “But I do know that you have bad breath!”

Jiang Xingyuan held his breath and shouted it at the top of his lungs.

Bad! Breath!

Xie Zhao’s expression froze instantly, his entire being turning into a stone statue. One second, two seconds… he began to question his very existence. His grip loosened unconsciously.

He… had bad breath?!

Jiang Xingyuan immediately threw off Xie Zhao’s hand and stepped aside just as the elevator doors opened. He ducked inside, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. Rubbing his throat and gasping slightly, he said: “If you could actually kill me, you’d better have done it just now. If you can’t, I advise you not to try.”

His voice was hoarse. Straightening up, Jiang Xingyuan looked at the stunned Xie Zhao and added calmly, as if offering a simple greeting: “Because I will definitely pay you back ten… no, a hundredfold.”

As Xie Zhao finally snapped out of it and lunged toward the elevator, the doors hissed shut. He slammed a fist against the metal in fury. Dammit! That bastard got away again!

Inside the elevator, Jiang Xingyuan pressed his back against the cold wall. Looking in the mirror, he saw the clear, purplish bruise circling his pale neck.

I need to find a way to cover this up, or I can’t face anyone, he thought, wincing as he touched it. That dog really gripped hard. Luckily, I’ve seen enough of the world to handle a bit of campus violence.

Reaching the first floor, he poked his head out to ensure the coast was clear, then straightened his clothes and headed toward the infirmary.

The Xie Ancestral Home: Qingfeng Courtyard

The lingering notes of an ancient zither drifted through the air.

“Alright, let’s end today’s practice here.”

“What’s wrong, Teacher?” Xie Huai looked up in surprise, his hand stopping abruptly on the strings.

The elderly man across from him, white-haired and kind faced, sighed. “Your heart is not still today; your music is restless.”

“Teacher, I’m sorry,” Xie Huai lowered his head in shame.

“You have something on your mind,” the elder noted, seeing the sorrow hidden behind the young man’s noble facade. “You hide it well, but the music does not lie.”

Xie Huai realized his clumsy disguise had been seen through. “Teacher… I am about to be forced into a marriage by my father. My so-called fiancé has already moved into the Xie house. Soon, we will be formally engaged. No matter how unworthy he is, I have to marry him.”

His voice grew thick with bitterness. “Despite being born into the Xie family with endless wealth, as an Omega, marriage is my only destiny. I cannot fight for what I want, or for the person I love… If I hadn’t fallen for him, I wouldn’t care who I married. But I did.”

Tears began to fall. The elder, also an Omega, understood the pain all too well. He had taught many Omegas in the Xie family, and despite their initial resistance, their fates always ended the same. The Xie family was like a massive, ancient monster, rich and powerful, yet rooted in decaying, feudal ideologies. In this “empire,” Alphas were the supreme rulers, fathers and monarchs.

“Teacher…”

The old man snapped out of his reverie. “I’m sorry, I was just remembering the past. Your aunt once said the same things to me.”

Xie Huai’s eyes widened. “My aunt… so she gave up her status to marry a commoner?”

“Yes. She was my most talented student. I will tell you what I told her back then: Regardless of the path you choose, do not let yourself regret it. Go find the meaning of your life.”

Xie Huai sat in a daze long after the teacher left. Suddenly, his servant Biyun ran in excitedly. “Young Master! The cousin is back!”

Xie Huai’s face lit up. “When did he return from abroad? How long is he staying?”

“He’s back for a six months project with his mentor. He won’t be leaving this year!”

The clouds over Xie Huai’s face vanished. “Quick, help me change. I’m going out.”

Biyun hesitated. “And the Master…?”

Xie Huai’s smile flattened. “We are just going shopping.”

Jingya Hall

A man hurried toward the hall, but his footsteps didn’t disturb the elegant zither music coming from within.

“Ninth Master, what about the business in Kyushu? The fourth and fifth branches are getting restless,” Su Quan reported, standing respectfully to the side.

Xie Junqing’s slender fingers danced across the strings. He kept his eyes closed, his jade-like face expressionless. “If they want it, give it to them, if they can stomach it. I am currently a ‘sickly man’ after all. I should be resting.”

Su Quan continued, “Xie San is trying to take over the mines in Quanzhou, but the Jiang family won’t budge without a clear profit. Also, the young master of the Jiang family has been snubbed by Master Xie Huai repeatedly. Today, he was asking about Master Xie Huai’s likes. And the cousin from the third branch returned today…”

Su Quan stopped when he noticed Xie Junqing’s smiling gaze. “Did I say something wrong?”

Xie Junqing stood up. “When did you become such a gossip, reporting these trivial family matters to me?”

“I thought you…” Su Quan stammered.

“Thought what? That I like that boy?” Xie Junqing said playfully.

Su Quan remained silent. The Ninth Master’s treatment of the Jiang family’s boy was indeed different, far more indulgent than with anyone else.

“He is indeed more pleasing to the eye than others,” Xie Junqing mused. “And more interesting. In this rigid Xie family where everyone fears me, it’s hard not to be interested in such a bold little thing. He’s much like Xuefu.”

As if called, a fluffy white cat, looking like a giant marshmallow, ran out and rubbed against Xie Junqing’s leg. He picked it up and stroked it. “See? This little thing usually isn’t this obedient. It must be afraid of losing its favor.”

He tossed the cat to Su Quan. “Go feed it. And Su Quan… don’t forget the rules.”

Su Quan felt a chill down his spine. He had almost forgotten, the Ninth Master hated it when people tried to guess his mind.

Star Sea University: Laboratory Corridor

“Senior Jiang! You can’t refuse this time. We’ve organized a welcome back dinner at the city’s top club!”

The Alpha at the center of the crowd was tall and elegant. Even a lab coat looked like high fashion on him. Jiang Yi, the former “school grass” of Star Sea University, hadn’t lost an ounce of his charm after two years abroad.

“Alright, I’ll go,” Jiang Yi smiled. The lab erupted in cheers.

“Bring your family if you have any!” someone teased.

“You’re joking, I’m in the lab every day,” Jiang Yi replied.

“I remember a cute little Omega used to follow you around,” someone chirped. “You’re definitely not single!”

Jiang Yi’s expression stiffened for a split second before he regained his composure. “I told you all, he’s my cousin.”

Just then, his phone vibrated. He stepped away to answer. “Cousin, you’re finally back!” Xie Huai’s excited voice came through.

“Yes, I’m back,” Jiang Yi said, his voice as warm as a gentle breeze, though his eyes remained dark and unreadable. “A-Huai, have you been well?”

Saint Ying High School

Jiang Xingyuan had survived the day, but his face was stiff from smiling.

After his week-long absence, his return as the “mysterious transfer student” had caused a stir. When classmates saw the bandage on his neck, he offered a “friendly” explanation:

“Oh, this? It’s not an injury. I don’t fight. It’s cosplay! I’m playing a character who looks unremarkable but is actually powerful… And my voice? I’m practicing voice acting for a livestream. I’m a bit insecure about it, so I’m working hard.”

The students were shocked. He’s this handsome and has no confidence? They had expected him to be a cold-blooded “school tyrant,” but he was so approachable!

Jiang Xingyuan sighed inwardly. These high schoolers were so easy to fool. He felt like he was doing them a favor, better they get tricked by him now than lose everything to a scammer in the real world later.

Heading to the roof to catch his private helicopter home, Jiang Xingyuan was stopped in the elevator.

“Xiao Huang, what is it today?” Jiang Xingyuan asked, looking at a panting Huang Hao.

“Jiang Xingyuan,” Huang Hao gasped, “I have news about your fiancé. In exchange, you have to delete the evidence you have on me.”

Jiang Xingyuan didn’t answer immediately. He looked at Huang Hao and shook his head. So stupid, revealing your trump card immediately.

He let out a roguish smirk. “Is that so? Well, I’ll have to consider if your news is actually worth that price.”