Does An Inferior Omega Also Have To Marry First, Then Fall In Love? - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Ji Qingyu Was Half-Awake…

Ji Qingyu was half-awake. His wrist felt cool, and a hand was pressed against his forehead. He had overestimated his body; the next day, he developed a high fever.

The family doctor came early, gave him medication to reduce the fever, and bandaged his wrist.

Today was a rare good day. A light breeze blew through the treetops. The lawn and trees outside the window were tinged with gold. He opened the window and looked at the scenery to clear his mind.

Fu Han was gone again, having disappeared once more. He was always so willful, doing whatever he pleased.

Dragging his sick body, Ji Qingyu rested at home for a few days. He noticed some new equipment in the piano room, many of which had been used during their last stage play. Someone contacted him to score the music for a new stage play. It wasn’t a major project, and since he had nothing else to do, he accepted it.

He met the director at a coffee shop. Ji Qingyu listened to the requirements, which simply involved writing a few songs with easy melodies. The offered compensation was reasonable, so both sides settled on a verbal agreement.

Ji Qingyu took the opportunity to visit Luo Sheng. It was his first time at Luo Sheng’s house.

Luo Sheng’s small house was halfway up the mountain, surrounded by a small garden. When Ji Qingyu arrived, Luo Sheng was planting saplings, so Ji Qingyu helped.

“Uncle, would you like to participate in the stage play project? They still need a choreographer, and you’re so professional. I can recommend you to them,” Ji Qingyu used his uninjured hand to fill the soil into the hole and flatten the earth on both sides of the tree.

“I won’t join in on that fun. At my age, other than the occasional burst of excitement, I’m quite content and lack ambition,” Luo Sheng said, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He looked much better mentally.

“But you,” Luo Sheng said, “you are still young. Don’t be like this old man. Life needs a little passion. Look at you, always looking unhappy.”

I come here every day to help you chop wood, so I don’t have to think about the things that make me unhappy, Ji Qingyu thought.

The two of them silently planted a row of saplings that afternoon. Ji Qingyu wiped his sweat, looking at the trees, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.

“Xiaoyu, you should come often. I see that I need you here,” Luo Sheng patted Ji Qingyu’s shoulder. “What happened to your hand? Fu Han didn’t do it, did he? If he dared to do something like that, I’ll deal with him for you.”

“No,” Ji Qingyu shook his head reluctantly. Luo Sheng was still dedicated to offering Ji Qingyu a cigarette. Ji Qingyu continued to refuse. For some reason, he felt extremely weak lately, and the smell of smoke was particularly acrid.

“Uncle, how did you manage to escape back then?” Ji Qingyu had always been curious about this.

“Me?” Luo Sheng glanced at Ji Qingyu, then lowered his head to pour himself a glass of wine. “I left on a day when Fu Yunbai was sound asleep, following the path I had already mapped out. The servants helped me.”

“Oops, I said I was going to quit smoking and drinking,” Luo Sheng said, but he didn’t look like he intended to put the cigarette down. “Qingyu, you’re asking me this—are you still planning to leave?”

Birds flew across the sky over the forest. Ji Qingyu sat on a wooden stump. The air in the forest was exceptionally fresh. He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and used a small twig to draw on the stones. He remained silent.

“Alright,” Luo Sheng put out the cigarette. “You and Xiaohan still have a chance to go back. Are you really not considering it anymore?”

Ji Qingyu shook his head. Who could predict matters of the heart? When they love, no amount of persuasion can part them. When one feels they’ve reached their limit, they no longer want to continue, and no amount of persuasion is useful.

The two sat for a while longer. It was getting late. Luo Sheng went inside to cook. Ji Qingyu watched the vast mountains alone, his heart feeling desolate.

During dinner, Ji Qingyu poked the mushroom soup and bread with his fork, finally speaking, “Uncle, was your relationship with Fu Han very good?”

“It was good. He was different when he was a child compared to now, very clingy. I still prefer his past self a bit; he’s not very affectionate now,” Luo Sheng complained. “You don’t know how cute he was as a kid. Even Fu Yunbai back then was sometimes overwhelmed by how clingy he was.”

“Is that so?” Ji Qingyu couldn’t imagine it. In his mind, Fu Han was always high and mighty, never yielding, arrogant, and fierce—a complete mismatch for the word ‘clingy.’

His phone rang again. Fu Han had been contacting him much more frequently lately. He figured it must be that strange possessiveness acting up again. He answered. Sure enough, the person on the other end asked, “Where are you? It’s already seven in the evening.”

“I’m at Uncle Luo’s place,” Ji Qingyu answered slowly. He didn’t want to say much to Fu Han, softly giving him a gentle, evasive answer.

Luo Sheng looked up at him. Ji Qingyu was dressed very plainly today, in a white cashmere sweater, his hair falling to his shoulders. He was wearing his wedding ring, perhaps at Fu Han’s request.

His expression showed a slight impatience. Sensing Luo Sheng’s gaze, Ji Qingyu looked up and smiled, curling his fingers slightly so the wedding ring was hidden. The more noticeable feature became the supportive bandage on his wrist.

Luo Sheng made Termitomyces mushroom soup today. Afraid Ji Qingyu wouldn’t be used to it, he also cooked Yang Chun noodles, sliced his homemade whole wheat bread, and poured a glass of iced water with soda.

Ji Qingyu seemed uninterested, simply answering Fu Han vaguely, regardless of what he said on the other end.

The atmosphere between the two on the phone was like the oppressive weather before a storm.

Fine raindrops began to fall outside the window. Fu Han was silent for a moment, then calmly said, “I’m still at the company. I’ll swing by on my way home.”

“No need. I can sleep here at Uncle Luo’s tonight. You’re busy with work, and the rain is so heavy outside. It’s too dangerous to come over.” His finger dug into the edge of the glass cup. The soda water had tiny bubbles.

Luo Sheng reached out and placed his hand over Ji Qingyu’s.

The small wooden house felt like an isolated island in the rapidly intensifying downpour. The television was showing the news, some irrelevant entertainment gossip.

“The copyright dispute between Ji Ran and Fu Han has concluded. Insiders reveal that the two brothers fought fiercely at a banquet, possibly due to Fu Han’s jealousy.”

“I’m coming to pick you up. You’re spending the night at home.” Fu Han had no intention of consulting Ji Qingyu. Sounds of discussion and file shuffling came from his end. Someone was consulting him about something. Fu Han spoke a few words to that person, his voice turning colder, and commanded unequivocally, “Wait for me there.”

Luo Sheng looked at Ji Qingyu then, noticing the worry in his brow. He seemed to have lost weight again recently. He had seemed much better during the stage play, and Luo Sheng wondered what had happened now.

Luo Sheng patted Ji Qingyu’s hand: “Qingyu, if you don’t want to go back, I’ll talk to him properly. He’ll listen to me to some extent.”

Ji Qingyu lowered his gaze and shook his head. He tightened his grip on his hand, lost in thought. He stood up and said, “Uncle Luo, I’ll do the dishes.”

Luo Sheng felt that Ji Qingyu had been thoughtful all day, seeming to have something unspoken on his mind.

After dinner, Ji Qingyu curled up on the sofa in Luo Sheng’s small house, reviewing the collaboration proposal for the day. He needed to read the script for the stage play.

The play was about a love triangle: a female Omega falls in love with an older female Omega, but the older woman is already married, happily and perfectly, to a male Alpha.

Ji Qingyu sat on the sofa, unconsciously biting his finger. This kind of relationship was too unconventional, filled with dramatic tension. It was the difference between an adult’s story and a Grimm’s fairy tale.

From his personal perspective, he wasn’t adept at this subject matter, but he had always wanted to try it.

Fu Han said he was coming, but with such heavy rain, the mountain road was treacherous. He didn’t want Fu Han to risk it. Besides, even if he went back, what was there left for them to talk about?

With that thought, he looked down at the script. The young girl says to the older woman, “Teacher, I love you. I know our relationship defies convention, and I know it won’t be accepted by the world, but I love you.”

Ji Qingyu’s pen tip pressed a few dots onto the work tablet. Luo Sheng sat down beside him at some point and poured him a glass of warm water.

Ji Qingyu looked up, a little lost. Luo Sheng was next to him. “What are you looking at so intently?”

The light inside the small wooden house was warm and bright, as was Luo Sheng. Perhaps due to being forced by Fu Han to undergo regular treatments, Luo Sheng’s complexion was much better.

“Uncle, I want a divorce,” Ji Qingyu flipped the script to the last page. The two characters didn’t have a good outcome. The young girl died in the end, and the teacher did not get a divorce.

“Qingyu, you need to think it through carefully and arrange everything,” Luo Sheng said. “Sometimes, you always think that giving your all will lead to a good result, but in the end, it only hurts both yourself and others. It’s better to cut your losses in time and withdraw as early as possible.”

“You came today just to ask for my advice, didn’t you?” Luo Sheng said. “Don’t worry. Even though I had many problems in my life after running away, I don’t regret it.”

Before Luo Sheng could finish, a white light illuminated the window.

The torrential rain was relentless. There was a knock on the wooden door. A person stood outside. A black umbrella shadowed them as they stepped into the small wooden house, bringing a damp chill with them.

Ji Qingyu’s fingers curled slightly, slowly pulling away from him. The cigarette in Luo Sheng’s hand was still burning. Fu Han nodded to Luo Sheng, and the next second, he grabbed Ji Qingyu’s forearm.

“Let’s go. Come back with me.”

Ji Qingyu looked back at Luo Sheng. Luo Sheng smiled at him. Love must exist in the world, but in the instant of love, one always thinks it will be eternal. But how long can that little flame of passion burn?

Ji Qingyu didn’t know. He could only feel the lingering pain. If he could, he wished he had never met Fu Han at eighteen. He could have lived a peaceful life just by relying on himself.

“Fu Han.” Ji Qingyu was pulled away. The black umbrella was a bit cramped, forcing them to walk close together. Ji Qingyu lagged half a step behind Fu Han. He woodenly called out the Alpha’s name. In the rainy night, he could only see Fu Han’s broad back. Fu Han didn’t look back, nor did he respond.

Fu Han’s palm was very warm. Being held like this offered some comfort to his heart. Ji Qingyu looked down at their intertwined hands.

There was a moment of daze that had lasted for years, but perhaps because of Luo Sheng, Ji Qingyu finally mustered the courage. He opened his mouth and spoke to himself, “Fu Han, listen to me. By marrying me, you actually took on trouble. I… do we really need to continue? You’ve already established a relationship with the Ji family. With or without me, the difference is actually minimal.”

His sneakers made a slight scraping sound on the grass. Ji Qingyu lowered his head, swallowing hard. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Fu Han’s pace slowed for two seconds, then he continued forward as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Ji Qingyu thought his voice was too soft, so he raised his volume and repeated himself, trying again to persuade Fu Han to change his mind.

“Right now, when I’m home, neither of us is comfortable. We always end up arguing. Otherwise, for your own sake, let’s find a time to… get a divorce.” Ji Qingyu’s voice trailed off towards the end. He didn’t know why, but he felt a little guilty.

The cold, damp feeling in the air spread once more. The light from the small house behind them grew fainter. Ji Qingyu didn’t expect Fu Han to stop so abruptly. He was looking down at Fu Han’s shadow and crashed directly into Fu Han’s back. His nose ached, and tears spilled out from the pain.

He reached up to cover his face, tears welling up.

Fu Han turned around, his expression blank, and yanked Ji Qingyu’s forearm, slamming Ji Qingyu against the car door.

The car door was covered in rainwater, and Ji Qingyu’s back was completely soaked. Fu Han’s umbrella was still covering their heads, water droplets hitting the car roof with a dull thud.

Fu Han looked down and spoke the longest sentence since they met today: “Ji Qingyu, you want to get a divorce after you’ve used me? How could you think of such a perfect plan? Come when called, leave when dismissed? Do you think you can just walk away when you want to?”

Ji Qingyu didn’t know why he was so perceptive. Fu Han’s expression was as impenetrable as steel and slate, yet the hand at his side was trembling.

Thus, Ji Qingyu’s heart was inexplicably seized with anxiety, trembling in sync with Fu Han’s hand. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.