Married the Abandoned Puppy Alpha - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Sharing Hardships

Fortunately, the forest lay directly beneath them. The parachute snagged on branches several times, providing a significant cushioning effect.

However, when the two finally slammed into the ground, He Xinglou still felt a bone-shattering agony as if his entire body had been crushed.

“Shi Qingze!” He immediately looked up at the person holding him, and his vision was met with a slowly spreading crimson.

Even he could barely endure the impact, let alone Shi Qingze, who had shielded him entirely in his embrace.

He Xinglou didn’t dare shout again. His hands trembling, he carefully cradled Shi Qingze’s head, only for his palms to be met with the sensation of wet, warm blood.

A buzzing sound rang in his ears, and he felt his emotions beginning to detach. Realizing he was about to lapse into a dissociative state, he quickly raised his free left hand and bit down hard on his flesh.

The pain brought a flicker of clarity. After a pause, He Xinglou placed his fingers under Shi Qingze’s nose; only after feeling a faint breath did he begin to gasp violently for air.

“Shi Qingze… Xiao Ze…”

“No, we can’t stay here.” Remembering Shi Qingze’s earlier instructions, he struggled to pull the other man into his arms.

Given the injuries, it was best not to move him to avoid causing further trauma, but there was no other choice now.

“Need to find a hidden spot,” He Xinglou whispered to himself, desperately trying to remain calm.

Unluckily, the roar of an engine sounded in the distance. Xinglou grew tense and hurriedly helped the man stand, but before he could take more than a few steps, the sound of the engine was already right behind him.

Are we going to be caught? He Xinglou bit his lower lip, attempting to retreat deeper into the thicket.

“Don’t run! Don’t run!” A soft voice called out, sounding somewhat familiar.

Xinglou froze and turned back hesitantly. He saw a small hovercar stopped not far away. The door opened, revealing a clever, melon-seed-shaped face.

“Xinglou! Why is it you?” Luo Qingzhe’s eyes widened, and he broke into a pleasantly surprised smile.

“Luo Qingzhe?” He Xinglou was equally surprised. “What are you doing here?”

He looked at the car Luo Qingzhe was in. It was the same brand as Shi Qingze’s.

Luo Qingzhe gave a few orders to the driver, and the hovercar landed slowly on the clearing.

Just as he was about to jog over, He Xinglou pulled the man in his arms back a few steps: “Don’t come any closer.”

“Xinglou?” Luo Qingzhe looked aggrieved and stopped obediently in his tracks.

He Xinglou took a deep breath and asked, “What is your relationship with the Shi family?”

Shi Qingze had mentioned that this was a hunting ground accessible only to a few great families. Why was Luo Qingzhe here? He remembered that the name “Luo” was not among the great families.

“The Shi family?” Luo Qingzhe was surprised and shook his head. “No relation at all. My family isn’t on very good terms with them.”

His gaze landed on the bloodstains on the ground and then moved to the person in He Xinglou’s arms. He finally recognized who it was.

“He… isn’t he that Alpha from the coffee shop last time? Is he hurt?”

Xinglou’s mind was a mess. He shook his head and only asked, “Then why are you here?”

Luo Qingzhe looked indignant: “After my brother went on a business trip, I played games for three days and three nights. The butler told me! So I was kicked out to practice hunting.”

Sensing He Xinglou’s earlier reaction, Luo Qingzhe explained further: “My brother is the Minister of Finance of the Capital Star. His name is Gu Tingyun.”

Fearing He Xinglou wouldn’t believe him, he quickly sent over his identification info. He Xinglou checked it cautiously and found that the other’s residency was indeed bound under the name of Gu Tingyun.

The Finance Minister’s face and name appeared frequently in the news; it couldn’t be faked.

“Are the Shis giving you trouble? Don’t worry, get in my car first. No one dares to mess with me.” Luo Qingzhe finally approached and tugged on He Xinglou’s sleeve comfortingly.

He Xinglou said with a trembling voice, “Thank you. Could you… please take us to a hospital? He’s badly injured.”

“Of course, no problem!” As Luo Qingzhe prepared to help him, the driver quickly got out and assisted in bringing Shi Qingze into the vehicle.

The hovercar took off rapidly. Through the rearview mirror, Luo Qingzhe saw He Xinglou carefully supporting the unconscious Alpha, letting him lean against his shoulder.

Luo Qingzhe couldn’t help but ask, “What happened? I remember you called his name last time. It sounds very much like the Shi family’s star heir candidate. I thought it was just a coincidence or I heard it wrong.”

He Xinglou didn’t have the energy for small talk and said briefly, “He’s being hunted. I’m worried someone might still come to cause trouble.”

“I know a hospital with good security. I’ll take you there,” Luo Qingzhe said, but then he suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“It seems someone is following us,” the driver explained.

“It must be them catching up.” Xinglou’s face turned grim. “I’m sorry, I’ve dragged you into this.”

“It’s nothing.” Luo Qingzhe tapped his communicator and quickly sent a message.

Within half a minute, the hovercar behind them slowed down and hovered in place, appearing somewhat unwilling to retreat but unable to advance.

“I messaged my brother. He’ll handle it.” Now that Luo Qingzhe had revealed his identity, he stopped hiding his “young master” temper and snorted.

“If anyone else who isn’t afraid to die comes over, my brother will make them regret it.”

Thinking of his brother’s status, He Xinglou’s guilt dissipated. With the Finance Minister as a backer, no one would dare trouble this young master.

…

The hovercar stopped at the entrance of a private hospital. With the help of Luo Qingzhe and the driver, Shi Qingze was scheduled for an immediate emergency surgery.

Only then did He Xinglou feel like he had returned to life, collapsing onto a chair outside the operating room in exhaustion.

“I really don’t know how to thank you.” He looked gratefully at Luo Qingzhe sitting beside him.

“It’s okay! Out of all my blind date candidates, you were the absolute best one!” Luo Qingzhe laughed. “Actually, I should thank the matchmaker who recommended you!”

He Xinglou shook his head with a bitter smile: “What’s good about me? I only ever bring trouble to people.”

Every time Shi Qingze encountered him, he ended up injured. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call himself a carrier of misfortune.

Luo Qingzhe sensed his state was off and asked with concern, “Do you want to see a doctor too? Do you need me to go with you?”

Xinglou didn’t want to trouble him further, shook his head, and thanked him.

Luo Qingzhe didn’t push. After thinking for a moment, he warned: “The news media are very sharp. Since an operation is involved, Shi Qingze’s identity will leave a trail in this hospital. In a moment, there might be.”

Before he could finish, a nurse suddenly ran over frantically: “Where is security? Tell all guards to go to the main entrance! A horde of reporters has arrived! We can’t even close the doors!”

“So fast?!” Luo Qingzhe said in shock.

He Xinglou understood the unfinished warning. Shi Qingze usually took great care to block his information, but now that he was unconscious in a hospital, the media would treat this as a massive scoop.

“I’m going to the entrance.” He stood up immediately. “We can’t let the reporters reach the operating room!”

Luo Qingzhe wanted to follow, but the driver pulled him back: “Master, you can’t go! Your brother’s position makes it inconvenient to handle these matters!”

Xinglou quickly stopped Luo Qingzhe and said seriously, “Qingzhe, you’ve helped me enough. I can’t let more people get pulled into this mess.”

“Then what about you?” Luo Qingzhe asked anxiously.

“I’ll go deal with the reporters. After all, I am officially his partner now.”

Seeing Luo Qingzhe dazed, he smiled slightly: “Since we’re married, we’re grasshoppers on the same string. Naturally, we share life, death, and hardships. Shi Qingze… only has me left.”

Having said that, He Xinglou walked quickly toward the stairs, hurrying toward the direction of the clamor.

He had already decided how to handle this. The root of this murder attempt was Shi Qingze’s fear that the news of their marriage had leaked, causing him to flee with He Xinglou in a state of high alert.

“The star heir of the Shi family’s new wife is an undocumented person from the slums” for the media, that was a massive headline.

To stop the reporters from focusing on Shi Qingze, he could only use this piece of news to stall them!

To let his face appear on camera, to have his past which he himself didn’t even want to remember made public… the mere thought of the consequences made He Xinglou want to vomit.

But… it was the only way.

The crowd was boisterous, and camera flashes were constant. He Xinglou gritted his teeth, forced his way past the struggling security guards, and stood before the dense wall of reporters.

The noisy crowd fell silent. Countless gazes focused on He Xinglou, scrutinizing him up and down.

A sharp reporter asked, “What is your relationship with Mr. Shi Qingze?”

Another shouted playfully, “Mister, since you’ve stepped forward, you better answer properly! My station is broadcasting this live on the giant advertising screens!”

“That’s right! If you’re an irrelevant person, don’t waste public resources, or watch out for cyberbullying!”

At that moment, He Xinglou’s communicator vibrated wildly. His two friends had likely seen him on screen and were sending worried inquiries.

He Xinglou had no time to look. The bright white camera flashes hit him like a blizzard, nearly drowning him.

So terrifying, so terrifying, so terrifying.

Was he really going to expose all those wretched and miserable things to the entire Star Network?

Xinglou bit his tongue, pushing aside all superfluous emotions, and looked up with a pale face.

“I am…”

“Wait! Who is that coming over there?”

“It’s Shen Yuze! The rising genius singer who just won the Interstellar Pop Award!”

“Is he also connected to the Shi family heir?! Is he here to visit a patient?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the reporters’ eyes lit up like wolves eyeing meat.

Compared to the unknown He Xinglou, Shen Yuze clothed in fame and awards was infinitely more newsworthy. The massive crowd instantly turned their lenses, swarming like flies toward the newly arrived Shen Yuze.

He Xinglou stood dazed. He turned to look down from the high vantage point toward the other side, only to see Shen Yuze, whom he had met once before, looking up. The singer smiled at him and silently mouthed a sentence.

“Thanks for giving me a hand back in the secret room.”