The "Honest" Beta Deceived Day and Night by a Twisted Obsessive - Chapter 33

“How did you end up in such a state?”

Duan Huaijing had never been this terrified.

Pure panic surged from his tailbone, colonising every inch of his body; every cell in his being screamed a single command: Run.

How could the man say something so chilling in such a flat, mundane tone?

His hand, resting on the door handle, lost its strength. Dragging his leaden, trembling legs, Duan Huaijing slowly turned around. He fought with every fibre of his being to control his voice, feigning nonchalance. “Nothing. I was just thirsty. I’m going downstairs for some water.”

“The Eye” didn’t move an inch. He simply remained there, shrouded in the darkness, watching him.

Duan Huaijing’s lips were parched. His heart hammered against his ribs: Does he believe me Or does he know?

Just as his frayed nerves were about to snap, The Eye finally looked away. “Go then,” he said.

Duan Huaijing felt as if he’d received a royal pardon. He fled the room, his movements frantic. Once outside, his legs felt like jelly; he nearly buckled, stumbling clumsily along, guided only by the raw instinct to get away.

He didn’t notice. Thank God.

But Duan Huaijing didn’t dare relax. He had already alerted the predator; his escape plan had to happen now, as quickly as possible.

A plan began to take shape in his mind. He had previously noted the staff’s schedule there was a fifteen-minute window during their shift change where the villa was effectively unsupervised. He would use that gap to run.

Fearing any further delay, he began his preparations the moment The Eye left the next morning. He tied his bedsheets into a makeshift rope and lowered it out of the window, ensuring the anchor was secure. After tricking the bodyguards into leaving their post at his door, he fled along his pre-planned route.

The guards were professionals; they would realize something was wrong within minutes. This tiny window of time was his only chance.

Duan Huaijing didn’t hesitate. At this moment, his desire for freedom outweighed his fear. He climbed down the sheets step by step, the surge of adrenaline masking his terror. His nerves were a jangle of agitation and hope.

Halfway down, he couldn’t help but glance at the ground. The flowerbeds below were filled with roses vibrant, beautiful, and covered in thorns. From this height, a fall would result in broken bones at the very least. He immediately snapped his gaze back to the wall and took a deep breath.

The bodyguards weren’t amateurs. They soon discovered his absence. By the time they sprinted outside, they only saw a glimpse of Duan Huaijing’s figure vanishing around a corner. They shared a brief look and split up without a word. One of them sent a message to The Eye.

At that moment, in the executive offices of the Xie Group, a mobile phone buzzed.

Duan Huaijing ran with the intensity of a sprinter. He couldn’t outrun professionals in a straight race, but he couldn’t stop, and he couldn’t look back. Given The Eye’s obsessive nature, the man would surely lose his mind once he realized his “bird” had flown. He would find ever more twisted ways to torment him.

This had to succeed.

Run. Don’t look back.

He ran until his legs felt like they belonged to someone else. Every breath felt like a blade scraping against his lungs, but the sharp pain helped clear the dizziness brought on by lack of oxygen. He lost track of time. Just as he felt he might actually die of exhaustion, the scenery became familiar.

A place he once swore never to return to had become his lifeline. He burst into a crowded shopping centre, using his intimate knowledge of the layout to weave through the throngs, successfully giving the bodyguards the slip.

As he bent over, gasping for air, a voice called out to him.

“Duan Huaijing?”

He stiffened like a bowstring. His frantic breathing hitched. Did I not lose them all? His heart sank into the abyss.

A moment later, the voice drew closer, chirping away. “What are you doing here? Are you out shopping too?”

Duan Huaijing froze for a few seconds before recognising the voice. He spun around. “Fang Qing?”

Fang Qing nodded, looking confused. “Yeah?”

“What a coincidence, meeting you here.” Fang Qing hadn’t seen him in ages and clearly had a lot to say.

Duan Huaijing was about to speak when he caught sight of a bodyguard coming up the escalator in his peripheral vision. He grabbed Fang Qing’s arm and turned him around, blending into the crowd of shoppers.

Fang Qing wasn’t stupid. He could see Duan Huaijing was acting strangely—hiding from someone. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

Duan Huaijing waited until he saw a reflection in a glass wall confirming the guard had moved in the opposite direction. “It’s a long story. Can you buy a bus ticket for me?”

Once he felt they were safe, Fang Qing pulled his arm away, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Of course, but. just don’t stand so close to me for a second.”

Duan Huaijing looked confused.

Fang Qing grimaced. “You’ve got the scent of an S-class Alpha all over you. It’s incredibly overbearing. I don’t like it.”

Sceptical, Duan Huaijing lifted his arm and sniffed his sleeve several times. He couldn’t smell a thing. “Is it pheromones?”

Fang Qing took several steps back. “No, I can’t quite describe it. It just feels. repulsive to anyone else. It’s like an Alpha’s way of expressing absolute possessiveness, leaving a mark so everyone else knows you belong to someone.”

“And this scent is far too aggressive. Before I even got close, it was the only thing I could smell. It stands out like a sore thumb, as if the person who left it is desperate for the world to know you’re taken.”

Duan Huaijing was a Beta; he couldn’t smell the nuances. He simply assumed that staying with The Eye every day had left him “marinated” in the man’s scent.

Fang Qing bought him the nearest available ticket. Duan Huaijing didn’t have a second to waste; he grabbed the ticket and fled.

He didn’t know that shortly after he left, the spot where he had stood was swarmed by men.

Fang Qing clutched his shopping bags, staring at a dozen disciplined bodyguards. The sheer pressure of their presence made him step back. What is this? It felt like a scene from a drama where a delivery driver suddenly turns out to be a billionaire.

The guards parted, creating a path for a man in a long black coat. Even before the man reached him, alarm bells rang in Fang Qing’s head. He recognised that scent—it was the same one that had been all over Duan Huaijing.

The man wore a mysterious mask. Combined with his natural poise, he looked like a nobleman stepped out of a storybook. But Fang Qing wasn’t fooled by the exterior. He could feel the intense hostility radiating from the man, for a fleeting second, he even sensed a murderous intent.

Is he that angry?

The man drew closer. Fang Qing swallowed and instinctively glanced toward the exit. Did Huaijing get away safely?

Xie Yun caught that tiny detail. His gaze followed the direction of Fang Qing’s look, but the area was empty. Without moving his body, he made a sharp gesture to the men behind him. The plain ring on his finger caught the light, gleaming coldly. His voice was low and commanding, like a lion that had caught its prey and refused to let go.

“Go south. Blockade the airport.”

*****

Duan Huaijing ran and ran, the world a blur of retreating shapes.

His clothes were soaked by a fine drizzle, his fringe sticking to his forehead in wet clumps. The rain intensified, the sound of the downpour filling his ears until everything ahead was shrouded in a grey mist. Fearing CCTV on the main roads, he stuck to the back alleys. Now, with no shelter from the rain, he hugged the walls of the houses as he moved.

He was drenched to the bone. He huddled into himself in the rain, silent and determined, moving forward like a wild, stubborn shoot of bamboo. He had thought about going to the police, but decided against it.

Even in the best-case scenario—if he went to the police and The Eye was imprisoned, he would only have a few days of peace. The man would eventually be released. Would he ever be truly free then?

Alerting the predator would only make The Eye more vicious. In that madman’s eyes, the only way to escape him was to die. Otherwise, they were destined to be entangled for lifetimes.

Duan Huaijing shook the thoughts from his head. As he ran, the puddles on the ground became clearer, reflecting the surroundings in the rain. And in those puddles, he saw a light.

He looked up into the heavy rain, his eyes squinting as the water lashed his eyelids. The beam of light finally came to rest at his feet.

A man stepped out of a Maybach into the dark night, holding an umbrella. He was tall and composed, his gaze locked onto Duan Huaijing with a physical weight. He was like a venomous snake that had been lurking in the shadows; just as the prey turned to look elsewhere, it realized it was already surrounded.

He came toward the light, yet he brought not a shred of warmth.

Duan Huaijing’s wet clothes clung to his skin. A gust of cold wind made him shiver, but his gaze remained defiant as he looked at The Eye. He looked like an abandoned, soaked puppy, cornered against a wall, staring death in the face.

Only this puppy had been the one to “disobediently” run away.

“How did you end up in such a state?”

The next second, the downpour stopped. An umbrella was held over his head, and the biting wind was blocked by the man standing before him. But Duan Huaijing’s muscles remained taut, twitching with tension.

“None of your business!” he spat through gritted teeth.

The Eye ignored him, asking inconsequentially, “Are you cold?”

Yes. Even with the wind blocked, he was freezing, so cold his teeth were chattering. But he refused to speak.

The consequences of being caught hung over him like a blade. The uncertainty of when it would fall made his heart race. Duan Huaijing took a microscopic step back. As The Eye reached out to wipe the water from his face, Duan Huaijing turned and bolted.

He didn’t care what expression was on The Eye’s face. He only wanted to trade his pathetic hope for a sliver of a chance at escape. Maybe he hasn’t blocked the path ahead. Maybe I can actually make it this time.

But he hadn’t gone far when he skidded to a halt.

Several hulking bodyguards stepped out from the shadows, blocking every possible exit. They advanced slowly. Duan Huaijing retreated, desperate and lost.

At the same time, The Eye closed in from behind, his pace leisurely and relentless, narrowing the space until there was nowhere left to run. Duan Huaijing tried to pivot to another direction, but his collar was suddenly seized. The fabric tightened around his throat.

He clawed at his neck, desperate for air. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with tears of frustration and hatred. As the rain slid down his face, it was impossible to tell where the water ended and the tears began.

“I’ve caught you,” he heard The Eye say.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning pierced the night sky, illuminating everything in a stark, terrifying white.

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