The "Honest" Beta Deceived Day and Night by a Twisted Obsessive - Chapter 9

 Not Obedient 

When Duan Huaijing woke up again, the bright overhead lights stung his eyes. He reached up to shield them, but the moment he moved his arm, he realized the surface he was lying on felt wrong.

Was I caught? Is this the aftermath?

He shifted his body, and a sudden jolt of sharp pain shot through his ankle. He winced, hissing through his teeth, “Sss.”

“Don’t move. Your ankle is injured.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Duan Huaijing froze. He turned his head mechanically to look behind him.

Xie Yun was leaning over, one hand steadying Duan Huaijing’s arm while the other readjusted the blanket he had kicked messy when waking up.

The sharp scent of disinfectant filled his nose, but as he recalled the smell of cedar he’d caught before losing consciousness, Duan Huaijing’s fingers curled slightly.

He was very close to Xie Yun now, so close that he could likely smell the other man’s pheromones. His brain was still a bit foggy, and he instinctively found himself wanting to inhale that calming scent that lingered in the air between them.

“Do you want to rest a bit longer?”

Duan Huaijing was so preoccupied with how good Xie Yun smelled that he didn’t immediately process the question.

“I’m fine. I’m okay now,” he said, waving his hands hurriedly. “Really.” To make it more convincing, he lowered his head and added the last part in a small voice.

Even though he knew he had been subtle about sniffing the pheromones and that Xie Yun likely hadn’t noticed, he still felt a pang of guilt.

“Alright.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Duan Huaijing noticed several doctors in white coats standing nearby, along with the group from the private lounge.

Xie Ming was forced to stand straight. Hearing Duan Huaijing’s words, he couldn’t help but let out a cold snort. “You really think you’re some young master, don’t you? Making us all wait here just because you twisted your ankle.”

Xie Yun gave him a chilling look, and Xie Ming immediately shut his mouth, pouting in silence.

“Everyone who was in that room is here. Who bullied you?” Xie Yun asked. The room collectively gasped; no one expected Xie Yun to settle scores after the fact.

His tone was casual, as if he were merely asking what they’d had for lunch.

Duan Huaijing’s grip tightened on the bedsheets. Remembering what happened in that lounge, a wave of suffocating anger rose in his chest. Having his dignity toyed with was infuriating.

He didn’t know what horrors would have happened if he hadn’t managed to escape, and the realization terrified him. Before passing out, he had been focused solely on running; now, those two overwhelming emotions fear and fury, crashed over him at once.

He hated it. He hated these wealthy playboys who didn’t treat others like human beings, who did whatever they wanted without fear of consequence.

Why should they get away with it?!

His mind went blank with rage. For a split second, he almost blurted out exactly what he was thinking.

Struggling to maintain his “pushover” persona, his entire body began to tremble. He kept his head down so they couldn’t see his expression and whispered, “It’s fine.”

Xie Ming perked up, immediately chiming in. “Exactly! See, Brother? I told you we were just playing around. Huaijing is my fiancé. Why would I mess with him? Messing with him is like messing with myself, right?”

Duan Huaijing felt a cool, heavy gaze settle on him one that felt as though it could see right through his skin.

Xie Yun’s voice was slow but carried a sharp edge of authority. “He is a male Beta. Do not refer to him with feminine terms.”

Duan Huaijing blinked in surprise.

Xie Ming stammered, confused as to why such a trivial title would upset his brother, but he quickly backed down and mumbled a correction.

Xie Yun turned his attention back to Duan Huaijing. “Who bullied you?”

Before Duan Huaijing could answer, Xie Ming panicked. He looked between the two of them, terrified that Duan Huaijing would rat him out, and opened his mouth to interrupt.

But before he could utter a sound, his brother’s cold gaze silenced him instantly.

Xie Yun frowned slightly, his lips parting as he said, “Did I ask you?”

Duan Huaijing expected Xie Ming to throw a tantrum, but to his surprise, the younger brother just nodded reluctantly and took a step back, silenced.

Duan Huaijing looked away and lowered his head further, picking at the dry skin on his fingers to hide an eye roll.

Hypocrite!

He figured Xie Yun was just putting on a show. He wasn’t actually trying to stand up for him; he was likely just afraid that if Duan Huaijing went to the police, it would damage the Xie family’s reputation.

Between Xie Yun and his brother, they had effectively framed his suffering as “junior siblings playing around.” By doing this, his grievances were dismissed, making him easier to control later, all while maintaining a facade of justice.

Xie Ming was Xie Yun’s brother, after all. Xie Yun was scolding him now just for show, but if Duan Huaijing actually pushed his luck, he was sure Xie Yun would protect his own.

Two peas in a pod, he thought.

Duan Huaijing tore at a piece of skin too hard, and the sting nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Xie Yun, perhaps sensing that the presence of the others was keeping him quiet, ordered everyone to go stand in the hallway.

Once the room was empty, only the two of them remained.

“Duan Huaijing,” Xie Yun called out suddenly. “Look up. Look at me.”

Duan Huaijing instinctively looked up, his eyes red as if he were about to cry.

Xie Yun’s gaze narrowed.

In the shifting light of the room, Duan Huaijing looked like a merman prince emerging from the deep sea, his features were soft and fluid, and his reddened eyes added a touch of pitiful vulnerability.

Duan Huaijing blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. His eyelashes often fell inward, and they were a nightmare to get out.

Xie Yun’s hand moved faster than his conscious mind, reaching out until he was only half an arm’s length from Duan Huaijing’s face.

Duan Huaijing froze, staring at the hand that looked like it was about to grab him.

Wait? Is he being this obvious now? Not even trying to hide it?

Xie Yun noticed the change in his expression and followed his gaze down to his own hand. A flash of realization crossed his eyes.

Xie Yun’s fingers curled slightly as he casually retracted his hand. He pulled two tissues from the bedside table and handed them over.

“Thank you, Big Brother,” Duan Huaijing whispered, taking them to dab at the tears forced out by the stray eyelash.

“You’re welcome,” Xie Yun replied stiffly, turning slightly away.

“Have you decided?” Xie Yun turned back to look at him.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere in the room felt like it had been put on pause, save for the glints of light reflecting in Xie Yun’s pupils.

A sudden thought occurred to Duan Huaijing: What if. Xie Yun actually wants to help?

What if Xie Yun wanted to be the blade that shattered the idea that Duan Huaijing was someone who could be bullied with impunity?

He was still conflicted. His mind instinctively jumped to the worst possible motives, doubting Xie Yun’s intentions. Yet, he couldn’t resist such a tempting opportunity.

He gave a small, barely perceptible nod. “Except for those few Omegas… everyone else bullied me.”

“Okay,” Xie Yun murmured. He leaned forward and plucked a tissue from the box again.

Duan Huaijing was still wondering what that “okay” meant when he felt a soft touch against his cheek. He looked up, startled.

Xie Yun was very close, carefully wiping something off his face. Sensing his gaze, Xie Yun lowered his own eyes to meet his.

The wiping motion stopped.

They stared at each other.

Duan Huaijing noticed that Xie Yun’s eyelids were very thin, with a tiny mole that was only visible when he looked down.

Xie Yun didn’t look cold because of the shape of his eyes, but because his pupils were so light in color, giving him a detached, otherworldly appearance. But at this distance, that aloofness melted away.

He was like a frozen pond, the deeper you waded in, the more you realized the water wasn’t cold at all, but a warmth that completely enveloped you. The depths were magnetic, luring you further in.

Suddenly, Xie Ming’s voice drifted in from the hallway. “Ugh, how long do we have to stand here? Can I sit down for a second, Brother?”

The loud shout was like a stone thrown into the still pond, sending ripples everywhere.

Xie Yun snapped back to reality as if he’d been electrocuted. He stood up straight and tossed the tissue into the bin, looking away. “You had something on your face.”

Duan Huaijing touched his cheek.

“I already wiped it off,” Xie Yun added.

“Oh, okay. Thank you, Big Brother.” Duan Huaijing didn’t understand why Xie Yun was acting so jumpy.

A few minutes later, he understood exactly what that “okay” meant.

Duan Huaijing looked at the people lined up in front of him, then turned to look at Xie Yun. He felt a bit weak. “I don’t think I can take them all in a fight.”

Xie Yun remained calm. “If you can’t win, I’ll help you. Just vent your anger first.”

Duan Huaijing felt a surge of strength rush through his limbs. Emboldened, he rolled up his sleeves and delivered a sharp kick to the person closest to him, cursing them in his head.

You’re the one who told me to eat pig’s head meat! Disgusting! Drop dead!

The person didn’t expect him to actually strike. Before they could even step back, Duan Huaijing delivered a stinging slap to another.

You aren’t a good person either!

Xie Yun sat on the sofa, arms crossed, leaning back. His eyes remained fixed on Duan Huaijing, looking for all the world like a proud mentor watching his star pupil.

That one “okay” really did have magic in it. It allowed Duan Huaijing to release all his pent-up fury and do the things he never dared to do, without worrying about retaliation.

It was both his backbone and his courage. No matter what he did, Xie Yun was there to handle the fallout.

By the time he was done, Duan Huaijing was exhausted but felt incredibly refreshed.

When they returned to the family estate, it was very late. Just as Duan Huaijing was about to head to bed, Xie Yun stopped him.

Standing at the base of the stairs, Xie Yun handed him a bottle of medicine. “This is for external use. It’ll help you heal faster.”

Because Duan Huaijing was a few steps up, he had a clear view of the skin exposed by Xie Yun’s unbuttoned collar. His gaze flickered away as he took the bottle. “Okay, thank you.”

Their fingertips brushed for a fraction of a second, and Xie Yun pulled back as if burned.

Xie Yun shoved his hand into his pocket. After a beat, he said in his usual cool tone, “The doctor said this needs to be applied every three hours. It’s best if someone helps you.”

Duan Huaijing thought Xie Yun had one of those “touch-and-retract” personalities. The unfamiliar warmth on his fingertips lingered. Normally, he disliked physical contact and would have wanted to wipe his hand off immediately.

But tonight, his brain was lagging. It took several seconds for the feeling to register, and by the time he thought to wipe it, the moment had passed.

Duan Huaijing felt a bit troubled. “I don’t want to trouble you, Big Brother. I can just set an alarm and do it myself.”

He secretly rubbed his fingers together, pretending to wipe away the sensation.

“It’s no trouble,” Xie Yun replied instantly, almost instinctively. “I’ll come by tonight to check on you. You can’t reach it easily yourself.”

Duan Huaijing blinked.

He couldn’t fathom why Xie Yun was being so insistent. It was just a sprain, not a terminal illness. He’d split his head open before and hadn’t even gone to the hospital; now, they were acting like it was a life-threatening emergency.

“It’s just a small thing.”

“It is not a small thing,” Xie Yun said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Duan Huaijing couldn’t win, so he nodded and agreed.

At the same time, anxiety began to gnaw at him. The last message on his phone was from thirty minutes ago, it was from “The Eyes,” saying they wanted to video call tonight.

Support