The Honest Man Was Targeted by His Ex-Boyfriend's Alpha Brother - Chapter 21

Even if he was a total bastard in bed, seeing Chen Wang’s submissive appearance at this moment made Hua Yunlian quiet down.

It was just a meal.

He even said thank you.

Was it possible he used to go hungry?

The disdainful look on Hua Yunlian’s face faltered slightly. Recalling their days at the slum zoo, the little caretaker had indeed been thin and sallow. He fell silent.

Over the next few days, his work became extremely busy, and Chen Wang saw no sign of him. However, every time Chen Wang stepped out of the elevator, he found a mountain of assorted supplements and expensive ingredients piled up at the entrance.

Chen Wang picked up a high-end gift box and frowned at the description.

“What is this supposed to mean? Is he or implying I have a kidney deficiency?”

Hua Yunlian was usually swamped with corporate affairs. Even if he spent all morning in the office dealing with approvals and endless meetings, he still felt there was never enough time. He held a high position at the Hua Group headquarters, but the board was full of stubborn old men, many of whom belonged to Hua Jingchen’s faction. Even if they did not openly show disdain for his status as an illegitimate son, they could not help but make snide remarks in private.

Every month, he fell behind on work due to his beast form and his ruts. Coupled with the fact that he had not yet fully secured his footing, the immense pressure left Hua Yunlian with chronic insomnia, kept alive only by coffee. But recently, thanks to Chen Wang’s presence, he had found another way to vent.

That night, he walked boldly into the bedroom only to find the person who was supposed to be waiting for him, freshly showered, lying motionless. Chen Wang was breathing heavily and steadily. How could he be this tired before they even started? A scattered, unfinished report lay on the nightstand.

Hua Yunlian frowned with displeasure. He noticed the faint dark circles under Chen Wang’s eyelids from days of indulgence. It seemed that making him do it so often had caused him to lose weight.

Feeling incredibly irritable, Hua Yunlian brushed his hair back behind his ear, revealing a high brow bone and a smooth forehead. Acting without a shred of humanity, he pulled Chen Wang toward him, facing him directly. He gathered the man’s legs together, pinning them tight before stripping off both their clothes.

He considered himself thoughtful for not performing a full entry, choosing instead to rub against the outside. The fact that Chen Wang was asleep did not hinder Hua Yunlian’s original plan at all. As he moved, he showed no sign of self-reflection, shifting all the blame onto that crappy hospital full of brats.

“What a garbage job,” he muttered.

At seven the next morning, Chen Wang painfully pressed the alarm on his phone and crawled out of bed, slapping his cheeks to force himself awake. The room was empty. Did Hua Yunlian not come yesterday?

Chen Wang lifted the covers and stepped into his slippers, but as he tried to walk toward the bathroom, he found it extremely difficult to move. Looking down, he saw his pajama pants and underwear bunched at his ankles, long since made filthy. His thighs were covered in telltale marks.

His newly awakened brain was instantly flooded with a rush of heat. He cursed loudly, “You animal!”

“All of President Hua’s physical indicators are normal. No impact from the mutation has been found on his health so far.”

The private physician slowly scrolled the mouse. The technical data on the panel made the idle Hua Yunlian feel dizzy, so he simply stopped looking, not particularly caring about his own body.

“Have you felt any discomfort lately?” the doctor asked.

Hua Yunlian leaned back lazily on the sofa with a cold gaze. “I feel pretty good,” he replied casually.

However, his father, Hua Hongfei, who stood closer to the doctor, looked focused. He was a professor of biological genetics. Had the family not pivoted toward business, he likely would have been a gene-obsessed fanatic. Hua Hongfei was intimately familiar with his son’s health and carefully inquired about the impact of the mutated body on his lifespan and genetics.

“The bond between father and son is truly excellent,” the doctor could not help but remark after the check-up. “I did not expect you to be so busy yet still accompany President Hua through every full physical examination.”

Hua Hongfei was over forty but well-preserved. He was tall, athletic, and an exceptional Alpha who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He controlled the massive group with cold-blooded ruthlessness, yet appeared so gentle and loving when facing his child.

He offered a graceful smile. “Of course. After all, he is my own flesh and blood. My blood flows through his veins.”

The mere sight of this shadow caused a chill to run through Hua Yunlian’s heart. Hearing him say that made his empty stomach cramp violently. He actually wanted to vomit.

The private physician had brought along a graduate student assistant. Seeing Hua Hongfei, the Omega’s face turned red with excitement. “Professor Hua, could I, could I please ask for your autograph?”

The man chuckled. “Of course.”

Hua Yunlian coldly rejected his father’s invitation to eat together.

“Fine,” Hua Hongfei said. He stood before his son, surrounded by a crowd of assistants and bodyguards at the door. “Remember to eat on time. If you do not have time, take the nutritional supplements the researchers made for you.”

His voice was majestic and cold. “Remember, your life is not your own. it belongs to the Hua family. If there is nothing wrong with your genetic report, you will marry Qiao Yuan in three months. Give me an Alpha grandson and continue the purest bloodline of the Hua family.”

With that, he got into his car and drove away, leaving no trace of the father-son affection the doctor had mentioned.

Hua Yunlian stood still for a long time. His mind flickered between the memory of Hua Hongfei’s decisiveness in not even looking at his mother when she died, and the look of disgust and horror in Hua Hongfei’s eyes when he witnessed his son’s mutation struggles.

Finally, a person came to mind. Had Chen Wang once looked at his father with those same starry eyes, waiting anxiously and admiringly for a smile or a word of praise?

His body had been injected with too many drugs. Hua Yunlian closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attributing the gloom in his chest to the side effects of the medication. He drove back to his secluded villa.

He gently pressed against a flat section of the study wall. Touching a hidden mechanism, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf rumbled open to both sides. He entered the elevator and went all the way down to the fourth underground floor.

In this secret basement filled with high-tech equipment and precision instruments sat an incongruous, dog-eared book of fairy tales. Hua Yunlian leaned back in a lounge chair and habitually turned to page twelve.

His amber eyes slowly read the story he already knew by heart, his light-colored eyelashes trembling to hide his flickering emotions.

His voice was hoarse and melodic. “The witch gave the prince a budding rose, symbolizing hope and salvation. Only when the prince learns to love and is truly loved in return will the curse be lifted. Otherwise, he will remain a beast forever. At the moment the rose completely withers, his life will also end.”

Hua Yunlian finished reading and closed the book with a scoff.

“Why let the princess go? What does the life or death of others have to do with the prince? What a fool. If you lock the princess in the castle, you can stay together forever.”

He lay back on the leather headrest. His gaze shifted to the central console of the instruments, where faint, almost transparent pink lights floated like a brilliant galaxy, forming a delicate Damascus rose. This hollow life was emitting a dreamlike glow to its surroundings. It was the only color in the entire cold basement.

Hua Yunlian stood up, wanting to catch a holographic petal that was slowly falling, but the petal passed through his palm. There was no way to stop the wilting.

Mutated beastmen faced only two ends: early death or eternal life. Hua Yunlian knew the probability of eternal life was minuscule. He clutched his heart. “It is time to cherish my life.”

He took out his phone and opened an app with a blank logo. On a map so precise it showed the real-world scenery, a red light flashed.

“Let’s see where my princess is.”

Chen Wang had just finished work. The sun had not yet set, and the afterglow outlined his handsome profile. He shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a long sigh. He was exceptionally exhausted today.

In a single day, he had experienced two instances of medical harassment. The first was when he kindly helped an old woman register, only for her to scream and demand a refund because the fee was too high. After a bout of unreasonable behavior, Chen Wang had to pay out of his own pocket. The second involved a child’s Alpha father who burst into the office, grabbed him by the collar, and claimed Chen Wang had scared his child to tears during the exam. He demanded compensation for mental distress and insisted Chen Wang buy them dinner.

As Chen Wang walked, he pondered the meaning of working at this hospital. He calculated that even if he worked another job while physically and mentally exhausted, he still could not support his monthly debt payments while sending living expenses to his mother and sister. No matter how much he saved, he still had to eat.

His expression slowly turned lonely. If things continued like this, when on earth would he ever finish paying back Hua Yunlian’s money? Before he could even pay back half, his body would probably be broken by that madman’s demands.

Chen Wang rubbed his face to force himself to cheer up. He planned to buy a cup of coffee for dinner, but when he scanned the code to pay, it showed an insufficient balance. He gave the clerk an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, please wait a moment.”

He was a person who valued his dignity, and his ears turned red as he hurried to change his payment method.

Ding.

A hand reached out from beside him and paid on his behalf.

“What exactly do you want?” Chen Wang sat across from Hua Jingchen, feeling uncomfortable and turning his head away.

The air was filled with the soft aroma of roasted coffee beans. A piece of tiramisu was slowly pushed in front of Chen Wang. The man’s expression was gentle as he spoke softly, “Do not just drink coffee. It is bad for your stomach. I remember you like small cakes the most.”

Chen Wang bit his lip. He figured he might as well drink it since it was free, so he took a large gulp of coffee. “It has been over between us for a long time.”

Hua Jingchen said, “You do not look happy. Our breakup was too sudden. If you carefully consider reality, coming back to me is your best choice.”

Perhaps out of a trace of bitterness, Chen Wang instinctively countered with a cold face, “Go back to you and be the other man? Do not be so ridiculous!”

Hua Jingchen sat upright across from him, appearing like an elegant noble who remained unphased even if the world were collapsing. He took a sip of his coffee, no longer lecturing Chen Wang on how difficult it was to cross class boundaries.

This man came from the slums and could not understand that marriage was something that required a union of the powerful; feelings were not that important in a marriage. The surrounding air was filled with the soothing scent of narcissus Alpha pheromones.

“You are too extreme,” Hua Jingchen said, crossing his long fingers and watching him tenderly. “But I know you only act this way in front of me. Xiao Wang, Yunlian is not good to you. I heard he took you to a friend’s gathering and played all night until you vomited and fainted. Is that not abuse?”

His gaze slowly appraised Chen Wang’s clothing. It was not aggressive, yet it carried a high-handed sense of suppression.

“He makes your life miserable. He is not a fit boyfriend. If you continue to stay together, it will only bring harm. He is not a normal person and will only become more paranoid.”

The intimate word “boyfriend” made Chen Wang’s expression daze for a moment. He could not let his ex-boyfriend know that Hua Yunlian was both his creditor and his casual partner. He pursed his thin lips stubbornly, as if defending the last shred of his self-esteem, and did not deny the non-existent relationship.

“Are you finished?” Chen Wang rose to leave.

The corners of Hua Jingchen’s lips curled slightly. He slowly wiped his glasses, releasing a narcissus scent that brought intense pressure, forcibly pushing Chen Wang back into his seat.

A glass of warm water was placed in front of Chen Wang. On a white ceramic coaster lay a business card. When Chen Wang saw the signature for the Glandular Genetics Research Institute, his heart began to pound, and his fingers on the table clenched involuntarily.

“The second thing I came to you for is to apologize on behalf of Chengruo. This is the contact information for the head of the research institute. He and I are old acquaintances. If you want to go, even if I cannot provide major help, you can interview at any time.”

One moment he was trying to win him back, and the next he was apologizing for his fiancé. It was this behavior—doing frustrating, schizophrenic things while wearing a gentle mask—that had caused Chen Wang to initiate the breakup.

But this research institute was famous in the industry. If he went there, it could greatly improve Chen Wang’s situation, or at least he would not be so financially strapped.

Hua Jingchen added, “Do not worry. I do not have shares in the institute and will not give you a backdoor. Everything is fair competition. Chengruo will be here soon. Please be sure to forgive him.”

He spoke so lightly, yet he was essentially protecting his fiancé in a forceful manner. No matter how calm Chen Wang was, he could not help but feel stung.

Ye Chengruo arrived reluctantly, his pretty Omega face sour. It looked like it took several requests from an assistant to get him there. As soon as he sat down, he automatically clung to Hua Jingchen’s arm and glanced at Chen Wang.

“I’m sorry about last time. I saw you were unhappy, so I let those two losers trick you.” Seeing Chen Wang’s lack of reaction, the corners of his mouth curled into an arrogant, noble expression. “You Beta, do not be ungrateful. I have already apologized. I am sorry, okay?”

Chen Wang’s dark eyes held no emotion. Having truly experienced being isolated and helpless, he could never empathize with such a pampered person. His handsome face was covered in frost.

“I do not accept.”

It looked like an apology, but in reality, Chen Wang had no choice from beginning to end. Just because the eldest young master and his fiancé deigned to show pity, did he have to accept it all?

Although Ye Chengruo knew his marriage to Hua Jingchen was a business arrangement and that the Ye family’s real estate business was declining, the family wealth was still vast. Moreover, Hua Hongfei intended to use the Ye family to get involved in grey industries, so he naturally needed his eldest son to marry into them.

He never imagined he would have such a poor, low-class rival. He stared with wide eyes. “Who do you think you are?”

Behind the solid wood partition, the fragrant yet bitter scent of Damascus rose slowly spread. Hua Jingchen instinctively frowned and looked over warily.

A tall figure stood up. His light chestnut hair looked like a god descending under the warm yellow lights of the cafe, yet his handsome face held only dark, violent energy.

Hua Yunlian leaned against the edge of the table next to Chen Wang, one hand lazily in his pocket and the other picking up Chen Wang’s cup. He stared at Hua Jingchen’s face and slowly savored the last sip of coffee before asking in a casual tone, “Are you interrogating a prisoner, or are you apologizing?”

Chen Wang was stunned. “Why are you here?”

“Checking to see if you are having an affair with your ex,” Hua Yunlian said calmly. “Your right of use belongs to me right now.”

Chen Wang choked, his face flushing with shameful heat.

Hua Jingchen’s expression remained unchanged, but he pushed his glasses up as the muscles in his cheek tightened slightly. He could not understand if Hua Yunlian truly liked Chen Wang or was just doing this to spite him. Regardless of the reason, Hua Jingchen was full of displeasure.

Hua Yunlian’s posture was relaxed. Leaning against the coffee table, he looked like a handsome, romantic youth from an oil painting, the kind who would hang around a European port thinking about which Omega was prettiest. One could not tell at all that he would suppress Hua Jingchen at every turn in the business world.

His judgmental gaze landed on Ye Chengruo’s cowering face, but he was speaking to someone else.

“Hua Jingchen, you have too little sincerity. At the very least, you should have frozen your little partner into a popsicle and brought him before us for it to count as an apology.”

Ye Chengruo could not stand his sinister tone and stood up trembling. “Jing… Jingchen, I’m leaving first.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the cafe, the roar of a motorcycle erupted outside. Several boys racing each other sped past. Ye Chengruo was only clipped by the swift bike, but he was thrown a long distance, unable to move. He screamed miserably, clutching his leg, which was bent at a strange angle.

Chen Wang witnessed this scene, and the color instantly drained from his face.

Hua Jingchen suddenly stood up and shouted, “Hua Yunlian!”

The cold youth smiled faintly, looking satisfied with this masterpiece. He pulled the dazed Chen Wang into his arms, leaning in to listen to the painful groans. Like a big cat acting spoiled, he affectionately rubbed his nose against the corner of Chen Wang’s mouth.

“Brother, did I do well?”