Great, he held back.
He tightly suppressed all the ABO physiological knowledge in his head, not letting a single thought slip out, and he didn't overstep at all.
Innocent and young as Lin Jianlu is, he would surely have some good feelings for him.
How much... at least a little.
Lin Jianlu looked so good just now.
The black bathrobe accentuated his fair and delicate skin. Perhaps the towel was a bit rough, as there was a small reddish patch on the back of his hand.
When he raised both hands to dry his hair, he lowered his head slightly, and the lines of his waist and hips were outlined by the slightly wet bathrobe, yet his gaze remained as cold as ever.
He remembered a time before his rebirth when he pinned Lin Jianlu against the wall and tortured the omega's fragile glands repeatedly with his teeth.
It was like a basket of strawberries had been overturned, spilling out soft, tender red flesh, filling the entire bedroom with the sweet scent of strawberries.
Lin Jianlu was bullied particularly badly by him that time. When he forcibly pinched his jaw and turned his face, a single crystal-clear tear hung on the omega's cheek, and his eyes, which were momentarily dazed and vacant, looked like clear glass beads.
Life after rebirth is too bitter.
Not only did he lose his wife, but he also has to get by on mere fragments of memories in his mind.
Xie Wang thought to himself.
But—
The good thing about today is that he finally did something to connect with his wife.
Good feelings were brushed up.
If he's lucky, Lin Jianlu might even say good morning to him tomorrow.
Xie Wang slept soundly and woke up at ten in the morning.
The door to the room across the hall was open, but it was empty.
Xie Wang: "???"
***
Lin Jianlu took a taxi back to school at first light and ran into Wei Lan in the dormitory hallway, who was brushing his teeth.
Wei Lan stared at him with sleepy eyes, pushed him into the dorm room, pulled back his sleeves and collar to check, and then gave him a look of sympathy.
"Oh YoYo, what a failure," Wei Lan said. "How come you didn't even fish a temporary mark."
In the blink of an eye, Lin Jianlu's aura shifted from a small block of ice to a full-on glacier.
"He got close to me, but it doesn't seem like he wanted to sleep with me…" Lin Jianlu said.
Wei Lan: "?"
Impossible.
Lin Jianlu: "He just wanted to talk to me about the history of the music school."
"You're kidding me." Wei Lan stared with a nerdy expression and scolded, "He can't get it up?"
Lin Jianlu also has this confusion.
But when he knocked on the door yesterday, Xie Wang was only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs. Lin Jianlu had quickly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and it didn't look like he couldn't get it up.
Forget it, I'll just be a monk.
In the next few days, Lin Jianlu was not too busy. Considering that he was still a student, Xingluo Entertainment had arranged a very light workload for him.
There was just one major event—a fashion gala hosted by a fashion magazine, for which the company had secured him an invitation.
At such events, all celebrities put a lot of effort into their appearances, and the various raw photos that emerge often spark large-scale discussion on major social media.
The manager couldn't enter the venue, so Lin Jianlu went in by himself.
For a little star like him who is not popular yet, the organizers would not arrange a good seat.
He sat down in the spot assigned on his invitation. With photographers constantly snapping pictures, he couldn't use his phone, which made things a bit boring.
There were plenty of guests coming and going, all of whom were well-known figures from the entertainment industry.
Alphas with good figures could be seen everywhere.
Xie Wang sat in the front row of the fashion gala, feeling so bored that he nearly dozed off.
He had attended this event before his rebirth and found it dull even then. Now, it was boring to the max.
Lin Jianlu has ignored him for four days.
No replies to his messages, and as for calling... he didn't dare.
Did he do something wrong?
"DaWang!" Chen Yimo came over with a glass of red wine in hand. "What are you daydreaming about?"
"There are so many beautiful omega little stars." Chen Yimo sighed, "After being in the crappy crew of Hidden Blade for so long, I was starting to think there were no omegas in the world."
Chen Yimo: "Luckily, Lin Jianlu showed up recently."
He suddenly tugged on Xie Wang's sleeve: "Hey, DaWang!"
"You're so noisy. When your mom named you Chen Yimo," Xie Wang finally snapped, "didn't she think you'd turn out the opposite?"
[一默 (yimo) means "the silent one." But Yimo grew up to be a chatterbox. lol]
"What are you talking about?" Chen Yimo kept pulling on his sleeve, "Look over there, it's Lin Jianlu!"
Xie Wang shot up from his seat: "Where?"
Following the direction Chen Yimo was pointing, he immediately spotted Lin Jianlu sitting obediently.
He didn't remember Lin Jianlu attending this event before his rebirth.
There was a hustle and bustle all around, only Lin Jianlu was quiet.
Lin Jianlu didn't approach anyone to chat, nor did he go for the red carpet photoshoot for the fashion magazine. He simply sat there, looking at the nearby—
An alpha?
Xie Wang: "?"
No way, right?
No way.
Lin Jianlu quickly shifted his gaze and looked at the nearby—
Another alpha.
Xie Wang couldn't sit still anymore.
Lin Jianlu had barely observed five alphas before someone called him over for a group photo.
Celebrities with some fame had their own teams to take solo shots, but as a small singer with little recognition, Lin Jianlu had no choice but to squeeze into group photos.
"The one on the far right," the photographer shouted, "move closer to the center a bit. You're out of the shot."
"No way," objected the well-dressed omega star standing in the middle. "If he squeezes in, my makeup and outfit won't be fully captured."
The photographer, already losing patience, responded, "Can't you all just squeeze in a bit?"
This person is an artist from Xingluo, a big company. I can't just toss him aside.
"Does he really have to squeeze in with us?" the aggressive omega snapped again. "Let him go take photos next to the display board."
The photographer was getting a headache.
This group of little stars only had this one chance to pose for a photo. Asking him to move to the side was basically denying them a photo op.
But he couldn't afford to offend a major company like Xingluo Entertainment.
Time was running out, and the event was about to start, so the photographer had to suggest to Lin Jianlu, "How about you..."
"YoYo, come take a photo with us!" a voice called out from not far away. "We stand together as a crew."
Lin Jianlu looked up to see Xie Wang and Chen Yimo waving at him.
There was a brief uproar among the group of people waiting to take pictures.
"Come over quickly, or I'll kidnap you," Chen Yimo used his acting skills to switch to the pervert's style of speaking in the movie for a moment.
Xie Wang elbowed Chen Yimo and rushed forward, extended his arm and firmly pulled Lin Jianlu towards him, taking him away.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Xie Wang asked.
"I didn't know you'd be here," Lin Jianlu replied.
The man's arms were strong and powerful, holding him, as if they could shield him from all the gazes and noise around them.
The body temperature of the alpha came through the fabric of his clothes, warm and even a bit hot.
Lin Jianlu closed his eyes, savoring the fleeting sense of security.
"YoYo?" Chen Yimo tried out this new name. "Pet name?"
It was indeed a pet name.
Only those very close to him would use it.
So how did Xie Wang know?
Noticing that Lin Jianlu was looking at him, Xie Wang released his hold and let him stand properly. "Er... I heard your friend call you that last time when we were at the school."
Wei Lan?
That's not surprising.
"YoYo, the cry of a deer; sounds quite nice." Chen Yimo pointed in a direction, "Let's go over there. This magazine has hired a special photography team for Hidden Blade."
Lin Jianlu was led away by the two alphas amidst the envious and puzzled gazes of a group of little stars.
To Lin Jianlu's surprise, the director of Hidden Blade was also present. His eyes lit up when he saw Lin Jianlu: "Perfect! You three go for a shoot; we can just use these magazine photos to promote our new actor tonight."
Xie Wang added, "Don't worry about the shoot. I'll have the director give your manager a heads-up and I promise not to let you be overworked."
It was a scene created in collaboration with the fashion magazine, so the set featured this year's hottest fashion elements, and also incorporated the common elements from the movie "Hidden Blade."
For example, the black iron cage that was twice as big as the prop used by the crew.
Lin Jianlu: "…"
"Are you going in on your own or should I push you in?" Xie Wang asked, lowering his head.
Half of the alpha's side face was in the shadow of the light and his eyes were sharp.
Seeing him startled, Xie Wang quickly explained, "Just kidding! I was reciting Chen Yimo's lines."
Xie Wang proudly added, "I remember all of your lines."
"How are we doing this shoot?" Chen Yimo asked. "How about the hostage taking a photo with me and then one with his husband?"
"No way," Xie Wang immediately jumped in to oppose the idea.
"You can't even handle a group photo? Are you still stuck in character?" Chen Yimo said angrily.
"Let the photographer the magazine hired handle this!" the director yelled, exasperated. "What, you two think you can direct the photoshoot now just because you're actors?"
The two alphas sheepishly backed off.
Lin Jianlu caught a glimpse of Xie Wang's dejected expression and quietly smiled.
Xie Wang has no physical desire for him, but is he possessive?
The fiasco of "the history of the music academy" seemed to have lost some of its sting for him, at least for the moment.
"Omega, sit on that black iron cage," the magazine photographer finally decided after pondering the composition.
Lin Jianlu: "Oh, okay."
The prop cage was a bit high, but he was relatively tall for an omega boy, so climbing it wasn't too difficult.
All he needed to do was jump up, grab the horizontal bar at the top, and then use a bit of strength in his waist to pull himself up.
"Senior," he looked at Xie Wang, "is there a stool? I... don't think I can climb up."
"DaWang, lift him up," Chen Yimo said from the side. "Hurry up."
Xie Wang: "…Alright."
Lin Jianlu felt the alpha's hands encircle his waist, firmly gripping him as Xie Wang gently lifted him up.
He grabbed the horizontal bar as Xie Wang's hand pressed against his lower back, then pushed him upward.
The alpha didn't seem to know how to control his strength, and his hand was so heavy that his waist was sore.
Yet, the sense of security brought by admiring the strong was back.
After observing so many alphas, that feeling of satisfaction seemed to only come from Xie Wang.
Sitting on the edge of the cage and extending his hands down, Lin Jinalu watched as Xie Wang, following the photographer's instructions, wrapped a red ribbon around his wrists in circles.
"Alright, that's good," the director stepped in to direct the scene. "Pervert, go to the left and hold one end of the ribbon."
Lin Jianlu's wrists were bound by the red ribbon, with Chen Yimo holding one end and Xie Wang the other.
He turned sideways towards Xie Wang, lowering his gaze to meet Xie Wang's eyes.
"Alright, that's good. This one is perfect." The director made an OK gesture after reviewing the photo. "Chen Yimo, your smile is so sinister. DaWang, you and Lin Jianlu really have a strong CP vibe."
"I want to see! I want to see!" Chen Yimo scampered over.
Lin Jianlu was still sitting in the same spot.
Xie Wang held out a hand towards him: "Come down."
The next second, Lin Jianlu suddenly fell forward, causing Xie Wang to panic as he hurriedly caught him.
The red ribbon fluttered up, wrapping around Xie Wang's neck as he held Lin Jianlu tightly in his arms.
The omega's soft profile brushed against his neck.
Lin Jianlu was probably a bit startled too, struggling to get free of the red ribbon wrapped around his hands.
Xie Wang: "Ssss..."
The ribbon tightened and grazed across his neck.
"What is this made of? It's so hard," Xie Wang asked, looking towards the person in charge of props.
"It's fine," Lin Jianlu said as he untangled the red ribbon.
"Can we get the photos tonight?" The director was talking to the photographer. "Great, we can start promoting the film tonight."
As the fashion gala was about to begin, the members of the Hidden Blade crew returned to their seats.
Lin Jianlu was also taken to the front row.
The crew had gathered a basket full of drinks and snacks, saying it was for him to eat.
"What flavor cake do you want?" Chen Yimo asked him. "The organizers are handing out cakes."
"Grapefruit," Lin Jianlu replied.
"You like grapefruit?" Chen Yimo muttered. "Grapefruit is so sour, aargh, I can't stand it. Hey! Can we get a grapefruit cake for our film crew's beauty? Thank you."
Xie Wang's ears were a little hot.
His left ear burned with the effect of Lin Jianlu, while his right ear burned with irritation at Chen Yimo.
Lin Jianlu ate with a quiet, well-behaved manner. He carefully used his spoon to dab a bit of cream onto the grapefruit segments on the cake before bringing it to his lips.
His full, beautiful lips gently touched the grapefruit first, then parted slightly as he took a small bite, seemingly tasting the quality of the grapefruit.
"Cream." Xie Wang reminded him.
Lin Jianlu's light eyes were blank: "Huh?"
"It got on your mouth," Xie Wang said.
"Oh." Lin Jianlu rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.
No, Xie Wang said in his head.
Not this side.
"Here," Xie Wang couldn't help but reach out, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the cream from the corner of Lin Jianlu's mouth.
The omega's lips were soft and warm, and when they touched his thumb pad, a tingling sensation zinged through Xie Wang's body, shocking him.
Lin Jianlu raised his eyelids, and his own stunned face reflected in his light-colored eyes.
The live camera at the fashion gala swept over, displaying images of various celebrities on the screen.
Chen Yimo made a cool, smug smile at the camera.
Xie Wang's hand was still on Lin Jianlu's cheek. They both turned towards the camera at the same time, one unfeeling and the other indifferent.
The whole audience erupted into noise and astonishment.
Xie Wang hurriedly withdrew his hand, but the camera had already moved elsewhere.
"DaWang, you've so much performance drive!" Chen Yimo said with a thumbs-up. "The movie hasn't even been finished yet, and you're already forcing people to perform with you."
"Buzz off," Xie Wang said curtly.
Lin Jianlu... is not upset, right?
Some actions that are ingrained in memory aren't so easy to erase.
He touched Lin Jianlu subconsciously.
He really wants to hug Lin Jianlu.
But he cannot.
If he is impolite, Lin Jianlu will be angry.
Xie Wang couldn't tell if Lin Jianlu was angry or not.
Lin Jianlu was playing with the yellow roses that were placed on the table as decoration. The delicate petals looked particularly beautiful in the omega's hands.
Lin Jianlu frowned.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Xie Wang asked hurriedly.
There was a tiny bead of blood on Lin Jianlu's fingertip.
Without thinking, Xie Wang pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and gently pressed it against Lin Jianlu's fingertip, carefully wiping away the blood.
For some reason, this scene seemed a little familiar to him.
--------------------
This scene happened in your memory in Chapter 8, silly dog.
"What are you talking about?" Chen Yimo kept pulling on his sleeve, "Look over there, it's Lin Jianlu!"
Xie Wang shot up from his seat: "Where?"
Following the direction Chen Yimo was pointing, he immediately spotted Lin Jianlu sitting obediently.
He didn't remember Lin Jianlu attending this event before his rebirth.
There was a hustle and bustle all around, only Lin Jianlu was quiet.
Lin Jianlu didn't approach anyone to chat, nor did he go for the red carpet photoshoot for the fashion magazine. He simply sat there, looking at the nearby—
An alpha?
Xie Wang: "?"
No way, right?
No way.
Lin Jianlu quickly shifted his gaze and looked at the nearby—
Another alpha.
Xie Wang couldn't sit still anymore.
Lin Jianlu had barely observed five alphas before someone called him over for a group photo.
Celebrities with some fame had their own teams to take solo shots, but as a small singer with little recognition, Lin Jianlu had no choice but to squeeze into group photos.
"The one on the far right," the photographer shouted, "move closer to the center a bit. You're out of the shot."
"No way," objected the well-dressed omega star standing in the middle. "If he squeezes in, my makeup and outfit won't be fully captured."
The photographer, already losing patience, responded, "Can't you all just squeeze in a bit?"
This person is an artist from Xingluo, a big company. I can't just toss him aside.
"Does he really have to squeeze in with us?" the aggressive omega snapped again. "Let him go take photos next to the display board."
The photographer was getting a headache.
This group of little stars only had this one chance to pose for a photo. Asking him to move to the side was basically denying them a photo op.
But he couldn't afford to offend a major company like Xingluo Entertainment.
Time was running out, and the event was about to start, so the photographer had to suggest to Lin Jianlu, "How about you..."
"YoYo, come take a photo with us!" a voice called out from not far away. "We stand together as a crew."
Lin Jianlu looked up to see Xie Wang and Chen Yimo waving at him.
There was a brief uproar among the group of people waiting to take pictures.
"Come over quickly, or I'll kidnap you," Chen Yimo used his acting skills to switch to the pervert's style of speaking in the movie for a moment.
Xie Wang elbowed Chen Yimo and rushed forward, extended his arm and firmly pulled Lin Jianlu towards him, taking him away.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Xie Wang asked.
"I didn't know you'd be here," Lin Jianlu replied.
The man's arms were strong and powerful, holding him, as if they could shield him from all the gazes and noise around them.
The body temperature of the alpha came through the fabric of his clothes, warm and even a bit hot.
Lin Jianlu closed his eyes, savoring the fleeting sense of security.
"YoYo?" Chen Yimo tried out this new name. "Pet name?"
It was indeed a pet name.
Only those very close to him would use it.
So how did Xie Wang know?
Noticing that Lin Jianlu was looking at him, Xie Wang released his hold and let him stand properly. "Er... I heard your friend call you that last time when we were at the school."
Wei Lan?
That's not surprising.
"YoYo, the cry of a deer; sounds quite nice." Chen Yimo pointed in a direction, "Let's go over there. This magazine has hired a special photography team for Hidden Blade."
Lin Jianlu was led away by the two alphas amidst the envious and puzzled gazes of a group of little stars.
To Lin Jianlu's surprise, the director of Hidden Blade was also present. His eyes lit up when he saw Lin Jianlu: "Perfect! You three go for a shoot; we can just use these magazine photos to promote our new actor tonight."
Xie Wang added, "Don't worry about the shoot. I'll have the director give your manager a heads-up and I promise not to let you be overworked."
It was a scene created in collaboration with the fashion magazine, so the set featured this year's hottest fashion elements, and also incorporated the common elements from the movie "Hidden Blade."
For example, the black iron cage that was twice as big as the prop used by the crew.
Lin Jianlu: "…"
"Are you going in on your own or should I push you in?" Xie Wang asked, lowering his head.
Half of the alpha's side face was in the shadow of the light and his eyes were sharp.
Seeing him startled, Xie Wang quickly explained, "Just kidding! I was reciting Chen Yimo's lines."
Xie Wang proudly added, "I remember all of your lines."
"How are we doing this shoot?" Chen Yimo asked. "How about the hostage taking a photo with me and then one with his husband?"
"No way," Xie Wang immediately jumped in to oppose the idea.
"You can't even handle a group photo? Are you still stuck in character?" Chen Yimo said angrily.
"Let the photographer the magazine hired handle this!" the director yelled, exasperated. "What, you two think you can direct the photoshoot now just because you're actors?"
The two alphas sheepishly backed off.
Lin Jianlu caught a glimpse of Xie Wang's dejected expression and quietly smiled.
Xie Wang has no physical desire for him, but is he possessive?
The fiasco of "the history of the music academy" seemed to have lost some of its sting for him, at least for the moment.
"Omega, sit on that black iron cage," the magazine photographer finally decided after pondering the composition.
Lin Jianlu: "Oh, okay."
The prop cage was a bit high, but he was relatively tall for an omega boy, so climbing it wasn't too difficult.
All he needed to do was jump up, grab the horizontal bar at the top, and then use a bit of strength in his waist to pull himself up.
"Senior," he looked at Xie Wang, "is there a stool? I... don't think I can climb up."
"DaWang, lift him up," Chen Yimo said from the side. "Hurry up."
Xie Wang: "…Alright."
Lin Jianlu felt the alpha's hands encircle his waist, firmly gripping him as Xie Wang gently lifted him up.
He grabbed the horizontal bar as Xie Wang's hand pressed against his lower back, then pushed him upward.
The alpha didn't seem to know how to control his strength, and his hand was so heavy that his waist was sore.
Yet, the sense of security brought by admiring the strong was back.
After observing so many alphas, that feeling of satisfaction seemed to only come from Xie Wang.
Sitting on the edge of the cage and extending his hands down, Lin Jinalu watched as Xie Wang, following the photographer's instructions, wrapped a red ribbon around his wrists in circles.
"Alright, that's good," the director stepped in to direct the scene. "Pervert, go to the left and hold one end of the ribbon."
Lin Jianlu's wrists were bound by the red ribbon, with Chen Yimo holding one end and Xie Wang the other.
He turned sideways towards Xie Wang, lowering his gaze to meet Xie Wang's eyes.
"Alright, that's good. This one is perfect." The director made an OK gesture after reviewing the photo. "Chen Yimo, your smile is so sinister. DaWang, you and Lin Jianlu really have a strong CP vibe."
"I want to see! I want to see!" Chen Yimo scampered over.
Lin Jianlu was still sitting in the same spot.
Xie Wang held out a hand towards him: "Come down."
The next second, Lin Jianlu suddenly fell forward, causing Xie Wang to panic as he hurriedly caught him.
The red ribbon fluttered up, wrapping around Xie Wang's neck as he held Lin Jianlu tightly in his arms.
The omega's soft profile brushed against his neck.
Lin Jianlu was probably a bit startled too, struggling to get free of the red ribbon wrapped around his hands.
Xie Wang: "Ssss..."
The ribbon tightened and grazed across his neck.
"What is this made of? It's so hard," Xie Wang asked, looking towards the person in charge of props.
"It's fine," Lin Jianlu said as he untangled the red ribbon.
"Can we get the photos tonight?" The director was talking to the photographer. "Great, we can start promoting the film tonight."
As the fashion gala was about to begin, the members of the Hidden Blade crew returned to their seats.
Lin Jianlu was also taken to the front row.
The crew had gathered a basket full of drinks and snacks, saying it was for him to eat.
"What flavor cake do you want?" Chen Yimo asked him. "The organizers are handing out cakes."
"Grapefruit," Lin Jianlu replied.
"You like grapefruit?" Chen Yimo muttered. "Grapefruit is so sour, aargh, I can't stand it. Hey! Can we get a grapefruit cake for our film crew's beauty? Thank you."
Xie Wang's ears were a little hot.
His left ear burned with the effect of Lin Jianlu, while his right ear burned with irritation at Chen Yimo.
Lin Jianlu ate with a quiet, well-behaved manner. He carefully used his spoon to dab a bit of cream onto the grapefruit segments on the cake before bringing it to his lips.
His full, beautiful lips gently touched the grapefruit first, then parted slightly as he took a small bite, seemingly tasting the quality of the grapefruit.
"Cream." Xie Wang reminded him.
Lin Jianlu's light eyes were blank: "Huh?"
"It got on your mouth," Xie Wang said.
"Oh." Lin Jianlu rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.
No, Xie Wang said in his head.
Not this side.
"Here," Xie Wang couldn't help but reach out, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the cream from the corner of Lin Jianlu's mouth.
The omega's lips were soft and warm, and when they touched his thumb pad, a tingling sensation zinged through Xie Wang's body, shocking him.
Lin Jianlu raised his eyelids, and his own stunned face reflected in his light-colored eyes.
The live camera at the fashion gala swept over, displaying images of various celebrities on the screen.
Chen Yimo made a cool, smug smile at the camera.
Xie Wang's hand was still on Lin Jianlu's cheek. They both turned towards the camera at the same time, one unfeeling and the other indifferent.
The whole audience erupted into noise and astonishment.
Xie Wang hurriedly withdrew his hand, but the camera had already moved elsewhere.
"DaWang, you've so much performance drive!" Chen Yimo said with a thumbs-up. "The movie hasn't even been finished yet, and you're already forcing people to perform with you."
"Buzz off," Xie Wang said curtly.
Lin Jianlu... is not upset, right?
Some actions that are ingrained in memory aren't so easy to erase.
He touched Lin Jianlu subconsciously.
He really wants to hug Lin Jianlu.
But he cannot.
If he is impolite, Lin Jianlu will be angry.
Xie Wang couldn't tell if Lin Jianlu was angry or not.
Lin Jianlu was playing with the yellow roses that were placed on the table as decoration. The delicate petals looked particularly beautiful in the omega's hands.
Lin Jianlu frowned.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Xie Wang asked hurriedly.
There was a tiny bead of blood on Lin Jianlu's fingertip.
Without thinking, Xie Wang pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and gently pressed it against Lin Jianlu's fingertip, carefully wiping away the blood.
For some reason, this scene seemed a little familiar to him.
--------------------
This scene happened in your memory in Chapter 8, silly dog.
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