Author:
I've explained it many times, and there's even a pinned post. There's no such thing as "two worlds."
You can think of it as everyone's time rewinding, but only the gong retains his memories.
He retraced this path and met YoYo again. Don't imagine unnecessary angst yourself, okay?
—Below is Extra Chapter Six—
[Before Xie Wang's Rebirth / Lin Jianlu's Perspective]
"This variety show is being filmed outdoors in the film city. Some segments involve chasing and running, so be mindful of your safety," the manager, sitting next to the car window, reminded her artist item by item. "When those alpha guests start horsing around, you should avoid them and don't get hurt."
"Mhm, got it," Lin Jianlu nodded.
The car felt a bit stuffy, so he rolled down the window and gazed into the distance.
The architecture in this film city looked somewhat familiar. He had seen Xie Wang's Weibo a few days ago; it seemed like Xie Wang was filming here lately.
"Isn't your husband also here?" the manager asked. "Will you go to see him after recording the show?"
Lin Jianlu shook his head. "He said he doesn't want to see me in the short term."
The manager scoffed: "Tch, these alpha egos."
A cool breeze came through the window, and Lin Jianlu buttoned up his collar one by one, covering the string of crimson kiss marks near his collarbone.
This is stolen from https://chipoholictranslations.blogspot.com/p/homepage.html
Perhaps the kisser had been too forceful as the marks hadn't faded even after two days.
"I don't want to see you again in the short term." That was what Xie Wang had said in bed two days ago.
That day, the alpha had grabbed his hair, gripped his waist, and made him sit on his lap, forcing him to tilt his head back as he left a trail of mottled marks on his neck and collarbone.
A tingling pain and weakness spread from his neck bone to his entire body. His vacant eyes remained half-open, tears rolling down his cheeks unconsciously.
Xie Wang's calloused hand roughly brushed against his cheeks, wiping away his tears. He said nothing. The room was quiet, making the endless ambiguous sounds seem even louder and harsher.
He was stark naked, but the other was fully dressed.
He raised a hand to block the light above him, and in doing so, hid his tears as well.
His alpha loved to use every method imaginable in bed to push him to his limits—making him feel embarrassed, blush with shame, or burst into tears—and watching him fall apart again and again seemed to help Xie Wang regain his own sense of control.
For the two of them, ambiguous and intimate things were more like a battlefield: one fighting to the death, the other retreating to advance.
An alpha who was used to freedom and pride would naturally resent the person who dragged him into the shackles of marriage.
"Get out of the car," the manager's voice interrupted his thoughts. "All the other guests are here."
"Mm." Lin Jianlu reposted an official update from the variety show's account, then left his phone in the car and stepped out with his manager.
Film city, the set, short break.
"The company transfer documents, right? Got it," Xie Wang said, answering a call.
He opened his social media account.
As soon as he logged in, a new post popped up on his homepage.
@NineColoredDeer-YoYo: Reposted //@MyTravelDiary: October 31st, sunny, today we are at Xingchen Film City!
Xingchen Film City?
Isn't that right here?
Xie Wang looked around.
But he didn't see Lin Jianlu anywhere.
He was here but didn't even bother to say hello to him? He was too cold.
Marrying a cold O is really no good.
If he had a choice, he would never marry Lin Jianlu.
"Teacher Xie, can we move on to the next scene?" The crew's script-supervisor approached to ask.
"Coming," Xie Wang replied. "Regarding the actual script interpretation, I have something I want to change…"
"My Travel Diary" was a featured outdoor travel variety show for Fruit TV this year, and it had invited five popular guests.
Lin Jianlu, a phenomenally popular singer, was also invited to participate.
The show had already recorded one episode, and the guests were familiar with each other. As soon as Lin Jianlu arrived at the recording site, the guests came over to greet him.
"Looks like today's game will need a lot of running," Alpha guest Bai Xian said. "Seems like we're supposed to find locations."
Lin Jianlu: "Locations?"
"Yes," another Alpha guest, Gu Jiayun, said. "I just heard the chief director say they'll give blurry pics and textual hints, and we need to go to the target locations and find items with the show's logo on them to succeed.”
"Hmm..." Lin Jianlu nodded, indicating he understood.
It didn't seem difficult.
But once the show officially started recording, the guests realized just how absurd their clues were.
"What is this?" Bai Xian frowned at the image in his hand. "Is the director serious? This just looks like a wooden sign."
Lin Jianlu couldn't make sense of it either.
"I know, I know!" Gu Jiayun said. "This wooden sign has a lot of scratch marks left by cats on the back. There's an old bookstore in the film city, and the owner has a naughty but adorable cat that scratched the sign up terribly. The owner even posted about it online, and it went viral for a while."
The variety show guests immediately decided to head to the bookstore to check it out.
Xingchen Film City was vast, and transportation was needed to get between the different sets. However, the production team of My Travel Diary only provided three bicycles.
There were five guests, which meant two people would have to ride on the back seats.
"Shall I give you a ride?" Lin Jianlu asked Ke Yue, another omega guest.
"Oh, please don't," Ke Yue said quickly. "Didn't you sprain your foot backstage yesterday? I saw the news your fan club posted. Let Brother Bai Xian take you instead; he's a jock—he won't get tired."
Lin Jianlu hesitated.
"YoYo, are you worried your husband will get upset?" Ke Yue whispered. "I get it—Xie Wang seems like the scary type alpha."
Lin Jianlu shook his head.
Xie Wang wouldn't care.
The two of them were only married in name, and almost all their interactions and connections were limited to brief words exchanged during moments of physical passion.
He had gotten shelter and physical pleasure. He was self-aware, not greedy or delusional, so he didn't ask for more. This is stolen from https://chipoholictranslations.blogspot.com/p/homepage.html
Xie Wang had said he didn't want to see him for the next few days. So…whatever he did and whoever he met had nothing to do with Xie Wang.
"Let's go then." Bai Xian pushed the program team's bicycle over and called out to Lin Jianlu, "You can sit on mine."
Lin Jianlu sat down, holding the hint card provided by the production team and focusing on analyzing it as the camera crew followed them.
"I see the signpost," he said. "Just keep going straight on this road, then turn."
The bicycle was an old-fashioned model. Bai Xian, being younger and playful, kept ringing the bell cheerfully along the way.
"I think we should have a bicycle race," Ke Yue said. "Let's see who reaches the destination first."
The sudden burst of speed made Lin Jianlu grip the backseat tightly as the three bicycles carrying five people sped downhill, deeper into the film city.
During a short break, Xie Wang sat on a bench, listening to a few young omega actors from the crew chatting in low voices nearby.
"This brand's new necklace design is so beautiful—it really makes your neck look fair."
"But it's already sold out. I have to ask someone to help me preorder it."
"This cake is delicious! It's my birthday today, and my assistant just delivered it. I'll share some with you."
"Yes, please! Who doesn't like desserts? One bite, and you immediately feel better."
The little sweet Os chirped away before cutting an extra slice of cake and handing it to Xie Wang.
"Teacher Xie, please have some cake."
"Thank you," Xie Wang replied.
He sat by the window, looking out at a sloping road. A variety show crew was filming nearby, and several bicycles rushed down.
On the backseat of a dark orange, old-fashioned bicycle sat an omega wearing a black hoodie. His head was slightly lowered, the breeze ruffling the strands of hair on his forehead. His face showed no emotion.
As they passed the small window, the omega lifted his gaze slightly, glancing over very lightly. After a brief pause, his eyes shifted away, uninterested.
"We took the wrong route," Lin Jianlu said, turning over the map in his hand. "Let's take another path."
Xie Wang withdrew his gaze.
Still as cold and boring as ever.
The little sweet Os around him had moved on from discussing necklaces to talking about watches. After listening for a while, the chatter became a bit too noisy.
Xie Wang began to feel restless.
"I don't have any scenes to shoot this morning. I'm going for a walk," Xie Wang said, standing up and leaving.
The variety show guests finally found the location hinted at in the clue.
"Grandpa, please give us the task item," Ke Yue cajoled the bookstore owner.
A small cat lounged by the bookshelves, squinting its eyes lazily.
The bookstore owner had both a cat and a dog. Lin Jianlu crouched by the door, petting the two small animals circling around his feet.
Xie Wang was far more popular than he had imagined. In this industry, powerful alphas were never short on friends.
The two small animals suddenly began playfully sparring. The cat's paw swiped across the back of his hand, leaving a bloody scratch.
He paid no attention to it. Instead, he gently petted the dog on its back and removed a tag hanging from the native dog's neck, which bore the program's logo.
"Found it," he said.
"It's so small," Ke Yue said. "This is way too hard to find."
Just as they retrieved the designated item from the first target location, a second clue photo arrived.
This time, the photo was of a bowl of rice wine tofu pudding.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Ke Yue exclaimed in frustration. "How are we supposed to find this?!"
Lin Jianlu stared at the photo, lost in thought.
He had seen it before.
An omega actor from the legal drama that Xie Wang was filming had retweeted Xie Wang's business Weibo account a few days ago.
Lin Jianlu had accidentally clicked on it and saw that the omega actor had bought a bowl of rice wine tofu pudding from a shop in the film city, which looked something like this.
"I think I know where it is," Lin Jianlu said.
The program crew's crappy little bicycle team rode toward the tofu pudding shop, bells jingling again.
The shop owner was busy winding up business for the day.
"Boss, did you just open for business?" Bai Xian asked.
"Business is not good today. There aren't many visitors, and I've only sold one serving," the owner replied.
The alpha who came by to buy the rice wine tofu pudding was tall and handsome, and looked familiar.
Lin Jianlu reached up, taking the production team's logo off the shop's sign: "Found it."
"Don't pack up yet, Boss," Ke Yue said. "We're recording a show. Let us have a serving here."
The guests set up tables and chairs by the roadside and tried the Boss's tofu pudding.
It wasn't until after they finished recording the episode that Lin Jianlu noticed the scratch on the back of his hand.
"What happened to your hand?" Bai Xian noticed the scratch on the side of Lin Jianlu's wrist and grabbed a band-aid to help him put it on. "Did you get scratched?"
Lin Jianlu thought back and realized it must have been from the cat at the bookstore.
"Be careful!" Then Ke Yue leaned in and complained to him in a low voice, "Today was so exhausting. I hope next time we get some easier tasks… Hey! I see your husband!"
Before Lin Jianlu could stop him, Ke Yue called out Xie Wang's name.
The alpha, who had clearly just been passing by, paused mid-step. He turned around with a warm smile on his face, his gaze casually sweeping over Bai Xian, the alpha standing next to Lin Jianlu.
"We just finished recording the show," Ke Yue said enthusiastically. "You're here to pick up Lin YoYo, right?" This is stolen from https://chipoholictranslations.blogspot.com/p/homepage.html
As he spoke, he even gave Lin Jianlu a small nudge forward.
"I…" Lin Jianlu was about to speak, but Xie Wang moved first, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "That's right. I thought you'd be up ahead, but I didn't expect to run into you here."
The gentleness and smile on Xie Wang's face were impeccable.
"We'll head out first. See you later," Lin Jianlu said to the other variety show guests.
Their marriage was an immutable fact. In public, the two of them acted exactly like a loving couple.
But Lin Jianlu wasn't an actor after all, so he couldn't feign the look of someone deeply in love. He was quiet and didn't smile much; whether he loved or didn't love, there was no outward indication.
As soon as they got into Xie Wang's car and the door shut behind them, their clasped hands separated immediately.
"I still have things to do," Lin Jianlu said. "I'll get off after they leave."
What Xie Wang couldn't stand the most was this unfeeling appearance of his—cold as ice, and utterly discomfiting.
"Chatting with the alpha is so interesting, but you can't stay with me for even half a minute?" Xie Wang's lips curved into a mocking smirk.
"Who said 'I don't want to see you again in the short term'?" Lin Jianlu asked.
The alpha in front of him narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something. He didn't respond.
Xie Wang was still in his legal drama's black suit, which he had not yet changed out of. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and his gaze—arrogant and disdainful—swept over him. Even through the lenses, it carried a sharpness.
Still annoyingly handsome.
Gotta sample this look first; other things can wait.
Lin Jianlu didn't leave. He simply shifted his gaze to the window, and did not look at Xie Wang again.
Bound to meet many alphas during the variety show recording today, he was wearing a black leather suppressant collar.
Xie Wang watched coldly as his omega calmly raised his hand, turning his back to him. With a soft click, he unfastened the suppressant collar, revealing the pale white skin of his neck, slightly reddened from the hard leather.
There were faint bite marks on the slightly protruding gland.
Lin Jianlu's slender fingers, probably intending to adjust the collar, ran over the gland slowly.
"You’re my omega," Xie Wang broke the silence. "From now on, keep your distance from alphas when recording shows. Don't let anyone use you to hype up a CP. It'll only create PR trouble for both of our companies."
Xie Wang continued, "Your manager and I are both very busy. You wouldn't want to cause any trouble, would you?"
Lin Jianlu didn't refute. He just loosened the collar by one notch and fastened it again.
Then he unfastened it once more. It seemed like he was testing the fit, repeatedly loosening and tightening it.
Someone's breathing was hooked into a complete mess.
The collar was never buckled up.
A rough hand pressed down on the button of the collar, pinning it in place. Xie Wang's calloused fingers dug into the back of Lin Jianlu's neck, making it hurt a little.
Lin Jianlu gave an even more exaggerated reaction: his waist dipped slightly, his neck arched, and the ends of his dark hair brushed across Xie Wang's fingertips.
As expected, an arm slid across his waist, pulling him firmly to Xie Wang's side.
"I still have things to do," Lin Jianlu said.
The alpha, like a beast provoked, dragged him back and pinned him down on the car seat. The alpha's kisses ravaged the corners of his lips.
The gold-rimmed glasses slid slightly down, revealing the alpha's deep eyes, brimming with desire.
Lin Jianlu turned his head to the side, but Xie Wang quickly grabbed his jaw and forced him to face forward again.
Love or not, it didn't matter.
He was interested in Xie Wang, and Xie Wang couldn't do without him—that was enough.
After kissing him roughly, Xie Wang floored the accelerator and drove them home. Once inside, he dragged Lin Jianlu to the sofa and threw him on it.
The room was soon filled with ambiguous sounds.
In the fish tank, the half-moon betta fish swam leisurely, as time ticked by, second by second.
The omega was wrapped in a throw, hugging his knees, sitting sideways on the sofa for a while. The sound of water running in the bathroom gradually stopped.
When his legs finally stopped trembling so much, Lin Jianlu stood up, grabbed Xie Wang's car keys, and headed for the door.
When Xie Wang came out, he saw his omega slowly making his way out.
"Where are you going?" Xie Wang asked, feeling a bit panicked for no reason.
"To the hospital." Lin Jianlu opened the door.
"Huh?" Xie Wang hastily put on some clothes and chased after him. "What's wrong with you?"
It wasn't until they reached the hospital that Xie Wang understood what Lin Jianlu was there for.
"Why wait until now to come when you got scratched during the day? Five stitches in total. This is the schedule, and make sure to clean the wound regularly," the doctor in the animal bite department instructed Lin Jianlu, before turning to Xie Wang. "He's busy with work, so his family members should help him keep track."
"Got it," Xie Wang replied guiltily.
Though it was still fine to handle it within 24 hours, Lin Jianlu had said nothing.
Outside the debridement room of the hospital, Lin Jianlu sat on a chair and waited quietly.
He hadn't had dinner yet.
Xie Wang stood at a distance, watching him for a moment, before turning and heading downstairs.
There was a serving of rice wine tofu pudding in the car, which he'd bought for Lin Jianlu at the film city earlier today.
He went downstairs to get it.
Catching a glimpse of Xie Wang leaving in his peripheral vision, Lin Jianlu put his earbuds in.
The alpha sitting next to him had his hand bitten by a dog and was waiting for treatment with his omega. Both of them were wearing wedding rings, and they'd never stopped chatting.
Such beautiful wedding rings.
He looked away.
"Lin Jianlu, it's my birthday next week. Are you coming?" Lin Yang's call came through. "Dad said we'll have a small party at home."
"I'm not coming," Lin Jianlu said.
"Won't you come with your husband?" Lin Yang asked. "Aunt Song is making glutinous rice wine dumplings, you used to love them, didn't you?"
"I don't like them," Lin Jianlu replied. "I don't like anything with rice wine."
Xie Wang, who had just returned to the hallway, froze and subconsciously hid the thermos box behind him. This is stolen from https://chipoholictranslations.blogspot.com/p/homepage.html
It had been a while since he bought it, so it might not be cold or taste good anymore.
Those little sweet Os liked it, but Lin Jianlu probably didn't.
"Lin Jianlu, are you there?" The nurse in the debridement room called out.
Lin Jianlu stood up and walked in.
Xie Wang followed him inside. His omega didn't react much to the pain, just furrowed his brows slightly.
"All done," the nurse said. "Just avoid getting it wet for now."
Lin Jinalu: "Thanks."
Luckily, it was the inside of his wrist, which was not easily visible, and it wouldn't affect his schedule the next day.
"Head back?" Xie Wang asked.
Lin Jianlu: "Mhm."
For some reason, Xie Wang felt a bit more at ease.
Lin Jianlu glanced at the thermos box in the alpha's hand, his eyes before looking away indifferently.
He was exhausted and fell asleep in the passenger seat.
Xie Wang snorted lightly and tossed the thermos box aside.
The car stopped at a red light. Xie Wang took off his jacket and threw it on the omega. Lin Jianlu opened his eyes slightly, glanced at the alpha, casually wrapped the jacket around himself, and then went back to sleep.
Xie Wang glanced at him again and again peevishly. Finally, he reached over and adjusted the jacket around his omega's neck, covering the mottled hickeys.
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