Chapter 29: Dark-Skinned Rugged Honest Man 29 Part 1

The vehicle drove steadily along the flat highway.

The driver gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand while using the other to wipe the cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He stole a quick glance at the bizarre scene in the rearview mirror before hastily looking away, not daring to take another peek.

There, crammed into view, were the slightly squeezed figures of three men.

On the far left sat the villa’s male master, dressed unusually formally today in a crisp white suit. His jet-black hair was half-pulled back and secured into a neat bun with an antique wooden hairpin. Qi Yu must have applied some powder—his face no longer looked pallid and lifeless but instead glowed with a healthy, lustrous sheen.

The male master was typically aloof and brooding, but around Jiang Rang, he was an entirely different person. He pressed close to the young man, and in this unobserved nook, the hand concealed beneath layers of sleeves clamped down fiercely on the other’s fingers.

On the far right sat Jiang Rang’s nominal fiancé.

The fiancé had a slender, exquisite build—frail yet strikingly elegant. He appeared fragile and cautious, his face as pale as paper, stirring an instinctive urge to protect him.

He made no move to lean into Jiang Rang, always maintaining a careful distance from the young man, even as his gaze and his heart fixed unwaveringly on the beta; even as he yearned to press a kiss to those bright eyes, the stray curls at the forehead, or even the endearing blank expression that crossed the other’s face when lost in thought.

Yet he held himself back, sitting ramrod straight.

It was precisely this over-strained posture that betrayed him. When the car slowed, his delicate frame offered no resistance, and he tumbled “accidentally” into Jiang Rang’s arms amid a flurry of feigned panic.

Throughout the drive, only the beta remained truly honest. He harbored no flirtatious intentions or playboy wiles, utterly oblivious to the subtle rivalry unfolding around him.

Jiang Rang simply found the atmosphere odd. His employer’s clinginess today was excessive—not only had he inexplicably insisted that morning on Jiang Rang picking out his finest clothes, but now in the car, he refused to let go of his hand.

With one hand firmly trapped by Qi Yu, Jiang Rang could only steady the fiancé’s waist with his free arm when the man fell delicately and helplessly against him.

To make matters worse, the beta’s sturdy frame filled much of the space. Though the other two were on the slimmer side, three grown men in the back seat made for an absurdly tight squeeze.

Jiang Rang could distinctly feel the searing heat pressing in from both hips, thighs jammed against thighs, knees knocking knees in helpless awkwardness.

The air conditioning did little to help. Buffeted from both sides, the young man soon broke out in a sweat along his back.

Those mere ten-odd minutes felt endless to Jiang Rang, leaving him at a loss for words.

At long last, they arrived. The beta breathed a sigh of relief—only to face a new dilemma as they prepared to exit.

Both rear doors stood wide open, the male master and the fiancé each extending a hand toward him.

For an instant, Jiang Rang was tempted to clamber out the front, but he quelled the absurd impulse. The honest man waved his hands awkwardly, politely refusing their assistance, and ducked out with his head down.

The three entered the hospital together.

No sooner had they crossed the threshold than a gray-haired doctor in a white coat approached with a warm smile and measured steps, clearly having been alerted and waiting at the entrance.

The doctor showed great respect toward Qi Yu. As he led them to the ward, he dutifully briefed them on Father Jiang’s recent condition and the latest research breakthroughs.

Jiang Rang lacked the education to follow the technical jargon, but one thing was crystal clear: his dad was going to pull through.

The doctor pushed open the door to the VIP ward and stepped inside first. In a familiar tone, he addressed Father Jiang, who had just woken on the spotless bed. “You’re up. You still need to watch your health. The caregivers and nutritionists Mr. Qi hired will help tweak your diet and guide you through targeted exercises. Make sure you stick with them.”

Father Jiang, his face etched with suffering and his hair a dull mix of yellow and gray, half-propped himself up on the clean bedding and nodded laboriously.

He opened his mouth to speak but froze at the sight of the young beta standing in the doorway—eyes rimmed red, staring fixedly at him, lips pressed tight in silence.

The doctor sighed and withdrew discreetly.

Father Jiang made an instinctive effort to sit up fully, determined to present a strong, healthy front for his child. But even that simple motion proved beyond him.

Jiang Rang remained silent, his hands clenched so tightly that veins bulged across the backs. He seemed on the verge of speaking, but a torrent of emotion lodged in his throat, stifling even his breath to the faintest whisper.

Only those eyes darted downward evasively, as if trying to conceal the emotions swirling within them. Even so, a thin veil of reddish shadow tinged the delicate eyelids.

Father Jiang sighed. He knew his son’s temperament better than anyone—half of Jiang Rang’s personality mirrored his own. Whatever hardships or exhaustion he faced, he never breathed a word of it to his family. The young man kept his emotions tightly bottled up, rarely sharing his thoughts. Most of the time, even when he felt wronged or heartbroken, he had no idea how to express it.

It was as if he’d developed habits from some profound betrayal in a close relationship—habits of silent endurance, instinctive compliance, and selfless giving.

His own desires seemed utterly unimportant, barely registering even to himself.

He never complained about the burden his father placed on him, nor about the blows life dealt. Instead, he tried to accept it all, to suffer through it, loving them selflessly—like a sturdy tree, tenaciously enduring countless dodder vines that drained its life force.

“Xiao Rang, come here to me.”

His father spoke, his face pale and his frame hunched over.

Jiang Rang’s lips parted, but in the end, he walked over.

Father Jiang smiled and took the young man’s hand. He seemed to try gripping it firmly, but his entire arm trembled from the interference of his illness.

Suddenly, Jiang Rang gripped his father’s hand in return, his voice carrying a faint quiver. “Dad, how are you feeling right now?”

Father Jiang chuckled lightly. “What’s there to worry about? Just my chronic illness acting up again. No need to make such a fuss.”

“By the way,” the middle-aged man’s expression gradually turned uneasy, “staying here must cost a fortune, Xiao Rang. I’m fine now—no need to trouble Mr. Qi anymore. A few days of rest at home will do the trick.”

Jiang Rang’s eyes turned fully red. His voice hoarse, he said, “Dad, don’t think like that. How can I relax when you’re like this?”

The man in the white suit standing nearby—elegant and mild-mannered—spoke up warmly. “Uncle Jiang, please don’t worry… My surname is Qi, single character Yu. Jiang Rang works for me, and I hate seeing him worn out from caring for you while juggling everything else. Just focus on recovering. Leave the rest to us.”

Father Jiang noticed the tall, slender man beside them. This omega exuded exceptional poise and refinement in both demeanor and features, like a noble straight out of a film projector.

Father Jiang was just a farmer who’d toiled in the fields his whole life. Feeling both awkward and grateful, he hurriedly thanked the man himself and prompted Jiang Rang to do the same.

Seeing this, Qi Yu appeared somewhat at a loss, his fine brows furrowing slightly. Instinctively, he took hold of Jiang Rang’s hand and shrank back a little, perfectly embodying an omega’s soft vulnerability.

“Uncle, there’s no need for that. I really like Jiang Rang—these things are nothing. It’s what I should do. As long as your illness improves, I’ll be thrilled.”

The young omega seemed unsure how to express himself in front of an elder. As he spoke, he cast a quick glance at Jiang Rang, as if seeking his help, his flawless pinkish-white cheeks flushing halfway.

Jiang Rang, ever the dense one, failed to pick up on the man’s unusual demeanor. He simply chimed in with words of praise on his behalf.

The three of them shared a warm, harmonious moment, making Hang Liu—who stood silently by with a drained, pale face—seem like a complete outsider.

After a long while, Qi Yu received a phone call. It must have been urgent business at the company, so he apologized and took his leave.

Father Jiang even asked Jiang Rang to see him out.

Naturally, Jiang Rang couldn’t refuse. He escorted the man to his car and returned to the ward, only to find the atmosphere had shifted uncomfortably.

Hang Liu sat quietly by Father Jiang’s bed, his eyes badly swollen and red. He bit his lip hard, the edge turning a piercing crimson from the pressure. Those beautiful, downcast eyes resembled a drowning lake on the brink of death, overflowing with despair.

Jiang Rang had no idea what had happened. He stood helplessly beside his heartbroken fiancé, not knowing where to even begin with comfort.

It was Father Jiang on the bed who finally spoke, choosing his words carefully. “Xiao Rang, you’re not a kid anymore. You’ve got a steady job and income now, and the doctor says my condition is stable for the time being. Don’t you think it’s time to start planning your wedding with Xiao Liu?”

Jiang Rang’s pupils contracted slightly. In that instant, his throat went dry. Hearing his father bring up the wedding triggered memories of last night’s debauched entanglement with the male master on the bed.

The beta dared not dwell on it. The more he thought, the more it hurt—like a guilty, massive hand clamping down airtight on his heart, the bursting blood vessels tinting even his eyes with a faint red.

The betrayal had already happened. No matter what hardships there were, Jiang Rang had to admit that in the face of the handsome, alluring Male Master’s seduction and temptation, he too had moments when he lost himself in a daze.

He was no emotionless deity. For ordinary folk from the lower classes, succumbing to temptation was merely a matter of an instant. They lacked so much in life that once desire cracked open the door, it could never be shut again.

Jiang Rang had simply been numbing himself to it all along. He kept telling himself none of it was his fault—that he was innocent, dragged into the filthy dealings of the elite against his will.

He even firmly believed that he would leave Qi Yu someday.

It was an undeniable truth. Their social classes didn’t match, and there was no real affection between them. They were bound only by lust and power, destined to part ways eventually.