Chapter 14: Dark-Skinned Rugged Honest Man 14

The summer heat hadn’t fully dissipated yet. The afternoon sun blazed fiercely, both blinding and scorching. Jiang Rang, familiar with the routine, stepped through the side entrance into the garden path of the villa.

This area was right next to the Li Family Villa’s servants’ dormitory zone, where the servants typically washed up and hung their clothes out to dry.

Jiang Rang deftly plucked his work uniform from the clothesline, gave it a casual shake, and slung it over his arm. The weather was sweltering; by the time the young man jogged back, his body was radiating heat like a furnace. He ducked into the nearest washroom with urgency and emerged minutes later from a quick rinse.

Freshly showered, the young man was clearly far more at ease, his movements loosening up. He draped his towel casually over one shoulder, water droplets trailing from his damp hair tips down his collar and soaking into the fabric. The white, breathable short-sleeved shirt clung instantly to the contours of his solid, honey-toned back as the moisture spread, rising and falling with each breath.

It was the very picture of unintentional seduction.

Jiang Rang, however, had always been the carefree type and noticed nothing of the sort. He gave his hair a couple half-hearted wipes with a dry towel and left it at that.

The sunlight outside grew even harsher. Beta checked his phone—2:40 p.m. He had a recitation and reading lesson at 3:30.

That instructor was a figure of considerable renown in Central City. Rumor had it he’d only agreed to teach at the villa at the personal invitation of the Male Master—a man no ordinary household could hope to hire.

The Old Teacher’s approach was rigorous, bordering on severe. He didn’t just drill Jiang Rang in reading and writing; he also covered noble etiquette, the intricacies of high-society protocol, and the proper ways to interact with others.

Thanks to his tutelage, the beta—if not entirely remade—was at least cured of his old habit of hunching his shoulders and skulking about like a timid shadow.

Jiang Rang held the man in high regard as a result, always arriving early to preview the material.

With that thought, he quickened his pace.

But as he pushed open the door to the front hall, his eyes immediately fell on the Male Master, lounging on the sofa in a long black trench coat—the first sighting in ages.

The Male Master’s long, silky black hair draped languidly over his shoulders and cascaded down his chest. He cradled a hefty tome in his hands, silver-rimmed reading glasses perched on his nose, radiating an uncommon air of refined, lightly decadent elegance and beauty.

The exquisite omega appeared utterly absorbed in his book, like a butterfly delicately kissing flower petals.

A low tea table before the sofa held an array of dainty afternoon treats, with two porcelain cups set out specially.

Light and shadow danced in interplay, and for a fleeting moment, the beta could have sworn he’d wandered into some alternate realm of art and oil paintings.

Qi Yu seemed to notice the wide-eyed wonder in the dazed young man’s gaze—a pure appreciation, devoid of lust. No one could remain indifferent to such admiration.

A soft, misty warmth gradually bloomed in the omega’s ink-black eyes, his voice taking on a husky edge.

He parted his lips lightly, his tone casual yet pointed. “Back already? Where’ve you been, staying out so late?”

It was the shy lilt of a newlywed wife awaiting her husband’s return.

Jiang Rang snapped out of it at last, though his straightforward mind registered nothing amiss in the omega’s inflection or the affection in his stare. He just sensed the air had turned oddly awkward.

To break the tension, he scratched at his sunburned nape and shifted uncomfortably. “Mister finished up with work? I… I’ve had some personal stuff lately, so I stepped out during my break.”

That halting demeanor took on a whole new shade of meaning in the other man’s eyes.

The long-haired omega’s lips curved faintly; a subtle smile seemed to flush his porcelain-pale cheeks.

He gave no sign of pressing further, as if he already knew the score, and smoothly changed tack. His slender wrist patted the cushion beside him, the Silver Sun Ring on his middle finger catching the light in a brilliant gleam. His voice softened. “Come here. Have some treats with me.”

Qi Yu paused, his fog-shrouded gaze fixing on the youth through the glasses’ faint reflection, heavy with implication. “They’re all your favorites.”

The tall, brawny young man pressed his lips together, embarrassment plain, but he knew better than to defy the Male Master’s whims. In the end, he complied and walked over.

The guileless beta, though, wouldn’t dream of sitting close to the Master of the House. He perched at a safe distance instead.

The secret weighing on his mind left him so on edge he couldn’t even settle fully onto the sofa.

Naturally, the omega clocked every bit of his unease. Shyness, perhaps?

The man’s lips hooked upward. Everything about the youth in that moment was utterly endearing.

He couldn’t help wanting to draw even closer to the honest beta.

With that thought, the man rose fluidly and settled naturally at the young man’s side.

His long, cool thigh brushed against the other’s scorching leg muscles. In that hazy moment, he could even feel the rapid thrum of the other’s pulse.

The sudden nearness allowed Qi Yu to see the honest man’s tensed muscles, his slightly flushed earlobes, and the glistening curve of his sweat-dampened back more clearly than ever.

A damp, mossy scent unfurled wetly around them, like the tentative tongue of some soft-bodied creature, eagerly yet cautiously sampling the beloved morsel at its side.

The beta wasn’t an alpha; he couldn’t detect the raw desire and yearning woven into the omega’s pheromones. Thus, he remained blissfully unaware as those impure thoughts’ aura stained him, soaking into his very skin.

“The rose-flavored golden silk cake is very sweet.” The long-haired man’s fair, pink-tinged fingertips delicately pinched the fluffy pastry. His lips, lightly parted, were an impossibly vivid red.

“Jiang Rang, you should try it.”

As he spoke, the Male Master held out the half-eaten pink confection to Jiang Rang’s lips. That face, usually so pale, now gleamed with a healthy luster, even blooming with a gorgeous flush of pink.

Jiang Rang felt an inexplicable flutter of panic, which spiked into full-blown embarrassment when he spotted the Male Master’s pale fingers cradling the pastry, marked by a perfect half-circle of lipstick.

He had always known this widowed Male Master was strikingly beautiful, yet he rarely saw him wearing makeup. Omegas in this world loved their cosmetics, but Qi Yu never bothered with such fripperies—not a single trace in his dressing room.

The Male Master’s behavior today was downright bizarre, bizarre enough that Jiang Rang wondered if he was being propositioned.

But he quashed the notion almost instantly. The beta remembered the Male Master’s words from their very first day.

He was just a servant—a convenient tool in his master’s eyes, not even worthy of being treated as an equal.

Jiang Rang inwardly scorned himself. Still indulging in those real-world novels, was he? Fantasizing like some deluded everyman that a wealthy omega might fall for him? Utterly absurd.

People had to stay grounded in reality.

The beta nearly chuckled at his own foolishness.

Sure enough, with that mindset, any hint of flirtation or rosy ambiance evaporated in an instant.

And so, the upright Jiang Rang firmly pushed away the omega’s hand. “Sir, it’s improper for an omega and a beta to share like this. I’ll take one myself—thank you for the treat.”

With that, the beta grabbed a piece for himself and took a bite, offering a earnest critique even as he chewed. “It is quite sweet. Sir, you shouldn’t have too much; your body won’t handle all those calories.”

Qi Yu took the rejection in stride, slowly savoring the remaining half. The smile tugging at his lips grew more pronounced as he fixed the young man with an unblinking stare.

“Mm,” he said. “I’ll listen to you.”

In that moment, a pleasant harmony settled between them.

The Male Master seemed in exceptionally high spirits today, a far cry from his usual reticence. He even took the initiative to inquire about Jiang Rang’s recent studies.

Amid their easy banter, the man frequently adjusted the collar and cuffs of his black windbreaker—a habit that naturally drew the beta’s notice.

Jiang Rang had been at the villa for over a month now. He knew the Master of the House’s wardrobe inside and out, if not perfectly.

The Male Master owned several black windbreakers, but the details on this one were utterly distinct. It had to be new.

And yet… something about it felt eerily familiar to the young man.

The beta frowned faintly, lost in thought.

Seeing that he’d finally noticed the windbreaker, Qi Yu’s lips curved in a subtle hook. He reached up to nudge the silver-framed glasses slipping down his nose bridge, his voice soft yet laced with a tension too faint to pinpoint.

“What’s wrong?” he prompted deliberately, more like gentle coaxing than a real question.

“Speaking of which, it’s quite the coincidence…”

The beta furrowed his brow. “Sir, this coat of yours looks just like one I had custom-made recently.”

Far more than “just like”—every little detail matched perfectly.

The young man seemed on the verge of saying more but held back, as if certain words weren’t right for the moment.

The man’s heart skipped a beat. He willed himself to stay composed, yet he couldn’t rein in the wild surge of joy swelling in his chest. It softened his usually somber gaze into something tender beyond words.

Caught in this whirlwind of emotion, a flicker of annoyance and anxious uncertainty stirred within him.

He thought to himself that he shouldn’t have put on this coat ahead of time. Jiang Rang had clearly intended it as a surprise gift for him. By jumping the gun like this, wouldn’t it leave the other man feeling deflated and disappointed?

The beautiful omega, his face still flushed, was lost in these thoughts when the beta followed up, looking a bit embarrassed.

The young man blushed faintly as he said, “As you know, sir, I’ve got a fiancé back home in the countryside. I’m not much of a catch, and he’s suffered plenty sticking with me. A Liu’s build is a bit like yours, so I figured I’d get a trench coat made to your measurements for him…”

Bang—

The exquisite white porcelain teacup slipped from the master’s grasp and shattered on the floor, the rich aroma of tea instantly filling the air.

Silence fell over the room.

Jiang Rang jumped in surprise, instinctively checking if the man was hurt—only to meet the long-haired omega’s eyes, their rims red enough to sting.

Qi Yu’s face betrayed no real expression. He looked more like someone who’d just come through a sudden, brutal illness—the powder on his cheeks couldn’t hide his pallor or fragility.

His lipstick remained a vivid slash, but it had smeared beyond his lip line, lending him a disheveled, almost comical air.

He seemed to be holding back some powerful emotion. The man kept his eyes downcast, his long lashes quivering like the wings of a dying insect.

The omega’s voice came out remarkably steady, though a faint tremor lingered if you listened closely.

“I’m truly sorry,” he said softly. “This trench coat I’m wearing must be the one you had made for your fiancé.”

Jiang Rang froze. Before he could respond, the man continued in a tone of feigned indifference. “The servants brought it to the villa, and I assumed it was a new piece meant for me.”

The omega never once lifted his gaze to the beta. He pressed a hand to his forehead, sounding weary. “Should I take it off and give it back to your fiancé?”

“Or…” His voice grew strained. He finally raised his eyes to the young man, red veins spiderwebbing across them like cracks. “Should I have it cleaned spotless before returning it to him?”

Even someone as dense as Jiang Rang could tell his employer was furious. He stammered in a panic, “Sir, that’s not necessary! It’s only been worn once—no big deal at all…”

“Jiang Rang.”

Qi Yu’s chapped lips resembled a wilting rose. His dark eyes, whites prominent, bored into the young man. “But I really like this coat,” he said softly.

I thought you got it for me.

“Here’s what we’ll do.” A strange, sickly edge crept into Qi Yu’s voice. “I’ll make it up to you.”

With that, he slid the silver ring off his middle finger. The veins stood out blue and stark on the back of his pale hand, bulging menacingly.

The omega seized the beta’s honey-toned wrist in a vise grip, forcing the ring onto Jiang Rang’s middle finger.

“Is that enough?” the man asked, his voice icy.

Jiang Rang wouldn’t dream of accepting it. In his time shadowing Qi Yu, he’d seen enough high-end jewelry to know this ring alone could buy a downtown apartment.

His mind raced in turmoil, fixated on one thing: he couldn’t keep it.

But the moment he reached to remove it, the male master’s voice rasped out, eerie and hoarse.

“Jiang Rang, if you take that off, you’re out of the villa today.”

Jiang Rang went rigid, his fingers hovering above the gleaming silver sun emblem.

He wouldn’t remove it.

Just as he’d once told himself, he was the family’s backbone. His bedridden father and frail fiancé were counting on this lifeline. How could he possibly take it off?

Qi Yu’s lips slowly curved into a shadowed, morbid smile.

What fiancé? He’d done his digging at the Jiang Family. Jiang Rang and that guy hadn’t even had a proper engagement party. Just some desperate hanger-on, a bloodsucking leech.