Chapter 35: Dark-Skinned Rugged Honest Man 35 Part 1

Hang Liu was discharged from the hospital that day. He stood at the entrance for a long time.

The slender, fragile beta was dressed in a thin, clean white knit sweater. Faint lint balls had formed on it, but they were barely noticeable. Clearly, its owner had taken meticulous care of it.

Two light-colored bandages were stuck to the young man’s forehead, their edges faintly revealing bruises underneath. It was obvious that he paid close attention to his appearance—or perhaps someone important to him would be coming to pick him up today.

The crowd surged like weaving shuttles, and the beta’s expression grew increasingly fragile and helpless.

The screen of the phone clutched tightly in his hand was lit up, paused on the chat interface from his conversation with Jiang Rang the night before.

Jiang Rang had told him that he would personally come pick him up today.

Hang Liu had been waiting at the entrance since eight in the morning. It had been a long time since he’d gotten a proper look at his A-Rang. Lately, Jiang Rang’s visits to the hospital had become fewer and farther between.

Hang Liu understood. The young man was constrained by the Male Master and had to juggle his father’s illness as well—he simply couldn’t spare much time to see him.

But understanding didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Feeling insecure, Hang Liu could only cling to the young man childishly through texts on his phone. Yet Jiang Rang couldn’t reply every moment. Often, Hang Liu would send long messages, only to receive a brief response much later.

In those moments, Hang Liu would just stare blankly at the screen, refreshing obsessively, hoping for a sudden message from his beloved.

His world had turned pallid, as if the young man was all that remained. Back in the countryside, when he had no way to contact Jiang Rang, at least he had Father Jiang to care for and simple farm work to pass the time.

But after coming to Juecheng, Hang Liu felt like he’d wandered into a dead-end alley, trapped like a caged beast.

The young man had no friends, no hobbies, nothing he wanted to do.

Everything in his life revolved around Jiang Rang. In Hang Liu’s mind, the most important thing in life was to become Jiang Rang’s wife.

In the future, after they married, they would have one or two adorable children. At that point, Hang Liu’s goal would shift to being a proper wife and father. He was deeply traditional, pouring all his focus into the family.

Jiang Rang had gently brought these things up with him more than once. He’d even thought about buying him books that might interest him or handicrafts to occupy his time.

Hang Liu was indeed very interested in them—but only because they came from Jiang Rang.

Books like 《How to Make Your Lover Utterly Devoted》, 《Three Tricks to Force Out the Mistress》, and 《Capture His Heart by Capturing His Stomach》, along with some poetry and romantic verses.

As for the handicrafts, there was no need to mention them. Autumn hadn’t even arrived yet, and Hang Liu was already busy knitting sweaters, hats, underlayers, long johns, and even socks for the young man.

Hang Liu’s craftsmanship was excellent, but Jiang Rang couldn’t help feeling burdened. No matter how he tried to dissuade him, Hang Liu would just gaze at him with gentle, considerate, and pitiable eyes. Knowing it was all for his own good, Jiang Rang couldn’t bear to discourage him and eventually let it be.

Hang Liu hung his head, his slightly long, soft hair draping over his eyes. Standing alone by the roadside, his figure looked so frail. He stared intently at his phone, having sent several messages with no reply.

Beep—

The sharp blare of a car horn pierced the air.

Hang Liu looked up in delight, his whole body coming alive like a puppet suddenly animated. But soon, his expression faded.

The man who stepped out of the black car, dressed in a sharp suit, was not Jiang Rang.

“Hello, are you Mr. Hang Liu?”

The man’s features were refined and elegant. He wore a fine blue-striped dress shirt beneath a black windbreaker, exuding an air of graceful sophistication, speaking with the poise of a cultured elite.

Hang Liu looked at the man and slowly frowned. “And you are?”

Chen Jingxu smiled faintly, his lips curving up. “I’m Chen Jingxu, a friend of Jiang Rang’s. He asked me to pick you up and take you back to the Li Family Villa today. He’s… “

The man paused, lowering his voice. “Afraid he won’t make it.”

Hang Liu’s fingers tightened, his knuckles turning nearly translucent white. Unable to hold back, he asked, “Mr. Chen, did A-Rang say why he can’t come?”

Chen Jingxu’s voice held a hint of hesitation. “Jiang Rang said Mr. Qi is also being discharged today, and he’s pregnant, so he can’t get away.”

The beta nearly collapsed on the spot. He looked utterly soulless, his face ashen and defeat like a thick layer of cigarette ash. His dark eyes were lifeless as he murmured, “……Pregnant?”

Chen Jingxu arched an eyebrow slightly and sighed. “Yeah, Mr. Qi’s husband passed away three months ago. Who would’ve thought Mr. Qi had only just discovered he was pregnant?”

The man chuckled lightly as he continued, “But it’s strange—even pregnant, Mr. Qi has kept his figure so well. A three-month belly, and there’s not the slightest curve to it.”

The young man felt as if his entire body had rotted into a pile of putrid flesh and crumbling bones, swarms of flies and maggots devouring him in unison. He could no longer sense his own breathing or heartbeat. In that instant, it was as though he had already died completely.

“Hey, Mr. Hang, what’s wrong? Why are you crying like that?”

The alpha’s voice, laced with faint surprise, suddenly cut through the air. Only then did Hang Liu seem to snap back to awareness. He sluggishly wiped the dampness from his cheeks, his voice hoarse as he muttered, “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Chen Jingxu narrowed his eyes. Once they were back in the car, he slowly undid his cufflinks, exposing a glimpse of the taut veins bulging along his arm.

The man mused idly to himself. After laying it out like that, this guy couldn’t possibly hold back any longer, could he?

Let them make a scene.

The bigger the better—ideally enough to make Jiang Jiang despise him, enough to make Qi Yu miscarry.

Chen Jingxu casually brushed a few stray locks of hair from his forehead and glanced back at the beta in the rear seat, who looked utterly spineless and vacant, like a lost soul. A flicker of scorn flashed in his eyes. He’d need to fan the flames a bit more.

The car rumbled to life, and the alpha turned the wheel with leisurely precision. After a long pause, he spoke up abruptly. “Mr. Hang, actually, Jiang Rang already told me everything.”

Hang Liu froze. His reddened eyes fixed on the alpha, brimming with sudden surprise and wariness.

Chen Jingxu lowered his gaze, his tone tinged with regret. “Jiang Rang is a very good friend of mine. He helped me out once, and now that I know he’s ended up in such a mess, it really weighs on me.”

“He told me about you, Mr. Hang.”

Hang Liu blinked in a daze, blurting out without thinking, “He… what did he say?”

Chen Jingxu kept his eyes downcast, choosing his words carefully. “He said you’re his fiancé, that the two of you are deeply in love. But unfortunately, that Mr. Qi took a liking to him. Compelled by the man’s influence, he became nothing more than a tool for some noble to sire an heir—one he couldn’t escape.”

The young man in the back seat clapped a hand over his mouth, grief twisting his features.

Chen Jingxu’s lips curved slowly into a smile, his voice heavy with helplessness. “I actually wanted to help Jiang Rang break free from the Qi Family’s grasp, but…”

“But what?” Hang Liu’s words tumbled out in a frantic rush, barely coherent.

The man paused before replying, “But the Qi Family’s power is immense. Escaping would come at a steep price—you’d both have to abandon your identities and start completely over.”

Without a second thought, the young man pressed on eagerly. “That’s fine. As long as we can get away.”

Chen Jingxu let out a sigh and nodded. “Jiang Rang said the exact same thing. All right, I’ll get everything ready and send you word. He’s under tight watch, so you’ll likely need to lead him out yourself.”

The beta was overcome with gratitude. Those words painted the alpha as a savior in his eyes; he didn’t even stop to notice the contradictions in what the man had said.

Chen Jingxu’s brows drew together slightly as he let out a silent scoff.

Idiots would always be idiots. Trash like this didn’t even deserve to be his rival.

~~~

That night, Hang Liu broke down in tears before the young man. Jiang Rang ached for him but could do nothing.

As a beta, he couldn’t even mount a proper defense—any words of comfort would ring hollow.

Jiang Rang only hoped they could weather this stretch in peace. Once Chen Jingxu’s message came through, he and A Liu would finally be free.

But such optimism was, of course, nothing more than wishful thinking.

The very next morning after his return, Hang Liu was handed his assignments.

He was tasked with cleaning the master bedroom upstairs. The other servants exchanged knowing glances before turning looks of contempt toward him.

Hang Liu even overheard hushed whispers. “…That’s the one. Word is, someone saw him slipping in and out of Jiang Rang’s room at night. Getting this job? He probably slept his way into it.”

“Tell me about it. Always playing the pitiful white lotus, moping around like a storm cloud.”

“Jiang Rang falling for that? More like he got seduced. Who’d bring someone like him home as a spouse?”

The young man swallowed the hot surge of bloody fury rising in his chest. Head bowed, he gathered the cleaning supplies and headed up to the second floor.