Chapter 23
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—Qin Ye.
With just these simple two words, Rong Qiu’s eyes felt dry, unable to find anything.
Rong Qiu, refusing to believe it, checked from the beginning again.
Still nothing.
Rong Qiu tightly gripped the four pages, his heart anxious and on the verge of jumping out.
So, this meant…
Ah Ye lied to him.
Rong Qiu’s heartache surged again, that familiar feeling of abandonment. This intense unease reached its peak when Professor Ren told him that there was no record of the man in the school’s complete files of teachers and students.
Ah Ye, even his files were not left behind.
Even Professor Ren, who helped extract and organize files, was bewildered. After contemplating for a moment, he finally, with quivering lips, expressed his suspicion, “Little Qiu, were you… deceived?”
Before the words “deceived” came out, Professor Ren was silenced by Rong Qiu’s expression, blocking all words.
Rong Qiu was resilient; even if he faced bullying and grievances, he could stand tall, grit his teeth, and get through it. He had never seen Rong Qiu in such a lost and desolate state.
But the next moment, Rong Qiu fiercely wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corner of his eyes, gathered them in his palm, and left in a hurry.
Rong Qiu didn’t believe that someone could disappear without reason.
But Ah Ye didn’t have many close friends, and at this moment, the only person Rong Qiu could find was Su Ran.
Su Ran was here today, but with an inexplicable sense of guilt, the alpha had been avoiding Rong Qiu since returning to A University. Now that Rong Qiu had caught him, Su Ran couldn’t help but shudder for some reason.
If Rong Qiu came looking for him, it couldn’t be for a good reason.
As expected, Rong Qiu took Su Ran to a secluded path.
Su Ran hadn’t even prepared for a casual greeting when he was suddenly grabbed by the collar. Rong Qiu, exuding an uncontrollable restless aura, seemed to resemble Qin Muye, who he hadn’t seen for a long time.
“Where is Ah Ye?” Rong Qiu demanded.
Su Ran’s heart jumped to his throat, but he began to act nonchalant, “Huh? Isn’t Ah Ye at school?”
“Stop pretending. I know you know Ah Ye isn’t here. Where is he? Why doesn’t the school even have Ah Ye’s files?”
Su Ran: ?!
Rong Qiu actually knew so much.
He even checked Ah Ye’s academic records.
Naturally, Ah Ye’s academic records wouldn’t be here. As the young master of the Qin family, it was all private information. Ah Ye trusted him, revealing a bit of it.
Seeing Su Ran seemingly withholding something, Rong Qiu narrowed his eyes and directly punched Su Ran’s cheek.
“Are you going to talk or not?”
Su Ran, dazed by the punches, saw double.
Seeing that he wouldn’t talk, Rong Qiu’s fists continued to land.
Su Ran had no choice. In the end, besides Qin Muye’s identity, he spilled everything he knew.
Knowing that the man hadn’t met with an accident, Rong Qiu felt relieved. However, as he listened to the rest, anger and annoyance surged like a rapidly growing tropical vine, stirring his heart in disarray.
“So Ah Ye didn’t go to O-star, Y-star, and S-star later? All his schedules were lies you told me? Why did you do this? Don’t you know that not knowing is not knowing? Why deceive me with Ah Ye’s matters!”
Seeing Rong Qiu’s fists about to land again, Su Ran, already half dazed, instinctively shouted loudly, “Because Ah Ye wants to break up with you!”
The Beta’s fists stopped in mid-air.
“Break up?”
For a moment, Rong Qiu believed it.
The conversation with Rong Qin had planted seeds of doubt in his heart, and he had noticed the man’s coldness for the past half year. But in the next moment, Rong Qiu ruthlessly uprooted the sprouting doubts.
Su Ran’s words couldn’t be trusted.
This malicious alpha had tried to sow discord between him and Ah Ye before.
“I don’t believe you.”
Su Ran, almost beaten senseless, had blood accumulating in his throat, “Why are you so stubborn now? Ah Ye wants to break up with you. His cold violence, not contacting you, is just to make you forget him.”
Su Ran wanted to say more, but Rong Qiu had already let go of his collar.
No one knew that the Beta was enduring unbearable pain. “I’ll ask one last time. Where is Ah Ye?”
“I don’t know.”
Seeing that Rong Qiu still didn’t believe him, Su Ran, in despair, sat on the ground, where there was no trace of his usual alpha arrogance. “But I can tell you, you better not look for him because even if you find him, there’s no possibility for you two to be together.”
The Beta returned to the villa in a desolate state.
The prearranged dinner with Professor Ren naturally fell through. Even when Professor Ren wanted to send him home, he politely declined.
Now, Rong Qiu lay on the sofa, his lower arm curved, supporting his face. His expression was unclear, but tears flowed down uncontrollably, wetting the deep gray sofa cover.
Even his crying was silent, lonely, and soundless.
This was completely different from the happy life he had anticipated. There should have been a tall and handsome man returning with him, but now he was alone.
Completely alone.
After a while, Rong Qiu’s mind began to slowly turn, like an old production line that had been idle for decades suddenly starting, with glitches and halts.
No, he couldn’t let it end like this.
He needed to hear it from Ah Ye directly.
***
Days continued to pass.
Rong Qiu signed the acceptance letter for the First Military Region, worked during the day, and searched for people everywhere at night.
It was clear whom he was searching for.
A month later, Rong Qin had a video call with Rong Qiu.
Before Rong Qin could ask about the Beta’s life in the First Military Region, he was shocked by Rong Qiu’s haggard appearance.
Rong Qiu’s complexion was originally fair, healthy and radiant. However, now, he seemed to have lost a lot of vitality, appearing thin and weary. Dark circles under his eyes were larger than his eyes, giving off a sickly paleness.
Rong Qin furrowed his brows deeply, “Have you been bullied in the First Military Region?”
Rong Qiu shook his head, simultaneously marking a location on the paper with a red pen.
A-star, Weyang District, West Zone. Ah Ye is not here.
The two chatted, mostly Rong Qin asking questions and Rong Qiu responding.
Learning that Rong Qiu had been searching for someone all this time, Rong Qin was astonished, “But you don’t even know his family background. Weren’t you under the impression that he was an orphan before? How can you be sure he must be in A-star?”
Rong Qiu stated firmly, “He is here. He grew up with Su Ran since childhood. Su Ran is a native of A-star, so Ah Ye must have grown up here as well, and he’s also from a prominent family in A-star.”
“…”
Rong Qin was defeated by Rong Qiu’s logical reasoning.
Moreover, if Rong Qiu continued searching, he might indeed find the Qin family in A-star. But Rong Qin didn’t want Rong Qiu to continue.
It was too dangerous for the Beta.
Changing his approach, Rong Qin advised, “How are you searching? Going door to door with his photo? Those aristocratic villa areas will chase you away before you get close. And, you don’t even know his background. What can you do even if you find him? He might crush an insignificant Beta like you in an instant.”
Having his clumsy method exposed, Rong Qiu lowered his head dejectedly.
Although A-star wasn’t a large star system, it had 138 light districts. Rong Qiu had only hastily searched half of the Weyang District.
But that was all he could do.
He had found his way here with an inexplicable determination, and he wouldn’t give up easily.
Seeing him silent but stubborn, Rong Qin softened his tone, “So, I suggest you stop looking. That person is a fraud. He didn’t even clarify his family background after being with you for so long. He’s just deceiving a Beta emotions.”
Rong Qiu turned his head, his lips red and soft. Yet, there was a poignant determination in his tone, “He didn’t deceive my emotions. A fraud wouldn’t give me five million to buy a house…”
“He gave you five million?” Rong Qin was momentarily stunned, decisively saying, “Have you ever considered that this is your breakup fee?”
“Breakup fee?!”
Rong Qiu wanted to say something more, but Rong Qin interrupted, “People involved can be confused. He’s coldly treating you, and that five million is to cut ties between you two. Moreover, you are about to graduate. This five million is a common breakup fee for those noble families. It’s very normal for people of their status.”
Rong Qiu remained silent, visibly shaken by Rong Qin’s words.
He seemed to be reconsidering.
Because he had seen Su Ran stuffing money to settle things with omegas.
A six-figure sum was casually given.
So Ah Ye’s five million, too…
“Settlement fee” was like a cold blade, causing Rong Qiu’s heart to ache at the thought.
But Rong Qiu lowered his head, his lips were still rosy and soft. His voice, though almost inaudible, carried a moving determination, “I want to continue looking.”
Even if he couldn’t find Ah Ye, he wanted to find any trace of Ah Ye’s existence.
Even if there were no clues, he would search through the vast sea.
Rong Qiu took a slow breath, his whispered voice weak and almost imperceptible, “Because there are things that must be clarified in person, otherwise I will never give up.”
Such a Beta left Rong Qin feeling deeply moved.
Previously, Rong Qiu gave the impression of being gentle, but it was only a surface expression. It was the first time Rong Qin realized how stubborn this Beta could be.
Even if he turned into minced meat the next moment, he would bravely charge forward fearlessly.
In this state, would Qin Muye’s so-called cold treatment be effective…
If not disclosed, Rong Qin believed that Rong Qiu would really search to death.
Rong Qin took a deep breath, “I’ll help you search.”
“Huh?” Rong Qiu’s eyes suddenly widened.
He hadn’t thought of troubling Rong Qin, and it wasn’t until Rong Qin offered that he remembered Rong Qin was that powerful person who donated millions to the orphanage in one go.
A faint hope floated in Rong Qiu’s heart.
Rong Qin’s tone turned icy, “But I have a condition.”
Rong Qiu’s eyes brightened, eager, “Brother Rong Qin, just say it! I’ll give you however much money you want!”
Rong Qin laughed bitterly, wishing he could reach through the screen and give him a slap, “Who wants your money? I only ask that during this time, besides the work in the First Military Region, you rest well. Leave the search to me. Within a month, I will provide you with information about him.”
In less than a month, Rong Qin found the person.
Rong Qin even appeared in front of Rong Qiu in person.
For some reason, Rong Qin’s expression was not good. When Rong Qiu received the news after work, he pondered for a moment. Finally, he didn’t avoid Rong Qiu’s expectant gaze and said solemnly, “I found him.”
“Really!”
Seeing Rong Qiu’s happy expression, Rong Qin couldn’t bear to disappoint him. However, his expression had become solemn.
On the way, Rong Qin sighed incessantly.
It seemed like he wanted to sigh out all the grievances in his life.
Seeing the man sighing continuously, Rong Qiu, gripping the seatbelt tightly, remained silent, not asking much. He quietly looked at the night scene outside the window, neon lights flickering. Outside the speeding car window, it was like the fleeting meteors in the night sky, brief yet splendid.
Fifteen minutes later, Rong Qin stopped the car.
“We’re here.”
Rong Qiu looked outside and asked in surprise, “City Western Bar?”
This wasn’t the first time Rong Qiu had been to City Western Bar. The last time he was here, he was full of worries, afraid that Qin Muye might be bullied in the bar. This time, Rong Qiu’s mood was clearly different.
He hadn’t expected Rong Qin to bring him here.
Ah Ye was unexpectedly so close to him.
Rong Qin held the steering wheel with one hand, his eyes showing a hint of heartache. “He’s inside. Talk to him and make things clear.”
Rong Qiu nodded heavily, his expression serious.
“Wait!”
Rong Qiu paused, “Hmm?”
“I’ll ask one last time. Are you sure you want to meet him? Even if the outcome after you meet is….”
Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu steadily, hesitated for a long time, and finally found a suitable but perhaps too desolate word, “Cruel.”
Rong Qiu seemed to sense something.
He blinked.
But the next moment, the Beta’s lips curled up in a bright and submissive smile. He regained his initial determination. “Yes.”
“Okay, then go.”
City Western Bar, the most famous bar in A-star.
As always, brightly lit.
Approaching the private room Rong Qin had informed him of, Rong Qiu finally saw the person he hadn’t seen in a long time…
A familiar figure, aloof and cold, the man was noble and distinguished. Especially when the dazzling lights fell into the man’s dark brows, it added a difficult-to-describe air of nobility and arrogance.
Just by looking, Rong Qiu couldn’t help but shiver.
Rong Qiu’s gaze continued downward, and the man’s neck was surrounded by a black pheromone inhibiting collar.
It was abrupt, obvious, like a dark vampire bound.
Wait!
A pheromone inhibiting collar?
The pheromone inhibiting collar was far more expensive than the pheromone inhibiting patch, but only alphas or omegas with A-level pheromones would use it. How could Ah Ye wear this?
After a moment of contemplation, Rong Qiu broke out in a cold sweat. A particularly absurd thought appeared in his mind.
But the next moment, he dismissed it.
It was impossible. Ah Ye couldn’t be an alpha.
The man seemed not to have noticed Rong Qiu’s presence. He picked up his phone, talking and laughing. Rong Qiu didn’t know what he was saying, but there was a hint of arrogance in his expression, and a trace of smugness at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m Qin Muye, an S-level alpha, the youngest son of the Qin family. Destined to marry an S-level omega, how could I marry an unknown Beta like Rong Qiu? Just playing with him before graduation…”
The string in Rong Qiu’s brain suddenly snapped. He stopped in his tracks, lowering his eyelids.
Qin Muye, who is that?
S-level alpha, what does that mean?
And the unknown Beta, who is that…
Why is it that, even though it’s a voice he’s familiar with, it’s connected with words and phrases that make him feel so unfamiliar?
The man in front of him is obviously his Ah Ye. His Beta orphan boyfriend, his future lover.
In the next moment, the Beta’s self-comfort was ruthlessly shattered.
Because the man had seen him.
Even though he had seen him, he still maintained a proud appearance. The man put down his wine glass, looked directly at the Beta with a blade-like gaze, “Annoying. The Beta came to find me, I couldn’t hide for long.”
Rong Qiu’s steps forward suddenly stopped.
He, for the first time, hated his good hearing so much.
The man, gazing at him from a distance, sneered, “He’s just an ordinary bed partner. I’ve already given him five million for a clean break. After breaking up, does he still want to come to me like an omega, carrying a child in his belly?”
***
Outside the bar, the Lakeside Avenue was sparsely populated at this moment.
Since Rong Qiu left the bar, every step he took was extremely slow and painful, like wearing heavy boots forged from high-density metal that didn’t fit. The invisible restraint made the Beta’s steps difficult.
Rong Qiu didn’t know when he had walked onto the long suspension bridge. Looking down from a height, the river flowed, creating colorful scales of fragmented fish. Light and shadows flowed.
But he continued to move forward, walking tirelessly.
The man’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind.
The Beta’s pupils had long dimmed.
At the same time, his blood seemed to flow through an extremely cold ice field, forming a withering blood-red flower.
False names, false backgrounds, undoubtedly revealed that his once cherished heart had been trampled and devalued.
How ridiculous, he was just an alpha’s bed partner –
A bed partner who could come and go at will.
Rong Qiu had always thought that someone in this world would love him, someone would give him the candy he had longed for since childhood.
But no.
Wrapped in bright candy wrappers was not a sweet piece of candy, but bitter gall, and everything he sought was just an illusion.
He had been foolish.
He had brought it upon himself.
Only to guard the bitterness as if it were sweet nectar.
Rong Qiu looked up, speechless, and laughed. Silent tears flowed down his cheeks.
What exactly is he persistently chasing after?
Useless Betas like him should just die.
***
When Rong Qin found Rong Qiu, he was truly shocked.
Just before, he had just finished a call with Qin Muye and thought their little act would be enough to make the Beta give up.
But Rong Qin didn’t expect Rong Qiu to actually do something so dangerous without saying a word.
The bridge over the river was so high, and the young man sat on the edge of the bridge. The moist wind from the river inflated his shirt, and he stared absent-mindedly at the calm water surface. He looked like a thin and lifeless injured bird, about to lose strength and fall into the lake in the next moment.
Alarms went off in Rong Qin’s heart instantly!
Rong Qiu, is he trying to self-destruct!
“Little Qiu!”
Rong Qiu turned his head slowly to look at him, with swollen eyes like rabbit eyes. Long tear streaks were particularly prominent on his pale cheeks. His sharp little teeth had long embedded into his lower lip, forming a deep and conspicuous pale indentation.
Fragile, sensitive.
Completely presenting a pale appearance that seemed about to shatter the next moment.
“Brother Rong Qin?” Rong Qiu’s voice choked.
“Yeah.” Rong Qin pretended to be calm and approached the Beta.
Seeing no signs of rejection from Rong Qiu, he gently sat down beside him and quietly messed up Rong Qiu’s hair, “You didn’t even tell me when you came out. I had a hard time finding you.”
Although Rong Qin’s tone was admonishing, Rong Qiu’s nose felt sour.
The previously suppressed grievances couldn’t be held back anymore. Even due to the affectionate action of messing with his head, a large teardrop slid from his sharp jaw.
Like a pearl rolling down a moon-white shell, clear and understated, but impossible to ignore.
Rong Qin’s words got stuck in his throat immediately.
He used his hand to gently rub the back of the young man’s head as a comfort.
After a long time, the trembling body of the Beta finally calmed down, and at the same time, his voice, tinged with obvious traces of crying, came with the wind, whether he said it for Rong Qin to hear or for his own fractured imagination, the voice was as soft as a mosquito.
“Brother Rong Qin, I really want to forget him.”
***
When Rong Qin brought Rong Qiu home, it was already 1 a.m. Rong Qiu had been through too much stimulation today. Although he didn’t cry later, his expression and demeanor were even more unpleasant than crying. Rong Qin couldn’t let go of his worry and repeatedly reminded him as he left.
“Prepare your ID and the latest health examination report. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 5 p.m.”
“Yeah.”
“Rest well tonight. If I see dark circles under your eyes tomorrow afternoon, I won’t take you to the Interstellar Psychiatric Clinic.”
“Okay.”
No matter how much Rong Qin said, Rong Qiu could only blankly utter a single word.
Rong Qin sighed silently countless times tonight. Finally, he patted Rong Qiu’s shoulder and gently pushed him into the house, “Go back, don’t think too much about that scum alpha. We’ll forget him tomorrow, forget this unhappy memory.”
As Rong Qin turned to leave, Rong Qiu called out to him, “Brother Rong Qin…”
“Hmm? Is there anything else?”
Rong Qiu shook his head, rubbed his rabbit eyes earnestly, and said, “Even if I lose my memory, I won’t forget Brother Rong Qin.”
Rong Qin was stunned for a few moments, and a glint of bright light flashed in his eyes. He smiled, “Of course, you can’t forget. Otherwise, you’d be a little heartless guy.”
After closing the door, Rong Qiu couldn’t fall asleep.
His mind even felt a bit numb.
The tense nerves, once broken, left the Beta in a dazed state. The water he drank was scalding, the lotion for bathing was used for washing hair, and Rong Qiu only regained some clarity when the shampoo stung his eyes.
Looking at the pale profile of himself in the mirror, he vigorously rubbed his body, as if wanting to wash away all the flesh that had been touched by the man with the flowing water.
Clearly, he shouldn’t be thinking.
But those harsh words still swept over him.
Bed partner, he turned out to be a proud alpha’s bed partner…
After the shower, Rong Qiu mechanically started cleaning the small villa. All the lights were turned on by him. He even opened the wardrobe, drawers, and the empty suitcase. Finally, he opened the safe.
There were quite a few things inside – his documents from childhood to adulthood, certificates of passing exams, identification, and a delicate wooden box about the size of a palm. In the wooden box were eleven silver rings, each engraved with “Q&R” on the back, all made by himself, and he put one of them on, which fit perfectly.
Rong Qiu smiled faintly and, with a glance at the ten rings behind him, it was obvious who their owner was.
But that was already unimportant.
He left these ten rings in their original place but left the one he just wore on the root of his finger.
After arranging these, Rong Qiu finally felt the exhaustion. He sat on the sofa, and the nearby apricot-colored low cabinet had already been opened by him. The things he needed were found, leaving only a pack of cigarettes.
These were the cigarettes the man left in his dormitory at A University.
When he moved out of A University’s dormitory, he took the cigarettes with him along with the books. He even remembered the circumstances of his first time smoking. It was after dusk, lying in Qin Muye’s arms. Qin Muye was smoking, dreamlike and picturesque, exceptionally handsome. When the man handed him the cigarette, he took a puff, and the intense stimulation made him cough. He remembered the man laughing at him.
Laughing at what? Laughing that he didn’t know how to smoke.
Or laughing that he was just a bed partner, good enough to be coaxed.
The previous Rong Qiu only felt sweetness. Now he finally understood the meaning of the coins the man left on the bedside cabinet after every time. He didn’t know how the man was silently mocking his overestimation of himself.
Yeah, overestimation.
Actually, there was a Beta attempting to be with an alpha, and an S-level alpha at that.
No wonder the confidentiality work of the file was done so well.
The past was unbearable to think about. Really, it hurt too much.
Rong Qiu picked up one of the cigarettes with his fingertips. With an unknown mentality, he lit the cigarette. The second puff was no different from the first, it was spicy and choking. The smoke made Rong Qiu’s eyes tear up.
But he acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything, calmly taking the second puff of the cigarette.
The third puff, the fourth puff.
He continued until the tobacco burned out, then quietly flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray prepared by the man. Throughout the process, he brushed his teeth without a hint of a smile and went to sleep.
***
Rong Qiu only slept for five hours, but miraculously, he felt good.
The next morning, Rong Qiu woke up to the bright sunlight outside the window.
It was only ten in the morning.
After grooming himself, Rong Qin personally picked him up.
Rong Qiu sat in the passenger seat with his small backpack containing his identification documents. He was about to go to the Interstellar Psychiatric Clinic.
What he said to Rong Qin yesterday was not just a childish remark; he genuinely wanted to forget about Qin Muye.
As for the First Military Region, he didn’t want to stay there either.
As for where to go…
While driving, Rong Qin, upon hearing that Rong Qiu wanted to go to the Thirteenth Military District, pondered for a moment and diplomatically expressed his opposition, “Are you really going to the Thirteenth Military District? It’s too dangerous there, a place the Federation military doesn’t even want to take over. If something happens to you, as a Beta, no one will be able to help.”
Rong Qiu persisted silently, “I don’t want to be stuck in the First Military Region doing monotonous patrol work every day, and the atmosphere there is too oppressive. The clustering behavior of similar alphas is also too obvious. It’s different in the Thirteenth Military District. Although it’s dangerous, the discrimination against the second gender is almost non-existent, and the Betas can thrive there.”
At this point, Rong Qiu’s eyes sparkled, “I heard there was a powerful Beta there a few years ago who managed to suppress a group of alphas in the military region! Unfortunately, he has already retired… Otherwise, I would definitely want to meet him!”
The retired Beta driving the car remained calm.
He gave Rong Qiu a glance and handed him a bottle of water, “You will definitely meet him.”
“Borrowing Brother Rong Qin’s good wishes.”
Rong Qiu held the water but didn’t open it. In fact, he didn’t want to continue enduring unfair treatment in the First Military Region, but that wasn’t the only reason. The main reason was that he didn’t want to encounter Qin Muye in the First Military Region.
Although he didn’t know much about Qin Muye’s family background, if he could see him in the bars on A Star, he might also run into him in the First Military Region someday.
Rong Qiu didn’t tell Rong Qin the latter reason.
But even with just the former reason, Rong Qin could understand Rong Qiu’s insistence.
Rong Qin was also a Beta, growing up amidst the discrimination of alphas. Even after taking over the affairs of the Qin Zexi Corporation after retiring, there were still many arrogant alphas who didn’t acknowledge him, thinking that the Betas should be mediocre company employees, incapable of reaching higher positions.
Having gone through those hardships, Rong Qin empathized with Rong Qiu’s current feelings.
Since Rong Qiu wanted to go, then let him go.
The Thirteenth Military District was vast, with intertwined forces. Rong Qiu might not necessarily encounter Qin Muye there.
***
With the rapid development of interstellar technology and the sharp increase in medical standards, hypnosis, in medical and interstellar judicial contexts, became popular, leading to the emergence of numerous psychological clinics in various star systems of the Federation.
The Interstellar Psychiatric Clinic introduced to Rong Qiu by Rong Qin was among the best.
Although the fees were high, the hypnotist Zhao Dongqi’s hypnotic techniques were unparalleled. If it weren’t for him being Rong Qin’s friend, Rong Qiu wouldn’t have been able to get an appointment for hypnosis so quickly.
Rong Qin waited outside for him, “Don’t worry, just do as he says. By the way, do you want me to carry your bag for you?”
“No need, thanks Brother Rong Qin.”
Rong Qiu went in alone. Inside, the hypnotist Zhao Dongqi was sitting on the sofa reading a book. He wasn’t wearing a white coat but rather a regular white shirt and gray jeans. He didn’t look like the hospital doctors Rong Qiu had seen before; he looked more like a new friend.
Seeing Rong Qiu arrive, Zhao Dongqi wasn’t surprised.
He motioned for Rong Qiu to sit casually, as if chatting, “Our memories are far more unreliable than we imagine. Incorrect inferences and subjective fantasies can confuse our memories. Breaking free from a certain memory using ‘exposure therapy’ can be very painful. If Mr. Rong doesn’t want to erase memories, you can give up now.”
Rong Qiu shook his head, “Continue.”
But after waiting for a few seconds, he whispered tentatively, “I heard that hypnosis can also reshape memories?”
Zhao Dongqi smiled, “Yes, Mr. Rong, what aspect of memories would you like to reshape?”
Rong Qiu spoke softly.
After a while, Zhao Dongqi nodded, indicating that it could be done.
It was strange, however. Usually, only those who were forced to come to him for memory erasure would come willingly, and those who wanted memory reshaping were usually prisoners sent by the Federation for mandatory re-education.
Rong Qiu was the first one to voluntarily request memory reshaping.
***
By the time Rong Qiu went in, three hours had passed.
Rong Qin paced anxiously outside, feeling uneasy.
When Rong Qiu finally entered the hypnosis room, Rong Qin suddenly felt that his actions might not have been appropriate. Not because he thought erasing memories was inappropriate—forgetting the scum alpha was, of course, a good thing, and he trusted Zhao Dongqi’s methods—but because he thought his quick agreement for Rong Qiu to go to the Thirteenth Military District was not suitable.
That place was just too dangerous.
Considering himself, who was once known as the Cold King of H*ll of the Thirteenth Military District, couldn’t resist Rong Qiu’s pleading expression, he couldn’t help but feel soft-hearted.
Was this reasonable…
If Rong Qin wasn’t so sure in his heart that he liked Qin Zexi, he would have thought that Rong Qiu had drugged him and would have been more than willing to get close to him.
But before he could think further, Zhao Dongqi quietly pushed open the door.
Rong Qin walked over and whispered, “Why did it take so long this time? It’s been three hours! How was it, smooth sailing?”
Zhao Dongqi nodded, “Relatively smooth.”
However, Zhao Dongqi looked at the record on paper, and his expression remained inexplicable. There was even a clear sign of losing, as if it wasn’t difficult at all. This feeling was like preparing to show off his skills, only to find that the opponent was just a Level One rookie.
The only challenging part of this hypnosis was the memory reshaping.
But his visitor was very cooperative.
Even when Zhao Dongqi hypnotized him, he found that Rong Qiu himself hesitated and criticized that specific memory. Subconsciously, he sensed the abnormality of that experience but always chose to avoid it, choosing to romanticize that relationship.
In other words, Mr. Rong had been in a state of self-deception.
It was quite pitiful.
However, Zhao Dongqi didn’t say these words to Rong Qin. He still had professional ethics. The content that followed involved the visitor’s personal privacy, and he shouldn’t reveal it casually.
Unable to extract more information, Rong Qin decided not to ask. He only glanced at Zhao Dongqi’s hypnosis room and asked, “When can he come out?”
“Wait a moment; he is reading the diary.”
“There’s a diary too?”
“It seems to have been prepared in advance. He can come out after reading it, but you better be mentally prepared.”
“?”
“The person coming out later might be a bit different from the one who went in.”
T/N: FINALLLYYY
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BABY BLESS !!!!! literally ruined ur life 4 some dick ive seen this happen irl n it Isn’t fun at all lol