Chapter 24
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At this moment, the hypnosis room was quiet and still.
Rong Qiu was sitting in the same spot Zhao Dongqi had occupied.
The Beta was hot and restless, looking like he had just been pulled out of the water. Strands of wet hair clung to his forehead, soaked with sweat, giving him a glossy appearance.
He wiped away the sweat dripping from his jaw impatiently. As his hair was too long, Rong Qiu pulled it back behind his head, revealing a smooth and attractive forehead.
Afterward, the Beta regained a calm expression.
In this hypnosis room, the person who had just left was Zhao Dongqi, the hypnotist. He clearly remembered coming here to erase memories, but he had forgotten what memories were erased.
However, he didn’t care at all.
Presumably, it was something he didn’t want to remember.
At the moment, there was a region in his mind throbbing with a fine and dense ache.
He didn’t know if this was a side effect of reshaping memories.
But he remembered that he had to read the diary.
His subconscious told him that the diary was important.
The Beta still maintained the posture of holding his bag, but his attitude and expression were completely different from before. He stood confidently with shoulders back and legs apart, presenting a natural and composed appearance.
Three minutes later.
On the white marble coffee table in front of Rong Qiu lay a diary that had been flipped through and recorded countless times. The pages had turned yellow, and a third of the page numbers from 235 to 397 had inexplicably disappeared, perhaps due to his unstable emotions. However, the handwriting on them was exceptionally neat and earnest.
Flipping to the latest page 397, Rong Qiu’s eyes emitted a deep and sharp blue light, exceptionally vibrant.
[You have a lover named Qin Ye, an orphan, a Beta.]
Hmm, he had a lover.
And he was an orphan, a Beta just like him.
From being orphans to being of the second gender, they were a perfect match.
Rong Qiu nodded in satisfaction.
But the next line—
[In the interstellar year 364, August 1st, your lover died at the hands of pirates in the Thirteenth Military District.]
Rong Qiu slowly furrowed his brows.
His lover had died?
He doubted for only a second before calmly accepting it.
Yes, he had died. It matched his memory exactly.
No problem.
What was he surprised about?
Twenty minutes later, after reading through all the previous records, Rong Qiu closed the diary and took a deep breath.
No wonder he came for hypnosis. In the diary, he pursued his lover Qin Ye, did laundry, ordered meals, and was at his beck and call. Although it seemed like being a devoted follower, Rong Qiu could see that his past self really liked Qin Ye, and Qin Ye liked him back.
Even both sides regarded each other as their destiny…
Despite their deep love, they were separated by life and death.
So, he must have been unable to bear the loss of his lover, leading him to come for hypnosis.
Rong Qiu touched the yellowed and worn-out diary, rare softness appearing in his heart since the hypnosis ended. It seemed that the hypnosis was very successful. Now, when he saw Qin Ye’s name on the diary, he wouldn’t be sad anymore. The remaining emotions were calm and gentle.
But this moment of tenderness was brief, lasting only a few breaths.
Rong Qiu began to feel restless again.
Without caring much, he roughly stuffed the diary into his bag, straightened the wrinkled clothes with a few quick movements, and walked out with large strides.
Whether alive or dead, Qin Ye was still his lover.
He would never forget Qin Ye in this lifetime.
***
Rong Qin waited outside for an additional twenty minutes, knowing that Rong Qiu was reading the diary (or matching answers). He decided not to rush him.
The more time he spent with Rong Qiu, the more he felt sorry for him.
If Rong Qiu was truly his brother, it would be better.
But for now, it didn’t matter.
Rong Qiu treated him as Rong Qin, trusted him so much, and he also considered Rong Qiu as a dear brother.
Feeling content with having such a good younger brother, Rong Qin waited patiently while handling company and military documents on his neural computer.
He even received a call from Qin Zexi midway.
Rong Qin was not very eager to answer. Due to some trivial matters, he had a disagreement with Qin Zexi before. Although it was clear that Qin Zexi was unreasonably making trouble, he remained unrepentant.
An alpha was an alpha.
The inherent pride couldn’t be erased.
But now, Qin Zexi spoke to him as if the cold war never happened, using a tone full of softness, “Ah Qin, why haven’t you come back? Dinner has been ready for a while, and everyone is waiting for you.”
Rong Qin sat on the sofa, glanced at the wall clock, then raised his leg, “Busy with something outside.”
The indifference in his tone was evident.
Perceiving that he was being perfunctory, Qin Zexi was stunned for a few seconds. Changing his tone, he even sounded a bit desolate, “Still busy with that Beta’s matter? Have you taken a liking to him? You’ve only met three times…”
“Meeting three times is nothing special,” Rong Qin paused and explained lightly, “Besides, I just consider him as a younger brother. Moreover, my kindness towards him is all thanks to your younger brother. If it weren’t for him needlessly provoking someone’s Beta and failing in a cold war, it wouldn’t have dragged until now, requiring me to step in to resolve it.”
Qin Zexi couldn’t help but speak up for Qin Muye, “But Ah Ye has been having a tough time.”
Rong Qin gave a disdainful “hmph.”
Qin Zexi, unable to discern his partner’s emotions, lowered his voice, “During the last outbreak of Ah Ye’s susceptible period, it was a high-susceptible phase. Despite receiving more than a dozen injections consecutively, it was ineffective. After stabilizing, those people from the Qin family are still making things difficult for him. I don’t know how many omegas they’ve sent in to test him.”
“Isn’t this a ‘blessing’ for you alphas?! You rich alphas from these prestigious families are all promiscuous.”
For example, that kid from the Su family, as far as he knew, had about a dozen officially recognized omegas. So, in Qin Zexi’s eyes, only one bed partner like Qin Muye still had decent moral character.
But Rong Qin always disagreed.
When he first found out that Qin Muye had an affair with a Beta, he felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had been soaked in salt. However, he understood the current context.
AB pairs couldn’t be together.
It wasn’t a double standard.
Nor was he disgusted that Rong Qiu was a Beta.
As an extraordinary AB partner in the Federation, he and Rong Qin could be together purely because of Qin Zexi’s abnormal S-level glands, causing him to have a repulsion reaction to all omegas. And precisely because he and Qin Zexi were an AB couple, he knew why there were so few AB couples in the Federation.
After all, during an alpha’s susceptible period, the Betas couldn’t provide comfort.
Not everyone was as lucky as him to encounter an alpha like Qin Zexi, who not only didn’t have a susceptible period but also showed aversion to omegas.
Qin Muye was different from his brother; he was destined to be paired with an S-level omega.
So, he disagreed with Rong Qiu being with Qin Muye.
What he could do was sever the relationship between these two, preferably peacefully before Qin Zexi intervened. He knew his partner well, and his ruthlessness was not inferior to his own.
If he waited for Qin Zexi, Rong Qiu’s safety would be uncertain.
Rong Qin didn’t want to recall the young man sitting on the bridge that night, fragile and powerless, like a paper that had been dried for hundreds of years, brittle and prone to crumbling with a slight touch.
Now, everything was just right.
The little Beta might suffer for a while, but losing memories allowed him to start a new life. It was still better than continuing to live under Qin Muye’s shadow or even losing his life by jumping into the lake.
In the future, Rong Qiu and Qin Muye would go their separate ways.
Each on their own path.
Rong Qin had his considerations, while Qin Zexi was lost in confusion. Being someone who had always kept himself clean, he suddenly found himself lumped into the category of “promiscuous alphas.” Even though he felt wronged, he didn’t dare to argue too much.
When he first took notice of Rong Qin, Rong Qin had a stubborn temper, even as a Beta, his bones were harder than many alphas. It took quite a bit of effort to pursue him, and now, he didn’t dare to argue with Rong Qin, even though he felt wronged.
Those who did wrongdoings feared others digging up old accounts.
And in his old accounts with Rong Qin…
The stack was probably three meters high.
Just thinking about it made Qin Zexi shudder with fear.
Rong Qin didn’t give him a chance to feel afraid. After reviewing the latest email with some displeasure, he said, “By the way, after I solve the issue with the A Star mine, I’ll be staying in the Thirteenth Military District for a while.”
Qin Zexi fell silent.
He didn’t want Rong Qin to go to the Thirteenth Military District; once there, they might not see each other for several months.
But after a long silence, Qin Zexi still agreed, “It’s up to you.”
“Tch…”
When Rong Qiu came out with his bag slung over one shoulder, he heard Rong Qin inexplicably chuckling, lowering his voice. It was unclear what he said to the person on the phone, but the cherry tomatoes on the coffee table were almost pierced by him with toothpicks.
Rong Qiu stood by the sofa waiting for him, not interrupting.
However, when Rong Qiu came out, Rong Qin decisively hung up the call.
Both remained silent.
Rong Qin felt a bit worried.
He didn’t know if Rong Qiu could still recognize him or if Zhao Dongqi had washed away other useful memories.
“Little Qiu, do you still remember…” us.
“I remember.”
Rong Qiu interrupted him. He casually swept the strands of hair that usually covered his forehead behind his head, and he smiled brightly and purely, “You’re Brother Rong Qin.”
Rong Qin nodded in response to the title “brother.”
He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but the previous little Beta seemed like a rabbit that would run away at a poke. Now, Rong Qiu was different. Although still as good-looking, he exuded a few less soft and childish qualities and a bit more indescribable maturity and grace, neither servile nor overbearing.
Temperament was indeed a mysterious thing.
It could make two identical people present two completely different states of tenacity.
Seeing Rong Qin standing still, Rong Qiu took the initiative to step forward.
He had only blurred memories about a certain person over the past two years, but he remembered everything else.
Brother Rong Qin was a good person.
If it weren’t for Brother Rong Qin, he seemed to be so sad and distressed that he was about to lose his life. And relying solely on himself, he wouldn’t have been able to find such an excellent psychological clinic.
But now, Rong Qiu felt that Rong Qin’s reaction was a bit strange.
Why was Brother Rong Qin looking at him with a slightly open mouth, using that kind of gaze used for strangers?
Was Brother Rong Qin worried that he wouldn’t recognize him?
How could that be?
He would remember people who treated him well.
Such as Professor Ren from A University, such as the head of the orphanage and the aunt who took care of them growing up, and the very lucky, very fortunate Brother Rong Qin he happened to meet.
So, Rong Qiu raised a particularly cheerful and clear smile.
This smile made Rong Qin feel somewhat subtle.
For some reason, it felt like looking in the mirror.
Rong Qiu didn’t notice Rong Qin’s peculiar mood, “You’ve been working hard these days, Brother Rong Qin.”
The Beta smiled sincerely and gratefully. With such a heartfelt expression, Rong Qiu felt it wasn’t enough. He took a few steps forward and gave the tall and upright man in front of him a big hug.
?????
!!!!!
D*mn!
The Beta was really different from before.
Very, very enthusiastic.
***
Rong Qin’s face turned red from Rong Qiu’s enthusiastic hug.
Although it lasted less than five seconds, Rong Qin’s hands were no longer hands, and his legs were no longer legs. When he started the car, his car almost hit the greenbelt outside the clinic.
Rong Qiu in the passenger seat turned in surprise, “Brother Rong Qin?”
“It’s nothing.”
Rong Qin coughed to conceal his embarrassment, “By the way, how do you feel after going in?”
Rong Qiu recalled for a moment, then frankly said, “It’s okay. The whole hypnosis process felt like sleeping, but I woke up feeling a bit hot. Oh, Brother Rong Qin, do you know I have a lover named Qin Ye?”
Huh?
Rong Qin’s hand holding the steering wheel stiffened.
Wasn’t the memory already erased? Why did he still remember that scumbag A?
But he remained composed and replied calmly, “I remember. What’s wrong?”
Rong Qiu looked outside at the highway, recalling as if casually mentioning an unimportant memory. Despite going through countless trials, he didn’t seem too sad, “The old me seemed to love him a lot.”
“The old Little Qiu… indeed.” Rong Qin pursed his lips, stole a glance at Rong Qiu, “Why are you suddenly asking this? Do you still remember him now?”
Rong Qiu nodded at the words, “Yes, even though he’s already dead.”
Rong Qin: ????
Who?
Who died??
Rong Qiu continued, “So I want to buy a grave for him. A single grave is fine, a double grave is also okay. This way, when I die in the future, the two of us can be buried together.”
Conveniently, they encountered a red light, and Rong Qin stopped the car.
Actually, Rong Qiu’s hug had already surprised Rong Qin enough, and now the words he spoke made him even more stunned.
His mind was in a mess.
The previous delicate, lovely, and gentle Beta… where did he go?
Calling a scumbag A dead was quite stimulating.
But buying a grave wasn’t necessary.
Spending money for that scumbag A was not worthwhile.
Rong Qiu was still systematically discussing his grand plan for relocating the grave. When he talked about how to engrave the tombstone in the future, the suspicion in Rong Qin’s eyes deepened.
Because Rong Qin noticed that Rong Qiu mention two Betas.
“Qin Ye? The orphan, the Beta?”
Rong Qiu turned his head to look outside the window, and a trace of indifference, devoid of sadness, crossed his eyes, “Oh, right. I haven’t told Brother Rong Qin. Qin Ye is also an orphan.”
“…”
“We, the two Betas, have no parents, no family shrine. It’s good to be buried together after death, with our names side by side. It’s simply perfect.”
Rong Qin finally understood Rong Qiu’s thought process.
This guy, Rong Qiu, not only erased his memories today but also did some additional tasks.
Combining today’s departure of Zhao Dongqi and his hints, Rong Qin was almost certain. It seemed like it was Zhao Dongqi’s specialty – memory manipulation.
But Rong Qiu probably took the initiative.
Rong Qin couldn’t help but sigh.
But remembering something while driving, he reminded, “But your money seems not enough to buy a double grave in a good location.”
Rong Qiu widened his eyes, “Not enough money?”
Rong Qin stated matter-of-factly, “You used all the money left from buying the house to go to the psychological clinic just now. If I remember correctly, your savings are empty now.”
It wasn’t enough actually, but Rong Qin covered some for him.
Originally, he thought this matter was caused by Qin Zexi’s younger brother, and he should help by paying for the hypnosis. However, if he did pay, Rong Qiu would probably refuse to undergo it.
So he covered the remaining gap for him.
That’s why Rong Qiu’s card was now empty.
Rong Qiu was dumbfounded, pointing at himself and taking out his wallet, “So now I’m just a poor Beta?”
Rong Qin chuckled, “Of course.”
Depressed, Rong Qiu leaned on the soft seat in the passenger’s seat, his eyelids drooping, unable to conceal the melancholy in his eyes.
Even when Rong Qin drove him home, Rong Qiu remained in this state.
It was like he wrote ‘depressed’ on his face.
Rong Qin couldn’t help but laugh, “Isn’t it just a lack of money? Money is the easiest to earn. What are you afraid of?”
Rong Qiu shook his head seriously, “I’m not afraid.”
“Hmm?”
Rong Qiu tapped his foot on the ground, and with a slightly desolate expression, he suddenly gained a rare and clear temperament, “I just feel that, after a man dies, without money, being bullied in the First Military Region, and living my life like this, it’s really pathetic.”
***
Although he said so, the “pathetic” Rong Qiu still had a plan.
First, tidy up the things at home, then get ready to go to the Thirteenth Military District.
Losing a certain memory seemed to have no effect on him. However, now that he looked at the decorations at home, he always felt uncomfortable.
He didn’t like the color tone of this decoration; it was too cold, not lively enough.
And this set of moon-white tea sets looked expensive and impractical. The old him actually spent money on this, how foolish.
Rong Qiu went from bottom to top, picking and choosing.
In the end, Rong Qiu, not very proficient, touched the ring on his ring finger. He finally remembered that he still had a safe, entered the password, opened the safe door, and inside was a small box. Rong Qiu knew that there were ten silver rings inside because he kept one for himself.
If I’m not mistaken, these ten silver rings were personally made by him for his lover Qin Ye. Since he didn’t know the size of the man’s ring finger, he estimated and made ten of them, hoping that at least one would fit.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one.
His rings hadn’t been given out yet, and Qin Ye died in the Thirteenth Military District.
These memories were both true and false, but to the current Rong Qiu, they all seemed like his own experiences.
Rong Qiu packed up his things and lazily laid on the sofa.
The original Beta would never assume this posture.
But the Beta was no longer the original Beta. Not only was he lounging lazily on the sofa, but he also pulled out a half-opened pack of cigarettes from the drawer.
The act of lighting and smoking was somewhat unfamiliar, but amidst the swirling smoke, he felt a hint of familiarity. It seemed that his deceased lover had also smoked like this. In his memory, his lover’s smoking posture was quite attractive.
Rong Qiu was conflicted.
He clearly remembered having a lover.
But every time he recalled this lover, there was an inexplicable discomfort in his heart, as if there was a silent and unspoken resentment that couldn’t rise or fall.
Rong Qiu rubbed his chest.
No wonder he wanted to undergo hypnosis.
Even after hypnosis, he still occasionally felt uneasy. The pre-hypnosis him must have cried all day from morning to night.
According to his memory, the previous him was a soft and crying mess in his senior year. When he went on a mission in his senior year, he was bullied by many alphas from the Fourth Military Region and dared not fight back. If he encountered those alphas now… even without blood, bones would break.
Rong Qiu laid on the sofa, swinging his legs, smoking and letting his thoughts wander.
There was regret for not beating those alphas before, and also contemplation of his current penniless state.
Penniless…
A sudden inspiration struck, and Rong Qiu swiftly went to the bedroom.
He wasn’t penniless; he still had over five million.
The money was still in the safe from earlier.
But it wasn’t cash; it was in the bank card that Rong Qiu held in his hands. He looked at the card intently.
This was the living expenses his lover Qin Ye had given him before. Among them, the majority of five million was given by his lover for buying a house. His own money was enough, so he kept all of Qin Ye’s money for himself.
When carefully calculated, it was close to six million.
However, Rong Qiu naturally felt that this money shouldn’t be touched.
Rong Qiu withdrew his gaze.
His fingertips played with the card, casually putting it back into the wallet.
Subconsciously, he didn’t want to spend that money.
Even the sight of this bank card felt like memories of his deceased Beta lover were attacking him again.
It felt uncomfortable in his chest.
Heavy.
As if several thousand kilograms of large stones were falling and continuously roasting over a fire.
The cigarette had burned to the end, and Rong Qiu looked at the white smoke. Realizing it was the last cigarette, he exhaled the remaining smoke, and the deliberately mild and gentle facade that had been maintained for a long time finally turned into an impatient and restless frustration.
Tsk, annoying.
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Thank you for the double update~