Chapter 48
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
— You two are not the same person.
— My Ah Ye is just a beta, and an orphan at that.
— How could there be any connection between you two?
Every word Rong Qiu uttered, every phrase he expressed, formed sentences that sounded utterly unfamiliar to Qin Muye.
Rong Qiu explicitly severed the connection between him and the past, enclosing the five-years before him within the identity of a beta. But the present him was not wanted.
How could this be?
But this was the reality.
Rong Qiu no longer recognized him; Rong Qiu had bought silver rings for his past self, purchased a double tomb, and even preserved a position he deemed crucial for him. The current him couldn’t compete for it.
Rong Qiu didn’t notice his strangeness.
By saying these things, he began his reminiscence of his beta lover or arranged his life for the remaining years.
“When the time comes, Ah Ye’s and my tombstone will be placed here. It will introduce that Ah Ye and I are betas, naturally paired. It will also record the stories of our lives. Ah Ye left early, so there will be fewer things to record, but I’ll write down what I want to say to Ah Ye in that vacant space.”
Rong Qiu had many things he wanted to say to his beta lover, but not to the alpha who now resembled his beta lover so much.
Rong Qiu took a deep breath.
Unwilling to look at Qin Muye any longer.
Rong Qiu then pointed to a winter cypress tree near his knee. “This is what I asked them to plant. The tree is named ‘Ye Qiu,’ taken from the last character of our names.”
With Ah Ye and him gone, and with no children, this tree became the continuation of their lives.
Evergreen in harsh winter, a symbol of enduring vitality every year.
Rong Qiu then pointed to a flat piece of land behind the tree. “It won’t take long; there will be an exquisite double tomb here. It will contain the nine silver rings I personally made for Ah Ye.”
Rong Qiu unconsciously began to twiddle the silver ring on his ring finger. “And this ring on my hand, it will accompany my ashes to occupy the other half of this double tomb after I die.”
Once, Rong Qiu had thought about body donation.
But later, considering that there were no remains of his beta lover, and that there should be something of theirs in this tomb as well, Rong Qiu’s body donation turned into organ donation. When he died, his bones and ashes would also be guarding their tomb together with Ah Ye.
Rong Qiu spoke in fragments.
It seemed casual and unassuming.
But all of these were carefully planned decisions he had made long ago.
Qin Muye naturally could see through it all, but it was precisely because he could see through it that his heart began to ache. It felt as if there was an invisible stirring rod in his chest, operating at maximum power and rampaging through his body.
All of his pride and aspirations turned into bubbles.
He thought that as long as he tried hard enough, he could surpass Rong Qiu’s beta lover. But in Rong Qiu’s heart, the former Qin Ye had already become the embodiment of unattainable perfection. Qin Muye could perceive the level of perfection the beta Qin Ye held in Rong Qiu’s heart, and he even doubted whether Rong Qiu had magnified that filter to its maximum extent. Was the former Qin Ye really that perfect in Rong Qiu’s eyes?
However, no matter what, that former self has become an irreplaceable companion in Rong Qiu’s heart.
How should he compete with the deceased beta Qin Ye?
***
After leaving the cemetery, Rong Qiu didn’t rush to start the car.
With one hand on the steering wheel, he glanced at the man in the passenger seat. The man still had a cold expression, but his eyes were noticeably unfocused.
It seems that his plan for today has succeeded.
Bringing Qin Muye here to see the double tomb of him and Ah Ye has already shattered Qin Muye’s hopes.
Moreover, he made it very clear. Ah Ye and he share almost identical external configurations. If Qin Muye truly becomes his bed partner, wouldn’t it be equivalent to becoming Ah Ye’s replacement? For a proud S-class alpha like Qin Muye, being chosen as a substitute several times is already rare. How could he accept being just a replacement?
Anyway, he doesn’t want to be someone’s substitute.
Thinking of a substitute, Rong Qiu suddenly turned to look at Qin Muye. “I’ve always wanted to ask, Commander Qin, did you mistake me for someone else?”
He had asked similar questions before, but Qin Muye didn’t give a clear answer. At that time, his impression of Qin Muye was not good, and he didn’t care about the opinion of an alpha he rarely met, so he brushed off the question.
But now that they can barely be called friends, he wants to make things clear.
Qin Muye leaned closer to him. Did he mistake him for a substitute….
Rong Qiu turned to face him, and his expression became noticeably strange. “So, Commander Qin chose me as a bed partner because he wanted to use me as a substitute?”
“How could that be?”
Qin Muye’s expression showed clear astonishment. He didn’t understand how the beta’s mind could work so fast, surpassing his logical understanding. But when he considered whether he should become a substitute for the beta Qin Ye, Rong Qiu actually thought he was also a substitute.
How could it be?
Rong Qiu is always Rong Qiu, absolutely not someone’s substitute.
“Then why did Commander Qin focus only on me?” Rong Qiu paused and hinted subtly, “As far as I know, if Commander Qin wants a partner or a bed companion, the Federation would support it. For example, they could organize a matchmaking event similar to the AO matching event five years ago.”
Hearing Rong Qiu mention that matching event, Qin Muye’s pupils suddenly contracted. “You know about that matching event?”
“Was it because the results were bad, so you decided to look for a beta?”
Rong Qiu asked casually, seemingly indifferent. He just blinked and asked. This calm expression, when seen by Qin Muye, inadvertently tightened the muscles around his waist.
He confirmed it, but quickly denied it. “Indeed, the matching was unsuccessful, but I’m glad.”
If an alpha said this, it would appear contradictory. However, coming from Qin Muye’s mouth, Rong Qiu actually felt a trace of trust. It seemed that Qin Muye really didn’t want to match with those high-ranking omegas.
Rong Qiu’s slender fingers gently tapped the steering wheel, creating a rhythmic tapping sound.
“Speaking of which, we’ve deviated from the topic. Why did Commander Qin focus on me again?”
It’s this question again, and Qin Muye didn’t know how to answer.
Rong Qiu has now washed away his memories; he doesn’t remember the shared memories they once had. Qin Muye remembers them, but he can’t say.
And he hopes Rong Qiu never recalls the events of five years ago, let the success of this hypnosis accompany Rong Qiu for the rest of his life. But the prerequisite for doing so is that he can never stimulate Rong Qiu. Once Rong Qiu starts to recover his memories, remembers that he was the alpha who brought endless pain five years ago, and even nearly destroyed himself by jumping into the river, there will be no reconciliation between him and Rong Qiu.
Time passed very slowly.
Although only three to five seconds had passed, for Rong Qiu, who was waiting for the alpha’s response, it felt like enduring a long, cold winter.
Is this question so difficult to answer?
People do things driven by beliefs.
Qin Muye couldn’t just want to get close to him for no reason; there had to be a reason behind it.
But Qin Muye kept his lips tightly sealed.
At first, Rong Qiu patiently waited, but as the wait for Qin Muye’s response grew longer, his impatience surged. Just as he was about to say, “Forget it if you don’t want to say,” the usually reserved Qin Muye finally responded. However, this response was insincere—
I fell in love with you at first sight.
***
Love at first sight is a mysterious term, some believe in it, and some don’t.
Rong Qiu believes in love at first sight because that’s how he felt about his beta lover.
But Qin Muye told him that he fell in love with him at first sight.
Too unbelievable.
And too absurd.
***
Qin Muye did not lie.
Although he couldn’t explicitly tell Rong Qiu why he came back to find him, the phrase “love at first sight” came from the bottom of his heart.
He just didn’t dare to admit it before.
It wasn’t until he lost Rong Qiu that he gradually realized his emotions at that time.
It was liking.
It was a liking that was obscured by fog and blinded by infatuation.
When he decided to let Rong Qiu chase him, Su Ran expressed incomprehension.
[Even though Ah Ye, you are now in a beta’s identity, why not choose an omega?]
[What’s so good about Rong Qiu? He’s just a beta, not soft enough, and can’t release sweet pheromones.]
[Ah Ye, you’re not really in love with an ordinary beta like him, right?]
Su Ran’s words were like a catalyst for his negative emotions.
They confused his already unclear emotions.
He began to assert categorically that Rong Qiu was just a temporary bed companion, a common beta he used to satisfy his desires. To confirm this, he and Su Ran mingled in the City Western Bar, proving that he, like all alphas, liked omegas and would never spare a thought for a beta.
He did so many outrageous things, but he overlooked the palpitations of his heart when he saw the beta appear in front of him for the first time.
After five years, the memory of that palpitation became even more profound.
Now, Qin Muye, who is now enlightened, confirms that this palpitation is love at first sight.
He vividly remembers that at that time, he was only a sophomore. On that day, the entire command department was gathered, and their professor brought in a young beta, introducing him as their instructor.
Alphas around were discussing with disdain on their faces. However, under the golden sunset, this slightly youthful beta showed no signs of bending, just smiling as he looked at all the alphas present. With a simple white T-shirt hugging his waist, he stood tall and straight like unyielding bamboo, even after being washed by rain.
Very clean, very refreshing.
This cleanliness and freshness not only referred to the neat appearance but also emphasized the clean temperament in his every move.
Qin Muye seldom felt a sense of purity from someone.
Rong Qiu was his first.
Unexpectedly, he remains the only one until now.
Qin Muye gently released his tightly clenched fist. He looked at Rong Qiu, who was driving attentively. The beta’s profile had well-defined features, and gradually, it overlapped with the beta from five years ago, only to deviate again. The current Rong Qiu has lost some of his youthfulness and delicacy, appearing more mature and stable. The sunlight poured in from the car window, making Rong Qiu look like a beauty frozen in an oil painting, elegant yet aloof.
Five years later, Rong Qiu still made his heart flutter.
However, it was too late for everything.
He had already brought bone-deep pain to Rong Qiu.
Painful enough for Rong Qiu to choose to remember Qin Ye forever and completely forget about him.
A bitter smile formed on the alpha’s lips, and his lungs felt hot.
Now, what should he do?
He couldn’t further use his power to force Rong Qiu; that would only make their relationship more strained. However, he couldn’t bear to step back and easily let Rong Qiu go. The man at this moment was like a lost traveler, already lacking water and food, and now facing the harsh blows of wind and rain.
What methods are there to make Rong Qiu his again?
***
Midway, Rong Qiu let Qin Muye off. Even though it was a double weekend holiday, Commander Qin had to transfer to the military district office to handle official business.
Commander Qin was a busy man.
Watching Qin Muye get out of the car, Rong Qiu activated the navigation and drove forward.
As for Qin Muye’s “love at first sight,” he treated it as a joke. He and Qin Muye saw each other for the first time in the office. But during that meeting, Qin Muye began to make advances towards him. Could it be that the back of his head was so perfect that it could make Qin Muye fall in love at first sight?
That’s too far-fetched; Rong Qiu didn’t believe it.
Qin Muye must be hiding something.
Rong Qiu had always wanted to know, but Qin Muye never spoke. If he kept asking, it wouldn’t be meaningful.
One should know their own limits.
In the afternoon, Rong Qiu went to the seaside tower. This area was a top-level restricted sea for the Thirteenth Military District, exclusively for the operation testing of various mechs and warships and not open to the public. If Rong Qiu hadn’t contributed so much over the years, he wouldn’t have obtained the pass to come here.
After passing through two checks, Rong Qiu smoothly entered the mech storage room.
And his personal mech was in the last storage room, with only his iris able to open the door.
Smoking, drinking, and fighting couldn’t relieve the frustration in his heart, only piloting the mecha could.
Rong Qiu hadn’t piloted the mecha for a while. Even though things in the research institute weren’t busy during this period, he still felt mentally exhausted. Now, he finally took half a day off to come here and pilot his personal mecha.
After spending half an hour, he returned.
When delivering the mech for refueling, he encountered a friend from the neighboring starship research institute.
This friend, a researcher, had a worried expression, tired and weary, with two huge dark circles under his eyes. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to have been pulling all-nighters for several days. Did the starship research institute have some important research tasks recently, or why would he be so exhausted?
Rong Qiu asked casually, although there were no major tasks, some new ones were released, but it should be about the same.
It turned out that their institute had rediscovered a project they had done three years ago.
“Rong Qiu, how come the Thirteenth Military Medical District is so free? Even such a small project has been dug out.”
Not only their research institute but also other institutes seemed to be facing a similar situation. The starship research institute was not the worst off; some branches in civilian areas encountered even more trouble. They had just applied for a large number of projects, received funds from the Thirteenth Military District, and before the research even started, those old accounts were brought up.
Prioritizing the head and neglecting the tail, chaos ensued now.
Rong Qiu hadn’t paid much attention to the situation of other research institutes recently due to his busy personal matters. However, he understood the current situation of the mech research institute.
“I haven’t heard Director Qian mention any projects that we need to redo.”
“Our several research institutes are certainly much better than those civilian area institutes.”
The research institutes Rong Qiu was referring to had to produce actual research results, so they wouldn’t apply for projects every now and then. The neighboring starship research institute had just checked nearly decades of projects and found a problem with the fuel system of a small starship three years ago.
The more formal the research institute, and the closer its connection with the Thirteenth Military District, the better its situation.
“Got it,” Rong Qiu said.
He vaguely understood.
Director Qian mentioned before that the Military District Research Institute Union Conference is undergoing reforms. Perhaps this purge activity is the result of the Union Conference’s restructuring.
After refueling the mech, Rong Qiu returned it to the mech storage room.
On the way back, the words of his friend from the Starship Research Institute kept echoing in his mind.
He vaguely felt that the outcome of this restructuring would have a significant impact.
Although it currently only involves civilian areas, he feared that the puppeteers behind the scenes were orchestrating an even bigger game. After all, at the beginning of this quarter, the Thirteenth Military District took the initiative to regulate the funding projects of various research institutes, a move he felt should not have happened.
This time, cutting off the research funding for their Mech Research Institute might be a good thing.
Rong Qiu’s thoughts stirred.
In the end, he decided to send a message to Director Qian.
Director Qian replied instantly.
【Director Qian: Little Qiu, I know what’s going on. Don’t worry; our Mech Research Institute is stable. At times like this, those with the most money are the most dangerous. We didn’t get that much funding before】
Rong Qiu understood and didn’t say much.
On the other hand, Director Qian took the initiative to talk to him about other matters.
【Director Qian: By the way, Little Qiu, are you familiar with Commander Qin?】
When Rong Qiu saw this message, he furrowed his brows.
How should he answer this?
Not familiar before.
Now…
Familiar.
Even a bit too familiar.
Thinking of the alpha who repeatedly asked him to be his bed partner, Rong Qiu’s attractive eyebrows twitched a few times. He didn’t directly answer the question.
【Rong Qiu: Director Qian, is there something you need?】
【Director Qian: Well, it’s just that… with the recent reforms in the Research Institute’s General Union, why don’t you go and spend some time with Commander Qin?】
It wasn’t about bribing; it was about leaving a familiar face.
If it weren’t for Commander Qin meeting Rong Qiu several times, he would have to brush up his charm with this old face.
Rong Qiu understood his intention.
【Rong Qiu: Director, my heart is not there.】
【Rong Qiu: I want to design mechs in the research institute for the rest of my life.】
If Rong Qiu had a choice, he would be willing to operate mechs for the rest of his life or design them. Going to the Research Institute’s General Union would be too troublesome, similar to entering the officialdom. Even if he had the brains for it, he didn’t want to end up like other AOs, deeply immersed in the world of fame and fortune.
***
As Rong Qiu delved into the new mech research, quite a few things happened in the Thirteenth Military District one after another, and Rong Qiu could catch a glimpse of them in the federal news every night.
The other twelve military Districts were calm and peaceful, resuming schools and work. But in the Thirteenth Military District, things were different. Either they were fighting in the east or the west. Although no major wars broke out, small friction incidents occurred unusually frequently.
But this was normal in the Thirteenth Military District.
The new round of federal funding had just come down, and a considerable portion was allocated to the Thirteenth Military District. This sparked discussions among the masses in other military Districts.
After lunch, Rong Qiu absentmindedly opened his phone.
Without even looking, he knew how the online comments would be.
Those cursing the Thirteenth Military District as bloodsuckers, criticizing the leaders for being heartless; generally, there were few positive comments.
However, Rong Qiu didn’t expect the public opinion to be relatively good this year. While there were certainly people cursing, many comments in support of the Thirteenth Military District had emerged. The IPs were not only from the Thirteenth Military District but also from the other twelve military Districts. The change in direction was attributed to the newly appointed Thirteenth Military District Commander.
【Curse, curse, curse. That’s all you know. Commander Qin has just been transferred; how can there be results so soon? (IP: First Military District)】
【Besides, what’s wrong with the Thirteenth Military District taking some money? It’s not the most, look, they’re only ranked fifth. It’s like they took the most money. (IP: Seventh Military District)】
【The Thirteenth Military District fights every day. If you don’t even watch the news, they’re in a difficult situation. We are a family of thirteen military Districts; what’s wrong with getting some extra funding? (IP: Twelfth Military District)】
【…】
【D*mn, the native A of the Thirteenth Military District was just about to start the annual cursing campaign, but after taking a look, I don’t need to say anything… (IP: Thirteenth Military District)】
【Plus one, the mood is quite delicate (IP: Thirteenth Military District)】
【Just… quite thankful for Commander Qin who just arrived (IP: Thirteenth Military District)】
Rong Qiu was speechless.
Putting away his phone, he took a short break for twenty minutes and returned to the research lab.
Today, Rong Qiu delayed leaving by an hour. The experimental data hadn’t come out yet, so he waited while analyzing the previous data until his brain started to ache.
However, when he came out, it was already dark outside.
In the golden autumn of September, the summer heat still lingered, but the evenings were much more comfortable.
Feeling the refreshing evening breeze, Rong Qiu, who had just left the lab door, saw a tall man standing in front of him.
Rong Qiu thought he might be tired and seeing things wrong.
Squinting, he looked again.
The man in front of him could only be Qin Muye.
Rong Qiu blinked, and at the thought of Qin Muye saying he fell in love with him at first sight, his ears suddenly turned hot.
What is he here for this time?
Could it be about the bed partner thing again?
Did Qin Muye not understand his intentions after the last visit to the cemetery?
Rong Qiu watched the man walk towards him, and when the man stopped just half a step away from him, like a sudden mountain pressing in front of him, his deep pupils glinted with a faint light.
Rong Qiu’s clear eyes showed a hint of dimness and twists. “Commander Qin, is there something you need?”
The man stood firm like a pine tree and said something unimaginable.
It wasn’t about being bed partners but something more serious.
“Qiu Qiu, I want to pursue you.”
“?”
“Not as a bed partner but as a companion.”
A companion, what kind of companion?
Rong Qiu’s two eyes were still staring blankly at the alpha in front of him. His thin lips were slightly open, no expression on his face, but the scorching blood was already flowing rapidly in his body.
However, before the refusal could be spoken, the man stopped the words he was about to say.
“Don’t rush to refuse, Qiu Qiu.”
The alpha’s upright military uniform outlined his chest, and his deep eye sockets had heavy shadows, as if he hadn’t slept well for a long time. Yet, even with heavy weariness, his cold and beautiful black phoenix eyes were extremely bright. Some dormant wildness seemed to be suppressed, ready to burst out at any moment.
“I can play all the roles of your beta lover.”
“Moreover, I can do it better than him.”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
