TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 5

At the moment when Lin Mingfei’s pupils shook and his heart raced like a startled deer, Xia Tong swiftly dashed in front of him, grabbing his sleeve and spinning him around.

“Hey…” Lin Mingfei was confused. He looked down and met Xia Tong’s face, slightly tilted upwards, soft and beautiful, with big, watery eyes shining pink. The gaze flickered like a cautious little animal that had been startled.

“Brother, can you help me block them, please? Please, please.” The little Omega pleaded with a breathy voice, his fingers gripping his clothes so tightly that they turned white.

That “brother” left out his surname entirely. Lin Mingfei thought to himself that Xia Tong must have forgotten his surname, but his heart uncontrollably skipped a beat, and his whole body felt like it was swelling with heat.

Lin Mingfei was a lot taller than Xia Tong, with broader shoulders and a higher waist. His body easily blocked the delicate Omega. At that moment, the back door of the VIP room opened, and two drunken Alphas stumbled out.

“Clink clank”

Lin Mingfei’s thoughts tightened. That was the sound of a belt buckle—what would they be doing in the room that required undressing?

The two Alphas seemed to be looking for the restroom and staggered toward them. Their respective Alpha pheromones grew stronger, with a faintly sweet smell mixed in. Lin Mingfei froze for a moment, a surge of disgust washing over him.

He pressed on Xia Tong’s shoulder and swiftly spun him against the wall, half-pushing him to the side, his large frame casting a shadow, effectively trapping the little Omega. At the same time, he distanced himself from the two Alphas.

“That Omega’s pretty durable…”

“You’re fast with your mouth; I didn’t even have time to…”

“Anyway, it’s just a temporary mark… you’ll have another chance in a few days…”

“Didn’t they say there’s another one? Haven’t seen him…”

“They said he was really pretty, really pretty! That guy tonight was just lying, right?”

The two Alphas mumbled, chuckling.

Xia Tong suddenly leaned forward, hurriedly pressing his head against Lin Mingfei’s chest and took a difficult breath.

The sudden close contact caught Lin Mingfei off guard. With each breath, he smelled a faint osmanthus fragrance, as sweet as a soft, thin cotton thread that slowly tugged at a certain place within him.

Didn’t this kid wear a suppression bracelet? Could it have malfunctioned…?

“Hang in there.” He whispered, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the soft, white skin on the back of Xia Tong’s neck, half-covered by his brown hair, so alluring.

Lin Mingfei’s breathing also grew faster.

After a long time, the two Alphas disappeared at the end of the hallway. Seizing the opportunity when no one was around, Lin Mingfei hurriedly helped Xia Tong leave the club. They crossed the street to a convenience store, where Lin Mingfei grabbed a bottle of mineral water and the most popular banana milk, paid at the counter.

Xia Tong sat by the window, his complexion looking a bit better. He rested his chin in both hands, with his fingers tugging at the corners of his eyes, making him appear as though he had aged many years in an instant.

Lin Mingfei walked over and was amused by Xia Tong’s elderly expression.

“Here, have some milk to calm down,” he said, pushing the drink toward him.

Xia Tong rolled his eyes and stared at Lin Mingfei for a few seconds. He then pouted, looking pitiful as he complained, “It was so scary QAQ.”

“What’s wrong?” Lin Mingfei opened the can for him.

“Do you know the game King’s Tomb?” Xia Tong asked.

“Yeah, I know it.”

“I joined a team in that game! They said there would be an offline event and invited me to come, so I came, and then I saw so many people in the room doing… this…” Xia Tong gestured with his arms, moving up and down, left and right like doing calisthenics, but it was clear from his movements that it was hard to tell what he was trying to describe. Lin Mingfei hesitated and cautiously guessed, “Indoor group activities?”

“Yes! And without clothes!” Xia Tong nodded vigorously, indignantly.

Lin Mingfei couldn’t help but laugh, and he covered his mouth with his hand.

“You’re laughing!” Xia Tong looked horrified, almost in tears from Lin Mingfei’s reaction.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Lin Mingfei said, trying to look serious, though he thought his angry expression was still cute.

“There are many scammers in games, offline interactions should be cautious, especially for Omegas,” Lin Mingfei said patiently. “What’s the name of that team?”

“I think it’s called… ‘Midnight Warmth’?” Xia Tong thought for a moment.

Lin Mingfei nodded and sent a message to Shi Ya.

Polaris-Zero: “Do you know a team called Midnight Warmth?”

Timer[Flower]: “Yeah, they’re a hookup gang! They even asked me to be their vice-captain and spokesperson, but I refused them outright.”

Polaris-Zero: “You actually turned them down?”

Timer[Flower]: “Of course! How could someone as pure as me mix with them? Their team leader is called ‘Tonight I Love You.’”

Polaris-Zero: “Got it.”

Timer[Flower]: “Why? Do you plan on reporting them for justice?”

Polaris-Zero: “That’s the plan.”

Timer[Flower]: “Don’t bother. You’ve been gone for two years. Even if you have some connections, you think they’ll give you a favor? The network monitoring office won’t care about you.”

Polaris-Zero: “There will be plenty of opportunities to work together in the future.”

Timer[Flower]: “Sounds like you’re planning something big. Count me in!”

Polaris-Zero: “You can’t escape.”

Lin Mingfei went out for a call and returned quickly. By then, Xia Tong had finished his milk and was slouched on the table. Lin Mingfei didn’t rush him and sat across from him, texting. After a while, Xia Tong softly said, “Brother.”

“Mm?” Lin Mingfei raised his eyes.

Xia Tong’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something but didn’t, sinking back down with a defeated expression.

Lin Mingfei read the subtle, clingy request for help in his eyes.

Probably, no one would be in a good mood after something like that?

Lin Mingfei thought for a moment and asked softly, “Do you still want to play King’s Tomb?”

“Yes,” Xia Tong’s eyes brightened.

“Then let’s go, I’ll take you to play King’s Tomb,’” Lin Mingfei stood up.

“Okay, okay!” Xia Tong cheered, following Lin Mingfei out of the convenience store like a happy little tail.

Lin Mingfei went to the underground garage and got in the car. He glanced at the passenger seat. Xia Tong was buckling his seatbelt, looking obedient. Lin Mingfei couldn’t help but smile. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you out?”

“If you were going to sell me, you would’ve done it when I was in the hospital!” Xia Tong smiled brightly, showing his small white teeth.

Mentioning the hospital, Lin Mingfei’s mood darkened slightly.

“Are you not going home so late… Won’t your boyfriend worry?”

“My boyfriend?” Xia Tong looked confused.

“That guy who took you to the hospital…”

“You mean Zheng Linchuan? He’s not my boyfriend, not even my friend. I cut ties with him!” Xia Tong snorted, crossing his arms in a huff.

Lin Mingfei said “Oh,” his lips curving slightly.

“Where are you living now?”

“I don’t know, Debon said I should rent a place.”

“Debon?”

“My good friend!” Xia Tong slapped his forehead. “Ah! Debon is still in the locker!”

While Xia Tong went to the Internet cafe to get his luggage, Lin Mingfei leaned against the car and smoked a cigarette.

The night view was bustling, with the largest ads showing the new expansion of King’s Tomb and the ad for Saber-Tooth Tiger Team, lights dazzling everywhere. Countless passersby stopped to admire and threw envious looks.

“Dylan really is a god-like figure!”

“The variety show he’s in will air next week! There’s a celebrity invitation tournament!”

“Chase him! There’s also a new limited edition hoodie for the collaboration, I’m going to buy it all!”

“Don’t forget to vote for Dylan for the most popular esports player of the year!”

At some point, King’s Tomb’s star players had started to resemble idols, with the club investing heavily in personal branding and publicity, leaving little energy for training. Lin Mingfei narrowed his eyes just as someone patted his shoulder.

“Lin Ge!”

Lin Mingfei turned, raising an eyebrow, “Why aren’t you calling me Brother anymore?”

“I just remembered your last name,” Xia Tong said, a little embarrassed.

Lin Mingfei was left speechless.

“Calling you Brother sounds nice,” he tilted his head. “Our base is empty now, so you can stay there for a while.”

“Okay, I’ll pay the rent!” Xia Tong happily hugged his little robot.

“No need. I’m bored by myself anyway, it’ll be good for both of us to keep each other company,” Lin Mingfei smiled, taking Xia Tong’s luggage and putting it in the car’s trunk. “Get in.”

The car started, and the scenery outside the window blurred into a colorful stream. Xia Tong leaned against the bed, admiring the view for a while, then suddenly asked, “Brother, can you make money playing King’s Tomb?”

“Yeah,” Lin Mingfei answered while holding the steering wheel.

“Is it a lot of money?”

“It depends on what you do. You can be a coach or level up characters, which is low risk and low reward, or you can play professionally, which is the opposite.”

“Play professionally? Like him?” Xia Tong pointed to a showcase they passed by.

“Yes,” Lin Mingfei replied. “This Dylan is the MVP of this year’s professional league championship team. He’s a big name in the holographic esports scene right now.”

“I watched his last match,” Xia Tong pouted, muttering, “It felt like he won by luck.”

“Oh?” Lin Mingfei became curious. “I didn’t watch the match, tell me about it.”

“He fired three shots up close, like this—bang, bang, bang,” Xia Tong demonstrated.

Lin Mingfei furrowed his brow slightly.

“It was rushed, like his hands were shaking. He didn’t aim before shooting,” Xia Tong continued, pointing at his chin. “Of course, I’m not good at playing the Hunter class, but that’s just the feeling I got.”

Lin Mingfei looked at him with a slightly peculiar expression.

“Looks like I need to watch that match when I get back. Maybe some people really are just lucky,” he said.

Xia Tong yawned, his small head resting on the car window.

“Sleep if you’re tired. I’ll wake you up when we get there,” Lin Mingfei said.

“Mmm…” Xia Tong’s bright eyes half-closed, his small nose sniffing the air lightly. “Brother, I really like the sandalwood scent on you… Goodnight,” he mumbled before falling silent.

Lin Mingfei was stunned for a moment, almost hitting the brake by mistake. He glanced at the restraining bracelet on his wrist—it was still new, having been replaced just a month ago. He wondered why Xia Tong could still smell his pheromones.

“I can smell his pheromones, and he can smell mine…” he muttered, “No way? Did both of our bracelets break?”

In the dim light, the round-headed, round-bodied robot suddenly opened its eyes and reached out with a round hand, speaking in a monotone voice.

“My bracelet and Xia Tong’s come from the same brand. Debon’s products are always top-notch. Please don’t blame it on the bracelet.”

Lin Mingfei: “…You’re quite the chivalrous AI. So how do you explain the pheromone leak?”

“It’s not a leak, it’s sensitivity,” Debon replied. “Your compatibility is too high.”

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