TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 68

Lin Mingfei’s furious roar echoed through the speaker, thunderous and full of alpha aggression.

Their rooms were only separated by thin walls, and the balconies were close enough to be within arm’s reach. The bamboo basket even had a carrying handle stretched across it—Lin Mingfei instantly realized it was Zhou Yanjun’s handiwork, using a clothes-drying rod to sneak it over.

About thirty seconds after the shouting, someone knocked on the door.

Xia Tong, puzzled, opened it—only to see Zhou Yanjun barreling in like he had wheels under his feet. He grabbed the bamboo basket in one swoop and sped back out just as fast.

Xia Tong, staring at the video call screen, clicked his tongue: “Wow, those clothes really do look fatfat’s.”

Lin Mingfei scoffed: “Who else could they belong to? No one in the whole base does laundry less often than Zhou Yanjun, and only Zhou Yanjun needs custom-made boxer shorts!”

Xia Tong rolled his eyes upward, then seriously pondered aloud, “Ah, no wonder when I went to see him earlier, he told me to wait a minute… he must’ve been sneaking his dirty laundry over here!”

Lin Mingfei pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling that letting Xia Tong hang out with Zhou Yanjun was a fundamentally bad idea. The little omega was still like a young sapling—way too easy to lead astray. If he ended up eating like Zhou Yanjun, being lazy and messy, and piling dirty laundry on his balcony…

Well… if it’s Xia Tong, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…

But just imagining it was still a little terrifying.

“Forget it, don’t bother looking for them anymore. Just wait for me to come back,” Lin Mingfei said. He glanced at He Youjin, who had finally quieted down, and sighed with his hands on his hips: “We should be done soon too.”

“Okay, okay!” Xia Tong responded cheerfully. “Then I’ll go back to my bedroom! I’ll wait for you to come back!”

…Why did that sound so strange?

Lin Mingfei hesitated. “You could wait for me in the living room too—”

Before he could finish, Xia Tong had already hung up the video call.

Lin Mingfei: “.”

He let out a long breath and started replaying Xia Tong’s earlier words in his head: “I can help you do your laundry!”

An omega offering to do his laundry… what was this? That was starting to sound a lot like a virtuous, caring wife.

Lin Mingfei couldn’t help but start daydreaming a bit, secretly delighted, the corners of his lips lifting in a soft, content smile.

“What are you grinning about?” He Youjin had returned, triumphant, waving the signed contract. He slapped Lin Mingfei on the back and said, “Your phone screen’s all cracked, and you’re still smiling like that?”

Lin Mingfei quickly wiped the smile off his face, cleared his throat, and returned to business. “It’s nothing. How did the price negotiations go?”

He Youjin gave him a big thumbs-up. “We got all the summer and fall orders. I talked them down to 65% of the original price! Pretty amazing, right?”

Lin Mingfei chuckled. “Very impressive.” He nodded. “So should we head back now?”

“Sure. Their designer said they’ll send me the new uniform drafts within three days. Unlimited revisions allowed.” He Youjin thumped his chest proudly. “That was part of the deal I negotiated too!”

He Youjin, so eager to show off, looked just like a housewife proudly returning from bargaining at the market. Lin Mingfei was both amused and exasperated. “By the way, aren’t you going to the League office the day after tomorrow to register? Do you have all your materials ready?”

“All ready,” He Youjin replied.

“Let me check them before you hand them in? It’s your first time doing this. I’m worried you’ll miss something and have to make extra trips,” Lin Mingfei said.

“No need.” He Youjin rejected him flatly, waving dismissively. “The staff at the League office already checked everything for me. It’s all good. I’ll just hand them in.”

“League office… you mean Fang Haoyang?” Lin Mingfei said with a half-smile.

“Uh, yeah.” He Youjin didn’t think much of it, looking smug. “He set such a big trap for us — obviously I’ve got to make him work for it. Otherwise I’d be taking a loss.”

Lin Mingfei didn’t call him out, just chuckled softly. “Well then, it’s foolproof.”

He Youjin: “…Can you not smile like such a creep? All I did was send him photos over WeChat!”

Lin Mingfei: “Oh, that’s good — using resources efficiently.”

He Youjin: “We didn’t even meet! No physical contact!”

Lin Mingfei: “No worries. You’ll meet the day after tomorrow anyway. There’ll be physical contact then too.”

He Youjin: “??? Lin Mingfei, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me?! Say what you mean!!”

By the time Lin Mingfei and He Youjin returned to the base, it was already evening. Auntie Song had dinner prepared and kept warm. The base was bustling with people, filled with the warm, familiar aroma of food — it felt just like a big family.

Shi Ya walked out of his room, yawning lazily. As he focused his eyes, he saw Zhou Yanjun — that pig — tiptoeing at the table, sneaking some braised chicken feet.

“I thought you’d been eating snacks all afternoon. How do you still have such an appetite?” Shi Ya said, speechless.

“You don’t get it! Zero might kill me when he gets back — twist off my head and shove it up my butt! I need to eat as much as I can now so I don’t starve on my way out!” Zhou Yanjun chomped down chicken feet like a large dog, mumbling nonsense with his mouth full.

Shi Ya twitched. “Seriously, can you two stop being so gross?”

Zhou Yanjun looked genuinely wronged. “It’s not like I wanted this…” But before he could finish, the door opened. He was so startled he jumped in place and instinctively hid behind Shi Ya.

Shi Ya got dragged into a half-spin before managing to steady himself. When he looked up, he was met with Lin Mingfei’s cool, raised eyebrows.

“Still hiding? If you’ve got guts, don’t hide,” Lin Mingfei said coldly, pointing at Zhou Yanjun’s fat waist sticking out from behind Shi Ya.

“You’re about to torture me like it’s Qing dynasty punishment! Of course I’m gonna hide!” Zhou Yanjun shouted, still full of complaints.

“If you’re gonna hide, don’t use me as a shield.” Shi Ya stirred the pot. “I can’t even block you. You should’ve gone to Bo… oh wait, Bo can’t block you either.”

Zhou Yanjun thumped him on the back. “You heartless beasts! All of you! So cruel!”

Lin Mingfei stepped forward slowly, eyes narrowed, dark energy radiating from him. His knuckles cracked menacingly. Zhou Yanjun yelped and bolted like a rat. Just as he ran, Xia Tong came bouncing out of the tea room.

“Xia Xiaotong!! Help me!!” Zhou Yanjun howled, ran up, grabbed Xia Tong, and held him out like a human shield.

Xia Tong, hopping happily a moment ago, was suddenly snatched and plopped between Zhou Yanjun and Lin Mingfei like the filling in a sandwich, face full of confusion.

Considering Zhou Yanjun was so massive even Shi Ya and Bo Yu couldn’t fully block him, hiding behind the 1.65m-tall Xia Tong was basically a joke. But somehow, Lin Mingfei actually stopped in front of Xia Tong, raising an unimpressed brow.

Completely unfazed by Lin Mingfei’s cold “funeral face,” Xia Tong curiously turned and asked Zhou Yanjun, “What are you guys doing? Playing tag?”

“You—you—you ask him!” Zhou Yanjun clutched Xia Tong’s narrow little shoulders and babbled, “All I did was leave some dirty laundry on his balcony! Does he have to get this mad?! Aren’t we supposed to be brothers through thick and thin??!”

“You seriously have the nerve to argue when you toss your dirty laundry all over the place and never wash it?!” Lin Mingfei roared in fury. Just thinking about how Xia Tong almost mistook him for some slob who didn’t even wash his own underwear made his skin crawl. “Zhou Yanjun, get your ass over here!”

Zhou Yanjun made a dying struggle. “Nooo! Shorty!!! You have to stop him for me!! If you don’t, I swear I’m cutting you off for life!”

Hearing that, Lin Mingfei was absolutely livid. He began rolling up his sleeves. “You seriously dare threaten him?!”

Zhou Yanjun screamed, “Xia Xiaotong!!!”

Xia Tong’s voice shot up several octaves from the panic. “I’m here, I’m here!!!”

Even though he had no idea what was going on, Lin Mingfei looked a little scary, and Zhou Yanjun definitely looked like he was in real trouble. Xia Tong instinctively spread his arms like a mother hen, shielding Zhou Yanjun behind him. Then he realized this probably wasn’t doing much, so he simply reached out and gave Lin Mingfei a couple of weak pushes on the chest, commanding, “Zero, don’t come over here, just—just stay right there!”

Lin Mingfei: “?”

The little omega’s push wasn’t strong, but the message was loud and clear—you’re not welcome here. It was like he was part of the opposing camp, while Zhou Yanjun was part of Xia Tong’s own side.

What the hell??? Wasn’t this little thing the same one who used to go on and on calling him “gege, gege” and whining to be around him 24/7 like he couldn’t stand being apart for a single second? And now he just… switched sides?

What was all that before, then? Flirting and fleeing?? Were all those sweet words just manipulative nonsense? Was he the omega version of Shi Ya now?

Lin Mingfei narrowed his eyes at the chubby little guy who looked like he was about to inflate and float off from pride, feeling an unfamiliar sense of defeat.

“You’re protecting him?” Lin Mingfei gave Zhou Yanjun a sharp jab from across the air, then lowered his gaze to Xia Tong. “In your heart, in your eyes—am I less important than him?”

Xia Tong was stunned for a moment, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Then he gave a solemn little nod. “If I compare you two side by side, I guess Fatty really is heavier…”

Zhou Yanjun: “!”

Lin Mingfei: “……”

Shi Ya, who had been watching the whole thing unfold like it was a drama, was also floored by this bizarre turn of events. “Huh?”

Xia Tong looked left, looked right. “Is there a problem?”

Shi Ya: “Uh……”

Zhou Yanjun: “Emmm…….”

“No, no problem at all.” Lin Mingfei said in a hoarse voice, quietly. His entire mood seemed to drop several notches as he turned his back on Xia Tong, walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down without saying another word.

Shi Ya coughed awkwardly and nudged Zhou Yanjun, trying to smooth things over with a smile. “Alright… that’s enough. Let’s eat first. Laundry can wait till after dinner—just call it post-meal exercise.”

Zhou Yanjun jumped on the lifeline. “Yeah! As soon as I finish eating, I’ll go wash it! No delays!”

Lin Mingfei didn’t respond. He just kept his head down and ate.

The whole meal felt like it stretched across a century. The atmosphere at the table was unbearably weird. Lin Mingfei was the first to finish, and after collecting his dishes, he silently went upstairs, leaving everyone else at the table completely dumbfounded.

Bo Yu, who hadn’t been involved and hadn’t seen the whole thing unfold, was the least concerned. “What’s up with the captain?”

Shi Ya pointed his thumb at Zhou Yanjun and Xia Tong. “Ask those two.”

Zhou Yanjun shrank into himself, unable to eat another bite.

“Xia Xiaotong!” he exclaimed in horror. “Even though I’m super touched that you recognize my worth, I still need to ask—why do you think I’m heavier than the captain?”

Bo Yu: “…Are you guys playing some kind of ‘besties’ whisper game?”

Shi Ya said, “No joke, the last time I heard a question like this was back in high school—two omegas, one in front of me, one behind me, asked me the exact same thing.”

Bo Yu: “So how did you answer? The one in front was more important or the one behind?”

Shi Ya burst out laughing. “Please! The only correct answer is obviously—‘You’re both equally important.’”

Xia Tong gulped down half a bowl of radish and pork rib soup, wiped his mouth, and blinked in confusion. “What are you guys even talking about? Fatty is like 200 jin (100 kg), no matter how you look at it, Zero’s not heavier than Fatty!”

Zhou Yanjun: “?”

Shi Ya: “?”

Bo Yu: “…Uhh, I feel like from now on, whenever you guys include Xia Tong in your conversations, you’re gonna need a blender or something.”

Lin Mingfei returned to his room feeling dejected.

He flopped onto the bed, stared up at the ceiling, and thought that ever since he met Xia Tong, his emotions had been all over the place—like a teenage omega, moody and sensitive.

But that little thing was really heartless, being able to say so confidently and self-righteously, “Zhou Yanjun is more important than you.”

Come on, even if he thought that, couldn’t he have kept it to himself? Or at least say something like, “You’re both equally important”? That would’ve been fine!

That… really hurt…

He rolled over and spotted a box of game discs neatly placed on his nightstand.

He remembered he’d left it half-played and just dumped the discs on the console. Who cleaned it up? Was it Xia Tong?

Lin Mingfei propped up his head on his arm, but the thought didn’t cheer him up at all.

Maybe if he hadn’t stopped them earlier, Xia Tong would’ve happily helped Zhou Yanjun wash all his laundry…

At that moment, he heard the faint “click” of his doorknob turning.

—Someone was coming in!

Lin Mingfei froze for a second, then quickly turned over and pretended to be asleep, closing his eyes. He heard the soft scuff of shoes on the floor, lingering near the door.

It was Xia Tong. He could tell—it was only that light, quiet little thing who walked like that.

What was he doing? Cracking the door open to sneak a peek?

Lin Mingfei was secretly speculating in his heart.

He was currently very angry, but couldn’t bring himself to get mad at Xia Tong, so he honestly didn’t know how to face him. Pretending to be asleep seemed like the best solution. Lin Mingfei figured that if Xia Tong peeked at him and thought he was asleep, he would probably leave on his own.

But then, he heard the soft rustling noises getting closer and closer.

—Why is this little guy still coming in?!

Lin Mingfei was startled and confused. Two seconds later, he felt the mattress dip under him.

“Heiya!” Xia Tong leapt onto the bed, even letting out a cheer as if to psych himself up. Lin Mingfei nearly lost it. He thought, This little guy has zero awareness! Sneaking into someone’s room and making such a racket!

Completely unaware, Xia Tong crawled on his knees behind Lin Mingfei and lightly patted him on the back. “Zero!”

Lin Mingfei: “……”

Keep pretending! You can never wake someone who’s pretending to sleep!

Absolutely cannot face this brainless little omega!

…Plus, if he got exposed for faking it, that would be way too embarrassing.

Pat pat pat pat

Xia Tong alternated both hands, patting from Lin Mingfei’s waist up to his shoulders like he was giving him a massage. “Gege, gege!! Wake up! Don’t sleep anymore!”

The five fingers of Lin Mingfei’s hand resting on the bed slowly curled up.

…Not waking up at this point just feels fake.

…But waking up so easily would be letting Xia Tong off too easy!

…Ugh, this is so awkward!!

From Xia Tong’s perspective, the alpha lay on his side, unmoving. His short, slightly stiff black hair covered part of his handsome brows and slender neck line. He looked sexy and captivating, but so still and lifeless that it frustrated Xia Tong.

You said you’d come back and play with me! I’ve been bored at the base all afternoon! How can you break your promise like this?!

Xia Tong squinted his large eyes into thin lines.

Suddenly, he reached one arm over Lin Mingfei’s body, planted it firmly on the bed, leaned in closer, and lowered himself toward Lin Mingfei’s cheek—

The faint scent of osmanthus from his body drew nearer. His breath was soft and fragrant, almost as if it could control every sensory cell and pore on Lin Mingfei’s body. Lin Mingfei’s heart rate shot through the roof, and he reflexively tilted his head back—

In that odd, sudden motion, Xia Tong’s soft lips brushed right against the corner of Lin Mingfei’s mouth.

Lin Mingfei’s eyes flew wide open as he stared at Xia Tong in shock.

He was lying down, while Xia Tong hovered above him, looking down.

What a classic bed-pinning scene.

But the words out of Xia Tong’s mouth were totally off: “You’re finally awake! If you didn’t wake up, I was gonna—”

“What were you gonna do?” Lin Mingfei cut in hoarsely.

“I was gonna headbutt you awake!” Xia Tong declared with the resolve of a warrior cutting off his own arm.

“And why did you want me to wake up?” Lin Mingfei stared at him for two seconds, speaking with helplessness.

“You said you’d come back to play with me!!” Xia Tong grabbed his arm and shook it hard. “How can you break your promise like this?! So irresponsible!!”

“I’m irresponsible?” Lin Mingfei asked back.

“You brought me here!! Then you left me with someone else—what was that supposed to mean?!” Xia Tong huffed.

“You could’ve gone to find Zhou Yanjun,” Lin Mingfei muttered, trying to turn over.

Xia Tong wouldn’t let him, tugging him back. “If I go to Fatty, all we’ll do is eat snacks! I can’t eat that many snacks!”

“Then just get fat,” Lin Mingfei rolled his eyes.

“Getting fat is bad! If I gain weight and end up heavier than you, you won’t be able to carry me anymore!” Xia Tong panicked, hitting him with his little fists.

Lin Mingfei suddenly paused.

“Heavier than me…” he repeated the phrase quietly, “You mean by weight?”

Xia Tong seemed annoyed and shoved him to roll off the bed. “I’m leaving!”

“Hey!” Lin Mingfei sat up quickly and grabbed his hand. “Don’t go!”

Xia Tong struggled a bit but was yanked back. With a serious little face, he said quietly, “I came to talk to you happily, but you ignored me. I don’t like that.”

“I don’t like it either,” Lin Mingfei said. “The way you push me away.”

Xia Tong paused for a moment, then turned to look at him. “What do you mean—”

Lin Mingfei shook his head. “Nothing.”

Xia Tong stared at him. The alpha’s slightly furrowed brow gave off a trace of melancholy and grievance, tugging at his heart.

Lin Mingfei really treated him well—unbelievably well. Xia Tong thought, He just wanted to make Lin Mingfei happy, but somehow it all backfired…

A raw stirring of emotion rose in his chest, clearer and more urgent by the second. After a moment’s hesitation, Xia Tong suddenly cupped Lin Mingfei’s face in both hands, leaned in, and mwah! kissed him on the cheek.

Lin Mingfei: “???!!!!”

Last time it was his hand… now it was his face.

And this time, Xia Tong was being completely proactive…

After the kiss, Xia Tong felt completely refreshed and beamed with pride. “Well?? Well?? Feeling better now?? Heehee!”

The alpha looked like he had been struck by lightning, a light blush creeping up from his neck to swallow his entire handsome face.

After a long while, he murmured, “Do you know what that’s called?”

“What’s what called?” Xia Tong asked.

“This,” Lin Mingfei tapped his own cheek with a finger, “is called a kiss. If… you only do that to me, I’ll be even happier.”

“Ohhh, so that’s a kiss! That’s easy!” Seeing Lin Mingfei’s mood lift, Xia Tong patted his chest and said grandly, “Don’t worry, I don’t want to do that with anyone else! Zero, if you’re ever upset, just come find me. I can give you tons of kisses! Mwah mwah!” He smacked his lips and giggled sincerely.

The two of them quickly reached an agreement. Xia Tong happily walked out of Lin Mingfei’s room, strutting away with the swagger of someone who’d forgotten all their relatives.

Lin Mingfei was both amused and exasperated, but he had to admit—he’d been coaxed into a good mood. He got up, walked to the door, and found Zhou Yanjun poking his head around in the hallway.

“What are you doing?” Lin Mingfei asked.

Zhou Yanjun let out an “ah” and waddled over, rubbing his chubby hands anxiously. “I’m really sorry, Captain. I swear I didn’t mean to sow discord between you and Xia Tong. I didn’t expect that… with my qualifications… I’d actually be mistaken for a homewrecker. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!”

Lin Mingfei narrowed his eyes and gave Zhou Yanjun a solid pat on the shoulder.

“At least you have a clear self-awareness. Don’t worry, I’m not mad at you,” he said casually. “In fact, I should be thanking you.”

Zhou Yanjun: “???”

His expression turned from confusion to horror. “Captain… are you so mad you’ve lost it??”

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