Chapter 45: No Resetting

Chapter 45: No Resetting

"There's a stool behind you, turn left."

Song Ruochen didn't look back, avoiding the stool, and continued crawling at a speed as if his pants were on fire.

Jian Yuhang really didn't want to be amused.

Not wanting to get married, this omega is a total rogue, the kind that should be locked up.

"Song Ruochen, male, omega, 20 years old," Jian Yuhang approached step by step, "a drama queen at work, a freeloader at work, a slacker at work."

"Wow, Little Grape's got all the seven deadly sins covered."

"All these offenses combined," Jian Yuhang lifted his foot, blocking Song Ruochen's crawling path, the shiny black toe of his shoe pressing against the omega's lower back, giving a light kick, "So you're making up for it with this piece of paper?"

Song Ruochen: "..."

He didn't dare to move.

"What is all this?" Jian Yuhang read out, "One empty cookie jar, one pot of cactus, one broken umbrella, am I a garbage collector?... One signed date (Big Jujube to sign), one signed pom-pom (Fluffy Ball signature), what is this, no thanks... Three omega suppressants?? A universal pheromone suppression collar that I no longer like?? What am I supposed to do with this?"

Jian Yuhang was amused: "What is all this? Are you going to send me the rats you catch at home too?"

Song Ruochen: "..."

"Rogues like you should be locked up," Jian Yuhang said.

"That's not going to work," Song Ruochen said seriously.

"Why not?" Jian Yuhang extended a finger and poked his forehead.

Song Ruochen maintained a cold expression: "Xiao Shi without Secretary Song is like a fish out of water."

"Xiao Shi without Secretary Song is like a fish out of concrete," Jian Yuhang corrected.

Song Ruochen: "Brother Zha, hold on, I'm going to reset."

"Ding~ Dong~ Ding~ Dong~"

The captured omega disappeared, and Jian Yuhang's hand now held a meeting document.

Good news, the meeting was announced.

Bad news, Song Ruochen has bolted again.

"Mr. Jian," Song Ruochen clung to Jian Feng, "Come to the office, let's review the new project progress."

Jian Feng: "Oh, okay, let's go."

In the meeting room, people left one by one, and Jian Yuhang sat in the empty meeting room—

Jian Yuhang: ":)"

Jian Yuhang: ":|"

Jian Yuhang: ":("

Doesn't like me, won't marry me—typical.

Listen, using me as a test of courage, is that even human? Am I some boss or villain?

Since the grape doesn't seem interested, then I don't need to get married either.

Not getting married saves money, hassle, and time, hahaha.

Jian Yuhang: ":["

So, from now on, he's back to being desireless and at peace.

-

CEO's office.

Song Ruochen sat on a chair reporting on the project, while Jian Feng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, taking notes as he listened.

"...Currently, the shooting is proceeding normally under my supervision," Song Ruochen said, "Haochi's people will come over tomorrow afternoon to discuss the promotion plan during the shooting, you need to attend."

"Okay," Jian Feng noted.

"Madam has a game commentary session tomorrow night," Song Ruochen said, "Madam requested my presence, so I won't be working tomorrow night."

"Okay, okay," Jian Feng nodded.

"By the way," Jian Feng said, "The development of Xiao Shi cannot be separated from the support of the employees. This year, the company has added an employee suggestion box. If Secretary Song has any ideas, you can submit them."

Song Ruochen: "Can we switch to weekly paychecks?"

Jian Feng: "..."

"Ding..."

"Forget it, pretend I didn't say anything," Song Ruochen waved his hand and left.

Out of cash, he needed to earn some coins, so that if the villain wanted to teach him a lesson or lock him up, he could still have a chance to run a few steps.

"Lu Yunye's side can earn a few meager rewind coins."

"Let me check the dates here... Ah, there's a major plot from the original book."

"Listen?" Song Ruochen said.

"Tomorrow night's match will have two commentators: one is Da Zao, and the other is..."

Song Ruochen: "Xiao Zao?"

"Be quiet."

"The other is a newly appointed Alpha commentator named Zou Renhang."

"That name sounds familiar." Song Ruochen began to recall.

"Note that this is an important supporting character who plays a key role in the angst in chapter 40 of the original text."

"When Da Zao was in a bad mood, he pretended to pursue her, took photos from suggestive angles, and sent them to Jian Feng, leading Jian Feng to say harsh words to Yan Ci out of jealousy and misunderstanding."

"What did he say?" Song Ruochen asked.

[Da Zao: ".0.0. How do you have this? Are you angry? You didn't even come home for dinner."]

[Yi Mi: "Hmm..."]

"Da Zao stormed out of the room."

[Yi Mi: "...No, I was working overtime."]

Song Ruochen: "..."

I can't take this anymore.

"I remember." Song Ruochen said, "Didn't Zou also dig up Yan Ci's parents' past and post it online, accusing Yan Ci of being morally unfit to commentate on games?"

"With his love life in shambles and career blocked, the heartbroken Yan Ci packed his bags and—"

"How many days did he stay at home?" Song Ruochen asked.

"No, he went off to mine."

"That day, Secretary Song parachuted down to the mining site and found Yan Ci."

["Madam has suffered enough. How much more is there? I'll dig." Secretary Song said.]

Song Ruochen: "..."

"What kind of things have I been reading all this time?" he murmured.

However, this Zou Renhang has bullied Da Zao too much; he needs to keep an eye on him.

It has nothing to do with parachuting or mining; he simply feels sorry for his friend.

"Time to eat." Song Ruochen glanced at the time and took the elevator to the cafeteria. "I need to keep an eye on Xiao Lu this afternoon."

It wasn't noon yet, and there weren't many people in the cafeteria. As soon as Song Ruochen went upstairs, he saw Jian Yuhang and Gong Huo, who seemed to be chatting about work while eating and hadn't noticed him yet.

He got himself two scoops of cheese-flavored ice cream, ordered a serving of creamy mushroom pasta, and sat in a secluded spot.

"Second Young Master." Assistant Gong reported, "Starting this year, Xiao Shi will fully transition to employee badges. Also, the employee information database needs routine maintenance. I'll soon organize everyone to retake their ID photos."

"Hmm." Jian Yuhang, with a calm heart, nodded. "You take care of it."

He looked up and just saw Song Ruochen, the little secretary holding a spoon, putting ice cream into his mouth.

Song Ruochen: ":D"

Jian Yuhang: ":D"

Jian Yuhang: "..."

Jian Yuhang: ":("

"Second Young Master, I had three badge samples made." Gong Huo took out the badge and handed it to Jian Yuhang.

The badge was quite rough, and Jian Yuhang accidentally got scratched by the pin on the back of his hand, causing a small bead of blood to appear.

Song Ruochen: "?"

Song Ruochen looked up, sniffed, and started looking around.

Huh, did the hawthorn peel break?

"Ding~~~ Dang~~~"

After a long sound, the wound on Jian Yuhang's hand disappeared.

"Second Young Master, look." Assistant Gong handed over the badge.

Jian Yuhang looked up slightly startled, just in time to see a certain grape turn around gracefully, leaving him with a slender and beautiful back, and even waved at him with his back.

"Second Young Master." Assistant Gong asked, "Did I do something wrong? Why are you blushing?"

"It's nothing." Jian Yuhang said.

This little troublemaker, when not acting up, is actually kind of cute?

-

"After the matter is done, brush off your clothes and leave, hiding your merits and fame [1]." Song Ruochen slowly exited, "System, do you think the villain has been moved by me?"

"Is this considered a fallen grape turning over a new leaf?"

"I'll earn some favor points." Song Ruochen said, "I need to reduce the villain's hatred towards us."

"Let me check the value panel."

"The villain's resentment level is 49%, the villain's power level is 110%."

"I'll go ask the boss system what this level is."

"Seriously, Song Ruochen, let's not mess with the alpha like that again. Luckily, Brother Zha mentioned before that he doesn't date, but if another alpha came over, it wouldn't be too much to handle you on the spot."

"I won't do it again," Song Ruochen vowed.

The inhibitor isn't working well; it hasn't been long, and he hasn't even reached the office yet, but he's already feeling weak in the legs and wanting to kneel.

"I feel like I'm melting," he described.

"Does the hospital's targeted medication still need three or four more days?"

"Yes," Song Ruochen replied, heading back to the office and injecting a regular inhibitor into his wrist, "We'll make do for now."

He added a row of inhibitors to his waist, put on a cool glowing collar bought by the furry friend, and took a car to the set.

At the short drama set jointly funded by Haochi and Xiao Shi Group, Lu Yunye was sitting with the script on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.

Song Ruochen walked over with a stick and whacked the alpha boy's head with a thud.

Lu Yunye (with a bump on his head): "?"

"Has the career fortune of Xiao Shi Group improved?" Song Ruochen asked the system.

"No, but the anger level has increased."

Song Ruochen: "Uh..."

"What are you doing here again?" Lu Yunye asked in despair.

"Teacher Lu assigned me to oversee the project," Song Ruochen said, "Have you forgotten?"

"I also complained about you later," Lu Yunye said, "Has Secretary Song forgotten?"

"The complaint was dismissed," Song Ruochen said, "Get moving and memorize your lines."

Lu Yunye: "..."

The alpha boy cursed as he got up, grabbing the script and mumbling the lines.

"Rewind Wallet credited with 1 second."

"That's not enough," Song Ruochen said.

"Secretary Song, want some boba?" The project manager from Haochi waved at him.

"Coming!" Song Ruochen said.

He turned around and gave Lu Yunye another hit with the stick: "You're not allowed to drink; stay here and memorize your lines properly."

Lu Yunye: "..."

"What's the deal?"

Everyone knows he was sent to this new project because he's not popular. His agent has always been hands-off, not paying attention to him, and over time, he's become quite self-abandoning.

Why is someone suddenly pushing him to do better?

Song Ruochen grabbed a grape-flavored milk tea, popped in the straw, and took a sip.

Song Ruochen: ":("

He opened his phone, pulled up Jian Yuhang's WeChat, and added—

[Song Ruochen]: 0.o* Brother Zha, what are you doing, apply for a rewind of 5 seconds.

[Song Ruochen]: 6 seconds.

[Song Ruochen]: 7 seconds.

[J]: ...Trouble?

[Song Ruochen]: Want to choose a different milk tea. 10 seconds.

[Song Ruochen]: Please, 11 seconds.

[J]: ...Rewind, I'm changing clothes, just finished.

"Ding dong~"

Song Ruochen picked a peach-flavored fruit tea this time, and the taste was quite good.

"Good thing I gave a heads-up," Song Ruochen said, "Otherwise, they'd say I undressed the villain again."

"Song Ruochen's reputation is ruined like this."

"I suddenly remembered..." Song Ruochen said, "The 'leader' on the app often asks me what I'm doing..."

And come to think of it, it's always after I rewind.

So it was Jian Yuhang secretly checking on my antics.

"He's a schemer."

"Let's always ask him from now on," Song Ruochen said, "And as long as he doesn't do anything bad, we'll rewind for him."

Song Ruochen: "Words are not enough, I'll draft a contract and send it to him later, all three of us will sign it, this time with full sincerity!"

"I agree!"

"Secretary Song," the project manager from Haochi spoke up, catching Song Ruochen's attention. "There's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

Song Ruochen: "Huh?"

The project manager handed over a tablet.

"This Li Hu, he's somewhat of a rival to Xiao Lu," the project manager explained. "Their fans have been constantly at each other's throats. He recently landed a minor role in a big-name director's movie 'Another Summer,' and his fans are mocking Xiao Lu for not landing any roles."

Project Manager: "Xiao Lu... he's quite sensitive and his ego is fragile. I'm wondering if we should respond on his behalf."

Song Ruochen: "Huh? Fragile ego? No need to respond."

Song Ruochen: "I'll straighten him out."

In the evening, at Xiao Shi Group, Jian Yuhang wrapped up his day smoothly.

Assistant Gong, as usual, drove him home. As the car passed near the film studio, Assistant Gong mentioned, "Second Young Master, should we check on the project Secretary Song is overseeing?"

"That's a good idea," Jian Yuhang agreed.

Jian Yuhang and Gong Huo entered the set, and not long after, they heard a certain grape's voice—

"Speak your lines louder, are you a robot? Show some emotion."

"Is your acting as scarce as your fanbase?"

Jian Yuhang: "..."

"Even a dog guarding its food shows more genuine emotion than your revenge act," Song Ruochen said leisurely, taking a sip of water. "Act again, are you waiting for me to show you how it's done?"

"Two hours... you've been scolding me for two hours," Lu Yunye staggered and knelt on the ground.

"If you have no self-esteem, your mentality won't break," Song Ruochen said. "Believe me, you will rise from the ashes."

Lu Yunye collapsed on the ground, as if dead.

"Your mentality is really weak," Song Ruochen said. "My boss can take more scolding than you."

"Is that so?" a voice came from behind him.

Song Ruochen: "..."

"Ding dong"

"Force of habit, reverting."

Song Ruochen: "..."

"Sorry, sorry, Mr. Jian," Song Ruochen said. "I'll keep my scolding to myself from now on."

Jian Yuhang: "..."

"How's the project going here?" Jian Yuhang asked.

Song Ruochen glanced at Lu Yunye on the ground: "Everything's going smoothly, Second Young Master."

Lu Yunye: "..."

"Assistant Gong," Song Ruochen said, "It's just about time to get off work, could you drop me off? It'll help... reinforce your driving skills."

Gong Huo: "Song Ruochen, don't push it."

"Take me with you," Song Ruochen poked Jian Yuhang. "I'll give you a treasure."

Song Ruochen got into the car, took out a small notebook from his pocket, and started writing—

"Tripartite Agreement between Jian Yuhang, Song Ruochen, and the Piggy Bank"

If Jian Yuhang has a legitimate, proper, and correct request to revert, Song Ruochen and the piggy bank must comply.

"Second Young Master, sign here," Song Ruochen handed over the small piece of paper.

As the car entered the tunnel, the light dimmed suddenly, and the interior of the car flashed with colorful lights.

Song Ruochen's glow-in-the-dark collar flickered.

Jian Yuhang: "..."

What to do, I said I wouldn't get married.

Why do I still feel a little regretful about missing out on a crazy omega?

-

The next day, there was a meeting, and he had to accompany Da Zao to commentate on a match. Song Ruochen rested early.

The next morning, he got up and went downstairs, finding Da Zao and Mao Guai at the entrance of the neighborhood.

"Huh?" Song Ruochen asked. "Why are you here so early?"

"I thought I'd come pick you up, wait for you to finish work, and then go to the match together," Meng Yumian said. "He copied my concern."

Yan Ci: "0.0... I got here first, you copycat."

"Stop arguing, let's go to the company together," Song Ruochen said.

"Little Grape, here's a lollipop for you," Yan Ci unwrapped the candy.

"I have one too, eat mine first," Meng Yumian also offered.

Song Ruochen: "..."

Jian Yuhang had just arrived at the company when he spotted Song Ruochen downstairs, holding a lollipop in each hand, shaking his head left and right.

Jian Yuhang: "?"

Here we go again, another level of craziness.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided not to take the stairs and took the elevator with omega instead.

The elevator slowly ascended with ABO inside. Meng Yumian turned her head and whispered to Yan Ci.

Meng Yumian pointed at Jian Yuhang, then at Song Ruochen: "What's the gossip?"

Yan Ci: "Haha, just gossiping."

"Secretary Song, you carry on with your work," Yan Ci said. "Meng Yumian and I will wait for you in the boss's office, okay?"

"Okay, Madam," Song Ruochen replied.

Jian Yuhang: "Heh."

Song Ruochen: "???"

I didn't laugh, so why are you?

Do you know how awkward that is for me?

Jian Yuhang, who had just received a glare, suppressed a smile.

The elevator doors opened, and Meng Yumian and Yan Ci left, whispering. The doors closed again, leaving only the two of them inside.

"Secretary Song, the meeting room is on the 12th floor, room 1209," Jian Yuhang reminded.

Song Ruochen: "Understood."

Jian Yuhang: "."

The meeting focused on the Haochi project. The entire team from the other side had arrived, and Jian Yuhang led the meeting.

"For the initial promotion, Haochi can handle it themselves. For the mid to late stages, we can use platforms under Xiao Shi's banner," Jian Yuhang said. "Coincidentally, the two have different promotional styles, so we can compare the effects."

Song Ruochen, sitting across the table, took some notes and poked Lu Yunye beside him.

"Mr. Lu, both Haochi and Xiao Shi will protect your new work," Song Ruochen said. "You don't have to worry about online rumors."

"Secretary Song is very considerate," the Haochi project manager said with a smile.

Jian Yuhang: "..."

Right, rumors are nothing compared to Song Ruochen, who can both berate and strike.

Lu Yunye looked like he had been dead for a while: "...I'm not worried about that right now."

"Second Young Master," Song Ruochen said, "I'll fetch you a cup of tea."

He stood up and headed towards the tea room.

After sitting for too long, his legs were a bit stiff. It was just the right time to step out and pour Jian Yuhang some tea for about half an hour.

Jian Yuhang was used to someone goofing off during meetings, so he didn't wait for the water and continued speaking.

Lu Yunye was also thirsty. He stood up and walked towards the tea room, pushing open the door.

"Secretary Song?" Lu Yunye was stunned. "Song Ruochen?"

The sharp-tongued secretary was leaning against the sink, sweat dripping down his cheeks.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Lu Yunye chuckled. "Weren't you just acting tough earlier? Xiao Shi's secretary is such a hypocrite. Serves you right for feeling unwell."

Song Ruochen ignored him, his slightly bent neck looking pale and fragile.

This was the first time Lu Yunye had seen the sharp-tongued secretary in such a state, making him realize that this secretary, who was always ruthless in words and actions, was actually an omega who occasionally needed protection.

"Grape scent?" Lu Yunye frowned. "Is this... your heat?"

"System?" Song Ruochen called out to the system. "Can we rewind? I just injected an inhibitor, but it's completely ineffective."

"...No, it's not working. Ow, it's so hot, so hot."

Song Ruochen: "..."

"Emergency management of an omega's heat..." Lu Yunye struggled to recall the textbook content. "Inject an inhibitor..."

The pretty little secretary in front of him swayed like a small tree in the wind, then collapsed towards him.

"Inject... omega inhibitor," Lu Yunye caught him and started reciting. "Where do I inject it? The neck?"

Lu Yunye: "Ahhhh."

You regret not paying more attention in class when you need it.

"Song Ruochen," Lu Yunye fumbled. "I only have alpha inhibitors."

Lu Yunye started rummaging: "Do you have any on you?"

"What's in your pocket?" Lu Yunye rummaged. "Marshmallows? Plum candy? Bubblegum?"

Song Ruochen suddenly opened his eyes, foggy and confused, and raised his right hand, slapping Lu Yunye across the face.

"Holy crap, Song Ruochen," Lu Yunye grimaced, "You're more possessive than a dog with its food. What dog? I'm talking about you."

"What's the matter?" a deep male voice sounded behind him, "What happened?"

Lu Yunye looked up and recognized Jian Yuhang: "Secretary Song, he..."

"Hand him over," Jian Yuhang reached out without hesitation, taking Song Ruochen and letting him lean against his shoulder, "If a heat period isn't managed quickly, there's a 1% risk of shock. What did they teach you in those textbooks?"

Lu Yunye: "..."

That was pretty quick.

From noticing to getting hit, it took less than a minute, and it's only a 1% chance, why the hurry?

"Out. Now." Jian Yuhang said coldly.

Lu Yunye gaped in disbelief as Jian Yuhang lifted Song Ruochen's sweater, revealing two rows of inhibitors.

Lu Yunye: "..."

What a crazy bastard!

"Get rid of your scent," Jian Yuhang said.

"I got it," Lu Yunye could already feel his body heating up, and he quickly exited the tea room.

"Song Ruochen?" Jian Yuhang called out, "Coming to work with a pocket full of candy, you're clearly not here to rough it."

"Hands off my snacks!" Song Ruochen kicked and punched.

"..." Jian Yuhang shoved him against his shoulder, controlling his movements, and the glowing collar was ripped off with a violent tug.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, popped open the inhibitor's metal cap, pressed firmly against Song Ruochen's neck, and slid the needle into the omega's gland.

"Agh, damn it!" Song Ruochen began to struggle violently, "I'm gonna kill you."

Song Ruochen thought to himself: "System... initiate rollback."

"System, abort rollback."

Jian Yuhang said coldly.

"..."

The cool serum was injected straight into the gland, and Song Ruochen snapped his mouth open, sinking his teeth into Jian Yuhang's neck.

Author's note:

[1] Quoting an ancient poem, "After the deed, brush off your clothes and depart, leaving your deeds and name hidden~"