Chapter 51

Chapter 51

The guests were mostly packed up and were gradually moving their luggage to the cars.

The female director glanced over and noticed that two people were missing.

The two most important ones were still not out.

They had spent over two hours this morning packing, which should have been more than enough time. The female director thought for a moment and decided to head to the backyard to check on the situation.

The backyard was eerily quiet, with no sounds at all. She approached cautiously, standing at the door, but heard nothing.

The door was tightly shut. The female director raised her hand and knocked gently, “Your Highness? Mr. Bai?”

“Do you need any help?”

There was silence in the room for a while.

The person at the door felt puzzled and knocked again, “Your Highness? Mr. Bai?”

After a long pause, a very subtle sound came from inside the room—something that sounded like crying, or laughing, or neither, a strange noise indeed.

The female director instantly became tense.

It went without saying that if anything happened to Mr. Bai during the shoot, it would be more than their small production team could handle.

She hurried forward a couple of steps, almost pressing her ear to the door, and knocked more urgently, “Your Highness?”

Finally, a voice spoke from inside the room.

It should be Xie Yilin.

The man spoke in a deep voice, "I'm fine."

Female director: ... Really? But your voice sounds a bit strange too.

But a response was better than no response.

She heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had come back to life, and hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, Mr. Bai, it's almost time to leave."

After a long pause, Xie Yilin said calmly from inside the room, "We'll be out soon."

Only then did the female director feel completely at ease and returned to the front courtyard.

As soon as she left, in the dimly lit room behind the curtains, the Omega struggled to wriggle free from the clutches of the great demon.

He failed.

The Alpha effortlessly thwarted his attempt to break free and firmly pinned him down, whispering soothing words into his ear.

... At such a moment, soothing seemed more like luring or deceiving.

The hunter had transformed into the big bad wolf.

"Can I be quick, okay?"

"No, don't..."

Bai Chen let out a sob, turning his head to bury his face in the soft bedding, refusing to lift it.

Damn it, too infuriating.

It's as if he still has a say in the matter at a time like this.

Omega was shaking all over, desperately trying to suppress the broken sounds that were about to escape from his throat, his face flushed an intense red. At that moment, he couldn’t begin to imagine if the female director outside had heard anything.

Or how much did she hear?

Bai Chen hoped she hadn’t heard anything.

Xie Yilin had indeed sped up the pace.

Omegas were always sensitive, fragile, like butterflies trembling on a tight string, or like delicate flowers on a branch that fall at the slightest touch. The butterfly quivered lightly, and the flowers fell in a beautiful cascade. After a long while, the corners of his eyes turned red, as if they were about to bleed. He arched his back, pulling the quilt up to cover his face, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

The "torture" had finally ended.

Feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, Bai Chen hid in the quilt, indulging in the self-deception of covering his ears, pretending everything was fine—it’s okay, it’s over… Just a normal adult activity, after all.

—But it wasn’t!!!

Waaaaah, why did it finish so quickly?!

He had thought, assumed…

Bai Chen suddenly jumped up and, as the Alpha turned around, quickly slipped into the bathroom.

…A few minutes later, the crown prince and Bai Chen walked into the front courtyard.

He no longer looked as cold; instead, there was a hint of the lazy satisfaction seen in a satiated predator.

As for Bai Chen beside him, he seemed somewhat downcast.

His legs felt weak, as if he’d been chased by a big tiger for three days and nights.

They had just finished tidying up and came out just in time. The "big tiger" took the suitcase from his hand, put it in the car, and then reached out to hold him again.

Bai Chen: …Don’t.

It was almost time to leave, and he was still doing that, even pulling a sudden move… Too much, really too much.

He wanted to put on a stern face, but just then, the camera happened to pan over, so Bai Chen quickly changed his approach, his eyes sparkling as he put on a sweet little dimple and called out, “Husband.”

Xie Yilin paused for a moment, glancing over.

His eyes were deep as he stared at Bai Chen. The latter felt a sudden chill, realizing something felt off.

But… he had to strike back! He had to set his boundaries!

Even if it was his first relationship, Bai Chen couldn’t waver, no!

He clung to the Alpha’s arm, lifting his head, his eyes bright and his voice soft, almost coquettish, “Carrying the suitcase just now was so tiring.”

The guests nearby: …Wow.

Han Yunyun quietly poked Xin Yu next to her, whispering, “Don’t you think Chen Chen’s lips look a bit swollen?”

Xin Yu was dumbfounded.

He wondered when his fiancée had started calling Bai Chen "Chen Chen" as he glanced over in that direction.

Then, he obediently turned his head to reply, "Yeah, I guess so."

"I was just saying!"

Han Yunyun suddenly slapped her thigh in excitement, her eyes gleaming like a wolf's in the dark. "They must have been fooling around in the room!"

"And all sorts of things!"

Xin Yu: I... I don't know, I don't know anything.

Everyone pretended not to watch but were secretly observing. Xie Yilin, his eyes twinkling with amusement, cooperatively responded to Bai Chen. "Want me to carry you over?"

And with that, he bent down and, without hesitation, scooped Bai Chen into his arms.

Bai Chen: Wait? He means a piggyback? And not a princess carry?

The Omega's face flushed crimson, wishing he could find a crack to hide in and never come out again. Yet, Xie Yilin held him with complete composure, and even as he walked to the car and gently set him down, he whispered in his ear, "I'll be more careful next time."

Next time, he'd be more careful.

Bai Chen's ears turned bright red, practically steaming.

There shouldn't be a next time!

Ugh, why did he have to be an Omega? He was completely inept by nature, with no room for improvement.

Even if he worked hard to gain the upper hand, Xie Yilin would still be the one enjoying it!

Never mind, never mind. He'd given up, resigned to his fate. At least he'd enjoyed it—quite a bit, actually.

With that thought, Bai Chen's mood lightened suddenly.

The Omega sat in the car, right next to Xie Yilin. He half-listened to the female director and the guests chatting, while leaning back slightly to relieve the ache in his lower back.

All because of Xie Yilin—why did he have to do it in that position...

Quietly, Bai Chen's face flushed crimson again.

The female director, responsible for taking care of the guests and keeping the atmosphere lively, glanced over and suddenly turned her head, asking with concern, "Bai Chen, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine!"

Bai Chen hurriedly straightened his back, answering properly. "I'm very good!"

That's good then.

The female director thought, she'd rather something happen to herself than to Bai Chen. She had thought Bai Chen was feeling unwell, his face so red, his body looking a bit weak...

Wait, did she just do something unnecessary?

In a flash of realization, she suddenly understood what had happened in Bai Chen's room that morning.

Female director: ...

Bai Chen had already lowered his head and didn't notice her dazed expression.

Xie Yilin, sitting next to him, reached out and wrapped his arm around the Omega’s waist, gently pulling him closer.

Bai Chen hesitated for a moment, then casually leaned against him without missing a beat.

A free pillow, why not use it?

His body felt soft and carried a faint, refreshing scent of sweet oranges. Holding him felt like embracing a fragrant, sweet autumn day under a sweet orange tree.

At any time, anywhere, you could catch the sweet scent, with the lush shade providing an infinite sense of comfort and relaxation.

So, holding Bai Chen felt incredibly comfortable.

Xie Yilin raised his hand, his movements gentle, as he brushed away a strand of hair from Bai Chen's forehead, then lowered his eyes and bent down, pressing a kiss on his forehead.

The female director, who had just recovered from her daze and happened to look over at the wrong moment, thought, 'Oh, I'm dying!'

How is their romance so sweet!

***

Soon, the group arrived at the port of Endo Star.

Bai Chen had spent the journey with his eyes closed to prevent his emotions from showing. But as soon as they arrived at the port, he opened his eyes and composed himself.

The Omega quickly got out of the car and stood on the open field, stretching his arms.

His young body was vibrant and healthy, and any minor 'wear and tear' was long gone. He stepped out and boarded the crew's ship.

They were set to return to the capital planet today.

Although it was a bit of a trek for Bai Chen—he had only left the capital planet the day before.

But it was work, so he had no complaints.

As the ship departed, Bai Chen held a large cup of orange juice, sipping through the straw, and sat with the guests, continuing casual chats.

The camera was set up nearby—yes, the director came up with a spur-of-the-moment idea, thinking since they were free, why not do another fan-welfare live stream.

But they couldn't have idle chatter just to deceive viewers for traffic.

So the live stream had a specific theme.

The theme was for the guests to discuss their favorite things.

To prevent shameless displays of affection, it was specifically noted as 'things.'

Thus, answers such as favorite husband/wife/boyfriend/significant other... were not allowed.

"Preferably apart from your profession, like hobbies and such," the female director prompted them. "This is a live stream, not a recorded show, where we can edit things later, as you know."

"Got it, got it," they replied.

Everyone present was from the entertainment industry and knew these routines well.

The live stream started, and the guests sat around a large sofa, like a tea party, snacking on fruits and snacks while chatting casually.

The female director temporarily expanded the virtual screen, which clearly displayed today's topic.

"What is your favorite thing?"

The audience flooded in and started chatting excitedly.

"I dare to bet that someone will say their significant other... [jabbing fingers] Yes, you know who I'm talking about."

"No, didn't you notice the production team made the characters for 'east' and 'west' bold and bigger?"

"Unless you're saying they're not human... Oh wait, not 'thing' either... uh oh."

"In any case, you can't call a person a 'thing'."

"Indeed, apart from Prince, the others are actors, singers, famous cartoonists, and the like."

They've been asked related questions a ton since they debuted.

The audience wants to hear something different, not the carefully curated celebrity image we've seen before.

The production team is aware of this as well.

They specifically began by focusing on Dong Yuze and Qi Nan.

The young man scratched his head, looking a bit flustered, and said, "If it's something unlike what I've done before... Ah, I've recently developed a new hobby."

"While learning composition, I discovered an ancient musical instrument, and I just bought a bunch of sheet music for it. I plan to practice whenever I have time."

But then he had to join the 'No TA' show as a substitute, so it's been paused for now.

He pulled up his smart device and found a picture of the instrument. It was a traditional vertical three-stringed instrument. Dong Yuze zoomed in on the image to show everyone and said with a smile, "This tone is very interesting, and it's rumored to have an old love story..."

"Oh, I can't remember the exact details. But if you're interested, you can search for it. I think ancient instruments should be preserved and passed down."

"Hilarious, Dong Yuze never forgets about music—he's so cute."

"Ahhh, as a fan, I'm so proud of him!"

After briefly explaining, he looked at Qi Nan. After a moment of thought, Qi Nan said with a pursed lip, "Lately, I've been into cooking."

"Cooking, like cooking for Dong Yuze?"

"No wonder Qi Nan's been taking it easy lately, is he changing his focus?"

After Qi Nan's statement, the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

The female director quickly jumped in, "Ah, cooking is also very interesting. I also like cooking... Then, Han Yunyun, do you have any hobbies that people might not know about?"

"...Yes, I do."

Han Yunyun was already prepared and said with a smile, "I like collecting book covers."

"Book covers? The kind of protective cases for paper books?"

"Yes, because paper books are rare now and very precious, there are specially designed manufacturers for book covers... They're all very beautiful."

"I remember there are various materials for the covers? I once saw a glass book cover, it was especially beautiful!"

"...I remember now, Han Yunyun mentioned before that she met Xin Yu because of her collection of book covers."

"I didn't expect that, really didn't see it coming, getting fed dog food in this way?"

"Heh, what didn't you expect? Bai Chen's group hasn't spoken yet, just wait, they'll leave you speechless."

Sure enough, it was clear that Xin Yu was much happier. As soon as Han Yunyun finished speaking, he chimed in, "Yeah, I like this too."

"In our home study, we have a separate display shelf specifically for book jackets."

Since he joined the show, he hadn't said much and seemed very well-behaved. But right then, maybe because of his emotions, he took Han Yunyun's hand for the first time, on impulse.

Han Yunyun didn't refuse him and blushed.

"Wow, pretty sister blushing still looks beautiful, hehehe..."

Her fans immediately spammed the comments section.

However, most people were still waiting for Bai Chen and Xie Yilin's responses.

The guests looked over.

Meeting their gaze, Bai Chen said with a smile, "Your Highness, go first."

Xie Yilin didn't refuse.

The Alpha paused briefly before saying, "When I was little, I collected mecha models."

"Ha, ha, ha, not surprised at all by this answer."

"Your Highness said he collected them as a kid, and I did too. What kid didn’t like these things?"

"Suddenly, Your Highness seems a lot more relatable... I’m seriously becoming a fan now."

"He's really not that scary..."

"Just imagine, when Your Highness said mecha models, are they really just models?"

Actually, thinking about it, with the royal family's wealth, status, and position, having a one-to-one scale replica collection wouldn't be surprising.

After all, money talks.

Bai Chen's eyes lit up.

The Omega was already thinking about how to ask about the entrance to His Highness's private collection room and move in with his gear for a few days.

Finally, it was Bai Chen's turn to speak on this topic.

With everyone watching, Bai Chen blinked and smiled, saying, "My favorite thing is pillows."

"Didn't we see this in earlier footage?"

"Are those the ones by the bed? He even brings them along when filming, clearly he really likes them."

"I like pillows too, wahhh, Chen Chen wifey come to my place and let's discuss them on the bed together, okay?"

"I really do like pillows."

When it came to his favorite topic, Bai Chen naturally had more to chat about. "Pillows actually come in many types."

"There are small ones, big ones, simple pillows, functional ones... Oh, and they come in different materials too, and there's even a dedicated forum for discussions..."

"We purchase numerous hugging pillows annually, and subsequently select the most comfortable one to be bestowed with the title of the year's favorite hugging pillow."

It mirrors idol worship; some individuals even compose essays about their cherished hugging pillows!

They elaborate on its exceptional texture, how comforting it is to embrace... or, observe this hugging pillow, crafted entirely from pure cotton! Moreover, the hue is splendid!

In essence, for aficionados, there exists a unique fervor to delve into every facet concerning them.

Han Yunyun could not resist inquiring, "That makes sense. We also exchange book covers among fellow enthusiasts. Since I commenced collecting book covers five years ago, I have amassed nearly a thousand."

"I possess over a thousand hugging pillows."

The Omega's dimples emerged as he smiled and remarked, "I have a room at home solely dedicated to hugging pillows."

"Excluding my preferred one, periodically, I rotate the hugging pillows and place them beside my pillow..."

His enthusiasm grew as he spoke, his joy intensifying with each word. Seated adjacent to him, Xie Yilin appeared contemplative.

Han Yunyun laughed heartily and then posed another query, "So why do you find hugging pillows appealing?"

Previously, Han Yunyun had mentioned her fondness for book covers due to their aesthetic appeal and protective nature towards paper books, which she found meaningful.

"Well..."

Bai Chen hesitated momentarily but suddenly sensed something amiss.

At that instant, Xie Yilin cast a glance.

The Alpha seemed exceptionally composed and ordinary.

Bai Chen steadied himself and thought, since everything was now transparent, it should be acceptable, right?

He still concealed his skin hunger syndrome and replied with a smile, "Because I enjoy embracing them while asleep."

"Wuwuwu, I desire to hug Chen Chen while sleeping."

"Depart, you troublemakers. Do you genuinely cherish Chen Chen? You merely covet his physique!"

"I am distinct; I relish being hugged by Chen Chen while asleep!"

The impromptu live broadcast concluded amidst a jubilant atmosphere.

With over an hour remaining until they reached the capital planet, the guests dispersed.

The man stood by the cabin window in the ship's corridor, seemingly in communication with someone.

His expression was cold and indifferent, his back perpetually straight like a pine tree, emanating an unwavering military aura.

It was ingrained within his bones, something that would never dissipate.

Observing him conclude the call, Bai Chen treaded lightly, strolled over, and before Xie Yilin could turn around, abruptly embraced him from behind.

The Alpha tensed momentarily.

Bai Chen's approach had already been detected—if he failed to notice, he would not merit the title of the strongest Alpha.

The Omega's arms encircled his lean and firm waist, his cheek pressed against his back as he mumbled, "Do not move, this is a robbery!"

"Surrender all your mecha models!"

Xie Yilin: ...

Bai Chen’s unexpected response caught him completely off guard.

Amusement filled his grey eyes. Before Bai Chen knew it, his arms loosened, his vision blurred, and suddenly, he was lifted into the air—

Xie Yilin easily broke free from his weak restraint and lifted him up. Bai Chen’s legs flailed, looking for support, and he instinctively wrapped himself around the man once more.

……This time, Xie Yilin moved swiftly, his large hand cupping Bai Chen’s butt from below.

His firm, perky butt.

It was nice and fleshy.

It was the fleshiest and most tactile part of his body.

Bai Chen’s face turned bright red.

Off balance and with no support, he quickly threw his arms around Xie Yilin’s shoulders, clutching tightly as he pled, “I was wrong, I surrender.”

The Alpha deliberately hardened his expression. “Oh?”

With a show of strength, he smoothly shifted Bai Chen to his right hand while his left arm wrapped around his waist.

As his left arm moved up a little, he pinched Bai Chen’s waist.

Bai Chen instantly went limp.

The Omega knew when to back off, switching to a pitiful expression. “Hubby……”

Exactly. When they were at odds, they were enemies, but once he realized he couldn’t win, they were husband and wife. He was very practical.

There was no one else in the corridor, so he completely let go. Not only did his tone change and his voice soften, but he also completely let go. He was like an opened clam—pitiful, innocent, and fragile, displaying his most vulnerable side, begging the person in front of him for mercy.

If Xie Yilin didn’t know him so well, he might have fallen for it.

But at that moment, the man’s heart was hard.

Particularly hard.

Xie Yilin stayed calm and composed, showing no sign of being affected. He cradled the Omega in his arms and asked in a low voice, “Why do you like hugging pillows so much?”

……He needed to be different from the pillows.

Bai Chen blinked. “Well……”

“There’s no real reason.”

“When I was little, my dad was stationed overseas in the military, right?”

“My mom was an archaeologist and was always traveling for work, super busy,”

“It was usually just me and the housekeeping robot at home……”

He couldn’t exactly remember when he started liking pillows. But he had done some research and looked into a lot of related information.

It is said that one of the possible causes of skin hunger is not receiving enough skin-to-skin comfort as a child.

Which means hugs.

Children who lack hugs crave them as if they are thirsty for water.

They long for a hug.

Hugs are to them what water is to the thirsty.

Water that sustains all life.

At that moment, he was holding Xie Yilin tightly, pressed closely against him. Without realizing, Xie Yilin loosened his arms and let him stand firmly on the ground. Then Bai Chen leaned in again, fully embracing him once more.

Whether sad or joyful, there’s no need to dwell on the past or worry about the future.

Right now, let’s just embrace each other.

The Omega looked up earnestly and said, "I can tell the difference between a person and a hug pillow."

"Well..."

Bai Chen smiled again, his dimples brimming with honey and the sweetest things in the world. His eyes sparkled like stars, his voice soft and touching as he said coquettishly—

"So, you have to hug me more!"

The author has something to say: Bai Chen: Mom, I finally got a scene in the mini-theater! I have an important question! Why am I an Omega? It puts me at a disadvantage in bed!

Author: Well, you see, why is it disadvantageous? It’s a benefit, a great advantage! Even the crown prince; when it comes to matters in bed, isn’t it up to you to decide the pace...

Xie Yilin: ...

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Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or poured nutrient solution between 2021-09-15 16:34:12 and 2021-09-16 15:52:31~

Thanks to the following angels for pouring nutrient solution: Octopus 10 bottles; GreenFanBaby, GrapeSoda, 22365657, BlueSkyLittlePrince, WhiteWoodQinJiu, IslandFlowerWhale 1 bottle each;

Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!