Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I have strength, I can earn money. Once my memory returns, I'll leave on my own."

The alpha's voice was low, his lowered eyes making him appear exceptionally innocent. But Bai Qi was no fool; if he could be swayed so easily by a few words, wouldn't that make him an idiot?

Seeing Bai Qi remain silent, Qi Heyan grew anxious. He had lost his memory, but he wasn't stupid. If he couldn't convince the omega to keep him now, he'd lose his chance.

"Let me help!"

The alpha didn't hesitate, taking the wooden plank from Bai Qi's hands, giving the omega no chance to refuse. Qi Heyan looked around and spotted a small pile of wood—not particularly high, but still difficult for Bai Qi to climb onto the roof from. His gaze flickered before he stepped onto it and climbed up.

The wooden house was ancient, many parts already rotting. Qi Heyan even felt that if the wind blew any stronger, it might collapse. The alpha carefully approached the damaged section, aligning the plank before looking down at the omega. "Do you have nails?"

Bai Qi was staring up at him, clutching a small bag of nails. He hesitated for a moment, not moving. Qi Heyan was patient. The alpha softly said, "Let me do it. Will you consider my sincerity?"

Sincerity... What sincerity could a person he'd just picked up off the street have?

Bai Qi grumbled inwardly but still tossed the nails and hammer up. Qi Heyan caught them steadily. His clothes tightened as he crouched, his muscles becoming more defined as he hammered the nails. The omega watched for a long moment before turning away—

This person seemed very capable. If he kept him around, he could earn money and protect him. Wouldn't the funds for building a house be saved up quickly then?

However, this alpha's demeanor was different from theirs. Just the expensive items on him alone set him apart.

The omega sat on a wooden block, lost in thought. Before his backside could even warm the spot, he felt a gust of wind in front of him. Bai Qi flinched in alarm, looking up to see the alpha jumping down.

Bai Qi glared at him, then immediately looked away. He didn't even want to say "thank you" anymore!

"Did I scare you?" Qi Heyan set the remaining items aside and slowly walked over. "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

The woodpile was somewhat prickly. If Bai Qi stepped on it barefoot, he might get hurt. How had this omega gotten himself so dirty?

"No shoes to wear."

Bai Qi's words were half-truth, half-lie. He had bought himself shoes before, but in this place, he was highly susceptible to violence. Most of the friends he'd once had were beaten to death. The omega thought for a long time and stopped wearing shoes altogether. During that period, his shoes would always be snatched, then torn apart and burned.

Some people were just like that, finding joy in trampling others.

Qi Heyan didn't ask further. He simply took off his own shoes and knelt on the ground. The alpha didn't say a word, but Bai Qi understood. The omega shot up immediately. "I don't want them!"

But Qi Heyan's hands were faster. The damned alpha had clearly been trained; he knew how to use subtle force. Before long, Bai Qi was pressed down again, his ankle gripped as warm shoes were slipped onto his feet. The omega froze for a moment, but then his face twisted. "That..."

"Do your feet stink?"

Qi Heyan: "..."

"No." The alpha pressed his lips together, unable to force a smile. "If you mind, I can wash them."

"It's not that I mind." Bai Qi looked at the oversized shoes, exhaled, and then stared at him with bright eyes. "I haven't worn shoes in a long time, so I'm still a bit unaccustomed. And these are too big; they don't suit me. You don't need to go out of your way to be kind to me."

Qi Heyan immediately denied it. He wanted to grab the omega's hand but quickly realized the gesture was too intimate, clenching his hand mid-air instead. "Let me stay, okay?"

Bai Qi was silent for a while, then got up and went into the house without answering, taking off the shoes as he walked. Qi Heyan looked at the scattered shoes but said nothing more.

Since the house was fixed, Bai Qi had to go to work in the afternoon. He couldn't sell Qi Heyan's belongings yet, or it would quickly arouse suspicion.

By noon, Bai Qi needed to get something to eat for himself. He took out two compressed biscuits and tossed one to Qi Heyan without looking up. "One each, no more."

"Thank you."

The alpha didn't complain, even though he had never eaten anything so unpalatable.

The omega ate with gusto. He turned to look at Qi Heyan, thought for a moment, then stood up. He walked over to the alpha, his expression serious. "Lie down."

Qi Heyan blinked, looking innocent, but obediently lay down, appearing ready for anything. The omega at this moment was like a decadent emperor, approaching his "little beauty" with ill intent.

"You want to touch me..."

Qi Heyan's words stopped. He froze for a few seconds. Bai Qi knelt with one knee on his thigh, the omega's full weight pressing down on the alpha. Bai Qi glanced at Qi Heyan, his tone fierce: "Don't move!"

The omega was completely oblivious to how suggestive his position was. He reached out to unwrap the bandages on Qi Heyan's body, then lowered his head to examine the alpha's wounds. His hair wasn't long and was a bit messy, but fortunately, his features were delicate, so he didn't look bad even with dust on his face.

Qi Heyan lay flat on the bed, unable to ignore the weight on his abdomen and thighs. The alpha put his hands above his head, quietly staring at the ceiling. From time to time, he heard the omega's murmuring: "The wounds are healing really well."

"Is this an alpha's healing ability?"

"He can help me with work now..."

Bai Qi even patted Qi Heyan's abs before climbing off the alpha, humming twice. "You can get up now."

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

Only after standing upright did Bai Qi feel something was off. His expression shifted slightly. He coughed lightly and then softly said, "Since you don't remember anything, you probably don't know where this is either, do you?"

The alpha sat up, his attentive demeanor greatly pleasing the omega.

"This is the slums. I'm among the lowest of the low here, so I have to work every day. You'll follow me this afternoon. If I call someone, you follow too. Understand?"

Qi Heyan immediately nodded, like an obedient canary. "Understood."

The omega was satisfied. He smiled, revealing dimples that made him look cheerful. Bai Qi turned and took out the dust he had saved, then smeared it on the alpha's face. He stopped only after confirming that his appearance was sufficiently disguised.

"That's better," Bai Qi said with a serious expression. He bent slightly to meet the alpha's gaze. "Some people here like to keep alphas. You need to be careful. You look pretty good, so don't get targeted."

"Okay."

Qi Heyan flashed Bai Qi a smile that seemed quite sincere. There was no mirror in the house, so he didn't know what he looked like. The alpha simply asked, "Then are you also very good-looking?"

"I'm not."

Bai Qi retorted without thinking. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Qi Heyan. "I'm hideously ugly. I'd scare people just by going outside."

Qi Heyan said "oh," not knowing whether to believe it or not, but he didn't ask further.

In the afternoon, Bai Qi went to Auntie's place again, this time bringing Qi Heyan. As Auntie was assigning tasks, she suddenly froze, her gaze falling directly on the alpha. Her voice was full of suspicion: "This is...?"

"My friend." Bai Qi stood in front of Qi Heyan, looking up and giving Auntie an awkward smile. "What work is there today?"

"That's an alpha, isn't it?" Auntie gave him a casual glance but didn't say more. "The higher-ups want ore. Ten pounds per person is enough."

"How much?" Bai Qi calculated in his mind. Resources here weren't particularly abundant, and ore was scarce. Ten pounds... if they were lucky, they could collect that much.

Auntie's voice was light: "A hundred star coins. Are you in?"

"Yes."

Bai Qi immediately grabbed two baskets and pickaxes, handing one set to Qi Heyan. The omega winked at the alpha, signaling him to follow. There were many people waiting behind them.

Qi Heyan didn't say a word, only glancing at Auntie before leaving.

The daily tasks varied, and what one was assigned was entirely up to Auntie's mood. Refusal meant no other opportunities. Compared to Bai Qi's other odd jobs, this place was at least safer.

"Collecting ore is simple—just dig into the mountain."

Bai Qi led Qi Heyan to a spot that wasn't exactly a mountain but more like a series of small rocky hills. Many people had gathered there, but no one paid them any attention. The omega sniffed and handed the tools to Qi Heyan. "Work hard!"

"Okay." Qi Heyan took the tools and followed Bai Qi, quickly learning how to mine. But his efficiency was low; he had no idea where the ore was, so he just kept digging and changing directions.

Bai Qi worked in silence, his palms red and stinging, but he didn't hesitate. He was used to it—this job was exhausting, dirty, and dangerous, with rocks occasionally falling from above. Brawls erupted nearby, making it impossible to find a moment of peace.

The alpha frowned at the meager results in their baskets, not quite understanding the purpose of such grueling labor. "Can we really gather ten pounds?"

The omega didn't stop working. He grunted in thought before answering seriously, "Probably not. But if we don't, we'll still get half the pay."

"Don't overthink it. Just dig."

"Perhaps we could use a detector; it would be much faster," Qi Heyan casually suggested, but the moment the words left his mouth, he sensed a shift in the omega.

Bai Qi scoffed as if he had heard a joke, his expression somewhat exaggerated. "Please, we're cheaper."

He shrugged. "Scanners aren't free, are they? One star coin buys two buns. A hundred coins mean two hundred buns. Today is already very lucky."

Qi Heyan fell silent, momentarily stunned for a few seconds. As he raised his pickaxe, he glanced back. A group of people walked past them swaggering, something dangling in their hands. The alpha narrowed his eyes and whispered, "What do they do?"

Their clothes weren't luxurious but were clean, unlike their own dusty appearance. Even from a distance, you could feel the contempt in their eyes.

Bai Qi pressed his lips together, his voice a little unsteady. "Rich people, going to the underground casino."

"Casino?"

The alpha's eyes flickered. He seemed to realize something, his gaze unconsciously carrying a scrutinizing look. Qi Heyan slowly moved closer to the omega, his voice drifting into Bai Qi's ear—somewhat ethereal, even carrying a hint of condescension, yet these words landed firmly in the omega's mind: "Do you believe I can make you money?"

"Big money—!"