Chapter 21 Hopefully the Last Time

Chapter 21: I Hope This Is the Last Time

"Do you really think there's another reason?"

On their way back, Lin Juangui asked, puzzled.

He wasn't particularly concerned about the second male lead's journey, having never been personally involved and knowing very little about it. Beyond knowing that Huo Zeshen was Mu Yuanqing's obsessive sycophant, he knew nothing else, and the system wasn't willing to share more information.

Lin Juangui was lost in thought, lowering his gaze. Hearing Lin Juangui's question, he replied, "I just gave him a bit of hope. Who knows what the truth really is? I just need him to be less dejected and willing to be of use to me."

Lin Juangui had never revealed his own scars to gain someone's trust. He was reluctant to bring up his past, but seeing Huo Zeshen being deliberately targeted inevitably reminded him of his own childhood experiences.

Although his words might not necessarily be helpful to Huo Zeshen, they could at least give him the feeling that he wasn't alone—that there was someone who believed in and supported him.

Whether for Lin Juangui's goals or his own selfish reasons, Lin Juangui hoped Huo Zeshen could regain his strength and live well.

Even if Lin Juangui said Huo Zeshen's growth would take a very long time, Lin Juangui was willing to accompany him.

It was already evening when they returned to Luochen Manor. Butler Yang was waiting for Lin Juangui at the entrance, informing him that Mu Zhang was currently in the dining room and wanted Lin Juangui to join him for dinner if he returned at this hour.

"Mm, I understand."

When Lin Juangui arrived, Mu Zhang merely glanced briefly at Butler Yang. Butler Yang gestured for the servants in the dining room to leave and quietly closed the dining room door.

Mu Zhang was an unpredictable man. Lin Juangui had no right to inquire about his schedule, but as the party in control of the contract and an Alpha with an astonishing need for control, Mu Zhang would not allow anything to spiral out of control.

Lin Juangui knew this was a dinner with an ulterior motive. The relationship between him and Mu Zhang was actually quite awkward—they were little more than strangers who had met fewer than ten times, yet they shared the most intimate relationship in the world.

After greeting Mu Zhang, Lin Juangui sat on the opposite side of the table. Before he could even pick up his knife and fork, Mu Zhang said, "You've been very busy lately."

Mu Zhang, of course, knew what Lin Juangui had been up to and had also learned from his bodyguards about Lin Juangui inexplicably slipping away from under their noses to go drinking.

Lin Juangui looked up at Mu Zhang, showing none of the panic Mu Zhang had anticipated. Instead, he smiled and retorted, "Want to know what I did?"

His reaction was indeed unexpected to Mu Zhang. Mu Zhang quirked his lips slightly, his gaze probing, and did not deny it.

The atmosphere in the dining room seemed less tense than before. Lin Juangui appeared quite relaxed overall, resting his cheek on his fist as he said, "I went back to the Lin family company and kicked out a few uncles I've long been dissatisfied with. It felt pretty good."

Lin Juangui looked captivating when he smiled, his fair face under the indoor lighting as radiant and delicate as the morning sun.

Mu Zhang was momentarily dazed, but he didn't forget that the person before him was a scheming Omega.

"If it felt so good, why did you go out alone to drown your sorrows?"

Lin Juangui's smile faded slightly, as if he had recalled something unpleasant. He offered an excuse that sounded feeble to Mu Zhang: "Because... of family matters."

Although Lin Juangui himself had little affection for his two unfamiliar parents, Lin Juangui had, after all, been the obedient son for so many years. It seemed only natural for him to be sentimental about such things.

But Mu Zhang mercilessly exposed him: "Is that so? Someone capable of seizing control of the family company wouldn't get dead drunk over such a trivial reason, would they? You're an Omega. Don't you know that going to a bar alone without bodyguards is like laying yourself on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered?"

Lin Juangui lowered his eyelashes. Mu Zhang truly was someone who refused to even pretend to be polite.

Was it because he believed Omegas were inherently inferior in his presence?

"Sorry, I didn't think about that," Lin Juangui admitted straightforwardly.

Mu Zhang couldn't detect even a hint of remorse in him. He remained aggressive: "Didn't think about it, or was it deliberate? Don't forget, you're my Omega now. If someone were to kidnap you to threaten me, should I rescue you or not?"

Lin Juangui knew Mu Zhang had the capital to look down on him, but hearing this, he still thought Mu Zhang was too conceited.

He put on a guilty expression. "I won't drag you down."

Mu Zhang pressed on relentlessly, "If you were smart, you'd know not to cause me any trouble with your actions. I won't invest any more in you."

"...I understand."

Lin Juangui shrank into his seat as if frightened by Mu Zhang's words.

But Mu Zhang stood up and walked over to Lin Juangui, gripping his chin with one hand and forcing him to look up.

The Omega's skin was smooth, pale, and carried a faint woody scent that Mu Zhang liked. Unconsciously, Mu Zhang tightened his grip, seemingly quite fond of the sensation.

They locked eyes. Lin Juangui frowned slightly, but his gaze was incredibly calm, showing no fear or panic.

Mu Zhang chuckled softly, utterly unsurprised.

"Somehow, your acting in front of me is always so clumsy. Like these eyes..."

Lin Juangui struggled to break free from Mu Zhang's grip, but the other man was far stronger. His efforts were futile.

Mu Zhang didn't finish his sentence. As if coming to his senses, he released Lin Juangui's chin with evident disgust.

Unsurprisingly, Lin Juangui's chin was already bruised bluish-purple.

The Omega raised a hand to touch his now burning skin. Though his expression remained unchanged, he was cursing Mu Zhang ten thousand times in his heart.

Mu Zhang took a deep breath, returned to his seat, picked up the napkin he had used to wipe his mouth earlier, and wiped his hands again.

Lin Juangui's silence bored him. "You make me feel like I made a failed investment."

"Is that so? What has dissatisfied Mr. Mu?" Lin Juangui slowly raised his head, wearing the same hypocritical smile that irritated Mu Zhang. "To expect a return on a long-term investment in just a few months—I should thank you for your high expectations."

Expectations?

Perhaps.

Aside from wanting to reassure his grandmother, Mu Zhang's main reason for marrying Lin Juangui was to gauge Mu Yuanqing's reaction. He wanted to know why Mu Yuanqing had accepted him.

And how well human nature could withstand testing.

The reality wasn't far from his conjecture. If not for the military supplies Mu Zhang controlled, Mu Yuanqing would never have engaged in that ambiguous, fruitless relationship with him.

Mu Yuanqing wished him happiness and even bid a final farewell.

It had been like this for many years—all just Mu Zhang's wishful thinking.

At this thought, Mu Zhang took a deep breath, picked up the wine glass from the table, drained it in one go, and casually flung it away.

A dull thud and the sound of shattering glass followed. When Mu Zhang looked up again, he saw Lin Juangui with his eyes closed, blood streaming down his face from a head wound.

He was still sitting there properly, but the glass Mu Zhang had thrown had hit him squarely on the head.

"Couldn't you dodge?" Mu Zhang demanded, not reproaching himself but blaming Lin Juangui.

Lin Juangui smiled faintly. His gloomy, ghostly features, softened by gentle lines, appeared alluring and beautiful. Blood trickled from his temple down to his chin, which was already bruised from Mu Zhang's grip. Even in this disheveled state, he showed no sign of unease.

"If I dodged, you'd be even angrier, right?"

Mu Zhang was left speechless for the first time.

The Omega pushed himself up from the table and stood. He was truly exhausted by now.

"I don’t understand why you’re so hostile toward me. You agreed to the marriage, and you even approved of how I handled things in public. As for going out drinking without my bodyguard, I’ve already apologized and assured you it won’t happen again. If there’s anything else I’ve fallen short on, you can point it out. But I believe the bad mood you got from someone else shouldn’t be taken out on me."

Mu Zhang furrowed his brows but did not refute Lin Juangui’s words.

"Even if I’ve accepted the fact that you don’t respect me, it doesn’t mean you can treat me like an object whenever you feel like it, Mr. Mu. I hope this is the last time."

Lin Juangui turned and walked away without giving Mu Zhang a chance to explain. He knew all too well that Mu Zhang, with his stubborn and self-righteous nature, wouldn’t apologize, so he held no expectations.

Butler Yang had been listening outside and knew something was wrong. When he saw Lin Juangui open the door with a bleeding temple and bruised jaw, his eyes widened in shock.

Without looking back, Lin Juangui left. Butler Yang quickly arranged for a doctor to follow him and hurried into the dining room to address Mu Zhang, who was still standing there. "Sir, if he records his condition and reports it to the Omega Protection Association, you could be in serious trouble."

Mu Zhang stared at the shattered glass on the floor, agitated and distracted.

He didn’t respond to Butler Yang’s concerns and strode out of the dining room.

Meanwhile, Lin Juangui, after struggling back to his room, collapsed unconscious onto the bed.

The doctor had Lin Juangui moved into a treatment pod. The bruising on his chin had faded slightly, and the wound on his forehead was healing rapidly.

However, upon reviewing the data from the treatment pod, the doctor frowned and said to Butler Yang, who had come to check on the situation, "Once Mr. Lin wakes up, he’ll need a more thorough examination. His cranial nerves are injured."

Butler Yang’s eyes widened. "How could that be?"

"An Omega’s fragility isn’t just emotional but physical as well. They’re as delicate as porcelain—they can break easily. That’s why the Federation has been continuously enacting laws to protect Omegas. They’re simply too precious."

The doctor didn’t ask how Lin Juangui had been injured. After all, his employer was Mr. Mu, and at this point, only Mr. Mu could have harmed Lin Juangui.

Lin Juangui remained unconscious throughout the night. When he woke, everything looked blurry—a feeling that was not unfamiliar to him. Reaching out to the bedside table for his glasses, he suddenly remembered: wasn’t he free from nearsightedness since arriving in this world?

He had been pleasantly surprised when he first discovered this after arriving in this world.

Back when he was studying, he’d strained his eyes. Though his nearsightedness wasn’t severe, he still needed glasses sometimes to see finer details.

Now, it seemed he was back to square one.

Lin Juangui sighed. The doctor, who had been keeping watch nearby, noticed he was awake and asked if he was feeling unwell.

"The injuries on your chin and forehead have been treated. With some rest, they’ll heal completely. Don’t worry about scarring."

Lin Juangui suddenly let out a faint, bitter smile. Did these people think he cared about his looks, or were they just trying to prevent him from causing trouble that would implicate Mr. Mu?

He reached up and touched the wound on his forehead. Last time, it was his wrist wrapped in bandages; this time, it was his head. He wondered if next time, he’d be carried straight into a coffin, letting Mr. Mu keep his reputation for "caring" for Omegas.

The doctor continued observing Lin Juangui’s reactions, but Lin Juangui remained calm throughout and didn’t bring up Mr. Mu at all.

"Please arrange a vision test for me. Surgery isn’t an option for my eyes, so I’ll need glasses."