Chapter 49 Replacement for Your Crush

Chapter 49: The Stand-In for His Heart's Desire

Lin Juangui paused, momentarily taken aback.

Huo Zeshen's tone was so intimate and natural that Lin Juangui initially thought the adult Huo Zeshen had returned. But the boy's youthful face quickly dispelled that notion.

He rested his hands on his knees, breathing slightly heavily, and looked up at Huo Zeshen with a smile. "I was waiting for you at the exit. Who would've thought you'd circle all the way around to the entrance?"

Huo Zeshen gently patted Lin Juangui's back, helping him regulate his breathing, his face etched with regret and apology. "I'm sorry, Brother. I made you run so far. I just wanted you to see me the moment you arrived. I didn't expect it to backfire."

Lin Juangui finally straightened up, his smile bright. "It's fine. We met up, didn't we? Shall we go to the amusement park?"

"Can you still walk, Brother?"

Huo Zeshen had diligently studied the Omega section during his physiology classes.

He knew some Omegas were physically frail and couldn't handle strenuous activity, yet Lin Juangui had run all the way for him.

A warm current flowed through the boy's heart, and he continued shyly, "If you can't walk, I can carry you. I'm strong enough now..."

Lin Juangui didn't react, simply gazing intently at Huo Zeshen.

It wasn't surprising that he was overthinking things; this kind of conversation frequently occurred between Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen.

When they traveled, Huo Zeshen often carried Lin Juangui around, never once complaining of fatigue.

Lin Juangui loved leaning against Huo Zeshen's broad back, feeling the man's firm, sculpted muscles through the fabric. It made him feel secure.

The gazes of the man and the boy seemed to merge at some point. The boy before him looked sincere, with a subtle hint of restraint and shyness.

Lin Juangui was momentarily lost in thought. He let out an emotional laugh and patted Huo Zeshen's arm. "I know you mean well, but it's okay. Let's hurry to the amusement park. Come on."

Huo Zeshen nodded, knowing this would be the outcome, but he couldn't help himself.

He was simply trying to repay Lin Juangui in his own way. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

Yet, Lin Juangui's gaze always gave Huo Zeshen a strange feeling.

Huo Zeshen couldn't quite describe what that feeling was. Was it because Lin Juangui had his own Alpha that he didn't need Huo Zeshen to carry him?

Was Lin Juangui thinking about his Alpha when he was with him?

Countless thoughts raced through Huo Zeshen's mind, but in the end, he told himself to stop overthinking. His insignificant crush was destined to remain hidden, so why torment himself?

The two took a car to the theme park. The other trainees were enthusiastically forming groups to enjoy the rides, while their parents constantly sought opportunities to chat with Lin Juangui.

Huo Zeshen could tell Lin Juangui didn't want to be disturbed and, for once, took the initiative. "I've never tried any of these. Can you take me to whatever you like, Brother?"

"Sure."

Huo Zeshen's request wasn't excessive. In fact, Lin Juangui thought he was being almost too considerate.

Boys his age usually preferred thrilling rides, but Lin Juangui wasn't very fond of them, so he stuck to gentler attractions like the merry-go-round, spinning teacups, and bumper cars.

Huo Zeshen stayed by Lin Juangui's side without complaint, showing no curiosity even about the rides he'd never experienced.

Lin Juangui was puzzled. "You're really not the least bit interested?"

He'd been to amusement parks with the adult Huo Zeshen before, where Huo Zeshen dragged him around from top to bottom, so energetic that Lin Juangui wanted to kick him.

"Are you a dog, Huo Zeshen? Am I going to have to walk you every day?"

Huo Zeshen shook his head and moved closer to Lin Juangui, his smile warm and sweet. "I am Xiao Juan's dog, woof woof."

Lin Juangui was torn between laughter and tears. It wasn't until Huo Zeshen gave him a thorough two-hour massage that evening that Lin Juangui finally forgave him.

The teenage Huo Zeshen suddenly looked up at the tallest Ferris wheel in the amusement park. "That one seems to go really high. Can we ride it?"

"Of course."

Lin Juangui naturally wanted to grant the child's request.

Little did he know that Huo Zeshen said this because he had overheard some students talking a few days earlier about how only truly close people ride the Ferris wheel together.

So, naturally, the thing Huo Zeshen was most curious about in the amusement park was the Ferris wheel.

He wanted to find a way to prove his relationship with Lin Juangui, even if that relationship might mean nothing to Lin Juangui.

The Ferris wheel car had a small table in the middle. Before boarding, Lin Juangui had bought some snacks near the ticket booth.

He asked Huo Zeshen if he had eaten properly at noon, and Huo Zeshen nodded, saying, "Yes, I did."

The space inside the Ferris wheel was a bit cramped. The two sat together, and Huo Zeshen's knees would occasionally bump Lin Juangui's.

A teenager's heart racing is always accompanied by fluster and recklessness. Huo Zeshen was fighting the urge to get closer to Lin Juangui. This was a rare moment alone with Lin Juangui, and Huo Zeshen treasured every second.

To break the silence, Huo Zeshen asked Lin Juangui, "Why do you always ask me if I've eaten properly every time you see me?"

Lin Juangui rested his chin in his hands and looked out the window. He looked especially gentle in the twilight, and his tone was soft.

"Aside from all external matters, eating and sleeping are the most important. Only by maintaining your strength can you do what you want to do. Although many people in the Federation now prefer using meal replacements instead of consuming eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables daily, for me, eating is a rare moment of relaxation, so it should be taken seriously."

Back when he first met Huo Zeshen, Huo Zeshen had said the same thing to him.

At that time, Lin Juangui was immersed in busy work every day. In his early years at work, his income was low, and he could only afford a rice ball for meals, drinking coffee like water. This is what led to his stomach problems later on.

After Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen got together, Huo Zeshen's attitude toward life really inspired him.

Huo Zeshen was the type of person who wouldn't skip a meal even if the sky was falling. No matter what he was doing, he always made sure to fill his stomach first.

As Huo Zeshen put it, "Only when I take good care of myself can the people around me avoid having to divert their attention to look after me. When I have energy, I can naturally help more people. That's my awareness as a doctor."

Under Huo Zeshen's influence, Lin Juangui gradually changed. Even his subordinates said that since Lin Juangui started dating, he had become more "human" and was no longer as relentlessly focused on meetings and executing plans regardless of everything else.

Lin Juangui suddenly smiled, his eyes crinkling. He felt that fate was like a Möbius strip—the outlook he'd learned from Huo Zeshen had come full circle, and now he was teaching it back to the young Huo Zeshen before him.

Huo Zeshen listened intently, nodding very seriously. "I get it, Brother. I'll make sure to eat properly from now on, and you should too."

Don't run yourself ragged over things.

"That's my boy. If you eat well, you'll grow tall. Isn't that why I have to look up to you now?"

Huo Zeshen's fingers, resting on his legs, curled slightly. He suddenly remembered a dream from long ago—Lin Juangui nestled in his arms, bathed in golden light, his beauty utterly captivating.

The teenager's waist bent slightly. "Then I'll try to crouch down a bit more in the future."

Lin Juangui didn't notice anything unusual. Instead, he was greatly amused by Huo Zeshen's words. It had been a long time since he felt so relaxed and happy. "That won't do. You should stand up straight—that's how you look confident."

It was the afternoon, and the bright light shone on Lin Juangui's face, as if casting a holy glow upon him.

Huo Zeshen was completely mesmerized; he had never dared to imagine that he could be so close to Lin Juangui, even close enough to see the peach fuzz on his cheeks.

It was exactly like in his dreams, but the *gege* before him seemed even more approachable.

Huo Zeshen swallowed hard, mustering courage from nowhere, his words carrying the characteristic fearlessness of youth.

"Brother, I have nothing right now, but in the future, I'll give you everything I have."

Lin Juangui knew why Huo Zeshen was saying these things. He reached out to smooth Huo Zeshen's hair and said earnestly, "You will meet many people and experience many things in the future. I am just a page in the book of your youth—don't miss the exciting story ahead because of this one page."

Huo Zeshen suddenly grew anxious. "Does Brother think I can't do it?"

Lin Juangui shook his head. "Of course you can. For me, providing for you is very important, but that's my burden to bear. I don't want you to put too much pressure and burden on yourself. That's not good."

If it weren't for Huo Zeshen, Lin Juangui wouldn't have invested so much thought.

Lin Juangui knew he was playing favorites, but he was human, not an emotionless log—he couldn't ignore Huo Zeshen's face.

In this world, aside from Huo Zeshen, everyone else was unfamiliar to Lin Juangui. In an unfamiliar environment, people instinctively seek places that make them feel secure.

He couldn't defy his instinct to care for Huo Zeshen; he couldn't stand by and watch Huo Zeshen be bullied without doing anything.

Huo Zeshen's eyes grew slightly moist.

Lin Juangui had always taught him not to be overly emotional, but could anyone who had touched such searing warmth in winter ever stop longing for it?

Huo Zeshen couldn't.

His world was so small, filled only with Lin Juangui and training matters. Knowledge flooded his mind, and in his spare time, the first thing he thought of was always, "What is Lin Juangui doing now?"

But Lin Juangui was so busy—he had his own goals, a strong partner, and heavy coursework.

Having even a part of Lin Juangui's time, sitting together on the Ferris wheel enjoying the view, was already a precious moment.

Huo Zeshen told himself inwardly: don't be too impatient.

This time, he had been impulsive again, but there would absolutely not be a next time.

Huo Zeshen wasn't discouraged. Instead, he changed the subject and began talking to Lin Juangui about his daily studies.

Lin Juangui listened very attentively, nodding from time to time and praising Huo Zeshen.

The Ferris wheel soon reached its peak. Lin Juangui's eyes were sensitive to bright light, so he took off his glasses and turned from the light, facing Huo Zeshen directly.

Huo Zeshen kept his gaze fixed on Lin Juangui—his gaze was so direct, the youthful infatuation almost entirely unconcealed. The two held each other's gaze for a long time.

This was the happiest moment for Huo Zeshen since leaving Youlan Star.

Being by the side of someone he liked and seeing scenery he had never witnessed before—it seemed like a very good beginning.

Huo Zeshen suddenly felt filled with strength.

He knew his abilities were limited now and he couldn't repay Lin Juangui in any significant way.

So the only thing he could do was study hard and take responsibility for himself.

After the trip to the amusement park, Lin Juangui felt that Huo Zeshen's expression seemed much more determined than before.

As long as he could grow up well, Lin Juangui would be at ease.

Lin Juangui returned to Sailing Star very late. He took off his suit jacket, unbuttoned a few buttons of his shirt, and was about to take a bath when he unexpectedly bumped into Mu Zhang in the hallway.

Mu Zhang's gaze fell on Lin Juangui's pale chest. The Alpha let out a cold sneer and slowly approached Lin Juangui.

Lin Juangui's instincts went on alert, and the next second, Mu Zhang grabbed his wrist and asked mockingly, "Had a great time out today, didn't you?"

"Not bad, why?"

Lin Juangui didn't know what he had done to upset Mu Zhang again and looked somewhat innocent.

If Lin Juangui had looked up to carefully observe Mu Zhang's expression, he would have noticed that Mu Zhang's lips were trembling slightly.

Perhaps, given Mu Zhang's pride, he couldn't allow himself to lose to some brat who was still wet behind the ears. That Alpha had nothing—not a single thing that compared to him—so why was Lin Juangui giving him so much attention and even spending time with him at an amusement park?

If Gu Mi hadn't told Mu Zhang about Lin Juangui's past experiences today, Mu Zhang might still have thought Huo Zeshen was insignificant.

But after investigating Lin Juangui's past on Mu Zhang's orders, Gu Mi discovered something important.

"When Lin Juangui was thirteen, his school organized a spring outing. While on a boat, a young boy drowned—they seemed quite close. The school's database lost a lot of data due to a virus, otherwise we could have retrieved photos and detailed background information."

Some details didn't quite line up, though. For instance, the boat Lin Juangui was on was sailing on a lake, and there was no storm or anything of the sort.

Gu Mi believed Lin Juangui's memory of the past had blurred, but the shadow remained in his heart, causing him to exaggerate what happened.

But a sudden thought crossed Mu Zhang's mind: "What if he sees that kid as a substitute?"

"What?" Gu Mi didn't follow Mu Zhang's line of thinking at first.

But Mu Zhang felt that many things made sense when explained this way.

A person wouldn't show so much kindness and attention to a stranger who suddenly appeared unless that person sensed some advantage.

If Lin Juangui wasn't treating Huo Zeshen as a substitute for someone he cherished in his youth, why would he look at him so tenderly?

After all, most of the time when facing Mu Zhang, Lin Juangui seemed impatient and eager to be done—just like now.

To Mu Zhang, these were actually small matters. He knew Lin Juangui had kindness with nowhere to put it, but when he learned that Lin Juangui had gone on the Ferris wheel with Huo Zeshen, he let out an incredulous snort, then took a deep breath, his jaw tight.

Lin Juangui always had people "protecting" his safety. The photos sent back by the bodyguards were clear: Huo Zeshen sat beside Lin Juangui with a mesmerized gaze, and although Lin Juangui's smile was faint, his relaxed demeanor seemed genuine, without any of the usual wariness he showed around Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang felt a ridiculous feeling that his dignity was being challenged.

He told himself there was no need to hold such hostility toward an underage kid, but after thinking it over, Mu Zhang still felt Lin Juangui was more to blame.

Even if that brat was an Alpha with immature pheromones, as an Omega, Lin Juangui shouldn't have gotten that close to Huo Zeshen.

Knowing Lin Juangui had returned, Mu Zhang had been waiting for him. Now, seeing Lin Juangui's clueless look, he found him even more detestable.

"Don't you have any Omega awareness? Can't you see that kid is smiling at you in a way that's not right?"

Lin Juangui's gaze lingered on Mu Zhang's face for a moment. He suddenly laughed, as if too weary to argue. "You've been having me watched, and on top of that, you're jealous of a young Alpha? Don't you think that's childish?"

Except for that period when he couldn't control himself due to psychological issues, Lin Juangui had always remained emotionally stable around Mu Zhang. Whether Mu Zhang was happy or upset didn't affect him one bit.

Mu Zhang's anger fell on deaf ears, and being called childish only made the fire in his heart rage even more uncontrollably.

"Am I more childish than a teenager? Lin Juangui, have you forgotten your role? Are you doing charity just to support a young lover?"

Mu Zhang knew Lin Juangui had only stayed at the auction for half an hour before leaving. Although it didn't affect the auction's progress, it made Mu Zhang feel that Lin Juangui was overly focused on that kid.

Lin Juangui's eyes turned cold. He tried to twist his wrist free, but Mu Zhang gripped it tighter, refusing to let go no matter what.

Since that was the case, Lin Juangui saw no point in resisting unnecessarily. Even if his wrist were to break, Mu Zhang wouldn't care in the slightest.

So Lin Juangui straightforwardly played his first card: "It takes one to know one. Mu Zhang, who is the one who has forgotten their role—you or me? Are we really partners? When it comes to loyalty in marriage, how much have you actually upheld?"

Mu Zhang's cheek twitched. He was stunned by Lin Juangui's questions.

Just as Mu Zhang's mind was racing, Lin Juangui added, "I promised Xiao Shen I would accompany him to an event. He is an orphan; I'm his responsible adult. As the first child I've taken responsibility for, I need to uphold a stable image. I can't control whether others like me or not, but I hold myself to a high standard. So, Mu Zhang, stop being ridiculous."

The Alpha's gaze wavered.

From the moment Mu Zhang found Lin Juangui, he knew Lin Juangui was just a scent substitute.

He couldn't accept the Alpha pheromones with the scent of white fir, but Omega pheromones were what he needed. So why couldn't Mu Zhang have a personal inhibitor that suited his preferences?

But now, all that remained between him and Mu Yuanqing was a web of shared interests, and the developing feelings for Lin Juangui were tightly suppressed by that contract.

The anger on Mu Zhang's face slowly faded. He released Lin Juangui's wrist and clearly saw the red mark left on it.

The glaring color seemed to burn him. Mu Zhang turned away with a complicated expression.

Loyalty in marriage?

There had never been any from the start.

He had treated Lin Juangui as a substitute for Mu Yuanqing, so why couldn't Lin Juangui treat someone else as a substitute for the one he was attracted to?

Mu Zhang turned to leave, but Lin Juangui stopped him: "Running away from the problem again, Mu Zhang? I didn't know you were this kind of person. If you don't like how I interact with others, just say it directly. Don't come to me, throw a tantrum, gain nothing, and then slink away. It makes you look spineless."

Lin Juangui had a sharp tongue. Mu Zhang turned back abruptly, looking as if he had something to say but couldn't find the words.

He had already decided not to argue with Lin Juangui—why was Lin Juangui pressing him?

"Would you change if I said something? You never take my words seriously. Next time, you'll just push it even further. Lin Juangui, how much better are you than me?"

Both of them saw through each other. Silence spread through the hallway. Lin Juangui walked past Mu Zhang toward the bathroom. He couldn't be bothered to give Mu Zhang a diplomatic response—did Mu Zhang even deserve it?

Lin Juangui nodded to show he understood, his expression unreadable. He quietly scheduled an in-person consultation with Wei Yan.

He felt he was starting to confuse the adult Huo Zeshen and the underage Huo Zeshen, and he didn't know whether that was good or bad.

But Lin Juangui kept these doubts to himself. When facing Wei Yan, he talked more about matters related to Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang cared quite a bit about Lin Juangui's mental health. He probably didn't want to experience again the helplessness of Lin Juangui lying in bed, unable to do anything—it would delay too many of Mu Zhang's plans.

Lin Juangui had made himself indispensable to Mu Zhang, but that didn't mean he had to obediently comply with Mu Zhang in everything.

They had been in a cold war for a few days, to the point where they avoided each other to keep the peace. Lin Juangui enjoyed the quiet, but Mu Zhang couldn't stand it.

During this time, Mu Zhang had been handling official business on Sailing Star. He returned to the floating island every day, hoping to run into Lin Juangui and explain what had happened.

But Lin Juangui always seemed to perfectly time his meals, baths, and sleep to avoid Mu Zhang. He was as slippery as an eel, and Mu Zhang simply couldn't "catch" him.

Ge Miao heard the two had argued. Normally, he wouldn't get involved in his superior's personal affairs, but now Lin Juangui seemed to affect Mu Zhang's mood. If he wasn't careful, he might be affected too. So he went to Mu Zhang's military factory to chat with the designer and successfully obtained a gun Mu Zhang had custom-made not long ago.

The gun was light but highly lethal, requiring considerable precision.

When Ge Miao brought the box to Mu Zhang, he was surprised to see Mu Zhang sigh in relief.

"Go get him."

Getting someone like Mu Zhang to apologize was nearly impossible. Lin Juangui was angry with him and unwilling to give him an easy way out. Mu Zhang couldn't lower his head to apologize for something he thought was Lin Juangui's fault.

But Mu Zhang knew that if he didn't take the initiative to back down, Lin Juangui would keep this up until school started—something Mu Zhang absolutely wouldn't allow.

Lin Juangui arrived quickly but sat down on the sofa without looking his way, as if Mu Zhang were some kind of mold—one look would make it hard to breathe.

Mu Yuanqing had a good temper, so Mu Zhang rarely had to coax him. He had little experience in this area.

He admitted he had been impulsive that night. He should have sat down and talked properly with Lin Juangui. Lin Juangui might have listened, but he had chosen the worst way to express his frustration, which was bad for both of them.

Mu Zhang placed a box in front of Lin Juangui. Lin Juangui glanced at it but didn't seem very interested.

"Open it."

Lin Juangui saw no need to oppose Mu Zhang over such a small matter. He unclasped the box, and what was inside surprised him.

It was a gun.

He looked at Mu Zhang questioningly. Mu Zhang stepped forward, took the gun out of the box, and weighed it in his hand. "Last time you used my gun, the recoil hurt your wrist. I had someone customize this for you. Consider it a gift. Want to try it out?"

"Sure."

Lin Juangui agreed readily, so much so that Mu Zhang almost wondered if it was too smooth.

They went to the shooting range together. While Mu Zhang was helping Lin Juangui put on the wrist guard and goggles, he suddenly asked where Lin Juangui had learned to shoot so well.

Back when they encountered Kuang Jie, Lin Juangui hadn't hesitated to shoot him in the head.

Lin Juangui chuckled noncommittally.

The target popped up, and Lin Juangui aimed and fired without hesitation.

Bullseye.

"This is one of my few talents. I've always been good at shooting games—whatever I come across, I usually take them out instantly. They say my dynamic vision is pretty good. What do you think?"

This goes back to Lin Juangui's university days.

His roommate loved all kinds of shooting games, but Lin Juangui was usually too busy with part-time jobs to play.

One night, when Lin Juangui returned to the dorm, his roommate got a call from family. The roommate pushed Lin Juangui in front of the computer and asked him to finish the round. "Just play however you want, as long as you don't go AFK."

Lin Juangui couldn't refuse. His roommate had already run to the balcony to take the call.

The call lasted almost half an hour. When the roommate returned, he saw the big "first place" on the screen. He was so shocked he nearly dropped his phone. He ran to the bathroom door and said to Lin Juangui, who was showering, "Dude! You never said you were this good!"

The roommate had never seen Lin Juangui play games before. After Lin Juangui finished washing up and hanging his clothes, no matter what Lin Juangui said, the roommate insisted he play one more round.

"I really was just playing casually," Lin Juangui said, already feeling sleepy. He had to wake up early the next day for his convenience store shift.

The roommate was too excited. "Just one round! Let me see your skills. If you get first place again, I'll give you a hundred bucks, okay!"

Lin Juangui lifted his gaze, perked up slightly at the mention of money.

Lin Juangui wasn't a computer illiterate—he used a computer for his assignments regularly. He didn't know exactly how skilled his gameplay was, but those around him were constantly exclaiming—

"No way! If that's a human, I'll eat my hat!"

"I didn't even see where the enemy was, and you already took him out?!"

"A genius is right here with us…"

Later, when Lin Juangui went abroad for a project, he had someone get his hands on a few guns for self-defense. His performance at the shooting range was impressive too—even without glasses and firing blind, he could achieve over 90% accuracy.

The shot that hit Kuang Jie was purely Lin Juangui's instinctive reaction to protect himself when he sensed danger. But Mu Zhang seemed to have misunderstood something, and when he spoke about it, there was a hint of admiration that Lin Juangui couldn't quite describe.

Mu Zhang looked at the distant target. Lin Juangui's results were outstanding, just like the man himself.

"I originally wanted to use this chance to teach you some techniques, but it seems completely unnecessary. I thought it could help mend things between us."

Lin Juangui had been aiming with his gun raised, but upon hearing Mu Zhang's words, he let out a soft sigh, as if in exasperation.

"Did I start this?"

Mu Zhang had previously had a proper conversation with Song Jie. She said that Lin Juangui was someone who could get along with others easily if he wanted to. The reason he kept being difficult in front of Mu Zhang was simply that Mu Zhang had crossed his boundaries.

From Lin Juangui's perspective, his interactions with Huo Zeshen were completely normal. The young man had lost both parents at an early age, so giving him a little extra care wasn't a problem. Besides, Lin Juangui hadn't done anything inappropriate or excessive.

But Mu Zhang viewed Huo Zeshen's feelings for Lin Juangui from an Alpha's perspective, feeling that the other man threatened his position.

What fault did Lin Juangui have? If anything, Huo Zeshen shouldn't have been so attentive to an Omega who already had an Alpha.

Yet Mu Zhang couldn't easily go after Huo Zeshen—it would make him seem narrow-minded.

Having reasoned it through, Mu Zhang could only console himself by deciding to keep a closer watch on that Huo kid in the future. He couldn't lose his temper with Lin Juangui again.

So this time, Mu Zhang's apology was relatively timely. "My fault. Seeing how sincere I'm being, can you forgive me?"

If this counted as sincerity, some people might as well kneel and never get up.

But Lin Juangui had long been aware of Mu Zhang's nature. Since the other was extending an olive branch, refusing would be foolish.

So Lin Juangui raised his gun with one hand and fired three consecutive shots at the target.

"My position hasn't changed. You don't need forgiveness, and I won't hold a grudge over this matter."

Lin Juangui turned and smiled at Mu Zhang, his expression unreadable. "People say you can get used to anything eventually. This is just who I am—please continue getting used to it."