PE Ch14: Narrow-minded

“You haven’t left?” Pan Yinchuan was a bit surprised to see Jian Yan.

“I just finished serving your food.”

Pan Yinchuan instinctively looked at his hand again.

It was still unbandaged.

…A bit dirty.

Noticing his gaze, Jian Yan quickly hid his hand and apologized, “Sorry for worrying you.”

“Go quickly then.”

Only then did Jian Yan stand up and leave.

Pan Yinchuan felt a bit tired and didn’t eat much. After a while, he had the servants clear the dishes, and he fell asleep holding a blanket.

Jian Yan, sitting downstairs with his hand already bandaged, heard the servant’s footsteps and spoke, “Wait.”

“Assistant Jian, what’s the matter?” the servant asked politely.

“Nothing, just checking how Mr. Pan’s appetite has been these days,” Jian Yan said, sweeping his gaze over.

Unfortunately.

The dish with his blood in it remained untouched.

Pan Yinchuan was a person with the common Beta trait of going with the flow, broad-minded and gentle-tempered, clean from the inside out.

Being around such a person made one relax unconsciously.

But soon, you’d realize his broad-mindedness and gentleness stemmed from never really paying you any mind.

Your jealousy, frustration, and pain were insignificant to him.

Gradually, you’d become restless, impulsive, and uneasy, wanting to tear apart his calm, to soil his cleanliness…

Jian Yan’s thoughts stopped abruptly. He raised his hand to rub his forehead and said, “Get some ice grass tomorrow, Mr. Pan likes it.”

The servant nodded and pushed the cart away.

Huai Yu returned home very late. He glanced at Pan Yinchuan’s tightly closed bedroom door and, in a rare show of mercy, didn’t pull the Beta out of bed.

Assistant Zhang, meanwhile, went looking for Jian Yan.

Jian Yan was alone in his room, slowly tending to his hand injury by the desk lamp.

At least he wasn’t clinging to Pan Yinchuan.

Assistant Zhang, reeking of alcohol, thought his life lately resembled that of a eunuch supervisor, even having to manage infidelity.

Pan Yinchuan slept well and felt his weary kidneys somewhat rejuvenated.

He went downstairs to find Huai Yu having breakfast, with Jian Yan serving dishes and pouring water.

“Eat up, after breakfast I’ll take you to see Yan Xue,” Huai Yu said without looking up.

Pan Yinchuan replied, “Okay.”

He had just picked up his chopsticks when he got a nosebleed.

Huai Yu frowned, lifted his collar, and pressed his neck, “Why are you still bleeding with a buffer? Is the buffer malfunctioning?”

Pan Yinchuan tilted his head back, using a tissue to stop the bleeding, “Not used to the weather, too dry.”

Huai Yu’s brow relaxed. His cool fingers were without a hint of warmth, yet affectionately touched Pan Yinchuan’s neck.

Huai Yu said, “Don’t tilt your head back; the blood will flow into your windpipe. Keep your head level… Jian Yan, get the hemostatic spray.”

Jian Yan responded, lowered his head without looking much, and dutifully went to get the spray.

Under Huai Yu’s guidance, Pan Yinchuan slowly straightened his head.

Blood quickly soaked through the tissue, spreading to his lips.

Pan Yinchuan felt a bit embarrassed.

He awkwardly raised his eyes, only to find Huai Yu staring intently at his face, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

Pan Yinchuan: ?

Pan Yinchuan: ??

He suddenly remembered the time in the armored vehicle when he was overwhelmed by the Alpha’s pheromones, causing blood to gush from his mouth and nose, and Huai Yu didn’t show a hint of disgust.

On the contrary… Huai Yu’s actions on him became even more aggressive.

In a moment of clarity, Pan Yinchuan also recalled their first meeting.

At that time, Xiu Liang’s bodyguards were holding him, and the blood blurred his vision and face.

It should have been an incredibly humiliating scene, yet the Alpha chose him…

—Huai Yu liked seeing him bleed.

Pan Yinchuan’s throat tightened, suddenly feeling his job was even more dangerous.

Jian Yan soon returned with the spray. Huai Yu reached out to take it and then got up and walked to Pan Yinchuan’s side.

“Let me see,” Huai Yu said, pulling Pan Yinchuan’s hand away from his nose.

The blood had stained his lips, the vivid color outlining a full curve, making them look more kissable.

Huai Yu just stared at Pan Yinchuan without moving.

Pan Yinchuan maintained this awkward position for him to examine, feeling a bit stiff.

Huai Yu hadn’t used the hemostatic spray, which only confirmed Pan Yinchuan’s suspicion further.

…You people in high society are really hard to understand.

More blood flowed out.

Pan Yinchuan hurriedly tried to cover it, but Huai Yu held his wrist down.

However, this time Huai Yu didn’t continue admiring his bleeding look. Huai Yu pressed down on his forehead, forcing him to tilt his face back, almost as if demanding a kiss.

“Shh—”

“Shh—”

Two successive sounds, as Huai Yu pressed the spray against his nose and activated it.

The hemostatic spray worked quickly, and Pan Yinchuan shook his head, escaping from Huai Yu’s grasp.

“Alright, it’s stopped. Thank you, Mr. Huai.”

Huai Yu responded with a grunt, tossing the hemostatic spray back to Jian Yan.

After a while, a servant brought a basin of water to wash Pan Yinchuan’s face.

“I’ll do it myself,” Pan Yinchuan quickly said.

He was twenty-one years old, not one.

The servant smiled and said, “Then we’d need to bring a mirror for you, better let me do it.”

Pan Yinchuan thought it made sense. After all, he had been waited on a lot recently. He numbly relaxed his limbs, letting the servant wipe his face.

Huai Yu sat opposite, watching.

The servant’s movements were gentle; with the master sitting there, who would dare use much force?

The water in the cloth was warm, a bit different from the morning, and Pan Yinchuan instinctively shivered as it touched his face.

Huai Yu noticed his reaction, his fingers tightening.

The servant continued to wipe Pan Yinchuan’s face.

Huai Yu’s brows furrowed further, as if a beast inside his chest suddenly opened its bloodthirsty jaws…

He suddenly said, “Enough, stop wiping, hurry and eat breakfast.”

With the master’s order, regardless of whether the face was clean, the servant withdrew.

Pan Yinchuan washed his hands in the new basin of water brought by the servant, feeling like a wealthy landlord.

The “wealthy landlord” quickly finished his breakfast, even drinking all the soymilk in the cup.

Pan Yinchuan’s family was just an ordinary household; he hadn’t seen much money. So, the “monthly salary” Huai Yu wrote in the contract was a number so large it felt unreal.

But the three meals a day at the Huai household really felt great.

“Let’s go.” Huai Yu stood up.

Pan Yinchuan immediately followed, his face showing no trace of gloom, instead, it was brightened by the sunlight.

A specially treated bulletproof car was parked outside the door.

Huai Yu patted Pan Yinchuan’s waist, then pushed him into the car first, following closely behind.

Huai Yu then bent down to pull out a disinfectant wipe from under the seat and, without a word, held Pan Yinchuan’s face and roughly wiped it.

After a few quick swipes, Huai Yu tossed the wipe aside and coldly ordered, “Drive.”

Pan Yinchuan touched his face but didn’t mind it.

The meeting place was at Yan Xue’s private residence. The car drove through the garden, directly to Yan Xue’s door.

It showed the close personal relationship between Huai Yu and Yan Xue.

As the car stopped, Yan Xue directly walked up and opened the door, jokingly complaining, “Why so long? I’ve been waiting for two hours.”

Pan Yinchuan suddenly realized it was probably his fault.

He had slept too long.

Yan Xue’s gaze passed over Huai Yu and landed on Pan Yinchuan, teasingly saying, “Hmm, is he the one who slowed you down? Brother Huai, you need to be gentle, don’t send him to the hospital.”

Pan Yinchuan suppressed his embarrassment, keeping a straight face, pretending to be a statue.

“There’s a buffer,” Huai Yu replied briefly, getting out of the car first.

“How many of those do you go through?” Yan Xue shook his head. “Why don’t you like Omegas? Such a hassle.”

Yan Xue’s demeanor was different from his public image; he spoke lightly and arrogantly, commenting on Pan Yinchuan without any restraint.

Pan Yinchuan thought, thank goodness I’m not a fan.

His classmates preferred Yan Xue.

Yan Xue took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped and turned back to Pan Yinchuan, saying, “I heard you were detained in Nanta City before and used my name?”

Pan Yinchuan glanced at Huai Yu’s expression first, confirming there were no issues, and then nodded in acknowledgment: “Sorry, it was an urgent situation at the time…”

Yan Xue lightly said, “Hmm, I suppose it was fate. When I arrived in Nanta City, I heard them talk about it, saying you were my man…”

Yan Xue paused and then smiled, “That’s not something I’d dare say now.”

Huai Yu cast him a cold, sidelong glance and said, “Zhang Xing knows about this.”

The implication was that since Pan Yinchuan hadn’t kept it a secret from him, there was no need to bring it up.

Yan Xue nodded, “Of course, anyone who gets close to you would be thoroughly checked by Assistant Zhang. But…”

Huai Yu turned his gaze, calmly saying, “Keep dragging it out, and next time you’ll have to sell your ass to fund the military.”

Yan Xue choked, “Alright, I’ll get to the point.”

Yan Xue turned his gaze, staring at Pan Yinchuan, “Huai took you away, but you left a little boyfriend back in Nanta City? Does Assistant Zhang know about this too?”

The atmosphere suddenly became eerily quiet.

Pan Yinchuan was the first to blurt out, “Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”

Even Jian Yan gave him a shocked look.

Did Pan Yinchuan have that much guts? How could he have a boyfriend?

Was he crazy?

Huai Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Yan Xue and said, “You’d better start selling your ass.”

“Hey, I’m not lying. I even brought the person over from Nanta City.”

“I know about this.”

“…” Yan Xue’s expression changed rapidly, then he raised his voice, “You know?”

Huai Yu: “Is it an Omega?”

“Yeah, you really know?”

“He begged me to save him while we were in bed. How could I not know?”

Yan Xue’s face instantly turned a variety of colors, and after a long while, he squeezed out, “Quite interesting.”

Finally, still puzzled, he asked, “Huai, do you really not mind at all?”

“Mind what?” Huai Yu paused, “Whether a friend or a boyfriend, an Omega can’t do anything to him.”

Pan Yinchuan: “…”

Yan Xue: “…”

Yan Xue’s mouth twitched, “That makes sense.”

Pan Yinchuan now realized they were talking about that newly adult Omega.

At that time, the Omega, probably fearing being abandoned, did indeed tell the guards that “we are a couple.”

Pan Yinchuan now thought Assistant Zhang’s idea was quite good.

If there’s an issue, just talk to Mr. Huai in bed… If it was entrusted to someone else, today’s situation would be hard to explain.

He only wanted to retire smoothly, not be taken out halfway and thrown into a lake.

Yan Xue quickly changed his demeanor, confirming there was no problem, and warmly invited Pan Yinchuan inside to sit and chat.

Jian Yan lagged behind, giving Pan Yinchuan a complicated look.

Pan Yinchuan didn’t notice at all because Yan Xue had started talking about the current situation in Jiuhes City.

“When I arrived in St. An State, their governor almost knelt before me.” Yan Xue lit a cigarette, but soon remembered Huai Yu hated the smell, so he quickly put it out.

“The armed forces there were no match, not as fierce as those in Nanta City.” Yan Xue made a “2” gesture, “After resolving it in two days, I rerouted from the state capital to Jiuhes City.”

“Jiuhes City is too remote, the armed forces didn’t even attack there; instead, some gangs took advantage of the chaos, causing 21 major incidents. The local officials did take some action, organizing three purges, during which an administrative officer died.”

Yan Xue spoke of these matters without much change in tone, as if they were trivial.

“Gangs?” Huai Yu interjected.

“Yeah, the local economy is underdeveloped, and political achievements are poor, resulting in minimal fiscal allocations. This led to weak local government armed forces, allowing gangs to grow. Consequently, no enterprises want to settle there, worsening the economy, a vicious cycle.”

As Yan Xue spoke, he personally poured a cup of tea for Huai Yu.

Huai Yu didn’t drink it, pushing it to Pan Yinchuan instead, causing Yan Xue to look at Pan Yinchuan with even more surprise.

Then he continued, “When I left, the governor of St. An State kept shoving reports into my hands, asking the central city to help clear out the increasingly rampant gangs.”

Yan Xue sneered, “What’s the point of giving them to me? The central city has been planning to eliminate extremists in twelve cities for over two or three years and still hasn’t finished.”

Pan Yinchuan listened in a daze, his brow slightly furrowed.

In the past, he was too far from the center of power, like the people in his hometown, at most reading newspapers and online news… thinking that was understanding global affairs.

Now, being close, listening to Yan Xue’s casual words, he felt a sense of cruelty.

Yan Xue’s gaze suddenly fell on Pan Yinchuan, smiling as he asked, “What? My tea isn’t good enough?”

Pan Yinchuan lowered his head to look at the tea cup that had been pushed in front of him.

The warmth of the steam was starting to dissipate.

Before Pan Yinchuan could speak, Huai Yu suddenly turned to him and asked, “Do you want to call home?”

Pan Yinchuan very much wanted to, but he hadn’t been able to communicate with the outside world until now.

“Can I?” he asked Huai Yu.

Huai Yu instructed Yan Xue, “Get him a phone.”

Yan Xue grumbled, “So you came here to make a call.”

But he still sent someone to get it.

Yan Xue’s adjutant brought a cordless phone and handed it to Pan Yinchuan.

Yan Xue reached over and pressed the speakerphone button, saying, “Sorry, no private conversations here.”

This didn’t bother Pan Yinchuan much.

It’s just that his parents might cry, and having so many people hear them cry would be a bit strange.

Pan Yinchuan lowered his head and dialed a familiar number. After two rings, it was disconnected.

Pan Yinchuan was somewhat stunned.

Huai Yu’s voice sounded behind him, “Dial again.”

Pan Yinchuan dialed again, but still couldn’t get through.

Huai Yu looked up at Yan Xue, who immediately said, “There’s absolutely no problem with my phone. It has special permissions for Central City and can connect to any corner of the world with a signal tower.”

Huai Yu didn’t respond to his comment and only asked, “What was the situation in Jiuhe City when you left?”

Yan Xue said, “It was peaceful, with a pervasive atmosphere of people bidding farewell to the ‘blue sky magistrate.'”

Huai Yu looked at him.

Yan Xue couldn’t withstand his gaze and added, “I personally showed up in Jiuhe City. Those people aren’t fools. How could they dare to cause trouble?”

“How much is your face worth?” Huai Yu said mercilessly.

Yan Xue was speechless.

To others, it might be worth something, but not to Huai Yu.

Pan Yinchuan was almost out of breath. “Are my parents possibly in trouble?”

Yan Xue said, “Don’t overthink it, Xiao Pan. Give me the phone, and I’ll have the local armed forces in Jiuhe City go check your house right now.”

Pan Yinchuan bit his lip hard. “Okay, thank you.”

“You’re thanking the wrong person,” Huai Yu reminded him.

Yan Xue, shocked to see Huai Yu being so petty for the first time, looked at him before dialing the number.

A moment later, he put down the phone and said, “They’ve already sent people over.”

“I’ll take full responsibility for this, alright?” Yan Xue glanced at Huai Yu’s expression. Maybe the Jiuhe City affair was something Huai Yu had agreed to in bed.

That would involve an Alpha’s pride.

If things went south… Yan Xue thought he might have to join his father in selling their bodies for military funds.

Yan Xue thought for a moment and said, “Hey, let’s not have such a heavy atmosphere. How about this…”

He clapped his hands to call someone over. “Go bring Lin Shaoyan to chat with Xiao Pan.”

Pan Yinchuan opened his mouth. “No need…”

“Hey, don’t be polite.”

Lin Shaoyan, the Omega from the prison.

Yan Xue had brought him home.

This little Omega had never experienced such a shock in his life. He was on edge every day, and finally, upon hearing a servant say, “Your old friend has arrived, and the Major wants you to accompany him,” Lin Shaoyan immediately went over.

Then, he instantly spotted Pan Yinchuan amidst the group of Alphas.

Lin Shaoyan felt like he had escaped from hell. He ran over and hugged Pan Yinchuan tightly.

Great.

There was no scent of pheromones.

Lin Shaoyan’s nerves, which had been tightly wound, instantly relaxed. Tears streamed down his face and onto Pan Yinchuan’s neck.

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Yan Xue looked at Huai Yu’s expression.

Huai Yu stared at him coldly.

Yan Xue felt very innocent.

Didn’t you say it yourself? Whether a friend or a boyfriend, an Omega couldn’t get to him.

At this moment, Jian Yan stepped forward and pulled Lin Shaoyan away.

Lin Shaoyan, still unaware of Pan Yinchuan’s experiences after his departure, cried so hard he couldn’t catch his breath. “Ever since you were taken away, I’ve been thinking about you every day…”

Huai Yu, with a mocking smile, finally uttered a few words, “Such deep feelings.”

Yan Xue: …

Maybe it’s better to keep the atmosphere heavy.

Not far away, Assistant Zhang looked at Jian Yan and then at Lin Shaoyan, unable to hold back a sigh.

How many times do I have to deal with this in one day? Maybe I should just kill them all.

________________

Author’s Note:

Xiao Pan is innocent.jpg