RBNR Ch20: Finally Here

Qin Bao took the subway home. Mr. Qin was on the phone in the living room, and when he saw him come in, he covered the phone and called out, “Perfect timing, the planner just confirmed the party favors. Come and give some feedback.”

Qin Bao, still wearing a mask with messy hair and a visibly irritable demeanor, said, “Whatever.”

He then went upstairs.

Mr. Qin frowned, quickly ended the call, and went up to the second floor.

Qin Bao’s room door was closed. When Mr. Qin knocked, he heard a voice from inside saying, “Not convenient right now.” Mr. Qin then opened the door directly.

As expected, Qin Bao had injuries on his face, which were more noticeable when he took off his mask.

He stood in the middle of the room with his large bag, which had dust on it just like him. There were abrasions on his elbows and knuckles, clearly from a fight.

Qin Brother Baotting into fights wasn’t unusual. During elementary school, Mr. Qin frequently had to visit the school office. However, it had become rarer in middle school. Youthful friction was considered normal, but the purple bruises on Qin Bao’s wrists pained Mr. Qin’s eyes.

“What happened?” Mr. Qin strode over and grabbed Qin Bao’s hand to check.

“Ran into an idiot.” Qin Bao pulled his hand away. “Don’t worry, I didn’t get the short end of the stick. I beat him so badly he could barely open his eyes. He’ll probably need to go to the hospital. My wounds will heal in a few days and won’t embarrass the family at the banquet.”

The bruises were large and clearly not from an ordinary fight.

Mr. Qin’s face darkened: “What’s the reason?”

Qin Bao said, “An alpha from school who was trying to pursue me. He made a move this time, so I taught him a lesson.” Seeing Mr. Qin’s expression, he added, “I didn’t rely on the family background to act recklessly. Others don’t know my background.”

Even though Mr. Qin was usually gentle, he couldn’t help but become angry, saying loudly, “Is this the time to talk about this? Tell me, which alpha is it, what’s his name, and which department is he from? I need to contact your school’s office to check the surveillance and report it to the police.”

Qin Bao thought he might have heard wrong: “Huh?”

This situation had happened before when he beat up an alpha who was following him with love letters. The next day, the alpha’s parents came to their door, and Mr. Qin made him apologize.

Mr. Qin was so angry that his chest heaved, waiting for Qin Bao to report the bastard’s name.

“His name is Zou Jiudong… No, I’ve already dealt with it. There’s no need to go after him.”

Qin Bao was somewhat averse to the idea of involving parents in these matters.

He wasn’t a child anymore and didn’t want his parents to intervene in things he had already handled.

Seeing that he didn’t realize the severity of the problem, Mr. Qin took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down: “This isn’t an ordinary fight. You’ve grown up and are physiologically mature. This situation isn’t just a friction between classmates. An unmarked adult Omega attracting an alpha is a significant issue, as alphas and Omegas have a disparity in strength. You were lucky to have beaten him. If you hadn’t fought back and had been bitten…”

Qin Bao opened his mouth but found himself speechless: “…”

He forgot that an alpha’s temporary marking could make an Omega lose the ability to refuse. If he had been bitten, he would have been sickened and the consequences could be disastrous.

“Got it.”

He could only impatiently say, “I’ll protect myself next time and report it.”

Having grown up among alphas, Qin Bao’s rebellious nature was well understood by Mr. Qin, but he also knew how outstanding Qin Bao was as an Omega.

He could see it, and so could others.

The swarm of admirers wouldn’t be a one-time occurrence.

“Anyway, whether it’s relying on the Qin name or family background, as long as it can protect you, use all available resources if necessary. In this regard, both your grandfather and I will always stand by your side.”

At this point, Mr. Qin suddenly paused and sighed, “Forget it, there will be people to protect you in the future.”

Qin Bao’s alarm bells went off: “Please don’t get me a bodyguard.”

Mr. Qin: “…”

Qin Bao had already walked away, rummaging through his room for medicine. Mr. Qin went downstairs, prepared to go out, and asked Mama Tao to bring the medicine upstairs before he left.

Qin Bao’s injuries healed very quickly. In just four or five days, the wounds were fully recovered, leaving only a yellow bruise at the corner of his mouth.

On the day of the party, he got up very early, employed a makeup artist, and used concealer to cover the bruise perfectly.

Aralory now favored him greatly; online, people called him Aralory’s favorite son. Although the media was not invited to the birthday party, Aralory sponsored all his clothing and accessories, and even customized a white tuxedo for him.

Owing to the favors he received, Qin Bao still needed to put on a show.

The venue for the party was the same as the one for his grandfather’s birthday, a place he was very familiar with. He chose some spots with excellent lighting and arrangements, had a professional photographer take photos, and selected the best ones to post on Flow.

SISI Qin Bao: Adult ceremony, very happy to celebrate with family and Aralory. [Photos][Photos][Photos]

As soon as it was posted, the comments surged, and fans’ blessings poured in.

What he didn’t expect was that the topic “Qin Bao turns adult” quickly topped the Flow hot search, marking his first appearance on the hot list since his debut as a model.

He received many congratulatory messages from friends and classmates, and his phone kept ringing nonstop.

However, he soon had no time to check them.

Guests arrived as scheduled. As the guest of honor, Qin Bao began to smile constantly. After most of the guests had arrived, he first mingled with Mr. Qin, then spent some time as a mascot next to his grandfather, and finally greeted guests with his grandfather Rong Yun and Ms. Rong.

The childhood friends he hadn’t seen for a long time appeared again, but the closest one, Tu Yisen, wasn’t there, nor was Shan Yiming.

After two or three years, Shan Yi had grown into a young woman. She wore heavy makeup and looked much more mature.

This time, she didn’t follow Qin Bao around but stayed with her parents. Perhaps due to a rebellious phase, Shan Yi said with a cold expression, “Brother Bao, happy birthday.”

Uncle Shan, who had been smiling, scolded her: “Speak properly, what kind of attitude is that?”

Shan Yi rolled her eyes: “Whatever attitude you think it is, that’s what it is.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

“Xiao Bao, don’t take it personally.” Uncle Shan said, feeling awkward and sighing, “Since Yi Ming left, she’s been like this, hardly seen. I heard about your birthday, so she was still willing to come to your party.”

Qin Bao nodded, chatted with Uncle Shan for a while, and then left. He didn’t mind because his attention was entirely focused elsewhere, constantly looking toward the entrance of the party.

Many people had arrived—some he knew, some he didn’t. The scene was lively and bustling, with elegant people and fine clothes, but he still hadn’t seen the person he wanted to see.

Would Feng Chengyu come?

Qin Bao wasn’t entirely sure.

After all, he hadn’t sent a formal invitation. Logically, with their social connection, it would already be quite a compliment if the elders from the Feng family came.

But he had been so high-profile, flaunting so many photos on Flow, and his birthday topic was still trending. Anyone paying a bit of attention should be able to see it, right?

As time ticked by, Feng family’s people finally arrived.

Feng family’s Marshal, Secretary Feng, the Feng family professors, and even Feng Chu arrived. Their presence easily took over the party’s main focus, becoming the new center of attention. Even the guests’ conversations became more formal and reserved.

They were arranged in the main guest seats. Qin Bao was taken by his grandfather to greet each one. He looked over, but that person still hadn’t arrived.

“Xiao Bao, happy birthday.”

A woman with a scholarly aura and a beautiful face held his hand and smiled warmly.

“Today, you’ve truly grown up. I wish you a future filled with success and happiness.”

Qin Bao knew from his grandfather’s introduction that this was Feng Chengyu’s mother.

The mother and son didn’t look very similar. Compared to Feng Chengyu, Professor Lin was obviously much more approachable. Qin Bao couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous: “Thank you, Professor Lin.”

Professor Lin said to him, “There was a forest fire in the southern region last night. Chengyu was there organizing disaster relief and dealing with the aftermath, so he couldn’t make it.”

Qin Bao had seen the news and knew the fire was severe, but he hadn’t realized that Feng Chengyu was there for disaster relief. Hearing this, his heart sank bit by bit.

Professor Lin found him very agreeable, and said with a fond tone, “You must be tired from greeting so many people. Go ahead and open your gifts, see if there’s anything you like, and relax a bit.”

The gifts from the Feng family, along with those from others, had piled up into a small mountain.

Qin Bao wasn’t in the mood for that. He was feeling frustrated, and Feng Chu, who had appeared out of nowhere, whispered as he passed by, “Just wait a bit longer, my brother is on the way.”

Qin Bao’s ears heated up, and the clouds in his heart dissipated. He turned back, trying to sound nonchalant: “I didn’t ask.”

Feng Chu had already walked away, patting his chest and making a mouthing gesture: “Love’s security.”

Qin Bao was annoyed: “……”

This guy is also crazy.

The party began, and everyone took their seats. The seat next to Qin Bao remained empty, and just beyond that were Grandpa Qin and Grandpa Rong Yun. The two elders sat side by side, with no distinction between them. Qin Bao wanted to sit closer, but Grandpa Qin gave him a stern look.

Alright, these two are still competing.

Mr. Qin tapped his glass and gave a speech. Then Qin Bao took the stage with a prepared speech, delivering his thank-yous amidst the loud applause, not even aware of what he was saying.

Halfway through the party, that unfamiliar yet familiar figure finally appeared at the entrance.

The nationally renowned alpha arrived late, looking worn out from travel, and hadn’t had time to change into formal wear, only wearing a dignified black coat.

As if he were the main character of the party, his appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention and caused a hush to fall over the crowd.

Qin Bao saw him nodding to those he greeted, making his way towards the elders. What they said, Qin Bao didn’t hear; he could only hear his own increasingly frantic heartbeat.

Until the figure reached his side.

Still proud and somewhat aloof, but compared to a few years ago, twenty-seven-year-old Feng Chengyu had softened his sharp edges, becoming a lofty and unattainable figure.

A faint daffodil fragrance lingered.

Qin Bao’s face continued to flush, and his neck, covered by a gland patch, thumped rhythmically.

A delicate silver box appeared before him, wrapped with a ribbon as thin as a cicada’s wing.

The voice that had appeared in his dreams spoke.

“Happy birthday.”

The hand extending the gift had slender and attractive fingers.

The deep blue watch was still on his wrist.

Qin Bao looked up and met his deep, dark eyes.

“Sorry.”

Feng Chengyu, carrying the chill from outside, looked down at him, his lips curving into a smile.

“I’m late.”