RBNR Ch26: Qin Bao almost jumped up in pain

Qin Bao had already prepared himself mentally, but being shouted at still made him flinch. “…”

Fine, he admitted that revealing his identity in a place like this truly required courage.

Qin Bao didn’t move, and Feng Chengyu’s gaze fell steadily upon him.

The police officer’s voice grew sterner: “Take off the mask and bring out your ID. Please cooperate.”

There was no dodging it.

Hesitantly, Qin Bao raised his hands.

Right at that moment, Feng Chengyu, who had been watching with cold detachment, suddenly spoke up: “Wait. An underage Omega must be inspected by an officer of the same gender, and their guardians must be notified.”

Qin Bao replied in an icy tone, “I’m of age.”

Calling him underage was one thing, but notifying his parents was absolutely out of the question! He had come to this kind of place on his own; when he made a mistake, he owned up to it—why drag anyone else into it?

Besides, it was only because he was still wearing a mask that his face couldn’t be seen. Otherwise, whether he was of age or not, shouldn’t Feng Chengyu know better than anyone?

“Is that so?”

Feng Chengyu’s expression remained unchanged. Seeming unconvinced, he kept his eyes fixed on him.

The officer was shocked that an underage Omega dared to enter such an establishment: “Mr. Feng, this…”

Feng Chengyu said, “Leave it to me.” Then he looked at Qin Bao again, commanding in a tone reserved for strangers, “You. Come with me.”

Qin Bao was deeply annoyed, but at least he didn’t have to show his face in public, which counted as dodging a bullet by fluke. Puzzled, he strongly suspected that Feng Chengyu had already recognized him.

That night, Feng Chengyu had bitten his scent gland, and their Alpha and Omega pheromones had formed a temporary mark, creating a short-term bond between them. Although the mark should have mostly metabolized away after several days, Feng Chengyu had bitten so deeply that it wasn’t impossible for some traces to linger.

Feng Chengyu had been snapped at by him over the phone and should have been furious; why turn around and help him instead?

…Was Feng Chengyu actually an unexpectedly decent person?

They waded through the chaotic, smoky scene of the vice raid.

Seeing Feng Chengyu leading someone away personally, many people present turned their eyes on Qin Bao, assuming he had committed some massive infraction and was about to face disaster.

The friends who had come with Qin Bao didn’t dare voice any objections either, watching helplessly as he was escorted away.

Passing the ring and cutting through the booths, they arrived at the corridor connecting the second basement level to the floor above. A few Omega officers were indeed stationed there, interrogating the venue’s staff.

Qin Bao wondered: could his assessment have been wrong? Had Feng Chengyu truly not recognized him at all?

“Mr. Feng.”

“Mr. Feng.”

The officers greeted Feng Chengyu one after another.

Feng Chengyu merely gave them a curt nod, his stride never pausing. His image had always been cold, aloof, and impossible to fathom. People respected him, and no one questioned his decisions.

Qin Bao muttered uneasily to himself.

Finally, Feng Chengyu halted in a secluded corner.

The lighting here was dim, with large mirrors mounted along the wall. The setting bore an uncanny resemblance to that night at the banquet.

Multiple mirrors reflected countless iterations of the two of them. Feng Chengyu turned around and said plainly, “ID.”

The man was more than half a head taller than him, and looking at him like this carried a distinct air of condescension.

Qin Bao: “…”

I thought wrong. This guy is doing it on purpose.

He was clearly demanding Qin Bao’s credentials, yet Feng Chengyu’s hands remained buried in the pockets of his black overcoat without moving an inch, and the look in his eyes was nowhere near as severe as it had been moments ago.

“Feng Chengyu, did you recognize me or not?” Qin Bao said. “If you did, drop the act.”

There were no Omega officers assisting with an inspection here, nor was there anyone else around. Feng Chengyu putting on an air of routine business was nothing short of asking what he already knew.

“Afraid of mistaking someone else,” Feng Chengyu replied, completely unbothered by being called out. “You’re still wearing a mask.”

The mask was uncomfortable to wear. Qin Bao had originally planned to take it off, but hearing Feng Chengyu say this made him instantly lose all desire to remove it, glaring at the man through the mask with a pair of bright, burning eyes.

Feng Chengyu gazed into those furious eyes, and after a few seconds, his tone softened considerably: “Why come to a place like this to mess around?”

Without thinking, Qin Bao blurted, “I didn’t even know—”

Then he swiftly changed his tune, “Wait, what does that have to do with you?”

A brief moment of silence fell, and inspiration struck Qin Bao: “I came to hunt for prospects.”

Feng Chengyu’s gaze turned frosty once more. Qin Bao was stubbornly defiant; despite being caught red-handed, he still dared to poke fun at the other man: “Aren’t you a grand Councilor? What are you doing here? Did you come to have fun too and get unlucky enough to be nabbed by the precinct? Careful, or you’ll make the front page tomorrow.”

“I came to assist with the investigation,” Feng Chengyu said. “I don’t typically indulge in hunting for prospects.”

Qin Bao: “…”

Right, we know you keep yourself pure and untainted. That watch is plenty of proof—even when rolling in bed… rolling on the carpet, you only do it with your betrothed.

“Quite a coincidence running into you during a raid,” Feng Chengyu remarked. “With the odds so high, how many times a month do you visit on average? What do you usually get up to?”

You sure stick your nose into everything.

“At least five, six, seven, or eight times a month.”

Qin Bao spouted pure nonsense.

“There’s too much fun to be had: playing with bunny girls, messing with Alphas, calling them over to pole dance whenever I’m bored. Not only do I come here, but I frequent the other spots in the capital too. If you’re interested, I can give you some recommendations.”

Feng Chengyu nodded. “Alright. Then give me a recommendation—which place has better pole dancers?”

Qin Bao spun a wild lie: “…Pole dancing? SISI’s is the best, of course. Their stage is bigger.”

“I had no idea your agency taught that.” Feng Chengyu’s eyelashes lowered slightly, his gaze sweeping lightly across Qin Bao’s body. “I can tell. Pole dancing truly is very helpful for core conditioning.”

Qin Bao choked: “…………”

Did this bastard surnamed Feng just make a dirty joke?

Just then, a man wearing glasses appeared not far away: “Mr. Feng—”

Qin Bao recognized the man as Feng Chengyu’s secretary, Lin Zi; he had seen him on the news.

Feng Chengyu nodded at Lin Zi, signaling that he understood, and Lin Zi hurried away.

It appeared Feng Chengyu truly had come to assist with the investigation and likely couldn’t step away for too long. Unwilling to remain with him any longer, Qin Bao feigned indifference: “You’ve checked what you needed to check, and you know full well I’m not underage. Can I go now?”

With that, he moved to walk away.

Feng Chengyu caught him firmly by the arm, no longer teasing him this time: “Can we talk? I’m free at eleven.”

At the physical contact, Qin Bao gave a slight shudder, his heart treasonously picking up speed.

The scent of narcissus mixed with a milky trace from Feng Chengyu’s body invaded his senses… It turned out the temporary mark hadn’t completely faded; only the Omega pheromones had thinned out considerably.

Talk about what?

Talk about that night?

Qin Bao didn’t dare. To be honest, he couldn’t handle being alone with Feng Chengyu right now; if he wasn’t careful, he might throw himself at him all over again.

Tearing his arm from Feng Chengyu’s grasp, he feigned irritation as he stared at the other man: “Mr. Feng, who gives a damn when you’re free?”

Turning on his heel, he strode away.

Feng Chengyu reached out, hooking a single finger into the back of his collar.

Qin Bao stumbled, then practically jumped in place as if startled out of his skin.

A tall, slender, and straight figure paired with a black cat mask, looking exactly like a cat with its fur bristled end to end.

Feng Chengyu retracted his hand, the frost on his face thawing slightly, looking as though he wanted to laugh.

Seeing that expression, Qin Bao felt the heat beneath his mask flare all the way down to his neck, and he stormed off in a fury.

The moment he stepped out of the club, Qin Bao tossed the mask straight into a trash can. A dump like this deserved to be shut down; Zou Jiudong was a piece of trash himself, and the business he ran was unexpectedly trashy too.

Still, recalling Feng Chengyu’s reaction just now made Qin Bao grit his teeth in frustration.

Why is he always teasing people?

Does he have no sense of boundaries at all?

His phone rang, and a call from Mr. Qin came through right at this moment. Remembering Feng Chengyu’s comment about “notifying guardians,” Qin Bao suspected Feng Chengyu had gone behind his back to pull something, and answered the phone.

He wasn’t going to confess anything. Feng Chengyu had let him go anyway, so there was no physical evidence.

Yet Mr. Qin hadn’t called for that. Instead, he informed Qin Bao with palpable severity: “You finally deign to answer your phone? Your grandfather’s high blood pressure flared up, and he nearly passed out moments ago. Come home immediately.”

Hearing this, Qin Bao had zero headspace left to think about Feng Chengyu. He flagged down a cab on the spot and rushed straight home.

Traffic was somewhat congested along the way, and the cab moved sluggishly. Agitated and restless, he urged the driver several times.

Arriving at the Qin residence, the courtyard was dead silent. Qin Bao hurried inside in a panic, and when he reached the living room, Mr. Qin was standing on the staircase: “Your grandfather is in the study.”

Why wasn’t he lying in bed, but sitting in the study instead?

Without time to think, he took the stairs two or three at a time and pushed into the study: “Grandpa?!”

Leaning on his cane, the old master sat in a high-backed armchair with a dark scowl on his aged face. He looked robust and energetic, showing no trace of an illness or a fainting spell.

Qin Bao realized instantly that he had been duped.

Looking back, Mr. Qin, who had followed behind him, had already locked the study door. Now only the grandfather and grandson remained in the room; Qin Bao couldn’t escape even if he grew wings.

The old master narrowed his eyes: “I heard you only wanted to fool around with Chengyu and have no intention of marrying him?”

Qin Bao: “…”

Guessing what this was about, and knowing this showdown was bound to happen sooner or later, he stiffened his neck: “That’s right.”

The old master barked, “Get on your knees.”

Qin Bao: “Why?”

The old master remained silent. Unwilling in his heart, Qin Bao slowly knelt down.

Seeing his stubborn expression, the old master pointed a finger at his face: “He kept himself pure and chaste for you for over a decade! If you hadn’t provoked him, fine, but now that you’ve provoked him and taken his innocence, you pat your ass and walk away, claiming you’re done?”

Qin Bao felt like he was listening to some Arabian Nights fairy tale: “What taken innocence? What’s so rare about being a virgin in this day and age? Besides, I didn’t force him, he was willing himself! Why am I the one who absolutely has to take responsibility?”

Enraged, the old master roared at the top of his lungs, “You little bastard! If you didn’t want to take responsibility, you shouldn’t have slept with him in the first place!”

Qin Bao argued aggrievedly, “When I slept with him, I didn’t know you guys had arranged some childhood betrothal between us! Who remembers things from when they were little? I forgot eight hundred years ago!”

“You forgot? Fine, you forgot.” The old master thumped his cane heavily against the floor. “Then now that I’m formally notifying you, you can surely remember, right? The two of you were betrothed from childhood, and grown up, you attract each other. That proves you’re mutually fond of one another. What problem is there in letting nature take its course and fulfilling the marriage agreement?”

Qin Bao’s eyes reddened: “There is a problem! I’m not an object, and I don’t want to be used by you to exchange for benefits and be manipulated at will!”

The old master: “What exchanging for benefits? What benefits could there possibly be between your Grandpa Feng and me?! Back then, if your Grandpa Feng hadn’t braved artillery fire to drag me out of the trenches so I could barely cling to my life, would you even exist today?! Now you toy with his biological grandson—when I die, what face will I have left to see him?!”

“Fine, let’s say you didn’t think of it that way,” Qin Bao retorted. “But Grandpa, I’m not an idiot. I know this is called a political marriage. Do you dare claim that being tied to the Feng family brings no advantages to you, or to him? With your backing, he’ll climb higher and higher, and the higher his status, the more favorable it is for you! Never mind you and Dad—even my maternal grandfather was falling over himself to flatter him! Did you think I couldn’t see through it?”

The child had grown up.

Caught off guard by the question, the old master immediately composed his expression: “Yes, what you said is fact, but it’s not a cause-and-effect relationship! We didn’t choose him because he entered politics—”

Qin Bao cut his grandfather off, words tumbling out without passing through his brain: “Besides, he and I aren’t even mutually attracted! The situation back then was just me being affected by pheromones, and he happened to be right there… If I had known about that layer of connection beforehand, I wouldn’t have touched him at all! I would have gone straight to find someone else!”

It was sickening to hear. The old master’s fury erupted, and he sprang to his feet.

This time, he didn’t beat the floor. Instead, the cane came swinging down, striking Qin Bao squarely across the back.

“I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful wretch! Where did you learn these cheap, indecent ideas?! I shouldn’t have let you run off to be some model! I heard long ago that that circle was full of filth and promiscuity, and sure enough, it’s true! You’re never allowed to go back!”

That strike nearly made Qin Bao jump, but he forced himself to endure it: “Grandpa, you’re just being a hypocrite! If the person with me that night had truly been anyone else, would you still be telling me to take responsibility? You would have broken my legs ages ago!”

Unable to out-argue him, the old master grew furious from embarrassment, and another heavy strike rained down: “Fine! Fine! I’ll break your legs right now!”

The cane fell again and again.

Raining down across Qin Bao’s body.

“I’ll teach you to fool around! I’ll teach you to mess about in the entertainment circle! I’ll teach you to toy with people’s feelings! I’ll teach you to shirk responsibility! Every shred of the Qin family’s dignity has been dragged through the mud by a disgraceful thing like you!”

“Fine, I lost your dignity for you, so kick me out!” Qin Bao finally broke completely. “At worst, I’ll stop carrying the surname Qin!”

The old master: “You unfilial child! Listen to the filth coming out of your mouth! Admit your mistake right now, step up and take responsibility, and go marry Chengyu!”

“I won’t! I wouldn’t marry him even if you beat me to death! If you want someone to marry him, marry him yourself!” He refused to yield. “Why should a debt of gratitude the size of the heavens fall on me to repay?! I just won’t!”

Listening to the commotion upstairs, Mr. Qin had already quietly stepped out of the house. Mama Tao stood downstairs wiping away tears, while the other servants dared not go up to intervene.

His arm tiring from the strikes, the old master leaned on his cane, panting heavily.

Likely inheriting his stubborn streak, Qin Bao was fiercely obstinate. Taking dozens of blows, he refused to take back a single word, merely keeping his spine rigidly straight as tears streamed silently down his face.

“Get your ass to your room and reflect on what you’ve done!” the old master shouted, pointing at the door. “Without my permission, nobody is allowed to let you out!”