RBNR Ch36: Legal!

“What?”

As if he hadn’t heard clearly, Feng Chengyu halted his movements and crossed over to the bed in two or three strides.

Qin Bao felt a twinge of regret for asking, but it was already too late to take it back. Hating to beat around the bush, he threw caution to the wind and yanked the duvet down, exposing his entire face.

His face was flushed crimson.

Putting on a look of sheer disdain, Qin Bao repeated the question in a stiff, blunt tone: “I’m asking if you’ve been having performance issues lately.”

Feng Chengyu caught on this time. Looking down at him, he asked, “You want to do it?”

“Bah,” Qin Bao denied immediately. “Obviously you’re the one who wants to. Scattering your pheromones all over the place—how is anyone supposed to sleep?”

“My apologies.” Feng Chengyu was remarkably well-mannered. “It was indeed my failure to control them.”

Seizing the moral high ground, Qin Bao condemned him: “Which is why you’re better off sleeping on the sofa.”

Who would have thought Feng Chengyu was not only well-mannered, but also brutally honest: “Except I didn’t do it on purpose. Have you considered that my inability to control my pheromones is because you’re affecting me too?”

Qin Bao was left completely speechless: “…”

Middle school biology and health classes had taught them that when an Alpha and Omega with high enough compatibility stayed alone together for an extended period, they would release pheromones uncontrollably. It was rooted purely in physiological makeup—a mutual chain reaction.

He was influenced by Feng Chengyu’s pheromones, which naturally meant the other man was being influenced by his in turn.

A vicious cycle.

The facts stood right there, leaving Qin Bao powerless to refute them.

Still, the man wasn’t wearing his clothes properly, baring his chest and displaying chiseled abs—Qin Bao refused to believe he wasn’t scheming.

To prove that Feng Chengyu wanted it more, he went all out: he kicked the blanket aside, scrambled forward on his knees, and aimed his wicked claws straight for the man’s vital spot.

Feng Chengyu hadn’t expected this stunt from him. His brows furrowed instantly, the look in his eyes shifting.

Catching Qin Bao’s hand, he asked, “What are you doing?”

He felt it. Proof acquired.

It scared Qin Bao so badly that he yanked his hand back in a panic: “And you still claim you don’t want to? If you don’t need this thing, you can donate it to someone who can put it to use!”

Feng Chengyu’s expression darkened, his gaze turning deep and obscure: “When did I ever say I didn’t want to?”

Qin Bao froze, once again struck dumb.

Feng Chengyu truly had never said that.

Thoroughly mortified, he tried to dive back under the covers and bundle his humiliating self away.

Unfortunately, having long legs made it far too easy for someone to seize him by the ankles. Before his head could even touch the pillow, he felt a sharp tug—Feng Chengyu dragged him straight back across the mattress like a rag.

Qin Bao panicked: “Let go! Let go of me!”

No matter how much he yelled or struggled, Feng Chengyu turned a deaf ear.

Who knew where the Alpha found so much strength, pinning him down in a matter of seconds. His tone sounded as detached as someone interrogating a convict: “Donate it to someone who can put it to use? Donate it to whom? To you?”

With half his face buried in the duvet, Qin Bao’s cheek was squished into a pout of soft flesh, looking every bit like a captive. Squeezing his eyes shut, he denied it: “I don’t want it! Give it to whoever the hell you want!”

“I would rather donate it to you,” Feng Chengyu countered, his voice steady. “But what’s in it for me?”

The grip around his ankle tightened, dragging him even closer.

An involuntary, ambiguous sound slipped from Qin Bao’s throat, and he clamped his teeth shut on the spot.

Fucking rogue.

Feng Chengyu said, “After all, I don’t know whether you’ll wake up after a night of sleep and tell me all over again that we’re both adults, and once you’ve had your fun, it’s over.”

Qin Bao: “…………”

He didn’t think he had been in the wrong last time, but he hadn’t expected Feng Chengyu’s resentment to run this deep.

Seeing that he remained silent, Feng Chengyu pressed down, leaning close: “Speak.”

Warm puffs of breath brushed against his ear.

Qin Bao’s eyelashes fluttered. Forcing words through the seam of his lips, he muttered, “…The situation is different now.” Thinking it over, he returned Feng Chengyu’s own words right back at him without changing a letter: “It’s legal now!”

Silence fell for a second or two.

Qin Bao felt on the verge of exploding: “Feng Chengyu, weren’t you the one who said it? It’s legal! Do it if you want, and forget it if you don’t!”

Feng Chengyu remained leisurely and composed: “Mm. So you do want to do it.”

Having endured humiliation to the absolute limit, Qin Bao couldn’t squeeze out another syllable: “…”

The hold on his body loosened. Feng Chengyu hooked an arm under Qin Bao’s waist to scoop him up, forcing him to open his eyes.

Embracing him from behind, Feng Chengyu sounded as though he was suppressing a laugh: “Bao Bao, turn over.”

Qin Bao flared up in anger, wanting nothing more than to roll into the sheets and hide. But Feng Chengyu repeated the old trick, hauling him straight back into his chest and flipping him over without standing on ceremony.

The two locked eyes under the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

Qin Bao glared at him furiously for two seconds, then reached up to loop his arms around the man’s neck and bit down hard on his mouth.

The Alpha let him bite, pressing down heavily to envelop him entirely.

…

A violent storm raged through the night.

The tempest carried a cloying sweetness, lashing the drenched earth until the cool, haughty narcissus was thoroughly steeped through.

Amidst the dizzying wild gale, Qin Bao lost consciousness more than once.

A few fragments of memory remained hazy—mostly the parts where he ended up crying and cursing.

Throughout the entire night, he was tangled in that cool scent as he plummeted, his dreams flooded with dazzling kaleidoscopic lights, both magnificent and utterly absurd.

Morning sunlight poured in once again.

The curtain drapes hung half-collapsed, the bedside lamp was knocked over, and pillows along with Feng Chengyu’s dress shirt lay strewn across the floor. The decorative box beneath the bed was completely empty, its contents scattered everywhere.

Squinting through half-opened eyes, Qin Bao took a long, careful look around before confirming this was their bedroom, not the wreckage of a war zone.

He felt like dying.

His entire body ached so badly it felt on the verge of splintering, and the back of his neck was numb with pain. He had barely slept a wink last night.

Taking an entire night to learn the hard way, Qin Bao belatedly realized a stark reality—no matter how aloof and ascetic an S-rank Alpha appeared on the surface, rumors of their perverted tendencies in certain matters were grounded entirely in truth.

Why on earth did he have to provoke Feng Chengyu?

He had nearly been worked to death.

“Awake?”

Feng Chengyu stepped out of the walk-in closet, looking as though he had just gotten up as well. He wore a fresh shirt draped over his frame, his chest and abdomen bearing brilliant marks of battle.

Catching a single glimpse of him made Qin Bao’s face flush hot instantly. Rolling over to turn his back to the man, he muttered, “…What time is it?”

The moment he opened his mouth, his throat stung with sharp pain.

Likely from hurling too many curses, because a certain bastard hadn’t known when to stop, seemingly having no concept of the word “restraint.”

The culprit brought over a glass of water, speaking gently: “Just past seven. If you’re tired, sleep for another half hour. I’ll wake you up later.”

“Not sleeping.”

Desperate for water, Qin Bao forced himself upright, took the glass, and drained it clean in one breath.

Fastening his cufflinks, Feng Chengyu asked, “Do you want me to help you request a leave of absence?”

In the morning light, the Alpha radiated vigor, looking completely refreshed.

Qin Bao kept a deadpan face: “It’s fine. I’m not that tired; there’s no need to ask for leave.”

With that, he climbed out of bed to find clothes to wear, only for his rubbery legs to give out, prompting Feng Chengyu to catch him by the arm.

Qin Bao wore only a T-shirt that Feng Chengyu had pulled over him in the latter half of the night. It wasn’t his size, draping loosely over his frame, leaving his long, straight legs fully bare—any photographer on hand could have shot a sultry, languid fashion editorial on the spot.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to walk on his own into that exaggeratedly massive walk-in closet.

Taking a single glance inside: “…………”

The area by the entrance was an utter disaster too.

Vaguely, he recalled showering after one of the rounds and trying to get dressed in here, only to end up… With every spot he looked at, his brain unlocked a brand-new scene.

Nowhere was fit to look at!

A warm chest pressed against his back as Feng Chengyu looped an arm around his waist. The rich scent of pheromones following a temporary mark washed over him, indescribably sweet.

Qin Bao felt something wet brush against the side of his neck.

Feng Chengyu kissed him, murmuring in that pleasing timbre right beside his ear: “Leave it. I’ll come back a bit earlier tonight to tidy up.”

Morning was the tightest window; with one needing to report to work and the other to attend class, both were in a rush to leave.

A devastating wave of tingles shot through Qin Bao’s scalp: “Do you even need to say it? Whoever made the mess cleans it up.”

Don’t expect him to lift a finger.

Refusing to let him go, Feng Chengyu peppered him with intimate, lingering pecks.

Starting from where the kisses landed, numbness spread outward. Sensitive to tickles, Qin Bao dodged while turning around, intending to snap at him, but his eyes landed directly on Feng Chengyu’s lips.

He had meant to scold the man.

Yet after a few seconds, without knowing who leaned in first, their lips locked together with practiced familiarity.

Feng Chengyu’s lips were soft, his scent intoxicating.

His heartbeat derailed, Qin Bao couldn’t help inhaling deeply, clutching Feng Chengyu’s arms tightly to keep his balance on weak knees.

Amidst the tangling of tongues, he heard Feng Chengyu let out a low, breathless sigh. The next moment, his body felt weightless as Feng Chengyu hoisted him straight onto the accessory island.

Clatter.

The accessories laid out on the counter were swept clean onto the floor, adding fresh evidence to an already chaotic crime scene.

They simply couldn’t kiss enough.

Shifting positions, Feng Chengyu braced one hand against Qin Bao’s waist while the other clamped firmly around his leg, forcefully parting his thighs so their bodies pressed seamlessly together in a tight, unyielding embrace.

This fiercely demanding style of kissing turned Qin Bao’s brain to absolute mush. Seated higher than the man, he fell under the illusion that he held the upper hand; returning the kiss, his arms circled Feng Chengyu’s neck of their own accord, his fingers working to undo the buttons of Feng Chengyu’s shirt.

The final outcome was skipping breakfast entirely, while leaving the secretary waiting downstairs pushed to the brink of his patience.

Lin Zi dialed Feng Chengyu’s phone: “Mr. Feng?”

“I’ll be right down.” Feng Chengyu hung up the call.

The fresh shirt he had just put on was wrinkled beyond redemption. He had no choice but to change into another one—a black one, uncharacteristic of his usual palette. His dark hair had been rumpled into a mess by Qin Bao’s hands as he worked on his buttons while searching for a tie.

Seeming to notice something, Feng Chengyu paused, the corners of his lips curving upward: “What are you smiling at?”

Qin Bao wiped the grin off his face at once, fishing a necktie out of a side drawer: “This one matches better.”

Without thinking, he looped the tie around Feng Chengyu’s neck. Only after pulling the man toward him did he realize the gesture was excessively intimate.

Even Feng Chengyu appeared somewhat surprised.

Like a large feline having its fur smoothed the right way, the Alpha submissively lowered his head slightly.

Having gone this far, Qin Bao couldn’t very well halt halfway.

Biting his lip, he turned up the collar of Feng Chengyu’s dress shirt. Perched atop the counter, tying the knot from this height required little effort.

Qin Bao’s expression was utterly serious.

For those ten or so seconds, neither of them spoke a word.

Once finished, Qin Bao’s heart hammered even faster than before, because he knew Feng Chengyu had been staring at his face the entire time.

The tie was secured, and Feng Chengyu’s phone rang once more.

Qin Bao smoothed down the tip of the necktie: “Done. Hurry up and go; I’m about to be late for class too.”

“Mm.” Feng Chengyu pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Continue tonight?”

Good grief—the man was still hung up on that remark about “performance issues” from last night.

Qin Bao averted his blazing red face: “………………No more!”

Do it again?

Are you insane?!

The man finally left.

Qin Bao let out a long breath, hanging his head in dejection. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand; they stung faintly.

Swollen.

Damn it. Getting down and dirty for a whole night with a contract marriage partner was bad enough, but continuing to make out like crazy in the walk-in closet first thing the next morning was beyond ridiculous.

Skipping class was out of the question—especially under these circumstances. Even if his waist snapped in half, Qin Bao was determined to attend his lectures.

With Feng Chengyu gone, he headed downstairs to choke down a few bites of food, climbed into Uncle Sheng’s car, and slumped across the back seat, refusing to budge. Assuming he was simply sleep-deprived, Uncle Sheng drove with exceptional smoothness.

Browsing his phone, Qin Bao discovered his name pinned to the Flow trending topics.

#Lü Rui Night Gathering with Qin Bao and An Qingyan#

#Is Qin Bao Crossing Over to Acting?#

Clicking in, he found that the photos “secretly snapped” by the paparazzi last night had already been exposed.

From when they dined in the private room right up until they boarded Sister Lü’s car one after the other, every moment had been thoroughly documented.

Qin Bao had never used this kind of publicity stunt before, clinging to his pride of wanting to achieve everything on his own merits. Although An Qingyan had assured him this was completely standard practice, he still found it somewhat tacky.

Nevertheless, now that the signal had been sent, he hoped it would yield results—testing his grandfather’s reaction on one hand, while gauging his own market value on the other.

A news notification popped up on his screen.

Tapping it open, Qin Bao saw that Feng Chengyu was attending a hearing today regarding environmental protection in Feilu.

Feilu—a place terribly far away. Even for someone from a background like Qin Bao’s, it felt distant, and for the general public, it was virtually an abstraction.

Yet to the Feng family, it was intimately familiar.

Since the founding of the Alliance, the Feng family had produced three Marshals. The second had been Feng Chengyu’s grandfather, and prior to that stood the founding father whose statue remained standing and whose memorial hall was still visited today.

During those brutal wartime years, the Alliance had secured victory by relying on invincible, indestructible combat mechas. Dysprosium-X was the primary drive element powering these mechas, found only within a few remote minor nations, with Feilu being one of them. With the war long past, Feilu had been integrated into the Alliance and its population had migrated, yet the Alliance’s mining of Dysprosium-X had never ceased. Even today, the Alliance maintained thirteen operational mechas, conducting periodic military drills. Since the Alliance needed Dysprosium-X, it turned a blind eye to Feilu’s destruction, causing the local environment to deteriorate day by day.

Curious about the specifics, Qin Bao read through a few related discussions. Public opinions were divided, but because Feilu had little presence, ordinary Alliance citizens hadn’t paid the matter much mind.

As for Feng Chengyu—he hadn’t arrived late, had he?

That guy… dared to fool around in the morning despite having official engagements.

Qin Bao grumbled inwardly.

Truly a master of balancing business and pleasure.

__

Author’s note:

These two simply cannot do pure romance.

PS: Because the protagonists’ backgrounds are unique, I wanted to build an alternate world setting to prevent associations with reality, so I added some slightly wild concepts—even the author finds them a bit wild (that’s enough).