RBNR Ch7: Surprised Feng Chengyu

Backstage, people were coming and going, and the air conditioning was on full blast.

This was Marcos Malory’s new product launch, a very grand event. There had been several rehearsals alone. Coupled with the brand’s inherent pursuit of perfection, they often had to redo everything just for a single detail, taking up a lot of time and making many models suffer unspeakably. However, being able to secure such a top-tier luxury resource was tantamount to adding an extremely magnificent stroke to one’s resume. Even if they had to give up ten job opportunities in exchange for this one, models would fight tooth and nail for it.

This was Qin Bao’s first time walking a Marcos Malory show, and the SISI agency attached great importance to it.

Marcos Malory himself was known as the Great Demon King. He was exceptionally harsh in his control of details and had a venomous eye. There had been an instance where, right before going on stage, he suddenly felt a model’s collarbones couldn’t support the clothes and had the person pulled straight off the runway. When asked afterward, it turned out that model had indeed gained two pounds.

People who are still growing have unstable weight and measurements. In order to walk this show well, SISI had customized a crash-diet nutritional meal plan for Qin Bao, and he had eaten very little these past two days.

When he couldn’t endure the hunger, Qin Bao relied on chewing to numb his brain. He had been eating the single shrimp in his hand for five minutes already.

Taking advantage of the free time, Brother Lu brought him watch catalogs from various brands, circling the models that matched his description, wanting him to pick one.

If he couldn’t buy the exact same model, buying an alternative would also do.

“None of them look like it… Look, let me draw it for you, the watch looks like this.”

Qin Bao held a shrimp with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, drawing the watch from his memory.

Seeing the drawing clearly, Brother Lu wanted to cry but had no tears. “What difference is there between this and the ones I just found for you?”

Perhaps he was too loud; a blonde model waiting nearby leaned over to take a look: “What brand?”

Qin Bao told him.

The blonde model said, “Baufini, huh. Want me to help you ask?”

Before Qin Bao could speak, Brother Lu hastily replied, “Yes, yes, yes!”

The blonde model wore heavy makeup, with feathers pasted at the corners of his eyes. He glanced around as if looking for someone, then pointed at the shrimp on Qin Bao’s fork and said, “On one condition. Give me that shrimp to eat, I’m so hungry.”

The shrimp had already been half-eaten by Qin Bao.

He was stunned for a moment, then took out his lunch box. “I have other food here.”

“Bring it over! I’m starving to death!”

Seeing that people from his own agency were about to come over, the blonde model snatched the fork and swallowed Qin Bao’s half shrimp in one bite.

Qin Bao: “…”

Look what this had forced people to become.

The other party, who was about to go change clothes, asked Qin Bao what his name was and said he would give him a reply next time.

Qin Bao had only paid half a shrimp and didn’t hold out much hope.

Brother Lu, however, became excited. “Damn, traveling far and wide looking for something, only to find it easily without any effort!”

Qin Bao didn’t understand.

“You didn’t recognize him? That’s An Qingyan!” Brother Lu said. “Didn’t you see that hexagram tattoo on his wrist?”

Qin Bao was also shocked. “An Qingyan?”

An Qingyan was one of the most famous supermodels in the entire Alliance. Qin Bao had watched many of his runway videos in the past to study and knew he used to be Baufini’s exclusive model. He was now twenty-nine years old and had gradually faded from the runway in the past two years. This time, it was unknown what method Marcos Malory had used to invite him back.

Brother Lu was still excited. “With that makeup, even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him. He’s quite warm-hearted. Don’t worry, this time it’s most likely reliable. If he really takes it to heart, it’s just a matter of one word from him.”

He then exhorted Qin Bao.

“Later during the media time, remember to take a few photos with him.”

Qin Bao: “Why?”

Brother Lu said, “It’s good for you.”

Qin Bao understood, his brows furrowing. “I’m not going. If you want to go, go yourself.”

“Don’t throw a temper tantrum. Since you’ve already met, what does it matter to go say a few words?” Brother Lu taught him. “If you want to climb higher, aside from your resume, your connections, your socializing, everything about you—even your personal taste—will determine the resources you get next. Once Marcos Malory’s launch event today is over, the annual show is right up next. Do you still want to go or not?”

“I do want to.”

Qin Bao admitted, but his face was full of disdain.

“But if I’m good enough, I’m good enough; if I’m not, I’m not. I’m not going to ride on anyone’s coattails.”

Brother Lu’s next sentence choked in his throat. “You…”

Qin Bao had already gotten up to go change clothes.

A teenager was arrogant and unwilling to bow to the rules. Brother Lu didn’t say anything more, thinking that if the other party was truly willing to help Qin Bao, then there would still be an opportunity to build a connection.

After work ended, Qin Bao wanted to leave immediately, not even attending the cocktail party.

Brother Lu became anxious at this and grabbed Qin Bao for a long lecture. Qin Bao argued with him for a few sentences, and without even eating anything, took a taxi and rushed towards the competition stadium.

“Brother, are you sure you’re coming?”

Feng Chu called.

“I got you a seat right in the center, best view, so you can see if my skills have improved.”

“Yes, almost there.” Feng Chengyu was driving his new car and had already arrived near the venue. “I still have work, so I’m not sure how long I can stay.”

Feng Chu finally felt reassured. “Okay, then I’ll go warm up with my teammates again. Just wait to watch the game, Brother!”

The car drove into the surface parking lot. From afar, he saw several people gathered at the entrance, with someone crouching on the ground.

By this time, the game hadn’t started yet, and students were filing in one after another. Seeing more and more people stopping, Feng Chengyu got out of the car and walked over. “What’s going on?”

“Someone fainted!”

“Should we call an ambulance?”

The person on the ground hadn’t completely lost consciousness; his limbs were trembling, his mind wasn’t very clear, and he was still mumbling something.

Feng Chengyu leaned in close and heard a complaint as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “Who fainted… idiot.”

The other party was bundled up tightly, wearing a hat and mask even on a hot day. Seeing his backpack, he was definitely a student too, yet he could still curse people out in this state.

Feng Chengyu: “How are you doing? Where do you feel unwell?”

The other party said: “…I’m fine, just didn’t eat.”

These symptoms didn’t look like heatstroke; it was probably hypoglycemia.

“Do any of you have candy?” Feng Chengyu asked. “A sugary drink is fine too.”

The young Alpha possessed a mature aura. From his attire, he didn’t look like a teacher at the school, but upon his appearance, the panic at the scene inexplicably subsided a lot. Several gazes fell upon him, as if waiting for his arrangements.

The students all shook their heads, and someone shouted loudly that they would go buy some.

“…In the bag.”

The person on the ground barely spat out two words, one hand weakly grabbing Feng Chengyu’s pant leg, veins bulging on the pale back of his hand.

Feng Chengyu indeed found a few filled toffees in the bag. They were very sweet, apparently prepared by the person himself.

Taking off the person’s mask, Feng Chengyu was a little surprised.

What a coincidence, it was the Qin family’s Xiao Bao.

Feng Chengyu remembered that his cousin Feng Chu went to the same high school as Qin Bao, so he was probably here to watch the game too. No wonder Feng Chu had shamelessly begged him to come; it turned out this was going on.

Drag racing last time, hypoglycemia this time. This kid seemed to live his life in a complete mess.

“Open your mouth.”

Feng Chengyu unwrapped the candy for him and spoke up to remind him.

Qin Bao’s hat brim covered half his face. He groggily parted his lips, allowing the other’s fingers to stuff the candy in. A slight bittersweet taste immediately filled his mouth, and his body seemed to tremble less violently.

After feeding him the candy, Feng Chengyu told the onlookers to disperse to let the air circulate.

Seeing that the other party was still somewhat delirious and didn’t look like he could stand up anytime soon, Feng Chengyu scooped him up into his arms horizontally. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

However, this lift surprised Feng Chengyu greatly.

So light.

Too light for someone of this height.

Qin Bao had just been so hungry his stomach was touching his back. After getting out of the car, he had only walked a few steps before his legs gave out and his vision went black in waves. Eating the candy made him feel much better now. Although he still had absolutely no strength, he firmly refused.

“No.”

He half-opened his eyes, his hat brim blocking his vision, only seeing the buttons on the other person’s shirt.

“…No need. Put me down.”

If his family found out he had starved himself into hypoglycemia, he could really forget about ever modeling again.

The person holding him had no intention of putting him down, adding, “Don’t underestimate hypoglycemia. You need to go to the hospital for an IV drip.”

“No… I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

Qin Bao’s long eyelashes trembled, the tip of his nose damp with sweat, leaving a mark on the pristine white fabric of the man’s shirt.

“I know my limits… thank you.”

Feng Chengyu didn’t force the issue. He originally wanted to take the person to his car, but considering the other was an underage Omega, an enclosed space might be inconvenient. He found a shaded spot nearby and put the person down.

It was a support booth set up by the students, complete with a large umbrella and chairs. A kindhearted student handed over a bottle of mineral water, and he twisted the cap off to feed Qin Bao.

Qin Bao was stubborn and refused to be fed any more. He turned his head away and weakly raised his hand to grasp the bottle.

On his fair forearm was a row of Sanskrit tattoos; the meaning was unknown.

Feng Chengyu quietly helped him hold the bottle, watching him drink the water gulp by gulp. The teenager’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and a bit of water trailed down from the corner of his lips, past his jaw, and down his slender neck.

Inside the stadium, the crowd was getting hyped up.

The announcer was speaking excitedly about something, and the audience responded enthusiastically. Perhaps the supporters of both teams were competing; the cheers rose wave after wave. Reaching outside the stadium, it became indistinct.

The electric fan at the booth whirred, blowing over waves of cool breeze.

The cheerleaders took the field inside.

Our school’s, Qin Bao thought fuzzily.

That music was an ancestral tradition; every generation of cheerleaders used it to open. There was nothing new about it, but the performance was great to watch, and every member had a special skill.

Very good, suppressing the opponent with momentum right from the start. We will definitely win today.

This classmate who helped me get the candy has good taste.

He’s a nice person too.

I wonder which school he’s from, should I write a letter of commendation?

A phone rang.

The person beside him seemed to walk a bit further away. Qin Bao opened his eyes and only saw the glaring evening sun and the silhouette of a tall back. A faint scent of cologne drifted into his nose with the breeze. It smelled very good, like he had smelled it somewhere before.

The man was answering the phone, his voice deep, impossible to hear clearly.

Qin Bao closed his eyes to rest.

After a while, a rustling sound arose. The man unwrapped another piece of candy and offered it. This time, Qin Bao took it himself and ate it. “Thank you.”

The man asked, “Do you want more water?”

Qin Bao shook his head.

He closed his eyes to rest for a while longer, then suddenly heard someone call, “Qin Bao.”

“Qin Bao.”

Each call more urgent than the last.

He opened his eyes and saw Shan Yiming’s face.

Shan Yiming didn’t look too good, his brows tightly furrowed. “What’s wrong with you? How could you starve yourself to the point of hypoglycemia?”

Qin Bao sat up a bit. Because he was so weak from hunger, his voice floated: “Do you have any food?”

Shan Yiming took out a box of piping hot takoyaki, bought from who knows where.

Qin Bao didn’t use to like eating this, but this time he couldn’t afford to be picky. He ate hurriedly, his image probably not much better than when An Qingyan snatched half his shrimp. He asked Shan Yiming, “When did you get here? I heard your car was confiscated by your family.”

“Yeah,” Shan Yiming said. “I took a cab here. As soon as I arrived, I saw you being supported lying on the chair by someone.”

Qin Bao originally wanted to apologize for riding his bike without permission, but his attention was diverted by Shan Yiming’s words. “Where is the person who just helped me?”

Shan Yiming’s expression was strange. “He had something to do and left first.”

Qin Bao: “Then did you ask him which school, what grade, and what class he’s in?”

He had to thank the person, after all.

Shan Yiming’s expression became even stranger. “What grade… what class?”

Qin Bao nodded.

Shan Yiming said, “The person who just helped you was Feng Chengyu.”

Qin Bao’s brain crashed for a moment. “Who?”

Shan Yiming: “Feng Chu’s brother. Tu Yisen said he came to watch the game today too. He’s the one who bought the takoyaki for you.”

After more than ten seconds, Qin Bao’s brain finally rebooted, and he said slowly: “Oh, it’s Feng Chengyu.”