Part 2
They sat in two rows for the picture. Anna placed her young daughter in Yu Shi’s lap, and seeing Xie Ren standing stiffly to the side, she beckoned to him. “What are you waiting for? Put your arm around your wife! Stop fighting. It wasn’t easy for the two of you to be together; you should cherish one another.”
Abbu watched from the side, enjoying the show, while the little girl looked up at Yu Shi. Both men felt incredibly awkward.
Yu Shi thought the request was asking too much; knowing Xie Ren’s personality, he didn’t expect the man to comply. He was just about to make an excuse to get out of it when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Xie Ren had actually reached out to hold him.
The posture was different from how he usually draped an arm over Zhao Yi. It was a full, protective embrace, his arm curving down from Yu Shi’s collarbone, effectively pulling the Omega into his chest.
The gesture carried a hint of intimacy and possessiveness that left both of them feeling a bit stiff.
Yu Shi was slightly shorter than the Alpha. If he turned his head now, he would bump into Xie Ren’s chin, so he forced himself to remain motionless.
Anna laughed and shouted, “The lens is right there! Everyone look at the camera!”
The little girl clapped her hands happily. “Look there! Look there!”
Xie Ren leaned down to bring his head level with Yu Shi’s, staring directly into the lens.
Yu Shi couldn’t help himself; he stole a glance at the Alpha. At that exact moment, Xie Ren was looking back at him. His face and neck were flushed red, but his eyes were full of an irrepressible joy.
A light breeze ruffled Yu Shi’s hair, sending a few strands dancing against Xie Ren’s cheek. It tickled.
The Alpha’s smile widened.
Click!
The automated shutter fired, capturing the moment.
Yu Shi snapped back to reality. “We weren’t looking at the camera.”
Anna hurried to reassure him. “It’s fine! It was a burst shot; there’s still time!”
He quickly faced forward, but then let out a laugh. Xie Ren also found the situation funny, his face splitting into a wide grin as they faced the lens.
Click, click. Two more shots followed.
Everyone crowded around to see the photos. The children chattered excitedly, and Anna remarked how lovely they looked under the shade of the tree.
Xie Ren couldn’t help but boast, “I really am photogenic. This face is a masterpiece. You know, back in high school, a talent scout chased me for three blocks. I thought he was a scammer and beat him up. Tsk.”
Yu Shi: “…”
“What are you rolling your eyes for? It’s the truth,” Xie Ren said with a grin. “You don’t look half bad yourself. You don’t look nearly as fierce when you smile. You look quite… quite…”
He caught sight of the third photo and suddenly went silent, clutching the print as if he couldn’t bear to let go.
In the photo, he and Yu Shi were looking at each other and laughing. Their eyes held only each other; they looked exactly like a pair of happy newlyweds.
Anna saw the look on his face and spoke up. “Do you like that one? You can keep it.”
“Thank you.” Xie Ren gave a small smile and tucked the photo into his pocket. When he looked at Yu Shi again, his face began to burn once more.
Anna shook her head with a chuckle. “Look at that fresh, burning passion. My husband and I weren’t even like that when we were first married.”
She spoke in the local dialect. Abbu replied, “That kid acts like a fool, always turning red in the face. The Omega seems like the observant one, yet he acts as if he hasn’t noticed a thing. Hahaha, they’re a fascinating pair.”
Unaware that they were being gossiped about to their faces, the two went back to work after finishing their meal. Xie Ren went with Abbu to the factory, while Yu Shi stayed behind to help Anna.
At midday, Anna realized they were low on firewood and asked him to help gather some.
Yu Shi was carrying a bundle back when he heard a strange sound from the house. He sprinted over and saw two military vehicles parked at the door.
He remembered the vehicle he had seen on the road to town and immediately found a place to hide, observing the situation.
A moment later, a soldier walked out carrying the little girl. Anna ran after them, screaming and pleading for them to leave the child alone.
The officer in charge shouted, “We won’t hurt your daughter! But you must give us those two people in exchange. Otherwise, according to military regulations, you are harboring foreign spies! We have the power to imprison your entire family!”
He spoke in Common. Yu Shi’s heart tightened; his worst fears had come true. They had been targeted by the garrison.
There were nearly twenty armed soldiers there. Rushing out now would only make things worse.
Only once they had driven away did Yu Shi run inside. The two boys were still there, but the girl was gone. Anna was sobbing hysterically. She explained that Abbu taking them to town the other day had led to the shop owner informing on them.
That evening, Xie Ren returned with Abbu. They immediately gathered to discuss a plan.
Xie Ren frowned, asking Anna to translate for Abbu. “I thought you said there were no troops here.”
Abbu sighed. “There is no permanent garrison, but you know the situation here. People are always coming and going. You never know when a unit might pass through. Who… who exactly are you people?”
Xie Ren didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he said, “Since they are regular troops, they have to follow regulations. They won’t hurt the local people. I’m sorry—this is our fault. I’ve brought trouble to your home. I promise I will bring your daughter back.”
“How… how can you possibly save her? You don’t even know where their camp is or how many men they have,” Abbu argued.
Xie Ren said in a deep voice, “I’ve pulled off rescues harder than this. Based on the vehicle specs, they’re a regiment-level unit. They likely took the girl to one of their outposts. I just have to follow the tire tracks. If it’s only a single battalion, I can handle it.”
Abbu studied him with a new sense of respect. To be able to glean so much information from limited clues and decide to storm a military camp without hesitation—it was impossible to believe this man was just a merchant.
Xie Ren continued, “I’m leaving for town tonight. I’ll have your daughter back within three days.”
Before the couple could respond, Yu Shi spoke up. “No.”
The three of them looked at him. His expression was solemn. “Even if you rescue her, they won’t just let it go. Do you want this family to be forced to flee their home and move elsewhere?”
“I have a better way,” Yu Shi said. “Those people want us. In that case, let me go and exchange myself for the girl. On one hand, I’m an Omega, so they’ll be less on guard. On the other hand, Xie Ren can help me escape once I’m inside. That way, they won’t have any reason to keep bothering this family.”
“I refuse! That’s utter bullshit!” Xie Ren vaulted to his feet. “Do you have any idea what a military camp is like? Do you know how dangerous it is? What you’re talking about is the worst-case scenario. If it happens, they can just come with me to the Falcon Regiment! I can find them a better place to live and ensure their safety!”
The couple went quiet as the two began to argue. Anna stopped crying, looking anxiously between them.
Yu Shi opened his mouth to argue, but Xie Ren cut him off. “Not another word. I will not agree to this.”
With that, he stormed out of the room in a fit of rage.
Yu Shi turned to the couple. “Forgive me. I’ll go talk to him. I’m so sorry for the trouble we’ve caused.”
He gave them a bow, then stood up and walked into their room.
Xie Ren was lying on the hay stack, his chest heaving with irritation.
Yu Shi had never slept on hay before, but he climbed up and lay down beside him.
Xie Ren jumped, his anger momentarily forgotten as he scrambled to make space. “What are you doing up here?”
The stack wasn’t large; two grown men lying on it were inevitably pressed against each other.
Yu Shi said casually, “I saw you were upset. I came to coax you.”
Xie Ren nearly bit his tongue. His face turned bright red, and he muttered unhappily, “…I’m not ‘upset.’ And if anyone’s doing the coaxing, it should be me. Why is an Omega coaxing an Alpha…?”
“What are you mumbling? Speak up,” Yu Shi said, sounding confused.
“…Nothing.” Xie Ren’s bravado began to crumble.
Yu Shi tilted his head to look at him. “I know you’re worried about my safety, and I know you aren’t actually angry. I want to ask you something.”
Xie Ren’s fire had completely died out. “Ask then,” he muttered.
“If the person making the proposal today hadn’t been me, but Zhao Yi or Ye Bingyang, would you still have refused?”
Xie Ren froze and turned to look at him.
Yu Shi met his gaze calmly. “You know my plan is the better choice. You’ve considered that the garrison might continue to hunt them. But you instinctively felt that I wasn’t as capable as your comrades—that I couldn’t protect myself or work with you effectively.”
Xie Ren became urgent the moment he heard those words. He sat up abruptly. “That’s not what I meant!”
Yu Shi sat up as well. Xie Ren hurried to explain, “I don’t think you’re weak, and I definitely don’t think you’re less than them. It’s just…”
It’s just that you’re different. You’re nothing like them.
The words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.
Yu Shi said, “Then agree to my proposal. I am your teacher, and I am your comrade-in-arms. I am not some fragile Omega who needs you to protect him at every turn. Do you know why I made that suggestion?”
Xie Ren stared at him. The man’s words were making his chest feel tight and warm.
“Because I trust you,” Yu Shi said, holding his gaze. “I believe you can get me out. I want you to trust me the same way—to be able to leave your back to me without hesitation.”
“Let us protect each other from now on, rather than you facing everything alone. Alright?”
Something in Xie Ren’s mind seemed to shatter. A tidal wave of emotion swept through his consciousness, devouring his reason. The overwhelming feelings he had been suppressing were no longer controllable.
Yu Shi always knew exactly how to move him.
Or rather, exactly how to make his heart race.
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oh no!! believe in xiao shi, xiao ren!! thank you translator nim╰(*´︶`*)╯♡