PART 2
The three of them blinked in sync and greeted her.
Yi Chen was the first to ask, “Sister, FREE makes games, so whatās the administrative work for?”
Long Qiu, carrying their boxes inside, gave them a helpless look. “Have you ever seen a game that didnāt need approval before release?”
That made sense. Bai He nodded internally. In the world he came from, games also needed various approvals before they could be released. It was just that this kind of work didnāt seem to have much to do with political studies.
Then, only one reason remained. It was because of the setting of this world. In an ABO society, all products, including games, had to go through strict government reviews to ensure they wouldnāt harm any gender group, maintaining the appearance of ABO equality.
It made sense. Just like how his old world banned certain things to maintain social order, this ABO world had similarly strict review mechanisms for the same reason.
Thatās why political studies personnel were needed everywhere.
After moving everything into the new office, Bai He organized his desk. Long Qiu gathered them for a brief meeting.
Once the meeting was over, it was time to clock out. Before leaving, Long Qiu mentioned, “We have ready-made apartments here: one-bedroom units with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Everything is fully equipped, from pots and pans to dishes. There are also restaurants and supermarkets nearby. If you’re too busy to go home, you can stay here. Of course, I donāt think weāll ever get that busy.”
As they watched Long Qiu leave, the three looked at each other. Yi Chen raised an eyebrow. “Want to check out the area? I just searched, and thereās a ton of great food around here!”
Zhao Linyue was enthusiastic. “Letās go, letās go!”
Bai He thought for a moment and shook his head. “I wonāt be going. I have to head home later.”
Yi Chen sidled up to Bai He, resting his head lightly on Bai He’s shoulder. “Xiao Bai He, are you sure you donāt want to come? Weāre going to eat something delicious!”
Bai He smiled. “No, you guys go have fun.”
“Oh, right!” Yi Chen suddenly remembered Bai He’s arm and slapped his forehead. “I forgot about your injury! Iāll go back with you then!”
“Iāll go with you guys too,” Zhao Linyue chimed in, patting Bai Heās other shoulder. “Itās the perfect time to catch the subway.”
Bai He shook his head. “My armās fine now, but I have something to take care of later. It might not be on the same route as you guys. You two go enjoy yourselves. Iāll join you another time.”
After chatting for a bit longer, Bai He finally sent the two of them off. Now, the office was empty, leaving only Bai He behind.
It wasnāt that he didnāt want to go back with Yi Chen and Zhao Linyue. He really did have something to do.
He was almost out of canned food for Ling Ling, his cat, and he needed to stock up. The special brand of cat food wasnāt easy to find, and the last batch had been purchased through a proxy seller that Zhou Luoluo had helped him find.
The proxy had stopped selling it recently, so Bai He had to figure out another way. While on his phone earlier, he had searched and found that there was a store nearby that sold this specific brand. He was planning to check it out.
The FREE branch had five floors in total, each with a large area divided into several departments. The administrative office was on the second floor, in a room located deeper in the building, so Bai He had to walk a bit to reach the elevator.
Bai He stayed in the office for a while longer. His desk was next to a floor-to-ceiling window, offering a nice view. After finishing the warm water in his cup, he checked the burn on his arm and took out the ointment the doctor had given him, applying it again.
The cool ointment on his skin made him flinch slightly. Once the mild pain subsided, he continued applying the ointment.
The burn on his abdomen was much lighter than the one on his arm, so he didnāt apply it a second time. Instead, he lowered his head, staring at his abdomen, lost in thought.
He couldnāt shake what had happened today from his mind.
Bai He sat in a daze for a long time. As the sky outside gradually darkened, he finally pulled himself together and got ready to leave.
The floor was already deserted. In fact, Bai He hadnāt seen many people around all day. Maybe they were on other floors, he thought as he walked down the corridor, casually observing the work areas behind the glass walls. There were lots of computers and large screens, making the space look very high-tech.
Bai He withdrew his gaze and continued walking slowly. Before long, he glanced at his phone to check the time, confirming that the store was still open.
He quickened his pace slightly, head still lowered, and opened the home security app again. The familiar view of his living room appeared on the screen. He adjusted the camera angle to show the balcony and dining room, but once again, there was no sign of Ling Ling.
Bai He’s heart sank, and he couldnāt help feeling worried.
He adjusted the camera to point at the bedroom door. The door was open, but he couldnāt see inside.
Had Ling Ling gone to his room?
Furrowing his brows, Bai He thought it didnāt seem right. Every time he came home, the first place he saw Ling Ling was always the living room window ledge.
An unsettling feeling tugged at Bai Heās heart. He uneasily adjusted the camera a few more times and suddenly noticed a small icon in the corner of the screen.
He clicked on it, and the screen displayed footage from the past five days.
Bai He hesitated for a moment before clicking on yesterdayās footage. The timestamp showed 10:00 AM. The house was quiet, empty, with no sign of Ling Ling.
His footsteps slowed as he walked, eventually coming to a complete stop. He stood there, his slender frame like a tall, straight bamboo stalk.
Bai Heās head was slightly lowered, the light reflected from the glass casting shadows over him. His silhouette was mirrored on the floor, the surrounding air so still it felt cold. The blend of white light and silence made him shiver.
He lifted his hand and manually scrolled back through the footage.
At 7:30 AM, the video showed him leaving the house and shutting the door behind him. Silence fell.
One minute, two minutes. He waited, expecting to see Ling Ling emerge from the bedroom. The footage continued, the progress bar creeping forward. Time passed, silence stretching so long it felt like it would break. Outside, the setting sun cast its light on Bai He’s side profile, and his reflection in the glass wall showed his eyes gradually widening.
As the sun fully set, the coldness crept in. Somewhere nearby, the trash can seemed to contain a rotting orange, and the sour smell wafted faintly through the air.
Dingāa few steps away, the elevator doors opened. The sound of leather shoes on the floor was steady and deliberate. The shoes appeared in Bai He’s downcast eyes, and above him, an alphaās voice sounded, slightly surprised.
“Bai He, what are you doing here?”
What was he doing here? Bai He wanted to ask why Qin Yao was here too. He also wanted to ask why Qin Yao had appeared in the security footage of his home.
Yet every question, every doubt, was laid bare, as if on a single, straight, clear line. The answers were right in front of him, raw and undeniable.
How had he not thought of it? How could he have thought of it?
Because he had never considered it at all…
Qin Yao was Ling Ling. The footage on his phone was from yesterday morning.
At that time, just as Bai He left the house, Qin Yao emerged from the bedroom, wrapped in Bai Heās blanket.
The alpha moved naturally, as if he was already familiar with this routine.
Qin Yao had stayed by his side for many days and nights, sharing his bed countless times. Bai He had shared his innermost thoughts with Ling Lingāthe good, the bad, even moments where heād acted spoiled.
Now, all the small details floated to the surface: the laundry basket outside Qin Yaoās door, why Qin Yao was never home, why Mr. Nan also had a Maine Coon, the day Zhou Luoluoāa friend of Qin Weiāhad returned Ling Ling, the fact that Ling Ling never ate cat food…
Everyone knew. Everyone had helped Qin Yao keep this from him!
Only he had been kept in the dark!
Bai He suddenly recalled that night. He had smelled Qin Yaoās pheromones in his room. That night hadnāt been a dream. The next morning, his hands were clean, his clothes were neatly on.
It hadnāt been a dream.
It was Qin Yao. It had always been Qin Yao.
Liar…
Why?
Why hadnāt he told him anything? Why had he acted like he didnāt know when they met, inserting himself into Bai Heās life, seeing every bit of his joy and sorrow?
And then, he had rejected him, saying it was all because of pheromones.
Bai He took a sharp breath, his chest tightening as the realization hit him like a tidal wave. The air around him felt heavy, suffocating. His eyes are tear-filled as he bit his lips until it was bloody.Ā
āQin Yu, do you think itās fun to play me?āĀ
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