Chapter 122: Ch 122: Dejection and Forced Bonds

As Mo Xingxue continued to rest her full weight against Su Wanyan, the two of them spoke quietly to each other. A gentle breeze stirred the canopy, carrying the faint scent of earth and sun-warmed bark, and the quiet rustle of the forest wrapped around their small, private circle.

Little by little the others finally snapped out of the daze caused by Lin Xuanyu’s melodramatic performance. The earlier tension under the trees began to loosen, though it did not fully disappear.

Zhao Yichen and Qin Yuran stood and walked over to where the rest of the group sat. The soft grass pressed under their feet as they moved.

As expected, Zhao Yichen settled beside Han Jiho without hesitation, the familiar closeness easy and unspoken. Qin Yuran, however, found her path blocked—Lin Xuanyu was standing directly in the way of the spot next to Song Meiyu.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuanyu was still lost in his own thoughts.

She.... She ignored me? Disbelief flooded him. The soft rejection still sat sharp and incomprehensible in his chest. How could that be? The same tactic had worked on countless alphas before. He had even destroyed solid marriages with it.

Yet Su Wanyan had simply brushed him off as though he were nothing. The sensation felt exactly like having a favorite toy suddenly ripped from his hands—loss mixed with pure incredulity.

Just then Qin Yuran stepped in front of him. Lin Xuanyu blinked out of his spiral. The dappled light shifted across her face as she stopped.

Is she.. going to comfort me? A flicker of satisfaction rose. This is how it should be—people groveling at my feet.

He prepared to let fresh tears fall and perhaps drive a wedge between Su Wanyan and one of her friends. The practiced vulnerability was already rising to the surface. Instead Qin Yuran noticed how close they were standing and took a deliberate step back. The space between them opened cleanly.

"Excuse me," she said. Her tone was still bright, but a sharp edge ran underneath it. "I’m going to sit beside Song Meiyu, but you’re kinda in the way right now. Can you move?"

There was none of the soft, comforting tone Lin Xuanyu had expected. The words were practical, direct, and completely free of the deference he had been counting on.

He stood frozen, brain short-circuiting under the series of unexpected rejections. The soft forest air around him suddenly felt colder. Qin Yuran studied his blank expression and sighed inwardly. I don’t have time for this, she thought, already feeling drained after only a few seconds of interaction.

"Excuse me. Move." The brightness in her voice disappeared completely, replaced by flat indifference and a clear hint of irritation. The request was no longer polite. It was simply a demand for space.

Lin Xuanyu finally snapped out of his daze and obediently stepped aside. The movement was automatic, the shock still visible in the slight stiffness of his posture.

"Thank you," Qin Yuran said. The tension melted from her face the moment she sat down beside Song Meiyu, a genuine bright smile returning. The easy closeness between the two of them settled back into place as if the interruption had never happened.

Lin Xuanyu remained standing behind them, eyes wide. What is with these extras? He thought, feeling deeply wronged. They should be asking if I’m alright! They should be comforting me! The delusion was so complete that reality itself seemed to be failing him. The soft golden light through the leaves, the quiet rustle of the canopy, the easy laughter of the others—all of it felt like a personal insult.

He turned toward Gu Chengze, eyes filling with fresh tears and vulnerability. The performance was seamless, the practiced fragility rising on cue. Gu Chengze’s expression softened at once. Pity for the delicate omega stirred in his chest, warm and immediate.

These people... He glared at the three pairs. How dare they treat Lin Xuanyu like that?

He moved to Lin Xuanyu’s side and wrapped his arms around him, offering comfort. The hold was firm and protective. When he felt the omega’s hands quiver against his back, the pity only deepened. Gu Chengze’s face hardened. He glanced toward the newly arrived assistant director and gave a cold nod. The assistant director understood and walked forward.

"May I request everyone to stand up?" the assistant director asked, drawing every pair of eyes to him. The soft forest light caught the edges of his clipboard as he stopped in front of the group.

The three pairs rose at once and waited attentively, wondering what was coming. The quiet tension under the trees shifted again, this time toward something more structured and official.

The assistant director smiled. "By PD Xu Cui’s orders, you are all expected to bond with someone else." He gestured, and a staff member handed him a list. The paper rustled softly in the breeze. "I have already grouped you into pairs. I will call the names now. Please go to your assigned partner."

The guests nodded and answered with a quiet chorus of "Yes," then waited obediently for the groupings to be announced.

Meanwhile Su Wanyan and Mo Xingxue exchanged a quiet glance.

"If this really were PD Xu Cui’s arrangement, why didn’t he say anything about it beforehand?" Su Wanyan murmured, an ominous feeling settling in her chest. The quiet question hung between them, sharp and uneasy.

Mo Xingxue nodded. She had seen the brief look Gu Chengze and the assistant director shared right before the announcement—the quick, deliberate exchange that had lasted less than a second. Her phoenix eyes turned cold. What are they plotting?

Neither of them spoke again. They simply waited in silence, deeply cautious and suspicious. The soft rustle of leaves overhead continued, but the quiet tension between them had settled into something solid and shared.

The assistant director surveyed the group and nodded in satisfaction. The clipboard in his hands rustled faintly as he adjusted it.

"The first pair: Lin Xuanyu and Qin Yuran."

Qin Yuran raised her eyebrows and nodded. This is going to drain me, she thought with an inward sigh. I must have the shittiest luck. The soft forest light caught the edges of her expression as she accepted the pairing without protest.

Gu Chengze released Lin Xuanyu and gave his back a gentle pat. The touch was careful, almost protective. Lin Xuanyu wiped his eyes with delicate precision.

"Thank you, CEO Gu," he said, voice still nasally and soft, laced with deliberate tenderness. The words were quiet, but the calculated vulnerability in them was clear.

Gu Chengze stared, momentarily mesmerized by the teary, delicate expression. Something unexpectedly soft settled in his chest—warm, unfamiliar, and difficult to name.

Realizing he had been staring too long, he quickly looked away—but the tips of his ears had already turned red. The soft golden light through the leaves made the flush even more noticeable.

Lin Xuanyu smiled, quietly proud of having made the cold CEO of Zen Corporation look bashful. The small victory settled warm and satisfying in his chest.

A moment later he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he found Qin Yuran standing there with a complicated expression, the corner of her mouth twitching as she glanced between him and Gu Chengze. Lin Xuanyu tilted his head, then his eyes widened with realization.

Is she jealous? The thought surprised and pleased him. I knew it. I knew she was feeling something for me.

Qin Yuran, however, was looking at them for an entirely different reason. He claimed the only person who was nice to him was Su Wanyan.. yet here he is, openly flirting with Teacher Gu, she thought, thoroughly weirded out. The contradiction sat strange and unsettled in her mind.

While those two remained lost in their respective delusions and observations, the assistant director continued.

"Next pair: Song Meiyu and Zhao Yichen."

The two moved toward each other without hesitation. Zhao Yichen raised his hand for a high-five; Song Meiyu laughed and met it. The atmosphere between them was already easy—after all, they had been paired during the earlier parkour course and got along well. The soft sound of their palms meeting cut briefly through the heavier tension under the trees.

Su Wanyan, meanwhile, felt cold sweat begin to form along her spine. Is Xuexue going to be paired with that monster? The thought of Gu Chengze made her blood run cold with worry for her best friend. The soft forest air around her suddenly felt thinner.

She looked at Mo Xingxue. By some quiet coincidence Mo Xingxue looked back at the exact same moment. Seeing the open concern on Su Wanyan’s face, Mo Xingxue’s heart warmed. She doesn’t know what happened between me and Gu Chengze.. yet sometimes it feels like she does.

She reached over and gave Su Wanyan’s hand a firm, reassuring squeeze—I’ll be alright.

The pressure was steady and certain. Su Wanyan exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension. Right. I can’t let Xuexue know that I already know.... Or she’ll get suspicious.

The assistant director was still calling names.

"Han Jiho and....." He paused dramatically, then he glanced at Su Wanyan, and smirked. "Su Wanyan."

Su Wanyan’s grip on Mo Xingxue tightened instantly. All the calm she had just gathered vanished. The soft forest light continued to shift through the leaves, but the quiet dread in her chest had already settled heavy and cold. Mo Xingxue squeezed back just as tightly, trying once more to steady her.

Han Jiho looked at the pair and smirked. "I’ve got a better idea," he said, walking toward them. The soft grass pressed under his feet as he moved. "What if Teacher Gu and I just third-wheel for them instead?" His usual sarcasm was present, but softened into something almost playful. The suggestion hung in the air, light on the surface and sharp underneath.

In response, the assistant director shot him a flat look. Han Jiho didn’t back down; he even raised his eyebrows as if daring the man to argue. The quiet challenge sat between them, clear and unyielding.

The assistant director sighed and glanced at Gu Chengze, whose expression had already darkened. He turned back to Han Jiho.

"No. That’s against the rules," he said firmly, leaving no room for debate.

Han Jiho’s smirk turned cold. "Ohh." He looked between the assistant director and Gu Chengze. "I see how it is." He scoffed at Gu Chengze. Having come from the cutthroat K-pop industry, where schemes were everyday business, Han Jiho was far from stupid. He knew something shady was happening behind the scenes. The quiet recognition settled sharp and certain in his eyes.

The assistant director cleared his throat and announced the final pair.

"Mo Xingxue and Gu Chengze."

Gu Chengze’s expression finally softened into satisfaction. The earlier tension in his face melted into something quieter and more possessive. The soft forest light caught the edges of his smile as he looked toward Mo Xingxue.

"Now," the assistant director said with a smile already counting the riches and opportunities Gu Chengze had promised him, "let the bonding begin."

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So, hi y’all! LMAO! Late af. Anyway, I want to to inform y’all I’ll change my updating schedule, because I think I’ll passed away if I keep up my schedule. So, I’ll try to update every 12 - 1 PM everyday (UTC +8) ’cause like, school is killing me y’all and... games LOL. Anyway, thank y’all for reading this!!