Killing Marriage [ABO] - Chapter 28
Chapter 28; The Past
Zhang Qingyuan sat beside Ren Zhong, holding a tablet, seemingly excited about revealing his little secrets.
“My mom, my Alpha mother, organized all of this,” he said, and a lot of warmth showed in his expression as he thought of his family. “She loves doing this kind of stuff.”
A heartwarming photo popped up on the screen: two women’s hands forming a heart shape, enclosing the hands of two babies. The photo had some twenty-year-old popular Photoshop effects on it, giving it a vintage feel that wasn’t tacky, but rather a retro-chic look today.
Ren Zhong raised an eyebrow. “I just found out you were raised in a female-only family with an Alpha mother and an Omega mother. Also, you and Zhang Junyi don’t look especially alike, yet you’re twins?”
“Yeah, some fraternal twins can have very different appearances,” Zhang Qingyuan said, taking the opportunity to lean against Ren Zhong’s shoulder and arm, subtly rubbing against him. “My mom and my mommy love each other very much, and they love me and my sister, too.”
Ren Zhong then realized that Zhang Qingyuan’s family was actually much wealthier than he had imagined. The two mothers were a legendary pair in the investment world; it was just that their family’s lifestyle was quite low-key and down-to-earth.
In the album titled “Xiao Xin’s Education,” Ren Zhong immediately saw a graduation photo of Zhang Qingyuan that was taken not long ago.
“Central Film Academy? Isn’t that the highest academy for filmmakers in the country?” Ren Zhong glanced at Zhang Qingyuan. “It must have been hard to get in, right?”
Zhang Qingyuan nodded. “Mhm, Mommy got me in with five million.”
Okay, Ren Zhong took back the words “low-key and down-to-earth.”
“I’m not a complete nepotism case, okay?” Zhang Qingyuan defended himself. “I also woke up early every day to practice for my art entrance exam.”
Ren Zhong smiled without saying anything. He didn’t deny Zhang Qingyuan’s diligence, but he also knew that the weight of that extra help was too heavy; it could easily crush another equally diligent but less-privileged student.
As long as the weights were heavy enough, the scales of educational fairness could easily tip in one direction, channeling all the best resources toward them.
From the art exam to the postgraduate entrance exam, which was a tough journey for others, it was a smooth, all-inclusive ride of guaranteed admission for Zhang Qingyuan.
But now, it seemed Zhang Qingyuan had given up.
“Oh no, I have to give a speech on behalf of the new students at the opening ceremony next week, and I haven’t finished writing my draft yet,” Zhang Qingyuan said, suddenly remembering a task he had forgotten, and pouted.
He had the financial means, yet he chose a plain, ordinary, even mediocre path.
When he wasn’t acting, he was an idle househusband. When he was, he was shooting low-budget web dramas, playing overbearing CEOs, flirtatious rich second-generation heirs, or cheesy princelings.
Ren Zhong teased, “If you don’t make it big in the entertainment industry, will you be forced to take over the family business?”
“No need,” Zhang Qingyuan said, unapologetically leaning back. “The interest our family’s money earns in the bank is enough to live comfortably, so I don’t need to do anything.”
Ren Zhong played along. “Wow, how generous. Then why don’t you bring your own funds to a production, play the lead role, and dominate the trending topics every day?”
“I never wanted to be a huge star. Being famous brings a lot of trouble, and having a normal private life is almost impossible. That kind of life is too tiring, and I don’t want it. After I finish my doctorate, I’ll just donate a building to the school and stay on as a teacher. It’s a relaxed and respectable job, and I’m not short on money.”
Okay, from now on, whenever Ren Zhong thought of Zhang Qingyuan, the phrase “I’m not short on money” would definitely pop into his mind.
Ren Zhong asked curiously, “Didn’t your moms have any requirements for you?”
“No,” Zhang Qingyuan said. “They just want me and my sister to be healthy, safe, relaxed, and happy as ordinary people. Well… that’s not entirely true. Their only requirement for us is not to start a business.”
This statement completely overturned Ren Zhong’s previous impression of a rich heir.
“Not start a business?” Ren Zhong was surprised. “They’re so rich; shouldn’t they be supporting you to make your mark and become the next legendary figure in the business world?”
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head firmly. “Actually, a moderately ‘lying flat’ rich heir is the best kind of rich heir.”
This was probably the fantastical world of the wealthy.
“Let’s put it this way: even if I spend money recklessly, with luxury cars, beautiful women, and throwing cash around in nightclubs, it’s just me wasting the family money. But if I started a business, it would be dozens or hundreds of people all reaching out for money, and no matter how deep the family’s pockets are, they can’t afford that.”
Ren Zhong looked at him. “Are you that unconfident in yourself?”
“It’s not about confidence; it’s just that they and I have both seen the reality.”
Zhang Qingyuan gently rested his head on Ren Zhong’s shoulder.
His excited little heart was highly anxious, afraid that Ren Zhong would realize that this gesture was too intimate and reject him.
But Ren Zhong was listening intently to what he was saying and didn’t notice his increasingly bold actions at all.
This made Zhang Qingyuan feel a mix of secret joy and disappointment, and he could only hope that his own charm and insight were enough to attract him.
“Just because I have better conditions than my mothers’ generation doesn’t mean I can achieve the same level of success. ‘Success’ is a kind of metaphysics; it’s about luck. Even if I do the right thing, if the timing isn’t right, I might not get the results I want.”
He touched the tip of his nose. “And I have to admit, my life has been too comfortable. I don’t have the benefits of their era, nor do I have their perseverance to fight hard. I’m just a salted fish, so it’s better to just lie still.”
“That’s true,” Ren Zhong said, looking down in thought. “Looking at the current economic and social situation, it’s really not a good time.”
“If it were a good time, would the government need to resort to such a drastic measure, using forced-match marriages to forcibly increase the birth rate, lower the crime rate, and maintain social stability?” Zhang Qingyuan scoffed.
His hand, like a small snake, silently snaked through the gap between Ren Zhong’s arm and body, gently wrapping around his arm.
“Do you think I’m a person with no ambition and no prospects?” he asked with a hint of caution and unease.
Ren Zhong didn’t think so. “I think you’re a really good ‘rich heir’ who makes your parents worry-free. You live a quiet, peaceful, and carefree life, not making reckless investments, not starting a business, and not committing any crimes…”
He stopped mid-sentence, realizing his words were wrong.
“KFM.”
An “illegal organization” that Zhang Qingyuan “invested” in, that Lawyer Mai and Zhang Qingyuan “founded” together, and that opposed the government’s forced-match marriage system.
“You’re doing all the things your mom told you not to do, aren’t you?” Ren Zhong turned to look at Zhang Qingyuan, who had an innocent and handsome face.
Ren Zhong was so speechless he was about to laugh. “And you still have the nerve to say you have no ambition? Your ambition is higher than the heavens; you dare to be the first to act, and you want me to dedicate my bl00d for the cause… Mm…”
His words were sealed by Zhang Qingyuan’s kiss.
Zhang Qingyuan felt that Ren Zhong understood him.
This person knew he only wanted a peaceful life, yet he was forced to do something world-changing. This person recognized his strength but also saw his vulnerability. This person was his ideal, and he was far beyond what he had ever imagined.
There were no cameras, no external pressure, and no pretense.
Zhang Qingyuan just wanted to use a kiss to express the turbulent emotions he couldn’t put into words.
It was a wonderful feeling. The detailed and deep kiss was both gentle and passionate, and the bl00d rushing through their chests and brains was exhilarating yet safe.
The concentration of their pheromones suddenly surged with their heartbeats and body temperatures. The sandalwood and chamomile were like honey and lemonade meeting in a cup, quickly blending into a harmonious, unified scent in a whirlwind.
After their mental defenses were dismantled, their instincts had no more barriers in the night. The flowing fire surged through the hills and valleys of their bodies, burning every muscle, inside and out, in every shade of depth.
Perhaps, as an Omega who had received military training, Ren Zhong shouldn’t have been affected by an Alpha’s pheromones to this extent. But at that moment, they no longer had the capacity to think about it.