REN
I heard a roar of laughter from one person, which caused the hair on my skin to stand on end. "That sounds very much like me, but I can't, for the life of me remember who your brother is." I took slow, cautious steps, drawing closer. There was total silence everywhere, like I'd magically been transported to an alternate universe.
"Yeah, acting all high and mighty. That's all you know how to do." I was close enough to see their faces now. "You're just a fucking
asshole." Two guys were holding the washroom guy back, while Mr. Feng stood at
the spot I left him, unfazed.
"Who knows this idiot?" He turned to two of his friends with a questioning brow, totally ignoring Mr Zhen. Mr Ruiqing's shoulder moved in silent laughter as he shook his head, while Mr Yichen frowned in response. Mr Feng looked back at washroom guy, his brows creased in irritation. "If it's boredom, scurry along and find something to do." He shooed with his hand. There was a unanimous round of chuckles from the crowd, which hadn't gathered around
but was attentively following the confrontation.
Washroom guy's nose flared, triggering a flashback of our earlier encounter. He lurched forward, barely getting anywhere due to the two men who held him in place.
"You could race it out!" I jumped when a feminine voice shouted from right beside me. She immediately bent her head before anyone could tell it was her. Murmurs of agreement ran through the crowd. Was this how these races usually went?
"A race doesn't sound so bad." Mr Ruiqing chirped. "We'll get to see that face he made when he loses." He tapped Mr Yichen on the back. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with his head.
"What do you say, Mr…? I don't care about your name." Mr Feng asked. His annoyance was very clear. There were a few seconds of intense staring before washroom guy answered, nodding with determination in his eyes.
"You know what, I'll race you. Everyone will see—"
"Right, let's get on with it." Mr Feng cut him off before he could finish his sentence. I couldn't help snorting.
Everything that followed happened in a blur. One minute, the two parties were agreeing to a race, and in the next, about six Alphas in suits appeared out of nowhere. They looked important—not just from how smartly they
were dressed, but from the way they moved.
One of them in particular stood out, a D-Gen Alpha. Although he was in a suit, like the other five men, his was more stylish, and a bit less formal. He stepped forward. That was when I noticed the crowd shifting, people making themselves comfortable on available seats, some lining themselves up along the
race track.
My brows quirked in curiosity when the man pulled out a tablet and turned to washroom guy. "Mr Hao Mingyu.," That was his name? And I got Wutao… That made perfect sense. "Are you racing by yourself, or would you
like a stand in?" Oh, so someone could race in place of another.
"I'll race by myself." Washroom guy answered, his lips still pulled into a sneer. I guess he was confident in his racing skills. Either way, something about how unbothered Mr Feng looked told me he could beat this guy in his sleep, which gave me a little bit of satisfaction.
"Noted." The man with the tablet answered, writing something on the tablet. "Lang?" He addressed Mr Feng by his first name. Were they close?
"Big Shen didn't come today?" Mr Feng asked casually, and the man shook his head. Looking at them together, there were some slight similarities in their features. Mr Feng assessed his opponent one last time, his face pulled in thought. Then he finally spoke, "You know what? Why don't I let you decide?" My brows knitted in confusion. "Choose among the…" his gaze lingered on Mr Zhen in contemplation. "four of us. Who would you like to race:"
Washroom guy scoffed. "Making this easier for me." Mr Feng shrugged.
Beside me, someone snickered. "Mr Feng is teasing him. I'd choose Mr Shen if it were me. He's never raced before." I heard them whisper.
My gaze went back to the group of alphas under the tent—a smirking Mr Ruiqing, an amused Mr Zhen, an indifferent Mr Yichen, and an annoyed Mr Feng. Washroom guy looked between the four men, carefully weighing his options. Finally, he nodded at Mr Yichen with a smirk. "I choose you, Shen Yichen."
"I knew it!" The same person whispered beside me again. There was a round of murmurs through the crowd, but it was cut short when the man with the tablet spoke.
"Cousin," my ears perked. He's Mr Yichen's cousin? But why does he look more like Mr Feng? "You're fine with that?"
Mr Yichen answered calmly, "Guess so." Just then, the crowd erupted in cheers and washroom guy beamed. I couldn't tell how this was going to go, and from the crowd's energy, they seemed to be in the same boat as me.
"Alright, you both know how it works. Stakes." The man in suit turned to the washroom guy, "What does he get if you lose?" Huh?
"Better be something big. We aren't breaking Yichen's racing virginity for some scraps." Mr Ruiqing taunted, earning a swat from Mr Zhen.
"How about my family's hotel?" What?! "It's mine, anyways." I looked around to see if I was the only one shocked by this, and I was. This was normal?
"Pass." The man in the suit declared, after typing something into his tablet. "Lang?"
"What property of mine would you like? I'll let you choose this time too." Mr Feng spread out his arms sarcastically, earning a few snickers. Washroom guy's nose twitched, he looked like he was about to say something, but then, his eyes fell on me. I flinched. Slowly his lips curved into a smirk. Why was he smirking?
"How about him?" My eyes followed his finger, leading straight to me and my heart dropped. Yeah, he must be stupid. Did he think I was some kind of property? I was starting to get angry all over again at persistent pestilence. I was about to scoff when I noticed something chilling. All eyes were on me.
They weren't confused or amused, they were more… curious. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.
Mr Feng's confused look morphed into recognition when he saw me. His eyes trailed down my face, settling around my neck area. They lingered there for a few seconds, before suddenly, something flashed in them.
It was so quick that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't also staring at him intently. I don't know why, but somehow, I felt like washroom guy's request may not be too absurd. It was the way everyone waited patiently for Mr Feng's response.
I found myself slowly shaking my head as heat rose from the tip of my prickling fingers. Slowly a smirk curled on Mr Feng's lips, his eyes not sharing the same sentiment. Then his lips parted and it seemed the course of my entire life had shifted by the single word that left them.
"Deal."