TCFGBH Chapter 76

this chapter is sponsored by Nix on Kofi! thank you so much for your support.

---

As the original owner left, he sold the family house.

Xia Yan wasn’t sure what to do when returning to his hometown. He glanced at Xu Rang, eyes reflecting a hint of inquiry. Pushing a large suitcase, Xu Rang looked at him, puzzled, “What’s up?”

Xia Yan thought for a moment, then shook his head, “Nothing. Let’s just stay in a hotel.”

After all, it was only a month, so anything casual would do.

Due to the area’s small size and relatively low income, the accommodations were limited to basic hotels, with no presidential suites to even consider. Xia Yan booked two single rooms, one for himself and one for Xu Rang.

The next few days were spent in an easy “retirement” lifestyle. They only needed to eat, wander around, sleep, and occasionally get together to play games, where their mutual clumsiness led to plenty of laughs. During this time, Xia Yan was approached almost daily.

Xu Rang took on the role of “boyfriend” each time, stepping forward to clarify their “relationship,” usually receiving a look of disbelief in return.

Xu Rang: “…”

The town was small, and the news soon spread among distant relatives and extended family members. Somehow, Xia Yan’s photo ended up with relatives of the original owner.

“Is it really him?”

“Look at that beauty mark near his collarbone. It must be him.”

“Was Cousin always this good-looking?”

“Oh, there’s a beauty filter, of course it looks good… look over there; he seems to be coming out!”

As the hotel doors opened, the three distant cousins, two men and one woman, collectively gasped. The guy who’d been convinced it was all just beauty filters now seemed less sure.

Lowering his voice, he said quietly, “Are we sure we didn’t get the wrong person?”

The girl nodded, “I think so too.”

“Why don’t we just go up and ask?” The man in the middle bravely moved forward, mentally rehearsing what to say. But upon seeing the stunning young man up close, his mind went blank, and he stammered.

In the end, Xia Yan recognized him first.

“Yan Han?”

“Cousin?”

“Yes.”

“Is it really you?” Yan Han’s gaze was unfocused as he looked Xia Yan up and down, finally recognizing some familiar details in the face he knew.

Though every small feature of his appearance hadn’t changed much, the combination looked worlds apart.

The other two came over, looking at him in disbelief.

The only girl blurted out, “Whoa…” then said, with some envy, “Is this the magic of living in the city? I wonder if I go, will I—” and became prettier.

“Stop daydreaming.” Yan Han swatted his sister’s head, “You went to Shanghai for a week of vacation and didn’t change at all!”

“…True.” The girl sighed.

The three had plenty to say to Xia Yan when they arrived, but actually facing him, they hesitated. After all, their parents’ past actions were truly unpleasant.

The five stood at the hotel entrance, attracting quite a few onlookers.

Xia Yan searched through the original owner’s memories. After his parents’ deaths, relatives scrambled to be his guardian to claim the house.

Almost none of them had good intentions, which was why he hadn’t contacted them since returning. But these cousins had always gotten along well, with no major conflicts. Their only barrier was the issue of loyalty to their respective parents.

Xia Yan asked, “Is there something you need from me?”

“No, not really.” Yan Han scratched his nose, “We heard from a mutual friend that you were back, so we thought we’d stop by to see you.”

The girl added, “Seeing you’re doing well puts us at ease.”

“…”

They chatted awkwardly for a while before Yan Han finally bit his lip, saying, “Actually… we’re here to apologize. What happened back then really wasn’t right.”

“Our parents did go too far…” Yet as much as they resented their parents’ actions, they couldn’t disown them.

Yan Han’s hand was nearly red from the cold, and he was on the verge of giving up when Xia Yan finally reached out, taking the envelope and saying, “Thank you. I’ll put it to good use. I have nothing prepared, so please take this as my gift.”

He removed a small black gemstone earring from his right ear and handed it to the girl, who was too surprised to refuse. Without waiting for them to respond, he took Xu Rang and left.

The three stared after him, until his figure disappeared. Then one of them whispered, “So who’s that Beta next to him?”

“Looks like Cousin’s boyfriend…” the girl said hesitantly.

“I don’t believe it!”

“No way.”

The girl held the earring tightly, “I heard he’s his boyfriend, though I think it’s just a front—there’s zero chemistry between them.”

“Alright, let’s go grab something to eat.” Yan Han sighed, realizing their connection with Xia Yan had reached a limit. All they could expect now was a polite greeting when they occasionally crossed paths.

Meanwhile, in a Shanghai villa.

The deepening night hung low, while the city’s haze obscured the stars. The sliver of the moon lingered in the clouds, casting a faint glow.

In the plush living room, a man slouched tiredly against a pillow, dialing a number out of habit.

“… The number you have dialed is unavailable…”

Knowing there would be no answer, he still couldn’t stop himself from trying.

“Young Master.” A tall security team leader stepped in silently. “I’m very sorry; we still haven’t found Mr. Xia’s address in City B.”

“Keep looking,” said the man, his pale face lit icily by the crystal chandelier.

“Yes.”

“Besides hotels, cabs, and flights, also look into the local private drivers.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

The security chief slipped out as quietly as he’d come, leaving the man alone. Nearing the New Year, the villa was silent, as Shen Wenqing spent the evening entirely alone.

A beautifully crafted crown lay quietly on the transparent coffee table, its owner nowhere to be found.

Shen Wenqing rubbed his temples vigorously, his face showing clear exhaustion, with a faint bluish shadow under his eyes—he hadn’t slept in nearly two nights.

Ever since they’d been intimate, Shen Wenqing felt Xia Yan was avoiding him.

He understood Xia Yan’s feelings; given their roles, as an Omega, he was supposed to take the bottom position… but Xia Yan had been the one who said not to care about the Omega status, that he should just do what he wanted!

He liked Xia Yan and wanted to have him, full of a predatory nature that was not in line with Omega.

Before being defined by his gender, he was Shen Wenqing.

Nonetheless, he’d allowed Xia Yan some space, guessing he might have frightened him. He’d given him some time to rest and relax.

Unexpectedly, just ten days later, Xia Yan left.

No longer interested in his job at the bar, in the Alphas who adored him, or in the millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry… he left Shanghai without a trace.

Not a single thing was taken… except for Xu Rang!

A Beta with average looks, average family background, and a pretty ordinary personality.

Shen Wenqing was baffled. He couldn’t figure out where he had lost. But… as long as Xia Yan hadn’t officially broken things off, they were still dating.

As his boyfriend, caring about his partner’s situation and looking for him was perfectly reasonable, wasn’t it?

Exhausted, he drifted off on the sofa. In his hazy dreams, memories swirled together, blurring into a string of disconnected fragments. But in each one, a small figure was by his side, always keeping him company.

Around two or three in the morning, Shen Wenqing was awakened by his ringing phone.

“Hello?”

“Young Master, we’ve located Mr. Xia.”

Shen Wenqing immediately snapped awake. Grabbing his car keys, he headed toward the garage. “Where is he? How’s he doing?”

“After arriving in City B, Mr. Xia stayed one night at a hotel, then took a long-distance bus to his hometown the next day.” Buses to smaller towns often had drivers who skipped issuing tickets to increase their profits.

In today’s digital age, it was difficult to track someone’s whereabouts without computerized records.

Considering Xia Yan’s personality, everyone had assumed he would take a cab back—but it was nearly New Year, and no driver was willing to travel that far.

Moreover, Xia Yan’s appearance was so striking that if anyone had harbored bad intentions… Xu Rang wasn’t willing to take that risk, preferring the discomfort of a crowded bus.

Xia Yan: “…”

Since he was the one who’d asked Xu Rang to come back with him, he wasn’t about to disregard his feelings and agreed to take the bus.

And it was precisely this decision that led Shen Wenqing’s team astray, making the investigation difficult. Finally, now, they had managed to find him.

---

TN: heyo everyone:D actually this arc is not as complicated like the previous arc? oh right, today i spent quite a lot of time to re-edit my site! feel free to check it out heree you also can find other novels that similiar to this novel in my porto. well, thank u so much for reading