FRGL chapter 98

Luo Hai was stunned for a second, then laughed at Eugene’s phrasing. “Are you a kid or something? A spring outing?”

“Who says only kids can go on spring outings? Grown-ups can too,” Eugene said, twirling a lock of Luo Hai’s hair between his fingers. “Besides, two old friends are already getting things ready.”

Luo Hai thought for a moment before realizing who Eugene was talking about. “You mean Mr. Manta and Mr. Halton?”

“Exactly. They’re planning to take advantage of the nice weather and go north for their honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon…” Luo Hai blinked. “I thought they already…”

“Of course they’ve already been married. It’s been fifty years, and they’re still disgustingly lovey-dovey. They go on a honeymoon every single year, without fail,” Eugene said with a tone of mock annoyance.

Luo Hai laughed aloud. “Well, if they’re going on a honeymoon, wouldn’t it be inappropriate for us to tag along?”

“What’s inappropriate about it? This year is different anyway—we can use the chance to celebrate Lightwing’s victory and your promotion,” Eugene scooted closer, the bedding rustling as he moved. “And they’re planning to go somewhere a bit special this time, so Shelley messaged me this afternoon to ask if we’d like to join.”

“Where?” Luo Hai turned to face Eugene.

“Fuba Port.” Eugene pinched Luo Hai’s ear. “So? Want to go?”

Luo Hai was stunned for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze, saying nonchalantly, “What would we do in Fuba Port? We finally made it to the big city, and now we’re going back to our hometown for a vacation?”

“Why not? Fuba Port in the spring is beautiful,” Eugene clasped Luo Hai’s hand and pinned him to the bed. “Wildflowers and grasses everywhere, and the pear blossoms on the hillside are as white as snow. We can even go tide-pooling—you can find tons of clams and sea snails. If we’re lucky, maybe even sea urchins. I remember when we were kids, you loved bossing me around to pick clams for you. In one morning, we could fill a whole bucket…”

“What’s so special about that? You can buy seafood anywhere nowadays.” Luo Hai gave Eugene a shove.

“Do you really not want to go?” Eugene leaned down, trying to catch Luo Hai’s gaze.

“…No, I don’t.” Luo Hai still avoided looking at him, clearly trying to change the topic.

But just as he turned his head, Eugene grabbed his wrist and suddenly flashed a mischievous grin, freeing one hand to tickle under Luo Hai’s arm.

“You—what are you doing—Eugene!” Luo Hai burst into uncontrollable laughter, struggling but unable to escape Eugene’s relentless tickling.

“Are we going or not? huh?” Eugene mercilessly targeted Luo Hai’s most ticklish spot.

“You’re cheating! Ah—” Luo Hai laughed until tears came out, grabbing onto Eugene’s arm. “I give up! I give up, okay?! We’ll go! We’ll go!”

Eugene immediately stopped like a dog who just got a bone, snuggling up and wrapping his arms around Luo Hai’s waist. In a cutesy tone, he said, “I knew my gege was the best.”

It gave Luo Hai such a bad case of goosebumps he nearly kicked Eugene off the bed.

Sometimes, Luo Hai genuinely had no idea what kind of spell Eugene had cast on him. He always ended up changing his mind for no good reason, and before he knew it, he’d agreed to one unreasonable thing after another.

Before he’d even figured out how to mentally prepare for returning to that remote northern port city, Eugene had already neatly packed their luggage, planned out the trip, and even prepared several packed meals for the journey.

Luo Hai originally thought the trip would just be the two of them and the Manta couple. But when they arrived at the meeting point, four more familiar faces appeared.

Fanny, Colin, Xiao Lau, and Dandan—basically half the people he was close to from the Prosecutor’s Office and Lightwing. Everyone stood chatting and laughing like old friends, with no sense of awkwardness at all. Only Irey leaned against his Jeep, smoking and sighing, unable to understand how a honeymoon had turned into a group tour.

Shelley got out of the passenger seat, walked over, and casually snatched the cigarette from Irey’s mouth, tossing it to the ground and stomping it out. “You planning to die early or what?”

Irey could only grumble under his breath and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

The trip turned out to be more fun than Luo Hai had imagined.

Irey was an expert long-distance driver—the ride was smooth and fast. Since the highway had been repaired, the distance from Nantes to Fuba Port was shortened. By dusk, they could already see the outline of the northern port city.

Fanny and Colin, both lifelong residents of Nantes, had never seen the ocean before. The moment the sea appeared on the horizon, they shouted in excitement.

Xiao Lau and Eugene started arguing over who the packed meals belonged to, while Dandan laughed and tried to mediate. Shelley sat in the front seat, occasionally chatting with Irey. The setting sun bathed the two older faces in warm light, softening their expressions.

Luo Hai sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the glimmering red-tinged sea.

This small, distant port city was both unfamiliar and familiar to him. He hadn’t seen it in fifteen years. The streets were livelier than he remembered, the beaches more crowded, but the glittering ocean and the salty sea breeze in the air hadn’t changed at all. It felt like the scent alone could travel straight through his nose and unlock memories buried deep in his mind.

They stayed in Fuba Port for three days, and everyone had a great time.

Fanny dragged Colin around the town to sample every local delicacy. Xiao Lau and Dandan preferred the beach, where they collected piles of strange and beautiful seashells. Shelley and Irey were nowhere to be found most of the time—just vaguely said they were visiting old friends.

Eugene and Luo Hai walked through the pear blossoms, went tide-pooling, tried a new bubble tea place, and retraced the streets they used to walk together as kids, discussing how the scenery had changed.

But there was one place they never went. Luo Hai didn’t mention it, and Eugene didn’t ask.

That is, until the final evening, just when Eugene thought their trip would quietly end without incident—Luo Hai suddenly spoke.

“Want to go visit the orphanage?” he asked, eyes fixed on the window.

Eugene was sitting on the bed, halfway out of his jacket, his hands frozen mid-movement. “Do you want to go?”

Luo Hai pressed his lips together, fell silent for a few seconds, then turned his head and nodded.

“If you really don’t want to go, don’t force yourself.” Eugene put his jacket back on. “Fuba Port isn’t going anywhere—if you want to come back, you can always come back later…”

“I want to.” Luo Hai interrupted him, then repeated firmly, “I want to go take a look.”

So on the final evening of their trip, Eugene and Luo Hai quietly left the hotel and headed toward the deepest, most painful wound in their shared memory.

It wasn’t until they arrived near their destination that Luo Hai realized the old orphanage site was only one street away from their hotel.

What appeared before them was a small park in the middle of the street, bustling with several children running around. Their parents followed behind, chatting leisurely. A few puppies wagged their tails nearby, pawing at the wild grass around the tree pits.

There were no ruins or scorched remains like Luo Hai had imagined. He froze for a moment, then chuckled at himself.

What had he been expecting? It had been fifteen years—of course there was no trace of the orphanage left.

But at the same time, a faint sense of loss rose in his heart. The Oddis Orphanage seemed to have vanished from the world without a trace, disappearing quietly. Even if he wanted to atone or remember, there was no longer any physical anchor to do so.

As if sensing his thoughts, Eugene waved to him from not far away. “Look over here.”

Luo Hai walked over and found a stone plaque at the entrance of the park. Written in elegant, gold-plated cursive were the words: “Donated by Oddis Orphanage. Donors: Irene Longfellow, Milne Longfellow…”

Auntie Ai and Uncle Mi’s names were the largest. Following theirs was a long list of smaller names. Luo Hai leaned in closer and was surprised to find that those were the names of all the children from the orphanage.

“This park was built using the orphanage’s remaining funds,” Eugene explained. “Auntie Ai and Uncle Mi had written in their wills long ago that if the orphanage were ever destroyed, the money should be used to build a park—one where all the children of Fuba Port could play, whether rich or poor, Alpha or Omega.”

Luo Hai placed his hand on the plaque and closed his eyes. His throat burned and his voice turned hoarse.

“The orphanage being destroyed… that was my fault. If I’d realized something was wrong earlier, if I had run farther away from Doyle…”

Eugene laid his hand over the back of Luo Hai’s.

“Come on, we’re adults now. Don’t say dumb stuff like that. What happened back then wasn’t your fault—or mine. We were just kids. Some things are simply beyond our power to change.”

Luo Hai stood silently, eyes still closed.

“When headquarters relocated, I took the chance to dig into Doyle’s files a bit. Want to hear what I found?” Eugene suddenly said.

“You’ve already brought it up—what else can I do?” Luo Hai opened his eyes and shot Eugene a look. “If I stop you now, I won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway.”

Eugene gave a faint smile and leaned against the plaque. “Doyle had hidden his real background, but I managed to dig up some clues. For example, he is actually from Marwen. He was sold to Nantes when he was 16.”

Luo Hai’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The one who bought him was a high-ranking government official—moody, twisted, and abusive. A few years later, Doyle’s glands were damaged, but the guy couldn’t let go of his favorite toy, so he sent him to the hospital for treatment. That hospital happened to be researching inhibitors at the time, and somehow Doyle got his hands on a prototype drug during his stay. He used it to disguise his gender, escaped, and stole a gun on his way out.”

Eugene paused for a beat before continuing, “That official died shortly afterward. All the reports say it was from illness, and he left his entire fortune to Doyle. After that, Doyle joined the prosecutor’s office as an Alpha and managed to keep up the act for over thirty years without ever being exposed. Honestly, with that many years of continuous drug use, I’m not even sure his glands could still emit Omega pheromones. Maybe that’s why no one ever found out.”

Luo Hai stayed quiet for a long time after hearing all this, simply staring into the void. The night darkened his eyes, making it impossible to read the emotions in them.

“He chose the completely opposite path from you,” Eugene said quietly. “He would rather end his life than live as an Omega.”

“That’s not true,” Luo Hai lowered his eyelids, his voice soft. “I would have walked the exact same path as him. The only reason I didn’t was because you were by my side.”

Saying this, Luo Hai raised his head, his obsidian-like eyes locking with Eugene’s. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his expression growing more determined. “Eugene, this time, I wasn’t impulsive, and I didn’t treat death lightly. I thought about it for a long time, gave myself time… I want to say, I—”

“I love you.” Eugene said with a smile, his voice relaxed as if talking about the weather.

Luo Hai’s eyes widened in shock at first, then his expression gradually turned to anger. He punched Eugene in the chest. “Eugene Oddis! How could you even steal this from me?”

The confession he had been preparing for so long was casually taken away by this fool!

Luo Hai was furious, landing one punch after another on Eugene, even kicking him between blows. “I love you too! No, scratch that, I just love you! I’ve loved you for a long, long time! You’re such a lunatic, an idiot, a freak! When we were kids, you stole my cake, and now you’re stealing my confession!”

Eugene laughed while dodging the punches, wincing in pain, but Luo Hai didn’t stop, chasing him relentlessly. Eugene was cornered by a wall, and had no choice but to grab Luo Hai’s wrist, flipping him around and pinning him against the wall, sealing his lips with his own.

The night breeze was cool, the moonlight soft. The sounds of children playing in the park were fading, and dog owners began calling their pets back.

The warmth of Eugene’s lips became all the more distinct, his touch, his breath, each subtle movement making Luo Hai dizzy.

At that moment, it felt like something had changed, or maybe nothing at all. Holding onto his Alpha tightly, he felt as though he was still that boy who would climb up the wall to pick osmanthus flowers, looking down to see that bright-eyed little follower.

He didn’t know how long they kissed, but when Eugene pulled back, breathless, the heavy scent of irises lingered in the Omega’s neck, making the Alpha lose his focus for a moment. He moved in closer, like an animal, nuzzling against the back of Luo Hai’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating fragrance.

“How did you… suddenly get so aroused?” Eugene’s voice was hoarse. “Did I stir up your emotions too much?”

Luo Hai almost wanted to laugh. The arrow was already on the string, and Eugene still had the time to worry about his emotions. He almost wanted to give him an award for world-class empathy.

Luo Hai hooked his arm around Eugene’s neck, leaned in close to his ear, and lowered his voice. “It’s not just emotions that arouse me. Sometimes, it’s when I suddenly, especially, love you.”

Eugene’s pupils dilated, and in that moment, Luo Hai swore he saw the instincts of a predator. Fortunately, the park was only a street away from the hotel; otherwise, Luo Hai wasn’t sure if Eugene would have pinned him down right then and there.

By the time they fell onto the big bed in the hotel room, Luo Hai was so dazed he was on the verge of losing his mind. The air was thick with pheromones, almost ready to explode. He kissed Eugene instinctively, touching his body instinctively.

When he heard the sound of fabric tearing, Luo Hai realized he had ripped off a button from Eugene’s shirt.

Then he noticed something hidden behind Eugene’s collar—something around his neck.

Eugene leaned down, taking Luo Hai’s hand and placing it on his neck, a sly smile in his eyes. “Do you like it?”

The object felt cool, attached to a thin iron chain. It was a leather collar.

“You…” Luo Hai was stunned and couldn’t speak.

When had he prepared something like this? Had he been wearing it all this time during their journey?

“Even though you don’t say it, I know you’ve always been bothered by not being able to be marked,” Eugene kissed Luo Hai’s ear, speaking softly. “Since that’s the case, why not mark me?”

With that, Eugene grabbed Luo Hai’s hand, leading it to the chain on the collar. His voice, filled with desire, was hoarse. “I’m your Alpha, from today until the last day of my life, I’ll always be your one and only Alpha.”

Luo Hai’s eyes turned red, and he couldn’t even tell whether it was because of being moved or desire. At that moment, he didn’t want to hold back his love or desire for the person in front of him anymore. He tightened the chain and kissed Eugene’s lips without reservation, offering everything he had.

…

The next morning, they returned from Fuba Port.

Fanny, full of energy from playing for several days, had finally worn herself out and was now sleeping on Colin’s shoulder. Colin, who had been dragged around by her, was also exhausted but still made an effort to sit up straight, not letting Fanny’s head fall off. Xiao Lau and Dandan were laughing and chatting about the fun things in Fuba Port, while Eugene responded intermittently, massaging the exhausted Luo Hai’s waist.

As soon as they returned to their workstations, Luo Hai was bombarded with countless work calls and messages. The relaxation from the vacation vanished in an instant, and life was back on track.

There was still a lot of work waiting for the new Chief Prosecutor and the head Lightwing to handle.

But what was different from before was that the person whom he once thought he might never see again, was now someone he could see every night.

Like today, like now. Luo Hai was still at the window, taking a work call, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Eugene standing downstairs by the building, dressed in a flashy outfit, looking like a celebrity.

“…The reform guidelines for the gender control organization were communicated yesterday, and the draft of the new documents was already prepared this afternoon. When would you have time to review them…”

Luo Hai’s gaze followed Eugene downstairs. The man suddenly looked up and threw him a flirtatious wink.

Luo Hai couldn’t help but smile.

“…Uh, Prosecutor Luo Hai? Are you still there?”

“I’m off work. Let’s talk tomorrow.” Luo Hai finished speaking and hung up the phone, grabbed his coat from the hanger, and walked downstairs.

Eugene was leaning against the street tree at the building’s entrance. The treetops swayed in the spring breeze, green like emeralds in the sunlight.

“Is the leader of the Lightwing Society so free? You come to the prosecutor’s office to pick me up every day?” Luo Hai said with a smile, walking toward the person under the tree.

“Isn’t it that you finish work too late? I should really write a complaint to your superiors,” Eugene complained. “Taking away public servants’ personal time, exploiting labor, uneven personnel resource allocation…”

“Alright, alright, stop scaring those poor old folks. If you write that letter, they’ll be scared thinking you’ve got explosives hidden somewhere again,” Luo Hai said with a laugh. “The weekend is coming up in a couple of days. I’ll stay at home with you, not going anywhere. How’s that?”

Eugene deliberately pursed his lips. “Now that’s more like it.”

Then he felt Luo Hai take his hand and put something into his palm.

“What’s this?” Eugene asked, stunned.

“The thing I promised to give you,” Luo Hai said.

Eugene opened his hand, and there, resting quietly in his palm, was a small piece of milk candy.

THE END.

[mfn]We’ve reached the end. I really enjoyed translating Fragile from start to end. I was also happy encountering Shelly and Irey who I loved from Omega Manual seeing also that they are still in love and healthy. If you enjoyed Fragile as much as I did consider supporting me on ko-fi through this link https://ko-fi.com/cee4409. Any amount will be appreciated.

Also find my other completed projects on there.[/mfn]