Chapter 202 - Decreed by Fate~
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina
10. Decreed by Fate~
Lu Ting really couldn’t stand being called ‘Lovable Little Wife.’ However, when he recalled his previous actions and behaviour, he didn’t have the courage to fight Xie He on this. He hung his head low, listlessly. Who told him to be in the wrong first….
Even if he couldn’t bear it, he had no choice but to put up with it.
666 saw that his host was even able to bear this kind of address. Suddenly, he felt a bit sad. Was this really the famous, formidable Lu Ting of the transmigrating world? He looked like he was a timid young wife. If anyone else dared to call Lu Ting ‘Lovable Little Wife,’ they would be beaten until not even their moms could recognize them….
And this was before he was able to get Xie He back. If he really managed to get back together with the other man, Lu Ting would definitely be a henpecked husband.
Xie He put down the book in his hands and raised a brow. “According to this book’s timeline, I was supposed to meet Ruan Xiaoxuan a few years after you left and the plot was supposed to start. But Ruan Xiaoxuan never appeared. Were you behind that? Did you kill her?”
Lu Ting immediately sat up straight. “No! I would never do that to a little girl! I just hid her far, far away, ensuring that the two of you would never meet. Um…according to 《The Love Conquest Manual》, in the highlighted section of the first chapter, the most important thing a capturing host must do is tear apart the original pairing. That is because the protagonists are very easily attracted to each other due to the world’s influence. It is their ‘destiny’ to fall in love with each other. This is a very difficult to explain, mysterious power….Therefore, hosts must do everything they can to prevent the original CP from meeting to avoid the original plot from happening. Once the original CP falls in love, it will be extremely difficult to tear them apart. As a consequence, completing the mission will also become very hard.”
Xie He suppressed the corner of his lip from rising. Did this guy memorize《The Love Conquest Manual》? He wouldd only be able to recite it like this if he had read it a thousand times….
No wonder Xie He had felt like something had been off back then. This guy couldn’t have been using this manual while courting him, could he?
Lu Ting saw that Xie He was smiling. He didn’t know why but he felt his hairs stand on end. But it wouldn’t do any good if he were to lie again….He already understood that he wouldn’t be able to deceive Xie He anymore. Furthermore, hiding things would also affect Xie He’s judgement, so he might as well put everything on the table.
Xie He leaned forward slightly. He asked, “Where is she now?”
Lu Ting felt a bit apprehensive. “I sent her abroad.”
Xie He said, “Take me to see her.”
Lu Ting: “….”
【Lu Ting：What should I do?! He’s going to see the female lead, ah! He won’t fall in love with her, will he? According to the laws of the world, the male lead will definitely fall for the female lead!】
【666：Probably not….He’s already completely bent, shown by how he hadn’t touched a single girl for the past thirteen years since you left. He’s 100% gay! 】
【Lu Ting：But it’s the legendary female lead, ah….】
【666：Don’t panic.】666 actually felt uncertain. According to the manual, the original CP were destined to gravitate towards each other. There was a very real possibility of Xie He falling for the female lead….But he didn’t say that out loud, because it would only cause his host to worry more.
Xie He saw that Lu Ting didn’t move or speak. His expression turned cold. He said in an insipid tone, “You hid away the girl who was supposed to be my girlfriend and then left after tricking the young me into falling for you. And now you’re refusing to make amends?”
Lu Ting’s expression was stiff. After some time, he lowered his head and stood up. With a downcast voice, he said, “I’ll take you to see her.”
Xie He nodded, satisfied. He then locked the little erotic novel into his drawer. “Let’s go right now.”
Lu Ting didn’t think that Xie He would be in such a hurry. He felt even more unsure now. He was completely lost in thought and kept asking 666 if Xie He would fall in love with the female lead. In the end, 666 couldn’t be bothered to respond. He pretended that he was offline.
Lu Ting had always thought that, although Xie He wouldn’t fall in love with him, he wouldn’t fall in love with anyone else either….But now, he wasn’t so sure. What if Xie He fell in love with the female lead?
Would Lu Ting be able to bear with that? Was he really so open-minded?
But Lu Ting didn’t dare hide such an important thing from Xie. He could only give Xie He Ruan Xiaoxuan’s location and accompany the other to meet her.
When Lu Ting had first arrived in this world, Xie He had only been ten years old. Ruan Xiaoxuan had also only been eight. The first thing he had done was send Ruan Xiaoxuan far, far away, guaranteeing that she would never appear in front of Xie He.
According to the original book’s character settings, Ruan Xiaoxuan was the typical miserable female lead of an angsty romance novel. She was a kindhearted, amiable little white flower. Furthermore, Xie He was a sinister, aggressive President. Their love was world-shaking and completely warped.
Ruan Xiaoxuan’s family situation wasn’t good. When she was young, her stepfather would beat her and her mother. Ruan Xiaoxuan was reserved and timid by nature too so she was also bullied in school.
Lu Ting solved this with a very simple and crude method. He had money and power. Therefore, he gave Ruan Xiaoxuan’s mother enough money to go abroad. He then sent that lowlife stepfather of Ruan Xiaoxuan to jail.
After the other had left the country, Lu Ting didn’t meddle in Ruan Xiaoxuan’s affairs anymore. He entrusted their care to someone else. For him, ensuring that the mother-daughter pair would have a blissful life was an extremely simple matter. Any problem that could be solved with money wasn’t a problem at all.
According to his information, Ruan Xiaoxuan and her mother led very satisfying lives abroad. Her mother fell in love again and married a man who loved her. Ruan Xiaoxuan was also an excellent person. Right now, she was an independent woman who strived to improve herself. She currently had a white-collared job. She had already been married for several years and had a gentle, considerate husband who loved her. Together, they had a son and a daughter. Her life was happy and beautiful.
Because they led such great lives abroad, the mother-daughter pair never had any thoughts of returning to their native country. Therefore, there had been no opportunities for her to meet Xie He.
After all, there were so many people on this planet. The likelihood of two people who walked completely different paths meeting was very small.
In the s.p.a.cious, quiet, first cla.s.s cabin, Lu Ting sat beside Xie He. It was obvious from his expression that he had heavy thoughts on his mind.
Xie He noticed Lu Ting’s expression through his peripheral vision. His lips rose into a smile and he continued to rest his eyes.
The next morning, the two of them got off the plane. The person in charge of Lu Ting’s company overseas, Henry, came to pick them up.
Henry said, “Boss, I’ve already made arrangements for your lodging at the hotel. I have also contacted Miss Ruan. She says that she’s looking forward to seeing you.”
Lu Ting’s expression was stiff. He really didn’t want to go but still nodded in the end. “Good. Right, tell her to bring her own family, to treat it as a family get together. There’s no need for her to be nervous.”
This was a little scheme of his. Ruan Xiaoxuan’s family life was so happy now. She had a husband and children. When Xie He saw this, he wouldn’t fall for her, right? Tearing a family apart was too tasteless, right?!
When Xie He heard this, a smile flashed through his eyes. Oh, it seems like this vinegar jar isn’t that stupid after all. But this little trick won’tt be enough, ah.
After Lu Ting gave Henry his orders, he turned to speak to Xie He in a fawning manner. He asked, “Do you want to meet her today or tomorrow after taking a rest?”
Xie He took a look at the time. He smiled. “It’s still early. No need to waste time. Let’s do tonight.”
When Lu Ting heard this, he told Henry, “Then arrange the dinner for tonight.”
Henry acquiesced at once before turning to glance at Xie He curiously. Who was this person? Why did his boss obey his every word?
Henry arranged the dinner for that night while escorting Lu Ting and Xie He to the hotel with the chauffeur. He had already booked a suite according to Lu Ting’s request. He had booked two of the highest-grade suites. They were adjacent to each other.
Actually, Lu Ting had wanted to stay in the same suite as Xie He. However, when he recalled the slap Xie He had given him, he didn’t dare do anything that could be preceived as forceful. He could only bitterly book two rooms. At least they were next door to each other! They were still very close!
Xie He raised an eyebrow. He didn’t seem to have any objections to this arrangement. He had sat on a plane the whole night and was a bit sleepy. He returned to his room and took a nap. He then woke up in the afternoon and meticulously freshened up in preparation for the dinner that night.
Lu Ting stayed in his own room. He didn’t sleep a wink. He was in a state of constant anxiety. Every second felt like a year.
Xie He was about to meet the female lead. He was about to meet the female lead. He was about to meet the female lead….
Only when he received Henry’s call did Lu Ting grit his teeth and go out to call Xie He.
Lu Ting knocked on the door. Shortly after, Xie He came out. Xie He had on a high-quality, custom-made, body-fitting suit. He had on exquisite cufflinks and his hair had been styled meticulously, not a hair out of place. He was unbelievably handsome. His long, narrow eyes were especially charming, and he was donning that smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It was impossible to look away.
He was truly so good-looking….Lu Ting really wanted to push Xie He back into the room and cancel that dinner. He didn’t want to let the female lead see him like this.
【Lu Ting：He never dressed up like this before, ah?! Why did he doll up so much today?! It looks like he’s going on a blind date?! Does he really need to do this?! She’s a married woman!!!】
【666：…Erm.】
Xie He noticed that Lu Ting had frozen in place. He c.o.c.ked a brow and looked at him meaningfully. “What’s wrong?”
Lu Ting: “….”
The smile slowly disappeared from Xie He’s face. He looked at Lu Ting slightly coldly. “What? Do you regret it? Do you want to make my decisions for me again?”
Lu Ting’s lips parted as his head hung low. He quietly said, “No…I just wanted to say that you look really good.”
Xie He said in a flat tone, “Lead the way.”
Hesitation and apprehension flickered through Lu Ting’s eyes. However, he still headed downstairs and pulled open the car door for Xie He. He then sat inside himself. He kept stealing glances at Xie He’s profile. He couldn’t get enough of him.
He hadn’t been able to see Xie He for such a long time. In the other worlds, he had only been able to rely on his memory to picture the other’s appearance. When they had met again, he had only thought that the young man he loved had become even better looking….He might as well look at him some more now. He might not get the opportunity again in the future.
Henry had arranged for the dinner to take place at Lu Ting’s villa’s garden. They had invited Ruan Xiaoxuan’s whole family to come.
When Lu Ting and Xie He arrived, Ruan Xiaoxuan’s family had already come. Ruan Xiaoxuan was thirty years old now. However, because she led a happy life and her career was successful, she looked even more beautiful and graceful. She still looked rather young.
A handsome man of mixed blood stood beside her. He was her husband, East. There were also two five or six-year old children playing by the pool, one boy and one girl. They had fair, smooth skin and were very cute. They were Ruan Xiaoxuan’s children.
As soon as Ruan Xiaoxuan saw Lu Ting, she looked very excited. Although she had only seen this Mr. Lu once more than a decade ago, the memory of his aid was deeply ingrained into her brain. It had been Mr. Lu who had given her the life she had now.
Ruan Xiaoxuan walked over to give Lu Ting a polite hug. She said excitedly, “I’m really happy to see you again.”
Lu Ting’s actions were stiff as he gave her a polite hug back. His expression was complicated. He suppressed his intense apprehension and said, “I’m also happy.” Actually I’m not happy at all.
Ruan Xiaoxuan didn’t notice anything off about Lu Ting. She smiled and then looked at Xie He, who stood beside him. Her eyes lit up. This was a really elegant and poised gentleman. He must be Mr. Lu’s friend, right? It’s only to be expected that Mr. Lu’s friends would also be so outstanding.
Xie He’s gave bore deeply into Ruan Xiaoxuan. He introduced himself, “h.e.l.lo. My name is Xie He. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ruan Xiaoxuan smiled, “I’m Ruan Xiaoxuan.”
The atmosphere was very relaxed during the dinner. Ruan Xiaoxuan introduced her husband to everyone. It seemed like their relations.h.i.+p was very good. The dinner pa.s.sed by very happily.
It was just that Lu Ting’s nervous gaze was permanently stuck on Xie He.
However, Xie He didn’t even so much as glance at Lu Ting once. His attention was on Ruan Xiaoxuan the whole time. He seemed to be very interested in her. However, he didn’t do anything impolite. Xie He was also very courteous towards East. The two of them chatted very happily.
In the end, when it was time to leave, Xie He asked for East and Ruan Xiaoxuan’s contact information. He said that they should keep in touch.
The more Lu Ting watched, the lower his heart sunk. Xie He had never been so cordial towards insignificant people before. He even wanted their contact information. What did this mean?
On the way back, Lu Ting cautiously asked Xie He, “What do you think about her?”
Xie He looked very interested. He said, “She’s an extremely beautiful and graceful woman. I really like her. She truly deserves to be the person I’m destined to fall in love with.”
Lu Ting: “…She has a husband and children.”
Xie He’s eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t say that I wanted to tear their family apart. Her having a family doesn’t mean I can’t have a favourable impression of her.”
Lu Ting: “But….”
Xie He gave him a cold look. “Anyway, isn’t this all your fault? If it weren’t for you, she’d be mine. She’d never have married someone else.”
Lu Ting: “…Sorry.”
Xie He seemed to be really displeased with Lu Ting. He didn’t speak with him the whole way back. He was completely different from how he had been with Ruan Xiaoxuan. With her, he had been warm and poised. With Lu Ting, it was like he was enveloped in ice.
Lu Ting didn’t speak again. He returned to the hotel with Xie He and watched as Xie He slammed the door closed in front of him. Anger exuded from the other’s body.
【Lu Ting：I think he fell in love with Ruan Xiaoxuan. Is this the power of destiny…?】
【666：Well, he didn’t say that he loved her….】
【Lu Ting：But he said that he really likes her? He even asked Ruan Xiaoxuan for her number. Even though she’s married, he hasn’t given up. Isn’t it obvious that he’s into her from how he’s acting?】
【666：Don’t worry! I’ll go scout out information from 444!】
After saying this, 666 rushed to send 444 a message. Recently, his relations.h.i.+p with 444 had been getting better and better. Although he didn’t tell 444 his ident.i.ty, he would vaguely tell the other that he really admired the other’s host. This way, 444 would regularly tell him things regarding Xie He.
…………………………
444 received 666’s message. Every day, 666 would invite him out to eat, to hang out or would give him presents. One should always return the favour. He felt obliged to help out with such a trivial matter. Furthermore, 444 had always liked to boast about his host. Moreover, his Host dada had never said that he couldn’t tell others about his matters.
【444：Host dada~ Do you feel happy today~~】
【Xie He：Yes. I think I’ve realized what it feels like to be in love. Smile.JPG】
【444：Σ( ° △°|||)︴Love?!】His Host dada was talking about love?
【Xie He：Yes. I met a woman today. As soon as I saw her, I understood what falling in love felt like.】
【444：……】
【444 quietly said：I thought you didn’t like women?】
【Xie He：She’s different. Hehe.】
【444：……】Afraid.JPG
【Xie He：What’s wrong, Baby?】
【444：N-nothing….Are you serious? Aren’t you dating Teacher Yu right now?_(:зゝ∠)_】
【Xie He：We’re dating, not married. Although I feel very apologetic towards him, I’ve found someone I love more. Therefore, I can only reluctantly break up and chase after my true love. ? 】
【444：……】
444 was terrified. He didn’t dare ask anything more. He promptly went to contact 666, shouting, ‘My host is being weird today! He actually fell in love with a woman! He looks like he really likes her. He said that he wants to chase after his true love. Has he been possessed by another host?!’
666 panicked when he heard this. Did Xie He really fall in love with the female lead? He was in no frame of mind to comfort the startled 444. He went back to Lu Ting at once.
Lu Ting was pacing back and forth in his room, waiting for 666’s news, feeling ill at ease.
【Lu Ting：Liu zi, what’s happening? What did Xie He say?】
【666：That….】He really couldn’t bear to say it out loud….
【Lu Ting：Do it quickly. Let me die a quick death.】
【666：Okay. Xie He said that he finally understands what love is. He said that he’s fallen for Ruan Xiaoxuan and wants to chase after true love.】
All the colour drained from Lu Ting’s face. He didn’t even want to talk to 666.
Although he had always prepared himself for the worse case scenario, his heart still hurt terribly when he heard this. Xie He had fallen in love with the female lead….this was the power of the world’s rules….This was why he had been so afraid of letting Xie He meet the female lead!
He had always thought that he was very adept at self-restraint. As long as he could get the result he wanted, he could continue to bear with anything, regardless of whether it was hearing about Xie He’s boyfriends or his own treacherous life of combat. He could endure and persevere to the end….
This was because he knew that Xie He hadn’t really fallen in love with those other men. As long as Xie He never fell in love…maybe one day, Lu Ting would be able to hold his heart again.
But what if Xie He fell in love with someone else?
He couldn’t stand that. He couldn’t take it. He even wanted to go kill that female lead! It was the first time he had ever felt murderous intent towards an innocent person.
Lu Ting’s eyes were red and the vein in his forehead was throbbing. His hands were clenched so tightly that his fingers made cracking noises.
666 knew that this anger was about to trigger another one of Lu Ting’s episodes.
【666：Calm down! Calm down! Don’t get so agitated!】
Lu Ting fell over. A long, long time later, the pain receded from his face. With a hoa.r.s.e voice, he said, “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything….”
He just…suddenly felt like he wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer.
He thought that he actually wasn’t all that magnanimous. He didn’t want to pretend to be magnanimous and watch Xie He fall in love with someone else….He really wasn’t that open-minded. He had already hit his limit. He already felt so jealous that he felt like he would soon go crazy.
It had been so difficult to obtain the chance to return to this world. No one knew just how much he wanted to hold that person, how much he wanted to be with him.
Their hearts had once been one and they used to be so close….Now that they met again after so much had happened, Lu Ting even wondered quietly…what if he hadn’t left back then? Would Xie He love him now?
He selfishly wanted Xie He to love him….
If he hadn’t left, carrying the burden on his own, would things have turned out differently? Even if they would only get a short amount of time together, at least he would have Xie He’s love.
Lu Ting laid there all night without closing his eyes. He didn’t even pick up Henry’s call the next morning.
666 was silent. He knew that his host needed time to calm down. Therefore, he disguised his voice as Lu Ting’s and picked up Henry’s call. Henry didn’t discover anything odd.
Lu Ting laid there for several days, refraining from any food or drink.
666 thought, luckily my host’s body is strong. An ordinary person would have already died.
…………………………
Xie He acted like he didn’t care about Lu Ting at all. He didn’t look for him either. He was completely absorbed in playing this little love game. He seemed completely in love, as if thinking, even if you have a family and children, I will still love you quietly. His love seemed unconditional and unselfish. He never did anything that overstepped any boundaries or let Ruan Xiaoxuan discover his feelings. He only got close to them by acting like a good friend.
He was just like a perfect model of a loving, supporting male lead.
It was the first time 444 had ever seen his host seem so in love. He felt like there was a cold wind blowing through his data every day.
Was this still his coldhearted host?! Had he been possessed?!
444 was fl.u.s.tered and would vent to 666 every day. However, it seemed like 666 wasn’t in a very good mood these days. He seemed absentminded and concerned….It seemed like 666’s host wasn’t doing very well but 666 wouldn’t give 444 any concrete details.
With the tactics Xie He had on hand, it was easy for him to make friends. In the span of a few short days, he had become very close to Ruan Xiaoxuan and her husband. Furthermore, because he was Lu Ting’s friend, the couple trusted him very much. Ruan Xiaoxuan had never forgotten about the help Lu Ting had given her back then.
This weekend, Xie He once again planned to have a meal with the couple. He had made a reservation at a Chinese restaurant.
Ruan Xiaoxuan and her husband arrived right on time. They both had a very good impression of Xie He.
Ruan Xiaoxuan noticed that only Xie He had come today. She asked, “Mr. Lu isn’t coming?”
Xie He smiled. “He’s been busy lately.”
Ruan Xiaoxuan didn’t ask anything more. She smiled. “That’s right. Mr. Lu must have many things to do. Speaking of which, I thought he had pa.s.sed away and was really sad for a long time. I’m really happy to see that he’s back. He’s a really good person.”
There was a faint smile in Xie He’s eyes. The corner of his lips rose slightly. “Is that so?”
Ruan Xiaoxuan nodded enthusiastically. She looked very grateful. She looked like she was recalling memories of the past. Ruan Xiaoxuan spoke in a deeply moved tone, “If it weren’t for Mr. Lu, my mother and I….”
Xie He nodded. “Then he did a very good deed.”
Ruan Xiaoxuan smiled. “Mn.”
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s eat.” Xie He’s smile was refined and gentle. He poured tea for the couple in a very gentlemanly manner.
The three of them chatted as they ate. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
Half way through, East just so happened to look up and saw a person walking over. He immediately looked surprised. “Isn’t that Mr. Lu?”
Ruan Xiaoxuan also looked up when she heard this. Indeed, Lu Ting was walking over in large strides. It was just that Mr. Lu’s expression didn’t look very good. Did something unpleasant happen?
Xie He’s expression didn’t change. He continued to eat, calmly and unhurriedly. Suddenly, he felt a hand grip his wrist. The iron-like hold felt like it would crush his bones. However, Xie He knew that Lu Ting was already doing his best to hold back. Otherwise, Xie He’s bones would have really been crushed.
Xie He slowly turned his head and met with Lu Ting’s cold, stern expression. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was pulled taut. Who knew how many days it’s been since he last slept?
Ruan Xiaoxuan realized that something was wrong. Concern filled her eyes. She asked nervously, “Mr. Lu, what’s wrong?”
Lu Ting’s lips were pursed tightly. He turned to look at Ruan Xiaoxuan, a complicated expression in his eyes. A long time later, he slowly said in a low, hoa.r.s.e voice, “Nothing. I just suddenly remembered something that requires Xie He to come back with me. Am I disturbing you guys?”
Ruan Xiaoxuan waved a hand. “No, no. If you and Mr. Xie have something to do, please go first. We’re fine.”
East also said, “Your matters are more important.”
Lu Ting nodded stiffly. He then looked at Xie He again and said in a staccato manner, “Come back with me?”
After saying this, he didn’t wait for Xie He’s response and directly pulled the other out by the wrist.
The author has something to say:
I love you all~~=3=
Eve: Lu Ting’s suffering is reaching an end. Fluff is on the way~
sere: G.o.d d.a.m.n im 99