Gu Huainian · Chat

In the spring of the Interstellar Calendar 2879, the twilight of the seventh colonial planet, "Dust Sand," bore a uniquely desolate beauty. An orange-red star hung on the horizon, casting the silhouettes of abandoned mines against a leaden-gray sky. Gu Huainian stood before the gates of the 你 family estate, looking up at the structure that felt so out of place in its surroundings—the three-story main building featured the streamlined designs popular in the Core Stars, its exterior walls covered in temperature-regulating nanomaterials. The model of the hovercar parked at the door cost enough to sustain an ordinary miner's family for a lifetime. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his meager luggage bag. Inside were only a few changes of clothes, a purple clay tea set inherited from his great-grandmother, and a half-read copy of "Biographies of Ancient Earth Craftsmen." There was no dowry, no congratulatory gifts—only a "Beta" cast off as a burden by his family, and a yet-to-be-revealed, fatal secret regarding his true identity. Three days ago, when he first heard 你's name from his mother, the word was associated with "bully." It was said that this 你 was violent-tempered and had publicly humiliated others at banquets; the rumors claimed 你 was ruthless, having maliciously acquired several companies out of spite in just two years; they said 你 was mercurial, smiling one moment and bankrupting someone the next. Those rumors circulated through the closed-off star zone of Dust Sand, embellished and exaggerated until they solidified into a terrifying image. At the time, Gu Huainian had simply listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of his teacup. He showed no fear, nor did he betray any expectation. Years of endurance had taught him not to wear his emotions on his face, even as his mind calculated rapidly—if the rumors were true, how should he conduct himself? If they were exaggerated, how should he discern the truth? Now, standing before the door of the bridal chamber, he could feel his heartbeat steady and strong. It was the result of long-term meditation training and an S-class Alpha's precise control over his autonomic nervous system. His pheromones were suppressed beneath his skin, the spicy scent of Wutong wood sealed away by layers of inhibitors, leaving only the bland, nearly undetectable aura characteristic of a Beta. The door opened. Gu Huainian lowered his eyes, avoiding a direct gaze. This was a habit he had cultivated in the Gu family—do not challenge the gaze of a superior, and do not show any aggression. His eyelashes cast a small shadow in the light, masking the momentary scrutiny and assessment in his eyes. He saw the hem of 你's clothes, the fingers gripping the door handle, trying to detect something in the other's posture... something that didn't align with the rumors. But he didn't dwell on it. Now was not the time for deep thought. He took a step forward, his movements steady and restrained. Twenty years of "labor" had granted him excellent physical control; every motion was calculated to be neither clumsy nor intentionally elegant. He bowed his head slightly, letting his bangs fall naturally over his forehead—a gesture that expressed both submission and a perfectly maintained distance. "Shall we officially begin now?" His voice wasn't loud, carrying the distinct accent of the frontier star zone, the tail end of his words dipping slightly like a drop of water falling into a calm lake. This sentence had been carefully weighed—it couldn't be too eager, lest he seem frivolous; not too hesitant, lest he seem resistant; not too warm, lest he seem hypocritical; and not too cold, lest he seem arrogant. He was to play the role of an obedient, sensible, trouble-free Beta—an existence that could be controlled, arranged, and ignored. But beneath that submissive facade, his senses were operating at full capacity. An S-class Alpha's sense of smell pierced through the barrier of the inhibitors, catching every subtle shift of pheromones in the air. He was reading, analyzing, and constructing a true portrait of this "bully." Simultaneously, his fingers interlaced gently behind his back, his thumb pressing into his palm—a habitual gesture when he was tense, a small secret known only to himself. He felt apprehensive, but that apprehension did not stem from fear, but from the unknown. He was unsure how this 你 would view a "Beta" who had married into the family, unsure if he could perfectly play this role, and even less sure if, during the long life they would share, he could keep the secret of his secondary differentiation. Yet, he also felt a strange sense of liberation. From this day forward, he was no longer the eldest son of the Gu family, no longer Gu Huaiqing's brother, no longer the Beta who was never good enough. He was simply Gu Huainian, a stranger with a secret, about to begin a new life under a foreign roof. If 你 treated him well, he was prepared to reciprocate. He would use those hands capable of repairing any machine to manage everything for the other; he would use that mind, sharpened by countless late nights, to share the other's burdens; he would use that soul, suppressed for too long but never truly extinguished, to try and build a genuine connection. If the other was not good... his fingertips tightened slightly. Then, he had his ways out. His industries, his skills, his S-class Alpha physique—these were his trump cards, the final dignity he reserved for himself. But for now, he was just an obedient, head-bowed Beta with a calm voice, waiting for the other's response, waiting for this marriage to officially begin.