Omegaverse: Salted Fish Life in the Yaoi Novel

The sun continued to shine brightly over the vast green land, casting sharp shadows across the neatly trimmed grass. PD Xu Cui smiled at the still-stunned guests, then turned his attention to Qin Yuran, who remained kneeling on the ground with clear despair written across her face.

"Get back on your feet, Qin Yuran," he called, amusement in his voice.

However she didn’t move, as though she hadn’t heard him at all. PD Xu Cui only laughed harder and shook his head. "Fine, fine. I’ll be merciful and let you guys pick your own partners," he announced.

The announcement immediately snapped every guest to attention. Qin Yuran’s head jerked upward. PD Xu Cui smiled down at her in that familiar laid-back way that was uniquely his.

Qin Yuran scrambled forward on her knees, then wrapped her arms around his legs. "You’re the best, PD!" she declared, earning another round of laughter from him.

PD Xu Cui patted her head with a fond sigh. These guests were the ones who had made his show popular, yet they still acted exactly as they had on the very first day at the villa. Without quite realizing it, he had grown attached to most of them.. well, except for Gu Chengze and Lin Xuanyu, he thought with a private inward laugh.

He cleared his throat and looked at the rest of the group. "Now, now, go pick your partners. Chop chop." PD Xu Cui clapped his hands loudly.

The guests nodded and began moving toward one another.

Qin Yuran stood at once and walked straight to Song Meiyu, who was already chuckling at the display. "Howdy, partner," Song Meiyu said in a mock Southern accent.

Qin Yuran smiled. "Howdy!" The earlier awkwardness between them had fully melted away during the bus ride. Song Meiyu laughed, and took Qin Yuran’s hands in hers, clearly amused when she felt the alpha freeze.

Qin Yuran looked down at their joined hands, a soft blush rising on her cheeks. Then she glanced sideways at Zhao Yichen, who was watching them with an openly gossipy expression. Qin Yuran’s smile turned smug as she subtly showed off their linked fingers.

Zhao Yichen gasped. He immediately turned to Han Jiho beside him and clung to the omega’s shoulder, drawing out his voice in an attempt to sound cute. "Pick me, Jiji~"

Han Jiho looked at him with pure disgust. "Stop that. Didn’t you tell me last time that you alphas need to preserve your image?" he said, clearly referring to the great kneeling incident weeks ago.

Zhao Yichen paused, then pouted. "You’re so petty!"

Han Jiho answered by pinching his side. "Ouch!" Zhao Yichen yelped, eyes watering from the sharp sting.

Seeing the tearful expression, Han Jiho mercifully released him. Zhao Yichen immediately scrambled several steps backward and sent him a mock glare. Han Jiho only sighed. "Fine, fine," he said with a shrug, as if he had no real choice in the matter.

Zhao Yichen hurried back and clung to him again, this time shooting Qin Yuran the exact same smug look she had given him earlier.

Qin Yuran mouthed silently across the space between them, At least I didn’t get beaten before getting my partner.

Zhao Yichen’s mouth fell open in exaggerated shock and hurt. He then clung to Han Jiho even more dramatically, eyes glistening with theatrical tears.

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While the other two pairs finished choosing each other and the two alphas continued their dramatic, childish war of smug looks and mock tears, Su Wanyan turned toward Mo Xingxue. Mo Xingxue was already watching her. The earlier coldness she had shown PD Xu Cui had completely disappeared, replaced by a soft, expectant smile.

Su Wanyan chuckled and nodded, already understanding what Mo Xingxue wanted without a single word spoken. "Yes, yes," Su Wanyan said.

Mo Xingxue only chuckled in return. Shen Guoxing, still held in Mo Xingxue’s arms, tilted her head in confusion. What are they doing? She wondered, unable to follow the silent exchange.

Mo Xingxue looked down at the puzzled girl and smiled. "You’ll get it when you’re older," she said, gently patting Shen Guoxing’s head with her free hand.

Shen Guoxing smiled at the gentle touch and nodded. "Okay." That’s like telepathy, right? Cool! She thought, already looking forward to the day she might gain such a skill herself.

Mo Xingxue smiled at her, then turned back to Su Wanyan. Su Wanyan nodded once more and raised her free hand. Looking at PD Xu Cui with a bright expression, she announced clearly, "PD, I pick Mo Xingxue as my partner!"

The sudden volume startled Mo Yan, who was still sleeping in her arms. The baby’s eyes flew open and both tiny hands shot upward in pure reflex, looking for all the world like a threatened red panda.

Su Wanyan looked down and laughed at the sight. Almost immediately Mo Yan’s eyes watered, tears threatening to spill. Su Wanyan’s laughter stopped at once. She began rocking the baby gently.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry," she cooed, voice soft and apologetic. After a short while Mo Yan calmed, though she continued to stare at Su Wanyan with mild accusation.

A faint chuckle drifted from nearby. When Su Wanyan turned toward the sound she found only the cold-faced man standing with his usual impassive expression. She blinked. That.. couldn’t have been him, right? She wondered, then shook the thought away. It was not important right now.

She turned back to PD Xu Cui and fixed him with an exaggerated pair of puppy eyes. He smiled and nodded. "Oh, sure," he said simply. After all, he had expected the two of them to choose each other; they had been doing so consistently since the first day.

Su Wanyan brightened at the approval and looked at Mo Xingxue as though waiting for praise. Mo Xingxue chuckled, shook her head fondly, and reached out to pat Su Wanyan’s head. "There, there. You did great."

Su Wanyan’s smile turned openly smug. Shen Guoxing watched her aunt suddenly revert to something almost childlike and felt a brief flash of surprise. Aunt Wanyan had always been mischievous, yet this level of open childishness was new. A small, gentle smile curved the girl’s lips. This version of Aunt Wanyan isn’t so bad, she thought, unaware that she was witnessing what she would later learn to call "feeding dog food."

After that, the partner selection continued without further trouble. Gu Chengze had clearly wanted to pair with Mo Xingxue, but in the end he said nothing and simply chose Lin Xuanyu, who looked more than happy with the arrangement.

Once everyone stood in their pairs, PD Xu Cui smiled. "Ready?"

The guests nodded. His smile widened and he turned toward the man standing behind him. "It’s your turn, sire," he said, bowing in an exaggerated, theatrical manner. The man only stared at him with a completely deadpan expression.

PD Xu Cui chuckled at the lack of reaction. The man shifted his attention to the guests, studying them one by one. His gaze lingered a moment longer on Mo Xingxue’s face. Something about her features stirred a distant memory—someone from his past who had looked quite similar, only that person had sharper lines.

He furrowed his brows slightly, then shook his head as though dismissing the thought. The guests exchanged confused glances, unsure what had just passed through the man’s mind.

"The village chief told me you’ll be staying here for two weeks, correct?" the man asked, his tone still ice-cold.

The guests nodded slowly. The man nodded once in return. "Then I’ll be teaching you how to remove the grass and how to till properly."

He looked at them one by one. Those who met his gaze involuntarily gulped, especially the alphas who would carry most of the heavy work. Meanwhile, Su Wanyan remained relaxed. After all, one of the skills she had received from the system was Verdant Stewardship, making her essentially the living embodiment of agricultural knowledge.

The man noticed the quiet certainty in her expression and a brief glint of amusement flickered in his eyes. Interesting, he thought. I hope you have the skills to back that confidence.

He pressed his lips together and turned to PD Xu Cui, who was watching him with an easygoing smile. "Has your team brought the necessary tools?"

PD Xu Cui nodded at once and gestured to the staff. Several crew members approached carrying brand-new shovels, hoes, and a few sprinklers. "Would this be enough?" PD Xu Cui asked, a teasing smirk already in place.

The man frowned, feeling an unexplained flicker of annoyance. He sighed, took a shovel and a hoe from one of the staff, then turned his back on the group. "Follow me," he muttered, and began walking toward the green field.

The guests exchanged looks and obediently fell into step behind him, beginning their first steps into the long, arduous farming journey ahead.

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So sorry for the late Chapter, y’all! But I do have an update about my releasing schedule.

So! Starting tomorrow/now(?), I’ll go back to updating at 12:00 AM (UTC+08:00). Just like in the past... when college didn’t ruin it... sigh.

Anyway, happy reading y’all!!

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OH SHI, ALSO, THANK YOU Y’ALL SO, SO MUCH FOR 500K VIEWS! I COULDN’T DONE IT WITHOUT Y’ALL!