RT Chapter 152

Chapter 152: Growth

Shao Chengxi saw his Omega looking so troubled and pulled him into his arms, gently stroking his back.

“Baby, let’s not ask anymore, okay?”

Shu Lin shook his head in his arms, his voice muffled, “But…”

“No ‘buts’.”

The Alpha kissed him, his eyes tender.

“It’s not like we won’t have a next time. This is just the beginning.”

“As long as we both want to, it’s just a matter of minutes. Why torture ourselves?”

Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun shone in, enveloping the two in a warm halo.

The antique clock on the wall pointed to 7:30. Time ticked away.

Suddenly, tears fell from Shu Lin’s eyes, landing on the back of Shao Chengxi’s hand, burning the Alpha’s heart.

“Brother…” he choked out, “Why can you be so resolute?”

Shao Chengxi held him even tighter, resting his chin on the top of his head.

“Because for me, you always come first.”

“I don’t want you to suffer pain, hardship, or torment. At least not now. I absolutely don’t want to.”

He gently wiped away the tears from the corner of Shu Lin’s eyes with his fingertip.

Honestly, except in bed, he couldn’t bear to see his Omega cry.

Shu Lin clutched his clothes, his shoulders trembling as he cried.

He remembered the medical information he had found.

It was shocking.

Things were not as simple as he had imagined.

“I’m scared and guilty…” he confessed, sobbing, “Scared of the pain, scared of becoming ugly, and also scared of…”

In short, he was afraid of many things.

He couldn’t even explain it himself.

Shao Chengxi kissed the top of his head. “Then let’s not do it for now.”

The clock pointed to 8:15.

Shu Lin finally swallowed the pill with a tremor. As the warm water slid down his throat, he felt a sense of loss, yet also a strange relief.

His Alpha was right. He wasn’t ready yet.

Since he wasn’t ready, there was no rush.

He still had many things to do now.

He needed to graduate smoothly. The studio had only just begun operating normally, and there was a lot of work to be done.

The foundation also couldn’t do without him.

All of these things required a great deal of his time and energy.

He wanted to do these things.

After taking the pill, Shu Lin, who had been struggling all day, finally felt tired.

Just after 9:00 PM, Shao Chengxi carried him to bed and patted him as if he were a child.

“Baby didn’t even take a nap today. Go to sleep early. Don’t forget you have an 8 AM class tomorrow.”

Shu Lin wailed playfully, “No… I can’t get up.”

Although it was an online class and he didn’t have to go to school, he was the only one in the livestream. If he didn’t attend, the whole school would know.

Skipping class was impossible.

Shao Chengxi flicked his nose and joked, “It’s okay. If you really can’t get up, I’ll attend for you. It’s not a big deal if I trend again.”

Shu Lin glared at him, displeased. He cupped his face in his hands and rubbed it forcefully.

“I don’t want that!”

“I’m warning you, wake me up on time tomorrow morning. Don’t sneak into my livestream class.”

“Did you hear me?”

Shao Chengxi took the opportunity to pin him down and tickled him, teasing, “What if I don’t? How is my baby going to punish me severely? Is it locking me in a small dark room, or playing a bondage play…”

“Shao Chengxi, if you dare to be so improper again, I…”

Laughter and playful sounds came from the room.

Outside the window, the crabapples in the spring night quietly fell.

Those unrealized regrets would eventually bloom again in the most appropriate season.

A month later.

The early summer sunlight streamed through the glass of the recording studio. Shu Lin took off his headphones, a smile on his face.

His new audio drama, “Nightingale and Knight,” was officially launched today. In four hours, the number of plays had exceeded ten million.

“Babe, look!” Gu Xiao trotted over, handing him his phone. “The top five trending topics are all about ‘Nightingale and Knight’.”

“Really?” Shu Lin took the phone and looked closely.

#Nightingale and Knight Audio Drama Shu Lin# (Explosive)

#Minister of Defense’s Wife Crosses Over to the Arts Circle# (Hot)

#Voice Acting Ceiling# (New)

However, to Shu Lin’s surprise, the comments section was extremely polarized this time.

“OMG! Shu Lin’s voice is amazing! I’ve listened to his crying scenes ten times, and I get goosebumps every time!” (Likes: 523k)

“This is the real crossover king! From a politician’s wife to the arts circle, he’s so outstanding!” (Likes: 487k)

“As a fan of the original work, this is the most faithful adaptation! Shu Lin brings the nightingale’s fragility and resilience to life!” (Likes: 451k)

“Heh heh, if it weren’t for the title of ‘Minister’s Wife,’ would this level even be on the homepage recommendation?” (Likes: 382k)

“It’s good to have money. You can afford a top-notch production team. Anyone can be promoted to ‘Voice Acting Ceiling,’ right?” (Likes: 356k)

“Suggest focusing on the foundation. Can you not come to the arts circle and steal our jobs?” (Likes: 298k)

“Heh heh, relying on her husband’s resources. Does she really think she’s a powerhouse?”

The fans’ rebuttals were also quite good.

“For those who say she’s relying on connections, do you know that Shu Lin is a top student at Imperial University? He originally studied dubbing! This is a professional level!” (Likes: 273k)

“Haha… The way sour chickens are jumping is hilarious. If you have the ability, make a ten-million-play production too!” (Likes: 246k)

“What are you guys being sour about upstairs? Shu Lin bought the copyright and self-funded the production. All the profits are being donated to the foundation. It’s clearly a labor of love!”

Of course, there were also many neutral and rational comments.

“Objectively speaking, the acting is indeed good, but there’s no need for excessive hype. Art needs precipitation. I hope Shu Lin can continue to improve.” (Likes: 224k)

“Instead of arguing about the level, we should pay more attention to how many new people this audio drama has made aware of this art form. This is a good thing.” (Likes: 189k)

“As a dubbing director with ten years of experience, Shu Lin’s performance is indeed amazing. Looking forward to collaborating.” (Verified account, Likes: 415k)

“The production level of this audio drama has raised the industry standard by at least two notches. It’s worth learning from.” (Famous producer, Likes: 368k)

Gu Xiao watched Shu Lin’s lips gradually tighten and quickly grabbed the phone back.

“Babe, let’s not look at it. These people are just jealous!”

Shu Lin suddenly laughed. “It’s quite interesting.”

He stretched lazily. “Some people praise, some people scold. That means I’ve really gone out of the circle.”

Wu Jie frowned. “Do we need to do public relations?”

Shu Lin shook his head, the corners of his lips slightly raised. “No need.”

As the saying goes, if you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

He would have many more works. This might be the norm for his future life.

He had to learn to adapt slowly.

On the other hand, the progress of Shu Lin’s Pheromone Foundation was not great.

Shu Lin had never been involved in these matters before. He thought that as long as the money was in place, it would be fine, but he didn’t expect the actual operation to be so complicated.

Even with the Shao family’s assistance and the Ministry of Health’s green light, the necessary approval procedures still had to be followed.

This required a lot of time.

Currently, they could only proceed according to the procedures. They couldn’t rush it.

What was gratifying was that the ownership of the new drug had finally been settled.

After a three-way tug-of-war between the Shao Group, the Ministry of Health, and the Foundation, it was finally determined that:

1. The core patent of the drug belonged to the Shu Lin Foundation.

Since the drug required Shu Lin’s pheromones as a key, there was nothing to argue about this point.

2. The exclusive authorized manufacturer was a production company under the Shao Group.

In reality, only the Shao Group had a military-grade sterile production line. No other company could take this business.

3. The drug was divided into a public welfare portion and a market share, which was coordinated by the Ministry of Health to avoid monopoly by unscrupulous capital.

When it was announced that a certain usage fee would be charged for Shu Lin’s pheromones needed for the new drug, Shu Lin and the Shao family were once again pushed to the forefront of public opinion.