《One-way Passage》


 CH 1

    Xia Wennan gradually awoke from the depths of darkness. He couldn¡¯t remember ever sleeping so soundly. After opening his eyes with great difficulty, the harsh golden sunlight flooded his field of view and forced him to close them once more. He didn¡¯t reopen his eyes until they¡¯d adjusted to the brightness.


    This time around, he was fully conscious of the fact that he was lying in the middle of a snow white room with an equally white rectangular light on the ceiling overhead. Though it lit up the room, the sunlight streaming in through the window was noticeably brighter. It was tinged with gold and, unlike the vibrant orange of the morning sun, it felt more like the sun of a scorching afternoon.


    Xia Wennan had no idea if it was as hot as it appeared outside. This room, at least, had air conditioning, and the temperature was just right. Under the thin blanket, his body felt neither hot nor cold, but as soon as he tried to move a hand, he realised that his entire body was stiff as a corpse, and a throbbing headache followed closely after.


    He couldn¡¯t stifle a low groan from passing through his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A deep male voice laced with undisguised surprise suddenly echoed throughout the room.


    Xia Wennan tried to look up to locate the speaker but abandoned the idea after the tiniest effort. His head was probably injured; he¡¯d barely moved an inch and yet the pain was already excruciating.


    Muffled footsteps filled the room, resounding from the corner towards Xia Wennan until they came to a halt at his bedside. Only then did Xia Wennan register the speaker: a stranger of an Alpha.


    The Alpha looked to be around thirty years old. He was dressed in a slim-fitting black suit and his short knuckle-length hair was combed back, a few untamed strands falling over his temple. Like most Alphas, he had a sharp and distinct masculine profile, but his handsomeness lost to none: with prominent, arched brows, pale, thin lips, and especially attractive eyes. When his gaze was trained on someone, his lashes slightly curled downwards, half-concealing the profound emotions contained in his eyes.


    At this moment, he bent down a little, his beautiful pair of eyes falling on Xia Wennan as he asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Xia Wennan furrowed his brows as he stared at the unfamiliar Alpha before him. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The Alpha was completely incapable of hiding the look of astonishment on his face. He eyed Xia Wennan for a moment before straightening up and pressing the call button on the head of the bed, telling the other end, ¡°The patient is awake.¡±


    After hanging up, the Alpha stood at his bedside and silently stared at Xia Wennan. However, when Xia Wennan revealed a pained expression from trying to get up so abruptly, the Alpha reached out and pressed Xia Wennan¡¯s chest down. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Xia Wennan heaved. ¡°Is this the hospital? Why am I here?¡±


    The Alpha didn¡¯t respond immediately. Before Xia Wennan could get an answer, someone opened the door of the hospital room and a line of doctors and nurses rushed in.


    A middle-aged male doctor stood at the front of the group. When he came through the door, Xia Wennan distinctly heard him call out ¡°Mr. Ming¡±.


    Who is Mr. Ming? The Alpha in the room? Despite his hurting head, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t reign in his curiosity.


    The doctor and nurses swiftly surrounded and examined him, while the Alpha at his bedside quietly retreated to a corner.


    Xia Wennan was still in a state of confusion. He heard the doctor ask him a few questions, yet upon careful consideration, he realised that he had no idea why he was lying here. He didn¡¯t know what had caused his injuries, and even when the doctor asked him what day it was, there was nothing in his head but haze.


    The middle-aged doctor frowned.


    Fortunately, he remembered that his name was Xia Wennan, and that he was a university student.


    ¡°University student?¡± Everyone in his immediate vicinity froze, including the nurse who was taking his blood pressure.


    The middle-aged doctor turned his head and darted a look at the Alpha standing in the corner.


    Not a single expression flitted across the Alpha¡¯s features; he merely stared at Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Do you remember who that gentleman is to you?¡± The doctor asked Xia Wennan, pointing to the Alpha in the corner.


    Xia Wennan knew who he was pointing at without looking over and shook his head. Instead, his gaze lingered on a young male doctor at his bedside.


    The middle-aged doctor followed his line of sight and immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s face was filled with doubt. ¡°You look like my high school classmate,¡± he said to the young doctor.


    The young doctor laughed awkwardly, not saying a word. The middle-aged doctor spoke up, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Xia Wennan found something odd. He carefully studied the man¡¯s looks before nodding. ¡°He really does. He just looks a little older.¡±


    A not-so-natural smile remained on the young doctor¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°I used to be your classmate.¡±


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re Lin Shuqiu,¡± Xia Wennan exclaimed.


    Lin Shuqiu remained silent. By the looks of it, he had no intention of chatting with him. Confused, Xia Wennan could only lie back down in silence and continue cooperating with the examination.


    Half an hour later, the doctors and nurses exited the room one after another. Before leaving, the middle-aged doctor invited the Alpha to step out with him. Only Xia Wennan remained in the room.


    He was a little tired. When he closed his eyes, his consciousness became hazy, and he fell into a brief slumber. When he awoke, he discovered that the Alpha had already returned. He sat on a chair by the bed, hands folded on his knees, watching Xia Wennan. Seeing Xia Wennan rousing, he didn¡¯t move and only asked, ¡°How are you?¡±


    An IV drip was inserted into Xia Wennan¡¯s hand. The liquid entering his bloodstream brought a burst of mild chill. He fixed his gaze on the Alpha and inquired once more, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The Alpha stared at Xia Wennan for a long time before saying, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me.¡±


    Xia Wennan was skeptical. ¡°Do we know each other?¡±


    ¡°My name is Ming Luchuan,¡± the Alpha said, slightly cold and stiff. ¡°I¡¯m your husband.¡±


    ¡°My what?¡± Xia Wennan blanked out for a split second.


    The Alpha named Ming Luchuan repeated, ¡°Your husband.¡±


    Nothing crossed Xia Wennan¡¯s mind for a long time. The moment he recovered, he only felt that the fine hairs all over his body were standing on end. He averted his gaze and reached out to cover his body with the thin blanket, slowly pulling it over his head. His tone was flat and mechanical as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong guy, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    When the blanket almost covered Xia Wennan¡¯s head, Ming Luchuan took hold of his hand.


    Xia Wennan jerked with fright, and a corner of the blanket fell from his grasp and covered half his face. Seeing Ming Luchuan¡¯s solemn expression, his initial desire to struggle faded.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s palm was surprisingly warm. With Xia Wennan¡¯s hand in his grip, he slowly yet forcefully stuffed it back under the blanket, saying, ¡°Mind your IV.¡±


    Xia Wennan abruptly registered the slight sting on the back of his hand. He tore away the blanket that obstructed half his face with his other hand and calmly lay there for a while, then asked, ¡°We¡­ is there some kind of misunderstanding?¡±


    Ming Luchuan responded with silence.


    Without anyone noticing, the sky outside had gradually darkened. Xia Wennan had only known Ming Luchuan for half a day, but even though they had only exchanged a few sentences, Xia Wennan¡¯s intuition told him that this Alpha had a somewhat gloomy disposition. He seemed like the type of person Xia Wennan wouldn¡¯t get along with.


    The room was silent until Xia Wennan broke it with a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m a Beta.¡±


    All of a sudden, Ming Luchuan rose to his feet and stormed out of the hospital room.


    It wasn¡¯t until he heard the door close that Xia Wennan fixed his gaze on the ceiling and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    The author has something to say:


    Rewrote the novel, the gong¡¯s personality underwent changes.

 CH 2

    Xia Wennan was a Beta, and according to his memories, he was still in his second year of university. He hadn¡¯t even turned twenty yet. And yet despite all that, his memory truly was a bit hazy. Things that happened yesterday didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d happened yesterday, but rather some time in the distant past. There was a lapse in his memory, but what had happened in that time for him to wake up in a hospital room with a male Alpha who claimed to be his husband?


    His head remained in a muddled state. After Ming Luchuan left, Xia Wennan took a nap, and when he woke up again, the room had slightly dimmed, while the world beyond the window had gone dark.


    There were people at his bedside; a young female nurse who was adjusting his IV and one other person¡ªLin Shuqiu. Bent at the waist, he was pressing a stethoscope against Xia Wennan¡¯s chest. When Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes slowly opened, a trace of awkwardness graced his face.


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Lin Shuqiu.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu gave a nod, retracted his stethoscope, and straightened up.


    The female nurse wheeled the cart away. Before leaving, she said, ¡°Doctor Lin, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu nodded, not moving an inch away from Xia Wennan¡¯s bedside.


    Once they were the only two people left in the room, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Are you really Lin Shuqiu?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu was Xia Wennan¡¯s high school classmate. Like Xia Wennan, he was a Beta.


    Despite having been in the same class in high school, their interactions were few and far between. In Xia Wennan¡¯s impression, Lin Shuqiu was a skinny and delicate introverted boy. Back then, he wore glasses and sat in the front row, always quietly listening to the teacher with his head up. He¡¯d never been able to look anyone in the eye.


    The current Lin Shuqiu¡ªthough he was as skinny and delicate as before¡ªno longer wore glasses and seemed to have stopped avoiding people¡¯s gazes. He also possessed an adult¡¯s composure.


    Lin Shuqiu was standing at his bedside, a stethoscope hanging out of the pocket of his white coat. ¡°You¡¯re suffering from amnesia as a result of traumatic brain injury,¡± he explained to Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan had already guessed as much. ¡°Will I be able to recover my memories?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°How did I get hurt?¡± Xia Wennan had had a lot of questions to ask that afternoon, but the middle-aged doctor hadn¡¯t provided him with any answers.


    At present, they were the only ones in the room; Lin Shuqiu no longer evaded Xia Wennan and said, ¡°You got into a car accident.¡±


    Xia Wennan lifted a hand, wanting to touch his head, but Lin Shuqiu reached out to stop him.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been unconscious for ages.¡±


    ¡°You were unconscious for three days.¡±


    ¡°Three days¡­¡± Xia Wennan was somewhat taken aback. ¡°There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t remember. It feels like I¡¯ve aged a lot, too.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu thought for a bit. ¡°You said that you¡¯re in your second year of university this year. Then that would mean¡­ you¡¯ve lost nearly six years worth of memories.¡±


    ¡°Six years?¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°We¡¯re the same age, if I recall correctly, which means that you¡¯re already twenty-six this year.¡±


    Xia Wennan tried to digest this information. He recalled Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°That Alpha¡­ This afternoon, he¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ming?¡± Lin Shuqiu said. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t remember him either¡ªhe¡¯s your husband.¡±


    Yet again, Xia Wennan had to take in this unpleasant piece of news, and yet he remained unconvinced. ¡°Why would I marry a male Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lin Shuqiu obviously had no answer to this, and his bewilderment was plain on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    A nurse came by and knocked on the door, telling Lin Shuqiu that a patient was looking for a doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯m still on duty. I¡¯ll come talk to you again when I have time,¡± Lin Shuqiu promised Xia Wennan hastily, and with that, he followed the nurse out.


    The room faded into a soft darkness. Xia Wennan closed his eyes, and as he lay in bed remembering that Ming Luchuan fellow, he tossed and turned with restlessness, thinking that things couldn¡¯t possibly be so simple.


    Ming Luchuan was a no-show next morning. A nurse pushed a wheelchair into his room and took Xia Wennan for an examination.


    Xia Wennan was still very weak and needed help getting down from the bed, but the state of his body was a little better than it was yesterday.


    Before leaving, Xia Wennan wanted to go to the bathroom. The nurse supported him to the door and initially thought to help him inside as well, but he firmly refused.


    The bathroom was dimly lit. Xia Wennan had to use the mobility aids to keep his balance. He clung to the metal handrails and stood in front of the mirror, staring at the reflection of a familiar yet unfamiliar young Beta. His face was the same, but his hair was long, his figure slim, and his skin was even a shade paler than he remembered. Because of his injuries, he appeared somewhat frail. More importantly, Xia Wennan could see how the lines of his face had changed. It was just as Lin Shuqiu had told him the other day. The him in the mirror no longer bore the appearance of a university student, but rather a twenty-six year old young man.


    He had inexplicably lost six years of his life¡­ and inexplicably gained an Alpha husband.


    Xia Wennan had two medical examinations that morning and was absent-minded throughout. After the nurse wheeled him back to his room, he lay on the bed listlessly, dazed gaze fixed on the snow white ceiling.


    Come noon, when a hospital worker came by to deliver his meal, Ming Luchuan came too.


    Ming Luchuan was dressed in a dark grey suit. He wore no tie, and the collar of his shirt was wide open in a not particularly tidy way.


    As he entered the room, Xia Wennan looked up and saw no trace of emotion on his icy face.


    Ming Luchuan hadn¡¯t said anything since walking through the door. He went straight to the bed and pressed the button that adjusted the angle of Xia Wennan¡¯s bed.


    Xia Wennan sat propped against the bed, and watched as Ming Luchuan sat down and opened the lunchbox that had just been delivered by the hospital worker.


    That¡¯s my food¡­ Xia Wennan thought, yet not a word left his mouth.


    Ming Luchuan picked up the spoon, his gaze falling on the lunchbox. Xia Wennan had been in a coma for several days, and his current diet consisted of watery congee, vegetables, and meat that had been cooked soft. Ming Luchuan scooped a spoonful of congee, propped it on the side of the lunchbox to leave it to cool, then brought it to Xia Wennan¡¯s mouth.


    Stunned, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Eh? You¡¯re feeding me?¡±


    In lieu of responding, Ming Luchuan simply shoved the spoonful of congee into his open mouth.


    Caught off guard, Xia Wennan could only choke down the food in his mouth. Suddenly irritated, he said, ¡°Are you feeding a pig?¡±


    This time, Ming Luchuan cast a glance at him, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Xia Wennan choked, but before he could spout the words on the tip of his tongue, Ming Luchuan had already brought another spoonful of congee to his lips. Without any better option, he opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around the spoon. In this way, Ming Luchuan fed him spoonful after spoonful of congee until Xia Wennan finished his lunch. Afterwards, he grabbed the other lunchbox and sat down on the sofa to eat.


    Xia Wennan stayed where he was. He couldn¡¯t help himself from staring at Ming Luchuan. When Ming Luchuan raised his head, Xia Wennan averted his gaze, pretending to ignore him.


    Once Ming Luchuan had finished eating and tidied up the lunchboxes in front of him, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Are we really married?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked up at him, his expression unfathomably cold.


    Xia Wennan felt a little uneasy. ¡°How long have we been married?¡± Xia Wennan tried again.


    ¡°Half a year,¡± Ming Luchuan said coldly.


    Xia Wennan was filled with doubt, but when he made eye contact with Ming Luchuan, he was hesitant to voice his questions. In the end, he asked a question that was relatively unrelated to his current situation. ¡°Where does my grandpa live now?¡±


    This time, Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t respond right away. After a brief pause, he said, ¡°He¡¯s already passed away.¡±

 CH 3

    The atmosphere in the room seemed to stagnate.


    After Ming Luchuan spoke, his expression thawed minutely. He sat on the sofa with his back straight, eyes on Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan was still processing his words. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said.


    ¡°Why would I lie to you,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    No one would ever lie about such a thing¡ªXia Wennan shortly realised after his knee-jerk denial. He curled his legs, lowered his head, and pressed his forehead to his knees. The news of his grandpa¡¯s death arrived without warning, hitting him completely unprepared, and moments passed before his sorrow overshadowed his fear.


    Xia Wennan lifted the covers to get down from the bed, wanting no more than to go back home and see whether his grandpa was still alive in person, but before he could, tears streamed down his face unbidden.


    He wept soundlessly, his head buried, not wanting to be seen by Ming Luchuan.


    Yet between one second and the next, Ming Luchuan had already walked up to the bed and lightly touched his back. Though the Alpha¡¯s demeanour had an unchanging indifference, his palm was a warm weight through the thin hospital gown on Xia Wennan¡¯s back.


    At this point in time, Xia Wennan was in no mood to avoid him. His eyes were open but his mind was filled with nothing but his grandpa. On the winter vacation of his second year of university, Xia Wennan had gotten a part time job, and he¡¯d only rushed home right before the New Year. At the time, he¡¯d always thought he¡¯d be able to see his grandpa as long as he went home anyway. And yet unexpectedly, he¡¯d been informed of his grandpa¡¯s death the moment he awoke from a car accident.


    It wasn¡¯t until Xia Wennan registered Ming Luchuan¡¯s palm on his bony, emaciated shoulderblades did he slightly recover his senses and turn to the side, visibly avoiding his touch.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s palm met empty air. He stared at Xia Wennan for a moment then silently retracted his hand.


    To fill the awkward silence, Xia Wennan said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned and walked to the doorway. He grabbed his coat that had been draped over the back of the sofa during lunch and coldly said, ¡°Something came up at the company. I have to get going.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Xia Wennan. As he watched Ming Luchuan head out, something occurred to him and he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Hey!¡±

 CH 4

    ¡°Wennan.¡± The Omega gave Xia Wennan a gentle smile and approached the window with the bouquet, setting the flowers down on the window sill with care.


    The flowers were beautiful; a bundle of gorgeous, warm-coloured blossoms, simple and elegant. It occupied more than half the window sill all at once.


    Soon after, the Omega made his way over to Xia Wennan¡¯s bed, head lowered as he looked at Xia Wennan. There was a subtle pheromone scent on his body that smelled of fresh and clean vegetation that Xia Wennan could only shallowly register once he¡¯d gotten close, nothing hostile about it in the least.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the Omega asked.


    Xia Wennan glanced at him before turning his eyes to Ming Luchuan, who was standing next to him. ¡°Decent,¡± he responded.


    The Omega studied Xia Wennan¡¯s expression. A moment later, he asked, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you hurting anywhere?¡±


    Ming Luchuan cut in, ¡°He has amnesia.¡±


    ¡°Amnesia?¡± the Omega¡¯s eyes flew wide open with shock.


    Xia Wennan found that his eyes faintly resembled Ming Luchuan¡¯s.


    The look of shock was frozen onto the Omega¡¯s face. ¡°How did that happen? Was it the car accident?¡±


    ¡°Head trauma.¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s answering voice was serene.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know who I am?¡± said the Omega. ¡°I¡¯m Ming Siyan.¡±


    Xia Wennan slowly shook his head. He had just woken up, and he couldn¡¯t help clearing his throat with a light cough. He reached out to locate the button on the side of the bed, wanting to sit up.


    That Omega¡ªMing Siyan¡ªreached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t get up, you should be lying down.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s fingers groped the metal edge of the bed, yet he gave up once he failed to find the button. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone,¡± he said, but upon realising that his words could be misunderstood, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything after my second year of university.¡±


    Ming Siyan appeared stumped. He stared at Xia Wennan for a while, then turned his head to Ming Luchuan and asked, ¡°Da-ge, what did the doctors say?¡±


    Ming Luchuan said in a deep voice, ¡°They said that we need to determine the state of his brain injury first, and once he¡¯s recovered from the injury, recovering the rest of his memory is a long-term process.¡±


    A look of worry graced Ming Siyan¡¯s features. He cautiously inquired, ¡°Is it possible that he¡¯ll never regain his memories?¡±


    Ming Luchuan paused for a moment before saying, ¡°That can¡¯t be ruled out.¡±


    Ming Siyan sighed as he looked at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan, on the other hand, was perplexed. Lin Shuqiu¡¯s outlook had been relatively positive when he¡¯d told Xia Wennan about his current state¡ªthe young doctor believed that Xia Wennan would be able to recover his memories through medication and rehabilitation. This was the first time he¡¯d heard that his memories might not come back.


    In that instant, Xia Wennan¡¯s urgent desire to regain his memories diminished. His memories stopped in his second year of university. One¡¯s twenties were perhaps the most wonderful times of anyone¡¯s youth, yet Xia Wennan had no idea what he¡¯d experienced in his first six years, why he¡¯d gotten married so early¡ªwhy he¡¯d gotten married to an Alpha. Something like this happening to him in his twenties was not only unimaginable, but also terrifying to face.


    But this wasn¡¯t something that he could just not face so long as he didn¡¯t think about it. Life is a one-way street¡ªonce you¡¯ve gone down one path, there¡¯s no turning back. It was impossible for him to continue his studies, and his grandpa was no longer by his side, so however unwilling he might be, he had to face and shoulder whatever life would throw at him next.


    He was just¡­ lost and overwhelmed. He didn¡¯t know what would happen were he to recover his memories, nor how he would continue living if he somehow never did.


    Perched at his bedside, Ming Siyan exchanged a few perfunctory words with him.


    He gave absent responses. Once he came back to his senses, he had no idea what Ming Siyan had been saying.


    Ming Siyan¡¯s delicate brows were slightly knitted. While he possessed a pair of eyes that were similar to Ming Luchuan¡¯s, the shape of his face and his facial features were clearly those of an Omega¡¯s exquisite beauty, like glazed glossy porcelain.


    He stood there for a while, then said, ¡°Wennan needs rest. I¡¯d better be off.¡±


    Ming Luchuan stood at his side without speaking.


    Ming Siyan turned towards Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°Dad wanted to visit, but he caught a cold last night and was worried it¡¯d be inappropriate to come to the hospital.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s lashes were a tad hooded as he nodded.


    Ming Siyan then addressed Xia Wennan, ¡°Rest well, Wennan. Dad will come to see you in a few days.¡±


    This ¡®dad¡¯ he spoke of was a complete stranger to Xia Wennan; Xia Wennan¡¯s own dad had died over twenty years ago, so there was no way the ¡®dad¡¯ Ming Siyan mentioned referred to his dad, but rather Ming Luchuan¡¯s. His emotions were a chaotic mess and he was in no mood to respond to Ming Siyan, so he only nodded. Ming Siyan then turned and left the room.


    The moment he turned around, Xia Wennan noticed a tattoo on his nape: a multi-coloured butterfly, located right over his glands.


    Ming Luchuan went to open the door for him. Ming Siyan stopped at the doorway and said a few words to Ming Luchuan before leaving.


    Xia Wennan lay on the bed, hands fumbling about quietly until he finally found the bed adjustment button, pressing it so that his bed rose partway. His body now propped up, he gazed to the side, eyes trained on Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan returned to his bedside and reached out to lift the blanket.


    Startled, Xia Wennan grabbed Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s tone carried a hint of impatience. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting up?¡±


    ¡°I can get up by myself,¡± Xia Wennan hurriedly said.


    Ming Luchuan shook off Xia Wennan¡¯s hold. ¡°As you like.¡±


    That morning, Xia Wennan had two more medical examinations. Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t leave and accompanied him the whole time.


    After the medical examination, Xia Wennan went to the doctor¡¯s office with Ming Luchuan. There, he saw the middle-aged doctor who had examined him when he¡¯d come out of his coma the other day.


    The doctor fetched Xia Wennan¡¯s X-ray results and medical records and gave them an explanation of his current condition. Xia Wennan¡¯s car accident had resulted in him suffering from blunt head trauma. He¡¯d been hospitalised with a minor hemorrhage, but it¡¯d healed up nicely within a few days of treatment as was presently recovering well. However, his memory impairment was considered a symptom of post-concussion syndrome, which required a lengthy recovery process.


    Xia Wennan found staying in the hospital really uncomfortable. He asked the doctor, ¡°When can I be discharged?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re recovering well,¡± the doctor responded. ¡°In fact, you can go home at any time.¡±


    Xia Wennan subconsciously cast a glance at Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s slightly leaned back on his chair, his face somewhat dour as he said, ¡°But he can¡¯t remember a thing.¡±


    The doctor folded his hands atop the table and exhaled a soft sigh. He said, ¡°Mr. Ming, even if Mr. Xia were kept here for treatment, we have no way of guaranteeing that he¡¯ll recover his memories.¡±


    ¡°What if he never gets them back?¡±


    ¡°The process takes longer than a few days,¡± the doctor said. ¡°If things progress nicely, he might be able to recover his memories in three months.¡±


    No one asked what would happen if things didn¡¯t go well.


    Ming Luchuan complexion was rather unsightly.


    Right then, Xia Wennan spoke, ¡°I want to leave.¡±


    The doctor turned to Xia Wennan. ¡°Mr Xia, even when you¡¯re discharged, you¡¯d still have to come back here periodically for re-examinations. You¡¯ll need to take medicine and undergo rehabilitative treatment.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    The doctor said, ¡°Well in that case, I¡¯ll get them to arrange things for you today and you can leave tomorrow.¡± With that, he looked towards Ming Luchuan, waiting for his opinion.


    The corners of Ming Luchuan¡¯s mouth were drawn tight. After a moment, he raised his gaze and said, ¡°Fine.¡±


    That night, Ming Luchuan spent another night in the hospital.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it was because he¡¯d be discharged tomorrow, but Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t sleep, his excitement keeping him up. He tossed and turned on the bed, wide awake till late into the night, when he finally tore away his blanket and quietly got out of bed.


    Just as he slipped his feet into his slippers and walked away from the bed, he heard Ming Luchuan¡¯s deep timbre resound through the quiet room. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Startled, Xia Wennan froze and turned his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m going to get some air.¡± He wanted to go out for a walk. At this hour, the corridor outside was still brightly lit, and the nurses¡¯ station was attended by nurses who were on night duty.


    In the dark, Ming Luchuan¡¯s silhouette was perched on the desk, seemingly watching him. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Just the corridors,¡± Xia Wennan said.


    Ming Luchuan rose to his feet and approached him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Even squinting, Xia Wennan still couldn¡¯t make out the expression on his face. He could only ask, ¡°You¡¯re coming?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t respond. He stood beside him and waited, as if his meaning was clear.


    Xia Wennan immediately changed his mind. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll just walk around the room.¡±

 CH 5

    The hospital room was only so big; though Xia Wennan had said that he¡¯d walk around the room, there was practically nowhere to go. He came to a halt near the window and opened the curtains to gaze outdoors after a few paces.


    Soon after, he felt Ming Luchuan¡¯s presence next to him.


    The scent of plants and flowers filled the room as the night breeze passed through. At the same time, the air was saturated with another smell. It had a cool, woody scent to it, like the scent of a particular tree. It was difficult to convey in a few simple words, but it gave the impression of being in the centre of a forest deep in the mountains. When you looked heavenward, you¡¯d find that you were surrounded by ancient ramrod-straight trees that soared to the sky. The cool water of a clear mountain spring seeped into the soles of your feet. In the depths of the forest, the silhouette of an old temple with evergreen roof tiles and white walls loomed beyond the eye.


    This imagery was a complete far cry from Xia Wennan¡¯s present¡ªa hospital room on a summer night¡ªand it threw his mind into a moment of calm.


    Yet after that brief calm, Xia Wennan came to an abrupt realisation that that cold woody fragrance he¡¯d perceived was the scent of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones.


    From the second he¡¯d regained his consciousness until now, he had spent quite a long time with Ming Luchuan, yet this was the first time he smelled Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones. He then took a step back to put some space between himself and Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face was bathed in the moonlight that streamed in through the window. His prominent nose bridge cast a shadow on one side of his face, the face that was devoid of any expression. Only his thick lashes were drooping, as if he were exhausted. ¡°What are you trying to avoid?¡±


    Xia Wennan hesitated for a beat before saying, ¡°I can smell your pheromones.¡±


    Even in a calm state, other genders regarded Alpha pheromones as invasive, and releasing pheromones as one pleased was considered impolite.


    The concentration of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones in the air wasn¡¯t light nor dense. He looked towards Xia Wennan, and asked, ¡°Does it smell bad?¡±


    Xia Wennan thought about it then answered, ¡°It¡¯s nice actually, just¡­ inappropriate.¡± After that, he added, ¡°I may be a Beta, but I¡¯m particularly sensitive to smells.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    The pheromone scent dissipated.


    Xia Wennan heaved a small sigh of relief. At that moment, he felt that Ming Luchuan couldn¡¯t be someone so unreasonable, so he asked a question that he hadn¡¯t yet been able to voice out, ¡°Why did we get married?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze flitted to the window. ¡°¡®Why?¡¯¡± he repeated under his breath.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xia Wennan said, ¡°I can¡¯t really figure out why I¡¯d choose to marry you.¡± He realised as soon as he said it that his remark could be misinterpreted, so he hurriedly supplied, ¡°It¡¯s not that I think you¡¯re a bad guy. It¡¯s just¡ªI¡¯ve never been attracted to Alphas before.¡± Especially male Alphas, he added inwardly.


    Ming Luchuan was still not looking at him. He looked somewhat solemn, and only after a while did he say, ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Wennan didn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who proposed to me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± This time, Xia Wennan¡¯s disbelief was palpable.


    Ming Luchuan raised a hand and lightly set it down on the window sill, palm face down and fingers slightly curled. ¡°You said that you liked me, and that we had to be together.¡±


    There was no trace of jest in his tone; he sounded as serious as one could be.


    Xia Wennan automatically refuted, ¡°There¡¯s no way! Either I¡¯ve lost my mind or you¡¯re daydreaming!¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned to look at him, his gaze darkening.


    Xia Wennan wasn¡¯t all that eager to provoke him, but his mouth wasn¡¯t willing to back down either, ¡°Am I wrong? If you were me and someone told you that you fell in love with a chicken one day and was so madly in love with it that you had to marry it, would you believe them?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m a chicken?¡± Ming Luchuan sounded repulsed.


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand analogies? Just like how I¡¯m not attracted to chickens, I wouldn¡¯t be attracted to male Alphas.¡±


    Ming Luchuan took a step towards him. ¡°I¡¯m not a chicken.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were a chicken!¡± The instant Xia Wennan rattled off this sentence, he abruptly smelled Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones in the arid air once more, and his next words died on his tongue as he stumbled backwards to maintain his distance from Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s legs collided with the bed and his butt landed on the edge. He looked up at Ming Luchuan and stammered, ¡°Even though I¡¯m not an Omega, I¡¯m still protected by the law. You can¡¯t mess around just because you¡¯re an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your lawful spouse,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan countered, ¡°Who knows if our marriage is genuinely legal?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face froze over, not a word escaping his lips.


    Xia Wennan lifted his legs one after another, climbing onto the bed. He reached out and slowly pulled the blanket over his chest. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± He raised his head and spoke with conviction.


    Ming Luchuan said nothing.


    Xia Wennan continued, ¡°It¡¯s late. Let¡¯s get some rest, okay?¡± With that, he painstakingly put on an ingratiating smile.


    Ming Luchuan stared at him for a moment then turned to walk over to the fold up bed.


    Letting out a furtive sigh of relief, Xia Wennan promptly laid down and pulled up the blanket until it covered half his face.


    Ming Luchuan laid back down on his own bed without another word.


    Thinking that he¡¯d probably angered Ming Luchuan, Xia Wennan wanted to say a couple of things to ease the mood between them, but when he turned to look at the man on the next bed, all he could see in the dark was a bulging shape.


    After a hesitant second, Xia Wennan gave up on the idea entirely. He quietly closed his eyes, exhaustion gradually setting in, and eventually fell asleep. University students may have a great many worries, but what can¡¯t a good night¡¯s sleep fix?


    The next morning, the director told Lin Shuqiu to sign off Xia Wennan¡¯s discharge after a doctor made his rounds.


    Ming Luchuan was in charge of the discharge processes. Xia Wennan waited in his hospital room, and when it came time to pack his belongings, he realized he didn¡¯t have much.


    Before Ming Luchuan returned, a young male Beta entered the room. He wore a suit and glasses, and the natural upturn of his lips were forced flat, presenting a meticulously strict appearance.


    Xia Wennan gave him a lost look.


    He spoke up after a moment of silence, ¡°Mr. Xia, I¡¯m Mr. Ming¡¯s assistant. My name is Xu Feng.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up, sir,¡± Xu Feng said.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ming Luchuan appeared at the doorway and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xia Wennan got to his feet, cast a final glance around the room where he awoke from his coma, and sighed before following Ming Luchuan and Xu Feng out.


    A black Maybach was parked in front of the hospital.


    Xu Feng carried Xia Wennan¡¯s suitcase and stored it in the trunk. When Xia Wennan¡¯s feet stopped in front of the car, he reached out to touch its sleek, painted surface, and his mind was struck by a strange idea.


    By then, Ming Luchuan had already gotten into the back seat. He watched Xia Wennan through the open car door, and urged him quite impatiently, ¡°Get in the car.¡±


    ¡°Is this my car or your car?¡± Xia Wennan asked him.


    Xu Feng, who had passed Xia Wennan and was making his way to the front passenger seat, quietly raised his eyes upon hearing Xia Wennan¡¯s question.


    Ming Luchuan asked, ¡°Is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a big difference,¡± Xia Wennan said. He thought: this determines whether you support me, or if I support you.


    ¡°It¡¯s the company¡¯s car,¡± Ming Luchuan answered.


    Xia Wennan bent at the waist and asked Ming Luchuan, ¡°Which company?¡±


    This time, Xu Feng blurted out, ¡°Mr. Ming¡¯s family¡¯s company¡ªMing Yan.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The small spark in Xia Wennan¡¯s heart died out. He lifelessly said, ¡°Then I¡¯m not getting in.¡±

 CH 6

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s face froze over in an instant.


    Xia Wennan, with one hand holding the car door, said, ¡°I want to see my grandpa.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to you?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s expression shuttered. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re lying or not; I need to get home. It¡¯s been¡ª¡± He was about to say it¡¯s been a few months since I went back, but then realised that it had been so much longer than that, and that the distance between him and his grandpa was now immeasurable. It was hard to quell the sadness that came rushing forth. He didn¡¯t want to shed a single tear, so he straightened up and said, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going back home now. Could you please return my ID?¡±


    Xa Wennan knew that Ming Luchuan must¡¯ve needed his identification when he handled his discharge procedures, thus they were surely in Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands right now.


    Ming Luchuan remained seated in the backseat of the car, not moving a single inch. He merely raised his head to look at him. ¡°How do you plan on getting there?¡±


    At present, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t have a single yuan on him. He didn¡¯t have his phone, either. He ducked his head and summoned a natural tone, ¡°Could you lend me some cash?¡±


    As he finished speaking, Ming Luchuan stared at him mutely. In the front row, both Xu Feng and the driver were also still.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return the money,¡± Xia Wennan said. ¡°Why are you so stingy when your ride is so fancy?¡±


    Ming Luchuan exhaled very slowly. He paused for a few beats before addressing the people sitting in the front row, ¡°Could you two step out of the car?¡±


    Xu Feng and the driver exchanged a glance, but neither man questioned Ming Luchuan; they immediately opened the door and got out of the car.


    Ming Luchuan stepped out of the car. He stood in front of Xia Wennan and said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Xia Wennan got into the passenger side. He glanced at Ming Luchuan from the corner of his eye and saw that the man was seated squarely on the driver¡¯s seat.


    They drove away from the hospital.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± After a moment¡¯s consideration, Xia Wennan decided to thank Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan neither spoke nor looked at him.


    The car journeyed out of the city.


    Xia Wennan came to this city to attend university. His hometown was a county about forty kilometres away. Though he¡¯d studied and lived here for almost two years, he didn¡¯t really know the city well, as he¡¯d spent most of his time on campus.


    The roads outside the city, however, were all very familiar to him.


    In his initial days at university, he was always concerned about his grandpa, who stayed at home by himself. Every weekend, he¡¯d take the subway and then the bus back home. As time passed, he grew accustomed to campus life and reasoned that his grandpa should have adjusted to his absence as well, so he made fewer trips home and began to enjoy his time in university.


    Even so, the roads he remembered were different from their current appearance.


    How many years had it been? Oh¡ªsix. In only six years, how could he have changed so much? How could the city have changed so much?


    Xia Wennan¡¯s elbow was propped against the window, palm holding up his jaw. He stared out the window lifelessly, as if he were gazing off into the distance, as if his eyes were unseeing.


    The traffic lightened up as they drove out of the city. Ahead of them was the intercity highway, which, when followed by a left turn, would lead them to the county.


    But as they exited the highway, Ming Luchuan made a right turn.


    Xia Wennan immediately straightened up. ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way,¡± he said.


    Ming Luchuan braked at an intersection to wait out a red light, and flipped a look his way.


    Xia Wennan pointed to the left. ¡°You should¡¯ve gone the other way.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think that would take us?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    ¡°Home, of course.¡± Xia Wennan was puzzled by his question. Didn¡¯t he know this already?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to visit your grandpa?¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    Xia Wennan froze. In the next second, it dawned on him that a left turn would take them to the county¡¯s public cemetery.


    At that moment, the reality that his grandpa had left this world solidified before his eyes. His face went ashen, and no sound came out of his slightly opened mouth.


    When Ming Luchuan saw Xia Wennan¡¯s expression, he swallowed his swords and quietly closed his mouth, then made the decision for him.


    Tomb Sweeping Day[1] had long passed. In the afternoon, the cemetery was deserted; there was barely a soul in sight.


    The car stopped in the parking lot. Xia Wennan stepped out in a haze, with no idea where to go.


    Ming Luchuan locked the car and started walking towards the entrance of the cemetery. Xia Wennan trailed after him in a disoriented state, like a lost child who couldn¡¯t find their way home.


    He followed Ming Luchuan all the way to the entrance of a store and saw him pick up a large bouquet of flowers, which was when he realised that Ming Luchuan had come to buy flowers for his grandpa.


    The bouquet consisted of an abundant array of white and yellow flowers. Ming Luchuan thrust it into Xia Wennan¡¯s arms and addressed the shop owner to ask about the price.


    Xia Wennan stood aside with the flowers as Ming Luchuan paid for them, then said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ming Luchuan said nothing, turning around to make his way out.


    Xia Wennan could only resume following him.


    It was apparent that this wasn¡¯t Ming Luchuan¡¯s first visit. He stepped onto a small uphill path with the ease of familiarity, his black leather shoes clattering as they came into contact with the stone steps.


    As Xia Wennan descended the flight of steps, he inquired, ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s reply was detached and succinct: ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°What did you come here for? Have you ever met my grandpa?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    ¡°I have.¡±


    Xia Wennan paused briefly before deciding to trudge on, ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°You proposed to me. Don¡¯t I need to go see your family?¡±


    Inwardly, Xia Wennan vehemently denied that he¡¯d ever propose to Ming Luchuan. Because the man¡¯s words on the subject were untrustworthy, he lost all desire to pursue it.


    And very quickly, as he stood in front of the tombstone, his mood to ask questions waned.


    The name and photograph on the tombstone were undoubtedly his grandpa¡¯s. He wasn¡¯t alone though, as it was a joint tombstone. Apart from the ashes of the grandpa who¡¯d raised him, the grave contained anothers¡ªthe Beta grandpa he¡¯d never got to meet.


    His grandpa was an Omega. Back then, his family had set up an arranged marriage for him, and his fiance was an Alpha. And yet he¡¯d ended up falling in love with a young Beta man, with whom he eloped after fleeing his arrangement.


    ¡°Back in my day, things were different. How could an Omega possibly marry a Beta? We had to stick to Alphas and Alphas only.¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s grandpa used to say this to him all the time, always sounding faintly proud of himself.


    It was as though that smidgeon of pride washed away all his woes. Despite the fact that his Beta husband died young and his only son and daughter-in-law were killed in a car accident, he still had a clever grandson. Even though his life had been battered with hardships, he¡¯d never once regretted it¡ªbecause it was a life borne out of his own choices. He was a fearless and incredible Omega.


    In front of the tombstone, Xia Wennan¡¯s knees buckled as if they could no longer support his body. He didn¡¯t embrace the tombstone and cry then and there, instead lowering his head till no one could see his silent flowing tears.


    When he went home to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his grandfather in his second year of university, he vowed to take his grandfather on a trip when he graduated, but he had no idea if he¡¯d followed through on that promise. All their lives, they¡¯d only had each other, relied on each other; his grandpa hadn¡¯t even gotten to live a comfortable life yet, and now he was already gone.


    There were two black-and-white photos on the tombstone: Xia Wennan¡¯s Beta grandpa, an upright youth with thick brows and big eyes, remaining forever young, and his Omega grandpa, with white hair and fine wrinkles on his temple and the corner of his eyes. His eyes were gentle and kind, with no trace of sadness or bitterness in them. Perhaps he had known that someone was waiting for him and that they would always be able to reunite someday.


    The two photographs were placed side by side, in sickness and in health.


    Xia Wennan lightly pressed his forehead against the cold tombstone and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    [1] Tomb Sweeping Day, or if you¡¯re familiar with the term: Qingming Festival. It¡¯s when Chinese people traditionally visit ancestral tombs to sweep them, so¡­ pretty self-explanatory.

 CH 7

    Xia Wennan remained at his grandpa¡¯s tombstone for nearly thirty minutes, only lifting his head when his tears had almost dried up. Upon doing so, he discovered that Ming Luchuan had left his side. He rose to his feet, cast a look around, and saw Ming Luchuan standing at the end of a row of tombstones, staring off into the distance.


    By now, Xia Wennan no longer felt Ming Luchuan was that difficult to get along with.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s upper body was wrapped in a white shirt, collar wide open and hem tucked into his suit pants. With a lean waist and long legs, he possessed a striking appearance.


    Xia Wennan walked over to the man. He should have noticed, and yet he didn¡¯t turn his head. Xia Wennan approached him and came to a halt by his side, then said, ¡°Do you mind waiting a bit longer?¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned to look at him.


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°I want to see my parents.¡±


    Ming Luchuan appeared stunned for a brief moment before saying, ¡°All right.¡±


    Seeming to have sobered up from the blow of his grandpa¡¯s death, Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts gradually cleared. He bought another bouquet of flowers for his parents, then placed it at their tomb and crouched down to talk to them for a while.


    His parents had died young. All his memories of them originated from a photo album back home, and then the black and white photographs on their tombstones, which he and his grandpa used to visit every year.


    For someone with no memory of his mother and father, most of Xia Wennan¡¯s affections were tied to a natural attachment one felt towards their parents. When Xia Wennan¡¯s gaze rested on the young man and woman on the tombstone, it suddenly occurred to him that from here on out, he truly no longer had any living relatives left. Then an even more intense misery welled up inside him, and for a long time after he couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    It was already past five in the afternoon when they left the public cemetery.


    Ming Luchuan went to the minimarket to buy drinks, while Xia Wennan stood beside the car, eyes blank as he gazed out at the deserted parking lot.


    A bottle of cold mineral water suddenly appeared in front of him. Xia Wennan reflexively took it and saw that there was another bottle in Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands, who then went round the car and got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    Xia Wennan watched Ming Luchuan dumbly.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting in?¡± asked Ming Luchuan after rolling down the window.


    ¡°Where am I supposed to go?¡± Xia Wennan asked, lost.


    Ming Luchuan scanned their surroundings; despite the fact that the sky hadn¡¯t yet darkened, there was no one else in the cemetery except the staff. ¡°Are you planning to spend the night here?¡± he inquired.


    Xia Wennan followed his line of sight and also looked around. He said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± Ming Luchuan said. ¡°Your grandpa will protect you.¡±


    Xia Wennan reached out to hold the window frame. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to cause the old man any trouble.¡±


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Then get in the car!¡±


    The car slowly made its way out of the cemetery grounds.


    As he sat on the passenger seat, Xia Wennan¡¯s heart was wracked with unease. It had been a far off thing, back at the hospital, but after he¡¯d seen his grandpa at the cemetery and confirmed that he¡¯d long since passed, that feeling continued to soar.


    ¡°Where to now?¡± he asked Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan asked, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go home.¡± Xia Wennan asked, slightly anxiously, ¡°Is it still there?¡±


    Ming Luchuan went quiet for a beat before saying, ¡°It is.¡±


    Xia Wennan let out a sigh of relief.


    Ming Luchuan drove away from the cemetery, heading for town. On the way there, they encountered a large overturned truck that blocked half the road, causing their journey to be delayed for over half an hour. When they arrived at the county, it was already dark.


    Xia Wennan and his grandpa lived in the worker dormitory of the old factory the latter used to work at. Although the factory had been closed for many years, the old apartment buildings remained standing.


    Previously, there had been a food market in the area that was always bustling with people. When Xia Wennan started university, the food market was relocated to another part of town, and in its place stood a shopping mall, where Ming Luchuan now parked his car.


    Ming Luchuan evidently knew the area well. It made Xia Wennan even more uneasy, because the more Ming Luchuan knew about him, the more it seemed like they were truly married.


    Up till now, they hadn¡¯t eaten anything.


    After getting out of the car, Ming Luchuan walked straight to the fast food joint on the first floor of the mall. Xia Wennan stood in place, watching his back. At a distance of five or six metres away, Ming Luchuan froze and turned back to Xia Wennan. ¡°Not eating?¡±


    That was when Xia Wennan fell into step behind him.


    The fast food joint was brightly lit, but there were only a few customers. A table in the corner was occupied by four girls who appeared to be students from a high school in town.


    Xia Wennan placed his order and sat across Ming Luchuan. From this angle, he could just about catch those girls twisting their heads to steal glances at their direction every once in a while.


    Xia Wennan faintly understood what they were peeping at.


    In a small town like this where Betas made up the majority of the population, Alphas like Ming Luchuan were a rare sight to behold. Formidable and outstanding Alphas were always the most popular choice for a marriage for female Betas and Omegas, and no matter where you were, these Alphas would always draw people¡¯s attention.


    All four of the girls seated in the corner were Betas. Their appearances were relatively average, but they exuded the delicate and lovely charm of girls.


    One of the girls stood up and walked past them, shooting Ming Luchuan a glance with feigned indifference as she did so, then ordered ice cream at the counter. While waiting for her order, she constantly threw looks their way, and it didn¡¯t stop until she sat back down at her table with her ice cream.


    While those looks appeared to have escaped Ming Luchuan¡¯s notice entirely, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help his eyes from following that girl¡¯s back. He observed her as she sat down, lowered her head, and covered her mouth as she giggled with the other three girls.


    Slender fingers crossed his vision. Two light knocks on the tabletop drew his attention.


    Xia Wennan turned to face Ming Luchuan, who coldly asked, ¡°See anything interesting?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xia Wennan denied. Upon hearing the counter attendant announcing that their orders were ready, Xia Wennan took off to fetch their meals. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to glance back at the girl who¡¯d passed them just a moment ago.


    Xia Wennan really hadn¡¯t been staring; he¡¯d just sensed something strange. As that girl passed them, he had detected the scent of Omega pheromones. But if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, that girl should be a Beta.


    He returned with their tray of food and sat down to have dinner with Ming Luchuan. At this point in time, his intense emotions had faded, replaced by the telltale signs of hunger and exhaustion. The last few days of his life had felt like a dream, and reality still didn¡¯t seem to have settled around him even now. With his head bowed, he finished his fried rice with large mouthfuls and drank half of his lemonade in one go. Once he¡¯d put down his cup, he looked at Ming Luchuan and asked, ¡°Where are you going after this?¡±


    Ming Luchuan, who had just finished his meal, took out a napkin and lightly wiped at his lips. He raised an eye at Xia Wennan¡¯s question. ¡°Where do you think I¡¯m going?¡±


    Not knowing what to say, Xia Wennan picked up his glass again and gulped down a couple more mouthfuls, then said, ¡°My house is rather shabby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been to your house,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t speak another word.


    They then left the fast food restaurant one after another, walking in the direction of the old factory housing Xia Wennan used to live in. Though the building was undoubtedly decrepit, it was still filled with residents, and despite the dark corridors, the floors were clean.


    Xia Wennan walked through the dim and narrow passage and found it both familiar and unfamiliar. As he slowly climbed the stairs, he wondered whether he¡¯d be able to come up with an excuse to get Ming Luchuan to leave, and how they would spend the night if Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t leave.


    When they finally reached the door of his apartment, he suddenly discovered a serious problem. With a blank look towards Ming Luchuan, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring the key.¡±

 CH 8

    After those words left Xia Wennan¡¯s mouth, he stared at Ming Luchuan under the dim lights and waited for his response.


    And yet Ming Luchuan merely said, ¡°I see.¡±


    After Xia Wennan left the hospital, his mind was solely occupied with the thought of going home, and that home was still a place where someone was always waiting for his return. It was only then did he realise that his house key wasn¡¯t in his possession.


    He didn¡¯t even know where it was kept.


    Ming Luchuan stared at him in silence, then asked, ¡°Now what?¡±


    In the past, the university was his go-to destination whenever he couldn¡¯t go back home, but that was completely out of the question now, wasn¡¯t it? Out of ideas, Xia Wennan looked towards Ming Luchuan mutely.


    Ming Luchuan suddenly turned and headed downstairs.


    Xia Wennan subconsciously took half a step towards him before coming to a halt, watching Ming Luchuan go down the stairs step by step until his back disappeared round the corner. In the empty corridor, he could hear the footsteps Ming Luchuan¡¯s unstopping descent; he eventually couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lean forward and shout between the gaps of the banister, ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    He never thought that Ming Luchuan would just leave like this. There were still so many murky things they hadn¡¯t resolved, but there was no way of resolving them all right this second, and he could only yell out, ¡°Is there any way we could get divorced? Would we need to divide up our assets?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s footsteps seemed to have frozen for two seconds before they resumed their descent.


    Xia Wennan leaned against the railings. After two or three minutes of dazed stillness, he heard footsteps going up the stairs.


    It was the tread of leather shoes. Even though Xia Wennan could in no way consider himself familiar with the man, he could clearly tell that those were the sound of his footsteps.

 CH 9

    It was well into the night when Ming Luchuan drove Xia Wennan back to the city. Since he regained his consciousness at the hospital, his main concern had been his grandpa, and now that the dust had settled, a profound weariness assailed his still recovering body. Seated on the passenger¡¯s side, he fell asleep midway home.


    Xia Wennan awoke to find that the car had come to a halt. He opened his eyes to the sight of the dimly lit parking lot outside the window, as well as Ming Luchuan beside him, the man¡¯s gaze fixed on him.


    Ming Luchuan had probably been staring at him for a good while. He didn¡¯t avert his gaze when Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes blinked open and only asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xia Wennan rubbed his eyes. Stretching his arms, he gazed out the window. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer, instead opening the door and stepping out of the car as he said, ¡°Get out of the car if you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Despite the large number of parked cars, the underground parking lot seemed vacant. As Xia Wennan followed Ming Luchuan to the elevator, he saw that the parking spaces were largely occupied by pricey luxury cars. Groggy from sleep, he inquired, ¡°Where do I currently work?¡±


    When they entered the elevator, Ming Luchuan answered, ¡°You don¡¯t work. You stay at home to take care of me.¡±


    Xia Wennan fought off a yawn. His reply came off a little sluggish. ¡°Can you try to sound a little more convincing?¡± He¡¯d spent enough time with Ming Luchuan to figure out some of the man¡¯s tricks, and he¡¯d also come to realise that Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t all that scary.


    ¡°Since I was little, my grandpa always told me that a man has to stand on his own two feet and not rely on others.¡±

 CH 10

    Xia Wennan tumbled onto Ming Luchuan¡¯s body in one fell swoop. In that split second, he caught a distinct whiff of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones. He thus rolled over to the other side of the bed in a display of quick and nimble reflexes, swiftly moving away from Ming Luchuan and getting to his feet next to the bed.


    He stood there, heart still racing from the scare, and looked at Ming Luchuan as he asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained where he lay on the bed and drew the covers over his chest. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you came here to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Stop messing with me,¡± Xia Wennan said. ¡°I obviously don¡¯t sleep in this room. We live apart, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Ming Luchuan left his question unanswered.


    A thought popped up in Xia Wennan¡¯s mind: technically, they were a married couple who slept in separate beds rather than who lived apart¡ªbut now wasn¡¯t the time to make a fuss about the specifics. He quickly followed up with another question, ¡°Do you know the passcode to the safe in my room?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him. ¡°There¡¯s a safe in your room?¡±


    Xia Wennan had no intention of wasting any more time talking to him. ¡°You don¡¯t know then¡­¡± Since Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t know, then whatever was inside his safe was probably important, and therefore he definitely wouldn¡¯t have told him.


    He was staunchly committed to the belief that he and Ming Luchuan weren¡¯t really husbands. From head to toe, nothing about Ming Luchuan matched his sexual orientation.


    Xia Wennan made to leave the room.


    Yet barely two steps forward, Ming Luchuan called out to him, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked back.


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Could you get the lights.¡±


    Xia Wennan fumed, ¡°Are you a cripple? Turn it off yourself.¡± He stormed out of Ming Luchuan¡¯s bedroom¡ªbut didn¡¯t forget to close the door behind him.


    Back in his room, Xia Wennan rummaged through his wardrobe for some pyjamas then went to the bathroom for a shower. Afterwards, he collapsed on the bed, spread-eagled, exhausted to the bone. Even though his mind was still active, it was clear that his brain was protesting. It was like a rusted, inefficient gear trying its hardest to turn, creaking all the while.


    He had an inkling that there was something else he¡¯d forgotten, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything right now. Intense exhaustion gradually pulled him under.


    His slumber was probably not that deep, Xia Wennan recalled; it¡¯d felt like he¡¯d been dreaming all night. His dreamscape was bizarre and motley, and he could only remember one scene that left a particularly deep impression on him: he was moving back home to live with his grandpa, and when he entered the room, the grandpa he expected to see was replaced by Ming Luchuan. He knew that this wasn¡¯t right, and yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong with it. His dreamscape gradually became hazy after that¡­


    Xia Wennan woke up the next morning feeling light-headed. He was lying on his side, and he stayed in that position for a few moments before he opened his eyes and turned over.


    The instant he turned around, Xia Wennan was startled awake¡ªand it was all of a tall figure entering his line of sight, who else but Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan wore a shirt that was slightly open at the collar. His hair was slicked back, exposing his brow. Despite the lack of a tie, he appeared to be ready to leave the house at any moment.


    Xia Wennan had no idea when the man had entered his room, but by the looks of it, he¡¯d already been standing at Xia Wennan¡¯s bedside for quite some time. His gaze never strayed from Xia Wennan¡¯s face.


    In the face of the now awake Xia Wennan, Ming Luchuan remained unfazed, calmly asking, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s consciousness returned to him in the midst of his terror. He subconsciously pulled the blankets up a little higher and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer him and merely said, ¡°I¡¯m off to work.¡±


    This reminded Xia Wennan of the work ID he¡¯d found the night before, so he asked, ¡°Do I have work? Am I on leave because of my car accident?¡±


    ¡°I requested leave for you.¡±


    ¡°Until when?¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his head to fasten his cufflinks. ¡°Until you make a complete recovery.¡±


    Xia Wennan was slightly dumbfounded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too long? Is that allowed? Is my boss that nice?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him but didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I have to go. Are you planning to stay at home or come with me to the company today?¡±


    ¡°Why would I go with you to the company?¡± Xia Wennan was a little baffled.


    ¡°Suit yourself then,¡± said Ming Luchuan as he made his way to the bedroom door.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Xia Wennan stopped him. He wanted to tear away the covers at first but then realised that he¡¯d only worn his briefs to bed. He dove back into the covers in a haste and asked Ming Luchuan, ¡°Where are my ID and bank cards?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Xia Wennan had it all figured out. ¡°How did you take care of my discharge yesterday then? I know my phone is unsalvageable from the crash, but there¡¯s no way my cards and ID were ruined too, right?¡±


    Ming Luchuan retracted his gaze and directly walked out.


    In a frantic rush, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t care less about his lack of clothes and shoved away the blanket to get out of bed. Legs bare, he caught up to Ming Luchuan and grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Give me my stuff back first.¡±


    Ming Luchuan stopped and turned his head to look at him from head to toe.


    Xia Wennan deliberately puffed out his chest to cover up his shame. ¡°What are you staring at? Never seen a hot guy before?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to the hand on his arm. In an icy voice, he said, ¡°Hands off.¡±


    Xia Wennan knew that he had to persist. ¡°Give me back my ID.¡± He¡¯d already thought it through; if Ming Luchuan insisted on not returning his things, he¡¯d tell Ming Luchuan that he¡¯d call the police.


    However, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°How am I supposed to do that if you won¡¯t let go of me?¡±


    Xia Wennan blinked.


    Ming Luchuan raised a hand and gripped Xia Wennan¡¯s hand on his arm.


    Xia Wennan immediately shrunk back.


    Soon after, Ming Luchuan disappeared into his room for a while before coming out with a wallet, which he tossed at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan caught it in his hands and rushed to check the contents. As expected, it contained his ID, driver¡¯s license, several bank cards, and a department store membership card he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    Immediately after, Ming Luchuan handed him a phone. Though the phone came without the box, it appeared brand new. The screen was even still covered in a layer of protective film.


    Looking at Ming Luchuan, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t take the phone right away.


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°I told Xu Feng to buy it yesterday. Your old sim card is already inside.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The words were out before Xia Wennan realised it. He reached for the phone, then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give them to me yesterday?¡±


    Ming Luchuan said nothing.


    With a smidgeon of impatience, Xia Wennan turned on the phone. The phone was a new model on the market that Xia Wennan had never used before. The brand was also one he wasn¡¯t familiar with, but he figured that navigating the phone would be simple. As soon as it booted up, he went through its contents, but found that it was completely empty save for the contacts.


    He raised his head to look for Ming Luchuan, only to notice that the man¡¯s tie was already around his neck and he was headed to the door with his coat, seemingly on his way out.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Xia Wennan hastily called after him.


    Ming Luchuan had no intention of waiting for him.


    Xia Wennan chased after him and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Was I not loud enough for you?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked back and sneered, ¡°Is my name ¡®hey¡¯?¡±


    Xia Wennan could only say, ¡°Sorry, Da-ge.¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned around, opened the door, and stepped out.


    Xia Wennan once again reached for his hand. ¡°Wait¡ªMing Luchuan!¡±


    Ming Luchuan stopped and looked over his shoulder. ¡°When did you develop this habit of running around naked?¡±


    Xia Wennan glanced down at himself. In any case, he¡¯d already shown Ming Luchuan everything; there was no point in caring now. He hurriedly asked the question he had in mind. ¡°Is there any way I could recover my phone¡¯s original contents? Like photos and messages and stuff.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ming Luchuan said, hand outstretched to close the door.


    Xia Wennan hastily blocked him off. ¡°Okay then¡­ one last question. Could you give me a key to this place?¡±


    In lieu of an answer, Ming Luchuan suddenly grabbed hold of his hand and tugged him towards the door.


    Xia Wennan resisted on instinct. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?! I¡¯m practically naked!¡± He wasn¡¯t as strong as Ming Luchuan and was thus dragged by the other man until half his body was out the door. His right thumb was grabbed and pressed to the surface of the fingerprint scanner, which was when he heard the door lock click. The display screen showed that the door was unlocked, and it was only then did he realise that he could directly open the door with his fingerprint.


    Ming Luchuan released his hand and took off in the direction of the elevator.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¨C The word Xia Wennan used to describe his and MLC¡¯s living situation was ·Ö¾Ó at first (which I tl-ed to ¡®live apart¡¯). The full context of the word is basically when a married couple stops living together without getting divorced, either as a preamble to divorce or something else. He then went back and changed it to ·Ö´²; separate beds.


    cutie nannan is so adamant that ming luchuan isn¡¯t his husband lol

 CH 11

    After Ming Luchuan left, Xia Wennan returned to his room to wash up before changing into a casual tee and shorts from his wardrobe. Truth be told, he wasn¡¯t all that pleased with the clothes in his closet. Those clothes seemed a little mature to him, someone whose mindset had reverted to that of a university student.


    He walked out of his room and paused at the doorway, taking in his surroundings as he contemplated purchasing several new outfits on Taobao. Afterwards, he proceeded to the kitchen and dining area.


    Aside from the bedrooms, the rest of the apartment was designed with an open plan. The kitchen and dining area were combined into one space, which featured a neat row of kitchenware hanging from above. Even though they were spotless, it didn¡¯t appear that no one was using them. When Xia Wennan opened the kitchen¡¯s large built-in refrigerator, it was full of food. There were even his childhood brand of cookies and chips.


    He took out the milk and cookies and sat down at the dining table.


    The table was next to the floor-to-ceiling east-facing window. The early morning sun cast its rays on him and warmed his entire body, causing him to relax automatically.


    Xia Wennan took out his brand new phone and tried to retrieve his backup data while munching on a cookie, but nothing changed and all he got were his contacts. He scanned through them, eyes catching on the first name¡ªa single capital M. For a brief period, his gaze was drawn to that letter as he thought, could this be Ming Luchuan? He paused for a beat before dialing the number. In the next second, a man picked up the phone, and sure enough, it was none other than Ming Luchuan.


    Upon hearing Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice, Xia Wennan hung up decisively.


    He then installed WeChat and attempted to login with his phone number. Despite the fact that his chat logs were gone, he still had many university classmates in his friends list, so he looked for his old roommate and best buddy and shot him a message.


    His roommate didn¡¯t reply to him right away.


    Xia Wennan put his phone away and emptied the entire milk carton in one breath, then stood up and got ready to go out.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s house¡ªor, more accurately perhaps, his and Ming Luchuan¡¯s house¡ªwas located in the heart of the city.


    When Xia Wennan stepped out of the apartment complex, the immediate surroundings were very quiet. He didn¡¯t see many shops along the way, and there were very few people on the streets. A car would occasionally speed past him on the level and smooth road. In such a busy part of town, such a street should be uncommon.


    However, after only twenty minutes of walking and making a turn at two intersections, the streetscape unfolded before his eyes as he stepped right into the hustle and bustle of the city.


    Xia Wennan stood in place for a few moments, suddenly a little disoriented. It was as if he¡¯d abruptly stepped into another universe.


    The sweltering summer heat, combined with a cacophony of smells, rushed at him head-on. Although it was still early in the morning, the city was already fully awake, with pedestrians and vehicles flooding the streets and spreading out from the city centre in all directions.


    Xia Wennan wasn¡¯t a big fan of crowded places. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like people, he just didn¡¯t like all the various scents that came with a thronging crowd.


    In this world, though Alphas and Omegas were in the minority, you would inevitably come across them in such a bustling commercial district. At such times, one¡¯s senses would be assaulted by a slew of pheromones containing various emotions¡ªand even desires.


    Xia Wennan was a beta. He was never meant to be able to smell these scents in the first place.


    Only one type of pheromone could affect Betas in this world, and that was an Alpha¡¯s deterrent pheromones. This resulted in Alphas assuming an innate position of power in society. It meant that gender inequality was inevitable, but it was something that couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Additionally, Betas weren¡¯t able to smell pheromones nor perceive the emotions they conveyed.


    But Xia Wennan was an exception.


    Xia Wennan was born a Beta, but he was able to smell pheromones. He could not only smell them, he could also perceive the emotions they carried. For instance, when an Omega in his class had gone into heat, he and the Alphas in the class could practically tell at the same time. Unlike them though, the pheromones had no effect on him, so when that Omega went into heat, he could calmly sit in a corner of the class, smelling the thick burst of Alpha pheromones in the air.


    There wasn¡¯t anything normal about that.


    Xia Wennan had no idea he was different from the rest of his peers when he was a child. He¡¯d assumed that everyone had their own distinct scent, the particularly beautiful boys and girls especially. As he grew older, he discovered that other Betas couldn¡¯t smell pheromones at all, and that he was the only Beta in the world with such an acute sense of smell.


    His grandpa had taken him to the doctor. The doctor told him that it might¡¯ve been the result of genetically caused heterozygous differentiation when he was an embryo. Some classified it as a disorder. Some didn¡¯t. But it had no impacts on his life and health, and it didn¡¯t need to be treated.


    It may not have affected his health, but it undoubtedly affected Xia Wennan¡¯s life. This sense of smell had always made him extremely uncomfortable¡ªit was as if he was forced to pry into other people¡¯s private affairs, becoming an invisible soul in the AO world he didn¡¯t belong to.


    Like this particular moment¡ªas Xia Wennan walked down the busiest, most flourishing street in town, watching people pass by, he¡¯d smell the sweet scent of an Omega¡¯s pheromones every now and then, poke his nose into their moods. It left him disoriented. It felt both familiar and foreign to him.


    As he continued down the street, a thin young man brushed past him, and a clear and sweet fragrance wafted through the air. This scent made him stop in his tracks and turn his head to get a good look at the youth¡¯s back.


    Although the youth was thin, his build was not petite, and Xia Wennan had also caught a glimpse of his face as he¡¯d passed him just now. He was certain that the young man was a Beta, and yet his body reeked of Omega pheromones.


    This wasn¡¯t too strange. After all, one¡¯s gender isn¡¯t always determined by outward appearances. What Xia Wennan found odd. though, was that the scent of that youth¡¯s pheromones was exactly the same as the girl he¡¯d smelled at the fast food restaurant in his hometown the night before.


    Xia Wennan was more sensitive to smells than the average person. Though he hadn¡¯t encountered that many Alphas and Omegas, he was under the impression that no two individuals would smell exactly the same.


    These two people proved otherwise.


    Xia Wennan was able to conclude that these two people¡¯s pheromones were indistinguishable from one another. It was as if the same perfume had been poured into two different bottles. Furthermore, both of them appeared to be Betas.


    Perfume? Pheromones? Xia Wennan whirled around and continued onwards.


    It was impossible to extract pheromones and turn them into bottled perfumes. Perfumes could only imitate a pheromone¡¯s scent; there was no way to extract the actual biological information they contained. Alphas and Omegas were able to communicate their emotions through pheromones, including their fears, happiness, anger, and even love. Perfumes, on the other hand, were just a scent. It couldn¡¯t convey anything, and the meanings they represented were usually imposed by the people selling them for no other reason than to increase sales.


    While he was thinking about this, Xia Wennan¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to a large display screen on the wall of the trade building on the street corner in front of him.


    The screen appeared to be showing a commercial: a beautiful young woman wearing a pure white gown walked through the crowd, attracting the attention of a tall Alpha, an ambiguous air between them. The commercial didn¡¯t feature a single product, and it wasn¡¯t until the end that two words appeared on the screen¡ªMing Yan.


    Xia Wennan felt that he¡¯d seen those words somewhere before, then immediately recalled the work ID he¡¯d found in his room the night before¡ª¡°Ming Yan Fragrance Technology Co., LTD.¡± Department Manager of Product Research and Development¡ªXia Wennan.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¡ª i changed the title slightly as i think ¡®passage¡¯ is better suited to the original word than ¡®access¡¯ in the story¡¯s context, but as i¡¯m not a native speaker and am generally just bad with titles so i can¡¯t really say vouch for its accuracy. does anyone know how to change novel titles on novelupdates though? T__T

 CH 12

    Xia Wennan managed to locate a bank, and as luck would have it, his bank PIN was still his birthday. When he checked his balance at an ATM, he discovered that there was approximately 20,000 yuan on his card.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t recall ever having that much money in his life.


    He took out his card after withdrawing 500 yuan in cash, but as he was about to depart, another thought occurred to him, and he returned to the bank counter and requested the teller to check all of the assets on his card.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s assets turned out to amount far greater than the meager 20,000 yuan on his card. In addition to the 20,000 in his demand deposit, he had a total of three million yuan in other deposits and savings accounts under his name. There was also a housing mortgage, and he discovered the address of the commercial property he¡¯d purchased by looking at the mortgage information.


    After leaving the bank, it took a long time before Xia Wennan regained his senses. On the one hand, he was astounded by the amount of money he found himself with, and on the other, he was perplexed. He clearly didn¡¯t lack funds and had his own house, so why would he be living with Ming Luchuan?


    He wanted to take a look at his house.


    As Xia Wennan waited for the bus on the side of the road after verifying the route, he wondered if Ming Luchuan was telling the truth¡ªwas he truly in love with Ming Luchuan?


    In the next second,  he shook his head and dismissed the thought. Just as he had told Ming Luchuan at the hospital, no matter what happened, a human would never fall in love with a chicken; there was no way that he, a male Beta of sound body and mind, could ever fall in love with a male Alpha.


    The house Xia Wennan purchased wasn¡¯t in the city centre, but rather in a well-developing part of town. There was a subway station and a large trade centre in the area, as well as a park encircling an artificial lake nearby.


    He didn¡¯t have the house keys with him; he¡¯d merely gone there for a look. Yet as it turns out, there were people living there. The occupants had no idea who he was and claimed to have rented the property through an agent. Xia Wennan thus headed to the rental agency, where he learnt that his apartment had been entrusted to the agency to rent out, and that he was paid 6,000 yuan per month in rent.


    After leaving the agency, Xia Wennan wandered towards the park, squatting under the shade of the lakeside trees and staring out at the water¡¯s surface, lost in thought. He inwardly calculated whether he could pay off the mortgage with the money in his bank account, then return to his hometown and live in his old flat¡ªwould a monthly income of 6,000 yuan be enough for him to never work again for the rest of his life?


    Xia Wennann felt a little happy as he reflected on this. He¡¯d been a very capable person in those six years of memories he had no recollection of. Too bad that the only downside to this was that he was now left with that dreadful mess¡ªMing Luchuan.


    Since he¡¯d learnt that he was quite wealthy, Xia Wennan ate lunch at a BBQ restaurant at the mall.


    Halfway through the meal, he received a WeChat message from his university classmate.


    It was the university classmate he¡¯d been closest to, Peng Li. Back then, they were not only roommates but also bunkmates, and they used to play basketball and games together all the time.


    Back in the day, male and female students each had two large dormitory blocks. In the larger dorm, Betas and Alphas shared living quarters based on their majors and year, while Omegas had the other dorm to themselves.


    Xia Wennan majored in biochemistry. He¡¯d been in a four-person dorm, and all of its occupants were Betas.


    At this time, Xia Wennan sent a voice note to Peng Li while listening to the meat sizzle.


    Peng Li seemed slightly surprised, asking why Xia Wennan had suddenly contacted him first thing in the morning.


    Xia Wennan inquired about Peng Li¡¯s recent whereabouts, and from Peng Li¡¯s tone, he surmised that they¡¯d never lost contact, but they also didn¡¯t keep in touch very often. Peng Li seemed to find some of Xia Wennan¡¯s questions a little odd, but he nevertheless answered each and every one.


    Peng Li wasn¡¯t a native of the city. After graduating, he¡¯d left the city and returned to his hometown. Out of the four people in their dorm, only Xia Wennan stayed in the city to pursue a graduate degree.


    ¡°I went to grad school?¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s shock was audible.


    Peng Li was startled. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you go? Don¡¯t tell me you flunked?¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Oh, I probably went.¡± He hadn¡¯t seen his grad certificate or degree lying around though. Perhaps they were kept in his safe. Shortly after, another thought occurred to him. ¡°So, did you come to my wedding?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± This time, Peng Li¡¯s tone was tinged with genuine astonishment. ¡°You got married?¡±


    Xia Wennan interjected, ¡°No¡ªI mean, will you come to my wedding if I get married?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± Peng Li replied. ¡°You scared me there. I thought you got married and didn¡¯t tell me. What¡¯s the matter? Do you have anyone in mind right now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xia Wennan denied, ¡°it was just a hypothetical question.¡± He then exchanged a few more words with Peng Li before hanging up.


    The baking pan in front of him sizzled. The aroma of barbeque oil wafted through the air. But Xia Wennan¡¯s mind lingered on the fact that¡­ if even Peng Li didn¡¯t know about his marriage, there was no chance his other classmates did either.


    What kind of marriage was this if none of his closest classmates had been informed? Xia Wennan picked up a slice of lean pork belly fat and thought to himself: This means that I definitely didn¡¯t marry him voluntarily.


    In the afternoon, Xia Wennan made a trip to his school.


    He¡¯d been at this school for far longer than he could remember, after four years of undergrad followed by graduate school, but it had changed dramatically and no longer resembled the school he remembered from his second year of university.


    The dorm buildings were still standing, but the people who lived there were no longer the same.


    It was possible that he¡¯d gone to grad school, but he had no idea what he¡¯d majored in and who his academic advisor had been, let alone his grad school classmates. He wished he could go back to that time in his life, but the past is the past, and things won¡¯t remain unchanging just because his memories were frozen in time. Those he¡¯d lost would forever be gone.


    Digging his past back up was pointless. It was better to carefully plan for the future.


    When Xia Wennan watched students pass by, he felt that he was still one of them, but when he accidentally caught sight of his reflection on a glass window on the side of the road, he became acutely aware that he was no longer one of them, just like the fact that his grandpa had died and would never return.


    He was drowning in misery.


    He walked out of school and stood on the side of the road, watching the ebb and flow of traffic on the wide lane in front of him, for a while not knowing where to go.


    The sun gradually moved westward, carrying the scorching summer heat, its golden yellow darkening into a burnt orange. Xia Wennan, who¡¯d been standing under the shade of a tree, watched as the sun¡¯s rays began to shift from his feet to his body.


    He sweated, all over his back, his clothes damp with it and sticking to his skin. But he remained where he was, motionless.


    He¡¯d always thought that he was a bit lazy. Since he was little, he¡¯d only ever imagined that he¡¯d find a decent but not overly taxing job after graduating and earn enough money so his grandpa could live¡ªnot necessarily lavishly¡ªbut a little better. He assumed that he¡¯d marry, and that a Beta wife would be ideal, someone pretty but not stunningly beautiful. Just¡­ an ordinary, but stable life.


    However, his life had been turned upside down. Although he couldn¡¯t remember a thing, Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t the only reason that his life had devolved into shambles¡ªit was most likely his own fault as well. He couldn¡¯t comprehend why he¡¯d made the choices he made, and he had no idea what to do with his life after this.


    Xia Wennan sighed, then heard the ringing of his phone that interrupted his idle reflection about life.


    A capital ¡°M¡± was displayed on the screen.


    After he accepted the call, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°I won¡¯t be back for dinner tonight.¡±


    Xia Wennan glanced around. The fact that Ming Luchuan had originally planned to go home for dinner was news to him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not going back for dinner either,¡± he said. And with that, he hung up the phone.

 CH 13

    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t really have much else to do after dinner, but he spent the entire night wandering outside. He simply wasn¡¯t all too keen on the idea of going home; his heart wasn¡¯t convinced that that house was his home¡ªhis home was still that dilapidated factory housing back in his old county.


    He strolled into an arcade and purchased 20 yuan in coins to use on the claw machine, but was reluctant to spend any more money once he ran out of coins. So he merely stood there for a while, watching other people play, before fleeing when an AO couple approached the claw machine in each other¡¯s embrace. He didn¡¯t like smelling the overflowing scent of love, even if it didn¡¯t stink.


    Xia Wennan slowly made his way home.


    He arrived home at around half past nine, unlocked the door with his fingerprint, and gently pushed it open a crack, only to discover that it was pitch blank inside.


    Upon realising that Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t home yet, Xia Wennan breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the door and entered the apartment, not bothering to turn on the lights, intending to go straight to his room.


    Yet after only two steps forward, a deep voice resounded in the dark living room. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    Startled, Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks and swept his gaze across the living room, but his eyes needed time to adjust to the dim light, and he couldn¡¯t even make out faintest vaguest silhouette. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he asked bluntly.


    Whoever had spoken went silent for a moment. When they spoke up again their tone was full of suppressed ire. ¡°Who else do you think is here?¡±


    Of course, Xia Wennan knew who it was¡ªhe was simply pretending not to know on purpose. He extended a hand in front of him and fumbled around in the dark like a blind person. ¡°Who the hell are you? If you don¡¯t answer I¡¯m calling the police.¡±


    As his words fell, his hand bumped into something warm. It was probably a person¡¯s chest, a contrast of softness and solidity. It felt unexpectedly nice to the touch.


    However, Xia Wennan quickly retracted his hand. His eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, and he got an eyeful of Ming Luchuan¡¯s tall and upright figure.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Xia Wennan feigned a relieved sigh. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier,¡± he said perfunctorily as he tried to sidestep Ming Luchuan to get to his room.


    Yet Ming Luchuan moved sideways, barring his way. ¡°Where have you been?¡± he demanded unceremoniously


    Why don¡¯t you mind your own business, Xia Wennan thought. Ming Luchuan was so scary though, and he didn¡¯t want to argue, so he lightened up his tone and replied, ¡°I went for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Ming Luchuan asked, like he was interrogating a criminal.


    Xia Wennan looked up at him. Although the room was dark, he could still make out the smooth contours of Ming Luchuan¡¯s face. ¡°I just walked around the nearby mall,¡± Xia Wennan explained. After that, he remembered something and reached out to grab Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand, telling to him to open it in front of him¡ªat which point he placed a small stuffed monkey on the other man¡¯s palm.


    The stuffed monkey was the only thing Xia Wennan had managed to grab all night. It was small, even smaller than the palm of one¡¯s hand. It was a crude and ugly-looking thing. ¡°For you.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s tone was still dour, but he raised his hand and scrutinised the object in his hand by the faint light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    The light wasn¡¯t bright enough. He could barely see the stuffed toy.


    Xia Wennan casually bullshitted, ¡°I spent all night trying to grab this¡­ I wanted to give you a present.¡±


    ¡°This is it?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s disdain, Xia Wennan reached out to snatch the monkey back. ¡°Forget it then!¡±


    Yet unexpectedly, Ming Luchuan raised his hand to avoid Xia Wennan¡¯s. He palmed the monkey and said, ¡°How old do you think you are? Stop wasting your time on those childish games.¡± He then stepped aside, allowing Xia Wennan to pass before returning to his room.


    Xia Wennan waited until he was gone before bolting to his room and locking the door. He couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what had just gone down.


    After taking a shower and changing into clean and comfy pyjamas, Xia Wennan went to sit down at his desk. Recalling the Ming Yan perfume commercial he¡¯d seen on the big screen at the side of the road earlier that day, he took out the work ID from the drawer.


    His gaze was fixated on the work ID for a long time. Xia Wennan turned on the laptop on the desk and typed in the words ¡°Ming Yan¡± into the search engine, which returned a lot of relevant results.


    Xia Wennan had never really understood things like perfume and cosmetics, but he¡¯d vaguely heard of the Ming Yan brand before. He¡¯d already heard of it six years ago, even. He wanted to check the company¡¯s address, at first, planning to go there the next day, yet when he scrolled down in search of the address on the company¡¯s webpage, he accidentally came across a photo of the CEO.


    It wasn¡¯t a frontal shot, but it was very sharp, and it seemed like a candid photograph from the news or a magazine. The tall, handsome male Alpha whose head was slightly cocked to the side as he listened to the person next to him speak was unmistakably Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan subconsciously leaned forward, shifting closer to the screen to get a better look at the man. Under the photo, he spotted the man¡¯s full name: Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Yan¡¯s CEO was Ming Luchuan, and he was Ming Yan¡¯s¡ªXia Wennan picked up his work ID to make sure¡ªDepartment Manager of Product R&D. This meant that Ming Luchuan was not only his husband, but also his boss?


    Xia Wennan was taken aback.


    He sat stock still on his chair for a long time, gawking, before jumping to his feet and heading out. Yet he froze halfway there, wondering if it was appropriate to wear pyjamas and slippers to see his boss. He then thought, what would he wear at home if not said pyjamas and slippers? Wasn¡¯t his boss wearing pyjamas as well? He eventually set out again.


    Xia Wennan went to Ming Luchuan¡¯s room and directly opened the door in a flurry of emotions.


    A single reading lamp illuminated the room. Ming Luchuan was reclining against the headboard. Upon seeing Xia Wennan barging into his room, he set the phone in his hands down by the pillow and coldly said, ¡°Still haven¡¯t learnt to knock?¡±


    Xia Wennan retreated, closed the door, then knocked twice.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ming Luchuan called out.


    Xia Wennan opened the door and entered the room, saying, ¡°You left out the please.¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him emotionlessly. ¡°Please take a hike.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to be so fierce?¡± Xia Wennan muttered as he approached the bed. He looked at Ming Luchuan and hesitated for a moment; unsure of how to address him. Calling him Ming Luchuan would make it seem like they were strangers, Luchuan was too intimate, ¡®Boss¡¯ sounded kind of like he was going for flattery, and calling him ¡®husband¡¯¡­ forget about it, why don¡¯t you just kill him right then and there?


    And so Xia Wennan: ¡°Da-ge¡ª¡±


    Before he could say more than these two syllables, Ming Luchuan exclaimed icily ¡°Get out!¡±


    Xia Wennan promptly changed it to: ¡°Luchuan ge!¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s anger appeared to slightly recede.


    Cold sweat dotted Xia Wennan¡¯s forehead. Just now, he¡¯d genuinely sensed Ming Luchuan¡¯s anger, because in that split second, it was as if Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones had gone out of control, suffocating Xia Wennan¡¯s chest.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Ming Luchuan was angry, and now he had no choice but to placate man, quickly changing the subject and asking, ¡°So you¡¯re actually my boss?¡±


    Ming Luchuan stared at him wordlessly.


    Xia Wennan reasoned to himself that he shouldn¡¯t offend the boss at random, at that he should also humble his attitude a little. Therefore, he knelt next to the bed and tilted his head up to face Ming Luchuan.  ¡°Are you the CEO of Ming Yan? My work ID says that I¡¯m the manager of Ming Yan¡¯s product R&D department.¡±


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°So? What are you here to say?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Xu Feng tell you yesterday?¡±


    Xia Wennan went blank. ¡°What did Xu Feng tell me?¡±


    ¡°Ming Yan.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s brows furrowed as he tried to remember, and finally recalled Xu Feng mentioning that Ming Luchuan¡¯s car was the company¡¯s car, and the company belonged to Ming Luchuan¡¯s family.


    Oh, right. The company was Ming Yan.

 CH 14

    Xia Wennan squatted next to the bed, head tilted upwards as if dazed.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s impatience was written all over his face. ¡°What exactly are you here for?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh. I just came to greet my boss,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to. You¡¯re free to leave.¡±


    ¡°Then, when should I go back to work?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    ¡°Whenever you want,¡± Ming Luchuan replied.


    This response caused Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts to wander. He inquired, ¡°What if I never want to go to work?¡±


    Ming Luchuan did not appear to have anticipated this question. He fell silent for two seconds before responding, ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°Would it be paid leave?¡±


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a salary.¡±


    Xia Wennan was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯re that nice?¡± At that moment, Xia Wennan¡¯s hasty decision to divorce Ming Luchuan was slightly swayed. But after giving it some more thought, he realised that there was something off with what Ming Luchuan had just said. It didn¡¯t sound like Ming Luchuan would be paying him like a boss paid their employees, but like he¡¯d meant for Xia Wennan to be a househusband.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Xia Wennan declined in a heartbeat after discarding that thought. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a Beta, I don¡¯t need anyone to provide for me. I can support myself.¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his head slightly to look at him. His lips were stretched into a thin line. ¡°Then hurry up and leave,¡± he said in a deep voice.


    Xia Wennan was confused. ¡°Why are you so hellbent on making me leave?¡±


    Right then, the phone on the headboard suddenly rang. Xia Wennan reflexively turned to look and caught a glimpse of the name on the screen: Ming Qin.


    Ming Luchuan grabbed his phone and answered the call. His tone was neither distant nor particularly warm. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t know what the person on the other end was saying, but after Ming Luchuan picked up his phone, he noticed a monkey¡¯s head poking out from under a pillow.


    It was the stuffed monkey Xia Wennan had just given to Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Mm, he¡¯s been discharged,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    Xia Wennan reached for the monkey and grabbed its head, pulling it from under the pillow.


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°He¡¯s doing fine, but there¡¯s an issue with his brain.¡±


    After obtaining the monkey in the claw machine and closely inspecting it under bright lights for the first time, Xia Wennan discovered that not only was the craftsmanship poor, it was even a little ugly. It¡¯s eyes were lopsided, one higher than the other.


    ¡°When? Tomorrow night?¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    Xia Wennan smelled something


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    Xia Wennan brought the monkey to the tip of his nose and cautiously sniffed at the scent it gave off. This time he was certain¡ªthere were traces of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones on the monkey, the scent faint yet recognisable.


    Ming Luchuan eventually said, ¡°All right, we¡¯ll come over after work.¡± When looked up after hanging up, Xia Wennan was looking at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to the monkey in Xia Wennan¡¯s hands.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts were a little chaotic. He raised the monkey and shook it. ¡°I never expected your tastes to be so unique.¡±


    Ming Luchuan slightly raised his jaw. ¡°What are you on about?¡± he asked coldly.


    Xia Wennan stuffed the monkey into his hands. ¡°Nevermind. I gave it to you so it¡¯s yours.¡± With that, he turned tail and fled.


    Yet when he reached the doorway, Xia Wennan paused, gripping the door as he gave Ming Luchuan an unsure look. ¡°So you¡¯re fine with monkeys?¡± He suddenly remembered that night at the hospital when he¡¯d told Ming Luchuan that it was impossible for him to come to like an Alpha, just how it was impossible for him to fall in love with a chicken. But if monkeys were fine, then why not chickens? And if chickens were fine, then who¡¯s to say that Alphas couldn¡¯t be as well?


    Xia Wennan¡¯s body broke out in cold sweat as a result of his sudden mental association. He didn¡¯t wait for Ming Luchuan¡¯s response and swiftly bid him goodnight before closing the door.


    When he was finally in bed, Xia Wennan carefully considered his thoughts and realised that he might have been mistaken. The monkey had been squashed beneath Ming Luchuan¡¯s phone, and it had possibly gotten stained by the phone¡¯s scent. This incident didn¡¯t necessarily have anything to do with the monkey, let alone with the alpha and the chicken.


    As he came to this conclusion, his previously overactive imagination gradually calmed down, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.


    He slept until the next morning and woke up feeling groggy, as if he¡¯d slept for too long. He put on his slippers and walked over to the window to open the curtains, allowing bright sunlight to flood in from the floor-to-ceiling window and instantly lighting up the entire room.


    He stepped out of his bedroom into a bright and airy house. The morning summer sun shone brightly, but he didn¡¯t have to deal with its scorching heat. Xia Wennan stretched comfortably.


    Even though he didn¡¯t like Ming Luchuan very much, he really liked this house. When he¡¯d checked the property information, he discovered that the apartment wasn¡¯t under his name, which meant that it belonged to Ming Luchuan. He wondered if he¡¯d ever earn enough money to buy it off Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands one day.


    If he wanted to buy a house, then he couldn¡¯t just quit the rat race and go back to his hometown. Xia Wennan made his way to the kitchen while contemplating this issue; he should return to the company as soon as possible and figure out if he was still capable of doing his job.


    He was the manager of Ming Yan¡¯s R&D department; Xia Wennan still had no idea how significantly his marriage to Ming Luchuan influenced his position in the company. He couldn¡¯t help but raise a hand to smack his head. He¡¯d intended to clear this up when he went to Ming Luchuan¡¯s room the night before, but he¡¯d been interrupted by Ming Luchuan and had ended up forgetting.


    It seemed that his head wasn¡¯t in the best of shape. He didn¡¯t know when he should return to the hospital for another checkup.


    When Xia Wennan approached the fridge and reached out to open it, he noticed a sticky note stuck on the fridge door. It read: Breakfast is in the steamer.


    He blinked, then stepped into the kitchen and saw an electric steamer. When he lifted the lid, there were indeed steamed buns and eggs inside, all still warm. He walked back to the fridge and tore off the sticky note, but as he folded it to throw it away, he changed his mind and stuffed it into his pocket.


    Today¡¯s breakfast was steamed buns, eggs, and milk. Xia Wennan sat alone in the well-lit dining room and had breakfast as he took in the view from the windows.


    He fished out his phone, intending to send Ming Luchuan a message asking if he¡¯d been the one who made breakfast, but after typing a few words, Xia Wennan deleted the entire message and put his phone away. If he went over to Ming Yan after breakfast, he could just ask Ming Luchuan then.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t his main purpose for visiting Ming Yan. Right now, he was more interested in finding out if he could still do his previous job¡ªif he would be able to live better on his own after breaking things off with Ming Luchuan.


    Finishing the last of his milk, Xia Wennan leaned against the back of the chair and turned his face heavensward, sighing. This was so annoying. He missed his university days, when he simply had to stick to his class schedule, when he had friends to play games and soccer with everyday, and when he had a home to return to on weekends, with a grandfather who waited for him with homecooked meals and walked with him after dinner to play chess.


    Clearly, the future was still a long way off. Did he not work his ass off in his last year of high school just so he could enjoy the best and most beautiful years of campus life? But there was nothing left for him the moment he awoke; he¡¯d lost his loved ones, he¡¯d grown up, and he had to bear the pressures of a job and even marriage and a household. And it was nothing like the kind of future he¡¯d envisioned for himself.


    Xia Wennan buried his face in his hands and heaved a sigh, then lowered his hands and stood up as if his body were light as air. He straightened his back and cleaned the dining table.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¨C it went right over my head the first time i read this chapter but that whole pheromone-on-monkey business was just xia wennan¡¯s neanderthal male brain thinking that ming luchuan rubbed one off on the poor thing.

 CH 15

    Xia Wennan tidied up the kitchen and left for Ming Yan.


    He was still reluctant to take a taxi, so after checking Ming Yan¡¯s address on his phone, he set off towards the nearest subway station on foot.


    Even after the morning rush hour had passed, there were still a large number of passengers on the subway. Xia Wennan found a spot at a corner and stood there until he reached his destination.


    The subway station¡¯s exit was at the end of a very long flight of stairs. Xia Wennan was slightly panting from exhaustion when he finally reached the top. He stumbled out of the cool station and into the blistering sunlight.


    This was the city¡¯s central business district. High-rise buildings in all shapes and sizes towered over the area as far as the eye could see, their walls outfitted with facades of gleaming glass that reflected the sunlight. The streets were bathed in direct sunlight, and it was so bright they were practically white.


    The Ming Yan Fragrance Technology building where Xia Wennan worked was located in a very conspicuous spot. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t so much the location as it was the shape of the structure that stood out. In addition to the Ming Yan logo, the upper storeys were designed to mimic a perfume bottle cap. The rest of the structure was cube-shaped, and the signboard with the brand logo was right in the centre. It was as if the entire building was a perfume bottle made of glass.


    Even though the Ming Yan building didn¡¯t seem far from the subway station, it took Xia Wennan over ten minutes to get there on foot.


    As he reached the building¡¯s front walkway, Xia Wennan was covered in sweat and cut a sorry figure. It was only then that he realised how inappropriate dressing up in a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers seemed. From afar, he registered the gaze of the security guard stationed at the entrance.


    According to his experience, in situations like these, one must walk inside boldly and confidently in order to not get stopped by the security guard. Xia Wennan straightened his back, tipped his head higher, and avoided making eye contact with the security guard as he strode towards the entrance.


    The security guard didn¡¯t stop him.


    Cool air rushed at him the instant he stepped into the lobby, and Xia Wennan exhaled a lungful of hot air. He froze in place, faltering for a split second before making his way to the front desk.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xia Wennan greeted the female receptionist after a beat of hesitation.


    The receptionist raised her head at the sound and immediately leapt to her feet as soon as she noticed Xia Wennan¡¯s presence. ¡°Manager Xia?¡±


    It was Xia Wennan¡¯s first time being treated this way, but he quickly decided that it felt pretty decent and gave a nod, acting unconcerned as he asked, ¡°Is Ming Luchuan here?¡±


    Despite her surprise, the receptionist politely responded, ¡°One moment please, sir.¡± She inquired about Ming Luchuan through the internal phone line, then answered Xia Wennan immediately after, ¡°President Ming is currently in a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hands behind his back, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°What floor is his office on?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­the twentieth.¡± The receptionist gave Xia Wennan a curious yet restrained gaze, her lips twitching until she snapped her mouth shut.


    ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± Xia Wennan said. When he turned to leave, he suddenly halted and looked back, asking, ¡°Could you point me to the elevator?¡±


    The receptionist gave him directions.


    Xia Wennan walked over to the elevator.


    The two receptionists at the front desk mutely stared after Xia Wennan¡¯s retreating back, their faces full of confusion.


    When Xia Wennan entered the elevator, he gently tapped the button for the 20th floor, but it didn¡¯t light up. So he pressed on it again, this time more firmly, but it still didn¡¯t light up. He couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with it, so he tried pressing the 19th floor instead, but there was still no response.


    Right then, the closed elevator doors suddenly opened. A young man stood outside, and when he saw that Xia Wennan was inside he seemed to be taken aback. He froze in place before entering the elevator, greeting Xia Wennan as he did so, ¡°Manager Xia.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Xia Wennan said. He watched as the young man swiped his name tag across the scanner underneath the floor buttons, causing the 9th floor button to light up as he pressed on it. Only then did Xia Wennan realise that you needed to swipe your ID first. He quickly hit the button for the 20th floor, but when that didn¡¯t work, he asked the young man, ¡°Could you swipe your ID for me?¡±


    The young man was embarrassed. ¡°My ID doesn¡¯t have clearance for the 20th floor.¡± He quickly added, ¡°But yours should.¡±


    Xia Wennan suddenly realised that he had his work ID with him; he¡¯d deliberately brought it with him when he¡¯d left the apartment. He promptly fished it out of his pants pocket and swiped it, and this time he was able to successfully press the button for the 20th floor.


    The young man got off on the 9th floor. Xia Wennan took the elevator to the 20th floor alone and stepped out when the doors slowly opened.


    When Xia Wennan exited the elevator lobby into a corridor. The corridor was carpeted, and one¡¯s footfalls were barely audible. At this time, the corridor was deserted, and the entire floor was very quiet. Xia Wennan passed several rooms with closed doors and no door plaques.


    When he turned a corner, he suddenly heard someone¡¯s voice inside one of the rooms. The door wasn¡¯t completely shut; there was a small gap between the door and the doorjamb. He walked over and moved his face closer to the door to peer inside.


    Before he had the chance to see anything, someone inside abruptly opened the door. Xia Wennan did his best to move out of the way, but he couldn¡¯t stop the young female omega who was right about to step out from colliding with his chest. She was holding a cup in her hands, and the coffee inside sloshed around before it spilled all over his front.


    Fortunately, the coffee was no longer hot.


    The delicate and pretty female omega held back a gasp, nothing but a small ¡®Ah¡¯ escaping her lips, yet it still managed to attract the attention of the people inside. Everyone in the room looked their way.


    It was then that Xia Wennan realised that this room was a meeting room. There were ten people inside, and Ming Luchuan was sitting at the head of the table.


    Ming Luchuan stared at Xia Wennan wordlessly, while the others in the room spoke up and greeted him one after another: ¡°Manager Xia.¡±


    Xia Wennan was slightly embarrassed. He smiled and nodded at the people in the meeting room then addressed Ming Luchuan, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    The lines of Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyes and brows were frosty. He didn¡¯t acknowledge Xia Wennan¡¯s presence and merely turned to murmur something to Xu Feng, who was seated next to him.


    Xu Feng stood up, exited the meeting room, and gently closed the door. ¡°Mr. Ming told me to take you to his office,¡± he said.


    Xia Wennan lowered his head to look at his coffee-stained T-shirt and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The Omega followed them, nervously gripping her cup as she apologised to Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, my clothes aren¡¯t expensive.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s office was located at the end of the corridor. Through the first door was the assistant¡¯s office, and Ming Luchuan¡¯s office was through another door. There was another door inside that led to a private lounge.


    Xu Feng took him inside and directly opened the door to the lounge. ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom inside, you can take a shower,¡± he told Xia Wennan.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t have a change of clothes,¡± Xia Wennan said as he tugged on his shirt, which was sticking to his chest.


    Xu Feng¡¯s speech was well-mannered and professional. ¡°You can wear Mr. Ming¡¯s clothes.¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°His clothes won¡¯t fit me.¡±


    ¡°I could go buy some for you, sir,¡± said Xu Feng.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Xia Wennan was a little embarrassed.


    But Xu Feng was already facing the door. ¡°You can shower first, sir. I¡¯ll buy you something to wear. Would a similar T-shirt be all right?¡±


    Xia Wennan tugged at his collar again. The coffee stains were an unpleasant sight, so he agreed, ¡°Okay then, but make sure it¡¯s not too expensive. I¡¯m poor.¡±


    Xu Feng came to a halt. ¡°How much is too expensive?¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Just stick to stuff under 100 yuan. I won¡¯t reimburse anything over that.¡±

 CH 16

    When Xu Feng left, Xia Wennan peered into the lounge and took a look around the room.


    The lounge was larger than he had anticipated, with a soft double bed in the centre, floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, and a wardrobe against the opposite wall. There was another door next to the wardrobe that was made of frosted glass, with only a hazy outline of the interior visible.


    Xia Wennan walked over to open the glass door and peered inside. It was, in fact, a bathroom with a shower.


    He lowered his head and pulled his sticky T-shirt away from his chest. Coffee stains on a white T-shirt really stood out, and it seemed like it¡¯d take a while for it to dry. After a bout of hesitation, Xia Wennan locked the lounge door from inside and stripped for a shower.


    The bathroom¡¯s frosted glass door had no locks. Xia Wennan closed it, turned on the hot water, and the rush of the jetstream flooded his ears. The semi-closed space was quickly filled with rising steam that engulfed him completely.


    Since he wasn¡¯t familiar with the environment, Xia Wennan rinsed swiftly and perfunctorily. He couldn¡¯t find any towel around, so he grabbed the T-shirt he¡¯d taken off and carelessly used it to towel his body dry before tugging his pants on.


    He pushed the glass door open, clutching his soaked T-shirt, but with only one foot out the door, he spotted Ming Luchuan sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him, and immediately stopped dead in his tracks.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± Xia Wennan asked, still shell-shocked.


    ¡°This is my room,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    ¡°But I locked the door.¡±


    ¡°¡­You think I wouldn¡¯t be able to access my own room?¡±


    Xia Wennan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Ming Luchuan remained sitting. He was dressed in an immaculate suit, and with his long legs parted, elbows on his knees, and fingers steepled, his face was devoid of any expression as he looked at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan got goosebumps from his gaze, and he slowly raised the wet T-shirt he was holding to cover his chest.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s icy voice called out, ¡°What¡¯s there to cover up.¡±


    ¡°You have such unique tastes, how would I know if you¡¯re getting any weird ideas?¡± Xia Wennan muttered as he bypassed the bed and made his way to the door of the lounge. He opened the door and peeked out, but Xu Feng had not returned.


    ¡°Where are you going looking like that?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice rang out from behind him.


    Xia Wennan looked at him over his shoulder. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Xu Feng back yet?¡±


    ¡°What do you need him for?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone to buy clothes for me.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be back so soon.¡±


    Xia Wennan was unconvinced. ¡°Why? Are there no clothing stores around here?¡± He tried to recall the path he took from the subway station to the company, and apparently there really were no stores or shopping malls.


    Ming Luchuan rose, leaving the bedside and walking up to Xia Wennan. ¡°I told him to get you a more appropriate set of clothes.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s first reaction was to retort, ¡°How are my clothes inappropriate?¡± After which he immediately followed up with, ¡°Why would he need to do that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having dinner at my family¡¯s house tonight,¡± explained Ming Luchuan.


    Stupefied, the hand on Xia Wennan¡¯s chest relaxed by accident. ¡°Why should I go have dinner with your family?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re married. My family is your family.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought about it, then asked, ¡°Then does your family know that I have amnesia?¡±


    ¡°Ming Siyan came to visit you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s first thought was that the name sounded familiar, and then he remembered that Ming Luchuan¡¯s omega brother Ming Siyan had visited him while he was still in the hospital.


    He was still a little uneasy. ¡°Can I not go?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was staring at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your family,¡± Xia Wennan said. He¡¯d fantasised about it before¡ªfinding a partner and meeting his lover¡¯s parents for the first time. It would undoubtedly be nerve-racking and awkward. And yet, unexpectedly, he¡¯d skip right over that step. Once he faced Ming Luchuan¡¯s parents, what would he call them? Would he also have to call them mom and dad?


    As he thought about this, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Could you tell me about your family?¡±


    Ming Luchuan gave him no answer, instead abruptly extending a hand to pull away the T-shirt that covered Xia Wennan¡¯s chest.


    Horrified, Xia Wennan immediately moved behind the door, leaning against it as he demanded, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Ming Luchuan tossed the T-shirt in his hand aside and clapped his hands as if he¡¯d just thrown out something dirty. ¡°It¡¯s wet.¡±


    It was wet, but the air conditioning was on full blast and Xia Wennan¡¯s chest was now freezing. He wasn¡¯t willing to talk to Ming Luchuan while shirtless, however, so he said, ¡°Lend me something to wear first then.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s frosty gaze fell on his chest. ¡°Why? There¡¯s no part of you I haven¡¯t seen yet, is there?¡±


    For a split second, Xia Wennan felt like he¡¯d been scalded by boiling water. His entire body trembled as his eyes went round, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s indifferent demeanor did not waver, but it seemed that his collar was a little tight, and he slightly loosened his neat tie as he said, ¡°I said that I¡¯ve already seen everything there is to see. I even know that you have a few moles on your ass.¡±


    ¡°A few?¡± Xia Wennan refused to believe him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a red mole on the left.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. There are no moles on my ass.¡±


    The corners of Ming Luchuan¡¯s mouth twitched in a not-quite smile.


    Xia Wennan reached out to grab him, but just as his fingertips touched Ming Luchuan¡¯s shirt, the office door was suddenly opened from outside and a lively, clear voice called out, ¡°Wennan, you¡¯re here?¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to look and saw Ming Luchuan¡¯s omega brother, Ming Siyan, walk through the door.


    Before he had time to answer Ming Luchuan¡¯s question, Ming Luchuan grabbed his outstretched hand and dragged him into the lounge.


    Ming Siyan¡¯s faintly alarmed voice sounded from outside, ¡°Am I interrupting you guys?¡±


    ¡°NO! YOU¡¯RE NOT!¡± Xia Wennan yelled to prevent him from misunderstanding.


    By then, Ming Luchuan had dragged him all the way to the wardrobe. He took out a clean white shirt and chucked it at Xia Wennan¡¯s body, saying ¡°Put this on.¡±


    Xia Wennan eyelids flew up as he shot Ming Luchuan a glance, taking the white shirt and putting it on.


    Ming Luchuan released him and walked out. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked Ming Siyan outside the lounge.


    Xia Wennan heard Ming Siyan say, ¡°I heard that Wennan was here, so I came by to check up on him.¡±


    The long-sleeved white button-up looked mismatched with his shorts. Xia Wennan left the buttons undone and left the room, but at Ming Luchuan¡¯s stormy glare, he returned and silently buttoned up his shirt.


    Ming Siyan gave Xia Wennan a warm smile. ¡°Wennan, are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Siyan nodded and asked, ¡°So have you regained your memories?¡±


    This time, Xia Wennan shook his head, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Ming Siyan¡¯s face took on a look of concern. ¡°It¡¯s all right, take your time and don¡¯t rush it.¡±


    Not knowing how to respond to that, Xia Wennan could only smile at him.


    ¡°Dad originally wanted to come to the hospital,¡± Ming Siyan said. ¡°We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be out so quickly.¡±


    ¡°The doctor said that staying at the hospital won¡¯t really be of any help to my recovery. Might as well get out,¡± Xia Wennan said.


    ¡°So what are you going to do next?¡±


    Xia Wennan glanced at Ming Luchuan. ¡°Just, slowly recover.


    Ming Siyan sighed softly before he smiled once more. ¡°Dad said that you guys are coming back for dinner tonight, why don¡¯t we all head over together after work?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± This time, Ming Luchuan answered before Xia Wennan could. ¡°We¡¯ll g on our own.¡±

 CH 17

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Ming Siyan seemed a little disappointed when he heard Ming Luchuan say that they were going back on their own, but a smile quickly returned to his lips. ¡°Well then, see you tonight.¡±


    Ming Siyan then waved goodbye to Xia Wennan and exited Ming Luchuan¡¯s office. The slim-fitting suit he wore emphasised his slender figure. Beneath his short, jet-black hair, a showy butterfly tattoo was inked mid-flutter on his fair nape.


    Xia Wennan waited until Ming Siyan had left the office and the door had been securely shut before whispering to Ming Luchuan, ¡°Your little brother has a tattoo over his glands¡­ Isn¡¯t that painful?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan gave him an odd look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an alpha?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a tattoo.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought, fine then, but then his thoughts leapt back to the topic of their conversation before Ming Siyan had come in, and he suddenly stiffened. He grabbed Ming Luchuan¡¯s lapels and enunciated each word slowly: ¡°There. Are. No. Moles. On. My. Ass.¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced down at him silently at first, but after a moment, his lips curled as he grasped Xia Wennan¡¯s hands and flung them away. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s previously smooth lapels were now full of wrinkles. He walked over to his desk as if he didn¡¯t care at all and sat down on the wide office chair, turning 180 degrees and crossing his long legs. ¡°Feel free to believe whatever makes you happy.¡±


    Xia Wennan pursed his lips, certain that Ming Luchuan was messing with him. He forced himself not to dwell too hard on whether there really was a red mole on his ass and how exactly Ming Luchuan came to know about it.


    Ming Luchuan appeared to have no intention of paying him any more attention, flipping open a file on his desk and lowering his head to read it.


    Xia Wennan decided to change the subject. He approached the desk and inquired, ¡°Do I really have to go to your family dinner tonight?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t raise his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t go?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s attention was drawn to a row of exquisite perfume bottles atop the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you back.¡± Ming Luchuan flipped through the documents in his hand.


    Xia Wennan plucked a small perfume bottle, brought it to his nose to take a sniff, and immediately froze. He then lowered his head to look at the name of the perfume written on the bottle: Tears of the Enemy. He smelled the perfume once more, like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he was smelling, and this time, he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in shock and say, ¡°Is this pheromone extract?¡±


    Ming Luchuan stopped thumbing through the documents. He raised his eyes at Xia Wennan, and after a moment said, ¡°It¡¯s a pheromone perfume.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s expression grew even more doubtful.


    At university, he majored in biochemistry, which had an area of study that focused on the pheromones in the human body. While it was possible to extract pheromones along with the scent they carried, it was impossible to turn pheromones into perfumes. This was due to the fact that perfumes were mass-produced goods and no two people¡¯s pheromone scents were identical. Pheromones couldn¡¯t be extracted in large quantities either.


    People had long been exploring pheromone perfume due to market demand, but none of their studies had yielded the outcome they¡¯d hoped for. One of the biggest problems was that individuals who could smell pheromones were also affected by them, whilst betas, who weren¡¯t affected, weren¡¯t able to smell them.


    One major difference between the perfume industry and other industries¡¯ research was that the former relied on the perfumer¡¯s subjective senses. Every year, the market was flooded with a plethora of perfumes in a variety of aromas and notes, but their time on the shelves was short-lived, eventually leaving just a few brands that could withstand the test of the market.


    The development of this pheromone perfume became even more difficult, requiring a refined perfumer who could smell all kinds of pheromones, was well versed in biological data and its relevant chemical knowledge, understood extraction techniques, and was simultaneously¡ªand most importantly¡ªnot affected by pheromones, because otherwise, pheromone rejection could happen to those of the same sex, just like how an omega found other omegas¡¯ pheromones unpleasant. This would severely limit the subjectivity needed in perfume development.


    And so for many years, numerous established perfume companies have made attempts in the field of pheromone perfume, only for their endeavours to end in failure.


    The Tears of the Enemy in Xia Wennan¡¯s hands, on the other hand, was different. He was able to identify the scent of alpha pheromones. The top note had a cold, woody scent that was somewhat familiar; it was 70-80% similar to Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones, but the scent dissolved into a middle note that was laced with a hint of warm spice, harmonising with the cold top note in a contradictory balance. It perfectly reflected the name of the perfume: Tears of the Enemy.


    Xia Wennan put the perfume down and picked up the rest of the perfumes on the table to smell them one by one. They were all pheromone perfumes, seven kinds in total; four were omega pheromone-scented, and three were alpha pheromone-scented, and among them was the scent of the omega pheromone perfume that Xia Wennan had smelled more than once, on the girl in the fast food restaurant and the male beta he¡¯d encountered by chance in the streets.


    At the time, he¡¯d found it strange. Why did a beta smell of omega pheromones? He knew now that they were using Ming Yan¡¯s perfumes.


    After Xia Wennan finished smelling every perfume, Ming Luchuan, who¡¯d been watching him the entire time, finally spoke up, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to look at him.


    ¡°This is Ming Yan¡¯s emotions line,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°They¡¯re currently the most popular perfumes on the market.¡±


    Xia Wennan listened attentively.


    Ming Luchuan looked at him. ¡°So you really don¡¯t remember anything? You¡¯re the one who developed this line.¡± He then picked up the bottle of Tears of the Enemy, sprayed some on his wrist, and brought it to his nose, taking a light sniff.


    Xia Wennan was still completely dazed.


    Ming Luchuan stared at him for a long time before placing the perfume on the table with a solemn expression. ¡°You don¡¯t remember? Then forget it.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± It was as if Ming Luchuan¡¯s words had jolted him back to reality. ¡°What do you mean ¡®forget it¡¯? I developed the hottest perfumes on the market¡ªwhy would you say ¡®forget it¡¯?¡± He straightened up, looking down at Ming Lucuan and snarling, ¡°Did you Ming Yan people pay me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression grew increasingly stormy. ¡°Is there nothing but money in that head of yours? Is marrying me not enough for you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re jack shit compared to money,¡± blurted Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan picked up the files on his desk and slammed it back down, snapping, ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡±


    Xia Wennan could feel that the man¡¯s angry outburst was genuine. He inwardly panicked, but his mouth didn¡¯t back down, ¡°You want me to leave, but have you paid me yet?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glowered at him.


    Xia Wennan was struck by another bout of panic. As he was trying to find the words to ease up the atmosphere, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.


    ¡°President Ming.¡± Xu Feng¡¯s voice resounded from the other side of the door.


    Xia Wennan promptly shouted, ¡°Come in!¡± He then glanced at Ming Luchuan and realised that the man was still glaring at him.


    Xu Feng opened the door, carrying several bags. Mere moments after entering the room, he came to a halt upon noticing Ming Luchuan¡¯s complexion.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t spare a glance at Xu Feng, sombre gaze fixed on Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan pretended not to notice and turned to approach Xu Feng, saying, ¡°Are you back with my clothes?¡±


    ¡°I bought them according to President Ming¡¯s instructions,¡± Xu Feng said.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t bother with asking if the clothes were within his 100 yuan price range. When he opened the paper bag, he discovered that Xu Feng had bought him a complete set of shirts, pants, and even a pair of new shoes.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± Xia Wennan took the clothes and walked towards the door, intending to hide for a while and wait for Ming Luchuan¡¯s anger to subside.


    Yet just as he reached the door, Ming Luchuan called out, ¡°Stop!¡±

 CH 18

    Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks and looked at Ming Luchuan over his shoulder.


    Ming Luchuan pointed towards the lounge. ¡°Change inside.¡±


    Xu Feng stood at the side expressionlessly, looking as diligently serious as ever.


    Xia Wennan then took the clothes and entered the lounge.


    The clothes Xu Feng had brought him were casual, but the colour and texture were considerably more dignified. The top was a light ash-grey T-shirt, and it was paired with cotton pants and soft leather shoes.


    Xu Feng had already left the office when Xia Wennan returned after changing, leaving Ming Luchuan alone. He approached Ming Luchuan¡¯s desk slowly and asked, ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    Ming Luchuan ignored him.


    Xia Wennan braced his hands on the tabletop and lowered his head to look at the other man. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to say anything then I might as well leave.¡±


    Ming Luchuan raised his head at that. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Home. Or out for a walk.¡± As he said this, Xia Wennan had an idea. ¡°Can I take a look around my workplace?¡±


    Ming Luchuan fell silent for a moment, then pressed a button on his desk and called Xu Feng in.


    ¡°Take him around the company. He can go wherever he wants,¡± he said to Xu Feng.


    ¡°All right,¡± Xu Feng responded.


    To Xia Wennan, going anywhere was preferable to being cooped up in a room with Ming Luchuan, so he immediately walked up to Xu Feng and patted his shoulder, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xu Feng took Xia Wennan on a tour of the Ming Yan building.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t really have any specific place in mind; all he wanted to see was his old office, so Xu Feng brought him to the R&D department.


    ¡°The R&D department has two supporting labs, one of which you directly oversee, sir,¡± Xu Feng explained.


    The labs were outfitted with glass walls, which made it possible to see the interior and its goings-on from the corridor. Xia Wennan saw a great deal of R&D personnel clad in white lab coats inside, engrossed in their work, until one of them looked up and met Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes, a look of surprise gracing his face.


    Raising a hand and waving at the man, it suddenly occurred to Xia Wennan that, were he to enter now, he¡¯d have no choice but to tell them about his memory loss. He didn¡¯t know a soul inside, and this place was all but familiar to him; the thought that he¡¯d immediately arouse everyone¡¯s concern made him uncomfortable, so he told Xu Feng, ¡°We¡¯ll leave them be, let¡¯s go take a look at my office.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s office was located on the same floor. It wasn¡¯t a large office, but it was also equipped with a separate lounge. His desk was neat and tidy, with a computer, a notebook, and an array of small perfume bottles that also adorned Ming Luchuan¡¯s desk. There was also a photo of him and his grandpa.


    The photo was framed, sitting squarely on his desk. Xia Wennan took a seat and reached for the photo to examine it carefully, and realised that he had no recollection of when the photo had been taken. He looked to be in his twenties, and the photo was likely a memento of his grandpa, taken some time in the years he¡¯d forgotten.


    Xu Feng quietly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I wait for you outside, Sir?¡±


    Xia Wennan put the photo down. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    He went through his cabinets and drawers but found nothing save for work-related items, no personal belongings in sight. The same went for the lounge and its few sets of clothes. He then called Xu Feng over and left the office with him.


    At noon, Ming Luchuan took Xia Wennan to the company¡¯s cafeteria for lunch.


    When they got there, they were greeted by a bustling cafeteria, employees lining up to order dishes with meal trays in their hands. Xia Wennan followed Ming Luchuan as he¡ªnaturally¡ªskipped the queue, taking their seats at a special area where the cafeteria staff came to take their orders.


    The employees they encountered on their way would all take the initiative to greet them. It seemed that few knew of Xia Wennan¡¯s car accident, and only a handful of people asked if Xia Wennan was no longer on leave.


    In lieu of explaining, Xia Wennan merely nodded.


    As they ate, Xia Wennan caught several people stealing glances their way and whispering something between themselves. He thus shifted closer to Ming Luchuan and asked, ¡°Why are people pointing at us?¡±


    Ming Luchuan raised his eyes. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The table in front of us,¡± Xia Wennan said.


    ¡°They¡¯re your laboratory staff.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xia Wennan recalled seeing them in the lab earlier. ¡°Did I upset them or something?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him.


    At this time, Xia Wennan was slowly spooning rice into his vegetable soup and slowly mixing them together¡ªwhich was something of a habit of his. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d be like as a manager,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be a mean boss, but sometimes a high-up position can get to people¡¯s heads and they¡¯d put on a stinky face every now and then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not like that,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°You get along with them.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. ¡°I knew it. I wasn¡¯t talking about me specifically though¡ªI mainly meant you. Look how nasty your face is.¡±


    Ming Luchuan slammed his chopsticks down and snapped, ¡°XIA WENNAN!¡±


    A company executive who was approaching Ming Luchuan¡¯s table in hopes of greeting him jumped in fright. He immediately changed directions and sat at the table behind them.


    ¡°What are you so scary for.¡± Xia Wennan lowered his voice. ¡°As you can see, you¡¯ve scared everyone away. Except for me, who would be able to stand you?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t stand me, feel free to get lost.¡±


    Xia Wennan realised that he was becoming less and less afraid of Ming Luchuan as these sharp words that were repeated over and over again every day lost their ability to intimidate him. He had first imagined Ming Luchuan to be a wolf locked up in a yard, snarling menacingly at humans every single day, and yet when he got close enough to have a good look at him one day¡ªhe discovered that he was really just a husky.


    He swallowed his food and decided that the cafeteria¡¯s dishes were genuinely rather decent. ¡°I developed such an amazing perfume for you guys and now you want me to leave? Has the company even paid my fair share?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s timbre deepened. ¡°You¡¯ve already been fucking paid. Go check the company dividends in your bank account.¡±


    Xia Wennan remembered the three million in his bank account and a slightly silly smile adorned his lips. ¡°So that¡¯s what that is.¡± He then softened his voice and told Ming Luchuan, ¡°Don¡¯t swear, it¡¯s not nice to hear.¡±


    Ming Luchuan brushed him off.


    After lunch, the sun had gone from hot to searing, the roads were an expanse of white, burnt by sunlight, and the streets were virtually deserted save for cars.


    All the desire to go out left Xia Wennan¡¯s body, and he stayed at Ming Luchuan¡¯s office to take a nap.


    Ming Luchuan directed him to sleep in the lounge, but Xia Wennan refused and directly laid down on the large leather sofa in Ming Luchuan¡¯s office.


    The air-conditioning was just right and Xia Wennan was full from lunch; as he sunk into the soft sofa and gazed blankly at the ceiling, it only took him a dozen minutes to fall asleep.


    He sensed something being thrown over him while half-conscious, but his mind was far from awake, so he rolled over and buried his face in the sofa, inhaling the scent of leather as he dozed off again.


    Towards the end of his nap, his body was mired in a hazy, half-asleep, half-awake state, and he could feel someone sitting next to him. Even with his eyes shut tight, he was certain that the person was Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan held his leg and suddenly said, ¡°Let me take a look at those moles on your ass.¡±


    He struggled to break free but found that he couldn¡¯t move at all, so he used up all the strength in his body to shout out¡ªand then abruptly sat up.


    The blanket covering his body slipped down as his eyes flew open. He discovered that he was the only one on the sofa, and Ming Luchuan himself remained where he was at his desk. He hadn¡¯t come over at all.


    Ming Luchuan looked at him and said icily, ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    Xia Wennan flopped back down and buried his face in his hands, his mind filled with nothing but Schrodinger¡¯s mole.

 CH 19

    Ming Luchuan left work a half-hour early to bring Xia Wennan home for dinner. He dismissed the driver for the day and drove there himself.


    The sun had not yet set, still casting its rays from the far west. They were caught in the beginnings of rush hour traffic, and Xia Wennan sat in the passenger seat, watching as cars lined up at an intersection. Ming Luchuan slowly approached the end of the queue.


    ¡°Could you tell me about your family?¡± Xia Wennan appeared somewhat restless, unable to resist the urge to talk to Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands were on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. ¡°I have a dad and two younger brothers.¡±


    Xia Wennan cautiously inquired, ¡°What about your mom?¡±


    ¡°My dad is an omega,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan understood immediately. ¡°Then do you have another dad? Or a mom? An alpha mom?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s brows faintly furrowed. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    Hearing the dismissal in his tone, Xia Wennan wondered if there was conflict among his family members and decided to drop the matter.


    The traffic light in front of them turned green, and the car set out once more.


    Ming Luchuan suddenly added, ¡°Don¡¯t ask about my alpha father, my dad has nothing to do with him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xia Wennan mumbled. He shut his mouth and quietly gazed out of the car window.


    Ming Luchuan drove towards the south of the city and arrived at the suburbs, where the surroundings changed into a picturesque natural landscape dotted with high-end residences and mansions belonging to the wealthy, one of which was owned by the Ming Family.


    The Ming Family was wealthier than Xia Wennan had imagined. Their mansion didn¡¯t stand alone, but was surrounded by a large swathe of lawn and gardens.


    The automatic gates in front of them opened and slowly closed again after the car drove in.


    Ming Luchuan casually parked his car at the side of the road, opened the door, and got out, waiting for Xia Wennan to catch up before heading towards the three-storey mansion directly in front of them.


    Before they got very far, Xia Wennan heard someone on the second floor yell at them, ¡°Luchuan! Wennan!¡±


    Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks and looked up, spotting a delicate male omega on the second floor balcony, all smiles as he waved to them.


    The omega was basked in the sunset glow, his hair dyed golden. He had downturned eyes and upturned lips, and was leaning over the balcony railings before he turned and padded into the house.


    ¡°Your little brother?¡± whispered Xia Wennan.


    ¡°My dad,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan had just entered the house when Ming Qin, Ming Luchuan¡¯s omega father, came down from the second floor.


    Xia Wennan hadn¡¯t really gotten a good look at Ming Qin¡¯s face from afar, but he could now carefully examine the middle-aged omega before him.


    From his figure alone, there was nothing about Ming Qin that screamed ¡°middle-aged man.¡± Like most omegas, he had a petite build, and despite the fact that he was no longer young, he remained slender. He had a fair and delicate complexion, like fine, expensive porcelain¡ªa trait he shared with his omega son. He had a sharp chin and large eyes, his gaze clear as if he had never been weighed down by the passing years.


    If one was determined to find the traces that time had left on him, they might be found in the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and the irreversible loss of collagen in his cheeks.


    In short, Ming Qin looked extremely young, as if he was only in his thirties¡ªfar from someone who would have a son as old as Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Qin wore a loose, long-sleeved T-shirt and sweatpants. The styling, combined with his small stature, made him seem like a student. He walked up to Xia Wennan and reached out to take his hand, saying, ¡°Siyan told me you lost your memories.¡±


    Feeling a little uneasy, he pushed Ming Qin¡¯s hand away in embarrassment. He couldn¡¯t say much more than, ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything past my second year of uni.¡±


    Ming Qin frowned. ¡°So you don¡¯t remember us at all?¡±


    Xia Wennan hummed. Without batting an eyelid, he withdrew his hand and stuffed it in his pocket.


    ¡°Did you forget Luchuan too?¡± Ming Qin asked.


    Xia Wennan shot a glance at Ming Luchuan. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ming Qin also turned to Ming Luchuan. ¡°What did the doctors say? You didn¡¯t tell me much on the phone the other day.¡±


    ¡°His memory loss was caused by his head injury,¡± Ming Luchuan answered. ¡°The doctors didn¡¯t say that there was no chance of him recovering, just that it would take time.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave the hospital so quickly?¡± said Ming Qin. ¡°I was planning on paying Wennan a visit.¡±


    ¡°Staying in the hospital won¡¯t help his recovery. The doctor said that getting back to his life earlier may evoke some of his memories.¡±


    Ming Qin looked towards Xia Wennan. ¡°Has it helped?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Xia Wennan said.


    Ming Qin was still frowning. ¡°Is the doctor incompetent? Should I contact a specialist from overseas? Or should we just go straight there and have him look at Wennan?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Ming Luchuan said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Just as the words left his mouth, they heard the sound of the door opening, and a man walked inside.


    Xia Wennan turned to see who it was and saw a tall male alpha. The alpha appeared exceptionally young, like he wasn¡¯t even twenty yet. With a head of blond curls, he looked brash yet handsome. He was dressed in a basketball uniform, with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a basketball in his other hand.


    The alpha came in spinning the basketball on his finger, stopping when he registered Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan¡¯s presence. The ball bounced off his leg twice, and he abandoned it to roll into a corner.


    ¡°Xiao Jing, you¡¯re back?¡± Xia Wennan heard Ming Qin say.


    The young alpha let out an acknowledging hum, walked to Ming Qin¡¯s side, and lowered his head to kiss Ming Qin¡¯s face before nodding to Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan. ¡°You¡¯ve returned? Is Wennan all right? Are you recovering well?¡± He fired his questions off without seeming particularly interested in the answers, and before Xia Wennan could respond, he continued, ¡°I just got back from a basketball game. I¡¯ll come down after showering.¡±


    Ming Qin put on a smile. ¡°Did you win?¡±


    The alpha¡¯s lips curved upwards. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, waving as he ran for the stairs.


    Xia Wennan furtively tugged at Ming Luchuan¡¯s shirt. He wanted to ask who that person was, but he didn¡¯t want to do so in front of Ming Qin.


    And yet after the alpha left, Ming Qin was the first to speak up about it. ¡°Wennan doesn¡¯t remember Xiao Jing?¡±


    Xia Wennan hurriedly shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend,¡± said Ming Qin. ¡°His name is Yin Zejing.¡±


    Xia Wennan had assumed that the alpha was Ming Luchuan¡¯s other younger brother until he saw him kiss Ming Qin, which he had found odd. He now suppressed his inner shock and strived to keep his tone level. ¡°He¡¯s so¡­ young.¡±


    Ming Qin laughed and calmly said, ¡°He¡¯s twenty this year. He¡¯s still in university.¡±


    Struggling to keep a straight face, Xia Wennan yanked at Ming Luchuan¡¯s clothes to dispel his chaotic emotions.


    Ming Luchuan gave him a cold stare.


    Right then, Ming Qin suddenly directed his gaze to something behind Wennan and exclaimed, ¡°Chenchen?¡±


    Xia Wennan turned his head and saw¡ªemerging from the living room corridor¡ªMing Siyan in a wheelchair.

 CH 20

    Xia Wennan at first thought that the young man in the wheelchair was really Ming Siyan, but seconds after that, he watched as Ming Qin walked over to the young man and said, ¡°Chenchen, what are you doing out here?¡±


    He took another careful look at the young man and realised that, while his face was a carbon copy of Ming Siyan¡¯s, he was much thinner than the latter, and his complexion was wan and gloomy.


    As Xia Wennan eyed the young man, the young man in the wheelchair curiously eyed him back. Only when Ming Qin reached his side did he angle his head to look up at Ming Qin, an expression of child-like innocence gracing his face.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Xia Wennan whispered to Ming Luchuan.


    That was when Ming Luchuan spoke up. ¡°He¡¯s my other younger brother, Ming Sichen.¡±


    Appearing to have heard his name, Ming Sichen immediately looked their way. After making eye contact with Xia Wennan, he turned away, seemingly a little flustered. He looked at Ming Qin again and said, ¡°Dad.¡± His voice was very soft, and his manner of speaking was nothing like an adult¡¯s.


    ¡°Aunt Zhang,¡± Ming Qin shouted in the direction of the corridor.


    The next second, a middle-aged woman appeared from the corridor, her shoulder length hair coiled into a neat bun. She made her way over to Ming Sichen and took her place behind his wheelchair, bending down to say, ¡°Xiao Chen, why did you run off on your own?¡±


    Ming Sichen didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Take him back to his room, let him rest,¡± said Ming Qin. ¡°We¡¯ll be having dinner in a bit. I¡¯m going to talk to Wennan and the others first.¡±


    Aunt Zhang looked up at Xia Wennan and said, ¡°Wennan¡¯s back?¡±


    Uncertain about who Aunt Zhang was to the Ming Family, Xia Wennan could only nod.


    Aunt Zhang wheeled Ming Sichen towards the corridor. He appeared to be somewhat unwilling, quiet whimpers leaving his mouth. ¡°Be a good boy, Xiao Chen,¡± Aunt Zhang said. ¡°Dad wants to talk to your brother and sister-in-law. Let¡¯s go play in your room, we¡¯ll come out for dinner later.¡±


    Xia Wennan watched as Aunt Zhang pushed the wheelchair away. Ming Qin invited them to sit in the living room. Wanting to personally make tea for them, he trotted off to the upstairs study to fetch his favourite tea leaves.


    Xia Wennan took his chance then; grabbing Ming Luchuan¡¯s sleeve, he asked, ¡°Are your brothers twins?¡±


    Ming Luchuan gave a cold ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Why does this brother seem a bit dumb?¡± After the words left his mouth, Xia Wennan realised how rude he sounded and hurriedly rephrased his question, ¡°I mean¡ªhe doesn¡¯t seem too bright.¡±


    ¡°He got into a car accident in Thailand two years ago,¡± answered Ming Luchuan. ¡°There was damage to his brain and spinal cord, which paralysed his lower body. His intelligence was affected too.¡±


    Ming Luchuan spoke in an unwavering tone.


    Xia Wennan found it somewhat strange. ¡°Are you not that close with your brothers?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him and answered, ¡°No.¡±


    Ming Qin came down with a jar of tea leaves and talked to Xia Wennan about tea for a while grinningly. He then crossed a leg over his thigh and put his other foot up on the sofa, watching Xia Wennan drink tea.


    Xia Wennan, who had no taste in tea, took a couple of perfunctory sips, and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    With a weak smile on his face, Ming Qin sighed and said, ¡°How long will Wennan go on like this for¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯ll remember tomorrow,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    That didn¡¯t sit well with Xia Wennan. He cast a glance at Ming Luchuan and said to Ming Qin, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to matter if I don¡¯t though.¡±


    ¡°But you were so fond of each other,¡± Ming Qin hugged his legs and rested his chin on his knee. ¡°Luchuan must be devastated.¡±


    Xia Wennan never thought that he¡¯d ever hear such a thing. He looked at Ming Luchuan in faint horror.


    Ming Luchuan put down his teacup and said flatly, ¡°It won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    Ming Qin smiled at his words. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Around ten minutes later, Ming Siyan returned. Xia Wennan had wondered why Ming Siyan was so late when they¡¯d both come from the same company, but it turned out that Ming Siyan hadn¡¯t come home alone; he¡¯d brought a male alpha with him.


    Lu Huaiye was the name of the alpha. Ming Qin introduced him to Xia Wennan as Ming Siyan¡¯s fiance.


    Lu Huaiye appeared to be twenty-seven years old, and he was dressed similarly to Ming Siyan in a fine-tailored suit. His hair was combed back, revealing a clean brow and dashing, gentle eyes. Like all alphas, he had exceptional looks, but he lacked Yin Zejing¡¯s youthful brashness and Ming Luchuan¡¯s fierce sharpness, and was more gentle in appearance.


    Lu Huaiye was obviously familiar with Xia Wennan and was aware of his current situation. He didn¡¯t bring up Xia Wennan¡¯s amnesia, instead respectfully expressing his concern and asking about his recovery.


    Ying Zejing came down in clean clothes, freshly showered. He took hold of Ming Qin¡¯s shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek before greeting Lu Huaiye.


    Ming Qin laughed and said. ¡°You young people talk, I¡¯m going to go see if dinner is ready.¡± He got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen, returning a few moments later to inform everyone that they could now eat.


    Xia Wennan came from a small family. For years, it had just been him and his grandpa. Sitting at a dining table with such a large family felt somewhat novel. Additionally, Ming Luchuan was the sole member of the family whom he was familiar with. The others were strangers, and no matter how warm Ming Qin was, he still felt like he was here as a guest.


    Another aunt in her fifties was in charge of preparing and serving them meals; Xia Wennan heard Ming Qin calling her Aunt Qin. Right as they all settled down in their seats, Aunt Zhang wheeled Ming Sichen into the dining room, settled him at the end of the rectangular dining table, and took her place next to him.


    ¡°Sichen,¡± Lu Huaiye smiled and greeted Ming Sichen warmly.


    Ming Sichen didn¡¯t answer, merely looking up at him for a second before lowering his head again and reaching for a metal spoon on the table. Aunt Zhang scrambled to grab the spoon in front of him and said, ¡°Be a good boy, Sichen. Don¡¯t play with the spoon.¡±


    ¡°Sichen seems to be in good spirits,¡± Lu Huaiye said to Ming Qin.


    Ming Qin was seated across Ming Sichen. His hands were clasped on the tabletop as he looked on at Ming Sichen with a smile.  ¡°He¡¯s been really well-behaved recently. He takes his meds everyday without fuss.¡±


    After their meal was served, Xia Wennan saw that Ming Sichen wasn¡¯t eating on his own. It was entirely up to Aunt Zhang to feed him spoonful by spoonful, his eyes wandering. He chewed his rice with bulging cheeks and only opened his mouth when the spoon was brought to his lips. Between him and a two-year-old toddler, there was almost no difference in their behaviour.


    As he stared dazedly at Ming Sichen, Ming Siyan, who was sitting in front of him, suddenly mentioned his name. ¡°Wennan returned to the company today.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s attention was summoned back, his head turning. ¡°Why not rest up a little longer?¡± asked Ming Qin. He didn¡¯t wait for Xia Wennan to answer and addressed Ming Luchuan. ¡°Don¡¯t rush Wennan into coming back to work.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make him work. He was looking for me,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Da-ge, how¡¯s the new product line Wennan¡¯s in charge of coming along?¡± Ming Siyan asked Ming Luchuan. ¡°Will we be able to release it in time for Christmas?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer him. Ming Qin, on the other hand, was not pleased, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about work at the dinner table.¡±


    Ming Siyan let out an ¡°Oh¡±,  then inclined his head towards Lu Huaiye and said, ¡°All right.¡±


    Lu Huaiye patted his shoulder with a smile.


    Ming Sichen raised his head, gazing up at the dining room lights. The spoonful of rice Aunt Zhang placed by his lips went ignored for a long time.

 CH 21

    Though dinner was lavish, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t feel at ease while eating.


    Ming Qin had a cheerful and talkative personality. He and his younger boyfriend, Yin Zejing, appeared very close, and they didn¡¯t shy away from showing their affection in front of the younger generation.


    Ignoring the fact that he was Ming Qin¡¯s boyfriend, Yin Zejing embodied the image of a sunny university student. He had a big appetite and a wide range of interests, and was fully capable of contributing to the many topics they discussed at the dinner table¡ªthough many of his opinions betrayed his youth and inexperience. Whenever this happened, Ming Qin would smile and place a hand on his shoulder, or gently knock their glasses together.


    Ming Siyan was apparently a lightweight, his face streaked with red after only half a glass of wine. He covered his face with the back of his hand.


    Lu Huaiye shifted closer to him and whispered, ¡°If you can¡¯t drink, I¡¯ll drink for you.¡±


    Ming Siyan pressed his forehead against Lu Huaiye¡¯s cheek and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Xia Wennan shifted his sight away from Ming Siyan and Lu Huaiye, his gaze settling on the still-full glass of wine before him.


    Once the meal had been served, Ming Qin had told Yin Zejing to open a bottle of wine.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s immediate reaction was to say: ¡°We¡¯ll be heading home later, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to drink.¡±


    When he heard this, Ming Luchuan had said, ¡°I¡¯m the one driving.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going home?¡± Ming Qin said in surprise. ¡°Just stay the night.¡±


    Xia Wennan froze. ¡±Won¡¯t that be inappropriate?¡±


    ¡°Why would it be? Luchuan¡¯s room has always been available for the two of you. We keep it nice and tidy too, you can stay here any time.¡± After that, Ming Qin had taken the bottle of wine from Yin Zejing¡¯s hands and personally poured a glass for Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s subconscious was still that of a university student; he could drink, but he didn¡¯t particularly enjoy it, especially with a table full of strangers. He couldn¡¯t stop worrying about getting drunk and causing trouble, so he tried to refuse one more time, ¡°I don¡¯t think I should drink.¡±


    ¡°Do you still feel unwell, Wennan?¡± asked Ming Siyan.

 CH 22

    The mansion had three floors in total. The stairwell led to the second floor living room, which directly aced the balcony and had a bar and pool rack, and to the right was a corridor leading to Ming Luchuan¡¯s bedroom.


    Xia Wennan paused at the threshold and peered in, hesitant to enter.


    Ming Luchuan switched on the lights and pulled Xia Wennan inside.


    Xia Wennan hurriedly backed away, ending up by the window. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± he said to Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan gave him a cold stare. His footsteps shifted slowly, but he was heading in the direction of the bathroom.


    After Ming Luchuan finally disappeared behind the bathroom door, Xia Wennan breathed a sigh of relief and began surveying the room.


    It was a typical bedroom, spacious and simple, with a double bed in the centre and a built-in wardrobe on one wall.


    Xia Wennan had expected to see Ming Luchuan¡¯s childhood mementos, but all he found was a photograph of a group of people on his nightstand.


    Someone in the photo appeared to be Ming Luchuan in his teens. He was already quite tall at that age, anda shadow of his current handsomeness was present in his facial features. Beside him stood two identical omega youths, Ming Siyan and Ming Sichen. The two boys were clinging to each other, their affection palpable. On his other side was the last person in the photo, a similarly young omega; he bore no resemblance to the Ming family, but he was a very beautiful omega with curved brows, bright eyes, and a sweet smile.


    Xia Wennan picked up the photo and looked at it for a moment before putting it back down. He returned to the window and looked down, discovering that it had a direct view of the garden. Moths flitted around the garden lights, which were still brightly lit.


    Ming Luchuan emerged from the bathroom in his pyjamas a few moments later. ¡°Go take a shower,¡± he instructed Xia Wennan as he buttoned his pyjama shirt.


    Xia Wennan remained motionless. ¡°Are we really sleeping here?¡± he asked Ming Luchuan. ¡°There¡¯s only one bed.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s body continued to exude warm steam. His sideburns were damp from the shower, as was his skin. He took a seat on the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything to you.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him for a moment before shifting his feet cautiously towards the bathroom.


    While the bathroom was all fogged up, the mirror was clear. Xia Wennan curiously wiped at its surface and found it hot. He then noticed a pair of cups and toothbrushes on the bathroom counter, as well as multiple clean towels on the rack next to it.


    He walked to the door he¡¯d just locked and opened it, poking his head out to inquire, ¡°Is the toothbrush in here mine?¡±


    Ming Luchuan rose from the bed and approached him, pushing Xia Wennan aside as he pushed open the door. He pointed out which towel and toothbrush belonged to Xia Wennan and told him that the clean pyjamas on the shelf were also his.


    All of the items were clean, but they were clearly not new.


    The undeniable proof that he¡¯d previously stayed here muddled his thoughts. He pushed Ming Luchuan out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him so he could shower.


    Before going to bed, Xia Wennan found some clean sheets in the cupboard. He knelt on the bed, rolled the sheet into a thin line, and draped it across the middle of the bed as a barrier between himself and Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan sat to the side, watching him with cool indifference. When Xia Wennan looked up after he finished positioning the bed sheets, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Xia Wennan confidently blustered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I break my brain?¡±


    The corners of Ming Luchuan¡¯s thin lips were downturned, rendering his face exceedingly stone-cold. ¡°Do you think the covers will be able to stop me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll stop a gentleman, but not a scumbag,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Did I say I was a gentleman?¡±


    Squatting on the bed, Xia Wennan suddenly smiled at Ming Luchuan. It was a sweet smile. ¡°I reckon you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re deranged.¡± Ming Luchuan averted his gaze.


    The two men lay down in the dark after the lights were turned off, neither touching the rolled-up bed sheet that divided the bed.


    Xia Wennan hadn¡¯t drank much, so the alcohol had barely taken effect on him. His eyes were wide open, his mind racing. As he grew accustomed to the darkness, he was able to make out the unfamiliar silhouettes of his surroundings.


    ¡°You mentioned that your little brother was also involved in a car accident?¡± he blurted out.


    There was no immediate response. It was a while before Ming Luchuan said, ¡°I was already asleep.¡±


    Xia Wennan was taken aback. ¡°Do you fall asleep that easily?¡±


    Ming Luchuan had consumed several glasses of wine tonight, and the exhaustion had taken its toll on both his mind and body. But despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t particularly happy, his tone lacked its usual indifference and was rather soft as he voiced his displeasure, ¡°Why are you so rude?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xia Wennan hurried to say, then waited a few seconds before asking, ¡°So¡­ are you awake now?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. What could you possibly want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so boring, how did I ever fall for you back then?¡± Xia Wennan was also displeased. ¡°Be honest with me, did you lord something over my head and blackmail me into marrying you?¡±


    As the words streamed out, Xia Wennan had an epiphany. He rolled over and sat up, looking down at Ming Luchuan. ¡°You said that I¡¯m the one who developed the most popular perfume on the market right now. Because I¡¯m that brilliant, of course you¡¯d do everything in your power to keep me in Ming Yan¡ªso you forced me to marry you, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained silent. His bright eyes shone through the darkness. His gaze was set squarely on Xia Wennan. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line,¡± he said after a moment.


    It was then that Xia Wennan realised he¡¯d crossed the bedsheet-lined boundary. He ducked his head towards Ming Luchuan and quickly apologised before returning to his own side.


    ¡°Why are you so petty?¡± Xia Wennan muttered as he lay back down on his pillow. After that, he continued, ¡°I asked you a question just now, are you too much of a coward to answer me?¡±


    In the silence of the night, Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice had a hint of scratchiness to it, like the slow playback of an old vinyl record. ¡°I told you right from the start that you were the one who liked me and proposed to me.¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t pause to consider that. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t ask why. If he had though, Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts would have returned to his strange theory about how people don¡¯t fall in love with a chicken. Ming Luchuan merely turned his back to Xia Wennan, the bed rustling with his movement.


    Xia Wennan looked at his back and suddenly found himself feeling somewhat lonely, so he mustered up a sincere tone and said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything. I have no idea what¡¯s a lie and what isn¡¯t. If what you said is true¡­¡± The next thing that would¡¯ve fallen from his lips were: then I have to apologise, because as of now, I definitely don¡¯t have any feelings for you, but it didn¡¯t make it out of his mouth. He¡¯d always thought that these words sounded too pretentious for him, and he wasn¡¯t that kind of person.


    He¡¯d been raised by his grandpa, and despite many adversities, they¡¯d always been optimistic and carefree. The grief of losing their loved ones, combined with their strained financial situation, had made up their harsh reality¡ªbut you can¡¯t stay stuck in a state of inferiority and self-pity forever. As long as you intend to live, you must focus your attention on those who remain by your side and fight for a better future.


    In those days he spent with his grandpa, their only source of entertainment had been their TV. They never watched any sad or emotional shows and instead tried to fill their days with laughter and hope.


    And so, what was the point¡­

 CH 23

    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t say anything else after that, so Xia Wennan followed suit. He lay on his back, gazing up at the ceiling unseeingly. Yawning, his weariness eventually caught up to him, and he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    It was already bright outside when Xia Wennan awoke the next morning. This, however, was the least of his concerns¡ªwhat concerned him more was the fact that he¡¯d rolled right across the divider some time in the night and slept plastered all along Ming Luchuan¡¯s side. Furthermore, he appeared to be using Ming Luchuan as a bolster, his arm thrown over Ming Luchuan¡¯s waist.


    He opened his eyes, slowly lifted his head, and discovered that Ming Luchuan was still fast asleep, so he gently and slowly withdrew his arm from the man¡¯s body, trying not to rouse him.


    Halfway through, just as his arm was about to leave Ming Luchuan¡¯s body, but before he could move any further, he heard Ming Luchuan say, ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±


    He looked up in alarm, saw that Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyes were still closed, and retorted without thinking, ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡±


    Ming Luchuan opened his eyes and turned to face him. His eyes were bright and clear, not at all like someone who¡¯d just awoken. ¡°I¡¯ve been awake for a while now,¡± he said.


    Xia Wennan retracted his hand and shrank into his blanket until it was up to his chin. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± he mumbled.


    Ming Luchuan sneered. ¡°Why would I? Won¡¯t you scram once you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xia Wennan grumbled, ¡°You¡¯re a nutcase.¡±


    Ming Luchuan threw off his covers and went to the bathroom.


    Xia Wennan retreated inside his blanket and lay there for a while. Since all traces of sleepiness had already left his body, he simply got out of bed, put on his slippers, and walked to the window. He opened the curtains slightly and closed his eyes in reflex as the morning sunlight streamed in. He took a half-step back until his eyes adjusted to the brightness before looking outside again.


    He could now see the garden clearly. It was overgrown with plants and flowers, and it was clear that someone cared for it on a regular basis. The colors were lovely, and the plants grew abundantly. In the middle of the garden, there was a small open space with white tables and chairs. It must be nice to sit there with a book and a cup of coffee when the weather isn¡¯t too hot.


    The chairs were empty at the time, but in the downstairs garden, there was a lone wheelchair.


    And the person in the wheelchair was none other than Ming Sichen.


    From where Xia Wennan stood, he could only catch a glimpse of Ming Sichen¡¯s frail back and the fluffy black hair at the top of his head. Ming Sichen sat motionless in his wheelchair, his eyes fixed straight ahead as if in a daze.


    Ming Sichen would occasionally lower his head, revealing a sliver of fair nape between his collar and the ends of his hair. Xia Wennan then discovered that he actually had a tattoo on his nape. From this distance, he could still make out a butterfly tattoo; which was perhaps of a similar design to Ming Siyan¡¯s.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± said Ming Luchuan, who¡¯d walked up to his side without him noticing.


    Staring at the tattoo on Ming Sichen¡¯s nape, he said, ¡°Your brothers have identical tattoos on their glands.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have glands.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Wennan turned to Ming Luchuan in confusion.


    Ming Luchuan cast his gaze downwards and said, ¡°Ming Sichen doesn¡¯t have glands. He¡¯s a beta.¡±


    For a moment, Xia Wennan was somewhat stunned.


    From the moment he arrived at the Ming family house and met Ming Sichen, Xia Wennan had assumed that he was an omega. Primarily because he was Ming Siyan¡¯s¡ªwho was an omega himself¡ªtwin. Their resemblance was uncanny, so how could their secondary sex be different? Were they fraternal twins who just happened to be identical?


    ¡°They don¡¯t have the same dad?¡± asked Xia Wennan. ¡°I mean¡ªyour other dad.¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him. ¡°How do you think twins come to be?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mouth slightly fell open. He had a terrible idea.


    ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°How would they look so alike if they don¡¯t have the same father? Their father¡¯s a beta.¡±


    ¡°Then how come you¡¯re an alpha?¡± Xia Wennan was totally perplexed.


    ¡°Because I have a different father,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your father is an alpha?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you he was already dead? Don¡¯t bring him up again.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xia Wennan leaned against the window. He wasn¡¯t particularly interested in Ming Luchuan¡¯s alpha father, but as a beta, he somewhat sympathised with Ming Sichen. ¡°He didn¡¯t grow up happily in this house, did he?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± asked Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan propped his face on one hand. ¡°He has alpha and omega brothers, but he himself is a beta. He must¡¯ve felt a great deal of pressure from a young age.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with betas?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyes fell on Xia Wennan. ¡°You¡¯re also a beta. Don¡¯t tell me you think you¡¯re inferior to alphas and omegas?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯m a beta that I know how hard it is for us in this society. Some differences are physiological in nature. Just because I say that I¡¯m doing fine, it doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s actually fine¡ªit¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t resist looking up at him, only to realise that the man had been staring at him the entire time. He paused for a beat before asking, ¡°What are you staring at? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    ¡°I thought that there was something wrong with your brain.¡±


    ¡°There is something wrong with my brain. I don¡¯t even know you anymore.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not as naive as you appear,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan laughed when he heard this. ¡°I am naive. Being naive is a good thing. It means that you haven¡¯t grown up yet, and you still have someone to protect you from the wind and rain and shoulder your responsibilities.¡± His smile faded as he spoke, his gaze fixed on the garden outside the window. He suddenly remembered that that someone had died a long time ago.


    Ming Luchuan extended his hand and touched Xia Wennan¡¯s head. Xia Wennan didn¡¯t react. Ming Luchuan spread his fingers; the slender digits and his large palm engulfing the top of Xia Wennan¡¯s head. He looked down at Xia Wennan¡¯s messy hair, the ends of which were tousled by his palm.


    Xia Wennan rested against the window sill for a moment before righting himself up and saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up.¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned away coldly, heading to the wardrobe to change his clothes.


    When they went downstairs, Ming Sichen had left the garden and was now in the dining room. Hearing the sound of a basketball outside, Xia Wennan cast a curious glance and saw Yin Zejing playing.


    Xia Wennan immediately wanted to turn away when he saw Yin Zejing, but he was one step too late; Yin Zejing had already noticed him and was passing the ball to him. ¡°Wennan, let¡¯s play a one-on-one game.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t play basketball,¡± Xia Wennan said as he reflexively raised his hands to catch the ball.


    Yin Zejing was wearing a sleeveless white tee, his well-proportioned and muscly arms sticking out of wide sleeves. He¡¯d obviously only recently begun playing, but a thin sheen of sweat had already formed on his brow. The air reeked of the aggressiveness of alpha pheromones, making Xia Wennan feel uneasy.


    Xia Wennan passed the ball back to Yin Zejing. Yin Zejing barked out a laugh as he caught the ball. He tossed the ball in the air and said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the captain of your high school team?¡±


    Xia Wennan had been a member of his high school basketball team, and he was the only non-alpha starter to boot. He couldn¡¯t help inwardly cursing how he couldn¡¯t just keep his mouth shut, being the amnesiac that he was. At the same time, he summoned a half-hearted smile and said,  ¡°Really? I completely forgot.¡±

 CH 24

    ¡°Nannan.¡± At this time, Ming Luchuan called to him from inside the house. ¡°Come have breakfast first.¡±


    Ming Luchuan had rescued him right on time. ¡°I¡¯m starving, I¡¯m gonna go eat first,¡± Xia Wennan said as he dashed to the house.


    Yin Zejing didn¡¯t stop him; he dribbled the ball and shot at the basket on his own.


    Xia Wennan followed Ming Luchuan into the dining room. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Nannan,¡± Xia Wennan grumbled quietly.


    Ming Luchuan said nothing.


    When they entered the dining room, Ming Qin and Ming Sichen were already there. There were steamed buns and eggs on the dining table, a simple Chinese breakfast.


    Aunt Zhang wasn¡¯t present at the time. Ming Sichen¡¯s wheelchair was parked next to Ming Qin, who was feeding him steamed eggs.


    Ming Sichen never looked up at them from the moment they arrived. He kept reaching for the small porcelain spoon on the dining table, and when his finger almost touched it, Ming Qin pushed it away, leaving a small distance between his fingers and the spoon.


    ¡°Did you sleep well last night?¡± Ming Qin asked Xia Wennan.


    ¡°I did,¡± responded Xia Wennan.


    Ming Qin smiled. As he and Xia Wennan chatted, Ming Sichen finally reached the spoon and took hold of it.


    ¡°Chenchen, put that down!¡± Ming Qin rushed to take the spoon, hastily placing the bowl in his hands on the table.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s seat was not that far from Ming Sichen¡¯s; he rose to his feet and helped Ming Qin remove the spoon from his grasp.


    Frozen in place, Ming Sichen turned to Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play with the spoon,¡± Ming Qin said, as if he was chiding a child.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s eyes were still on Xia Wennan even after he returned to his seat; he twisted in his wheelchair so he could get a good look at Xia Wennan¡¯s face.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s feelings towards Ming Sichen were complicated; he knew that Ming Sichen¡¯s mind was entirely that of a child, but he was a ¡®child¡¯ who had the appearance of an adult. Being the target of Ming Sichen¡¯s gaze like so, Xia Wennan could only look up and force himself to smile. He smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed into slits.


    Right then, Aunt Zhang emerged from the kitchen. She took the bowl of steamed eggs from Ming Qin, sat down, and started feeding Ming Sichen.


    Ming Sichen swallowed a spoonful of eggs and craned his head to glance at Xia Wennan.


    Ming Qin propped his face on his hands, a faint smile gracing his face as he noticed Ming Sichen¡¯s movements. ¡°Chenchen still remembers Wennan?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Wennan,¡± Ming Sichen whispered.


    Ming Qin was somewhat surprised. ¡°You really remember Wennan?¡±


    Ming Luchuan sat next to Xia Wennan. He hadn¡¯t uttered a single word since the beginning and appeared to have no intention of contributing to the conversation. Xia Wennan had no choice but to defuse the awkwardness, asking Ming Qin, ¡°Can Sichen make a full recovery?¡±


    Ming Qin sighed upon hearing his question. ¡°Sichen¡¯s condition is different from yours,¡± he said. ¡°His injuries were really severe back then, it¡¯s a miracle that he¡¯s still alive. Furthermore, the damage to his brain is organic. The doctors say it will be difficult for him to fully recover.¡±.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xia Wennan had no idea how to respond.


    Ming Sichen kept his gaze fixed on Xia Wennan as he took another bite of his meal, and he did so until he finished it. Even when Aunt Zhang fed him milk, his gaze did not leave Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Chenchen really likes Wennan,¡± said Ming Qin.


    Ming Luchuan, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up, ¡°He knows what liking is?¡±


    Ming Qin petted Ming Sichen¡¯s head. ¡°Of course he does. For him, liking something or someone is the easiest thing to understand. Isn¡¯t that right, Chenchen?¡± After that, Ming Qin turned to Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°Are you going to the company?¡±


    Ming Luchuan made a noise of assent.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you let Wennan stay here.¡±


    This time, before Ming Luchuan could respond, Xia Wennan rushed to answer, ¡°I¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    ¡°Wennan¡¯s condition is still unstable.¡± Ming Qin was still speaking to Ming Luchuan. ¡°I worry about you leaving him home alone when you go to work during the day. Why doesn¡¯t he stay here?¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained silent and didn¡¯t respond.


    Xia Wennan kicked his leg under the table to show that staying here was the furthest thing from what he wanted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Why not? Won¡¯t it be good for you two to stay in this house for the time being? I¡¯ll have Aunt Zhang to cook nourishing soup for Wennan everyday, and there¡¯s a driver at his disposal if he wants to go out. If not, what would he eat if he was left at home alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve more or less recovered,¡± Xia Wennan responded quickly. ¡°I can go to work.¡±


    ¡°Which part of you says ¡®more or less recovered¡¯?¡± Ming Qin turned to him. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to start working again in your current condition. Shouldn¡¯t you be getting treatment first and foremost?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was silent.


    ¡°Do you not want to come home and live with dad that badly?¡± Ming Qin continued after a brief pause, sounding slightly disappointed.


    This time, Ming Luchuan turned to Xia Wennan and said, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this later. For today, come with me to the company first. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to sort through some of your things yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xia Wennan replied.


    Ming Siyan was hurrying downstairs for breakfast as Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan left the dining room.


    Outside, Yin Zejing was still playing basketball by himself.


    Ming Luchuan brought the car around to pick Xia Wennan up, and they drove off after Xia Wennan got in.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Xia Wennan said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to move here.¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained mute.


    Xia Wennan shot a glance at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    ¡°What did you want me to say?¡± Ming Luchuan said unhurriedly.


    ¡°Tell your dad that we won¡¯t be living here.¡±


    Ming Luchuan fell silent once more.


    ¡°What on earth is on your mind?¡± Xia Wennan cocked his head to look at him. ¡°Are you too scared to go against your dad?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer his question. A moment later, he asked, ¡°What if I tell you that we¡¯ll be moving here for the time being?¡±


    ¡°And why should I do as you say?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°As of now, I¡¯m still your husband.¡±


    ¡°Then how about we get a divorce?¡± Xia Wennan sounded out, watching his expression.


    Ming Luchuan abruptly slammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel until they came to a halt at the side of the road. Fortunately, they were still in the suburbs, so the parked car didn¡¯t obstruct the traffic on the main road.


    Startled, Xia Wennan said, ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°You want to divorce me?¡± Ming Luchuan asked coldly.


    While Xia Wennan had that in mind, he¡¯d never mentioned it to Ming Luchuan because he couldn¡¯t find the right time. He hadn¡¯t been awake long; he knew nothing, and he had no idea what had really happened between him and Ming Luchuan. Divorcing him and abandoning everything in haste was far from a responsible course of action.


    When he first awoke, all he wanted was for all of this to never have happened, for those six years not to have existed, for him not to be married to Ming Luchuan, for his grandpa not to have died; but as the days passed, he¡¯d gradually come to accept a few things, such as the fact that he¡¯d lost his grandpa, and even the fact that he had an alpha husband as well as a decent job. Rather than his initial desire to cast everything aside, he was now more interested in regaining his memories, finding out what exactly had happened, and then divorcing Ming Luchuan and starting over.


    Since he¡¯d already blurted it out, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t just act like nothing had happened. He could only try to salvage the situation by saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about it?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s tone was frostier than it had ever been. ¡°I don¡¯t need to. Let¡¯s get a divorce. Get out of the car.¡±


    Xia Wennan froze. He reached for the door handle and paused midway, asking Ming Luchan, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go to the civil affairs bureau?¡±


    He was met with nothing but Ming Luchuan¡¯s silence and expressionless face as he started the car and continued driving. Against the morning rush hour, he drove all the way to the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Except for when Ming Luchuan told Xia Wennan to get out of the car when they arrived, the two men didn¡¯t say anything the entire journey.


    Xia Wennan opened the door and got out. Once he¡¯d closed the door, Ming Luchuan sped off without wasting a second more.


    Xia Wennan froze in place. A moment later, he shouted angrily in the direction of Ming Luchuan¡¯s car: ¡°I¡¯ll divorce you on my own, dammit!¡±

 CH 25

    Xia Wennan sulked in front of the civil affairs bureau for a while before eventually turning back and leaving.


    He was still wearing the clothes that Xu Feng had bought him the day before, and his pockets were empty save for his phone.


    The city was vast; he had his own apartment on top of his nominal home here, but in that moment, he felt the kind of loss that arose from having nowhere to go.


    In the end, Xia Wennan returned to the apartment he shared with Ming Luchuan, took a shower, changed his clothes, then sat cross-legged in front of his desk with a bottle of iced soda he¡¯d purchased at the supermarket, and unscrewed the lid.


    The iced soda fizzed, and the bubbles raced to the top. Xia Wennan felt a little more at ease. He fired up his laptop and went online to look up Ming Yan.


    His previous search had resulted in the unexpected discovery that Ming Luchuan was the president of Ming Yan, which had diverted all of his attention. This time, after meeting Ming Qin, his interest towards Ming Yan and those with the surname Ming had increased a great deal.


    He discovered that the founder of Ming Yan was actually Ming Qin, who had previously worked as a perfumer for a well-known luxury brand. He founded the perfume company Ming Yan over a decade ago. In the first year of its establishment, the omega perfume Summertime Snowfield won them the international perfume awards. Following that, they expanded their business by releasing scented candles, shower gels, and even clothing and cosmetics.


    Ming Yan had been under Ming Qin¡¯s personal management for the past decade, and during that time, Ming Yan¡¯s newer perfumes had not been well received. Their old perfumes remained their best-sellers, and thus Ming Yan¡¯s name gradually faded into the background. The perfume market¡¯s appeal towards the youth was also exceedingly limited.


    This lasted until about a half-year ago, when Ming Yan launched a new line of pheromone perfume, Emotions. It was a huge success, and they managed to attain the international perfume award yet again with Tears of the Enemy, which immediately became the hottest product on the market.


    There was a fairly detailed introduction to the Emotions line on the internet. As it was the first successful pheromone perfume on the market, it garnered countless people¡¯s attention. The perfumer who developed this perfume line¡ªXia Wennan¡ªalso rose to industry fame.


    Xia Wennan also learnt that he had been interviewed by a well-known fashion magazine. The article was titled ¡°Tears of the Enemy: The Secrets of a Genius Beta Perfumer¡¯s Emotions.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t stop a flush from rising to his cheeks upon seeing the word ¡®genius¡¯ in the title. He carefully pored over the entire article and realised that he¡¯d given frank, confident answers, appearing to have a wealth of knowledge about perfumes and the pheromones and emotions at the heart of  the perfume line. Throughout the article, however, there was no mention of his unique ability to perceive pheromones as a beta.


    The writer was clearly curious about this matter, and one of the questions Xia Wennan had been asked was: ¡°As a beta, how were you able to discern and blend components that mimic those of pheromones?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s answer had been: ¡°It was all due to our teamwork.¡±


    ¡°Were there omegas and alphas on the team?¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying.¡±


    The writer had probably assumed that it was a trade secret, so they stopped pursuing this line of questioning.


    As he read the article, Xia Wennan felt very satisfied with his answers. He propped his face up and reflected: if he had been interviewed as his current self, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer all those questions so easily.


    Those six years worth of accumulated experience must¡¯ve been extremely valuable to him.


    He placed the bottle of cold soda on the table and stretched.  As he leaned back, the chair swayed and turned slightly, and his thoughts returned to Ming Qin.


    Curious, he looked up Ming Qin¡¯s name and many relevant information popped up on the net. There was even someone who started a thread full of gossip about Ming Qin on a popular forum.


    Xia Wennan noticed that the original post had been posted after Ming Yan launched their Emotions line six months ago. As it was gossip, it couldn¡¯t be fully believed, but based on the contents of the post, it could be said that Ming Qin¡¯s life had been extremely colourful.


    Ming Qin was forty-four years old this year. He developed Summertime Snowfield and founded Ming Yan when he was twenty-six, and he¡¯d only been seventeen when he gave birth to Ming Luchuan.


    The post mentioned that Ming Qin hadn¡¯t been married at the time, and the identity of Ming Luchuan¡¯s other father was unknown. However, while the poster didn¡¯t state anything explicitly, they hinted that on the year before Ming Luchuan was born, Ming Qin had been secretly photographed by the paparazzi while on a date with a top-tier male celebrity¡ªa ¡®heavenly king¡¯¡ªalpha surnamed L, and there were even a few blurry pictures attached. Ming Qin had been an underaged omega who was still in high school at the time, so when the photos were taken, no one had known who he was. The public¡¯s focus was on the fact that ¡®L¡¯ was in a secret relationship. It was only when the young and beautiful omega founded a famous perfume brand and gained a name in the industry did people discover that the omega youth in those photos was Ming Qin.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s curiosity was piqued. According to the information in the thread, if you looked up ¡®heavenly king alpha surnamed L¡¯, you¡¯d find one with the surname Lu, full name Lu Wenxing. He¡¯d already retired, and he hadn¡¯t made a public appearance in years. The movies, videos, and photos of him in his younger days were all easily accessible on the internet; Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t be sure if it was just his preconceived notion, but he couldn¡¯t stop thinking that there was a shadow of Lu Wenxing¡¯s looks in Ming Luchuan¡¯s features.


    Moreover, did the ¡®Lu¡¯ in Ming Luchuan¡¯s name have anything to do with Lu Wenxing, or was it purely coincidental?


    *Lu Wenxing¡¯s name ¨C ·ÎÊÐÐ, Ming Luchuan¡¯s name ¨C Ã÷ðØ´¨. Same sound, different characters.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s attention was drawn back to Ming Qin. According to the forum post, Ming Qin met his former husband at the luxury brand company where he worked when he was around twenty years old. The man was a beta, but he was extremely talented and had already risen to the position of company executive before the age of thirty. Ming Qin married him, had twins when he was twenty-two, and later resigned from the company to co-found a new brand.


    Ming Qin drew a lot of attention because he was the perfumer behind Summertime Snowfield and also a beautiful omega. His beta husband was comparably more low-key, always quietly assisting him from behind.


    In the fifth year of Ming Yan¡¯s founding, the beta was imprisoned for embezzlement. He and Ming Qin divorced, and nothing more was known about him after that.


    This beta was none other than Ming Siyan and Ming Sichen¡¯s biological father.


    Ming Qin was in charge of Ming Yan for many years, until about half a year ago, when he handed over management to his eldest son, Ming Luchuan. However, he was still in possession of the majority of the company¡¯s shares.


    Based on Xia Wennan¡¯s calculations, Ming Luchuan assumed the role of Ming Yan¡¯s president not long after they got married.


    Suddenly somewhat anxious, Xia Wennan gnawed on his nails, stood up, and shut down his laptop.


    After a simple lunch outside, Xia Wennan took the subway to Ming Yan.


    When he emerged from the subway station, he fixed his gaze on the scorching sun, and on his walk to the Ming Yan building, he happened to witness a minor tailgating incident on the road.


    The incident reminded him that he¡¯d been in a car accident himself. And what of his car? Had it been completely totaled in the crash? Why couldn¡¯t he drive? Why did he have to walk through all this heat?


    In the end, Xia Wennan picked up a big leaf from the side of the road and held it up to his head to shield his face from the glaring sunlight. When he arrived at Ming Yan¡¯s entrance, he caught sight of two people talking beside a taxi.


    One of them was an unfamiliar male alpha, his buff body wrapped in a fancy shirt and long legs encased in cropped jeans, and on his feet were a shabby pair of slides. The alpha had a head of long, wavy blond hair extended almost to his shoulders, a high nose bridge, and deep-set eyes. His appearance seemed that of a mixed-race person.


    The person he was talking to was an Omega in a body-hugging suit¡ªMing Luchuan¡¯s little brother, Ming Siyan.


    He had no idea what the two men were saying. Ming Siyan pulled open the door of the taxi and ushered the alpha into the car.


    When the taxi drove off, Ming Siyan turned his head and glimpsed Xia Wennan holding a leaf to his head.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¨C xia wennan wyd¡­


    anyways! the word that was used to describe ming luchuan¡¯s supposed alpha dad was ÌìÍõ, which literally means ¡®heavenly king¡¯, as in ¡®the four heavenly kings/ËÄ´óÌìÍõ¡¯ if you¡¯ve heard of them. this term is used to refer to the best of the best in pop culture who dominated the industry. so we can all conclude that mlc¡¯s dad was absolutely huge back in his day. i wonder if he¡¯ll show up later on

 CH 26

    As soon as Ming Siyan spotted Xia Wennan, he smiled and walked over to him.


    Xia Wennan removed the leaf from his head, his movements poised and elegant as if he was taking off a tophat.


    ¡°What are you doing here at this hour? I swear I saw you leave with da-ge this morning.¡±


    ¡°I went out for a walk,¡± Xia Wennan answered casually.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Ming Siyan began, smiling, ¡°this morning I heard dad say that you and da-ge are moving in.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan froze. ¡°Really?¡±


    Ming Siyan seemed uncertain. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Xia Wennan thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I still need to discuss it with your brother, we haven¡¯t reached a decision yet.¡±


    ¡°Moving back to live with us would be pretty great,¡± Ming Siyan said. ¡°Our family is really lively, and you haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. There¡¯ll be people to take care of you.¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled wordlessly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we head inside?¡± said Ming Siyan, reaching over to pull Xia Wennan¡¯s arm.


    Xia Wennan subconsciously evaded him.


    A trace of shock crossed Ming Siyan¡¯s face. ¡°Wennan?¡±


    Xia Wennan lifted a hand and patted Ming Siyan¡¯s shoulder, boldly exclaiming, ¡°Let¡¯s go, bro!¡±


    Ming Siyan¡¯s frail body swayed under his touch, and with that pat, he smoothly shook off Ming Siyan¡¯s arm. Ming Siyan¡¯s expression went blank before he let out an agreeing ¡°Oh¡±, falling into step behind Xia Wennan as they walked towards the entrance.


    Xia Wennan said goodbye to Ming Siyan at the elevator and got off alone at the twentieth floor. It hadn¡¯t been long since lunchtime; the entire building was especially quiet, and there wasn¡¯t a single soul in the twentieth-floor corridor.


    At the assistant¡¯s office outside Ming Luchuan¡¯s office, Xia Wennan ran into Xu Feng and the female omega who had spilled coffee on him the day before.


    Upon seeing Xia Wennan, Xu Feng intended to stand up and greet him.


    Xia Wennan hurriedly waved him off, then pointed to the door of Ming Luchuan¡¯s office and whispered, ¡°Is he in there?¡±


    Xu Feng nodded.


    Xia Wennan lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m going inside.¡±


    He walked over and opened the door.


    At present, the large desk in the office was vacant. Xia Wennan cast a doubtful glance at Xu Feng over his shoulder, then suddenly realised something and turned his head back, gently closing the heavy wooden door as he ventured inside.


    He walked over to the lounge door, tested the knob to see if he could turn it, and then slowly opened the door slightly. When he peered in, he noticed Ming Luchuan sleeping on the bed, so he quietly shut the door and retreated to Ming Luchuan¡¯s desk, taking a seat behind it.


    The office chair beneath him swiveled 180 degrees, bringing Xia Wennan face to face with the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the high-rise CBD towered all around him, the blue sky above was crystal clear, and the golden sunlight scattered through a thin layer of clouds, bathing everything in sunshine hues.


    Xia Wennan let his forehead fall against the window. He expected it to be warm to the touch, but it was unexpectedly cool. The coolness seeped into his forehead and travelled all over his body, and his exhales left small foggy imprints on the glass.


    ¡°Xia Wennan.¡± A cold voice suddenly pierced the still room.


    Xia Wennan, who had been in a daze, jumped in surprise. He whipped his head around to see that the door to the lounge had been opened at some point, and Ming Luchuan was standing right there in the doorway.


    Ming luchuan had just gotten out of bed. He¡¯d slept in his pyjamas and hung up his shirt and trousers, but he¡¯d changed back into them now. However, he wasn¡¯t completely dressed; under his unbuttoned suit jacket, his shirt was still untucked and the topmost button still undone.


    Somewhat terrified, he said, ¡°Ming Luchuan.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face was no less colder than when he¡¯d abandoned Xia Wennan at the doors of  the civil affairs bureau this morning. Leaning against the door frame, he looked at Xia Wennan mutely.


    ¡°Are you still angry?¡± Xia Wennan said.


    Ming Luchuan sneered. ¡°What am I angry at?¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to divorce me?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who wanted to divorce me?¡±


    Xia Wennan came prepared, knowing exactly what he wanted to say to Ming Luchuan. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to divorce you, but I don¡¯t not want to either. I just feel like divorcing you now would be unfair to the both of us¡ªwe should revisit this conversation when I recover my memories.¡±


    Ming Luchuan crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°And what if you never remember?¡±


    Xia Wennan pondered over that. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should make any pointless assumptions. I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    Ming Luchuan was silent for a while before straightening up and approaching him.


    Xia Wennan promptly rose from his seat. ¡°President Ming! Please take a seat.¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him as he sat down on his chair.


    Xia Wennan leaned against the edge of the desk. ¡°Let¡¯s have a nice little chat,¡± he said to Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan raised his head and looked at him with an icy face.


    A moment later, Xia Wennan squatted by Ming Luchuan¡¯s side, hands clinging to the armrest of his chair. He tilted his head up and said,  ¡°President Ming, can¡¯t we talk for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me President Ming.¡±


    ¡°Da-ge?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Lu ge? Chuan ge? Luchuan ge?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Husband?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I misspoke.¡±


    Ming Luchuan narrowed his eyes. ¡°What on earth do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a step back. I¡¯ll get therapy and try my best to recover my memories as soon as I can, while you refrain from making me live at your family house, okay? Your family are practically strangers to me, and it¡¯ll be really hard on me¡ªto move in with them so suddenly.¡±


    Ming Luchuan exhaled lengthily. It came out sounding like a heavy sigh. ¡°Xia Wennan, what kind of relationship do you think we¡¯re in now?¡±


    Xia Wennan felt that this was a truly difficult question to answer. Aside from the fact that he didn¡¯t know which answer would anger Ming Luchuan, he himself wasn¡¯t quite sure what to answer either.


    The word ¡®friends¡¯ lingered on his lips but remained unspoken; he cautiously sounded out, ¡°¡­a married couple who share the same bed but different dreams?¡± As he spoke, he kept an eye on Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression.


    Fortunately, Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression was already unsightly, and it wasn¡¯t made worse by his question.


    Xia Wennan continued, ¡°A fake married couple?¡±


    Ming Luchuan suddenly spoke up, ¡°Xia Wennan, is that what you¡¯ve been thinking this whole time?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You think that you¡¯re not truly married to me?¡±


    Xia Wennan felt like Ming Luchuan was testing him, so he immediately probed back, ¡°I do?¡±


    Ming Luchuan gazed at him detachedly. ¡°How would I know if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking or not?¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t know either,¡± Xia Wennan said exasperatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember a single thing.¡±


    After the words left his mouth, as if in extreme agitation, Ming Luchuan seized the documents on his desk and hurled them to the floor.


    This time, Xia Wennan genuinely jumped in shock. He stood up and took two steps back from where he was squatting next to Ming Luchuan¡¯s legs.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s lips twitched before he pursed them tightly. Xia Wennan almost thought he was going to get kicked out, but in the end, the man didn¡¯t speak a word as he got up from his chair and moved away, silently crouching down and gathering the scattered documents on the floor.


    Xia Wennan stood at the side, watching him.


    Ming Luchuan set the documents back down on his desk and turned to Xia Wennan unseeingly. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to get angry,¡± he said sombrely.


    Xia Wennan was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve lost your cool with me¡­¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze lifted to him.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t hit me,¡± said Xia Wennan. He then added, ¡°Even though I¡¯m a beta, I¡¯m really good at fighting. You won¡¯t necessarily be able to beat me.¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his gaze, eyes locked on the desk for a good while. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to dad. Why don¡¯t you go do whatever it is you¡¯re supposed to do. Don¡¯t bother me here.¡±


    ¡°I can go back to work?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Up to you.¡±

 CH 27

    After exiting Ming Luchuan¡¯s office, Xia Wennan went to the R&D department.


    The lab¡¯s R&D staff were all elated to see him back, and everyone gathered around to chat for a while. Xia Wennan didn¡¯t tell them about his amnesia and only mentioned that he still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries yet, directly sidestepping their many questions.


    When everyone returned to their stations and resumed their work, Xia Wennan was left to walk around the lab alone. The laboratory contained numerous reagents and equipment that Xia Wennan didn¡¯t dare to casually tamper with. Although he had majored in biochemistry, his memories were limited to his second year of university, and while he knew the uses of some of these lab equipment, there were a great many more that he was unfamiliar with.


    The lab also had an entire wall dedicated to perfumes, all of which were natural perfumes with the purest fragrances. Because Xia Wennan was extremely sensitive to smells, standing in front of that wall made him feel as if every single scent in the entire world was assaulting his senses.


    At the innermost part of the laboratory was a sealed room enclosed in glass walls that served as Xia Wennan¡¯s private testing station. As Xia Wennan was about to open the door and enter the room, a young female beta employee stopped him and reminded him to change his shoes and put on a hairnet.


    Xia Wennan had already changed into a set of work clothes as he entered the lab earlier, so he was taken aback and asked, ¡°The requirements are that strict?¡±


    The female employee¡¯s name was Dong Liqian. She was dressed similarly in a lab coat, and she was also wearing a hairnet. Her features were pretty and delicate. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who set them?¡± she asked.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t refute her. He immediately changed his shoes and put on a hairnet.


    The instant he entered the glass room, Xia Wennan felt as if he¡¯d been isolated from all the scents in the outside world, because in here it smelled like nothing. Or perhaps¡ªsaying that it smelled like nothing wasn¡¯t entirely accurate, but it was true that Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t detect anything that could irritate his sense of smell. His lab table was free from contaminants, and it only housed a few small-scale instruments and a laptop. The glass test tubes on the rack were filled with liquids, and their mouths were all sealed.


    A large blackboard that hung next to the lab table had several words scrawled over its surface. The handwriting was sloppy and illegible, but it was easily identifiable as Xia Wennan¡¯s. Among the words on the board, there was a particularly eye-catching set of words that were larger in size than the rest: Xishui Hall.


    Xia Wennan took a test tube from the lab table, unstoppered it, and dipped a scent strip in to determine its smell. The liquid¡¯s scent had a watery note; it smelled of a quiet elegance, beauty and seclusion, but it was far from mature as a perfume. It was most likely only half-finished.


    The fragrance on the scent strip quickly evaporated, and the smells in the room were soon dispersed by the ventilation system.


    Xia Wennan capped the test tube, returned it to its rack, and looked at the words Xishui Hall. His mind was a vast blank expanse.


    When he got off work that afternoon, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t contact Ming Luchuan and took the subway home on his own.


    He had dinner at a small restaurant near his apartment. The food tasted neither good nor bad, and the restaurant was neither packed nor empty. Occupying a table all by himself, he couldn¡¯t suppress a sigh as he ate.


    Today could be considered the first time he was truly exposed to his former job since waking up from the coma ensuing his car accident. Whether it was the interview he read on the internet or what Ming Luchuan had said about him, they both mentioned how he was a skilled and talented person; he also believed that if he left Ming Luchuan immediately, he¡¯d be able to live comfortably because he had savings and a job. However, the moment he sat down at his lab table, his mind went completely blank. He had no idea what had gone on inside that genius beta perfumer¡¯s head in the past, and he lacked even the most basic expertise.


    Xia Wennan felt a little dismayed.


    After dinner, he went to the nearby minimarket, bought a dozen cans of beer, and carried them in his hands as he hobbled home.


    He unlocked the door with his fingerprint. It was pitch-dark and quiet inside the apartment; Ming Luchuan had yet to return. He was probably still angry about what had happened this afternoon, so he didn¡¯t go home nor contact Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t be bothered with the lights. Walking over to the living room¡¯s floor-to-ceiling windows, he plopped down and sat cross-legged facing the window as he opened a can of beer.


    The beers had been stored in a cooler, so it retained its original temperature. Downing a mouthful made that coolness spread from his stomach to his entire body.


    Xia Wennan leaned back, his hands at his sides propping his body up in a lethargic posture. The neighbourhood they lived in was in the city centre; there were no large parks nearby, but he had a clear view of the city¡¯s most prosperous scene. Dusk had just settled, yet the high-rise buildings were already lit, their dazzling lights illuminating the twilight sky. Off in the distance, the moon had appeared at some point, sheer and luminous, and even the brightest lights couldn¡¯t compete with its radiance.


    On his sixth can of beer, Xia Wennan had already shaken off his dejection.


    Since he was a child, he¡¯d never been one to linger in a bad mood for long. His and his grandpa¡¯s lives had been far from easy, but his grandpa always assured him that there were no trenches you couldn¡¯t cross so long as you raised your legs high enough. If you¡¯ve reached your limit and can¡¯t get them any higher, then throw in a chair and leap over that.


    So why be dejected? If you have the time for dejection, then just go grab yourself a chair.


    Xia Wennan got to his feet and tossed the empty beer can to the ground. It landed on the glossy floor tiles, bounced off another beer can, then bounced once more before rolling away.


    At that moment, bursting with loftiness, Xia Wennan opened the remaining six cans of beer. He took one can, knelt down, knocked it against another beer can on the floor, then exclaimed ¡°Bottoms up!¡± before draining the remaining six beer cans dry.


    Ming Luchuan returned at around 10 pm. When he opened the door, not a single light in the apartment was on. The living room was quiet and there was no sign of anyone in sight, and yet the air was thick with the smell of alcohol.


    When he switched on the lights, the instant the room lit up, he saw Xia Wennan standing behind the door, eyes wide, staring straight at him.


    Ming Luchuan froze. In a flash, his pupils dilated slightly as he angrily rebuked, ¡°Are you insane?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how long Xia Wennan had been standing behind the door. Not a sound escaped his lips, and his whole body reeked of alcohol. All of a sudden, he reached out to grab Ming Luchuan¡¯s lapels, leaning forward as he pulled Ming Luchuan¡¯s tall body towards him. ¡°Ming Luchuan!¡±


    Ming Luchuan gave him a cold look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work really hard!¡± Xia Wennan exclaimed.


    Ming Luchuan frowned. ¡°How much have you had to drink?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s voice boomed out loudly as if he were responding to an instructor during military training. ¡°Twelve cans of beer!¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the reason for you getting blind drunk?¡±


    ¡°Every can represents my sincerity to the company!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Twelve! For the twelve astrological signs! And the twelve Chinese zodiacs!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The unity of twelve ethnic groups! To form Great Ming Yan¡¯s perfume dynasty!¡±


    ¡°Which twelve ethnic groups?¡±


    ¡°Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Ming Luchuan could no longer take it. He grabbed Xia Wennan¡¯s hand and shoved it away from him.


    Unbeknownst to anyone, Xia Wennan was too tipsy to stay steady on his feet, when he tipped backwards from Ming Luchuan¡¯s motions, the latter hurriedly extended a hand to support his back, drawing Xia Wennan into his arms.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s face was pressed to Ming Luchuan¡¯s chest. ¡°Ah?¡± He pressed his ear harder. ¡°President Ming, why is your heart beating so fast?¡±


    Without another word, Ming Luchuan caught his arm and dragged him to his room.

 CH 28

    Xia Wennan had yet to figure out what was currently happening. His upper body was at Ming Luchuan¡¯s mercy, his feet stumbling over each other as the other man towed him along. ¡°President Ming, what are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s tone was laced with stifled fury. ¡°I told you not to call me President Ming.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan dragged Xia Wennan all the way to the bathroom and dumped him in the bathtub, saying, ¡°Strip!¡±


    Xia Wennan covered his chest in alarm. ¡°What are your intentions towards me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan towered over him, looking down. He was practically gnashing his teeth as he asked, ¡°Xia Wennan¡ªare you sick in the head?¡±


    Xia Wennan put down the hand covering his chest and wrapped them around his head instead. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve been found out!¡±


    Ming Luchuan took a deep breath, took off his suit jacket that had been creased from dragging Xia Wennan, unbuttoned his shirt, and rolled up his cuffs.


    Xia Wennan sat cross-legged in the bathtub. He looked up at Ming Luchuan and called out, ¡°President Ming.¡±


    Ming Luchuan paid him no heed.


    Xia Wennan patted his chest. ¡°Look at me.¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned on the shower. In an instant, hot water sprayed out and drenched Xia Wennan¡¯s head.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Xia Wennan was soaked from head to toe, but the fact that he was sitting cross-legged in the bathtub escaped his notice entirely. He patted his chest again and bellowed, ¡°Ming Luchuan, I told you to look at me!¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him at long last. ¡°I told you to take your clothes off.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xia Wennan grabbed hold onto the edge of the bathtub and stood up on shaky knees. He was still wearing slippers and narrowly slipped in the tub.


    Ming Luchuan reached out to steady him.


    Xia Wennan batted Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± He took hold of his sopping wet T-shirt and pulled it over his head, cast it aside, and said, ¡°I told you to look at me.¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him expressionlessly.


    Xia Wennan then began taking off his pants, slipping off his damp shorts and slippers and wrapping them in a bundle, before reluctantly removing his briefs. Standing under the showerhead, he took a deep breath, but before he could speak his mind, he inhaled water through his nose and bent over and coughed in pain.


    It took a good while before he could prop himself up against the wall and stay on his feet, which was when he told Ming Luchuan, ¡°I¡¯m an upright and dignified person. I don¡¯t have anything to hide.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you on about?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice deepened.


    ¡°Although my brain isn¡¯t working like it¡¯s supposed to right now,¡± Xia Wennan began, ¡°as long as I, Xia Wennan, am alive, I¡¯ll always be that amazing, genius perfumer.¡±


    Ming Luchuan was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°You are.¡±


    The water got into Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes. He scrubbed them with his hand and flung his head back in discomfort, asking, ¡°I¡¯m what?¡±


    The water on Xia Wennan¡¯s face landed on Ming Luchuan. He wiped it away with a finger. ¡°You¡¯re whatever you want to be.¡±


    Xia Wennan reached out to clap his shoulder. ¡°You get me.¡±


    A damp handprint was left on the fabric over Ming Luchuan¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°Has your shower sobered you up yet?¡±


    In lieu of answering his question, Xia Wennan barrelled on, ¡°You were the only one by my side when I woke up. Even though I¡¯ve never said so, I¡¯m actually really grateful to you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you want to divorce me?¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think we work as husbands¡ªbut we can still be bros.¡±


    ¡°No one wants to be your bro,¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s tone was already icy.


    His words went unheard, and Xia Wennan simply spoke to himself, ¡°Predestined bros from a past life.¡± After that, he suddenly recalled an important matter and said, ¡°By the way, someone once said that there¡¯s a red mole on my butt. You have to help me check¡ªis it really there?¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s there? And if it isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t?¡± Xia Wennan seemed a little angry. ¡°If it¡¯s not there, that means he tricked me! I¡¯ll beat his ass!¡± He then turned his back to Ming Luchuan, braced his hands on the edge of the tub, and bent over. ¡°Hurry up and check for me.¡±


    As he bent over, Xia Wennan immediately felt his blood rushing to his head, and his dizziness grew tenfold. The sound of water in his ears isolated him from the outside world. It was only once he¡¯d bent over did he recall his initial purpose, so he asked loudly, ¡°Is it there?¡±


    When he didn¡¯t hear an answer, he had no choice but to turn around, only to realise that Ming Luchuan was no longer in the bathroom. He was the only one inside.


    Xia Wennan dumbly froze in place for a while. He slowly slid down until he lay on his back, staring at the drops of water trickling down his head. His body felt light as a feather, and he gradually lost his consciousness.


    Xia Wennan slept very deeply. The last time he slept so soundly was probably during his coma following his car accident. He sank into a void of silence, and his sleep was devoid of dreams.


    His consciousness returned to him in stages. He felt a splitting headache before opening his eyes, and the pain wasn¡¯t limited to that¡ªit was as if his body was severely worn out, as if he had yet to recover from a serious illness.


    He opened his eyes to faintly unfamiliar surroundings, but he couldn¡¯t mull over that at the moment because his entire focus was on the fact that he and Ming Luchuan were in the same bed. The man was lying next to him, fast asleep, so Xia Wennan pushed at him and asked, in a pained tone, ¡°Did you beat me up?¡±


    When Ming Luchuan opened his eyes, the first thing he did was move back to keep his distance from Xia Wennan. ¡°Do you remember what happened last night?¡±


    ¡°Last night? What happened?¡± Xia Wennan could only recall buying beers on his way home, and the last thing he remembered was drinking in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    Ming Luchuan simply said, ¡°You got wasted.¡±


    Xia Wennan lifted a hand to his head. ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never been wasted.¡± He¡¯d gone out for drinks with his classmates before, but at most he¡¯d only gotten a little tipsy. He¡¯d never drank until he passed out before. ¡°What did I do?¡± he asked, and it was only then that he realised that he was butt naked under the blankets. His eyes then snapped to Ming Luchuan, and his question became, ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°What did I do to you?¡± Ming Luchuan scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who stripped naked and knelt in front of me and ordered me to look at you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡± Xia Wennan didn¡¯t even pause to consider before immediately denying it.


    ¡°Believe whatever you want.¡± Ming Luchuan tore away the blanket and got out of bed.


    Seeing that Ming Luchuan was still dressed in his nightclothes, Xia Wennan felt a little relieved. While Ming Luchuan entered the bathroom, he lifted the blanket and examined his body. Upon finding no unusual marks, he hurriedly climbed out of bed and opened the door to return to his own bedroom.


    When he emerged from his room in a clean pair of clothes and found that Ming Luchuan was in the kitchen, he walked over and saw that the man was frying eggs.


    Ming Luchuan had a sharp and distinct side profile. His lips were shut tight, and his thick lashes were slightly downcast.


    ¡°Still upset?¡± Xia Wennan asked as he drew near.


    Without sparing a glance his way, Ming Luchuan quietly shuffled aside.


    Xia Wennan was a little hurt. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden distance?¡±


    ¡°Are you aware that you still reek of alcohol?¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan covered his mouth with both hands. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ming Luchuan fried eggs, made toast, brewed coffee, and brought everything to the table. He and Xia Wennan sat across from each other and had breakfast.


    ¡°Was I really that wasted?¡± Xia Wennan probed.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze pierced into him.


    Xia Wennan tried again, ¡°Did you do anything to me or not?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Xia Wennan inwardly dismissed that. He first apologised, then took a slice of bread and spread butter all over it before taking large bites. ¡°You¡¯re not going to work today?¡± he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.


    Ming Luchuan picked up the coffee in an elegant manner and sipped it unhurriedly. After a while, he put it back down and said, ¡°I¡¯m accompanying you to the hospital for a check-up.¡±

 CH 29

    Ming Luchuan drove Xia Wennan to the hospital for his check-up.


    Hounded by his torturous hangover, Xia Wennan weakly collapsed on the front passenger seat, his forehead pressed to the window. In the enclosed space of the car, Xia Wennan could smell the alcohol on his body that didn¡¯t go away even after a shower and a change of clothes. He could only sneakily open the window a sliver.


    Fresh air poured in from the narrow crack of the opened window.


    Xia Wennan turned to look at Ming Luchuan and saw that he was single-mindedly focused on driving. Not a single glance was spared his way.


    Feeling faintly ill, he rubbed at his forehead and called, ¡°Ming Luchuan.¡±


    Ming Luchuan ignored him.


    Xia Wennan pressed on, ¡°What happened to my car?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± Ming Luchuan coldly answered him at last.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I driving it when I got into the accident? What happened to it?¡±


    ¡°There you go. You know you got into a car accident. Do you think your car would still be fine after that? You¡¯re such a fool.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked up. ¡°My car¡¯s gone?¡±


    ¡°It was sent in for repairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xia Wennan let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought it was completely wrecked. When will the repairs be done?¡±


    ¡°The mechanic will give us a call.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Xia Wennan responded languidly.


    When they arrived at the hospital and went in for his check-up, the doctor chastised Xia Wennan for his excessive drinking. The doctor was a female omega with a delicate stature, yet she was relentless in her scolding. Xia Wennan endured the entire ordeal with great difficulty before hastily ducking inside the therapy room.


    The treatment took half an hour. When Xia Wennan came out, he couldn¡¯t find Ming Luchuan and instead ran into Lin Shuqiu.


    This was his first time seeing Lin Shuqiu after his discharge from the hospital.


    Lin Shuqiu had come especially for Xia Wennan. He asked him how his recovery was coming along.


    ¡°Pretty well,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°I still haven¡¯t remembered anything though.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to take your meds on time,¡± Lin Shuqiu advised. ¡°Just take it easy.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    They sat on the hospital corridor benches, making small talk about how Xia Wennan had been doing recently. Lin Shuqiu explained that he knew Xia Wennan had come for a check-up because he saw Ming Luchuan meeting the director, so he¡¯d subsequently rushed to meet him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xia Wennan suddenly felt somewhat touched. He and Lin Shuqiu had never really been close, but meeting him again right then was like getting to see a person from your hometown in an unfamiliar city. The vast yet empty and desolate city could strengthen what was initially a weak connection, and without realising it, they¡¯d gotten close. Moreover, during his stay in the hospital, Lin Shuqiu had been very concerned for him and had helped him out many times.


    As Xia Wennan wanted to stay in touch with Lin Shuqiu, he asked, ¡°Are you free tonight? Why don¡¯t we get dinner?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu appeared faintly hesitant to speak.


    Upon seeing his expression, Xia Wennan said, ¡°You aren¡¯t? That¡¯s okay, we can take a rain check.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Lin Shuqiu clarified. ¡°Then¡ªI¡¯ll see you tonight? You decide on the time and place, and I¡¯ll head over once my shift ends. I have a few things I need to tell you.¡±


    At the sight of his grave expression, Xia Wennan curiously inquired, ¡°What things?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu was already on his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything tonight. I need to get back to work.¡±


    Xia Wennan could only follow suit and stand up, saying, ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    On the drive from the hospital, Ming Luchuan asked Xia Wennan, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t immediately answer this question. If it were yesterday, he¡¯d probably want to go to the company, eager to return to his position and prove that he was a person with self-worth who didn¡¯t need to mooch off others to live.


    But now, he realised that he might need a little more time. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said to Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him and, after a moment, said, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight.¡±


    Xia Wennan sat up straighter in his seat. ¡°Ah? I¡¯m meeting with someone tonight.¡±


    ¡°Who are you meeting with?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice deepened.


    ¡°Lin Shuqiu. My classmate. You¡¯ve met him.¡±


    Ming Luchuan seemed to remember. ¡°That doctor?¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drink,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan raised a hand to hug his head. He didn¡¯t feel as dizzy as before. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    That afternoon, Xia Wennan decided on their dinner location and texted the address to Lin Shuqiu. Lin Shuqiu was probably preoccupied at work, as he didn¡¯t reply until half an hour later with a simple ¡®got it¡¯.


    Xia Wennan spent the rest of the day at home, reading books and sorting through materials.


    Since he was a child, Xia Wennan had excelled in school. He wasn¡¯t the type to be buried in his studies, but under his grandpa¡¯s tutelage, he¡¯d fostered good learning habits as well as the ability to summarise and sort things systematically. There were numerous technical books in his room and a large amount of research materials in his laptop, and he believed that even though he¡¯d lost his memories, he¡¯d always be able to retrieve them as long as they¡¯d left traces in his brain.


    He settled in to read for the better part of the day, and when he saw that it was almost time for his dinner appointment with Lin Shuqiu, he changed and left.


    In terms of location, Xia Wennan had chosen a restaurant not far from the hospital where Lin Shuqiu worked.


    Lin Shuqiu hastily rushed over after work, but he still arrived a few minutes later than their agreed-upon time.


    ¡°Sorry, there was a small issue with a patient right before my shift ended.¡± Lin Shuqiu repeatedly apologised to Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan took the small teapot on the table and poured some tea for Lin Shuqiu. ¡°That¡¯s all right, It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know that you were busy with work.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu wiped the sweat dotting his forehead, picked up his tea cup, and drained it in one gulp. He then set it down on the table and exhaled lightly.


    Xia Wennan swiftly refilled his tea.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Lin Shuqiu.


    Before Lin Shuqiu arrived, Xia Wennan had already ordered, and at this time, the waiters began serving their food in succession.


    ¡°I have no idea how the food here tastes,¡± Xia Wennan said casually.


    Lin Shuqiu smiled wordlessly.


    In truth, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Lin Shuqiu had said at the hospital that morning, but since Lin Shuqiu wasn¡¯t volunteering to start on that subject, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t rush to ask. After all, he¡¯d sincerely wanted to invite Lin Shuqiu to dinner, and he didn¡¯t want to make the other man think that he was only here for that thing he had yet to tell him about.


    He had no idea what was going on in Lin Shuqiu¡¯s mind, but from time to time, the man¡¯s delicate brows would slightly wrinkle.


    The two made casual conversation at first, the topics revolving around their university days or their old middle school classmates. Halfway through their meal, Lin Shuqiu wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked straight at Xia Wennan, saying, ¡°Wennan, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Finally, Xia Wennan thought.


    Lin Shuqiu¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°The day of your accident, when you were admitted to the hospital, we drew your blood to have it examined. After we finished, there were some leftover samples that the students collected to run experiments on, and they discovered traces of sleeping pills in your blood.¡±


    Xia Wennan was thunderstruck. ¡°What?¡±


    The hospital was affiliated with a medical school, and Lin Shuqiu himself was still working on a research project with the director. He¡¯d return to the university lab on occasion, and it was there that he¡¯d learned of these findings entirely by chance.


    Xia Wennan was driving alone that night when he crashed into the roadside greenery, causing his car to overturn among the flowering shrubs. At the time, he¡¯d passed out due to serious injuries. Passersby had summoned an ambulance and traffic police, and Xia Wennan was taken to the emergency room.


    Following his admission, the traffic police department tested for alcohol concentration in Xia Wennan¡¯s blood. A drug test was also performed, but no abnormalities were discovered. They also examined the car, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Because there were no other casualties, it was classified as a regular traffic accident, and the insurance company would be compensating the car and driver involved.


    Ming Luchuan had handled all these procedures in his place, and all Xia Wennan had to do while he was laid up in his hospital bed was sign his name.


    The laboratory collecting and conducting tests on Xia Wennan¡¯s blood samples was a coincidence, and Lin Shuqiu discovering the test results was also a coincidence. If these coincidences hadn¡¯t occurred, Xia Wennan might not have ever known he¡¯d taken sleeping pills that night.


    Lin Shuqiu¡¯s tone was cautious and solemn. ¡°You¡¯re aware of what this means, right? Would you like to report this to the police?¡±

 CH 30

    Xia Wennan was shell-shocked for a good while.


    After voicing his question, Lin Shuqiu fell silent, picking up his cup and quietly drinking his tea.


    Sleeping pills. A car accident. Ming Luchuan¡­ Xia Wennan¡¯s mind was a jumbled mess. He recalled how, on the night of the accident, the last meal he¡¯d had was at the Ming¡¯s.


    Had someone slipped him sleeping pills, or had he taken them himself?


    ¡°Would you like to report this to the police?¡±


    When Lin Shuqiu uttered this sentence earlier, Xia Wennan had taken his phone out on reflex. His eyes bore upon his phone screen as his finger slowly slid across it. He meant to call the police at first, but for some reason, he opened his contacts and was greeted by a capital ¡°M¡± at the very top.


    All of a sudden, his phone rang, the screen displaying an incoming call from ¡°M¡±.


    Xia Wennan answered the call and heard the sound of his own voice going, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Ming Luchuan asked him in his usual detached tone.


    Xia Wennan seemingly snapped out of his trance. He cast a glance at Lin Shuqiu, who sat across from him, but the man was not looking at him at all, his head bowed and his gaze fixed on his phone as he sipped his drink. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m having dinner with my classmate,¡± he said to Ming Luchuan with no noticeable difference in his tone.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m asking where you¡¯re eating.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m picking you up.¡±


    Xia Wennan hesitated for two seconds before giving Ming Luchuan the restaurant¡¯s address.


    Ming Luchuan directly hung up without uttering another word.


    When Xia Wennan turned back to Lin Shuqiu, Lin Shuqiu had already put away his phone. He was sitting upright and looking at him.


    ¡°Could you detect the dosage of the sleeping pill in my blood?¡± Xia Wennan rested his arms atop the table, slightly leaning forward as he asked in a small voice.


    Lin Shuqiu shook his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t test for it at the time.¡± He quickly added, ¡°The blood¡¯s already contaminated by now.¡± Which meant that there was no way to retest it.


    Xia Wennan frowned as he contemplated that. ¡°Maybe I took the sleeping pills at noon¡ªmight there be some residual effects in the evening?¡°


    ¡°We can¡¯t rule that out,¡± answered Lin Shuqiu.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t continue, his gaze fixed on the dish before him. A while passed before he said, vexxed, ¡°Even if I did report this, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to gather the evidence?¡±


    A troubled expression graced Lin Shuqiu¡¯s face. ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯s been quite a while since then.¡±


    When police test for drug and alcohol content in the blood, the samples are sealed before being submitted for testing; otherwise, they can easily become contaminated before being tested. Of course, lab results may not necessarily be able to serve as evidence, and without a definite concentration, it would be even more difficult to indicate any issues at hand.


    Xia Wennan was mute for a moment before saying to Lin Shuqiu, ¡°Thank you, I think there might¡¯ve been a mistake.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu nodded, seemingly understanding what he meant. Holding the cup in his hand, he said, ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°Either way, thank you,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Lin Shuqiu laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, we¡¯re old classmates after all. Plus, strictly speaking, you¡¯re my patient. I have a duty to immediately inform you of anything concerning your health.¡±


    Xia Wennan herded the topic away from the matter of those sleeping pills.


    Lin Shuqiu¡¯s job at the hospital was extremely demanding. He frequently worked night shifts and had no time to date.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there any pretty young nurses?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    Lin Shuqiu laughed. ¡°And where are all these so-called pretty single nurses?¡±


    ¡°I saw one at the nurse¡¯s station, she was really pretty,¡± Xia Wennan casually babbled. ¡°The one who delivered my meds.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    Xia Wennan lowered his head and tried to jog his memory. ¡°I think she was an omega? She was the only omega nurse there, if I recall correctly.¡±


    When Lin Shuqiu failed to respond, he lifted his head and looked to him, only to realise that Lin Shuqiu was looking over Xia Wennan¡¯s shoulder, a look of surprise on his face. He then heard Lin Shuqiu call out, ¡°Mr. Ming?¡±


    Xia Wennan spun around to see Ming Luchuan standing behind him.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get here so quickly?¡± Through his shock, Xia Wennan tried his hardest to keep his composure.


    ¡°I was in the area,¡± said Ming Luchuan. He directly sat down next to Xia Wennan and greeted Lin Shuqiu, ¡°Hello, Dr. Lin.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu promptly replied, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Ming Luchuan sat there squarely. He looked at Lin Shuqiu and asked, somewhat austerely, ¡°Which pretty omega nurse were you referring to?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu was taken aback by his question. He subconsciously looked to Xia Wennan and casually prattled, ¡°Ah, yeah, Wennan was just joking with me. Which female omega would be interested in me anyway?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression eased up some. ¡°Dr. Lin is so amazing, why would anyone not be interested in you?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu laughed, and they exchanged a few more pleasantries before he consciously said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should head back.¡±


    Before Xia Wennan could get a word in, Ming Luchuan asked, ¡°Have you finished eating?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu bobbed his head. ¡°Yes. I have to get to work early tomorrow, so I should go home and get some sleep.¡±


    Ming Luchuan thus lifted a hand to summon the waiter and pay the bill.


    They then bid Lin Shuqiu farewell at the entrance of the restaurant. Once Lin Shuqiu had left, Xia Wennan followed Ming Luchuan to his car, which was parked at the curb.


    After they got in, Xia Wennan purposefully scuffled his butt closer to the door.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands were gripping the steering wheel. He was in no rush to start the car. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get any alcohol smell on you,¡± Xia Wennan explained.


    Ming Luchuan angled his jaw and studied him for a while before crooking a finger at Xia Wennan. ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Xia Wennan hesitantly shifted a little closer to the man.


    Ming Luchuan drew Xia Wennan in by the neck, buried his face in his hair, and sniffed it before pushing him away, saying, ¡°Doesn¡¯t smell anymore.¡± He then started the car and slowly pulled out from his parking spot.


    Xia Wennan plucked at his mussed up hair and couldn¡¯t stop himself from uttering, ¡°Lunatic.¡±


    At some point, it had started drizzling outside. Raindrops pelted the window pane, making pitter-patter sounds incessantly.


    Inside the car, the air conditioning had been switched on. The air was dry and a little chilly. Xia Wennan raised a hand and wiped at the condensation on the window, and suddenly asked, ¡°Does your family like me?


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t immediately answer and instead responded with his own question, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?


    ¡°Nothing, I just suddenly felt like asking.¡± Xia Wennan let his head fall against the window. It was as if his heart had been pricked by a thorn in the form of the sleeping pill. It festered there, unable to be removed.


    The faces of the Ming family members flashed across his mind one by one, ending with Ming Luchuan¡¯s.


    ¡°Hey. I proposed to you, right?¡± he asked.


    Ming Luchuan hummed, his meaning unclear.


    ¡°Why did you say yes? Are you secretly in love with me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan said nothing.


    Xia Wennan turned to look at Ming Luchuan. He looked at him for a long time, so long that Ming Luchuan¡¯s brows slightly furrowed. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± he asked, rather impatiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m staring at you. Why?¡± Xia Wennan said in a provoking tone.


    Ming Luchuan faced the road icily.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. At the very least, Ming Luchuan could be trusted.

 CH 31

    Xia Wennan shut himself away in his room, reading books late into the night, and what first appeared to be a complex and obscure craft proved to be not so difficult to grasp as time passed. He discovered that he hadn¡¯t completely lost that part of his memories¡ªit was more like something had been obstructing them, and everything would clear up in an instant as long as the fog was lifted.


    His laptop was filled with documents concerning the research and development of Ming Yan¡¯s Emotions pheromone perfume line. Initially, Xia Wennan had discovered a species of insect that possessed human pheromone receptors in its body. When exposed to human pheromones, this insect emits a fragrance, so Xia Wennan had gone and injected a human pheromone extract directly into the insect¡¯s glands and extracted the quasi-pheromone transmitter substance it secreted in response.


    This quasi-pheromone transmitter was able to bind human pheromone receptors and carried its own natural fragrance. In the beginning, this quasi-pheromone transmitter only expressed a single smell, but Xia Wennan led his team to conduct countless experiments in the lab, giving the insect different stimuli and looking for the same genus of insect for breeding, and was eventually able to extract up to seven types of stable quasi-pheromone transmitters for seven different ¡°emotions¡± in a strictly controlled laboratory environment.


    This was the origin of the Emotions pheromone perfume line.


    Presently, various perfume brands were all researching pheromone perfumes, but the patent for the extraction and development of quasi-pheromone transmitters was in Ming Yan¡¯s hands alone, and those other brands all encountered a number of difficulties. Perhaps, it should be said that Ming Yan was only able to succeed due to Xia Wennan¡¯s unique constitution, because alphas and omegas had no way of detecting the subtle changes in an insect¡¯s secreted fragrance under the influence of pheromones.


    But, because Xia Wennan had already overcome the biggest challenge in developing pheromone perfumes, with patented technology and a professional team behind him, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to continue making breakthroughs.


    The opened document before him was a project proposal he¡¯d submitted. The proposal mentioned two brand new pheromone perfumes, the alpha perfume Xishui Hall and an unnamed gender-neutral perfume.


    The descriptions for the two pheromone perfumes were very simple; it appeared that the idea had yet to fully take shape in Xia Wennan¡¯s head. As for what his original idea was, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t remember at all.


    The manager of the marketing department sat across from him at the long table in the meeting room, reading out dull and tedious numbers. As Xia Wennan listened to him go on and on, he became increasingly sleepy.


    He cast a glance over at Ming Luchuan, who sat at the head of the table, his head bowed and a focused expression on his face as he studied a report on his tablet. Xia Wennan thus leaned forward and rested his chest against the tabletop, lifting one hand to prop up his face.


    The effects of last night¡¯s all-nighter were starting to show, and with his head on his hand, Xia Wennan unintentionally dozed off.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d slept, but he awoke with a start when his arm slipped, his eyes flying open as he straightened up in his seat¡ªonly to find that everyone had already left the meeting room and he and Ming Luchuan were the only ones remaining.


    Ming Luchuan was still seated at the head of the table, but he was now lying back in his chair, his posture casual as he looked through the files in front of him with his head lowered.


    There was a red imprint on Xia Wennan¡¯s cheek from where his hand had pressed against it. He was a little disoriented as he asked, ¡°Why has everyone left?


    Ming Luchuan looked up at him. ¡°The meeting¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°How come you¡¯re still here?¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t stop himself from rubbing his cheek. As he asked Ming Luchuan, he realised that everyone had definitely noticed that he¡¯d dozed off when the meeting was adjourned earlier.


    In lieu of answering him, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Was I not supposed to wake you for the meeting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Xia Wennan said absently.


    Ming Luchuan looked at him mutely.


    Feeling uneasy under his steare, Xia Wennan quietly reached out to tidy his belongings on the table, wanting to leave the meeting room.


    But right as he got to his feet, Ming Luchuan asked, ¡°Been sleeping late recently?¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him with a face full of suspicion. ¡°Huh? Nope. How¡¯d you know? Were you spying on me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face clouded over. He slightly raised his jaw. ¡°Do I need to spy on you?¡±


    ¡°My door was closed. How would you know if I¡¯m awake?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ming Luchuan appeared to be trying his hardest to be patient, but in the end he couldn¡¯t help himself from saying, ¡°From the light coming from the gap under your door.¡±


    ¡°And what are you peeping at my door for? Do you still want to pretend you¡¯re not secretly in love with me?¡±


    ¡°Xia Wennan!¡± Ming Luchuan sat upright.


    Xia Wennan took a step back. ¡°If you have something to say, then speak nicely. Don¡¯t use your fists.¡±


    Ming Luchuan tossed the two documents on the table, stood up, and as he headed to the door, he said, ¡°Bring those documents to my office.¡±


    Xia Wennan had intended to return to his office in the R&D department, but when he heard Ming Luchuan¡¯s instructions, he could only reluctantly pick up the folders and follow Ming Luchuan out.


    When they emerged from the meeting room, Xia Wennan met Ming Luchuan¡¯s pretty omega secretary. As soon as she saw Xia Wennan, she smiled and said, ¡°Manager Xia, let me help you with that, sir.¡±


    Ming Luchuan was walking in front. Without turning his head, he coldly dismissed her, ¡°Let him be.¡±


    The female secretary retracted her extended hand, her face still adorned with the same pleasant smile. ¡°Have a nice day, Manager Xia.¡±


    When they entered Ming Luchuan¡¯s office, Xia Wennan placed the documents on his desk and asked, ¡°Anything else? If there isn¡¯t, I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± Ming Luchuan told Xia Wennan as he sat down on his chair.


    Xia Wennan looked at him, separated by the large desk. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ming Luchuan swept his eyes over Xia Wennan¡¯s body from head to toe and suddenly pushed the call button on his desk.


    Almost immediately, there was a knock on the door, and Xu Feng¡¯s voice floated from outside. ¡°President Ming?¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xu Feng opened the door and stepped into the room.


    ¡°Take him to get his hair cut tomorrow,¡± Ming Luchuan said to Xu Feng. ¡°It¡¯s gotten too long.¡±


    Xia Wennan frowned. ¡°Who? Me?¡±


    ¡°Who else is here?¡±


    Xia Wennan ruffled a hand through his hair. It was a bit on the long side, but it was still within a tolerable length. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s long,¡± he said, ¡°plus, I don¡¯t need anyone to take me.¡±


    Ming Luchuan raised his head to look at him. A moment later, he asked Xu Feng. ¡°What time does the banquet start tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Half past seven.¡± Ming Luchuan nodded, then told Xia Wennan, ¡°There¡¯s a charity banquet at half-past seven tomorrow night. We¡¯ll be going together.¡±


    ¡°A charity banquet?¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    ¡°Should I prepare a suit for Mr. Xia?¡± Xu Feng asked quietly.


    Ming Luchuan turned to Xia Wennan. ¡°You should have some event-appropriate formal attire in your closet, but preparing a new set should also be fine.¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t care much for the topic of formal attire. He bent forwards and rested his upper body on the tabletop, leaning closer to Ming Luchuan and asking, ¡°I¡¯ll be going with you?¡±


    ¡°Who else would you be going with?¡±


    As he pondered this, a faint wrinkle appeared on Xia Wennan¡¯s brow, his gaze wandering. A short time later, he turned around and looked Ming Luchuan in the eyes. ¡°What am I going as? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m going as¡ªyour wife?¡± Xia Wennan felt somewhat ashamed when saying that last word, so it had come out rather vague.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be going as President Ming¡¯s partner, as well as a prominent pheromone perfumer in the industry,¡± Xu Feng explained.


    Xia Wennan was abruptly intrigued, he turned to Xu Feng and asked, ¡°Am I the father of pheromone perfumes?¡±


    Xu Feng paused for a beat at his question before responding, ¡°Perhaps some would call you that, sir.¡±


    Xia Wennan patted his chest. ¡°Thank god no one calls me the mother of pheromone perfumes.¡± He figured that it was all on him for being married to an alpha.


    ¡°And? What does it matter if you¡¯re the father or mother of pheromone perfumes?¡± Ming Luchuan uttered icily.


    Xia Wennan smiled his way. ¡°It doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s just a personal preference, it doesn¡¯t matter one bit.¡± After that, he got up and patted Xu Feng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll get my hair cut tomorrow.¡±


    He¡¯d rather like to go to this charity banquet and broaden his horizons.

 CH 32

    ¡°Ming Luchuan.¡±


    Xia Wennan was standing before Ming Luchuan¡¯s desk.


    Ming Luchuan had noticed him entering the room, but it wasn¡¯t until now that he lifted his head absentmindedly, resulting in several moments of stunned silence.


    In his recollection, it¡¯d been a long, long time since Xia Wennan looked like he did now. He¡¯d been wearing nothing but T-shirts and shorts since waking up in the hospital, and while his hair wasn¡¯t exactly unkempt, it¡¯d never been styled so meticulously.


    This afternoon, Xu Feng accompanied Xia Wennan back from a trip out, where Xia Wennan had gotten his hair trimmed and changed into a slim-fit suit. Perhaps it was the suit, but Xia Wennan¡¯s demeanor had transformed completely; his back was straighter, and his scruffy university student-look had vanished, replaced by the image of a dashing young man.


    Despite being a beta, Xia Wennan¡¯s looks were far from average. His eyes were bright, his nose bridge was high, and the corners of his mouth remained slightly upturned even when he wasn¡¯t smiling. He wasn¡¯t a big fan of working out, so he hadn¡¯t put on much muscle, but he didn¡¯t seem frail in the least, and instead was slender and had good proportions¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be more ideal.


    Xia Wennan was faintly smiling as he asked Ming Luchuan, ¡°How do I look?¡±


    The back of Ming Luchuan¡¯s chair lightly rocked as he leaned back. ¡°It¡¯ll suffice. You kind of resemble your previous self.¡±


    Suddenly curious, Xia Wennan leaned forward, bracing himself on the large desk. ¡°How was I like before?¡±


    ¡°You only spouted half the nonsense you do now.¡±


    A hint of surprise flashed across Xia Wennan¡¯s face before it took on an enlightened expression. ¡°Marriage must¡¯ve tortured me into keeping my mouth shut.¡±


    Ming Luchuan snorted. ¡°You¡¯d better watch your words tonight.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say tonight.¡±


    Xia Wennan was actually a little nervous, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. When facing a formal situation, Xia Wennan could only hope that he could act appropriately; after all, if he were to embarrass himself, Ming Luchuan wouldn¡¯t be the one losing face¡ªit was his own face on the line.


    In the backseat of the car, on the way to the hotel the banquet was held at, Xia Wennan sat with a straight back, his head held high and proper, looking like a stunningly handsome, exceptional youth.


    Ming Luchuan was clad in a black suit. He sat next to Xia Wennan silently with his back against the seat, shooting Xia Wennan glances every now and then.


    ¡°Ming Luchuan,¡± Xia Wennan suddenly called, still looking ahead.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s expression was serene as he responded, ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°¡­did you get your memories back?¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to meet his gaze and, after a brief moment, said, ¡°No.¡±


    Ming Luchuan faintly scowled. ¡°Then you must be possessed.¡±


    ¡°Do I seem like my previous self, looking like this?¡± Xia Wennan said.


    But Ming Luchuan evidently had no desire to answer that question.


    Xia Wennan was a little upset. ¡°If I weren¡¯t possesed, why would I marry you?¡±


    Ming Luchuan ignored him all the way to the hotel, where they got out of the car.


    As they entered the hotel¡¯s banquet hall, Xia Wennan trailed behind Ming Luchuan, treading on the thick carpet. A few staff members came up to welcome them at the entrance and invited them to sign their names at the check-in desk.


    Ming Luchuan took a pen and bent down to sign his name on the register.


    Xia Wennan stood at his side and hesitated briefly before taking another pen and signing his name.


    Ming Luchuan immediately left after signing his name without waiting for him, so Xia Wennan had no choice but to chase him down.


    The banquet hadn¡¯t even officially begun yet, but the lights were shining brightly inside the hall, and a large number of guests had already arrived.


    As soon as Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan set foot inside the hall, many guests carrying glasses of wine approached them to greet them.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t know these people, but they obviously knew who he was. Fortunately, none of them called him ¡®Mrs. Ming¡¯, and instead politely addressed him as ¡®Mr. Xia¡¯. Standing next to Ming Luchuan, he smiled in response to anyone who greeted him, as if he still remembered who each and everyone of them were.


    Someone asked after him, yet Xia Wennan didn¡¯t quite catch their words, and Ming Luchuan took the initiative to answer for him. ¡°Mr. Ming and Mr. Xia are so close.¡±


    Ming Luchuan showed a rare smile and lifted a hand to embrace Xia Wennan¡¯s waist. ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner yet,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get a little something to eat first?¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. He and Ming Luchuan made their way towards the buffet table, where they could finally get away from the chattering crowds and take a moment to catch their breaths.


    Aside from entrepreneurs, today¡¯s charity banquet was also attended by celebrities, and whether they were wealthy businessmen or celebrities, alphas and omegas made up a sizable portion of the crowd.


    Because the ballroom was a relatively closed off environment, Xia Wennan could smell all sorts of pheromones spilling into the air.


    It was predominantly alpha pheromones, as omegas would usually try to suppress their own pheromones to protect themselves, especially in public places like these. Alphas, on the other hand, were much more willing to release their pheromones in order to demonstrate their charm and power, be it when facing omegas or other alphas.


    Ming Luchuan, however, was the picture of calm as he stood next to Xia Wennan. When Xia Wennan turned to face him, he found that the man had unexpectedly taken a slice of cake and was currently eating it.


    Astonished, Xia Wennan nudged Ming Luchuan with his elbow.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What did you do that for?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eating cake at a time like this?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at the cake he was holding. ¡°You want some?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t! Aren¡¯t you seeing all these alphas and omegas? How are you so composed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Ming Luchuan answered coldly. He¡¯d rushed here as soon as he clocked off this afternoon, and there had been no time to grab a bite.


    Xia Wennan gazed out at the lively banquet hall, which was when he caught sight of a newly arrived guest who was attracting countless people¡¯s attention.


    He grabbed Ming Luchuan¡¯s arm. ¡°That omega is so good-looking!¡±


    Ming Luchuan ignored him.


    Xia Wennan suddenly felt somewhat uncertain. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before.¡±


    It was only then did Ming Luchuan raise his head.


    The guests who had just entered were a pair; a fair, slim omega youth dressed in white with wavy hair dyed a light brown, the diamond stud-earrings adorning his ears glittering under the bright lights. He was accompanied by an alpha who was, predictably, tall and handsome, and exuded an imposing demeanor.


    ¡°Senior,¡± Xia Wennan said dazedly.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    Xia Wennan turned to Ming Luchuan, seeming as if he hadn¡¯t completely snapped out of his daze yet. ¡°That alpha is my senior in uni.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression grew grim. ¡°Who? He Yufeng?¡±


    ¡°He Yufeng,¡± Xia Wennan said, almost at the same time Ming Luchuan mentioned the name.


    Meanwhile, the omega in white was already heading their way, softly calling out, ¡°Luchuan!¡±


    Xia Wennan looked over and, as he watched the omega walk closer and closer, he abruptly recalled where he¡¯d seen him before¡ªthis omega was the fourth person in the photo Ming Luchuan had placed on his bedside table back at the Ming family house.


    He Yufeng, who had arrived with the omega, was also heading their way, his gaze landing on Xia Wennan.


    Just as Xia Wennan was about to shout out ¡°senior¡±, Ming Luchuan wrapped an arm around his shoulder, drawing him close. The gesture was especially intimate, and nothing came out of Xia Wennan¡¯s lips in the end, but he heard Ming Luchuan call out in a low voice: ¡°Duan Ning.¡±

 CH 33

    Duan Ning stood before them in all-white, a half-smile on his lips. ¡°Long time to see.¡±


    Xia Wennan had never met Duan Ning; he didn¡¯t even know whether he was acquainted with the guy or not, so he turned to look at Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan had a neutral expression on his face as he gave Duan Ning a nod. ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Last week,¡± said Duan Ning. ¡°I got in touch with Siyan. He didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    He Yufeng, who had been following Duan Ning closely, also approached them at this time. He smiled at Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°President Ming,¡± before turning to face Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan met He Yufeng in his first year of university. He Yufeng, who was two years his senior, was in his third year at the time. He¡¯d been the student union¡¯s president and an influential figure in their faculty. They had rarely crossed paths¡ªafter all, He Yufeng was an alpha, whereas Xia Wennan was a newly enrolled first-year student. Even if He Yufeng paid attention to new students, his attention wouldn¡¯t be on Xia Wennan.


    And yet at present, He Yufeng was looking at Xia Wennan with a gentle gaze. ¡°Wennan, I heard that you got into a car accident recently,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t suffer any serious injuries, did you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xia Wennan responded vaguely. ¡°I¡¯m all healed.¡±


    Duan Ning, who was also looking at Xia Wennan, held out a hand and amicably introduced himself, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Duan Ning.¡±


    Xia Wennan shook his hand. ¡°Xia Wennan.¡±


    Duan Ning smiled. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to meet you at last.¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled mutely.


    At that moment, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed, and the melodic music that had been resounding throughout the room came to an abrupt halt. As the spotlight fell on the main stage, and the emcee began ushering the guests to take their seats.


    Ming Luchuan took Xia Wennan to their assigned seats. The banquet hall was packed with round tables, with chairs arranged around them. They weren¡¯t at the same table as He Yufeng and Duan Ning, but shortly after Xia Wennan sat down, he noticed someone waving at him from the next table over. When he turned to look, he discovered that it was Ming Siyan, and sitting next to him was his alpha boyfriend, Lu Huaiye.


    The charity banquet¡¯s auction was about to commence, the loud chatter in the hall quietened down until it was a soft murmur.


    Xia Wennan called Ming Luchuan in a hushed tone, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t respond.


    Xia Wennan could only close the distance between them to whisper in Ming Luchuan¡¯s ear, ¡°Ming Luchuan!¡±


    ¡°Just spit it out,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Duan Ning?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan slightly paused for a moment, facing the front he whole time, before answering, ¡°He¡¯s a childhood friend.¡±


    ¡°Were you childhood sweethearts?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him from the corner of his eyes and didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Do you know He Yufeng?¡± Xia Wennan asked again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my senior. He was two years above me in uni,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Why is he here today?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Mo Ze¡¯s boss.¡±


    ¡°Mo Ze?¡± Xia Wennan hesitated. ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act all alarmed.¡±


    Xia Wennan seized Ming Luchuan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°That Mo Ze?¡±


    Ming Luchuan nodded.


    Prior to the launch of Ming Yan¡¯s Emotions line, Mo Ze was Ming Yan¡¯s biggest domestic competitor in the perfume market. The reason why Xia Wennan was so familiar with Mo Ze was because, when he was reading up about the development of pheromone perfumes, he learnt that Mo Ze was one of the numerous perfume and cosmetic brands that were going all out to develop pheromone perfumes.


    ¡°Then does that mean that my Senior He is your business rival?¡±


    Rather than answering his question, Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, his face taking on an unhappy expression.


    Xia Wennan stopped pursuing the matter when he saw that they were auctioning off a piece of jewelry donated by a celebrity on stage, and Lu Huaiye was participating in the bidding.


    Countless people¡¯s gazes were drawn to Lu Huaiye and Ming Siyan. The warm glow of the light danced across the side of Ming Siyan¡¯s face, highlighting his delicate porcelain doll-like appearance even more.


    Xia Wennan suddenly remembered something and asked Ming Luchuan, ¡°On the night of my accident¡­¡±


    And yet Ming Luchuan¡¯s attention was evidently also on Lu Huaiye, with the way he coldly and casually retorted, ¡°What?¡±


    Xia Wennan had no choice but to raise his voice, ¡°I said¡ªon the night of my accident!¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned to face him. ¡°You¡¯re so noisy.¡±


    In a flash, Xia Wennan reached out and pulled Ming Luchuan¡¯s ear until it was right in front of him, his lips pressing against it as he asked, ¡°Was Lu Huaiye at your house for dinner on the night of my accident?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was silent for a brief moment before he answered, ¡°He was. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xia Wennan inwardly thought, apart from Ming Luchuan, nobody else in the Ming family could be trusted. Perhaps it was because Ming Qin gave off an overly youthful impression that made his family members seem a bit odd.


    Lu Huaiye won the auction for the commemorative jewelry. Ming Siyan, appearing pleased, gave Lu Huaiye a kiss on the cheek.


    Halfway through the event, Xia Wennan ran into Ming Siyan in the toilet.


    Ming Siyan had entered before Xia Wennan, but he was in no hurry to leave, standing in front of the sink, waiting for Xia Wennan.


    At this moment, they were the only people in the toilet.


    Ming Siyan watched him from the side as he washed his hands. ¡°Did you meet Duan Ning today?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Xia Wennan responded unenthusiastically, pretending to focus on his hands. When he finished, he immediately headed for the door.


    ¡°Wennan, you don¡¯t remember Duan Ning?¡± Ming Siyan asked from behind him.


    Xia Wennan could only stop in his tracks and look at Ming Siyan over his shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t this my first time meeting him? Did I know him before?¡±


    ¡°Da-ge never once mentioned Duan Ning?¡±


    Xia Wennan shook his head.


    Ming Siyan stared at him for a moment before he slightly ducked his head and smiled. ¡°Nevermind then. We all grew up together, so I thought that da-ge would¡¯ve told you about him.¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled back before waving at Ming Siyan and leaving the toilet.


    He stepped out of the toilet to a dimly-lit corridor. The charity auction was still underway, and the corridor was deserted save for Xia Wennan.


    The glossy ceramic floor tiles reflected Xia Wennan¡¯s figure as he walked along the corridor. As he walked, he thought about what Ming Siyan had just told him, the way he fell short of shoving a loudspeaker in Xia Wennan¡¯s ear and shouting ¡°Ming Luchuan is having an affair with Duan Ning!¡±


    What on earth was up with the Ming family?


    With a heart full of complicated emotions and a smidge of irritation, he turned the corner, hissed out a profanity-filled sentence, and ran headlong into the arms of an alpha.


    The alpha¡¯s pheromones smelled of chocolate truffles; it was unexpectedly pleasant.


    Xia Wennan hastily took a step back and saw that the tall alpha before him was He Yufeng.He Yufeng gazed down at Xia Wennan with a warm smile on his face. ¡°Wennan,¡± he said, ¡°when you¡¯re free, how about we head over to Teacher Lin¡¯s for a meal?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan had no way to muddle through this conversation. He looked at He Yufeng dumbly.


    He Yufeng was all smiles as he waited for Xia Wennan¡¯s response, but upon noticing Xia Wennan¡¯s expression, his smile faded, seemingly perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, little junior?¡±


    Xia Wennan opened his mouth but was unable to utter a single word. He Yufeng¡¯s voice was gentle and rich, just like melted chocolate. It triggered a subconscious thought in Xia Wennan¡¯s mind: I¡¯m a married man.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    The author has something to say:


    On bathrooms, there are four kinds altogether: male A, female A, male O, and female O. Betas are free to choose between A and O bathrooms as long as it matches their primary sex. Xia Wennan usually picks the one that¡¯s nearer.

 CH 34

    ¡°Teacher Lin is¡ª¡± Xia Wennan was conscious of how suspicious he appeared in He Yufeng¡¯s eyes, but he genuinely had no clue who the Teacher Lin He Yufeng had mentioned was, and it wasn¡¯t like he could just continue along this vein.


    The area between He Yufeng¡¯s eyebrows creased. ¡°Are you joking with me, little junior? How could you possibly not know Teacher Lin?¡±


    ¡°I got into a car accident¡ªyou knew that,¡± Xia Wennan started, going for honesty. ¡°When I crashed, I hit my head.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Senior He?¡±


    ¡°Since you know who I am, then why don¡¯t you know Teacher Lin?¡± said He Yufeng. ¡°He¡¯s our graduate advisor.¡±


    Realisation struck Xia Wennan, followed closely by astonishment. ¡°We have the same graduate advisor?¡±


    He Yufeng laughed, as if he was finding this entirely absurd. ¡°You¡¯re Teacher Lin¡¯s last disciple, that¡¯s why I call you little junior.¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­¡± Xia Wennan shook his head. ¡°Nevermind. Sorry, I really don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Suddenly, He Yufeng reached for Xia Wenna¡¯s head, upon which Xia Wennan jerked his head aside in reflex to avoid the touch. The outstretched hand curled into a fist, and He Yufeng retracted it, saying, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine,¡± Xia Wennan said, sensing that the atmosphere had become a little awkward.


    ¡°I just wanted to know how serious your injury was,¡± He Yufeng continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you even remember these events?¡±


    Xia Wennan rubbed his head. ¡°The doctor said I¡¯d be able to get my memories back. It¡¯s not a big problem, just temporary amnesia.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He Yufeng said quietly.


    Xia Wennan glanced at him and registered his somewhat dumbfounded gaze. With a feeling that the conversion would only become more awkward, he said,  ¡°Luchuan is waiting for me, I should go back.¡±


    He Yufeng nodded.


    Xia Wennan swiftly sidestepped him and proceeded down the corridor.


    ¡°Little junior,¡± He Yufeng called out from behind him.


    Turning his head, Xia Wennan heard He Yufeng say, ¡°Give me a call when you¡¯re free, we¡¯ll go to Teacher Lin¡¯s place together.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Xia Wennan replied, and as he turned to go, he left He Yufeng with a parting sentence, ¡°Chocolate truffles are delicious.¡±


    When Xia Wennan returned to his seat at the banquet hall, the charity auction was still ongoing.


    Ming Luchuan was quietly chatting with the alpha who was seated beside him. When he spotted Xia Wennan returning, he lifted his gaze and looked at him.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts were a jumbled mess. He took out his phone to check his contacts, and sure enough, He Yufeng¡¯s phone number was there. He then opened WeChat, and while he couldn¡¯t locate He Yufeng¡¯s name in his friends list, he did find someone named Chocolate Truffle. Tapping on that person¡¯s detailed information, Xia Wennan determined that they were He Yufeng, and Chocolate Truffle was the nickname he¡¯d assigned for him.


    Previously, when Xia Wennan was browsing through his contacts and came across He Yufeng¡¯s number, he didn¡¯t think much of it, simply assuming that the man was just an ordinary senior from university whom he¡¯d lost contact with after graduation. Only now did he realise that he and He Yufeng were much closer than that.


    When Xia Wennan left with Ming Luchuan after the charity banquet drew to a close, he didn¡¯t encounter He Yufeng and Duan Ning a second time, nor did he bump into Lu Huaiye and Ming Siyan.


    The driver pulled up in front of the hotel to collect them. Xia Wennan sat in the back seat with Ming Luchuan on the ride home, remaining silent the entire time.


    Whenever they were together, it was almost always Xia Wennan who initiated a conversation, so with Xia Wennan being so silent tonight, Ming Luchuan was similarly silent the whole way.


    ¡°Did you drink?¡± Ming Luchuan spoke for the first time since they got into the car as they neared the midway point home.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Xia Wennan replied before falling silent again. He had a lot on his mind, such as whether or not someone had intentionally slipped him sleeping pills that night, and whether Ming Siyan had actually hinted that there was something going on between Ming Luchuan and Duan Ning. However, what occupied his thoughts at present was the fact that he and He Yufeng had been assigned to the same academic advisor.


    If He Yufeng was Mo Zen¡¯s boss, then why hadn¡¯t he gone to work for Mo Ze and ended up in Ming Yan instead? Could it be that Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t lying, and that he really liked Ming Luchuan?


    ¡°Are you hot?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Xia Wennan answered offhandedly. If there really was something going on between Ming Luchuan and Duan Ning, he thought, then why would the man marry him?


    The car was decently soundproof, and in the quiet, only the extremely faint sound of the engine was discernible.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Xia Wennan answered.


    Around half a minute later, Ming Luchuan coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡±


    Xia Wennan followed Ming Luchuan into a little roadside diner for a late-night snack, perplexed. As they sat inside the inconspicuous restaurant, still dressed in the evening suits they¡¯d worn to the charity banquet, the first thing a customer did upon entering was shoot a glimpse their way, and one they¡¯d found a seat, they¡¯d continue sneaking looks at Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan.


    The driver had pulled over on the side of the road, leaning against the car as he smoked in a neat suit.


    Xia Wennan stood by the principle that, if Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t afraid to lose face, then he shouldn¡¯t be either, and since he¡¯d come this far¡­ He ordered a bowl of wonton noodles.


    Across from him, Ming Luchuan was straightening a pair of disposable chopsticks against the tabletop. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t hungry?¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re here¡­¡±


    The blistering summer had yet to reach its end, and even though the sun had set, the temperature at night was still sweltering. The modest restaurant was air-conditioned, but as customers came and went, the glass doors kept opening and shutting, and the coolness was only fleeting.


    After sitting for a time, Xia Wennan removed his suit jacket and haphazardly draped it over the back of his chair. Once he¡¯d unbuttoned the collar of his white shirt, he stopped feeling like a fool in front of Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°You¡¯re not full from all that cake?¡± he asked.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer.


    Xia Wennan carefully studied Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression. ¡°Are you mad?¡± he asked tentatively.


    Ming Luchuan gave a faint snort.


    ¡°Why are you mad?¡± Xia Wennan positioned the disposable chopsticks between his fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t bug you at all tonight.¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained mute.


    Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be getting any answers for him, Xia Wennan immediately abandoned his questioning and lifted his head to look around. ¡°Why aren¡¯t my wonton noodles here yet?¡±


    It was already quite late when they finished their meal. All the blood in Xia Wennan¡¯s body had rushed to his stomach, leaving his head entirely empty. When he returned to the car, he covered his tummy and zoned out.


    Some time later, Ming Luchuan suddenly spoke, ¡°What¡¯s with the silence?¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to look at him. ¡°Is Duan Ning your ex-boyfriend?¡± he blurted.


    Ming Luchuan was slightly startled. ¡°He isn¡¯t,¡± he answered unthinkingly.


    ¡°Did you ever like him?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    This time, Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t say a word.


    Xia Wennan leaned into Ming Luchuan and stuck up two fingers in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance.¡± He used his other hand to pull down a finger. ¡°Shake your head if you didn¡¯t.¡± He then pulled down the second finger. ¡°Don¡¯t shake your head if you did.¡±


    Ming Luchuan neither nodded nor shook his head.


    Xia Wennan sat back down. ¡°That means you liked him.¡±

 CH 35

    Xia Wennan was seated in his office, a massive pile of data and documents atop his desk, including previous R&D reports and Ming Yan¡¯s most recent market research.


    Every now and then, he would think back to the previous night¡¯s conversation with Ming Luchuan and inevitably become sidetracked. Last night, the man remained silent after Xia Wennan had answered his own question, regardless of what else he asked.


    Xia Wennan had no intention of putting Ming Luchuan in a difficult position. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back against the chair as he said, ¡°If you still have feelings for him, go ahead and say it outright.¡±


    In the end, Ming Luchuan icily spat out, ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for him.¡±


    Later that night, when the driver had parked the car in the parking garage, Ming Luchuan opened the door, climbed out of the car, and walked away without looking back.


    Xia Wennan was baffled¡ªhis gut told him that Ming Luchuan was angry, but couldn¡¯t figure out what Ming Luchuan had to be angry about.


    Mind straying, Xia Wennan snapped back to his senses and made himself focus on the paperwork before him.


    Come noon, someone knocked on his office door, but they didn¡¯t wait for him to respond before opening the door and sticking their head in.


    ¡°Wennan.¡± Ming Siyan grinned, his voice dripping with familiarity.


    Xia Wennan looked up at him. ¡°Hi.¡±


    Ming Siyan entered Xia Wennan¡¯s office, plopped down on the sofa, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re officially back to work?¡±


    Xia Wennan leaned back, his chair swivelling from side to side. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do at home anyway.¡±


    Ming Siyan laughed. ¡°Dad still worries about you, he keeps complaining because you won¡¯t come and stay home for a while.¡±


    Xia Wennan had a pen in his hand, at this time, he raised the pen to his lips and bit on the lid, inquiring, ¡°Why does dad want me to go back?¡±


    ¡°Dad loves it when it¡¯s lively,¡± said Ming Siyan. ¡°When you guys first got married, he didn¡¯t want you and da-ge to move out.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xia Wennan also laughed. ¡°Your family seems to really like me.¡±


    ¡°It was you who saved Ming Yan,¡± Ming Siyan said, ¡°of course our family likes you.¡±


    Before Ming Yan¡¯s Emotions line hit the market, their sales figures had already plunged to an all-time low. At the time, Ming Qin had still been in charge of the company, but Ming Yan had failed to launch a single successful perfume on the heels of their award-winning Summertime Snowfield. Perhaps Ming Qin had aged out of time, or perhaps his heart was no longer in it, but at the time, Ming Yan had truly been on the brink of a crisis.


    So it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Xia Wennan had saved Ming Yan.


    Xia Wennan knew all this. He believed that Ming Siyan was right¡ªso, shouldn¡¯t the Ming family be grateful to him? Why would someone drug him? Was the culprit really someone from the Ming family?


    His gaze landed on Ming Siyan once more.


    At present, Ming Siyan was in charge of theR&D team at the other lab, and they were also conducting research on pheromone perfumes. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t inaccurate to say that they were competitors. Plus, he and Ming Luchuan were brothers; if Ming Luchuan could take over Ming Yan, so could he. Therefore, if one were to say that Ming Siyan didn¡¯t like Xia Wennan, it would make perfect sense.


    Xia Wennan bit at the lid of his pen.


    Ming Siyan¡¯s skin was so fair that it was practically transparent. His pupils were jet-black, and as his eyes bore into Xia Wennan, he slightly pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Wennan, have you gotten used to living with da-ge?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Xia Wennan said. ¡°We didn¡¯t live together before?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d forgotten.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Xia Wennan said heedlessly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just an impression in my subconscious.¡±


    ¡°Da-ge has a bit of a temper on him.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought, here he goes again¡­ sowing discord, and didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°You used to say that you couldn¡¯t stand his temper, so I thought that might still be the case,¡± said Ming Siyan.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°He¡¯s so annoying, seriously.¡±


    Ming Siyan laughed. ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as you remember me,¡± he remarked, tone tinged with regret.


    ¡°Remember what about you?¡± Xia Wennan probed.


    ¡°Remember that I¡¯m your best friend at home, of course,¡± said Ming Siyan. ¡°Remember that when we chatted all night long, there was nothing you couldn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember at all,¡± Xia Wennan said after a moment. When he heard what Ming Siyan had said, he was a little dumbfounded; the first thing he thought was actually: A beta and an omega spending an entire night together¡ªis that not inappropriate? Was he so unattractive to other sexes, as a beta?


    Ming Siyan stayed in his office until lunchtime, when he invited Xia Wennan to go to the cafeteria with him.


    Xia Wennan got up, opened the door, and darted out before Ming Siyan could link arms with him. He then walked in front of Ming Siyan, keeping a short distance away from the latter as he swiftly paced in the direction of the elevator.


    It was already quite late when they arrived at the cafeteria, which was packed to the brim with employees eating lunch.


    The moment Xia Wennan walked in, he spotted Ming Luchuan sitting at his usual seat, quietly eating alone.


    Since Xia Wennan had come with Ming Siyan, he naturally sat with Ming Siyan after fetching his meal, two tables away from Ming Luchuan.


    Compared to Ming Luchuan, Ming Siyan was far more approable. Employees greeted him in a much more casual manner, and at times, they even cracked a few jokes with him.


    It might also be due to the fact that Ming Siyan was an omega, unlike an alpha, who exuded a natural air of oppression.


    After settling down in their seats, Ming Siyan whispered to Xia Wennan, ¡°Will da-ge get mad at you if you don¡¯t go to his table?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine,¡± said Xia Wennan, inwardly thinking that Ming Luchuan was already mad at him anyway; it made no difference whether his anger increased by a little or a lot.


    Ming Siyan was still speaking in his ear, presenting an intimate image. ¡°Da-ge¡¯s a really difficult guy. He¡¯s been like that since he was little.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. ¡°I figured.¡±


    Today, the cafeteria served curry beef brisket, which suited Xia Wennan¡¯s tastes. Not wanting to keep talking about Ming Luchuan with Ming Siyan lest it affect his appetite, he lowered his head and dug into his meal.


    Halfway through their meal, Ming Luchuan had already finished eating and was about to stand up to put his empty plate away when someone in the cafeteria suddenly shouted, ¡°Manager Xia!¡±


    At first, Xia Wennan was unaware that he was being called. It was Ming Siyan who quietly pointed them out to him. ¡°Wennan, someone¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    Xia Wennan lifted his head and saw one of his laboratory staff members approaching with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, a somewhat excited grin painting his face. He walked up to their table and handed Xia Wennan the flowers he¡¯d brought.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xia Wennan was bewildered.


    ¡°Someone left you a gift,¡± said the employee. ¡°Your office was locked, so I went ahead and brought it to you.¡±


    Almost every head in the cafeteria was turned their way. They first snuck a glance at Xia Wennan and the flowers in front of him, then shifted their gazes towards Ming Luchuan at the next table over.


    Ming Luchuan was frozen where he stood, similarly staring at the flower bouquet.


    Uncomfortable with someone holding up flowers right in front of him, Xia Wennan reached out and took it, saying, ¡°Thanks.¡± In truth, he was a little unhappy that this person had brought the flowers to the cafeteria and enabled so many people to witness this spectacle.


    Ming Siyan was also curious. ¡°Are those flowers from da-ge?¡± He carefully examined the bouquet and exclaimed, ¡°Ah! These aren¡¯t flowers.¡±


    The employee who¡¯d brought the bouquet was grinning as he said, ¡°I checked, the flowers are made of chocolate.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked down to inspect the bouquet and discovered that they were indeed not flowers. With a deep sense of forebody in his heart, he unwrapped one of the chocolates by random and¡ª


    ¡°Huh, they¡¯re chocolate truffles,¡± said Ming Siyan. ¡°Is da-ge that romantic?¡±


    At the mention of his name, Ming Luchuan¡¯s entire face clouded over. He picked up his meal tray impassively and left the cafeteria.

 CH 36

    Upon returning to the office alone, Xia Wennan sat at his desk and plucked a piece of chocolate from the bouquet, unwrapping it and bringing it up to his nose to smell it. The familiar aroma of chocolate truffles was similar to the scent of He Yufeng¡¯s pheromones, but not entirely identical.


    Xia Wennan hesitated for a second before locating Chocolate Truffle in his WeChat contacts and sending an inquiring message: ¡°Chocolate truffles?¡±


    Some time later, He Yufeng replied with a smiling reaction image and: ¡°You¡¯ve received them?¡±


    ¡°It was really you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that they were delicious?¡±


    Xia Wennan snapped a photo of the bouquet and sent it to He Yufeng. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment, He Yufeng responded with a voice message: ¡°Sorry, I asked my assistant to arrange it. I only wanted to send you a box of chocolates¡ªI didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get something so extravagant. Did it cause you any trouble?¡±


    Xia Wennan clutched at his hair. To say that it had caused him trouble¡­? That¡¯s not it. He just wasn¡¯t all that keen on the feeling that arose from being the centre of attention. After some thought, he decided to use Ming Luchuan as an excuse and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that Ming Luchuan might misunderstand, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He Yufeng¡¯s apology sounded earnest.


    Not knowing what else to say, Xia Wennan looked for an ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯ reaction image and ended their conversation after hitting send.


    After his lunch break, Xia Wennan brought the chocolates to the laboratory and gave them to the staff.


    One girl said, ¡°How could we eat such a precious gift?¡±


    Xia Wennan took a piece of chocolate and handed it to her. ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s not that precious.¡±


    The girl took the proffered chocolate and inquired, ¡°But aren¡¯t they from President Ming? Won¡¯t he get angry if he finds out?¡±


    Before the girl could finish her question, a young beta who was standing across from them started blinking, signalling to the entrance of the lab.


    Xia Wennan turned around to the sight of Ming Luchuan standing in the doorway.


    The girl had lowered her head to open the wrapper and was oblivious to Ming Luchuan¡¯s presence, still waiting for Xia Wennan to answer her question.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t say that it was from Ming Luchuan, but he couldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t from Ming Luchuan either¡ªhe only tittered vaguely and raised a hand above his head to wave at the man, shouting out, ¡°Hello, President Ming!¡±


    Ming Luchuan tagged along to Xia Wennan¡¯s office and took a seat on the other side of Xia Wennan¡¯s desk, hands folded atop his knees and mouth sealed shut.


    Xia Wennan had two pieces of chocolate left on hand. He slowly pushed one over until it was in front of Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°Want some chocolate?¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his gaze towards the chocolate. ¡°Who are they from?¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t feel that he needed to hide it, so he said, ¡°He Yufeng.¡±


    Ming Luchuan sucked in a deep breath; though his features remained stony, his tone grew increasingly icy. ¡°Why did he give you chocolates?¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at Ming Luchuan. ¡°Because I said they¡¯re delicious.¡±


    ¡°Chocolate is delicious?¡± Ming Luchuan slightly tilted his head to the left.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t know if he was expressing his doubts or just asking a rhetorical question.


    Seeing that he refused to take the chocolate, Xia Wennan took it back and unwrapped it himself. This time, he stood up and leaned over the table, bringing the chocolate to Ming Luchuan¡¯s lips. ¡°I think so. Try it?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him for a moment before opening his lips slightly.


    Xia Wennan fed the chocolate into his mouth then sat back down on his soft office chair, slowly swivelling from left to right.


    Ming Luchuan chewed on the chocolate and said, ¡°Tastes bad.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him and laughed.


    ¡°You like the chocolates he gave you?¡± asked Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Well. So-so.¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at the remaining chocolate on the table in silence.


    Xia Wennan leaned forwards and asked, ¡°Are you still mad?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked up. ¡°When did I get mad?¡±


    ¡°That night I asked you about Duan Ning, weren¡¯t you mad?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad,¡± denied Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, why¡¯d you get mad?¡± Xia Wennan began talking to himself, ¡°Is Duan Ning a scar in your heart that can¡¯t be touched?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Ming Luchuan was interrupted by Xia Wennan bursting into song.


    ¡°White moonlight, somewhere in my heart¡­¡± the tone-deaf Xia Wennan filled the room with his off-key serenade. As he sang these two lines, he seemed to feel somewhat emotional. Turning his chair around to face the floor-to-ceiling windows and gazing out at the cityscape, he questioned, ¡°Am I a substitute?¡±


    The moment this question left his mouth, Xia Wennan imagined himself in that situation, remembering that Ming Luchuan had once told him that it was he who¡¯d proposed to Ming Luchuan. He suddenly felt sorry for himself. His heartbreak even felt real.


    Ming Luchuan took a deep breath and paused.¡°How do you suppose you¡¯d replace him?¡±


    Xia Wennan grasped his meaning and turned back around, despondently saying, ¡°Why can¡¯t I? How am I inferior to him?¡±


    ¡°I said¡ª¡±


    Xia Wennan slapped the desk as he leapt to his feet. ¡°I may be a beta, but growing up, I¡¯ve always been the handsomest beta at school, got that? I was on my school¡¯s basketball team¡ªand did you know? Back then, everyone in the team were alphas, and every time we finished a game the locker room was practically drowning in alpha pheromones, the smell could smother a person to death.¡±


    ¡°You got changed with them?¡±


    Xia Wennan was completely oblivious to the fact that he¡¯d veered off topic. ¡°Where else would I change? The law doesn¡¯t stipulate that betas can have our own locker rooms and bathrooms. We exist in the cracks of society¡ªdon¡¯t you start complaining when you have so many advantages already.¡±


    ¡°Did you shower with them too?¡±


    Xia Wennan tried to remember. ¡°There were separate cubicles. I¡¯ve never showered with anyone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve showered with me.¡±


    Xia Wennan was stunned. ¡°What did you say? When?¡±


    ¡°After we got married, of course.¡± Ming Luchuan sat in the same manner he had when he first entered the office, speaking to Xia Wennan with a nonchalant expression and indifferent tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Xia Wennan was terrified. While vehement denial fell from his lips, his heart was pounding like a drum. And so to strengthen his convictions, he raised his voice, ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±


    Ming Luchuan rose to his feet and braced his hands on the desk, wide shoulders leaning forward slightly. ¡°I told you, you have a red mole on your ass. You can check for yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Xia Wennan shifted closer to Ming Luchuan. ¡°How would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Take your pants off. I¡¯ll take a picture for you.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Xia Wennan refused through gritted teeth.


    Ming Luchuan looked straight at him. Suddenly, he sneered.


    Xia Wennan grabbed his phone and marched outside, heading to the toilet.


    He returned to his office almost twenty minutes later, forehead covered by a thin sheen of sweat and all the colour drained from his face.


    Ming Luchuan hadn¡¯t moved an inch from where he was sitting.


    When Xia Wennan saw Ming Luchuan, his pale face flushed uncontrollably.


    Ming Luchuan appeared like he had everything under control. ¡°It¡¯s quite hard to find.¡±


    That¡¯s true. It was hard to find. The mole was right in the middle, and when standing, he¡¯d had to part his ass with one hand and use his other hand to take the picture. Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t lying, there really was a mole there. It wasn¡¯t big, yet the colour was a garish shade of red.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s flushed face paled again, before it faintly reddened once more a moment later.


    ¡°Apart from showering together, what else have you done to me?¡± he asked.


    Ming Luchuan rose from his chair and fastened the buttons of his suit jacket that he¡¯d undone when he first sat down. He walked to the door, and as he passed Xia Wennan, he said in his ear, ¡°We¡¯ve done everything that a married couple would naturally do.¡±

 CH 37

    Xia Wennan was frightened out of his mind.


    While he¡¯d believed that Ming Luchuan was lying to him, there had always been a sliver of doubt in his mind that Ming Luchuan wasn¡¯t lying¡ªafter all, Ming Luchuan even knew he had several moles on his ass, didn¡¯t he?


    Xia Wennan avoided Ming Luchuan completely after he got off work that afternoon, and at dinner time. He brought home takeout and locked himself in his room as soon as he could, turning on his laptop to binge-watch TV shows while eating dinner.


    Xia Wennan had yet to hear Ming Luchuan return home after he finished eating, so he quickly disposed of his takeout boxes in the kitchen rubbish bin and ducked back into his room.


    As Xia Wennan reached over to lock the door, a thought suddenly crossed his mind; if he and Ming Luchuan had done everything, then how could they possibly sleep in separate rooms? So. Ming Luchuan had to be lying. Thinking like this provided him with a great deal of comfort, giving him the conviction to keep denying Ming Luchuan¡¯s remarks.


    The next morning, Xia Wennan stepped out of the house without waiting until Ming Luchuan got out of bed.


    He held off until noon to eat at the company. Xia Wennan carried his lunch tray to the table where his lab co-workers sat, when all of a sudden, while he was eating and casually chatting with them, Ming Luchuan brought his meal tray over and sat down at their table.


    The entire table was suddenly, deafeningly quiet. The sudden silence wasn¡¯t limited to their table, but also the tables around it.


    Because the seat next to Xia Wennan was already occupied, Ming Luchuan settled down on the only empty seat at the table, which happened to be two seats away from him.


    The lab staff who sat between them was a female beta named Dong Liqian. The second Ming Luchuan sat down on her left, her senses were immediately assaulted by a subtle pressure, making the hand holding her chopsticks tremble.


    She hesitated slightly, wanting to ask Xia Wennan, who was sitting at her right, if he would like to swap places with her, but Ming Luchuan had already opened his mouth, and her lips flew shut as she forced her head down.


    ¡°Come home for dinner tonight,¡± Ming Luchuan said.


    The entire table waited for Xia Wennan¡¯s response in silence, yet Xia Wennan merely kept eating and said nothing.


    The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.


    Dong Liqian stealthily elbowed Xia Wennan as he was lifting a piece of vegetable to his mouth. He lifted his head and looked towards Ming Luchuan. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan stared back with an icy face.


    ¡°And here I thought you were talking to Liqian,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    The pressure Dong Liqian sensed grew increasingly heavy. She lost her appetite completely, and picked up her tray as she stood up.


    Xia Wennan looked up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re done?¡±


    Dong Liqian nodded. ¡°I¡¯m on a diet.¡± She then immediately rushed off with her tray, seeking a remote corner to finish her meal.


    There was no longer anyone separating Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan.


    And yet, nobody imagined that not even five seconds later, another male alpha from Xia Wennan¡¯s lab carried his meal tray over and planted his ass on the seat between them.


    The male alpha¡¯s name was Chen Wenchu, and he¡¯d always had an airy disposition. He¡¯d only seen Ming Luchuan¡¯s back while he was walking over to their table and didn¡¯t recognise him, nor did he catch the meaningful stares the others shot his way. It wasn¡¯t until he sat down that he realised the atmosphere around the table had become even more awkward.


    Chen Wenchu was taken aback at first, but he nodded to Ming Luchuan shortly afterwards. ¡°Hello, President Ming.¡± With that greeting, Chen Wenchu was in a pickle; leaving wasn¡¯t an option, nor was not leaving, so he simply gritted his teeth and dug into his meal.


    Right then, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Xia Wennan.¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to face him. ¡°President Ming?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡±


    ¡°You said to come home for dinner?¡± Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Who¡¯s cooking? You or me?¡±


    ¡°You can cook?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± After saying that, he was suddenly a little unsure. ¡°I can¡¯t, right?¡±


    ¡°Then why bother asking?¡±


    Xia Wennan thought, nevermind, I¡¯ll give you face, and said, ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Come to my office after you finish work,¡± said Ming Luchuan. Xia Wennan nodded.


    At this time, a department manager came up to Ming Luchuan and bent down to report a work matter in his ear, appearing a bit anxious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there,¡± Ming Luchuan said as he picked up his tray and rose to his feet. After that, he moved to another table with the department manager.


    The others at the table breathed a collective sigh of relief, their shoulders visibly slumping.


    ¡°Next time, Manager Xia, don¡¯t sit at our table,¡± someone joked.


    Xia Wennan joked back, ¡°How could you cast me out like that?¡±


    Chen Wenchu looked up. ¡°Does President Ming normally speak to you like that at home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Xia Wennan, ¡°he¡¯s that fierce all day every day.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never been the slightest bit gentle?¡± Chen Wenchu sighed with some emotion. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can be fierce to the one at home. Could it be because President Ming hasn¡¯t marked you?¡±


    The moment his question was uttered, the person sitting across him coughed loudly, and forcibly changed the topic.


    Naturally, there was no need for Xia Wennan to answer that question, but he noticed how everyone carefully watched their words afterwards, never mentioning that he was a beta or the fact that he couldn¡¯t be marked. An omega even looked at him with visible sympathy.


    As Xia Wennan made to leave after eating, Chen Wenchu said, ¡°You¡¯ve gotta keep a closer eye on President Ming. After all, he is an alpha.¡±


    Someone next to Chen Wenchu kicked his foot under the table.


    Chen Wenchu turned his head. ¡°What?! I¡¯m genuinely worried about Manager Xia, okay? I¡¯m an alpha myself, I know how powerful an influence pheromones have.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°So alphas are all bound to be unable to control their lower bodies, is that it?¡±


    Chen Wenchu calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of our lower bodies, it¡¯s how pheromones trigger the body¡¯s instincts, you¡¯ll know once you give it a try.¡±


    Nobody else spoke, save for the only omega at the table, who gave a silent nod.


    ¨C


    Because Xia Wennan had already promised Ming Luchuan, he went to Ming Luchuan¡¯s office  that afternoon and sat in front of his desk.


    Ming Luchuan was still on the phone, dealing with business affairs.


    Xia Wennan took a pen from Ming Luchuan¡¯s desk and twirled it between his fingers while listening to Ming Luchuan on the phone.


    When Ming Luchuan noticed his gaze, he raised his head and met Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes.


    Xia Wennan started growing uncomfortable the longer he was under Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze, but he wanted Ming Luchuan to be the first one to look away and lose, so he widened his eyelids till his eyes goggled-out, sporting a menacing attitude as he glared at Ming Luchuan like an owl.


    Brows furrowing, Ming Luchuan turned his chair around to face the window and resumed his work call. When Ming Luchuan ended the call, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Will you cook for me when we get back?¡±


    Ming Luchuan set his phone down on the table and began tidying up his things. ¡°We¡¯re going back to dad¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± Xia Wennan was a little surprised. ¡°Why so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°He called me this morning,¡± Ming Luchuan slightly paused before continuing, ¡°There¡¯s a guest at home.¡±


    Deep in thought, Xia Wennan had missed the second part of Ming Luchuan¡¯s sentence. ¡°Everyone¡¯s going back?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Xia Wennan leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. ¡°When I say everyone, I mean everyone who was at your house on the night of my accident.¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Xia Wennan had never been able to let this matter go; as long as the Ming family was mentioned, it would return to occupy his mind.


    A moment later, when Ming Luchuan¡¯s question went unanswered, he added, ¡°You want to know who the guest is?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Wennan was startled. ¡°What guest?¡±


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s dinner guest.¡±


    Xia Wennan understood. He studied the expression on Ming Luchuan¡¯s face and waggled his finger, saying, ¡°Let me guess, might it be your white moonlight?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face faintly froze over. ¡°I don¡¯t have a white moonlight.¡±


    Xia Wennan covered his chest and sang, ¡°Somewhere in my heart¡­ So painful¡­¡±


    ¡°Please shut up.¡±


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¨C a white moonlight, by the way, is someone you love or yearn for but is out of your reach

 CH 38

    Upon driving back to the Ming house and parking his car, Ming Luchuan pushed open the door, climbed out, and marched straight to the garden without sparing a single glance at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan lagged two to three metres behind him. As he neared the garden, he found that tonight¡¯s guest had already arrived, and not only the guest, but Ming Qin and his family were also present. Tables and chairs, as well as a barbeque grill, were set up in the middle of the garden, and the auntie was bringing the skewered food from the kitchen to the garden table.


    Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan were the last to arrive.


    Xia Wennan saw Duan Ning sitting with Ming Siyan and Ming Qin; the three of them were chatting, while Yin Zejing was shooting hoops with Lu Huaiye. Yin Zejing was dressed in fashionable sportswear from head to toe, whereas Lu Huaiye was still wearing his shirt and suit pants, but his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.


    Xia Wennan came to a halt, and as he watched Ming Luchuan walk towards them, he abruptly remembered what Chen Wenchu had told him about alphas and omegas that afternoon at the cafeteria. While Xia Wennan was a beta with a unique constitution, he was still a beta; he was born and raised in a small town where alphas and betas were few in number, and the closest he¡¯d ever gotten to alphas was probably in the locker rooms of his high school¡¯s basketball team.


    He had pretty much disregarded Chen Wenchu¡¯s words at the time, but now that he was here, it occurred to him that, in this family, he was a special existence. Or maybe these weren¡¯t the right words¡ªit was alphas and omegas who were a special existence in this world, whereas betas were like society¡¯s worker bees; a mere collective, not existing as an individual.


    Ming Luchuan exchanged a few words with Ming Qin, who looked up and smiled at Xia Wennan as he beckoned him over.


    Xia Wennan walked in their direction. Ming Siyan and Duan Ning had also spotted him. Ming Siyan stood up, his mouth stretched into a grin, but Duan Ning was more reserved, only smiling faintly.


    When Xia Wennan saw them, he suddenly thought: who says that worker bees can only exist as a collective and not as individuals? What was wrong with him being a worker bee who existed independently? At the very least, he could work hard and contribute to society, unlike these alphas and omegas, who were slaves to pheromones and had evolved to this day and age yet still couldn¡¯t break away from their most primitive insticts.


    Then in that case, Xia Wennan thought gleefully, betas were a little more advanced in the evolution department.


    Walking over, he greeted Ming Qin and listened as the man made introductions. ¡°This is Duan Ning, Luchuan and Siyan¡¯s childhood friend.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Duan Ning stood up. ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ve met before. Unfortunately, we were in a hurry that night and didn¡¯t have much time to talk.¡±


    ¡°You can chat all you want tonight,¡± Ming Qin responded with a smile.


    Today, dinner was grilled skewers and beer in the garden; Ming Qin had probably wanted to seize the tail end of summer.


    Xia Wennan picked up the glass of beer in front of him and took a sip, the ice-cold liquid gushing from his throat down to his stomach. He couldn¡¯t help leaning back in his chair and raising his arms above his head, gazing out at the setting sun in the distant mountains. He sighed contentedly.


    The table was already heaped with food; freshly baked seafood in tinfoil as well as cold dishes to go with the beer that the auntie had brought out. To the right of the table, Yin Zejing had replaced the auntie and was personally flipping the grilled skewers himself, his actions seemingly more professional than Xia Wennan had imagined.


    ¡°My mom used to run a grilled skewers stall,¡± said Yin Zejing.


    Xia Wennan gave him a curious look.


    Ming Luchuan sat next to Xia Wennan, while Duan Ning was on his other side. There was nothing out of the ordinary with the way he interacted and talked to Ming Luchuan, as if their relationship was no more than that of regular friends.


    Xia Wennan wasn¡¯t intently listening to what they were saying; his mind was a little preoccupied with what Yin Zejing had said, thinking that Yin Zejing didn¡¯t look like an alpha who¡¯d come from a poor household. Most alphas and omegas families were relatively well-off, but some of the alphas Xia Wennan had encountered in his small town had families who had suffered misfortune, leaving them impoverished. An alpha¡¯s competitive nature was engraved in their bones, resulting in a heightened desire to excel. Their internal inferiority complex manifested externally as excessive pride; more often than not, they were disinclined to reveal their family circumstances to others, kept others at a distance, and had rigid personalities.


    But Yin Zejing had talked about his mother running a grilled skewers stall in a relaxed tone. Since he was an alpha, his mom had probably been an omega. The life of an omega who ran a grilled skewers stall must¡¯ve been difficult, it was no relaxing thing.


    Yin Zejing seemed to quite enjoy grilling the skewers; when he turned them over, the curls on his head slightly bounced. His expression was somewhat innocent, like that of a university student.


    Xia Wennan stared at Yin Zejing for a long time, when all of a sudden Ming Luchuan asked, ¡°What are you staring at?¡±


    At that very moment, Duan Ning was still talking to Ming Luchuan. His sentence was cut short in the middle, so he stopped and took a sip of his fruit juice, pinched his drinking straw with his fingers, and lightly stirred the contents of his cup.


    ¡°I¡¯m staring at Yin Zejing,¡± Xia Wennan answered Ming Luchuan without turning his head.


    Duan Ning suddenly laughed and said, ¡°Wennan is really funny.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help glancing at him. This was only the second time they met, why was he calling his name like they were close? Then in that case, what was he supposed to call Duan Ning? Ningning?


    Ming Luchuan was scowling. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s appropriate?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Startled, Xia Wennan turned to Ming Luchuan. How did Ming Luchuan know what he was thinking? ¡°Did I say something just now?¡± he asked bewilderedly.


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Xia Wennan was a little dumbfounded. ¡°Aren¡¯t I the one asking you what I said?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what came out of your own mouth?¡±


    ¡°You sure can argue. Are you a master of rhetorical questions?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s scowl deepened.


    Duan Ning was watching them with an ever present smile on his lips. When he heard Xia Wennan¡¯s retort, his smile broadened, and he said, ¡°Wennan is so funny!¡± He then turned to Ming Luchuan, ¡°No wonder you got married out of the blue! I knew Wennan was perfect for you!¡±


    When Xia Wennan heard Duan Ning¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Ming Luchuan. Since Ming Luchuan¡¯s complexion was already unsightly, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if his face became more ugly. He thought to himself, Ming Luchuan used to like Duan Ning; Duan Ning himself should be aware, right? Wasn¡¯t he worried that his words would hit Ming Luchuan¡¯s nerve?


    What a standard example of a white moonlight!


    Xia Wennan raised his eyes to the sky. It was a beautiful day, and he could spot several glittering stars, but the moon wasn¡¯t visible. Too bad, Xia Wennan thought, there should¡¯ve been a beam of moonlight bathing Duan Ning¡¯s holy body.


    Right then, Ming Siyan came over with a plate of grilled pork belly. He stopped by Xia Wennan¡¯s side and copied Xia Wennan, tilting his head up curiously. ¡°What are you looking at, Wennan?¡±


    ¡°The moon,¡± said Xia Wennan. He then lowered his head, reached for the plate in Ming Siyan¡¯s hands, and set it down on the table. ¡°Come have some meat,¡± he called to Duan Ning, somewhat curious whether a white moonlight would eat high-fat meats.


    Ming Siyan¡¯s head was still craned upwards. ¡°There¡¯s no moon though.¡±


    Xia Wennan was faintly tickled. He got to his feet and stood beside Ming Siyan, extending a hand to point it out to him. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°Where? There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s behind the clouds.¡±


    ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean that you can¡¯t see it?¡± Thinking that he was being fooled, Ming Siyan lowered his head and asked Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s artistic imagery.¡±


    Ming Siyan sat down next to Xia Wennan and beckoned to Lu Huaiye, who was chatting to Ming Qin across from him, to pass him the beer.


    Lu Huaiye pushed the glass of beer across the table.


    Ming Siyan picked up the glass, swallowed a mouthful of beer, and sighed, saying ¡°Duan Ning, have you told Wennan about da-ge¡¯s childhood?¡±

 CH 39

    The wind was picking up in the evening. The breeze lapping on Xia Wennan¡¯s face sent a tiny chill to his alcohol-fevered cheeks, tipsiness settling over his mind.


    Duan Ning didn¡¯t drink. He was holding a glass of fruit juice in his hands as he said, ¡°Luchuan can tell Wennan his childhood stories himself. I don¡¯t know that many.¡± The grin on his face had faded. His body was tilted back, as though he was getting exhausted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told him my childhood stories,¡± Ming Luchuan cut off in an indifferent tone.


    Ming Siyan slightly leaned into Xia Wennan¡¯s space. ¡°Too bad Wennan forgot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll come back to me,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Forgot what?¡± Duan Ning asked.


    Nobody answered.


    Ming Siyan glanced around and changed the subject with a peal of laughter, asking Duan Ning if he still had plans to leave.


    Xia Wennan was hardly interested in their conversation. He stretched his body and looked over to Ming Sichen, who was sitting in a corner. At his side was Aunt Zhang, who had been feeding him all evening.


    Aunt Zhang brought a small slice of pork belly to Ming Sichen¡¯s lips, but Ming Sichen shook his head, seemingly not wanting to eat.


    ¡°Would you like to go to bed?¡± Aunt Zhang asked him.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    Aunt Zhang, however, stood up of her own accord and told Ming Qin that Ming Sichen was going to bed.


    Ming Qin nodded. ¡°Sichen should go rest.¡±


    Aunt Zhang wheeled Ming Sichen away from the garden.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes followed their retreating backs, watching as Aunt Zhang slowly pushed the wheelchair over the stone slabs and disappeared behind the doors.


    All of a sudden, the garden lights went out; the only lightsource came from the lights that shone through the entrance of the villa.


    Everyone was taken aback. Ming Qin exclaimed in surprise, the sound distinctly audible in the darkness of the night. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xia Wennan waited until his eyes adapted to the darkness, at which point he could distinguish the silhouettes of the others in the garden using the surrounding lights.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the wiring,¡± said Yin Zejing. ¡°Apparently it also cut off when Lao-Li was using the lawnmower.¡±


    ¡°Lao Li didn¡¯t come in today.¡±


    Lao-Li doubled as the family¡¯s chauffeur and gardener. When something went wrong with the household appliances or wiring, it was usually his job to repair them. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t present today as he had requested leave.


    Just as Xia Wennan was thinking whether or not they would disperse, Ming Luchuan suddenly rose to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look.¡±


    Ming Luchuan left the dining table but halted after a couple of steps. He was standing with his back to the light, and from where he sat, Xia Wennan could barely make out his face. He only heard the man say, ¡°Help me hold the light.¡±


    Without thinking it through, Xia Wennan immediately stood. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He¡¯d rather accompany Ming Luchuan to fix the wiring than stay here and listen to Ming Siyan and Duan Ning babble on like a pair of sisters.


    As Ming Luchuan headed in the direction of a small building, Xia Wennan trailed behind him. The light from the main house didn¡¯t reach them, and their surroundings only grew darker and darker.


    As he wasn¡¯t familiar with the way, Xia Wennan¡¯s footsteps toiled. In a small voice, he called out, ¡°Ming Luchuan.¡±


    Ming Luchuan stopped in his tracks and said, ¡°What are you sneaking around for?¡±


    Xia Wennan could sensed that he¡¯d arrived in front of Ming Luchuan, and while he hadn¡¯t run into him, he could still feel the warmth radiating from his body. He thus halted, still keeping his voice quiet as he said, ¡°Why are you walking so fast? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re trying to rob the place.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s hands didn¡¯t remain idle as he spoke; he raised it and touched Ming Luchuan¡¯s chest.


    Even through his clothes, Ming Luchuan¡¯s chest was still warm, firm, and solid. Xia Wennan suddenly thought, this is an alpha¡¯s chest, huh. For some reason, this triggered a bout of gender consciousness in him, and he quickly removed his hand.


    However, right as he withdrew his hand, Ming Luchuan took hold of it the next second. Caught off-guard, he was about to say something, yet Ming Luchuan silently turned tail and walked away.


    Xia Wennan was dragged along, staggering forward a couple of steps before he could keep up with Ming Luchuan¡¯s pace. He held his tongue and followed Ming Luchuan to a shed on the east side of the villa, near the garage.


    The shed wasn¡¯t locked up, Ming Luchuan easily twisted the doorknob.


    It was completely dark inside. When Ming Luchuan entered the shed, Xia Wennan let go of his hand and remained at the threshold, gripping the doorframe as he peered inside. He couldn¡¯t see anything and could only smell a mixture of aged wood and dust in the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s this building for?¡± Xia Wennan asked, alarmed. ¡°Electricals?¡±


    ¡°A shed for junk,¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice resounded from inside.


    Xia Wennan, who was lingering at the doorway, asked, ¡°Can you see?¡±


    ¡°Can you see?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cat. How would I be able to see?¡±


    Xia Wennan was a little miffed. ¡°Can you speak nicely? If you can¡¯t see, then pass me a flashlight and I¡¯ll hold it up for you.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to find a flashlight if I can¡¯t see anything?¡±


    Xia Wennan was close to tearing his hair out. ¡°Then what light were you telling me to hold?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your phone?¡±


    Xia Wennan blanked. ¡°Oh right.¡± He fished his phone out of his pocket and turned on the flashlight, which instantly illuminated half the room, and standing right in front of the beam of light was Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your phone to light the way earlier?¡± Xia Wennan began grumbling, ¡°It was so dark.¡±


    ¡°I know my way,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you turn on your flashlight?¡±


    Xia Wennan was rendered speechless.


    The shed was far messier than Xia Wennan had anticipated. There was an open box on the floor packed with various tools. A lawnmower and a long hose took up a corner of the room, while a wooden cabinet was pushed against the opposite wall, stacks of endless bits and bobs on its shelves.


    Ming Luchuan squatted in front of the toolbox, searching for tools.


    Xia Wennan swept a glance at the wall, and in the shadows cast by the light, he spotted a doll. The doll was old and worn; one of its eyeballs had fallen out, and in the obscureness of the dim room, it looked incredibly terrifying. Heart skipping a beat, Xia Wennan shone his flashlight over so he could get a good look at the objects on the shelves.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s surroundings plunged into darkness. His dour voice was laced with suppressed anger as he called out, ¡°Xia Wennan.¡±


    ¡°Are those your childhood toys?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    In lieu of answering him, Ming Luchuan took out a flashlight from the toolbox, turned it on, and positioned it next to the toolbox.


    Xia Wennan slowly approached the shelf and asked, ¡°Is this doll yours?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Ming Siyan¡¯s,¡± Ming Luchuan said without lifting his head.¡°


    He liked playing with dolls when he was little? How cute.¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but smile as he envisioned Ming Siyan¡¯s younger self looking like a doll, carrying a doll around. The unspoken question at the end of his remark was: How did he grow up to be so unpleasant?


    Aside from the doll, there were some children¡¯s toys on the shelf, but it was a set of carved wood figurines that drew his interest. There were five in total, and they¡¯d been arranged in order of smallest to largest. Xia Wennan leaned in to study them and said, ¡°These are a set, right? They look like carvings of one person growing up.¡±


    The wooden figurines all had the same face, their features reflecting an infant¡¯s, a child¡¯s, a young man¡¯s, all the way to an elderly person¡¯s.


    ¡°They¡¯re mine.¡± Ming Luchuan got to his feet and went to stand behind Xia Wennan. ¡°Dad gave them to me when I was little.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Why did he give you these? They don¡¯t seem like the kind of toys kids like, do they?¡±


    Ming Luchuan gazed at the row of wooden figurines. ¡°I had no other toys. Aside from this set of wooden carvings, dad didn¡¯t buy me anything else to play with.¡±


    Xia Wennan turned his head to look at him. Ming Luchuan extended a hand and plucked a sketchbook from the shelf. ¡°Every toy you see on this shelf belongs to Ming Siyan and Ming Sichen. The only things that belong to me are the wood carvings, and this book.¡±


    The dust from the sketchbook had been cleaned away, but the dust stains remained. Xia Wennan casually went over a few pages while shining his flashlight on them, and discovered that it contained nothing but drawings of long-haired women.


    ¡°What is this? Your drawings are really ugly.¡±


    ¡°Everything there was how I imagined a mother would look like.¡±

 CH 40

    In the feeble lighting, Xia Wennan studied the obscure features of the women drawn in the sketchbook. Feeling dust coating his fingers, he subconsciously rubbed them together.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Ming Qin¡­?¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s thoughts were in disarray.


    ¡°Yes, but I was too young at the time,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°At that age, I didn¡¯t know anything. We were very poor back then, and dad had to work very hard to provide for the two of us. He didn¡¯t have time to look after me. When I went to kindergarten, the majority of kids my age were betas, and I saw that their moms were all women with long hair, so I assumed that my mom would be a woman with long hair as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Xia Wennan nodded.


    To Ming Luchuan, these childhood memories were probably far from happy; he¡¯d spoken of them in a solemn and serious tone, making Xia Wennan regret that he¡¯d gone about it jokingly, rather than trying to say something that could comfort him.


    Only a dozen pages were filled with drawings; the rest of the sketchbook had been left blank, or perhaps, little Ming Luchuan had suddenly realised that his mom didn¡¯t look like that, and therefore he¡¯d lost interest in drawing.


    Xia Wennan put the sketchbook back on the shelf and studied the row of wooden figurines, saying, ¡°Your dad had it so hard¡­ but he still gave you quite a precious gift.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Ming Luchuan said, ¡°We moved several times. I¡¯ve lost most of my childhood items, only these are left.¡±


    ¡°At least you still have a dad. My parents are gone, I don¡¯t have a single memory of them.¡± Xia Wennan thought to himself, as for who had it worse, it was still him. Furthermore, Ming Luchuan¡¯s other dad, the alpha, was still alive¡ªhe just wasn¡¯t willing to acknowledge him as his father.


    After saying that, Xia Wennan realised that comparing whose life was worse was meaningless,  so he quickly lightened his tone and said, ¡°Have you found the tools yet? Can you fix the wiring?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got them,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The garden¡¯s electric wiring was fed from the villa, and the distribution board was also on the east side of the villa, not far from the shed.


    Xia Wennan held the flashlight beside Ming Luchuan as he checked the wiring. Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t appear to be very skilled as he tinkered around, and after a while, he still hadn¡¯t found the damaged wire. ¡°If you can¡¯t fix it, don¡¯t fix it,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish up.¡±


    Yet Ming Luchuan kept at it, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t want to continue?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I don¡¯t have anything to talk about with them.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like Duan Ning?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t not like him, but I don¡¯t like him either.¡± Xia Wennan bent at the waist and knees the entire time he shone a light on the distribution board for Ming Luchuan, and after a long time, he couldn¡¯t help but brace his hand on Ming Luchuan¡¯s shoulder.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s shoulder sank slightly under his touch, and at the same time, a faint noise came out of the distribution board, and lights around the villa abruptly lit up.


    ¡°Ming Luchuan!¡± Xia Wennan exclaimed in a panic as he leapt back.


    Ming Luchuan rose slowly to his feet. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Xia Wennan patted his chest. ¡°I thought you got electrocuted.¡±


    Ming Luchuan stooped down to tidy up the scattered tools. ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯d react if I got electrocuted?¡±


    ¡°I was going to find a stick to push you away.¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked up and gave him a cold look.


    Xia Wennan believed that he was pretty innocent. ¡°What did you want me to do? Isn¡¯t this a normal reaction? Or should I hug you and get electrocuted too?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was already walking away.


    When Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan returned to the garden, Duan Ning was standing next to Ming Qin. It seemed like he was saying his goodbyes.


    ¡°Why are you leaving? Isn¡¯t it still early?¡± Xia Wennan, like any ordinary social animal, uttered halfhearted, cliche lines to keep a guest from leaving, but after he spoke, he couldn¡¯t fight down a yawn and quickly turned his face away, only to see Ming Luchuan standing directly next to him. He then buried his face in Ming Luchuan¡¯s arms to cover his yawning.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± said Duan Ning. ¡°I still have work tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you came back for work this time around,¡± said Ming Qin.


    Duan Ning smiled. ¡°I¡¯m shooting an ad for Mo Ze.¡±


    After yawning, Xia Wennan suddenly grew even more exhausted. On his third yawn, he heard Duan Ning¡¯s remark and subconsciously looked over at Ming Qin.


    The smile hadn¡¯t faded from Ming Qin¡¯s face. ¡°How could you shoot for Mo Ze but not Ming Yan? Uncle¡¯s going to be mad.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought that he might really be upset, but his tone and demeanor had been perfectly delivered to make it come across as if he was only joking.


    Duan Ning was also unfazed, smiling as he said, ¡°It¡¯s because Ming Yan didn¡¯t ask me.¡±


    Ming Qin immediately turned to Ming Luchuan, ¡°Boss, this one¡¯s on you. You¡¯re obviously childhood friends with a major photographer, how could you let others beat you to it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Xu Feng to work something out tomorrow,¡± Ming Siyan responded calmly.


    Duan Ning laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll fix you up with a reasonable fee.¡±


    Duan Ning was the only one considered a guest tonight. He¡¯d driven here himself, and he¡¯d insisted on not drinking, so he would be driving himself back.


    While the others went to see him off, Xia Wennan told them that he wanted to go to the bathroom as a pretext, and entered the villa alone.


    The first floor had one communal bathroom that was located at the end of the corridor. As Xia Wennan crossed the villa¡¯s threshold, he heard the clang of metal hitting the floor resounding from the corridor. He hurriedly approached the noise, and as he passed through the living room and turned to the corridor, he saw an upturned metal wheelchair and Ming Sichen, who was sprawled on the ground in thin pyjamas.


    Xia Wennan immediately ran over to help Ming Sichen up, but someone got there faster¡ªit was Lu Huaiye, who had just exited from the bathroom.


    Ming Sichen had collapsed right in front of the bathroom, and Lu Huaiye saw him the moment he opened the door. The tall and broad alpha crouched down wordlessly and scooped Ming Sichen up, then grabbed the wheelchair handle with the hand that was lifting Ming Sichen¡¯s legs, and righted it effortlessly.


    Xia Wennan wanted to go over and lend a hand, but after only two steps forward, Lu Huaiye had already set Ming Sichen down on his wheelchair, so he slowed down as he neared.


    When Lu Huaiye registered Xia Wennan¡¯s presence, he gave him a nod, then to Ming Sichen, said, ¡°Why are you outside on your own so late?¡±


    Ming Sichen naturally wouldn¡¯t respond. He hung his head; under the lights, the butterfly tattoo on his nape was incredibly eye-catching.


    Lu Huaiye turned to Xia Wennan. ¡°Wennan, could I trouble you to send Sichen back to his room?¡±


    Xia Wennan was a little surprised, having not anticipated Lu Huaiye¡¯s sudden request, but he still agreed. ¡°Mm, okay.¡±


    Instead of assisting with Ming Sichen¡¯s wheelchair, Lu Huaiye sidestepped them and headed outside. Xia Wennan wheeled Ming Siyan back to his room.


    The latter¡¯s head hung down the entire time, and he didn¡¯t speak a word.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s room was right next to Aunt Zhang¡¯s bedroom, separated only by a door. Despite the fact that the door was closed, Xia Wennan could still hear her snoring.


    He pushed Ming Sichen to his bed, hesitated for a second, then asked, ¡°Do you need my help getting on the bed?¡±Ming Sichen didn¡¯t respond.


    In truth, at the sight of his appearance, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t have the heart to turn and leave, so he reached out to pick Ming Sichen up like Lu Huaiye had done earlier.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s appeared bone-skinny, yet he turned out to be much heavier than Xia Wennan had expected. Gritting his teeth, Xia Wennan carried Ming Sichen and settled him on his bed. He took a step back, panting slightly, and said, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯m going now.¡±


    Ming Sichen was lying on his back, his eyes opened, when suddenly, he let out a very soft sound: ¡°Xia Wennan.¡±


    Ming Sichen appeared emaciated and deathly pale in the dim bedroom, but his eyes were huge and dark, making him seem a little terrifying in this light.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart skipped several beats. ¡°Good night,¡± he said, rushing out of Ming Sichen¡¯s room, not forgetting to turn off the lights and close the door on his way out

 CH 41

    When Xia Wennan emerged from the villa, he saw that Ming Qin and the others had returned to the garden, but none of them had sat back down.


    Ming Qin lifted his arms and stretched his waist, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    Yin Zejing¡¯s appearance was like that of a university student with limitless energy. Initially, he¡¯d wanted to grill the remaining skewers, but when he heard Ming Qin¡¯s words, he put down the skewer in his hand and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    Lu Huaiye and Ming Siyan were standing together, the latter whispering something into the former¡¯s ear. It seemed like they were exchanging good nights.


    Xia Wennan approached Ming Luchuan¡¯s back stealthily, deliberately pressing close and softly exclaiming, ¡°HEY!¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned his head and shot him a cold, apathetic look.Xia Wennan was a little disappointed that he hadn¡¯t managed to startle Ming Luchuan. ¡°Let¡¯s head back too,¡± he furtively muttered.


    Before Ming Luchuan could respond, Ming Qin had turned to them with a huge grin on his face as he said, ¡°Your room¡¯s already been tidied up. Tomorrow¡¯s the weekend, so you don¡¯t have to go to work, don¡¯t rush off in the morning.¡±


    Xia Wennan said nothing, looking to Ming Luchuan, and yet Ming Luchuan only uttered a single word to Ming Qin: ¡°Okay.¡±


    Dismayed, Xia Wennan obediently followed Ming Luchuan up to the second floor bedroom.


    It was their second time staying the night at the Ming house, and Xia Wennan¡¯s sentiments about sharing a bed with Ming Luchuan had changed considerably. The lights in the bedroom had already been turned off, but Xia Wennan was resting on his stomach, looking at his phone. The fluorescent glow of his phone screen illuminated half of Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, and he could see Ming Luchuan laying face up, eyes open, having not yet dozed off.


    ¡°Stop playing with your phone,¡± Ming Luchuan said suddenly.Xia Wennan turned to look at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll damage your eyes,¡± Ming Luchuan said inflectionlessly.


    Xia Wennan played his phone face down on the pillow but maintained his original posture. ¡°Ming Luchuan.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind it this late at night, can I ask you a personal question?¡±


    ¡°I mind.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡ªsorry. So¡­ have you ever been in rut?¡±


    Alphas¡¯ ruts weren¡¯t voluntarily, but were induced by the pheromones of an omega in heat. This was basic physiological knowledge, and even Xia Wennan knew.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t immediately answer his question, but after a long stretch of silence, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m almost thirty. I¡¯m an alpha.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded to show that he understood. ¡°And your partner?¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned to look at him, his hair brushing against the pillow audibly.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t wait for his response before he continued, ¡°I was just thinking how alphas could be lured in by omega pheromones, and regardless of whether they liked that omega or not, their rut would be induced. Actually, I feel kind of sorry.¡±


    ¡°You feel sorry?¡± Ming Luchuan repeated in the dark.


    ¡°Yes. For example, you don¡¯t like dogs at all, right, but you¡¯re injected with this drug for inducing heats in dogs that forces you to mate with dogs. In hindsight, won¡¯t you feel sorry?¡±


    ¡°Xia Wennan.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Apart from chickens and dogs, are there no ordinary humans in that world of yours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, this is an analogy. I used chickens and dogs as analogies because they¡¯re the most visually impactful. To put it bluntly, what¡¯s the difference between humans being controlled by pheromones, and a male dog who gets horny when seeing a female dog in heat?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was mute for a long time, to the point where Xia Wennan began to wonder what expression he was wearing. Thus, he lit up his phone screen to sneak a look at Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, only to find that the man was staring at him with his eyes open. Startled, Xia Wennan immediately dimmed the screen.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ming Luchuan suddenly said.


    Xia Wennan was somewhat surprised. ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s truly no difference between animals and alphas and omegas who are completely controlled by pheromones. So in this world, sufficiently powerful alphas must control their own pheromones, rather than be controlled by them,¡± Ming Luchuan spoke in a solemn manner.


    Xia Wennan was curious; he couldn¡¯t help but scoot closer to Ming Luchuan a little, but because the dark made it impossible to tell the distance between them, as a result, he¡¯d shifted too close, and his forehead was almost plastered to Ming Luchuan¡¯s face. He then immediately moved back slightly, asking, ¡°Is it possible to control it?¡±


    Ming Luchuan remained unperturbed. ¡°You know that my dad was once in a relationship with an alpha called Lu Wenxing.¡±


    Not having anticipated that Ming Luchuan would voluntarily bring up his alpha father, Xia Wennan acted like he knew nothing, letting out a soft ¡®Ah.¡¯


    ¡°Lu Wenxing is a powerful alpha, and my dad really loved him. One is an alpha, and one is an omega¡ªthey were together for quite a long time, would you say that he¡¯s never experienced my dad¡¯s heat?¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I think my dad deliberately used his in-heat pheromones to seduce him. But in the end, until they separated, Lu Wenxing never once marked my dad.¡±


    ¡°That Lu Wenxing,¡± Xia Wennan asked cautiously, ¡°Why was he and your dad together if he didn¡¯t like him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t like him, he just didn¡¯t think that my dad was a suitable marriage partner. Maybe there are innumerable people passing through Lu Wenxing¡¯s life, and my dad was just one of them. Regardless of whether these people were omegas or betas, Lu Wenxing was always able to control his physiological instincts and wouldn¡¯t mark them. Only when he believes he has found the right person will he choose to mark them completely.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate him?¡± Xia Wennan inquired softly, his face pillowed sideways.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice had a deep, even timbre. ¡°Rather than hate, it¡¯s more that I can¡¯t stand the man.¡±


    ¡°Why? You said that he¡¯s a powerful alpha.¡±


    ¡°His power is solely physical. His alpha pheromones have a higher degree of purity, so he¡¯s able to oppress most alphas and is attractive to most omegas, and he even has more control of his pheromones than most. But at the same time, he¡¯s useless. He can¡¯t control his desires.¡±


    As far as Xia Wennan could remember, this was his first time having such a conflict-free, heart-to-heart talk with Ming Luchuan, and he instantly felt that the initially clear image of Ming Luchuan in his eyes had been abruptly blurred. Perhaps Ming Luchuan was not simply a husky in wolf¡¯s skin, but a husky in wolf¡¯s skin with his own beliefs and ideas.


    ¡°Sexual desire, material desire, appetite¡ªthese superficial desires sound fine and dandy, but in truth, they only give you a temporary sense of satisfaction. It¡¯s like physical stimulation, you have to continuously amp up the intensity to be able to feel new stimulation, so none of it is particularly meaningful, and the more you indulge, the harder it is to achieve it. Do you think I should look up to someone like Lu Wenxing, a man who can¡¯t even control his lower body?¡±


    Xia Wennan lifted a hand to clutch at his hair as he asked, ¡°Then what about you? Are you a powerful alpha who can control your pheromones and desires?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± said Ming Luchuan. ¡°And to answer your first question, whether or not I¡¯ve been in rut¡ªit doesn¡¯t at all matter who¡¯s heat pheromones it was, because I won¡¯t be controlled by pheromones, nor would I not be able to control myself against the simplest desires.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help himself from asking, ¡°So are there any deeper desires that can compel you?¡±


    Ming Luchuan was silent for a pause. ¡°Of course there are.¡±


    A question leapt to the forefronts of Xia Wennan¡¯s mind. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not a virgin?¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ming Luchuan sneered. ¡°Would you like to turn on the lights so you can get a good look at that mole on your ass and clear your head?¡±

 CH 42

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to bluff me!¡± Xia Wennan choked out, unable to hold it in any longer.


    Ming Luchuan remained silent. He was lying down face up, staring at the ceiling in the dark. ¡°How did your last therapy session go?¡±


    At the sudden subject change, Xia Wennan¡¯s comprehension momentarily stalled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your last therapy session two days ago. You went by yourself that day.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xia Wennan grasped his meaning. ¡°There aren¡¯t any changes. The doctor told me to keep at it.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t remembered anything?¡±


    Xia Wennan shook his head. Then upon realising that Ming Luchuan probably couldn¡¯t see him, he said, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Ming Luchuan uttered, ¡°Too long.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    Xia Wennan was stunned. He suddenly realised that Ming Luchuan meant that his amnesia had lasted much too long, so long that when Ming Luchuan spoke, his tone was insipid and lost. In that instant, a thought occurred to him¡ªwhat if he hadn¡¯t lost his memories, but had instead inhabited the body of another Xia Wennan, one who had memories of his time with Ming Luchuan and was perhaps truly in love with him?


    He was both horrified and saddened by the idea. ¡°What are you going to do if I never recover?¡± he asked.


    Ming Luchuan turned his back to Xia Wennan without answering his question.


    All of a sudden, the air suffused with a faint aroma. The second he registered that it was Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones, Xia Wennan froze. Shortly after he smelled the brief, intense scent, it vanished into thin air¡ªMing Luchuan had probably consciously suppressed it.


    The fleeting pheromones were strange. It contained no trace of lust, but it felt as if Ming Luchuan had briefly been unable to control his emotions, and the pheromones he¡¯d released conveyed something Xia Wennan found complicated.


    Xia Wennan pulled the blanket over his head and took several deep breaths to calm his emotions. As the alcohol festered in his head, he gradually drifted off.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep. Perhaps that night¡¯s events had taken their toll; his dreams were bizarre and outlandish, and when he awoke, the sky was barely bright, indicating the early hour.


    Next to him, Ming Luchuan was still sound asleep.


    Xia Wennan opened his eyes and laid down for a while, yet he couldn¡¯t go back to sleep. Wanting to get out of bed, he furtively threw off his blanket, only to pause halfway and abort his actions, returning to his original position. God knows what he was thinking¡ªhe sidled up to Ming Luchuan to take a closer look at the man.


    Ming Luchuan truly was a good-looking alpha, and even lying down, the contours of his nose bridge and lips were as prominent and exquisite as ever. His complexion wasn¡¯t as translucently pale as his younger brother¡¯s, but he was just as fair, with the cool white tone that perfectly offsetted his thick, jet-black eyelashes.


    Growing up, Xia Wennan had always cared more about his first gender. He was a male, and gender-wise, he¡¯d never felt particularly different from male alphas and omegas. Most betas¡¯ sexual orientation was as such; male betas preferred female betas and omegas, while female betas preferred male alphas and betas.


    He had no idea when it started, but his perception of his relationship with Ming Luchuan had progressively shifted from that of two men to that of an alpha and a beta. He¡¯d think Ming Luchuan was good-looking, and he¡¯d find him interesting as well.


    Despite the fact that Ming Luchuan was usually very fierce, Xia Wennan¡¯s dislike for the man had long since faded after so much time spent with him. He acted childish in front of him, relished getting a rise out of him by spouting nonsense, and delighted in seeing him get angry. But when he suspected that someone in the Ming family had slipped him sleeping pills, Ming Luchuan was the last person that came to mind.


    He¡¯d lost six years of memories and had awoken to unfamiliar surroundings. His dearest grandpa had passed away, and the only soul who had remained by his side till now was Ming Luchuan.


    In a daze, Xia Wennan reached out. Not knowing what possessed him, Xia Wennan took hold of Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyelash and gently plucked it.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyes flew open. He seized Xia Wennan¡¯s wrist the next second, alarmed and furious. ¡°Are you sick in the head?¡±


    An ¡®ah¡¯ escaped from Xia Wennan¡¯s lips, and he promptly said, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ming Luchuan sat up with one hand propping his body. ¡°Why on earth are you pulling out my eyelash?!¡±


    His limbs had moved on their own; right now Xia Wennan could only say, ¡°I was trying to wake you up.¡±


    Upon being woken up so suddenly, Ming Luchuan¡¯s entire body exuded a low, angry pressure. His hair was disheveled, and his voice was husky. ¡°What did you wake me up for?!¡±


    Xia Wennan had no idea how to explain; he could only shut his eyes and lean over to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I only pull out a single eyelash? Why are you so mad? Come on then, I¡¯ll let you pull mine out.¡±


    He closed his eyes, yet having not sensed any movement from Ming Luchuan after a while, he wanted to reopen them when, out of nowhere, he felt Ming Luchuan¡¯s warm breath fanning his face.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart missed a beat and his brain short-circuited, yet in the next second, pain streaked across his eyelid¡ªhe didn¡¯t expect that Ming Luchuan would actually pull his eyelash out.


    ¡°MING LUCHUAN!¡± Xia Wennan opened his eyes indignantly.


    Ming Luchuan only rolled over and got out of bed indifferently, heading to the bathroom to wash up.


    Not a single word was spoken between Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan until they went downstairs.


    As they¡¯d gotten out of bed too early, everyone else was still asleep. The only one around was Aunt Zhang, who was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen.


    Ming Luchuan settled down on the living room sofa and turned on the TV to watch the morning news. Xia Wennan took the basketball from the corner of the living room and went out to shoot some baskets in the garden.


    The garden was tranquil in the early morning, with just birdsong and the sound of a basketball bouncing on the ground to be heard.


    Xia Wennan was feeling pretty lucky this morning; he made several shots in a row, which got him hyped up enough to start dribbling around the court.


    He kept his eyes on the ball as he jogged to the edge of the court, where a pair of feet emerged in his field of vision.


    Xia Wennan thought it was Yin Zejing at first, but when he looked up, he found that it was Lu Huaiye.


    Lu Huaiye was dressed in a shirt and suit pants. It was evident that he¡¯d spent the night at the Ming House with how he hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°How about a one-on-one?¡± he said to Xia Wennan.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing those?¡± Xia Wennan glanced at his black leather shoes.


    Lu Huaiye laughed, reaching out to snatch the ball from Xia Wennan¡¯s hand in a practiced motion.


    Xia Wennan reflexively dribbled the ball to avoid him, then played a couple of rounds with Lu Huaiye on the garden court.


    Later, Xia Wennan broke out in sweat. ¡°I¡¯m beat,¡± he said as he carded his fingers through his hair.


    Lu Huaiye nodded and headed into the villa.


    Lu Huaiye¡¯s departure was immediately followed by Ming Luchuan stepping out. He stood in the doorway, looking at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan let the basketball roll to the side, walked up to Ming Luchuan, and tentatively craned his head to look over Ming Luchuan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± asked Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan grabbed Ming Luchuan¡¯s sleeve, lowering his voice to say, ¡°Did your little brother¡¯s boyfriend stay the night?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°Your little brother is an omega!¡±


    ¡°Do you live in ancient times?¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Say, has he marked Ming Siyan?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care the slightest bit about your biological younger brother?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all adults.¡±


    Just as Ming Luchuan finished speaking, Xia Wennan witnessed Aunt Zhang rushing out of the house.


    ¡°Has anyone seen Sichen?¡± she asked when she saw them.


    Neither Xia Wennan nor Ming Luchuan answered.


    ¡°He must¡¯ve gone to the garden on his own this morning,¡± Aunt Zhang explained deflectively. ¡°He didn¡¯t let me go with him.¡±


    Ming Luchuan turned to the side, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Then he should still be in the garden.¡±


    Aunt Zhang nodded and walked towards the garden.


    Moments later, Xia Wennan watched as Aunt Zhang wheeled Ming Sichen back from the direction where Lu Huaiye had emerged earlier.

 CH 43

    The entire Ming family was enshrouded by a layer of mist, hazy and elusive, and though Xia Wennan could see something looming on the other side, it was too vague to make out.


    At breakfast, Xia Wennan purposefully sat next to Ming Siyan. He pretended to casually chat with Ming Qin, sitting back on his chair with his arm resting on top in a languid posture. While no one was looking, he leaned against Ming Siyan¡¯s neck to see if it smelled like Lu Huaiye¡¯s pheromones.


    Ultimately, before he could get close, Ming Luchuan pulled him back by the wrist. Stilling with shock, he asked, ¡°What on earth?¡±


    Ming Luchuan impassively grabbed a jar of jam and scooped out a spoonful into Xia Wennan¡¯s bowl, saying, ¡°Have some jam.¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t want to eat jam. He lifted his bowl and scraped every dollop of jam into Ming Luchuan¡¯s bowl with his chopsticks. ¡°No thank you.¡±


    Presently, the two of them were so close that their quiet murmurs would go unheard by the people around them. Ming Luchuan nonchalantly watched on as Xia Wennan scraped the jam, effectively staining both bowls. ¡°What are you up to?¡± he said.


    Without looking at him, Xia Wennan murmured, ¡°I¡¯m trying to smell if Lu Huaiye¡¯s pheromones are on Ming Siyan.¡±


    ¡°Lu Huaiye slept in the guest room,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    When Xia Wennan raised his head¡ªhis forehead grazing Ming Luchuan¡¯s jaw as he did so¡ªand looked Ming Luchuan in the eye.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s stayed the night either,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan let out an ¡®oh¡¯ that was tinged with disappointment. When he moved to sit back down, he suddenly registered Ming Sichen, who was sitting across from Ming Luchuan, and said, ¡°Do you think Lu Huaiye¡¯s pheromones got on Ming Sichen¡¯s body?¡±


    Alphas were also able to leave the scent of their pheromones on betas through temporary marks, but the duration it lasted was very brief.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s question was vague enough that he¡¯d even mentally prepared himself for Ming Luchuan to think that there was something wrong with his brain. And yet in the next moment, to his surprise, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°No. Lu Huaiye would exercise caution.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s head shot up, unable to hide the surprise on his face any longer. Ming Luchuan reached out to touch Xia Wennan¡¯s face, intentionally concealing his expression from view. He then dipped his head, as if to kiss him, and whispered in his ear. ¡°Prior to his car accident, Ming Sichen liked Lu Huaiye. Everyone in the family knew.¡±


    After that, Ming Luchuan let go of his hand.


    Xia Wennan sat up straight. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking at Ming Sichen.


    Aunt Zhang was still feeding Ming Sichen breakfast, but Ming Sichen seemed full and was refusing to open his mouth. Auntie Zhang was holding a spoon with a steamed egg in her hand, coaxing him to eat as if he were a child.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart was brimming with suspicions, but this wasn¡¯t the place to voice his questions. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go to Ming Yan?¡±


    On the other side of the table, Yin Zejing¡¯s abruptly raised voice diverted Xia Wennan¡¯s attention.


    Xia Wennan looked over to their end and heard Ming Qin say, ¡°I never said that you can¡¯t, I¡¯m only asking whether you think that Ming Yan is the most suitable for you.¡±


    Unlike Yin Zejing¡¯s worked up tone, Ming Qin¡¯s bearing remained gentle.


    ¡°Then which company do you think suits me better?¡± Yin Zejing asked.


    Ming Qin set his chopsticks down atop the table, looking at him as he said, ¡°You¡¯re the one interning, but you don¡¯t even know which company would suit you?¡±


    Yin Zejing abruptly leapt to his feet¡ªhis chair legs scraping loudly against the floor¡ªand stormed out.Ming Qin watched him go wordlessly and merely continued eating. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with a napkin as he addressed Ming Luchuan, ¡°Lao-da[1], come to the study.¡±


    Ming Luchuan nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    Nobody knew where Yin Zejing had run off to. Lu Huaiye wanted to leave after eating, so Ming Siyan saw him out. Ming Sichen¡¯s wheelchair was pushed to the doorway, and he gazed out into the garden, which also happened to be the direction Lu Huaiye and Ming Siyan set out to.


    Xia Wennan walked to the door, squatted by Ming Sichen¡¯s side, and gently called, ¡°Ming Sichen.¡±


    He remembered that when Ming Sichen yelled his name last night, all he wanted to do was get out of there as quickly as possible, but now that he thought about it, he wondered if Ming Sichen had something to say to him.


    Yet there was no response from Ming Sichen, his blank gaze fixed on a distant point.


    Xia Wennan tilted his head to study Ming Sichen and realized how similar his appearance was to Ming Siyan¡¯s¡ªto the point where he couldn¡¯t find the tiniest difference between the two¡¯s facial features.


    The sole difference lay in the fact that Ming Siyan was an omega with a perceptible scent of pheromones on his body if you got close enough to smell it, whereas Ming Sichen smelled clean, nary a scent on him.


    Xia Wennan stealthily shifted closer to smell him, but he couldn¡¯t detect even the faintest hint of Lu Huaiye¡¯s pheromones.


    A while later, Ming Luchuan stepped out of Ming Qin¡¯s study.Xia Wennan rose to his feet and looked at him somewhat expectantly. ¡°Can we go back?¡±


    Ming Luchuan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When he reached the entrance, Ming Luchuan saw Ming Sichen in his wheelchair and shouted towards the house, ¡°Aunt Zhang!¡±


    Aunt Zhang appeared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Sichen sit outside for too long,¡± Ming Luchuan told Aunt Zhang. ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Aunt Zhang approached Ming Sichen and gripped the wheelchair handles, wheeling Ming Sichen away as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, you¡¯ve been outside for long enough today.¡±


    Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan watched as Aunt Zhang pushed the wheelchair inside before making their way towards the parking lot.


    The instant they got into the car, without waiting until Ming Luchuan started the engine, Xia Wennan, who could no longer restrain his wandering thoughts, grabbed Ming Luchuan¡¯s arm. ¡°So, Ming Sichen had feelings for Lu Huaiye?¡±


    His hand trapped in Xia Wennan¡¯s grasp, Ming Luchuan had no way to start the car, and could only say, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite shocking, no? Wasn¡¯t Lu Huaiye Ming Siyan¡¯s boyfriend before?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t, in the beginning.¡± With that, Ming Luchuan¡¯s patience had run out. ¡°Could you let go of me first?¡±


    Xia Wennan released his hold on Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand. ¡°President Ming, please.¡±


    Ming Luchuan started the car, and they slowly set off towards the entrance.


    Xia Wennan processed the information he¡¯d just received. ¡°So that means that Ming Sichen and Ming Siyan fought over Lu Huaiye, but Ming Siyan was the one who succeeded, right?¡±


    Ming Luchuan hummed in assent.


    Xia Wennan suddenly felt a little baffled. He looked ahead soundlessly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    Xia Wennan scratched at his unkempt hair, saying, ¡°Actually, this should be a non-issue, right? Lu Huaiye is an alpha. A beta competing against an omega over an alpha? How could he possibly win?¡± Xia Wennan felt terrible for Ming Sichen all of a sudden. He liked the same person as his twin brother, but his twin brother was an omega, whereas he was a beta who had no gender advantage when facing an alpha. The person he liked had, predictably, picked his own brother, and he¡¯d also been in a car accident that had led to an intellectual disability.


    Was Ming Sichen truly afflicted with a mental defect? Xia Wennan suddenly began to have doubts. The night before, Aunt Zhang had escorted Ming Sichen back to his bedroom to sleep, but why would he venture out alone and collapse in the corridor, and just happened to be seen by Lu Huaiye, who then picked him up.


    Was it pre-planned? Knowing that Lu Huaiye had gone to the bathroom, did he deliberately come out to manufacture a chance encounter, only to be foiled by running into the tactless Xia Wennan?


    Why would Ming Sichen put on an act if he was no dummy? What was his goal? Could he be trying to seize the opportunity to seduce Lu Huaiye?


    Moreover, who in the Ming family wanted to harm him?


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    At this time, Ming Luchuan had already driven out of the gate, and it was then that Xia Wennan saw Yin Zejing, who had earlier left in a rage, running along the curb.


    ¡°What was Yin Zejing and your dad fighting about?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    ¡°Yin Zejing wants to intern at Ming Yan,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    [1] Ming Qin called Ming Luchuan ¡°Lao-da¡± a couple of times before, which I translated to ¡®boss¡¯, but it¡¯s also an address for the eldest child in a family.

 CH 44

    The reason Xia Wennan disliked Yin Zejing couldn¡¯t be simpler¡ªhe didn¡¯t quite believe that a university student alpha would purely be in a relationship with a wealthy, divorced omega who had three kids without having ulterior motives.


    Yin Zejing had stated that his family wasn¡¯t well-off, but he had no reservations about using Ming Qin¡¯s money; living in a luxurious residence and wearing famous brands, wasn¡¯t he just a kept man?


    Xia Wennan had also grown up poor, but he¡¯d only ever pondered how to make enough money so his grandfather could live comfortably, never once considering finding a wealthy man to provide for him and make his life easier.


    From Ming Qin and Yin Zejing¡¯s argument at breakfast that morning, it sounded like Ming Qin didn¡¯t particularly agree with Yin Zejing interning at Ming Yan, but after several days passed, Xia Wennan ended up running into Yin Zejing at the company, and on the latter¡¯s chest hung an intern¡¯s ID card.


    It was during lunch, at the cafeteria. Xia Wennan was sitting at his lab co-workers¡¯ table when Yin Zejing brought his meal tray over and took a seat next to him.


    The instant Yin Zejing sat down, the entire table fell silent. Xia Wennan noted that several people were clearly sneaking glances at Yin Zejing, yet Yin Zejing didn¡¯t care in the least, smiling as he greeted Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan shot a look at his work ID and saw that he was interning at the marketing department, so he casually asked, ¡°Are you adjusting to work all right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± said Yin Zejing. ¡°It¡¯s completely different from school.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded, unsure how to proceed with the conversation.


    Yin Zejing chatted with Xia Wennan in a natural manner, even asking why he hadn¡¯t seen Ming Luchuan today, doing nothing to keep his identity under wraps.


    In the afternoon, Xia Wennan overheard Dong Liqian and another young beta lady gossiping about Yin Zejing in the lab. Curious, he went over and asked, ¡°Do you guys know who Yin Zejing is?¡±


    Dong Liqian was too embarrassed to respond at first, but at Xia Wennan¡¯s insistence, she said, ¡°Everyone in the company knows about him. Isn¡¯t he a stunner? The moment he turned up, there were rumours that the new handsome little alpha intern was the old boss¡¯s sweetheart.¡±


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t know what to say to that. He could only nod and say, ¡°Right.¡± He assumed that by this point, everyone in the company should probably share his dislike for Yin Zejing.


    However, Xia Wennan never expected that half an hour later, Yin Zejing, who¡¯d been the talk of the company today, would turn up in front of the lab. He peered inside curiously through the glass and waved to Xia Wennan when he spotted him, pointing to himself, then to the lab, indicating that he wanted to go in. Xia Wennan shook his head.


    He stepped out of the lab and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to my office so we don¡¯t disturb the others.¡±


    Yin Zejing grinned and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°How are you so idle?¡± Xia Wennan poured some water into a paper cup and set it down on the desk in front of Yin Zejing. ¡°Haven¡¯t they assigned you any work?¡±


    Yin Zejing shook his head and picked up the cup. ¡°I¡¯m just an intern.¡±


    Xia Wennan sat down opposite Yin Zejing and for a split second, he felt that, compared to Yin Zejing, there was nothing about himself that seemed like a university student. Subconsciously, he substituted himself into Ming Luchuan¡¯s position and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t interns be busy? You have to learn everything from scratch.¡±


    Yin Zejing shrugged. ¡°They generally treat interns as free labour. Stuff like photocopying documents, ordering takeout, and filling out forms? They dump it onto interns. I¡¯m not here to learn how to do odd jobs, I genuinely want to learn things at Ming Yan.¡±


    Xia Wennan shot a look at this office door, his thoughts alternating between finding an excuse to leave or throw Yin Zejing out. Ultimately, he said, ¡°What things?¡±


    ¡°Well, actual marketing techniques,¡± said Yin Zejing. ¡°Currently, the market is anticipating the release of Ming Yan¡¯s new pheromone perfumes, but the new fall products are scented candles and body wash with the same old scents. When the market¡¯s expectations are so high, what marketing strategy should be implemented to stabilise our consumers?¡±


    After a stretch of silence, Xia Wennan said, ¡°Mm, have you drawn up a proposal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only an intern,¡± said Yin Zejing.


    ¡°You can talk to Ming Luchuan.¡±


    Yin Zejing laughed, but instead of staying on that topic, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s our new line coming along?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still in progress,¡± Xia Wennan threw out perfunctorily.


    ¡°Wennan.¡± Yin Zejing called his name out of the blue.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Xia Wennan turned to look at him.


    Yin Zejing leaned forward; they were obviously the only ones in the office, but he still lowered his voice when he spoke again, asking Xia Wennan, ¡°Can¡¯t find any inspiration?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Inwardly, those words had struck a nerve, but on the surface, he decided to deflect.


    ¡°Do you remember what you told me about your Emotions line?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    ¡°You said each bottle of perfume conveys an emotion¡ªnot only the emotion communicated by pheromones, but also its fragrance, because that¡¯s the only way that betas who use the perfume can feel it. Plus, each perfume you¡¯ve created is based on the emotions that you¡¯ve personally experienced.¡±


    Xia Wennan was a little astonished. Didn¡¯t he dislike Yin Zejing before? Why would he tell him all that?


    ¡°Wennan,¡± said Yin Zejing. ¡°You don¡¯t remember, and you can¡¯t find the emotions you¡¯ve experienced either.¡±


    Once Xia Wennan was the only one left in the office, he gazed out the window blankly.


    He had plenty on his mind, but at the moment, what occupied his thoughts was not whatever strange thing was going on between him and the Ming family, but what precisely Xishui Hall was.


    Every day, cleaners came in to clean the office, but there was a smudge on the floor-to-ceiling window near the wall that hadn¡¯t been wiped clean. Perhaps, the spot had escaped the cleaner¡¯s notice each time.


    Xia Wennan wheeled the office chair beneath him towards the window, lightly rubbing at the stained spot with his finger. The smudge was easily wiped off, but his fingerprint remained on the glass, so he fetched toilet paper and dipped it in water to wipe it clean.


    The glass was finally pristine this time. The blurry smudge had vanished, but the thoughts occupying Xia Wennan¡¯s mind had failed to vanish along with it.


    In terms of Xishui Hall, Xia Wennan was completely at sea. He¡¯d pondered over these two words several times, on multiple occasions, and each time, he¡¯d been near Ming Luchuan and had caught a whiff of the man¡¯s pheromones.


    An ancient temple deep in the mountains, the ice-cold stream of a monastery; remembering the first time he¡¯d smelled Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones in the hospital, these were the images that had sprang to his mind.


    At this point, if someone were to tell him that, before he lost his memories, he¡¯d wanted to develop an alpha pheromone perfume inspired by Ming Luchuan, there wouldn¡¯t be a sliver of doubt in Xia Wennan¡¯s mind. But he had amnesia, and he couldn¡¯t remember what mood those two words actually represented; surely it wasn¡¯t as simple as creating a perfume that smells exactly like Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones.


    Yin Zejing had said that he didn¡¯t have his memories, and he couldn¡¯t find the right emotion, so he¡¯d lost his source of inspiration. In that case, how would he go about getting them back now?


    All of a sudden, Xia Wennan¡¯s phone on his desk pinged with the WeChat alert tone. He turned his chair back to face his desk and checked his phone, only to find that He Yufeng had sent him a message.


    Chocolate Truffles: Do you have time to see Teacher Lin this week?


    Xia Wennan was a bit perplexed. He thought, if he lost his source of inspiration, then should he look for a way to get it back, or should he find a new one?

 CH 45

    Xia Wennan was reading a book in his bedroom. He sat in a rather slovenly manner, lifting one foot up onto the chair as his body tilted to the side, propping his head up with an elbow atop his desk. His other hand was used to turn the page and scrawl words, although he¡¯d occasionally tap on his phone screen to check the time.


    It was almost 10 p.m., and Ming Luchuan had yet to return. Ming Luchuan was not one to stay out late unless he had a social obligation. He and Xia Wennan had a mutual non-interfering attitude, and they¡¯d never asked each other whether the other had any social engagements ahead of time. Today, however, Xia Wennan had been waiting for Ming Luchuan all evening.


    By 10.30 p.m., Xia Wennan had gotten too drowsy to focus on his book, so he flipped the textbook shut and reached for his phone, eventually deciding to give Ming Luchuan a call.


    When he heard the ringing tone of his outgoing call, Xia Wennan became a little restless and softly rapped his fingers against the desktop. When the call finally went through, the first thing he heard was deafening static, with no audible response from Ming Luchuan.


    With that being the case, Xia Wennan cautiously sounded out, ¡°Hello?¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice immediately rang out, ¡°Xia Wennan?¡±


    His deep timbre sounded raspy and slurred at the same time, as if something hot had rolled across his throat. From the chaotic background noise around him, Xia Wennan quickly surmised, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer. It seemed as if someone at his side was talking to him, but he didn¡¯t respond either. After more than a dozen seconds, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°¡­come pick me up?¡±


    Xia Wennan froze up. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan let out a drawn out ¡®Mm¡¯, as if to respond to Xia Wennan, but also as if the alcohol was giving him a difficult time.


    It was right then that Xia Wennan suddenly heard someone on the other end shout: ¡°Duan Ning!¡± The voice was barely audible, and he really only felt that it sounded like these two words, but the soft hairs on his nape pricked up, and he thought to himself: Good for you, Ming Luchuan! You claim that he isn¡¯t a white moonlight, but you go out drinking with him behind my back! How dare you ask me to pick you up!


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s tone was rather unpleasant. ¡°Where¡¯s your driver?¡±


    Ming Luchuan, however, didn¡¯t answer. Xia Wennan heard nothing save for chaotic background noise, and after half a minute or so went by, the call was cut off.


    Xia Wennan was a little pissed. He put his phone on his desk, took a deep breath, then got to his feet, intending to empty his bladder and go to bed.


    In the bathroom, the steam from his earlier bath had yet to fully dissipate, and it was hot and stuffy inside. He pressed down on the flush button a little harder and washed his hands with less patience. Normally, he would always wipe the steam from the mirror, but he was too lazy to clean it today.


    Stepping out of the bathroom, Xia Wennan opened his wardrobe and changed into a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He then grabbed his phone and wallet and walked outside. When he reached the front door, he switched his slippers for a pair of shoes while calling Xu Feng to inquire where Ming Luchuan was dining tonight.


    As he reached the entrance of the community, Xia Wennan faintly regretted not wearing a jacket. Summer was drawing to a close, and the remaining bit of daytime heat was like a drop in the sea at night. The night breeze was starting to carry the autumnal chill, slipping under people¡¯s collars and hems.


    Xia Wennan pulled at the hem of his sleeves and suddenly realised that his T-shirt was quite short. It wasn¡¯t only short, but also loose, and a gust of wind was all it took to reveal a sliver of waist.


    He took a taxi to the place Ming Luchuan was eating at tonight, a restaurant named ¡°Qin Palace¡±. The trip there took more or less twenty minutes, and when he arrived at his destination and made to enter the premises, he was barred by a waiter at the entrance.


    Puzzled, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I go inside?¡±


    ¡°Pardon sir, are you a beta?¡± the waiter inquired in an extremely polite manner.


    ¡°I am,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with betas?¡±


    The waiter smiled and said, ¡°Apologies sir. Qin Palace is a members-only club. We only receive alpha members and omega patrons.¡±


    Xia Wennan listened to him explain with mild confusion. ¡°What do you mean by alpha members and omega patrons?¡±


    The waiter patiently explained, ¡°There¡¯s a membership system implemented for alphas. Omega patrons may enter without a membership.¡±


    ¡°What about betas then?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re utterly sorry sir, we don¡¯t receive beta patrons,¡± said the waiter.


    Xia Wennan froze for a beat. Although he was well aware that betas were at the lowest rung of society¡¯s gender hierarchy, the superficial appearance of fairness still had to be maintained. This was the first time he¡¯d encountered something so blatantly sexist against betas.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you also a beta?¡± Xia Wennan said to the waiter, not particularly pleased.


    The waiter¡¯s smile didn¡¯t diminish in the least. ¡°I¡¯m just a service staff, of course I¡¯m a beta.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± someone behind Xia Wennan suddenly extended a hand and inserted himself between them, handing the waiter a business card.


    Xia Wennan turned his head and saw that it was Ming Luchuan¡¯s driver. The driver nodded to Xia Wennan in greeting, ¡°Mr. Xia.¡± Afterwards, he addressed the waiter, who had gotten a good look at the business card by then, ¡°This is President Ming¡¯s partner.¡±


    The waiter began to bow repeatedly. ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Xia Wennan waved a hand; he didn¡¯t have time to bother with him. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± he asked the driver.


    The driver pointed to the side, and with his half-smoked cigarette sandwiched between his fingers, he said, ¡°I was waiting for President Ming over there. I came over after Assistant Xu called.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    The driver said, ¡°Please give me a call when President Ming is finished here.¡±


    Xia Wennan made an OK gesture with his fingers.


    The waiter was waiting for him with a bow. ¡°Please come in, sir.¡±


    Xia Wennan followed him inside.


    The club dubbed as Qin Palace¡¯s fa?ade and interior were designed in light tones and surrounded by grandeur. The long corridor was lined with bamboo partitions, the floor a vast stretch of fine, pale yellow carpeting; the tread of leather shoes made not the faintest sound.


    Xia Wennan looked at the waiter in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Weren¡¯t you firmly against receiving betas?¡±


    The waiter turned back with a smile. ¡°Apologies sir, for making you misunderstand. Qin Palace does not receive beta patrons who come alone. If they come along as friends or partners of alpha members of the club, we would naturally receive them.¡±


    It felt as if Xia Wennan¡¯s breath was suddenly stuck in his throat. He asked, ¡°If it were a big-time boss, or a superstar, or scientists, or world champions¡ªif these people were all betas and wanted to sign up as a member, would your club refuse them too?¡±


    The waiter bowed. ¡°Apologies. These are the boss¡¯s rules.¡± Afterwards, he continued to maintain a polite smile as he led the way.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t ask any more questions. The person in front of him was only a waiter anyway, and he was also part of the same beta group that was discriminated against. There was no point in making things difficult for him.


    The waiter came to a halt in front of a wooden sliding door in the midst of the bamboo wall, saying, ¡°This is the private room Mr. Ming and his friends are dining in.¡±


    Xia Wennan immediately remembered hearing someone cry out ¡°Duan Ning,¡± and the flurry of rage he¡¯d previously suppressed erupted. He envisioned himself kicking open the sliding door before him and bellowing, ¡°Way to go, Ming Luchuan! And you still won¡¯t admit that you have a white moonlight?!¡±


    In reality, he merely stood soundlessly in front of the door, watching as the waiter knocked, then gently pulled open the door to the private room for him.


    There were seven to eight people in the private room. Only two or three of them were omegas, with the remainder being alphas. At this very moment, all of them were looking Xia Wennan¡¯s way.


    However, the crux of the matter was that Ming Luchuan and Duan Ning were not inside, and what was even stranger was the fact that He Yufeng was actually present. The man got up from the cushion he was sitting on, and uttered with slight surprise, ¡°Little junior?¡±

 CH 46

    Standing in the doorway, Xia Wennan glanced around the room, and without responding to He Yufeng, he turned back to the waiter that had brought him here and asked, ¡°Did we go to the wrong room?¡±


    ¡°This is the private room where Mr. Ming and his friends are meeting,¡± the waiter replied with a smile.


    He Yufeng then inquired again, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to pick up Ming Luchuan,¡± Xia Wennan explained. ¡°Did he drink with you guys tonight?¡±


    Suddenly, an alpha seated in the corner of the room blurted, ¡°Say, no wonder you look so familiar, it turns out you¡¯re President Ming¡¯s wife.¡±


    The face of the docile omega at his side took on a look of astonishment. ¡°President Ming¡¯s wife is a beta?¡±


    The alpha chuckled. ¡°President Ming¡¯s wife is actually a famous big-shot in the perfume industry.¡± He then motioned the omega over, muttering something into his ear as the omega leaned close.


    While they talked among themselves, He Yufeng spoke up to question the others in the room on Xia Wennan¡¯s behalf, ¡°Have any of you seen where President Ming went?¡±


    ¡°I think Luchuan was drunk.¡± ¡°He just stepped out. I¡¯m not sure if he went to the bathroom or looked for some place to rest.¡±


    ¡°I think Duan Ning accompanied him¡ª¡± The person who said this suddenly stopped halfway, as though he¡¯d just recalled Xia Wennan¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Little junior, come in and sit down first,¡± He Yufeng said to Xia Wennan. ¡°I¡¯ll have the waiter ask where President Ming has gone off to.¡±


    Xia Wennan gave He Yufeng a smile. ¡°Thank you, Senior He. But I¡¯d better not. I should find Ming Luchuan so we can head home.¡±


    Seeing that Xia Wennan refused to step inside, He Yufeng exited the room himself. He instructed the waiter to inquire about Ming Luchuan¡¯s whereabouts and accompanied Xia Wennan in front of the room.


    They were the only ones in the corridor; a gust of wind suddenly came out of nowhere, causing the lantern-style lights to shake and sway.


    He Yufeng lowered his head to look at Xia Wennan. ¡°You personally came to pick up President Ming at such a late hour?¡±


    Xia Wennan hummed. ¡°After all, he is my¡ªyou know.¡±


    He Yufeng chuckled, watching Xia Wennan wordlessly. Xia Wennan had always felt that the atmosphere between them was a bit strange. ¡°How has Teacher Lin been doing?¡± he said as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his T-shirt and rocked from side to side.


    ¡°Since you said that you won¡¯t be available any time soon, I called Teacher Lin this afternoon and asked after him. The old man said that everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    He Yufeng had messaged at midday today to invite him to visit their graduate advisor together. After a bout of hesitation, Xia Wennan decided to decline. His first reason for turning He Yufeng down was because he didn¡¯t feel that it was appropriate to go see his teacher now, with how he couldn¡¯t even remember what Teacher Lin looked like. If he did go and see him, his vacant mind would only serve to make the old man worry. Second, he wasn¡¯t particularly keen on the idea of going out with He Yufeng, who appeared very open and honest on the surface, but had sent him chocolates and called him ¡®little junior¡¯ so intimately, that he¡¯d always suspected him of attempting to seduce someone¡¯s husband.


    Before attempting to find a new source of inspiration, he was adamant on not abandoning his Xishui Hall.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys drunk?¡± asked Xia Wennan. ¡°Why is Ming Luchuan the only one who¡¯s wasted?¡±


    He Yufeng was silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xia Wennan felt off. ¡°Is there something you can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°He fended off a lot of drinks for Duan Ning,¡± said He Yufeng.


    At his words, Xia Wennan¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why on earth did you guys force Duan Ning to drink?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°Then who was it? How come you didn¡¯t help him fend them off?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°How could a bunch of alphas bully an omega?¡±


    As soon as Xia Wennan finished speaking, the waiter who had just departed was already rushing all the way up to them, declaring that he¡¯d found President Ming.


    He Yufeng accompanied Xia Wennan to look for Ming Luchuan. The waiter led their way in front of them, explaining that several staff members had seen the inebriated President Ming propped up by an omega, enquiring about a room.


    They ventured deeper into the establishment, through a small garden and down a long corridor. The waiter stopped in front of one of the rooms but did not immediately knock on the door, instead addressing Xia Wennan and He Yufeng, ¡°He¡¯s in this room.¡±


    ¡°Is this a hotel room?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    ¡°The club provides accommodation for its patrons,¡± answered the waiter.


    ¡°So this room¡¯s it?¡± Xia Wennan made sure.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The waiter nodded.


    He Yufeng reached out and pressed down on Xia Wennan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash, little junior.¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to look at him over his shoulder and played dumb: ¡°Why would I be rash?¡± When he turned back to face the door, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace, pausing to consider whether he should kick the door open to catch them in the¡ªyet to be proven¡ªact of adultery, or knock nicely so as not to humiliate himself.


    In the middle of hesitating, the door was suddenly opened from the inside. Duan Ning jerked to a halt at the doorway; he was impeccably dressed, with not a hair out of place. ¡°Wennan?¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but peer into the room. Duan Ning instantly pulled the door wide open, turning sideways so Xia Wennan could get a clear view of what was going on inside. ¡°Luchuan had a lot to drink,¡± he explained. ¡°He just fell asleep.¡±


    The room was shown to be a suit. The external room was a sitting room without a bed, but Ming Luchuan was lying on the sofa, his coat draped over him by Duan Ning.


    Xia Wennan walked in. ¡°Little junior,¡± He Yufeng remained at the door. ¡°Since you¡¯ve found President Ming, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    Xia Wennan gave him a nod ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    Duan Ning had originally meant to leave when he opened the door, but changed his mind at Xia Wennan¡¯s presence. He waited until He Yufeng left before closing the door and saying, ¡°Ming Luchuan is drunk. I only helped him here so that he could rest, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t.¡± Xia Wennan smiled, avoiding all mention of the fact that he¡¯d almost kicked the door down on impulse just seconds ago.


    Approaching the sofa, he bent down and patted Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, exclaiming, ¡°Hey!¡±


    There was no response from Ming Luchuan save for the sound of his deep breathing, his exhales interspersed with the strong smell of alcohol and the scent of pheromones.


    ¡°Someone kept pressuring me to drink tonight.¡± Duan Ning sat down on the opposite sofa, his words laced with unveiled disgust. ¡°That person is someone I can¡¯t afford to offend, and after Luchuan drank in my place a few times, the man got pissed. It only got worse and worse, I¡¯m afraid Luchuan ended up drinking too much. Sorry.¡±


    Xia Wennan turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s there to apologise for, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s your fault.¡±


    ¡°I saw that Luchuan was a little unsteady on his feet when he left for the washroom, so I helped him up as an excuse to get away. I wanted to hide here until they were done so I could go home.¡±


    Xia Wennan laughed. ¡°What¡¯s with the detailed explanation?¡±


    As he rose to his feet, Duan Ning laughed as well. ¡°I¡¯m really afraid that you¡¯d misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something? Did you know that Ming Luchuan had feelings for you?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you not ask me so directly?¡± Duan Ning said with a laugh. ¡°But yes, I knew that he liked me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡±


    Duan Ning shot a glance at Ming Luchuan who was lying on the sofa, saying, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a matter of like or not-like, I just felt that we weren¡¯t a good match.¡±


    ¡°Care to explain?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Duan Ning looked at Xia Wennan with a smile, seeming to find him amusing. ¡°Luchuan is an incredibly insecure guy, to the point that he refuses to take the initiative to show his affection to the person he likes. Emotionally, he¡¯s very passive.¡±


    As Xia Wennan listened to Duan Ning speak, the image of the Ming Luchuan he knew gradually overlapped with Duan Ning¡¯s description of the man; constantly angry, constantly displeased, no matter what was on his mind, he¡¯d always sport a foul expression.


    Out of nowhere, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°Then how did you find out that Ming Luchuan liked you?¡±


    Duan Ning answered by throwing his question back at him, ¡°How did you find out that Ming Luchuan likes you?¡±

 CH 47

    ¡°Ah?¡± Duan Ning¡¯s question caught Xia Wennan off guard. He felt that acknowledging this question wouldn¡¯t be the best idea, but so was ignoring it. He racked his brain for a response, but as he did so, Ming Luchuan, who was resting on the sofa, suddenly twitched, and a low groan escaped his mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s about to wake up,¡± Duan Ning said. ¡°I should go.¡±


    Right on time, Xia Wennan thought. ¡°All right then, take care.¡±


    As he watched Duan Ning leave the room, he heard Ming Luchuan let out a low groan. Crouching down by the sofa, he noticed Ming Luchuan¡¯s lips moving, as if he was saying something.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Xia Wennan moved his ear closer. Ming Luchuan repeated: ¡°Nannan.¡±


    A burst of crimson flooded Xia Wennan¡¯s face.


    He had no idea why he was blushing¡ªit was just that these two words, coming out of the inebriated alpha¡¯s mouth in his deep and low timbre, sounded sticky and ambiguous. Along with by the dense, emotion-packed pheromones emanating from his body, for the unprepared Xia Wennan, it was like a head-on collision.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t just call me that.¡± Xia Wennan could no longer stand this, but he held on and pinched Ming Luchuan¡¯s mouth.


    Ming Luchuan opened his eyes. Under the effect of alcohol, his gaze was scattered, but his eyes remained clear. He stared at Xia Wennan, and after a moment, said, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Xia Wennan averted his gaze, refusing to meet Ming Luchuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°So you came?¡± asked Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t immediately respond after hearing this question, because he smelled the scent of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones in the air growing exceedingly stronger. He¡¯d smelled countless alpha pheromones before, so he was well aware that this one in particular signified an alpha¡¯s lust. Compared to other alphas, however, Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones were clearer and richer; if Xia Wennan were an omega, he¡¯d surely have gone weak at the knees by now.


    But he was a beta, who would only blush when grasping the biological information Ming Luchuan wanted to convey. To conceal his unease, he deliberately put on a stern expression and said, ¡°Why are you in rut in a place like this?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t speak.As a beta, Xia Wennan had yet to realise the dangers he could possibly face at this very moment. He only said, ¡°There are no omegas here.¡± As far as he could remember, alphas would only go into rut if lured by omega pheromones.


    ¡°What omega?¡± The alcohol had caused Ming Luchuan¡¯s voice to sound faintly husky.


    As soon as Xia Wennan remembered the fact that Duan Ning had just been in this room, he immediately felt faintly upset. ¡°Did you forget about that omega you fended off drinks for earlier?¡±


    ¡°Which omega?¡±


    Xia Wennan gave him an odd look. ¡°You don¡¯t even remember what happened tonight?¡±


    After examining Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, Xia Wennan realised that Ming Luchuan probably wasn¡¯t genuinely asking questions. Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze never strayed from Xia Wennan¡¯s face. The corners of his eyes were flushed a pale crimson, and it was as if this bit of colour had melted away the indifference on his face; for a split second, he appeared stubborn and passionate. Him not knowing which omega they were talking about may not be due to the fact that he didn¡¯t remember, but because he didn¡¯t care at all.


    Despite the fact that the room was devoid of omegas, the alpha was in rut.


    It was at this moment that Xia Wennan began to raise his guard. When he made to stand up, Ming Luchuan suddenly grabbed hold of his hand. His grip was strong, and Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°Nannan,¡± Ming Luchuan called out once more.


    It made Xia Wennan¡¯s flesh crawl. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    Seeming to not have heard him, Ming Luchuan drew Xia Wennan¡¯s hand and pasted it to the side of his face. As the cool palm touched his warm cheek, Ming Luchuan softly repeated, ¡°Nannan.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart was racing like mad. ¡°You¡¯re drunk!¡±


    Ming Luchuan really was drunk. With his other hand, he pressed down on Xia Wennan¡¯s nape to lower his head, then kissed Xia Wennan¡¯s lips.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s inner world instantly exploded in a field of fireworks.


    In truth, he could¡¯ve avoided him, could¡¯ve pushed him away; when Ming Luchuan forced him to lower his head, he¡¯d pictured himself punching Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, and yet he didn¡¯t go through with any of these things. He thought back to that day, in the early morning, when he had his eyes closed as he awaited Ming Luchuan to act. It had ended with Ming Luchuan pulling out his eyelash. Back then, he hadn¡¯t been sure what he was waiting for, whereas in this instant, he was fully aware of the fact that Ming Luchuan was kissing him, and yet he made no move to protest.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart beat faster and faster. Gradually, he struggled breathing, and as Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones spread across the entire room uncontrollably, it impacted his beta senses. The alpha pheromones wouldn¡¯t cause Xia Wennan to go into heat, but they overwhelmed him, rendering him dizzy and breathless.


    He felt his hands being yanked forcefully, and suddenly his world was turned upside down, and he was laying on his back on the sofa, with Ming Luchuan pushing down on top of him.


    The kiss was not yet over; the alpha¡¯s hands grew bolder and bolder, and the hem of Xia Wennan¡¯s T-shirt which had been lifted by a simple breeze was tugged upwards. His waist flinched away as he felt the contact.


    Light-headed from the onslaught of alpha pheromones, fear began to settle across Xia Wennan¡¯s mind. He seized Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand to put a stop to his actions. ¡°You¡¯re drunk!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan was almost at the end of his rope. ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you let go of me?!¡±


    Ming Luchuan finally stopped moving. He raised his head and looked down at Xia Wennan. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you drunk! Don¡¯t screw around!¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s usual icy tone was laced with a drunken rasp as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s screw then.¡±


    ¡°Screw you!¡± Xia Wennan could feel the heat and touch on his neck.


    Ming Luchuan sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one getting screwed.¡±


    Xia Wennan used up all his strength to shove Ming Luchuan off of him and hastily rolled down from the sofa to the carpet. ¡°Stop messing around. I¡¯m calling the police.¡±


    Ming Luchuan leaned over and grabbed his leg. ¡°Why would you call the police?¡±


    Xia Wennan tried and failed to shake him off. His tone of voice was both anxious and furious. ¡°You want to force that on me¡ªyou¡¯re still not letting me call the police?¡±


    ¡°Force what on you?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s complexion clouded over.


    ¡°Let go of me now!¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t let go. ¡°You said you like me.¡±


    ¡°When did I say that? In your dreams?¡± Xia Wennan spat out, ¡°Get yourself together!¡±


    Ming Luchuan stared at him with an increasingly dark and frightful gaze, and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    In the next second, Ming Luchuan suddenly let go of his hand and said, ¡°Piss off!¡±


    Xia Wennan, who had been working hard to get free, was taken off guard by the unexpected release and tumbled backwards. His skull collided with the coffee table with a loud thud, and the pain was so intense that he could see stars. He strained to get up, only to see Ming Luchuan sitting motionlessly on the sofa with his head bowed.


    Panting slightly, he lifted a hand to feel where he¡¯d bumped his head, feeling the slight swell the second he touched it. Hissing in pain, he propped himself up with his hands to squat on the floor, and approached Ming Luchuan with caution.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s head was hung low. From Xia Wennan¡¯s line of sight, the man¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t visible, but as he drew close, he heard Ming Luchuan softly repeating, ¡°If you don¡¯t like me then piss off¡­ I don¡¯t need¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t answer.


    Xia Wennan was miffed, but there was no point in engaging with a drunkard, so he asked, ¡°Do you want to head home?¡± He wanted to call Ming Luchuan¡¯s driver and call someone to help bring Ming Luchuan outside.


    When he groped about for his phone, Xia Wennan realised that it had fallen from his body at some point and had landed on the carpet not far from the sofa.


    The moment Xia Wennan turned around to retrieve his phone, Ming Luchuan suddenly covered him from behind, pinned his body to the ground, trapping him there, and sunk his teeth into Xia Wennan¡¯s nape.


    Xia Wennan vividly felt the pain of teeth tearing open the flesh of his nape, followed immediately by the injection of alpha pheromones.

 CH 48

    In that moment, all Xia Wennan registered was a pain so intense that he let out a blood-curdling scream and even squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes. After the excruciating pain subsided, he felt the flesh on his nape begin to swell. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he was palpably aware of Ming Luchuan injecting his pheromones into his body. Despite lacking glands, the alpha pheromones seeped into his muscles and blood vessels, and he could feel his heart racing faster and faster, his head swelling within seconds.


    This sensation terrified Xia Wennan. Although he knew that betas would not react to alpha pheromones, he hadn¡¯t had any prior experience with them either. Under the powerful oppressive feeling, he couldn¡¯t keep his panic at bay. Lying face down on the carpet, he tried to crawl forwards, fearing Ming Luchuan¡¯s next move.


    But he didn¡¯t expect that, after Ming Luchuan bit him, there was no next move.


    Ming Luchuan had fallen asleep.


    Xia Wennan shoved Ming Luchuan off of him, rolled over, and sat on the floor, his pulse racing as he gasped for air. He lifted a hand to feel his nape, and when he spread his palm in front of him, he was greeted by a handful of blood. He wiped his blood-stained palm on the carpet in reflex.


    Ming Luchuan lay on the floor, stock-still save for the slight rise and fall of his body that showed that he was asleep.


    The fright from the pheromone injection faded and was replaced by anger as Xia Wennan calmed down. He kicked Ming Luchuan¡¯s waist with his foot, yet Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t move a single inch.


    Xia Wennan got to his feet, shoved his arms under Ming Luchuan¡¯s arms, and struggled to haul him off the ground and onto the sofa. He collected his phone and called Ming Luchuan¡¯s driver as he bent down to lift Ming Luchuan¡¯s legs onto the sofa.


    A while later, the driver came in and asked Xia Wennan to help him lift Ming Luchuan onto his back, then made his way out of the establishment.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t encounter He Yufeng nor Duan Ning a second time. Two attendants respectfully followed behind him, escorting them all the way outside and lending an arm to help Ming Luchuan into the car.


    For a brief moment, Xia Wennan stood by Ming Luchuan¡¯s bedside, then resignedly stripped the man of his coat, shoes, and socks before covering him with a blanket.


    When Xia Wennan returned to his room, he carefully wiped his nape with a wet towel. The bleeding had stopped, and all he had to wipe away were dried-up bloodstains, but the place where he¡¯d been bitten was still aching. Despite the fact that he couldn¡¯t see it, he knew it was deep.


    When he lay on his bed, Xia Wennan was already dead tired. He sank into the mattress, unable to turn over as if all the strength had left his body. However, despite his obvious exhaustion, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep for a short time, his thoughts running wild through his fatigue, the events of the evening replaying in his mind.


    That wasn¡¯t all. There was one more thing that bothered him: all he could smell were Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones. The scent was weak, but he couldn¡¯t shake it for even a second.


    Above all, when he wrapped the blanket around his entire body, he felt like bok choy marinating in Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones; the scent had already seeped into his flesh and blood. It didn¡¯t smell unpleasant, really, but with Xia Wennan¡¯s sensitive sense of smell, it didn¡¯t take long for him to feel light-headed.


    Xia Wennan didn¡¯t know how much time had passed as he lay in bed, but his exhaustion eventually won out and he fell asleep. His slumber, however, lasted only until dawn. Turning over groggily, he smelled that faint fragrance again and was jolted awake.


    He ripped away the blanket and sat up, holding his head in pain.


    Ming Luchuan awoke an hour later than Xia Wennan. He appeared to be in pain, possibly from the effects of a hangover. When he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before turning to lie on his side, where his gaze met a hardened glare.


    The one who was glaring at him was none other than Xia Wennan. He had a head of messy hair, and his eyes were blue around the edges, his expression oozing resentment.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s pupils shrunk the instant he saw Xia Wennan. His head jerked back, and he pressed a hand to his brow, his voice hoarse, as he asked, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Xia Wennan was kneeling on the floor, his upper body resting on the bed. ¡°Chuanchuan,¡± he said.


    Ming Luchuan visibly froze as he stared at Xia Wennan. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what happened last night?¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan propped himself up on his arms, lightly pressed a hand to his aching brow again, and asked, ¡°What happened last night?¡±


    Xia Wennan climbed onto Ming Luchuan¡¯s bed and sat cross-legged in front of him. ¡°Do you remember going to dinner? Do you remember that Duan Ning was there? Do you remember fending off drinks for him?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t respond. He was hunched over, his head slightly bowed, but his eyes were trained straight ahead.


    ¡°It seems like you do,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°I¡¯ll keep going then. Do you remember calling me and asking me to pick you up? Do you remember calling me Nannan?¡± He¡¯d initially meant to ask if Ming Luchuan remembered kissing him, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly felt too embarrassed to ask.


    ¡°Nannan?¡± Ming Luchuan glanced at him with a vacant look in his eyes.


    The following question held the culmination of Xia Wennan¡¯s anger. He lowered his head, exposing his nape to Ming Luchuan. ¡°Do you remember biting me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan provided no response. A moment later, a warm palm stroked Xia Wennan¡¯s nape. Ming Luchuan¡¯s throat bobbed, and he said, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s slightly grim tone startled Xia Wennan, causing him to raise his head and avoid Ming Luchuan¡¯s touch.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze was fixed on Xia Wennan. ¡°I bit you?¡±


    Xia Wennan broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Otherwise?¡±


    Ming Luchuan leaned over to smell the scent on Xia Wennan¡¯s body and chuckled softly.


    His chuckle gave Xia Wennan goosebumps. He paused for a beat before saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apologise to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ming Luchuan said immediately, without a trace of emotion.


    Xia Wennan looked at him, saw his calm, and couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember a thing?¡±


    After a brief silence, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember biting you.¡±


    What about that kiss then? Xia Wennan didn¡¯t ask. Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t say anything either.


    Before heading over to the company, Xia Wennan applied gauze to the wound on his nape. He knew that the placement of the gauze was extremely conspicuous, that it would let people¡¯s imaginations roam wild, but the wound itself was too obvious¡ªhe¡¯d rather people kept to their guesses than be able to see that he¡¯d been bitten at a glance. If anyone inquired, he could simply say that he¡¯d accidentally injured himself.


    Despite this, he managed to overlook the one thing he should¡¯ve considered¡ªthe remaining traces of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones were discernible not only to him, but also to the alphas and omegas in the company.


    At noon, during lunch, practically every eye in the cafeteria was on Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan was sitting at his laboratory co-workers¡¯ table. He registered those sights that were far and near and was suddenly overcome with a bleak feeling. He was certain that the entire company had assumptions of what he and Ming Luchuan had gotten up to the night before¡ªand how intense it had been.


    Sure enough, in the next second, Chen Wenchu set down his lunch tray next to him. As he sat down, he clapped Xia Wennan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since President Ming was so fierce!¡±


    Xia Wennan instantly choked on the rice in his mouth. Unable to swallow or spit it out, he could only cough in agony.

 CH 49

    Xia Wennan coughed for quite some time. When it became clear that his choking was severe and unlikely to subside anytime soon, the people sitting by his side immediately handed him water.


    He took the glass of water and downed half of it in one breath, his frantic movements masking the flurry of panic in his heart. His mind, on the other hand, was replaying the words Chen Wenchu had just uttered: It¡¯s been a while.


    What was that supposed to mean? Did it mean that they¡¯d done it before? Although an alpha¡¯s mark on a beta was only temporary, the scent that came with it could not be hidden. Judging by Chen Wenchu¡¯s words, Ming Luchuan may have left the mark of his pheromones on Xia Wennan more than once.


    How did he do it? Was it a bite to the neck? Or was it something even deeper¡­


    Xia Wennan recalled the red mole on his ass. Didn¡¯t Ming Luchuan say that he knew about the mole on his most private body part, and that they¡¯d done everything there was to be done? It was just that he¡¯d never believed him, when in fact, Ming Luchuan had never lied.


    The more he descended into this line of thought, the more panicked he became. He dazedly cupped the glass of water and didn¡¯t touch a single grain of rice on his lunch tray.


    His tablemates exchanged meaningful glances and began to chastise Chen Wenchu for speaking mindlessly.


    Perhaps there really was something wrong with Chen Wenchu¡¯s mind¡ªor lack thereof¡ªas he continued, ¡°Last time, it looked like President Ming didn¡¯t treat you gently at all. Also, you guys haven¡¯t even been together for seven years, how can you have the seven-year itch?¡±


    Xia Wennan forced his eyelids open and gave him a look, saying, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± He didn¡¯t aim it at Chen Wenchu in particular. He¡¯d lost his appetite, and he genuinely felt full.


    Once he left with his lunch tray, the people at the table besieged Chen Wenchu from all sides, telling him to think before speaking next time and not make things awkward for Manager Xia. The poor Manager Xia couldn¡¯t even finish his meal.


    As for Xia Wennan himself¡­ rather than feeling awkward, it was more that Chen Wenchu¡¯s words had dealt a blow that had muddled his brain. Leaving the cafeteria, he headed back to his office, driven to distraction the entire way, then sat at his chair and stared out the window.


    The window vaguely reflected his silhouette. Xia Wennan gazed at his blurry face and wondered if Ming Luchuan had ever kissed him before, and if he¡¯d done anything after a kiss. What else had Ming Luchuan done to him?


    Xia Wennan blushed.


    Help! Xia Wennan could no longer control his imagination. All of a sudden, he felt a bit sad. After all, it was such an important first time; he had yet to experience it and it was already gone.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mind was preoccupied the entire afternoon.


    That evening, he ducked into his bedroom at the earliest possible moment. When he heard Ming Luchuan return, he quickly turned off the lights and lay in bed, pretending to sleep.


    But how could Xia Wennan possibly fall asleep at this hour? In the dark, he pulled his blanket over his head, causing Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones to become denser in the small, enclosed space, which made his heart grow more distraught. He hastily drew down the blanket and took deep gulps of fresh air.


    At the same time, a click sounded from his bedroom door¡ªsomeone had opened it from the outside.


    Xia Wennan inwardly froze. He slightly regretted not checking to see if the door was locked before climbing into bed, and swiftly shut his eyes and pretended to sleep.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything, but he could hear Ming Luchuan¡¯s footsteps. It sounded like he was lingering at the doorway for a few moments, but instead of walking away, he walked over to the bed.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart pounded faster and faster. In a moment of stillness, he could even hear it slamming against his chest. As Ming Luchuan approached his bedside, he wondered if he could hear it as well.


    Ming Luchuan stopped by his bed, stock-still. Xia Wennan was both nervous and curious, and he couldn¡¯t tamp down the desire to open his eyes and peek at him, but in the midst of hesitating, he felt the touch of Ming Luchuan¡¯s palm on his forehead.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    The bedroom was unlit, but the door was wide open, letting light in dispelling the darkness, allowing Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan to see each other¡¯s faces.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    The two men spoke at the same time.


    Ming Luchuan, who¡¯d initially been leaning over, now took his hand back from where it was pressed to Xia Wennan¡¯s forehead and sat sideways on the side of the bed. ¡°Did you come down with something?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Xia Wennan answered.


    ¡°Then why are you in bed so early?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Xia Wennan had no idea whether he sounded natural.


    Ming Luchuan, in contrast, sounded as cold as ever. ¡°I thought you had a fever.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Xia Wennan said. He subconsciously lifted a hand to feel his forehead. It came away with a palmful of cold sweat, and he furtively wiped it on the blanket.


    Ming Luchuan sat mutely for a while, then asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Xia Wennan felt that his throat was a little scratchy. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He wanted nothing more than for Ming Luchuan to leave right this instant.


    Yet Ming Luchuan had no intention of leaving. After another brief silence, he said, ¡°Let me see your wound.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious.¡±


    ¡°Not serious? Isn¡¯t it quite deep?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡± Xia Wennan grumbled. After the words left his mouth, he felt that his tone wasn¡¯t quite right¡ªit sounded like he was whining¡­ cutely.


    Ming Luchuan was seated sideways. He wasn¡¯t looking at Xia Wennan, but somewhere outside the door. From Xia Wennan¡¯s angle, he could only glimpse the shadows dancing across the man¡¯s sharp side profile. ¡°Really?¡± he said.


    The meaning behind this word was unclear, and his tone was tinged with ambiguity.


    Xia Wennan had no idea what he meant, but in the next second, he felt Ming Luchuan take hold of his hand that lay outside the blanket.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t seize his hand just like that; he gently covered the back of Xia Wennan¡¯s hand with his warm and dry palm, then inserted his fingers between Xia Wennan¡¯s and slowly tightened his grip.


    Xia Wennan blushed. The gradual interlocking of their hands reminded Xia Wennan of¡­ other things. The fruits of his imagination this afternoon, for one, as well as the kiss that had not only existed in his mind but had actually occurred last night.


    Last night, that kiss came too abruptly. Xia Wennan had been swept up in a whirlwind of emotions, including fear, and he hadn¡¯t had enough time to process it thoroughly. Now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest hint of aversion towards the kiss. He was perfectly aware that the person who had kissed him was Ming Luchuan, was an alpha, but it wasn¡¯t so difficult for him to accept that. Furthermore, it was his first kiss¡­


    Hold on a minute. Was that kiss his first kiss? If what Chen Wenchu had said was true, then it would mean that he¡¯d already lost it long ago!


    Xia Wennan immediately sat up. He didn¡¯t even notice the fact that Ming Luchuan was still holding his hand, and asked, ¡°Have you ever kissed me before?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xia Wennan was currently in no mood to deal with his vague answers. ¡°Can¡¯t you just answer the question?¡±


    Ming Luchuan thus asked, ¡°When is ¡®before¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Before I lost my memories.¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought: I knew it!


    ¡°How did you kiss me?¡± Xia Wennan refused to stop there.


    Ming Luchuan looked at him for two seconds, cupped his face, and pressed his lips to Xia Wennan¡¯s.


    Xia Wennan went blank for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been the night before, and his consciousness gradually returned to him. He raised a hand and pushed against Ming Luchuan¡¯s chest, wanting to shove the man away at first, but his breathing gradually grew rugged, and it was as if his entire body had sunk into the kiss and he felt light-headed. He then thought: this isn¡¯t the first time anyway. The hand that was plastered to Ming Luchuan¡¯s chest suddenly curled into a tight fist as Xia Wennan grabbed onto his clothes.


    When Ming Luchuan moved away, he said, ¡°Just like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan was slightly panting. He had no idea what Ming Luchuan was talking about anymore.

 CH 50

    Xia Wennan pursed his lips; the softness of Ming Luchuan¡¯s touch felt as if it had yet to fade, and it took quite some time for him to snap out of his daze.


    In the dim light, Xia Wennan¡¯s entire face was beet-red. He reached out and seized Ming Luchuan¡¯s lapels. ¡°What the hell?!¡± He appeared angry, but in reality, his fury was a miniscule thing, and the reason why he put up an angry front was because he felt that the kiss tasted unexpectedly nice¡ªhe even faintly hoped that Ming Luchuan would continue.


    This was too humiliating. He was completely useless, and Xia Wennan had no choice but to mask that fact with anger.


    Ming Luchuan lowered his head and looked down at his hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me how I kissed you before?¡±


    ¡°Use your words! Not your¡ª¡± Xia Wennan abruptly cut himself off halfway through, realising that his words had come out wrong.


    ¡°Not my?¡± Ming Luchuan inquired.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mind was a jumbled mess. He knew he could never gain the upper-hand in a back-and-forth with Ming Luchuan, so he let go of the man¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Get out please, I want to sleep.¡±


    Ming Luchuan got to his feet.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t keep his eyes from following Ming Luchuan, gaze roving over his long, straight legs, all the way to his prominent Adam¡¯s apple. Ming Luchuan was still dressed in his suit pants and button-up shirt. His tie had been removed, but his shirt remained tucked into the waistband of his pants, his perfect, broad shoulders tapering into a slender waist. Xia Wennan had known from the start that Ming Luchuan¡¯s appearance was superior to other alphas, however, without realising it, he¡¯d gradually begun to become aware of Ming Luchuan¡¯s attractiveness as a male alpha. It was a subtle thing, because he¡¯d only ever been attracted to female betas and omegas before.


    And thus, Xia Wennan recalled the earlier kiss, along with what Chen Wenchu had said at lunch.


    Did he still need to ask his remaining questions? Hadn¡¯t Ming Luchuan told him long ago? If, by chance, he did ask Ming Luchuan: What else have we done? And Ming Luchuan proceeded to strip naked to give him a first-hand play-by-play¡­ What should he do then?


    Xia Wennan felt ashamed just thinking about it. He shooed Ming Luchuan away again, saying, ¡°Hurry along.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t stand seeing me that much?¡± Ming Luchuan asked him.

 CH 51

    Ming Luchuan was livid.


    The first thing Xia Wennan noticed at the cafeteria during lunchtime was Ming Siyan¡¯s omega assistant, Xue Jing, crying at the next a table while her tablemates tried to console her.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Xia Wennan asked. Inwardly, he was a little uneasy, and suspected that it had something to do with what happened in the meeting room this morning.


    A female omega named Zhao Feifei who sat at his table told Xia Wennan in a hushed tone, ¡°I heard that President Ming had her transferred to the logistics department.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Dong Liqing, who was sitting next to Xia Wennan, took the question right out of Xia his mouth.


    Zhao Feifei shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re not that close. Apparently it was because of something that happened this morning.¡±


    ¡°What happened this morning? Didn¡¯t we have a quarterly meeting?¡± A male beta coworker at their table asked.


    The instant his words landed, every head in his vicinity uniformly turned to Xia Wennan.


    A thin sheen of cold sweat formed on Xia Wennan¡¯s forehead. Feigning composure, he grabbed a napkin and gracefully wiped at his mouth, calmly answering, ¡°It was just a normal meeting. I¡¯m also not sure what happened.¡±


    Later on, however, a miserable Xue Jing came knocking on the door of Xia Wennan¡¯s office.


    Xia Wennan had his head propped up with his hand at that very moment, still thinking about what happened at the meeting this morning. When he heard a knock on his door, he looked up and casually said, ¡°Come in,¡± only to see Xue Jing open the door and walk into his office the next second.


    Xue Jing was a delicate omega; she had cried her eyes out all noon, and they were now flushed red. ¡°Manager Xia, please help me talk to President Ming,¡± she begged once she had walked up to Xia Wennan¡¯s desk. ¡°Please don¡¯t transfer me away.¡±


    While sympathising with her pitiful appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ¡°Is Ming Luchuan mad?¡± he asked.

 CH 52

    Xia Wennan understood what Yin Zejing was insinuating, but he pursed his lips, suppressing the urge to ask, and adjusted his sitting posture to seem unfazed. ¡°What about you then?¡± he asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me and Ming Luchuan together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your sake,¡± said Yin Zejing. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s worthy of you.¡±


    ¡°You think Ming Luchuan doesn¡¯t deserve me?¡±


    Yin Zejing laughed and kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°I¡¯m a beta, I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    The two stopped speaking about this topic.


    The ad campaign¡¯s photoshoot took place in a large professional photo studio. Xia Wennan followed Yin Zejing inside and spotted a slew of staff members, many of whom were familiar faces from the company.


    Xia Wennan failed to spot Ming Luchuan among the crowd, instead, his eyes caught the sight of Duan Ning taking pictures with his camera.


    The rest of the staff maintained a certain distance from Duan Ning, who was completely absorbed in his work, adjusting his camera angles to capture the omega star under the lighting.


    This was Xia Wennan¡¯s first time seeing the omega celebrity named Li Xin. He had wavy hair, big eyes, and dimples on his cheeks when he smiled. At a glance, his looks were in line with most alphas¡¯ aesthetics, so it was no surprise that he was so popular right now.


    The entire set exuded a laid-back and refreshing vibe. The ad was for Ming Yan¡¯s new fall fragrance body wash products; in one of the sets, Li Xin reclined in a bathtub with an arm draped over the edge, exposing only his head and shoulders. His fair skin was lathered in snow white foam, and his lips were drawn up in a serene and contented smile. For a split second, it was as if the entire photo studio smelled of body wash that was as sweet as this omega.


    This was the first time Xia Wennan observed a male omega celebrity¡¯s photoshoot at such a close distance. His attention was subconsciously drawn from Duan Ning to Li Xin, and he eagerly took in the sights¡ª


    ¡ªright up until he heard a voice behind him ask: ¡°Have you seen enough?¡±


    Xia Wennan jumped in fright. He spun around and was greeted by the sight of Xu Feng standing behind him, his expression prim and serious.


    ¡°Seen enough?¡± Xu Feng repeated. After asking this time, he raised a hand to adjust his glasses and said, ¡°President Ming told me to ask you, sir.¡±


    Xia Wennan peered around the room. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Xu Feng pointed to an unlit corner off to Xia Wennan¡¯s right, where Ming Luchuan stood watching the photoshoot expressionlessly.


    At this time, Yin Zejing had long left Xia Wennan¡¯s side, having been called to help out by a senior intern.


    Xia Wennan glimpsed at Ming Luchuan before turning to Xu Feng once more and inquiring, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he come here and ask me himself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only passing on President Ming¡¯s message. I don¡¯t know what he means,¡± Xu Feng calmly replied.


    Seeing that Ming Luchuan refused to spare a single glance his way, Xia Wennan knew that he was still angry, so he told Xu Feng, ¡°Then go tell him that I haven¡¯t seen enough, I love looking at pretty omegas.¡±


    The corners of Xu Feng¡¯s mouth were stretched taut, but he walked over to Ming Luchuan¡¯s side without speaking a word.


    Xia Wennan watched as Xu Feng approached Ming Luchuan and whispered something in his ear.


    Ming Luchuan maintained an impassive face. After listening to Xu Feng¡¯s words, he turned his head to the side and rattled off a string of words.


    Xu Feng walked back to his side and asked Xia Wennan, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    In lieu of answering, Xia Wennan told Xu Feng, ¡°Go ask Ming Luchuan¡ªwhy is he here? Meeting up with his white moonlight?¡±


    Xu Feng left for a few moments, and when he returned yet again, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°What do I know?¡± Xia Wennan was perplexed.


    This time, Xu Feng didn¡¯t immediately leave but looked at Xia Wennan for a moment and said, ¡°You don¡¯t remember, sir?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°Is this you or Ming Luchuan speaking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, sir,¡± said Xu Feng. ¡°Didn¡¯t you attend the meeting this morning?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°We discussed this during the meeting, sir. Ming Yan has invited a renowned photographer¡ªMr. Duan Ning¡ªto come take pictures for our new fall products, and President Ming would be visiting the set in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan was slightly dumbfounded. Throughout the meeting, he had been fixated on Ming Luchuan and mostly spaced out, and he had zero recollection of any mention of this matter.


    Xu Feng retained his prim and proper demeanor. ¡°Is there anything else you would like me to pass on to President Ming, Manager Xia?¡±


    Xia Wennan had initially set out to interrogate the hell out of Ming Luchuan, but he abruptly ran out of steam and immediately lost interest, softening his tone as he said, ¡°Could you ask him if he¡¯s still angry?¡±


    A moment later, Xu Feng came bearing two words for Xia Wennan: ¡°It hurt.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh. He then told Xu Feng, ¡°Go tell him I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Xu Feng didn¡¯t budge. With his hands behind his back, he paused briefly before saying, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you told him yourself, sir?¡±


    Xia Wennan shot a look at Ming Luchuan when he heard this and saw that the man¡¯s eyes were still trained on Li Xin¡¯s photoshoot. He thought for a bit, then patted Xu Feng¡¯s shoulder and slowly retreated to the rear of the crowd.


    Xu Feng understood what Xia Wennan meant to do, so he kept still.


    Detouring behind the crowd, Xia Wennan walked over to where Ming Luchuan stood with light footsteps, but halfway through, he suddenly heard a shout, ¡°That¡¯s a wrap!¡±


    Duan Ning brought his camera to Ming Luchuan, while Li Xin donned a bathrobe and followed Duan Ning over with his assistant.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s footsteps came to a halt.


    Duan Ning said something to Ming Luchuan, then seemingly introduced him to Li Xin. Ming Luchuan stuck his hand out and shook hands with the star.


    In front of Xia Wennan, the staff wandered to and fro, packing up the props and equipment on set, occasionally blocking his line of sight. He watched on as Duan Ning showed Ming Luchuan the pictures he¡¯d taken, and Li Xin also shifted closer in curiosity to take a look alongside them.


    Xu Feng had returned to Ming Luchuan¡¯s side at some point, but he had remained silent so as not to disrupt them. He simply stood calmly behind Ming Luchuan, and then he looked up and glanced at Xia Wennan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Wennan.¡± Yin Zejing jogged over to him and stopped next to Xia Wennan. ¡°Wanna head back with me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Xia Wennan. He was a little disappointed that he hadn¡¯t been able to carry out his original plan to give Ming Luchuan a scare, meeting such unlucky timing.


    Just as they turned to leave, Xu Feng abruptly exclaimed, ¡°Manager Xia!¡±


    Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks and saw Xu Feng walking towards him.


    ¡°Manager Xia, where are you going sir?¡± Xu Feng said as he approached him. ¡°Did you forget about tonight¡¯s dinner?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xia Wennan froze, and it was then that he realised Ming Luchuan and the others were all staring at him.


    ¡°President Ming and the others are waiting for you,¡± said Xu Feng. ¡°We¡¯ve invited Mr. Duan and Mr. Li to dinner tonight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xia Wennan turned to Yin Zejing, who laughed at him and said, ¡°Better hurry up then, Manager Xia.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s gaze fell on Xia Wennan, or perhaps it was someone else nearby. He wore a seemingly gentle and relaxed expression on his face, but his eyes had a stern look to them. When Xia Wennan arrived at his side, he extended a hand and wrapped it naturally around Xia Wennan¡¯s waist, saying ¡°This is my partner, Xia Wennan.¡±


    Smiling, Duan Ning gave him a nod. ¡°Wennan.¡±


    On the other hand, Li Xin flashed a delighted grin. ¡°Mr. Xia, I¡¯m a big fan of Wind and Freedom. I¡¯ve been using this perfume since it first came out.¡±


    Wind and Freedom was a relatively lesser-known omega perfume from the Emotions line. Unlike the other fragrances in the line with primarily sweet, floral and fruity notes, Wind and Freedom carried the smell of trees and plants, possessing the fresh scent of a summer breeze sweeping across a meadow.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Right then, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we all head out to dinner after Li Xin gets changed?¡±


    Li Xin immediately said, ¡°All right, but I¡¯m a little slow. You might have to wait a while.¡±


    Li Xin went to change his clothes, while Duan Ning left to pack away his photography equipment. Ming Luchuan retracted the hand around Xia Wennan¡¯s waist.


    Xia Wennan looked at Ming Luchuan and saw that he was gazing up ahead, determined not to look at Xia Wennan. Thus, he jolted the man with his ass and said, ¡°Still mad?¡±


    Ming Luchuan swayed on his feet from the impact, and frowned as he said, ¡°Are you a primary school student?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Xia Wennan replied. ¡°I¡¯m a university student.¡±


    Ming Luchuan scoffed.


    Xia Wennan tilted his head, looking up at him. ¡°What should I do so you¡¯ll stop being mad?¡±


    Ming Luchuan icily replied, ¡°Let me kick you back.¡±


    ¡°Are you a primary school student? No way.¡±

 CH 53

    They settled in the car; Ming Luchuan grim-faced and quiet, and Xia Wennan sitting next to him. He lightly elbowed him.


    Duan Ning and Li Xin had yet to show up; the car was parked at the side of the road, and the driver was squatting by a flowerbed in wait. Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan were the only ones in the car.


    Even so, Xia Wennan still looked out the car window uncomfortably before saying to Ming Luchuan, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t give him a response.


    ¡°I only kicked you because I was shocked that Xue Jing suddenly came in,¡± said Xia Wennan. He then remembered Xue Jing¡¯s request and asked Ming Luchuan,¡°It¡¯s not like she did it on purpose, so why are you being so petty?¡±


    Ming Luchuan glanced at him at last. ¡°Are you pleaing on her behalf?¡±


    Xue Jing was in charge of paperwork and meeting arrangements most of the time. Ming Luchuan normally only brought Xu Feng with him for business and travel.


    ¡°I feel bad for her,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan shifted his attention to the front indifferently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to take something so trivial personally,¡± Xia Wennan continued.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Ming Luchuan sounded even more displeased.


    Xia Wennan had already figured out the reason behind Ming Luchuan¡¯s current temper. He moved closer to Ming Luchuan and gave him a look. ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear me mention her, is that it? Then should I change the subject?¡±


    After saying that, Xia Wennan retreated slightly, his back almost brushing against the car door. He lifted a hand and began unbuttoning his shirt, saying, ¡°Come on then.¡±

 CH 54

    Xia Wennan was reduced to a bundle of nerves in an instant, and his ears didn¡¯t register a single word that came out of Li Xin¡¯s mouth across him. His mind was taken over by one thought¡ªwhy would Lu Wenxing come here?


    Had he come here to see Ming Luchuan?


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but shoot him several looks, but he couldn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary from Ming Luchuan¡¯s demeanour. Meanwhile, Ming Luchuan had taken notice of Xia Wennan¡¯s line of sight; he held Xia Wennan¡¯s hand under the table and slightly tightened his grip.


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t even recognise Lu Wenxing as his father. Even if Lu Wenxing had inquired where they were dining tonight, there was no reason for him to rush over and wait for Ming Luchuan here.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t figure it out. He didn¡¯t tell Ming Luchuan about this until the meal ended, his mind clouded with hesitation.


    When they finished eating, Ming Luchuan stood up and offered a hand to Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan glanced at him. He wanted to high-five him at first, but upon second thoughts, he conscientiously took hold of his hand, presenting the impression of an affectionate couple. Ming Luchuan then led him to the staircase and slowly descended to the first floor.


    Duan Ning trailed after them.


    While Xia Wennan was positive, from the bottom of his heart, that there was nothing going on between Ming Luchuan and Duan Ning at this point in time, he couldn¡¯t help but furtively stick a little closer to Ming Luchuan.


    As a result, Ming Luchuan transferred Xia Wennan¡¯s grip from his right hand to his lift, then wrapped his right hand around Xia Wennan¡¯s waist.


    Their posture was exceedingly intimate. Xia Wennan had no choice but to lean on Ming Luchuan¡¯s body. He was somewhat uneasy, yet he couldn¡¯t just push Ming Luchuan away either.


    Once they reached the entrance of the private restaurant, Xia Wennan saw that, as expected, Lu Wenxing¡¯s car was parked nearby, but he couldn¡¯t see the man in the car through the window.

 CH 55

    ¡°I remember,¡± Xia Wennan said to Ming Luchuan.


    A stunned look crossed Ming Luchuan¡¯s face for a split second. The overhead street lights shone down on him. His thick lashes cast shadows across his face. ¡°You remember?¡± he asked, echoing Xia Wennan.


    In the night air, the scent of osmanthus flowers mingling with Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones was clearer.


    Xia Wennan looked him in the eyes, and suddenly thought: This is an alpha. Their bodies are capable of emitting pheromones that hold their emotions and personal mark, allowing them to convey all of their thoughts to their beloved omega without having to utter a word. But why was he, a beta, able to perceive them too?


    When he was younger, he despised his unique disposition, despised the awkward status of having one foot between alphas and omegas. Yet right this second, he was a little glad¡ªif it weren¡¯t for this special physique of his, he would never be able to perceive Ming Luchuan¡¯s, no matter how turbulent and ferocious they were.


    Right this second, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t decide whether he should feel regret or relief. He didn¡¯t have pheromones; the passage of feelings between him and Ming Luchuan would always go one-way. Ming Luchuan would never know what he was thinking if he never said anything.


    Xia Wennan smiled and said, ¡°I remember what Xishui Hall is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    Ming Luchuan gazed at him, his eyes a depth of emotions. ¡°You still don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    Xia Wennan earnestly mulled over this question before saying, ¡°Actually¡ªI can¡¯t really say I remember. I don¡¯t remember precisely what we did, but I feel that something ought to have happened here between us.¡±

 CH 56

    The bedroom reeked of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones, and Xia Wennan was soon drowning in them.


    He¡¯d wanted to have a good time, and a good time was had, but it came at a cost¡ªhis nape was bitten by Ming Luchuan once more. There were no glands there. Ming Luchuan¡¯s sharp teeth penetrated his flesh, drawing blood and injecting his pheromones once again.


    At that moment, Xia Wennan¡¯s entire body was ruthlessly pinned to the bed; he didn¡¯t even have the strength to struggle. He lay on his stomach, fingers tightly clenching at the bedsheets. A while later, he felt Ming Luchuan gently turning him over, drawing Xia Wennan into his arms.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s entire body was drenched with sweat, and he lacked the energy to get up and shower. There was an illusory moment where he thought his sweat smells like Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones¡ªas if he was marinating in it again.


    Having been exhausted already, Xia Wennan thought that he would fall asleep in no time, yet his weary mind refused to let him doze off. He turned over in Ming Luchuan¡¯s arms and lay on his side, his head angled to look up at Ming Luchuan. ¡°Are you a dog?¡±


    Ming Luchuan had already closed his eyes and was carding Xia Wennan¡¯s slightly damp hair with his fingers. ¡°Mm.¡±


    Xia Wennan was somewhat taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re really a dog?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s deep timbre rang out.


    ¡°How could you bite someone like that? Don¡¯t bite me next time,¡± Xia Wennan quietly grumbled.


    Ming Luchuan opened his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s instinctive. I can¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°How about we buy you a muzzle to cover your mouth with? The kind that people use when walking their dogs.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    *


    When he went to work the next morning, Xia Wennan stuck a band-aid over his wound. Despite the fact that it didn¡¯t conceal anything, the wound hurt, and he only hoped that it could heal a little faster.


    He locked himself up in his lab first thing in the morning, even requesting his laboratory colleagues to bring him lunch. He knew precisely the kind of Xishui Hall he desired, so the next step was to develop the perfume he envisioned with his own two hands.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s entire lab team began to get busy, and working overtime became the norm. Countless natural and synthetic fragrances were blended and adjusted endlessly by Xia Wennan¡¯s hands before they were combined with the pseudo-pheromone extract. Semi-finished products in test tubes would constantly be found on the laboratory counter, which were vetoed by Xia Wennan time and time again.


    On one of the busiest days, Xia Wennan worked till the middle of the night and simply decided to sleep in his office. When he stepped out of the lab, he unlocked his phone that had been set to silent mode, and was greeted by two missed calls, both from Ming Luchuan. He tried calling Ming Luchuan back as he walked, and just as he opened the door to his office, he found Ming Luchuan sitting inside.

 CH 57

    Xia Wennan slept till the sun came up. These days, he always sleeps late and rises early, with nothing but work on his mind. His slumber had rarely been restful¡ªyet he¡¯d had a good night¡¯s rest last. He woke up muddle-headed this morning, unsure of where he was.


    And then he saw Ming Luchuan lying beside him.


    Ming Luchuan was already awake, but he remained in bed. Startled, Xia Wennan flinched back. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you invite me here?¡± Ming Luchuan sat up, the blanket slipping down his body and revealing a bare torso.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t recall,¡± Xia Wennan began another round of bullshit while remembering what had transpired the night before.


    After the night he went to bed with Ming Luchuan, Xia Wennan still habitually slept in his own room. Seeing Ming Luchuan¡¯s face when he woke up first thing in the morning still made him feel a little apprehensive.


    He lifted off the covers, climbed out of bed, picked up his clothes that had been discarded nearby, and hurriedly put them on.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    ¡°Going back to work,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°I already told you, today is Saturday.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the matter with that?¡± Xia Wennan had already pulled his pants on. He froze and turned to face Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Just because you refuse to rest, does that mean your staff won¡¯t need it?¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan briefly hesitated.


    Ming Luchuan tore away the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, proceeding to put on his clothes. ¡°Did you notify them about working today?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Xia Wennan was taken aback. ¡°Wow. Turns out I own a car¡ªI would¡¯ve completely forgotten if you hadn¡¯t said anything.¡±


    Sorry, the one who actually forgot is the author.

 CH 58

    The auto-repair shop was on the outskirts of town, and from the company, they almost had to cross the entire city. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday and the traffic was laxer than it typically is on weekdays, it still took Ming Luchuan over half an hour to get there.


    Xia Wennan had practically collapsed in the passenger seat when they arrived at their destination. He feebly muttered, ¡°Help, I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡± All he could think about at that moment was the bowl of noodles he didn¡¯t get to finish eating.


    The customer service manager approached their car and opened the door for them. When he heard Xia Wennan say that he was hungry, he immediately called for someone to bring a plate of cupcakes to his office.


    Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan sat inside the after-sales service office. The customer service manager brought out the repair form and explained the repairs they¡¯d made to Xia Wennan¡¯s car.


    Xia Wennan stretched out a hand, reaching towards the plate. Right as he touched the cupcake in front of him, Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand darted out from his side and snatched it away.


    Xia Wennan looked at him, and when he thought how it was his fault that he didn¡¯t get to finish his delicious big bowl of noodles and now had to make do with gnawing on bread, Xia Wennan¡¯s heart flared up with rage, and he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at Ming Luchuan.


    And yet Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t spare him the slightest glance. He was sitting upright, the picture of grace and calm as he ate the cupcake.


    Meanwhile, the customer service manager was apologising nonstop, saying that the repairs took so long because they had to wait for a component to be imported.


    Xia Wennan however, was unconcerned about this¡ªall he cared about was the fact that there were too few cupcakes. After they finished off the cupcakes, Xia Wennan purposefully pushed the empty plate towards the manager, hoping that he¡¯d get someone to bring out more. However, he didn¡¯t know if the manager was unaware or if he intentionally ignored it; the manager merely took out more repair forms and gave them a run down of the maintenance and costs before asking Xia Wennan to sign his name.


    ¡°How much does everything cost?¡± As Xia Wennan took the pen and sought out the figures on the repair form, he heard the customer service manager quote a price.


    The customer service manager immediately followed it up with, ¡°It¡¯s been settled by the insurance company, please rest assured.¡±


    Xia Wennan breathed a sigh of relief and signed the documents.


    The customer service manager escorted them to the car.


    This was the first time Xia Wennan saw his car; it was a black sedan that cost a little over 300,000 RMB and appeared more low-key than he¡¯d anticipated.

 CH 59

    When Lin Shuqiu answered Xia Wennan¡¯s phone call, he sounded floored. ¡°A concert? Li Xin¡¯s concert?¡±


    Worried that Lin Shuqiu might refuse to go, Xia Wennan said, ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s an omega star who¡¯s been really popular recently. He¡¯s good-looking, and he¡¯s great at singing too.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Li Shuqiu¡¯s excitement was audible over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of his!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡± Lin Shuqiu¡¯s fervour had yet to recede. ¡°And his new song Everyday is a Sweet New Day is super nice!¡±


    ¡°¡­really.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu then asked, ¡°Is it the Saturday concert?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Xia Wennan.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll find someone to swap shifts with me,¡± said Lin Shuqiu. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be on time this Saturday!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    On Saturday afternoon, Xia Wennan clocked out and left the company right on the dot, taking a taxi to the vicinity of Li Xin¡¯s concert venue, where he met up with Lin Shuqiu and stopped for dinner nearby.


    The restaurant was within a spitting distance away from the venue; there was over half an hour before the concert began, but they noticed that droves of young men and women had already congregated in the area. The majority of them were betas, and they were all holding support kits as they chatted and took pictures with each other in high spirits.


    Lin Shuqiu was similarly elated. During the meal, he kept prattling on about the idol drama Li Xin starred in as well as his newly released song.


    Seeing how thrilled Lin Shuqiu was, Xia Wennan said, ¡°I had dinner with Li Xin some time ago. If I¡¯d known that you were his fan, I would¡¯ve invited you.¡±

 CH 60

    The instant Lin Shuqiu heard what Xia Wennan said, he nervously grabbed Xia Wennan¡¯s arm. ¡°You brought an egg?¡±


    Xia Wennan shrugged his hand off. ¡°Nope.¡± His tone was brimming with regret.


    Lin Shuqiu patted his chest. ¡°I thought that you were really going to egg him¡­ You scared me there.¡±


    Xia Wennan laughed at his words. ¡°What are you so scared of? I¡¯m the one doing the egging, not you. I¡¯ll just run away afterwards and you can act like you don¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do,¡± Lin Shuqiu said, wavering. ¡°It makes no sense for me to leave you behind.¡±


    Xia Wennan was promptly moved. He lifted a hand and clapped Lin Shuqiu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re such a good bro!¡±


    The concert was over two hours long. Li Xin sang and danced, and halfway through, he also invited fans onto the stage for an interaction segment. Despite his mediocre vocals, with the energetic atmosphere in the venue, it was an overall electrifying show.


    Lin Shuqiu, who sat next to Xia Wennan, had been overcome with grief right from the start, but as the minutes flew by, he still couldn¡¯t help but wave his lightstick around. ¡°I guess this is my official goodbye to Xinxin,¡± he said.


    Xia Wennan glanced at him. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    When the concert was coming to a close, Lu Wenxing, who sat in the row in front of them, got up and left.


    Xia Wennan watched him walk away, and for a split second, he genuinely regretted not bringing a raw egg with him, but after some reconsideration, he could always just make things difficult for the guy. Thus, he elbowed Lin Shuqiu and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to get Li Xin¡¯s autograph.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Lin Shuqiu turned to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±

 CH 61

    Feeling that something was fishy, Xia Wennan asked Lu Wenxing, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why have you never clarified anything to the media in all these years?¡±


    ¡°Because the media has never questioned me. So many years have passed since then, and even if it had been posted on the internet, it¡¯s all ancient history. Must old affairs be brought back up? But, if you have any questions, I¡¯d be happy to answer them.¡± Lu Wenxing¡¯s tone was natural, and he even sounded courteous.


    ¡°Then, do you know Ming Qin?¡± Xia Wennan asked.


    This time, Lu Wenxing said, ¡°We¡¯ve met before. I suppose you could say that we¡¯re acquainted.¡±


    Xia Wennan slightly narrowed his eyes. Lu Wenxing had already denied his relation with Ming Luchuan, so he had no need to keep him here any longer to get to the bottom of things.


    Furthermore, at this time, voices could be heard from the corridor outside. It seemed that Li Xin¡¯s concert had officially come to a close, and there may even be people entering the toilet in a short while.


    Lu Wenxing ought to have come to the same conclusion. He lowered the brim of his cap and said, ¡°If that¡¯s everything, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± This time, the speaker wasn¡¯t Xia Wennan, but Lin Shuqiu. Despite his trembling voice, Lin Shuqiu pressed on, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Li Xin? Aren¡¯t you already married?¡±


    Lu Wenxing sized him up. ¡°And you are?¡±


    Lin Shuqiu plucked up his courage. ¡°I¡¯m his fan.¡±


    Lu Wenxing chuckled at his words, and said, ¡°I¡¯m his friend, and my marital status is none of your business.¡± With that, he opened the door and exited the toilet.


    That night, Xia Wennan accompanied Lin Shuqiu to meet Li Xin to ask for an autograph and a photo.


    But they didn¡¯t run into Lu Wenxing in Li Xin¡¯s dressing room; who knows where the man had gone off to.


    Both Xia Wennan and Lin Shuqiu sported a downcast and dispirited countenance after leaving the backstage area. As they arrived at the plaza outside, Lin Shuqiu asked Xia Wennan, ¡°How are you getting back?¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°The subway has already stopped running, right? Let¡¯s just take a taxi then.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu nodded.

 CH 62

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Having been hugged out of nowhere, he didn¡¯t immediately realise what was happening.


    ¡°Let me hug you for a bit,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan hugged him very tightly and, through the thin layers of their pyjamas, with their chests squeezed together, they could virtually feel each other¡¯s heartbeat. Xia Wennan had no clue what had triggered Ming Luchuan¡¯s sudden emotional outburst, and he wondered whether it was because Ming Luchuan was upset because the man he thought was his real father, wasn¡¯t.


    At that moment, Xia Wennan put himself in Ming Luchuan¡¯s shoes and was struck by grief as he empathised with his circumstances. He raised a hand and held Ming Luchuan, palm gently patting his back in an attempt to soothe him. After some thought, he said, ¡°You once said that you despise Lu Wenxing. That man doesn¡¯t deserve your sadness.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sad,¡± Ming Luchuan said slowly. ¡°But I have bad news for you.¡±


    Xia Wennan immediately drew back from his embrace and studied Ming Luchuan¡¯s expression. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Lu Wenxing is my biological alpha father,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan froze and, thinking that he hadn¡¯t conveyed his meaning to Ming Luchuan clearly, he said, ¡°He isn¡¯t. He personally told me that he and Ming Qin weren¡¯t in a relationship. He said that there¡¯s no way that they could possibly have a child.¡±


    Ming Luchuan only smiled, but his smile contained a hint of ridicule.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xia Wennan inquired. ¡°Was he lying?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t lying.¡± Ming Luchuan kept his gaze on Xia Wennan. ¡°I¡¯m not his and Ming Qin¡¯s child.¡±


    When he heard what Ming Luchuan said, he suddenly recalled his absurd guess and grabbed onto Ming Luchuan¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re his and someone else¡¯s child?¡±


    Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t speak. Xia Wennan took that as a silent admission.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he and Ming Qin were together, but he never marked Ming Qin¡­¡±


    Ming Luchuan skipped right to the end of the movie, where the credits began to appear, and at the bottom of the cast list, there were seven or eight names who played the role of a student, one of which was Ming Qian.


    Ming Luchuan then adeptly returned to the thirty-seventh minute of the movie. The shot showed Lu Wenxing sitted on a stool, engrossed in carving, while around him, seven to eight students stood around and watched. Because the scene was wholly centred on Lu Wenxing¡¯s face, there was only a single sweeping shot of the students¡¯ faces.


    Had Xia Wennan been unprepared, he never would¡¯ve noticed a student standing to the back of the group who looked extremely similar to Ming Qin. That student should be none other than Ming Qian.


    Afterwards, Ming Luchuan pressed pause on that shot and asked Xia Wennan, ¡°Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xia Wennan felt as if too many things had transpired in one night, as if it were a never-ending, bizarre dream. ¡°He looks a lot like Ming Qin.¡±

 CH 63

    That night, Xia Wennan didn¡¯t fall asleep until late. Nobody switched on the lights in the bedroom, so the two talked in the dark. Xia Wennan slept in Ming Luchuan¡¯s arms, too lazy to leave, nor did it cross his mind to do so. It was clearly not their first time spending the night together, but tonight¡¯s vibe was different.


    Xia Wennan had touched upon the most important secret at the depths of Ming Luchuan¡¯s heart, yet instead of getting angry, Ming Luchuan showed a seldom seen calm, his temper not once flaring up throughout the night.


    Under such conditions, Xia Wennan¡¯s sleepiness gradually washed over him; one second he was talking with Ming Luchuan, the next he was fast asleep.


    And because he had fallen asleep, he was naturally unaware of Ming Luchuan kissing his brow, nor did he know that when Ming Luchuan was the sole person awake in the room, his eyes stayed wide-open, trained at the murky ceiling until the early hours of the morning.


    Xia Wennan was first to wake the next morning. He opened his eyes to the sight of Ming Luchuan clinging to him; the man himself was still sleeping.


    The sun was out, its rays squeezing through a narrow opening between the blackout curtains, casting a streak of light across the bed.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s immediate thought upon waking was that he was late. He hastily moved to sit up, but in the next second, he suddenly remembered that it was a Sunday. All his muscles instantly relaxed as a result, and he laid back down, studying Ming Luchuan¡¯s face.


    For all that had happened, compared to Lu Wenxing¡¯s apathy, Xia Wennan was more concerned about Ming Qin¡¯s palpable indifference towards Ming Luchuan. According to Lu Wenxing, Ming Qin loathed him¡ªso when facing Ming Luchuan, did Ming Qin treat him as the child of his biological brother, or the child of an alpha he despised? Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t fathom it. Neither could he position himself as Ming Qin and figure out what the man was thinking.


    He was only certain of the fact that Ming Luchuan¡¯s feelings had been severely hurt, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him, because in a sense, he and Ming Luchuan were both parentless children, though he¡¯d been fortunate to have been raised by a grandpa who loved him and had received enough love as a child, so he dared and wanted to love.


    The room now contained Xia Wennan alone. After exhausting both his mind and body, he was completely relaxed, and unknowingly dozed off. He didn¡¯t sleep for very long, though, and awakened shortly after. When he checked the time on his phone, no more than ten minutes had passed.


    Right then, the sound of the elevator in the corridor outside drew Xia Wennan¡¯s attention.


    It was ordinarily not so audible, but because the company was especially quiet today, the sound was a little clearer.


    Xia Wennan thought that Ming Luchuan had returned. Inwardly, he wondered why he was back so soon, but after lying there for two minutes without hearing Ming Luchuan enter the office, he couldn¡¯t help but get up and start getting dressed.


    Once clothed, he opened the door to exit the office, and as soon as he stepped into the corridor, he spotted Yin Zejing standing outside the lab, peering in through the window.

 CH 64

    ¡°Yin Zejing?¡± Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks.


    Yin Zejing turned his head and smiled upon spotting Xia Wennan. ¡°Wennan, I guessed you¡¯d be here.¡±


    ¡°What brings you to the company today?¡± Xia Wennan asked him.


    Yin Zejing said, ¡°To work overtime. I was just about to go when I realised you were probably working as well, so I came to see how you were doing.¡±


    Xia Wennan stared at him mutely.


    The smile on Yin Zejing¡¯s face remained unchanging as he studied Xia Wennan from head to toe. ¡°But then I smelled President Ming¡¯s pheromones the moment I set foot in the corridor, so I thought, ¡®oh, he¡¯s probably not working alone.¡¯¡±


    Xia Wennan was well aware that at present, anyone could tell what he had been up to with a single glance. Added with the fact that he couldn¡¯t hide the smell of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones on his body, he was a little embarrassed at first, but then he reasoned t that it was none of Yin Zejing¡¯s damn business anyway, so he simply responded with a chuckle.


    Yin Zejing took a look behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Luchuan?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone out to get dinner,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°What?¡± Yin Zejing was a little surprised. ¡°Are you going to keep working tonight?¡±


    ¡°I have to finish up a couple of things,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Yin Zejing nodded. He looked somewhat regretful. ¡°I can¡¯t invite you out to dinner then.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t dad waiting to have dinner with you?¡±


    Yin Zejing smiled mutely, then waved a hand at Xia Wennan. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    Xia Wennan watched him walk towards the elevator, and only approached the door of the lab to test the lock when the elevator doors had opened and closed.


    The door was still securely shut. All the important data on his workbench had been put away, and only he and Ming Luchuan had access to the safe.

 CH 65

    Xia Wennan opened his eyes to the sight of Ming Luchuan holding the shower nozzle, hot water streaming out and pouring over Xia Wennan¡¯s head.


    His pyjamas were drenched in no time, the fabric plastered to his body, but as the tub gradually filled up with water that subsequently spread across his entire body, his clothes floated to the surface as if they weighed nothing.


    Xia Wennan was submerged not long after. He stared off into space, his eyes fixated on the endless spray of raindrops in midair, unwilling to budge one inch.


    At this time, Ming Luchuan offered his hand.


    Xia Wennan stared at that hand for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it, allowing Ming Luchuan to pull him up.


    ¡°Plan on staying in there?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    Ming Luchuan thus stripped down and got into the bathtub, sitting behind Xia Wennan and hugging him to his chest.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s motions rocked the water in the bathtub, which gently lapped Xia Wennan¡¯s skin.


    Xia Wennan listlessly leaned into Ming Luchuan¡¯s embrace, content and a tiny bit sleepy. All of a sudden, a quiet laugh escaped his lips.


    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± asked Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°The instant you got in, it was like someone scattered flower petals in the bath,¡± Xia Wennan said. ¡°Now the water smells like you.¡±


    After a brief silence, Ming Luchuan tightened his arms around Xia Wennan and said, ¡°Really?¡±


    *


    The morning meeting was cancelled.

 CH 66

    ¡®Things are different now¡®. What was different now? Xia Wennan thought that he could faintly understand what Ming Luchuan meant.


    He couldn¡¯t resist asking one last question, ¡°Then, since you know that he¡¯s not your real dad, does he himself know?¡±


    ¡°I take it he does,¡± said Ming Luchuan, but after that, he continued, ¡°But maybe he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What? So does he know or not?¡±


    Ming Luchuan shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not he knows anymore.¡±


    They were held up by a traffic jam along the way, so by the time they arrived, nighttime had fallen.


    While Ming Luchuan parked the car, Xia Wennan spotted Ming Qin with a shawl draped over his shoulders, waiting for them in front of the house.


    Xia Wennan promptly stepped out of the car and walked over to Ming Qin, who broke out into a smile at the sight of him. In two steps, he trotted over to welcome Xia Wennan and clasped his hands. ¡°Wennan, thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Xia Wennan could only smile abashedly. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Ming Qin gave him a hug, and as he drew back, he said, ¡°As expected from Ming Yan¡¯s chief perfumer. Come on in, dinner¡¯s ready.¡±


    When Xia Wennan entered, he noticed that Ming Sichen and Yin Zejing were already there, but Ming Sichen was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¡ª a/b/o au yang youming cameo!! his name here is spelt with different characters though, ÑîÓÓÃú, as opposed to the star around the sun¡¯s ÑîÓÆÃ÷

 CH 67

    Ming Luchuan stood up and gently patted the crown of Xia Wennan¡¯s head before following Ming Qin out of the dining room.


    In an instant, only three people remained at the dining table; Xia Wennan, Ming Siyan, and Yin Zejing.


    Ming Siyan set his chopsticks down, then looked up at Xia Wennan and said, ¡°Wennan, I¡¯m going back to my room.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    Ming Siyan got up and left.


    As a result, only Xia Wennan and Yin Zejing were left in the dining room.


    Yin Zejing, who appeared to be in a pretty good mood, raised his wine glass towards Xia Wennan and said, ¡°Congratulations, Wennan.¡±


    Xia Wennan raised a finger and pointed upstairs, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what dad said just now? There¡¯s not much to congratulate me on right now, is there?¡±


    The slight smile on Yin Zejing¡¯s face didn¡¯t fade. ¡°No matter what he says, you deserve the congratulations.¡±


    Xia Wennan reluctantly lifted his wine glass, clinked their glasses, and tilted his glass till the wine wet his lips, without swallowing a single drop.


    Yin Zejing, on the other hand, drained the contents of his glass. After putting it down, he leaned over and whispered to Xia Wennan, ¡°Qin ge¡¯s getting on in years. Many of his ideas aren¡¯t suitable for the company¡¯s growth.¡±


    Xia Wennan said nothing. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand where Ming Qin was coming from, but ruthfully, until now, with how Ming Yan¡¯s sales were on a decline, he was unsure whether persisting with his idea was the best move.


    Yin Zejing grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself half a glass of wine. ¡°You have to know that, currently, there¡¯s only one Xia Wennan in the entire perfume industry,¡± he added as he drank. ¡°When pheromone perfumes are concerned, you having ideas and sticking to them amounts to so much more than you without them. If I were Qin ge, I¡¯d definitely give you my unconditional support.¡±

 CH 68

    Posted on February 10, 2022 by gooseberry


    The room became so silent you could hear a pin drop.


    Xia Wennan tried his hardest to press his ear against the door, hoping to hear what Ming Qin had to say, but in the end, his long wait bore no fruit.


    Ming Siyan sprang to his feet. He¡¯d been squatting for what seemed like a long time, and his legs had gone numb, so he stomped his feet on the floor a few times. He¡¯d done it softly, but because their surroundings were so quiet, the sound was audible.


    After stomping his feet, Ming Siyan himself was stunned, turning to look at the tightly shut door in front of him.


    Xia Wennan heard slight movement coming from the study and, those inside had heard the sound of Ming Siyan¡¯s stomping and could come to open the door to check at any time, he rose to his feet and hurried to the staircase, fearing that he would later make a fool of himself.


    Ming Siyan followed him over, and the two silently made their way down the stairs one after another.


    When they reached the second floor, Ming Siyan quickened his pace to catch up to Xia Wennan and grabbed his arm, saying, ¡°Wennan, why don¡¯t you come to my room?¡±


    ¡°A B and an O alone together¡­¡± Xia Wennan responded absently. ¡°That¡¯s not very appropriate, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Ah? We used to chat like that in the past though,¡± said Ming Siyan.


    ¡°Things have changed. I¡¯m more conscious now.


    Ming Siyan appeared somewhat disappointed, but he kept his grip on Xia Wennan¡¯s arm. ¡°Da-ge is so lucky,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d have the guts to talk to dad like that if you two weren¡¯t together.¡±


    Xia Wennan had already developed a rough understanding of Ming Siyan¡¯s mental processes. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you break up with your boyfriend and be with me?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Can we?¡± Ming Siyan exclaimed in astonishment.


    ¡°¡­I think so?¡±

 CH 69

    Ming Luchuan bent down and extended his arms to embrace Xia Wennan. He poured all of his energy into the hug, pressing Xia Wennan down with his entire body until Xia Wennan was forced to recline as Ming Luchuan buried his face in his chest.


    Truth be told, Xia Wennan hadn¡¯t expected Ming Luchuan to react this way. When he cast a downward glance, he only glimpsed the top of Ming Luchuan¡¯s head and couldn¡¯t see his expression. Thus, he softly placed his palm on the man¡¯s head.


    He wanted to say, ¡°What do you think? Did I hit the nail on the head?¡±, but in the end, the words never left his mouth. His heart ached for Ming Luchuan, and he didn¡¯t want to pour more salt in his wounds. This kind of mood was already fine.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this loving hug warm?¡± Xia Wennan murmured as he caressed Ming Luchuan¡¯s short hair with his hand.


    Ming Luchuan remained silent for a long time before eventually answering, ¡°Mm.¡±


    A smile graced Xia Wennan¡¯s lips, unbidden, and the arms that encircled Ming Luchuan tightened their grip.


    That night, it was as though Ming Luchuan had turned into a child, refusing to move from where he lay in Xia Wennan¡¯s embrace.


    Having been pressed down for a long time, Xia Wennan felt a little uncomfortable and reached out to push the man away.


    Ming Luchuan, however, snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Xia Wennan stilled and thought to himself: Forget it, you lack love anyway. I¡¯m not going to get into a fight with you.


    They stayed like that till late at night. When it appeared that Ming Luchuan had fallen asleep, Xia Wennan attempted to gently push him away, but the moment he moved, Ming Luchuan tightened his arms around him.


    Xia Wennan thought back to little Ming Luchuan¡¯s drawing of a mother¡ªhe¡¯d undoubtedly been looking forward to this loving hug for a long, long time.


    Much later, Xia Wennan could no longer hold in his urge to use the bathroom. This time, he decisively shoved Ming Luchuan away with little regard for his reaction.


    A half-conscious Ming Luchuan looked up and let out a puzzled grunt.

 CH 70

    Ming Qin announced his decision over breakfast the next morning: the lab under Ming Siyan¡¯s management will suspend operations and devote all of its resources to the development of Xia Wennan¡¯s new product.


    Taken aback, Ming Siyan exclaimed, ¡°Dad, how could you do this?¡±


    ¡°This is the result of my discussion with Luchuan,¡± said Ming Qin.


    ¡°But if all goes well, our lab¡¯s pheromone perfume will also be finished before the new year,¡± said Ming Siyan. ¡°If you transfer people out now, the project will be delayed.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s prioritise Wennan¡¯s project first,¡± Ming Qin said to him.


    Ming Siyan¡¯s laboratory had already started working on their pheromone perfume project the previous year, but their results had never been ideal, and despite repeated optimisation and improvements, they hadn¡¯t been able to introduce their product to the market. Ming Qin was clearly pessimistic about them, pinning all of his hopes on Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s first instinct was to refuse, but as the words reached the tip of his tongue, he hesitated and cast a glance at Ming Luchuan, only to see that the man showed no reaction. As a result, he bowed his head and drank his milk quietly.


    Ming Siyan was still pestering Ming Qin after breakfast, wanting Ming Qin to change his mind.


    Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan drove back to the company, but not before they ran into Yin Zejing, who was also headed there, when they departed. Xia Wennan called out to him in greeting, and Yin Zejing grinned and waved back.


    It wasn¡¯t until he locked himself inside his office that Xia Wennan¡¯s frenzied thoughts began to calm down, allowing him to thoroughly ponder his plans for the beta perfume.


    If it was going to be in the same line as Xishui Hall, it had to be a pheromone perfume¡ªbut how could betas have pheromones?


    Xia Wennan had no clue. He realised that this wasn¡¯t a task that could be easily completed within one or two days.


    In the afternoon, Xia Wennan received an unexpected phone call from He Yufeng. It seemed like a long time had passed since Xia Wennan met He Yufeng that one time at Qin Palace.

 CH 71

    He Yufeng only appeared to see that it was only after greeting Xia Wennan, a trace of surprise visible on his face. ¡°President Ming.¡±


    Ming Luchuan gave him a nod. ¡°Hello, President He,¡± he responded in a faintly cold tone. He then lifted a hand and patted Xia Wennan¡¯s head. ¡°Come home early.¡±


    Xia Wennan, who was hardly used to Ming Luchuan¡¯s unexpected display of intimacy, hurriedly said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    At this time, He Yufeng had gotten out of the car and opened the door to the front passenger seat for Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan shot a look at Ming Luchuan, and when he saw that he was still standing there with no sign of leaving, he could only thank He Yufeng and climb into the passenger seat a little awkwardly.


    Right after he got in, as He Yufeng was closing his door, Xia Wennan suddenly stopped him; he stepped out of the car, leaned over to Ming Luchuan, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. ¡°Wait for me to come back,¡± he said as he got back into the car.


    He Yufeng had his hand propped on the car door; he glanced at Ming Luchuan before pushing Xia Wennan¡¯s door shut and saying, ¡°President Ming, we¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Ming Luchuan, who was visibly in a much better mood, nodded and said, ¡°Drive safe.¡±


    He Yufeng smiled. ¡°I swear to keep the missus safe.¡±


    When the car drove out of the Ming Yan building¡¯s driveway, Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but gaze in the rear-view mirror at Ming Luchuan, only to see that Ming Luchuan hadn¡¯t moved from where he stood.


    He Yufeng looked at him and said, ¡°Your relationship is getting better and better, huh?¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled mutely.


    The car was deafeningly silent for several minutes.

 CH 72

    To Xia Wennan, walking around campus at this hour both seemed like a thing of the distant past and something that had just occured yesterday.


    Countless memories rushed to the forefronts of his mind; when he remembered his first days in university, he turned to ask He Yufeng, ¡°Senior, in my first year, did you welcome the new students at orientation?¡±


    He Yufeng smiled at Xia Wennan¡¯s words. ¡°You still remember?¡±


    ¡°Some memories in life leave a particularly deep imprint,¡± said Xia Wennan. Coming to a halt, he looked out at the stretch of boulevard before him that led up to an antiquated structure housing the campus library.


    He both missed and regretted the loss of his precious years as a student, which made him want to recover his memories now more than ever and retrieve the most precious events of his life: his university days, his last memories of his grandpa, and last but not least, whatever had happened in the laboratory of that red-brick building.


    Leaves rustled in the breeze, the cold air with its unique scent buffeted him head-on, tinged with the smell of chocolate truffles.


    Xia Wennan turned to find He Yufeng, only to discover that He Yufeng was standing right beside him, his eyes lingering on Xia Wennan¡¯s face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help asking.


    He Yufeng said, ¡°Little junior, do you still remember what I said to you when we were walking down this street in the year I graduated?¡±


    Xia Wennan was bewildered. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He Yufeng said, ¡°I told you to come to Moze after you finish your studies and that I¡¯d be waiting for you¡­ But you didn¡¯t come. Why would you want to go to Ming Yan?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t remember.¡± Xia Wennan looked at He Yufeng.


    ¡°Did you think that senior wasn¡¯t good enough for you?¡± asked He Yufeng.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t remember though.¡±

 CH 73

    The entire dream was fragmentary.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was influenced by his visit to the university today, but every scene in his dream was related to the school, and He Yufeng appeared in many of them.


    Xia Wennan dreamt of studying with He Yufeng in the library, He Yufeng helping him jot down experiment results in the lab, and the two of them playing basketball on the court. Xia Wennan dreamt of other things aside from this, all of which he could describe as picturesque.


    As a result, when Xia Wennan later awoke, he was dazed all over. It wasn¡¯t until he opened his eyes did he realise that his headache had gone away and that Ming Luchuan was still sleeping beside him with an arm snugly wrapped around him.


    When Xia Wennan stirred, Ming Luchuan tightened his embrace. He raised his head and gazed at Xia Wennan, eyes hazy with sleep. ¡°Still hurting? Would you like to go to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Xia Wennan rolled over and sat up, lifting a hand to pat his own head.


    Ming Luchuan sat up with him, his gaze never leaving Xia Wennan.


    The only thing going through Xia Wennan¡¯s mind was how strange his dream had been. Why would he dream of He Yufeng? Was it because they had happened to visit their university together? So, did that mean that those dreams were merely dreams? Or were they fragments of the memories he¡¯d lost?


    Xia Wennan clutched at his hair.


    ¡°We should go to the hospital,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan turned to take a long look at him before reaching out and hugging him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Let¡¯s just go in two days, for my routine check-up.¡±


    Ming Luchuan stroked Xia Wennan¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re really all right?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    That morning, Xia Wennan went to the hospital on his own, behind Ming Luchuan¡¯s back.


    Lin Shuqiu was the one in charge of Xia Wennan¡¯s routine checkups. When he learnt that Xia Wennan had hit his head against a tree and had been dizzy for the entire night, he told him that he could consider performing an MRI if he wanted a more thorough examination. If the headache was only short-term, however, Lin Shuqiu suspected that Xia Wennan was suffering from a mild concussion.

 CH 74

    Xia Wennan was lucky¡ªin the graduate student group formed by Teacher Lin, he found a second person he recognised. That person was an omega senior sister, and she had been a second-year student when Xia Wennan was in his first year. As she was exactly a year above Xia Wennan, she should have been one year his senior in graduate school, which meant she would have known both him and He Yufeng.


    This senior sister was in Xia Wennan¡¯s WeChat friends list. Xia Wennan had changed her WeChat nickname to her real name, Ye Xiaomeng.


    Because they hadn¡¯t been in the same cohort, Xia Wennan and Ye Xiaomeng were merely acquaintances, and their relationship couldn¡¯t be described as close. This was the first time Xia Wennan got in touch with Ye Xiaomeng since he awoke with amnesia.


    Xia Wennan shot Ye Xiaomeng a message, ¡°Senior.¡±


    Ye Xiaomeng¡¯s reply came soon after, but her friendliness surpassed Xia Wennan¡¯s expectations. ¡°Wennan! It¡¯s been ages since you last messaged me. How have you been?¡±


    Xia Wennan had already returned to his own office at this point. He sat in his chair, swivelling restlessly from side to side as his fingers flew across the keyboard: ¡°I¡¯m doing fine. What about you, Senior?


    ¡°Senior hasn¡¯t been doing too well, Senior has missed you!¡± Ye Xiaomeng replied along with a kiss sticker.


    Xia Wennan had never expected that he and Ye Xiaomeng would become so close. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, fearign that Ye Xiaomeng would grow suspicious from his pleasantries, he decided to send: ¡°I went to Teacher Lin¡¯s for dinner with He Yufeng yesterday.¡±


    After he sent this message, there was no reply from Ye Xiaomeng¡¯s end for a while.


    After around ten minutes had passed, Xia Wennan received a call from Ye Xiaomeng, and upon accepting the call, Ye Xiaomeng questioned, ¡°Why the hell are you still talking to He Yufeng?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan was caught off guard.


    Ye Xiaomeng laughed. ¡°All right. Make sure you don¡¯t get deceived by He Yufeng. Isn¡¯t your current husband pretty great? Give him a chance.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Xia Wennan ended the call with Ye Xiaomeng.


    He held his phone in his hand and sat on his chair for a long time without moving. Yin was a rare surname, and as it happened, there was only one person with that surname around Xia Wennan.


    During last night¡¯s meal, Teacher Lin mentioned that He Yufeng¡¯s little brother would be graduating this year. This was also the case for Yin Zejing.


    All at once, everything related to Yin Zejing flashed through his head. He had always thought that Yin Zejing didn¡¯t appear like an impoverished university student; he spoke and acted like a pampered young master, and Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t understand why he was willing to be Ming Qin¡¯s kept man. In retrospect, Yin Zejing was indeed a young master from the start. Perhaps, he was Ming Qin¡¯s kept man not for the money, but for the purpose of obtaining Ming Yan¡¯s trade secrets.


    But Yin Zejing¡¯s identity had somehow been discovered by Xia Wennan, and then Xia Wennan had gotten into a car accident and lost this part of his memory.


    How could it be so coincidental?


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mind had already conjured up many kinds of possibilities that made his heart pound without end.


    At this time, his phone screen lit up; someone in his work group chat had sent a news article. Xia Wennan swept a passing glance at the headline and caught sight of the word ¡®Moze¡¯. He unlocked his phone, opened the group chat, and this time, he read the entire headline: On the eve of launching all new pheromone perfumes, will Moze be able to thoroughly destroy the former perfume market structure?

 CH 75

    When Xia Wennan exited his office, walked down the corridor to his lab, and peeked inside through the windows, he saw that, in lieu of working, everyone had come together and was having a discussion. He strolled right past them and took the elevator up to Ming Luchuan¡¯s office.


    After greeting Xia Wennan, the assistant immediately welcomed him into Ming Luchuan¡¯s office, where he would be waiting for him.


    Xia Wennan opened the door and walked in. Ming Luchuan, who was sitting behind his desk, was on the phone. His face was solemn, but he didn¡¯t appear all that tense¡ªhe even blinked at Xia Wennan when he noticed him.


    Xia Wennan settled down on the sofa and waited for Ming Luchuan there.


    Ming Luchuan was apparently talking about Moze¡¯s news.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s heart was in a state of indefineable disarray. While he waited, he took out his phone and looked up news on the internet. He discovered that there wasn¡¯t much relevant news at the moment and came upon a piece of gossip instead; someone had photographed him and He Yufeng on their walk at the university the night before and had uploaded the photos on a relevant forum.


    Neither he nor He Yufeng were celebrities, but the banner revealed their identities, sparking a small discussion beneath the post.


    The photos were shared last night, and the initial discussion was about Ming Yan¡¯s chief perfumer walking with Moze¡¯s boss, with some even questioning if Xia Wennan was having an affair.


    The second Moze¡¯s article was released this afternoon, this forum post blew up. People flocked to speculate on whether Xia Wennan would jump ship to Moze, and given Xia Wennan¡¯s relationship with Ming Luchuan, some even speculated on if he would divorce him.


    Moments later, Xia Wennan saw that his and He Yufeng¡¯s photos were actually trending on a much larger social networking platform. He was completely perplexed, unable to see why this issue was so worthy of attention.


    Unable to resist, he opened the trending topics and found that not many people were talking about this issue; the first related topic was still news about Moze¡¯s pheromone perfumes. Underneath, many were questioning who these two people were, and some were even wondering what was going on. Later on, a marketing account posted a lengthy comment explaining Xia Wennan and He Yufeng¡¯s identities, as well as raising the question of whether or not Moze¡¯s pheromone perfume launch suggested that Xia Wennan would be leaving Ming Yan for Moze.

 CH 76

    ¡°You remember?¡± Ming Siyan leapt to his feet, eyes wide and face brimming with shock. ¡°Nannan, does that mean you remember me?¡±


    Xia Wennan immediately said, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember you yet.¡±


    The corners of Ming Siyan¡¯s lips wilted slightly, but he turned to look at Ming Luchuan soon after.


    At this time, Ming Luchuan was also staring at Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan was originally spewing nonsense, but because he hadn¡¯t given Ming Luchuan a heads up, he planned to calm Ming Luchuan down first. ¡°I remember a little about you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    MIng Luchuan said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    Ming Qin didn¡¯t seem to care whether or not Xia Wennan had regained his memories, only repeating the three syllables of Yin Zejing¡¯s name.


    Xia Wennan nodded.


    However, Ming Qin appeared calmer than Xia Wennan would imagine. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be Yin Zejing,¡± he said.


    Xia Wennan was genuinely somewhat shocked. ¡°Dad?¡± he looked at Ming Qin. ¡°Do you love him that much?¡±


    Ming Qin lowered his gaze and slowly turned the ring on his left hand. Moments later, he suddenly sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve never put any confidential company documents within Yin Zejing¡¯s reach, and when he interned at Ming Yan, I also told Luchuan not to appoint him to any of our key departments. So, unless you all failed to keep your work under wraps, there should be no reason for him to be able to access confidential data.¡±


    At this time, Ming Luchuan said, ¡°He can¡¯t access them.¡±


    Yet Xia Wennan was more concerned about another issue. ¡°You know who he is¡ªwhy are you so guarded against him?¡± Xia Wennan asked.

 CH 77

    Ming Luchuan turned to look at Xia Wennan. ¡°You think your car accident had something to do with Yin Zejing?¡±


    Xia Wennan had a look of distress across his face. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to think so, but something¡¯s weird,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡±


    ¡°By an unusual coincidence, someone told me that they detected traces of sleeping pills in my blood samples from the day of the accident,¡± Xia Wenna slowly explained, keeping his eyes on Ming Luchuan¡¯s face all the while.


    Ming Luchuan frowned, as if he was in deep thought. ¡°In the days leading up to your accident, you were suffering from severe insomnia.¡±


    Xia Wennan froze. ¡°Huh?¡± This was something that had never crossed his mind. ¡°This early? I¡¯m only twenty-six and I already have insomnia?¡± Finding it hard to believe, he lifted a hand and ruffled his hair¡ªit was still quite thick.


    ¡°So I took those sleeping pills myself?¡± Xia Wennan asked Ming Luchuan dumbfoundedly.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s face was far from relaxed. He pressed a hand to his forehead. ¡°The hospital prescribed you sleeping pills, but I don¡¯t know if you took them that day. We slept in separate rooms.¡±


    Xia Wennan had suddenly obtained the answers to his many questions, yet he felt no sense of enlightenment and merely thought: That¡¯s it?


    He asked Ming Luchuan, ¡°Us sleeping in separate rooms was due to my insomnia?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t sleeping well. You were under a lot of pressure at work.¡±


    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t tell me any of this before?¡±


    Ming Luchuan looked at him. ¡°Would you have believed me if I told you? Have you believed anything I¡¯ve ever said to you?¡±

 CH 78

    Yin Zejing was evidently even more thick-skinned, completely unconcerned about what everyone else at the dining table was thinking as he asked Ming Qin in a soft voice, ¡°Why are you suddenly telling me this? Isn¡¯t this how I¡¯ve always been?¡±


    Ming Qin didn¡¯t appear enraged; rather, his demeanour was calm as he asked, ¡°Been like how? Living off of men?¡±


    When Yin Zejing heard what Ming Qin said, he wasn¡¯t angry at all; instead, he pressed close to Ming Qin and whispered in his ear.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t hear what he said, but by the looks of Yin Zejing¡¯s expression, it was probably a joke that wasn¡¯t suitable for children.


    This time, Ming Qin sneered. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then get out. The doors are wide open, no one¡¯s going to stop you. Or do you still want to live off of me?¡±


    Yin Zejing straightened up in his cheat. His cheeky grin was finally wiped from his face as he gazed at Ming Qin wordlessly.


    Right then, Xia Wennan suddenly thought, Yin Zejing¡¯s acting skills kind of sucked¡ªthis isn¡¯t how a college student with a sugar daddy should act. If he were in Yin Zejing¡¯s shoes, he¡¯d definitely act thirty percent aloof, thirty percent mortified, and forty percent struggling internally with reluctance. The spirit of ¡®leading a whore¡¯s life while wanting to preserve a badge of chastity¡¯ must be well in place.


    Xia Wennan watched Yin Zejing with keen eyes. Inwardly, he couldn¡¯t resist substituting himself in Yin Zejing¡¯s place. It was only when Ming Luchuan touched his arm did Xia Wennan reluctantly move his gaze away from Yin Zejing¡¯s face and tilt his head towards Ming Luchuan. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Tone it down,¡± Ming Luchuan muttered.


    Xia Wennan had no idea what he was talking about. ¡°What?¡±


    Ming Luchuan prodded at Xia Wennan¡¯s cheek with his forefinger and nudged his face until he faced the front.


    After coming to a realisation, Xia Wennan bowed his head and pretended to swallow a couple of mouthfuls of food.


    Ming Qin simply picked up his chopsticks and continued eating peacefully, despite Yin Zejing¡¯s constant gaze.


    ¡°Qin ge,¡± Yin Zejing took on a serious tone, ¡°what¡¯s up with you today?¡±

 CH 79

    Exercising before bed has been proven to aid in the process of falling asleep. Xia Wennan forgot all about his insomnia thereafter, and even slept until nearly eight o¡¯clock the next morning.


    Ming Luchuan was no longer in the room when he awoke, and as he groggily fumbled for his phone, he discovered that Ming Luchuan had sent him a message: Didn¡¯t want to disturb your sweet dreams, so I¡¯m going down first.


    That was when Xia Wennan got up. He hurriedly washed his face and brushed his teeth before getting dressed and heading downstairs, where he discovered that everyone had already begun eating breakfast in the dining room.


    Right as he arrived at the doorway of the dining room, he subconsciously came to a halt when he saw that Yin Zejing had actually returned. He was eating breakfast with Ming Qin, sitting next to him.


    Ming Luchuan looked up and, as if noticing his hesitation, said, ¡°Come sit here.¡±


    Xia Wennan hurriedly took the seat next to Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°How did you sleep last night, Wennan?¡± Ming Qin asked with a natural air about him.


    Xia Wennan gave a nod. ¡°Pretty well.¡±


    When Yin Zejing noticed that Ming Qin¡¯s milk glass was empty, he reached for the milk carton to refill it.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a coffee,¡± said Ming Qin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you some,¡± Yin Zejing said right away. He then got to his feet and walked to the kitchen.


    Moments later, Yin Zejing brought a cup of fresh-brewed coffee and set it down in front of Ming Qin, then returned to his chair. As he dug back into his breakfast, he gazed at Ming Qin and said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go contact a new company for my internship?¡±


    Ming Qin said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Yin Zejing propped his face with one hand. As he stirred the bowl of oatmeal in front of him, he sighed lightly, but after seeing no reaction from Ming Qin, he didn¡¯t utter another word.


    Ming Qin picked up his coffee and slowly sipped at it. When he put it down, he suddenly said to Ming Luchuan, ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Duan¡¯s birthday next week, you two should prepare your own gift.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked up. He had no idea who this Uncle Duan was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Huaiye will be working that day,¡± said Ming Siyan.


    ¡°Make sure you all come. Uncle Duan is different, after all. We¡¯ve been friends for so many years,¡± said Ming Qin. He then turned to Ming Siyan. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Huaiye been coming by much these days?¡±


    Ming Siyan lowered his gaze, training his somewhat blank gaze on his plate. ¡°He¡¯s been busy with work, we rarely get to see each other.¡±


    Ming Qin¡¯s brow knitted at his words. ¡°You two have been engaged for a long time. Isn¡¯t it about time you got married? There¡¯s no need to keep delaying it.¡±


    Ming Siyan remained unspeaking, but a hint of embarrassment showed through his eyes. Obviously, something like this wasn¡¯t solely up to him.


    Yin Zejing seemed like he really did need to go out and contact a new company for his internship, walking out in a rush after finishing his breakfast.


    Before Ming Siyan left, he told Xia Wennan, ¡°Wennan, there¡¯s something I have to do, so I won¡¯t wait for you and da-ge.¡±


    Xia Wennan promptly said, ¡°You¡¯d better be off then, don¡¯t let us hold you up.¡±


    Ming Siyan seemed reluctant as he waved a hand at Xia Wennan.


    Because Xia Wennan had come down quite late, Ming Qin had already left the dining room and gone upstairs by the time he finished his breakfast. Ming Luchuan also stood up and announced that he would be getting the car.


    Once Xia Wennan remained in the dining room alone, he hurriedly finished off his boiled eggs and milk, then stood up to leave when he noticed the aunt emerge from the kitchen and begin tidying up the table.


    Xia Wennan immediately froze in place.


    ¡°Auntie,¡± he called out to her.


    The aunt looked up with a smile. ¡°I see that Mr. Xia hasn¡¯t left for the company yet?¡±


    The gears in Xia Wennan¡¯s head began to turn. ¡°How long has auntie been working for the Ming family?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not that long¡ªtwo years, give or take. Unlike Zhang jie, who¡¯s been around for ten to twenty years, I suppose.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mind quickly caught on to this timeframe. ¡°Was that before Sichen¡¯s incident?¡± he asked.


    The aunt nodded. ¡°Before Sichen¡¯s accident, it was Zhang jie who did the cooking and cleaning, but afterwards, she was put in charge of caring for him. That¡¯s when the Ming family employed me.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Then, auntie surely knows about my car accident, yes?¡±


    The aunt¡¯s hands stopped what they were doing. ¡°That¡¯s right. It gave me a dreadful fright when I first heard about it. Fortunately, you weren¡¯t seriously hurt.¡±


    ¡°That night, I drove back alone after having dinner here¡ªwas it you who prepared the food?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± the aunt replied.


    ¡°Did you stay in the kitchen the entire time we ate?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    After so many dinners at the Ming house, he realised that the aunt had never left the kitchen from the time she served the meal till she cleaned up after they finished eating.


    Upon hearing Xia Wennan¡¯s question, the aunt went over her memories, and said ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone else enter the kitchen that day besides you?¡±


    The aunt¡¯s face lit up with surprise. ¡°Ah? Why is everyone asking this question?¡±


    Xia Wennan was stunned. ¡°Who else asked?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Luchuan came down first thing this morning and also asked me about this.¡±


    Xia Wennan was stunned, yet entirely unsurprised. ¡°Then, did anyone else enter?¡± he continued asking.


    ¡°You did,¡± said the aunt.


    ¡°Me? What was I up to?¡±


    The aunt seemingly recalled the events of that night in great detail, as she said, ¡°You said that you weren¡¯t having wine, so you came for some orange juice. I fetched a glass for you and took out the orange juice from the fridge.¡± After relaying this, the aunt continued, ¡°So I thought, if you¡¯d had a drink that day, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to drive, and the accident wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m quite all right now anyway.¡± Xia Wennan then quickly enquired, ¡°Did anyone else come in before that?¡±


    ¡°Zhang jie did,¡± said the aunt. ¡°If there are more people at home, Zhang jie would come and help prepare Sichen¡¯s meal. Sichen¡¯s food is prepared separately. And¡ªI think Xiao Yin came in as well.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I went to the bathroom and came back to see Xiao Yin coming out. He¡¯d probably just returned from a basketball game and grabbed a drink from the fridge.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Xia Wennan trailed off, somewhat stumped.


    ¡°When Mr. Luchuan asked me earlier, I also spoke to him about this,¡± said the aunt. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    At this time, outside the house, a car horn sounded, as if Ming Luchuan had been waiting for him for a long time and was signalling him to hurry up.


    Xia Wennan could only say, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Thank you, auntie. I¡¯d better get to work now.¡±


    He then exited the kitchen, walked into the living room, and took his coat from the coat rack near the door. He put it on as he walked out to Ming Luchuan¡¯s car, opened the passenger side door, and climbed inside.


    Ming Luchuan started the car and asked, ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°I had a few questions for the housekeeping aunt,¡± Xia Wennan said in a small voice.


    Ming Luchuan cast a glance at him.


    Xia Wennan bumped Ming Luchuan¡¯s elbow. ¡°Get going, we¡¯re already late. Let¡¯s talk on the way.¡±


    Ming Luchuan slowly drove away from the Ming house.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but peer at the rearview mirror, and watched as the garden behind them grew further and further away. At the same time, he said to Ming Luchuan, ¡°I heard that you questioned the aunt.¡±


    Ming Luchuan hummed.


    Xia Wennan rubbed his lips. ¡°Everyone else had wine that night, but it was only me who had orange juice. Could someone have drugged it?¡± He thought about what the aunt had said about Yin Zejing opening the fridge to get a drink.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s answering tone was full of certainty. Xia Wennan turned to give him a curious stare. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because it was an unsealed bottle of orange juice. You took it out and I helped you open it.¡±


    Xia Wennan was taken aback, his train of thoughts veering off-track. ¡°Was I so weak that I needed you to open a bottle for me?¡±


    Ming Luchuan wordlessly glanced at him from the corner of his eyes.


    Xia Wennan frowned, engrossed in his thoughts. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure. What if the sleeping pills were melted and injected with a syringe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± said Ming Luchuan, ¡°but I doubt it.¡±

 CH 80

    In truth, Xia Wennan was perplexed by Ming Qin¡¯s attitude toward Yin Zejing. The man was evidently well aware that Yin Zejing wasn¡¯t your run-of-the-mill poor university student, and had stationed himself at Ming Qin¡¯s side while harbouring other intentions¡ªso why didn¡¯t he just show his hand to Yin Zejing right away? Did he find it amusing to continue on in this manner?


    Xia Wennan soon realised, however, that perhaps Ming Qin really did.


    A few days later, for Duan Ning¡¯s father, Duan Wenlong¡¯s, birthday, a dinner was held at his residence with many guests in attendance, and everyone in the Ming family save Ming Sichen came to wish him a happy birthday.


    Duan Ning was born into a relatively traditional family. His father, Duan Wenlong, was an alpha and a nationally renowned pianist, whereas his mother was an omega who used to be a dancer in her youth.


    Ming Qin and the Duan couple went way back, so it was no surprise that their children were childhood friends and grew up together.


    Xia Wennan wasn¡¯t familiar with the Duan family, but after learning that Duan Wenlong was a pianist, he had the feeling that they were an elegant and refined bunch.


    He attended the party with Ming Luchuan, dressed to the nines. Even Ming Luchuan¡¯s driver couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Looking great today, Mr. Xia.¡±


    Xia Wennan laughed and said, ¡°I look all right.¡±


    The driver brought them to the Duan house and pulled over in front of a brightly-lit garden. When Xia Wennan got out of the car, he caught sight of Duan Ning walking towards them, looking like a little prince.


    Looking back, it had been a long time since Xia Wennan last saw Duan Ning. He deliberately studied Duan Ning from head to toe before murmuring to Ming Luchuan, ¡°Your white moonlight shines brighter and brighter.¡±


    Ming Luchuan ignored him completely. Once Duan Ning got closer, Ming Luchuan gave him a  polite smile and shook his hand.


    Duan Ning¡¯s attention didn¡¯t remain on Ming Luchuan for long before he turned to Xia Wennan, face tilted upwards to look at his face. ¡°Wennan, you look amazing today,¡± he said.


    Xia Wennan laughed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Duan Ning¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t stray from Xia Wennan as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not just saying that to be polite¡ªI¡¯m serious. Would you by chance be interested in letting me take pictures of you?¡±


    Xia Wennan gave a start. ¡°Ah? What kind of pictures? I won¡¯t pose for any nude ones.¡±


    Duan Ning laughed in response. ¡°There won¡¯t be any need to strip naked¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and pay our respects to Uncle Duan first.¡± Ming Luchuan wrapped an arm around Xia Wennan¡¯s waist. His tone was polite as he cut Duan Ning off, but his demeanor was not as he dragged Xia Wennan closer to himself and sidestepped Duan Ning.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished asking what kind of pictures he wanted to take,¡± said Xia Wennan as Ming Luchuan urged him forwards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have any taken,¡± Ming Luchuan said emotionlessly, his gaze fixed ahead.


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t Duan Ning a highly reputed photographer? I¡¯ve never posed for a professional portrait before.¡±


    Ming Luchuan came to an abrupt halt. Letting go of Xia Wennan¡¯s waist, he turned around so they were face to face. ¡°Would you like to take wedding photos?¡±


    Xia Wennan thought for a bit, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I refuse to put on a wedding dress though. If anyone has to wear one, you do it.¡±


    ¡°Who said you had to wear a wedding dress in wedding photos?¡± Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t seem overjoyed.


    ¡°What would we wear then?¡±


    ¡°We can wear anything from formal attire to casual outfits. This isn¡¯t something that you need to worry about.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s expression grew serious as he mulled over it for a while. ¡°Are we going to get Duan Ning to photograph us?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to?¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­ Having your ex take wedding photos of you and your current partner sounds so exciting.¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly.


    Conversely, Ming Luchuan¡¯s face froze over. ¡°He¡¯s not my ex, nor my white moonlight. Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to take photos?¡± asked Xia Wennan.


    ¡°If you want to, I can ask.¡±


    Xia Wennan nodded. ¡°Then go ask.¡± He then remembered something else and inquired, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we take any wedding photos? Isn¡¯t our marriage a happy one?¡±  When this thought occurred to Xia Wennan, he couldn¡¯t stop his distrust from building, as if every word Ming Luchuan said may be a lie.


    ¡°Because the wedding was rushed back then,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan eyed him with suspicion. ¡°Why would we rush? I can¡¯t think of anything that would make us feel compelled to hurry.¡±


    For a brief while, Ming Luchuan was deafeningly silent. The next second, he grasped onto Xia Wennan¡¯s hand.


    Xia Wennan was a little stunned¡ªhe didn¡¯t understand why Ming Luchuan abruptly grew so solemn.


    ¡°My heart was too eager. It wasn¡¯t well-prepared,¡± Ming Luchuan told Xia Wennan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but look left and right. He couldn¡¯t stand Ming Luchuan saying those ambiguous words in such a deadly earnest manner, and he was both a little flustered and embarrassed, praying no one else had witnessed it.


    ¡°Everything I owed you then¡ªI¡¯ll make it up to you, all right?¡±


    Xia Wennan mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that far, I have no idea what you owe me¡ªbut as for making it up to me¡­¡± Xia Wennan paused at that before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re just a little less fierce to me regularly.¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m fierce?¡± he asked after a brief silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone with a worse temper than you,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Ming Luchuan¡¯s hold on Xia Wennan¡¯s hand tightened. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too annoying.¡±


    Xia Wennan immediately shook off Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand. ¡°Then go find someone who doesn¡¯t annoy you.¡±


    Ming Luchuan reached for his head once more, and this time, he led him into the house. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said as they walked, ¡°You have to stay by my side so you won¡¯t be able to annoy anyone else.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but want to grumble at that, but as he entered the home and saw Ming Qin, the words on the tip of his tongue remained unsaid; instead, he drew close to Ming Luchuan and whispered in his ear, ¡°Did your dad actually bring Yin Zejing along?¡±


    Ming Luchuan merely hummed in acknowledgement.


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t care less about what Ming Luchuan had just said a moment ago; he realised that this particular evening was possibly more exciting that he¡¯d anticipated, what with Ming Qin bringing Yin Zejing, not to mention the fact that one of the guests attending Duan Wenlong¡¯s birthday party was none other than He Yufeng.


    Currently, Ming Qin was speaking to a tall, middle-aged alpha in his 40s or 50s, who Xia Wennan guessed was Duan Wenlong himself. Resembling Duan Ning in all but the eyes and brows, Duan Wenlong appeared an elegant and outstanding man, his fingers around his wine glass long and sturdy. He was an eyecatching man.


    Yin Zejing stood behind Ming Qin. He should clearly be a little mortified at showing up to something like this, but as usual, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to put on an act, instead glancing around the room indolently with a natural air about him.


    He Yufeng, on the other hand, was conversing with a dainty middle-aged female omega. He didn¡¯t spare a glance at Yin Zejing, and the two pretended they didn¡¯t know each other. After nodding apologetically at the omega, he immediately headed Xia Wennan¡¯s way.


    ¡°Forgive me, Wennan,¡± He Yufeng said earnestly, standing in front of Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan looked at him and said, ¡°Forgive you for what?¡±


    ¡°For those photos. I never expected that the paparazzi would take pictures of us and post them online,¡± said He Yufeng. He then turned to Ming Luchuan and said, ¡°I must¡¯ve troubled the both of you, haven¡¯t I?¡±

 CH 81

    ¡°It was no trouble,¡± Ming Luchuan said, seemingly unperturbed. ¡°Nothing but swatting away a fly.¡±


    He Yufeng responded with a laugh, then nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, that was quite a despicable method.¡±


    Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help himself from piping up, ¡°Senior He, who do you suppose would do something so vile? Were they targeting you or me?¡±


    He Yufeng cocked his head slightly, as if he was thinking about it in earnest. ¡°Sorry, Wennan. I truly have no clue either. But there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re targeting Moze¡¯s new pheromone perfumes.¡±


    Xia Wennan gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we haven¡¯t congratulated you yet,¡± Ming Luchuan interjected, holding out a hand.


    He Yufeng shook his hand and smiled bitterly. ¡°It hasn¡¯t undergone market testing yet, so there¡¯s no need for that. Everything is in the hands of the customers.¡±


    As soon as He Yufeng¡¯s words left his mouth, there was a sound of glass shattering on the living room floor, followed by Ming Qin¡¯s quiet berating, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you? Such a klutz.¡±


    Xia Wennan turned around to see pieces of broken glass all around Ming Qin.


    Ming Qin¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, and he spoke to Yin Zejing in an airy tone, ¡°Go clean it up.¡±

 CH 82

    Ming Qin sat down in front of the piano, shoulder to shoulder with the young alpha, and played a simple tune with the alpha¡¯s assistance.


    He didn¡¯t seem like a total novice, but his poor technique was obvious; many guests turned their heads upon hearing the sound of the piano.


    Nevertheless, Ming Qin boldly performed till the end of the piece, then stood up and gave the seat to the alpha before slowly making his way back.


    Xia Wennan and the others remained where they stood. At this moment, he noticed that He Yufeng was only a short distance away from them.


    Ming Qin approached Yin Zejing and looked him in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯re free to go,¡± he said with a sigh, his tone sounding very casual.


    Yin Zejing stuck his hands into his trouser pockets. He was dressed formally, assuming the relaxed posture of a university student. ¡°Where am I going, Qin ge?¡± he asked Ming Qin.


    ¡°You can go wherever the hell you want.¡± Ming Qin lowered his head and began to straighten cuffs, which he had slightly pulled up earlier to play the piano. ¡°I¡¯ve found someone new to sponsor.¡±


    Yin Zejing raised his jaw and pointed at the alpha playing the piano. ¡°Him, huh? Is he willing to accept your sponsorship?¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, there will always be someone who will,¡± said Ming Qin. ¡°Did you believe that people were irreplaceable?¡±

 CH 83

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± said Yin Zejing.


    Xia Wennan stared at him unspeakingly, not wanting to show the slightest hint of guilt.


    Yin Zejing studied Xia Wennan¡¯s face by the light of the street lamp. ¡°Did you really get your memories back?¡±


    Xia Wennan sneered.


    ¡°Even after regaining your memories, that¡¯s how you think of me?¡± said Yin Zejing. His words were tinged with grievance. ¡°Seriously? Why would I ever want you dead?¡±


    His words rang with genuine sincerity, to the point where Xia Wennan¡¯s gaze gradually became skeptical. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you?¡±


    Yin Zejing squatted on the curb. His cigarette quickly burnt up. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, okay?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you pretend to be a poor student to stay at Ming Qin¡¯s side? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re broke¡ªor that you really love him.¡±


    Yin Zejing looked up at Xia Wennan. ¡°You never believed that, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be asking me these questions.¡±


    Xia Wennan said nothing. It could be considered a silent admission.


    Yin Zejing propped his arms on his knees. He stretched out his arm and snuffed out his cigarette on the ground. ¡°He misunderstood me from the get go, basically,¡± he said after a while. ¡°I didn¡¯t deliberately pretend to be poor to seek him out.¡±


    After he said that, Yin Zejing became silent for a long time.


    The two stood in the bitter cold, under a lamppost on the side of the deserted street, a two-to-three-man distance apart. One was standing, the other squatting; their shadows extending towards the road.

 CH 84

    He Yufeng and Yin Zejing left in the former¡¯s car. It soon turned a corner at an intersection and vanished from Xia Wennan¡¯s sight.


    The instant there was no one left on the street save for himself, Xia Wennan felt abruptly colder, so he intended to cross the street quickly and return to the Duans¡¯ dinner party.


    The hilly residential area had narrow streets, all being two-way single lane roads. Xia Wennan was just stepping off the sidewalk and onto the road when he suddenly spotted a car turning a corner and heading his way.


    The car had left their headlights off, and by the illumination of the streetlights, Xia Wennan could only make out an outline of a black, slightly shabby car.


    Confident that the driver could see him under the lights, Xia Wennan hastened his pace, eager to get to the other side of the road.


    Who would¡¯ve guessed that, not only did the car not slow down, it sped up instead.


    Heart in his throat, Xia Wennan bolted to the other side. The second he walked onto the footpath, the car that was virtually on his heels drove straight by him¡ªXia Wennan could even feel the car¡¯s side-view mirror grazing the back of his shirt.


    He came to a halt and peered apprehensively at the car that hadn¡¯t slowed down for even a second, but the car had no intention of stopping even then as it sped away from his field of view. He couldn¡¯t convince himself that he was just being paranoid and that someone didn¡¯t actually want to run him over.


    Xia Wennan inhaled deeply. The cold air streamed into his nasal cavity and down into his lungs, gradually cooling his head.


    Duan Wenlong¡¯s birthday dinner was well underway. The lights and space heaters in the garden dispelled the chill in Xia Wennan¡¯s body.


    He came to a halt, looked around, and noticed that, while the alpha pianist continued to play the piano, Ming Qin was no longer by his side. The alpha pianist was playing a gentle tune fit for a waltz, and the guests had partnered up, slow-dancing to the music.


    Xia Wennan caught sight of Duan Ning dancing with an alpha who was most likely one of the Duan family¡¯s guests in the middle of the dance floor. As it was a bad time for Xia Wennan to interrupt, he could only stand on the outskirts while keeping an eye on them.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± A familiar voice sounded from behind him.

 CH 85

    Posted on April 12, 2022 by gooseberry


    They stepped out of the party without alarming the other guests.


    Duan Ning was still required to help his father play host and was soon summoned over, leaving Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan to their own devices. They stood behind a flowerbed, a distance away from the masses, watching the dinner guests wining and dining under the dazzling lights.


    As he stared straight ahead, Xia Wennan had a lot on his mind.


    Ming Luchuan put his palm against his back. He never once left Xia Wennan¡¯s side.


    A few moments later, Xia Wennan turned to peer at Ming Luchuan. When he saw the man¡¯s calm gaze as he looked ahead with an unfazed expression, he opened his mouth to ask, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same thing you¡¯re thinking,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m thinking right now then.¡±


    Ming Luchuan lowered his head. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about how you really didn¡¯t take those sleeping pills on your own that day.¡±


    Xia Wennan sighed. ¡°It probably wasn¡¯t Yin Zejing¡¯s doing,¡± he said.


    Ming Luchuan remained silent. He simply looked up and looked around the garden once more.

 CH 86

    Xia Wennan called their driver and told him to wait for them outside the gates of the Duan residence.


    He and Ming Luchuan didn¡¯t greet anyone else as they made their way out through the lit-up garden pathway. Xia Wennan walked in front, leading Ming Luchuan with a tight grip on his hand. Ming Luchuan trailed behind him in complete silence, but the scent of his pheromones became increasingly potent.


    Xia Wennan was trembling with fear. As he stared into the distance, across the flowering shrubs, he took notice of several sensitive omegas who appeared to have detected Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones, their brows wrinkling as they looked in the direction of Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Xia Wennan urged, his heart racing. It was actually somewhat strange, because the one in rut definitely wasn¡¯t him, but he could feel that the urgency in his heart was no less than Ming Luchuan¡¯s.


    What exactly was he afraid of? When they finally climbed inside the car, shut the door, and he and Ming Luchuan were ensconced in the airtight space of the car, Xia Wennan glanced up at the driver sitting in the front.


    The driver was a beta. He couldn¡¯t sense pheromones, but it was clear that, at this very second, Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones had already flooded the interior of the car, so dense that it could virtually soak into human pores. And yet the unconcerned, calm-faced driver wasn¡¯t the least bit aware..


    Xia Wennan realised what he was so afraid of: with so many omegas at the dinner party, the alpha in rut would be influenced by an omega¡¯s pheromones, resulting in a loss of self-control.

 CH 87

    When Xia Wennan awoke the next day, he found himself in bed with Ming Luchuan. He had been sleeping with his back turned to Ming Luchuan, tightly wrapped up in his embrace.


    In truth, he couldn¡¯quite say that it was a comfortable position, but they had stayed like that from midnight until well after eleven o¡¯clock the next morning.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s body ached all over, but the most painful part of his body was the wound on his nape.


    He lifted a hand to touch his nape, but the moment he moved his arm, Ming Luchuan hugged him even tighter from behind, his scorching breath grazing the top of Xia Wennan¡¯s head.


    Xia Wennan struggled to put a little distance between them. When he managed to touch his nape with his palm, he could feel the unmistakable, deep cuts. Fortunately, the bleeding had already stopped.


    Ming Luchuan hauled him back into his arms, his palms glued to Xia Wennan¡¯s chest.


    Slightly distressed, Xia Wennan asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to keep being in rut, are you?¡±


    It took a moment before Ming Luchuan rasped out, ¡°No.¡±


    Xia Wennan said, ¡°Luckily, you¡¯re not like those omegas¡ªonce in heat, they¡¯ll never see the end of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you hate me?¡± His questioning tone was tinged with grievance.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°I just have more important things to do. I can¡¯t keep wasting time with you in bed.¡± Afterwards, Xia Wennan shrugged off Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands, rolled over, and sat up.


    When he moved his stiff neck, the movement pulled at the wound on his nape yet again, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why can¡¯t you be a little gentler.¡±


    Ming Luchuan sounded calm as he replied,¡°I can¡¯t control it. I want to swallow you whole.¡±

 CH 88

    Ming Qin crossed his arms across his chest and walked around, talking about the past with a smile on his face.


    Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan could only follow behind him, quietly listening to him speak.


    Ming Qin was evidently in high-spirits. He recalled his earlier days on the job, as well as his initial attempts to create his first perfume, not forgetting to mention his excitement and shock when he earned the international award for the first time. Despite Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan¡¯s lack of response, he had no intention of slowing down, as if he simply wanted to communicate everything in his mind.


    It was then that Xia Wennan smelled the alcohol emanating from Ming Qin¡¯s body.


    Later on, Ming Qin came to a halt and sat on Xia Wennan¡¯s lab countertop, reading Xia Wennan¡¯s illegible notes.


    ¡°Dad, drink some water,¡± said Xia Wennan as he handed Ming Qin a glass of water.


    Ming Qin took it from his hands and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He looked at Xia Wennan with a tilt of his head. ¡°Wennan, in the future, Ming Yan¡¯s fate resides on your and Ming Luchuan¡¯s shoulders.¡±


    Xia Wennan smiled but said nothing. He took half a step back until Ming Luchuan stood in front of him so that he could go and deal with Ming Qin.


    Ming Luchuan appeared to have zero interest in this topic. He merely said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re drunk. Why don¡¯t we take you home?¡±


    Ming Qin said, ¡°It¡¯s still pretty early though.¡±


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s head back so you can get some rest.¡±


    Ming Qin lifted the glass and drank slowly. A while later, he set the glass down and got to his feet, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

 CH 89

    Lu Wenxing stared at Ming Qin. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say? To be honest, you and I have nothing to do with each other. And my business with your brother doesn¡¯t concern you either.¡±


    When Ming Qin smiled, his mouth was slanted higher on one side. If Xia Wennan were in Lu Wenxing¡¯s shoes right now, he would find Ming Qin incredibly irritating.


    The sports car had a low chassis, which meant that if Ming Qin wanted to speak to Lu Wenxing inside the car at his eye-level, Ming Qin had no choice but to bend down. Perhaps, he was getting tired, so he kicked at the car door and said, ¡°Get the hell out of the car first.¡±


    This time, Ming Luchuan jumped to action. He walked over to Ming Qin and held him up, pulling him back slightly and preventing him from laying another kick on the door. ¡°Cut it out, dad,¡± he said.


    Ming Qin grew even more riled up when he saw Ming Luchuan approaching, seizing Ming Luchuan¡¯s arm and yelling, ¡°Luchuan, take a good look at this alpha.


    Ming Luchuan lowered his head and made eye contact with Lu Wenxing.


    When Xia Wennan witnessed this situation, he became acutely aware of Ming Luchuan¡¯s relationship with Lu Wenxing and inwardly tensed up.


    Ming Qin continued, ¡°This man is the most useless, most shameless alpha in the world. You absolutely musn¡¯t become someone like him.¡±


    Lu Wenxing¡¯s brow faintly wrinkled.


    Ming Luchuan pulled Ming Qin back. ¡°I¡¯m me, I¡¯m not going to change into anyone else.¡±


    Ming Qin, inebriated yet still trying to move about, kicked forwards, his toes brushing against the car door. ¡°I heard that you were married for a long time but had no children,¡± Ming Qin said to Lu Wenxing with a grin, ¡°and when your relationship with your family¡¯s omega fell apart, you went and cheated with a young omega?¡±


    When Xia Wennan heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but peep at Li Xin, only to see that Li Xin had averted his gaze slightly, and his complexion was extremely unsightly.


    ¡°Do you want a kid? Lu Wenxing?¡± asked Ming Qin. He then looked up and turned to Li Xin, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever trust this man. He¡¯s the type who won¡¯t be responsible.¡±

 CH 90

    The next morning, Xia Wennan woke up a little later than usual. The space next to him was empty¡ªMing Luchuan had probably gone downstairs to have breakfast.


    He dressed and went up to the window, where he could hear noises downstairs. In the next second, he caught sight of Ming Sichen leaving the house and driving away to work.


    Ming Luchuan had just about finished his meal when Xia Wennan came down, but he lingered in the dining room, waiting for Xia Wennan.


    Xia Wennan walked over and took a seat.¡°How was I out for so long?¡± he said as he stroked his unkempt hair.


    Ming Luchuan poured him some milk. ¡°You were completely exhausted.¡±


    Xia Wennan thought about it before leaning into Ming Luchuan¡¯s space and mumbling in his ear, ¡°Exhausted from watching last night¡¯s show?¡±


    Ming Luchuan gave him a look. ¡°Exhausted from work.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s brain never once stopped working while he was at his lab yesterday. He didn¡¯t notice anything when he was too focused, but once his body relaxed, the fatigue set in, causing him to inadvertently sleep till this hour.


    Xia Wennan yawned as he dug into his breakfast.


    Ming Luchuan sat next to him and kept him company. ¡°Don¡¯t go to work if you¡¯re too tired to.¡±


    Xia Wennan¡¯s chopstick-holding hand froze as he cast an inquisitive glance towards Ming Luchuan. ¡°You¡¯re not even a little worried that I¡¯m working too slowly on the R&D end and will drag down Ming Yan¡¯s profits for the coming year?¡±


    Ming Luchuan leaned back in a relaxed manner. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡î ¡î ¡î


    t/n ¨C i¡¯m going to be taking a 1 week break from one way passage to work on my other tl, so see you all next week!

 CH 91

    Ming Qin didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, as if dumbfounded.


    Xia Wennan had a sudden desire to see Ming Luchuan. He then told Ming Qin, ¡°Dad, I should get back to work. Why don¡¯t you go outside, get some fresh air? Don¡¯t stay at home by yourself.¡± After that, he immediately turned away to leave.


    ¡°Wennan,¡± Ming Qin stopped him in a somewhat urgent tone.


    Xia Wennan stopped in his tracks and looked at him.


    ¡°Wait for me,¡± Ming Qin said after briefly hesitating. ¡°I¡¯m coming to the company with you.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Wennan uttered in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hang around the laboratory,¡± said Ming Qin.


    When Xia Wennan came down, Ming Luchuan was on the phone. The man paused for a second and asked Xia Wennan, ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    ¡°Give it another minute.¡± Xia Wennan sported an awkward expression as he pinched his forefinger and thumb together.


    Ming Luchuan gave a nod. He turned around and resumed his phone call, but once he hung up, he said ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver bring you over. Something came up and I have to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Your dad said that he¡¯s coming to the company with us,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan appeared somewhat surprised for a fleeting moment. ¡°Hm?¡±


    Xia Wennan approached him and whispered, ¡°I guess he¡¯s just lonely after his breakup. He doesn¡¯t want to be alone.¡±


    Ming Luchuan nodded when he heard that and said, ¡°Wait for the driver to get here, he¡¯ll take you two to the company.¡±

 CH 92

    At the gate, Xia Wennan caught up to Lu Huaiye. ¡°Wait!¡± he shouted.


    Lu Huaiye came to a halt, and when he turned to face Xia Wennan, it was with a sombre face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Ming Sichen?¡± Xia Wennan asked, lowering his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Lu Huaiye with a shake of his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to bring him to the hospital.¡±


    Xia Wennan tried to remember what Ming Sichen was like the first time he saw him. ¡°He did seem more awake before¡ªhe even said my name once¡­ How did his condition take a turn for the worse?¡±


    Lu Huaiye heaved a sigh. ¡°I want to know too.¡±


    Xia Wennan gave him a look. ¡°Did you break up with Ming Siyan?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Lu Huaiye replied.


    ¡°Are you not ready for marriage yet? Why would you break up now?¡±


    Lu Huaiye made a face like discussing this with Xia Wennan was the last thing he wanted. He glanced out the door; from his vantage point, he could just about make out Ming Sichen¡¯s figure in the garden. ¡°I think I¡¯ve changed,¡± he told Xia Wennan a while later. ¡°The feelings I had for Siyan at the start are no longer there.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s pretty scummy of you, don¡¯t you think?¡± Xia Wennan blurted.


    The look on Lu Huaiye¡¯s face was very ugly.


    Xia Wennan thus said, ¡°Siyan didn¡¯t wrong you or anything, right?¡±


    Lu Huaiye remained mute.


    At this time, Aunt Zhang emerged from Ming Sichen¡¯s bedroom. When she saw that Lu Huaiye was here, she seemed a little shocked as well, but she greeted him before proceeding to the garden.


    Lu Huaiye didn¡¯t go and see Ming Sichen a second time, speaking to Xia Wennan instead: ¡°Could you help me persuade uncle to take Sichen to see a doctor?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xia Wennan agreed.


    Lu Huaiye nodded and left.


    When Xia Wennan returned to the dining room, he noticed that Ming Qin had only taken one bite of his sandwich before returning it to its plate. Until now, he had yet to finish his meal.


    Xia Wennan moved to sit down, intending to wait for Ming Qin to finish eating, but the second his ass touched the chair, Ming Qin stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m taking Sichen to the hospital this morning.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him. ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you going to finish your breakfast?¡±


    Ming Qin dusted off his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Xia Wennan and Ming Qin did not go to the company when Ming Luchuan¡¯s driver arrived, instead helping Ming Sichen into the car and instructing the driver to take them to the hospital.


    ¡°Which hospital?¡± the driver inquired.


    Ming Qin and Ming Sichen were ensconced in the backseat. Although the latter¡¯s eyes were open, he seemed wholly listless, his head listing to the side and resting on Ming Qin¡¯s shoulder.


    When he heard the driver¡¯s question, Xia Wennan, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, peered over his shoulder at Ming Qin.


    Ming Qin had wrapped his arm around Ming Sichen¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Not his usual hospital,¡± he said, drawing his gaze away from where it had been trained out the window.


    ¡°How about we go to mine?¡± Xia Wennan proposed after some thought.


    Ming Qin turned to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m friends with one of their doctors,¡± Xia Wennan explained.


    The driver dropped them off at the hospital. He retrieved the wheelchair from the boot of the car and erected it, then carried Ming Sichen out of the car.


    Xia Wennan called Lin Shuqiu and scheduled an examination for Ming Sichen.


    They waited in the hospital the entire morning. Ming Sichen had several exams scheduled, but the results wouldn¡¯t be out for some time, and there were also parts of the exam that required appointments, which meant that they couldn¡¯t be arranged for the time being.


    Lin Shuqiu advised Ming Sichen to remain in the hospital.


    ¡°He¡¯s not doing too well at the moment, I recommend that he be hospitalised for observation,¡± said Lin Shuqiu.


    Ming Qin¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°After his car accident, he went through a long period of treatment overseas, and I also consulted specialists when he returned to the country. They performed a craniotomy for his brain injury at the time, and the doctors said that while it was serious, his recovery  after surgery wouldn¡¯t be too bad. He¡¯s been getting retested and going to therapy for the past two years¡­ so I figured he¡¯d get better over time.¡±


    Lin Shuqiu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m unable to give you an immediate answer. For the time being, it appears that more detailed examination results are needed before a diagnosis can be made.¡±


    A nurse came over in a hurry and called for Lin Shuqiu.


    Lin Shuqiu expressed his apologies then left.


    The only people left in the hospital room were Ming Qin and Xia Wennan. Ming Sichen had dozed off where he lay on the bed, exhausted.


    Xia Wennan approached the bed and leaned in to take a look at Ming Sichen.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s breathing was laboured. He appeared much skinnier than he had previously, his entire being exuding a fragile air. When he rolled over on his side, the position he was in appeared to be so taxing on his body that Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t resist the urge to assist him.


    As Ming Sichen lay there with his back to Xia Wennan, Xia Wennan suddenly noticed the tattoo on his nape. This was the first time Xia Wennan had been able to examine it so closely, and he couldn¡¯t help but stick out a finger and gently touch it.


    ¡°The car accident also injured his nape,¡± Ming Qin explained. ¡°Siyan took him to get tattooed to cover up the scar.¡±


    Xia Wennan retracted his hand, saying, ¡°No wonder his nape feels a little rough.¡± Curious, he then asked, ¡°Why does Siyan have the same tattoo though?¡±


    ¡°Siyan got tattooed along with him. They grew up together, and Siyan was also with him when the accident occured. He¡¯d been the most upset, back then.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Xia Wennan.


    Come noon, Ming Luchuan and Ming Siyan arrived at the hospital.


    Ming Siyan wore a guilty expression when he saw Ming Sichen lying in the hospital bed. ¡°The doctor never mentioned anything wrong with Sichen¡¯s examination results every time I took him for his regular checkups. I also asked why it felt like Sichen¡¯s condition was only getting worse, but the doctor told me that it was most likely due to the aftereffects of his traumatic brain injury.¡±


    Ming Qin shook his head wordlessly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go eat lunch first?¡± Ming Luchuan suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the driver to pick up Aunt Zhang so she can accompany Sichen.¡±


    Yet Ming Qin shook his head again. ¡°No,¡± Ming Qin said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Sichen has been like this for more than a day or two¡­¡± Xia Wennan trailed off, swallowing the rest of his sentence. He¡¯d wanted to say that Sichen had been ailing for so long, and yet all Ming Qin cared about was his relationship with Yin Zejing¡ªhe¡¯d never really taken Ming Sichen¡¯s health seriously in the first place, so why act all anxious now?


    But he didn¡¯t have the heart to voice it all out. He reasoned that Ming Sichen was different from Ming Luchuan after all, being Ming Qin¡¯s biological son¡ªMing Qin must surely still love him.


    However, regardless of which son it was, Ming Qin was a man who, unfortunately, loved himself the most. If he claimed that he had no idea how to be a dad when Ming Luchuan ended up in his care and couldn¡¯t be emotionally involved with a child, then in that regard, when faced with Ming Sichen and Ming Siyan, rather than showing them unconditional love and care, the only thing he probably provided was money.


    Because of Ming Luchuan, Xia Wennan had no fondness for Ming Qin. He also believed that the man¡¯s present concern for Ming Sichen was nothing more than him looking for a distraction after his relationship fell apart.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll stay here with Sichen,¡± Ming Siyan told Ming Qin. ¡°You should go get something to eat.¡±


    Ming Qin continued to shake his head.


    Xia Wennan and the others remained at the hospital with Ming Qin until the driver brought Aunt Zhang over.


    Ming Qin was still unwilling to leave, however, so all Ming Luchuan could do was arrange for someone to bring him lunch.


    Ming Luchuan, Xia Wennan, and Ming Siyan eventually left the hospital together.


    Ming Siyan seemed a little distracted as he walked ahead on his own. Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan trailed behind him unhurriedly, and Xia Wennan subconsciously grasped Ming Luchuan¡¯s hand.


    Xia Wennan caught a glimpse of Ming Siyan¡¯s nape tattoo, which, despite being slightly obscured by his hair and collar, was undeniably identical to Ming Sichen¡¯s tattoo.


    Ming Sichen came to a halt, turned around, and asked, ¡°Da-ge, Wennan, are you going back to the company?¡±


    Ming Luchuan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±

 CH 93

    Once Xia Wennan returned to the lab, he sat there for a while, unable to calm his mind, before getting up and heading back to his office.


    Lin Shuqiu called Xia Wennan to inform him that some of Ming Sichen¡¯s preliminary examination results were out, and that in comparison to his previous results, he didn¡¯t find any significant lesions in his brain deteriorating. Further tests were required to determine why his mental state had declined to this point.


    After thanking Lin Shuqiu, Xia Wennan hung up the phone.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s car accident and his own car accident were seemingly unrelated, but they also appear to be connected in some way.


    At the moment, it looked like Ming Siyan had the most involvement in Ming Sichen¡¯s car accident¡ªbut why would Ming Siyan want to kill Ming Sichen? If the person who spiked Xia Wennan¡¯s drink was also Ming Siyan, then what was his reason for wanting Xia Wennan dead?


    Ming Siyan once said that he and Xia Wennan were best friends. Xia Wennan hadn¡¯t taken his claim seriously, but Ming Siyan was probably not lying because his other lab colleagues had mentioned how close he and Ming Siyan were.


    Ming Sichen was merely a beta, while Ming Siyan was an omega. However one looked at it, Ming Siyan¡¯s life should be much better than Ming Sichen¡¯s, so there was no reason for him to harbour a grudge against Ming Sichen.


    Was it due to Lu Huaiye? But Lu Huaiye was Ming Siyan¡¯s fiance, and even if they had broken up and called off their engagement now, it was all because of Ming Siyan¡¯s inability to hold on to the man. What role could Ming Sichen, who was unconscious and bedridden, play?


    Xia Wennan thought about it for a long time. He later wanted to talk to Lu Huaiye, but when he flipped through his contacts, he discovered that he¡¯d never had Lu Huaiye¡¯s phone number. He thus texted Ming Luchuan and asked him if he could send him Lu Huaiye¡¯s contact information.


    Xia Wennan thought about it for a long time.


    There was no reply from Ming Luchuan; he was probably in the thick of work.


    Xia Wennan put away his phone, intending to visit Ming Luchuan¡¯s office upstairs to see what he was preoccupied with, but right as he got to his feet, his phone suddenly rang, and an unknown number flashed across the screen.


    Xia Wennan accepted the call. ¡°Hello?¡±

 CH 94

    When office hours ended that afternoon, Xia Wennan was in no mood to work overtime, so he called Ming Luchuan and they went to the hospital together.


    Ming Luchuan had no opinion on where Xia Wennan wanted to go, his sole request at the moment was that Xia Wennan not go anywhere alone.


    Xia Wennan shifted uneasily in his seat in the car. He couldn¡¯t say he was particularly fond of Ming Sichen, and it wasn¡¯t like this was the first time he¡¯d realised how badly Ming Sichen was doing¡ªhowever, when it came to the fact that someone had wanted to kill him, he felt inexplicably unsettled, and he couldn¡¯t sit still even though he sat there mutely.


    When they arrived at the hospital, Xia Wennan assumed that Ming Qin was still around, but when they reached the door of the hospital room, he saw that the person sitting at Ming Sichen¡¯s bedside was Ming Siyan.


    Xia Wennan came to a halt, and Ming Luchuan stopped just a scant few centimetres behind him.


    Nobody knew if Ming Siyan had noticed their arrival, but he kept his head down the entire time and never looked up. Some time later, Xia Wennan watched as he buried his face on the edge of Ming Sichen¡¯s bed, a hand grasping Ming Sichen¡¯s and his entire body leaning forward. It was then that he realised that Ming Siyan was crying.


    Ming Siyan raised his head after a while of crying, tucked Ming Sichen¡¯s hand back under the blanket, and straightened the blanket. He then rose to his feet, at which point he spotted Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Da-ge, Wennan.¡± Ming Siyan¡¯s eyes were still stained red.


    Xia Wennan entered the room and asked, ¡°Where did dad go?¡±


    ¡°He went home first,¡± Ming Siyan answered.


    Xia Wennan nodded, approached the bed, and examined the sleeping Ming Sichen.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s condition had made no improvement. He¡¯d been sleeping peacefully in his bed the entire time.


    Ming Luchuan walked in, unhurriedly made his way to the chair on the other side of the bed, and sat down.


    ¡°What are your plans for tonight?¡± Xia Wennan asked Ming Siyan.

 CH 95

    Upon registering Lu Huaiye¡¯s words, Xia Wennan blurted out: ¡°Then you weren¡¯t clear on the specifics of Ming Sichen¡¯s car accident in Southeast Asia?¡±


    Lu Huaiye shook his head.


    Xia Wennan suddenly felt a little deflated.


    Lu Huaiye stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, his tall figure silent and unmoving for a period of time. He levelled a gaze at Xia Wennan. ¡°There are a few things I haven¡¯t mentioned.¡±


    Xia Wennan looked at him inquisitively.


    ¡°The brothers and I had known each other long before Sichen¡¯s accident,¡± said Lu Huaiye. ¡°Sichen confessed his feelings to me, but I turned him down.¡±


    This was something Xia Wennan hadn¡¯t anticipated, and the surprise showed on his face. ¡°Because he¡¯s a beta?¡± Xia Wennan reflexively asked.


    Yet Lu Huaiye shook his head. ¡°It has nothing to do with gender. At the time, I liked Siyan more.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve known Ming Siyan and Ming Sichen from the start, and Ming Sichen liked you, but you liked Ming Siyan more?¡±


    Lu Huaiye gave a single nod. ¡°It¡¯s just, back then, I hadn¡¯t confessed to Siyan yet.¡±


    ¡°So, after Sichen and Siyan came home from their trip after Sichen got into that accident, you made it official with Siyan?¡±

 CH 96

    After driving for a while, Xia Wennan recognised the black car that had been following them the entire time.


    It was a very common black car; Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t even tell if it was the same one that had tried to run him over the other night.


    Ming Luchuan drove quickly but steadily. ¡°Should we call the police?¡± Xia Wennan asked, distractedly putting the takeout box of fried dumplings back into the plastic bag, tying the handles into a knot.


    ¡°No,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    Xia Wennan was a little worried. ¡°What are you going to do then? Let the guy keep following us? What if he hits us?¡±


    Ming Luchuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    They drove away from the city¡¯s congested main roads and into the slightly more deserted suburbs. They were headed in the direction of the Ming residence, but the route they took was nowhere near the correct route.


    Though Ming Luchuan¡¯s driving wasn¡¯t rushed, Xia Wennan could feel his ruthlessness seeping through. The alpha¡¯s hands were firmly gripped on the steering wheel, and his gaze would occasionally flit to the rear-view mirror to check on the car tailing them. What¡¯s more, the cramped interior of the car was gradually filled with the scent of Ming Luchuan¡¯s pheromones.


    ¡°Luchuan,¡± Xia Wennan¡¯s voice rang somewhat deep. ¡°Calm down a little. Don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ming Luchuan replied, gaze trained straight ahead. ¡°You¡¯re still in the car.¡±

 CH 97

    In truth, that night was not at all an appropriate time, but for some unknown reason, Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan indulged in their pleasures even more so in the confines of the second floor bedroom.


    Xia Wennan kept his lips tightly clamped through it all, afraid of being exposed if he got too loud, and he made nothing but muffled noises.


    The bedroom was sufficiently warm¡ªthe wide expanse of Ming Luchuan¡¯s back was exposed to the air, and his corded muscles were covered in a thin sheen of sweat, glistening under the lights.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s mind drifted off for a split second. With his gaze fixed on the ceiling, he inwardly wondered where he was and why he would let this alpha toss him around so much¡ªwasn¡¯t he a university student? He still wanted to settle down with a sweet and lovely beta woman, start his own little family full of warmth, bring his grandfather over, and live a simple but happy life.


    Who could have predicted his present? A big family, a large house that appeared warm and impenetrable when, in reality, there were chaotic winds at every turn and chill seeping out of its cracks.


    Keenly sensing Xia Wennan¡¯s absent-mindedness, Ming Luchuan indignantly tossed him around harder.


    Xia Wennan, greeted with pain, could only sink his short fingernails into Ming Luchuan¡¯s skin, an act that was most likely futile. Ming Luchuan only tightened his embrace around Xia Wennan, causing his forehead and chest to perspire and completely dispel the last vestiges of chill in his bones.


    The two lay motionless in bed after they climaxed. While Xia Wennan was still trembling from the aftershocks, Ming Luchuan asked him, dissatisfied, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Xia Wennan wasn¡¯t thinking about anything at first, but when he heard Ming Luchuan¡¯s question, a person came to mind and he blurted out, ¡°Lu Wenxing.¡±


    Ming Luchuan abruptly sat up, his face clouding over as he looked at Xia Wennan. ¡°Do you want to die?!¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Xia Wennan sighed with feeling, ¡°Those are strong words¡ªyou must really hate the guy!¡±


    Ming Luchuan rolled over, climbed out of bed, put on his slippers, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    Xia Wennan followed him into the bathroom soon after. He nestled into Ming Luchuan¡¯s side, squeezing in under shower and letting the hot water pour over his head.


    Ming Luchuan moved as if to slam into him; he didn¡¯t use any actual force, but he saw Xia Wennan sway on his feet. He reached out to steady him and draw him into the circle of his arms, where they would shower together.

 CH 98

    When Xia Wennan heard that Ming Qin was done eating, without a second thought, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going then. We can head back and rest for a bit before getting back to work.¡±


    During that lunch break, Xia Wennan relinquished his lounge to Ming Qin and sat on his desk chair, leaning backwards and legs up on the table as he napped with his arms crossed over his chest.


    In the hazy midst of sleep, Xia Wennan vaguely sensed someone watching him, and when he opened his eyes, it was to the sight of Ming Qin standing right in front of him, staring at him unblinkingly with a morose face.


    Xia Wennan gave a start and involuntarily kicked at the table, which sent his chair sliding backwards and bumping against the floor-to-ceiling window. Once he returned to his senses, Xia Wennan patted his chest and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ming Qin folded his arms over his chest and took a deep breath, saying, ¡°Xia Wennan, be honest with me, am I old?¡±


    Xia Wennan let out a perplexed, ¡°Huh?¡± which, after some thought, was followed by, ¡°You¡¯re not old, really? People in their fifties are considered middle-aged nowadays.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean at all,¡± said Ming Qin. ¡°I wanted to ask if I¡¯m old, as an omega¡ªam I no longer attractive to alphas?¡±


    Xia Wennan sat up straighter in his seat. He clutched a handful of his unkempt hair, his face contorted in bewilderment. ¡°I¡¯m a beta¡ªyou should be asking alphas.¡±


    Ming Qin said nothing and averted his gaze to the window.


    When Xia Wennan became a little more awake, he realised how unseemly it looked to still be sitting while Ming Qin stood in front of him. He then stood up, leaned against the edge of his desk, and asked, ¡°Are you angry?¡±

 CH 99

    At Ming Luchuan¡¯s words, Xia Wennan immediately sat up, sitting cross-legged, and said, ¡°But he just stormed off.¡±


    Ming Luchuan, who apparently had no intention of going back to sleep, also sat up and reached for the clothes hanging next to the bed. ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    Xia Wennan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Then leave him be. He¡¯s an adult¡ªhe¡¯s not going to get lost,¡± Ming Luchuan said as he dressed and climbed out of bed.


    Xia Wennan clutched at his hair and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    In the afternoon, he called Ming Qin twice, but both calls went unanswered. He also called the Ming house before leaving work, but the housekeeping aunt informed him that Ming Qin had not yet returned.


    This only made Xia Wennan restless, so he dialled Ming Luchuan¡¯s number and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for him at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re heading there now?¡± Ming Luchuan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check if Ming Qin went to see Sichen,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan exchanged a few words with those around him before telling Xia Wennan, ¡°I still have some business on my end that I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°I should be fine on my own,¡± said Xia Wennan, ¡°It¡¯s just the hospital. What¡¯s there to be worried about? Or¡­ are you going to keep me tied to you for the next few days?¡±


    Ming Luchuan seemingly hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a driver for you.¡±


    Xia Wennan went to the hospital in Ming Luchuan¡¯s car. The parking lot at the hospital was full, and there was a long line of cars in front of the entrance, so Xia Wennan got out of the car first and asked the driver to wait for him there.


    ¡°Mr. Xia, if anything comes up, please give me a call,¡± the driver said as Xia Wennan stepped out of the car.


    Xia Wennan waved a hand at him. ¡°I know. Nothing¡¯s going to happen.¡± He was only here to check if Ming Qin was keeping Ming Sichen company.


    Even though it was past six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the lobby on the ground floor of the hospital was still packed.


    A rush of heat hit Xia Wennan in the face the moment he stepped inside, and he noticed someone hurriedly walking in his direction, so he quickly stepped to the side.


    After avoiding two more people in quick succession, Xia Wennan collided with someone behind him.


    The person was an alpha with a tall frame and broad shoulders. After bumping into him, Xia Wennan hastily opened his mouth to apologise, but that alpha only nodded and sidestepped him wordlessly before proceeding inside.


    Xia Wennan registered his deep-set eyes; his facial features suggested he was of mixed blood, and from behind, his black short hair was slightly curly and fell messily to his nape.


    Despite the fact that his relatively cramped and crowded surroundings had all sorts of scents mingling together, Xia Wennan was able to catch a fleeting whiff of pheromones.


    After all, there weren¡¯t that many alphas around, let alone a mixed-blood alpha.


    Xia Wennan passed through the crowd and entered the elevator without catching another glimpse of the alpha. The elevator ascended slowly and arrived at the floor where Ming Sichen¡¯s ward was located.


    It was very quiet in Ming Sichen¡¯s room. Ming Qin was nowhere to be found, and the only person keeping Ming Sichen company was Aunt Zhang and¡ªat this moment, Ming Sichen was unexpectedly awake.


    Upon Xia Wennan¡¯s arrival, Aunt Zhang, who had been sitting next to the bed and playing with her phone, rose from her seat and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Wennan, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Xia Wennan returned the smile and nodded. ¡°Aunt Zhang.¡±


    Ming Sichen was lying in bed, but despite having his eyes open, he didn¡¯t spare Xia Wennan a single glance and instead directed his unfocused gaze at the window.


    Xia Wennan walked up to him and waved at Ming Sichen. ¡°Sichen?¡±


    Ming Sichen didn¡¯t respond.


    Xia Wennan could only address Aunt Zhang, ¡°How long has Sichen been awake?¡±


    Aunt Zhang slipped her phone into her pocket and clasped her hands together in front of her. ¡°He¡¯s been awake all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help him sit up?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether he¡¯s sitting or lying down,¡± Aunt Zhang said naturally. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    This naturalness came off as a little cold to Xia Wennan¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯d only been a part of the Ming family for a couple of years, while Aunt Zhang had raised the two brothers since they were children¡ªXia Wennan was probably more of an outsider in comparison.


    Xia Wennan stood by Ming Sichen¡¯s bedside for a moment before asking Aunt Zhang, ¡°Did dad come by today?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ming hasn¡¯t been here,¡± said Aunt Zhang.


    Xia Wennan responded with an ¡°Ah.¡± He was a little surprised, to be honest; he couldn¡¯t think of anywhere else Ming Qin could go except the hospital.


    He originally came to look for Ming Qin, but he didn¡¯t find him here at all. He couldn¡¯t just leave like that, however, so he sat down and accompanied Ming Sichen for ten more minutes.


    Ming Sichen probably didn¡¯t need Xia Wennan¡¯s company. Most of the time, his eyes were blank, and as Xia Wennan clearly had nothing to say to Aunt Zhang, an awkward silence was maintained until Xia Wennan decided it was time. With a soft exhale, he rose to his feet and said, ¡°I should get going.¡±


    Aunt Zhang escorted him to the door.


    Xia Wennan exited the room alone and closed the door behind him. The corridor outside smelled of food; Xia Wennan instantly realised that he was hungry and remembered that he hadn¡¯t had dinner yet.


    He paused where he stood for a few moments, wondering whether to call Ming Luchuan and ask if he was finished with work or call Lin Shuqiu and invite him to dinner.


    While debating his options, Xia Wennan abruptly noticed a faint trace of pheromones in the air. It was vaguely familiar, like the pheromones of that alpha he¡¯d encountered downstairs.


    He raised his head and looked around him, but there was no sign of the aforementioned alpha.


    A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart as he slowly made his way to the elevator.


    The feeling remained with him all the way down to the ground floor, where Xia Wennan stood dazed in the lobby for a moment before his phone abruptly rang.


    He assumed it was a call from Ming Luchuan, but when he took out his phone, he discovered it was Lin Shuqiu.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Xia Wennan answered the call.


    Lin Shuqiu¡¯s voice was terribly solemn. ¡°Wennan, I need to speak with you.¡±


    When Xia Wennan heard this, he immediately straightened up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The results of Ming Sichen¡¯s blood tests are partially out,¡± said Lin Shuqiu, ¡°and we suspect that his current state is due to the effects of long-term use of psychotropic drugs rather than head trauma.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xia Wennan stilled.


    ¡°Someone around him has probably been drugging him this entire time,¡± explained Lin Shuqiu. ¡°Are you guys going to look into it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll discuss it with his family right away,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you again once the more detailed test results are available.¡±


    ¡°Are you at the hospital right now?¡± Xia Wennan asked Lin Shuqiu before he hung up.


    ¡°No, I went to the university this afternoon,¡± Lin Shuqiu replied.


    Xia Wennan could only say, ¡°Okay then, thank you.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Xia Wennan¡¯s mind fell into a brief bout of chaos. He called Ming Luchuan, but there was no answer¡ªperhaps he was still busy with work.


    He thus turned around and walked towards the elevator, calling Ming Qin along the way.


    This time, after Xia Wennan dialled his number, Ming Qin directly rejected it.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t keep from cursing. ¡°What a useless waste of a dad!¡± he hurled at the disconnected phone call.

 CH 100

    For some reason, after his phone call with Lin Shuqiu, the person Xia Wennan came to suspect the most was Aunt Zhang.


    Aunt Zhang was always by Ming Sichen¡¯s side, taking care of him¡ªwho on earth could be capable of drugging him behind her back? Unless Aunt Zhang had known the entire time but had refrained from uttering a word.


    Aunt Zhang was always by Ming Sichen¡¯s side, watching over him¡ªwho on earth could have drugged him behind her back? Unless Aunt Zhang had known the whole time but had remained silent.


    It took a while for the elevator to arrive. Xia Wennan was worried; he couldn¡¯t figure out the best course of action, but the first thing that came to mind was that they should no longer leave Aunt Zhang alone with Ming Sichen.


    When the elevator doors opened, Xia Wennan patiently filed in with the rest of the crowd, pressed the button for his floor, and nervously awaited the doors to close when, at the last second, a familiar alpha stepped into the elevator.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Huaiye had come to the hospital at this time.


    Xia Wennan was standing at the back; he spotted Lu Huaiye at a glance, but Lu Huaiye didn¡¯t notice him at all.


    The elevator slowly ascended, and the number of people inside decreased with each floor. As Lu Huaiye was about to exit the elevator, Xia Wennan grabbed hold of his arm from behind.


    Lu Huaiye looked over his shoulder. His expression was guarded, and it only relaxed when he registered Xia Wennan¡¯s face. ¡°Xia Wennan?¡±


    Xia Wennan, slightly relieved that he¡¯d met Lu Huaiye here, inquired, ¡°Are you here to see Ming Sichen?¡±


    Lu Huaiye made a sound of assent, seemingly avoiding the subject.


    Because he had too many things on his plate at the time, Xia Wennan hurriedly walked away, clutching Lu Huaiye¡¯s arm. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Slightly perplexed, Lu Huaiye was dragged away, and they moved through the corridors at a swift pace.

 CH 101

    The elevator was filled to bursting, and nearly all of the floor buttons were lit. Every time the elevator stopped, the doors would open, people would walk out, and the doors would close again, a repetitious process that resulted in an extremely slow ascent.


    There was a wheelchair next to Xia Wennan. He couldn¡¯t help but glance towards it, seeing a barely conscious elderly man in it. The one pushing his wheelchair was a middle-aged woman.


    The middle-aged woman was conversing with the person next to her. ¡°I¡¯m just a caregiver,¡± Xia Wennan heard her say. ¡°What happens in their family is none of my business, is it?¡±


    Xia Wennan frowned as he stared at the floor indicator, suddenly thinking: Aunt Zhang is just a caregiver for the Ming family. Why would she do such a thing?


    The speed at which the elevator ascended was anxiety-inducing.


    If Aunt Zhang was just a pawn, their suspicions would eventually lead them back to Ming Siyan.


    Wasn¡¯t it Ming Siyan who Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan had the most suspicions about all along? Therefore, the issue at hand was essentially Ming Siyan¡¯s motives.


    Ming Siyan was an omega. Growing up, he¡¯d been superior to Ming Sichen in every way, and the alpha Ming Sichen liked also liked him.


    When the elevator arrived at his floor at long last, Xia Wennan immediately rushed out the second the doors opened.


    Long-term psychotropic medication was given to Ming Sichen because his mind was clearing up before¡ªsomeone out there didn¡¯t want him to regain his senses. What were they hiding? The highest likelihood was that car accident abroad, and if the car accident was suspect, there must be something wrong with Ming Siyan.


    Why would Ming Siyan want to hurt Ming Sichen? From a different perspective, it was Ming Sichen who had more of a reason to want to harm Ming Siyan. After all, the alpha Ming Sichen liked liked Ming Siyan, but if he took out Ming Siyan, then take his place¡ª


    Xia Wennan came to an abrupt halt, the words ¡®take his place¡¯ fluttering around his mind like a colourful butterfly.


    Ming Sichen and Ming Siyan were identical twins. They should have thought of this deception earlier, but why hadn¡¯t they ever suspected a thing? Because Ming Sichen was a beta and Ming Siyan an omega¡ªthere was no way a beta could disguise himself as an omega.


    At this moment, the beautiful butterfly fluttering around and around Xia Wennan¡¯s mind finally landed on Ming Sichen and Ming Siyan¡¯s napes.


    What if there had been a gland transplant?


    There was no car accident from the get go. Ming Sichen¡ªno, Ming Siyan had been tricked into travelling to Southeast Asia by Ming Sichen, and his glands had been extracted and transplanted into Ming Sichen.


    As Xia Wennan dashed through the corridor, he fumbled for his phone in his pocket, wanting to call Ming Luchuan and tell him about his theory, as well as Lin Shuqiu to inquire whether betas could undergo gland transplants.


    Because of how tense he was, the hand that was gripping his phone was slightly trembling. Before he could dial anone¡¯s number, however, he had arrived at the door of Ming Sichen¡¯s room. The room was not deserted, much to his surprise¡ªLu Huaiye and Ming Sichen had returned.


    Aunt Zhang was nowhere in sight. There was only Lu Huaiye and Ming Sichen inside, the former bending down to lift Ming Sichen from his wheelchair and onto the hospital bed.


    Xia Wennan opened his mouth to call out ¡°Sichen¡±, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out, so he just walked over to the bed in confusion and watched as Lu Huaiye lifted his body.


    When Lu Huaiye took a step back and Xia Wennan got a good look at Ming Sichen¡¯s face, his suspicions grew even stronger. ¡°You¡¯re not Ming Sichen,¡± he pointed out


    Ming Sichen¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t all there, and he was frail and emaciated. The person on the bed had the same face, skinny figure, and lifeless expression as Ming Sichen, but he appeared to be in better health.


    Upon hearing Xia Wennan¡¯s words, the person on the bed turned his head towards him. ¡°How am I not Ming Sichen?¡±


    Lu Huaiye froze in place. ¡°Sichen?¡±


    That butterfly was abruptly magnified before Xia Wennan¡¯s eyes, and though he felt his head spin, the fog was slowly lifting, revealing clear skies. ¡°You¡¯re Ming Sichen! Not Ming Siyan!¡±


    Ming Sichen sat up. ¡°Why is it always you?¡± he said as he bent over and hugged his legs, slowly exhaling.


    Lu Huaiye¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed as he silently observed them.


    Xia Wennan was a little riled up. ¡°So I guessed right, didn¡¯t I? That tattoo on your nape¡ªit¡¯s to cover up the gland transplant scar. You¡¯re no omega¡ªyou¡¯re Ming Sichen!¡±


    In lieu of answering Xia Wennan¡¯s question, Ming Sichen merely stared at him for a long time before asking a completely unrelated question out of the blue: ¡°Did you recover your memories?¡±


    Xia Wennan just laughed and shrugged off his question.


    Ming Sichen lowered his head. From this angle, his nape tattoo appeared more conspicuous.


    Lu Huaiye abruptly spoke up, his voice deep and rage-filled. ¡°Who the hell are you? You¡¯re Ming Sichen? Where has Ming Siyan gone?¡±


    Ming Sichen turned to look at him. ¡°Which Ming Siyan are you referring to? Is it the one you crushed on but never dared to confess to, or the Ming Siyan you dated for over a year but eventually dumped?¡±


    Lu Huaiye swallowed visibly. ¡°So those two Ming Siyans weren¡¯t the same person?¡± he asked menacingly as he took a step forward. He pointed at Xia Wennan. ¡°Is what he just said true? Did you transplant Siyan¡¯s glands? Are you actually Ming Sichen?¡±


    Ming Sichen softly said, ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Lu Huaiye¡¯s pheromones invaded every corner of the room, carrying intense emotions. Xia Wennan noticed Ming Sichen¡¯s pained expression. Lu Huaiye lunged at Ming Sichen¡¯s collar. ¡°Where did you take the real Siyan? How can you be so evil?¡±


    Ming Sichen let out a small gasp, but kept his voice calm. ¡°How are you going to find out where my brother is if you don¡¯t patiently listen to me?¡±


    Lu Huaiye tightened his grip, almost lifting Ming Sichen¡¯s upper body off the bed.


    Xia Wennan hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything rash.¡±


    Ming Sichen looked straight at Lu Huaiye. ¡°Did you ever like me?¡± he asked.


    Lu Huaiye gradually let go, but he didn¡¯t respond until some time later. ¡°The one I like is Ming Siyan, not you.¡±


    A dejected look crossed Ming Sichen¡¯s face. ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± Xia Wennan couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Siyan is your brother, but you did such a cruel thing to him.¡±


    Ming Sichen kept his frail and delicate appearance. After Lu Huaiye let go of him, he curled up on the bed, hugging his legs tightly. ¡°I¡¯m a beta. He¡¯s an omega. We¡¯re obviously identical, but my life has been so unfair since the day we were born.¡±


    Neither Lu Huaiye nor Xia Wennan spoke a single word.


    Ming Sichen¡¯s eyes reddened. He wiped at them with his sleeve and continued, ¡°Dad favoured him because he¡¯s an omega. The alpha I like didn¡¯t like me back because I¡¯m a beta. Since I was small, everyone mocked me¡ªwhy is it that, even though we¡¯re clearly twins, I¡¯m a mere beta while my brother is an omega?¡±


    After that, Ming Sichen fell silent, his gaze fixed on the snow-white bed sheets beneath him.


    Xia Wennan cast a glance at Lu Huaiye, only to discover that the man had no intention of speaking. He thus said, ¡°So?¡±


    Both Ming Sichen and Lu Huaiye glanced at him.


    Noticing a trace of indignation in Ming Sichen¡¯s eyes, Xia Wennan hastily corrected, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I just wanted to say¡ª please feel free to tell us all about your difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± Ming Sichen said icily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, really,¡± said Xia Wennan. He then paused to think for a moment before saying, ¡°I just think that the stuff you¡¯ve been through is pretty tolerable, nothing too dire.¡±


    Ming Sichen¡¯s face twisted with resentment. ¡°What do you know? You go around picking at other people¡¯s scars, watching them bleed, then mocking them and denying their pain and scoffing at their tears¡ªXia Wennan, what does a lucky person like you know?¡±


    Xia Wennan was immediately affronted. ¡°How did I become this ¡®lucky person¡¯ all of a sudden? I¡¯m a beta too, how am I luckier than you? Do you want to compete on who¡¯s more miserable? Bring it on!¡±

 CH 102

    ¡°Go on!¡± Xia Wennan hollered. ¡°Spell it out for me, in what way am I lucky?¡±


    Ming Sichen glared at him with deeply flushed eyes. ¡°Is the fact that you have an alpha who loves you not lucky enough for you?¡±


    ¡°In what way is that lucky?¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°Let me ask you this then. If I didn¡¯t have an alpha who loved me, would I be unlucky? Or is it unlucky if the one who loves me isn¡¯t an alpha, but a beta?¡±


    ¡°The alpha I love isn¡¯t attracted to betas though?¡± Ming Sichen cast a glance at Lu Huaiye.


    Xia Wennan jabbed a finger at Lu Huaiye and asked, ¡°Are you not attracted to betas?¡±


    Lu Huaiye didn¡¯t immediately answer this question.


    But Xia Wennan didn¡¯t need an answer. ¡°He¡¯s an alpha,¡± he continued as he waved him off. ¡°Even if he¡¯s not into betas, well, that¡¯s normal for him. You¡¯re the one with abnormal standards. You shouldn¡¯t go around equating abnormal with unlucky.¡±


    ¡°How am I abnormal?¡±


    Xia Wennan brought up the theory he¡¯d once told Ming Luchuan: ¡°Alphas are, by nature, attracted to omegas, just as chickens would only love chickens, and dogs would only love dogs. You fell in love with a dog¡ªif you absolutely insist on that dog loving you back, wouldn¡¯t you be abnormal for it?¡±


    Lu Huaiye¡¯s imposing countenance immediately collapsed after Xia Wennan¡¯s remarks, and he appeared both embarrassed and annoyed.


    Meanwhile, Ming Sichen blanked out at his words, and it was a while before he retorted, ¡°Then is Ming Luchuan a dog who fell in love with a human?¡±

 CH 103

    Posted on June 18, 2022 by gooseberry


    When Xia Wennan awoke, he found himself in a hospital bed. A small nightlight was turned on in one corner, and a chair next to the bed was occupied by one person¡ªhis alpha husband, Ming Luchuan.


    Ming Luchuan¡¯s jaw was propped up on one hand, and his eyes were closed. The small nightlight shone on the side of his face, casting a shadow across half of it.


    Xia Wennan assumed that the man was sleeping and extended his hand towards Ming Luchuan¡¯s face, but halfway there, Ming Luchuan opened his eyes and grabbed his hand, before letting go shortly afterwards. ¡°With the way you are right now, you¡¯re still acting out?¡±


    ¡°You sound like my dad when you say that.¡±


    Ming Luchuan coldly humphed.


    Xia Wennan held up his bandaged hand in front of him, and asked, recalling his injured palm, ¡°Did I have to get stitches?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± said Ming Luchuan.


    ¡°Well, I guess I got pretty lucky,¡± said Xia Wennan. ¡°I didn¡¯t even feel any pain when I passed out.¡±


    Ming Luchuan was watching him, a hint of mirth visible in his gaze. ¡°Does it hurt right now?¡± he inquired.


    Xia Wennan considered the pain and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve had worse though.¡±


    Ming Luchuan sat quietly for a moment before lowering his head and burying his face in the blanket over Xia Wennan¡¯s chest.


    Xia Wennan stroked Ming Luchuan¡¯s hair with his uninjured hand, the soft strands slipping through his fingers. He then took a small handful of Ming Luchuan¡¯s hair and yanked on it.


    ¡°Have you gone insane?¡± Ming Luchuan said as he raised his head, face darkening.


    ¡°Just checking to see if I¡¯m awake,¡± Xia Wennan explained. ¡°I feel dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Did you hurt your head?¡± Ming Luchuan was caught off guard. The situation had been too chaotic earlier, and the cut on Xia Wennan¡¯s hand was so obvious that no one had noticed if he was hurt elsewhere.

 CH 104

    At that moment, Xia Wennan saw Ming Qin take a deep breath, his thin chest puffing up, irrepressible rage visible in his brows and the corners of his eyes. He thought that Ming Qin was going to get angry, but to his surprise, Ming Qin only breathed in and out a few times, holding in his emotions, before turning around and leaving the room.


    Xia Wennan drew a chair over, sat down, and stared at Ming Sichen.


    Ming Sichen returned his stare.


    Xia Wennan sighed and asked, ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Ming Sichen gave no response other than a tiny flicker of his lashes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your lack of a reaction as a yes,¡± said Xia Wennan. He then took a minute to wait for Ming Sichen to respond, but upon seeing nothing still, he continued, ¡°After my car accident, someone informed me that there were traces of sleeping pills in my blood. It looked like someone wanted to harm me. Was that someone you?¡±


    Ming Sichen¡¯s gaze shifted away from Xia Wennan¡¯s face; he stared fixedly at the ceiling.


    Xia Wennan bent over and propped his face on his hand, the position bringing him nearer to Ming Sichen. ¡°So it was you,¡± he said softly, as if speaking directly into Ming Sichen¡¯s ear. ¡°I did initially wonder how you could¡¯ve drugged me that day, but then I figured that you had Aunt Zhang on your side, and since Aunt Zhang can drug your little brother, she can definitely drug me too. I also tried to reason why you¡¯d want me dead. Because I didn¡¯t die in that car accident and only lost my memory, you didn¡¯t bother with me again until recently, when I pretended that I¡¯d regained them, and then you had someone try to kill me. But it seems like you didn¡¯t want me dead at all; you were just afraid of me remembering. What was it that I knew? That you assumed Siyan¡¯s identity?¡±


    ¡î ¡î ¡î

 CH 105

    Xia Wennan was completely worn out.


    Xia Wennan slept against the car window the entire time while Ming Luchuan was driving him home. Later, after the car pulled into the residential parking lot, Xia Wennan felt someone touch him, so he tilted his body away and rasped out, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± said Ming Luchuan as he reached around Xia Wennan¡¯s arms and under his knees to pick him up.


    Xia Wennan blinked and pushed Ming Luchuan¡¯s hands away. ¡°Don¡¯t carry me. I can get there myself.¡±


    He climbed out of the car, got to his feet, and staggered towards the elevator, with Ming Luchuan supporting him.


    Once home, Xia Wennan insisted on taking a shower, and it wasn¡¯t until he changed into his pyjamas that he faceplanted onto the bed, where he went out like a light.


    Xia Wennan slept in a peaceful, dreamless bliss during the first part of the night, but by the second half of the night, he was having all kinds of dreams.


    There was no bizarreness to his dreams; it was as if he¡¯d been transported back to his university days, and he experienced so many things that by the time he woke up the next morning, for an instant, he thought he was still in his university dormitory.


    He lay in bed for a while, spacing out, until he realised that the bed was large and missing mosquito net. There was also a man lying next to him.


    Xia Wennan poked at the man, who turned over and effortlessly drew Xia Wennan into his arms.


    When Xia Wennan saw the familiar face, he immediately remembered that this man was an alpha named Ming Luchuan, and they were married.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xia Wennan trailed off.


    Ming Luchuan, who had actually been awake for some time but had remained in bed to keep Xia Wennan company, inquired, ¡°What?¡±


    A fleeting look of bewilderment crossed Xia Wennan¡¯s features before his eyes gradually cleared. ¡°Ah, Trees and Flowers,¡± he said, recalling where he was and what had happened the day before.

 CH 106

    That night, Xia Wennan¡¯s curiosity prompted him to stay on the first floor till late at night. He watched as Ming Qin pushed Ming Siyan¡¯s wheelchair outside for a brisk walk after he finished his meal, then wheeled him into the first floor bedroom upon returning inside, never coming back out.


    Even when Ming Luchuan arrived home from work in the middle of the night, Xia Wennan was still in the first floor living room, dispassionately watching TV.


    ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± Ming Luchuan asked him.


    Xia Wennan rose from the sofa and approached Ming Luchuan¡¯s side, but his gaze remained fixed in the direction of Ming Siyan¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Ming Qin said that he wasn¡¯t going to hire a caregiver,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s going to look after Ming Siyan on his own.¡±


    When Ming Luchuan heard this, he said, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I wanna see how long he¡¯ll hold out,¡± said Xia Wennan.


    Ming Luchuan gave a small laugh, then took hold of Xia Wennan¡¯s hand and pulled him towards the stairway.


    Xia Wennan¡¯s vacation lasted until just before the Chinese New Year, when he returned to work on the day of the company¡¯s annual meeting.


    When he showed up at the annual meeting, Xia Wennan dazedly felt as if he¡¯d become Ming Yan¡¯s hero. Worshipful gazes throughout the entire company followed his every move, and a young member of the staff even came up to him brandishing their phone in order to take a photo with him.


    Xia Wennan grew exceedingly dazed.


    In truth, during this time, he would dream every night; long, vivid dreams that made him feel as though he was actually experiencing them first-hand. When he awoke, the dreams and his memories had coalesced to the point where he was unable to distinguish dreams from reality.


    In the end, Xia Wennan went to the hospital, and after Lin Shuqiu heard him out, he concluded that it might have been his memories gradually coming back to him.

 CH 107

    Posted on July 8, 2022 by gooseberry


    Memories can be deceiving. It is highly likely that the memory you retain is not exactly the same as the memory another person recalls after experiencing the same event, and perhaps, the scenario you recall is the result of your memory¡¯s bias.


    Ming Luchuan was always cold and unapproachable, but in Xia Wennan¡¯s memories, he somehow found it cute.


    Countless disjointed fragments emerged in Xia Wennan¡¯s head; the old laboratory building of the research institute, spring-summer-autumn-winter, various scents and colours floating in through the wooden windows, embellishing everyone¡¯s memories. A large part of Xia Wennan¡¯s memories, however, was tainted by Ming Luchuan.


    In those days, the development of pheromone perfumes was already a possibility, and Xia Wennan spent practically all his time holed up in the laboratory. For the sake of Ming Yan¡¯s most important R&D project, Ming Luchuan also began to become a frequent presence in the lab.


    At the time, Ming Luchuan had still been the manager of the R&D department. Despite having studied perfumery, he lacked the talent. Moreover, he was an alpha, who was easily swayed by pheromones and various fragrances. Nonetheless, he spent a significant amount of time accompanying Xia Wennan, providing him with anything he required.


    Xia Wennan had learnt by coincidence that Ming Luchuan and his omega brother were vying for the role of company president, so he took the pheromone perfume project particularly seriously. Xia Wennan would occasionally notice Ming Luchuan sitting in the lab silently, staring out the window at the osmanthus trees outside.


    Much later, he heard that Ming Luchuan had had his heart broken.


    These many fragments were gradually pieced together in Xia Wennan¡¯s mind, turning into something that, despite its glaring gaps, resembled a complete enough memory.


    One morning, Xia Wennan said to Ming Luchuan, ¡°So it really was me who proposed to you?¡±


    Ming Luchuan had only just gotten out of bed. He walked out of the bathroom, his gaze sweeping over Xia Wennan as he sneered coldly, ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Xia Wennan sat up, the blanket sliding down his torso. He gave Ming Luchuan a look. ¡°What¡¯s that ¡®hmph¡¯ supposed to mean?¡±


    Ming Luchuan started changing out of his pyjamas. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said.