Xiang Shuyu’s flight tickets were quickly booked. The prospect of moving to a new place to start a fresh life filled him with joy, allowing him to push many unpleasant memories to the back of his mind.
He truly felt that his future would keep getting better; he didn’t have to live a life entirely dictated by others. He was on the verge of obtaining the freedom he so craved.
Xiang Shuyu went back to his room to pack. His phone sat on the desk, buzzing with a chaotic influx of messages he was entirely unaware of. It wasn’t until he stood up, pushed his heavy suitcase behind the door, and sat on the sofa to catch his breath that he noticed the screen lighting up. It was Ming Xiu, sending message after message.
Xiang Shuyu knew that seeing Ming Xiu’s name never boded well. Sure enough, the moment he opened the chat, countless photos flooded the screen, nearly making him dizzy.
The photos were all taken at Duan Yue’s class reunion. They showed him wearing the black suit Duan Yue had personally picked out, being led into the hall by the hand, and later being half-dragged, half-carried by Duan Yue into an elevator.
The elevator had gone straight to the top floor. What kind of place was the top floor? It was all presidential suites. What they were doing there in the middle of the night was glaringly obvious.
Xiang Shuyu’s face turned deathly pale. His hands shook as he typed: “What are you trying to say?”
“Brother Shuyu, I’m so sorry,” Ming Xiu replied in his usual innocent tone, but every word dripping with malice. “It was my first time at a place like that, and I was so curious that I just snapped a few photos. I stumbled upon them while organizing my album and thought you might want them, so I sent them all over.”
The high-sounding excuse made Xiang Shuyu turn cold with rage. “You did this on purpose.”
“Brother Shuyu, it hurts my feelings when you say that. I really had no idea you knew the CEO of the Duan Group. No wonder Du Qing refused to give me that contract no matter what—it turns out you have connections, Brother Shuyu.”
These words were ugly, but undeniably true.
Xiang Shuyu admitted to himself that Duan Yue had indeed been the driving force behind him getting the Du Qing contract, and it was at Duan Yue’s instruction that Ming Xiu had failed to snatch it away. Because of this, he found himself unable to argue, feeling only a sense of dread.
When Xiang Shuyu didn’t reply for a long time, Ming Xiu messaged again: “Why aren’t you talking, Brother Shuyu? Oh, right, I suppose this kind of thing is a bit hard to talk about.”
“After all, being a ‘kept man’ is a bit embarrassing to admit out loud.”
Xiang Shuyu slammed his phone face-down on the table.
I shouldn’t be this nervous, Xiang Shuyu told himself.
Ming Xiu was wrong. His relationship with Duan Yue was clean. Aside from the initial accident when they first slept together, they had been in a normal dating relationship ever since. He had only asked Duan Yue for a work contract; he had never asked for money or anything else.
But who would believe that? Just like Ming Xiu, people would look at the vast status gap between him and Duan Yue and instinctively assume the worst.
Xiang Shuyu’s shoulders trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and asked Ming Xiu: “What do you want?”
“Brother Shuyu, what do you mean? I’m not asking you for anything.”
Xiang Shuyu knew he was playing hard to get. “Do you want money, or do you want the Du Qing contract?”
The other side went silent for a while. Xiang Shuyu saw the “typing…” indicator flickering at the top. The longer he waited, the more anxious he became, like a death row prisoner waiting for a verdict he had already guessed.
Fine, perhaps it was just a contract and a plane ticket, or… or perhaps he would be forced to give up Duan Yue.
But what use would that be? Xiang Shuyu knew deep down that Duan Yue was only interested in him because he was easy to handle, not because of true love.
After a moment, Ming Xiu replied: “I told you, I don’t want anything from you.”
“I have things to do, let’s talk later!”
Xiang Shuyu’s lashes trembled. The heart he had finally convinced to let go was now racing again. An unknown outcome was the most terrifying of all—like a time bomb with an indefinite timer; you hear the ticking, but you never know when it will explode.
Dejected, Xiang Shuyu slumped over and covered his face.
Should he tell Duan Yue?
Duan Yue would probably find it troublesome.
“It is troublesome,” Duan Yue said, his thumb brushing against Xiang Shuyu’s cheek. “You’re always bringing me trouble.”
Xiang Shuyu looked pale, feeling a hollow ache in his chest.
In the end, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from telling Duan Yue. He was still afraid—afraid that Ming Xiu would expose his relationship. He thought he had grown used to being misunderstood, but he realized now that he hadn’t. He still feared the judgment and the accusations.
Duan Yue had just returned from the suburbs. He had been at a drinking party that evening and was slightly tipsy, though his mind remained clear.
Xiang Shuyu cooked noodles for him and made honey water. Feeling comforted, Duan Yue pulled him into an embrace. “It’s fine. Even though you’re always causing trouble, I’m here to clean up after you.”
“Anyone else wouldn’t have the patience to fix your messes over and over again.”
Xiang Shuyu felt a mix of guilt and insecurity. “What about the future?”
“What about it?” Duan Yue asked.
“In the future…” Xiang Shuyu looked down and whispered, “Will there come a day when you don’t want to do this for me anymore?”
“How could that happen?” Duan Yue picked him up and carried him toward the bath. “That day will never come.”
Their relationship was stable. Xiang Shuyu liked him, and he liked Xiang Shuyu. As long as marriage wasn’t brought up, they could probably stay together forever. Duan Yue didn’t see himself as the type to change his mind easily.
He could feel that Xiang Shuyu was in low spirits. They shared a temporary bond, and their pheromone compatibility was high; when desire rose and pheromones intertwined, their emotions were shared.
As Duan Yue lay in the bathtub, Xiang Shuyu leaned over him. Under the bathroom lights, the young man’s body appeared pale and delicate, trembling slightly. Tears pooled in his eyes, occasionally spilling over to be gently kissed away by Duan Yue.
Duan Yue stroked his back and kissed his neck. “Why are you still so sad?”
Xiang Shuyu only shook his head. He was hurting, not just emotionally, but because of his quarterly heat cycle. Now that he had a partner and a temporary mark, he felt a constant, instinctive urge for a permanent mark and pregnancy.
He had never been good at refusing or demanding. He had barely learned how to say “no,” and he certainly didn’t know how to say “I want.”
He had heard that an Omega with a permanent bond would have a mark on the back of their neck belonging to their Alpha, and the Alpha would have one too—a declaration of ownership.
Lost in thought, he wondered what that mark would look like if Duan Yue were to bond with him.
The next moment, Duan Yue kissed him with a sudden, possessive force, biting him until he felt dizzy and collapsed into his arms.
“Duan Yue…” Xiang Shuyu gripped his shoulders tightly, his voice trembling as he gasped. “It hurts too much.”
His wet hair swayed, and the jade pendant around his neck swung back and forth, tapping lightly against his chest.
“Bear with it, baby,” Duan Yue whispered, kissing him tenderly even though his movements were anything but gentle, as if trying to tear him apart. “Don’t wander off. Whenever you zone out, your heart flies away.”
“When you’re with me, keep your eyes only on me, okay?”
Xiang Shuyu couldn’t speak. He panted, biting his lower lip. The roles were reversed as he was engulfed by the warm water, feeling overwhelmed and raw. He stared blankly at Duan Yue’s somber, serious face before reaching out his pale arms to pull the other man closer, let out broken sounds despite himself.
…
“I bought you a gift,” Duan Yue said later as he gently dried Xiang Shuyu’s body. “Good boy, take your birth control pill first, then I’ll give it to you.”
Xiang Shuyu was physically and mentally exhausted. He leaned listlessly against the headboard, obediently opening his mouth to swallow the tablet Duan Yue handed him.
Duan Yue loved Xiang Shuyu’s obedience. He patted his face and said, “Such a good boy. Look at this.”
He pulled a small velvet box from a paper bag on the table. Inside was a silver earring shaped like a dove’s feather.
Xiang Shuyu’s lashes fluttered.
“I noticed you have a piercing,” Duan Yue said, pinching Shuyu’s right earlobe. “You only have one. Why don’t you ever wear anything?”
“That’s…” Xiang Shuyu’s voice was raspy. “I got it when I was at the music conservatory abroad. My mother didn’t like it; she said it looked frivolous. So I never wore anything, hoping the hole would just close up.”
“Don’t listen to your mother,” Duan Yue leaned in, sliding the earring through. “You’re very beautiful. You suit a more striking look… honestly, your taste is a bit lacking. I’ll handle your styling from now on.”
Xiang Shuyu didn’t know whether to feel hurt or happy at those words.
He was supposed to go to Nancheng tomorrow. He realized he still hadn’t told Duan Yue about it. As his eyes followed Duan Yue, who had stood up to put on his pajamas, he suddenly felt that now was not the time to mention the trip.
Subconsciously, he sensed that Duan Yue might not let him leave.
After a moment of hesitation, Duan Yue climbed back into bed and hugged him. “My mom wants me to attend a gathering tomorrow. She insisted I be there, though I don’t know what it’s about.”
He continued rambling. “I wanted to take you, but my mom doesn’t know we’re dating yet. I need to test the waters first, so I won’t bring you along tomorrow.”
Xiang Shuyu didn’t feel much of an emotional ripple. He didn’t really care whether Duan Yue told his family about them. He just felt it was perfect timing.
Perfect—Duan Yue had his own business to attend to. Once he was on the plane, he would tell Duan Yue after the fact. He couldn’t let anyone stop him from going to Nancheng, and he couldn’t allow any accidents to happen.
The Duan Residence.
The dinner table was always lively. Mr. and Mrs. Duan had been happily married for over twenty years; they always had plenty to talk about and rarely argued.
Duan Lin was also home that evening. His parents were chatting about business and family matters, and he sat quietly eating, not interjecting.
Suddenly, Mrs. Duan said, “A-Yue said he’s coming back tomorrow. What has he been so busy with these past few days? A-Lin, did you two have another fight?”
“No,” Duan Lin replied succinctly.
“That’s good,” Mrs. Duan smiled. “You two have been bickering since you were kids; it’s exhausting. But speaking of which, why did you suddenly start looking for blind dates for your brother?”
“I happened to see someone I thought was suitable,” Duan Lin said, his tone flat.
“They are suitable. That Omega from the Guan family seems lovely, and an only child, too. A good match in status. We’ll see what A-Yue thinks when he arrives tomorrow. If it works out, we should settle things early. He’s not getting any younger.”
Duan Lin stopped talking. He merely lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions swirling within.