Shen Luo had returned a week ago.
His work abroad had come to an end, and Shen Luo found himself torn between taking a break to clear his mind or coming back to deal with the mess he had left behind. Before seeing Ming Shao again, he was determined to get a divorce.
He was a beta, and that was an undeniable fact. No matter how much he liked Ming Shao, he couldn’t become an Omega.
Ming Shao liked Omegas, so everything Shen Luo had done was in vain.
People get tired, they grow weary.
The crush he had in his youth couldn’t withstand the repeated disappointments, leaving him utterly broken in the end.
A stone cannot blossom; flowers need soil, sunlight, and enough respect and care to grow—not dry, rusty cracks and cold steel.
Ming Shao had given him a ruin—a foundation built on disappointment and indifference that only widened the cracks until everything collapsed.
Leaving required courage, and Shen Luo admitted that when it came to Ming Shao, he lacked it.
So at first, he avoided the situation by handing over the divorce papers to his assistant.
The divorce papers had gone through several revisions—from the initial draft that left Shen Luo in tears to becoming numb over time, and now he could handle it with ease. Shen Luo thought he had reached a point where he could face Ming Shao calmly.
He had prepared for many possibilities.
Maybe Ming Shao would already have someone else by his side, maybe he would be with an Omega.
But what Shen Luo hadn’t anticipated was the sight of Ming Shao, looking so disheveled after an intense period of vulnerability.
Bottles circled around him, and Ming Shao stood in the kitchen, not daring to take a step forward, but his gaze never left Shen Luo.
Wherever Shen Luo went, the Alpha’s eyes followed.
“Take some medicine first.”
When Shen Luo first saw Ming Shao emerge, he was startled, his mind flashing back to when Ming Shao had dragged him into the car. The divorce papers he was holding had slipped to the ground.
To be honest, Shen Luo was scared, but seeing the Alpha obediently shut himself in the kitchen, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He found some hangover medicine in the cabinet under the TV, poured a glass of hot water from the table, and walked over to Ming Shao.
“Okay.” Ming Shao didn’t hesitate for a second, not caring what Shen Luo was giving him. He was ready to swallow it down right from Shen Luo’s hand.
“Wait, the water is very hot,” Shen Luo warned.
“Alright.” Ming Shao seemed to understand, his eyes never leaving Shen Luo as he picked up the glass and drank the water in one gulp.
Shen Luo: ???
Ming Shao: “Hiss!”
The Alpha let out a pained sound, instinctively rushing toward the sink to spit out the water, but for some reason, he stopped midway and forced himself to swallow it. Then, holding the glass, he obediently returned to stand in front of Shen Luo.
“I’ve taken the medicine,” the Alpha said cautiously, holding the glass with both hands. “Can Luo Luo stay a little longer?”
“Stay a little longer?” Shen Luo focused on the last part.
“Yes, I haven’t seen Luo Luo in so long.” The tall Alpha squatted down and pulled out a pair of slippers that he had stored away since Shen Luo left, placing them in front of him.
“Don’t wear the disposable ones.” Disposable slippers are meant to be thrown away after use; they’re for guests.
Shen Luo wasn’t a guest in this villa—Shen Luo was supposed to be the other owner of this place.
Ming Shao motioned for Shen Luo to place his hand on his shoulder to help him change shoes. Ming Shao didn’t know if the Shen Luo in front of him was real, but even if he was just a figment of his imagination, he was satisfied.
If drinking meant he could see Shen Luo, Ming Shao would gladly drown in alcohol.
“Grandpa wouldn’t tell me where you went, and no one answered the phone.” Maybe because he believed Shen Luo wouldn’t show up, Ming Shao treated this all as an illusion. The Alpha’s voice was heavy and muffled as he continued, “I tried to find you, but I couldn’t.”
Ming Shao’s grandfather loved Shen Luo dearly. When Shen Luo mentioned divorce, even though he only claimed it was due to incompatible personalities, Grandpa knew better. He knew what his own grandson was like.
Among the Shen family children, Shen Luo was the easiest to overlook, the most silent, the one who endured the most. Grandpa felt for him. When Luo Luo said he wanted to take a break and didn’t want to be disturbed, Grandpa had to agree. So even though Ming Shao later searched everywhere for Shen Luo, with Grandpa’s influence, he couldn’t find any useful information.
Ming Shao’s parents were even less concerned.
“I have so much I want to say to you. I want to apologize, I want to find you, I want to bring you back home.”
“I don’t know if an Alpha can be with a Beta. Betas can’t handle an Alpha’s intensity, and an Alpha can’t be soothed by a Beta.”
“They just don’t match.”
“Then why does it hurt so much when I think about it?”
Ming Shao tilted his head back as if searching for an answer.
But in truth, he already had it.
This answer brought him pain but also gave him joy.
This answer was love.
In the latter part of the night, Ming Shao fell asleep first, his mind clouded by all the alcohol he had consumed.
Ming Shao didn’t return to the bedroom. The note Shen Luo left when he left was still there. That note was like a curse; Ming Shao instinctively felt that as long as he saw that note, Shen Luo would disappear.
The dream would shatter.
He would be back in the world where he couldn’t find Shen Luo.
Ming Shao lay on the sofa. Even in what he thought was a “dream,” he didn’t dare to hold Shen Luo’s hand.
He was afraid.
Afraid Shen Luo would leave, afraid Shen Luo wouldn’t want him, afraid Shen Luo would despise him.
The Alpha only lightly tugged at the hem of Shen Luo’s clothes, crumpling the small piece of fabric in his grip, showing how much force he was using.
The next day, when Ming Shao woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
His phone had several missed calls, all from his assistant.
Right, Ming Shao had just hired a new assistant, one he had chosen himself.
He didn’t want to be a pawn for his parents anymore. If something was wrong, it should end now.
Ming Shao wanted to set everything back on track.
He had a good dream last night, Ming Shao thought, covering his aching head.
His fingertips seemed to still carry some warmth.
Ming Shao’s gaze fell, and he finally noticed something under the blanket on the sofa—a suit jacket that didn’t belong to him.
Ming Shao: !!!
Panicking, the Alpha yanked the blanket onto the floor.
It was real—a suit jacket.
A jacket that wasn’t his!
Even the headache seemed to ease. Ming Shao, still in disbelief, checked his phone again to confirm it was indeed the next day, then pinched his arm to make sure.
It hurt.
So it wasn’t a dream?
It wasn’t a dream!
Ming Shao didn’t know what to do with his hands or feet, even considering whether he should frame the jacket.
He walked over to the coffee table, catching sight of a document on the floor.
Huh?
Could it be something Shen Luo accidentally left behind? Would Shen Luo be anxious? Could he deliver it to Shen Luo? And if he did, should he shave?
Maybe he should change his clothes.
How about the dark gray suit? Or maybe the bright yellow one?
Would Shen Luo be interested in bright yellow? After all, it’s so eye-catching.
Should he style his hair too?
Ming Shao approached and picked up the document.
Four large words appeared on the first page—”Divorce Agreement.”
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