Shen Luo’s steps were nearly stumbling as he ascended the stairs. When he pushed open the door, his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Closing his eyes only made the images clearer. Would Ming Shao really let that Omega “stay over”? Or would it be something even worse? Light spilled through Shen Luo’s trembling fingers, casting grotesque shadows on the white walls, dragging him deeper into the abyss.
Maybe that moonlight was just like this lamp’s light, slipping through his fingers, ultimately nothing more than an empty dream.
“I’m not interested in a Beta’s body…”
Then what about an Omega? The words Ming Shao had said that night echoed in Shen Luo’s ears, his head throbbing like it was being pricked with needles.
Was Ming Shao interested in an Omega? They had talked so freely, so they must have had some interest in each other, right? And then there was the compatibility of their pheromones, a world Shen Luo could never reach.
Books say that many Alphas and Omegas are attracted to each other because of their pheromones. But he was a Beta. He couldn’t sense pheromones and might never understand those instincts ingrained in one’s genes.
His fingers brushed the back of his neck, where the skin was smooth, without the raised mark that signified an Omega’s identity. In other words, he didn’t have the key to enter an Alpha’s world.
“You’ll never be able to enter Ming Shao’s world,” a voice whispered in his heart.
“You’re just a Beta…”
“You’ll always be shut out…”
“He’s not interested in Betas…”
Wishful thinking was useless, the voice continued.
When he had run out of the car earlier, he got caught in the rain. Now, the cold was starting to seep in. The rain had dampened his hair, the droplets clinging to his eyelashes. As Shen Luo blinked, something—rainwater or perhaps something else—trickled down the corners of his eyes.
It was impossible, Shen Luo thought as he leaned against the corner of the wall, memories from the days since their marriage flashing through his mind.
He so desperately wanted to find a sliver of sweetness in those memories, maybe just a small piece of sweetness, and then he would be able to stand up again.
But…
The hung-up calls, the painstakingly hidden embarrassment, the one-sided wishful thinking…
Where was the sweetness?
Bitterness seemed to coat his lips, as Shen Luo staggered through his shattered world, searching for something that wasn’t there. The rain outside was coming down even harder. The Beta slipped in the hallway, the cold seeping into him as if he was drowning in the downpour.
The master bedroom was opened, and Shen Luo hurriedly stuffed his belongings into his pockets. The sound of his movements echoed through the silent room. Shen Luo, in a panic, pulled out his suitcase as if he was escaping.
What else could he do? Shen Luo thought.
At least as long as he lived here, he couldn’t bear to stay under the same roof as someone else who was so close to the Alpha.
This was the last bit of dignity he had left, Shen Luo thought. He glanced at the empty villa. Fortunately, the housekeeper had taken leave for the past couple of days, sparing him the humiliation of being seen in this state.
He had to accept that he couldn’t reach the moon.
He had no choice but to accept it.
Outside the window, the evergreen tree still stood tall in the storm, with the Omega holding an umbrella beside it, and Ming Shao speaking to them with his head bowed. The wind picked up, and the tree’s branches scraped against the wall, rustling in the dim light of the streetlamp.
The downpour continued, and the evergreen tree bent under the weight of the rain, its leaves drooping to the ground before being swept into the roadside drain.
The leaves had fallen.
Ming Shao stood under the umbrella, not agreeing to the neighbor’s sibling’s request. The Omega was still talking to him.
“Can’t I even stay over for just one night?” the Omega asked, their voice carrying a hint of grievance.
“Your brother is already on his way to pick you up,” Ming Shao replied.
“That’s because you just called him!” The Omega pouted, much like when they were children. They had always been spoiled at home, and because their brother and Ming Shao were classmates, they had known Ming Shao since they were little.
Ming Shao had always taken care of them, and after the Omega’s secondary gender emerged, Ming Shao became their ideal type.
But Ming Shao’s family situation was complicated, and he wasn’t the sole heir of the Ming family. Considering everything, a marriage wasn’t the best option at the moment.
But that didn’t mean anyone else could have Ming Shao.
The Omega glanced at Ming Shao’s car. Now they knew who that other person in the car was—the marriage partner Ming Shao’s brother had mentioned before.
In their social circle, marriage without love was nothing unusual. People got married just to have a visible relationship on paper.
But thinking of the person who had just been sitting in the back seat, the Omega felt confident. That person didn’t even have the seat next to Ming Shao—how long could they possibly stay in that villa?
The Omega’s lips curled slightly, but they kept a harmless, innocent expression on their face. “Does Ming Shao-ge really not want to catch up with me? We haven’t seen each other in years. Have you forgotten all about me?”
But Ming Shao didn’t indulge the Omega like he used to. The Alpha frowned slightly and subtly avoided the Omega as they moved closer, then turned his head to glance at the villa’s entrance.
Shen Luo seemed to have already gone upstairs, and the entrance was empty.
Shen Luo hadn’t taken an umbrella earlier and had suddenly rushed into the rain. What was the hurry? He might catch a cold from getting soaked, Ming Shao thought, feeling like he should remind Shen Luo later.
Ming Shao glanced at his watch. Ten minutes had passed since he made the call—why hadn’t anyone come to pick up the Omega yet?
“Ming Shao-ge?” The Omega called out again, feeling increasingly uncomfortable at being ignored. Like when they were kids, they grabbed onto Ming Shao’s sleeve.
“You’re an Omega,” Ming Shao said, his expression darkening as he emphasized, “I’m an Alpha. We should maintain a proper distance, especially since I’m already…”
The word rolled around on his tongue before he finally said it: “Married.”
“Married? Isn’t it just a marriage of convenience?” the Omega muttered dismissively, but Ming Shao didn’t catch it as another call came in. The Omega’s brother had a sudden work emergency.
Ming Shao glanced at the time again, feeling a bit irritated. “Get in the car, I’ll take you there.”
The headlights flickered on, and the car made a U-turn, driving away from the villa.
It wasn’t until he had dropped off the Omega that Ming Shao returned to the villa.
But why were all the lights off?
Had Shen Luo already gone to bed? Did he dry his hair?
Even though he wasn’t interested in taking care of a Beta…
Ming Shao quickened his pace.
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