When Ming Shao said he wasn’t interested, a pang of guilt struck him. It didn’t make sense to say he wasn’t interested after going to Shen Luo’s company, angrily searching for him, and then dragging him into the car without explanation.
The car fell into silence, with neither of them speaking. The confined space was filled only with their slightly heavy breathing, a result of the earlier “dispute.”
Anger had drowned out calmness, and bitterness had buried reason. The argument, driven by conflicting emotions, eventually dissipated into silence.
The car was parked by the roadside, flanked by lush banyan trees. Ahead, a string of lights stretched like a winding river. The shadows of the trees fell on Shen Luo, who lowered his eyes, his sadness pooling like an indelible mist.
Ming Shao glanced at Shen Luo and suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. The shadows seemed to divide the space, as if Shen Luo might sink into a bottomless abyss at any moment.
“…That’s not what I meant,” Ming Shao attempted to clarify.
“Then what did you mean?” Shen Luo’s gaze was fixed on the hem of his suit. The car was stationary, and he hadn’t bothered to fasten his seatbelt.
But this seat, for Shen Luo, was unfamiliar.
He had never sat in Ming Shao’s passenger seat. In fact, he had rarely been in Ming Shao’s car at all. The few times he had, the passenger seat had been occupied by someone else.
That person was an Omega, someone Ming Shao might actually be interested in.
“We’re only married in name, without any—” Ming Shao fumbled for words, repeating himself as if trying to convince himself rather than Shen Luo.
“Yes, it’s a marriage of convenience,” Shen Luo interrupted, which was unlike him. Interrupting others was impolite, but Shen Luo couldn’t bear to hear any more talk of indifference or casual encounters. He looked out at the retreating trees with a self-deprecating smile. “But Ming Shao, even in a marriage of convenience, there should be basic responsibilities.”
“Responsibilities to each other, and to this relationship. The person you saw earlier was just my assistant. As long as our marriage lasts, I won’t have those… encounters you mentioned.”
Whether it was due to his deeply buried crush or the constraints of their marriage, Shen Luo knew he couldn’t just “play around.” But Ming Shao’s earlier words seemed to suggest otherwise.
Shen Luo took a deep breath before continuing, “Ming Shao, I also need basic respect and dignity.”
When you say nothing about our relationship, when you allow an Omega into the car and intentionally or unintentionally ignore me, when… the Omega asks to stay over, could you at least leave me a little dignity?
Shen Luo no longer hoped for love. His crush was a secret buried deep within, something he once held onto as motivation, cautious but never afraid.
Disappointment is like a plant that thrives in damp, hopeless soil. But as long as there’s a beam of light, a bit of warmth, disappointment won’t spread.
All he needed was a bit of sunlight and… love, and he could continue to hold on.
But there was none. Eternal night descended, cold fog enveloped everything.
After being hurt beyond repair, Shen Luo no longer had the courage to express his feelings.
So when his motivation ran dry, he grew tired too.
Before he was completely exhausted, before the storm fully descended.
He accepted that he could never reach the moon, so he gave up.
“Ming Shao, I’m so tired.” Shen Luo finally admitted, his voice breaking. Those three short words were heavy with weariness.
“…I’m sorry, I just—” The shadows outside the window seemed like a vast net, ensnaring Shen Luo and cutting Ming Shao off from him. Ming Shao didn’t know how to explain that the talk of beautiful encounters was just a thoughtless remark; he had never intended to act on it.
But Shen Luo’s ears began to ring, and he couldn’t hear what Ming Shao was saying. It was like watching a silent movie.
The stomach pain that had been eased by the warm water returned with a vengeance, and his vision started to darken. The earlier dragging had caused him to bump his abdomen, likely right where his stomach was, intensifying the pain. Cold sweat broke out in large droplets.
They had been interrupted earlier before buying the medicine, and now he had nothing for relief.
“Hiss—” Shen Luo tried to reach for the door handle, but Ming Shao had locked the car.
“Ming Shao, let me out.”
Ming Shao was lost in his own chaotic thoughts, considering their marriage from Shen Luo’s perspective for the first time.
Actually, it wasn’t impossible to introduce Shen Luo to the people around him, to let him into his world. Truth be told, he didn’t really mind.
But first, he needed to take Shen Luo home.
In the future, he would be the one to pick Shen Luo up after work. Even if it was just an assistant, Ming Shao didn’t want Shen Luo spending time with that person.
“Let’s go home first—”
But the next moment, he saw Shen Luo suddenly faint.
“Shen Luo!”
Be my Patron ~ Buy me Ko-Fi
✨Be a part of the story – support my translations✨
✨Buy me some Ko-FI | Paypal to support my effort✨
✨✨Advance chapter at Patreon✨✨
