The light sliced the man’s face in half, one side richly illuminated, the other hidden in shadow.
Though not heavy, his tone was filled with reproach and a hint of pride. As if he were saying, ‘Even I, an outsider, know this, yet you don’t? You’re a terrible boyfriend.’
No way to argue against that!
Shen Wenqing’s heart sank heavily as he turned to the young man, his brows furrowed. “Someone’s been following you?”
“Mm.” The young man nodded indifferently. “But it was a long time ago. Since I moved, they haven’t shown up again.”
“When did you move?”
Xia Yan gave him a date.
Shen Wenqing mentally calculated and realized it was right after the second day they had started helping each other.
Yan Yan must have been frightened. He would have kept him from leaving that day if he had known. Shen Wenqing was filled with regret.
Just as he was about to ask more questions, the man he had deliberately ignored suddenly spoke up, “It’s been nearly a week, and it seems the police still have no leads.”
The area where Xia Yan lived had a large flow of people, with countless coming and going every day.
At the time of the incident, the camera on Xia Yan’s floor had coincidentally broken, leaving no clues.
And from the list Xia Yan provided of his roughly 100 suitors, most had alibis, while the remaining dozen or so had been investigated but no evidence was found.
The case had reached a dead end.
Moreover, since no harm had come to Xia Yan, the investigation was temporarily shelved.
“A coward who lacks the guts to follow through,” Xia Yan said, covering a yawn. The vintage European-style clock in the middle of the bar swayed toward 11 p.m. “It’s getting late. Time to go home.”
“Wait!” Wen Changming spoke up, his tone concerned. “Even though the hotel has 24-hour security, staying out all the time is still inconvenient.”
After a brief pause, seeing the young man didn’t seem to mind, he continued, “If you don’t object, I have a villa in Guangyuan. It’s guarded by retired military personnel who can ensure Mr. Xia’s safety.”
He had thought it through: bringing the young man to his place meant seeing him daily, which would naturally foster affection.
Xia Yan: “…”
Why would he go there? To put on a show every day?
As the young man was about to refuse, someone else spoke first.
Shen Wenqing’s demeanor was naturally cold, but now it was as frigid as winter. His dark eyes were filled with wariness. “There’s no need to trouble Mr. Wen with matters between me and Yan Yan.”
“Trouble? How can you call it that?” The man looked bewildered for a moment, then suddenly understood. “Are you under some misunderstanding? I’m merely a fan of Mr. Xia.”
With that, he turned to Xia Yan, saying sadly, “It seems Mr. Shen lacks a bit of trust in you.”
Xia Yan: “…”
The bartender, eavesdropping: “…”
What a schemer!
The scent of green tea filled the air.
Xia Yan thought, Of course Shen Wenqing has to distrust him! Otherwise, how would he dump him later on?
But on the surface, he had to feign shock and dissatisfaction, deliberately widening his eyes as he looked at Shen Wenqing. The colorful lights reflected in his gaze, making them shimmer like precious gems.
Who could bear to hurt him?
“As his lover, of course, I trust Yan Yan,” Shen Wenqing said calmly, enunciating every word clearly, “But since he’s my partner, naturally, I’ll be the one to protect him.”
Wen Changming: “You? An Omega?”
It was a simple, shallow question, free of any sarcasm, yet it was the greatest insult.
Everyone knew that among the three ABO genders, Omegas were the most vulnerable.
Even though Shen Wenqing stood at 1.86 meters tall, with broad shoulders, long legs, a muscular chest, and abs that looked capable of taking on five people, he was still an Omega.
People naturally distrusted an Omega’s physical abilities.
Since his differentiation, Shen Wenqing has heard this same question countless times. What were once compliments had turned into doubt.
Though equality was preached in the ABO world, gender bias still persisted.
Unconsciously, Shen Wenqing pressed his lips together, once again disgusted by the fact that he was an Omega.
Just as he was about to fall into this mental trap…
“My boyfriend’s amazing. The first time we met, he took down three Alphas alone.”
A lazy voice sounded in his ear, carrying a hint of admiration and pride. The young man’s words pulled Shen Wenqing back from his downward spiral.
He looked at Xia Yan.
The young man was lounging in the thin chair, legs stretched out. He continued, “At that time, I thought to myself, ‘What a cool Omega, I absolutely must…'”
The mischievous drawl of his voice came to an abrupt halt, leaving both men with their ears perked, eager to hear the rest.
Shen Wenqing: “…”
Wen Changming: “…”
Must what? Pursue him?
After a long pause, Xia Yan finally spoke slowly, “…must put him to work. Make him listen to me. It’d be quite the accomplishment to tame such a hound.”
Crash!
The sound of glass shattering.
“Sorry, you guys can continue.” The bartender, who had lost himself in thought, snapped back to reality and gave Xia Yan a look of exasperation, as though he wanted to pry open his brain to see what kind of nonsense was in there.
Really? Saying something like that to his lover?
Does he want to be single again?
Shen Wenqing: “…”
Wen Changming: “…”
The tense atmosphere vanished as both men fell silent.
Feeling guilty, Xia Yan picked up a glass of wine and downed its last half in one gulp.
He wanted to give the protagonist a heads-up, to make him realize what a scumbag he was, so he would see him for what he truly was and break up with him sooner.
–
When the three of them left the bar, it was already midnight.
Outside, the bar was still lively. Drunken people clustered together, singing off-key songs, and the moment a taxi appeared, a group rushed to claim it.
Since all of them had been drinking, driving wasn’t an option.
Wen Changming tucked his hands into his pockets, his brown trench coat fluttering in the autumn breeze. He glanced around and noticed several people eyeing them.
Among them, there might even be the stalker.
After thinking it over, he still couldn’t shake his unease. Unable to stop himself, he said, “I’ve called for a driver. Why don’t you stay at my place tonight?”
“No need,” Shen Wenqing refused without a second thought. “I’ve also called for a driver.”
“If there’s any danger—”
Shen Wenqing’s voice was firm. “I’ll protect him.”
Neither of them would give an inch, each determined not to back down.
However, Shen Wenqing, as Xia Yan’s boyfriend, had a natural advantage in certain areas. Wrapping his arm around the half-drunk young man, he walked past Wen Changming with their driver, not sparing a glance.
A rose-shaped brooch, its box somehow missing, fell to the ground without anyone noticing.
The man stepped hard on it, the rigid gemstone scraping a line across the sole of his shoe. Without a change in his expression, he said, “Sorry, it fell on the ground.”
The smile on Wen Changming’s face completely vanished.
As the two men locked eyes, it was as if lightning crackled between them.
“Yan Yan receives many gifts every day. Losing one or two by accident doesn’t matter,” Shen Wenqing remarked as he lifted his foot. “It got dirty though, what a shame.”
Xia Yan had drunk too much and was feeling dizzy. He caught a few words but couldn’t connect them to make sense of the conversation. His body leaned against Shen Wenqing’s shoulder, following him purely by inertia.
The designated driver followed behind them nervously, worried that the two men might break out into a fight.
But whether out of concern for the young man or something else, the Alpha only coldly watched them, not making a move.
Driver: “…” Relieved, almost to the point of tears.
–
Wen Changming watched as the two figures grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing from sight.
He looked up at the dark sky, taking a deep breath. The crisp autumn air filled his lungs, clearing away the bar’s warmth and haze.
People came and went in front of the bar, some curious glances directed at the high-quality Alpha standing there.
A few attractive Betas looked tempted to approach.
However, before they could make their move, the man bent down and picked something up from the ground. Under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, he walked away from the scene.
–
It was hot.
His teeth itched.
He wanted to bite something.
The young man lay curled up on the bed, rubbing against everything around him in a restless manner.
The loose hem of his shirt had ridden up, revealing a slender, toned waistline.
The cold, beautiful Omega sat in a chair, the black collar he had been wearing earlier now casually tossed onto the bedside table. The sweet scent of peaches filled the air, enveloping the man completely.
The man looked down at the young man, who was pitifully rubbing against the blanket. After what felt like an eternity, he lazily lifted the young man’s chin with his fingers, gently stroking it.
“Am I a hound?”
