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Gao Tu was stirring cake ingredients in a bowl, humming under his breath. He was not a traditional omega by any means, pretending to be a beta his whole life had seen to that, but he’d started taking care of himself and his younger sister when their mother was always working. Over the years, he’d become a pretty good cook and an even better baker. And no one appreciated that more than Shen Wen Lang, who had the biggest sweet tooth on the planet.
Shen Wen Lang was due to return home after a five-day business trip, and Gao Tu was more than happy to surprise him with his favorite carrot cake. He was debating the cake topping, cream cheese frosting or something fancier?, when his phone rang, pleasantly surprising him by flashing the name Sheng Shao You.
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he answered. “Good evening, Mr. Sheng! How are you?”
Sheng Shao You, however, didn’t sound nearly as cheerful. “Secretary Gao,” he said, his voice tight. “Are you free at the moment?”
The smile slipped from Gao Tu’s lips. “I am. Is everything okay?”
Sheng Shao You ignored the question. “Can we meet? There’s something I need to talk about.”
A flicker of anxiety ran down Gao Tu’s spine. The tone in Sheng Shao You’s voice was too sharp, and he clearly didn’t want to talk over the phone.
“Of course,” Gao Tu said after a beat. “I’m home. Please come here.”
Gao Tu was pacing behind the door, anxiously waiting for Sheng Shao You to arrive. The moment he heard the knock, he jumped and rushed to open it, quickly eyeing Sheng Shao You from head to toe. He looked physically unharmed, but clearly agitated.
The always-polite Sheng Shao You didn’t wait to be invited in. He didn’t even greet Gao Tu. He just walked straight into the living room, tense and silent. Gao Tu closed the door behind him and followed quietly.
He watched as Sheng Shao You paced the living room, frowning and visibly shaking. After a long moment, Gao Tu gently spoke up. “Please, take a seat, Mr. Sheng.”
But Sheng Shao You shook his head, refusing the offer, and continued pacing, like a man with too much nervous energy to sit still.
As an omega, Gao Tu knew he could try to help calm Sheng Shao You down by releasing his pheromones. But he wasn’t just any omega. Years of supplement abuse had damaged his body, leaving him with little control over when—or what type—of pheromones he emitted. Even around Wen Lang or his sister, he hesitated to use them.
But his mind was made up two seconds later, when Sheng Shao You bumped his foot against the coffee table, wincing but still not stopping.
Gao Tu approached him cautiously, extending a hand. “Mr. Sheng... would it be okay if I helped you relax a little?”
That finally stopped Sheng Shao You in his tracks. His eyes met Gao Tu’s and something softened. He took Gao Tu’s hand. “Shao You.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Call me Shao You,” he said quietly. “At least for today.”
Gao Tu gently guided Sheng Shao You to sit on the couch, then began releasing calming pheromones as carefully as he could manage. They still didn’t smell quite right, there was a faint smell of burnt sage, but it seemed to help. Sheng Shao You’s grip on his hand loosened, and some of the tension drained from his shoulders.
Seeing his expression finally relax filled Gao Tu’s chest with joy and pride.
But the next words Sheng Shao You said halted him in his thoughts.
“I’m pregnant.”
Gao Tu’s eyes widened, and a smile split his face. “Shao You! Congratulations! That’s wonderful news!”
But Sheng Shao You didn’t mirror his excitement. He just kept holding Gao Tu’s hand, eyes fixed on the wall across from them.
Gao Tu faltered, suddenly unsure. “Isn’t it good news? Or... maybe you would’ve preferred to become a father at another time?”
Sheng Shao You finally turned his head, meeting Gao Tu’s eyes. He looked exhausted. “No, no. That’s not the issue. I want to be a father. I always have.”
Feeling encouraged, Gao Tu tried again. He let out another gentle wave of pheromones. “Then what’s the issue?”
When Sheng Shao You didn’t respond right away, Gao Tu added softly, “I don’t know how, but whatever it is... I’ll help. You have my word.”
Sheng Shao You squeezed his hand. “I’ve always dreamed of becoming a father. But every time I imagined it, there was an omega by my side. Someone gentler than me... kinder. Someone I could look up to, so I could learn how to be a good parent.”
He took a deep breath, like preparing himself for admitting a sin. “And then... there’s Hua Yong. I love him more than anything. More than I thought was even possible. But…”
“You don’t think he’d be a good parent?”
Gao Tu could see in Sheng Shao You’s eyes the agony of talking about his mate like that, so he didn’t push. He just sat there, trying to be the steady presence Sheng Shao You needed until he was ready to talk.
After a long silence, Sheng Shao You finally spoke again.
“A-Tu… you know Shen Wen Lang thinks I’m an idiot. That I’m blinded by my love for Hua Yong. But I’m not. I know exactly who my mate is. I know what he’s done so we could be together. All the lies. All the manipulation. The people he’s hurt.”
He looked away, voice cracking slightly.
“I know it all. And… sometimes it feels like he’s so consumed by me that he’s not capable of caring about anything else.”
Gao Tu’s heart was breaking for Sheng Shao You. S-class alpha or not, being with an enigma like Mr. Hua was a very unique kind of risk and Sheng Shao You took it because he loved him despite everything. No one knew better than Gao Tu what it meant to act like a madman for the person you love.
But still, Sheng Shao You’s logic had a very glaring flaw.
“The baby would be a part of you, Shao You. And anything you hold dear will have a permanent place in Mr. Hua’s heart. He would love the baby because it’s his child, but mostly because it would be yours.”
Sheng Shao You finally sat up straight and stared into Gao Tu’s eyes, finding the lifeline he had come here to search for.
“And I know, compared to the love he has for you, it seems invisible but Mr. Hua cares about Wen Lang. You know how many times he helped him and stood by his side.”
The help always included Hua Yong annoying Shen Wen Lang to the point of exhaustion and offering Gao Tu a job at X Company in front of Shen Wen Lang. But no one ever believed Hua Yong showed his love in a conventional way.
“And he helped me a lot when… when we were working together.” Both of them knew Gao Tu was talking about the time he was hiding as a beta and almost killing himself in the process. “He shielded me from alpha pheromones and helped me keep my cover." He even saved my life at the cost of me finding out who he really was. But that was a story Gao Tu never wanted to share with anyone.
Sheng Shao You kept looking at Gao Tu the whole time he was talking, feeling less and less nervous after each word. He smiled for the first time since he’d heard the news of his pregnancy. “Now I feel like an idiot. Doubting my mate like that.”
Gao Tu smiled too. “It’s normal to overthink when facing such life-changing news. And Shao You?”
“Yes?”
“I cannot think of anyone who would be a better father than you.”
The lovely smell of the alpha’s happiness filled the room.
Sheng Shao You had left a few hours before Shen Wen Lang got home to share the good news with his enigma. And Gao Tu couldn’t wait to make this happy day even happier by seeing his alpha.
He was ready to jump into Wen Lang’s arms the moment he heard the door open, but before he could blink, Wen Lang teleported to Gao Tu’s side and started kissing the life out of him.
“From now on, you have to be involved in every single project that I’m involved in personally,” Wen Lang said, kissing his eyes, his nose, his forehead—and then coming back to devour Gao Tu’s mouth some more.
Gao Tu laughed, pushing him away gently. “Stop, stop. Go change. You smell like airplane and angry alphas.”
Wen Lang pouted but obeyed anyway. However, he was back by Gao Tu’s side in less than two seconds.
“Why does the living room smell like Sheng Shao You?”
Gao Tu rolled his eyes. “Because he was here today.”
“For what?”
“For having a lovely chat.”
Wen Lang’s frown deepened. “What did you talk about?”
Gao Tu wasn’t sure whether to cry or laugh at his mate’s ridiculousness.
“Really, Wen Lang? Can’t I have a chat with my friend?”
“He’s not your friend. He’s an asshole alpha.”
Gao Tu raised his eyebrows, locking eyes with Wen Lang. “Clearly, I have a type.”
Wen Lang opened his mouth to start a long angry rant about how he is NOT an asshole, but his phone ringing cut him off. He looked at the name “lunetic” on the screen in irritation but answered anyway.
“What is it, Hua Yong? I’m in the middle… Wait, wait, wait. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
Gao Tu had an idea why Hua Yong was calling, so he stared at Wen Lang in fascination, following every emotion that flashed across his face. First annoyance, then his expression shifted from blank to utter shock.
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry, I’ll do it.”
When Wen Lang hung up, Gao Tu couldn’t stop smiling at him like an idiot. “I assume he told you the good news, right?”
Wen Lang suddenly seemed very interested in his feet. “Yes, he did.”
Gao Tu tilted his head to get a better look at Wen Lang’s face. “Oh my! Are you crying?”
Wen Lang lifted his head like he’d been slapped. “Absolutely not.” Then he stormed off.
Gao Tu ran after him, laughing, and managed to hug him from behind. “Sorry. Sorry.”
Wen Lang turned around and hugged Gao Tu properly, his voice strangely hushed. “The rabid dog and the lunatic are having a baby. There should be some law against it somewhere.”
Gao Tu smiled into Wen Lang’s chest. It meant he was happy for them. They stayed like that for a few seconds, enjoying each other’s company, until Gao Tu broke the silence.
“Hey, Wen Lang?”
“Yes, babe?”
“I’m sorry that we can’t h—”
Wen Lang didn’t let him finish. He took Gao Tu’s face between his hands and kissed him deeply.
“What are you saying? You know I’m as happy as I could ever be. I have you! What more could I want?”
Gao Tu pressed his face against his mate’s chest, trying not to cry and ruin their beautiful day, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from answering Wen Lang’s question: children, a family of your own, the happiness of being a father.
Gao Tu woke up at 3 in the morning to Wen Lang’s voice arguing over the phone.
“What? What is happening?”
Wen Lang winced. “Sorry! Did I wake you?”
“Yes, you did. What are you doing? Who are you talking to?”
“I’m hiring people to build a nursery on the second floor.” He sounded very proud of himself.
Gao Tu just rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at his face, before taking the phone away.