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Gao Tu had just finished signing his resignation letter and packed it gently into the brownish-beige paper envelope the company provides. He held the envelope with both hands and let out a soft sigh while still sitting on his office chair, taking a few seconds to calm his heart down.
It’s fine. You’ve already made up your mind. These past ten years have not been a waste. He will understand.
He probably won’t even remember in a few years.
As he reassured himself over and over again, Gao Tu also kept pushing away the memories between him and Shen Wenlang at the same time, afraid that he would continue to make the mistake of loving him. Eventually, he nodded a little to himself, then finally stood up from his chair and made his way towards Shen Wenlang’s office.
The day that Gao Tu found out he was pregnant, countless thoughts and emotions rushed through his head. Fear, confusion, and unease were just a few of them. But most of all, he secretly wished that if he told Shen Wenlang about the child, there was even just a slight chance that he might accept them warmly with open arms. However, this was just a daft fantasy that Gao Tu knew more than anyone else would never come true. For a man like Shen Wenlang to even accept the fact that he got an omega pregnant is completely outrageous, and to think that the person was Gao Tu– the most ordinary star that surrounded him– is impossible. Yet despite knowing what the outcome would be, Gao Tu still decided that before he left the company, he would ask the forbidden question that no one would dare to ask this man.
“What if you got your omega pregnant?”
“Disgusting. I would tell them to abort it of course!”
That was the response that Gao Tu had received.
Hearing the words “abort it” coming straight out of Shen Wenlang’s mouth felt worse than any of the painful heats he’s gone through. If giving himself a pheromone suppressor shot was a pinch, this was as if someone had pushed him into the deep ends of the ocean where he couldn’t breathe, nor could see the sunlight ever again. At that moment, Gao Tu got the answer that helped him solidify his decision. Except now that he’s thinking back, perhaps it was a good thing that Shen Wenlang had given him this answer, or else he might have hesitated again. Ten years… that was probably the limit for a friendship built upon nothing but lies.
As Gao Tu walked down the company’s hallways in the direction of the CEO’s office, he felt a twinge of sadness knowing that this would be the last time he would enter the room he once stepped into everyday. But he has already made up his mind. No more hesitating. He braced himself, fixed his tie and patted down his suit, then knocked on the office door.
No response.
That’s strange… President Shen should be in his office during this time…
Gao Tu knocked again and still didn’t receive a response, so he opened the door slightly and slipped in.
“President Shen?” he called out, pacing and looking around the room. After confirming that Shen Wenlang was in fact, not in his office, Gao Tu let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding in.
Maybe this is for the best. Of all days… whatever, forget it. I’ll just leave the resignation letter on his desk.
After doing so, he couldn’t help but brush his fingers along the edge of the table, dragging them across as he walked around it. This was the desk that he had chosen for Shen Wenlang when he first established his company. Now that he’s thinking back, he probably should have chosen a desk made of dark wood instead of white, which suits Shen Wenlang’s personality more. But there’s no use in thinking of such trivial things. This was Gao Tu’s problem– he’s always stuck in the past, reminiscing about the little moments shared between them, while Shen Wenlang has long moved on.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly noticed a clear plastic wrapper sticking out of the bottom drawer of the desk. Gao Tu knew he shouldn’t touch Shen Wenlang’s things, but thinking that it was just garbage that he forgot to throw out, he didn’t think much and opened the drawer. Gao Tu’s eyes widened in shock at what was inside.
Not only was it a piece of garbage, but there were multiple, if not at least twenty small, empty plastic bags that seemed to have already been opened. But what was even more unusual were the words that were written on them.
“Pork bun”, “Steamed bun”, “Ham sandwich”, and “Cream bun”...
Gao Tu took the empty packages out and laid them on the desk. All of them probably once contained some type of bread, most likely from the convenience store. But… what were they doing here? What’s more, Gao Tu found the packages to be strangely familiar and kept pondering, trying to remember where he had seen them before.
Then it clicked.
The confusion on Gao Tu’s face was slowly rewritten by shock, followed by tears that began streaming down his face and the clench of his heart that had betrayed him yet again.
Just then, Shen Wenlang walks into his office and freezes at the sight of Gao Tu wiping his tears. He rushes towards Gao Tu as panic sets in and grabs him by his shoulders, demanding to know what’s going on without even noticing the packages laid out across his desk.
“Gao Tu! What’s wrong? Why are you crying in my office?”
Gao Tu still hasn’t regained his composure and couldn’t help but cry even harder, keeping his head down. Whether it was the pregnancy hormones or the buildup of his bottled emotions that was causing him to break down into sobs, it didn’t matter anymore because he knew one thing for sure– He wasn’t the only one who treasured their memories together. He always knew somewhere in his heart that Shen Wenlang was actually an incredibly kind person; he just never showed it.
“Gao Tu, respond to me! What’s going on?”
After calming down a bit and letting out a soft whimper, he rubbed his eyes and looked up directly at Shen Wenlang, then glanced at the packages beside them. It was only until now that Shen Wenlang noticed the garbage that had been dug out of his drawer, causing his face to twist into an unreadable expression. He immediately let go of Gao Tu’s shoulders and stumbled backwards, stuttering out indecipherable words to try and explain himself.
“These are from the breakfast I used to buy you every morning in high school, right?”
“...”
“Even though you didn’t like them... Even though you didn’t eat breakfast at all… Why do you still have the empty packages?”
“I–”
Gao Tu took a step closer to Shen Wenlang and stared at him intensely.
Shen Wenlang inhaled sharply as he couldn’t help but be drawn to those round, doe eyes of his. Heart pounding in his chest, he finally managed to squeeze out the words he never thought he would have the chance to say in this lifetime.
“They were from the person I… liked. Of course I couldn’t just throw them away.”
No one has seen Shen Wenlang like this– acting just like a high school girl in love for the first time, confessing to their crush while averting eye contact and running a hand through their hair. Gao Tu thought he looked adorable at this moment and smiled the very same smile he gave Shen Wenlang when they first met. It was the smile that he fell in love with, and it was also the only time he ever saw it. The reason is that as Gao Tu hung out with Shen Wenlang more and more, he noticed that the smile appeared less and less.
Gao Tu knew that Shen Wenlang hated omegas, but what he didn’t know was that he loved Gao Tu. The sliver of hope that was once blown out was ignited again, giving him the courage to tell the truth before it was too late.
“Then… what if the person you liked… was an omega?”
Shen Wenlang’s face dropped. “What?”
Gao Tu inhaled deeply, then let out a slow exhale. “I’m an omega. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. I just thought that… you would hate me and not let me stay by your side if you found out.”
“Shit…” Shen Wenlang swallowed hard before continuing, his face full of regret. “The one who should apologize is me,” he said in a faint voice. “It’s all my fault that you didn’t tell me. But Gao Tu, please believe me when I say this: It’s true that I hate omegas– that I can’t deny.”
Gao Tu faltered for a split second, which Shen Wenlang noticed, so he opened his mouth again right away.
“However… If that omega was you, I would love them to death.”
Tears threatened to spill from Gao Tu’s eyes again after hearing the words he has always desired to hear. “And if… your omega was pregnant with your child…?”
Shen Wenlang paused and furrowed his eyebrows before the realization dawned on him that the omega from that night was Gao Tu. He gritted his teeth and cursed at himself for not realizing this earlier. His memories also returned to what he once said to Gao Tu about aborting his omega’s child, and he wanted nothing more than to reverse time right now. Suddenly, he pulled Gao Tu into his arms and nuzzled at his neck, breathing in the fragrant scent of sage. He truly missed this smell.
“I don’t like children, but if that child is yours, I would protect it even if it costs my life.”
Gao Tu gripped even tighter at Shen Wenlang’s suit and placed his head on his chest, feeling safer than he’s ever felt in his life. He never thought that his love would be returned, especially not by the handsome s-class alpha who shone so brightly that he seemed out of reach. Yet here he is– embracing Gao Tu like he’s the most precious treasure in the world and wrapping him in the scent of iris, not willing to let go.
Shen Wenlang gently let go of Gao Tu and placed both hands on his cheeks, caressing them tenderly and swiping away his tears with his thumb. Then, he carefully inched his face closer and closer to the man in front of him and sealed his lips with his own. Gao Tu shut his eyes in response and threw his arms around Shen Wenlang’s neck to push himself against his body, deepening the kiss. They were hungry– hungry for the unspoken love that had finally been made clear between the two. Passionate kisses were exchanged, though still gentle and delicate, and no further words were spoken. The heated desire for each other overtook all of their rational thoughts as they savoured the present moment. And besides, they had all the time in the world to tell each other what they couldn’t before, now that the smile Gao Tu had once given Shen Wenlang has finally returned.