Work Text:
“Gao Tu, will you marry me?” Shen Wenlang asked, dropping to one knee.
They were having dinner with the Hua couple, the children, and Gao Tu’s sister, Gao Qing. In truth, Shen Wenlang was in cahoots with Hua Yong, who had suggested that if everyone were present, Gao Tu would have no way to refuse the proposal.
All eyes were on them. Hua Yong was holding back his laughter. Gao Qing kept Lele and Hua Sheng in her arms, preventing the children from interrupting, while Sheng Shao You watched in anticipation, waiting to see how Gao Tu would answer.
Gao Tu remained silent for a moment and sighed. “S-Sorry, Shen Wenlang. But—”
Shen Wenlang gently raised a hand to stop him. A soft, almost fragile smile curved his lips. But there was a weight in his eyes, the kind that carries pain without ever showing it.
“It’s okay… I understand.” Shen Wenlang rose from his knees, keeping his smile steady, though the faintest shadow lingered at the corners of his eyes. “Let’s just continue eating.”
In truth, this was his seventh proposal— and the seventh time Gao Tu had declined.
After dinner, Shen Wenlang dropped them off. He bent to kiss his son’s forehead, ruffling his hair lightly as usual, and said his goodbyes. Gao Tu, expecting the usual playful insistence for a kiss, a routine Shen Wenlang never failed to do, was caught off guard when it didn’t happen. He shrugged, a small frown tugging at his lips.
“Shen Wenlang—”
“Gao Tu, I love you. Every day, I haven’t stopped blaming myself for what I did, and even now… I still can’t forgive myself. Gao Tu… I’m so sorry.” A single tear slid down his cheek, and he wiped it away quickly, almost as if trying to erase the evidence of his own vulnerability. “Good night.”
Before Gao Tu could respond, Shen Wenlang turned and walked to his car. It felt odd. He had rented a house right next to Gao Tu’s, but now he was leaving. Gao Tu watched, confusion and unease knotting in his chest.
"Where was he going?"
Absentmindedly, Shen Wenlang wandered into the nearest bar he could find, booked a VIP room, and ordered the strongest drink they had to offer. He dialed Hua Yong, half wanting to confront him, half wanting to rant about what had happened then wishing he hadn’t called at all.
“Hua Yong?”
“What do you need? I’m busy.” Hua Yong’s voice came through the line, sharp and impatient.
Before Shen Wenlang could speak, he caught strange, muffled whimpers on the other end of the line, followed by the unmistakable sound of skin against skin. His expression darkened. Disgusted, he ended the call without a word.
“Great,” he said softly to the empty room. “Everyone’s happy except me.”
He lifted the glass and drank it down in one go. The burn scorched his throat, but it did nothing to dull the ache in his chest. The room fell silent again, heavy and suffocating, and for the first time that night, the loneliness truly settled in.
“Maybe he doesn’t want me in his life anymore.” Shen Wenlang’s voice cracked. His fingers trembled as he set the glass down. “After everything I did… maybe this is all I’m worth.”
He poured another drink and swallowed it without pause, then another, as if speed alone could keep the pain from catching up to him.
He lost count of the bottles and empty glasses crowding the table, pushed so close together there was no space left to set anything down. His vision blurred, lights smearing into dull, colorless shapes as the room tilted beneath him. Still, the ache in his chest remained, stubborn and cruel.
“I’m sorry… Gao Tu…”
The words slipped from his lips again and again, soft and broken, like a confession he could never finish paying for. His voice weakened, slurred, until even the apology sounded far away.
His body gave in where his heart refused to. Shen Wenlang slumped forward, the last apology fading from his lips as darkness finally claimed him.
--
“Mr. Shen.”
“Hmmmp,” Shen Wenlang grumbled, eyes still closed.
“Mr. Shen, it’s already morning,” the staff reminded him gently.
Shen Wenlang jolted awake, his vision still blurred from the hangover. He glanced at his watch, 7:00 a.m, his chest tightened. His son had school, and it was his turn to take him, as he always did.
He rushed to his car, ignoring the mess of his hair and the dark circles under his eyes. When he arrived, he froze. Gao Tu and Lele were there, along with Ma Heng. Ma Heng fussed over Lele, adjusting his bag and smoothing his hair, all while smiling at Gao Tu in that effortless way. The sight stabbed at Shen Wenlang like a cold blade, every small gesture, every quiet laugh between them was a reminder of the life he wasn’t a part of.
Gao Tu noticed Shen Wenlang frozen at the side, hair a mess, dark circles under his eyes, wearing the same clothes from yesterday. As Gao Tu approached, he caught the sharp scent of alcohol on him.
That’s why he’s not home, Gao Tu thought to himself.
“I’ve been calling you nonstop. Why aren’t you answering?” Gao Tu asked.
Shen Wenlang did not speak. Gao Tu’s eyes caught the subtle tension in his posture, his hand clenched into a fist. Before Gao Tu could react, Shen Wenlang marched forward past Ma Heng and struck him square in the face.
“Shen Wenlang!” Gao Tu shouted, angry and alarmed.
He rushed to Ma Heng’s side to check on him. Lele began crying, running to Gao Tu for comfort.
Shen Wenlang scoffed bitterly. “What a perfect family,” he whispered to himself, the words sharp and hollow.
“What the hell is wrong with you!” Ma Heng shouted, breaking free from Gao Tu’s hold, and swung at Shen Wenlang in return.
The alcohol coursing through his system made Shen Wenlang unsteady. He staggered, then tumbled to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his lips, and because of that he wasn't able to stand anymore.
"Tsk." Gao Tu stressfully look at the both of them and to his son "Lele, go to Uncle Ma Heng's car. I will fetched you later." He wiped the tears in his son's face.
Lele trying his best not to cry, nodded. "Okay Papa."
"Let's go Lele, don't look at your useless father." Ma Heng held Lele's hand and guided him inside his car.
"Ma Heng!" Gao Tu shouted, frustatedly.
When Ma Heng and Lele had already left, he turned to Shen Wenlang, who lurched forward, nearly losing his footing, his steps uncoordinated and slow as he tried to make his way home. Gao Tu quickly walked toward him, reaching out to steady him.
Shen Wenlang resisted, pulling his arm away from Gao Tu. “I’m okay,” he said. “Go home. I can manage by myself.”
But Gao Tu did not let go. He held Shen Wenlang’s arm firmly, steadying him despite his resistance, and helped him all the way inside the house.
“Where is your first aid kit?” Gao Tu asked.
“I’m okay, Gao Tu,” Shen Wenlang said, his voice low, tired. “Thank you. You can go home. I can manage by myself.”
“I said, where is your first aid kit?” Gao Tu repeated, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
Shen Wenlang sighed and pointed to where the first aid kit was. A long silence settled between them as Gao Tu began cleaning the wound on his lip.
He remembered this exact moment from before. Back then, Gao Tu had been the one caught staring. Now, it was Shen Wenlang who found himself unable to look away, quietly mesmerized by how beautiful Gao Tu was. He had never noticed it like this before. His heart had been too full of jealousy, directed at an imaginary omega he had convinced himself existed, never realizing it had been Gao Tu all along.
“Why did you do that?” Gao Tu asked, breaking the silence.
Shen Wenlang avoided his gaze when Gao Tu looked at him. “I’m sorry.”
“You are always sorry, Shen Wenlang,” Gao Tu said, his voice tired. “Is this how it is always going to be?”
“I am…” sorry... Shen Wenlang stopped himself.
“You do realize our son was right there,” Gao Tu continued. “Do you know how traumatizing that could be for him? What are you going to say when he asks about it?”
“Our son…” Shen Wenlang’s heart skipped at the words. “I'm just… jealous,” he admitted quietly.
Gao Tu rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you there is nothing to be jealous about between him and me?” He started to say Shen Wenlang’s name again, but stopped when he noticed the tears sliding down Shen Wenlang’s cheeks.
Shen Wenlang quickly wiped them away. How could he not feel this way? If he had not run into them at the amusement park, they might have been a perfect family by now. And him? He was only an outsider. The asshole biological father. The alpha who once refused to accept his own family.
The Shen Wenlang who could dominate an entire conference room, the CEO of HS Group who bent others to his will, was nowhere to be seen. Gao Tu did not know what those three years had done to him. All he saw now was a fragile Shen Wenlang sitting quietly in front of him, stripped of pride and strength, holding onto something that was already slipping through his fingers.
"Shen Wenlang..." He couldn't find a word to say.
The man in front of him was the one Gao Tu had loved for ten years.
The man he chose to stay with, even when staying meant hurting himself in silence. Even when it meant enduring countless suppressants, swallowing discomfort, learning how to hold his temper and press his feelings down until they no longer had a voice. Gao Tu had learned to live like that. Learned to endure. Learned to accept. He had been content just being by Shen Wenlang’s side, working as his secretary, asking for nothing more than closeness. Loving quietly.
His heart had always belonged to Shen Wenlang. And yet, he had never dared to say it out loud. He was already used to this kind of love. A love without certainty. Without promises. A love that stayed careful and restrained because it had to.
Opening his heart scared him.
He was afraid that if he let himself love fully, if he allowed himself to grow used to warmth and tenderness, it would only hurt more when it was taken away. Afraid that if he reached out now, he would be left behind once Shen Wenlang no longer needed him.
He had lived through that before. So he taught himself not to hope. Not to expect. To stay where he was and convince himself that this was enough.
Now, seeing Shen Wenlang in front of him, vulnerable and shaken, Gao Tu felt something in his chest tremble. It was dangerous how familiar this felt. Dangerous how easy it would be to forget his own rules. Maybe it was safer to stay like this. Close, but guarded. Loving, but careful.
Because once he let himself believe, once he got used to it, losing it again might break him for good.
“Shen Wenlang…” he whispered again, gaze fixed on him.
He did not know what pushed him forward, only that he leaned in, pressing his lips to Shen Wenlang’s in a slow, tender kiss. Shen Wenlang froze, surprised.
This was their first kiss not driven by instinct or physiological need, but one they were both fully conscious of. A moment born of honesty, of feelings laid bare. The faint scent of sage and iris filled the space between them.
Gao Tu did not know if this was enough to be called reassurance. He only knew it had always been him. That feeling had never changed, never faded.
Shen Wenlang stiffened at first, then slowly, almost hesitantly, pressed his lips back. The world seemed to narrow, everything else fading into the background. Gao Tu pulled back slightly to look into Shen Wenlang’s eyes.
For a long moment, maybe seconds, maybe a minute, they simply stared. Breathless, hearts hammering, both seeing the years of longing, hurt, and unspoken words reflected in the other’s gaze.
Then, unable to bear the restraint any longer, they collided again. Lips met with desperate hunger. Gao Tu slid onto Shen Wenlang’s lap, bodies pressing together as the kiss deepened, urgent and unrelenting. Shen Wenlang’s hands tangled in Gao Tu’s nape, pulling him closer, while Gao Tu gripped Shen Wenlang’s shoulders, anchoring himself to the reality of him.
He traced every corner of Gao Tu’s lips, savoring the taste. Gao Tu’s hips moved instinctively, arching against him, and it made Shen Wenlang lose control. His lips trailed to Gao Tu’s nape, seeking the intoxicating scent of sage and iris, teasing, almost biting— but then a soft, needy moan escaped from Gao Tu’s lips.
It hit him like a shock.
This… this is wrong, he thought, heart hammering, chest tightening.
Shen Wenlang pulled back abruptly, clutching his hair, panic in his wide eyes.
“I’m sorry… fuck, I’m sorry!”
He had done it again. He had surrendered to desire. What if Gao Tu never let him near again? He had let himself lose control, again. Stupid. Stupid!
Tears welled up, his voice breaking as he murmured sorry over and over. Gao Tu, however, did not regret a single part of it.
“No, no, no— Shen Wenlang, listen to me! I want this too! Don’t blame yourself,” Gao Tu said, voice firm but gentle, trying to calm him.
But Shen Wenlang did not hear it. He kept murmuring sorry, over and over, anxiety clawing at him.
---
Gao Tu slowly calmed down, though soft sobs still escaped him as his chest rose and fell unevenly.
“Where did you go?” he asked quietly, his voice still shaking.
Shen Wenlang hesitated for a moment before answering. “My rut came early,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
Gao Tu looked up at him, searching his face. “Are you telling the truth?”
Something felt off. Then he noticed it. The faint change in Shen Wenlang’s scent, the lingering trace of something. His eyes lowered to Shen Wenlang’s arms and froze.
Bites marks. fresh.
His breath hitched. He reached out before he could stop himself, fingers wrapping gently around Shen Wenlang’s wrist as he lifted his arm.
“What is this?” Gao Tu asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shen Wenlang stiffened and pulled his hand back. “It’s nothing,” Then, as if trying to escape the question, he added, “Gao Tu… why would you think I’d leave you and Lele?”
He looked back at him then, eyes raw and painfully sincere.
“I can wait,” Shen Wenlang said quietly. “A thousand years if I have to. Even that wouldn’t be enough. I would wait forever if it meant staying with you.”
“Shen Wenlang... you’re trying to dodge my question again,” Gao Tu said, locking eyes with him.
“I... I—tsk, it’s nothing,” Shen Wenlang muttered, looking away.
“I know those symptoms,” Gao Tu said, frustration lacing his voice. “Did you go through mate seeking syndrome? Why didn’t you tell me? You know I’m here. I can help you!”
Shen Wenlang’s chest heaved, eyes brimming with a pain he could barely voice. “Gao Tu... I will not hurt you again. I can’t forgive myself for what happened at the banquet. This is nothing compared to what you went through. That’s why I left that day. I couldn’t bear to risk hurting you again. If I let myself lose control... if I fuck up again... shit—”
“Shen Wenlang,” Gao Tu interrupted, his voice steady but soft, “how many times do I have to tell you? I’m okay now. You don’t have to bury yourself in what happened years ago. You didn’t know. I chose to hide my identity that night at the banquet. I know it might not have been a good experience, but I’m grateful for it. It brought Lele into this world. Lele gave me courage I didn’t have back then. We can always make new memories. We can create beautiful moments from now on. Shen Wenlang, you don’t have to say sorry over and over again. Because you know what? If I could go back, I would still choose to love you, over and over again. Maybe with a different approach,” he said, letting out a small, shaky laugh. “Shen Wenlang, it has always been you. It never changed.”
They stood there, soaked in the weight of their words, tears streaking their faces, in the middle of the street. Foolish, raw, and broken. But in that moment, something long buried, words left unspoken for years, finally found its release.
“Gao Tu,” Shen Wenlang’s eyes were puffy from crying. “I love you so much. I love you!” His voice broke, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed harder.
“Shen Wenlang, I love you too,” Gao Tu said, his own voice trembling, yet steady. “It feels so good to finally say it out loud after all these years. I love you, Shen Wenlang. I love you.”
Shen Wenlang dug into his pocket and pulled something out. Without grand decorations, expensive dinners, or billboards spelling out his proposal, no drones forming letters in the sky, there was nothing but this bare, honest moment. Just them, hearts beating for each other in the middle of nowhere.
Shen Wenlang knelt, eyes wet, hands trembling as he looked up at Gao Tu. Finally, for the eighth time, he asked:
“Will you marry me?”
And after seven refusals, years of waiting, countless moments of doubt and fear, Gao Tu finally let himself feel the weight of it all, the longing, the patience, the love that never left him.
He nodded, reaching for Shen Wenlang’s hand, holding it as if he could never let go. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, a trembling, exhausted smile breaking across his face.
“Yes, I will marry you.”