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“What?” snapped Wen Lang as soon as he picked the call.
“Always so bitey, does your wife not-”
“Ah” a faint moan on the other side interrupted Hua Yong.
“Oh!” Hua Yong teased, “it seems I caught you in the middle of something.”
“You called me five times, ” Shen Wen Lang barked as he paused his movements and nuzzled Gao Tu's nape, focusing on releasing soothing pheromones to comfort his blissed out mate.
The two were in his walk-in closet, they had gotten a bit carried away while trying to get ready.
Shen Wen Lang was fixing his cuff links when Gao Tu had walked into the closet. He had meant to ask him about Lele, but his throat dried up as he stared at his mate. He has no idea what Gao Tu was even trying to reach that required him to be on his tiptoes with his hands stretched up, making his already short robe ride up too far for Wen Lang’s sanity. And with the robe tied around accentuating his waist, Wen Lang hadn’t been able to hold back.
“Hmm,” Hua Young hummed, “I did.”
“What do you want?” Shen Wen Lang asked impatiently.
“Nothing,” Hua Yong paused, letting Wen Lang’s frustration grow, “I was going to inform you that the kids are settled for the night and we are leaving for the gala, but,” he paused, baiting, “I see you two would be a little late.”
“Hmmm,” Wen Lang replied, pressing gentle kisses to Gao Tu’s cheeks and neck and neck and jaw and cheek and cheek and chin and lips.
Wen Lang disconnected the call and threw his phone, kissing Gao Tu with a fevered passion as he started slowly grinding his softening knot into the omega. He adjusted his grip on his omega’s butt, squeezing gently as he pushed off the wall he had him caged against and carried him to bed.
“Don't get too caught up or I'm—,” Hua Yong was cut off by the beeping of the phone. He smirked, oddly proud of how far his not-friend had come from his yearning days.
Before he could leave to find his mate, so that maybe they can be a little late too. The alpha walked in looking absolutely delectable to the enigma.
“Have they left?” Shao You asked.
“They’re,” he waved his hand looking for a word his husband won’t cringe at, “occupied.”
“Right now?” Shao You, cringing despite his efforts.
“Mmmhmmmm,” Hua Yong got up and walked up to his alpha, smoothing the non-existent creases on his coat, “should we?” he asked, tilting his head in the general direction of their bedroom.
“Absolutely not!” Shao You yelled, walking towards the door instead as he called, “come on!”
Hua Yong was already at his limits. He wouldn’t even be at this event if Wen Lang wasn't bringing Gao Tu, but now they were late and he was being made to endure people because his alpha asked him to play nice.
“Oh I always thought you would be a good choice for my son,” said the annoying Mr Jun, an acquaintance of Shao You’s father.
For the drama, and for the acting awards, he let out a soft gasp looking up at the older alpha with tear filled eyes as he brought his hand to hold his alpha’s elbow. The perfect picture of an omega scared to lose their alpha and feeling possessive.
“Nevermind, sweetheart,” cooed Mr Jun and Hua Yong almost cringed. “I see that Shao You is quite taken with you, besides you’re already married and my LianLian would only be considered a homewrecker if he were to come in.”
The alpha and the enigma looked at each other, both taking a note that what held the man back was how his son would be perceived.
“Uncle, I’m sure your son can choose for himself.”
There goes his alpha suggesting the sane option to the insane.
“Ugh,” Mr Jun waved the suggestion off, “he has been hanging out with the wrong people and I fear he would incriminate himself sooner or later, I must find a good alpha for him. If not you then what is your opinion on that Shen fellow?”
The couple’s eyebrows went up.
“On who?” asked Shao You.
“The HS Group baby alpha,” said Mr Jun.
Hua Yong suppressed his urge to defend Wen Lang brought about by his dislike for the older alpha.
“I know I know, he has a kid, but at least he is not married and the child could be sent off to boarding, the public forgets fast enough. They can have a perfect marriage in no time.”
“Uncle! How can you consider that and talk about sending away his child?” admonished Shao You, feeling protective of Lele, who should be asleep in his son’s room currently.
“Oh hush, you and your upstanding ways, the world doesn't work like that, son,” Mr Jun brushed him off like a parent to a child who wanted to save the world. “You work with him, so you arrange a meeting for me with him, rest I’ll take care. ”
“If I'm hearing correctly, I think the person you're looking for has arrived.” Hua Yong replied, his tone devoid of any emotion.
He dragged his alpha towards the bar as he was barely able to hold himself back from bringing the older alpha to his knees. Shao You had warned him about the man but he was somehow worse.
At the same time, on the red carpet of the venue, in walked the CEO of HS Group Shen Wen Lang, who was nowadays a rare attendee to any such events. His secretary, Gao Tu, was walking one step ahead of him. The secretary had his left hand in his pocket and his right behind his back. The pair turned at the call of their names and the flashes that went off were blinding.
The rumour had it that Shen Wen Lang had had a bastard child and that his secretary had been sent off to track down the mother. As expected, the reputed employee successfully tracked them down and brought the child back. He was now back in the company at a more privileged position than any other employee.
They were the talk of the town, nobody had managed to get a picture of the child and lived to publish the tale. The request to maintain secrecy around the child was as respected as it was enforced.
Shen Wen Lang couldn't help but sigh as soon as they walked into the fundraiser. He would much rather be home holding his omega in his arms instead.
“Wen Lang, behave,” Gao Tu whispered.
Shen Wen Lang nodded, obeying his omega without a second thought.
Since Hua Yong had an eye on the pair, he noticed when Wen Lang grabbed two flutes of champagne and offered one to Gao Tu, earning himself a soft glare, before he turned around and placed it back on the tray.
“Oh it can't be,” he smirked.
“What happened?” asked Shao You, noticing his husband's line of sight. “What did he do now?”
“He did... something,” Hua Yong whispered, conspiratorially.
“Something good I hope, he can't afford another blunder,” Shao You quipped.
Hua Yong watched as Gao Tu subconsciously moved his hand from behind his back to rest low on his belly. The hand moved away just as silently when he was pulled back into the conversation, but that was enough to confirm Hua Yong’s suspicions.
Noticing the smile on his husband's face, Shao You nudged him gently to ask, only to be answered by a small shake of his head.
“Let's introduce him to your father's acquaintance,” Hua Yong said, mischievously.
“No,” Shaoyou gasped, “Gao Tu is here!”
“Exactly why I want to do it,” Hua Yong said, pulling an unwilling Shao You towards the two. “It'll be fun, come on.”
Shao You could only roll his eyes, knowing that his husband won't be deterred from whatever he was planning and trusting he wouldn’t deliberately hurt Gao Tu, or Wen Lang but his husband isn’t ready to admit that yet.
“Shen Wen Lang!” Hua Yong greeted, rather yelled. Shao You glared his greetings at the man. “Gao Tu, you look pretty,” Hua Yong said in a gentler tone. Shao You also gave the man a small smile and nodded.
“What do you want?” Shen Wen Lang shot, and was ignored by the other three in lieu of greeting each other.
“It is a pleasure to see you both,” Gao Tu greeted, with a gentle smile. Shao You still can't see why this man consciously chooses to associate with Shen Wen Lang.
“You didn't offer Gao Tu a drink,” Hua Yong pretended to be affronted, signalling for a drink.
“Ah, no need for that, I'm not in the mood to drink,” Gao Tu responded.
“Oh, no reason in particular I hope,” Hua Yong said. He was staring at Shen WenLang, who glared back at him.
Sometimes Shao You thinks he gets their relationship, and sometimes, such as now, he doesn't.
“If that's all, we have to see a few people-” Wen Lang tried to pull away from the little demon and his husband but was stopped.
“There’s an interested party here that you should greet,” Hua Yong said.
“Who are they?” asked Gao Tu.
“A friend of Mr Sheng’s father,” Hua Yong informed, “he has a rather interesting proposal.”
“Tell him to send it to my office,” Wen Lang replied, curtly.
“I think you should hear it from him first before inviting it to the office.” Hua Yong felt guilty with how sincerely Gao Tu was listening to him and how the omega then looked at a rather reluctant Shen Wen Lang and convinced him with just an intense eye contact.
“We’ll hear it, Mr Hua, can you take us to this gentleman,” Gao Tu said.
Shao You cringed at the old man being called a gentleman by the very omega he had unknowingly disrespected. He sent a silent prayer for the omega and hoped whatever his husband was trying to do wouldn’t hurt the man.
“Uncle, this is Shen Wen Lang of the HS Group and this is Gao Tu,” Shao You introduced as the four of them reached the old man.
“Oh, you brought him to me, good boy good boy,” said Mr Jun.
Shen Wen Lang smirked as he watched Shao You give the man a strained smile while Hua Yong barely held back a snarl.
“Shen Wen Lang, this is my father’s friend Mr Jun, he chairs the Haven Group.”
Wen Lang narrowed his eyes, something was fishy, everyone knew of the group and its impending doom. There was no way Hua Yong wanted him to invest in them. The company was a sinkhole.
“Pleasure,” Shen Wen Lang said, extending his hand towards the man, while Gao Tu only bowed in greeting, happy to play the shadow to his President. “I must mention that I am not in favour of HS Group doing any business with Haven.”
“Rest assured this isn't professional son,” Mr Jun chuckled.
“Then I don't understand the purpose,” Wen Lang said eyeing the other couple, Shao You was avoiding his eyes but he knew Hua Yong long enough to see the smirk he was hiding.
“This is about your son,” that made Wen Lang snap his head in the direction of the man, glaring.
“What about my son?” he asked, if it wasn’t for Gao Tu’s presence behind him, he might have already grabbed the man’s collar.
“Don't you think he needs a mother?” Mr Jun asked, admonishing.
“What?” Shen Wen Lang was confused.
“You younglings,” Mr Jun, laughed at his own words, completely missing the social cue. “I have a son, he is a beauty, you’re sure to like him, he is an omega and he is fond of children.”
“I am sure your son is beautiful and great with kids, but I don't understand what that has to do with me?” Shen Wen Lang asked, looking at the other couple for some kind of cue but they were still evading him.
Gao Tu, on the other hand, had no trouble understanding what the other man was referencing. He caught Shao You’s eyes who bowed his head in apology, but Hua Yong smirked and quirked an eyebrow as if to say, “Your move.”
Mr Jun continued, “I am proposing we make our relationship more personal one, I could arrange a meeting for you and my son.”
“Are you asking me to date your son?” Shen Wen Lang ask, disgust clear on his face for everyone to see.
But Mr Jun seemed to be blinded by his aspirations for his son.
“You two can meet and see how you like each other and then I'm proposing a marriage between you and my LianLian.”
“On what grounds!” Shen Wen Lang roared, garnering the attention of the people around them.
“You are a good match for my son, though you already have a child with another omega, but we must not blame the child for being born,” Mr Jun said, his voice laced with faux sympathy.
“Don’t say another word about my son,” Shen Wen Lang warned.
“Of course, he is your son and maybe one day heir to the Shen empire,” Mr Jun emphasised maybe a little too much for Wen Lang’s liking, “you are a young alpha Wen Lang, your needs and your child’s needs cannot be disregarded for one run away omega-”
Shen Wen Lang growled, but Mr Jun was too lost in his prejudice.
“LianLian is a good omega of high social standing and he has the brains and the calibre to take care of the Shen Empire alongside you,” Mr Jun looked at Gao Tu from his high horse and asked, "Wouldn't your secretary agree? Don’t you think your President Shen deserves someone beautiful and intelligent to run his business and help raise his child, maybe give him more children?”
Mr Jun managed to touch on all of Gao Tu’s insecurities in one breath.
Shao You had had enough and was ready to step in, this was exactly why he didn’t want to bring the two to this man.
But Mr Jun turned to Wen Lang, and continued, “He had to go to lengths to rescue your son because of that lowly run away omega.”
Gao Tu was attuned to his alpha enough to block him as he pounced at the old man.
He grabbed the already locked in punch, pulling back with all his might, he slotted himself to the alpha’s side.
“Alpha,” he whispered.
The whole thing was similar to carefully diffusing a bomb that was seconds away from blowing up.
Shen Wen Lang’s hand, which was geared up to punch, came to wrap around Gao Tu's waist as he shifted his focus to the Omega. Their foreheads resting together as he breathed in the calming pheromones coming off in waves from the Omega.
“It’s okay,” said Gao Tu.
“it-,” wen Lang in between huffs, “it's not.”
“Punching him won't solve anything,” Gao Tu reasoned.
‘Oh it could, it could solve a lot,’ Shen Wen Lang thought, though all he could do was nod.
Gao Tu looked at Hua Yong over his Alpha's shoulder and nodded at the man as he pushed his finance towards him.
Reluctantly, Shen Wen Lang did as Gao Tu directed, going with Hua Yong even though he hated the man at the moment for initiating this encounter.
Gao Tu straightened himself, fixing his blazer, he looked at the old man who had suggested his son for his alpha, the love of his life, the father of his children and his soon-to-be husband. He took a moment to remove his scent patch that had been rendered useless when his scent exploded to calm his alpha.
“You're not a beta,” observed Mr Jun.
“No, Sir, afraid not, but I went as one long enough for the perception to still linger.”
“Then you're-”
“I am the lowly runaway omega you were referring to just moments ago,” Gao Tu said, looking at Mr Jun’s face marred with realisation.
His left hand, which he had tried to keep in his pocket, moved to fix his glasses and thus flashing the diamond that sat on his finger in the form of the proposal ring that he had accepted just a couple of days ago.
“That's-”
“Oh this,” admiring the ring as he looked at his hand, Gao Tu smiled fondly as he said, “he was adamant I accept this time,” he met the man's eyes before continuing, "I apologise on behalf of Shen WenLang, as flattering as it is that you considered him but he is already betrothed.”
Gao Tu made to leave but paused, “Mr Jun, I wanted to clear something with you. Shen Wen Lang has worked hard by himself with the support of his friend to build HS group and he chooses to not associate with the Shen Group. As deserving as your son may be to be the empress of an empire but it would not have been the Shen Empire.”
He nodded to Sheng Shao You, blushing when he saw the other man was looking at him proudly, and walked away to find his alpha.
“He knows nothing about how lineages work and he's sitting on top of one of the oldest,” remarked Mr Jun, as he watched the omega walk away. If he was asked personally, he was rather impressed by the omega’s professionalism.
“I honestly can't believe you did that, Uncle,” said Sheng Shao You, as stern as he could be with this old alpha. “You've embarrassed me in front of my friend and business partner.”
“Why was your omega left in charge of an agitated alpha?” asked Mr Jun.
“Seriously, that's what's on your mind!" Shao You couldn't believe that the alpha had caught that, but he was also feeling affronted, "they're friends, you need to come out of your primitive ideology and keep up with the times. It would do your company and your son a lot of good,” Shao You said before walking away from the alpha who had in just one evening made his blood boil more than Shen Wen Lang.
That may be an exaggeration but he's in the league for the most infuriating, he thought.
“Why would you make me talk to that man?”
“It worked out, didn't it?” Hua Yong asked, picking up two flutes and passing them to Wen Lang, who gulped it down immediately.
“How did it work out? What worked out?” Shen WenLang asked, baffled by the Cheshire cat grin on his not-friend’s face.
“How long were you planning on hiding your relationship from the corporate world?”
Shen Wen Lang considered his words and in that moment realised that what had just transpired with Mr Jun had been at a public event and everyone probably didn't just see but recorded Gao Tu calming him down.
“Given the new pregnancy, you were already on borrowed time,” Hua Yong continued with his eerie grin, “Congratulations on that, by the way,” he punctuated with a wink, “you really do work him hard.”
Before Wen Lang could respond Gao Tu walked up to them and then nothing else mattered as he pulled his omega into a tight embrace burying his face in his nape breathing in his now unrestrained scent.
“I owe you an apology,” Hua Yong confessed, “I knew what that man wanted.”
Gao Tu furrowed his brows, the enigma shrugged his shoulders in response.
“Congratulations on the new baby, by the way,” said the enigma, and of course he knew. Gao Tu sighed, shaking his head. “Peanut keeps asking for a sibling, this would keep him busy.”
Gao Tu nodded, he was aware what the two young boys got up to and currently they were obsessed with having a younger sibling to spoil.
Hua Yong left to find his alpha, leaving Gao Tu to focus on the alpha making home in his neck.
“Let’s head home?” Shen Wen Lang nodded against his neck. “You’ll have to let me go for that, Wen Lang,” he stated, which only made the alpha hold him tighter.
“Never.”
Gao Tu giggled at the dramatic response and gently shoved the alpha. He led them towards the exit, which was still dressed up in a red carpet, with the paparazzi still hanging around.
Shen Wen Lang followed behind Gao Tu, admiring his to-be-husband's form, as flattering as the suit was, it honestly did no justice to what lay underneath.
“President Shen!”
He turned to look at the cameraman who had just called his name.
“A picture please!”
An idea clicked in his head and he smiled, the flashes going off as President Shen wasn't known to do such a thing as smile.
Gao Tu paused. The omega just knew his alpha was about to pull something.
As if on cue, Shen Wen Lang grabbed Gao Tu's hand, the one that wasn't hidden from the media, and tugged the Omega to him.
“Wen Lang,” Gao Tu gasped, a hairbreadth away from slamming nose first into the Alpha's chest. He felt an arm circle around his waist as another came and lifted his chin to meet Wen Lang's eyes. He saw resolve written in them.
No amount of wishing to keep their relationship private and his identity as Wen Lang's omega hidden was going to stand in the wake of what Mr Jun had instigated.
Hidden near the entrance, Hua Yong smiled proudly as he watched Wen Lang kiss his wife in the middle of a red carpet amidst flashes from the cameras he so abhors. He's certain if he had told Wen Lang he would do something like this Wen Lang would have vacuumed the floor and then rolled on it laughing.
“President Shen!”
A lone woman, standing with a microphone, called him as he pulled away from his omega’s beautiful lips. For a second time that night Shen Wen Lang smiled in front of the cameras. He recognised her from one of the niche media houses that he had invested in, as admiration for their work for social justice.
Before Gao Tu could comprehend what was happening, Shen Wen Lang was pulling him towards a gentle looking omega woman dressed in a beautiful gown, looking excitedly as they approached.
“President Shen, thank you for talking to us,” she and the beta cameraman bowed in greeting.
“It's nice to see your banner at such a big event. You're doing really good work out there,” Shen Wen Lang replied, putting the two at ease, while pulling Gao Tu to himself with an arm around his waist.
“President Shen, pardon me for assuming but would you like to introduce us to your fiance?”
Shen Wen Lang grinned, “You are right in your assumption,” he nodded, smiling at Gao Tu, “formerly known as Secretary Gao, he is now the COO of HS Group,” he smiled proudly at his blushing mate, whose head was bowed in an attempt to hide his blush, “and I would like to announce here officially that Gao Tu is my mate and my future husband.”
Gao Tu looked up and his saucer eyes met Wen Lang’s grinning ones, and all he could do was shake his head a little and roll his eyes at his husba- future husband’s childish behaviour.
“Is there any reason why you’re finally coming out with your relationship?”
“Yes, there is, I want everyone to stop throwing their sons and daughters at me,” Gao Tu could only watch as his husband started on a spiel, “I am not the most eligible bachelor in the country. I keep getting that title, flattering as it may be,” Shen Wen Lang points at Gao Tu with his free hand, “I am not a bachelor.”
“When did his husband drink?” Gao Tu asked himself.
“I have a beautiful omega, whom I love dearly, who is the best person in the world. I have-”
Gao Tu started rubbing his back, trying to coax his alpha to stop talking, patting gently in intervals.
“-always been committed to him, even when we were not together. And our son,” his finger wagging frantically to the two of them, “is very well taken care of by us, and we don’t need another person stepping in to take care of him or any future kids that we are having,” Wen Lang brought his other hand to rest on Gao Tu’s belly.
Gao Tu gasped, which made Wen Lang look at him, “we are not telling everyone that.”
Shen Wen Lang, once known to have the image of a fierce lone wolf could only be described as a kicked puppy in that moment.
Gao Tu turned to look at the interviewer, he pleaded, “Please if you could edit it out it would be great, it is too soon for us to be telling anyone.”
The woman and the cameraman looked at each other, their faces pale, before they said, “we are live.”
“Oh,” Gao Tu felt his stomach sink. He had been hoping to contact the agency and do some damage control. But knowing Wen Lang’s confession was now on the internet meant a full blown media scandal not just for them but for HS Group. It suddenly felt like too many things were going wrong in one night. Maybe Wen Lang was right and they should have stayed home.
Wen Lang, noticing the oncoming anxious spiral in Gao Tu’s mind, pressed a kiss to his head and let out soothing pheromones as he hugged the omega to him, who came way too easily given they were still out in public, and whispered, “It’s okay, I’ll keep you and the little ones safe.”
Gao Tu nodded. He knew that, of course he knew that. He was feeling much calmer now, he met Shen Wen Lang’s eyes and smiled as he pulled away from the hug.
Shen Wen Lang looked up and noticed the people from the news outlet had turned away the camera and were giving them as much privacy as they could given the red carpet. They looked at him when they noticed and he nodded at them to take their leave.
“President Shen, would you be interested to sit with us for a proper interview sometime?”
“Maybe later this month, I need to get a proper scolding first.”
Gao Tu laughed at the ridiculousness of that and smacked Shen Wen Lang’s back. He too nodded at the two as they whispered their apologies to him. It wasn’t their fault, he had just assumed since how slow things were that they wouldn’t be doing a live.
Little did Gao Tu know, the internet was blowing up and it was a media scandal.
But one that made HS Group stocks skyrocket.
Someone had leaked the video of Shen Wen Lang ready to jump an old man at the event in hopes to tarnish the image of the alpha. But it did not take much time for the people on the internet to connect the dots and figure out why Shen Wen Lang had announced his relationship the way he had. Now they were busy stanning their once unapproachable alpha wolf who had been tamed by the “bunny” omega. They had their latest wolf-rabbit love story and they were running with it.
To Shen Wen Lang’s dismay he went from being the most eligible bachelor to being the most desirable alpha.
“Stop desiring me, I am loyal to my omega,” Shen Wen Lang said the next time he was at the red carpet.
But that was not the worst part, no.
“Also,” Shen Wen Lang pointed directly at the camera, talking to people on the internet, “Stop thirsting for my omega. He is married. To ME!” he yelled, brandishing his ring.