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Absently, Wenlang wondered if there was any way he could gift Gao Tu a new suit without it looking suspicious.
The two were currently attending a dinner party together. A sub-branch of X Holdings that was managed by one of Hua Yong’s cousins had just passed the trial phase of a new clinical system and was opening a public clinic in Country P. Of course, Shen Wenlang was required to attend. He had yet to see his Co-Founder anywhere, however that came as more of a relief than anything. He was sure if the Enigma was to cause trouble, he’d catch a whiff of it quickly.
In the meantime, he sat at the banquet and chatted with everyone else. Zheng Yushan had settled in the seat next to Shen Wenlang, while whatever new Omega he had brought with him settled on Gao Tu’s other side. Shen Wenlang had allowed himself to drift out of the conversation, not caring much for whatever story the other Alpha was telling. Gao Tu, however, had leaned over Shen Wenlang to hear better, clearly very engaged in whatever tale was being told. Shen Wenlang held his breath, as if even breathing would cause the Beta Secretary to move away from him. It was as if his whole body became attuned to where the two were brushing against each other, delighting in the warmth from the contact. He was almost irritated by the attention Gao Tu was giving Zheng Yushan, an irking little voice in his mind told him that the Beta liked Zheng Yushan. Maybe he would mention to Gao Tu later that Zheng Yushan only fancied Omegas. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Beta’s eyes shifted upwards to meet Shen Wenlangs. Gao Tu’s large eyes seemed to glimmer, and he offered Shen Wenlang a small smile that made the Alpha’s heart thrum happily. His body always reacted like that when the Beta’s attention was on him. Before he could fully appreciate how sweet the Beta looked, gazing up at him, Gao Tu’s attention shifted back to the other Alpha, who was still talking.
Shen Wenlang’s gaze turned to a patch on the Beta’s suit that was beginning to look rather worn. He knew that he paid Gao Tu well enough to buy a new suit. He paid Gao Tu enough that it had Hua Yong raising an eyebrow when going over the company’s monthly expenses. However the Enigma had given an understanding hum when Shen Wenlang explained his school-friends family situation and they had left it at that. Honestly Shen Wenlang wasn’t convinced that was everything Gao Tu put his paycheck towards, considering he should have been making a good sum of money even after the hospital expenses were paid. But the Beta never pried in Shen Wenlang’s personal affairs, so he didn’t feel like this was something worth bringing up in return. Would a new suit gifted to him seem like blatant favoritism, Wenlang mused. It didn’t matter, the Beta wouldn’t accept anything he thought cost too much money, even knowing Shen Wenlang was rolling in it.
Zheng Yushan grabbing Wenlang’s shoulder had him snapping out of his contemplation, his eyes shifting from the now-retreating Beta to the other Alpha.
“Let’s go for a smoke, hmm?” The other Alpha coaxed. Shen Wenlang agreed, following him out.
Out on the patio, Wenlang listened to other Alpha’s gripe about whatever they could. Mostly familial issues, whiney wives, bratty children, unreceptive Omega’s. Listening to all the senior Alpha’s around him made Wenlang even more certain of his stance against Omega’s. It was affirmation to all he believed, that they were just a burden, a waste of space. In his mind he briefly considered it. Some pretty, delicate, faceless Omega, waiting for him with a coy smile. Wenlang repressed a shudder. No. It didn’t appeal to him at all, not unless the person waiting for him was- Through the windows he could see Gao Tu smiling gently at a young Omega. The Beta’s eyes were soft and they seemed to regard the Omega with genuine care. A sharp exhale from Shen Wenlang left him in a cloud of smoke, the butt of the cigarette losing its shape between his teeth as his jaw clenched.
“Enjoying yourself?” A coy voice asked. Shen Wenlang couldn’t be bothered to suppress his eyeroll as his attention shifted to the Enigma who had come to surely ruin his evening. Hua Yong had begun to dress more effeminately, choosing light blouses in similar fashion to what was trending in Omegan fashion. It suited him well enough, accentuating his more delicate features in a way that would typically attract an Alpha. Wenlang didn’t particularly see the appeal.
“Cigarrette?” He offered, holding the open box towards the Enigma.
“No, thank you, it’ll mess with the medication.” Hua Yong denied. His orchid scent was lighter than usual, almost like an Omega, though not quite. Shen Wenlang scoffed.
“Wasting your own time.” Wenlang grumbled around his cigarette. “There’s no appeal to it.” Hua Yong just shrugged his shoulders. He already knew Shen Wenlang didn’t approve of the medical testing the Enigma had been doing to his own body. And the Alpha had been quite vocal in his disagreement of conning the other Alpha by faking the Enigma’s secondary gender. Hua Yong found it was easier to simply not engage with Wenlang when he was huffing insults.
“Where is your little secretary?” Hua Yong changed the subject, gentle eyes flitting around with vague curiosity. He had never met the Beta that Wenlang had been so attached to since they were young adults. Wenlang’s eyes trailed back to the window, Hua Yong following where the Alpha was looking.
Gao Tu had removed himself from the gaggle of Omega’s he had been entertaining and had settled at the bar, where a Beta had taken an interest in him. Shen Wenlang had to bite his tongue at the icy fury that shot through his veins when the Beta rested a hand on Gao Tu.
“Ah,” Hua Yong hummed almost appreciatively. “So that’s him.” Shen Wenlang huffed his confirmation, still watching the pair inside interact. Hua Yong gave almost a thoughtful pause as he regarded Gao Tu, before commenting.”He’s quite popular. He had the attention of quite a few Omega’s earlier.”
“Don’t say stupid things.” Wenlang growled sharply. There was no possibility of it, surely Gao Tu would never see any appeal in an Omega. How could he? That snide little voice in his mind had been awakened all the same, planting more doubt in his mind. As Wenlang watched the other Beta draw closer to Gao Tu it hissed in his mind, just loud enough; But a Beta with another Beta isn’t strange, it’s almost expected even.
“He’s cute.” Hua Yong affirmed, the final nail in the coffin that spurred Shen Wenlang into action.
“Stay away from him.” Shen Wenlang snapped, snuffing out his cigarette and storming back into the venue.
Gao Tu held a glass of alcohol that the other Beta had given him, though he was saying something about not feeling well. The other Beta noticed Shen Wenlang approaching before Gao Tu did, which did nothing but irritate Shen Wenlang further.
It wasn’t difficult to pry the glass from Gao Tu’s grasp. Both Beta’s stared at him with wide eyes, though Wenlang’s gaze stayed hard on the stranger, glaring at the other man.
“He shouldn’t drink, he’s not feeling well. I’ll drink it for him.” The stranger seemed to understand there was no place for him between Gao Tu and Shen Wenlang, leaving in a hurry under Shen Wenlang's harsh glare. The Alpha’s gaze shifted to Gao Tu, and the sight had him momentarily faltering. Gao Tu had unconsciously moved closer to Wenlang, having to crane his head a little to look up at the Alpha. His eyes were wide and shining with near wonder. The attention had Wenlang’s ears turning red. He could feel a warmth in his chest, before it suddenly rushed as if being unleashed through his blood stream. Shen Wenlang was hit with a sudden, dizziness wave of heat that was near painful. It had his eyes screwing shut as he struggled to orientate himself. Vaguely he could feel someone at his side, the places where they supported him only burning hotter, but he didn’t have the coordination to push them off.
Shen Wenlang was only faintly aware when he was seated in his car. He had begun to sweat profusely, the heat refusing to retreat. The scents that surrounded him were overwhelming and nauseating, the Alpha desperately wanted to lash out at the strong pheromones coming off from the people around him, but he couldn’t find the energy to do so. His limbs felt weighed down and it was getting hard to breathe.
Somebody led him up into his pent house, though the heat from the person was excruciating, they were the only one Shen Wenlang didn’t feel inclined to attack. If he had been any more coherent, he would have been able to identify the individual as Gao Tu, even without his sight. His subconscious clung to the person, seeking comfort through the storm. He could feel them trying to wrestle his grip off them, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go, instead drawing the familiar frame in closer to him. With a resolute push, the person had managed to knock Shen Wenlang off balance and the two toppled into soft sheets Shen Wenlang could identify as his own. The scent was comforting, his body’s base neutral. Despite the heat the other person was still sending through Wenlang’s body, he pulled them closer, pressing them between his body and the soft mattress. A faint scent came from the other person, and the mix of comfort they brought and the comfort the bed gave had Wenlang relaxing into a semi-dozing state. He could feel the other person wriggle out from under him and leave the bed, waking him once more. The lack of the other person had his heart-rate raising in stress, as if a comfort item had just been taken from him. An upset keen got stuck in the back of his throat as the Alpha began to fight his own body to wake up. His body felt impossibly heavy, making it difficult to even squirm. He managed to turn his head from where his face was crushed into the sheets, prying his eyes open despite the heavy protest from his body.
His vision was blurred, Wenlang had to blink a few times before he could make out the scene in front of him. The motion-sensitive lights of Wenlang’s closet had turned on, and within the room stood a confused-looking Gao Tu. Something akin to a purr began in Wenlang’s chest, a fantasy of Gao Tu carving out his own space in Wenlang’s closet momentarily taking over Wenlang’s mind. He liked that. The idea of Gao Tu belonging to the same space as Wenlang, as if he was a part of Wenlang’s home. The thought only distracted him momentarily, before something else began to demand attention. Gao Tu was too far away. Couldn’t he see Wenlang was hurting? Why wasn’t he soothing him? Why was his attention on something other than Wenlang?
A whine escaped Wenlang. Loud, needy, real. Wenlang would have been embarrassed, but the way it had Gao Tu’s attention back on him had Wenlang feeling rather proud of himself.
“Come here.” Shen Wenlang demanded. He meant to sound stern, commanding as he usually would. Instead, he sounded petulant. It didn’t matter, Gao Tu smiled at him. Gao Tu was so pretty when he smiled. Had the Beta always been so pretty? He had certainly always been cute, with his large, adoring eyes and sweeter demeanour. But now- Gao Tu was pretty. And far away. Still too far away. Not making any move to come closer.
“I’m trying to find you pajamas,” Gao Tu soothed. Even his voice was pretty, Shen Wenlang wanted him closer. Urgently. “It can’t be comfortable to sleep in those clothes.” Shen Wenlang whined again, low in his chest. The whole thing was a chore, but Gao Tu didn’t seem like he was going to come any closer until he got what he wanted.
“Bottom drawer of the third cabinet.” Shen Wenlang forced out, watching through wet eyes as Gao Tu crouched down and began rifling through the clothes there. Shen Wenlang surveyed as the Beta pulled out a few different articles of clothes, finding himself charmed with the way Gao Tu’s face would scrunch when he was unsatisfied with the clothes. Shen Wenlang didn’t get to see Gao Tu displeased with much of anything these days, the Beta always grateful or acting to pacify Wenlang when the Alpha was displeased. Shen Wenlang found himself wishing to know everything that displeased the Beta, so that he could fix it for him. Goa Tu dug into the back of the drawer and pulled out a set, running the material through his fingers and scenting it, before his face broke into a look of satisfaction. Wenlang wanted to see Gao Tu like that everyday.
Gao Tu finally came back to Shen Wenlang, though despite his best efforts, the Alpha could not pull himself up to meet the Beta. His entire body still felt weighted, though his irritation at the fact dissipated when he felt the Beta’s gentle hands on his arms and torso, pulling him up into a sitting position. Lead limbs made it difficult to even bring his hands to the buttons of his clothes, even more difficult to try to maneuver them to unclasp. After an embarrassing amount of failed attempts, Wenlang dropped his hands.
“Help.” He huffed. Gao Tu lowered his head, blocking his face from view and Shen Wenlang found himself irritated by the gesture. Before he could say anything, Gao Tu had leaned forwards and began undressing Shen Wenlang, layer by layer. The Alpha had to swallow down hard as he became increasingly aware of his own heartbeat. As the Beta undid the final dress shirt, his knuckles dragged across Shen Wenlang’s torso in a way that had the Alpha flexing under his touch. Everything seemed to stop when the Beta reached for Shen Wenlang’s trouser clasp. Shen Wenlang wasn’t sure if he’d survive watching the Beta remove his pants, the effect it was having on his body was already too much, and he was becoming increasingly aware of the heat between his legs. Urgently, Wenlang clasped Gao Tu’s hand in his own hand before the Beta could touch his growing problem, trying to ignore how small the Beta’s hand looked in his grasp.
“I can do this one.” Shen Wenlang rasped. Gao Tu looked up at him in surprise, before nodding obediently and disappearing into the bathroom. Shen Wenlang trembled faintly, heart still pounding from the feeling of the Beta’s hands on him. Sluggishly, he ripped at his pants, forcing the clasp undone before shucking them to the ground with the rest of his clothes. He was able to pull on the pajama pants on, though grasping the button proved a challenge. Instead Shen Wenlang moved on to the shirt, though weighted limbs were difficult to pull through the sleeves, and his arm got caught in an awkward position, leaving the Alpha stuck. A yelp escaped him, and Gao Tu was back at his side in a moment. Shen Wenlang hardly had to give the Beta a look for him to help gently guide Shen Wenlang’s limbs into the clothing. Gao Tu was more efficient at doing up the buttons of the shirt than he had at undoing them, though that didn’t make the effect on Shen Wenlang any less.
When Gao Tu finally reached the pants, he didn’t give Shen Wenlang a moment to catch his breath before the Beta had grasped the fabric. Gao Tu’s fingers brushed against Shen Wenlang’s happy trail and the Alpha moaned. It was more of a whiney gasp. He hadn’t meant to, really he hadn’t, but it was Gao Tu- Gao Tu’s hands on him when he was so sensitive. Gao Tu didn’t seem awfully bothered by it however, clasping Shen Wenlang’s pants quickly as if he hadn’t heard anything.
The sudden spike in adrenaline had made the Alpha’s senses keener, however. His nose especially, and he almost unknowingly reached for the Beta. Gao Tu looked up as his boss's fingers ran along his arms and towards his throat. Gao Tu was a pretty shade of pink, and he followed compliantly as the Alpha pulled him up into his arms. Shen Wenlang held the Beta close in an embrace, nosing along his throat where the scent was strongest. He couldn’t quite identify it, it was as if the scent was watered down and filtered, but the Alpha could recognize it as what had soothed him earlier. Vaguely the Alpha wondered if in this heightened state he could sense even a Beta’s scent. Though they weren’t nearly as strong as the pheromones of Alpha’s and Omega’s, even Beta’s had unique chemical make-ups.
The thought slipped from his mind as he felt the Beta melt against him. Shen Wenlang was overcome with affection for the Beta as he held him. Gao Tu, his Gao Tu, always following willingly, happy to do whatever Wenlang wished. Devoted, sweet Gao Tu, who deserved just as much devotion and care in return. Shen Wenlang was indescribably delighted in the way the Beta pliantly followed where the Alpha pulled him, allowing Wenlang to tuck Gao Tu against himself under the covers. The Beta was curled in the Alpha’s arms, lying against his chest and fast asleep. Shen Wenlang found himself basking in the warmth of the other as his own fever began to subside, nosing Gao Tu’s hair as he allowed the comfort from the other lull him into a dreamless sleep.
***
It was much later when Shen Wenlang was jolted awake by a pressing heat. The fever had come back full force and all of the Alpha’s senses had attuned to the smaller form still curled in his arms. There was a near suffocating want for Gao Tu pounding at Shen Wenlang’s every sense, and he found himself pressing his body against the Beta.
The action only quelled his need momentarily before it came back. Closer, he needed to be closer to Gao Tu. He needed to fuse to the Beta if possible, dig out a cavern in Gao Tu’s chest and settle there, unreachable by the rest of the world, so that they could never be separated from each other. As he pressed himself even tighter against the Beta, his lips pressed against him as well and it was as if a lightbulb went off in Shen Wenlang's mind. Yes, this was what he needed. To feel skin, Gao Tu’s skin against his skin- Why was Gao Tu still dressed? This could not be comfortable for the Beta. Shen Wenlang kept pressing his mouth against the Beta, the action calming the fever running through his body by a fraction. Gao Tu began to squirm in Shen Wenlang’s grip as the Alpha fumbled to undo the suit-jacket buttons, slowly coming to with a content hum.
Then suddenly the Beta jolted away from the Alpha, pulling himself out of his reach. An injured animal keened somewhere, and Shen Wenlang belatedly realized the sound had come from himself. The rejection stung, even more so in his hyper-sensitive state. But Gao Tu didn’t look back at him, instead he rushed out of the bedroom. Shen Wenlang couldn’t pull himself up to follow the other man, his body still too heavy. He felt the closest to crying he had ever been since he was a child, tears stinging his eyes and he wished desperately for Gao Tu to return to his side. His body was restless, aching. His one salvation had abandoned him, Gao Tu didn’t want him. It hurt physically, he could feel it even through the intense burn within his body, the way his heart ached. Cries poured from his throat, the sensations all too much for the Alpha. He'd be humiliated by his own behaviour if he was in his right mind, but everything hurt too much to care.
An eternity in his burning Hell had passed before Shen Wenlang's hyper-sensitive ears caught the sound of feet shuffling against the ground, approaching him. Through tear-filled eyes he spotted Gao Tu. The Beta looked so beautiful, his face etched with concern and his dark eyes were trained solely on Shen Wenlang. Shen Wenlang wanted him desperately. He’d do anything to keep him, have him close. Anything the Beta wanted he’d give him, any instruction the Beta gave he’d follow, anything, anything as long as he stayed where the Alpha could reach him.
As if hearing the Alpha’s pleas, the Beta settled on the edge of the bed and allowed Shen Wenlang to grasp him. Like an angel, Gao Tu began to unbutton Shen Wenlang’s shirt. Shen Wenlang became acutely aware that he’d allow the Beta to do anything to him, as long as he kept touching him. Vaguely, Shen Wenlang acknowledged the soothing cloth Gao Tu was running along his body, the motion lulling him into a drowsy state.
All too soon, Gao Tu’s hands retracted from the Alpha’s body, sending a sharp panic through Shen Wenlang. He couldn’t will his eyes open, but his body convulsed as if going through a withdrawal without the Beta touching him. Hastily, he could feel Gao Tu grasp his hand, and the minor comfort was enough for Shen Wenlang in that moment.
***
Shen Wenlang woke the next morning to the assault of the bright morning sun shining into his eyes. The memories from the night before were blurry, he couldn’t recall any events after seeing Hua Yong at the banquet. He vaguely recalled being miserable and hot, but nothing clearly.
The Alpha turned his head away from the window, only for his eyes to land on a stunning sight. Gao Tu was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed in an uncomfortable position. Gao Tu’s hair was mussed, his head was tilted back and his lips were slightly parted. His hand was clasped in Shen Wenlang’s, causing a gentle warmth to spread through Shen Wenlang’s chest. His reliable Beta. Whatever had happened the night before, Gao Tu had surely taken care of it, as he had evidently cared for Wenlang. It was a wave of irritation that hit the Alpha next. Why was Gao Tu on the floor? The way he was leaned against the bed couldn't be comfortable, his neck was bent awkwardly. And why was he still in his suit jacket? The fabric was lifted and bunched brutally.
The migraine hit Shen Wenleng like a bus, his vision momentarily blacking out. He tore his hand from Gao Tu’s grasp, clutching at his own face as if it would dull the pain. A groan escaped him, and he could feel the beta jolt awake next to him. Soft hands pulled Shen Wenlang’s own hands away from his face, and squinting through the pain he could see the Beta’s stressed expression. Shen Wenlang found himself momentarily distracted from the pain, overwhelmed by how close he and Gao Tu suddenly were as the Beta inspected his face. Shen Wenlang’s eyes widened a fraction and he hoped Gao Tu couldn’t hear his heartbeat.
“You didn’t think to close the blinds last night?” Shen Wenlang managed through clenched teeth, hoping to distract Gao Tu. The Beta flushed and averted his gaze, muttering some sort of apology. Wenlang couldn’t really be bothered to listen as another headache had him throwing his head back against the pillows. “Painkillers are in the left-most cabinet in the bathroom.”
Goa Tu scrambled off of the Alpha and went to find the pills. Shen Wenlang took a moment to breathe, hoping it would steady his irregular heartbeat. As if exhausted, he scrubbed a hand down his face, the motion doing little to sooth his mind and heart. Shen Wenlang pushed himself into a sitting position, finding his entire body groaning in protest at the motion. His duvet tumbled off of him, the warmth evaporating with it and Shen Wenlang was a little more awake.
Gao Tu came back and Shen Wenlang found himself still stuck on one little thing.
“You couldn’t have changed into something else to sleep in?” Wenlang asked as he took the pills from Gao Tu, who looked down, avoiding Shen Wenlang's gaze.
“I didn’t bring anything to sleep in, this wasn’t exactly planned-”
“You could have at least taken off your jacket, it couldn’t have been comfortable.” The Beta looked almost embarrassed, as if he had some sort of retort but didn’t dare say it. Shen Wenlang almost huffed in disappointment. He wanted to hear anything Gao Tu had to say, he was almost irritated that Gao Tu didn’t trust him enough to just say it. Gao Tu seemed to be holding his tongue more lately, Welang didn’t like it, they had been growing more distant and the only possible cause he could think of was Gao Tu’s secret mate. Shen Wenlang halted his train of thought quickly, he didn’t want to ponder the needy Omega that had his old friend so worn-out.
Instead he got out of bed and dug through his pajama drawer, finding a lounge set to give the Beta. It was an old set, smaller than what Wenlang wore now, though he was sure it would still be too large for Gao Tu. It smelled vaguely of Wenlang’s pheromones, but surely a Beta wouldn’t mind that as much. Wenlang shoved the set into Gao Tu’s hands, almost impatiently. The Beta looked between the set and Wenlang in confusion.
“Change into this.” Wenlang explained.
“Sir- I can’t- I-” Gao Tu seemed to short-circuit.
“I’ll send your suit to the drycleaners with mine, it will be back by this afternoon.” Shen Wenlang tried not to allow the Beta’s obvious reservation upset him. Why did Gao Tu seem to want to leave? It couldn’t be that big of a deal to spend the morning with Shen Wenlang, could it? Unless the Beta was annoyed with him after last night, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Gao Tu really didn’t seem irritated with Shen Wenlang, just reluctant. Maybe it was the Omega, the nasty little jealous voice in Shen Wenlang’s mind had returned. He probably had plans with them, a date, or maybe he just missed them and was eager to get back to them. The last one hurt the most. Shen Wenlang missed Gao Tu too, even when the Beta was right in front of him he missed him, why couldn’t he just-
“Thank you.” Gao Tu murmured, holding the set close to his chest. Wenlang’s mind quieted, attention solely on Gau Tu as the Beta retreated into the bathroom. Good. This was good.
***
The house being empty was a bizarre experience. Usually at least the chef would be around in the mornings, but the house was still. No movement in the kitchen, no cleaner, and if he had to guess, no driver waiting to go to work. It took a few calls to get his staff back on track, though nobody seemed to want to say anything about the night before. Shen Wenlang knew better than to call Hua Yong on a Saturday morning, so instead he rang Chang Yu. The Alpha seemed surprised to receive a call from Shen Wenlang at all, but as Shen Wenlang explained the events of the previous night, at least what he could remember, an understanding settled between the two.
“I’ll update the boss,” Chang Yu was saying, “And I’ll look into that mystery Beta. It sounds like a pretty powerful drug if it managed to knock you out like that. Don’t let your secretary get involved with this further, he was the obvious target for the drug-” But Shen Wenlang was no longer listening. The Alpha had just become acutely aware that he had not fully considered the effect seeing Gao Tu in his clothes would have on him. The Beta had taken a tin of tea from Shen Wenlang’s hands and turned to brew it as if it was the most comfortable thing in the world for him. It should be, he should feel comfortable here, Shen Wenlang’s mind supplied. The Alpha allowed himself a moment to appreciate Gao Tu fully, the way the silk draped from his sturdy frame. The Beta was noticeably smaller without the layers and padding the suit, looking almost frail, but his shoulders were still broad, his movements were still assured. Wenlang muttered a goodbye to Chang Yu and hung up the phone. He allowed himself to hover near Gao Tu who had no issue letting himself into any corner of Shen Wenlang’s kitchen to find food for them.
Shen Wenlang liked that. It made it easy to slip into banter the way they had back in school. Before Gao Tu started smelling like someone else and their arguments became more frequent. Though Gao Tu didn’t say much, his silence felt less forced and more comfortable. More than once Shen Wenlang caught the Beta unwittingly grinning wide at a comment or jab Wenlang had made. The sense of accomplishment that filled Shen Wenlang every time he caught those grins was elating. He wanted Gao Tu to always grin like that, like he had no worries in the world. And Shen Wenlang, selfishly, wished to always be there to see it.
***
A few days later, Shen Wenlang was making himself comfortable on Hua Yong’s couch, while the Enigma was scrolling through his phone.
“Telling me to stay away from your secretary, then giving him my number? You sure are sending mixed signals.” Hua Yong idly teased.
“It was just so he could send you an account of the events, I told him not to text you otherwise.” Hua Yong gave a doubtful hum, only to agitate Shen Wenlang. “Don’t text him, if he texts you, ignore him- I’m serious, Hua Yong!”
“I’m sure you are.” The Enigma acknowledged boredly, “He’s so sweet though, who could deny him? Even his voice is so… sweet.” Hua Yong waved his phone, before pressing something on the screen. From the device, Gao Tu’s voice played, soft and a little hesitant.
“Hello Sir, this is Gao Tu. I was the one with Shen Wenlang yesterday and through the night. I think there must have been some sort of aphrodisiac in one of the drinks last night- it was my fault, he drank it on my behalf- there was a salt like residue in the glass after he drank it. The effect was almost instant, he fell into a pre-rut state and was hardly able to walk. The drug caused a very high fever- I never measured it, shoot- and I think it must have made his body numb, he was unable to sit up on his own, or dress himself. It didn’t seem like a rut though, unless Mr. Shen’s ruts are usually like this, I wouldn’t know, but he wasn’t trying to sleep with me. Well, he did once, but it was more like a… like a heat. He just wanted to be comforted, he was delirious, not fully aware of his surroundings… but he… cried when left alone. Or if he couldn’t feel me. He was back to himself by morning though! Luckily they didn’t trigger a full rut. I believe the only symptom was a headache in the morning. I’m not sure what he remembers from the night. I don’t believe I’ve forgotten anything, if you have any follow up questions, please reach out to me through the same number, thank you!”
With that, the line went dead. Shen Wenlang was simultaneously mortified and curious.
“I wasn’t aware you were so clingy, A-Lang.” Hua Yong teased with a slight smirk, visibly more lively than he had been before playing the message. “Crying out for your secretary. You’ve never cried for me to touch you. Unless… He’s special somehow?”
“Shut up!” Wenlang snapped, cheeks burning. Him? Clingy? He wasn’t clingy, he was perfectly capable of being separated from the Beta, it wasn’t like they were attached to each other constantly. Surely he wouldn’t have…
“We need to find whoever is distributing that drug immediately." Shen Wenlang ordered. “It’s dangerous to have something that could alter a person's inhibitions and behaviours available.”
Hua Yong looked more amused than concerned, but he hummed his agreement, turning back to his phone.