One-way Access

Xia Wennan was frightened out of his mind.

While he’d believed that Ming Luchuan was lying to him, there had always been a sliver of doubt in his mind that Ming Luchuan wasn’t lying—after all, Ming Luchuan even knew he had several moles on his ass, didn’t he?

Xia Wennan avoided Ming Luchuan completely after he got off work that afternoon, and at dinner time. He brought home takeout and locked himself in his room as soon as he could, turning on his laptop to binge-watch TV shows while eating dinner.

Xia Wennan had yet to hear Ming Luchuan return home after he finished eating, so he quickly disposed of his takeout boxes in the kitchen rubbish bin and ducked back into his room.

As Xia Wennan reached over to lock the door, a thought suddenly crossed his mind; if he and Ming Luchuan had done everything, then how could they possibly sleep in separate rooms? So. Ming Luchuan had to be lying. Thinking like this provided him with a great deal of comfort, giving him the conviction to keep denying Ming Luchuan’s remarks.  

The next morning, Xia Wennan stepped out of the house without waiting until Ming Luchuan got out of bed.

He held off until noon to eat at the company. Xia Wennan carried his lunch tray to the table where his lab co-workers sat, when all of a sudden, while he was eating and casually chatting with them, Ming Luchuan brought his meal tray over and sat down at their table.

The entire table was suddenly, deafeningly quiet. The sudden silence wasn’t limited to their table, but also the tables around it. 

Because the seat next to Xia Wennan was already occupied, Ming Luchuan settled down on the only empty seat at the table, which happened to be two seats away from him. 

The lab staff who sat between them was a female beta named Dong Liqian. The second Ming Luchuan sat down on her left, her senses were immediately assaulted by a subtle pressure, making the hand holding her chopsticks tremble.

She hesitated slightly, wanting to ask Xia Wennan, who was sitting at her right, if he would like to swap places with her, but Ming Luchuan had already opened his mouth, and her lips flew shut as she forced her head down.

“Come home for dinner tonight,” Ming Luchuan said.

The entire table waited for Xia Wennan’s response in silence, yet Xia Wennan merely kept eating and said nothing. 

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Dong Liqian stealthily elbowed Xia Wennan as he was lifting a piece of vegetable to his mouth. He lifted his head and looked towards Ming Luchuan. “You’re talking to me?”

Ming Luchuan stared back with an icy face.

“And here I thought you were talking to Liqian,” said Xia Wennan.

The pressure Dong Liqian sensed grew increasingly heavy. She lost her appetite completely, and picked up her tray as she stood up.

Xia Wennan looked up and asked, “You’re done?”

Dong Liqian nodded. “I’m on a diet.” She then immediately rushed off with her tray, seeking a remote corner to finish her meal. 

There was no longer anyone separating Ming Luchuan and Xia Wennan. 

And yet, nobody imagined that not even five seconds later, another male alpha from Xia Wennan’s lab carried his meal tray over and planted his ass on the seat between them. 

The male alpha’s name was Chen Wenchu, and he’d always had an airy disposition. He’d only seen Ming Luchuan’s back while he was walking over to their table and didn’t recognise him, nor did he catch the meaningful stares the others shot his way. It wasn’t until he sat down that he realised the atmosphere around the table had become even more awkward.

Chen Wenchu was taken aback at first, but he nodded to Ming Luchuan shortly afterwards. “Hello, President Ming.” With that greeting, Chen Wenchu was in a pickle; leaving wasn’t an option, nor was not leaving, so he simply gritted his teeth and dug into his meal.

Right then, Ming Luchuan said, “Xia Wennan.”

Xia Wennan turned to face him. “President Ming?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“You said to come home for dinner?” Xia Wennan asked, “Who’s cooking? You or me?”

“You can cook?”

“I can’t.” After saying that, he was suddenly a little unsure. “I can’t, right?”

“Then why bother asking?”

Xia Wennan thought, nevermind, I’ll give you face, and said, “Hm.”

“Come to my office after you finish work,” said Ming Luchuan. Xia Wennan nodded. 

At this time, a department manager came up to Ming Luchuan and bent down to report a work matter in his ear, appearing a bit anxious. 

“Let’s talk over there,” Ming Luchuan said as he picked up his tray and rose to his feet. After that, he moved to another table with the department manager.

The others at the table breathed a collective sigh of relief, their shoulders visibly slumping.

“Next time, Manager Xia, don’t sit at our table,” someone joked.

Xia Wennan joked back, “How could you cast me out like that?”

Chen Wenchu looked up. “Does President Ming normally speak to you like that at home?”

“Yeah,” said Xia Wennan, “he’s that fierce all day every day.”

“He’s never been the slightest bit gentle?” Chen Wenchu sighed with some emotion. “There’s no way I can be fierce to the one at home. Could it be because President Ming hasn’t marked you?” 

The moment his question was uttered, the person sitting across him coughed loudly, and forcibly changed the topic. 

Naturally, there was no need for Xia Wennan to answer that question, but he noticed how everyone carefully watched their words afterwards, never mentioning that he was a beta or the fact that he couldn’t be marked. An omega even looked at him with visible sympathy. 

As Xia Wennan made to leave after eating, Chen Wenchu said, “You’ve gotta keep a closer eye on President Ming. After all, he is an alpha.”

Someone next to Chen Wenchu kicked his foot under the table.

Chen Wenchu turned his head. “What?! I’m genuinely worried about Manager Xia, okay? I’m an alpha myself, I know how powerful an influence pheromones have.” 

Xia Wennan couldn’t help saying, “So alphas are all bound to be unable to control their lower bodies, is that it?”

Chen Wenchu calmly said, “It’s not a matter of our lower bodies, it’s how pheromones trigger the body’s instincts, you’ll know once you give it a try.”

Nobody else spoke, save for the only omega at the table, who gave a silent nod.

–

Because Xia Wennan had already promised Ming Luchuan, he went to Ming Luchuan’s office  that afternoon and sat in front of his desk.

Ming Luchuan was still on the phone, dealing with business affairs.

Xia Wennan took a pen from Ming Luchuan’s desk and twirled it between his fingers while listening to Ming Luchuan on the phone.

When Ming Luchuan noticed his gaze, he raised his head and met Xia Wennan’s eyes.

Xia Wennan started growing uncomfortable the longer he was under Ming Luchuan’s gaze, but he wanted Ming Luchuan to be the first one to look away and lose, so he widened his eyelids till his eyes goggled-out, sporting a menacing attitude as he glared at Ming Luchuan like an owl. 

Brows furrowing, Ming Luchuan turned his chair around to face the window and resumed his work call. When Ming Luchuan ended the call, Xia Wennan asked, “Will you cook for me when we get back?”

Ming Luchuan set his phone down on the table and began tidying up his things. “We’re going back to dad’s.”

“Mm?” Xia Wennan was a little surprised. “Why so suddenly?”

“He called me this morning,” Ming Luchuan slightly paused before continuing, “There’s a guest at home.”

Deep in thought, Xia Wennan had missed the second part of Ming Luchuan’s sentence. “Everyone’s going back?” he asked.

“Mm.”

Xia Wennan leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. “When I say everyone, I mean everyone who was at your house on the night of my accident.” 

Ming Luchuan looked at him. “What are you saying?”

Xia Wennan had never been able to let this matter go; as long as the Ming family was mentioned, it would return to occupy his mind.

A moment later, when Ming Luchuan’s question went unanswered, he added, “You want to know who the guest is?”

“What?” Xia Wennan was startled. “What guest?”

“Tonight’s dinner guest.”

Xia Wennan understood. He studied the expression on Ming Luchuan’s face and waggled his finger, saying, “Let me guess, might it be your white moonlight?”

Ming Luchuan’s face faintly froze over. “I don’t have a white moonlight.”

Xia Wennan covered his chest and sang, “Somewhere in my heart… So painful…”

“Please shut up.”

☆ ☆ ☆

t/n – a white moonlight, by the way, is someone you love or yearn for but is out of your reach