One-way Passage

Xia Wennan was completely worn out.

Xia Wennan slept against the car window the entire time while Ming Luchuan was driving him home. Later, after the car pulled into the residential parking lot, Xia Wennan felt someone touch him, so he tilted his body away and rasped out, “What are you doing?”

“We’re home,” said Ming Luchuan as he reached around Xia Wennan’s arms and under his knees to pick him up.

Xia Wennan blinked and pushed Ming Luchuan’s hands away. “Don’t carry me. I can get there myself.”

He climbed out of the car, got to his feet, and staggered towards the elevator, with Ming Luchuan supporting him.

Once home, Xia Wennan insisted on taking a shower, and it wasn’t until he changed into his pyjamas that he faceplanted onto the bed, where he went out like a light.

Xia Wennan slept in a peaceful, dreamless bliss during the first part of the night, but by the second half of the night, he was having all kinds of dreams.

There was no bizarreness to his dreams; it was as if he’d been transported back to his university days, and he experienced so many things that by the time he woke up the next morning, for an instant, he thought he was still in his university dormitory.

He lay in bed for a while, spacing out, until he realised that the bed was large and missing mosquito net. There was also a man lying next to him.

Xia Wennan poked at the man, who turned over and effortlessly drew Xia Wennan into his arms.

When Xia Wennan saw the familiar face, he immediately remembered that this man was an alpha named Ming Luchuan, and they were married.

“I…” Xia Wennan trailed off.

Ming Luchuan, who had actually been awake for some time but had remained in bed to keep Xia Wennan company, inquired, “What?”

A fleeting look of bewilderment crossed Xia Wennan’s features before his eyes gradually cleared. “Ah, Trees and Flowers,” he said, recalling where he was and what had happened the day before.

Ming Luchuan studied him for a moment. “Yeah, Trees and Flowers,” he said, a small smile gracing his lips.


Xia Wennan moved to sit up, but Ming Luchuan kept his arm around his waist, so he could only lie there and say, “I had a really long dream.”

“What did you dream of?” asked Ming Luchuan.

“The past,” said Xia Wennan.

“The past?” Ming Luchuan carded his fingers through Xia Wennan’s silken hair, which had gotten long without him noticing. The locks curled around Ming Luchuan’s fingers. “Were they things you already had memories of or things you’d forgotten?”

Xia Wennan was slightly blindsided. He gave Ming Luchuan a look. “Things I already had memories of or forgotten?”

“Mm?” Ming Luchuan withdrew his hands, raised himself up into a half-sitting position, and gazed at Xia Wennan from above. “What’s the matter?”

Xia Wennan shifted his eyes doubtfully. “I’m not sure.”

Ming Luchuan frowned.

“I’m not sure if they’re things I already remember or not,” Xia Wennan said. “It feels like they should be. A large part of those memories were of my university days.”

Ming Luchuan ruffled his hair. “Should we go see Dr. Lin?” he suggested, voice laced with worry.

Xia Wennan shook his head. “Didn’t he examine me already? My regular therapy sessions should be fine. It’s not good to go too frequently, is it?”

Xia Wennan, who had successfully completed his perfume, was given a long vacation.

Ming Luchuan, on the other hand, was unable to follow suit since he needed to return to the company to oversee the follow-up work.

In the evening, Xia Wennan went to the Ming house on his own.

At this time, the real Ming Siyan had already been discharged. Ming Qin had brought him to recuperate at home, while Ming Sichen was still in the hospital, but because he was now in police custody, arrangements had been made for him to be transferred to a special hospital, where he would be cared for by special medical personnel.

The sun had yet to fully sink into the horizon when Xia Wennan arrived at the Ming residence. Despite the fact that it was winter, the weather had been quite pleasant for the last couple of days, the temperature rather warm.

Ming Siyan was sitting in his wheelchair outside on the lawn, observing the sunset.

All of a sudden, Xia Wennan noticed the red lanterns hanging in the courtyard, and in his stupor, he abruptly realised that Chinese New Year was right around the corner.

He walked up to Ming Siyan, and when he looked down at him, Ming Siyan also looked up.

Ever since he was admitted to the hospital, Ming Siyan had stopped taking psychotropic drugs; his disoriented hours had lessened, and his lucid periods became more frequent. His eyes were almost always clear, as they were now, and after staring at Xia Wennan for some time, he even smiled at him.

Xia Wennan was taken aback. He knelt down and looked Ming Siyan in the eye. “Do you recognise me?”

Ming Siyan didn’t say anything.

Long gone were the days when Xia Wennan found the beta youth in the wheelchair a little frightening. He couldn’t help but lean closer to take a look at Ming Siyan’s nape; the tattoo there covered a large swathe of the horrific scar, which was virtually undetectable if one didn’t look too closely.

That’s where his glands used to be, Xia Wennan thought. Ming Siyan had undoubtedly been a very blessed omega, and yet now he had lost everything.

This notion actually struck him as a little strange; Xia Wennan was a beta himself, and he had never felt any pity for betas, yet he couldn’t help but pity this omega, who had turned into a beta as a result of having his glands removed forcibly.

Xia Wennan furtively stroked Ming Siyan’s head.

Ming Siyan gave him another smile, which made him look a little similar to that goofy Ming Siyan Xia Wennan first encountered.

Right then, Ming Qin was walking towards the garden.

Xia Wennan swiftly retracted his hand and acted as if nothing had happened.

Ming Qin came over and wheeled Ming Siyan into the living room.

Xia Wennan trailed close behind.

“You’ve finished developing your beta perfume,” Ming Qin commented as they walked.

“Wow, dad, you’re pretty well-informed,” said Xia Wennan.

Ming Qin came to a halt and turned to Xia Wennan. “Are you making fun of me?”

Startled, Xia Wennan blankly said, “I’m not making fun of you.”

Ming Qin resumed pushing Ming Siyan towards the house. He remained mute until he neared the small ramp in front of the house and pushed the wheelchair upwards, rather clumsily, at which point he stated, “I’ll stay out of company affairs in the future.”

Xia Wennan lent him a helping hand. “Have you decided to go out and get back into the dating scene?”

Ming Qin tightened his grip on the wheelchair handle, and once they reached level ground, he stopped and said to Xia Wennan, “Why do I have to date? Can I not stay at home to take proper care of Siyan?”

Xia Wennan let out an “Oh,” then thought for a bit before saying, “Yin Zejing contacted me a few days ago.”

Ming Qin’s expression remained nonchalant. “That’s none of my business.”

Xia Wennan had intended to discuss how how Moze’s pheromone perfume hadn’t had the best reception when it first hit the market, but it managed to resurrect the topic of pheromone perfumes, and when combined with the hints Ming Yan dropped about the two new pheromone perfumes they would be launching in the spring, the entire market was buzzing.

Yin Zejing had contacted Xia Wennan because he’d wanted more information.

Xia Wennan had been preoccupied with R&D for the last few days, so he’d neglected him. Today he was free, but he also ignored him.

The reason he brought it up now was because he wanted to know Ming Qin’s reaction, but seeing that Ming Qin wasn’t interested, he dropped the issue.

They went back inside. “I haven’t prepared dinner for you,” Ming Qin told Xia Wennan as he brought Ming Siyan to the dining room.

Upon hearing Ming Qin’s words, Xia Wennan said, “I guess I’ll get going then.”

Ming Qin stopped in his tracks. Holding back his anger, he said, “Can you not just put up with it?”

“Oh—” Xia Wennan had no idea what he was mad about.

When everyone was seated, Xia Wennan watched as Ming Qin personally fed Ming Siyan. “You haven’t hired a caregiver?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m not going to,” Ming Qin responded. “I’ll take care of him myself from now on.”