Ch.68 – One-way Passage

Posted on February 10, 2022 by gooseberry

The room became so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Xia Wennan tried his hardest to press his ear against the door, hoping to hear what Ming Qin had to say, but in the end, his long wait bore no fruit.

Ming Siyan sprang to his feet.
He’d been squatting for what seemed like a long time, and his legs had gone numb, so he stomped his feet on the floor a few times.
He’d done it softly, but because their surroundings were so quiet, the sound was audible.

After stomping his feet, Ming Siyan himself was stunned, turning to look at the tightly shut door in front of him.

Xia Wennan heard slight movement coming from the study and, those inside had heard the sound of Ming Siyan’s stomping and could come to open the door to check at any time, he rose to his feet and hurried to the staircase, fearing that he would later make a fool of himself.

Ming Siyan followed him over, and the two silently made their way down the stairs one after another.

When they reached the second floor, Ming Siyan quickened his pace to catch up to Xia Wennan and grabbed his arm, saying, “Wennan, why don’t you come to my room?”

“A B and an O alone together…” Xia Wennan responded absently.
“That’s not very appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Ah? We used to chat like that in the past though,” said Ming Siyan.

“Things have changed.
I’m more conscious now.

Ming Siyan appeared somewhat disappointed, but he kept his grip on Xia Wennan’s arm.
“Da-ge is so lucky,” he said.
“There’s no way he’d have the guts to talk to dad like that if you two weren’t together.”

Xia Wennan had already developed a rough understanding of Ming Siyan’s mental processes.
“Then why don’t you break up with your boyfriend and be with me?” he suggested.

“Can we?” Ming Siyan exclaimed in astonishment.

“…I think so?”

“What? Didn’t you just say so?”

“I don’t think we can.”

Ming Siyan’s face fell.
“I knew you were messing with me.” Then, his hand slowly slid downwards, taking Xia Wennan’s hands in his.

This time around, Xia Wennan couldn’t easily dodge him.
He could only stare down at where their hands were joined together and ask Ming Siyan, “What are you doing?”

“I wanna talk to you,” said Ming Siyan.

“We’ll talk after you let go of my hand.”

“If I let you go, you’ll run off.”

“Spit it out then.”

“I’ve only just figured out why da-ge would give up on Duan Ning so decisively back then,” said Ming Siyan.

Xia Wennan stared at him.
“Didn’t you already know why?”

Ming Siyan took a deep breath.
“I just feel bad for you.
Da-ge has been using you to oppose dad, he’s completely taking advantage of you.”

Xia Wennan pretended not to understand.
“Why would he oppose your dad?”

“Because dad has never liked him since he was little.
Ming Yan is dad’s lifeblood—if you hadn’t decided to marry da-ge, dad would never have handed Ming Yan over to him.”

Xia Wennan said, “So he only got together with me in order to replace your dad as the president of Ming Yan?”

Ming Siyan abruptly grabbed Xia Wennan’s other hand.
They were standing face to face, Ming Siyan’s glittering, pitch-black eyes locked on Xia Wennan.
“Wennan, don’t be sad.”

“…I’m all right.”

“If anything upsets you, you can tell me all about it,” said Ming Siyan.
“Whatever happens between you and my big brother, it won’t change a thing between us.”

After a brief pause, Xia Wennan said, “Thank you.”

The sound of footsteps could be heard coming from the stairwell.

Xia Wennan eventually managed to break free from Ming Siyan, and because the latter had no wish to run into Ming Luchuan, he turned around and went to his bedroom.

Thus, only Xia Wennan was left in the corner of the steps.
He stood there waiting for Ming Luchuan to come down from the third floor.

Ming Luchuan’s countenance was calmer than Xia Wennan had expected as he proceeded down the stairs, his footfalls sounding especially steady as he walked all the way up to Xia Wennan, step by step.
“You were eavesdropping outside, earlier.”

“It wasn’t me,” said Xia Wennan.
“It was Ming Siyan.”

“How would you have known Ming Siyan was eavesdropping outside if you hadn’t come up to the third floor?”

Xia Wennan unapologetically claimed, “I wanted to eavesdrop, at first, but when I went up to the third floor, I saw that Ming Siyan got there before me, so it was too awkward to go over.”

Ming Luchuan stared at him for a while before mutely sidestepping him and walking in the direction of his bedroom.

Xia Wennan followed closely behind him, asking, “You thought I was eavesdropping, so you deliberately said a few nice things for me to hear, didn’t you?”

“What nice things did I say?”

Xia Wennan refused to take the bait.
“I didn’t listen in on you.
How would I know what nice things you said about me?”

“Right,” said Ming Luchuan.
“And I didn’t say anything nice, so I didn’t do anything deliberately, did I?”

As they arrived at the door of Ming Luchuan’s room, Ming Luchuan opened the door and walked in.

Xia Wennan stopped at the doorway, asking, “We’re not going home tonight?”

“Dad said he needs to think about it,” said Ming Luchuan.
“He’ll make his decision tomorrow morning.”

Xia Wennan then entered the room and said, “I don’t want to spend the night here,” while walking to the bed and sprawling across it.

Ming Luchuan was standing by the bed and looking at his phone, seeming to have received a work-related message.

Ming Luchuan’s words were running through Xia Wennan’s mind.
At the time, separated by a door, he’d only felt the pitter-patter of his heart fluttering.
Now that the man himself was before him, his heartbeat grew faster and faster the more he looked at him.

He wanted to confirm what Ming Luchuan had said in the study and ask him what he was really thinking, but he’d only denied that he had been eavesdropping a second ago; it’s not like he could just slap his own face the next second, so with an itch he couldn’t scratch, he had to make do with teasing Ming Luchuan.

He kicked Ming Luchuan’s leg gently.

Ming Luchuan, who was still looking at his phone, merely grunted.
“Hm?”

“Why did you marry me?” said Xia Wennan.

Ming Luchuan finally looked at him.
He did not, however, respond to the question.

“Your little brother said that you’re using me to oppose your dad,” Xia Wennan added shortly after.

“Really?” Ming Luchuan said impassively.

“I don’t think you are, though.”

Ming Luchuan placed his phone on the bedside cabinet and started unbuttoning his collar.
“What do you think then?”

Xia Wennan sat up, propped up on his palms, his legs still splayed out in front of him.
He delicately caressed Ming Luchuan’s leg with his toe before laughing and said, “You married me because you’re madly in love with me, of course.
You can’t live without me.”

Ming Luchuan looked at him, towering over Xia Wennan.
With downcast lashes and an indiscernible smile in his eyes, he coldly said, “Really?”

Xia Wennan retracted his foot and crossed his legs, arms hugging his chest.
He smiled up at Ming Luchuan and said, “Let’s break it down, shall we? Growing up, you saw how badly Ming Qin treated you, how he solely favoured your two younger brothers; it’s also clear that you don’t get along with them.
You later developed feelings for Duan Ning, but he rejected you.
You’re the type of person who needs love but is also afraid of getting hurt, so the moment Duan Ning rejected you, you gave up on those feelings without hesitation.
And then I showed up.
I, Ming Yan’s chief perfumer, father of pheromone perfumes, and perfume industry genius—such an exceptional young man liked you and also took the initiative to propose to you, so you fell head first right away and couldn’t get out.
Am I right?”

The hint of a smile in Ming Luchuan’s eyes gradually diminished.
As he looked at Xia Wennan, his expression grew focused, and when he heard this, he once again asked coldly, “Really?”

The tilt of Xia Wennan’s head revealed the fair and slender curve of his neck and shoulders.
He seemed to be recalling something.
“You said that it’s not worth investing in unreciprocated feelings.
You couldn’t stand Duan Ning rejecting you, yet despite the fact that I’ve lost my memories for this long, you’ve always waited for me.
When I walked to the door of the civil affairs bureau, you weren’t willing to give me up at all.
So Duan Ning and I aren’t the same, are we?”

Ming Luchuan didn’t respond.

But Xia Wennan was certain that his words had pierced the depths of Ming Luchuan’s heart anyway; he patted his chest, and as he sat there cross-legged, he spread his arms and said, “Come here, I’ll give you everything you want.”

Ming Luchuan gazed at him.

Xia Wennan gave him a smile.

“And what is that?” Ming Luchuan asked, voice low and deep—yet a little unsteady.

Xia Wennan answered, “A loving hug.”