Chapter Text
Hua Yong is only twenty-three and he's already won. It shocks him too, when something or someone reminds him of his age. There's too much blood on his hands for him to have any sense of youth. And yet there is very little resting on Hua Yong's conscience to keep him up at night.
His family was involved in smuggling: drugs, guns, alphas, omegas
Hua Yong brings an end to these streams of income within Beicho Holdings with a verocity and sense of violence that indicates some kind of moral highground from those activities. But while human trafficking does genuinely offend him, the rest of it? He just doesn't want to be involved. He's a murderer, yes. But he's not a fucking criminal. That's just tasteless.
It takes years to dismantle the criminal network tied to his inheritance but Hua Yong does it with a single minded focus that gives him a clear sense of direction and when it's all done, when the bodies are buried and the ledgers are clean, he's twenty-three and he's master, he rules his world completely and he's empty, empty, empty
There was a person in his body years ago. He remembers affection in glimpses that he's not sure really happened. He remembers being held but not by who. Sometimes he catches a scent in his dreams, waking up with an ache in his chest, hurting in a way physical pain never does. Hua Yong hurts himself, regardless-- his only physical outlet. He doesn't have any sexual interest in even his own body. He imagines touching himself would be a like trying to fuck a corpse. The thought of touching someone else is somehow worse so sex isn't something that is on his mind often, if ever.
It genuinely catches him completely off-guard, the moment he realizes during a business dinner that, Sheng Shaoyou, CEO of Shengfang Biotech, wants to fuck him.
The S-Class Alpha has two fingers pressed to the inside of Hua Yong's wrist, his touch gentle but deliberate. His scent is subtle but overpowering. He's not using his pheromones to dominate and yet, for a moment, Hua Yong finds his head clouded with burnt, bitter orange and the subtle warmth of rum. His hand trembles slightly when he removes it from Sheng Shaoyou's hold, his stomach sinking with a feeling he's unfamiliar with. It feels a lot like disappointment. Hua Yong refuses to be visibly flustered by the unwanted attention and redirects the conversation back to business with cold effeciency.
The Alpha seems to get the message and, in an instant, he's back to the professional demeanor he'd always shown Hua Yong during the three months they've been working closely on their joint project.
The only thing that betrays him is how the warmth in his eyes doesn't go away, no matter how cold Hua Yong acts towards him, for the rest of their meeting.
It lingers in Hua Yong's mind. The touch. The affection. The blatant interest. It probably shouldn't surprise him that he's apparently Mr. Sheng's type but it does.
The man, Hua Yong knows from his own preliminary research, goes after people he views as weaker than him. Sheng Shaoyou has a pattern of taking advantage of those in a lesser position. It's not as if he's blatantly malicious or vulgar with it but Hua Yong bristles at the insult and implication.
He carries that irritation into their next meeting and the one after that.
Shaoyou asks to speak to him in private, after their third meeting.
It's been almost a month after the disastrous come on that soured their working relationship and Hua Yong can't seem to forgive.
He nods at Chang Yu to leave Mr. Sheng's office ahead of him and then sits back on his chair, smoothing the fabric on his black, silk pants. Shaoyou is seated behind his desk with his hands folded in front of him. He looks contrite. Hua Yong exhales.
"Mr. Hua, it seems I have made the mistake of severely offending you with my behavior a few weeks ago and I would like to formally make an apology to you."
Hua Yong hesitates. He isn't sure why he hesitates. This formality is a courtesy. A neccesary one, if he's being honest. His attitude towards Sheng Shaoyou has done a complete 180 to the point of highlighting the blatant difference in how Hua Yong used to treat him versus everyone else.
Now he's even colder with Shaoyou than he is to someone like Shen Wenlang, another of their peers in the pharmaceutical industry.
"All is forgiven, Mr. Sheng."
Its a lie. It shouldn't be.
Shaoyou has been nothing but professional since that night and one moment of weakness shouldn't sour their working relationship this much.
Hua Yong is overreacting and they both know it.
"All is not forgiven," Shaoyou calls him out. He seems to consider Hua Yong's silence for a moment before he adds, "Surely you can't hate every person who finds you beautiful."
"I don't," Hua Yong tells him, ignoring whatever he just felt in his stomach at this man calling him beautiful to his face.
"Okay. So not everyone. Just me then?"
"I don't hate Mr. Sheng."
"Hua Yong..."
The complaint in his voice is another call out but Hua Yong isn't lying this time.
Not that he's about to admit that. He's not going to have a conversation about his feelings towards a business associate. Especially not with said business associate. Especially not with said feelings.
"I thought you liked me too," Shaoyou admits, braver than Hua Yong gave him credit for.
Well, Hua Yong had certainly acted that way. He hadn't realized it at the time but in retrospect it makes sense why it would appear that way. In contrast to how he's been treating Shaoyou lately, Hua Yong had been nothing short of embarrassing. No wonder this proud S-Class Alpha had thought him easy.
"I have to go, Mr. Sheng. Chang Yu will be in touch regarding the next steps in our endeavor."
"Hua Yong, please just..."
Hua Yong flees. There isn't another word for it.
He sends Chang Yu alone to their next meeting.
Two night later he spots Shaoyou at a banquet with an admittedly lovely omega on his arm. Hua Yong is so horrified by his own reaction to the sight of it, that he downs the drink in his hand without a thought, reaching for another as soon as it's done.
He doesn't get sloppy but in about twenty minutes he's more drunk than he's ever been in his life. He didn't know his enigma biology could allow that. Then he remembers he hasn't eaten in two days. He sways very slightly, before leaning back against the balcony railing. He closes his eyes, breathes. That pain in his chest is back. He places a hand over it and keeps it there.
He can't feel like this, he can't. This isn't Hua Yong. He doesn't...
"Hua Yong, what's wrong?"
Oh. Mr. Sheng is here.
Hua Yong's mouth curves without his permission.
"There you are."
"Here I am," Hua Yong agrees. No need to sound so astounded.
"No, I mean..." Sheng Shaoyou is standing very close. He hasn't been this close since he touched Hua Yong's skin and asked him to go home with him. "How you look at me..."
"What?" Hua Yong asks, confused. He isn't following this conversation very well. Mr. Sheng smells so good.
"Are you drunk?"
"Possibly. Don't sound so scandelized, Mr. Sheng."
Shaoyou's soft laugh lodges in his chest. Hua Yong hates it.
Silence between them and then, "Don't pout."
"Dont say stupid things," Hua Yong throws back. "I'm not."
"Okay, you're not. I'm sorry."
"Stupid Alpha..."
Shaoyou's laughs is even prettier this time. "Did you just call me stupid?"
"No, that's unprofessional."
"Mr. Hua is very professional."
Hua Yong nods his head. He is. If he wasn't, he'd have gone home with this Alpha weeks ago and gotten rid of his silly little virgin label.
"Virgin?"
Shaoyou touches his arm, grounding, sure. Warm.
"Want to go inside? You're shivering in the cold."
"I'm not cold," Hua Yong admits. And then, "I'm not one of your omegas. I'm not. You have too many."
"Is that so?"
"Stop laughing. This isn't funny."
"Okay. I'm sorry. It's very serious, you're right."
Hua Yong rubs a hand across his face. "Mr. Sheng, I think I should go."
"Why?"
Because.
Because of a lot of reasons.
Because he's drunk and embarrassing himself again.
Because this man thinks he's an omega when he's not.
Because this man thinks he's a person, when he's not.
Hua Yong is empty, empty, empty, empty
If he were full of Shaoyou, he'd be unrecognizable.
That's not what's on the table.
"Goodnight Mr. Sheng," he says, leaving the evening air and Shaoyou to reach out and meet just empty space.