When Shen Shuyun woke up, the searing pain that exploded in his head made him clutch it and cry out involuntarily. His voice echoed through the dim, empty room, sharp like a ghostly wail.
The door was opened from the outside, and someone stood in the doorway, backlit by the light, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
But Shen Shuyun knewâit was Ning Wan.
The tall, slender figure closed the door and walked in without turning on the light. In the pitch-black darkness, Ning Wan groped his way to the bedside and reached out to touch Shen Shuyun's head. His hand was very cold, almost unnaturally so, sending a shiver down Shen Shuyun's spine. "Are you still feeling unwell? I'm sorry, that medicine was given to me by someone else, and it was my first time using it too. Maybe the dose was too high, causing some side effects that made your head hurt."
Shen Shuyun was still unwilling to believe that Ning Wan would do something like this. He twisted his stiff neck to face Ning Wan and squeezed out a few words: "Why did you do this?"
In fact, Shen Shuyun also wanted to ask, 'Do you know that by doing this, there's no going back for either of us?'
Upon hearing these words, Ning Wan's face suddenly darkened. He climbed into the bed silently and hugged Shen Shuyun tightly, his voice choked with suppressed emotion. "I just didn't know how to keep you... Don't leave, Brother Yun, please don't leave."
Shen Shuyun found the whole situation so ironic that, despite the cold chains around his wrists, he could still laugh. Staring at the ceilingâalthough all he could see was darknessâhe spoke softly: "Ning Wan, didn't you say you loved me? Is locking me up how you love me?"
Ning Wan didn't respond, burying his face in Shen Shuyun's shoulder. Soon, Shen Shuyun felt the fabric on his shoulder grow wet. He frowned, thinking that he should be the one crying, not Ning Wan, who seemed even more aggrieved than he was.
Ning Wan's fingers gripped Shen Shuyun's shoulder painfully. His voice, hoarse from crying and full of stubborn determination, said, "I know there's a saying about forgetting each other and moving on, but I don't want that kind of ending. I just want us to be together every day, even if it means we torment each other. I can't let you go, and I can't bear to see you with another alpha."
"You're being completely unreasonable." Shen Shuyun, enduring another wave of pain, smiled weakly. "You were the one who wanted a divorce and to be with another omega. I let you go, so why can't I leave now?"
"Scold me, hit me," Ning Wan held him so tightly that Shen Shuyun, who had no strength left, couldn't push him away. "But I can't bear to let you go."
Shen Shuyun closed his eyes. He knew this was a vicious cycle; there was no reasoning with Ning Wan, so he didn't bother arguing anymore.
Shen Shuyun couldn't leave. His wrist was bound by a thin iron chain, tying him to the bedpost. When he woke up, all his clothes had been changed, and his phone, wallet, and everything else had disappearedâlikely taken by Ning Wan. Shen Shuyun had tried to twist his wrist to break the chain, but it was much sturdier than he had imagined. After several attempts, all he had managed to do was scrape off some skin from his wrist, without any other result.
The furnishings in this room were unfamiliar to Shen Shuyun. He was certain he had never been to this house before. He didn't even know what city he was in because Ning Wan always kept the curtains tightly drawn, preventing him from seeing the surrounding landscape. But he knew there were at least three other people in the house besides Ning Wanâtwo bodyguards stationed outside his door and a cook. Otherwise, with Ning Wan's cooking skills, he wouldn't have been able to make such a variety of dishes.
But Shen Shuyun had his own way of resistingâhe used hunger strikes to protest Ning Wan's unreasonable behavior. Shen Shuyun refused to touch any of the food Ning Wan brought him. He would just lie in bed with his eyes closed, not even bothering to distinguish between sleep and wakefulness. When Ning Wan spoke to him, he pretended not to hear. Occasionally, Shen Shuyun would sit at the edge of the bed, hunching over and leaning against the wooden post, staring blankly at his hands. Ning Wan had no idea what Shen Shuyun was thinking.
"Brother Yun, this is freshly made fish porridge. Please, just take a bite, okay?"
Shen Shuyun stared at the thick curtains. They were really tightly drawn, blocking out every bit of light. The room was lit by lamps all day, and Shen Shuyun couldn't even tell whether it was day or night outside. Sometimes he thought it would be better to die here, so he wouldn't have to deal with all the troublesome people and things anymore.
He hadn't yet realized that this mindset was abnormal, that he was already sinking into depression.
"Let me out."
"Can you talk to me about anything else besides that?"
"I have nothing left to say to you."
Ning Wan had endured it for days. A wave of frustration built up in his chest. Shen Shuyun's silent state was driving him to the brink of madness. Shen Shuyun wouldn't even spare him a glance or a word, no matter what he said. Ning Wan slammed the bowl down on the bedside table, grabbed Shen Shuyun's chin, and forced him to look up. "Are you trying to torment me or yourself?"
Shen Shuyun stared coldly at Ning Wan, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
Ning Wan was tormented by that gaze, driving him to the edge of collapse. He stepped back several times, his lower back hitting the cold, hard wall.
Three days. Shen Shuyun had been like this for three days. If Shen Shuyun had hit or cursed him, Ning Wan might have been happy, at least seeing him as a living, breathing person. But now, Shen Shuyun seemed like an empty shell, devoid of emotion and sensation, leaving Ning Wan feeling deeply frustrated and confused. Leaning against the wall in silence for a long time, Ning Wan finally seemed to make up his mind and said in a low voice, "If you don't want to talk to me, maybe you'll want to talk to him."
He turned and left the room, but Shen Shuyun didn't even look, closing his eyes indifferently. It wasn't until he heard the familiar cry of a baby that he suddenly sat up in bed.
"How can this be!" Shen Shuyun's eyes widened in disbelief, staring intently at the child in Ning Wan's arms. "How can he be here!"
Ning Wan held the baby, Xiao Yutou, without trying to comfort him, letting him cry his heart out, his little face turning red. "You sent him to Xiao Ruan, didn't you? I brought him back from Xiao Ruan."
That night, after Ning Wan had taken Shen Shuyun onto a private plane, he made a special trip to Shen Shuyun's house. When he couldn't find Xiao Yutou there, he guessed that Shen Shuyun had likely entrusted the child to Xiao Ruan. Although Ning Wan didn't know where Xiao Ruan lived, he knew the location of Xiao Ruan's flower shop. He went there before closing time and asked the staff for Xiao Ruan's contact information, claiming that Shen Shuyun had sent him to pick up the child.
At first, Xiao Ruan was a bit skeptical, but Ning Wan explained that Shen Shuyun had suddenly fallen ill at home and fainted, needing to go to a big city for a thorough examination. However, Shen Shuyun wanted to take Xiao Yutou with him. Xiao Ruan, already worried about Shen Shuyun's healthâespecially since Ning Wan had always treated Shen Shuyun and Xiao Yutou well when he had visited him in the hospitalâhanded the child over to Ning Wan.
So, Ning Wan brought the child back with him, keeping him downstairs under his own care. When he couldn't manage, he would let the nanny watch over him, repeatedly instructing her never to go upstairs, or she would be dismissed immediately. The soundproofing of the house was so good that the nanny didn't even know there was another person upstairs.
Xiao Yutou cried terribly, and Shen Shuyun's eyes reddened along with him. He couldn't stand to see Xiao Yutou cry, as the child had always been weak due to being born prematurely, and crying for a while would leave him gasping for breath. Shen Shuyun's heart was breaking. He cried out, "Make him stop crying, please! Comfort him!"
"Eat," Ning Wan felt a heavy weight pressing on his heart. Xiao Yutou was his child too, and hearing him cry tore at his heart, but he knew this wasn't the time to be soft. "Eat, and I'll let you hold him."
"I'll eat, I'll eat!"
Ning Wan knew his weakness and exploited it ruthlessly.
Shen Shuyun surrendered. His resolve crumbled in the face of the baby's cries.
He grabbed the bowl from the bedside table and poured the still-warm fish porridge into his mouth. The mechanical swallowing made his throat feel uncomfortable, but he didn't stop for a second, finishing the entire bowl of porridge in one go.
Apart from the disgusting fishy taste, Shen Shuyun tasted nothing else.
He even wondered if Ning Wan hated himâwhy else would he torment him like this?
There were still shiny traces of porridge on Shen Shuyun's lips. His hands, clutching the bowl, were trembling, and his voice quivered as well. "Is this enough for you?"
Ning Wan opened his mouth, wanting to tell Shen Shuyun that this wasn't his intention, that he wasn't trying to force Shen Shuyun to do anything. He just wanted him to eat something. But things had escalated to this extreme, and there was no turning back now. Ning Wan walked over, placed the hiccuping Xiao Yutou into Shen Shuyun's arms, took the bowl from his hands, and set it aside. Pressing his lips together, he pulled out a handkerchief, intending to wipe Shen Shuyun's mouth, but then saw Shen Shuyun frowning in disgust, turning his face away.
"You don't need to do this," Shen Shuyun said coldly, still with tear stains on his face as he cradled Xiao Yutou in his arms. He sneered, "It's not three years ago anymore."
Ning Wan's body stiffened. Feeling at a loss, he shoved the handkerchief back into his pocket and then almost fled from the room.