come as you are

The first thing Xie Lian noticed when he woke up was the stench. Or, better said, the intense smell of sex, sweat, and alpha around him.

Rolling over onto his side, he groaned in discomfort. His body was hurting everywhere — between his thighs, his throat, his back, even inside-

Xie Lian widened his eyes and sat up in shock, one hand rushing to touch the back of his neck.

His usually smooth, slender neck, completely untouched and just slightly freckled from the sun, was sore.

Which wasn't strange, considering the deep, distinctive bite that had been planted over his scent gland.

Xie Lian stroke thin fingers over the mark, taking in the traces from sharp teeth, and the small speckles of dried blood and saliva. Blinking dazedly, he glanced down his body, noticing the clusters of bitemarks, hickeys, and bruises covering his chest, hips, and even his thighs.

«Huh», he murmured quietly to himself, voice rusty and sore.

It seemed like he had been ravished by someone. Which made sense, considering the last memory he had before blacking out was panic over getting his heat early, body thrumming and unbearably hot, slick making his pants wet and uncomfortable.

Closing his eyes, Xie Lian tried his best to remember who could possibly have approached him during the beginning of his hazy need. He wasn't able to recall any details, though, the only things he could summon into mind being big, strong hands on his hips, a warm tongue in his mouth, and the sensation of being filled thoroughly, again and again.

Xie Lian blushed and covered his face.

Being 28 years old and having gone through 3-4 heats a year since he was 16, he knew how needy he could be during the days of pure, animalistic lust. Although the length of his heats always varied, sometimes just a day or two, sometimes up to a week, he was aware of how insatiable he was throughout it.

Removing his hands, he glanced around the room he was lying in, and immediately recognized it as a hotel room, which made sense as he was on a business trip with the firm he worked for. He had at least not been brought to another building, or even to someone's house.

The room was slightly different from his own hotel room, though, so the person who had been with him had either taken him to their room, or booked a new one.

Xie Lian pondered for a moment, then crawled over to the nightstand and picked up his phone, which he had somehow remembered to bring with him. Squinting at the screen, he found out that it was just the day before that he had gotten his heat.

He frowned. It was strange for his heat to last under 24 hours… Was it possible that it had ended quickly because the alpha he'd been with had left him? Or had the bite been enough to satisfy his need?

Whatever the reason, he was sore enough in his behind that he knew that he'd been fucked through it as well — maybe the alpha had lost control and bit him, and therefore left before Xie Lian came back to his senses?

Xie Lian stroke a thumb over his bottom lip, grazing the swollen, red skin.

Whatever the reason was for the alpha leaving early — Xie Lian wished he had some way to contact them, so he could thank them for being there for him.

His phone lit up, disturbing him from his pondering.

«Feng Xin», Xie Lian croaked, then cleared his throat, «hello!»

«Xie Lian?», the man sounded worried, «did you oversleep? We have tried to contact you for an entire hour now!»

Xie Lian blinked, then glanced towards a clock on the wall. 10:27.

«Oh, uh», he scratched his head, then laughed awkwardly, «yes, I guess I did.»

Feng Xin sighed, but seemed more relieved than exasperated.

«Okay», he said, «you missed the first meetings of the day, but we have a break now until our 11-meeting. Do you think you're able to make it?»

«Of course, of course», Xie Lian nodded even though Feng Xin couldn't see him, «I'll be quick! See you soon.»

They hung up, and Xie Lian got up from the bed with a groan, then groaned even louder as a clear, viscous liquid started trickling down his thighs. He had a lot of cleaning up to do.

Taking a quick shower in the foreign hotel room, he thereafter picked up his clothes, which were nicely folded and placed on a chair, and got dressed. They were full of his needy scent, as well as an unfamiliar but soothing smell, presumably his alpha friend's.

His wallet and keycard lied on top of a console, so he grabbed them and his phone, then exited the room.

Locating the elevator, Xie Lian found out that he was currently in the highest floor in the building, which was about ten floors above his own one. He met no one on his way to his own hotel room, making him let out a relieved breath.

The second Xie Lian entered his own room, he got out of his clothes and pulled on a completely clean and fresh pair instead — just a basic pair of jeans and a white wool sweater with a high neckline, exceptionally fitting to help cover the brand new bitemark on his neck. He quickly brushed his hair as well, tying the top part into a bun and letting the rest float down his shoulders, effectively helping the whole bitemark-disguise.

Swiftly spraying himself with a sweet-smelling perfume, created to hide scents from both omegas and alphas, he then made his way out of the hotel room again.

Xie Lian had just managed to fasten the name tag on his sweater, identifying him as Xie Lian - Customer service, Senior Advisor, as he walked into the conference room. He quickly spotted Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and walked hastily over to them, sitting down next to Feng Xin.

They both looked over at him, Feng Xin with a curious expression whilst Mu Qing scowled at him.

«Overslept, my ass», the latter murmured, «you reek of sex.»

Xie Lian flushed bright red, bending his neck.

«Is it… that noticeable?», he asked sheepishly, moving to scratch his neck before freezing halfway, putting his hand down again.

Feng Xin, the only alpha amongst them, moved his head slightly closer to Xie Lian's.

«It's not that detectable…», he inhaled softly, «I think it's just because we're so used to your normal scent.»

«Who the hell have you been banging, anyway?», Mu Qing hissed quietly, «we were supposed to eat dinner together last night, but you never showed up!»

Feng Xin spoke before Xie Lian managed to answer.

«He had his heat», Feng Xin murmured, Mu Qing's cold glare shifting to him, «I can smell it.»

Mu Qing narrowed his eyes.

«I thought it wasn't time yet?», he inquired, «don't you have a schedule?»

Xie Lian nodded, face still warm with embarrassment. Although his friends were incredibly dear to him, there were some things he didn't enjoy talking about with them.

«I do. I wasn't supposed to get it until next week.»

Feng Xin stroked his chin.

«Maybe it's because of all the alphas on the conference», he murmured, «the amount of pheromones in this room could be enough to accelerate your cycle.»

Xie Lian threw a glance around the conference room as Feng Xin spoke.

Truthfully, that might very well be the reason why he got his heat. There were about 50-60 people gathered in the huge room, everyone working for the same firm but on different levels. A bunch of the employees in the higher levels were alphas, as well, most of them hungry for power, authority, and dominance — all of them typical alpha traits.

The three of them were sat in the back of the room, gazing at a table where the main executives were seated. In the middle sat Jun Wu, not surprising with his position as the firm's CEO, with Ling Wen and Shi Wudu on each side of him. Next to Ling Wen sat Pei Ming, and next to Shi Wudu sat Hua Cheng, the newest executive of all of them.

Xie Lian let his gaze wander over them. Ling Wen was sat organizing some of her papers in front of her, whilst Pei Ming leaned on one arm towards her, saying something with a grin on his face. Shi Wudu was talking with Jun Wu, the latter's face neutral but friendly as usual whilst Shi Wudu looked less pleased. It was still nothing compared to the look on Hua Cheng's face — he was sitting with his arms crossed, leaning back against his chair as he stared intently at one of the walls.

Then, his eye suddenly snapped towards Xie Lian.

Xie Lian blinked then quickly looked away, shyly rubbing his nose. He hadn't meant to stare. It was just something about the young supervisor that had caught his attention.

«Regardless of your heat schedule», Mu Qing continued, making Xie Lian look at him again, «who did you spend your heat with?»

Xie Lian coughed.

«Um», he rubbed his nose again, «it's complicated.»

Mu Qing shot him an incredulous look.

«How complicated could it be? What, did you have a threesome or something?»

«No, no!», Xie Lian waved his hands, then paused and added, «I think?»

Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing's head whipped towards him.

«What.», Mu Qing glared.

«You think?», Feng Xin repeated astonished.

It was that exact moment Jun Wu chose to get up from his chair, tapping the microphone in his hand to get everyone's attention. He hadn't needed to, though, because as soon as he stood, everyone turned silent.

«After the morning meetings we just had», his gaze flickered towards Xie Lian, who looked down, «we've discussed, and decided to split up our next meetings into smaller groups. This is to give everyone the possibility to voice their thoughts.»

He took a brief pause, then read up a list of the different groupings. The PR department with customer services and the sales department, the operations department with the HR department and the administration, and so on.

Feng Xin, being in the operations department, would be going together with Mu Qing, who worked in HR.

Xie Lian only recognized a few of the people he was grouped with — although he had worked in the customer service unit for many years, he hadn't socialized with many of the employees in the other branches, except for Feng Xin and Mu Qing.

They stood and got ready to go to each of their meetings, as Mu Qing poked a finger into Xie Lian's chest.

«We are not done with this conversation», he hissed, then marched towards another conference room.

Feng Xin shot Xie Lian a gentle look.

«Are you okay?», he asked earnestly.

Xie Lian nodded.

«We'll talk more later», he said, then smiled reassuringly, «I'm fine, really!»

Feng Xin didn't look completely convinced, his thick, dark brows slightly furrowed, but nodded and turned to follow Mu Qing.

Xie Lian's group gathered together in the room that they already were in, so he moved to the seats in the front, sitting down next to one of his colleagues.

«Oh, Xie Lian!», the man next to him greeted, and Xie Lian turned to look at Quan Yizhen, «I didn't see you earlier today!»

Not so loud!, Xie Lian thought, but coughed and smiled politely.

«Ah, yes, I was…», he struggled to find an excuse, then rubbed his chin and smiled apologetically, «I was feeling a little under the weather.»

Quan Yizhen made a huh-sound.

«But you feel better now?», the alpha inquired, moving a hand through the curly mop of hair he had.

He was leaning relaxed against his chair, the back groaning slightly at the push of his strong, burly frame.

«I do», Xie Lian said and nodded, turning his head to look at the other people sitting next to them.

Quan Yizhen was in the sales department — although he was a loud man with zero understanding for customer service, he was somehow extremely good at convincing people to buy their products. Xie Lian assumed that was the only reason why a man who used to call customers and say «I don't give a shit about your opinions on our prices - if you want real quality, you'll buy our goddamn product!» wasn't fired immediately.

In front of them stood Ling Wen, the leader of the customer service department, Pei Ming, head of the PR department, and Hua Cheng, leader of the sales department. The latter was looking as unhappy as he did earlier, this time staring at the employees sitting on the opposite side of Xie Lian.

Although Xie Lian's heat was over, he still felt a faint, faint alpha scent coming from the three supervisors. Although there surely were alphas sitting amongst the employees as well, in addition to Quan Yizhen, there was something about alphas with distinct leadership roles, and the power that such positions carried.

He blinked then looked away from the supervisors, still noticing small remains of restlessness in his body.

«Alright», Pei Ming clapped his hands and grinned, «let's get this started! This meeting is mainly about your work conditions. We want to hear your opinions about what is good, what could be better, what is bad, and so on», he made a hand gesture as he spoke, then turned towards Ling Wen, «will you talk us through it, Ling Wen?»

The latter nodded, then grabbed a few papers from a pile behind her and started listing the different categories the employees were to evaluate.

Xie Lian found himself drifting off.

He was still sore and tired after the whatever he had been doing all night, his ass aching and his back stiff. The bite mark was making itself noticeable as well, slightly pulsating beneath the wool neckline.

Uncomfortable, he shifted on the chair, glancing towards the supervisors again.

Ling Wen was talking, occasionally pausing to let someone else express their opinion. Pei Ming was nodding as she spoke, his gaze traveling down her body sometimes before catching himself and looking away, a small smirk on his lips.

Hua Cheng… He was still looking bored out of his mind, arms crossed as he leaned against the table behind them. He was slightly frowning, eyes fastened on the floor in front of him.

Xie Lian used the opportunity to take a closer look at the man, his eyes moving from the sleek, dark sneakers he was wearing to the tight, black jeans; the dark denim shirt hugging broad, strong shoulders; the shortcut, dark hair; the eyepatch covering one of his eyes, the other grey, fierce eye staring directly at-

Staring directly at him.

Xie Lian flushed, embarrassed that he was caught gawking, and shifted his gaze to Ling Wen again.

He could still see Hua Cheng in his peripheral view, though. It seemed like he had slightly tilted his head, looking in Xie Lian's direction.

Probably wondering why one of the customer service-employees had been checking him out.

Not that Xie Lian had been doing that! He wasn't that kind of guy.

He was just… fascinated by Hua Cheng, per se.

Xie Lian fiddled with his hands.

He had been working for the firm, H-VEN, for years. Although he was neither the most effective nor the most talented employee, he had somehow kept his position as an advisor for their customer service branch. No one else in the department had worked there as long as he had, and neither did anyone wish to. Evidently, not many people enjoyed getting yelled at by people who got upset by having their product break when they used it wrong, or for needing extremely slow and detailed explanations of how the product was to be used.

Xie Lian didn't mind. If people were yelling at him — well, everyone had bad days sometimes. If elderly people needed two hours of his time to make their product work, then of course Xie Lian would be happy to help.

Somehow, the positive feedback from the clients had been brought to Ling Wen's attention, so Xie Lian had after a while been promoted to a senior advisor instead of a regular advisor. There wasn't really any difference, except for a slightly better pay and less disdain from the people on the levels above him.

Xie Lian rubbed his chin as Ling Wen kept on speaking.

The reason why he was so fascinated by Hua Cheng was because the man had only worked for H-VEN for half a year, but had already managed to work his way from being a mere salesman to become the executive of the sales department.

No one had climbed the career ladder in H-VEN that fast before.

Although Xie Lian had never worked with the man himself, he'd still heard stories from his colleagues. Stories of how harsh Hua Cheng could be, how demanding he was, the huge amount of work they had to go through every day.

It was obvious why Hua Cheng had been promoted, though — H-VEN had never made bigger sales than they did now. The ruthless workload combined with the much more effective routines that Hua Cheng had implemented, truly made its worth noticeable as H-VEN kept growing, both nationally and internationally.

Sighing silently, Xie Lian glanced at the clock on the wall, and shifted once more on the chair.

Hua Cheng seemed to have everything that he didn't — cleverness, intelligence, a sort of cunningness that'd make a fox proud. And he was so obviously an alpha.

Every time he entered a room, people would turn their heads to look at him, noticing the innate superiority the man carried. He was never hurrying, always walking in his own speed, his facial expression lazy and so blatantly indifferent. Other alphas tended to steer away, whilst omegas smiled and tilted their head attractively.

Well, most omegas.

Xie Lian usually just followed the man with his eyes, then looked away when he felt like he had been staring an impolite amount.

Thinking about the man, he quickly sneaked another glanced towards him.

Hua Cheng was looking at the ceiling this time, arms still crossed but his pose somewhat more relaxed.

«…Xie Lian?»

Xie Lian startled, looking towards Ling Wen who had just mentioned his name.

«Ah, yes?», he answered, smiling politely.

Ling Wen let out a silent sigh.

«I just asked if you would mind telling us your opinion on the last question.»

Xie Lian blinked, his smile turning strained as his neck heated up.

«Ah, Ling Wen», he scratched his head a little, giving her an apologetic look, «would you mind repeating the question for me?»

Someone snorted next to him.

«Maybe you should be paying attention», the same person commented drily.

«I really should», Xie Lian agreed, eyes crinkling in the corners, «forgive me.»

Ling Wen smiled gently.

«I was asking you about your thoughts regarding our teambuilding trips, Xie Lian.»

«Ah!», Xie Lian nodded, then thumbed his chin as he pondered, «hmm, our teambuilding trips… Maybe-»

«We'll never be done if you're going to take all day answering the questions», the person from earlier said, voice exasperated, «I think that-»

A loud bang made all of them startle.

Xie Lian looked towards the supervisors, where Hua Cheng had just slammed his hand against the table.

«Xie Lian», the man said, voice deep and cold as he glared at the employee who had interrupted Xie Lian, «was speaking.»

«Oh, ah, yes of course, executive Hua!», the other man sounded distraught, «my apologies!»

«I'm not the one you should apologize to», Hua Cheng said unkindly.

The person made a noise that sounded like a squeak.

«Yes, yes - ah, I apologize, Xie Lian!», he said hastily, obviously keen on getting Hua Cheng's icy stare away from him, «I am sorry I was being rude!»

«It's alright», Xie Lian said softly, then looked towards Hua Cheng and smiled, «thank you.»

Hua Cheng nodded, his eye roaming Xie Lian's face before flicking to the ceiling again.

«Ah, as I was saying - going to say», Xie Lian continued, then kept on explaining his thoughts about H-VEN's teambuilding trips.

The meeting was finished an hour later.

Xie Lian still felt slightly dazed, strolling towards the exit whilst in his own thoughts. As he moved to push open the door, someone else grabbed it and held it open for him.

Xie Lian glanced up, then blinked, as he found himself looking at Hua Cheng again.

«Oh», he said, then smiled, «ah, thank you executive Hua!»

Hua Cheng was slightly frowning again, examining Xie Lian's face before the corners of his lips curved somewhat.

«No worries.»

He shifted to let Xie Lian walk past him, then followed him towards the hotel's cafeteria.

Xie Lian could tell that he walked nearby, because the sensation of a powerful alpha close by was strong enough to turn his senses hypersensitive. His recent heat also made him extra wary of a weak scent emitted from Hua Cheng. It was hard to put his finger on what the scent was like — it was deep, musky and slightly bitter, reminding him of coffee in the morning and dark chocolate melting on his tongue; a somewhat spicy, yet comfortingly warm scent, like a blend of coconut and shea butter with an edge.

Xie Lian pondered as he walked, feeling a sense of familiarity connected to the smell.

His thoughts were effectively disturbed a few seconds later, when he almost walked right into Mu Qing and Feng Xin, both of them standing with crossed arms in front of him.

«Xie Lian», Feng Xin said.

«We're gonna talk now», Mu Qing continued, eyes sharply fixated on Xie Lian's face.

The latter exhaled lightly through his nose, then smiled amenably.

«Then please lead the way.»

His friends turned around and lead him down the hallway, Mu Qing in front with his arms still tightly crossed, whilst Feng Xin moved to walk next to Xie Lian, gently touching his back.

Xie Lian could swear that he felt a burning stare from someone on the back of his head, but when he turned, he saw no one looking their way.

They steered him to a small, private lounge further down the hallway, taking seats on two couches in the corner of the room. Feng Xin sat down next to Xie Lian, whilst Mu Qing sat down across them.

«Spill it», Mu Qing ordered as soon as they had sat down, tone sharp.

Xie Lian scratched his head.

«Ah, as you guys know, I got my heat yesterday», he glanced towards them, «unexpectedly. And, ah, I spent it with someone.»

«And that someone is?», Mu Qing demanded.

Xie Lian coughed.

«I'm not sure», he murmured sheepishly, cheeks heating up a little bit, «when I woke up this morning, I was alone.»

«But you're sure you spent it with someone?», Feng Xin asked, head tilted as he watched Xie Lian intently.

Xie Lian flushed even harder.

«I'm positive», rubbing his chin, he glanced out the window next to the couches, unable to look his friends into their eyes.

The room turned silent for a moment as Feng Xin and Mu Qing grasped the implications of his words.

«Ah-», Feng Xin sounded like he was choking, «okay! Okay, okay, I see!»

Mu Qing kept calm, although his brows had raised slightly in disbelief.

«And you have no idea who you spent it with?»

Xie Lian shook his head.

«Ah», he suddenly remembered, «the only thing they left was-», he gathered his hair with one hand and pulled it to the side, then slipped a finger inside his neckline and tugged it down, angling his head to show the bitemark, «this.»

Both Mu Qing and Feng Xin stood up immediately.

«They marked you!?», Mu Qing exclaimed.

«Who could fucking dare to do something like that!», Feng Xin looked furious.

The thing was that mating bites, bitemarks on top of the scent gland on the back of the omega's neck, such as Xie Lian's, were permanent things. You could only get one mating bite during your entire life. The alpha who had bit Xie Lian now had some sort of claim on him, although they wouldn't be able to enforce it without Xie Lian consenting to the bond.

«We need to find out who the fucker is», Mu Qing spat, «they can't get away with something like this!»

Feng Xin nodded fervently;

«They need to take accountability for what they've done!»

Xie Lian scratched his neck, letting his hair down to hide the mark again. «Ah», he said, «it's fine.»

Feng Xin sputtered.

«It's fine?»

«How could you say that!», Mu Qing added.

Xie Lian looked at his friends, taking in their agitated faces. He sighed.

«I really don't remember anything from yesterday», he said, «ah, it might just be my own fault that I got bitten. For all I know, I am the one to blame for the whole thing.»

Feng Xin and Mu Qing stood silent as he spoke.

«If I suddenly got my heat and stumbled upon an alpha, it would be remarkably hard to leave me alone - especially because I wouldn't want them to», Xie Lian hummed, «I don't blame them at all. I should've been more careful about my schedule and should've been prepared for an unexpected heat, anyways.»

He smiled faintly.

«But they took advantage of you», Mu Qing said angrily.

Xie Lian made a wry face.

«The way I see it, it's just as plausible that I was the one to take advantage of them - we really have no idea how I acted during my heat, or how persistent I was.»

Feng Xin folded his arms, looking deep in thought, his eyebrows furrowed.

«I don't like this at all.»

«We need to find out what happened yesterday», Mu Qing said, «and who you were with.»

«So we can kick their ass», Feng Xin grumbled, cracking his knuckles.

Xie Lian hurriedly waved his hands, trying to calm them down.

«No, no», he let out a weary laugh, «there's no need for that. If anything, I'd just like to thank them.»

His friends stared at him with incredulity.

«Thank-»

«-them!?»

Xie Lian nodded.

«My heats get particularly bad when I don't have anything to, ah… relieve them», Xie Lian coughed, «if they hadn't helped me, I would've been in a great deal of pain and distress. That's why I don't think that they necessarily took advantage of me. Instead, they were in fact rather helpful.»

Xie Lian smiled sheepishly.

«And therefore I wish to find them, so that I can thank them."

Chapter Text

Although his friends didn't agree with his reasoning for finding the alpha who'd marked him, they did accede with the need for locating them. After brainstorming for a moment, they came up with a plan.

All of them saw it as likely that the alpha was someone who worked for H-VEN, because it would be more implausible for a complete stranger to approach an omega who they knew nothing about. They weren't sure about drawing such a conclusion, but to make the work ahead of them easier, they nonetheless decided to start with the people at the conference.

«So, we're like 60 employees here», Feng Xin said, stroking his chin thoughtfully, «and we're like, what, 15 alphas?»

«More like 12, I think», Mu Qing said, «it's you, the execs, Quan Yizhen… and Lang Qianqiu, Pei Xiu, Jian Lan… and a couple of ladies in the finance department, right?»

Feng Xin nodded.

«That sounds about right.»

Mu Qing flicked his sharp gaze back to Xie Lian.

«Do you have any idea what the alpha's primary gender is?»

Xie Lian looked at him then glanced at the floor, frowning as he tried to remember something from the night before.

It was still fruitless.

All he could remember was the heat, the need, deep gasps and a warm, satiating feeling of bliss… Big, slender hands grabbing his hips. Smooth, thin lips pressing against the sensitive, thin skin beneath his ear. A dark, throaty moan against his shoulder blades.

Xie Lian blinked.

Ah.

«It was a man», he coughed, «I'm quite positive it was a man.»

Mu Qing arched a brow.

«Why didn't you tell us sooner?», he demanded.

«I didn't recall it until now», Xie Lian said sheepishly, then palmed his fist with determination, «that means we have eight alphas to focus on.»

«That's still a lot», Feng Xin hummed.

«Better than 12», Mu Qing said, then crossed his arms, «how are we going to do this?»

Xie Lian rubbed his chin.

«Ah, I think it would the best if I speak to them alone», he said, then flushed a little, «taking the mating bite into consideration, the alpha who left it will probably involuntarily let out some pheromones if I'm close enough. I believe it's a natural reaction when you're close to your mate.»

Mu Qing and Feng Xin was watching him warily.

«What if he tries to force you into honoring the mating bite, or some shit?», Feng Xin asked, «wouldn't it be better if one of us was there with you?»

Mu Qing rolled his eyes.

«And I guess that would be you, because you're the alpha?», he questioned drily.

Feng Xin shot him an annoyed glance.

«I didn't say that», he frowned, «stop putting words into my mouth.»

Mu Qing lifted a condescending brow, but didn't say anything more.

«I think that if the alpha had ulterior motives, he probably wouldn't have left me alone this morning», Xie Lian said, trying to distract his friends from the constant bickering.

He smiled.

«Besides, I'm sure this is all some sort of misunderstanding. He probably only wished to help me but ended up accidentally giving me the mating bite - he's probably scared I'm going to enforce him to honor the bond.»

His friends didn't look completely convinced, but nevertheless agreed to follow Xie Lian's plan as long as he didn't get into any trouble with one of the alphas.

That was why Xie Lian ended up sitting down next to Quan Yizhen for lunch, instead of taking his usual spot next to Mu Qing and Feng Xin.

Quan Yizhen, who was busy stuffing his mouth full of food whilst babbling away to Yin Yu, looked over at Xie Lian with a puzzled expression.

Xie Lian tried to shoot both of them a friendly smile, a feeling of awkwardness crawling up his spine.

«'e Liahn?», Quan Yizhen didn't bother to stop shoving food into his mouth, «'an I helph yhou-?»

Yin Yu gave Quan Yizhen an unreadable glance, then cleared his throat.

«Senior advisor Xie», he said, «do you require our assistance with anything?»

Yin Yu was one of the few people that actually bothered to call Xie Lian by his work title. He wasn't overly friendly towards Xie Lian in any way, but he wasn't unpleasant either, which Xie Lian appreciated. The beta, a silent man with a fairly ordinary appearance, also worked for the sales department, though Xie Lian wasn't familiar with what position he was in.

Being polite towards Xie Lian actually seemed to somehow be a common thing amongst the sales department personnel, although Xie Lian couldn't really explain why.

«Ah», Xie Lian shook his head with a smile, «no, I don't require anything from you. I was simply wondering if I could join you for lunch.»

Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu exchanged quick glances, both of them seeming equally confused.

«Sure, but uh-», Quan Yizhen let his eyes sweep over the cafeteria, «why aren't you sitting with your friends?»

The bluntness of his words made Xie Lian feel the urge to grimace, but he kept the painfully forced smile on his face.

«I just, ah, thought it'd be nice to spend some time with you», he coughed, then looked at Quan Yizhen, «unless you wouldn't want me to?»

The alpha revealed nothing that could be helpful for Xie Lian's pursuit, instead seeming completely unbothered by the whole thing.

«Sure?», Quan Yizhen turned his attention back to his food, «I don't mind.»

Yin Yu went back to his own food as well, so Xie Lian glanced down at his own plate, filled with a piece of lasagna and some salad. He had hoped that he would immediately feel some sort of connection with Quan Yizhen's scent — the refreshing, earthy smell of freshly cut grass covered with morning dew; of juniper, lime, and petitgrain; a scent so strong that Xie Lian could detect it from a meter away. Although it wasn't directly an unpleasant one, it still didn't feel completely… right.

As he started poking at his food with a fork, he did his best to try to remember some ways alphas liked to show affection for their mates — maybe by prompting some of those situations, Quan Yizhen would reveal if he actually had a bond with Xie Lian?

Therefore, when they cleared their table half an hour later after a sufferingly awkward lunch, Xie Lian was holding a plate with more than half of his food left on it.

Surely that would make any caring alpha worried, seeing that their mate didn't get the necessary amount of nutrition.

Quan Yizhen looked at the food in Xie Lian's hands, then tilted his head.

«Aren't you hungry?», he questioned.

Xie Lian shook his head.

«I don't have much of an appetite today», he answered earnestly.

Quan Yizhen hummed, then reached out with a hand.

«Give that to me.»

Xie Lian obeyed immediately, suddenly finding himself speculating whether Quan Yizhen would maybe feed it to him piece for piece, making sure that he swallowed every part of it? Or maybe-

The scrape of cutlery against porcelain shook him out of his thoughts, and Xie Lian found himself looking at Quan Yizhen shoveling lasagna into his never-ending stomach.

«Yhou shoul'vhe said sho earhlier», he declared whilst chewing, «we chan't thro' awayh pherfecth'y good fhood!»

Xie Lian let out a silent, but somewhat relieved sigh.

It seemed unlikely that Quan Yizhen was his mate, then. It might just be for the better, Xie Lian decided, glancing over at the incredibly fierce way the alpha was devouring his meal.

After Xie Lian waved them goodbye, he made his way over to the cafeteria's exit, planning to visit his room for a short while before the next batch of meetings started up.

Just as he approached the doorway, a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

Turning around, Xie Lian suddenly found himself face to face with Ling Wen. Although her mouth remained in a line, her eyes looked at him warmly.

«Xie Lian», she said, lifting up a paper bag that she was holding, «you should remember to eat properly during meals. You didn't finish your food.»

Xie Lian's eyes widened.

If not for the fact that he was positively certain that bigger and rougher hands than Ling Wen's small and slender ones had been bruising his hips during the night, the gesture she now showed him would've made him second guess everything. Ling Wen's scent, a mild whiff of jasmine, was both calming and slightly comforting, though that might also be because he saw her as his friend.

«Oh», Xie Lian blinked, then smiled gratefully, «thank you, executive Lin! That is very kind of you.»

She waved a hand dismissively.

«Don't worry about it, Xie Lian. I can't have my colleagues questioning whether I'm feeding my employees or not», Ling Wen's voice was dry.

Xie Lian, now holding the paper bag which let out a heavenly smell, looked at her.

«What do you mean?»

Ling Wen seemed inclined to roll her eyes.

«It's of no importance. Just executive Hua pointing out that some of my employees left lunch without finishing their food», she lifted a brow, «did you really give that Quan Yizhen most of your meal?»

Heat made its way up Xie Lian's neck, making him feel warm and uneasy. He coughed.

«Ah, he seemed hungry», Xie Lian explained with a murmur.

Ling Wen's other brow arched as well.

«You do know that he is an alpha, right?», she paused for a few seconds, «as an omega, offering your food to an alpha might seem… ah, suggestive.»

Xie Lian flushed even deeper, and his wool sweater started to feel uncomfortably warm.

He let out an uneasy laugh.

«I'll be sure to remember that, executive Lin! Now excuse me, I'll have to eat this-», he gestured to the paper bag, «before it turns cold! Thank you so much once again!»

Xie Lian turned to leave without waiting for her response, painfully aware of how impolite he was being, but not able to stand the awkwardness for another second.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin entered his hotel room half an hour later, as Xie Lian sat on his bed waiting for them, completely stuffed after eating most of the lasagna from the paper bag. Patting his tummy with a content smile on his face, he observed his friends toeing off their shoes.

«So, Quan Yizhen..?», Feng Xin questioned. His short, dark hair seemed more disheveled than when Xie Lian had seen them earlier. Maybe Feng Xin had been stroking his fingers through it a lot in exasperation.

Xie Lian shook his head, moving backwards to make space for his friends on top of the bed.

Mu Qing was eyeing the white sheets with a suspicious look in his eyes. Xie Lian sighed.

«They are clean», he said, then reddened and looked away, «I… didn't wake up in this room.»

Feng Xin's attention snapped towards him.

«What? Where did you wake up, then?», he sounded slightly accusatory, «you should've told us earlier!»

«There might be a lot of clues in that room», Mu Qing added, seemingly unimpressed with Xie Lian's lack of sharing, «do you remember which room number it was? Are there any other details you've forgotten to mention?»

Xie Lian let out an apologetic laugh, scratching the back of his head.

«Ah, well», he hummed thoughtfully, «I don't remember the number, but I do remember it being on the upper floor, and I remember its location. There wasn't anything of interest there, as far as I could see», he lifted a hand placatingly when both of his friends glared at him, «but we'll check it out! Of course!»

Mu Qing crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Xie Lian. His long, brown hair was gathered in a sleek ponytail, a few strands resting on his shoulders.

«Anything else?», he demanded sharply.

Closing his eyes, Xie Lian rubbed his face with his hands, trying his best to remember what he hadn't already told his friends.

«The last thing I recall happening before waking up this morning, was that I had just left my hotel room», he said, then grimaced, «I think I left to look after something to, ah, help with my heat. I'm not sure how far I managed to go, though.»

Feng Xin, now sitting next to Xie Lian, was tapping his chin with a finger.

«Maybe the hotel has access to some security camera recordings», he contemplated.

Xie Lian frowned.

«I don't want to turn this into a big deal-», he started, then was abruptly interrupted by Mu Qing.

«But it is a big deal», the latter said, still standing next to the bed, seemingly comfortable with looking down at him, «someone gave you a fucking mating bite! You could probably sue them for something like that.»

The beginning of a headache was making itself known in Xie Lian's head, and he stroked one of his temples.

«I don't want to sue anyone, though», Xie Lian sighed and tried to smile in an appeasing manner, «remember what I told you earlier today? I just wish to find out who it was, so I can thank him.»

Mu Qing was still grumbling, but Feng Xin nodded and rested a hand on Xie Lian's shoulder.

«It's your decision to make, so if that's what you want, then we'll be happy to help», Feng Xin shot a sharp glance towards Mu Qing, emphasizing the 'we', «anyway, I guess the logical step now would be to figure out which hotel room you woke up in, then ask the reception about who booked it?»

Xie Lian inclined his head in agreement.

«And Quan Yizhen?», Mu Qing prompted, making Xie Lian shake his head.

«There was nothing suggesting a bond between us. I didn't eat much of my lunch, just to see if he insisted on me finishing it», Xie Lian made a face, «he ended up eating the leftovers, instead.»

Both Mu Qing and Feng Xin groaned.

«That's one out of eight eliminated, then», Mu Qing said.

Feng Xin seemed more caught up by something else.

«Aren't you hungry, though?», he was looking intently at Xie Lian, «if you only ate some of your lunch? Want me to grab something for you?»

Xie Lian smiled happily, shaking his head again. Mu Qing simply stared at them.

«No need. Ling Wen stopped me just before I left and gave me an extra portion», he gestured towards the paper bag visible in the trashcan, «so I'm completely full now. But thank you, Feng Xin.»

Mu Qing arched an eyebrow.

«Your boss gave you additional food?», he shot Xie Lian a pointed look, «your alpha boss?»

«En», Xie Lian confirmed, understanding where his friend's thoughts were going, «but I am sure that the alpha I, ah, was with, was a male.»

Feng Xin looked deep in thought.

«It's still kind of unusual for an alpha to feed someone they have no relation with», he muttered, «even though she is your boss, it's still kind of… It's not very common, at least.»

«Oh, there was a reason for it, though», Xie Lian said, feeling both of his friends' stare on his face, «she said that executive Hua mentioned some of her employees not finishing their food.»

That made his friends' expressions turn even more puzzled.

«Why would Hua Cheng care about whether you ate your food or not?», Feng Xin questioned, a big frown on his face.

«That seems highly unrealistic», Mu Qing pitched in, «maybe it was an excuse for her to feed you. Or maybe he was just trying to criticize her leadership abilities.»

Xie Lian rubbed his cheek, the movement a little sheepish.

«Perhaps. Ah, do you guys think… Would it make sense to talk to executive Hua next?»

Feng Xin snorted, and Mu Qing hid his mouth behind long, slender fingers.

«Ah, A-Lian», Feng Xin shot Xie Lian a teasing grin, «I don't think there's any need for that yet.»

«I kind of assumed we would skip past him», Mu Qing said, his voice droll, «that man obviously hates other people. I can't imagine him taking pity of you whilst you're in heat, and especially not mark you at the same time.»

Xie Lian couldn't really explain why, but some sort of sinking sensation appeared deep in his gut as his friends made it clear how deeply unlikely something like that would be.

He shoved the feeling aside.

«Okay», Xie Lian said, clearing his throat when his voice came out as a croak, «ah, so we'll go look for the hotel room now, then?»

It felt strange to be wandering down the same hallway he had been walking through a few hours earlier, especially as Feng Xin and Mu Qing this time followed directly behind him.

The dark carpet covering the entire floor made their steps soft and quiet, and Xie Lian found himself glancing at the extravagant, beautiful paintings adorning some of the walls. The hotel they were visiting for the conference was a grand and sumptuous thing, with tall ceilings and intricate moldings. All of the hotel employees wore the same light-colored uniforms, and each and every one of them were sprayed down with a scent-concealing perfume, making it less probable for a guest to be unsettled by their secondary gender in any way.

Xie Lian slowed down as he found himself approaching the room he had left earlier — a tall, well-kept plant right next to the door made it easy to identify.

«This is it?», Feng Xin asked, pausing next to Xie Lian whilst crossing his arms.

Xie Lian nodded.

Mu Qing stepped past them, stretching out a hand to grab the door handle.

The door stayed closed.

The three of them sighed.

«Guess that would've made it too easy», Mu Qing commented drily, then glanced up at the elaborate sign above the door, «at least we have the room number.»

«And you're completely sure this is the correct room?», Feng Xin asked, sounding a little apologetic. Xie Lian didn't blame him, though. He knew he could be a little, ah, absent-minded sometimes.

«I'm positive», Xie Lian confirmed, looking between his friends, «we'll talk to the receptionist next, then?»

The lady servicing the reception was a short, bemused-looking omega. She had thick, dark hair flowing down to her hips, and was hammering away at a computer as the trio approached her.

«Hello», Xie Lian said, smiling gently, «we were wondering if we could enquire about a few matters?»

The lady's eyes swiftly found his, and she plastered a polite smile onto her face.

«Of course», she said, the stiffness of her words suggesting that there were other things she'd rather be doing.

«Room 1015, on the twentieth floor», Mu Qing said, stepping forward, «who booked it last?»

The receptionist's eyebrow twitched.

«That is confidential information, Sir», she said, «I apologize, but I am not allowed to share that.»

«It's really important», Feng Xin added, moving to stand next to Xie Lian, «it is crucial that we get hold of that person!»

Sighing silently, the lady looked over at Feng Xin.

«It would still be a breach of our privacy policy to share something like that», she stated.

Mu Qing's eyes narrowed and he tilted his head slightly.

«Could we possibly speak to your supervisor instead?», he asked, his voice icy.

The receptionist matched his frostiness;

«I am the supervisor.»

«So, no name», Feng Xin sighed, «and no access to the security camera recordings.»

They were sitting in the conference room again, the chairs around them slowly getting filled with co-workers ready for a new meeting.

«I still think we should've told her about the heat and the mating bite», Mu Qing said testily, shooting another glare towards Xie Lian.

The latter let out a huff, seated between his friends. It almost seemed as if they wanted to keep him sheltered between them.

«And I would still prefer to keep it private», Xie Lian said patiently, brown eyes flickering around the room to take in the various people entering it.

Mu Qing tsk-ed but didn't push it.

«Who are you gonna talk to next?», Feng Xin asked, «are there any alphas you're more familiar with? That could be a good place to start.»

Xie Lian sucked on his teeth, thinking.

«The only alphas I usually meet are you and Ling Wen», he said after a moment, «besides you two, I'm only acquainted with Quan Yizhen and Lang Qianqiu.»

«So it makes sense for you to speak to Lang Qianqiu next, then», Feng Xin murmured. He crossed his arms and glanced across the room towards where the other alpha was stood, speaking with a few co-workers.

Xie Lian followed his friend's gaze, taking in the young man's appearance.

Lang Qianqiu was a fairly new addition to H-VEN — a tall, fit man with short, chestnut hair, his demeanor open and approachable. He also worked in the customer service department, and had quickly been promoted to a senior advisor after showing a great deal of potential early on. Xie Lian had been the one to instruct him during his first few weeks, giving Lang Qianqiu thorough training in greeting customers, accommodating their wishes or complaints, and so on. Xie Lian had gotten the impression of a trustworthy and reliable man, always doing his job properly whilst being pleasant to others.

Not the worst traits a potential mate could have.

«I guess so», Xie Lian said, and tapped his fingers on top of his thighs, «I'll speak with him after the meeting.»

«What is your tactic going to be?», Mu Qing inquired, then added wryly, «going to not finish your food again?»

Xie Lian glanced over at his friend, whilst Feng Xin shot Mu Qing an annoyed glare.

«Ah», Xie Lian smiled crookedly, «no, I don't think so. Feng Xin», he turned to look at the alpha, «do you have any suggestions?»

Musing, Feng Xin tilted his head slightly.

«I mean… I am an alpha», he said.

«We know», said Mu Qing sardonically.

Feng Xin glared at him again.

«Witty», he spat, then looked at Xie Lian, «because of the hereditary possessiveness of alphas, I'm pretty sure your mate wouldn't want you to get too close to one. Even if he doesn't really care about you romantically, his instincts would probably force him to react in… some way, I imagine.»

Xie Lian mulled over his words.

«So, what you're saying is that I should be close to you?», he eventually asked, then scratched his head, «but I already am?»

Coughing, Feng Xin glanced towards the ceiling, breaking their eye contact.

«Ah, yes, you are… But…»

«You'll need to be even closer», Mu Qing said, talking to Xie Lian but staring at Feng Xin, «preferably touching, I presume.»

Xie Lian's eyebrows shot up, and his lips formed a small 'o'.

«Oh.»

«Yeah», Feng Xin said, visibly uncomfortable as he scratched his arm, «are you okay with that?»

The alpha's dark eyes flickered towards Mu Qing, then rested on Xie Lian's face.

Xie Lian nodded, determination evident in his expression.

«I am. But wouldn't it be… weird for you? I smell differently now that I've been bonded, don't I?», Xie Lian examined Feng Xin's reaction.

The latter shrugged.

«You don't really smell that differently», he stroked his chin, «it's more as if something's been added to your scent? So it's not as… appealing anymore.»

A small smile appeared on Mu Qing's lips as Xie Lian paused.

«…Are you saying that I smell bad?», Xie Lian asked after a while, feeling somewhat slighted.

«No, no, you don't smell bad!», Feng Xin's skin flushed a little as he struggled with finding the right words, «ah, it's just that as an alpha, I have this instinct to find an omega, right?»

Xie Lian nodded.

«And now that you have a mate, you aren't an option for me anymore - does that make sense?», Feng Xin stroked a hand over his face, looking slightly unsure.

Blinking slowly, Xie Lian digested his friend's words.

Because of the mating bite, he wouldn't be an option for other alphas. Which meant…

«Oh», Xie Lian inclined his head to show that he understood Feng Xin's explanation, «yes, that makes sense.»

Mu Qing was gazing at Xie Lian with cool eyes.

«Don't overthink it», he said quietly, «we'll figure something out.»

Feng Xin frowned in confusion, evidently not catching on to the subject. Just as he opened his mouth, ready to make them explain, someone in the middle of the room cleared their throat.

Glancing towards the sound, Xie Lian found himself looking at Jun Wu.

The firm's CEO, a distinguished and good-looking alpha, was stood in front of everyone, waiting for the room to turn quiet. He had the attitude of a man who knew extremely well that they were the most powerful person in the room — his posture was self-assured and relaxed, hands resting inside the pockets of a very expensive-looking suit. The only alpha in the firm who could possibly challenge such an assertive and dominant energy was probably Hua Cheng.

Xie Lian realized with dread that if he didn't find out who his mate was, he would have to approach Jun Wu as well.

«Thank you all for gathering here again», Jun Wu's inscrutable gaze wandered over the employees seated in front of him, resting a few seconds on Xie Lian, «on the agenda for the last meeting of the day, we're going to start off by getting a short presentation of the firm's economic situation over the last year. Shi Wudu, if you could come up here…»

Xie Lian soon found himself zoning out again. His head still felt heavy and cloudy after the night, and exhaustion and soreness made his body sluggish and somewhat achy.

Letting out a silent sigh, he shifted on his chair and let his attention drift from Jun Wu to the people seated near the CEO.

The executives were as anticipated sitting on the foremost table — well, most of them. Hua Cheng was absent.

A strange sensation made itself known in Xie Lian's stomach.

He glanced around the room, wondering if the executive had perhaps decided to sit elsewhere.

There were no traces of the remarkable alpha anywhere, though. Xie Lian was sure that he'd feel Hua Cheng's presence if he was there, anyway.

Mu Qing tapped one of his knees, and Xie Lian peeked over at him.

«Look at Shi Wudu», said Mu Qing under his breath, «do you feel anything when you look at him?»

Xie Lian shot his friend a bewildered look. Feel anything?

Mu Qing noticed his confusion and rolled his eyes unkindly.

«Shi Wudu is an alpha», Mu Qing hissed quietly, «do you think he is a possibility? How do you feel when you look at him?»

Xie Lian turned his head and squinted at the man currently talking.

Shi Wudu was also a capable alpha, though his strength was colder and less visible than those of Jun Wu and Hua Cheng. With a tall, lean body and short, well-kept hair, he was definitely noteworthy where he stood. His frosty, blue eyes were mostly focused on the other directors, as if he was speaking mainly to them, though they sometimes swept over the rest of the room as well.

Xie Lian might not know a great deal about who had left the mating bite on him, but he was feeling certain that it was someone warm and passionate, and not someone as icy and indifferent as Shi Wudu.

«I don't feel anything in particular», Xie Lian murmured in silence, «I'm not sure if- ah, I don't feel like it's very likely that it's him.»

Mu Qing was looking at him from the corner of his eyes, then nodded after a while.

«I still think we should make sure, though», he said quietly, «but we'll save him for later on.»

Just as Xie Lian was about to agree, he found himself distracted by the sound of the door to the room discreetly opening.

Looking over his shoulder, Xie Lian watched as the last executive finally joined the meeting.

A frown was etched into Hua Cheng's handsome face, dark eyebrows knitted and grey eye glaring at the floor in front of him. He was still walking slow and languidly, but the tenseness of his broad shoulders gave away the hostility of his mood.

As he walked by where Xie Lian and his friends were seated, Xie Lian noticed Hua Cheng's frown turning deeper, before the alpha quickly passed by and made his way over to the other executives. No one mentioned that he was late — instead, Jun Wu and Hua Cheng's gazes simply met for a moment, before they looked away.

When the meeting came to an end a few hours later, Xie Lian was all stiff and uncomfortable thanks to the hard plastic of the chair. Standing up on wobbly legs, Feng Xin let one of his palms rest against Xie Lian's back, stabilizing him.

«Thank you», Xie Lian said gratefully to his friend, then looked at Mu Qing, «seeing as I missed our dinner plans yesterday, do you want to eat out today instead?»

Mu Qing gave him a chilly once-over.

«I don't think so», he said.

Xie Lian opened his mouth, ready to argue when Feng Xin jumped in.

«I agree», the latter smiled gently at Xie Lian, still touching his lower back, «I think you should get some rest. You both look and, ah-», Feng Xin stepped a little closer, inclining his head slightly as he took a deep breath, «smell exhausted.»

Feng Xin paused for a second. Mu Qing was staring at the two of them.

«Have you been using a scent-obscuring perfume? I can hardly smell anything.»

Xie Lian nodded, unconcerned with the intimacy of Feng Xin's gesture. They had been friends for years, after all.

«I wasn't sure if I still smelled like my heat, so I thought it'd be practical», Xie Lian said earnestly.

Feng Xin nodded.

«I only managed to smell parts of your scent, so I guess that explains it.»

«Are you two quite done scenting each other?», Mu Qing demanded then, «it's pretty impropriate doing so here, especially with Xie Lian's mate still walking around.»

Mu Qing's words made Xie Lian realize how intimate they had been acting, a heavy blush spreading over his cheeks. Glancing around the room, Xie Lian was glad to see that most of their co-workers had already left.

Hua Cheng seemed to just have wrapped up a conversation with Jun Wu and was walking towards the exit again, his frown a little bit less visible.

He seemed to detect Xie Lian watching him, though, because his silvery eye snapped to the omega.

The latter blinked stupidly, turning flustered as he realized that he was caught staring for the second time that day. Panicking a little inside, he shot Hua Cheng a sheepish smile, eyes crinkling with the movement.

Hua Cheng's brows, earlier so tightly knit together, seemed to rise slightly, his frown slipping into a look of perplexity instead.

Xie Lian cursed himself — what was he thinking! Going around smiling all casually to one of the firm's directors, acting as if they were on friendly terms? How thick was his face!

Luckily, he was offered an easy way out as Feng Xin patted him on his back again.

«Are you listening?», his friend asked, sounding slightly worried, «do you wanna go lie down somewhere, maybe?»

Shaking his head, Xie Lian smiled abashedly.

«I'm sorry, I just zoned out for a moment», he excused himself, «are you sure you don't want to go out and eat somewhere?»

Feng Xin steered Xie Lian towards the exit with a firm palm on his back.

«We're positive», Feng Xin said decisively, «we'll take you to your room and drop by with something for you to eat.»

Xie Lian sighed, but understood that there was no point to disagree, so he merely nodded and thanked them.

Feng Xin kept touching him all the way to the elevator, and Xie Lian once again felt the phantom sensation of having someone stare at his back. Though, just as the previous time, he couldn't see anyone behind them this time either.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing did end up accompanying Xie Lian all the way to his hotel room. They were evidently more worried for him than they let on, because Mu Qing insisted on staying with him as Feng Xin went to grab them some food.

The fog inside his head seemed to refuse to relent, so Xie Lian obediently laid down on his bed when Mu Qing told him to, and sighed contently as his friend bundled him up in blankets.

A few seconds later, he nodded off.

Xie Lian woke up again sometime later, unsure of how much time had passed.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin were still in his room, speaking quietly to each other. They quickly fell silent when they noticed Xie Lian poking his head up from the pile of blankets he was buried in. Xie Lian smiled sheepishly at them, then felt his cheeks heat up as he took in the state of the bed.

It seemed as if Xie Lian, during the stretch he had been asleep, had been sort of… forming a nest with the blankets, the sheets, and even a jacket (was that Mu Qing's?) on top of the bed. The nest was messy and half-hearted, and although it contained a few familiar and comforting smells, it definitely felt somewhat wrong.

It did not feel like the warm, cozy, safe place a nest was supposed to be.

A deep blush warming his face, Xie Lian glanced over at his friends. They were observing him quietly, seated on two chairs at the end of the bed.

«How are you feeling?», Feng Xin asked gently, then gestured to a tray on the desk behind them, «I brought up some food, but I didn't want to disturb your sleep.»

Mu Qing didn't seem as inclined to brush over what Xie Lian had done.

«When was the last time you made a nest?», he asked bluntly.

Glancing down at his hands, Xie Lian let out a breath.

«A few years ago», he answered, voice quiet.

Feng Xin's eyebrows lifted, and Mu Qing stood from his chair, walking over to next to Xie Lian.

«I don't like this one bit», Mu Qing placed a palm against Xie Lian's forehead, «you feel warm, you're obviously distracted, and you're nesting.»

Following Mu Qing, Feng Xin sat on the edge of the bed, grasping one of Xie Lian's hands and squeezing it. His oh-so-familiar scent, a warm, heavy caramel with salted butter, though without being too sweet, helped Xie Lian feel slightly more at ease. Feng Xin smelled like home and a warm hug — like a blend of roasted almonds and sandalwood, it was comforting and soothing.

«I'm feeling better now», Xie Lian said, trying to blink away the sleepiness weighing his eyes down, «just a little drowsy.»

«Well, you're obviously not doing good», said Mu Qing sharply, «because it's clear that the omega in you is missing its alpha right now.»

Stroking some stray hair strands away from his face with the hand that was not occupied by Feng Xin, Xie Lian avoided meeting Mu Qing's stare.

«Well», he eventually said, «it's not much I can do about that.»

Feng Xin looked deep in thought, then released Xie Lian's hand and stood up. He walked over and picked up the tray with food, then placed it on top of Xie Lian's lap.

«You should probably skip the festivities tonight, then.»

H-VEN had invited all of their employees to a get-together with food and drinks starting at 8, presumably to make sure that the conference was more than just work.

Xie Lian shook his head, then smiled at his friends.

«That would be a waste of an opportunity to speak with Lang Qianqiu», he pointed out, grabbing the cutlery lying next to his dish, «besides, I do feel stronger now! All I need is some dinner, then I'm good to go.»

Mu Qing and Feng Xin exchanged glances, but didn't say anything.

_______________________

Xie Lian took another shower before the meet-up, itching to get rid of the clamminess covering his skin.

Stepping out of the shower, his wet hair tucked into a towel, he paused in front of the mirror and eyed himself. Slowly, he unwrapped the towel he had slung around his body.

Although the glass in front of him was half-hidden behind layers of steam, Xie Lian could still glimpse his figure.

His mouth popped open.

When he had showered earlier that day, he had been in too much of a hurry to manage more than a fleeting glance at himself in the mirror. Now, as he stood there taking in his reflection, stupefaction hit him.

Xie Lian was aware that he had gotten a few hickeys and bitemarks, but the vast amount of them shocked him. They were trailing from the bottom of his neck and shoulders, down to his chest, further down to his hips, all the way to the inside of his thighs — where red, harsh marks were adorning his skin. There were visible fingermarks on his hips, shaped by purple bruises, as well as on the outer parts of his thighs.

Xie Lian shivered and turned around, peeking over his shoulder to take in the lewd artwork on his body.

The mating bite, barely visible from that angle, was both red and purplish, and there was a cluster of bitemarks around it as well, as if the alpha had enjoyed marking Xie Lian a little too much. The handprints on his waist were even more visible from the back, and his ass — there were multiple teethprints on the swell of it as well.

Taking a shuddering breath, Xie Lian abashedly felt himself blush.

And grow hard.

He let a hand rest against one of the bruises on his hip. His long, slender fingers seemed so small compared to the imprint that was decorating his skin.

Xie Lian sort of… kind of… perhaps… did enjoy that.

Looking away from the mirror, he removed the towel from his hair and started drying it by hand, intently willing away his growing erection. The last thing he needed was to arrive at the get-together smelling all needy and bothered.

Though, that would probably help him locate his mate–

He shook the thoughts away, then quickly dried himself off and blow-dried his hair.

Still dependent on something with a high collar to hide the mating bite, Xie Lian wore the same wool sweater as earlier and a pair of jeans, detangling his hair by sliding his fingers through it. Spraying another layer of the scent-obscuring perfume, he then picked up his phone and let his friends know that he was heading to the hotel's sky bar, where the firm's meet-up was supposed to happen.

To make Mu Qing and Feng Xin leave him alone, they had ended up forcing him into agreeing to give them a heads up — both of their rooms were on another floor, so they had demanded that he'd let them know when he was going.

Xie Lian then left his room and padded down the hallway to the elevator, waiting patiently for it to arrive.

A couple of voices appearing behind him suddenly alerted him, so Xie Lian glanced over his shoulder.

Shi Wudu had changed into a dark suit, his face solemn as he walked next to his sister, Shi Qingxuan. The latter was wearing a lovely, lilac dress, her long hair dancing around her shoulders as they made their way over to where Xie Lian stood.

«- told you before, there's no point dressing up like this», Shi Wudu scolded, «it doesn't look good for an omega to show off when there is a bunch of alphas in the room.»

He glanced up, noticing Xie Lian, and his eyes coldly wandered over the other's outfit.

«You could learn something from Senior Advisor Xie», Shi Wudu continued, nodding curtly to Xie Lian, «that is a more appropriate way for an omega to dress. Neutral and decent.»

Xie Lian felt his eyebrow twitch.

«Don't be so rude, ge», Shi Qingxuan rolled her eyes, then shot Xie Lian a sparkly smile, «Senior Advisor Xie is very well-dressed in my opinion!»

Xie Lian was intently wishing for them to stop discussing his clothing style.

«Besides», Shi Qingxuan lifted a fan she was holding, waving it towards Shi Wudu, «alphas should behave no matter which way an omega dresses! Why should I be the one to dress differently, when you are the ones who can't control yourselves!»

The last sentence made Xie Lian glance over at them again.

Shi Wudu not controlling himself? Perhaps…

The man in question practically sneered at Shi Qingxuan;

«Silence! You know extremely well that you're not to-», he looked at Xie Lian, then softened his tone slightly, «that is for a private discussion.»

The elevator arrived and the three of them walked into it, Xie Lian standing in the corner.

Could it possibly be that Shi Wudu had…

Xie Lian stared at his feet as he pondered.

And that Shi Wudu then had told his sister…

Well. There was only one way to find out.

Clearing his throat, Xie Lian lifted his chin and eyed Shi Wudu warily.

«Ah, I just remembered», Xie Lian forced a smile on his lips when Shi Wudu's icy glare shifted to him, «Executive Shi. Yesterday evening… What were you doing around 6 pm?»

Shi Qingxuan's eyes widened, and she immediately twisted to observe her brother's reaction at such an inappropriate question.

Shi Wudu narrowed his eyes.

«Why are you asking?», he said, voice calm and chilly.

Xie Lian sheepishly rubbed his arm.

«Ah, well, you see», he cleared his throat, «I wasn't feeling too well, so I left my hotel room to get some… medicine. And then I stumbled upon someone, who helped me back into my room», Xie Lian felt his cheeks burn from the humiliating words leaving his mouth, «and I, ah, thought that it perhaps could be you.»

He coughed.

Shi Wudu was staring at him, equal parts incredulity and suspicion tinting his face.

Shi Qingxuan, on the opposite hand, covered her mouth with dainty fingers and giggled.

«Ge?», she teased, «is that true?»

«Hardly», Shi Wudu said stiltedly, «I'm afraid you must be mistaking me for someone else, Senior Advisor Xie.»

«Yeah», Shi Qingxuan mused, «because if I remember correctly, you were with Executive Ling at that time? Right, ge?»

The glare Shi Wudu shot his sister was so harsh that Xie Lian felt a cold gust rush down his spine.

«That is none of your concern», Shi Wudu said frostily, then turned around as soon as the elevator plinged, and walked out the open doors.

Shi Qingxuan grimaced, though her eyes were sparkling when she looked over at Xie Lian.

«It wasn't him», she said reassuringly, «are you feeling better now?»

Xie Lian smiled.

«En», he said, «I just wanted to, ah, thank the person who helped me.»

They walked side-by-side out of the elevator and down the hallway, the doors to the sky bar open at the end of it.

«I get that», Shi Qingxuan agreed, «you truly have no idea who it is?»

Shaking his head, Xie Lian glanced over at the fan Shi Qingxuan was fidgeting with in her hands.

«I don't.»

«Hmm», the other omega lifted the fan and tapped it against her chin as she deliberated, «I'm going to meet up with a friend here. We could ask him.»

They entered the club, both of them pausing inside the entrance to look around.

The sky bar was, as expected, located on the top floor of the hotel. Two of the walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling glass, giving a spectacular view of the city lights twinkling in the dark. A tall, open glass door also gave the visitors easy access to the balcony, as well as to the stairs to the roof terrace.

In classic nightclub manners, the sky bar's lights were slightly dimmed and there were music filling the room, making it an inviting place to mingle, talk, or dance.

Xie Lian didn't really feel like doing any of those things, but he nevertheless followed Shi Qingxuan as she made her way towards some tall bar tables in one of the corners.

«A-Xuan!», she called out as they neared a man sitting at one of them, waving happily, «I'm here!»

The man glanced up, his face immediately revealing slight exasperation.

«Qingxuan», the man said coolly, his voice deep and impassive.

Xie Lian recognized him fairly quick.

Even though He Xuan was of no higher position than Xie Lian, the alpha was still fairly well-known in the firm. Not only had he been working in the sales department for years, but he was also rumored to be the person who was the closest to Hua Cheng, having some sort of role as an advisor for the man.

He Xuan was tall and slender, and could easily compete against Shi Wudu for having the coldest, most impassive manner of being. His dark and sleek, shoulder-length hair was gathered into a low ponytail, and his black, unimpressed eyes were shifting from Shi Qingxuan to Xie Lian.

«You brought a friend», He Xuan stated, glancing over Xie Lian.

«I did», Shi Qingxuan chirped, «have you met Xie Lian before?»

He Xuan's gaze settled on the female omega again.

«I'm familiar.»

«How familiar?», Shi Qingxuan inquired.

Xie Lian felt his neck heat up, and He Xuan frowned in confusion.

«What do you mean?»

«Xie Lian wasn't feeling too good yesterday, so someone had to help him a little», Xie Lian's blush turned warmer as he listened to Shi Qingxuan's words, «and he wants to thank them, but he can't remember who it was! Was it you?»

He Xuan glanced back over at Xie Lian, eyebrows still slightly knitted.

«…No?»

Well, Xie Lian thought, that wasn't a surprise. He Xuan's faint yet distinct scent of salt air and sea breeze might be pleasant, but it did not ignite any spark of familiarity inside Xie Lian. Neither could he really imagine He Xuan losing his composure and ravishing Xie Lian to the extent he had been fucked.

Shi Qingxuan grimaced and looked over at him.

«I'm sorry, Xie Lian», she said apologetically, «it was worth a shot, though?»

Nodding, Xie Lian smiled at the both of them, his eyes crinkling.

«Of course, there is nothing to apologize for! Thank you for trying to help me», he said earnestly.

Shi Qingxuan returned his smile, then sat down on one of the chairs next to He Xuan.

«And you're sitting here all alone like a hermit?», she teased him, «no one to keep you company? Not even that boss of yours?»

He Xuan rolled his eyes.

«Definitely not that boss of mine», he said drily, «he has been super pissy today.»

Xie Lian blinked. So he wasn't the only one who had noticed Hua Cheng's lousy temper at the conference.

Shi Qingxuan let out a laugh;

«Why?»

Shrugging, He Xuan already looked tired of the topic.

«I don't know. He's just been an absolute ass all day», he grasped a glass standing in front of him and took a sip of the amber-colored liquid.

«Guess he's not coming to the party then», Shi Qingxuan said and looked over at Xie Lian, who was still standing awkwardly next to the table, «I was thinking that we could ask him as well, but I guess that's not an option then.»

He Xuan actually snorted.

«You guys think big, powerful executive Hua would spend his oh-so-precious time helping sick staff members?», he chuckled, his voice sardonic, «right.»

Xie Lian's brows furrowed as Shi Qingxuan let out a sigh.

«You're probably right», she said, then lifted a hand and patted Xie Lian's shoulder, «you'll find out who it was one day!»

Forcing a polite smile onto his face, Xie Lian nodded.

«Hopefully», he agreed half-heartedly, then glanced over his shoulder as he heard some familiar voices approaching.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin was walking directly towards him, both of them wearing equally as irritated expressions.

Xie Lian swallowed.

«Ah, I'll go talk to some friends of mine», he said to Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan, shooting them a sheepish smile, «thank you for your help!»

He walked over to meet Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and the second they stopped in front of Xie Lian, they started scolding him.

«We told you to wait for us outside the club», Mu Qing said sharply, «not inside!»

«What if you suddenly stumbled upon the alpha again?», Feng Xin added, arms crossed to highlight his disappointment, «something bad could've happened!»

Exhaling lightly, Xie Lian shot them a, hopefully, appeasing smile.

«I met Shi Qingxuan when I left my room and went with her», he said soothingly, «I haven't been alone at all!»

«But she's an omega as well», Feng Xin said, «how could she possibly protect you?»

Mu Qing's face turned strained, and he quietly looked over at Feng Xin, his eyebrow twitching.

Noticing Mu Qing's pissed off expression, Feng Xin cleared his throat and touched Xie Lian's arm.

«Next time, wait for us, okay?», he asked, the request earnest.

Xie Lian nodded, his friends' affection making his stomach feel warm.

«Okay», he said, before remembering something, «oh, and also - I've spoken to Shi Wudu and He Xuan, and neither of them are an option anymore, either!»

Feng Xin's mouth popped open and Mu Qing's head snapped towards Xie Lian.

«What?», they said in unison.

Mu Qing's eyes narrowed;

«You've spoken to two alphas alone?»

Lifting a hand, Xie Lian let out a sheepish laugh.

«No, no! I spoke to Shi Wudu in the elevator with Shi Qingxuan, and she also joined me for the chat with He Xuan», he gestured over his shoulder, where the two of them were still seated at the table, talking to each other quietly.

Huffing, Mu Qing crossed his arms as well, mirroring Feng Xin.

«So there are five alphas left, then», he said.

Nodding again, Xie Lian glanced between his friends.

«And the plan is for me to speak with Lang Qianqiu here, right?»

Feng Xin turned his head to scan the room, his eyes stopping to rest at a sofa group in another corner of the sky bar. Looking back at Xie Lian, he inclined his head affirmatively.

«Yes, he's sitting over there with some other people. How are you gonna do it?»

Xie Lian glanced over at where Lang Qianqiu was seated, and tapped his bottom lip thoughtfully.

«I think I'll wait for him to walk somewhere else», he eventually said, «that wait, we can speak in private.»

«That sounds like a smart move», Mu Qing agreed, then moved his cutting stare over to Feng Xin, «maybe he'll come over here if this moron scents you down again.»

Letting out an irritated puff, Feng Xin met Mu Qing's glare and looked positively irked.

«Stop being such a bitch», he snapped, «you know damn well why I did it!»

«Oh, so I'm a bitch, huh?», Mu Qing sneered, «I guess that's what all omegas are to you?»

Xie Lian lifted a hand to massage his temple, feeling a headache approaching. His head still felt heavy and clouded, and he didn't particularly want a throbbing ache on top of that.

«You're putting words into my mouth!», Feng Xin exclaimed, «you-»

A hand touched Xie Lian's arm and pulled him slightly backwards.

Spinning around, Xie Lian found himself looking directly at Lang Qianqiu. The alpha had a sympathetic expression on his face.

«It seemed like you could need a break from them», he said, laughter in his voice.

Xie Lian smiled gratefully.

«I really could», he said, his eyes crinkling in the corners, «thank you for saving me.»

«No worries», Lang Qianqiu led him towards the bar-counter a few meters behind them, «I was heading over to grab a drink, anyways. Do you want anything?»

Humming, Xie Lian paused next to him by the bar, glancing down at a menu lying in front of them.

«Just an iced tea, I think», he eventually said, and Lang Qianqiu nodded, before gesturing for a bartender to help them.

As he ordered, Xie Lian closed his eyes and softly inhaled Lang Qianqiu's scent.

A smoky blend of exotic spices and cardamom, and an earthy kind of sandalwood.

It smelled nice; pleasant, even.

But not right.

«Here you go», Lang Qianqiu said, and Xie Lian looked up to find the alpha handing him his drink.

Xie Lian smiled again.

«Thank you.»

«No problem, Senior Advisor Xie», Lang Qianqiu said and returned the smile, a beer clutched in his own hand.

Huffing out a laugh, Xie Lian grasped the straw in his glass between two fingers and started stirring around the liquid.

«There's no need to be so formal, Qianqiu», Xie Lian chided gently, «we've worked together for years.»

Lang Qianqiu nodded obediently.

«You're right, Xie-ge», he said, then leaned slightly against the counter, «how are you doing these days?»

Taking a sip of his drink, Xie Lian tapped his fingers on top of the wooden surface of the counter.

This was his chance to question Lang Qianqiu, after all.

«I've been doing good», he scratched his nose sheepishly, «…except for yesterday, when I was feeling slightly ill. Ah, Qianqiu, did we… happen to run into each other then?»

Frowning, Lang Qianqiu tilted his head.

«You've been sick? Are you feeling better now?», he asked.

Not answering the question.

Xie Lian inhaled deeply.

«Yes, I'm feeling much better now», he said, trying to smile reassuringly, «I assume we didn't meet then?»

«No, we did», Lang Qianqiu said easily, lifting his glass to drink from it.

Stiffening, Xie Lian paused.

He blinked.

«We did?»

«Yeah», Lang Qianqiu nodded, «you were all red and flustered, remember?»

What?

Letting out a shaky laugh, Xie Lian shook his head gently.

«I can't say that I remember», his voice came out raspy, so Xie Lian cleared his throat, «when was this?»

«You really don't remember?», Lang Qianqiu's thick brows furrowed even deeper, «you even waved and greeted me.»

«When.», Xie Lian pressed, politeness crumbling under the unease he was feeling.

Lang Qianqiu scratched his head.

«In the evening, like 7-8 or so? When you left the hot springs?»

Xie Lian's face turned blank.

«That was the day before.»

«Oh», Lang Qianqiu looked up for a moment, visibly thinking, «yeah, I guess you're right! Ah, in that case, no, we did not meet yesterday.»

Rubbing his cheeks with both hands, Xie Lian took a deep, deep breath.

He'd almost forgotten how he had visited the hot springs two days earlier. It had been a long day of work meetings, so Xie Lian had easily snatched the opportunity to relax in the warm, steamy springs. It had been a little late in the evening, as well, so there weren't many people there.

The only people Xie Lian could actually remember seeing there was Lang Qianqiu, and…

Xie Lian's cheeks turned pink.

«Xie-ge?», Lang Qianqiu prompted, «are you alright? You've turned all red.»

Coughing, Xie Lian nodded quickly.

«Yes, of course», he said, his face still burning up, «I just recalled something.»

Shaking his head, Xie Lian shot the other man an apologetic look.

«I'm sorry. How has Qianqiu been doing?»

Lang Qianqiu seemed to swiftly brush over the weird moment Xie Lian had gone through, easily starting to explain a work issue he had encountered, and how he had solved it using some of the things Xie Lian had taught him.

As they spoke, Xie Lian felt a strange pull in his gut, almost urging him to look to the side.

Turning his head slightly, Xie Lian met Hua Cheng's gaze as the alpha walked towards him — no, towards the bar. He had evidently just entered the club.

For whatever reason, Xie Lian struggled pulling his eyes back, instead taking in the unhurried way Hua Cheng was moving, his posture lazy yet very much confident and captivating. Although his body language was languid and calm, the way his eye was taking in Xie Lian… it felt like a lick of cold kissing down his spine.

The alpha in front of him seemed to notice that he was distracted.

«Gege?», Lang Qianqiu asked.

Hua Cheng's gaze snapped to Lang Qianqiu.

His stare turned icy.

Yet, somehow, Xie Lian found his stomach grow warm.