A-Mu clicked his tongue, light brown eyes twinkling in tease. "’Long time no see’? Isn’t it you who refuse to see me? Even though I have always been waiting..."

Through his peripheral vision, He Juan could see Jia Molei palming his face, and he had a strong urge to do the same too.

This person sure had not changed a bit. Sighing inwardly, He Juan plastered a business smile on his face and pretended not to notice the implication behind A-Mu’s words, earning him a pitiful whine from the latter. "I need your help with an urgent matter. I’d like to receive the result as soon as possible, preferably tonight. Is it possible?"

Seeing that his miserable appearance did not work on He Juan at all, A-Mu tucked his chin on his palm and twisted his curly hair with a finger, bored. "’Is it possible?’" he repeated He Juan’s question with a disdainful click of his tongue. "I’m almost insulted that you have to ask something like that, XIU. Have I ever failed at anything you ask me to do?"

He Juan let out an involuntary snort, amused yet helpless at the same time. Of course, he was aware of A-Mu’s capability. He was an excellent programmer and a world-class hacker. The last time He Juan checked, his codename was still within the top five of the FBI’s most wanted list.

A-Mu and Jia Molei’s relationship was unique in their own way, in He Juan’s opinion.

The young man could be considered Jia Molei’s partner in crime slash unofficial assistant. He would help Jia Molei gather blackmail materials of people who dared to cause a mess in the underground clinic, thus strengthening the security in this place by several folds, and in exchange, Jia Molei had to place him on the top priority as a patient.

A little more than two years ago, A-Mu discovered a tumor in his brain. The young man confessed that he had been suffering from severe headache and dizziness as of late, but he always chalked it up to the side effects of staying up late often. And it was not until he began to feel muscle weakness on multiple parts of his body – and most recently, a seizure – that he realized this might not be as simple as he’d thought it was.

Alas, as a wanted man, he could not put himself in risk by being admitted to a public hospital where he would be left utterly defenseless and vulnerable. As such, he eventually found his way to Jia Molei, and it was such a coincidence that the doctor was the best in the field of neurosurgery.

Long story short, Jia Molei operated on him and saved his life, and A-Mu repaid him in kind by supplying him with some black materials. It was a win-win situation for both of them.

He Juan met the young man last year when he had to stay here due to a bullet wound on his shoulder. Coincidentally, A-Mu paid a visit for his regular check-up and when he laid his gaze on He Juan, he just sort of... rushed forward and confessed?

It was... quite unforgettable, to say the least. He Juan was just taking a leisure stroll post surgery when a pale young man excitedly barrelled onto him like an overexcited puppy, his short curly hair bouncing all over the place. "Y–You... what’s your name? Why haven’t I seen you around before? Wow, look at you..." He let out a wolf whistle while dragging his gaze over He Juan’s chest and torso – that was wrapped in bandages – before snapping his eyes back to He Juan’s face with a grin. "Okay, I know it’s kinda weird since this is the first time we met, but can we date? Oh, you can call me A-Mu, by the way."

Sure, it was not the first time someone had ogled him, both discreetly and explicitly. However, to stick around even after knowing his real identity, to be perfectly dauntless even in the face of the bloodlust in his pheromones, and being an Omega to the boot... A-Mu was the first person to do it.

In the end, A-Mu stayed during the entirety of He Juan’s hospitalization – which only lasted for one day – and refused to leave He Juan’s side even when Jia Molei came to drag him away.

As much as He Juan was flattered by the passionate confession, he could not bring himself to accept it. A-Mu was cute, passionate, brilliant and sassy; he was the perfect example of how omegas could still thrive in society without being a trophy wife/husband or wallflower to serve Alphas. He was an omega that roused an Alpha’s urge to conquer. But He Juan just... could not. He could not imagine himself being in a relationship with A-Mu – or anyone else. Perhaps it was because of the identity he carried, or perhaps it was how He Juan truly was, or maybe there was another reason he himself was not privy to, He Juan was positive that he’d be better off alone. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

A-Mu was an excellent omega. Even without He Juan, he would definitely be able to find another Alpha out there who would cherish him the way he deserved.

And when He Juan made it clear to the young man, the reaction he got was the exact opposite of what he’d been expecting. Instead of giving up, A-Mu became more... fervent in his pursuit.

"Then can you sleep with me once?" A-Mu batted his lashes and opened his limpid eyes wide to appeal. "Just once, XIU? I promise I won’t bother you anymore. Pleaseeee..."

He Juan would not even bat an eyelid when dealing with his enemies but facing A-Mu with his thousand watts of sincerity... he really had no idea what to do. As such, he made himself busy and traveled all over the places where A-Mu couldn’t follow him, until the end he became genuinely busy to hunt down the omega trafficking organization.

This was their first interaction since then, and A-Mu was still the same as how He Juan had remembered him to be. To be completely honest, he was unwilling to contact A-Mu and ignited the young man’s ardent feelings for him, but now... he truly had no other choice.

He Juan did not beat around the bush and immediately got to the point. "Today, around 2.30 pm, in front of Tang Ramen House, someone bumped into me. That person..." He Juan did not have the chance to take a clear look on how they looked, but he could vividly recall a pair of bloodshot and desperate eyes, pleading to him. "I want to find them. Please check where they came from and where they went after crossing paths with me. Oh I’d also have to trouble you to alter the security footage in the area and delete any photos or videos of me and the boy with me."

Jia Molei perked up, taken aback. "Someone really bumped into you?"

He Juan clicked his tongue. "Doctor Jia, why don’t you believe me? Have I ever lied to you? Look," he turned so that his back was facing the computer’s camera, then undid the buttons of his shirt enough to show his chest.

Jia Molei’s eyes widened in shock. "The fuck... did you just run into a truck?"

On He Juan’s toned and chiseled chest, aside from the fading cuts and bruises from the bombing accident, there was an additional patch of hideous purple bruise that was not there before.

How could he get such severe bruises just from a single collision with another person?!