Chapter 42 - Farewell

The redness on Shen Shuyun's face gradually faded as he blinked slowly and said indifferently, "Yes."

Ning Wan's face grew even paler. He squatted down and stared up at Shen Shuyun, his eyes gleaming like a wolf's, sending chills down Shen Shuyun's spine. After a long time, Ning Wan's tightly pressed thin lips parted slightly, and he pleaded as if begging, "Do you really have to leave?"

"Yes." Shen Shuyun let out a faint chuckle, hiding a hint of impatience beneath those gentle features. "We're divorced, aren't we?... Where I go has nothing to do with you."

"I'm afraid you'll go too far, I won't be able to find you."

Shen Shuyun's heart skipped a beat, momentarily leaving him speechless. He could only reach out out to organize the application forms and documents that Ning Wan had scattered on the table. The paper, like a thin blade, cut a fine, long wound on his index finger. A drop of blood quickly welled up on his pale hand, like a red plum blossom on snow, stark and eye-catching.

Ning Wan understood that Shen Shuyun was trying to avoid him deliberately. He lifted Shen Shuyun's right hand, bringing the injured index finger to his mouth, and licked the drop of blood away. The warm, wet sensation of his tongue wrapping around the finger bone made Shen Shuyun shiver involuntarily.

It was unbearably hot inside this hospital room—they really should be an air conditioner.

This was what Shen Shuyun thought as he tried to pull his hand back, but to his surprise, Ning Wan held on so tightly that he couldn't move an inch.

Ning Wan looked up, his eyes full of yearning and desolation, hotter than molten lava, brighter than the blazing sun: "Don't leave me."

Shen Shuyun frowned. He had a thousand questions he wanted to ask Ning Wan. For example, if they divorced so decisively back then, what kind of game was he playing now? And if it was a case of shifting affections, how could he be so sure that he liked him? What if he was mistaken again? But when Shen Shuyun met Ning Wan's eyes, the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word. Finally, he could only sigh half in exasperation, half in persuasion: "You'd better let go."

Unexpectedly, this time Ning Wan obediently let go. He lowered his head, his expression unclear, and turned around in silence to continue packing his things into the suitcase. Shen Shuyun clasped his hands together, feeling that this wasn't over—Ning Wan suppressing his emotions now didn't mean that the matter was truly settled. The unfinished conversation was like a ticking time bomb, unpredictable and unstable, who knew where or when it would explode, injuring everyone within reach, leaving no party unscathed.

An Ruhe and Shen Mingjue had booked their flight for five days after Shen Shuyun's discharge. Shen Mingjue originally wanted to stay a few more days, but because of his special status, he couldn't stay in one place for too long, let alone leave the country. So, he had to leave early with An Ruhe, preparing to fly back to X City.

Shen Shuyun took Xiao Yutou to the airport to see his fathers off. Anruhe, smiling, played with his grandson for a while before looking up to remind Shen Shuyun, "Xiao Yun, take good care of yourself. If you ever feel wronged, be sure to tell the family, okay?"

Shen Mingjue interjected, "Right! If that bastard Ning Wan dares to bother you again, give me a call—I'll teach him a lesson!"

"I know, I know," Shen Shuyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I've already made things clear with him. He... he hasn't come to bother me these past few days, so I think he's figured it out by now."

After all, he would never be Ning Wan's only choice—Ning Wan, the young master of the Ning family, was only twenty-eight this year, in the prime of his life. Could he really be short of people around him? A mere beckon of his hand, and countless men and women would throw themselves at him. Why bother repeatedly running into a wall with him, only to get nothing in return?

Shen Shuyun smiled in relief. "Don't worry about me, Dad. In a few days, I'll go for the surgery to remove my mark... after that, there won't be anything left between us."

Actually, he still wanted to undergo the gland removal surgery, he didn't want to be an Omega anymore. Being an ordinary Beta was also good, without the scent of jasmine wafting from the back of his neck.

Before long, An Ruhe and the others reached the security checkpoint, and Shen Shuyun could only send them off this far. No matter how freely one handled farewells, parting was inevitable. Even Anruhe, usually so carefree, couldn't help feeling a bit reluctant at this moment. "Take good care of yourself, and don't forget to bring Xiao Yutou home to see us more often."

Shen Shuyun nodded, watching his two fathers disappear through the security checkpoint, and only when Shen Mingjue's tall figure vanished into the crowd did he turn to leave with the child. After leaving the airport and on his way back to the city, he received a text message from Ning Wan while in the taxi.

He didn't know when Ning Wan had found out his new number, but Shen Shuyun couldn't be bothered to change it again, so he let it be. Most of the time, Ning Wan's texts and calls were ignored, never opened, and periodically deleted. But this time, out of curiosity, Shen Shuyun found himself clicking on the little red dot of the message. Ning Wan had only sent a short sentence: "I'm going back to W City. Before I leave, can we have a meal together?"

The screen's light seemed glaring on this cloudy day. Shen Shuyun's finger hovered over the delete button for a long time but ultimately didn't press it. Instead, he opened the reply box and typed two words: "Where?"

At that moment, Shen Shuyun had no idea that replying to this message and agreeing to this meeting might be the decision he would regret the most in his life.

Soon, his phone vibrated, and Shen Shuyun swiped the screen open to see Ning Wan's reply: "Tonight at 8 o'clock, see you on the fifth floor of K.bar."

Shen Shuyun felt a vague sense of unease—why go to a bar for a meal? Shouldn't they just find a restaurant and order a couple of dishes?

That evening, after much inner struggle, Shen Shuyun still decided to go out. He took Xiao Yutou to Xiao Ruan's house, asking her to take care of him for a while, then wrapped himself in a gray coat and left. Shen Shuyun wasn't familiar with Z City and rarely went out for entertainment, so he hadn't heard of the bar. He had no choice but to hail a taxi and ask the driver to take him there. Not knowing the distance, Shen Shuyun deliberately left an hour early, but the bar turned out to be quite far from his home. Moreover, a minor car accident along the way delayed him further, and by the time he got out of the taxi, it was already five minutes past eight.

Shen Shuyun looked up at the building in front of him—it was indeed a large bar. He then noticed the large sign above, realizing that the entire building was the bar. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. When the elevator doors opened and he stepped out, two black-clad bodyguards immediately blocked his way. "Please show your ticket."

"What ticket?" Shen Shuyun had to look up at the two tall, burly men. "I'm here to see Ning Wan. Do you know him?"

As soon as he mentioned "Ning Wan," the two bodyguards exchanged glances, then stepped aside and spoke softly, "Welcome, Mr. Shen. Mr. Ning is waiting for you in Room 1."

Shen Shuyun slid his hands into his pockets, pursing his lips as he walked toward the end of the corridor. He guessed that the fifth floor of this bar must be private, accessible only with a reservation. With this thought, he arrived at the innermost Room 1. He stared at the dark door in front of him, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to knock lightly.

The door quickly opened, so fast that Shen Shuyun had the feeling someone had been sitting right next to it, waiting. He looked up at the open door, where Ning Wan stood under a large crystal chandelier. His gaunt face faintly showed signs of illness, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking even more haggard than Shen Shuyun himself.

Shen Shuyun walked in and closed the door behind him.

"You're late." Ning Wan's voice was calm and hoarse, carrying a magnetic rasp. "I thought you weren't coming."

The air in the room felt thin, as if the tension had compressed it. Shen Shuyun didn't dare to focus his gaze on Ning Wan and instead stared at the soft, thick carpet beneath his feet.

Ning Wan was the first to break the awkward silence: "Since you're late, how about starting with a drink as a penalty?"

Shen Shuyun considered this meeting a farewell This may be the last time he would ever see Ning Wan. With that thought, he found himself agreeing: "Okay"

Ning Wan turned and walked to the round table directly under the chandelier. He picked up a crystal glass and opened a bottle of red wine nearby. The crimson liquid clung to the thin wall of the glass as it flowed in, making a soft, delicate sound. Ning Wan stopped pouring after the glass was half full, then walked over to Shen Shuyun, holding the glass of wine in front of him. "Brother Yun, drink this, and then we can start the dinner."

Shen Shuyun took the glass, noting that it wasn't as cold as he had expected a crystal glass to be. The thin stem still held the warmth of Ning Wan's touch. Shen Shuyun stared into Ning Wan's deep eyes, then raised the glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

The bitter, cold liquid flowed down his throat into his body, suppressing the sudden sense of reluctance he felt and gradually draining all the strength from his limbs.

The crystal chandelier swayed, becoming a large blur of white in front of his eyes. The glass slipped from Shen Shuyun's hand, falling onto the carpet without shattering, making only a muffled sound. Then, Shen Shuyun staggered, collapsing weakly to the floor as if all the bones in his body had been removed. Ning Wan reached out to catch his falling body, preventing him from hitting the ground in a humiliating heap.

Shen Shuyun's last conscious thought lingered on Ning Wan's blood-red eyes.

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T/N:

guys help me with this one, which name is better for the baby cuz I don't know what to choose right now.

1. Xiao Taro

2. Little Taro

3. Xiao Yutou

See you next update