Ch.107 – One-way Passage (END)

Memories can be deceiving. It is highly likely that the memory you retain is not exactly the same as the memory another person recalls after experiencing the same event, and perhaps, the scenario you recall is the result of your memory’s bias.

Ming Luchuan was always cold and unapproachable, but in Xia Wennan’s memories, he somehow found it cute.

Countless disjointed fragments emerged in Xia Wennan’s head; the old laboratory building of the research institute, spring-summer-autumn-winter, various scents and colours floating in through the wooden windows, embellishing everyone’s memories. A large part of Xia Wennan’s memories, however, was tainted by Ming Luchuan.

In those days, the development of pheromone perfumes was already a possibility, and Xia Wennan spent practically all his time holed up in the laboratory. For the sake of Ming Yan’s most important R&D project, Ming Luchuan also began to become a frequent presence in the lab.

At the time, Ming Luchuan had still been the manager of the R&D department. Despite having studied perfumery, he lacked the talent. Moreover, he was an alpha, who was easily swayed by pheromones and various fragrances. Nonetheless, he spent a significant amount of time accompanying Xia Wennan, providing him with anything he required.

Xia Wennan had learnt by coincidence that Ming Luchuan and his omega brother were vying for the role of company president, so he took the pheromone perfume project particularly seriously. Xia Wennan would occasionally notice Ming Luchuan sitting in the lab silently, staring out the window at the osmanthus trees outside.

Much later, he heard that Ming Luchuan had had his heart broken.

These many fragments were gradually pieced together in Xia Wennan’s mind, turning into something that, despite its glaring gaps, resembled a complete enough memory.

One morning, Xia Wennan said to Ming Luchuan, “So it really was me who proposed to you?”

Ming Luchuan had only just gotten out of bed. He walked out of the bathroom, his gaze sweeping over Xia Wennan as he sneered coldly, “Hmph.”

Xia Wennan sat up, the blanket sliding down his torso. He gave Ming Luchuan a look. “What’s that ‘hmph’ supposed to mean?”

Ming Luchuan started changing out of his pyjamas. “Nothing,” he said.

Xia Wennan became agitated all of a sudden. “So, back then, you were still hung up on Duan Ning, weren’t you?”

Ming Luchuan didn’t answer him.

Xia Wennan said, “Remember when you said that you were going to have Duan Ning take our long-overdue wedding photos? You were just saying that, weren’t you? You weren’t serious at all.”

Ming Luchuan picked up his shirt and put it on, nimble fingers fastening buttons. “Duan Ning is currently overseas,” he explained as he buttoned up his shirt. “I’ve already made an appointment with him. He’ll take our photos when he gets back.”

Xia Wennan hadn’t anticipated this at all. “Where will we take them?” he asked, stunned.

“Anywhere you want.” Having finished with his buttons, Ming Luchuan started on his tie.

Xia Wennan’s mind wandered somewhat far. “We’ve never travelled together either—what are your thoughts on an island vacation?”

“Sounds good.”

After hearing Ming Luchuan’s response, Xia Wennan couldn’t help but get excited about their vacation.

As Ming Luchuan put on his neatly ironed suit jacket, his brows furrowed, and he said to Xia Wennan, “Are you not getting up? Today is the product launch event.”

Xia Wennan remained motionless; it wasn’t that he forgot about it, he was just a little nervous. “Just one second,” he murmured, taking a deep breath. “Give me two minutes. I’ll be up right away.”

After changing his clothes, Ming Luchuan took out a small bottle of perfume from a bag hanging in his wardrobe and spritzed some behind his ears.

Xia Wennan looked on curiously, and just as he was about to ask what it was, he caught a whiff of something familiar. “Xishui Hall?”

“Mm.” Ming Luchuan handed him the perfume bottle.

It was the very first sample.

Despite being involved in selecting the packaging design for their new perfume line, this was the first time Xia Wennan saw the finished product. The design of the bottle was ideal for perfumes; clean and sleek, simple and minimalist. Xia Wennan traced the contours of the glass with his fingers before leaning in to sniff it. He then looked up at Ming Luchuan and said, “It feels like I’m meeting my son.”

Ming Luchuan handed him another bottle. The design was similar to Xishui Hall, but it had a much warmer colour in contrast—it was the new product, which would be released shortly alongside Xishui Hall, Trees and Flowers.

“What’s this bottle then?” asked Ming Luchuan.

Xia Wennan smiled as he took the proffered bottle and said, “It’s my second son, of course.”

“And the previous ones?”

Xia Wennan cast him a glance. “Aren’t they my daughters? I love all my sons and daughters.”

That day, Xia Wennan donned a black slim-fit suit and attended Ming Yan’s product launch event with Ming Luchuan.

As Ming Yan’s chief perfumer, Xia Wennan was the centre of attention. Virtually all the media present focused their cameras on him.

It was thus under the dazzling camera flashes thay Ming Luchuan took hold of Xia Wennan’s hands, and in that instant, the sound of photojournalists pressing their shutters intensified.

Following the unveiling, Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan conducted a joint media interview.

In the middle of the interview, a reporter raised this question: “Your new pheromone perfume line consists of an alpha perfume and a beta perfume. Is this a reference to the two of you?”

Xia Wennan didn’t give them an immediate answer. He glanced at Ming Luchuan, whose expression was seemingly unperturbed, but as there was no indication that he would open his mouth to answer, Xia Wennan could only take matters into his own hands, saying, “It isn’t.”

This immediately caught the reporter’s attention. “Oh?”

Ming Luchuan also gave him an uncomprehending look.

“Perfumes are perfumes,” said Xia Wennan. “They don’t refer to any specific individuals. If anything, they’re just an artistic conception. Everyone who wears them experiences the scents differently, something unique to themselves, and conveys a message that they wish to convey.

“What is the idea behind the beta pheromone perfume?” asked the reporter. “As we all know, betas don’t have pheromones to begin with, nor can they smell pheromones.”

“So if a beta falls in love with an alpha or omega and wants to express his feelings, might he do so with something other than pheromones?” said Xia Wennan. “Aside from saying ‘I love you’ with your mouth, there are plenty of other ways, aren’t there?”

“Trees and Flowers has a very unique smell. It’s different from the sweetness one would associate with love.”

“Because love has never been just sweet.” Xia Wennan looked at the reporter. “Are you a beta, sir?”

The reporter nodded. “I am.”

“What about your partner or lover?”

“Also a beta.”

Xia Wennan nodded his head in understanding. “So you’ve never experienced a beta’s love for an alpha or omega.” Xia Wennan nodded in understanding. “I believe that it’s never just sweet.”

The reporter fell briefly silent at his words before saying, “Actually, my ex is an omega. We broke up because I couldn’t carry on.”

Xia Wennan remained silent, merely nodding gently.

The reporter abruptly lifted his wrist and sniffed it; he had sprayed a tester of Trees and Flowers not long ago. When he looked back up at Xia Wennan, his eyes were bright and slightly shaking. “I get it,” he said. “Although I can only smell it and have no idea what message its pheromones are conveying, I believe it’s the most brilliant pheromone perfume.”

After the interview, Xia Wennan stepped outside to get some fresh air. He lifted his arms and stretched, then caught sight of Ming Qin slowly pushing Ming Siyan’s wheelchair in the garden not far from where he stood.

He stared at Ming Siyan dazedly.

A couple of minutes later, Ming Luchuan approached him from behind and asked him what he was looking at.

Xia Wennan turned around and said, “I remember something.”

“What is it?”

“It seems I never actually knew that Ming Sichen had taken Ming Siyan’s place.”

Ming Luchuan wrapped his arms around Xia Wennan. “Ming Sichen was troubled by his guilt.”

Xia Wennan felt aggrieved. “I didn’t do anything but I almost died. I even forgot about you.”

“You’ve remembered everything, though.”

Xia Wennan rested his head against Ming Luchuan’s shoulder. “But I thought I’d gone insane for a while. I couldn’t figure out why I would fall for you. It’s like I experienced two lives, a past life, and my present life.”

Ming Luchuan snorted. A moment later, he said, “You’re fated to love only me, in your past life, and in this life.”

Xia Wennan reluctantly said, “Fine then—I guess I’ll make do.”

☆ ☆ ☆

t/n — …and that’s it for the main story! sorry it took so long when the chapter is so short, but i’ve been sick again and it’s been hard all-around to do anything, which is why the extras won’t come until some time next week? i’ll try my best. thank you to Tuff for the recent kofi! and thank you all so very very much for reading, liking, commenting, and everyone who’s given me kofis over the course of my translating OWP! thank you especially to everyone who has purchased the work on changpei 💗 if you haven’t done so, and you have the means to, please do consider supporting the author by buying the chapters!

Chapter 106 | TOC | Extra 1