Chapter Text
It had been yet another long morning at the office, with new R&D projects that would be starting within the next quarter and new international negotiations scheduled for later that afternoon. Gao Tu and the HS secretarial team had the pedal to the metal all day.
The omega had visited damn near every department within the building that morning alone. He went over the paperwork that would finalize seven separate product projects with the products team. Within the hour, he sat with the social media and marketing teams to go over plans and received their strategy proposal folders to present to Wenlang. After that, he was off to legal's desk to discuss with their attorneys and paralegals any potential concerns or receive any vetoes regarding any of marketing's plans. He grabbed some files from them, and all within that one morning, he was back at Wenlang's office.
He approached the CEO's door, straightening out his clothing, adjusting his tie, and taking a deep breath so as not to show how tired he already was. He knocked on the door, a distinct sound emitting from the thick wood it was made from. With a verbal confirmation that he was good to enter, he did.
As he stepped inside, the first thing he noticed was the scent of orchids. Specifically, an orchid-scented omega. He turned just in time to see the omega in question sitting in a chair in front of Wenlang's desk, splayed out in a seemingly comfortable position, a stark contrast to the rigid body language of the rest of those who generally sat in that chair. When the orchid turned to face him, Gao Tu was stunned.
'He's beautiful.'
The omega was wearing a loose white, nearly see-through button-up with small details down the front, black pants that perfectly accentuated his height, and shoes that were not on par with those whom Wenlang normally associated himself with, but were by no means affordable. His skin was pale but not to a sickly extent. His hair was jet black, a perfect contrast against his skin, and his eyes were just the right shade of brown. He looked like the type of omega that every potential mate would start wars for just to have a chance to claim his hand.
He was a domineering presence in the room. It almost looked like the omega was the one who was in charge of the dynamic between him and Wenlang. He seemed far more powerful, yet somehow so innocent and in need of protection.
"Are you going to stand and stare at him? Hand me the paperwork." Wenlang's voice carried an air of irritation behind it.
"Right." Gao Tu quickly made his way toward the alpha's desk, setting the paperwork on top before turning to address the omega. He gave a slight bow, holding his business card out as he did. "Hello, my name is Gao Tu. I'm CEO Shen's secretary."
"Hello, Gao Tu. I'm Hua Yong. Nice to meet you." Hua Yong spoke gently with a slight head tilt and a soft smirk. He had a knowing tone in his voice, as if he were privy to information Gao Tu hadn't yet.
"He's a new secretary here." Wenlang's voice was uncharacteristically dry. Had Gao Tu not known him for so long, he would have easily missed it. The alpha was annoyed. Very much so. "I'll be explaining a few things to him about how we do things here. Prep some paperwork for Shengfang Bio's CEO. He'll be here tonight after the video meeting with our Canadian partners."
"Right away, sir." Gao Tu acknowledged Hua Yong once more before stepping out and shutting the door to the office with a groan of its hinges.
He sat down at his desk, hands pulling out papers and clicking away at his computer mindlessly as his body was running on pure muscle memory. His mind was only half-there.
'He was an omega. Wenlang hired an omega. He was sitting in his office and everything. Now all of a sudden he's personally going over things with him?'
His brow furrowed, the expression on his face matching the tone of his thoughts. None of it added up to the man Gao Tu had known for the past ten years.
Shen Wenlang hates omegas.
It was not a disputed claim. In fact, the alpha was quite open about his strong distaste for the subgender as a whole. His curses towards them were almost all worthy of a lawsuit stemming from the Omega Protections Act, enforced by the country's Omega Protection Agency.
Was Hua Yong so beautiful that he broke through that prejudice? Surely not.
Gao Tu brushed it off and got back to work, prepping for Wenlang's later meeting with the President of Shengfang Bio.
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The rest of the afternoon was filled with chatter from the rest of the HS secretariat. The betas all speculated over the beautiful orchid-scented Hua Yong's appearance both professionally and physically. Many expressed interest in asking him out, yet many huffed that he'd never accept a lowly beta secretary when he could bag himself a handsome, rich, and successful s-tier alpha like Wenlang. Many proposed the possibility that he started at HS with that exact plan in mind. To seduce the president of a major company.
Gao Tu was quick to attempt to talk his coworkers down, noting how gossiping was impolite and that their theories were just that. Of course, he hadn't disclosed that a percentage of his distaste from the chatter stemmed from his long-lasting unrequited love for Wenlang, but it wasn't information they needed to be let in on.
They didn't heed Gao Tu's words, but they did change their topic to the handsome president who was soon to arrive. The previous sentiments were recycled and repackaged with a new subject. Sheng Shao You. Once again, some expressed the desire to ask him out, and some said they felt he was out of their league.
"Gao Tu, you're smart and capable. Handsome, too. Why don't you ask him out?" A voice came from behind as he stood up, gathering himself before heading downstairs.
"No, I hear he only dates omegas. What a shame." Another voice called out.
Happy to break away from the senseless chatting, Gao Tu stepped away from his desk and made his way toward the elevator to head downstairs to the lobby.
With the elevator's chime and the rough sound of the doors opening, the omega stepped out into the lobby and rounded the corner to gather HS's visitor for the night.
A handsome, obviously alpha approached with heavy footsteps, followed by his beta secretary, who impressively held half the stature and presence of the president.
"President Sheng, hello. I am Gao Tu, President Shen's secretary. Welcome to HS Group." He kept his tone light and professional, hiding any hint of the exhaustion that was squeezing his brain to create a headache. He stood fully upright, posture not rigid but lacking in any relaxed fluidity. He held his business card out for the president to take, but was met with indifference. The alpha simply nodded toward his secretary, who pulled out his own card and approached.
"Nice to meet you, Secretary Gao." The two exchanged cards as the beta spoke. "I am Chen Pin Ming, President Sheng's secretary."
The alpha remained silent, with a clearly annoyed look on his face as the two continued to exchange pleasantries.
"We apologize for stopping by so late. This must have kept you working overtime." The beta's tone and kindness were the polar opposite of his boss's state.
"Not at all." Gao Tu turned to face President Sheng. "President Shen just finished his meeting. This way, please."
The elevator ride to the top floor was silent. It wasn't awkward, per se, but the alpha's energy was a bit off. It was clear he didn't want to be there. However, in that moment, neither did Gao Tu.
President Sheng was wearing a patch over his gland in his neck, but he must have been a higher-level alpha. S-tier at best, a-tier at the lowest. His scent of orange blossoms and rum was faint, but it still held a strength within it that made it difficult to breathe in such a confined space. It was in no way an unpleasant scent, but Gao Tu's body was not as healthy as it once was, so he was often much more sensitive to alpha scents, especially those of a higher tier.
He maintained his professional, emotionless demeanor, careful not to let his discomfort show in fear of potentially offending the president.
The elevator soon chimed, indicating they'd reached their floor, and the three exited smoothly.
Chen Pinming broke the silence as they made their way toward Wenlang's office. "It's still bright at this hour. Your company truly lives up to its name."
The compliment was one Gao Tu knew well. It was both the truth and an attempt at flattery towards HS Group. The omega had done it many times in the past, so he knew that the praise was to lighten the mood and cut down any potential blooming thoughts that the president was being rude in his silence.
To keep up appearances and oblige Secretary Chen's attempts, Gao Tu responded in kind. "President Shen leads by example. No one else dares to slack off." The omega gestured to Wenlang's office door. "Right this way."
The sight he was met with was far from pleasant.
In Wenlang's chair sat the new omega secretary, Hua Yong. More importantly, the alpha was sitting on his desk, facing the omega and almost boxing him in as he leaned over the orchid's body. It was intimate. Far more so than Gao Tu would ever expect from Wenlang when dealing with omegas.
A whirlwind of emotions tumbled through him, creating a deep pressure in his chest, partially resembling jealousy.
For a decade, Wenlang spent damn near every waking moment telling the whole world just how much he hated omegas. He would scream from the rooftops about how they were dirty, conniving, scheming, evil beings who deserved to rot for all he cared. Yet, he seemed to care about the delicate orchid-scented omega sitting in his chair.
It was all contrary to who Gao Tu knew Wenlang to be. An omega lover? A sexual harasser? Hua Yong looked intimidated. Startled, even, as if he didn't consent to such imposing body language, and yet there Wenlang was, hovering like a predator to prey.
Gao Tu's gaze fell to the floor for a moment as he cleared his throat. It was partially to inform Wenlang that he had arrived with his guest, but deep down, he knew it was an attempt to quell his jealousy. He wanted to help Hua Yong out, too, sure. But he needed the two to create some space between them before he could think straight again.
He watched as Wenlang straightened his posture, stepping away from a clearly uncomfortable Hua Yong who, admittedly, kept his professional composure well.
"President Sheng is here." He spoke with that usual smug tone offered to people like President Sheng. It was a page straight from the textbook on negotiation. Gao Tu had read about all of it during his time at HS Group. You present yourself in such a way that allows leverage to fall into your hands. This is through a polite, confident, and carefree tone to signal to the party you are speaking with that you don't care if the deal goes through or not. They need you. Not the other way around.
The s-tier alpha adjusted his tie as he approached. He motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Come in. Welcome. It's nice to see you were able to make it."
It was then that President Sheng spoke for the first time since arriving. "You?"
Of course. Yet another powerful alpha knew Hua Yong.
The two alphas made their way to their respective seats, and tea was offered to them both by the orchid, who then stepped away, slightly, with his hands delicately gathered together in front of his body.
Gao Tu watched every move Wenlang made, noting the stiffness when he sipped his tea, and the complete disinterest in the conversation, entirely.
"This is my new secretary assistant, Hua Yong. Why? Do you know each other?"
Sheng had been looking at the beautiful omega for some time, only then breaking his gaze to speak to Wenlang. "Yes. I've been wanting to meet President Sheng for a while. If I had known he was your secretary-" He gestured to Hua Yong. "-I would have asked Secretary Hua for your contact directly and spared Yu Shan the trouble of introducing us."
"You're so capable, Hua Yong. It turns out you already knew our illustrious President Sheng. If you had simply put on your resume that you're acquainted with the CEO of Shengfang Biotech, HS Group might have lowered itself to offer you a better position."
There it was. The way he usually spoke to omegas was finally rearing its head once again. Gao Tu knew more than anyone that his accusation was not one he truly felt, but a jab at the omega simply because of what he was. He was enjoying intimidating the orchid.
Gao Tu could hear in Hua Yong's tone that it was working. "P-President Shen, Shengfang Biotech is listed in our non-compete agreement. Any prior ties to Shengfang personnel must be disclosed before employment. I honestly don't know Mr. Sheng, and I was not deliberately hiding anything."
Gao Tu hated how soft and scared Hua Yong sounded. But more than that, he selfishly hated how that could have easily been him. He held out hope, now and again, that maybe one day he'd be able to open up to Wenlang, to tell him about his true secondary gender. But in moments like that, he was reminded that the hatred the alpha held for his kind ran deep.
He had regularly thought about what it would be like to lay it all out, to open himself up fully to Wenlang, but the thought of the potential consequences that would come with it stopped him every time. He saw the look of disgust the alpha would give omegas. He never wanted that kind of hatred to turn on him. And wouldn't his situation be worse? Wenlang would easily and understandably see it as a monumental betrayal, multiplying his disgust exponentially.
It wasn't possible. Not yet, at least.
Gao Tu's ears tuned back in a little later in the conversation, only then hearing Hua Yong apologize for not recognizing President Sheng. It seemed they knew each other only in passing.
"I was visiting my younger sister at the hospital that day when I accidentally ran into Mr. Sheng. I sincerely apologize." The orchid bowed in apology, seemingly satisfying the receiver.
It seemed he, too, had a sick younger sister. Life is often unkind like that.
"An apology won't cut it." Wenlang's voice was stern as he pushed Hua Yong at the small of his back towards the Shengfang CEO. "Go on. Apologize properly to President Sheng."
If it weren't for the presence of a guest, Gao Tu would have spoken up regarding the treatment of the omega. Watching him sheepishly approach President Sheng, very obviously feeling humiliated, was a disgusting sight to see. Not because the orchid had done anything wrong, but the enjoyment Gao Tu knew Wenlang would feel about making Hua Yong feel that way.
"No need." President Sheng's gentle voice broke through Gao Tu's thoughts. "It wasn't a big deal."
The sage-scented omega had often heard of Shengfang Biotech's CEO not being fond of situations like that. Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, as some would say. It seemed the alpha was living up to the rumors.
Hua Yong sheepishly stuck his hands out with his business card in hand. "Mr. Sheng, I'm Hua Yong. I truly apologize for that day." Poor kid knew the man he needed to fear and take orders from was watching. Even though the one receiving the apology was adamant that it wasn't necessary, he had to do as he was told.
"There's no need." President Sheng insisted, refusing to take the card handed to him.
It was then that Gao Tu caught movement in his peripheral vision. He turned his head slightly to see Secretary Chen approaching the two. "Secretary Hua, I'll accept your card on President Sheng's behalf."
Gao Tu approached the other secretaries, realizing he had an opening to help Hua Yong. "Secretary Chen, both CEOs seemed to have hit it off quickly. I'm sure they'll have plenty to talk about. Why don't Secretary Hua and I take you to the lounge next door for some tea while we wait for them?"
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before heading out into the hallway.
"Do you mind pointing me to a restroom before I take you up on your offer for tea?" Secretary Chen requested with a smile.
"Of course. If you go to the intersection of these two hallways-" He gestured towards the end of the stretch where they stood. "-it'll be the first door on your left. All of our bathrooms here are ABO. There is no separation."
"Ours, too. Thank you so much, Secretary Gao." The beta calmly made his way down the hall, allowing Gao Tu the opportunity he'd been hoping for all night.
He ushered Hua Yong to the staff seating area and began making their tea. "I hope you don't take President Shen's words too harshly. He tends to be more pressuring towards omegas, frustrating as it may be."
"Is that so?" Hua Yong's demeanor seemed… different. He must have brushed off the comments on his own.
"Yes, but I promise he means no harm. It's that s-tier alpha roughness, isn't it?" He offered a light chuckle.
"I suppose so." The orchid hummed as he tapped at his phone.
The meeting had gone on longer than Gao Tu thought it would, but seeing the two emerge from the office left a bitter taste on the omega's tongue. It was a fruitless endeavor, and he knew it. He knew the anger on Wenlang's face meant he felt his time had been wasted. They'd all stayed to greet President Sheng for nothing, so far. It may have been possible to establish a relationship later on, but for tonight, Gao Tu could tell things were not off to a good start.
"Gao Tu, tell everyone to go home. We're done here." The alpha scoffed. "Walk President Sheng out. Don't be rude."
"Understood." The omega quickly completed his task before gathering his things from his desk after tidying it back to the state it had been in when he arrived that morning.
Hua Yong had understandably already stepped out.
The elevator doors opened with a groaning sound, and the three stepped in. The ride was silent as per the tone set by President Sheng, but it wasn't an unwelcome silence despite the angry energy within it. Gao Tu began his mental task-making for the next day. He internally compiled everything he needed to get done that had suffered due to President Sheng's appearance. He had already planned on staying late, sure, but what he hadn't planned on was his mental schedule being thrown off and time wasted by another stubborn s-tier alpha. More so, he wanted to get the hell out of the elevator and away from the President's pheromones. He tried to ignore them, but it was starting to get harder to breathe with the negative emotions laced within them.
Finally, the metal room hit the ground floor, and the three stepped out of the elevator, ready to walk into the mildly chilly night, when they noticed Secretary Hua still standing off to the side on the phone, his body language communicating stress.
'He must not have a ride.'
"I'll find a way to cover the surgery costs. Alright. Thank you for your understanding." Hua Yong slowly lowered the phone from his ear and stared at the screen before turning to face the other three.
Gao Tu knew all too well the feeling of scraping by to pay for a younger sibling's medical bills. He knew the stress of not being able to make a payment when he wanted to. He knew the trapping feeling of looming bills, especially when they were all for a loved one. He thought back to all of his financial stress, from rent, utilities, medical bills, his father's gambling addiction… There was nothing quite like skipping meals and denying yourself any of life's smaller luxuries to keep a roof over your head and a doctor tending to your loved ones.
"Mr. Sheng-" Hua Yong stepped forward with a hopeful look in his eye before being cut off by the president's abrupt exit.
It seemed alphas were intent on treating the orchid-scented omega in a type of way. Gao Tu was astonished as the beautiful man's looks hadn't seemed to do him any good in the moment.
He wouldn't allow another omega to be treated like that. He hid his secondary gender for that very reason, and he wouldn't contribute to the suffering of omegas who were open about who they were. He slowly approached Hua Yong, hoping to show he meant no harm, unlike the alphas they had dealt with that night.
"Secretary Hua? You're still here?" He tried to break the ice with such pleasantries.
"I just got off a call. Are you getting off work now?" Hua Yong's voice was soft. Gentle.
Gao Tu offered a smile before remembering what time it was. "Where do you live, Secretary Hua?" Seeing the orchid's facial expression tense a little and his eyes drop, he realized his question may have come off a bit forward, potentially flirty.
"Please don't misunderstand. You may not be aware, but employees working after 9 p.m. are reimbursed for taxi fares." Seeing Hua Yong's expression lighten, he continued. "But you're still in a probationary period, right? If it's on the way, I can share a cab with you." With no response, Gao Tu adjusted his glasses, fearing he may have made the omega uncomfortable like Wenlang had. He wished to death that he could tell Hua Yong that he was an omega, too, not a beta, and meant no harm.
"Number 12. Apricot Lane. Thank you, Secretary Gao." The omega's voice was still soft, but had a hint of joy in it for the first time since Gao Tu had met him.
Luckily, the two didn't need to wait long for the cab to arrive, as Gao Tu had called it not long before using his ride share app. They stepped into the EV and were quickly on their way.
Exhaustion pulled at every receptor in Gao Tu's brain, triggering a strong desire for not only a sleep but a good week-long coma if possible. He knew a hefty percentage of his exhaustion was thanks to the pheromones from President Sheng and the day's prolonged exposure to Wenlang's, especially in the afternoon.
He leaned toward the window, leaving the silent ride as it was. He tried to ignore the pressure building in his glands and the headache that continued to pulse behind his ears.
It steadily got worse.
The pressure increased, and he started to feel hot. The difficulty breathing he'd experienced in the elevator returned, causing him to reach for his tie. He had already felt awful before he dropped Hua Yong off, but it steadily got worse. He knew what the symptoms were leading to. He also knew he wasn't due to go into heat until later in the month.
He reached for his suppressant inhaler, considering the possibility that his lowered ability to process foreign pheromones was due to the device in his hand, and the pills and syringes in his home. But they were necessary, so with a breath, he brought the inhaler to his lips and attempted to administer the suppressants. He took in a couple of doses, considered his situation, and decided to continue. That was until he realized the canister was empty.
With a slight panic in his movements, the omega shook the inhaler, knowing the action was useless. His breathing was heavy as he realized he only had one other course of action he could take.
"Excuse me, could you please drive me to the nearest convenience store? I want to buy something." He asked the driver. She kindly agreed and almost immediately pulled off to the side, stopping at DCS, oddly enough, being the same store he used to work at.
Gao Tu slowly stumbled out of the EV, barely remembering to shut the door behind him as he stepped into the building.
He stumbled up to the counter, barely registering anything the attendant said to him. He grabbed a refill for his suppressant inhaler and some painkillers to hopefully, at minimum, take the edge off. Not one to take his medications dry, he stumbled over to the side to grab a water bottle.
Once he placed the bottle on the counter, the attendant started her personal PSA regarding when to use suppressants, and that it was dangerous to take both suppressants and painkillers at the same time.
What she didn't know was that he was actively fighting an oncoming heat and was in incredible amounts of pain. What she also didn't know was that he was an expert on those products. He'd tried every suppressant on the market, ranging from patches all the way up to injections.
He offered the usual lie he went with, telling her he was a beta and that the medications were for other people, not him.
He signed the controlled-substance purchase log and tried to leave, but was once again interrupted by the attendant attempting to caution him about something he knew far more about.
He had thankfully made it to the EV before things got too bad and slid inside. With shaky hands, he administered the medications and took a large swig of his water, breathing heavily through the pain and oncoming, raging heat as he could no longer control his pheromone output.
It was humiliating, not being able to stop them. The cab filled with the scent of his heat-laced sage, and he knew it would signal to the beta driver exactly what was happening to him.
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The car finally pulled up to his dimly lit, dilapidated apartment building. He stepped out with a thank you, tipping the driver well for the inconvenience of housing a heat-riddled omega, and began his climb to his floor.
Every step was miserable and required intense effort. He stumbled often, bracing against the old, dirt-covered walls as he kept going.
His sight became fuzzier with the increase in dizziness. His whole body was on fire, pinpricks appearing in every spot. His clothes were violently uncomfortable, and his headache was anything but painless. The worst part was the way his glands throbbed to a point that they hurt.
He wanted nothing more than to strip from his newly uncomfortable suit and lie in his bed in whatever nest he'd be able to make on such short notice. He also considered the possibility of forgoing the nest making.
His body fought him with every step, and his legs grew weaker with every breath.
When he finally made it up to his floor, he quickly turned to his door. With shaky hands, he struggled to get the key in the hole where it needed to go, but finally managed after some deep breaths. He was starting to lose the fight against his body, and he knew he needed to get inside quickly.
With a click and a groan of the rusted, dented door, Gao Tu stumbled inside.
Finally, with the sense of safety he needed within his own home, his body gave out, his knees crumpling beneath him, and he collapsed. He desperately reached out for his inhaler as the desire took over his mind, but it was of no use. He could barely move with the bodily stress of exhaustion and overexposure to s-tier alpha pheromones. It wasn't long until sleep dragged him under.
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Barely awake, the omega called in a request for leave, giving whatever excuse he could think of to allow himself time to work through his heat.
It had been a while since he'd allowed his body to do what it was designed to do, so he decided to ride it out.
For the first time in a long time, though, his mind started to wander. It brought back memories of his omega mother telling him that he could never tell anyone he was an omega, and that he needed to live as a beta no matter what. It also brought up memories of the times where she… He couldn't think about it anymore. Despite how old the wound was, it was still raw.
His mind also landed on the multiple doctors' appointments he'd had, where his primary doctor told him he needed to stop taking suppressants and allow his body to naturally go in and out of its heat cycles so it could regulate itself, but he had always pushed the advice to the side, reminding himself that they had no idea what his life was like. They had no idea what he had to do to survive. Part of that was, unfortunately, pretending to be a beta.
His phone rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. When he picked up, it was one of the secretaries who had taken over some of his duties while he was on leave. The beta shared sentiments that he was wanted and needed back at the office, and requested that he deliver documents to Hua Yong's house.
He hesitated, not sure if he'd be able to handle it, but made it a point to check since it seemed like an important task.
He agreed, despite his desire to stay in his bed and rest.
After a shower and a quick change, the omega stepped over to where he kept his suppressants, pulling some of his options out of the drawer.
He momentarily considered his usual injections but started to think they may be overkill for the small task at hand. "There won't be prolonged contact. Taking suppressants should mask my scent."
With that, he downed four pills, three more than the bottle recommended, and made his way out the door.
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The trip to Hua Yong's place wasn't too long, but he started to work up a sweat, given how sunny a day it was, how much he was walking, and how he was still in the final stages of heat.
When he approached the door, one similar to his own, he quickly checked the scent gland in his wrist, concerned he was emitting too many pheromones as he'd only taken a few pills instead of using his injections.
Hua Yong seemed kind enough, but the thought of his secret being revealed to anyone was always stressful and brought a knot to his stomach.
Seeing as his scent wasn't too strong, he firmly knocked on the door.
It swung open to reveal the ever-beautiful orchid-scented omega. He greeted Gao Tu with a gentle smile, prompting him to do the same. It was nice to see a fellow omega. That was… until he sensed movement in the space and looked back to see who was standing in Hua Yong's apartment.
Shen Wenlang.