All He Juan received for his concerned inquiry was heavy silence and when he looked closer, he found that the omega was frowning deeply. He looked as though he was going to punch He Juan on the face.

He Juan immediately dropped the things he was holding, anxiety clouding his features. Was this it? He had expected the worst to come but it still sent a bitter tang through his mouth. Mu Yuze must have realized that whatever had transpired between them was just their pheromones talking, he must be disgusted now by the things He Juan had done while he was inebriated. He was a police officer, after all. It would be so easy to appeal for a restraining order on He Juan. After that… He Juan would not be allowed to get close to him anymore…

“I’m sorry,” He Juan blurted out as guilt and shame flooded his chest. He hung his head low, a bitter smile forming on his face. “I am really sorry. I will understand now if you don’t want to—”

“Why are you sorry?”

Mu Yuze’s voice cut off his ramblings and he blinked in surprise. Slowly, he braced himself to peer at Mu Yuze through his lashes and saw that the omega’s face was even more darkened than before. Heavens… this was really it. Mu Yuze was going to make him admit his wrongdoings. Well, He Juan deserved it anyway. 

“I… I have forced myself on you.” He tried to put on an apologetic smile even though he had no idea how well it was working. “When you were not lucid, I have been such a jerk—”

Once again, he was cut off. Mu Yuze suddenly took a step forward, then another and another, steadily closing the distance between them. “How do you force yourself on me?” His tone was carefully flat and He Juan could not sense any emotions from his face.

Nonetheless, Mu Yuze’s question had utterly caught him off guard. He could feel the heat rising on his neck. W–Was he serious right now? Should He Juan really spell out what kind of atrocious deeds he had committed one by one ever since the first few seconds before the elevator door closed? Heavens… that would be so mortifying! But it was not like he had any other choice, was he? If Mu Yuze wanted him to confess, then he would. As simple as that. So He Juan took a few steadifying breaths, steeled himself for the restraining order that would find its way to his doorstep early in the morning tomorrow and said, “I was—”

Apparently, Mu Yuze did not seem to need any answer because he asked, “Did you take off my gland patch?”

He Juan’s eyes snapped to him, horrified. “How can I?!” 

Omegas wearing a gland patch could be considered as a sense of defense mechanism or a means to protect themselves, it was common sense. How could He Juan ever take it off him?! He would rather cut off his arm than to attempt such an awful thing! 

Mu Yuze was only less than two meters away from him now. “Then, did you fondle my ass?”

He Juan inhaled sharply and promptly choked as the air went down the wrong pipe. He coughed so hard that tears sprung up his eyes. He… He had indeed eyed Mu Yuze’s slender waist and shapely legs a few times but the notion of putting his dirty paws on such an intimate place had not even crossed his mind before! “I… I did not—”

Mu Yuze did not wait for him to recover. The omega was standing in front of him now, staring up at him with those soulful eyes of his that could make anyone get lost in them. When a touch landed on his chest, He Juan shuddered violently. He was still too volatile to receive such a stimulation, especially from the omega’s soft, warm and fragrant hand. He Juan retreated by reflex and opened his mouth to warn him, yet before he could say anything, Mu Yuze had taken another step forward, pressing his palm on He Juan’s chest and forcing him to stumble on his feet. 

He Juan’s eyes flew open in shock. “X–Xiao Ze…?” 

Too close! Mu Yuze was so close that He Juan could see that his hair was still a little damp. The image of him dumping his head under the flowing water flashed in He Juan’s mind, almost making him light-headed at the idea that they had done the same thing to sober themselves up. The rims of Mu Yuze's eyes were still a bit reddened even though the line of his jaws was tense and hard. His push was insistent, shoving He Juan deeper into the room until the back of He Juan’s knees bumped against a solid wood.

He Juan’s world tilted on its axis and the next thing he knew, he already fell on the bed behind him with a soft bounce. He propped both of his hands on it to regain his balance and stared up at Mu Yuze with extreme shock and bewilderment. He could not even begin to guess what Mu Yuze was thinking right now. Not when the omega was leaning forward and pinning him down with his sharp gaze. One that was gleaming like a predator.

“You didn't take my gland patch off, didn't fondle my ass, didn’t take off my clothes. You didn’t even kiss me...” The corner of his lips tilted into a mocking smile. “Then how could you say that you have forced yourself on me?”

He Juan’s mouth hung open, at an utter loss of words. Now that Mu Yuze mentioned it, he could not help the way his eyes trailed down to the omega’s full lips, wishing desperately he could stroke that little curl with his fingertip and taste the softness on the tip of his tongue. 

Oh God… Mu Yuze had no idea. The kind of thing that had gone through He Juan’s mind was much, much worse than that. He would not be satisfied with a mere kiss or touch.

He wanted to bite, to imprint his venom inside the omega’s body, to see his teeth mark become a permanent scar that he would carry for the rest of his life…

“Xiao Ze…” He Juan shut his eyes, helpless. 

"I am not like any other Omega." Mu Yuze suddenly said, his tone subdued. "I am rough and strong. I don't smile. I don't like to groom myself, my pheromones are not sweet and mild and most importantly… I am not pretty." 

He Juan was once again rendered speechless. What kind of nonsense was he spouting? Not pretty? Indignation arose in He Juan's chest and before his brain could catch up, he had tugged Mu Yuze's wrist so that the omega was sitting beside him, so close that their thighs were practically stuck side to side. The feel of Mu Yuze's skin was burning hot even through layers of clothes, but He Juan could not afford to care now. 

He clasped both of Mu Yuze's hands tightly and held his gaze. This time, it was Mu Yuze who was stunned speechless.

"Mu Yuze, I think you didn't register what I've told you back in the elevator." He said with all seriousness he could muster. "Let me repeat myself again. Earlier when I saw you for the first time, I have already thought that you're the most beautiful man I have ever seen." He Juan tsk-ed and shook his head exasperatedly. "How can you claim otherwise? It is utterly ludicrous. So what if you're unlike other Omegas out there? So what if you're rough and strong? Do you want to fight me so we can confirm who's stronger? Even though I look like this, I am still quite strong, you know." He Juan let out a little laugh, amused at his own imagination where Mu Yuze and him brawled messily. There was no power in this universe that could bring He Juan to hurt even a single hair on Mu Yuze's head. "So what if you don't like to groom yourself? I can do it for you."

"So what if you don't like to smile?" He reached out a hand toward Mu Yuze's face and could not help how the curl of his lips deepened even more. "Even when you're not smiling, you're already so gorgeous. I think you should spare me a bit so that I don't get a heart attack soon. Don't you think so?"

Mu Yuze stared at him wide-eyed, unblinking. 

It was then that the weight of He Juan's spiel caught up to him with a force that made him light-headed. Heavens, the things he had blurted out… was it not like some kind of confession?! He did not intend to bring feelings so soon into their barely budding relationship and see what had happened now! What if he had scared Mu Yuze away because of his passionate speech?! 

He Juan broke out in cold sweat and started to retract his hand. "Um…"

"Then why don't you?"

He blinked, surprised. "...Pardon?"

Mu Yuze pursed his lips. He caught He Juan's hand midair and brought it back to his face. His skin was slowly getting redder under He Juan's widened stare. "I said…" he repeated once again after taking a deep breath. "If you think I am beautiful, then why don't you kiss me?"