Chasing Back What I Lost (Shen Wen Lang x Gao Tu) [ABO Desire]

Chapter 10: The Desperate Call

Shen Wen Lang paced back and forth in his apartment, his chest heavy with frustration. He pressed his phone to his ear, waiting as the line rang. "Come on, pick up..."

On the other end, Hua Yong glanced at the flashing name on his screen. For a brief moment, he considered ignoring it.

He already knew what this call would be about. With a tired sigh, he answered anyway.

"What?" he asked.

"Hua Yong!" His words tumbled out in a rush, almost childlike in their desperation.

Hua Yong groaned, his tone sharp and laced with annoyance. "Don't you know it's early morning here in Jianghu?"

"I don't care if it's morning there or night here in Country V... it doesn't matter." Shen Wen Lang quickly replied, walking back and forth in his room. His fingers brushed against his hair, tugging in frustration.

"Tsk. Selfish." Hua Yong's voice crackled through the line, heavy with irritation. "Why must your voice greet me first thing in the morning? You're disturbing my peace."

"That is not important, Ah Yong," Shen Wen Lang shot back, his tone firm yet desperate. "I have something to tell you."

A pause followed. Then, Hua Yong exhaled, the sound sharp. "You have thirty minutes. Say what you need to say."

Shen Wen Lang bit his lip, frustration swelling in his chest. His voice softened, almost breaking into a whine. "What do I do? Gao Tu keeps rejecting me..."

"So?" Hua Yong's tone was flat, bored, as if the outcome had been predictable from the start.

Shen Wen Lang froze, taken aback. "What do you mean, 'so'? Of course you have to help me! What do I need to do?" His voice cracked, frustration bleeding into pleading.

Hua Yong leaned back against the sofa, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, the other swirling the untouched glass in his hand. His gaze was steady, unflinching, as if Wen Lang's desperation was nothing more than noise.

"After what you did to him, Wen Lang..." His voice was calm, deliberate, each word a quiet blade. "Did you really expect him to welcome you back with open arms?"

The words struck like a slap. Shen Wen Lang's throat tightened. Before he could respond, a smaller voice interrupted from Hua Yong's side of the line.

"Father, is that Wen Lang Dad?" Peanut's bright, curious tone carried over the speaker.

"Yes," Hua Yong replied simply.

"Really?!" Peanut's eyes lit up, and he scrambled onto the sofa beside his father, pressing his tiny cheek against the phone. "Wen Lang Dad! I miss Lele. Can I talk to him?"

Shen Wen Lang's grip on the phone tightened, his throat suddenly dry. He lowered his gaze, unable to stop the guilt clawing at his chest. "I'm sorry, Peanut. But Lele isn't with me."

There was a pause. The child's voice wavered with confusion. "What? Why? I miss him so much..."

"Peanut, don't press your face so close to the phone," Sheng Shao You's voice came firmly from the side.

But Peanut, stubborn as always, ignored his Alpha father. He leaned closer, whispering with hope. "When are you coming back home, Wen Lang Dad?"

Shen Wen Lang closed his eyes, the weight of the question sinking into him like a stone. His voice softened, almost breaking. "I don't know, Peanut... I don't know."

Peanut pouted, his little brows knitting together. "Then... don't forget your promise, okay? You said you'd bring Uncle Gao and Lele here in Jianghu. You promised."