Xiao Zhan woke up feeling refreshed, yawning with a satisfied smile on his face as he stretch his arms above his head, and eyes still half close from trying to adapt to the raging sunlight.
The worries he had yesterday had vanished after having the two alphas in his house. The awkwardness disappeared almost instantly as they spent their evening at his penthouse, talking about what had happened in the day, and they also scented his fabrics amidst the conversation. Xiao Zhan was happy to establish back the ease between them, it felt refreshing and he loves it.
After adjusting to the sunlight, he gets one last inhale of the sandalwood and watermelon smell of the sheets, then he rises from his bed. Blissfully made his way to his kitchen and prepared a small breakfast, the usual set that he prepares for himself. He was almost at the door when his phone suddenly chimed from his bedside table.
Assuming that it was the twins who messaged him, he giggles as he walks back to his bed.
He then grabs his phone, but upon opening it the color on his face disappeared, his smile fading, and his brows pinching into a frown. He gulps as he reads the message. It was not that long of a message but he stares at it, going over and over the letters containing the message.
Mother (+8xxxxxxx)
Family dinner tonight. Make sure to show your face. Don't disgrace me.
It was from his father's wife. Knowing full well that when he receives a message like this means there were something to be talked about tonight.
He grits his teeth, pondering if he had done something against his family. The company is out of the question since it's running smoothly. Or maybe they found out about his secret?
Cold sweat immediately runs down his body. If they found out, what will happen to him? He's already a disappointment to them and yet if they knew about his second gender, they'll be more disappointed in him.
A tear fell from his eyes, tricking down his cheeks as he shakily closes the message.
Just as he felt devastated, another chime brought his attention back to his phone. Then the messages he'd been waiting for since the moment he opened his eyes appeared on his screen.
"Good morning, Sean! See you today!"- Yibo
"Good morning! I hope you'll have a nice day today! Let's eat lunch together!" - Xie Yie.
For once, the weariness vanished and was replaced with something warm, feeling his heart with the courage to face what will happen tonight.
He scoffs followed by a fond grin. Then he opens the messages, pushing away the ugly thoughts at the corner of his mind, and replied to their messages.
He'll worry about what will happen later for later. He smiles as he exchanges messages with the two whilst walking his way out of his room.
.
The day was wonderful, the two alphas treated him like a princess, serving him food and dessert at lunch, snacks, and drinks when he have break times.
His omega rejoiced inside him as he gets the attention of the two. He almost purred whenever they show their attention but he managed to control them just before his chest rumbled.
The rest of the day was so fantastic that his worries disappeared in an instant.
But when he got home, the thought of the message he received came flashing back. He manage to tell the two alphas that he'll be going somewhere tonight because of a family matter but he didn't think he'll feel terrified without them. His courage inching to back out. He has no support system to help him get through this.
But despite the storm inside his head, he forced himself to toughen up. He can't miss the family dinner or he'll be a failure in his family's eyes forever.
He gulps down his fear and went to his closet, bringing out his most presentable suit.
He can do this!
.
Upon entering the mansion, his eyes immediately wandered. Seeing the house once again after a few years, it feels surreal, nothing major changed really, just some small details like figurines, flower arrangements and minimal things to be thought of. Despite the mansion being well lit with massive lights and a chandelier it still feels like a dark cavern full of scary things for Xiao Zhan. He doesn't have good memories inside the house.
His eyes then wander to a corner where he remembers vividly, his father's wife use to have a long petite stick placed at a small desk, whenever he gives his results at school, it's either he'll get red marks of the stick on the back of his leg or a scoff followed by a threat. He smiles bitterly, even if his father saw what he'd gone through his wife, he'll turn a blind eye and walks away as he was followed by his secretaries.
He looked away from that corner as he exhaled away the tension. He should hold his head high. That was already in the past, though it's already engraved in his mind, he's determined to move forward. It's fine, it happens, maybe it's their way to show their care for him, without their discipline he would not be as successful as he today.
.
The dinner was set at the mansion's dining hall, it's massively wide, and the table was long enough to accommodate them.
Xiao Zhan sat in the chair next to his father's, across from his father's wife. He greeted them politely, not the way a family member would but in a businessman like. The other seats were occupied by his grandparents from both sides, his aunties and uncles from his father's wife and their kids. Xiao Zhan's father was the only child and the master of the house so he is seated at the center.
"I'm glad we're here gathered for today," His father started gaining all their attention. "We are gathered today to discuss about Zhan's marriage," he added which made Xiao Zhan shock.
He doesn't expect that it would be the reason for the sudden gathering, he was not made aware of it. The color drained on his face, his going dry as the sudden pressure was pressed on him.
"Right, it's about time. He already enjoyed his youth," his grandfather supplied with the other members of the family nodded in agreement.
Xiao Zhan kept his mouth shut, letting the lingering words trapped in his throat. He knows that if he says a word he'd be seen as disrespectful. And so he settled on lowering his head, all he can do is listen.
"We have business partners that have omega children, we need to sort out from where we can profit the most," someone said from the table that Xiao Zhan didn't even try to look up to see who it was.
He was too devastated to even look up at who is talking, head being all a mess at all the pressure. He's not ready yet! His heart is somewhere... an image of two identical twins flashed in his mind. He felt his heart squeezed in both pain and bliss. The unknown feeling he had been trying to figure out — the rapid beating of his heart, the warmth and comfort whenever he is with them, the attraction and the pull he feels— it became clearer. He likes the twin. But... now that he figured it out, he has no chance to be with them after this. He'd be married off to someone he doesn't even know and feel the same with.
"What do you say Zhan?" his attention was immediately brought back to attention as his name was called. He looked up to his father who called his name.
Xiao Zhan pursed his lips and forced a smile out of his mouth.
"With all the talking about marriage," His father's wife suddenly interrupted making all the attention directed at her. "Have you ever asked what he preferred?" she grins, an evil grin he had never seen before.
Xiao Zhan felt the urge to run away but he knows it would be no use. He gulps, stomach churning in an uncomfortable way. He knows she has something to go against him.
"What do you mean?" he hears his father say.
She looked his way then back to her husband, "Well, I found out that your dear son has been going in and out of the hospital," she paused.
Xiao Zhan's heart rate picked up, knowing full well where this is heading to.
"Here is what my private investigator had collected so far," she declares, pulling out an envelope of papers, and slamming them down beside his husband's plate. "Apparently, your son is an omega," she declares whilst her husband pulls out the papers showing his second gender and the pictures of him getting in and out of the hospital.
They all looked at Xiao Zhan with surprised faces, faces of disappointment clearly shown on them.
Xiao Zhan turned to look at his father, weariness, and fear in his heart as he reads his emotions thru his face. But what he expects was far from what his father is showing, it was not entirely happy but he doesn't look disappointed as well. He somehow felt relieved.
His father sighed, "Then in that case we have no choice but to marry him off to an alpha, right?" he supplied, getting a violent reaction from the people at the table, especially from his wife.
They didn't expect him to be calm about it since it's a big problem for an alpha family to have an omega in the house, it'll be a disgrace.
"You know it'll become a bad reputation for the family! Are you not going to do something about it?" she snarls as if trying to drive away Xiao Zhan from the family.
Xiao Zhan's father raised a brow, "Can you provide me a child then?" he asked which made her purse her lips, unable to rebut another word. Then he nodded, "Since it became like this, we'll just marry him off," he said with finality.
She gritted her teeth, hands balling into fists on the table.
"Since that's settled shall we eat?" Xiao Zhan's father declared.
All the people at the table had nothing to say and followed suit, grabbing their utensils to eat.
Xiao Zhan did the same, it still feels unreal, he doesn't know if he's glad that his father accepted it easily or devastated that he'll still be married off to someone. He sighs internally, too disheveled to think properly.
But before he can take a spoonful, his father spoke once again. "We'll talk about meeting your fiance later," he declares which made him more devastated. He nodded nonetheless.
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A/N: Bwahahahha it's happeningggg. anyways, thank you for reading my stories!