"This is going to be your first exhibition." Ms.Shen said after she finished eating.
Song Sifan's eyes lit up as he spoke. "I'm very excited."
"Not as excited as me. I'm so happy the young master of the Song family chose me to represent him."
Song Sifan gave her a small smile. "Ms. Shen. I sign my works using the pseudonym 'Si Fan, the artist'. I would like it better if people bought my work because they liked it and not because I'm a Song."
"I see!" The light in her eyes seemed to dull. "Well, let me see."
Song Sifan handed her his phone.
She zoomed in and out, turning the phone around to inspect it. She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. "The subject matter is a bit… dark. Don't you want to use a different work?"
"This exhibition is my real introduction to the world of Art. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want my debut piece to represent who I really am. Anything with a lighter theme can come later."
"Not that many people will get this."
"If just one person does, I'm fine with that." His tone was firm, unyielding.
"And this is your final decision?"
Song Sifan nodded.
"In that case, we'll exhibit this and see how it turns out."
***
After Ms. Shen left, Song Sifan sat alone for a few minutes. Releasing a sigh of exhaustion, he scribbled on a napkin: "Meet me in the restroom."
He gestured to a waiter who leaned in. "Pass this to the man over there in the far-end booth. The one covering his face with the menu."
The waiter glanced over, looking confused, but nodded.
Song Sifan watched as the waiter passed the folded napkin to Kang Wen. He saw Kang Wen's eyes widen slightly as he took the napkin.
Song Sifan shook his head and pushed himself from the table. We dated for four years, A-Wen. I can pick out your scent in a crowd. How discreet can you really be?
***
Kang Wen burst through the door of the restroom, his voice urgent and breathless. "I knew you'd come to your senses soon." He reached for Song Sifan, pulling him in, placing his nose to his neck, inhaling his scent.
The desperate hope in Kang Wen's eyes made Song Sifan's stomach twist. Determined, he pulled away sharply.
"It's you who isn't in his senses. It's been four months. Will you stop following me around? This isn't funny anymore."
"What are you saying, Sifan? We were together for over four years. That's longer than my sister's child, who can walk and talk. How do you expect me to just move on from that?" He frowned. "How did you just move on from that?"
The pain in Kang Wen's voice was raw, genuine. Song Sifan felt his resolve waver for just a moment before he steeled himself again.
He folded his arms defiantly. "I saw the alpha-bending serum, Kang Wen." The full name felt weird on his tongue.
Kang Wen froze for a moment. The color drained from his face, and Song Sifan saw the exact moment when understanding hit him. He then nodded, his face repentant. "I see! That's why you're so mad. You just need a little time to get over it–"
The careful control Song Sifan had been maintaining for months finally cracked. "Get over it? Are you out of your mind? What was your plan? Bond to me without my consent, and I'll 'get over it'?"
Kang Wen blinked at Song Sifan's outburst. "You won't commit to me any other way. Four years. I can't get you to upload a single picture of us together on social media."
Song Sifan scoffed, the sound bitter and harsh in the small space. "I explained this to you many times. People can't know I'm dating an alpha. You were okay with it before. Why did it suddenly become a problem?"
"You've only ever liked Alphas before." Kang Wen paused, his eyes searching Song Sifan's face. "Is the problem really because I'm an alpha or because I'm a low-tier Alpha?'
The accusation made Song Sifan wince. Did Kang Wen really think this way, or was he just hurt and trying to hurt him right back?
"What are you even saying? When has status ever mattered to me?"
"Darling…" Kang Wen started to reach for Song Sifan again, but he stepped back.
"Social media! That's how you know where I am all the time, right?" He pulled out his phone, his finger flying across the screen as he started uninstalling apps on his phone.
"Are you deleting–?" Kang Wen smacked his lips. "Why don't you just block me instead?"
Song Sifan shook his head. "Waste of time."
Kang Wen held up his hands in surrender. "Relax, okay? I'm going to back off. When you're not so mad anymore, we can talk about us."
"There's no 'us'." Song Sifan's stare could have cut glass. "Don't you get it? We're done. Over!"
Kang Wen chuckled, shaking his head like he'd heard a particularly absurd joke. "It's been four months, like you said. If you're so over, why haven't you been with anyone since? Not even a one-night stand."
Song Sifan seemed to blank for a second. "What nonsense are you saying? How is it your business whether or not I've been with someone else?" He hissed. "This is your last warning. The next time I see you around me, I'll tell Tiewei you've been stalking me."
Kang Wen scoffed, his expression darkening at the mention of that name. "Of course. You'll release your high-tier alpha dog after me. You just call him once and he comes running."
Song Sifan opened his mouth to retort, but Kang Wen continued speaking.
"We dated for four years, Sifan. Throughout that time, both of you undermined our relationship with your 'friendship'. Every good or bad thing that happened in your life, he had to know before me. If you were stranded, you always called him first. If we had a little fight, you ran to him. How do you think that made me feel?"
Song Sifan faltered, the words hitting their mark. For the first time since the conversation started, his voice became small. Gentle even. "If you had such a problem with it, why didn't you say something?"
"What would have changed?" Kang Wen laughed bitterly.
"Tiewei and I have been close since the first day of kindergarten. I'm just used to him being in my corner. I… I'm sorry if that made you feel wronged, and I didn't even notice."
For a moment, hope flickered in Kang Wen's eyes. He stepped closer, his voice becoming gentle again.
"I can forgive you for all of that. Just forgive me for this one thing." Kang Wen reached for Song Sifan's hand again.
Song Sifan pulled back. "Don't you get it? There's nothing to forgive because I'm not mad at you. I just… I just don't love you anymore."
The words hung in the air between them. Song Sifan's own voice sounded foreign to him as he spoke them, but he knew they were true.
Kang Wen stared at him, his expression cycling through disbelief, pain, and finally settling into something unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.
"Okay, you're still mad. I'll back off. Just–when you're not so mad anymore–just call me. I'll be waiting for you."
He left without another word, his footsteps echoing in the hallway outside.
Alone now, Song Sifan muttered under his breath, the words bitter on his tongue: "Fuck! Do I now need to fuck someone to prove to him that I no longer want him?" He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. "But who?"