63: The Noble Young Master's Benefactor 5

The doorbell rang again, with an Aura that seemed to suggest it wouldn't stop until the door was opened.

Lu Zhan originally didn't want to bother, but the noise was giving him a bit of a headache and making him feel quite irritable. He downed the red wine in his hand and then walked over to open the door again.

"Is there anything else?"

His tone was filled with impatience. Lu Zhan's brows were tightly furrowed as he looked irritably at Mu Lin at the door.

The other man had already reined in his emotions, returning to that image of a top-tier young master—mature, stable, and exuding a touch of elegance and nobility—as if his previous disheveled state had just been an illusion.

"Lu Zhan, I know that no matter what I say now, words are far too hollow in the face of past hurts. But I am serious when I say I love you. Give me a Permanent Mark; make it so I can't leave you, and let me become an Omega who belongs exclusively to you."

The words, which sounded serious and not at all like a joke, fell on his ears. Lu Zhan felt a rare sense of shock and surprise. Looking at Mu Lin, his cold face also carried a hint of disbelief.

"Mu Lin, do you know what you're saying? If I remember correctly, this should be the thing you find most unbearable."

A gentle smile played on Mu Lin's handsome face, his eyes filled with endless love and apology.

"Lu Zhan, if it's you, I'm willing. I want to be your partner for the rest of our lives. Please give me a chance."

For some reason, Lu Zhan found it a bit laughable, and he let out a couple of soft chuckles.

He didn't know if he was laughing at his past self—the one with a lowly status who had battered himself against a wall—or at the high-and-mighty young master before him who was now begging to be marked.

"I didn't expect you, Mu Lin, to have a day like this! A high-and-mighty noble young master begging to be marked. But I must say, Young Master Mu, with your physique and looks, you really are beyond compare. I heard you're even an S-rank Omega; from that perspective, you are indeed attractive enough."

The words falling on his ears were laced with sarcasm and humiliation. His face and dignity were shattered on the ground. Mu Lin felt a surge of pain in his heart, and he nearly failed to maintain the smile on his face.

But at the thought that the person before him was Lu Zhan, he forced it down. He simply looked at Lu Zhan with soft eyes and spoke slowly.

"Then, does this Mu Lin have the honor of being marked by you and becoming your Omega?"

By the time the words reached him, Lu Zhan had already tucked away all his emotions. He thought that after such sarcasm and humiliation, this man would surely have stormed off in a huff. He hadn't expected him to be able to endure it.

And to be able to say something like that... it seemed that, just as he said, he really had fallen in love with him. Otherwise, with this young master's temperament, Lu Zhan would likely have been finished.

Unfortunately, belated love is ultimately like an expired cake; the flavor is gone, and he no longer wanted it.

Lu Zhan didn't want to dwell on it. The rights and wrongs between them had been completely cast aside the moment he decided to leave.

He didn't blame anyone, because it was his own choice and he had made it willingly, even if the outcome was unsatisfactory.

"Mu Lin, I'm twenty-five this year. I'm not that twenty-year-old college student anymore—the one who was full of youthful vigor and a bit of aloof pride. I like my life now; it's stable, quiet, and relaxed. You should leave, and don't come back again."

His words were very calm, and there was neither resentment nor hatred in his eyes, only complete seriousness, as if he were recounting an insignificant matter from long ago.

This calm and detached Lu Zhan caused a flash of panic and fear to appear in Mu Lin's eyes. It was as if that past had been completely let go, and he could no longer stir a single emotion in the other man. No matter what, this was not the result he wanted.

"Lu Zhan, you can refuse me, it's fine. Just please don't strip me of the right to come find you, okay? Or have I truly become so loathsome to you?"

There was a hint of pleading in Mu Lin's reddened eyes. His long lashes were slightly damp, and his face was tinged with sorrow. He was already somewhat losing his composure.

Seeing Mu Lin like this, Lu Zhan didn't know for a moment whether he felt more heartache or more softness. He remained silent for a while, no longer saying any harsh or cold words.

"Mu Lin, I have never hated you, nor have I blamed you. Everything back then was of my own free will. It's just that I'm no longer willing now. I can't give you what you want. It seems... I no longer know how to love someone."

Lu Zhan's tone was light and calm, his expression cool and detached. But his eyes held an indifference that had seen through the world, as if nothing could ever make them ripple again.

These words seemed to explode in Mu Lin's heart, every syllable making him feel the piercing pain of a blade through his chest.

He had felt it countless times—the burning, beating heart beneath Lu Zhan's cold exterior. Every bit of his concern, every moment of tenderness, every instance of being careful...

But he had lost that boy full of sincere affection, leaving behind only this hollow, cold shell and a pair of eyes indifferent to the extreme.

"Lu Zhan, you don't need to give me anything this time. Let it be my turn to give to you. It's okay if you don't love me; let me be the one to love you properly, okay?"

After Mu Lin finished speaking, he felt a bit nervous. He was terrified that the other man would refuse him outright and draw a clear line between them. He knew this was far too humble and completely unlike his usual self, yet he still looked at Lu Zhan with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The words falling on his ears were very sincere, but Lu Zhan seemed unmoved. He simply observed and scrutinized him in silence.

The light in Mu Lin's eyes gradually faded during the long silence. Was this still not enough? Tears seemed to fall from his eyes unconsciously.

"Suit yourself."

Although they were just three simple words, they made Mu Lin's entire being radiate with spirit. He could hear it; Lu Zhan had indirectly agreed to what he had just said. It turned out that even today, Lu Zhan still had a bit of a soft heart for him.

"Lu Zhan, I will love you dearly from now on, including the part that was missing back then."

Lu Zhan gave a non-committal smile, his eyes suddenly tinged with a hint of mischief.

"Then what if I get another Omega?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Lu Zhan clearly felt the surrounding magnetic field turn several degrees colder due to the change in the man before him.

Mu Lin could favor everything about Lu Zhan, submit humbly before him, be willing to be permanently marked, and even bear his children.

But he absolutely could not tolerate Lu Zhan being involved with another Omega. If that really happened, he would surely be driven mad by the jealousy and rage in his heart. He would kill the Omega who seduced Lu Zhan and then lock Lu Zhan away in a place where only he could see him.

"Lu Zhan, I'll yield to you on everything else, except for that."

Mu Lin's Aura had already changed drastically. His deep eyes flickered with a dangerous, cold light as he stared straight at Lu Zhan. His face was sharp and fierce; there wasn't a trace of his pitiful appearance from a moment ago. He was almost like a face-changer in a Beijing Opera.