Unclaimed (Xianwang)

A Meet

The next morning, Meng Yao went for his usual jog through the park, the fresh air helping to clear his mind. He had thought about the strange encounter with Liu Xichen the night before, trying to convince himself that it was just a one-off thing, though he felt it wasn't. As he rounded a bend in the path, his heart sank.

Standing casually by a tree, as if he'd been waiting there all morning, was Liu Xichen. He looked as put together as ever, his easy smile lighting up as soon as he spotted Meng Yao. It was like he'd known exactly where to find him.

"Morning, Meng Yao!" Xichen called out, his voice smooth as ever, waving as if they were old friends.

Meng Yao forced himself to stay calm, his pulse quickening even as he kept his pace steady. Internally, he was freaking out. How does he keep finding me? He plastered on a neutral expression as he jogged forward not stopping. As if he had already expected this, Xichen too joined him and started jogging by his side.

"Why are you here?" he asked trying to sound irritated, hoping the alpha would leave.

Xichen grinned, the picture of charm. "I'm a health conscious guy, I like morning jogs and I think you do too. Didn't expect to run into you again so soon, though."

Meng Yao didn't buy it for a second. He had a gut feeling this wasn't coincidence at all. But he wasn't about to let Xichen know that he was rattled. "Right, whatever you say" he said, eyes narrowing. "What do you want this time?" he asked stopping on track.

Xichen stopped too and chuckled, his hands raised in mock surrender. "I swear, I'm not here to bother you. I just thought we could... continue our conversation from yesterday. Maybe over coffee?"

"Coffee?" Meng Yao repeated skeptically. "You think I'm just going to sit down and chat with you?"

Xichen's expression softened slightly, his playful demeanor turning just a bit more serious. "I told you, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just curious about Lan Wangji. My friend has a vested interest in him, and I figured you might be able to help. I'm not asking for anything invasive."

Meng Yao crossed his arms, his gaze hard. "You expect me say what you wanna know?"

Xichen let out a light sigh. "I don't expect anything. I'm just hoping you'll trust that my intentions aren't malicious. But like I said, if you're not comfortable with it, I'll walk away."

There it was again. That disarming confidence, the casual way he acted like none of this was a big deal. It threw Meng Yao off balance. He wasn't used to alphas who didn't push harder when they didn't get what they wanted right away. But then again, Xichen wasn't like the typical alphas who had come sniffing around for gossip or information before. He was different, and that difference was what made Meng Yao so cautious. "I don't know why you're so interested in Wangji," Meng Yao said after a long pause, "but you won't get anything out of me. He's my friend, no...I could say more of a brother."

Xichen smiled, a hint of respect in his eyes. "Fair enough. I can respect that."

Meng Yao turned to leave, his heart still racing from the encounter. But just as he took his first step, Xichen's voice stopped him. "For what it's worth," Xichen said, his tone lighter now, "I think you're pretty interesting too, Meng Yao. I would like to get to know you more."

Meng Yao paused, biting the inside of his cheek. He didn't turn around, didn't acknowledge the compliment. Instead, he continued his jog, putting as much distance between himself and Xichen as he could.

But even as he tried to focus on his run, Xichen's words echoed in his mind. There was something about him that Meng Yao couldn't shake. Something that made him uneasy... but also curious. It bothered him more than he cared to admit....he finds this alpha so attractive, the omega instinct in him wanted to be closer to this alpha really bad.