SDT 53

The song never finished.

Lu Kongyun sat back down, silent now, pouring himself another drink. Yu Xiaowen followed suit, sipping from his own glass.

Lu Kongyun kept drinking, glass after glass. When the ball shifted into its “guest interaction” games and the host began shouting over the music, Yu Xiaowen noticed his eyes starting to glaze. One hand covered his ear nearest the stage, and he looked annoyed.

Yu Xiaowen leaned closer. “Do you want to leave? It’s too loud here.”

Lu Kongyun nodded.

They left the rooftop garden together.

Dr. Lu’s tolerance was abysmal. He tried to walk straight, stiff-backed. Each time Yu Xiaowen tried to steady him, Lu Kongyun brushed him off. “I can walk by myself.”

That only made Yu Xiaowen grin wider.

He tapped Lu Kongyun’s nose with one finger. “I know, I know. Big strong Alpha, doesn’t need help.”

Lu Kongyun blinked, startled, and reflexively touched his own nose.

Yu Xiaowen knew most people hated having their nose poked, but he couldn’t help it. There was something about this frosty, uptight man that just begged to be teased. Look at him, stiff as a board, but still so damn cute.

So Yu Xiaowen went for it again. But just then, the ship tilted. The floor lurched. He saw Lu Kongyun stumble two steps, and instinctively reached out. The next thing he knew, Lu Kongyun’s full weight slammed into him.

Yu Xiaowen stumbled back, hitting the railing with a dull clang.

Lu Kongyun froze for a second, then straightened quickly, trying to steady himself.

“You hit the railing?”

“I’m fine,” Yu Xiaowen said lightly, catching his breath. He reached out to hold Lu Kongyun’s arm anyway.

Lu Kongyun stared at him for a few seconds before pushing him away. “I can walk.”

“What are you being stubborn for? You’re swaying so bad, people’ll think the ship’s built cheap,” Yu Xiaowen joked, moving in again to help.

“No–let go–I– urgh—”

A horrible sound cut him off. Yu Xiaowen’s stomach dropped. He looked down just as Lu Kongyun vomited all over his chest.

“….”

Both of them stared at the mess in stunned silence.

For once, the always-calm, elegant Lu Kongyun looked genuinely mortified. “I’m sorry.”

Yu Xiaowen sighed. “I’ll take you back to your room.”

So much for getting handsy tonight.

He followed behind, watching Lu Kongyun stubbornly drag himself along the corridor, sometimes even steadying himself against the wall. The sight, proud, lonely, refusing help, made him feel sympathetic.

Back in the room, Lu Kongyun sat on the couch, one hand covering his forehead, his face twisted in discomfort.

Yu Xiaowen boiled some tea, sat beside him, and placed the cup on the table. “What’s wrong? Too drunk? Feeling awful? Regretting it already?”

Lu Kongyun’s eyes flicked toward the stain on Yu Xiaowen’s shirt, guilt tightening his expression. “I’m sorry I ruined your clothes.”

“It’s fine. I’ll rinse it off.” Yu Xiaowen stood, heading for the bathroom.

He turned on the tap, washing the worst of it away. Fortunately it wasn’t too bad, just the area below the collar. He cleaned it quickly, unbuttoned the top two buttons, rolled his collar up so the damp fabric wouldn’t cling to his skin, and stepped back out.

Leaning casually against the desk, arms crossed, he smiled at the now half-conscious Lu Kongyun.

The man’s face was pink, his body sprawled face-down on the bed, still fully dressed, but he’d at least had the sense to put a sheet between himself and the covers.

“Sleeping like that’s gonna hurt your back,” Yu Xiaowen said. “Do you want me to help you undress?”

Lu Kongyun immediately turned his face away.

“…” Yep. Still the same antisocial bastard.

Yu Xiaowen chuckled and glanced toward the desk and stopped moving.

Next to the laptop and a few documents sat several tiny silver shapes, glinting under the light. There was also a small box, a pair of tweezers, and some thin wire, like a miniature craft setup.

He leaned in to look. The silver things… looked like birds. Or ducks.

He picked one up, holding it in his palm. The long neck gave it away, a swan.

Dr. Lu Kongyun crafts swans?

Guess he really does like them. So I picked the perfect gift after all.

The thought made Yu Xiaowen proud. He picked up another, admiring the delicate curves. Then he noticed three little wire balls beside them. Not swans. Eggs. Swan eggs.

“Pfft, hehe.” He couldn’t help laughing.

He turned, wondering if he’d disturbed Lu Kongyun, and sure enough, Lu Kongyun was staring straight at him, eyes wide open.

“…I thought you were asleep.”

Yu Xiaowen walked over, showing him the little figures resting in his palm. “You make these?”

Two silver-white swans, one slightly larger, one smaller. They stood gracefully on his palm, perfectly aligned, like a pair gliding side by side across a rippling lake. Three tiny eggs rolled beside them.

“Hand–eye coordination. Precision training,” Lu Kongyun muttered, his gaze unfocused. Then he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temple.

“Can I have them?” Yu Xiaowen asked. “They’re beautiful.”

Perfect mementos for future daydreaming, he thought.

But Lu Kongyun didn’t take the bait. “No.”

Yu Xiaowen blinked. So stingy? He crouched down, face level with Lu Kongyun’s. “Are they that hard to make? Then at least give me one.”

Lu Kongyun still refused. “Not these. I can make you something else.”

He rubbed his face, voice hoarse. “But I need to rest first. Go back to your room… I’ll talk to you later when I—”

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. His gaze locked on Yu Xiaowen’s half-open collar.

Yu Xiaowen didn’t notice. “Alright then, I’ll head out. Rest up. Call me later when you’re ready to talk.”

He turned to leave, but a hand caught his wrist.

“Hm?” Yu Xiaowen looked down. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick again? Here, drink some tea first.”

Lu Kongyun didn’t answer.

“…”

He wasn’t moving at all, just staring like a marble statue from the Renaissance, eyes wide, fixed on him. The intensity made Yu Xiaowen’s skin prickle. He tried prying his hand free. “Lu Kongyun? Are you okay? You don’t feel right?”

After a few seconds, Lu Kongyun released him.

Yu Xiaowen studied the man, his lips, once red, had gone pale. Not a good sign.

“Lu Kongyun? How’re you feeling?”

Silence.

After a long pause, Lu Kongyun finally said, “I’m sorry I ruined your shirt.”

Yu Xiaowen let out a breath. “Ha, don’t scare me like that. I thought you were having some kind of reaction. You really can’t hold your liquor, huh?”

He lifted the teacup and handed it over. “Here, drink some.”

Lu Kongyun’s eyes stayed on him for a long moment before he sat up, took the cup, and blew gently across the surface.

“Captain Hao,” he said softly, “your clothes must be filthy too. Use my shower. I have a quick-wash dryer here, you can throw them in while you bathe. They’ll be dry in no time.”

Yu Xiaowen waved a hand. “It’s fine. I’ll rinse them myself. They’ll dry overnight.”

“The air’s humid here,” Lu Kongyun said patiently. “And we dock tomorrow morning. If they stay damp, they’ll mold. Do you want me to keep feeling guilty?” His tone carried that authority of someone used to being obeyed.

“…Damn.”

Yu Xiaowen scratched his head. “Fine. I’ll wash them here, then go back and shower.”

“You plan to walk back half-naked?” Lu Kongyun said. “You dislike me that much?”

“…Huh? No,” Yu Xiaowen muttered, realizing his “perfect love” might not be as unshakably calm as he’d thought. The man’s pride was insane. One vomit incident and he’d turned into someone else.

But….

He was kind of cute, honestly.

Yu Xiaowen smiled indulgently. “Alright, alright. I’ll clean up here, promise. Don’t peek, okay?”

“Make sure you wash properly,” Lu Kongyun murmured. “I’ll know if you didn’t. I’ll smell it.”

Yu Xiaowen froze, his pulse jumping, before reminding himself the guy was just an overly sensitive Alpha with a strong sense of smell. “Don’t worry, I’ll wash three times. Guarantee satisfaction.”

He flashed a cheeky okay sign and headed into the bathroom.

As the sound of running water filled the room, Lu Kongyun sat up, drinking down the tea in one long gulp. Then he went to his suitcase, opened a small box, and took out two white pills. He swallowed them, then pulled out a syringe and injected it into his arm. His hand trembled as he clutched the case, breath ragged.

When he heard the shower still running, he turned abruptly and left the room.

Yu Xiaowen is dead, he thought.

Before this, Lu Kongyun had been convinced. Now, though…

He hesitated. There were records showing that twins could have identical injuries in the same places. But completely identical wound patterns? And how could a random nightclub security guard get hit by heavy weapon fire?

Down in the quiet crew quarters, while the other guards were still on duty, Colonel Lu Kongyun was tearing apart Hao Dali’s room like a man possessed.

There was Alpha scent everywhere.

That Alpha earlier had claimed they had mixed ABO dorms on this ship, nonsense.

A trace amount of Alpha pheromone meant nothing to Lu Kongyun, but for an Omega to tolerate living in that scent for days? Impossible.

It made him want to kill.

He found nothing at first. Then his hand squeezed the lining of Hao Dali’s suitcase and felt something round and solid in the hidden compartment.

He unzipped it, pulled it out, and held it up to the light.

A black wristband. Exactly the same model as the one he’d owned years ago.

Lu Kongyun calmed himself, slipped it back where it was, and meticulously restored every detail of the room before leaving. A few minutes later, he returned with an old phone. He powered it on, took the wristband back out, and set it on a wireless charger he’d brought.

He opened a paired app on the phone.

Enable monitoring permissions?
Yes.

Connecting…

Connected. Welcome back, Officer Yu Xiaowen.

Lu Kongyun froze. His hands shook so much he could barely read the screen. He set the phone on the floor and crouched down, staring close, confirming every character with his eyes.

They were real. Every pixel. Every stroke.

His pulse was hammering so violently it felt like his heart might rupture. His whole body burned. If he hadn’t taken his meds and the injection beforehand, he might’ve exploded right there.

Through clenched teeth, he whispered the name, each syllable bitten out like a wound reopening.

“Yu Xiaowen. Xiao. Wen.”

…

When Yu Xiaowen finished his shower, his clothes weren’t fully dry, but he didn’t care. He towel-dried his hair, slipped into the damp fabric, and stepped out.

Lu Kongyun was still sitting exactly where he’d left him, cup of tea in hand, staring down at nothing.

Yu Xiaowen rubbed his hair with the towel. “You’ve been sitting like that this whole time? Doesn’t your neck hurt?”

Lu Kongyun finally set the cup down and turned his head. “Come here.”

Yu Xiaowen walked over, sat beside him on the bed. “Here I am,” he said with a smile, towel still hanging from his head.

Lu Kongyun’s gaze lingered on him, drifting slowly to the white towel, as though lost in some memory.

“…This must be a dream,” Lu Kongyun murmured.

“Huh?” Yu Xiaowen blinked, smiling faintly. “Yeah. A dream.”

Lu Kongyun’s voice was quiet. “Again a dream.”

Again?

Yu Xiaowen lowered his voice, teasing him softly, “Yeah. We’re dreaming together. So, what do you want to do in this dream?”

Lu Kongyun thought about it. Then, slowly, he lifted his hand and began rubbing the towel on Yu Xiaowen’s head, gently drying his hair.

The touch, warm and tender, made Yu Xiaowen’s throat tighten. His eyes stung. He grabbed Lu Kongyun’s hand quickly. “No, don’t. You, you had something to tell me, right?”

Lu Kongyun paused, eyes half-lidded, staring back at him in confusion.

“You wanted to talk about my twin, didn’t you?” Yu Xiaowen asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes. “So, Mr. Lu Kongyun, were you close with my brother?”

Lu Kongyun raised his eyes, seeming to come back to himself. “What do you think? What kind of relationship do you think we had?”

He leaned in, too close. Yu Xiaowen brushed a hand to the back of his bare neck. His fingers froze mid-motion, then he pretended to scratch it casually and dropped his hand.

Lu Kongyun watched that tiny, guilty movement.

Yu Xiaowen forced a laugh. “I heard from Mr. Dai that he was a police officer? But you, you’re way above that level. So, I’m guessing you two just had a professional relationship, right?”

Lu Kongyun repeated to himself, “A professional relationship.” Then he gave a quiet, humorless laugh.

After a moment, he lifted his hand. Yu Xiaowen caught the movement from the corner of his eye, the man’s fingers hooked his collar, sliding along the edge to flick away a droplet of water.

“At least that’s what you could call it,” Lu Kongyun said calmly. “He gave the orders. I followed them.”

“…”

The motion sent a shiver crawling down Yu Xiaowen’s spine, itching like static under his skin.

Lu Kongyun’s voice dropped. “Do you want to know what he ordered me to do?”

“…He, he gave you orders?” Yu Xiaowen stammered. Karma’s real, he thought bitterly.

“I don’t really want to know. It doesn’t concern me.” He straightened, forcing composure. “Whatever it is, Mr. Lu, I don’t need any help. You should rest. I’ll head back.”

“Go back where?”

“My dorm,” Yu Xiaowen answered easily. “To sleep.”

Lu Kongyun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

And then Yu Xiaowen found himself thrown onto the bed.

“Ah!”

The next instant, another weight pressed down on him. Lu Kongyun buried his face in Yu Xiaowen’s neck, inhaling deeply.

Heat surged through Yu Xiaowen’s body like a wave. He arched, a choked gasp caught in his throat.

What the hell–why…

Lu Kongyun’s low, hoarse voice cut through the air. “Yu Xiaowen.”

!!!

That name, one he hadn’t heard in almost two years, hit like an electric shock. Every hair on his body stood on end.

Lu Kongyun’s breath burned against his skin. “You’re dead.”

Yu Xiaowen twisted, panicked. “Mr. Lu! You’re mistaken! I-I’m Hao Dali! I’m the guard!”

Lu Kongyun caught him, dragging him back down, pinning him beneath him again. “I’ll kill you.”

“Wake up! You’re dreaming!” Yu Xiaowen shouted, pushing at him desperately. “It’s me–the twin! The twin, not him– uh—”

“Who are you?” Lu Kongyun’s voice was calm now, disturbingly gentle, even as his body bore down harder. “Tell me, who are you?”

He didn’t seem to hear the words at all. His grip, his breath, his movements, rough, unrelenting. Pain mixed with a strange, humiliating heat that Yu Xiaowen couldn’t fight. His body betrayed him, shuddering with a sound he couldn’t hold back.

So he let it happen. Let this drunken, dream-mad Alpha punish the ghost of a dead person through him. Shame burned his cheeks, but he stayed still under the weight, his fingers curling against the sheets.

For a long time, the only sound in the room was their tangled breathing.

Then Lu Kongyun made a low, guttural sound in his throat, swallowed his saliva, and suddenly rolled away. He clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes shut tight.

Yu Xiaowen, stunned and trembling, glanced over.

“…”

“Yu Xiaowen,” Lu Kongyun rasped, voice thick with nausea and rage. “You’re not going anywhere. When I wake up, you’re dead.”

Even drunk, he was terrifying.

Yu Xiaowen steadied his breathing, adjusted his wristband, and murmured, “Is it that bad? Did Yu Xiaowen do something that awful?”

Lu Kongyun opened his eyes, blood-red, staring right into him.

“You know what you did,” he said. “You wanted me to live in hell.”

Yu Xiaowen bit his lip, eyes damp. “That serious, huh?” He reached out, tapping Lu Kongyun’s nose lightly. “Yu Xiaowen’s a bastard liar, sure. But he’d want you to live well. Long and happy.”

Lu Kongyun stayed silent for a while. Then, quietly: “Are you living well?”

The question broke him. Yu Xiaowen turned away, his shoulders shaking.

Lu Kongyun’s tone went flat. “You’re doing fine. Gained weight. You look healthy.”

He reached out, the two wristbands on his wrists glinting under the light, and caught Yu Xiaowen’s chin between his fingers. “Wait until I sober up. Then I’ll make sure you never forget.”

Yu Xiaowen tried to smile. “Dr. Lu even knows how to punish people now?”

Lu Kongyun’s grip tightened slightly, fingers tracing up his throat. His voice was low against Yu Xiaowen’s ear. “Only you.”

“…I’m honored.”

Yu Xiaowen turned, gently pushing his hand away, tugged the blanket over him, and tried to get up and failed. So he just stayed lying there.

They ended up face to face beneath the same blanket.

“Then, until you sober up… can you not hate Yu Xiaowen?” he asked softly.

Lu Kongyun said nothing.

Their faces were so close Yu Xiaowen could see every change in Lu Kongyun’s expression. He could even trace it, with trembling fingers, from the line of his cheek, down his nose, to his soft lips.

Lu Kongyun just stared back at him, eyes dark and full of resentment, but strangely still, as if his will to move had drained away.

Alive. Warm. Real.

His first love. His dream made flesh.

Yu Xiaowen’s fingertips slid over his eyebrows, smoothing the crease between them. “Don’t force it. If you want to hate him, then hate him.”

Lu Kongyun caught his hand, the pressure almost painful. Yu Xiaowen couldn’t pull away.

Slowly, Lu Kongyun closed his eyes.