STIDM 35

The apartment had two bedrooms and one living room. There was a small balcony and a cozy tatami mat corner. Zhong Zong had tidied everything inside and out before finally handing over the key.

Yan Lu held that key all night and barely slept a wink.

The next morning, with dark circles under his eyes, he climbed out of bed and made his way to Little Lemon’s side. He shook him awake.

Little Lemon groaned, rubbing his eyes, then pressed a hand to Yan Lu’s face with a frown, trying to push him away. Yan Lu grabbed his hand.

“Don’t mess around. I need to ask you something.”

“It’s so early…”

“Hurry up. You went to bed early last night, so you should be up early today.”

“Spare me. I want to sleep.”

“Zhong Zong wants me to move in with him.”

“…”

Little Lemon poked his head out from under the blanket, eyes blinking open.

“Yeah, live together.”

“Fuck, are you really flexing your relationship at this hour?”

“I’m just here to ask if I should say yes.”

“That depends on what you think.”

“Of course I want to move in and fuck him all over that apartment, but I feel like…”

“Like what?”

“Like distance creates beauty.”

“…”

Little Lemon pulled his head back under the blanket. Yan Lu reached over and patted the lump in the bedding.

“Hey, give me some advice.”

“Advice for what? Weren’t you two basically sharing pants even before you got together?”

That snapped something into place. Right, back then, even at his most ridiculous and shameless, Zhong Zong had seen it all. So why was he overthinking everything now?

With that thought, Yan Lu leapt off the bed and started packing in a whirlwind of energy.

The noise made it impossible for Little Lemon to go back to sleep. He propped up his chin and watched Yan Lu scurry around the room, surrounded by a happy glow.

He pouted slightly.

“So that means I’ll be the only one left in the dorm?”

The other Omega roommate had already moved out to live with his boyfriend.

Thinking about how the dorm would be quiet and empty with just him left behind made Little Lemon feel more than a little down.

Yan Lu grabbed a bottle of Yakult and shoved it into Little Lemon’s hand.

“You can go stay with Qin Shu.”

Little Lemon stabbed the straw into the bottle and puffed out his cheeks as he drank. At Yan Lu’s words, he shot him a glare.

“No way. That’s too fast. I’m a conservative person.”

“Says the one who princess-carried his Alpha.”

“I told you, I was…”

“Drunk and horny. Yeah yeah, I got it.”

Yan Lu brushed him off with a few perfunctory words and zipped up his suitcase. Then he called Zhong Zong.

When he showed up, he casually lifted the thirty-inch suitcase with one hand and carried it down like it weighed nothing, tossing it effortlessly into the trunk of his car.

On the road, Yan Lu was casually scrolling on his phone when Zhong Zong handed him a cream bun. He didn’t need to ask. Zhong Zong clearly knew Yan Lu hadn’t eaten yet.

Yan Lu took a few bites of the bun, but some cream got smeared on his phone screen. He reached over and opened the glove compartment to grab some tissues, only to accidentally pull out a wrinkled document.

It was an exchange program application form.

His entire body went cold.

Exchange students were usually sent away for at least six months to a year. And if their grades were good, they could stay and pursue graduate studies there.

He knew full well how good Zhong Zong’s grades were. Brilliant, talented, and the professor’s prized student.

But if he was really applying for exchange, then what was the point of moving in together now? Six months, a year, maybe three years if he stayed for grad school. Even with a mark, could they really handle long distance like that?

His thoughts spiraled. The paper was pulled from his hand.

Zhong Zong glanced at the words on it and said calmly, “I’m not going.”

“What?”

“This was something my professor gave me. He suggested I apply. But I’m not planning to.”

Yan Lu clutched his phone, clearly conflicted. “But it’s such a good opportunity. If the professor’s recommending it, it means there’s a strong chance you’d be accepted.”

Zhong Zong frowned slightly and gave Yan Lu a sideways glance. One hand on the wheel, the other reached over to ruffle his hair.

“Stop overthinking. Going abroad isn’t part of my plan.”

Yan Lu didn’t fully agree. Of course he didn’t want Zhong Zong to go so far away, but if it was something good for him, how could he let his own selfishness get in the way?

Being together didn’t mean holding someone back and keeping them in your own space. It meant watching them move forward and doing your best to keep up.

By the time they arrived, all the excitement he’d felt about living together had faded.

He dragged his suitcase along, hesitating, unsure if he even wanted to go upstairs.

If Zhong Zong really did go abroad, then he would be the only one left in this place.

It wouldn’t mean much at all.

One look at Yan Lu’s face, and Zhong Zong already knew what he was thinking. With a sigh, he walked straight over, grabbed Yan Lu, and slung him over his shoulder. Then he picked up the suitcase as well and carried both man and luggage into the apartment.

Yan Lu had barely sat down on the couch before jumping back up, shouting loudly.

“I changed my mind. It’s not as warm as the dorm. I’m going back.”

“There’s air conditioning.”

“This place… this place… this…”

He tried to nitpick, but after looking around for a while, he couldn’t find anything to complain about. In fact, the more he looked at it, the more his heart softened. Every part of the place had been put together with care, and he liked all of it.

Then something brushed against his ankle. He looked down.

A small white cat was curling up at his feet, round eyes staring up at him as it let out a soft meow.

Zhong Zong finished putting away the luggage and walked into the kitchen. He returned with some cat food and poured it into a bowl. As he scratched the kitten’s chin, it squinted contentedly and purred.

While petting the cat, he looked over at Yan Lu.

“I picked it up during the move. It was all banged up and limping along the road. The moment I saw it, it reminded me of the day I brought you home.”

Yan Lu forced a smile.

“Can you not? I wasn’t something you picked up off the street.”

Zhong Zong stood up and sat beside him, his tone serious.

“I’ll say it again. I’m not going on the exchange program. That form was left there by my professor. If I ever decide to do something like that, I’ll talk to you first. So stop thinking about what’s best for me or what you need to sacrifice. I have my own plans, and they’re mine to decide.”

“What about being with me then?”

Yan Lu lowered his eyes.

“That must have been an accident, right? Being with me. It probably cut off a lot of your options.”

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted his shoulder. Zhong Zong’s hand had tightened where it rested on him. Yan Lu frowned slightly, just as he heard Zhong Zong speak.

“It was an accident.”

“…”

“But it’s the one accident in my life that I’ve wanted most, hesitated over the most, and loved the most. Yan Lu, do you understand?”