DABGBTF 20

Xie Zheng’s tone still carried a bit of careless smiling intent, as if chatting about the most ordinary thing.

Lu Lu slowly propped up his body, sitting straight. He asked, “Is it because, what, Uncle is hospitalized?”

“Don’t know. Suddenly fainted at home and broke his arm. The doctors are currently investigating the cause.”

According to Xie Zheng’s original thoughts, he would go back to Chen’an at least a month later. His parents wouldn’t be able to outlast him, and by then, no one would be able to control him.

Although it was a pity not to proceed according to the original plan, his parents’ attitudes had already loosened somewhat, so Xie Zheng was fairly satisfied with this result.

Lu Lu asked, “…Is that why you transferred extra money to me?”

Xie Zheng laughed. “It has nothing to do with that. I only received the news after paying your wages.”

Accurately speaking, it was the news he received the night Lu Lu “marked” him. Xie Zheng dizzyingly picked up his phone to look and almost went limp, which was why he made the decision the next day to stay in Huailiu until Lu Lu’s susceptible period ended.

Lu Lu gave an “oh,” and asked again, “Then we…”

Xie Zheng heard what Lu Lu wanted to ask, and smiled. “Since I’m going back, this relationship also doesn’t need to continue anymore. Don’t worry, Uncle isn’t some boss who exploits his employees. Even if it hasn’t been a full month, it will still be calculated as a full month.”

In the cramped room, Lu Lu was quiet for a long time. Just when Xie Zheng almost thought Lu Lu had fallen asleep, Lu Lu said, “I don’t want that much.”

Xie Zheng: “.”

So stupid.

Compared to the stupid deer, he had plenty of money and could afford to give it. There was no need for Lu Lu to refuse the thing he needed most. 

However, Xie Zheng didn’t speak, just letting out two low chuckles from his throat—he really didn’t want to haggle with Lu Lu in the middle of the night as if they were in a wet market.

Lu Lu felt very fortunate that the lights weren’t turned on in the room, so Xie Zheng couldn’t see his current expression, which must have been very ugly to look at.

He asked Xie Zheng, “…When is Uncle Xie going back?”

Xie Zheng stretched his body a bit. “Tomorrow. After dropping you back at school, I will go back—”

“I asked for a total of five days off.” Lu Lu suddenly interrupted Xie Zheng. “There is still one day of leave tomorrow. Uncle Xie, let me take you to our pedestrian street to play here. There is a shop on the street whose handmade ice cream and cream cupcakes I really like to eat. Let me take you to taste them, they’re very delicious, really.”

Xie Zheng thought about it for a moment. “That works too.”

—

After Lu Lu’s grandmother learned that Xie Zheng was leaving, she kept thanking him saying “Teacher Xie has worked hard” one bite after another, making Xie Zheng endlessly awkward hearing it, goosebumps breaking out on his arms.

The elderly lady exhorted Lu Lu again, “After returning to school, listen to Teacher Xie’s words well, you know?”

Lu Lu pursed his lower lip, his eyes curving. “I know, I know!”

The elderly lady also brought Xie Zheng a plastic bag of tomatoes, supposedly a specialty variety grown by a neighbor themselves. With a colorful bag hanging on Xie Zheng’s arm, it was unspeakably out of place.

Lu Lu let out a “pfft” and laughed, reaching out to take it over. “I’ll hold it, Uncle Xie.”

Xie Zheng shrugged, handing the plastic bag to Lu Lu.

The “pedestrian street” in Lu Lu’s mouth used to be the weekend market in Huailiu Town on Saturdays and Sundays. In recent years, it had been converted into a long and wide commercial street, less than a twenty-minute drive from Lu Lu’s home.

Taking a taxi to the place and taking a look, it clearly wasn’t a rest day, yet there were still quite a lot of people. There are young people in twos and threes walking together, dressed very beautifully. The whole street permeated with a very youthful and vigorous atmosphere.

Walking a bit further forward, they finally knew the reason it was so bustling.

Xie Zheng looked with great interest at the huge billboard in front of him. “Are they holding a concert? Do you know these celebrities?”

Lu Lu didn’t correct Xie Zheng that this wasn’t a “concert,” but rather an “underground idol outdoor performance¹“Dì ǒu” refers to Chika idols (Japanese for “underground idols”). These are independent idol groups who perform in small, intimate venues or street lives rather than massive, mainstream concerts.. He shook his head. “I don’t know them either.”

Xie Zheng bit his cigarette butt, raising his eyes with great interest to look over the several celebrities on the billboard. 

They were all wearing chokers on their necks, with fair skin and watery eyes. They should all be Omegas, and could be considered the very pretty kind among Os.

What a pity they were completely not the type Xie Zheng was interested in.

From his face, to his completely unpretentious personality, to that kind of energy in bed that wouldn’t rest until he fucked a person to death, Lu Lu perfectly fit Xie Zheng’s every preference. At the thought that after returning to Linyuan there would be little chance to see Lu Lu again, Xie Zheng actually felt quite a bit of pity.

He asked Lu Lu, “Where is that shop you mentioned?”

“Let me look for it.”

According to Lu Lu, he hadn’t been here for nearly a year, and many shops had changed locations. He found a few people to inquire with a bit, and after a short while, Xie Zheng saw Lu Lu walking back towards him.

Xie Zheng crushed out the cigarette butt in his hand on the trash can. “Let’s go.”

Lu Lu instead waved his hand. “Uncle Xie, a piece of unfortunate news.”

Xie Zheng raised his eyebrows.

“That shop closed down.” Lu Lu smiled. “I’ll take you to eat something else, what does Uncle Xie want to eat?”

Xie Zheng was originally not too particular about food either; coming today was also to accompany Lu Lu. Hearing that, he casually said, “Let’s eat what you like.”

Even though it was said like this, because of the concert, most of the shops were full of people, without even a place to sit. Lu Lu ultimately took Xie Zheng to a nearby chain burger joint.

“Kid’s taste.” Xie Zheng watched him coat the french fries completely with ketchup, unable to resist laughing at him.

Just as the two were about to finish eating, Xie Zheng heard a deafening sound coming from outside. “Hey—can you hear me?”

This sound coming from the microphone was just like some sort of gathering signal. The other people in the shop stood up by prior agreement, and walked outside.

“The performance is about to start.” Lu Lu turned his head to look outside, then turned his head back to look at Xie Zheng. “Does Uncle Xie want to go see?”

Xie Zheng recalled that huge poster. He couldn’t even remember the faces of the several Omegas on it clearly anymore. He said with a lack of interest, “Forget it. We will talk about it if there’s a chance.”

Have a chance.

Where would there be a chance?

Xie Zheng would return to Chen’an, return to his magnificent and majestic office;

While he would stay in Linyuan, studying, and only during winter and summer vacations would it be possible to go and see Xie Zheng a bit.

Actually, no matter how seriously they maintained it, Xie Zheng would also gradually forget him from his memory. This was the credit of distance and time.

Previously, he had only heard Xie Zheng’s name and knew some of his matters. Later, Xie Zheng suddenly appeared in front of him—those fragmented memories attached to the past and pieced together into Xie Zheng’s complete appearance. 

Now Xie Zheng was about to leave, just as sudden as his arrival. The shining light would once again dim down in Lu Lu’s mind, because of distance and time.

The place where the two were eating was a round table by the window. This small table, for two Alphas whose heights were both very superior, was truly somewhat cramped.

However, Xie Zheng was never a person to wrong himself. He leaned his body back slightly, stretching his legs out long, his right calf lazily resting on Lu Lu’s calf.

Suddenly, super loud music and the crowd’s cheering sounded from outside.

Xie Zheng saw Lu Lu’s lips move, but he didn’t hear clearly what exactly Lu Lu said.

Xie Zheng leaned his body forward a bit. “What?”

Lu Lu leaned close to him, his voice mixed with the sound of music. “…Uncle Xie, let me mark you one more time!”

Xie Zheng raised his eyebrows. He touched his lips with his fingers, didn’t say yes and didn’t say no, revealing an ambiguous smile.

Waiting until Lu Lu swallowed the last bite of chicken nugget, Xie Zheng swung his calf, bumping Lu Lu a bit. “Come here.”

After speaking, he stood up and walked towards the restroom.

There was a person in the restroom. Xie Zheng leaned against the sink counter, while Lu Lu stood at the door. 

That person’s gaze wandered between Xie Zheng and Lu Lu a few times. Xie Zheng smiled at him gloomily and chillingly. “What are you looking at?”

That person shuddered. He didn’t dare to look randomly anymore, then zipped up and hurried out.

Xie Zheng leisurely washed his hands, and walked into a stall.

Lu Lu followed behind him and came in.

He took off the band-aid stuck to the back of Xie Zheng’s neck, and saw the already not-so-obvious teeth marks on the honey-colored skin. The skin next to the teeth marks was turned up in a pinkish-white color, somewhat swollen.

Xie Zheng felt Lu Lu’s breath fall on the back of his neck; he very cooperatively lowered his head. His body remembering the pain of being forcibly marked a step ahead of his rationality, currently trembling slightly and growing hot because of excitement.

However, Xie Zheng waited a while but Lu Lu delayed it and didn’t bite down.

Xie Zheng: “…?”

He turned his head. “If you can’t do it, switching to me doing it is also—”

Lu Lu suddenly kissed him on the lips. Before Xie Zheng could even taste the pomelo flavor on his lips, the boy’s hand pressed down on the back of Xie Zheng’s head. The next second, a severe pain came from the back of Xie Zheng’s neck—Lu Lu forcefully bit down on the back of his neck.

Pheromones were slowly injected into his body, the soreness and pain unbearable. Xie Zheng staggered and sprawled against the door panel, starting to tremble violently.

…So painful, really so painful. Like being forcefully beaten up by someone, like he was going to die the next second.

…However, it also feels so good.

Lu Lu hugged his waist tightly from behind. Amidst the indistinct sound of music and cheering, he slowly carried out this marking that was fundamentally impossible to complete.

At the same time Lu Lu released his arms, Xie Zheng knelt down with weak legs.

Lu Lu bent down, his thumb going to wipe the physiological tears at the corner of Xie Zheng’s eyes, but was fiercely grabbed by the hair and kissed by Xie Zheng.

“Baby.” After their lips and tongues aimlessly tangled for a while, Xie Zheng panted and said, “You are amazing, I will miss you.”

By the time Xie Zheng cleaned himself up and went out of the fast-food restaurant, Lao Tian was already waiting outside the store.

Xie Zheng asked Lu Lu, “You really don’t need me to drop you back?”

Lu Lu shook his head. “No need, I’ll accompany grandma for one more day, and go back to school tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Xie Zheng waved at Lu Lu. He followed Lao Tian towards the direction where the car was parked, and after closing the car door with a “thud,” the pedestrian street in the rearview mirror got further and further away.

Three hours later, Lao Tian parked the car at the entrance of the hospital.

Meng Haiying was waiting for Xie Zheng at the door of the ward. When she saw him, some gratified smiling intent appeared in her eyes, yet her tone was cold. “So you still know how to come back.”

Pausing, she added, “You’ve gotten thinner.”

Xie Zheng pushed the door open to take a look. Xie Jinde was asleep, wearing an oxygen tube on his nose, with an IV catheter inserted in the back of his hand. His whole body looked very pale.

He heard the commotion, tiredly opened his eyes, and saw Xie Zheng.

“…You’re back.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Xie Zheng’s mouth. “Mm, I’m back.”

—

Lu Lu’s Weibo

[Posted three days ago]

@Deer: I thought of it, I can take X to eat that place’s ice cream. Happy ^^

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  “Dì ǒu” refers to Chika idols (Japanese for “underground idols”). These are independent idol groups who perform in small, intimate venues or street lives rather than massive, mainstream concerts.