STIDM 30

Yan Lu jumped off the bed barefoot and locked the door. He was just about to jerk off to Zhong Zong’s photo when the phone screen lit up with an incoming call.

He glanced at the caller ID. Speak of the devil.

He picked up, sounding lazy. “What?”

“What’s with your voice?”

“What do you think?”

“Don’t tell me I just interrupted something good.”

“How could you? Moan a little from over there and I’ll finish even faster.”

“Cut the crap. Look outside.”

Yan Lu had a feeling. He tossed the phone aside and rushed to the window. Sure enough, there was Zhong Zong standing across the narrow road, looking up at him and waving.

Whatever hesitation he had earlier went straight to hell. He shoved on his shoes and charged downstairs like a bullet, bursting out the front door and running right up to Zhong Zong.

The moment he got close, he threw his arms around the taller man and yanked him into a hug, rubbing his hair. “Fuck, I missed you like crazy!”

“Didn’t I just interrupt your ‘good time’?”

Zhong Zong leaned into him, one hand resting on Yan Lu’s waist, smiling as he let his hair get completely messed up.

“You are my biggest ‘good time’.” Right after he said it, Yan Lu got a little shy, let go, and grumbled like he was annoyed. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?”

Zhong Zong kept his arm around Yan Lu’s waist. “Yeah, you wouldn’t let me in, so I figured I’d come steal you away instead.”

“Huh?”

“Come to my place.”

“Now?”

Zhong Zong looked at him with a pitiful expression. “My grandpa just beat me with his cane. You’re not gonna comfort me? Don’t you wanna see where he hit me?”

“What? What injury? Why did your grandpa hit you?”

“I told him I snatched him a granddaughter-in-law.”

“Huh?”

“You know, the eldest son of the Yan family next door.”

“What?!”

“You didn’t know my grandpa hates Uncle Yan?”

Yan Lu shook his head blankly. He really didn’t know.

Zhong Zong held his hand as he led him home, casually sharing some juicy gossip he’d overheard from his grandfather.

Yan’s father had always liked Zhong Zong since he was young, but Zhong’s grandfather absolutely loathed him. Because back in the day, Yan’s father had a bit of a wild AA relationship with Zhong’s dad during their rebellious years.

One was stubborn to the bone. The other, wild and reckless.

Eventually they must’ve realized it wasn’t true love and went their separate ways, each starting their own families.

But back then, when Uncle Yan, an Alpha, was messing around with Uncle Zhong, Grandpa Zhong nearly had a heart attack. From that point on, he hated the entire Yan family.

And now, years later, his own grandson came up and told him, “Grandpa, I’ve got my eye on the eldest son of the Yan family.”

Seeing his grandson’s face looking so much like his own son, saying the exact same thing, Grandpa Zhong picked up his cane and beat Zhong Zong with it right then and there.

Zhong Zong was too stunned to react. He didn’t dare run either, afraid the old man might fall if he chased after him. So he just stood there and took the beating until Grandpa wore himself out and stopped.

Grandma Zhong was a gentle Beta, but when it came to Grandpa, she had real authority.

She smashed her bowl on the table and Grandpa Zhong instantly backed down.

He shot one last glare at Zhong Zong before storming back into the study.

Zhong Zong was still a bit confused. He asked his grandma what was going on, and only then did the old story come out.

Yan Lu was completely stunned.

He shook his head, trying to process it. “I always thought my old man was just stubborn and conservative. Who would’ve guessed he used to be that wild.”

An AA relationship, during a time when that kind of thing was forbidden.

His father was actually that crazy.

Yan Lu wrapped an arm around Zhong Zong’s waist, gossiping all the way to Zhong Zong’s house.

The moment they got in, Yan Lu headed straight for the fridge and grabbed a beer. He hadn’t dared smoke or drink at home these past few days, not with that iron-faced old man around.

Now that he thought about it, if his father had been wild enough to have an AA relationship back then, he probably smoked and drank plenty too.

Everyone knew Zhong’s father was a wild one. For the old man to have fooled around with him, he was probably just as bad.

Funny how all the friendly gestures from his father never softened the knot in Yan Lu’s chest. But hearing this story from the past somehow made him feel a little curious and more understanding toward his old man.

Zhong Zong dug through his luggage and pulled out a gift, handing over a velvet box to Yan Lu.

Yan Lu put down his beer and opened it. Inside was a silver emblem.

It was finely crafted, a snake coiled around a cross.

Of course Yan Lu knew what it was.

A surge of shame rushed from his toes straight to his head. It was an item from a game. The item was called “Substitute.”

His cheeks turned bright red. He covered the back of his neck. There was a cringey tattoo there, the exact symbol from one of Zhong Zong’s character’s skills in the game. He always thought Zhong Zong didn’t get it.

But this pendant made it clear.

Zhong Zong understood everything.

The Substitute was a utility item Yan Lu’s character used often. As the name implied, it was used to take damage in place of your partner.

If necessary, it could even absorb fatal damage and transfer it to the wearer.

It was an unpopular item. Cold in nature, expensive too, so hardly anyone wanted it. When it was released, Yan Lu had fought hard to get his hands on one.

He had only ever used it a few times, and always for Zhong Zong.

The fact that Zhong Zong remembered that symbol meant he also understood what the tattoo on Yan Lu’s nape actually meant.

Yan Lu held it in for a long moment before speaking.

“When did you find out?”

“A while ago.”

Yan Lu went quiet.

“At first it just looked familiar. But the more I stared at it, the more I remembered where I’d seen it.”

Yan Lu was dying of embarrassment. It felt like having a secret completely exposed.

He shoved the chain into Zhong Zong’s chest, pretending to be fierce. “I’m not taking this gift. You take it.”

Zhong Zong burst out laughing. He stood up, turned around, and took off his shirt. The back of his neck was still red and slightly swollen from a fresh tattoo.

The exact same Substitute symbol.

“A gift in return, Yan Yan. Do you like it?”

Like it? Of course he liked it. He was just so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole and hide..

Burning with a mix of shame, anger, and flustered heat, he tackled Zhong Zong onto the bed, pinned his shoulders down, and straddled his hips.

“You’re such a pain in the ass.”

“Haha, really? Your face is so red, Yan Yan.”

“Because you pissed me off.”

“Is that so?”

Zhong Zong wrapped an arm around his waist and sat up with him, their noses brushing together as he rubbed gently with a soft, teasing hum, almost like he was being coy.

“I thought about this gift for a long time.”

“A couple’s tattoo?”

“No.”

“Tag?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s me liking you.”

Yan Lu’s mind went blank. The rush of happiness hit him so fast, he almost couldn’t take it.

By the time he came back to his senses, he had already pushed Zhong Zong down and was yanking at his pants in a frenzy.

Zhong Zong didn’t resist at all, letting him take the lead completely.

Looking at his relaxed, smug expression, Yan Lu ground his teeth and bit down on his earlobe.

“If I weren’t an Omega, I would’ve fucked you already.”

“You already did.”

“I mean from the inside out.”

Zhong Zong wrapped an arm around his waist, rolled over, and pinned Yan Lu underneath him. He pushed his legs apart.

“Once I mark you, you’ll be mine from the inside out.”

He paused for a moment, some hesitation creeping into his voice.

“But Yan Lu, are you really not going to regret this?”

Yan Lu stared straight into his eyes, burning hot and intense.

“You talk too damn much. Just fuck me already.”