STIDM 37

The alarm blared crazily in his ear. Yan Lu, with his underwear still hanging around his ankle, forced his eyes open. He picked up his phone, listened to the voice on the other end in a daze, then suddenly shot upright.

Shit. He was supposed to be at the competition venue today. He’d been so caught up in the excitement of moving in with Zhong Zong yesterday that he’d completely forgotten.

Clutching his sore waist, he stumbled into the bathroom, legs shaking as he washed himself clean inside and out. Clothes on, bag already packed, he climbed onto the bed to plant two quick kisses on Zhong Zong’s sleeping face, then dashed out the door.

He boarded the bus, pulled on a sleep mask, and passed out for the entire ride.

Once at the hotel, he didn’t even bother eating. He turned off his phone, applied medicine to his sore hole, and slept straight through to the next day. As soon as he woke up, he rushed off to the competition.

It wasn’t until nightfall, when he finally had a moment to rest, that he noticed over a dozen missed calls on his phone. He jumped in alarm. Grabbing it, he redialed.

After just two rings, Zhong Zong answered.

Yan Lu sat on the edge of the hotel bed, slipping off his shoes and pinning the phone between his ear and shoulder.

“What’s wrong?”

“You went to the competition?”

“Yeah?”

“We forgot the condom. Go buy emergency contraception and take it, now.”

Yan Lu froze. In a panic, he shoved his feet back into his shoes and headed for the hotel exit.

But halfway there, his coach stopped him. One of the juniors had gotten drunk and into a fight. The kid was now being held at the police station.

The coach wanted Yan Lu to come along to the station. As soon as he heard that the juniors had gotten into trouble, Yan Lu tossed everything else aside. There was a match tomorrow. Getting into a mess like this right before it was unthinkable. Absolutely irresponsible.

He followed the coach in a hurry. The two of them ran around dealing with the mess, paid a hefty bail, and made a few calls to pull some strings before they finally managed to get the student released and back to the hotel.

It was already the middle of the night. Yan Lu was exhausted. He showered and collapsed into bed, asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

It wasn’t until the next morning that he remembered what Zhong Zong had told him. Anxiously, he went out to buy an emergency pill. When he saw the label that said it had to be taken within seventy-two hours after sex, he couldn’t help but grab at his own hair.

It had already been almost seventy-two hours since that night.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Yan Lu took the pill. He still had matches to attend. He still needed to keep training.

A week later, the competition was over. Yan Lu packed his things and returned to back to the home he shared with Zhong Zong.

Their timing was just off. Zhong Zong had gone out of town with his professor and wouldn’t be back for another week.

Yan Lu felt a little resentful. He video-called Zhong Zong and saw him lying on a flat bed in some countryside room, his hair a complete mess. It made Yan Lu want to laugh and feel bad for him at the same time. They chatted for an hour before he ended the call.

The house felt too empty. Hugging the cat in his arms, Yan Lu stared at his computer, spending the whole night feeling hollow, lonely, and cold. The next day, he packed up his things and returned to the dorm to stay.

He would come back once Zhong Zong returned.

—

One month later.

Yan Lu had just come down from the competition stage, feeling completely drained. His body felt weak, and a wave of nausea rolled through him.

He threw up the entire ride back to school.

Yan Lu didn’t think too much of it. He’d always gotten motion sickness. It was just a little worse this time, that was all. But even after getting home, he still didn’t feel better. He ended up sleeping straight into the evening, groggy and heavy.

Zhong Zong always cooked a huge meal for him after competitions.

Lately, Yan Lu had been unusually sleepy. When Zhong Zong came into the room, he had to coax and shake him gently just to get the soft, limp Yan Lu to wake up.

Zhong Zong held his hand and led him to the dining table. As soon as Yan Lu’s tired eyes landed on the food, what was normally an inviting aroma now hit him like a punch to the gut, turning into a sickening wave of nausea.

He scrambled to the bathroom, barely keeping it in. When he finally stumbled out, weak and limp, he found Zhong Zong sitting at the table with a heavy expression. When he saw Yan Lu come out, he handed him a glass of water.

Just as Yan Lu took a sip, he heard Zhong Zong casually say from beside him, “Did you take the morning-after pill last time?”

He nearly choked.

His face flushed with guilt, and he stammered out, “I… I did.”

One look at Yan Lu’s face told Zhong Zong everything.

Without another word, he turned and left the room.

Yan Lu sat back down, feeling a bit panicked. He looked at the table full of food, and the nausea hit again. Covering his mouth, he moved away from the table, a growing sense of dread welling up in his chest.

No way…

As it turned out, hoping to get lucky came with a heavy price.

Sitting on the couch, Yan Lu stared at the pregnancy test on the coffee table. Two bright red lines stared back at him.

His mind went blank.

Zhong Zong was silent too, staring at the stick for a long time before getting up and stepping out onto the balcony to make a call.

Yan Lu’s heart was racing. What were they supposed to do now? Was he going to have to take medication to terminate it?

Most likely, it happened during that night a month ago. It was his fault for not taking the pill on time.

But the idea of abortion, compared to being pregnant, was harder for him to accept.

His mind was racing through a mess of thoughts, shifting from panic to a strange sense of clarity. His hand drifted to his belly, and for some reason, he felt oddly calm.

There was no point in panicking. Acting out of fear would only lead to the wrong decision.

Yan Lu pulled out a cigarette, wanting to light one to ease the pressure. But before he could strike the lighter, Zhong Zong reached over and snatched it from his hand.

Zhong Zong tossed the cigarette aside, then grabbed Yan Lu’s hand and pulled him toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s still time. We should be able to make it.”

“Make it for what?”

“Did you bring your ID card?”

“What?”

“We need to go back to your place.”

Zhong Zong was speaking quickly and walking even faster. Yan Lu was practically being dragged along.

He started to guess that Zhong Zong might be taking him to the hospital. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Yan Lu stopped in his tracks.

He shook off Zhong Zong’s hand and stood there in silence.

When Zhong Zong turned to look at him, Yan Lu spoke.

“I changed my mind.” Before Zhong Zong could respond, he continued. “I told you before I didn’t want kids. But even if I ended up pregnant, I never planned to get rid of it.”

“…”

“So there’s no need to rush. I’m not going to the hospital.”

Zhong Zong looked at him for a long time. Seeing the determination in his eyes and the faint resistance between his brows, he suddenly smiled.

Grabbing Yan Lu’s hand again, he turned and walked even faster.

“Who said I was taking you to the hospital?”

Yan Lu stumbled along behind him, barely able to keep up. He blinked, confused.

“Then where the hell are we going?”

Zhong Zong shot him a mischievous smile and winked with his right eye.

“We’re going to your place to steal your household registration book. Let’s get married.”

“What?! Wait! Hey! Zhong Zong, don’t be impulsive!”

“Hurry up. The civil affairs bureau is about to close.”

“You… you’re taking advantage of me!”

“Then I’ll admit it. I’m taking advantage of you.”

Zhong Zong suddenly stopped walking. He dropped to one knee, wrapped an arm around Yan Lu’s waist, and kissed him gently on the lower belly.

“Yan Yan, I’m going to ask your family for your hand. This… is the most precious dowry you’ve ever given me.”

Yan Lu held his belly, caught between laughter and tears. He reached out and touched Zhong Zong’s flushed, excited cheeks.

“You’re unbelievable. That’s not a bride price. That’s my gift to you. Zhong Zong… may I go to your house and formally ask for your hand?”

“Yes.”

The End