The sky outside the window quickly darkened, and the last bit of light was swallowed up.
Shen Qi sat on the sofa, staring at the mobile phone screen. On it was the final plan he and Yu An had confirmed.
He chose to die in a car accident. It would be quick enough, unexpected enough, and enough to catch Cheng Yanzhou off guard.
The accident location was chosen on a winding mountain road in the suburbs with no surveillance cameras, and the time was set for the early morning three days later.
The investigation would show that the fog was thickest at that time, making it easier to create the illusion of obstructed vision and a vehicle losing control.
He took off his shoes, curled his entire body into the sofa, held a cup of hot milk, and drank it in small sips, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.
Clearly knowing this was the only way to completely shake off his current situation, his heart still felt as if it were being squeezed by something, stuffy and aching.
“What are you thinking about?”
Cheng Yanzhou’s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Shen Qi.
He turned his head. The other person brought the fatigue of just returning from outside and was changing his shoes.
“Nothing.”
Shen Qi lowered his head, hiding the emotions in his eyes.
Cheng Yanzhou did not ask much.
He took off his coat and hung it up. When he turned around, he was carrying a paper bag printed with a dessert shop logo, along with a cup of milk tea with water droplets condensing on the cup wall.
Shen Qi was somewhat surprised.
Cheng Yanzhou rarely brought things back, let alone food.
They had been together for three years, and the other person always left early and returned late like a precise machine. There was almost no such thing as surprises in his life.
Even on Shen Qi’s birthday last year, he only had the housekeeper cook a few extra dishes without even saying happy birthday.
But right now, Cheng Yanzhou was walking toward him, the distance much closer than usual.
As he drew near, Shen Qi smelled a faint scent on him.
It seemed to linger after a meal.
It smelled a bit like hot pot.
Probably went to eat it with Shi Nian. He thought randomly.
Cheng Yanzhou took a small piece of cake out of the paper bag. It was matcha-flavored, topped with a strawberry, which was Shen Qi’s favorite flavor.
“Passed by a dessert shop and thought it looked good.” Cheng Yanzhou placed the cake on the coffee table, pushed the milk tea over as well, and spoke in a tone as flat as chatting about the weather. “Bought it for you.”
Shen Qi did not speak. He glanced at the milk tea label: one-third sugar, no ice.
Quite a coincidence.
It matched the configuration he usually ordered.
He felt it was a bit surreal.
Why did Cheng Yanzhou suddenly do these things? Did he notice something, or was he feeling guilty toward him because he had been accompanying his lover?
He raised his head and looked into the other’s eyes.
Those eyes were always very deep, like a frozen lake where you could not see what was hidden at the bottom.
Yet this time, Shen Qi faintly caught a trace of extremely soft gentleness.
“You…”
He opened his mouth, but did not know what to ask. The words stuck in his throat.
Cheng Yanzhou had already sat down beside him, their knees almost touching.
He naturally picked up the remote control to turn on the television, and the sound of the evening news filled the living room.
“Have a taste.”
He turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on the cake.
Hearing this, Shen Qi silently picked up the small fork, forked a small piece of cake, and put it into his mouth.
The slight bitterness of matcha mixed with the sweet fragrance of cream slowly melted on the tip of his tongue. It was a familiar taste.
He used to like it very much, but for some reason, today he felt it was a bit astringent, and it lacked the previous sweetness.
Just like his relationship with Cheng Yanzhou, it had always been faint.
It was not like lovers, more like roommates sharing an apartment.
Cheng Yanzhou was an Alpha, and he was a Beta. Physiologically, they lacked a fatal attraction.
They had no emotional foundation, and being able to live in peace for three years was already rare.
Thinking that he would die in a few days…
He suddenly wondered what Cheng Yanzhou’s reaction would be when he learned of his death.
Would he not care? Or would there be a shred of sadness?
“Is it delicious?”
Cheng Yanzhou’s voice interrupted his train of thought.
The conversation was initiated by Cheng Yanzhou, which he was not very used to.
Therefore, substituting awkwardness with action, he nodded blindly, picked up the milk tea, inserted the straw, and took a sip.
The warm liquid slid down his throat with just the right amount of sweetness, followed by a trace of tea fragrance diffusing.
As he drank, he secretly glanced at Cheng Yanzhou. The other person looked straight ahead at the TV, the line of his side profile cold, hard, and smooth, his jawline tightly tensed, as aloof as ever.
I must admit, such a scene was very warm.
It was like an ordinary couple sitting quietly at home, eating cake, watching TV, and passing a plain evening.
The moment this thought popped up, he forcefully suppressed it.
No.
He could not have such extravagant hopes. The road ahead had already been chosen. Three days later, Shen Qi would die in that carefully planned car accident and disappear from this world forever.
Thinking this way, he suddenly felt much more at ease, and Shen Qi slowly ate the cake and drank the milk tea.
He ate very slowly, as if wanting to carve this fleeting moment of peace into his heart bit by bit.
The gaze of the person beside him occasionally fell on him. It was very brief, fast as an illusion.
In that gaze, there seemed to be emotions he could not understand.
There was forbearance, struggle, and a trace of resolution.
Shen Qi shook his head, thinking he must be overthinking.
How could Cheng Yanzhou have these emotions? He had always been calm and rational.
Three days later, when he died, would Cheng Yanzhou marry Shi Nian? Would their children also sit here eating cake and watching TV?
Would he forget him?
He clearly did not want to think about these things, yet he was unable to stop himself from thinking.
Shen Qi only felt his heart being repeatedly tugged by something, aching to the point where he could barely breathe.
He had to make a decisive choice.
“Tomorrow, I need to go to a neighboring city for something.”
Shen Qi said in a low voice.
This was an excuse he had thought of long ago to make his disappearance more logical.
Cheng Yanzhou was silent for a moment, furrowed his brows imperceptibly, and then spoke. “How long until you are back?”
“Hard to say, might take a few days.”
Shen Qi did not dare look at him, afraid of being seen through, so he could only lower his head and stare at his hands.
“Mhm.”
Cheng Yanzhou’s voice was very soft, and emotion still could not be heard from it.
After a long silence, Shen Qi stood up. “I am going to take a shower.”
“Go ahead.”
Shen Qi walked into the bathroom, turned on the showerhead, and the warm stream of water poured down from the top of his head.
Starting tomorrow, he would begin preparing for his death in three days.
Tomorrow he would rendezvous with Yu An, confirm all the details one last time, and then leave Cheng Yanzhou forever.
After taking a shower and coming out, he threw himself into the soft bed.
It was the last night.
Tomorrow would be a new starting point.
The second bedroom.
Cheng Yanzhou picked up the phone placed on the bedside table. The screen lit up, showing a message he had just received from Shi Nian:
After taking the inducer, secondary differentiation pre-reactions are expected to occur within seventy-two hours, such as premature pheromone leakage and other pseudo-heat symptoms. During this period, it may be accompanied by fever, fatigue, and other symptoms, which are all normal phenomena.
However, after changing to oral administration, the official effect may be much slower. It is expected to take half a year to fully achieve secondary differentiation.
Cheng Yanzhou carefully read every word and replied:
It is fine, I can wait.
He put down the phone, turned, and entered the bathroom. As he removed the suppression patch from the back of his neck, he thought secretly.
The inducer has already been administered without Shen Qi knowing.
Even if it means using this method, I will not let you leave me.
Qiqi, you can only be mine.