“Can I come in and sit for a while?”
When the others heard that Xi Zhiyu had arrived, they followed Fei Chuqiong downstairs, intending to greet him proactively.
But when they looked down:
They saw Xi Zhiyu holding Xie Yun, standing extremely close, whispering something unknown to him. The latter’s ears and neck had turned into a cluster of fiery red clouds.
Fei Chuqiong’s mouth hung open: “…”
Her four Alpha “Guardian” lackeys: “…”
The group stared blankly for a moment in silence until one of the lackeys turned and asked, “Sister Qiong.”
“Are we… still going over to say hi?”
Fei Chuqiong suddenly snapped out of it and waved her hand dismissively: “Go? Go where?! To be a third wheel?!”
The Alpha lackeys: “…”
So, everything they said on the forums was true?!
Later, they went to the yacht’s karaoke room to party. Hearing that Senior Xi was accompanying Sister Qiong’s actor idol while he caught up on sleep, the group of muscular, fierce Alphas—afraid of waking the parties involved switched the TV to movie mode and started watching an arthouse film.
They really wanted to gossip, but they didn’t dare step forward to do it!
In the Yacht Lounge
Outside the porthole, the waves shimmered. The late autumn sunlight refracted through the seawater, reflecting into amber eyes.
Xie Yun had rushed over straight after finishing his schedule, his head spinning from the workload. He had boarded the yacht specifically to see Xi Zhiyu and had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
At that moment, he dreamed of Xi Zhiyu. He snapped his eyes open, jolting from his dream back to reality.
Just as he pulled out his phone to send a message, he heard a sound outside the window and saw his beloved approaching. He hurriedly stood up to greet him.
Who would have thought he’d lose his footing and fall right onto Xi Zhiyu? An S-grade Alpha acting so clumsily that he needed an Omega brother to prop him up the mere thought of it made him feel unspeakably embarrassed.
His “brother” didn’t seem to have much of a reaction, aside from a slight redness near his ear under the sunlight. Only Xie Yun was flushed red, his heartbeat spiraling out of control.
Afterward.
Xi Zhiyu didn’t go to the entertainment room; he insisted on staying to accompany him while he rested. Xie Yun simply thought his brother was worried he’d be reckless and get hurt again.
The youth, who had been doing interviews just yesterday, inhaled the familiar, steady scent. In the hazy, filtered light, he closed his eyes for a light nap.
Except, in his dreams, he kept encountering the boy beside him.
In this dream, Xie Yun turned his face and met Xi Zhiyu’s sleeping face, whose eyes were also closed. He habitually reached for his wrist but was surprised to find no wristband; however, it didn’t seem to matter.
His mind was muddled. Staring at the small brown mole on Xi Zhiyu’s earlobe, he leaned in proactively and whispered, “Brother.”
“Do you have someone you like?”
Buzz.
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
He opened his eyes. What he saw was still that afternoon sea, facing the cool sea breeze.
In his peripheral vision, the boy beside him sat quietly, even their breathing frequencies matching.
Xie Yun woke up with a start, his body stiffening as he held his breath tightly.
He peeked over and saw Xi Zhiyu propping his chin with one hand, holding his phone in the other, looking down at an introductory video for a scientific R&D project.
As if sensing his gaze, Xi Zhiyu turned his head slightly, his obsidian-like eyes meeting his.
There was no surprise in those eyes; they held an innate gentleness, calmly accepting the fact that he was being watched.
Then, Xi Zhiyu asked warmly, “Are you still very sleepy?”
“I—I’m okay.”
Xie Yun’s face turned bright red, his voice raspy. “I didn’t make any weird noises and wake you, did I?”
Xi Zhiyu shook his head gently: “No.”
Xie Yun: “…”
“That’s good.”
Still feeling a lingering fear, he reached into his trench coat pocket, making a loud rustling sound as he struggled to pull out his phone.
When people are embarrassed, they often pretend to be busy. His fingertips slid aimlessly across the screen, unable to find a suitable app to open, which only magnified his internal chaos.
Fortunately, it seemed his dream-talk hadn’t been heard; otherwise, Xi Zhiyu’s reaction wouldn’t be this calm.
Xie Yun let out a forced sigh of relief.
The message was from Fei Bo’an (Aaron), saying he had just finished a meeting at the agency and expected to arrive on the island in about two hours.
Yun-zai: Got it.
Aaron: Coming to the pier to pick me up?
Yun-zai: I’m so tired.
Aaron: Alright, alright, you guy who values romance over friends.
Xie Yun tucked his phone away and leaned back against the seat with his arms crossed. Drowsiness hit him again, and he fell asleep.
However, he didn’t realize that his body was unconsciously leaning to one side, getting closer to Xi Zhiyu’s shoulder.
Xi Zhiyu remained sitting upright, his thumb gently stroking the edge of his phone. He appeared focused and serious, but he hadn’t absorbed a single word from the screen.
Stray light passed over his thick eyelashes, flickering slightly, attempting to soothe his chaotic and restless heart.
The childhood friend beside him had leaned his head on him more times than he could count.
He looked sideways at the sleeping Xie Yun once more. In his usually calm eyes, a spark of disbelief flickered.
He had heard it.
He heard the words Xie Yun said in his sleep.
A boy who had never had any romantic experience didn’t know how to face the internal turmoil.
But in the end, he gently pressed Xie Yun’s shoulder, letting him lean over securely, willingly bearing that warm weight.
Blue Bay Islet
Before nightfall, the ship docked at the shore, arriving at an oval-shaped small island called Blue Bay Islet.
The hotel butler came to meet them. The sightseeing car drove through avenues lined with flowers, their fragrance filling the air, and arrived before a Baroque-style villa complex in the dark.
The environment was quiet, dotted with starlike lights. There was an open space nearby perfect for a picnic.
Several Alpha lackeys remarked on how grand it was and immediately suggested a party, only to turn around and see Fei Chuqiong’s face looking green, as if she had been poisoned by wild mushrooms.
“I’m just seasick!”
Fei Chuqiong was helpless. She had wanted to talk more with her idol, but now she could only let the butler arrange the rooms. “You noisy guys stay on the second floor. Don’t go wandering upstairs for no reason.”
Xi Zhiyu wasn’t very close to her, but he still greeted her politely: “Are you alright?”
Fei Chuqiong waved her hand: “I’m fine, don’t worry, Senior. I’ll just have to wait until my brother arrives to host you guys properly.”
The butler, responsible for taking care of everyone, handed out room cards. Xi Zhiyu took one and looked at it: “I’m staying on the third floor?”
The butler smiled politely: “Yes, there are currently only two rooms occupied on the third floor. It’s relatively quiet; Master Xi will like it.”
Xi Zhiyu: “Thank you.”
Just then, he heard a commotion nearby. He saw Xie Yun snatch a card from Yuan Zhoulu, who had arrived on the island earlier, and shove another card back.
Then, Xie Yun walked straight over. He avoided eye contact guiltily when their gazes met, then quickened his pace and said, “Brother.”
“What a coincidence, I’m also on the third floor.”
If Xi Zhiyu hadn’t seen that scene, he probably would have replied: What a coincidence.
But he had seen Yuan Zhoulu sticking his tongue out and making wild faces over here to “report” the truth, carrying a hint of helpless laughter.
“What a coincidence,” Xi Zhiyu replied with a smile after all.
Xie Yun gave a muffled grunt and rubbed his high nose bridge with his index finger, looking completely innocent.
That noisy fellow Yuan Zhoulu insisted on grabbing the room card, so naturally, he had to take it back. It’s just that his brother didn’t see clearly and probably thought he was the one insisting on changing rooms.
Xie Yun didn’t like to explain too much. An Alpha and an Omega living on the same floor alone felt inappropriate to him.
But since almost everyone in this group was an Alpha, only he could protect his Omega brother. Being misunderstood for forcing a room change was fine; anyway, he was best at acting pampered and obedient toward Xi Zhiyu.
His phone popped up another message it was Aaron asking if Yuan Zhoulu was staying on the second floor.
He didn’t understand when those two had started interacting.
After replying to the message, Xie Yun mentioned to Xi Zhiyu: “Brother, a friend I met while filming will be arriving a bit later. It’s that Aaron I told you about.”
Xi Zhiyu mistakenly thought Xie Yun was going to pick him up. Placing his hand on his suitcase handle, he proactively said, “Are you going to the pier to meet him? I’ll help take your suitcase up, Yun-zai.”
Xie Yun shook his head: “He won’t be here that soon, and there’s a private car to pick him up!”
The youth, bursting with endless energy, took his brother’s suitcase and strode toward the elevator: “Brother is an Omega, just leave it to me.”
Xi Zhiyu: “…”
He might not be an Omega. The probability of him differentiating into an Alpha was too high; it was almost an unchangeable fact.
As Xi Zhiyu followed quickly, he stared at the back of Xie Yun’s head and thought inexplicably: Even if Yun-zai likes me, perhaps it’s the Omega version of me.
The elevator went straight to the third floor.
The luxury island hotel layout was spacious, preserving natural scenery. The only two open bedrooms were several meters apart, each enjoying a large private area.
After pushing their respective suitcases and saying goodbye as they entered their rooms, all sounds were cut off, ensuring they wouldn’t disturb each other.
Xi Zhiyu was usually the type to unpack and organize as soon as he arrived.
But at this moment, for once, he didn’t want to move. He sat blankly on the sofa and messaged his doctor.
Lately, he had to communicate his pheromone levels to the doctor every day.
Qiao Sen: Everything looks okay, except for a fluctuation around 4:00 PM. You should have been on the ship then.
Qiao Sen: What were you doing at the time? Any discomfort in the gland?
It must have been when he heard Xie Yun calling him in his sleep.
Xi Zhiyu didn’t want to answer, only saying there was no discomfort, letting the topic end there.
He walked to the balcony to admire the sunset scenery of the island. The whole world was painted in brilliant orange tones.
Hotel staff were pruning the gardens and moving plants, chatting leisurely about the staff dinner.
Xi Zhiyu leaned against the window railing, his fingers brushing against his wristband. He thought it would distract him, but suddenly, he received a screenshot of a Weibo post forwarded by Yuan Zhoulu.
Family! The case is solved! Our boy is definitely a ‘love brain’!
Did Yun-zai really transfer schools for the Omega he likes? Who is it??
Just searched it, Nanyi Middle School is a national key experimental high school. There’s no shortage of excellent kids there. Our Yun-zai has good taste!
Urgent! Are there any sisters from Nanyi Middle School in the group?!
School life is private, let’s not do that. Though I’m also curious who the only pinned account on Yun-zai’s profile belongs to (whispers)
On the screen was overwhelming curiosity.
Xi Zhiyu took a deep breath and exited the interface. For some reason, he turned around, walked out the door, and headed toward the other end of the hallway.
Behind a single door:
Xie Yun was squatting on the floor, organizing his open suitcase. It was filled with carefully selected clothes, pants, expensive sneakers, and the various bottles and jars typical of a teenage star.
He had also sent some clothes ahead of time, kept by the hotel staff. To show his best side to his childhood friend, the amount of clothing he brought was even more exaggerated than when he usually attended Fashion Week.
His phone was placed on the table, the screen lit up, staying on the interface where he was communicating with the butler about luggage delivery.
Ding-dong.
Xie Yun tilted his head and looked up at the door where the bell had rung.
Aaron wouldn’t lie about arriving early just to prank him. Aside from his brother and Yuan Zhoulu, he wasn’t close to anyone else on the island. He assumed it was the luggage being delivered.
The youth got up to open the door. As soon as it opened and he saw who it was, his grip on the doorknob tightened instantly.
His cold, handsome face softened into a spring-like warmth.
“Brother?”
Xie Yun’s eyes brightened. He hadn’t expected Xi Zhiyu to be standing outside. He put on an obedient look. “Did you need something?”
Xi Zhiyu said nothing.
Xie Yun glanced instinctively behind him. He wasn’t particularly obsessed with cleanliness and didn’t usually feel the need to pack neatly, but his movements were usually efficient.
It was just that he had too many things, making the whole room look messy. He thought the clutter had startled his habitually tidy brother.
“I haven’t had time to clean up yet…”
But in the next second.
Xi Zhiyu asked softly: “Can I come in and sit for a while?”