2.5 – the only water

Splash. He tapped the surface of the water with his finger, making a sound.

The sound of water, the sensation of water against his fingertips, the temperature of the water that felt cool yet soon became familiar—everything was familiar, and his mind settled. As he always did, Yuri stroked the water, letting his complex and heavy thoughts flow away into the depths.

No one was in the pool. It wasn’t strange. During the time Yuri stayed at the ringa main house, he had swum here dozens of times every morning and evening, yet he had shared the pool with someone else only once or twice. He could count on one hand the number of times he had seen anyone else using it, even just passing by.

Yuri thought that the people of the ringa family probably didn’t like swimming very much. Indeed, recalling a memory from long ago, when he had gone to the sea with Ling Tangyun—and his family—he seemed to have mentioned that he didn’t know how long it had been since he last swam.

He couldn’t understand why someone with a private pool at home would say it had been a long time since they swam, but after entering this house, he saw that there were indeed almost no people who swam in the pool.

……He truly couldn’t understand it.

This semi-outdoor pool was kept at a temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius so that it could be used even in a cold season like this. A long awning hung over it like a roof, and a shower area was attached right next to it, meaning that even in winter, one could enjoy swimming as much as they liked, provided they endured the cold for a brief moment when entering and leaving the pool.

And yet, there were so few people.

If no one was going to use it, why was there a need for a pool equipped with such wonderful facilities?

Yuri sighed, feeling a deep sense of regret that such a magnificent pool was being wasted.

The sky had already turned pitch black. It was slightly past eight in the evening.

Fei, who had suddenly asked to be taught the breaststroke and said he would meet him at the pool after a quick dinner, should have arrived by now, but there was still no sign of anyone approaching.

“…….”

It would be another two hours or so before Ling Xinlu returned. That would be enough time to teach Fei the basic posture of the breaststroke, if not the full technique.

He had arrived at the main estate shortly before dinner time.

Even though he had parked the car and closed his eyes for a bit, it was only for a few dozen minutes; he had arrived at the estate without being late.

‘Ah, I feel refreshed. I really slept soundly.’

Upon arriving at the estate and stepping out of the car, Ling Xinlu smiled with a look of genuine satisfaction. Seeing him stretch and let out a pleased breath, it seemed he had truly had a sweet sleep, even if it was only for twenty minutes.

Seeing that, Yuri’s eyes curved into a smile, feeling as though the heavy mood that had accumulated throughout the day had finally lifted. I’m glad, he thought.

Ling Xinlu looked back at Yuri and, with a face full of smiles, tilted his head apologetically. ‘Yes, thanks to you. Isn’t your shoulder numb because of me?’ While his shoulder was indeed still a bit numb, Yuri shook his head. He liked seeing Ling Xinlu with such a light expression.

Ling Xinlu gazed blankly at Yuri, who was merely smiling calmly. As Yuri’s smile began to fade awkwardly under the intense stare, Ling Xinlu let out a small chuckle.

‘It just occurred to me, Mr. Gable, could you perhaps have been something like the Dragon King’s twelfth son in your past life?’

‘Pardon? The Dragon King?’

‘The smell of water, —…’

Ling Xinlu opened his mouth, but as if he couldn’t find the right words, he pressed a hand to his forehead and fell into thought for a moment. However, as if nothing he thought of felt quite right, he eventually fell silent.

Before he could come up with the appropriate words, someone emerged from the main house and greeted them, saying, “Has the youngest young master arrived?” Ling Xinlu, as if his mood had suddenly been broken, retracted the smile from his face slightly and looked back at them.

At the man’s words that his father—Ling Huolong—had been waiting for him, Ling Xinlu waved to Yuri, saying, ‘See you later,’ and followed him. Yuri watched his retreating figure and only turned away once he had completely disappeared from sight.

Whenever he visited the main estate, he spent his time in a similar fashion. Until Ling Xinlu finished his meal, spoke with his family, and returned, Yuri enjoyed a solitary, quiet time in the annex. Sometimes that time stretched long, nearly until midnight; other times, Ling Xinlu would poke his head through the door before the sky had even turned black, saying, ‘Let’s go back now,’ as if he had only had a meal and tea. Generally, however, he returned between nine and ten.

Today, as usual, Yuri turned to head toward the annex, but his path was blocked.

Perhaps news of their arrival had spread, for his phone suddenly rang. The caller was Fei.

『Uncle Yuri, I heard you’re there!』

Normally, if he had plenty of time, Fei would visit the annex in person to chatter away rather than calling, but the reason he had sought Yuri out via phone was simple. He wanted to be taught the breaststroke.

Fei had joined the company’s swimming club after starting work, and he confessed his innocent ulterior motive: there was a swimming competition next month, and he had been drawn to compete in the breaststroke, and he wanted to look good in front of a lady he liked in the club.

『I’m on my way home now. I’m almost there. I’ll eat quickly and come over, so let’s meet at the pool next to the Peony Garden.』

Leaving him with the words “I’ll be there within 30 minutes,” Fei hung up quickly, seemingly in a rush. Yuri, unable to tell him, ‘But why the breaststroke of all things? It’s a posture that’s hard to make look cool no matter how well you do it,’ hung up while thinking that this fellow probably didn’t know what the breaststroke was actually like and would likely end up crestfallen later.

Regardless, Yuri found swimming in the pool far more enjoyable than waiting for Ling Xinlu while reading a book in the annex. After a light meal, he had come straight to the pool and sat down.

Sitting on a bench pulled close to the pool, Yuri lightly kicked the surface of the water with his feet and turned his gaze toward the Peony Garden right beside the pool.

In early summer, the peonies would bloom in profusion, making it incredibly lavish and beautiful, but now, in place of the peonies, the camellias blooming modestly on the camellia trees planted like a wall between the flowerbeds and the paths provided the atmosphere.

Swimming while crossing between warm water and cold air in a place where winter flowers were visible—it was truly a wonderful luxury.

With his feet fully submerged in the pool, Yuri gazed at the camellias with pleasantly narrowed eyes. Then, he suddenly felt the presence of someone passing beyond the camellia hedge and looked up.

Ling Tangyun, who seemed to have returned home late today, came into view as he walked toward the main house surrounded by two or three attendants. Feeling the gaze, Ling Tangyun also looked up and discovered Yuri. A flicker of a welcoming smile appeared on Ling Tangyun’s usually stiff and overbearing face.

“You’re already here. Ah, well, I was late today. Planning to swim?”

“Fei asked me to teach him the breaststroke. He should be here soon.”

“Breaststroke?”

Ling Tangyun chuckled, saying, “I suppose that brat has become idle now that he’s getting the hang of his work. I’ll have to teach him more rigorously starting next week,” and after sending the attendants ahead, he pushed through the camellias and approached Yuri.

As if intending to take a break and have a cigarette before going inside, he took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. That sight looked like a father in any ordinary household, and Yuri couldn’t help but smile.

“So, how is Xinlu these days? He’s doing well, right?”

“Yes. ……He mentioned he would start learning the business from the week after next. Has the decision been finalized?”

“Yeah, it’ll probably be that way. It won’t be delayed any further.”

Ling Tangyun inhaled the cigarette smoke, a frown wrinkling the corners of his eyes.

Regardless of the many people who were reluctant to let Ling Xinlu touch the business, once a decision was made, it had to proceed as planned. Only then could other matters move forward smoothly without disruption. In Xinlu’s case, it had been postponed several times because his mother had opposed and blocked it.

But Ling Tangyun said, as he exhaled the smoke, that it couldn’t be delayed any longer. It seemed the matter had been settled among the relatives.

I see, Yuri thought, nodding and remaining silent for a moment before looking up. “Then,”

“Will Mr. Ling Xinlu be learning the business from his youngest uncle as planned?”

Ling Xinlu had mentioned before that among those who handled the liquor business, that man was the only one with the leeway to look after him.

Yuri had seen that youngest uncle a few times. He had never spoken with him closely or met him one-on-one, but he had seen him chime in with a few words in gatherings with several people. He was an easygoing man, almost unbelievable as Ling Huolong’s biological younger brother.

Yuri felt that if it were such a person, he could put his mind at ease, and he had felt relieved internally when Ling Xinlu said he would likely learn under him.

However, at Yuri’s question, Ling Tangyun raised an eyebrow and soon shook his head. “Ah, no.” Yuri tilted his head, looking surprised.

Tapping the nearly burnt-out cigarette into a small empty plate on the side table, Ling Tangyun remained silent for a while. Yuri looked at him curiously as he maintained an unsatisfied silence, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth.

A bad feeling washed over him. It was when Ling Tangyun had something bothering him that he became silent in this manner.

“Did something happen?”

When Yuri asked with a serious expression, Ling Tangyun waved his hand, saying, “No, it’s not that.”

“The youngest uncle collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage last weekend. Fortunately, it’s not that serious, but he’ll likely need to rest for a while. I visited him the day before yesterday, and he said he’s considering retiring from work altogether.”

“Well, given his age, it’s only natural he’d want to rest,” Ling Tangyun said, fiddling with the cigarette pack. He seemed to be debating whether to have another one.

“In that case, Mr. Ling Xinlu is…….”

“Yeah, so the order of learning the business will change a bit. There’s no one else with the leeway in the liquor sector. So he’ll probably start with something else first. The order has changed, but he was going to learn it all anyway, so…… it should be fine.”

Ling Tangyun stopped there. The way he shifted the conversation back to Yuri, saying, “Once that fellow gets busy, you’ll get busy too,” suggested that he didn’t want to discuss the topic in great depth.

Yuri fell silent.

He soon realized what Ling Tangyun’s words meant—and the reason why he was reluctant to say it.

—The things that would flow along with the alcohol.

Although many people knew it tacitly, it was a part that could not be spoken of openly to those who were not relatives. He was saying that Ling Xinlu would be learning that part first.

Ling Tangyun likely knew that Yuri would guess the content from his brief words and attitude. He knew Yuri that well, and he trusted Yuri enough to think it was okay for him to know.

Yuri fell into thought silently for a moment. Then, he murmured softly.

“It will be hard for Mr. Ling Xinlu.”

“Ah, right. There’s a lot to learn, so it’ll be tough. But since that fellow is quick to pick up anything, he won’t find it too difficult. He can just think of it as working for a company with a heavy workload.”

“…….”

That wasn’t what would make it hard. He didn’t think he would struggle simply because the volume of work was high.

No, perhaps in a sense, Ling Xinlu wouldn’t find it hard at all. In fact, he wouldn’t. He might have said it was ‘bothersome,’ but he had never said he ‘didn’t want to do it.’

If that were the case, it wasn’t Yuri’s place to speak. He knew that.

And the usual Yuri would never have spoken up in such a situation. No, if it were already decided, he would have simply noted it and moved on.

And yet, Yuri had spoken. He had interfered in another’s affairs, something he shouldn’t have done.

“If he learned the liquor-related—legal—parts first, he would have time to get accustomed to things, but to start with the parts that aren’t—the illegal parts—is like being thrown suddenly into boiling water. I don’t think that’s very good. Neither for Mr. Ling Xinlu, nor from a business perspective.”

The moment Yuri finished speaking, Ling Tangyun’s face stiffened slightly. For a second, he looked at Yuri as if he didn’t know what he had just heard. His face was one of someone who hadn’t even imagined Yuri would say such a thing.

Their relationship had always been one of maintaining boundaries. Although they were close enough to be friendly along with the family, they both knew exactly where the line was that should not be crossed and tacitly observed it.

This was one of those lines. The business the Ling family handled, which was not revealed to others—and which they did not wish to hear about from others.

No matter how close they were, Yuri was still an outsider to them.

“……, I didn’t expect to hear such words from you.”

Ling Tangyun spoke quietly, without showing much displeasure. However, feeling a clear wall within that quiet voice, Yuri remained silent.

He wouldn’t have said it if it weren’t for Ling Xinlu. If he hadn’t been worried about the boiling water into which he would be plunged headfirst without any preparatory stages.

“I just thought it would be better to learn other things first, if possible.”

“One could see it that way. It’s like throwing a child who hasn’t learned anything related into the harshest place suddenly. But you know, Yuri. Do you think Xinlu is that easy? After having watched that child by your side all this time?”

Ling Tangyun even had a smile in his eyes. Proceeding with the conversation surprisingly readily, he took out and lit a second cigarette.

“As you’ve probably noticed, I don’t like Xinlu that much. He lacks the freshness of children his age. He still has a lot of youthful impulsiveness and seems to run wild recklessly, but in a little while, he’ll become truly difficult to deal with. That’s why I don’t like him. He’s beyond my strength. Do you understand what I mean?”

Ling Tangyun, who was already over fifty, frowned as he usually did when talking about his youngest brother, who was barely half his age. It seemed to be a habit.

After remaining silent for a moment and tapping off the ash, he continued casually.

“No matter what bottom he’s thrown into, he’ll crawl back up before long. Moreover, the place he’s entering isn’t even the bottom. It’s just that the goods he’ll handle have a troublesome distribution process and carry risks; what that child will learn is strictly the role of the ‘head.’ ……In other words, he’ll see more dirty and sordid things than in other areas, but sooner or later, that’s one of the things he was destined to learn anyway.”

Having said that, Ling Tangyun took one more drag of his cigarette. The conversation paused. He blew out the smoke and then crushed the remaining long cigarette. He was indirectly signaling that he had no intention of discussing this further.

Ling Tangyun turned his head slightly to look at Yuri. His narrow eyes, scanning Yuri, were smiling calmly.

“You seem very worried about Xinlu. As an older brother, that’s quite reassuring. Thank you for taking such care of our youngest.”

“……, No. It’s only right that I do.”

Yuri shook his head. But Ling Tangyun let out a low laugh and waved his hand.

“No, if you went as far as to tell me that, you must be truly worried about Xinlu. You, who know better than anyone what words can be spoken and what cannot, and who is the right person to speak to and who is not, went so far as to say that to me.”

Ling Tangyun’s voice was the same as always. A flexible, smooth voice like a generous middle-aged man.

But right now, he was clearly telling Yuri.

That what Yuri had just said had touched a line he should not have crossed.

He wouldn’t take any immediate action against Yuri for it. The words would be buried as if nothing had happened.

But Yuri had crossed the line, and Ling Tangyun had given him a warning. Not to step any further.

“Well…… anyway, I’m sincere in thanking you for taking good care of Xinlu. Besides, I never imagined you had the personality to step forward like this, so seeing an unexpected side of you was quite interesting.”

Ling Tangyun spoke with a broad smile on his face. He ended the warning there and returned to the face of a close friend.

If so, Yuri also had to return to the face of a friend, as usual, at this point.

“I didn’t know I would say such things myself. ……I just want Mr. Ling Xinlu to live a satisfying life.”

“My goodness. Even I, despite how I look, am living a satisfying life.”

Ling Tangyun smiled bitterly and patted his stomach. His belly, fleshy like an ordinary man of his age, made a thumping sound.

Yes, a life like this would be good too.

Yuri thought as he looked at Ling Tangyun.

Ling Tangyun, although he was a cold, selfish, and wicked person to outsiders who were not close to him, lived his own life without looking back and without his heart being wounded. He thought that such a thing wasn’t bad either.

Beside him, Ling Tangyun, saying, “Oh, I’ve stayed too long. I should be going,” turned to leave, but stopped just as he was turning. He then stared blankly over Yuri’s shoulder.

“Why are you standing there like a totem pole? If you’ve arrived, say you’ve arrived. And what on earth are you wearing?!”

Yuri turned his head toward where Ling Tangyun was staring with wide eyes. Standing there, shivering from the cold, was Fei, dressed in a bizarre outfit—a thick padded jacket worn over a swimsuit. He had been there for who knows how long.

With a look of innocent concern on a face that usually wore a playful, cheerful smile, he blinked.

“No, it just sounded like you were having a serious conversation. I didn’t want to step in and end up getting caught in the crossfire. Are you all finished talking now?”

“My father is surprisingly petty, isn’t he?”

Fei murmured this with a subtle smile in his eyes around the time he had paddled across the pool about three times, splashing his arms and legs like a frog with only his head above water.

Fei had been devastated upon realizing that the breaststroke was a swimming style that could rarely look cool. However, even if it was difficult to look impressive to the lady he had his eye on, he figured he had to learn since he was entering a competition regardless. Thus, he gloomily lent his eyes and ears to Yuri’s instruction.

Since Fei had always possessed good basic athletic nerves, it didn’t take long for him to be able to traverse the pool in something resembling a breaststroke. Having quickly grasped the knack of it, Fei soon began splashing happily across the pool in that comical posture, as if he had forgotten the time he spent despairing over how he could possibly capture a lady’s heart with such a humorous form.

And so, after crossing the pool about three times and becoming familiar enough with the breaststroke that he no longer needed Yuri’s advice, Fei—who had been wobbling in the pool lost in thought—suddenly spoke up. He said that his father was surprisingly petty.

Yuri, who had just finished a lap and emerged from the water, looked at Fei. Fei gave a bitter, troubled smile.

“Even if he says it with a smile, he’s the kind of person who remembers words once they enter his ears for a very long time. Moreover, he believes that while he can badmouth himself, others shouldn’t. He often grumbles about family matters among relatives, but he gets extremely displeased if those words come from an outsider. Uncle Yuri, you know that, so why did you do it?”

Speaking with a tone of pity rather than blame, Fei had apparently overheard a fair amount of the conversation between Yuri and Ling Tangyun.

It couldn’t exactly be called eavesdropping. They weren’t discussing secrets, and besides, Fei was originally supposed to be there.

Having stood in the shade, unable to find the right timing to step in while listening to their conversation, Fei sighed and stood up in the water. Then, he leaped up and sat on the ladder of the pool wall.

“The youngest uncle will be fine. I don’t have to worry about the work being hard; he’s the type of person who will learn and master it on his own… and while I’ve heard rumors that he sees a lot of dirty things over there, I’ve grown up seeing plenty of dirty things myself.”

Fei laughed, implying that growing up as a young master in a family with so many tangled webs, how could he have possibly avoided seeing the dirty side of things? Yuri looked at him silently and nodded.

“Right. I spoke out of turn.”

“Oh, come on… It would have been better for everyone if you hadn’t. People generally don’t want to hear about the parts they consider their shortcomings from someone else’s mouth. Still, it wasn’t to the point of being ‘out of turn.’”

“I mean, everyone’s just pretending not to see it anyway,” Fei said playfully with a laugh.

Looking at this kind nephew who was trying to comfort him in his own way, Yuri shook his head.

“No, I really was out of turn. In truth, it wasn’t for me to bring up. It wasn’t something I should have said to your father, nor was there any reason for me to speak about Mr. Ling Xinlu when he wasn’t present. I was wrong.”

He murmured that it was only natural for Mr. Ling Tangyun to be displeased and let out a quiet sigh. At that, Fei pretended to frown and said, “Hey, why are you being like this?”

Descending from the ladder, he swam toward Yuri and lightly patted his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

“You said it because you were worried about the youngest uncle. Even I could tell; do you think Father wouldn’t?”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean that it was a matter for Mr. Ling Xinlu to decide by his own will, yet I rashly intervened. Rather than hating the work, he likely hates the fact that he has no choice in the matter even more.”

Yuri clicked his tongue bitterly.

Although Ling Xinlu didn’t make a show of it, he disliked it when his mother interfered—whether by opposing the work prepared for him or by making requests. He never welcomed others—even his own mother—trying to manipulate his life.

And yet, here Yuri was, pretending to care for him with clumsy concern, even going as far as to meddle in family affairs he had no business in.

For the first time in a long while, he felt like he had ‘failed.’

“Well… there’s nothing to be done about what’s already happened. It would be better to formally apologize to your father later. —Thank you for comforting me, Fei.”

In any case, the conversation ended there.

Things would proceed as decided, and Yuri would simply strive to bring out the best results under that decision.

With a light sigh and a shake of his head, Yuri said goodbye to Fei. Then, he suddenly locked eyes with the youth, who had been watching him silently for a while.

“Don’t mention it. Why thank me? Between us, really,” Fei said, bowing exaggeratedly before breaking into a light laugh.

“But seriously, Uncle Yuri, you really are the ideal employee.”

“What?”

Yuri blinked and tilted his head at Fei’s abrupt comment.

Fei leaned back and lay on the surface of the water. Floating there, he looked up at the moon and murmured with a smile.

“One of the things my father often told me since I was young was that it would be great to have someone like Yuri under him. Father has coveted Uncle for a long time. He said people you can trust enough to assign a task to and then completely forget about are rare. But he lamented that there weren’t many tasks in our family business where Uncle Yuri’s abilities could be effectively utilized.”

Yuri looked at Fei in silence.

He knew that Ling Tangyun’s occasional, passing suggestions—like, ‘If things go south, come work under me’—weren’t entirely empty words. If Ling Tangyun had truly and seriously probed for a contract, Yuri might have considered it.

However, as Fei said, Yuri’s greatest strength lay in gathering small and large clues to derive an effective conclusion, and there wasn’t much room for that to be effectively used in Tangyun’s line of work. That was why they had remained merely well-acquainted.

“But growing up hearing those things from my father, I unconsciously started thinking the same thing. That it’s a good thing to have someone like Uncle Yuri close by. …Saying it like this makes me sound very calculating, but it’s not exactly like that.”

“You know I like you, right?” Fei asked with a bright smile, and Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Now that I’ve grown up and learned a few things, I can see it. Whether a person can be placed under me to utilize their abilities most effectively or not. That’s a very important issue for a superior. …So, I’m a bit ambiguous about it too… but I still think so. That it would be great to work with Uncle Yuri.”

“I appreciate it. But there are plenty of people who work better than I do. Even among your father’s subordinates, there are likely countless people with abilities on par with mine.”

“That’s true. It’s not like Uncle Yuri is some omnipotent powerhouse.”

Fei laughed mischievously and, while floating, playfully nudged Yuri’s waist with his head. “You build me up just to knock me down immediately?” Yuri replied, splashing water on Fei’s face with his fingers.

“It’s not like that,” Fei grumbled, continuing to nudge Yuri’s waist with his head as he swayed with the ripples. Watching him, Yuri smiled, remembering how Fei had been a mischievous brat with a hidden streak of aegyo even as a child.

“Not just in terms of work, but I feel like you’d be a great mental support. Like, even if I make a mistake, it’s okay because this person is here. Hmm… if I had to put it into words, like a professional spouse?”

‘Right, my work isn’t exactly the kind of activity that stands out publicly,’ Yuri murmured. Just as he was splashing water, Fei gripped his fingers tightly.

“It hurts when water gets in my eyes,” Fei complained.

“Anyway… I was just thinking that, and then suddenly you show up, saying you’ve been hired by the youngest uncle. If I had known you’d agree to stay in China, I would have proposed a contract first. Tsk.”

Fei, who had been complaining in a joking tone, fell silent and leaned his head back further. Yuri looked down calmly at him as Fei gazed up at him upside down. Suddenly, Fei’s grip on Yuri’s fingers tightened.

“When does your contract with the youngest uncle end? When it’s over, do you want to come work under me?”

He spoke as if it were a joke, but it wasn’t. Yuri realized it instantly.

Come to think of it, Fei was no longer the mischievous child who remained in Yuri’s subconscious. He had reached the age where he should have a business of his own within the family, and the age where human greed begins to stir.

But still, he is young. To be so transparent. He was a few years older than Ling Xinlu, yet he seemed more like a child, making Yuri let out a short laugh. And just as Yuri opened his mouth to answer the waiting youth—

“It doesn’t end.”

A short, cold voice flew in from behind.

The sound of footsteps pushing through camellia trees echoed.

Yuri turned his head. Fei, who had been floating peacefully on the water, also sat up.

Ling Xinlu, wearing loose shorts with his hands shoved carelessly in his pockets, approached with slow steps and stood before the pool. His gaze as he looked down at the two people in the water was somehow cold.

“Are you finished talking already? Are we going back now?”

Yuri had thought he would be later since he seemed to be discussing work with the elders, but he had returned sooner than expected.

Yuri checked the watch he had left by the pool and stepped out. He stepped aside to ensure the splashing water didn’t hit Ling Xinlu and wrapped a towel around himself.

“Are you leaving already?” Fei asked, looking at Yuri regretfully. Yuri tossed him a towel as well. Fei dried his hair but didn’t leave the pool, instead spinning around playfully and speaking to Ling Xinlu.

“Aw, Uncle Yuri and I were having such a great time together. Why are you back so soon, youngest uncle? Judging by the atmosphere of Father and the uncles, I thought they’d hold onto you for a while.”

However, no answer came to that question asked with a friendly smile. Instead, only a cold, expressionless glance was cast back.

The smile vanished from Fei’s face for a moment. Only then did Yuri realize that Ling Xinlu was in a bad mood, and he paused his hand as he was rubbing his body with the towel.

Had something happened? While talking, surrounded by his father and older brothers. He was quiet, but he seemed significantly upset. Rarely, he looked almost frighteningly so.

“Ling…”

But before Yuri could call his name, Ling Xinlu, who had been looking down at Fei in silence, spoke first.

“It’s a good thing to have an eye for people, but go look elsewhere. Objects can be given away and replaced as much as one likes, but talent cannot be replaced. And in case you didn’t know, I am someone who absolutely loathes appearing late and stealing someone who is already by another’s side.”

As Ling Xinlu added those final words, a faint sound of teeth grinding mixed in. Simultaneously, Yuri recalled a memory from his words.

Appearing late and stealing someone who is already by another’s side.

—Jung Tae-ui, who had been snatched away by Riegrow, and who should have originally been Ling Xinlu’s share.

That, too, was a memory embedded like a small thorn in his heart that would not come out. Even if time passed and a callus formed over it so it no longer hurt, it was a small thorn that remained inside.

Memories engraved at the bottom of the heart, never disappearing, revive whenever there is the slightest trigger.

Even if he thought he had become peaceful, even if he could now look at him with a settled heart.

Yuri fell silent. Ah, I see. Is that why that deep blue anger, frozen cold like ice without a trace of a smile, is there?

His heart ached slightly. The weight he had just washed away in the water settled heavily upon his chest once more.

When Yuri put down the towel and opened his mouth to say something, Fei—who had been facing Ling Xinlu directly in the water with his smile gone—made a strange face for a moment and spoke.

“If you put it that way, youngest uncle, I met Yuri first. By your own logic, you’re the one who did wrong, so isn’t it naturally my turn now?”

Speaking as if it were absurd, Fei glanced toward Yuri.

“By the way, did you sign a lifelong contract? Why doesn’t the contract end?”

“…”

Yuri blinked in confusion and looked at Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu, who had been staring coldly at Fei as if speechless, noticed the gaze and flicked his eyes toward Yuri. Yuri flinched inwardly, feeling as if that razor-sharp anger was turning toward him, but Ling Xinlu hesitated for a moment without showing any outward sign and spoke with a troubled expression.

“I recall it not being the case… it should have been a yearly contract. I don’t do lifelong contracts.”

As Yuri murmured that it should have been a three-year contract at most, no answer came for a while. Ling Xinlu, who stared at Yuri silently for a long time with blade-like eyes, merely threw out a short sentence in a voice as cold as his gaze.

“Put your clothes on first.”

“Pardon?”

“Your clothes. Don’t just stay there naked.”

Yuri stared blankly for a moment at Ling Xinlu, who spoke brusquely as if questioning why he was staying like that, and then nodded. Indeed, if Ling Xinlu’s business was finished, they had to go home.

“I mean, if I’m not naked in a swimming pool, am I supposed to swim in a suit?!” Fei grumbled, acting like he was dealing with someone picking a fight over something nonsensical, but Yuri wrapped himself in a towel to protect his body from the cooling air and headed to the showers.

Yuri glanced at Ling Xinlu through the rearview mirror. Looking out the dark window, he seemed to be in a bad mood. He had been like that for a while.

Ling Xinlu had been wearing a pleasant expression until they arrived at the ringa. However, from the moment they met again until now, he had been expressionless. He seemed to have been offended by something.

Even after Yuri finished his quick shower and came out, Fei—who remained in the pool with Ling Xinlu, just as they had been before Yuri entered the shower—had made a face and complained half-jokingly.

He had grumbled like he was tattle-telling, saying that the youngest uncle told him not to go to the showers, and that if he wanted to swim in the middle of the night, he should just stay in the pool and drown. But even when being tattled on right in front of him, Ling Xinlu didn’t bat an eye and simply told Yuri, who had emerged from the shower, coldly, ‘Then let’s go.’

And since then, he had remained silent, barely uttering a word or two.

Yuri glanced at the rearview mirror again. He saw the cold cheek turned toward the window.

Perhaps the conversation with the family elders had ended in an unfavorable conclusion.

“Did the talk go well? It ended sooner than I expected.”

Eventually, Yuri broke the silence. Having asked a question that could be brushed off if the other didn’t want to answer, Yuri continued driving, looking straight ahead. He felt a gaze touching his profile.

“The eldest brother didn’t seem to want to talk for long today; he said we should talk again later next week, depending on how the younger uncle’s health improves. Thanks to that, there wasn’t much to discuss.”

‘I see,’ Yuri thought and fell silent.

He recalled the image of Ling Tangyun turning away after finishing the conversation with Yuri with a smiling face that acted as a wall.

Even while smiling, he had clearly drawn a line saying ‘that’s enough,’ but it seemed he hadn’t completely ignored Yuri’s request, even if only indirectly. Even if it was only for a brief moment.

“I heard you said something unnecessary to the eldest brother.”

Then, Ling Xinlu, who had been silent, spoke up abruptly. Only then did Yuri turn his head slightly to look at him.

“I’m sorry. ……Was he very displeased?”

Yuri lowered his head obediently. Ling Xinlu glanced at Yuri as he apologized, remained silent for a moment, and then looked away again.

“Rather than that, he seemed to be feeling a sense of regret.”

Yuri looked puzzled, but Ling Xinlu didn’t answer for a while. Then, as if a sudden surge of emotion hit him, he clicked his tongue softly and continued.

“He told me that it’s not easy to meet someone who takes care of you like that when they aren’t family, so I should treat you well. ……My elder brother is a greedy man, after all.”

Just look at him, leaving his own son behind, he muttered to himself, but the voice was so small it was barely audible. Yuri silently looked straight ahead.

Ling Xinlu’s comment about regret and Yuri’s own thought that he would be displeased were likely both correct. He was not a man who tolerated outsiders interfering in family matters, no matter how close they were. So, if the same thing happened again, he would likely show his displeasure more clearly, without any lingering regret. He wasn’t the type to give a warning two or three times.

“Don’t bring up family matters. No matter how well you treat the eldest brother, once you’re in his bad books, things get complicated.”

Perhaps thinking along the same lines, Ling Xinlu spoke with a faint warning. Yuri quickly replied, “I’m sorry.”

“And I thought you’d already know, but regardless of family matters, it’s the same for me personally. I hate it when people who have nothing to do with me meddle in my business.”

Yuri fell silent. After a short while, he said “I’m sorry” once more.

He had known it would be like this. He wasn’t unaware of Ling Xinlu’s personality. He had known since they first met that Ling Xinlu hated others commenting on his affairs.

Still, hearing him bluntly call him a ‘person who has nothing to do with me’ made Yuri’s heart ache slightly, and he let out a bitter smile. Even that smile hesitated at the corners of his lips for a moment before vanishing.

For a while, no words were exchanged. Only the low hum of the car’s engine running down the dark road and the sound of air flowing from the heater filled the space.

Then, suddenly.

“But thank you for worrying about me.”

Yuri turned his head at the words tossed out casually, as if half-heartedly. He saw Ling Xinlu looking out the car window. Their eyes met in the reflection of the glass.

Yuri couldn’t help but smile. Only the corners of his eyes curved slightly on his otherwise expressionless face, but Ling Xinlu likely knew, even through the foggy window. He, too, let the corners of his mouth lift slightly after a moment.

Yuri replied with a small nod.

This was it.

This was enough.

As long as Ling Xinlu had accepted it, there was no longer any room for Yuri to say anything.

If so, all that remained was…

“…―.”

Once things truly started to get busy in earnest, Yuri might be able to handle it for a while, but in the long run, it wasn’t something he could manage. He needed to find someone more professional than himself, someone more accustomed to helping lead a business.

It was a great shame about James, but bringing him in would likely be impossible, so perhaps he should ask James to look for someone. If he said, ‘Someone like you would be ideal,’ James would undoubtedly mutter discontentedly, ‘For some reason, that doesn’t sound like a compliment.’

While thinking this, Yuri shook his head.

Again. This wasn’t something for him to think about.

Unless Ling Xinlu asked him directly, choosing the personnel was Ling Xinlu’s responsibility. Moreover, even if Yuri didn’t ask anyone, the ringa would be able to find plenty of capable people. There was nothing for Yuri to worry about.

Rather, Yuri had to worry about his own work—though there was no real need to worry. Once he finished the contract and returned in a short while, what should he do then?

Probably, letters were piling up one by one in the mailbox of his house in Berlin even now. Hanna—who occasionally visited and looked after his house while Yuri was away—would have gathered them and placed them on the table.

Yuri let out a silent sigh. Looking back, time had flown by like this.

The time spent with Ling Xinlu had been wonderful. Though there were moments of bewilderment when unexpected things happened, it was enough just to look at him. Thus, those times couldn’t help but be precious.

He hoped they could keep in touch occasionally after he returned.

Since human relationships cannot be sustained by one-sided effort alone, he didn’t know if he could stay in contact and maintain a friendship with this person for a long time. It wasn’t a matter that depended on a single person’s hand.

With this man, he felt that even if they didn’t speak for ten or twenty years, if he suddenly called, the man would smile naturally and greet him calmly, saying, ‘Have you been well? I missed you.’ Still, for some reason, he didn’t think they would be the type to exchange news intimately on a regular basis. Even if he always smiled kindly, he was a person who could be coldly decisive in certain aspects.

“…….”

Then I’ll just contact him occasionally. On Lunar New Year, on his birthday, on Christmas. Whenever there’s an excuse.

Thinking that made his heart feel a bit lighter, and Yuri let out a quiet sigh. It was then.

“By the way.”

Just as he reached out to turn on the radio, Ling Xinlu spoke. Yuri stopped his hand, which was about to press the button, withdrew it, and waited silently for Ling Xinlu to continue.

After speaking, Ling Xinlu didn’t follow up for a while. He remained silent, appearing somewhat hesitant, and just as Yuri guessed he might not say anything at all, he finally opened his mouth. Slowly, as if he were somewhat reluctant.

“You seem to be on good terms with Fei.”

“Fei? Ah, we’ve known each other for a very long time.”

Yuri tilted his head, wondering why Fei was suddenly being mentioned, or if he had tried to say something else and stopped. But it didn’t matter. If it was a topic he didn’t particularly want to discuss, Yuri didn’t want to force it. So, Yuri smiled faintly and followed Ling Xinlu’s lead.

“We’ve known each other a long time, but in terms of actual days spent together, it hasn’t been that long. Still, since I’ve seen him since he was a little kid, I feel like I know him inside and out. Besides, he’s very sociable. He was playful when he was young, and he’s still the same now that he’s grown.”

His knack for teasing, even those who didn’t seem like they would tolerate it, was also the same. Yuri smiled, remembering how Fei would occasionally play pranks even on the indifferent Ling Xinlu.

A glance. Ling Xinlu’s gaze shifted toward him. His voice, murmuring “I see,” sounded somewhat sour for some reason. A brief silence followed again.

“It’s fine to be close, but.”

The subtly slow voice seemed sharp, though it might have been his imagination, but soon Ling Xinlu raised his tone slightly, grumbling as if complaining.

“Did you really have to make me look bad in that situation? That damn contract, we could just rewrite it. We could rewrite it as a lifelong contract; what was the problem that you had to tell that guy every single detail about it not being a lifelong contract, but a yearly one?”

Yuri paused. In the mirror, Ling Xinlu was still looking out the window. He didn’t know if Yuri was still reflected in that glass.

“―….”

Though he spoke in a light tone, it seemed he had been genuinely hurt by it, at least halfway. Did this proud young man feel that he had lost face?

However, at this very moment, Ling Xinlu seemed to regret saying it immediately after the words left his mouth. Perhaps he thought he had revealed a childish side of himself by speaking up. He scratched his forehead with his finger, clicked his tongue, and glanced at Yuri. He seemed aware that he had been unreasonably angry. Soon, he waved his hand as if it didn’t matter.

“Forget it. Next time we renew the contract, we can just change that part to lifelong.”

“Pardon?”

“……?”

But to Yuri, who questioned him in bewilderment as soon as he spoke, Ling Xinlu looked back, equally puzzled as to why he was reacting that way. Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu, wondering internally if he had misunderstood something. Then, he spoke slowly.

“I don’t do lifelong contracts.”

It had always been that way. He might renew the contract for several more years or even decades, staying together for a long time close to a lifelong contract—indeed, he had worked at T&R for nearly ten years—but he never set the contract itself to be that long. Until now, the longest had been two or three years, and he only contracted that way in cases where the nature of the work inevitably required a longer term.

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri, who spoke with calm finality, with a strange expression. Then, at some point, he frowned slightly.

“Why? I’ll obviously give you better terms than anywhere else. If the compensation is the issue, I can add a condition that the payment varies annually to reflect the market rate.”

“No, it’s not a matter of compensation or conditions. Regardless of that, I do not do lifelong contracts.”

Yuri shook his head again. This time, Ling Xinlu’s silence lasted longer. After staring intently at Yuri for a while, he simply asked, “Why?”

Yuri found the question strange. Unable to understand why he was asking something so obvious, he tilted his head but answered.

“Because I don’t know the future version of myself. Where I might want to go, or what I might want to do. I want to be able to leave whenever my heart desires, if a place I want to go comes to mind.”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu said nothing.

The expression vanished from his face.

It was as if he had heard something he hadn’t even considered. No, as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have heard.

For a moment, Yuri wondered if he had phrased something wrong and tilted his head, thinking there might have been room for misunderstanding, and soon waved his hand.

“No, but of course, I don’t mean I’ll just leave as I please before the contract ends. What I’m saying is, once the contract period is over――.”

“You’re leaving?”

As if cutting Yuri off, Ling Xinlu, who had been silent until then, abruptly spoke. His low voice was somehow chilly.

Yuri pondered for a moment and then tilted his head, saying, “I’m not sure.”

“As of now, I don’t have anywhere I want to go in the long term, so I haven’t specifically thought about it. ……But personally, I think it would be better not to renew the contract.”

If Ling Xinlu were to step into the family business in earnest, it would be better for someone who understood that side of things better to be by his side, rather than Yuri assisting him. At the very least, it wasn’t Yuri.

Thinking that Ling Xinlu likely already had this in mind, Yuri embedded his intention in his words, stating that it wouldn’t matter if the contract with him ended on a short-term basis.

However, looking at Ling Xinlu, whose expression had completely vanished, Yuri thought that perhaps Ling Xinlu hadn’t considered such things.

“Someone who can help you more effectively and appropriately in your work than I can――.”

“That thought didn’t just occur to you now, did it?”

Yuri tried to add more, but he was blocked by Ling Xinlu, who cut him off.

It was a quiet voice. But there was not a shred of warmth in it.

“It seems you’ve been thinking that for a while, Mr. Gable. Isn’t that right?”

The low voice sounded almost like an interrogation. Yuri frowned slightly.

“Well……, while I can’t know the distant future, I usually think ahead about the near future.”

“Then you’ve already planned to return once this contract is over, Mr. Gable. Since when?”

Yuri fell silent. The flow of the conversation was heading in a strange direction.

It wasn’t that he had definitely planned to return once this contract ended. He simply thought that if things flowed naturally, it would be better for Ling Xinlu to contract with someone more suitable, so there would be no need to renew with him. A renewal could happen or not, but if he contracted with a more suitable person, there was no need to contract with Yuri as well. It would be a waste for him.

Where should he start, and how should he explain this? Yuri looked at him silently, lost in thought. And as he watched Yuri remain silent, Ling Xinlu’s face gradually hardened coldly.

“It would be better to find someone who can assist you more appropriately than I can.”

Eventually, after much deliberation, Yuri said that. It would be the easiest thing for him to accept.

Ling Xinlu dropped his gaze from Yuri. He remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought while looking down, but then he raised his head again, his face still cold.

“I don’t understand.”

Speaking bluntly as if he couldn’t accept it, he glared at Yuri.

“Did I do something wrong during the contract period? Did you dislike the work?”

“That’s not it. On the contrary, the work was excessively easy compared to the compensation I received. It’s not that. Regardless of that, in this situation, doing so is the rational choice.”

Yuri shook his head. He found it very surprising that Ling Xinlu seemed to have given no thought to such matters until now.

Ling Xinlu gazed at Yuri. It would be more accurate to say he was glaring.

And after a brief silence.

“Was it… not good, being by my side?”

The voice adding that confirmation was low and sunken.

Faced with that arrogant question, which clearly acknowledged that Yuri was the weaker party in the relationship of emotions, Yuri fell silent.

Being by his side. ――It was good.

He was beautiful, radiant, and lovely. He still was. Even now, Yuri liked being by his side and had never thought of leaving him. He had simply engraved the expectation in his heart that the situation might flow that way.

But separate from that.

“What does that have to do with you, Mr. Ling Xinlu?”

Yuri stated the cold conclusion. A cold conclusion for himself as well.

The one who likes him is himself. The one who leaves—if he does leave—is also himself. The one whose heart will grow heavy or depressed because of it will also be himself.

But at the same time, the one who chooses whether to renew the contract—and the duration of that renewal—which he was offering like a generous grace, was also himself.

Ling Xinlu didn’t even blink, as if frozen. His pitch-black eyes stared at Yuri as if to pierce through him. As if searching to see if something he didn’t know was hidden inside.

Yuri, who looked back at him silently without averting his gaze, let out a silent sigh at some point. He murmured in a voice that had lost its edge.

“I don’t know why you’re angry. No matter how much I think about it, there’s no reason for you to be angry.”

Was I that good at my job? I don’t even remember doing much that could be called ‘work,’ he said like a joke, but his heart grew heavy. He didn’t know why he was angry, or why he had incurred his wrath. Perhaps it was because Yuri had been arbitrarily guessing and drawing conclusions on his own regarding his work—whether to end the contract or contract with a new person.

Ling Xinlu said nothing for a long time, as if lost in thought. His deep black eyes remained fixed on Yuri. It was a pale gaze that would be more accurate to call a glare.

“Fine.”

Finally, Ling Xinlu spoke. In contrast to his pitch-black eyes, a voice as cold as frost flowed out.

“Since I have no intention of holding onto someone who wants to leave, I’ll have to look for someone else before the term is up. Thank you for telling me in advance.”

Yuri’s hand on the steering wheel flinched.

Ling Xinlu was enveloped in a chilling atmosphere that seemed capable of freezing the listener. He then turned his body toward the window and looked away.

And until they arrived home, he didn’t say a single word to Yuri. He didn’t even give him a glance.

* * *

‘Swimming? Go ahead. I’ll go if I feel like it.’

Having said only those brief words, Ling Xinlu turned his expressionless face back to his book and didn’t look at him.

On evenings when nothing special happened or when they were free, Yuri usually enjoyed an evening swim in the pool, and in those times, Ling Xinlu—since he had started swimming again—almost always went with him.

However, in recent days, the number of times he had gone to the pool with Yuri could be counted on one hand. They still went together quite often in the early morning, but even then, they would swim mechanically as if exercising, returning in almost total silence.

After staring at him silently for a moment, Yuri murmured, “Yes, then,” and stepped away. Having come to the pool alone, Yuri was already gliding beneath the surface, having completed several laps. Every now and then, he would rise to the surface to breathe like a whale, lingering for a brief moment before diving back into the water.

He didn’t intend to stay long. Since Xiao Chun had mentioned he would stop by this evening to deliver food at the request of the youngest grandmother—Ling Xinlu’s mother—Yuri planned to return shortly.

…In that case, perhaps it would have been better not to come to the water today.

For some reason, even after being submerged for a long time, his heart didn’t feel as light as usual. It was because his mind wouldn’t stop racing.

No, it wasn’t just today. For the past few days, even when he came every dawn and immersed himself in the water, he didn’t feel truly refreshed by the time he left. Yuri knew the reason why.

For a while now, Yuri had been wondering: when was the last time he had seen Ling Xinlu smile brightly?

Starting this week, Ling Xinlu had begun going out to learn the business. It seemed the youngest uncle had indeed solidified his decision to retire, so Xinlu began learning the ropes under the third uncle.

As Ling Tangyun had mentioned, it wasn’t much different from going to a “company with a lot of work.” The only difference was that it was a company with “excessively” much work, and that things far removed from law or morality flowed as common sense.

Ling Xinlu’s job was to accompany his uncle like a shadow, observing his work over his shoulder. Every night, he had to read, memorize, and master decades of past records handed down by his uncle, and by day, he had to converse with people who nonchalantly abandoned the most basic moral codes of the society they lived in.

Yet, although it hadn’t been long since he started associating with them, Ling Xinlu was adapting with surprising ease. He treated them with a cheerful and pleasant face, and he dispatched the assignments his uncle gave him quickly and easily.

It wasn’t a forced effort. He didn’t smile before them by day only to struggle by night. He blended in with them naturally, as if he were exactly where he belonged—to the point that Yuri’s worried glances felt futile.

‘Why are you looking at me like that? You already knew I was this kind of person.’

The third uncle had intended to plunge his ignorant, eyesore of a nephew headfirst into boiling water to terrify him, presenting the dark side of the business—where horrific violence was casually perpetrated—from the very first day. But Ling Xinlu had brilliantly defied those expectations; after watching the proceedings with calm, cold eyes, he had simply asked, “What is the limit up to which this can be smoothed over without issue?” That evening, as he left the office late and returned to the mansion, he had told Yuri not to look at him with such a fresh expression.

As if his time assisting with administration at UNHRDO had never happened, Ling Xinlu immersed himself in the work as if he had been suited for it from the start. Although the volume of work was sometimes overwhelming even for him, he didn’t seem to struggle mentally.

If that was the case, then it was fine. Yuri accepted this and continued to follow Ling Xinlu.

And during that time, aside from the smiles he showed his uncle and business associates during the day, Yuri had not seen Ling Xinlu smile once.

It wasn’t a matter of work.

Ling Xinlu was clearly displeased with Yuri. There was no need to count the days to figure out when it started. It was from the night he returned from the main house.

“…”

Yuri, who had been gliding slowly beneath the water, rose to the surface like a whale in need of oxygen. As he suddenly emerged and exhaled a long breath, the person sitting on a nearby chair drinking water—apparently not expecting someone to be submerged for so long—was startled and nearly spat out their drink with a cough.

Yuri gave an apologetic glance and continued to swim leisurely.

There were indeed people at the pool during the evening. Not many, perhaps three or four at most, but to Yuri, who was used to the solitude of the dawn, even three or four felt like a crowd.

Should I just go back?

He hadn’t been in the pool for very long, but he didn’t particularly enjoy being submerged in a crowded—though calling three or four people “crowded” might be an extravagance—place.

Just one more lap, or should I leave now? Just as Yuri was glancing at the wall clock…

He spotted Ling Xinlu entering the pool from the showers. It seemed he had finally felt like swimming after Yuri had already left the house.

Before looking around for long, Ling Xinlu spotted Yuri. Upon meeting Yuri’s gaze, he frowned reflexively. Yuri, who had just started to raise his hand in greeting, slowly lowered it.

Averting his gaze, Ling Xinlu dove into the pool without acknowledging Yuri. He began swimming along the lane like any other person there for exercise. He seemed to have no intention of speaking to or engaging with Yuri.

“…”

Yuri watched him silently as he quickly distanced himself, then abandoned his plan to leave and submerged himself again. Though the deepest part of the pool wasn’t actually that deep, he sank until he was pressed against the bottom. It was as if he were imitating a deep-sea fish, breathing leisurely in the depths, undisturbed by anything—be it worry, thought, or emotion.

No matter how stoic and unaffected by others Yuri usually was, this situation felt heavy. This state of receiving cold treatment, bordering on being ignored by Ling Xinlu, had already persisted for several days.

It wasn’t that they didn’t speak at all. Since Yuri accompanied Ling Xinlu while he followed his uncle to learn the business during the day, total ignorance was impossible. However, Xinlu spoke only the bare minimum and rarely looked at him.

Or perhaps he looked at him quite often. Occasionally, when Yuri felt a gaze and looked back, he would find Ling Xinlu glaring at him before turning away.

When was the last time they actually exchanged words?

Yuri searched his mind with his eyes closed underwater. It felt as if even his thoughts slowed down in the water; it took a moment of retracing before he remembered.

There had been an incident a few days ago that involved exchanging words—though it was accompanied by emotions far too fierce to be called a mere conversation.

It was a day when they had barely returned home after finishing work late at night.

As usual, while Ling Xinlu went into the bathroom immediately upon returning, Yuri was tidying up the house—which didn’t require much work—and neatly arranging the day’s materials and the records Xinlu needed to study overnight on the table.

The phone rang, and it was Ling Tangyun.

『How is it? Are you doing well? And Xinlu?』

‘He is in the bathroom right now. If you have business with him, shall I pass it along, or should I tell him to call you back later?’

Yuri spoke while glancing toward the bathroom, where the sound of water had just stopped. He seemed to be finished washing. He would be out shortly.

However, it seemed Ling Tangyun hadn’t called for any specific business. “No, that’s not necessary,” he replied readily.

『The third uncle stopped by to see Father a little while ago. I happened to exchange greetings with him then, and it made me wonder how things were going.』

Saying he had called just to check in, Ling Tangyun belatedly asked about Yuri as well: 『You’re doing well too, right?』

Yuri had continued to get along with Ling Tangyun without any issues since then. He didn’t think there would be any.

The day after encountering him at the main house, Yuri had called him immediately to offer a formal apology. Ling Tangyun had laughed heartily and said, 『No, I actually found it quite interesting to see a new side of you. But well, since you went as far as calling me again to say it, it must have been weighing on your mind, so let’s just forget it. Don’t worry about it anymore. A person without mistakes and a relationship without mistakes are both lacking in charm, aren’t they?』 He had accepted the apology readily, concisely concluding that the matter need not be mentioned again.

Ling Tangyun was not the type of person to harbor resentment over something he had openly dismissed, and Yuri knew this.

Thus, the minor friction—though “friction” was a subtle word for it—with Ling Tangyun had been resolved smoothly.

And this was their first phone call since then.

Yuri replied to Ling Tangyun’s inquiry about his brother, “There are no particular problems.”

‘The workload is more than I expected, but it doesn’t seem to be overwhelming. As of now, there is nothing to worry about.’

『Right? I told you. With Xinlu, there’s not much to worry about. Well, he’ll have to see more unpleasant things as time goes on, but he’ll be fine. The third uncle even praised him, saying, “He’s more useful than I thought. He’s doing what he needs to do.”』

Ling Tangyun sounded as if he were smiling bitterly, noting that such words coming from that particular difficult man were high praise indeed. Yuri nodded, thinking, That’s a relief.

The third uncle, whom Ling Xinlu would be accompanying for a while, was not a man of good reputation. Then again, the work he dealt with was so sinister that those under him were practically human butchers, so a good reputation was impossible. No one liked a grumpy old man with a venomous gaze.

Furthermore, since the third uncle had been displeased with the youngest son—whom ring huolong cherished as if he might break or blow away—from the start, Yuri had thought it wouldn’t be easy working under him. In reality, it wasn’t; no matter how well Ling Xinlu handled his work during the day, he never heard a single word of praise. Nevertheless, without showing any sign of distress—or rather, with a face that suggested he didn’t care—he would smile nonchalantly and process the tasks his uncle dumped on him.

Knowing that the uncle gave a word or two of praise behind his back gave Yuri a sense of relief. It seemed he wouldn’t blindly overwork the boy to an absurd degree.

『Yes, he mentioned you too. He said, “That brat—Xinlu—must have some luck with people to have such a good subordinate.” He noted that you seemed to be holding up well despite being overworked along with him.』

‘No, I haven’t been overworked to that extent,’ Yuri replied bluntly.

In fact, Ling Xinlu usually handled the minor cleanup tasks himself, rather than leaving them to Yuri, even if they were things he didn’t strictly have to do. He would say, surprisingly orthodox things like, ‘When first learning a job, shouldn’t one master everything down to the recording of a single character with their own hands?’

Yuri had thought that while Xinlu wouldn’t be lazy or cut corners, he would at least use the knack of focusing on essential tasks and only grasping the general outline of secondary ones. But he was unexpectedly diligent.

Still, because the volume of work was so immense, even the small portion Yuri took over was a daunting amount.

…However.

‘Come to think of it, Mr. Ling Tangyun, there is one thing I would like to ask of you.’

Yuri spoke up, suddenly remembering something he had been considering asking Ling Tangyun. Tangyun asked, 『A request?』 sounding surprised, but then readily added, 『Sure, tell me.』

‘I’m not sure if Mr. Ling Xinlu has already mentioned it, but please look for someone.’

『Someone? What kind of someone?』

‘Someone who can assist and help Mr. Ling Xinlu with his work in my stead. Ideally, someone who can endure the work and help for a long time.’

『What? You—, ah, I suppose your contract period is coming to an end. Why, have you decided not to renew?』

Ling Tangyun asked in surprise. He muttered discontentedly, “Finding a decent person seems easy, but it’s surprisingly difficult.”

While assisting with Ling Xinlu’s work, Yuri had thought:

He had already suspected it, but to help grow the business, a more suitable aide than himself would be necessary.

For now, it was fine. As long as Ling Xinlu was just following instructions and doing what the third uncle told him, Yuri felt he could handle it. But as time passed and Xinlu gained independent authority and expanded his own domain of work, he would need someone by his side who could provide more professional advice and assistance.

‘The decision will be up to Mr. Ling Xinlu, but please shortlist a few decent people and let me know.’

『Alright, I’ll look into it tomorrow. But finding someone who fits your taste perfectly isn’t easy, so you’d better expect it to take some time.』

‘Yes. I’m not quitting tomorrow, so it’s fine. It would be better to find a decent person even if it takes time.’

Just as Yuri was about to say, “Then I’ll leave it to you,” a terrifying sound suddenly echoed from behind.

SLAM—!!

Startled, Yuri flinched and turned around. Ling Xinlu was standing there, having apparently kicked the bathroom door hard upon exiting the shower, the door now tilting back from the recoil against the wall.

Water dripped from his improperly dried hair, and beneath that, his dark, glistening eyes were glaring at Yuri.

‘What exactly are you leaving to someone?’

At the sudden, harsh words, Yuri was momentarily speechless and could only stare at him blankly.

Without waiting for an answer, Ling Xinlu strode forward and snatched the receiver from Yuri’s hand.

‘Hello. …Yes, eldest brother. It’s nothing. …No, there’s no need for that. I’ll handle it myself, so you don’t need to worry. I’ll contact you if I have any other requests later. …Yes, then please rest.’

After finishing the short call in a businesslike and cold tone, Ling Xinlu hung up.

Yuri, who remained standing beside him with his hand still hovering in the air where the receiver had been, flinched when he saw Ling Xinlu glance sideways after a moment of silence.

Ling Xinlu’s eyes were terrifyingly fierce. A chill ran down Yuri’s spine.

Looking at Yuri with eyes that wouldn’t have been strange if they had started eating him alive, Ling Xinlu finally spoke, grinding his teeth lowly.

‘This is something I will handle myself. Don’t interfere, Mr. Gable.’

‘…—.’

‘Whether you shortlist decent people or cover the whole house with that list, I will never even look at anyone I didn’t choose myself, so stop your useless interference. It’s a waste of time.’

‘…, Yes.’

Yuri nodded. He couldn’t say anything more. Ling Xinlu, who had been glaring at him with a gaze as sharp as a blade, had turned away.

But it would be better to find someone sooner rather than later. To work together, it’s better to get acquainted with the work as early as possible.

Yuri wondered if it would be better to say, “Please find someone as soon as possible,” but for some reason, he felt that saying that in the current situation would be like pouring gasoline on a fire, so he kept his mouth shut. That judgment seemed wise, as he saw Ling Xinlu, who was striding toward the living room, suddenly mutter a curse in anger and violently kick a chair.

‘…’

This is awkward…

Yuri rubbed his chin and looked at him with a troubled expression.

For some reason, Ling Xinlu had been showing signs of instability lately.

If asked which part, he couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but that was the feeling he got from the side. Like something was shaking precariously. Like a blue-edged blade that could fall in any direction.

However, it was difficult to think of a specific solution. Looking at Ling Xinlu when he dealt with people and handled work, he was actually far more cold and composed in organizing situations than anyone else. He didn’t make mistakes in his work or in his interactions with people, nor did it feel like he would.

Nevertheless, these occasional flashes of instability—mostly when he was alone with Yuri at home—weighed on his mind.

It was flustering that this was happening just as he thought it would be time to leave.

‘Eyes.’

To Yuri, who had been standing still in one spot lost in thought, Ling Xinlu, who was sitting on the sofa rubbing his temples as if exhausted, spoke curtly. When Yuri looked at him, Xinlu shifted only his eyes to give him a cold glare and spoke once more.

‘Eyes. They’re tired.’

Yuri nodded immediately. He was telling him to give him an eye massage.

For some time now, Ling Xinlu had barely spoken to Yuri or even looked at him, but since starting work, he seemed genuinely tired; he never missed his nightly routine of ordering Yuri to rub his eyes.

Soon, as Yuri sat in the living room with a hot towel and a bowl of water, Ling Xinlu lay down with his head on Yuri’s thigh as if it were the most natural thing in the world and closed his eyes. As usual, Yuri placed the hot towel over his eyes.

‘…….’

‘…….’

No words passed between them.

Yuri quietly rubbed Ling Xinlu’s eyes, temples, and the surrounding area through the towel, and Ling Xinlu let out a gradually slowing breath, his body going limp.

He really seemed to be in a foul mood.

The timing of when it started was clear. It was after the conversation about the lifelong contract. Thus, Yuri knew that he was the one who had upset Ling Xinlu.

This is troublesome…

Yuri murmured to himself again.

He hadn’t considered a lifelong contract in the first place, and there was absolutely no room for negotiation or reconsideration on that matter. Furthermore, Ling Xinlu likely knew that the contract itself held little actual meaning. Yet, he was being stubborn like a child who refuses to be satisfied until he gets whatever he wants. Without even considering whether it would actually benefit him.

‘……The smell.’

Then, Ling Xinlu suddenly murmured.

Yuri, who had been rubbing his eyes, paused but soon asked calmly.

‘Is it that smell? The smell of water.’

Ling Xinlu did not answer. After remaining still for a moment, he suddenly grabbed Yuri by the collar and pulled him down. Yuri, losing his balance and staggering, felt Xinlu bury his nose into his chest.

Yuri simply watched in silence as Ling Xinlu inhaled deeply, moving his nose every which way across his chest as if trying not to miss a single thing.

Suddenly, like someone seized by a surge of anxiety, Ling Xinlu ripped at Yuri’s shirt. Without even undoing the buttons, he pulled at the placket, tearing several buttons off from the top, and buried his face again against the exposed bare skin.

Yuri flinched slightly at the sensation of the nose, cheek, and breath touching his skin directly, but he left his chest open to Ling Xinlu.

Moving his face slowly from the nape of the neck to the collarbone, under the chest, and the armpits, Ling Xinlu eventually clung to Yuri in a tight embrace. He pressed his nose even closer, as if trying to bury his entire face there.

His nose, cheek, and lips wandered ticklishly over Yuri’s body.

Then, while brushing his cheek against Yuri’s chest, Ling Xinlu paused to smell a protruding nipple before biting it.

‘……!!’

Yuri instinctively flinched from the pain, but the arms wrapped tightly around his waist tightened further, making it impossible to pull away. Perhaps finding the reaction amusing—or perhaps deciding it was a good time to vent his spite—he bit down harder, chewing on it.

Only after Yuri finally couldn’t take it and spoke curtly, saying, ‘It hurts,’ did the pressure on the nipple loosen slightly.

‘I guess it wasn’t the smell of water. Right now, even after smelling you like this, my heart doesn’t feel lighter at all. If anything, it feels heavier. ……Much heavier.’

Or perhaps what was contained in my heart wasn’t salt, but cotton? Ling Xinlu laughed with a sneer and tightly closed his distorted lips.

For a while longer, Ling Xinlu continued to fuss over Yuri’s chest, rubbing it frantically with his lips and nose, before suddenly curling his lips upward.

‘How can you be so composed when you say you like me?’

The words spat through clenched teeth were low, barely managing to hide his rage.

‘Even when I’m this angry, even when I ignore you, it seems you don’t mind at all. Is it because you think you’ll be leaving soon, so you don’t care anymore?’

‘……. That is not the case.’

‘Be honest. I won’t stop you if you want to leave. You’re actually relieved because you can go back in a little while, aren’t you?’

As if another surge of emotion hit him, he bit Yuri’s collarbone this time. He bit down hard enough to make Yuri’s body jump, yet carefully enough not to leave a wound.

Yuri flinched, nearly letting out a cry of pain, but once the pain subsided, he spoke.

‘I never said I would return as soon as this contract expires. If you wish, Mr. Ling Xinlu, we could renew the contract. I am more than willing to do so. ……But as I told you, in the long run, that is not a good thing for you.’

Despite that, if Xinlu asked to renew, Yuri would gladly agree. He worried that he might lack the strength to support him properly and that Xinlu might become unconsciously inconvenienced, but he would sign the contract for now. Then, after a year or two, if he judged that he could no longer support him to the level Xinlu desired, Yuri would be the one to refuse the contract—but not yet. For now, if Ling Xinlu wanted it, Yuri intended to renew.

However, he knew that was his own selfishness, and that for Ling Xinlu to move forward, it would be better to find someone else in the long term.

Ling Xinlu remained silent.

Because his face was buried deep in Yuri’s chest, Yuri couldn’t see his expression. He only felt the sensation of Xinlu rubbing his cheek deeper and closer, trying to burrow in further.

‘Mr. Gable. Do you really like me?’

Eventually, a muffled voice drifted up from his embrace. It was a low, suppressed voice, as if weighed down by the heaviness of a heart.

‘Yes, I like you.’

There was no hesitation in Yuri’s answer. He simply answered with the truth.

Ling Xinlu said nothing for a moment. With his face still buried in Yuri’s chest, he took several slow, deep breaths.

Then, a murmur like a monologue flowed out in a twisted tone.

‘Still, ……you’re saying that even though you like me, you can still leave.’

Murmuring as if mocking or reproaching him, Ling Xinlu finally lifted his head. Eyes terrifyingly dark looked up at Yuri.

Yuri met his gaze and nodded. Then he spoke.

‘I intend to keep in touch. If you’ll accept it. When the New Year comes, or on your birthday, or as the end of the year approaches, or sometimes even when there’s no particular reason. Even later on. Even after a long time has passed.’

Just as he did with Ling Tangyun, even if the day came when they both became so busy that they could only meet once every few years. Yuri wanted to continue getting to know this lovely person.

Ling Xinlu said nothing.

After staring intently, he suddenly shoved Yuri away and stood up abruptly. Glaring at Yuri with distorted eyes, he spat out harshly:

‘Chew on that bland grass yourself. I hate it. ——No, you should spit that kind of thing out too. I’ve come to want to burn all that damn grass to ashes.’

Shouting through gritted teeth, he stormed into his room. After slamming the door shut, he did not emerge for the rest of the night.

“…….”

It had been like that. In that manner, Ling Xinlu had been throwing nothing but glares flickering with dark rage and words as cold as ice at Yuri.

Yuri sighed, rising slowly to the surface like a whale attached to a heavy weight. Air bubbles rose in a stream.

Somehow, he felt that even if they renewed the contract, Ling Xinlu would not stop casting those fierce glares. Something had gone seriously wrong somewhere.

“…―.”

“You’re too much, Uncle Yuri. To leave the house empty even though I said I was coming. How can you be so unwelcoming? You didn’t even answer your phone!”

Yuri, who had just poked his head above the surface and taken a deep breath, widened his eyes at the ringing voice that suddenly poured over him the moment he emerged from the water.

Outside the pool, just a few steps away from where Yuri had surfaced, stood Xiao Chun in a deep blue dress, holding a large wrapped bundle in one hand.

“Xiao Chun. When did you get here?”

Yuri swam toward her, looking around. Most of the people who had been in the pool seemed to have left, as only one person was swimming leisurely in the distance. Since Ling Xinlu was nowhere to be seen, he had either left already or was swimming underwater.

Hopping out of the water, Yuri picked up the towel he had draped over a chair, then realized the heavy load she was carrying and quickly took it from her to set it on the chair.

“They’re matsutake mushrooms; the youngest grandmother said to eat them quickly while they’re fresh. You can eat them raw or cooked. They must be high quality. The whole car was filled with the scent of matsutake on the way here.”

Xiao Chun leaned over toward the bundle. Yuri smiled as he watched her inhale the scent deeply, murmuring, “Ah, they look delicious.”

“I thought you’d be later if you left after dinner, but you arrived earlier than expected. By the way, did you not eat?”

“Yes, I haven’t eaten yet.”

Yuri looked at his watch, which indicated a time earlier than when he expected Xiao Chun to arrive, but too late for her to have skipped a meal. “Really? Then,” he turned to her. There would be something to eat once they went down to the house. Or, they could eat these matsutake raw as she suggested—though he would need the owner, Ling Xinlu’s, permission.

However, as if anticipating what Yuri was going to say, Xiao Chun waved her hand first.

“No, I have to go soon. I promised to see a midnight movie with a friend, and I don’t think I’ll have time, so I skipped a meal to stop by quickly.”

Xiao Chun chattered while looking at her watch, saying her friend was incredibly strict and that if she were late, she’d have to pay for both the movie tickets and the meal.

“I don’t know how hard I stepped on the gas because I was afraid of being late. Thanks to that, I have enough time to chat with you for a bit, but I wonder if a speeding ticket will come in the mail later.”

“Wouldn’t that cost more than the movie tickets and the meal?”

Yuri chuckled and dried himself with the towel. Since the house was a few floors down, rather than using the communal showers, he usually just dried himself off and went home to wash.

“Stop by for a cup of tea.”

“I don’t have that much time. Only enough to wait for you to dry off so we can take the elevator down together. ……Wow, I knew it, but Uncle Yuri, your body is great——. Can I touch it?”

Yuri flinched and looked at the pretty, smiling young lady who was reaching out her hand. A flash of bewilderment crossed his indifferent face.

It wasn’t that Yuri was the type to shrink away in shyness if someone touched his body, but he was still flustered when a pretty, innocent-looking young woman suddenly reached out and asked if she could touch him.

“――Where.”

There seemed to be a faint tension in Yuri’s blunt response. Xiao Chun clapped her hands and laughed.

“Oh, Uncle, really, where would I even touch? Just your forearm or shoulder, things like that. ——Wow. My uncle’s physique is amazing. You must be popular.”

Looking down at Xiao Chun, who was playfully admiring him with a trailing voice and poking his forearm with her finger, Yuri gave a faint smile.

“Thank you. Well, let’s head down then. ……But…….”

Yuri paused as he looked back, wondering if Ling Xinlu had really gone down first.

His eyes met Ling Xinlu’s, who was climbing up the ladder from the side of the pool. With an expressionless face, Xinlu looked at Yuri and Xiao Chun in turn, wiping the water from his face without breaking his cold gaze.

Xiao Chun, following Yuri’s gaze, discovered him belatedly as he walked toward them, lightly rubbing the nape of his neck.

“Oh, youngest uncle? You were here too? What a surprise, you don’t usually swim!”

Ling Xinlu, stopping a few steps away, looked down silently at her as she shouted happily with a bright smile. His face, which usually held a formal smile, was frigid. His gaze flickered to Xiao Chun’s hand, which was resting on Yuri’s arm, and lingered there for a moment.

Soon, turning back to Ling Xinlu as if nothing were wrong, she smiled brightly in surprise and spoke cheerfully.

“You said you wouldn’t go in the water whether it was the ocean or a pool, but now you’re swimming? Then we can go to the beach together this summer! But what happened? I thought you hated swimming. You always said no whenever I asked you to go play in the water.”

Xiao Chun chattered regretfully, saying it would have been great if they had gone to Bora Bora together last year.

“I’m not going. Not with you.”

Ling Xinlu answered expressionlessly. Glancing sharply at Yuri, he walked to the chair and picked up a dry towel. When Xiao Chun tilted her head and asked “Why?”, he spat out without even looking back:

“I don’t want to be in the same water as a vulgar woman who touches anyone she wants just because they have a good body. I don’t want to get distracted in the water and drown.”

Xiao Chun fell silent, her eyes widening. Yuri also instinctively froze. Hearing the insult delivered like a joke, Xiao Chun stared at Ling Xinlu for a moment without moving.

Slowly, anger and a flush of red rose to her face as she blinked. After glaring at Ling Xinlu with clenched teeth, she soon smiled brightly.

“Oh, youngest uncle. If your swimming skills are so pathetic that you’d drown from that, you shouldn’t even enter a pool. How can I go in when I’m so worried? It would be even more miserable if you died while practicing in a pool because you were afraid of drowning.”

“…….”

Again, Yuri flinched and looked at Xiao Chun. Ling Xinlu, who was drying his hair with the towel, glanced back at her expressionlessly. Ling Xinlu wasn’t shallow enough to be provoked by such words, but since he was already in a bad mood, he seemed irritated. After debating whether to respond to Xiao Chun, he eventually found even that irritating and simply turned his back again.

Perhaps still not over the insult she had never heard in her life, Xiao Chun glared at the back of Ling Xinlu’s neck with sparkling eyes. She checked her watch, signaling it was time to leave, clicked her tongue, and sneered as spitefully as possible.

“Well, since Uncle Yuri is here, even if youngest uncle drowns, I’m sure he’ll save you again before you die. Even if he saved you before because you were a child, you’re a full-grown adult now; it would be such a nuisance if Uncle Yuri got into danger trying to save you. ——If you have time to take your anger out on others because you got slapped somewhere, spend that time practicing your strokes more, Uncle.”

Putting emphasis on “practice your strokes more, Uncle,” Xiao Chun snorted and turned away. Her eyes, burning with anger, met Yuri’s. Seeing Yuri, she softened her gaze slightly and said, “See you later, Uncle Yuri. I’ll be going now,” leaving a greeting in a sweet, lingering voice that contrasted sharply with how she spoke to Ling Xinlu, and then walked away.

The sound of her heels clicking and splashing water on the wet floor still carried a hint of anger, but the sound didn’t reach Yuri’s ears. He didn’t notice the sound disappearing outside the pool, nor did he notice the last person finishing their swim and heading into the showers.

Yuri just stood there blankly. As if frozen, not moving a muscle, only blinking occasionally.

Strange. He felt a bit cold.

It was an indoor pool, he wasn’t the type to feel the cold easily, and he had dried the water off his body, yet he felt cold for some reason. Specifically, the nape of his neck, where Ling Xinlu was behind him.

He didn’t want to look back. In this moment, he absolutely did not want to look back, but the silence flowing behind him—so quiet he wondered if anyone was even there—bothered him so much that he eventually turned his body, bit by bit.

And.

Turning halfway like a rusty, creaking machine, Yuri saw Ling Xinlu standing there, watching him.

He had his head tilted slightly. With a face that seemed to wonder, “Hmm… why did that woman suddenly say those incomprehensible things and leave?”, he looked at Yuri.

“…….”

His blinking eyes were like those of a child who had just woken up from a nap and couldn’t tell what date it was or where they were. He looked as if he had heard something, but didn’t know what it was.

However.

At that moment, Ling Xinlu seemed to be more focused on something else than the words that had entered his ears.

Yuri suddenly froze stiff, remaining motionless before awkwardly turning his body with a creak, glancing at him as if gauging his reaction.

“…….”

“…….”

Why was that man suddenly looking at him with such a face when he had been perfectly fine a moment ago? Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri with curiosity, wondering why he looked like someone who had committed a crime. His head, which had been tilted to one side, shifted in the other direction.

…Oops.

In that moment, Yuri realized his mistake.

Regardless of whether Xiao Chun left or what he said, he should have maintained a composed face. He should have blinked innocently, looking as if he didn’t know what the boy was talking about, and said something random that came to mind—like, “Seeing how he’s in such a rush, I guess he’s stuck buying movie tickets and dinner for his friend.” Or, he should have simply turned back to Ling Xinlu with an indifferent expression and said, “Shall we head back now?” before turning to leave first.

At the very least, he shouldn’t have frozen as if a nail had been driven into his foot, flinching and glancing back to read the other man’s mood.

See. Just as expected. The man, who had merely frowned with a “What is he talking about?” expression until Xiao Chun left, began to slowly change his countenance while staring at Yuri’s face for a long while.

“……. Shall we head back now?”

Yuri murmured quietly, reprimanding himself that he should have said this about thirty seconds sooner. And, as expected, thinking he should have done this about twenty-five seconds sooner, he turned around and began to walk with brisk strides, acting as if nothing were wrong.

But as anticipated, after only a few steps, a quiet voice called out from behind.

“Mr. Yuri Gable?”

Yuri turned around with a composed face, wondering if the man had seen his shoulders flinch reflexively. He laid his usual poker face across his features and replied, “Yes?”

Ling Xinlu was looking at Yuri with an expressionless face. With a serene look that betrayed nothing of his thoughts, he gestured with his chin toward a chair. On that chair sat the box Xiao Chun had brought in earlier.

“You should take this with you.”

“…….”

It seemed he didn’t give the slightest thought to the fact that he could have carried it himself.

Yuri silently turned back. He approached the box, staring straight at it to avoid making eye contact with Ling Xinlu as much as possible.

It was a large, heavy-looking box, but it wasn’t as heavy as it appeared. No, even if it had been heavy, he wouldn’t have felt the weight. Because Ling Xinlu was silently watching him from a spot barely two steps away from the box.

Yuri grabbed the bundle of the box with one hand and turned around again. Wanting to put distance between them as quickly as possible, he hurried his pace more than before, but that was as far as he got.

Grab.

A hand seized his forearm. In the exact spot where Xiao Chun had held him, a hand larger and smoother than Xiao Chun’s gripped him. Unlike Xiao Chun, who had merely rested his hand there, this grip was firm, making it impossible to pull away.

“Why are you trying to go alone? Let’s go together.”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu spoke casually. Yuri slowly turned his head. With a face no different from usual, save for the lack of a smile, Ling Xinlu was looking at him simply. Then, he stepped forward naturally.

As they walked side by side, holding Yuri’s arm, Ling Xinlu said nothing. Yuri, who was practically being led along, also kept his mouth shut.

Until they took the elevator down from the floor with the athletic facilities and entered the house, only the fragrant scent of pine mushrooms and silence accompanied them.

Throughout that time, Ling Xinlu, who had been staring blankly into space as if lost in thought, leaned against the wall behind Yuri as he silently unwrapped the bundle in the kitchen, watching him intently before suddenly murmuring.

“That sadistic pervert I mentioned briefly before—come to think of it, he was my eldest brother’s friend.”

“…….”

“He was a close enough friend to accompany us on a family vacation. I think there was quite an age gap between him and my eldest brother, but since my brother has friends from all walks of life, it wasn’t strange for him to have a younger friend. However, there aren’t many people close enough to be that informal as to go on a family water trip together….”

The hands unwrapping the bundle kept slipping. It had been tied so tightly that the knot didn’t even loosen even when he pulled it until his fingernails hurt.

Yuri struggled with the knot, trying his hardest to divert his attention from Ling Xinlu’s monologue behind him.

“Is it not coming undone?”

Then, Ling Xinlu, who had stopped talking to look at Yuri, glanced over his shoulder and stepped closer. Standing right behind Yuri, who had frozen in his movements, Ling Xinlu reached both arms around Yuri’s waist as if embracing him and grabbed the knot Yuri had been clutching.

A chest pressed against his back. Breath touched his earlobe.

While clicking his tongue as if to say, Who tied this knot so tightly?, the slow movements of his hands as he gently loosened the knot were relaxed, devoid of irritation. Meanwhile, Ling Xinlu’s words continued.

“Do you know how much I regretted it back then? As soon as I came to my senses, I remembered the moments right before I fainted and snapped, ‘I’ll shove that water-ghost bastard back into the water and make sure he never comes out,’ grinding my teeth. Because of that, my eldest brother, who already knew my personality, wouldn’t tell me who had pulled me out of the water. He lectured me, saying I shouldn’t act like that toward the grateful person who saved me.”

“…….”

“So, pretending to have reflected and changed my mind, I beamed and asked, ‘I really want to thank the wonderful person who saved me; who was it?’ but he didn’t fall for it.”

Ling Xinlu clicked his tongue, adding that his eldest brother was surprisingly quick-witted.

In the meantime, the knot of the bundle came undone, revealing the box. The well-carved wooden box emitted the scent of pine mushrooms even before the lid was opened. However, the scent of mushrooms didn’t even enter his mind.

Even after loosening the knot, those hands did not retreat, instead bracing against the table. Trapped between the table and Ling Xinlu’s arms, Yuri stood frozen, unable to even think of asking him to move or turning around.

A brief silence followed. And the one to break that silence was, once again, Ling Xinlu.

“Thank you for saving me.”

It was a soft, lovely voice, like the faint cry of a kitten.

Standing pressed tightly against his back, Ling Xinlu whispered into Yuri’s ear and then took a step back.

Only then did Yuri slowly turn around.

Ling Xinlu was smiling like a cat. An inscrutable smile.

“……. I’m sorry. For not helping you immediately.”

Yuri bowed his head. He didn’t find it strange that he was apologizing even though he was the one who had saved him. That smile, where only the mouth smiled and not the eyes, somehow made Yuri feel like the sinner.

As Yuri wondered why, the voice of the beaming Ling Xinlu provided the answer.

“You’re not sorry for not telling me until now?”

Right. That was it.

Yuri flicked his eyes upward. Ling Xinlu was gazing at him intently, his lips still curved in a graceful smile.

“I’m sorry,” Yuri murmured again, and Ling Xinlu’s entire face broke into a smile.

“It’s nothing. I know. I’m not a child anymore, so I have to think rationally. How cautious must one be when saving someone from drowning? Even with a small child, if they cling with all their might out of the fear of death, even a strong man could be in danger.”

Yuri kept his mouth shut as he heard his own past words echoed back to him. He could only murmur, “You’re welcome,” to the man who smiled brightly.

For a while, Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri with his head tilted, smiling faintly. His eyes narrowed as if recalling a distant past.

“I see, so that was you, Mr. Gable……. No wonder you stared at me so blankly.”

The words murmured like a soliloquy pierced his ears with unusual clarity.

Yuri dropped his head like a guilty man and silently stared at his feet. Then, suddenly, he murmured in a voice so small it could barely be heard unless one was listening intently.

“……Because it felt like something had bloomed.”

“Pardon? What was that?”

Ling Xinlu raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. He leaned down, placing his ear near Yuri’s lips. Yuri looked at the face tilted diagonally in front of him and murmured softly again.

“It felt like a flower had bloomed in the water, ……that’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off you. It was the first time I had ever looked at something so blankly.”

“A flower,” Ling Xinlu murmured, blinking as he looked at Yuri. He stared intently with a face that looked bewildered, as if he were about to let out a hollow laugh, and eventually, he did—a short, breathless laugh.

“What twelve-year-old boy loses his mind thinking a flower has bloomed? Honestly, ……. …….”

Ling Xinlu, who had been sneering in a slightly sharp voice, suddenly fell silent. Frowning slightly and tilting his head, he looked at Yuri and opened his mouth as if to say something. His lips, which closed suspiciously, opened and closed once more.

It was a bit later before Ling Xinlu, looking at Yuri with narrowed eyes, spoke.

“Mr. Gable. Your first love.”

Hearing those few words dropped abruptly, Yuri’s eyes flickered. Although no change appeared on his face, Ling Xinlu’s eyes narrowed further as he watched Yuri intently, as if not wanting to miss a single expression.

“Who is it?”

He asked as if confirming something he was already certain of.

Yuri blinked his eyes, which had been wandering elsewhere, once, then twice, and let out a quiet sigh. Then, straightening his back, he looked at Ling Xinlu.

“It is you, Mr. Ling Xinlu.”

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri blankly. At Yuri, who now met his gaze calmly without avoiding it, he suddenly let out a smirk.

“You’re just saying it outright.”

Yuri responded with a very slight shrug of his shoulders, as if to say it wasn’t something to hide anyway.

Come to think of it, that was true. Yuri had already told Ling Xinlu that he liked him, and Ling Xinlu knew. Whether liking him now was the first or second time, there was no reason to hide it anew.

While the term “first love” was somewhat inaccurate—since he hadn’t felt an emotion he would recognize as love upon seeing that young boy long ago—this man was certainly the first person to whom he had been completely captivated.

Yuri sighed and quietly continued.

“You were beautiful then, too. Just as you are now. To the point where I had no choice but to stare blankly.”

Ling Xinlu said nothing as he watched Yuri speak slowly, tracing the past in his mind. A slight expression of bewilderment, a slight bitter smile, and a bit more of some other emotion were pooled on his face.

But in the next moment, those expressions vanished as if they had never been there.

Cold, chilled eyes glared at Yuri.

“Then why didn’t you contact me after that?”

“Pardon?”

“After pulling someone out of the water, you just ran away without even waiting for them to wake up. You didn’t show up once after that, either.”

Yuri only stared at Ling Xinlu, who likely would have tried to turn him into a water ghost by shoving him back into the water if he had appeared or contacted him to say, ‘I was the one who saved you.’

He had never thought of contacting him after saving him. He was simply satisfied with hearing from Ling Tangyun that ‘the youngest brother is safe,’ and that was the end of it. Wasn’t that natural?

Ling Xinlu must have known that what he was saying was unreasonable. Nevertheless, he was demanding an answer from Yuri now, asking why he hadn’t reached out.

“I guess people really don’t change.”

Suddenly, Ling Xinlu smiled. The face with the twisted lips held a hint of bitterness despite the smile.

“You were like that then, and you’re trying to just leave again this time, Mr. Gable.”

Suddenly, words of unknown meaning came out. Yuri looked at him in confusion.

“After pulling out a person who felt it would be better to die because they were in such pain, now that their heart has settled a bit and they feel they can live, you bring up the words that you’ll leave without signing the contract immediately.”

Ling Xinlu was glaring at Yuri intently. Seeing those eyes, which now revealed even resentment, Yuri was momentarily speechless.

He had never said such a thing. He had never said he wouldn’t sign the contract—though he had said he wouldn’t sign a lifelong contract—nor had he said he would leave—though he would return if the contract wasn’t renewed.

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu in bewilderment, as the man twisted the content of his words slightly to present a completely different narrative, though it wasn’t entirely wrong.

But in the next moment, a thought occurred to him. Perhaps, in Ling Xinlu’s ears, Yuri’s words had truly sounded like that.

Humans are creatures who hear what they want to hear, and since everyone interprets the same thing differently according to their own whims, he might not be lying to himself right now.

…But.

Yuri thought, But. He couldn’t help the fleeting feeling of unfairness. …But. Nevertheless. If that was how he thought, Yuri wanted to tell him that it wasn’t the case.

“Shall we renew the contract?”

Yuri said to Ling Xinlu.

The contract expiration date was approaching. It was about time to think about whether to renew the contract.

Although Yuri thought it would be better for Ling Xinlu to end the contract with him this time, it didn’t mean he himself didn’t want the contract.

It was fine. He could still be of help to him for a while. For a few years.

Ling Xinlu gazed intently at Yuri, who had calmly brought up the topic of renewal. His dark eyes, lost in thought, stared at him for a while before reaching a concise conclusion.

“Let’s make it a lifelong contract.”

“…….”

While Yuri was unable to speak immediately, Ling Xinlu slowly continued.

“You said it, Mr. Gable. You asked why there was a need for a lifelong contract when we could just renew it every year, and that you wouldn’t sign a lifelong contract. You were right. Since we don’t know how situations will change, it’s foolish in most cases to set a long contract period. That’s why I thought you were right.”

“Then—”

“However,”

Ling Xinlu cut off Yuri, who was about to say that they could just renew it annually as they had been doing.

“It turns out that with you, it’s just over whenever you decide to leave.”

He murmured with a face from which even the customary smile had vanished for a moment.

Yuri silently faced the expressionless Ling Xinlu.

Then, suddenly, Ling Xinlu smiled beautifully.

“Mr. Gable, do you know how you look at me?”

Ling Xinlu took a step closer to Yuri. Looking at him as he drew near, Yuri wondered what kind of face was reflected in those dark pupils right now.

“You look at me with eyes as if you’re seeing the most beautiful and precious thing in the world.”

Was that so?

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu, who was whispering softly to him with a beautiful, smiling gaze. The most beautiful and precious thing.

It wasn’t a lie. He was, at least for now, the most beautiful and precious person to Yuri.

Yuri nodded. The voice that murmured “That’s right” was so small it was almost inaudible as a monologue, but it must have certainly reached the ears of Ling Xinlu, who was looking at him. Ling Xinlu’s smile deepened.

“And yet, even while looking at me like that, you’re always capable of leaving.”

The low voice, like a sigh, truly turned into a sigh.

“Saying you’ll contact me on New Year’s or birthdays, or saying let’s stay in touch for a long time. No matter how much I think about it, I really can’t understand that.”

The sigh gradually changed into a growling breath. The smile was no longer a smile.

Ling Xinlu was staring at Yuri without even blinking.

“I really thought hard about it. I think I spent about twenty-three hours a day thinking. Because it was so strange that I couldn’t stand it even while sleeping.”

He stopped talking. Having approached right in front of Yuri, he looked at him with a face that truly found it strange.

“Do you like me? Really?”

He asked again. Even though it was the same question he had heard not long ago, Yuri thought about it carefully for a moment before answering.

“Yes.”

“…—Yes, I think so. He looks at me like that, so there’s no way he doesn’t like me. That is how you look at me. —But you see, I really don’t know.”

Ling Xinlu leaned forward ever so slightly. It was a minuscule movement, yet his dark eyes became vividly clear, as if they had moved right in front of Yuri’s face. It felt as though one could peer deep inside them.

“If you like me that much, how can you live without looking at me?”

His tone wasn’t one of questioning or accusation, but of genuine curiosity.

Ling Xinlu leaned in further. He brought his nose close to the nape of Yuri’s neck. Almost touching, yet not quite.

Slowly, the tension seemed to leave his shoulders. Then, a low voice spoke tenderly, truly kindly.

“Mr. Gable, I am very grateful to you. In all the time we’ve spent together, I’ve never met anyone as comfortable as you. Besides, well, you are my lifesaver. So—I will make you a very advantageous proposal.”

Ling Xinlu took a step back. When their eyes met, he beamed. With a gentle and radiant smile, he spoke.

“Let’s renew the contract as a lifelong one. In exchange, I’ll throw myself in.”

Tap, tap. A long, white index finger tapped against his own chest.

He would throw this in.

He would give this as well, so Yuri should do as he said.

Ling Xinlu’s smile was telling him that this was a very advantageous proposal. His generous arrogance was speaking.

Yuri stared at him blankly. Ling Xinlu, calmly awaiting Yuri’s answer, was saying that if Yuri followed his lead, he could have him as a quid pro quo.

“……. When we first contracted, there was a clause that I could look at you as I pleased, but now you’re offering yourself in your entirety. ……It is indeed a tempting proposal.”

Yuri looked down at his feet for a moment before asking him.

“How will you give yourself to me?”

“However Mr. Gable desires.”

Ling Xinlu answered concisely.

“I’m saying it doesn’t have to stop at simply staring blankly. You may be greedy.”

With a charming smile, Ling Xinlu suggested that there could be no better offer. The smile was so beautiful that Yuri found his gaze stolen once again. However.

“Why do you want me to the extent of doing all this?”

He had no choice but to ask, even knowing the smile would vanish from Ling Xinlu’s face.

As if he had never considered such a thing, Ling Xinlu stared at Yuri for a moment without a word, merely blinking. His lips wavered for a while as if he wanted to say something, before he slowly continued.

“I, ……I hate it when things that have come into my hands disappear. ……. Especially if it’s something I’ve taken a liking to.”

In that moment, as he mumbled his words like a child, a flicker of anxiety momentarily crossed his expression. It was as if something unknown had cast a shadow over his heart. Yet it was a faint, unrecognizable anxiety, as if he himself didn’t know what it was.

Yuri fell into thought again and asked once more.

“Do you like me?”

This time, no answer came. He simply stared intently at Yuri, as if he didn’t know the answer. He wore a face that didn’t even seem to understand what “liking” someone meant.

“Do you cherish me, respect me, and wish for me not to suffer? Even if that contradicts what you want right now?”

Again, Ling Xinlu did not answer. The expression gradually faded from his face.

Watching him, Yuri let out a quiet sigh.

“If not, you are making a very losing deal right now.”

Nor did he think it was a deal that was immensely beneficial to himself.

Yuri knew what he wanted in life. In the life he had lived—long if you will, short if you prefer—that was the one thing he had learned.

“For example,” Yuri began.

“If I were to spend my life with someone, I would want to live a life of mutual care. Just as Mr. Ling Xinlu called it ‘bland grass,’ I prefer something plain, quiet, and long-lasting. Without thinking of it as ‘bestowing’ something on the other, without filling one-sided greed, and without destroying each other.”

Therefore, he would not accept a proposal from someone who didn’t clearly know what they wanted, or someone who made an offer they might regret for a long time due to a greed that had suddenly surfaced.

Such a thing would destroy the other person, and eventually, destroy himself as well.

“You said you like me.”

Ling Xinlu, who had been listening to Yuri’s words expressionlessly, whispered. Yuri nodded, saying, “That’s right,” but then continued.

“Liking someone and living with someone may seem very similar, but they are different.”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu said nothing. His expressionless face, merely staring at Yuri, looked as though he wouldn’t say anything more.

Yuri waited patiently for a while for him to speak. After a silence long enough to be certain that the man giving him that mute gaze would not say another word, he spoke.

“If you wish, Mr. Ling Xinlu, we may renew the contract. The expiration date is approaching, so we can sign the renewal documents whenever it’s convenient before then.”

If there is anything you wish to add to the new year’s contract—if you intend to renew—please think about it, Yuri said. No answer returned.

* * *

『There’s a red ledger in the top drawer of my desk, go get it. Ask Baixiang to open the drawer for you.』

As soon as he picked up the phone, a coarse voice that didn’t even bother to check who the recipient was rang out bluntly.

Yuri remained silent for a moment. Perhaps frustrated by the lack of an immediate response, a harsh voice burst out again: 『Didn’t you hear me?』

“No. I heard you.”

『Right, then bring it right now. Come down to the basement and give it to Win-an. Don’t just stand there spacing out like an idiot, you young punk.』

With those words, the call ended. Yuri could almost see the face of the person clicking their tongue on the other end.

The reason Yuri had been silent was simple. It was because that voice was the very one he had been recalling repeatedly until just now, and it took a moment to process the words.

—What’s wrong with that brat.

That voice, clicking its tongue and saying those words, had been circling in his head since this morning.

“I got a call from the teacher; did you receive one as well?”

Just as Yuri was putting the phone in his pocket, the door clicked open and a woman from outside poked her head in. It seemed he had been contacted at the same time she was. Indeed, if Yuri had suddenly gone to her and asked her to open a desk drawer, she would have looked at him suspiciously and refused.

“Yes, he told me to bring the red ledger from the top drawer.”

After confirming Yuri’s answer, she trotted over and picked a small key from the bunch hanging at her waist. “Oh, is it not this one? Then is it this one?” she muttered flusteredly, confusing a few among the many keys. While waiting for her to try one key after another, Yuri took the phone back out of his pocket to check the time.

Barely ten minutes had passed since they had gone down to the basement. If Yuri went down with the ledger now, he would likely witness a gruesome scene in full swing.

Hmm, Yuri let out a calm sigh. He had seen gruesome sights countless times already, so it was nothing new, but what he disliked was the smell. The basement where they called Yuri was always drenched in a musty smell of mold and fish, which gave him a headache if he stayed too long.

However, thinking of Ling Xinlu, who would be smelling that right now, Yuri thought that the smell he’d encounter while delivering the ledger was no big deal.

Yes, the smell was no big deal. The gruesome sights didn’t bother him much either. No, the things happening in the basement and the smell—none of that mattered.

What remained and surfaced in his mind more was the remark the man—Ling Xinlu’s third uncle—had made suspiciously.

What’s wrong with that brat.

It was a coincidence that Yuri, who happened to be nearby, heard the third uncle muttering to himself, but it was no coincidence that those words came out of the uncle’s mouth.

The third uncle was a man with a very keen eye. Or rather, he was quick to read people. It seemed such a habit had formed over the long time he spent doing work that required him to pay attention in hundreds of directions, hundreds of times.

When he heard those words, Yuri unconsciously looked at the uncle who had spoken. Then, he followed the direction of the uncle’s gaze. Ling Xinlu was sitting there.

He was smiling as usual. Smiling brightly and softly, he was chatting with the people sitting next to and across from him. Though he mostly just listened, occasionally adding a word or two.

Yuri sat a bit apart from them, watching them from a proper distance. Whenever Ling Xinlu came to learn the trade from his uncle during the day, Yuri usually accompanied him, but because there were often details the uncle was reluctant to share with non-relatives, the uncle always told Yuri to keep a certain distance from Ling Xinlu. Thus, Yuri usually stayed at a reasonable distance and only approached when there was something to help him with.

At that time, Yuri had been at a distance where he could hear the conversations they shared casually like chatter, but wouldn’t be able to hear if they lowered their voices to a whisper. Rather, he was in a position closer to the uncle, who was sitting at the desk riffling through documents searching for something.

The uncle, who had been suspiciously watching Ling Xinlu chatting with two or three men he called only occasionally when needed, suddenly muttered to himself.

‘What’s wrong with that brat.’

After saying that, the uncle frowned and watched them for a moment longer, then turned to Yuri and gestured toward them with his chin.

‘What’s wrong with that brat? Did something happen?’

‘……. I’m not sure.’

Yuri followed the uncle’s gaze to Ling Xinlu and tilted his head as if he didn’t know. The uncle gave Ling Xinlu another suspicious look, then, as if deciding it didn’t matter, grumbled something and turned his attention back to the documents.

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu again. He was smiling as usual. He spoke, listened, and made expressions as usual. He seemed no different than any other time.

But.

He was definitely unstable.

Even though he was smiling, there was a feeling of instability somewhere.

However, Yuri tilted his head, not knowing why he felt that way. He couldn’t quite grasp what was different from other times. Nor why it was so.

Yet, it felt as though something was subtly shaking, like a few grains of sand silently falling from a sturdy fortress wall before a massive earthquake. Yes, just like—though not as violently revealed as to be clearly recognizable—right after he had moved from seringe to Berlin.

‘…….’

Yuri watched him silently. But the instability was only a vague feeling; he couldn’t find any concrete difference.

If there was one thing different from usual, it was that Ling Xinlu didn’t give Yuri his gaze. It wasn’t that he ignored him entirely—he would speak to him when necessary and occasionally their eyes would meet as if by chance while looking around—but the frequency of their eyes meeting had decreased significantly. Not completely, but enough to be certain that he was intentionally avoiding looking this way.

Today, since arriving at the office, their eyes had met only once or twice, just brief glancing encounters.

However, it seemed that only Yuri, and his uncle—who had looked puzzled for a moment but didn’t pay much mind—had noticed Ling Xinlu’s subtle attitude.

‘Did something good happen today? You keep smiling; it looks like something good happened.’

One of the men they were talking to, a man in a black jumper sitting diagonally from Ling Xinlu, spoke up suddenly. Ling Xinlu looked at him and smiled with his eyes, asking, ‘Do I?’

‘Now that you mention it, you do. Do you have a date today? Did you get a girlfriend?’

‘Hey, why a date on a day like today! In a bit, we’re going down to the basement to slaughter a pig, and you’ll ruin your clothes. No way. If you really made an appointment to meet a woman, reschedule it for another day. It’s not that I’m jealous because the youngest master is meeting a woman, I’m saying this for the young master’s sake. If you go covered in blood, what woman would stay?’

‘He’s not the one doing the actual work, so “covered in blood” is an exaggeration. Still, he’d stand out. But did you really get a girlfriend?’

The man with shaggy hair sitting next to him also craned his neck with interest and stared at Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu shook his head with a smile.

‘No. Nothing’s going on. I think I just smiled because what you’re saying is funny. I didn’t even realize I was smiling.’

‘Really nothing? But the young master looks like the type to have women.’

The man in the black jumper glanced at Ling Xinlu repeatedly with a mischievous look. Ling Xinlu smiled and said, ‘No.’

‘Hey, hey, if a person looks too bright and clean, women don’t follow. Look at how pretty the master is; what woman would be brave enough to stand next to him out of shyness!’

The shaggy-haired man gave the man in the black jumper a playful shove, teasing him.

Hey, but maybe he lures women with his face. Who knows if the master’s skills downstairs are excellent, they joked among themselves, giggling.

Yuri frowned slightly while watching them. But he soon erased his expression, showing nothing. Ling Xinlu, who was with them, was looking at them with an indifferent face. As if he had little interest in what they were saying, he responded half-heartedly, yet with enough of a smile to play along.

Those who worked under the third uncle were mainly called in when ‘rough work’ was to be done. Since they also handled general tasks while visiting business partners, they saw each other often, but they were almost always called for the rough work.

Having worked in this field for ten or twenty years, they called Ling Xinlu, who had only recently begun learning under the third uncle, “youngest master” and treated him with their own version of respect, but there were times when their words and actions showed they secretly considered him inferior.

Though they called him “master” because of his good family background, they seemed to view him as a naive, clueless brat who grew up pampered, occasionally tossing out jokes that could be offensive depending on how they were heard.

Things had improved quite a bit lately.

During the first few days after Ling Xinlu came under the uncle, they used polite language, but their attitude was no different from how they treated subordinates. However, as a few more days passed, Ling Xinlu finished tasks remarkably cleanly for a beginner and showed a resolute side depending on the situation, so their attitude had subsided significantly.

Just a while ago, their current feelings were revealed in the way they shook their heads in admiration, saying, ‘The youngest master is surprisingly no ordinary fellow; in a few years, we won’t be able to keep up with him.’ They acknowledged his admirable skill, but still considered him below them.

Even though he must have been well aware of their perceptions, Ling Xinlu didn’t show much reaction. He seemed to think it wasn’t worth his concern. Before him was a mountain of work he had to clear and master, and people like them were more trivial than a flying insect.

That was why, even now, Ling Xinlu simply smiled calmly regardless of their chatter.

……No, perhaps nothing they said even reached his ears.

Yuri stared blankly at Ling Xinlu. He was looking at them half-heartedly, as if he were thinking of something else in his head.

And amidst that, every now and then, a flicker of instability passed through in a very brief instant. That was what weighed on Yuri’s mind.

‘Still, why? Even the woman at the information desk on the first floor blushes every time she sees the master. That woman you said you liked before.’

As the man in the black jumper giggled, the shaggy-haired man glared at him with wide eyes. “When did I say I liked her? A fat woman like that!” he shouted, clicking his tongue. Then, he glanced over at Ling Xinlu.

‘But our young master is just too bright and pretty… If a person is too gentle, they lack substance. You need a bit of a mean streak in you.’

‘What’s with you? The youngest master is more determined than he looks. Didn’t you see the manager from the Three Gorges getting kicked out without a peep before?’

‘Hey, is squaring off with guys the same as seducing women? Isn’t that right, Young Master?’

The shaggy-haired man turned the conversation toward Ling Xinlu. He simply smiled and replied, ‘Of course.’

‘You can never truly know a person in advance. You don’t know until the moment actually arrives.’

As Ling Xinlu spoke calmly, his voice seemed to drop subtly. However, whether it was just a feeling or not, Ling Xinlu maintained an indifferent expression.

‘Right, right. But looking at you, Young Master, you seem far too kind, so I think you’ll have to be careful when choosing a woman. When a man is too gentle and treats them too well, he ends up with nothing; they suck all the sweetness out of him and eventually leave for someone else.’

The shaggy-haired man clicked his tongue and shook his head, as if he weren’t talking about a stranger. He began cursing a certain woman, claiming that some younger acquaintance of his had clung to her, given her his heart and soul, only for her to deny everything later, saying they were just like “brother and sister.”

Ling Xinlu said nothing. He simply listened in silence, only letting out a faint smile at one point and asking, ‘Is that so?’

‘I’m telling you. I heard she’s living happily now, fooling around with some other guy.’

As the man clicked his tongue, lamenting that only his acquaintance had been played for a fool, Ling Xinlu gave him a silent gaze. It was unclear what he was thinking; as he rubbed his chin, smiling like a mask glued to his face, his gaze turned a faint shade of blue.

Something flickered within his pupils. Something that had been submerged seemed to waver and shake unstabley.

Yes, just like back then, when he had been unable to control himself—somewhere, unstable.

But it was the moment Yuri faintly frowned. His uncle, who had been sitting at the desk flipping through documents, suddenly shouted.

‘Stop the useless chatter and get moving. The pig should be tied up and ready downstairs by now, so let’s go. Xinlu, you come along, —and you, wait here.’

The uncle stood up from the desk and put on his jacket, then issued a brief order of exclusion upon seeing Yuri sitting neatly beside him.

It seemed a particularly brutal situation was unfolding today.

The uncle accompanied Ling Xinlu on almost every matter, and Yuri followed Ling Xinlu. The uncle had tacitly permitted this.

However, whenever they faced illegal business—especially tasks they didn’t want noticed by outsiders—there were times when Yuri was left alone in the office. Now seemed to be one of those times.

If they were going down to the basement of this building, Yuri could roughly guess what would happen. They were catching someone. He had heard whispers that it wasn’t just clumsy threats or making an example of someone, but that there were cases where they actually ‘caught’ them.

I wonder how far they’ll go today.

Yuri thought as he saw off the men and Ling Xinlu, who were following his uncle.

Once before, Yuri had followed Ling Xinlu down to the basement. On that day, a man had been beaten half to death. Until the man was carried out covered in blood, with injuries that would likely leave him limping for the rest of his life, Yuri had to stand side-by-side with Ling Xinlu and watch the sequence of those men crushing the victim.

The uncle didn’t practically get his hands dirty in such matters; he merely tossed a few words to the victim about why this was happening to him, what his future status would be, and what he should do. And that was also the role Ling Xinlu would eventually take on in the distant future.

“…….”

Yuri let out a silent sigh.

As long as Ling Xinlu himself wasn’t suffering, Yuri wouldn’t interfere in any matter. Still, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

…But what did it matter? If there was no end whether looking up or looking down, it might be more peaceful to look down. Fortunately, in terms of inhumanity, Yuri knew one person who had descended to the absolute bottom. Compared to that person, anyone committing any evil act seemed human; even that human, who had hit rock bottom even on the surface by becoming an international fugitive, was currently living perfectly well.

More than those things, what was occupying a corner of his mind now was that inexplicably unstable feeling. Wavering, wavering—appearing fine, but with no way of knowing when something would go wrong.

“…….”

Yuri shook his head to drive the thoughts out of his mind.

For now, he had to take the ledger, which the uncle’s secretary had taken out of the desk drawer, down to the basement.

The man standing at the entrance to the first basement level opened the iron door and told Yuri to go in when Yuri asked for Win-an. The way he glanced at the ledger suggested he had already been notified from inside.

Following the direction the man pointed, Yuri walked down the narrow path of the basement floor, where several spacious rooms were connected.

The basement wasn’t that large. There were about four or five rooms, each roughly ten or fifteen square meters. Occasionally peering into a room with an open door, he saw they were either completely empty or contained nothing more than a single steel bed, giving off a bleak atmosphere.

However, more chilling than the visible scenery was the low sound coming from the room at the very end of the narrow basement path.

From that room, where the presence of several people leaked out haphazardly, the sounds of metal scraping against the floor and the ripping of tape were mixing together. Heard individually, these were ordinary sounds, but because he anticipated the scene unfolding inside, they grated on his ears eerily.

Another man stood in front of the room as if keeping watch. He had been watching Yuri since he entered the path, and upon seeing the ledger, he nodded in recognition.

“Giving that to Mr. Win-an? Let’s see… I think you’ll have to wait a bit. They just started.”

Saying “let’s see,” the man peered through the long, rectangular slot in the iron door and clicked his tongue. “It would have been better if you came a little earlier,” he said.

Yuri thought he could just hand the ledger to this man and leave, but the man didn’t seem to hear him and didn’t ask for the ledger. Assuming Yuri was one of the third uncle’s subordinates, he didn’t even tell him to go outside and wait.

Yuri wondered if it would be better to wait outside, but the gatekeeper gave no hint. As if it were natural to wait there until the job was done, he tossed out trivial remarks like, “Ugh, I’m hungry. I haven’t even had lunch yet.” Apparently, anyone who came on an errand in these cases had waited in front until the work was finished.

Yuri, who always kept one or two cereal bars in his pocket—for Ling Xinlu, who sometimes got so buried in work that he had no time to eat—handed one to the gatekeeper and decided to wait beside him.

Through the long slot at eye level in the iron door, the scene inside the room was visible.

The first thing that caught his eye was Ling Xinlu. He wasn’t wearing the same smile he had in the office, but with a composed face as if nothing were special, he was looking a couple of steps ahead where a black jumper was visible. And in front of that, a man in a black jumper was violently gripping someone’s hair. The man, whose mouth was blocked with packing tape and whose arms were bound tightly behind his back with packing tape, seemed to be today’s victim.

“He embezzled the drugs. Seems he’s been doing it for half a year. I heard he got caught recently after embezzling a large amount to sell.”

The gatekeeper, chewing the cereal bar with a crunch, clicked his tongue and called him a stupid brat. According to the gatekeeper, the drugs he had embezzled and sold happened to be caught in a public security search, leading to a massive crackdown, which meant business would be stalled for a while.

“Business is stalled, and that guy’s life is finished.”

The gatekeeper shrugged and walked over to a chair a few steps away to sit down. Thinking that Yuri would take over the role of gatekeeper, he stopped paying attention and began fiddling with the phone he took out of his pocket.

Yuri looked into the room in silence. More accurately, he looked at Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu, who would only watch the events unfold without directly touching the victim, was directing an indifferent gaze toward them.

“…….”

It was like the eyes of a dead fish. Eyes with no interest in what was before them. It felt extremely foreign. Ling Xinlu had never looked at Yuri with such eyes.

Come to think of it, for the past while, they had barely made eye contact, passing each other by. Even when their eyes did meet, it didn’t last long.

Yet, Ling Xinlu would sometimes stare at Yuri as if unconsciously. Yuri couldn’t tell what he was thinking during those gazes when he looked at him lost in thought.

Was he wondering whether to renew the contract or what? Or was he thinking something else?

Sometimes, Ling Xinlu would look at Yuri while clenching his teeth as if anxious, but when Yuri looked back, he would quietly avert his gaze. As if he didn’t even want to make eye contact.

It was the same this morning. While they were eating in a silence where barely a word or two was exchanged, a call came. It was James.

『I think it’s almost time for your contract renewal; what are you going to do this year? Are you staying there, or are you coming back? If you’re coming back, I need to prepare your spot in advance.』

To be precise, James honestly admitted he needed to distribute the workload Kyle had piled up. Listening to this, Yuri glanced at Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu, who had been staring at Yuri from the moment he answered the phone saying ‘James?’, frowned slightly when their eyes met. He seemed puzzled that Yuri was looking at him while on the phone.

‘I don’t know… I’m not sure yet. Things are still ambiguous on this end… I’ll contact you once it’s decided.’

『When is the expiration date that it’s still ambiguous? Whatever. Come back as soon as possible if you can. China is too far.』

James, grumbling that he couldn’t even ask for small favors occasionally, asked a few simple greetings and soon hung up. Yuri also put down the receiver and sat back at the table.

Ling Xinlu said nothing. He had probably guessed the reason James called just by hearing Yuri’s words.

Whether to renew the contract or not—Yuri had given that decision-making power to Ling Xinlu. If he didn’t make a decision, Yuri couldn’t plan his future schedule.

But he had no intention of rushing him. Even if Ling Xinlu delayed and didn’t bring it up until the moment of expiration, it was fine as long as he gave an answer after thinking about it to his satisfaction.

Whether to renew the contract or to fold it here.

“…….”

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu, who was standing with an expressionless face, and swallowed a quiet sigh.

Meanwhile, the ‘work’ was beginning inside the room. As the gatekeeper had said, today’s ‘work’ likely wouldn’t end lightly.

Embezzling drugs was a huge problem in itself. Especially since the third uncle was a man who always preached about making an example of one to warn a hundred, he never let such problems slide. Moreover, since the man had become the cause for them to have to keep a low profile for a while, no matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem like it would end gently.

“…Right, what were you planning to do with the money you made? Were you that greedy for a few pennies that couldn’t even save your own life? You stupid friend.”

The sound of the man in the black jumper laughing and clicking his tongue was heard. Simultaneously, a grating sound—a dull groan that couldn’t escape the tape-blocked mouth—flowed out. The shaggy-haired man standing beside the man rolling on the floor grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back up to a sitting position.

“You made a few pennies, but do you know how much the loss is on this side? Even if we cut your body into pieces and sold it, we wouldn’t recover 1/100th of that money. What are you going to do about this? Huh?”

Rough voices and the sounds of impact flowed out continuously. In one corner of the room, the uncle sat in a chair, merely watching them. It seemed he left everything to them except for the final decision.

Ling Xinlu was watching them in silence. Even in a situation where most people would find it uncomfortable to watch what was happening right in front of them, he showed no particular reaction. No, it seemed his thoughts weren’t even there.

It wasn’t long before the shaggy-haired man spoke to Ling Xinlu.

“Youngest Master, are you alright? You look a bit pale.”

Rather than worrying, the shaggy-haired man looked at Ling Xinlu with a smirk, as if it were amusing, appearing to feel a sense of superiority. “The Young Master will get used to this eventually,” replied the man in the black jumper, who seemed to be in a similar mood.

Ling Xinlu seemed to have been lost in other thoughts, only giving them his gaze until then. Only after hearing them call him did a faint light return to his dead-fish-like eyes.

“Your complexion is really not good. Are you okay? Did we show you something too gruesome?”

“Ah… I think it’s because I haven’t been able to rest much lately. I’m fine; this isn’t that gruesome.”

Ling Xinlu said, shaking his head lightly. Seeing Ling Xinlu gesture for them to continue, the two men exchanged a glance.

They seemed offended. They likely didn’t like that a cowardly brat, who stood pale and speechless, unable to even properly watch someone being harmed, was now calmly muttering ‘this isn’t that gruesome’ and speaking as if commanding them from above.

The shaggy-haired man stealthily looked at the third uncle. The uncle, who had been sitting with his arms crossed just watching, showed no reaction. He seemed intent on just watching without interfering or blocking whatever they did. It was a silent permission.

The man in the black jumper, who had been crouching while gripping the bound man’s head, stood up. Then, with a crooked smile, he spoke to Ling Xinlu.

“How about it, Youngest Master, would you like to handle him yourself? Well… normally the Young Master wouldn’t have to get his hands dirty, but you’ll be seeing even more gruesome things in the future, so I think it would be good to try it once yourself?”

“…Me?”

Ling Xinlu looked down at the man rolling on the floor. The man, who had already been lynched by them and was groaning, covered in blood, was in a state that made one frown just by looking at him.

Ling Xinlu looked at the man indifferently, then turned his gaze to the shaggy-haired man. Following him, he looked at the man in the black jumper, who was staring with a similar expression. Finally, he looked at the uncle sitting a bit further away.

The uncle frowned, looking at Ling Xinlu with a hint of suspicion, but he closed his mouth just as he was about to say something. And as if intending to see how it would go, he did not interfere.

“…Alright, then. Shall we try that.”

Ling Xinlu dropped his gaze back to the man collapsed on the floor. Then he walked over and stood beside him.

Bending his waist and crouching down, Ling Xinlu looked down at the man, who was struggling to open his swollen eyes and looking at him with a terrified face. After scanning him slowly, he reached out and untied the man’s wrists, which had been bound tightly with packing tape behind his back.

Rrip, rrip. As the tape was torn away, the man opened his swollen eyes wide and looked at Ling Xinlu. The hands that had been bound to his writhing body became free. The man looked at Ling Xinlu with terrified eyes, but also with a hint of gratitude.

The shaggy-haired man, watching from behind Ling Xinlu, raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue.

“Youngest Master, you shouldn’t untie that guy… He might look pitiful to you, but that guy needs to be killed as an exam—”

But before he could finish his sentence.

Ling Xinlu stood up and picked up a forearm-sized hammer that had been leaning against the wall. After shaking the handle once or twice as if gauging the weight, he smashed the man’s head.

“—…!”

There was no scream.

Blood poured out from the shattered head, instantly staining the floor. The man sprawled upon it only moved his fingers slightly, as if convulsing.

“You won’t be able to move, but you’re still conscious, right? Good, stay just like that. It’s only harder to properly deal with someone if you bother tying up their arms and all that.”

Ling Xinlu muttered indifferently, glancing at the man. A hammer he had tossed aside rolled across the stone floor with a heavy thud.

In an instant, the room fell silent.

Aside from Ling Xinlu, there wasn’t even a sign of anyone moving.

“You’re quite unlucky… I’m in a bad mood right now. My head is cluttered with this and that. …Why did you have to steal from someone else to end up like this?”

Clicking his tongue, Ling Xinlu gave the man a light kick to flip him over. The man, whose eyes were rolled back, was on the verge of losing consciousness, yet he continued to convulse, still barely aware. Then, a relentless kick slammed down onto the man’s knee. The sound of the knee shattering erupted along with a guttural groan.

“I’ve had things taken from me before, and it feels absolutely disgusting. It makes you think that the bastard who stole from you simply needs to be killed.”

A look of displeasure crossed his bright, beautiful face. A crease formed between his brows, and his lips twisted. Simultaneously, the man’s other knee was crushed.

Ling Xinlu remained silent for a moment, stepping on the now immobile knees with his heel. Standing there quietly as if lost in thought, he murmured to himself.

“…But thinking about it now, I think that was actually better.”

What followed was the sound of a torso being trampled. The sound of flesh being mashed. The sound of bones shifting out of place.

“Now, all I can think about is what would happen if I lost it again. The very thought of it is just horribly—”

Scary, it sounded as if he had whispered.

However, that low whisper was buried beneath the sound of the man’s ribs snapping, making it impossible to hear.

It was a scene from hell.

Even for Yuri, who had seen countless hellscapes of people dying due to past experiences and was accustomed to it, his heart grew cold.

The only one moving in that space was Ling Xinlu. The man pinned beneath his feet lay limp and motionless. He might have been dead. Behind him, two men watched with expressionless faces, frozen in place.

Despite this, Ling Xinlu continued his mechanical kicking, crushing the man without a change in expression. The first person to move, other than him, was the third uncle, who had been watching until then.

“Do you intend to kill him?!”

Frowning fiercely, he shouted sharply at Ling Xinlu. At that, Ling Xinlu stopped his movements. He slowly turned to look at his uncle.

“Didn’t you mean for me to kill him when you left him to me?”

Ling Xinlu spoke, tilting his head as if perplexed. The uncle, staring at him with wide eyes, clicked his tongue.

“This brat… You must keep your head cool when you use your hands. I mean you shouldn’t lose your reason while having a cold head!”

“My reason is perfectly intact, Uncle.”

Ling Xinlu looked at his uncle with a slanted smile. Letting out a hollow laugh as if it were a predicament, Ling Xinlu looked down coldly at the lump of blood sprawled on the floor.

“My head isn’t hot at all; it’s calmly settled. At least regarding this fellow.”

Thump. The foot that lightly kicked him again was merely mechanical, devoid of both hatred and anger.

The uncle frowned as he watched Ling Xinlu, then signaled to the two men behind him who were staring with faintly pale, frozen faces.

“Hey, you two, take Xinlu out of here. —Xinlu, go back for today.”

As the uncle waved his hand and clicked his tongue, the two men hesitated before approaching Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu looked at them with indifferent eyes and turned to walk away, flanked by the two who led him toward the door, not daring to actually touch him.

“Then I shall see you again tomorrow, Uncle.”

“Stop by the office to wash up and change your clothes before you go. If you walk out covered in blood from head to toe like that, anyone would run ten thousand li away.”

Stepping out the door opened by the two men, Ling Xinlu laughed lightly as he heard his uncle’s cold remark from behind.

“What does it matter? Who would run—”

However, Ling Xinlu’s words, murmured like a joke, stopped abruptly.

It was the moment he came face-to-face and locked eyes with Yuri, who was standing outside the door.

“….”

“…—”

It wasn’t just his words that stopped. His movements stopped as well. As if frozen in mid-stride, Ling Xinlu stared at Yuri, his expression hardening.

Yuri looked at him silently, then lowered his gaze slightly. He handed the ledger to the shaggy-haired man who had just opened the door. The shaggy-haired man looked back and forth between the ledger and Yuri a couple of times before taking it.

“Thanks for bringing it,” the man murmured. Behind him, Yuri locked eyes with the third uncle. The uncle frowned and clicked his tongue, as if he hadn’t expected Yuri to have come in and stood there, but he didn’t say anything in particular.

After a slight nod of greeting, Yuri signaled his farewell to the other two men before turning his gaze back to Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu was still standing there blankly, staring vacantly at Yuri. After facing him for a moment—Ling Xinlu blinking with a dazed expression as if caught off guard—Yuri finally spoke quietly.

“Shall we go?”

The eyes that had flickered and shimmered unstably for a moment were etched into his mind.

The moment their eyes met, Yuri realized that Ling Xinlu’s claim to his uncle—that his reason was perfectly intact—was not a lie. Though they were as black as if all emotion had died, his eyes were cold and rationally settled.

But the moment those eyes saw Yuri.

Those eyes began to waver unstably, as if a haze were rising. The pupils, which had been sunk in a dead black, shimmered with a dark light.

Why are you here? it felt as if his lips, which had parted soundlessly for a split second, had asked.

But in reality, no sound came from those lips, and the eyes that had been watching Yuri soon turned elsewhere, hiding the shimmering light within.

“….”

Yuri sat at the dining table, looking down at the cup in front of him. The cup, from which warm steam had been rising, had now cooled and settled quietly.

Just then, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Yuri turned his head.

The door, which had remained silent and still for a while, opened shortly after. And Ling Xinlu emerged from within.

Wearing a spotless, clean robe, even the towel he used to dry his hair was white. It was hard to believe this was the same person who, until a moment ago, had been stained from head to toe in dark blood.

“I’ve brewed some tea.”

When Yuri spoke, Ling Xinlu, who had been rubbing his hair silently in front of the door, glanced over. He approached the table in silence and sat in the seat opposite Yuri, where a cup had been placed. He simply stared down at the tea, which had cooled to a temperature just right for him, as he struggled with hot drinks.

Yuri drank his tea in silence. He drank slowly, sip by sip, wetting his throat, but Ling Xinlu didn’t take a single sip until Yuri had emptied his cup.

“It must be cold by now, so I’ll brew some more for you.”

Yuri stood up, taking his empty cup and Ling Xinlu’s cold cup, intending to brew another cup for himself as well.

Just as Yuri was about to leave, Ling Xinlu, who had been following the disappearing empty cup with his eyes as if somewhat anxious, locked eyes with Yuri. Seeing those eyes filled with an unstable, flickering light, Yuri unconsciously slowed his pace.

“Are you angry?”

Ling Xinlu asked. His low, sunken voice seemed to tremble as much as his pupils. Even though it didn’t actually shake, it sounded intensely unstable.

Yuri blinked and looked at him. Then, he slowly shook his head.

“I am not angry.”

Yuri’s face must have shown a hint of bewilderment, as he couldn’t understand why he was suddenly being asked if he was angry. Ling Xinlu, scanning Yuri’s face in detail, frowned slightly.

“You don’t like it when people are damaged in that way.”

Only then did Yuri realize what he was talking about.

Ling Xinlu was asking if Yuri was angry because he had seen him harming someone.

Because he hadn’t expected him to ask such a thing—because he hadn’t known Ling Xinlu was thinking that—Yuri stared at him blankly for a moment before shaking his head.

“No one enjoys or finds pleasure in seeing a person get hurt. Generally speaking. I am the same, but that doesn’t mean I have a reason to be angry with you, Mr. Ling Xinlu.”

“—…Were you not scared or creeped out?”

Ling Xinlu asked again. Every question he posed was so unlike him that Yuri looked at him with curiosity before shaking his head again.

“I’ve already seen plenty of that. I’m not suddenly scared or creeped out.”

There was no need to even mention the numerous dangerous places he had traveled to while working. Even the gruesome sights he had witnessed while cleaning up after Riegrow during his time at T&R were too many to count on two hands. He had seen people literally ‘beaten to death’ from start to finish several times.

So, there was no reason to be scared or creeped out by such an act now.

However.

“I was surprised.”

He spoke quietly to Ling Xinlu, who was watching him with suspicious eyes.

Just as Yuri had seen the unstable agitation in Ling Xinlu’s eyes when they met earlier, Ling Xinlu must have seen a shock bordering on horror in Yuri. That was why, despite the claims that he wasn’t angry or afraid, Ling Xinlu hadn’t fully accepted it and had looked at him suspiciously. Upon hearing that he was surprised, that suspicious light softened ever so slightly.

“It was the first time I saw you personally lay a hand on someone, Mr. Ling Xinlu. What happened today? I didn’t think you were the type to do such things.”

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu as he put the tea water on to boil. Ling Xinlu remained silent for a moment before responding bluntly.

“I don’t. It just happened. From my position, there’s actually no need for me to step in personally. So, this won’t happen again in the future. Earlier, it was just… my head was cluttered with various thoughts.”

He didn’t say, as a way to vent. As he shut his mouth and glanced at Yuri, it seemed he thought that saying such a thing would make Yuri’s expression turn unpleasant again.

In the silence that followed, Yuri quietly brewed the tea and placed the steaming cup in front of Ling Xinlu. It would have to cool a bit before he could drink it, but since he had only been staring at the cup since earlier, he didn’t seem to have any intention of picking it up immediately.

…He had thought that Ling Xinlu had become stronger to some extent.

Watching Ling Xinlu, who no longer showed unstable light and always wore a cheerful, bright smile while looking forward with a confident gaze, he had believed that he was no longer as unstable as to be unable to control himself like before. He thought that his heart, which had been gradually stabilized and hardened, had found its own kind of peace.

Perhaps he wasn’t entirely wrong.

Even when he had encountered Yuri earlier, Ling Xinlu wasn’t in an emotionally turbulent state. His eyes were clearly settled and calm with reason. His instability had simply changed form, manifesting in a distorted shape different from before.

“….”

This was problematic.

Although he wasn’t as anxious as before—where he didn’t know how to handle himself and might have accidentally put himself in danger—he still looked precarious in some way. Even now, as he looked down at the teacup in front of Yuri, occasionally lifting his gaze to look at him.

—But.

It might sound strange to say, but Yuri felt that, in some ways, he was more at ease in this current situation.

During the time they had been alone at home recently, they had hardly spoken. Ling Xinlu only spoke a few short words when absolutely necessary. Yuri, too, found it difficult to start a conversation with someone who wouldn’t even try to meet his eyes.

Yuri only now realized that the deathly oppressive silence might have been quite agonizing, perhaps without him even being conscious of it. He felt much more comfortable now, even if the conversation was slow and the tone somewhat gloomy.

So, though it was a bit absurd even to himself, Yuri found himself smiling unconsciously. Even if it was just a slight crinkle at the corners of his eyes, hidden behind an indifferent expression, Ling Xinlu, who had been watching Yuri with dark, sunken eyes, seemed to notice the smile. He raised an eyebrow slightly, as if it were strange.

“Right after we went from seringe to Berlin, while we were staying at the same hotel,”

Yuri spoke quietly. Ling Xinlu looked puzzled but listened in silence.

“There was a time when I couldn’t sleep and tossed and turned every night because of the pain right after my eyes were injured.”

Ling Xinlu said nothing, but he seemed to recall exactly when Yuri was referring to.

There had been such a time. Every night, while his eyes burned and his body ached, while he broke out in cold sweats until he was drenched, he had endured it forcibly without letting out a single scream.

And every time, Yuri had stayed by his side, watching him struggle and gasp for breath in agony, and he had thought.

“Watching you bite your lips, clench your teeth, and gasp for air to keep the screams from escaping—watching you forcibly suppress it with a pale face, fearing that the sound of your painful breathing might be too loud—I thought to myself.”

Looking at Ling Xinlu’s lips, which were bitten and burst every night, bursting again before the wounds could even heal, and the scabs that never seemed to disappear; while applying medicine to the bite marks on the back of his own hand, which he had bitten to distract himself from the pain, Yuri had sincerely thought in his heart.

“I thought it would be better for you to hurt others than to harm your own body through self-injury just to get through unbearable pain. I know it’s a very selfish thought, but no matter what anyone said, I truly hoped for that.”

As Yuri spoke, Ling Xinlu looked at him with a strange expression. It was a quite bizarre look. It was as if he were looking at a stranger, or as if he were in great pain but didn’t know where it hurt and thus couldn’t even cry; those expressions were mixed together to create a strange look.

“So, even though you look unstable now, I feel it’s a relief that you aren’t harming yourself. Though I feel sorry for that man from earlier.”

Yuri spoke calmly. Meanwhile, he picked up the tea, which had cooled to a drinkable temperature, and moistened his throat.

Ling Xinlu just stared at Yuri. He still showed no sign of picking up the teacup, watching Yuri as if he were someone who must not be let go for even a second.

Then, Yuri’s gaze happened to fall on the calendar hanging on the wall behind Ling Xinlu. A large date suddenly caught his eye, and next to it, the small character for ‘Luck’ came into view. It was a character with no particular meaning and didn’t necessarily come true, but it settled his heart a little.

Yuri murmured while drinking his tea.

“There are many lucky days this month. There aren’t many left, but it seems it will be a good month.”

The markings on the calendar for the remaining few days of the month were, at worst, average. Even if he didn’t believe them literally, Yuri thought it wouldn’t be bad to choose to believe only the good things, so he traced the character with his eyes.

“There really aren’t many days left.”

He murmured abruptly without realizing it.

As time passed, the contract expiration was approaching.

Ling Xinlu seemed to have thought of the same thing at almost the same time. The corners of his mouth seemed to stiffen slightly.

“I have no intention of rushing you. Please take your time to think.”

Yuri spoke quietly and sincerely.

He could wait as long as he wanted until the expiration. If the expiration passed—then the contract would automatically end without renewal.

It was fine if the conclusion was delayed. If that was how he could accept it.

Yuri finished the last sip of his tea.

Then.

Ling Xinlu, who had been staring intently at Yuri in silence, suddenly whispered.

“I’m thirsty. —I want to drink water.”

At the whisper that sounded like a sigh, Yuri looked down at the untouched teacup but soon stood up. Cool water might soothe his thirst better than warm tea.

Pouring the water and placing it in front of him, Yuri asked, “Do you need ice too?” Ling Xinlu shook his head and picked up the glass.

He must have been truly thirsty. He swallowed the water slowly but without pause, soon emptying the cup. As if it still weren’t enough, he stared blankly at the empty glass and whispered.

“I’m thirsty. I feel a thirst… It feels like my throat is burning.”

Yuri quickly refilled the cup. Ling Xinlu emptied the water, filled to the brim, shortly thereafter. However, frowning, he tilted his head while looking at the empty glass. Then, he lifted his gaze to look at Yuri.

“…No… The thirst won’t stop. I’m thirsty… Water.”

A faint trace of anxiety seeped into Ling Xinlu’s voice. Complaining of a desperate thirst, he gripped his throat.

Yuri frowned slightly.

“Are you alright?”

He asked quietly, leaning toward him. Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri. For a while, he stared at Yuri as if trying to pierce through him, and anxiety began to pool in his eyes.

A reaching hand gripped Yuri’s collar. Following the hand that pulled him slowly but firmly, as if refusing to let go, Ling Xinlu buried his face in the gap of Yuri’s collar. The sound of him inhaling slowly and deeply leaked out.

After inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply several times, he finally whispered in a voice as low as a breeze.

“I’m thirsty. As if my throat is going to burn up… I want to drink.”

Please.

It was because of that short whisper. The trembling anxiety contained in those few words. The insecurity carried in that yearning breath.

Because of that, Yuri did not push him away.

The first touch came cautiously.

Ling Xinlu, who had pulled Yuri’s collar and buried his face in his chest, whispered, “My throat is burning…” and very carefully placed his tongue against Yuri’s skin, as if licking a single drop of water. Thinking that he was like a cat, Yuri looked down at him.

Lick, lick. One drop, and then one more. A very cautious and soft sensation followed once, then twice, as if gathering lingering droplets of water upon his lips.

Yuri could feel Ling Xinlu’s gaze observing him while his lips remained pressed against his chest. For a brief moment as their eyes met, Yuri hesitated before slowly reaching out to stroke his shoulder. It felt almost like an awkward caress.

At that moment.

As if a stream of water had begun to flow before someone who had barely quenched their thirst by licking droplets to avoid death, a desperate thirst surged violently across Ling Xinlu’s face. As if he would have let go with regret had he not known the moist sensation on his lips and died of thirst, now that his lips had been moistened, he could never let go.

He was like a madman.

Crash! The loud sound of porcelain shattering rang out.

Several teacups and glass cups that had been on the table were swept away, flung to the floor, and smashed to pieces. Yuri’s back hit the spot where they had been.

Pushed by a rough and decisive touch, Yuri fell onto the table, and before he could even raise his body, Ling Xinlu pounced on him.

A suffocating weight pressed down on his chest, his stomach, and his entire body.

“I thought I had become very mature. Truly. I thought that the days of being unstable or driven by emotion to the point where I couldn’t control myself would never happen again.”

A hot breath wafted over as growling words erupted from above his chest.

“I thought I could handle my emotions in any situation, that I never wanted to repeat what happened before—yes, that while Mr. Gable was taking care of me when I was like a lunatic who couldn’t even restrain himself in that Berlin hotel, those hardships he endured would never happen again. That’s what I thought.”

The feeling of lips scanning every inch of his skin—from his neck to his chest, to his stomach—as if not a single spot could be missed, was ticklish and eerie. It felt as if a moist, hot mollusk were passing over him. Yuri instinctively shrugged his shoulders and tried to push himself up, but the weight pinning him down only increased.

“Now, Mr. Gable, even if Riegrow were right in front of me, I could remain calm. The mere thought of that bastard being alive in this world is unpleasant and I can’t stand to see a single hair on his head, but even so, if I were with him in a position where I had to maintain my composure, I could be as calm as I need to be. Even he wouldn’t be able to disturb my reason. —However.”

The hand that had been stroking his side suddenly gripped Yuri’s waist. The arms embracing him tightened further, as if he would never be released, leaving Yuri breathless.

“Ling, Xin—”

“You are the problem. You don’t work that way. Whenever I see you—my mind goes blank. I don’t know what to do, or where to even start.”

The voice spitting the words out roughly sounded angry. Or perhaps he truly was angry.

At some point, Ling Xinlu’s groin was touching the inside of Yuri’s thighs. He pushed his hips deep between Yuri’s legs until their groins met. And Yuri could clearly feel his member, hard and erect, through the single layer of underwear that remained after Ling Xinlu had practically torn his clothes off. The cool air was pushed aside, replaced by a searing body heat.

“You said you’d contact me often when you return? That we should stay acquainted for a long time while calling occasionally? For a long time, yes, but I’ll wither and die over that long time? You want me to—give this up—just by hearing your voice?”

Ling Xinlu whispered between the gaps as he chewed on Yuri’s lips as if to swallow them. No longer suppressing himself, or rather, with no intention of doing so, he devoured Yuri’s body wherever his hands and lips could reach.

“I, Mr. Ling Xinlu, never said I was going—”

“You said so.”

Cutting Yuri off mid-sentence, Ling Xinlu asserted. As if he were overwhelmed by his own words, his jaw tightened.

“You said so. In the end, that’s what it means. Even if you renew the contract every year and stay one year longer, what is that? Your heart can leave at any time. —Then why did you come to me?”

A resentment that sounded like a plea of unfairness pierced into his ear.

Simultaneously.

Ling Xinlu pushed Yuri’s knees up. Pushing the knees close to the chest, he rested Yuri’s ankles on his own shoulders.

Unable to move in the uncomfortable position, Yuri let out a strained breath and murmured, “I didn’t, do th—” but stopped mid-sentence.

A hand that had slowly slid down from his lower abdomen brushed against his groin. The hand, which seemed to linger for a moment over Yuri’s limp member, began to rub it as if it were angry. Within the grip that stroked upward—rough yet not enough to cause pain—Yuri felt his own breath grow ragged.

The senses that had been sensitized by being licked all over his body were instantly heightened by the direct stimulation of his lower half. The member, which began to harden and gain strength after only a few strokes, was then stroked a bit more slowly by the rough hand, as if satisfied.

“I’ll be good to you.”

Suddenly, a low and soft voice whispered in his ear. As if he had never been angry or resentful, the voice whispered tenderly, nibbling on the earlobe like a cat acting cute.

“Whatever you want, I’ll do anything for you. I’ll give myself to you, so you can be as greedy as you like. I’ll do as much as you want.”

The touch caressing his lower half was as soft as the voice.

As much as he wanted, however he desired.

That is what Ling Xinlu was saying. Gently, as if coaxing a child.

Amidst a desperate anxiety where he was not satisfied further despite being flushed, because of the hand stroking him slowly, Yuri looked at him with blurred eyes. He couldn’t see his face clearly. It was because his mind was shimmering with fever.

“You’ll do it for me…?”

“Yes. Whatever you want. Anything.”

“… … I don’t want to ‘receive’ things being done for me.”

While panting with ragged breath, Yuri murmured the thought that vaguely floated into his mind. It felt less like he was speaking to him and more like he was talking to himself.

He didn’t dislike this. No, he liked it.

To the point where he seriously questioned his own inclinations, Yuri loved the act of mixing bodies with Ling Xinlu. Though he would end up exhausted in the end, he would never refuse if Ling Xinlu wanted it.

However, he liked blending together. He wasn’t keen on ‘receiving’ something being ‘done’ for him.

“… Why? You don’t want to? With me?”

Then suddenly, the voice that had been silent for a moment was heard again. The voice still whispering low in his ear was no longer soft and gentle.

Then, beneath the hand that had been rubbing Yuri’s member, Ling Xinlu pushed his hips in deep.

“Ah, …—!!”

A low, suppressed moan escaped involuntarily. Yuri’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, breathless for a moment, but even that mouth was devoured by Ling Xinlu’s lips.

Without warning, the member that forced its way in, parting his body, buried itself deeper and deeper. With rough, consecutive thrusts, the member soon reached the deepest part of Yuri’s body. He pressed down until his testicles were flush against the entrance, which had been stretched to its limit.

He was suffocating. Yuri barely managed to turn his head to exhale ragged breaths. He escaped Ling Xinlu’s mouth and inhaled and exhaled deeply several times, but because of the sensation of being pushed up with immense pressure below, he didn’t feel like he could breathe properly.

Ling Xinlu obsessively followed Yuri as he turned his head. An obsessive mouth clung to the lips and cheeks of Yuri, who was breathing heavily with his chest heaving. Ling Xinlu was also panting, driven by excitement.

“—Then, you do it for me. I don’t care how you do it. I want to do everything for you, but if you hate receiving, then you serve me. Give this body to me. Spread your legs whenever I want, and shake your hips as much as I want. That way, you do it for me.”

Whispering roughly while biting Yuri’s cheek, he began to thrust his hips upward. As if wanting to push the member—which had already entered so deep that it seemed impossible to go further—even deeper, deeper, and deeper, he thrust his hips up without hesitation.

And as he was shaken by the movement, Yuri instinctively wrapped his legs around his waist, feeling as if he might fall somewhere. Not knowing how to handle his body, which was trembling and burning hot, he moved as instinct dictated.

“Yes, yes, you’re doing great. Tighten like that. …—Damn it, did you want this so badly? Enough to pester me by tightening like this? How have you lived with a body like this until now? In the future, yes, how will you live without me if you go back? With such a greedy body, can you live without me? Or—.”

The words he was pouring into Yuri suddenly stopped.

Whatever thought had occurred to him, even the movement of thrusting his hips while holding and stroking Yuri paused for a moment.

A cold light, as if the temperature had dropped below zero, and then in the next moment, a fire-like resentment that rushed in like a heatwave erupted.

“I’ll never just leave you alone…! If by any chance, any person, man or woman, other than me lays a single finger on this body, I’ll kill them, whoever they are. Know that I’ll tear their limbs apart and shred their flesh to death right before your eyes. Whoever it is, —I’ll definitely get rid of them, I absolutely cannot just leave you alone…!!”

Roaring fiercely like a tiger, as if to tear apart every corner of his body, Ling Xinlu drove Yuri back. His heart was beating frantically, his eyes wide with the thought that had momentarily flashed through his mind. It felt as if it might burst.

Even with skin between them, he could feel the heartbeat. Why was that? While vaguely wondering, Yuri realized. The heart beating was his own. Two hearts were touching closely, racing fiercely together.

Another person. He had never even thought about it.

Yes, it might happen. He might one day find someone he liked enough to want to mix bodies with.

But not now. Nor in the future. At least as long as this man desired him.

“…—”

I won’t, he tried to say, but the words wouldn’t leave his tongue. There was no room to speak because of the intense heat pouring a maddening sensation into him below.

No thoughts came to mind. The strong grip of the hand clutching his waist, the firm teeth biting his lips, the gesture of pulling Yuri’s waist closer and pushing him further every time he shook—it all came to him as one giant sensation.

As if his entire body were composed of sensation itself.

Hah. Hah. Hah. Sounds, whether they were his own breaths or his, filled his ears. Those sounds seemed to be mixed with sobbing, and Yuri thought that perhaps he was crying. Come to think of it, his cheeks felt wet. His eyes, too. Perhaps he was screaming and wailing frantically.

But could it be that this man was the one crying?

Yuri tried several times to clear his vision, which was blurred with tears, and looked at Ling Xinlu.

However, Ling Xinlu, who had momentarily seemed to be crying, was not. Only droplets of sweat were dripping down his lean cheeks.

Yet, not knowing why he looked like a wailing child, Yuri struggled with his dizzy head to keep looking at Ling Xinlu, never breaking eye contact. Ling Xinlu also never took his eyes off Yuri, staring at him as if to devour him.

The heavy volume filling and moving tightly below seemed to be increasing. He felt suffocated by the sensation of being filled more densely and stretched open inside his stomach.

His breathing was labored. His mind began to grow distant. His body, which had been sensitized and heated to the point of death for some time, no longer felt like his own.

At this rate, I might actually die at some point.

That thought suddenly occurred to him.

“—…, …I think, …I’m going to, —.”

Words leaked from Yuri’s mouth in fragments. The sounds, which flowed out and scattered like the wind, seemed to be understood by Ling Xinlu.

Already in a tone excited and hoarse to the point where it didn’t sound like his own voice, Ling Xinlu whispered.

“You think you’re going to die? —I feel like I’m finally living. Until now, I couldn’t sleep properly, I could barely eat, and my head was a mess. Do you know when it started? Do you know how long it’s been? I don’t even know properly anymore. For a while, I really felt like I was going to die—but now, I feel like I can finally live.”

The arms embracing his waist tightened further. As if he would do so even if it meant bursting the body by hugging it, he held him so tightly that there wasn’t even room for a single finger to move.

“I was truly exhausted to the point of death, but holding you in my arms like this, it feels like that fatigue is melting away. I finally feel like I can live. All this time, my throat was burning and I felt like I was dying, the thirst was unbearable, but finally—.”

Ling Xinlu pressed his lips to Yuri’s ear and whispered.

I can never let you go. No matter what happens, no matter how it turns out, I can never let you go. No matter what I have to do, I’ll keep you by my side.

The whispered words seemed to scatter, melting away into his fading consciousness.

“…….”

Yuri thought blankly while staring up at the ceiling that the claim of being tired enough to die must have been a lie. He wondered since when the sun had been up; the thought flickered in a corner of his mind and vanished.

Throughout the cycle of losing consciousness and waking up several times, Yuri had never once seen Ling Xinlu asleep. No matter when Yuri opened his eyes, he was always watching him.

Sometimes calmly, sometimes tenderly, and sometimes greedily. And each time, Yuri’s body would shake—slowly, quickly, or violently—just like that gaze.

—…Is it not okay?

A low voice suddenly echoed in his ears. A voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.

It felt as though it had been whispered countless times. Even while Yuri’s consciousness had drifted beyond, he seemed to have whispered incessantly into ears that could not hear. Praying that it would reach him. Even if it only brushed against his heart since his ears were closed.

—Can’t you be a bit more greedy with me? Can’t you want me more, think that you can’t live without me? That you cannot survive apart from me.

—Can’t you think that way too?

It was a powerless voice, like a discouraged child.

“…….”

Yuri blinked, closing and opening his eyes. His eyes felt stiff and sore from how much he had cried. His throat was hoarse. His body felt so limp that he didn’t want to lift a single finger. He hadn’t realized it at the time last night, but it seemed he had cried and screamed quite a bit himself.

Yuri turned his head. Beside him, where he had been moved to the bed and lay quietly under the covers, Ling Xinlu was sitting in a chair he had pulled up next to the bed.

He looked exhausted for some reason. It probably wasn’t just because he had stayed up all night. Rubbing the crease between his brows almost unconsciously, he remained motionless as if lost in thought.

Even though he must have known Yuri was awake, Ling Xinlu didn’t look at him, instead staring silently down at his own hand as if deep in contemplation. Yuri, who had been gazing at him, followed that line of sight.

In one hand, draped carelessly over the armrest, Ling Xinlu was holding something small. Every time he rubbed it slowly, a faint, crisp sound of plastic could be heard.

Yuri watched for a moment before realizing what that square piece of plastic, which occasionally peeked through his fingers, actually was.

“—….”

Ling Xinlu seemed to notice Yuri’s gaze fixing on the plastic. Only then did he look up, his fingers still crumpling the material. His eyes were sunken and dark. Yuri silently met those eyes, which felt like staring down into a bottomless, pitch-black void.

“Human will is absurdly weak,” Ling Xinlu said slowly. Even his voice was sunken, sounding exhausted.

He slowly lifted the object in his hand. Held lightly by the edge with his fingertips, it was a square plastic packet. A small, square plastic bag, sealed without a tear-off notch.

It was half-filled with a white powder.

Staring intently at the stamp-sized packet, Ling Xinlu shook it slowly. Following the motion, the white powder inside rattled softly.

Yuri watched Ling Xinlu in silence. Ling Xinlu gave him an expressionless look and muttered, “Win-an handed this to me, saying it was what that guy had smuggled out yesterday. I put it in my pocket and forgot about it.” The rhythmic sound of the powder rattling continued in his hand.

“I’ve seen countless people ruined by this. Occasionally, maybe one or two out of a hundred say they’re in rehab after being ruined, but even then, only one or two out of those actually become normal again… It seems it’s that hard to quit.”

Even if they were lucky enough to quit, he murmured in an indifferent tone that if they touched it just once more after years or decades, thinking it would be only one time, their lives would plummet back into the abyss.

“People who think they have strong willpower are no different. Maybe for a light trip, but for the real deal like this, ninety-nine percent are the same. Once the body can’t take it, the mind eventually bends. I suppose that’s why they say drugs eat away at the mind. …Isn’t it somehow futile?”

His fingers, which had been fiddling with the plastic as if playing with it, crumpled the packet again. Then, he tapped the powder inside. As if contemplating what to do with it.

“When I thought about dragging Tae-yi hyung to my side even if I had to soak him in drugs, Mr. Gable told me not to. He said that would be losing him forever. …But.”

Ling Xinlu fell silent. His lips seemed to twist slightly.

“What should I do if I still want to hold onto him?”

He carelessly tossed the drug that had been shaking between his fingers onto the table. After staring down at the drug for a while longer, he looked at Yuri. Those eyes, dyed pitch-black so that his intentions were unreadable, eventually formed a faintly twisted smile.

“What about Mr. Gable? If he were soaked in drugs to the point where he could never return to normal, do you think he could quit through his own will?”

Instead of answering, Yuri simply met his gaze. However, the silence did not last long. He spoke readily and calmly, as if giving an answer he already knew.

“He would be able to end his own life.”

The moment that quiet, indifferent answer flowed out naturally, the smile vanished from Ling Xinlu’s face as if wiped clean.

His expression froze as if ice water had been poured over his head, and the color drained from his face. Then, he slowly contorted his features. He let out an unstable snort, as if mocking him.

“Aren’t you underestimating it too much? While there are drugs that are relatively easy to quit, once you’re addicted to the truly dangerous ones, you can no longer maintain your sanity. Forget about ending your life—you reach a point where you can’t even think of that, you only think about the drug.”

Yuri looked at the ceiling. After a moment of silence, as if searching his memory, Yuri slowly nodded.

“Yes. But there are brief moments when reason returns. A window of time long enough to take one’s own life.”

Ling Xinlu fell silent.

This time, he truly lost all expression. Faint anger, surging despair, and unyielding obsession all vanished, leaving only pale, lifeless eyes staring at Yuri.

Yuri quietly shifted his gaze away from Ling Xinlu.

“I also have a friend who eventually left this world because of drugs.”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu didn’t speak. He only stared blankly at Yuri with a face that had lost its light like a ghost. His fingertips seemed to twitch once, as if convulsing. But that was all; he remained frozen, staring at Yuri.

Then, at some point, he let out a low, hollow laugh. He rubbed his face with his hand as if all the strength had suddenly left his body. He looked exhausted enough to die.

“My father fell in love with my mother at first sight.”

Rubbing his eyes, Ling Xinlu murmured softly to himself. Yuri, who had been looking at the ceiling, turned his gaze toward him and listened in silence.

“To keep my mother, who didn’t want to live with an old man, he tried to use drugs.”

Through the fingers loosely covering his eyes, Ling Xinlu’s eyes met Yuri’s. Those black eyes looked at Yuri, dark as despair.

“But, I don’t know if I should call it lucky, my mother became pregnant before he could. That was me, and because she gained a shackle far more healthy and constructive than drugs, she stayed without being drugged… ”

He gave a twisted smile.

“Even now, my mother avoids my father. Even though for over twenty years, he’s tried everything to win her favor, cherishing her and giving her whatever she wants.”

The story he had likely heard since he was very young—perhaps from his mother herself, or from a gossip who enjoyed others’ affairs—was far removed from the beautiful love stories some romantics used to recite about ring huolong and his young wife.

Yuri thought of Ling Xinlu’s mother. And then he thought of the father.

She, who was as poignantly beautiful as a hydrangea, never smiled brightly when she was with her husband. Perhaps she smiled that way in places Yuri didn’t know, but at least he had never heard people say so.

“Their relationship isn’t bad. They get along well enough in their own way. My mother is kind to my father in her own way. …And yet, in the end, it never became a relationship that fully satisfied each other’s hearts. It will probably stay that way until one of them leaves this world first.”

I guess the obsession to tie someone to your side even if you ruin them and leave only a shell ends up like that, Ling Xinlu said, lightly shrugging his shoulders. With a subtle expression on his lips, halfway between a smile and not, he gazed intently at Yuri for a moment.

“You can’t catch a person even with drugs. …Tae-yi hyung said something like that too.”

A bitter light permeated his words. Watching him, Yuri let out a quiet sigh.

“The reason Mr. Jung Tae-ui didn’t come to you, Mr. Ling Xinlu, is not because you are lacking. Once a heart has drifted, you cannot catch it no matter what you do.”

It wasn’t Ling Xinlu’s fault. Nor was it Jung Tae-ui’s, nor anyone’s. It was simply because his heart had leaned toward Riegrow.

One cannot keep a person whose heart has leaned elsewhere by their side. Or even if they are kept through some forced method, it is not truly having that person by one’s side. Jung Tae-ui had already ceased to be Ling Xinlu’s portion from that moment.

Yuri gave Ling Xinlu a soft look.

“Find someone who is right for you. I’m sure there is someone.”

At that moment.

The complexion of Ling Xinlu, who had been staring blankly at Yuri with sunken eyes, changed. His face, which froze instantly as if splashed with ice water, stared at Yuri without even blinking his wide eyes.

Soon, those eyes began to glisten, turning a pale, sickly blue.

“Who is that?”

His voice was as chillingly excited as his gaze. His pale face was trembling as if he were barely, truly barely, holding onto his sanity. Even the voice that followed trembled.

“Someone right for me? Who is that? —Why are you doing this to me, you know everything. Why are you pretending not to know?! Why are you doing this to me?!”

The trembling voice grew louder, eventually echoing through the room like a shout. Faced with this, Yuri was unable to speak for a moment.

—You know everything.

The voice shouting as if wronged echoed in his ears.

He knew. He knew what Ling Xinlu was talking about. Yuri also knew what those eyes, shimmering black and filled with insatiable greed, were looking at.

He didn’t know why or since when. Perhaps even Ling Xinlu himself didn’t know. But at least in this moment, it was clear what he desired and what he was saying.

Somehow, it felt unreal. Even though his calmly sunken gaze was facing Ling Xinlu in reality, he felt a sense of bewilderment. It was despite the fact that he felt both flustered and welcomed, even happy, that the man was clinging to him like a child.

Perhaps that was why Ling Xinlu’s instability stood out more.

“I like you, Mr. Ling Xinlu.”

Yuri quietly spoke the words he had said many times. He wasn’t just repeating them. As always, he thought carefully before speaking. Whether things had changed since yesterday. Whether he truly knew his own heart. Striving to live honestly, at least with himself.

A pale Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri without expression. He looked like a thin, delicate piece of glass that could shatter into pieces at any moment.

“And if you wish, I will renew the contract. This year, next year, —and probably until you wish it. As far as my ability reaches.”

This was also something he had already told Ling Xinlu. And thinking about it again now, those words were not a lie. As long as he wished, as far as his strength allowed, Yuri would continue to stay by his side.

Despite this, Ling Xinlu was anxious. His unstable heart did not settle even after Yuri said that.

“As long as you wish, I will continue to be here, and yes, during that time, you can desire me just as I desire you. But, what more do you want?”

What more than that. How.

What answer should Yuri give, what action should he take, for him to give that sincerely happy and bright smile again? He didn’t want to see this lovely man suffering so unstably because of him.

Yuri pushed himself up from his heavily aching body. Just sitting up on the bed felt like it would cause a cold sweat, but he barely swallowed a sigh and sat up straight to face him. Ling Xinlu was only staring at him in silence with a pale face.

“A lifelong contract? Is it enough if I just sign that paper?”

That wasn’t what Yuri desired. He wondered why a piece of paper, which would be practically no different if they kept renewing the contract, was so important.

But on the other hand, if he thought about it differently, he could sign a piece of paper for him.

Rather than seeing him suffer like this, he could do that much. If only that would make him feel better.

But it wasn’t that.

Ling Xinlu, who couldn’t answer Yuri’s question and only gave him a pitch-black gaze, already knew that what he wanted was not just that piece of paper.

“……Want me more.”

Ling Xinlu suddenly whispered.

“Be more greedy with me. Always look at me, and more, more, more, want me. Until I am no longer anxious.”

Like this, appealing with an unbearable heart, just as much as I am desperate for you.

Looking into Ling Xinlu’s shimmering black eyes, Yuri blinked awkwardly instead of answering.

It wasn’t that he disliked it. He wanted to do that as much as possible. He already liked him this much; what would be so hard about continuing to like him and liking him even more?

But.

Right now, Ling Xinlu was asking him to like him in a way that was different from how Yuri liked him. Not loving him like a quiet and calm flowing stream, but visibly and violently enough to satisfy an anxious and restless heart. In the way Ling Xinlu desired Yuri.

That was why Yuri couldn’t answer immediately.

It was a matter of personality. It was a matter of innate disposition from the start, something beyond his control. Just as a grazing animal cannot become a carnivorous predator, it was a matter far removed from effort.

Ling Xinlu seemed to have read the awkwardness on Yuri’s face. He must have guessed the reason and his thoughts.

After staring at Yuri with burning eyes for a moment and leaving the room, when he returned, he placed something he was holding in front of Yuri.

What fluttered down onto the blanket was a single contract.

Ling Xinlu took a pen and wrote ‘Lifelong’ in the space for the contract period. Then, after signing the employer’s section for the contracting party, he handed it back to Yuri.

“Tell me that you will be greedier with me than you are now. So that I won’t be anxious, more than now, much more, that you will want me just as much as I greedily want you… With that meaning, please sign it.”

Yuri stared down at the contract where only his signature space was empty, then looked up. Ling Xinlu was looking down at him with a stiff face. The tension and anxiety etched into that face made him look as if he were angry.

“I’ll give you time. There are a few days left until your contract expires, so until then. Think carefully and decide. Whether to sign, or to end the contract as it is.”

“……. This isn’t a matter that can be solved with effort or will.”

“Effort, even if it’s forced.”

Ling Xinlu spoke firmly. He knew he was being absurdly stubborn, but he clamped his mouth shut as if he had no choice but to do so.

After staring at the contract awkwardly for a while longer, Yuri looked up. He met the eyes of Ling Xinlu, who had not taken his gaze off him.

“I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep.”

“Then all the more reason—once you make the promise, please make sure to keep it.”

Ling Xinlu did not back down. He glared at Yuri with eyes that grew increasingly glossy, as if he were on the verge of tears.

However, Ling Xinlu also knew that he was being unreasonable. The reason Yuri didn’t explicitly point that out was that he knew Ling Xinlu was already aware of it, yet was stubbornly insisting anyway.

“Are you angry? Do you think you’re getting sick of me?”

Ling Xinlu spoke abruptly to Yuri, who had been staring at the contract in silence with a troubled expression. His stiff voice was drenched in anxiety.

Thinking that he really didn’t want to hear that kind of voice, Yuri looked up.

“Don’t be angry. I’m truly… I’m scared when you get angry, Mr. Gable.”

Precisely because Yuri rarely got angry, Ling Xinlu felt that if he ever did, he might truly come to hate him.

Whispering in a crestfallen tone, Ling Xinlu slowly reached out. His hand, intending to grab Yuri’s wrist, hesitated nearby as if gauging the reaction. Even though he knew Yuri wouldn’t shake him off, his hand hovered in the air for a moment as if afraid, before eventually clutching the blanket in front of him. It was as if he felt wronged, yet gripped the fabric tightly because there was nothing else to hold onto.

“I’ll put in the effort for anything else,” he whispered, like a plea.

“I’ll adjust to whatever you want, Mr. Gable. …But not this. I can’t be satisfied with loving you in such a generous and calm way—where we are satisfied with living our own lives diligently while far apart, just exchanging occasional messages to bless one another, like you did. I can’t do that.”

Ling Xinlu appealed to him, shaking his head.

He had thought about it for several days. During the time he spent most of his day thinking about Yuri, unable to sleep properly, he hadn’t failed to consider such an option.

But no matter how much he thought about it or tried to make an effort, it was impossible.

Just imagining Yuri being satisfied while far away from him made his vision go pitch black.

“You saved me.”

Because his heart felt tight and suffocating, because he felt wronged and sorrowful, what eventually burst out was a twisted resentment.

“You pulled me out of the ocean. You took me out of seringe. Regardless of what I said, you saved me as you pleased because you hated to see me get hurt.”

Ling Xinlu glared at Yuri with intense eyes. His trembling voice carried his plea.

“Then save me until the end.”

If you don’t save me this time, I’ll be broken beyond comparison to before; Ling Xinlu spoke almost like a threat as he gripped the blanket. In truth, he wanted to grab the wrist that was barely a hand’s breadth away, but he was too afraid that Yuri might shake him off or find it unpleasant. Unable to even touch him, he simply gripped the blanket so hard that his knuckles turned white.

A small, monotonous mechanical sound was heard.

Yuri, who had a laptop resting on his lap, looked up. Looking at the clock that chimed every hour, he realized that evening had already passed. He felt as though he had been spacing out for a while, and time had flown by.

“…….”

Yuri looked toward the empty entrance. After staring at the entryway where Ling Xinlu’s shoes were missing, he checked his phone. Seeing that there were no particular messages, he figured it was about time for Ling Xinlu to return.

Ling Xinlu, who returned to his family home every weekend for dinner, had gone there late in the afternoon today as well.

Normally, Yuri would have accompanied him, but since his physical condition hadn’t improved much, he remained home alone. (Yuri had insisted on going, saying he was mobile enough, but Ling Xinlu had firmly shaken his head and told him to rest, promising to return quickly.)

If he had dinner and chatted with his relatives for a while, he might return late at night, but if he came back immediately after the meal, it was about time.

And Yuri suspected that Ling Xinlu would return early, even though he hadn’t specified an exact time.

There was no particular reason. However, the expiration date of the contract was tomorrow. To be precise, the contract ended at midnight tonight. Therefore, before that—within tonight—Yuri had to give an answer regarding the contract renewal that Ling Xinlu had presented like an assignment.

Perhaps that was why Ling Xinlu had seemed distracted since morning. It wasn’t that his behavior was particularly strange or vacant, but he was somehow restless, unable to sit still in one place, like someone facing an outing for an important matter.

‘…….’

Surely, the reason he was acting like that wasn’t entirely because today was the deadline…

Watching Ling Xinlu go out to the veranda in the morning to look down outside for a long time, go to the bathroom to shower for the second time today, start making tea halfway through drinking coffee, and pull out another book after reading a few pages of one, Yuri wondered if that was the case.

Then, around mid-afternoon, Yuri suddenly remembered it was the weekend.

‘Mr. Ling Xinlu.’

Thinking he should start preparing to go to his family home, Yuri called out to Ling Xinlu, who was staring blankly down from the veranda.

At that moment, Ling Xinlu flinched visibly and whipped his head around. With a sharp motion, before the call of ‘Mr. Ling Xinlu’ had even finished, his eyes were shimmering intensely as he looked at Yuri.

Looking into those eyes, which seemed to hold anxiety, nervousness, anticipation, and longing all at once, Yuri remained silent for a moment.

He felt he understood why Ling Xinlu had been wandering the house restlessly since morning. At the same time, he felt a pang of guilt, as if he had done something terrible by calling him just now.

‘Yes? Did you just call me?’

Ling Xinlu quickly came inside from the veranda and sat across from Yuri. Sitting with a straight posture and hands placed neatly on his lap, unconsciously mimicking Yuri, he looked at him quietly. Yuri was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘……, ……Don’t you have to go to your family home today?’

As soon as Yuri spoke, the light vanished from Ling Xinlu’s face, just as expected. It was clear that these were not the words he had hoped for, but he tried his best not to let it show, nodding calmly and saying, “Yes, that’s right.”

‘Then you should probably get ready to leave.’

Yuri made a motion to stand up, putting down the book in his hand. However, a heavy throb in his lower back made him freeze, and he let out a quiet sigh.

He had hit the corner of the dining table hard a few days ago while stumbling, and it still hurt. Moreover, his stamina seemed to have dropped significantly, and his body wasn’t recovering quickly.

He could move reasonably well now, but on the day of the accident, he hadn’t been able to leave the bed all day.

The moment Yuri placed a hand on his back and sighed, Ling Xinlu sprang up. He quickly and gently pushed Yuri back into his seat.

‘I’ll go by myself, so please rest. There’s no need for you to come, Mr. Gable.’

Ling Xinlu said it as if to say, Why would you come just for a meal, you’d just end up waiting outside anyway, but Yuri shook his head.

‘No, I’m fine now. I also promised to lend a book to Fei today, so I’m meeting her. Moving around is no problem at all.’

“I’m really fine,” Yuri added, waving his hand. For the past few days, Ling Xinlu had treated Yuri as if he were an invalid; to put it exaggeratedly, he almost wouldn’t let him walk on his own.

Over the last few days, Ling Xinlu had been truly sweet to Yuri. He showed nothing but a smiling face and always tailored his actions to Yuri’s needs. His cautious touch was consistently polite, and his voice when speaking to Yuri was always soft.

Only his gaze, filled with heat, did not hide its inner thoughts, looking at Yuri without hesitation.

‘……. Fei?’

The smile seemed to vanish from Ling Xinlu’s face for a moment as he tilted his head and asked, but it was only for a split second. Smiling gently again, he said, “I’ll deliver that book on my way. Don’t worry and just rest,” and pressed down on Yuri’s thigh to keep him from standing up again.

Seeing that he had firmly decided to go alone, Yuri looked at him awkwardly and had no choice but to nod. He figured he should send a short text to Fei later.

After that, Ling Xinlu spent some time lingering near Yuri before finally leaving the house later than usual.

Leaving the words “I’ll be back soon after eating,” Ling Xinlu stopped for a moment at the door and gazed blankly at Yuri.

His face, flickering with a certain nervousness, was shaking anxiously in anticipation of tonight—the time of the deadline—after he returned from his family home.

Yuri said nothing to him, knowing that a whirlwind of thoughts—what if, perhaps, surely, even so—must be crossing his mind. He stared at Yuri for a moment longer before saying, “……Then, I’ll be going,” and closed the door.

‘…….’

Yuri sighed.

It wasn’t intentional.

He had noticed that Ling Xinlu had been subtly gauging his reaction since morning—no, actually for several days—and that whenever Yuri called him, he would look at Yuri’s lips with eyes full of anxious anticipation.

What answer would he give? Would he sign the contract that specified a lifelong term? Or, perhaps… surely he wouldn’t.

Yuri knew that anxiety and hope were scorching him day by day.

Still, the fact that he hadn’t answered yet was not deliberate.

“But I didn’t want to lightly utter a promise that I wasn’t sure I could keep.”

Yuri whispered toward the empty seat where Ling Xinlu, who had been looking at him so anxiously, had been sitting.

In truth, the answer had already been decided. Yuri already knew how he would respond.

He did not want to see Ling Xinlu suffer.

That was the answer.

He didn’t know if he could love him in the way Ling Xinlu wanted—greedily, craving everything about him, wishing to possess him entirely. No, he probably couldn’t. A person’s fundamental personality cannot be changed, and Yuri knew his own nature well. The part that Ling Xinlu called ‘bland grass’ would ultimately remain unchanged.

But.

—Please make an effort, even if you have to force it.

—Once you make the promise, please make sure to keep it.

Ling Xinlu’s plea echoed in his ears.

In the end, he wanted to grant whatever Ling Xinlu desired and didn’t want to see him disappointed or in pain, so the answer he would give was set.

The reason he had delayed the answer was because of his own effort. Yuri was striving to like him more with every passing moment, to be able to see him in the way he wanted. He didn’t know when that would bear fruit, but he intended to keep trying.

But now Yuri had reached a conclusion, and all that remained was to sign the contract and hand it over when Ling Xinlu returned.

If he did that, he would stay here, by Ling Xinlu’s side, at least for a while. For a few years, or more, perhaps for a much longer time than expected.

“…….”

Yuri checked the laptop screen, which displayed the word ‘Confirmed,’ and closed the window. Once he had made up his mind, he was a man who did not hesitate to organize and handle the tasks at hand.

Closing the laptop, he checked the clock again. Thinking that if he only had dinner, it should be about time for him to return, Yuri suddenly realized that perhaps he, too, was feeling subtly anxious.

Only now did he realize that he had been checking the clock and thinking of Ling Xinlu several times.

“…….”

Yuri picked up his phone. Fiddling with the device that still had no notification saying he would be late, Yuri briefly considered calling Ling Xinlu.

He became curious about where he was and when he would return. And he felt that if he asked such things, Ling Xinlu would likely be very happy.

Thinking that perhaps ‘effort’ wouldn’t be as difficult as expected, Yuri began to press the buttons on his phone.

However, just before he pressed the call button after dialing Ling Xinlu’s number, the phone suddenly began to ring.

“…―.”

The moment the message appeared on the screen, he thought it would be Ling Xinlu, but the number displayed below belonged to someone else. The long string of digits indicating an international call was familiar.

『Yuri. I heard you called earlier.』

The man who got straight to the point as soon as the call was answered was James, who was always incredibly busy because he had the wrong boss.

“Yes, James. I told Lucy the purpose of my call; did she not tell you?”

『I heard. What do you mean you’re clearing out your house?』

Yuri could almost see James frowning on the other end of the line.

“Exactly as I said. I want to dispose of my apartment in Berlin, and I’d like to ask for your help with that.”

『Why all of a sudden? You sound like someone who’s never coming back.』

“I don’t think I’ll be going back. For the time being.”

Silence fell over the other end. Yuri waited quietly for his response.

『What do you mean ‘for the time being’? For how long?』

James asked bluntly. Seeing his voice grow more grumpy as he asked ‘how long,’ Yuri figured he had sensed something unusual.

“I’m not sure. For now, it’s a lifelong contract.”

『Lifelong?!』

His volume seemed to triple instantly. Yuri moved the receiver slightly away from his ear and answered, “Yes.”

『Why a lifelong contract all of a sudden? You don’t do lifelong contracts!』

“Yes, but as it turns out, I think I’ll be doing one this time.”

『If that was the case, you should have done it with our company long ago! Where is it—are you renewing with ringa?』

“Yes.”

To be precise, it was with Ling Xinlu as an individual rather than ringa, but Yuri didn’t go into detail. Since they would be meeting soon anyway, he felt there was no need to drag out the conversation over the phone.

『What is this all of a sudden? I thought you’d return to Germany after finishing this current term, so I’ve already picked out and sorted the work I wanted to assign to you.』

“That’s why I’m contacting you first.”

Because I just decided a moment ago, Yuri added.

James grumbled as if he had been betrayed by a trusted colleague, listing complaints and questions such as, 『If you’re going for a lifelong contract, shouldn’t you give priority to someone you’ve contracted with multiple times?』 and 『Then what about the possibility of short-term contracts in the future?』

James seemed truly disappointed. Not only because he was losing a talent like Yuri Gable, but the quick-witted Yuri suspected that most of the work James had prepared for him was likely cleaning up after Kyle’s behavior.

“Anyway, to do that, there are many things to organize, including the house, so I will be returning there briefly. But since I won’t be staying long, I’d like to ask you to handle the disposal of the apartment.”

『Fine. I’ll look for a suitable buyer or agent. What level of selling conditions are you thinking of?』

James sighed and changed the subject, seemingly resigning himself to the fact that the fish had already escaped.

“The conditions can just be average…”

Yuri stopped mid-sentence.

“…….”

He thought he heard something at the entrance and turned his head to look.

However, he must have misheard; no one had entered, and even after waiting for a moment, there was no further sign of anyone. It must have been the sound of a neighbor entering their home.

“Well… it’s a bit much to talk about over the phone, so let’s discuss it when we meet.”

『When are you coming in?』

“I’ve booked a flight for tomorrow.”

Yuri tapped the laptop he had just used to confirm the flight ticket. Since he wanted to handle the things he thought of quickly, he looked it up and found that flight tickets were scarce due to the vacation period starting next week, so he just booked the earliest one.

『Tomorrow? You’re moving fast.』

“Yes, the contract expires at midnight tonight. Once a decision is made, why hesitate? If I’m going back anyway, it’s better to just go quickly.”

It would take more than a day or two to wrap up a life lived there for over a decade, but he still wanted to finish everything and return within a few days if possible. Once he settled his affairs there and returned here, he didn’t know when he would ever go back again.

“I’ll leave on the morning flight, so I’ll see you tomorrow evening. It should be around afternoon Berlin time. I’ll head to the office.”

『Afternoon, huh. Got it. I have some outside work tomorrow afternoon, so I probably won’t be back at the office until four or five. Just time your arrival accordingly.』

“Yes. I’ll call you when I arrive.”

『Alright. ……Though it won’t be a particularly welcome reunion.』

Perhaps the shock of the words “lifetime contract” was too great, as James didn’t forget to grumble right until the call ended.

Yuri let out a small chuckle and hung up. He then contacted the people he needed to notify in advance. For now, there was nothing left to do. If there was something left…….

Yuri looked at the clock again. If Ling Xinlu had returned after only having dinner at his family home, he should have arrived by now, but seeing as he hadn’t, it seemed he was still engaged in conversation.

However, it was a bit unexpected. He had assumed Xinlu would barely touch his dinner and hurry back.

After thinking for a moment, Yuri redialed Ling Xinlu’s number, which he had pressed just before calling James. He hit the call button.

“…….”

Yuri tilted his head. Ling Xinlu’s phone was turned off.

It was strange, as Xinlu rarely turned off his phone except in very basic circumstances, such as going to a movie theater or boarding a plane.

Maybe the battery had run out. Or perhaps he was having an important conversation with the adults at his family home—which would explain why he hadn’t returned yet.

He hoped he would return soon.

He wanted to see the look on his face when he handed over the signed contract. How beautiful and lovely it would be to see that face, which had been a jumble of anxiety and anticipation, brighten with a joyful smile.

Yuri let out a contented sigh.

The anticipation of when Ling Xinlu would return made him feel a flicker of restlessness.

Had he been feeling this way for the past few days?

Yuri put the phone down, thinking he should tell Ling Xinlu he was sorry for taking so long to answer.

The clock chimed, announcing midnight.

It was a mechanical sound so small that he often missed it, but in the soundless silence of the house, it rang out exceptionally loud.

No other sound could be heard inside the house.

With only one living room light on, Yuri sat quietly. The book he had been reading had long since been closed, as he couldn’t concentrate on the words.

“…….”

Ling Xinlu had not returned.

Usually, when he went to his family home on weekends, he returned as early as eight or nine or as late as after midnight, depending on the occasion. Normally, if he left after finishing a meal and having a brief chat over tea, he would return around ten.

Since there were rare occasions where conversations with relatives dragged on and he returned well past midnight, it wasn’t entirely strange that Ling Xinlu hadn’t returned yet. He could simply think that today was one of those days.

……But he had thought he would return early today.

Yuri tilted his head and sighed.

It seemed the conversation with the adults was running long. Or perhaps he was being held back by his mother. There were times when he couldn’t escape her for several hours.

Yuri checked the clock once more and stood up from the sofa. He thought he might have some coffee while waiting for Ling Xinlu, not knowing when he would return.

When would he come? Would he walk through the door any second? Or would he be very late, returning after two in the morning like the latest time he had ever come back? If it was going to be that late, it would be nice if he at least sent a message.

Recalling that he had tried calling Ling Xinlu a couple more times after the first attempt just in case, but the power was still off, Yuri sighed.

It was around then.

Just as the water began to boil, the phone started ringing.

Since there was no one else who would call at this hour, it had to be Ling Xinlu.

Yuri turned off the stove, went to the living room, and picked up the phone. However, unexpectedly, the caller on the screen was not Ling Xinlu.

“……Yes, what’s up, Fei.”

Careful not to let disappointment show in his voice, Yuri spoke the caller’s name. As always, a lively voice came through the phone.

『Uncle, I received the book. I’ll read it carefully and return it to you――.』

“Ah, yes. Take your time with it.”

It seemed she had called to thank him for lending her the book. Hearing her consistently cheerful voice, Yuri smiled.

『Are you feeling okay? I heard you were sick?』

He thought he knew what Ling Xinlu had said about why he went to the family home alone. Not wanting to make Ling Xinlu a liar, Yuri vaguely brushed it off, saying, “I’m fine. I can get around.” Fei, seemingly relieved that Yuri’s voice sounded normal, laughed and said, “That’s a relief.”

『Still, take this opportunity to make your youngest uncle work for you. If you don’t make him work when you’re sick, when will you ever make that uncle work?』

When Yuri smiled and said, “He took very good care of me,” it wasn’t a lie. Ling Xinlu had devotedly cared for Yuri, who had been unwell for the past few days. Bringing meals to the bed or swiftly carrying him to the bathroom to wash his hair was nothing to him. He had cared for him so meticulously that Yuri had felt almost bashful at such luxury.

“Is Ling Xinlu with you?”

Yuri thought it was a good opportunity since Fei had called and tentatively brought it up. He expected an answer, such as that he was with the other uncles or that he had left a short while ago.

However, the answer from Fei was something he hadn’t expected.

『Youngest uncle? He’s not there? He left a while ago?』

Fei answered as if she were the one finding it strange, saying she had assumed he would naturally be there. Yuri remained silent for a moment, blinking.

“A while ago? Around when?”

『He left right after dinner. He barely touched his food, and he stood up to leave without even having tea. ……Ah. He said he had urgent business and had to get back quickly; maybe he had another appointment.』

Fei, who had been speaking in a puzzled tone, then seemed to recall something she had heard in passing and murmured to herself in realization. But Yuri fell silent once again.

He hadn’t heard anything from Ling Xinlu about another appointment in the evening. If he had somewhere to stop by, he would have mentioned it before leaving. He suspected that the “urgent business” Ling Xinlu mentioned was simply the act of returning home.

“…….”

『Should I try calling him?』

“No…… it’s okay.”

Yuri shook his head. The phone was off anyway.

He considered telling her that Ling Xinlu had no other appointments and hadn’t returned yet, but he didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry when things were uncertain. He felt it would be better if he went out himself.

After ending the call, Yuri immediately stood up.

Since the road to the ringa family home followed a main road, there was no chance of losing his way. If he had left right after dinner, enough time had passed to make the round trip two or three times, so it was unlikely he was still on the road, but still—though the possibility was slim—he might have pulled over to the shoulder to sleep if he got tired while driving, or, though he didn’t want to think about it, if there had been an accident, he might find some trace of it while driving that way.

“Why on earth is his phone off at a time like this……!”

Tucking only his wallet into his pocket, Yuri clicked his tongue and shoved his feet into any pair of shoes. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had felt this anxious.

Please,

Please, let nothing be wrong.

Offering a prayer to whoever might be listening, Yuri rushed out the front door. ……Or tried to.

“…―?!”

The door wouldn’t open.

Yuri paused his hand on the door and looked at the handle in confusion. He tilted his head and tried turning the handle and pushing, but the door, which should have opened naturally, didn’t budge.

“――, ……?!”

Why now, of all times, when he was in such a hurry. Yuri clicked his tongue and frantically shook the handle. Clatter, clatter—the unlocked door remained motionless. It was as if something was blocking it from the outside.

What happened? Did the door get caught somewhere? Yuri muttered a curse and kicked the door hard. The door shook slightly. It seemed something was indeed blocking the front of the door.

Yuri turned the handle and pushed with all his might. When he gave a sudden, powerful shove, the door opened about a hand’s breadth by recoil. However, it wouldn’t open any further; instead, it pushed back as if the hand’s breadth that had opened was trying to close again. Flustered, Yuri continued to push the door.

“What is this, something is block――.”

“Don’t open it!”

It was just as Yuri was clicking his tongue and muttering. A sudden shout came from beyond the door.

For a moment, Yuri lost his words, and the strength left his arms. Simultaneously, the door slammed shut with a bang.

“……. ……, ……huh?”

Yuri stared blankly at the closed front door and muttered.

There was no way he had misheard; that voice was definitely Ling Xinlu’s. Judging by the direction the voice came from, he seemed to be sitting in front of the door.

“……. …….”

Yuri just blinked for a while, staring at the door.

For now, it seemed he didn’t have to go through the trouble of searching for him. Moreover, it seemed no accident had occurred as he feared, nor was he late because he had stopped elsewhere. Regardless, he was relieved that the person he couldn’t reach had returned, but…….

Yuri tapped on the door. He waited for a moment, but no answer came. He tapped again, but the result was the same.

In the end, he had no choice but to try opening the door again. He turned the handle and pushed, but the door still wouldn’t open, as if blocked. It seemed Ling Xinlu was sitting in front of the door…… but he couldn’t understand why.

Yuri leaned his back against the door and pushed with his full weight. In the gap where the door opened about a hand’s breadth again, he called out, “Ling Xinlu?” But the only answer he received was, “I told you not to open it!” And then, bang—the door closed again, pushed from the outside with tremendous force.

Yuri stood there blankly for a while, just staring at the door. But soon, he frowned and tilted his head. Not to open it? Was something wrong?

Yuri crouched down, placed his hand on the door, and knocked.

“Ling Xinlu, are you okay? Is something happening?”

Although he was blocked by the door, he spoke loud enough to be heard outside, yet there was still no answer. It seemed he intended to stay there blocking the door, neither opening it nor explaining himself.

Ling Xinlu, Ling Xinlu—he called his name several times at intervals, but in the end, no answer returned.

“…….”

Yuri remained silent for a moment and then stood up. He attempted to open the door for a third time. As he pushed the door with all his weight, it opened about a hand’s breadth again. “Wait a moment, what’s wrong, open the door and let’s talk…….” he spoke through the gap, but there was no answer, only the pressure of the door being pushed to close.

And just as the door was about to close due to the force of the push.

Thud. The door caught with about one or two centimeters left.

“Ack!! My hand, my hand!! My hand is……!!”

A scream erupted from Yuri’s mouth. Simultaneously, the force that had been violently pushing the door vanished instantly, and the door flew open. A pale-faced Ling Xinlu rushed inside.

And Yuri, putting the wallet he had wedged in the door gap back into his pocket, stepped up onto the doorframe and looked down at Ling Xinlu calmly.

“…….”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu stared blankly at Yuri with a look of total surprise. His eyes flickered between the perfectly unharmed hand and Yuri’s face, and a surge of anger at having been tricked flashed across his expression. After slowly scanning Ling Xinlu from head to toe and confirming he wasn’t hurt, Yuri asked quietly.

“Did something happen?”

“…―.”

Ling Xinlu stared intently at Yuri, who was examining his expression with concern. He scrutinized him as if something he didn’t know was hidden within Yuri’s expression.

Yuri tilted his head, looking at Ling Xinlu, who was staring at him with an expressionless face. Then, his gaze fell upon a large bundle discarded next to the main gate. There was a massive bouquet of flowers there, left by someone.

Seeing the arm-sized bouquet, so large that one wouldn’t be able to see ahead if they held it, Yuri gave Ling Xinlu a puzzled look.

“Did you bring this, Ling Xinlu?”

Without waiting for an answer, Yuri began to bend his waist to pick up the bouquet. In an instant, as if snapping back to his senses, Ling Xinlu flinched and grabbed him, shoving him haphazardly into the house. As he was pushed stumbling into the entryway, Yuri looked down at him in bewilderment.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? It’s okay. Tell me.”

“――Don’t come out. Don’t go out. You can’t go out. I won’t open it.”

Ling Xinlu spoke firmly, his lips set stubbornly. Since the door was already open and Ling Xinlu had stepped into the entryway, he failed to push Yuri back inside and close the door from the outside as he had at first, but having succeeded in entering the house with Yuri, he stood with his back to the door, blocking the way to the main gate.

Yuri looked at him, bewildered. Ling Xinlu was glaring at him with a cold face, devoid of any expression.

For some reason, his face looked pale. He gnawed on his bluish, pale lips like someone who was extremely angry and distressed, not knowing what to do.

“……. What’s wrong. Open the door. Are you going to stay there all night?”

Concerned about the giant bouquet left outside, Yuri approached the door, but Ling Xinlu remained blocking the way, motionless. Even when Yuri looked down at him intently, he didn’t move.

Eventually, a displeased expression flickered on Yuri’s face.

“I can’t know unless you tell me. I was worried because you were late; what were you doing in front of the door? It’s like you’re locking someone up.”

“…―I am locking you up.”

Yuri fell silent at the cold response.

Ling Xinlu had a chilling face without a hint of a smile. His eyes, wavering with anxiety, looked dangerous. As if he might explode if touched the wrong way.

“Me?”

When Yuri asked cautiously, Ling Xinlu didn’t answer. However, the answer was embedded in the gaze that pierced through Yuri, leaving Yuri speechless once again.

“Why?”

“――Because you’re going back.”

Ling Xinlu’s lips seemed to tremble slightly as he replied curtly. He clenched his jaw as if to close his mouth again, but the words that had once burst out didn’t seem to heal; his trembling lips spat out words intermittently.

“As soon as it’s light, you’re going to go back immediately. ――Yes, it’s already past midnight, and our contract is over.”

Having poured out his words as if overwhelmed, Ling Xinlu fell silent for a moment. As if the things he had kept inside began to overflow with every word, his eyes, which had been dead and black, grew increasingly sharp and glistening.

Yuri tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out quickly. The pale face looking at Yuri seemed as if it would crumble at any moment.

“――I thought you would still sign the contract. Even though I felt like I was going crazy with anxiety from time to time, I still thought you would stay by my side. I was sure you would, ……sure you would,”

The words he had been spitting out intermittently blurred. The speech, slowing down gradually, eventually stopped altogether.

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri, pale as a wax doll, without moving a muscle. As if he would collapse if touched even slightly.

Then, at some point.

“What should I do?”

A thin voice, whispering like a monologue, barely audible.

Along with that voice, plop, plop, plop, thick teardrops rolled down his white cheeks. With an expressionless face, like a beautiful doll crying, staring at Yuri as if entranced, Ling Xinlu began to cry silently.

“What do I do……. I have no way to tie you down. I. I have nothing…….”

His body, leaning against the door, slowly tilted. The tears pooled in his eyes began to pour down, covering his cheeks. He heard a short whisper: “I can’t breathe.”

“――, Ling Xinlu, I――.”

“If this was going to happen, why did you save me……!”

Yuri, who had opened his mouth in bewilderment, stopped mid-sentence. A grief-stricken voice, sounding as if it were barely leaking from a chest so suppressed it was hard to even breathe, rebuked him.

“Why did you say you liked me? Why did you make me expect something… why did you make me so miserable! Why… if you were going to be like this, why did you appear before me, why did you make it so that only you were visible to my eyes? Why did you make me think only of you, why did you make my heart beat only when I saw you…!”

The voice, which had been whispering through sobs, grew louder, shouting until it filled the space. The voice, bursting out like a scream as if his chest would explode, was violently accusing Yuri while breaking into tears.

Dark eyes glared at Yuri. Eyes that sparkled even darker, drenched in tears, stared intently at Yuri before slowly blurring. Blink, blink—every time he blinked, the tears that had been incessantly flowing and pooling in his eyes soaked his long eyelashes and fell in droplets.

As if suffocating, Ling Xinlu bent his waist and cast his gaze downward, clutching his chest. He pleaded in a thin voice that his heart hurt, that he couldn’t breathe.

“…, I… I can’t see out of one eye… I do the kind of work you hate… I’m younger than you…”

Words leaked out miserably, one by one between sobbing breaths, reaching Yuri’s ears. Ling Xinlu couldn’t bring himself to look at Yuri and wiped his face with the back of his hand. Rubbing his face haphazardly with the back of his hand like a child, pouring out tears that would not stop, he whispered.

“…But I’m a person like this, so what can I do… I’m this kind of person, so what can I do…”

A hand drenched in tears slowly approached Yuri. Carefully, whispering please don’t push me away, the hand touched Yuri’s arm. The hand, which seemed to touch him as lightly as a graze, soon pulled the arm violently, pulling Yuri into an embrace. Tears transferred from the face rubbing against Yuri’s neck.

“Can’t you… fix me and live with me? I’ll try, I’ll really work hard. So, please don’t go. Please stay with me. Please…”

Ling Xinlu clung to him, sniffing. Yuri stood there motionlessly, staring blankly, feeling as if he were in a place that wasn’t quite reality.

It felt incredibly strange that this lovely young man, who was hugging him and crying aloud, was right here, pressed tightly against him. It was so strange it felt unreal, yet the tears streaming down and soaking his neck were so hot.

“You are my water,” Ling Xinlu suddenly whispered. The sound of thin, sniffing sobs leaked into his ear.

“Without you, the weight in my heart will only increase for the rest of my life, and I’ll be crushed to death. …Without you, I can’t rest.”

The two arms wrapped around his back and waist were tightened as if he would never let go even if he died, leaving Yuri unable to move. However, even if those arms had let go, he would not have moved.

Inside this man’s embrace. In this cozy place. Even so, in the embrace of this man who called himself cozy, a place to rest comfortably and calm one’s breath, Yuri would not have moved.

“…Mr. Ling Xinlu. I,”

Yuri opened his mouth quietly. But at that moment, as if afraid of what words might come from Yuri’s mouth, the arms hugging him tightened even further.

“You can’t go. …After doing this, after making me like this, you’re saying you’ll just leave? You can’t go. I’ll never let you go. …Just try and leave on your own. Wherever you go—whatever water you enter, whatever sea you enter, I’ll dry up every last bit of that damn water.”

The voice, which spoke through gritted teeth saying he’d even pour in potassium cyanide, became drenched in tears again. Sobbing sorrowfully, he only hugged Yuri tightly, tightly.

“…―.”

Yuri stood there for a while in the embrace of Ling Xinlu, who remained motionless, clutching him as if he would never let go for the rest of his life. Then, he slowly wrapped his arms around the other’s waist.

He could feel Ling Xinlu’s shoulders stiffen slightly at the light weight of the arms resting on him. At the same time, Yuri hugged him back, matching the strength of the arms holding him. Tightly.

“…This is why I said it would be difficult for me to like you in the same way you like me, Mr. Ling Xinlu…”

Yuri murmured quietly, like a sigh.

He thought he would try to grant what the other desired. He still thought so. While waiting for him, feeling his heart beat with a faint sense of anxiety and anticipation, and calling him, he thought that perhaps it might not be such a difficult effort.

But now, the thought that it might be a difficult effort became clearer.

But even so.

Yuri would stay here.

As long as Ling Xinlu desired it, he would live here with him.

“….”

Yuri tried to push Ling Xinlu away quietly, very slowly. At that, he flinched and hugged him even tighter, increasing the strength in his arms. Yuri gently patted his back.

“I’m not going. Please let go.”

Ling Xinlu didn’t budge. As if Yuri’s words didn’t even reach his ears, he ignored them and simply hugged Yuri tightly, tightly.

Yuri tilted his head slightly. Then, he kissed the ear right in front of his lips. He pressed his lips lightly once, and when the other flinched but remained motionless, he hesitated for just a moment before biting the earlobe with his lips.

“…What are you doing.”

Why are you trying to disappoint me again, the voice, still drenched in tears, murmured.

Yuri moved his lips from the earlobe and kissed his temple. Moving down bit by bit, he slowly moved his lips to the front of the ear, onto the cheekbone, and then the cheek. Each time, Ling Xinlu flinched and shrank his body, but he gradually tilted his head. So that it would be easier for Yuri to kiss him.

Why are you doing this, why do you keep doing this to me, Ling Xinlu, who received Yuri’s kisses obediently while still sniffing, loosened the arms that had been clutching him.

Yuri pressed his lips against the other’s lips one last time before slowly pulling away from his arms.

He took one step back and stood facing him, maintaining exactly that much distance.

Yuri looked silently at Ling Xinlu, who was looking at him anxiously with a wet face from which tears were still falling in droplets, and then soon turned around. He entered his room.

When Yuri returned shortly after, Ling Xinlu was still standing in the same spot, as if rooted to the entrance. Approaching him and standing once again at a distance of one step, Yuri held out what he had in his hand.

It was the contract.

The paper that Ling Xinlu had handed to Yuri a few days ago, having written the contract period as ‘lifelong,’ was now being held out by Yuri to Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu lowered his head and stared blankly at the paper.

Yuri Gable—his name, written in a neat handwriting he had penned himself, was written at the bottom of the contract.

“….”

As if he couldn’t believe it, Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri suspiciously, as if he might wake up from a dream if he accepted the paper. Yuri held the paper out to him again, gesturing for him to take it.

“I wanted to give it to you before midnight, but I hope it’s not too late now.”

“Aren’t you going back?”

At Ling Xinlu’s question asked in a fading voice, Yuri made a strange face this time.

“Why did you think I was going?”

“…You said you’d go back. That since the contract had expired, you’d go back quickly anyway. …You said you’d leave tomorrow morning.”

Having said only that in a voice tinged with faint anxiety, Ling Xinlu fell silent. As if he had spoken those words in vain.

Yuri blinked and looked at him. After staring at him silently for a while, he frowned slightly.

The memory of saying such a thing came back to him quickly. It wasn’t something he had said to him, nor was it meant in the sense he thought, but Yuri had uttered those words. However.

“Have you been outside since then?”

Even if the weather had warmed up, it was still a season where mornings and evenings were chilly; had he stood in the hallway alone in the middle of the night guarding the door?

Frowning slightly, Yuri glared at Ling Xinlu with an incredulous expression. Then, he ended up sighing. He looked down for a moment at the contract that had not yet passed from his hand to the other’s, then held it out again.

“Since I’ll have to be here from now on, I should go and settle things, including the house in Germany.”

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri, who spoke calmly. Gradually, his face took on a strange light. It was a mixture of various emotions—seeming suspicious, anxious, and happy all at once.

Yuri reached out beside him and opened the front gate. Pointing to the giant bouquet that was still abandoned outside the gate, he asked Ling Xinlu, “Is this mine?” and without waiting for an answer, he hugged it with both arms and came inside. Holding the bouquet, which was so large it barely passed through the gate, he waddled toward the living room, groping through his invisible sight.

Ling Xinlu, who had been standing blankly watching Yuri’s actions, followed him inside.

Where should he put this bouquet? There was no vase in the house large enough to hold such a giant bouquet.

In the end, only the bathtub would do. Recalling a bouquet from long ago that had beautifully decorated the bathtub, Yuri looked at this current bouquet, which was several times larger and more flamboyant than the one back then.

Had Ling Xinlu been so excited that he bought something like this?

With expectations as large as this giant bouquet, and an anxiety just as great.

…And crushed by that immense anxiety, crouching and blocking the door outside—what must he have been thinking?

Yuri looked at the large bouquet he had placed in the middle of the living room and then shifted his gaze to Ling Xinlu. He had been staring only at Yuri for a while, clutching the contract in one hand as if he would never let it go.

“I will go back, finish settling things, and come back.”

“…You’ll really come back.”

At the low question, Yuri nodded. Only after confirming that answer—which was as casual as stating the obvious, yet not light—did the strength in Ling Xinlu’s fist, where the knuckles were white, loosen just a little. His face, which seemed about to burst with anxiety, momentarily distorted as if he were about to cry, but he grit his teeth and held back the tears.

Thinking that even if he held them back now after crying so much, there was no way his face would look composed, Yuri smiled bitterly to himself.

This man was lovely. He was so fair, pretty, and overwhelmingly lovely that it was unbearable.

“And that contract,”

Yuri pointed to the contract he was holding with his gaze. When Yuri stopped mid-sentence and fell silent, Ling Xinlu looked down at the contract and waited for his words.

“If you no longer need water—if you no longer need me,”

As Yuri spoke, the gaze of Ling Xinlu, who had been watching him quietly, wavered as if he were momentarily angry, but he remained silent and listened to the rest of the words.

“Then let’s agree to terminate the contract… please do that.”

Yuri spoke calmly up to that point, then fell silent and waited for Ling Xinlu’s answer.

And Ling Xinlu.

Having listened seriously to every single word Yuri said, Ling Xinlu spoke readily as soon as Yuri finished, as if there was no need for long thought.

“By all means. But instead.”

“….”

“Unless that happens, you stay by my side. While trying, just as I asked.”

Yuri opened his mouth slightly but couldn’t give an answer.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want to. By handing that contract over to Ling Xinlu, Yuri had already intended to do so.

However, the reason he couldn’t answer immediately was that he thought it would take a long time. That he would make the other wait a long time.

Having ended his words firmly, Ling Xinlu’s expression clouded as he saw Yuri hesitating to answer. His voice sank a bit.

“It’s okay if it takes a long time. We have a lifetime’s worth of time anyway, so it’s okay if it takes a long time. I can keep waiting until then. …So, please like me.”

The words please like me, added stubbornly, blurred slightly and the end of the sentence trembled, as if he lacked confidence.

Yuri continued to look at him for a while.

It was strange. How could this quick-witted and clever man not know?

That he was this lovely. That Yuri would strive to ensure he never had a reason to be tired or distressed.

Yuri nodded. Ling Xinlu, who had not taken his eyes off Yuri, pressed his lips tight upon seeing the answer. As if he might cry again, but forcing himself to endure it because crying would look unsightly.

Yuri, to whom every face—whether he cried, laughed, or got angry—looked only beautiful, smiled quietly.

It was true. No matter what face Ling Xinlu made, every single look seemed beautiful to Yuri. So, facing that lovely person, Yuri couldn’t help but smile for a long time, letting his indifferent expression crumble just a little.

He didn’t even realize that Ling Xinlu was staring at him intently, without blinking once.

“When will you come back after you go?”

While Yuri was filling the bathtub with water to soak the bouquet, Ling Xinlu, who had been staring at Yuri while leaning against the bathroom doorframe, suddenly asked. Yuri loosened the bouquet to give the flowers plenty of space and then turned to look at him.

“I’m not sure; I don’t know how long it will take to finish the general cleanup.”

Yuri answered vaguely, tilting his head.

The apartment, which might take the most time to settle, had been left to a realtor through James, so there was no need to worry, but settling a place where he had lived for a long time as his home would likely involve many tedious tasks.

He planned to hire people for the tasks that seemed like they would take more than a reasonable amount of time, but how long would it take to finish the trivial things he had to do himself?

He intended to hurry as much as possible, but he didn’t have a precise sense of how long it would be.

Ling Xinlu was staring intently only at Yuri’s lips. With eyes tense, like a patient waiting for a doctor’s verdict, wondering how long he would say he’d be gone.

Yuri answered once more, I’m not sure… He didn’t intend to stay long either. Once he finished what he had to do, he planned to return on a night flight, or the earliest flight possible.

“…Right, then,”

Yuri placed the bouquet in the bathtub, which was sufficiently filled with water. The giant bouquet filled the tub, making it seem as if a flowerbed in full bloom had appeared in the bathroom.

Yuri looked at the lovely flowerbed with affectionate eyes.

“I will return before these flowers wither.”

Having answered so, Yuri stared blankly at the flowers for a while longer before turning to Ling Xinlu and saying a belated, “Thank you for the flowers,” and then left the bathroom.

And Ling Xinlu, left behind, glanced over at the flowers filling the bathtub. His gaze darkened as he looked at the flowers, among which countless buds were just beginning to bloom.

Because they were for the most precious person, he had asked for only the most lush, beautiful, and long-lasting flowers, and the bouquet was incredibly fresh. It seemed there was still a long time before they would wither.

“….”

Should I just pull the plug? He leaned over to look into the tub, but the bottom of the bathtub, buried in flowers, wasn’t even visible.

While Ling Xinlu was silently glaring at the flowers, lost in thought, Yuri returned from the room with something and dropped a few small pills evenly into the bathtub. Then, smiling brightly at the puzzled Ling Xinlu, he answered, “It’s aspirin. I heard that if you soak flowers in water dissolved with aspirin, they stay fresh longer.”

Since it was a bouquet received from Ling Xinlu, Yuri hoped they would stay fresh for as long as possible, but he was unaware of Ling Xinlu’s gaze, glaring at his back resentfully.

It would be much later that Yuri would reflect upon this after hearing Ling Xinlu say, ‘That was the first time I truly and seriously resented Mr. Gable,’ but that was a story for much further in the future.