“...Zhou Duo?” Jin Yan spoke tentatively.
Even though he was a hundred percent certain this wasn't Zhou Shu, he still felt a lingering trepidation from their last encounter.
Hearing his brother’s gentle voice, Zhou Duo looked up at Jin Yan. The latter silently took a deep breath.
*His eyes are so beautiful, so bright—is he trying to make up for the disappointment of the clouds obscuring the moon tonight?*
“Brother, I missed you so much...” Zhou Duo buried his face in Jin Yan’s chest and took a deep breath. “Your scent is still the best. No matter how much it rains, nothing else is you.”
*No matter how much it rains, nothing else is you...*
Zhou Duo was far too good at flirting; he was so forward that Jin Yan nearly forgot to breathe. All his expressions of affection were completely undisguised, a style entirely different from Zhou Shu’s. For a moment, Jin Yan found it difficult to handle.
Yet, this "straight ball" style was exactly how Jin Yan himself had been as a child.
Jin Yan couldn't help but reminisce. *Was I really like this when I was little? If so, how did Zhou Shu feel every time I acted spoiled with him? Did he feel the same way I do now?*
“Brother, even though it’s only been two days since we last met, I already missed you terribly,” Zhou Duo said. “But Brother Zhou Shu promised me that he’ll let me see you often from now on.”
“Zhou Shu... promised you?” Zhou Duo’s words caught Jin Yan off guard. Was it really as Julia said—that the two personalities actually negotiated their switches?
If so, it was remarkably harmonious.
Zhou Duo nodded excitedly. “Yes, Brother Zhou Shu is very good to me. He often chats with me because he’s afraid I’ll be bored. He’s very gentle with me and always says he’ll protect me.”
“Always says he’ll protect you...” Jin Yan repeated the phrase softly.
This was indeed a sentiment he had heard since he was a child. From his earliest memories, there had always been an older brother protecting him.
Before entering middle school, Jin Yan had been as beautiful as a porcelain doll. He didn't speak much and usually sat quietly in a corner by himself. He only showed a smile when he saw Zhou Shu, sticking to him like a little shadow. Even Jin Yan’s parents said he would only act spoiled with Zhou Shu.
To others, such a child seemed eccentric. Combined with his extreme reticence, it was inevitable that he became a target for other children’s bullying.
“You’re so fair and delicate, you’re actually a girl, aren’t you?”
“Why don’t you talk to us? Are you a mute?”
“My mom said kids like you are just rude. No one wants to be friends with you.”
Words like these had followed Jin Yan for many years.
He hadn't actually taken them to heart, until one day Zhou Shu overheard them. Consequently, from that day forward, the "crime" of being a bully followed Zhou Shu for a long time.
But Zhou Shu didn't care about that reputation; instead, he felt proud for many days because he had protected his younger brother. Later, everyone within a ten-mile radius knew that Jin Yan had a brother three years older than him who was both handsome and fierce.
Thinking of this, Jin Yan smiled.
“Brother, you look so good when you smile. I love watching you smile the most.” Zhou Duo smiled along with him, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
Jin Yan gently stroked his head. “You’re the one who looks good when you smile.” After saying it, he realized they were both talking about the same person.
“Duo Duo, are you willing to tell me about yourself?” Jin Yan asked softly.
Through his interactions with Zhou Shu, Jin Yan had become increasingly certain that he wouldn't learn anything from the main personality. Yet, he was always afraid of triggering Zhou Duo, especially since the boy had cried so hard during their last meeting.
But this time, Zhou Duo’s emotions seemed extremely stable; it seemed he had only been overly excited during their first meeting.
As expected, Zhou Duo could not refuse Jin Yan. Just as Jin Yan could never refuse Zhou Shu when they were children.
“The first time I woke up, it was in a very dark place, but I lost consciousness almost immediately after waking. Later, Uncle Zhou and Auntie Liang said they found me in a closet.” At this point, Zhou Duo stared at Jin Yan without blinking. “It was in your closet.”
He said, “Brother, I woke up because I smelled your scent.”
Hearing this, Jin Yan’s heart felt as though it were being squeezed tight, and his eyes grew hot.
Zhou Shu had suffered from claustrophobia since childhood. Dark or narrow, enclosed spaces caused him extreme panic and anxiety; in severe cases, he would experience a racing heart and difficulty breathing.
And yet, such a person had locked himself in a closet just to immerse himself in another person’s scent.
Jin Yan could no longer restrain himself; he reached out and pulled Zhou Duo into his arms.
Zhou Duo hadn't expected the gesture, and his eyes widened. But then, as if sensing Jin Yan’s thoughts, he hugged him back tightly.
“Brother, don't be sad. Brother Zhou Shu told me that having me makes him feel very happy.” Zhou Duo’s voice dropped to a whisper, his tone cautious. “Is it the same for you?” He paused, his eyes shimmering as he asked softly, “Do you feel that way too?”
Jin Yan’s nose felt itchy with unshed tears. He tightened his grip, stroking Zhou Duo’s hair rhythmically. “Yes, me too. Having you makes us all feel very happy.”
It was only at this moment that Jin Yan realized that compared to the years they spent growing up together, the five years they had spent awkwardly missing each other didn't seem that important anymore.
Some things are already etched into the bone; no matter how much silence is used to pay the toll, they will never vanish into nothingness.
It was like the Proust Effect. When a scent enters the nasal cavity and reaches the brain, memories begin to flood back, surging so violently that they are impossible to evade.
Moreover, there was now a Zhou Duo. Zhou Duo’s existence was a conclusion in itself; it no longer required any preamble or transition.
“Were you scared?” After a long while, Jin Yan continued to ask, “When you were alone.”
Zhou Duo froze for a second before answering, “Brother Zhou Shu was always with me.” He paused, his voice tightening. “But I was so scared... scared I would never see you again...”
The clock had long since pointed past midnight. The rain outside showed signs of weakening, pitter-pattering against the window, while a restless agitation hummed beneath the silence of the room.
Breaking that silence was the sound of Zhou Duo’s soft sobbing.
“Why didn't you ever come back to see me... Why couldn't I find you no matter how hard I looked...”
“Duo Duo...” Perhaps because the room’s lighting was too dim, Jin Yan’s vision blurred. He cleared his throat and sighed. “It’s all my fault. At the time, I thought you... I thought your Brother Zhou Shu didn't need me anymore. I thought that after I left, it wouldn't make a difference to him.”
Zhou Shu had always had so many friends around him; he had company wherever he went. Especially after his secondary differentiation—Betas and Omegas flocked to his side. Why would he care about an Alpha with whom he could never have a future?
Furthermore, Zhou Shu had always been so repulsed by the idea of an Alpha-Alpha relationship.
“That’s not true!” Hearing this, Zhou Duo suddenly looked up. “Brother Zhou Shu isn't like what you said! After you left, he became very lonely. He had fewer and fewer friends. From the time I first knew him, he didn't like to talk much anymore, and he didn't smile much.” Zhou Duo was anxious to voice all of Zhou Shu’s grievances, forgetting that he was currently using Zhou Shu’s face.
For a moment, Jin Yan was dazed. He felt as if Zhou Shu himself were complaining and acting spoiled.
The heartache was like the rain outside—relentless and unceasing, refusing to grant a quick end.
Jin Yan had always respected and understood "animal instincts." Now, it seemed like he had possessed foresight, simply to find an excuse for his next action.
Following his "animal instinct," Jin Yan pressed a kiss onto Zhou Duo’s hair. It was as light and soft as a raindrop falling into the ocean.
Zhou Duo was clearly stunned for a moment. Then, his entire being became bashful, though his eyes refused to leave Jin Yan’s.
Jin Yan smiled and gently brushed his fingertip against the mole under Zhou Duo’s lip, a playful gesture of comfort. He suddenly remembered how, as a child, he would often poke that same mole with his small hands. Every time, Zhou Shu would playfully push him away with his palm, and Jin Yan would take the opportunity to press Zhou Shu’s hand against his own face and nuzzle it.
It was enough to make one’s heart flutter.
Unknowingly, Jin Yan’s mind was filled with Zhou Shu again, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.
“Brother, are you thinking about someone else?”
“I...” Caught in the act, Jin Yan thought for a second but then stood his ground. “From beginning to end, the one I’m thinking of is you.”
He hoped Zhou Shu would understand those words.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Duo was overjoyed, his eyes curving into crescents. Seeing him like this, Jin Yan couldn't look away for even a second. He had never seen this side of Zhou Shu before.
This was truly... playing foul.
Jin Yan’s throat felt parched. He tried to pull back slightly, only to be held firmly by the person in his arms.
“Brother, do you regret it? Do you not like me...” Zhou Duo looked as if he had been cruelly dragged out of a beautiful dream, tears shimmering in his eyes.
“No, no, that’s not it...” Jin Yan couldn't bear to see Zhou Duo like this. He quickly squeezed his hand. “Don't overthink it. Be good, okay?”
Zhou Duo nodded, staring at Jin Yan without blinking. Jin Yan saw his own reflection filling the other’s pupils.
“Then, do you like me?” Zhou Duo asked cautiously. He saw Jin Yan nod, but then he grew anxious. “Then why won't you mark me?”
The rhythm of Jin Yan’s heart was thrown into chaos again. He clenched his hands, having no idea how to answer.
He wanted to say: *You don't know, I even mark you—or get marked by you—in my dreams. That way, our pheromones can be forever entwined.*
Jin Yan composed himself and gently stroked Zhou Duo’s hair. “Be good, Duo Duo. You’re still too young.”
Hearing this, Zhou Duo immediately scrambled out of Jin Yan’s arms. He stared at Jin Yan with wide eyes, like a stubborn young deer.
“I’m already eighteen! I’m a fully differentiated Omega! I’ve reached the legal marriage age!”
Hearing these words, an immature idea suddenly took root in Jin Yan’s mind.
“Duo Duo, I want to ask you something. Think it over carefully before you answer me, okay?” he asked softly and cautiously.
Zhou Duo nodded obediently.
“Um... are you willing to marry me?” Jin Yan said. “To register our marriage and live together forever.”
Before Jin Yan could finish, his mouth was blocked by the person in front of him.
By another pair of lips.
Though it was only a soft touch, it was enough to make Jin Yan’s entire body tingle until dawn.
Only after the kiss did Zhou Duo feel shy, immediately burying his head back into Jin Yan’s chest. His hand lightly gripped the fabric of Jin Yan’s shirt. After a long while, he slowly uttered three words.
“I... am willing...”
***
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