Leaving behind the rain of Yuncheng, the Film Emperor Zhou Shu threw himself into a non-stop schedule of movie promotions.
Although Zhou Duo’s appearance that night had made things a bit chaotic, it had also served to untangle the knot that had been snarled for five long years.
After they parted ways, Jin Yan sent his brother a goodnight message every evening. Sometimes he received an immediate reply; other times, it wouldn't come until the next day. On the rare occasions they were both free enough to talk on the phone for a few minutes, the sound of Jin Yan’s wheedling voice would chase away much of Zhou Shu’s exhaustion.
Having a Film Emperor for a brother was truly a mixed blessing, Jin Yan thought. It seemed he needed to act quickly to strengthen the bond between them.
Meanwhile, in the capital, standing before a thousand flashing cameras as he prepared for a grand gala, Zhou Shu could never have guessed what his younger brother was doing back in Haicheng.
It was a clear day in Haicheng. The scents in the air were faint, and everything was so peaceful it brought a sense of ease.
After returning to Haicheng, Jin Yan spent two weeks renovating and finalizing the details for his pet hospital. It would be ready to open in another week. Zhou Shu had said he would be back by then.
Once a return date is set, the countdown of waiting becomes exceptionally sweet.
However, a certain someone was clearly not satisfied with just that sweetness. Thus, the day before Zhou Shu was due to return, Jin Yan stepped into the house across the street.
"Uncle Zhou, Auntie Liang, the truth is... I am an Enigma."
The two elders sitting in the Zhou family courtyard never expected that after a few sentences of pleasantries, such a statement would follow. Auntie Liang’s eyes widened in shock.
"Wait... Yan-yan, what did you say?"
"I underwent a second differentiation into an Enigma," Jin Yan said. "Two years ago."
"This..." A sudden breeze swept through the quiet courtyard. The pupils of Zhou Shu’s parents wavered, much like the flowers and grass around them.
Jin Yan did not seem inclined to give them time to process. He began to recount the process of his differentiation with perfect fluidity, as if he had planned this for a long time—or perhaps as if he were simply unburdening himself.
Five years ago, dejected and disheartened, he had gone to Country A alone to study, immersing himself endlessly in libraries and laboratories. During his years abroad, though he had made a few friends, no one could truly enter his heart.
They all said no one could see through him. He wasn't cold, but he was distant, like a cloud that one could walk beside every day but never actually touch.
He had thought his days would continue in this endless, dull monotony. He planned to wait until his heart felt better and he could face Zhou Shu again; only then would he return home to see him. Perhaps then, the two of them could sit together, drink tea, and chat like ordinary friends.
But in life, most things go against one's wishes.
The person you want to forget most is the one who burrows into your mind most often, refusing to let go even in your dreams. Jin Yan dreamed of Zhou Shu every single night. It was like suffering from a chronic illness of obsession. At first, he was troubled, but eventually, he grew used to it.
After all, most of life's struggles stem from psychological suggestion. Once the mind becomes accustomed to this kind of detached pain, perhaps even the deepest memories will eventually fade into the mundane.
Jin Yan constantly told himself this.
These contradictory, tangled dreams of reality and illusion persisted for years, right up until his second differentiation two years ago.
That day, he had driven to the seaside as usual. When he rolled down the window and the scent of the waves hit him, Jin Yan always felt a long-lost sense of peace. He hadn't spent a single day without missing that scent—the scent that had once steadily enveloped him for two days and two nights.
But that day, the familiar scent did not bring back warm memories. Instead, it crashed violently into Jin Yan’s mind, making his whole body tremble and his breathing turn shallow.
Jin Yan felt his body going wrong. it felt like the premonition of his first differentiation three years prior, but this was far more turbulent. Clinging to his last shred of sanity, he called a close friend. Seconds after hanging up, Jin Yan collapsed on the beach, unconscious.
The sea breeze swirled with the relentless waves. In his stupor, accompanied by that familiar scent, Jin Yan saw something.
He saw himself at six years old, holding a poor little kitten, sobbing uncontrollably in Zhou Shu’s arms. At six, a child is beginning to understand the meaning of death. He knew very well that the little kitten, who had only been with him for two years, was gone forever.
That day, Jin Yan had refused to let go of the kitten until its body turned cold. Zhou Shu had spent the entire day coaxing him before he finally began to accept it.
That medical accident left Jin Yan depressed and miserable for a long time, and Zhou Shu tried everything he could to cheer him up.
Then one day, Zhou Shu suddenly pulled a chain out of his schoolbag and gave it to Jin Yan.
He said, "Yan-yan, don't be sad anymore. From now on, just think of me as your kitten. Big brother will stay with you forever."
Jin Yan took the chain innocently, blinking as he examined it closely, as if he didn't want to miss a single detail. The entire chain was exquisite, designed more like a playful bracelet. Jin Yan saw the kitten’s name, "Duo Duo," engraved on the dangling pendant. On the back of the pendant was the landline number for Jin Yan’s home.
It must be said that the chain seemed to possess magic; it truly did help Jin Yan gradually become cheerful again.
It was originally a bracelet Zhou Shu gave to Jin Yan, but a few days later, Jin Yan "gifted" it back.
"Brother, since you are my kitten, I have to give this chain to you. If you ever get lost, people can contact me."
Zhou Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he accepted the gift. After a moment's hesitation, he happily agreed. However, he hadn't expected Jin Yan to insist that he wear the chain on his wrist.
When they were little, Zhou Shu didn't mind. But as he grew older, he began to feel embarrassed. Upon entering middle school, Zhou Shu took the chain off his wrist and hung it on his schoolbag instead.
Though Jin Yan was a bit unhappy, he was sensible. He knew his brother would find it embarrassing, so he didn't want to force him. Hanging it on the bag was fine, too.
Whenever Jin Yan was upset and Zhou Shu was at his wits' end, he would put the chain back on his wrist and run to Jin Yan’s side, waving his hand to show him. Jin Yan would be cheered up in a second.
So Zhou Shu knew that Jin Yan was the best, most easily coaxed child in the world.
That chain stayed with Zhou Shu for a long time, until it began to show signs of wear from the passage of years. Only then did the two of them decide to replace it with an identical one.
And so it went through the years. This was already the third chain. The contact number on the back of the pendant had changed from the home landline to Jin Yan’s mobile number.
Five years ago, the last time Jin Yan stepped into Zhou Shu’s room, he had secretly taken that cat chain with him.
Later, during the days and nights in Country A, it was the chain that kept Jin Yan company. Even during the five days he lay unconscious after his second differentiation, he had gripped the chain tightly and refused to let go.
Before, he could only look at the object to remember the person; now, the object had been returned to its rightful owner. This was perhaps the most romantic cycle in the world.
Thinking of this, Jin Yan’s eyes filled with a lingering tenderness. Even though the second differentiation had nearly cost him his life, it now seemed a fair price to pay for this perfect outcome.
Jin Yan briefly explained the process of his Enigma differentiation to Zhou Shu’s parents. Auntie Liang, however, was deeply affected by how lightly he brushed over the memory of being on the brink of death, and she began to wipe away tears.
"Auntie Liang, please don't cry..." Jin Yan squeezed her hand comfortingly. She patted his hand back as if to reassure him. Jin Yan felt it and smiled at them. "Am I not perfectly fine now? I heard there are always risks when differentiating into an Enigma. My reaction was actually quite lucky."
Zhou Shu’s parents sighed, their expressions full of heartache.
The number of Enigmas was incredibly small. Being chosen by nature to undergo a second differentiation was rare enough, but in the struggle of that process, many Alphas lost their lives. It seemed that standing at the very top required a massive price, no matter the circumstance.
"After differentiating into an Enigma, my senses became much more sensitive, especially toward things in nature." He could smell the rain and feel the wind. "I can understand what small animals are saying, and I can feel where they hurt or how they are sick."
"That... that’s wonderful!" Auntie Liang wiped the corners of her eyes, her face full of joy. "Then after you become a veterinarian, medical accidents like the one that happened to Duo Duo will never happen again."
Jin Yan nodded and smiled. "Yes, my brother also said I’m very suited to being a vet."
At that moment, Zhou Shu’s father, who had been silent, spoke up with a grave tone.
"Yan-yan, since such a major thing happened, why didn't you come back then?" He sighed. "This is your home, after all. You didn't come back once in five years, and you didn't even contact the family."
"Uncle Zhou, I was wrong..."
Zhou Shu’s father shook his head and patted his shoulder. Auntie Liang gently held his hand. "It’s good that you’re back. After you left, you never contacted Xiao Shu again. We all thought you two brothers had a falling out and would never see each other again." As she spoke, her expression darkened as if she had remembered something.
"Auntie Liang, I’ve met Zhou Duo." Jin Yan’s eyes darkened. After a brief internal struggle, he decided to state his true purpose for coming.
"Wh... what?" Auntie Liang was stunned.
"Yes... I saw my brother the day I returned, at a bar," Jin Yan said. "Actually, the first person to speak to me was Zhou Duo. He said he woke up because he smelled my scent." He paused, then added, "In truth, the 'brother' he was looking for... was me."
Hearing this, Zhou Shu’s parents looked at him with utter disbelief. The atmosphere remained silent for a long while before returning to normal. It was Auntie Liang who broke the stillness.
"The first time Zhou Duo came out, it was because Xiao Shu had locked himself in your closet..." Auntie Liang began to sob quietly again. Zhou Shu’s father placed a comforting hand on her back. Jin Yan did not interrupt. She steadied herself and continued, "The situation was so chaotic back then. Later, when Xiao Shu woke up, he wouldn't say anything, and he insisted that we couldn't tell you. Sigh, this whole business..."
Looking at Auntie Liang covering her face, Jin Yan felt a pang of heartache.
Auntie Liang was a sensible woman; once she organized her thoughts, she understood the cause and effect. Although Zhu Lili had said Zhou Duo was very well-behaved and the parents hadn't worried much, no one wanted their child to suddenly develop a second personality. Whether it was sharing a body or sharing a life, neither was easy to accept.
The fragrance of flowers in the air drifted with the wind. Jin Yan couldn't tell if the scent came from the courtyard or from miles away. After his thoughts were entangled for a moment, he spoke along with the wind. "Actually... my brother still doesn't know I'm an Enigma."
"What?" Jin Yan was met with startled expressions.
"Yes, I haven't had the chance to tell him yet, but I wanted to tell you two first." At this, Zhou Shu’s parents looked confused. They glanced at each other and then signaled for him to continue.
"Uncle Zhou, Auntie Liang..."
"I want to marry Zhou Shu."
The wind stopped, but the fragrance of the flowers did not dissipate.
There was one thing Jin Yan had spent five years thinking about, and he had finally realized it at this moment.
As it turned out, love is a matter that has nothing to do with gender.
It was true for him, and it was true for Zhou Shu.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 影帝 | Film Emperor | A title for a highly acclaimed actor, often a Best Actor award winner. |
| 剧宣 | Movie promotions | Short for 影视剧宣传 (film/TV promotion). |
| 二次分化 | Second differentiation | A rare process in ABO settings where a person changes to a different sub-gender. |
| 周伯 | Uncle Zhou | Respectful address for Zhou Shu's father. |
| 梁姨 | Auntie Liang | Respectful address for Zhou Shu's mother. |
| 言言 | Yan-yan | An affectionate nickname for Jin Yan. |
| 小树 | Xiao Shu | An affectionate nickname for Zhou Shu. |
| 睹物思人 | Seeing the object and missing the person | A Chinese idiom about how objects evoke memories of loved ones. |
| 朵朵 | Duo Duo | The name of the kitten Jin Yan had as a child. |
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