Married Off to My Childhood Enigma | Chapter 17 | A Decisive Assist | Novela.app

After staying in Haicheng for a few days, the Movie King finally returned to his own home on the third day. Seeing their son return from the house across the hall, Zhou Shu’s parents feigned ignorance despite knowing exactly what was going on. They casually asked about his work and checked in on Zhou Duo’s condition. They were somewhat surprised to learn that Zhou Duo had not appeared at all over the past few days. Previously, the second personality had emerged quite frequently, sometimes triggered by the weather, other times by Zhou Shu’s mood. Consequently, while filming on set, Zhou Shu often had to request leave citing "health reasons." Eventually, the production schedules mostly revolved around Zhou Shu’s availability. After all, Zhou Duo sometimes couldn't control the body well and didn't know how to call Zhou Shu back; the rumors of him "acting like a diva" had originated from these incidents. Zhou Shu’s parents had always been worried. They feared that one day their son might simply fall asleep and disappear from this shell forever. They had spoken with Zhou Shu several times, but the answer was always the same: Zhou Shu was unwilling to accept any psychological counseling or rehabilitation therapy. He seemed to care deeply for Zhou Duo. The doctors said they were the most harmonious primary and secondary personalities they had ever seen. Even so, as parents, it was impossible for them not to mind at all, which resulted in them not being particularly close to Zhou Duo. But only Zhou Shu knew what Zhou Duo meant to him. Even Zhou Shu hadn't expected that after spending two days with Jin Yan, Zhou Duo wouldn't wake up even once to see his "gege." However, it had to be said that the conversation they’d had in Jin Yan’s room earlier had truly touched Zhou Shu. Even if they cast aside all external opinions and even if they loved each other deeply, a romance between two men—especially two Alphas—genuinely lacked many of the traditional bonds. They couldn't mark each other, they couldn't inject each other's pheromones into their own bodies, they couldn't legally register their marriage, and they couldn't have offspring of their own. Zhou Shu hadn't cared about these things before, but when Jin Yan asked that question, Zhou Shu’s heart had suffered a physiological pang of pain. Jin Yan probably really wanted an official status... but Zhou Shu could only be his "brother." But Zhou Duo was an Omega. Would Jin Yan... He remembered that last time, Jin Yan had clearly asked Zhou Duo if he was willing to marry him... "Zhou Shu-gege?" "Hmm?" Zhou Shu was lying on his bed, lost in thought, when he suddenly heard the voice in his mind. He sat up and rubbed the space between his brows. "What is it, Duo Duo?" "Zhou Shu-gege, are you unhappy?" "Mm..." Zhou Shu remained silent for a moment before telling the truth; he only ever told Zhou Duo the truth. "Yes, I'm very sad." "Sad about what?" Zhou Duo’s tone grew a bit anxious. Zhou Shu sighed and shook his head to himself. "It's nothing. I'm just a little scared." "Scared?" Zhou Duo tried to comfort him thoughtfully. "Are you scared of being separated from Jin Yan-gege? Don't worry, I won't try to steal Jin Yan-gege from you. I just... I just really miss him sometimes." Zhou Shu’s heart ached at those words, and his vision blurred slightly. He steadied his breathing, his voice more tender than ever before. "I know. Don't overthink it, Duo Duo." "Mm, I won't. You shouldn't be sad either. If you're sad, my heart hurts for you too." Zhou Shu lay flat on the bed, waiting for the mist in his eyes to clear before speaking. "Duo Duo, do you really want to see Jin Yan-gege?" "Mm..." Zhou Duo gave a small, obedient affirmation. "Then why haven't you called for me these past few days?" "I..." Zhou Duo paused. "Because I didn't feel a summons from Gege." Zhou Shu was stunned. "What?" he asked, confused. "I only come when you are sad. When you feel happy, you don't summon me," Zhou Duo explained. "When you are happy, I am very happy too. I sleep very soundly." He chuckled after speaking, his laughter sounding as pleasant as a lively wave. But hearing this only made Zhou Shu sadder. So that was why Zhou Duo was born in Jin Yan’s wardrobe five years ago, and why Zhou Duo had always come out to talk to him during the five years they hadn't seen Jin Yan. As Zhou Shu thought about it, his throat tightened. Finally, his voice trembling slightly, he said, "I'm sorry, Duo Duo." Zhou Duo became frantic, immediately correcting and comforting Zhou Shu, telling him that he felt very happy to exist in this way. But Zhou Duo never told Zhou Shu that he felt as though he was truly about to leave. Zhou Duo’s perception of certain emotions was different from Zhou Shu’s; he was much more sensitive. Perhaps it was because he was an Omega, or perhaps because he was essentially a fusion of both Jin Yan and Zhou Shu. He should have been the eighteen-year-old Zhou Shu who had successfully differentiated into an Omega, yet he had woken up smelling Jin Yan’s scent. Zhou Shu’s longing and desire for the owner of that scent had caused Zhou Duo to view Jin Yan as the "gege" who was supposed to mark him. He was the bond and the obsession between these two, and he had accompanied Zhou Shu through these five difficult years. Therefore, now that Zhou Shu and Jin Yan had reunited, the more connections they established, the less frequently Zhou Duo would appear. He didn't know at what point he would completely disappear, but he somewhat hoped that day would come soon. The stability of the past few days had already given Zhou Duo some peace of mind, but today, in his deep sleep, he had felt a bitterness similar to the day he was born. "Duo Duo, are you sleepy?" Zhou Shu’s voice interrupted Zhou Duo’s thoughts. Zhou Duo smiled and told Zhou Shu he wasn't sleepy. Then, he heard a suppressed endurance that made his nose sting. He heard Zhou Shu force a smile and say, "Gege has a bit of a headache and wants to sleep. If you miss him, go find him." "Zhou Shu-gege..." Zhou Duo burst into tears instantly. The tears were silent and formless, but Zhou Shu’s heart ached along with him. "Silly boy, why are you crying?" Zhou Shu was so gentle that it only made Zhou Duo cry harder. Zhou Shu thought that if it were the eighteen-year-old Jin Yan, he would probably really want to see him right now. After all, he had been such a clingy little tag-along, yet Zhou Shu had left him alone in that room after he differentiated back then. He didn't wait for Zhou Duo to say anything else before he truly drifted off to sleep. After all, the physical exertion of the past few days had been quite significant. After Zhou Shu fell asleep, Zhou Duo took control of the body. He curled himself into a ball, occasionally reaching out a hand to grab a tissue from the side. A short while later, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Zhou Duo wiped his tears and got out of bed to open it. "Xiao Shu... you..." Zhou Shu’s mother froze when she saw the state the child was in. Even though she knew this was Zhou Duo, as a mother, she couldn't bear to see her child so distraught. She pulled Zhou Duo over to sit on the bed and asked softly, "What’s wrong, Duo Duo?" Zhou Duo shook his head. "It's nothing, Auntie Liang." Zhou Shu’s mother sighed, then a thought occurred to her. "Do you... miss Gege?" Zhou Duo looked up like a small deer filled with fear and alertness, his pupils clouded with lingering mist and crystalline tears. Zhou Shu’s mother’s heart ached. She stroked Zhou Duo’s head. "I'll call Gege over for you, okay?" Upon hearing this, Zhou Duo’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at Zhou Shu’s mother with some surprise, but eventually gave a soft nod. Zhou Shu’s mother smiled at him and left, closing the door behind her. The wait wasn't long; in any case, Zhou Duo was long used to waiting. He knew deep down that no one in this world truly welcomed him; the only ones who could make him feel at ease were Zhou Shu and Jin Yan. So, when the bedroom door opened and that familiar scent flooded his mind, Zhou Duo threw himself into the arms of the person at the door without a second thought. Jin Yan, who had just entered, was knocked back a step by the impact. He was stunned for a few seconds before closing the door and pulling the person in his arms even tighter. Having not seen him for only a few hours, Jin Yan did indeed miss this person. He was about to say something when he was beaten to it by a warm breath against his ear. "I missed you so much..." This confession, spoken without a title, made Jin Yan lose himself for a moment. For a second, he couldn't tell if it was Zhou Shu or Zhou Duo speaking. They stood there embracing for a long time. Jin Yan seemed to sense something and kept stroking Zhou Duo’s hair gently to soothe him. After a moment of silence, Zhou Duo finally looked up. Jin Yan felt the dampness on the shoulder of his clothes and saw the person’s eyes, which were red and swollen from crying. "What happened?" Jin Yan frowned in distress, gently brushing Zhou Duo’s eyes with his thumb. Zhou Duo said nothing, merely clutching the hem of Jin Yan’s shirt and shaking his head repeatedly. Feeling both helpless and soft-hearted, Jin Yan simply picked him up, placed him on the bed, and tucked him under the covers. In the next second, Jin Yan’s sleeve was caught again. He saw the person in front of him patting the empty space on the bed, signaling for him to get in as well. Jin Yan chuckled and leaned against the headboard, only to be hugged tightly again. This succession of affectionate gestures made it a bit difficult for Jin Yan to breathe, but he tried his best to maintain a safe distance, acting only as a "gege" who could care for and protect Zhou Duo. Zhou Duo didn't say why he was crying, and Jin Yan didn't press him. He just held the person in his arms gently and tried to chat about other topics. Eventually, Zhou Duo’s emotions were calmed. He told Jin Yan many interesting things that had happened over the past five years. He said that when they were filming *Rouge Intoxication*, even though he was the one playing "Chu Xun," he had to pretend to have Zhou Shu’s cold, indifferent face in front of others. He had almost slipped up several times. Jin Yan listened and laughed along. Jin Yan responded that he had watched that movie immediately in Country A. His first reaction at the time was that this person wasn't Zhou Shu. He knew Zhou Shu’s gaze and expressions too well, but he had no way to verify it. He could only be secretly jealous in front of the screen, letting bitterness envelop every nerve in his body, wishing he could hide the person away at home so no one else could see those eyes that were brighter than the stars. It wasn't until Jin Yan returned and learned everything that he realized the memories of eighteen years spent together would not lie. Zhou Duo just laughed as he listened. He said that he actually really enjoyed acting. He liked the character "Chu Xun" very much, which was why Zhou Shu had accepted the role. Jin Yan was enjoying the warm atmosphere until the name "Duan Xingyi" came up, causing his brow to furrow slightly. Because Zhou Duo said he quite liked Duan Xingyi. As for why, the answer Zhou Duo gave was: "Because I can feel that he is very similar to how Zhou Shu-gege used to be." Hearing this, Jin Yan’s breathing hitched. How Zhou Shu used to be... He used to be gentle, considerate, and could easily diffuse any awkwardness. He could look after the emotions of everyone around him. Most importantly, the way he looked at Jin Yan was so pure and full of treasure. The more he thought about it, the more Jin Yan felt he couldn't continue reminiscing. His heart was too heavy with bitterness, so much so that even breathing became difficult. Zhou Duo sensed Jin Yan’s mood and proactively rubbed the fabric over Jin Yan’s heart, causing Jin Yan’s heart rate to quicken again. But he couldn't let the younger boy see such a petty side of him. He could only force a generous smile that looked worse than crying, which made Zhou Duo unable to hold back a laugh. Jin Yan coughed awkwardly twice. "Alright, Duo Duo, stop laughing." Zhou Duo laughed a few more times before stopping. He glanced at his phone and then looked up at Jin Yan. "Gege, I have to leave tomorrow afternoon." "Mm," Jin Yan responded softly, stroking Zhou Duo’s hair. "Then... do you want to go register our marriage with me tomorrow morning?" "Mm... Huh?" Jin Yan snapped his head up, his entire arm freezing in mid-air. Zhou Duo smiled and took his hand, holding it in his own. "Isn't that what you asked me last time? I believe you must have a way to make it happen, right?" He finished speaking and looked at Jin Yan with shimmering eyes. Aside from anticipation, there was some other emotion radiating from his gaze. But Jin Yan didn't have the capacity to decipher that emotion; he was still caught completely off guard by this wave that had suddenly leapt into the air. Zhou Duo’s gaze was incredibly firm. Jin Yan faintly sensed something from this persistence, and then he responded with a raspy voice. "Okay." ---