“Ge, wake up.” Jin Yan pulled the curtains open just a crack. Sunlight seized the opportunity to spill across the duvet, carrying with it the faint scent of sea salt.
“If you don’t get up, I’m pulling them all the way back.” A hand reached out from under the covers, grasping for clothing but finding only warm skin instead.
As if scalded, the hand instantly retreated back into the quilt.
“Why so shy?” Jin Yan leaned down, his voice teasing. “Ge, you weren’t like this last night.”
“Shut up...” Those two words had become little more than a flirtation in Jin Yan’s ears.
However, considering how much energy his lover had spent the previous night, he knew he shouldn't push his luck too far.
“Get up and I’ll take you to get something to eat. Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to go back to that shop we visited last time?” Seeing movement under the covers, Jin Yan took the chance to peel back a corner of the quilt. “Then I’ll take you jet skiing and paragliding.”
“Fine...” Zhou Shu finally reached out and took the offered hand.
After being pulled up, Zhou Shu was pampered through the process of changing and washing up. Once they were both dressed in matching couple’s outfits, they stepped out into the sunlight with easy grace.
“It’s been two years, and yet we see the sun on our very first day in Country A. That’s rare,” Zhou Shu remarked, squinting as he tilted his face up. Jin Yan handed him a pair of sunglasses.
Zhou Shu took them and put them on. Glancing sideways, he saw Jin Yan wearing a matching pair in a different color and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
This man was still the same—whenever they traveled, he insisted on making sure every piece of gear they wore marked them as a couple, as if terrified the world wouldn't know they belonged to each other.
They had been married for over two years, yet Zhou Shu still found it refreshing to pick out these little fruits of his Enigma’s possessiveness from the details of their daily life.
Jin Yan wore a satisfied smile as he squeezed Zhou Shu’s hand, his lips curving upward. “Maybe you were just too tired to enjoy yourself last time, so the weather is doing you a favor this time...”
“You really are...” Zhou Shu squeezed his hand back hard, shooting a glare at him to cut off the increasingly dangerous line of conversation.
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing. Come on, let’s go eat.”
They returned to the seaside cafe from their previous trip, a small shop that opened early in the morning. From here, one could see the boundless, golden-glimmering waves and hear the melodious whistles of ships departing or returning in the distance.
The food was Western-style, seasoned perfectly. While there wasn't anything particularly unique about the flavors, the scenery added so much to the experience that Zhou Shu had remembered it fondly for two years.
They ordered strawberry pancakes, soft-scrambled egg toast, and two coffees.
After sitting down, Zhou Shu looked around and sighed. “Nothing has changed here.”
“Yeah, even the barista is the same.”
As Jin Yan spoke, he waved toward the counter. The barista greeted them warmly.
The person making the coffee was a blonde, blue-eyed Alpha girl. She looked quite young, her movements were crisp and efficient, and her latte art was beautiful.
During their last visit, they had learned she was the owner’s daughter and helped out during her school breaks. This time, Jin Yan and Zhou Shu’s return to Country A happened to coincide with her vacation again. She recognized the strikingly handsome EA couple at once and struck up an excited conversation.
She enthusiastically shared stories of the interesting guests she had met over the past two years and the events that had taken place on this beach.
Jin Yan and Zhou Shu listened, looking out the window at the paragliders taking off over the sea, feeling as though they could share in that sense of freedom.
After their meal, they bid farewell to the sea-breeze-filled cafe and walked hand-in-hand toward the ocean.
They strolled along the coastline, occasionally ducking under an empty umbrella to lounge and enjoy the shade. Jin Yan tirelessly brought Zhou Shu various iced drinks, seemingly worried his husband might get thirsty or overheated for even a second.
After resting for a while, Zhou Shu finally got his wish and went paragliding. Jin Yan stood on the shore, watching him with a smile, his eyes never leaving him for a moment.
Later, they clung to each other, skin pressed against skin as they rode a jet ski, letting the waves soak their clothes as they pleased. In that moment, they felt at one with the sea.
This was a rare moment of leisure belonging only to them within the last two years, and they played like children, reluctant to return to shore.
It wasn't until Jin Yan promised to bring him back one more time on the morning they were due to leave that Zhou Shu was finally coaxed back to their room to rest.
Zhou Shu, who had been complaining that he hadn't played enough, collapsed onto the sofa the moment they returned, looking like a deflated balloon. Once his initial burst of energy vanished, he couldn't even prop himself up.
Jin Yan had no choice but to carry him to the bathtub. Throughout the process, Zhou Shu kept his eyes tightly shut, letting himself be handled however Jin Yan pleased.
“Exhausted yourself like this, and you still didn't want to come ashore,” Jin Yan sighed, beginning to massage his sleeping husband’s body. “Last time, you were sore for two days after playing. You clearly didn't learn your lesson.”
Though he grumbled slightly, his actions were filled with patience and tenderness; in fact, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy this act of "serving his master."
It took quite a while before Jin Yan finally climbed into bed. He expertly slid his arm under the back of Zhou Shu’s neck and pulled him into his arms.
Zhou Shu let out a couple of soft whimpers and found a comfortable spot in Jin Yan’s embrace before falling back into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Thanks to Jin Yan’s foresight, Zhou Shu woke up the next day without any discomfort. They followed their original plan: going out to sea for fishing on the second day, visiting a mysterious volcano on the third, and returning to the primeval forest on the fourth to soak up fresh oxygen amidst the misty greenery...
Time flew by, and this trip to Country A, which they had waited two years for, quietly drew to a close.
Jin Yan kept his promise. On the morning of their departure, he took Zhou Shu jet skiing one last time.
In the early morning, they went back to that same cafe.
The same seats, the same meal, the same taste.
They enjoyed their final meal in Country A, already planning the date for their next return.
After saying their goodbyes to their acquaintance once more, Jin Yan led Zhou Shu out of the cafe, only to run into a familiar face near the restrooms.
“Duan Xingyi?”
“Eh? Zhou Shu?”
“What a coincidence,” the two said in unison, and then all three of them laughed.
“What are you doing here?” Zhou Shu asked. “You just won an award recently. Taking a vacation so soon, Best Actor Duan?”
Duan Xingyi waved a hand and smiled. “Don’t tease me. We came from the same production, yet it took me two years to catch up to your footsteps.”
“Are you... doing alright lately?” A trace of concern touched Zhou Shu’s expression. “I heard about that matter.”
Duan Xingyi shook his head and lowered his eyes, but his gaze held an unmistakable tenderness.
A few months ago, at an awards ceremony, he had gone public with his relationship, announcing that he was about to get engaged to an Omega.
The news had instantly dominated the trending searches, and the comments were a mix of praise and criticism for his actions.
For every person who supported his passion, there was someone else accusing him of having ulterior motives.
Labels like “stupid” or “crazy” were not uncommon; after all, revealing a relationship at the peak of one's career was a truly reckless move.
The matter had caused a stir for a long time. Duan Xingyi had likely come here on vacation to escape the spotlight.
“I met someone, and I don’t want to let him down.”
With just that simple sentence, Zhou Shu could see the dancing sparks of joy in the man's eyes.
Zhou Shu had heard from Zhu Lili that the Omega Duan Xingyi had gone public with was one of his very first fans, someone who had been part of his support clubs since high school.
A car accident several years ago had left him in a coma for a long time. He had only woken up two years ago, and on the day he was discharged, he ran into the idol he had once followed at the hospital.
Duan Xingyi said that with just one look at him, the Omega had burst into tears.
And he didn't know why, but seeing that tear-stained face made his heart ache so much he could hardly breathe, and his heart had moved toward the boy involuntarily.
They fell in love afterward, and it had been about a year and a half now. In anyone’s eyes, this story was a conclusion deserving of a blessing. Zhou Shu was truly happy for him.
After chatting for a bit longer, Duan Xingyi glanced toward the roadside and turned back to Zhou Shu. “Let’s get in touch after we return home. I’ll head over first; he must be getting anxious waiting.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Duan Xingyi waved, bought a soft-serve cone, and hurried outside after paying.
Driven by curiosity, Zhou Shu felt a sudden urge to gossip.
“The 'Best Actor' is still such a gossip after all these years,” Jin Yan teased his husband, his voice full of laughter. Zhou Shu arched an eyebrow and shot him a look. “Takes one to know one.”
As their gazes followed him, they saw Duan Xingyi run to a bench by the road. He handed over the ice cream cone and took a small hand in his large one, gripping it tightly without letting go.
That silhouette was very thin and small, as if it might drift away with the wind. Bathed in the sunlight, Zhou Shu saw a pair of large, sparkling eyes. He took a step forward, and upon hearing a vibrant, melodic voice, his breath hitched.
“Yan-yan, look...” Zhou Shu’s voice was filled with unbelievable pleasant surprise as his body moved forward uncontrollably.
“Ge.” Jin Yan’s breath hitched. He hugged him from behind, trying to pull him back to reality.
A sea breeze blew past, dispersing the scent of the sun-baked air.
Zhou Shu came to his senses, his body trembling involuntarily. “Is it him? Yan-yan, is it him...?”
Jin Yan didn't speak, simply continuing to share his warmth. After a moment, he kissed the side of Zhou Shu’s ear. “Do you want to go over and see?”
“I...” Zhou Shu’s clenched hands twitched a few times before his furrowed brow slowly smoothed out. “Forget it. No.”
“I’m not going.”
“Mhm, then we won’t go.” Jin Yan held him tighter, his own heart feeling a gentle tug.
“Whether it is or isn't, he looks truly happy.” Zhou Shu took Jin Yan’s hand, and the two of them once again faced the sun and walked toward the sea.
“Just like the world in the dream he once told himself about.”
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
段星移 | Duan Xingyi | A character, a famous actor (Best Actor/Film King).
朱丽丽 | Zhu Lili | A character mentioned (likely a manager or friend from previous chapters).
EA夫夫 | EA couple | Enigma-Alpha couple.
影帝 | Best Actor / Film King | A title for a top-tier award-winning actor.
A国 | Country A | The foreign country where they are vacationing.
