Married Off to My Childhood Enigma | Chapter 58 | A Corner Turned in Time | Novela.app

Chapter 58 - A Corner Turned in Time *【That was the scene of our reunion I had imagined in my mind, countless times over.】* In a parallel world—what if, after Jin Yan went abroad, Zhou Shu suddenly appeared before him on his birthday? It was a dismal, rainy day, the kind of weather that seemed to haunt the specific days of the week Jin Yan was forced to venture out. By now, he had grown accustomed to this foreign atmosphere—a damp, heavy mixture of mist and the briny tang of the distant ocean. Yet, the one thing he could never grow used to was the endless cycle of days and nights spent without that person by his side. Three years had already slipped through his fingers. He would graduate next year. And what then? Should he go back just to catch a single glimpse of him? But what if that one look proved that he still couldn't let go, while his "brother" still couldn't accept the reality of two Alphas being in love? The thought was a dull ache that never quite subsided. "Jin Yan, let’s go. Time for dinner." A classmate’s voice cut through his dark reverie. Jin Yan offered a brief, distracted nod, packed his belongings, and followed the group out. A large crowd of students from A-University marched across the campus. Having finally finished a grueling group project, they had agreed to celebrate with a communal dinner. For Jin Yan, these were rare moments of noise in an otherwise silent life. "I’m going to grab a coffee. Anyone else want one?" "Me!" Voices rose in succession. Someone nudged Jin Yan’s shoulder. "Hey, aren't you having any?" Jin Yan looked up, a faint, polite smile touching his lips. "Sure. I'll go in with you guys." "Oh? Rare sight! The most solitary Alpha in our department is actually joining the pack today." "Well, we finally finished that nightmare of an assignment. I guess today really is a lucky day." Amidst the lighthearted banter, Jin Yan was ushered into the café and later to the reserved restaurant. That evening, under the pressure of his peers' enthusiasm, he drank a fair amount of alcohol. Though he preferred tranquility, he didn't find this particular brand of rowdiness repulsive; it served as a temporary distraction. However, as the party dispersed, the illusion of warmth vanished. Walking through the biting wind of this foreign country, Jin Yan felt the familiar sting of loneliness return. Without that specific person, it didn't matter how many people stood beside him—he was always utterly alone. He trudged toward his apartment. As he neared the complex, his gaze flickered toward a roadside convenience store. He hesitated for a heartbeat before stepping inside. "Hello. A pack of mint cigarettes, please." The clerk, struck by a face so handsome it felt surreal, stammered slightly. "H-hello. Which... which brand would you like?" Jin Yan pointed to the corner of the glass display case. "That one is fine. Thank you." After paying and stepping back out into the cold, he had just begun to tear away the plastic wrapping when a voice called out from behind him. It was the clerk. "Excuse me!" she called softly, as if terrified he might vanish into the mist the next second. "Please, wait a moment." "Yes?" Jin Yan turned his head, stepping forward with practiced politeness. "Is something wrong?" "No... it's not that..." she hesitated. Jin Yan didn't rush her; he simply waited with a patient, distant calm. After a few seconds, she finally gathered her courage. "Um... could I... could I have your contact information?" "I..." Jin Yan paused, then let out a soft, weary sigh. "I'm sorry." A flash of embarrassment crossed the girl's face. Fortunately, Jin Yan kept his head lowered, giving her the space to recover her dignity. "It’s okay, it’s okay! Sorry, I was being too forward. Goodbye!" She turned and fled back into the store, the bell above the door jingling frantically in her wake. The sound of the bell seemed to echo the sudden turbulence in Jin Yan’s heart. He walked to the mouth of an alley, sinking onto a roadside bench. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with practiced ease, bringing it to his lips. During his years in this country, people often asked for his number, but he never gave it to anyone. He refused to offer hope where there was no possibility. But *he* wasn't like that. That person was even more popular than himself—cheerful, gentle, and always considering others' feelings. He would often exchange contact info just to save an Omega or Beta from the embarrassment of rejection. Jin Yan still remembered how frequently that person’s phone would buzz after he left for university. And now? Three years had passed. He must be even more outstanding, even more charming now. The man who once reserved all his tenderness for Jin Yan would eventually bestow all that beauty upon someone else. The thought brought a sharp, physical pang to his chest. He was so lost in the bitterness that the accumulating ash nearly scorched his fingers. Jin Yan frowned, bracing himself to stand, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He swayed, nearly losing his footing. In that instant, a familiar scent drifted past his nose, and a pair of steady arms caught him. Jin Yan froze. The scent was too familiar—it was the smell of the ocean that permeated this coastal city, but it was also the specific, haunting fragrance of *that* person. He didn't dare let himself believe the two were the same. "So, you just let yourself be held without even knowing who it is?" The man spoke. His voice was deep, laced with a hint of playfulness and a touch of dissatisfaction. Scents and sounds could be deceptive, but the soul’s recognition was not. The moment Jin Yan confirmed the identity, he snapped his head up. He met a pair of eyes that, despite everything, still held a reservoir of tenderness reserved only for him. "Brother..." Jin Yan whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. But the newcomer wasn't about to let this rebellious "child" off the hook so easily. He wanted to pour out his own grievances immediately. "You've learned how to run away from home, and you've learned how to smoke, too." "I haven't..." The denial felt absurd even as it left his lips. He was the one who had left without a word. He was the one caught smoking expertly on a street corner. Yet, despite the years of suppressed misery, his first instinct upon seeing Zhou Shu was to deny any change. It was as if he were pleading: *Brother, look, I haven't changed. I'm still that child who needs your protection.* Jin Yan’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. For a moment, Zhou Shu felt as though time hadn't moved at all. But the scene he had witnessed at the university that afternoon was real. The sight of the boy being dragged to drink by friends was real. Even the way he had been approached by a stranger just for buying cigarettes was real. The boy had grown up. He was too attractive now; it seemed he didn't need Zhou Shu in his life at all. Zhou Shu had wanted to leave, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had traveled all this way just to see the boy on his birthday. He saw that Jin Yan was doing better than expected—he wasn't being bullied, he had friends, and they were celebrating with him. The only thing missing was a cake. He had intended to leave after one look, but some inexplicable force had led him to follow that lonely silhouette after the crowd dispersed. He looked so solitary, as if his only companion was the long shadow cast by the streetlights. *How did he end up like this? Doesn't he have a crowd of friends?* Zhou Shu had followed him silently, watching him enter the convenience store and emerge with a pack of cigarettes. His brow had furrowed then, but he realized now that he had started worrying too early. His heart was in a state of upheaval. The boy had grown up to be far too captivating. But with such a presence, he shouldn't be this lonely. Why was he spending his birthday looking so desolate? Zhou Shu stepped forward and caught the swaying Alpha. "How did you get yourself into this state? Isn't today your birthday?" "Brother... you remembered." "How could I ever forget?" Zhou Shu’s tone was sharp with an irritation he couldn't quite place. "Brother, did you come here... to see me?" Because of the alcohol, Jin Yan’s body felt soft, and his eyes were misty. It was this exact look—this vulnerable gaze—that Zhou Shu could never banish from his dreams. Yet, this soft, lovely child had differentiated into an Alpha. Zhou Shu helped him stand straight and sighed helplessly. He didn't answer, but Jin Yan was relentless. "Brother, are you here for me?" Zhou Shu looked at that familiar "puppy-dog" expression and let out a soft laugh. "You've differentiated into an Alpha, so why are you still so good at acting spoiled?" The air suddenly stagnated. A sea breeze blew in from the other side of the city, carrying the dampness of the rain. Both of them sobered slightly. They stood at an arm's length, locked in a stalemate—the first time they had truly tasted the awkwardness that now loomed between them as adults. But the intoxicated are always more fearless. Jin Yan looked down at their shadows on the ground and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah. I differentiated into an Alpha." "Why... why did I have to be an Alpha?" "Yan-yan..." Zhou Shu’s heart ached so fiercely he wanted to pull the boy into his arms, but he didn't dare. They hadn't seen each other in three years. He had never forgotten the stubborn, disappointed look in the boy's eyes when he left without a word. He had read something in that gaze back then but hadn't dared to confirm it. By the time he wanted to seek the truth the next day, it was too late. The boy had left with such finality, changing all his contact information as if he intended to sever all ties with Haicheng. It was a scorched-earth policy designed to forget someone. The wind, however, had no intention of letting them linger in this standoff. It brought a fresh wave of rain, intensifying the scent of the ocean and the storm. A raindrop landed on Jin Yan’s eyelashes. His focus returned, and he glanced sideways. "It's raining. Let's go home first." The phrase "go home" struck a chord in both their hearts. They had said it to each other for eighteen years, yet hearing it now felt like a transmission from a distant lifetime. Zhou Shu followed a short distance behind Jin Yan. They reached the apartment just before the downpour began in earnest. They didn't speak in the elevator, but Jin Yan shifted slightly, his arm brushing against Zhou Shu’s. Zhou Shu’s heart softened instantly. He had to admit that some physiological habits, cultivated since childhood, were impossible to break. Just as he could never resist Jin Yan’s pouting gaze, Jin Yan would always gravitate toward his side in an elevator and would always turn on the lights before Zhou Shu entered a dark room. Outside the elevator, Jin Yan entered the code and flipped the switch. Zhou Shu exhaled the bitterness in his chest and called out softly, "Yan-yan, don't be sad anymore, okay?" He didn't know where the words came from or what exactly he was trying to soothe. He only knew he couldn't bear to see Jin Yan unhappy—not today, of all days. The moment the words left his mouth, he was enveloped in a sudden, desperate embrace. "Brother..." "I'm here." "Brother, I'm so sad. My life hasn't been good at all." "For three years, I’ve wondered every single day why I had to be an Alpha." He tightened his grip, pinning Zhou Shu against him. "Why an Alpha? If I were an Omega, would you have left me alone that day?" "I was so scared..." "Scared that you didn't want me anymore..." Jin Yan’s tears finally broke through. Zhou Shu felt as though he couldn't breathe from the sheer weight of the boy's grief. "No, that's not it..." Zhou Shu choked back his own tears, his voice trembling as he explained. "I would never not want you. How could I ever give you up?" Regret flooded Zhou Shu’s soul. He shouldn't have walked away three years ago, leaving a newly differentiated Jin Yan alone in that room. He had driven the boy to a foreign land to suffer in silence, day and night. He had known his own longing for the past three years was bone-deep, but he hadn't realized that the boy had never found closure either. He had even grown to hate his own gender because of Zhou Shu’s initial reaction. It seemed he had been terribly, tragically wrong. "Don't cry. It was my fault." He sniffed, gently patting Jin Yan’s back. "My mind was a mess back then. I just... I couldn't accept the reality in that moment." Zhou Shu wanted to say more, but words felt inadequate. In the end, he simply leaned into the embrace, never wanting to let go again. "So, Brother... are you really here for me?" Jin Yan asked again, obsessed with the answer. This time, Zhou Shu didn't hold back. He pulled away slightly and tenderly wiped the tears from Jin Yan’s eyes, just as he had when they were children. "I am here for you. I wanted to see if you were having a good birthday." "You had a bunch of friends with you, didn't you? So why did you make yourself look so miserable? And sneaking off to smoke in a corner..." Jin Yan lowered his eyes and shook his head. "They didn't know it was my birthday. No one here knows." "Yan-yan..." Zhou Shu finally understood the source of that lonely silhouette. His heart broke for the boy. "My poor thing... how did you end up like this? A birthday without even a cake." The light had vanished from Jin Yan's eyes, replaced by the weary look of a child forced to grow up overnight. He gently stroked Jin Yan’s cheek, tracing the sharper, more handsome lines of his face. Suddenly, an impulse seized him. He wanted to kiss him. And so, he did. The person being kissed stiffened instantly, taking a full thirty seconds to regain his senses. It began as a long, tentative kiss, but gradually, the one who had taken the initiative was overtaken. Zhou Shu was buffeted by a sudden surge of Jin Yan’s pheromones. He was held steady as they moved, their lips never parting, from the entryway all the way to the sofa. When they finally broke apart, Jin Yan couldn't stop himself from pecking at Zhou Shu’s lips repeatedly. Zhou Shu eventually laughed. "What's this? You're like a little kitten." "You're making fun of me." Jin Yan rubbed his face against Zhou Shu’s neck, his voice sounding soft and needy. "You're definitely making fun of me." "I'm not. I could never." Zhou Shu smiled and pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to Jin Yan’s forehead. "No matter what your gender is, I will always love you." "Happy birthday, Yan-yan. I am your birthday present." *** **Postscript:** The two spent several days together in the foreign country before Zhou Shu had to return to his filming schedule. By then, he had already debuted and become a well-known rising star—a "Movie King" of the new generation. A year later, Jin Yan graduated. He had planned to return home to discuss their future, but shortly before graduation, he suddenly collapsed on the beach. Upon being rushed to the hospital, it was discovered that he was undergoing a *secondary differentiation*. Upon hearing the news, Zhou Shu canceled all his appointments and flew across the ocean. This time, no matter the outcome, he would stay by Jin Yan’s side. A week later, Jin Yan woke from his coma. The first thing he saw was his brother. He could feel the profound changes in his body, and he could clearly sense his scent gland being irresistibly drawn to that sweet, sea-salt fragrance. After a moment of stunned silence, Jin Yan felt his hand being gripped tightly. Through the haze, he heard the person beside him speak softly. "Yan-yan... now, you can mark me legitimately." ***