On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Li Zi visited Li Zhengting’s grandmother at the nursing home. The elderly woman held her hand tightly, expressing her gratitude for the care Li Zi’s father had provided in the past.
Li Zi comforted her gently. "My father is a doctor. His only wish is to do his best to heal every patient. You really shouldn't worry yourself over it."
The grandmother gazed quietly at the polite, well-mannered girl and sighed. "Your whole family are good people. I truly wonder what kind of young man could ever be worthy of you."
Li Zhengting hadn't expected his grandmother to bring this up again in front of Li Zi. Feeling a surge of anxiety, he tried to cut her off. "Grandmother, why are you talking about this?"
Li Zi reached out and gave his hand a subtle squeeze, shaking her head slightly. She simply smiled and replied, "The person I love is the best there is."
***
It wasn't until the New Year celebrations were nearly over that Li Zhengting realized Liu Yan had not only failed to return home for the holidays but had also barely "popped up" in their WeChat group.
He switched to his private chat with Liu Yan. Their last exchange was on New Year’s Day, when Liu Yan had sent him a generic holiday greeting.
*What is this kid doing? Did something go wrong at the hospital?*
Worried, Li Zhengting dialed a voice call. It rang until the very last second before finally connecting.
"Hello? Who is it?"
It wasn't Liu Yan who answered, but a woman’s languid, husky voice.
Li Zhengting’s face filled with confusion. He double-checked the contact name—yes, it was Liu Yan. "I’m Li Zhengting. I’m looking for Liu Yan. Is he there?"
"Brother Li?"
Liu Yan’s voice drifted through the background, followed by the rustle of bedsheets and a chaotic, muffled exchange between the two on the other end.
"Give me the phone."
"Hey, hey, move slower! Watch your back—!"
"Shit."
"Brother Li, it’s me, Liu Yan. Is something up?"
Liu Yan finally seemed to have the phone in hand, his voice breathless as he responded. His voice was raspy—a tone Li Zhengting knew all too well.
Suspicious, Li Zhengting asked, "Who are you with?"
*Well, well. Haven't seen him in a few days and he’s out there living the high life.*
"Uh..."
The other end went silent for a moment before Liu Yan started stammering. "Li... Brother Li, why are you asking that? It’s... it’s no one."
Covered in marks and sitting atop the rumpled duvet, Liu Yan felt the weight of Yu Tianwu’s aggrieved stare—a look that clearly said, *'Am I someone to be ashamed of?'* He tried to explain himself in a panic.
Yu Tianwu, her upper body still clad in black lace lingerie and her harness still attached, listened as the man who had been so passionately responsive moments ago said:
"Just a friend."
"?"
*A friend?* She pointed at herself.
"I haven't even left the bed yet, and I've already been demoted to 'friend'?" she grumbled under her breath in dissatisfaction.
Liu Yan watched warily as Yu Tianwu’s expression darkened. He asked, "Brother Li? Is there something important? If not, I’ll hang up. I’m a bit busy here."
Li Zhengting couldn't help but glance at the time. Ten o'clock at night.
*Busy at this hour?*
He wasn't an idiot. "It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask if your father is doing alright lately."
"The treatment is going very smoothly," Liu Yan answered quickly.
"Right. I’ll let you go then. You get back to being 'busy'!"
Li Zhengting ended the call, thinking to himself that he wasn't about to be the guy who ruined the mood. It was just... that girl’s voice. Why did it sound so familiar?
Liu Yan hung up and let out a sigh of relief. When he turned around, he saw Yu Tianwu making a move to put her clothes back on.
He hurriedly stopped her. "What’s wrong? Why are you leaving all of a sudden?"
"Hmph."
Yu Tianwu pouted and turned her face away, refusing to look at him.
Liu Yan scratched his head, feeling lost. His raised arms were covered in bite marks. "You’re still in your rut. It’s probably not a good idea to go back now, right?"
"A 'friend' doesn't need to worry about such things for me," Yu Tianwu said in a muffled voice, her back still turned to him.
Liu Yan immediately understood the reason for her sudden change in attitude. Feeling apologetic, he wrapped his arms around the sulking woman from behind, coaxing her: "It’s my fault. I just... I didn't know how to tell Brother Li yet."
"You’re definitely not just a friend."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Tianwu spun around, pinned Liu Yan down onto the bed, and grabbed his wrists.
Her peach-blossom eyes, usually flickering with a hint of playfulness, were now fixed intensely on him, like a wolf finally losing patience and shedding its disguise.
Locking him in place, she whispered, "Then what am I?"
Liu Yan was an Alpha as well, and he wasn't intimidated by her dominance. He met her gaze squarely.
"Since we’ve already come this far," he said, "then I obviously have to take responsibility for you."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
The man’s plain yet profoundly sincere gaze was like a beam of scorching sunlight piercing straight into Yu Tianwu’s heart. She hadn't expected him to answer so earnestly.
Nor did she expect that she, who was usually so composed and in control, would find herself at a loss for words.
Feeling the texture of Liu Yan’s skin beneath her, she curled her fingers slightly, unable to let go of this rare warmth.
A rare, quiet smile spread across her face. "Alright then."
*I’ll try having expectations one more time.*
***
After adding her on WeChat at the hospital, Liu Yan often saw Yu Tianwu’s vibrant updates on her Moments.
Sometimes she complained about her roommates being nowhere to be found. Sometimes she shared group selfies from parties. Occasionally, she would share photos of food she found delicious, showering them with "rainbow fart" praises.
Of course, most of her posts were of her paintings.
Liu Yan silently liked every single one of her updates, observing her lively personal world from the sidelines. Though he didn't understand art, he thought every painting she shared was beautiful.
Yu Tianwu’s life was truly spectacular. She was always either eating out or at a bar, surrounded by a crowd of handsome men and beautiful women. Occasionally, Liu Yan would spot the male college student from the hospital in her group photos.
He had assumed they wouldn't have much contact, until the day he went looking for Li Zhengting in a hurry and ran into Yu Tianwu.
She suggested they grab dinner, so they went to the night market for snacks. Somehow, one bottle of beer turned into many.
Drunk and stumbling, they ended up back at his newly rented apartment, collapsing onto the same bed.
By the time they regained some clarity, their limbs were entangled, their clothes were mostly gone, and they were both clutching their heads, groaning in pain.
From 그날 on, the chat log between Liu Yan and Yu Tianwu began to fill up.
Yu Tianwu would send him selfies from time to time—sometimes while she was painting, sometimes making faces behind a roommate’s back in the dorm, and sometimes complaining about a new dish she tried that tasted terrible.
Liu Yan replied to her almost instantly every time. The more they talked, the more they realized how compatible they were, even sharing similar tastes in food.
Soon, Yu Tianwu took the initiative to ask him out for meals. Aside from the time he spent caring for his hospitalized father, all his free time was given to her.
On New Year’s Day, she even invited him to an art exhibition.
He was stiff and awkward the whole way, feeling like he didn't belong in such a place, but Yu Tianwu remained enthusiastic, introducing him to the paintings she loved.
Even though he didn't quite understand, he kept nodding to show he was listening intently.
Eventually, Yu Tianwu asked him, "Do you have a favorite piece?"
Liu Yan hesitated. Under her surprised gaze, he pointed to a work in the corner that almost no one was looking at.
It was a bird composed of countless complex, colorful patterns. The lines and proportions showed a hint of the artist’s raw, unpolished skill.
The bird stood quietly on the eaves of a gray house, looking at the sky. A black crown sat upon its head, the color gradually bleeding down to stain its head black as well.
"I noticed this painting earlier. I thought it was very special."
Yu Tianwu remained silent for a long time. Liu Yan looked back at her, confused. "Of course, I’m just a layman... I probably don't really get it."
Instead, he found Yu Tianwu staring at him with a gaze so burning and full of wonder, as if she had suddenly encountered a long-dreamed-of landscape.
"Come with me."
She took Liu Yan’s hand and ran outside, drawing frowns from the various socialites along the way.
In a deserted corner, Yu Tianwu stopped. She turned around and pushed the bewildered Liu Yan against the wall. Her beautiful eyes were shimmering with affection as she looked at him with a smile.
Liu Yan felt his ears grow hot. Whether it was from the running or something else, his heart began to race.
"You..." *What are you doing?*
"I want to kiss you."
With that, Yu Tianwu leaned in and pressed her lips against Liu Yan’s warm mouth.
Liu Yan was stiff at first, but after a moment, he tentatively responded, opening his mouth slightly to welcome her passionate advance.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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大年初三 | Third day of the Lunar New Year | A traditional time for visiting relatives and friends.
冒泡 | Popping up / Posting | Internet slang for becoming active in a group chat.
易感期 | Rut / Susceptibility period | In ABO (Alpha/Beta/Omega) fiction, a period of intense hormonal drive for Alphas.
桃花眼 | Peach blossom eyes | A term for eyes that are almond-shaped, watery, and considered very attractive/flirtatious.
彩虹屁 | Rainbow farts | Internet slang for excessive, flowery praise or flattery, often used by fans.
门外汉 | Layman / Amateur | Someone who is not an expert in a particular field.
