That night, despite his physical exhaustion, Li Zhenting found it impossible to sleep. He tossed and turned, his mind racing: *What did Li Zi mean by those words?*
*Why wouldn't she want a child?*
Was she just saying that to comfort him? Certainly not. Having stayed by her side for so many years, he had never seen her express any dislike for children; on the contrary, she was always affectionate toward them.
So why didn't she want one? Or was it that she simply never imagined having a child with *him*?
But wouldn't any normal family want a child? He wasn't a "DINK" by choice, and Li Zi had never expressed such an inclination before. Although it was difficult for a male Beta to conceive, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Beside him, Li Zi suddenly rolled over and grabbed his arm. Her grip was incredibly strong, her nails nearly digging into his skin. Li Zhenting winced in pain and tried to pull his arm away, but she only held on tighter.
He looked at her, only to be startled by the cold sweat drenching her face. Her mouth was slightly open, as if she were whispering something. He leaned in to listen.
"Don't..."
"Blood... so much blood..."
"I was wrong... it was my fault..."
She seemed trapped in a deep nightmare, her features twisted with pain and terror.
*Blood?*
Ignoring the pain in his arm, Li Zhenting hurriedly called out to her softly, "A-Zi? A-Zi? Wake up."
Hearing his voice, Li Zi seemed to sense something through the depths of her nightmare, and her grip loosened slightly.
"A-Zi? Wake up quickly. You’re having a nightmare."
"Li... Zhenting?" she murmured.
"It's me. I'm here." Li Zhenting pulled her hand into his chest and grabbed a tissue from the nightstand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.
"Mm..."
Li Zi’s eyes flickered rapidly behind her lids, as if she were struggling against something. Finally, she opened them, staring blankly ahead with unfocused eyes. Her gaze was misty and her lashes were damp; though she was awake, her consciousness hadn't fully returned.
"Are you okay?" Li Zhenting worriedly placed his palm against her cheek, feeling a sudden chill. "You're so cold."
He tightened his arms, pulling her into his embrace and drawing the quilt up high. Li Zi allowed him to move her, huddling against his shoulder as if all her strength had been drained.
"Li Zhenting."
"I'm here."
"Brother Ting..."
"Brother Ting is here."
"..."
"Did you just have a nightmare?" he asked, his hand smoothing the hair stuck to her forehead in the dark, quiet room.
"Yes."
"Was it very scary? I've rarely seen you lose your composure like this."
"...Yes, very scary. It’s the thing I fear most."
"It’s okay. It was just a dream. We’re awake now." He had rarely heard Li Zi admit to being afraid, and for some reason, it made his heart ache. "It’s fine. It was just a dream; it’s all in the past."
"None of it will happen."
"Right. None of it will happen," Li Zi repeated his words, finally regaining her full senses. She didn't continue the topic, asking instead, "Are you going back tomorrow?"
"I can stay one more day."
"That’s perfect. I have the day off tomorrow too. I’ve been getting up so early lately; I can finally sleep in. Stay in bed with me for a while tomorrow."
"Okay."
***
"Brother Yan~ Brother Yan~ Brother Yan~"
Liu Yan had originally rented this apartment near the hospital to take care of his father. However, his father had been discharged a few months ago and was currently recuperating at home. Liu Yan only stayed here because of Yu Tianwu.
For over half a year, he and Yu Tianwu had frequently spent their time in this small rental. What was once a temporary resting place was now filled with their miscellaneous belongings. There were couple-themed mugs, toothbrushes, and indoor slippers chosen by Yu Tianwu, as well as paintings on the walls. Liu Yan had visited several malls just to find an exceptionally comfortable mattress. Sometimes, when they were together, they didn't even want to go out to eat, so Liu Yan had bought kitchenware so he could cook for her when she was acting spoiled or lazy.
He didn't stay in Zunnan City every day. At least four days a week, he would return to Xinan Street to look after the shop and continue repairing cars. He frequently took leave or skipped work to come to Zunnan to date. Although he felt a bit guilty toward Brother Li, fortunately, Li Zhenting didn't blame him.
"You're getting older; it's time to enjoy the beauty of love. It's better than being a bachelor forever," Li Zhenting had lectured him in a worldly tone.
"Brother... I'm only twenty-three this year." *Younger than you.*
"Keep at it." The older man had patted his shoulder, expressing support for his life's major milestones.
But life couldn't go on like this forever, Liu Yan thought as he cleaned the apartment, lost in thought. *I can't keep drifting between my work at the shop and my life here in Zunnan. I need a better, long-term plan.*
*What should I do?*
"Brother Yan!!!"
Yu Tianwu had called out to him several times from the sofa, but he had only responded with distracted hums, not actually noticing her calls. Dissatisfied, she rose from the sofa. Her fluffy curls brushed against her collarbones, and she wore only a silky black nightgown that clung to her perfect curves as she moved.
"Why are you ignoring me?" She rested her head on Liu Yan's shoulder, bumping him with her chin.
"Hmm? Sorry... I was just thinking about something." Liu Yan turned around apologetically and set the mop aside. "What did you want to say?"
Yu Tianwu wrinkled her nose and repeated herself. "I said, I have the day off today. Let's go out and play~"
"Play what?"
"A movie? I haven't been to the cinema in ages."
"Sure. There's an action movie out recently that seems to have a good reputation."
"I love Brother Yan the most! You book the tickets; I'm going to change and put on makeup." Yu Tianwu bit Liu Yan’s lip contentedly—a successful sneak attack—and skipped into the bedroom giggling.
Liu Yan touched his betraying, heated face and shook his head helplessly, picking up the mop to finish the job.
The two of them, clutching sodas and popcorn, happily took their seats. The cinema was very lively today. The movie featured a popular young star and was highly anticipated; except for the corner seats, the theater was packed.
Yu Tianwu didn't pay much attention to that, though. She was still teasing Liu Yan. "Ah—Brother Yan, feed me."
"Tianwu, this is a public place," the reserved and conservative man said awkwardly.
"Then I'll feed you." Yu Tianwu’s slender fingers picked out a popcorn kernel evenly coated in sugar, making a move to feed it to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he hesitantly opened his mouth. "Ah."
The fragrant corn ball approached his nose, but in the next second, it was swiftly retracted and tossed into her own mouth.
*Crunch, crunch.*
Yu Tianwu chewed, looking at him innocently.
"You... you just love teasing me," Liu Yan said, half-amused and half-exasperated.
"It's only because you're so cute, Brother Yan!" The glamorous girl held the giant popcorn bucket, eating happily while snuggling against him.
*You're clearly the cute one,* Liu Yan sighed inwardly. *An ordinary Alpha like me is a dime a dozen on the street, but you are someone many wouldn't even dare to dream of.*
As the movie was about to start, the girls sitting next to them grew excited, whispering:
"I heard Gege has a lot of screen time in this one. He's in the opening scene!"
"Really? Our Qi-ge is the best!"
A certain loathsome name seemed to have appeared. Yu Tianwu’s ears perked up. *No way, what are the odds?*
She looked at the big screen. As the advertisements and production credits flashed by, the background music swelled. A very handsome Alpha face appeared on screen, dealing Yu Tianwu a direct blow.
"Damn! What rotten luck!" She didn't control her volume, swearing out loud.
The surrounding fans immediately cast unfriendly glances her way. Seeing this, Liu Yan quickly pulled her. "What's wrong? Keep your voice down."
"I don't want to watch a movie with this person in it. It's disgusting."
"Who are you? Are you one of Kang Qi's anti-fans?" The two girls in the adjacent seats were angry, looking ready to start an argument.
"Who would want anything to do with that piece of scum?" Yu Tianwu looked disdainful, her arrogant and repulsed expression further provoking the others.
"What did you say?!"
Seeing the two girls about to stand up and argue with her, and the conflict escalating, Liu Yan couldn't sit still either. He took Yu Tianwu’s hand and stood up. "If you don't want to watch it, let's go."
He shielded her as they walked past a row of disgruntled audience members. Yu Tianwu even leaned past him to stick her tongue out and make a face at the girls.
"Your 'Gege' is a piece of scum. You'd better open your eyes!"
"You!!!"
Although Yu Tianwu had a bit of a spoiled temper, she was usually extremely adept at social graces. This was the first time Liu Yan had seen her speak so mockingly and argue with others. Even after they walked out of the cinema, Yu Tianwu still looked as if she had stepped in dog poop.
Liu Yan couldn't help but reflect on himself. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Yu Tianwu tilted her head, looking at him in confusion.
"I should have checked the details of the movie beforehand. Then this wouldn't have happened," Liu Yan analyzed seriously.
"Ah—Brother Yan, Brother Yan, Brother Yan!" Yu Tianwu lunged at Liu Yan excitedly. If she hadn't been wearing a tight-fitting dress, she might have tried to jump onto him with her legs wrapped around his waist.
Liu Yan hurriedly bent down to catch her, holding down the hem of her dress. "Be careful, your dress is too short!"
"Brother Yan, why are you so good? I'm going to cry."
"Huh?" This time it was Liu Yan’s turn to be confused. He was currently holding Yu Tianwu’s waist with one hand while smoothing her dress with the other, looking at her with an innocent, bewildered expression.
"You don't blame me for losing my temper in the theater just now?" Yu Tianwu asked.
"Not really. You must have had a reason for doing that. That actor... Kang Qi, was it? Although I don't know what happened, you wouldn't slander someone for no reason. It's just a shame your excitement for the movie was ruined."
Perhaps because Liu Yan had lost his mother at a young age and his father was an Omega busy caring for his even younger sister, he had been forced to mature early, becoming a figure of care and consideration for others. He was used to thinking from the other person's perspective and feelings first.
But a person like this was someone who could never have appeared in Yu Tianwu’s past life.
She reached out to touch Liu Yan’s eyes—the eyes that had attracted her back in the KTV lounge. They were round, and when he was startled, he would blink rapidly like a puppy. Despite being in his twenties and having been a hoodlum, he possessed a rare purity. She had seen too many eyes, many of them beautiful, but they were filled with either ambition or decadence. People drifting in the world of fame and fortune did not possess eyes like these.
His eyelashes being touched, Liu Yan couldn't help but blink. "Tianwu?"
Yu Tianwu’s hand slid across his cheek, through his hair, and finally rested on the Alpha’s nape. She applied a bit of pressure to that area, causing Liu Yan to tense up reflexively.
"You're mine."
"Mine."
The nape of an Alpha is their "reverse scale"—touching it casually is highly likely to lead to conflict. But since the person touching him was the girl he liked, Liu Yan could only suppress the surge of resistance from his body.
"Though I'd like to say I belong to myself... as long as it makes you happy."
"Pfft, Brother Yan, you have no sense of romance again!" Yu Tianwu was teased into laughter, her previous aura collapsing.
"Sorry... but I'm telling the truth."
"Hahahahahaha, okay. Brother Yan, I like you so much!"
"I like you too."
"I want to be with you every single day!"
"Me too."
"Then let's move in together!"
"Me to—Wait, what?!" Liu Yan looked in shock at the girl who had just casually dropped a bombshell.
"I want to live with you. In this very apartment." Yu Tianwu’s eyes curved into crescents as she took his hand and tucked it into the crook of her arm.
"Ah, so sudden..." Liu Yan didn't know what to say for a moment. *Moving in! That changes the nature of the relationship completely!*
"So, is Brother Yan willing?" Yu Tianwu looked at him with "starry eyes," her gaze screaming *say yes, say yes.*
"Okay." He was bewitched, forgetting all the logistical changes that would entail. "Let's move in together."
