Chapter 55 - A Place Called Home
"Our... home?"
Li Zhenting stood frozen at the threshold, his feet rooted to the spot. Inside, the apartment was bathed in a soft, golden glow, every corner meticulously arranged to evoke a sense of profound warmth and belonging. Li Zi leaned casually against the doorframe, her smile as bright and welcoming as the morning sun, watching him with an expression of quiet triumph.
The frantic thrumming of his heart echoed in his ears, a rhythmic roar that drowned out the ambient sounds of the hallway. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the hollow, aching void within his chest—a cavern carved out by years of displacement and hardship—felt as though it had been filled to the brim.
Before he could find his voice, Li Zi reached out, her hand warm and firm as she caught his wrist and pulled him gently into the sanctuary of the foyer.
"Of course," she teased, her voice a low, melodic hum. "Whose else would it be?"
She reached into the shoe cabinet and retrieved a pair of plush slippers, setting them down before him. "Hurry up and change. Come inside."
Li Zhenting stared down at the slippers. They were a perfect match to the ones Li Zi was wearing—a classic couple’s set. As he stepped out of his worn sneakers and slid his feet into the soft, faux-fur lining, the tactile sensation grounded him. The warmth seeped through his socks and into his soles, and with it, the reality of the situation finally took hold.
*I have a home again. Li Zi has given me a home.*
Li Zi had already turned her back to him, heading toward the living room, when she felt a sudden rush of air behind her. A moment later, a heavy weight collided with her back as Li Zhenting threw his arms around her, clinging to her like a drowning man to a life raft.
He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his breath hitching. Hot tears, long suppressed, began to well in his eyes and spill over, dampening her collar. "My home," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "My person."
Li Zi had intended to indulge in a moment of tender intimacy, but she quickly realized the man was completely oblivious to his positioning. His forehead was pressed directly against her scent gland, and his lips brushed dangerously close to the sensitive skin of her nape with every shuddering breath.
The friction sent a jolt of lightning through her nerves. Finally reaching her limit, she turned in his arms and caught his chin, tilting his face up to meet her gaze.
"Listen," she said, her voice dropping an octave into a warning growl. "I really don't want to spend our first day in the new home ravishing you until you can't walk. Watch yourself."
"?"
Li Zhenting blinked at her, his eyes wide and watery, looking utterly bewildered by her sudden shift in temperament. He looked like a startled puppy, completely unaware of the pheromonal fire he was stoking.
Seeing his innocent confusion, Li Zi let out a long, resigned sigh. "Forget it. I won't hold it against you. Come, let me show you around..."
The apartment was a spacious three-bedroom unit. Both the master bedroom and the largest guest room were equipped with private en-suite bathrooms. While the guest room was sparsely furnished with only a simple bed, the master bedroom was fully stocked with every necessity imaginable—there was even a high-end treadmill positioned near the window.
As Li Zhenting toured the rooms, he felt a growing sense of wonder. Every detail, from the color palette to the choice of fabric, seemed to resonate with his personal tastes. However, when they reached the living room balcony, he stopped, pointing in confusion at a large, sleek bathtub installed right by the glass.
"Did they... put the bathtub in the wrong place?" he asked, frowning.
"No," Li Zi replied, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her face. "I specifically requested it be placed there."
Li Zhenting’s brows knitted tighter. "But what if people outside see? It’s so open."
The night view beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was breathtaking, but the lights from the neighboring high-rises were equally clear and bright.
"It’s a one-way mirror," Li Zi explained, leading him toward the glass. "You can see out, but no one can see in."
She stepped behind him, pressing him against the cool surface of the window and wrapping her arms around his waist. Her voice, which usually carried the crisp, cool texture of frosted stone, vibrated against his ear. "So, even if I were to pin my dear wife right here against the glass, entering him from behind until he’s flushed red with the marks I’ve left... even if he cries and begs me to stop because he can’t take any more... no one on the outside would ever know what was happening in here."
She leaned in closer, her breath hot against his skin. "The same goes for the bathtub."
The heat rushed to Li Zhenting’s face so quickly it made his ears ring. Shaking with embarrassment and indignation, he wrenched himself free from her embrace. "Why have you become so... so lewd lately?" he stammered, pointing an accusing finger at her.
Li Zi took a few steps back, her expression instantly smoothing into one of practiced innocence. She arched a brow. "I was merely answering your question."
Li Zhenting narrowed his eyes at her, a sudden thought occurring to him. "Is your rut coming up?"
"Don't worry, I’ve already taken suppressants in advance." Li Zi pulled him back into her arms, her hands sliding beneath his hoodie to trace the line of his waist. "I’ve managed to feed you a bit more lately, but I still don't think you're in any condition to handle me during a full rut."
It was true that Li Zhenting was no longer as skeletal as he had been weeks ago, but he had only just begun to regain a healthy layer of flesh. He was still a far cry from the robust, muscular physique he had once boasted.
Hearing her words, Li Zhenting looked down, a shadow of disappointment crossing his face. "I’ve started exercising again these past few days. I’ll get back to that 'nurturing hunk' physique you like soon."
Seeing that familiar, hyper-sensitivity regarding his body, Li Zi felt a strange wave of nostalgia. However, she decided it was finally time to clear up a misunderstanding that had persisted for years.
She guided him over to the sofa, and they sat down together. By now, it had become a habit for Li Zhenting to lean instinctively against her, his posture full of a trust and reliance he had once tried so hard to hide behind a mask of machismo.
Li Zi stroked his hair—which she had taken him to get trimmed only a few days prior—savoring his closeness. "Actually," she began, dropping a metaphorical bombshell, "I don't actually care that much about the 'nurturing hunk' look."
The statement was so unexpected that Li Zhenting nearly bolted upright. She gently patted his chest, signaling for him to stay put.
"Back then, when you kept pestering me about my 'type,' I didn't really have one. You wouldn't let it go, so I just picked a term my classmates were gossiping about at the time and gave it to you as an answer."
Before he could process his indignation, she added softly, "But for me, as long as it’s you, I love whatever version you are. Of course, I did appreciate the muscles you worked so hard for, but they weren't a requirement. So don't rush. Take it slow. Your health is what matters most."
***
While peace and tranquility reigned in the new apartment, the atmosphere surrounding Yu Tianwu and Liu Yan was beginning to sour.
In the past, it was usually Liu Yan who was "busy," leading to infrequent meetings. Now, the roles had reversed. Yu Tianwu was frequently coming home late, despite her university course load being relatively light.
When Liu Yan asked what was keeping her, she would only offer a vague explanation about "family matters."
It was then that Liu Yan realized with a jolt of unease how little he actually knew about her. He knew nothing of her family, her upbringing, or her past. They had been together for so long, yet he had never pushed for details. Part of it was because he believed the present was all that mattered; the other part... perhaps he had sensed the vast chasm between their social standings and had been subconsciously avoiding the truth.
Since she wasn't offering information, he felt it would be overstepping to pry. Every time she returned from her "busy" spells, she was exceptionally clingy, pinning him down and seeking a desperate, almost feverish intimacy. Yet, despite the physical closeness, a cold knot of anxiety was beginning to tighten in his gut.
While Yu Tianwu was struggling to keep her two worlds separate, a candid photo appeared in a large WeChat group titled "Kang Qi National Fan Club Official Group."
*“Ugh, I have to share this with you guys. This is the girl who was badmouthing our Gege at the cinema before. She was with one guy then, and now she’s already moved on to another. And she had the nerve to call Kang Qi a scumbag? What a joke.”*
The photo showed Yu Tianwu walking down the street with a young Omega male.
Initially, the message didn't cause much of a stir. A few fans replied with standard vitriol: *"Just another hater, right?"* or *"Taking candid photos is a bit much..."* or *"What a hypocrite, cheating while trashing others."*
Most treated it as idle gossip, but before long, a group administrator—a veteran fan who had followed Kang Qi since his debut—replied to the image.
*“Wait, it’s her again?”*
*“This woman is shameless. Back in high school, she used to stalk Qi-ge, claiming they were a couple in an 'AA relationship.' Qi-ge had to clarify so many times that they were just friends, but she went totally mental. She almost ruined his reputation and made people think he was a player. Her parents finally had to drag her home to stop the madness.”*
*“By the way, her parents are actually famous actors...”*
The revelation set the chat on fire. The message count instantly jumped to +99.
*“Are you serious?!”* was the most common response.
The administrator continued: *“The whole thing blew up on the school forums back then. She was pretty and came from a wealthy family, so a lot of people had crushes on her. The posts were all deleted later, but I still have a few screenshots. You guys can see for yourselves.”*
These "receipts" seemed to confirm the narrative, igniting a firestorm of righteous fury among the fans. They quickly migrated the discussion to Weibo, and within the hour, a new hashtag began climbing the trending charts.
