They slept more deeply than expected. For years, Lu Lianning had been a light sleeper, so it was rare for him to rest undisturbed until dawn began to break.
He was awakened by the ringing of his phone. The moment it sounded, he quickly silenced it. Beside him, Li Yan merely turned over and continued sleeping.
Seeing that it was just past 5 AM, Lu Lianning noticed the call was from his assistant. After declining it, he received a follow-up text message.
As he read the message, his brows slowly furrowed. He glanced at the peacefully sleeping Li Yan and, within five minutes, made a decision.
Lu Lianning picked Li Yan up, wrapped a blanket around him, and swiftly carried him to the car.
The gentle rocking woke Li Yan, and his body tensed. He squinted at the misty sky, realizing he was pressed against Lu Lianning’s chest. The familiar light scent of bitter orange clung to his shirt.
His tense body slowly relaxed, and he asked, “Where are we going…”
Lu Lianning settled him into the passenger seat, adjusting the chair to a more comfortable angle. Pulling the blanket up around him, he coaxed in a soft voice, “We agreed to go watch a basketball game, remember?”
Still groggy, Li Yan gave a slight nod, then tilted his head and closed his eyes again.
If he had been fully awake, he wouldn’t have agreed so easily to return to City A.
Lu Lianning started the car, turned up the temperature, and drove toward City A.
Sure enough, once Li Yan woke up fully during the drive, he finally realized something. Sitting up, he looked at Lu Lianning’s focused profile and blinked. “Are we… going back to City A?”
Lu Lianning responded with a natural expression, “Yes.”
Li Yan’s blanket slipped down. “But… but…” He stammered for a long moment, feeling completely taken aback. How had he fallen asleep and then woken up on the road? Finally, he turned to Lu Lianning, who was driving, and said, “I didn’t bring my things…”
Lu Lianning replied, “What do you need to bring? There’s everything at home.”
Li Yan fell silent, looking out the window at the road signs pointing toward City A.
After five years, he stood outside the familiar house, feeling an odd sense of unreality. Before he could hesitate, Lu Lianning took his hand and led him inside.
Breakfast had already been prepared. Lu Lianning didn’t eat himself but watched as Li Yan sat down and took a few bites. Then, he informed him that he would be going out for a bit and would return in the afternoon so they could go to the basketball game together.
As Li Yan sat at the table, he glanced at the butler setting dishes nearby, then at Lu Lianning, who was already heading out the door—just moments after they had arrived.
He had said they would watch the basketball game together that afternoon when he returned. But he hadn’t said anything about imposing a curfew if Li Yan wasn’t home when he got back, or about locking him in for another month.
Li Yan lowered his eyes, taking a bite of the freshly made spring rolls, which were still hot.
For the first time, he found himself hoping Lu Lianning would come back a little earlier.
After finishing his meal, the butler asked if he would like to rest in his room for a while. Though Li Yan wasn’t really tired, he chose to go upstairs anyway.
The room looked just as it had before. The small tasseled night lamp was still there, and two pillows were still placed side by side on the bed. Suddenly, Li Yan noticed something—a corner of an old set of pajamas he used to wear was peeking out from under the blanket.
The fabric was soft cotton, loose-fitting, and matched a similar set that Lu Lianning owned. At a glance, they looked like a couple’s set. They were clothes from many years ago.
Feeling an odd impulse, Li Yan pulled the shirt out and brought it closer, giving it a quick sniff.
In that moment, he held his breath, his eyes widening. What was this smell? An orange bomb?!
He nearly choked on the overwhelming fragrance, quickly stuffing the shirt back under the blanket as if hiding something inappropriate. His face flushed instantly.
Lu Lianning returned earlier than expected, even before the afternoon, and the two of them shared lunch. Perhaps the morning’s business had gone well because Lu Lianning seemed to be in high spirits.
At 2:30 PM, they headed to the sports arena in City A for the spring finals.
Lu Lianning led Li Yan to their seats—not too close, but not far back either, in the section where Li Yan used to sit often.
They had been seated for about ten minutes when Li Yan noticed a girl in the row ahead, laughing and chatting with her friend. He could clearly see her lift her phone and switch on the front camera, glancing over repeatedly while trying to be subtle.
She was secretly taking photos of Lu Lianning.
Suddenly, Lu Lianning felt Li Yan lean in closer, their bodies pressed tightly together.
Before he could even savor the faint surprise, he became aware of something distinctly unpleasant.
Among the players on one of the teams that had just taken the court, he spotted Lin Sheng.
Li Yan noticed too. His eyes widened in surprise, disbelief flickering across his face. Finally, he slowly turned his head, leaning in to whisper a soft “thank you” in Lu Lianning’s ear.
He assumed Lu Lianning had arranged this on purpose—bringing him to watch Lin Sheng’s game so he could see an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. Li Yan felt that Lu Lianning had truly changed, that he was no longer as petty or unreasonable as he used to be.
Lu Lianning was momentarily caught off guard by the gratitude, choking on a breath he couldn’t quite release. Seeing Li Yan’s eyes gradually brighten, he exhaled and said weakly, “No need to thank me. As long as you’re happy.”
Li Yan flashed him a gentle smile, his eyes crystal clear, still carrying that striking contrast of black and white.
He was easily content and quick to express his gratitude.
Soon, he was completely absorbed in the game. At first, he seemed a little reserved, but as the match progressed and the score remained tight, he grew more animated. Sitting up straight and leaning slightly forward, he clenched his fists like everyone else around him and cheered, “Come on!”
Sitting like this, he was no longer pressed against Lu Lianning.
Lu Lianning watched as Li Yan’s full attention was drawn to the match, noting the slight sheen of sweat on his skin. He mumbled, “Enjoying it?”
“It’s amazing!” Li Yan was uncharacteristically open with his excitement in front of Lu Lianning.
Then, as the countdown neared zero, Lin Sheng scored a final three-pointer, securing victory by a single point.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Li Yan shouted along with them. Amid the deafening noise, he belatedly turned to see Lu Lianning sitting quietly beside him, his expression completely unruffled.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, Li Yan quietly asked, “Don’t you think it was an impressive game?”
Lu Lianning slowly raised his stiff hands and clapped along. “Haha, yes. Very impressive.”
Li Yan: “…”
Only then did Lu Lianning realize they were seated in a section packed with fans supporting Lin Sheng’s team. Most of them were shouting the team’s name—and Lin Sheng’s, especially the omega fans.
As the game ended, they waited for most of the crowd to leave before making their way out. With his hand still holding Li Yan’s, Lu Lianning glanced back at the court, where Lin Sheng was chatting with his teammates. In a strangely neutral tone, he asked, “Don’t you want to say hello?”
Li Yan looked back at Lin Sheng, surrounded by people, and considered how Lin Sheng might feel seeing him back at Lu Lianning’s side, watching the game together hand-in-hand.
After a brief pause, Li Yan replied, “Another time.”
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Lianning led him out of the stadium.
Amid the bustling crowd, they looked just like any other couple in love—holding hands and watching a basketball game.
Even though they had been entangled with each other for over a decade and their child was already five years old, it still felt as if they had just started dating. They were still exploring each other, playfully showing harmless stubbornness, while also tending to each other’s emotions and trying to make each other happy.
The sun began slipping behind the clouds, its light filtering softly through.
The crimson glow of the sunset illuminated the stone monument in front of the gymnasium, which was engraved with pieces of its history.
As Li Yan’s gaze swept over it, he caught sight of a date from six years ago—alongside the name of the sponsor responsible for the gymnasium’s renovation: Shenglin Group.[mfn](In case you forgot, this company is owned by the Lu family.)[/mfn]
His steps faltered, causing Lu Lianning to look back. “What’s wrong?”
Li Yan quickly caught up, shaking his head. “Nothing.”
Drawing closer to Lu Lianning, he lowered his voice. “You joined me in what I love to do, so I’ll join you in what you love too.”
Lu Lianning repeated, “What I love?” A spark flickered in his eyes.
The way they looked at Li Yan changed, and he pulled Li Yan along, rushing both of them back home.
