ISMW Chapter 50

Calling his lover “baby” was a trick Yun Xunlan had learned online.

 

The author of the relationship advice post claimed that using affectionate nicknames during a relationship helps deepen intimacy.

 

In addition to “baby,” the author provided examples like “husband,” “wife,” “brother,” “master,” “daddy,” “mommy,” and many other variations.

 

However, Yun Xunlan found some of the later options a bit strange, and the author warned that not everyone likes being called such names, advising readers to choose carefully. Since Yun Xunlan wasn’t sure if Yu Chen preferred being called “husband” or “wife,” he opted for the safest choice: “baby.”

 

Moreover, Yun Xunlan thought “baby” suited Yu Chen quite well—compared to his own 2,000-year-old age, wasn’t Yu Chen just a baby?

 

“Baby.” Thinking this, Yun Xunlan said it aloud again.

 

And within two minutes, Yun Xunlan had called Yu Chen “baby” three times. As for what Yu Chen was thinking, Yun Xunlan couldn’t tell just by looking at his expression; nor could he discern anything from his eyes—Yu Chen wasn’t even making eye contact with him.

 

All Yun Xunlan heard was Yu Chen coughing lightly twice before saying: “I’m not that young anymore…”

 

This sounded like a statement expressing mild dislike for the nickname “baby.”

 

Yun Xunlan always accommodated Yu Chen, so he immediately said: “Alright, I won’t call you that anymore.”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

Yun Xunlan thought about the other options provided in the post and tried another nickname: “Can I call you ‘brother’?”

 

Based on his observation, Yu Chen’s reaction to being called “brother” was even stronger than when he was called “baby.”

 

Because as soon as Yun Xunlan said the word “brother,” Yu Chen immediately turned his face toward him. His eyes stopped wandering elsewhere and locked onto Yun Xunlan’s gaze. His tone even carried a hint of peculiarity: “Why did you suddenly stop calling me by my name and start calling me ‘baby’ and ‘brother’?”

 

Yun Xunlan answered honestly: “We’re dating now. Calling you by your full name feels too formal—I want to be closer to you.”

 

“My nickname is Lanlan,” he added, raising his hand to brush over the high arch of Yu Chen’s brow bone and lightly stroke the skin at the corner of his eye. With a smile that hinted at deeper meaning, he said: “You should call me that from now on.”

 

Yu Chen lowered his gaze, his deep blue eyes fixed on Yun Xunlan as he first called him softly: “Lanlan.” Then he asked: “Have you called anyone else ‘brother’ before?”

 

Yun Xunlan nodded: “Yes.”

 

Yu Chen leaned closer, pressing for details: “Who have you called that?”

 

“Too many people,” Yun Xunlan replied truthfully. “I can’t count them all.”

 

“…”

 

Yu Chen straightened his back slightly, putting some distance between himself and Yun Xunlan while keeping his gaze firmly on the youth. He said: “Then I want a nickname you’ve never used for anyone else.”

 

“‘Baby’ is one I’ve never used before,” Yun Xunlan told him. “I’ve only ever called you baby.”

 

Oh, there was also one other—”master.” He hadn’t used that either.

 

Just as Yun Xunlan was about to add this clarification, he caught sight of Yu Chen’s ears gradually turning red again. Slowly, Yu Chen said: “…So when it’s just the two of us, it’s okay to use it occasionally.”

 

“Alright then—can I use it now?” This time it was Yun Xunlan who leaned in close to Yu Chen. He whispered softly: “Baby?”

 

Yu Chen didn’t respond verbally but tacitly accepted the nickname. As Yun Xunlan leaned closer to him, Yu Chen bent down and lightly kissed a strand of his hair.

 

—It was a kiss full of affection and fondness, devoid of any desire.

 

However, Yun Xunlan noticed that the fabric of Yu Chen’s pants was becoming increasingly tight around his lower half.

 

Hmm?

 

Looking at it this way, Yu Chen didn’t seem like someone who could fit into his underwear size.

 

Yun Xunlan wanted to take a closer look, but Yu Chen, realizing where his gaze was directed, immediately shifted his stance to hide his embarrassment.

 

In truth, this was the main reason Yu Chen had given up on leaving the changing room. He felt there was no cure for this “love sickness” he had—just smelling Yun Xunlan’s pheromones triggered susceptibility, and being kissed twice by the youth caused a physical reaction.

 

Yu Chen seriously doubted how long their relationship could remain hidden.

 

Trying to divert Yun Xunlan’s attention, he said: “This is the first time I’ve seen you in a mecha suit—it suits you.”

 

“Ah, really?” Yun Xunlan stepped back two paces, spread his arms to examine the outfit on himself, and smiled at Yu Chen. “It was my seventeenth birthday gift from my father.”

 

Hearing this, Yu Chen also smiled at Yun Xunlan: “You look great in it.”

 

Yun Xunlan had an excellent physique.

 

Tall and slim, with a slender waist—the mecha suit clung tightly to every inch of his skin and flesh, like fine lines drawn in a painting, smoothly outlining the graceful contours of a figure reminiscent of springtime allure.

 

But why did this figure… feel so familiar?

 

It seemed like he’d seen it somewhere before?

 

Yu Chen furrowed his brows in doubt. Like Yun Xunlan, he stared at him, wanting to take a closer look. But the aircraft’s slowing speed reminded them: Moonlight Peninsula had arrived.

 

They’d entered the changing room to change clothes, yet they hadn’t managed to change by the time they reached their destination.

 

Yu Chen took the bite guard from the table but didn’t put it on himself. Instead, he added an extra step by handing it to Yun Xunlan and letting the youth fasten it for him.

 

Yun Xunlan helped him put on the bite guard: “You go ahead; I’ll stay behind to change.”

 

Yu Chen agreed: “Alright.”

 

But as he stepped toward the door, Yun Xunlan suddenly called out: “Yu Chen—”

 

Yu Chen closed his eyes briefly, utterly familiar with this routine. He turned back with a resigned look that said “I knew you were up to something,” then walked back to Yun Xunlan’s side. Leaning close to his ear, he softly recited the “oath” Yun Xunlan always stopped him to hear—maintaining control of the situation and refusing to be passive.

 

“Wow!” The system exclaimed in surprise. “You dating Yu Chen really is an essential part of successfully completing your mission!”

 

Even Yun Xunlan himself was momentarily stunned. He hesitated for a few seconds before finally speaking: “Actually… I wanted to ask if you could come tutor me tonight?”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

Yun Xunlan coaxed him: “Baby, I asked Ni Chun to prepare new pajamas for you.”

 

Feigning calmness as if nothing had happened, Yu Chen replied steadily: “Alright. I’ll come over after dinner.”

Yun Xunlan joked with him: “Should I wait for you in the bedroom? Or in the study?”

 

Yu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly and countered: “Is there a difference?”

 

Yun Xunlan didn’t beat around the bush, his eyes glimmering with amusement: “Maybe for others, but for us, there isn’t, right?”

 

“Then let’s do it in the bedroom,” Yu Chen replied. He leaned closer to Yun Xunlan, his tall figure casting a shadow over the youth. “The first time I tutored you, did you purposely set up the simulation battlefield helmet in your bedroom?”

 

Yun Xunlan admitted honestly: “Yes.”

 

Yu Chen’s eyebrow arched even higher: “Was your plan to have me tutor you in the bedroom and then ‘make do’ by having me sleep there for the night?”

 

Yun Xunlan confessed again: “Yes.”

 

Though back then, it was to become good brothers.

 

To Yu Chen, these affirmations were yet another strong piece of evidence that Yun Xunlan had long been deeply infatuated with him.

 

He thought perhaps he shouldn’t have accepted Yun Xunlan’s feelings so early—it felt too rushed. They hadn’t known each other for long, didn’t understand each other deeply enough, and there were still many issues and gaps between them. But after considering all this, Yu Chen felt relieved that he had accepted Yun Xunlan’s feelings early on. After all, they liked each other; mutual affection was enough to be together. Otherwise, how much longer would Yun Xunlan have had to suffer unrequited love for him?

 

“Like” can stem from an attraction to someone’s appearance, admiration for their personality, or even physiological excitement driven by desire. There are countless factors that can spark this emotion—creating that moment of intense heart-fluttering and uncontrollable feelings.

 

But wanting to be together, wanting to stay by someone’s side forever—that requires a lot of “likes” to sustain and accumulate until it transforms into deeper love.

 

Yu Chen knew his feelings for Yun Xunlan hadn’t reached that depth yet. But he had never been moved by anyone other than Yun Xunlan—not before and certainly not in the future. He was also certain that his “like” for Yun Xunlan today was greater than what he felt yesterday, and tomorrow’s “like” would surely surpass today’s.

 

He reached out to embrace Yun Xunlan, pressing his cheek lightly against the youth’s through the bite guard and said: “Then tonight, you’ll get your wish.”

 

After dinner, Yu Chen packed a clean pair of underwear and headed to Yun Xunlan’s bedroom.

 

Although Ni Chun had likely prepared suitable clothing for him at Moonlight Peninsula, Yu Chen didn’t want to risk a repeat of what happened at the base dormitory—having to borrow brand-new underwear from Yun Xunlan. It had been so tight it kept him awake all night. To avoid any mishaps, Yu Chen brought his own.

 

When he arrived at Yun Xunlan’s bedroom, the youth was already waiting for him after taking a shower.

 

As Yu Chen approached Yun Xunlan, he could smell a faintly moist scent of water mixed with the subtle freshness of lychee roses.

 

“You don’t need to wear the bite guard here.”

 

As soon as Yu Chen sat down, Yun Xunlan reached out to unfasten the alpha’s bite guard. He was wearing a dark blue silk robe; when he raised his arm, the shimmering sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing half of his snow-white arm.

 

Noticing Yu Chen looking at him, Yun Xunlan assumed he was admiring his new sleepwear and held out his arm toward him: “Mine is new too—doesn’t it look like the color of your eyes?”

 

“It does,” Yu Chen replied calmly while subtly taking a deep breath. He pulled Yun Xunlan’s sleeve back up properly and said: “Be careful not to catch a cold.”

 

Yun Xunlan was puzzled: “It’s summer.”

 

“You can still catch a cold in summer.” Yu Chen brushed past the topic and opened the book on the desk. “Let’s start tutoring.”

 

Yun Xunlan sat back down: “Oh, okay.”

 

“I reached out to one of my teachers from Anlos Military Academy and got a collection of the ‘War Psychology’ exams from the past three years,” Yu Chen said as he placed a test paper next to Yun Xunlan. “Tonight, you’ll start by completing one exam. Once you’re done, we’ll head to the virtual battlefield for some practical training, and I’ll assess your operational skills.”

 

“Alright, Teacher Yu,” Yun Xunlan obediently picked up a pen and began working on the exam.

 

Yu Chen watched him for a while, worried that his gaze might distract the youth. He shifted his focus elsewhere, letting Yun Xunlan concentrate.

 

And with that glance, he locked eyes with a pair of fishy eyes.

 

—What a coincidence!

 

Yu Chen stood up and walked toward the fish tank, looking down at the blue betta fish that was puffing its gills and wagging its tail at him in protest.

 

He admired the blue betta fish’s futile display of defiance for a moment before glancing sideways at Yun Xunlan.

 

After confirming that the youth was still diligently working on his exam, Yu Chen quietly reached his hand into the fish tank.

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)