After his shower, Lin Yu dried his hair and returned to his room.
His phone chimed twice—it was a message from Lu Ziqing.
[Baby, the meeting’s over. I’m back at the hotel.]
[Are you asleep? Want to video call?]
Lin Yu switched off the ceiling light and turned on the bedside lamp.
The dim, warm light cast soft shadows, making the whole room feel like it had sunk into a silent lake.
He accepted the video call and tossed his phone onto the bed casually.
Lu Ziqing’s face popped up in the frame. “Baby! I just got back… where are you?”
Lin Yu responded, “I’m here. Just finished showering, changing clothes.”
Lu Ziqing started rambling about his day.
The foreigners were terribly unpunctual. Someone played the wrong PowerPoint. The donuts at the coffee break were so sweet he nearly choked on them—he felt like he needed insulin just to get through it. By the end of the meeting, he was dozing off, only to be startled awake by the loud snoring of an American sitting next to him.
“One of the researchers even brought his wife along. I was thinking, next time if I have to travel for this long, I should bring you too… baby, are you listening?”
Lin Yu hummed in response and finally appeared in the video.
He was wearing an oversized white T-shirt, leaning casually against the bed’s headboard. His hair was still damp, with water droplets clinging to the ends.
A bead of water slid down his collar, seeping into the white fabric and leaving a faint, darkened trace. The shirt clung to his skin, outlining the soft contours beneath.
His freshly showered face was pale and smooth, carrying a faint, natural flush.
Lu Ziqing’s voice turned hoarse. “…Did you drink?”
“Yeah,” Lin Yu said. “There was a lot of food today, so I had a few drinks with Xu Yunyi and the others.”
As he spoke, his Adam’s apple moved with the motion, his collarbones peeking out from his slightly open neckline.
Like a half-opened, beautiful mother-of-pearl shell.
His gaze was slightly unfocused—clearly not entirely sober.
Lu Ziqing’s voice deepened. “…Why are you wearing my shirt?”
Lin Yu replied lazily, “My pajamas aren’t dry yet. Couldn’t find anything else to wear.”
“You’re lying,” Lu Ziqing said. “You just bought two new sets of pajamas this year.”
Lin Yu chuckled softly.
“You’re drunk,” Lu Ziqing murmured. “Go to sleep, okay? Get some rest. I’ll be home tomorrow night.”
“No,” Lin Yu said. “I’ll sleep whenever I feel like it.”
Lin Yu acted differently when drunk.
Normally, he was serious and reserved, rarely joking around.
But when he drank, he loosened up—like all the tightly wound strings inside him had snapped. His words and actions carried a reckless, almost wild energy.
Especially when he was in a bad mood.
Lu Ziqing coaxed, “Then at least dry your hair first, or you’ll catch a cold. And change into a thicker pajama set—this shirt is too thin…”
“You’re so noisy,” Lin Yu drawled. He was clearly drunk, his smile carrying a teasing lilt. “Your eyes are practically glued to me, and you’re still pretending to be decent?”
He tugged at his already loose collar, revealing the pale skin beneath his collarbone.
“So fake… You actually love seeing me in your shirt, don’t you?”
Lu Ziqing’s breath nearly stopped.
Suddenly, Lin Yu adjusted his position, setting his phone upright against the headboard. Then, he spread his knees apart, kneeling on the bed facing the camera.
The hem of the shirt just barely covered the area between his thighs, exposing his long, slender legs. Under the dim yellow light, they looked as flawless as a sculpture.
Facing the camera, Lin Yu slowly undid the buttons, one by one.
With each button undone, more of his smooth, fair skin was revealed.
He leaned slightly to the side, his figure as soft and pristine as the newborn goddess Venus.
“Stop, stop,” Lu Ziqing inhaled sharply, his voice rough. “Baby, I was wrong. I swear I won’t delay coming home ever again.”
He should’ve seen this coming.
Lin Yu might seem gentle and easygoing in daily life, but he never let grudges slide.
Sure enough, Lin Yu chuckled softly and murmured, “—Too late.”
His beautiful, slender fingers traced down from his throat.
Sliding over his chest, his abdomen, and then lower…
With each movement, Lin Yu arched his neck slightly, swaying his waist like a beautifully tamed swan under a lover’s caress.
Lu Ziqing’s eyes darkened with fiery desperation.
He wished he could fly home instantly, but all he could do was watch through the screen as Lin Yu shamelessly teased him.
A cunning, beautiful little fox—so good at both provoking and seducing.
In the end, Lin Yu shivered and let out a soft, choked sob.
Then he hung up the phone.
Leaning casually against the headboard, he used a tissue to clean the mess off his skin, ignoring the multiple video calls from Lu Ziqing, who was undoubtedly anxious and frustrated.
A meeting, huh?
A delayed flight, huh?
Fine.
Then… suffer the consequences.
……
Lin Yu had drunk the night before and then exerted himself on the bed. The next day, he slept straight into the afternoon.
Thankfully, it was the weekend, so he didn’t have to go to work.
He woke up lazily a few times, only to let himself drift back to sleep.
When he finally woke up again, it was hunger that did it.
Outside, it was pitch black—night had fallen once more. He had slept for an entire day and night.
He got up slowly, shook his head a little to clear his mind, and went to the kitchen to grab something from the fridge.
Inside, there were some leftover convenience store rice balls from a few days ago.
Just as he finished eating a beef rice ball and let out a small burp, the sound of a key turning in the door lock echoed through the apartment.
Lu Ziqing stood at the entrance, covered in wind and snow, dragging a heavy suitcase behind him.
Lin Yu froze for a moment, then hurried over to take the suitcase from his hand. “It’s snowing outside? Why didn’t you let me pick you up from the airport?”
“It’s fine,” Lu Ziqing pulled him into an embrace, burying his face in his shoulder and taking a few deep breaths. “The flight almost got delayed again. I burned incense for Buddha and begged for some good luck, and finally, I made it on time.”
His cheeks were cold, his jaw rigid—he felt like a frozen sculpture.
After a month of not seeing each other, there was a sense of distance. Yet, at the same time, the frozen man in his arms seemed pitiful.
Lin Yu had been upset the night before, but now he’d completely forgotten about it. He stood on his tiptoes and rubbed his face against Lu Ziqing’s, trying to warm him up.
The rough stubble scratched his cheeks, stinging slightly, but he didn’t mind. He kept rubbing against him until Lu Ziqing’s face gradually regained its warmth.
The heart that had been restless for a whole day and night finally settled.
Lin Yu reached out to hug him, but before he could react, his hands were grabbed, and suddenly, he was lifted off the ground, thrown over Lu Ziqing’s shoulder.
Lying on his shoulder, Lin Yu had a bad feeling. “You… what are you doing?”
“Making amends,” Lu Ziqing headed straight for the bedroom. “And finally doing what’s long overdue.”
Lin Yu stammered, “W-what?” His pale, slender feet kicked helplessly in the air.
Lu Ziqing responded concisely, “A permanent mark.”
…
The heater was turned up high, and the scent of sea breezes and dust from a faraway land slowly spread through the air.
Snowflakes that had clung to Lu Ziqing’s black jacket melted onto the floor, leaving faint, damp trails in the living room.
With a loud thud, the bedroom door slammed shut.
A long winter night, warm as spring.
