Not long after Ling Xinlu returned, the chef he had ordered in advance arrived. As the lavish dinner table was being set, Kyle, having just finished (?) the book, sat down at the table with an immensely satisfied expression. Only then did everyone properly assume the roles of host and guests and gather together at the table.

Though he often pretended to be oblivious – mainly when it came to ancient books, like when a desired book was right in front of him or when dealing with a fiery-eyed James – Kyle was actually very perceptive and sharp-eyed. It was as if he had supernaturally discerned what would please Ling Xinlu the most, the one who had so readily lent him forty-two precious volumes. Throughout the meal, he tirelessly recounted stories from Yuri’s old stories.

There were no earth-shattering secrets or particularly special events—just trivial, everyday episodes. Like the time Yuri almost got scammed buying a used car, or when work took him to an arid region with no water for a while, so that no matter how nutrient-rich a diet Yuri was fed, this brat kept withering away. Or that one time after completing a mission, he shaved off his beard as part of changing his appearance, only to find that people actually had a harder time recognizing him then. But the result was tremendously successful. Hanging on every word, Xinlu expressed his great gratitude for sharing such wonderful stories and promised to send Kyle a few old volumes from Ling Huolong’s study. Needless to say, Kyle was overjoyed when he heard the titles of those books.

And so, everyone was satisfied – except for Yuri, who had to reveal some rather unpleasant past incidents – and by the time Kyle and Jeong Taeui set off for home, the sky was already pitch black.

After seeing them off into the car, the house suddenly fell silent.

Since only Yuri and Xinlu lived there, it was actually about as quiet as usual, but with the departure of those who had been so cheerfully carrying the conversation, the silence now felt especially heavy.

Perhaps that was why the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was particularly clear to the ear. And in between, the chirping of insects.

Yuri pulled the chair that had been placed next to the table in the courtyard close to the edge of the pool and sat down. As he stretched out his legs, his toes just touched the water’s surface.

The lights turned on in the garden reflected on the pool’s water. When he wiggled his toes and stirred the water, the light shattered. Savoring the faint sound of the water and the sensation against his feet, Yuri leaned back lazily in the chair. It felt as though the long day had finally come to an end.

Just then, Ling Xinlu emerged from the house carrying two cups of warmed rice wine. He handed one to Yuri, pulled a chair right next to him, and sat down close.

“Why are you sitting here splashing your feet instead of going in?”

“I was waiting for you so we could go in together.”

Ling Xinlu, who had been about to take a sip from his cup, paused. He looked at Yuri as if slightly flustered, then laughed like a young boy. Delighted beyond measure, he shyly averted his gaze. Yuri found him genuinely adorable.

It was because he wanted to see this face that he had been suppressing the urge to jump into the water earlier and waited instead.

Lately, with all the things to attend to because of the banquet and not being able to get in the water since yesterday, his mind had been cluttered. He had wanted to quickly immerse himself in the water and wash it all away, but he held back.

Ling Xinlu enjoyed getting into the water with Yuri, especially right after the pool had been refilled, he always wanted to go in together.

“Let’s drink this and go in together. I’ve just started handling this one—its aroma is exceptional, so I brought it for you to try.”

The wine Xinlu offered, as always when he found something special and had to share it with Yuri, slid down Yuri’s throat with a subtle, lingering fragrance.

“You’re not supposed to swim after drinking.”

Muttering this under his breath, Yuri nevertheless found himself enchanted by the wine’s aroma and took several sips in a row.

The wine was unusually sweet. It was fine liquor to be sure, but it also had something to do with the fatigue that had built up over the past few days.

Fundamentally, Ling Xinlu was an excellent partner—attentive, considerate, and utterly devoted to his lover. And Yuri, in turn, loved his partner consistently and wholeheartedly.

Yet, because their natures were fundamentally different, Yuri sometimes, ah no, often found himself at a loss.

/Back then/

For example, last year was no different.  

Near the end of last year, Xinlu had a one-night bonding gathering with his college friends at a villa in the suburbs. It wasn’t just any group of university friends—it was a social club made up of a select few from upper-class families, making it an important event for maintaining connections.  

When Xinlu hesitantly asked if it would be alright for him to go alone, Yuri told him not to worry and to go enjoy himself. To avoid making him feel uneasy, Yuri even refrained from contacting him. Yuri stayed home alone, spending the day leisurely swimming.  

The problem arose the next day when Ling Xinlu returned. Yuri happened to be swimming at the time. When he surfaced and looked up, he noticed Xinlu standing motionless at the edge of the pool, staring down at him. He had no idea how long Xinlu had been there. Yuri climbed out of the pool and approached him—only to stop in his tracks when he noticed Xinlu’s darkened expression.  

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

With a dark expression, Ling Xinlu, who had been staring intently at the glass, slowly shook his head.

“……No, nothing happened. I guess I’m just a bit tired.”

“Is that so? It must be because you went out with your classmates after so long. You should rest early today.”

Instead of a greeting, he kissed his cheek and turned to dry himself with a towel. As he did, Xinlu, who had been quietly watching Yuri, suddenly asked.

“What about you, Mr. Gable?”

“Huh?”

“Were you okay while I was away?”

“Huh? Oh, well… I swam, read some books, just spent the time normally.”

Yuri answered with a puzzled look on his face as he looked at Ling Xinlu’s blunt expression. It wasn’t like anything special could have happened in just one day alone at home. More than that, his expression seemed off no matter how he looked at it…

“I see. It seems you were fine.”

“Yes, I rested well. But Xinlu, is something really…….”

Just as Yuri was about to ask, Xinlu’s face grew darker and darker, until he finally couldn’t hold back and burst out.

“But how could you not contact me at all?”

Yuri was momentarily stunned by the unexpected protest. For a second, he couldn’t even recall what the word ‘contact’ meant.

“Huh……..? Contact…….? But I did, before going to bed at night…….”

“Is that all? Just one text saying: ‘Good night’! When I texted back that I hoped you slept well and that I missed you, you just said: ‘Yes, good night, see you tomorrow’, and ended it there! Didn’t you miss me at all?”

It was like a sudden bolt of lightning crashing down from a clear sky. As Yuri stood bewildered, unable to comprehend this sudden outburst, Xinlu, once he had exploded, couldn’t stop the torrent of grievances that poured out like an unstoppable storm.

“When we’re apart, I’m always the one who reaches out first! I always want to be with you, but Mr. Gable, are you really fine with being apart? Yesterday was the same. This time it wasn’t just a few hours, or even half a day—we were apart for a whole day! I tried hard to hold back and wait quietly, wondering when you’d finally reach out. But…!”

He sounded on the verge of tears. No, his reddened eyes were already glistening with moisture. Yuri grew increasingly flustered.

“It’s not like that, I just didn’t want to disturb you while you were finally spending time with your friends—”

“Friends? What friends? They’re just connections I maintain out of necessity! Have you ever even heard me mention a single one of their names?”

“Then why did you go—”

“Because I wanted you to miss me! I wanted to receive a message from you! But how could you not even send a single text…! Didn’t you miss me at all? I checked my phone every minute! How can you be so indifferent?”

“No, it’s not that……. I’m sorry, I really thought Mr. Xinlu were having a good time with your friends, and I didn’t want to distract you for no reason—”

“How could I not care? Would you rather I didn’t care about you, Mr. Gable? Do you hate that I care about you? Is that why you usually don’t reach out to me? When we’re apart, are you really not even curious what I’m doing?”

“……, ……, ……” 

He had never broken out in such a cold sweat in his life. While Xinlu was shedding tears drop by drop, Yuri felt so flustered he was on the verge of sweating himself.

What on earth had just happened? As Yuri stood there dazed, he suddenly remembered the times Ling Xinlu had playfully grumbled: “Aren’t you curious what I’m doing when we’re apart?” or pouted: “Mr. Gable, you don’t contact me much.” Now that he thought about it, this had happened quite a few times before… Actually, many times.

The truth was, they were rarely apart. On the occasional times they had separate business to attend to, Yuri would often receive calls from Xinlu, but he had never given it much thought.

With a mindset that one should respect a person’s independence no matter how close they are, Yuri had always approached his past relationships with a relaxed and easygoing heart. He never thought that being lovers meant they had to check in with each other every single day. But seeing that beautiful face now wet with tears made him feel like he’d been living his life all wrong. An immense wave of guilt washed over him.

When he thought about it, he realized he almost never contacted Xinlu without a reason. 99% of the time, the one to make contact was Ling Xinlu. It was clear he must have been feeling disappointed and holding it in for a long time.

“Besides, yesterday……. was the sixth anniversary of the day you first signed my employment contract…….”

Seeing Xinlu choke up sorrowfully, saying: “It was the sixth anniversary of the day we became legally bound to each other., you didn’t even know that, did you?”, Yuri was at a complete loss for words.

“……, ……, ……, I’m sorry… I’ll message you more often from now on.”

No one can win against a beauty in tears.

Deeply reflecting on himself, Yuri began trying to take the initiative in contacting Lin Xinlu after that.

However, a temperament built over a lifetime wasn’t so easily changed, and since they were rarely apart to begin with, Yuri frequently forgot to reach out. And Xinlu, who had finally exploded after holding it in for so long, didn’t hold back his displeasure anymore afterwards. Whenever he felt disappointed that Yuri hadn’t contacted him, he would express his dissatisfaction by tenaciously kissing and biting Yuri all through the night.

Eventually, Yuri threw in the towel and found an external solution. He started setting alarms for whenever they had to be apart.

“You need to set an alarm just to remember?”

Ling Xinlu pouted slightly, but perhaps he appreciated Yuri’s effort, as he let it slide without further comment.

And whether it was triggered by an alarm or not, whenever Yuri made contact, Xinlu would always answer the phone with uncontrollable joy.

The voice that answered with a “Mr. Gable?” was always dripping with anticipation and delight, and hearing that voice, Yuri would feel sorry for not having called more often, at the same time, he too felt happy.

‘Why didn’t I listen to this adorable voice more often? What a waste.’

Now, he found himself thinking of Xinlu even without the alarm ringing. It seemed that before long, the habit of contacting him would become second nature, and the alarm would no longer be necessary.

/End flashback/