“Swimming huh? You go ahead. When I want to, I will go.”

Ling Xinlu spoke concisely then turned his apathetic face back to the book, not even bothering to look at Yuri.

On free evenings like this, Yuri usually went down to the pool to enjoy himself, and Ling Xinlu – ever since he started swimming again – also usually went with him.

But recently, the number of times he went swimming with Yuri could be counted on one hand. Occasionally they still went together in the early morning, but even when they went together, he was mostly silent, just swimming mechanically as if exercising, then returning.

After silently watching Ling Xinlu for a moment, Yuri said: “Okay, I’ll go then,” and left, going down to the pool alone. He swam a few laps underwater. Sometimes he would surface to breathe like a whale, but then quickly dive back down.

He didn’t plan to stay long. Because anyway, tonight Xiaojun would drop by and bring food as requested by Grandma – Ling Xinlu’s mother – so he planned to return early.

……Then it’s better not to get in the water today.

Although he had been immersed in the water for a while, his mood wasn’t as light as usual. Because his mind was still preoccupied with thoughts.

No, not just today. But recently, every morning he came to swim, but his mood couldn’t relax until he left the pool. Yuri knew the reason why.

Yuri kept thinking. When was the last time he saw Ling Xinlu smile brightly?

/Flashback/

Ling Xinlu had started working as an apprentice this week. That youngest uncle seemed to have decided to retire, so he was arranged to work under Third Uncle.

And just as Ling Tangyun had said, he was working at a ‘quite busy company’. The only difference was that the work there was ‘too busy’, and activities that violated laws and ethics occurred as frequently as meals.

Ling Xinlu’s job was to follow Third Uncle like a shadow, observing the things he did. Every night he had to read, memorize, and remember the documents Third Uncle gave him, all of which documented events over the past few decades. During the day, he had to interact with people who disregarded basic human morality.

However, despite having only worked for a short time, Ling Xinlu adapted surprisingly well. He greeted them with a smile, and easily completed the tasks Third Uncle assigned him.

He wasn’t forcing it. He didn’t smile falsely in front of them during the day and then act tired at night. He blended in with them naturally as if that was where he belonged. To the extent that Yuri, who had been anxiously observing him, felt his worry was pointless.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You know what kind of person I am.”

Third Uncle had intended to scare his naive nephew by throwing him into boiling water on the first day, so he showed Ling Xinlu the cruel underside of the business. But contrary to his expectations, Ling Xinlu just calmly observed everything, then asked:

“Where is the limit so that things can be resolved smoothly?”

Ling Xinlu had said that to Yuri that evening, when he left the company and returned to the apartment.

Don’t look at him with that kind of look anymore.

As if the work at UNHRDO had never existed, Ling Xinlu completely immersed himself in the work as if it were his inclination from the beginning. Although the workload was so heavy that sometimes even Ling Xinlu felt overwhelmed, at least he didn’t feel mentally tired.
That’s good then. Yuri accepted that and followed Ling Xinlu’s lead.

And during that whole time, aside from the smiles he gave Third Uncle and those related to work during the day, Yuri hadn’t seen Ling Xinlu smile again.

It wasn’t because of the work.

It was clear that Ling Xinlu was dissatisfied with Yuri. There was no need to calculate the exact time, it was from the night they returned from the mansion.

Yuri was swimming slowly underwater, then surfacing to take a breath like a whale. He suddenly emerged and exhaled a long breath, startling the person sitting on a chair near the pool drinking water, almost causing them to choke.

Yuri gestured an apology and continued swimming.

Indeed, there were people at the pool this evening. Not many, just a scattered few, three or four people, but to a Yuri accustomed to swimming alone in the early morning, three or four people also seemed crowded.

Well, should I go back?

Although he hasn’t been in the pool long, but – it might be a bit stingy to say this when there are a few other people here – he doesn’t like being soaked in the water in one place.

He looked at the wall clock, and hesitated whether to swim one more lap then return, or leave now.

At that moment, he saw Ling Xinlu, having just finished showering, walking from the bathroom to the pool. It seemed he had just gotten the idea to go swimming after Yuri left the house.

Ling Xinlu quickly noticed him, even before Yuri had a chance to look at him closely. Upon meeting Yuri’s gaze, he reflexively frowned slightly. Yuri intended to raise his hand in greeting, but then slowly lowered it.

Ling Xinlu turned his face away, pretending not to recognize Yuri, then jumped into the pool. And like anyone who came here to exercise, he started swimming along the lane. It seemed he didn’t want to talk or chat with Yuri at all.

Yuri silently watched him swim further away, then abandoned the idea of leaving and submerged himself back in the water.

Although the deepest part of the pool wasn’t that deep, he still tried to force himself down to the bottom. As if imitating a deep-sea fish, breathing leisurely in the abyss, undisturbed by anything, any thoughts, or emotions, or worries.

Even though he was a rather indifferent person and rarely affected by others, this situation still weighed heavily on his heart. This state of being treated coldly, almost ignored, by Ling Xinlu had been going on for many days now.

But it wasn’t that Xinlu didn’t talk to him at all. After all, during the day, while Ling Xinlu accompanied his uncle for his apprenticeship, Yuri also went along, so he couldn’t completely ignore him. But he only spoke the bare minimum necessary, and hardly looked at him.

Or perhaps he looked at him quite often. Sometimes Yuri felt a gaze on him, and when he turned around, he would see Ling Xinlu staring intently at him, then immediately turning away.

When was the last time the two of them talked to each other?

He closed his eyes in the water and tried to search his memory. It seemed that even his mind slowed down underwater. It took a while for him to remember.

Talking——if it could be called talking, it was a conversation laced with intense emotions and had taken place a few days ago.

That day was the day both of them worked late and returned home late.

And as usual, as soon as they got home, Ling Xinlu went into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Yuri would tidy up the already neat house, then arrange the day’s documents and the notes Ling Xinlu needed to study that night neatly on the table.

Then the phone rang, Yuri answered it and saw it was Ling Tangyun.

[“How is it? Is everything alright? How’s Xinlu?”]

“He’s in the bathroom. Do you have anything you need to tell him, or should I tell him to call you back later?”

Yuri spoke while looking towards the bathroom where the sound of water had just stopped. It seemed Xinlu had finished showering. He would probably come out soon.

But it seemed Ling Tangyun wasn’t calling for anything specific. He leisurely said: [“Ah, no need.”]

[“Just now, Third Uncle visited my father. I also greeted him briefly, and then suddenly felt a bit curious, so I called to check in.”]

He said he called to check in, and then added: [“You’re well too, right?”]

Things between Yuri and Ling Tangyun had been fine since that day. He didn’t think there would be any problems.

The day after meeting Ling Tangyun at the main house, he had immediately called to formally apologize. Ling Tangyun laughed loudly, then said: [“No, I found seeing a new side of you quite interesting. But well, alright, you even called specifically to talk about this, you must feel quite remorseful. Don’t bother with it anymore. If people don’t make mistakes, and relationships don’t have flaws, then there wouldn’t be anything interesting.”] He readily accepted Yuri’s apology and succinctly concluded that there was no need to mention it again.

Ling Tangyun wasn’t the type to dwell on things he had already said, and Yuri knew that.
So, the small conflict between Yuri and Ling Tangyun – although calling it a conflict seemed a bit strange – had been resolved smoothly.

And this was the first time they had talked since then.

Yuri replied to Ling Tangyun, who was calling to inquire about his younger brother: “Everything is fine.”

“The workload is, indeed, more than I thought, but it’s not overwhelming. Currently, it seems there’s nothing to worry about.”

[“Is that so? I told you. There’s no need to worry too much about Xinlu. After all, he’ll have to go through many more difficult things in the future, but it will be okay. Third Uncle also praised him, saying he’s ‘quite capable, knows how to work’.”]

“That praise coming from the mouth of that picky person is quite a commendable compliment.” – Ling Tangyun seemed to chuckle wryly. Yuri nodded: “Lucky him.”

The third uncle, with whom Ling Xinlu would be collaborating in the coming time, was a man with a less than stellar reputation. Actually, the work he was doing was inherently dangerous, the people under him were practically butchers, so having a good reputation was difficult. No one really liked a grumpy old man with such sharp eyes.

Moreover, Ling Xinlu’s Third Uncle, from the start, hadn’t been fond of the youngest son whom Ling Houlong treasured like an egg, holding him for fear of breaking him, containing him for fear of melting him, so Yuri had thought that working under him certainly wouldn’t be easy. Indeed, it wasn’t easy at all; during the day, no matter how well Ling Xinlu completed his work, he wouldn’t receive a single word of praise. Yet, he didn’t show any sign of it – or pretended not to care – he just kept smiling as if nothing was wrong and handled all the tasks his uncle assigned.

[“That uncle, although he doesn’t say it outwardly, he does praise you from time to time.”]

Yuri felt relieved: “It seems like he won’t torment people unreasonably.”

[“Yeah, he also mentioned you: ‘That kid Xinlu is fortunate, finding such a capable assistant.’ He sees that you’re also working hard alongside him and still holding up.”]

“No, I’m not being tormented to that extent.”

Yuri replied curtly. In truth, Ling Xinlu often did even the small tasks himself that he shouldn’t have needed to do and rarely assigned them to Yuri. He even said a very proper sentence, like: “When you’re new to a job, you have to do everything yourself, bit by bit, even recording every single character.”

Yuri had thought that although he wasn’t lazy or deceitful in his work, he would only focus on the important tasks that needed to be done personally, and only grasp the general idea of the secondary tasks. But unexpectedly, Ling Xinlu was so diligent.

However, the workload was so much that even the small portion Yuri took on wasn’t simple at all.

……But.

“Ah, by the way, Ling Tangyun, I have something I want to ask you.” – Yuri suddenly remembered the matter he intended to contact Ling Tangyun about, so he spoke up. Ling Tangyun seemed surprised: [“Ask? What is it?”], but then said casually: [“Yeah, go ahead.”]

“I don’t know if Mr. Ling Xinlu has told you, but I want to ask you to find someone.”

[“A person? What kind of person?”]

“Someone who can support and assist Ling Xinlu’s work in my place. If possible, I want to find someone who can work long-term.”

[“What? You—— ah, I guess your contract is about to expire, right? What, not renewing?”]

Ling Tangyun asked with surprise. He muttered: [“Finding a suitable person isn’t easy”], sounding somewhat displeased.

While assisting Ling Xinlu with his work, Yuri had been thinking.

He himself had foreseen this, but a more suitable assistant than him was indeed needed to support the business.

For now, it was fine. While Ling Xinlu was still just following Third Uncle’s instructions, Yuri could still manage. But when he gained autonomy and expanded his scope of work, he would need someone who could offer more specialized and supportive advice.

“Although the final decision rests with Mr. Ling Xinlu, please try to find a few suitable candidates for me.”

[“Alright, tomorrow I’ll go and inquire. But finding the right person isn’t easy, you should be prepared for it to take time.”]

“Yes. I’m not quitting tomorrow, so it’s alright. If you can find a suitable person even if it takes time, that’s even better.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you,” – Yuri finished his farewell.

Then suddenly, from right behind him, there was a terrifyingly loud *BAM!!!*

Yuri startled and turned around, and saw Ling Xinlu, freshly showered, it seemed he had kicked the bathroom door hard, causing it to swing open. Ling Xinlu stood there with his wet, undried hair, droplets of water dripping down, his dark eyes glaring straight at Yuri.

“Ask for what?”

Faced with that unexpectedly rude remark, Yuri was momentarily speechless, just staring blankly at him.

Ling Xinlu didn’t wait for an answer, striding forward and snatching the phone from Yuri’s hand.

“Hello……. Yes, Big Brother. It’s nothing. …… No need, I can handle it myself, you don’t need to bother. If there’s something I need to ask you, I’ll contact you later……. Yes, you rest.”

In a cold tone, Ling Xinlu finished speaking and hung up.

Yuri’s hand was still hanging in mid-air after having the phone snatched away……

Yuri, still standing there, put the phone down and remained silent for a moment, then flinched as he glanced at Ling Xinlu, who had turned his face to the side.

Ling Xinlu’s gaze was chillingly sharp. Yuri felt a shiver down his spine.

Ling Xinlu stared intently at Yuri with eyes that looked as if they wanted to tear him apart alive, then gritted his teeth and slowly spoke.

“I can take care of this myself. Mr. Gable shouldn’t interfere.”

“……”

“Whether you filter out a list of suitable people or not, whether you plaster the entire house with that list, I will never look at anyone other than the person I choose myself, so stop meddling in this useless matter. It’s just a waste of time.”

“……Yes.”

Yuri nodded. He couldn’t say anything more. Xinlu’s razor-sharp gaze was still boring into Yuri as if wanting to devour him alive. After a while, he turned away.

But, if someone needs to be found, it’s better to find them sooner rather than later. If they’re going to work together, the earlier they get acquainted with the work content, the better.

Yuri thought he should say: ‘Let’s find someone as soon as possible,’ but somehow, in the current situation, saying that would be like adding fuel to the fire, so he remained silent.

It seemed that decision was indeed wise, as Ling Xinlu, striding into the living room, suddenly cursed as if in anger and kicked hard at a chair.

‘This is awkward……’

Yuri rubbed his chin and looked at Xinlu with a puzzled expression.

For some reason, lately, Ling Xinlu seemed unstable.

If asked to specify exactly in what way, he couldn’t say for sure, but being by his side, he could clearly feel it. It felt like Xinlu was swaying precariously. Like a sharp blade hanging in the air, unsure which way it would fall.

However, thinking about having to come up with some specific solution was also difficult. When handling work and interacting with people, Ling Xinlu appeared calmer and more composed than anyone else. He had never made a mistake in his work or in his relationships, and there was no indication that he would.

Despite that, Yuri was still worried about the unstable side he occasionally showed, mainly when they were at home, just the two of them.

Yuri was thinking he could go back now, but this happened, leaving him bewildered.

Ling Xinlu, sitting on the sofa rubbing his temples with a tired look, suddenly spoke curtly to Yuri, who was standing there lost in thought. When Yuri looked up, he glanced indifferently at Yuri and repeated himself.

“Eyes. Tired.”

Yuri nodded. Ling Xinlu meant he wanted an eye massage.

Although recently Ling Xinlu hardly spoke or looked at Yuri, perhaps because the work was quite tiring, he still didn’t forget to request Yuri to massage his eyes every night.

As soon as Yuri brought a warm towel and a bowl of water into the living room and sat down, Ling Xinlu naturally lay down, resting his head on Yuri’s thigh and closing his eyes. And as usual, Yuri placed the warm towel over his eyes.

“…….”

“…….”

Neither of them spoke.

Yuri silently massaged Ling Xinlu’s eyes, temples, and the skin around his eyes through the towel, while Ling Xinlu stretched out, his breathing gradually slowing down.

It seemed his mood was very bad. The starting point was also very clear. Ever since the conversation about the lifetime contract was brought up. Therefore, Yuri knew that he himself was the one causing Ling Xinlu’s annoyance.

‘This is so awkward.’

Yuri muttered inwardly again. He had never considered a lifetime contract, and there was absolutely no room for negotiation or reconsideration on this matter.

Moreover, Ling Xinlu must also know that the contract itself was meaningless. Yet he was still stubborn like a child, insisting on getting what he wanted. Without even considering whether it was beneficial or harmful to him.

“Smell……”

Ling Xinlu mumbled unconsciously.

Yuri, who was massaging his eyes, paused for a moment then calmly asked: “Is it that smell? The smell of water.” Ling Xinlu didn’t answer. He remained silent like that for a while, then suddenly grabbed Yuri’s collar and pulled hard.

Yuri lost his balance and leaned forward, and Ling Xinlu buried his face in his chest.

Yuri silently watched as Ling Xinlu breathed, nuzzling his nose into every corner of his chest as if not wanting to miss anything.

Ling Xinlu suddenly tore Yuri’s shirt like someone who had lost all patience. Without bothering to undo the buttons, he just pulled hard at the hem, ripping a few buttons off, then buried his face against the newly exposed skin.

Yuri shuddered slightly as he felt Ling Xinlu’s nose, cheek, and breath directly against his skin, but he let him do it. Ling Xinlu slowly moved his face, sniffing all over his neck, collarbone, chest, armpit, then hugged Yuri tightly. And buried his face even deeper. As if wanting to bury his entire face into Yuri’s body.

His nose, cheek, and lips brushed lightly against Yuri’s body, creating a ticklish sensation.
Then suddenly, Ling Xinlu, who was pressing his cheek against Yuri’s chest, stopped, then sniffed Yuri’s protruding nipple for a moment, and bit down hard.

“……”

Yuri unconsciously recoiled from the pain, but the arms tightly wrapped around his waist tightened even more, preventing him from pulling back. It seemed that reaction pleased Xinlu – or perhaps he was frustrated and took the opportunity to vent his anger – he bit down harder, clenching tighter.

Finally, when Yuri couldn’t bear it anymore and let out a small sound: “It hurts”, Ling Xinlu loosened his teeth that were tightly biting his nipple.

“It doesn’t seem to be the smell of water. Even though I’m sniffing like this, I don’t feel relieved at all. On the contrary, it makes me feel heavier. Much heavier. Or is it that what’s filling my heart isn’t salt but cotton?” – Ling Xinlu gave a faint, bitter smile, his lips tight and distorted.

Ling Xinlu continued rubbing his lips and nose against Yuri’s chest for a long while, then suddenly smirked.

“If you like me, how can you be so calm?”

His voice came out from between gritted teeth, low as if trying to suppress his anger.

“Even though I’m angry, ignoring you, you don’t care at all, do you? Because you’re about to leave, so you don’t care what happens, right?”

“……That’s not it.”

“Tell me the truth. I won’t hold you back. Actually, you feel relieved that you’re about to go back, right?” – This time, as if anger surged again, Xinlu bit Yuri’s collarbone. Biting hard enough to make Yuri flinch, but light enough not to leave a wound.

Yuri shuddered, almost crying out in pain, but then managed to suppress it, waiting for the pain to subside before speaking.

“I never said I would leave when this contract ends. If Mr. Ling Xinlu wants, we can extend the contract. I’m also very willing to do so. But as I said, in the long run, it’s not good for you.”

Even so, if Ling Xinlu proposed extending the contract, Yuri would still readily agree. Although still worried that he wouldn’t be capable enough to support him, that he would feel uncomfortable to some extent, Yuri would still sign the contract.

Then, as one year, two years passed, if the time came when Yuri felt he no longer had the ability to support him to the extent he desired, then Yuri would decline to renew the contract, but now wasn’t that time.

And right now, if Ling Xinlu wanted, Yuri would extend the contract.

However, he knew it was his own selfishness, and in the long term, Ling Xinlu should find someone else to better support him.

Ling Xinlu was silent.

He was still burying his face in Yuri’s chest, so Yuri couldn’t see his expression. Yuri could only feel Ling Xinlu trying to press his cheek against him even more, as if wanting to burrow deeper into his embrace.

“Mr. Gable. Do you really like me?”

Finally, a muffled voice emerged from within his embrace. A small and suppressed voice, as if weighed down by the heaviness of his heart.

“Yes, I like you.”

Yuri answered without hesitation. He honestly answered the truth.

Ling Xinlu was silent for a moment. He remained buried against Yuri, taking a few deep breaths.
Then suddenly, a mumbled voice emerged, in a distorted tone: “……Is that so.”

Ling Xinlu muttered as if mocking, or reproachful, then raised his head. Terrifyingly dark eyes looked at Yuri.

Yuri looked at him and nodded. Then he spoke.

“I will contact you frequently. If Mr. Ling Xinlu allows it. On New Year’s, your birthday, the end of the year, or sometimes for no reason at all. Later as well. Even after however much time passes……”

Just like with Ling Tangyun, even if both of them were so busy that they could only meet a few times a year, Yuri still wanted to continue to understand this endearing person.

Ling Xinlu didn’t say anything.

He stared intently at Yuri, then suddenly pushed Yuri away and stood up abruptly. He glared at Yuri with a distorted expression and spoke rudely.

“That kind of bland weed, you can chew on it yourself. I don’t need it. ——No, you should pull it out too. I just want to burn all those damn weeds.”

When he finished speaking, he gritted his teeth and went into his room. He slammed the door shut and didn’t come out of his room for the rest of the night.

“……”

/Back to the present/

It was always like this. Always in that way, Ling Xinlu only gave Yuri dark, angry glances and icy words.

“Yet, even though you say you like me, you can still leave just like that.”

Yuri sighed inwardly and slowly surfaced like a whale carrying a heavy weight. Air bubbles rose in ripples.

It felt like, even if the contract were extended, Ling Xinlu would still continue to look at him with that cold gaze. Somewhere, something had gone seriously wrong.

“……”

“Uncle Yuri, that’s too much! I said I was coming, but you left the house. How could you shut the door on a guest like that? You didn’t even answer the phone!”

Yuri, having just surfaced to take a deep breath, startled and opened his eyes wide upon hearing a sharp voice ring out directly overhead.

Outside the pool, not far from the surface where Yuri had just emerged, Xiaojun, in a sky-blue dress, was standing there, holding a large bag containing a box.

“Xiaojun. When did you arrive?”

Yuri swam towards her while looking around. It seemed that almost everyone in the pool had left, with only one person swimming languidly in the distance. Ling Xinlu wasn’t visible either; perhaps he had gone back earlier or was diving somewhere underwater.

Yuri quickly stepped out of the pool, reaching for the towel on the chair. He noticed the heavy bag she was holding, took it from her, and placed it on the chair.

“Matsutake mushrooms, Grandma said to eat them right away while they’re fresh. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They must be a delicious kind. When I brought them, the whole car smelled of matsutake.”

Xiaojun bent down towards the bag. Yuri smiled as he saw her sniffing the aroma with delight, murmuring: “They must be delicious.”

“I thought you would leave after dinner and arrive later. Have you had dinner yet?”

“Not yet.”

Yuri looked at his watch and saw it was later than Xiaojun was expected to arrive, and also late to not have had dinner yet. He turned back to her: “Is that so? Then……” He thought there might still be something to eat at home.

Or they could eat the matsutake mushrooms she brought raw – of course, after asking Ling Xinlu, their owner, for permission – as she had said.

However, as if anticipating what Yuri was about to say, Xiaojun quickly waved her hand: “No need, I have to go now. I have a late-night movie date with a friend, and I’m afraid I’ll be late, so I skipped dinner to drop by here.”

Xiaojun looked at her watch and muttered: “My friend is very strict; if I’m late, I have to pay for both the movie ticket and dinner.”

“I drove really fast. Luckily, there’s still a little time to talk to you, but I don’t know if I’ll get a speeding ticket.”

“Is the speeding ticket more expensive than the movie ticket and dinner?”

Yuri chuckled softly, wiping himself with the towel. His apartment was only a few floors away, so instead of using the shared bathroom, he usually just wiped himself down and showered at home later.

“Come in and have a drink before you go.”

“I don’t have time anymore. Just enough to wait for you to finish drying off and take the elevator down together. Whoa, I knew it, but Uncle Yuri really does have a nice body. —Can I touch it?”

Yuri startled, looking at the beautiful young woman smiling and reaching out towards him. A fleeting moment of confusion crossed his expressionless face.

Although not someone who was easily embarrassed by being touched, being suddenly asked by a beautiful and innocent-looking unfamiliar girl to touch him still flustered him.

“—Touch where?”

Yuri’s curt words carried a hint of tension. Xiaojun clapped her hands and laughed.

“Oh, Uncle, where could I possibly touch? Just your arm, your shoulder. —Wow. You really do have a great physique. You must be popular.”

Xiaojun said while playfully poking Yuri’s arm with her finger; Yuri just gave a wry smile.

“Thank you. Well, let’s go down. But……”

Yuri turned back to see if Ling Xinlu had really gone back earlier and then froze.