The clock chimed midnight.

This small, mechanical sound was usually missed by Yuri, but in this silent, motionless house, it rang out especially loud.

Not a single other sound echoed in the house.

With only one light on in the living room, Yuri sat quietly there. The book he was reading had been closed for a long time because he couldn’t concentrate.

“……”

Ling Xinlu still hadn’t returned.

On weekends when Xinlu went home, the time he came back always varied, sometimes as early as eight or nine o’clock, and sometimes past midnight. And usually, after having dinner, drinking tea, and chatting for a bit, he would leave and return around ten o’clock.

Occasionally, when conversations with relatives went long, he would also sometimes come back very late, past midnight, so the fact that Xinlu hadn’t returned yet wasn’t particularly strange. Yuri could think that today was just one of those days he was coming back late.

……But Yuri had thought he would come back early today. Yuri tilted his head and sighed.

He was probably chatting with the adults. Or maybe he was being held back by his mother. If held back by his mother, Xinlu sometimes wouldn’t be able to get away for a few hours.

Yuri glanced at the clock once more and stood up from the sofa.

Yuri thought he should make a cup of coffee while waiting for Xinlu to return.

He didn’t know when he would be back. Could it be that he was almost home? Or would it be very late, like last time, as late as two in the morning?

If it was that late, he should have sent a message. Yuri sighed as he recalled calling Xinlu several times after the first call out of worry, but his phone was still off.

Just then.

The water had just boiled when the phone rang. Nobody called at this hour, so it must be Ling Xinlu.

Yuri turned off the stove, went to the living room and picked up the phone. Yet, contrary to expectations, the caller was not Xinlu.

“…….Eh, what is it, Fei?”

Yuri tried to suppress the disappointment in his voice as he called out the caller’s name.

A familiar, lively voice rang out from the other end of the line.

[“Uncle, I received the book. I’ll finish reading it and return it to you intact—”]

“Ah, yeah. Take your time reading it and return it whenever.”

It seemed like Fei called to thank him for lending him the book. Yuri smiled as he listened to Fei’s consistently cheerful voice.

[“Are you feeling better, Uncle? I heard you were sick.”]

Yuri seemed to understand the reason why Xinlu went home alone. Yuri couldn’t make Xinlu into a liar, so he just vaguely replied: “I’m alright. Still able to walk around.” Hearing that Yuri’s voice sounded normal, Fei breathed a sigh of relief and said with a laugh: [“That’s good.”]

[“Anyway, you should take advantage of this opportunity to order your little uncle around. If you can’t boss him around while you’re sick, then when can you?”]

“He’s taking very good care of me,”

Yuri said with a smile. He wasn’t lying. These past few days when Yuri wasn’t feeling well, Xinlu had always been by his side, taking care of him very attentively.

Bringing meals to his bedside or carrying him to the bathroom to wash his hair was nothing. Xinlu cared for him so thoughtfully that Yuri felt a little embarrassed by being pampered so much.

“Is Mr. Ling Xinlu there?”

Since Fei called, Yuri thought this was a good opportunity to ask. Yuri thought he would get a reply like he was with his uncles or that he had just gotten back.

However, Fei’s answer was completely unexpected.

[“Uncle Xinlu? Isn’t he there? He went back a while ago?”]

Fei replied with surprise, as if he thought Xinlu should definitely be there. Yuri blinked silently for a moment.

“A while ago? Around what time?”

[“Right after dinner he left. He ate quickly and got up without even drinking any tea……. Ah, he said he had something urgent and had to leave early, probably had an appointment somewhere else.”]

Fei spoke with a dubious tone, then as if suddenly remembering something he had vaguely heard earlier, he muttered to himself as if he understood. But Yuri remained silent.

Yuri hadn’t heard anything about Xinlu having another appointment that evening. If he had somewhere to stop by, he definitely would have said so before leaving. The urgent matter Xinlu mentioned was probably just going home.

“……”

[“Should I call him?”]

“No……, it’s okay.”

Yuri shook his head. His phone was off anyway.

Yuri intended to tell Fei that Xinlu didn’t have any other appointments and hadn’t returned yet, but he didn’t want to make him worry when things weren’t clear.

It was better for Yuri to go look for him himself.

After hanging up, Yuri immediately stood up from the chair. Anyway, the road back to the Ling family home was just along the main road, so there was no way he could get lost.

If Xinlu departed right after dinner, then enough time had passed for him to make the trip back and forth several times, so there was no way he was still on the road. But there was still a possibility – albeit a very small one – that he was tired from driving and had stopped by the roadside to sleep, or, what Yuri didn’t want to think about, that he had been in an accident. If Yuri followed that road, he might find some clue.

“Why is it turned off at a time like this……!”

Yuri stuffed his wallet into his pocket, slipped on a pair of sandals and grumbled. It had been a long time since he had felt this worried.

Please,

Please, let nothing have happened.

Yuri prayed unconsciously as he pushed hard on the front door. Or he intended to.

“……—?”

The door didn’t open.

Yuri stopped his hand and stared at the doorknob with a puzzled expression. He tilted his head, turned the doorknob, and pushed, but the door that should have opened didn’t budge.

“—,……?!”

Of all times for this to happen. Yuri grumbled, rattling the doorknob vigorously. *Clack, clack* – The unlocked door didn’t budge. It was as if something was blocking it from the outside.

What’s going on, is the door stuck or something? Yuri muttered curses and then kicked the door hard. The door rattled slightly. It seemed like something was indeed blocking the front.

Yuri turned the doorknob and pushed hard. Putting all his strength into one push, the door opened a tiny crack.

However, it didn’t open any further, but rather seemed to want to close again. Yuri, perplexed, continued to push against the door.

“What the, is something blocking——”

“DON’T OPEN IT!”

Just as Yuri was grumbling, a voice shouted from behind the door.

Yuri froze, his hand going limp. At the same time, the door slammed shut.

“……, ……, …… Huh?”

Yuri muttered, his hand still resting on the now-closed door.

That voice was definitely Xinlu’s; there was no mistaking it. Judging from the direction of the voice, it seemed like he was sitting in front of the door.

“……, …….”

Yuri blinked repeatedly, his eyes still fixed on the door.

Well, anyway, he didn’t need to go looking for him anymore. Furthermore, it didn’t seem like he had been in an accident or gone somewhere else as Yuri had worried.

The person he couldn’t contact had returned; Yuri felt somewhat relieved, but he still knocked on the door. He waited a moment, but there was no reply. He knocked again, but still silence.

Finally, Yuri tried opening the door again. He turned the doorknob and pushed, but the door still wouldn’t open as if something were blocking it. It seemed like Xinlu was sitting in front of the door, but Yuri couldn’t understand what was going on.

Yuri leaned his back against the door, using his body weight to push. As the door opened a small crack, he called out: “Mr. Ling Xinlu?”. However, the response he received……

The only reply was: “I SAID DON’T OPEN IT!”. And then, with a bang, the door slammed shut again as if someone had pushed it hard from the outside.

Yuri stood frozen in front of the door for a moment, just staring at it. But then he frowned and tilted his head. Told not to open it, what was going on, after all?

Yuri placed his hand on the door, then bent down and knocked.

“Mr. Ling Xinlu, are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Despite being separated by the door, Yuri spoke loudly enough for the person outside to hear, but there was still no reply. It seemed like he was sitting, blocking the door, refusing to open it and refusing to explain why.

“Mr. Ling Xinlu, Mr. Ling Xinlu.” – Yuri called his name several times, with pauses in between, but still received no response.

“……”

Yuri remained silent for a moment, then stood up. He tried opening the door a third time. Putting all his strength into the push, the door opened a small crack again. “Wait, what’s wrong? Open the door and let’s talk……” – Yuri said through the crack, but there was still no reply, only the pushing force from the other side trying to close the door.

And just as the door was about to slam shut from being pushed hard, it stopped. It was only about 1-2 cm away from being completely closed.

“OW! MY HAND, MY HAND! MY HAND!”

Yuri yelled. At the same time, the strong pushing force from outside suddenly disappeared, and the door burst open.

Xinlu rushed inside, his face completely pale.

Yuri tucked his wallet, which had been wedged in the gap of the door, back into his pocket, stepped onto the raised floor, and looked down at Xinlu with a calm expression.

“…….”

“…….”

Xinlu stared at Yuri in astonishment.

His eyes darted back and forth between Yuri’s unharmed hand and his face, then a look of anger, as if he had been tricked, flashed across his features. Yuri looked Xinlu up and down, confirming that he wasn’t injured, before quietly asking:

“What’s wrong?”

“……—”

Xinlu stared intently at the person who was anxiously observing his expression. As if he were searching for something hidden in Yuri’s face.

Yuri tilted his head and looked deeply at Xinlu. Xinlu just stared back at Yuri with his usual impassive face.

Then Yuri suddenly noticed a large package discarded beside the front door. A huge bouquet of flowers had been placed there.

The bouquet was so large that it obstructed the view. Yuri turned to look at Xinlu with a puzzled expression.

“Is that yours?”

Yuri didn’t wait for an answer. Just as he bent down to pick up the bouquet, Xinlu suddenly flinched and quickly pulled Yuri into the house.

After being pulled inside, Yuri looked down at Xinlu in bewilderment.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? It’s okay, tell me.”

“……Don’t go outside. Don’t go. You can’t go. Don’t open the door.”

Xinlu said in a firm voice, his lips tightly pursed. The door was open, and Xinlu had also stepped inside, so he couldn’t push Yuri into the house and close the door from the outside like before, but at least he had successfully pulled Yuri in. Xinlu stood blocking the doorway, his back to the front door.

Yuri stared at him blankly. Xinlu looked at Yuri with a cold expression. His face was devoid of any emotion.

Xinlu’s face looked pale. He bit his lip tightly, looking very angry and frustrated.

“…….What’s wrong? Open the door. Are you planning to stand there all night?”

Yuri was worried about the giant bouquet left outside, so he moved towards the door, but Xinlu remained blocking it without budging.

Even though Yuri stared at him like that, Xinlu didn’t move at all.

Then a flicker of annoyance crossed Yuri’s face.

“You have to tell me, otherwise how would I know? I was worried because you came home late, and yet what were you doing in front of the house? It felt like you were imprisoning me.”

“……—It’s true that I did imprison you.”

Yuri fell silent at that cold reply,

Ling Xinlu wore a cold expression, devoid of even a hint of a smile. His restless, wavering eyes exuded a dangerous aura. Even a small provocation seemed enough to make them explode.

“Me?”

Yuri asked cautiously, but Ling Xinlu didn’t respond. However, the penetrating look in his eyes was a silent admission, leaving Yuri once again at a loss for words.

“Why would you do that?”

“—You’re going to leave.”

Ling Xinlu’s lips trembled slightly as he gave his curt reply. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep his mouth shut, but the words he had uttered seemed impossible to swallow back. His trembling lips whispered again.

“As soon as morning comes, you’ll leave. —That’s right, it’s already past midnight now, our contract has ended.”

Ling Xinlu poured out the words bottled up inside him and then fell silent. The things he had kept hidden for so long seemed to overflow with his words, and his lifeless black eyes gradually became bright and sharp with coldness.

Yuri wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

The pale face looked at Yuri, seemingly on the verge of collapsing.

“—I thought, no matter what, you would continue the contract. Sometimes I was so anxious I went crazy, but I still thought, you would stay by my side. I was so sure, so sure,……”

The broken words gradually became indistinct. Each word slowed down and finally ceased altogether.

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri, his face as pale as a wax figure, standing there without moving a muscle. Even a slight touch seemed enough to make him crumble.

Then suddenly……

“What should I do?”

A voice whispered as if speaking to himself, so quiet it was almost inaudible. *Tok tok* Along with that voice, large, round teardrops rolled down his cheeks.

The expressionless face, like that of a beautiful doll, was crying. Ling Xinlu began to weep silently, only staring intently at Yuri.

“What should I do…… I have no way to keep you…… I…… I have nothing……”

His body, leaning against the door, slowly slid down. The tears welling up in his eyes began to overflow, covering his cheeks. “I can’t breathe,” – A faint, whispering voice said.

“——, Ling Xinlu, I——.”

“If that’s the case, then why did you save me!”

Yuri opened his mouth in shock, but then abruptly stopped.

A pained voice, as if choked with breathlessness, echoed with reproach.

“Why did you say you liked me? Why did you give me hope, why did you make me suffer like this! Why……. if that’s the case, then why did you appear in front of me, why did you make it so I only see you? Why did you make it so I only think of you, why did you make my heart race every time I see you!”

The sobbing voice gradually grew louder, filling the space, and then turned into unrestrained weeping.

His dark eyes bored into Yuri. Those jet-black, tear-filled eyes stared intensely at Yuri and then gradually blurred. Every time he blinked, tears flowed endlessly, soaking his long eyelashes and dripping down.

Ling Xinlu clutched his chest, his head bowed as if he were about to suffocate. He pleaded softly, saying that his heart hurt, that he couldn’t breathe.

“……I, I can only see out of one eye…… I only do the jobs you hate…… I’m even younger than you……”

The sorrowful and broken words mixed with cries reached Yuri’s ears. Ling Xinlu didn’t dare look at Yuri and could only wipe his face with the back of his hand.

While wiping his face messily like a child, and crying incessantly, he whispered.

“…….Even if I’m a person like this, so what…… What am I supposed to do if I’m a person like this……”

The hand drenched with tears slowly reached towards Yuri. It was hesitant, as if pleading not to be pushed away. Then that hand touched Yuri’s arm.

It touched lightly, fleetingly, and then that hand suddenly grasped Yuri’s arm tightly and pulled him into an embrace. Tears from his face rubbed against Yuri’s neck.

“You…… can’t you fix me and then keep me? I’ll try, I’ll really, really try. So, don’t go. Please stay with me. Please……”

Ling Xinlu sobbed and pleaded. Yuri stood frozen, motionless. He felt like he was somewhere unreal.

The lovely young man was hugging him and sobbing right in front of him, so close that it felt incredibly strange.

So strange it felt unreal, yet the hot tears rolling down his neck were undeniably real.

“You are my water.”

Ling Xinlu suddenly whispered. The soft sound of sobbing gently reached Yuri’s ears.

“Without you, I will always carry a burden in my heart, be crushed to death……. Without you, I can’t rest.”

The arms wrapped tightly around his back and waist with a strength that suggested they would never let go, preventing Yuri from moving. But even if he were to let go, Yuri wouldn’t move.

Within this man’s embrace. Within this warmth. Within the arms of this man who called himself his comfort, his peaceful resting place, Yuri wouldn’t leave.

“……Mr. Ling Xinlu, I……”

Yuri softly opened his mouth. But at that moment, as if afraid of the words about to leave his lips, the arms embracing him tightened even more.

“Don’t go. You’ve done this to me, and now you want to leave? Don’t go. I absolutely won’t let you go. Just try…… Wherever you go…… Whatever water you step into, whatever sea you step into, I will dry up all that damned water.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke: “I’ll even put cyanide in the water,” then choked up with sobs. He wept pathetically and hugged Yuri tightly.

“……—”

Yuri stood still in Ling Xinlu’s embrace for a long time, held as if he would never be let go.
Then he slowly wrapped his arms around Xinlu’s waist.

He felt Ling Xinlu’s shoulders stiffen slightly as his arms gently rested there. He also hugged tightly the person who was clinging to him.

“……That’s why I said it’s difficult for me to like you the way you like me.”

Yuri murmured softly, like a sigh.

He had thought he would try to meet his wishes.

He still thought so now. While waiting for him, feeling his heart pound with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, while calling him, Yuri had thought that maybe it wasn’t such a difficult endeavor.

But now, the thought that it might be an incredibly difficult endeavor had become even clearer.

But even so……

Yuri would still be here.

He would live here, with Ling Xinlu, just as he wished.

Yuri quietly, very slowly, tried to push Ling Xinlu away. Immediately, Xinlu flinched, tightening his embrace, holding him even tighter. Yuri gently stroked his back.

“I’m not going anywhere. Let go of me.”

Ling Xinlu didn’t budge. He ignored Yuri’s words as if he hadn’t heard them, just holding him tightly.

Yuri tilted his head. And kissed his ear, right in front of his lips. He touched his lips lightly once, and when Xinlu shuddered slightly but still didn’t let go, Yuri hesitated for a moment, then gently nibbled on his earlobe.

“…….What are you doing?”

“Why are you making me fall apart again?” – The voice, still choked with sobs, murmured.

Yuri moved his lips away from the earlobe and kissed Xinlu’s temple. Then, from there, he slowly moved down, kissing in front of his ear, on his cheek, on his cheek. Each time, Ling Xinlu shuddered, his body flinching, and gradually tilted his head. Making it easier for Yuri to kiss him.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you keep doing this to me?”

Ling Xinlu whimpered, but obediently accepted Yuri’s kisses, then loosened the arms that were tightly holding him.

Yuri placed a final kiss on his lips, then slowly slipped out of his embrace.

He took a step back, keeping a moderate distance from Xinlu.

Yuri silently looked at Ling Xinlu, whose face was still wet with tears, his eyes looking at him anxiously. Then Yuri turned and walked into his room.

A while later, when Yuri returned, Ling Xinlu was still standing frozen like a statue by the doorway.

He approached him, keeping a distance of one step, and then held out what he was carrying in his hand.

It was the contract.

The paper on which, a few days prior, Ling Xinlu had written ‘lifetime’ as the contract duration and given to Yuri, was now being offered back to him.

Ling Xinlu lowered his head, staring intently at the paper.

Yuri Gable, his name written in neat, tidy handwriting at the bottom of the contract, written by his own hand.

“……”

Ling Xinlu looked at the paper in his hand dubiously, his eyes looking at Yuri with disbelief, as if afraid he would wake up from a dream. Yuri pushed the paper towards him again, urging him to take it.

“I wanted to give it to you before midnight, but it’s not too late.”

“You…… aren’t leaving?”

At Ling Xinlu’s whispered question, this time it was Yuri’s turn to wear a puzzled expression.

“Why would you think I’m leaving?”

“…….You said so. The contract has expired, you said you were leaving anyway, leaving soon. You said you were leaving tomorrow morning.”

Ling Xinlu spoke with a vaguely anxious tone, then fell silent. As if he regretted saying it.

Yuri blinked, looking at him. He silently watched Xinlu for a moment, then frowned slightly.

He quickly recalled that he had indeed said those words. He hadn’t said them to him, nor had he meant them in the way Xinlu had interpreted them, but he had indeed uttered those words. However……

“Have you been out there since then?”

Even though the weather had warmed up, the early mornings and late evenings were still chilly, yet had he been standing alone in the hallway guarding the door all night? Yuri frowned slightly and looked at Ling Xinlu incredulously.

Then Yuri sighed. He looked down at the contract still in his hand for a moment, then offered it to Xinlu again.

“Since I’ll be staying here permanently from now on, I need to rearrange things, including my house in Germany.”

Ling Xinlu watched Yuri speak calmly.

A strange expression gradually appeared on his face. A mixture of suspicion, anxiety, and joy.

Yuri reached out and opened the front door. He pointed to the enormous bouquet still abandoned outside and asked Ling Xinlu: “Is this for me?”, then without waiting for a reply, Yuri embraced the bouquet in both arms and stepped inside.

He staggered, carrying the huge bouquet that barely fit through the doorway, and fumbled his way into the living room.

Ling Xinlu stood still, watching Yuri for a moment, then followed him inside.

Where should he put this bouquet? There wasn’t a vase in the house large enough to hold this enormous arrangement.

The bathtub was the only option.

Yuri recalled the last time, when he had also used the bathtub to display a beautiful bouquet. Compared to that one, this bouquet was many times larger and more extravagant.

Just how excited had Ling Xinlu been to buy such a large bouquet? With a bouquet this big, how much hope and how much anxiety had he carried with him?

And what had he been thinking as he huddled outside the door, burdened by an anxiety as large as this bouquet?

Yuri looked at the enormous bouquet placed in the middle of the living room, then turned to look at Ling Xinlu.

He was clutching the contract in his hand as if he would never let it go, his eyes fixed on Yuri the entire time.

“I’ll be back after I’ve arranged everything.”

“…….You promise you’ll come back?”

At that small question, Yuri nodded slightly. It was a calm reply, as if stating the obvious, but not a light one. Only after confirming this did Ling Xinlu’s white-knuckled fingers loosen slightly.

The tense, anxious face grimaced slightly, as if on the verge of tears, but he clenched his teeth to hold them back.

‘He’s already cried so much, trying to hold back now won’t make him look any better,’ – Yuri thought to himself and smiled bitterly.

This man was so lovely. So beautiful, so charming, so adorable that it was almost unbearable.

“Regarding this contract……”

Yuri looked at the contract in his hand. He paused mid-sentence, and Ling Xinlu looked down at the contract, waiting for him to continue.

“If you no longer need me—my water,”

As Yuri spoke, Ling Xinlu’s gaze flickered with something akin to anger, but he remained silent, listening.

“Then please cancel this contract. Please do so.”

Yuri calmly finished his sentence, then silently waited for Ling Xinlu’s response.

Ling Xinlu listened intently to every word Yuri said, and as soon as he finished speaking, he replied immediately as if he didn’t need to think about it.

“Anything is fine. But in return,”

“…….”

“Just stay by my side. Try, like you said.”

Yuri opened his mouth slightly but couldn’t utter a word.

Not because he didn’t want to. From the moment he handed the contract to Ling Xinlu, Yuri had intended to do so.

But the reason he couldn’t answer immediately was because he thought it would take a long time. He thought he would have to wait a very long time.

Ling Xinlu finished his sentence decisively and looked at Yuri, who was hesitating to answer, with a somber expression. His voice lowered slightly.

“It doesn’t matter how long it takes. We have a lifetime anyway. It doesn’t matter how long. I can wait until then. So, please love me.”

“Please love me.” – The added words were resolute, yet slightly trembling with a lack of confidence. Yuri looked at him for a long moment.

It was strange. Why didn’t this refined and intelligent man realize it? That he was so lovable. That he, Yuri, would always do his best so that he wouldn’t have to endure any hardship or suffering.

Yuri nodded slightly. Ling Xinlu, who had been intently watching Yuri, suddenly pressed his lips together at his response.

As if he was about to cry again, but was desperately trying to hold back for fear of looking unsightly.

Yuri smiled. Whether he cried, laughed, or got angry, it all looked beautiful in Yuri’s eyes.

Yes. No matter what expression Ling Xinlu wore, Yuri found it beautiful.

So Yuri could only offer a small smile for a long while. The cold expression on his face gradually softened a little because of this adorable person.

To the extent that Yuri was completely unaware, Ling Xinlu was intently watching him without blinking.

**************

“When will you be back?”

Ling Xinlu asked abruptly. He was leaning against the bathroom doorframe, watching Yuri as he filled the bathtub with water to arrange the flowers.

Yuri untied the string holding the bouquet, creating space between the flowers, then turned to look at Xinlu.

“I’m not sure how long it will take to arrange everything.”

Yuri tilted his head and gave a vague answer.

The apartment would probably take the longest to deal with, but fortunately, it had been entrusted to a real estate agent through James, so he didn’t need to worry about that. However, sorting out a place that had been intertwined with his life for a long time would undoubtedly require a lot of effort.

He planned to hire people to do the things that seemed like they would take a long time, but how long would the small tasks he had to do himself take?

Even though he intended to do his best, he couldn’t accurately estimate the time.

Ling Xinlu stared intently at Yuri’s lips.

His gaze was as tense as a patient waiting for a doctor’s diagnosis, waiting to hear how long Yuri would say he’d be gone.

As for Yuri himself,…… He didn’t intend to stay away for long. He planned to return as soon as he finished his work, on a night flight or the earliest flight possible.

“……Alright, then,”

Yuri placed the bouquet into the water-filled bathtub. The enormous bouquet filled the tub, looking like a vibrant flowerbed in the bathroom.

Yuri gazed at the beautiful display with affectionate eyes.

“I’ll be back before these flowers wilt.”

Immediately after replying, Yuri looked at the flowers for a moment, then turned to Ling Xinlu and said, “Thank you for the flowers,” and walked out of the bathroom.

Ling Xinlu, who remained behind, glanced at the flowers filling the bathtub.

His eyes darkened as he looked at the flowers with their countless blooming buds.

The bouquet, for which he had specifically instructed the florist to choose the freshest, most beautiful, and longest-lasting flowers to give to the most important person in his life…… looked incredibly fresh. It seemed like they were very, very far from wilting.

“……”

‘Should I pull the drain plug?’

He bent down and looked into the bathtub, but couldn’t see the bottom because it was overflowing with flowers.

Lost in thought, Ling Xinlu silently stared at the flowers when Yuri returned from the room with something in his hand and dropped a few small pills into the bathtub. Then he smiled at Ling Xinlu, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and explained:

“It’s Aspirin. I heard that if you dissolve Aspirin in water and then arrange flowers in it, they will last longer.”

Yuri hoped the bouquet Ling Xinlu had given him would last as long as possible, but he was completely unaware that Xinlu was looking at him with a reproachful gaze from behind.

Much later, Yuri would regret it when he heard Ling Xinlu say: “That was the first time I truly resented you, Mr. Gable.” But that’s a story for another time.