The trip to Tanshan Temple had a stronger effect than anyone expected.
Lu Zizhen took Master Jingchen’s warning to heart.
The day before he flew out, Lu Zhuonian stopped by the Lu residence to collect his passport. The moment he entered, he noticed every villa above the second floor now had guardrails. Even the ornamental rockery in the yard was fenced in. According to the housekeeper, his father had moved his office from the top floor to the ground floor.
In overcorrection and paranoia, Lu Zhuonian and Lu Zizhen were cut from the same cloth.
When Lu Zizhen saw him, he didn’t start with small talk. “How’s the school situation? Anything still unresolved?”
“No issues,” Lu Zhuonian said. “Everything’s settled.”
Lu Zizhen nodded, satisfied, then softened. “Kesong’s there too, so you’ll have someone looking out for you. I don’t worry about you much.”
But even trust came with footnotes.
“It’s not convenient to stay in the dorms, so I arranged a house. You’ll have transportation. The security overseas isn’t as good—bring bodyguards when you go out. Be cautious with firearms. Don’t touch marijuana or anything else.”
Lu Zhuonian listened, patient. “I know, Dad. Don’t worry.”
Cheng Yun straightened his collar and slipped a small amulet into his chest pocket. “Do you want me to send you off tomorrow? Your dad won’t fly these days, but I don’t have that kind of superstition.”
He glanced down, waited until she withdrew her hand, and straightened. “It’s a long flight. I’d rather you didn’t make the trip just to turn around alone.”
“We agreed to send you off and then take that island vacation,” Cheng Yun sighed, shooting a look at Lu Zizhen. “I was going to get a charm for you too, but who knows what that master said to your father. He hasn’t stepped on a plane since.”
Lu Zhuonian’s lips curved faintly. “Better safe than sorry. I had a dream last month—Dad fell off a scaffold at a construction site.”
Cheng Yun didn’t believe in monks or masters, but she believed her son. Her face changed instantly. “You hear that? Don’t go to any construction sites. No real estate projects for now, alright?”
Lu Zhuonian picked up his ID and passport. “I’ll call before I board tomorrow. Take care.”
Lu Zizhen nodded.
Cheng Yun followed a few steps. As they passed through the corridor, a fragrant breeze floated past. He stopped. On the entrance table, a pot of jasmine bloomed in full white.
He picked it up. “This is beautiful. I’m taking it.”
Cheng Yun stared, dumbfounded. “You’re flying out tomorrow. Why are you taking flowers?”
“How are my hydrangeas?” she asked instead.
It was July. Jasmine and hydrangeas bloomed everywhere. The hydrangeas from the Lu residence had already filled the greenhouse.
He showed her a picture of the greenhouse and promised to take care of them, then walked off with the jasmine.
Cheng Yun still didn’t understand why he insisted on taking the plant.
Neither did Chen Zemian when he saw Lu Zhuonian come home carrying it.
“You’re flying out tomorrow, and today you bring home a pot of flowers?”
“Scents trigger memory,” Lu Zhuonian set the jasmine on the hallway cabinet. “More vividly than anything else. So wherever you are—if you smell jasmine, you’ll think of me.”
Chen Zemian rolled his eyes. “You’re gone for a year. I’ll visit. A lot.”
Lu Zhuonian looked at the suitcase, then leaned close, his breath warm against Chen Zemian’s ear. “I want to put you in the suitcase. Take you with me.”
Chen Zemian shuddered. His ears were extremely sensitive. The warmth shot straight down his spine. “I could go. You’re the one who said no.”
“Most days,” Lu Zhuonian said, “I want us to have a healthy, equal relationship.”
“And the rest of the time?”
He lowered his lashes. The shadows behind his eyes flickered. “I want to put you in a box. Carry you everywhere. Take you out when I need you.”
Chen Zemian raised an eyebrow. “And when do you need me?”
“Every day.” Lu Zhuonian suddenly scooped him up, lifting him with effortless strength. “Especially now.”
Chen Zemian licked his lips. “You’re not pretending anymore.”
There was a time when he thought Lu Zhuonian was all restraint and self-control. Even when the truth about his addiction came out, he had kept his composure, always refusing to indulge.
“No. Dangerous. Stay away,” had once been Lu Zhuonian’s most common phrase.
Even after things deepened between them, Lu Zhuonian remained sober. At first.
But as the day of departure crept closer, and the tests between them kept pushing past the old boundaries, something snapped.
He stopped pretending.
Every time he looked at Chen Zemian now, his eyes said one thing: I want you.
It wasn’t just desire. It was animal instinct. The need to mark his territory before leaving. To leave scent, touch, evidence—anything to say, mine.
One night, after another wave of craving passed, Lu Zhuonian rubbed his nose against the back of Chen Zemian’s neck and asked if he could sleep inside it.
After Tanshan Temple, no one could say for sure which one had the addiction.
Lu Zhuonian was leaving tomorrow. Of course Chen Zemian wouldn’t say no tonight.
At the stairs, Lu Zhuonian turned. “Upstairs or the basement?”
Chen Zemian glanced outside. “How about the pool?”
Lu Zhuonian’s voice dipped. “You can’t swim.”
“I know,” Chen Zemian wrapped his arms around his neck, “so I’ll hold on tighter.”
The water shimmered under moonlight, silver rippling across the pool’s surface. Chen Zemian clung to him, weakened in the water. Lu Zhuonian held him easily, chin resting on his shoulder, fingers combing through wet hair.
“Let’s drain the pool after this,” he murmured.
Chen Zemian chuckled. “Afraid I’ll drown?”
“I’m afraid something will fall in and die. You don’t come back here often. By the time you find it, it’d be a crime scene.”
Chen Zemian leaned closer. “The neighborhood’s well kept. The property keeps swans and peacocks. I’ve seen cats, squirrels, even a hedgehog.”
“There’s also a weasel. And a fox.”
“A fox?” Chen Zemian blinked. “What’s a fox doing here?”
“Abandoned pet. The management caught it.”
“What does a pet fox even look like? Cute?”
“Want one?”
“I’m allergic to animal dander.”
“Then you can’t keep any.”
“I already have you.”
Lu Zhuonian took his hand, laughing. “You’re getting bolder.”
The moon hung high. The water turned cold. They returned to the villa, showered, and went to bed.
Chen Zemian expected to lie awake.
But he didn’t.
The next morning, he rose early. No tears, no heaviness. Just calm.
With Yan Luo, Liu Yuebo, and Xue Duo, they escorted Lu Zhuonian to the airport.
Yan Luo’s college entrance results had come in. His score wasn’t high, but not terrible either—just enough to get into an unpopular major at a prestigious school, or a popular one at a mid-tier school.
He applied to several schools in Beijing and had backups. Nothing urgent to prepare.
Everyone looked gloomy at the terminal. Everyone but Yan Luo, who seemed unusually cheerful. Because after Lu Zhuonian left, Chen Zemian had promised to take him on a trip.
Usually, Yan Luo kept his emotions buried. Even happiness looked cold on his face.
But today, he couldn’t hide it. The corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.
Liu Yuebo leaned close and whispered, “Could you be a little less obvious? Lu Shao is annoyed, and you’re grinning like a fool.”
Yan Luo tried to control his smile. “I’m not just happy about the trip.”
“What then? Did you get your admission letter?” asked Xue Duo.
“No.”
“Then?”
Yan Luo cleared his throat. “A few months ago, my grandfather died.”
Silence.
Everyone knew the Yan family was a mess. Still, hearing him smile as he said it felt strange.
“I got a share of the inheritance,” he added quickly.
Liu Yuebo clapped his shoulder. “Well, that’s different. Good for you.”
“It was wired to my account,” Yan Luo said. “The notary needed my bank info. I’m eighteen now.”
Chen Zemian turned around. “Your dad didn’t try to take it?”
Yan Luo smiled slyly. “He can’t. After he hit me in the hospital, I filed for a personal protection order. The court forbade him from contacting or hurting me.”
Liu Yuebo whistled. “Tactical genius.”
Chen Zemian narrowed his eyes. “So you didn’t dodge when he hit you—on purpose?”
Lu Zhuonian gave Yan Luo a warning glance.
Too late.
Yan Luo nodded, proud.
Chen Zemian’s hand shot out and pinched his cheek. “You think that’s smart? Setting traps with your face?”
Yan Luo tried to wriggle free, but no help came. Liu Yuebo and Xue Duo backed away. He turned to Lu Zhuonian. “Lu Shao—”
Lu Zhuonian looked away.
Satisfied, Chen Zemian let go.
Just then, the boarding call sounded.
The airport ding echoed through the terminal.
Only then did Chen Zemian register what it meant.
Lu Zhuonian stood.
Chen Zemian looked up, nose wrinkling.
Something in that face unraveled all of Lu Zhuonian’s restraint.
They walked toward the gate. One step away from separation, Chen Zemian grabbed his sleeve.
“…What if I go with you?”
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal wondering in the void and falling into the translation abyss.
