The next day, Qin You did something rare—he woke up late.
Qin You’s routine had always been strict and consistent. Back in high school, the school required everyone to start morning study at 7:30. He would get up at 6 o’clock to exercise in the morning, rain or shine, without the need for an alarm clock to wake him up.
Perhaps his body hadn’t fully recovered after the accident; he felt slightly hypoglycemic upon waking up, his head spinning a bit.
Lian Yi wasn’t beside him. Qin You reached out to feel the empty, cold spot on the bed, slipped on his slippers, and headed out.
From the kitchen came the sound of quiet conversation, the voice was very low, and it was impossible to hear it if you didn’t listen carefully.
Qin You walked towards the kitchen and saw Lian Yi standing next to Aunt Fang at the counter. Aunt Fang was washing vegetables, while Lian Yi, with a long-handled spoon in his right hand, was stirring the soup in a clay pot.
White steam rose from the pot, getting drawn up into the exhaust fan, while the delicious aroma of pork ribs wafted from the kitchen. Lian Yi seemed fully absorbed, stirring with one hand while turning his head to talk softly with Aunt Fang. Aunt Fang nodded occasionally, listening attentively and occasionally asking questions.
The kitchen door was slightly ajar, and Qin You moved closer to hear their conversation clearly. His footsteps were light, so the two continued their talk, unaware of his presence.
“The vitamins are in the cabinet next to the TV, on the top left shelf. Remember to give them to him every morning, noon, and evening…”
“… You could also make some cuttlefish and pig’s trotter soup—it’s good for wound recovery. Make sure to clean the cuttlefish thoroughly before cooking, otherwise he won’t eat it.”
“Use less salt in cooking these days… his taste is milder now.” Lian Yi frowned a little at the thought. “Yesterday’s soup was a bit salty, he didn’t eat much of it.”
He glanced outside inadvertently and immediately spotted Qin You standing there. The Alpha was dressed in his usual sleepwear, and despite the loose fit, his tall, well-proportioned frame was evident. He had just washed up and shaved off the beard stubble he’d grown during his hospital stay, revealing a sharp and clean-cut jawline.
Qin You stood there without speaking, just gazing at Lian Yi with a faint smile. Lian Yi’s ears began to turn red, his hand unconsciously stirring the soup almost to the point of spilling it.
Qin You walked over, taking the spoon from his hand. The Alpha’s fingertips were slightly cool. Lian Yi came back to his senses and told him to go to the dining room to have some soy milk.
Qin You shook his head, indicating he didn’t need to. The close proximity made the Omega a bit nervous, something even Aunt Fang noticed, so she stepped in to help lighten the mood.
“Are you awake, sir? You slept well last night.”
Having lived with them for so long, Aunt Fang knew Qin You’s habits and routines. Sleeping in until 9:30 might be normal for others, but for Qin You, it was unheard of.
Qin You nodded, “Aunt Fang, I’m sorry for taking care of me during this period.”
Lian Yi had just told Aunt Fang about Qin You’s amnesia. Aunt Fang was so distressed that she hurriedly said: “It’s not hard, it’s not hard, what are you talking about? Normally, I just cook meals for the two of you, and I get paid so well for it—I’m almost embarrassed by it!”
Although the kitchen was quite spacious, with three people in it, especially a tall Alpha like Qin You, it suddenly felt a bit cramped.
Lian Yi was afraid that Qin You would get burned if he stayed in the kitchen, so he glanced at Aunt Fang.
Aunt Fang got the hint and said to Qin You, “Madam has already filled me in on everything. I’ve got it all noted down. If there’s anything you’d like to eat or anything else I can help with, just let me know. It’s a bit smoky in here, why don’t you go take a seat at the dining table?”
Unable to argue with the two of them, Qin You went to wait at the dining table.
Not long after, Lian Yi and Aunt Fang brought out breakfast. The breakfast was very rich, with soy milk and fried dough sticks on the table. Lian Yi and Aunt Fang went in and out of the kitchen several times. The breakfast was plentiful, with soy milk and fried dough sticks on the table.
Sitting down to his first breakfast in this familiar-yet-unfamiliar home of ten years later, Qin You felt both excited and expectant.
The casserole in front of him was filled with tender pork ribs, mixed with the sweet aroma of corn, which made Qin You salivate. To his right was a small bowl of vegetable porridge, with green leafy vegetables mixed with white taro and purple sweet potato. In the center of the table was soy milk and fried dough sticks, wrapped in a plastic bag, which should have been bought from outside.
… This seemed a bit too much.
Qin You stared at the table in a daze, but this silence meant something else in the eyes of the Omega. He clasped the edge of the table with his thumb and index finger, pressing hard enough to turn his fingers red, but there was no expression on his face.
“Is there nothing here that you like to eat?”
Lian Yi also stared at the table, his eyes unfocused. Qin You was awakened by his question, thought about the Omega’s question, and immediately shook his head.
“No. It’s just… there’s so much that I don’t know where to start.”
Lian Yi looked a little embarrassed, raising his head to look at the Alpha with a soft voice. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like now, so I made a bit of everything. These are all things you used to enjoy.”
“And this Liuji soy milk,” Aunt Fang chimed in with a smile, pushing the soy milk within Qin You’s reach. “ it’s very popular at the entrance of our community. The line is so long that if you go late, it will be gone. Madam got up at six this morning to buy it for you, saying that sir likes drinking it.”
Qin You picked up the soy milk, broke the seal with a straw, and took a sip, finding the flavor pleasantly fresh. He nodded to Lian Yi with a smile, “Thank you. It’s very sweet; I like it a lot.”
Lian Yi lowered his head to drink his porridge, almost hiding his face in his bowl. Not daring to look at the Alpha, he bobbed his head like a little chick pecking at grain. “I’m glad you like it.”
Qin You didn’t tease the easily embarrassed Omega any further, and the two ate in silence. Aunt Fang had already finished eating and was no longer sitting at the table, having gone to the kitchen to clean up from breakfast prep.
Lian Yi only had a small bowl of vegetable porridge before putting down his spoon. He didn’t leave, though, resting one hand on the table and turning his head to stare at Qin You. With his other hand, he scooped another bit of ribs into the Alpha’s bowl.
Qin You glanced at Lian Yi’s already empty bowl. He had just noticed that the Omega had only served himself a little less than half a bowl, just enough to finish in a few bites.
Such a cat-like appetite.
“Are you full now?” Qin You reached out to touch his face.
Lian Yi nodded, leaning into Qin You’s rough fingers. His soft brown curls brushed against Qin You’s palm, tickling slightly.
Qin You was always concerned about Lian Yi’s health, and his principles were firm—he was never swayed by his wife’s little charms. He lifted his half-finished soy milk and held it up to Lian Yi’s lips, nodding slightly.
Lian Yi obediently drank another half cup of soy milk from Qin You’s hand.
He held the Alpha’s wrist with both hands, staring at him without blinking. The milky white liquid passed through his soft pink lips and flowed down. Lian Yi licked the corner of his mouth, revealing his red tongue tip and white teeth.
The sight made Qin You’s heart beat a little faster. He turned his gaze to a spot in the living room, pretending not to notice the mischievous smile on the Omega’s face.
After breakfast, Lian Yi was ready to head out to record some songs.
A black nanny van was already parked outside the villa. In the driver’s seat sat a chubby middle-aged man with narrow eyes almost squeezed shut by the flesh on his face. Still, there was a glimmer in his eyes that made him seem far from dull.
This was Liang Qifang, Lian Yi’s manager.
Qin You held Lian Yi’s bag and escorted him to the door. After Lian Yi took the bag, Qin You helped smooth down his upturned collar.
The autumn-winter coat had collected some tiny wool fibers that had formed little lint balls. Qin You brushed them off, the intimate gesture making Lian Yi’s peach blossom eyes widen.
Lian Yi’s gaze sparkled, lingering on Qin You, studying him inch by inch, as if he wanted to engrave the Alpha’s image into his memory to carry with him.
The late autumn breeze was a bit chilly, ruffling his brown hair and the fluffy black coat, somehow making Qin You think of a hibernating bear.
Thick fur, a warm belly, and moist eyes. When approached by someone they trust, they retract their sharp claws, letting them rub their soft belly, and a warm purr escapes their throat.
Qin You couldn’t help but laugh.
“Come home early, alright?”
Lian Yi nodded. He couldn’t resist the Alpha’s request, but he didn’t forget to ask for benefits for himself. Standing on his toes, he wrapped his arms around Qin You’s neck, giving him a tiny bite on his chin.
Just a tiny bite. There wasn’t even a trace of teeth on the Alpha’s chin, only a little wet spot.
After seeing Lian Yi off, Qin You found himself with nothing to do again.
He headed to the study, planning to read a book to pass the time, when his phone, left on the desk to charge, rang.
Seeing the familiar name on the screen—“Wei Juncheng”—Qin You answered, and the voice of his childhood friend came through, sounding more mature than it had a decade ago.
“Yo, Lao Qin, finally decided to pick up my call?”
The same playful energy as ever. Qin You had always appreciated Wei’s easygoing nature, though it sometimes got on his nerves. But hearing this familiar voice now, he felt a sense of relief.
“Sorry, it was charging on the desk. I didn’t hear it.”
Wei Juncheng didn’t mind and got right to the point: “I heard from my sister-in-law that you have lost your memory?”
Qin You raised his eyebrows, finding his way of addressing Lian Yi amusing.
“Ah Cheng, you know what’s funny? In my memory, we’d just finished finals yesterday, I was so tired and wanted to go home, but you kept dragging me to play basketball. I didn’t expect that when I woke up, I had a wife! Yet I still don’t know what grades I got on those exams.”
“No way, it’s true?” Wei Juncheng was genuinely shocked.
Last night, Lian Yi had messaged the group chat, mentioning that Qin You had been discharged from the hospital but wouldn’t let anyone visit. Most of their friends didn’t press further, but Wei Juncheng couldn’t shake off his worry. After pestering Lian Yi on WeChat, he finally learned his old buddy had lost his memories.
But hearing it directly from Qin You, he was still stunned.
“”Brother You, I gotta say, you’re really something. You skip ten years, and the first thing on your mind is exam scores. Man, I respect that.”
“Get lost, stop being sarcastic.”
“So what are you going to do next?”
After being scolded by Qin You, Wei Juncheng stopped making jokes and his tone became a little serious.
“I don’t know either,” Qin You sighed, genuinely at a loss for how to deal with his current predicament. Since the amnesia—or time jump—he’d maintained a calm exterior, but beneath that was confusion and uncertainty.
“I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing now.”
Qin You couldn’t bring himself to voice his insecurities in front of Lian Yi, but with his old friend, he could admit it openly: “I can’t just sit at home, living off my wife forever, right?”
“Pfft—”
Wei Juncheng couldn’t hold it back this time, Qin You could hear the splash of water from him on the phone.
“Lao Wei!”
Hearing Qin You’s irritation, Wei Juncheng hurriedly explained: “Brother You, don’t be angry, don’t be angry. But really, you don’t remember anything?”
Wei Juncheng hesitated before cautiously adding, “The three of us—you, me, Zhang Hao—we started a company together.”
What company?
Onee-chan’s Notes:
hello everyone! I made a small website for you to see all my other works and their schedules here: Onee-chan’s Library
Important! This website is coded by me alone, if you’re viewing the website from a mobile phone, please enable desktop mode. (not mobile phone friendly sorry! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ ) ‧º)
