Lin the Knight tossed and turned all night, barely catching a wink of sleep.
He stumbled out of bed, bleary-eyed, wearing nothing but boxers and slippers, his long legs on full display as he stood in front of the bathroom door.
The black-and-gold door handle was sleek and modern, a far cry from the “ancient tomb” aesthetic of his parents’ house.
Lin Hao suddenly woke up fully—this wasn’t his home! He was living with Shen Yu!
The memory of his “blooming” butt from four years ago sent a chill straight down his spine.
Back—back to the bedroom!
He had just turned around when he ran smack into Shen Yu, who’d just returned from his morning workout.
Shen Yu wore a sleeveless tee, his tanned arms on display, showing off a body that was all muscle and no fluff.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a thin sheen of sweat running down from his jaw to his collarbone—Lin Hao could practically hear a chorus of women screaming in his head.
Lin Hao forced a laugh, “Morning...”
Shen Yu didn’t reply, but his eyes, clear from exercise, suddenly darkened.
Lin Hao didn’t dare look at him, but he couldn’t move either, so he just stood there like an actor who’d forgotten his lines, frozen under the spotlight.
Except this time, the “spotlight” was Shen Yu’s gaze.
After a long, awkward pause, Shen Yu finally spoke, “Are you... heading in for a shower?”
Lin Hao latched onto the question like a lifeline, “Yeah, yeah, exactly!”
Shen Yu’s voice sounded totally normal, “You go first.”
Lin Hao mumbled, “Okay!” and practically dove into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Outside, Shen Yu took a deep breath, walked steadily back to his room, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and dumped it over his own head.
After a very confused shower, Lin Hao realized he had nothing to change into.
He eyed Shen Yu’s bathrobe, then looked at his own slept-in T-shirt...
What was he thinking! Of course he’d pick his own shirt—clothes were clothes, not leftovers!
But then came a tougher choice: wear his underwear, which was suspiciously damp in one spot, or go commando.
What was he thinking! Of course... of course he’d wear Shen Yu’s bathrobe!
Lin Hao wrapped himself up in the bathrobe, spent three minutes praying he wouldn’t run into Shen Yu, and then—because he’d never been good at praying—walked right out...
And ran straight into Shen Yu.
Lin Hao was mortified, “Um... I...”
Shen Yu paused, his voice a little hoarse, “It’s fine. Just wear it.”
Lin Hao had almost convinced himself it was no big deal, but now it felt like the biggest deal in the world. He had to act like nothing was wrong, so he said, “Ha... yeah, I used to wear your clothes all the time.”
Shen Yu looked surprised.
Lin Hao realized that sounded way too nostalgic, but it was too late to take it back.
To his surprise, Shen Yu actually smiled, “Yeah, you always liked my jackets.”
Lin Hao muttered, “You never minded, even though you wore long sleeves in the summer.”
Shen Yu replied, “I didn’t want to get sunburned.”
“I know,” Lin Hao said, remembering clearly, “But you always liked the sun.”
Shen Yu glanced at him, but didn’t say anything.
He was afraid of the sun, but loved the blazing sunlight—because the person he liked had “Hao” (bright) in his name.
After a few casual exchanges, Lin Hao’s chatterbox mode kicked in, and he started rambling to Shen Yu about everything and nothing.
They’d always had endless things to talk about.
So much time spent together, so many shared memories, their lives were like two tangled threads—move one, and you’d weave something beautiful.
Shen Yu couldn’t help but let his guard down.
Four years—he’d stopped dreaming about Lin Hao, stopped thinking about him, even decided he’d never see him again.
But the moment Lin Hao reappeared, everything changed.
Lin Hao had given him his deepest pain, and his greatest joy.
Lin Hao was always the most special—time seemed to bury him, but really, it just made him stand out more.
Suddenly, Lin Hao’s stomach growled.
Shen Yu immediately said, “Go get changed, I’ll make breakfast.”
Lin Hao rubbed his belly, “You always cook for yourself?”
Shen Yu hesitated, “Yeah.”
In truth, he almost never ate at home—he usually just grabbed something at work.
Lin Hao couldn’t handle hunger—if he skipped a meal, his stomach would rebel: “Just make some noodles, something quick.”
Shen Yu’s voice was gentle, “I know.”
Of course he knew. He knew everything about Lin Hao: that he liked noodles for breakfast, with diced potatoes and a sprinkle of green onions—nothing fancy, but Lin Hao could eat it every day for years and never get bored; that he hated porridge, except for millet porridge, and even then it couldn’t be too mushy; that he hated red wine but loved beer, especially Belgian craft beer, Rochefort 10—he could drink himself silly on that stuff...
A splash of hot water snapped Shen Yu out of his thoughts.
He frowned, pushing all those old memories back down.
He couldn’t even face the taste of Rochefort 10 anymore—because that night, Lin Hao’s mouth had tasted of that bittersweet, caramel-rich beer.
At first, he thought Rochefort 10 had made his dreams come true, but in reality, it had sent him straight to hell.
The noodles were so good, Lin Hao wanted a third bowl, but Shen Yu stopped him, “Don’t eat too much, or you’ll feel sick.”
Lin Hao beamed, “This is delicious!”
Shen Yu stayed silent.
Lin Hao added, “Your cooking’s as good as the Empress Dowager’s!”
That was the highest compliment in the Lin family—Mrs. Lin was convinced it was her silly son’s standard for choosing a spouse.
Knowing too much wasn’t always a good thing. Shen Yu felt a pang in his heart, but kept his tone light, “Auntie’s cooking is the best.”
Lin Hao clicked his tongue, “She doesn’t cook anymore.”
Shen Yu asked, “Why not?”
Lin Hao sighed, “Because I’m not home... she—” He trailed off.
But Shen Yu already knew what he meant.
Lin Hao had been gone four years, his dad was always busy, and Mrs. Lin stopped making breakfast because there was no one to eat it.
Maybe she was mad that her son had left, so even now that he was back, she refused to cook for him. The family chef’s noodles were fancy, but they never tasted quite right.
Shen Yu changed the subject, “It’s about time. Shall we head out together?”
Lin Hao jumped at the chance, “Sure!” Free ride—he hated driving.
Half a month later, Shen Yu stood at the apartment door with a bag of fresh fruit, still in disbelief.
How did things end up like this?
Just one door away was the person he’d dreamed of for years.
He’d once thought he’d never see Lin Hao again, that their relationship had ended on that crazy night, that happiness would never come near him again.
But now... Lin Hao was right inside, curled up on the sofa, waiting for his fruit.
Shen Yu opened the door, and Lin Hao yelped, then quickly called out, “Come in, come in, you scared me!”
The projector was playing an old horror movie. The screen was creepy, the sound effects even creepier, but Shen Yu’s heart was full of warmth.
“I’ll wash the fruit,” Shen Yu said.
Lin Hao quickly hit pause, jumped up from the sofa, and said, “I’ll help!”
Shen Yu started, “No need, I can—”
But he saw Lin Hao’s nervous face, and Lin Hao blurted, “I’m not scared or anything, I just want to eat fruit while I watch.”
Shen Yu’s eyes softened, and he stopped arguing, “Okay.”
They went into the kitchen. Shen Yu opened the bag, revealing cherries and blueberries the size of coins, making Lin Hao grin from ear to ear, “These look awesome!”
Shen Yu also pulled out a box of loquats, and Lin Hao was even happier, “Got a spoon? I’m a loquat-peeling master now!”
Shen Yu handed him a stainless steel spoon and began gently scraping the skin off a loquat.
Lin Hao was amazed, “You watch Douyin too?”
He loved loquats, but the skin was a pain to peel and always made a mess. After learning this trick, he’d show off to everyone—peeling a whole box and not letting anyone else have any.
Shen Yu didn’t actually watch Douyin, and he didn’t even like loquats. He just knew Lin Hao loved them, and after seeing his assistant peel them this way, he’d memorized the trick.
Lin Hao happily cradled the fruit plate and called Shen Yu over, “Come watch with me, this movie’s pretty good. It just started, I can rewind—”
“No need,” Shen Yu’s voice trembled almost imperceptibly, “Just give me a summary.”
Lin Hao laughed, “You always did that.”
They’d grown up together, and during the DVD era, they’d always watched movies together. Whenever Shen Yu came over, Lin Hao would already be halfway through a film. Shen Yu never wanted him to restart, just asked for a recap.
Lin Hao always teased him for being weird.
But really, Shen Yu just wanted to hear his voice. In those awkward, yearning years, all he wanted was to be close to the person he liked, to hear him talk.
Lin Hao quickly summarized the plot, and the movie started up again.
He whispered to Shen Yu, “I think that little girl is the ghost!”
Shen Yu thought the real ghost was in his own heart.
A dark room, a familiar yet unfamiliar scent, the person he wanted to forget but couldn’t, sitting right at his fingertips... It felt like being surrounded by a field of poppies—dangerous, intoxicating.
Meanwhile, Lin Hao was just his usual, carefree self.
He’d forgotten the awkwardness of four years ago, let go of all the tangled feelings, and with their old habits and familiar banter, he was just Lin Hao again—Shen Yu’s best friend.
Shen Yu stared off into space, his mind a mess, thinking about everything and nothing all at once.
“Shit!” Lin Hao suddenly screamed, grabbing Shen Yu’s hand for dear life.
Shen Yu snapped back to reality, just in time to see a giant bloody mouth open on the screen.
Lin Hao’s face was pale, clearly terrified, “I—I knew she wasn’t human!”
Shen Yu couldn’t help but say, “If you’re scared, don’t watch.”
“Who’s scared? You scared?” Lin Hao puffed up his chest, “If you’re scared, go upstairs. I’m finishing this.”
But the look in his eyes clearly said: Shen Yu, if you leave, I’ll cry right here!
Of course Shen Yu couldn’t leave. He looked away and fixed his gaze on the screen, “It’s almost over. Let’s finish it.”
But Lin Hao never dared look at the screen again. He started glancing all around, ears perked for any creepy sounds.
Eventually, he got distracted, his eyes landing on Shen Yu’s earlobe.
There was a tiny red mole there.
A long time ago, Shen Yu was as pale as jade, and that little red dot looked like a ruby earring. Now, after years in the sun, his healthy tan hid its brilliance.
But in the blue-gray light of the movie, that red dot was brighter than ever, like a plum blossom blooming in a snowy field.
Lin Hao remembered when it was at its brightest.
In the car at eighteen, with Shen Yu on top of him—white as jade, and that red mole as bright as blood.
Chapter 03
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