He didn’t know if it was because his emotions were somewhat unstable today, but Zou Yang felt that he was much more sensitive than usual.

A touch of just a few short seconds had already caused him to rapidly enter the state. The fingers draped over his eyes were even trembling slightly.

“Turn off the lights?” Fan Jun asked, his fingertips sweeping across.

Zou Yang’s voice was somewhat unsteady. “No need.”

When Fan Jun lowered his head, his breath swept across Zou Yang’s leg.

When it fell upon the skin, it was incredibly light, yet when it plucked at the nerve connecting directly to his heart, it felt immensely heavy.

Zou Yang tilted his head back and took a sharp breath, his body tightening. His breath carried a low groan, and his ears were filled with nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat matching Fan Jun’s rhythm.

“Jun’er…” He lifted his right leg, using the tiny gold coin on his ankle to rub against Fan Jun’s waist.

Fan Jun didn’t say a word. His left hand abruptly gripped Zou Yang’s ankle, staring fixedly at him.

Zou Yang struggled slightly but failed to break free.

Fan Jun’s right hand rotated minutely, the temperature of his palm thoroughly searing through Zou Yang’s desire, bit by bit.

“You… start,” Zou Yang said in a low tone. “Now.”

Fan Jun slowly straightened his torso, his fingers hooking into the waistband of his pants. When he pulled them down halfway, the hand shielding Zou Yang’s eyes pulled away.

“…Just like this,” he said.

……

With his hands propped against the headboard, Fan Jun straddled Zou Yang, lowering his head to look down at him.

Within the breathing that had not yet stabilized, the rising and falling chests of both individuals could be seen.

He reached out a hand, lightly hooking it against Zou Yang’s lips.

“I’m sleepy.” Zou Yang took a deep, forceful breath, exhaling it over a long duration. His eyes were half-open as he murmured softly.

“Aren’t you going to wash up?” Fan Jun glanced at his chest and lower abdomen.

“I don’t want to move anymore,” Zou Yang closed his eyes. “In the future, aim your gun somewhere else when you fire.”

“…You were the one who insisted on watching,” Fan Jun countered.

“Holy crap,” Zou Yang snapped his eyes open again, staring at him. “You really say absolutely everything out loud, don’t you, brother?”

Fan Jun stepped over him and got off the bed, pulling out several tissues. “Why didn’t you call me brother just now?”

“Can I really call you that every single time?” Zou Yang let out a smile. “What happens if my threshold gets too high in the future…”

Fan Jun opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. Ultimately, he could only bend over to wipe away the traces left on Zou Yang’s body. “If you don’t want to move, should I grab a towel and wipe you down?”

“Mm,” Zou Yang responded.

Even though this guy claimed he didn’t want to move and wouldn’t wash up—appearing as though he wasn’t being overly particular anymore—in reality, he ordered Fan Jun back and forth a total of four times.

Rinse the towel, wipe; rinse the towel, wipe; rinse the towel, wipe; rinse the towel, wipe…

Walking back and forth like this eventually caused Xiao Bai, who was sleeping in the living room, to stand up. The dog tilted its head, staring fixedly at him with one eye.

“Don’t look, go back to sleep,” Fan Jun carried the towel back to the bathroom on his final trip, cleaning himself up along the way. “Your Brother Xiao Yang has a cleanliness compulsion.”

“In front of you, I’m just a complete mess.” Zou Yang sprawled his arms and legs out comfortably across the bed, keeping his eyes closed.

Fan Jun gathered his limbs back together, turned off the lights, climbed into bed, and pulled the blanket over them.

“Fan Jun,” Zou Yang called out to him.

“Mm.” Fan Jun rolled over and pulled him into his arms.

“You could go film videos,” Zou Yang remarked.

“What kind of videos?” Fan Jun inquired.

“Thirst traps,” Zou Yang said.

“…Get lost.” Fan Jun couldn’t hold it back.

Zou Yang merely laughed without offering a response, closing his eyes and falling asleep in no time at all.

Fan Jun closed his eyes as well, burying his face into the nook of Zou Yang’s shoulder, listening to his steady, even breathing.

His slightly cool nose pressed against Zou Yang’s neck, allowing him to feel the rhythmic thumping of his pulse. Before long, his entire face felt pleasantly warm.

This sensation felt incredibly grounded, exactly as though he were hidden away inside a safe house, intensely secure.

He slept exceptionally well that night. Because it was a heavy sleep, he woke up slightly later than his usual time in the morning.

Zou Yang remained in his typical un-wakeable state. When Fan Jun got out of bed, he accidentally propped himself against Zou Yang’s leg; the youth merely let out a grunt, rolled over, and continued sleeping.

When this guy lived in the dorms, how exactly did he manage to get up for morning classes?

The funeral home appointment was at ten o’clock. Fan Jun had checked the route yesterday; it wasn’t overly distant, taking just under an hour by electric scooter.

After walking the dog and purchasing breakfast, he returned without waking Zou Yang. Over this recent period of clinical probation, Zou Yang had consistently appeared somewhat exhausted; it was better to let him sleep a bit longer.

Sitting by the edge of the bed, he opened his phone to inspect the image of the mask. Although the mask currently existed merely as a rough prototype, he could already visualize how cool it would look… assuming he didn’t commit any blunders during the forging process…

At eight-thirty, he lightly patted Zou Yang’s face.

“Mm,” Zou Yang responded with a frown.

“Time to get up,” Fan Jun straightened the youth’s face. “Zou Yang.”

Zou Yang offered no reaction.

Fan Jun extended his thumb and index finger, measuring them against Zou Yang’s face. It was roughly the same size as the mask. Although that item wasn’t intended to be worn, he still hoped its dimensions would closely match Zou Yang’s face.

…Zou Yang truly was spectacularly good-looking.

Even when sleeping with zero consciousness, he remained exceedingly handsome.

He leaned down and pressed a light kiss right between Zou Yang’s slightly furrowed brows.

Then he glanced at his phone again.

…He couldn’t afford to look at it any longer.

“Hey,” he patted Zou Yang’s face once more. “I’m going to pull you straight up, okay?”

“Mm,” Zou Yang responded. It was unclear whether he had actually processed the words or was merely grunting out of habit.

Fan Jun stood up, walked to Zou Yang’s side, yanked off the sheets, grabbed Zou Yang’s arms, and hauled him up from the bed.

“Ah…” Zou Yang drawn out his voice, finally blinking his eyes open. “I’m sleepy…”

“You can sleep when we get back. Didn’t you request a full day off?” Fan Jun noted. “When we return, you can sleep straight through until tomorrow.”

“Where are we going?” Zou Yang asked.

Despite his immense reluctance to articulate it, Fan Jun still had no choice but to say softly, “Your dad’s funeral.”

Upon hearing these words, Zou Yang leaned against him, falling entirely silent. A moment elapsed before he spoke again, his voice having fully recovered its clarity: “What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty,” Fan Jun patted his back. “Half an hour to clean up and eat; an hour to commute gets us there exactly on time.”

“Mm.” Zou Yang froze for a few seconds, turned around to retrieve his garments from the chair beside the bed, and slowly pulled them on. As he headed toward the bathroom to wash up, his phone rang.

Fan Jun picked up the device resting on the nightstand and glanced at it. “Lawyer Cao.”

“Mm,” Zou Yang walked back over. “I need to take this one.”

“Hello, Zou Yang. This is Cao Zhong, the executor lawyer for your late father, Mr. Zou Yanqing’s will,” Lawyer Cao’s voice echoed from the other end. “We met once at the hospital.”

“Mm,” Zou Yang acknowledged.

“Pursuant to Article 1145 of the Civil Code and the provisions of the will, the reading of the will shall take place this Saturday morning at ten o’clock at the law firm,” Lawyer Cao’s tone was thoroughly strictly professional. “As the primary beneficiary, your presence is mandatory…”

“Oh,” Zou Yang brought the phone before his eyes to inspect the calendar. “I understand. Who else will be present?”

“Zou Tianrui and her legal guardian,” Lawyer Cao paused briefly after speaking, shifting into a slightly less professional tone. “I can advise you in my capacity as your father’s friend: his brothers and sisters might potentially show up as well. We will do our absolute best to ensure they do not disrupt the reading process, but you should be mentally prepared.”

“Thank you.” Zou Yang let out a soft exhale. In reality, his old man might not even possess an extraordinary amount of money, yet these people were throwing around attitudes as though he were some prominent billionaire tycoon.

“I’ll head over with you when the time comes,” Fan Jun spoke as he steered the scooter toward the funeral home. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Planning to get into a fight?” Zou Yang leaned close to his right ear, asking with a laugh.

“Generally, no one initiates physical fights with me,” Fan Jun laughed back.

“They don’t dare to, right?” Zou Yang tilted his head to press a kiss against his neck. “Actually, you don’t look all that fierce. Even adding a scar to your appearance now doesn’t make you look fierce.”

“Is that so?” Fan Jun asked.

“The first time I laid eyes on you, I merely thought you looked a bit arrogant,” Zou Yang remarked. “I never thought you looked fierce.”

“I just couldn’t hear clearly, and plus, on that specific day, I initially assumed you guys were looking for trouble, so I didn’t really want to engage,” Fan Jun reflected. “Previously, someone who had beef with Lyu Ze showed up and got dealt with…”

“Do you want to engage now?” Zou Yang tightened his arms, pulling him into a closer embrace.

“Yes,” Fan Jun said.

“How badly?” Zou Yang asked.

“Immensely. Spectacularly so,” Fan Jun replied with a smile.

Throughout the journey, Zou Yang’s mood remained decent. As long as he refrained from overanalyzing their destination, it almost created an illusion that he and Fan Jun were simply heading out somewhere for recreation.

It wasn’t until his eldest aunt and the others entered his field of vision that Zou Yang’s emotional state was forcibly dragged back to reality.

However, he was no longer as dejected as he had been yesterday, so he simply treated those complex, suffocating emotions as though they had already been shot right out of him.

Pew~

Tsk.

Zou Yang, what on earth is wrong with you.

His eldest aunt’s eyes were heavily bloodshot and swollen, and she displayed zero willingness to engage with him. After pointing him out to an individual beside her sporting a funeral company staff badge, she simply wiped her tears and walked away.

The staff member approached, briefly outlining the sequence of the upcoming ceremony before pinning a white flower onto both his and Fan Jun’s chests. The flower on Zou Yang’s chest featured an additional character signifying filial mourning.

Zou Yang let out a soft sigh.

When the staff member produced a white cloth strip intending to tie it around his head, Zou Yang lifted a hand to block the action. “We can skip this part.”

Everything proceeded in absolute silence. A substantial number of relatives from his father’s side had arrived; Zou Yang didn’t recognize many of the distant ones. There were also numerous friends present.

Zou Yang followed the guidance into the memorial hall, positioning himself at the spot designated by the staff. Fan Jun separated from him, remaining near the main entrance of the hall alongside the friends and distant relatives.

Before everyone had fully taken their positions, the sound of cursing and shouting erupted from his eldest and second aunts at the entrance.

When Zou Yang turned his gaze over, he discovered Zou Tianrui—a white cloth strip tied around her head—being shielded by several individuals as she attempted to walk inside. His eldest and second aunts blocked the doorway, refusing to permit entry.

“He is her biological father! By what right are you refusing to let her in!” The woman beside Zou Tianrui shoved against his eldest aunt and the others.

“Go ask her biological mother how her biological father died!” His eldest aunt screamed at the top of her lungs. “The daughter of a murderer still wants to come offer sacrifices! Not a chance in hell!”

“Keep adult matters away from children!”

Zou Yang merely felt his head throbbing violently. He cast a glance toward his old man’s coffin; it wasn’t the transparent variety, but a completely sealed solid wood casket. He wondered if his old man’s spirit could hear the raucous clamor outside.

The entrance disintegrated into complete chaos. Somehow, no one ended up blocking Zou Tianrui anymore; she walked straight ahead with an utterly wooden expression.

Zou Yang glanced toward the entrance once more, his gaze happening to lock with Fan Jun’s. Fan Jun was looking back at him with an expression of complete helplessness.

Get them out. Zou Yang mouthed the words silently.

Fan Jun nodded his head, turned around, and delivered a firm shove against the mass of people tangled together.

The crowd instantly shifted a few steps outward in a disorganized mess. Fan Jun followed them, delivering another shove against someone’s back.

With him taking the initiative, the relatives who had been hiding to the side watching the bizarre argument immediately joined in, pushing the entire chaotic mass of people right out the door.

“Let’s begin,” Zou Yang stated. “Skip the eulogy and speeches. Keep it simple.”

The staff member behind him froze for a brief instant, whispering to a colleague beside him, “Begin?”

“Listen to the mourning son,” the colleague whispered back.

As the music resonated within the hall, the shouting outside finally dimished, gradually grinding to a complete halt.

Zou Yang followed the staff member forward to bow before the casket, executing the customary lap around it before returning to his position. Zou Tianrui followed the exact same sequence; her expression remained thoroughly wooden, yet her face was completely drenched in tears.

Zou Yang couldn’t cry, nor did he harbor any desire to cry. For a fleeting instant, he even perceived himself as a complete outsider.

He seemed to possess zero connection to everything unfolding before his eyes.

Nor did he ever want to possess any connection to it again.

The ceremony wasn’t lengthy, drawing to a swift conclusion.

Zou Yang rapidly stepped out of the hall, finding Fan Jun engaged in conversation with two men seated on the edge of an outdoor flower bed.

“It’s over?” Fan Jun rose to his feet the moment he spotted him emerging, throwing out a query.

“Mm.” Zou Yang glanced at the two men, finding them somewhat familiar.

“These two are… friends of Director Zou,” Fan Jun introduced them to him. “Brother Tang, Brother Yu.”

Miraculous; his father’s friends required Fan Jun to introduce them to his father’s own son.

“Thank you both for coming,” Zou Yang expressed.

“When you visited your dad’s company back during your middle school years, we actually met,” Brother Yu smiled. “You probably don’t recall; you’ve grown so massive now.”

“Yes… I don’t recall,” Zou Yang admitted.

“They are also He Chuan’s clients,” Fan Jun added in a low murmur.

“Ah?” Zou Yang blinked, “What a coincidence.”

“It truly is a coincidence,” Brother Tang remarked. “Then we’ll leave you to your tasks. We simply came over to pay our respects, so we won’t impose any further. Our condolences.”

Watching the pair depart, Fan Jun directed his gaze toward the hall. “What needs to be handled next?”

“No idea,” Zou Yang glanced over as well. The second the ceremony concluded, another argument had broken out over there; a single look made his head throb. “No one informed me either… Let’s head out.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun complied.

Zou Yang detached the flowers from both his and Fan Jun’s chests, depositing them into a nearby disposal box. Since his eldest aunt and the others were so desperate to take charge, he would let them take charge completely.

“But regarding the inheritance matter, it possesses absolutely zero connection to them!” Liu Wenrui slapped the dining table surface as he sat beside it.

“Yeah, about this inheritance, if there is no will, it would typically be inherited by Zou Yang’s grandparents, Zou Tianrui and her mother, and Zou Yang himself,” Li Zhiyue cast a glance toward Zou Yang. “Your grandparents have already passed away, right?”

“Mm,” Zou Yang nodded his head.

Today, the moment his roommates learned that the will would be read this Saturday, they instantly grew immensely anxious on his behalf.

Li Zhiyue had specifically called to treat everyone to a meal, even booking a private room specifically to deliberate over the “Little Golden Ram’s” inheritance issue. The “Little Golden Ram” himself wasn’t even a fraction as proactive as they were.

“Then wouldn’t the grandparents’ share pass to the aunts and uncles?” Zhang Chuanlong questioned.

“No, no, no, no,” Li Zhiyue scrutinized his phone. “The grandparents passed away first, so that share doesn’t exist. It falls under… legal qualification… natural expiration…”

“Then that’s perfect! It means it gets split between Zou Tianrui and Zou Yang!” Liu Wenrui delivered another slap to the table.

“No,” Fan Jun interjected. “Currently, there is an existing will.”

“Oh, right,” Liu Wenrui blinked. “Then who exactly is named in the will?”

“The lawyer stated it’s just me and Zou Tianrui,” Zou Yang revealed.

“Exactly!” Liu Wenrui rubbed his chin. “When exactly was this will drafted? Was it before you stepped away from the entertainment industry?”

“It should… be,” Zou Yang pondered. “But it can’t be ruled out that after I quit and infuriated him, he went ahead and altered it.”

“So you see, that temper of yours,” Liu Wenrui shook his head. “You still need to keep it in check. Prioritize the money…”

“Regardless, since they explicitly notified you to go, there will definitely be a share for you,” Li Zhiyue asserted.

“What if it was purely to spite him, leaving him nothing but a pair of slippers and forcing him to head over just to claim them…” Zhang Chuanlong furrowed his brows.

“Shut your mouth, use that brain of yours less on normal days,” Liu Wenrui pointed a finger at him. “Overusing it impacts the blood pressure of everyone within a target radius.”

Fan Jun let out a laugh, stealing a glance toward Zou Yang.

“Mm?” Zou Yang looked back at him.

“Are you holding up okay?” Fan Jun inquired.

“I’m alright,” Zou Yang offered a smile. “That suffocating feeling has already passed.”

At this exact moment, Fan Jun could profoundly internalize exactly why Zou Yang would desire to spend time with his roommates whenever he felt suffocated.

This group of individuals wouldn’t lecture him to stop being sad or to avoid overthinking; they simply operated strictly according to the rhythm that nothing was wrong with the world, offering suggestions where needed, joking around where appropriate, to the point where even their continuous blunders were entirely harmless…

It could… very effortlessly pull Zou Yang’s emotional state right back into its normal equilibrium.

The group failed to arrive at any definitive conclusion throughout the meal. After all, no one knew the actual contents of the will, yet they still forged a unified resolution.

They would all head to the law firm together this Saturday.

The opposing faction possessed safety in numbers, so their side couldn’t afford to be outnumbered either. If an actual altercation broke out, they wouldn’t suffer a disadvantage.

“Regardless, we’ll just stand guard at the entrance,” Liu Wenrui spoke as he cast a glance toward Fan Jun. “We are young and physically strong.”

“Yeah,” Zhang Chuanlong similarly glanced at Fan Jun. “One look shows we are all trained fighters.”

“That’s Fan Jun,” Li Zhiyue reminded the pair. “Not a mirror.”

“What on earth are you talking about!” Liu Wenrui glared at Li Zhiyue, raising his volume.

“He said don’t look in the mirror,” Zhang Chuanlong translated.

Zou Yang couldn’t restrain himself, bursting into a laugh: “You guys are purely making up the numbers. Longlong’s brain is purely making up the numbers.”

“Can you harbor an accurate self-awareness? Zou Yang alone can take on three of us,” Li Zhiyue let out a sigh. “And you’re still looking at Fan Jun.”

When they stepped out of the restaurant following the meal, Fan Jun felt as though his face had grown wrinkled from laughing so much.

He rubbed his cheeks, checking his phone; it was getting late.

“You…” He hesitated briefly, looking toward Zou Yang. “Heading back to the dorm?”

“Oh?” Zou Yang froze. “Are you abandoning me?”

“…No, it’s just that this place is right beside your campus,” Fan Jun spoke in a low murmur. “Don’t you have a first-period class tomorrow? Plus some sort of presentation report.”

“What about it?” Zou Yang stared fixedly at him.

“I…” Fan Jun hesitated, “I have tasks to handle tonight.”

He indeed had tasks to handle; he needed to go forge iron. As an incredibly unpracticed blacksmith, forging the exact mask he desired required a massive volume of secretive, stolen time.

“Hoh,” Zou Yang remarked.

“We’re heading back to the dorm now!” Liu Wenrui shouted from nearby.

“Wait,” Fan Jun pointed a finger at him. “Zou Yang is heading back to the dorm as well.”

“Oh?” Liu Wenrui was somewhat surprised.

“Fine then,” Zou Yang let out a tsk. “Then go head back and manage your tasks. It happens that I have tasks to handle tonight as well.”

“What tasks?” Fan Jun asked.

Zou Yang refrained from speaking, merely staring fixedly at him.

“Oh,” Fan Jun responded.

Zou Yang laughed, lightly pinching his cheek. “If you’re still hiding things from me like this next year, I might actually lose my temper.”

“Why?” Fan Jun failed to comprehend.

“We’re in the honeymoon phase right now, so no matter what you say, I won’t get angry,” Zou Yang stated.

“…Really?” Fan Jun was somewhat astonished. “You… have never been angry with me?”

Zou Yang cleared his throat: “Mm.”

Fan Jun stared at him in sheer shock, nodding his head after a long interval: “Fine then.”

“Head back,” Zou Yang said. “Send me a message when you arrive.”

He watched Fan Jun ride his scooter and execute a turn at the intersection ahead before turning his own body to stretch his limbs, waving a hand: “Let’s go.”

“I assumed you two were planning to stand glued to that spot all night,” Liu Wenrui remarked.

“Do I have a delivery package arriving today?” Zou Yang inquired.

“Yeah, Longlong picked it up for you,” Liu Wenrui said. “What did you buy?”

“Fan Jun’s gift,” Zou Yang revealed.

“Didn’t you state that for Fan Jun’s birthday, he is the one crafting a gift to give to you?” Liu Wenrui noted. “It’s his birthday, yet he is the one crafting a gift to give to you, while you simply purchase something ready-made off the internet?”

“Who stated it was ready-made?” Zou Yang arched an eyebrow. “The item I am giving him must be custom-made on the spot as well.”