WELCOME HOME (03)

 How could anyone say such a thing in a supermarket?

And say it right in his ear.

No, he should be used to it.

Lu Xiu will talk to him like this in any situation from now on.

Song Yu thought.

If the other party picks up such a thing again next time, he must act calm.

He thought so, but Song Yu's ears were already red.

He was still trying to put this matter behind him when he suddenly felt his earlobe being gently touched. He didn't even need to guess who did it.

Song Yu looked at the man next to him and glared at him with his bright, misty eyes.

Who knew that the man's breath hitched: "You really know how to act cute."

Song Yu: "..."

Song Yu no longer refuted. Even if he was just breathing, Lu Xiu would think he was acting cute.

The shopping cart was taken over naturally. Lu Xiu looked at the things in the cart and finally became serious: "That's about it."

Song Yu looked at it. Vegetables, steak, fruit, yogurt, snacks... and the same toothbrush and slippers that Lu Xiu had taken.

Lu Xiu really liked wearing matching outfits with him.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing the boy staring blankly at him, the man leaned closer and couldn't resist pinching Song Yu's cheek, which felt like a soft marshmallow.

Song Yu was slow to react; by the time he tried to pull away, the other man had already withdrawn his hand.

The two walked towards the cashier.

Saturday mornings are crowded, and there were many people in line. Song Yu suddenly remembered something: "I promised to buy 009 a toy."

Lu Xiu raised an eyelid: "Playing with toys is a waste of time."

Song Yu: "..."

009 was only a month old puppy; his daily tasks were eating, drinking, and playing, weren't they?

The items in the living area were on the first floor. Song Yu tugged at the man's sleeve: "You wait in line here, I—"

"I'll go get it from the first floor." Lu Xiu, out of affection for his former subordinate, was now reduced to running errands for him. "A plush toy will do."

Song Yu nodded.

Lu Xiu's figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Song Yu stood there for a while, when suddenly someone touched him from behind. He thought it was Lu Xiu, but when he turned around, it was a strange man.

The man was of above-average appearance and tall. He couldn't take his eyes off Song Yu from the moment he saw her: "Hello, I'd like to add you on WeChat, is that alright?"

Song Yu opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a cold voice came from beside her: "Sorry, he's married."

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw a man holding two plush toys with a gloomy expression.

...For some reason, she felt like laughing.

So, as the man apologized and left, and Lu Xiu, with a long face, threw the plush toys into the cart, Song Yu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lu Xiu: "...?"

Song Yu coughed, then her face immediately became serious: "I didn't mean to."

Lu Xiu narrowed his eyes: "So happy to see me jealous?"

"..." Song Yu hadn't thought of that, but she found the man's appearance with the pink plush toys to be strangely cute.

And his face was so sour.

Lu Xiu stared at the boy.

Delicate and beautiful face.

No.

Too attractive.

He really wanted to lock him up on the bed and only let him see him in any way.

Lu Xiu ground his back teeth.

He had to hold back.

He'd already waited so long; there was no rush.

He didn't want to scare him away.

*

If Song Yu knew Lu Xiu's thoughts, he would definitely tell him that such thoughts were unnecessary. If he wanted to run away, he would have already done so when he sent that perverted text message in the first world; he wouldn't have waited until now.

The two paid at the front cashier. While Song Yu thought Lu Xiu had no money, he had already opened Alipay, scanned the code, and used his fingerprint—all in one smooth motion.

Song Yu: ...Hmm.

He was being kept.

He didn't even have to carry the bags himself.

Lu Xiu was very strong, carrying a large bag of things with ease, walking without even panting.

After they got home, Song Yu immediately took the plush toys out of the bag, one big and one small. He put the big one on the sofa and took the small one to 009 on the balcony.

009's tail was almost broken from wagging, but it was somewhat afraid of the main god and didn't dare to pounce on Song Yu's feet.

However, if its owner came looking for it, it couldn't control itself.

Its tail wagged like a propeller. 009 licked Song Yu's palm a few times before carrying the ball of yarn into its bed to chew on.

The scent of its master.

009 couldn't get enough of it.

Song Yu was completely charmed by the adorable puppy, so he carried it, along with Xiu Gou and its toys, to the rug next to the sofa.

His fingers gently stroked the puppy's head and body, down to its tail.

009's scalp tingled from the petting, and it stretched out its belly, acting all cute.

The main god, still sorting the items in the bag, didn't say anything, but was inwardly consumed with jealousy.

He finally understood why 009 had chosen to be a dog.

The morning weather was lovely. Potted plants he'd picked up from the florist a few days ago were displayed on the balcony. Lu Xiu sorted the fruits and vegetables and placed them in the refrigerator.

To the right of the refrigerator was a snack cabinet; he'd noticed it when he arrived last night—it had more items than the refrigerator.

Clearly, Song Yu couldn't cook and wasn't very good at taking care of himself.

How had the boy managed alone after his loved ones left?

Lu Xiu's large hands held the ingredients steadily.

Regardless of the past, he would manage things properly from now on.

The sound of running water came from the kitchen. Song Yu sat on a soft rug, a comic book in his hand, 009 curled up at his feet. He was

in a good mood.

Song Yu hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

A moment later, he heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw Lu Xiu approaching, a tall, handsome man wearing a floral apron.

Lu Xiu had just placed the washed and cut fruit on the coffee table when he felt Song Yu staring at his face.

His tone was amused: "Looking at me?"

Song Yu nodded: "I've noticed, you really are better looking than many people."

Lu Xiu was stunned. He had secretly loved Song Yu for many years, suppressing his feelings until he developed multiple personalities. So, after reshaping his body, he no longer held back, expressing his love completely through his actions. He would

seduce him if he could, and if Song Yu didn't take the bait, he would flirt with flirtatious words.

He liked the embarrassed look on Song Yu's face.

It was especially endearing.

But he hadn't expected Song Yu to be so straightforward.

It was a good start, but far from enough.

Lu Xiu curled his lips, popped a strawberry into the boy's mouth, and then affectionately ruffled his hair.

Hurry up and get it.

*

A day spent at home with Lu Xiu was exceptionally peaceful, and happy times passed quickly. That evening, Song Yu suddenly remembered the man's lack of a place to stay.

"It's summer now, so you can sleep on the floor, but you'll catch a cold when it gets cold," Song Yu pointed to another room. "Or, let's clean up this room; I have extra blankets."

The tall man was homeless, and Song Yu felt he should take him in, especially since the man's cooking was to his liking.

Of course, that was only one reason.

However, Lu Xiu quickly noticed something in the somewhat sympathetic expression on the boy's face. Although he enjoyed gaining sympathy, sometimes he needed to show off his strength.

"Xiao Yu, I bought the house next to yours a while ago."

Song Yu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Then why..." Why did he still have to sleep on an uncomfortable floor in his room?

He pursed his lips, not having time to ask more, when Lu Xiu handed him a bank card: "That house needs renovations recently, I'll stay here temporarily."

"This is my wife's dowry."

Song Yu: "..."

Suddenly felt a little hot.

Lu Xiu watched the boy silently put the card away, his heart itching as if being tickled by a feather. In the following days, he still slept on the floor in Song Yu's room, only occasionally sneaking up to the bed in the middle of the night, hugging the boy's waist, burying his face in the fragrant neck.

The God of War could get everything he wanted, but this time, he wanted to rely on himself to get someone's love.

*

The bell rang for the end of class, and Song Yu had just packed his bag when a boy from the same major in front of him invited him to go to karaoke.

"Your roommates are going too, do you want to come? The chocolate ice cream at that karaoke place is pretty good."

Song Yu was about to refuse but silently swallowed back the words.

Over time, the suitors had figured out Song Yu's preferences and found the right points to make the boy unable to refuse.

However, he still refused this time: "Could you tell me the address of that store?"

Although rejected, Song Yu's politeness prevented the boy from being discouraged, and he immediately sent the address to Song Yu. Song Yu slung her backpack over her shoulder, wanting to search if the store offered delivery.

Sure enough... no.

Song Yu felt she had been a bit delusional, so she exited the app, reopened WeChat, and opened someone's chat window.

【Waiting for you at the entrance of the teaching building.】

After replying with "Class is over," Song Yu didn't look at her phone again and quickened her pace out of the teaching building.

When she reached the entrance and saw a familiar figure, her eyes widened, thinking she was seeing things.

However, the other person walked directly towards him: "Don't you recognize me?"

Song Yu snapped back to reality: "You... why did you turn into Xie Zhiyan?"

"I wanted to relive the days we went to school together." Lu Xiu blinked with Xie Zhiyan's aloof face, and after seeing the boy's reddened ears, he lifted his eyelids, his expression dangerous, "You really like Xie Zhiyan? Your face is all red."

"He's just a pervert, what's so good about him?"

Song Yu: "..."

How could he even be jealous of himself?

His face was red... because he was thinking about the perverted things Xie Zhiyan had done.

However, the two of them walking side by side on the tree-lined path reminded Song Yu of his time in the small world. He glanced at Lu Xiu's profile and asked softly, "Does the main god also need to do missions in the small world?"

The man's expression shifted slightly. He was pondering how to explain to the boy that he was too paranoid and had caused himself to have a split personality, with countless fragments scattered in the small world that needed to be collected, not that he was doing a mission.

In the end, Lu Xiu still answered yes.

"Then in every world I've experienced, you're there, right?" Song Yu said rather tactfully, "No wonder the plot never goes according to plan, but it always ends successfully."

Of course it would succeed.

Song Yu's mission was to collect his fragments.

And each fragment would offer him all its love.

"I won't fail." At some point, Lu Xiu had returned to his original appearance. He leaned down, staring at the person opposite him with his dark eyes, and said earnestly, "Wherever you go, I will follow."

*

The days that followed were peaceful and warm.

During the day, Song Yu attended classes at school, while Lu Xiu returned to the Quick Transmigration Bureau to hand over affairs to the next generation of main gods.

However, around four o'clock in the afternoon, regardless of whether the work was completed or not, he would frown and look at the time with a solemn expression.

The new recruit was sweating bullets.

He knew that the person in front of him was the youngest, most capable, and shortest-serving main god in history.

Generally, gods with such power would not give up their position, so the new recruit felt that this might be a test from his senior.

He stammered tentatively, "Lord Xiu, is...is there a problem?"

The cold, indifferent face lifted slightly, and a chilling voice, keeping everyone at arm's length, rang out.

However, what he heard was—

"I have to go back and cook."

???

The newcomer stared blankly as Xiu used his teleportation technique, which he had practiced for so long, to go to a small house in the human world, and then…donned a floral apron.

Not bad.

Turns out he's a good husband.

From now on, the image of the Supreme God in his eyes became even more towering.

Unconcerned about all this, Lu Xiu was in the kitchen thinking about how to improve Song Yu's appetite.

The boy was a picky eater, so he was thin and lacked stamina.

If he didn't take good care of him…how would he endure—no, how would he live a good life?

Lu Xiu added a Chinese herbal medicine to the stew, and when it was almost done, he took a picture and sent it to Song Yu.

Lu Xiu: [Are you hungry?]

Song Yu replied quickly.

Didn't he have class at this time? Looks like he wasn't paying attention.

Lu Xiu curled his lips into a smile,

imagining the boy holding up his textbook while looking down at his phone.

Song Yu: [So hungry! I think my appetite has improved lately, it must be because your cooking has gotten better.]

Song Yu: [But I have some things to do for the next few days, so I'd like to stay in the dorm for a few days.]

Quite a few words.

Lu Xiu showed a satisfied expression.

Wait a minute… when he saw the last message, Lu Xiu's pleased expression faded slightly.

A moment later, he sent a message: 【Okay.】

*

After seeing Lu Xiu's message, Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt he had been acting strangely lately.

On one hand, he had become more proactive in replying to Lu Xiu's messages, each message containing more words, and sometimes he would suddenly take out his phone during class to check if Lu Xiu had sent him a message, and if not, he would scroll through the chat window repeatedly; on the other hand, he was avoiding Lu Xiu in person.

He was caught in a contradictory state of mind.

Song Yu felt he was sick.

So that night, after having a final dinner with Lu Xiu at home, he went straight back to school.

In the following days, Lu Xiu sent messages frequently, and Song Yu replied frequently as well.

But he preferred to stay in his dorm rather than go home.

Why?

Song Yu couldn't figure it out.

Subtle emotional changes made him sensitive and nervous, and it seemed that only by communicating through the internet could he face the other person more openly.

Several roommates also noticed that Song Yu had been acting strangely lately. He used to be picked up by a tall, handsome, and mature man every day, but recently he had been holed up in his dorm, staring at his phone, looking listless.

The group chat was already in an uproar.

【Damn!】 "I hope I haven't run into a jerk!"

"That guy's just a bit tall, handsome, and rich, what's so great about him? I'm going to comfort SY!"

"How's SY doing in the dorm lately?"

"I don't want to take advantage of him, but this might be my only chance."

...

Song Yu was unaware that the entire floor had begun to imagine him as a pitiful girl dumped by a jerk.

Everyone wanted to comfort him,

but his roommates chased them away.

Seeing that Song Yu was indeed in low spirits, Li Xun suggested, "How about we go to the food street behind the school? I heard a fried yogurt shop recently opened, and it's pretty good."

Song Yu shamefully agreed.

So, three tall boys surrounded a handsome young man and went out, attracting many stares on the street.

The food street behind the school was bustling. As evening approached, the sunset painted half the sky, turning the horizon a pale pink.

This was the sky Song Yu saw while queuing at the yogurt stall.

His fair cheeks were also flushed by the sunset, masking a certain emotion.

Song Yu stared at it for a while. He

wondered if Lu Xiu was watching the sunset…

He took out his phone, held it up, snapped a picture, opened Lu Xiu's chat window, hesitated for a few seconds, and then sent it.

Avoiding him was already strange; he was even hesitant to send a message.

At that moment, Song Yu didn't understand either—the person he wanted to share with must be someone he cared about deeply.

He was so unknowingly turning Lu Xiu from an important friend into…someone he liked.

Just as the message was sent, Song Yu heard a WeChat notification sound from his phone beside him.

He instinctively looked towards the source and froze.

…Lu Xiu…what was he doing here?

The man was holding a box of fried yogurt, the rich aroma of fruit juice and yogurt filling Song Yu's taste buds.

“Xiao Yu,”

Lu Xiu's voice was low, and after calling out, he consciously took the seat next to him.

The man had a very strong presence; most of the people around him were college students, and he stood out awkwardly. Of course, one reason he attracted attention was his face.

His mind went blank for four or five seconds, and Song Yu unconsciously took the box of yogurt. He heard his own voice was soft, nervous, and tinged with hesitation: "Why did you suddenly come?"

The man, who had already been ignored for four or five days, looked even worse, but his emotions remained relatively stable: "I missed you, so I came."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone around could hear him, and whispers began to circulate. A few girls even laughed at Song Yu.

Song Yu's ears burned.

Lu Xiu had said similar things before, and he would simply ignore him if he didn't answer.

But this time, he didn't answer because he wanted to, but didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Xiao Yu, it's my turn! Oh, you've already bought everything, so I—" One of Song Yu's roommates, a sports student, shouted loudly before realizing that someone was already standing next to Song Yu.

...His expression was terrifying.

The sports student gave an awkward smile and silently turned his head away.

"Xiao Yu, won't you show me around?" Lu Xiu slightly composed himself and took Song Yu's hand. Only after smelling the familiar scent on the boy did his intense possessiveness slowly subside.

The man's hands were much larger, completely enveloping Song Yu's. In the summer heat, it was hard to tell who had started sweating first; they were sticky and pressed together, neither willing to let go.

Lu Xiu had come to see him and even bought him yogurt, a gesture that pleased Song Yu.

However, while he was in a good mood, he was even more hesitant to speak to Lu Xiu.

He felt…more nervous than before.

How strange.

Song Yu lowered his eyes, remaining silent as the man led the way.

Only after a moment did he realize that he was supposed to be leading Lu Xiu…

but now, he seemed to be led into some deserted alley.

Song Yu's scalp tightened, and he stopped.

The next second, he was forced against a wall.

Song Yu didn't look up at the man's expression, but he could guess.

He was probably angry.

That face would turn cold and terrifying.

"I… um—" His pale chin was grabbed, forcing Song Yu to arch his neck like a beautiful, helpless swan.

Soon, the top button of his shirt was undone.

Song Yu noticed the man was checking something.

After realizing what the other was doing, he was clearly displeased and angrily slapped the man's hand away.

The "smack" sounded particularly crisp in the quiet alley.

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, wanting to check if the other's hand was red, but he bumped into Lu Xiu's eyes.

Dark and deep, with a fatal attraction.

"Avoiding me?" Lu Xiu's aura enveloped him, his eyes dangerous. "You've been in the dorm these past few days, why haven't you gone home?"

Song Yu could sense the grievance in the man's cold voice.

He could understand, but…

Song Yu's head drooped lower and lower: "I think I'm sick."

Lu Xiu paused, then immediately tensed up, seemingly forgetting all his questions at once. "Are you feeling unwell?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man felt the boy's head bump against his chest.

Fuzzy, light-colored, with a subtle fragrance.

The two bodies, separated by the thin summer fabric, felt each other's heat.

Amidst the rapid pounding of his heart, Lu Xiu sensed something amiss—it wasn't just his heartbeat.

Song Yu's heart was also beating abnormally.

Lu Xiu looked down, staring at the boy's reddened earlobes and the corners of his eyes, stunned for a full four or five seconds before realizing what was happening.

"I didn't mean to avoid you," Song Yu sniffed, his voice sounding somewhat aggrieved, "I... I seem to be acting strangely."

The next second, he felt his wrist being pulled, then placed on the man's chest.

Thump thump thump—

a powerful, abnormally rapid heartbeat.

"Is it strange here?" Lu Xiu asked earnestly, "It's not strange, it's liking. I like Xiao Yu, that's why my heart beats so fast every time I see him."

...Is it liking?

Song Yu was oblivious to feelings. He could sympathize, he could be soft-hearted, but he treated everyone with the same vulnerability.

It wasn't liking.

But with Lu Xiu, something seemed to be changing.

Little by little.

An emotional shift might take three to five years, or it might only take a second. Song Yu wasn't a particularly sentimental or awkward person, nor was he stingy with his feelings for others.

The problem was finally solved.

"So that's how it is..." he murmured.

His oblivious, unaware appearance was enough to drive anyone wild.

The next moment, the boy's eyes were blindfolded.

In this alleyway bathed in a thin veil of sunset light, Lu Xiu gently pressed his lips to Song Yu's.

A fleeting touch.

Very light.

Yet a kiss that conveyed their mutual understanding.

After the kiss, he didn't release his hand from Song Yu's eyes, or rather, he dared not look into Song Yu's eyes, which now held a hint of adoration.

He was afraid he would go mad.

"Xiao Yu, answer me." Actually, his voice was much more frantic than usual now, "Your heart is beating so fast because of me, isn't it?"

Song Yu slowly hummed in agreement, very softly, but with certainty.

"...That's good." Lu Xiu couldn't describe his feelings; he thought he would have to wait at least three to five years for this day to come.

He let go.

He looked at Song Yu.

It wasn't a dream.

That's good.

He hugged him tightly again.

That's good.

Song Yu's mind went blank, and his face was burning, but now, the other person seemed even less bright than him...

He suddenly felt relieved.

He reminded him, "The yogurt has melted..."

Lu Xiu held him for a while before letting go, taking the bag from Song Yu's hands and then taking his hand in return.

Their fingers intertwined tightly.

Song Yu looked down at him, but didn't pull his hand away.

The awkwardness and confusion from before vanished in an instant.

Now his heart was filled to overflowing.

Seeing Lu Xiu's appearance, it seemed as if the other person was the one who was more seriously ill.

Song Yu leaned closer and whispered, "So... should we go back and buy some fried yogurt now?" Lu Xiu shook

his head.

"Then what for?"

"To eat your mouth, and something else."

← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →