When Zhao Jiayang went to find Chu Yin with the invitation in hand, he was drinking medicine.

On the bedside table was a wooden tray with a bowl of dark, blackish Chinese herbal medicine and a white porcelain dish with a few pieces of candy. Xu Song quietly stood in the shadow by the bed, waiting to take the tray away once Chu Yin finished the medicine.

The young beta was wearing soft silk pajamas. His hair, which had turned yellow from prolonged illness, shone with a chocolate-like hue under the warm indoor lighting. The light silk quilt was pulled up to his chest, exposing only a pale face and lips that lacked color.

Although Zhao Jiayang walked quietly, it seemed as if Chu Yin had a radar specifically attuned to him. The moment he pushed open the door, Chu Yin set down his porcelain spoon and looked toward the entrance. Upon seeing Zhao Jiayang, his almond-shaped eyes curved into a smile.

“Still not asleep this late?” Chu Yin blinked, his gaze playful.

“Did I disturb you?” Zhao Jiayang felt inexplicably embarrassed and gestured toward the tray on the bedside table.

“No.” Though he was about to sleep, Chu Yin shook his head.

The room was dimly lit, and unlike alphas, Chu Yin didn’t have such excellent vision. He couldn’t clearly see what Zhao Jiayang was holding, so he gestured for him to come closer while raising the bowl and downing the rest of the herbal medicine. The bitter liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, its aftertaste spreading in his mouth. He popped a piece of candy into his mouth, speaking somewhat indistinctly, “Do you need something?”

The strong smell of the herbal medicine was enough to make anyone nauseous, and Zhao Jiayang suppressed the urge to gag, his gaze filled with a bit of heartache. Even he needed mental preparation to drink Chinese medicine, but Chu Yin could down an entire bowl without flinching…

He really had grown up steeped in medicine.

Zhao Jiayang suddenly felt that what he was about to say was a bit too much to ask. But he was too eager and pushed the feeling aside. Nodding, he quickly stepped over and sat at the edge of Chu Yin’s bed, handing him the invitation.

“After the college entrance exams, the school is hosting a graduation ball, and all the senior students are required to attend,” Zhao Jiayang explained. “I’ve already asked the teacher—your dance partner can be a student from another school.”

Chu Yin pressed his lips together, suddenly nervous. “You mean…”

“Will you come to my graduation ball and be my dance partner?” Zhao Jiayang looked into his eyes, his gaze intense.

Chu Yin blinked, finding it hard to believe. Although he didn’t attend school, he knew how popular Zhao Jiayang was there. So many outstanding omegas adored him, yet he had come home to invite him instead.

But he was just a beta, and his health was so poor… Would he embarrass Zhao Jiayang?

Chu Yin hesitated and, after a long pause, muttered, “But I don’t know how to dance.”

No problem! I just want you to attend the ball as my partner. Whether you can dance or not doesn’t matter. Besides, I can teach you!

Zhao Jiayang’s heart was bursting with love, ready to pour out, but he feared scaring his young crush away. After a moment of hesitation, he missed the chance to confess.

Chu Yin sighed dramatically. “Well, I can’t refuse you when you’ve come begging me.”

Rolling the candy around in his mouth, Chu Yin smiled brightly and nodded. “I’ll have Uncle Xu find a teacher. If I don’t learn well and step on you, don’t blame me.”

“How could I blame you?” Zhao Jiayang, relieved, reached out to poke the small bump on Chu Yin’s cheek from the candy, earning a glare in return, like a kitten trying to claw him. Unfazed, he chuckled, “I’ll wear softer shoes then.”

“Hey, are you implying I’ll definitely not learn?” Chu Yin grumbled.

“I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth and wrong an innocent man,” Zhao Jiayang teased, ruffling Chu Yin’s hair. “It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“Goodnight.”

“You too. Sleep well, and don’t kick off the blankets.”

After gently closing the door, Chu Yin, who had just promised to sleep well, leaned against the headboard, flipping the invitation over in his hands for a long time, as if he were holding a priceless treasure.

“Young Master Chu, it’s getting late,” Xu Song teased, barely holding back laughter. “It won’t run away.”

“Uncle Xu! You’re still here?” Startled, Chu Yin quickly placed the invitation on the bedside table, awkwardly coughing as he slid under the covers. “I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight, Uncle Xu.”

Xu Song stifled his laughter, swallowing the rest of his teasing words. After tucking in Chu Yin, he took the tray, turned off the light, and left the room.

Chu Yin was always a bit of a perfectionist, especially when it came to something so important. The next day, he began practicing ballroom dancing with the instructor. His health was poor, and after a short while, he’d be gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. Even Xu Song advised him to take it easy, but Chu Yin was undeterred.

The graduation ball was such an important occasion, and Zhao Jiayang had invited him. He couldn’t let him down. That’s what Chu Yin thought.

But fate loves to play tricks. After weeks of hard work, he still didn’t make it to the ball.

After Zhao Jiayang’s college entrance exams, Old Master Tao gifted him a yacht, which was docked in a nearby city.

At that age, curiosity was at its peak. Zhao Jiayang was tempted, and Chu Yin, too, couldn’t resist. After much begging, Zhao Jiayang finally agreed to take him along.

Perhaps it was the sea breeze, but soon after returning home, Chu Yin came down with a persistent low fever.

His limbs were weak, and he curled up in bed. After the doctor came and gave him a stern scolding, prescribing a pile of medicine and forbidding him from going out, the ball was out of the question.

Zhao Jiayang, feeling both heartbroken and guilty, sat by Chu Yin’s bedside, endlessly blaming himself, saying how he shouldn’t have taken him out in the first place.

Just as Chu Yin was about to speak, he choked on his words and had to cough for a long time before catching his breath. Yet, he still smiled brightly.

“You know I’m not in good health. I’ve never gone out to sea before, and I was really happy that you took me. It’s okay, even if I got sick. Besides, I insisted on going, so how can I blame you?” Seeing that Zhao Jiayang was still gloomy, he poked his arm. “You don’t have to miss your graduation ball because of me. There’s still time to invite someone else.”

Chu Yin, unaware that a dance partner couldn’t be changed mid-event, worried that Zhao Jiayang would attend alone. He racked his brain, trying to comfort him. “Since I have no fate with this ball, I won’t force it. There are plenty of banquets in Jingpu. There will be more balls in the future, though I worry you’ll get tired of dancing with me all the time.”

The sunlight outside the window was beautiful, and Chu Yin smiled as he made a promise. Zhao Jiayang stared at him for a while before finally nodding.

At that time, Chu Yin’s thoughts were simple. After all, it was just a high school graduation ball. It could be seen as both a big deal and not so much. He genuinely wanted to be by Zhao Jiayang’s side on such an occasion, but his health wouldn’t allow it, so he had to let it go.

Just like he reassured Zhao Jiayang, they would have many more important moments in the future, so there was no need to rush.

Chu Yin’s health was poor. He had always followed medical advice, going to bed early and waking up early, and he never stayed up late. However, on the night of the graduation ball, he stayed up until the early morning because he couldn’t get in touch with Zhao Jiayang.

Even Mrs. Tao had gone to bed an hour earlier for her beauty sleep—she had plans to go shopping with her friends the next day. Before going to bed, she had told Chu Yin that high school students, worn out by the stress of college entrance exams, often got carried away when they had fun. She guessed Zhao Jiayang might have gone somewhere with friends to continue partying and advised Chu Yin to go to bed. If Zhao Jiayang still wasn’t back by the time Chu Yin woke up, Mrs. Tao would personally go and find him.

Chu Yin agreed and obediently returned to his room to read, though he didn’t actually read a single word.

Heavy drowsiness swallowed his consciousness like a black hole. Chu Yin, his head nodding from exhaustion, was worried about Zhao Jiayang’s safety. He went to the bathroom several times to wash his face with cold water and finally saw the headlights of a car.

Wearing slippers, he rushed to the front door of the main house in a few quick steps, only to see a completely unfamiliar car.

Zhao Jiayang had his eyes closed, his brows furrowed in pain, with a pained expression on his face, slumped against the shoulder of a female omega in a formal dress. The omega struggled to help him out of the car, while one of the Tao family servants stood nearby, unsure whether to assist.

“What happened?”

“Years of pent-up stress during high school. Now that the college entrance exams are over and the results are out, everyone’s letting loose,” the well-groomed omega casually remarked. “Those alphas don’t have any sense of their alcohol limits and kept drinking with Zhao Jiayang during the second half. He’s my dance partner, and when I was about to leave, I found him slumped alone. I couldn’t unlock his phone, so I just called a cab and brought him back.”

“Luckily, I’ve been here a few times with my dad, so I remember your address. Otherwise, I would’ve had to take him to a hotel.” She struggled to get Zhao Jiayang to stand upright and smiled at Chu Yin. “You must be Chu Yin, right? Hi, I’m Yan Xin. I’ve heard a lot about you from him, but the last few times I visited, I didn’t get a chance to meet you.”

Though she was poised and confident, Chu Yin’s pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen a ghost.

He remembered her. The Yan family had some business dealings with the Tao family, and she had accompanied her father to the mansion a few times. When Zhao Jiayang was in his second year of high school, Chu Yin had run into her once.

At that time, Old Master Tao and Mr. Yan were chatting in the tea room. Chu Yin, not in good health, was never required to participate in social events. But if he was seen, it would have been impolite not to exchange a few words.

Chu Yin had retreated to a corner of the courtyard to read but overheard a female voice. Curious, he had glanced over—

Yan Xin had been holding onto Zhao Jiayang’s arm, coquettishly asking him to show her the Tao family’s greenhouse. Zhao Jiayang had been polite yet not distant, suggesting they had a good relationship.

Chu Yin had always been mature for his age and had long been aware of his inexplicable feelings for Zhao Jiayang. But he had hesitated due to various concerns. Meanwhile, Yan Xin was open and straightforward, unashamed to express her feelings for Zhao Jiayang.

And Zhao Jiayang had not refused.

The sight of this beautiful couple had deeply pained Chu Yin. He quickly averted his gaze and even used his health as an excuse to stay in his room during dinner. Old Master Tao, who had always doted on him, didn’t blame him and instead encouraged him to rest while he explained things to the guests.

Later, Chu Yin had heard Zhao Jiayang mention Yan Xin’s name a few more times, knowing she was a popular host at school and well-liked among classmates. She and Zhao Jiayang got along well, but…

Chu Yin hadn’t expected to see her tonight.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Yan. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you last time because I wasn’t feeling well,” Chu Yin nodded. “Thank you for bringing my brother back. Drunk people are heavy; let the servants handle it.”

He stepped aside, allowing the servants to take Zhao Jiayang to his room, then went to the kitchen to have them prepare some hangover soup. He personally placed the bowl on Zhao Jiayang’s bedside table.

Yan Xin followed him closely the entire time. Chu Yin didn’t want to ask her to leave, so he treated her as if she were invisible.

The temperature difference between day and night in the mountains was significant, and the evening breeze was chilly. Worried, Chu Yin hurried along, coughing slightly. A servant quickly brought him a coat to drape over his shoulders.

Yan Xin had been silently watching Chu Yin’s every move. After he quietly closed Zhao Jiayang’s door, she suddenly spoke. “It’s late. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

“I’ll see you out,” Chu Yin replied politely, leading her downstairs without attempting to stop her.

As they reached the porch, Yan Xin suddenly asked, “Do you like him?”

Chu Yin looked at her, surprised that she had figured it out. After a moment, he quietly lowered his gaze, tacitly admitting it.

“It doesn’t matter if you like him. There’s no way you two can be together.”