Ning Zhiyuan voiced the proposal, asking the person in front of him, “Do you want to bet?”

His tone was relaxed, as if he just wanted to play a game with Cen Zhisen, or perhaps it was indeed just a game.

Cen Zhisen’s surprise lasted only a moment. Unable to figure out his thoughts, he didn’t bother guessing and glanced at his wristwatch. “Exactly twelve o’clock, twelve hours, right until dawn.”

Ning Zhiyuan nodded. “Yes.”

Cen Zhisen nodded. “Let’s begin.”

They returned to the craft shop they had visited earlier. Ning Zhiyuan wanted to buy the mask he had set his eyes on and showed it to Cen Zhisen. “What do you think?”

Cen Zhisen glanced at it. “Not very good-looking. The one next to it is better.”

Ning Zhiyuan’s gaze followed, landing on the angel mask, opposite to the devil mask. It was pure white, flawless, with silver glitter at the corners of the eyes and white feathers.

He picked up that mask, gesturing on Cen Zhisen’s face, helping him put it on, examining him. Satisfied, he said, “Looks good, more suitable for you.”

A faint sparkle appeared in Cen Zhisen’s eyes, and he seemed to want to say something, but Ning Zhiyuan gestured to him. “Look at the labels here. Yours is the Michael mask, and the one I picked is Lucifer.”

The labels on the shelf indicated the names of the masks. Ning Zhiyuan pronounced them softly, adding a bit of laughter in his voice. “Michael and Lucifer, angel and fallen angel, or angel and demon. They are also a pair of brothers, fitting for us.”

“Lucifer is Michael’s older brother,” Cen Zhisen reminded him. “You should choose Michael.”

“No,” Ning Zhiyuan shook his head. “I like Lucifer, a rebellious, dangerous, and charming bad guy.”

He looked at Cen Zhisen in front of him. “Ge, let me have this once, let me be the older brother, okay?”

Cen Zhisen didn’t say anything more, taking the devil mask from Ning Zhiyuan’s hand and personally putting it on him.

Finally, he adjusted the strands of hair by his temples, and then withdrew his hand. “Let’s go.”

They paid and left the small shop, wearing the two masks, heading to the next destination.

The game had officially begun.

Leaving the town, they first went to the famous Black Sand Beach in the area.

Ning Zhiyuan walked up to the nearest rock, standing at a high point and looking down. He casually took a few photos. “The black sand here is formed by the repeated interaction of lava and seawater after a volcanic eruption. It’s quite spectacular.”

Cen Zhisen followed, one hand supporting his waist. “Be careful, watch your step.”

The voice was right next to his ear, and Ning Zhiyuan turned his head, meeting the gaze behind the mask.

The sea breeze brushed against their faces, salty and sticky, much like their moods.

Those naked desires were clearly revealed in each other’s eyes.

They quietly locked eyes for several seconds. Suddenly, Ning Zhiyuan leaned forward a bit, and their breaths intertwined within inches. It was just a hair’s breadth away from a kiss.

He stopped, didn’t move, and there was a subtle hint of a smile in his eyes.

Cen Zhisen also didn’t move, lowered his eyes, just looking at him.

Neither took the initiative to step forward again, one composed, the other calm.

After a while, Ning Zhiyuan probably felt it was boring. He lightly clicked his tongue, stepped back as if nothing had happened, and turned to look again at the Black Sand Beach in front of him.

Cen Zhisen’s hand still rested on his waist. Thinking about Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes just now, deliberately tempting and seemingly mocking, he made no attempt to hide.

Indeed, he was a little devil.

“Turtles are coming out,” Ning Zhiyuan reminded him, looking ahead.

Several green sea turtles were strolling on the beach. Ning Zhiyuan raised his camera to take photos and said casually, “These turtles are called Honu in Hawaiian. Locals believe that seeing them brings good luck.”

Cen Zhisen asked, “Do you believe in these things?”

“Why not believe in good things?” Ning Zhiyuan replied. “I’d rather believe they exist.”

“Okay,” Cen Zhisen agreed with what he said. “So, what’s your good luck?”

“Who knows?” Ning Zhiyuan looked back at the photos he had just taken, quite satisfied. “It seems like I’ve always had bad luck. Others used to say I would be reborn, but it turned out that even that was a lie. But maybe in the eyes of most people, being adopted into your family was like winning a grand prize in a lottery when I was born.”

“What do you think?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Ning Zhiyuan’s gaze returned to him, stopping. “It’s not too bad.”

“Not too bad?” Cen Zhisen repeated.

“What else?” Ning Zhiyuan asked him. “What else do you want to hear?”

This question was something he had thought about repeatedly. If he and Cen Zhe hadn’t been switched at birth, could he have received all of his parents’ love, grown up carefree, attended a decent university, found a good job, and lived the life most ordinary people live? Would he then be satisfied with no regrets?

Setting aside material aspects, becoming complete strangers with Cen Zhisen, like two parallel lines that would never intersect—did he really feel no regret about it?

No answer.

The only words he could articulate were “not too bad.” The fact was that he and Cen Zhisen were destined to be entangled, so all those assumptions and ifs were meaningless.

“What about your good luck? What is it?” he asked Cen Zhisen.

Cen Zhisen thought for a moment and replied, “Winning the bet we just had.”

Ning Zhiyuan chuckled, “Alright, then I wish your good luck comes true.”

Near the beach, there was a famous bakery they happened to pass by. Ning Zhiyuan enthusiastically pulled Cen Zhisen to join the queue. When it was their turn, only one of the most popular fried doughnuts remained, so they bought just that one.

After getting the food, Cen Zhisen smiled, “Aren’t these kinds of doughnuts available in hotel restaurants?”

“The taste varies from each place,” Ning Zhiyuan said. “Being famous definitely has its reasons.”

He took a bite first. The crust was crispy, filled with vanilla custard sauce inside, soft and not overly sweet. It was the flavor he liked.

As syrup touched the corner of his mouth, Cen Zhisen found himself wanting to laugh even more. He used his fingers to wipe it away.

It happened naturally, and Ning Zhiyuan accepted it just as naturally. It reminded him of whenCen Zhisen used to wipe away milk stains from the corners of his mouth when he was a child. It was a memory engraved in their instinctive reactions, and they hadn’t forgotten.

Ning Zhiyuan ate half of it and left the other half for Cen Zhisen.

Cen Zhisen wasn’t particularly interested in such sweets, but he didn’t mind.

“It’s quite tasty,” he said after taking a bite.

Ning Zhiyuan also smiled, “Let’s go.”

Afterward, they continued by car to the next stop, the southernmost point of Hawaii known as Ka Lae or South Point. This place marked the southernmost point of the entire United States.

After parking, they walked for a while, reaching their destination.

In reality, it was a cliff-covered beach with wild grass. The surrounding area was a high mountain pasture, and in front of them was an endless sea, transitioning from azure to deep blue. The place where they stood seemed like a corner of this vast expanse.

In a sense, it was the edge of the world.

When they arrived, there were no other tourists around. The sea breeze was gentle, and the waves rhythmically lapped against the embankment.

Ning Zhiyuan enjoyed the scenery while Cen Zhisen took photos beside him.

From yesterday until today, they had been using the same camera alternately. Most of the photos left by Ning Zhiyuan were casual snapshots, while Cen Zhisen appeared more like a professional photographer. Every picture he took was well-crafted, paying attention to exposure, angle, and composition.

Cen Zhisen glanced at the photos he had just taken, intending to say something to Ning Zhiyuan. Suddenly, his gaze paused, and his heartbeat seemed to jump to his throat.

Ning Zhiyuan had walked to the edge of the cliff, standing with his back facing the cliff. Even a third of his heels were already hanging over the edge. His arms naturally stretched out to the sides, and he closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly, as if experiencing something.

The tail feathers of the black mask trembled lightly with the sea breeze, fragile as if they couldn’t withstand a single blow.

Cen Zhisen wanted to call him back, but the words stopped at the tip of his tongue. He dared not disturb Ning Zhiyuan. If he spoke, he was afraid that Ning Zhiyuan might really fall backward.

It might have been only one or two minutes, but Cen Zhisen felt it was as long as a century. Ning Zhiyuan took a step forward, returning to a safe spot, and opened his eyes.

Cen Zhisen approached, his face tense, and his tone somewhat serious. “What were you just doing?”

“Feeling the sea breeze,” Ning Zhiyuan noticed the tightened jawline, realizing that Cen Zhisen was angry. “What else do you think I wanted to do?”

“It’s very dangerous,” Cen Zhisen frowned. “What if you accidentally fell?”

“It’s not that high,” Ning Zhiyuan pointed behind him. “Many tourists come here specifically for cliff diving. The sea is calm now, nothing will happen.”

Cen Zhisen reached out, gripping his wrist firmly.

Ning Zhiyuan turned and held Cen Zhisen’s hand back, soothing him calmly. “It’s okay, really.”

After a brief stiffness, Cen Zhisen let go of his hand, and his expression returned to normal. “No next time.”

Ning Zhiyuan obediently admitted, “Alright, my bad.”

Both of them were a bit tired. As they returned to the car, they didn’t feel like going anywhere else.

After a few casual conversations, Ning Zhiyuan checked the time and made a video call to his colleagues in China.

It was Monday morning in China, and they were having their weekly project initiation meeting. Even though he was on vacation, Ning Zhiyuan kept it in mind. He had arranged for someone to follow up on the project he found at the AIGC summit last Friday, having Liu Lu meet with the founder and initiate the project.

When he hung up the call, the sun had already set, and the sky was painted with hues of clouds.

Cen Zhisen even dozed off for a moment and woke up.

“Are you working so hard even on vacation?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “Well, in the early stages of entrepreneurship, you can’t afford not to work hard. It’s not like you, CEO of a big company, everything you do is well-organized.”

Cen Zhisen looked at him but remained silent. Ning Zhiyuan turned his head and continued, “And this vacation is beyond my scheduled plans. I can’t afford to slack off completely.”

Cen Zhisen gestured toward the window, “Look outside.”

Ning Zhiyuan raised his head and only then noticed that the sun was about to dip below the horizon.

The red sun cast a golden shadow on the sea, floating at the intersection of the sea and the sky, painting everything around in varying shades of red. It slowly descended.

Cen Zhisen raised his camera, switched to video mode, and captured the scene.

Ning Zhiyuan intentionally breathed lightly, not wanting to disturb him.

“Let’s go.”

After a while, Cen Zhisen closed the camera and said to him.

Ning Zhiyuan was a bit surprised, “The sun hasn’t completely set over the horizon yet.”

“Capturing this moment is enough,” Cen Zhisen started the car. “Let’s go back. Don’t you still want to attend the concert?”

On the way back, Ning Zhiyuan turned his head a few times to look at the person quietly driving.

Cen Zhisen seemed to have been in a bad mood since earlier. After thinking for a moment, Ning Zhiyuan spoke, “Were you worried about me?”

Cen Zhisen turned to meet his gaze, and asked, “you think so?”

Cen Zhisen averted his eyes, “You knowing is enough.”

“Oh,” Ning Zhiyuan’s voice carried a hint of helplessness. “I said it’s okay, really.”

Cen Zhisen just made a sound and finally stopped dwelling on the matter.

Ning Zhiyuan felt a bit regretful. If he had known, he might have really jumped off just now. He wondered what Cen Zhisen’s reaction would have been.

Oh well.

The return journey took almost an hour. The venue for the outdoor concert was near the volcano park at a beach. They arrived at 6:30 PM, still half an hour before the show started.

Next to the beach, there was a night market selling various local crafts and foods. Many people were waiting for the concert to start, and the crowd was dense. They were almost swept away a few times by the crowd. Cen Zhisen simply reached out and held Ning Zhiyuan’s hand.

Ning Zhiyuan was originally looking at a stall selling small items on the roadside. Feeling the touch in his palm, he looked down. The hands clasped together were equally broad and long-fingered, mature hands that seemed to match perfectly, as if it were natural.

He then looked up at Cen Zhisen. Cen Zhisen gestured to him, “Want to buy?”

Ning Zhiyuan smiled, “No, let’s go somewhere else.”

Cen Zhisen continued to lead him forward, still holding his hand.

The palms touched each other, and the fingertips occasionally rubbed against each other. Those unspoken throbs were hidden in the night breeze, beneath the layered lights and behind the masks.

After eating something at the night market, they walked down to the beach with the crowd. There were already several thousand people gathered here. The stage was set up at the brightest spot of light, and it was an ordinary open-air beach concert, but the venue was carefully arranged.

A massive LED screen stood behind the stage, and the concert had not officially started yet. The colorful spotlights swept over the audience repeatedly, creating a fervent atmosphere.

They initially wanted to watch from a distance in the back, but due to the crowd, they were pushed forward. In the end, they reached an area near the stage.

As a few drumbeats accompanied bass strokes, the crowd erupted, and the concert began.

The opening was energetic rock music, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

People on stage sang, and those below followed the music, moving their arms and swaying their bodies.

In this tropical vacation island, even the air was filled with an excessive heat factor, making it dizzying and intoxicating.

Ning Zhiyuan’s hands were in his pockets, gently swaying to the beat of the music, occasionally brushing shoulders with Cen Zhisen beside him.

Cen Zhisen turned to look at him several times, capturing the colors in his eyes and the smile at the corner of his lips amid the alternation of light and shadow.

Ning Zhiyuan also glanced over occasionally. They locked eyes behind their masks, and all the excitement hid within those subtle expressions.

The climax was the Kiss Cam segment during the intermission.

The crowd erupted into excited whistles and cheers as couples captured by the camera passionately kissed on the big screen.

Sexy and alluring women, towering men, intense tongue kisses, without any reservation.

The camera lingered on them for a good twenty seconds until the cheers grew even louder.

The next pair captured by the camera was two hot and beautiful Latin-looking women. As they saw their faces on the stage screen, they were first surprised, then immediately smiled. After locking eyes, they approached each other amidst even more enthusiastic cheers.

Foreheads touched, lips lightly brushed, followed by a deep kiss.

This time, the duration was even longer, lasting for about a minute and a half. Only when both the participants and the audience seemed to be lingering did the diligent camera finally move away, searching for the next fortunate pair.

Ning Zhiyuan’s thoughts stirred, and as if a certain premonition came true, he saw on the big screen in front of him the masked faces of himself and Cen Zhisen together.

Cen Zhisen raised an eyebrow slightly, turning his head to look, while Ning Zhiyuan did the same.

Their eyes met.