Chapter 20

New Year’s Day.

Lin Si was woken up by a call from Liao Ji, who asked him to record several different New Year greetings for various brands.

He had no choice but to get up, splash some water on his messy hair, pull out a red sweater from the wardrobe, and repeat the greetings seven or eight times before sending them all to Liao Ji.

“Can’t you at least put on some makeup?” Liao Ji’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“Just let post-production fix it. I literally just woke up…” Lin Si paused, then added, “Actually, I think I look pretty refreshed. It’s a new year, and I’m even more handsome now…”

If signals were tangible, Liao Ji would probably have climbed through the signal waves, dragged Lin Si into the bathroom, and forced him to clean himself up.

Liao Ji sighed. “Happy New Year, by the way. Thanks for the red envelope, I forgot to tell you that yesterday.”

Lin Si grinned. “Happy New Year to you too. Pass my regards to your wife as well.”

“Why are you always so concerned about my wife?!” Liao Ji’s frustration was palpable. “If you’re really bored during the New Year, why not start packing for your move? All those random plushies and stuffed toys of yours, not to mention those low-IQ trinkets—just let the housekeeper handle them. Otherwise, tomorrow it’ll be all over the news.”

Lin Si scratched his head. “Is it really time to move already?”

“Once the New Year starts, you’ll be too busy. If I end up packing for you and you’re not satisfied, you’ll just have to redo it anyway. Might as well take care of it yourself now while you have time,” Liao Ji said. “Once you’re done, give me a call, and I’ll send a driver to pick you up.”

Lin Si whined, “Wait, wait, wait… I don’t even know where I’m moving to yet!”

“Oh, right. Let me ask Duan Yang for you.”

Ten minutes later, Liao Ji sent an update:

[Your single apartment has been replaced with a two-bedroom unit by Lu Wei.]

[Lu Wei has also booked a unit next to yours. If paparazzi catch you two together, you can explain it away as neighbors hanging out. Two Alphas visiting each other isn’t newsworthy, especially since you got this apartment publicly during the annual meeting raffle.]

[When you arrive, check in with the property management to set up iris recognition for access. Then head straight to Unit 2501.]

Lin Si never imagined that hus New Year would start with moving.

He leisurely finished yesterday’s leftovers before sluggishly beginning to pack his belongings.

Although Li Jicheng hadn’t specified how long he and Lu Wei would be living together, Lin Si wasn’t exactly thrilled about the arrangement, even if Lu Wei had agreed to it out of a sense of compensation. Sharing a space with Lu Wei wasn’t something Lin Si looked forward to.

He had many essentials: the plush toys Liao Ji often mocked, basic outfits for public appearances, and cushions for phone-scrolling comfort. By the time he finished packing, he had filled three large suitcases.

Y, as promised, was busy. After sending a “Good morning” message earlier, there had been no sign of him all day.

Following Liao Ji’s instructions, Lin Si completed the check-in process and arrived at Unit 2501. The sensor detected him and quickly unlocked the door.

He pushed it open to find a short entryway. The high ceilings gave the place an almost duplex feel. Although it was only a two-bedroom apartment, every corner felt spacious.

The driver helped carry in his luggage while Lin Si inspected the apartment. The living room, kitchen, and dining area had a minimalist Japanese design—safe, stylish, and unlikely to disappoint. Further inside were two bedrooms, positioned directly opposite each other.

The rooms were identical, except for one detail: the left room had a window by the bed.

Lin Si instantly favored this one. He loved the idea of sunlight streaming in to warm the blankets.

“Uncle Liu, let’s put everything in this room,” Lin Si said as he started unpacking. “I can handle the rest. I didn’t expect to trouble you on New Year’s Day—sorry about that.”

Uncle Liu chuckled. “It’s no trouble. By the way, we came in with our shoes on. How about I clean up before I leave?”

“No need, no need. I’ve got nothing to do today, so I’ll take care of it myself. You should head home and enjoy the holiday.”

After Uncle Liu left, Lin Si sent him a red envelope via phone. Then, remembering something, he messaged Liao Ji: [I want a housewarming red envelope!]

Liao Ji replied: [You little money-grubber! You sent me a red envelope last night, and now you’re already asking for it back!]

Lin Si laughed for a long time before asking Liao Ji: [Did Lu Wei mention any specific rules? I moved into the left room.]

Liao Ji replied: [I don’t know. I coordinated with Duan Yang. Just live wherever you want. As long as you don’t touch the shared spaces, it’s fine. Do you really think he’ll care about which room you moved in?]

Since he wasn’t allowed to rearrange the shared areas, Lin Si focused on setting up his room. He ordered rugs and other essentials online, set them up himself, and cleaned the dirtied floorboards. Finally, he collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted, and fell asleep not long after.

As night fell, the door lock suddenly beeped.

________________________

Lu Wei had spent the entire day at the Yu family estate.

He should have gone there on New Year’s Eve, but due to Lu Shaoming’s health, his visit was delayed until New Year’s Day.

He played chess with his grandmother, watched movies, basked in nonexistent sunlight, and then joined her and the relatives for dinner and mahjong.

After fulfilling all his familial obligations, it was already late at night when he left the estate. On the way out, he received a message from Duan Yang, saying that Lin Si had moved to Xijiang that afternoon.

Duan Yang even asked which room Lu Wei preferred, but Lu Wei had no idea what the differences between the rooms were.

Since the Yu estate and Xijiang were on the same route, he stopped by out of curiosity and went upstairs, though he couldn’t understand why Lin Si would insist on moving on New Year’s Day.

When the door opened, the lights in the living room were still on. Everything in sight was clean and tidy, with no signs of the chaos one would expect from a move.

Looking down, Lu Wei spotted shoes at the entrance. He coughed lightly, intending to announce his presence to Lin Si, who was presumably somewhere in the apartment.

The house was silent. No one responded. Standing there for a minute, Lu Wei finally noticed something odd, like a subtle game of “spot the difference.”

The back of the sofa had something sticking out—a foot clad in clean white socks.

As if compelled by some unseen force, Lu Wei removed his shoes and stepped inside. When he reached the living room, he saw Lin Si sprawled on the sofa, one leg hanging over the backrest and the other curled up on the seat. He was sleeping peacefully.

Lin Si’s white sweater wasn’t particularly long, leaving a sliver of pale skin exposed between it and his light gray lounge pants.

Perhaps because he hadn’t covered himself, Lin Si had tucked his chin into his collar for warmth, the neckline brushing against his rosy lips.

Most of the time, Lu Wei’s encounters with Lin Si ended on a sour note, but this was the first time he had ever seen Lin Si so well-behaved.

His eyelashes rested softly against his cheeks, and his hair, pressed awkwardly against the sofa, had a tuft sticking up in a chaotic arc.

It was enough to make anyone reluctant to wake him.

Yet, as if sensing something, Lin Si’s eyelids fluttered open.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

“AHHHHHHH!!!!”

Lin Si let out a shriek like a startled cat, his leg kicking wildly in the air before he flipped over and rolled off the sofa, landing on the floor with a loud thud.

“Ah…” He groaned, having bumped into the edge of the coffee table, now lying on his side on the carpet.

The sweater, already a bit too short, had ridden up further during his tumble. Lu Wei averted his eyes until Lin Si sat up and the hem fell back into place. Only then did Lu Wei take a step toward him.

“Why are you scaring me in the middle of the night?!” Lin Si sat on the floor, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms. “If I hadn’t laid down a carpet, I would’ve been seriously hurt!”

Lu Wei frowned, retracting all his earlier thoughts about Lin Si being well-behaved.

But then, watching Lin Si clumsily get up by pushing himself upright with the top of his foot, Lu Wei relaxed his expression. He couldn’t deny it—Lin Si was perhaps the strangest Omega he had ever encountered.

“What are you doing here in the dead of night?” Lin Si demanded, standing in the middle of the living room, tugging at his sweater to fix it. His tone carried little authority, especially compared to Lu Wei, who stood there in an all-black coat, while Lin Si was dressed in a soft, fluffy sweater.

“I was passing by,” Lu Wei replied coldly.

Lin Si kicked at his slippers, slipping them on as he muttered, “Passing by in the middle of the night… You must have a lot of free time…”

Lu Wei noticeably took a deep breath, either out of frustration or by sheer speechlessness when dealing with Lin Si.

Most likely, it was the frustration rendering him speechless.

Once Lin Si had his slippers on, he looked up to meet Lu Wei’s gaze. They stared at each other for a moment before Lu Wei gave in first, turning to leave.

“Wait!” Lin Si called after him. “I’m staying in the left room.” He wanted to assert his claim.

Lu Wei stopped. “Do whatever you want.”

Feeling victorious, Lin Si pressed on, “When are you moving in?”

“When do you need me to move in?” Lu Wei countered.

Lin Si wanted to say, I don’t need you to move in at all. But the reality was that he had begged Lu Wei to live with him.

He had always thought Li Jicheng’s treatment plan was utterly ridiculous, yet he couldn’t argue against it from a scientific standpoint.

So frustrating!

“Just… whenever you’re free. I’m settling in first,” Lin Si replied, quickly adding, “I’m doing much better lately. The symptoms aren’t as noticeable as before. Don’t worry, we won’t be living together for long.”

“Tomorrow.” Lu Wei turned back, slipping his shoes on with much more efficiency than Lin Si. Before Lin Si could say anything else, Lu Wei was already out the door.

______________

Author’s Note:
Lu Wei, who still hasn’t figured out his wife’s alternate identity: The sooner I move in, the sooner the treatment begins. The sooner the treatment begins, the sooner I’m free.

T/n: New chapter is up 🙂‍↕️ if you want to support me buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading ❤️🥳.