On the day of departure, both of us were filled with anticipation, and our smiles never left us, except for a small incident — because I unilaterally upgraded to business class, he felt that economy class was just fine and there was no need to spend money on an upgrade, especially for a relatively short flight. I confidently reassured him that I had the means and there was no need to worry about money. After that, he didn't say much more. Perhaps he might have felt slightly disappointed, but for me, it was truly inconsequential, hardly even worth mentioning.I sat by the window, reclined, and closed my eyes. Just before I drifted off, Neil was still seated beside me. After a while, I felt something brushing against my legs through my jeans. Opening my eyes, I saw a child attempting to get closer to the window to see the view outside.Why was there a child beside me? In my drowsiness, I had a ridiculous thought — when did Neil turn into a child? I shook off the drowsiness and tried to
During the remainder of the flight, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease knowing that a dangerous individual was seated behind us. I sensed his gaze lingering on Neil. Even when I tried to block his view, he persisted in staring in our direction, as if he could see straight through me to Neil. There were moments when I genuinely wanted to turn around and give him a piece of my mind, but I knew that would only end up putting me in the wrong.Upon disembarking, all I could think about was getting Neil away as quickly as possible, but we had to wait for our luggage. So, I clung tightly to Neil, escorting him wherever he needed to go. If he needed the restroom, I went with him; if I wanted to buy a bottle of water, I dragged him along. As it turned out, this approach was the right one, because no matter where we went, I kept catching sight of that man, his eyes fixed on us, especially on Neil. If it was merely coincidental, our actions certainly didn't seem to justify his scrutiny.
Our maritime activities, seaside rests, and even evening dinners at the seaside restaurant had an extra light bulb, which annoyed me greatly. Fortunately, my Neil didn't seem to have any particular reaction to it, which is a small relief amid my irritation. However, I still worried about Neil falling into Harry's trap inadvertently at any moment.After dinner, I hurriedly pulled Neil along to head back to our room. Unexpectedly, that shadow followed us to the hotel and even joined us in the elevator. I was really losing my patience, ready to confront him, but Neil beat me to it with a question I had in mind too."Harry, do you also live here? Which floor are you on?" Neil asked, taking the lead."Yes, Neil, I do. I'm on the top floor," Harry replied."Are you living alone in the presidential suite?" I couldn't help but sound a bit disdainful."It's my habit. Sometimes when I'm not writing, I like to wander around the room for inspiration," Harry explained."How coincidental," Neil sai
When I woke up, he was already awake, gently stroking my hair strand by strand, as if counting how many I had. I grabbed his hand, placed it near my lips, and lightly kissed it. He chuckled, and I leaned in to give him a good morning kiss, seizing the opportunity to leave a mark on his neck. "So early?" I asked. "Happy," he replied. "Because of the trip? Or because of last night?" His face flushed as soon as I mentioned last night. "Yes, because of that." "Because of what?" "Because of this." He grabbed his phone, squinted at the screen, and showed me a picture. It was a photo of a white wolf and Neil. Turns out, he had woken up during the journey and snapped a photo. It was my first time being photographed in wolf form, and I had no idea it happened. "You took a sneaky picture of me?" I tickled him, and he squirmed in my embrace. "Your wolf form is so beautiful, so charismatic." "Of course." "The fur is so nice to touch." "So, you secretly touched my hair?" "Yeah, but wol
According to our itinerary, we were originally supposed to go to the aquarium. By the time Neil woke up, it was almost noon, and he hesitated with embarrassment about whether we should change the plan. I reassured him by patting his head, saying it's alright, we could just go and see, and if we could cover everything, great, and if not, it's okay. Truth be told, I didn't mind where we went, as long as I was with him.As soon as we stepped out, I was on high alert, observing our surroundings intently, worried that Harry might show up again to cause trouble, so the whole journey seemed quite serious. It wasn't until we arrived at the aquarium that Neil's question amused me."Do you feel like eating fish when you see them?""Why don't you ask me if I feel like eating people when I see them?" I chuckled and leaned close to his face, whispering in his ear."You wouldn't eat people, because you haven't eaten me.""I haven't eaten you, but I've consumed you in another way."With that said, I
Carrying the dinner, I headed upstairs. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard Neil and Harry talking. I couldn't summon up anger anymore, and I even began to wonder about these two. Were they having an affair? Right in front of me? I didn't continue walking, staying in place to eavesdrop on their conversation."Neil, your wound. If you want, I can come in and help you dress it. Or if it's not convenient, you can come to my room, just for dressing the wound, I won't do anything else." It dawned on me that I had been too angry earlier and hadn't even thought to check on his injury."No need, Harry, I'm fine.""Are you crying?""No, I'm not crying." I could imagine Neil vigorously wiping his face."Neil, I'm sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out like that.""It's not your fault, it's mine.""How can it be your fault? Neil, you have no fault in this, he does." He? Me?"It's not Ryan's fault, it's mine. Ryan is good, he's good to me." I softened a bit. I had just scolded hi
After last night's frenzy on one side and cooperation on the other, I had no idea when the gauze around Neil's neck had fallen off. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw that dry wound on his fair skin. It was a bit unusual; leaning in for a closer look, I could clearly see two round puncture marks, accompanied by minor bite marks and abrasions. Those two puncture wounds were unmistakably vampire bites. Could that brat Harry be a vampire?The more I thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed. I immediately shook Neil awake. He was groggy and wanted to go back to sleep, considering I had finished my activities well into the night, and it was almost dawn when I was done. He had barely slept four hours before I woke him up. Seeing him still squinting, I shook him again, harder this time. I felt it necessary to get to the bottom of this."Neil, wake up.""Huh? Ryan? Is it time?""Just wake up first, I have something to ask you." His tone became cautious upon seeing my serious expression
I returned to the hotel room, and Neil seemed to have just finished grooming, changing clothes, with breakfast untouched on the table. He looked puzzled when he saw me, freezing midway through dressing, one shoulder still unclad. He was adorable like that. Remembering Harry's remark about Neil's emotions being rooted in fear, I approached and hugged his slender waist."Awake now?""Yeah, Ryan, where did you go so early?""I went to see Harry.""Did you... did you guys argue?" He looked tense, so I quickly patted his head."No, don't worry. He checked out this morning, we just talked briefly.""Good, that's a relief. Have you had breakfast? Mine's untouched, want to have it together?" With emotions settled, I once again felt his tenderness."Don't bother with this breakfast; let's go out for your favorite Chinese breakfast.""But won't this be a waste?""Who cares about waste? Your happiness matters most to me." I playfully pinched his nose, like teasing a child."Haha, okay, let me fr
Three days later, on a bright and sunny day, the warm light bathed the earth, as if even the sun was adding a touch of radiance to our wedding. The venue was set up like a dream—white flowers adorned every corner, and the air was filled with a faint, sweet fragrance, as though each petal had been carefully chosen just for us. The guests had all arrived, their faces lit with brilliant smiles, their eyes brimming with blessings and hope. In that moment, all the exhaustion and pain seemed to be forgotten, replaced by nothing but boundless joy and warmth.This day belonged to us three couples, the happiest day of our lives. Neil and I, Peter and Nick, Harry and Nelson—standing together, it felt as if fate had already woven an invisible thread, tying us all together. Each of our faces radiated joy, our eyes filled with love and devotion for one another. Just before the ceremony began, I stole a glance at Neil standing beside me. His eyes sparkled softly, filled with warmth and unwavering d
Ethan continued to describe that miraculous moment: "When Neil's blood entered your body, everything changed dramatically. At first, nothing seemed unusual, but soon, the operating room was filled with dazzling light. Countless beams of light intertwined in the air, and the entire hospital was suddenly powered down, as if a mysterious force had illuminated it. Everyone was startled, and you, it seemed, experienced some kind of extraordinary transformation in that instant." There was a calmness in Ethan’s eyes. "Then, the situation settled. Power was restored, the readings on the instruments returned to normal, and your arm miraculously reconnected, fully healed. The symptoms of blood loss vanished in an instant, as though nothing had ever happened."I murmured, "If this is true, then what the Black Wolf said in the virtual world must also be correct. It claimed the calamity has been averted, the curse is broken." The Black Wolf had told me that these changes signified that the crisis
Everything went black, and I was suddenly jolted back to reality. The chaotic scene of battle unfolded around me—Kim and Peter had been knocked to the ground by the vengeful spirits, and Maria was visibly struggling, her strength fading. I looked around in shock, my heart heavy with realization. All of this suffering, all of this fighting—it was because of the decision I had made. I had refused to let go of Neil, going to any lengths to bring him back to life. But in doing so, I had led us into an endless cycle of calamity, and even Neil had been forced to endure so much pain. Perhaps the root of all this, the key to ending it, lay within myself.Slowly, I rose to my feet, a sense of clarity settling over me as I began to understand the true meaning of goodness. It was selfless letting go—it was the willingness to forsake oneself for the sake of others.I took a deep breath, releasing all my obsessions, letting go of the desire to fight for selfish reasons or love. I would fight now,
Ken Yimo raised his hand high, summoning the fragile thread of magic he could barely muster, and hurled it toward the demon with all the strength he had left. Though his magical abilities were far from impressive, his gaze was resolute, unwavering in the face of death. The demon, however, merely smiled faintly, effortlessly neutralizing Ken's attack. The vast disparity in power sent Ken crashing to the ground, his body feeling as fragile as an ant under the weight of the demon’s overwhelming force.But just as Ken fell, something in Fred's heart shifted. He could no longer bear to watch this crumbling scene unfold. Tears welled in his eyes as he screamed in desperate anguish, his voice cracking with raw emotion, “Ken, no! Don’t sacrifice yourself for me! I’m not worth it!” His words were soaked in sorrow and despair, filled with regret—as if all his anger and jealousy had now melted away into nothing but remorse.Ken Yimo struggled painfully to rise from the ground, blood and bruises
Nick forced himself to put on a defiant expression and coldly said, "Who's afraid?" But I could see a flash of fragile fear in his eyes, and my heart ached even more. Nelson had just recovered, his face pale, his body swaying slightly. Upon hearing Harry's call, he struggled to lift his head, his eyes still filled with trust and dependence on Harry. He parted his lips weakly and whispered, "Harry..." His voice was so faint, it seemed like it could vanish into the air at any moment. Neil, the most sensitive of the three, looked at us with fear in his eyes. But he didn't cry out for help; instead, he anxiously glanced at Nelson, as if silently urging us to take care of the more fragile brother first.Facing the scene before me, a surge of anger filled my chest, and I coldly demanded to know what Fred wanted. Fred stood in the shadows, his gaze as cold as ice. He gave a faint smile, revealing a sickly, cruel satisfaction. "It's simple," he said, his voice low but carrying an undeniable o
Meanwhile, the others had scattered, continuing their search for any trace of Neil, their faces grim with concern. The tension in the air was thick, and every passing second felt like we were hurtling toward something far darker than we had anticipated.As everyone scrambled in panic, Maria suddenly called out, "There's a trace of magic here!" Her voice was tinged with urgency and surprise, clearly indicating that she had discovered something unusual. We hurried over to find her standing at the entrance of Ken Yimo's bedroom, eyes closed in concentration, her hands moving gently through the air as though she were carefully unraveling an invisible barrier. Soon, the tips of her fingers began to glow faintly, as if she had torn through a thin veil. In that instant, the magical barrier dissolved, and everything behind the door came into view, causing me to gasp in shock.Inside the bedroom, Ken Yimo lay on the cold floor, his face ashen, as though he had endured some immense shock. Scatt
"It turns out that Ken's coldness stems from such a painful past," I murmured softly, a deep, indescribable sorrow washing over me. The suffering Ken had endured was far beyond our comprehension. No wonder he kept everyone at arm's length, as if wrapped in a hard shell to shield himself."What's even more tragic is that our 'old-fashioned' people, upon learning about Ken's sexual orientation, grew even more hostile toward him. They have no idea that his sexuality was, for the most part, twisted by that monstrous foster father of his," Maria sighed, her eyes filled with profound sympathy and understanding for Ken. She shook her head, adding, "They ostracized him, yet they have no clue what kind of pain he went through."I couldn't help but ask, "What happened after that? What did Ken go through?"Maria gently shook her head, a shadow of sorrow crossing her face. "He left our place. By the time I found him, that beast of a foster father had gathered thirty or forty people, trying to for
Ken Yimo chuckled gently, the smile on his face tinged with a trace of self-mockery, as if he had already come to terms with his fate. "For me, Neil’s safety is the most important thing. As long as he can get away from here, away from all this conflict, I fear nothing."His words were firm and tender, that kind of selfless, fatherly love stirring something deep within me. I clenched my fists in silent resolve, taking a deep breath. "Alright, Ken. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to take Neil away. I won’t let him come to any harm. I swear, I will protect him with everything I have."A flicker of gratitude passed through Ken Yimo's eyes as he nodded slightly. "I know you will, Ryan. Your care for Neil, your dedication to him—it's something even I deeply admire. He’s a child who deserves love and protection... Please continue to show him kindness, and give him the warmth he truly needs."His words struck a chord deep within me. I had planned to turn and leave, to end this
Ken Yimo nodded slightly, his expression laced with a complex mixture of emotions. “Yes. Fred knows he’s nothing more than a replacement. But he... he’s different. Despite everything, he still desperately seeks my attention. He doesn’t mind being my servant, if it means he can be close to me.”"A child with ambition," I murmured to myself, trying to grasp the psychological dynamics at play in such a twisted situation.A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Ken Yimo's lips. "Do you think Fred acts out so recklessly, causing chaos everywhere, even disregarding the reputation of the Yimo family? What do you think he’s trying to achieve?"I furrowed my brows, pondering for a moment, before the realization dawned on me. "Could it be... that he's doing it just to get your attention? He’s deliberately being reckless, making sure everyone knows."Ken Yimo nodded, his tone unnervingly calm. "Exactly. He knows that by antagonizing people, the Yimo family will inevitably be ostracized. But what