Grandma had misunderstood the situation, but she kept her word. Before the National Day holiday ended, she’d finished preparing the room and had specially bought an enormous desk to put inside. She said Li Ya and Old Xu could come study there too.
And Li Ya and Old Xu really did come.
“There’s something incredibly important that the three of you have completely forgotten!” Old Xu leaned mysteriously against the edge of the desk and tapped it for emphasis. “Something that could change our lives!”
Lu Sili and Su Yuan were discussing a math problem. Li Ya asked, “What is it?”
“You’ve already taken the college entrance exams before! Doesn’t that mean you know what’s on the exam papers?”
“…Do you think you’re particularly clever for thinking of that?” Li Ya asked.
“I forgot all of it ages ago,” Lu Sili said.
“What about Su Yuan?” Old Xu leaned toward him.
Old Xu was easygoing by nature. Some of the classmates they usually spent time with hadn’t understood why Lu Sili had grown close to Su Yuan, thinking he was a boring Beta. But Old Xu liked Su Yuan, because he was the most patient of the four.
Su Yuan looked up too and answered frankly, “My results back then weren’t even as good as theirs. I’ve forgotten even more.”
Old Xu slumped in disappointment and sighed. “Ah.”
Then he suddenly remembered something and turned to Li Ya. “You’re doing the worst in school now, and you can’t make yourself study. What are you planning to do?”
“I don’t have a plan. I’m planning to return to the original world,” Li Ya answered.
Lu Sili knew how miserable Li Ya’s return had been in some ways. He was happy enough while they were playing, but the moment studying came up, he started groaning.
“What if we really can’t go back? You’ve still got to find a way to continue your education.”
At that, Li Ya looked at Lu Sili. “In our last life, you went abroad. This time, Dad says he’ll send me abroad if I can’t pass the exams.”
Lu Sili could only comfort him. “Studying abroad can be good too.”
“Then come with me.”
“Haha.” Lu Sili gave a dry little laugh. “That’s not in my plans at the moment.”
He quickly found something else to do and moved closer to Su Yuan. “How do you solve this? I’m sure I’ve done something similar, but I can’t remember.”
Su Yuan wore an ivory sweater. He pushed up his newly fitted silver-framed glasses and said, “Look. We’re given…”
In the warm, spacious room, the four of them were always together, discussing problems and sharing notes. Sometimes they didn’t have anything important to do and simply lay sprawled on the rug reading comics and novels.
Lu Sili’s parents grew busier and busier. One day, when his mother, Xia Lizhi, happened to come home while the four of them were studying together, she ordered milk tea and fried chicken for everyone.
When the food arrived, Lu Sili spoke with his mother for a while.
It was only now that he realized all of this had happened before. The exhaustion in his mother’s eyes was so obvious, and she couldn’t hide how guilty she felt toward him.
“Once the college entrance exams are over, take a proper trip somewhere. Or I could have someone take you and a few friends out on the yacht,” Xia Lizhi suggested.
Lu Sili nodded with a smile. “Mm.”
Xia Lizhi had never been particularly good at expressing herself. She smiled and said, “Don’t put pressure on yourself about differentiating. We saw the doctor last month, and the doctor said everything was normal. You just need to wait.”
It had never occurred to her that Lu Sili might differentiate into an Omega. She only assumed her son would soon finish both differentiation and the college entrance exams. Then she could leave for the base without worrying.
“Mom.”
“Mm?”
Lu Sili reached out and took Xia Lizhi’s hand. “Have you been very tired lately?”
Xia Lizhi smiled. “Not too bad.”
“I’m fine. You can concentrate on your work without worrying about me.”
Her son had suddenly become less clingy, which seemed strange to Xia Lizhi. But hearing him say that really did relieve some of the pressure she felt.
Xia Lizhi gathered her things and prepared to leave for work again.
Lu Sili heard the off-road vehicle downstairs driving away. Satisfied, he took an enormous bite of fried chicken.
If she was going to choose her work in the end anyway, she might as well be able to do it with a lighter heart!
In November, Li Ya successfully differentiated into an Alpha. The hormonal changes were so intense that he spent two days in the hospital, but he was full of energy again by the time he returned.
Lu Sili still had to wait.
During the New Year’s holiday, heavy snow fell. Auntie and Uncle’s little supermarket had also opened. They were busy running promotions during its first few days, so Su Yuan took Zhan Kaijun out to play.
Lu Sili had absolutely no experience looking after children. Su Yuan didn’t often take Zhan Kaijun out either. After thinking it over, they decided an amusement park would be best.
It was only the second time Lu Sili had met Zhan Kaijun as a small child. The first was when he’d eaten something delicious with Grandma and insisted on delivering some to Su Yuan in the middle of the night. Su Yuan had brought Zhan Kaijun downstairs with him. The meeting had been so brief that Lu Sili assumed she wouldn’t remember him.
Unexpectedly, the moment they met, Zhan Kaijun asked Lu Sili to pick her up.
“Well, look at that. You remember me!” Lu Sili lifted her into his arms.
Zhan Kaijun had always eaten well and looked a little taller than other four-year-olds. She felt almost twenty kilograms in his arms.
No wonder she’d grow so tall later, Lu Sili thought.
Su Yuan wore Zhan Kaijun’s tiny Disney-princess backpack over one shoulder.
In her milky little voice, Zhan Kaijun said, “I remember Brother Lili.”
Lu Sili didn’t normally care much for children, but Zhan Kaijun was simply adorable.
He was just about to offer to buy her something delicious when Zhan Kaijun suddenly said, “My brother kissed you on the lips.”
Lu Sili: “…”
Su Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was the first time he’d heard Zhan Kaijun mention it. He took her from Lu Sili’s arms and hurriedly asked how she’d known.
Lu Sili pointed out that asking like that only confirmed what she’d said.
Zhan Kaijun giggled. “I saw!”
Lu Sili thought back. It had been dark in the residential complex that night, and they’d thought nobody had noticed the two brief kisses they’d stolen in the darkness.
He took Zhan Kaijun’s little hand. “Have you told anyone else?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Lu Sili beamed. “If you don’t tell anyone, Brother Lili will buy you something delicious and take you on the carousel. Deal?”
“Deal!” Zhan Kaijun laughed.
The heavy snow had forced the amusement park to close some of its rides, but the staff had thoughtfully cordoned off a huge area where visitors could play in the snow.
Zhan Kaijun showed off her athletic ability. Lu Sili and Su Yuan were worn out long before she was, and she kept playing with the other children.
The two sat at the edge of the play area and sipped the hot water Su Yuan had brought.
“She really has incredible stamina,” Lu Sili said.
“She does.” Su Yuan nodded. “I think she’s always been like this. In our previous life, once she started primary school, her teacher said she had excellent physical ability and suggested she try sports training.”
“So that’s why she took up soccer?”
“She started with sprinting. Then a soccer coach spotted her and brought her into football. But the older she got, the more the training cost, and the family couldn’t afford it, so…”
“This time we can afford it. And she’s got me too,” Lu Sili said with a smile, taking off his gloves.
Seeing the cold had reddened his fingertips, Su Yuan frowned with concern. “Have your hands gone numb from the cold?”
“It’s a bit chilly.” Lu Sili rubbed his hands together.
“Give them here.” Su Yuan took Lu Sili’s hands in his own, trying to warm them. When that didn’t seem to help, he held them against his cheeks.
Lu Sili laughed. “It’s fine. I’ll warm up in a moment.”
“In a moment they’ll be completely numb,” Su Yuan said.
Then he opened his down jacket and brought Lu Sili’s hands inside to warm them against him.
Lu Sili tried to pull away, but Su Yuan gently kept hold of them.
“You’ll get a stomachache,” Lu Sili protested.
“I won’t.”
Lu Sili’s icy hands quickly warmed against Su Yuan’s stomach. When feeling returned to his fingers, he noticed how much Su Yuan’s abdominal muscles had developed.
Not far away, Zhan Kaijun was building a Great Wall out of snow with the other children. Everyone around them was wearing hats, masks, and thick coats, making it almost impossible to recognize anyone.
Half of Lu Sili’s reddened face was hidden behind his scarf as well.
They had returned to their school days some time ago, yet they still hadn’t done it. He hadn’t even had the chance to appreciate Su Yuan’s newly trained physique.
Desire surged from the depths of Lu Sili’s heart, followed closely by boldness. His hand shot up and firmly grasped Su Yuan’s chest.
“You!” Su Yuan hadn’t managed to move away in time. As he tried to recoil, he pulled so hard that Lu Sili tumbled into the snow with him.
Lu Sili leaned over and looked at Su Yuan.
Two young, slightly awkward faces and two pairs of eyes filled with raw desire.
Su Yuan took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. “Lili, not yet.”
Lu Sili sighed. “I know.”
They needed to respect the fact that they were students preparing for the college entrance exams, and keep their promise to Grandma.
Lu Sili gently rested against Su Yuan’s chest.
“Lili,” Su Yuan said softly, holding him. “Have you decided which universities you want to apply to?”
They’d spent the semester relearning everything they’d forgotten, so Lu Sili still hadn’t made a firm decision.
He’d thought about it, but hadn’t had a chance to discuss it with his family. They didn’t know he would differentiate into an Omega and assumed he would follow his childhood dream of attending a military academy.
“Actually, I quite like working in film. Production would be good, and so would distribution.”
“Then… the University of Southern California?” Su Yuan suggested.
“No.” Lu Sili straightened slightly. “Capital Film Academy.”
Su Yuan tried to suppress a smile, but the corners of his mouth were already curving upward.
Lu Sili made no attempt to hide his intentions. He gently pinched Su Yuan’s cheek. “What’s wrong with that? Didn’t you do your undergraduate degree at Capital Medical University?”
Su Yuan’s eyes curved into crescents with happiness. He took Lu Sili’s hand and secretly kissed the back of it amid the noisy snowfield.
“Good. Maybe we could go to California for graduate school together someday,” Su Yuan said.
Lu Sili smiled. “Mm!”
Their final year of high school passed quickly.
Lu Sili couldn’t help marveling that, even when given the chance to live a life over again, they still ended up living in much the same way.
June arrived, and goldenrain blossoms bloomed once more. Yingnan No. 3 High School prepared a grand graduation ceremony for the students taking the college entrance exams. This time Su Yuan was added to the list of speakers. After finishing his own speech, Lu Sili stepped offstage and watched Su Yuan from the side.
Su Yuan wore a white shirt, its hem fluttering in the breeze. He said, “Someone once told me that the language of goldenrain blossoms is wonder, awe, and a brilliant life. Classmates, the goldenrain trees are blooming now.”
This summer belonged to Lu Sili and Su Yuan alone.
One night after the college entrance exams, Licheng was struck by an unusually fierce thunderstorm. Lu Sili and Su Yuan lay together on the small bed in Lu Sili’s room, holding each other.
This time, Lu Sili had told his parents in advance that he wasn’t feeling well. Both his parents and Grandma were at home. During the day, Li Ya, Old Xu, and Su Yuan had come to visit as classmates, and in the evening Su Yuan had stayed on the pretext that Auntie and Uncle had gone back to their hometown and there was nobody at his house.
“Lili, are you afraid?” Su Yuan asked gently.
Lu Sili answered with a soft “Mm.”
But he knew it was because his previous experience of differentiating had been so painful.
Su Yuan drew him closer in a reassuring embrace.
The rain grew heavier. At half past one in the morning, Lu Sili began developing a fever. Su Yuan got up to fetch his parents and Grandma. Realizing that something was wrong, Xia Lizhi immediately called the family doctor. Half an hour later, the doctor arrived and administered medication to ease the fever and pain of differentiation.
His family stayed beside the bed. Grandma used her dry, warm hands to massage Lu Sili’s muscles and help him relax.
“It’s all right, Lili. It’ll be over soon.”
“Does it still hurt? Don’t be afraid. Mom and Dad are right here.” Xia Lizhi held Lu Sili’s hand too.
Lu Sili did his best to keep his breathing steady. He looked at Su Yuan standing nearby and smiled.
Four hours later, Lu Sili differentiated into an Omega. The doctor said his first heat would come twelve days later.
The eastern sky was beginning to pale. The adults and the doctor were downstairs discussing what to do about Lu Sili’s unexpected Omega differentiation.
Lu Sili’s hair was still slightly damp, as though a high fever had only just broken. He slowly turned over and let Su Yuan wipe the sweat from his back.
“That’s enough,” Lu Sili said.
Su Yuan put the towel aside and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him.
“It’s all right now. The rain has stopped too.”
Lu Sili smiled. “This time everyone was here. It felt as if the whole thing passed in an instant. I barely even noticed the thunder.”
Hearing that made Su Yuan happier than anyone. His eyes reddened before he realized it.
“Why are you crying?” Lu Sili placed his hand over Su Yuan’s.
Su Yuan breathed out gently and tried to smile. “This time… this time I finally got to be beside you.”
The painful memory of differentiation had been an indelible wound for Lu Sili. Seeing Lu Sili suffer had been a thorn in Su Yuan’s heart.
“Husband, give me a kiss,” Lu Sili said.
Su Yuan laughed at the request and glanced toward the door, then quickly brushed his lips against Lu Sili’s.
“How are we going to explain to your parents that I’ll be the one to comfort you? They’re still downstairs discussing suppressants.”
Lu Sili thought for a moment. “I’ll talk to them after you go home.”
Just as he finished speaking, the adults all came back into the room, one after another.
Xia Lizhi studied Su Yuan several times before telling Lu Sili, “I never imagined you’d have a Beta boyfriend.”
“Huh?” Lu Sili and Su Yuan both froze.
Then Grandma suddenly laughed.
Only then did Lu Sili and Su Yuan realize that Grandma had already told her.
Before Lu Sili’s first heat arrived, his parents finalized their divorce. With the base pressing her to return, his mother had no choice but to leave immediately.
The household was once again made up of Grandma, Uncle Zou, and Lu Sili, along with Su Yuan, who came by every day.
Another night of heavy rain.
Su Yuan carefully prepared the artificial-pheromone medication, drew it into a syringe, and gave himself the injection.
“Does it hurt?” Lu Sili asked softly from his seat on the edge of the bed, watching him with concern.
Su Yuan stood before him and took several deep breaths.
The medicine soon took effect, and Lu Sili felt relief.
Su Yuan raised his hands, removed his own clothes, and smoothly knelt before Lu Sili.
Lu Sili slid one hand around the back of Su Yuan’s neck and gently pressed him down. The artificial pheromones—a sweet moss scent—were cool, moist, and soft as they absorbed Lu Sili’s warmth. He gazed at Su Yuan’s body and murmured, “Finally.”
He looked at Su Yuan and murmured, “Finally.”
The corner of Su Yuan’s mouth curled up. “Please enjoy me.”
…
Their moans intertwined with the sound of the thunderstorm like vines in a primeval forest. Lu Sili braced both hands on Su Yuan’s chest; the familiar sensation sent his spirit soaring.
But after a few rounds, his stamina began to wane. Just as they were about to switch, a massive bolt of lightning suddenly tore across the window.
“Mm…” Lu Sili woke with a slight tightness in his chest. Fragments of unfamiliar memories flashed chaotically through his mind. He rubbed his head.
Suddenly, Su Yuan woke with a start.
“Lili?” Su Yuan reached for him in the dark.
The bedroom light came on. They were back in their familiar room.
The faint fragrance of chypre hung in the air, and rain was pouring outside.
“We’re back?” Lu Sili asked.
“We’re back!” Su Yuan exclaimed.
The thunderstorm continued, and it almost seemed as if the sounds of their earlier closeness still lingered beside their ears. Even crossing time and space couldn’t immediately quiet the intensity of their physical reactions.
New, beautiful memories had overlaid Lu Sili’s painful memories of differentiation and heat. Desire stirred within him.
One glance was all it took for their passionate kisses to resume.
It was a bright, passionate June, with goldenrain blossoms blooming outside and the sound of steady rain filling the night. No matter how time and space changed, or how many years had once separated them, they could still find their way back to each other.
A damp tongue brushed along an ear, and he whispered, “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
End of Extras.