Chapter 54 Severe Love-Struck Syndrome

Chapter 54: Severe Case of Love-Sickness

This heat cycle lasted a bit longer than usual, lasting two full days.

For the entire two days, Zhou Yu stayed with him in the villa where the wedding was held.

Most of the time, Lin Yunshu was drowsy and disoriented.

Zhou Yu coaxed and cajoled him into saying many things he wanted to hear, successfully comforting himself and feeling spiritually uplifted.

It wasn’t until the morning of the third day that Lin Yunshu gradually became more clear-headed.

Recalling the past two days, he only had a clear impression of the wedding night. Once the heat fully set in, his memories became a hazy confusion.

Zhou Yu, unlike his usual self, held him tightly, devoid of his usual banter and arrogance, appearing entirely subdued.

Lin Yunshu rarely saw him in such a state, and in his surprise, he felt himself softening.

Sunlight streamed through the window, the half-open curtains cutting the bedroom into light and shadow.

It was already late autumn; the light was no longer too bright, and the sky always seemed veiled in gray haze.

Lin Yunshu lay in bed, his gaze empty, staring for a long time at the fiery red maple forest outside the window.

He took a deep breath and turned over. Though he still felt weak, at least he no longer felt as uncomfortable as before.

This was the longest and most severe heat cycle he had experienced since his first differentiation after adulthood.

In his confused state, Lin Yunshu almost thought he was becoming a typical omega.

But that was clearly impossible—it was merely an illusion created by his recent, slightly stabilized pheromones.

Lin Yunshu knew himself well enough.

It was still early, so he lay in bed a while longer before getting up to freshen up.

His legs felt weak, and there was a swollen, unfamiliar feeling between his legs. Lin Yunshu tried his best to ignore the discomfort and made his way slowly to the bathroom.

After washing his face, his mind felt much clearer. Lin Yunshu looked at his reflection in the mirror, took a few deep breaths, and composed himself.

For some reason, his cheeks still held a lingering flush. Lin Yunshu patted them and applied cold water for a while until the color faded. Only then did he leave to change clothes.

The house was enormous—an authentic castle. Lin Yunshu wandered the halls near his room but didn’t see a single person.

When he tried to return, he turned around and realized he was completely lost.

His clearest memory only extended to the conservatory. As for how he ended up in the bedroom afterward, or which bedroom it was, he couldn't remember, and he hadn’t paid attention when he first left.

The layout of this floor was as complex as a maze. Staring at the labyrinth of corridors ahead, Lin Yunshu couldn’t even find the elevator.

(o.o)

He stood frozen.

After a few seconds, he instinctively took out his phone and called Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu answered quickly, his voice steady: "Awake?"

"Yeah..." Lin Yunshu murmured in response. "Where... where are you?"

Zhou Yu laughed. "What, miss me?"

Lin Yunshu coughed. "Yeah..."

Zhou Yu laughed even more happily but suddenly stopped.

"Wait," he picked up on it. "What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

Lin Yunshu sighed inwardly, admiring how sharp Zhou Yu could be at times.

"I, uh... I..."

He rehearsed the sentence in his mind several times but hesitated, too embarrassed to speak.

He found it embarrassing.

"What’s wrong, baby?" Zhou Yu’s voice grew serious. "Don’t be afraid, tell me slowly. What happened?"

"...It’s not fear." Lin Yunshu felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

To save face, he thought for a moment and said, "Want to play a game?"

"Oh?" Zhou Yu perked up.

"I’ll send you a location sharing request. Accept it," Lin Yunshu said. "Then we’ll both start moving at the same time and see whose starting point is closer to where we meet."

Standing for too long made his waist and legs uncomfortable. Lin Yunshu found a place to sit, gripping his phone nervously as he suggested tentatively. "So, want to play?"

"You..."

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by Zhou Yu’s burst out laughing.

"You’re lost?"

Lin Yunshu: "…………"

A few minutes later, Zhou Yu arrived.

.

Lin Yunshu was on a spacious platform on the seventh floor. The platform connected to corridors on three sides, with a grand mural covering the remaining wall.

He wore a light gray overcoat over a soft shirt, sitting on a white bench and studying the mural.

Zhou Yu had hurried out of the elevator but slowed down upon seeing Lin Yunshu.

Lin Yunshu’s back looked remarkably calm. Amid the vibrant surroundings, he stood out like an odd piece that still fit.

Zhou Yu crept up behind him and gently touched his cheek.

Only then did Lin Yunshu come back to himself, turning his head to look up at him.

"You’re here?" he said. "Sorry, I didn’t notice you."

"It’s fine," Zhou Yu smiled, taking his hand and pulling him up. "Why did you come here alone?"

"I woke up and was feeling bored," Lin Yunshu said.

"If you’re bored, just call me," Zhou Yu slipped an arm around his shoulder and guided him back. "I’ve been waiting for you to keep me company when you’re bored."

Lin Yunshu: "……"

He gave Zhou Yu a helpless look.

Zhou Yu grinned and made a show of zipping his lips shut.

"Why didn't you use location sharing?" Lin Yunshu changed the subject. "We could've moved at the same time. You didn't have to run up and down by yourself."

"I wanted to, alright?" Zhou Yu said playfully.

He led Lin Yunshu around a few corners, and before they knew it, they had reached the elevator.

Lin Yunshu was surprised to find the elevator so close—he had been unable to locate it earlier, like he'd been going in circles.

The two entered the elevator together, and Zhou Yu pressed the button for the first floor.

"I'm serious," Lin Yunshu said. "I could've come to find you too."

Zhou Yu's brow twitched slightly, and he stared intently at Lin Yunshu for a moment.

Lin Yunshu blinked, unsure what he had said wrong. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Zhou Yu shook his head. "It's nothing."

He smiled. "It's just... hearing you say that makes me really happy."

The elevator doors opened, and Zhou Yu slipped an arm around Lin Yunshu's shoulders as they stepped out. "Let's go get breakfast. Are you hungry?"

He was actually a little hungry, but Lin Yunshu's first instinct was always to deny it.

"Not really."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he hesitated, realizing he didn't need to be so evasive over something so mundane.

"A little..." he corrected himself.

Zhou Yu nodded thoughtfully. "You seem a bit different today."

"Really?" Lin Yunshu touched his hair and averted his gaze. "Not really. Maybe I'm just not fully awake yet."

Zhou Yu didn't argue further and led him to the restaurant.

Breakfast that day was a light Chinese meal. Lin Yunshu ordered a bowl of wontons in bone broth and sat down to eat slowly.

Zhou Yu, however, didn't touch his food. Instead, he rested his chin on his hand and silently watched Lin Yunshu.

Under such an intense gaze, Lin Yunshu managed to eat a few bites before finally looking up.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked.

"You eat first," Zhou Yu said affectionately. "I'll eat after you're done."

Lin Yunshu: "……"

He tried to be patient. "Let's eat together. It's strange for one person to eat while the other just watches."

"Really, it's fine. Watching you eat makes me happy—I'm full just from that."

Lin Yunshu: "…………"

This was getting more and more absurd.

"Do you know what you look like right now?" Lin Yunshu asked.

"What?" Zhou Yu was still looking pleased with himself.

Lin Yunshu hesitated. "Like those East Asian parents I see in short videos."

Zhou Yu's expression shifted through a range of emotions.

Lin Yunshu looked down, avoiding eye contact.

He knew it wasn't the best comparison, but he couldn't think of a more fitting description.

Still, the videos usually depicted poor families where parents gave everything to their children and watched them eat because they couldn't afford food themselves.

But Zhou Yu was different—it wasn't like he couldn't afford to eat.

He sighed. Lin Yunshu sighed again.

Would Zhou Yu get angry?

It was entirely possible. He had such a weird temper—sometimes his triggers for happiness or anger were totally unpredictable.

Worried, Lin Yunshu warily looked up to check Zhou Yu's expression.

What he saw made him start.

Zhou Yu seemed even more delighted, his eyes full of laughter as he stared without blinking at Lin Yunshu.

Lin Yunshu: "?"

"You watch short videos?" Zhou Yu asked.

Lin Yunshu: "??"

"You actually watch short videos too?" Zhou Yu looked at him with disbelief. "Do you know how cute that is!"

Lin Yunshu: "……Huh?"

He was completely baffled.

Even with prior experience of Zhou Yu's bizarre thought processes, Lin Yunshu was still thrown by this response.

He tried to understand Zhou Yu, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out how the man had zeroed in on the phrase "watch short videos" from everything he had said.

"What's... adorable about it?" Lin Yunshu struggled to keep a straight face. "Don't you watch them too?"

Clearly, Zhou Yu was way more obsessed with short videos than he was!

Just last week, he had caught Zhou Yu watching an over-the-top family drama in his office. The moment Lin Yunshu walked in, Zhou Yu had quickly shut off his phone in a transparent attempt to hide it.

Later, Lin Yunshu even looked it up—the episode Zhou Yu had been watching was behind a paywall.

If he was spending money on short dramas himself, why was he making such a fuss about Lin Yunshu watching short videos?

Besides, Lin Yunshu considered himself pretty disciplined—he only watched them when he was really bored, and never for more than ten minutes at a time.

Not like you.

"I do watch them," Zhou Yu declared firmly.

"But it's different, get it, baby? It's just not the same."

Lin Yunshu: "...I don't get it."

"When I watch them, it's just normal," Zhou Yu said excitedly, "but with you, it's different!"

Lin Yunshu: "...Are you really applying double standards here?"

"It's not double standards," Zhou Yu replied, unsure how to explain.

Just imagining Lin Yunshu scrolling through short videos made him melt.

Maybe it's when he's tired from work and he's alone, lying comfortably on the sofa, just casually swiping across the screen.

Or perhaps it's while waiting for him to get out of the shower before bed, bored and pulling out his phone.

No matter what, it's adorable.

But Lin Yunshu didn't understand, looking at him as if he were a fool.

Zhou Yu was totally frustrated, as if no one in the world understood him.

So he grabbed Lin Yunshu and gave him two hard kisses.

This mental state really freaked out Lin Yunshu.

He shrank back in panic, picked up his unfinished wontons, and dashed off.

Zhou Yu: "?"

His arms now empty, he shouted after Lin Yunshu's hurrying away figure, "Where are you going?"

Lin Yunshu ignored him.

"Hey, Lin Yunshu, Secretary Lin!"

Zhou Yu chased after him.

Lin Yunshu's frantic escape was really funny, and Zhou Yu laughed so hard he couldn't breathe.

"Alright, alright, stop running," he called out, laughing. "I'll stop being crazy, okay?"

"Slow down! You just ate—or you'll get a stomachache!"