Chapter 61 (Double Update) Accompany Me to the Re-examination…

Chapter 61 (Combined Two Parts) Come with me for my check-up...

Zhou Yu had been on a business trip for a week, returning travel-weary but eager to get home.

Dragging his suitcase to the foot of the mountain, he realized that the "alone time together" he had imagined had turned into a "group outing."

In the misty foothills, Tan Cong, the bright, glaring third wheel, waved enthusiastically at him: "Been waiting for you two lovebirds for ages!"

Behind him stood Guo Shengyao, beaming brightly, along with Zhou Yu's perpetually scowling brother-in-law.

Zhou Yu: "???"

He looked at Lin Yunshu in disbelief: "What happened to our promised alone time?"

"What?" Lin Yunshu played innocent. "I never said anything about that."

His eyes darted mischievously before he turned and walked off to join the others.

Amid the hazy mountain scenery, Zhou Yu felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning out of nowhere.

·

The hotel was tucked into the mountains.

Lin Yunshu entered the room, with Zhou Yu following closely behind and shutting the door.

In the next moment, Lin Yunshu was pulled back by the wrist, pressed against the door by Zhou Yu, who planted a punishing kiss on his lips.

"How could you bring others along?" Zhou Yu feigned hurt as he questioned him.

Lin Yunshu tilted his head away, fighting a smile. "I never said I wouldn’t."

"You did this on purpose." Zhou Yu’s brow furrowed as he leveled a heavy gaze on Lin Yunshu.

Unable to ignore the intensity of his stare, Lin Yunshu finally felt a bit guilty and deliberately avoided eye contact, letting his eyes wander vaguely toward the window.

Zhou Yu gripped Lin Yunshu’s chin and turned his face back, leaning in slightly. His tall frame loomed over Lin Yunshu, blocking his entire view.

"What’s so interesting outside?" He tapped Lin Yunshu’s chin gently. "Yun Shu, look at me."

Only then did Lin Yunshu shift his gaze to Zhou Yu’s face, a hint of resignation in his eyes.

Zhou Yu had a tall nose bridge, sharp eyes and eyebrows, and prominent brow bones that surprisingly curved with a softness, keeping him from looking too fierce—just dashingly handsome.

"Do you think I’m making a big deal out of nothing?" he asked.

Lin Yunshu denied it outright: "I don’t."

Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, studying Lin Yunshu for a few seconds.

"Good."

He took the hint and didn’t press further: "Then can I kiss you a few times as compensation?"

"On the lips," he specified.

Lin Yunshu: "......"

He eyed Zhou Yu suspiciously, feeling like the man was treating "compensation" like some kind of gacha game, growing increasingly addicted.

"Well..."

Lin Yunshu hesitated, unsure whether to indulge Zhou Yu’s "gacha" behavior.

"I thought this was our private date," Zhou Yu emphasized again.

Lin Yunshu couldn’t help but look up, seeing the regret in Zhou Yu’s eyes.

"I’ve been looking forward to this for a week, thinking about it the whole time I was away, counting down the days until I could come back early."

"You know, every time I saw bacon at breakfast, I wondered if I could share a slice with you."

"This getaway was what kept me going."

He even sounded a little sad: "Only to find out it wasn’t like that at all."

"Alright!" Lin Yunshu cut him off, unable to take more.

Zhou Yu fell silent, watching him eagerly.

"Fine, kiss me," Lin Yunshu closed his eyes, like a martyr. "Go ahead, just stop talking."

Zhou Yu’s lips curved almost imperceptibly.

"Okay."

He stopped talking, stroking his thumb gently over Lin Yunshu’s pale lips before leaning in to kiss him.

Lin Yunshu was soft-hearted and responsive to kindness rather than force.

Playing the sympathy card often worked wonders with someone like him.

Zhou Yu couldn’t hold back his smile any longer and scooped Lin Yunshu up, carrying him toward the bed.

Lin Yunshu was the type to take everything seriously, finding it hard to multitask. Once he immersed himself in something, he couldn’t focus on anything else.

Including kissing and intimacy.

Whenever Zhou Yu started kissing him, Lin Yunshu’s mind seemed to enter a state of intense focus, oblivious to the world around him, carefully following each step of the kiss.

Zhou Yu always found this earnestness completely charming and couldn’t help smiling as he kissed him.

He expertly slipped off Lin Yunshu’s outerwear, unbuttoned his shirt, and revealed the expanse of pale skin around his collarbone.

Cupping Lin Yunshu’s slender neck, he pressed his thumb lightly beneath the Adam’s apple, causing Lin Yunshu to swallow uneasily a couple of times.

Lin Yunshu’s breathing grew rapid as he sank helplessly into the soft mattress under Zhou Yu’s subtle but persistent pressure.

Zhou Yu planted a hand beside Lin Yunshu’s ear, leaning down to kiss the skin behind it.

Lin Yunshu shivered even more intensely.

"Don’t be afraid," Zhou Yu comforted, rubbing his back. "Why are you still nervous?"

Lin Yunshu took a few deep breaths. "I’m... I’m not..."

After all the times they'd done this, how could he possibly be nervous?

Zhou Yu took Lin Yunshu's shoulders, only to find him trembling uncontrollably, his body ice-cold.

Zhou Yu stopped and turned to look toward the window.

The window was wide open, and the cold winter wind rushed in recklessly, making the leaves outside flutter and sway.

This was the suite with the best view—a full-length panoramic window framing the scenery, bringing the landscape painting indoors, with a balcony connected to a private hot spring. The window had been left open when they checked in.

Zhou Yu immediately got out of bed, closed all the windows and curtains tightly, then turned on the heater and cranked up the heat.

With the weight on him suddenly lifted, Lin Yunshu pushed himself up on his elbows, raising his upper body.

Zhou Yu moved around the room, and Lin Yunshu’s gaze followed his movements until Zhou Yu returned to the bed and embraced him.

"Don’t you even realize you’re cold?"

Lin Yunshu’s eyes were still moist, clouded with leftover passion, and his reactions were somewhat slow.

"It’s okay, I didn’t feel it earlier," he said slowly, followed immediately by a shiver.

"Now you do."

Zhou Yu didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed, chuckling at Lin Yunshu’s reaction time that stretched to infinity.

But being slow to react had its advantages. In daily life and work, this trait of Lin Yunshu’s meant he was meticulous and attentive to detail.

In intimate moments, however, it made everything wonderfully captivating.

For example, when he was lost in a kiss, he would focus entirely on the act, not noticing when his wrists were tied or raised above his head.

Or when things got a bit rough, he would just gaze at you with dazed, wet eyes, silently shedding a few tears after a while.

Zhou Yu treasured every tear immensely.

He held Lin Yunshu contentedly in his arms, warming him for a moment.

Only when the room temperature rose and Lin Yunshu’s skin gradually grew warm did he continue kissing the lovely corners of his eyes.

Lin Yunshu’s neck was also beautiful. Zhou Yu cradled the nape of his neck, always feeling the urge to clamp down hard and leave marks on that delicate skin, marking it as his alone.

But in the end, he could never quite go through with it.

After all, when Lin Yunshu was focused on one thing, he barely noticed anything else, and even his pain response was delayed—it took a while for him to feel it.

Without timely feedback, Zhou Yu was always afraid of using too much force.

He gently held the back of Lin Yunshu’s neck, leaning in to sniff his neck, but couldn't detect the familiar scent of pheromones.

Zhou Yu tilted his head in confusion, then his fingers brushed against a rough patch.

It was a suppressant patch.

A medical-grade suppressant patch with the highest level of pheromone blocking.

Such patches were typically used clinically for omegas who suddenly went into heat but urgently needed surgery, or for those with abnormal pheromones to protect them from other alphas’ influence in the short term.

Because of their strong potency, they inevitably came with side effects. Long-term use could damage the glands and, importantly, affect an omega’s ability to conceive.

In real life, almost no omega used such suppressant patches—at least, Zhou Yu had never seen one.

Zhou Yu’s brow furrowed immediately, and he ripped the patch off Lin Yunshu’s neck.

A slight sting jolted Lin Yunshu back to reality. He shuddered, opened his eyes, and met Zhou Yu’s dark, serious eyes.

"Why are you using this kind of suppressant patch?" Zhou Yu asked, displeased. "Don’t you know it has serious side effects?"

Of course Lin Yunshu knew.

He stared at Zhou Yu for a moment, mentally listing the well-known side effects, and his expression turned somewhat peculiar.

"What’s that look?" Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow.

Lin Yunshu didn’t answer. Instead, he raised a hand to Zhou Yu’s shoulder and pushed him away with slight force.

He sat up and silently began buttoning his shirt.

As if pondering something, he pursed his lips slightly and looked at Zhou Yu with confusion:

"Do you actually want me to have your child?"

Zhou Yu was taken aback.

He hadn’t really thought about it that way.

High-potency suppressant patches did affect an omega’s fertility, but that wasn’t their only side effect.

Lin Yunshu’s sudden question hit Zhou Yu like a hammer blow.

"Why not?" he suddenly wondered. "We’re married, aren’t we? Wouldn't wanting kids be normal?"

Lin Yunshu stood up and methodically tucked his shirt into his waistband.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, looking down at him.

Zhou Yu watched as Lin Yunshu’s clothes returned to their usual immaculate state, from the sleeves to the collar, erasing all traces of Zhou Yu's earlier touch.

Zhou Yu felt a pang of sadness. "Isn’t it allowed?"

Lin Yunshu fell silent again.

He stood before the bed, his long lashes veiling his eyes, his figure slender and lonely in the dim room.

Zhou Yu's heart chilled bit by bit.

Lin Yunshu crossed his arms, carefully sizing up Zhou Yu’s attitude, testing his sincerity.

It wasn't that he opposed Zhou Yu’s perspective.

For a married couple, having children was completely normal if both were willing.

He didn't dislike children, either.

Besides, they were well-off—if they had a child, they could provide the best lifestyle and education.

The only problem was that Lin Yunshu knew his own body well. His chances of pregnancy were low.

Not only did he have a congenital genetic defect and incompletely developed glands, but the countless inhibitors he’d used over the years since his secondary gender manifested had long since damaged his physical constitution.

He couldn't conceive and bear children normally like other omegas.

Then they would have to strictly follow the dates specified in the contract to avoid further delaying each other.

An uncomfortable silence hung between them.

Zhou Yu quietly studied Lin Yunshu for quite a while.

He couldn’t see clearly—Lin Yunshu’s head was bowed low, in a defensive pose, and the faint light seeping through the curtain gap wasn’t enough to illuminate his eyes.

But suffocation enveloped Zhou Yu.

In the end, it was Zhou Yu who couldn’t hold out and was the first to give in.

He stood up and drew open the curtains, taking a deep breath of the misty air.

“Alright,” he murmured. “Alright.”

Lin Yunshu looked up, squinting at the bright white light from the window.

Zhou Yu turned around, his expression relaxed again.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s go down for dinner,” he said, shaking his phone. “Your Brother Cong is urging us.”

Lin Yunshu met his gaze for two seconds, tacitly accepting the way out he was offered and setting aside the heavy atmosphere for now.

“Okay,” he smiled. “Guo Shengyao said the specialty dishes here are pretty good.”

Zhou Yu walked over, picked up Lin Yunshu’s coat, and helped him into it, as usual.

“Let’s go.”

He took Lin Yunshu’s hand.

Lin Yunshu naturally held it back, giving his palm a gentle squeeze. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Zhou Yu paused, then laughed. “No.”

The two walked out of the room together, and Lin Yunshu closed the door behind them. “Actually, when it’s just the two of us, I haven’t been using those suppressant patches.”

“I know,” Zhou Yu nodded, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to guide him forward. “Do I seem that petty to you?”

Lin Yunshu lowered his head and smiled.

·

Downstairs in the restaurant, Tan Cong and Guo Shengyao were already waiting.

“Master, Master, come quick!” Guo Shengyao was as energetic as ever, pulling Lin Yunshu to sit beside her as soon as she saw him.

Zhou Yu: “…”

Tan Cong laughed and pushed an eye-rolling Zhou Yu into a chair.

“Here, Little Guo,” Tan Cong handed the menu to Guo Shengyao. “You’re familiar with this place—you order.”

“Me?” Guo Shengyao instinctively glanced at Zhou Yu.

But her unpredictable boss was just sitting across from her, not making a sound or movement.

“It’s fine, Shengyao,” Lin Yunshu said gently. “Just order what you think is good.”

After he spoke, Zhou Yu glanced at him and then nodded as if granting permission.

Guo Shengyao took the menu, smiling cheerfully. “Well then, I’ll gladly accept.”

She then pulled Lin Yunshu into looking over the menu with her.

“Hey.”

Tan Cong nudged Zhou Yu’s arm.

Zhou Yu turned his head impatiently and saw Tan Cong jerk his chin toward the door. “Want to step out for a smoke?”

He paused for a moment, said nothing, then stood up and followed Tan Cong out.

·

In the smoking room, Tan Cong closed the door.

“What’s going on with you? In a bad mood?” Tan Cong studied Zhou Yu’s expression. “Did you two argue?”

“It’s nothing,” Zhou Yu said irritably.

“No way, you really argued?” Tan Cong looked surprised.

Zhou Yu shot him a sidelong glance. “I said it’s nothing, so it’s nothing.”

He shook the cigarette in his hand. “When did you start smoking?”

“Smoking is bad for your health,” Tan Cong patted his chest. “I never smoke.”

Zhou Yu scoffed and didn’t reply further. Each held a cigarette, but neither lit it.

Truthfully, Zhou Yu didn’t consider what happened earlier an argument, but he couldn’t find a better word for it.

“Do you think Lin Yunshu loves me?” he suddenly asked.

Tan Cong was caught off guard by the abrupt question.

“…Huh?”

What happened to make him doubt their love?

Zhou Yu immediately felt a bit foolish for asking and waved it off.

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

He recalled Lin Yunshu’s demeanor earlier—how gently he discussed the menu with Guo Shengyao, his expression betraying no emotion.

Lin Yunshu had always been excellent at controlling his emotions, something Zhou Yu had known for a long time.

It was even something he had once found endearing.

But now, thinking about it, Zhou Yu felt somewhat displeased, as if he was the only one who would ever be tormented by the other’s words.

He hadn’t been trying to pressure Lin Yunshu into having his child—whether they had children or not wasn't important at all. He hadn’t married Lin Yunshu just to have an omega to carry on his lineage.

Childbirth inevitably takes a physical toll, and Zhou Yu privately didn't want Lin Yunshu to suffer that either. It was just that, in that moment back in the room, Zhou Yu suddenly felt confused.

He couldn't understand—if two people truly loved each other, wouldn't they really look forward to creating a new life together?

Even just a little bit?

Clearly, Lin Yunshu’s attitude wasn't very optimistic.

Zhou Yu also reflected on whether his own perspective was too traditional, even outdated.

How could not wanting to have children with him be proof of not loving him? There were so many DINK couples in the world.

After thinking it over, he could only conclude that the reason they got together wasn’t love from the start.

Lin Yunshu wasn’t with him because he loved him.

This thought often troubled him, so he kept trying to find some way to prove that he had gained Lin Yunshu’s heart, or at least softened him even a little.

"I don’t know why you’re suddenly thinking about all this," Tan Cong said, taking a seat on a chair. "When it comes to romance, I’m no expert."

"But from what I know of your junior, he should be pretty devoted."

Zhou Yu said irritably, "What are you talking about? Of course he’s devoted. He’s always been faithful to me."

Tan Cong: "..."

"Then what are you worried about?" Tan Cong said, exasperated. "You’re acting like a concubine in the cold palace every day." (This is a Chinese idiom referring to someone who is neglected or out of favor.)

Zhou Yu glared at him coldly.

Tan Cong shivered.

"Ahem, well," he quickly averted his gaze, "let me put it this way—even if, to be blunt, our junior doesn’t love you that much, he’s never loved anyone else either."

Zhou Yu frowned in confusion.

"Ah," Tan Cong sighed. "Let me be clearer—you already have him. What more are you unsatisfied about?"

"It’s not the same," Zhou Yu tried to explain but didn’t know where to start. After a long pause, he stubbornly insisted, "Anyway, it’s just not the same."

"Pfft." Tan Cong almost laughed.

He stood up and patted the frowning Zhou Yu on the shoulder. "Listen to me, man. You have high emotional needs, but you can’t expect everyone to be like you. Our junior has always been pretty reserved about everything. Think about it—if he suddenly became as intense as you, wouldn’t that be weird?"

Zhou Yu: "..."

"I know," he shoved Tan Cong’s hand away.

After a while, Zhou Yu sighed and rubbed his temples tiredly. "Maybe I really am overthinking it."

·

"They're still not back?"

At the dining table, Guo Shengyao peered down the hallway.

"It’s fine, let’s give them a minute," Lin Yunshu said. "The food isn't even here yet anyway."

Guo Shengyao nodded absently. "Yeah."

Just as they were speaking, a masked man suddenly darted out from beside Lin Yunshu, scaring the crap out of Guo Shengyao. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Shh!"

The masked man raised a finger, threatening, "Shut up!"

He lifted his mask and sunglasses slightly, revealing his face for a second before putting them back on.

"Chen... Chen..." Guo Shengyao pointed at the masked man and rolled her eyes.

Lin Yunshu said helplessly, "Chen Shuyang, what's with the getup this time?"

"Say my name quietly," Chen Shuyang looked around nervously, "Be careful not to let anyone who might recognize me hear you."

Guo Shengyao asked seriously, "Are you in trouble?"

Chen Shuyang immediately shot her a disdainful look, though nobody could see it behind his sunglasses.

"What kind of clueless disciple did you take on?"

Lin Yunshu sighed, "Stop talking nonsense."

Chen Shuyang then leaned in close to Lin Yunshu's ear and whispered, "I'm a celebrity now—people might recognize me anywhere... Tch, why didn’t you book a private room?"

"The view here is nice," Lin Yunshu said.

Chen Shuyang pulled his mask tighter.

Guo Shengyao tapped away on her phone and exclaimed in surprise, "It’s true!"

She showed Lin Yunshu, "He’s now the biggest star at Tan Cong’s company!"

"What are you saying about me?" Tan Cong and Zhou Yu returned from the smoking room.

Guo Shengyao said smoothly, "Just praising your great taste in choosing artists."

Tan Cong chuckled delightedly.

Zhou Yu sat down beside Lin Yunshu. Without a word, Lin Yunshu subtly sniffed—there was no trace of smoke on him.

With everyone present, dishes were served one by one, all local specialties, which Guo Shengyao described with great flair.

Midway through the meal, Tan Cong ran into an acquaintance—the boss of another entertainment company, who eagerly came over to greet them. Lin Yunshu exchanged a few polite words as well.

"Congratulations, congratulations," the other boss grinned, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You and your partner make such a perfect match, Mr. Zhou!"

"Wishing you a hundred years of happiness and a child soon!"

Lin Yunshu’s heart gave a little flutter.

He instinctively glanced at Zhou Yu but saw no change in his expression as Zhou Yu casually dismissed the comments with a few vague words.

·

The moonlight was intoxicatingly beautiful. The daytime haze had cleared, and the view was clear again, the moon casting a gauzy veil over the snow-covered mountains in the distance.

Lin Yunshu gazed distractedly at the undulating peaks.

He rarely spoke much, and unusually, Zhou Yu also remained silent, making everything go completely quiet for a moment.

Lin Yunshu occasionally cast sidelong glances at Zhou Yu but couldn’t discern what was on the other’s mind.

Truth be told, he had been contemplating their relationship all afternoon.

Zhou Yu often said he had feelings for him. Though Lin Yunshu never said it back, after spending so much time together, he couldn't deny he'd developed feelings.

Being honest with himself, Lin Yunshu thought that if reality allowed, he would be willing to spend his life with Zhou Yu.

The doctor had said his condition could be treated with surgery in the future. A complete cure might be difficult, but at least it could give him more time.

At the very least, he wouldn’t have to be completely at the mercy of his pheromones as he was now.

But if Zhou Yu’s expectations for marriage included having a child, the situation would be entirely different. He probably couldn’t fulfill that expectation.

Since he couldn’t meet it, shouldn’t he end things now?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Zhou Yu asked.

Lin Yunshu lowered his gaze. “No reason.”

With just the two of them present, he hadn’t worn his suppressant patch, and the faint scent of his pheromones lingered in the air.

“Your pheromones seem a lot more stable now,” Zhou Yu remarked.

“Mhm,” Lin Yunshu nodded. “Much better.”

Suddenly, he looked up at Zhou Yu, his mind made up.

“Zhou Yu.”

“I’m here,” Zhou Yu said, grasping Lin Yunshu’s hand in the water.

“I have a check-up at the hospital next week,” Lin Yunshu said. “Will you come with me?”