Warm and cold air currents clashed, and the absurd rain washed over the city streets. Dark clouds hung low, pressing down on everyone’s chests. Luckily, it was a rest day—no need to go out.
Shi Yuxing lounged on the sofa, snacking leisurely, with a high-energy alpha lying in his lap, occasionally begging for the onion rings in his hand. Da Ling’s rut had passed, disappearing along with Gu Lingzhou’s business trip, and he still wore a muzzle. The week-long rut had drained a lot of his energy. Shi Yuxing’s shoulder was also occupied, his entire body enveloped in the scent of fir.
Shi Yuxing tossed puffed snacks into his mouth while his other hand alternately patted and soothed the two alphas. When the TV drama hit an exciting scene, he’d give a couple of firm slaps on the alpha’s solid skin.
Xiao Zhou yelped: “Wife, go easy—you’ve left red marks.” But the moment Shi Yuxing pulled his hand back, the young alpha grabbed his wrist, unwilling to let go. “It doesn’t hurt—keep touching.”
Da Ling’s gaze darkened as he pressed closer to Shi Yuxing’s neck, the cold metal of the muzzle giving him a slight chill. Shi Yuxing turned to look at him, only to be interrupted by a phone vibration. Glancing down, his interest was piqued. “It’s clearing up tomorrow. Anywhere you two want to go?”
“Why are you asking?” Xiao Zhou propped himself up to look at him.
Shi Yuxing pointed to the message he’d just received from “Ex-Husband.”
“Tomorrow’s your birthday.” His tea-colored eyes shifted between the two. “You guys plan it.”
Da Ling’s eyes stayed fixed on him, as if asking for his thoughts. “As long as I’m with you, I’m satisfied.”
Shi Yuxing looked at him with a hint of confusion—for some reason, the future Gu Lingzhou’s eyes always carried a faint trace of sadness, sometimes looking at him as if he were a fragile vase that could shatter at any moment. He blinked hard and handed the phone to Xiao Zhou, who was playing with his clothes. “What about you?”
Finally getting his wife’s attention, Xiao Zhou’s eyes lit up. He scrambled up, his hair a mess. “Let’s go to an amusement park!”
The air went silent. “Pfft—” Shi Yuxing laughed and tilted his head. “Our Gu Lingzhou is still such a baby.”
On the other side, the steady alpha raised an eyebrow in disdain. Flushing red, Xiao Zhou found an outlet for his frustration: “Hey! What’s that look for, old man? I’m a whole twelve years younger than you!” He pouted in discontent. “And besides—you’re me! I bet you want to go too, you’re just too scared to tell the wife.”
The slandered 32-year-old alpha had no interest in bickering with a kid, nor any need to explain himself. He stared at the back of Shi Yuxing’s head without a word, the tenderness in his eyes threatening to spill over—which only made Xiao Zhou even more annoyed.
Shi Yuxing thought for a moment, then made the final call: “Alright, it’s your birthday—if you want to go, let’s go. I haven’t been in ages. Da Ling, you okay with that?”
·
“Anything you want to hit first?” Shi Yuxing unfolded the park map they’d received at the entrance, consulting the other two.
Da Ling’s finger pointed to a spot on the map, then slid into the air. Following his direction, they saw it in the distance—
The haunted house.
Faint, eerie wails and shrieks from visitors could already be heard.
Xiao Zhou shuddered and ducked behind Shi Yuxing. “I’m a little scared—wife, protect me.”
Shi Yuxing looked up, unsure. “For real, Da Ling?”
Da Ling tilted his head, narrowed his eyes, paused for a few seconds, and gave a soft “mm” in response.
In the end, they decided to push the haunted house to later and queued up for the pirate ship.
“Wife, hold my hand. If we go flying, I’ll make sure I don’t let go.” Xiao Zhou reached out, his exposed eyes bright and clear. But Shi Yuxing didn’t take his hand—he walked right past him to the very front row.
The poor alpha froze in place. “Wife, don’t you love me anymore? Wah wah…” After his dramatic outburst, he scampered after Shi Yuxing, terrified someone might snatch the best seat.
Da Ling’s gaze swept across the crowd. From the moment they’d entered the park, he’d felt eyes on them. Years of battlefield experience told him someone was watching—even as a retired soldier, he could still detect hidden gazes in the environment.
The pirate ship’s startup chime rang out. Shi Yuxing felt the breeze at his temples gradually turn into a gale, and he couldn’t help but scream along with the passengers behind him.
The endless shifts, the never-ending consultations, the daily rounds and overtime—all of it suddenly vanished in that moment. The past was left behind, leaving only warm sunlight and the rush of wind.
After disembarking, Xiao Zhou leaned on Shi Yuxing’s shoulder. “Dizzy.”
The two sat on a wooden bench nearby, staring longingly at the ice cream cart, waiting to be fed. The line was long; it took a while before two ice cream cones came running toward them.
Xiao Zhou looked up. “Only two? Aren’t you having one?” The moment the words left his mouth, a cone was pressed into his hand. He was about to ask the old man to buy another when the older alpha pulled down his mask, gave a sly smile, and sat in the empty seat on Shi Yuxing’s other side. “Yuxing, can I share one with you? I didn’t have enough money for three.”
Xiao Zhou: ???
Xiao Zhou: !!!
He was about to shout in protest, but then remembered they were in public. He immediately lowered his voice and glared at the scheming man beside him. “Hey, what the hell are you talking about? You did that on purpose.”
Da Ling lowered his gaze, feigning hurt: “Then I won’t have any. I haven’t had one for the past ten-odd years anyway—it’s fine if I don’t. Yuxing, you take it.” Shi Yuxing saw right through this older alpha’s cunning schemes, and a wave of satisfaction washed over him. Who said this green-tea act was bad? It was excellent—anyone who didn’t appreciate it just hadn’t been the target of it.
“Xiao Zhou,” Shi Yuxing suppressed his rising smile and said seriously, “He’s just a poor, pitiful alpha.”
The smile didn’t disappear—it only transferred. The young alpha, who had thought he’d gained an advantage by having more time with Shi Yuxing, instantly deflated. The ice cream in his hand no longer tasted good. He leaned on Shi Yuxing’s shoulder, took a big, sullen bite, and began to whimper softly like a wounded animal.
The old man’s scheme had succeeded; for now, he had all of Shi Yuxing’s attention. But Shi Yuxing wasn’t easy to fool. He waited until the ice cream was nearly melting before sticking out his tongue for a taste, purposely getting some on the tip of his nose. Da Ling immediately caught on, gently took Shi Yuxing’s face in his hands, and lightly licked the ice cream off his nose with his tongue.
“Click—” The silent camera captured the moment in high definition. Behind the lens, the photographer’s pupils contracted in terror, nearly dropping the camera.
Xiao Zhou spotted them and shot up from Shi Yuxing’s shoulder. “Wife, how come you let him have some but not me?” Da Ling raised an eyebrow, half his face disappearing back into his mask. “Because we shared one.”
“Look at him!”
Shi Yuxing glanced around, noticed quite a few people staring, and quickly pulled Xiao Zhou’s mask up. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Xiao Zhou was still sulking, his eyes glistening with tears. Shi Yuxing gave in, grabbed his wrist, and rubbed it against the ice cream that had melted between his fingers, then tilted his head and offered his face to him. “Mm?”
The grumpy, childish alpha broke into a silly grin, leaned in, and pecked the trace of flavor from his nose—not caring that the other had licked it first—and shot a triumphant look at his rival.
Shi Yuxing glanced sideways, sighing inwardly that he was raising a pair of twins. “Where to next?”
“How about the carousel?” Xiao Zhou suggested.
A cold voice cut in with disdain: “Childish.”
Xiao Zhou exploded on the spot—the mood Shi Yuxing had just soothed was back in flames: “Wife, he called me childish… You’re the childish one! Fine—you pick something that’s not childish. I, Gu Lingzhou, will take it on.”
The older alpha saw the kid had walked right into his trap, glanced around, and an idea formed. And so—
The drop tower.
The giant frisbee.
The pendulum swing.
After one round, Xiao Zhou was hunched over a trash can, puking his guts out. “I—huff—can still—hurl…” Shi Yuxing was a bit dizzy but could still walk in a straight line. The 32-year-old Gu Lingzhou, a retired military officer used to piloting warships, had physical stamina that was beyond question.
Watching someone who looked like they were about to cough up bile, Shi Yuxing frowned. “That’s weird—you’re going to become a general someday. How can your physical fitness be this bad? Did you undergo some kind of genetic mutation later on?”
The retired officer beside him said: “Before college, I did run a bit, but I never went through physical training. I used to throw up like crazy too. The military academy toughened me up—now I could fly upside down without breaking a sweat, not even a hint of a blush.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Yuxing’s mischievous side bubbled up again. He turned, reached his hand toward the alpha’s nape. The other obediently lowered his head. Even through the mask, Shi Yuxing could feel the heat of his breath. “Is that so, General?”
He rose on his tiptoes, leaned against Gu Lingzhou’s chest, and whispered into his ear—then quickly planted a kiss where no one could see. It seemed like Gu Lingzhou had stopped breathing. Shi Yuxing pulled back, caught a glimpse of ears turning as red as spilled wine, and went off to find Xiao Zhou.
The man left behind remained frozen in the position Shi Yuxing had pressed him into. Gu Lingzhou’s hand reached up to touch his ear—scalding hot. Beneath the black mask, he was shamelessly blushing.
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