722: May I Ask...

May I Ask...

After that emotional episode, they took a seat on the bench in the greenhouse, relishing in the tranquil and peaceful scenery in front of them. It was so quiet all around, giving off the impression that only the two of them were left in this world.2

Zeke snuggled into the crook of Lu Yizhou's neck and rubbed his cheek intimately on the soft material of Lu Yizhou's shirt. "I'm sorry…" he murmured, glancing abashedly at the obvious wet patch on Lu Yizhou's shirt, victim to his overactive tear glands.

Now you've gone and done it… Zeke thought despairingly. Not only have you lost control of your emotions, you have also lost your face in front of Lu Yizhou's family! How embarrassing is that!

As Zeke recalled how he had bawled his eyes out like an aggrieved baby, the feeling of mortification crashed down on him with the weight of a thousand kilos mountain. He buried his burning face deeper into Lu Yizhou's shoulder and wished that he could live there forever so he did not have to lift his head and face reality anymore. He was supposed to accompany Lu Yizhou today, as his friend, partner, lover – anything. Yet in the end, the one who cried their heart out was not Lu Yizhou but him instead! Goddamnit!

A mirthful chuckle sounded above him. Zeke felt the man's broad palm rub his head in a soothing manner. It would have been more effective had he not sounded so amused. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Zeke gritted his teeth. 'And how the hell do you know that?!' He almost blurted out the question only to hold back at the very last second. Was this not a perfect replica of their argument earlier? Zeke choked on his breath as he could just imagine what Lu Yizhou's reaction would be like. He could not find a suitable response to refute Lu Yizhou, so he could only sulk quietly by himself.

Lu Yizhou glanced at his pouty lips and could not resist another chuckle. As much as he wanted to tease Zeke further, he also knew that Zeke placed very great importance on this event. It was quite silly of him to brood over making the best impression on his deceased family, yet it was this demeanor of him that melted Lu Yizhou's heart, filling it with nothing but warmth and tenderness. 

"You've cried in my stead," he said, his voice a bit hoarse. "So I have to thank you for that." Just the fact that he could bring Zeke to this place, that he could finally stand in front of his family again and tell them he had moved on, that he was finally ready to embrace this happiness that belonged only to him, was already more than enough for Lu Yizhou. Perhaps Zeke could never guess how much courage Lu Yizhou had drawn from his presence alone…

Zeke let out a derisive snort, it was unknown whether he bought Lu Yizhou's attempt to coax him or not. 

Just as Lu Yizhou was wrecking his brain on how to bring his lover out of the somber mood, he heard Zeke ask in a hesitant tone, "May I ask…"

"Hmm?" 

"...how did you end up becoming an assassin? When the accident happened, you ought to be–" Zeke trailed off as he tried to do the math in his head. But Lu Yizhou beat him to it first,

"Three," he replied with a voice much calmer than he'd expected. "I was three." 

"Three…" Zeke sucked in a mouthful of air and abruptly straightened up. When Lu Yizhou turned to face him, he discovered that the silly man's eyes, that had become bloodshot due to how hard he was crying earlier, reddened again. His expression was solemn as he choked out with a voice as steady as he could muster, "If… If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I won't force you. At all. I just… I just want to know…"

Lu Yizhou understood. That feeling of wanting to know everything about the person you like – even down to the tiniest matter. He understood it very well, because he was also feeling the same toward this person in front of him. Lu Yizhou smiled, a tiny genuine smile from the bottom of his heart, as he grabbed Zeke's hand in his, twisting and rolling the platinum ring on his finger. It had become a habit by now.

"It's actually nothing noteworthy…" Lu Yizhou slowly said. He thought that it would sting badly to rewind that certain part of his life, yet unexpectedly the searing pain he had expected did not come. Aside from the dull throb that he was certain would not go away, he was feeling so at peace with himself. The smile on his eyes deepened.

After his planet was destroyed and everyone was dead except him, he was found by the pirate who roamed the galaxy to scavenge whatever was left of abandoned planets. At that time, a few days had passed since the massacre. The lack of food, sleep as well as the great trauma had turned the toddler Lu Yizhou muddled-headed and feverish. Just like that, he was easily taken away from the hometown he had lived in since birth. 

Children like him were very rare in black markets. The pirate did not even hesitate to put him up for auction. Despite looking a bit haggard and unkempt, Little Lu Yizhou was actually very adorable just like a fair jade doll. In an instant, his price doubled ten or more folds than the base price. 

Zeke gasped when he heard that, aghast. "Y–You were sold?!" He knew that it was already in the past but his heart still thudded in fear and distress for the hardship Lu Yizhou had gone through. 

Lu Yizhou hummed lightly. He held Zeke's trembling hand tighter and rubbed his palm in an attempt to soothe. When he saw that Zeke was getting agitated, he hurriedly explained, "It's okay, nothing terrible happened at that time. Maybe because I looked really terrible, those organ dealers did not dare to purchase me for fear that I was carrying some sickly diseases…" he let out a chuckle, earning him a slap on his arm from the appalled Zeke.

"So, in the end, who bought you?" Zeke asked after calming down his boiling emotions.

Lu Yizhou's brows knitted as he tried to recall the event of that year. After all, too many years had passed and he was very sick, and hence his memory had become a tad blurred. "It was a very wealthy and reputable family. They had a child only a few months older than me. At first, they were going to raise me up so that I could become their child's playmate and personal servant. After all, it's easier to train children than adults. They would be more loyal and dutiful."

The couple purchased Lu Yizhou not only because of his tender age, but because they could see that he had a very charming appearance. They saw great potential in training Lu Yizhou to be their child's servant. Buying him out of this place meant that he would be bound by gratitude and thus unable to betray them in the future, and his attractive look was a plus point as well. They were willing to fork out a sum of money despite not knowing Lu Yizhou's background and identity. Not to mention, they were not even sure whether Lu Yizhou was carrying any infectious disease or not. It could be seen how high their expectations were. 

Zeke was confused. "Then, how could you become an assassin? Did something happen to them?"

pqdm.com