Chapter 91

"Let's go one more time?"

"No."

On the pristine white sand of Aharen Beach, Xu Zhangying crouched beneath the lifeguard tower, wearing a souvenir tee with the bilingual slogan "Save the Humpback Whales" in Japanese and English, giving Xia Qing a pitiful puppy-dog look.

Standing before him, Xia Qing was also dressed in the same humpback whale tee, though his was white. This southernmost island of Japan promoted whale sightings as a major tourist attraction—though the next humpback whales wouldn’t appear until winter, six months later.

Still, the humpback whale series was the coolest merch in the cultural shops, so the two boys, suddenly stuck on the island, had no choice but to cycle through different-colored versions every day.

Aharen Beach was the most famous stretch of sand on the island, crowded with tourists in colorful swimsuits from all over the world. In one corner, Xu Zhangying was still desperately trying to bargain for a fourth ride on the water scooter. His face was smeared with pink and yellow sunscreen paste, but even so, after less than 48 hours on the island, his skin had already darkened several shades.

"You rode four times yesterday and three times today," Xia Qing said firmly, rubbing more pink sunscreen paste onto Xu Zhangying’s face. "The sea scooter owner recognizes you now. You wait half an hour in line each time. Can’t you try something else?"

"But this island is so boring," Xu Zhangying flopped onto the white sand. "Snorkeling is fun too, but it costs ¥12,000."

In less than two days since being dumped on the island, Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing had quickly mapped out the entire place, confirming which of Laura’s warnings were exaggerated and which were true—for example, snorkeling didn’t require certification like scuba diving did. Laura’s exaggeration had clearly been an instinctive scare tactic to keep unsupervised kids from recklessly diving into the ocean.

But her claim about the island being boring was absolutely accurate. The island had only a few hundred native residents, with very few traditional buildings left—half of them already commercialized. The only establishments were scattered cafés and restaurants catering to foreign tourists, leaving the beach as the sole attraction.

Snorkeling cost ¥12,000 per session, following a guide to drift through the famous "Kerama Blue" waters, where they could see vibrant tropical fish and coral up close. The moment Xu Zhangying heard the tour guide’s pitch on the first day, he immediately dragged Xia Qing to sign them up.

Though Xu Zhangying had enough money to go snorkeling a hundred times over, it was, after all, Zhao Yang’s money—money he’d have to pay back to his buddy later—so he exercised some restraint.

But when it came to the ¥2,000, 20-minute water scooter rides, Xu Zhangying had zero resistance. He’d happily roast in the sun waiting in a line full of foreigners just for another go.

Xia Qing pointed at a blue banana boat in the distance and looked down at the sulking top-tier alpha. "Wanna try that instead?"

Xu Zhangying blinked, then grabbed Xia Qing’s hand. "Fine, Ao-chan."

"Call me that again and I’ll hit you."

"Why not?" Xu Zhangying grumbled as Xia Qing led him toward the water. "Those girls and omegas can call you Ao-kun, but I can’t call you Ao-chan?"

The whole "Ao-chan" nickname drama had started the day before. The island had a youth camping site open to tourists, and after snorkeling, Xu Zhangying spotted local students grilling at a campsite and dragged Xia Qing over to join.

Being both foreigners and around the same age as the dozen or so students, the two quickly blended in. But since the local teens’ English was poor, Xia Qing became their social representative.

A foreign Chinese boy, polite and stupidly handsome, who also spoke fluent Japanese—soon, a few omegas and girls couldn’t resist gathering around Xia Qing to chat. That was when Xu Zhangying suddenly heard someone call Xia Qing "Ao-kun."

Confused, Xu Zhangying asked, "What’s 'Ao'?"

Xia Qing explained that it was his Japanese name, *Uesugi Ao* (青), which meant "blue." Years ago, during a summer camp in Japan, he had been given a Japanese name—using his father's Japanese surname.

Normally, Japanese people would address him by his surname, but the island students were friendly and informal. After one girl tried calling him by his given name, everyone else followed suit with "Ao-kun."

Xia Qing didn’t mind, but Xu Zhangying nearly lost it. Like a weirdly clingy shadow, he glued himself to Xia Qing’s back, shooting death glares at anyone talking to the beta—even if they were beta guys themselves.

The locals weren’t the only ones baffled; even foreign tourists eating nearby found it strange. Just hours earlier, this cheerful top-tier alpha had been enthusiastically chatting with them in English during their snorkeling trip. Now, for some reason, he’d turned into a socially awkward loner clinging to his companion.

From then on, Xu Zhangying refused to call Xia Qing "Ao-kun" like everyone else. Instead, he deliberately teased him with "Ao-chan"—the cutesy, informal version.

Under the shade of a beach umbrella, Xia Qing handed Xu Zhangying a float vest from the banana boat rental and flicked his forehead with two fingers. "Idiot."

Xu Zhangying grabbed his forehead and fake-wailed, making an elderly American couple nearby burst into laughter.

Xia Qing’s face was smeared with blue and pink sunscreen paste—colors Xu Zhangying chose for him. Despite spending just as much time in the sun, Xia Qing had barely tanned, getting him endless ribbing from the top-tier alpha about being "born lucky." Now, after quickly securing his own float vest, Xia Qing noticed the beach staff helping the American couple first, so he went to buckle Xu Zhangying’s for him.

"If you think it's unfair, you can call me back. I call you *Aao-chan*, you call me *Natsu-chan,*" Xu Zhangying complained to Xia Qing, who was tying his ropes.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the beta male abruptly tightened the life jacket straps, making Xu Zhangying let out a pained yelp and plead, "I'm completely serious, I wasn't joking!"

"*Natsu* means 'summer' in Japanese." Xia Qing thought Xu Zhangying was just teasing him again with his name, but this time, Xu Zhangying was utterly sincere. "I mean it. Don’t you know what my name means?"

Xia Qing looked up, meeting Xu Zhangying’s eyes. "What does it mean?"

"It means summer. My dad named me. '长嬴开序，炎上为德'—in classical Chinese, it refers to summer, heat, and lush plant growth," Xu Zhangying explained with a grin. "So, of course, I’m 'Natsu.'"

Just then, the banana boat guide checked everyone’s life jackets and started the speedboat pulling the blue inflatable raft. Xia Qing took Xu Zhangying’s hand as they waded into the sea, the water quickly rising past their knees.

Xia Qing pondered for a moment before replying calmly, "I see. I thought it just meant 'arrogant.'"

"*Changying* and *Changying* are completely different characters!" Xu Zhangying exclaimed in frustration. "Sure, I might be arrogant, but don’t question my dad’s naming sense, okay?"

As he climbed onto the inflatable raft, Xu Zhangying turned to the beta boy, flashing a mischievous wink. "So, what I’m saying is, look how perfect we are together."

Xia Qing sat in the back, tilting his head. "There are plenty of people with the surname 'Xia' in the world."

"Ah, don’t sweat the small stuff," Xu Zhangying brushed it off, feigning deep emotion. "Sure, there are many people named Xia, but to me, you’re the only *Aao* in the world—"

Before the alpha could finish his teasing, the Japanese man operating the speedboat suddenly gunned the engine. With a thunderous roar, the speeding boat yanked the inflatable raft, sending it skimming wildly across the water.

Xu Zhangying felt like his soul was still on the shore while his body was violently pulled into the open sea. His ears were filled with the excited cheers of the American couple. After taking several hard slaps from the raft, he was flung into the air with unprecedented force. His grip on the safety strap failed, and he was hurled mercilessly into the ocean.

After choking on several mouthfuls of salty seawater, Xu Zhangying finally felt someone pull him back to the surface. Buoyed by the life jacket, he wiped the water from his face with his right hand and saw a familiar pair of amber eyes glinting with amusement.

*Natsu* floated there in the water, spitting out seawater and wailing dramatically at the sky, "See? This is why I’m better suited for jet skis!"

Finally, after four days on the island, Xu Zhangying had settled into lounging in their hostel room. Their twin room had a DVD player, and his interest quickly shifted to scouring the island for DVDs.

The hostel had only two staff members: Nishida, a burly Japanese man in his 40s who owned the place, and Kuniko, a canteen matron in her 60s, along with a 20-year-old helper named Yuka.

It was obvious who Laura’s informant was, so Xu Zhangying avoided Nishida at all costs, channeling all his social energy into charming the beaming grandmotherly figure. She not only produced hidden Hong Kong movie gems from the recreation room for him but also pointed him to rental shops on the island.

From then on, their days fell into a fixed routine.

Every morning, Xu Zhangying would sprawl across Xia Qing’s bed, dead to the world. No matter how much Xia Qing pulled at his cheeks, he’d only grunt before falling back asleep.

By noon, he’d finally wake up, rush to the bathroom, and head downstairs to find Xia Qing already seated at a table under the flower-covered archway, lunch in hand, quietly watching him.

After eating, Xu Zhangying would drag Xia Qing to the beach or nap under the shade until 5 p.m., when the sun’s heat eased. Then, they’d wander in flip-flops, eating popsicles while browsing DVDs at cafés and rental shops.

The Okinawan island offered only two types of interesting movies: Hong Kong Category III films and American B-movies. Only rarely would they stumble upon an old Italian or French film.

Dinner was followed by gory, monster-filled, or suggestive costume dramas on the TV. Xu Zhangying would doze through them, while Xia Qing, unfazed by horror or explicit content, sat beside him. Sometimes they’d chat, but mostly they stayed silent until Xu Zhangying nodded off, and Xia Qing turned off the TV.

In the darkness, Xu Zhangying—still half-awake—would feel the bed dip slightly as Xia Qing settled in, the scent of shower gel lingering before a soft kiss brushed his eyelids.

And so the cycle repeated, day after day.

It was a monotonous existence, yet for some reason, the memories remained vivid. Years later, during the haze of pheromone-induced delirium and hallucinations, these recollections stood out like pristine film reels, replaying clearly frame by frame.

But life wasn’t a movie reel, and small interruptions broke the cycle.

Xu Zhangying remembered it clearly—one morning, a week after staying on the island. The night before, they’d watched the *Infernal Affairs* trilogy lent by the café owner, making the memory even sharper.

Near the equator, dawn came early. Since their room faced the sea, Xia Qing would turn off the AC while Xu Zhangying slept and open the window before 9 a.m., letting salty sea air flood the room.

Today should’ve been no exception, but Xu Zhangying was unexpectedly woken by noise for the first time, finally noticing that the window was open.

Hanging in the open window was a seashell wind chime swaying in the morning breeze, letting out soft, cheerful chimes.

This wind chime had been made three days prior by Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing under the guidance of Ms. Kuniko, using seashells they had collected daily from the beach. However, given Xu Zhangying’s hopeless skills at crafts, most of the assembly work had been done by Xia Qing alone.

Once finished, Xu Zhangying had happily brought the wind chime back to their room and hung it beneath the window frame. Since then, every time Xia Qing opened the window, he would spend an extra minute watching the wind chime sway in the breeze—and Xu Zhangying, still fast asleep despite the tinkling sounds.

So, what woke Xu Zhangying up that day wasn’t the seashell wind chime, but something else—rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed, he heard something scrape against the window frame again.

His first thought was a bird, but soon, a yellow figure flashed past the windowsill. Instantly alert, he called out, "Who’s there?"

At the sound of his voice, the figure retreated behind the windowsill, leaving only the seashell wind chime swaying and tinkling beneath the eaves. Some of the shells in the chime were of the mother-of-pearl variety, shimmering in the sunlight with shifting colors.

It was exactly nine o’clock when the door handle turned, and Xia Qing stepped inside. His eyes landed on the top-tier alpha who should have been dead asleep in bed, crouching beneath the window with his hands gripping the sill, like he was dodging something.

Before Xia Qing could speak, Xu Zhangying, hearing the movement, turned to him and raised a finger to his lips in a silent "shh."

Xia Qing walked quietly to Xu Zhangying’s side, who shifted to make space for him. As soon as Xia Qing crouched down, Xu Zhangying pointed toward the right side of the window, prompting Xia Qing to shift his view a couple times.

"See it?" Xu Zhangying whispered.

Xia Qing finally spotted it—a small, fluffy yellow animal crouched on the ledge outside their window, looking ready to spring.

Xu Zhangying pointed at the wind chime. "It likes this."

No sooner had he spoken than the furry creature leaped from the right edge of the windowsill, lunging toward the seashells in midair. In that instant, Xu Zhangying’s eyes widened as he caught a clear glimpse of the figure—but a single thought flashed through his mind: *This is the second floor!*

He sprang to his feet, but the tiny creature, too small to reach the wind chime, barely managed to cling to the windowsill before scrambling down to the first-floor porch and bolting like a shot.

It was a very small calico cat.

"What kinda cat’s bold enough for that?" Xu Zhangying leaned out the window, craning his neck to look, but the calico was nowhere in sight.

"It might come back," Xia Qing said, resting a hand on Xu Zhangying’s shoulder. "Let’s leave the window open a little longer."

But by noon, when the temperature had peaked, Xu Zhangying—sitting in the room under the fan—still hadn’t seen the bold cat return. Disappointed, he closed the window and went downstairs for lunch.

For the next three days, Xu Zhangying slept restlessly in the mornings, always on guard for the cat’s return. Seeing how hung up he was, Xia Qing stopped going to the recreation room to read and instead sat on the opposite bed, keeping watch by the window.

Xia Qing even lowered the wind chime slightly and asked Ms. Kuniko for some shredded salmon, placing it in a small dish on the windowsill.

But the daring little cat seemed cautious, avoiding the "trap" the humans had set. Each time Xu Zhangying woke to an empty windowsill, he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

Still, his moods shifted quickly. Every afternoon after lunch, he and Xia Qing would still go to the beach as usual, riding rented bicycles around the island in search of movie rental spots.

Then, on the evening of the third day, as Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing walked down a sloping mountain path, a sudden tropical downpour soaked them to the bone instantly.

The road was lined with traditional houses rather than shops, and their hostel stood at the very bottom of the slope. So the pair took off running downhill through the rain, feeling the pavement’s heat rising underfoot as cold raindrops pelted their faces and bodies.

The storm passed as quickly as it came. By the time they were two hundred meters from the hostel, the rain had lightened and then stopped entirely.

Xu Zhangying slowed his pace, shaking water from his hair and squeezing water from his whale-print tee. "Guess we’re showering the second we’re back," he muttered.

Beside him, Xia Qing was equally soaked, swiping water off his face.

With the storm clouds lingering, a deep pink sunset bloomed over the ocean, gradually filling the sky. The mix of smells—wet earth and seawater—blended together, sealing the moment in their minds.

Xu Zhangying felt Xia Qing take his hand, so he turned his face toward the beta male while swinging their joined hands. Just as he was about to spout his usual cheesy lines, he suddenly heard a sound—piercing but faint.

As he quieted down to listen carefully, the sound suddenly amplified. Xia Qing heard it too, and the two exchanged a glance before immediately heading toward the source.

Before long, they found a low wall near an unoccupied residential house close to the hostel. The sound was coming from inside the wall. The house had been vacant, and now the shrill cries grew even more desperate. Xu Zhangying hoisted himself onto the wall and climbed over.

The moment his eyes cleared the top of the wall, he saw the source—three cats, to be precise, one adult and two kittens. An adult orange tabby crouched on a brick, arching its back and hissing threateningly at the two little ones.

The kittens—one calico and one white—looked barely weaned. The white kitten hid behind the calico, while the tiny calico in front had its fur puffed up, shrieking defiantly at the orange tabby to intimidate it.

Xu Zhangying had seen cats fight before when he was a child, watching the elderly in his neighborhood raise them, but he couldn’t recall any cat making such loud, unpleasant noises during a fight.

Yet no matter how unpleasant the sound, the moment he saw the adult cat about to pounce on the kittens, Xu Zhangying instinctively yanked up a fistful of grass roots and threw it.

"Hey!" he yelled as he dropped down inside the wall. The orange tabby, startled by the grass and the sudden appearance of a human, bolted several meters away before turning back to look.

Seeing the stray still daring to glance back, Xu Zhangying took two more steps forward, and the cat finally fled without looking back.

When he turned around, he found Xia Qing had already jumped into the yard and was now crouching near the kittens.

Xu Zhangying hurried over. The white kitten, frightened by the strangers, had already bolted into the underbrush, anxiously watching Xia Qing and the calico kitten in his hands.

Xu Zhangying crouched down for a closer look and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. "Wait," he said uncertainly, "isn’t this the little calico we’ve been waiting for?"

Xia Qing gently cupped the kitten’s upper body with his palm. "Not sure, but it looks a lot like that one. We need to take it with us now."

As he slightly moved his hand, Xu Zhangying saw a long, bloody gash torn behind the kitten’s right ear. He hissed in sympathy—no wonder the fiercest little kitten hadn’t run from them.

But neither of them had anything on them at the moment. Xu Zhangying glanced up at the overcast sky, then peeled off his soaked T-shirt, twisted out the water, and cradled the kitten inside. Xia Qing climbed out of the wall first and took the kitten, while Xu Zhangying, now bare-chested, followed.

The white kitten let out a soft cry, but Xu Zhangying didn’t have time to look back as he and Xia Qing raced back to the hostel with the injured kitten.

It was dinnertime, and Yuka was handing out trays to the guests. The small dining hall was packed when she suddenly spotted a face at the entrance—the Chinese alpha boy.

"Yuka," Xu Zhangying waved urgently at her. She approached and gasped softly at the sight of him—soaked to the bone and bare-chested, hair plastered to his forehead.

Then she noticed Xia Qing behind him, holding the kitten.

Xia Qing asked her in Japanese where they could find a vet, but Yuka shook her head. The island, home to only a few hundred people, had only a single medical clinic—certainly no veterinary clinic.

Seeing Xu Zhangying’s disappointment, Yuka suddenly remembered something. She told Xia Qing to get help in the small lounge on the first floor while she fetched someone.

Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing hurried through the front door into the hostel and entered the lounge, where Yuka had already called for help—Kuniko.

Kuniko instructed Xia Qing to place the kitten on the table. She examined the wound on the calico’s ear, then looked up at the two bedraggled Chinese teens. She untied her apron, saying in English, "Go change your clothes first, then come back down."

Xu Zhangying hesitated, worried about the soggy kitten bundled in his shirt, but Xia Qing tugged his hand, signaling him to go upstairs first.

They quickly changed into dry clothes and rushed back downstairs, only to find the lounge empty. After searching, they found Kuniko in the first-floor office.

The little calico they had brought back now lay on a dry white towel. Nishida, the hostel owner whom Xu Zhangying usually avoided, was rummaging through a cabinet by the desk and soon pulled out a first-aid kit.

Xu Zhangying watched anxiously as the limp kitten lay there, its bloody wound making his heart ache. Meanwhile, Kuniko was asking Xia Qing in Japanese where and how they had found it.

The beefy Nishida swiftly put on gloves and began preparing medication. He drew a topical anesthetic into a needleless syringe and poured it directly onto the kitten’s wound.

The calico let out a pained yowl before going limp within twenty seconds. Before Xu Zhangying could react, Nishida was already suturing the gash with tweezers, his movements efficient, almost clinical. Two minutes later, he disinfected the entire wound with iodine.

"It's done," Nishida said as he efficiently packed up the medical kit. At this, Kuniko finally smiled and said, "Mr. Nishida used to be part of an outdoor rescue team."

Xu Zhangying immediately looked at Laura's contact with admiration and gratitude. The usually stern, burly man gave an embarrassed smile and told the teenager, "I used a very small dose of anesthetic, so she should wake up soon."

With that, he hurried off as he had other business to attend to that evening. Xu Zhangying leaned over the desk, watching the sleeping calico, then looked up at Kuniko. "Do you know how old this kitten is?"

After Xia Qing translated, Kuniko sat down in a nearby chair, looked at the kitten for a while, and replied in Japanese, "About three months old. It was probably territorial fighting that injured this newly weaned kitten."

Then, Kuniko gently lifted the calico's hind leg and chuckled, "It's a girl."

Xu Zhangying's eyes lit up. "That’s really impressive."

Xia Qing then quietly asked Kuniko in Japanese if they could keep the kitten. The elderly woman thought for a moment. "Since she's a stray, she shouldn’t interact with other guests. But because she’s injured, you can take care of her for a while. We’ll see about long-term plans later."

After Xia Qing relayed this in Chinese, the alpha male excitedly shook Kuniko’s hand up and down, saying a perfectly enunciated "arigatou," which left the Japanese woman equal parts amused and exasperated.

Within ten minutes, the calico woke up on the towel, crying loudly with her eyes still closed. Xu Zhangying carefully picked her up through the towel. "Why are you so noisy and bold?"

Every time Xu Zhangying spoke, the kitten meowed back, going back and forth. He turned to Xia Qing. "Xia Qing, let’s give her a name."

Xia Qing met Xu Zhangying’s gaze and nodded. "Alright. What name do you think fits her?"

Just then, the stubborn calico opened her eyes and made eye contact with Xu Zhangying. "Ah, Xia Qing! Look—her eyes are different colors!"

Xia Qing bent down and saw that the kitten’s left eye was black while the right was blue. He paused slightly before saying, "It might be a genetic defect. One blue eye usually means hearing loss on that side."

"No wonder she’s so loud," Xu Zhangying murmured, frowning slightly at the kitten before breaking into a grin. "You really are the strangest little cat."

"Oh! I’ve got it!" Xu Zhangying suddenly lifted his head, cradling the meowing calico as he turned to Xia Qing, eyes shining. "I know what to call her. She’s strange, fearless, feisty, and brave—a great exception."

"Artemisia."

Xia Qing paused slightly. "The painter of *Judith*?"

"Exactly! Xia Qing, you’re amazing—you know everything!" Xu Zhangying beamed, holding up the kitten. "What do you think? You’re the strangest, most unyielding little lady. You’re a great exception."

The calico—or rather, Artemisia—meowed again.

"You agree!" Xu Zhangying laughed, but his voice softened the next second. "I’ll never abandon you."

And so, a three-month-old little girl moved into Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing’s room. At first, due to her injury, she was placed on Xu Zhangying’s spare bed, where he made her a little bed from towels.

For the first two days, Xu Zhangying would watch Artemisia intently before bed—since the kitten needed sleep, his usual gory B-horror movies were replaced with manga. Though he couldn’t read Japanese, he guessed the meaning from the Chinese characters, and when there were too many katakana, he’d ask Xia Qing, who sat beside him.

Because Xu Zhangying was a restless sleeper, Xia Qing always took the outer side of the bed. Every night, the dim glow of the bedside lamp illuminated the right side where Xia Qing read Japanese novels while Xu Zhangying flipped through manga, and Artemisia dozed in the shadows of the left side.

By 11 p.m., after Xia Qing had read him roughly two volumes, Xu Zhangying’s book would start slipping onto his face. Only then would he put it away, drape himself over Xia Qing, and peer at Artemisia curled up on the opposite bed.

When Xu Zhangying’s eyes finally drooped shut, Xia Qing would tuck him back into bed, turn off the lights in the room.

Kuniko and Yuka even collected unused cat supplies from nearby residents—a litter box, toys, and bowls. Though Artemisia had hearing difficulties, she was remarkably clever. Three days later, once she’d regained some energy, she started using the litter box in the bathroom on her own, amazing Yuka as she watched from the sidelines.

After another week, Artemisia’s wound had mostly healed, and she was her feisty self again. It was around this time that Xu Zhangying began noticing she was different from ordinary cats.

She loved humans.

Specifically, she adored her "family." Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing still went out every afternoon as usual, leaving Artemisia to nap or play with her ball in the room. But the moment they returned and opened the door, she’d drop whatever she was doing and come trotting over, calling out loudly to her two big brothers.

"Mhm, I know, I know—you missed me so much," Xu Zhangying would say, plopping onto Artemisia’s bed (formerly his own) and chatting effortlessly with the little lady.

Artemisia sat on Xu Zhangying's lap, yawned, and then snuggled into his chest. Xu Zhangying mused, "Xia Qing, do you think she's really the same little calico we first met outside the window?"

Xia Qing set down his backpack and looked at the smiling alpha who was staring at the kitten. "We could try something," he said.

Xu Zhangying turned to him. "Try what?"

Xia Qing stepped forward, bent down, and met Artemisia’s gaze for three seconds. Then he reached out and picked her up.

Xu Zhangying looked up to see Xia Qing carrying the kitten to the window. "_Artemisia_," the beta murmured, "look up."

As Xia Qing gently lifted her, Artemisia raised her head and suddenly spotted the glowing seashell in front of her. She immediately meowed and swiped at the shell chime with her paws.

The shells chimed softly. Xia Qing turned to Xu Zhangying and smiled. "It really is her."

That day, Xia Qing had taken one of the glowing shells from the wind chime, strung it on a cord, and made a necklace for Artemisia to wear.

By now, it was their third week on the island. Before bed, Xu Zhangying still lay pillowing his head on Xia Qing’s thighs, watching Artemisia. But this time, he spoke up.

"Xia Qing, can we really not take her with us?"

Because Xu Zhangying had never brought up the practical issue before, Xia Qing had almost assumed he didn’t want to think about it. So he put his book aside, sat up, and looked at the little calico sleeping peacefully on the left bed.

"Do you want to take her?" Xia Qing lowered his head and reached out to touch Xu Zhangying’s face.

"Of course. I said I’d never abandon her. Though Mrs. Kuniko said she could keep her, but..." Xu Zhangying rolled over, meeting his gaze. "She seems to really like the two of us. I don’t know why, but I feel like we belong together."

"Adopting a stray cat internationally isn’t impossible, but the process is quite complicated," Xia Qing said softly. "We’ll need to figure it out, and it might take some time."

"Okay."

After Xia Qing turned off the light, Xu Zhangying pulled him close in the dark. "I’m so glad you’re here."

"Why?" Xia Qing murmured.

"Because you’re Xia Qing." Xu Zhangying buried his face in the curve of his shoulder.

"You really are an idiot," Xia Qing said, running his fingers over Xu Zhangying’s neck, where the bruises from the Tokyo subway incident had faded completely.

"Hey, can we change the nickname? I’m worried if you keep calling me an idiot, it might actually come true."

In the darkness, Xu Zhangying suddenly lifted his head to voice his complaint. Then, as if he’d planned it all along, he offered examples:

"Like ‘darling,’ ‘Big Brother Zhangying,’ ‘A Ying sweetheart’—or the other way around, I could call you ‘Little Qingqing,’ ‘Baby A Qing’—mmph—okay, I’ll stop—let me go—I’m really gonna die..."

Frowning in the dark, the beta tightened his grip around the squirming Xu Zhangying in his arms, ignoring his muffled protests as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Just as the dream had begun abruptly, the day it ended arrived without warning for Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing.

Tokashiki Island’s dock.

A woman stood on the dock, her sunglasses pushed into her hair. A black travel bag hung from one shoulder as she gazed at the bustling bay, holding a photo in her hand.

It showed two laughing boys beneath an arch of flowers. One was smiling, holding a small calico cat, while the other bent down to loop a seashell necklace around the kitten’s neck.

"Ma’am, need a rental car?" a local asked in English.

"Yes, right now," she replied, pulling her gaze from the photo before smiling and switching to Japanese. Though it was late August, summer in Okinawa showed no signs of ending. Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing rode their bikes along the coastline, speeding ahead. Every tourist they passed couldn’t help but turn to look at the two laughing boys—not just because of their youthful energy, but also because riding atop Xu Zhangying’s backpack was a cat.

"See, I told you—Artemisia loves going for rides. Last time we went out, she kept trying to climb onto the bike," Xu Zhangying said, hands on the handlebars as he turned to grin at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing locked his bike and walked over to lift Artemisia off him. "Such a weird cat. Takes after you."

"What do you mean, takes after me? Takes after both of us," Xu Zhangying retorted, bending down to lock his bike before touching noses with the calico in Xia Qing's arms. "Right? The little guy’s one of us."

"She isn’t vaccinated yet," Xia Qing immediately raised Artemisia higher, frowning at Xu Zhangying.

"Why the fuss? It’s not like the three of us haven’t swapped spit before. If I kiss her, does that mean you won’t kiss me?" Xu Zhangying spun his keyring, laughing as he rounded the corner of the house toward the flower archway.

"Right, Artemisia? Do bros need vaccines just to—" Xu Zhangying walked backward, still teasing, but the moment he turned around, his entire body froze.

Lounging against the archway was a woman he hadn’t seen in a long time. She leaned casually, arms crossed, her sunglasses hiding an amused smirk as she stared at the top-tier alpha.

"Get over here."

From behind, Xia Qing, still holding the cat, watched as the woman removed her sunglasses, revealing a face so lively and familiar—one that anyone who knew Xu Zhangying would recognize instantly.

"M—Mom?"

Xu Zhangying stammered in disbelief.

"Come here," Ye Xin said, crooking a finger with a smile.

"If you come now, I’ll only hit you once, I swear."

Xu Zhangying immediately turned to look at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing looked back.

The next second, Xu Zhangying took a deep breath—and without hesitation, took off running.

Note: Artemisia is named after Artemisia Gentileschi, an outstanding female artist of the Baroque period.