Good morning, brother.

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a narrow strip of light on the floor.

Lu Zhian awoke with a deep, bone-chilling ache. Before his consciousness had fully returned, his body recalled the frenzy and intimacy of the previous night. He moved slightly and immediately felt the steady strength in his waist.

Xiao Yuan's arms were still wrapped around him, holding him tightly in his embrace.

Noticing his movement, Xiao Yuan also woke up. He didn't open his eyes immediately, but instead tightened his arms, pulling the other person even closer into his embrace.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice:

"...Good morning, brother."

The name echoed again in the morning light, less broken by the passion of the previous night, and more intimate and tender, as if it were the natural course of things. He then lowered his head and placed a gentle, precious kiss on Lu Zhian's forehead.

Lu Zhian didn't respond, but simply closed his eyes, letting the warm touch linger on his skin, like a silent confirmation. After a few seconds, he gave an almost imperceptible "hmm" as a reply.

Xiao Yuan then gently released him, carefully got up, and without disturbing his apparent desire to lie down a little longer, got out of bed to wash up by himself.

Lu Zhian lay on the bed, still warm from their bodies and their scent, the aches and pains in his body growing more pronounced. He frowned slightly, pulled the blanket over half his face, and the cool yet reassuring scent of Xiao Yuan lingered in his nostrils.

Meanwhile, in the room at the other end of the corridor, Xiao Jin had already woken up. Almost the instant he opened his eyes, he smelled the faint scent of grapefruit in the air, as well as the strong scent of his brother.

A surge of mixed feelings of frustration and disappointment welled up inside him, causing him to instinctively clench his fists.

But he quickly forced himself to let go. What grounds did he have to be dissatisfied? Yesterday, he had tried to be clever, deliberately sending Xiao Yuan away so he could monopolize Lu Zhian's attention. And what was the result? Xiao Yuan came home late and slept in Lu Zhian's room.

Thinking of this, the nameless anger seemed to have been doused with cold water, leaving only a dull, unvented frustration and a sense of guilt. He irritably scratched his slightly messy hair, pounded the soft mattress in frustration, and finally resignedly sat up.

He went straight into the bathroom and washed up. He looked in the mirror and tugged at the corners of his mouth, trying to make his usual slightly roguish expression, but found it somewhat forced.

Never mind. He took a deep breath, turned and walked out of the room, heading straight for the kitchen.

He tied on his apron, opened the refrigerator, and moved even more nimbly than usual.

When Lu Zhian finally recovered from the intense soreness, finished washing up, and walked out of the room, the air was already filled with the aroma of food.

He walked into the restaurant and saw Xiao Jin with his back to him, frying eggs at the counter. His movements seemed almost too focused, and his broad back revealed a forced nonchalance that couldn't be concealed by his loneliness.

Xiao Yuan was already dressed and sitting at the dining table, watching financial news on his tablet, a cup of black coffee beside him. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gaze softening as he looked at Lu Zhian, and silently pulled out the chair next to him.

Lu Zhian walked over, but did not sit down immediately. He paused for a moment beside the chair that Xiao Yuan had pulled out, then turned and walked towards the kitchen counter.

Xiao Jin was intently staring at the sizzling eggs in the pan, as if it were the most important thing in the world, until he sensed someone approaching and suddenly snapped out of his reverie. Turning around, he was met with Lu Zhian's face right in front of him.

Lu Zhian said nothing, but simply reached out and ruffled Xiao Jin's slightly messy, stiff hair with a gesture that was not exactly gentle and even carried a hint of casualness.

Xiao Jin stared blankly at Lu Zhian, like a large beast whose fur had been stroked, instantly suppressing all his unease and hostility, leaving only pure, almost bouncing joy.

Lu Zhian took in his fleeting emotional shift. Satisfied, he withdrew his hand, his face still expressionless, and simply said, "Concentrate, don't burn it." Then he turned and walked to the chair that Xiao Yuan had pulled out for him and sat down.

Xiao Jin watched his retreating figure, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. He nodded hurriedly, then turned back to continue working on the fried eggs in the pan. This time, his movements were much lighter, and he couldn't help but smile.

Lu Zhian picked up his milk glass and took a sip, his gaze calmly sweeping across the dining table. Xiao Yuan continued looking at his tablet, seemingly unconcerned about the brief incident, but Lu Zhian noticed that his fingers, gripping the coffee cup, loosened slightly.

Last night, when Xiao Yuan saw the marks on his body, he simply hugged him tighter in silence, without saying a word. And this morning, Xiao Jin only expressed his emotions with a little silent grievance and an even more carefully prepared breakfast.

There were no fierce arguments, no uncontrollable possessiveness, only a tacit understanding and acceptance between them.

Lu Zhian lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them. He picked up a perfectly toasted piece of bread and slowly spread jam on it.

He felt that this kind of life was pretty good.