Unforgettable
by M1zushi- Thank you for the ko-fi donation Leaf and Anon Reader!
Things in life don’t always go as planned because fate always has another arrangement.
Yu Chen recalled the newspaper clipping tucked inside the chessboard. He lowered his gaze and cradled the back of Bai Ling’s head, holding him as gently as a fragile tuft of velvet silk flower, and pressed his lips against the young man’s forehead with the utmost care.
His darling… has returned.
The bird’s beak drooped, his moist eyes reflecting the fragmented glow of the city lights. With an indignant tilt of his head, his nose accidentally brushed against the cellophane wrapping the potted flower.
Layer upon layer of double-petaled roses, their edges gilded by the halo of light, bloomed into a small sea of petals contained within the transparent packaging. That rich, sweet fragrance, deep yet powerful, slowly spread through the station as the warmth of their bodies mingled and evaporated.
Bai Ling gazed at the flowers, lost in thought.
What you
hold dear,you will one day reclaim.
“I wasn’t sure what flowers you liked, so I brought this pot,” the merman said, taking his hand.
Bai Ling lowered his head, hiding his eyes. “…Who brings flowers still in the pot?”
“I thought little birds preferred flowers rooted in soil. You don’t want it?”
“Give it to me!” He viciously snatched it away.
Always so sincere, so fervent and direct.
Yu Chen’s mind flickered to the image of the Stump Bird, battered and scarred, his pale face carrying a restrained air of someone who might jump into death’s maw at any moment.
People lie because they are insecure.
When you feel loved, you can freely bloom.
Yu Chen closed his eyes briefly and sighed softly. “Thank goodness it was me.”
“What?”
Yu Chen rubbed the cold knuckles of the bird’s hand, warming it in his grasp, then looked up and said:. “Luckily, it was me who found you. With your nature, returning kindness tenfold, someone else would’ve surely tricked you away.”
It was meant as a simple remark, but the bird bit his lip, his healthy cheeks flushing a delicate red as he admitted with indignation:
“Damn it. You’re the one who tricked me.”
Yu Chen paused, unable to suppress a sigh. “Ah…”
Bai Ling frowned. “Why are you sighing? Unsatisfied?”
He was about to remind the merman that this shop did not accept returns when, the next second, he was swept into a tight embrace.
Yu Chen buried his face against him. Today, the little bird wore a light beige down jacket, a soft, puffy coat, and holding him felt as buoyant as burying his face in the soft feathers of a bird’s chest. He proactively offered an apology:
“Sorry. I lost my composure. But I am truly too fond of you.”
Bai Ling’s face and neck instantly flushed; the pounding of his pulse thundered in his ears. The old man admitting he’d lost his composure with that look of defeat, it was even more enticing than any sweet talk.
His initial accusatory tone melted away on the spot, undone by that warmth until his mind was a jumbled-up, stammering mess:
“Ah… this… thank you for your patronage.”
The moment these words left his mouth he froze. Is he stupid? Why did he just say thank you for your patronage?!
Yu Chen tightened his arms, unable to suppress a low laugh. “You’re so adorable. Like the little electronic parrot on the shelf at a convenience store.”
His little bird, indignant, lifted a leg and nudged him with his prosthetic leg. Yu Chen only laughed again. “The electronic bird is pecking at me.”
Bai Ling forced himself to stay composed, muttering loudly: “You’re the one getting pecked. Deal with it.”
He had expected the merman to protest at least a little, but instead, Yu Chen slightly drew back and looked at him with earnest solemnity. Bai Ling’s pupils trembled. Behind the merman, the dazzling, ever-changing billboard bled into a magnificent expanse of brilliant crimson, intensifying his green eyes until they were as magnificent as the sea at sunrise.
It was no longer a stagnant lake.
They stood so close, their breaths mingled, each heartbeat clear to the other. So close that when Bai Ling tilted his head just slightly to look into those eyes, his heart shuddered, as if that vast, drowning deep ocean might at any moment tilt and pour into his own gaze.
The merman’s lashes lowered. His warm, strong hand interlaced with Bai Ling’s, giving him a gentle squeeze. “Actually, I should be the one thanking you.”
Bai Ling’s lips parted in bewilderment, his body burning with heat.
Yu Chen hoarsely spoke each word with intent, as if carving a lifetime’s worth of emotion into them:
“Thank you for your kindness. I am deeply grateful.”
The signal that had stuttered for twenty years finally broke through the regret and shackles, returning a clear, resounding echo.
This time, Bai Ling and he met early. They had not missed each other again.
Thank you for your kindness. I am deeply grateful.
These words became the embodiment of every beautiful dream. The weight of their meaning was so immense that Bai Ling, staring at the radiance behind the merman, was struck by a powerful sense of unreality.
The same scene. Similar weather. Yet utterly different words.
His shoes were dry and warm. The scent of flowers lingered at his nose. The arms holding him close were tender and protective. Everything was so dreamy that he couldn’t help but wonder…
Am I living through my last moments before death?
Medically speaking, some people’s near-death experiences stretch indefinitely. What’s happening now might simply be the lingering afterimage of a fleeting spark in my brain’s nerve endings, conjured by my consciousness to compensate for the regret of never seeing you again.
Like a game save reaching its end, stamped with “END.”
Perhaps once I achieve perfection, my consciousness will sever.
And I’ll never see you again.
“It’s 6:30,” Yu Chen noted, glancing at the time.
The station was about to welcome another evening rush hour. Too many passersby, and the prying eyes might stress his little bird.
He took that bony, slender hand and led him toward the exit, his voice low with a smile:
“Since it’s a date, we should have a good meal. What would you like? My treat.”
But there was no reply from the other party.
Yu Chen turned back to see the bird stumbling two steps forward, then turning his head away. The light from the billboard illuminated the winding trail of tears.
He was heartbroken.
Yet his little bird still tried to hold on, frantically patting his pockets for something to wipe his face with, while trying to comfort him:
“Wait—just a moment. Let me calm down so I don’t embarrass myself when others see me. People will think you bullied me.”
Yu Chen’s expression softened. The corner of his mouth twitched.
He rarely spoke so candidly, but he did now: “I do want to bully you right now.”
“Oh…” The little bird’s lips moved in a murmur.
He didn’t even resist.
Yu Chen took it as consent. With a long stride, he reached out and took the flowerpot that Bai Ling had been protectively clutching to his chest. The little bird gave a soft cry, about to protest, but then felt a strong arm lift him by the thigh. The world blurred, and the merman lifted him upright in his arms.
Suddenly, his line of sight was more than ten centimeters higher. The sensation of weightlessness hit, and Bai Ling panicked, clinging to the man’s shoulders and back, tucking his legs up like a koala
around the merman’s waist.
“No—this is too embarrassing… people are looking,” Bai Ling said, his voice thick with nasal congestion. Yet he didn’t seem to notice that his arms, looped around the merman’s neck, were quietly pulling him closer.
Yu Chen’s voice was low and gentle. “Don’t worry. They wouldn’t dare look at me.”
Besides, carrying him like this would help the little bird feel better. Holding him with this kind of embrace, one arm under his bottom, legs straddling the waist, maximized physical contact for the omega, providing a temporary boost of intimacy and security, easing his anxiety.
This was how young omegas, just presented at thirteen or fourteen, were coddled by their parents.
Only, his little bird had presented late and had never experienced such care. Of course he was flustered, unsure what to do with his hands and feet.
Yu Chen would have to teach him, step by step, to get used to it.
A bus passed by outside. The little bird was startled, and immediately hunched his shoulders and hid his face on instinct.
Birds of prey display this kind of stress response when exposed to unfamiliar environments.
Common ways to calm a falcon and help it settle quickly include putting on a hood, blinders, or more directly, covering it with a soft towel to block its view.
Yu Chen didn’t have a towel, so he removed his scarf with one hand, arched his back slightly to make some room, and draped it over Bai Ling.
Bai Ling grabbed the scarf resting on his head and quickly buried his face in it, murmuring softly, “I’ll do it myself. I can do it alone.”
He refused to be a bother to others.
“So well-behaved today…” Yu Chen sighed almost imperceptibly, then paused, rubbing the bird’s tense back and softening his voice as if coaxing a child:
“If it hurts, just keep crying on me. I’ve got you.”
As if on cue, the billboard flickered, and against its pure, passionate crimson backdrop, a large smiley face appeared.
[o(〃’▽’〃)o You are within monitoring protection range~]
The little robot had hijacked the billboard.
Bai Ling’s gray eyes grew misty. A fire blazed in his chest as he turned and nuzzled against the merman’s neck, accepting his refuge.
Perhaps fate was at play. Just a few steps out of the station, the drizzling rain softly stopped.
The smiley face faded from the billboard, and the top right corner once again displayed the real-time time and weather.
[Tonight’s weather: Light rain turning clear, -2°C]
That night, many people on their way home paused and turned to look back at the couple. Among their curious glances were envy, puzzlement, and displeasure.
But the subjects of those stares paid no attention, as if they walked through this world yet stood apart from the hurried night.
“Mom, what’s wrong with that gege?” A little girl stopped, tugging at her mother’s sleeve.
The mother explained gently, “Maybe he’s sick. See gege’s prosthetic leg? Maybe it hurts, and he can’t walk.”
The little girl nodded, half-understanding.
The woman smiled and looked back once more at the retreating figure.
The young man with white hair was being carried, straddling the other’s waist, his upper body completely draped over a broad shoulder and entirely reliant on his partner.
The slightly older one, dressed in a single-breasted black coat with thin velvet, sleeves lighlty pushed up to his forearms, held the young man with one arm under him.
Veins stood out on his forearm as his strong muscles tensed, bearing the other’s weight single-handedly. In his other hand, he carried a plastic bag dotted with water droplets, and inside of it, a large pot of flowers bloomed.
He looked like a parent who, while out shopping, ended up carrying their child home because of a tantrum.
The woman didn’t tell her daughter the truth. She knew clearly: it was an alpha guardian reclaiming and comforting their omega.
Only, such a protective stance was rarely seen in society today.
The woman couldn’t help sighing, “I’m so jealous…”
Then, a mischievous thought crossed her mind. She decided to go home and give her good-for-nothing husband a piece of it.
Hidden in the alleys of the old district were many century-old shops.
In the past, Bai Ling’s pockets had been too empty to enter such brightly lit establishments. He’d only slow his pace, sneak a glance as if he weren’t really looking, and breathe in the aroma of baked food drifting out.
He’d never dared to walk in.
So when Yu Chen led him into one, his expression was complicated—a mix of novelty and wistfulness.
The head waiter led them to a glass-enclosed courtyard, sheltered on three sides. A heated brazier glowed red beside their table, quiet, and undisturbed.
Yu Chen had once been a regular here.
As a long-lived species, merfolk could easily live for centuries. From his first visit to this small shop until now, four generations had inherited its legacy.
Before entering, Bai Ling had already begged him to be put down.
Now, as they walked through the wooden corridor lined with hanging cured meats, he spotted an old photo wall. Yu Chen took his hand and pointed with a smile:
“Let me show you Xiao Yi.”
Bai Ling eagerly craned his neck to look. “Where, where?”
“Here.” Yu Chen pointed to an inconspicuous spot. Bai Ling leaned in, expecting to see a youthful Izu Paraiso in his prime, but instead found only a blurry silhouette.
It was a photo where someone else had been happily posing, and Xiao Yi was just a background figure, captured by accident.
It suited the merman’s usual air of mystery, but on second thought, it seemed rather lonely.
Bai Ling turned to ask, “Did you always come here alone?”
Yu Chen said casually, “I have a picky palate. Hard to find someone who shares it.”
With that, he reached out and ruffled Bai Ling’s little feathers.
Bai Ling pursed his lips, understanding—he was the “picky” one who suited his taste.
While Yu Chen went to order drinks, Bai Ling quickly pulled out his terminal, secretly snapped a photo of that picture, and carefully saved it to his album.
When they were seated and a server came to ask about dietary restrictions, Yu Chen lightly snapped his fingers and curved his lips:
“Do you have a fledgling set? My little darling might want cream mushroom noodles.”
Apparently, when fledglings fall and hurt their wings, their parents prepare cream mushroom pasta. Eating it helps them fly high when they grow up. This strange tradition, much like eating canned peaches for a cold on Ancient Earth, came from a place of warmth and family care.
Bai Ling propped his elbows on the table, his cheeks resting in his palms and his eyes were still a bit red. When he heard what Yu Chen ordered, he let out a soft, teasing whine: “Wow, you sure know me well.”
Author’s note:
AI: (spreads hands) (shrugs) I told you the mechanical bird would say “Thank you for your patronage,” but you didn’t believe me. Definitely a mechanical bird! (confident) (CPU whirring furiously)
I spent all night revising yesterday and failed to post an extra chapter. Adding it today. Definitely adding it today. (runs away with pot lid as shield)
PS: Chapter 63’s ending has been revised.
PPS: You guys and your Nutrient Fluids are terrifyingly powerful. Outrageous!!
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