From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL)-Chapter 54: A Home of Two

When the first sun rays broke through the closed curtains, Sian awoke, his eyelids slowly opening to find himself enveloped by the soft holds of an extremely large, soft black bed. The luxurious bed material was light-years away from the warm warmth of the rising sun, the result being slightly unreal. He was bewildered for a time as he sat still, taking in his new surroundings. He knew that he had not felt anything when he was led to this room; he had not stirred even once during the ordeal. The realization gave him the chills, and he was left confused and awake in the warm softness of the new morning.

Sian was not a dramatist, and thus, after a few moments of contemplation, he accepted the reality of his being with a tranquillity that amazed him. The cutting edges of his perceptions, so sharp in earlier times, had softened with the passing years; the diamond-like clarity he had known in every moment was now a gentle haze. But so be it. In this serene universe—the sun speckled through the leaves, the soft sigh of the wind—it was freedom almost to let go. There was no one here who threatened; no concealed dangers that demanded his constant vigilance. Sian knew he could indulge himself in this peace, allow the luxury of relaxation without the weight of his old survival instincts dragging him down. After having washed up, Sian went downstairs and found Lan Qisheng had already prepared breakfast. The two of them greeted each other in the morning, sat down, and ate silently. None of them was much of a conversationalist while at the dining table.

Usually, after they finished, Lan Qisheng went to do the washing of dishes while Sian lay lazily on the sofa.

[How relaxing... What a beautiful life.] Sian thought, a faint smile on his lips.

"Sian, I’m heading to the base. I still have some matters to take care of. Here, this card contains some money in case you want to go out and have fun or buy something," Lan Qisheng said. His face was practically glowing, clearly in an exceptionally good mood—probably because of what happened last night.

After handing the card to Sian, who was lying on the sofa with a pillow in his arms, Lan Qisheng couldn’t stop himself from gently patting the teenager’s head.

Sian didn’t pay attention to the man’s small actions. He simply took the card and said, "Oh, Colonel Lan is truly the perfect boyfriend. Thanks for the money, darling. I’ll put it to good use."

...What?

Sian was never the type to act as if his pride was wounded just because another man gave him money. He wouldn’t make a big scene over it. In his opinion, now that he and Lan Qisheng were in a relationship, there was nothing wrong with receiving money from him—or even living together. Of course, even if they weren’t in a relationship, Sian would have accepted the money without hesitation.

"See you later."

The moment it was time to leave for work, Lan Qisheng’s good mood vanished in an instant. He wanted to stay with Sian and deepen their relationship. [All because of Grandpa... If only he had approved my vacation request...]

Lan Qisheng assumed Sian would go out. After all, staying home alone all day could be boring. Young people these days enjoy spending time at amusement parks or internet cafes.

However, when he returned, he found that Sian hadn’t gone out at all. Instead, he had spent the entire time either watching TV, scrolling through the phone Lan Qisheng left him, or sleeping...

And so, a whole week passed with Sian staying at Lan Qisheng’s house. They grew closer, and several times, Lan Qisheng carried him to bed while he was asleep. For some reason, Sian still slept in Lan Qisheng’s room, but since the man always woke up before him and never disturbed his sleep, Sian didn’t mind.

This villa had become Siān’s home. Everywhere you looked, there were traces of him. Lan Qisheng had bought him many clothes and all sorts of things—most of them a couple of items, like matching mugs, towels, toothbrushes, and even slippers. There were also plenty of games and other items to keep Sian entertained so he wouldn’t get bored staying home alone.

Today was the day of the press conference where Sian would receive his money. Ahem... I mean, he would be officially thanked and praised for being a hero who saved many lives.

Sian wasn’t nervous or anything. He looked as if he were going on a casual outing rather than meeting the president and receiving an honorary award.

The press conference was held in a large hall packed with reporters, and camera flashes lit up the place like a sea of stars. Thanks to Grandpa Lan, who was also present, no one was allowed to question Sian. All inquiries were blocked beforehand. All Sian had to do was look at the cameras, smile like a beautiful flower, accept his award, and leave.

And just like that... The grand conference was over in an hour at most.

On the way back, it was obvious that Lan Qisheng was a little nervous. He kept glancing at Sian every few minutes as if he wanted to say something but would then go silent again.

"Keep your eyes on the road. I don’t want to get into a car accident," Sian said when he caught Lan Qisheng staring at him for the hundredth time.

"If you have something to say, just say it," he added after seeing the big puppy-like pitiful expression on Lan Qisheng’s face.

Only then did Lan Qisheng muster some courage and stammer, "I... You... I mean, the house... Can you stay?"

Even though his words were jumbled and unclear, Sian understood what Lan Qisheng meant.

The big puppy wanted him to keep living with him, but he was afraid to ask.

[What a stupid puppy... but he’s cute like this.]

Noticing Sian’s silence, Lan Qisheng became even more anxious—until he suddenly felt the teenager’s fingers rubbing his ear.

Lan Qisheng instinctively jerked the steering wheel, nearly causing an accident.

Seeing how the man’s ear turned bright red, Sian felt amused.

Deciding to stop teasing his little puppy, he finally said, "If I don’t live with my darling, then where else would I stay? Hmm?"

With just that one sentence, Lan Qisheng felt as if he was about to float among the clouds from sheer happiness.