Chapter 360, Accept Your Fate
Zhuo's hand holding the medicine froze in mid-air, his mind racing like thunder. Even though he knew that this might not be the case, the expression of Ling with a frown on her face and a troubled look over his shoulder when he first touched her still entered Zhuo's mind, shattering his originally peaceful thoughts.

The good news is that Zero doesn't seem to be really serious. Although I feel disappointed because of what happened just now, I am also relieved.

So Zhuo turned around and put down the things in his hands. Although he was confused, he still couldn't hide his huge loss, so he whispered, "I'm sorry, I just want you to get better quickly."

In response, Ling quickly crawled in front of Zhuo using his hands and feet and raised his hands to hold his face.

"No, Zhuo, don't say sorry, I didn't mean that... I just, it's not your fault, don't say sorry, it's my fault."

"What does that mean?"

"that is……"

"that is?"

"..."

Zhuo became more and more confused as she talked, and finally he could not say anything. The two of them were stunned together.

The reason why Zhuo was stunned was actually very simple. He probably had a vague guess, but this seemingly reasonable guess should have nothing to do with Ling. Therefore, he did not intend to say it out loud.

Zero silently moved his hand away and turned his head away. She probably wanted to get rid of Zero, so she turned her eyes to the TV that was always on.

The TV was just showing the news, which was completely meaningless. However, perhaps because of his mood, Zero kept watching the TV intently.

To be honest, this made Zhuo more certain of his guess, but seeing Ling trying to evade shame seemed quite happy, so he decided not to expose her.

Ling would never say that he hated Zhuo approaching him, so Zhuo was just overthinking it. The more you care, the more inferior you feel. Zhuo has come to realize this. Fortunately, Ling's maximum resistance of only shifting his gaze and not avoiding his body is really cute and makes Zhuo feel much better.

“…That’s easy to understand.”

"Please shut up."

"That's too much. Where is Zero, who cared so much about my feelings just a second ago?"

"It's already dead, so shut up."

"Oh, Zero wanna help me shut up?"

Probably because Zero didn't explain it clearly to him after he realized it was a misunderstanding, Zhuo asked him with a hint of teasing as if in revenge, and Zero froze in his tracks, and turned around after a few seconds.

"…I did say after taking a shower…but, come again before bed."

"……OK."

Although Zhuo felt that doing it again before going to bed might make Ling even more embarrassed, this did not hinder Zhuo in any way. Zhuo also saw Ling's embarrassment at the moment, so he chose to remain silent and laugh it off.

If they just lay in bed together before going to bed, it would be like that this would become endless and there would be no escape, but Zero seemed to have completely forgotten this.

Zhuo touched Ling's head, and she revealed a rare and resentful look.

"Why are you smiling so meanly?"

"You think too much, you think too much."

"I didn't think too much about it. You're smiling even more happily now."

Seeing that Ling seemed to be preparing to attack again, Zhuo, knowing that it might be something like pinching the waist, had learned from the previous experience and in order to make her behave, picked up Ling's back and knees and lifted her onto his knees.

After Zhuo touched the frozen Ling again, Ling lowered his head and whispered in a slightly piercing voice, "You must have seen through it, that's why you treat me like this," and then he touched Zhuo's chin with his head.

Ling always makes some inexplicable little moves in front of him, which is the result of not disguising it. Zhuo knows her gentle and straightforward nature, and in his eyes, such actions are also extremely endearing.

"That's great." Zhuo muttered and hugged her, while Ling whispered softly and still leaned on Zhuo frankly. ...

It was past 10 o'clock in the evening, even Zhuo couldn't tell the exact time, and Zhuo carried Ling back to the big bed.

In fact, I just felt that it was time to go to bed and was getting ready for sleep, but the Zero in my arms seemed nervous and her body was a little stiff.

Zhuo whispered, "Don't worry, nothing will happen," and put Ling on the bed. She then lay on her back and looked up at Zhuo.

"Is there no need to carry me here?"

"You seem a little sleepy. After all, it's almost time to go to bed."

"...Aren't you tired?"

"How useless do you think I am?"

Even if it was just the past, Zhuo had the confidence to say this. After all, Ling was not heavy at all. Recently, he was exercising and jogging, and exercising his body in order not to embarrass himself. But it was just Ling, and he could easily hold him up.

If it was a little difficult for Zhuo to hold Zero all the time when he first met him, that was not because of Zero's weight. You can tell without measurement that Zero has hardly changed in these two years. It's just that Zhuo was too young at that time.

"I agreed to walk side by side, and I can't just say no so easily."

"……Um."

"But I can't hang you on my arm," Zhuo joked with a smile, while Ling blinked, tilted his head and said, "What is that?" He didn't understand.

Seeing that Ling was no longer nervous, Zhuo gently got on the bed and sat next to her. Ling slowly made room for Zhuo while lying on the bed, blinking and looking at Zhuo, quite concerned but not panicking, instead she leaned over.

Zhuo knew that this was her way of welcoming him, so Zhuo smiled faintly and gently hugged Ling's body from the front.

"Come to think of it, I didn't bring Zoro with me~"

When Zhuo was looking for his pajamas, he found that the doll he had given to Ling was not in his overnight luggage.

At home in Tokyo, although Ling did not sleep with "Zorro" every night as in Zhuo's memory (referring to Shu's memory), he also put "Zorro" on the bedside. But there was no such thing today——Zhuo looked into the azure eyes, and those eyes looked back at him seriously.

"Well, since I have you today, I won't have to."

"Is this so?"

"Yeah, and you'll be jealous."

"Uh, is it that obvious?"

"Yes."

"Then I admit it. I am not happy to rely on other things when I am here... even though I am not reliable yet. So from now on, just look to me."

"it is good."

"But you're not looking at me, are you?"

As he spoke, Ling's gaze kept moving downwards, finally stopping near Zhuo's throat. It couldn't be said that he was looking.

It's more like looking for a weakness that can take someone's life.

Ling hesitated after hearing this, but finally raised her head. Then, she closed her eyes. She probably remembered what she had said before, and saw Zhuo's wolfish ambition, so she lowered her eyes. Now she has accepted her fate.

(End of this chapter)