Ythan leaped.

He had calculated the right angle to catch the dog before jumping from a tree beside the main building. He bent his knees, concentrating his strength to the soles of his feet to reduce the impact upon landing. The heavy gravity in his training room had prepared him for this matter.

His black shoes trembled the green ground, but he toppled over and rolled on the grassy field. While dirt continued to smear his shipshape uniform, he cushioned the dog in his slender arms, forgetting to protect the vulnerable parts of his body. As soon as he halted from the spin, he immediately stood up.

The bone on his right ankle snapped.

He winced from the pain—the seven-meter fall took a toll on his body.

Panting, Xander pulled Zach back into the room. His muscles tensed, thinking of how his precious little brother had almost died.

Zach bolted down the stairs. He never noticed his siblings chasing him. The thought of Ythan, risking his life to save Little D, occupied his mind.

"M-Mr. Hopkins are you okay?" The principal came rushing towards Ythan. Together with her were two doctors, three nurses, and four bodyguards. "I-I'm so sorry. I will deploy more guards to—"

"Go away," Ythan commanded. His attention shifted to the students murmuring around him. "Bring those people with you and my father will not hear anything about your incompetence."

"Bu-but young master, we need to check—" the principal swallowed the words back to her throat; Ythan's hostile gaze choked her. She nodded and turned back, instructing all people to mind their own business.

As Zach opened the building's entrance door, the sight of his Little D, cocooned in Ythan's arms, slightly soothed his heart. He dashed to Ythan with chaotic thoughts swarming one after the other.

"Little D..." Zach's voice cracked. He took his Little D from Ythan's hold, brushing the man's hands.

"Your dog is okay. It will be up in a while," the young master spoke.

"Thank you... Ythan." Tears pooled on the corners of Zach's glistening blue eyes. His gaze pierced through the young master's soul.

Ythan looked away—he knew why he did.

After seeing his Little D breathing calmly, Zach's sight trailed down to Ythan's foot. "Yo-your ankle. We need to bring you to the clinic." Zach turned back, offering his shoulders for Ythan to clutch on. Noticing the man's stubbornness, he moved closer to Ythan, about to prop Ythan's shoulders on his neck when a spine-tingling voice stopped him.

"Don't..." Ythan's throat bobbed up and down.

Xander touched his little brother's shoulder. As he caught Zach's attention, he shook his head.

Renzo jogged towards Ythan. His curly black hair bounced on each step. "Dude, you cool? I saw everything. You're a bad-ass!" He scratched his nose. "But the way you roll like a barrel"—he closed his eyes—"is downright funny." He covered his mouth as he suppressed a laugh.

Ythan's jaw tightened.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Renzo adjusted his glasses. "Let's go back to your room and patch you up." He bowed down and spread his right arm to the side, leading Ythan to the dorm's direction.

The young master brushed past Renzo's hand as he walked away. In Xander and Renzo's eyes, his gait was normal.

But in Zach's eyes, it was not.

"Where is Sabrina?" Xander looked left and right.

Beside the spot where Little D would have fallen, the lioness scrunched her brows in wonder. Who the hell would put this thing under the ground? The dead leaves crunched under her step. They swirled up to the China flag, revealing the hidden trampoline.

Under the gazebo, Leuther ran a hand through his slick back hair. He removed his glasses and took a deep breath. As his gaze focused on Zach and Xander, walking towards Sabrina, his ear itched. He touched his clover-shaped earring, shimmering under the sun. Zach, you're a dangerous bitch, aren't you? He walked away from the gazebo with a more profound determination.

"Hello? Is someone here?" Zach continued to knock on the door for another fifteen minutes. You can endure this, Zach. You must thank the man who caught your Little D.

He looked at the number on the door. Gege told me that Ythan stays in room 214. He looked at the plastic full of herbs in his hands. Maybe he went out. I'll just wait for him until he comes back. He turned around and sat with his back leaning against the door.

After a few seconds, the door opened. Zach fell on his back. He looked up, only to see the girl who had caused him to pass out earlier. The girl's dancing breast towered over him.

"I'm perming my hair. What do you..." The girl's face relaxed as she saw Zach. "Oh. Hi, baby boy. Sorry to keep you waiting." Her voice sounded like the little mermaid on her puberty. "You wanna come over?" She winked and smiled at Zach. A big living mole inhabited the upper left corner of her lips.

"Ahhh!" Zach ran as fast as he could. He thanked the heavens for giving him the bravery to speed away. As he looked back, ensuring that the girl was out of sight, he crashed into someone. "Ugh!" He dropped on his buttocks, pain coursing through his body.

"Hey, watch where you're heading at!" Renzo spat. As he saw Zach scratching his butt, his expression softened. He was amused. "Let me help you."

Zach grabbed the man's hand as he stood up. He immediately bowed down, the pain slowly subsiding. "I-I'm so sorry mister."

"Where are you going? You look like in a hurry. You running away from something?"

Zach straightened himself. His sight returned to normal after the substantial impact which strained his eyes. "Oh, a-are you Ythan's friend?"

"I'm not just his friend." Renzo was offended. "I'm his awesome friend!"

"A-awesome friend?" Zach clarified.

"Yeah. You won't understand." Renzo shook his head.

"Can you please..." Zach looked at the herbs in his hands. "Give this to Ythan?" He bowed his head, stretching his two hands to give the herbs to Renzo.

Renzo looked inside the plastic. "What's that?"

Zach lifted his head. "Ru Xiang [1]."

Renzo's eyes widened. "A Black Ru Xiang?" He took the plastic from Zach and scrutinized the herbs. "Ho-how did you get this one?"

"We have a lot of Ru Xiang in our garden, back at our province. Mama and Papa started to plant them since I'm not yet around. To obtain the black Ru Xiang, one must soak them with water—" Zach was interrupted.

"And yeast. Wait for ten years before separating the black resin from the wine, and another three months for the resin to dry before pressing them into powder," Renzo continued with eyes latched to the herbs. "Do you know how much this costs in the market, little kid?"

"I-I know."

"But you're still willing to give this to Ythan?"

Zach nodded thrice. "He saved my puppy... It's the least that I can do." He pursed his lips.

Renzo sighed. Ythan, you better not hurt this kid. He returned the herbs to Zach. "Room 142, Ythan is staying there. Go and send this to him. I'll still have to buy our dinner."

"Room 142? It's just beside our room. Gege told me he's staying in room 214."

Renzo shrugged.

"A-anyway, thank you... uhmm?" Zach creased his forehead.

"Renzo. Call me the awesome Renzo." Renzo raised his chin.

Zach rested his palm on the fist of his other hand and slightly bowed. "Thank you, awesome Renzo."

Renzo resisted the urge to pat the kid's fluffy hair. "I'm going. See you." He put his hands in his pocket and walked away.

Zach walked down to the second floor. Gege must just have interchanged the numbers. He shook his head.

As he reached Ythan's room, he mustered his courage again and knocked on the door. What if Ythan won't accept this? What if this is still not his room? What if...

Ythan opened the door.

Zach's blood stopped from flowing.

Ythan's bare upper body greeted Zach. Droplets of water slipped from his rugged hair and slowly trickled down onto his six-packs. The remnants of a fresh shower disappeared as they reached the white towel, wrapped around his waist. The piece of cloth hung dangerously low that Ythan's abdominal V-line presented itself.

Zach never thought that Prince Charming would be this hot without a suit.

"I-i-i," Zach stuttered.

"What do you need?" Ythan asked.

"I-i-i."

Ythan was about to close the door when Zach pushed it open.

"I-I'm here to give this to you. Please accept this as my way of saying thank you." Zach extended the herbs to Ythan.

"Come inside," Ythan spoke.

"I-I don't know if that's appropriate. Yo-you are..."

Ythan smirked. "Come inside. I'll be putting my clothes on."

Zach pursed his lips. After giving it a second thought, he entered Ythan's room. Ythan led him to sit on the lower deck of the bed.

"Wait for me here." The young master strode towards the bathroom.

Zach anxiously roamed his eyes around. The unit's layout mirrored his and Xander's. Its space was only enough to accommodate two persons: one double-deck bed in front of the door and two study tables pinned on the wall across. The small kitchen and dining area were visible as the light of the descending sun, burning from the balcony, partly illuminated them. The bathroom, where Ythan had entered, was situated between the balcony's sliding door and the study desks.

As Zach took a second look at the table across him, a terrarium caught his eye. Inside was a scorpion, repeatedly hitting the glass with its stinger. Due to Zach's sheer curiosity, he walked towards the arachnid and carefully observed it.

Blue eyes and red eyes met.

Like how the water could extinguish the fire, Markus's movement halted upon seeing Zach. His stinger slackened.

Zach smiled. His fascination towards little creatures empowered him to pick up the poisonous entity.

In Zach's small hands, Markus spun round and round.

As Zach extended his arms and opened his palms, Markus excitedly roved on his limbs and roamed around his neck. Zach giggled all throughout.

Ythan pulled the bathroom door open. As a ray of light passed through the door's opening, he saw Zach's dimples deepened with Markus crawling back and forth on Zach's arms.

The scene stunned him.

Even Harris needed a rubber type of suede gloves to protect himself from Markus's aggressiveness, cleaning the terrarium. Even his father never dared to touch Markus again after being stung. Only him could hold Markus.

Not until now.

"Having fun?" Ythan smiled, walking towards Zach in his black shirt and grey pajamas.

Zach flinched. He immediately took the scorpion from his neck and placed it back in its shelter.

Markus stood motionless for a while. After noticing the absence of Zach's honey scent, he charged to his drinking bowl and flipped it using his pincers.

Why is he angry? Ythan wondered.

"Why is it mad?" Zach echoed Ythan's thoughts.

"How did you know he's angry?"

Zach paused. "I-I just feel it."

Ythan remained upright. Can you feel my intentions too? he thought. "What brings you here?"

"Uhm... I came here to give you this." Zach took the plastic from the bed.

"For what?"

Zach looked at Ythan's ankle and pointed the broken bone.

Ythan sat on the bed and rolled up his pajama's leg opening.

Renzo's pill hastened the healing process fifty times faster than the normal, but the inflammation persisted. As Ythan closed his eyes, thinking of ways to mend the fracture even quicker, a warm sensation touched his injured ankle. "What are you doing?"

"I-I'm sorry. But this is the only way I can think to repay you." Zach, sitting on the floor with legs crossed on each other, opened the plastic and displayed the powdered medicinal herbs. He took a sealed bandage and a plaster from his pocket and laid all of them in front of Ythan. He looked at the young master. "May I?"

Ythan's steady breath could be heard in the room. He took a final glance at the herbs and nodded in agreement.

Zach heaved Ythan's foot onto his legs. He gently massaged his foot until he felt the broken part.

Ythan winced.

"I-I'm sorry. Did it hurt?" Zach aired his concern.

Ythan shook his head.

Zach sprinkled the powder onto the hottest portion of Ythan's ankle. "Do you know that this herb, called Ru Xiang, can remove inflammation within twelve hours?"

Ythan stayed silent.

Zach picked up the bandage. "Papa Chen used to apply this on my bruise too when I was younger." He wetted his lower lip and bit it. His canines held his lower lip inside his mouth, as he delicately rolled the bandage, covering the inflammation.

Ythan observed Zach. He never personally saw him as close as this. His gaze explored from Zach's voluminous hair that almost covered his eyes, to his fanning eyelashes, to his rosy cheeks, and to his two fangs, sinking deep into his pink lips.

"We are done." Feeling satisfied with himself, Zach beamed and looked up. Ythan's hazel eyes met him.

Their gazes interlocked with each other.

Ythan saw his mother's face; the kindness, warmth, and love hid beneath her blue eyes.

Zach lingered on Ythan's drowning gaze. Why do I sense sadness inside him? Is he also like me? Longing for something he knew he could not have?

One buzz interrupted the moment.

Ythan blinked, and Zach's face reappeared. He closed his eyes for five seconds and picked up the phone from his pocket.

From: Renzo

Message: The cafeteria is closed. I asked someone outside to bring us dinner. Let's meet at the conference room to discuss Project X.

"Y-Ythan, I'm going." Zach stood up. "I-I'm sorry if I bothered you."

Ythan put his phone down. "How did you know my name?"

"Yo-your fiancé told me." Zach twiddled his thumbs.

Ythan's temples tautened. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing else..." Zach placed his hands on his back and bent his head down.

Ythan's muscles loosened. "Thank you, Zach."

Zach looked at the young master. "Ho-how did you know my name?"

Ythan pointed Zach's uniform, printed with his full name in Chinese characters.

"Oh, silly me." Zach scratched the back of his head as he giggled.

Ythan smiled.

"I-I'm going now. Bai bai." Zach turned around and pursed his lips.

I can feel his sorrow. Zach stepped forward. Maybe I can help him again... But how? He looked at his fragile physique. Or maybe... we can help each other.

As he took another step, all memories of Ythan resurfaced: how Ythan subdued the pain of a broken bone, how Ythan caught his Little D on the air, how Ythan drove them to safety despite the cars racing in the road, how Ythan spun the egg without cracking it.

He felt that Ythan was complete on the outside, but broken on the inside. And Zach himself? Broken both in and out.

Zach turned back. "Y-ythan?"

"Hmmm?" Zach's actions baffled Ythan.

"Ca-can you teach me how to spin an egg on my finger?" Zach risked, heart pounding in his chest.

A pint of emotions crept into Ythan's heart. Opportunity had knocked on his door. Who is he to reject it? But after all that had happened, Zach had still managed to surprise him—Zach always did since their paths crossed.

Zach hoped for Ythan to agree. If Ythan would, maybe he could find the way out from the high tower that fate had prepared to imprison him.

"When do you want to start?" Ythan answered.

Zach beamed with joy. He knew he was no Aladin with the genie to grant his wish, but he would be Mulan—the master of his own fate. "To-tomorrow? After class?"

"En," Ythan replied with attractive crinkles on his eyes.

"Se-see you." Zach sprinted to the exit. His eyes were bright; his cheeks were crimson.

Within the brief time, the two understood what each other had meant.

But both were also unaware of some things they wished not to explain—one sought to learn, the other sought to control.

As Zach twisted the knob to enter his and Xander's room, just beside where he came from, footsteps echoed around the hall. He turned sideways and saw Leuther approaching.

Leuther stopped in front of the room he shared with Ythan. He looked at Zach from head to toe and closed the door shut upon entering. He left Zach in silence, never saying a word.

A/N:

[1] Ru Xiang 乳香 (Frankincense) – A Chinese medicinal herb that not only activates blood and alleviates pain, but also resolves and dispels carbuncle and swelling, promotes tissue regeneration and heals wound.

I cannot believe it! You guys are amazing! Our book had reached 5,000 reads. Daddy is crying on how proud I am with my babies. T_T

As my gift, I offer you this longest chapter yet to satisfy your BL hunger.

Sorry for the long wait, but I hope this is worthy.

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