Qin Jiu's home address

Home Address

Qin Jiu closed the door of the apartment rented for him by the logistics department.

He carelessly placed his luggage for the current mission on the chair; it consisted of a few changes of clothes, communication equipment, and mission instructions. The rest of the necessary individual hygiene and food products were prepared beforehand by the staff.

Earlier, he was sitting next to an extremely enthusiastic university student who was taking the high-speed train back to his family's house for the national holiday. The young man was very talkative and amazed to no end when Qin Jiu, in return, shared some of the stories from his non-classified missions.

The student exclaimed in awe that he ought to attempt joining the military after graduation to land this wonderful job. Instead of explaining how headquarters only mobilized specific categories of people without family, who could potentially be put in danger, or any other significant ties to civil lives, Qin Jiu just smiled.

He didn't even have the address to give to the young man when he wanted to send Qin Jiu his hometown's specialties, prepared by his mother. After all, he wasn't going to stay here for long.

He sat down on the sofa, looking at the documents. Another young man's face looked at him from the page. Nothing could be read in his lighter-than-usual brown eyes and impassive expression. No one would be able to infer that this handsome but cold-looking man could be responsible for a widespread kidnapping incident that was taking place out of the public's view.

Head invigilator A was his mission's objective. He could be innocent, or he could be a culprit behind the scenes. It was now Qin Jiu's task to ascertain the truth before putting an end to the system's atrocities.

Qin Jiu was certain of one thing: he wouldn't confuse this face for anyone else's. His target looked like a hard nut to crack, for sure. Well, he liked the game of cat and mouse anyway.

He just needed to get into the system somehow; the rest will be decided when he gets there. Higher-ups have already warned him that communication will be impossible when he is inside the system. Nothing is new to a seasoned agent like himself. No battle plan could stay the same after the battle started. He will just need to think quickly on his feet according to the situation at hand.

The materials, which Qin Jiu already knew by heart, were thrown onto the coffee table. He made a casual note of the room's arrangement in his memory as he moved in the direction of the bed. Qin Jiu pondered how much time he would have to spend in this place until the system fell for the trap and dragged him in. He questioned whether he would have enough time to become accustomed to this rented place.

Throughout his life, there was many places he had to stay in and none of which could be called home. No, most of them he couldn't even remember.

He grinned at himself as he lay on the unfamiliar bed, wrapped in bed sheets that had never been used. There's no place to receive the packages from friends. Only in solitude was it possible to discern some bitterness in his smile.

But he was a man with a mission. Being able to fall asleep under any conditions was already second nature to him; something so meager as an unfamiliar place couldn't deter him.

The next day, during his casual stroll, Qin Jiu experienced a pulling sensation. The next time he opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different place.

***

Many years later, You Huo used his fingerprint to open the door while holding the grocery bag in the other. The new apartment selected for them by Old Yu was in a good location; the grocery store they had taken a trip to was less than a three-minute walk away.

Qin Jiu shut the door that also stored his fingerprint data behind them. Before You Huo could leave for the kitchen Qin Jiu wrapped his hand around his waist, his cold fingers playfully moving under the hem of his sweater to caress the skin there and making him shiver. "Welcome home, Big Invigilator."

You Huo put both his and Qin Jiu's bags onto the cabinet and turned to face him with a scowl on his handsome face. "There is a lot of work to be done, so don't mess around."

"Sweetheart, don't be in such a rush. Shouldn't we have fun, eat takeout on paper plates, lay on the floor, and hang out all night like the other couples that just moved?"

"We did that yesterday! And why sleep on the floor when we have perfectly fine bed?"

"So you agree with anything besides the floor?"

"You're insufferable!" You Huo grabbed Qin Jiu's scarf and dragged him to the bedroom, until his legs hit the bed frame.

Quickly ridding themselves of the clothing, they entangled on the bed. Thankfully, all necessary things were already prepared on the nightstand, so they didn't have to rummage through the baggage in search of certain items.

Later laying in each other's arms You Huo yawned lazily and nudged Qin Jiu in his side:

"Don't think you've gotten away with it; you still need to make dinner."

"As you command." Qin Jiu chuckled, his fingers tracing lazy circles on You Huo's back.

"Then why the big grin?" You Huo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just a new experience, having a home under both our names. I didn't expect you would be the one to offer moving in together."

You Huo shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow to look at Qin Jiu. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he took in the warmth and contentment in his lover's eyes. He reached out, intertwining his fingers with Qin Jiu's, their hands fitting together perfectly.

They stayed together ever since leaving the system, of course. Living in whichever apartment was more convenient at the time. However, this flat with a horrible flower painting on the living room's wall, courtesy of Old Yu's, was now their first home.

Not just a place where he would be staying for a while, or for the duration of the mission, but his first real home.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment as he looked around the space they had created together. It was a symbol of their commitment and a testament to how far they had come. They no longer had to hide, and it was a place where they could be themselves.

Home isn't just a physical place. It's about the person you share it with-the feeling of belonging and acceptance. Everything he could have dreamed of came true as they found home in one another.