Sheng Li had a wish.

He wished to be able to love, and to be loved back. He wished to love his parents, but they can't love him back anymore. He wished to love his adoptive family, however they didn't wish the same.

Now, he just wished to be able to have his affection accepted. He didn't need it to be reciprocated, just accepted. He didn't hope for much, he just wished to stay by his loved one's side.

However, Xiu Mo was different from his parents and adoptive family. He loved Sheng Li back. In fact, Sheng Li only had to simply be there and Xiu Mo would happily pour all his love and affection onto him.

This made Sheng Li happy, however he still felt worried. Insecurity had become his instinct, cautiousness his second nature. He learned to read people's moods, he became sensitive to the footsteps of others, he learned that every word of love came at a cost.

So now he had a new wish. He wished to know Xiu Mo's cost, so that he could both keep Xiu Mo's love, and also to pay him back out of gratitude, after all it must be hard to love the mistake that is Sheng Li. He didn't expect to keep Xiu Mo's love, he didn't expect to be the only one to recieve it, he just wished to continue to love Xiu Mo. 

So he waited, and waited; however Xiu Mo never asked for anything, and never expected anything of him.

Why?

This was new, this was scary. How long could he keep a costless love? How can he recieve a love without cost? 

Aren't things that are priceless, precious and easy to destroy? 

He feared this new love, one that asked for nothing in return. Then Sheng Li thought, wasn't his own love also without a cost? But his love wasn't precious like Xiu Mo's, but was instead a burden. So it wasn't the same.

Soon, Xiu Mo asked what Sheng Li wanted for his birthday. Sheng Li didn't know, so he couldn't answer. He didn't need any materialistic things. 

Then, that night, he asked for his wish. He wanted to know the cost of Xiu Mo's love.

Xiu Mo was a bit suprised by this question, his eyes had even widened out of shock. However, they weren't the usual eyes that had widened out of anger, but were instead gentle and warm. 

After fully processing this question, he laughed and said, "All I ask of you is to be happy. Maybe not all the time, but just the majority of it. I want you to reminisce, and remember only happy memories, and have time mellow out the sad ones."

Sheng Li didn't understand, but that didn't matter. All he knew was that he finally had his wish granted, and that anxious feeling that had made his gut it's den was gone.

Then, Xiu Mo asked, "What is the cost of your love?"

Sheng Li answered matter-of-factly, "No Cost."

Xiu Mo sighed with fake helplessness and said, "Then all I can do is to continue to dote on you as compensation."

Sheng Li's eyes had widened just like Xiu Mo's had, looking like a cute and suprised hamster; silly but also incredibly sweet.

He hadn't expected this. To be doted upon, to be compensated, he didn't expect any of this.

But he was happy.

Really happy.

                                                 –Xiu Mo's diary–

Sheng Li: *Suprised hamster face*

                                                 –TingTang's diary–

Extra! Next chapter is Sheng Li's birthday~! Also expect a Christmas special!