"We'll stay. Hotel."
Xu Chen stood still for a moment after saying it.
The decision felt simple enough.
He pulled out his phone and started scrolling, his thumb moving quickly across the screen.
"Let's see…" he muttered. "There should be something nearby."
Within seconds, a list of options appeared—polished images, ratings, distances.
He tapped on one.
A five-star property, not too far from where they were.
"Good enough," Xu Chen said, more to himself than to Aum.
A few taps later, the booking was done.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and glanced at Aum.
"One room," he said. "That okay?"
Aum looked at him.
"We have been sharing the same space since I arrived," he said. "Why would it be a problem now?"
Xu Chen paused.
"…Right."
That answer had been too straightforward.
He cleared his throat lightly and started walking toward the exit, expecting Aum to follow—which he did.
"It's just… different," Xu Chen added after a few steps.
Aum looked at him again.
"How?"
Xu Chen hesitated for half a second.
"Because it's a hotel," he said, as if that explained anything.
Aum processed that.
"It is still a room," he replied.
Xu Chen exhaled quietly.
"…Yes. Technically."
They stepped out onto the street, the city now fully alive under artificial lights. Traffic flowed steadily, headlights reflecting off glass buildings, voices blending into the background without becoming noise.
Xu Chen opened DiDi again and booked a ride.
As they waited, he spoke again—this time more casually, almost as if correcting something in advance.
"Just so you know," Xu Chen said, glancing sideways at Aum, "you don't need to overthink it. I'm not into guys."
Aum blinked once.
"…What does that change?" he asked.
Xu Chen stopped.
It wasn't the question.
It was how seriously Aum had asked it.
"It means," Xu Chen said slowly, "you don't have to feel… uncomfortable."
Aum considered that.
"I am not uncomfortable," he said.
Xu Chen looked at him.
"…Good."
A brief pause.
"…And I wasn't implying that you would be."
Aum nodded once, as if the matter was settled.
Xu Chen looked away.
"…Great. That clears absolutely nothing."
The car arrived.
They got in, and the ride moved through the city with smooth, uninterrupted motion.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Xu Chen leaned back slightly and turned his head toward Aum.
"How was your day?" he asked.
The question came casually.
Aum didn't answer immediately.
Xu Chen waited, expecting either silence or a short, practical response.
Instead—
"It was… good," Aum said.
Xu Chen turned fully this time.
That wasn't the answer he expected.
Aum continued, his tone steady but different from before.
"There was more variation," he said. "More input. The city, the movement, the interaction patterns… and the food."
A slight pause.
"I liked the food."
Xu Chen stared at him for a second.
"…You liked it?"
Aum nodded.
"Yes."
Xu Chen let out a quiet breath that almost turned into a laugh.
"That's new."
Aum didn't deny it.
"I have been observing," he said. "There are differences between here and where I am from, but they are not as extensive as I initially calculated."
Xu Chen leaned back again.
"Meaning?"
Aum looked ahead, choosing his words more carefully this time.
"Where I am from, people prioritize efficiency," he said. "Decisions are made based on outcomes. Emotional responses exist, but they are… moderated."
Xu Chen listened without interrupting.
"Here," Aum continued, "responses are stronger. Less filtered. People react more openly—to food, to proximity, to interaction."
Xu Chen's gaze shifted slightly.
"And you?" he asked.
Aum paused.
Then said, more quietly this time—
"I am starting to understand it."
The car slowed slightly as it approached a signal.
Aum continued, his voice still calm, but carrying a trace of something that hadn't been there before.
"There may be environmental influence," he added. "Gravitational variation, atmospheric density, even planetary structure can affect biological responses over time."
Xu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"…You're blaming emotions on physics now?"
Aum glanced at him.
"It is not blame. It is correlation."
Xu Chen let out a soft laugh.
"Of course it is."
Aum continued, more thoughtfully now.
"If a planetary system has additional mass structures—rings, for example—it alters gravitational distribution. Over time, that affects internal systems. Hormonal balance. Neural response patterns."
Xu Chen looked at him again.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
Xu Chen shook his head slightly, a faint smile forming.
"Remind me never to argue with you. You'll turn everything into a scientific explanation."
Aum didn't respond to that.
But his gaze shifted briefly toward Xu Chen.
Something in the conversation had changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to notice.
The car turned into a quieter lane, slowing as it approached their destination.
A tall building came into view, its glass exterior reflecting the city lights.
The car stopped.
Xu Chen stepped out first, then glanced back at Aum.
"Come on," he said.
They stood in front of the hotel entrance.
Soft lighting framed the structure, and the interior beyond the glass doors looked calm, controlled, and distinctly removed from the noise of the city.
The doors opened quietly, sealing the city outside.
Xu Chen adjusted his sleeve slightly and walked in without looking back.
Aum paused for a fraction of a second, then stepped in after him.
For reasons he hadn't fully understood yet;
this moment felt like a beginning rather than a stop.