Pei Qingjian lowered his head. The blue star swayed gently at his collarbone.
He lifted his hand and held the sapphire pendant, studying it carefully. After a long moment, he raised his head again to look at Lin Xingchen.
Lin Xingchen had already withdrawn his hand, standing in front of him with both hands tucked into his pockets.
Pei Qingjian tilted his head, and the smile on his face spread like ripples—layer by layer—spilling gently into Lin Xingchen’s heart.
“Do you like it?” Lin Xingchen asked.
Pei Qingjian nodded firmly. “I like it.”
He liked the fireworks. He liked the necklace. And he liked Lin Xingchen even more.
He liked every part of it—each one made him happy.
Pei Qingjian opened his arms and threw himself into an embrace, wrapping tightly around the man in front of him.
He held Lin Xingchen close, nuzzling his head against his shoulder, unable to hide his joy and attachment.
Lin Xingchen lifted his arms and hugged him back.
The moonlight was deep and soft, and a quiet intimacy flowed along with it, slipping past the treetops and settling into the silver-white snow.
Only when Pei Qingjian began to feel the cold did he reluctantly pull away, taking Lin Xingchen’s hand and leading him back inside.
Noticing the chill on the back of his hand, Lin Xingchen caught it as soon as they entered and pressed it against his own waist.
Warmth spread instantly through Pei Qingjian’s fingers.
Standing in front of him, hands resting at his waist, Pei Qingjian looked straight at him.
“Did you start preparing all this right after that night when you told me?”
Lin Xingchen nodded. “Mm.”
Pei Qingjian smiled again. “You’re really something—didn’t let a single hint slip.”
“Of course,” Lin Xingchen said with a hint of pride. “Otherwise how would I get to see that surprised look on your face?”
Pei Qingjian felt his heart soften. He wrapped his arms around Lin Xingchen’s waist again, pulling him into another hug.
Lin Xingchen clicked his tongue deliberately. “So clingy.”
Pei Qingjian: ???
Who was the clingy one here?!
Clearly Lin Xingchen was the clingier one!
He huffed silently to himself, but decided not to argue—for the sake of the fireworks and the necklace tonight.
“That’s all it took to make you this happy?” Lin Xingchen ruffled his hair. “Then you’d better prepare yourself. In a few days, we’re going on a trip—you’ll be even happier then.”
Pei Qingjian looked up, his face already lighting up with a smile. “Really?”
“Of course.” Lin Xingchen cupped his face. “Didn’t we say before? Once you wrapped this project, we’d go abroad together.”
Pei Qingjian had not expected him to remember that too. His eyes curved into crescents as he smiled.
“Where are we going?”
“You decide. Have you thought about it? Domestic or overseas?” Lin Xingchen pinched his cheek.
Pei Qingjian let him, thinking for a moment. “Overseas.”
It was not that he thought things abroad were better—he had simply never left the country before.
Before, he had never had the means. Now that he finally had the chance, he wanted to go out and see the world.
To see different landscapes, experience different cultures, broaden his horizons.
When he was young, he had read the saying: Travel ten thousand miles, read ten thousand books.
Later, he left his village and came to a big city he had only seen on television before. The distance he had traveled had long surpassed ten thousand miles. He had indeed seen sights he had never seen before, learned things he had never known.
If not for his financial struggles—spending all four years of college working whenever he was not studying—he thought he might have traveled like his roommates.
Instead, he only allowed himself one trip at the end of each year as a reward, carefully keeping his spending within what he could afford.
Now, although he still did not have much money, perhaps it was the beauty of tonight’s fireworks, the softness of the moonlight, or the tenderness in Lin Xingchen’s eyes—he suddenly wanted to let himself be happy, just once.
His first trip abroad would not be with anyone else, but with Lin Xingchen.
To him, even if they parted ways in the future, it would still be a memory he could look back on with happiness.
A memory so vivid and unforgettable—like brilliant fireworks. Even after they faded into the sky, their beauty at the moment of blooming would never be diminished.
“Is that okay?” Pei Qingjian asked with a smile.
Lin Xingchen nodded, releasing his cheek. “Of course.”
“Won’t it affect your work?”
“It won’t,” Lin Xingchen explained. “Our company gives an early ten-day holiday every year before the New Year. So if we don’t travel, we’ll just be staying home together anyway.”
Hearing that, Pei Qingjian’s interest was instantly piqued. “That’s so nice. If I ever leave the industry, can I work at your company?”
“Sure. You can come be my secretary.”
“You already have enough secretaries. I don’t want that.”
“Then what do you want to do?” Lin Xingchen asked.
Pei Qingjian thought for a moment. “Well, definitely not a designer.”
Lin Xingchen chuckled. “That’s fine. Take your time deciding. If nothing else, I’ll just create a position for you—you can sit there and stamp documents all day.”
Pei Qingjian: …Wouldn’t that make him some kind of favored consort bringing ruin to the country?
The thought amused him, and he laughed. “Forget it. Worst case, I’ll just be a designer properly.”
“Then do a good job. I’ll promote you to department manager.”
Pei Qingjian burst out laughing. Even if he was not a scheming consort, Lin Xingchen really did sound like a foolish emperor.
“Alright, thank you, boss,” Pei Qingjian said, pulling him out of the entryway and toward the bedroom.
After filming all day, he was starting to feel tired.
Lin Xingchen felt the same. One after the other, they took showers and prepared for bed.
While Lin Xingchen was in the shower, Pei Qingjian took off the necklace and looked at the star-shaped sapphire pendant.
At a glance, it was clearly expensive—far beyond what he could afford.
But since Lin Xingchen had given it to him, he probably would not want him to refuse it just because of the price.
He gently toyed with the pendant in his hand. When Lin Xingchen came out of the shower, he set the necklace on the nightstand for the moment and went into the bathroom himself.
Rationally, he knew the two of them would part sooner or later. He should not be accepting something this expensive.
But it was such a happy night—Pei Qingjian did not want to ruin something that belonged to both of them.
In any case, he would earn more money over time. Once he paid back the three million Lin Xingchen had given him, he could give him something just as valuable in return.
So there was no need to do anything that would dampen the mood.
After showering, Pei Qingjian quickly changed into his pajamas and slipped under the covers.
While he had been filming, Lin Xingchen had been careful not to affect his work. Most of the time, he held himself back. Even when Pei Qingjian unintentionally tempted him, he did not dare go too far, afraid of leaving marks.
Now that filming was over, there was no need to hold back.
The moment Pei Qingjian got into bed, Lin Xingchen tossed his phone aside and pulled him into his arms.
Smiling, Pei Qingjian wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him.
Without hesitation, Lin Xingchen pressed a hand to the back of his head, deepening the kiss.
Before long, the kiss naturally turned into something more intimate.
All night, Pei Qingjian felt as though waves were sweeping him back and forth—forward, then back again—over and over.
By the time Lin Xingchen carried him to wash up again, Pei Qingjian could barely keep his eyes open.
He leaned against him, unwilling to move, letting Lin Xingchen handle everything.
“Such a good boy,” Lin Xingchen murmured, kissing his cheek.
Pei Qingjian lifted his eyelids just enough to glance at him, then leaned in again, rubbing lightly against his face.
—
The next morning, Pei Qingjian, unsurprisingly, slept in.
Not wanting him to tire himself out, Lin Xingchen called him. “Don’t bring me lunch today. I’ll eat with Shao Kang and the others. Just stay home—it’s quiet there anyway. Treat it as a day to rest. We’ll go back together Friday night.”
“Okay,” Pei Qingjian agreed.
He got up, washed up, and checked the fridge. As expected, Lin Xingchen had already asked someone to stock it with fruits and vegetables.
Pei Qingjian made himself a sandwich and had it with yogurt.
After eating, he wandered out into the courtyard.
The sky had cleared, and the flowers were blooming again.
Near the entrance stood a wintersweet tree, its yellow blossoms dotting the branches like tiny stars—beautiful beyond words.
It reminded him of the night before.
He glanced down at the necklace he had put back on that morning, and a smile once again spread across his face, impossible to suppress.
After a while, he went back inside and took out his phone, starting to search for travel ideas.
After going through several posts, he began to form a rough plan.
He messaged Lin Xingchen:
【Can we go somewhere by the sea? I’ve never been to the ocean before.】
Lin Xingchen replied:
【Of course.】
Pei Qingjian added:
【Then can we go to Country N? I read a guide, and the small towns there seem really interesting.】
Lin Xingchen:
【Of course.】
He added with a smile:
【You can go anywhere you want. If you felt like it, you could visit a different country every day for ten days.】
Pei Qingjian laughed:
【No way—that wouldn’t be fun.】
【At most, I’ll go to two countries.】
Lin Xingchen replied:
【Sounds good.】
—
Shao Kang, sitting beside Lin Xingchen, watched as he suddenly stopped eating and started smiling at his phone. “Hey, what’s going on with you?”
Lin Xingchen glanced at him. “Replying to messages.”
“Who’s texting you that’s got you smiling like that?”
“Qingjian.”
“Ohhh~” Shao Kang dragged out the sound. “Your little boyfriend, huh~”
Lin Xingchen: …
“By the way,” Shao Kang continued, “after the holidays but before the New Year, got any plans? I’m organizing a racing trip—bring your boyfriend along.”
“He’s not going.”
“Why not? Not into it?”
“No. He’s going abroad.”
Shao Kang: !!!
“And you’re okay with that? Think about it—two guys alone together. When he comes back, who knows what color your hat will turn.”
Lin Xingchen: ???
“What are you even talking about?” Lin Xingchen said, exasperated. “We’re going together.”
Shao Kang let out an exaggerated “Ohhh.” “You should’ve said that earlier. I was worried for nothing. Still—you two aren’t even married yet, and you’re already going abroad for a honeymoon. Must be nice~”
Lin Xingchen: !!!
He nearly choked.
Honeymoon? Not even married yet?
What kind of nonsense was that?!
There was no way he and Pei Qingjian were getting married!
They were just in a perfectly normal patron-and-kept relationship. If there was anything slightly abnormal about it, it was that they planned to become friends after the contract ended.
It had absolutely nothing to do with marriage.
Nothing at all.
—
Author’s Note:
Shao Kang: I’ll just sit here and watch you deny it!