Chapter 47

How could Xia Xiqing refuse something as exciting as eloping?

However, in his heart, he felt that he should be the one to initiate the elopement. Never mind, let these small details go. Xia Xiqing didn’t realize that when he met Zhou Ziheng, even his younger brother automatically became a small detail that could be ignored. He just wanted to go with him, without any reason.

“Take my car. Have Xiao Luo drive yours back for you.” Zhou Ziheng pulled his hand out of his pocket and opened the passenger door for him.

Xia Xiqing noticed he had switched cars, though it was still the same understated Lexus LS. He tapped the door and climbed into the passenger seat. “What about the previous tree-lined avenue?”

Zhou Ziheng walked around to open the door and sat in the driver’s seat. “That was the nanny car.”

“Oh, I’ve been complaining about that car for a long time.” Xia Xiqing smiled. Zhou Ziheng rolled down the window, and Xia Xiqing handed his car keys to Xiao Luo. Seeing Xiao Luo’s nervous expression, Xia Xiqing leaned out the window and smiled at him, “It’s okay, just drive it however you want. It’s insured.”

“If you crash it, it’s such a flashy car.” Zhou Ziheng chuckled on the side.

“You’re the one who’s ugly, with your mediocre taste.”

Xiao Luo held the keys, sweating profusely, and could only maintain a fake smile as he watched the two young masters drive away.

Xia Xiqing had never been curious about Zhou Ziheng’s family background. In the fan circle, fans would exaggerate everything. A celebrity from a middle-class family could be blown up into a second-generation rich kid, and those from wealthy families were praised even more. If someone had a government official in their family, they’d be labeled as a “red second-generation.” In the genuine second-generation rich kid circle, people had no interest in such exaggerated backgrounds.

However, he increasingly felt that Zhou Ziheng was not from an ordinary family. It wasn’t because of his daily attire or his house and car, as these things were nothing special for celebrities. Even that high-end apartment was something Zhou Ziheng, with his status or the money he had accumulated over the years, could easily afford. For Xia Xiqing, beyond material possessions, Zhou Ziheng’s personality and values reflect a family that is almost perfect—happy and harmonious yet grounded in the realities of life, with moral constraints but a great deal of intellectual freedom.

He gazed at Zhou Ziheng’s focused profile as he drove, feeling a mix of emotions.

“What are you looking at?” Zhou Ziheng, waiting for the green light, continued to stare ahead. “Still criticizing my taste? Or do you think your Cayenne isn’t flashy enough?”

“You’re right—that’s my most understated car.” Xia Xiqing laughed. “It’s a daily driver. Let me give you an example: this office lady,” he pointed to a female office worker walking by with a black briefcase, “my car is like that black briefcase—everyday, practical, and durable.”

Zhou Ziheng furrowed his brows, giving him a look that said, “You’re joking,” then quickly peeled off a raspberry-flavored lollipop and stuffed it into his mouth while the light was still red, then stepped on the gas pedal.

Xia Xiqing’s index finger pulled on the drawstring of Zhou Ziheng’s hoodie, winding it around and around. “If she were going to a nightclub, she definitely wouldn’t carry this bag. Just like how truly flashy cars are meant for picking up people, and…” His finger suddenly stopped, and his voice lowered. “Car sex.”

Zhou Ziheng, completely unprepared, nearly hit the brakes. Xia Xiqing found this particularly amusing; Zhou Ziheng’s reaction to such suggestive jokes was always excellent.

“Don’t get excited,” Xia Xiqing shrugged regretfully. “Due to the nature of our profession, we probably won’t have the chance to try this ‘play’ anytime soon.”

Zhou Ziheng, with a lollipop in his mouth, turned his face and raised his right eyebrow at him, “If you like ‘driving’ so much, should I get out and let you drive yourself?”

“That’s not possible; driving requires at least two people.” Xia Xiqing patted his face, grabbed the lollipop stick, and Zhou Ziheng, still holding the steering wheel, dared not joke with him and let him take the lollipop.

“Ugh… it’s too sweet.” Xia Xiqing spoke indistinctly with the lollipop in his mouth. Zhou Ziheng watched the traffic ahead, but his mind drifted back to that morning when Xia Xiqing had been lying on his shoulder, breathing heavily.

He shook his head, trying to shake off those suggestive images so he could concentrate.

Xia Xiqing, who was eating the candy, didn’t continue with the dirty jokes. He took out his phone and sent a message to Xia Xiuze.

[I’m leaving first. Please eat the cake for me. In a couple of days, I’ll take you out to play and give you another chance to celebrate. Happy birthday.]

As usual, he received an immediate reply from Xia Xiuze.

[Brother, do you really think my birthday is worth celebrating? I mean, did anyone really feel happy when I was born?]

This message was immediately deleted after Xia Xiuqing read it.

Staring at the deletion notification at the bottom of the screen, Xia Xiuqing took a deep breath and gave him an answer.

[At first, I was quite annoyed, to be honest, I really disliked it.]

[But now I feel that your birth as my younger brother is the only thing in this family that makes me happy.]

He wanted to add, “Don’t reply to this,” but before he could finish typing, a voice call came in, startling Xia Xiqing so much that he accidentally pressed the speakerphone button.

“Wuwuwuwuwu… Brother, I love you… Wuwuwuwuwu…”

Xia Xiuze’s wailing confession was shocking no matter how many times he heard it.

How could such a cool person have such a clingy younger brother?

His hands gripping the steering wheel suddenly began to sweat. Zhou Ziheng pursed his lips, pretending to stay calm as he looked ahead, but the ear that had been touched was already burning hot.

He seemed to need to tell himself a million times, “They’re not dating,” to dispel his overly sweet fantasies. He even wondered if the chemical reactions he was experiencing were just a temporary emotional fluctuation, after all, people nowadays get ambiguous so easily.

The chemical reactions caused by hormonal collisions were beyond his understanding. He tried to stay calm, but it was hard to stay calm.

If Xia Xiqing didn’t find out that he liked him just a little bit, maybe they could continue to maintain this relationship. Although it was a little strange, he had to admit that he was already enjoying it a little.

Xia Xiqing scrolled through Weibo for a while and found that the comments had completely gone off track, with almost all of his fans calling him Mrs. Zhou.

“This is ridiculous…”

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Ziheng asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” Xia Xiqing stuffed his phone into his pants pocket and glanced outside. It was pitch black all around, and there were even fewer streetlights. It seemed they had already left the city. “What kind of place is this? You’re not going to rape me, kill me, and dump my body in the wilderness, are you?”

Zhou Ziheng replied solemnly, “Do you know what role I’ve always wanted to try?”

“A psychopath,” Xia Xiqing answered instantly.

“A psychopathic murderer.”

“That’s strange,” Xia Xiqing glanced at the rearview mirror. “I notice you’re not worried about the paparazzi following us at all.”

“You’re just noticing that now?”

Zhou Ziheng shot Xia Xiqing a disapproving look with his piercing eyes. As they approached the entrance, he slowed down. “Do you think this is a movie?”

He felt uneasy, but Zhou Ziheng drove the car up to the gate, rolled down the window, and greeted the man standing outside, “Uncle Meng.” The car stopped in front of the gate.

“Ziheng is here.” The man glanced at Xia Xiqing sitting in the passenger seat, then turned his gaze back to Zhou Ziheng. “Friend?”

“Yes.” Zhou Ziheng didn’t say much. The man waved his hand toward the guard post, and the gate finally opened to let them through.

Xia Xiqing wasn’t surprised that Zhou Ziheng came from a military family; there had always been rumors about this in the fan circle, but no one knew exactly what rank he held.

It seemed to be quite high.

After driving a short distance, Zhou Ziheng stopped the car and took Xia Xiqing out. They stood outside for a while, and Xia Xiqing looked up and noticed that the stars seemed brighter on this side.

“Ziheng.”

Hearing someone call him, Xia Xiqing looked over and saw another man wearing the same uniform, who looked to be in his early thirties.

“Brother Cheng,” Zhou Ziheng replied.

“You brought a friend today,” Brother Cheng said in a Beijing accent. He didn’t say much, but he was quite polite. “Get in the car with me.” After saying that, he took the Warrior Jeep and drove the two of them away. He didn’t chat much with Zhou Ziheng, just saying, “Go back and visit your parents more often.” When they arrived at the training ground, he dropped the two of them off and threw a set of keys to Zhou Ziheng, “Let me know when you’re done playing, and I’ll pick you up.”

Zhou Ziheng caught the keys, nodded, and led Xia Xiqing into the seemingly ordinary building.

“Now you can tell me where this is, right?”

“A place where paparazzi dare not go.” Zhou Ziheng led him to a door marked “Training Field No. 23,” bent down to find the key, and opened the door. Inside, it was pitch black. Zhou Ziheng took Xia Xiqing’s hand and pressed the switch for the large light at the door.

The dark training field was illuminated by one light after another. The spacious indoor training field was as large as a football field, with a row of targets standing straight and tall in the distance, looking absolutely stunning.

“Is this… a shooting range?” Xia Xiqing looked at Zhou Ziheng’s calm profile.

“If you don’t add a bunch of prefixes that might get censored, you’re right.” Zhou Ziheng pulled him into the armory, which was filled with various types of firearms.

“Are these all live rounds?” Xia Xiqing couldn’t believe it.

“This place isn’t open to the public. Of course, military training uses live ammunition.” Zhou Ziheng picked up an imported AUG assault rifle and handed it to Xia Xiqing, then slung an 88-style sniper rifle over his shoulder. “Try these two first.”

Weapons have a natural appeal to men. Xia Xiqing had only ever handled ordinary-grade handguns abroad, just for fun, and had never pulled the trigger. Now, suddenly holding a heavy military assault rifle, his blood was boiling.

Zhou Ziheng, who had taken off his jacket and was wearing only a black short-sleeve shirt, put on a dark blue anti-shock vest, donned orange-yellow shooting goggles, picked up a pair of noise-canceling ear muffs from the table, and strode toward Xia Xiqing with long strides. He looked absolutely stunning.

“My taste is so good,” Xia Xiqing couldn’t help but exclaim. It was truly breathtaking.

“It’s going to be very loud.” Zhou Ziheng reached out to tuck Xia Xiqing’s hair behind his ear, then helped him put on the noise-canceling ear muffs. Xia Xiqing tilted his head back slightly to look at him, which was his favorite pose.

“What are you looking at?”

In fact, the noise-canceling ear muffs made Zhou Ziheng’s voice very soft, but Xia Xiqing, who had been staring at his mouth all along, could already imagine the tone of Zhou Ziheng’s voice just by reading his lips.

“Looking at the handsome guy.”

Zhou Ziheng blushed immediately, licking his lips. The eyes behind his orange goggles glanced away before returning to Xia Xiqing’s face.

Xia Xiqing didn’t feel like teasing him anymore. He took off the ear muffs. “Do you come here often?”

Zhou Ziheng nodded. “I come here to vent when I’m feeling stressed.”

Zhou Ziheng didn’t respond, so Xia Xiqing pressed further, “When was the last time you came here?” In truth, he wanted to ask when the last time he brought someone here was, but the words stopped at his lips.

“Last week.”

“Last week?” Xia Xiqing furrowed his brows. Wasn’t that before he went to Shanghai to record the show?

“What did you come here for last week? To relieve exam stress?”

Zhou Ziheng glanced at him, then lowered his head to set up the sniper rifle, muttering, “Whatever you say.”

What kind of answer was that? Xia Xiqing shrugged indifferently. Seeing that he was about to fire, he quickly put on his ear protection. Zhou Ziheng fired a shot, and his aim was quite precise—he must have practiced a lot. Now he finally understood why so many fans in the fandom begged him to play a police officer or a killer. With that face, that build, and a gun in hand, he was practically oozing testosterone.

Zhou Ziheng warmed up and got up to start the tutorial, handing Xia Xiqing a vest to put on and beginning to explain some safety precautions for first-time shooters.

“Can I not wear this?”

“If you don’t wear it, your shoulders will hurt tomorrow.” Zhou Ziheng adjusted his glasses, picked up the AUG from the table, and loaded it with practiced ease before handing it to Xia Xiqing.

“Aren’t you going to practice with me?” Xia Xiqing was still captivated by the sight of Zhou Ziheng loading the gun.

“Sure.” Zhou Ziheng moved behind Xia Xiqing, gripped both his hands, and raised them high.

“Relax your shoulders, keep your eyes on the target, and focus your attention.” Zhou Ziheng wrapped his arms around Xia Xiqing. “Don’t be afraid; there will be some recoil, but I’ll hold you the whole time.”

Just moments ago, they had been joking around, but now it was time for real practice. Xia Xiqing was actually a bit nervous. His eyes fixed on the target in the distance, but he felt his gaze couldn’t stay focused.

“Take a deep breath.” Zhou Ziheng’s voice was right next to his ear. To ensure Xia Xiqing could hear clearly even with his ear protection on, he leaned in very close, his lips—which always seemed so cold—almost touching Xia Xiqing’s earlobe. “Every time your heart beats, it causes a slight tremor in your body, affecting accuracy. So try to slow your heart rate.”

But Xia Xiqing felt his heartbeat accelerating.

“Let’s just try one shot. Don’t be nervous.” His hands still tightly gripped Xia Xiqing’s gun-holding hands, his thumb gently rubbing Xia Xiqing’s fingers in a soothing manner.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One.”

As he pulled the trigger, the bullet flew out, and the powerful recoil threw him backward, pressing him against Zhou Ziheng’s chest. The force felt as though it were forcing him into Zhou Ziheng’s body, like a wooden wedge being driven into his heart.

In the brief moment, all the worries that could be called troubles were blown away by that single shot. After the loud bang, the world was left with only two people—him and Zhou Ziheng, who had embraced him without letting go for a single moment.

“How was it? Was it very stress-relieving?” Zhou Ziheng took off his ear muffs and looked at the target. “You have a lot of talent. You’re much better than I was the first time.”

Xia Xiqing had completely fallen in love with shooting. With his naturally bold personality, he hardly needed Zhou Ziheng’s assistance and quickly got the hang of it on his own, nearly hitting the bullseye several times.

Zhou Ziheng had never seen the usually lazy Xia Xiqing so enthusiastic about something before, and he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. Although he had brought Xia Xiqing here, it wasn’t his intention to be completely ignored. Unable to bear it any longer, Zhou Ziheng stood up and walked over to Xia Xiqing. “Is it that much fun?”

Xia Xiqing looked up at him. “It’s fun. More fun than you.”

Zhou Ziheng couldn’t help but laugh. “How is it more fun than me?”

He mimicked Zhou Ziheng’s earlier cocking motion. “It lets me do it, but you won’t.”

Here we go again. Zhou Ziheng chuckled lightly. “You should know better.”

Xia Xiqing aimed the gun at Zhou Ziheng’s chest, looking like a spoiled brat. “Will you let me or not?”

“You’re being pretty forceful about this,” Zhou Ziheng said, not even bothering to raise his hands. “I’m not going along with it.”

Xia Xiqing pressed the gun barrel against his pectoral muscle. “You’d better know your place, or I’ll kill you first and then rape you.”

“I’ve never known my place.”

“Any last words?” Xia Xiqing curled the corner of his mouth, like a professional assassin.

“Last words…” Zhou Ziheng lazily stuffed his hands into his pockets, looked up, and adopted a serious contemplative expression. “Half of my estate will go to building a Hope Primary School, half of the remaining half will go to repairing roads in mountainous areas, and the rest…” He suddenly leaned forward, pressing the gun against his nose as he leaned in close, his warm breath gently brushing against the assassin’s nose.

After speaking, he kissed Xia Xiqing, who was momentarily startled.

A brief kiss, taking away not only the gun in his hand but also the heart that was beating so wildly it could no longer steady the weapon.