Chapter 51

What goes around comes around; heaven spares no one.

After twenty-five years of sailing without a paddle, Xia Xiqing never imagined he’d have a day where he’d capsize—and it happened right in front of Xu Qichen. He struggled out of Zhou Ziheng’s embrace, roughly wiping his mouth. “Um… well… Qichen, let me explain…”

“He’ll listen to your explanation.” Zhou Ziheng reached out and turned his chin, pointing at Xu Qichen, who was bare-chested, “What about me? Aren’t you going to explain to me?”

Xia Xiqing coughed twice, “You… you wait a moment…”

“Why should I wait?” Zhou Ziheng looked displeased, so he completely untied the tie that Xia Xiqing had just pulled apart and took off his coat, throwing it on the cabinet in the entrance hall. Xia Xiqing didn’t have time to speak, so he reached out and patted his side like he was petting a puppy. This soothing gesture made Zhou Ziheng feel very comfortable.

Xu Qichen awkwardly took a few steps back, grabbed a small blanket from the sofa, and draped it over himself, feeling a bit more at ease. He pondered a reasonable way to phrase it, “Um… so what’s your relationship…”

“We’re not in a relationship!” Xia Xiqing, feeling extremely guilty, blurted out the answer before Zhou Ziheng could stop him, grabbing his wrist. “Not in a relationship?!”

“Are you sure there’s nothing going on…” Xu Qichen’s expression was awkward and confused. “Or did I just see things because I took too long in the shower… weren’t you two just kissing?”

It wasn’t just any kiss; it was a very deep kiss.

Damn it, this is so unlucky. Xia Xiqing awkwardly smiled and tugged at Zhou Ziheng, each word forced out between his teeth, “You just said you wanted to come in and sit down, so go sit down.” He turned to Xu Qichen and said, “I’ll explain everything to you. Let’s sit down first.”

So the three of them sat facing each other on the floor, and the awkward encounter turned into an even more awkward conversation, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

“What exactly is your relationship?” Xu Qichen cut straight to the chase, asking the ultimate question.

“Well…” Xia Xiqing didn’t know how to answer this question. “It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of…”

Xu Qichen’s eyes widened. “What kind of relationship am I thinking of?”

Zhou Ziheng interrupted, “It’s that kind of relationship.” He emphasized those two words deliberately.

“Really? Oh my god…”

“It’s not…” Xia Xiqing was on the verge of biting his tongue off. Although Xu Qichen was well aware of his reckless behavior and his tendency to engage in such activities, Xia Xiqing felt too embarrassed to admit to Xu Qichen that he and Zhou Ziheng had an impure casual relationship.

“But you two just… kissed.” Xu Qichen whispered the last three words.

“Well… I’ve kissed others before too.” Xia Xiqing spoke as if he had a date in his mouth, deliberately making each word unclear, his eyes darting elsewhere. “It’s not like everyone I’ve kissed…”

Zhou Ziheng grabbed his wrist again, his expression displeased. “So you’re saying you go out and kiss other people all the time now?”

“I didn’t!” Xia Xiqing was so upset. “How did you come to that conclusion? I’m either recording shows or staying home drawing every day. Where would I find someone to kiss?”

Xu Qichen analyzed calmly, “So you’re saying that you haven’t kissed anyone else since you met him? Then why are you saying there’s nothing between you two?”

Holy crap, two logical geniuses at once, this is ridiculous.

“That’s why I said there’s something between us.” Zhou Ziheng looked at Xu Qichen, who nodded deeply in agreement. “I think so too.”

“Fine, if you two say there is, then there is,” Xia Xiqing gave up and raised his hands in surrender.

Xu Qichen turned to Zhou Ziheng and asked, “Why are you here?”

“I…” Zhou Ziheng answered honestly, “I came to sit for five minutes.” The only thing off was that he emphasized the word “sit.”

“Sit… for five minutes?” Xu Qichen’s eyes widened like copper bells, “How can five minutes…”

Xia Xiqing was about to be driven mad by the two of them. “Sit—down—sit—” “We’re not what you think. I can’t explain it to you in a moment… Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”

Xu Qichen looked serious, his expression obedient and honest: “But I saw it.”

“You…”

“Not only did I see it, but I’m going to go out and spread it around.”

Xia Xiqing took a deep breath, afraid he might faint. He grabbed Xu Qichen’s hand and started acting pitiful, “Please, my dear Qichen, don’t go spreading rumors, especially to your family. They’ll laugh at us for the rest of their lives.”

Zhou Ziheng nearly lost his temper upon hearing the words “Chenchen, my precious,” his temples throbbing. He reached out and pulled Xia Xiqing’s hand away, “Are you so afraid of others finding out about our relationship?” His expression changed astonishingly quickly, his eyes drooping like a puppy’s, almost whimpering, “I don’t mind, so why are you hiding it from Xu Bian? Am I that shameful…”

Xia Xiqing was truly exasperated. He pushed Zhou Ziheng’s hand away with disdain. “You should be joining the crew. Your acting addiction is getting out of hand.”

“Um, Ziheng, let me tell you,” Xu Qichen tugged at Zhou Ziheng’s arm, his expression both sympathetic and sincere. “Xiqing seems like a playboy, but he’s not really. Alright, he is a playboy, but…”

“No buts. Thank you,” Xia Xiqing quickly covered Xu Qichen’s mouth. “Be good. It’s late. You should go home, or that dog Xia Zhixu will cause trouble for me again.”

Xu Qichen was pushed to his feet. “What should I wear?”

“Come on, let’s go to the wardrobe room. You can wear whatever you want, one outfit at a time.” Xia Xiqing pushed his shoulders toward the second floor, glancing back at Zhou Ziheng with a sharp look as they went up the stairs.

What kind of situation is this? He’s gotten himself into it all.

Xia Xiqing’s wardrobe was enormous. Two rows of shirts were neatly hung by color, and all the clothes were arranged by color scheme. The visual impact was striking at first glance. Xu Qichen couldn’t help but marvel, “Indeed, an artist—even his OCD has an artistic flair.”

However, none of these clothes matched his usual style. Xu Qichen walked around and noticed a casual outfit hanging at the back—a deep red hoodie and sweatpants—which stood out from the rest of the clothes. It didn’t seem to match Xia Xiqing’s usual taste, but it should be comfortable.

“The underwear in the drawer is all brand new. Take whatever you like,” Xia Xiqing’s voice came from outside.

“Oh.” Xu Qichen took down the casual outfit hanging there, changed into it slowly, and walked out, tugging at the sleeves. “This outfit is a bit too big…”

Xia Xiqing was smoking a cigarette, but when he saw Xu Qichen wearing the outfit Zhou Ziheng had given him—that eye-catching red hoodie—his hand trembled suddenly, and the cigarette ash fell onto his palm, burning him and making him jump.

“No… Chenchen, there are so many clothes in there, why are you wearing this one?” Xia Xiqing coughed and pushed Xu Qichen inside before Zhou Ziheng noticed, “This one is too big, change into something else, there are so many here.” He picked up a white shirt. “This one will look great on you. Just wear this one. And these black pants—I remember Xia Zhixu has something similar. Come on, let me put together a matching couple’s outfit for you.”

Xu Qichen looked skeptical. Xia Xiqing was being too attentive, and he took the clothes from his hands in confusion. “Alright, I’ll change.”

Xia Xiqing’s heart finally settled. If Xu Qichen went downstairs wearing this outfit and Zhou Ziheng saw him, with his petty nature, wouldn’t he get angry?

Wait, why should he care if Zhou Ziheng gets angry? If he does, so be it.

It was as if there were three little people in his head, two of them punching and kicking each other, causing Xia Xiqing’s brain nerves to snap, while the third one was busy trying to mend the broken threads, but he kept getting it wrong.

“Why did you take so long?”

Hearing Zhou Ziheng’s voice, Xia Xiqing snapped out of his bizarre mental theater, “That outfit didn’t fit, so we’ll wait a bit longer.”

Zhou Ziheng smiled, reached out to touch Xia Xiqing’s waist, pulling him closer, and whispered in a low voice, as if planning something mischievous, “Can I kiss you now?”

Xia Xiqing found himself particularly afraid of him laughing and talking like this, especially when he whispered in his ear in that pleading tone, his voice electric, making him feel tingly all over.

“You’re addicted to it, aren’t you?” Xia Xiqing blew smoke into his face, smiling hazily, “You just keep going wild like this, and I’ll deal with you when no one’s around.”

“You used to flirt with me in front of everyone too,” Zhou Ziheng reached out his hand, pushing through the smoke to adjust Xia Xiqing’s collar, which was askew and exposing his collarbone. “I thought you didn’t care about the time when you were being reckless.”

Xia Xiqing was truly impressed. It turned out that Zhou Ziheng was a natural talent, capable of learning rapidly once a certain switch was flipped. His skill in seduction was now nearly on par with Xia Xiqing’s. Was this really the same innocent young man who had once been too shy to even utter the words “deep throat”?

“Behave yourself,” Xia Xiqing said, grasping his fingers. Coincidentally, Xu Qichen came out at that moment, holding a jacket. “I think it’s a bit cold to just wear a white shirt. Can I wear this jacket?”

The next second, Xia Xiqing realized that the jacket Xu Qichen was holding was the gray-green jacket he had secretly taken when he pretended to be drunk.

Damn it, Xu Qichen’s hands must have been blessed.

“Hey, don’t wear that one,” Xia Xiqing let go of Zhou Ziheng’s fingers, walked over, and wrapped his arm around Xu Qichen’s shoulder, preparing to take him back to the cloakroom. “This one is too thick. I have a thinner one…”

“No, just wear this one,” Zhou Ziheng’s voice suddenly came from behind.

“Huh?” Xu Qichen turned his head to look at him, “Why?”

“Don’t mind him…” Xia Xiqing pulled Xu Qichen, but heard Zhou Ziheng speak up from behind.

“Because this is my coat.” He turned around and saw him smiling with a crooked mouth.

Xu Qichen froze for a moment, instinctively letting go quickly. As the coat was about to fall, Xia Xiqing caught it swiftly.

“You lied to me and said you two weren’t involved?” Xu Qichen’s eyes widened. “He even left his clothes at your place.” His face clearly said, “You two must have slept together.”

“We are involved,” Zhou Ziheng laughed. “That kind of relationship.”

Xia Xiqing was completely flustered by the two of them. He had brought this upon himself. When he took his jacket, he never imagined this would happen.

Xu Qichen was smart, and he suddenly felt something was off. “Was that outfit also his? I wondered why it was so big.” Seeing Xia Xiqing remain silent, as if acknowledging it, Xu Qichen finally understood. He turned to Zhou Ziheng and asked, “Wait a minute, do you live across the street?”

Zhou Ziheng tilted his head, “Yes.”

“Damn…” Xia Xiqing had been thoroughly humiliated today.

Xu Qichen looked at Xia Xiqing with a pained expression. “Xiqing, we’ve been friends for so many years, and you lied to me. You kept this from me.” Seeing that Xu Qichen’s mouth was about to pucker up, Xia Xiqing felt a headache coming on. “No, I didn’t mean to lie to you. This is too complicated. Let me explain…”

“I don’t want to listen.” Xu Qichen pretended to be ready to go downstairs. “I’m going home.”

“Don’t go. I really didn’t mean to deceive you.” Xia Xiqing couldn’t stop him. “Don’t be angry.”

Xu Qichen stopped in his tracks. “If you agree to go to the audition, I won’t be angry.”

Damn it, so you were waiting for me here. Xia Xiqing suddenly felt like he had been tricked.

“Will you agree or not? If you don’t, I’m leaving.”

“Wait, wait…” Xia Xiqing tugged at his hair, “Let me think about it…”

“Alright then, if you go, I’ll reluctantly forgive you. I won’t tell Xia Zhixu either, so don’t worry.” Xu Qichen smiled as he went downstairs, waving at Xia Xiqing in the middle of the stairs, then smiled at Zhou Ziheng leaning against the second-floor railing, “I’m leaving now, won’t disturb you anymore.”

Zhou Ziheng smiled broadly.

Only Xia Xiqing couldn’t smile. He turned around when he heard the door close and flipped Zhou Ziheng the middle finger from the middle of the stairs. Zhou Ziheng descended the stairs with his long legs, casually unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. With that figure and aura, he was the epitome of a refined scoundrel.

Xia Xiqing watched him walk to the same step where he was standing, glancing to the side. He didn’t want to give Zhou Ziheng a friendly face so quickly, making himself look like a pushover. He shoved the coat in his hand into Zhou Ziheng’s face, “Take your coat and get out of here.”

“Oh.” Zhou Ziheng took the coat off his head, looking dejected, and walked down the stairs.

Wait, why isn’t he following the script?

“Wait a minute.”

Zhou Ziheng stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at him.

“That’s my coat.” Xia Xiqing didn’t look at him, put the cigarette he had been holding between his index finger back in his mouth, and said indistinctly, “Once it’s in my hands, it’s mine.”

“Give it back.” His tone was unquestionable.

Zhou Ziheng smiled, then slowly climbed the stairs one step at a time, standing on the step below him. He draped the coat over Xia Xiqing’s shoulders and casually took the cigarette from his lips.

His tongue skillfully swept over the smooth teeth, stirring in the warm, moist mouth, as if the person who had previously refused to acknowledge their relationship was not him at all.

“You were the one who said five minutes at the beginning,” Zhou Ziheng said softly, biting his lips glistening with moisture.

Zhou Ziheng had sprayed on a strong perfume for the event, different from his usual fresh, youthful scent. The leathery aroma mixed with heavy musk was drawn into his lungs by the passionate kiss, stirring his boiling hormones.

The sound of kissing echoed in the vast space, the slurping sounds amplified and prolonged. Xia Xiqing placed his hand on Zhou Ziheng’s chest beneath the black shirt, feeling his heartbeat with the palm of his hand. He bit Zhou Ziheng’s lower lip with his teeth, his fingers caressing the back of his neck. His breath was already uneven, “…Did you change your perfume?”

“Only today.” Zhou Ziheng wanted to lean in and kiss him again, but Xia Xiqing didn’t want to let him have his way so easily, so he leaned back and deliberately dodged him.

He smiled and clamped Zhou Ziheng’s side neck with his thumb and forefinger, his eyes slightly raised. “What’s the name of the perfume?”

Zhou Ziheng tilted his head, turned his face to kiss Xia Xiqing’s wrist, and licked his protruding wrist bone with his tongue.

As he raised his eyes, his gaze was like that of a leopard waiting to pounce.

“Fucking fabulous.”

Author’s note:

Perfume: TF’s “Fucking fabulous,” don’t get it, it’s super expensive.

The rest is up to your imagination.

——————————

Xu Qichen returned home: “Xia Zhixu, I’ve got some big gossip for you! Do you know that super-tall, super-handsome celebrity? He slept with Xia…”

Xia Zhixu: “What did you say? Who’s tall and handsome?” [Ugly expression]

Xu Qichen: You… cough, that guy, that celebrity Zhou Ziheng, he slept with Xia Xiqing!

Xia Zhixu: [Silence for a moment] Who slept with whom?

Xu Qichen: … I don’t know.

Xia Zhixu: …