Zhou Ziheng, who was being held, froze on the spot.
What was going on? How had he ended up being held like this?
“Hey… snap out of it…” Zhou Ziheng struggled to free his hand and pushed Xia Xiqing away.
But pushing him only made things worse. Xia Xiqing, who had been buried in his neck, suddenly exhaled, and the warm breath mixed with the scent of red wine climbed up Zhou Ziheng’s side neck to his ear, igniting a flame that spread throughout his body.
Zhou Ziheng snapped out of it in an instant, with an alarm bell ringing in the far corners of his mind.
“Hey!”
He quickly broke free from Xia Xiqing’s embrace, not bothering to fasten his seatbelt before starting the car and driving dazedly to the hotel.
Even though he hadn’t drunk any alcohol, Zhou Ziheng felt completely disoriented, his mind filled with hallucinations, just like in that underground passage. This sensation was unfamiliar yet overwhelming, almost aggressively taking over Zhou Ziheng’s senses, leaving him no room to resist.
Before getting out of the car, Zhou Ziheng put on his hat. The previous panic had not completely dissipated, causing him to forget to wear his mask. He simply supported Xia Xiqing and entered the hotel.
Fortunately, Jiang Yin had mentioned earlier that Xia Xiqing’s hotel was nearby, otherwise Zhou Ziheng would not have known where Xia Xiqing was staying.
It was already two or three in the morning, and there weren’t many staff members in the hotel lobby, but a helpful young man came forward to help Zhou Ziheng carry Xia Xiqing into the elevator. After the elevator doors closed, Zhou Ziheng disdainfully let go of his hand, leaving the staff member to carry Xia Xiqing.
The atmosphere in the elevator suddenly grew quiet.
The staff member glanced at Zhou Ziheng several times, and Zhou Ziheng realized he hadn’t been wearing a mask.
Ah… He’s been recognized.
Is he a fan? He’s been staring at me the whole time.
“Um…” The staff member spoke up awkwardly, “Sir…”
Zhou Ziheng gave him a professional smile, “Sorry, can we take photos and sign autographs after we get out first…”
“No… Sir, it’s like this,” the staff member steadied Xia Xiqing, who was about to slip, cleared his throat awkwardly, and explained with a apologetic expression, “The elevators here require a room card to operate. Could you please take out your room card and swipe it for the elevator?”
At that moment, Zhou Ziheng wished the elevator would just explode.
He had thought that mistaking someone else for his fan was already embarrassing enough, but it turned out there was something even more embarrassing waiting for him.
He searched Xia Xiqing’s body thoroughly but couldn’t find his room card.
“Um… my friend doesn’t seem to have his room key card on him…” Zhou Ziheng’s scalp tingled, but he maintained the composure expected of a famous actor. “Well, maybe I should just book another room now.”
Over the past twenty years, Zhou Ziheng had enjoyed a smooth and successful career. But since meeting Xia Xiqing, everything seemed to have gone wrong, and he had embarrassed himself beyond belief.
The front desk clerk was much more enthusiastic than the male staff member, her eyes fixed on Zhou Ziheng. “Hello, how may I assist you?”
“Are there any available rooms?” Zhou Ziheng felt a bit uncomfortable. Seeing another female staff member secretly taking photos with her phone, he pulled his collar down to quietly cover half his face.
“How many rooms would you like to book?” The front desk clerk smiled sweetly at Zhou Ziheng.
Zhou Ziheng glanced back at Xia Xiqing, who was being helped by the staff to the sofa in the lobby.
He’ll take him to the room and then go back to his own hotel. It’s not far anyway.
Zhou Ziheng turned his head and said to the front desk clerk, “One room, please.”
The front desk clerk looked down at the system and said, “Sure, we only have one deluxe king room left. Would that work for you?”
“Yeah.” He’d be sleeping alone anyway.
The hotel staff helped Zhou Ziheng escort Xia Xiqing into the elevator. This time, Zhou Ziheng remembered to swipe his room card as soon as he got in. Although Xia Xiqing looked thin, he was still a man over 1.8 meters tall, and Zhou Ziheng and the hotel staff had to exert considerable effort to help him into the room.
Sure enough, it was a luxurious king-size bed room. Zhou Ziheng looked at the room’s decor and couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly. But he still turned to the hotel clerk and smiled, “Thank you, you’ve worked hard.”
“It’s okay.” The young man’s face was red, whether from exhaustion or something else, “It’s not hard, it’s not hard.”
Zhou Ziheng gave a dry laugh. Seeing that the young man had no intention of leaving, he waited for a while before speaking, “Then you…”
The young man finally revealed his true intentions, “Ah, I, I actually really like you. I mean, I’ve watched a lot of your shows. Ziheng, can you sign an autograph for me?” He pulled out a black marker pen from somewhere, held it carefully with both hands, and handed it to Zhou Ziheng. Then he took off his hotel uniform jacket to reveal a T-shirt, turned around excitedly, and said, “Can you sign the back?”
Well, this T-shirt was the same one Zhou Ziheng had worn at the airport.
Zhou Ziheng was truly embarrassed. If this person wasn’t his fan, what happened earlier wouldn’t have mattered much, and it would have been forgotten in a couple of days, but this person was actually his fan!
It was so embarrassing, embarrassing in front of his own fan.
Zhou Ziheng reluctantly took the pen, put on a professional fake smile, and signed for the young man, “Thank you for your support.”
The young man was overjoyed. He took the pen and backed away while saying, “Ziheng, you have to keep going. I’ll always support you.” He kept backing up until he was outside the door, still muttering softly, “Take care of yourself. The weather’s about to change. Keep it up.”
“…” Zhou Ziheng walked to the door, wanting to close it for this reluctant young fan, and smiled at him, saying, “Don’t post today’s incident on Weibo, okay?”
“Okay! Bye, Ziheng!”
The world was finally quiet again.
After dealing with him, Zhou Ziheng almost forgot that there was a real big problem lying on the bed. He thought about whether he should find a master to tell his fortune or something, as everything seemed to be going exceptionally badly lately. Standing by the bed, looking at the unconscious Xia Xiqing, Zhou Ziheng wondered if he should wipe his face or something, but he had never taken care of anyone before and was really not used to it or good at it.
He was so torn that he didn’t know where to put his hands, so he kept pulling the zipper of his jacket up and down.
Never mind, let’s just send him on his way.
Zhou Ziheng went to the bathroom, wet a towel, and roughly wiped Xia Xiqing’s face. This man’s skin was so good, much better than many of the female celebrities he had worked with before, that Zhou Ziheng couldn’t help but soften his movements.
His fingers gently wiped from the bridge of his nose to the tip, pausing for a moment. The tiny mole on the tip of his nose looked like a small sesame seed, sitting there so innocently.
Innocent? Forget it. Xia Xiqing had nothing to do with that word. Zhou Ziheng, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, stood up, put the towel back in the bathroom, came back to cover Xia Xiqing with the blanket, and prepared to leave the hotel room.
Just as he lifted his foot to leave, his wrist was pulled back.
Turning around, he saw that the drowsy Xia Xiqing had grabbed his hand, muttering something indistinctly.
It seemed like he was telling him not to leave.
His hand was so hot. Zhou Ziheng turned around, squeezed Xia Xiqing’s palm, and found that it was indeed quite hot. Xia Xiqing had been wearing only a thin white shirt all day, and after drinking alcohol and being exposed to the cold wind at night, he must have caught a cold.
But it was Xia Xiqing, whom he wanted to avoid at all costs. Even Zhou Ziheng, who had a strong sense of morality, began to hesitate.
Xia Xiqing muttered again, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his body curled up on his side, his hand still tightly gripping Zhou Ziheng’s.
He felt a little soft-hearted.
No, he couldn’t be soft-hearted!
It was only one night, and it didn’t look like a high fever. A grown man shouldn’t die from a fever. He had already done his best.
Having found a good excuse for himself, Zhou Ziheng ruthlessly pried Xia Xiqing’s hand open, opened the door without hesitation, and walked out.
Xia Xiqing was nearly driven to madness.
He had clearly given himself to him, even wiping his face and covering him with a blanket, yet he just left like that?
Is he even a mentally and physically healthy adult?
As he was mentally berating Zhou Ziheng for being useless, he suddenly heard the door being pulled open, so he quickly closed his eyes.
Not leaving again? Xia Xiqing wondered to himself, what’s wrong with this kid, always going back and forth?
Zhou Ziheng wasn’t unwilling to leave; he really wanted to leave, but the problem was that as soon as he stepped out the door, he realized something important—he couldn’t find his hotel room key card no matter how long he searched. So, just as he was about to slam shut Xia Xiqing’s door, Zhou Ziheng could only reluctantly turn back, wondering if he had left it in this room.
“Where did it go? Did I forget to bring it…” Zhou Ziheng muttered to himself as he searched.
Xia Xiqing was secretly delighted. This was perfect—even the heavens were helping him seduce men.
After searching everywhere, Zhou Ziheng still couldn’t find his room key. He figured he must have forgotten it at the hotel, so he sat down on the sofa, feeling dejected as he looked at Xia Xiqing lying motionless on the bed. After struggling with himself for a long time, he finally gave up the idea of going back to the hotel. He patted the sofa, which was still soft enough.
He decided to make do for the night. After all, he had experienced much more difficult conditions while filming before. Besides, Xia Xiqing was running a fever. What if he really died from it? Whose responsibility would that be?
After a jumble of thoughts, Zhou Ziheng sighed, went to the bathroom for a quick wash, and upon exiting, walked back to the bedside to glance at Xia Xiqing, who was wrapped in the blanket. His face was partially obscured by his hair, giving off an inexplicable sense of vulnerability.
Zhou Ziheng reached out to touch Xia Xiqing’s forehead, but for some reason, his hand paused midair.
The shadow of his hand fell on Xia Xiqing’s profile, blending with the scattered strands of hair in the dim light, forming a dark, blurry mass that gradually receded as his hand withdrew.
It should be fine. I should just go to sleep.
Glancing at Xia Xiqing, who was curled up with his back to him, Zhou Ziheng tiptoed to the sofa. After recording programs all night, he was exhausted and fell asleep shortly after lying down on the sofa.
Xia Xiqing didn’t know how long he had been lying there, but from the moment Zhou Ziheng lay down, he hadn’t closed his eyes once, his expression as calm as the sea under the moonlight.
Behind him was the lamp Zhou Ziheng had left on for him. The warm yellow light seemed to penetrate the thick cotton blanket, shining directly on his collarbone.
Plans are always just plans.
He had originally planned to hook Zhou Ziheng today. Even if he didn’t go all the way, he had to do something. After all, they were both men, and he didn’t believe he couldn’t stir up Zhou Ziheng’s passion. A young man in his twenties was the most susceptible to provocation.
That was indeed the plan.
But when Zhou Ziheng left the light on for him, those thoughts piled up in his chest exploded like a smoke bomb, vanishing into thin air. Unspeakable emotions replaced those desires, blocking his heart once more.
It was unbearable.
Xia Xiqing hated this feeling; he hated anything that made him feel vulnerable.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Xia Xiqing pulled back the covers and got out of bed, walking over to the sofa. Zhou Ziheng was too tall, so he was curled up awkwardly on the sofa without a blanket.
Like a large dog living under someone else’s roof.
Xia Xiqing crouched down, his gaze lazily sweeping over Zhou Ziheng’s body. This face, almost perfectly aligned with his aesthetic preferences, had been sketched countless times in his mind and drawn on paper.
Zhou Ziheng slept soundly, his breathing steady and slow. Xia Xiqing extended a finger, using it as a paintbrush, the tip less than an inch away from his skin, gently sliding down from his forehead, to his prominent brow bone, to his high nose bridge, and finally to his delicate lip line.
He paused.
The finger slowly curved, and Xia Xiqing tilted his head, moving closer to his face, the distance gradually closing.
Closer, even closer.
Like a classic romantic scene from a movie.
Until his warm breath was almost touching Xia Xiqing’s face, their lips were only a few millimeters apart. His face was divided by the play of light and shadow—one side bathed in the warm yellow glow of the bedside lamp, the other shrouded in the darkness that belonged to the dead of night.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Xia Xiqing gave up. He stood up, fidgeting with his fingers in his hair.
What was he doing?
Only a young girl would do such a thing, like a fool.
Scratching his hair, Xia Xiqing walked to the bedside, took the blanket to the sofa, removed the gray-green jacket covering Zhou Ziheng, and casually threw the blanket over him. Even though he was shivering from the cold, he managed to endure it.
He lit a cigarette and sat on another sofa. The smoke enveloped his not-quite-clear mind, transforming into some kind of strange sedative. After finishing the cigarette, he was mostly awake. He casually grabbed Zhou Ziheng’s jacket and put it on, then left the hotel.
When he got out of the elevator, he ran into the young man who had helped him at the front desk. The young man stared at him with a puzzled expression as he exited the elevator. Xia Xiqing deliberately took off his hat, walked to the front desk, and gave him a charming smile.
“Thank you.”
“You…” The young man snapped out of it and quickly corrected himself, “You… You weren’t drunk in the room… Then, then he…”
“Ah, right, I’m sober now.” Xia Xiqing’s fingers tapped lightly on the marble counter at the front desk. “If Ziheng wakes up tomorrow morning, please let him know that I took his clothes.”
After saying that, Xia Xiqing stuffed both hands into his pockets, tucked his chin into his raised collar, and casually tossed out, “It’s so cold~”
Upon returning home, Xia Xiqing stayed put, sleeping the entire day in his apartment. Recording the program had completely drained his energy, and it took him several days to recover. Finally feeling rejuvenated, he grabbed his sketchpad and prepared to go outside for some plein air painting. Just as he stepped out the door, he received a call from Chen Fang.
Chen Fang was Xia Xiqing’s childhood friend, a straight guy who had almost been raised by Xia Xiqing, but their friendship had always been good.
“Hey, Xiqing.”
“Oh, you still remember me.” Xia Xiqing held the phone between his shoulder and ear while struggling to lock the door. The apartment environment wasn’t bad, he had chosen it because it was a building from the last century with artistic value, and had rented it at a high price. However, many of the facilities were actually not in good condition, and it was always a hassle to lock the door. Xia Xiqing didn’t stay at home much and was too lazy to deal with it, but now that he had turned down an offer from abroad and returned, he basically didn’t plan to go out anymore, so he had to find a proper place to settle down.
Just then, he received a call from Chen Fang. Xia Xiqing casually asked, “Oh, right, are you working as a real estate agent now? Have you come across any decent properties lately?”
“You’re the real estate agent. Your whole family are real estate agents.”
“Sorry, my family is in real estate development,” Xia Xiqing smiled. “Seriously, I’ll get a place from you. Keep an eye out for me.”
Chen Fang sighed for a while before finally giving in, “What kind of place are you looking for, Mr. Xia?”
“Something with a good view, quiet, not too remote, and not so dark at night that you can’t see anything. Price doesn’t matter.”
The last few words felt like a knife stabbing Chen Fang’s heart. True to his reputation as a rich second-generation heir, Chen Fang muttered under his breath, “Your requirements are quite something. Properties with good views and quiet surroundings are all in villa communities, and those aren’t in the city center.”
“Stop wasting my time. Do you have anything?” Xia Xiqing took the elevator downstairs. The sunlight outside was pleasant, warming his body. “If you don’t want to do business, I’ll just give this opportunity to someone else.”
“I haven’t finished yet. Your demands might be hard for others to meet, but I’m Chen Fang—I’m no ordinary person. There’s actually a place available recently: a luxury apartment on the top floor with a two-story layout, 400 square meters with floor-to-ceiling windows, and an excellent location. The area is full of wealthy people, and the privacy is top-notch. Why don’t I take you there to have a look later?”
This Chen Fang really delivers when it matters.
“Alright, I’ll meet you downstairs at your company this afternoon.”
“Please don’t drive a fancy car.” Chen Fang recalled the last time he had just started working there. He had finally managed to get close to a female colleague he was interning with, and they were about to meet up to eat ramen at the company building. Then Xia Xiqing showed up in his Maserati to deliver watermelons, and in just a few words, he had completely charmed the young woman.
Xia Xiqing was overjoyed, “I’ll take a taxi. Don’t worry.”
Though he said he was going to sketch, Xia Xiqing couldn’t find a particularly suitable spot. In the city where he used to live, which was on the Yangtze River, he loved going to the riverbank. In spring, the soft, pale yellow willow branches swayed gently. In summer, sunflowers bloomed across the riverbank. In autumn, vast fields of reeds stretched out. And in winter, the snowy scenery was also beautiful.
Standing before the artificial lake at the lake park, Xia Xiqing felt as though he could hear the river breeze.
It swept through his mind, leaving his chest hollow.
The scenery here is nothing special, and there’s nothing else to choose from. Xia Xiqing casually tied his hair back, leaving a small tuft at the back of his head. He stood in front of his sketchpad, his left hand in his pocket, his right hand holding a sketching pencil, drawing casually and half-heartedly. A few young girls walked by, secretly taking photos of him. Xia Xiqing didn’t mind; he guessed they had seen him on Weibo and recognized him.
A young man was sitting on a bench by the lake. He was quite handsome, but he kept his head down, playing with his phone, occasionally glancing at Xia Xiqing.
As he was drawing, a little girl who looked to be five or six years old walked up to Xia Xiqing, holding a lollipop bigger than her face. She tilted her head up and stared at Xia Xiqing for a while, then reached out and tugged at the hem of his clothes, stammering, “Brother, can you draw a picture for me?”
Xia Xiqing stared at her for a moment, then asked seriously, “Why should I draw a picture for you?”
The little girl stammered for a moment, then said, “But I want one.”
Xia Xiqing chuckled. He looked around and saw no adults nearby. He twirled the pen in his hand and asked, “Where are your parents?”
“I don’t know,” the little girl said in a babyish voice, licking her lollipop. “Mom was here just now.”
She must have gotten lost. Xia Xiqing sighed, “Alright, big brother will draw you a picture, but you mustn’t move.” Xia Xiqing pointed to a small flower bed nearby, “Sit here. Remember, models aren’t allowed to move around. Sit still.”
“Okay!”
Seeing the little girl sit down obediently, Xia Xiqing turned to the girl who had been secretly taking photos of him and said, “Excuse me, could you help me with something?”
Ever since Xia Xiqing had given the little girl the title of “model,” the little one had been so well-behaved that she didn’t even move her bottom, and she didn’t eat the candy either, just holding it in front of her chest. Xia Xiqing couldn’t help but smile. Ten minutes passed, and a young woman ran over from a distance, calling out a nickname.
“Brother, my mom seems to be calling me. Can I move?”
Xia Xiqing smiled as he finished the last few strokes, “Go ahead.”
“Mom! I’m here!” The little girl hopped around, holding her lollipop high. The young woman rushed over and hugged her. “You scared me to death. I turned around and you were gone. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. How did you end up here?”
The little girl pointed at Xia Xiqing with her lollipop, “Brother said he’d draw me a picture, and that I’m a model so I can’t run around or move.”
Xia Xiqing took down the drawing and handed it to the little girl, “Here’s your drawing. Next time you get separated from your mom, do the same thing—stay put like a little model and wait for your mom.”
The little girl took the drawing. It was a cute little girl with pigtails, and the lollipop in her hand had turned into a fairy wand. She was so happy, as if she had found a treasure. “Thank you, big brother!”
The young mother’s face turned pale with anxiety. She kept thanking him and inviting him to dinner, but Xia Xiqing politely declined, gently patting the little girl on the head. “Your mom really cares about you.”
After saying that, he returned to his drawing board, about to pack up and leave, when the man who had been sitting on the bench approached. Xia Xiqing had been in this circle for so long that he recognized him at a glance.
“Are all you artists so kind?”
Xia Xiqing chuckled. Kind? That word was the last thing that described him. He curved his lips slightly, his tone playful. “What, have you taken a liking to me?”
The man quickly pulled out a box of expensive cigarettes, took one out, and handed it to Xia Xiqing. He then lit it for him with a flourish. Xia Xiqing took a drag and leaned in.
Just as the young man was about to speak, Xia Xiqing’s phone rang several times. He took it out and saw that it was a friend without a note.
[ZZH: Who gave you permission to take my clothes?]
[ZZH: Please give them back to me.]
[ZZH: You’re really being quite rude.]
Xia Xiqing, who was looking down at his phone, burst into laughter and couldn’t stop.
He thought it was someone else, but it turned out to be Zhou Ziheng.
[Tsing: What did I do?]
[Tsing: Ah, you didn’t do anything to me that night, did you? I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sore all over and checked myself several times.]
The other party didn’t reply.
Xia Xiqing could imagine Zhou Ziheng’s expression of anger through the screen, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it became. He completely forgot that there was someone standing next to him trying to flatter him. The other party felt ignored and coughed lightly twice, “Who is it? You’re having such a good time chatting?”
Xia Xiqing looked up and blurted out, “My pet dog.” As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang again.
[ZZH: You’re the most despicable person I’ve ever met.]
What kind of elementary school student’s tone is that? It doesn’t sound like a big star at all. Thinking of Zhou Ziheng’s face, Xia Xiqing suddenly felt that the man in front of him was dull and boring. He smiled politely at the other person, “Sorry, I have something to do, I’ll be going now.”
The man clearly didn’t expect things to turn out this way, “No… can I add you on WeChat?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Thanks for the cigarette.” Xia Xiqing was about to leave when he was pulled back. “Because we have the same phone number.” Seeing the man’s face turn pale, Xia Xiqing laughed in anger, “I’m just wondering, why does everyone who likes me want to sleep with me?” After saying that, he patted the man on the shoulder and left with his belongings.
He threw the cigarette, which he had only taken a few puffs from, into a trash can by the roadside.
After getting into a taxi, Xia Xiqing received another message.
[ZZH: Give me back my clothes.]
Still not letting it go? Is the big star that bored? A mischievous idea suddenly popped into Xia Xiqing’s head.
Zhou Ziheng wasn’t bored at all. the day after the show was recorded, he was dragged off to help out a director he knew. The show was almost wrapped up, but one of the supporting actors, who was pretty important, was suddenly exposed for cheating, and for a while, netizens on Weibo couldn’t stop talking about it. The director had no choice but to cut all of that actor’s scenes, but then the show wouldn’t make sense, so Zhou Ziheng had to help out.
Over the course of three days, Zhou Ziheng practically lived on set to fill in the missing scenes. The actors he was working with also suffered, with one experiencing stomach cramps. Zhou Ziheng finally managed to catch a break and rest on his small recliner.
Thinking about how Xia Xiqing had taken his clothes, Zhou Ziheng was furious. He had done such a great favor, yet this person not only failed to show gratitude but also stole his clothes, leaving him without a jacket to wear in the morning. He even asked if he had done anything to him??
Zhou Ziheng leaned back in his small recliner, his hands clutching his phone as he typed out a long string of words meant to scold him. Just as he was about to send it, he deleted each one one by one.
Knowing full well that this person was stubborn and unyielding, the more he talked, the more agitated he became. Zhou Ziheng had thought about trying to reason with him, but decided against it. Too lazy to argue further, Zhou Ziheng finally said, “Give me back my clothes.” Then he placed his phone on his stomach and closed his eyes to rest.
A moment later, the phone vibrated.
Zhou Ziheng picked up the phone and opened the new message.
It was a photo sent by Xia Xiqing.
To be precise, it was a photo of him with his upper body bare, wearing his own gray-green jacket, and the zipper wasn’t pulled up.
From the collarbone down to the waistline, the exposed skin wasn’t extensive, but the jacket’s partial coverage added an ambiguous allure. The contours of his abdominal muscles were partially hidden, and the not-too-deep V-line extended downward to the edge of his low-rise black athletic pants.
This rogue…
“Xiao Heng, what are you so engrossed in?” A male lead actor several years his senior approached. Zhou Ziheng panicked and quickly exited WeChat. “Ah? Nothing, just browsing Weibo.”
“Gossiping? You’ve been in the industry for so long, and you still like to gossip?” The male lead laughed, “The director is calling you. Go see him.”
“Alright, I’ll be right there.”
Zhou Ziheng awkwardly put away his phone and walked over to the director. While the director was talking to him about the script, Xia Xiqing sent him at least a dozen messages, and his phone kept vibrating in his pocket.
“Xiao Zhou, your phone is like an electric toothbrush,” the director joked. “Take a look, is there something urgent?”
What could be so urgent? Zhou Ziheng shook his head awkwardly, “Let’s talk about it later.”
Xia Xiqing was almost driven crazy by Zhou Ziheng. In twenty-five years, he had never met such an interesting guy. At the time, he had taken a photo of him wearing his clothes, and it had actually come in handy.
“We’re here.”
After getting out of the car, Xia Xiqing called Chen Fang. Soon, a tall man with a crew cut and a neatly tailored suit emerged from the office building, waving at Xia Xiqing from a distance.
“You really didn’t drive here.” Chen Fang laughed and bumped Xia Xiqing’s shoulder. “Hey, I heard from Qi Chen that you went to record a show the other day? Are you planning to debut as the center? I’ve got some leftover material I’m worried about not having anywhere to use.”
Xia Xiqing raised his chin slightly and glanced at Chen Fang. “Want to try?”
“No way, no way,” Chen Fang chuckled, pulling out his keys. “Come on, let’s take our brother Xia to see the house. Hey, do you have plans tonight? Let’s grab dinner together.”
“Nothing. What else could I possibly have to do?” Xia Xiqing followed him into the passenger seat. As he fastened his seatbelt, he suddenly thought of Zhou Ziheng, that clumsy fool, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re just a wealthy idler,” Chen Fang sighed, starting the car. “You’re so lucky. I don’t want to go to work every day.”
With a click, Xia Xiqing fastened his seatbelt and turned his head to look at Chen Fang. “Would you want that kind of luck?”
Recalling Xia Xiqing’s chaotic family affairs, Chen Fang realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly changed his tone, “If I could be reincarnated as someone as handsome as you, I’d definitely take it. I’d immediately enter the entertainment industry and make a living off my looks.”
“Cut it out.” Xia Xiqing leaned his head against the car window and chatted with Chen Fang about random things. It wasn’t rush hour, so the car drove smoothly, but for some reason, Zhou Ziheng’s face kept popping up in his mind—that expression of being flustered yet pretending to be calm after being tormented by him.
The apartment Chen Fang had brought him to was indeed nice, almost in the heart of the city. However, the entrance to the complex had a series of security systems, and only residents could enter.
“The elevators here use fingerprint recognition, with one elevator serving two units. Currently, they’re all accessed using initial cards from the backend system.” Chen Fang led him inside, where there were indeed no floor indicators. “How about it? Not bad, right?”
The elevator doors opened, and Chen Fang led the way, explaining, “There’s a porch here, and then the doors to the two units.” He pointed to the one on the right, “This is the one I was talking about.”
Xia Xiqing looked at the door on the left, “What about this one?”
“This one was reportedly sold out during the initial launch. However, the clients here are confidential, so I don’t know exactly who lives here. Anyway, they’re either wealthy or well-off. It’s not for ordinary celebrities to afford.” Chen Fang used the system card to open the door.
The interior was indeed impressive. The floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the space with natural light. The spacious living room had minimalist decor, and the staircase design was striking, featuring a Fibonacci spiral pattern—absolutely stunning.
“There’s a temperature-controlled swimming pool on the second floor,” Chen Fang gave Xia Xiqing a nod, “You can host parties here without any issues. What do you think?”
“It’s great, I’ll take this one.” Xia Xiqing’s personality was never indecisive; he paid directly and dragged Chen Fang out to eat and drink.
People tend to talk more when they drink, especially old friends. Chen Fang was particularly curious about Xia Xiqing’s reality show and asked him endless questions. Xia Xiqing could only answer them one by one. Chen Fang wasn’t stupid. The more he listened to Xia Xiqing, the more suspicious he became. Xia Xiqing usually spoke in a lazy tone, but when he mentioned Zhou Ziheng, he immediately perked up, and his expression changed.
“Wait a minute, isn’t Zhou Ziheng the male celebrity you used to like?” Chen Fang was stunned. “So you spent the night with a big celebrity a few days ago?!”
It was a good thing they were in a private room, otherwise Xia Xiqing would have been trending on the news, with the word “explosive” added to the end.
“We didn’t sleep together,” Xia Xiqing took a small sip and gently swirled the red wine in his glass. “He slept on the sofa and I slept on the bed. I left in the middle of the night.”
“No way.” Chen Fang burst into laughter, laughing so hard he was rolling on the floor. “You, Xia Xiqing, actually didn’t make a move when you were in the same room with a man?”
“What are you talking about? Am I that promiscuous?” Xia Xiqing raised his eyebrows and downed the rest of his wine.
Chen Fang burst into laughter, “You know you’re promiscuous, don’t you? You’re a womanizer.”
Chen Fang saw him looking down and couldn’t help teasing him, “Why are you always looking at your phone? Waiting for a message from some little lover?”
“Pfft, I’ve been keeping myself pure lately.” He tapped Zhou Ziheng’s profile picture, finding it odd that a grown man would use a paper-folded flower as his profile picture.
Childish.
Thinking of Zhou Ziheng’s model student, model youth persona, Xia Xiqing couldn’t help but laugh. Out of curiosity, he tapped to edit the note and changed Zhou Ziheng’s straightforward WeChat name to four characters.
[Moral Exemplar]
Xia Xiqing didn’t know what had gotten into him, wasting his time here with Zhou Ziheng. Perhaps it was because Zhou Ziheng was, after all, a household name, so even if he wanted to sleep with him, he should at least have a proper plan.
Or maybe it was because Zhou Ziheng was just too difficult to deal with.
He loved difficult people the most.
After the director finished explaining the scene, Zhou Ziheng was about to leave when the director grabbed him. “Xiao Heng, don’t go. You’ve worked hard these past two days. Come on, let’s go out for a nice meal together. It’s on me.” Zhou Ziheng wasn’t one to join in on meals, but this director had a special relationship with him, having mentored him since he was very young, so he couldn’t refuse and went along.
As they ate and chatted, they all forgot about the matter involving Xia Xiqing.
“Xiao Heng doesn’t drink. Don’t pour him any,” the director interjected before Zhou Ziheng could speak. “Hey, Xiao Heng, you’ve been talking to me the whole time and haven’t checked your phone. Did someone send you a series of messages? You should check them quickly. Don’t let me delay you from something important.”
What important business… Zhou Ziheng sneered inwardly.
He opened his phone without any expectations, and a series of messages from Xia Xiqing popped up.
[ZZH: Give me back my clothes.]
[Tsing: Want your clothes back? Beg me.]
[Tsing: Did you really not do anything to me that night? I vaguely felt someone touching my face. You didn’t take advantage of me while I was unconscious, did you? I wouldn’t have guessed, given how proper you seem.]
[Tsing: Seriously, what do you think of me? Can we develop something? I feel like our worldviews are pretty incompatible, so we can’t be friends, but maybe we could have some other kind of transaction.]
[Tsing: I really like you, but not in a fan-like way.]
[Tsing: It’s the kind of liking where I can get aroused just looking at your jacket.]
Zhou Ziheng, who had read all the way to the last message, felt his worldview crumbling. Fearing that the person sitting next to him might see his chat history, Zhou Ziheng frantically covered it with his hand, but accidentally clicked into Xia Xiqing’s profile page.
He had changed his profile picture! He had replaced it with the photo he had sent to Zhou Ziheng today!
He must be crazy.
Zhou Ziheng stared at the photo for a long time, then gritted his teeth and changed Xia Xiqing’s WeChat nickname to the four characters he believed best suited him at that moment.
[Terrorist]
