Chapter 49

Held in Zhou Ziheng’s arms, Xia Xiqing felt so comfortable that he could have fallen asleep right there, but he also felt that this was really strange. Zhou Ziheng was five years younger than him, and had been so immature and silly before, easily provoked, but now he had changed so much.

He was so gentle, it was unbearable, yet impossible to push away.

He buried his head in Zhou Ziheng’s neck, bit the collar of his black short-sleeved shirt with his teeth, pulled it outward, and then gently rubbed his teeth against the protruding collarbone.

He was too much like a cat. Or rather, a disobedient cat.

“Don’t bite,” Zhou Ziheng pinched the back of his neck, “We have to film.”

“I know, you’re a big star.” Xia Xiqing raised his head, stuck out his tongue and licked his lips quickly, then retracted it, his lips shiny, making Zhou Ziheng’s heart itch.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been treating me like a child lately.” ” Xia Xiqing looked into Zhou Ziheng’s eyes, reached out and pulled his bangs back, revealing his prominent brow bone. Zhou Ziheng’s everyday appearance was that of a college student, looking obedient and neat. Although Xia Xiqing didn’t usually like this kind of puppy-like type, preferring someone more energetic, Zhou Ziheng had a comfortable charm about him.

“Really? I don’t think so.” Zhou Ziheng smiled slightly, pursing his lips.

“You always smile like that when you want to show off but don’t dare to.” After spending so much time with him, Xia Xiqing had figured out his patterns. His hand slowly slid down, tracing Zhou Ziheng’s cheek, his thumb gently rubbing against his beautifully shaped lips, his gaze fixed on them. “What are you showing off about?”

His voice grew light and airy, tugging at Zhou Ziheng’s heart until it soared like a hydrogen balloon.

Xia Xiqing lowered his eyes to gaze at his lips, his two rows of eyelashes trembling gently like two black butterflies about to take flight. As he watched, Zhou Ziheng couldn’t help but breathe more softly and slowly.

He was afraid of startling him, afraid he would fly away.

Xia Xiqing suddenly raised his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, his pupils reflecting the living room’s ceiling light, like the moon shrouded in darkness. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

It was too beautiful. If he said it out loud, he would surely get angry, but that was exactly how Zhou Ziheng felt.

Zhou Ziheng still didn’t speak, quietly watching him, his gaze moving down from his eyes, sliding along his straight nose, all the way to the slightly upturned tip of his nose, where there was a tiny dot.

When the Creator fashioned you, He must have cherished you deeply, holding the brush carefully, hesitating for a long time, before gently placing a small dot on your nose tip, making you so unique.

He also placed the brush in your hands, allowing you to freely use all the lines and colors of the world, endowing you with extraordinary talent.

You are God’s most favored child.

“There are so many things I want to say,” Zhou Ziheng’s hand traced the protruding spine on his back, “but none of them are what you want to hear.”

“Then forget it, shut up,” Xia Xiqing laughed.

The charm of that little mole was irresistible. When he didn’t smile, it was alluring, but when he did, it made his face look so innocent. Zhou Ziheng couldn’t resist kissing his nose.

“Who gave you permission to kiss there?” Xia Xiqing raised his eyebrows in displeasure and grabbed Zhou Ziheng’s neck. He hated it when others kissed his nose, making him feel like a girl.

Being effeminate had caused Xia Xiqing a lot of teasing when he was young, and he hadn’t escaped such prejudice even as an adult. He was so stubborn and despised any actions or descriptions that feminized him.

Zhou Ziheng pretended to be choking and coughed violently a few times. Xia Xiqing finally let go, but still sarcastically called him out, “You’re such a drama queen.”

“Don’t you think your nose is pretty?”

Xia Xiqing rolled his eyes. “The nose is pretty, but I don’t like the mole. I’ll get it removed tomorrow.”

Zhou Ziheng panicked. “No way.”

“Why not? It’s on my face, so I can do whatever I want with it.” Xia Xiqing looked like a hooligan, but as he tried to stand up, he realized his legs had gone completely numb. “Oh no, my legs are numb.”

Zhou Ziheng maliciously pinched his thigh.

“Damn it! Zhou Ziheng!”

“Don’t cross your legs. You need to move them.”

“Don’t touch me. It’s so numb.”

Zhou Ziheng straightened his legs and grabbed Xia Xiqing’s legs, pulling them behind him. “This is better.”

“What’s better about it?” Xia Xiqing was about to be driven crazy by him. Now this position had completely turned into him straddling Zhou Ziheng’s body. He tried to move his leg slightly, “Ugh… it’s so numb.”

“Just stop moving around, be a good boy.”

“Be a good boy my ass.”

“I’ll give you a massage, and it won’t be numb anymore.” Saying that, Zhou Zhen rubbed Xia Xiqing’s thigh.

“Damn it… don’t rub it.”

Zhou Zhen didn’t care. He thought it was pure. If your legs are numb, you have to move them and massage them. Thinking this, he continued to massage him.

Xia Xiqing grabbed his hand. “I told you not to rub it. Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”

If he did something now, Xia Xiqing probably wouldn’t refuse.

But wouldn’t that be taking advantage of the situation?

Zhou Ziheng was torn. Just as he was about to clear his throat to ease the awkwardness, Xia Xiqing suddenly kissed him.

“Mm…”

His soft lips and tongue were wet and aggressive, maliciously licking Zhou Ziheng’s upper palate, making him feel both itchy and numb, his breathing immediately becoming chaotic.

“Why… why aren’t you rubbing anymore…” Even during the deep kiss, Xia Xiqing didn’t forget to tease him.

Taking advantage of the situation… Zhou Ziheng felt he was being too naive.

“Zhou Ziheng…” Xia Xiqing almost gritted his teeth as he called out his name, which made Zhou Ziheng feel too good. He kissed Xia Xiqing’s soft lips, his hands caressing his spine. Xia Xiqing struggled to resist the urge to bite his neck, every part of him a forbidden zone, so he could only trace his ear with his tongue.

The deliberately suppressed breaths, shrouded in mist, spread around his ears, amplified by the distance, each one striking his heart, disrupting the already irregular rhythm of his heartbeat. Flames spread from his earlobes, igniting a wildfire.

The soft, fluffy carpet emitted a gentle warmth, and the light illuminated the pale skin of the person before him, along with the faint glimmer of moisture in the depths of his pupils.

Xia Xiqing’s expression was stubborn yet alluring, his tone brimming with provocation. “You can’t do it, can you?”

Zhou Ziheng lowered his head and gently brushed his lips against Xia Xiqing’s side of the neck, not truly kissing him, but slowly rubbing upward, stopping at his earlobe, his voice hoarse, “It seems like you’re the one who can’t handle it.”

Xia Xiqing was being driven mad by him.

Calling him a puppy was a complete misunderstanding; this guy was a wolf dog, and a super patient one at that.

“No, you don’t.” Zhou Ziheng was still smiling, but his forehead was already covered in sweat.

“Don’t tease me. If you push me too far, I’ll go find someone else…” Before he could finish his threat, Zhou Ziheng’s hand tightened, and Xia Xiqing couldn’t help but let out a low moan.

“You bastard! Zhou Ziheng! You…”

“Here.” Zhou Ziheng gave a soft laugh, loosening his grip, gently pinching his ear, then kissing it. “You’re so fierce.”

He was defeated. Xia Xiqing felt he had encountered the biggest trouble of his life in twenty-five years.

It was truly the “biggest” trouble.

The two of them fumbled around for over an hour, but in the end, Xia Xiqing still couldn’t get what he wanted. He had wanted to storm out angrily, but Zhou Ziheng’s sofa was just too comfortable. After it was over, he didn’t want to do anything else but lie on the sofa. Zhou Ziheng covered him with an extra-long, soft blanket, from head to toe. The sofa was large, so he lay beside Xia Xiqing, holding him in his arms.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to hug me before you learn?”

Xia Xiqing’s voice was muffled, but to Zhou Ziheng, it sounded adorable.

“Don’t you think it’s comfortable to be hugged?”

“No.” Well, maybe a little.

“I feel like I want to hold you, so just let me hold you for a moment.” His hand gently patted Xia Xiqing’s back, and sometimes he would ruffle his hair.

So clingy, yet so caring—and he’s never been in a relationship. Xia Xiqing couldn’t imagine it.

He recalled the girl he mentioned during the truth or dare game earlier.

How much must he like her to have gone so many years without dating? It’s not necessarily that. His job is so unique and busy, juggling filming and school, that he doesn’t have the time to date.

But aren’t there many people in this circle who do the same? What does it have to do with the nature of the work? Or is it because he likes her?

No. Xia Xiqing suddenly came to his senses. What was he doing? Why was he so concerned about whether Zhou Ziheng liked that woman?

Feeling irritable for no reason, Xia Xiqing turned his back to him, not wanting to see Zhou Ziheng’s face.

Zhou Ziheng didn’t notice his inner turmoil or realize that something was wrong with Xia Xiqing. He continued to kiss the back of his head gently, hugging him from behind like two spoons nestled together.

“If I join the production team, I might have to go to another city to film.”

As Xia Xiqing was drifting off to sleep, he heard Zhou Ziheng say this. He woke up halfway and asked, “Where are you going…” Just as he finished asking, he felt his voice was too slurred, so Xia Xiqing coughed to clear his throat and asked, “How many months will you be filming?”

“They’ve set aside four months for this film, but it’s not confirmed yet.”

Four months? That’s almost half a year.

Zhou Ziheng continued, “And in this film, I have to play an AIDS patient, so starting this month, I have to lose weight and undergo training, so I might not be able to come back…”

Before he could finish, Xia Xiqing interrupted him, “Oh.”

After saying that word, he felt a pang in his heart, and he didn’t know why.

Zhou Ziheng had wanted to say more, but seeing that he didn’t seem interested in listening, he swallowed the rest of his words and closed his eyes. He regretted it deeply. Why had he told him all this? It felt like he was making a confession. What was their relationship? Why was he doing something unnecessary?

His heart grew heavier and heavier, almost sinking to the bottom.

After hitting rock bottom, it bounced back.

Zhou Ziheng was taken aback.

What did he mean by that?

“But you don’t need me to sponsor you. You’ve got connections. Maybe I’ll sponsor a young actor or something…” Xia Xiqing’s eyes darted around, but Zhou Ziheng quickly pinched his lips shut. “Say that again. Who are you sponsoring?”

“You. Sponsoring you is fine, right?” Xia Xiqing was puzzled. This guy must be crazy to volunteer to be sponsored.

“Even if I’m a patron, a patron can’t stay on set every day…”

“What are you going to the film crew for?” Zhou Ziheng felt a little pleased.

“What do you think I’m going for? I went through so much trouble to lure you into doing this with me, and now you’re telling me you’re going to join the crew? We won’t see each other for half a year. What am I supposed to do?”

Zhou Ziheng held back a smile. “So what?”

“Hmm? Why don’t I just take care of you tonight?” Xia Xiqing suddenly cupped Zhou Ziheng’s face with both hands, giving it a gentle squeeze. The joyful expression on his face lasted less than two seconds before he furrowed his brows, “No, what if I get addicted to this? I’ll end up suffocating to death.”

Zhou Ziheng finally couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you thinking about all day long?”

“I want to sleep with you, I want to have you, I want to devour you whole.”

“Alright, I’ll remember that.”

“We’ll do it that way from now on.”

“This is so annoying. If I invest in your production team, can I come by every day? Hey, can I be the producer? Can I?”

“You can, but it’s not necessary.” Zhou Ziheng gently pinched his earlobe. “Actually, there is a way…”

“What way?” Xia Xing raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening.

Zhou Ziheng hummed deeply, his tone hesitant. “We should have started filming long ago, but we’ve been delayed for so long. We tried out so many actresses but couldn’t find the right one, wasting a lot of time. One day, Director Kun mentioned to me over dinner that he had watched *Escape from Heaven*. I thought it was just polite talk, but he actually showed me an online clip.”

Xia Xiqing didn’t understand what Zhou Ziheng was trying to say. He just felt that tilting her neck like that was tiring, so he craned it upward and looked into Zhou Ziheng’s eyes. “Then what?”

“Let me explain the plot first. The character I play is a small-time thug who has contracted AIDS and wants to take revenge on society. He follows the female lead and tries to harm her. There’s a pretty important scene in our show where I have to pin the female lead against the wall and cover her mouth. But they auditioned several actresses, and none of them could capture that sense of collision. Do you understand?”

Xia Xiqing understood perfectly. He immediately thought of the scene in the first episode of Escape from Heaven where Zhou Ziheng dragged him into the darkened study.

“Wait, you’re not asking me to play the… female lead, are you?” Xia Xiqing’s eyebrows knitted together, and Zhou Ziheng reached out to smooth them. “No, I’m not asking you to cross-dress. “ Then he muttered under his breath, ”Though your face could work too.”

“Director Kun asked me to tell you that he thinks the scene we shot back then was exactly the effect he wanted—collision and emotion. So he asked me to ask you if you’d be willing to try it, and Xu the editor said the script can be revised.”

“Damn it, Xu Qichen is trying to screw me over.” Xia Xiqing rolled his eyes. “How does he want to change it?”

“Xu the editor said if it doesn’t work, we’ll remove the romance plotline and make it a dual male lead. The female lead becomes deaf and autistic the day after tomorrow, so changing it to a male lead would also work. Anyway, the overall theme is mutual redemption.”

“Deaf? And autistic?” Xia Xiqing chuckled, “What is Xu Qichen thinking, daring to give me such a challenging role?”

In the original setting for the female lead, she had experienced domestic violence.

Born into a lower-class family, her father was a compulsive gambler, and her mother earned a living through prostitution. The two frequently argued at home, and any disagreement would lead to physical violence. Her ears were damaged as a result of the abuse.

When Xu Qichen first mentioned this version of the script, Zhou Ziheng thought he was being too cruel, especially since he was Xia Xiqing’s friend.

[It is cruel, but he can’t spend his entire life escaping his nightmares through drunkenness and self-destruction.]

Zhou Ziheng could still recall Xu Qichen’s indifferent and composed expression at the time.

[Xia Xiqing’s life up to now has been self-deception. Unless he eradicates this heartache, he will never be able to learn to love himself.]

Zhou Ziheng took a deep breath, feeling that if he had said these words himself, perhaps this matter would not have come to pass. He could only stroke Xia Xiqing’s hair, “He thinks you can do it, so he must have his reasons. Xu also said that if you’re interested, he’d like to discuss the script with you.”

“I’ve never acted before.” After saying this, Xia Xiqing found himself laughing. He had been acting his entire life.

“I think you’re quite talented.”

“You just think I’m good at pretending, right?” Xia Xiqing tried to sit up; he was feeling a bit sleepy. “Let’s talk about this later. Xu Qichen will probably contact me. I’m going back to bed; I’m tired.”

Zhou Ziheng grabbed him by the arm. “It’s so close; why not just stay here? My place is big enough for you to sleep.”

That’s true. Xia Xiqing smiled, “Right, it’s so close, I could be back in two steps.”

“You can’t get back in two steps. The distance from the sofa to the entrance is at least fifteen meters, plus the four-meter length of the entrance, and the straight-line distance between the doors is three meters. Assuming you’re going back to your own sofa, multiply all those distances by two. You take half a meter per step, so you’d still need…”

Terrifying science guy. Xia Xiqing silenced Zhou Ziheng with a kiss, then let go.

“Did you figure it out?”

“Forgot. Where did you get to?” Zhou Ziheng smiled, his eyes curving like a crescent moon.

Xia Xiqing pinched his chin. “Then I need to take a shower.”

“Take it here.”

“I don’t have any pajamas.”

“Wear mine.”

“Yours are too big.”

“Bigger is more comfortable.” Zhou Ziheng grinned mischievously.

Xia Xiqing slapped him on the forehead, “You little brat, what do you know? It has to fit well.”

“How do you know it’s not good if you haven’t tried it?”

“Someone who’s never been in a relationship has no right to speak.”

Zhou Ziheng hummed in response, hugging Xia Xiqing, his fluffy head resting on his shoulder.

He had promised himself not to like him too much, to maintain control, to be composed and at ease.

What’s the point? It’s all nonsense. Once you start liking someone, you can only like them more and more. The brakes were destroyed from the very beginning.

Accelerating all the way to the cliff, even the gods can’t save you.

“Hey, where am I going to sleep tonight?”

“In my arms.”

“Get lost.”

Author’s note:

I could write a hundred chapters about their daily life (just kidding), but there’s no one as pure yet sensual as them~

A cat-like, beautiful, seductive bottom and a puppy-like, wolf-like top who switches seamlessly—how easy is that to write?

Ah, finally time to shoot the movie, time to write the script.

Xu Qichen: This story is also titled “Chen Chen’s Revenge.”