Climbing over walls wasn’t new to Xia Xiqing. Back in middle and high school, he’d sneak out during evening study sessions every other day. It wasn’t to hang out with street kids—he just wanted a place to be alone. Sometimes he’d sit on the wall staring at the stars, reading nothing at all.
But climbing a wall for someone else? That was a first for Xia Xiqing.
Zhao Ke was a master at stirring things up. One moment he’d mention Zhou Ziheng going on a hunger strike at home, the next he’d describe the terrifying strictness of his family rules—how his father beat him with a military baton. Though Xia Xiqing was skeptical, the thought that Zhou Ziheng was being punished because of him weighed on his conscience.
Just go check on him. It won’t hurt a bit.
Just treat it as a diversion.
“Your car can’t get in there. Ride with me.”
Hearing Zhao Ke say this, Xia Xiqing knew just how formidable Zhou Ziheng’s family was. Just past eight, the sky was already pitch black. Zhao Ke drove them both up to the Western Hills. The old Beijing saying, “East for wealth, West for nobility,” referred precisely to this area. It was Xia Xiqing’s first time here. He’d only heard about it before, never imagining it was actually guarded by so many security personnel.
“Zhou Ziheng’s place is in the innermost row. See that house with the red roof?” Zhao Ke drove forward, approaching another guard post. The guard gestured toward them, and Zhao Ke obediently slowed down. He rolled down the window and flashed a smile. “It’s me, good evening, Brother Wang. You’re on duty tonight?”
The guard called Brother Wang’s stern face softened into a smile. “Kezi’s here, huh?” His eyes darted into the car, sharp as ever. “Brought a friend?”
“Hello, I’m Kezi’s girlfriend.” Ruan Xiao leaned casually against Zhao Ke, startling him so much he nearly flinched.
“Wow! Found yourself such a gorgeous partner? Nice move~” Brother Wang handed over a visitor logbook. “You’re doing better than Hengheng!”
Hearing this, Zhao Ke’s eyes involuntarily darted to the rearview mirror, where Xia Xiqing sat in the backseat, leaning lazily against the seat with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Ruan Xiao noticed Brother Wang was also looking at the backseat. She offered a sweet smile and explained, “That’s my brother. We came together today to visit Zi Heng.”
“Alright.” Brother Wang took the register from Zhao Ke. “It’s been a while since Kezi came by. Since everyone’s here today and Zijing is too, you could set up two mahjong tables.”
Zhao Ke, now smoothly granted access, smiled back. “If we need more players, we’ll call you.”
Slipping past the security chief’s watchful eye, Zhao Ke breathed a sigh of relief. The memory of Ruan Xiao declaring “I’m his girlfriend” made his ears burn. He couldn’t help but glance at her. Clever as ever, Ruan Xiao shot him a playful glare. “What are you looking at?”
Xia Xiqing found it amusing too. Leaning forward, he rested his hands on the seats in front, then flicked Zhao Ke’s ear with his left index finger. “Yeah, what are you looking at?”
Zhao Ke flinched, nearly losing control of the car. “N-nothing.”
Ruan Xiao leaned closer, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “You were clearly looking at me.”
Xia Xiqing mimicked Ruan Xiao’s gesture, tugging at Zhao Ke’s ear. “Yeah, you were definitely looking at her.”
Zhao Ke’s ears turned as red as if they’d been boiled. “No, you two… you…”
“Of course I’m backing my sister up.” Xia Xiqing finished teasing him, sighed deeply, and leaned back into his seat. “Ruan Xiao, don’t beat around the bush with him. Just come out and say it. His IQ isn’t high enough for you to play games with.”
“Wh-what?” Zhao Ke was completely baffled.
“You don’t seriously think you’re the one pursuing Ruan Xiao, do you? Or are you planning to string her along for a while?” Xia Xiqing was amused. “She’s been dropping hints left and right. What a blockhead.”
Seeing Zhao Ke still lost in confusion, Xia Xiqing turned directly to Ruan Xiao. “That Zhong family dinner last time—did you go knowing Zhao Ke would be there? You rushed over to chat with him the moment you arrived, but this guy was too busy acting as someone’s lookout.”
Ruan Xiao sighed. “Exactly. I even heard he likes black, long, straight hair, so I dyed mine back on purpose.” She twirled a strand of her long hair around her finger. “But then I ran into that scumbag Wei Min, ruining my whole night. I even hinted to him that my family was pressuring me to get married.”
Xia Xiqing burst out laughing. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, “So you joined Escape from Heaven because of Zhao Ke too? You know about Zhao Ke and Zhou Ziheng’s relationship?”
“Of course.” Ruan Xiao looked utterly matter-of-fact. “Zhao Ke’s either at P University or at home most of the time. We never get to meet. I had to find a way to get closer, right? We’re not in the same social circle. Plus, I heard you…” She pinched Zhao Ke’s cheek with her fingers, enunciating each word, “…really hate rich kids.”
Zhao Ke broke out in a sweat. “No way, no way…” There were two people in the car right now.
But he was also a bit slow to react. Ruan Xiao was both beautiful and smart; the line of guys chasing her must stretch for miles. “You… why would you be interested in me? Have we met before?”
When they arrived at Zhou Ziheng’s villa, Zhao Ke pulled over and waited for Ruan Xiao’s answer.
Ruan Xiao puffed out her cheeks and opened the door herself.
“Go home sometime and flip through your family photo albums. See if you find a pitiful little girl in a red dress.”
What a fairy-tale love story of childhood love at first sight. Xia Xiqing snorted a few times and followed her out of the car.
Zhao Ke was still drowning in confusion, not quite grasping the situation, until Xia Xiqing nudged him. Only then did he snap out of it and blurt out the plan he’d already thought through.
“We’ll go in together. Ruan Xiao and I will enter through the front door, while you hug the wall and circle around to the back through the garden. Their rose bushes are densely planted—it’ll be pitch black, so they won’t see you. Zhou Ziheng’s room is on the balcony next to that Chinese scholar tree. Climb up the tree—it’s super easy. We’ll stall them downstairs in the reception hall. By then, Uncle and Auntie will be chatting with us.”
This plan sounded shaky, but it worked surprisingly well. Thank goodness Xia Xiqing had never been a quiet kid—climbing trees came naturally to him.
As he scaled the balcony, he felt rather pleased with himself, imagining himself as Romeo meeting his lover at night, even plucking a little flower along the way. How romantic! Little did he know the Zhou household was so strict they’d locked the glass balcony door.
Unlocking things was part of his daily routine on the show, but having to pick a lock for a little romance? He wished those self-study girls would stop saying “Locked! Locked!” all the time. Just hearing that word made Xia Xiqing cringe.
After pacing the balcony for ages, he finally found a piece of wire near the railing. With a rose clenched between his teeth, Xia Xiqing knelt on the wooden floor, busy picking the lock. Thankfully, he’d done plenty of mischief like this as a kid, so this wasn’t too difficult for him. But just as he’d inserted the “key” and turned it a couple of times, the floor-to-ceiling curtain behind the glass door swept open with a swish.
His heart jolted violently. Looking up, Xia Xiqing saw Zhou Ziheng, bare-chested and wrapped only in a towel, his right arm still bearing a wound.
To maintain his suave demeanor as the prince’s secret lover, Xia Xiqing forced himself to stand despite his pounding heart. He teased Zhou Ziheng, who was equally startled, only to be teased back in the end.
That little heart, veiled in mist, was simply too adorable.
Soft and squishy, it left Xia Xiqing utterly flustered.
Both crouched behind the glass door. Zhou Ziheng watched Xia Xiqing unlock the door with intense focus, which only made him lose his own concentration. He feared he might never get it open tonight, or worse, be caught red-handed by someone from his household.
Thankfully, even the heavens were on his side in his pursuit of men.
“It’s open.” Xia Xiqing exhaled deeply, setting the lock aside. Zhou Ziheng stood up, pulled open the glass door, and swept Xia Xiqing into his arms.
“Hey…” Xia Xiqing tried to push him away but couldn’t budge. His face was pressed against Zhou Ziheng’s smooth collarbone, the scent of citrus-mint shower gel wafting into his nose. The embrace was so tight it felt like his brain was starved of oxygen.
“You smell like locust blossoms,” Zhou Ziheng murmured, clinging like an oversized, affectionate dog, refusing to let go.
Xia Xiqing protested, “That’s just the scent drifting up from the locust trees below your building.”
“No, it is,” Zhou Ziheng insisted, plucking several acacia blossoms from Xia Xiqing’s hair. “It’s the floral scent on your skin.”
No, this wasn’t right. He’d risked everything for this secret rendezvous, yet one embrace had already put him at a disadvantage?
Zhou Ziheng stretched his arm to close the door, then smoothly drew the curtains shut, looking utterly at ease.
Xia Xiqing was fiercely competitive. He didn’t like Zhou Ziheng being so effortlessly composed; he preferred seeing him flustered.
“Did you dress like this to seduce me?” His fingers tugged at the loose bath towel draped around Zhou Ziheng’s waist, tilting his face up to flash a cheeky grin, as if ready to rip it off any second.
But Zhou Ziheng showed no sign of panic. Instead, he licked his lower lip and confessed to the alleged crime without hesitation. “Yep.”
“Did you seduce me?”
Xia Xiqing’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The shimmer in his eyes flickered. He reached up, pinched Zhou Ziheng’s chin, and forced his face to meet his own. “Who taught you that?”
“Who else could it be?” Zhou Ziheng met his gaze directly.
“Oh~” Xia Xiqing’s trailing note floated lightly, like a willow catkin drifting in the wind. “So you’re eager to graduate now?”
“Whether I graduate…” Zhou Ziheng wrapped his left arm around Xia Xiqing’s waist, pressing his nose against his and rubbing it lightly. “That’s entirely up to the master.”
Brilliant. Zhou Ziheng was truly a natural. Xia Xiqing couldn’t be bothered with games. His fingers slid slowly from Zhou Ziheng’s chin to his lips, brushing against his lower lip. “It’s been a while. Perhaps the master should give you a little training first.”
As their lips met, the rose at his temple brushed against Zhou Ziheng’s still-damp hair. The moment their tongues touched, the fragrance suddenly intensified—it was impossible to tell if it was the kiss clouding his mind or the night’s floral scent disrupting his reason. Xia Xiqing wrapped his arms around Zhou Ziheng’s neck, his long fingers tangling in the half-wet hair.
Damp, rich, warm, entwined.
He couldn’t fathom what Romeo had felt when he stole away for their trysts, but this clandestine rendezvous was utterly intoxicating. He imagined himself prying open the night’s crevices like the moon, seeking out the flaw in this man of unblemished integrity. Carrying the secret fragrance of roses, he’d slip inside, tracing the wild beat of the drum to reach that most precious heart in all the world.
It beat so nakedly, it felt a shame not to steal it.
Zhou Ziheng’s kiss was too gentle. Even when Xia Xiqing invaded aggressively, biting and grinding against his lips, he still sucked softly, as if afraid of hurting him. The hand gripping the back of his neck stroked lightly and slowly, its warm softness flowing along the winding fingerprints onto his skin.
It beat with such sincerity. This timid thief had schemed his way in, only to steal a single, quiet touch in the end.
Couldn’t bear to pluck it away.
Next time. Next time for sure.
Desire blurred in the night’s haze. Xia Xiqing felt the rising heat of this body. Kissing Zhou Ziheng, he shed his coat and tossed it to the floor, pushing the man’s solid chest step by step toward the bed.
“Young Master Zhou.” Xia Xiqing bit Zhou Ziheng’s lower lip, pressing him onto the bed with a hand on his chest. Though appearing forceful, he worried about his injured right hand and only pressed lightly, grinning mischievously, “Your bed isn’t small, is it?”
He plucked the red rose from his temple, twirled it between his fingers, and pressed the bloom against Zhou Ziheng’s cheek. Using the flower instead of his fingers, he traced an incredibly gentle path from beneath his ear, brushing against his Adam’s apple, and finally sliding down to his broad shoulder. A tiny scratch from fingernails remained on the shoulder.
He leaned down and kissed the spot lightly, his hair falling forward to partially obscure his face.
Zhou Ziheng smiled, tightening his grip around Xia Xiqing’s waist as he flipped him over, reversing their positions. He tilted his head slightly, brushing Xia Xiqing’s hair away from his face. “You’re quite aware of yourself.”
Xia Xiqing deliberately pulled open his collar, revealing the lingering kiss marks beneath. “Self-awareness is a virtue.”
Gazing at his own handiwork, Zhou Ziheng couldn’t help but recall the wild antics of that night. Apologetically, he lowered his head to lightly kiss Xia Xiqing’s collarbone. Yet Xia Xiqing couldn’t stand this teasing, like a dragonfly skimming the water—it ignited spark after spark across his body.
He sensed Zhou Ziheng was about to apologize again in the next second.
“Hey… I didn’t climb mountains and scale walls just to listen to you apologize live.”
“Then what?” Zhou Ziheng lifted his head and kissed the mole on his nose.
Xia Xiqing raised an eyebrow. “To fuck you.” His eyes lit up. “What’s borrowed must be returned—and then you can borrow again.”
What the hell? Just as Zhou Ziheng was about to laugh, two soft knocks sounded at the bedroom door. Moments later, his brother’s half-dead voice drifted in.
“Zhou Ziheng, get down. Zhao Ke is here.”
Startled, Zhou Ziheng quickly pulled Xia Xiqing onto the bed, covered him with a blanket, and frantically helped him take off his shoes, shoving them under the bed. He stuffed his coat into the wardrobe before climbing into bed himself.
Zhou Zijin’s voice was calm and measured. “You’re going to sleep before nine? Open the door for me, or I’ll have your father come up and see if you’re actually asleep.”
Hearing his brother’s words, Zhou Ziheng jumped straight out of bed in fright. He dashed downstairs to unlock the door, then sprinted back up, snatching the quilt to cover himself. Sitting upright on the bed like the Virgin Mary, he smiled obsequiously at Zhou Zijin, who stood holding a fruit tray.
“Mom asked me to bring this up.” Zhou Zijin placed the tray on the table, his deep eyes scanning Zhou Ziheng sitting on the bed.
“Thanks, bro. I’ll eat it later.”
Zhou Zijin crossed his arms, looking reluctant to leave. “Want to chat?”
“Talk about what…” Zhou Ziheng could barely manage a smile. Worst of all, the person under the covers wasn’t staying still. Even facing death, those hands kept wandering where they shouldn’t, making his heart pound so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat.
“I’m curious—what exactly did that Wei Min bastard do to get you beaten up so badly you ended up in the hospital?” Zhou Zijin’s eyes locked onto Zhou Ziheng’s, his gaze as piercing as a prosecutor’s.
“It’s just… I couldn’t stand him…”
Zhou Zijin nodded slowly, then craned his neck lazily toward the door and called out, “Dad—”
“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you,” Zhou Ziheng panicked, pressing his finger to his lips and making several pleading gestures. “Brother, I’ll tell you…”
Even Xia Xiqing, hiding under the covers, nearly burst out laughing. Zhou Ziheng’s cowardly demeanor proved he was the bullied one wherever he went. His fingertips traced the dimple along Zhou Ziheng’s waist, followed by a soft breath.
Feeling the slight tremor from the person beside him, Xia Xiqing felt even more amused.
Zhou Zijin raised an eyebrow. “Speak.”
Under the dual pressure, his nerves were on the verge of snapping.
“It’s just…” Zhou Ziheng took a deep breath, his voice growing quieter.
“He touched my person.”
Xia Xiqing froze beneath the covers. This was the first time he’d ever heard Zhou Ziheng utter those words while fully conscious.
Vaguely, he heard the sound of glaciers shattering under a warm current.
Zhou Zijin chuckled softly, shooting Zhou Ziheng a condescending glance from his lofty perspective before lifting his foot to leave the room.
Seeing his brother finally relent, Zhou Ziheng exhaled in relief—only to watch him stride back with long, deliberate steps.
Step by step, he approached his own bed.
Zhou Ziheng’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
He couldn’t possibly be planning to catch them in the act, could he?
How would he explain this to Old Zhou? What if Old Zhou started hitting people?
He had to protect Xia Xiqing first. At least he was fully clothed and could run if needed.
Please don’t. A day’s brotherhood is a hundred days’ bond.
Zhou Ziheng was ready to close his eyes and await his fate.
“Tsk.”
He opened his eyes to see Zhou Zijin bending down to pick up a red rose from the floor. He twirled it in his hand. “Pretty romantic, huh?” With that, he tossed the rose at Zhou Ziheng’s feet.
“Don’t mess with me.”
With that, Zhou Zijin slammed the door shut, his voice loud enough to specifically warn whoever was under the covers. Half his soul having fled in fright, Zhou Ziheng exhaled a long breath of relief. Concerned, he lifted the blanket and whispered, “You okay?”
Xia Xiqing, who had been pressed against his side, finally emerged. His expression was still dazed, but strangely, the skin at the base of his neck was flushed bright red, spreading all the way to his ears. His cheeks looked like they were covered in two beautiful patches of sunset clouds.
“What’s wrong with you?” Zhou Ziheng cupped his face with both hands, his voice thick with worry. “Your face is red and hot.”
Xia Xiqing lowered his head slightly and pushed his hands away, his lashes fluttering lightly.
“It was too stuffy under the covers… I was suffocating.”
