On October 24, the XXX Public Security Subbureau apprehended Wei, a suspected drug offender, in a residential complex based on a public tip. Authorities seized 21.6 grams of crystal meth and 53.2 grams of heroin at the scene. A urine test confirmed positive for heroin. Wei is currently under administrative detention by police…
The television broadcasted news about Wei Min’s drug offense. Xia Xiqing sat cross-legged on the sofa, hearing Zhou Ziheng call from the kitchen, “Breakfast is ready.”
Xia Xiqing hummed in acknowledgment, slipped on his slippers, and walked into the kitchen. He reached out and touched Zhou Ziheng’s neck, giving it a half-hearted squeeze as if giving him a massage. He was focused on frying eggs. “Put more pepper on it.” After speaking, he scooped a handful of blueberries from the bowl and popped them into his mouth. “Did you hear that? It’s already on the news. The investigation moved fast.”
“When the wind stirs the grass, you need to act as quickly as possible at times like this. You have to catch them red-handed. I bet that scumbag was hiding at home, fretting over damage control, when the cops showed up.“ Zhou Ziheng finished sprinkling pepper and flipped the eggs. ”Unless his dad bails him out, with that amount of drugs, video evidence, and rape charges, he’s looking at seven years minimum.”
“His dad can’t bail him out.” Xia Xiqing felt so limp he couldn’t even stand properly, resting his chin on Zhou Ziheng’s shoulder. As his jaw moved with each word, the sharp bone dug into his shoulder with every breath. “You have no idea—this scandal sent the Wei family’s stock plummeting. They’d already been struggling with cash flow these past two years. Now, with this prodigal son causing trouble, it’s like a mud Buddha crossing the river—they can barely save themselves.”
“What goes around comes around.” Zhou Ziheng turned to kiss him, scooping the eggs out of the pan. “Haidian crowd, could you pass me the plate?”
Xia Xiqing took the fried eggs, pursed his lips, and raised an eyebrow. “That’s not the proper way to handle the Haidian crowd.”
Zhou Ziheng turned off the stove, carried the fruit and milk out following Xia Xiqing, and placed them on the table. “You have too many ways to handle things. You need to figure it out.”
Xia Xiqing set the tray on the dining table and shot Zhou Ziheng a look. “Is that so?” Before Zhou Ziheng could respond, Xia Xiqing turned sideways, wrapped both arms around Zhou Ziheng’s neck, and jumped onto him. His long legs, clad in cotton pajama bottoms, wrapped around Zhou Ziheng’s waist.
“Hey…” Startled by the sudden assault, Zhou Ziheng quickly braced Xia Xiqing’s thigh with his hands. “Careful, you’ll fall.”
Xia Xiqing tilted his head, gently biting the soft cartilage of Zhou Ziheng’s earlobe, his tone menacing, almost threatening. “If you dare drop me, I’ll squeeze every last drop out of you today.”
Hearing this, Zhou Ziheng immediately pretended to let go. “Then I’d be delighted.” But barely half a second later, he tightened his grip again, gave him a couple of bounces, then placed Xia Xiqing on the white dining table. Supporting himself with one hand on the tabletop and the other on Xia Xiqing’s waist, he leaned in to kiss him.
Xia Xiqing dodged slightly, a sly smile playing on his lips. “This scene… feels a bit like the opening of an action movie, doesn’t it?”
“You’re the one who seduced me first, and you have the nerve to ask?” Zhou Ziheng tightened his grip around Xia Xiqing’s waist, his voice slightly hoarse, like coarse sugar gently brushing against Xia Xiqing’s chest.
Xia Xiqing lifted Zhou Ziheng’s sharply defined jaw with his index finger, his voice trailing off lazily. “Go ahead, try not to fall for me so easily.”
Not easily at all.
He’d resisted from the very first meeting, but it had been futile no matter what.
The fiery desire ignited instantly. His lips, pressed together moments before, now swelled with blood, a vivid red that seemed strangely fitting yet eerily beautiful against Xia Xiqing’s clean, pure white face.
He flicked his tongue, the moist tip curling his dry lower lip into his mouth. In an instant, it emerged drenched, glistening with a thin sheen of saliva. Each frame played in slow motion, saturated with the scent of hormones.
Zhou Ziheng gripped Xia Xiqing’s nape fiercely, seizing those perpetually tempting lips. Their tongues met, minty coolness igniting into fiery heat. As they tangled, he even tasted a hint of blueberry’s crisp sweetness—so sweet it made him want to entwine Xia Xiqing’s tongue deeper, to claim everything about him. Xia Xiqing’s arms wrapped around Zhou Ziheng’s shoulders, his hands digging into the bones. The sound of water echoed wildly through the empty house, amplifying their emotions into a dizzying haze.
Only when kissing him did Zhou Ziheng feel truly whole.
That hollow shell, drifting through countless roles and emotions captured by cameras, had its original soul rediscovered by Xia Xiqing. It could burn with jealousy, crave until it lost control, and feel like a flawed, real human being.
Though the recent PR crisis had been successfully defused, the revelation of Xia Xiqing’s sexuality prompted countless curious netizens to scour every detail of his past reality show appearances. Male celebrities who’d been paired with him as CPs were all dragged into the spotlight, with each CP fandom churning out lengthy essays arguing their pairing was the real deal.
Ironically, the Xi Girls fandom hasn’t produced a single essay. The reasons are straightforward: first, there’s simply too much sweetness to analyze; second, they privately believe it’s genuine, making them even more reluctant to wade into this murky water.
Moreover, the Xi Girls’ focus differs entirely from the general public’s. Nearly every piece of evidence uncovered so far proves Xia Xiqing is an unquestionable 1. But what about Zhou Ziheng?
So who exactly is the top between these two?
Even if they did manage to get the real deal, it might just flip the CP entirely!?
Never followed such a thrilling pairing before.
Just over this question of who’s the top, Zhou Ziheng has suffered terribly this past month. He’d finally coaxed and tricked Xia Xiqing into feeling comfortable enough to let go of his mysterious fixation on being the top. But after this seasoned netizen spent a few days lurking on Weibo, seeing everyone’s discussions reignited his obsession instantly.
“I think everyone’s right—a beauty can be the top too.” Xia Xiqing straddled Zhou Ziheng with a long-legged swing, immediately starting to peel off his clothes while kissing his face. “Just try it once and you’ll see how amazing it feels.”
Zhou Ziheng caught his wrist, his face a vacant smile. “It’s unnecessary. Really unnecessary.”
“Let me try it once, and I’ll agree to anything.” Just as Xia Xiqing moved again, Zhou Ziheng seized his wrists and forcibly twisted his arms behind his back. The shift pressed Xia’s chest firmly against Zhou’s torso. Xia frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Hey, that’s foul play.”
“So what if it is?” Zhou Ziheng smirked, his rare rogueish charm surfacing. “When have you ever played by the rules?”
“That depends on who…” Xia Xiqing’s words trailed off as Zhou Ziheng leaned in to kiss his collarbone. “…decides the rules.”
A hot kiss sent their body temperatures soaring. revealing flushed, dewy skin beneath loosened pajamas. The skin rose and fell with life, yet remained so thin it carried a delicate fragility. Zhou Ziheng adored this vulnerability—a gentle brush of his thumb sent it blushing vividly, beckoning him, even though he knew Xia Xiqing was tougher than any other handsome face.
His arms remained pinned behind his back. The lover’s contorted limbs sent Zhou Ziheng into a dizzying frenzy, like a piece of pink taffy pressed against a scorching hot iron, losing its shape in the heatwave, melting like chocolate, turning into a pool of sweet syrup with each increasingly fierce impact.
Drip, drip—the syrup dripped onto the damp, heated flesh.
Every time Xia Xiqing attempted to fight back, the outcome was always the same.
Apart from a subtle sense of defeat over the online backlash against their pairing, Zhou Ziheng’s life had become increasingly vibrant and pleasurable, making him the real beneficiary.
Of course, when it came to the true beneficiaries of this media frenzy, Zhou Ziheng ranked nowhere near the top.
Thanks to this sensational drama in late October, the reality show Escape from Heaven surged back into popularity. November saw an explosion of program analyses, memes, and iconic scene compilations flooding the internet. For an entire month, it dominated trending searches, Phrases like “self-destructing player” from the show became viral catchphrases. Even Shang Sirui, a male idol long criticized by netizens as mere eye candy, finally gained mainstream recognition thanks to his standout acting and sharp wit on the show.
Seizing this prime promotional window, the show’s director deliberately posted a cryptic Weibo message.
[@WangXiaoXiaoQuan: Thank you all for your interest in the show. If the original cast members’ schedules permit, Season 2 will definitely proceed with the same lineup—we promise not to disappoint. Of course, we also welcome any other guests willing to endure our torture to join us~ [Cool][Hug][Flowers]]
This post instantly ignited a frenzy on Weibo. Such high-quality reality shows naturally attract fans—even non-fans often develop strong affection for the cast after watching. This explains why Xia Xiqing retained so much public support despite facing such organized smear campaigns and fabricated scandals.
Just for the director’s polite remark, the comments section flooded with enthusiastic recommendations from fans, each desperate to get their idol on Escape from the Past. This initially underestimated, ultra-challenging show finally transformed into a coveted prize, propelled by the buzz around the Xi-CP pairing. Jiang Yin’s reputation as a gold-medal producer was solidified once more.
In late November, just two weeks after the season finale of Escape Room, the show’s official Weibo account released a compilation of unseen footage from the final episodes.
The special, nearly as long as a full episode, contained numerous scenes previously cut due to time constraints. One particular clip from the first episode sparked intense online discussion, instantly becoming the show’s new iconic moment.
This clip actually comes from the segment where Zhou Ziheng and Xia Xiqing arrived at Shang Siru’s room to calculate the number of four-leaf roses. In the footage, Shang Siru stands alone by the wall, talking to himself, while Zhou Ziheng and Xia Xiqing are seated at the round table.
“Forget the other numbers—at least those can be calculated,” Xia Xiqing leaned over, hands in his pockets, as Zhou Ziheng sat solving problems. “But this is a four-digit power of itself. How do you plan to figure it out? Trying each one individually? We’d be stuck here until the cows come home. Just give it up…”
Zhou Ziheng suddenly lifted his head, their faces mere inches apart. His gaze locked onto Xia Xiqing’s eyes as he spoke, his tone icy. “Do you know Richard Feynman?”
This question came out of nowhere. Xia Xiqing blinked twice. “I know. The Manhattan Project. Feynman’s theorem.”
He knew quite a bit. Zhou Ziheng’s lips turned up slightly, a smile so subtle it barely registered. “He once said something classic. ‘Shut up and calculate.’”
Caught off guard by Zhou Ziheng’s retort, Xia Xiqing froze for two seconds. He never expected this guy to use such a line against him. Satisfied he’d achieved his goal, Zhou Ziheng lowered his head again, returning to his manuscript.
But the next second, that rogue Xia Xiqing leaned close to his ear and spoke in his usual lazy tone, “I know another famous quote of his.”
He suddenly lowered his voice, half-covering the microphone with his slender, pale right hand, making the production team’s recording unclear.
But this only made Zhou Ziheng’s expression—which had slipped completely out of control upon hearing the words—all the more intriguing.
“Don’t glare at me,” Xia Xiqing said with an innocent smile, shrugging his shoulders. “Just sharing a golden line.”
This clip was edited by a fan and posted online, drawing attention from show fans, ship shippers, and curious onlookers alike.
[@SugarAddict: Holy crap, this part wasn’t cut for time, was it?! What kind of divine banter is this? Someone tell me what Feynman said!!]
［@SelfStudyGirlCelebratesEveryDay: They weren’t close back then, so their banter was super cute! Later, Hengheng stopped teasing Xiqing, and by the second escape room challenge, it turned into pure doting. Mysterious progression.］
［@I’m a Little Green Dragon: Judging by Zhou Ziheng’s expression, Xia Xiqing must have quoted Feynman’s most famous line—Physics is like sex.］
［@Yaoi Fandom Headquarters: Physics is like sex. Holy crap, what kind of divine flirting is this?! Xia Xiqing is way too A! Totally has that seasoned player vibe! Why did they cut this out?!］
［@Passing Fairy: Honestly, I want Xia Xiqing to flirt with me.］
［@Human Nature is “So Good”: So the reason I’ve been single my whole life is because I didn’t study physics properly???］
This clip instantly topped the trending charts, and [Xia Xiqing is a master flirt] became a hot search. Among all the edits and screenshots shared by self-study girls, this point was thoroughly validated. Xia Xiqing transformed from the angelic persona deliberately crafted by the production team back to his original setting as a seasoned player.
This naturally sparked speculation about their private interactions.
With online buzz reaching fever pitch, Xia Xiqing holed up at home daily, reluctant to venture out while preparing for his spring solo art exhibition. Zhou Ziheng spent considerable time filming. Once the media frenzy subsided, he returned to campus. While people usually greeted him normally, this time he distinctly felt something different. Many girls around him were watching him, and it wasn’t entirely the kind of gaze projected by admirers of handsome guys.
“Wow, Zhou Ziheng looks so dominant now. I don’t think he’s…”
“Me neither. But look at that guy—he’s only 4’7” tall and still comes off as dominant. Who knows?”
“True. And Xi Qing is tall too—185cm—but he looks so submissive.”
“Don’t you guys get it? The trend now is ‘beauty top and muscle bottom.’ It’s so hot!”
“…Can’t eat anymore. I still prefer seeing Zhou Ziheng on top.”
“Like I’d ever show you~”
“Can’t I even fantasize about it?!”
Zhou Ziheng, sitting in the cafeteria, finished the last piece of beef on his plate. He slammed his chopsticks down on the table, his eyes sweeping over the girls at the table diagonally across from him. Startled, they immediately buried their heads and began eating furiously, pretending nothing had happened.
“Hey, calm down, old man.” Zhao Ke pushed his juice over to Zhou Ziheng. “Ignore them.” Then he turned to the girls and declared, “Real men go for real men. Our Ziheng is a real man.”
“Hey, you think you’re funny?” Zhou Ziheng nearly stood up. Zhao Ke pointed at him, knowing Zhou wouldn’t dare beat up his childhood friend in the cafeteria—it’d be trending within half an hour. He grinned apologetically. “Just kidding.” Seeing Zhou Ziheng’s expression hadn’t changed, he quickly changed the subject. “Hey, when’s your movie coming out? I’ve got the cash ready to buy out the whole theater.”
Watching him pat his chest like a fool, Zhou Ziheng was baffled. Ruan Xiao was such a smart, pretty girl—what on earth was wrong with her to fall for this guy? “It was originally set for December 1st, but now it’s been selected for the main competition at the Berlin Film Festival. We have to premiere it there.”
“So it’ll be delayed?” Zhao Ke tilted his head, doing the math. “Huh, that pushes it to February.”
“Yeah. Perfect timing since finals are coming up soon. I won’t have to run around doing promotions and can focus on studying.” Zhou Ziheng unscrewed the juice cap and took a sip. “Plus, Director Kun said this gives him enough time for editing and post-production to aim for awards.”
“I trust your film.” Zhao Ke suddenly remembered something. “Hey, when can we get a group together?” He leaned closer to Zhou Ziheng. “Invite your partner, plus a few friends. Oh, and that Editor Xu—have him bring a friend. Aren’t they childhood buddies with Xi Qing? I’ll bring Ruan Xiao, Oh, and we could invite that guy from your show… what’s his name again? The cute one?”
“Shang Sirui.” Zhou Ziheng raised an eyebrow. “What’s this about?”
“Dinner, of course! It’d be fun to hang out with everyone. I haven’t had a proper good time in ages. How about Christmas Eve?” Zhao Ke had finished eating and stretched lazily. “I just think holidays these days are so boring—dull and lifeless. Better to hang out with friends, drink some drinks, play some games.”
“What kind of games do you want to play?”
“Anything works—Werewolf or something like that.”
Zhou Ziheng scoffed. “You’ve got some nerve saying that. Look at the kind of games you organize and the people you invite. Are you sure you want to play Werewolf with us?”
Zhao Ke froze, snapping his fingers as he counted on his fingers.
Zhou Ziheng, the brains of the operation; Xia Xiqing, the high-level player; Ruan Xiao, Mensa member; Shang Sirui, the hook-wielding werewolf; Xu Qichen, the devilish scriptwriter; Xia Zhixu, the super hacker…
Holy crap, he really was the dumbest one here.
Zhao Ke timidly suggested, “Then… maybe we could ask Xia Xiqing’s brother? A high schooler can’t be that…”
Zhou Ziheng ruthlessly shattered Zhao Ke’s fantasy.
“His brother scored perfect marks on three consecutive monthly math exams…”
“Excuse me.”
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