The day the film’s box office surpassed one billion coincided with the night of the Escape from Werewolf Town livestream. Xia Xiqing’s standout performance in the Werewolf game, coupled with the confession video from the Beijing promotional event, sent his Weibo exploding once again.
When he woke up, it was already 9 a.m. Zhou Ziheng wasn’t home. Xia Xiqing rubbed his eyes and checked the class schedule by his bedside—today was Friday, and Zhou Ziheng had a large lecture at 8 a.m. Lying in bed, he scrolled through Weibo, where fans flooded his feed begging for a livestream.
No choice—to honor his promise, Xia Xiqing decided to give streaming a shot. After washing up, he left Zhou Ziheng’s apartment, locked the door, and returned home. Changing into a durable olive-green hoodie, he sat in his studio chair and yawned.
After zoning out for a bit, Xia Xiqing dug out the camera he’d used for landscape shots, set it up on a tripod on the table, adjusted the angle to frame the easel by his workbench, and connected to the Weibo livestream platform.
With everything ready, he poured himself a cup of black coffee, placed it on the workbench, and turned on the camera.
The fans flooding Weibo with comments were like a noisy horde of groundhogs, crowding outside the door and banging incessantly. Suddenly, the door swung open. All the groundhogs froze, glancing at each other in surprise. Within seconds, they burst into the room in a single rush.
The livestream instantly became bustling and lively.
Xia Xiqing sat in his chair, smiling as he greeted the camera. “Good morning. Well… maybe not so early anymore.” He slipped on his wireless headphones and glanced at the comments flooding his laptop screen.
[Ahhhhhhhhh fresh Xiqing bro!!!]
[Xiqing looks so good!!]
[Good morning, bro!]
[Good morning, Xiqing! Where’s Hengheng??]
Xia Xiqing stretched lazily and casually replied, “He’s off to class.”
[Class? Hahahahaha.]
[Why does saying ‘Zi Heng is in class’ always crack me up?]
[Has Xiqing Brother had breakfast yet?]
“Breakfast? Didn’t have any today. Usually I do.” Spotting a mint on the table, Xia Xiqing reached over, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. The cool, refreshing burst of flavor instantly cleared his head. “The breakfast maker almost overslept today. Didn’t have time to cook.”
[Whaaat! Was it Hengheng making breakfast?!]
“He’s really good at cooking, both Chinese and Western cuisine.” For some reason, Xia Xiqing felt a little smug inside. Even though it wasn’t him who could cook, he couldn’t help but want to show off. “Oh, right, he’s been learning baking lately. Last time he made a whole row of cupcakes. They were delicious.”
[OMG this dog food is so damn sweet!!!]
[Eeek I’m so jealous~]
[Lemon tree, lemon fruit, lemon tree, you and me]
[I cry every day over Xiqing’s perfect love! Waaah]
What perfect love? Ridiculous. Xia Xiqing chuckled quietly. “I’ll just grab my supplies.” He stood up and walked over to the long cabinet in the studio, pulling out paints and brushes.
[OMG Xiqing has a whole cabinet full of paints.]
[No wonder he’s rich… This brand of paint is insanely expensive.]
［Painting really burns through money.］
“What should we paint today?” Xia Xiqing muttered to himself, feeling like a kindergarten art teacher. Glancing at the screen flooded with Zhou Ziheng posts, he chuckled, “Nah, I’ve painted him way too much already.” He pulled out a sheet of sketch paper and clipped it onto his easel. “Actually, I used to have a whole room dedicated to paintings of him.”
[OMG!!!!!]
[So romantic! I wanna see them!!!]
[Xingqing bro!! Can we have an exhibition???]
Xia Xiqing narrowed his eyes at the screen before lowering his gaze to sharpen a pencil. “An exhibition… I’ll think about it, if he’s willing.” But then he looked up again. “Wait, why should I care if he’s willing?”
[Hahahaha, poor little Hengheng with no say!]
[Hahahahahaha, why should you care about him, haha.]
[His status at home speaks volumes]
“Exactly. I gave them all to him anyway.” Xia Xiqing sharpened with precision, his bangs swaying rhythmically with each stroke. “Now those paintings belong to Zhou Ziheng. So I’ll just ask symbolically.”
［Symbolic, hahahahahaha］
［Shows how much Hengheng spoils Xiqing normally, aaaah］
Finishing one pencil, Xia Xiqing casually tucked it behind his ear, as effortless as pinning a cigarette. He took a sip of coffee, feeling his focus return. “My hair’s gotten longer again lately.” He flicked his bangs aside with a finger. “It’s starting to get in my eyes.” He lowered his head, found a rubber band used to bundle paintbrushes on the table, and casually tied back his bangs.
[Aaaaaaaaah! Apple top!]
[Apple top looks so good!!!!]
[Is Brother Xiqing wearing no makeup??? So handsome.]
[It looks like he’s wearing eyeliner! His lashes are so long!]
“Of course it’s bare-faced,” Xia Xiqing pressed his face close to the camera. “My hair and lashes are naturally dark and thick.” He closed one eye. “So from a distance, it kinda looks like I have eyeliner on.”
[This face is unreal…]
［Mom, I see an angel!］
“Actually, I look a bit tired…” Xia Xiqing glanced at his dark circles in the camera. “I woke up late today because I stayed up too late last night. Look at my dark circles.”
[Fairies don’t have dark circles! They come with built-in eyeshadow!]
Pfft, that’s some serious brown-nosing.
[Did you overindulge in pleasure!!!!]
[Overindulged? Don’t run away, hahaha!]
[Sis, you slay!!!]
[I wanna overindulge with Brother Xiqing too!!!!]
[Zhou Ziheng: ????? Are you guys ignoring me????]
[Hahahahahaha Poor Hengheng is the saddest]
Xia Xiqing couldn’t stop laughing at the comments. “Chicken Cage is warning us.” He took the pencil from behind his ear, turned halfway to prepare for the sketch.
“Would you guys get bored if I just drew here for an hour?” He sketched a rough outline with his pencil. Xia Xiqing had beautiful hands—long and slender, with distinct knuckles. When he gripped the pencil, his fingers tensed, muscles and bones clearly visible.
[Xiqing’s hands are seriously too gorgeous, prprprpr]
[THOSE HANDS!!! I’M DONE FOR!!!]
Xia Xiqing quietly sketched the rough outline, then turned to take a sip of coffee. He really wasn’t used to this livestream format—he’d just noticed everyone was showering gifts.
“Stop sending gifts,” Xia Xiqing said, setting his coffee cup on the table like an older brother scolding a child. “No gift-sending. I don’t make money this way.”
[I don’t make money this way, but I have plenty of it.]
[Hahahaha, that stings, upstairs]
[Brother Xiqing: If you keep sending gifts, I’ll buy out the theater and treat you all to a movie!]
[Rich kid forced to stream for business, hahahahaha]
These little girls. Xia Xiqing lowered his head, gave a helpless smile, then turned to refine the sketch’s details. “Today I’ll finish the painting Jiang Tong drew by the riverbank. Though it might take me…” He tilted his head, pondering. “…a while. Anyway, once it’s done, I’ll hold a giveaway on Weibo for fans who’ve seen the movie.”
[Aaaaaah! Brother Xiqing’s painting!]
[Brother Xiqing spoils his fans so much, waaah!]
[I want it so badly! But I’m always unlucky—let me get lucky this once!]
“Gotta get the canvas out,” Xia Xiqing bent down, pulled a clean, intact canvas from beneath his workbench, and placed it in the corner. “Later, we’ll transfer the sketch onto the canvas. Normally I’d skip this step, but since this painting is for giving away…” He traced the lines meticulously. After finishing the upper body, he stepped back slightly to examine the sketch on the paper, continuing, “…so we need to be careful.”
Xia Xiqing’s focused painting demeanor was completely different from his usual flippant, carefree attitude. He was quiet and steady, all his attention fixed on the painting. But during the livestream, he had to chat while painting—a challenge for him.
His muttered words were soft, his uncertain tone gentle and unassuming—a rare moment where his expression perfectly matched his face.
As the sketch gradually took shape, Xia Xiqing turned to glance at the comments flooding his laptop screen.
[Brother Xiqing is so gentle! I wish he’d do an ASMR session while painting.]
[Yeah! I want to hear Brother Xiqing do ASMR too. Just listening to him talk to himself gives me a mental high.]
[Your voice is so soothing, so gentle and sweet. Do you talk to Hengheng like this at home too?]
Seeing this comment, Xia Xiqing suddenly laughed. “No.”
Strange, R-rated images couldn’t help but flash through his mind.
The way he interacted with Zhou Ziheng was simply too awkward to display in front of fans and the public.
[I wanna hear Brother Xiqing sing! His voice is so nice!]
[Me too!!!! Brother Xiqing, sing a song!]
[Sing! ! Sing!!!]
Xia Xiqing laughed helplessly. “Wasn’t this supposed to be about drawing? Why did singing get thrown into the mix?”
[Sing for us, Brother Xiqing~ You sing during your livestreams!!]
[We want to hear it!!! We want to hear it!]
[Brother Xiqing, it’s my birthday today. Could you sing a song for me?]
Seeing this, Xia Xiqing’s heart softened again. “It’s your birthday? Happy birthday. What should I sing…” He pulled out his phone. “Alright, I’ll just shuffle a song from my playlist. Whatever comes up, I’ll sing that one.”
[Yes!!!!]
[Ahhhhh Xiqing Brother is going to sing!]
He tapped shuffle, and a song appeared.
“This one’s pretty obscure. You guys probably haven’t heard it.” Xia Xiqing pointed his phone screen toward the camera, though it didn’t seem to capture clearly. He turned to face his skateboard, sketching as he sang. His voice was neither loud nor soft, his enunciation light, sounding like he was just humming to himself.
“All of me resembles one you
Renaissance obsession
Who possesses the distance between words
Exchanging fragments of clarity
All of you resembles one me
Postmodern mottled silence
Who abandons the secrets between words
Dürer and the rhino’s resonance”
Xia Xiqing, head slightly bowed, was painting the beach at the bottom. A sliver of fair skin peeked from the back neckline of his army-green hoodie. Mid-song, he turned, fetched an eraser from the workbench, and flashed a smile at the camera. His almond-shaped eyes curved upward, radiating a vivid, captivating charm.
“Let us forever shine brightly
Crying out with pure verses
The imagery of the procession fills
Wilde cannot see the love born of fear”
[Xia Qing’s voice is so beautiful!! Oh my god, why is he so handsome, so talented, and sings so well?]
[The lyrics to this song are so beautiful]
[The lyrics and Brother Xiqing are a perfect match.]
After finishing the song, Xia Xiqing turned to glance at the bullet comments.
[This song!!! Teacher Chen Qizhen’s “Rhinoceros”!! Oh my god, I love it so much!]
[Not sure what the lyrics mean. Why is it called “Rhinoceros”?]
Seeing the confusion in the comments, Xia Xiqing explained, “The ‘Dürer’ and ‘rhinoceros’ mentioned in the lyrics actually refer to the woodcut ‘Rhinoceros’ created by the Renaissance master engraver Dürer. There’s a fascinating story behind it.”
“In 1515, during Europe’s era of maritime expansion, the Sultan of India presented a gift to the Portuguese governor: an Indian rhinoceros. Since rhinos didn’t exist in Europe at the time, this precious creature endured a 120-day voyage to reach Portugal.”
Later, the Portuguese governor decided to pass on the gift by sending the rhinoceros to Italy. Unfortunately, a shipwreck occurred during the journey, and the rhinoceros perished at sea. Therefore, Dürer, who lived in Italy, never actually saw a real rhinoceros. Instead, he created a woodcut based on a sketch depicting a rhinoceros. This print was reproduced repeatedly and sold extensively across Europe, leading everyone to believe that the rhinoceros in the painting was the true likeness of the animal.”
[What did the painting look like?]
[So fantastical, haha! Europeans fascinated by Eastern animals]
“I recall having a miniature rubbing in my collection.” Xia Xiqing stood up, rummaged through a cabinet in his studio, and retrieved the print from a cardboard box. He held it up to the camera, examined the engraving, then glanced back at the live feed. “See how different it is? Armored, covered in horns along its spine—looks like an evolved rhino from Digimon.”
He set the print down. “Though vastly different from real rhinos, people back then were wildly enthusiastic about this painting, loving the rhino depicted. This process actually reflects a very real psychological phenomenon. How to put it…”
Xia Xiqing pondered for a moment. “It’s like how we feel when we like someone. Sometimes, what we’re truly captivated by isn’t the thing itself, but an illusion that transcends reality.”
[Teacher Xia is so gentle]
[Why didn’t I have an art teacher like this? Waaah]
[Xiqing-gege’s voice is so gentle, he glows when explaining art]
Reading the comments, Xia Xiqing sighed almost inaudibly before smiling. “Actually, I’m not gentle at all. You’ve all fallen into this rhino trap too.”
He lowered his head slightly, wiping the graphite smudge from his pinky finger. His lowered eyelashes resembled fragile butterfly wings that might shatter at the slightest touch. “To be honest, when I first started teaching Escape from Heaven, the persona I presented wasn’t really me.”
Facing the camera, his expression was calm. “To put it plainly, it was a persona. Of course, I played a part in maintaining that persona. The truth is, I’m not as perfect as everyone imagines. I’ve had dark and absurd periods, and my personality has flaws.” He curved his lips slightly. “It doesn’t match the personality people expect to see behind this face.”
[Brother Xiqing, why does my heart ache so much…]
[We love you, not the persona.]
“Not entirely. Often, when people like someone, they don’t actually like the real person. They like the version of them shaped by their own subjective projections. It’s a reworking.“ Xia Xiqing tore through that thin veil of pretense, exposing it completely. ”People use their own expectations and fantasies to embellish the person they admire. The more you like someone, the more filters you add to their image.”
After speaking, Xia Xiqing lifted his gaze to the camera. “I’m not saying this to demand you like the real me. I just want to show you who I truly am—to be honest.”
I’ve been so fake for so long because from childhood, I was taught that no one would love me. No one would love the real me.
But now, someone has thrown me a lifeline. I want to try facing the real me too.
The comments suddenly turned emotional, with many fans flooding the screen with crying faces and hearts. Xia Xiqing realized he’d spoken too much, too directly—sometimes fans couldn’t handle this kind of honesty. He smiled again. “Why are you all sad? I’m doing just fine now. I’m free.”
Then he remembered something else, a sparkle flashing in his smiling eyes. “But Zhou Ziheng isn’t.”
“The persona he presents to the world, or the Zhou Ziheng you all see—neither can compare to the real him. He’s the most sincere and exceptional person in the world.”
Xia Xiqing’s words were firm and precise. He’d always believed this, sometimes so deeply that he still felt unworthy of Zhou.
“You probably think the Zhou Ziheng you see is already wonderful, but he’s far more than that. What you see is just the tip of the iceberg.” Resting his chin on his palm, Xia Xiqing lowered his head, tracing the lines of the woodblock print with his right fingers in concentric circles as he murmured to himself.
“He’s a reality more beautiful than illusion, an irreplicable rhino.”
[Sudden confession!!!!]
[The goddess wife is online praising his husband!!!]
[Aaaaaah I can’t believe this, why are you guys so perfect!]
[I don’t know why, but hearing Xiqing say this makes me want to cry.]
[What kind of divine love is this!!!]
Coming to his senses, Xia Xiqing suddenly realized what he’d done and said.
He’d actually spoken these words in front of thousands of live-streaming fans. His ears inexplicably began burning—this wasn’t like him at all. Panicking, he tried to take a sip of coffee to calm down but accidentally choked on it, coughing repeatedly.
[Xia Xiqing, sorry!]
[His ears are bright red!!!]
“Ahem…” Xia Xiqing hastily popped another mint into his mouth and changed the subject. “Anyway, I’m that rhino detached from reality. Not at all like you imagine—not gentle, not kind, full of flaws.”
To lighten the mood and escape the awkwardness of his confession, he added, “Actually, my usual self is more like how I am during Werewolf live streams. You guys even commented in the chat that day saying I seemed like a different person—that’s the real me.” He turned back to his drawing. “That’s how I am with my friends—a liar and a show-off.”
[But I love you like that! So cool!!]
[Yeah! Badass and adorable!!]
[I love Xiqing no matter what!]
[You were absolutely killer during Werewolf! I rewatched that logic deduction part over ten times! Seriously, you slayed!]
[Xiqing’s deception skills are too slick—even I, with my god’s-eye view, got totally convinced!]
[Tricking his little bro, fooling his friends, screwing over his nephew, outmaneuvering the whole room—hahahaha]
Xia Xiqing bent down to unlock his phone to check the time, completely unaware that someone had entered the studio from the doorway behind him. A pair of long legs had already stepped into view.
[Who is that?!?!?!]
[Is it Ziheng???]
[Those legs are definitely Zhou Ziheng’s!!!]
[Holy crap, dog food from above!!]
Only Xia Xiqing remained muttering to his phone, “I am an emotionless Werewolf player.”
He muttered another sentence, “Werewolf is all about who’s more reckless, who’s got the thickest skin…”
The next instant, a white canvas was draped over his head. Before Xia Xiqing could react and turn around, someone wrapped their arms around his neck. Warm breath seeped through the fabric, and a deep voice sent tingles down his ear.
“Close your eyes when it gets dark.”
That electric shock instantly struck Xia Xiqing’s heart.
Zhou Ziheng’s voice carried a playful tease, a charm that hovered between the mischievous energy of youth and the mature allure of male hormones.
His hand lifted Xia Xiqing’s chin from behind, forcing his head back, while the other hand slowly pulled the canvas away from the back of his head. The beautiful jawline, slightly parted lips, and mole on the tip of his nose were gradually exposed to the sky’s light.
Before the canvas could fully leave his eyes, Xia Xiqing, still immersed in shock, was kissed by Zhou Ziheng, who leaned down from behind.
Only at the instant their lips touched did the canvas finally, sluggishly, withdraw completely. That broad, warm hand still held Xia Xiqing’s jawbone gently, as if cradling the fragile neck of a white porcelain vase.
The world spun, a kiss that inverted his vision.
It was merely a fleeting touch, yet that instant of lips meeting felt like a slow-motion frame frozen in Xia Xiqing’s mind, lingering until Zhou Ziheng released him.
Zhou Ziheng chuckled triumphantly. “It’s dawn.” He leaned down to kiss Xia Xiqing’s ear again. “I’m the Prophet. Last night, I tested Xia Xiqing. Xia Xiqing is…”
After speaking, he crossed his arms, turned his back, and leaned against the workbench, smiling at Xia Xiqing. “The person I like. Send some love vibes.”
What the hell, this guy.
Xia Xiqing’s entire neck burned bright red. He snatched the canvas from Zhou Ziheng’s hands and flung it onto the camera.
“What are you doing?” Zhou Ziheng was baffled.
“I should be asking you that! Why didn’t you knock?” Xia Xiqing covered his face with both hands, tilted his head back, and sighed loudly in resignation. “I’m live streaming, Zhou Ziheng.”
“Live streaming???” Zhou Ziheng finally caught on. “No… no way?”
Xia Xiqing shot him a glare, his chin jutting toward the laptop behind him. “See for yourself.” He curled his legs up, heels pressed against the chair seat, hugged his knees, and buried his face in them. Muffled, he grumbled at him, “This is it. This is it. I’m trending again…”
Zhou Ziheng turned around to see the laptop screen flooded with scrolling bullet comments.
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I’M LOSING MY MIND]
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHERE AM I WHO AM I]
[Zhou Ziheng is FANTASTIC!!!! !! Zhou Ziheng is the ultimate alpha male!!!!!]
[What kind of divine idol drama am I watching!!!! Mom, save me!!!]
[Oh my god, Zhou Ziheng is making me weak in the knees…]
[Just get married already, aaaah! Mom wants to watch your wedding night today!!!]
[That kiss from behind killed me!!!! Wodema Su made me ascend right in front of my screen!!!]
[Ahhhhhhhhhhh self-study is pure, beautiful love!!! Hengheng still has his backpack on! Younger guys are so delicious!!]
[What kind of divine love-speech prophet is this!!!! I tested you—you’re the one I love!!!]
[Oh my god… Is Zhou Ziheng always this alive in real life?…]
[Aaaaaaaaaaaaah I can’t even speak]
Since it had already happened.
Zhou Ziheng decisively shut off the livestream, kneeling halfway before Xia Xiqing. He rubbed his palm in an ingratiating manner, “I’ll definitely knock next time.”
“My hands are dirty from painting.” Xia Xiqing tried to pull away, but Zhou Ziheng wouldn’t let go. Instead, he looked like he’d discovered a treasure. “You actually get embarrassed sometimes.” He tugged Xia Xiqing’s hand toward his chest. “It looks just like you’re being cute.”
“You’re the one acting like a baby.” Xia Xiqing’s expression hardened instantly as he yanked his hand free. “You’re dreaming.”
“Just act like a baby one more time.”
“I’m not acting like a baby!”
“Please?”
“Dream on.” Xia Xiqing stood up to leave, but the next second, a hand grabbed him. With immense force, he was dragged against the studio cabinet, his back pressed against the cold glass surface. Zhou Ziheng’s arms confined him within this narrow space, the compressed distance becoming tense.
“Just act cute.” His lips curved upward, his voice low and husky. Though it was a request, the words carried a distinct hint of flirtation.
Seeing Zhou Ziheng transformed beyond recognition, a competitive streak suddenly ignited within Xia Xiqing. He cast aside the awkward shyness that followed his initial stirrings of attraction, lifting his gaze to meet Zhou Ziheng’s eyes. “What exactly counts as being cute?”
As he spoke, his hands wrapped around Zhou Ziheng’s neck like sinful vines from myth, exuding an intoxicating botanical fragrance.
Closing the distance between them, Xia Xiqing slowly brushed the skin of his cheek against Zhou Ziheng’s neck, their hair and earlobes sparking a fleeting firework.
Like two swans affectionately entwined.
“Like this?”
His questioning tone rose slightly, drawn out like a silk scarf brushing across a cheek.
After speaking, Xia Xiqing lifted his face to look at him, tilting that innocent-looking face upward.
“…Like this?”
The next second, he gently brushed his own nose against Zhou Ziheng’s tip several times. His slightly parted lips were soft and red, like a rose that had endured much abuse—just one more kiss would make it spill beautiful yet bitter nectar.
Zhou Ziheng clung to his last shred of composure, every cell in his body stirred to a boil. The rising heat approached a dangerous tipping point.
He was committing a cruel, slow murder upon himself.
A dull blade grinding against his nerves—a demon in angelic form.
“Or… like this.”
Xia Xiqing leaned close to Zhou Ziheng’s ear, his warm, damp breath steaming against his parched skin. His deliberately softened voice carried a sticky nasal tone.
“Ziheng, I want to hear you say you like me.”
The soft blade finally pierced the heart, its tip tenderly yet cruelly stirring the sweet, bloody pool within.
Xia Xiqing lifted his eyes innocently, lashes skimming the sticky air. His pure gaze concealed the lingering smoke of accidental sparks.
“Come in. Then we’ll talk.”
Author’s Note:
Xiqing: Savor that pause.
Two masters of flirtatious banter, pure yet sultry in love—they don’t even spare their own fans.
Deep down, Xiqing still lacks confidence, but he’s working to confront it.
Song: The Verse “Rhino”
