Hu Xiaoyu loved the snow and stood under a streetlamp, looking up at it.
His fur was as white as snow, soft and smooth, and when the wind blew, it looked incredibly beautiful.
Hu Xiaoyu looked up at the snow falling, not realizing that Yu Tan was standing behind him, quietly watching him.
After Hu Xiaoyu returned to Shencheng, he found that there had been significant changes in the studio.
The layout had changed—his lounge had been converted into a meeting room, and the storage room at the end of the corridor had been turned into a kitchen.
Yu Tan and Hu Xiaoyu took the same flight.
After getting off the plane, Yu Tan said he needed to meet with Shi Jingyang and conveniently took the same car, just like before.
At this point, he didn't hide it anymore: "The lounge is mine. I've been collaborating a lot with Shi Jingyang recently and need to work overtime. The kitchen is mine too. I've been getting into cooking recently."
Such excuses were truly poor, and even Ajiu, who was nearby, couldn't stand it anymore.
Hu Xiaoyu wasn't stupid. He glanced at Yu Tan and simply said, "Do whatever you want."
Then he returned to his room.
Over the past few months of getting along with Yu Tan, though they couldn't go back to the way they were at the beginning, they could at least communicate like normal friends and share a meal at the same table.
Hu Xiaoyu began to believe that Yu Tan might really like him.
The kind of liking that wanted to be in a relationship.
But he didn't want that. He thought things were fine as they were, and the idea of more scared him.
People need to know themselves, and demons are no exception.
Hu Xiaoyu knew he wasn't as smart as Yu Tan. After being tricked once, he sealed that part of himself away, never to tread there again, in order to protect his own safety.
As for letting Yu Tan stay here, Hu Xiaoyu had his own reasons.
The jade that had been formed from blood and energy had already shattered. Now, he could use the last bit of time to nourish Yu Tan's body with spiritual power, so when the time came to leave, he wouldn't have so many lingering concerns.
Of course, this was a gift.
So, if Yu Tan cooked for him, Hu Xiaoyu thought, he could consider it as receiving compensation for the meal. That didn't seem unfair, right?
In this way, Yu Tan came to the studio almost every night to sleep, making it his second home.
As for the meals, when he couldn't make it back for lunch, he would cook breakfast and dinner, preparing dishes according to Hu Xiaoyu's taste.
The two of them seemed more like roommates living together.
During their good moments together, Yu Tan had asked Hu Xiaoyu more than once if he would consider becoming his boyfriend.
Hu Xiaoyu's answer remained the same: "No, I don't like you."
Yu Tan asked, "Then who do you like?"
No matter who it was, he didn't allow it, but he could try to become that kind of person.
Hu Xiaoyu shook his head, "I don't like anyone."
A few days after Hu Xiaoyu finished his scenes, Chu Yin got Director Ren's approval and posted a picture of Hu Xiaoyu on the show's official Weibo.
In the movie, Hu Xiaoyu portrayed an ageless fox demon.
The fox demon had long, snow-white satin-like hair, a stunningly beautiful face, and the most striking feature: a pair of cold, ancient, and sorrowful emerald eyes that looked down on everything.
Hu Xiaoyu was still young in the fox clan. Even in the human world, he had only experienced a little bit, but he wasn't ancient enough to appear sorrowful.
But not being old didn't mean he hadn't seen anything. He mimicked the demeanor of an 8,000-year-old fox demon from his clan and successfully expressed the character's life experiences.
Once the picture was released, Hu Xiaoyu quickly made it to the trending list again.
Chu Yin seized the online hype and worked with the "Legacy of Light" program group to include Hu Xiaoyu in a live broadcast right before the New Year.
Although the original contract said Hu Xiaoyu would film "Legacy of Light" after the New Year, Director Ren's film had progressed smoothly, and Hu Xiaoyu finished his scenes early, allowing for one more wave of popularity before the year ended. Otherwise, given how fast talent emerges in the entertainment industry, if Hu Xiaoyu didn't appear for months, even his godly looks would be forgotten.
The filming went smoothly, and during the broadcast, Hu Xiaoyu played a piece of music on the piano, winning the hearts of many fans.
On New Year's Eve, Yu Tan said he wanted to take Hu Xiaoyu out for dinner.
Hu Xiaoyu had originally disliked noisy places but had gotten used to having someone around. Now that everyone around him was becoming quieter, he kept thinking about making things lively again.
Dinner was just one of the plans, and he had also invited Shi Jingyang and a few other close friends to make the evening livelier.
Since the two of them had fallen out, Hu Xiaoyu had distanced himself not only from Shi Jingyang but also from people like Ren Zhifan, and they hadn't had a meal together since.
Yu Tan casually asked, and when Hu Xiaoyu took a step back with his eyes lowered, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Hu Xiaoyu shook his head, "Nothing. You go ahead. I want to stay home and watch the variety show."
The show that Hu Xiaoyu had filmed, Legacy of Light, was live, but the edited version would also be streamed online. The next episode just happened to air on New Year's Eve.
Yu Tan sensed that something was off with Hu Xiaoyu but couldn't quite figure out what.
He smiled lightly, "I don't want to go either. It's too noisy. How about we have a hotpot tonight?"
Hu Xiaoyu let Yu Tan take charge of the dinner. He nodded.
Yu Tan said he would handle the arrangements, and his face showed no signs of change.
But as he stepped outside, in the unseen corner of the room, he sighed deeply, feeling a little lost.
After briefly calming his emotions, he called Shi Jingyang.
On the other end, Shi Jingyang was excited: "Brother Yu, are we leaving now?"
He was holding the chin of his golden retriever, Jin Bao, and leaned in to kiss its slightly swollen lips. He sympathized with Yu Tan, but at the same time, felt lucky that he had someone he liked.
Yu Tan said, "Don't go. You guys go have fun. I'm staying in."
Shi Jingyang pushed the person sitting in his lap away, sitting up: "No way? I've spent days setting everything up. The flowers were all air-shipped, and they're at their peak right now. There are fireworks too! Aren't you coming?"
Yu Tan thought about Hu Xiaoyu's lack of enthusiasm and said calmly, "I'm not going."
Shi Jingyang was about to say something, but the call was already disconnected.
He was frustrated and started pacing, muttering, "What is this? Hu Xiaoyu has such a bad temper."
Although he wanted to vent, he knew Yu Tan was already frustrated, and he didn't want to make things worse, so he refrained from intervening in their issues.
Yu Tan was standing by the elevator in the corridor of the studio when he made the call.
The place was quiet and isolated.
He was feeling down, instinctively reaching into his pants pocket, only to remember that he had quit smoking after once accidentally smoking in front of Hu Xiaoyu.
Thinking about quitting smoking, his heart softened.
Back then, Hu Xiaoyu used to cling to him, even when he wanted to escape. Now, he couldn't help but smile as he recalled the small fox's bright eyes.
As he was thinking, he heard the phone ring again. Seeing the caller ID, his lips involuntarily straightened.
It was Yu Wenhe calling.