The hug makes Zhou Ziheng freeze up.
What's happening? Why's he hugging me?
"Hey! Wake up!" Zhou Ziheng strains himself to free his hand before giving Xia Xiqing a push in an attempt to wake him up.
The movement seems to make it worse. Not only does it not wake him up, it makes Xia Xiqing collapse even more onto Zhou Ziheng. His face is now right up against Zhou Ziheng's neck. The scent of red wine on his breath spreads from Zhou Ziheng's neck up to his ears like a burning flame engulfing his body.
Zhou Ziheng suddenly returns to himself, strange alarms going off in his head.
"Hey!"
He quickly escapes Xia Xiqing's embrace, gives up on buckling the seatbelt, and starts the engine. He begins to drive towards the hotel.
Zhou Ziheng didn't drink tonight, but he is nevertheless tired and unable to stay focused. Memory of earlier this night cloud his mind, especially that brief near-hallucination of his in the tunnel. This strange yet powerful feeling overwhelms him.
Zhou Ziheng puts a hat on himself before getting out of the car. However, in his hurry, he forgets to put on his face mask.
He helps the limp Xia Xiqing out of the vehicle and into the hotel.
Fortunately for Zhou Ziheng, Jiang Yin already told him where Xia Xiqing would be staying. Otherwise, Zhou Ziheng wouldn't even know where to drive to.
It's nearly three in the morning, so hotel staff is at its minimum. One friendly steward comes to help Zhou Ziheng, supporting Xia Xiqing and helping him stay upright as he's led into the elevator. Zhou Ziheng gladly lets go of this annoying person and allows the helpful hotel staff to take over in carrying him.
The elevator suddenly falls silent.
The steward keeps staring at Zhou Ziheng, who realizes that he's not wearing a mask. Has he been recognized?
The steward continues to look at Zhou Ziheng.
Maybe this guy is a fan? Zhou Ziheng wonders.
"Umm…" The steward begins to speak in a nervous tone, "Sir…"
Zhou Ziheng gives a professional smile. "Sorry, but can we wait until we're upstairs before any pictures or autographs?"
"No, sir, it's just…" Awkward, the steward coughs as he supports a Xia Xiqing who is about to slide down. With an apologetic look, he explains, "This elevator needs a key card to work. It won't go up otherwise." He points to the scanning device.
Zhou Ziheng wishes very hard for this elevator to explode.
It's awkward enough to mistake someone to be a fan, but it's even more embarrassing to have completely misunderstood why they'd been waiting in silence.
Zhou Ziheng checks all of Xia Xiqing's pockets but doesn't find a key card.
"Umm… doesn't seem like my friend brought his key card." Zhou Ziheng's scalp is going numb from embarrassment, although he still maintains a façade of composure expected of a renowned actor. "How about I book a new room for him?"
For two decades, Zhou Ziheng's life has gone quite smoothly. Until now. Until he met Xia Xiqing. Everything that can go wrong is starting to go wrong. The amount of awkwardness and embarrassment is record-breaking.
The girl working reception was a lot more energetic and friendly than the steward. With eyes glued to Zhou Ziheng, she smiles and asks, "Hello sir, how can I help you?"
"Any vacancies?" Zhou Ziheng replies. He sees a different staff member in the distance pulling out her phone to take a photo. Nothing much he can do to hide apart from pulling up his collar to hide half his face.
"How many rooms do you need?" The receptionist lets out an even sweeter smile.
Zhou Ziheng looks behind him and finds the unconscious Xia Xiqing passed out on the couch.
He thinks to himself, I'll just get him a room here and then go back to my own hotel. It's not that far.
Zhou Ziheng turns back and says, "Just one, please."
The girl looks down at her computer and checks the bookings. "All we have left is an executive suite. Would that be alright?"
"Yeah," Zhou Ziheng replies. Not that it matters—it'll just be Xia Xiqing himself in there.
The steward helps Xia Xiqing back into the elevator. This time, Zhou Ziheng scans the key card right away. He looks over at the steward who's struggling to keep Xia Xiqing upright. Xia Xiqing is relatively skinny, but he's still a grown man and about six feet tall to boot. Drunk as he is, he's nothing but dead weight.
The executive suite is none too shabby. Everything is spacious and the bed is a king size. Looking at the decoration in this room, Zhou Ziheng can't help but inwardly roll his eyes. Even so, Zhou Ziheng still turns to the steward and thanks him for all the effort with a smile. "Thank you very much! I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"No worries!" the steward replies. Maybe it's because he's tired, but his face is pretty flushed right now. "It wasn't any trouble at all!"
Zhou Ziheng smiles at him. There's a moment of silence as he waits for the steward to excuse himself, but nothing happens. "Umm…" Zhou Ziheng starts.
The steward finally speaks: "I, um, I'm actually a big fan of yours. I've watched a bunch of your shows and movies. Could I please get an autograph?" With this, he pulls out a marker out of nowhere and presents it to Zhou Ziheng. Then, he undoes his uniform jacket, revealing the white T-shirt underneath. "On the back of my shirt, maybe?"
Oh, and the T-shirt is even the same sponsored brand that Zhou Ziheng has worn today.
Zhou Ziheng feels truly embarrassed now. If this person weren't a fan, the earlier incident would probably get forgotten sooner or later. But since he's a fan…
How embarrassing. Right in front of his own fan.
Zhou Ziheng takes the marker and signs the shirt with a very professional fake smile plastered on his face. "Thank you for your support!"
Very pleased, the steward smiles at Zhou Ziheng. "Go get'em Ziheng! You'll always have my support." He walks towards the exit. "And please take care of yourself, it'll be flu season pretty soon."
Zhou Ziheng sees him to the door, wanting to close the door for this fan who is reluctant to leave. He even makes a special point of reminding him with a smile, "Remember not to post about this on Weibo!"
"Uh-huh, of course! Bye!"
The world finally returns to peace and quiet.
Zhou Ziheng almost forgot about the troublesome drunkard sleeping on the bed. He wonders if he should find some fortune teller to check Feng Shui or fate these days, feeling that everything is exceptionally not going well. He looks at Xia Xiqing, unsure what to do next. He wonders if he should help wipe down his face or put him in a more comfortable position. The only problem is that he doesn't really know how to take care of anyone. After all, he's never had to do this before.
Still hesitating, he begins to play with his jacket zipper.
Well… he's already come this far…
Zhou Ziheng walks to the bathroom for a towel, then dampens it with warm water. He then uses it to wipe down Xia Xiqing's drunk red face.
This guy has very good skin. His skin is better than most of the female stars he's worked with. So good that Zhou Ziheng decides to wipe more gently.
He takes the towel and runs it over Xia Xiqing's face, across his nose bridge, across that sesame like mole. He looks so well-behaved in his sleep.
Well-behaved? Forget it…
Zhou Ziheng puts the towel back in the bathroom. After looking around to make sure that nothing is out of place, he decides to head out.
Just as he's about to walk away, something wraps around his wrist.
He turns around and finds Xia Xiqing's hand grasping his wrist. The guy is still half conscious, muttering something indiscernible.
Seems like he doesn't want Zhou Ziheng to leave.
Why is his hand so warm? Zhou Ziheng turns around and grasps Xia Xiqing's palm with his fingers. It really is scalding hot. Xia Xiqing has been wearing a filmsy white shirt the entire day today, and then he has drunk wine and was exposed to the wind. He must have caught a cold.
Honestly speaking, if it were anyone other than Xia Xiqing on the bed right now, Zhou Ziheng would probably stay behind to help out and make sure they're okay.
But it's Xia Xiqing, so Zhou Ziheng, for all his strong sense of morals, hesitates.
Xia Xiqing grunts, frowns a little, and curls up, still not letting go of Zhou Ziheng's wrist.
Zhou Ziheng feels his resolve weakening.
But no, he can't!
It's just one night. And the fever doesn't seem that severe. He's a healthy young man. He'll be fine. Zhou Ziheng has already done his part.
Excuse thus prepared, Zhou Ziheng heartlessly escapes from Xia Xiqing's grasp and walks briskly out of the hotel room.
Meanwhile, Xia Xiqing almost dies from anger.
I gave him plenty of hints, didn't I? Xia Xiqing thinks to himself. Apart from using the alcohol as an excuse to land a kiss on him, I did everything. Is he really so straight that it didn't work? Xia Xiqing opens his eyes and glares at the ceiling.
He was clearly willing to escort him upstairs, and he even wiped his face and put a comforter over him. But then… then he just leaves?
Is this really the behavior of a healthy young adult?
As he continues to internally curse out Zhou Ziheng, Xia Xiqing hears the door open again. He quickly closes his eyes and pretends to sleep.
He's back again? What's up with this kid? He needs to make up his mind.
But it's not that Zhou Ziheng has changed his mind. The thing is, as soon as he left Xia Xiqing's room, he realized he couldn't find his own hotel key card. He's returned because he thinks that maybe he's left it here.
"Where is it? Did I forget to bring it?" Zhou Ziheng mutters softly to himself.
Xia Xiqing is pleased beyond measure. Excellent! Even the heavens are helping him seduce men.
Zhou Ziheng searches around the room with no luck. He reckons that he probably did not bring it at all. He sits down on the couch and cards a hand through his hair in frustration as he looks at the motionless Xia Xiqing on the bed. After struggling with himself for a long time, he gives up his plan of going back to his hotel. He pats the sofa and finds it nice and soft.
Maybe he'll just get by on the sofa. Just one night. He's been through worse. This is nothing. Plus, Xia Xiqing has a fever—if anything happens to him, who's going to be responsible?
All sorts of odd thoughts run through Zhou Ziheng's mind. He sighs and walks to the bathroom for a quick wash.
When he's done, he walks over to stand over Xia Xiqing, who's wrapped in the comforter with his face covered by his hair. Looking weak and vulnerable.
He reaches out, wanting to check Xia Xiqing's forehead for his temperature, but then he decides against it, and his hand pauses in mid-air.
The shadow of his hand slowly recedes from Xia Xiqing. He'll be fine. Just let him sleep.
Zhou Ziheng walks away from the bed. He was about to shut off the lights when he suddenly remembers the panic attack Xia Xiqing had earlier in the escape room. Instead, he leaves a lamp on.
He looks at Xia Xiqing one last time and treads softly to the couch. After an entire night of filming, he's exhausted, and he falls asleep almost immediately.
Xia Xiqing doesn't know how long he's been here. But he hasn't closed his eyes since Zhou Ziheng went to sleep, his expression as calm as the surface of the sea under the moonlit night.
And then there's the lamp that Zhou Ziheng left on. The yellow light engulfs the room, seeming to penetrate through the comforter to fall across his shoulder blades.
A plan is always just a plan…
His original plan had been to hook up with Zhou Ziheng tonight. Obviously, they wouldn't be going all the way tonight, but he still felt like he should do something. He really doesn't believe that Zhou Ziheng could really truly remain so frigid towards him. The kid's in his early twenties—that's the age at which no man can resist seduction.
At least, that was his original plan.
When Zhou Ziheng left that lamp on for him, all of these notions evaporated from him, disappeared like the burst of smoke froma detonated smoke bomb. In their place is a strange, inexplicable feeling, knotted up right at the center of his chest.
It's very uncomfortable.
Xia Xiqing hates these feelings. He hates all feelings that make him feel vulnerable.
Xia Xiqing tosses and turns repeatedly. After a while, he finally decides to flip back his comforter and get off the bed. He slowly walks towards the sofa to find the tall Zhou Ziheng scrunched up in an uncomfortable looking position. He doesn't even have any covers.
He looks like an abandoned puppy.
Xia Xiqing stares at Zhou Ziheng lazily. Painting him a perfect portrait in his mind.
Zhou Ziheng is deep asleep. Xia Xiqing sticks out his index finger and places it less than an inch from Zhou Ziheng's face. He runs it down his face, tracing the contours of his exquisite facial features from his forehead to his three-dimensional brows and the high bridge of his nose.
Xia Xiqing stops at his exquisite lips.
His fingers curl. He begins to pull himself closer to Zhou Ziheng.
Closer… closer again…
It's like an intimate scene in a romantic movie.
Part of Zhou Ziheng's face is now covered by Xia Xiqing's shadow. The distance between their lips narrows to a fraction of an inch. Xia Xiqing can feel Zhou Ziheng's breaths on his face. His face is split by dark and light; the darkness of the night, and the warm yellow light of the lamp.
Right before their lips touch, Xia Xiqing pulls back. He runs his fingers through his hair in frustration.
What am I doing?
Only a girl would do this. Like a fool.
He grabs the comforter and casually places it over Zhou Ziheng after removing the jacket that the kid was trying to use as a makeshift blanket.
Xia Xiqing sits back on another couch and tries to relax and sober up. He lights a cigarette and tilts his head back. When he finishes the cigarette, he feels more awake. He grabs Zhou Ziheng's jacket and walks out of the room.
Upon arriving in the lobby, he sees at the front desk the steward that helped him up to the room. The guy watches him step out of the elevator doors with a puzzled look. Xia Xiqing takes off his hat and walks over. His peach blossom eyes curve into crescents.
"Thank you, by the way."
"You…" The steward snaps back to his senses and hurriedly corrects himself. "I mean, sir, weren't you the one who was, uh, drunk? So, then… he…"
"Oh yeah. I just woke up. I feel fine now." Xia Xiqing taps his fingers on the marble counter. "When Ziheng wakes up tomorrow, can you tell him I took his jacket?"
With that, he shoves his hands into the jacket pockets, tucks his head into the collar, and says, casually, "So cold today…"
Like this, he walks boldly out of the hotel.
Back at his apartment, Xia Xiqing stays in for the entirety of the day. Recording the show has completely sapped him of his energy, and it takes him a few days to get back on his feet. Once he's fully energized, he takes out his brushes and canvas to catch some valuable painting time outside. Just when he's about to leave his apartment, he gets a call from Chen Fang.
Chen Fang is a childhood friend of his. Straight as a ruler. Xia Xiqing always jokes around with him, but they have a good relationship.
"Hey, Xiqing?"
"Oh hey. I see you still remember me." Xia Xiqing locks the door with great effort. This place was built a century ago. He chose it for its uniqueness and its artistic feel—rent isn't cheap here. The only issue is that the building is pretty old, so the amenities are date and not everything works as well as more modern installments. Previously, he hadn't been home much, so that hadn't been a problem for him. But now, since he's already declined offers from abroad, he's ready to find a proper place to fully settle in.
And how lucky that Chen Fang has called him: "Oh right, aren't you in real estate right now? Have you heard of any good apartments recently?"
"No, you're in real estate," Chen Fang replies. "You entire family is in real estate."
"Excuse you, we actually do development. We don't get to live in them." Xia Xiqing smiles. "No, but for real. I'll buy an apartment from you guys. Keep an eye out for me."
Chen Fang lets out a long sigh, but then he plays along. "Of course, sir. What type of apartment is the Young Master Xia looking for, if I may ask?"
"Good view, quiet, not too far out of the way—I don't want to see a sea of darkness when it starts to get dark, you know? Price is not an issue."
The last few words stab, knife-like, into Chen Fang. Richs kids will be rich kids… Out loud, Chen Fang says, "These requirements are really something. Quiet places with good views are usually standalone houses in more suburban residence zones, which aren't exactly city-center… begging your pardon, sir."
"Oh, cut the crap. You got something or not?" Xia Xiqing takes the elevator downstairs. It's a nice day out, warm and sunny. "If you don't want to do business, I can always go find someone else."
"I'm not done yet. Though these requirements are a bit particular—certainly not something that just anyone could fulfill, but I, Chen Fang, am not just anyone. I recently got a listing for a two-story loft apartment, one of the penthouse units of a luxury apartment building. Over four thousand square feet both floors combined, and all window walls. And the neighborhood is excellent—all rich people, so it's very private. Want to go take a look with me later?"
This Chen Fang really doesn't drop the ball when he's needed.
"Sure. I'll go find you at your office in the afternoon."
"Please I'm begging you don't drive too nice of a car." Chen Fang remembers back to when he just started his job. He'd managed to get an in with the cute intern, and they were about to go downstairs for noodles, but then Xia Xiqing came to deliver watermelons and showed up in a Maserati. With just a few words, the girl was completely bewitched by him.
Xia Xiqing snickers. "Don't worry, I'll take a cab."
It's been a while since Xia Xiqing has had a suitable place to sketch. He used to live by the Yangtze River, and he'd go to the riverside all the time to sketch. The soft yellow branches of willows in spring, the blooming sunflowers in summer, the swathes of quiet tall reed swaying to the wind in the autumn, the snowy days of winter.
Standing in front of an artificial lake in a park, Xia Xiqing feels as if he could hear the howls of the wind from the river.His heart feels empty.
He's struggling. There's no scenery here. Nothing worthy. Boring. Xia Xiqing casually ties up his hair behind him. He stands before the easel, and with his left hand in his pocket, and right hand holding a sketching pencil, he does a perfunctory job of sketching. A few girls walk over and pause to sneakily photograph him. He doesn't pay them any mind—they probably recognized him from Weibo.
There's a young man sitting on a bench. He's quite handsome. He spends most of his time staring at his phone, but he occasionally looks up in Xia Xiqing's direction.
As he begins to sketch, a young girl, about five or six, comes up to Xia Xiqing and tugs on his sleeve. "Gege, hi, can you draw me?"
Xia Xiqing looks at the girl eating a lollipop bigger than her face. Then, in a serious tone, he asks, "Why should I draw you?"
The little girl can't find an answer at first, but then she stammers, "I… I just wanna drawing."
Xia Xiqing smiles. He looks around but sees no adults nearby. "Where are your parents?"
"I don't know." She licks her lollipop and replies in a childlike voice "Mommy was right here."
Ah. So she's lost. Xia Xiqing sighs, then says, "Okay, I'll draw you, but you have to promise to not move, alright?" Xia Xiqing points towards a flowerbed. "Remember, models don't move. Sit still and behave, okay?"
"Okay!" She runs off to the flowers excitedly.
The little girl sits motionlessly by the flowers. He turns to the girls that were taking photos of him and asks, "Hey, excuse me. Do you mind doing me a favor?"
They instantly blush as if they've just met their idol. Xia Xiqing tells them about the little girl being separated from her parents and asks them to inform nearby security guards.
Ever since Xia Xiqing called her a model, this little girl has become the best-behaved kid on the planet. She gives up licking her lollipop and sits like a statue beside the flowers. Xia Xiqing feels like laughing at this sight.
Ten minutes go by and Xia Xiqing is almost done with his drawing. A young woman approaches from the distance, calling out what's clearly a nickname.
"Gege, that's Mommy. Can I move now?"
Xia Xiqing quickly finishes up his drawing and nods. "Sure!"
"Mommy! I'm over here." The little girl hops, holding her lollipop high up in the air. The young woman rushes over and hugs her.
"Oh, there you are! I turned around and suddenly you were gone. You gave me quite the scare. Why are you here?"
The little lass points at Xia Xiqing with her lollipop. "This gege is really good at drawing. He drew a picture of me! I was being a model so I couldn't move."
Xia Xiqing takes the painting off the easel and hands it to the girl. "Here, your painting. Remember, next time you lose track of Mommy, you need to be a model and stay exactly where you are and wait for her, okay?"
She happily takes the drawing. It's of a little adorable girl with pigtails, and the lollipop in her hands is now a fairy wand. She's so delighted it's as if she has found a treasure. "Okay! Thank you, gege!"
The young mom had been so fretful, and now she's equally thankful. She offers to invite Xia Xiqing out for a thank-you meal, but he just smiles and refuses. Then, he pats the little girl on the head and says, "Your mom is so good to you."
He returns to his easel, ready to pack up and leave. The man that had been sitting on the bench earlier approaches Xia Xiqing. Xia Xiqing has been running in this circle for a long time, so he could tell whether a person was straight or gay at a glance. "Are all artists this kind?" he asks.
Kind? Xia Xiqing hasn't heard this in a while. He flirts back, "What's this, are you interested in me?"
The man didn't expect him to be so straightforward, so he pauses for a beat, but then he chuckles.
"Got a cigarette?" Xia Xiqing asks with a quirk of his eyebrows as he starts packing up.
The man pulls out an expensive pack of cigarettes and hands one to Xia Xiqing. He even holds out a lighter.
Xia Xiqing allows him to light his smoke. "Thanks!"
Just as the man is about to speak, Xia Xiqing's phone chirps several times in succession. He opens the messages. It's from a WeChat friend whose alias he hasn't yet changed.
ZZH: Who said you could take my jacket?
ZZH: Please return it to me.
ZZH: You've overstepped, taking it like this.
Amused, Xia Xiqing laughs. And here he was wondering who'd be messaging him. Turns out it's Zhou Ziheng.
Tsing: Like "this"? Like what?
Tsing: Oh, btw, you didn't do anything to me that night, right? I woke up all sore.
Zhou Ziheng stops replying.
Xia Xiqing can picture Zhou Ziheng's current speechless expression even through the phone screen. The more he thinks about it the funnier it gets, to the point where he begins to neglect the man standing beside him.
Feeling as if he has been ignored, the man coughs. "Who's that? You seem so happy."
Xia Xiqing lifts his head. "The husky I've got at home," he replies, deadpan. Then his phone chirps again.
ZZH: You are literally the worst person I have ever met.
Why do his insults sound like they belong to an elementary school playground? He's clearly a very successful movie star. At the reminder of Zhou Ziheng's face, he suddenly finds that the man in front of him has become mildly disappointing—plain, even. He gives the man a polite smile. "Sorry, but I still have some errands to run. I have to go."
The man seems a bit surprised at this sudden turn of events. "But, can't we exchange WeChat IDs?" he asks.
"I don't think that's quite necessary. Thanks for the smoke though!" Xia Xiqing waves goodbye.
"Why not?" The man grabs hold of him. "Don't you want to get to know each other?"
Xia Xiqing hates clingy people. His expression darkens as he turns to the man. Slowly, he enunciates, "Because, we're sexually incompatible—unless, of course, you'd bottom for me." Xia Xiqing sneers at the man's reaction. "Ugh, I don't get it. Why do people always want to top me?" At that, he pats the man on the shoulder, picks up his things, and walks away.
He also tosses the barely smoked cigarette and tosses it in the trash.
Once he's in a cab, he gets another message.
ZZH: Give me back my jacket.
So persistent. Do all movie stars have so much spare time? A terrific idea begins to form in Xia Xiqing's mind.
Zhou Ziheng is actually quite busy. The day after filming that episode of the escape room, he got asked to help out a director he's long been familiar with. The original actor had been caught out in a cheating scandal, and the internet has yet to shut up about it, so his role—an important secondary character—has to be redone.
For the past three days, Zhou Ziheng has been practically living on set in order to fill out the scenes that need redoing. The other actors are also working hard, to the point that one of them keeps getting stomach cramps. It's when his partner taps out on such a cramp that Zhou Ziheng has finally found some spare time.
Xia Xiqing taking his jacket really made him angry. Zhou Ziheng thought he was doing a good deed for Xia Xiqing. But this guy… instead of being grateful, he runs off with his jacket, then he asks… How dare he suspect him of that!?
Zhou Ziheng sits in a chair writing a long message to Xia Xiqing in an attempt to teach him a lesson. But then, right before hitting send, he decides against it and deletes all the words.
Knowing the type of person Xia Xiqing is, Zhou Ziheng sends only one last sentence asking for the return of his jacket. Then he puts his phone down and closes his eyes to rest.
His phone vibrates.
Zhou Ziheng picks it up and opens the message.
Xia Xiqing has sent him a picture.
It's a selfie of Xia Xiqing, chest completely bare of any inner shirts, wearing Zhou Ziheng's grey-green jacket. It hasn't been zipped up and the image doesn't actually show that much skin—just a strip of torso from his hips to his collarbones, exposing some of the faint definition of his abs, the lines extending downward until the edge of his low-waist black sweatpants. The effect, however, is all the more sensual and tantalizing.
This pervert…
"Hey xiao-Heng! What're you looking at so intensely?" One of Zhou Ziheng's older male colleagueswalks over.
Flustered, Zhou Ziheng quickly exits the chat window. "Uhh… not much, just scrolling through Weibo."
"Really? You've practically grown up in this industry and you still like to look at online gossip?" His colleague grins. "The director's looking for you. Can you go see what's going on?"
"Okay. On my way!"
Zhou Ziheng awkwardly slips the phone back in his pocket and goes to find the director. As he gets the debrief on the next scene, Xia Xiqing sends him no less than a dozen messages. His phone vibrates ceaselessly.
"Xiao-Heng, your phone's vibrating like an electric toothbrush." The director teases. "Why don't you check to make sure everything's okay?"
What can be so important? Zhou Ziheng shakes his head in embarrassment. "It can wait."
Xia Xiqing is dying of laughter. He hasn't met anyone so entertaining in a long while. He'd taken that picture not long after he got home with the jacket. He just never thought it'd actually come in handy.
"We're here," says the taxi driver.
Xia Xiqing phones Chen Fang as soon as he gets out of the cab. Not long after, he sees Chen Fang emerge from the office. He's wearing a well fitted suit, and his hair is in a buzz cut. He waves at Xia Xiqing from afar.
"You really didn't drive." Chen Fang laughs and bumps his shoulder against Xia Xiqing's. "Hey, I heard you were filming for a show a couple days ago. You gonna enter the industry? And here I was fretting about how to sell all your darkest secrets to the press."
Xia Xiqing raises his chin and looks down his nose at Chen Fang. "Wanna try?"
"No, no, I wouldn't dare." Chen Fang laughs and pulls out a set of keys. "Let's go take a look at your new apartment, shall we?" Chen Fang begins to walk but then turns around. "By the way, if you aren't doing anything later, let's grab dinner."
"I've got nothing going on." Xia Xiqing steps into Chen Fang's car and buckles his seatbelt. He suddenly remembers Zhou Ziheng and laughs a little to himself.
"Oh, to be rich enough not to work for a living…" Chen Fang sighs as he starts his car. "It must be nice to be you. I hate going to work."
Xia Xiqing buckles his seat belt and casts a glance at Chen Fang. "You want to be me?"
Chen Fang suddenly recalls Xia Xiqing's family drama. Realizing he has spoken out of turn, hequickly corrects himself. "Umm, maybe I just want to be as hot as you are. I'd immediately enlist in the entertainment industry and start rolling in cash."
"Shut it." Xia Xiqing leans against the window and chats mindlessly with Chen Fang about idle gossip. For some reason, images of Zhou Ziheng keep popping into his head, specifically, the way he feigns composure when he actually is at a loss at Xia Xiqing's antics.
When they arrive at the apartment, Xia Xiqing notices many high-end security measures installed all around the premises. All doors require access cards and elevators are fingerprint activated.
When the elevator opens, there are only two suites. Chen Fang points to the one on the right and says, "That one is yours."
"What about that one?" Xia Xiqing asks, pointing to the suite on the left.
"I don't know," Chen Fang replies. "The suite was sold as a floor plan before the building was even completed, but all information about residents is kept pretty secure. Either way they've got to be very rich."
The apartment is beautiful. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow for plenty of natural light. The wide space of the central living area is minimally decorated. The most eye-catching feature is the staircase, which is in the shape of a Fibonacci spiral.
"There's room for a heated swimming pool on the second floor if you want." Chen Fang winks at Xia Xiqing. "You can party it up!"
"Alright. This one it is then." Xia Xiqing says unflinchingly, not even blinking as he makes the payment in full. It doesn't take more than a few minutes before he's dragging Chen Fang out for some food and drinks to catch up. They chat about the reality show and life in general. When the topic of Zhou Ziheng is brought up, Xia Xiqing's facial expression totally changes.
"Hey, isn't Zhou Ziheng that movie star you really like?" Chen Fang's eyes brighten. "So that night you were sleeping with your celebrity crush!?"
Fortunately, they're in a private room, or with how loud Chen Fang spoke just now, Xia Xiqing would be seeing his own name in tomorrow's headline again.
"Nope. Failed." Xia Xiqing takes a sip of his wine. "He slept on the couch, and I slept on the bed. Then I left halfway through."
"Really? Since when could you stay in the same room with another man and not do anything with it?" Chen Fang bowls over with laughter.
"What are you talking about? Am I that bad?" Xia Xiqing raises an eyebrow, then he finishes the rest of his wine in one go.
Chen Fang laughs. "You tell me."
Chen Fang is right. It really isn't like Xia Xiqing to have just left him alone.
Xia Xiqing checks his phone. Zhou Ziheng hasn't responded yet.
Seeing him look down, Chen Fang smirks. "Why do you keep looking at your phone? Is it whoever you're seeing right now?"
"Look, I've been keeping myself chaste these days, okay?" Xia Xiqing clicks on Zhou Ziheng's profile picture. Weird. He's a full-grown adult man, but his profile image is an origami flower.
Childish.
But then he remembers how much of a goody-two-shoes Zhou Ziheng is, and he starts wanting to laugh. He clicks on Zhou Ziheng's profile and gives him an alias.
Moral Role Model
Xia Xiqing doesn't know what's wrong with himself, playing such childish games with Zhou Ziheng. Maybe it's because Zhou Ziheng is a celebrity, and if he plans to sleep with someone so high-profile, he needs to plan it thoroughly.
Or maybe Zhou Ziheng is just too difficult.
But difficult ones are Xia Xiqing's favorite.
When the director finishes describing their next scene, Zhou Ziheng turns to walk away, but the director stops him. "Wait, don't go yet, xiao-Heng! It's been a few tough days; let's all go out for a nice meal. My treat."
Zhou Ziheng isn't really into group meals like this, but this director has known him since he was very young, so it's difficult to say no to him.
He goes, and they all have a great time eating, laughing, and chatting. For almost the entire night, Zhou Ziheng forgets all about Xia Xiqing.
"Drink?" one of the other actors offers, holding up a bottle of beer.
"Xiao-Heng doesn't drink," the director replies before he can. "Oh right, xiao-Heng, your phone kept going off earlier and you still haven't checked to see what's wrong. What if it's something important? Don't let us keep you from it."
What could be so important? Zhou Ziheng scoffs to himself.
Without much expectation, he looks through the large string of messages that Xia Xiqing sent him earlier.
ZZH: Return my jacket.
Tsing: You want your jacket? Beg me.
Tsing: You really didn't do anything to me that night? I remember someone touching my face. You wouldn't take advantage of me, would you?
Tsing: But seriously, what do you think of me? Do you think anything could happen between us? I feel like we're not very compatible as friends, but surely we can be something else to each other.
Tsing: I really like you, and not just in the way that a fan likes an idol.
Tsing: I like you in the way where, just looking at your jacket, I could get hard.
Seeing the last message, Zhou Ziheng begins to panic. He fears that someone around him may see the message so he quickly covers it with his hand. However, he accidentally clicks into Xia Xiqing's profile instead.
He has a new icon. The selfie he sent earlier today is now his icon.
This guy has gone insane…
Zhou Ziheng glares at the picture for a long while. Then, he backs out of the image and, teeth gritted, he changes Xia Xiqing's alias to something more fitting:
Terrorist
In the ensuing days, Xia Xiqing doesn't reach out to Zhou Ziheng again. Obviously, Zhou Ziheng wouldn't reach out to Xia Xiqing either. It's not often that Xia Xiqing encounters someone as reticent as Zhou Ziheng, and previously even when he did, he'd resolved the issue within the week. However, it's a little different with Zhou Ziheng.
Xia Xiqing is willing to be patient this time.
Anyone and anything that can satisfy him like this, he's willing to invest time into.
When it comes time to move in to his new apartment, the plan is to invite Xu Qichen and Chen Fang and that lot over later in the day for a housewarming party. It works out, since it's also the day that the first episode of Survive and Escape is supposed to air.
A lot of money has been spent on marketing this show. The trailer has been shared over twenty thousand times, and the five guests of the show all seem to have exploded in popularity overnight. Even Xia Xiqing, who's emerged from obscurity as a fan himself of Zhou Ziheng, seems to have gained a hefty following.
The first trailer is pretty typical of the suspense genre, all fragmented scenes and mixed lines along with fast and heavy background music.
Compared to traditional escape rooms, this room contains an extra element—the Killer. This further enhances the suspense of the scene.
Since it's the trailer for a variety program, Xia Xiqing knows it's supposed to be extra intriguing to bait more viewers, he hadn't expected the bait to be so well-executed
"So… what if you're not just a regular player?" Cen Cen's voice plays simultaneous to the scene of Zhou Ziheng unlocking Xia Xiqing's handcuffs.
Then, it switches to a shot of Xia Xiqing's smiling face as he leans against a wall: "If I were the Killer, the first thing I'd do is to kill Zhou Ziheng."
There's a clip of Ruan Xiao digging through a jewelry box, and also one of Shang Sirui sitting down as he says, "Oh, I forfeited my vote."
Then it cuts to Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng face to face with each other at the very beginning of the game, one blindfolded and handcuffed, the other bound in rope, and, once again, Cen Cen's voice appears simultaneously to this shot: "So Xia Xiqing was right? Ziheng, you really are the Killer?"
Suddenly, it cuts to black.
No, it hasn't cut off. Xia Xiqing presses his earbud closer, listening to the sound of quiet panting. The scene has been shot in infrared: Zhou Ziheng presses Xia Xiqing against the wall, hand covering his mouth. Over top, Zhou Ziheng's voice says. "If I were the Killer, I would indeed prioritize killing him."
There's a series of clips, each of the players in their starting rooms, then a blurred out clip of someone leaving the final door.
Then Xia Xiqing's own voice, weak but calm.
"I can't escape."
Then, with the sound of a slamming door, the title card Survive and Escape appears, and then the trailer ends.
Xia Xiqing takes out his earbuds and shakes his head. He is baffled at how the production team is able to take apart the footage and piece it together in a way that creates suspense without spoiling the plot. Using conversations out of place and out of context, it creates a perfect illusion of conflict centered between him and Zhou Ziheng, which is perfect for distracting them from Shang Sirui's identity as the real Killer.
It's very well done.
Xia Xiqing scrolls down to the almost ten thousand comments below to see what the viewers have said, and indeed they are well within his expectations.
@NotCute: Ahhhh what kind of enemies-and-lovers romance-murder type of plot is this? Fanfic writers are gonna get overindulged
@Shinyyyy: oh wow escape room mixed with werewolves of millers hollow!!! the pair who, if theyre the killer, each wants to kill the other first! its been so long since ive seen something this exciting. not a zzh fan but hes great in here!
@IFailedAllMyClasses: WOOT! Super Alpha Zhou Ziheng! The scene where Xia Xiqing was pressed against the wall… mind-blowing!
@ButterflyNotButtFly: the little gege in the white shirt is so cute! he's practically angelic when he smiles—definitely not the killer.
@33TheCutie: I gotta say pastel yellow Sirui is suuuper cute. High IQ games are not like him though.
@SiruiSweetAsCandy: Hahaha our 33[1] is so clueless to everything!!!! Hahahaha
@LoveliestSirui: Please don't let Rui-Rui die first. I feel like he might die first…
@SisterTreasure: Does anyone else see this show as a feast for pretty faces? Look at that Mensa girl, pretty and smart! What a goddess!
@MarryMeCenGe: OMG Cen Cen!! Hubby so rarely goes on reality shows and the one time she does she spends all her time questioning others hahahaha!
@ILOVECC: My Cen is sooo pretty! Marry me pl0x
@KarenLee: Not a fan but I came across this trailer. Seems like a good plot with very realistic props.
@NotARealZombie: Very few good and intense shows like this recently. I got goosebumps from just watching the trailer.
@HeeHeeHee: Something strange and dark is going on here. Can't wait to find out. Great job in choosing the cast, Zhou Ziheng and his fan make for a very good blend of shippy feels and IQ. Romance and murder, I love it!
…
Jiang Yin really deserves her good reputation. Xia Xiqing had expected a good response, but he certainly hadn't expected for the shipping fans to bite so easily. Almost half the comments are about the Zhou Ziheng/Xia Xiqing ship.
Xia Xiqing is curious about how Zhou Ziheng feels about this trailer. He imagines Zhou Ziheng's face, blank but with a hint of unhappiness. Wanting to tease him a little, Xia Xiqing pulls out his phone and opens Zhou Ziheng's chat window, but then he hesitates.
Looking at the last message that still hasn't received a reply, Xia Xiqing slowly closes the app and off-handedly tossed it at the sofa.
As soon as he does so, it begins to ring. At first Xia Xiqing is quite pleased, thinking that it might be Zhou Ziheng, but then he sees the caller ID and finds his good mood rapidly evaporating. He hesitates, but eventually he answers his phone.
After the call, he grabs a cigarette and walks around his room a bit. Then he gets dressed and goes outside.
Before getting into his car, Xia Xiqing sends a message to the relevant WeChat group.
Xia Xiqing: Let's postpone tonight's get together.
Chen Fang: Are you flaking?
Xia Zhixu: [CHEER.jpg]
Xu Qichen: What's wrong? I was just about to ask Zhixu to bring some groceries over so I could cook for you.
Xia Xiqing: Something came up. Tomorrow! Tomorrow I'll prepare booze and we'll have seafood.
Xia Xiqing starts his car. It's nearly rush hour and traffic is really bad. Xia Xiqing is not in a good mood. He begins to drive and it starts to rain.
Luckily, he has an umbrella in the car. He pulls over and gets out. The gates of the school he's stopped by is flooded with the colorful umbrellas of students and parents on their way home.
He looks around but doesn't find what he's looking for. Suddenly, someone hugs him from behind.
"Ge!"
Xia Xiqing sighs and breaks free from the hug. He turns around and finds Xia Xiuze's smiling face. His hair is wet from the rain and water is dripping down his cheeks. His eyes, so similar to Xia Xiqing's own, are happy little slits.
"Why didn't you call your dad?" Xia Xiqing asks this so-called little brother of his. Then he says, "Here," and hands him the umbrella.
"He's on a business trip in the UK." Xia Xiuze takes the umbrella from Xia Xiqing. Though he's only a sophomore, Xia Xiuze is only half a head shorter than Xia Xiqing.
Why didn't you call your mom? Xia Xiqing wants to ask, but instead he says, "So what if you haven't got a parent to send? It's not like your teacher can make him come back from abroad."
"Everyone else has a parent in attendance… I, if I don't… It just doesn't feel proper."
"How's it improper? I graduated just fine," Xia Xiqing replies bluntly. Still, he starts walking towards the school.
Xia Xiuze understands this as the tacit assent it is, and happily follows along, holding up the umbrella for his older brother and using this as an opportunity to stick close to him. He's always looked up to his older brother. He thinks his brother is the best, the most impressive. Everyone likes his brother, and he's the one who likes him the most.
Unfortunately, they're not exactly full siblings.
Xia Xiuze's mother invaded Xia Xiqing's family, a family that had already been falling apart. And from this invasion and subsequent eruption of the original Xia family, Xia Xiuze was born.
Growing up, Xia Xiuze had not been on the receiving end of Xia Xiqing's many charms. In fact, quite the opposite—Xia Xiqing was quite cold to his little half-brother. Being ten years younger, Xia Xiuze grew up afraid of his brother, since his brother had always completely ignored the very existence of him and his mother.
Until Xia Xiuze's sixth birthday. He'd been having a party upstairs with his friends when he looked out the window and saw his brother sitting on the front steps. That day, Xia Xiqing had gotten very beat up.
He looked everywhere through his things, but he could only find a very small adhesive bandage. So he rushes downstairs with it and approaches his brother. However, he was so intimidated that he didn't quite know what to say.
Finally, his older brother turned to him, smiling. The bring splotch of blood at the corner of his lips had looked like a proudly blooming rose.
"Are you happy?"
Birthdays are supposed to be happy.
Seeing me brought so low, that should also bring you happiness.
Xia Xiuze didn't dare to reply. He held out that tiny adhesive bandage, then said, "Gege, I can help you stick this on. It won't hurt anymore if you have a band aid on."
That night, Xia Xiqing hugged his brother for the first time, hugged him as if they were real siblings.
Burying his head into his tiny shoulder, Xia Xiqing cried.
To most people, Xia Xiqing appears cold and hostile towards his brother. Only Xia Xiuze knows that his brother truly cares for him.
Xia Xiuze was short in junior high, so he got bullied a lot back then. The bullies would lock him in the restrooms and threaten to beat him up unless he gave them all his money. One day, he'd forgotten his wallet at home, and so they beat him up quite badly.
Coming home all bruised, his father had demanded to know if he'd been picking fights at school. For that, he almost got beat up again, but his mother had stopped his father. That night, his parents had rowed the entire night away, each party trying to pass the blame onto the other.
To this day, Xia Xiuze still remembers how Xia Xiqing had just stood in the corner and watched the entire thing impassively without any attempts at interference.
But the next day, when Xia Xiuze locked himself in his room and refused to go to school, Xia Xiqing had been the one to drag him out and bring him to school. There, they found the bullies and Xia Xiqing had beat the living hell out of them.
"This kid is indeed both a coward and a wimp, but he's my brother and you bastards don't get to teach him any lessons for me."
Xia Xiqing shoved Xia Xiuze bit by bit until he stood in front of the bullies.
"If you lose another fight to these morons, you can stop telling people that I'm your brother."
Ever since that day, Xia Xiqing has been Xia Xiuze's hero.
"Alright." Xia Xiqing sends Xia Xiuze off at the classroom door. "You can stop following me now."
The crowd around them were all Xia Xiuze's classmates. They all stared unblinkingly at Xia Xiqing. The girls especially seemed a bit excitable, quietly whispering amongst themselves.
Xia Xiqing is attractive, so he's used to some attention, but this seems a bit out of the ordinary.
Then he remembers that he's pretty much internet famous at this point, especially now that the trailer of Survive and Escape has been released.
"Xia Xiuze, is this your…"
"My brother!" Xia Xiuze hangs off of Xia Xiqing's arm. "Isn't he even more attractive than most celebrities?"
"Your family's got good genes…"
"Gege is really cute!"
Xia Xiqing shakes Xia Xiuze off, slightly annoyed. "You can go home now. I'll be off when the conference is done."
"I forgot the house keys, and our nanny took a week off the day before yesterday." Xia Xiuze replies, looking rather aggrieved. "Mrs. Zhang's son got surgery, so she has to be home to take care of him. I've been eating at school."
Xia Xiqing raises an eyebrow. "What about Yu Fangyue?" Blatantly disrespectful, he's used the full name of Xia Xiuze's mother.
Xia Xiuze's expression wavers. "She went to the UK too."
Like a watchdog, the bitch is keeping close track of the man she's stolen. How interesting. Xia Xiqing hands his car keys to Xia Xiuze. "Go wait in my car."
Xia Xiqing has always been quite cold to his brother. At first, he was disgusted by him because seeing his innocent smile always reminds himself of his own terrible childhood.
Xia Xiqing had always treated Xia Xiuze as a stranger rather than a family member. At least, that was until the day he saw his father take a swing at him with a golf club. In that scene, Xia Xiqing had seen a younger version of himself.
The arguments between his father and his step-mother were ceaseless, just like they had been with his own mother—over money, over responsibilities, over other women. And Xia Xiuze got stuck in between.
Slowly, Xia Xiqing began to empathize with Xia Xiuze. Perhaps it's because his own childhood had been so disgustingly terrible that he just couldn't bear to see another child grow up in the same situation.
It was like looking into a mirror. Very discomfiting.
The parent-teacher conference doesn't last too long. Xia Xiqing is very good at pretending. He fools the teacher into thinking that he's a perfect role model of elder brotherhood, a caring adult that can function as a positive influence on Xia Xiuze.
The rain has gotten heavier by the time the meeting ends. Xia Xiqing takes off his suit jacket, preparing to use it as cover for the outside, but when he gets to the lobby, he finds Xia Xiuze just standing there. He's still got his huge backpack on, and the umbrella is still in his hand. His head is hanging, too, and with his dark green uniform, he looks like a stalk of wilted scallion.
Hearing the sound of Xia Xiqing's footsteps, Xia Xiuze perks up and dashes, puppy-like, towards his brother. "All done? I'm hungry."
"Then go home."
"But no one is home to make me food. I want the noodles you make, ge."
Xia Xiqing rolls his eyes and agrees reluctantly. It's a miracle that someone likes his cooking. But no matter what he says, he couldn't shake of Xia Xiuze, who sticks to him like glue. With no other options, he could only drive him to his new house. Plus, it would be nice to get himself some dry clothes.
Xia Xiuze kept beaming andyakking away the entire trip back to Xia Xiqing's apartment, mostly just idle gossip.
"Wow! This place is super cool!" Xia Xiuze exclaims as they exit the elevator. Knowing this was a private elevator and there'd be no one else around, he hugs Xia Xiqing's arm the moment he steps out. "Can I come here more often? I can do my homework here and maybe you can help me with the questions I don't know how to do."
Xia Xiqing is tired after pushing him away one time too many, so he simply lets Xia Xiuze hug all he wants.He just wants to rest. "Aren't you the third best student in the class?"
"Maybe next time I can be the best," Xia Xiuze replies with excitement. "I can come do work here. I swear I won't be trouble. You don't have a boyfriend, right? I won't be a bother? So can I come? I can, right?"
Boyfriend… When was the last time I had a proper boyfriend…
But kids are easy to lie to. If he rejects him now, Xia Xiuze will keep pestering him given his personality. Xia Xiqing activates the lock to the room and answers him perfunctorily, "Whatever you want."
Suddenly, there are sounds coming from the suite across the hall—keys jingling and locks unlocking. Xia Xiqing has lived here for more than a week now and hasn't seen or heard anyone come out of that apartment.
"You're the best! I love you!" Xia Xiuze offers Xia Xiqing a tight hug. "Quick! Open the door, I want to see the inside."
Before Xia Xiqing can unlock his own door, the door across the hall opens.
"C'mon, let go of me, I can't unlock the door," Xia Xiqing complains.
"Nope."
This kid… Xia Xiqing tells himself silently. He was just about to lecture him, when—
WHAM—
Does his neighbor need to slam the door so loudly? Where are his manners?
Xia Xiqing turns around and freezes on the spot. What the actual fuck…
His expression almost cracks.
Zhou Ziheng?
His neighbor?
Zhou Ziheng is wearing a black coat. He crosses his arm and leans against the door. He stares at Xia Xiqing indifferently and then glances at Xia Xiuze.
He was on his way out for dinner when he heard Xia Xiqing's voice outside the door. He thought it he was hallucinating it, that it was just because he's been so paranoid about running into him, but it's real.
He looks at Xia Xiuze again. Must be his new hookup, he thinks.
"Let me go." Xia Xiqing nudges Xia Xiuze while eyeing Zhou Ziheng.
Seeing the seriousness in his brother's eyes, Xia Xiuze released him quietly. He's gotten a look at Zhou Ziheng. This face has graced countless magazines and stickers of the girls in his class, and has also appeared many times in his older brother's studio. Xia Xiuze subconsciously felt that his relationship with his older brother was not that simple, so he pouts and says, "Can you open the door first? I want to go inside."
Xia Xiqing unlocks the door, and Xia Xiuze goes into the apartment.
"I'll just wait inside." Xia Xiuze looks at him worriedly and whispers before closing the door softly.
Wait inside? Wait inside for what? Zhou Ziheng frowns.
Xia Xiqing slouches lazily by his door and flashes a smile at Zhou Zihen, his earlier astonishment long gone. "Hey! What are the chances?"
Still the same words, still the same smile—this guy hasn't changed a single bit.
Xia Xiqing has no bounds. He doesn't play by the rules. And no word of truth comes out of his mouth.
Inexplicably enough, Zhou Ziheng is ticked off. There's fire in his voice and anger in his eyes. "Really? Even minors? You really are a scumbag."
The strange thing is, Xia Xiqing finds it very hot to hear Zhou Ziheng say the word scumbag. "Scumbag. Yep, that's me." He steps forward with an innocent and guileless smile, his eyes brimming with tenderness that's even warmer than the sun in spring.. "You're right. Even kids."
Zhou Ziheng feels strange hearing these words. It makes him wonder if Xia Xiqing has ever truly given his heart to anyone else.
"So, why do you think I'll let you get away?" Xia Xiqing asks.
Before Zhou Ziheng can react, Xia Xiqing reaches his long arm out and places it on Zhou Ziheng's shoulder. He runs his long fingers down the center before flicking one of the buttons sewn to the front of Zhou Ziheng's long black jacket. He gazes into Zhou Ziheng's eyes.
"Hey," he starts.
He blinks slowly.
"This jacket is quite nice too."
What's this guy doing? He's actually flirting?? He's got one inside his apartment already.
Zhou Ziheng grabs Xia Xiqing's wandering hand and asks firmly, "What you trying to do?"
Xia Xiqing's eyes shift lazily towards his wrist that is under the tight grasp of Zhou Ziheng, then back into Zhou Ziheng's eyes. Expressionless, he said, "Ouch."
An almost involuntary "Sorry," pops out of Zhou Ziheng's lips as he loosens his grip.
Wait. He started this. Why am I apologizing…
Xia Xiqing really enjoys teasing Zhou Ziheng. He enjoys getting him to the point where he's angry but still restraining himself from retaliation. Just like a baby tiger, fierce but cute, a little teasing put him angry, and use a delicate and beautiful small cage to catch him, watching him in the frenzy but can not snap out of it. There are only two possible outcomes, to tame him, or be devoured by him.
Obviously, the confident and proud Xia Xiqing could only consider the former.
"Don't you think fate brought us together?" Xia Xiqing rubs his smarting wrist. "I mean, I obviously didn't know you lived here when I bought the place. Do you live alone?"
Zhou Ziheng remains silent. He moves slightly to the side blocking the view of his apartment from Xia Xiqing's line of sight.
"Me too. I live alone as well." Xia Xiqing takes the silence as confirmation.
"So, you can bring home whoever you want," Zhou Ziheng replies with disgust.
"See, why do you have to put it like that? Like I need your permission to bring people home."
Zhou Ziheng is speechless. He's also confused why this concerns him so much. Why is he so angry? Why does Xia Xiqing's promiscuity bother him? There shouldn't be any reason why he's concerned with Xia Xiqing's private life.
Is there?
"Don't be alarmed if you hear strange sounds." Xia Xiqing follows up. "But with such an expensive building, sound insulation should be excellent."
Zhou Ziheng expresses an annoyed and impatient look. "If I hear anything, I will move out."
"Move to where?" Xia Xiqing asks with a smile and a flirty tone. "Move in with me?"
Shameless…
Just as Zhou Ziheng is about to give out a disgusted look, Xia Xiqing's apartment door opens slightly. A small head pops out of the opening. Zhou Ziheng immediately puts on his hood and face mask and begins to walk away.
I'm moving. He thinks. I'm moving tonight. Calling my moving company right after dinner.
After only half a step, Zhou Ziheng feels a bind stopping him. He looks down and sees the strange kid with his arms wrapped around his waist. "Uhh… What are you doing?" he asks.
Xia Xiuze lets out a wide smile. "Zhou Ziheng-gege! I love your films. Can I get an autograph?"
What the hell?
Zhou Ziheng isn't the only one confused—Xia Xiqing too is quite baffled.
"Wait what?" Zhou Ziheng struggles a bit. "Let go of me first."
"Where are you going, Zhou Ziheng-gege?" Xia Xiuze asks without the slightest ease to his grip.
Xia Xiqing rolls his eyes at his brother's behavior and grabs him by the arm. "What's going on with you?"
Even under Xia Xiqing's tugging, Xia Xiuze refuses to let go.
"I'm eating… I'm going out to eat," Zhou Ziheng finally replies, maintaining the last of his celebrity's dignity. "Can you let go of me now?"
Xia Xiuze's eyes light up. "Really? Come over to our place for dinner! My brother was about to cook."
Brother???
Stunned, Zhou Ziheng is trying to comprehend the situation when Xia Xiqing jumped in and kicked Xia Xiuze in the foot. "Who the hell said I was going to cook?!"
"Ah!" Xia Xiuze looks aggrieved as he turns to hide behind Zhou Ziheng, his hands still wrapped around the latter's waist. Seeing Xia Xiqing still about to hit out again, he subconsciously shields Xia Xiuze..
"Don't hit him!" Zhou Ziheng calls out.
What the heck? Xia Xiqing is puzzled. "I'm educating my little brother. What business is it of yours?!"
"He's really your brother?" Zhou Ziheng asks, not really expecting an answer. Now that he looks again, they kind of do look alike.
Zhou Ziheng feels a sense of relief putting out his anger.
Following that relief, Zhou Ziheng suddenly gains a sense of guilt for having accused Xia Xiqing based on nothing but prejudice. Zhou Ziheng looks at Xia Xiqing. The latter is slightly frowning, looks like he's really unhappy.
"Zhou Ziheng-gege." Xia Xiuze seizes his chance to butt in. "Come over for dinner."
"Xia Xiuze! Are you looking for even more punishment?" Xia Xiqing interrupts.
"Hey, hey, calm down. All the same family, right?" Zhou Ziheng attempts to ease the situation.
"Same family?" Xia Xiqing looks up and raises his eyebrows. This time without a smile on his face, fully revealing his true personality. "Who's the same family? Us?" He stares at Zhou Ziheng.
Xia Xiqing gives Xia Xiuze a mean look and turns around. He kicks open the door with force and storms into his apartment.
Seeing his brother leave, Xia Xiuze lets go of Zhou Ziheng.
"Zhou Ziheng-gege, you're a great actor. I really like your role of… umm… Yang Wei… and umm… Feng Ziming." Xia Xiuze says, trying to not mess up his fanboy act. He'd only asked a few female classmates for this information just earlier as he was waiting inside.
Zhou Ziheng stares down at Xia Xiuze, wondering if this kid is indeed a fan. He then remembers all the paintings Xia Xiqing painted. If the older brother is a fan, why not the whole family? Zhou Ziheng tells himself.
And just like that, A-list actor Zhou Ziheng is convinced by this fake fan.
Zhou Ziheng sits on a couch. He feels strange, but he can't exactly pinpoint why. Xia Xiuze is all grins as he sits beside him, asking him a whole bunch of questions like he's doing some sort of questionnaire.
"Zhou Ziheng-gege, do you have any siblings?"
"Zhou Ziheng-gege, what do your parents do?"
"Zhou Ziheng-gege, how often do you visit home?"
"Zhou Ziheng-gege, are you dating anyone?"
"Zhou Ziheng-gege…"
Xia Xiuze is interrupted when he is picked up by the back of his collar. He looks back—it's his older brother with an artificial smile plastered on him."Shut up and come here!"
"Okay." Xia Xiuze reluctantly scrambles off the couch, flashes a smile at Zhou Ziheng, and walks into the kitchen with Xia Xiqing.
"Alright," Xia Xiqing says while continuing to cook. "What are you trying to do?"
"Nothing really." Xia Xiuze walks around the kitchen and starts poking around. "It's just that, you know, you like Zhou Ziheng-gege, so I'm trying to talk to him for you."
Xia Xiqing grabs a spatula and taps Xia Xiuze's head with it a few times. "Who told you I like him?"
Xia Xiuze pouts while rubbing his head. "I think you do. I mean… you know… you have all those paintings of him. And you weren't mad at him when he misunderstood the situation back there."
Xia Xiqing turns around and gives Xia Xiuze a cold smile. He then returns to look at the stove. "Because I don't like him, so I didn't feel bothered enough to explain."
"Then why are you afraid of me talking to him?" Xia Xiuze stands closer to Xia Xiqing. "If you don't like him, then you wouldn't really care if I mess something up with him."
That makes Xia Xiqing think for a second. The kid's got a point. He throws a displeased glance at him and grabs him by the collar. "I just don't want you to interfere with my life. I promise I won't like him."
"Alright, alright." Xia Xiuze steps back with his hands up. "I won't interfere."
Xia Xiuze walks out of the kitchen but right before his shadow disappears, he pops his head back in and says, "Don't make promises you can't keep!" He then chuckles and runs for his life before Xia Xiqing can retaliate.
This kid. He's been too nice to him recently. Give him an inch, and he takes a mile. Absolutely no respect.
Xia Xiqing curses and kicks the cabinet door.
Zhou Ziheng is still sitting on the couch, bored and awkward. He has nothing to do other than look around the room. There are only two suites on this floor, and since he owns the other one, the layout is basically the same. However, the decorations are significantly different; being an artist, Xia Xiqing has fully customized his decorations to fit his personality.
"Zhou Ziheng-gege…"
Xia Xiuze's voice suddenly appears, it startles Zhou Ziheng. He turns to the side and sees the kid's adorable, smiling head pop up from behind the couch.
He smiles just like Xia Xiqing, Zhou Ziheng admits to himself.
If Xia Xiqing also smiled like this while calling him "Zhou Ziheng-gege"…
"Zhou Ziheng-gege?"
Zhou Ziheng flinches and answers, somewhat flustered, "Yeah, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing really." Xia Xiuze maintains his smile and kneels on the carpet. "Do you know how to cook?"
Zhou Ziheng looks at Xia Xiuze and begins to walk towards the kitchen. He notices the smell of burnt food as he approaches.
Xia Xiqing had been distracted looking at his phone. Hearing Zhou Ziheng's voice, he immediately turns off the stove.
"What are you doing here?" Xia Xiqing asks.
"Are you trying to poison us?" Zhou Ziheng stares into a pan of black stuff. "What's this?"
Xia Xiqing looks at the pot and back at Zhou Ziheng. "Eggs. Can't you tell?"
Zhou Ziheng sighs loudly and grabs the pan from Xia Xiqing. He dumps the so-called eggs into the trash bin and rinses out the pot. "How about you let me do the cooking. I don't want tomorrow's news headline to be 'Zhou Ziheng Dead from Food Poisoning.'"
"More like you don't want to be found dead here at my place," Xia Xiqing shrugs and says as he leans against the kitchen counter. He removes his apron and tosses it aside, giving up on his eggs. Tapping on the marble counter with his finger, he continues, "You don't want to be seen with people like me."
The tone of his voice is once again back to flirty.
"I'm sorry."
Xia Xiqing looks at Zhou Ziheng, baffled. His finger pauses mid-action. He raises his eyebrows like he misheard something.
Zhou Ziheng pours some oil into a pan. "I'm sorry for how I spoke to you earlier. I shouldn't have judged you like that. My prejudice towards you was unfair." He looks at Xia Xiqing and proceeds to crack an egg. The sound of sizzling masks the awkward silence.
Zhou Ziheng feels apprehensive, unsure if his apology was sincere. He knows even less about how Xia Xiqing feels.
"I…"
"Umm… why… why are you apologizing?"
Both speaks up at the same time, killing the awkwardness in the air.
"I just feel like I should," Zhou Ziheng replies while flipping the egg. "Misjudging the situation was my fault and I should apologize for that. I shouldn't accuse you of anything without evidence."
"Evidence?" Xia Xiqing smirks. "Why are you making it sound like I was caught red handed in bed?"
Zhou Ziheng is speechless. He feels misinterpreted once again.
"But no need to apologize to me," Xia Xiqing says before Zhou Ziheng can respond. "Because you're right. What you saw today is not the norm."
Xia Xiqing is a person who likes to formulates his words carefully. After all, lies and deceptions take time to weave.. However, this time upon hearing Zhou Ziheng's apology, he blabbed out the first thing that came to mind.
Concern and apologies have never been a normal part of Xia Xiqing's life. In face of this, he feels at a loss, weak and vulnerable. Zhou Ziheng, on the other hand, has no lack of them. It is as if he's his natural nemesis who holds all his weakness in his hands.
Xia Xiqing turns around to wash his hands. "Don't think you know and understand me. Maybe your prejudiced judgement of me is the actually correct judgement."
These words ring inside Zhou Ziheng's head. He imagines a scene where a murderer is washing blood off his hands as he watches Xia Xiqing rinse his hands in the sink.
Xia Xiqing turns off the faucet and reaches for some paper towels. "I'm the type of person that likes to pursue. It gives me satisfaction to see the other person offer me their whole hearted sincerity and devotion." He dries his hands with the paper towel and tosses it away. "But once I get what I want, I'll get tired of it. I will think of ways to leave, sans the burdensome heart they'd given me. . I only like the chase. Yes, I'm a scumbag like that."
Xia Xiqing closes the trash can and leans his head over Zhou Ziheng's shoulder, like lovers offering a kiss.
His eyes stare directly into Zhou Ziheng's soul. "Are you afraid?"
Zhou Ziheng does not understand what Xia Xiqing is trying to do. Why would he come clean now? Given his character, the wise strategy to deceive as long as he could. Like a peacock spreading its tail, showing you his most gentlemanly, gentle face to attract you and seduce you so that you'd willing fall into the deceitful trap yourself. What type of deception is this? What is he trying to accomplish?
To be honest, Xia Xiqing doesn't even know himself at this moment. He feels strange and exposed. It's like he's involuntarily rips off his mask and revealed his vulnerabilities.
Amongst all the preys Xia Xiqing has romantically pursued, Zhou Ziheng is special. He's known since the very beginning that Xia Xiqing's gentleness is an act. He's been on guard since the start. All disguises fail in front of him, and now even the lie of " love " he has chosen to tear it apart, showing the most rotten and ugly parts of yourself clearly in front of his eyes, like a weird artwork to be viewed and judged.
Perhaps for this reason, Zhou Ziheng is his most prized target.
Zhou Ziheng, who's been quietly cooking, turns around and gazes at Xia Xiqing's beautiful yet frivolous eyes. The perfectly sculpted face shows no expression, save for a cool indifference.
"What should I be afraid of?"
Just like the conversation they had in the escape room; in the dark study, Zhou Ziheng's voice is like the bell of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, striking his heart, toll after toll.
"Afraid of you pursuing me? Or afraid that I will give you my heart?"
These words make Xia Xiqing's heart pump louder and blood flow faster.
"If it's one of those two, then I'm not afraid," Zhou Ziheng replies with a quirk of his lips.
Not afraid of either? Not afraid of the former is a lack of interest. Not afraid of the latter is a lack of temptation.
At the moment, Xia Xiqing feels his blood begin to boil. His pride and confidence are challenged.
He reaches out his hand and strokes Zhou Ziheng's chin. Before Zhou Ziheng could react, Xia Xiqing gives a very flirty smile, and looks into Zhou Ziheng's eyes with undisguised sensuality.
"You'd better not be."
[1] "San-San" is a nickname for Shang Sirui, but its literal meaning is "three-three," so it is sometimes written as 33.