It was a chaotic, tumultuous night.

Overcome by emotion and an overheated atmosphere, Shi Linchuan didn’t bother with any protection, and the other party didn’t think to remind him either. The two of them let it all out, completely disregarding the timing or the occasion.

The deeper conflicts remained unresolved.

However, after the intimacy, something had undeniably eased.

As the cigarette burned down to nothing between their lips, Shi Linchuan glanced at his stained cuffs, resignedly grabbed one of Xie Jinghe’s ankles, and began to clean up his remnants.

The water was full and clear, transparent to the bottom.

The two hadn’t been together for a while, so it was a bit difficult at first, but Xie Jinghe quickly settled in, and given that they were intimately familiar with each other’s bodies…

There was no tearing. Just a bit of swelling and redness.

Shi Linchuan withdrew his fingers, scooped Xie Jinghe out of the soiled pool, and propped him against the wall, holding the showerhead to rinse him off. But within minutes, Xie Jinghe’s legs began to tremble, and he signaled that he couldn’t stand anymore.

There was no help for it.

Seeing Xie Jinghe still blindfolded, standing with his back to him like a prisoner in time-out, looking truly pathetic, Shi Linchuan deliberated for a few seconds before stripping off his suit and stepping into the shower stall.

The moment his hand touched the other’s elbow, Xie Jinghe turned around, legs spread, and threw himself into Shi Linchuan’s arms like a fledgling bird returning to the nest. He looked like an incredibly clumsy penguin.

As a renowned film star, Xie Jinghe had an exquisite face—deep-set, handsome features that looked good on camera and held great versatility. With that face buried in his chest, eyes still blindfolded, and a swollen, red lower lip still bearing the faint marks of teeth…

Shi Linchuan had to admit: there was a reason he had stayed at the top for so long.

When it came time to wash Xie Jinghe’s hair, Shi Linchuan had to take off the tie. Because the knot behind his head was pulled so tight, it took several minutes to undo. As he peeled it away, he said coldly, “Don’t you dare open your eyes, you hear me?”

Xie Jinghe held onto his waist and protested softly: “I want to see you.”

“Then go back to your own room to sleep.”

“No.”

Once those words left the man, Xie Jinghe didn’t dare talk back. He obediently closed his eyes, pretending to be blind, using the other as his only support and cane, clinging to him for the entire process.

Annoying sticky cake, Shi Linchuan thought.

He impatiently finished washing the man, dried his hair, rolled him up in a clean bathrobe, and tossed him back onto the bed.

For the past two or three hours, they hadn’t been “at it” on the bed, so the hotel mattress was still neat and tidy, with only a few wrinkles in the sheets—mostly near the bedside.

Xie Jinghe was obedient; he didn’t open his eyes.

Shi Linchuan looked at him twice before walking around the heap of clothes on the floor and heading back into the bathroom, stark naked.

By the time he came out, it was almost 10:00 PM.

Passing the round table, the food had long since turned ice-cold.

Shi Linchuan, draped in a bathrobe, opened his suitcase and pulled out some loungewear to change into, preparing to go next door to retrieve his luggage. He glanced back and saw Xie Jinghe curled up under the quilt with his eyes closed, his expression peaceful, as if he were about to fall asleep.

It was just an illusion.

The next second, Xie Jinghe suddenly spoke.

“Linchuan, can I open my eyes now? Actually, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve cried in front of you. This was your first time, so don’t take it too much to heart. Besides, I was crying much harder than you just now.”

Shi Linchuan’s movement of picking up his pants paused.

“I’m not taking it to heart,” he said coolly.

Xie Jinghe lay on the bed, half his face buried in the pillow, his voice muffled. “Mm.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Linchuan pulled a room key out of his pocket and turned to walk out, not even taking the time to put on his glasses.

The room next door was empty; Le Yan wasn’t there.

Shi Linchuan saw the backpack on the sofa and the suitcase standing beside it at a glance. He didn’t rush back; instead, he fished a men’s wallet out of the inner pocket of the backpack.

Xie Jinghe’s wallet.

He always had a habit of carrying cash, and since filming hadn’t officially started, his personal belongings were still in use.

Shi Linchuan opened it and saw a printed photo tucked into the transparent slot.

It was the courtyard at home. A man stood in the yard, his back tall and slender.

Shi Linchuan’s gaze lingered for a few seconds before he closed the wallet. He put on Xie Jinghe’s hat and mask—fully camouflaged—and headed downstairs. When he returned, he was carrying a box of ointment and a container of takeaway fish fillet congee.

It was already 11:00 PM.

The hallway had quieted down; there was no one around.

Shi Linchuan returned to his room with his bags. Since he hadn’t brought his key card, he had to knock for the person inside to open it.

Two minutes later, the door pulled inward. Xie Jinghe had shed the bathrobe; he was standing in the doorway wearing Shi Linchuan’s long trench coat. The coat fell to his calves, nearly touching his ankles, revealing only his bare feet.

He popped the collar up, blinked, and immediately issued a disclaimer: “This was a force majeure factor, so it’s not that I wasn’t listening to you.”

Shi Linchuan glanced at him without a word and walked inside with his pile of things.

Xie Jinghe followed behind, watching as the man pushed the suitcase to the sofa, set the other items on the low table, sat down, and commanded: “Come here, take off your clothes, and get on your stomach.”

A very simple, concise sentence.

But Xie Jinghe understood perfectly.

He walked over slowly, undid the buttons of the trench coat to reveal the body underneath, and lay down on the man’s lap in a position reminiscent of a child about to be punished.

In truth, this had happened many times over the past three years. However, the man’s attitude back then had been incredibly gentle and attentive; now, his words were aggressive and domineering, which was inexplicably embarrassing.

Xie Jinghe’s face grew hot.

Shi Linchuan unwrapped the ointment and continued to direct him: “Higher.”

“Spread it yourself with your hands.”

“…”

As Shi Linchuan applied the medicine, he sensed the other’s hesitation. He guessed what he was thinking and maliciously remarked, “Your face has thinned out, how come this part didn’t?”

He hooked his finger inward as he said it.

Xie Jinghe couldn’t speak, his waist collapsing in a sudden slump.

After washing the leftover ointment off his fingers, Shi Linchuan came out of the bathroom to find that Xie Jinghe had changed into the autumn/winter pajamas he had packed—a white, fleece-lined set. Draped over the back of the sofa was another set of black pajamas of the same style, but a size larger.

Xie Jinghe was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding the warm fish fillet congee. An open suitcase sat by his feet, filled with clothes—half were his, and the other half were Shi Linchuan’s.

These were the things Xie Jinghe had brought from home. The thick winter clothes Le Yan had bought were in another brand-new suitcase.

Shi Linchuan didn’t rush to change. He sat on the sofa, bent over to rummage through the box, pulled out his own black turtleneck sweater, and said to the person beside him: “Wear this tomorrow. It’s a bigger size, so cover up your neck and wrists. I don’t want the whole world to know you got screwed by me tonight.”

His wording was crude and blunt.

Xie Jinghe pursed his lips and nodded, then held the spoon of congee to the man’s mouth, whispering: “You didn’t eat much tonight, you must be hungry.”

Shi Linchuan opened his mouth and ate it with a calm expression.

Tired.

Let’s just leave it at that for tonight.

The variety show’s teaser had aired three hours ago, and the internet was likely buzzing, but neither of them paid it any mind. They finished the congee in silence, packed their things, washed up, and lay down on the bed.

The curtains were drawn tight, and the lights went out. The room plunged into darkness.

Shi Linchuan lay flat, feeling a source of heat slowly approaching him. Not long after, a hand draped over his waist. A little later, Xie Jinghe burrowed into his arms, his warm, damp breath hitting the hollow of his shoulder as he whispered:

“Linchuan, hug me.”

To ensure he got some sleep, Shi Linchuan was forced to turn on his side, pull Xie Jinghe into his arms, chest to back, resting his chin on the top of the other man’s head. “Close your eyes and go to sleep.”

“You’re so annoying.”

Xie Jinghe was quiet for a few seconds before saying: “I can’t sleep.”

Shi Linchuan kept his eyes shut, ignoring him.

“Are we back together now?” Xie Jinghe continued.

Shi Linchuan: “No. It was just a ‘divorce romp’.”

Xie Jinghe: “But I don’t want a divorce.”

Shi Linchuan: “You don’t get to decide that.”

In the darkness, the two exchanged words back and forth. Hearing that, Xie Jinghe tried to turn around to face him, but his waist was held in a tight grip, making it impossible to move. So he stayed as he was, placing his hand over the man’s and whispering: “Was it good for you?”

He added: “I’ll make it even better for you.”

“Don’t divorce me, okay?”

Shi Linchuan was silent for a moment. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll treat you like I did last time, or the time before that? Xie Jinghe, did you forget the moment you stopped crying?”

Xie Jinghe: “I didn’t forget.”

Silence descended. Shi Linchuan knew he wasn’t asleep.

Sure enough, as he was closing his eyes to rest, Xie Jinghe spoke again. “There are indeed many problems between us that we haven’t solved, and I really am afraid that you’ll pick fights with me on purpose…” He paused. “But I think you still care about me.”

“Right?”

Shi Linchuan only replied with a cold huff.

In the dark, Xie Jinghe suddenly made a pig-snorting sound. Oink, oink.

Shi Linchuan: “…”

How can there be someone as annoying as Xie Jinghe in this world!

Shi Linchuan used his chin to dig hard into the top of his head, making Xie Jinghe let out a sharp “hiss,” before threatening sternly: “Go back to your own room if you don’t go to sleep.”

Xie Jinghe: “My head hurts.”

Shi Linchuan clicked his tongue, messily ruffled his hair, and didn’t expect that Xie Jinghe would take the opportunity to turn around and embrace him, planting a kiss on his lips. “It won’t hurt if you kiss it.”

Little liar.

And it was more than just one kiss.

The voices in the room gradually faded. Time ticked by second by second, the rising sun peeked over the horizon, and the dawn chased the night out of the small coastal city.

The sky over Xijiang began to brighten.

5:30 AM.

The production crew was already on the move, preparing for the day’s livestream.

Since their phones had been confiscated, the production team provided a wake-up call service for the guests.

6:00 AM sharp.

A young woman wearing a staff badge arrived at the doors of two adjacent hotel rooms and began knocking rhythmically on one of them.

She knocked and reminded them: “Teacher Xie, our itinerary is about to begin. Let’s have some breakfast; we have a car ride of over an hour later…”

There was no movement inside.

The young woman waited two or three minutes and knocked again.

“Teacher Xie, are you awake?”

Just then, a girl wearing a windbreaker and a high ponytail walked over from the other end of the corridor.

The young woman recognized her as Actor Xie’s assistant and greeted her, then asked casually, “Did Teacher Xie sleep very late last night? I’m knocking so loudly, but he doesn’t seem to be awake?”

Le Yan: “…”

Don’t tell me my Xie-ge slept all the way to the room next door?

The next second, that guess became reality.

The door to the next room cracked open just a sliver. The man stood in the gap, half his body swallowed by shadows. When he spoke, his voice was thick with the raspy, magnetic quality of someone who had just woken up—utterly captivating.

“He just woke up.”

“We’ll be out in about ten minutes. Wait a moment.”

The young woman nodded blankly. Only after the door clicked shut did she let out a slow, shocked, and confused—

“Huh?”