Accompanying the confession came Wen Chaosheng’s uncontrollable heartbeat.
Under the faint light in the stairwell, he carefully searched Xi Zhui’s eyes over and over, yet he couldn’t detect even the slightest hint of a joke.
It was real.
Xi Zhui was saying that he liked him.
Wen Chaosheng confirmed the fact, but his mind blanked out once more. “I…”
In all his life up to now, his experience with emotions had been next to nothing. He didn’t even know how to respond to this kind of affection.
Xi Zhui knew the reserved and mild-mannered nature of the man before him. Restraining his own ragged breathing, he gave him plenty of time to react and think.
The silence stretched on too long. Suddenly, the motion-sensor lights in the passage flicked off, plunging their surroundings into a quiet darkness.
All at once, a snowflake slipped through a crack in the window and brushed against Wen Chaosheng’s neck, chilling him with a shiver.
Xi Zhui caught the moment and reached out to wipe away the snowflake—which was already starting to melt—then smoothly pinched Wen Chaosheng’s earlobe. “Wen Chaosheng.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer and called out to him, stating clearly once more, “I like you.”
The waiting silence was torturous.
Xi Zhui leaned in closer, tentatively brushing his nose against the other man’s. “Did you hear that? No playing mute, okay?”
Wen Chaosheng’s breath hitched. His previously dazed gaze suddenly locked onto Xi Zhui’s thin lips.
For a split second, he thought back to that earlier kiss.
Xi Zhui noticed his wandering eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
“…”
I want… another kiss.
Wen Chaosheng heard the answer from deep in his heart. For a moment, he forgot all about their family ties, as if the whole world consisted of just the two of them.
His fingertips, pressed against the fabric on either side, curled slightly. The loading bar labeled “courage” finally hit one hundred percent.
He slowly tilted his head up and responded in the clumsiest, most inexperienced way possible, pressing a kiss to the corner of Xi Zhui’s mouth.
It was like the snowflake that had landed on his neck moments ago—brief, just enough to leave a faint cool touch.
Wen Chaosheng pulled back and let out a single syllable. “Mm.”
But Xi Zhui relentlessly pursued him, tangling their breaths together as he demanded clarification. “Be clear. What does that ‘mm’ mean?”
Amid the warm sound of their breathing, something seemed ready to ignite at the slightest touch.
Wen Chaosheng’s voice trembled, but he gave a serious response anyway. “Mm, I… I like you too.”
The kiss finally descended once more.
Wen Chaosheng tensed up all over from nerves, instinctively clutching at Xi Zhui’s clothes.
Too flustered to react properly, he could only keep his eyes wide open. The lashes behind his glasses fluttered, though he didn’t dare blink hard.
“…”
How is he so adorably clueless?
Xi Zhui took in Wen Chaosheng’s reaction, chuckling with a sigh. He pulled back just a tiny distance and reached up to remove the other man’s obstructing black-framed glasses.
“Brother, close your eyes.”
Wen Chaosheng obeyed without hesitation.
Xi Zhui leaned down, brushing and nuzzling his lips softly. Then he murmured, “Open your mouth.”
Wen Chaosheng’s breath stuttered again. He was even more compliant this time.
The pent-up surge of heat crashed down once more.
Ragged breaths synced with their racing heartbeats. Amid the first snow, they shared the first kiss of their lives as lovers.
—Bzzz.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when the phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed with a call.
Xi Zhui reluctantly released Wen Chaosheng from his arms for the moment and fished out his phone to answer. “Hello.”
Xia Fengyi was hollering on the other end. “Xi Zhui, have you found Chaosheng? Why haven’t you two come back after all this time? Nothing happened, right?”
“He’s fine. He’s with me.”
Xi Zhui lowered his gaze to Wen Chaosheng in his arms, still dazed from their intense kiss. “We’ve got something come up. We’ll head back first—you guys keep having fun.”
Xia Fengyi was clearly unhappy at that. “What could you two possibly have going on? Just taking off like that! No way—if you’re leaving, you leave. Leave Chaosheng with me…”
“Hey! Why are you grabbing my phone!”
The nagging cut off abruptly as someone else took over on the line.
Shen Zhaoye was curt and to the point. “We won’t interrupt. Do your thing. See you later.”
—Click.
The call ended.
Wen Chaosheng finally came back to himself, still panting a little. “Aren’t we going back to the private room?”
Xi Zhui’s fingertip brushed over the gloss on his lips, his tone full of implication. “Brother, are you sure you can go back looking like this?”
“…”
Uh…
Probably not.
Wen Chaosheng felt the lingering tingle on his lips and shook his head, his face flushing red.
But he still remembered the important task at hand. “Where’s the front desk? I need to settle the bill.”
Xi Zhui had no choice but to indulge him. “No need. Zhaoye and I are all members here—the card covers it. We said it was to celebrate your Berlin entry. How could we let you pay?”
Wen Chaosheng thought for a moment. “Then next time, I’ll treat you all.”
“Sure.” Xi Zhui didn’t hide his selfishness at all. “Forget them. You can treat just me sometime.”
Xi Zhui slipped the black-framed glasses back onto Wen Chaosheng’s face. Then he took one of his hands in his own while using the other to swipe through his phone. “I’ll call for a designated driver. I drank tonight, so I can’t drive.”
“Oh, okay.”
Wen Chaosheng’s gaze fell on their clasped hands, a belated wave of wonder surging through him. Countless shy bubbles popped at the tip of his heart, but he still couldn’t quite believe it—
Did this mean he and Xi Zhui were dating now?
…
Still riding the wave of shyness, Wen Chaosheng avoided looking at Xi Zhui after they got in the car, instead keeping his eyes fixed out the window.
The snow was coming down harder now, making up for the fact that he hadn’t seen any back in the Imperial Capital this year.
Xi Zhui glanced at the focused driver up front before pinching Wen Chaosheng’s finger, trying to draw his attention back. “Want to talk?”
The tingle zipped through his fingertip.
Wen Chaosheng had never been good at refusing Xi Zhui. He glanced over and nodded slowly. “Sure. What about?”
Xi Zhui asked first, “What are your plans now that you’re back in the country? When does the new movie start shooting?”
The Berlin International Film Festival trip was winding down. He and the others, including Wen Chaosheng, had tickets for a flight home tomorrow night.
Thinking of yet another round of goodbyes ahead, Wen Chaosheng’s mind wandered.
Xi Zhui saw right through his mood and changed tack. “Then I’ll go first.”
“Hm?”
“I’ve already decided. Once I wrap up my studies here, I’ll head back to the country to develop my career. Director Wen—” Xi Zhui used the long-unused title to snag his attention—”with this face of mine, do you think I’ve got what it takes to break into showbiz?”
The two sentences carried a ton of information. Wen Chaosheng took a moment to process, staring incredulously into Xi Zhui’s earnest eyes. “You’re going into entertainment?”
“Yeah.”
Xi Zhui’s answer was decisive. “It’s not a whim. I’ve thought it through carefully.”
Ever since realizing he liked Wen Chaosheng, Xi Zhui had been pondering the possibilities for their relationship.
He knew Wen Chaosheng had dreamed of being a director since childhood and had now taken his first real step into Hua Country’s film scene. In the future, he’d surely build his career steadily at home.
Xi Zhui laid out his motive plainly. “I want to be closer to you.”
From a practical standpoint, if he stayed in Germany and dug deeper into finance, the distance and time zones would make it nearly impossible to sustain a good relationship while they were both still grinding in their twenties.
Wen Chaosheng frowned. “But your grades are excellent. How can you just…”
Xi Zhui caught his concern and explained. “I only studied finance for undergrad and grad school because it lined up with the family business and seemed like a good fit. It’s not like I love it that much.”
With his abilities and competitive streak, he could excel in any major.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I actually find acting pretty interesting. I really want to switch careers.”
Xi Zhui had genuinely enjoyed filming Contour. “Standing in front of the camera, shaping different characters and lives—it’s challenging.”
“After Contour got into that domestic film festival, a bunch of production companies reached out, trying to poach me for a debut contract.”
“I weighed the career potential, and it seems solid. That’s why I said—at latest by July—I’ll wrap everything up here and go back.”
Unlike other rich kids who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, Xi Zhui had clear goals and was willing to put in real effort.
Seeing it wasn’t some impulse, Wen Chaosheng still worried. “What about your uncle and aunt? Especially Grandpa Xi.”
“I’ll talk to them at some point. My parents are pretty open-minded—they’ve always respected and supported my choices.”
At his age, Xi Zhui had the youth to take risks and try things out, plus the ability to take responsibility for himself. Worst case, if it didn’t pan out, he still had the fallback of inheriting the family business.
Xi Zhui turned the question on him. “Don’t you believe in me?”
Wen Chaosheng rushed to reassure him. “I do.”
Xi Zhui took his hand again. “Then what about you? Any plans next?”
Warmth enveloped his palm, and the heartbeat he’d barely suppressed roared back to life.
Wen Chaosheng hesitated for two seconds before laying out his schedule honestly. “I’ve finished polishing the new script, Flower Moon. Once I’m back, I’ll start prepping for production.”
Thanks to the Berlin entry buzz, Lin Keyang had smoothly secured funding for the film.
It wasn’t a huge amount, but enough to assemble a crew and shoot.
“The lead in this movie has to be ugly the whole way through, only revealing his true face right before he dies.”
Whenever he talked about his projects, Wen Chaosheng got more animated. “I want a fresh face for the role—someone gorgeous enough that the final reveal twist hits even harder.”
Xi Zhui nodded in approval. “Sounds interesting.”
A sneaky spark of anticipation flickered in Wen Chaosheng’s heart. “If you’re free then, come visit the set. We’ll probably be shooting on location in Heng City.”
“Sure.”
Xi Zhui’s brows arched slightly, his next words laced with a playful edge of jealousy. “I’d like to see what this guy looks like—the male lead in Director Wen’s second film.”
What a pity—the boyfriend he’d just reeled in was completely oblivious and hadn’t caught on at all.
…
The designated driver delivered them smoothly back home.
Xi Zhui led Wen Chaosheng up to the second floor before finally releasing the hand he’d been holding the whole time. “Tonight, you sleep in the bedroom. I’ll take the guest room on the first floor.”
In truth, there had always been another unused guest room downstairs, but he’d deliberately not mentioned it before.
“…”
Wen Chaosheng unconsciously glanced at his now-empty hand, feeling a bit bewildered. Hadn’t they always slept together before? Why the sudden need to sleep apart?
“Brother, have you forgotten something?”
Xi Zhui saw right through his thoughts, leaning against the doorframe with a half-smile. “We were just ‘friends’ before. Even sharing a bed meant we had to hold back and keep some distance. Things are different now—”
He leaned in close to whisper in Wen Chaosheng’s ear. “If you wake up early tomorrow and get all worked up over me again, I might not be able to hold back.”
“!!”
Wen Chaosheng recalled the “accident” from their first morning together, and his entire face flushed bright red. “I didn’t!”
That morning, Xi Zhui had been the one with the intense reaction. How was he turning the tables and blaming Wen Chaosheng now?
Xi Zhui chuckled and stopped teasing him. “For real, though—I think you’ll want to sleep alone tonight. I’m worried I’d get in your way if I stayed.”
For one thing, he figured Wen Chaosheng needed some space to process the fact that they were officially together now.
For another, Wen Chaosheng would be spending tomorrow night on a plane and probably wouldn’t sleep well, so Xi Zhui wanted him to get a full night’s rest tonight.
Wen Chaosheng thought it over. It did make sense.
“Turn the heat up a little higher tonight. Don’t let yourself get cold.”
Xi Zhui gently stroked the back of Wen Chaosheng’s neck and said warmly, “One more thing—I’m only giving you tonight to think it over.”
“After tonight, come morning, there’ll be no backing out.”
It sounded gentlemanly enough, but in reality, even if Wen Chaosheng tried to renege in the morning, Xi Zhui would just pretend not to hear it.
“…”
A wave of warmth gradually spread from where Xi Zhui’s palm had brushed.
Suddenly, Wen Chaosheng didn’t want to sleep apart from him anymore. But he only dared to think it, not say it out loud.
“Good night, Brother.”
“Good night.”
True to his word, Xi Zhui turned and headed downstairs.
Half an hour later, freshly washed up, Wen Chaosheng quietly cracked open his door and stole several glances downstairs at the still-lit room.
Once he confirmed there was no sign of Xi Zhui coming back up, he reluctantly suppressed the flicker of silly regret in his heart and softly closed the door.
He had bumped the room’s heater up one degree. It was nice and toasty.
Wen Chaosheng lay in bed, peering at the snow still swirling down outside through a gap in the curtains. But his mind kept drifting back to tonight’s two kisses.
He had no experience kissing anyone else, but he was utterly convinced of one thing:
Xi Zhui was an amazing kisser! Incredibly amazing!
After a while, Wen Chaosheng finally tamped down his shyness and picked up his phone.
He opened his notes app, created a private memo titled “Xi Zhui,” and solemnly typed out the first line:
“He said he likes me, and we kissed. Does that count as being together?”
…
Wen Chaosheng slept deeply and woke naturally. He even burrowed back under the covers to laze in bed for a good while.
His bedside phone buzzed only then, prompting him to poke his head out with its mop of messy curls. He glanced at the screen—it was Xi Zhui calling.
Wen Chaosheng froze for two seconds. All traces of sleepiness vanished in an instant.
He scrambled upright and answered. “Hello?”
“Good morning,” came Xi Zhui’s voice from the other end, laced with amusement. “Sleep well?”
“Mm.”
Wen Chaosheng’s voice was still soft and husky from sleep, and he didn’t quite get why Xi Zhui was calling. “Did you go out?”
“No, I’m in the villa’s backyard,” Xi Zhui replied. “Pull back the curtains in your room right now, and you’ll see me.”
Wen Chaosheng blinked and looked toward the curtains—
Beyond the narrow gap stretched an endless field of white. The snow must have fallen steadily all night long.
“Wen Chaosheng.”
Xi Zhui’s voice sharpened slightly on the phone line, perfectly synced with the shout drifting up from the backyard below:
“Put on a coat before you come out. I’ve got something to show you.”
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