The restaurant wasn’t far from the teahouse. It was in the same district but more secluded, perched up on a mountain next to a resort hotel—a good half-hour drive away.
When they reached the entrance, Ji Yunzhang stepped out of the car, handed the keys to the valet, and led Jing Li inside.
An Jiaming had booked a private room on the second floor. The moment they walked in, a server spotted Ji Yunzhang. His face lit up with excitement and delight. After escorting them to the room, he couldn’t hold back any longer and shyly asked for an autograph.
Jing Li’s face was stunning enough to turn heads, but the server didn’t recognize him. He just figured Jing Li was Ji Yunzhang’s friend. Clutching the signed paper as he left, the server thought to himself: Birds of a feather really do flock together. All the good-looking people hang out with each other.
“Let’s order.” Ji Yunzhang slid the ordering tablet over to Jing Li, then picked up a towel from nearby and wiped his hands.
Jing Li took the tablet and scrolled through the menu. The restaurant offered set meals alongside à la carte options, every dish presented in delicate, petite portions—perfect for just a few bites.
They looked absolutely delicious!
He wanted to try them all, but his appetite had its limits. He hesitated, caught in indecision.
Jing Li had a habit of gently biting his lower lip when he was conflicted or deep in thought. His lips were beautiful—plump and a soft pink. Ji Yunzhang’s gaze lingered on them for a few seconds before he said mildly, “If you like it here, we can come back sometime.”
Jing Li blinked, suddenly snapping out of it. Right—it was a bit pricey, but he was about to strike it rich overnight. After that, he could come whenever he wanted, even every day if he felt like it.
He quickly decided on a set meal that included several of his favorites.
He passed the tablet back to Ji Yunzhang and watched him order, pulling out his phone to jot down Ji Yunzhang’s choices in a memo app.
Ji Yunzhang was his idol, but Jing Li wasn’t some rabid fanboy. He followed the work itself, rarely digging into the star’s private life.
“What are you writing down?” Ji Yunzhang asked once he’d finished ordering, noticing how intently Jing Li was noting everything.
“The foods you like.”
After finishing his notes, Jing Li pocketed his phone and added, “I think we should exchange lists of our preferences. The wiki has some basics, but it’s not comprehensive. What if a reporter asks, and we draw a blank?”
Ji Yunzhang nodded. “Makes sense.”
“We’ll also need a perfect script.”
He paused, furrowing his brow as he added, “Don’t make it so I’m secretly pining after you.”
Ji Yunzhang arched a brow, his deep voice smooth and pleasant. “Why not?”
Jing Li tilted his chin up slightly. “Because I’m this good-looking.”
That narcissistic little display of pride made him look just like a haughty kitten—irresistibly cute. Amusement flooded Ji Yunzhang’s eyes. “Fine. No secret crush. Mutual attraction.”
Jing Li was pleased, his eyes curving into happy crescents. But since Ji Yunzhang was his idol, after all, he offered a small compromise. “You can let me confess first.”
Ji Yunzhang chuckled softly and nodded. “Anything else?”
“That’s it.” He took a sip of the tea beside him, fell silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, one more thing. I need to get it out upfront.”
“Go ahead.”
“My parents,” he hesitated, “I haven’t been in touch with them for a long time. If your family wants to meet them, you’ll have to find a way to brush it off.”
Ji Yunzhang glanced at him but didn’t press for details. “Got it.”
Maybe noticing that his expression had darkened, Jing Li rubbed his face, shifted in his seat, and propped his cheeks on his hands as he gazed at Ji Yunzhang. “Tell me about your family. Are they easy to get along with?”
“I’ll send you my family details along with everything else tomorrow,” Ji Yunzhang said with a smile. “They’re all great people. Nothing to worry about.”
Jing Li hummed in acknowledgment. “Do they all live in A City?”
“Yes.”
“Do you live together?”
“No, it’s not convenient.”
Jing Li let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness. If they lived together, they’d have to keep up the act every night—sharing a bed for two whole years. He seriously doubted he could resist that kind of temptation.
After all, he’d known his sexual orientation for a long time now.
Their back-and-forth continued for a little while longer until the server arrived with their food. Jing Li fell quiet, devoting himself entirely to the feast before him.
By the time they finished dinner, it was nearly nine o’clock. Ji Yunzhang drove Jing Li home.
As Jing Li stepped out of the car, Ji Yunzhang called after him. “Pack your bags tonight. You need to move somewhere else.”
The neighborhood was rundown. Sure, there was a security booth at the gate, but it might as well not exist—no one checked who came or went. Outsiders could wander in freely. For a public figure like Jing Li, it was dangerously unsafe if his address ever leaked.
Jing Li blinked in surprise. “Move now? Aren’t we getting the marriage certificate after the New Year?”
Ji Yunzhang smiled faintly. “Not to my place—just a new residence.”
He’d gotten the wrong idea. Jing Li awkwardly tugged his scarf closer, burying half his face in it.
Ji Yunzhang’s gaze swept over Jing Li’s exposed red ears, and he silently curved his lips. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Jing Li ran off like a rabbit.
~~~
Jing Li didn’t have much stuff. Once it was all packed up, it filled just a few boxes. As for bulky items like the washing machine, television, and fridge that he couldn’t take with him, he planned to give them to the elderly folks in the neighborhood who were struggling to get by.
Le Xiaoxiao had come over early to help. After boxing everything up, he took the bottle of water Jing Li handed him and sat down to rest.
“When’s Ji Yunzhang getting here?” he asked.
Jing Li checked the time—ten thirty. “Should be any minute now.”
Le Xiaoxiao gazed at him like a worried old father. “Once that contract’s signed, there’s no turning back. You sure you don’t want to think it over some more?”
He’d spent the entire previous night scrolling through the Weibo feeds of celebrities in the industry who’d already gone public with their relationships. Pairs with roughly equal fame were fine—their fans could scrap it out evenly. But the lopsided ones? The partner with fewer followers got absolutely eviscerated. Their personal pages and comment sections turned into dumping grounds for fan rage: bad mood, curse them out; good mood, still curse them out.
He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen once Ji Yunzhang and Jing Li announced things. Just the thought made his blood boil, urging him to morph into Nezha right there—three heads, six arms, hammering sparks out of his keyboard.
Jing Li could tell at a glance that Le Xiaoxiao had gone home last night and doom-scrolled some more, working himself into a frenzy.
“You should get yourself a boyfriend,” Jing Li suggested sincerely.
The topic had veered off course. Le Xiaoxiao blinked. “?”
“Then you wouldn’t have so much time to surf the internet.”
Le Xiaoxiao: “…”
Jing Li patted his shoulder. “Stop overthinking it. Get up and help— we’ve got to clean the place spotless.”
Knowing Jing Li wouldn’t change his mind, Le Xiaoxiao sighed, shoved all those messy worries out of his head, and got up to grab the broom.
The two of them bustled around a bit longer and finally got the apartment sparkling clean. Le Xiaoxiao called the moving company to have them come haul the big items first, while Jing Li headed downstairs to hand over the keys to the landlord.
By the time Ji Yunzhang and An Jiaming arrived downstairs, Jing Li was helping the workers deliver the appliances to the old folks’ homes.
The building had no elevator. Jing Li had already made one trip and worked up a sweat, his cheeks flushed pink. When he spotted them, he paused. “It’s on the fifth floor. Go on up and make yourselves at home for a bit.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait.” Ji Yunzhang caught his arm and offered him a handkerchief, placing it politely in his hand. “Need any help?”
“No need. Just a couple more trips.” There were plenty of elderly folks living alone in the complex, but most had kids and weren’t in dire straits. Only a few truly needed these things.
“Where are you headed?” An Jiaming asked.
Jing Li gave a quick rundown, then smiled at Ji Yunzhang. “I’ll wash the handkerchief and give it back to you.”
Ji Yunzhang met that smile and curved his own lips. “Sounds good.”
An Jiaming spoke up. “I’ll handle it for you. Take Yunzhang upstairs.”
Jing Li considered it—fair enough. He’d swing by again in a couple days to drop off a few more things for the old folks and say proper goodbyes then. He gave An Jiaming the apartment numbers and led Ji Yunzhang up the stairs.
Since they were moving stuff, the door stood wide open, with people constantly going up and down the hallway outside. Ji Yunzhang’s face was too recognizable—men, women, young and old all knew him, and plenty were fans. Jing Li didn’t dare let him hang out in the living room, so he ushered him into the bedroom.
“Coke or Sprite?” He held out two cans for Ji Yunzhang to choose.
“Coke.”
Jing Li handed him the Coke and kept the Sprite for himself.
Ji Yunzhang took in the apartment: one bedroom, living room, bathroom, and balcony—under six hundred square feet, a bit cramped, but spotless and tidy. Clearly, the occupant had excellent habits when it came to cleanliness.
He turned his gaze back to Jing Li. “You free the day after tomorrow?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“Come meet my grandfather.”
Jing Li agreed readily, then tilted his head to meet his eyes. “Anything I need to prepare? What do they like?”
Ji Yunzhang shook his head. “No need for special gifts.”
“No, that’s just good manners.”
Jing Li’s expression was so earnest, his clear black-and-white eyes fixed intently on him. Ji Yunzhang paused, then smiled. “My grandfather likes tea and Go. My grandmother enjoys flower arranging and reading.”
Jing Li perked up with ideas, already planning to shop for them tomorrow.
A little while later, An Jiaming returned from delivering the items. By then, everything here was just about ready, so the four of them headed out without lingering.
The apartment Ji Yunzhang had arranged for Jing Li to stay in temporarily was a gift from his older brother when he’d turned eighteen. He’d lived there right up until graduation, when he’d bought his own place with his acting earnings and moved out.
It was in an upscale complex near A University, with top-notch security, easy access to transit, nearby shops and supermarkets, and a one-unit-per-elevator design that ensured plenty of privacy and safety.
After all the luggage had been moved to the living room, it was already past twelve o’clock. Jing Li felt a bit hungry. “Let’s go eat.”
He beamed at them. “There’s a really tasty restaurant nearby. I’ll take you all there.”
—
After lunch, they went straight to Ji Yunzhang’s Studio, where the lawyer was already waiting for them.
There were two copies of the contract, with the content and terms exactly as they had agreed on the previous day. Jing Li didn’t sign right away. Instead, he cautiously read through it once more to confirm everything was correct before picking up the pen to sign.
Jing Li’s caution didn’t make Ji Yunzhang feel displeased at all. On the contrary, he was delighted that Jing Li was vigilant enough. He didn’t want the people around him to be overly naive and sweet.
Patiently waiting for Jing Li to finish reading and signing, Ji Yunzhang then picked up the file bag beside him and slid it over. “Inside are my personal details and the compensation I promised you. I’m paying fifty million upfront, with the remainder after our contract ends. Also, negotiations for your termination with Kerry are already underway.”
Jing Li nodded. He tucked away the file bag and his copy of the contract, then extended his hand to Ji Yunzhang while playfully blinking at him. “Husband, here’s to a pleasant partnership!”
Le Xiaoxiao: “!”
An Jiaming: “Pfft.”
“…”
Ji Yunzhang fell silent for a moment. He stood up, walked over to Jing Li’s side, bent down, and lightly patted his head, his eyes brimming with a faint smile. “Be good.”
In an instant, Jing Li’s ears turned bright red.
