Chapter 25

As the clock neared 9:30 and he could put it off no longer, Wen Chaosheng finally crawled out of the bedroom like a turtle.

He had just come down the stairs when he spotted Xi Zhui emerging from the kitchen with breakfast in hand—like some innate understanding between them.

Even without a word between them, their eyes met effortlessly.

The embarrassment Wen Chaosheng had spent so long suppressing came rushing right back, heat flooding his earlobes and turning them red.

“Once you’ve washed up, come have breakfast. I whipped up some simple bacon sandwiches.”

Xi Zhui had already changed into casual clothes, his face showing no trace of the unusual intensity from earlier that morning. “Coffee, juice, or milk?”

Wen Chaosheng drew in a deep breath and answered offhandedly, “Milk.”

“Milk?”

Xi Zhui paused for a second before responding, “Got it. I’ll heat some up for you.”

Wen Chaosheng watched Xi Zhui head back into the kitchen, silently pumping himself up—

No big deal!

It was just one of those totally normal morning situations every guy went through—an uncontrollable little mishap!

If Xi Zhui could let it slide without a mention, he could pretend it never happened too!

After plenty of mental pep talk, Wen Chaosheng finally made his way to the dining table and sat down.

The milk heated up quickly.

When Xi Zhui returned from the kitchen with the warm drink, he found Wen Chaosheng staring at him eagerly, the sandwiches on the table untouched.

He handed over the milk. “Why aren’t you eating? Don’t like them?”

“No, it’s not that.” Wen Chaosheng took the perfectly warm mug in both hands, looking perfectly obedient. “I was waiting for you to have breakfast together.”

“…”

Those simple words struck right at Xi Zhui’s heart.

Instead of sitting across from him, he slid right into the seat beside Wen Chaosheng, their shoulders brushing. “Dig in before they get cold.”

“Mm.”

Wen Chaosheng had grown used to this overly intimate “personal space,” and nothing about it struck him as off.

After taking a bite of his sandwich, he said, “Did you see? Sun Xuan just messaged the group asking what time we’re meeting up.”

Xi Zhui’s phone was still upstairs. He retrieved it.

Remembering his impulsive behavior from that morning, he coughed to clear his throat and sipped his coffee as if nothing had happened. “Let’s say 10:30. I’ll reply to him in a bit.”

“Okay.”

Wen Chaosheng always ate quietly, and he never wasted food.

Only after Xi Zhui watched him polish off a whole sandwich did he speak up. “By the way, Feng Yi knows you’re in Berlin.”

“He mentioned last week that he wanted to catch up sometime, maybe get together with Zhao Ye too and set something up.”

Xi Zhui knew Wen Chaosheng’s temperament well and left the decision to him. “Do you want to see them?”

“Hm?” Wen Chaosheng blinked in surprise. “Aren’t they busy?”

“Zhao Ye’s studio headquarters is in Berlin. He just wrapped up a big show and should be on break. Feng Yi’s studying medicine in Munich, but weekends make it easy for him to come over.”

Xi Zhui had a finger on the pulse of his two childhood friends’ lives. “If you’re up for it, I’ll check schedules with them. We should be able to meet before you head back home.”

After returning to the Imperial Capital for school, Wen Chaosheng had been classmates with Xia Fengyi for a few years. The guy was like an optimistic little sun, always looking out for him back in the day.

It had been nearly five years since they’d last seen each other.

With that in mind, Wen Chaosheng—unusually for him—didn’t turn it down. “Sure.”

…

The Berlin International Film Festival was divided into several competition units, featuring two weeks of screenings and awards. The unit that Contour had been nominated for was in the latter half, so by the time Wen Chaosheng and the others arrived, the festival had already been underway for a week.

The results were about what Qiao Liang had predicted—

Their team’s Contour earned a nomination but didn’t break through amid the crowd of stellar entries.

For recent film school grads, though, just making the shortlist was huge validation and motivation. Wen Chaosheng, Lin Keyang, and the rest weren’t discouraged. Instead, they seized the chance to catch a ton of outstanding films.

In the festival’s downtime, they toured all of Berlin’s major landmarks.

The closing ceremony was set for the twenty-second, and Xi Zhui’s get-together with his friends landed on the same night.

Dual Realm was the pinnacle of luxury private clubs in Berlin’s elite circles—never open to outsiders. Tucked inside a high-rise, entry came only by referral from fellow elites.

Even so, the private rooms booked up every night. There were no clear signs inside, and the corridors twisted in a deliberately labyrinthine design.

The usher led them deeper in and respectfully pushed open the door to their reserved room. “Right this way, everyone. Your private room, as pre-booked—please, come in.”

The custom wooden door revealed an entirely different world.

Black titanium mirrors floored the space, stretching to the whiskey wall at the far end. In front sat a semi-circular sofa booth for drinks.

Flanking it were floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed views: one side a refined dining area, the other packed with entertainment options that screamed absurd expense.

Even before stepping in, the bespoke scent wafting through the air carried that heady, decadent aroma reserved for high society.

“Holy shit.”

Sun Xuan let out a hushed exclamation, nudging Liao Qi’s arm. “Now this is seeing the world with Young Master Xi. He picked this spot to celebrate our success?”

Liao Qi whistled in awe, buzzing with excitement at the eye-opener. “I’m snapping ten or twenty selfies later and posting them with the location to flex on my Moments feed.”

Lin Keyang laughed. “Look at you guys, such small ambitions.”

Their mentor Qiao Liang had old friends in Berlin and was off meeting them tonight, leaving the young ones to have their fun.

Wen Chaosheng listened to his friends’ chatter, quietly stunned himself.

He’d figured it’d be a nice restaurant, nothing fancy—just a casual gathering. He hadn’t expected this level of extravagance.

This one night was gonna cost a fortune, right? Would his wallet have enough to cover the bill later?

Wen Chaosheng was lost in those sneaky worries when a tall, broad-shouldered young man rose from the sofa booth.

“You guys are finally here.”

“…”

Under the lights, the man’s mixed-race features looked strikingly sharp and profound. He had an air of refined poise just standing there.

It took Wen Chaosheng only a second to peg his identity.

Xi Zhui’s greeting confirmed it. “Zhao Ye.”

Shen Zhaoye stepped forward, skipping the chit-chat with Xi Zhui in favor of the long-unseen Wen Chaosheng. “Long time no see. Remember me?”

“Mm.”

Wen Chaosheng nodded slightly, though a sense of unfamiliarity lingered from the years apart.

They were all friends from childhood, but Shen Zhaoye gave off a totally different vibe from Xi Zhui—

He carried a maturity beyond their years, even more serious and upright than back then. It even gave off a faint “keep your distance” chill.

Xi Zhui introduced him to Sun Xuan and the others. “This is Shen Zhaoye, my childhood buddy. He’s a pretty well-known jewelry designer these days.”

Lin Keyang recognized him instantly—the guy fashion mags raved about—and tamped down her admiration. “Pretty well-known? You’re being way too modest.”

Holy crap!

This was a fashion world heavyweight you couldn’t even pay to show up! Rich folks’ networks were on another level!

Shen Zhaoye let Lin Keyang’s appraising look—which wasn’t rude—slide, then called out, “Julie.”

“Yeah, boss.” A Chinese girl at the bar grinned and walked over. “You’re here.”

Shen Zhaoye nodded toward them both with gentlemanly consideration. “Xi Zhui mentioned you’re the only girl in your group, Miss Lin, so I specially invited my assistant tonight. Hope you two hit it off.”

Julie smiled in greeting. “Hi, Miss Lin.”

Lin Keyang glanced at the pretty girl. “Hello.”

Julie was the friendly type and jumped right in. “Your curls are gorgeous!”

Lin Keyang replied, “Thanks. Your lipstick shade is beautiful too.”

“…”

Xi Zhui glanced at Sun Xuan and Liao Qi, who were gaping slack-jawed, and prompted, “Why don’t you four order dinner first?”

Those two were laid-back types, unbothered by any “status gap.” Food talk got them fired up. “OK!”

“Let’s feast!”

…

Wen Chaosheng stayed back in the booth area with Xi Zhui.

He wasn’t much of a talker, and his connection with Shen Zhaoye wasn’t close, so it took him a while to come up with, “Where’s Feng Yi? Not coming tonight?”

“He’s on his way. Just said traffic’s backed up a bit, so he should be here soon.” Shen Zhaoye explained briefly and picked up a decanted bottle of white wine. “You guys drink?”

“I can.”

Xi Zhui glanced at Wen Chaosheng, the image of him drunk flashing through his mind, and decided for him. “He can’t hold his liquor. Have the server bring some juice later.”

“…”

Juice.

Why did that sound so kid-friendly?

Wen Chaosheng’s thoughts wandered, but he didn’t protest Xi Zhui’s call. “Mm.”

Xi Zhui leaned toward him. “What kind of juice?”

Wen Chaosheng pondered seriously. “Mango, if that’s okay?”

Xi Zhui smiled. “Of course.”

“…”

Shen Zhaoye found himself oddly sidelined.

His probing gaze flicked between their faces, picking up on the subtle vibe, but he let it be.

He poured the lovely wine into glasses and passed them over.

Before they could sip, a brazen voice rang out. “Ding ding ding! The party’s here!”

The private room door swung open again, and a head of pink-dyed hair poked in.

“…”

“…”

Every eye in the room turned.

Xia Fengyi sauntered in, basking shamelessly in the stares. He scanned the room, zeroed in on Wen Chaosheng beside Xi Zhui, and charged over in a flash.

“Chaosheng! Long time no see. Missed me?”

“Mmph!”

Caught off guard, Wen Chaosheng got bear-hugged by Xia Fengyi. His balance tipped back violently, and in a blink, he was pinned flat on the sofa by the other man.

Xia Fengyi didn’t find the position remotely ambiguous. He reached up and started ruffling Wen Chaosheng’s curly hair, his chatterbox tendencies igniting in an instant. “Oh wow! Still so soft! I really envy your hair quality! How do you take care of it?”

Xi Zhui’s gaze flickered subtly, and for the first time, he felt the urge to throttle his overly lively childhood friend.

Wen Chaosheng was getting a bit short of breath from being pinned down, his face flushing as he pushed at him. “Fengyi, get… get off first.”

Xi Zhui, who had been sitting on the side, stood up without a word. He grabbed the hood of his friend’s sweatshirt and yanked it upward mercilessly. “Move.”

“Urgh—it’s choking my neck—”

Xia Fengyi was forced off the sofa. He shook off Xi Zhui’s grip with a swipe of his hand. “What’s your problem? Can’t I show some enthusiasm toward Chaosheng?”

Xi Zhui eyed his pink hair, amused. “When did you dye it? Last month when we met, it was still a normal color.”

“Just this past Sunday.” Xia Fengyi was immensely proud of his new look and showed it off. “What do you think? Pretty good, right?”

Xi Zhui’s verdict: “Zero medical student vibes.”

Shen Zhaoye nodded in agreement.

Unconvinced, Xia Fengyi shot back, “What do you know? What do any of you know? I volunteered at the pediatrics ward yesterday, and all those kids adored me!”

He plopped back down next to Wen Chaosheng and slung an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, give us your opinion, big director—”

Wen Chaosheng stared at Xia Fengyi. “Hm?”

“Chaosheng, doesn’t this hairstyle look good on me? Doesn’t this face of mine have movie star potential?”

Xia Fengyi shot a glance at Xi Zhui, brimming with confidence. “Definitely better suited to be your leading man than Xi Zhui, right?”

Xi Zhui scoffed. “I think med school has driven you nuts.”

He turned to Shen Zhaoye and pointed at Xia Fengyi’s head, mouthing a silent complaint: Something’s wrong up there.

Shen Zhaoye responded in perfect sync, tracing a question mark in the air with his index finger before nodding solemnly: Agreed.

“…”

Facing the onslaught from his friends, Xia Fengyi flipped them the bird with practiced ease, smiling sweetly all the while.

Two posers acting all cool.

Wen Chaosheng had watched the entire exchange between the three of them and couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle. “I think Fengyi’s hair color has a lot of personality. It suits him.”

“Chaosheng, you’ve got taste!” Deeply touched, Xia Fengyi snuggled right back up against Wen Chaosheng. “I knew we were on the same team!”

Xi Zhui jabbed, “Who wants to be on the same team as a flighty flirt like you?”

Ignoring him completely, Xia Fengyi seized the chance to gripe to Wen Chaosheng about their two friends. “Don’t hang around them too much. They look all suave and elegant, but their mouths are vicious.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lin Keyang’s curious voice piped up from behind them. “Who’s this pink-haired cutie?”

Xia Fengyi whipped around with an enthusiastic wave. “Hey! You must be Chaosheng’s friends, right?”

“Yep.”

“Friends of Chaosheng are friends of mine!”

Xia Fengyi clapped Wen Chaosheng on the shoulder and bounced over to the dining table. “Come on, come on—what do you all want to eat? Let me tell you, the crispy pork knuckle here is killer…”

Wen Chaosheng gazed at Xia Fengyi’s retreating back and his nonstop yammering mouth, a surge of admiration welling up inside him.

Xi Zhui slid back into the seat beside him and subtly reclaimed his attention. “Why are you staring at him?”

Wen Chaosheng suddenly thought of a weird question. He turned back and whispered to Xi Zhui, “Does Fengyi carry throat lozenges with him everywhere?”

How did his throat not get tired from talking all day?

Anyone else might have taken a moment to parse Wen Chaosheng’s train of thought, but Xi Zhui got it right away.

He played along with a grin. “Probably. Last time I was at his place, he had a whole cabinet stocked with them.”

Wen Chaosheng took him at his word. “Ah? Really?”

Xi Zhui couldn’t help but chuckle. “Kidding. You believe everything, huh.”

“Oh.”

With Xia Fengyi’s addition to the group, the vibe in the private room livened up immediately. After dinner, he rounded everyone up for a game of cards.

They paired off into teams of two—perfect for four groups. No money on the line; losers just had to down a drink.

The two girls got a pass on the alcohol, subbing in lemon juice for any losses.

Wen Chaosheng didn’t know a thing about card games like this, so he quietly stayed on the sidelines, letting his teammate Xi Zhui handle it.

Xi Zhui was having a rotten night for cards. He lost round after round once they started, knocking back several glasses of whiskey.

Every time he lost, he’d shoot Wen Chaosheng a rueful look, and the other man would comfort him softly. “It’s fine. You’re already doing great.”

During the mid-game break for settling scores, Xia Fengyi clicked his tongue in disbelief. “Hang on, Xi Zhui—how are you tanking this bad?”

The guy usually won nine out of ten games.

Shen Zhaoye shuffled his cards as he murmured a low-key heads-up. “Xi Zhui’s got his own strategy. Don’t ask if you don’t get it.”

Xia Fengyi eyed him suspiciously. “And you do?”

Shen Zhaoye replied, “More than you.”

“…”

Round after round of cards commenced.

Wen Chaosheng kept a subtle eye on the time and came up with a lame excuse. “Xi Zhui, you guys keep playing. I need to step out and call Teacher Qiao. Be right back.”

Xi Zhui paused mid-draw. “Want me to come with?”

“Nah, you play.”

Worried he’d give himself away if he lingered, Wen Chaosheng hurried out of the room. He patted the wallet already tucked in his pocket, planning to dash to the front desk and pay the bill ahead of everyone.

But as a first-timer, Wen Chaosheng had clearly overestimated his sense of direction—and underestimated how maze-like the Dual Realm’s layout was.

Lacking clear signs, he wandered through the twisting corridors, turning this way and that.

Not only did he fail to spot the front desk from when they’d arrived, he accidentally stumbled into the bar area instead.

Right then, a fresh blast of thumping music kicked off.

A row of spotlights on the ceiling swept across the room in a flash. Men and women of all sorts reveled in the central dance floor, clinking glasses while grinding up close in the heat of the moment.

Dual Realm lived up to its name: an entertainment club with two distinct vibes.

“…”

Wen Chaosheng had always steered clear of crowds like this. He instinctively took a couple steps back, intending to retrace his steps.

But before he could move, an arm slung around his shoulders. Then a drunken, flirtatious voice purred in his ear:

“Hi, cutie.”