The brief but fulfilling winter break came to an end, and Wen Chaosheng and Xi Zhui each plunged into a fresh round of hectic schedules.
As the winter chill faded and spring unleashed its full glory, by mid-May, the temperatures in Heng City had already skyrocketed.
Xi Zhui finished wrapping up his scenes in his ancient costume—layer upon layer of robes—and hurried past a barrage of cameras before slipping into the company’s dedicated shuttle van.
The driver started the engine and pulled away a short distance before commenting, “Feels like more fans have been staking out the set these past few days.”
The manager in the front passenger seat replied casually, “This drama’s pulling in huge online traffic. It’s already hot before even airing.”
The costume drama Xi Zhui was starring in was a big-budget IP adapted from a renowned novel. The male and female leads brought their own massive followings and buzz, and the production team had truly invested in the costumes, hairstyling, and props. From the start of filming—
Leaked set photos of the actors had been circulating nonstop online, and plenty of videos had even gone viral. As a result, the netizens’ anticipation was sky-high.
Xi Zhui played the second male lead.
Though his fanbase wasn’t as large as the leads’, his face was a knockout, and his popularity had been rising steadily lately.
He took a sip of his iced coffee to cool down, then held out his hand to the assistant. “My phone.”
“Oh, Brother Xi.” The assistant fished Xi Zhui’s phone from his pocket and handed it over. “Here.”
Xi Zhui took it quickly and unlocked the screen.
The top of his WeChat was Wen Chaosheng, whose profile picture was a photo of a dopey little turtle—Kuai Kuai.
Though work had forced them into different cities, they had a habit of keeping each other updated on their daily lives.
Xi Zhui tapped on Wen Chaosheng’s chat right away. Less than two seconds later, a flicker of disappointment creased his brow.
What was his partner so busy with today?
From early morning on set until now, he’d only gotten a single “good morning” in reply?
A glint of smoldering possessiveness stirred in the depths of Xi Zhui’s eyes. He was just about to message his vanishing lover when the manager up front suddenly handed back a stack of documents.
“Xi Zhui, take a look at this when you have time over the next couple days.”
“. . .”
Xi Zhui glanced up and took the stack. “What’s this?”
The manager explained, “Director Sun Maoyuan’s new movie in pre-production. You must’ve heard of him, right?”
Xi Zhui had spent most of his life overseas and wasn’t well-versed in the domestic entertainment scene; he only vaguely knew the name.
Before he could ask for details, the assistant perked up from the side. “I know him! The male lead from Assault Myanmar Stronghold!”
Sun Maoyuan had started out as a stunt performer, grinding away in the industry for twenty years and gaining some recognition.
Then five years ago, Sun Maoyuan had served as both producer and lead actor in the special forces flick Assault Myanmar Stronghold. It exploded at the box office, and even the sequel released three years later, Assault Myanmar Stronghold 2, shattered records.
The manager summed it up succinctly. “Director Sun’s prepping a new entry in the series. It’s a war epic with an ensemble cast. Xing Zongwei’s producing, and Big Dipper Films is footing most of the bill.”
“Industry insiders are rating it highly already. There’ll be group auditions next month—I want you to try out.”
With that kind of lineup, the film was bound to draw major stars and well-connected players, and the promotional push after release wouldn’t be half-hearted.
For Xi Zhui, who was still early in his career, landing even a tiny role in something like this would be a massive win.
The TV drama they were shooting now was just a short-term gig the company had arranged after careful consideration—no long-term plans there.
Xi Zhui had entered the industry to make movies in the first place. He nodded. “Got it. I’ll go over the synopsis carefully when I get home.”
Before long, the van pulled into a secluded gated community.
Too many randos and gawkers loitered around the hotel where the crew stayed. Xi Zhui hated getting hounded by so-called “fan photographers” and stalkers after hours, prying into his privacy. So he’d shelled out for a small apartment nearby.
His management team knew his background. The young master had the cash to upgrade his lifestyle and protect his privacy—no one had any reason to object.
The driver stopped in front of the last building. “We’re here.”
The manager added, “No call times tomorrow. Get some rest. Call if anything comes up.”
Xi Zhui nodded, got out, and strode into the building.
—
The elevator rose steadily. With no one else around to interrupt, Xi Zhui pulled out his phone once more.
His naturally stern face showed little expression, but his fingertips flew across the screen as he fired off a string of messages to Wen Chaosheng:
“Super busy today?”
“What’d you have for lunch?”
“Just wrapped. Not going out tonight. Reply when you see this.”
“Brother.”
“Don’t ignore me.”
Ding-dong.
The elevator doors slid open. Xi Zhui’s gaze lingered on the unanswered WeChat screen as he headed toward the door on the right out of habit. His eyes lifted casually—and his steps froze.
Bang.
The doors closed behind him with a soft thud.
The motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on, illuminating the figure right in front of him—
Wen Chaosheng, who was supposed to be working in Haishi City, had appeared out of nowhere at his doorstep. He sat curled up on a somewhat compact suitcase, knees drawn together, looking small and compact.
To the left of his suitcase sat a mini terrarium with a dopey little turtle inside. To the right was a birdcage, where a glossy black bird perched.
“. . .”
One turtle, one man, one bird—that was the entirety of what filled Xi Zhui’s vision.
The chill between his brows melted away in an instant. Even his breathing slowed unconsciously, as if he feared this was just a hallucination from overworking on set.
Hearing the noise, Wen Chaosheng looked up. The screen of the phone in his hands glowed softly, accentuating his naturally gentle eyes and brows.
He stood. “Xi Zhui, I wasn’t too busy today, but driving to Heng City took a bit.”
“Lunch was a nori rice triangle from a highway rest stop.”
“I wasn’t ignoring you. I was waiting right here for you.”
Each sentence answered one of the messages Xi Zhui had just sent.
“. . .”
Finally convinced this was real, Xi Zhui hurried forward and pulled his long-missed lover into a fierce embrace. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me ahead of time?”
Wen Chaosheng didn’t resist the tight hug. Instead, he leaned into it, savoring Xi Zhui’s scent. “I wrapped up most of my stuff, and there’s still time before the new movie starts shooting. So I figured I’d surprise you.”
Xi Zhui had shared his exact address in Heng City over WeChat before, so he’d snuck his way here.
At first, security had blocked Wen Chaosheng at the gate. He’d had to explain forever and even register with ID before they let him in.
But after renting the place, Xi Zhui had worked with the landlord to install a fingerprint lock. Wen Chaosheng still couldn’t get in, so he’d had no choice but to wait obediently at the door.
Xi Zhui released him, his eyes brimming with concern—and delight. “How long were you waiting? You’re such an idiot. What if I’d wrapped super late today?”
Wen Chaosheng replied, “You shared the call sheet with me. I knew you’d be done early.”
“Come here.”
Xi Zhui led Wen Chaosheng to the apartment door and immediately added his fingerprints.
Moments later, the lock beeped mechanically: “Host 002 added successfully. Recognition complete. Welcome home.”
Wen Chaosheng beamed inwardly. “That do it?”
“Mm-hm.”
Xi Zhui had just pushed the door open when a loud squawk erupted from behind them. “Jay! Jay! Hungry! Hungry!”
“. . .”
Xi Zhui froze, turning toward the sound.
Inside the cage, the black bird hopped around frantically, its voice crystal clear. “Hungry! Human, Big Boss is hungry—”
Xi Zhui’s brow arched slightly. “This bird?”
Wen Chaosheng gave an embarrassed smile. “It’s a gift. For you.”
He took a couple steps back, cradling Wen Kuai Kuai’s terrarium in one hand and lifting the birdcage with the other. He eyed the suitcase at his feet, then shot Xi Zhui a pleading look.
Xi Zhui didn’t press for now. He stepped up, grabbed the suitcase, and said, “Let’s head inside. We can talk there.”
“Mm.”
. . .
In the spacious, sunlit living room, Wen Chaosheng set the birdcage on the coffee table. He dug into his backpack right away and fed the little guy a couple of bird treats through the bars.
Xi Zhui grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, twisted off the cap, and handed it over. “Alright, spill. What’s the deal with this bird?”
“It’s a myna. Almost nine months old.”
Wen Chaosheng was indeed thirsty and took a couple gulps before explaining to Xi Zhui. “It talks.”
Eager to show off, he greeted the myna in the cage. “Hello.”
The myna was already familiar with Wen Chaosheng’s scent. It eyed Xi Zhui appraisingly before declaring proudly, “Hello, human. Hello.”
“. . .”
Xi Zhui’s brow quirked. “For me? Because I gave you Wen Kuai Kuai before?”
Wen Chaosheng wasn’t sure how to read his expression and felt a touch anxious. “You don’t like it?”
Xi Zhui was busy shooting all the time. Cats and dogs would’ve been too much upkeep.
Wen Chaosheng had racked his brain and settled on a bird. But budgies—the hot pick in the bird world—were too cutesy, not matching Xi Zhui’s vibe. So he’d gone with a myna instead.
“Not that I don’t like it. Just surprised. Never figured you’d get me a myna.”
Xi Zhui wrapped his arms around Wen Chaosheng from behind, leaning down to breathe in the faint coconut milk scent on his skin—not overpowering, but utterly addictive.
Wen Chaosheng happily let himself be used as a pillow and went on. “The bird shop owner said it was the smartest one they had. He didn’t even want to sell—wanted to keep it for himself.”
Wen Chaosheng had bought the myna at the end of last year. Aside from boarding it at the shop over the holidays, he’d hand-reared it the rest of the time.
Xi Zhui examined the little black bird in the cage and had to admit it was a fine specimen. “Named it yet?”
“Mm-hm.” Wen Chaosheng nodded and called out, “Black Boss!”
At once, Black Boss perked up his head smugly. “Here! Jay!”
Xi Zhui caught the sudden interplay between man and bird and couldn’t help chuckling. “You two sure get along.”
Wen Chaosheng rarely let a hint of smug pride slip through. “I’ve been teaching it for ages. It knows a bunch of other short phrases too, you know?”
In fact, he’d even tried teaching it one phrase with a special meaning, hoping Black Boss would pass it along to Xi Zhui.
Unfortunately, Black Boss hadn’t quite mastered it yet.
Wen Chaosheng added, “You can teach it new stuff from now on. And if you’re bored after wrapping up on set, you can play with it too.”
Xi Zhui smiled and took the bird treats from Wen Chaosheng’s hand, feeding Black Boss a couple of bites. “If I let it out, will it fly away?”
“It won’t.”
Wen Chaosheng was confident that Black Boss was well-trained enough—that was why he’d brought it as a gift in the first place.
Unfazed, Xi Zhui simply opened the birdcage.
Black Boss tentatively extended a claw, confirmed that Xi Zhui had no harmful intentions, and then flapped its wings to circle the living room several times, chattering all the while:
“Fun! Fun! Interesting! Interesting!”
Wen Chaosheng called out, “Black Boss, no flying around like that!”
Black Boss spiraled down but didn’t return to the cage.
Instead, it perched on the edge of the terrarium, leaned forward with impressive skill, and expertly pecked at the turtle shell with its beak. “Kuai Kuai! Kuai Kuai! Dumb turtle! Don’t sleep!”
Kuai Kuai ignored it completely, huddled motionless inside its shell and fast asleep.
Ever protective of his favorites, Wen Chaosheng reached out and rapped the myna bird lightly on the head, lecturing it sternly. “Bad bird, you’re not allowed to bully Brother.”
Black Boss seemed unconvinced. “Birds rock!”
“…”
Xi Zhui stared at the ridiculous yet utterly charming scene unfolding before him, then buried his face in the crook of Wen Chaosheng’s neck and chuckled softly.
All the exhaustion from his grueling non-stop filming schedule in the sweltering summer heat vanished the moment Wen Chaosheng had arrived. He could have stayed wrapped around him like this forever.
Wen Chaosheng’s neck prickled with itchiness from the warm breath, and he tilted his head away. “Xi Zhui, what are you laughing at?”
“Nothing.”
Seizing the moment, Xi Zhui pressed a kiss to his earlobe. “Thanks for the gift, Brother. I love it.”
