Chapter 24

The D·A·Y endorsement promo video shoot was scheduled for eight o’clock that evening.

Before the official meeting, the three parties had already held their own discussions. The D.A.Y Art Director expressed his desired actions and atmosphere through hand-drawn sketches.

“I have only one requirement,” the Art Director said in a foreign language. “Tension, understand? I mean, tension.”

The D·A·Y endorsement promo video had three versions: Water Moon Mirror Flower, Surface and Inner Mountains and Rivers, and Hanging Like Sun and Moon.

Shorthand: water, land, and air.

Before the official promo video shoot, Yu Xi and Yi Chen had to do another shoot first.

—A collaborative fan-service interaction video.

“Be natural, just be natural.”

Liu Yun and photographer Guan Zifan were very experienced with this kind of video. “Don’t stand too close or too far. Best to have your elbows brush secretly, hand backs—hey, yes, hand backs brushing occasionally. Good, Yi Chen, keep walking. Yu Xi, yes, you stop for two seconds, quietly cover your hand back, no expression. 1, 2, good, OK, keep walking forward.”

Watching the photographer standing on a ladder, disguised as a surveillance camera, shooting down from above.

Yu Xi: “…”

Yi Chen: “…”

After the photographer finished shooting, he lay on the ladder and reviewed the playback several times. “A bit unnatural, expressions a little stiff. Want to do it again?”

Yu Xi: “…We’ve already shot these few steps twelve times. How could it not be stiff?”

The photographer: “Interaction videos need to capture the most natural, sweetest moment. No worries, we’ll leave it like this for now. You two go shoot the promo video first. I’ll see if I can grab some candid shots.”

The photographer nimbly climbed down the ladder, hoisted his equipment, and ran toward the shooting site to claim a spot before filming began.

Yi Chen sighed. “So pure romance. Who knew fan-service collab videos were this pure love.”

Yu Xi: “…Can’t act pure love, so why take it on?”

“You can’t act it either?” Yi Chen turned the conversation. “Have we ever had anything like this before? Pure love?”

Yu Xi thought back a little.

Hmm… it seemed, probably, maybe, perhaps… they hadn’t had such purely romantic and ambiguous times.

Before dating, the two of them didn’t get along at all. They competed fiercely over grades, studied in the classroom until the last one, dragged their friends to fight for the first light in the water room at five a.m., used gaming to distract each other while actually hiring substitutes to play and sneaking off to study themselves. They gamed all day, only to find out the subs had soloed all day.

On the day they confirmed their relationship, they got into a fierce fight over some misunderstanding, then kissed in the rain with bruised faces afterward.

Later… later…

Yu Xi: “…”

No, why was he going along with Yi Chen’s words and thinking about the past?

Did it matter what it was like before?

No matter how impure, they still broke up.

Yu Xi stopped talking, but Yi Chen looked like he was about to burst out. Fearing Yi Chen would bring up the past, Yu Xi cut him off before he could speak. “Public place. Watch your words.”

The subsequent shoot didn’t go smoothly.

D·A·Y had prepared ample props, the set was beautiful, the photographer was skilled, and Yu Xi and Yi Chen were experienced. Visually, the footage was impressive—composition, makeup, and looks were all top-tier eye-catchers. With minimal post-production, it would absolutely become a high-quality promo video.

But the Art Director was never satisfied.

He kept dragging the progress bar on a certain segment. “No, it doesn’t feel right.”

“What’s wrong? Specifically where?” The staff went to communicate with him.

The blond director stroked his chin, pondering his words. “The eyes. I can’t see the bond in their eyes, no story in their gazes. No atmosphere when they’re together, no feeling. I’m not satisfied.”

When the staff relayed the director’s words to Guan Zifan and Liu Yun—two pros with tons of client experience who could distill a client’s rambling multilingual demands into precise, satisfying requirements—they were both baffled.

Liu Yun: “?”

Guan Zifan: “?”

Tension?

What exactly counted as tension?

What feeling did the D·A·Y director want?

It was already late, and the staff who’d been shooting all day were exhausted. The director waved his hand. “No problem. We’ll continue tomorrow. Yu Xi, Yi Chen, you two go back first and cultivate some feelings.”

Yu Xi removed his makeup in a daze, changed clothes, and waited by the roadside for his driver.

At that moment, only one question filled Yu Xi’s mind.

Cultivate feelings?

How could he and Yi Chen cultivate feelings?

No, it wasn’t right to simply refer to a person by name.

How was he supposed to cultivate feelings with his ex-boyfriend?

What feelings?!

Yu Xi: “…”

He needed to talk to someone to forget this exhausting problem.

Yu Xi dialed Ji Ruiou’s number.

Ji Ruiou was off today too, and without work, he was a night owl—probably still awake.

Given Ji Ruiou’s personality, he usually picked up Yu Xi’s calls immediately, but this time, he let it ring until the last tone before hastily answering.

“What’s up?” Ji Ruiou asked, his voice tinged with drunkenness. “Calling at this hour… something happen?”

The background noise on the other end was loud—heavy metal music thumping through the receiver. Clearly not at home.

“Where are you?” Yu Xi asked.

“Me? I’m at…”

Before Ji Ruiou could finish, a raspy duck voice came from beside him. “Xiao Ou, who are you calling? Come play! We’re just missing you! Not trying to dodge drinks, are you?”

Drinking?

Yu Xi keenly caught the keyword. “You’re drinking again? You had stomach bleeding and were hospitalized just days ago, and you’re going again? You trying to die?!”

Ji Ruiou: “It’s fine. I’m only drinking a little today. Wang Ge’s cool, he won’t force me.”

Duck Voice urged again. Ji Ruiou shouted aside, “Coming, coming!” Then to Yu Xi: “Don’t worry too much. Can I call you back when I get home?”

“Where are you?” Yu Xi’s tone suddenly turned serious.

“Yu Xi, I’m fine.”

“Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“I…”

On the other end, Duck Voice suddenly came close again, yelling, “Your friend looking for you? Tell him to come play! Heaven and Earth Mansion, room 137. Mention Wang Ge’s name, they’ll show you. Xiao Ou’s friend! Come on, Xiao Ou, we’re waiting!”

With that, the duck voice hung up.

Damn it.

Yu Xi hurriedly contacted his driver.

Perhaps in the parking lot with bad signal, the driver didn’t pick up. Just then, Yi Chen drove by, stopped in front of Yu Xi, and rolled down the window.

Yi Chen: “You…”

Click.

Yu Xi yanked open the door and sat in the back seat. “Heaven and Earth Mansion, room 137.”

Yi Chen: “?”

The car didn’t move.

Yu Xi looked up. “Drive?”

Yi Chen: “Did you get in the wrong car?”

Yu Xi: “?”

Yi Chen: “I’m not your Didi.”

Yu Xi: “I know. You’re my pressed-into-service coolie.”

Yi Chen was silent for a second, then quietly stepped on the accelerator.

The car merged into traffic, night scenes sliding past the windows. No music played inside, only their slightly awkward breathing.

Yu Xi didn’t speak.

He kept his head down, redialing Ji Ruiou nonstop, but that damn duck voice must have shut off Ji Ruiou’s phone after hanging up. Every call got the “The number you have dialed is powered off” message.

Yu Xi’s expression was extremely grim, staring straight ahead darkly.

Yi Chen felt unnerved by Yu Xi’s gaze. “What are you going to Heaven and Earth Mansion for?”

Yu Xi turned off the screen; the back seat light vanished, leaving a dim quiet. “Xiao Ou got tricked into drinking.”

“Tricked?”

“Which audition makes you drink? At this hour?” Yu Xi was full of irritation. “Xiao Ou’s stubborn, too desperate for a chance. He drank till stomach bleeding days ago, and now again. I’m worried he’s been scammed.”

Yi Chen asked no more, floored the gas, and sped toward the destination.

Yu Xi’s worry wasn’t unfounded.

Soon, they reached the room the duck voice mentioned. Pushing open the door, they saw Duck Voice, a middle-aged, balding, greasy man, with his arm around Ji Ruiou’s waist, holding a wine glass, teasing nonstop and forcing it into Ji Ruiou’s mouth. Ji Ruiou resisted, red wine already soaking his white shirt, but Duck Voice didn’t stop—instead, he egged on: “Finish this glass, and I’ll take you to the director. You’ve sacrificed so much for the role— what’s one more glass?”

“Won’t let me touch, won’t drink—Ji Ruiou, what good are you to us? Drink! Finish it! Or should I hold you a bit?”

The crowd roared with laughter, the raucous noise exploding in the enclosed space thick with sickening booze stench, instantly igniting the fuse in Yu Xi’s brain.

Fuck, what middleman, what introducer—this was a straight-up lawless thug!!

Yu Xi kicked the door open and charged into the crowd, prying the greasy man’s claws off and shielding Ji Ruiou behind him.

The drunk bunch reacted slowly. A stranger bursting in caught them off guard, and only after a while did Duck Voice stammer, “Who the hell are you? Barging in for trouble? Know who we are?”

“I don’t care who you are,” Yu Xi snapped irritably. “Forcing drinks under the guise of introductions? Bringing people to ‘play’? I can suspect illegal activity!”

“Oh?” Duck Voice laughed. “I get it. The one who called Xiao Ou earlier? Not here to play, but to play white knight? Let’s see if you can protect him here, now!”

Under alcohol, people got impulsive. Duck Voice raised his hand slightly, and the room’s group stood, circling closer to Yu Xi and Ji Ruiou.

“Yu Xi, I’m fine, really fine,” Ji Ruiou’s voice was hoarse from booze, weak and limp. “I’ll finish drinking, right away…”

“Bullshit fine,” Yu Xi was truly furious. “Who knows where this bunch’ll drag you after!”

In the dim private room thick with booze fumes, music pierced eardrums and shook chests, strobe lights slashing like swords now and then. Impulses, irritability, rage—all amplified endlessly in such an environment.

Conflict was about to erupt.

Then, snap—the overhead lights blazed on, music cut off, harsh white light pouring down.

“Everyone, everyone.”

It was Yi Chen’s voice.

“Things that can be solved with words don’t need fists, right?”

The room turned toward the voice.

Perhaps the sudden quiet and light sobered them; they finally saw clearly who had burst in.

Yu Xi and Yi Chen.

Big stars! Never seen in person, but all over the internet.

The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Duck Voice sauntered familiarly toward Yu Xi. “Didn’t expect Xiao Ou to call in two big stars! Come play!”

The crowd laughed.

“I’m not here to play,” Yu Xi said. “I’m taking Xiao Ou.”

“Sure.” Duck Voice pulled out his phone, opened the dial pad, finger hovering over call. “Take him. I’ll make a call later, and Xiao Ou won’t get into the crew. Anyway, with you two star friends, he can get any resources he wants—no need for our crew.”

“Yeah, hahaha!” The crowd hooted.

“No.” Ji Ruiou clutched Yu Xi’s clothes. “Don’t. I’m fine. You go first. I’ll drink. Wang Ge, this drink—I’ll have it.”

“No more drinking.” Yu Xi’s tone was heavy. “One more and I won’t be picking you up from the Emergency Department.”

Yu Xi didn’t yield. Instead, he pried open a bottle of booze and raised it. “This bottle—I’ll drink it for him.”

He looked at the duck voice. “Whatever between me and you, don’t trip up Xiao Ou.”

Yu Xi tilted his head back and chugged straight from the bottle.

“Good! Teacher Yu Xi’s straightforward! We’ll give Teacher Yu Xi face today! Xiao Ou wants a fair audition slot? I’ll give it.” Duck Voice took the win. “But whether he gets the role? Can’t guarantee—up to his own skill.”

He sent a text on the spot; the reply came quick: a single “OK.”

Ji Ruiou’s eyes lit up.

He’d drunk with this crowd for days, endured their filthy talk, all for that one “OK.”

Soon, he lowered his eyes again, emotions flickering faintly within them.

To him, it was a desperate bid to please and accommodate, even at the cost of gastric bleeding. But to Yu Xi, it was just one appearance, one sentence, one bottle of liquor.

Yu Xi wasn’t much of a drinker. No matter the type of alcohol, it all tasted bitter to him the moment it touched his tongue.

He tried his best to appear carefree.

A warm hand steadied his wrist—it was Yi Chen. Yi Chen took away the half-empty bottle from him.

“Half is enough,” Yi Chen said. “Don’t drink the rest.”

He then pried open another bottle and handed it to Duck Voice. “I’ll cover the drinks for the second half.”

“Hahaha! Straightforward!!!”

Drinking was all about the atmosphere.

And with someone footing the bill, the vibe was even better.

Someone turned off the main lights, and the room darkened once more. Colored lights cascaded from above. In the dim glow, Yi Chen’s jawline and neck stood out sharply. As he spoke, his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Yu Xi was momentarily stunned.

He quickly forced his gaze away.

“Which production team are you with?” Yu Xi asked Duck Voice.

“How should I know? As long as I can get someone in for an audition, that’s fine, right?”

Yu Xi: “…”

Duck Voice shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. I haven’t broken any laws. Just calling people out for a few meals and drinks— what’s wrong with that?”

The farce didn’t last much longer.

Duck Voice had a list full of rookie actors begging for a slot from him. Ji Ruiou was gone, but there were plenty more where that came from.

They sent Ji Ruiou back to his place.

“Don’t go out drinking again for a while,” Yu Xi warned sternly. “I’ll check on you every day. Take care of your stomach.”

“Okay.” Ji Ruiou hung his head like a child who’d been caught misbehaving. “What happens if you find out?”

“Then I’ll set up a meeting, force you to sign with a manager—I’ll handle your jobs, pick your scripts. As long as I haven’t fallen from grace, you won’t starve.”

Ji Ruiou waved his hands frantically. “I don’t want that.”

“It’s actually pretty good,” Yu Xi pushed hard. “No grievances, total freedom.”

“I…”

“You want to make it on your own.” Yu Xi knew exactly what Ji Ruiou would say. “That’s fine. I’ll always have your back. But Xiao Ou, you absolutely cannot use your body as bargaining chips, okay?”

Ji Ruiou nodded vigorously.

“Alright, go inside and rest,” Yu Xi said.

Ji Ruiou looked puzzled. “Aren’t you coming in? It’s late. Do you have to head back?”

Yu Xi’s hand rested on the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’ve got a shoot tomorrow. It’s faster to head straight there from my place.”

He watched as Ji Ruiou entered the elevator, then Yu Xi returned to the underground garage.

Yi Chen hadn’t left. He was waiting for Yu Xi.

Yu Xi hurried toward the car, his steps quickening, faster and faster. He yanked open the door and collapsed inside.

The car shook. Yi Chen turned back in surprise.

Yu Xi’s face was deathly pale. He curled up in the back seat, clutching the back of his neck with his palm, his shoulders trembling. His pheromones couldn’t be contained—they leaked from between his fingers.

Ever since leaving the mansion, Yu Xi had felt terribly off.

It wasn’t just the dizziness from the alcohol. It was a sudden draining of strength from his entire body, a sharp pain at the back of his neck that had throbbed the whole way. His breathing was labored, his chest felt stuffed with cotton—no matter how hard he inhaled, he couldn’t get enough air. His head throbbed and spun.

Yu Xi had a rough guess: this unnatural state was probably the precursor Heat Period before Secondary Differentiation, just as the doctor had warned. Damn it—he hadn’t brought his meds.

He’d been an Alpha for over a decade, habitually carrying Pheromone Blocker Patches and suppressant spray every day, but he’d never made a habit of carrying his actual medication.

Yu Xi could only endure it.

He endured until dropping Ji Ruiou off, until confirming the guy wouldn’t pull any more stunts, until getting back into the car.

Clutching the back of his neck tightly, Yu Xi mustered his remaining strength. “Go… to the hospital…”

But pheromones couldn’t be held back like that. The moment Yu Xi completely lost his strength, they surged past the blocker patch, erupting throughout the car.

A thick gardenia scent instantly filled every inch of the vehicle, saturating the air.

Yet the car didn’t move.

“You fucking… drive…” Yu Xi forced his head up, squeezing out the words.

What he saw was Yi Chen’s rigid back and unusually rapid, uneven breathing.

“Can’t… drive…” Yi Chen’s voice trembled. Clearly, he was fighting to control himself, but against an Alpha’s instincts, all restraint was futile.

The car had malfunctioned out of nowhere—it wouldn’t start, and the doors could only be opened from the outside. Yi Chen had meant to warn Yu Xi before he got in, but Yu Xi had moved too fast, flinging open the door and collapsing into the back seat without giving him a chance to speak.

And so, Yu Xi—without his meds and suddenly hit with the precursor Heat Period of Secondary Differentiation—and Yi Chen were trapped together in the sealed car, thick with pheromones.