Xian Sui felt inexplicably uncomfortable under that gaze and subconsciously avoided Gu Fanzhou’s eyes. The other man seemed to have no intention of joining Xian Sui’s side, so the latter simply acted as if Gu Fanzhou did not exist, ignoring the gaze that might still be lingering on his spine.
Just as he turned back around, his elbow accidentally hit the half-empty cocktail glass on the table. The glass tipped over, and the liquid inside spilled onto the hand Xie Tangqing had casually placed on the surface.
“I am sorry, Sister Tangqing.” Xian Sui first righted the glass to keep the remaining liquor from spilling out, then hurriedly grabbed a handful of napkins to wipe dry the back of Xie Tangqing’s hand. Evidently paying it no mind, she simply pulled back her hand and gave Xian Sui’s shoulder a warm pat, indicating it was nothing. “Your drink is all gone now. Let me order you another one. What would you like?”
Xian Sui found it hard to turn down Xie Tangqing’s kind offer. He accepted the drink menu she handed over and reordered the cocktail he had not quite finished earlier. Its sweet taste was quite addictive to Xian Sui, and unable to restrain himself, he finished one glass after another, refusing to stop even as his head grew heavy and dizzy.
Xie Tangqing had not paid much attention to him at first, but when she casually glanced back over, she noticed Xian Sui’s flushed face and realized something was amiss. “Xian Sui?”
“Sister Tangqing,” Xian Sui downed the rest of his drink in one go, blinking blankly at Xie Tangqing. “This wine is delicious. Why don’t you order a glass too?”
“You must be drunk,” Xie Tangqing said, trying to hold up a two gesture in front of Xian Sui and shaking it vigorously. “How many fingers is this?”
“That is an index finger and a middle finger,” Xian Sui answered solemnly, his gaze fixed on Xie Tangqing’s fingers for a long while. At this point, even Xie Tangqing found it hard to tell whether Xian Sui was actually drunk or not; saying he was drunk did not quite fit since he could recognize the fingers, yet saying he was sober did not work either since his answers made no sense.
Not knowing what to do with him and just to be safe, Xie Tangqing simply asked a nearby man to help carry Xian Sui out to a car and send him home. Before she could even voice her request, Gu Fanzhou suddenly walked over from the opposite bar counter, stopping Xian Sui’s attempt to order yet another drink. “You are drunk.”
“How can you get drunk on sweet wine? I am very clear-headed,” Xian Sui met Gu Fanzhou’s gaze and blinked heavily several times. “You are Brother Gu, I know that.”
“Come back with me.” Gu Fanzhou pulled Xian Sui into his arms and, worried that the other man might thrash about, simply pressed a hand against his spine so that Xian Sui had no choice but to press right against him.
In reality, however, when Xian Sui was drunk he did not really make a fuss; instead, he would suddenly stare at the face of whoever was next to him for a long moment, then speak very slowly. “Back where? It is so late now, no cars are willing to go to my place.”
“My car is willing.” Gu Fanzhou pinched Xian Sui’s flushed cheeks, surprised even at himself for making such a gesture. Half-carrying Xian Sui, he left the bar, draped his own jacket over Xian Sui’s shoulders before heading out the door, and finally settled him into the back seat of his car.
Xian Sui did not put up much of a struggle, obediently curling up in the back row until just as Gu Fanzhou was about to start the engine, when he slowly spoke up. “You are not allowed to go to my house.”
“Why? Are we not close?” Gu Fanzhou’s tone instantly dropped.
“Because,” Xian Sui poked his finger against Gu Fanzhou’s car seat, “your car will not be watched by anyone, and it will get scratched.”
“It does not matter.” Just as Gu Fanzhou reached for the gear shift, Xian Sui suddenly lunged forward to stop him. “You cannot go.”
Truly at his wit’s end, Gu Fanzhou maneuvered him back into an upright position against the seat back. “Then we will not go. I will take you to the villa.”
“A villa?” Xian Sui met Gu Fanzhou’s gaze once more. Looking as though he could not quite recall what this villa was, he blinked blankly, his long eyelashes fluttering very slowly.
Gu Fanzhou could not help letting out a soft laugh. “Just be a good boy, and I will take you to get some rest once we get out of the car.”
Xian Sui seemed to have truly listened to Gu Fanzhou’s words, remaining quiet and well-behaved in the back seat the whole way. When Gu Fanzhou opened the car door for him, he looked right into the other man’s face and asked, “Are we here?”
“We are here.” Gu Fanzhou lifted Xian Sui out of the car, carrying him all the way up to the third-floor guest room in the villa that had been kept for him, and laid him down on the bed.
Gu Fanzhou had someone bring over a damp towel and unbuttoned Xian Sui’s shirt with the intention of wiping him down, but his hands froze when a vast expanse of snowy-white chest was suddenly revealed.
The skin was even faintly flushed red from the alcohol.
Seeing Gu Fanzhou standing completely still, Xian Sui raised his hands to unbutton the rest of the shirt himself, only to be stopped by Gu Fanzhou, who systematically buttoned them all back up one by one.
Xian Sui looked at him with a deeply puzzled expression. Ignoring him, Gu Fanzhou slid the towel under Xian Sui’s hem and began wiping him down with meticulous care.
“Stop looking at me with that innocent expression,” Gu Fanzhou’s thumb pressed against Xian Sui’s tear mole. “Who were you trying to save by turning down my invitation? Xie Tangqing? Do you like women?”
“I liked girls in high school,” Xian Sui blurted out without much thought.
Gu Fanzhou’s thumb pressed slightly harder against his tear mole. “Is your so-called desire to be a good person just turning around and getting close to Xie Tangqing again?”
Xian Sui paused for a moment, appearing to seriously ponder the meaning behind Gu Fanzhou’s words. “Not really understanding.”
“Since that is the case, why can that person not be me?” Gu Fanzhou abruptly leaned close to Xian Sui’s face, causing the latter to shrink back a fraction, startled.
“Forget it,” Gu Fanzhou retreated to his previous position and wiped the palms of Xian Sui’s hands. “Why am I even trying to reason with a drunk?”
When Xian Sui woke up, he felt a dull ache in his head. He could not quite remember what had happened last night or how he had ended up at Gu Fanzhou’s villa.
Right at that moment, Gu Fanzhou pushed the door open and entered. Xian Sui met his gaze. “Brother Gu, did you bring me back?”
“Do you not remember?”
Xian Sui shook his head. Gu Fanzhou did not elaborate further, simply telling him to head downstairs for breakfast, after which he would drive him to the studio.
Perhaps it was just Xian Sui’s imagination, but Gu Fanzhou seemed rather disinclined to dwell on last night’s events, so Xian Sui tactfully chose not to ask.
The two remained silent throughout the drive to the studio. Only after getting out of the car did Xian Sui spot his assistant waiting there, who rushed over anxiously to ask why he had not answered his phone last night.
“I only felt relieved when I saw Brother Gu,” the assistant said with a sigh of relief. “I thought something happened to Brother Xian Sui.”
“I am fine, let us head in.” Xian Sui patted his assistant’s shoulder, then turned back to nod at Gu Fanzhou.
This scene was being filmed at Capital of the Night. Xian Sui was shooting a confrontational scene with Meng Qiao, where Master Fu comes to look for Jian Shuyu as he usually did.
“Long time no see, Master Fu,” Jian Shuyu said, sitting down beside Master Fu. “Shuyu thought you had taken a fancy to some other girl.”
“I have simply been busy with a few matters, Shuyu. Open a bottle of your finest wine first.” Master Fu let out a low chuckle. “Besides, you are not really a girl.”
Jian Shuyu suppressed his expression to keep it from changing. When he returned holding the wine bottle, Master Fu instinctively pulled him into his arms, his hands roaming up and down his waist. “Minglou has not been seen much lately. He is always giving people something to worry about.”
“Young Master surely has his own important matters to attend to,” Jian Shuyu poured wine into Master Fu’s cup. “It is a good thing for him to get out more, so Master need not worry too much over it.”
“Is that so?”
Master Fu gripped Jian Shuyu’s chin tightly, forcing him to look up. “I wonder what kind of important matters he is busy with?”
“Young Master is not a child; he likely has no shortage of heavy things on his mind, things an outsider like Shuyu could never see through.” Jian Shuyu feigned calmness.
Instead of answering, Master Fu brought the wine glass right to Jian Shuyu’s lips, forcing him to drink down every last drop of the liquor.
“Master Fu, Shuyu will toast you another cup.” Jian Shuyu wiped the wine from the corner of his lips with his thumb, poured another glass, and drained it in a single breath.
To keep Fu Minglou from suffering, whether it was drinking or anything else, Jian Shuyu had to do his utmost to please Master Fu.
Once the wine bottle was completely emptied, Jian Shuyu danced a routine with Master Fu.
It seemed Master Fu’s purpose in coming this time was not entirely for amusement; mostly, it was to issue a warning to Jian Shuyu.
In truth, Jian Shuyu possessed nothing; apart from dressing up as a woman, he held no real leverage in Master Fu’s hands.
When Jian Shuyu dared to walk alongside Fu Minglou, he had already anticipated the consequences. If his true identity as a man were ever exposed, it would not be too difficult for him to accept.
Master Fu apparently had no intention of making a move just yet, and as soon as the dance ended, he left Capital of the Night.
Jian Shuyu thought he would finally get a moment to rest, but to his surprise, Fu Minglou was already waiting in a private booth like a guest in the shadows, sitting right there before him.
“Why did you not give a heads-up when you came?” Jian Shuyu slipped his fingers into the gaps between Fu Minglou’s, their hands interlocking.
“Give what heads-up?” Fu Minglou pulled his hand back. “To disturb you being all lovey-dovey with my old man?”
“Shuyu is a dancer, and must serve the guests after all. It would not do to give people the cold shoulder.”
“Shuyu,” Fu Minglou’s lips moved a few times before he finally spoke. “Can you not leave this place?”
“If I leave Capital of the Night, where else could Shuyu go, and what would I do?” Jian Shuyu fished out a woman’s cigarette, toyed with it for a moment, but ultimately did not light it in front of Fu Minglou.
The air fell silent instantly, as if all the hustle and bustle of the outside world had been sealed away.
“Alright,” Jian Shuyu pressed his thigh firmly against Fu Minglou’s. “You did not come to Capital of the Night just to make yourself miserable. Want a drink?”
“Open the wine you opened for my old man just now.” Fu Minglou stood up and walked ahead into the private room Jian Shuyu usually reserved for him, followed shortly after by Jian Shuyu carrying the bottle of wine.
“Minglou,” Jian Shuyu did not rush to pour the drink, instead leaning right up to Fu Minglou’s ear. “Are you jealous of Master Fu?”
Fu Minglou did not answer, so Jian Shuyu took the initiative and kissed the side of his face.
“Stop talking.” Fu Minglou locked Jian Shuyu tightly in his arms. Sitting right on Fu Minglou’s lap, Jian Shuyu had his back and waist held firmly in a powerful embrace.
Fu Minglou kissed Jian Shuyu’s lips with near-brutal intensity.
Originally, this kiss should not have lasted long; Xian Sui could easily have handled a scene like this.
Yet for some reason, at this very moment, the strength in Gu Fanzhou’s grip grew stronger and stronger, showing no signs of letting go.
His lips were practically gnawed on, as if he were about to be devoured whole, forcing Yu Zhifu to hurriedly call cut.
Gu Fanzhou reluctantly pulled back. Since Xian Sui was still sitting on top of him, he could clearly feel Gu Fanzhou’s gaze, the exact same one from the bar.
“Fanzhou,” Yu Zhifu stared at the monitor playback, his brows knitting tighter and tighter. “Do you know you are acting?”