The Puppy Wants You to Hold Him
In Haishi, an autumn rain had just passed, and the leaves lining the streets were gradually turning golden.
Xie Yun had finished his meeting and dinner with the director. After changing into a thick hoodie back at the hotel, he took a taxi to the Stellar Entertainment building.
He dropped by so often that he was more comfortable there than the actual employees. He made his way familiarly to the lounge to wait for Fei Bo’an to finish his meeting and come downstairs.
At this moment, Xie Yun was leaning against the back of a chair, holding his phone horizontally and absentmindedly playing a game.
The boy’s long, slender fingers were tucked into his sleeves, with only his fingertips peeking out as he frantically tapped the buttons in the bottom right corner. On the screen, a cute little character wearing a peanut hat swayed back and forth like a skirt, wielding a broom to clean up in time with the game’s music.
The sound of footsteps approached.
Xie Yun turned off his screen. Looking up, he met Fei Baian’s trademark smile: “Cleaning your brother’s little log cabin again?”
“Yeah.”
Xie Yun’s tone carried a hint of urgency. “How is it going on your sister’s end?”
He didn’t want to talk about meeting the director of The Legend of Hegui, nor was he in a hurry to discuss the official business of filming. Instead, inviting his “brother” to play on the island was the most important thing.
Fei Bo’an knew he was anxious, but he was tired and thirsty after the meeting. He grabbed a can of Cola from the fridge and tilted his head back to take several large gulps.
“She said she was too embarrassed to ask. Apparently, there was some kind of misunderstanding, so she had a neighbor friend pass the message along. He said he’s on great terms with your brother and guaranteed he could get him to come play.”
Xie Yun narrowed his eyes. “Yuan Zhoulü?”
“Mm-hm.” Fei Bo’an leaned against the side and looked down at him. “Is that Alpha a mutual childhood friend of yours?”
Xie Yun remained silent. He tucked his phone away and muttered as an afterthought, “It seems he really is acting as a wingman.”
Seeing Fei Bo’an move his lips with the intention of asking more, Xie Yun lightly pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
Xie Yun said casually, “I’ll treat you to a meal and then I have to go.”
“Ah.” Fei Bo’an was used to this. “New schedule?”
Xie Yun: “Yeah. I have to fly to the capital later.”
Having debuted as a child star, Xie Yun balanced his career and studies. He didn’t like attending classes at school, mostly because his schedule wasn’t flexible enough, but also because he worried that “sasaeng” fans would appear and disrupt the lives of his teachers and classmates.
Everyone in the fandom knew that even when he was filming late or rushing to events, he always brought a private tutor with him. He was a famous “academic tutoring maniac,” so fans never had to worry about their young idol’s schoolwork.
Therefore, as a “straight-A student” of the industry, he and his team placed great importance on a temporary invitation for an interview with a mainstream media outlet that focused on education and public welfare.
The two of them walked out of the lounge and took the artist-exclusive stairs to the underground garage.
Both wore masks and private clothes. Although they were actors, they naturally carried the aura of idols.
Fei Bo’an felt relieved for the umpteenth time. “It’s a good thing you aren’t like the ones in our company’s idol department. If someone your age was found to have a crush, the fans would go crazy.”
Before Xie Yun could respond.
Buzz.
Fei Boan’s younger cousin sent a voice message.
“Boss Fei replied to me! He said Senior Xi agreed to go, and he’ll even take the new yacht Mommy gave me to the island. Just say I’m reliable at getting things done!”
The light in the elevator car was bright. After listening to the voice message, the two held their breath and looked at each other.
Immediately after, Xie Yun unlocked his phone. With a focused expression, he tapped on the keyboard and sent a message to the only pinned account.
Yun-zai: Brother, are you planning to go to the island to play, too?
Yun-zai: My friend is Fei Chuqiong’s cousin, and he invited me as well. Shall we meet on the yacht then? Yun-zai: ^^
Fei Bo’an tilted his head and stared at Xie Yun for a long while, his gaze looking like he was staring at a stranger. “If I’m not mistaken, are you… acting cute?”
Xie Yun pocketed his phone, put his hands in his pockets, and walked out of the elevator with a cold, aloof air. “Is there a problem?”
Fei Bo’an nearly tripped over his own feet trying to keep up. He rubbed his face, thinking that a ‘love brain’ was truly terrifying. “No problem.”
“But you still have to go to the capital for a few days. To go out with your brother, are you really going to make a special trip back to Nancheng?”
Flying to the island from the capital wasn’t impossible; with their family backgrounds, private jets could be arranged at will. He just thought that even if Xie Yun had a ‘love brain,’ he wouldn’t go to such a frantic extent.
Xie Yun: “It’s not frantic.”
Fei Bo’an: “…………”
Then he really had nothing left to say.
Ever since Xie Yun had finished his mental preparations and resolved to go to the island to nurture their feelings and find an opportunity to confess, Fei Bo’an knew that this guy’s history of secret pining was likely coming to an end to welcome a brand new journey.
After that day, time seemed to hit the fast-forward button.
Xi Zhiyu stayed in Nancheng and only exchanged messages with Xie Yun once. The two seemed to return to how they were months ago, chatting at different times and staying busy with their own lives.
But the small seed in his heart had sprouted. No matter how much time passed, the anticipation for their meeting grew more fervent, never diminishing.
During this period, his homeroom teacher returned from leading a competition abroad. Xi Zhiyu spoke with his father and Papa several times over the phone to inform them of his plans to go out…
He also maintained private communication with Doctor Jonson regarding his pheromone monitoring. After confirming the values were stable, he was specially equipped with some emergency medicine, enough to ensure he wouldn’t lose control of his body even if an accident occurred.
Doctor Jonson asked him tentatively: “Why did you decide to go? Is it because of what I said last time?”
“Yes.” Xi Zhiyu couldn’t deny it. “I think about that matter every day.”
It wasn’t just every day whenever he was free, almost every moment, he was thinking: Am I the Omega that Yun-zai likes?
The first day of the short holiday.
Xi Zhiyu was dropped off at the pier by a driver. He got out of the car, pulling his suitcase, and immediately saw Fei Chuqiong’s pink yacht.
The weather was unexpectedly warm. He wore a gray polo shirt and jeans casual and simple. A light breeze ruffled his black bangs, adding a luster to his handsome and gentle face.
Boarding the yacht, a staff member proactively greeted him, took his luggage, and pointed him toward the seating area on the first floor.
“Young Master Xi, the Miss and the other friends are playing on the deck. If you don’t mind the noise, you can head over.”
“Thank you.” Xi Zhiyu held his phone, the screen frozen on a chat interface. He curved his lips and said, “I want to go find a friend first.”
The yacht staff smiled back and stopped bothering him.
On the three-story superyacht, the bottom floor was a living-room-style lounge. Xi Zhiyu slowed his pace as he walked up the stairs, smelling the faint, salty sea breeze.
He looked up.
In the lounge area of the rear cabin, Xie Yun dressed entirely in black had his eyes closed. His face showed signs of exhaustion, as if he hadn’t had enough sleep for several days.
But his hand gripped his phone tightly, and the screen was lit up; he didn’t look like someone who had been napping for a long time.
Xi Zhiyu blinked, then looked down at his own phone to see a message sent about half a minute ago.
Yun-zai: Brother, I’m waiting for you in the lounge. ^^
Was he so tired he fell asleep right after sending the message?
Xi Zhiyu stood in a blind spot, watching through the cabin window for a moment. He didn’t have the heart to wake him, but he didn’t move to find a seat either.
Suddenly, as if startled awake from a dream, Xie Yun snapped his eyes open. Even Xi Zhiyu was startled.
Xie Yun even went so far as to slap his own cool, handsome face with his hands, trying to force himself awake.
Xi Zhiyu’s heart tightened in confusion, not understanding the reason for the sudden action.
Then, he watched with his own eyes as Xie Yun yawned while using both hands to frantically type and send a text message.
Buzz.
The notification synced to Xi Zhiyu’s phone.
Yun-zai: Brother, are you almost here? Should I go to the pier to wait for you? Yun-zai: [Little Tiger Rolling.jpg]
Xi Zhiyu let out a breath, curled his index finger, and lightly tapped the window. “Yun-zai.”
The voice was clearly very soft, but Xie Yun’s body stiffened. He turned his head and looked over.
In that instant.
The boy’s rounded eyes brightened instantly. He stood up hurriedly, not even noticing when his knee banged against the sofa chair, still possessing a dazed air from having just woken up.
By the time Xi Zhiyu regained his senses, Xie Yun was already standing in front of him. The boy tilted his face up slightly, a fresh sea-salt scent radiating from him.
“Brother!”
Thump.
The yacht suddenly swayed. Xie Yun didn’t stand firmly and fell straight toward him, unexpectedly crashing into his chest.
Xi Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat. He caught him, his voice deepening slightly. “Careful.”