Song Yanxing looked down at him. In the dim light, those eyes stared back without blinking, filled with a deep sorrow.
Before he could respond, Tan Qiuyi pressed a finger against Song Yanxing’s lips, then lowered his hand and spoke in a rambling, disjointed manner. “Tonight, Uncle Wei asked me if I wanted a cat. But I actually had a cat once. It died.”
“It died in the small patch of grass I set up for it in our courtyard. I had snuck away to get it some food, but by the time I returned, it was already dead.”
“It was covered in blood. The gardener, Uncle Dai, was holding a brick as he picked up the body. He said that my father claimed I was allergic to cat hair and ordered him to get rid of the cat immediately. Before that, I never knew I was allergic, and I had never shown any symptoms. It was only years later that I found out my father had simply remembered incorrectly.”
Tan Qiuyi whispered, “I suppose it makes sense. He and my mother are so busy; how could they remember things about me?”
“I can count on one hand how many times I saw my parents during my lonely childhood. I wanted a companion so badly; I thought about it every day. I told them I wanted a pet, but they refused. They said I had to become an exceptional, outstanding person, and that self restraint and etiquette should always be kept in my heart.”
Tan Qiuyi’s grip tightened, his voice thick with unshed tears. “Do you think I should not have brought it home? If I had been a little more cold hearted, if I had not fed it when I passed it on the street, if I had not brought it home, maybe it would not have died.”
As if silenced by his own hypothetical, he shook his head slightly and continued. “The day the kitten died, I fainted. Later, I was diagnosed with an emotional deficit disorder. They said my lack of emotion was abnormal and made me seek treatment, so I took my medicine and cooperated with the therapy.”
He paused. “I tried hard to be a normal person like they described. But to this day, in their hearts, I am still just an emotionally detached monster.”
“I am a monster. Are you afraid” Tan Qiuyi looked down, unable to face him. Before he could finish, someone gently pinched his chin and lifted his head to meet their gaze.
Song Yanxing’s deep gaze fell upon the startled man. He looked at him earnestly for a long time, then gave a soft, pious smile. “You are not a monster, and I am not afraid.”
As he spoke, he raised his other hand and lightly wiped away the red, damp corners of Tan Qiuyi’s eyes. “I am sorry. Although I do not know what happened when you went back, please believe in yourself. You are a perfectly normal person.”
Recalling their time together, Song Yanxing continued, “Look, you were able to lead the stray Huhu out of its predicament and give it a home. You are no longer afraid or held back by the past. How could someone who has taken that step forward be a monster?”
Song Yanxing lowered his eyelashes, looking at Tan Qiuyi’s eyes, which were slightly reddened from the alcohol. He rubbed the corner of Tan’s eye again, making the scene feel even more intimate and vivid.
“So, do not call yourself a monster anymore, okay?” Song Yanxing said in a deep voice.
Tan Qiuyi nodded, his gaze never leaving the man. “Mmh.”
“So well behaved,” Song Yanxing chuckled, his hand lightly brushing over Tan Qiuyi’s features, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Can I kiss you?”
The dimmed indoor light highlighted the bridge of his tall, straight nose. His handsome, deep features were currently filled with raw emotion.
Tan Qiuyi felt that it was perhaps the alcohol at work, or perhaps it was because the way the man looked at him was so profoundly affectionate. He moved forward instinctively, planting a gentle kiss on the man’s cool lips. Feeling it was not enough, he kissed him several more times.
After the kisses, Tan Qiuyi looked at the man whose face was filled with smiles and said seriously, “I will take responsibility for you.”
Song Yanxing gave a low laugh. The next second, he cupped Tan Qiuyi’s chin, pried open his teeth, and began to fervently take his breath away.
After the kiss, their lips slowly parted. Their foreheads rested against each other, their breathing hot and heavy.
Seeing that the other man was no longer as sad as before, Song Yanxing covered Tan Qiuyi’s eyes with his hand and said softly, “Close your eyes first; I am going to turn on the lights.” Feeling the eyelashes trembling beneath his palm, he reached out with his other hand and flipped the switch.
He then led the man to sit on the sofa. Seeing that Tan was still staring at him without blinking, he grabbed a tablet from the side and opened a game for him. Once he saw that Tan was quietly playing, he walked into the kitchen.
By the time Song Yanxing finished in the kitchen and came out with a cup of warm honey water, he saw the young man’s head huddled close to the tablet screen. He quickly strode toward the sofa.
Smelling the scent of cedar and mint enveloping him from behind, Tan Qiuyi looked up.
“Do you want to lose your eyesight, leaning in that close?” the person behind him asked.
Song Yanxing leaned his hand on the back of the sofa behind Tan Qiuyi, a deeply possessive gesture.
Tan Qiuyi blinked, put the tablet aside, and took the honey water. He drank it all, placed the cup on the table, and turned back to look at the man, appearing incredibly obedient.
“Can you kiss me again?” Tan Qiuyi suddenly tilted his head up and asked the man whose expression was hard to read.
Tan Qiuyi turned his head away in embarrassment after speaking. The feeling of the kiss from earlier was still fresh in his mind, and the comfort was addictive.
Song Yanxing looked at the person who seemed to be asking for a reward and gave a low chuckle. “Alright.”
“I” Tan Qiuyi started to say something, but the next second, his unfinished words were drowned in a kiss full of affection. A cool tongue entered his mouth with practiced ease, capturing his breath.
When the kiss ended, Song Yanxing pulled the man into his arms and lightly stroked his back to let him recover.
Song Yanxing’s tall nose rubbed against Tan Qiuyi’s small one. Looking at the man whose face was flushed from breathlessness, he said in a coaxing tone, “Qiuyi, you said you would take responsibility for me. So, what am I to you now?”
Tan Qiuyi was already dizzy with affection. He saw the light brown mole at the corner of the man’s eye, which seemed to glow with emotion. After a few seconds of thought, he answered, “Boyfriend.”
Morning
In the large, minimalist bedroom, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, shining on a slight mound in the middle of the bed. The ringing of an alarm broke the silence.
A pale hand reached out from under the covers, accurately grabbing the phone with a swipe. The room returned to silence. A few seconds later, Tan Qiuyi sat up abruptly, rubbing his aching temples as the events of last night flooded back.
Huddling at the door looking for keys, the honey water, the intimacy, and the multiple kisses Tan Qiuyi remembered it all clearly. He unlocked his phone and looked at his chat list. He had actively pinned a contact to the top last night and changed the nickname to “Boyfriend.”
Tan Qiuyi rubbed his head. The current situation was a mix of news. The good news: the person he liked was now his boyfriend. The bad news: he had used his boyfriend as an emotional trash can and revealed his worst side.
Speak of the devil.
Song Yanxing: I am heading to the set. I made some porridge for you; remember to heat it up before eating.
Tan Qiuyi typed and deleted for a long time before finally sending a reply.
Tan Qiuyi: Mmh.
It felt a bit cold. He went through his chat logs with his assistant and picked out a few saved emojis.
Tan Qiuyi: [Golden Retriever nodding.gif]
After sending it, Tan Qiuyi breathed a sigh of relief. He smoothed his messy hair, tossed back the covers, and grabbed a set of clothes from the side. He walked with light steps toward the ensuite bathroom.
On the other side
Song Yanxing, who was getting his makeup done, looked at the cute emoji and chuckled softly. The makeup artist was a young woman with a very friendly personality. Seeing this, she teased, “Teacher Song is smiling so happily; is there something going on?”
She was actually a fan of the “Yi Xing Yi Yi” ship, but since they had split up on the show, she had lost interest in watching the upcoming final episode next week.
The assistant sitting nearby also looked up abruptly, remembering the shock and bewilderment he felt when his boss came out of the other apartment this morning.
Song Yanxing did not hide it and answered honestly, “Yes.”
Hearing the confirmation that the ship she supported was impossible, the makeup artist grew dejected. “Sigh, a momentary heartbeat on a show might just be a temporary rush,” she said with a sigh. Despite her disappointment, she still offered her blessings. “It is good that Teacher Song found someone suitable and liked.”
Song Yanxing put down his phone and looked at the discouraged young girl, realizing she was a fan of his ship. He found it a bit amusing. He said tactfully, “Perhaps you should watch the final episode when the time comes.”
“Huh?!” The makeup artist sat up straight, her hopes revived. From his words, she inferred that her ship might not be sunk after all. She could hardly suppress the upward curve of her lips but intelligently made a zipping motion over her mouth.
Secret! She understood!
The film crew moved quickly, and the costume photo shoot finished on time by noon. In the evening, after working overtime to finish a commercial and ordering late night snacks for the staff, Song Yanxing walked aside to return a missed call. After a few seconds, the call was connected.
Song Yanxing: “Hello, what is it?”
After listening to the person on the other end, he lowered his eyes with an unreadable expression. “Yes, I understand.” He then hung up the phone.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a dramatic plot point: The backgroundless cannon fodder is actually the estranged son of a billionaire family!]
Then another notification sounded.
[Ding. Values have changed. Current task completion: 90%]
Song Yanxing called for the system. The system appeared happily, humming a cheerful tune.
System: [Host, this was a probabilistic event! Because this is the first initial world, the dramatic tropes are not that concentrated. The difficulty will increase in the next world!]
After listening to the explanation, Song Yanxing asked, “Did Song’s parents appear in the original story?”
System: [Yes, but only after the original owner’s death. Upon hearing the news of his passing, the Song parents hurried back to the country to repent at his grave. They personally sued the people who initiated the cyberbullying online and sent them to prison. The filth thrown at the original owner was finally cleared.]
Combining the original story with the system’s information, Song Yanxing guessed the reason for their early appearance. “So, they are returning early because of the butterfly effect created by my choices?”
System: [Yes. Once the host chose to make a comeback, the butterfly effect began. Please make every decision carefully, as each choice will have an irreversible impact on the characters in the original story.]
Thinking of everything Tan Qiuyi told him while intoxicated last night, Song Yanxing had a bad premonition. His brows furrowed slightly, but he still asked with a smile, “What about him? If I were not here, what would his ending be?”
Although Song Yanxing did not say his name, the system knew who he meant.
System: [He would die. Without you, he would commit suicide three years from now after a performance. That would be the final, grand curtain call of his life.]
He had not waited for his savior.