Lin Wang wore only a thin, light-colored short-sleeved shirt. He had broken into a sweat, and the damp fabric clung to his skin.
As his hand touched the hem of his shirt, Lin Wang’s mind went blank. The blue veins on the back of his hand stood out. The excuse that they were “both men” had lost its effectiveness in this overly ambiguous relationship; the shame he felt was very real.
His fingers pinched the fabric. Chi Yuan’s intense gaze made his breathing quicken, and a numbness spread from his spinal cord to his forehead. Lin Wang shifted his upper body and pulled the shirt over his head.
Half a month of exercise had brought little change. Even if the soul inside had changed, making his posture straighter and his aura more mature, the body was still thin. The muscle definition was hidden deep beneath the skin, lacking fullness.
From Lin Wang’s own perspective, this was a body he would not spare a second glance for. It was too different from his former self; the more he compared them, the more inferior he felt.
Standing before him was Chi Yuan, whose looks and physique were at the absolute peak. After an instinctive comparison, a sense of embarrassment at exposing his flaws took root in Lin Wang’s heart.
It had been a very long time since Lin Wang had felt such an emotion. He was used to looking down from a high vantage point, but with Chi Yuan, he always found himself looking up.
In the face of unfamiliar emotions, a person can become unexpectedly fragile or extreme. Lin Wang’s vision was blurred, and his mind was hazy. When Chi Yuan gripped his shoulders as his chest heaved, he struggled violently, as if trying to fling the man away.
Chi Yuan did not react, but Lin Wang himself froze, his face burning as he tried to explain. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; Chi Yuan signaled for him to be quiet. This signal was like a blade plunged directly into Lin Wang’s mind.
“Want to speak?” Chi Yuan’s tone was unreadable. His long, powerful fingers kneaded Lin Wang’s shoulders with painful force. The heat from the pain flared up, softening his bones and sinews. All his strength seemed to drain away, forcing Lin Wang to lean forward in a vicious cycle.
When the tip of his nose brushed Chi Yuan’s chin, Lin Wang swallowed hard and took a step back. He strained his eyes in the darkness, trying to see Chi Yuan’s expression, wondering if the man would continue to press forward.
Chi Yuan fell silent. His hand slid from the shoulder down to Lin Wang’s wrist. His cool fingertips touched the scalding skin, the pressure suddenly turning light. As if stroking a sheet of draft paper, he slowly, very slowly, traced a circle in Lin Wang’s palm.
Lin Wang was like a blinded wolf that had stumbled into a trap, his breath coming in short, terminal gasps. His fingers curled within that circle, but they caught nothing.
His other hand gripped his discarded shirt tightly. Driven by a sudden rush of blood to the head, Lin Wang abruptly looked up, his lips brushing past Chi Yuan’s at a distance so close they almost touched.
Chi Yuan tilted his chin up, nonchalantly avoiding the kiss. His fingers slid from the palm and hooked around Lin Wang’s pinky finger. “You seem to like being close to people when taking photos.”
Lin Wang snapped back to reality the moment his kiss missed. Caught red-handed, he could do nothing but stand there with a burning face.
When the flash flared again, Chi Yuan took Lin Wang’s hand, their fingers slowly interlocking. His downcast eyes were half-hidden by his lashes. A slight curve finally appeared at the corner of his mouth, but the words he spoke made Lin Wang’s chest feel like it was on fire.
“You like being close this much?”
“…”
The camera shutter clicked piercingly over and over. Lin Wang kept his eyes shut, his eyelids trembling violently. He gripped the back of Chi Yuan’s hand tightly, his fingertips pressing against the protruding knuckles, tracing the veins and twisting around the base of the index finger.
In the harsh light, Chi Yuan’s hand appeared so pale it was almost transparent. His body temperature was so low that his touch felt like ice, making Lin Wang’s mind go blank with the cold.
“Did you take photos like this with him too? Do you like being watched this much?”
Chi Yuan spoke without expression, his low, husky voice seemingly torturing Lin Wang’s hearing. His calm delivery stated facts that made Lin Wang’s face flush with shame.
Lin Wang could not remember when his face had become wet with tears.
Chi Yuan grabbed Lin Wang’s collar and gave it a casual tug. “You like it so much you are crying. Can you not handle not holding onto me?”
Lin Wang clenched his teeth. The prolonged mental tension made his back muscles ache with stiffness. He could no longer hold himself upright; the profound psychological pressure made him almost hunch over.
His long legs retreated step by step until his waist hit a crate with a loud thud.
Sweat rolled down his temples. After the final shutter sound, Lin Wang gave up on his vision entirely. He leaned his head against Chi Yuan’s shoulder with his eyes squeezed shut, his chest heaving, motionless for a long time.
After an unknown period, the air remained thick and humid. Only when Lin Wang felt he could speak properly and that Chi Yuan would listen did he open his mouth, his voice hoarse. “I have never taken photos.”
Even if he had, Lin Wang would have deleted them all upon finding them; he was not the type to do such messy things.
The sound of fingers tapping on a screen filled his ears. Lin Wang could not see, but the so-called photos were just pitch black; Chi Yuan had kept his finger over the lens the entire time.
After a brief silence, Chi Yuan tapped the back of Lin Wang’s hand with his fingertip. “Go on out.”
Lin Wang’s breathing was still erratic. He leaned on Chi Yuan to steady himself and swallowed dryly. He shook out the shirt he had crumpled into a ball of wrinkles. Panting, he said, “Ah, let me rest for a bit.”
He said it casually and did not mind the lack of response. His head was still filled with the chaos from moments ago. He pulled his shirt on awkwardly. In the pitch black, he could not see clearly, so he did a quick tidy and headed for the door.
“Is it here? Bro? Big Brother Lin? Where are you two?”
Xu Wenyang’s arrival was so sudden that Lin Wang’s hand froze on the doorknob. In that single second, he missed the best chance to open the door. When he turned back, Chi Yuan’s hand had already clamped onto his shoulder. The man, half a head taller than Lin Wang, pressed forward. With a thud, he slammed Lin Wang against the door.
Lin Wang instinctively struggled, but his elbows were easily pinned. Chi Yuan leaned into his ear, his words slow and heavy. “Where are you running? Who are you trying to find?”
Lin Wang’s knees knocked against the metal door, and his forehead hit the surface, making him flinch with pain. But behind him was Chi Yuan, pressing down so hard that he was left with no room to struggle. This feeling of being completely suppressed with nowhere to hide had been buried deep in his nerves since entering the room; now, it finally erupted.
“Damn, you scared me. What was that noise? Big Brother turned his phone off, and Big Brother Lin is not answering his either. I am worried sick.”
Xu Wenyang’s voice came through the thin door panel. Lin Wang’s expression tightened with tension. He swallowed repeatedly and patted Chi Yuan’s arm to signal him not to be impulsive, his breathing shallow for fear of being heard.
Chi Yuan’s hand on Lin Wang’s wrist kneaded the protruding bone with force. He asked in a breathy whisper, “Whom do you belong to?”
Lin Wang winced at the pain. His knee jerked and hit the door, making him too nervous to move again. He opened his mouth, his face burning with the shame of the question. A barely audible sound escaped his throat. “Yours. I am yours.”
“Hello? Chi Yuan is, he is on the phone. We will try the clothes later. Please wait a moment.” Xu Wenyang hung up and looked toward the door where the sounds were coming from, scratching his head anxiously.
Lin Wang’s breath hitched. He pushed back against Chi Yuan’s arm. The thought that Xu Wenyang could see him in such a pathetic state at any moment made him speak hurriedly in a low voice. “Chi Yuan, Chi Yuan, listen to me. I, I really never took those kinds of photos.”
When they were on the phone with Doctor Qu, Chi Yuan had not been this serious. Lin Wang’s tolerance was not that high yet; having someone outside who could push the door open at any moment was something he could not accept.
Chi Yuan rubbed Lin Wang’s ear, his voice dropping even lower. “Do not move.”
Lin Wang’s shoulders stiffened, and his movements came to an involuntary halt. The area that had been rubbed felt tingly; he was nervous, yet he could not help but like it.
Chi Yuan gripped Lin Wang’s chin, forcing him to look up. After staring at him in silence for a few seconds, he suddenly said, “I told you, do not lie to me.”
Lin Wang instinctively wanted to argue. “I did not.”
“Lin Wang.” It was the first time Chi Yuan had called him by his full name. Lin Wang’s throat bobbed. In the darkness, Chi Yuan stared unblinkingly into his eyes and repeated the question slowly. “Did you take photos with him?”
Lin Wang remained frozen with his mouth open for a long time. He had spent too much energy elsewhere; now he had to gather the strength just to be honest.
Chi Yuan suddenly loosened his grip. His palm rested on Lin Wang’s back, and he leaned in almost gently, his nose brushing against Lin Wang’s ear. An unhurried “Mhm?” escaped his nose.
No one could resist Chi Yuan like this. Lin Wang licked his lips and spoke as if he had lost his mind. “I, I do not know.” He turned his head away, completely giving up and leaving his vulnerable neck exposed to Chi Yuan.
The expected pain did not come. Soft, warm lips kissed Lin Wang gently, and the hands that had pinned him motionless were withdrawn. Chi Yuan hugged him tightly from behind, burying his face in his shoulder. He tapped the door panel lightly with his finger.
Tap.
“Big Brother.”
All of Lin Wang’s frayed nerves relaxed at that moment. The feeling that telling the truth might expose his identity was not as terrifying as he had imagined. Chi Yuan asked nothing; he just held him. Instead, Lin Wang felt a sense of relief deep in his bones, as if a burden had been lifted.
He reached back and patted Chi Yuan’s waist. Propping himself against the door with one hand, he let out a hoarse sigh. “Yeah.”
Exiting the storage room, Lin Wang did not see Xu Wenyang. It was not until he and Chi Yuan reached the end of the hallway that they saw the young man standing in the middle of the path with his arms crossed.
“What are you doing here?” The shame and urgency had been vented inside the room; whatever intense feelings remained were hidden away. When he emerged, Lin Wang’s expression was the same as before.
“Oh, where did you two go? I have been looking everywhere. Neither of you would pick up your phones.” Xu Wenyang looked like he was about to cry.
Lin Wang uncharacteristically faltered. Chi Yuan, a step behind him, reached out and inconspicuously straightened the back of Lin Wang’s shirt hem. He said casually, “On a call.”
“My phone died.” Lin Wang pulled out his phone; the screen was black.
“Charge them up, quick! I brought a power bank.” Xu Wenyang grumbled as he led them back to the studio. After that, Lin Wang had nothing to do. He just found an out-of-the-way spot to sit and watch how Chi Yuan looked handsome in everything he wore.
The photographer and her assistant were quite close to Lin Wang. When they spoke loudly, he and Xu Wenyang could hear them. As Lin Wang plugged his phone into the power bank, he heard the female photographer exclaim in a smoky voice.
“Chi Yuan today, he is really in the zone. I am getting hot just shooting this. Phew.”
The young assistant did not quite understand, but she also felt quite warm and tugged at her collar.
The photographer explained to her, “The theme this time is ‘Love and Desire under Sunlight.’ It is such a suggestive, adult concept, yet the design is so conservative. Not an extra inch of skin is shown. It is a true test of the model’s innate sensuality.”
“Oh! I see, teacher,” the assistant whispered excitedly, covering her face as she looked toward Chi Yuan. “He is using his soul to push the boundaries.”
Lin Wang did not understand nine out of ten of the professional terms they used, but he understood that sentence. Beyond understanding, he did not dare look anywhere else; his ears were burning.