The man wasn’t too foolish; he knew how to arm himself fully.
In the early spring night, filled with a biting chill and a light drizzle, a calf-length, hooded jet-black overcoat completely concealed his physique. Beneath the hood, he wore a baseball cap—double insurance. He had even specifically taken off the Rolex usually welded to his right wrist, fearing someone might recognize it.
Before leaving, he picked the most inconspicuous Bentley in his collection and parked it five kilometers away from the filming base, entering the rest of the way on foot.
Lu Siyan subconsciously touched the man’s hand. His fingertips were icy, devoid of any warmth.
The Alpha intentionally played the misery card: “I didn’t expect it to be so far.”
He had walked for a long time. The rain had started midway, and he had been soaked for about forty minutes before finally reaching the filming base’s signpost. Just as the man was about to reply to a message, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure darting out from a dark, deep alley.
In a fleece-lined light gray sweatshirt and a pure white short puffer jacket, Lu Siyan looked like a round little spring ball, bouncing and jumping right into the coffee shop.
He was killingly cute.
The man couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile. He thought for a moment and decided not to follow. Instead, he simply waited on the path the Omega would have to take to return, leaning against a mottled old wall where the plaster was peeling off in layers. A stray cat brushed past his feet, walking slowly…
It was all because of that fleeting impulse of less than two seconds—the desire to see someone—that he had come so resolutely.
But in truth, it didn’t have to be this troublesome. He could have easily found a brand-new, high-end luxury van to shield himself from the wind and rain, where he could rest comfortably lying down. He could have had a driver pull up right to the film set’s entrance and called Lu Siyan out; the couple could have shared their intimacy inside the car.
But that would have seemed insincere. The surprise would have lacked its edge.
As expected, Lu Siyan rubbed the man’s hands with heartache. “How did you get so frozen?”
“You really are…”
In his flustered concern, the Omega carefully inspected the Alpha, who stood a head taller than him and was still instinctively shielding him with half his shoulder. “Your clothes are completely wet. What if you get sick…”
Xiao Yanxiu laughed. He didn’t think he was that delicate; being caught in a drizzle was hardly worth mentioning. But seeing how worried the boy was, he reached out and pinched the Omega’s chubby face, leaving a pale mark before saying, “I’m fine.”
Lu Siyan didn’t believe him. His hand reached into the man’s lapels to check. His fingertips brushed against the skin of the man’s neck, and as he stood on his tiptoes, his forehead nearly bumped the Alpha’s nose.
It looked as if he were throwing himself into the other’s arms.
The touch was so natural, revealing a familiarity born of physical intimacy, yet the Omega didn’t even realize anything was amiss. Even Xiao Yanxiu was slightly startled by his initiative for a half-second.
Only after confirming the inner layers were dry and warm did the Omega feel relieved. He then asked tentatively, “You… haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
The Alpha had actually eaten a bit, but staring at the face so earnestly worried about him, he instinctively shook his head: “I haven’t.”
Lu Siyan huffed and swatted his hand.
Ten minutes later, Mu Yi ran to the alley entrance shivering to meet Lu Siyan. “What on earth is so important that you had to make me come out in this cold?”
Lu Siyan stuffed the packed coffee into his hands. “Sorry, Xiao Yi. I have something else to do, I’ll be delayed for a while. This coffee is on me; take it back for everyone. No need to split the bill.”
Mu Yi took the bag in confusion. Usually, the colleagues in the crew had a habit of drinking coffee. They generally took turns buying it and split the cost in the group chat. Today just happened to be Lu Siyan’s turn, but his finances weren’t exactly flexible.
“What’s wrong with you? Did something happen—”
Before Mu Yi could finish, he caught sight of a dark shadow shifting behind Lu Siyan. He was so startled he began to stutter: “He, he, he…”
Xiao Yanxiu stood not far away. The man’s head was slightly tilted, and even though he was wrapped tightly in his clothes, his posture was exceptionally striking and upright. The Alpha held a cigarette between his fingers. Under a warm yellow streetlight nearby, the fine rain falling on him became even more distinct.
Lu Siyan said with blatant partiality, “He hasn’t eaten yet. I have to go eat something with him.”
Recalling the chaos of the morning, Mu Yi gritted his teeth in anger. “He just had to pick this time to come? If you two saw each other one less time, or if he missed one meal, would he actually starve to death?”
Lu Siyan defended him in a small voice, “Don’t talk about him like that.”
Mu Yi was dumbfounded. “Lu Siyan, you…”
Who was it that said they were a “contract couple” and would absolutely not develop real feelings? Who said they’d definitely separate later, so the current happiness was fake and couldn’t be taken seriously?
And yet here they were, meeting secretly behind everyone’s backs, braving the elements for a late-night snack. Was this just the game of a young couple?
Mu Yi protested sternly. Thinking of that leaked photo, he couldn’t even guess how clingy they were in private, beyond just unbuttoning pajamas to draw on each other’s bodies.
“Running into you two in the middle of the night is truly my bad luck.” He grabbed the coffee bag with an ‘at-his-wit’s-end’ look and shouted reluctantly at the Alpha behind his friend: “Hey, you! You owe me a big meal!”
Xiao Yanxiu didn’t speak. The man silently gave him an “OK” gesture.
Lu Siyan watched Mu Yi walk away sheepishly. He turned to look at Xiao Yanxiu, his toes kicking the water on the ground. “Let’s go.”
The Alpha stubbed out his cigarette, threw it in the trash, and stepped forward without hesitation. He took off the baseball cap from his own head and put it on the Omega. Then, he grabbed Lu Siyan’s hand, tucking it into his palm.
Having regained some energy, the man’s body temperature gradually returned. His warm fingertips began to heat up the Omega’s hand.
Lu Siyan followed him with stumbling steps. Initially, they kept a normal walking distance, but as more people kept crowding them together, Lu Siyan was forced to practically hug the man’s entire arm. Their bodies were pressed tightly together; even his breathing became hurried…
He rarely felt such a clear emotion, the realization that he was truly “together” with Xiao Yanxiu. Usually, living in Green Treasure Garden, in the two-meter-wide bed of the master bedroom where they slept in each other’s arms—even during the heat when they marked each other—it felt like a dream, something surreal.
The happiness he possessed was like a soap bubble floating in mid-air. If anyone poked it lightly—anyone at all, without even trying—the beautiful dream would instantly shatter.
After entering the food street, Lu Siyan bought many things he liked to eat. He took the steaming Oden from the vendor and used a wooden skewer to pick up a piece of radish that had been boiled until almost transparent, holding it up to the man’s lips.
Xiao Yanxiu dazed for a moment. Just as the Alpha was considering whether these strange things were actually edible, Lu Siyan noticed his hesitation. The Omega took the lead, biting off a piece and saying sincerely, “It’s really good.”
Xiao Yanxiu’s gaze dropped to the boy’s hand. Just as the bitten radish was about to be replaced, the Omega’s wrist was suddenly grabbed and pulled forcefully to the man’s face. The broth in the bowl nearly splashed onto the man.
Lu Siyan’s expression carried a trace of panic, not knowing what had come over him, his fingertips gripping the edge of the bowl tightly.
Unexpectedly, in the next second, the Alpha tilted his head and ate the other half, right where the Omega had just bitten. Soft, dense, and sweet, the sensation of the thoroughly cooked radish bursting with juice in his mouth truly deserved the description “delicious.”
Lu Siyan felt a bit embarrassed. Sharing a utensil and eating the same piece of food was practically an indirect kiss. The Omega held out the paper bowl. “Eat the rest yourself.”
Xiao Yanxiu acted as if he hadn’t heard. The man’s fingertips were burning hot as he half-forced Lu Siyan to feed him another piece, then quickly brushed his lips against the Omega’s fingertip.
It was an electric, tingling sensation.
“Delicious.”
But he didn’t clarify whether he meant the person was delicious… or the radish.
Lu Siyan’s face turned bright red instantly. The Omega struggled to pull his hand back, but he couldn’t break free. “Xiao Yanxiu, you… don’t be like this.”
The snack shop owner grumbled at their dawdling. “Go feed each other somewhere else, don’t block my entrance.”
The customers behind them pushed forward, shoving Lu Siyan into Xiao Yanxiu’s arms. The man caught him naturally, shielding the small Omega under his arm and carefully backing out of the crowd.
They found a clean table in the dining area. From the first bite of radish Lu Siyan fed him, it was as if the man’s hands were broken; even the roasted chicken leg had to be torn into small strips and fed into his mouth by Lu Siyan.
The Alpha rested his cheek on his hand, elbow propped on the table. He watched his Omega, whose eyelashes were slightly lowered, his face full of attentive, detailed tenderness.
The feeling of having him, of possessing him. In this moment, he felt an incomparable happiness.
Lu Siyan quietly cleaned up the mess on the table, packing the containers one by one, wrapping them in a plastic bag, and tying it tight before throwing it into the nearby bin.
“Finished eating. It’s getting late. You should head back—”
The man silently sent a text: “Ready to begin.”
Before Lu Siyan could finish his sentence, a brilliant firework suddenly exploded in the sky. The massive booming sound made the Omega shiver involuntarily and tuck in his neck. All the couples around them screamed and cheered, running forward to chase the beautiful passion. The enthusiasm infected everything around them.
Xiao Yanxiu also caught the excitement. He grabbed Lu Siyan’s hand. “Let’s go take a look.”
“Hey—” The Omega was caught off guard and pulled away.
They ran quickly, constantly being bumped by people. The wind whistled in his ears as they squeezed into the crowd. The Alpha was always right where he could see him with a glance, never letting go of his hand.
Feeling the heat from his fingertips, Lu Siyan’s gaze was subconsciously drawn down. He saw that Xiao Yanxiu’s palm was very large. His knuckles were much wider than his own, and when his hand tightened, several faint blue veins—vaguely suggestive—appeared on the back of his hand.
He liked this even more than the blue fireworks blooming like meteors and waterfalls in the sky; it made his heart race.
In such an atmosphere, it was truly hard not to want to have a full-blooded romance with the person in front of him. Even if the final ending was a certain separation, it seemed not to matter. At least the things he had now would be worth any price in the future.
The man led the Omega to the best viewing spot. Under the dreamlike play of light and shadow, the Alpha turned back triumphantly, only to find his Omega staring blankly at his face.
“Am I that handsome again?” Xiao Yanxiu lowered his head and gently pinched Lu Siyan’s nose. He was joking, of course.
But the Omega seemed deaf to it, as if everything else was blocked out of his senses. The emotions flowing from his eyes were too complex—a mix of shock, pain, and ultimate surrender to the instinct to love boldly.
This emotion, this gaze of intense heat and longing, was felt by Xiao Yanxiu. It was as if he had received the signal that the other wanted to love him.
The Alpha gazed into those eyes, his throat moving as he swallowed. He could wait no longer. He reached out to cup the Omega’s face and, beneath the expensive and rare brilliant fireworks, he lowered his head and kissed Lu Siyan’s lips.
A lingering warmth flowed between their breaths.
One blue firework after another bloomed in succession. The tasseled shapes were the main theme, looking like the Milky Way pouring down. Xiao Yanxiu remembered that Lu Siyan liked blue; on the night he gave him the hibiscus, Lu Siyan had only picked blue from the full palette of colors.
The Alpha remembered. He would always remember.
When the last firework finished blooming, the kiss also signaled a stop. The man gently released the lips pressed against his. Their eyes met, and the connection was so thick it could be pulled into silk. After the excitement, silence returned, and the surrounding crowd dispersed, but the fiery entanglement in their eyes did not fade in the slightest.
Lu Siyan’s heart felt tightly squeezed.
By the time they returned to the studio in a daze, it was already two in the morning. The man walked him to the door. The entire way back had been walked in such a quiet manner.
“The fireworks were beautiful today. You should rest early too, and drive carefully.”
Ever since the irrational kiss under the fireworks show, the string tightened in the Omega’s mind felt like it would snap with just half a bit more force. They had slept together just last night; a few days ago, the man had marked him, and they had even shared much more extreme physical intimacy several times.
Why did a simple holding of hands and a kiss disrupt all his plans and rhythm? He had even developed the mad notion of having a bold love affair with him, regardless of the consequences. He had even unilaterally decided to do it.
Lu Siyan fled in a state of mental confusion. Even his parting words to the Alpha were a jumbled mess of scrambled grammar. He was like a child who had stolen something, feeling incredibly guilty.
Hurrying upstairs, as he reached the landing, he locked eyes again with the man still standing there watching him go. Lu Siyan nervously tripped on the stairs, then scrambled back up quickly.
Returning to the studio rented by the crew, the Omega took deep breaths for nearly thirty seconds before finally regaining a sliver of rational thought. But the eerie, heavy atmosphere in the room made him realize something was wrong. The whole place was silent. No one was working, no one was resting; everyone was silent, as if waiting for someone’s judgment.
Lu Siyan rubbed his still-aching knee and walked into the inner room. He asked blankly, “What’s… wrong with everyone?”
The coffee he had asked Mu Yi to bring back was sitting untouched by the stairs, not even unpacked. The small Beta they had rescued during the day sat next to Mu Yi, eyes red and at a total loss, hands clenched until they were red.
The cold white light seemed to freeze the air.
Yinwu sat in the main seat with a terrible expression, her arms crossed. She questioned Lu Siyan in a calm tone: “This afternoon, Mu Yi filmed and uploaded the video of Jiang Shuyao hitting someone. Were you aware of this?”
The Omega didn’t have time to answer. Mu Yi stood up decisively. “He didn’t know. I did this alone. One person does it, one person bears it. I’ll accept any consequences.”
Yinwu let out a sneer, as if mocking the young man’s ignorance of the world. She slammed a document onto the table. The entire studio went deathly silent; everyone’s spines straightened.
“Fine, you bear it alone. From this moment on, both of you are fired.”
“The non-disclosure agreement you signed before joining is legally binding. We will file a lawsuit for compensation. Furthermore, Mr. Jiang Shuyao will sue you for infringement of personality rights, including portrait rights and reputation rights. This also includes the negative public opinion generated by this incident and the impact on our filming progress and losses—the investors will also hold you accountable.”
Mu Yi was only eighteen. He had lived a clean, disciplined life until now. Suddenly facing so many lawsuits overnight, he naturally broke down in tears immediately.
Lu Siyan hurried forward to pat his back. The Omega straightened his spine and said to Yinwu neither humbly nor arrogantly: “We will resign voluntarily.”
“As for compensation, we will follow legal procedures.”
“The non-disclosure agreement signed at the start—I personally believe it pertains to the script, but I don’t rule out that the crew might have set other traps for us novices. However, the position that needs to be clarified is that the person truly affecting the filming progress and causing loss to the crew is Jiang Shuyao, not the three of us…”
“In short… we will handle this actively.”
Lu Siyan gathered the computer and materials from the desk, slung his bag over his shoulder, and called to Mu Yi, even bringing along the little Beta.
The Omega said only one succinct word: “Let’s go.”