Shi Ye first suspected his eyes were playing tricks on him. Then, he suspected Yan Xi had made a typo. He cast a questioning glance toward Yan Xi, only to be met with a firm, urging gaze. He tugged at his jacket and asked with his eyes, “Are you serious?”
Yan Xi nodded, silently signaling, “Hurry up, stop dawdling.”
Shi Ye glanced at the closed door, licked his lips, and reached up to pull his sweatshirt off over his head. His upper body muscles were well-defined without being overly bulky, giving off an aura of health and strength.
Yan Xi was satisfied. Using Shi Ye’s physique as a reference, he meticulously refined the figure. His fingers danced over the fine carving tool with focused intensity, occasionally looking up at Shi Ye to capture every detail and pose. To the viewers on camera, it appeared as if he were simply checking the comments section. A handsome, suave, and soft-spoken streamer creating a pulse-pounding, muscular figure—the contrast between the two scenes was incredibly striking.
When the two-hour stream ended, the number of viewers in the chat had exceeded one thousand. Yan Xi did not know if this was a good result, but he had certainly tried his best; he felt as though he had used up a lifetime’s worth of conversation in one night. After ending the stream, he collapsed backward into his chair, motionless.
Shi Ye put his clothes back on and came over to pull him up. “Brother Yan, let us go. Let us get something to eat.”
Yan Xi shook his head. “I am tired. I do not want to move.”
Shi Ye stepped forward, his legs close to Yan Xi’s head, and looked down at him. “Should I buy something back and feed it to you?”
The awkward posture felt strange to Yan Xi, who suddenly snapped awake and struggled to sit up from the chair. “No, no need.”
The crab soup dumpling shop had not yet closed, and Shi Ye bought all the remaining four baskets of dumplings. Yan Xi ate two and looked up to find Shi Ye had not touched his own. “What is wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
“I am fine, you eat first, Brother Yan,” Shi Ye said with a smile. “I will eat after you finish. I eat too fast.”
That strange feeling returned. Do other bosses and subordinates act like this?
Yan Xi imagined the scene in his mind: himself saying to Manager Ma, “You eat first, I will eat after you finish.” Ugh, he was going to be sick.
Yan Xi shook off the goosebumps, held down the basket of dumplings near him, pushed the rest toward Shi Ye, and ordered sternly, “Eat, now.”
After the meal, they parted ways at the subway station. Shi Ye headed to the “dorm,” and Yan Xi returned to the apartment alone. Yan Xi did not sleep well that night. His mind had been tightly wound during the stream, fixated on bone structures and muscle lines. Back in bed, those thoughts twisted into something else. His heart raced, and his body grew hot. He dreamt repeatedly—sometimes of getting a hotel room with someone while drunk, other times of sculpting a figure while looking at Xiao Ye. The lines between reality and dreams blurred, and gradually, the intern’s body and the vague silhouette of the person who had dragged him into the bathroom merged into one.
Yan Xi woke up in a fright.
After waking, he realized his state was truly abnormal. He sat on the bed for ten full minutes before he could manage to get up and wash.
Just as he walked into the shop, Zhao Qingqing called again. This young CEO’s assistant had little experience but possessed a reckless, dogged determination when it came to work. Yan Xi sat at the counter and opened the video conferencing software. A bright, spacious office appeared on the screen, and besides Zhao Qingqing, several other young faces focused their eyes on Yan Xi. The theme of the meeting was to review yesterday’s stream. The team members spoke up one by one, affirming Yan Xi’s performance while offering constructive feedback.
This situation felt somewhat alien to Yan Xi. He was merely a store manager, yet now he had an entire team of colleagues working for his project. It was high-pressure, but also highly motivating. The team suggested that to maintain momentum, Yan Xi should stream daily for a week, then gradually introduce other streamers to keep the audience’s interest.
After the meeting, Zhao Qingqing remained on camera. “Store Manager Yan, your work recently has been truly arduous. Therefore, aside from your regular salary, we will settle a separate fee for the streaming.”
A voluntary raise—the first time Yan Xi had encountered this in his years in the workplace. Before disconnecting, Zhao Qingqing mentioned casually, “It was all arranged by President Shi. He is a very considerate boss.”
As the streaming continued, their teamwork thrived. The samples in the store sold out in less than a week, proving their market appeal. The team focused on the Ling-style Twins from the Lingfeng series, using carefully planned marketing strategies to promote other products as supplements, forming a complementary product line. They increased production to ensure adequate stock for online and offline channels, effectively boosting total sales. Under the team’s collaboration and the continuous live streams, the YK designer toy series gained rapid popularity and buzz, attracting significant attention.
Next, Yan Xi planned to start a “blind box” project. For days, he worked day and night, combining product features to design many characters, each with a distinct personality. Yan Xi sat on the living room floor, staring at the pile of sketches scattered across the table, his brow furrowed. To make a successful blind box series, he needed not just brilliant character designs but also a captivating backstory to string them together into a complete worldview. Although he was talented in design, he was a novice at scriptwriting. He needed to find a reliable script company to collaborate with, but he did not know where to start.
Finally, after three days of hesitation, Yan Xi decided to ask for help on his social media feed. He rarely shared his life or work on social media and had not posted anything in ages, but he was truly out of options. He bit the bullet and posted a request for advice or resources.
Almost as soon as he posted, his phone rang. The caller was actually Li Fengyu. They had met briefly at an art gallery two months ago but had not been in touch since. On the phone, Li Fengyu did not say much; he was concise and invited Yan Xi to meet up immediately.
The commercial street behind the back gate of Jiasu University had been bustling for many years. As waves of students came and went, the street expanded annually, upgrading from the initial small stalls and fried skewers to a street full of cafes and milk tea shops. Few of the old shops from his memory remained, but the ginkgo trees on both sides of the road were as lush as ever.
It was Tuesday, and the area outside the school gate was uncharacteristically quiet. The two walked side-by-side, strolling slowly along the fence outside the school.
“Let’s see, has it been six or seven years since we last met?” Since it had been so long, Yan Xi did not know where to start; the conversation felt dry.
“Yeah, about that.” Li Fengyu, who was tall, wore a black-and-white color-blocked sports suit, giving him a youthful, student-like appearance. It gave Yan Xi the illusion that they had returned to their school days.
“How did you just up and leave for abroad back then without even a hint of a whisper?” Yan Xi asked with emotion, trying to find more topics. Studying abroad in college was not unusual, but Li Fengyu’s departure had been too sudden, and he had severed all contact with their classmates afterward, which was truly abnormal.
“It was quite sudden.” Li Fengyu gently kicked a pebble under his feet.
His reply offered no room for expansion. Yan Xi did not know how to follow up, so he quickly changed the subject: “What do you want for lunch?”
Li Fengyu thought for a moment. “I heard Old Su’s beef brisket rice is still open. Do you want to go?” Old Su’s was a long-standing establishment that had been very popular back in their school days.
“Sure, let’s go.” Yan Xi agreed readily.
The walking street was not long, and after a leisurely fifteen-minute walk, they arrived. It was early, so there were not many people eating. The owner warmly found them a window seat overlooking the school’s basketball court. Although the old shop had been renovated, the overall layout remained familiar. The wooden tables and chairs, the picture frames on the wall, and the lucky cat in the corner all recalled the past.
Yan Xi pushed the barley tea toward Li Fengyu. “Do you remember when we used to stay here to revise the drama club scripts?”
“How could I forget?” Li Fengyu picked up his cup and the corner of his mouth curved upward. “One time we stayed too late and got caught in a torrential rain, and we ended up running back to the dorms together.”
Prompted by his reminder, Yan Xi remembered. “That rain was indeed impressively heavy.”
Holding the cup, the smile on Li Fengyu’s face widened. “I remember you were not wearing a jacket then; your shirt was stuck to your body and soaked through.”
“Cough, cough, cough!” Yan Xi choked on a mouthful of tea, his face turning bright red.
Li Fengyu handed him a tissue and laughed. “What? Is it still embarrassing after all this time?”
Yan Xi took the tissue and wiped his nose awkwardly. “Speaking of which, I should thank you for lending me your jacket back then.”
Li Fengyu shrugged. “I was wearing a hoodie underneath, so I did not need the jacket. I might as well look after the shy little kid.”
I do not know which word struck a chord, but Yan Xi began to cough again, his neck turning red. Perhaps it was the limited space of the dining table that bridged the distance, or perhaps it was mentioning shared memories, but their conversation flowed more naturally.
While they were talking, the owner lifted the kitchen curtain and placed two steaming bowls of beef brisket rice on the table. “Enjoy your meal.”
“So fragrant,” Yan Xi said after a bite, exclaiming, “It is still the same taste.”
Li Fengyu stared at Yan Xi’s chopsticks and asked, “You still do not like green vegetables?”
“No, I am not a picky eater anymore. I eat everything.” To prove himself, Yan Xi picked up a piece of green vegetable and ate it in a large bite.
Li Fengyu laughed again: “No need to pretend to be grown up in front of me.”
When paying the bill, Yan Xi pulled out his phone to scan the code. Seeing the amount, he felt a bit awkward. “Six or seven years apart, and I am only treating you to this.”
Li Fengyu kept his hands in his pockets, his eyes curving. “I think the beef brisket rice is excellent.”
Yan Xi was dazzled by his suddenly bright smile and looked away. “As long as you do not mind. I will treat you to something better next time.”
“No need for next time, let us do it now.” Li Fengyu lifted his chin and walked out the door. “Let me buy you coffee, and we can discuss our real business.”
Li Fengyu was a man who separated professional and personal matters clearly; they caught up at the school gate, but moved to a cafe in the commercial district for business. After ordering coffee, Yan Xi opened his phone app, preparing to pull up the design sketches. Li Fengyu suddenly stood up and leaned in close, giving Yan Xi a shock. He instinctively tilted his head to avoid the sudden contact, raising an eyebrow: “What is it?”
“Do not move,” Li Fengyu said naturally, patting Yan Xi’s shoulder. “There is something on your clothes, let me get it for you.”
“Okay.” Yan Xi silently relaxed his back.
“It looks like a tiny feather, stuck in the fabric.” Li Fengyu’s fingers rested on Yan Xi’s shoulder,整理ing it carefully and slowly.
Yan Xi tilted his head and nodded gently to show his appreciation.
Soft jazz music swayed lightly in the air, and a rich aroma of coffee permeated every corner. In the elegant and romantic atmosphere, Li Fengyu suddenly felt a sense of danger, as if he were being targeted by a sniper. He turned his head and scanned the area outside the glass window. Amidst the bustling traffic, an orange Bentley Continental was especially eye-catching.
The car window was half-open, and a man sat inside. His eyes were dark and cold, and the ferocity and threat in his gaze were chilling.