FLME Ch61

When Xie Heyu asked this, Yu Wen immediately froze.

Was he really drunk, or was he faking it?

Both were true and false at the same time. He wasn’t as rational or composed as usual, feeling dazed and foggy, yet he was very clear about what he was doing.

Yes, he did it on purpose… Honesty is a beautiful human virtue. He shut his eyes tightly and admitted it. Once he admitted it, he could run away. After all, the door was right behind him… Yu Wen muttered to himself, constantly trying to muster his courage.

Silence and awkwardness filled the hallway.

Just as he was about to speak, Xie Heyu, without waiting for his answer, suddenly lifted his chin and pressed his moist lips onto his.

They had just kissed, and Xie Heyu’s lips were soft like cotton, with a moistness that might have been saliva or breath. In the lingering movement, Yu Wen found the rhythm, his eyes slightly open, and through the shadow of his eyelashes, he saw Xie Heyu’s face up close.

Today, Teacher Xie had once again dressed like a trendy guy, with a dark earring hanging from his left earlobe, which was quite beautiful.

Yu Wen thought of the first time they met at the bus stop.

It was raining that day, and the air was damp. A cool guy waiting for the bus handed him an umbrella. At the time, Yu Wen thought, “This guy’s got style, and he’s a good person.”

A favor given freely is the hardest to repay, and a good person is the most difficult to refuse.

If you ever let down a good person, guilt will take root and haunt you for the rest of your life like an unshakable burden.

Yu Wen’s life philosophy was to always return what he received. If someone gave him one, he would return tenfold.

To this day, Yu Wen kept track of every person who had treated him well and had different ways of reciprocating. For Xie Jiamao, it was simple—work hard, earn money, become popular, and help the boss achieve his dream of making it into the Fortune 500. For Chu Han, it was also simple—keep an eye on him and Feng Chengzhou, always prepared with a little shovel, ready to bury President Feng if Chu Han got upset. Xi Su and Yi Ming… they were all in the industry, so there would always be chances to repay favors later.

But Xie Heyu was different.

Teacher Xie was different.

He wasn’t in the same circle, didn’t need Yu Wen’s resources, came from a good family, and didn’t need to worry about his future. Even his salary wasn’t handled by Yu Wen, and there wasn’t even a title for issuing bonuses…

The debt to Teacher Xie was incredibly hard to repay.

And if you added feelings to that debt… it was over. Yu Wen felt he’d owe Teacher Xie for a lifetime.

As these scattered thoughts ran through his mind, Yu Wen suddenly sensed that Teacher Xie had taken a step closer, closing in on him, leaving less and less room to move, and even the air felt thinner. He snapped out of it and grabbed Xie Heyu’s hand.

The kiss had lasted far too long.

When Xie Heyu finally let go, Yu Wen felt his lips go numb, his head spinning, even dizzier than from being drunk, as if he were oxygen-deprived.

Yu Wen could hardly stand upright.

He wanted to bury his head in Xie Heyu’s chest and let Xie Heyu support his whole exhausted body, but that wouldn’t be right. He still had things to say.

So he leaned the back of his head against the wall, gasping for breath like a fish on the verge of death.

Xie Heyu brushed against his cheek, his gaze dark and deep. Just as he was about to lower his head for a third kiss, Yu Wen quickly shrank back, nervously grabbing Xie Heyu’s wrist.

No more kissing.

Another kiss, and his lips would break.

Xie Heyu froze in place, then after a moment, gently leaned in, slowly and softly, planting a comforting kiss on Yu Wen’s cheek.

Seeing that Yu Wen wasn’t resisting, Xie Heyu rubbed against the tip of his nose and gave a featherlight kiss, landing on the mole at the corner of his eye.

Yu Wen stood there in a daze, enjoying this warmth.

“Yu Wen, are you really drunk or just pretending?” Xie Heyu asked again.

Huh?

For a brief moment, perhaps because Xie Heyu’s dark eyes were too intense, Yu Wen blurted out.

“Half… half drunk.”

The moment he said it, he regretted it. What the heck, Yu Wen? Why are you being so dishonest…?

Xie Heyu didn’t seem angry. He’d always been like that, giving Yu Wen plenty of time to adjust. Hearing his response, he just nodded slightly and took a few steps back. Apart from his slightly hoarse voice, he didn’t look like someone who had just been kissing.

“Get some rest. Go inside.”

Xie Heyu stood in the hallway, watching him until he entered his room.

Once inside, Yu Wen snapped back to his senses—Wait? How did things turn out this way?!

He… he was going to suggest they start a relationship!

After calming down, Yu Wen smacked himself on the lips in frustration—dishonest.

That slap stung, and Yu Wen went to the bathroom to check the mirror, realizing the skin at the corner of his mouth had broken.

No wonder it hurt.

Absentmindedly, he took a shower, then lay on the bed. He picked up his phone and saw a few messages from Xie Heyu.

Nervously, he clicked in to read them—

[Don’t shower for too long, be careful not to faint.]

[Message me when you’re done.]

[Dry your hair.]

…?

That’s it?

Yu Wen touched his still-wet hair, feeling a little guilty, and muttered to himself: How did he know I didn’t dry my hair? Did he secretly install surveillance? Could he be standing outside my door, eavesdropping…

The last guess was absurd.

Normally, Yu Wen would’ve thought it was crazy, but right now, it made perfect sense.

Two minutes later, Yu Wen opened the door and cautiously stuck his head out like a real detective, quickly looking left and right.

No one was around…

Oh, wait, there was someone.

Yu Wen slowly turned his head and made eye contact with Xi Su, who was standing at the stairwell, looking utterly shocked.

Yu Wen: “What are you doing here?”

Xi Su: “I came downstairs to get some water and saw you… uh, engaging in some performance art.”

Sure enough, being influenced by those around him, Xi Su’s words had been getting more and more sophisticated lately.

Yu Wen uninterestingly pursed his lips. “Well, go ahead and drink your water.” With that, he was about to head back to his room.

“Wait a second.” Xi Su scratched his head and asked, “Have you been under a lot of pressure at work lately? If you’re feeling embarrassed, I could tell your manager to give you fewer gigs…”

Yu Wen stayed silent for a long moment.

Then he muttered something that left Xi Su completely baffled.

“That’s my manager. Why would I need you to say anything…”

Xi Su: “?”

He watched Yu Wen close the door and sighed inwardly: “Work really does mess with your mind. Look at this colleague—he’s lost it.”

—

Yu Wen dried his hair and lay back on the bed.

He stared at the WeChat conversation window.

After a long while, he tentatively typed a few words: [Wanna date…?]

No, too flirty.

Deleted.

Then he typed: [Actually, I wasn’t drunk last night…]

Not good.

Just saying he wasn’t drunk felt too flimsy.

How should he put it?

He needed to tell Xie Heyu why he had changed his mind and express his sincere feelings. After all, when Teacher Xie confessed, he poured out his heart and said everything. Yu Wen had to be clear about his feelings too…

Where should he start?

Yu Wen tossed and turned until the middle of the night. Eventually, the alcohol and sleepiness overwhelmed him, and he drifted off, his phone still by his pillow, sprawled out in all directions. Luckily, he was covered by a blanket, so he didn’t catch a cold.

The next morning, he woke up with a slight headache, but felt mentally refreshed.

He had work today—to shoot the promotional photos for Moon Harbor. Xie Heyu had already sent him a message early in the morning, reminding him and offering to drive him. Yu Wen saw the message but didn’t reply.

His conversation window still had all the thoughts he’d agonized over from the night before. What if he replied and accidentally lost those heartfelt words?

…Okay, those were just excuses. He was really just a little embarrassed.

When he went downstairs, Xie Heyu’s car was already parked at the door. Xie leaned against the hood, looking down at his phone.

Yu Wen smiled and happily skipped down the steps, feeling like the weather was perfect today—the sky was blue, and the breeze was cool.

Xie Heyu noticed the movement. Just as he looked up, the rear window rolled down, and Xiao Zhou poked his head out, smiling and greeting him: “Good morning, Teacher Yu.”

Yu Wen landed with a perfect score but froze at the bottom of the steps.

Xiao Zhong followed suit, enthusiastically saying, “Teacher Yu, time to get to work!”

Yu Wen hadn’t had many jobs recently, and Xie Heyu had been handling everything alone, so he had given the two assistants a half-month vacation. He had completely forgotten about their existence.

Yu Wen’s expression remained unchanged, but he stood there stiffly for a moment before walking forward, looking alive but feeling utterly dead from embarrassment inside.

Thank goodness he held back earlier and didn’t act all clingy with Teacher Xie.

…Thank goodness he didn’t say something he shouldn’t have.

The drive was long, and Yu Wen had originally planned to talk to Xie Heyu face-to-face, but with Xiao Zhou and Xiao Zhong present, he felt too embarrassed.

As Xie Heyu opened the passenger door, Yu Wen, just before getting in, grabbed onto the door, hesitating. He glanced at Xie, and their hands touched on the door. Without thinking, Yu Wen’s pinky hooked onto Xie’s.

And then his hand was grabbed.

Xie Heyu held his hand, then quickly let go. The moment was brief, but Teacher Xie’s fingertips brushed teasingly across Yu Wen’s palm.

That usual calm face showed no emotion, making Yu Wen wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.

After getting in the car, Yu Wen hesitated: Did we… just hold hands?

With Xiao Zhong and Xiao Zhou around, he couldn’t ask. Halfway through the trip, he couldn’t help but turn around and ask the two assistants, “Weren’t you happy with your vacation?”

Xiao Zhong laughed cheerfully, “Of course we were! But the vacation’s over now, so it’s back to work, helping Teacher Yu become super famous!”

“…Thank you.” Yu Wen politely replied, then leaned over the passenger seat with a serious look. “How about I give you guys another half-month off?”

The car fell silent for a moment.

From the rearview mirror, Xie Heyu glanced at him, his lips curling slightly in amusement before he quickly composed himself again.

Teacher Xie’s face returned to its usual calm.

“I understand, Teacher Yu,” Xiao Zhou said solemnly. “This is a test of our dedication, right? Don’t worry, Xiao Zhou is not someone who’s lazy! You can trust me!”

Xiao Zhong chimed in in agreement.

Yu Wen couldn’t get through to them. By the end, the two assistants even thought he was about to fire them, their eyes brimming with tears.

“Forget it.” Yu Wen sighed. “The company’s lucky to have employees like you.”

Having failed to give the assistants more time off, Yu Wen barely said a word for the rest of the ride. He curled up in his seat, occasionally glancing at the scenery outside and sneaking looks at Xie Heyu.

Each time he glanced, Teacher Xie would catch his gaze precisely in the rearview mirror, and Yu Wen would instantly fidget around, pretending to be extremely busy.

After getting out of the car, Yu Wen stood in front of Xie Heyu. Xiao Zhong and Xiao Zhou flanked him like loyal bodyguards, making it impossible for him to say a word.

“…You’re really not coming in with me?” After a long pause, he finally squeezed out that one sentence.

Xie Heyu replied, “It’s about to start. I’ll go talk to Director Miao about your schedule. Xiao Zhou and Xiao Zhong will go with you.”

Yu Wen hesitated, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he added, “Then wait for me in the car. I might come out during the break. I’ve got something I want to tell you…”

With that, he turned and walked towards the studio, with Xiao Zhong and Xiao Zhou following like proud soldiers, full of energy after their vacation, as if they were about to receive an award.

“Maybe I won’t come out…” Halfway there, Yu Wen suddenly ran back, his hair messy from the wind, his eyes bright. He added to Xie Heyu, “I might not have time to come out, so I’ll probably send what I want to say by text.”

Xie Heyu didn’t say a word, just stared at him steadily.

Seeing no response, Yu Wen had no choice but to leave. Once he was out of sight, Xie Heyu pulled out his phone and slowly typed a few words into the chat window:

[Want to kiss you…]

No, not right.

Deleted.

After erasing it, he pocketed his phone and rubbed his temples.

—

There were two VIPs at the studio today.

On the coffee table by the lounge sofa, dozens of photos were spread out. The assistant director was trying to pick a suitable actor for the lead role. After much deliberation, he selected one and handed it to the man beside him.

Feng Chengzhou glanced at it and said, “No, this guy once got into a fight with netizens online, cursed a lot, has a very messy history. He might cause a scandal anytime.”

The assistant director picked another, but Feng Chengzhou shook his head again, “This one’s got a DUI—a criminal case.”

On the other sofa, Bian Ce was reviewing an overwhelming amount of information on male celebrities. The company had dug up almost every scrap of these entertainers’ personal lives—anything that could be found online had been compiled into the files.

Bian Ce sifted through the documents, selecting the ones that were barely acceptable and handing them to Feng Chengzhou.

After the incident with Movie Emperor Zhuang, all the major production companies had become more cautious when choosing actors. At the very least, anyone with a criminal record was automatically disqualified.

Feng Chengzhou was even more rigorous—he practically examined their entire family history. If their background couldn’t pass the same scrutiny as a civil service application, they wouldn’t make the cut here either.

Yi Ming peeked in from the doorway, nervously watching the expressions of the group inside.

Yu Wen spotted her immediately and asked, “Why don’t you go in?”

“Shh—” Yi Ming made a serious gesture for silence, whispering, “I’m afraid President Feng will fire me…”

Hearing this, Yu Wen’s expression grew just as complicated.

Would they both be fired as well?

Although the Film Emperor Zhuang scandal wasn’t their fault, they had certainly fanned the flames and even took a stand against him publicly. Now, the director was being forced to recast the lead role…

“Second Master, I learned a lesson last night: you can’t run away from your problems. You have to face them honestly,” Yu Wen said, keeping a straight face.

Yi Ming: “So you mean…?”

Yu Wen: “Let’s go in and admit our mistakes.”

Yi Ming thought about it. He made a good point.

“You go first.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Feng Chengzhou asked, “Does Director Miao have a backup for the lead?”

The assistant director sighed, “Yes, but the backup’s acting isn’t good enough. Director Miao still wants someone with real talent, even if they don’t look the part.”

Feng Chengzhou’s eye twitched, and he continued flipping through the files, his peripheral vision catching two figures sneaking along the wall.

He looked up to see Yu Wen and Yi Ming sidling their way forward at half a step per second, hugging the wall.

“You two… really like that wall?” Feng Chengzhou asked, baffled.

Caught in the act, Yu Wen gave up on hiding. He exchanged a look with Yi Ming, steeling themselves as they marched up to stand in front of the three, striking military-like poses, ready to confess.

Yu Wen: “President Feng, these past few days, Xiao Yu has been unable to sleep, reflecting on my mistakes, constantly worrying about the trouble I’ve caused…”

Yi Ming: “We were wrong.”

Yu Wen: “Regarding the matter with Film Emperor Zhuang, my second master and I were truly careless and brought trouble to you…”

Yi Ming: “We’re really sorry.”

Yu Wen: “We hope you’ll give us another chance. Xiao Yu will never forget this mistake and will never make it again…”

Yi Ming: “Please don’t fire us.”

As Yu Wen was about to speak again, Feng Chengzhou quickly cut him off, “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t say another word; I’m scared of you.”

Bian Ce couldn’t help but laugh at their anxious expressions. Rolling up a few sheets of paper, he lightly tapped both of their heads. “So you do know you’ve caused trouble, huh? Picking a new lead actor isn’t the main issue. Do you have any idea how many media outlets are talking about the discord on set because you two went public? Thankfully, President Feng here has the money to suppress it all.”

The assistant director smiled at them, “Replacing the lead actor isn’t your fault—it’s his own misconduct that’s the problem. Don’t take it personally. Come on over and help me pick someone who can play ‘Fu Mingshen.’”

Yu Wen: “So we’re not getting fired?”

Feng Chengzhou raised an eyebrow. “You’re Director Miao’s precious treasure. Who would dare fire you?”

Yi Ming: “What about me?”

Feng Chengzhou: “You’re the other apple of Director Miao’s eye.”

Yu Wen was overjoyed and immediately wanted to shower Feng Chengzhou with flattery, but the young master warned, “If it’s more than three words, don’t say it.”

Yu Wen: “…Thank you.”

Exactly three words.

Since filming hadn’t started yet, the two of them sat down to help pick actors. In reality, they were just there to fill the numbers. Yi Ming got completely absorbed in the juicy gossip revealed by the detailed files, forgetting all about the task at hand.

As for Yu Wen, his mind was elsewhere.

He asked the assistant director when filming would start and, upon learning that it could start any moment, gave up on the idea of going outside to find Xie Heyu.

He opened his WeChat chat and continued to edit and rewrite his message.

[Firstly, I’m honored that you like me, Teacher Xie.

I imagine my reaction when you confessed hurt your feelings. I want to clarify: I wasn’t disgusted at all; I was just flustered and didn’t know how to respond. Looking back, even if you had asked to start dating at that moment, I wouldn’t have rejected you. Maybe I would’ve run off, or maybe I would’ve asked for a few days to think it over… but I wouldn’t have rejected you.

Because I like you too.]

In the car.

Xie Heyu had finished discussing the schedule. With time to spare, he sat in the driver’s seat, staring blankly for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered something and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a little paper boat hat made from an old newspaper.

The paper hat was neatly folded and well preserved. Yu Wen had made it while helping him paint the company office and had left it in his car.

It was hidden away well, just like his feelings.

Xie Heyu unfolded the boat hat, then folded it back again.

Casually, he thought to himself, I hid it too well… Teacher Xiao Yu has never noticed.

This isn’t how you boil a frog slowly.

It seemed like… He hadn’t even turned on the heat.

—

[I often ask for your accessories, but I never wear them. I know full well that those styles don’t suit me, yet I always ask you for them. Why?

I’ve thought about it for a long time. Perhaps liking your style and liking you as a person exist side by side.

Every time you show up, my heart skips a beat. Falling for you was inevitable, sooner or later.]

—

Xie Heyu’s fingers moved quickly as he unfolded and refolded the paper hat, the movements becoming faster and faster.

If he kept hiding it, giving Teacher Xiao Yu more time to catch on, the gentle approach might end up turning their relationship into mere brotherhood.

Whether rejection or acceptance…

He had to ask.

—

[Haha, maybe I’m sounding a bit cheesy. Uh… in short, what I want to say is that I really like you.]

—

Clack—

Xie Heyu closed the glove compartment, stuffing the paper hat back inside. He picked up his phone and typed out a message.

—

Yu Wen typed the final part of his message: [Would you like to date?]

His finger hovered over the send button, but he hesitated, unable to press it.

Ding—

Suddenly, a new message popped up in the chat window.

Xie Heyu: [Date me?]

Yu Wen’s heart skipped a beat, and it took him a while to react. He put down his phone and gently covered his face.

The tips of his ears, which were still visible, had turned a bright shade of red.

After a moment, he picked up his phone again and coolly typed a single word:

[Yes.]