FLME Ch77

Yu Wen was holding a mop and “executing” Xie Heyu when the latter took a piece of clothing out of a box.

The garment was exquisitely crafted, with high-quality materials, but the neckline was very low, the hemline was short, and it came with a lace choker and a lace headband.

Xie Heyu held the strap by the edge and shook it open in front of him.

“This is… a restraint,” Xie Heyu said solemnly. “If you’re inconvenienced, you won’t be able to focus on mopping. It’s all part of my plan. Later, I’ll pretend to be utterly mesmerized by you…”

Yu Wen: “Shut up.”

Xie Heyu fell silent.

Yu Wen, fuming, paced in circles on the spot. Sure, they’d done it before—been intimately close—but that didn’t mean he could immediately accept such bold antics. Others would take it step by step, getting more daring each time. Why did Xie Heyu have to start with a bombshell?!

Was this Xie Heyu’s personal style?!

Yu Wen wandered in circles, his face flushed down to his neck, unsure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

He forced himself to stay composed, leaned the mop against the wall, and said, “Forget cleaning. Let’s go out for a walk.”

Xie Heyu, holding the little dress, silently stared at him without a word.

In the end, it was his own boyfriend. The moment Yu Wen met his gaze, his heart softened, and he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. After hesitating for a while, he said, “Sorry, I’m not rejecting you… but I just need some time…”

Xie Heyu looked away, lowering his gaze to the little dress in his hands. “I understand. I was being presumptuous.”

…The way he said it.

Yu Wen noticed him staring at the little dress as if he really liked it, which was surprising—Xie Heyu had never been so attached to anything before. Could it be… maid outfits were his kink?

If that were the case, then occasionally… indulging him wouldn’t hurt. It’s just that Yu Wen wasn’t mentally prepared for it yet.

“Ahem, maybe we should… keep it?” Yu Wen tested the waters. “We can save it for later, when the timing feels right…”

Xie Heyu glanced at him.

“Alright.”

That “alright” had a rising tone, with a hint of joy rippling through his otherwise calm voice.

Such a closet flirt.

Yu Wen muttered to himself.

They said they’d go out for a walk, but the options for a couple’s date were limited: a movie theater, a café, or strolling around. None of these were suitable for celebrities.

In the end, they held hands and strolled around the neighborhood garden twice before leisurely heading back.

Worried that Xie Heyu might drag him back to “clean,” Yu Wen decided to head to Xi Su’s dorm to bother him.

Xi Su was livestreaming. He had carved out a niche in a new genre called “reaction streaming.” When he wasn’t busy with work, he’d stay home and watch shows submitted by fans. He didn’t understand why people enjoyed watching others watch shows, but his livestreams always attracted high viewership. He couldn’t comprehend it but respected it—no one would turn down money.

Recently, Xi Su’s viewing volume had skyrocketed, and fans particularly enjoyed inviting him to watch tearjerkers. He claimed in their group chat that he had become as tough as iron and wouldn’t shed a single tear no matter how tragic the story.

Yu Wen had originally wanted to hang out with him. After all, Xi Su was naturally good at ruining atmospheres. With him around, Xie Heyu would surely be too embarrassed to drag him back to “clean.”

Unexpectedly, Xi Su was working, and Yu Wen’s plan fell through. After greeting the viewers briefly on camera, he called Xie Heyu to go upstairs and return to their room.

When others were around, Xie Heyu would temporarily regain his sense of propriety, keeping a polite distance. He didn’t seem clingy or distant, striking a perfect balance.

But once they entered the room, his true colors showed.

“Can I hug you?” he asked.

Yu Wen was taking off his jacket. Caught off guard by the question, he turned to look and saw Xie Heyu leaning lazily against the door. He stood casually, but for some reason, there was a hint of nervousness about him—especially in his gaze, which was direct and unwavering.

Just as Yu Wen raised his hand, the tall Xie Heyu was already pressed against him.

In an instant, inspiration struck, and Yu Wen keenly sensed something unusual. He vaguely recalled that he seemed to have gained some new insight about Xie Heyu…

But when he tried to think carefully, the memory was faint, leaving only a blank expanse in his mind.

Hiss…

He felt like he had forgotten something.

He racked his brain but couldn’t recall it. Being someone with an excellent memory, it was rare for him to experience such gaps.

After holding him for a while, Xie Heyu let go.

It was Xie Heyu’s first time in Yu Wen’s room, and he appeared quite interested. He looked around, leaned against the edge of the desk, and asked if he could browse the books on it. With Yu Wen’s permission, he started flipping through them one by one.

Most of Yu Wen’s books were related to the entertainment industry, primarily professional materials. Some were appreciation-related books, in which Yu Wen had tucked handwritten reflections.

Xie Heyu casually opened a few pages and found some impromptu poems written by Yu Wen.

“You wrote these?” Xie Heyu asked in surprise.

Yu Wen leaned over to take a look and said, “Oh, yeah. I was inspired while watching a movie and just jotted something down.”

Xie Heyu said, “They’re beautifully written.”

Yu Wen smiled and replied, “That’s because the movie’s scenes were beautifully shot. Back in school, I took some elective courses in literary creation, so I have a bit of a foundation.”

Xie Heyu paused briefly, slipped the paper back into the book, and didn’t continue the topic.

When Yu Wen went downstairs to get some water, Xie Heyu’s brief, enigmatic expression lingered in his mind—and suddenly, Yu Wen remembered what he had forgotten.

“Yu Wen? Teacher Yu, come here; the viewers want to see you…”

Yu Wen appeared on camera, and the livestream chat enthusiastically invited him to join. Just as Xi Su turned to greet him, Yu Wen, lost in thought, abruptly turned and ran back.

Xi Su: “…”

Is this how superficial our workplace camaraderie is?

Yu Wen ran back to his room in just a few strides, shut the door, and rushed to the desk, grabbing Xie Heyu by the collar.

“‘I’m afraid you’ll leave one day.’ Did you say that to me while we were doing it?”

Xie Heyu was momentarily stunned, staring blankly into Yu Wen’s eyes. Out of habit, he tried to avoid the topic. “I don’t remember… We probably said a lot of nonsense in the moment…”

“You did!” Yu Wen, proud of his superior memory, completely ignored the second half of Xie Heyu’s sentence, which was clearly an attempt to muddle the issue. “You also said, ‘I didn’t mean to hide it, I just didn’t want to bring it up in front of you.’”

He knew he had forgotten something…

At the time, he’d started analyzing it, but Xie Heyu had pulled him back into action. That time had been overwhelmingly intense, leaving him dazed—not from physical exhaustion but from the overwhelming sensory impact. Afterward, he fell asleep, and when he woke up, his mind was blank.

…He knew his brain would short-circuit!

“You didn’t say it earlier, didn’t say it later, but chose to say it then. Was it because you didn’t want to hide it from me but also didn’t want me to remember?”

Just like earlier.

The moment “the past” and “university” were mentioned, Xie Heyu immediately clammed up.

Yu Wen understood where Xie Heyu’s missing sense of security had been left behind.

It was left in his original world.

It was left in his past.

Yu Wen said, “I once gave Chu Han a piece of advice, and now I think it applies to us as well: Life is short. Enjoy it while you can. Don’t hold yourself to overly high moral standards.”

His relationship with Xie Heyu hadn’t reached the point where they’d live or die for each other. Mutual affection was certainly wonderful, but if being in love meant overcoming all obstacles to be together forever, then the journey would be too heavy.

If they liked each other, they’d be together. When challenges arose, they’d deal with them. Preemptively anticipating difficulties would only create unnecessary anxiety.

Yu Wen didn’t spell everything out, but he believed Xie Heyu would understand his meaning.

An observer always sees things more clearly. Even though these few words of advice might not immediately put Xie Heyu at ease, they carried weight.

Xie Heyu remained silent for a long time, seeming somewhat drained. He bent down, rested his forehead on Yu Wen’s shoulder, and asked, “Will you leave?”

Yu Wen replied, “How would I even leave?”

Even in novels, it’s rare to see someone transmigrate back after crossing over.

Such an event happening once was already miraculous. For it to happen again, and in reverse, would require him to have begged Buddha for 500 years in his past life, accumulating immense virtue.

Xie Heyu wrapped his arms around Yu Wen’s waist and said, “I’m just being overly sentimental. Sorry.”

Yu Wen said, “You’re forgiven.”

Xie Heyu promised, “I’ll go back to normal.”

Yu Wen waited two minutes.

“…Are you back to normal yet?”

Xie Heyu: “Mm.”

Yu Wen: “Then why aren’t you letting go of me?”

Xie Heyu: “My normal is being attached to you.”

Yu Wen: “…”

What kind of “normal” is that?

Yu Wen struggled uncomfortably against Xie Heyu’s hold. Xie Heyu leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Yu Wen’s mind was filled with sarcastic retorts, but his body was far more honest—after two kisses, he was already melting.

Halfway through the kiss, Xie Heyu murmured, “Let’s go home…”

Yu Wen asked, “What for?”

Xie Heyu replied, “To clean…”

For a moment, Yu Wen genuinely forgot the underlying meaning of “cleaning” and almost agreed, but the next second, clarity dawned on him.

He looked at Xie Heyu and asked, “Do I look that gullible to you?”

“…Not usually,” Xie Heyu chuckled softly, his warm breath brushing against Yu Wen’s neck and sending a shiver down his spine. “But at times like this… very gullible.”

…You’ve managed to make “pillow talk” sound so refined and otherworldly.

Yu Wen tidied up his desk, realizing there wasn’t much to do in the dorm. Xi Su was working, so he figured he might as well hang out at Xie Heyu’s place…

As Yu Wen packed his things, Xie Heyu stood behind him. One hand rested on the desk, the other on Yu Wen’s waist.

Every now and then, his fingers would sneak under Yu Wen’s clothes, lingering on the skin around his waist…

“Yu Wen! Yu Wen!” Xi Su’s voice echoed from a distance, quickly closing in until it was right at the door. Yu Wen panicked for a moment, and in the next instant, the door swung wide open. Xi Su, looking utterly disheveled, burst in, yelling, “Yu Wen, my god! We’ve got a traitor who’s gone off and found love—Chu Han and Feng Chengzhou are kissing in the garden—”

That’s when he noticed there were two people in the room.

Xie Heyu was holding Yu Wen by the waist, his chin resting on Yu Wen’s shoulder. The two stood in an intimate pose, the atmosphere thick with unspoken affection.

Xi Su: “…”

Yu Wen turned his head slightly and hissed through gritted teeth at Xie Heyu, “Why didn’t you lock the door?”

You always remember to lock the door at home—why didn’t you today?

Xie Heyu opened his mouth, hesitating to explain.

He wanted to say, You went out earlier… and didn’t lock it when you came back.

The three of them stared at each other in awkward silence, the tension palpable.

Five minutes later, five people were seated in the living room. The two pairs of star-crossed lovers occupied opposite sides, with Xi Su, who had been peacefully minding his own business at home before being dragged into this, sitting in the middle.

He said, “All four of you owe me an apology.”

Feng Chengzhou began, “I—”

“Godfather, you don’t have to.” Remembering the man’s role in raising him, Xi Su quickly straightened up and said with respect, “Whatever you do is justified. If you were kissing in the garden, there must be a reason… Next. Alright, Teacher Chu, your turn to apologize.”

Chu Han: “…”