RBNR Ch55: Is he your boyfriend?

The magazine shoot lasted until the afternoon. On the way back to the studio, Qin Bao received a call from An Qingyan, who asked, “Do you know about the additional investors for ‘Echoes’?”

The film had wrapped up long ago and was in the final stages of special effects production. Qin Bao hadn’t been keeping up with it.

“No, what about it?”

An Qingyan said, “I heard from someone that Jingjing Pictures has a major issue. The post-production of ‘Echoes’ has been delayed for three or four months due to lack of funds. It’s not surprising that they’re adding investors, but I remember you had some conflict with the crown prince of Sufeng… You’d better ask Sister Lü.”

Qin Bao: “Sufeng? It’s them?”

An Qingyan said, “Yes, the news should be announced in a few days.”

Qin Bao thought for a moment, “I’m just a minor actor, it shouldn’t affect me much. Besides, with such a big production, they wouldn’t mess around, right?”

“That’s not necessarily true. You don’t understand. That crown prince of theirs, what’s his name? Zou something Dong?”

“Zou Jiudong.”

“Yes, Zou Jiudong. His father, Chairman Zou, is getting old and was in the ICU twice last year. Now he’s handed everything over to him, so he has a lot of power.” An Qingyan said, “And I’ve heard that he’s a tyrant in the industry, vindictive and petty. You better be careful.”

The film was already finished, so Qin Bao could only take note of An Qingyan’s warning and turned to tell Brother Lu.

Brother Lu said, “I’ll have dinner with someone from Jingjing tonight and see what’s going on.”

When they got back to the studio, Xiao Xu poured water for Qin Bao and Brother Lu and wandered around the main office. There were nearly ten colleagues in the studio now. After chatting with everyone, she came back and said, “Strange, why isn’t Sister Si here again today? Aren’t you guys still on break?”

Jin Si, like Qin Bao, was still in school. Except for the chaotic early days of the studio, she had become more relaxed after Brother Lu joined, focusing more on her studies. She was still somewhat part-time, learning and working simultaneously.

Xiao Xu and Jin Si joined the studio together and had a good relationship. Every time Qin Bao came back from work, Xiao Xu would find Jin Si to gossip.

“Si Si hasn’t been here for a few days,” Brother Lu said. “I’ll call her in a bit.”

Then he busied himself with coordinating the next day’s work.

Seeing it was almost time, Qin Bao told Xiao Xu to go with him to a restaurant.

“Brother Bao, what do you want to eat? I’ll buy it back for you,” Xiao Xu said. “It’s pretty cold outside; you shouldn’t go out.”

Since Qin Bao got sick at Glory, Xiao Xu thought Qin Bao was fragile. She didn’t know the cause of his illness, but she became even more concerned about his well-being.

Qin Bao said, “I want to see the menu.”

Xiao Xu: “I’ll take a photo and send it to you.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Qin Bao insisted on going, not intimidating at all despite his stern tone, “Are you coming or not?”

Wearing a hat, glasses, and a thick scarf, Qin Bao disguised himself but still drew quite a bit of attention on the street due to his demeanor.

Xiao Xu also made some effort to disguise herself, wearing her hooded down jacket. The two of them, one tall and one short, looked like they were experiencing their first winter up north.

At the restaurant, they found a spot and sat down, ordering a glass of water.

Qin Bao spread out the beautifully designed menu, selected some dishes he thought were good, and took pictures, sending them one by one to Feng Chengyu with the indifferent caption: [Order.]

Then he waited for a reply.

Xiao Xu held her water cup and stomped her feet. Qin Bao knew her too well and said, “Spill it.”

“Okay! But don’t get mad if I say something wrong!” Xiao Xu was indeed excited, “I just want to ask, Bao… have you made things official with that hookup…”

Qin Bao doubted his ears: “?! What hookup? I don’t have a hookup.”

Xiao Xu said, “You do, you’ve always had one, and it’s the same person. Did you think I didn’t know?”

Qin Bao: “…”

Xiao Xu, as his close assistant, knew everything about Qin Bao. She had never asked, so he pretended nothing happened.

Seeing Qin Bao unwilling to talk, Xiao Xu didn’t dare press further.

Qin Bao, feeling warm, tugged at his scarf: “Explain clearly what you’ve noticed.”

“Then I’ll start analyzing.” Xiao Xu, emboldened by Qin Bao, began, “First, there was that time you shot the collar ad, you had a lot of marks on you, and you told me it was from a dog bite. Remember?”

Qin Bao: “…”

Xiao Xu: “Then during that year’s fashion week, when you closed the show, you had marks and gland patches. At that time, I thought it was Mo Xiao, but later, when I met him, I realized it wasn’t because the scent was different.”

Qin Bao: “…”

“The scent on you is always a faint floral fragrance. I can’t tell what flower it is, but it’s very pleasant. Every time you change your style, get a haircut, or during weekends, you have that scent.”

Qin Bao: “…”

It’s narcissus, thank you.

“That person also loves giving you flowers, which you always accept, saying to throw them away but always smelling them. Last year, you inexplicably took a week off for a vacation. Today you came with that scent again… and you’ve been checking your phone more than usual.”

Qin Bao took a sip of water, paused for a couple of seconds, and then snapped, “Xu Chenchen, are you a private detective? Should I send you to be a paparazzo?”

Seeing him flushed, Xiao Xu shrank her neck, laughing secretly.

“I don’t always smell them. Flowers are for smelling, right? And I don’t always check my phone.” Qin Bao denied her guesses and counterattacked, “Besides, we’ve never been just hookups.”

How could something legal be called a hookup?

He’s not An Qingyan; he’s not that shameless.

Xiao Xu changed her approach: “Then is he your boyfriend?”

Boyfriend?

How should he explain this?

Qin Bao took another sip of water: “Well, sort of.”

Ridiculous.

What kind of boyfriend is Feng Chengyu? He’s clearly a contractual marriage partner, the kind with a marriage certificate.

But “boyfriend” sounds more normal than “husband.”

Xiao Xu said, “You didn’t check your phone much before, but today you did several times, and you smiled while checking.”

Qin Bao: “…”

He didn’t think he smiled; it must be Xiao Xu’s imagination.

“Who is he? Is he in the industry?” Xiao Xu cautiously asked. “If he’s in the industry, I’ll help cover for you guys before you go public.”

She might as well check Flow to see if there are any existing CP super topics to follow.

Xiao Xu guessed wrong, and Qin Bao regained some composure. It seemed his secrecy was still decent.

Qin Bao said, “Not in the industry, and we’re not planning to go public. Stop guessing.”

Xiao Xu was even more curious: “How did you meet?”

She wondered if he was from the fashion industry, thinking a model paired with a designer would be a great match.

Qin Bao thought for a moment and replied, “We’ve known each other since birth.”

“Childhood sweethearts?”

Xiao Xu’s eyes sparkled. “Is he handsome?”

Qin Bao: “…Yeah.”

Feng Chengyu had grown to perfectly fit his aesthetic preferences; otherwise, how could he be so captivated by him for so many years, still infatuated now?

Just then, a message from Feng Chengyu arrived.

F: [【Image】, 【Image】.]

F: [Will be home in an hour.]

Talking about this topic with Xiao Xu made Qin Bao feel as if his chair was covered in thorns, making him uneasy and eager to end the conversation.

Feng Chengyu’s reply was timely. Qin Bao quickly forwarded the pictures of the selected dishes to Xiao Xu. “Enough talking! Help order some food for everyone at the studio first, then help me order these to take back.”

“For your boyfriend?” Xiao Xu asked excitedly. “I’ll do it right away!”

Qin Bao: “…”

Great, now another person besides Brother Lu has gone crazy.

*

Sitting in the back seat, Qin Bao looked at the freshly packed food containers beside him, suddenly feeling a bit silly.

He must have caught the love bug. In the past, there was Xu Tangzhou, and now there were two more people around him, making him act in such a strange way.

So embarrassing.

Feng Chengyu had just given a brief explanation for his recent disappearance, apologized, said a few nice things, and promised a permanent mark. Qin Bao then forgot how he had felt during that time.

The car arrived at his doorstep, and Qin Bao rubbed his face, trying to shake off the unnecessary emotions, and got out of the car with the food containers.

After saying goodbye to Brother Lu, Qin Bao walked up the steps and pushed the door open.

The house was quiet, with no one around.

What the heck, he said he’d be home in an hour.

He made Qin Bao rush the restaurant twice.

After placing the food containers on the table, Qin Bao went to wash his hands and then walked to the window.

Feng Chengyu was actually on the second floor.

He had arrived home twenty minutes earlier than expected and had taken a shower first after visiting several places that day.

Walking to the railing on the second floor, he saw the tall figure standing by the window.

He wondered what Qin Bao was looking at.

Then he saw Qin Bao take a few steps back and lean against the back of the sofa, still facing downstairs.

A neighbor’s car drove by at the corner, followed by a couple walking their dog and chatting, then an automatic patrol car from the property passed by.

It all seemed normal, as Qin Bao looked accustomed to it.

He even changed his posture, lazily bending one leg, half-closing his eyes, with his eyelashes casting a small shadow. A few minutes later, bored, he took out his phone as if intending to message someone but didn’t move his fingers.

Feng Chengyu took out his own phone.

In the chat with “Bao,” it clearly showed “The other party is typing.”

Downstairs, Qin Bao typed, then deleted.

Then he turned off his phone in frustration and tossed it aside.

Suddenly appearing would be frightening, so Feng Chengyu tapped the railing with his fingers first, then walked downstairs at a normal pace.

“You’re back?”

Qin Bao turned around in surprise. “You’re home?”

Feng Chengyu: “Just took a shower. When did you get back?”

“Just walked in.” Qin Bao stood up, showing some impatience. “Brother Lu wanted to go home early today, so he drove fast.”

Feng Chengyu pretended not to know.

Sitting at the dining table, he mentioned, “Grandpa called me today.”

Qin Bao froze, then casually asked, “…What did he say?”

“He talked about your pheromone rejection issue, suggesting we get the permanent mark done sooner. It’s beneficial for both of us.” Feng Chengyu said while setting the table.

Qin Bao turned to get cups and water, hiding his expression from Feng Chengyu.

He only heard Qin Bao ask, “Didn’t he say anything else?”

Feng Chengyu answered honestly, “He did. Grandpa said he feels very sorry for both of us, but he was truly forced.”

Qin Bao’s body stiffened for a moment, then he replied flatly, “Got it.”

The topic was dropped there.

Qin Bao appreciated that Feng Chengyu didn’t, like Mr. Qin, try to persuade him to “put himself in others’ shoes” or “consider others more.” Grandpa was wrong, and he admitted it. There is no real “putting oneself in others’ shoes” in this world, and naturally, no real empathy.

So Qin Bao felt a sudden urge to express himself: “Feng Chengyu, do you know why my parents divorced?”

Of course, Feng Chengyu didn’t know, so Qin Bao answered himself, “Because my father was too silent. Not the kind of silent that means not talking, but a kind of cowardly and submissive silence towards any event.

“When my grandfather didn’t allow my mother to start her studio, he was silent. When my mother worked hard to start it on her own, he was silent. When my mother failed, he was still silent.

“You might think he didn’t care about her, but that’s not true. When my mother worked, he took care of her life, stayed up all night with her. But he never fought for any say. At every turning point in life, he seemed non-existent, ambiguous about every choice. Even when she asked for a divorce, he was silent.

“My grandfather told him to go east, and he wouldn’t dare go west. He was used to having everything arranged for him, with no concept of striving for anything in his bones.

“I dare say, no matter how small the matter, he never thought of making a choice for himself.”

Feng Chengyu listened quietly and then said, “So you don’t want to be like him.”

“Of course not.” Qin Bao said, “Living a silent life, like someone else’s shadow, what’s the point?”

Feng Chengyu: “I heard from Feng Chu that you initially entered the competition without telling your family.”

Qin Bao was annoyed, “Why does Feng Chu tell you everything?”

Feng Chengyu pointed out, “He’s your fan.”

That was true. Qin Bao remembered Feng Chu asking for his autograph.

Combining Qin Bao’s desire to give Ms. Rong some money, Feng Chengyu easily guessed something else: “So besides not wanting to live silently, you also want to help them in your own way?”

“Yeah.” Qin Bao said, “I think they still have feelings for each other.”

Feng Chengyu curved his lips into a smile.

Qin Bao: “Why are you smiling? Do you think I can’t help them?”

“Of course not,” Feng Chengyu denied. “I was just thinking about the videos of you participating in the competition.”

Such a young person was already thinking about how to help his family.

Qin Bao was suspicious: “What videos? Did Feng Chu send them?”

“Dancing videos, and a self-introduction clip,” Feng Chengyu said, eating gracefully and unhurriedly. “Your fans uploaded them. Don’t you know there’s a complete cut of your competition online?”

Qin Bao didn’t know this existed and got a bit flustered. “Stop watching those! They are embarrassing! I’ll have them deleted tomorrow!”

After dinner, they cleaned up the dishes together. Qin Bao’s favorite set of cups couldn’t go into the dishwasher, so Feng Chengyu washed them while Qin Bao dried them. Their arms touched occasionally, causing Qin Bao’s ears to turn a bit red.

The ambiguous atmosphere made Qin Bao a little anxious.

Their communication, whether through messaging or face-to-face interactions, seemed to have increased.

Not being physically intimate and just talking wasn’t something Qin Bao liked.

Qin Bao preferred things to be like before.

So, he called out, “Feng Chengyu,” and when the man turned around, he hooked his arm around the Alpha’s neck and kissed him.

It had been a long time since they last did this, and Qin Bao’s heart was racing.

He kissed Feng Chengyu a few times, but Feng Chengyu didn’t respond, just looked at him with those seemingly indifferent black eyes, his wet hands gripping Qin Bao’s waist.

When Qin Bao went in for another kiss, Feng Chengyu used his fingers to clasp the back of his head, forcibly pushing him away.

Then, he leaned in and kissed him hard, invading his mouth directly and roughly.

___

Author’s Note:

Feng’s helplessness: I initially wanted to develop our feelings further before doing this.