He was wearing pajamas, his black hair still damp and misty. A pair of thin-framed glasses rested on his fair face, making him look even more refined and handsome.
"Chun-ge, would you like some water?"
Xie Jianyuan took a close look at his complexion and saw that he looked much better than before, which put him a little more at ease.
Hearing him speak, Xu Chun smiled at him, a hint of genuine warmth in his eyes.
"Thank you."
He was truly grateful that Xie Jianyuan had come upstairs to look for him today. Otherwise, he had no idea how much longer he would have been locked in.
Xie Jianyuan knew what he was thanking him for and couldn't help smiling.
By the time they were both lying in bed, the atmosphere had suddenly grown a little awkward again.
In the end, Xie Jianyuan was the first to break the silence. He glanced at the cover of the book in Xu Chun's hand and asked with a smile, "What are you reading?"
Xu Chun raised the cover for him to see and answered with a smile, "The Lover, by Duras."
Because of what had happened earlier, Xu Chun felt much closer to Xie Jianyuan now. For once, he took the initiative to ask, "Have you read it?"
Xie Jianyuan smiled. "I read the beginning. Is it good?"
Xu Chun nodded earnestly and looked at him. "It's good."
After he spoke, he saw Xie Jianyuan's lips curve up as he suppressed a laugh.
"What is it?" Xu Chun asked, a little puzzled.
"Nothing." Xie Jianyuan pressed his thin lips together and looked away. He couldn't very well say he thought Xu Chun had looked cute just now, gazing at him so earnestly with his eyes wide open. He imagined what would happen if he said it, and the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened.
Xu Chun had thought he would have trouble sleeping beside someone he wasn't familiar with for the first time, but to his surprise, he drifted off not long after lying down. If he hadn't needed to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, he might have slept straight through until morning.
When he got up, he found the space beside him empty. Xie Jianyuan was nowhere to be seen. Xu Chun didn't think much of it and headed for the bathroom after getting out of bed, but he suddenly stopped. Remembering how he had been locked in that evening, he was still shaken, so he headed downstairs to use the bathroom there instead.
Just as he reached the bathroom door, he heard Wei Jiahe's voice from inside.
"Poor Xu Chun. He has no idea you're planning to trample him underfoot."
Xu Chun froze slightly, and then he heard a deep, magnetic laugh.
It was Xie Jianyuan's voice.
Chapter 10: Flirtation
Xu Chun didn't know how he had made it back to the room. As soon as he got there, he lay down, the words he had just heard replaying in his mind.
Trample me underfoot?
Xu Chun closed his eyes absently. If that was what Xie Jianyuan had in mind, he would play along and see just what he was capable of.
Seven or eight minutes later, Xu Chun heard the door open. In the darkness, the rustling of footsteps was more noticeable, but he could clearly hear that the person was trying to keep quiet.
Xie Jianyuan glanced at Xu Chun sleeping peacefully beside him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. In a good mood, he gently lifted the covers, then lay down and fell asleep.
A faint scent of tobacco lingered around Xu Chun's nose. It seemed Xie Jianyuan and Wei Jiahe had been hiding in the bathroom to smoke, since it was the only place in the apartment without a camera.
His mind wandered through all sorts of things, and in the end, he too fell asleep without realizing it.
When Xu Chun woke up the next morning and went downstairs, he saw that almost everyone had already gathered at the dining table in the living room.
"Looks like I'm the last one again," Xu Chun said with a smile, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Xie Jianyuan set bread and milk in front of him, watching him intently.
"Chun-ge, here you go."
Xu Chun deliberately avoided his gaze. After accepting them, he gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, then thanked him.
Xie Jianyuan frowned slightly. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Chun's attitude toward him was a little strange today.
Xu Chun wasn't actually angry with Xie Jianyuan. Rather than anger, he felt a touch of melancholy.
He understood Xie Jianyuan's ambition. When he had first entered the industry, he too had made someone his goal and resolved to surpass him.
But Xie Jianyuan seemed so friendly toward him, always wearing a smile, that Xu Chun couldn't guess what he was thinking. Perhaps he really was getting old and couldn't keep up with the way young people thought these days.
After breakfast, Xu Chun and the others set off for their first task location.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was a famous attraction in Italy. Its Italian name meant "city of flowers." The cathedral was solemn and antique, its multicolored roof gleaming in the sunlight.
Newlyweds were taking wedding photos in the square in front of the cathedral. Xu Chun and Bai Lingling walked side by side at the back. They knew each other fairly well, having spent several months together on a film set.
Wei Jiahe, meanwhile, ran ahead on his own, full of energy. Yang Xiaoxuan looked listless and kept yawning.
Lu Xian followed beside Xie Jianyuan, occasionally saying something in a low voice.
Listening to the sound of a man and a woman chatting and laughing behind him, Xie Jianyuan responded somewhat absentmindedly.
When Bai Lingling saw the couple taking wedding photos, she let out a somewhat exaggerated cry and said with a smile, "What a beautiful wedding dress!"
Xu Chun smiled and hummed in agreement, pretending not to understand what she meant. He only said, "The bride is beautiful too."
At that moment, a flood of bullet comments swept across the screen.
"Straight men are destined to die alone."
"This is why Xu Chun hasn't had a single dating rumor all these years."
"Xu Chun and Bai Lingling are definitely dating. If they aren't, I'll eat shit on livestream."
Bai Lingling looked a little shy and asked in a sweet, playful tone, "Aren't I beautiful?"
The number of bullet comments immediately skyrocketed.
"Lock this couple together and let me swallow the key."
"Boo-hoo, what kind of heavenly, gorgeous love is this? As expected, pretty girls only get together with pretty boys."
"I don't like Bai Lingling. She seems so fake, and the way she talks is disgusting."