Fragrance

When Shi Zhou returned, he was still complaining to the system:

[Isn't male lead number two a bit too much?]

He was handsome, but his temper stank. He was so hard to deal with.

Shi Zhou was deeply indignant about it. Even after showering and flopping onto his bed, he was still thinking, [Could he have been taking digs at me?]

The system paused. [How about we drop the "could"?]

Taking digs at him was one thing. He dreaded to imagine whether Su Yue would drive a partner to an early grave if he ever actually had one.

Actually, it might not come to that. Maybe he would lick his own lips first and poison himself to death.

His own imagination had him chuckling when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.

Shi Zhou sat up on the bed, flattened his sticking-up hair, and got down to open the door. Seeing Asta outside, he looked puzzled.

"Can I help you?"

The top two buttons of Asta's shirt were undone, and his shoulder blades formed smooth contours beneath the thin fabric. He leaned against the doorframe, holding a rose in his right hand.

His smiling features were exquisite, and he showed a neat row of white teeth. "Good evening, Zhou-"

Shi Zhou: "..."

Expressionless, he moved to close the door. Asta braced himself against the frame and pleaded softly, "Hey, don't do this to me."

What a heartless guy.

Asta looked aggrieved.

He reached an arm inside to hold the doorframe. His fingers were clean and slender, but bore thin calluses at odds with his age. With a wave of his other hand, he produced a motorcycle model kit from somewhere, making Shi Zhou laugh.

"I really thought you were going to use your tricks for girls on me."

Asta muttered, "Zheng Yu told me. I thought you liked flowers..."

Shi Zhou hadn't caught that. "What?"

When Asta shook his head, he remarked, "You're really strong."

In fact, Shi Zhou hadn't managed to move the door at all just now.

Appearances really could be deceiving. Had he underestimated Asta a little?

Behind the cameras, the production crew had a revelation.

"I was wondering what he went out so early this morning for. Turns out he went to get a custom model made."

Mystery solved.

At Shi Zhou's words, Asta looked at him reproachfully with those beautiful, deep-set eyes, cradling his arm as though heartbroken.

"No, Zhouzhou. You nearly snapped my arm in the door."

Shi Zhou laughed, forgetting the whole thing. He opened the door and halfheartedly held out a hand. "Want me to rub it better?"

That trick only worked on his little sister when she was under five.

Once she passed five, she would call him childish if he tried it.

But what was childish to a little kid was just right for Asta.

"I feel completely healed already!"

Seizing his chance, Asta squeezed into Shi Zhou's room as though he belonged there, sat down at the desk with his legs spread, and said casually, "Zhou, come build the motorcycle."

Shi Zhou glanced helplessly at the time. "It's already pretty late..."

Asta had already opened the box. "This one's easy. We can finish it in ten minutes."

Shi Zhou took a look. The motorcycle model seemed very familiar, with a bright blue strip of light running across its body. "That looks familiar."

He pulled up a stool and sat down too, handling the model. Though it was a toy, it was beautifully made, without a hint of shoddiness. Every little component was there, and it could even run once assembled.

"It's that one."

Asta had narrow double eyelids and deep-set brow bones. His smile was practically irresistible. "Looks like you really do like motorcycles. Have you ridden one?"

But Shi Zhou was focused entirely on his hands. With a few clicks, he had already assembled a third of it.

Asta smiled in delighted surprise and glanced at Shi Zhou. "You look pretty experienced."

Shi Zhou lifted his chin slightly. Without his smile, he lacked his usual sweet, sunny look. His lips pressed together and his fingers flew, making him look focused and serious.

Whether Ancient Huaxia People were born with softer bone structures or he was still growing, his beautiful yet spirited appearance was very hard to look away from.

Shi Zhou nodded. "Yeah, I can ride."

Asta touched his lips. "If I'd known..."

He stopped halfway through. It didn't matter. He still had plenty of time to get to know Shi Zhou.

"Then shall we go riding tomorrow?"

He had specifically commissioned this model on a rush order early that morning. Still, seeing how much Shi Zhou enjoyed assembling it, the effort hadn't been wasted.

Smiling, Asta propped himself up on his arm and watched him, unaware of the concentration in his own gaze.

His eyes seemed fixed on his prey as he considered where to sink his teeth in. "What do you say?"

Shi Zhou didn't even lift his head. "Sure, but aren't we leaving for the new filming location tomorrow afternoon?"

Live comments:

-Wow, that look is so obvious.

-Was he ever even trying to hide it? He stared right at him the first time they met. Didn't hold back at all.

-Obsessed with staring at his wife, hehehe.

People in the interstellar age were more open about romance and less coy. Someone as straightforward as Asta actually had plenty of viewers rooting for him.

-Feels like things are going to get bolder and the mood will start heating up after what happened today.

Shi Zhou getting surrounded by reporters had instead become a catalyst. Before, some people's intentions had been obvious and others less so, but after today's incident, things seemed much clearer.

Xie Jiali's walk, for instance, or Asta giving him a model.

When Shi Zhou looked at him as he spoke, Asta lowered his lashes. By the time he raised his tawny-brown eyes again, his usual smile had returned, making him look like an adorable big dog.

"That's fine. We can suggest it to the production crew."

Director Zhang would probably be more than happy to do anything that helped develop the guests' romantic relationships.

Shi Zhou's hands paused. Whether he rode a motorcycle wasn't important. Asta probably wanted a chance to show off.

Maybe he could charm a few of the other guests then?

Shi Zhou readily agreed.

Asta really knew how to do things, unlike Su Yue.

After making their plans, they played with the motorcycle model for a bit. It even had a voice-control module, which really surprised Shi Zhou.

After a while, Asta noticed that Shi Zhou was tired and considerately refrained from lingering. He wasn't as carefree as he appeared; he actually had a good sense of boundaries.

But before Shi Zhou saw him off, Asta turned around in the doorway and said very seriously:

"Don't be upset. I know this wasn't your fault."

He smiled and opened his arms to Shi Zhou. "Come on, give me a hug."

Shi Zhou's heart softened, and his eyes curved with his smile. "Thanks, bro."

This guy really did know how to make people like him.

He hugged Asta back, and Asta squeezed him tightly in his arms, really hard.

He smells so good.

In fact, Asta had noticed it earlier: a faint fragrance he could only detect up close.

Oh, so we're bros.

Right. Shi Zhou isn't like any of my old friends.

After the hug, some indescribable feeling inside him was suddenly soothed. He felt much better now.

"Good night, baby. Sweet dreams."

Shi Zhou sighed. He needed to add a caveat to that thought about how likable Asta was: if only he weren't such a flirt.

He returned to his room, fiddled with the motorcycle model on the desk, and set it beside his bed.

Before long, Shi Zhou fell asleep.

Asta returned to the second floor. Zheng Yu was still awake, sitting in the living room, and they chatted for a bit. But Asta's mind wasn't on him at all, and he had no idea what he himself had said.

Back in his room, Asta lay down with his arm beneath his head. He liked sleeping naked, his upper body bare, his defined muscles rising and falling.

His dreams were filled with that fragrance, faint yet enticing.