After the shoot, the director organized a group dinner.
Qiu Bailu thought he might be able to get Shen Siyi to drink a few extra glasses at the gathering, then use his own "exceptional skills" to shift Shen Siyi's attention from Song Nianxing to himself, so he agreed without a second thought.
Seeing how enthusiastic Qiu Bailu was, Jiang Jingzhe's manager quickly accepted on Jiang Jingzhe's behalf, then immediately pulled him aside. "Look at Qiu Bailu, then look at yourself. Why were you spacing out when the director asked? There are bound to be plenty of big names connected to the three leading magazines at this gathering. Make a good impression, understood?"
Jiang Jingzhe glanced at Qiu Bailu, who was chatting and laughing with the director, and nodded with his brows knitted. "Got it."
Then his gaze fell on Shen Siyi, who had yet to leave either, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Shen Siyi hadn't left, so it looked like he would be attending the gathering too.
That meant he wouldn't have to worry about Shen Siyi going back and something else happening between him and Song Nianxing without his knowledge.
Whenever he recalled that Shen Siyi and Song Nianxing had done it, he still hated it to his very bones.
He would never let something like that happen a second time!
And so Qiu Bailu and Jiang Jingzhe arrived at the gathering, each with his own ulterior motives.
But even when the director called for everyone to start eating, Shen Siyi was still nowhere to be seen.
"Why aren't you eating, Little Jiang? Is the food not to your taste?" The director came over with a drink to ask after him.
Jiang Jingzhe took the glass and shook his head. "No, I was just wondering whether it would be inappropriate to start eating before Senior Shen arrived."
"Oh, Best Actor Shen? Isn't he on a dating show lately? He said someone was still waiting for him at home, so he went back first. Oh, come to think of it, you're on that show too, aren't you? Tell me who it is..."
The more Jiang Jingzhe heard, the more panicked he grew. He downed the drink in his hand and headed for the entrance while apologizing to the director, ignoring his manager's repeated calls.
In the dating house, Song Nianxing gazed at the night that had already fallen beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows and practically wished he could stuff himself into the sofa.
Still, no one had returned. He hadn't dared take a single step out of the living room the entire time, afraid there might be places without cameras. What if that person really came looking for him...
Bzz, bzz.
As Song Nianxing was thinking, the phone he had tossed onto the other end of the sofa vibrated twice again, its screen lighting up.
He immediately shrank back in fright.
It had to be another message from that person!
Don't look. Don't listen. It's all right.
As he reassured himself, he quickly wrapped himself in the blanket, covered his ears, and buried his head between his drawn-up knees.
So he never heard the sound of someone opening the door.
Not until he felt someone sit down beside him, not until that familiar voice rang out.
"Nianxing."
Song Nianxing slowly raised his head. The instant Shen Siyi came into view, the things Shen Siyi had said echoed through his mind again.
If that person messages you again and you're scared, you can come to me.
I want to build a safe fortress for you.
Nianxing, I'm not him. I'm willing to listen to everything you have to say...
Those words were like seeds planted long ago, all bursting through the earth and sprouting at this very moment.
No one else had returned, only Shen Siyi.
The whole world seemed to hate him, even Jiang Jingzhe, who had been by his side for so long, but Shen Siyi treated him well and often praised him.
At that thought, the tears already brimming in Song Nianxing's eyes slipped beyond his control and streamed down like a burst dam. Without thinking any further, he wrapped his arms around Shen Siyi's waist, like someone on the verge of suffocating who had suddenly found a piece of driftwood in a raging flood.
"Senior... Senior Shen, that person, that person really is here in the production team. He, he can control the phone the production team gave us. He sent me another message..."
He couldn't hide the tremor in his voice.
As Shen Siyi listened, feeling the warmth of Song Nianxing's body and lightly breathing in his faint scent, his eyes involuntarily darkened. Then his lips curved into a smile, and he raised his arms to embrace Song Nianxing, gently patting him in comfort.
"Is that so? Then he really is awful. But you don't need to be afraid now. I'm here. Still... hearing you say that worries me too. With someone like that nearby, someone ought to stay with you at all times. But everyone will probably be going on dates over the next two days, and it'll likely be hard to find anyone staying in the villa, just like today~"
Song Nianxing immediately began to panic.
"Then... then what should I do?"
Shen Siyi's gaze shifted. "Yes, what should we do? Let me think. It seems I'm the only one here who knows the most about your situation right now. If you rashly tell anyone else and that person finds out, he might go even further. How about this? If you're willing, I can take you away from the house for two days. What do you think?"
Song Nianxing could no longer think at all. He nodded in agreement without a second thought.
"Okay! It's just... I'm sorry for troubling you again, Senior Shen."
He really was such a nuisance. Shen Siyi would have to use up another two date invitation vouchers on him. He owed Shen Siyi more and more.
At that thought, Song Nianxing buried his head a little deeper in embarrassment.
Just then, someone opened the villa's front door again.
Jiang Jingzhe stood in the entrance, his hair already disheveled from rushing back.
He looked at Song Nianxing nestled in Shen Siyi's arms. That look of reliance and trust had once been reserved for him alone, but now it was all given to Shen Siyi.
His teeth clenched together unbearably. Jiang Jingzhe looked as though he wished he could charge over at once and tear Shen Siyi apart, but he couldn't. He even had to rein in his expression and keep smiling, simply because he was facing the camera right now.
It's fine. It's only a hug.
Once my birthday comes the day after tomorrow, I can show Shen Siyi that I'm Song Nianxing's only true choice to rely on in this world!
Yes, it's fine.
Song Nianxing will definitely choose me.
After all, every year, Song Nianxing cared several times more about that day than he did. He would always get up early to buy a cake and a present for him, then wake him up and pester him to make longevity noodles together. Finally, after dinner that evening, they would blow out the candles and cut the cake together.
No matter what happens, we have to celebrate our birthdays together.
That was the promise they had made as children.
So this time, he would give Song Nianxing one day, and Song Nianxing would definitely give him a date invitation voucher too. He might even give him both days.
That has to be it! It has to be!
Jiang Jingzhe kept thinking this to himself, but the more he thought, the more panicked he became. His gaze fixed on Shen Siyi's hand resting on Song Nianxing's waist, then shifted to meet Shen Siyi's eyes.
At that moment, the smile at the corners of Shen Siyi's lips abruptly deepened. He drew Song Nianxing closer into his arms and raised the tail of one eyebrow, adding a few unmistakable degrees of swagger and abandon. Then he silently mouthed:
"First. Come. First. Served."
Before you continue