"After the show ends, the livestream will switch to a view of the whole camp like yesterday. Bye, everyone."
Shen Xingcan was astonished. "We're selling mangoes at five in the morning? I thought six was already pushing it. How is the production team getting more and more deranged?"
Song Tiantian smiled. "That's why we're letting you go back and rest early today."
Shen Xingcan said, "...I've decided to go straight back to the cabin and crash."
But sleep was out of the question, because not long after the show ended, the orchard manager and the secretary arrived on Chongshan Island to thank Shen Xingcan.
Even though Shen Xingcan found this sort of socializing extremely tiresome, he still had to observe basic courtesy. By the time both sides finished their friendly conversation, it was completely dark.
But it was still far too early to go to bed.
So Jiang Yifeng suggested that everyone play cards in the square for a while.
Shen Xingcan rejected him without hesitation. "I'm going back to sleep, because even if I start sleeping right now, I'll only get ten hours."
Jiang Yifeng was shocked. "Only ten hours? Ten hours isn't enough for you?"
Shen Xingcan ruffled Jiang Yifeng's head. "I've been getting by on sleeping pills for a long time. Now that I can finally sleep, of course I need to sleep more. Yifeng is a big husky now. Your captain trusts you to take care of yourself."
With that, Shen Xingcan waved at everyone. "I'm off. You guys keep playing."
Jiang Yifeng stood stunned for a long time. Only when Shen Xingcan's retreating figure was about to disappear did he roar angrily, "I'm not a husky!"
He had been getting by on sleeping pills for a long time?
But why would Shen Xingcan have trouble sleeping? Shen Xingcan was easygoing. Even the sky falling wouldn't stop him from eating and sleeping.
Xie Linchuan thought back over the things Shen Xingcan had brought to the island, but no matter how he searched his memory, there only seemed to be nine items. The tenth seemed to have turned invisible.
Xie Linchuan said, "I'll go check on him."
Jiang Yifeng said, "...Okay. Go check on Captain."
"Mm."
Jiang Yifeng murmured, "Why does Captain need sleeping pills to sleep..."
Shen Xingcan hadn't returned to the cabin. Instead, he went straight to the wash area. When he finished washing up and returned, he found Xie Linchuan already inside.
Shen Xingcan said, "You didn't stay and play with them?"
Xie Linchuan asked, "What's going on?"
Shen Xingcan played dumb. "What do you mean?"
Xie Linchuan said, "The sleeping pills."
Shen Xingcan said, "...I had nightmares whenever I fell asleep, and then I started having a little trouble falling asleep. I bought some pills so I wouldn't die of exhaustion."
"Have you seen a doctor?"
Shen Xingcan was unconcerned. "...No. It's not a big deal, and I've barely taken any."
"Get the pills out."
Shen Xingcan blinked. "You want some too? Xie Linchuan, are you planning to be my fellow patient?"
Xie Linchuan said nothing, merely staring silently at Shen Xingcan.
Shen Xingcan muttered, "Fine, I'll get them. Why do you have to look so serious?"
As he spoke, he took a small pill bottle out of his backpack and tossed it to Xie Linchuan.
Xie Linchuan caught it, checked the strength and dosage on the label, then opened it. The bottle labeled thirty tablets held only four lonely pills.
He had barely taken any...yet only four remained of the sleeping pills that were taken one at a time.
"When did you start taking them?"
Perhaps because Xie Linchuan looked so grim, Shen Xingcan answered honestly. "With this bottle."
He actually hadn't taken many from this bottle either, because it had been less than a week since his rebirth.
Only four pills remained because he had thrown the others away, but there was no need to tell Xie Linchuan that.
Xie Linchuan's voice was a little hoarse. "Why were you having nightmares?"
Shen Xingcan was cheerful, sunny, dazzling, and always fearless. How could a Shen Xingcan like that have nightmares?
Shen Xingcan lifted his eyes to Xie Linchuan. "Because I realized I'd missed out on someone very important. Even though I got a chance to start over, I was still scared. Scared that all of this was just a dream."
If he hadn't been reborn, then things between him and Xie Linchuan would have been far too tragic.
Because of that fear, someone whose life seemed free of shadows had become afraid to fall asleep.
Xie Linchuan watched Shen Xingcan and listened to his words, unable to describe what he felt. There was heartache, but also jealousy-jealousy that someone could make Shen Xingcan so afraid of losing them.
Shen Xingcan suddenly broke into a broad smile.
He spoke again in a light tone. "But I don't need them anymore, because I realized this isn't a dream, and that this very important person is right beside me. Will you give me this chance to change everything, Xie Linchuan?"
Xie Linchuan could hear his own heartbeat clearly. "The person you missed out on was me?"
Shen Xingcan nodded. "Of course. Our friendship is what worries me most. Whenever I think about dying someday with us still at each other's throats like before, it breaks my heart a little."
Shen Xingcan emphasized the word "friendship" with particular, deliberate force.
Xie Linchuan said, "..."
Shen Xingcan suddenly stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Xie Linchuan's waist, and buried himself in his embrace. "So let's make up, good brother."
Xie Linchuan's breath caught. The body in his arms was warm and slender, carrying a faint floral fragrance that was fresh yet lingering. His hands reached out uncontrollably to embrace the person before him.
"Ah, carry on, carry on."
After thinking it over, Jiang Yifeng had still felt a little worried about his captain, so he had come to ask about him. But as soon as he approached, he saw his captain and their youngest member embracing.
Leaving those words behind, Jiang Yifeng swiftly turned and ran.
Shen Xingcan said, "..."
Xie Linchuan said, "..."
Shen Xingcan ground his teeth resentfully. "When we go out to sea tomorrow, we're throwing Jiang Xiaobai off the yacht to feed the sharks."
Xie Linchuan said, "Agreed."
As Jiang Yifeng rushed away, he nearly collided with Song Tiantian.
Jiang Yifeng said, "Sorry, sorry."
Song Tiantian said, "It's fine. What happened?"
Jiang Yifeng sounded excited. "I saw our youngest and Captain hugging. I think they've definitely made up this time!"
Heaven knew how he had survived these past two days!
Song Tiantian's eyes instantly lit up, and she lowered her voice. "Tell me all the details! I'll buy you an ice-cold juice!"
Soon, the two slunk off together.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yifeng's actions caused an uproar in the livestream chat.
[What exactly did Jiang Yifeng see on the livestream that freaked him out so much?]
[Don't tell me he saw those two doing something unspeakable in the cabin?]
[Impossible. If they were really doing something unspeakable, how could they not lock the door?]
[Maybe they were too desperate, then got carried away and lost themselves...]
[Aaaaah, Apple, I order you to put a camera in their room right now! We shippers will pay for it.]
[Jiang Yifeng just overreacts to everything. Are you people sick?]
After reaching an agreement with Xie Linchuan on how to deal with Jiang Xiaobai, Shen Xingcan returned to his earlier question. "So are you going to make up with me or not?"
Shen Xingcan tilted his head up to look at Xie Linchuan. Under the warm yellow light, his excessively beautiful face was as exquisite as an elf who had wandered into the mortal world.
Xie Linchuan said, "Yes."
Even if he really had misunderstood Shen Xingcan's actions, even if Shen Xingcan's words were half true and half false, his answer was still yes.
Shen Xingcan stepped back in surprise, then circled Xie Linchuan several times. "No, no, this is very wrong. Xie Linchuan, are you plotting something?"
Xie Linchuan said helplessly, "What would I be plotting?"
Shen Xingcan argued confidently, "You agreed! According to your character setting, you should refuse firmly, play extremely hard to get, then solemnly announce that you need a year to consider before giving Shen Xingcan an answer."
Xie Linchuan said, "I'm not that dishonest about my feelings."
Shen Xingcan narrowed his eyes, his tone unfriendly. "You are. Xie Linchuan, did you change your mind because I'm taking sleeping pills? If that's really the case, don't bother. I don't need pity."
Xie Linchuan said, "It isn't pity. It hurts to see you suffer."
Shen Xingcan's voice was airy. "It hurts to see me suffer?...A few sleeping pills are enough to hurt you. If that's the case, why did you distance yourself from me back then?"
Xie Linchuan said, "Sor-"
He had only uttered the first syllable when Shen Xingcan pressed a finger against his lips. "I want the real reason, not bullshit like 'I'm sorry,' so I hope you'll think it through before you speak."
"All right, go wash up. Come back and sleep with me when you're done. We have to get up early tomorrow. Aaaaah, the production team is inhuman! Five in the morning? Are they trying to kill me?"
Shen Xingcan ended with a wail, his resentment toward having to get up at five in the morning far from ordinary.
Seeing that Xie Linchuan still wasn't reacting, Shen Xingcan started pushing him outside again. "Go, go! I don't have much time left to sleep! Don't forget your face mask! Xie Linchuan, you must always remember that this face belongs to Shen Xingcan!"
Xie Linchuan said, "..."
[Holy shit, girls, Best Actor Xie came out of the cabin! He's headed to the wash area.]
[Something's off. Why did Best Actor Xie come out alone? Where's Shen Xingcan? Why isn't Shen Xingcan coming out?]
[He probably got fucked too hard to come out...]
[Aaaaah, can this camera zoom in? I want to see if Best Actor Xie has any hickeys.]
[Even if it zooms in, you won't see hickeys. You'll only see scratches from kitty Xingcan. (*^▽^*)]
After pushing Xie Linchuan out, Shen Xingcan hung up the sheer curtains he had bought that day, then took off his clothes and changed into the robe he had just received that afternoon.
But perhaps Xie Linchuan washed up too efficiently, or perhaps Shen Xingcan moved too slowly. Either way, when Xie Linchuan returned, Shen Xingcan hadn't yet tied his robe's sash.
The silk robe hung loosely around Shen Xingcan, its sash dangling at his waist and its neckline falling wide open to either side. His luminous white chest peeked through the gap, while the hem above his knees set off his straight, slender legs.
Seeming to hear the sound, Shen Xingcan turned around. As he turned, the robe clinging to his waist outlined his slender, supple waistline and the soft, subtle curves behind him in full.
Xie Linchuan averted his gaze.
Seeing Xie Linchuan behind him, Shen Xingcan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Back already? Xie Linchuan, don't tell me you skipped your face mask?"
As he spoke, he reached straight for Xie Linchuan's face.
As Shen Xingcan raised his hand, the robe slipped farther down his shoulders, opening still wider at the chest.
Just before Shen Xingcan's hand touched his cheek, Xie Linchuan stepped forward. He pulled Shen Xingcan's wide-open robe closed, then swiftly picked up both ends of the sash and tied a very tight knot.
Shen Xingcan sucked in a breath at the constriction, then demanded unhappily, "There's nobody else here. Why are you tying it so tight?"
"It's windy on the island."
Shen Xingcan argued confidently, "But there aren't strong winds inside the cabin. Even if there were, so what? Isn't it perfectly normal for good brothers to bare themselves to each other? Or did you change your mind about making up? About being good brothers with me?"
Xie Linchuan said, "..."
Seeing that Xie Linchuan wasn't speaking, Shen Xingcan pressed on. "Besides, it's not like I'm wearing nothing underneath. Taking off my robe wouldn't leave me running around completely naked!"
As if to prove that he really was wearing something underneath, Shen Xingcan reached down to lift his robe.
The veins in Xie Linchuan's forehead throbbed uncontrollably. He caught Shen Xingcan's hand, his voice so cold it seemed ready to shed shards of ice. "Shen Xingcan, behave."
Clearly unafraid of Xie Linchuan's cold expression, Shen Xingcan replied just as coldly, "How am I misbehaving? I'm lifting my own skirt, not yours! Shen Xingcan has the freedom to lift his own skirt!"
Xie Linchuan said, "..."
"Shen Xingcan."
"Hmm?"
"Shut up and be good. Get into bed and sleep."
"No."