But Shen Xingcan manually closing his eyes changed nothing, because the moment he took his hand away, Xie Linchuan turned his dark gaze on him again.
Shen Xingcan looked at Xie Linchuan earnestly. "I know that, as your sworn enemy, making that sort of joke is hard for you to accept. But you're already a proper three-time Best Actor winner. You should know how to keep your emotions from showing. At the very least, you shouldn't lose sleep over a joke."
"That was a joke?"
Xie Linchuan's voice was restrained and heavy, like an iceberg floating on the sea. Though only a fraction of it was visible, it was fraught with danger.
Shen Xingcan rolled onto his side, draping most of his body over Xie Linchuan's chest. His breath brushed Xie Linchuan's neck, and his fingertips slid from the brows and eyes of the man before him all the way down, finally stopping on his Adam's apple. His tone was airy. "What else could it be but a joke? Surely Best Actor Xie didn't take those things I said seriously?"
The cool, delicate floral fragrance and the warm, soft touch made Xie Linchuan's Adam's apple bob uncontrollably. Even the veins at his temples stood out distinctly from his excessive restraint.
Xie Linchuan abruptly tightened his arms around the person in his embrace, so hard that Shen Xingcan let out an involuntary muffled grunt.
Seeing that he had gone a little too far with his teasing, Shen Xingcan sensed danger and turned his head aside.
He avoided Xie Linchuan's gaze, which looked as though he wanted to devour him, and said with feigned casualness, "Oh dear, why am I so sleepy? I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm going to sleep now. Have a good nap, Best Actor Xie."
With that, Shen Xingcan tried to break free of Xie Linchuan's hold, but the arm around his waist was as hard as iron. He struggled for ages, yet still failed to escape.
Was he really that strong? Then once they got together, wouldn't he suffer terribly...
Shen Xingcan reined in his wandering thoughts and looked at Xie Linchuan with aggrieved, pitiful peach-blossom eyes. "I'm really sleepy. Let Cancan go back to sleep, please? Brother Linchuan~"
Long ago, Little Xingcan had mastered the art of plucking whiskers from a tiger's mouth: act cute, act wronged, and look pitiful. If that didn't work, he would unleash his ultimate move-redden his eyes and shed a few precious golden beans.
Shen Xingcan said "Brother Linchuan" in such a sweet, coy voice that, although Xie Linchuan knew perfectly well that a certain bastard was deliberately acting cute and pitiful, he still loosened his hold.
Sensing the arm around his waist relax, Shen Xingcan seized the opportunity and promptly made his escape.
After that little incident, Shen Xingcan was noticeably better behaved. He lay back down on his own pillow, then closed his eyes and said, "Good night, Brother Linchuan."
He was so meek and soft, as though the bastard who had just been finding every possible way to tease Xie Linchuan had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
After waiting a long while without receiving a response, Shen Xingcan opened his eyes again, only to see that Xie Linchuan, who should have been lying beside him, was already putting on his jacket.
Shen Xingcan froze. "...Where are you going?"
Why was he even putting on his jacket?
Xie Linchuan's voice was frighteningly hoarse as he countered, "Where do you think I'm going?"
Shen Xingcan quickly realized something, and the smile on his pretty little face grew even more docile. "Please, go ahead. Go right ahead. You're free to go wherever you like."
Xie Linchuan gave a cold, "Heh."
Shen Xingcan had originally intended to wait for Xie Linchuan to come back so they could sleep together, but as he waited, he fell asleep.
By the time he woke again, the sun was about to set.
The orange-red sunset spilled through the glass window into the little world inside the wooden cabin. A breeze stirred the sheer curtains, making everything quiet and beautiful.
With his eyes closed, Shen Xingcan groped blindly beside him, only to find nothing. When he opened his eyes, the space beside him was completely empty. There was no sign of Xie Linchuan.
"Xie Linchuan?!"
Hearing the voice from inside the cabin, Xie Linchuan stood up and walked in.
Seeing that Xie Linchuan was still wearing the jacket he had put on before he fell asleep, Shen Xingcan's eyes widened slightly. He feigned surprise as he said, "Xie Linchuan, isn't your stamina a little excessive? I've heard people say that staying h-hard for too long is a medical condition too."
Xie Linchuan said mildly, "How would I satisfy you if I didn't last?"