Qiguan Yuan stepped back slightly, looking down at the semi-transparent red line between the two of them.
He reached out, pinched the end of the thread at Pei Yubai's end with his fingertips, and gently pulled it. The thread taut, then loosened.
Then he grabbed Pei Yubai's hand, turned it over so that his palm was facing up, and placed the red thread in Pei Yubai's palm, touching the thread with his Qiguan Yuan.
"Follow this thread, and you'll find me."
Pei Yubai looked down at the translucent red line in his palm, stared at it for a while, and then closed his fingers.
Qiguan Yuan watched his fingers clench and unclench, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Don't be stubborn anymore, Pei Yubai. You're easier to coax, okay?"
Pei Yubai looked up at him and shook his head. "No."
This means there's no longer any quarrel.
Qiguan Yuan looked into his eyes; the redness at the corners of his eyes had mostly faded, but a faint trace remained.
Qiguan Yuan reached out and poked Pei Yubai's cheek. Pei Yubai's skin left a small dent at his fingertip, which then bounced back. "That's good then."
Pei Yubai tilted his head slightly, avoiding his fingers. He looked down at the thread in his palm. "Hmm."
Then Pei Yubai asked again, " Yuanyuan, will I be able to find you by following the red thread?"
Qiguan Yuan nodded. "This was the way I intended to tell you my location, since I don't know the way."
Qiguan Yuan stood up from the edge of the bed, turned around, threw off the blanket, and lay down.
He buried his face in the pillow, his silver hair spread across the pillow and bed, and said, " Pei Yubai, would you like to apply the medicine for me? Didn't you say applying medicine is troublesome?"
Pei Yubai looked at Qiguan Yuan lying on the bed, paused for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay."
Then he turned around and left the room.
The other guests, who had already returned, were sitting in the living room.
Shen Yuzhou squatted on the sofa, holding a deck of cards in his hand, hesitating over which card to play.
Lin Yanru and Ji Shiyu were both holding cards, they were probably playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game).
Jiang Wantang and Cheng Yanqiu watched them fight from the sidelines.
When Pei Yubai came out of the room, everyone looked up at him.
Pei Yubai nodded to them and turned to go into the kitchen.
Just as they finished a round, Shen Yuzhou put the cards on the table and said, " Sister Cheng, you can have a turn."
After switching places with Cheng Yanqiu, Shen Yuzhou got up from the sofa and followed her into the kitchen.
Pei Yubai stood in front of the stove, picked up the kettle, turned on the tap, filled it halfway with water, screwed on the lid, placed the kettle on the stove, and turned on the fire.
The flames leaped up, licking the bottom of the pot. He stood in front of the stove, looking at the pot of water, and didn't move.
Shen Yuzhou leaned against the kitchen doorframe, holding a cucumber he'd somehow acquired and was munching on. " Brother Pei, what are you doing?"
Pei Yubai looked at the kettle and replied, "Boil water."
He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help himself and asked, "Do your eyes have a built-in automatic filtering function?"
Shen Yuzhou: "..."
Shen Yuzhou glanced at the kettle, then at Pei Yubai: "Why are you standing there watching it while it's boiling water?"
Pei Yubai didn't answer; he really didn't want to talk to him.
Shen Yuzhou looked at the kettle again. The water hadn't boiled yet, and a few bubbles were slowly rising from the bottom of the kettle, one at a time.
" Brother Pei, want to come play cards? Sister Cheng just beat me several times, can you help me get revenge?"
Pei Yubai shook his head, refusing outright, and then blurted out, "I want to massage Yuanyuan's back."
The cucumber in Shen Yuzhou's hand fell to the ground with a thud. "Rub... rub your back?"
Pei Yubai nodded. "Yes, Yuanyuan's back hurts."
Shen Yuzhou was confused. The main point wasn't that Qiguan Yuan hurt, but why did he need to massage her back? And why did he look like he was eager to?
The cameraman stood at the kitchen doorway, carrying his equipment, with the lens pointed at Pei Yubai and a red indicator light on.
The viewers in Shen Yuzhou's live stream were enjoying watching their Yuzhou.
However, since Pei Yubai's live stream was not open, all of Pei Yubai's fans flocked to Shen Yuzhou's live stream because they could see Pei Yubai Pei Yubai through Shen Yuzhou's channel.
Upon entering, one immediately sees Pei Yubai standing in front of the stove, staring at the kettle.
Then they heard Pei Yubai say, "I'm going to massage Yuanyuan's back."
In an instant, the number of viewers in Shen Yuzhou's live stream jumped several orders of magnitude.
[What did I hear? A rubbing of the waist? Whose waist is being rubbed?]
[ Pei Yubai, you call Yuanyuan quite smoothly.]
[So you're giving up on the Chinese entertainment industry, huh Pei Yubai? ]
[What are you up to now, Pei Yubai! How come you're going through a rebellious phase just because you're on a variety show?]
These are Pei Yubai's distraught fans, watching in despair as their idol neglects his duties and goes to massage someone else's back.
[Don't touch our Yuanyuan! We haven't touched her!]
[ Pei Yubai, take your hand away! Let me do it!]
[I disagree!!! I disagree! Pei Yubai! Get out of here!]
[Can you massage Yuanyuan's waist?]
These are Qiguan Yuan's fans; they've practically turned into screaming chickens.
[It's like Chinese New Year for CP fans!]
[It's Chinese New Year! This candy is enough for me to eat for a whole year!]
My diabetes is about to flare up.
Where is my insulin?
CP fans are caught in the middle, celebrating wildly and obsessively.
The bubbles in the kettle have gone from occasionally appearing one or two to rising densely; the water is almost boiling.
As soon as the water boiled, Pei Yubai turned off the fire, picked up a rag, placed it on the handle of the kettle, and carried the kettle down.
He poured hot water into the basin, then took some cool water from the tap, tested the water temperature with the back of his hand, and found it was just right – not too hot.
He took a towel, soaked it in the basin, wrung it out, folded it into a neat rectangle, draped it over the rim of the basin, and carried the basin out of the kitchen.
Shen Yuzhou watched as Pei Yubai carried a basin of water through the living room, pushed open the bedroom door, went inside, and closed the door.
Qiguan Yuan was still lying on the bed, his face buried in the pillow, his silver hair scattered on the pillow and hanging down to the side of the bed.
His red robe was spread on the quilt, his belt loosened, tied around his waist, almost undone.
He heard the door open, but didn't move.
" Yuanyuan," Pei Yubai called out.
Qiguan Yuan tilted his head slightly from under the pillow, revealing half of his face, and glanced at Pei Yubai.
His eyes were still sleepy, half-open and half-closed, with long eyelashes casting shadows under his eyes.
"Mmm." Qiguan Yuan's voice was muffled by the pillow, sounding somewhat sticky.
Pei Yubai placed the basin on the bedside table, picked up the folded towel from the rim of the basin, unfolded it, and tested the temperature.
"Apply heat first," Pei Yubai said.
" Professor Zhou said to apply a hot compress for three minutes, then apply the medicine."
Qiguan Yuan buried his face back in the pillow and didn't say anything.
Pei Yubai stood by the bed and waited for a while, Qiguan Yuan did not move.
" Yuanyuan, lift your clothes up a bit."
Qiguan Yuan lifted his face from the pillow and glanced at Pei Yubai. There was drowsiness in that glance.
Qiguan Yuan propped himself up, placed his fingers on his belt, and completely untied it.
His red robe had come undone, slipping down his shoulders and bunching at his waist. Underneath, he wore a thin white undergarment that clung to his body.
He didn't take off his undergarment; he simply lifted the fabric at the back of his waist a little to expose it.
Qiguan Yuan has a very fair waist, and her waistline is very cinched.
The dimples are deep, two small indentations between the waist and hips.
Qiguan Yuan's movements were slow; he pinched the fabric with his fingers and slowly lifted it up, stopping when he reached above his waist.
He turned his face to the side, resting it on his arm, and looked at Pei Yubai: "Let's apply it."
Pei Yubai's gaze swept over the faint scar on his waist, then he folded the towel and gently placed it over the scar.
The towel was at just the right temperature—not too hot, just warm against the skin.
Qiguan Yuan's waist tensed slightly the moment the towel was placed on it, then slowly relaxed.
Pei Yubai's hand remained still on the towel, his palm pressed against Qiguan Yuan's waist through the towel, feeling the temperature of his waist gradually rise.
The steam from the hot towel dissipated into the air, carrying the scent of cotton.
Mixed with the fragrance emanating from Qiguan Yuan.
Pei Yubai began to silently count the days in his mind.
Uncontrollably, his gaze fell on the back of Qiguan Yuan. Qiguan Yuan's hair was swept to one side, revealing the skin on the back of his neck, which was very white. The lines of his spine extended down from the back of his neck and disappeared into the white undergarment.
Pei Yubai withdrew his gaze and did not look again.
Three minutes later, Pei Yubai removed the towel.
Qiguan Yuan's waist was slightly red from the heat.
Pei Yubai took out the medicine left by Zhou Wenyuan from the drawer.
The medicine was black and contained in a white porcelain jar. When the lid was opened, a bitter smell wafted out, mixed with the aroma of herbs.
He scooped up a spoonful with a small wooden spoon and applied it evenly to Qiguan Yuan's lower back, to the area of the faint scar, in a thin layer, and then spread it with his fingers.
Qiguan Yuan's fingers curled slightly on the pillow. "Cold."
Qiguan Yuan's voice was muffled inside his arm.
Pei Yubai paused for a moment, rubbed the medicine in his palm to warm it up, and then applied it.
This time, his palm was pressed against Qiguan Yuan, and the ointment slowly melted under the influence of body heat, smelling even more bitter.
"Is it still cold?" Pei Yubai asked.
Qiguan Yuan didn't speak, but shook his head, his silver hair brushing against the pillow a few times.
Pei Yubai placed his palm on the area where the medicine had been applied and did not remove it.
His hands were bigger than Qiguan Yuan's waist; his palms could completely cover Qiguan Yuan's waist.
He dared not use force; the warmth of his palm seeped into his skin through the ointment.
Qiguan Yuan's waist slowly warmed in his palm.
" Pei Yubai." Feeling the hand gently pressing against his waist, Qiguan Yuan's voice came from within his arm. "Could it break?"
Pei Yubai did not answer, but increased the pressure of his hands slightly, starting from the lower back and slowly massaging in a clockwise direction.
His thumb pressed against Qiguan Yuan's waist, while his other four fingers followed his waistline. He used the heel of his palm to push the ointment deeper into the skin.
Qiguan Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Under Pei Yubai's gaze, those ears popped out, twitching.
Pei Yubai's eyes were momentarily drawn to the fluffy ears, but he quickly returned his gaze to Qiguan Yuan's waist.
His movements were slow, rubbing in circles, from the lower back to the sides of the waist, and then from the sides of the waist to the side of the spine.
Just then, Pei Yubai's phone rang in the room.
Pei Yubai glanced down at his phone, which was on the bed with the screen lit up; the caller ID read "Mother."
The nickname "Mother" was one that Shen Lingyi changed for herself using Pei Yubai's phone.
Pei Yubai always went along with Shen Lingyi in these matters, so this nickname remained unchanged.
Because his father's contact name is: My Lady.
Even more shameful.
Pei Yubai did not rush to accept it.
His hands were still covered in ointment, the black ointment smeared between his fingers, the bitter smell mingling with the cool fragrance emanating from Qiguan Yuan.
He withdrew his hand from Qiguan Yuan's waist, picked up a tissue from the bedside, and wiped his hand clean.
After wiping, she threw the tissue into the trash can, and then carefully washed the ointment off Qiguan Yuan's waist with a towel.
The phone rang for a long time before being hung up.
Pei Yubai dried his hands, picked up his phone, and pressed the call button.
It beeped once, and the call connected.
Shen Lingyi's voice came through the receiver, urgent and rapid, like a machine gun.
" Xiaobai! Did Yuanyuan agree to your proposal? When are you bringing Yuanyuan back? What day are you planning to get married? Where are you going for your honeymoon? Mom will buy you a private island!"
Pei Yubai held his phone, looking at Qiguan Yuan as he lay face down on the bed.
Pei Yubai opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Even after all these years, he still can't get used to his mother's erratic way of thinking when she speaks.
How did it jump so quickly from "Did you say yes?" to "honeymoon" and "private island"?
Just as Pei Yubai was about to speak, a warm body pressed against his back.
Qiguan Yuan got out of bed at some point and stood behind him, resting his chin on his shoulder.
Her silver hair hung down, the ends brushing against Pei Yubai's arm.
Qiguan Yuan's ears were already sticking out, fluffy and white, with a hint of light pink at the tips. He rubbed against Pei Yubai's temples, one ear at a time.
It causes an itchy sensation.
Qiguan Yuan's voice brushed past Pei Yubai's ear and entered the receiver. It wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of laughter, with the last syllable slightly rising in pitch.
"Madam, Pei Yubai hasn't told me he likes me yet, so I can't agree."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Shen Lingyi's voice rang out again, even louder than before, filled with an irrepressible excitement.
"Is this Yuanyuan? It's Yuanyuan, right? Yuanyuan, you called me Madam? No need to be so polite! Yuanyuan, just call me Mom... or Auntie! Your voice is so beautiful! What did you just say? Didn't Pei Yubai tell you he likes you?"
Shen Lingyi paused, followed by the sound of a cup hitting the table.
" Xiaobai! What's wrong with you? Aren't you supposed to be so capable? You can't even say 'I like you' when you're pursuing someone?"
Pei Yubai's ears turned red, the red spreading from his earlobes upwards, down to his earlobes, and then down to his neck.
Qiguan Yuan was still leaning on his shoulder, his ear pressed against his temple, the furry touch rubbing against him repeatedly, making half of his body go numb.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Shen Lingyi was still talking.
" Yuanyuan, don't mind him. He's just bad at talking. He's always been like this. He wanted to have a cat for three years but didn't dare tell his dad. I had to ask him for help."
"Later, when we brought the cat home, he loved it so much that he held it every day and wouldn't let go, while saying 'It's alright.'"
Shen Lingyi seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, and she listened with a hint of gritted teeth. "He's such a silent devil. If you have any ideas, you don't need to wait for him to speak; just give him instructions, and he'll obediently follow them."
Qiguan Yuan listened to Shen Lingyi speak, his eyes curved slightly, and he lifted his head from Pei Yubai's shoulder.