The moment Qiguan Yuan looked over, Pei Yubai took a step forward.
The pebbles on the stone path made a slight thud as he stepped on them; the sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the quiet forest.
He opened his mouth, his throat a little dry, and his voice came out lower than usual, carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance. " Yuanyuan."
Qiguan Yuan looked at him.
The white inner garment had its collar open, and the outer shirt hung loosely on her shoulders, slipping to the side in the wind to reveal a small patch of skin on her shoulder.
His fingers were still holding the scraped-off piece of copper rust, with a bit of grayish-black rust on his fingertips.
His gaze slid from Pei Yubai's face to his ring finger, pausing for a moment.
The translucent red thread was wrapped around the base of his fingers, with the ends hanging down and draped between his fingers.
Qiguan Yuan looked at the thread, and a thought crossed his mind.
It's already tied.
I don't even know when or where I did it.
He acted quickly, but remembered nothing. So what is his relationship with Yun Yin now?
Qiguan Yuan's gaze shifted from Pei Yubai's ring finger and returned to his face.
It is his Yun Yin.
He didn't speak.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Pei Yubai called out again, " Yuanyuan."
Qiguan Yuan hummed in response. His voice was soft, with a slight downward cadence at the end, as if he were responding or confirming.
He beckoned to Pei Yubai with his finger. "Come here."
Pei Yubai followed his movements and walked up to him.
The two were very close, so close that Pei Yubai could see the curve of Qiguan Yuan's eyelashes.
Qiguan Yuan wasn't wearing his red robe today; his white undergarment complemented his silver hair, making him look much gentler than usual.
Her collar was open, revealing skin below her collarbone that glowed white, and the hem of her outer garment hung down, swaying gently in the wind.
Pei Yubai's gaze slid from Qiguan Yuan's eyebrows and eyes to his nose, from his nose to his lips, and from his lips to the exposed collarbone.
How come his Yuanyuan is so beautiful?
Qiguan Yuan switched the copper bell in his hand to his left hand.
The copper bell jingled briefly in his hand.
He raised his right hand, his fingers touching Pei Yubai's forehead. His fingertips were cool as he smoothed the stray hairs that had fallen loosely from Pei Yubai's journey. A few strands of hair were tangled between his fingers, which he gently pulled out and tucked aside.
" Pei Yubai?" Qiguan Yuan's finger was still on his forehead.
Pei Yubai neither dodged nor turned his head, staring intently at Qiguan Yuan. Although they had been separated for a few days, it felt like a long time had passed.
I think about Yuanyuan every day.
Pei Yubai originally thought he could never be as clingy to his partner as his father.
Until I met Yuanyuan.
He realized he wanted to be with Yuanyuan all the time, and only then did he understand why his father acted that way.
"It's me, Yuanyuan," he replied.
Qiguan Yuan's fingers slid down his forehead.
My fingertips slowly moved along his brow bone to the side, tracing the curve of his brow peak and sliding to the outer corner of his eye.
Pei Yubai's eyes are long at the corners, with a faint red tinge that is barely noticeable unless you look closely.
Qiguan Yuan's fingertip paused briefly at the corner of his pale red eye, then continued downwards, sliding from his cheekbone to his cheek.
"Why are you looking for me?" Qiguan Yuan's finger was still on his face, not withdrawn.
Pei Yubai felt the warmth of Qiguan Yuan's fingertips, cool and gentle, against his skin like a leaf falling on his face, and he couldn't bear to let it go.
He looked into Qiguan Yuan's eyes. "This episode of the show has finished filming," Pei Yubai's voice was a little soft. "I missed you, Yuanyuan. That's why I came to find you."
Qiguan Yuan's eyes curved slightly, the curve wasn't large, but it seemed to brighten his entire face. His fingers slowly slid across Pei Yubai's face, from his cheekbone to his jawline, and from his jawline to his earlobe.
Missing Yuanyuan?
Pei Yubai tilted his head slightly, pressed his face against Qiguan Yuan, and nodded, feeling the warmth of his hand.
Qiguan Yuan's fingers stopped at his earlobe, his thumb slowly rubbing against his earlobe, and then he asked, "What is Yuanyuan to you?"
"He's my boyfriend." Pei Yubai's ears started to burn. "He's my boyfriend now." He'll be his partner from now on.
Qiguan Yuan looked at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly wider. His hand slid from Pei Yubai's ear to the back of his head, his fingers running through his hair, pressing gently, and then pulling him towards himself.
Pei Yubai leaned forward slightly following the force, and the tips of their noses almost touched.
Qiguan Yuan tilted his head slightly, his lips covering Qi Guanyuan's lower lip, giving him a light peck. It was very light, and they quickly separated, like a petal falling on the water's surface, touching it briefly before being blown away by the wind.
Qiguan Yuan stepped back slightly, but his lips were still very close to Pei Yubai's chin.
"I miss you too, Pei Yubai," Qiguan Yuan's voice was soft, "My... boyfriend..."
Boyfriend... that's a very new word.
However, they eventually managed to find out what he and Pei Yubai were calling their current relationship.
So, their relationship was that of boyfriend and girlfriend?
Pei Yubai looked at Qiguan Yuan.
The warmth of the Yuanyuan seemed to linger on her lips.
He also wanted to Yuanyuan.
But he noticed that Qiguan Yuan was still holding the string of copper bells in his hand.
Yuanyuan is working on something; let's talk about it after Yuanyuan finishes.
Qiguan Yuan raised the bronze bell in his hand and examined it. He had scraped off a small piece of rust from the bell, revealing a dark golden bronze surface underneath, which gleamed faintly in the twilight.
He hung the brass bell back on the door frame, flicked it with his fingertip, and the bell swayed, making a clear, ringing sound.
He turned around, glanced at Pei Yubai, and said three words: "Come in."
Pei Yubai followed Qiguan Yuan into the house for the second time.
The ground is paved with blue bricks, and the moss in the cracks between the bricks is a fresh green. An old elm tree stands in the middle of the yard, its canopy spreading out to shade most of the yard, with red ropes hanging down from the tree, swaying in the wind.
The last time he came, he came in with the production crew. There were many people that time, and since he didn't know the homeowner, looking around wasn't very polite, so he didn't look carefully.
Now that he was alone, he could see every detail in the courtyard very clearly.
In the corner sat a rough earthenware jar, its mouth facing upwards, with a few withered wildflowers stuck inside. The flowers had long since dried, but they still stood upright, their stems straight.
The wooden railings of the corridor are undecorated, just the original color of the wood, polished to a shine by the years.
Several white paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, without any patterns, and swayed in the wind.
A breeze blew in from the moon gate, carrying the scent of bamboo leaves and earth.
This courtyard is too far from where he used to live.
His place has an elevator, underfloor heating, 24-hour hot water, and central air conditioning.
These things were not in Qiguan Yuan's residence.
Yuanyuan doesn't need these things.
Pei Yubai had already started thinking about something.
How can he persuade Qiguan Yuan to let him stay here?
Even if it's not a permanent residence, it's fine to come and stay for a few days occasionally.