Early in the morning, Yan Qing got up, finished his morning routine, and went to a nearby supermarket to buy groceries.
When he opened the door, he saw Xia Xingchen and Sang Ning playing video games on the balcony. Hearing the noise, Xia Xingchen turned his head and curiously asked, “Are you going out alone?”
Yan Qing held a plastic bag used for takeout from the restaurant and said, “I’m not buying too much, just enough to carry for myself. What’s up? Do you want to come with me?”
Xia Xingchen shook his head vigorously, “I thought Wen ge was going with you.”
In the next moment, the game screen displayed a “failure” message, and Xia Xingchen slapped his chest and stomped his foot, regretting not staying focused while playing games.
Sang Ning chuckled, “You’re not playing well. I’m going to play other games instead of playing with you.”
Left by his girlfriend, Xia Xingchen had no choice but to approach Yan Qing, saying, “Yesterday, I saw you two holding hands, and I thought Wen ge would accompany you.”
“To those who didn’t know, they’d think you two were a couple in the honeymoon phase. Not a married couple for a year.”
Yan Qing, who has lost his memory, used to be indifferent to Wen Jueli. In a strict sense, they were indeed in the “honeymoon phase” now. Yan Qing thought for a moment and said, “It’s not that exaggerated. Besides, you and Sang Ning were also holding hands, right?”
He still had a strong desire to hold hands with Jueli.
Xia Xingchen asked, “Have you been holding hands with him all the time?”
Yan Qing gradually realized and blushed, “Well, No…”
Xia Xingchen sighed, “Tsk.”
“Forget it, I’ll go shopping with you. Anyway, my Ning Ning doesn’t want to talk to me, so we’ll be good brothers. Sob, sob.”
The viewers in the livestream burst into laughter:
【Haha, Yan Qing, you’re not good brothers with him. He’s with Wen Jueli!】
【I just want to know, has Xia Xingchen always been this flamboyant? Didn’t he used to sing very romantically?】
【You can know someone’s face but not their heart, Xia ge is so Meng(cute), hahaha.】
Xia Xingchen and Yan Qing went out together, and besides shopping, Xia Xingchen also wanted to get some information about Wen Jueli from Yan Qing. For example, when did they meet, when did they get together, who confessed first, and is it true that they had an arranged marriage, as rumored online.
After all, Xia Xingchen considered himself a friend within the circle with Yan Qing, and not informing him about his marriage was really too much!
Facing a series of questions, Yan Qing was well-prepared and casually said, “Haha, love is like a tornado. It comes and you can’t stop it. I wanted to say that too, but we didn’t have a wedding, did we? I was actually planning to have a wedding and ask you to be my best man.”
Xia Xingchen was easy to coax and bought into his explanation.
…
Even though Yan Qing lost his luggage, he was fortunate that he had his recipes in Wen Jueli’s suitcase. So, after learning what others wanted to eat for Chinese cuisine, he immediately checked the recipe and noted down the needed ingredients.
After the shopping was done and they returned to the hotel, Yan Qing saw Wen Jueli tidying up the kitchen.
Originally, the kitchen didn’t have any cookware, but Wen Jueli said, “I borrowed these from the hotel staff, and I’ve already cleaned them.”
What a considerate husband!
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Yan Qing was in high spirits, and together with Xia Xingchen, they poured the purchased items onto the cooking counter. He glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the wall, ticking away.
It was already 10 o’clock, so they still had two or three hours to prepare!
Yan Qing went back to his room and fetched the recipe. He rolled up his sleeves and asked, “Husband, where’s the apron?”
Wen Jueli was puzzled, “Apron?”
Yan Qing explained, “I’m wearing white clothes. I don’t want them to get dirty while cooking.”
Wen Jueli understood now. He had been wondering why Gu Siwei and the others could go out for a stroll without worrying about running out of time for cooking. It wasn’t them cooking. It was Yan Qing.
While thinking about this, Wen Jueli hung the apron around Yan Qing’s neck and after a moment, said, “How about I help you?”
Yan Qing didn’t object, but said, “I can manage it by myself.”
It wasn’t a matter of whether he could do it or not. Wen Jueli recalled the incident when Yan Qing almost blew up the kitchen at home and got hot oil on his arm. His brows furrowed, and he tried to persuade, “It’s alright, I’ll assist you. It’ll be faster that way.”
“Xingchen and the others must be hungry, right?”
Xia Xingchen: “Hmm, Yes.”
Thinking it through, Yan Qing nodded in agreement.
Wen Jueli, seeing his willingness to help, said, “How about you give me the apron, and you can supervise me from the side. Since I’m here to assist you, it would be troublesome if oil stains got on your clothes.”
Hearing this, Yan Qing recalled the painful sensation of hot oil splattering on his arm in the past and after brief consideration, he agreed, “Then I’ll assist you.”
Wen Jueli and Yan Qing hadn’t been together for very long.
Their cooperation wasn’t particularly organized, and they occasionally got flustered. For example, while Yan Qing was peeling potatoes, Wen Jueli accidentally bumped into him when he tried to wash his hands.
Xia Xingchen, watching on the side, couldn’t help but laugh and complain, “Why aren’t you two more synchronized?”
“I just said you guys look like a couple in the honeymoon phase.”
The unintended remark hit home, and Wen Jueli remembered the contract. His mouth stiffened, but before he could say anything, Yan Qing directly looked at him and said, “It’s because he does the cooking at home.”
Xia Xingchen was left speechless.
【Darn, he got shown up!】
【A man who can cook is definitely a huge plus!】
When Gu Siwei and Ni Li returned, the dishes were ready. Gu Siwei also brought back a few bowls of rice from a restaurant.
The dishes on the table were hot and enticing, with a delightful aroma. Ni Li raised an eyebrow and praised, “Yan Qing, I didn’t expect you to be such a good cook.”
Yan Qing felt a bit guilty.
He had only helped with the preparations, and he didn’t participate much in the cooking process. If he had done it all by himself, it might not have turned out so well. Just as he was about to reply, Wen Jueli said, “Yeah, he’s only been learning for a short while, but he’s doing really well.”
Yan Qing couldn’t help but glance at him.
His husband was truly amazing.
Everyone sat down at the table, eagerly digging in. Yan Qing deliberately placed a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes in front of He Zijia because she had mentioned wanting to eat it yesterday.
Yan Qing looked expectantly and said, “Give it a try. How does it taste?”
He had even sprinkled the salt and sugar on this dish.
He Zijia was quite taken aback because she didn’t expect the Chinese meal she had been craving would be prepared by Yan Qing. She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then, drawn by the delicious aroma, started to eat with her chopsticks.
Yan Qing: “How is it?”
“…” He Zijia pursed her lips and reluctantly said, “It’s… not bad.”
It wasn’t just “not bad,” it was delicious.
As she looked at the distinct grains of rice in her bowl, He Zijia wondered, ‘Is Yan Qing pretending to be clueless, or is he intentionally acting carefree…’
After everyone finished their meal, they were going to the opera house in the afternoon to watch a performance.
They had heard that their timing was particularly fortunate because it was the biennial tour of the British National Musical Theatre Actors. As a result, both the guests and knowledgeable audience members were highly anticipating the performance.
Since there would be a lot of people queuing up, they needed to leave early.
On the subway, for some reason, it was packed to the brim today.
Even the cameramen couldn’t find a spot to stand. Some guests had to take out their small internet-connected cameras to record the event themselves.
Finally, Yan Qing spotted an empty seat on the subway. He had just sat down, intending to ask Wen Jueli to sit beside him, but before he could say a word, a burly man in black leather took the seat.
Yan Qing: “…”
Damn it.
Wen Jueli smiled and said, “You can sit.”
He stood on the side with the armrest. But as soon as he spoke, Wen Jueli felt a warm and gentle sensation on his fingertips, and when he looked down, he saw that Yan Qing was holding his hand.
Yan Qing was very cautious, not applying too much pressure to Wen Jueli’s hand. When he noticed that Wen Jueli had noticed, Yan Qing felt a bit embarrassed. After some thought, he confidently said, “There are too many people… I’m afraid you’ll get separated in the crowd and get lost.”
But you were the one who almost got lost yesterday.
Wen Jueli lowered his gaze and accepted this explanation, “Okay.”
Yan Qing, out of Wen Jueli’s line of sight, gave a sly smile. Heh, I finally got to hold hands!
His mischievous grin hadn’t completely faded when he suddenly noticed the man sitting next to him, the burly man in black leather, looking at him with a strange expression.
Yan Qing: “…”
He felt like a bizarre version of himself had just been caught in the act. What a strange feeling.
For Wen Jueli, besides acting in movies, this was the first time he had held hands with someone. He turned his gaze to the subway window, but his thoughts were all focused on Yan Qing holding his hand.
The other person’s hand felt weak and soft, like a cloud, yet their fingertips firmly held his.
So they continued holding hands until the subway reached the station.
Holding hands, Wen Jueli couldn’t help but stiffen. He wondered if Yan Qing would let go once they left the subway. Just as he was about to say something, the flowing crowd behind them began pushing and shoving each other. Yan Qing was bumped into, and he accidentally moved a bit closer to Wen Jueli.
Thump.
Somebody’s heartbeat seemed to skip a beat.
Yan Qing was wearing the new clothes he had bought the day before, and they carried a faint scent of detergent. But as they got closer, Wen Jueli couldn’t help but feel as if Yan Qing was still wearing his clothes.
The crowd around them was like a net, trapping them together.
From behind, Gu Siwei’s shout came, “Hey, exit is this way!”
Yan Qing snapped back to reality, his face blushing intensely, and he said, “Gu ge called us. Let’s go.”
Wen Jueli: “Alright.”
Would he let go now?
He wouldn’t, Yan Qing thought. This was the first time he had initiated holding someone’s hand, and it took so much effort to hold hands with his husband. He wouldn’t let go no matter what!
It was only when they finally entered the theater and took their seats that they let go of each other’s hands. Yan Qing was satisfied and didn’t feel any regret. He was fully engrossed in the magnificent and grand performance.
However, Wen Jueli seemed absent-minded.
Two hours later, the crowd poured out of the opera house, the sun blazing overhead, the air hot and dry, and the ground scorched by the sun. The weather in April and May was always so unpredictable, alternating between cold and hot.
After taking photos and checking in at the opera house’s entrance, the guests planned to visit some sites not listed in the tourist guide.
While others were looking for a map by the roadside, Yan Qing couldn’t bear the heat and used his hand to fan himself. He said, “I’m going to buy some water. Does anyone want to join me?”
“I’ll go with you.”
The first to respond was Ling Chen.
Yan Qing looked at him, feeling a bit odd, and said, “Oh… sure. Does anyone else want some water?”
Because they were just buying water, and Wen Jueli didn’t want any, Yan Qing didn’t ask him to accompany them. He took some money and went to the nearby convenience store with Ling Chen to buy cold drinks.
On this short stretch of road, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
Although Yan Qing was socially anxious, he still felt a bit reserved when dealing with someone he didn’t know well. Come to think of it, they hadn’t had a serious conversation before.
To ease the awkwardness, he said, “It’s really hot today, isn’t it?”
Ling Chen replied, “Yeah, it’s scorching.”
“Our last meeting was in the summer, right? Since then, we haven’t really had a proper chat.”
Yan Qing’s heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling about this. Hearing what Ling Chen said, did it mean there was some tension between them?
Yan Qing forced a dry laugh, “Haha, really? I can hardly remember our last meeting.”
Internally, Ling Chen had mixed feelings. He quietly dug his fingertips into his palm, but his expression remained calm and casual.
He said, “Yeah, it’s been a while.”
He glanced at the camera, “After we finished filming ‘Love,’ we haven’t met since then.”
【Huh? Why does it feel like Ling Chen’s words have some hidden meaning? What’s this ‘Love’? Did they date before?!】
【Haha, don’t overthink it, guys upstairs. I think when Ling Chen mentioned ‘Love,’ he was probably referring to a TV series they starred in together a few years ago, which hasn’t even aired yet. It’s probably collecting dust in some production company’s storage.】
【Wait a second, what did Ling Chen say? “After we finished Love, we haven’t met”? What does that mean? Did Yan Qing participate in a romantic drama before?!】
Thanks to Kan Hai’s crash course, Yan Qing knew what “Love” was.
Following Ling Chen’s lead, he said, “Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so many years. You’ve changed a lot compared to the past, becoming more handsome!”
Ling Chen: “…”
Because the two of them were speaking vaguely, some curious netizens started searching online.
In just a few minutes, they dug up that Yan Qing had indeed participated in the filming of “Love.”
Then, they slowly realized that although Yan Qing had been in the entertainment industry for three years, none of his works had been released. Had they been shelved?
Discussions were rampant.
Not long after, official accounts responded in Weibo comments and live chat: [Thank you for your concern. Yan Qing’s debut work will be released at the end of the month. Please stay tuned!]
Listening to everyone’s conversation, Wen Jueli was actually somewhat absent-minded. He folded his hands in front of his chest, his lashes falling to rest on his shoes, and he didn’t pay attention to what the others were discussing.
It wasn’t until a clear voice rang out by his ear, “Ni Jie, Sang Ning, here’s your water.”
Another shadow appeared on the ground, merging with his own.
Lifting his gaze, Wen Jueli first saw Yan Qing’s delicate profile. Then, he noticed a bouquet of roses—simple yet brilliantly red.
Yan Qing handed the bouquet to him, a smile on his face. “This is for you.”
Wen Jueli was stunned. “For me?”
“It’s just something I bought on the street, very cheap, and didn’t cost much.” Yan Qing had seen a child selling flowers on the roadside right after buying water at the convenience store. At that moment, he thought of Wen Jueli. As a matter of principle, he should return the gesture, so he picked the most beautiful bouquet he could find.
Consider it a memento of their first time holding hands.
Yan Qing asked, “Isn’t it pretty?”
It was the first time Wen Jueli had received flowers from a “lover,” and he couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered. The rose’s stem seemed to carry the warmth of Yan Qing’s touch.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful…”
Seeing him blush, Yan Qing found Wen Jueli’s slow-to-warm-up nature quite adorable. He really wanted to reach out and pinch his cheek. But he knew if he did, it would probably startle him.
Slow and steady, there was still a long road ahead.
