“…”
“…”
Wen Xia fell silent.
After blurting out those words, Lin Fengqi instantly regretted it, wishing he could bite his tongue off. He wanted to say something to fix the situation, but the more anxious he became, the more his mind seemed to rust. In the end, he just stood there stiffly, lips sealed.
Then, Wen Xia moved. He turned around, pushing open the restaurant door as if to go inside.
Lin Fengqi’s heart sank—he had upset Wen Xia again. But before he could drown in self-pity, Wen Xia paused, turned back, and glanced at him. “Didn’t you say you wanted to join? Well, come on then.”
Lin Fengqi was taken aback. After a brief hesitation, he followed.
The first to greet Lin Fengqi was Liu Feisi, who was so enthusiastic he almost jumped up. “Brother Lin! I knew it—when the boss went out for so long, he had to be picking you up.”
Six seats had been arranged: Yao Yao, A Deng, and Xiao Cong sat on one side, with Liu Feisi and Wen Xia on the other, leaving the spot next to Wen Xia for Lin Fengqi.
Liu Feisi was seated farthest in, and after Wen Xia sat down, he looked at Lin Fengqi, who was still standing awkwardly in the aisle. With his usual calm expression, Wen Xia said, “What are you standing there for? Sit down.”
In that moment, Lin Fengqi felt like he had become the robotic assistant Xiao Wu at home, programmed to follow commands. He awkwardly took a seat beside Wen Xia.
“You guys already ordered?” Wen Xia asked Liu Feisi and the others.
“Yep, we’re just waiting for you and Brother Lin to order,” Liu Feisi said, pushing the menu toward them.
Wen Xia passed the menu to Lin Fengqi. “Order whatever you want. My treat tonight.”
Lin Fengqi silently took the menu and randomly picked two items.
Dinner proceeded as usual—eating and chatting, with Lin Fengqi rarely speaking. The atmosphere was harmonious.
Halfway through, Wen Xia excused himself to go to the restroom, and when he came out, he found Lin Fengqi waiting for him.
Wen Xia was in no hurry. “What’s up?”
“You’re just here to have dinner with them?” Lin Fengqi asked seriously.
“Yeah, everyone’s been working overtime for days. I thought we deserved a nice meal,” Wen Xia said. “I noticed you’ve been dropping off food at my office frequently. It seemed like you were working hard too, so I figured I’d call you when you got off work and invite you to join us.”
Lin Fengqi’s mind finally started working again. “But when I got here, you were standing at the door…”
“Yeah, I was about to call you,” Wen Xia replied without missing a beat. “I was still wondering how you managed to show up before I even called.”
Lin Fengqi wanted to explain that he had seen Wen Xia’s post on WeChat Moments but worried that might make him seem like a stalker. Then he reasoned that Wen Xia’s Moments were public, visible to everyone, so there was nothing wrong with him seeing it, right?
After weighing his options, he confessed, “I saw your Moments.”
Wen Xia made a show of realization. “Oh—I must have forgotten to turn off the location when I posted it.”
Lin Fengqi wanted to explain why he had rushed over, but Wen Xia beat him to it, offering a reason for him. “Smart move, knowing how to get a free meal.”
“…” Lin Fengqi hesitated. Remembering how he had come storming over, almost accusing Wen Xia of cheating, his shame was nearly unbearable. The dread from the “Liao Xingchen incident” crept back, and he quickly played along. “Just happened to be on the way.”
Wen Xia nodded. “Yep, on the way.”
“…”
For some reason, Lin Fengqi felt even more embarrassed.
The conversation had completely veered off from Lin Fengqi’s original questioning, and he missed the chance to ask about Fang Huai.
When they returned from the restroom together, Wen Xia could feel the significant looks Yao Yao and the others were giving him and Lin Fengqi—knowing and full of implication.
After a moment’s thought, Wen Xia decided not to explain.
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways.
Lin Fengqi and Wen Xia each drove home. During the drive, Lin Fengqi reflected deeply on whether he was being too paranoid. Like he had considered before, if Wen Xia was willing to post their chat without hesitation, perhaps it wasn’t as… personal as he feared.
In his memory, Wen Xia wasn’t the type to publicly air his personal feelings like that.
He was lost in thought when the red light at the intersection turned on. Out of habit, he glanced at his phone—
Lin Fengqi: “?!”
Where did Wen Xia’s post go? That big post, with the screenshot?
Why was it gone?!
Did Wen Xia delete it?
But why???
He scrolled back and forth, noticing that only that particular post had been deleted. The later one, about the “romantic place” where he had “forgotten” to turn off the location, was still there.
What did this mean?
Deleting a post involving someone can have all kinds of implications in a relationship. Many couples in the throes of romance can’t post enough about each other, but after a breakup, they either tearfully delete every trace or bitterly erase the other person from their life.
Then there are those who can’t let go, who occasionally mention the other person in a post, only to delete it later, feeling regret.
So what about Wen Xia? Which type was he?
Once again, Lin Fengqi felt like his brain was overloaded.
In reality, Wen Xia had only deleted the post because it had served its purpose. There was no need to keep it up, and he hadn’t considered that Lin Fengqi would obsess over it afterward.
This led to Lin Fengqi returning home in a distracted state, his eyes clouded with complex emotions whenever they fell on Wen Xia—what was he thinking now?
Before Wen Xia could ask, Lin Fengqi retreated to his room, his behavior reminiscent of someone who had been abandoned by the world. He hadn’t had a drop to drink, yet his steps were unsteady.
The mind of a man is as mysterious as the depths of the ocean.
Two days after the release of End of the Flower’s demo, the weekend arrived, and the number of players surged. Feedback flooded in like a tidal wave, even more overwhelming than during the workweek. However, most of it was positive, and some game marketing accounts even started writing clickbait articles praising the game as a “masterpiece.”
Wen Xia quickly turned around and posted on Weibo:
[Deng Xia: Don’t believe the hype. Only the final product counts. If you write a puff piece and then come asking me for promotion fees later, don’t bother. I don’t have the money, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you.]
After posting, Wen Xia notified the mods and started a live stream.
[Boss Xia—you’re finally back!]
[A whole week! Do you know how I survived without your streams?!]
[Finally, a new stream. I was going to die without one.]
[Is today an End of the Flower special?]
The main purpose of the stream was to address some of the most common feedback issues regarding End of the Flower. Of course, once the demo period ended, he would compile all the questions and write up a detailed response.
Not long after the stream started, a familiar entry notification appeared, accompanied by a familiar shower of gifts:
[5140005 has entered the stream.]
[5140005 has gifted 20 Blue Whale Models.]
[Welcome, Number Boss!]
[Boss is so generous!]
[Did the boss play End of the Flower? I’m curious about the boss’s experience, haha.]
These gift notifications were now making Wen Xia’s eyelids twitch.
Especially when he saw a comment flash by that read, “The boss’s love is generous and unpretentious,” he felt a pang of guilt for the first time.
Earlier today, Nana had sent a file in the group chat with details about the upcoming promotional shoot, including the meeting time, location, and the shooting process. In the afternoon, Guiqulai had privately messaged Wen Xia, discussing the arrangements for hours. It felt less like work and more like planning a vacation.
Wen Xia hadn’t mentioned any of this to Lin Fengqi, but once the final cut was delivered to Fenghang, Lin Fengqi would definitely find out. If he then decided to check out one of Wen Xia’s streams and saw all the CP (Couple Pairing) jokes, what would he think?
Wen Xia was already worried that the whole Fang Huai situation had riled him up enough. If something like this piled on top of it, he feared that Lin Fengqi might just retreat into his shell, never to come out again.
[5140005 has gifted 1 Blue Whale Model.]
[5140005 has gifted 3 Little Starfish.]
Perhaps after being told off for his previous extravagance, the Number Boss had adjusted his approach. Now, after the initial 20 Blue Whale Models, he followed a new pattern: 1 Blue Whale Model paired with 3 Little Starfish.
It was both impressive and oddly frugal.
[The boss’s gift-giving is so thoughtful.]
[Haha, strict wife trope incoming.]
[Wen Xia, say something!]
[I’ve never seen a streamer so obedient to their top gifter. Aren’t they usually the ones making demands?]
[You don’t get it. This is true love.]
“Alright, alright,” Wen Xia quickly interjected before the chat could go further off track. “Are you guys here for me or for the Number Boss? I’m still here, you know.”
[We’re here for you, of course.]
[Kids might choose, but I want both.]
[Okay, okay, jokes over.]
[Can we stop with the CP stuff in the chat? It’s kinda annoying.]
[Mods, do your job?]
Wen Xia took the hint and added, “Mods, keep an eye on that.”
The Number Boss remained silent, only quietly sending two more small gifts:
[5140005 has gifted 1 Little Starfish.]
[5140005 has gifted 1 Little Starfish.]
Sigh… This is giving me a headache.
Wen Xia wanted to address the CP issue directly in the stream. Even if those who joked about it didn’t actually ship them, it was still a bit much. But saying that in front of the Number Boss seemed… off. After all, the boss was just enjoying a stream and generously tipping here and there. If Wen Xia suddenly came out with, “Stop shipping us,” it would feel like a slap in the face.
That would be too ungrateful.
After thinking it over, Wen Xia decided it was better to discuss this privately with the boss.
So, after the stream ended, he went to the back end and opened a private chat with the boss:
[Wen Xia: Boss, can I discuss something with you?]
[5140005: Yes?]
[Wen Xia: It’s about the CP jokes in the chat. They’re just playing around, so don’t take it too seriously.]
[5140005: I don’t mind.]
A rich, silent boss who didn’t use his money to pressure the streamer into anything, didn’t care about being “shipped” in chat… what an angel of a boss!
Meanwhile, Wen Xia felt even guiltier about what he was about to do.
[Wen Xia: Boss, here’s the thing—I really appreciate all the gifts you’ve given me, I really do. But due to some personal reasons, those jokes might cause some issues for me. So, going forward, I might have to regulate those kinds of comments during my streams.]
As he sent the message, Wen Xia was nearly drowning in guilt.
He waited anxiously for the boss’s response.
After a few minutes, the boss replied:
[5140005: What personal reasons? Did something happen?]
The concern was palpable.
Wen Xia’s conscience pricked him again. He felt like a scoundrel who took advantage and then turned his back.
After much thought, he decided to be honest:
[Wen Xia: It’s because the person I like might start watching my streams. I’m worried he’ll see those comments and get the wrong idea.]
After a pause, he added:
[Wen Xia: He’s pretty stubborn.]
The boss didn’t reply for a long time.
Wen Xia’s anxiety grew, and he couldn’t help but nudge him:
[Wen Xia: Boss? Did you get my message?]
[5140005: Yes.]
[5140005: I understand.]
Wen Xia breathed a sigh of relief, but then another message popped up:
[5140005: You… really like him?]
Thinking of Lin Fengqi, Wen Xia couldn’t help but smile as he replied:
[Wen Xia: Yeah, I really like him.]
After communicating privately with the Number Boss, Wen Xia felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Since the boss didn’t mind, the rest was easy.
After ending the stream, he began packing.
The shoot was scheduled for November 2nd and 3rd. If all went smoothly, they’d be done in one day, but the team had set aside two days just in case.
Each streamer had to cover their own travel expenses, while accommodations and meals were provided by the Whale Group. Wen Xia had already booked his flight for the next afternoon, planning to arrive half a day early to meet up with Guiqulai and have dinner.
He hadn’t yet informed Lin Fengqi of this plan.
However, when he knocked on the door to Lin Fengqi’s room, he was startled by the gloomy look in the man’s eyes.
How to describe it… it was just like the night they came back from the Western restaurant.
Wen Xia thought to himself, “I didn’t do anything today. What’s wrong now?”
He tentatively called out, “Lin Fengqi?”
Lin Fengqi looked at him intently, replying in a low voice, “Mm. What’s up?”
“…I just wanted to let you know, I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. I’ll probably be back on the 4th.”
“Mm.”
“…”
“…”
Sudden silence.
Lin Fengqi was the first to speak. “Is there anything else?”
Wen Xia blinked, utterly confused.
It shouldn’t be like this. Why wasn’t he asking where Wen Xia was going or what the trip was about?
Wen Xia said, “I’ll be away from home for a few days.”
“I know,” Lin Fengqi replied, his expression cool.
Wen Xia: “…”
So, there’s nothing else you want to ask?
Wen Xia hadn’t felt this lost in a long time, not since the days when he was chasing after him, unsure of where he stood. Suddenly, he found himself unable to understand this man or guess his thoughts.
What happened to all the insights he had gained about Lin Fengqi’s mind? He needed help, fast.
Wen Xia’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do. Smiling, he said, “So, what about my little Wen Da Ge…”
“I’m going on a business trip too,” Lin Fengqi suddenly interrupted.
Wen Xia: “?”
Wen Xia was taken aback. “You’re going on a trip too?”
“Mm.”
A sense of unease crept over Wen Xia. “Where are you going?”
Lin Fengqi glanced at him, answering coldly, “Z City.”
Wen Xia let out a sigh of relief.
Lin Fengqi was headed to Z City, while Wen Xia was going to An City—two cities far apart.
No chance of running into each other.
Thank goodness. He’d been worried the big boss would personally check up on him.
“When are you leaving, and when will you be back?” Wen Xia asked.
“The same as you,” Lin Fengqi replied. “The 4th.”
“Oh… What a coincidence,” Wen Xia murmured, rubbing his nose.
Lin Fengqi didn’t respond, his expression remaining distant.
“So, what about the pets? Should we board them somewhere?” Wen Xia asked again.
Lin Fengqi simply mentioned a name: “Liao Xingchen.”
“He can board pets now?”
“Mm.”
“…Oh.”
“…”
“…”
Another awkward silence.
Wen Xia didn’t leave. He just stood there, staring at Lin Fengqi, until the man finally cracked under the pressure of his gaze. The cold expression on his face softened slightly, and he awkwardly looked away. “Anything else?”
“I don’t have anything else, but I think you do.”
“What could I possibly have…”
“Did I do something to upset you?” Wen Xia asked bluntly.
Lin Fengqi froze, his eyes filling with a sudden panic. “No.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
“I…” Lin Fengqi opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, his expression wilting. “I’m sorry…”
Wen Xia softened his tone. “So, did I upset you?”
“…No.”
“Then what’s making you so unhappy?”
When asked this question, Lin Fengqi fell silent again. He pressed his lips together, seemingly wrestling with something very important.
Wen Xia asked, “Is it something you can’t talk about?”
Two seconds later, Lin Fengqi nodded.
“Alright,” Wen Xia said. “But are you sure it has nothing to do with me?”
Lin Fengqi’s eyes flickered, and this time, his nod was less decisive.
A terrible liar.
Wen Xia had no idea what to make of this. Continuing this conversation didn’t seem to be getting him anywhere. “Alright, I’ll go finish packing.”
Lin Fengqi let out a muffled reply.
Watching Wen Xia retreat to his room, he closed his eyes, his mind replaying the words on the screen over and over again:
I like him… really like him…
I like him… really like him…
He took a deep breath, forcing the bitter feelings back down.
Nana had assured them that there would be a professional styling team on set, so there was no need to worry about what to wear. Wen Xia didn’t have much to pack, and his suitcase was barely half full.
After packing, he contacted Liao Xingchen.
“Boarding? I can do that,” Liao Xingchen said. “But I’ve only boarded Ah Mu before. Cats are different—they can get stressed from a sudden change in environment. If something happens, it could be troublesome.”
Wen Xia was holding a cat treat, teasing Wen Da Ge as he replied, “My cat should be fine.”
“Alright… Lin Fengqi just called me too. He’s going on a trip as well and asked me to look after Ah Mu. If your cat and Ah Mu get along well, they should be fine together.”
So that evening, Wen Xia and Lin Fengqi each brought their pet—Wen Xia with his cat, Lin Fengqi with his dog—to Liao Xingchen’s place.
The door was opened by Ming Chuan.
He stepped aside to let them in. There were already two pairs of slippers waiting at the entrance. He turned back and called out teasingly, “Little Liao, your guests are here.”
A door opened, and Liao Xingchen stepped out, carefully keeping three cats from escaping.
Ah Mu was already at home, wandering around the house. Lin Fengqi let go of the leash, allowing him to explore. When Wen Xia set down the cat carrier, Wen Da Ge finally meowed softly.
“Your cat’s got quite the voice. What breed?” Liao Xingchen asked.
“Ragdoll.”
Liao Xingchen crouched down and cautiously unzipped the carrier. “This cat’s got excellent features, almost show-quality.”
Proud of his pet, Wen Xia said, “Yeah, its parents were show cats. But it was the least impressive one in its litter.”
“Still pretty impressive,” Liao Xingchen commented.
With several people crowding around the carrier, even the usually dominant Wen Da Ge hesitated for a moment. But soon, it spotted Ah Mu strolling around the room and, after sniffing the unfamiliar floor, confidently stepped out.
Wen Xia and Lin Fengqi stayed for about an hour. Once Wen Da Ge showed no signs of stress, Wen Xia finally relaxed. He had seen Liao Xingchen’s three other cats earlier, so he took extra care to explain Wen Da Ge’s dominant personality.
Liao Xingchen waved it off. “No worries. We’ll rotate the cats between rooms.”
Wen Xia knew exactly what that was like—it was just like when he first moved in with Lin Fengqi.
“How much do you charge for boarding?” Wen Xia asked.
“I don’t charge,” Liao Xingchen replied with a smile. “It’s not like I run a boarding facility. I’m just helping out a friend.”
Liao Xingchen glanced over at Ming Chuan, who was happily playing with the dog, then at Lin Fengqi, who was standing by the entrance, ready to leave. He leaned in close to Wen Xia and whispered, “Are you two going on this trip together?”
Wen Xia shook his head. “No, we’re headed to different places.”
“That’s a coincidence. I thought you two were pretending to be on business, but actually going on a date.”
“…” If only that were the case.
“Oh, by the way,” Liao Xingchen added, “my dad mentioned the other day that he wants to have dinner with Uncle Wen. He said you’d be there too, and that I should put in a good word for myself.”
Wen Xia was surprised. “Is that so?”
“You didn’t know?”
Wen Xia shook his head.
He had assumed that after their last conversation, his dad had given up on the idea. Turns out, the old man had just been waiting for the right moment to set him up on another blind date?
Wen Xia glanced at Ming Chuan and asked, “Aren’t you already…? Why are you still going on blind dates?”
Liao Xingchen responded with a question of his own: “You haven’t told your family?”
Wen Xia sighed. “My situation is complicated.”
“Same here.”
Before leaving, Wen Xia reluctantly hugged Wen Da Ge tightly, inhaling his scent. Once the door closed and the two of them stepped into the elevator, Lin Fengqi couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “What were you two talking about?”
Thinking of how Lin Fengqi still didn’t know he had already learned about his embarrassing past, Wen Xia decided to spare him the details. “Just something about Wen Da Ge.”
Lin Fengqi didn’t press further.
With their luggage ready and the pets taken care of, Lin Fengqi left first the next morning. Wen Xia had lunch alone before heading to the airport in the afternoon.
Before boarding, Guiqulai sent him a photo of Ancheng International Airport: [I’ve already arrived.]
Wen Xia replied: [1]
Guiqulai: [So cold, Xia?]
Wen Xia: [I’m boarding, no time to chat.]
Guiqulai: [Got it. I’ll head to the hotel first. Let me know when you get here.]
Wen Xia replied with another “1.”
Then he exited the chat and opened Lin Fengqi’s conversation window. The latest message was one he had sent an hour earlier: [I’m heading out too.]
Scrolling up, he saw the previous message from Lin Fengqi: [Let me know when you leave.]
As the plane’s connection cut off, Wen Xia suddenly thought of something: What if Lin Fengqi had planned to finish his business and then head over to Ancheng to personally oversee the filming of the promotional video?
No way, right?
The esteemed Lin Zong couldn’t possibly have that much free time, could he?
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