Chapter 36 – 036

“What next step?” Xie Yunjing feigned ignorance.

Saying something like “Don’t think there’ll be a next step” almost sounded like tacitly admitting there could be further developments. The teasing and expectation in Xie Yunjing’s eyes irritated Gu Xian, but since the words were already out, he could only bite the bullet and respond, “Stop playing dumb with me!”

“Alright.”

Gu Xian felt surprised. Could it be that Xie Yunjing had a sudden change in personality to let such a golden opportunity slip by so easily?

However, the next moment, Xie Yunjing leaned in closer to him.

“Then can I kiss you now?”

“…”

Gu Xian shot him a glare. “No, you can’t!”

*

“What are you doing here again?”

Gu Xian was just about to leave the set and head home when Xie Yunjing suddenly appeared, blocking his path.

He instinctively stepped back, but he still couldn’t avoid Xie Yunjing’s hand pressing against his lower back and his cheek leaning in close to his.

“I didn’t kiss you.” Xie Yunjing met Gu Xian’s angry glare while straightening the crooked coat on him. “I came to pick you up and take you home.”

The side of his face that had been lightly brushed against felt a bit warm, but he wasn’t some ancient maiden who’d panic and worry about losing his reputation over a mere touch.

Gu Xian slapped Xie Yunjing’s hand away in disdain. “I have my own car.”

Xie Yunjing, however, accurately fished the car keys out of Gu Xian’s pocket and tossed them to the driver who had accompanied him. “Your car will be driven back by the driver. You’re riding with me.”

Gu Xian narrowed his eyes, following him while waiting until there was no one else around. Only then did he lower his voice and ask, “What’s going on now? Is Xie Huaihong up to something again? Or is your grandfather trying to get you, a gay man, back on the ‘right track’?”

Xie Yunjing didn’t respond. Instead, he maintained a serious expression, holding onto Gu Xian as they continued walking forward.

Gu Xian assumed that it wasn’t convenient for Xie Yunjing to talk outside.

After getting into Xie Yunjing’s car, Gu Xian grabbed the seatbelt and was about to buckle it when Xie Yunjing intercepted him midway. Watching as Xie Yunjing fastened the seatbelt for him, Gu Xian asked, “You can tell me now if something’s going on, right?”

Xie Yunjing didn’t return to his seat. Instead, he maintained the posture of leaning toward the passenger seat, propping one hand on the center armrest to support his face. “Actually, there’s nothing much going on.”

The smile that appeared on Xie Yunjing’s face made Gu Xian’s heart skip a beat.

“I just wanted to pick you up and take you home.”

Gu Xian yanked hard on the car door handle, only to find that the door had already been locked. Feeling a mix of frustration and irritation, he snapped at Xie Yunjing, “Would it kill you to stop disgusting me for once?”

And to think he had actually assumed something serious had happened!

“I clearly like you,” Xie Yunjing said without the slightest guilt over tricking someone into his car. “Now, can I kiss you?”

Gu Xian rolled his eyes at him. “What do you think?”

“I think I can.”

“Damn it!”

With the car doors locked from the driver’s seat, Gu Xian couldn’t open them himself. He cursed softly and raised his hand to press it against Xie Yunjing’s face. “No, you can’t!”

Xie Yunjing’s lower face was blocked, and he looked at Gu Xian with disappointment. “Alright.”

Gu Xian’s mouth twitched. This version of Xie Yunjing was truly giving him a headache. Just listen to that tone, it was as if he’d suffered some enormous grievance! Back when Gu Xian used to push Xie Yunjing to the point of losing his temper, he’d never seen him look this pitiful!

At this point, forget about getting off Xie Yunjing’s “pirate ship.” Even if he could, his own car had most likely already been driven away by the driver.

“Stop dawdling and just drive home already!”

“Alright,” Xie Yunjing replied, his eyes curving into a smile.

“Damn it!” Gu Xian suddenly jerked his hand back as if shocked, glaring at Xie Yunjing in anger. “Are you a dog? Why are you licking my hand?!”

Xie Yunjing buckled his seatbelt and started the car, his tone calm as he retorted, “When did I lick you? You’re the one who covered my mouth. If I try to talk, of course, there’s going to be some friction with your hand. But you, having such an intense reaction…”

He cast a teasing glance at Gu Xian. “Did it make you think of something inappropriate?”

“Bullshit!”

Xie Yunjing was already driving onto the main road. Not wanting to deal with a potentially distracted driver, Gu Xian turned his head to look out the window, choosing to ignore him entirely.

He placed both hands near the car door and vigorously wiped the palm of the hand that had just covered Xie Yunjing’s mouth.

A small wet mark had been left behind, there was no way it was just from “friction caused by talking.”

*

“Can I?”

“No, you can’t!”

Even though the answer was always a rejection, Xie Yunjing persistently kept asking Gu Xian whether he could kiss him.

While Xie Yunjing showed no signs of discouragement, Gu Xian was the one who started to get annoyed. Especially since Xie Yunjing’s irritating habits weren’t limited to just this one thing.

“Xie Yunjing, Coach Xie,” Gu Xian said in a serious tone. “Could you please stop sexually harassing your fitness client?”

“But you’re still my wife,” Xie Yunjing replied righteously.

“…” A vein popped on Gu Xian’s temple as he suppressed the urge to argue over something as childish as who was whose “wife.” Forcing a fake smile, he grabbed Xie Yunjing’s hand. “Coach Xie, if you keep this up, do you believe I’ll immediately divo—”

“Whoever regrets first is a dog.”

This was the harsh remark he had deliberately thrown out to provoke Xie Yunjing when he decided to marry him.

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten what he said. But precisely because he remembered it so clearly, Gu Xian felt all the more exhausted.

Who was the bastard who told him that hiring a personal trainer outside might risk sexual harassment? Clearly, it was Xie Yunjing himself who was the most unprofessional scoundrel!

“Have you touched enough yet?” Gu Xian, still catching his breath after finishing his workout, didn’t have the energy to argue with Xie Yunjing.

“What do you think?”

Gu Xian let go of the hand he had been futilely using to restrain Xie Yunjing. Then, he closed his eyes and leaned back, collapsing against Xie Yunjing’s chest.

After all, Xie Yunjing was only rubbing his stomach. He’d done it countless times before, probably at least 800 times by now. Letting him touch it might even help relax the tension in his abs after the workout and save him from waking up with sore muscles the next morning. He was tired and didn’t want to argue anymore.

Xie Yunjing chuckled softly near his ear, the sound teasing. “What’s this supposed to mean?”

“Giving up on resisting.”

Warm breath brushed against Gu Xian’s lips.

“Then, can I kiss you?”

Gu Xian furrowed his brows and let out a sharp exhale through his nose. “No!”

The film crew rarely got a day off, so Gu Xian had planned to sleep in and enjoy a lazy morning. However, the incessant pinging of his phone notifications forced him to wake up earlier than expected.

Li Yuqiu, Sheng Yi, and a few others had sent him a string of messages. Even Yu Le and several of the crew’s management staff had messaged him repeatedly, not to mention the several missed calls on his phone.

It was the weekend, but even on rest days, Xie Yunjing wasn’t one to laze around. He had already gotten up early and gone to the study room. Gu Xian stretched out his arms and legs, savoring the comfort of the large bed, before opening his chat group with Li Yuqiu and the others.

Your Brother Xian: What’s going on? Am I a wanted fugitive or something?

Muzi Qiu: Finally, you’re awake!!!

Muzi Qiu: You and Xie Yunjing have been trending on the Trending Topic all night!

Gu Xian’s eyes filled with confusion. He and Xie Yunjing weren’t celebrities in the entertainment industry, what could possibly land them on the trending topic?

Your Brother Xian: Trending topic?

Han Rui immediately dropped a few links into the chat.

Han Rui: See for yourself. Sheng Yi went to a bar last night and just went to sleep not long ago.

Your Brother Xian: Oh.

Gu Xian scrolled up to the first link in the chat. The moment he read the headline, he was utterly shocked.

—KSWL^[1]KSWL is a popular internet slang acronym in Chinese, standing for “磕死我了” (kē sǐ wǒ le), which translates to “I’m dying from shipping!” or “This couple … Continue reading! Looks that outshine celebrities and a billionaire fortune—join the editor in marveling at this fairy-tale love story of the wealthy elite!

Your Brother Xian: [Subway Grandpa Staring at Phone.jpg]

Your Brother Xian: Which bastard did this?

Author’s Note:

Xiao Gu: No way! No kisses, stop it!

Xiao Xie: Snuggles, come here, wifey, snuggles!