Chapter 71: Don’t Waste Food

Chapter 71: Don't Waste Food

The creaking ceiling fan above agitated Ying Li. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to sleep.

After the third failed attempt at sleep, Ying Li took a deep breath, feeling as though his chest was constricted, causing significant discomfort.

Without his phone, Ying Li had no sense of time. Turning his head, he observed the person on the opposite bed. Bian Qiao, on the lower bunk, slept in a straight posture. Xie Wen, on the upper bunk, was lying on his side with half the blanket thrown off. Ever since Song Ji Mo's return, he seemed especially jovial. Ying Li wondered what he had discussed with Qi Xie.

The moonlight filtering through the window had grown faint. Everyone seemed to be asleep, but there was no movement from the lower bunk.

Shifting towards the edge of his bed, Ying Li peered down. The bedding was neatly folded. Qi Xie hadn't returned yet.

Closing his eyes and turning over, he suddenly heard a voice from above.

"Can't sleep?" Shen Yao whispered, "Is it too warm for you?"

After suppressing the irritation he felt, Ying Li exhaled, "Yeah, a bit."

The window was open, but the room remained stifling. The fan's breeze was weak, blowing only warm air. It was better than nothing.

"Wait a moment."

Having said that, Shen Yao climbed out of bed.

Ying Li heard him rustling below, searching for something, and after a short while, he climbed back up.

The bed swayed with his movements. As he settled, a cool breeze brushed Ying Li's face.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ying Li saw Shen Yao sitting up, shirtless, with his shorts rolled up. With one hand propping up his chin, Shen Yao fanned Ying Li with a small hand fan in his other hand.

Shen Yao's hair was tousled, making him resemble a large dog. Intrigued, Ying Li asked, "Where did you get that fan?"

Leaning in closer, Shen Yao replied, "An old lady at the afternoon market gave it to me, seeing that I was overheated."

The fan bore the logo of a fertility clinic. When he'd first accepted it, he'd been teased by others. He'd tucked it away, not expecting it to come in handy now.

From this angle, Shen Yao realized he'd never really looked at Ying Li. Lying down, Ying Li's face appeared even more delicate and refined; every feature, from his eyes to his nose to his lips, was just to Shen Yao's liking.

The breeze on Ying Li's face grew stronger as Shen Yao seemed to fan with increased enthusiasm. Through the dim light, Ying Li peered at Shen Yao's slightly blurred face and murmured, "I'm not that hot; you don't need to fan me."

"I'm hot too," Shen Yao responded as he lay back down, resting on his arm and adjusting his position to continue fanning, "Can you feel it this way?"

Ying Li replied, "Yes."

Shen Yao's tone was cheerful, "That's good then."

Softly, Ying Li inquired, "Why aren't you sleeping? Did my tossing and turning disturb you?"

He couldn't recall how many times he'd turned, but given that their beds were joined, even slight movements caused the entire bed to shake.

Shen Yao responded, "No, I'm just too excited."

"Excited?"

"Yes. Ever since you told me about your sister this morning, I've been elated. I still am."

Particularly after Ying Li agreed to share the upper bunk with him. Their heads were so close, as if resting on the same pillow. Shen Yao only had to stretch out a bit to touch Ying Li's face.

Like now, with Ying Li so tantalizingly close.

A surge of determination welled up within Shen Yao. Perhaps he could be more proactive. Not necessarily confessing his feelings, but at least letting Ying Li know his intentions. Otherwise, someone else might seize the opportunity before him.

His gaze was fiery and covetous, fixed intently on Ying Li, as if he wanted to devour him whole. The room was dimly lit, and Shen Yao couldn't clearly see Ying Li's features, but the radiant face and the arched, alabaster back when he showered, constantly haunted his mind.

The more he thought about it, the stronger his determination grew. Unable to contain himself any longer, he sat up in bed and huskily uttered, "Ying Li, I..."

Suddenly, a soft murmur in English came from the bed next to him.

Ying Li's attention was immediately drawn. Upon seeing Xie Wen, he kicked off the blanket and lay sprawled on the bed.

Xie Wen was just sleep-talking.

Ying Li turned his head and whispered to Shen Yao, "What were you trying to say earlier?"

Shen Yao felt deflated, like a balloon losing its air. All his urge faded in an instant. He replied, "Never mind. It's probably late. Let's sleep."

"Alright."

The cool breeze took away some of the heat. Ying Li closed his eyes again, not dwelling on those thoughts. Before long, he drifted into a deep slumber.

Suddenly, a fan in his hand slapped against his face, waking Shen Yao from his doze.

The soft, even breathing told him Ying Li was asleep. His nightshirt had come unbuttoned, revealing a vast expanse of luminous collarbone. Shen Yao closed his eyes, pulled the blanket over Ying Li, tucking him in tightly, fearing he might not control his impulses.

Oblivious in his sleep, Ying Li's cheek pressed against the pillow, squishing a ring of soft flesh. Shen Yao stared at him for a while, then couldn't resist poking Ying Li's face, which felt as soft as marshmallow, leaving a faint indentation.

He turned his head. One of his romantic rivals was deep in sleep, and there was still another.

Shen Yao glanced again towards the lower bunk. Seeing no one, he hesitated for a moment, then got up.

He had no sympathy for his rivals. He just wanted to check on them out of basic human decency.

—

All the lights on the rooftop were off, and the surrounding darkness felt like being trapped inside a black box. The faint light from a cellphone illuminated a delicate, indifferent face, motionless, almost like a stone statue.

Shen Yao pushed open the rooftop door, startled for a moment. Qi Xie was listening to music with headphones on. He merely glanced at Shen Yao upon his arrival.

"Why are you on the rooftop this late, catching a breeze?" Shen Yao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one up. "Got this from the director. Want one?"

Qi Xie shook his head.

Shen Yao raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I forgot you don't."

So straight-laced you don't even smoke.

Flicking the lighter, the orange flame danced in his palm, gradually filling the air with the scent of tobacco.

Without a change in expression, Qi Xie frowned slightly and remarked, "Cut down on it."

Shen Yao hesitated, "You know I'm addicted. I've been smoking less lately, but quitting is hard. If you don't want to inhale secondhand smoke, stand further away."

Qi Xie remained still.

Exhaling a ring of smoke, Shen Yao squinted, glancing at Qi Xie through the drifting haze. Qi Xie, dressed in black, looked cold and aloof, almost blending into the night. If not for the glow of his phone, Shen Yao might not have recognized him.

Shen Yao had long wanted to have a chat with Qi Xie. But now that he had the opportunity, he wasn't sure what to discuss.

With his aloof nature, short temper, and reluctance to speak unless necessary, Qi Xie seemed to have locked himself in a box and thrown away the key, trapping himself inside, unreachable to others.

Shen Yao shifted his gaze and ventured, "You did that on purpose tonight, didn't you? Spilling the cup? You thought no one saw."

"Yes."

Damn, he really did. Song Ji Mo's intuition was spot on.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Shen Yao's mouth, his eyes narrowing slightly with newfound animosity. The usually reticent man had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. This just confirmed Shen Yao's suspicion: Qi Xie also had feelings for Ying Li.

Caught between two fronts, Shen Yao's situation was far from ideal.

Qi Xie's focus remained on his phone screen, acknowledging the act without a hint of guilt or embarrassment.

In short, he was thick-skinned.

It's better to worry about oneself than others. Concluding that the conversation was going nowhere, Shen Yao snuffed out his cigarette and asked, "What time is it?"

Qi Xie dimmed his phone screen, "Two o'clock."

Shen Yao frowned, deepening the creases on his forehead, "Only two hours have passed and you're still awake? Planning to stay up here all night?"

To Shen Yao's surprise, Qi Xie simply nodded, "Yes."

Shen Yao ruffled his hair, wondering what had gotten into him. After a moment's thought, he decided to tease his rival a bit, jestingly saying, "Don't get any crazy ideas, it's the sixth floor. Everyone's asleep, so no one would call an ambulance for you."

Qi Xie finally glanced at him, "Has Ying Li gone to bed?"

"Yes, she has," Shen Yao met his deep gaze, adding provocatively, "I just lulled her to sleep."

He had imagined several reactions to that comment, such as Qi Xie grabbing his collar in anger, or giving a cold sneer. But he hadn't expected Qi Xie to show no reaction at all, even turning away without another glance.

The sea breeze carrying a slight fishy scent flowed into his lungs. Qi Xie calmly gazed into the vast darkness before him, the moonlight reflected in his pitch-black eyes, feeling as if his heart was gradually being crushed.

Why did it have to be Ying Li?

How did he even dare to hope it was Ying Li?

Ying Li was asleep and wouldn’t come looking for him.

This overwhelming calmness was unexpected for Shen Yao, and the words he had prepared suddenly seemed irrelevant.

Shen Yao observed him for a moment, concluding that Qi Xie might have been triggered by something earlier, "I'll leave you be and head back."

Back in the room, Ying Li was sound asleep. At one point, she turned in her sleep, and Shen Yao stealthily kissed the top of her head, careful yet thrilled.

That night, Shen Yao had a wonderful dream. He dreamt of dating Ying Li. In the dream, he was naive and innocent, not even daring to hold Ying Li's hand. Just when he mustered the courage, he was jolted awake.

At four in the morning, the staff promptly came to wake them up, the lights in the room flicking on instantly.

Ying Li squinted uncomfortably, curling up in her blanket.

Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the sun yet to rise. A silver line stretched where the sea met the sky.

With a weary look, Shen Yao sat on the bed, staring at Ying Li for a while. He was so close to leaning in for a kiss, but then calmly covered himself with a blanket.

A staff member urged, "We're short on time. Everyone, get ready quickly."

Ying Li woke up feeling groggy. As she got off the bed, she noticed that the bed below seemed untouched, yet there was a set of pajamas hanging on the drying line.

"Good morning."

Bian Qiao, having changed his clothes, greeted Ying Li, his voice still raspy from sleep.

Ying Li snapped back to reality, responding, "Good morning."

Bian Qiao looked at the tuft of hair sticking up on Ying Li's head, a hint of amusement dancing on his lips, "Seems like someone's up a bit too early."

Ying Li glanced at the camera set up in the room, "Is the live stream on?"

"No, no one's up this early to watch. We're just shooting some behind-the-scenes," Bian Qiao said, tilting his head to get a glimpse of Ying Li's neck, "Feeling better?"

The back of his neck had grown numb; Ying Li replied, "Much better, thank you."

"Your clothes are dry; I've placed them on your table."

Not only were they returned, but each person's clothes were neatly folded.

Obsessively clean, considerate, always volunteering for chores, and caring for others, Ying Li had to admit that Bian Qiao was a great roommate.

Ying Li touched his clothes – they felt dry and comfortable. Beyond the fresh scent of soap, there was a rich fragrance, "This smells amazing."

Bian Qiao inquired, "Did it get on your clothes?"

Ying Li looked at him, "Hmm? What did?"

"I sprayed some perfume on my clothes. When I was collecting the laundry, it might have transferred to yours," Bian Qiao studied Ying Li's expression, continuing, "If you don't like the scent, I can wash it for you."

"No need, it's pleasant," Ying Li shook his head. Taking a deeper sniff, it indeed matched the scent on Bian Qiao — fragrant but not overly sweet.

A smile tugged at the corner of Bian Qiao's lips, "The director mentioned we'll be getting in the water today. It's best to wear sandals and shorts, but nothing too revealing."

He then cast a meaningful glance at Shen Yao, who had just gotten up. Shen Yao loved showing off his physique, and with today's water activities, the comment section would surely be filled with flirtatious remarks.

After resting a while, Shen Yao seemed even more invigorated. Avoiding Ying Li's gaze, he quickly dressed and went to freshen up.

Bian Qiao shifted his focus, advising, "Don't apply sunscreen at the beach. Remember to bring a long-sleeved shirt and a hat."

Sunscreen and other chemical cosmetics harm the marine environment. The theme of their trip revolved around marine conservation.

Ying Li's eyes crinkled in a smile, "Thanks, I'll change now."

The room was small with no designated changing area. Turning away, Ying Li began to remove his pajamas.

A flawless expanse of his back was revealed — a surprising texture of softness and smoothness.

Bian Qiao casually grabbed a piece of clothing to cover the camera.

Realizing belatedly, Ying Li thanked him again.

While the others were freshening up on the balcony, Song Ji Mo wore a red shirt. He usually wore white or black, rarely such bright colors. Ying Li almost didn't recognize him.

"Do I look good?" Song Ji Mo asked, his tone as gentle as always.

Both tacitly avoided mentioning yesterday's events. Ying Li nodded honestly, "Yes, you do."

Seeing Xie Wen Shi about to mistake facial cleanser for toothpaste and put it in his mouth, Ying Li quickly stopped him.

"No wonder it smelled off..." Xie Wen Shi mumbled sleepily, barely able to open his eyes, "Do we really have to go fishing so early? Have the crabs and sharks in the sea woken up yet?"

Shen Yao squeezed in, joking, "The sharks might still be asleep, but if we throw you in as food, they'll probably wake up."

Xie Wen Shi protested, "Why are you pushing me again?"

Song Ji Mo interjected, "The director is hurrying us, we should get ready."

As Ying Li washed her face, she overheard Xie Wen Shi ask, "Where's the team leader? I haven’t seen him, where did he go?"

A crew member capturing behind-the-scenes footage replied, "He's already in the car."

Xie Wen Shi exclaimed, "He got ready so quickly?"

Shen Yao noticed pajamas hanging nearby and figured that the team leader must have just come back to change, without waking them up.

Once they boarded the vehicle, the crew handed out breakfast for them to eat on the road.

Song Ji Mo was driving again today. With the cameraman beside him, Ying Li fetched breakfast for them, first handing one to the cameraman. As she was about to give one to Song Ji Mo, he remarked, "I'm driving, hands are occupied, feed me, will you?"

Song Ji Mo focused intently on the traffic ahead, tilting his head slightly.

Ying Li hesitated for a moment and asked, "What would you like? We have sandwiches and croissants."

A subtle smile on his lips, Song Ji Mo replied, "Either is fine, whatever you feed me, I’ll eat."

Xie Wen Shi was seated to the left, obscured by the driver's seat. It was hard to tell whether Song Ji Mo did it intentionally or not.

Ying Li fed him a sandwich, then, glancing at the diligently working cameraman, she courteously offered him one as well.

Xie Wen Shi's grumbling voice came from beside her, "This sandwich isn't good. It's not as delicious as the ones Little Li Brother makes."

Shen Yao remarked, "It's fast food the production team bought the day before. Of course, it's not as tasty as something freshly made."

After biting into the somewhat dry sandwich, Xie Wen Shi handed the breakfast back. Only Shen Yao took it and casually asked, "Isn't the team leader eating?"

Shen Yao glanced over to see Qi Xie leaning against the car window with his eyes closed, dark circles evident under his eyes. It seemed he genuinely didn't sleep the previous night.

Shen Yao took Qi Xie's portion too, commenting, "Let him sleep a bit longer."

Xie Wen Shi whistled and teased, "Wow, Da Yao is being considerate today."

Shen Yao responded with a smirk, "Get out."

It took over half an hour to get to the seaside. After eating, everyone dozed off for a bit. Xie Wen Shi fell asleep, his head leaning onto Ying Li's shoulder, his golden locks tickling her face and preventing her from sleeping.

The moon was yet to fully set, leaving a faint halo in the sky. The entire city was just waking up.

For filming purposes, a specific area of the sea had been cordoned off by the production team.

As dawn approached, there was a salty dampness in the air.

Upon arriving, Xie Wen Shi kicked off his shoes and ran towards the sea. Despite claiming he didn’t want to come, he seemed to enjoy himself the most.

The rest of the passengers slowly disembarked from the vehicle, with one untouched breakfast left on the back seat.

Ying Li hesitated for a moment before picking up the slightly cold meal.

The people ahead walked quickly, seemingly trying to maintain a distance from him.

"Qi Xie."

The called-out name left its owner visibly startled. He then turned around, gazing deeply into Ying Li's eyes with a tranquil expression.

Salty bitterness filled Ying Li's breath. He noticed the red veins in Qi Xie's eyes. Without asking any questions, he briskly walked over.

"You haven't had breakfast."

Handing him the food, Ying Li said curtly, "Don't waste food."

Author's Note:

Ying Li: "Give me a seat at the Leshan Giant Buddha."