Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Xu Ze's Side Story (4)

Wu Xiaoxiang carried Xu Ze into the house and tossed him onto the sofa, then started rummaging through Xu Ze's pockets.

Xu Ze thought to himself, "Hey, so you’re into that too." Then he felt his phone being taken out of his pocket.

Wu Xiaoxiang grabbed his finger, trying to unlock it.

Xu Ze flailed his hands, mumbling slurred words, "What are you doing with my phone?"

Wu Xiaoxiang initially didn't want to respond, but since Xu Ze kept struggling, he sat back down and sighed, "Calling someone to come get you."

"No, there’s no one to call," Xu Ze curled his hands together, "If I go home like this, my dad will beat the crap out of me."

This wasn't a lie. His dad didn’t hold back when it came to beating him, and he never dared to fight back. Every time he got drunk and got caught, he’d get a beating.

Seeing that Wu Xiaoxiang remained silent, he pressed on, "Last time you... this time I... you owe me..."

Although he didn't finish, Wu Xiaoxiang had already understood what he meant.

He sighed, put the phone aside, and got up to go into the bathroom.

Xu Ze secretly opened his eyes a crack. Wu Xiaoxiang hadn't come out for a while.

Was he just going to leave him like this?

A few more minutes passed, and Wu Xiaoxiang finally emerged.

He was holding a warm towel. Luckily, he had just showered, or the hot water would’ve taken longer.

He sat down next to Xu Ze and began washing his face, doing it carefully but with a bit of force.

After wiping his ears and neck, he got up to leave, but Xu Ze grabbed his leg to stop him.

"Wipe inside as well," Xu Ze lifted his shirt with his free hand, "...it's uncomfortable."

Wu Xiaoxiang froze, his eyes flicking to Xu Ze's exposed skin.

He’d seen it before—pale, no abs, but no flab either. Thicker than a girl's waist but slimmer than a man's.

After a moment, he pried Xu Ze's hand off and left.

Xu Ze scoffed to himself; this straight guy was no fun.

Before he could finish his mental complaint, Wu Xiaoxiang came back out.

He stood before Xu Ze, hesitated, then bent down, pulled up Xu Ze's shirt and carefully wiped him down with the towel.

The warm towel felt soothing against his skin. Xu Ze lay there, letting him do as he pleased, but the towel went deeper and deeper, and Wu Xiaoxiang's arm accidentally brushed against him.

His arm had just been in contact with hot water, and the touch made Xu Ze's skin feel cool and slightly slippery.

Wu Xiaoxiang stiffened and pulled his hand back.

After finishing, he effortlessly moved Xu Ze to the bed.

He tucked him in and got up to leave.

Xu Ze called out quickly, "Where are you going?"

Wu Xiaoxiang ignored the drunkard and kept walking.

Xu Ze called out again, "Wu Xiaoxiang!"

"Wu Xiaoxiang! Wu Xiaoxiang!"

This guy was a terrible drunk. Wu Xiaoxiang had planned to leave, but after hearing these calls, afraid of waking Yunyun, he turned around and closed the door.

"Sleep." His tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Xu Ze kept up the drunk act, "Where are you going... huh? Not sleeping together?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"The bed is small," Wu Xiaoxiang, seeing this guy was drunk and confused, couldn't help but blurt out, "You snore, and it's too loud."

"...I won't snore today." After saying this, Xu Ze moved aside.

Wu Xiaoxiang smirked slightly, as if that was something he could control?

He sat on the edge of the bed, not lying down, and repeated, "Sleep."

Xu Ze continued to ask, "Why have you been avoiding me lately?"

"I've been so good to you, and you still ignore me."

Wu Xiaoxiang silently looked at him.

Why was he ignoring him? It was hard to say.

Xu Ze thought he wouldn't get an answer, but then heard the person sitting by the bed ask.

"Why are you so good to me?"

Xu Ze was thrilled and quickly moved closer to him: "Because I really like you."

Afraid that Wu Xiaoxiang wouldn't understand, he emphasized, "The kind of like where I want to share a bed with you."

"..."

Sure enough, all that talk about wanting to be friends was just a ruse.

Wu Xiaoxiang let out a soft chuckle, "Don't you like Lu Yan?"

Xu Ze blurted out, "How did you know?"

This time, no amount of calling would help. Wu Xiaoxiang got up, walked out the door, took a few steps, then turned back—firmly closing the door.

Xu Ze slapped his forehead hard. Why wasn't he this quick with his responses usually?! Idiot!

Anyway, he was already in the house; he would take it one step at a time. He found a comfortable position to lie down; the pillow still carried the fresh, pleasant scent of Wu Xiaoxiang's shampoo.

The bed was a bit too hard, though, and uncomfortable.

When he woke up in the morning, he found himself alone in the house.

He looked at the buns and soy milk by his bedside, completely baffled.

A note was pressed under the soy milk: "Bought at six, eat before ten, lock up when you leave."

There was also a clean toothbrush beside it.

He left at six? It was nearly two when he got here yesterday.

After brushing his teeth, he plopped on the sofa and took a bite of the meat bun.

After finishing, he took out his phone and called Wu Xiaoxiang.

This time, someone picked up right away: "Hello."

A soft female voice.

Xu Ze straightened up: "Who’s this?"

"Xiao Xiang’s in makeup and can’t take your call. He’ll call you back later."

He’s not gonna call me. Xu Ze thought for a moment and asked, "Where is he? I’ll go find him—it’s urgent."

She gave him the address.

Since he’d been drinking yesterday, Xu Ze took a cab to the Baishi Building, where Wu Xiaoxiang’s crew was filming.

Next to the building was an Apple Store, its billboard showcasing the latest tablet.

When he got to the set, he walked in on Wu Xiaoxiang’s scene.

As Xu Ze walked in, he saw Wu Xiaoxiang sprawled on the ground—today was his final scene, where the third male lead, the nice guy, meets his end.

After the shoot, the crew wasn’t exactly thrilled, a few muttering "Happy wrap-up" as they passed by.

Wu Xiaoxiang nodded, wiping fake blood from his mouth as he headed to the dressing room.

Xu Ze sat in the chair with his name on it, legs crossed, scrolling on his phone, every inch the spoiled rich kid.

Wu Xiaoxiang didn’t kick him out: "What do you want?"

Xu Ze shot back, "You’ve got some nerve—how could you ditch me at home?"

Wu Xiaoxiang shrugged, "Or what?"

Xu Ze clicked his tongue, "Hurry up and change. Let’s grab a bite—I’ve got a table reserved."

Wu Xiaoxiang changed into street clothes and stepped out: "I’ll just have the boxed meal."

"Boxed meals are gross. Come on, my assistant’s got the car ready." With that, he dragged Wu Xiaoxiang out.

Xu Ze was still in yesterday’s clothes—clearly, he’d come straight here without stopping home.

Wu Xiaoxiang stayed quiet, trailing him out of the building.

At the restaurant, Xu Ze tossed out, "How long’s your contract with the agency?"

Wu Xiaoxiang replied, "Ten years."

"Ten years?!" Xu Ze paused, "I thought your agency only does five-year deals?"

Usually, it’s the less talented ones the agency locks into ten-year deals.

Wu Xiaoxiang said, "The ten-year split is higher."

"..."

Xu Ze looked at him, feeling a sudden pang of discomfort. This guy had to pay so much for medical expenses every month, plus Yunyun's tuition, and whether the house was rented or bought, food and drink also cost money. He guessed the money from selling the house was long gone.

He wondered how he managed to get by.

He pursed his lips and shifted the topic, "Your bed is way too hard."

Wu Xiaoxiang kept eating his noodles, ignoring him.

As they left the restaurant, Wu Xiaoxiang put on a mask: "Thank you, goodbye."

It was the first time Xu Ze had seen him wear a mask, only his eyes visible. Wu Xiaoxiang had single eyelids, his eyes weren't big, but his irises were a warm brown in the sunlight, quite striking.

"Hey, you're leaving right after eating?" Xu Ze grabbed him.

Wu Xiaoxiang, hearing this, was about to take out his wallet to pay for the meal.

"Can I crash at your place for a few days? I had a fight with my dad and have nowhere to go," Xu Ze continued.

Wu Xiaoxiang didn't even think: "No."

"Why?"

"No room."

"It's cool, I can crash on your couch," Xu Ze didn't dare to say he wanted to sleep in his bed.

Wu Xiaoxiang was about to refuse, but Xu Ze met his gaze and blinked, "My dad froze all my cards, and I just blew the few thousand in my WeChat wallet. I really have nowhere to go."

Wu Xiaoxiang asked, "This meal was a few thousand?"

"No," Xu Ze suddenly bent down, rummaged through his bag, and took out the latest Apple tablet, showing it off like a prized possession, "I bought this for Yunyun, mine is too old..."

Before he could finish, Wu Xiaoxiang snatched the box out of his hands.

Xu Ze was stunned: "What are you doing?"

Wu Xiaoxiang: "Take it back."

"No way!" Xu Ze had never felt so strong, he yanked the tablet back, clutching it to his chest, "I didn't buy it for you, why should you return it? Either let me stay, or I'll give the tablet to Yunyun and camp out on your doorstep."

Wu Xiaoxiang was silent for a while, then took out his phone. His phone was ancient, and it took several tries before WeChat Pay finally processed the transfer.

Xu Ze looked down, wow, this guy actually sent him six grand.

He regretted it—why buy a dumb tablet? Should've gone for a phone.

He didn’t accept the payment, didn’t say a word, just turned around, got in the car, and left.

Wu Xiaoxiang figured Xu Ze would insist on coming home with him, but he didn’t expect him to leave so abruptly.

The car sped off, and Wu Xiaoxiang stood there for a few minutes, expressionless, before turning and walking away.

That afternoon, he went to shoot some magazine illustrations, bought two meals on the way, and then took a car to Yunyun's school.

Whenever he could, he’d pick Yunyun up and drop her off at school.

Just as he arrived at the school gate, he spotted the two people sitting on the stone table nearby.

Yun Yun was focused on the tablet in her hands, occasionally turning her head to exchange a few words with the man beside her; Xu Ze had his arm bent, with his head resting on his elbow, watching even more intently than Yun Yun.

Wu Xiaoxiang clenched the bag tighter and walked closer to see that they were watching *Crayon Shin-chan*.

He quickly reached out to block the screen: "Yun Yun, you can't watch this cartoon."

"Brother!" Yun Yun cried out in surprise, then asked, "Why not?"

Wu Xiaoxiang didn’t answer and instead asked the person beside her, "Why are you here?"

"Mind your own business," Xu Ze said, turning away.

Eventually, the three of them headed back to the old building together.

When they reached the door, Xu Ze didn’t follow them in. He pulled out some tissues and laid them on the ground, then sat down at the entrance of Wu Xiaoxiang’s house.

Yun Yun asked him, "Brother Xu Ze, why are you sitting here?"

"Your brother won’t let me inside, so I have to sleep here tonight," Xu Ze said, giving Wu Xiaoxiang a sidelong glance.

The narrow hallway forced Xu Ze to curl up.

Wu Xiaoxiang sighed, then turned and went inside.

"Come in."

-

Xu Ze ended up staying over a week.

Wu Xiaoxiang had plenty of work, though none of it was major. When free, they would both take Yun Yun to and from school together. When Wu Xiaoxiang was working, Xu Ze would go alone to pick her up, and for Yun Yun’s safety, Wu Xiaoxiang never refused.

Most of the time, Xu Ze stayed home watching the tablet, waiting for Wu Xiaoxiang to bring food back, and then they would eat together.

The living room sofa was too small; bearable for one night, but unbearable for many. Luckily, the bed, though not great, was spacious enough for two grown men to sleep comfortably.

The only drawback was Xu Ze’s loud snoring.

Once again, Wu Xiaoxiang was kept awake by Xu Ze’s snoring. He got up, grabbed a small notebook, and started recording this month’s expenses.

Only a soft, warm light was on by the bed, but Wu Xiaoxiang was far away, and without the heat source, Xu Ze woke up immediately.

Caught off guard, Wu Xiaoxiang watched as Xu Ze leaned over to read the accounts.

Expenses: Tablet - 5300, First-class ticket - 2000.

Wu Xiaoxiang closed the notebook: "Did I wake you?" he asked, amused since it was actually him who was disturbed.

When there was no response, he turned to see Xu Ze staring right at him.

Just waking up, Xu Ze’s eyes were still red, giving him a pitiful look.

Half-asleep, Xu Ze didn’t hesitate and blurted out, "Wu Xiaoxiang, don’t you like me at all?"

Wu Xiaoxiang was stunned.

Xu Ze continued, "I’ve been following you every day. Even if you’re slow, you should’ve caught on by now. I even confessed to you. What, I pretended to be drunk and forgot, so you forgot too?"

Wu Xiaoxiang had never encountered such a blunt confession before.

He squinted, "You were faking being drunk?"

Since he'd already said it, Xu Ze decided to go all in. "Is this really the time for that? Just tell me, are we sleeping or what?"

"Sleep."

Xu Ze's sleepiness disappeared, his eyes lighting up.

With that, Wu Xiaoxiang tossed the notebook on the table, pulled up the blanket, turned over, and got ready to sleep.

"..."

Angry, Xu Ze yanked off the blanket, pinned Wu Xiaoxiang down, and without a word, started planting kisses all over his face.

Wu Xiaoxiang was caught off guard by the kisses, and it took him a moment to shield himself with his hands. "What are you doing?"

"You're just dodging the question," Xu Ze sat up. "What's not to like? I've got money, I'm handsome, and I treat you right..."

Wu Xiaoxiang asked, "Done listing?"

Xu Ze frowned, "Let me think about it."

"..." Wu Xiaoxiang felt he had no way to handle this guy and brought it up again, "Aren't you into Lu Yan?"

For some reason, now whenever Lu Yan came up, Xu Ze could only remember that beating.

Seeing him silent, Wu Xiaoxiang covered himself with the blanket again, "Cut it out, go back tomorrow."

"I was into Lu Yan before, but now it's you," at this point, Xu Ze paused, then leaned on his shoulder, smirking, "You jealous?"

Wu Xiaoxiang, "No."

"You are! No wonder you blew me off after that shoot!" Xu Ze, a seasoned player, caught on right away, and after sorting it out, he affirmed, "You like me!"

Wu Xiaoxiang was quiet for a while, "No."

"Deny it all you want, I know the truth." With that, Xu Ze leaned back, satisfied, and scooted a bit closer to Wu Xiaoxiang. "Anyway, I've got time, you'll admit it eventually."

...

The next morning, Wu Xiaoxiang found the spot beside him empty.

His ledger was open, and yesterday's entry was completely blacked out.

In the living room, Xu Ze was on his tablet, though it wasn't clear what he was watching.

Seeing him, Xu Ze smiled, "Come on, eat up. I just grabbed breakfast downstairs, and I got some for Yunyun too."

Just then, Yunyun came out, excited about breakfast, but her face fell when she saw it was just the usual buns. "Brother Xu Ze, why isn't it chicken?"

Xu Ze rubbed her head, "I'm broke now, but when I hit it big, I'll treat you to chicken every day."

Noticing Wu Xiaoxiang's glare, he quickly added, "Sticky rice chicken."

"Okay!" Yunyun immediately blossomed into a smile, "Brother Xu Ze is so good to us!" He bought her delicious food and even gave her a 'TV'.

Xu Ze wiggled his hips, "Hmm, I'm even sweeter to your brother."

Wu Xiaoxiang caught this little movement, lowered his eyes, "Yunyun, go brush your teeth."

After dropping Yunyun off at school, Wu Xiaoxiang turned around and said, "You head back first."

Xu Ze asked, "Do you have work today?"

Wu Xiaoxiang replied, "I’ve got some shopping to do."

"What are you getting? I’ll come with you," Xu Ze followed him.

Wu Xiaoxiang walked a few steps before casually saying, "A bed."

Xu Ze suddenly stopped and asked him, "Is it for me?"

"No, I’ve been wanting to change it for a while."

"Yeah right, he’s too cheap to ever replace the bed!"

Xu Ze thought to himself while bouncing along behind him, "Let’s hit up the furniture store."

But after only a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, "Hold up, let’s do it tomorrow."

Wu Xiaoxiang frowned, "Why?"

"I just remembered something urgent—I gotta head home!" Xu Ze said while backing away, "Wait for me, we’ll go together tomorrow."

Before Wu Xiaoxiang could say anything, he turned around and ran off.

Xu Ze hadn’t been home for many days, of course, without his father’s permission. He just sent a text message to his assistant every day to avoid people thinking he was missing.

So this time, if he got caught, he’d be in big trouble, but there was no other way. He didn’t want Wu Xiaoxiang to spend more money.

He ducked down by his front door, waited until he saw his father leave, then slipped into the house and grabbed a bunch of cash from the safe, as much as he could stuff into his pockets.

Just as he was about to leave, he was passing his room and saw the ring box on the table, the one from Lu Yan.

He thought about it, that thing seemed quite expensive too, and since they had already broken up, he ought to give it back. So he took the ring as well.

As he was leaving, a booming "You little brat!" echoed behind him. His father dropped the documents in his hand and walked straight towards him, in a hurry.

Xu Ze ran faster than he ever had before.

Fortunately, although he wasn’t exactly a runner, he could still outpace a guy in his fifties.

When Wu Xiaoxiang opened the door, Xu Ze was still panting heavily.

He was clutching his clothes, hiding something inside. When he saw Wu Xiaoxiang, he revealed it like a prized possession, showing bundles of cash.

Wu Xiaoxiang: "...Did you knock over a bank?"

Although Xu Ze had come down from a taxi, for some reason, he wanted to run as soon as he got out, and ended up running all the way from the alley to here—his dad’s shout had him spooked.

"Phew... No, this, this is my own money," he said, his cheeks red from running, grinning, "We have money to spend now!"

It was a goofy grin, but Wu Xiaoxiang couldn’t look away.

Coming back to his senses, he quickly stepped forward to take the money from Xu Ze’s clothes. The bundles of cash were neatly separated, and only after taking them did he notice there was a ring underneath.

Xu Ze saw the ring and sighed in relief, "It’s still here, I was afraid I might have lost it while running."

He found the box cumbersome, so he only took the ring.

Wu Xiaoxiang glanced casually, not really caring.

That night, Wu Xiaoxiang unexpectedly saw the ring again, this time on Weibo.

It was from Lu Yan.

Xu Ze stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed, just in time to see Wu Xiaoxiang carrying a pillow out.

Xu Ze called out, "Where are you off to?"

Wu Xiaoxiang ignored him, tossed the pillow onto the sofa, and went to sleep, not responding no matter how much Xu Ze called.

Xu Ze was about to press further when the phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID—it was his assistant.

His assistant was usually tactful and wouldn’t bother him unless it was important.

As soon as the call connected, the assistant quickly filled him in on the Weibo situation.

"They even got a photo of Yan Yan's assistant?" Xu Ze snapped. "Who’s the moron? Don’t waste time calling me—just deal with it!"

If his dad found out, he’d be in deep trouble.

After hanging up, he sat next to Wu Xiaoxiang. "Look, I’ll be straight with you. I was with Yan Yan before, but we’re over, and I haven’t talked to him in ages."

He added, "I really like you now!"

Wu Xiaoxiang still ignored him, whether he was asleep or just pretending.

"You can be mad, but don’t write me off because of the past," Xu Ze said, looking pained.

After a while, the figure on the sofa finally stirred. "Go to sleep."

Hearing a response, Xu Ze asked, "Are we still getting the bed tomorrow?"

"...We’ll see."

Xu Ze breathed a quiet sigh of relief. No refusal meant they were on.

The next day, Wu Xiaoxiang still wore a cold expression, but he went with Xu Ze to the furniture mall.

Xu Ze was in a good mood. He’d figured it out before bed last night—Xiao Xiang might seem cold, but he wasn’t hard to win over.

After picking out the bed, they even bumped into Lu Yan at the furniture mall. After giving the ring back, Xu Ze felt much more at ease.

They also ended up picking out a little princess bed for Yun Yun.

When it was time to pay, Xu Ze didn’t push Wu Xiaoxiang. He knew Wu Xiaoxiang wouldn’t take it and might even get mad. He started plotting how to get him to accept the money.

Back home, he tried to butter Wu Xiaoxiang up. "Xiao Xiang, I’ve already returned the ring. Don’t get jealous over it anymore."

At the nickname, Wu Xiaoxiang frowned. "I’m not jealous."

"Whether you are or not, I’m telling you, I only like you now," Xu Ze said, grinning.

After hearing Xu Ze’s "I like you" so often, Wu Xiaoxiang had grown used to it. He turned away, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

At night, after Wu Xiaoxiang finished his shower, Xu Ze was already rolling around on the bed.

He was wrapped up in the blanket, "It's so comfortable. Xiao Xiang, come up quickly."

Wu Xiaoxiang had just laid down when he sensed something wasn’t right. It was autumn, but not cold, and Xu Ze usually didn’t bother with a blanket.

Sure enough, when the blanket was lifted, the person under the blanket was only wearing underwear.

Wu Xiaoxiang wanted to get up, but his neck was tightly gripped.

"Xiao Xiang, let’s give it a try, it feels really good," Xu Ze said while kissing his ear. "I’ve been living here for so long, and I haven’t seen you take care of your needs. Doesn’t it bother you?"

Wu Xiaoxiang pushed him away: "I’m fine."

Xu Ze stopped kissing him and let go of his hand, calling out from behind him: "You just like me, don’t deny it!"

Wu Xiaoxiang: "Hmm."

Xu Ze was stunned: "What do you mean by 'hmm'?"

But Wu Xiaoxiang didn’t say anything more, nor did he leave. He turned back and continued lying down.

Xu Ze lunged at him: "Did you just admit you like me? Did you?"

Wu Xiaoxiang ignored him, but Xu Ze was smarter this time. Instead of kissing his face, he turned his face and kissed him on the mouth.

Xu Ze was a really good kisser, and Wu Xiaoxiang didn’t push him away. The two kissed for several minutes.

While kissing, Xu Ze stopped first. He reached over Wu Xiaoxiang, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a strip of condoms and a small box.

"..." Wu Xiaoxiang’s eyebrows furrowed tightly. "When did you get these?"

"I picked them up the day I got Yun Yun’s tablet," Xu Ze excitedly placed the items aside. "Shall we go for it?"

Wu Xiaoxiang looked at him and after a while, asked: "Seriously?"

Xu Ze didn’t answer, he just dove in.

He was experienced and quickly got both of them in the mood. Just as he was about to open the condom with his mouth, he was suddenly flipped onto his back.

Wu Xiaoxiang took the condom from his hand and put it on himself.

Xu Ze: "?"

??

???

Wait, what the hell?

"Hey, wait... oh my god!!!!!!!" The sharp pain from underneath him made Xu Ze’s tears almost come out. "You’re supposed to be the one on the bottom!!!"

Wu Xiaoxiang was also stunned, but then he retorted: "No way, that’s not happening."

Xu Ze was in so much pain that his scalp went numb, and he shouted: "Then you can’t just... ah!!! Is the lube right there for nothing!?"

Wu Xiaoxiang quickly covered his mouth and pulled out, unusually panicked: "...Don’t wake Yun Yun up."

Xu Ze now felt that he might have misjudged. This guy definitely didn’t care about him at all.

Otherwise, how could he be in so much pain while this guy was worried about waking Yun Yun?!

Seeing that Xu Ze was really in pain, Wu Xiaoxiang grabbed the clothes next to him: "Let’s just stop."

"...Don’t," Xu Ze grabbed him. He couldn’t just give up because of a role reversal, could he?

If it’s a different approach, then so be it.

Blushing and gritting through the pain, Xu Ze handed the small box next to him to Wu Xiaoxiang, "...You... use this first."