Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The car quickly pulled into an exclusive luxury villa complex.

After parking directly in the underground garage, Wen Sinian had the three get out and led them to the elevator, taking them upstairs.

Shen Nanli kept nudging Xu Yan’s arm, his eyes wide with awe and admiration.

He couldn’t believe such a prime piece of land in the city center had been used for villas—it was simply extravagant.

Even the underground garage was opulently decorated, though with the lights off, its true size was hard to gauge.

Xu Yan also noticed the heavy motorcycle he’d seen before, clearly unused lately, parked forlornly in its spot.

The elevator reached the first floor. Wen Sinian held the door open, waiting for the three to exit before following.

The elevator opened directly into the residence. Xu Yan, being at the front, didn’t want to seem too casual in someone else’s home. But he had barely taken two steps, not even reaching the living room, when someone abruptly blocked his path.

He looked up. The man in front of him was tall, with a buzz cut and furrowed brows, looking rather fierce as he scrutinized Xu Yan.

“Who are you looking for?”

Xu Yan suddenly remembered—he’d seen this man before. The one who used to pick Lin Xingxian up from school. Lin Xingxian’s ex-boyfriend.

“I—”

He had barely uttered a single syllable when his arm was grabbed from behind and pulled back.

Losing his footing, Xu Yan stumbled backward a couple of steps. Wen Sinian promptly reached out to steady him, subtly creating distance between him and the other man.

The man glanced at Wen Sinian, a hint of amusement softening his brow.

“So these are the three juniors,” the man said.

Wen Sinian grunted in acknowledgment, then turned to Xu Yan: “The living room is straight ahead. They should all be there. Go on in.”

Xu Yan nodded and led the other two forward.

The man went to the kitchen for water, casually tossing a bottle to Wen Sinian. “Don’t be like that.”

So petty as to not even let him speak.

Wen Sinian caught it, took a swig, and heard Lin Xingxian’s laughter from the living room. “Are you two back together?”

“Almost.”

“If he lets you come even when you’re not officially back together, that’s progress.”

“I came to drop off alcohol. Heard you were bringing people back, so I stayed a bit longer.”

Wen Sinian was long accustomed to their on-again, off-again dynamic. Breaking up never stopped them from sleeping together, and getting back together never stopped Lin Xingxian from hitting the clubs.

From the living room, Lin Xingxian’s voice called out again: “Han Yu—!”

He sounded a little impatient from waiting.

Han Yu grabbed a few bottles of water and, as if by habit, headed toward the voice. No matter where he was, if Lin Xingxian called, he’d drop everything and come to him. Breakup or not, it was always like that.

Wen Sinian also made his way to the living room.

The enormous coffee table was laden with food and drinks—pizza, barbecue, crayfish, sushi, steak, escargot. On the nearby sofa sat two Australian lobsters and several pre-cracked crabs, most untouched. Lin Xingxian and several members of his studio sat in a circle on the carpet, having waited for their return.

At the moment, Lin Xingxian’s hands were full, so he drank from the water bottle Han Yu held for him. Annoyed that Han Yu was tipping it too fast, he glared fiercely with his beautiful, doe-like eyes.

Han Yu wiped his mouth with a tissue, only to be snapped at by Lin Xingxian: “Buzz off.”

Ignoring him, Han Yu crumpled the damp tissue and tossed it, then tucked Lin Xingxian’s slightly long hair behind his ear to keep it from obstructing his eating—all without saying a word.

Xu Yan, sitting beside Lin Xingxian, observed all this discreetly.

He had always thought Senior Lin was perpetually cheerful, easygoing, and friendly with everyone. It turned out he reserved his worst temper for just one person.

Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji had already been ushered to open spots. Zheng Yao had even saved the central seat for Wen Sinian, but Wen Sinian walked right past him and took the spot on Xu Yan’s other side.

Originally, the only girl from AG Studio, Xiao Xu, had been sitting there. But she was far more perceptive than Zheng Yao and had already moved, even wiping the carpet clean. “Brother Wen, sit here, sit here.”

Wen Sinian settled down obediently. Xu Yan suddenly felt his personal space being encroached upon, the gap narrowing. Even his carefully tucked-in legs brushed against a subtle yet distinct warmth.

As if it wanted to invade further.

But when he snuck a glance at the person beside him, his expression was calm, as if he didn’t find their proximity unusual at all.

Xu Yan drew his legs in slightly. He hadn’t even had any alcohol—why did he feel so warm?

Lin Xingxian cleared his throat and announced, “I thought we wouldn’t have a full crew tonight. After all, someone’s always busy with shoots and has no time for us—couldn’t even make it to his own celebration.”

Zheng Yao, curious, asked, “Brother Wen, what exactly are you filming?”

Xu Yan took the initiative to explain, “It’s actually our final project, but it’s also for a university competition, so we can’t just phone it in. That’s why we’ve been taking up so much of Senior Wen’s time.”

Wen Sinian: “Mm.”

Xiao Xu, eyes sparkling, looked between them. “Junior, is Brother Wen a total natural on camera?”

“Very easy to film,” Xu Yan said, his gaze flitting across Wen Sinian’s face. “He’s incredibly photogenic—barely needs any specific angles, and lighting is simple. We developed a great rapport in just over a day. For a photographer, he’s a godsend.”

Xiao Xu’s mind fixated on “great rapport,” but she didn’t dare voice her thoughts, giggling behind her hand.

Lin Xingxian feigned displeasure. “Yan Yan, why ask him and not me? Aren’t we close? So hurtful, boo hoo.”

Shen Nanli asked curiously, “Senior Lin, didn’t Song Ning from our class ask you to shoot with her?”

“Yeah,” Lin Xingxian said. “I’ve already agreed to theirs, but if you need me, I can do both.”

Xu Yan: “You could make a cameo for us when you have time. There’s a role that suits you—like ten seconds of screen time.”

Lin Xingxian agreed immediately. “Yes, yes! I want to join you guys. It’ll be so fun.”

Zheng Yao eagerly shot his hand up. “Me too! Yan Yan, can you write me a role? Just ten seconds is enough!”

Another raised both hands. “I’ll take five!”

“Four for me!”

“Two seconds is fine!”

This was pure competitive bidding. Xiao Xu freaked out. “I don’t need a spot in the film! I’ll volunteer my services for free!!”

Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji, experiencing this group for the first time, found them incredibly entertaining and laughed uncontrollably.

Xu Yan also smiled, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he leaned in to ask his male lead for his opinion.

“Can we add them all in?” His voice was soft and gentle, his breath carrying a hint of fruity sweetness. His lips were moist, and with his relaxed and cheerful mood, his words naturally trailed off with a playful lilt. “Senior?”

Wen Sinian’s throat bobbed. “Okay.”

Xu Yan grew even happier. “Mm-hmm.”

He’d figure out how to include them all later. He had been worried about not finding actors, but now so many had volunteered themselves.

Coming today had definitely been worth it.

The group buzzed with noisy chatter, eating, talking, and drinking. It was only then that Xu Yan learned the celebration tonight was for Wen Sinian leading his team to win first place with a gold medal in a competition in Europe.

He said with genuine admiration, “So impressive.”

It seemed that week of intensive preparation hadn’t been for nothing. He also knew how hard Wen Sinian worked—fortunately, the effort paid off.

The atmosphere at the table was so lively that barely anyone touched the food, but bottle after bottle of alcohol was opened. Even Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji were pulled into drinking celebratory toasts, smoothly blending in with the others.

Xu Yan knew alcohol would only lead to trouble. After blacking out last time, he had sworn never to drink outside again. Tonight, he didn’t touch a drop, content with his juice and occasionally nibbling on some tasty bites.

He noticed Wen Sinian had drunk a few glasses—well, it was a night worth celebrating. Getting drunk would be understandable.

It was getting hotter. The living room felt overheated.

His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Xu Yan pressed a hand over it through his clothes, not about to pull it out.

Seeing Wen Sinian talking to Zheng Yao, he surreptitiously checked his pocket—a missed call from an unknown number.

But he couldn’t answer it in front of Wen Sinian right now.

Xu Yan ignored it and looked up, only to find Wen Sinian wasn’t even listening to Zheng Yao. His dark eyes were slightly lowered, fixed directly on him.

Xu Yan’s heart skipped. He managed a guilty smile and quickly ducked his head to take a bite of pizza.

He... hadn't been caught, had he?

Lin Xingxian also felt hot and took off his jacket, handing it to Han Yu to hang up.

Xu Yan took the opportunity to remove his own jacket, intending to follow and hang it up—and, more importantly, to get the incriminating device in his pocket as far away as possible.

But Lin Xingxian took his jacket directly and tossed it to Han Yu, who had just returned. “Hang this one up too.”

Han Yu compliantly took it away.

Xu Yan sat back down, finally breathing easier and much more at ease.

Wen Sinian observed his every move, then tapped his glass against Xu Yan’s. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

Xu Yan lifted his juice with both hands, offering a sincere smile. “Of course I want to congratulate you—”

But before he could finish, Han Yu returned.

The jacket was gone, but in its place was the latest top-tier phone—buzzing insistently, displaying yet another incoming call.

That was why Han Yu had specifically fished it out of his pocket to bring back to him.

Unaware of Xu Yan’s expression freezing instantly, Han Yu merely glanced at the long string of numbers on the screen and remarked, “This looks like a virtual number.”

The table was full of professionals, who leaned in to inspect it.

“It is a virtual number, but probably not a scam. Likely a personal burner phone—can make calls and texts, but no physical SIM card.”

“Yeah, I’ve registered for one before. The numbers are extremely long, just like this.”

Someone caught the key detail. “Hold up, whose phone is this? The latest model? They're backordered nationwide right now!”

“It really is the newest one,” Zheng Yao said. “Didn’t Brother Wen just switch to one recently? Is this his?”

Only then did Han Yu glance in Xu Yan’s direction—before passing the phone to Lin Xingxian.

“Why give it to me? It’s not mine. This is Yan Yan’s phone.”

The call had disconnected due to no answer, so the lock screen wallpaper was now displayed.

A dim, blurry shot. Two faces pressed close together, biting, unmistakably intimate.

Lin Xingxian accidentally caught a glimpse and immediately widened his eyes, scrutinizing the two people in the photo.

For a moment, he was stunned—thinking the beautiful, long-haired figure with misty, wet eyes was Xu Yan, while the side profile biting the plump cheek looked suspiciously like Wen Sinian.

But the photo was intentionally blurred, making it impossible to identify clearly.

With such an atmospheric shot, it might just be a random photo.

Yet the phone… the longer he looked, the more certain he was it was exactly like the one Wen Sinian used.

“Yan Yan, is this your phone?” Lin Xingxian locked the screen and passed it over.

Xu Yan’s heart pounded in his throat. In front of everyone, he could only slowly, stiffly reach out a hand.

“Yes… it’s mine.”

Once he took it, he jammed it under his thigh lightning-fast.

If he started praying now that Wen Sinian hadn’t seen it… was he already too late?

“Yan Yan, where’d you buy your phone? I’ve been waitlisted for ages, and they still say it’s out of stock. Maybe I’ll try wherever you got yours,” Zheng Yao asked.

Xu Yan responded sluggishly, his mind clearly miles away as he mumbled, “Ah…”

Shen Nanli stepped in to explain for him. “That was a gift from Yan Yan’s partner. He probably doesn’t know where it was bought either.”

He even gave Xu Yan a subtle wink.

Xu Yan’s stomach dropped. His neck stiffened, not risking even a sideways glance. His breathing trembled with guilt, as if he were sitting on hot coals.

What he was sitting on wasn't a phone—it was a ticking bomb.

He never should have agreed to switch phones in the first place.

The others kept up their animated discussion, as Xu Yan waited anxiously for the person beside him to say something.

But no matter how long he waited… silence.

Had he acted too quickly? Had Wen Sinian not even had time to realize it was the phone they'd swapped?

Xu Yan was sure of it. The tension of nearly being exposed gradually began to ease, and he even dared to glance slightly at Wen Sinian—only to find him looking down at his phone, completely unaware of him.

Xu Yan took a big gulp of juice, the tension in his frozen muscles finally easing.

Not long after, Wen Sinian stood up with his phone and went up the spiral staircase.

With the tension suddenly lifted, Xiao Xu came over to chat with Xu Yan.

They had only exchanged a few words when Xu Yan’s phone vibrated again. He quickly pulled it out to check.

It was the same virtual number from earlier.

Not sure who this strange caller was, Xu Yan didn’t answer.

But the next second, he noticed a message popping up on his secondary WeChat account.

Xu Yan’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the message, a spike of dread crawling up his spine.

Just two short words, yet they made his knees weak with fear.

"year": Come upstairs.

*

Half an hour later, after working up his nerve, Xu Yan excused himself and sneaked up the same staircase Wen Sinian had taken earlier.

The winding corridor was unlit, dark, and eerily quiet.

Xu Yan had no idea which room was Wen Sinian’s. He stood rooted at the top of the stairs, his calves trembling, debating whether to turn tail and run.

If Wen Sinian had messaged him using the "year" account, he must have seen Xu Yan using his phone—and must have realized that Xu Yan was Yan Yan.

He had thought he could keep hiding it until they broke up, but now, at the final moment, his cover was already blown.

Another message arrived on his alternate account.

"year": Walk to the end.

"year": Black door.

Since his disguise had already been torn off, Xu Yan gave in to his fate and walked forward, stopping in front of the door.

He raised his hand and rapped softly, as if wary of disturbing the person inside.

His voice was soft. “It’s me…”

The door was pulled open from within. Only a dim bedside lamp illuminated the room.

A tall, dark figure loomed before him like some predatory beast.

Xu Yan hadn’t expected him to be wearing a bathrobe, hastily tied at the waist, the collar wide open to reveal sharp collarbones and a broad, muscular chest. His hair was damp—he must have just showered.

A wave of heat washed over him from the room, enveloping Xu Yan’s slender frame.

The heat was overwhelming—not just from Wen Sinian’s imposing presence, but also from the intense, predatory gaze fixed on him.

Every instinct warned him not to step inside, but it was too late. An iron grip closed around his wrist, pulling him in with a gentle tug.

The door slowly shut behind him, cutting off the laughter and noise from downstairs.

Pressed against the wall, Xu Yan’s mind raced.

The room’s soundproofing was unexpectedly good. Everything was suddenly so quiet—he could only hear the steady breathing right in front of him, each exhale brushing against his neck.

Xu Yan edged up onto his tiptoes, pressing himself tighter against the wall, but he was still nearly a head shorter than the shadow before him.

Wen Sinian studied him up close, leaning in slightly, arms boxing him in on either side—trapping him completely, ensuring he couldn’t escape.

Xu Yan hardly dared to breathe. Every inhale carried Wen Sinian’s subtle, heady scent.

He instinctively feared it was poisonous, afraid he might pass out from it.

Wen Sinian stared at him with deep, inscrutable eyes, saying nothing. Yet Xu Yan felt a chill run through him, as if that look alone could undress him.

Xu Yan knew he was in the wrong for hiding behind a fake identity and deceiving him online. Worse, Wen Sinian had spent so much money on "Yan Yan"—he must've meant it.

But he hadn’t known it was Xu Yan. If he had, maybe he wouldn’t have fallen for it at all.

At least now, the damage could be stopped.

No longer needing to pretend, Xu Yan felt an odd sense of relief. He recalled the speech he’d prepared downstairs and put on a pitiful tone.

“Actually… I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but I was afraid you’d be angry, so I didn’t dare. I only found out later that ‘year’ was you—I didn’t know at first either. I never meant for things to turn out like this…”

Wen Sinian noticed the deliberate change in his voice—soft, fragile, begging for forgiveness, pleading for sympathy, meant to tug at heartstrings.

Just another side of him he hadn’t seen before.

But did he even realize how much this act made you want to take him? To hear him whimper like this in your ear?

Wen Sinian waited until his shaky excuses petered out before slowly tightening his arms, his forearms lightly pressing against Xu Yan’s waist.

He looked down, judging—narrower than his palm.

Too small.

Xu Yan thought he meant to choke him and panicked, pushing weakly at his arms, flinching—only to hear a sharp intake of breath.

Thinking he’d angered him again, Xu Yan immediately froze.

Now he was genuinely pitiful, lips pressed together, the corners of his eyes curved up like delicate hooks.

“If you need to hit me to get it out… go ahead,” Xu Yan sniffled. “But please don’t hit my face, okay? Nan Li and the rest will notice later, and I won’t know how to explain. And… once you’ve had your fill, can we keep this between us?”

He looked up pleadingly. “I just… don’t want them knowing I wore a dress or took those kinds of photos…”

When Wen Sinian remained silent, Xu Yan’s heart pounded. Afraid he’d refuse, he laid a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle shake.

“Please…?”

“Who else has seen those photos?” Wen Sinian finally asked.

Xu Yan shook his head. “No one. I told you—I only ever sent them to you. It’s true.”

Wen Sinian pressed further. “If you hadn’t been exposed today, when were you planning to tell me?”

Xu Yan hung his head, guilt written across his face.

Wen Sinian lifted his chin, making him meet his eyes. “Tell me the truth. Were you planning to hide it forever?”

Xu Yan bit his lip silently. He had been. Wen Sinian’s voice held hurt. “So even after finding out it was me, you still meant to break up. Is it because you couldn’t handle ‘year’… or because you couldn’t stand me?”

“No, it's neither…” Xu Yan denied, his voice pale.

Wen Sinian tugged at the corner of his lips. “Pity you got caught before we even broke up. What should we do now?”

Xu Yan, still gentle-tempered, replied, “You call the shots. Whatever you say goes, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else.”

“Deal,” Wen Sinian said without missing a beat. “Just this one condition, right? I promise.”

Xu Yan hadn’t expected him to sound so unbothered, even agreeable. “Just this one.”

“My turn to set terms?”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Wen Sinian tightened his arms, pulling Xu Yan almost clear off the ground.

Xu Yan’s toes barely touched the ground, the sudden lack of footing left him unsteady. The grip around his waist dug in just shy of painful.

A droplet fell from Wen Sinian’s soaked hair.

With a soft *plop*, it landed on Xu Yan’s cheek.

Tilting his head back, Xu Yan felt the droplet trail down his face, his neck, slipping past his chest before disappearing beneath his waistband.

Then he heard Wen Sinian speak, his tone deceptively calm. “My condition—be my boyfriend. Keep dating me.”

Xu Yan’s lips parted slightly in shock, staring at him dumbfounded. “Wh-what did you just say…?”

Wen Sinian said it like it was the most natural thing. “Yan Yan is my boyfriend, and now *you* are Yan Yan. I told you I liked you—before we met, and even more after. Didn’t you feel it when we met at the cinema last time?”

The mention of the cinema sent heat rushing to Xu Yan’s cheeks.

And this guy actually had the gall to mention it—his lips and tongue had been sore and swollen for days afterward.

All Xu Yan had felt then was how *ravenous* Wen Sinian was, like he wanted to devour him whole.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” Wen Sinian pulled him closer. “You were my first love, and you left me with this kind of emotional damage. I might never recover. Shouldn’t you compensate me for that?”

Pressed tightly against Wen Sinian’s muscles, Xu Yan felt dizzy, his breath hitching in weak protests. His limbs flailed weakly but couldn’t break free. He mumbled, dazed, “Hah? What… compensation…?”

Wen Sinian carried him toward the bed, murmuring as he walked, “No more breakup talk. Or I can’t be held responsible.”

Xu Yan swayed dizzily before his weightlessness ended—he was dumped onto the large bed.

Wen Sinian gripped his ankle, his long, strong fingers easily leaving blushing red rings on the pale skin.

“There’s one last thing to check,” he said.

Xu Yan tried to pull his foot back but failed. Shoving up on his elbows, he watched helplessly as the built guy dropped to his knees between his thighs.

The scene felt strangely familiar, reminding Xu Yan of a good dream he’d had long ago.

Except in that dream, the strapping attendant had been massaging him tenderly—not pinning his foot in place with one hand while the other hiked up his pant leg.

Flustered, Xu Yan glanced down and met Wen Sinian’s gaze.

Those eyes blazed with unchecked hunger—a smothering possessiveness and naked aggression.

“Show me that mole.”