Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The two found a secluded corner. Xu Yan stopped, then furtively glanced towards Zhao Qingji and Shen Nanli, who were busy checking camera lenses.

"You wanted to talk, right? You can speak now," Xu Yan whispered, "but we need to hurry back, or they’ll start to get suspicious."

Wen Sinian remained silent, his gaze fixed on him.

Xu Yan looked puzzled. "What’s wrong?"

Wen Sinian grumbled, "You’re avoiding me."

Xu Yan quickly explained, "No, I just think we should keep our distance. Otherwise… you’re always too close to me."

"Why should we?" Wen Sinian retorted, as if it were obvious. "They don’t know about us, but if you keep dodging me, it’ll only make them suspicious."

He took half a step closer, lowering his voice. "They’ll think there’s something illicit going on between us."

His blunt choice of words left Xu Yan momentarily stunned.

What did he mean by "illicit"...?

Wen Sinian continued, "I can agree to act the same as before in front of others, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate you treating me worse than just any roommate."

Xu Yan was nearly pressed against the wall behind him. He hastily pushed Wen Sinian back, but his wrist was seized, and he was pulled into a quiet alley.

After turning a corner where no one was around, Wen Sinian wrapped an arm around his waist, pressing him firmly against the ancient city wall. His breath was hot as he leaned in, looking down at Xu Yan with a voice laced with hurt.

"Baby, I like you. Whether we’re alone or not, I can’t help wanting to be close to you. But today during the shoot, you didn’t say a single word to me. Do you know how much that hurt?"

Trapped between Wen Sinian’s chest and the wall, Xu Yan could barely move. The pressure of Wen Sinian’s muscles made him let out a small groan, forcing him to look up, wincing. "You’re so hard… it’s really hurting me…"

Wen Sinian freed one hand to cushion his back but didn’t loosen his grip, pressing closer.

"Why are you ignoring me, huh?"

"Do you know I’ve been watching you this whole time?"

"Joking around with others right in front of me—you think I’m that generous?"

He raised a hand, gently stroking Xu Yan’s cheek. "Didn’t you hear me clearly last night? Don’t provoke me."

The icy tone made Xu Yan freeze, his eyes wide and unblinking.

As Wen Sinian leaned closer to his ear, his voice dropped low, a stark contrast to his usual composed demeanor.

A long, strong thumb brushed over Xu Yan’s lips, pressing in, gently forcing apart the soft, tender flesh.

With a morbid, obsessive sigh, he murmured,

"Otherwise, I’ll lose control, baby. I won’t be able to stop myself from fucking you."

A burning sensation spread through Xu Yan’s ears. His eyes widened as Wen Sinian spoke each word slowly and clearly:

"Tying you up at home, not letting you see anyone else. Only letting you smile for me, cry for me, and spread your legs for me until you’re delirious."

"Do you want that?"

Wen Sinian rubbed his lips. "Do you want your husband to treat you like that, baby?"

Xu Yan was barely standing on his tiptoes, nearly scared stiff by the threat. He shook his head desperately, eyes welling up. "Don’t be like this…"

Wen Sinian shot back, "Like what?"

Xu Yan pouted. "Stop scaring me."

He really believed it—and he was genuinely frightened.

Wen Sinian rubbed his back gently, soothing him. "Then will you be good?"

Xu Yan nodded obediently.

"Still avoiding me?"

He shook his head.

Satisfied, Wen Sinian said, "Kiss me."

Xu Yan froze, looking around nervously. "Now?"

Wen Sinian narrowed his eyes. "Didn’t you say you’d be good?"

With no other choice, Xu Yan quickly pressed a fleeting kiss to the corner of his lips before backing off, avoiding his gaze.

"Is… is that okay?" he whispered.

Wen Sinian touched his lips, a faint smirk playing on his face.

After so many kisses, how was he still this innocent?

"No," he said flatly.

Xu Yan looked up in surprise, but before he could speak, his lips were captured in a long, deep French kiss.

When they finally parted, Wen Sinian wiped his mouth for him, helped him stand straight, and even fixed his shirt.

"Only this kind is acceptable."

The two emerged from the alley one after another. Shen Nanli, seeing Xu Yan looking down, hurried over and whispered, "Did Senior Wen scold you?"

Xu Yan licked his lips. "No."

Shen Nanli: "Then did he think something was wrong with our shoot?"

Xu Yan: "Not that either."

"Then what did you two talk about? Yan Yan, you better not hide anything from me. We’re a team—we share responsibilities. Don’t think that just because you’re the leader, you have to shoulder everything alone. No matter what happens, discuss it with me and the class monitor. We’ll face it together."

Zhao Qingji, overhearing, nodded in agreement. "If there’s anything, just say it. We’re reasonable people. Nothing can’t be solved together."

Touched by their words, Xu Yan smiled.

"Thank you, but really, it’s nothing. We just discussed the schedule for future shoots since Senior Wen is busy," he lied. "If anything comes up, I’ll tell you both first. Because we’re a team."

Only then did the other two relax.

The afternoon shoot went surprisingly smoothly. Xu Yan kept Wen Sinian’s warning in mind and no longer tried to stay away from him.

He simply treated him as a normal senior and roommate, who was also currently playing his male lead.

All three of them had early morning classes the next day, so they wrapped up by early evening. Wen Sinian took them out for dinner before making sure they got back safely to the dormitory building.

Before parting ways, they scheduled the next shoot, and then the three of them hauled the gear upstairs together.

The moment Xu Yan got back to the dorm, he received a WeChat message.

[Husband]: Baby, rest early.

Looking at the nickname on the screen, Xu Yan was too flustered to even type. Just as he was about to change it, another message came in.

[Husband]: Don’t change the nickname.

[Husband]: Screenshot it for me.

Xu Yan obediently took a screenshot and sent it over.

[Yan Yan]: Didn’t change it.

[Yan Yan]: You guessed wrong.

[Husband]: That’s my good boy.

[Husband]: Should I reward you?

[Yan Yan]: What is it?

[Husband]: You’ll see when we meet next.

Before curfew, Shen Nanli came to Room 318. The three of them checked all the equipment to ensure everything was intact. They still needed to find time to register for an extension at the college, and then they discussed the next steps for filming.

Before leaving, Shen Nanli pulled Xu Yan out of the dorm and grilled him carefully in a secluded spot at the end of the hallway.

"Yan Yan, is there something you haven’t told me?"

Xu Yan hesitated. "There is one thing..."

Shen Nanli: "Spill it."

Xu Yan tugged at his clothes, fidgeting shyly. Shen Nanli saw right through him: "This is about Wen Sinian, isn’t it?"

Xu Yan was surprised. "How did you know?"

"That forum post was legit?! Don’t tell me you’re actually dating Wen Sinian!"

Xu Yan nodded. "I know I should’ve told you earlier, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up..."

Shen Nanli looked thunderstruck. "It’s actually true?! I always felt something was off between you two. Sometimes you act distant, other times you’re all over each other—like something was already going on."

Xu Yan: "Actually, we only cleared up the misunderstanding last night at the villa and made it official. It wasn’t that long ago."

Shen Nanli was a little worried for him. "Wait—what about Year Bro then? Are you really dating both? Can you handle that? Don’t blow your cover, or I doubt Wen Sinian would let you off easy."

"Nanli," Xu Yan hit him with another bombshell seriously, "Actually, Year Bro is Wen Sinian."

Shen Nanli’s mind went blank. "What did you say?!"

For the next half hour, Shen Nanli interrogated Xu Yan, making him explain everything—from how he discovered Year Bro was Wen Sinian to how Wen Sinian found out he was Yan Yan.

Even after hearing it all, Shen Nanli couldn’t believe it. He immediately called Shang Jia and made Xu Yan confess to her too.

Though equally shocked, Shang Jia was sharp enough to notice something odd.

"Yan Yan, are you sure Wen Sinian just found out about your identity?" Shang Jia asked. "Doesn’t this seem too coincidental? There are tons of influencers out there, but he just happened to come across you online, became your top fan, and you two are even roommates? Don’t those odds seem way too slim?"

Xu Yan mumbled, "It’s incredibly coincidental."

Shang Jia: "Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe you two are just meant to be—if you couldn’t make it work in real life, you’d still end up together online."

Then Shang Jia let out a high-pitched scream over the phone: "Ahhhh Yan Yan, I still can’t believe it! You actually landed Wen Sinian! That forum post was real after all! I even commented on it! You two are a perfect match from height and build to looks!"

Shang Jia added, "Assuming Wen Sinian isn’t a jerk and treats you well."

Xu Yan was a little embarrassed. "He treats me really well."

Sometimes too well.

Shang Jia sighed. "Ah, my baby’s finally been snatched up. I should eat my hat now. As long as you two are happy, we’ll talk more when we meet."

Xu Yan also made them swear to keep his relationship with Wen Sinian strictly confidential. Only after they promised did he hang up.

Wen Sinian had Xu Yan’s class schedule memorized. He wouldn’t disturb him during classes, but as soon as Xu Yan was free, his calls and video calls would roll in.

Now that the truth was out, there was no need to hide anymore.

He wanted to hear Xu Yan’s voice all the time—and even more, to see him.

But with finals approaching, Xu Yan would study in the library even when he didn’t have classes. Wen Sinian insisted he stay on video while studying, not requiring him to talk, just to prop up his phone nearby so he could see him.

Afraid of being noticed, Xu Yan even bought a privacy screen protector. If they video-called outside, Wen Sinian wasn’t allowed to show his face.

Wen Sinian didn’t push back—otherwise, Xu Yan might turn off the camera, and he wouldn’t even get to see his face.

Lately, the studio had been busy too, so filming was temporarily postponed. Wen Sinian went on a business trip to Haishi and wouldn’t be back for three days.

They hadn’t seen each other since their weekend shoot in the ancient town. Wen Sinian couldn’t focus during meetings, dying to get back and find a way to convince Xu Yan to move in with him.

If Xu Yan refused, he could always consider moving back into the dorm for a while.

Xu Yan had just returned from the library and finished washing up when Wen Sinian’s video call came in again.

Xu Yan flushed, scrambling onto his bunk. They’d already video-called for nearly two hours earlier—why again now?

Roommates Li Huaiche and Zhao Qingji were still in the bathroom. Xu Yan closed his bed curtain, burrowed under the blankets, and even pulled them over his head before answering.

On the other end, Wen Sinian seemed to have just returned to his hotel. He sat at the desk with a dim light on, his sharp jawline shadowed by the laptop’s blue glow. Still in a suit and tie, his broad frame neatly contained, radiating icy, restrained allure.

His sharp gaze softened the moment Xu Yan’s face popped up on the screen—clearly hidden under the covers.

His lips were pink and glossy, his doe eyes glittering under the screen’s light. Curled up in bed, his collar was loose, revealing a glimpse of his pale, smooth shoulder. The neckline even offered a teasing glimpse inside...

Wen Sinian’s pulse jumped.

That look of his was equal parts sweet and alluring, and he was completely oblivious.

His voice was soft and light, laced with a breathy edge, deliberately lowered to avoid being overheard—like a whisper against his ear.

"Finished with work?"

Wen Sinian glanced at the unfinished documents on his computer and loosened his tie with one hand. "Yeah."

Xu Yan asked, "More meetings this afternoon?"

Wen Sinian had video-called him during his lunch break, mentioning he'd just had meetings all morning.

Wen Sinian: "Went to a lecture."

Xu Yan knew his daily routine inside out. Even if he didn’t ask, Wen Sinian would find some way to "report" to him.

Xu Yan nodded. "Okay, you’ve had a long day—must be tired. Go take a shower and rest soon."

Wen Sinian’s gaze lingered on his face and the exposed fair skin, his voice turning hoarse.

"No hurry. Just wanna keep looking at you."

Xu Yan stayed still, letting him look, his chin resting on the back of his hand. Nearby, the tail of his treasured little bunny plushie was visible, pale and sticking up.

The blanket was getting a bit warm, and Xu Yan’s cheeks flushed pink, his eyes shiny with a bit of moisture.

Suddenly, the dorm lights went out. Xu Yan mouthed, "I can’t talk now."

"Mhm."

Wen Sinian watched him, then murmured roughly, "Baby."

Xu Yan blinked up at him, waiting.

"Move the phone closer."

Thinking Wen Sinian couldn’t see his face clearly, Xu Yan lifted the phone closer to his cheek, his features magnified on the screen, his gentle breathing close.

Wen Sinian stared for a while, unbuttoning two at his throat before saying,

"Switch on the flashlight."

"Aim it down."