Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The jade was indeed useful—translucent and pure white, appearing even more lustrous after being steeped in medicine.

But Xu Yan never imagined he’d be repeating what he’d secretly done in the bathroom, right under Wen Sinian’s watchful eye.

Wen Sinian didn’t seem inclined to let him off easily, so with trembling fingers, Xu Yan silently complied.

Yet, his movements were agonizingly slow, pausing frequently to catch his breath.

Watching him, Wen Sinian’s patience wore thin, and he had no choice but to intervene, quickly making a mess of the sheets.

Their playful chaos stretched well into the night, and in the end, Xu Yan, tear-streaked, fell asleep sprawled on Wen Sinian’s chest.

On the day Xu Yan was scheduled to depart for Berlin, Wen Sinian also happened to be leaving for a business trip to Hong Kong.

Before they parted, Wen Sinian helped Xu Yan pack, carefully organizing his toiletries and clothes, even tucking in the little plush bunny toy.

Xu Yan retrieved his camera: “I need to bring this too—I might want to photograph some things.”

After Wen Sinian packed it for him, he asked, “Anything else you need?”

Xu Yan pondered for a moment, his eyes welling up slightly, but he said nothing—simply pointed at Wen Sinian.

Wen Sinian walked over and embraced him: “How about I skip Hong Kong and go to Berlin with you instead?”

Xu Yan gently shook his head against Wen Sinian’s chest: “No, you have your own work to attend to. It’s just… I’ll be gone for so many days, and I’ll miss you a bit…”

Since they started dating, they had seen each other almost daily. Even during their brief separation after an argument, it had lasted less than two days.

Xu Yan never considered himself overly dependent on others. Before this, he had left his small town to study in Beishi, managing perfectly fine on his own.

Yet, ever since he’d been with Wen Sinian, he’d become prone to pouting, tears, tantrums, and clinginess—in short, he was increasingly spoiled and childlike.

Wen Sinian stroked his hair: “If you miss me, just text me, call me, or video chat at night. I’m always here, no matter what.”

Xu Yan remained with his head bowed, his arms wrapped tightly around Wen Sinian’s waist.

Wen Sinian lifted his chin, his heart melting, and kissed the corner of his lips.

“Baby.”

Xu Yan murmured, “Mm…”

Wen Sinian immediately picked up his phone, ready to call his studio and change his travel plans.

Xu Yan: “What are you doing?”

Wen Sinian: “Going with you.”

Xu Yan snatched the phone away, his eyes still red, but now scolding Wen Sinian: “The itinerary is already set—how can you change it at the last minute?”

Wen Sinian: “It’s fine. I’ll brief Zheng Yao beforehand.”

Xu Yan: “No, no! You’re going to Hong Kong for your business trip. You’re not coming with me.”

Wen Sinian sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Xu Yan onto his lap and nuzzling affectionately against his cheek: “But what if I miss you?”

“We’ll see each other soon! And we’re both going for important work; we can’t delay,” Xu Yan pushed at him, his expression serious. “Don’t be so love-struck.”

Wen Sinian was amused by how calm and rational Xu Yan was now, as if the tearful, clinging mess in his arms moments ago hadn’t been him at all.

Sticking to his principles, Xu Yan didn’t let Wen Sinian drive him, instead taking a taxi to the airport to meet his professor.

Wen Sinian only walked him to the villa’s entrance. Before getting into the car, Xu Yan didn’t forget to remind the housekeeper and his grandmother to take care of themselves—and to look after his little bunny.

Finally, as he got into the car, Wen Sinian approached, tapped on the window, leaned in, and kissed him before allowing the car to drive away.

Xu Yan felt a bit down during the ride. He really wanted Wen Sinian to come along, especially since his birthday happened to fall during his time in Berlin.

How wonderful it would be to spend his birthday with Wen Sinian.

Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji had arrived at the airport early. After Xu Yan found them, their professor soon joined. Together, they checked in and boarded their flight to Berlin.

Nearly ten hours later, the plane touched down at Brandenburg Airport.

The organizers had arranged for a pick-up, taking them directly to their hotel.

The hotel was conveniently close to the next day’s event venue. After confirming the overall schedule, the professor advised everyone to rest early, as they needed to be in top spirits for the red carpet tomorrow.

Xu Yan shared a room with Shen Nanli. That night, he refrained from being overly affectionate with Wen Sinian, keeping their video call brief before hanging up.

Shen Nanli, lounging on the adjacent bed and scrolling through his phone, suddenly asked with a gossipy tone, “Remember that post I showed you before?”

Xu Yan, distracted, replied, “Which one?”

“The CP thread about you and Wen Sinian,” Shen Nanli handed him his phone. “Since you two are practically public at school now, this thread has been revived. It’s actually been trending on the homepage for a week. I’ve just been scrolling through it, and honestly, some of the comments are wild.”

Xu Yan took the phone. Of course, he remembered that thread; the main photo was incredibly atmospheric, and it alone had caused quite a stir back then.

He scrolled for a long time, unable to reach the end, utterly stunned by the myriad of comments below. Besides those, there were numerous candid photos of them together (and separately) taken on campus, along with fanfiction of various styles and settings…

It was a full-blown fanfiction frenzy.

Xu Yan quickly exited the app, resting his eyes.

Shen Nanli reassured him: “Look on the bright side—you two are so well-matched and good-looking that everyone wants to ship you. Plus, I remember the campus forum’s admin rights are with the Computer Science department. The fact that no one has deleted it means what? It means Year Bro has definitely seen the post and tacitly approved it.”

Year Bro.

Xu Yan suddenly felt that nickname sounded a bit dated.

He shared the post with Wen Sinian, asking if he had seen it.

A quick reply came:

[Hubby]: Seen it.

[Silly Baby]: Then why didn’t you get someone to delete it?

[Hubby]: It’s quite interesting.

[Silly Baby]: What’s interesting about it? Their analyses are all wrong! Some even said we’ve been secretly together for ages, and they posted a photo of us accidentally in the same frame from two years ago as ‘proof,’ but we didn’t even know each other back then.

Xu Yan was also surprised by that photo. It was taken not long after the semester began, at the freshman welcoming ceremony. Wen Sinian spoke as the student representative, and Xu Yan, as the new student representative, also gave a speech, so they had met backstage.

Xu Yan had noticed Wen Sinian at first glance, but Wen Sinian might not have noticed him then.

[Hubby]: You didn’t know me at the start of the semester?

Xu Yan told a small lie.

[Silly Baby]: Of course not. We weren’t in the same grade or department. How would we have met?

A moment later, a message popped up.

[Hubby]: But I’ve known you for a long time, baby.

*

The next morning, everyone changed into their newly acquired outfits and departed from the hotel for the event venue.

The classical, solemn Western architecture was grand and magnificent. Upon entering the hall, enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, illuminating the entire space with a brilliant glow.

The red carpet was laid out inside the venue, with media from all over already crowding both sides. The incessant click of camera shutters filled the air.

If there had been no sense of reality before, stepping onto the red carpet now made Xu Yan feel his heart pounding violently in his chest. Nervous yet excited, he was momentarily disoriented by the constant camera flashes.

They followed the students from a Danish university into the venue. Standing at the front of the stage and looking up, the sight before them was even more awe-inspiring.

The spherical, arc-shaped auditorium resembled a deep blue sea, filled with filmmakers, judges, guests, and contestants from around the world. On stage, a massive screen glowed softly, as if fully prepared for the upcoming feast of light and shadow.

Shen Nanli was also utterly amazed, whispering nonstop with Xu Yan.

Xu Yan had brought his camera and took some photos before the event started, even flashing peace signs with others on the screen.

Soon, the film festival officially began. The host delivered an enthusiastic opening speech, introducing the judges and guests one by one, followed by the short film screening segment. Fifteen short films, each awarded different prizes, were projected on the screen, while another twenty would be screened at different times as honorable mentions.

When Xu Yan’s team name appeared on the big screen, his heart pounded wildly. As familiar scenes played before his eyes, and he saw that exceptionally striking face on the silver screen, Xu Yan couldn’t hold back tears.

He had actually done it.

At that moment, he suddenly wished Wen Sinian could be there to share his joy and happiness.

Hearing the thunderous applause from the audience after the film ended, he felt a quiet pride deep inside.

Hard work never goes to waste, and he believed this was just a small step forward.

After the award-winning films were screened, the awards ceremony began. The three main creators of the team took the stage, and their teacher asked Xu Yan, as the team leader, to give a speech.

As soon as Xu Yan stood under the dazzling spotlight, he heard a small gasp from the audience. Judging by his looks, one might assume Xu Yan was born to be an actor, yet no one expected him to possess such talent in directing.

The crystal trophy felt heavy in his hand. Though his voice trembled slightly, Xu Yan delivered a poised acceptance speech, and the group bowed deeply to the audience.

After leaving the stage, Xu Yan recorded a short video with his camera, cheering and celebrating excitedly with Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji while holding the trophy. Their teacher stood by, watching them with a proud smile.

The film festival lasted three days, with a banquet hosted on the final evening, inviting everyone to dinner.

Though called a banquet, it was more like a large networking event, providing students from different countries and groups a chance to meet and interact.

Among the Asian groups, Xu Yan’s team was undoubtedly the most popular. People kept approaching him to chat, and Xu Yan maintained a polite smile while holding a glass of juice until his face stiffened.

Shen Nanli secretly worried for Wen Sinian, thinking that Xu Yan, just slightly dressed up today, seemed… a bit too attractive.

The Danish group they had greeted earlier also arrived. Their leader, Su Er, was handsome and tall and spoke Chinese fluently. After just a few words with Xu Yan, he took out his phone to add Xu Yan on WeChat, asking when he was returning to China and if he had any plans in the coming days.

Their return flight was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but Xu Yan sensed Su Er had other intentions and didn’t plan to be honest.

“Tomorrow…”

Before he could finish, Zhao Qingji chimed in, “The day after.”

Su Er conveniently ignored the answer he didn’t want to hear and smiled. “You’re leaving the day after tomorrow? Perfect, we can explore Berlin together tomorrow. I’ve been here before—I can be your free guide. How about it?”

Both the teacher and Zhao Qingji happily agreed.

Shen Nanli quietly pulled Xu Yan aside and whispered, “Do you remember what tomorrow is?”

Xu Yan nodded. “I remember.”

February 14th—Valentine’s Day, and also his birthday.

Shen Nanli said, “Is Su Er deliberately asking you out on Valentine’s Day? There are four of us here, but he only added your WeChat. Is he into you?”

Xu Yan frowned slightly. “I hope not.”

Shen Nanli: “That’s not up to you. Let me test him.”

He tapped glasses with Su Er and casually asked, “How is your Chinese so good?”

“I was an exchange student in China before,” Su Er replied. “In Beishi. It’s a shame I didn’t meet you all back then.”

His eyes kept glancing at Xu Yan as he spoke.

Shen Nanli continued, “What a pity. But didn’t you date a Chinese girl in Beishi?”

“No,” Su Er said, still looking at Xu Yan. “So I’m wondering if there’s still a chance to make up for that regret now.”

Shen Nanli joked, “Of course there is! Yan Yan can introduce you to someone. He’s the only one among us with a partner—very happy together, perfect for matchmaking. By the way, do you know what ‘matchmaker’ means?”

Su Er completely ignored the latter part, frowning and asking Xu Yan, “Is he saying you’re not single?”

Xu Yan: “I’m not.”

Su Er’s face visibly changed, but he said nothing more. After a few more polite words, he left.

Shen Nanli and Xu Yan exchanged a knowing look.

They thought Su Er’s offer to be their tour guide was over, but the next morning, they ran into him again downstairs.

“Most of the participants are staying at this hotel. I was worried you’d leave early, so I waited here since seven,” Su Er said. “Luckily, I caught you. Let’s go.”

Xu Yan: “Actually, you don’t have to trouble yourself. I’ve already planned our day—we can explore on our own. If you have other plans, you’re free to go.”

Su Er just stared at him blankly for a moment, as if stunned.

Xu Yan wasn’t wearing formal attire today—just a British wool coat, black straight-leg pants, and a brown English-style cap. His light brown, slightly curly hair framed his pale face and neck, his lips a healthy shade of pink. He looked even more radiant and lively than the night before.

Of course, the others looked good too, but Su Er’s gaze was fixed solely on Xu Yan.

“I have no other plans. Being your guide is my top priority today.”

Since the teacher and Zhao Qingji noticed nothing unusual, Su Er ended up becoming their tour guide for the day.

Xu Yan stuck close to Shen Nanli the whole time, his camera hanging around his neck as he snapped photos everywhere.

The weather was lovely, the sunlight gentle and warm, making him feel cozy, but Xu Yan’s hands still grew cold after being exposed for too long.

It just wasn’t the same without his personal human heater by his side.

Su Er first took them to the Brandenburg Gate. Xu Yan found the perfect angle to capture the arch’s frame from the side. Next was the Reichstag building, and finally, the Berlin Cathedral, where they arrived just in time for the golden hour—ideal for photographing the dome’s murals. The resulting images were so beautiful they nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Shen Nanli took Xu Yan’s camera and helped him record a video. Then, under the pretext of carrying the camera for a while, he sneakily disappeared for quite some time, leaving no one knowing what he was up to.

Xu Yan was stuck with Su Er, forced to listen to him ramble on about the cathedral’s history for what felt like ages. By the time it was almost dark, Shen Nanli finally came running back, out of breath.

The group headed to the restaurant together, and Xu Yan whispered to Shen Nanli, “No birthday surprises, okay? It’d be way too awkward.”

Shen Nanli blurted out immediately: “No, no, I didn’t prepare anything at all. I just bought you a birthday cake, that’s all.”

Only then did Xu Yan relax.

The restaurant was reserved by the Spree River, where they could enjoy the riverside night view from their seats.

Right from the start of the meal, Xu Yan noticed Shen Nanli across from him seemed jittery, constantly glancing at his phone and sending messages, like he was up to something.

Sure enough, halfway through dinner, the restaurant lights suddenly dimmed. The teacher and Zhao Qingji, who were in on Shen Nanli’s plan, steered Su Er away to keep an eye on him. Shen Nanli took the camera out of his bag, found the most recently recorded video, and played it for Xu Yan.

The footage shook a few times at first, then Shen Nanli’s face appeared on screen. In a very soft voice, he said to Xu Yan, who was posing with his back to the camera not far away, “Happy birthday!”

Next was Zhao Qingji’s face, also speaking to Xu Yan’s oblivious back, saying, “Happy birthday.”

Then came the teacher, smiling at the camera: “Happy birthday!”

Surprisingly, Su Er was included too. While Xu Yan was resting with his eyes closed on a bench, Su Er sat beside him and whispered soundlessly, “Happy birthday! Happy birthday!”

By this point, Xu Yan’s eyes welled up, overwhelmed by shock and joy. He had no idea when Shen Nanli had secretly filmed these moments or when he had edited them together. He’d been completely oblivious all day—no wonder Shen Nanli had volunteered to carry the camera for him.

Just when Xu Yan thought the video was over, Shen Nanli squeezed his shoulder, keeping him seated, and reminded him, “There’s more.”

The screen went black for a second before Shang Jia’s face suddenly appeared. She had recorded a video at home, holding up a gift for Xu Yan and cheering with a grin, “Baby Yan! Happy birthday!”

Next were Zheng Yao, Xiao Xu, and others from the studio, followed by Lin Xingxian at the front of the frame: “On the count of three, everyone shout together—three, two, one, Yan Yan! Happy birthday!”

Then came Xu Yan’s grandmother. The footage was taken by the nanny, the lighting a bit dim and the angle slightly off, but her grandmother’s eyes were warm: “Sweetheart, Grandma wishes you a happy birthday—stay healthy and safe.”

The wave of love and happiness overwhelmed him. Xu Yan’s tears had long since spilled over. He wiped his cheeks and saw the final image on the screen.

Wen Sinian looked into the camera, his eyes tender and intent, as if locking eyes with Xu Yan in that moment. He watched silently for a few seconds but didn’t speak. Then, the screen cut to black.

Xu Yan froze for a moment, stunned. He fumbled with the camera buttons hesitantly. “Is… is there more…?”

No one answered. When he turned around, the faint glow of candlelight flickered not far behind him. A beautifully decorated cake had been rolled out at some point, and standing behind it, gazing at him tenderly, was Wen Sinian.

Xu Yan shot to his feet, sure he was imagining it. His teary lashes fluttered as he blinked, watching the figure beside the cake walk toward him.

This wasn’t a dream or his mind playing tricks—Wen Sinian was really here.

Before he knew it, he was standing right in front of Xu Yan.

He raised a hand, gently brushing away the wet tears at the corner of Xu Yan’s eye, then opened his arms and drew him into a tight hug.

Xu Yan could hardly believe it. He buried his face against Wen Sinian’s chest, rubbing his tear-streaked face into his shirt.

“You… how did you get here…?” Xu Yan’s voice was tiny, thick with emotion. “You didn’t even tell me…”

Wen Sinian stroked his soft hair, his voice dripping with affection.

“I missed you too much. I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Happy birthday, my baby.”