Chapter 13: A Day Out with Xie Xu

It was strange; Xie Xu was constantly on the go, yet no one seemed to mind. After terminating his contract with his previous agent, he didn’t appear to be looking for a new one.

Guan Qing noticed that these days, Xie Xu wasn’t really focused on anything substantial. His Weibo updates were sparse, his endorsements were still the old ones, and there was no sign of any new dramas. He couldn’t fathom what Xie Xu was truly up to.

Beneath Xie Xu’s Weibo post from two months ago, people daily left comments like, “Did our Xie Xu forget his Weibo account?” and “Husband, do you still remember you’re a celebrity?”

Guan Qing had always known that Xie Xu had a clear plan for his life. Upon entering university, he discovered his passion and steadfastly pursued that path. To win such an award at 26, talent and looks alone wouldn’t suffice.

Guan Qing adored that version of Xie Xu. While he would love Xie Xu no matter what, seeing him gradually shine brighter, step by step, according to his own pace, made Guan Qing happier than anyone.

Yet, he was also more jealous than anyone.

It was like a treasure that had once belonged solely to him, now seen and adored by an ever-growing crowd. What was once his solitary endeavor gradually became a pursuit for countless others.

Xie Xu’s birthday, initially celebrated by just the two of them, later saw innumerable fans sending gifts and blessings, and trending topics weeks in advance.

He felt both joy for Xie Xu and a creeping sense of dread.

He was no longer special; his voice was slowly drowned out in the sea of people. What Guan Qing alone could offer Xie Xu ultimately couldn’t compare to what so many others could provide.

Guan Qing sometimes wondered what other celebrities’ partners were like. Hearing others casually call Xie Xu “husband,” even knowing it was a joke, must have been unsettling.

But he couldn’t simply stick a ‘Guan Qing’s Exclusive’ label on Xie Xu’s face.

Moreover, Guan Qing believed that his relationship with Xie Xu in the past was built on pure affection.

He was willing to bring him breakfast every day, willing to sneak out of class with Xie Xu, willing to chat with him late into the night, and willing to work for three months just to buy Xie Xu a gift.

He thought that was why Xie Xu liked him. Otherwise, what right did an ordinary and unremarkable person like Guan Qing have?

He believed his love for Xie Xu was second to none, but now… there were so many exceptional people who also adored Xie Xu.

Lying on his bed, Guan Qing covered his eyes with the back of his hand, feeling a wave of dejection. He had been consistently auditing psychology classes recently, but truthfully, he had been out of school for four years, and his work had almost nothing to do with psychology.

The professor praised his efforts, saying he wasn’t entirely without talent, but also subtly advised him to calm down.

He wasn’t sure why he felt so restless, but he certainly hadn’t found peace.

He wanted to seek advice from someone, but Ye Zi hadn’t appeared for three or four days since that incident, seemingly occupied with something.

Guan Qing initially thought Ye Zi was dealing with the misunderstanding concerning that boy, but it seemed not to be the case.

Well, he hadn’t fully trusted Ye Zi himself, so how could he expect others to trust him?

****

Guan Qing lay slumped for a while, then remembered to brew some tea. Suddenly, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

The person on the other end coughed twice, then paused before saying, “It’s me, Xie Xu.”

“Oh,” Guan Qing responded instinctively, a little dazed. “Uh, what is it?”

“…” Xie Xu sounded somewhat incredulous. “Did you forget our contract?”

Guan Qing had genuinely forgotten, or perhaps he was subconsciously avoiding it. He truly didn’t want to find a partner for Xie Xu—he hadn’t wanted to before, and he certainly didn’t want to now.

Xie Xu seemed to sigh, then asked, “Mr. Guan, are you free today?”

“Just call me Guan Qing,” he said, feeling a little awkward. Today was Saturday, and he had originally planned to just lounge around at home. “I’m free.”

“Then, Guan Qing, come out and scout a location with me.”

“I’m planning to take my blind date to the beach then.”

‘You’re going to the beach with them, what does that have to do with me?’ Guan Qing thought. He then had a somewhat dark thought: ‘It would be best if it suddenly poured rain that day, and the tide came in at the beach… No, not the tide, that’s not safe.’

Xie Xu, seeing his silence, suddenly chuckled softly and asked, “Do you know the penalty for breach of contract?”

“…How much?” Guan Qing asked.

Xie Xu paused, then said, “Ten times all expenses.”

Guan Qing was speechless.

Xie Xu continued, “I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”

Guan Qing just mumbled a dazed ‘Oh’.

Xie Xu probably liked him a little, didn’t he?

Guan Qing wasn’t blind. Xie Xu wasn’t the type to flirt casually, and given how he sought him out again and again, along with the subtle clues in his words and actions, Xie Xu couldn’t be entirely indifferent to him.

But he didn’t know the true extent of that affection.

Just as he had always been unsure if the old Xie Xu had been with him out of pity, he now similarly couldn’t tell if Xie Xu’s attempts to keep him and his affection stemmed from genuine love or merely from the habit of living together for so many years.

Therefore, he had to hold back a fraction in everything, treading carefully as if walking on thin ice. After all, the ice was too fragile; one misstep could send him plummeting.

Guan Qing held his phone, wondering, ‘What can I do in twenty minutes?’

Guan Qing gazed at his closet full of similar clothes, then closed his eyes and picked out an outfit. He didn’t have many friends his age, and even if he did, their relationship wasn’t close enough for weekly outings. The young staff at the matchmaking agency were a bit intimidated by him, so his weekends mostly consisted of reading, staying home, or going for runs; he rarely had such social engagements.

He hesitated, then even dug out a bottle of sunscreen.

Xie Xu had the kind of constitution that easily sunburned, yet he lived a rough-and-tumble life, playing ball and running under the blazing sun every day. By afternoon, his entire body would be red and peeling.

Not long after, Xie Xu called him to come downstairs.

Guan Qing walked downstairs with his bag, only to see Xie Xu…

Riding a bicycle.

He wore a T-shirt with Luffy drawn on it, shorts, and had one foot on the ground. With a hat and sunglasses, he looked like a college student at first glance.

‘Good heavens, has Xie Xu really fallen out of popularity, or what? How did Xie Xu come here looking like this without being mobbed by fans?’

Under the scorching sun, Guan Qing felt things were getting a bit surreal. Had he stepped through a portal to another world just by walking downstairs? Xie Xu was twenty-six years old and a well-known public figure; this…

Xie Xu’s eyes peeked over his sunglasses, and with a blade of grass in his mouth, he wolf-whistled at Guan Qing like a hooligan.

“Get on,” Xie Xu said, lifting his chin, motioning for Guan Qing to sit on the back.

“…”

It was a mountain bike; a rear seat cushion was nonexistent. Guan Qing, his face expressionless, asked, “What?”

Xie Xu pointed to the specially installed standing board, saying earnestly, “You have purchased a standing ticket. If you wish to upgrade, please contact the crew.”

Guan Qing was silent for a moment, then stood on it. Anyone who had ever stood on such a thing knew how difficult it was to maintain balance.

So, compelled by necessity, he reached out and placed his hand on Xie Xu’s shoulder.

Xie Xu’s voice sounded cheerful. He whistled again, mimicking a train horn, and said, “This train is about to depart. Passengers, please fasten—no, please hold onto the driver of this vehicle.”

After speaking, he even rotated his wrist as he gripped the handlebars, as if he were riding a motorcycle. Then he pushed off the pedals and rode along the garden path.

Guan Qing wanted to laugh even more, but he was afraid if he did, Xie Xu would lose face.

But a moment later, he couldn’t laugh anymore.

This wasn’t a train at all; it was a plane!

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