Chapter 16: A Chance to Dream Together

“Next time we go out, we’ll head to the beach. You have to come.”

“If you’re going to sue me, we might as well get our marriage certificate.”

****

Guan Qing gazed at Xie Xu, his thoughts momentarily adrift.

Xie Xu sifted through the sand, his ears perked high, awaiting Guan Qing’s reaction. Guan Qing had already prepared what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter it. Instead, he pulled out sunscreen from his bag and called him over to apply it.

It hadn’t been long, yet Xie Xu’s skin was already a little flushed. He squeezed some onto Xie Xu’s hand. Xie Xu then instinctively turned his back to him, lifting his shirt and biting it, allowing him to help rub his back.

It was just like before, when Xie Xu would wash his hair and bring his hairdryer over for Guan Qing to use. These moments typically became ‘Teacher Guan’s Social Experience Lecture.’

For instance, he might say, ‘That director helped you; his new film is struggling with promotion and ticket sales, so you should help him promote it.’ Or, ‘I personally feel that couple is just ordinary; they’re fine as casual friends, but you’d best avoid any entanglements of interest with them.’

It was now the very end of summer. The sun was strong, yet the temperature by the sea remained mild.

The familiar posture drew Guan Qing back into past scenarios. He sidestepped the topic of ‘getting married,’ asking instead, “Aren’t you filming anything lately?”

Xie Xu lowered his head, rubbing his hands and legs haphazardly. It had been so long since Guan Qing had touched him like this; his ears were a little red, and he felt… well, *that* feeling. He changed his posture, sitting cross-legged, afraid Guan Qing would notice.

“Filming isn’t very interesting,” Xie Xu mumbled.

Actually, the internet was already abuzz with discussion. Xie Xu had just won a prestigious Best Actor award and should have capitalized on the momentum to win the most influential global award. Instead, he had suddenly gone quiet.

Whether it was films, commercials, or shows, his appearances in the public eye dwindled repeatedly. Everyone was saying that Xie Xu… had run out of talent.

“Earning so much money isn’t interesting. I have to be criticized constantly, and I can’t go home for months—” Xie Xu spoke for a while, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked, “Mr. Guan, prying into your boss’s privacy? So gossipy.”

With that, he turned around and tickled him. Guan Qing was ticklish and burst into helpless laughter, but he quickly felt embarrassed and composed himself. He asked in a low voice, “So you think if you weren’t a celebrity, we wouldn’t have broken up?”

Xie Xu froze.

Guan Qing’s tone was very light, even gentle: “If I were an ordinary person, you would stop being a celebrity. What if I wasn’t even an ordinary person, but just a vegetable vendor? Would you abandon everything to sell vegetables with me?”

Xie Xu’s idea of ‘falling together’ essentially meant this.

Xie Xu turned back around, facing away from Guan Qing, and retorted with an easy tone, “Why not? If you sell vegetables, I’ll sell fruit. Neither of us will look down on the other.”

Guan Qing sighed, “You don’t understand. We—”

He was still compromising. Before, it was he who forced himself; now, Xie Xu was going astray. He had clearly seen the pure joy Xie Xu exuded when fully immersed in filming.

He could do nothing but watch movies all day at home, or chat about scripts with a director until two in the morning. He truly loved acting that much. Yet, he forced himself to say he didn’t like it.

How much like his past self! When Xie Xu asked him why he didn’t pursue a master’s in psychology, he had replied with a false smile, ‘Because I didn’t like it that much.’

But there was no ‘not liking it that much.’ It was simply that his love for Xie Xu far surpassed his love for his own ideals.

“How would you know without trying?”

Xie Xu’s back was stiff; his tone gave no hint of his mood. “Hmm?” Guan Qing hadn’t quite caught on.

“You also didn’t tell me what to do,” Xie Xu said dully, his voice a little hoarse. “You… You have to give me a chance to dream, right?”

Xie Xu didn’t turn around.

Guan Qing paused, then knelt up straight, placed a hand on Xie Xu’s head, slowly leaned in, and kissed the back of his own hand.

Xie Xu: “Hmm?”

Guan Qing: “Nothing.” Before Xie Xu could react, he continued, “For you to dream alone would be too unfair.”

—*How about we dream together?*

He didn’t dare to say it out loud yet. *Xie Xu, wait for me. Wait until I gather enough courage, until I cultivate a strong enough heart, until I can ignore the stares of others and take your hand. This time, I’ll never let go.*

****

It was almost nine in the evening when they returned from the beach. Guan Qing hadn’t expected that after eight years of dating, he and Xie Xu would still have so much to talk about.

Most relationships settle into a routine after the honeymoon phase; conversations dwindle, and passion fades. He had initially believed that his and Xie Xu’s best state now would be a tranquil existence in a shared home, with him cooking porridge, Xie Xu chopping green onions nearby, and the distant sound of the television.

He hadn’t imagined it could still be like this. He had initially wondered why the beach was deserted on a weekend. Only later did he learn it was Xie Xu’s private beach.

Even Xie Xu himself had almost forgotten about it. After all, Xie Xu owned so many things. Guan Qing had wanted to help him manage them, but alas, he wasn’t suited for that task.

The sand on this beach was artificial and fine, which was why they hadn’t sustained any injuries when they fell. After applying sunscreen, Guan Qing watched several of Xie Xu’s assistants approach, carrying parasols, beach chairs, and chilled watermelon, setting them down.

One of the new assistants, highly reserved, greeted Xie Xu and Guan Qing. “Hello, CEO Xie, Mrs. Xie—”

Assistant Zhang, standing beside him, gave him a fierce tug, and the new assistant immediately trembled with fright. Xie Xu cast a warning glance at the assistant, but seeing his relaxed expression, he was probably secretly delighted—his assistant had done him a favor he couldn’t do himself. *Good lad, promotion and raise, sorted.* Seeing Xie Xu like this, Guan Qing merely pretended not to hear.

After the assistants left, Xie Xu retrieved a Monopoly game from somewhere, proposing they play. The loser would face a truth or dare.

Thus, that afternoon, Guan Qing was coerced into kissing Xie Xu three times, shouting ‘I love Xie Xu’ twice, and was asked questions including ‘the color of his underwear today’ and ‘who he fantasized about during his last… *moment*.’

Guan Qing had a stubborn streak. While he found the game amusing, he was also locking horns with Xie Xu, yet he went bankrupt remarkably fast every single time.

They ate lunch in a glass conservatory by the sea. Afterward, they read books together for a while, then spent the afternoon racing in the ocean. Dinner was a barbecue by the sea, accompanied by a breathtaking, awe-inspiring sunset. The fatigue from their earlier activities, combined with the cool breeze in their cozy spot and delicious grilled food, made Guan Qing feel that life couldn’t get any more comfortable.

Time seemed to fly by so quickly. As they drove back to the city, he still felt a lingering reluctance. This time, Xie Xu again drove him back to his apartment complex, watching him go upstairs from below.

After locking his door, Guan Qing habitually opened his window to look, and sure enough, he saw Xie Xu watching him with his car window down. Xie Xu had stopped right under a streetlamp, allowing Guan Qing to clearly see his actions. He thought, *If you salute like last time, whoever’s heart flutters this time is a puppy.* But Xie Xu didn’t.

Instead, Xie Xu, holding a cigarette butt, drew a heart in the air, cupped it in his palm, and blew it in Guan Qing’s direction.

Guan Qing: “…”

He closed the window, feeling a bit silly—but also very fond. *A puppy it is, woof woof woof.*

****

“Hey, what are you and your blind date planning now? Do you need me to come along for a rehearsal?” When the phone rang, Guan Qing didn’t even need to guess; it was Xie Xu.

In the entire month since signing that ‘overlord’ agreement, Guan Qing had been forced to achieve numerous feats with Xie Xu. Cycling to the beach, eating at every barbecue stall in the city at two in the morning, flying to Hawaii to experience diving and skydiving…

He couldn’t understand it. Did Xie Xu have *that* many ideas for blind dates? And did every single one require his boss to come along for a rehearsal?

Over the past month, Guan Qing had gotten significantly tanner, but he had also, admittedly… become much happier. Xie Xu had a very childish side to his nature, so he was always eager to try new things. And Guan Qing found that this feeling wasn’t bad at all.

He also loved the feeling of constantly being on the road, as long as it was with Xie Xu. They didn’t discuss romance, but they could chat for ten hours straight on a plane, then step off to witness a sunrise on the other side of the world. That feeling was both beautiful and incredibly romantic.

The matchmaking agency staff all thought their boss was in love. The constant phone calls, the inexplicable smiles, the frequent trips everywhere—his entire being exuded pink bubbles, a complete contrast to the utterly despondent aura he had carried just a while ago.

Guan Qing himself hadn’t noticed, but his smiles had become more frequent. Like now, as he answered Xie Xu’s call, he unconsciously leaned back with a smile, his office chair turning a small half-circle: “Hmm? Let me guess… an amusement park? Or accompanying you to the newly opened hotpot place downtown?”

“Ahem, actually…” Xie Xu paused, then said, “It’s just a new restaurant in the suburbs.”

Guan Qing had eaten at quite a few restaurants with him these past few days and didn’t understand why Xie Xu seemed so hesitant. The next second, he found out.

“Accompany me and, uh, my dad,” he said.

Guan Qing froze. The curve of his lips gradually flattened, and his tone changed: “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

The person Xie Xu brought to meet his parents had to be his true lover. A boss could accompany him for food, drink, and fun, even pretend to be in a relationship, but not… meet his parents.

Meeting parents should be a very serious matter. He had met Xie Xu’s family before. He remembered Xie Xu’s mother, that wealthy socialite who always held her chin high. That had certainly not been a pleasant experience.

Because he valued Xie Xu, he naturally valued Xie Xu’s mother and his own image in her eyes. And that lady, without any restraint, had trampled his self-esteem underfoot. From his appearance and age to the fact that he was a beta, she even brought up his mother and his family background for criticism.

To be honest, Xie Xu’s mother’s concern for her son was understandable. But her behavior was not only ill-mannered, it also… hurt him.

“Why can’t you?” Xie Xu frowned, his lips pressed tightly. “You can come with me to Hawaii, fall from two thousand meters in the sky, and sink forty meters deep into the ocean. Why can’t you just meet my father?”

He gripped his phone, asking, “Guan Qing, what are you afraid of?”

“I can go with you wherever you want, I can pretend to be your lover, I—” Guan Qing realized he was almost hysterical. He reined himself in a little, saying, “I… I’m not afraid.”

He knew he was lying. He clearly saw a cliff before him, and Xie Xu stood at the edge, beckoning him forward. He wanted to embrace Xie Xu, yet he was terrified of taking another step and falling into the abyss.

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