Chapter 23: A Love Song and a Promise

The soft melody of a piano gradually spilled from the radio.

The clean notes resonated through the warm room, slowly weaving together from a few scattered sounds into a seamless piece.

Xie Xu held the microphone, his gaze fixed on Guan Qing under the warm yellow glow of the small bar lamp. He cleared his throat, a self-conscious smile gracing his lips amidst the pure chords, and said:

“To my dearest love.”

Xie Xu’s voice had deepened considerably since his university days, now a clear, magnetic baritone when he sang.

Yet, in this late October autumn rain, Guan Qing distinctly heard the rustling leaves, the cicadas’ symphony, and the gentle descent of sunlight from that long-past summer.

The sunlight that had illuminated his entire world in that fleeting moment was here, now, right before his eyes.

“I thought I had seen enough of the sun, so abundant, so cheap, so common.

“Until I met you amidst the sea of people, only then did I realize I had never truly…

“Seen the sun.”

Xie Xu sang, his gentle gaze never leaving Guan Qing, an intensity that could drown a person.

On this stage with an audience of one, Xie Xu, a slightly off-key singer, poured his heart into the song. He sought neither applause nor cheers.

He had always been clumsy with words, unable to articulate certain feelings, yet he desperately wanted Guan Qing to know.

“The profound words are too hard to describe, like time itself has frozen in an embrace.

“Like a brief eternity,

“You blinked, and I endured over thirty thousand years.”

Even after years of living side by side, his heart still fluttered wildly, just as it had the first time they met eight years ago.

“Whatever you are, that is how you are.

“Mad, wild—all of it is good.”

Whether it was the gloomy youth at the beginning, the boy who confessed to me with a ‘what-the-hell’ expression that day, or Guan Qing, who always left a light on for me at home…

The strong, the kind, the jealous, the insecure.

Every single one of you is wonderful.

I love all of it.

****

The clean piano music gradually faded, and as silence settled in the room, the distinct sound of rain began to filter through.

The mundane clamor of traffic, human voices, and the rain were kept at a distance. At the heart of all sound was Xie Xu.

Standing beneath the light that shone for him, Xie Xu looked at Guan Qing and said:

“I didn’t sing very well, don’t mind it. And… I love you.”

He opened his arms to Guan Qing, who, with tears streaming down his face, stumbled forward two steps and crashed into Xie Xu’s embrace.

Xie Xu kissed him, murmuring softly, “This time, you walked into my arms yourself.

“So, you’re not allowed to leave.”

Guan Qing nodded through his tears. Still worried, Xie Xu continued to ramble, like a persistent Xianglin’s Wife:

“You can hit me, scold me, argue with me, but… you’re not allowed to leave without a reason, not allowed to say we’re breaking up, and not allowed to dislike me.

“Also, my love for you isn’t out of pity, or for any other reason. It’s just because of you.

“Because you are you, that’s why I love you.”

Guan Qing’s emotions had gradually calmed, but Xie Xu remained uneasy. Though they had both initially sat at the dining table, Xie Xu insisted on sitting beside him, constantly kissing him and making him promise never to leave again.

This evening had far exceeded Guan Qing’s imagination. He watched Xie Xu peel shrimp, feeling a dizzying sense of unreality, as if he were dreaming.

“Hmm?” Xie Xu finished peeling a shrimp, looked up at him, and said, “Honey, open wide, ah—”

They had never done anything like this even during the height of their passionate romance. Guan Qing felt a little shy but opened his mouth. Xie Xu, holding the shrimp with his chopsticks, extended it slightly towards himself. Guan Qing, puzzled, leaned in that direction, and then…

Xie Xu leaned in, his lips replacing the shrimp, and kissed him.

Guan Qing: “…!”

After the kiss, Xie Xu dipped the shrimp in sauce and fed it to him, delighting in his own antics. In his free time, Xie Xu enjoyed scrolling through Weibo with a burner account. He was quite interested in these ‘single-dog-limited’ actions but had never found an opportunity to try them. Later, when he finally had the chance, his partner had disappeared.

This evening passed quickly. After dinner, they watched *Home with Kids* together and then played a round of Monopoly.

Honestly, Guan Qing felt like he couldn’t quite keep up. Two people deeply in love, just reunited, watching TV and playing Monopoly at a restaurant?

Xie Xu, ever the gentleman, escorted him downstairs and said, “Honey, good night. Dream of me.”

Guan Qing gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’m leaving now.”

Xie Xu maintained his smile: “Okay, good night.”

Guan Qing: “I’m really leaving, you know?”

Xie Xu: “…Mm, good night.”

He pondered for a moment, then said, “How about a kiss first—”

Guan Qing closed the car door and drove off. A wave of disappointment washed over Xie Xu; his erection was quite stubborn, but it wasn’t time yet. He could tell.

Guan Qing genuinely liked him, but there was still something missing. Empty words meant nothing; only by truly acting on them could he genuinely reassure Guan Qing. This was also why he hadn’t proposed directly tonight.

He thought, ‘It’s fine, I still have my right hand.’ It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been in a long-distance relationship with Guan Qing before—

Someone knocked on his car window.

Xie Xu, confused, opened the car door to find Guan Qing standing outside, hands in his pockets, looking at him with an annoyed expression.

Guan Qing was fair-skinned, and in the early autumn night, his nose was a little red. Illuminated by the moonlight, his lips were rosy from too many kisses, and his eyes were glistening, looking at Xie Xu with an unhappy tilt, reminiscent of the prickly child he had been years ago, before they fell in love.

After they started dating, Guan Qing had softened day by day. Xie Xu loved the soft Guan Qing, and he also loved this cool, edgy Guan Qing.

“You’re just going to let me leave?” Guan Qing tilted his head and asked.

“Honey…” Xie Xu’s mouth felt dry.

Guan Qing reached out, tugged Xie Xu’s collar, pulled him down, and kissed him.

“…!” Firecrackers exploded in Xie Xu’s mind, making him feel a little dizzy.

Xie Xu held him close, deepening the kiss. Unexpectedly, Guan Qing suddenly reached out, touched Xie Xu there, and then chuckled, “You’re not that calm, are you? Why pretend?”

Xie Xu was utterly captivated by this version of Guan Qing. He stammered like a shy maiden, “No, we’re not married yet.”

Guan Qing looked a little exasperated: “Were we married before? Did we do less before?”

“No, honey, I need to be responsible for you,” Xie Xu said, trying to grasp a shred of clarity amidst his dizziness.

‘Getting back together isn’t for that, nor is my love for you. I hope you understand.’

Guan Qing stared at him for a while, whether understanding or not was unclear. He licked his lower lip, a hint of regret in his heart, and said, “Alright then, I’m leaving… Good night.”

Guan Qing walked a few meters, then noticed a large tail following behind him.

He paused, turning around with a smile. “What’s wrong? Mr. Xie, changed your mind?”

Xie Xu’s gaze drifted, and he whistled. “I, I paid money at your matchmaking agency, didn’t I? I, uh…”

“Looking for a partner?” Guan Qing thought for a moment. “How about me?”

“Perfect!” Xie Xu replied swiftly. “Then it’s not against the law for me to visit my partner’s home, is it?”

Guan Qing found Xie Xu utterly adorable, almost seeing his tail wagging behind him. He extended his hand to Xie Xu and said, “Come on, little Xie Xu, Teacher Guan will show you around Teacher Guan’s home.”

Xie Xu grasped his hand, their fingers intertwining. As he walked alongside Guan Qing, Xie Xu blinked, obediently asking, “Then, Teacher Guan, it’s quite late tonight. Can I stay over at your place?”

“Of course, you can.”

****

Guan Qing was awakened by the heat.

Xie Xu was completely wrapped around him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. And Xie Xu’s erection was pressing against him; even in his sleep, his head unconsciously burrowed into the crook of Guan Qing’s neck.

They had genuinely done nothing the previous night, which Guan Qing found almost impossible to believe.

After showering, they had simply lain in bed, chatting, and eventually drifted off to sleep. In his hazy state, Guan Qing could still feel Xie Xu intermittently kissing him.

Guan Qing finally managed to peel Xie Xu off himself to go wash up and make breakfast. As he was getting ready, he opened his phone, thought for a moment, and reinstalled Weibo.

Xie Xu was his; there was nothing to fear anymore.

And then…

“…!!!”

Guan Qing’s hand trembled, almost dropping his phone into the sink.

He had prepared himself for any kind of news, but the first trending topic pushed to him was Xie Xu’s Weibo post from last night.

Yesterday evening, the hashtag #XieXuSpinningAround# trended, featuring a video recorded by a passerby. It showed Xie Xu, wearing a mask, spinning Guan Qing around, his sheer joy palpable even through the screen.

Xie Xu had simply retweeted the video, adding: “My wife is engrossed in postgraduate studies, and we’ve been in a long-distance relationship for a month. Everyone, please understand [doge][doge]“

This Weibo post had already been retweeted hundreds of thousands of times. Below it, there were CP fans and ‘wife’ fans crying, skeptical anti-fans questioning if it was a publicity stunt, and a substantial number of rational fans congratulating him.

Long-time fans knew Xie Xu had a partner he’d been dating for years, a beta. Recently, however, the industry climate had become quite harsh, and Xie Xu’s partner was often dragged into controversies. Xie Xu had always believed that his relationships were his own business and that others’ opinions were irrelevant, so he hadn’t interfered much. His old fans, following their idol’s lead, had also adopted a laid-back attitude.

Now that Xie Xu had finally spoken out, the rational fans immediately stepped forward, setting the narrative and defending him.

Soon, #ABRomanceIsSoCool# and #WhenIsXieXuGettingMarried?# also surged onto the trending topics.

Under Xie Xu’s Weibo post, people were asking all sorts of questions, and Xie Xu selectively replied.

For instance, someone asked, ‘Who is Guan Qing?’ Xie Xu replied: “He’s my wife, you don’t need to know anything else. Please don’t dox him, and don’t bully him. Thank you, everyone.”

And indeed, no one was doxxed, but Guan Qing suspected it wasn’t because the fans were all obedient, but because Xie Xu had used his influence to apply pressure.

Someone else commented that Xie Xu’s partner was quite good-looking. Xie Xu: “Don’t fall for my wife, it won’t end well.”

Guan Qing found it increasingly amusing, his heart overflowing with an inexplicable feeling.

He didn’t particularly enjoy being in the public eye, but this feeling of being blessed by the entire world was genuinely wonderful.

He finished making breakfast and went to wake Xie Xu.

Xie Xu, being a lazy riser, refused to get up and insisted that Guan Qing feed him breakfast right into his mouth. Guan Qing, helpless, said, “Alright, open wide then.”

Xie Xu opened his mouth: “Ah—”

Guan Qing unhesitatingly leaned in and kissed him.

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