ABOES 70: Want To See You

Duan Zhiyan had clearly expected Chi Xiwen’s reaction and replied with no emotion at all, “Then tell me, if I don’t explain it this way, how else should I explain it to the fans and the public?”

Chi Xiwen gave a cold laugh. “Couldn’t you just say he’s the younger brother of a friend? Since when did the ever-articulate Movie Emperor Duan lose the ability to spin a decent explanation?”

Duan Zhiyan was as agreeable as ever. “Then should I go edit the post now and change ‘childhood sweetheart’ to ‘friend’s younger brother’?”

“Edit my ass!” Chi Xiwen suddenly snapped and his voice rose in frustration.

The moment Duan Zhiyan’s post went live, public opinion had already settled.

Sure, netizens were having a blast shipping the CP, but since neither party had spoken up, even excited fans kept their shipping low-key.

If Duan Zhiyan were to go back now and edit the post? That would be the same as waving a big red flag saying, I’ve got something to hide.

Everything would only snowball from there. The net would turn even the most innocent interaction into something real under their collective imagination.

“You’re just messing with me now, aren’t you?” Chi Xiwen’s chest rose and fell with anger. “Duan Zhiyan, you promised me. You promised you wouldn’t hype up any CP with Yunxing. Aren’t you going to give me an explanation now?”

Duan Zhiyan’s voice was calm. “I didn’t hype anything so there’s nothing to explain.”

“This isn’t hyping?” Chi Xiwen exploded. “Go look at the second-to-last trending topic, it’s literally the CP tag for you and Yunxing! Don’t tell me you didn’t pull strings to push that. You think it would trend that high all on its own?”

“Are you at your office right now?” Duan Zhiyan asked.

“What does it matter if I’m at the office?” Chi Xiwen shot back, his words fast and sharp. “Don’t interrupt me!”

Duan Zhiyan said, “Since you are, then call the person in charge of Weibo right now. Put it on speaker and I’ll listen in too.”

Chi Xiwen paused, uncertainty creeping into his voice. “You really didn’t arrange any of this?”

Duan Zhiyan closed the script in his hands and set it aside. His voice turned unusually serious. “Chi Xiwen, what would I gain by lying to you?”

Chi Xiwen was already half-convinced, and hearing that, he believed it a little more.

“Then why did so many CP fans suddenly pop up out of nowhere?” he asked stubbornly.

Duan Zhiyan chuckled. He didn’t answer directly, but asked, “Chi Xiwen, why are you so against me and Yunxing having CP fans?”

To be honest, Chi Xiwen hadn’t thought about that.

Yet without even pausing to consider it, he blurted out—

“Of course it’s for Yunxing’s sake.”

“You were going to say it’s for Yunxing’s sake.”

They said it in unison.

Chi Xiwen froze. How did Duan Zhiyan know what he was about to say? “Wait, you—”

“If it’s for Yunxing’s sake, then shouldn’t you be happy he’s in a CP with me?” Duan Zhiyan cut him off.

Chi Xiwen frowned and was about to retort but Duan Zhiyan continued, “Sure, Yunxing’s got some visibility right now, but he’s still newly debuted. His personal buzz isn’t strong yet. The only drama he has coming up is Secret Crush, and that won’t finish filming for another month. After that, we’re still looking at a two-month wait before it airs. So what are you planning to use to keep his exposure steady in the meantime?”

“I know you’ve lined up plenty of opportunities for him, including some good variety shows but variety show buzz is short-lived. Once the episode airs, the momentum dies off quickly. Yunxing’s still a junior in college, he can’t take on more than two variety shows at a time. Any more, and he won’t have enough rest.”

“If he doesn’t take on more variety or other appearances, he’ll definitely lose attention and traffic over those two months.”

“But if he’s in a CP with me? You know how CP fandoms work. Most of the time, we don’t even need to appear together. We just need a small Weibo interaction to spark buzz and usually, even without interaction, CP fans create their own content—fanfiction, fanart, edited clips—every bit of it draws traffic.”

Duan Zhiyan summed it up. “So even if Yunxing really does get paired with me as a CP, it’s all gain and no loss. So what exactly are you so worried about?”

Chi Xiwen fell silent for once.

Everything Duan Zhiyan said was true and Chi Xiwen knew it. He just couldn’t explain the vague irritation that simmered inside him.

After a while with no response, Duan Zhiyan let out a low laugh and teased, “Or are you just scared it’ll be like when we were kids—Yunxing will stick to me and ignore you?”

Chi Xiwen froze, then immediately flushed, snapping with embarrassed fury, “Scared? What the hell would I be scared for? I’m his real brother! I’m the only brother he has! What would I be scared of?”

Duan Zhiyan said lightly, “Oh? Is that so?”

Chi Xiwen had had enough for today. “I’m done talking to you,” he snapped and hung up.

Just before the call ended, he could still hear Duan Zhiyan laughing on the other end.

Chi Xiwen: “…”

Maybe he owed Duan Zhiyan something in a past life. Otherwise, why would he have to deal with such a pain in the ass in this one?

It was getting late. Most of the office had already gone home.

Chi Xiwen sat alone, going over everything Duan Zhiyan had said.

He had to admit, the logic was sound. Letting Yunxing ride the CP wave really would do more good than harm and would let him rest more, too.

Originally, he’d planned to schedule two variety shows but now, it seemed one would be enough.

Still—

Chi Xiwen thought about Duan Zhiyan’s final jab and got angry all over again.

Scared?

What the hell would he be scared of?!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He picked up his phone and fired off a message to Chi Yunxing.

[Chi Xiwen: Yunxing! Remember, you only have one brother and that’s me!]

[Chi Xiwen: Duan Zhiyan is a dog, don’t pay attention to him!]

Chi Yunxing was reading his script when the messages came in.

The first message left him confused, and then he saw the second.

Seeing the words “Duan Zhiyan” made his heart skip a beat. Without thinking, he took a screenshot and sent it to Duan Zhiyan.

[Chi Yunxing: ? Zhiyan Ge, what happened with my brother?]

Duan Zhiyan replied quickly.

[Duan Zhiyan: Nothing much. It’s just your brother being dramatic again.]

Chi Yunxing: “…”

[Chi Yunxing: What exactly happened?]

Duan Zhiyan asked.

[Duan Zhiyan: You really want to know?]

Chi Yunxing replied.

[Chi Yunxing: Yes.]

The next moment, his phone started ringing. It was a video call from Duan Zhiyan.

Chi Yunxing’s heart jumped. After two seconds of hesitation, he picked up.

“Hello?”

“Have you eaten?” Duan Zhiyan’s voice was low and smooth, full of lazy charm.

Chi Yunxing felt like a feather had gently brushed across his heart and it tickled slightly.

He nodded and instinctively softened his voice. “Mm, I’ve eaten. What about you, Zhiyan Ge?”

Duan Zhiyan glanced at He You, who had just arrived at the hospital ward, and smiled, “I’ve eaten too.”

Seeing he was on the phone, He You quietly set down the meal box and left.

Once the door was shut, Duan Zhiyan smiled and asked, “Want to know what just happened with your brother?”

Chi Yunxing softly said, “Mm.”

Thinking of the screenshot Chi Xiwen had sent Yunxing, Duan Zhiyan’s smile deepened. “It’s nothing big. He saw the Weibo post I made this afternoon and expressed some… dissatisfaction.”

“Weibo…” Chi Yunxing only got the word out before the rest caught in his throat because his mind had gone back to those wild and unfiltered comments he’d seen online.

The ones he’d buried deep in his mind had now resurfaced, especially that line.

“Calls him little brother by day, gets called little brother by night.”

Chi Yunxing’s face went red in an instant. The blush spread down his pale neck and disappeared beneath his collar.

Duan Zhiyan waited patiently. When he realized Chi Yunxing wasn’t continuing, he guessed the boy was embarrassed.

With a low laugh, he asked, “What, Yunxing, do you have an issue with the post I made this afternoon too? I noticed you didn’t repost it.”

Chi Yunxing: “…”

Oh, so you know I have an issue with it?!

Of course, he only grumbled that silently. He said out loud, “No, I just forgot.”

Duan Zhiyan said hoarsely, “Liar.”

Chi Yunxing didn’t argue because he was lying.

“Forget it,” Duan Zhiyan said. “You don’t have to repost it if you don’t want to. Have you decided how to reply to your brother?”

Chi Yunxing answered honestly, “Not yet.”

His plan had been to just agree with Chi Xiwen. His temper usually came fast and went fast. If you went along with him, he would calm down quickly.

Duan Zhiyan chuckled. “Then why not say what I would suggest?”

“Hmm?” Chi Yunxing asked curiously, “What should I say?”

Duan Zhiyan’s smile deepened. “Just reply: ‘Okay, don’t worry. I only have one brother and that’s you. As for Duan Zhiyan—’” He paused before continuing, “‘He’s different. He’s my boyfriend-brother.’”

“How does that sound, Yunxing?”

It took several seconds for Chi Yunxing to process what he had just heard. If his face had just been warm before, now it felt like his whole body was on fire.

How could Duan Zhiyan say something like that with a straight face?!

Chi Yunxing was too embarrassed to reply so he hung up.

Duan Zhiyan blinked at the sudden disconnection, then burst into laughter.

Just then, the doctor knocked on the door and walked in, hearing Duan Zhiyan still laughing.

“Looks like you’re in a good mood today?” the doctor smiled.

Duan Zhiyan turned off his phone and nodded. “Mm.”

The doctor glanced at the meal box. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

Duan Zhiyan set the phone down and got up from the bed. “Doesn’t matter. I can start treatment now.”

The doctor was a bit surprised but then understood. “Was that Yunxing you were talking to just now?”

She’d talked to Duan Zhiyan enough to adopt the same nickname.

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “Yeah.”

The doctor’s expression softened. “No wonder. Alright, let’s get started then,” She looked at him again and added with a smile, “Honestly, I think I may have made your treatment plan a bit too long. You’re doing much better now…”

“Let’s finish the whole course,” Duan Zhiyan said. “I only have a week. I’ll be counting on you.”

She nodded, understanding his thoughts clearly. As Duan Zhiyan’s therapist, she knew what he was chasing even if he didn’t say it aloud—

He wanted to get better as fast as possible.

So he could be with the person he liked for so many years.

…

Chi Yunxing had finally calmed down, but his mind was still a mess. He didn’t know how to respond to Chi Xiwen, so he decided to go with Duan Zhiyan’s suggestion but he only sent the first half.

There was no way he could send that second sentence!

Chi Xiwen, however, was delighted when he got the reply. He immediately transferred twenty thousand yuan to Chi Yunxing. Chi Xiwen added another message generously.

[Chi Xiwen: Tonight’s late-night snacks are on your brother!] 

Chi Yunxing found it funny but didn’t turn it down. After accepting the red packet, he took a screenshot and sent it to Duan Zhiyan.

[Chi Yunxing: I replied to my brother like you said, and he sent me a red packet. Want to use it for late-night snacks?]

Maybe it was too late because Duan Zhiyan didn’t reply right away.

Chi Yunxing waited half an hour. Sleepiness overtook him, and he didn’t even realize when he drifted off.

Duan Zhiyan’s message came around 2 a.m.

[Duan Zhiyan: It’s too late tonight. Let’s do it tomorrow. I just finished work and am heading to rest. Good night.]

Chi Yunxing saw the message at 8 a.m. the next morning. Classes were officially starting again, so he’d gotten up early.

[Chi Yunxing: Okay, I’m heading to class. I’ll message you during break!]

Since he had just trended yesterday, for safety, two bodyguards followed him around campus.

Yet that didn’t stop a group of classmates from gathering around him during the break.

They weren’t trying to interrogate him. They just… couldn’t resist their curiosity about what had gone down on Weibo.

“Chi Yunxing, please! We’re dying of curiosity—can you tell us?”

“We swear we won’t spread it!”

“Seriously!”

…

Zhou Ping couldn’t help but step in. “Yeah, right. Like anyone believes that.”

Old Wei chimed in, “What’s there to gossip about? We had dinner together yesterday too. They’re just friends.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Don’t crowd around. Class is starting soon!” Old Zhang shooed them off.

Chi Yunxing was good-natured. Smiling, he explained to everyone, “Zhiyan Ge and I… we’re just friends.” As he said it, a flicker of guilt crept into his voice.

Then someone asked, “So what’s that whole ‘childhood sweetheart’ thing Duan Zhiyan posted?”

“Childhood sweetheart?” Chi Yunxing laughed. “If anything, it’s more like Zhiyan Ge and my brother are the childhood friends.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Then that rumor online about you and Duan Zhiyan being in that kind of relationship, is that fake too?”

Chi Yunxing’s breath caught for a second before he forced a calm expression. “It’s fake.”

…Though in reality, it might be true soon.

Someone nearby let out a sigh, sounding almost disappointed.

The bell rang, and the crowd quickly dispersed.

Once they were gone, Chi Yunxing took out his phone and checked WeChat.

There’s still no reply from Duan Zhiyan.

Is he still sleeping?

Chi Yunxing hesitated, then sent him a message.

[Chi Yunxing: Zhiyan Ge, are you still asleep?]

Duan Zhiyan didn’t reply right away.

It wasn’t until after Chi Yunxing’s class ended, around noon, that a message finally came.

[Duan Zhiyan: Sorry, I just woke up.]

When he sent it, Duan Zhiyan had just finished a round of treatment. His hand was slick with sweat as he held his phone.

He You saw this and couldn’t help but offer, “Zhiyan Ge, if it’s a message, I can help type it for you?”

Duan Zhiyan set the phone down and shook his head, his voice hoarse. “No… I can do it.”

Seeing that, He You didn’t say more.

Chi Yunxing smiled the moment he got the reply. It showed clearly on his face.

[Chi Yunxing: Have you eaten yet?]

Duan Zhiyan typed slower today than usual, possibly because he was still tied up with something.

[Duan Zhiyan: Not yet. Have you?]

[Chi Yunxing: Not yet either. I don’t have class this afternoon and nothing else planned.]

He nervously hit send.

Would Duan Zhiyan get what he meant?

Should he have phrased it more clearly?

His heart pounded. After about two minutes, Duan Zhiyan finally replied.

[Duan Zhiyan: Sorry, Yunxing, I’ve been a bit busy lately.]

[Duan Zhiyan: What do you want to eat? I’ll have He You send it to you.]

Duan Zhiyan understood what he meant but he didn’t have time to meet him in person.

Chi Yunxing felt a bit disappointed.

[Chi Yunxing: No worries! It’s fine!]

[Chi Yunxing: No need to trouble He You Ge. I’ll just eat at home. I read the script you gave me yesterday, and I’ll finish it up today.]

A while later, Duan Zhiyan replied.

[Duan Zhiyan: Okay. Let me know when you’ve finished it.]

Chi Yunxing sent back a simple “Okay.”

The Scapegoat script wasn’t very long, but the plot was tight, intricately structured, and each scene was interconnected so he read it slowly.

Around 10 p.m., he finally finished the entire script.

He sat at his desk, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

The story was… incredible.

The twist at the end hit like a freight train. It sent chills down his spine.

Who would’ve guessed the killer would be the one who seemed the gentlest and most harmless of all?!

After recovering a bit, Chi Yunxing picked up his phone and, without thinking, he made a video call to Duan Zhiyan.

It rang again and again. Just when he began to wonder if Duan Zhiyan was too busy, the screen finally connected.

His screen was pitch black. He could only make out a faint outline of the man’s face in the reflection.

Chi Yunxing blinked. “Zhiyan Ge?”

“I’m here,” The man’s voice was unusually deep and rough. “Had a long shoot this afternoon, just rested a bit. I didn’t turn on the light. Hope you don’t mind?”

Chi Yunxing stared at the screen. He couldn’t say he didn’t mind because he clearly did.

He didn’t know why, but even though they had seen each other just yesterday, he still really wanted to see Duan Zhiyan.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. He comforted himself—at least he could still hear his voice.

Duan Zhiyan easily sensed Chi Yunxing’s disappointment. He gently offered, “How about tomorrow? I’ll find a chance to video chat properly with you then.”

Chi Yunxing hadn’t expected Duan Zhiyan to read his feelings so clearly. He instantly grew flustered. “No need! I didn’t call to see you. I just wanted to talk about the script.”

Duan Zhiyan, as always, caught the key phrase right away. “You didn’t want to see me?”

Chi Yunxing: “……”

His ears visibly turned red on screen.

Duan Zhiyan laughed softly.

Chi Yunxing’s face turned red too. Just as he was about to end the call, Duan Zhiyan quickly said, “You don’t want to see me, but I want to see you. So, Yunxing, can you not hang up?”

His voice was so gentle and warm it melted straight into Chi Yunxing’s heart.

After a long moment of hesitation, Chi Yunxing finally whispered “Okay” and shyly looked away from the screen.

Duan Zhiyan’s smile deepened. He sat up, grabbed a tissue, and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Just seeing Chi Yunxing made all his earlier pain feel worth it.

He took the lead and asked what Yunxing thought about the characters in the script.

Once they started talking about the story, Chi Yunxing forgot all about being embarrassed. He rambled on about his thoughts and wrapped up by sharing his favorite character.

“I liked the older brother,” he said. “At first, he’s really hard to like, but later on, he’s just too cool!”

“I think he had the biggest character reversal apart from the killer.”

Duan Zhiyan had already read the script and nodded with a smile. “That’s true. You praise him so much, do you want to play the older brother?”

Chi Yunxing hesitated, then shook his head. “I like the character, but he’s too challenging for me. I’m afraid I couldn’t pull it off.”

“Then play the younger brother,” Duan Zhiyan said with a smile.

Chi Yunxing blinked. “Huh? Can I really do that? That role’s hard too, I—”

“You’ve got me. What are you worried about?”

Chi Yunxing: “……”

Well, that’s true.

With Duan Zhiyan as a free acting coach, what was there to worry about?

Just like when they filmed Secret Crush.

The thought made Chi Yunxing’s whole body feel warm.

They chatted a bit more before saying goodnight and ending the call.

From that day on, they video chatted daily. Most of the time, only Chi Yunxing’s screen was on and Duan Zhiyan’s side remained dark.

He seemed especially busy during that period. His replies were always slow, and their daily conversations had become very routine.

Chi Yunxing grew curious, what kind of shoot could be keeping Duan Zhiyan so occupied?

Finally, he couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked.

Duan Zhiyan smiled, “Yunxing wants to know?”

Chi Yunxing nodded without hesitation. Even though it was a little hard to say, he finally voiced what he’d been holding back. “We… haven’t seen each other for a week now.”

Even if they weren’t officially together, with how flirtatious Duan Zhiyan had been, Chi Yunxing didn’t think this was going too far.

There was a pause. Then Duan Zhiyan’s hoarse and low voice came, “Yunxing, did you miss me?”

Chi Yunxing’s cheeks flushed.

He wanted to deny it, but what came out was, “A…a little bit, maybe,” Then quickly added, “Didn’t you miss me?”

Duan Zhiyan chuckled, much more direct than him. “I missed you. I missed you a lot.”

Every day, I wish I could see you because the next time I do, I won’t leave again.

I want to stay by your side, show up the moment I miss you, hold you tightly, kiss you deeply and whisper in your ear that I like you.

Duan Zhiyan stared at the screen, eyes full of warmth. After a long pause, he smiled and said.

“Yunxing, tomorrow is my birthday. I’ll come to your place to pick you up.”

Chi Yunxing’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered the promise Duan Zhiyan made to him that day.

“Tomor… tomorrow…”

“Okay?” Duan Zhiyan asked gently.

Chi Yunxing couldn’t say no. His heart was racing, and his eyes shimmered with emotion he could no longer hide.

He answered seriously, “Okay.”