ASFSODS 18

Wen Chi flopped onto the bed and rolled over twice. His freshly blow-dried hair got messed up in the process, and the hem of his soft, loose pajamas flipped up with his movements, exposing a stretch of pale and slender waist.

There were two knocks at the door. Wen Chi jolted upright and hurried to the door in his slippers.

Outside, Jiang Siheng was glancing at his phone. At the sound of the door opening, he looked up lazily, lifting his eyes.

Wen Chi felt like he was facing a homeroom teacher checking if he had finished his homework. He instinctively straightened his back. “Jiang Ge.”

“Mhm,” Jiang Siheng responded.

Yup, that made it feel even more like it.

Jiang Siheng stepped into the room. When he turned around, he saw Wen Chi still standing stiffly in place and couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you just standing there?”

In his cow-print pajamas, the boy looked especially well-behaved. The neckline of his sleepwear was a little wide, revealing a patch of fair skin and smooth collarbone. When he heard Jiang Siheng’s question, he shook his head, then quickly pulled over a chair. “Jiang Ge, have a seat.”

Hearing Wen Chi still call him so formally, Jiang Siheng looked a little helpless, but he didn’t say anything.

Wen Chi sat on the edge of the bed, hands resting obediently on his knees. Looking at him like this, Jiang Siheng felt like if he said even one harsh word, he would owe an apology for life.

He thought for a second and said, “Earlier, I tried to touch your head. Why did you dodge? Are you sick of me already?”

Wen Chi hadn’t expected that at all. For a second, he was stunned. “That’s… what you came to talk about?”

Jiang Siheng nodded. “Yeah. I guess I minded that more than I expected.”

Wen Chi looked down and tugged at the hem of his shirt, mumbling, “Because I didn’t want you to get hate for it.”

“What?” Jiang Siheng thought he misheard.

Wen Chi looked up and blurted, “If I really tried to fake a CP with you, you’d get dragged into it too, and I don’t want you getting flamed because of me.”

He had been thinking that if he just kept some distance between them and didn’t get too touchy, maybe the company wouldn’t be able to spin anything, and Jiang Siheng’s antis wouldn’t have much ammo to attack him either.

From where he sat, Jiang Siheng could see the little swirl of hair at the top of Wen Chi’s head—cute, just like the person it belonged to. But those few words made his heart ache.

The silence made Wen Chi nervous. Even though the past two days had shown him Jiang Siheng really was kind and gentle, anyone would be upset by this kind of thing, wouldn’t they?

“Jiang Ge, I’m sor—”

“Were you really popular as a kid?” Jiang Siheng interrupted.

Another question that came out of nowhere.

“What?”

Wen Chi looked up, trying to read Jiang Siheng’s face. The next second, he was pulled into a hug. Jiang Siheng rested his chin lightly on Wen Chi’s head, gaze unfocused as he said in a gentle tone, “Our Xiao Chi is so pretty and sweet, with such a good personality. You must’ve had tons of adults fighting to hug you when you were little, right?”

Wen Chi’s focus was successfully diverted. He tilted his head up, visibly proud. “Of course.”

He didn’t even notice the way Jiang Siheng had started that sentence—our Xiao Chi.

“So you don’t have to feel like you’re wronging yourself just to protect me.”

Wen Chi’s lashes trembled as he pressed his lips together.

Jiang Siheng saw the look on Wen Chi’s face, clearly upset but too stubborn to admit it. He almost laughed but held it in. Loosening his arms, he bent down slightly to look Wen Chi in the eye, half teasing, “If you start pulling away from me because of this, I’ll be heartbroken.”

The warmth of Jiang Siheng’s arms was comforting. For a moment, Wen Chi didn’t want to leave.

He nodded seriously. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend over something this dumb either. Jiang Ge, I won’t do it again.”

Jiang Siheng: “…”

He patted Wen Chi’s head and chose silence.

Wen Chi blinked, confused as to why Jiang Siheng was looking at him like that.

“I’ll head back now. Sleep early. Good night.”

Wen Chi followed him to the door, hand on the knob. “Good night, Jiang Ge.”

He closed the door, then bounced back to bed with a grin, flopping over once. That little talk had totally lifted his mood and he wasn’t sleepy at all anymore.

Even though the production team originally said not to use their own phones, everyone had been using theirs openly and no one cared anymore. Wen Chi had also given up on hiding it.

He checked the time, just past 10. Still plenty of time for a few rounds of gaming.

Soon, some friends got a team-up request from a certain Xiao Chi who was supposed to be filming a show.

Three-man queue for King of Glory.

“Yo yo yo? Is that Wen Chi? Hello?” Qiao Congnan had just gotten off a night shift and was stunned to see Wen Chi invite him to play. Everyone knew he was currently filming some love reality show, so how did he even have time to play games?

Wen Chi answered quickly, “It’s me! Come on, late-night trio!”

“What’s going on? Aren’t you working? You can play games?” their other friend Huo Yinshi asked. Then something occurred to him. “Wait… you didn’t get fired, did you?”

“Fired your watermelon head. It’s personal time. I’m not live right now,” Wen Chi replied without much patience.

Both Qiao Congnan and Huo Yinshi were talkative, and even in the ten seconds it took to queue into a game, they were already chattering away.

Qiao Congnan’s mic flashed. “Oh yeah, Wen Chi, let me ask you something. If you can’t answer, just stay quiet, okay?”

“I’m looking at the enemy comp. Go ahead.”

“So I was slacking off at work today and caught a bit of your show’s livestream. You and that guy, the Jiang-something guy—what’s going on between you two?” Qiao Congnan blurted out as fast as he could while frantically locking in a support.

He froze.

Wen Chi, on ADC, was silent for a few seconds. Then he sighed. “It’s you or me tonight.”

Huo Yinshi, who had picked a tank, added, “Sounds manageable. But yeah, Xiao Chi, what’s the deal with that guy?”

Because seriously, gameplay couldn’t beat gossip. Or more importantly, relationship drama.

“We’re just friends,” Wen Chi said as he chose a skin. “But I’m telling you, Jiang Ge is super nice. He’s handsome, gentle, and just such a good person. I’m really lucky to be friends with him!”

Qiao Congan: “…?”

Huo Yinshi: “Huh?”

Once he started talking, Wen Chi couldn’t stop. Even when the game started, he was still gushing about how great Jiang Siheng was.

Qiao Congnan, playing a fairy-themed support, bounced alongside the mid-laner while Wen Chi kept throwing out compliments. After a while, he asked, “So you and Jiang Siheng really are just friends?”

“Yeah,” Wen Chi paused, then added, “I think we’re already good friends, but I’m not sure if he thinks the same. Do you think I should sneakily ask him tomorrow?”

Huo Yinshi hadn’t seen the livestream and just said, “If you want to know, just ask. Doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

Qiao Congnan, however, was still suspicious. Wen Chi sounded way too sincere, not the least bit flustered. So maybe he really did just see Jiang Siheng as a friend?

“Second skill! Second skill! Er Qiao, help, I’m getting ganked!!”

Qiao Congnan jumped as Wen Chi shouted in his ear and immediately moved to the bottom lane. “I’m coming, baby, mama’s here to protect you.”

…

Despite it being past 1 a.m. when he finished gaming, Wen Chi woke up early the next morning and didn’t feel like going back to sleep. After washing up, he went downstairs—only to find he was the first one awake.

“Is anyone else up?” Wen Chi stood in front of one of the cameras. “Nod if yes, shake if no.”

The camera: “…”

Then the camera nodded.

“Oh!” Wen Chi said, “Okay, so how many people? One nod for one, shake for two, nod left for three, nod right for four, full shake for five.”

The camera: “.”

The poor staff member controlling the camera: “…” Why must this boy make life so hard for Fat Tiger?

Main stream chat:

[HAHAHAHAHA I’M WHEEZING]

[I was drinking soy milk and it just came out my nose]

[Camera: this cast is unhinged]

[This boy is an absolute gem]

[Is Xiao Chi bare-faced right now? I think I see dark circles]

[Yeah, he’s bare-faced. His skin is so good though!]

The director happened to walk by with a cup of tea, saw the scene and glanced at the bullet comments flying across the screen. “Wen Chi’s really something, huh.”

The crew had been eavesdropping, ready for gossip, but the director said nothing more and instead turned to yell, “Old Wang, get the drivers and bus ready to be parked at the gate by 2:30 this afternoon.”

The poor staff member manning the camera sighed. Wen Chi was still standing there expectantly. The camera gave one nod, then a shake—two people awake!

Wen Chi was satisfied. “Alright, I’ll make breakfast for three.”

“Morning, Xiao Chi. Did you sleep well?” Zhou Yunbai, fully awake and shuffling down in slippers, waved when she saw him.

“Good morning, Xiao Bai Jie. Slept great. I’m making breakfast, want some?”

“Sure! What are you making?”

“Egg crepes.”

Wen Chi pulled ingredients from the fridge. Nothing fancy, just everyday things. But Zhou Yunbai had no idea how they’d go together.

He cooked spinach and mushrooms separately, marinated some shrimp, cracked eggs, added sea salt, pepper, and milk…

Everything looked simple on its own, but putting it all together was surprisingly fussy. One spinach cheese shrimp egg crepe later, he sliced it in two and plated it neatly.

Standing at the stove, Wen Chi put his hands on his hips.

Zhou Yunbai had been taking pictures of the food. When she turned back and saw Wen Chi frowning like the world owed him something, she walked over. “What’s wrong?”

Wen Chi answered honestly, “I’m exhausted.”

Zhou Yunbai: “…”

He had made exactly one breakfast and burned through all his energy.

Main stream chat:

[I’m begging you, is Wen Chi secretly a comedy idol?]

[He’s really not, but I get why you’d think that #laughcry]

[Look at Xiao Bai’s face, she’s shocked]

[He had his hands on his hips and everything—I wanna kiss him!!!]

[Alert! Jiang Ge is coming downstairs!]

Last night, after returning to his room, Jiang Siheng kept feeling like he was forgetting something important but all he could think about was how it felt holding Wen Chi in his arms, the sensation of skin under his palm, and Wen Chi saying, “I don’t want to lose you as a friend over something this dumb.”

That was enough to keep him up.

He had assumed Wen Chi was still asleep, but the moment he stepped onto the first floor, he heard voices.

He paused, turned, and walked toward the kitchen.

And the very next second, he was hit right in the chest by Wen Chi standing at the stove, hands on his hips and grumbling to himself.

Even first thing in the morning, this boy was too damn cute.