ASFSODS 22

“Uncle Li, would you like some more soup?”

“No, no, you all have it.”

“This braised pork is seriously delicious.”

“The sauce from the braised pork mixed with rice is just perfect, you’ve got to try it.”

As the others chatted while eating, Wen Chi ended up with a bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth. Jiang Siheng raised his hand, and seeing the boy frozen in place, smiled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Chi snapped out of it, flustered, and quickly picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks before asking, “Is this for me?”

“Who else would it be for?” Jiang Siheng continued peeling shrimp, then placed them all into Wen Chi’s bowl. “I washed my hands, don’t worry.”

Wen Chi actually really liked shrimp, but he didn’t want to peel them. Getting his hands dirty felt like such a hassle that he usually just didn’t eat them.

Looking at the growing pile of shrimp in his bowl, he was genuinely moved. “Teacher Jiang, you’re such a good person.”

Jiang Siheng choked a little at the “good person” comment. “Just eat your shrimp and stop talking.”

Good thing Uncle Li had made enough food tonight. Auntie Li had worried earlier that they might’ve cooked too much, but now, looking at all the empty dishes, that concern clearly wasn’t necessary.

For some reason, Auntie Li’s gaze toward Wen Chi and the others had grown a little strange, almost like she felt sorry for them. Her granddaughter was a fan of celebrities too. She had once come home during a break and told Auntie Li how the star she liked had to eat only vegetables and keep a strict diet to look good on camera.

Auntie Li sighed—seeing how much they were eating tonight, she figured they probably didn’t eat much normally. Now she was starting to worry they might get bloated from eating too much, and got up to go to the kitchen.

Her sudden departure from the table left Wen Chi and the others a bit confused, and the chatter around the table gradually died down. Zhou Yunbai asked with concern, “What’s wrong with Auntie Li?”

Uncle Li chuckled and said, “It’s nothing, she probably just went to grab something.”

After dinner, while they were resting, Wen Chi noticed Auntie Li quietly starting to clear the table. He quickly stood up. “Auntie Li, let us take care of that.”

As soon as he said that, the others who had been resting also got up, insisting that they’d clean up and that Auntie Li should go sit and rest.

Auntie Li stood there unsure what to do. She tried to help a few times but kept getting stopped. “Maybe I should do it. It’d be bad if your clothes got dirty.”

She though celebrity clothes must be expensive.

Zhou Yunbai gently led her back to the living room and had her sit down. “Auntie Li, don’t worry. It’s just clothes—if they get dirty, we’ll wash them. Besides, you and Uncle Li made such a big meal, and we ate so much. It’s only fair if we move around a bit and help clean up.”

That reminded Auntie Li of something. “Oh right, there’s some plum juice in the kitchen. You can pour yourselves a cup later.”

“Okay.”

The small kitchen couldn’t fit six people, so they split up—three would wash the dishes while the other three cleared the table and tidied up the floor.

Wen Chi, Jiang Siheng, and Qin Xiyu took charge of the dishes. They decided to go with an assembly line approach.

Wen Chi washed the dishes, Jiang Siheng dried them, and Qin Xiyu stacked them neatly in the sterilizer.

“Be careful, don’t cut your hand,” Jiang Siheng reminded.

“Got it,” said Wen Chi.

Qin Xiyu didn’t think for a second that Jiang Siheng was talking to him. He decided to stay silent the entire time.

Main livestream room

[Sheep and Enen are totally a bickering couple, I’m dying of laughter.]

[LOL]

[Such a nitpicker.]

[Tian Yang hasn’t even said anything, and y’all are already offended on his behalf.]

[President Qin is really so pitiful hahahahahaha]

[Jiang Ge is all lovey-dovey with his little cutie, while President Qin is just a cold, dishwashing tool.]

Wen Chi was about 1.8 meters tall, and the sink was a bit low for him. He had to bend over to wash the dishes, and after scrubbing more than twenty plates, his back was basically wrecked.

Jiang Siheng noticed Wen Chi rubbing his lower back and said, “Want me to take over?”

“No need,” Wen Chi waved him off. “Xiao Chi’s a strong man.”

Jiang Siheng: “…”

Qin Xiyu overheard and glanced at Wen Chi’s slender arms and legs, then asked Jiang Siheng, “Does he usually call himself a strong man?”

Jiang Siheng sighed helplessly. “Nope. Just today.”

Qin Xiyu: “…”

Qin Xiyu: “…Oh.”

After finishing the dishes, “Strongman” Xiao Chi bolted out of the kitchen and collapsed dramatically onto the couch. A wave of soreness hit him and he groaned toward the ceiling, “Aiyooo…”

Zhou Yunbai tossed over a tube of hand cream. “Xiao Chi, put some on your hands.”

“Okay, thanks, Xiao Bai Jie.”

Jiang Siheng came out just in time to see Wen Chi rubbing his hands together. He sat down next to him and caught a light whiff of peach-scented lotion.

“Teacher Jiang, want some? I squeezed out a little too much.” Wen Chi pointed to the dab of cream on the back of his hand, about the size of a fingernail.

“No need. You use it.”

Zhou Yunbai, who overheard, let out a dramatic, “Aiya—just squeeze more!”

“Doesn’t feel like there’s much left in the tube,” Wen Chi said.

Zhou Yunbai waved it off. “No big deal. I’ve got a bunch at home.”

“Then maybe I’ll squeeze a tiny bit more.”

“Go ahead, squeeze two tiny bits if you want.”

“Alright then.” Wen Chi nodded, grabbed Jiang Siheng’s hand, and under the man’s gaze, he squeezed a little cream onto the back of it. “Here, rub it in.”

His voice was as soft as if he were coaxing someone.

Jiang Siheng wasn’t unfamiliar with hand cream. He just rarely used it. Back then, Xiao Pang used to nag him into applying some all the time.

Wen Chi handed the tube back to Zhou Yunbai. “Thanks, Xiao Bai Jie.”

“You’re welcome. Didn’t you say you wanted a hair clip? I’ll bring one over later.”

“Okay.”

In the countryside, the temperature difference between day and night was even more drastic than in the city. By evening, it had gotten quite chilly. After his shower, Wen Chi had to throw on a jacket.

Now warm and cozy, he lay in bed. The most relaxing moment of the day was always right after a hot shower.

Their room had a private bathroom. Jiang Siheng was still in there taking his shower.

Wen Chi started wondering if he could sneak a peek at his own livestream, it seemed like he hadn’t checked it once all day.

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[What’s Xiao Chi sneaking around for?]

[Hehe, just finished showering, I bet he smells sweet and feels all soft right now hehe~]

[Alright, y’all are getting weird.]

[What’s he doing?]

[Waiting for his hubby to finish showering.]

[Please don’t tell me someone’s already taken their pants off in here.]

Just the idea that Wen Chi might impulsively decide to check his livestream at that exact moment was enough to leave the whole room stunned.

[Oh my god, is this what fans are like these days??]

The bathroom door clicked open. Jiang Siheng stepped out, still covered in a faint layer of steam, and saw Wen Chi sitting there with a red face while hugging his phone, clearly flustered by whatever he’d just been looking at.

“Did you blow dry your hair?”

The sudden voice made Wen Chi jump. He already felt like he’d been sneaking around reading something naughty, and now with Jiang Siheng standing there, he instinctively stuffed the phone under his butt and gave an awkward smile. “Yup, all dry!”

Jiang Siheng saw his movement and raised an eyebrow.

With Jiang Siheng staring at him, he didn’t even need to say anything. Within a few seconds, Wen Chi confessed on his own. “Okay, fine, I was checking my livestream.”

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[Oh my god, Xiao Chi, you’re way too honest.]

[Wait WHAT.]

[So you saw everything we just said?]

[Damn, no wonder your face was so red while you were looking at your phone.]

[We’re doomed. Weren’t there a bunch of people not wearing pants just now??]

[Aaaaah crap, I’m gonna go fix my comment!]

[Same! I’ve returned, now a pure and innocent soul once more.]

“I saw everything. You’re all just a bunch of…” Wen Chi slipped on his slippers and walked over to stand directly in front of one of the cameras. “A bunch of…”

He paused, struggling to come up with the right word. After a moment, he said, “Naughty and pervy.”

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[HELP]

[So freaking cute I’m gonna die]

[Teetering on the edge of perviness]

[Wuwuwu Xiao Chi you’re too adorable]

[Xiao Chi, Xiao Chi, I’m your new fan now]

[Xiao Chi baby, let’s snuggle, you’re way too skinny]

[Wife wife wife mwah mwah]

Jiang Siheng saw Wen Chi standing in front of the camera for so long and pulled a chair over for him to sit. He himself sat on the edge of the bed not far away and took out his phone to deal with work.

Wen Chi propped his feet up on the chair’s support bar and hugged his phone, replying to fans in the chat.

“I’ll try to eat more fried food, okay.”

“Hello new fan, thank you for liking me.”

“We’ll probably head back tomorrow afternoon, but not sure yet.”

“Ask Teacher Jiang? Teacher Jiang knows, right?”

Hearing his name, Jiang Siheng looked up. “What is it?”

“The livestream chat wants me to ask if you know when we’re going back,” Wen Chi said.

“No idea. They haven’t told me anything.” Jiang Siheng walked over and stood beside him.

The moment he walked closer, with that handsome face in full view, Wen Chi’s livestream chat exploded.

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[AAAAAHHHH HUBBY]

[Jiang Ge is so handsome wuwuwuwu]

[Jiang Ge, are you taking on any new projects lately?]

[Jiang Ge, good evening]

[Hubby let’s kiss =3=]

[Aaaaooooooo]

[Damn it, Xiao Chi’s livestream has fallen to the enemy]

Jiang Siheng looked down and saw all his fans flooding Wen Chi’s livestream. “Good evening.”

Jiang Siheng took Wen Chi’s phone from his hand. “If you’re tired, go to bed.”

Wen Chi reacted a second late, “Oh, okay,” He really was tired, but still didn’t forget to say goodnight to the viewers. “I’m going to sleep now—goodnight, everyone. You all get to bed early too.”

He was genuinely exhausted. In a daze, he vaguely sensed Jiang Siheng turning to leave, and though half-asleep, he instinctively followed after him.

He didn’t notice that Jiang Siheng had stopped walking and bumped straight into his back. Wen Chi clutched his nose and sucked in a sharp breath.

Jiang Siheng turned around, both amused and helpless. “Why are you following me? Does it hurt?”

Wen Chi’s eyes were a little red as he looked up. He mumbled, “Yeah. Hurts.”

“Let me see.” Jiang Siheng pulled his hand away and examined him carefully. Luckily, it was just a bump. The tip of his nose was a bit red, but no real damage. “You’re fine, no broken skin. Go wash up and head to bed.”

“Okay.”

Just as fans were happily enjoying their sweet HengWen interaction, the screen suddenly went black—the livestream was cut off. Then they heard a calm, slightly distant voice say, “Xiao Chi’s going to rest now, you all should get some rest too

Even though the livestream video had ended, the chat was still going strong.

[That voice just now was definitely Jiang Ge.]

[There’s no one else in the room except Jiang Ge and Xiao Chi, right?]

[Oh my god, why did Jiang Ge’s voice suddenly sound so…]

[Right?? If I hadn’t recognized his voice, I would’ve thought it was someone else talking.]

[Isn’t Teacher Jiang usually super gentle? Why did he sound kind of cold just now?]

[Maybe it was just the mic? Stuff can sound different through the screen.]

Jiang Siheng walked into the bathroom. Wen Chi was standing at the sink brushing his teeth. He stepped closer and said quietly, “Let me help you take off your mic pack.”

“Mhm, okay. Thanks, Teacher Jiang.” Wen Chi turned slightly toward him to make it easier.

The mic pack’s belt was usually clipped around the waistband. Jiang Siheng found that sleepy Wen Chi was at least a hundred times more obedient than his usual self. When you told him to raise his arms, he raised them. Told him to turn, he turned—no questions asked.

He turned both of their mics off first.

To unclip the belt, he had to lift Wen Chi’s shirt. Wen Chi raised his arms slightly, still holding his toothbrush and cup.

As the hem of the shirt was lifted, a portion of the pale and lean waist was revealed before Jiang Siheng’s eyes. Technically, it was no big deal for guys to see each other’s bodies, like back in school, when roommates would walk around shirtless after showering.

But this was different. Jiang Siheng was now facing the body of a guy he found himself drawn to. He tried to keep his eyes on the mic belt, but as he unfastened it, his fingers inevitably brushed against Wen Chi’s waist, his knuckles grazing his soft and warm skin.

His breath hitched—mind flashing back to that unexpected kiss earlier in the afternoon.

“Teacher Jiang, are you done yet? I’m so sleepy.” Wen Chi had no idea what Jiang Siheng was thinking. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, then realized they were standing pretty close. If he just lowered his head a little, his forehead would rest right against the man’s broad shoulder.

Hmm… it looked kind of comfy.

“All done,” Jiang Siheng said, straightening up. He tugged Wen Chi’s shirt back into place, then walked out of the bathroom without looking back.

Wen Chi tilted his head, puzzled. Was Teacher Jiang’s voice just now… a little hoarse?

Jiang Siheng casually dropped both their mic packs on the vanity, grabbed his phone, and walked over to the window to take a call.

Wen Chi finished washing his face and came out. Seeing that Jiang Siheng was still on the phone, he tiptoed quietly to his bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, the drowsiness that had faded a bit from the cold water came rushing back.

“I’m going to sleep now, Teacher Jiang. Good night…” His voice grew softer and softer. He meant to say goodnight before sleeping, but he couldn’t hold out any longer—he was just too tired.

Jiang Siheng had noticed him coming out, but the person on the other end of the call just kept talking. Several more minutes passed before Jiang Siheng finally responded impatiently, “Got it. I’ll send you the location in a bit.”

He ended the call, sent the location to Zhou Ge, then locked his phone and turned around.

Wen Chi was already asleep, curled up under the blanket. His long lashes cast delicate shadows on his cheeks.

Jiang Siheng walked over and stopped by the bed, leaning down slightly, eyes fixed on the boy’s sleeping face.

If there had been a mirror right then, he would’ve seen that the way he looked at Wen Chi was filled with more than just gentleness and tinged with a trace of longing and desire.

—

The next morning, after finishing Uncle Li’s breakfast, Wen Chi and the others followed the producer to a fruit orchard. After twisting and turning through the paths, they ended up inside a strawberry greenhouse.

The producer held up a loudspeaker. “The strawberries the village chief gave us yesterday were all grown by Brother Dong himself. And this whole orchard? Also his.”

Brother Dong was clearly nervous in front of so many celebrities and cameras. He gave a shy and awkward smile. “Hi everyone, I’m Dong Yueming.”

Wen Chi clapped his hands and gave a polite little bow. “Good evening, Dong Ge.”

“Today, there’s no task, no games,” the producer announced cheerfully. “You can move around freely in the orchard and pick some strawberries, some plums, whatever you like. The director’s got money. He’s paying!”

Tong Xian’en: “…”

He really wanted to retort, but held it in.

“En’en, let’s go,” Tian Yang grabbed Tong Xian’en by the wrist and tugged him toward the far end of the strawberry greenhouse. “I saw online that the strawberries in the back taste the sweetest. Let’s try it.”

The moment Tian Yang held Tong Xian’en’s wrist—

“Can we buy some?” Wen Chi asked casually.

“We can.” Jiang Siheng slung an arm lazily over Wen Chi’s shoulder, leaning against him. “Didn’t you hear the producer just now? The director’s footing the bill.”

Wen Chi braced himself to support Jiang Siheng’s weight. He didn’t push him away and just stubbornly held on.

But less than a minute later, the weight disappeared. Wen Chi looked up in confusion as Jiang Siheng straightened up.

Jiang Siheng looked at him, half amused and half exasperated. “Are you silly or what?”

“…Why are you suddenly insulting me?”

Wen Chi bared his teeth like he was about to snap.

He randomly picked a strawberry and instead of rinsing it, he just wiped it on his shirt and took a bite before Jiang Siheng could stop him.

Jiang Siheng looked at him helplessly. “Is it good?”

Wen Chi nodded. “Yeah. Really sweet.”

“Sweet or not, you still need to wash it first.”

“Oh… okay.”

Jiang Siheng checked the time. Still early.

“Teacher Jiang, are you in a hurry for something?” Wen Chi had noticed earlier that Jiang Siheng had looked at his watch more than three times and finally asked.

“Mhm.” Jiang Siheng hadn’t expected Wen Chi to ask, but he didn’t plan to hide it. “I might have to leave for a few days.”

“Got work? That’s fine. See you in a few days, then.”

He hadn’t even left yet, and Wen Chi was already saying “see you in a few days.” Jiang Siheng couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

Honestly, Wen Chi didn’t feel much at first. It was just a few days—not like he was disappearing for good but when they were getting ready to head back and he realized Jiang Siheng wasn’t going with them, an unexpected wave of disappointment crept into his chest.

“Jiang Ge, you’re really not heading back with us?” Tian Yang asked.

Jiang Siheng glanced over at Wen Chi, who had barely spoken since earlier, and replied, “No. I’m heading straight to the airport later.”

“Got it. Well, we’ll head out first then.”

Everyone else had already boarded the bus. Wen Chi was still standing there.

Jiang Siheng reached out and gently tapped his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Siheng’s Livestream Room

[What’s wrong? You really have to ask?]

[It’s so obvious Xiao Chi doesn’t want you to leave, ahhhhh]

[After this variety show, Jiang Ge’s not gonna be single anymore, right?]

[My heart broke at the way Wen Chi looked at him just now…]

[Is Wen Chi—]

[He must’ve thought Jiang Ge would head back with them first and then leave later.]

[Yeah, I think that’s it.]

Wen Chi shook his head. “It’s nothing. Teacher Jiang, have a safe trip, okay?”

The fact that the boy didn’t say much actually left Jiang Siheng momentarily at a loss. He was just about to speak when Zhou Yunbai’s voice came from the bus, “Xiao Chi, we’re about to leave!”

“Coming!” Wen Chi called back, then quickly tossed out a “Bye, Teacher Jiang!” before jogging onto the bus. A moment later, the bus doors hissed shut.

Inside, where they had sat together on the way in, Wen Chi now sat alone on the ride back.

Suddenly, he felt… kind of lonely.

But that feeling didn’t last too long—Tian Yang enthusiastically invited him to play Dou Dizhu, and soon the bus was full of shouting.

“No!”

“Can’t beat that!”

“Bomb you!”

“Come on, hurry up, I’ve been waiting forever!”

Tong Xian’en didn’t know how to play, so he just watched Tian Yang. Whenever he didn’t understand something, he would ask and Tian Yang explained patiently, not annoyed at all.

With a gaming streamer like Tian Yang around, Wen Chi ended up racking up gold beans like crazy. Satisfied with the haul, he grinned at his growing total. “Yang Ge, I’m done playing. You and Xian’en go ahead.”

“You’re out? Alright—En’en, let’s team up.”

Newbie-Tong-Xian’en who just downloaded the game: “Okay.”

Zhou Yunbai looked at the three boys like a loving mom watching her kids, eyes full of affection. She wasn’t sitting next to Qin Xiyu. He was working, all the way in the last row by himself with laptop in hand.

Wen Chi finished some daily quests on another game, then finally noticed a new friend request on WeChat.

The profile picture looked familiar—Pikachu. Wen Chi blinked a few times before it hit him: it was Jiang Siheng’s WeChat.

He approved it immediately.

【Wen Chi: I accepted your friend request. We can chat now.】
【Wen Chi: Teacher Jiang~】

【Jiang Siheng: Mhm.】

Wen Chi felt oddly excited. He didn’t even ask how Jiang Siheng got his WeChat. Instead, he typed:
【Wen Chi: Are you in the car yet?】

【Jiang Siheng: [photo]】
【Jiang Siheng: On the way.】

【Wen Chi: We’re on the way too.】
【Wen Chi: [photo]】

A few seconds later, another message popped up.

【Jiang Siheng: Just now—were you trying to tell me something?】

【Wen Chi: Huh?】

On another road, Jiang Siheng thought back to Wen Chi’s expression earlier—like a puppy left behind by its owner, so pitiful—and sent another message.

【Jiang Siheng: The way you looked at me just now made me feel like some scumbag abandoning his wife and kids.】