ABOES 66: One Question

Chi Xiwen stared blankly as Chi Yunxing ran happily toward Duan Zhiyan, then came bounding back just as cheerfully.

“Come on, Ge.” Chi Yunxing beamed as he linked arms with Chi Xiwen.

Chi Xiwen was silent for a second, then couldn’t help glancing back at Duan Zhiyan. He asked, “What did you say to Zhiyan just now?”

He’d been watching Yunxing’s expression the whole time. When he arrived earlier, there wasn’t even a hint of such a bright smile.

Chi Yunxing’s heart was still pounding, so he didn’t notice the complicated look on Chi Xiwen’s face. He quickly toned down his grin and tried to sound casual, “Nothing, I just remembered how much Zhiyan Ge’s been looking out for me lately, so I went back to thank him.”

Chi Xiwen: “…”

Liar.

He stared at Yunxing’s half-suppressed smile but in the end, he chose not to call him out.

Once they got in the car, Chi Xiwen pulled out his phone and sent Duan Zhiyan a message.

[Chi Xiwen: What did Yunxing say to you just now?]

Duan Zhiyan replied after a short pause.

[Duan Zhiyan: Nothing.]

[Chi Xiwen: Do I look that easy to fool?] 

Chi Xiwen fired back.

[Duan Zhiyan: You could ask Yunxing yourself.]

Chi Xiwen: “…”

If Yunxing was going to tell him, would he have bothered asking Duan Zhiyan?!

They hadn’t known each other that long, and they were already keeping secrets from him? i

Annoyed—seriously annoyed—Chi Xiwen turned off his phone and glanced at Chi Yunxing beside him.

Yunxing was busy messaging someone, still smiling faintly.

Chi Xiwen frowned, then suddenly asked, “Who are you texting?”

Startled, Chi Yunxing instinctively turned off his screen and looked up nervously. “What’s wrong, Ge?”

“Nothing.”

Chi Xiwen gave a casual shrug. “Just wondering, is it Zhiyan?”

Yunxing immediately denied it, “Nope.” Which meant it was.

Chi Xiwen’s frown deepened.

Just what were Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan hiding from him?

Then a thought hit him.

He quickly messaged his secretary.

Though Chi Xiwen wasn’t an actor, he ran an entertainment company and knew the industry’s unspoken rules—like how, after filming a romantic storyline, co-stars shouldn’t see each other for at least two months.

His secretary quickly sent over the photo he’d asked for.

Chi Xiwen opened it and his fingers whitened around the phone.

It was a scene from the drama. Chi Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan’s kiss scene.

He took several deep breaths. Still furious.

Duan Zhiyan, that bastard! Yunxing was still so young, and that guy actually kissed him!

If Yunxing saw his face now, he’d probably protest that he was already nineteen, legally an adult for over a year.

Chi Xiwen took two full minutes to calm down, then opened WeChat and messaged Duan Zhiyan.

[Chi Xiwen: You’re not allowed to see Yunxing for two months. Got it?!]

[Chi Xiwen: You—]

[Chi Xiwen: :)]

[Duan Zhiyan: ?]

Chi Xiwen sent the photo.

[Chi Xiwen: Shameless.]

Duan Zhiyan, surprisingly patient, replied. 

[Duan Zhiyan: It was acting. And even if it wasn’t me, it would’ve been someone else.]

[Chi Xiwen: I don’t care! You’re not seeing him anytime soon!]

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore and stopped replying.

Chi Xiwen was still pissed. Yes, maybe technically he had no right to be angry, but he didn’t care!

His baby brother, who’s just nineteen, got his first kiss stolen by an old man like Duan Zhiyan!

Infuriating! 🙂

And what if Yunxing, being a first-time actor, got emotionally attached? Then what?!

The more Chi Xiwen thought about it, the more his frown deepened.

…

On the ride home, Chi Yunxing kept chatting with Duan Zhiyan, completely unaware of Chi Xiwen’s brewing storm of resentment.

As soon as the car pulled up, Tan Yao and Chi Ling came out to greet them.

“Yunxing!” Chi Ling was delighted. He rushed forward, grabbing Yunxing’s hands, tearing up slightly. “You’ve lost weight.”

Tan Yao also stepped forward, her gaze filled with concern. “He really has. You’ve worked so hard.”

Yunxing hadn’t seen them in a while, especially not his dad.

Previously, Chi Ling had even come back from abroad just for him and Grandma.

Seeing them again, Yunxing’s eyes misted over, and he smiled. “Dad, Mom.”

Tan Yao patted his head lovingly. “Come inside. It’s too hot out here.”

Yunxing nodded, linking arms with her.

Chi Ling walked a step behind, frowning at Chi Xiwen. “What’s wrong with you? Why the long face?”

No way was Chi Xiwen about to tell him the real reason, so he made something up. “Just work stuff. It’s settled now.”

Chi Ling nodded but still said, “If anything comes up, talk to me. Don’t show that face in front of Yunxing.”

Chi Xiwen was about to retort that Yunxing had been glued to his phone the entire ride, too busy to notice anyone’s face but in the end, all he said was, “Got it.”

He forced a bright smile.

Chi Ling frowned again. “Too fake. Be more natural.”

Chi Xiwen: “…”

“Dad, Ge! Come in and eat!” Yunxing called from inside.

Chi Ling waved and hurried in.

Chi Xiwen took several deep breaths before following.

Tan Yao had taken the day off work just to cook.

Faced with a table of his favorite dishes, Chi Yunxing ate a second bowl.

Afterward, he was stuffed and lay on the couch rubbing his belly.

Tan Yao laughed, both amused and worried.

She was about to ask Chi Xiwen to get some antacids when Yunxing waved her off, saying he just needed a walk.

Moved, Tan Yao called her assistant and asked for any urgent documents to be emailed. She wanted to stay home with her son a few more days before school started.

Chi Ling and Chi Xiwen had the same idea.

Chi Ling even bought him a new villa close to campus.

Chi Xiwen beat Tan Yao to the punch by gifting Yunxing a limited-edition sports car.

When they went to see it and Yunxing saw the bright pink, flashy design… His smile twitched.

Yet Chi Xiwen looked so pleased. “Well? Like it?”

Not wanting to hurt his brother’s feelings, Yunxing said, “It’s… very eye-catching.”

He took a quick pic and sent it to Duan Zhiyan.

[Chi Yunxing: My brother gave me a car QVQ. I don’t even dare drive it out.]

Duan Zhiyan was probably filming and replied late. 

[Duan Zhiyan: Sounds like his taste.]

Yunxing smiled. 

[Chi Yunxing: What’s weird is, my Ge’s taste is fine in everything except sports cars.]

When Chi Xiwen had shown him the car, he’d also shown his own garage.

Aside from a few low-key cars for work, the rest were all ridiculously colorful. Neon green, electric pink, iridescent purple… plus a bunch of flashy motorcycles.

Duan Zhiyan didn’t pursue the topic.

[Duan Zhiyan: Do you have a license?]

[Chi Yunxing: Yeah, but I’ve barely driven since I got it.]

After sending the message, Duan Zhiyan didn’t reply for a long while.

Yunxing lay on his bed, phone in hand, rolling over twice. Finally, he couldn’t help texting again.

[Chi Yunxing: Zhiyan Ge, when do you wrap filming?]

Much later in the evening, he got a reply.

[Duan Zhiyan: Just finished filming.]

[Duan Zhiyan: Should wrap on the 5th.]

That was the day after tomorrow and also Yunxing’s first day of school.

For the last two days, Yunxing had been thinking about what Duan Zhiyan said when they parted—“Okay.” Which meant… Duan Zhiyan wanted to see him too, right?

But when?

Yunxing had been busy the first two days. Visiting Grandma, shopping with his mom… It wasn’t until today, the third day, that he finally had some downtime.

Once things quieted down, the longing he’d buried deep inside crept back up, tugging at his heart.

He stared at their WeChat chat window for a long time.

He missed Duan Zhiyan. But what excuse could he use to ask to meet?

Worse, with school starting soon, even if Duan Zhiyan had time, he might not.

Sitting on the couch, Yunxing frowned, typed and deleted for ages, then finally gave up and put down the phone.

Tan Yao came out of the kitchen with soup. “Yunxing, have some.”

He smiled wryly. “Mom, I’ve gained two pounds in two days!”

“You lost five during filming! Time to put it back on.”

Yunxing couldn’t say no, so he accepted the bowl and drank slowly.

Tan Yao asked, “Are you going back to filming soon?”

Yunxing set down the spoon. “Not sure. Yi Jie scheduled some interviews, maybe a variety show. Oh—Zhiyan Ge mentioned a movie he thought I might be right for, but I haven’t seen the script yet.”

Tan Yao looked worried, so Yunxing added, “Don’t worry. Zhiyan Ge said the movie won’t start shooting until after the New Year.”

She relaxed. “Good. You’re still young, there’s time to build your career slowly. You’ve got us, and your brother. Don’t worry about opportunities.”

“Okay,” Yunxing said, smiling.

“Drink up before it gets cold.”

“Okay.”

After finishing the soup, it was late. Tan Yao told him to rest.

Yunxing went to his room and, after some hesitation, he finally sent a message.

[Chi Yunxing: Zhiyan-ge, you said we could meet… when?]

He was mentally prepared for Duan Zhiyan to ask him why.

But what he didn’t expect was for Duan Zhiyan not to reply at all.

No goodnight. No morning text. Nothing.

Chi Yunxing clutched his phone. He couldn’t describe how he felt but it definitely hurt.

At breakfast the next morning, he zoned out several times.

Tan Yao asked gently if he hadn’t slept well.

Not sleeping was part of it. But the real reason was that unanswered message.

Still, he smiled and fibbed, “Just stayed up too late playing games.”

Tan Yao didn’t press.

Chi Xiwen sat there, frowning at him the whole time.

They were heading to the hospital.

Grandma had been recovering for a month and would be moved out of the isolation ward today.

The whole family was happy.

They arrived early and Grandma was still asleep.

Nurses quietly removed the equipment and wheeled her out.

When she woke up and saw the familiar faces, she smiled.

“Didn’t even wait for me to say goodbye to that place!”

Everyone laughed.

Tan Yao joked, “You grew attached to it?”

Chi Ling raised the bed for her. Grandma held out a hand to Yunxing, who helped her sit up.

“I don’t get attached to places. I just like the ceremony!”

“Yes, yes, you’re the queen of ceremonies,” Chi Ling chuckled.

Chi Xiwen joked too. “When you’re discharged, should I cover the hospital hallway with roses?”

Grandma glared. “Are you trying to get smacked?”

Yunxing couldn’t help laughing. She laughed too, the room warm with joy.

That’s when Duan Zhiyan walked in.

The door wasn’t fully closed, so with a gentle push, he was inside.

His gaze found Yunxing first then quickly shifted to Grandma. “Looks like I’m late.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Yunxing thought he was imagining it until Grandma said, “Finally! I was just asking Xiwen when you’d come.”

Yunxing froze.

Chi Xiwen jumped up and stepped between them. “What are you doing here?”

Tan Yao overheard and frowned. “Xiwen!”

Duan Zhiyan said calmly, “I heard Grandma was changing rooms, so I came to see her.”

Chi Yunxing finally turned around.

The man wore casual clothes, a cap and mask. Only his smiling eyes were visible. The moment they made eye contact, Yunxing’s heart skipped.

He looked away in a panic but forced himself to say, “Zhiyan Ge.”

Duan Zhiyan smiled and nodded. “Yunxing.”

He took off his cap and mask, greeting Tan Yao and Chi Ling politely. Then he turned to Grandma, smiling bright. “Haven’t seen you in so long. You look younger every time. These roses were perfect for you.”

Grandma beamed, delighted. “You’ve always had the sweetest mouth.”

Duan Zhiyan chuckled, glanced at Chi Xiwen’s dark expression, and said, “Did Xiwen not buy you flowers?”

Grandma huffed. “That rascal said he’d cover the whole hospital in flowers. Where would I hide my face?!”

“He’s always like that,” Duan Zhiyan said, smiling. “Don’t be mad.”

Grandma passed the bouquet to Yunxing, who placed it gently on the table.

“You’re even defending him? Didn’t you hear what he said about you?”

Duan Zhiyan shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

Chi Yunxing, still a bit dazed, finally focused. “Ge said something about you?”

Duan Zhiyan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smiled and said lightly, “You know, I filmed all night yesterday.”

Yunxing blinked, confused. “Huh?”

Duan Zhiyan kept his gaze low. “The shoot was supposed to be tonight, but I asked Director Li to move it up so I could visit today. I wrapped at six this morning… and realized my phone was dead.”

Now Yunxing understood.

This was an explanation on why he hadn’t replied last night.

The tightness in his chest, the ache—suddenly, beneath all that sourness, bloomed a surprising sweetness.

He could feel his heart pounding. After a moment, he whispered, “So… you didn’t rest at all?”

No one else noticed the undercurrent between them. Only Chi Xiwen continued to watch with narrowed eyes.

“Mm.”

Tan Yao frowned. “You should’ve rested before coming.”

“You’re filming tomorrow too. No need to push yourself.” Chi Ling added.

Duan Zhiyan shook his head, then glanced meaningfully at Yunxing. “It’s not the same.”

If he hadn’t come today, someone would’ve stayed mad.

Chi Yunxing’s cheeks flushed. He pretended not to understand.

…

Grandma eventually got tired. Tan Yao and Chi Ling stepped out to speak with the doctor.

Only Chi Xiwen, Duan Zhiyan, and Chi Yunxing remained.

Chi Xiwen immediately pulled Duan Zhiyan aside. “Let’s talk.”

“Ge, Zhiyan Ge…” Yunxing was worried.

Duan Zhiyan brushed him off with a smile. “It’s fine. There’s nothing that can’t be said in front of Yunxing.”

“You sure—”

“I’m sure. This involves him.”

Yunxing blinked in confusion. “Ge, what’s going on? What am I not supposed to know?”

Chi Xiwen opened his mouth and couldn’t say a word.

Yunxing turned to Duan Zhiyan. “Zhiyan Ge?”

Duan Zhiyan gently patted his shoulder, then sat with him on a bench. He said calmly,  “Your brother wants to ask…”

“Duan Zhiyan!” Chi Xiwen cut him off.

He can’t just ask that! What if it plants a seed that wasn’t even there before?!

But Duan Zhiyan was unfazed. He asked the question that had been sitting in his heart all along— “Yunxing, did you fall into the role?”

Yunxing’s lashes trembled.