ABOES 69: Childhood Sweethearts

Chi Yunxing’s heart skipped a violent beat.

He stood there stunned for a few seconds before he belatedly realized what Duan Zhiyan had just said.

Flustered, Chi Yunxing opened his mouth but he couldn’t say a word.

His heart thudded so hard on the left side of his chest it felt like it might burst out of him. All he could do was stare blankly at Duan Zhiyan.

Duan Zhiyan wasn’t surprised by the look on Chi Yunxing’s face. His eyes crinkled with even more amusement.

After He You parked the car by the roadside, he quickly came out holding a script.

Duan Zhiyan took the script from him and handed it to Chi Yunxing. “Yunxing, here’s the script. Take a look when you have time. If there’s any role you’re interested in, just let me know anytime.”

Chi Yunxing was still dazed. He took the script from Duan Zhiyan without saying a word, his eyes fixed on him the entire time.

Duan Zhiyan found it amusing, but with He You still present, he couldn’t say much. He simply took Chi Yunxing’s hand and led him inside.

The man’s palm was wide and strong, the heat of their skin meeting sent a searing sensation through Chi Yunxing and finally jolted him back to reality.

He glanced at Duan Zhiyan beside him and said hoarsely, “Zhiyan Ge, you…”

Duan Zhiyan pressed Chi Yunxing’s index finger to the fingerprint lock. The door clicked open.

Instead of walking in, Duan Zhiyan let go of Chi Yunxing’s hand and gently pushed him on the back. “Go in first. It’s too hot out here.”

Chi Yunxing didn’t move. He stubbornly looked up at Duan Zhiyan.

Duan Zhiyan was half a head taller. All he had to do was tilt his head slightly to take in every expression on Chi Yunxing’s face.

Chi Yunxing’s skin was exceptionally fair, and under the sunlight, it practically glowed. At the moment, probably from embarrassment, a soft blush had spread across his pale cheeks.

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze deepened again and at the same time, he was a little exasperated. He reached out to ruffle Chi Yunxing’s soft hair. “Yunxing, just wait for me for a few more days, okay?”

The sun was harsh, and Chi Yunxing didn’t think to avoid it. The glare made the corners of his eyes redden.

Duan Zhiyan raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and said gently, “Can you trust your Ge?”

It was a long time before Chi Yunxing rasped out, “You promise?”

“Of course,” Duan Zhiyan replied.

Chi Yunxing asked again, “If I want to know something, you’ll tell me everything?”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “Yes.”

Chi Yunxing’s curled lashes fluttered, like two soft fans brushing against the very edge of Duan Zhiyan’s heart.

Duan Zhiyan said once more, “My birthday’s in a week. Let’s talk then, alright?”

Chi Yunxing finally nodded.

Relieved, Duan Zhiyan smiled and reached out again but this time, instead of tousling his hair like usual, his hand detoured and gently pinched Chi Yunxing’s flushed earlobe.

It was very red and hot to the touch.

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t hide the amusement in his eyes.

“Alright, I’m heading off. Get some rest. I’ll message you later,” he said.

Chi Yunxing hadn’t expected him to suddenly pinch his ear. Now his whole ear felt like it was on fire.

He nodded hurriedly, flustered.

Duan Zhiyan didn’t linger. He still had important things to deal with and had to leave.

Chi Yunxing only turned back once the familiar car drove off. He held the script and entered the house.

As soon as the door shut, he threw himself onto the sofa, hugged a pillow, and rolled over once—then rolled again.

Once he was finally alone, Chi Yunxing’s thoughts caught up with him, and he couldn’t stop the flood of questions piling up in his heart.

The first was, When did Duan Zhiyan figure out how he felt about him?

He thought he’d hidden it well. At the very least, no one but Duan Zhiyan should’ve seen through it. 

So why didn’t Duan Zhiyan say anything sooner? And if he brought up the confession—did that mean he liked him back?

Zhou Ping had only draped an arm around his shoulder, and Duan Zhiyan had gotten jealous.

If it wasn’t love, why would he be jealous?

Chi Yunxing’s heart thumped wildly.

If Duan Zhiyan really did like him too, then why not say it now? Why wait another week?

Just then, Chi Yunxing suddenly jolted upright like a carp leaping from water.

Right! Duan Zhiyan said next week was his birthday!

Chi Yunxing had been so preoccupied with his own feelings lately, he had nearly forgotten.

He quickly pulled out his phone and messaged Xie Yi, asking her to help him buy a gift.

Soon after he sent the message, Xie Yi replied. She also asked how he planned to handle the rumors online.

Chi Yunxing paused and replied.

[Chi Yunxing: The rumors haven’t been handled yet?]

He hadn’t asked Xie Yi to respond before because Duan Zhiyan had told him he would take care of it. So Chi Yunxing had simply told her not to worry about it.

Xie Yi sent him a link and added.

[Xie Yi: Not only hasn’t it been handled, there’s new gossip too.]

Chi Yunxing clicked it open and saw it was from the country’s biggest anonymous entertainment forum. The post had only just gone up.

The first image was a photo of him and Duan Zhiyan walking into a restaurant together.

Chi Yunxing frowned. He didn’t expect someone to follow them. They even got photographed going out to eat!

Then he looked through the comments.

【F*ck, they even ate together!】

【Wait, aren’t you all being a bit paranoid? Can’t two celebrities eat a meal together now?】

【If I remember right, Duan Zhiyan just wrapped filming yesterday? He finishes up and the first thing he does is take Chi Yunxing to class and then have dinner? That’s “just friends”?】

【Exactly. Didn’t they play lovers in Secret Crush? Maybe they caught feelings during filming?】

【Highly likely!】

【A friend of mine in the industry said there’s a rule that actors who’ve played lovers can’t meet privately for two months after wrapping and now they’re having meals together? Doesn’t that say enough?】

【My instincts say something’s going on!】

【Sure, friends can eat out but how long have they known each other? Why are they this close already?】

Even Duan Zhiyan’s fans were confused.

Right. It had only been two months. Why were they suddenly inseparable? And why were they constantly trending together?

Some netizens did say:

【I’m knocking this CP, love it!】

【Looks like my ship is sailing!】

【CP fans crying tears of joy!】

…

There were too many similar comments to count.

Even though fans from both sides tried to clarify things, most netizens still preferred to believe the “truth” they’d imagined.

Soon, the hashtag #DuanZhiyanChiYunxingRestaurant shot up the trending list.

Weibo was a mess.

To Duan Zhiyan’s fans, he was already at an age where dating wasn’t a big deal. If he was really in love, they wouldn’t be upset and they’d be happy for him.

What annoyed them was, why were Duan Zhiyan and Chi Yunxing always trending together lately?

They couldn’t help but overthink.

After all, Duan Zhiyan had dealt with being tied to fake CPs before. His fans were especially sensitive to this kind of thing.

So until Duan Zhiyan clarified things, his fans stood up to quash rumors. 

They’d already lost patience with Chi Yunxing. A few particularly agitated fans started making harsh comments—ones that Chi Yunxing’s fans quickly noticed.

Chi Yunxing’s fans weren’t thrilled either. He’d just debuted so why did he suddenly have a whole bunch of CP shippers?

Seeing the trending posts, they grumbled, but stayed relatively calm. They didn’t fire back and just responded with some sarcastic remarks.

But the back-and-forth stoked tensions.

Then a few people started egging both sides on, clearly hoping to fan the flames. Soon, both fandoms exploded, openly mocking each other in major threads.

Chi Yunxing’s fans said:

【Who wants some old guy like Duan Zhiyan? Stop flattering yourselves, please! Leave our Xingxing alone!】

【Seriously? You think your idol’s such a prize? Everyone’s desperate for him now?】

【Quit trying to cling to us. Leave.】

Duan Zhiyan’s fans said:

【LOL. Who’s clinging to who here?】

【Duan Zhiyan doesn’t need to leech off anyone! Want me to list how many people try to ride our king’s coattails?】

【I bet your side’s just out of topics to stir up. Haven’t seen many works, but are trending constantly. How much did you pay for that?】

…

Chi Yunxing really hadn’t expected the online drama to go this way.

The joy he had just felt was quickly dampened.

No matter what, he didn’t want to see their fans fighting.

After thinking for a bit, he messaged Xie Yi. 

[Chi Yunxing: Yi Jie, give me a moment, I’ll ask Zhiyan Ge first.]

Xie Yi replied quickly.

[Xie Yi: Okay.]

Because of Chi Yunxing’s relationship with Duan Zhiyan, she didn’t want to overstep and make a decision on his behalf. Otherwise, she would’ve handled it already.

Chi Yunxing gave it some thought, then sent Duan Zhiyan a message.

When Duan Zhiyan received it, he happened to be scrolling through Weibo and had just seen the two fanbases arguing. He exited Weibo and opened his chat with Chi Yunxing. He sent a message. 

[Duan Zhiyan: Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.]

Chi Yunxing felt a little better. After some hesitation, he added. 

[Chi Yunxing: Zhiyan Ge, how are you going to explain this? Do you want me to post something too? I really don’t want our fans fighting.]

Duan Zhiyan smiled slightly, catching the key point. 

[Duan Zhiyan: “Our fans”?]

Chi Yunxing’s fingers flushed red as he held his phone. He took several deep breaths, then typed with trembling fingers.

Yet after editing and deleting several times, he still didn’t send a message.

Duan Zhiyan stared for a long time at the top of the chat window—“the other person is typing”—and finally let out a soft laugh.

He You, who was driving, couldn’t help but glance back. “What’s got you smiling at the trending topics?”

Duan Zhiyan paused before saying, “It’s not the trending topics.”

He You nodded without asking further, then said, “Do you want me to take care of the PR cooldown again?”

Duan Zhiyan leaned back in his seat, relaxing. Normally, he wouldn’t respond at all.

Too many people tried to cling to him for clout. If he gave attention to each one, it’d be exhausting. Usually, he just had He You contact platforms to take down related tags.

Quick and easy.

But Chi Yunxing wasn’t just anyone.

Anything involving him—Duan Zhiyan didn’t want anyone else to handle it.

He shook his head. “No need. I’ll post on Weibo myself later.”

He’d always handled these things on his own.

He You wasn’t surprised by this. What did surprise him was why Duan Zhiyan recently asked him to help order a ring.

That couple ring, who was it for?

He You had a guess, but needed confirmation.

“That ring… is it for the young master?” he asked after a pause.

Duan Zhiyan was about to reply to Chi Yunxing’s message when he looked up and smiled, not denying it. “Mm.”

He You’s hands tightened slightly on the wheel.

So he was right!

“And… President Chi?” he asked again.

Duan Zhiyan said, “Don’t tell him yet. He’s a headache.”

He You inhaled deeply and nodded.

So for now, he was the only one who knew!

He was excited, and was genuinely happy for Duan Zhiyan.

It hadn’t been easy. He had worked with Duan Zhiyan for almost ten years. Finally, Duan Zhiyan was in love.

Duan Zhiyan didn’t know what He You was thinking. He was busy typing to coax Chi Yunxing.

The kid was too easily embarrassed and when he got shy, he avoided replying.

To make things easier for him, Duan Zhiyan changed the topic.

[Duan Zhiyan: I’ll post a Weibo soon. Just retweet it, okay?]

Chi Yunxing still didn’t reply.

Duan Zhiyan thought for a moment, then added. 

[Duan Zhiyan: Don’t be shy. You’re not replying to me at all.]

[Duan Zhiyan: Why do you get shy so easily?]

[Duan Zhiyan: If we ever get together, does that mean I won’t even be able to kiss you?]

Chi Yunxing’s hand trembled. His phone fell onto the carpet.

His face burned. He quickly picked it up and typed back.

[Chi Yunxing: ?]

Duan Zhiyan replied right away.

[Duan Zhiyan: Because I’m afraid if I kiss you, you’ll hide from me. If I can’t find my star, I’ll be sad for a long time.]

Chi Yunxing’s face was flaming now. He refused to reply any further.

This guy!

They weren’t even together yet! He was already thinking that far ahead!

Chi Yunxing threw his phone aside and buried his face in a pillow.

Duan Zhiyan waited a while and realized Chi Yunxing was truly too shy now. He probably wouldn’t reply for a good while.

With a bit of regret, he considered how to adjust the tone of their next conversation.

Once he figured out the right balance, Duan Zhiyan logged into Weibo and posted.

@DuanZhiyan: Do you know what childhood sweethearts are? I dropped off my little childhood friend at school and grabbed a meal. What’s the issue? Also, to my fans, stop fighting with Yunxing’s fans. Yunxing gets upset. Lastly, I’m the one clinging to his popularity.

A screenshot was attached—it was Chi Yunxing’s recent WeChat message: 

[Chi Yunxing: Zhiya Ge, how are you planning to explain this? Do you need me to post something too? I really don’t want our fans arguing.]

The post instantly exploded with comments.

【????】

【Wait, childhood sweethearts???】

【Did I miss something? Didn’t Chi Yunxing just find his biological parents?】

Soon, Duan Zhiyan’s fans began explaining.

【I think what he meant was—if Yunxing hadn’t been abducted as a kid, they would’ve grown up together as childhood friends.】

【Omg, I thought they’d only just met!】

【Okay… I owe them an apology. Sorry for my snark earlier!】

【So it wasn’t for clout… I take back everything!】

Chi Yunxing’s fans were shocked too. They hadn’t expected this twist. They replied:

【It’s okay! Sorry, we got carried away too.】

【Apologies for my spicy words earlier!】

…

Thanks to Duan Zhiyan’s Weibo post, the two fandoms quickly made peace.

A certain group of fans grew even more excited—

The CP shippers.

Ever since they starred together in Secret Crush, CP fans had popped up in droves.

With today’s trending topic, while solo fans argued, CP fans were celebrating.

They’d been dreading a two-month content drought after filming wrapped, but today’s “scandal” dropped a major dose of sugar right into their laps!

And now Duan Zhiyan has revealed—they were childhood friends!

Childhood friends!

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS!!

CP fans were losing it. Some were already writing fanfics in their heads.

Soon, another tag climbed the trending list:

#DuanZhiyanChiYunxingChildhoodFriends#

【I’m screaming!】

【Childhood sweethearts? Love it!!】

【God! Duan Ge spoils him so much! Saying Yunxing will be upset… and he’s the one clinging to popularity… if this isn’t love, I don’t know what is!】

【It IS love!!! I don’t care!!! Let me ship in peace!!!】

【Our CP is thriving!!】

【This is too sweet! Too sweet!】

【Aged-up love FTW!】

…

Clicking into the tag showed a sea of CP fans gushing and promoting their ship.

The Secret Crush production team didn’t waste the opportunity. They released more intimate stills of the two actors, fanning the flames even more.

Soon, all of Weibo was a CP fan carnival. Some users even started posting suggestive jokes in the comments.

【Calls him little brother by day, gets called little brother by night.】

【Big bro next door by day, boyfriend by night?】

【Too much! TOO MUCH!】

【You two are too bold!】

【I’m losing it hahaha…】

…

Once Chi Yunxing’s embarrassment faded, he finally remembered to repost Duan Zhiyan’s Weibo.

As soon as he opened the app, his notifications exploded. He checked the top comment curiously.

He saw the most-liked comment.

【Calls him little brother by day, gets called little brother by night.】

Chi Yunxing: “?”

After understanding the whole situation, he started to regret it.

Why did he message Duan Zhiyan in the first place? Couldn’t he have just clarified things himself?

What was all this??

He didn’t want fans to fight, but that didn’t mean he wanted them shipping him and Duan Zhiyan!

And these Weibo posts?!

Chi Yunxing took several deep breaths. Finally, with trembling hands, he tapped the three dots on that comment and hit “Report.”

Reason: “Harmful to minors.”

Right after he hit report, another WeChat message popped up.

It was from Duan Zhiyan again.

After all this waiting, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

[Duan Zhiyan: Yunxing, are you there?]

Thinking of that Weibo post, Chi Yunxing didn’t want to reply. He waited five minutes before replying.

[Chi Yunxing: Yeah.]

Duan Zhiyan messaged back instantly.

[Duan Zhiyan: If you’re here, say something to me.]

Chi Yunxing flushed again.

[Chi Yunxing: When did I ignore you?]

Duan Zhiyan chuckled and sent a hugging emoji.

[Duan Zhiyan: You’re responding now.]

Chi Yunxing: “…”

This guy is too annoying!

[Chi Yunxing: This is the first time I’ve realized how childish you are.]

Duan Zhiyan shamelessly replied. 

[Duan Zhiyan: Because I met you.]

Chi Yunxing: “…”

His face burned again for several minutes. He closed WeChat, deciding not to reply to Duan Zhiyan for the rest of the day.

This man—How had he changed so much?! They weren’t even officially together yet!

He didn’t even want to repost that Weibo anymore. Trying to calm down, he picked up the script Duan Zhiyan had given him.

As soon as he opened it, he realized it was the script for Scapegoat.

He’d only meant to distract himself but once he started reading, he was completely drawn in.

…

That afternoon, Chi Xiwen was in a meeting reviewing the company’s performance and upcoming major projects.

It wasn’t too tiring, just long.

By the time he left the office, night had already fallen.

His assistant came over with his phone. “President Chi, President Tan called three times this afternoon.”

Chi Xiwen frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Normally, if Tan Yao knew he was busy, she would only call once—unless something urgent happened.

The assistant quickly explained, “President Tan said to wait until your meeting was over before telling you.”

Chi Xiwen took the phone, nodded, and called her back.

He was a little worried. He thought something serious had happened but after listening to what Tan Yao said, he was left completely stunned.

“You’re saying a bunch of people online are shipping Duan Zhiyan and Yunxing?”

Tan Yao’s voice came from the other end. “Yes, you probably didn’t see the trending topics this afternoon.” She paused, then relayed everything she’d seen online.

“…I don’t think CP fans are a big deal. I’m just a little worried, do you think they’ll affect Yunxing’s future? He just debuted…”

Chi Xiwen’s head was a mess. It took him a few seconds to gather his thoughts before he interrupted, “Hold on. I’m calling Duan Zhiyan. He promised me he wouldn’t hype up any CP stuff!”

He said that last part through gritted teeth.

Tan Yao frowned. Realizing he misunderstood her, she quickly said, “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to ask if it’d have any impact. Besides, I don’t think Zhiyan did it on purpose. It’s the netizens being too imaginative—”

“Hah,” Chi Xiwen let out a cold laugh. “Mom, wait. I’m calling him now.”

Before Tan Yao could say more, he hung up and called Duan Zhiyan.

After two seconds, Duan Zhiyan picked up with a calm, “Hello?”

Chi Xiwen let out a dry laugh, then said, “Since when were you and Yunxing childhood sweethearts? I thought I was your childhood sweetheart?”