ABOES 80: Secret Crush Airs

Duan Zhiyan’s reply was blunt and direct—just one word.

[Duan Zhiyan: Scram.]

Chi Xiwen was immediately provoked by it and sent over a barrage of voice messages, ranting nonstop. The gist of it? “Technically I’m your brother-in-law, and this is how you treat your brother-in-law?”

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t help but laugh, and replied. 

[Duan Zhiyan: So you’re agreeing to me marrying Yunxing?]

Chi Xiwen’s answer came fast. 

[Chi Xiwen: Scram.]

Apparently one word wasn’t enough to express his mood, so he added two more lines.

[Chi Xiwen: The farther you get from me, the better. Have some shame, Duan Zhiyan!]

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t be bothered to argue and ignored him.

After a while, Chi Xiwen sent another message, this time it was calmer.

[Chi Xiwen: What’s your plan for handling this?]

Duan Zhiyan replied.

[Duan Zhiyan: Yunxing’s still filming. I’ll ask what he wants to do after he’s done. There’s no rush.]

Chi Xiwen scoffed when he read it.

Of course Duan Zhiyan wasn’t in a rush. He was probably dying for the whole world to know he was with Yunxing.

Chi Xiwen shot back.

[Chi Xiwen: Heh.]

Duan Zhiyan really didn’t have the energy to figure out what weird mood Chi Xiwen was in today. Just then, a message from He You came in, so he didn’t bother replying.

He You had experience handling situations involving Duan Zhiyan and Chi Yunxing, so he didn’t need much instruction before sending over a proposed plan.

Duan Zhiyan skimmed it but didn’t finalize anything, and just replied.

[Duan Zhiyan: I’ll get back to you later.]

He You, understanding that Duan Zhiyan wanted to consult Yunxing, replied.

[He You: I’ll work on cooling down the traffic in the meantime.]

Duan Zhiyan didn’t object.

It wasn’t until filming wrapped that Chi Yunxing and Ji Xi finally found out what had happened.

After hearing his manager explain, Ji Xi’s face turned black as coal. The entire set fell into silence. “Start digging. I want to know who’s behind this.”

Chi Yunxing’s reaction wasn’t as explosive. He was just visibly displeased.

Seeing that his mood had dipped, Duan Zhiyan quietly led him to the break room.

“What’s wrong?” Duan Zhiyan asked, reaching out to pinch his earlobe. “Tired?”

Filming hadn’t been as intense as the day before, so Chi Yunxing wasn’t actually tired but the moment he looked into Duan Zhiyan’s concerned eyes, his original words turned into, “A little.”

“Then let’s get your makeup off and go rest,” Duan Zhiyan said, kissing his forehead.

Chi Yunxing smiled and nodded.

The crew moved quickly. After Chi Yunxing removed his makeup and changed, he came out of the break room with Duan Zhiyan. Ji Xi was still out there, furiously barking orders.

Hearing that they were about to leave, Ji Xi took several deep breaths to suppress his anger. He looked at them apologetically. “I’m sorry. This is on me…”

Chi Yunxing shook his head and interrupted him. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

All MV staff had signed NDAs, and filming was strictly no-photo. That was why Chi Yunxing had agreed to let Duan Zhiyan visit the set. No one expected someone would risk breaching a contract to pull this off.

Ji Xi still looked remorseful. “Don’t worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this. And if you need a statement from us, I’ll fully cooperate.”

Chi Yunxing hadn’t made up his mind yet when Duan Zhiyan said, “You can discuss that directly with Xie Yi.”

Ji Xi quickly agreed.

Once they were in the van heading back, Chi Yunxing finally had a moment to check his phone and open Weibo.

Even though He You had already contacted people to suppress the trend, discussions about “Chi Yunxing and the mystery man” were still widespread.

At first, Chi Yunxing had been annoyed about being secretly photographed with Duan Zhiyan, but when he saw the flood of fans—many using Duan Zhiyan’s profile picture—eagerly jumping to conclusions, all his frustration melted away like stardust.

Duan Zhiyan had been watching him the whole time. When he saw Chi Yunxing smile, he quietly let out a breath.

“What are you looking at?” Duan Zhiyan leaned over to peek at his phone.

Chi Yunxing tilted the phone so Duan Zhiyan could see and chuckled, “Look how eager your fans are to claim credit.”

Duan Zhiyan scanned the screen, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. “They are pretty proactive.”

“I’ve never seen fans so eager to admit it!” Chi Yunxing laughed.

Duan Zhiyan glanced down at his curled lashes. His fingers twitched with the urge to touch them. He rubbed his thumb against his palm, resisting.

“So what’s the plan, Yunxing?” he asked. “Are you going to acknowledge it? Or have Ji Xi put out a statement?”

Just then, Xie Yi received Ji Xi’s proposed solution and turned to brief them.

Ji Xi planned to explain that the leaked image was from the MV shoot, and that it had been secretly taken by a staff member. The MV would be reshot, and that particular scene wouldn’t appear in the final cut.

Chi Yunxing asked, “Did they find out who took the photo?”

Xie Yi nodded. “It was a new hire at Ji Xi’s studio. She said she just wanted to share the picture with her best friend, but her friend ended up leaking it.”

“How is Ji Ge handling it?”

“By the book,”means it will be handled professionallyXie Yi replied.

Chi Yunxing’s brow furrowed briefly, then relaxed.

He had no issue with that. Even if he and Duan Zhiyan didn’t care about the relationship going public, it didn’t mean he was okay with being photographed and having those images spread without permission.

Everyone had to take responsibility for their actions. So he wasn’t about to defend the staffer.

Seeing that he said nothing, Xie Yi asked again, “So we go with this?”

Chi Yunxing nodded. “Yeah.”

Noticing that Chi Yunxing’s brows were still furrowed, Duan Zhiyan reached out and gently took his hand.

Chi Yunxing glanced quickly at the front seat. Xie Yi and Liu Ran were there. Only when he was sure they hadn’t seen anything did he shyly squeeze Duan Zhiyan’s hand back.

Duan Zhiyan’s smile deepened, but he didn’t say anything.

…

Ji Xi quickly posted a statement on his personal Weibo.

@JiXi: 🙂 It was a leaked photo from the MV shoot. We’ve already identified the staff member who leaked it. Please stop sharing it, we’re reshooting the MV!!!

The fans and netizens had been going wild earlier, but Ji Xi’s post instantly quieted much of the noise.

【Leaked?】
【WTF, how do people like that get hired??】
【Ah, that makes sense now!】
【Relieved! Thank God!】
【Don’t be upset, gege! Not worth getting mad over trash like that!】
【So it wasn’t a new relationship after all.】
【I knew it. No rookie idol would ruin their future like that.】
【Okay but… who is the mystery man? He’s so damn handsome.】
【Yes yes yes! Even with a mask and hat, you can tell he’s hot. Slurp.】
【Are we sure it’s not Duan Zhiyan?】
【LOL why are his fans so convinced it’s him? Y’all want it to be him or what?】
【Dead. This is the first time I’ve seen fans eager to claim a scandal!】
【Most fandoms would be desperate to deny it. Y’all are really something else.】
【Honestly, Duan Zhiyan’s fans are smart—if they say it’s him, it actually clears the rumor.】
【Huh? How?】
【Think about it. If it really is Duan Zhiyan, then there’s no scandal. Everyone knows he and Chi Yunxing are close, so being affectionate doesn’t mean anything.】
【You know what? That… actually works.】

…

For a while, both Weibo and Ji Xi’s comment section were in a frenzy.

On the way home, Chi Yunxing received a call from Ji Xi, who had called specifically to apologize.

Even though he wasn’t directly responsible, it had been someone on his team, and he felt bad.

Chi Yunxing’s mood had long since been soothed by Duan Zhiyan, so he was calm and polite while chatting with Ji Xi.

Midway through the call, Duan Zhiyan snatched the phone from him.

Chi Yunxing shot him a look. “What are you doing?”

Duan Zhiyan narrowed his eyes and silently listened as Ji Xi rambled on.

When Ji Xi mentioned “the variety show” again, Duan Zhiyan finally cut in. “The show you mentioned, there are only two permanent MCs, right?”

Ji Xi paused, realizing this wasn’t Chi Yunxing’s voice. A beat later, he recognized it. “Yes, because it’s a food show, and too many regulars would be—”

“Yunxing won’t be joining a show with only two fixed MCs,” Duan Zhiyan said flatly.

Chi Yunxing narrowed his eyes and gave Duan Zhiyan a scrutinizing look.

Even Xie Yi glanced into the rearview mirror.

She’d never heard Yunxing say anything like that.

Ji Xi was stunned. “Why not?”

The corners of Duan Zhiyan’s lips curled slightly. His tone was calm, but every word carried weight, “Because Yunxing and I signed a bundled-CP agreement. While it’s in effect, he won’t accept any two-person partnership offers that don’t include me.”

The whole car fell silent.

Chi Yunxing was the first to react—he laughed.

He really hadn’t expected Duan Zhiyan to be jealous over this too.

His smile widened, and he had to cover his mouth to suppress it. His shoulders even shook from laughing.

Duan Zhiyan kept talking with Ji Xi, but Chi Yunxing didn’t hear any of it. When he finally looked up, he locked eyes with Duan Zhiyan’s deep gaze.

“Find that funny?” Duan Zhiyan asked, narrowing his eyes. His tone held a trace of danger.

Chi Yunxing quickly straightened up. “Nope. Not funny.” 

Yet the stubborn curve of his lips and his teary eyes betrayed him.

Duan Zhiyan leaned in slightly, pretending to go in for a kiss.

Chi Yunxing’s ears flushed red. He gently pushed him away and shot a quick glance at the front seat.

People are watching!

Duan Zhiyan knew he was shy, so he didn’t push it.

Chi Yunxing hadn’t been home in almost a week. His grandma had called yesterday asking when he’d be back.

So after filming ended today, he planned to return to the Chi household.

If it weren’t for the trending scandal, Duan Zhiyan would’ve gone with him but since their names were just on the hot search, returning home together would only stir up more rumors.

Chi Yunxing wasn’t ready to tell his family yet, and Duan Zhiyan didn’t want their relationship made public that casually.

So they had to go home separately.

He You had driven Duan Zhiyan over yesterday, but left afterward.

So Chi Yunxing arranged for his driver to drop Duan Zhiyan off first, then head home.

At the Lakeside Villa, Duan Zhiyan got out of the car first. He looked at Chi Yunxing. “Aren’t you getting out?”

Chi Yunxing knew what he meant, but still said, “I’m heading straight home.”

Duan Zhiyan chuckled and lowered his voice meaningfully, “That’s why I asked here.”

“I’m just going to talk to him for a bit!” Chi Yunxing cleared his throat and said to Xie Yi and Liu Ran in the front seat, then quickly got out.

When the car door shut and they saw the two holding hands, Liu Ran sighed. “Even though I already knew about them, seeing them that close still kinda shocked me.”

Xie Yi felt the same, though she handled it better. Thinking of what happened with Ji Xi’s studio, she reminded Liu Ran, “This stays between us. Don’t let it slip.”

Liu Ran nodded immediately. “Don’t worry, I know how to keep things quiet.”

Xie Yi trusted him and said no more.

They waited for nearly half an hour before Duan Zhiyan finally sent Chi Yunxing back into the car.

Liu Ran stole a glance in the rearview mirror and saw a faint flush on Chi Yunxing’s neck that even his collar couldn’t hide.

…

Chi Yunxing planned to stay home for a few more days this time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know better and was barging in on Tan Yao and Chi Ling’s space. It was because the two of them were heading abroad for a business trip the next day. With only a caregiver left to look after Grandma Chi, and Chi Xiwen busy with work and unable to be home every day, the whole family was worried about leaving her alone.

As it happened, Chi Yunxing didn’t have any work scheduled during this period, so he simply took two days off from school and decided to spend a few days at home to keep his grandma company.

Early the next morning, Chi Ling and Tan Yao left for the airport.

Chi Yunxing got up early, saw them off, then took Grandma Chi for a walk around the neighborhood.

Grandma Chi had been recovering well lately and was no longer satisfied just walking in the backyard. Since Chi Yunxing was with her today, she went a bit farther, chatting with him along the way about all the changes the neighborhood had gone through over the years.

The Chi family’s old estate was a standalone villa with a private garden. The nearest neighbor was nearly a twenty-minute drive away.

Grandma Chi told him many stories—which trees Chi Xiwen and Duan Zhiyan used to climb as kids, which parts of the area were newly developed.

Chi Yunxing listened patiently, occasionally asking a few questions.

She responded softly and gently to each one.

They walked for almost an hour before Chi Yunxing suggested heading back.

Grandma Chi was indeed getting tired by then and slowly walked home with him.

Back at the house, she sat down on the sofa with a sigh. “I really am getting old. I used to go shopping with my girlfriends all day without feeling tired.”

Chi Yunxing chuckled. “You can still go, Grandma. If you want to visit the mall, I’ll take you anytime.”

She seriously considered his suggestion for a moment, then shook her head. “Forget it. Our Yunxing is famous now. If I go shopping with you, I bet we won’t even make it half an hour before your fans swarm us.”

Chi Yunxing said, “We could rent out the whole mall, just the two of us.”

“That wouldn’t be fun,” she shook her head. “Going to the mall is only fun when there are people around.”

Chi Yunxing couldn’t help but say, “If I had come back earlier before I debuted, I could’ve spent more time with you…”

“No ‘what ifs,’” Grandma Chi interrupted, patting his hand. “Our Yunxing is back now. It doesn’t matter when, I’m just glad you’re home.”

Chi Yunxing’s throat tightened, and he gave a firm nod. “Mm.”

After chatting for a while, he went into the kitchen.

Grandma Chi had never tried his cooking before, so Chi Yunxing prepared a full meal just for her.

Before eating, he couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the spread and sending it to Duan Zhiyan.

Duan Zhiyan replied almost instantly, sending back a photo of plain porridge and pickled vegetables.

Chi Yunxing paused, then quickly typed.

[Chi Yunxing: That’s all you’re having for lunch?]

[Chi Yunxing: I’ll order something for you.]

Just as he was about to call a restaurant, another message came in.

[Duan Zhiyan: Just teasing you. Here’s what I actually had #photo#]

He opened the new photo. It was two simple dishes and a soup. Nothing fancy, but at least it was real food.

Relieved, Chi Yunxing went back to look at the earlier photo and immediately spotted the clear watermark in the bottom right corner.

Chi Yunxing: “…”

Seriously. He’d gotten worked up over nothing.

To punish Duan Zhiyan, Chi Yunxing decided not to reply to him for the rest of lunch.

When Duan Zhiyan didn’t get a reply for a long time, he knew he’d made Yunxing mad again.

[Duan Zhiyan: I was wrong.]

[Chi Yunxing: What exactly are you sorry for]

[Duan Zhiyan: I won’t tease you next time.]

[Chi Yunxing: Hmph.]

Duan Zhiyan could practically picture him pouting as he typed, the image made him smile again.

[Duan Zhiyan: Well, our Yunxing is just too easy to tease.]

[Chi Yunxing: :）]

Just as he was about to send a barrage of emojis, Grandma Chi suddenly asked from across the table, “Yunxing, who are you texting? You seem really happy.”

Chi Yunxing’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly put down his phone and tried to stay calm. “No one, it’s just a friend.”

She didn’t ask further and simply picked up her chopsticks to serve him more food. “Let’s eat first. We can chat later.”

Chi Yunxing quickly nodded. “Okay.”

…

Three days passed in a flash.

Tan Yao and Chi Ling had originally planned to return the next day, but due to an unexpected issue at the company, their return was delayed by a few more days.

Chi Yunxing didn’t mind but Duan Zhiyan did.

During their video call that evening, Duan Zhiyan’s tone carried a rare hint of grievance. “Yunxing, it’s already been three days since we last saw each other.”

Chi Yunxing gave a light cough. “But don’t we video call every day?”

“You call this seeing each other?” Duan Zhiyan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Feeling a little guilty, Chi Yunxing rubbed his nose and said after thinking for a moment, “Why don’t you come over tomorrow? Secret Crush premieres anyway. You can just say you came to discuss something work-related.”

That was exactly what Duan Zhiyan had been waiting to hear but he clearly didn’t approve of the excuse. “The premiere of Secret Crush? Why can’t I just say I came to visit Grandma?”

Chi Yunxing thought about it. That did seem more reasonable.

“Then… just say you came to see Grandma!”

Grandma would definitely believe him. The only one who wouldn’t buy it was Chi Xiwen.

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Alright.”

The next morning, Duan Zhiyan showed up at the Chi house bright and early, holding a fresh bouquet of roses, and rang the doorbell.

Chi Xiwen was halfway through breakfast and watching the news when he heard the doorbell and frowned. “Who the hell’s here this early—”

Before he could finish, he saw Duan Zhiyan walk in holding the bouquet.

Chi Xiwen: “…”

Bad luck.

Chi Yunxing immediately jumped to his feet. If Grandma hadn’t been there, he probably would’ve run straight to the door.

“Zhiyan Ge!” Chi Yunxing’s eyes lit up.

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze landed on Chi Yunxing right away, and he smiled. “Yunxing.”

Watching the way the two looked at each other, Chi Xiwen felt another stabbing pain in his chest.

It hadn’t even been that long—how was Yunxing already so head over heels for this Duan guy? He really had been stolen away!

Grandma Chi didn’t pick up on any of Chi Xiwen’s inner drama. She hadn’t seen Duan Zhiyan in a long time, so she was delighted. “Zhiyan, you’re here?”

Duan Zhiyan changed into slippers and walked over. “Yeah, it’s been a while since I visited you, so I came by today.”

She noticed the roses in his arms and chuckled. “You brat, you always remember to bring me flowers every time you visit.”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “I’m used to it. This time, I brought them with the roots so you can plant them in your garden.”

He handed the bouquet to Grandma Chi, then set a gift bag in front of Chi Yunxing. “This one’s for Yunxing.”

It was only then that Chi Yunxing realized he’d brought him something too. His smile widened. “Thanks, Zhiyan Ge.”

Duan Zhiyan reached out and gently ruffled his hair before sitting down beside him. “You don’t have to thank me.”

Chi Xiwen: “…”

Kill me.

He really couldn’t take it anymore. He scarfed down the rest of his breakfast in a few bites, grabbed his jacket, and left.

Grandma Chi, still admiring her roses, asked casually, “Xiwen, heading out for work this early?”

Chi Xiwen gave a vague answer. “Yeah, something came up at the office. I’ve got to go in.”

No way he was going to say he left because he couldn’t stand watching the two of them flirting in front of his face.

Grandma didn’t suspect anything. After inviting Duan Zhiyan to join them for breakfast, she took the bouquet and went out to the garden to plant the flowers.

In an instant, the huge dining room was left with just Chi Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan.

Three days wasn’t especially long or short but for a pair of lovers deep in the honeymoon phase, it felt like a small eternity.

Duan Zhiyan reached out and took the hand Chi Yunxing had resting on the edge of the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Did you miss me?”

His calloused palm brushed against soft skin, sending a tingling jolt up Chi Yunxing’s arm. His breath caught for a second, but he answered honestly, “I did.”

A smile filled Duan Zhiyan’s deep eyes. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Chi Yunxing’s waist, pulling him in for a long, tender kiss.

By the time they parted, both of them were slightly out of breath.

Grandma Chi stayed busy in the garden until nearly noon. In the end, it was Chi Yunxing who had to pull her back inside before she finally stopped fussing over the plants.

After lunch, the three of them sat together on the sofa, chatting casually. All of a sudden, Grandma seemed to remember something and turned to Chi Yunxing. “Yunxing, isn’t your drama airing today?”

Chi Yunxing nodded. “Yeah.”

“Can we watch it now?” she asked eagerly.

Duan Zhiyan checked the time and replied, “The first episode’s already up.”

“Then hurry and play it for me!” Grandma Chi’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Chi Yunxing hesitated, but before he could say anything, Duan Zhiyan had already agreed. He quickly found a streaming site for her and hit play.

Chi Yunxing: “…”

Duan Zhiyan clearly noticed Chi Yunxing’s reluctance. Sitting down beside him, he quietly took his hand and leaned in close, whispering, “It’s okay.”

This was Chi Yunxing’s first time watching the final cut of a drama he’d starred in. To be honest, he was a little nervous. Not because he doubted his performance, but because of who was sitting next to him.

Back when Grandma was still ill, he hadn’t told her what kind of character he was playing. She only knew he’d taken on a role in a romance drama.

Chi Yunxing took a deep breath and tried to reassure himself. He didn’t have many scenes in the first episode anyway and she probably wouldn’t pick up on anything.

What he hadn’t expected was that Li Chao had edited a scene from episode three directly into the first episode.

On screen, Ning Chu’s gaze lingered on Xu Li, his eyes filled with quiet emotion.

The teacher’s voice faded into the background as Ning Chu picked up his pen and, on a corner of his paper, scribbled down one simple line. “I adore you, but you don’t know.”

Chi Yunxing’s heart shot straight to his throat. He was just about to open his mouth to explain when Grandma suddenly exclaimed, her tone full of certainty—

“Yunxing! Do you like Zhiyan?!”