Chapter 5

Xu Heng checked the time. It was already past eight in the evening. With legs still sore, he rushed through a quick shower, then sat down in front of his computer right on schedule. The moment he opened the stream, the chat exploded. His viewers were already waiting and blowing up the comments.

As a professional makeup artist, Xu Heng occasionally made beauty content on the side. It started as just a hobby, mostly videos where he recreated celebrity looks. But gradually, he gained a decent following. Most of his fans were women, so he shared makeup tips from a female perspective. Over time, the focus shifted from his skills to his personality. He started gaining personal fans and even landed a few sponsorship deals, promoting beauty products here and there for extra pocket money.

The second he turned on the webcam, the live chat lit up. Everyone was asking about the shade of blush he was wearing, they said it looked amazing.

Xu Heng blinked, confused. He glanced at the mirror on his desk and was shocked.

His face was still flushed even after the shower. It looked exactly like he had applied blush. The moment he saw it, the color deepened even more. Embarrassed, he stumbled over his words.

“Uh… I just did a bit of, um, exercise… Didn’t use blush…”

He powered through the rest of the livestream seriously and quickly, uploaded the video, then padded barefoot to remove his makeup. After a mask and some skincare, he lay in bed scrolling through his phone. The studio group chat was sending out job updates. One of the messages mentioned that the formal performance for Chen Ang’s unit would take place that Friday.

Xu Heng double-checked the time and replied “Got it” before peeling off the face mask and getting ready to sleep.

With that many people and all the chaos of a formal event, there probably wouldn’t be a chance for them to cross paths again anyway.

He thought about it, then shrugged it off.

If anyone should feel awkward, it was definitely Chen Ang. Xu Heng had nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong.

After giving himself a little pep talk, he rolled over and tucked himself into bed. But no matter how many times he adjusted his position, he couldn’t get comfortable. Finally, he sat up, rummaged through the drawer in his nightstand, and pulled out a tube of anti-inflammatory cream. He applied it between his legs, sighing in relief as the cool sensation finally soothed the soreness.

It had felt amazing, but damn, he was too big.

Xu Heng thought about tonight’s “workout” for a while before drifting off into sleep.

Friday arrived. Determined not to be late like last time, Xu Heng got up early. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he even spent extra time fixing himself up before heading out.

Since he left early, the roads were clearer than expected. Traffic was smooth, and he reached the venue with time to spare. Just as he was about to wave at the security guard to open the gate for him, a hand suddenly appeared behind him, holding an access card and swiping it across the reader.

“Thanks…”

Xu Heng lifted his makeup case. As he turned around, he came face to face with Chen Ang.

Chen Ang was still dressed in his usual formal wear. Sleeves rolled up to the elbows, jacket draped over his arm, collar snug right beneath his Adam’s apple. Xu Heng couldn’t help but wonder how he wasn’t burning up under all that seriousness.

“You’re welcome,” Chen Ang replied politely, as if they were strangers. He gave Xu Heng a small nod.

Xu Heng finally let out the breath he had been holding and quickly stepped forward to press the elevator button. The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder waiting, alone in the mostly empty lobby. The quiet between them was suffocating. Xu Heng tensed up again, trying not to look over at Chen Ang.

When the elevator finally arrived, the silence only grew worse inside the small space. Xu Heng felt like he was going to die of secondhand awkwardness, while Chen Ang stood calm as ever.

As the doors closed, Xu Heng reached out to press the button for his floor, only for his hand to bump right into Chen Ang’s.

He quickly pulled back. Chen Ang had already selected the same floor.

“Thanks,” Xu Heng mumbled.

Luckily, once the doors opened, they went in separate directions. The rest of the morning was a whirlwind of makeup and last-minute rehearsals. Xu Heng was so busy he wished he had eight hands to hold all his brushes. Chen Ang, being in charge of managing the entire program flow, was running around nonstop. They didn’t see each other again the whole morning.

By afternoon, Gu Wenyuan finally arrived, having had a packed schedule earlier in the day. The moment he entered, he locked eyes on Xu Heng and headed straight to him, sitting down in front of his station to get his makeup done.

Xu Heng kept a professional attitude, all serious and focused. One look at his face, and Gu Wenyuan dropped the flirty act.

Just as Gu Wenyuan stood up after finishing, Chen Ang suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dropped into the seat he had just vacated. A middle-aged woman bustled up behind him, fussing.

“Xiao Chen, you’re going up to accept an award. Let’s get you made up a bit. Such a handsome young man, you’ll look even better with a little touch-up.”

Xu Heng caught the unwillingness flicker across Chen Ang’s face and felt an evil sense of joy.

“Yes, yes, makeup will make you look great,” he chimed in quickly.

Chen Ang gave him a look, then forced a polite smile.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Clearly, he was the darling of all the office aunties. The woman beamed and walked off, satisfied. The moment she left, Chen Ang’s face dropped like a kid being dragged to get a haircut. Xu Heng held back a grin and grabbed the foundation like a true professional.

Chen Ang reached out and stopped his wrist.

“Keep it light.”

Xu Heng leaned in, his voice deliberately low and teasing.

“Xiao Chen, you’ll look so good with a little makeup.”

Chen Ang narrowed his eyes, then suddenly reached up and grabbed the back of Xu Heng’s neck, pulling him down until their faces were inches apart. His breath brushed against Xu Heng’s ear as he spoke.

“Does your ass still hurt?”

The voice was low, rough, and full of suggestion. Xu Heng shot up like a spring, eyes darting nervously around. No one seemed to have noticed. Chen Ang leaned back in the chair, arms crossed, a slight curl tugging at his lips.

Your move.