TOW 5

The day they returned to the set, it rained again. The air after the rain carried a faint sweetness, like the scent of flowers. Liang Xuan was quiet, as always. He returned the motorbike with Xu Fei, then went straight back to the hotel. Xu Fei watched him close the door and thought, Well, I guess that’s the end of it.

But he didn’t feel much about it.

The past few days with Liang Xuan had felt like a dream, like some reckless adventure. A little surreal, a little absurd, an intoxicating thrill that went just a bit too far. But it didn’t feel real.

Other cast and crew slowly trickled back in. Cai Jiajun brought back jars of chili paste from his hometown, and he and Xu Fei holed up in the room to cook hotpot. Xu Fei was so overwhelmed by the spice he had to run to the window to open it, tongue hanging out as he tried to cool down. Yet even then, he couldn’t help glancing toward the edge of the windowsill next door, like somehow he’d catch sight of Liang Xuan that way.

He felt like an idiot.

Filming resumed the next day. The first two episodes were under Director Li Shanyi’s helm. The man was meticulous and practical. The entire set functioned like clockwork, disciplined and orderly.

Xu Fei loved this kind of environment. No brown-nosing, no stepping on others to climb higher, no abuse of power.

After simple makeup and costume prep, he followed his assistant to set. He and Liang Xuan were shooting their first scene together, in an off-road vehicle.

Liang Xuan arrived from the other side, wearing a green short-sleeved shirt, camo pants, and combat boots. He looked every bit the tough young lead.

Li Shanyi nodded approvingly, ran through the scene with both of them again, and told them to get in position.

Xu Fei climbed into the driver’s seat and twisted his neck. Liang Xuan got in from the passenger side.

“Morning,” Liang Xuan said softly.

Xu Fei froze for a second. It took him a few beats to realize Liang Xuan was talking to him. He felt a bit awkward. “Uh, morning,” he replied and glanced around at the lights and cameras circling them.

Li Shanyi’s voice came through: “Rolling.”

Xu Fei hesitated, then asked, “One take?”

Liang Xuan gave him a small smile.

And they really did nail it in one take. It was a simple scene. First-day shoots were usually kept that way, more out of tradition than necessity. Still, Xu Fei hadn’t expected the kid to have such solid acting chops. His delivery was great. Voice low and steady, completely distracting from his actual age.

“Not bad at all,” Xu Fei said as they stepped off camera, giving Liang Xuan’s arm a light punch.

Liang Xuan smiled. “You too.”

The day wrapped quickly. Cai Jiajun invited Xu Fei out for a drink, but he declined and headed straight back to his hotel room.

He was organizing clothes when there was a sudden knock at the door. Xu Fei paused and asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” came the reply after a brief silence. “Liang Xuan.”

Xu Fei froze.

For a few seconds, he thought he was hearing things. Then he questioned whether he should even open the door. But of course, impulse won out over reason onve more.

He opened the door. Liang Xuan stood there, holding a few pieces of clothing.

“The hot water’s out in my bathroom,” he said. “Can I use yours?”

Xu Fei raised an eyebrow so high it nearly flew off his forehead. “The hot water’s out?” That had to be the dumbest excuse he’d ever heard in his life.

Liang Xuan just shrugged. “Yeah.”

Xu Fei was speechless. He stared at Liang Xuan for a good half-minute. But the guy’s face was perfectly calm. In the end, Xu Fei muttered, “You’ve got balls,” and stepped aside to let him in.

Liang Xuan walked in and casually shut the door behind him. Xu Fei returned to the bed, folding his T-shirt neatly and picking up the script beside him.

But Liang Xuan didn’t head to the bathroom. He stood by the entryway, calmly hanging his sleepwear in the wardrobe, then turned to face Xu Fei and began undressing.

Xu Fei nearly fell off the bed. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Taking off my clothes,” Liang Xuan said flatly. The way he looked at Xu Fei was almost condescending, like he was questioning Xu Fei’s IQ.

His hands didn’t stop moving. One button at a time, the shirt came undone, revealing pale skin and lean, defined muscles underneath.

Xu Fei swallowed hard. He wanted to look away, but his eyes refused to move. All he could do was watch as Liang Xuan stripped off his shirt, then reached for his pants.

When the trousers dropped, they revealed tight white briefs, straining against an unmistakably large bulge.

Xu Fei flopped onto the bed with a loud thud and yanked a pillow over his face. “You fucking asshole,” he muttered into the fabric.

Liang Xuan chuckled softly.

After a while, the rustling sounds finally stopped. Then came footsteps, the creak of the bathroom door, and the rush of running water.

Xu Fei tossed the pillow aside and took a deep breath, staring blankly at the pure white ceiling above him.

He had no idea why Liang Xuan had really come over.

The sound of running water continued, constant and steady. It reminded Xu Fei of a night just a few days ago.

The bathroom had been small, barely enough space for two adult men. Liang Xuan had pinned him against the tiled wall, leg wedged between his, thrusting upward in slow, hard pulses. Xu Fei’s face was pressed to the cold tiles, shivering between bursts of heat. And Liang Xuan’s cock, was rubbing at his entrance but refusing to go in. It drove Xu Fei absolutely insane.

He sat up in bed with a jolt. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. But he couldn’t help it. He got up, took two steps, and walked straight to the bathroom door, and yanked it open.

Liang Xuan turned toward him. The shower was still running, water cascading under the overhead light. It made him look like a statue, veiled in a thin layer of mist.

“Hot water’s broken, huh?” Xu Fei said.

Liang Xuan tilted his head slightly, his expression perfectly innocent. “Yeah.”

Xu Fei bit his lip. He was angry, amused, flustered, all at once. And somewhere deep in that mess, there was a warmth he couldn’t explain.

“I thought…” he started, but the sentence died in his throat. Only the sound of steaming hot water filled the air, echoing off the tiles in thick fog.

Liang Xuan shifted slightly. “It’s cold,” he said, nodding at the wide-open door.

Xu Fei burst out laughing in disbelief. “It’s thirty-something degrees out. How the hell is it cold?”

He looked at Liang Xuan’s flushed face, his long neck, those broad shoulders… and then something inside him snapped. He stepped into the tiny space.

“Fine. Hot water’s broken, right?”

He stripped in seconds, throwing off his clothes and stepping through the spray, chest to chest with Liang Xuan. “Looks like mine’s gonna break too. Better wash together while we still can.”

Liang Xuan reached out and steadied him by the waist. “Yeah,” he said seriously. “Good idea.”

Xu Fei raised his face and kissed him.

This time, they didn’t go all the way, not in the shower at least. They just clung to each other, kissing deeply under the hot spray.

Liang Xuan’s hands explored every inch of Xu Fei’s body, following the patterns of his tattoos. He traced swirls, trees, fish, and birds before lowering his head to kiss the wings on Xu Fei’s chest. Xu Fei moaned, his voice hoarse, fingers slipping into Liang Xuan’s mouth. Liang Xuan sucked them gently.

By the time they made it to the bed, they were both dripping wet. Tomorrow they’d definitely get an earful from housekeeping, but Xu Fei couldn’t care less.

He straddled Liang Xuan’s waist, moaning around the man’s fingers buried in his ass, while his mouth latched onto Liang Xuan’s nipple.

He could hear Liang Xuan’s breathy groans in his ears.

“Xu Fei…” Liang Xuan gasped, gripping his hair, fingertips digging into his scalp. The sensation of being completely controlled sent a strange wave of pleasure through Xu Fei.

He sank down. His body stretched open around Liang Xuan’s cock, making his pulse race.

Liang Xuan cupped his face, then trailed his fingers down to his throat. Xu Fei turned his head and kissed those fingers, bouncing up and down, feeling Liang Xuan’s cock drive deeper each time.

The orgasm came with an unusual clarity. Xu Fei’s body clenched tightly around Liang Xuan’s cock. He could feel every twitch of Liang Xuan’s muscles underneath him.

When Liang Xuan thrust in hard, Xu Fei trembled, let out a low moan, and collapsed forward, hands braced beside Liang Xuan’s head. Their eyes met, and all Xu Fei saw in those dark eyes was lust. Young, unrestrained, intense.

“Xu Fei,” Liang Xuan whispered.

“Mm.” Xu Fei leaned down and kissed him.

Liang Xuan bit his lower lip, and came.

Over the weekend, Xu Fei took the bike out again. Liang Xuan came along.

They drove past long coastal highways, past swarms of seagulls screeching and spinning through the air. Sometimes, at night in motels, they’d have sex. Sometimes they just lay together and slept. But every time Xu Fei woke up, he was curled in Liang Xuan’s arms, completely enveloped by those long limbs. Warm, like a furnace.

Even during weekdays when filming resumed, they’d occasionally sneak in a quick session. Both of them were sneaking in and out like thieves, careful not to leave marks on each other.

After filming, when the crew got together for drinks or activities, Liang Xuan would show up too. He’d sit quietly, smile at the right moments, clap along with the others.

Cai Jiajun once said to Xu Fei, “I think Liang Xuan’s gotten more approachable lately.”

But Xu Fei just felt more and more like he was living in a dream.

By September, the rain had slowed, and sunny days became more frequent. Filming was nearing its end. TV network teams had started stepping in with promotional efforts, and more and more media groups came by to conduct interviews.

Xu Fei, being a major supporting role, got hit with quite a few. But most of the questions were fluff, so he didn’t mind. At least it meant fewer scripted lines to memorize.

A few days later, Cai Jiajun suddenly came sneaking over to him. “Did you know it’s almost Liang Xuan’s birthday?”

Xu Fei blinked. “How would I know that?” Then asked, “How do you know?”

“It’s listed right there on the variety show roundup,” Cai Jiajun said, clearly judging Xu Fei’s poor internet search skills. “September 12. Just so happens to fall on a Saturday when we’re off. We’re planning a little birthday celebration.”

The party was initiated by Li Shanyi. Everyone already knew about his connection to Liang Xuan. Liang Xuan’s university mentor was Li Shanyi’s younger brother, so the kid was basically getting the nephew-level treatment.

Since he’d been clued in, Xu Fei naturally joined the plan. He figured he’d buy Liang Xuan a gift.

After filming, he wandered around a nearby market. He walked for a while, then spotted a baseball cap with a Dodgers logo on it, and a ridiculously illegible autograph stitched into the side.

“Whose signature is this?” Xu Fei asked the vendor.

“Kershaw’s!” the man thumped his chest in confidence. “Hand-signed!”

Xu Fei curled his lip in doubt. Still, he vaguely remembered Liang Xuan mentioning Clayton Kershaw before… though, at the time, Liang Xuan’s dick had been inside him, so he might’ve misheard.

He turned the black-and-gray cap over in his hands, squinting at the signature for a long moment. Then he made up his mind and bought it.

After the party, Xu Fei knocked on Liang Xuan’s hotel room door. Liang Xuan let him in, cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

“What’s up?” he asked. There was a boyish softness to him when he was drunk, something rarely seen otherwise.

Xu Fei took out the cap. “Here,” he said, pushing it into Liang Xuan’s hands. “Apparently it’s signed by Kershaw himself. Though the chances of that being true are, like, 0.00001%.”

He licked his lips, suddenly a little nervous for reasons he didn’t quite understand. “I remembered you mentioning him… so I thought… uh—” He cut himself off. “Happy birthday.”

Liang Xuan held the cap, looking down at it in silence. After a while, he said, “Thanks.”

But the flush on his face slowly faded, and something like clarity returned to his eyes. He looked at Xu Fei, hesitated, then turned and tossed the cap onto the bed. There was a pause before he finally said, “We’re… not actually dating, are we?”

Xu Fei froze.

His brain felt like it had just been hit by a cannonball. The force knocked the sweat right out of his palms, wiped away the nerves twisting in his gut, and shattered the illusion he’d been carrying for the past few months like a dream he never questioned.

“No,” he said. “Of course not. What kind of joke is that?”

Liang Xuan gave a soft hum, like he was uneasy. “I just…” he tried to explain, awkwardly. “We never actually talked about it… so I thought… I should…”

Xu Fei waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. My bad. I forgot you’re still a little virgin.” He forced a grin and punched Liang Xuan lightly in the arm. “We’re just fuck buddies. No big deal.”

“I wasn’t…” Liang Xuan said, “I wasn’t worried about that.”

But Xu Fei just kept smiling. “It’s fine,” he said. “Gift’s delivered. I’ll head back.”

He didn’t look at Liang Xuan again. Just turned and walked out in long, determined strides.