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Helian Yi had three phones. One for business, another for more shady business that shouldn’t be directly associated with his name, and one more for personal matters.

After years of working for him, Zhou Zishu got used to the requests coming from the two work phones, he was able to do whatever Helian Yi wanted in a blink of an eye, just like he wanted it, no questions asked, no issues. Because he was good at his job. And also at the ad hoc tasks that were not necessarily in his contract but well, he knew he would still get paid so he wasn’t exactly picky.

But unfortunately, his and Helian Yi’s sort of occasional beer buddy relationship over the years developed into a particular one that with some strain could be called friendship, and that meant messages also from Helian Yi’s personal number, and to be honest, Zhou Zishu wasn’t half as comfortable answering most of them as he was with the work-related ones.

Helian Yi trying to take over his private life with beer and lunch invitations that wasn’t that bad, although at times hard to decline since Helian Yi was his boss, kind of his friend, and generally a very stubborn and self-centered person. Zhou Zishu just accepted them from time to time to shut him up.

But, if it was only about the invitations, Zhou Zishi wouldn’t cringe whenever he saw a message from Helian Yi’s personal number.

Helian Yi

Have you seen Beiyuan lately?

Jing Beiyuan. Probably the hardest subject in Helian Yi’s life but also the one person he could not shut up about. His best friend, his childhood playmate, his first love, his ex, his soulmate, and much more, or so Helian Yi claimed. The single person Helian Yi wanted to control the most and the one that kept getting away.

Also, Zhou Zishu’s close friend since he met them both in college over a bottle of wine.

Zhou Zishu

I’ve seen him around but not so much lately

It was a lie. Jing Beiyuan took him to wine tasting two days prior, and last week they had dinner together twice. But he didn’t need his friend to know that, he was still hoping to cut the conversation short.

Helian Yi

Do you know if he’s still dating the rebound guy?

Zhou Zishu wondered if Helian Yi would ever stop calling Wu Xi ‘a rebound guy’. He doubted it since the label never made sense in the first place and Helian Yi was stubborn and prone to jealousy. 

Anyway, it mattered little who was and who wasn’t a rebound guy in Helian Yi’s opinion, it wouldn’t change the fact Beiyuan and Wu Xi were happy together for years now. But at times like this, Zhou Zishu had a tad bit more respect for Jing Beiyuan’s insane decision not to tell Helian Yi that they got married and adopted a child.  After all, if Helian Yi barely handled the two of them dating, who knows what he would do if he found out.

Despite Beiyuan’s biddings, Zhou Zishu felt like someone should eventually tell him, it was the right thing to do. But at the same time, he definitely didn’t want to be the one to enlighten him. And so the things were left unsaid, all of them hoping that Helian Yi would eventually realize things on his own or maybe move on.

Zhou Zishu

If you mean his life partner for almost ten years, then yes. He’s still with the same guy he’s had his eyes on when I first met him. No change here.

Helian Yi

…

Beiyuan is barely texting me back lately

 I’m worried

I was thinking that maybe he broke up with his exotic boy toy Erasmus+ and that was why he wasn’t in the mood for talking

Zhou Zishu

I was over at their house last week, they are perfectly happy

Maybe it’s work? He’s been busy with some new project

Helian Yi

If it was work, he would tell me

So you don’t know? Is he texting you back normally?

Zishu knew pretty well that a six-year-old recent addition to Beiyuan and Wu Xi’s married life was to blame but he couldn’t tell Helian Yi that.

So he came up with another lie that made sense and would maybe shut Helian Yi up.

Zhou Zishu

Now that you mention it, he has been a slow texter lately

Wu Xi told me that Beiyuan got some new antidepressants that made him moody, probably that’s the reason

They are working it out, he should be fine soon

Helian Yi

New ones? Again?

What good comes from him dating a doctor if he even can’t help him get the good meds?

I need to see him

I already asked him out last week but he says that he doesn’t have the time

So I need to use another way.

There’s this random old monster in the fashion industry who’s having who knows which birthday that he turned it into a garden party, and I heard he’s bringing up the good stuff from his wine cellar so there is no wa y Beiyuan would skip an event like that

Unless he’s feeling really bad

Then I will go to his house

And revoke his boyfriend’s rights to take care of him that I have graciously bestowed on him

Zhou Zishu

And you have an invite to this random old monster’s party?

He wasn’t even surprised. As an affluential politician, Helian Yi was invited literally everywhere.

Helian Yi

Of course. I can even bring a guest with me. And I plan to use it, it would be nice to have someone to talk to if Beiyuan is not there.

I could take A-Luang as my plus one but I don’t want Beiyuan to think that I’m showing off in front of him and well, there are the tabloids to consider too. So I could use a plus one that won’t make the gossip magazines or Beiyuan go crazy, come with me?

With a long, heavy sigh Zhou Zishu closed his eyes and evaluated his options. He knew his job depended on Helian Yi’s career so it would be better to go with him and make sure he wouldn’t make a scene. But was self-sacrifice really worth it?

He thought about the open bar full of rich people’s expensive alcohol.

Self-sacrifice it was. He had years of experience in keeping Helian Yi in check during his ‘I love Beiyuan’ moments so he would survive, and as long as he would get quality drinks for it, it would probably be worth it.

On Saturday, Helian Yi used social pressure as an argument to coerce Zhou Zishu into changing out from the plain blue shirt and force him to wear the one he gave him, also blue but of better quality and with a more fashionable flair to it. Zhou Zishu accepted it quietly with a sigh, knowing well that it was probably another manifestation of Helian Yi’s control issues so it would be a waste of time to go and try to argue with him. Also, it did feel nice against his skin.

Also, he pitied his friend a little. Helian Yi dressed up really well, his outfit casual but elegant in every little detail, from the Scabal jacket to his colorful socks. He looked like he wanted to impress his first date on whom he had a crush for a while, not like a person who just wanted to check up on their childhood friend who was an even lazier texter than usual and got them worried.

They were already in the back of Helian Yi’s car, his usual weekend driver taking them to the party when Zhou Zishu felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

In an instant, all his dreams about a quiet weekend with fancy drinks were shattered by one short text from Jing Beiyuan.

He kept his composure as he read it, not showing even a tad bit of horror on his face. But the truth was, at this point, even though the party hasn’t started yet, he was entirely sure it would be utterly horrible.

No alcohol in the world would be worth it.

Jing Beiyuan

Our nanny got sick, we had to take Lu Ta with us, sorry Zishu

I’ll pay next time we go out

He glanced at Helian Yi who was humming happily as he straightened out the material on his sleeves, not having the slightest idea that the person he was looking forward to meeting so much was already married and had a child.

Zhou Zishu

Beiyuan. No.

Leave Wu Xi home with the kid don’t do this to me

Jing Beiyuan

I thought about this, Wu Xi is not comfortable with me going alone to a party with Helian Yi 

Zhou Zishu

Even if I’m there too?

Come on Beiyuan, you’re a strong independent gay man, you don’t need your man telling you where you can and cannot go alone

Leave him at home with the baby

Jing Beiyuan

Haha, Wu Xi doesn’t dream of having so much control over my life

I love him so much, he respects all the choices I make as long as I don’t hurt myself or cheat on him

Fine, you saw it though,  I’m not comfortable seeing Helian Yi right now without my little toxin there to protect me

I mean, I’ve been lying to him about the existence of the most adorable baby ever, he’s going to kill me if I slip unless Wu Xi will be there to glare at him

And sorry Zishu, your glares don’t have half the impact on Helian Yi

Not your fault, it’s entirely due to Helian Yi’s disturbed mind

Well, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now

 it’s really as good time as any to tell him I’m happily married and have an adorable, smart son who looks dashingly handsome in a suit, perfectly on pair with his dad

 it won’t get any better later

Zhou Zishu

First of all, he’s six, don’t call him dashingly handsome, it’s weird

Second, stop complimenting your husband when we’re having a crisis

Jing Beiyuan

I was complimenting myself just now

Because I am having a crisis here and I need to build up the confidence to not hate myself for not telling Helian Yi that I got married

 and adopted a baby

I can lie to Helian Yi’s face about Wu Xi being just my boyfriend, he’s an adult, he gets it, and tbh he doesn’t care much about what Helian Yi thinks as long as I’m his

But I shouldn’t deprive my son of a rich uncle who will try to buy his love

So listen

Today is perfect

It’s way better to tell him in public because in private he could actually kill me

And now I can use Lu Ta’s cuteness and Helian Yi’s softness for kids to our advantage

Zhou Zishu

Jing Beiyuan. Are you really going to weaponize your own son?

Just go back home, I’ll figure something out

I’ll tell him you caught a cold or sth

The next message that came was just Beiyuan trying to sway him using his weak points, it was single photo of Lu Ta holding a drawing of him, his parents, and Zishu at a party all dressed in fancy suits, with colorful, oversized cocktails in hands. He knew his dads and uncle so well, it warmed Zhou Zishu’s heart.

Zhou Zishu

Stop using him on me

Jing Beiyuan

My son is a powerful weapon, crumble before his cuteness

And that’s nothing compared to what Helian Yi will experience

Please keep an eye on him?

Remember, he does that thing when he scratches his thumb against the pointing finger knuckle, it means that he wants to punch someone

Give him wine then, a lot of wine, wine makes him soft and sad

Tequila makes him angry, avoid at all cost

I will see if there are any cosmo shots, that would be the best actually 

Zhou Zishu

I know him, I know how to make his drinks

Beiyuan, don’t do this to me, please

I can do a lot of things but that’s going to be hell

Don’t pretend you don’t know that he’s still in love with you

You are going to break his heart again and I’m going to have to be there to pick up the pieces

Beiyuan started typing the reply a few times but each time he ended up erasing it since the three dots in the app disappeared for an instant. Zhou Zishu bit his lip, wondering if he crossed some line because usually, they didn’t talk about this issue openly unless after drinking a significant volume of alcohol first.

Finally, Jing Beiyuan replied.

Jing Beiyuan

I know and I’m sorry, Zishu, but this has to be done and you know it

I love my son

I cannot look Helian Yi in the eyes and tell him Lu Ta doesn’t exist

And I don’t want Lu Ta to feel that I’m hiding him

Helian Yi will find out eventually and it’s better if he does now when Lu Ta is still small and won’t realize that I’m a bad person who was hiding something serious from their friend for such a long time

Gimme a moment I need to get sth done

Zhou Zishu put down his phone with a sigh, knowing that Jing Beiyuan was right and there was no way he would change his mind at this point unless Wu Xi convinced him which was unlikely.

“Something bad?” Helian Yi casually asked, taking a notice of Zhou Zishu’s resignation.

“Nothing, just this one person,” he answered vaguely with a frown. “I like them but sometimes they are a lot. And now they are trying to rope me into babysitting a very angry child.”

“Oh? You’ll handle it, kids like you. Especially those with daddy issues.”

“I’m busy tonight either way,” he said.

“If it’s an emergency I won’t force you to come, I can handle Beiyuan on my own. Even if he’s on bad antidepressants.”

Zhou Zishu tiredly rubbed his palm against his face.

“You have no idea what are you talking about, only Wu Xi can handle Beiyuan on bad antidepressants and that’s just barely,” he muttered quietly enough so Helian Yi couldn’t hear. Still, saying that out loud gave him some satisfaction.

“What did you say?”

“Just that I would rather face Wu Xi’s scorpions than deal with this brat.”

“Wow. But it’s strange, you like kids, even the annoying ones.  You shouldn’t complain about babysitting. It is the person? Are they a date gone wrong? Do I know them?” Helian Yi put on his condescending tone and kept digging because he didn’t know when to stop.

 At times he really did treat people like property that he had the right to know everything about whenever this side of his character prevailed, Zhou Zishu was getting even more certain that Beiyuan did the right thing breaking up.

“It’s just a friend,” he answered vaguely.

The phone in his hand lit up.

Wu Xi

Don’t worry. Beiyuan is already almost done working on a plan and he’s running it through me. Looks legit enough. He’s even cashing in a favor to get us a powerful ally.

We’ll handle it, no one dies today.

Maybe Helian Yi’s dignity will die a little. But I believe in him. He’s strong.

A moment later, another text came.

Jing Beiyuan

I optimized the potential damage.

When a man almost as stunningly handsome as me comes up to you, let him speak.

That’s all.

Zhou Zishu

What?

That’s too vague to recognize a person

And how can that be all?

What do you need me to actually do?

Jing Beiyuan

Oh, you’ll recognize him immediately, he’ll take your breath away, I’m 100% sure ;)

whatever he will say, just let him, I gave him precise instructions

And when he asks you for your phone, unlock it and give it to him

The personal one of course

Don’t even think about giving him the work one

Aside from that, I trust your judgment, you’ll know what to do

That didn’t calm Zhou Zishu down even a bit.

When they’ve reached the address, Helian Yi rushed to the door, quickly exchanged pleasantries with the host who happened to open it, introduced Zhou Zishu as his friend and plus one. The host was a man in his at least fifties who although at glance seemed a little grumpy, was still giving off vibrant, youthful energy despite his age. With a fake but disarming smile, Helian Yi handed him the gift his assistant picked out earlier that week, it was some sort of all-you-can-eat voucher to a gourmet restaurant. The host was extremely pleased with it and the content seemed to have lifted the grumpiness from his face a bit. He showed them the way to the garden, and then excused himself to check up on something upstairs. And stash the voucher someplace safe, Zhou Zishu guessed.

 As soon as he disappeared on the stairs, Helian Yi rushed through the house, ready to jump into the crowd and hunt for Jing Beiyuan. Knowing him well, Zhou Zishu noticed that he was anxious although his face betrayed absolutely nothing.

 All the guests were gathered there, chatting and laughing so loudly, everyone looking as if they stepped out of the fashion magazine. It was definitely one of those rich people parties Helian Yi or Beiyuan would drag him to from time to time, with some staff constantly cleaning up empty glasses, a stand with two barmen making drinks, and multiple tables scattered around the garden, each full of food and drinks for the guests.

Zhou Zishu felt slightly underdressed, and maybe even appreciated that Helian Yi forced him to wear the better shirt. But also, he didn’t care much, even if he was actually underdressed. He came here to babysit, not to star in the show.

His eyes wandered around the garden to find a familiar face but saw none. Next to him, Helian Yi was scanning the surroundings too, searching for any sign of Jing Beiyuan. He pressed his lips into a thin line, a small frown clouding his face when he did not find him.

Zhou Zishu had no idea what Jing Beiyuan’s plan was but he honestly hoped it was good because a sudden realization came over him;  he was all alone with soon-to-be-traumatized Helian Yi and he couldn’t even discern where the lethal blow would come from to prepare himself and his friend.

Beiyuan could have at least sent a text with a proper explanation.

Suddenly, a tall man with a vibrant cocky smile and intense eyes came up to them. He had sharp but handsome features and confidence that made Zhou Zishu open his eyes wider. Also, he was dressed in a red outfit inspired by hanfu which was definitely not something one could see on a street on a given day, it was so peculiar that probably it would be hard to find even with Jing Beiyuan’s knowledge of fashion parlors.

He was holding two glasses in his hands.

His eyes were completely focused on Zhou Zishu, staring into his with some inexplicable excitement.

“I finally found you, beautiful, I brought you a drink, I hope you’ll like it,” the man said in a charming tone offering him a tall glass of turquoise liquid. “I tried it earlier, it’s absolutely delightful.”

“Excuse me?” Zhou Zishu blinked.

“You have some audacity to make me wait for you so long and come with another man but well, there is nothing that shall not be forgiven between us. We all have a past, nothing is stopping us from having a future together.”

A colorful drink got pushed into his hand and the other man’s fingers lingered on his for a moment. When he tried to cast the hand away, the man retreated himself with a seductive smile on his handsome face.

He was a completely different type of beauty than Jing Beiyuan but with his high cheekbones and the eyes that seemed to be drawing in everything they gazed upon, he was without a doubt an extremely attractive man.

Zhou Zishu had a strange hunch that this man probably could bring a calamity into anyone’s life if he wanted to but at the same time he couldn’t tear his eyes away from him, he was too alluring. Like the poisonous flowers, Wu Xi used to keep in his dorms. 

Or maybe it was just a hunch that meant nothing.

“Who are you and how dare you harass my date?” Helian Yi asked harshly.

“Wen Kexing, an acquaintance of Jing Beiyuan. He told me to give you this,” the mysterious man replied offering him a shot glass with pink liquid a much less flirtatious way.

“Where is he?” Helian Yi asked matter of factly, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

“Somewhere here. He personally asked me to catch you two at the entrance, give you a shot of vodka with cranberry juice and then pass you a message. Only in this order. He said I shall look for a beautiful man who is just my type and the infamous ex who will look like he’s got a very long stick in his ass and wants to control everyone in the room. And I have to say, you two match the description perfectly,” he swayed to the side to quickly check out Zhou Zishu’s shoulder blades. “Yes, perfectly, I definitely found the most attractive person here, making all the others look pale in comparison,” he nodded solemnly, and then he turned to face Helian Yi. “So drink the vodka like Jing Beiyuan asked to or you shall never find him because I’ll text him that you’ve refused and he will be hiding from you the entire party, you won’t even catch a glimpse of him. And supposedly you know he would be able to pull that off.”

Helian Yi exchanged a short glare with Zhou Zishu, sighed, took the vodka glass from Wen Kexing’s hand, and drank it all in one go without even twitching.

“Speak.”

“Okay, so our dear Beiyuan asked me to amicably let you know that he’s happily married now and they have recently adopted a kid. All three are here somewhere. Enjoy the party,” Wen Kexing announced with a dashing grin. “You too, beauty, those drinks are to die for,” he had the audacity to wink.

Zhou Zishu barely paid attention to him, watching Helian Yi’s reaction. His face was like a stone but his eyes were glimmering with anger. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet, yet one could feel the venom in it, one that seemed to be burning Helian Yi from within.

“Where is he?”

“Around,” Wen Kexing said, his glare and tone sharp enough to make it clear that he won’t say anything more.

Helian Yi gritted his teeth and marched off without even thanking him. Zhou Zishu hesitated between going after him and looking for Beiyuan himself but he had no idea where to start except for questioning the eccentric guy next to him. At least, that was until the man took out the white silk fan he had stashed in his belt and waved it in an exaggerated, pompous way that could not be a coincidence, even taking into consideration the flamboyance of Wen Kexing.

For someone who has spent years around Jing Beiyuan and watched all his ploys, it was clear as day that he was sending signals. Zhou Zishu’s mind analyzed the surroundings fast. Helian Yi was in the garden, looking for him so Beiyuan needed to be someplace safe, away from Helian Yi’s eyes but close enough that he could see the signal and oversee the situation.

He realized Wen Kexing wasn’t the only person who was in Jing Beiyuan’s pocket, the host probably was engaged too and reported promptly as soon as they arrived.

Beiyuan was in the house, upstairs.

“Fancy finding by sheer luck what one has searched for far and wide. You are truly stunning, a beauty outshining any other. I’m glad to finally make a proper acquaintance, even if that’s all that’s thanks to Lu Ta’s nanny catching a cold. I have been summoned on quite short notice so pardon my casual outfit, I would have put far more effort into it if I had been properly warned.”

If that was the other man’s casual look, Zhou Zishu feared how far he would go if he actually wanted to show off.

“You look bright enough, a bit more and it would hurt my eyes to look at you.”

“Don’t need to be shy, my beauty. And how splendid, we finally we are alone,” Wen Kexing said, fanning himself. “Not that I mind your friends but it’s nice to have you all for myself. I am really looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“Look,” Zhou Zishu sighed. “I have no clue what is Beiyuan’s plan behind asking his friend who is clearly way out of my league to shamelessly hit on me in front of his ex but you don’t have to do it anymore. He can’t hear it.”

Out of the blue, he got smacked on the shoulder with Wen Kexing’s fan. The other man’s glare was sharp, as it could pierce the very soul of the one it fell at.

„Don’t you dare put yourself down like that, when a beauty cannot appreciate themself it shatters my heart into sharp tiny pieces and makes me want to use those pieces to gauge the eyes of everyone who had let them think they are less than what they are. Especially you. I mean it when I say I find you stunningly beautiful. Are you questioning my taste, A-Xu?”

It was at this moment that Zhou Zishu realized – Wen Kexing was just as crazy as he was attractive. And it made him even more attractive in a very disturbing way.

Maybe the fact that he has spent most of his life dealing with excentric and odd people twisted his mind a little bit, he wasn’t sure at this point but instead of being worried, he felt intrigued.

“My name is not A-Xu,” he said, not yet sure how exactly to fight back against this man, or if he wanted to.

“I know,” Wen Kexing’s expression shifted again, he was once again sweet and charming. “I know. Makes the name even more special, doesn’t it? Could I please have your phone?”

Mindful of Beiyuan’s instructions, he unlocked his smartphone and handed it over to the man. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t suspicious at this point but generally life has proven him that the strangest things may be part of Jing Beiyuan’s plan.

Wen Kexing smirked spent a moment typing and then gave it back. Instead of a secret message, Zhou Zishu found a new contact shamelessly saved as Soulmate. Wen Kexing already sent a few hearts to it so he also had the other’s number and Zhou Zishu was utterly doomed.

“Feel free to text me whenever you want, my dearest A-Xu. I’m free next weekend for a date if you would like,” he added, sounding a bit more modest for a change, less forceful. Zhou Zishu ignored him never the less.

“Thank you for your help with Helian Yi,” Zhou Zishu said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go upstairs and clear some things up.”

„Oh my, you figured out where our dear friend is already?” Wen Kexing smirked. „Dashingly handsome and smart, you’re the whole package, aren’t you? Jing Beiyuan told me so but I have to say you do exceed all my expectations, both the looks and personality-wise. Well, beauty, I will be anxiously waiting for your return, and in the meantime, I shall fetch myself a drink. See you soon,” he leaned in out of the blue to kiss Zhou Zishu’s cheek and moved away quickly.

With a smile playing on his lips, he took a step back and was about to leave, when Zhou Zishu spoke up.

“Wait. Will you watch Helian Yi?”

“For you? But of course. Well, for our dear Jing Beiyuan too since I was given precise instructions, don’t worry,” he tittered, waving his fan around. The air stirred and made his long hair move in a much more alluring way than Zhou Zishu wanted to admit. “All is under control. Feel safe leaving your friend and the potential scandal in my capable hands.”

Having said that, Wen Kexing wandered off to mingle with the crowd, flowing into the sea of people with a casual, effortless charm that made Zhou Zishu’s eyes linger on him. For a moment stayed like this, unwillingly thinking about how Wen Kexing’s lips left on his cheek, breathing in the air that smelled like Wen Kexing’s expensive perfume.

He shrugged it all off and rushed upstairs.

Now that he knew where to look for him, finding Beiyuan was quite an easy task. The second floor of the house was a long corridor with doors that were all closed for the guests. At the end of the corridor, there was a small sitting room next to the windows that gave a perfect view of the garden.

One would have to be blind not to notice Jing Beiyuan in the corner. This time not only his natural charm was to blame but also the outfit. Even if he walked out right now to join the crowd gathered in the garden, he would still stand out.

Because Jing Beiyuan’s blouse, shirt, or whatever this garment should be called, was shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow. It was made of white mulberry silk enhanced with something that caused it to sparkle vividly in the sun. Additional material on the long, broad sleeves made the impression even more powerful, the blouse flickered every time Beiyuan made the smallest move, and he was moving quite a lot, chatting avidly with his husband and gracefully waving his fan, similar to the one Wen Kexing had.

Wu Xi chose a much less shocking outfit, he simply wore all black complimented by some simple silver jewelry Beiyuan’s company made, among other things. Nevertheless, he wasn’t much less eye-catching than his husband with his exotic features and dark eyes that seemed to be ever darker thanks to the touch of eyeshadow that Beiyuan must have put on him for the occasion. Wu Xi’s sleeves were rolled up, showing off his snake tattoos. One of his arms was casually thrown over Beiyuan’s shoulder, keeping him close.

If either of them walked out, Helian Yi would notice them instantly.

Zhou Zishu immediately caught sight of the bottles at the coffee table and several empty glasses. Reassured that there would be more, he finally took a long sip of the drink Wen Kexing gave him. It was good, surprisingly matching his taste well. He quickly drank most of it and approached his friends. Beiyuan stopped talking, eyes were glued to the window and Wu Xi’s followed them closely, completely focused.

“Hey,” Zhou Zishu announced his presence, making them look away from Helian Yi’s misery. He had many questions but one seemed more urgent than the others, especially considering the number of empty glasses on the table. “Where’s Lu Ta?” he asked, taking a seat on the retainer.

“There,” Wu Xi said, pointing to the small playground in the corner of the garden where a group of kids was playing together. Zhou Zishu recognized a familiar face among them and waved to his de facto nephew when the boy looked up for a second. It didn’t seem that he was noticed, the boy turned to the other kids and solemnly explained the rules of the new game. “He’s making friends other than Beiyuan, finally. And he seems popular.”

“Of course he is, he’s been learning how to charm people from the best,” Jing Beiyuan smirked. “And there’s nothing wrong with me being my son’s best friend.”

He freed himself from his husband's embrace and fetched theatre binoculars from the table almost blinding Zhou Zishu with the queerness of his blouse as he moved. He scanned the garden and sent a fan signal to Wen Kexing who even though was engaged in a friendly chat quickly replied by folding the fan up to its half. Jing Beiyuan nodded with understanding and turned, finally devoting his attention to Zhou Zishu.

„Sorry, Zishu, it’s quite busy here but all is going according to the plan. How did you like Wen Kexing? I had a feeling you two would hit it off,” he added with a smirk.

“I have no idea where did you manage to find a man with his audacity but seemed capable,” Zhou Zishu tiredly acknowledged one good thing about Wen Kexing, and purposely avoided mentioning how ridiculously attractive the man was. “What are you planning to do about Helian Yi?” he diverted, his tone turning more serious. “Shouldn’t he be the first person you ask about right now?”

He immediately regretted this direct approach and the harsh tone because Jing Beiyuan’s face instantly got clouded with conflicting emotions, a mixture of sadness, fear, resentment, and so many others. He quickly covered it with his palms and let out a long sigh. Wu Xi’s hand quickly reached out and gently stroked his wrist, not forcing him to pull away but letting him know that he was there.

“Fine, talk,” Beiyuan said.

So Zhou Zishu continued, deciding that it would be for the better.

“To let you know, obviously he’s not happy about the news, he’s angry. But it’s not the worst possible outcome, as cruel as it sounds, you were right to use someone else to tell him. I’m not sure how he would react if it came from either of you.”

Beiyuan sighed again, letting his hands fall down. One promptly reached out to find Wu Xi’s. His face was hard to read at this point but traces of melancholic sadness remained in his peach blossom eyes.

“In the current stage of the plan, let’s just let him walk it off. He’s a smart, serious man, he’ll be able to contain himself. Zishu, your focus is just to be his friend and to talk him through it. I need Wen Kexing to say a few things at the right time but he knows what to do. It’s going to be an intense day but we’ll pull through,” he said and poured himself and Wu Xi another glass of wine.

“Beiyuan,” Wu Xi interrupted. “Are you trying to get me drunk so you’ll worry about me instead of Helian Yi? That’s a little shortsighted for you.”

Jing Beiyuan snickered and found another glass for Zhou Zishu.

“And if I am?” he asked his husband. “Maybe I have plans for us tonight? I need you a little drunk so you’ll let me do whatever I want to do to you. But don’t drink too much, I don’t want you biting me in front of other people. Or Lu Ta.”

Wu Xi looked at him studiously like he was trying to figure out how serious he was.

“Not like you can’t do whatever you want to me any day, we are married. And you’re finally confronting Helian Yi, you deserve being able to do whatever you want for the rest of the day, wine or not,” Wu Xi announced solemnly but took a sip nevertheless.

Zhou Zishu and Jing Beiyuan did the same. Zhou Zishu held back a hum of appreciation. He knew he could count on his friend to fetch the best bottle of wine available.

“Please stop acting like... this in front of me,” he said instead. “Take pity on your single friend.”

“Oh, Zishu,” Jing Beiyuan smirked. “If you have complaints about being single, I just served you Wen Kexing on a silver platter. Why not give it a try?”

“I’m not into extravagant chatterboxes, they are exhausting dates. No offense to your taste, Wu Xi.”

“None taken. Beiyuan is special,” Wu Xi said, trailing his fingertips on his husband's skin.

“You are wrong, my dear friend,” Beiyuan protested. “Wen Kexing is so much more than an extravagant chatterbox. But in no way I’m forcing this on you, it’s your decision,” he said and something about his tone made Zhou Zishu sure that he was not going to let go so easily and Beiyuan was probably already thinking which strings he should pull.

“Where did you even find him?” Zishu asked him with resignation.

“I’ve been seeing him around for a few years, he’s in the same line of business,” Jing Beiyuan answered elusively. “But we got close only recently. Remember how about three months ago I got sad drunk during that vernissage, Wu Xi got worried but couldn’t get off work early and he asked you pick me up? Wen Kexing caught a glimpse of you and your shoulder blades and he developed a little bit of a crush, if I may use this word for a grown-up man,” Jing Beiyuan chuckled.

“Do you know why does he call me ‘A-Xu’?”

 “Well, I didn’t know him that well, and I won’t sell my friend out to a random guy so I gave him a fake name, of course. He’s still insisting on using it, isn’t it cute?”

“So you thought he may be a threat,” Zhou Zishu pointed out.

“Beiyuan treats everyone as a threat,” Wu Xi said. “He’s just defensive, especially when it comes to protecting ones he loves. He didn’t want to risk that Wen Kexing could be a crazy stalker or something.”

“So he is not?” Zhou Zishu asked more seriously than he probably would if he didn’t have his own doubts.

“No. He’s just a very intense person who gets attached,” Wu Xi answered.

“Also there is the fact that as long as he wouldn’t be able to find you on social media, I could use intel and your pictures as an advantage,” Jing Beiyuan admitted innocently. “I was cautious at first but I decided I like him so I allowed him to meet you and here we are. He has a lot of good qualities, Zishu. Ones that I think matter to you.”

Zhou Zishu sighed again. He had no idea what to do with Wen Kexing, the man seemed slightly overwhelming. For now, he would probably ignore him for the most part, or maybe he would change his mind if he felt like it.

“Name three.”

“He’s extremely loyal to the ones he loves. He’s warm and caring, and sweet when he cares. If you earn his devotion, he will make you a happy man, Zhou Zishu.” Jing Beiyuan said with a straight face. “He also has stunningly good taste when it comes to alcohol, on pair with mine and yours. So he would fit into the family.”

“Are you trying to say that I don’t fit in?” Wu Xi glared at him.

“My sweet little toxin, you are my favorite wine, there wouldn’t be a family at all without you,” Jing Beiyuan beamed and kissed his husband in the corner of his lips. “And you can appreciate good wine when I give it to you so you’re here to stay.”

“Thank you for the approval, all mighty,” Wu Xi rolled his eyes and finished his glass. His eyes wandered off to the window. “It looks like Helian Yi has reached stage three.”

Jing Beiyuan nodded solemnly and picked up the binoculars, assessing the situation carefully. Helian Yi was now walking around, his pace much slower than before, resignation on his face. He was typing something on his phone, one letter at a time, looking around every few seconds. A moment later, Beiyuan reached into his sleeve taking out the phone. He read the message quickly, showing close to no emotion on his face. However, his friend picked up on his tightly pressed lips and a small frown on his forehead. Whatever Helian Yi has sent must have meant a lot to Beiyuan but at the same time, it wasn’t a feeling he wanted to share.

 “He’s dealing with it a lot better than I expected, he’s already getting close to stage four. Zishu, you should go and give him more cosmo shots. About Wen Kexing... today you two have to babysit Helian Yi during his tantrum, so just keep an open mind and get to know him a little better, okay?” he suggested with a soft smile. “No pressure.”   

“I still think you should have just invited Helian Yi to your wedding.”

“No, we couldn’t,” Wu Xi stated harshly before Jing Beiyuan could open his mouth.

The latter gave them a crooked but proud smile and poured his husband another glass of wine.

“Sorry for all this, between Helian Yi and I it’s… complicated,” he said slowly. “He took it very badly when he realized that I actually have feelings for Wu Xi and we are not just hooking up but planning a life together so… I didn’t want to repeat it.”

“Beiyuan. We don’t have to tell him today if you don’t want to,” Wu Xi spoke up. “We can tell him that Wen Kexing was just stirring trouble. Or we can just go home and ignore it all if you don’t want to deal with this now. It’s fine.”

Jing Beiyuan chuckled.

“My sweet little toxin, being with you and Lu Ta is making me happier than I ever would be with on my own or with anyone else. And much, much happier than I would ever be him. Helian Yi is important to me, I want him to know that I’m happy,” he said. “And he’s already in stage three, almost four even it would be a waste.”

“What’s stage three?” Zhou Zishu asked.

“Bargaining. Fourth is depression. He’s just asked me if I would be happier if he wasn’t in my life,” Jing Beiyuan deadpanned. “Yes, we are using the Kubler-Ross scale that we have modified for the occasion. But I doubt he will go through it in order, it’s Helian Yi. So be prepared,” he solemnly asked Zhou Zishu. “Good luck.”

“You two are going to owe me so much for this.”

With a groan, he lifted himself up from the armchair and walked out of the house. He almost immediately crossed eyes with Wen Kexing who gave him a small, discrete smile even though he seemed to be completely engrossed in a conversation with a man wearing heavy eyeliner.

Not that eager for his constant company, Zhou Zishu turned around and started searching for Helian Yi.

He found him, sitting alone on the grass next to the playground, staring at kids. From an outsider’s perspective, he must have been looking like some shady character, so Zishu quickly grabbed cosmo shot along with a glass of wine for himself from the table, and sat down next to Helian Yi.

His friend swallowed the vodka without even thinking twice. He barely looked at Zhou Zishu, his eyes glued to the kids at play.

“You saw him, didn’t you? For how long were you all hiding it from me?”

“... A while,” his friends answered. “They adopted the kid just a few months ago. You didn’t miss that much yet.”

Helian Yi was quiet and resigned.

“I hate him so much. Sometimes, I don’t understand him at all, like what the hell was he thinking when he decided that not telling me that he’s getting married is a good idea?” Helian Yi sighed. “His mind is such a dark maze, it’s terrifying. I used to think I loved him but how could I love someone like that? Someone who can do something like this? How on earth is Wu Xi able to deal with him every day?”

Zhou Zishu felt a small pat on a shoulder and saw two more shots of cosmo shots. He noticed Liang Jiuxiao quickly getting away with a broad smile on his face, showing him thumbs up.

A sudden realization came over Zhou Zishu. If Liang Jiuxiao was here on Jing Beiyuan’s orders then two of his friends could have just left Lu Ta home with him, kids loved Liang Jiuxiao and he loved them in return. He was already babysitting Lu Ta at least once a week.

Probably he was the shadow babysitter now, keeping the eye on the kid while the brat’s parents schemed and drank wine but it seemed that there was no reason they couldn’t have left Lu Ta at home.

Zhou Zishu felt betrayed.

“You know what, you’re right. Jing Beiyuan is a terrible person, I have no idea how Wu Xi deals with it.”

Helian Yi froze.

“No. He’s not,” he seemed to have changed his mind. “He’s not terrible at all. He just didn’t want to hurt me. And he probably thought that the marriage with Wu Xi was doomed to fail either way so he didn’t want to tell me.”

“That’s not really...” Zhou Zishu tried to interrupt but Helian Yi didn’t let him.

“He’s always protecting me, he was like this ever since we’ve met. Always scheming, plotting, even when it was about getting better toys in the kindergarten. And all for my sake. Why does he put so much effort into it if he’s not in love with me? Why does he always run away? Why did he go off to marry another man?”

“Here, drink one more shot.”

Helian Yi obediently took the glass from him and drank it. Zhou Zishu offered him another one which he also swallowed without thinking twice. As much as Zishu had mixed feelings about Jing Beiyuan at this point, he had to admit that cosmo shots were a good call and Helian Yi’s weakness.

“Do you believe in soulmates, Zishu?” he asked.

“Oh, are you talking about me?” a familiar voice joined in merrily and the next thing Zhou Zishu knew, Wen Kexing was sitting right next to him, invading his personal space and pressing their sides together.

“No,” Helian Yi answered. “But we can. Why didn’t you tell me that you had a boyfriend? Was it Beiyuan’s idea? Sounds like his idea, definitely.”

Zhou Zishu glared at Wen Kexing who was making puppy eyes at him.

His cuteness was powerful but Zhou Zishu was stronger. He turned his eyes back at Helian Yi.

“This man is not my boyfriend. He’s just a random crazy person who happened to know Beiyuan.”

He expected whining from Wen Kexing but it was Helian Yi who threw the empty shot glass on the grass in an angry fit. Wen Kexing let out a scandalized gasp, covering his mouth with the fan.

“Must you all lie to me?!” Helian Yi accused them. “You are the one person who I thought I could count on and trust but here you are, hiding Beiyuan’s relationship, hiding yours, hiding Beiyuan’s kid...”

To shut him up, Zhou Zishu sacrificed his own wine. With alcohol in hand Helian Yi didn’t exactly calm down but at least he spoke quietly.

“Don’t lie to me, Zishu, I can’t handle it today. Not after Jing Beiyuan’s betrayal.”

“I am not lying to you,” he said.

Helian Yi laughed sadly. “Please. He’s all over you and you’re letting him. You don’t let people get that close without a reason. It’s clear as day that you two are a thing.”

Zhou Zishu didn’t even realize it but Helian Yi had a point. He did let Wen Kexing into his personal space without thinking twice. The other man was invasive, true, but why would he let him and be so unbothered by it that he barely noticed?

“Yes exactly!” Wen Kexing said, grabbing Zhou Zishu arm. “A thing!”

Zhou Zishu sighed. He knew what he needed to do and he decided to give up fighting. There was something there between them, Wen Kexing was an attractive man, Jing Beiyuan approved of him, why shouldn’t he give him a chance?

“No one’s lying to you here, Helian Yi,” he said and pointed to himself and the man on his right. “This is a work in progress. We didn’t even talk about dating yet.”

This seemed to finally have enabled Helian Yi to find some small ground he could build his internal peace on. When he spoke up, his voice was much calmer, melancholic even.

“You two should talk about it. Because even if you find someone who may be the love of your life, who knows how much time together you will get. One day he may just decide that you two are bad for each other and he’ll break things off, and the next thing you know his next-door exotic neighbor is at his place all the time but you tell yourself no, that’s going to be fine, that guy has an accent and is keeping scorpions and snakes, he’s no threat, just another extravagant toy, whatever it is, it won’t last, you may even try to find someone new yourself but they all seem to look like him and all of the sudden he and the exotic boy toy are in love, moving in together, and getting married without telling you. And one day you find yourself sitting on the grass drunk, starring at kids at a random party, wandering which one belongs to the love of your life because he values you so little he didn’t even tell you he’s a father now. Love sucks enjoy it while you still believe it can be fun. Now, excuse me, I need to find more cranberry juice with vodka,” he promptly stood up and left, emptying the glass on the go.

“Wow,” Wen Kexing gasped. “That man is intense, and I’m the one saying that. Are you dealing with that every day, A-Xu? No wonder your shoulder blades are so perfect, you need to be strong and well-balanced to survive.” 

“Usually he’s not that bad. Far from the best company but bearable.”

“Well, if you ever get tired and are in the mood for an excellent company that is my humble self, I’ll be delighted to serve. You have my number. Oh wait,” he paused and rose his fan up in the air and closed it abruptly. Jing Beiyuan in the window facepalmed.

“What did you say to him?”

“That his ex is getting drunk faster than he is coping. Shall we look for wine ourselves, my dear beauty?” he asked, standing up.

A hand reached out to help him up, Zhou Zishu took it. When he stood up, he didn’t let go right away, using this chance to figure out more about the man in front of him. His hands were soft and well taken care of, only the tips of his pointing finger and thumb were slightly calloused. Taking where they were into consideration and what Wen Kexing was wearing, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

“Fashion designer?” he asked, letting go of his hand.

Wen Kexing smirked.

“My A-Xu, I’m so glad you’re admitting to the interest in my person, it warms my heart! But to be honest, I prefer the term ‘philanthropist entrepreneur’, it’s more fitting. Although my work does involve designing too, that’s how it all started and I’m still doing it a bit at my Ghost Valley, together with my two dear girl friends Luo Fengmeng and Liu Qianqiao. I designed the lovely shirt Jing Beiyuan is wearing, one of my greatest recent works and on that man, it’s truly a treasure for the world to behold.”

“Oh, so your philanthropy is gracing the world with beautiful garments? How kind of you,” Zhou Zishu chuckled.

“That’s important too, of course, but my dear A-Xu, don’t think that’s all there is to it. I’m a philanthropist, there’s no doubt about it, sheltering the hurt and abused from the cruel world, giving them jobs and independence. Get to know me better and you’ll find out exactly what am I talking about,” he said, moving toward the table with snacks and drinks. “Or you could just come over. We could use a new makeup artist, the old one has trouble handling it all on their own.”

“Beiyuan told you about my job?” he asked casually.

“No I figured it out myself. Your makeup is too impeccable, I could barely notice that it was there. And it’s professional, high-end stuff, I can recognize it. No one else would bother doing makeup like that of a random party unless they are an actual makeup artist and it’s normal for them,” Wen Kexing explained with a grin.

Zhou Zishu froze, slightly impressed. No one ever before was able to guess his job that easily.

 “I’ll happily volunteer to be your model whenever you want to practice, just so you know,” Wen Kexing offered and suddenly took out two eyeliners from his sleeve, one red, the other one black. “Or, if you don’t want to wait, you could use those on me on me now.”

“Do I want to know why suddenly you have eyeliner on you when you are not wearing any?” Zhou Zishu asked, studying Wen Kexing’s eyes. They could look breathtaking with proper makeup, he knew it.

He was still kind of mad at Jing Beiyuan for tricking him and Beiyuan’s peach blossom eyes were always something he was overly confident about. So it wouldn’t hurt to see his face when Wen Kexing would outshine him, even if it would be just small revenge. He wasn’t sure that he could pull it off with just two eyeliners but Wen Kexing’s eyes did look promising.

“I just happened to know a good eyeliner dealer at this party and when I realized you may use it on me, I asked him for a few. Well, just two. He had only red and black that he was willing to sell.”

Zhou Zishu looked around. Helian Yi was talking with a group of people but he seemed to be in his professional mode, keeping perfectly straight, no Jing Beiyuan-related emotions present on his face. Zhou Zishu’s eyes fell back on Wen Kexing’s ridiculously handsome face. He ended up staring at the other man’s lips much longer than he should.

 “Please, makeup master Zhou, paint me exactly how you would like me,” the other man pleaded. “Own my body.”

“Call me that once again,” Zhou Zishu said, ignoring the last part.

“Grandmaster Zhou, my beautiful A-Xu, do my makeup, please, so I can hit on you in an even more spectacular way.”

“So you’ll be even more audacious? Have mercy on me.”

“Should I? Really?” Wen Kexing asked, leaning in.

It felt good to be appreciated. With a nod, he agreed. “Just... let me text Beiyuan and let’s find a bathroom,” he said and Wen Kexing looked at him like he'd hung the moon.

Zhou Zishu

Hey, we’re going to leave Helian Yi alone for a moment

Text me when you need us to get back

Jing Beiyuan

(ू′o‵ ू)*✲ﾟ

I expected the two of you to heat it off but not that well

Have fun

Zhou Zishu

I’m just doing his makeup and I want good light so we’re going to look for a bathroom

Nothing more

Jing Beiyuan

Eh if you say so

Come upstairs, there’s a dressing room with a good mirror, right next to the master’s bedroom. I can open the door for you, I have the keys

“Follow me,” Zhou Zishu ordered and led Wen Kexing upstairs without a word of explanation.

Jing Beiyuan was occupied at the window so it was Wu Xi instead who showed them the door. The hungry look that appeared on Wen Kexing’s face when they entered and he saw all the clothes hanging there on the racks was so ridiculous that Zhou Zishu cracked a laugh.

They sat down on the bench in front of the makeup table. There wasn’t another chair so they had to make it do. Wen Kexing gave him the two eyeliners he managed to get and Zhou Zishu got down to work.

Seeing it up close, he was once again hit with the notion of how pleasing to the eyes Wen Kexing’s face was, even if it was not a typical type of beauty. He cupped the other man’s cheek with his left hand to hold it in place, but he couldn’t stop himself from running his thumb again the sharp cheekbone. Wen Kexing’s dark eyes seemed to have followed the movement and then glanced up to piece his own.

“Like what you are seeing, A-Xu?”

“Don’t be vain, lao Wen,” he talked back avoiding stating the obvious. “We should get it done fast so we can go back and contain Helian Yi.”

His options were limited so he opted for a thin barely visible dark line on the upper eyelid and blurred red in the corners and below. Red looked good against Wen Kexing’s pale skin, making his intense eyes stick out even more.

He could feel the other man’s warm breath on his wrist and the thick scent of the alluring perfume in the air.

Suddenly, he wondered how serious Wen Kexing was about all this. Whether the thing between would be a one-night stand, a weekend together, a casual month, or he would end up falling in love with this man and yarning for him for years.

Deep in his heart, he felt like he already knew which of these he really wanted and the answer was the worst possible.

“What are you thinking about, A-Xu? Your makeup skill is so great that you fell into your own trap and now you can’t take your eyes off me?”

“I’m just flabbergasted with your confidence and wondering if you are going to be even worse to handle when you see yourself. Better look in the mirror before I decide I should wash it off.”

“No,” Wen Kexing said. “It looks like something important is going on in your mind. As your soulmate, it’s my responsibility to watch you carefully at this fragile stage. What is it? Are you finally falling in love with me?”

 The words felt close to the truth but instead of admitting it, he laughed.

“I’m just shocked by the fact that even though you’re not my type, you may be attractive, with proper makeup.”

Wen Kexing’s hand reached out and started casually playing with the collar of the other man’s shirt. It made Zhou Zishu hold back his breath for an instant.

“I saw you ogle me earlier,” Wen Kexing whispered. “Why should you fight it, A-Xu? For dignity? Moral standards? Some coolness?”

“Well, I barely know you. You could be a crazy person.”

“Your dear Jing Beiyuan can vouch for my sanity.”

“He did mention something... Or you know, I could be as bad as Jing Beiyuan,” Zhou Zishu smirked. “It could all be a plan to make you want me more.”

“No, it’s not,” Wen Kexing guessed immediately.

“No, it’s not,” Zhou Zishu answered, slightly taken aback how quickly Wen Kexing saw through it.

“You just tried to seem cool in front of me, I’m so flattered,” a muffled chortle left Wen Kexing mouth. “It’s adorable.”

“Shut up,” Zhou Zishu rolled his eyes.

“Respect your soulmate, my A-Xu, you aren’t getting any more of those,” the other man grinned slightly mischievously.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Zhou Zishu used this moment of distraction to lean in and steal a quick kiss from Wen Kexing’s lips without having to explain himself. He wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be, whether he wanted to kiss Wen Kexing because of how stupidly alluring he was, because he liked talking with him and wanted to keep on doing that, or maybe because he could see himself snuggling with Wen Kexing under a blanket during winter, drinking warm wine.

As he walked to the door, he could feel the other man’s eyes piercing his back like he wanted to devour him. Zhou Zishu tried not to think about it, or how good it felt to feel Wen Kexing’s lips against his, and pushed the handle to face Jing Beiyuan.

“Sorry to bother you but he’s sad again. Just a few more minutes, we’re already moving on with the plan, I promise.”

A pair of hands grabbed his sleeve. Wen Kexing definitely had a thing for sleeves, he was sure of it at this point. He has already gotten Beiyuan’s sleeves, his own and now he was hunting for Zhou Zishu to transform them into something wide and dramatic.

Or, he could just have a thing for Zhou Zishu, simple as that.

“Hear that, A-Xu? Just a few more minutes and we can freely flirt however we want to. Let’s go, we need to get done with the succor to our exquisite Lord Seventh to thank him for all the graces he has courteously bestowed on me and hence indirectly on us, my dear.”

Jing Beiyuan chuckled, gracefully hiding his lips behind the half-open fan.

“I am glad to see you put my favors to good use, Lord of the Ghost Valley. I must say the red suits you, it really makes your eyes stand out.”

Zhou Zishu’s plan of making Jing Beiyuan jealous failed but he couldn’t say he didn’t gain anything from it. His eyes drifted off to Wen Kexing.

“It’s not succor, it’s just Beiyuan using us all to clean up his own mess,” Zhou Zishu said. “All of this could have been avoided if he’d invited his ex to the wedding.”

Wen Kexing looked profoundly aghast.

“A-Xu, you want to invite all the exes to our wedding to show off? Strange, cruel but may be fun, and I will definitely enjoy showing off your superiority to all  my previous affairs.”

“Who says my wedding is going to be our wedding?” Zhou Zishu snickered. “Maybe you’ll just get an invitation as the ex.”

“Oh, admitting you want to give it a try, A-Xu? Joke’s on you, when you’ll get a proper taste of me I doubt you’ll be able to let go.”

Zhou Zishu opened his mouth for a quick retort but felt a sudden pressure on his right arm, the one that Wen Kexing was not vehemently clenching onto. It was Jing Beiyuan who gently nudged him with his fan, a polite smile on his face.

He froze. Once again this day he got too engrossed with how easy Wen Kexing was to talk to and lost sight of his professional approach to the tasks. Wen Kexing was too distracting.

“Let’s go,” he mumbled and pulled the other man down the stairs.

“Thank you!” Beiyuan chanted after them.

Wen Kexing laughed, seemingly having caught up on what was going on. Zhou Zishu had a hard time dealing with how pleasing the sound was to his ears and how easily a smile crept on his face when he heard it.

“So what did he buy you with? My shirtless pictures?”

“Oh, A-Xu, as much as it would be worth the price, I don’t think Jing Beiyuan sells his friends that easily,” Wen Kexing said. “He is indeed a questionable man at times from what I’ve gathered but he was perfectly discreet about your identity at first, and even the things he told me later were in good faith, he didn’t use you. Today, I’m just repaying for a tip he gave me about corporate bonds that were perfect for my company’s investment portfolio,” he explained with his typical foolish grin. “But if you ever wanted something from me, you can pay me with your body, I’ll gladly accept.”

“Never. I have a feeling you would definitely screw me over with this deal.”

“You’re right, I definitely would.”

“By the way,” Zhou Zishu said, walking to the table with alcohol. “Why do you insist on us being soulmates? That’s big. Unnecessarily big. Why throw it around so early?”

“You are going to say I’m crazy.”

“I already think you are a bit crazy, lao Wen.”

“Okay, so I admit that your shoulder blades are incredibly attractive but...” Wen Kexing said, picking up some dubious-looking purple drink. “What really hit me was when I asked Beiyuan about you and as he was talking, I could feel... this powerful hunch, stating that yes, this man is something special, he could be the one. I wasn’t even in terms with this, honestly, because it does sound over the top but then I saw you today, talked with you and my guts are almost screaming at me that yes, I was right.”

The worst part of this speech was that Zhou Zishu knew exactly what Wen Kexing was talking about, he was hesitant, scared even to admit it but he did feel the same. He grabbed a shot glass and drunk it at once.

“Let’s go find Helian Yi.”

“You didn’t call me crazy,” Wen Kexing pointed out in a quiet voice.

“No, I didn’t. Don’t overanalyze it.”

After grabbing some more wine and cosmo shots, they joined Helian Yi on the grass, very close to where they were sitting previously. Helian Yi didn’t even blink when he saw them but immediately stole the vodka from Zhou Zishu.

“You ran away,” he accused them.

“You seemed busy. And Wen Kexing asked me to do his eyes,” Zhou Zishu replied, earning himself a glare of disapproval.

“I change my mind, you two should break up. He’s a bad influence on you, you used to be responsible and thoughtful but what did he turn you into? A horny lackey on his and Jing Beiyuan’s orders.”

“Don’t you call my A-Xu that,” Wen Kexing scoffed in outrage and forcefully pushed another shot into Helian Yi’s hand, “he’s perfectly responsible! Just drink your vodka and be happy we brought you any because you don’t deserve it.”

Helian Yi rolled his eyes but swallowed the alcohol. Looking into his eyes, Zhou Zishu made a mental note not to bring him more for a while, it seemed like he has had enough already for now.

“So which one of these kids is Beiyuan’s?” Helian Yi asked because his mind was constantly drifting off to one single subject.

Zhou Zishu glanced at the playground and froze. Lu Ta was not there anymore.

“Hm, let’s have a guessing game, which one do you think is his?” Wen Kexing pondered out loud with a grin on his face. “That kid on the slide looks kind of like Wu Xi, don’t you think? But that girl playing with the dolls has a pretty outfit, it definitely seems like something that came right from Beiyuan’s closet?”

“Wu Xi cheated on Beiyuan?” was the only thing Helian Yi took out of it.

His friend couldn’t help himself and smacked him on the back of his head. Helian Yi was outraged.

“Watch it. I’m the one paying your salary,” he warned him, gritting his teeth.

“Don’t assume Wu Xi is treating Beiyuan like you were treating Beiyuan. Their relationship is completely different. That kid looks nothing like Wu Xi, Wen Kexing is just taunting you, you idiot, and you’re letting him,” Zhou Zishu talked back. “And you don’t trust anyone else to touch your face so my humble services it is.”

Helian Yi got quiet for a moment, lost in thought. Zhou Zishu used this to lean over and whisper a few words into Wen Kexing’s ear.

“The kid is missing, check it with Beiyuan.”

Helian Yi glared suspiciously at them but Wen Kexing played it smart by letting out a flirty titter, and fanning himself like crazy.

“Oh, my A-Xu, saying such words in broad daylight, you’re making even a shameless man like me blush!”

“I need to find more vodka if I’m going to listen to this,” Helian Yi announced, trying to get up but at the first attempt, he lost balance almost immediately. At the second one, he succeeded but Zhou Zishu rushed trying to stop him.

“You’ve had enough, just sit down.”

“No, it’s my life that got ruined by Jing Beiyuan’s selfishness, I will deal with it however I see fit so with a lot of alcohol,” he scoffed and turned around bumping into a man dressed in black.  

Wu Xi stared at him with some profound, complex emotions written all over his face. Helian Yi froze, all of a sudden not able to look him in the eyes, he dropped them at the other man’s collar where the scorpion tattoo was peering out.

Lu Ta was standing there too, holding his father’s hand, eyes open wide and staring at the two as if he instantly understood that something was off. Helian Yi hasn’t noticed the boy yet.

Wen Kexing's eyes lit up with anticipation for the drama.

“You don’t seem alright,” Wu Xi said. His tone was calm, not judgmental at all, he was simply stating the obvious.

Helian Yi’s eyes jolted up.

“No, I really am not,” he said quietly, looking at Wu Xi. His voice was trembling slightly, it got Zhou Zishu worried because he didn’t remember Helian Yi ever looking so weak. “And I can’t even blame you for that because that’s the mess between me and him and you were just there to pick up the pieces. Is he happy now?”

“He is.”

“Good,” Helian Yi let out awkward laughter that sounded a bit hysterical and like he was about to cry. “New tattoo?” he asked about the scorpion, changing the subject, his tone immediately got sharper.

“Yeah. And a new baby,” Wu Xi said tilting his head to point at Lu Ta who was patiently waiting for the adults to finish talking. “Lu Ta, that’s uncle Yi Beiyuan told you about.”

Helian Yi was staring at the boy as if he’s seen a ghost. Lu Ta, on the other hand, seemed completely unshaken and spoke in a perfectly polite manner.

“Hello. Daddy told me you’re his important friend. He also told me you are a little drunk today. I know drunk people can say a lot of weird things so it’s fine, you don’t have to worry. I won’t judge you.”

Helian Yi’s expression changed in an instant. He crouched down to face the boy, a big bright smile on his face.

“You’re a smart kid. But I’ll try not to say anything too weird. I promise.”

Lu Ta looked at him with understanding.

“Dad also told me to tell you a proverb. He likes using them a lot and says you should get this one: All things change, and we change with them. Did you get it?”

Helian Yi’s eyes opened wider for a second and he bit his lips.

“I did. Did you?”

Lu Ta shook his head. “Daddy said to think about it and we’ll talk about it later.”

The adult cracked a smile. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Both your dads are great teachers, you know? Whenever I had a problem at school I would go to Beiyuan, and then he met your other dad so I would come and ask them both for help. And now I know a lot of proverbs too, because of your dad. Like distant water does not put out a nearby fire”, he said looking up at Wu Xi.

“My husband will come here soon,” the other man replied, emphasizing their marital status. “Be patient.”

Helian Yi let out a resigned sigh but quickly put on the beam back again.

“Hey, Lu Ta, I saw a tasty-looking jelly dessert on that table there, wanna try it with me?” he asked.

The boy looked up searching for his parent’s approval and Wu Xi gave him a nod.

“Let’s go,” he said.

The three of them wandered off in the direction of the table with snacks, leaving Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu behind. Somewhere in the window, Jing Beiyuan gave another signal with a fan, this time it was closed. Zhou Zishu was about to follow Helian Yi when an arm wrapped around his waist and stopped him.

“Beiyuan is telling us that we can have a rest. And we well deserve one, I must say, your boss is a little crazy, and that’s coming from me,” Wen Kexing giggled.

“He’s having a very bad day.”

“In life, it is not possible to bloom bright flowers from lies. It’s good your weird boss found out that the love of his life is married, maybe he can move on with his life now. Or at least he’ll finally stop making things harder for our Lord Seventh. Also, I’m glad I had an excuse to spend time with you,” he smiled charmingly.

“Would a man like you really need an excuse?”

“Not really but I know how to appreciate an opportunity. Let’s try some cake. The old monster always has good taste when it comes down to food, he eats like an ancient dragon.”

A moment later they sat down in the corner of the garden, next to one of the more secluded tables. Other people at the party seemed to be having fun, Zhou Zishu wondered if Wen Kexing didn’t want to spend time with them. Or if he in fact shouldn’t, since he was a guest who got a personal invite and not a random plus one who barely knew whose birthday party was it.

Somehow, Wen Kexing seemed to prefer clinging to his side all day and staring at him all the time.

As they ate the creamy cake they found, quite tasty but a little too sweet in Zhou Zishu’s opinion, those two dark pupils were drilling into the other man’s lips. Zishu pondered if this was some weird fetish or if he just got dirty.

Or maybe he was thinking about the short kiss they spontaneously shared.

“There’s something on my face?”

“Still nothing so I’m waiting,” Wen Kexing sighed. “I wanted to seductively wipe the cream off your face but looks like my plan is crumbling since you’re not a messy eater. What a shame.”

“Now you hurt my feelings,” Zhou Zishu rolled his eyes. “Here I thought you’re blabbering about soulmates and treating this seriously but you just want to seduce me fast and quick. I feel cheated and violated. Unless you want to spend your life with a messy eater, Wen Kexing? Or maybe your goal really is just a one-night stand?”

The other man answered with hearty laughter.

“Oh, I could have you anyway, my A-Xu, although I admit, however, we’ll see please to act in this... relationship, I’ll have a hard time letting you go. My mistake for being a little bit shortsighted just now, have no doubts about my honest intentions of dating the hell out of you.”

“That sounded like a threat, I’m almost trembling.”

“Do you want me to hold you?” Wen Kexing suggested with a flirtatious smile.

Zhou Zishu saw something sparkly in the corner of his eye that drew his attention. It was Jing Beiyuan reading the label on a wine bottle as if nothing special happened today. His friend promptly jumped up and came up to him, leaving Wen Kexing behind.

“You’re out, old fox.”

A mischievous grin appeared on Jing Beiyuan’s face. He put the bottle down and titled his head.

“When I came up, you two looked like you were about to kiss, I didn’t want to disturb you,” he said seemingly innocently but Zhou Zishu knew that man could be just as brazen as Wen Kexing when he wanted to.

“Well, he’s definitely trying to kiss me, I still haven’t figured out why would I ever want him to,” Zhou Zishu replied, purposely teasing Wen Kexing a little.

Just as he expected, the other man approached, invading his personal space. This time, a hand rested on his shoulder blade, caressing it in a very sensual way. He didn’t shake it off.

“He’s lying, he’s all over me,” Wen Kexing announced shamelessly. “It’s almost embarrassing.”

“If young master Wen feels embarrassed, maybe he should stop groping me in public any chance he gets,” Zhou Zishu talked back.

“I’m glad you two hit it off,” Jing Beiyuan smiled softly.

“And how are you holding up?” his friend changed the subject.

“I’m quite well,” Jing Beiyuan answered slowly, picking his words carefully as if he was uncertain about something. “My little toxin and Lu Ta are doing most of the hard work now, I just have to stand here, look pretty, and wait for him to notice me.”

 “Well, as we wait, we can have a glass of wine,” Wen Kexing suggested, pointing at the bottles on the table with his fan. “Found anything interesting, Lord Seventh?”

“Not yet but...”

He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed a row of bowls full of sai mail lo aligned next to the wine glasses on the table. His peach blossom eyes lit up jovially, sparkling as if he was a thirsted man who’s found water in the desert. Promptly he snatched a bowl of the cold soup for himself and asked them solemnly, “We’ll get wine in a moment. Warn me if Wu Xi is coming or looking this way. Immediately. He absolutely can’t see me eating this.”

“Sure,” Zhou Zishu agreed with a sigh.

Jing Beiyuan didn’t stall and hastily dug into the dessert. Wen Kexing gaped in fascination at the usually dignified and lazy man who was devouring the soup at the speed that did not fit him in the slightest. The fan nudged Zhou Zishu on the side, carrying its master’s demand for an explanation.

“Beiyuan likes chilled sweet soups but Wu Xi thinks they are bad for his health,” he cleared up. “He gets really pissed whenever he catches him with some. And Beiyuan is an asshole so he’s making a game out of it.”

“Fascinating,” Wen Kexing laughed. “It’s funny how your estimated husband can tolerate you dubious ex but he’ll get triggered over something so little like a bowl of cold soup.”

Jing Beiyuan, naturally a lazy person who was not used to moving around too much too fast, got tired and let the spoon rest for a bit.

“You’re oversimplifying it, Zishu. My little toxin is a very peaceful and understanding man, he has no enemies,” Jing Beiyuan explained to Wen Kexing. “Except for cold soup and my sleeping schedule. And he dares to claim it’s for my own good. Outrageous. He’s really into traditional medicine, and generally, it’s nothing to complain about. He gives me great massages to relieve tension and brings a lot of tasty herbal teas, also always tries to get me to join him in his tai chi which is good because I know when he’s doing it and I all have to do is to gently decline, find myself a book and a good spot, and I can watch him be cool in peace. Chilled soup has double or triple yin or whatever and I already have too much yin thanks to being a depressed, phlegmatic queer so he thinks I should avoid it at all cost.”

“I thought he was an actual doctor,” Wen Kexing didn’t neglect to bring up.

“He is,” Jing Beiyuan flashed a small smile. “Just keeps an open mind about a lot of things. And it’s not like he’s wrong, most of it makes some sense, in a way. I just wish he could just chill about the soup.”

He brought the spoon up to his mouth again and let out a pleased hum after taking another sip. Wen Kexing chuckled.

Zhou Zishu noticed some movement in the part where Lu Ta was with the two adults and reported it immediately.

“Some people approached Helian Yi, he’s in professional mode. Wu Xi is looking around for a chance to escape, he’s probably going to come here.”

Without any remorse or second thoughts, Beiyuan tilted the bowl and let the soup fall on the grass.

“You saw nothing.”

“Your dear husband is coming,” Wen Kexing stated waving his fan, clearly enjoying the drama.

Jing Beiyuan didn’t have time to put the bowl down without looking suspicious but he turned to smile charmingly at the approaching man. Wu Xi wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. Beiyuan placed his free hand on his back, caressing it tenderly.

“Tired, my little toxin?”

“Just bored, you know I’m not enjoying myself much in his company, he’s not my type of person. But Lu Ta seems to like him.”

Suddenly, he stiffened up. Wu Xi’s sharp eyes weren’t easily cheated, and he was dealing with Jing Beiyuan for years already.

“What was in the bowl, Jing Beiyuan?” he asked harshly.

Beiyuan made a puzzled expression as if he had no clue what Wu Xi was talking about.

Wen Kexing leaned over and whispered into Zhou Zishu’s ear. “My beauty, are you willing to make a bet? A bottle of wine let’s say. I think our Jing Beiyuan will figure a way out of this one.”

“No, Wu Xi will forgive him because Beiyuan is having a hard day,” Zhou Zishu replied. “You’ll see.”

It wasn’t his first time watching Beiyuan in action.  He knew his friend would handle it but Zhou Zishu guessed that he wouldn’t even have to really try today.

Jing Beiyuan didn’t answer Wu Xi immediately, faced with an intense stare of a man he would not be able to trick so easily. First, he made a calculated move of putting the bowl on the table so it would be forgotten. Having his hands free, he put them both on Wu Xi’s chest and straightened out the material.

“You look very handsome today, my little toxin.”

“Beiyuan,” Wu Xi grabbed his wrist. “Cold soup is bad for you.”

“Just give me some of your manly yang energy later and it will all even out,” Beiyuan made an attempt at flirting his way out.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Wu Xi sighed and pushed his husband's hands away from his shirt. He picked up a clean glass from the table and poured a hearty amount of wine into it. He pushed the glass into his Beiyuan’s hand. “Here, drink it. It will warm you up. I won’t fight you about it today but please, take care of yourself and stop eating things that are bad for you.”

Beiyuan looked at the glass, then at Wu Xi, and suddenly started laughing. He rested his head in the crook of the other man’s neck, still giggling. His husband gently caressed his shoulders.

“I win, Wu Xi destroyed him with his love,” Zhou Zishu whispered to Wen Kexing.

“Too soon, A-Xu, Beiyuan might hold something up his sleeve.”

“Too late, lao Wen, it’s over, you lost.”

Beiyuan stopped laughing but didn’t lift his head just yet.

“Little poisonous one, I think that out of all the people I dated in all my lifetimes, I like you the most. Only you would ever put up with my bullshit in such a caring manner, giving me my favorite drink after I screwed you over.”

“Just stop hunting for the soup at all the parties if you know it’s not good,” Wu Xi rolled his eyes.

“Whatever lets you sleep at night, love,” Beiyuan said lifting his head with a smirk. He gave Wu Xi a short kiss and snatched the glass from him.

Wen Kexing jabbed Zhou Zishu’s waist with his fan and pointed to the side. Zhou Zishu’s eyes followed his and saw Lu Ta approaching them on his own, Helian Yi was not with him. The boy went straight for his dad’s sparkly sleeve, pulling it gently.

“Is father bullying you again?” he asked seriously.

“Yes, he is,” Beiyuan said getting down to look his son in the eyes. “He needs to assert his male dominance full of yang energy from time to time so he knows we’ll love him either way. Where did you lose your uncle Yi?”

“He saw you and got really scared. He told me to come here and ran to the bathroom. Did you do something mean to him? Like you mock father sometimes? Father looks stronger than uncle Yi so it makes sense he can take it and uncle Yi doesn’t.”

“Uncle Yi is strong in his own way,” Beiyuan replied. “But you’re right, your father is much stronger. Do you like uncle Yi? It’s fine if you don’t like him.”

Lu Ta looked at his dad thoughtfully.

“I don’t know yet. Three feet of ice does not form in a single day. I’ll decide later. But I don’t hate him for now.”

Zhou Zishu just hoped that Beiyuan was only teaching the kid proverbs and poems and didn’t indulge him in the arcana of scheming. Or at least that he would wait with that lessons for ten more years or more.

To be honest, he was having a hard time imagining Jing Beiyuan in ten years, when he thought about it. The man had always seemed completely ageless, even on the childhood pictures Helian Yi from time to time was throwing into his face, Beiyuan had the very same eyes that, although breathtaking, always carried some profound melancholy as if he has seen one life too many.

Probably in ten years, wrinkles would probably appear in the corners of his peach blossom eyes, however, his demeanor probably wouldn’t change much. Wu Xi still would be at his side too, that was obvious. Lu Ta would probably grow up into a fine young man, handsome, diligent, calm, and perceptive. Helian Yi probably would also be around, during those ten years he was likely to find a girl, one that either reminded him of Beiyuan or one that absolutely wouldn’t, and he would probably eventually marry her and have a kid to sell the perfect family picture to his voters.

Zhou Zishu was used to coming to the family events alone, and he imagined it would stay like that since he has never been really interested in relationships. But as he thought about it today, his eyes unintentionally drifted off to Wen Kexing by his side.

“A-Xu, A-Xu, you are looking at me like I finally succeeded at stealing your heart,” he claimed with excitement, staring back at him.

Zhou Zishu wasn’t even trying to stop the big grin that appeared on his face.

“Keep on dreaming, lao Wen.”

The man smiled back and glanced at Lu Ta chatting with his dads. His expression shifted to something more enigmatic.

“How do you feel about kids, A-Xu?”

“They are not bad. But I’m too tired and salty so I’m way better with teenagers,” he replied honestly.

“Good,” Wen Kexing said, not looking him in the eye. “I have a sixteen-year-old sister I’m raising on my own. Would be a shame if it was a dealbreaker for you, especially now that I made up my mind about not letting it be a one-night stand or anything casual. And I would have to pick A-Xiang over you, sorry A-Xu, she’s family.”

It was a little shocking to Zhou Zishu, he didn’t exactly imagine Wen Kexing as a responsible parent. But then again, it was proof that he didn’t know him that well yet.

And that he should get to know him better.

“I didn’t say exactly I’m okay with it. Just that I get along with teenagers.”

“Are you not?”

He stalled with his answer a bit, studying Wen Kexing in his moment of anxiousness.

He realized also that this could be an easy way out. He could just tell Wen Kexing that he didn’t see himself being with someone who had a teenager to take care of and probably that would be a great way to turning him down.

But somehow, raising a sister on his own make Wen Kexing even more attractive in his eyes, it turned him from an irresponsible flirt into an adult who apparently could be responsible at times.  

 “I might be. But I didn’t imagine you as someone who could be responsible for a minor, nor you don’t seem to be someone whom I would consider ‘a good influence’. Is your sister okay?” he pretended to be troubled by it.

“A-Xu, you’re hurting my feelings! I am bringing A-Xiang up to be a strong independent woman who will beat up every man who dares to look at her wrong. You’ll see.”

Out of the blue, he felt an intense gaze on his skin, one that has sent a shiver down his spine. He looked in that direction and saw Helian Yi marching towards their group with a stern expression on his face. Jing Beiyuan noticed him too and promptly straightened up. He gave his wine to Wu Xi, for safety measures.

A devious grin of a true drama lover bloomed on Wen Kexing’s face.

With every step, Helian Yi’s expression seemed to soften and his pace got quicker. When he finally got within the arm’s reach, he suddenly glomped over, crushing Beiyuan in a tight embrace.

“I love you. It took me some time but I’m happy for you,” he said solemnly, his voice shaking a bit.

“I knew you would get there eventually.”

“I wouldn’t if not for the fact that you’re a terrible person who has been lying to me for years and has spent the whole day pushing my buttons. You make me want to kill you, Beiyuan. Good for you that you’ve found someone else with a higher tolerance for your bullshit than me, really.”

“Watch your mouth, my son is here,” Jing Beiyuan just said gently, patting Helian Yi on the back.

Helian Yi let him go and abruptly turned to Wu Xi.

“He is the most precious human being in my life. Take care of him. I am willing to trust you with him. you get one single chance, and don’t make me regret it,” he threatened the other man seriously. “And you,” he returned to Beiyuan. “How dare you tell me they are the best thing that has ever happened to you over a text?”

“Whatever gets the job done,” Jing Beiyuan shrugged.

Helian Yi looked at him with some resentment and then crouched in front of Lu Ta.

“Hey, kid. Sorry for being a little weird today, your dad didn’t tell me something important and I got upset. You know lying is bad right?”

Lu Ta answered seriously with words sounding of maturity that exceeded his age.

“Sometimes white lies are good when you don’t want to hurt someone and you can tell them at a better time.”

Although Lu Ta had a point, Beiyuan’s influence was easy to catch in his words. It seemed to have triggered Helian Yi.

“You really think so? But did you know you had another grandfather who has a dancing kitten and who would love to meet you?”

“That’s a lie,” Lu Ta said. “I already have one grandpa and daddy told me his parents are dead like mine. So I can’t have more grandfathers unless grandpa gets married.”

“That’s true,” Helian Yi wouldn’t back off. “But after they died, your dad would hang out at my house all the time and my dad treats him like another son. I bet he would love to meet you and show you his cat who can do amazing tricks.”

“Can he really dance?” Lu Ta asked suspiciously.

“Sure he can.”

“Daddy is it all true?” the boy looked up.

“I think you should call Helian Pei granduncle, not grandfather, but his kitten really can dance,” Jing Beiyuan said slowly. “But I think we should give him a warning before visiting. Uncle Yi will ask him this week and we’ll let you know, okay?”

“Coward,” Helian Yi muttered.

Jing Beiyuan gently patted his son’s head and nodded to the side. Lu Ta gave him a puzzled look but quickly understood what his dad wanted him to say.

“Kids are starting a new game, can I please go and play?”

“Go ahead, sweetie.”

As soon as the boy left, Jing Beiyuan crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Helian Yi with resentment.

“I said you should behave yourself in front of my son. And I have no idea what petty revenge you just came up with but Helian Pei is your father I have no obligation to tell him, don’t try to sway my perfect son with dancing kittens that my husband has trained. That man tried to get me grounded for being gay, and he doesn’t like Wu Xi.”

 “Because your stupid boy toy didn’t treat him with respect when they first met,” Helian Yi frowned. “And despite what you think, he really likes you better than he does my brothers so he wants to know what’s going on with your life. And he has the right to know that you got married just like I did, so you’re telling him that because that’s your responsibility. And you owe me.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Jing Beiyuan frowned.

“I can stop by this week and tell him,” Wu Xi offered. “He thinks I’m an illegal immigrant anyway, I don’t care what he adds to that. It’s just Helian Yi’s father.”

“No, little toxin, no, you can’t go,” Jing Beiyuan harshly disagreed with audible worry.

“Oh, you need someone to be the harbinger of the doom?” Wen Kexing perked up and enthusiastically raised his fan as if he was making a bid. “I volunteer! Pick me!”

They all looked at him stupefied. Jing Beiyuan was the first one to break into laughter.

“Please, let’s let him do that, I’ll bring you popcorn,” Wu Xi chuckled.

“Absolutely don’t,” Helian Yi said, not laughing at all. “And also, while I was away, I’ve thought it through and I don’t approve of this relationship at all, Zhou Zishu, and I don’t like your boyfriend. Break up.”

Jing Beiyuan’s eyes shot open in surprise but he quickly concealed it.

“What a pity,” Zhou Zishu replied. “Because there is no way. I happened to like him and he’s here to stay. But I will not have him go make a fool himself in front of Helian Pei, you three have to figure it out on your own. Wen Kexing, come. Let’s look for more cake.”

He grabbed Wen Kexing’s sleeve and pulled him away from the drama, much to the other man’s disappointment. Nevertheless, he was still grinning, because of what Zhou Zishu said.

“Don’t thrive on misery. It will bite you in the ass,” Zhou Zishu reprimanded him when they were out of the others’ ear-reach.

“But my A-Xu, they were just begging for it!” Wen Kexing bickered for the sake of it. “And if the misery really comes to bite me, I’ll just tell it I’m already involved. With you, of course.”

Zhou Zishu glared at him and then decided to make another spontaneous decision that he could regret the rest of his life. But he had a feeling that he wouldn’t, maybe.

“You owe me a bottle of wine. Pay me back next Friday?”

Wen Kexing’s dark eyes lit up.

“It will be an evening you shall never forget.”

Zhou Zishu thought that actually, just maybe, it would not be all that special, just the first one of many to come.

Jing Beiyuan

You didn’t spam me with any grouching so I’m guessing things went well with certain someone~

Can I invite him to our next wine tasting?

Can I take my little toxin along and make it an official double date?

Zhou Zishu

Jing Beiyuan, Wen Kexing is a very disturbed human being

Are you aware of that?

And while being aware of that you pushed him onto me?

Jing Beiyuan

Zishu. Look into your soul.

You see it, don’t you?

Zhou Zishu

I have no idea what you are blabbering about.

Jing Beiyuan

Oh, you know what I mean

You love that he’s a little odd, don’t you?

Am I wrong?

Zhou Zishu

...

Let’s just say that you were always good at reading people and that didn’t change

Jing Beiyuan

I knew it, I saw the moony eyes you were making at him at the party whenever he said something weird

I’m inviting him for the wine tasting

Already making a group chat

Zhou Zishu

Fine, the joke’s on you since you’re paying either way, no matter how many people are there and how much they will drink

Scroll up if you don’t remember