“Good night.”
Zhou Yanxing leaned down and pressed the lightest of kisses to Secretary Chi’s brow.
“I’m going to wash up. I’ll come back in a bit,” he coaxed softly.
But no matter how gently he tried to persuade him, Chi Zhan refused to let go of the bathrobe sash he was clutching. Zhou Yanxing was left with no choice but to tug the sash free, letting Chi Zhan hold onto it while he went to freshen up.
The bathrobe gaped open slightly in the draft.
When he returned, Zhou Yanxing lay down on the other side of the bed. The moment he did, Chi Zhan rolled over and wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling against Zhou Yanxing’s exposed chest. He shifted back and forth, searching for a comfortable position, and finally went still once he found it.
His warm, steady breath fanned against Zhou Yanxing’s neck in waves. Half of his body was practically draped over Zhou Yanxing’s, and with only the bathrobe between them, his fair collarbone and the elegant curve of his shoulder were laid completely bare.
“……Are you doing this on purpose to torment me…”
A moment later, Zhou Yanxing moved Chi Zhan’s hand away, gritted his teeth, and marched into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water echoed out.
When he emerged, his body carried a residual chill. He stood in front of the heater for a while, pondering the meaning of life, before finally climbing back into bed.
Chi Zhan turned again, and once more wrapped his arms around him.
Zhou Yanxing stared at his sleeping face and ground out through clenched teeth, “I really wish you could understand just how not frigid I am.”
That night, Chi Zhan slept like a baby.
President Zhou, on the other hand, had a rough time.
Everyone had free time to do as they pleased today. The group wanted to explore the nearby town, where there was supposedly a famous street packed with local snacks. The suggestion was met with unanimous enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, the weather turned out to be bitterly cold, and they all ended up huddling in a café, shivering around a warm fireplace while playing mobile games. Several power banks were laid out across the table—modern technology at its finest.
The game Chi Zhan was playing happened to be a popular one, and quite a few others were into it as well. They formed ten teams and invited him to join.
They were still short a few people, so everyone began reaching out to friends. Chi Zhan sipped his milk tea and waited as the others sent out invites.
Zhou Yanxing had been glued to his phone with constant calls since morning. Before heading out, Chi Zhan had simply waved at him, signaling for him to have fun. As for Chu Xingxiao, he’d sent a message saying his agent had booked him for a last-minute appearance, so he had to cut the trip short.
The café looked like something out of a fairytale, with its warm fireplace, brown wooden walls, and a carved wooden pony by the door. The tables resembled something out of an elven village, and the milk tea—freshly brewed and not overly sweet—was rich with the aroma of warm milk.
Chi Zhan liked this flavor. It ranked just below the coffee Zhou Yanxing made for him.
His tastes were actually quite picky, but anything that made it past his lips was usually drinkable. That often gave people the mistaken impression that he didn’t care much about flavor.
Sweetness levels were hard to get just right. Even a slight difference could shift the entire taste. Funnily enough, the cup of coffee he had that morning had a flavor even he couldn’t replicate himself.
Maybe he should ask Zhou Yanxing for his recipe.
“We’re still short! Anyone got friends we can pull in?” someone asked while spinning the in-game wheel. Chi Zhan tapped “Invite All” and sent an invite to his entire friend list.
A new player entered the room.
“Who’s that? Did one of you invite them?” someone asked. “Name’s WT-Seven. Wait, is that the Seven I’m thinking of?”
The entire group erupted.
“Holy shit, who actually has Seven’s official account as a friend? Getting to play with God Qi—I can die happy!”
“Same here! This is the pinnacle of my existence!”
“Wasn’t me.”
“Not me either…”
“I wish it was me, are you kidding?”
Chi Zhan paused, then said, “He’s a friend of mine. I might’ve clicked the wrong button and invited him by accident…”
“No worries! Let’s just play together!” Everyone turned to him, practically begging, “Please, we’re counting on you!”
The chat box exploded with greetings to Seven, over-the-top flattery, and celebrations that they finally had enough players.
Chi Zhan, a little guilty, sent a message to Seven.
CHI: Sorry about that. I hit ‘Invite All’ by mistake.
Seven was usually busy, and since his job involved nonstop gaming, asking him to join in casually felt almost cruel.
WT-Seven: It wasn’t a mistake.
That… meant…
WT-Seven: You invited me, so I joined. Weren’t you short on players?
Chi Zhan’s heart skipped a beat.
CHI: Am I bothering you?
WT-Seven: There’s a match in a couple days. I’m out vacationing today.
CHI: What a coincidence! I’m on vacation too.
WT-Seven: The snowy scenery is beautiful. There are little snowmen too.
WT-Seven: [image.jpg]
CHI: So cute!
Wait a minute… why did that little snowman and the pool beside it look so familiar?
WT-Seven: This place is near Province A. Seems like a pretty good vacation spot.
WT-Seven: Hang on, I’m gonna find a café.
A café?
Just then, the café’s wooden door creaked open, letting in a gust of cold wind and flurries of snow. The temperature outside was frigid, but the warmth inside made it feel even cozier by contrast.
The wind chimes by the entrance jingled cheerily, drawing everyone’s attention. Chi Zhan had his back to the door and didn’t turn around. But as someone looked toward the entrance, their jaw dropped.
“Oh my god…” the person whispered in disbelief. “Speak of the devil—did I just see that right? Isn’t that Seven?!”
Chi Zhan turned around—and saw a group of four or five people entering the café. One of them wore a long coat, tall and slender, a scarf looped around his neck. His dark hair was a little tousled, and a small beauty mark under his eye stood out strikingly.
He looked relaxed and casual, phone in hand, about to say something to the teammate beside him—only for his voice to suddenly falter.
Their eyes met across the room, and both were visibly startled.
That’s when it finally clicked for Chi Zhan.
The little snowman in Seven’s photo… wasn’t that the same one at the resort entrance?!
***
WT’s training schedule had been packed to the brim lately. The atmosphere on the team was getting way too tense—hardly ideal before a major match. With Christmas just a few days away, the coach decided to take them to a resort for some downtime and relaxation.
