Something wasn’t right.
What on earth had Chu Xingxiao said to him? Whatever the topic was, it had clearly left Qi Song on the verge of emotional shutdown.
Naturally, a hand model would have beautiful hands—slender and sculpted like a work of art—but Chi Zhan had no mind to admire them now. Qi Song’s body was genuinely cold. Just a gust of air seemed enough to drain him of all warmth. No wonder he usually wore so many layers.
But today, why was he only wearing such a thin jacket?
Chi Zhan let out a silent sigh, then offered, “Let me get you something warmer—”
“Can you hold me?” Qi Song interrupted.
The moment Qi Song leaned in and gently wrapped his arms around him on the sofa, Chi Zhan was left momentarily stunned.
Qi Song’s forehead nestled lightly against Chi Zhan’s neck, the curve of his side profile flowing down to a jawline nearly too perfect to be real. His skin was so pale it was almost translucent, carrying an unmistakable chill. But as it pressed close to Chi Zhan’s own warmth, that chill began to slowly melt away.
Chi Zhan rarely shared this level of physical closeness with Qi Song. For a moment, he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. But seeing the faint gloom clouding Qi Song’s expression, clearly weighed down by something, he didn’t have the heart to push him away. Instead, he slowly raised one arm and rested it gently on Qi Song’s shoulder, letting him stay just like that.
Like a hibernating cat—soft, weightless, and silent.
“…Do you want to talk about it?” Chi Zhan asked softly. “It’s fine if you don’t, but—”
“Can I kiss you?” Qi Song interrupted again.
He said it with the same calm, detached voice. Yet his obsidian eyes were fixed directly on Chi Zhan’s, then slowly dropped to his lips.
It felt almost like a temptation.
Chi Zhan very nearly said yes—his mouth even opened—but he snapped back to reality in the next instant.
“No. This is the living room.”
Qi Song didn’t argue. He simply looked at Chi Zhan in silence.
And kept looking.
As if he’d stare him down until he agreed.
But Chi Zhan had willpower. Iron will. Chu Xingxiao was still out on the balcony. Who knew when he’d wander back in? If he walked in on something like that…
The mental image alone was a disaster waiting to happen.
Still, Qi Song moved with the quiet certainty he was known for—if the enemy stayed still, he advanced. Slowly, deliberately, he leaned in closer. Chi Zhan felt as though those eyes were pulling him in, making even his breathing hitch.
Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them—close enough to touch, too close to be innocent. Qi Song’s expression was eerily composed, but something in it hinted at something deeper… something dangerously alluring.
Time seemed to freeze. Even the drop of a pin would’ve sounded loud.
Screech—
The sliding glass door suddenly opened.
Chi Zhan jolted, instantly trying to push Qi Song away—only for Qi Song to gently press down on his wrist and place a soft kiss on the side of his face.
But from Chu Xingxiao’s perspective, the angle was deceptive—he looked just in time to see what seemed like Qi Song kissing Chi Zhan on the lips.
***
That kiss was featherlight, barely even a peck. There was nothing lewd about it—it was almost… innocent. As if he just wanted to kiss him, simply because he wanted to.
Chi Zhan hadn’t even processed what had just happened when Qi Song leaned in again and kissed him a second time before finally pulling back slightly.
Then they both turned.
Chu Xingxiao was standing on the balcony, staring at them. His whole body was tense, his eyes practically spitting fire. For a split second, Chi Zhan honestly thought he might come over and punch someone.
Qi Song met Chu Xingxiao’s gaze head-on. Their eyes locked, and it was as if sparks flew silently in midair.
A beat later, Chu Xingxiao’s face turned cold and hard. Not saying a word, he strode past them. Even his steps kicked up a breeze as he walked, and then—
Bang!
The front door slammed behind him.
He’d left without even putting on a jacket—just a thin T-shirt in below-freezing temperatures. Chi Zhan felt a flicker of concern and reached for his phone to call him, only to find Chu Xingxiao’s phone still sitting on the table.
“Don’t worry about him,” Qi Song said calmly, as if he’d already expected this exact reaction. “He’s not a kid.”
“Are you sure he’s okay?” Chi Zhan still looked uneasy.
Qi Song responded, “Now you can tell me.”
Chi Zhan blinked, his mind still halfway stuck on what had just happened.
“…Tell you what?”
Qi Song gave him a hint.
“What’s with this whole ‘boyfriend’ situation between you and Chu Xingxiao?”
That… was a long story.
One that couldn’t be told truthfully, but couldn’t be totally made up either. Qi Song wasn’t like Chu Xingxiao—he couldn’t be fooled so easily.
“……”
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Chu Xingxiao was standing by the door. The corridor windows were open for daily ventilation, which meant the temperature difference between inside and out was sharp. It was warm indoors, but out here it was freezing—even the drafts felt like they carried shards of ice.
But the cold did nothing to douse the fire burning inside him.
The moment he saw them kiss, fury had surged straight to his brain like a raging blaze.
Half anger. Half heartbreak.
What right did he even have to be angry? He and Chi Zhan weren’t anything. Even if he stormed back in and socked Qi Song in the face, Chi Zhan wouldn’t feel bad for him—he’d probably just think he was being childish.
But the truth was… they had done that. Chi Zhan didn’t exactly act like he disliked him, so why—why couldn’t they be together?
And yet, the second he stepped outside, he regretted it.
Why the hell had he left? Qi Song had clearly done it on purpose—to provoke him, to chase him out. And he had taken the bait, just like that?
But going back now… no. That’d just make him look pathetic.
Chu Xingxiao paced restlessly outside the door. Would his gege come looking for him?
But minutes passed. The door stayed closed.
And then a painful truth hit him like a slap to the face.
Chi Zhan wasn’t coming after him.
Gege didn’t care about him at all.
No one had ever treated him like this before.
Chu Xingxiao had always been a golden child. Sure, he had a cousin above him stealing some of the spotlight, but he’d grown up knowing how to fight back when he felt wronged. He’d never been one to swallow his pride.
But with Chi Zhan, what could he even do?
He couldn’t force love. He didn’t want to leave either. If no one was going to offer him a way down… then maybe he’d have to build his own escape route.
Inside, Chi Zhan was racking his brain, spinning a story for Qi Song.
He made up something along the lines of: to avoid being set up by a friend of a friend, he’d found a “fake boyfriend” online as a shield. But then things got complicated when Zhou Yanxing found out, so he had no choice but to keep the act going.
Tao Ran, buddy, I’m sorry—but you’re going to have to carry this blame for a while…
