Chapter 23
Ever since Tang Xiyan felt that Qu Di liked him, he couldn’t help but feel that Qu Di cared about him all the time. Even in his basic assistant duties, he could see infinite affection.
For example, right now, as he sat under the sunshade, watching Shu Yi and Wengu act not too far away, Qu Di sat beside him as usual, fanning him with a fan.
Even though he already had the little fan that she prepared, he still fanned himself. What else could this be if not love!?
Tang Xiyan sneakily glanced at Qu Di and saw him drenched in sweat. Even though he had a hat on, his face was still a bit red from the sun. In contrast to his snowy forehead, it was quite eye-catching. His eyes were fixed on the actors in the distance, and from time to time, he’d use his other hand to adjust his collar for cooling.
As the collar opened and closed, Qu Di bent over with his elbow resting on his thigh. Since Tang Xiyan was already a head taller than him, it was effortless for him to see that small piece of reddish skin. The perspiration was flowing down his neck, leaving shallow marks.
Unconsciously, Tang Xiyan straightened his posture. His throat moved, and Qu Di turned his head, asking, “What’s wrong? Is it uncomfortable sitting? Should I go get that reclining chair?”
As he spoke, he was about to stand up, catching Tang Xiyan off guard. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he coughed and said, “Ahem… It’s nothing. You don’t need to go. Just sit, I’ve been sitting for a while and wanted to move a bit.”
“Okay.”
Zheng Siyi was sick and resting at the hotel. Even though Shu Yi claimed that she could manage alone, Zheng Siyi asked Qu Di for help. Naturally, he was willing.
As soon as the director called “cut,” Qu Di, just like when he took care of Tang Xiyan, approached with water and a small fan. Tang Xiyan hadn’t even reacted yet, and his assistant had gone over to be attentive to someone else.
Shu Yi took the water from him, took a sip, and said, “Siyi asked you to help, right?”
Qu Di handed him a pack of tissues to wipe his sweat and replied, “She’s worried, and helping out a bit won’t hurt. Besides, I was originally here to look after Xiyan.”
Finally, Qu Di whispered, “I also want to take care of you.”
Shu Yi took a tissue, reached out, and wiped the sweat from Qu Di’s forehead. He looked both pleased and afraid that someone might see. He quickly took the tissue from Shu Yi and softly said, “I can do it myself.”
“It’s just helping out; no one will make a fuss about it. It’s too hot outside. Remember to drink more water.”
Tang Xiyan squinted at the interactions between the two of them in the distance. He wanted to rush over and separate them for no apparent reason. Why wipe sweat for others? Why stand so close for no reason? His butt had even left the chair, but he still held onto its armrest and didn’t stand up.
He couldn’t hear what they were talking about clearly, but an unnamed anger surged within him. It continued until they separated. When Qu Di returned to his side, his expression was dark, clearly showing his anger.
Qu Di had been around Tang Xiyan for a while, so he easily sensed that Tang Xiyan wasn’t happy. He thought it was because of the heat, so he fanned him a few more times and asked, “Is it too hot? Should I fan you some more?”
“Keep your distance.” With a scowl, Tang Xiyan pushed away Qu Di’s fan and turned his back, leaving only the small fan still blowing. Originally, he wanted to return the small fan to Qu Di, but it felt too petty.
Qu Di was puzzled by his actions. He sat there for a while and then carefully placed his fan down. He didn’t pay any attention to Tang Xiyan, got up, and walked away.
“…”
Now Tang Xiyan was even more angry. Didn’t he notice that Tang Xiyan didn’t like him getting too close to other Alphas? Why didn’t he explain? What if I misunderstood and started crying? Can’t he see that I’m upset? What’s the meaning of not comforting me?
He didn’t show any signs of secretly admiring someone.
He felt awkward by himself for quite a while, waiting for Qu Di to return, and he started worrying that maybe he had been too harsh, scaring Qu Di away. He turned his head to look around, but Qu Di was nowhere to be found. He became anxious and quickly stood up, asking several people if they had seen Qu Di. But no one had noticed.
Could he have left?
Was it just because of that one harsh comment? But… was he too harsh? Qu Di was just helping to take care of an artist, why throw a tantrum?
Just as he was about to make a phone call, Qu Di came back with two cups of milk tea. His face was even redder, and his hair was all wet, and the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat. He even seemed a bit out of breath, as if he had run back.
He came to Tang Xiyan’s side with the two cups of milk tea, his voice hoarse, like he was coaxing a child, and said, “Don’t be unhappy. I bought you some milk tea. Try it.”
Tang Xiyan looked at Qu Di, whose originally fair skin was now sunburned, and he even had sweat on his nose. He felt a twinge of pain. On such a hot day, he felt like he was melting after just a few steps. Yet, he had run quite a distance to buy two cups of milk tea just to cheer him up.
I’m really awful.
He reached into his pocket, found a crumpled tissue, and wiped Qu Di’s forehead with a sour expression. “Are you stupid? Why didn’t you take a cab when it’s so far?”
“It’s not that far. It only took about twenty minutes for the round trip. No need to take a cab.” He handed one of the milk teas to Tang Xiyan. “Drink it. It’s your favorite.”
Tang Xiyan took a sip, the familiar slightly sweet taste, without any cream on top. But this time, it tasted sweeter than any other milk tea he had ever had.
But before he could say anything, Shu Yi walked over. Tang Xiyan watched as Qu Di naturally handed the other milk tea to Shu Yi and said, “This is for you.”
Shu Yi seemed a bit surprised. “Why did you buy this?!”
“You mentioned that you wanted to drink it before, so I bought it for Xiyan and just happened to get one for you.”
Tang Xiyan looked at the milk tea in his hand, seriously doubting that this cup was the one bought “just in case.”
Shu Yi asked, “What about yourself? Why aren’t you drinking it?”
“I don’t like this. Only Xiyan likes it.”
Then Shu Yi glanced at Tang Xiyan. “Is that so? A few days ago, I mentioned that I liked it. I didn’t expect you to remember.”
Tang Xiyan noticed a hint of a smile in Shu Yi’s eyes. It was a smug smile with a hint of provocation. It flashed by, but he still caught it. Suddenly, the usually clueless Tang Xiyan’s mind seemed to light up. His love radar was blaring loudly. 1PFt what a narc… -.-
When did these two meet privately? Does Qu Di still have any feelings for me, the god-like man that I am?
“This caramel latte is pretty good.”
“That’s right!” Qu Di smiled and said, “It’s their signature drink, and it seemed good, so I bought it for you.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiyan became displeased and tried to regain Qu Di’s attention, saying, “Hey! Why can he have caramel latte while I can only have regular milk tea?” and it was without cream, just slightly sweet.
Before Qu Di could say anything, Shu Yi spoke up, “Because I’m not afraid of gaining weight.”
“…” Tang Xiyan felt like he had been hit in the knees.
Just then, the director called Shu Yi over. After thanking Qu Di, Shu Yi left, leaving Qu Di and Tang Xiyan. Tang Xiyan stared at him, asking, “So, who’s your artist, after all!?”
Qu Di couldn’t understand why he was angry again. He could only say, “Isn’t it Siyi who asked me to take care of Shu Yi? When someone asks for help, I should do it properly.”
This made it sound like Shu Yi was an outsider, and when guests came to your home, you should treat them well so as not to give a bad impression. Tang Xiyan thought he made a lot of sense and instantly felt relieved. He put his arm around Qu Di’s shoulder and told him to sit and rest for a while.
Qu Di took out his phone and received a message from Chou Fei. He read it and said, “Fei-ge reminds you not to forget the program the day after tomorrow.”
Tangyi was hosting a talent show, where they would select the top ten from a hundred girls for a debut group, which was the hottest talent show format at the moment. Tangyi naturally wanted a piece of the pie.
However, Tangyi was a large company with a large business. All the artists participating in the show were unsigned, having been selected through open auditions. If they succeeded, they could sign directly with Tangyi and gain access to the best resources.
The day after tomorrow was the recording of the first episode of the program, and they had invited Tang Xiyan, who was also from Tangyi, to be a guest. His role was to offer words of encouragement, sing a song, and then leave. This would not only increase the show’s visibility but also promote Tang Xiyan’s new song.
Tang Xiyan leaned over to look at the program schedule. He was the last to appear after entering, and after singing a few words, he could leave. He took a sip of milk tea and said, “I understand. Such small programs can end quickly. Don’t be so nervous.”
“I’m just reminding you. Don’t stay up too late. After you finish recording the program, you have to come back here to continue filming. And…”
“Okay, okay! You don’t have to nag.”
After their break, it was Tang Xiyan’s scene. Shu Yi didn’t know when he had returned to Tang Xiyan’s side, still holding the caramel latte, which should have cooled down, as the outer surface of the cup was covered in droplets of water.
“It’s really good.”
“Mmm…” Now when Shu Yi got close to him, Tang Xiyan didn’t automatically try to avoid him. He was just a little nervous. After all, this was all happening in front of an audience, and Shu Yi often did bold things. Tang Xiyan felt that he couldn’t let this go any further.
He pushed Shu Yi’s hand away, looking around cautiously. Fortunately, no one had noticed them. When he looked up, Shu Yi’s eyes were filled with tenderness, quietly gazing at him.
Qu Di blushed again, succumbing once more to his tenderness. He quickly took a sip from the cup Tang Xiyan was offering. It was indeed very sweet, sweet to the heart.
In fact, they had confirmed their relationship a long time ago, just a week after that night when they kissed. Shu Yi had come to his room again, solemnly asking if he would be willing to be with him. Qu Di knew this was a difficult path, but he still nodded.
The feeling of being cared for and cherished, he didn’t want to miss it.
Shu Yi and Yang Ji were different, he knew.
Given their identities, they even had to be careful when chatting in front of others, afraid that someone might catch on. Only at night, Shu Yi would occasionally come over to have dinner with him, and that was their private time.
Shu Yi no longer teased him. He wiped the water stain from the corner of his mouth and asked, “Is your script finished?”
“Not so fast. I’ve only written the beginning for now. Many things need to be carefully verified. And… I don’t have much time right now, so I can only write a little bit when I have the chance.”
“No rush. Just focus on writing it well. Leave the arrangements to me. I believe in your ability.”
“When Xi Yan’s work here is done, I should be able to finish it. But I’ll still need some time to polish it. However, Shu Yi told me that he would help me show it to some drama production teams, and if it fits, we’ll make some revisions and polish it up.”
Shu Yi fell silent for a moment and suddenly said, “Can you come out the day after tomorrow evening?”
“Huh?”
“I heard there will be a meteor shower that night…” The meaning behind this was clear.
The two of them had been staying in the drama set, and even if they went out, it was usually just to nearby stores to buy something. They hadn’t had the chance to go far.
Qu Di was moved, but he still had reservations. “But… the work on the set. This side usually doesn’t finish until the evening, and we don’t have time to go out.”
Shu Yi gently held his hand and then let go. “I’ll arrange it.”
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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