“When I initially agreed not to have any contact with him,” Meng Zhen hesitated for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, and her voice softened, “He still doesn’t know my feelings, and you two haven’t started dating, right?”
Bai Jinyan remained silent on the other end. Meng Zhen smiled, her tone cheerful, “Leaving everything aside, I really like Qiao. I liked him from the moment I saw him.”
“As long as you don’t date, I can allow you to be friends. That’s my only concession.”
After saying this, she didn’t receive a response. She asked, “Do you understand?”
“Hello?” Meng Zhen furrowed her brow, irritated, and said, “Bai Jinyan, I’m talking to you—”
Her phone’s screen lit up, indicating that the call had been disconnected.
Meng Zhen had been lost in her thoughts and hadn’t noticed when the call ended. The call with Bai Jinyan had lasted less than two seconds.
Bai Jinyan stood silently in the small garden outside for a while, then raised his hand to turn on the water tap. The rain showed no signs of stopping and seemed to be getting heavier.
Even though he hadn’t been outside for long, his clothes were already wet. However, he paid no attention to it. As he entered the hallway, a towel that he had hung there covered his view.
“Why didn’t you bring an umbrella when you went out?” Qiao Huaiyao helped him dry off from the rain and ruffled his brother’s hair. He had noticed Bai Jinyan’s absence earlier and hadn’t waited to give him an umbrella.
Bai Jinyan allowed his brother to pat him down haphazardly and explained with a good-natured tone, “I thought I’d come back after turning off the water hose. I didn’t expect the rain to get heavier.”
Qiao Huaiyao touched his own clothes and realized that Bai Jinyan, who was wearing only a shirt, had gotten completely drenched. He pushed Bai Jinyan toward the bathroom. “Brother, go take a shower. I’ll find you some dry clothes to change into.”
As he turned around, Bai Jinyan suddenly reached out and embraced him. Qiao Huaiyao swayed for a moment and then stopped abruptly. He was a little surprised and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Brother?”
Bai Jinyan buried his head in Qiao’s neck and murmured, “Hmm,” his voice slightly muffled.
Bai Jinyan was typically reserved and calm, but at this moment, Qiao could clearly sense that something was bothering him. Qiao wanted to turn around and hug him back, but Bai Jinyan was holding him tightly, making it difficult to move his arms. So, he leaned back slightly and didn’t say anything, allowing his brother to embrace him.
For a while, the only sound in the room was the steady rain outside. It was a moment of silence, and Qiao had lost track of time. Eventually, he felt Bai Jinyan’s grip on his arm loosen slightly.
Bai Jinyan said in a low voice, “I’m going to change my clothes.”
Qiao turned to look at him and said softly, “Okay.”
Later, at 5 PM, the guests who had participated in the program gathered at the second-floor building at the beginning of the program. Some of them had brought their luggage with them to save time since they would leave as soon as they finished shooting the final group shot. The rain had stopped, and the evening sky, perhaps due to the rain, did not look the same as usual.
Zhao Jiamo held a camera and took pictures. The camera was not far from the guests, and he personally took this shot, which included him. While adjusting the focus, he noticed Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan in the frame.
He paused for a moment and then adjusted the focus. “You two in these clothes…” Zhao Jiamo smiled with narrowed eyes. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”
Qiao Huaiyao adjusted the edge of his shirt and couldn’t help but smile when he heard the comment. He and Bai Jinyan were wearing the same style of clothes in different colors, a discovery they made when preparing their outfits for the final group shot. They wanted to look their best for the last shot.
Zhao Jiamo called out, “Alright, everyone stand a little taller, smile, and strike a pose. We’re on a tight schedule here. Let’s try to get it right on the first try.”
“Three, two…”
Qiao Huaiyao stood next to Bai Jinyan, patiently waiting for the director to take the shot. Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. He instinctively looked at Bai Jinyan, and their eyes met unexpectedly. His hand on Bai Jinyan’s shoulder slid down to their intertwined fingers.
At the same moment, Zhao Jiamo counted, “One!”
As soon as he finished counting, the camera’s shutter clicked.
“OK! That was perfect!” Zhao Jiamo said, satisfied with the shot. He turned to the photographer and said, “Let me see.”
The playback footage of the camera, capturing the moment when the picture was taken, was displayed on the screen. The guests looked natural, and the shot was a success.
Zhao Jiamo waved his hand and said, “Alright! This season’s shooting is officially over. Thanks for everyone’s hard work and support. I wish you all a bright future!”
Some of the guests with luggage hurried to catch their flights, exchanged greetings with Zhao Jiamo, and left. They had different destinations and flights. Qiao Huaiyao’s flight wasn’t as rushed, but it was getting late.
“Brother, let’s head back. We can wait for the driver to arrive and then go to the airport,” Qiao Huaiyao suggested.
Bai Jinyan agreed, and the production team had arranged transportation to the airport. When Qiao Huaiyao first came to the program, he hadn’t planned on returning home, so he had left some of his things at Bai Jinyan’s rented apartment nearby. It was a good opportunity for the driver to bring those items.
After getting off the plane, it was already dark. Qiao Huaiyao sat in the car on the way home, watching the streetlights pass by quickly. He absentmindedly wondered if there was a good reason to go to Bai Jinyan’s apartment instead of their usual place. Normally, they stayed in Bai Jinyan’s purchased house, so suddenly suggesting a change might raise questions. He didn’t know how to answer those questions.
But not going was not an option. The answers he sought were at Bai Jinyan’s other place. He had a feeling that something was amiss.
With his heart in turmoil, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t even realize when the car stopped downstairs. It was only when he snapped back to reality that he noticed.
Lu Lu, their driver, got out of the car and helped with the luggage. This apartment had been used for the live broadcast of the variety show, but due to Bai Jinyan’s temperament, even though fans knew the address, they never came here. However, after the live broadcast, there were quite a few check-in posts on Weibo, mostly from outside the apartment complex. Bai Jinyan’s side was sparsely populated, and he was engrossed in watching the show.
Qiao Huaiyao sat on the sofa, taking notes and suddenly remembered the awards ceremony the next day. He asked, “Brother, do we have to wake up early for tomorrow’s ceremony?”
The awards ceremony took place in the evening, but often the red carpet started in the afternoon. They still didn’t know when Bai Jinyan would appear, but they needed to prepare in advance. Given Bai Jinyan’s celebrity status, high-end brands were eager to dress him for the red carpet, and Lulu should have everything ready on his side.
Bai Jinyan took a sip of milk, put the cup down, and said, “You can go in the afternoon directly. I’ll have Lu Lu reserve a spot for you next to me.”
Qiao raised an eyebrow, tapped his pen on the paper, and said with a teasing tone, “I didn’t say I wanted to go.”
Bai Jinyan glanced at him, raised his hand—