FIG CHAPTER 86

“Good job!”

On the evening of December 21st, the first stop of the tour came to a successful end. The backstage area was noisy, with the five members of Acemon being greeted everywhere they went. The staff involved in the concert kept praising the smoothness of the performance.

Due to the large number of fans in the venue, several exits were still guiding the audience to the correct queuing spots in order to more efficiently disperse the crowd. The company urged the five members to leave by car quickly, before the stalker fans could find a way to sneak into the parking lot.

Inside the luxury van, the members recorded selfie videos. Aside from thanking the audience for their support, they also reminded everyone to be careful on their way home and to get some rest.

“Finally, we can catch our breath.” Zhu Lianzhen watched as his video was successfully uploaded to Weibo, then immediately threw his phone into his bag, closed his eyes, and leaned back to sleep.

The night before, he had gone to bed early, but his mind kept replaying the routine over and over. The more he tried, the more awake he became, and he couldn’t sleep at all.

Koty rummaged through his pockets, frowning. “Where’s my ID? I changed clothes a few times today. Who remembers that?”

Even in his exhaustion, Ji Yunting didn’t forget to roll his eyes. “No one’s into that.”

“It’s with me,” Tan Qing said. “Last week, when we were trying on new performance outfits, you asked me to hold onto it. You only remembered now?”

“Oh.” Koty suddenly understood and relaxed. “Then keep it for now. My clothes don’t have pockets, but when we get back, I’ll find a bag to store it in.”

Tan Qing didn’t respond, silently putting the item back in his bag. Ji Yunting sighed and scolded Koty, “You never change that forgetful habit, always making others pick up after you. If I were Tan Qing, I’d open the window right now and throw your damn green card out. You’d be out on the street crawling around by midnight.”

Koty didn’t care about the criticism. He chuckled a few times and shot back, “Hey, I seem to remember someone else crawling around the streets at midnight, though.”

Ji Yunting’s expression changed, and he immediately shut his mouth.

After driving for about ten minutes, the van arrived at the dorm villa. The members got out one by one. Tan Qing supported Zhu Lianzhen’s shoulder and gently shook him. “Xiao Zhu, we’ve arrived. Let’s go upstairs and sleep.”

Zhu Lianzhen barely opened his eyes, letting out an unwilling grunt. Tan Qing helped him down the stairs. After walking a few steps, he realized he hadn’t stepped onto the stairs yet. Opening his eyes, he saw they hadn’t reached the main entrance of the villa. “Why are we in the garage?”

“The driver still has to work tomorrow. Stopping here in the garage saves him from having to go around again,” Tan Qing explained, casually flipping up the collar of Zhu Lianzhen’s jacket to prevent the cold wind from getting in.

It was only about a hundred meters to the dorm, but Zhu Lianzhen stumbled and swayed after walking a few steps. Tan Qing first hooked his arm around him, but after being jostled a few times, he simply wrapped his arm around Zhu Lianzhen’s shoulder to steady his walk, lowering his head to ask, “Do you want me to carry you?”

“No,” Zhu Lianzhen answered.

Tan Qing stopped walking. “Then what do you want?”

Zhu Lianzhen first stood still with a blank expression for a few seconds, then turned his head to face Tan Qing. The cold air surrounded them, and the warmth of their breaths became more noticeable. Zhu Lianzhen’s eyes were half-open, his gaze naturally drifting downward.

The faint smile at the corner of Tan Qing’s lips vanished quickly. He slowly tightened his arms, pulling their bodies closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, he softly spoke to Zhu Lianzhen, “If you don’t say it clearly, how would I understand?”

The expected kiss suddenly halted, and Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t help but click his tongue. Already dizzy with sleepiness, he was now being teased by Tan Qing, who seemed to want it but also pulled away. The last bit of patience he had was instantly drained. He raised his hand to touch the back of Tan Qing’s head, using it as leverage to forcefully continue the kiss that had yet to be completed.

Zhu Lianzhen deliberately pressed his sharp canine teeth down. He wasn’t sure if he had pricked Tan Qing’s tongue or the inside of his lips, but it caused Tan Qing to react sharply. The moment Zhu Lianzhen’s teeth loosened, Tan Qing, like a cold yet gentle snake, relentlessly pursued him, until their lips intertwined, leaving new marks on each other. Zhu Lianzhen felt Tan Qing’s hand tighten around his waist. Their jackets rustled together softly, as though the kiss had reached a secret understanding.

Zhu Lianzhen was the first to release his strength. His eyelashes brushed Tan Qing’s eye corner before he turned his head to pull away, silently signaling the end of the kiss. He took a deep breath, the cold air rushing into his nose and lungs, and he felt much clearer.

After satisfying his sudden need for intimacy, Zhu Lianzhen slowly realized it was time to hold Tan Qing accountable. He had always thought that Tan Qing’s tendency to act so dramatically was partly due to his insecurity, but later, he realized he had misunderstood. Tan Qing clearly enjoyed engaging in certain mischievous behaviors! Especially when he would always “stop just at the right moment,” leaving Zhu Lianzhen’s mind in chaos.

In the short span of a few dozen meters, Zhu Lianzhen became more and more annoyed. When they reached the steps to the villa, he suddenly ran a few steps ahead, turned around, and with all his strength, pushed Tan Qing. Without waiting for a response, he stormed into the dormitory.

“…” Tan Qing, used to Zhu Lianzhen’s sudden childish outbursts, stepped back up the stairs.

–

Pei Qiao had already asked the assistant to arrange a table of dumplings, and only then did everyone remember it was the Winter Solstice today.

Zhu Lianzhen didn’t like eating dumplings. He had a few symbolically, then put down his chopsticks and went upstairs to take a bath. The warm water drove away the cold, and his muscles relaxed. He lay by the edge of the bathtub and called his father.

The first time, the call didn’t go through. The second time, his father picked up. Zhu Kaiping’s voice was low, sounding like he was half-asleep. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing. I just got off work. Before midnight, I wanted to wish you and Mom a happy Winter Solstice, so Mom doesn’t complain that I’m always too busy with work to care about the family.”

After hearing this, Zhu Kaiping muttered a few impatient words, then told Zhu Lianzhen, “We were already sleeping!”

Zhu Lianzhen said confidently, “Of course I know you’re asleep, which is exactly why I didn’t call Mom, so I wouldn’t wake her up. Remember to tell her tomorrow how considerate I am.”

Zhu Kaiping cursed him again.

“Do you guys have a concert on New Year’s Eve?” Zhu Kaiping asked.

“Yes,” Zhu Lianzhen paused for a moment, “You actually know the date? You’re not planning to come with Mom, are you?”

“We don’t have the time to watch you guys make a fool of yourselves and scream your heads off. I just wanted to ask if you’re coming home for New Year’s.”

“Of course I’m coming back. The tour ends before the New Year, then the company is giving us a month off.”

Zhu Kaiping asked again, “So, are you coming back alone, or…?”

His hesitant tone made Zhu Lianzhen pause for a moment, and after a few seconds, he realized what the question implied.

Zhu Lianzhen cautiously responded, “You… still want to meet him?”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

After a while, Zhu Kaiping quickly replied, “It’s up to you!”

Zhu Lianzhen had no reply.

Neither he nor Tan Qing were people who cared much about traditional customs. His mother had always prioritized the wishes of young people, and when they had talked on the phone before, she had told him that love was their personal matter. Even if they didn’t report it to the elders, she still wanted him to be happy.

But Zhu Kaiping didn’t seem to think the same way. When Zhu Lianzhen had revealed his relationship with a same-sex teammate in the past, it had caused quite a bit of anger. Later, when they broke up, it took a long time to explain the reasons. Recently, when he mentioned getting back together, Zhu Kaiping couldn’t understand why Zhu Lianzhen insisted on struggling with the same guy for so many years.

Every time the father and son spoke, Zhu Kaiping would indirectly try to find out about his boyfriend. Zhu Lianzhen always said good things, but Zhu Kaiping was suspicious of Tan Qing. He didn’t want to form an impression based on others’ descriptions; he’d have to meet him in person to form his own opinion.

It was truly a headache.

Zhu Lianzhen hung up the phone and sighed while lying on the edge of the bathtub.

He wasn’t sure if Tan Qing would be willing.

Zhu Lianzhen knew that as soon as he invited him, Tan Qing would immediately act like he was happy to agree. But that didn’t mean Tan Qing would actually be happy about it. It would just be like completing a task, handling his parents with the best attitude. Would it be uncomfortable for him? If they chose to meet this time, what about the next time? Was it really necessary to add another task for Tan Qing to please his parents?

When he thought too much about this kind of family-related social obligation, Zhu Lianzhen found it pointless.

There was a light knock on the bathroom door.

“Xiao Zhu, it’s been too long,” Tan Qing reminded him from outside.

“Oh.” Zhu Lianzhen got up and stepped out of the bathtub.

He put on his pajamas, dried his hair, and was about to return to his bedroom when he changed his mind and turned toward Tan Qing’s room.

Zhu Lianzhen didn’t knock. He simply turned the doorknob and saw Tan Qing bent over, writing something at his desk. He walked closer and took a look. On the notebook was the schedule for the coming year, most of which were already planned work commitments. Another page was filled with books and movies to be reviewed, and the dates were left blank for further arrangements.

“Any places you want to visit next year?” Zhu Lianzhen asked him.

Tan Qing paused his pen and looked up, sinking into a brief moment of thought.

Zhu Lianzhen thought he would name specific places, but instead, Tan Qing spoke in analysis. “Our overlapping vacation days are in June and July, and also in October. You don’t like the heat, so the places we could go are probably northern Spain, Switzerland, Austria… If you don’t mind how long the trips are, actually, there are a lot of places in China we haven’t been to yet.”

“You’ve probably already thought all this out, waiting for me to ask, haven’t you?” Zhu Lianzhen stood beside him, reaching out to gently rub Tan Qing’s head, then slowly wrapping his arm around him to pull him into an embrace. Tan Qing’s ear was pressed against Zhu Lianzhen’s chest, and he could clearly hear the sound of his heartbeat.

They stayed quietly close for a while, and then Zhu Lianzhen said, “I have a question for you.”

“Mm.”

“Isn’t it when we’re the only two left in the world that you’re happiest?”

Tan Qing didn’t answer immediately. He just sat in his chair, tilting his head to look at Zhu Lianzhen. The desk lamp reflected a bit of light off his glasses, just enough to obscure the emotions in one of his eyes.

Zhu Lianzhen saw him smile, the corner of his lips lifting in a perfect curve.

“Well, we’d only know if we were actually the last two left.”

Tan Qing didn’t give a concrete answer to this unrealistic hypothetical, but he was honest enough, not hiding that he was willing to entertain such a fantasy.

Zhu Lianzhen lowered his head and took off the glasses that were in the way of Tan Qing’s face. He lightly kissed his forehead, then his nose bridge.

Tan Qing didn’t speak. His palm, through the thin fabric of their clothes, traveled along Zhu Lianzhen’s spine, eventually resting at his lower back. His fingertips gently squeezed the small indentation of his waist, and Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t help but shudder, losing his balance and clumsily sitting on Tan Qing’s lap.

Zhu Lianzhen felt a warm breath sweep over his ear, leaving a tingling itch, and quickly realized that Tan Qing was secretly laughing.

As if trying to cover his embarrassment, Zhu Lianzhen lightly bit Tan Qing’s shoulder, but it only seemed like an obvious attempt to cover up. Tan Qing slowly stroked the back of his neck, almost as if comforting him, and softly said, “You’re so happy today?”

“Of course.”

“Because of the concert?” Tan Qing asked, voicing the reason for him.

Zhu Lianzhen rested his chin on Tan Qing’s shoulder, adding in a muffled voice, “Because it was ‘our’ concert.”

Tan Qing slightly turned his face, “Is it ‘you and me,’ or ‘the five of us’?”

The direct follow-up question left Zhu Lianzhen no time to think. He tilted his head, most of his face pressed against Tan Qing’s shoulder, and muttered, “I don’t know. When you’re happy, you don’t think that clearly… Maybe later, when I think back on today, I’ll understand. Anyway, don’t both answers include you?”

Tan Qing blinked slowly, a soft “Mm” escaping from his throat.

“Alright, I’m so tired. Take me back to bed.”

–

A sliver of morning light leaked through the gap in the curtains.

Zhu Lianzhen had the illusion that his whole body had sunk into a pile of feathers, surrounded by a soft touch. His mind gradually connected to reality, and he half-opened his eyes, scanning the layout of the room.

It came to him—this was Tan Qing’s bedroom.

So, his pillow and mattress were this soft… It seemed like they’d been replaced recently. Zhu Lianzhen looked down at the sheets and duvet. They were light blue, a stark contrast to the black and white sets from various brands that had been used before. Lying on the bed, it had always felt like preparing for a funeral.

Out of the corner of his eye, there was a flickering light. The phone screen dimmed and brightened intermittently. Zhu Lianzhen picked it up and saw several WeChat group messages being pushed one after another.

The most active one was the company’s trainee group. Zhu Lianzhen had been added to it when he did an assessment with the choreographer, and because he was in it, not many people dared to post messages. So, he hadn’t muted the notifications.

Curious, he tapped to open it, and as he scrolled up, he saw numerous photos. The trainees seemed to be competing to see who could build the best snowman.

Zhu Lianzhen froze for a moment, then quickly threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and ran to open the curtains—

Snow blanketed the ground, and the trees were adorned with silver flowers. In just one night, the entire city had been covered with a layer of ice.

His vision was filled with the purest color, and his mood calmed as a result. He had already seen enough snow this past summer, so it didn’t have a strong impact on him now. Just as he was about to turn back to bed, his eyes automatically drifted toward the window, and he noticed a white rose on the windowsill.

No, to be precise, it was a snow rose.

It was strung together with a small straight twig and placed in a white vase. The petals, stacked unevenly, were made up of delicate snowflakes, with ice particles on the edges that looked as if they were coated in powdered sugar, reflecting a cold light.

Zhu Lianzhen excitedly opened the window. The sudden drop in temperature didn’t deter him, but when his fingers touched the white vase, he instinctively pulled back, feeling the cold.

It turned out that the little vase was also made of snow.

Zhu Lianzhen’s hand hovered in mid-air for a moment, hesitating. In the end, he retracted his hand. The snow rose would eventually melt under the sun, so before it vanished, it was better not to let it be harmed by human warmth.

He had gotten up too late today and missed breakfast. Ji Yunting was shoveling snow at the main entrance. Zhu Lianzhen took a detour and finally found Tan Qing in the backyard. Tan Qing had just moved drinks that wouldn’t fit in the fridge outside to cool them down.

The first thing Tan Qing said when they met was to ask what he wanted to eat.

“We’ll have lunch together later. Don’t worry about that for now. Tell me, how did you make the flower?” Zhu Lianzhen leaned closer. “Teach me! Teach me!”

Tan Qing looked up at the windowsill on the second floor. “You saw it? I thought you wouldn’t notice.”

“Tch.” Zhu Lianzhen felt like Tan Qing was questioning his observational skills. “You clearly knew I would look at the windowsill, so you put it there on purpose. Teach me!”

Tan Qing chuckled. “I don’t know.”

Zhu Lianzhen immediately saw through his pretense and imitated him in an exaggerated tone, grinning widely as he repeated Tan Qing’s words. “Aiya~ I don’t know~ I thought you wouldn’t notice~”

“Do you still want to learn?” Tan Qing asked.

“Of course!” Zhu Lianzhen quickly returned to a normal expression.

Tan Qing asked him to pick up a slender twig from the ground to mimic the stem of the rose, then find a clean patch of snow and tightly squeeze a bit of snow around the tip of the twig. “Try to make it as straight as possible.”

This would serve as the flower’s stamen. Zhu Lianzhen followed the instructions, but his right hand quickly turned red from the cold.

“Do you have a card?” Tan Qing asked.

Zhu Lianzhen shook his head.

Tan Qing put his hands in his pockets and pulled out a light-colored card. “Grab some more snow, not too much, and press it onto the card, using the space between your thumb and index finger to press it down firmly.”

The originally soft snow became more compact and thinner under his palm, and because of the uneven pressure, the snowflakes presented themselves as half solid, half airy, exactly mimicking the shape of petals, attaching themselves to the snow stamen at the tip of the twig.

After demonstrating, Tan Qing handed the card to Zhu Lianzhen to use. But Zhu Lianzhen no longer had the patience; he wasn’t a little kid who wanted to play with snow even if his hands were frozen and numb. His curiosity had already been satisfied with just a brief attempt.

However, he still took the items from Tan Qing’s hand. He glanced at the card and saw the front displayed Koty’s ID photo and Chinese name, while the back had the words “Permanent Resident Identity Card for Foreigners” written in large characters.

Zhu Lianzhen: “…”

“Cold hands?” Tan Qing asked.

Zhu Lianzhen tossed the troublesome card onto a nearby outdoor table, thought for a moment, and then nudged some snow around it to bury it.

After finishing his mischievous deed, he took both of Tan Qing’s hands.

“My hands are cold too,” Tan Qing said.

Zhu Lianzhen: “I just wanted to hold hands.”

Tan Qing seemed to be recalling something before saying, “Learn from me.”

Zhu Lianzhen: “? You were just waiting for an opportunity, huh?”

Winter in the north was not the best time for flirtatious banter outdoors. Zhu Lianzhen hadn’t dressed warmly, so he quickly pulled Tan Qing back inside the house.

Inside the villa, the heating was abundant. Koty had just finished showering and came downstairs. Upon seeing Tan Qing, he greeted him and remembered to ask for his things. “Kissy, where’s my ID?”

Tan Qing replied, “I don’t know.”

“?” Koty immediately knew something was up when he saw Zhu Lianzhen following closely behind, “Where’s my ID!”

Zhu Lianzhen said, “Aiya~ I don’t know~”

Koty: “???”