On the last day of his vacation, Wen Ruqing received a package. It was same-city express delivery, brought right to his door—but with no sender listed.
Opening the box, he found a brown teddy bear nestled in raffia grass. It wore a red top hat and a blue duffle coat with horn buttons—adorably odd-looking.
Wen Ruqing picked up the bear, plucked the raffia off it, and noticed a yellow tag on its ear, with a bear logo and the cursive brand name Steiff. The bear was fluffy, not too big, cozy to hug, and didn’t take up much space.
He placed the bear on the sofa and continued unpacking. Other than the bear, none of the items had brand markings—he had no idea what to expect next. It felt a bit like opening mystery boxes.
The slightly larger box contained four wooden puppets dressed like soldiers: red uniforms, black tall hats, identical curled mustaches, and hilariously stern faces.
Wen Ruqing chuckled aloud, set the puppets down, and checked the next box. Strangely, it was also a puppet—but much cuter than the soldiers. It held a little stick and a tiny wooden lamb.
Only someone like Bai Xizhou could send him things via same-city delivery. But why was he sending toys? He wasn’t a kid anymore.
There was still one last, slightly larger box. This one wasn’t a toy—it was full of assorted chocolates. The packaging seemed to be in German—after all, Bai Xizhou had just been to Germany.
Wen Ruqing randomly opened a packet. He didn’t usually eat chocolate—what he had before was either too bitter or too sweet—but this one was surprisingly good, with a hazelnut filling.
He crouched on the floor eating chocolate, the living room now a mess of unpacking. After finishing two pieces, he stood up and packed all the gifts back into the box, placing it on the sofa. Then he went to the bedroom, pulled out a small, delicate pouch from the nightstand, tucked the remaining half-open packet of chocolates inside, grabbed a jacket, and headed out.
Bai Xizhou often visited his research institute, but Wen Ruqing had never been to his law firm. Fortunately, the place wasn’t hard to find. He took a taxi directly there.
At the front desk of Xinze Law Firm, after explaining why he was there, the receptionist made a call. A few moments later, a curly-haired woman came out of the elevator and walked over.
“You’re Lawyer Bai’s friend?” Zhu Yuyan looked him up and down. “Come on up with me.”
Wen Ruqing obediently followed her. The elevator stopped on the 8th floor, but he didn’t see Bai Xizhou directly—instead, he was led to the reception room.
“Please have a seat. Lawyer Bai is in a meeting. He’ll come find you once it’s over.” She poured him a glass of water, and Wen Ruqing thanked her.
The wait wasn’t long. As he sipped water and glanced at the people working outside, nervousness crept in. The empty paper cup was soon crushed in his hand.
Maybe he should’ve waited until after work to come. Was it too sudden? Would it be a disturbance?
Just as he was overthinking, the door to the room opened. Bai Xizhou walked in, dressed in a black suit with a misty blue tie. His expression didn’t change much upon seeing Wen Ruqing. He simply came over, took his hand, and silently led him out of the room.
He brought Wen Ruqing into his office, locked the door, turned the clear glass walls opaque, and pulled down the blinds, completely cutting off the outside view.
The series of actions made Wen Ruqing want to laugh—but he held it in.
“Was the package from you?” Wen Ruqing asked from behind, hiding the small pouch behind his back. “Why’d you send me toys? And chocolates?”
“I was trying to win you over,” Bai Xizhou said, turning around to look at him, his calm demeanor cracking. “I was afraid that by the time I got back, you’d change your mind. So I brought gifts to bribe you.”
Wen Ruqing frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with that answer. He moved closer. The distance between them narrowed to a finger’s width. Their lower bodies were almost touching, yet they still held back. He looked into Bai Xizhou’s eyes and saw his own reflection in them.
They were so close, he could smell the faint scent of tobacco mixed with cedar on Bai Xizhou. Their breaths mingled. Just a bit closer and they’d kiss.
Bai Xizhou clearly wanted to kiss him. His gaze dropped to Wen Ruqing’s lips—soft, fresh red like a ripe apple. He imagined those lips turning even redder after being kissed.
The next second, the sweet taste of chocolate interrupted his thoughts. Wen Ruqing had stuffed a piece into his mouth. The bittersweet flavor hit Bai Xizhou’s tongue and stunned him momentarily—then something even softer brushed his lips. A feather-light kiss, barely a touch.
“I don’t go back on my word,” Wen Ruqing said with a soft smile. “I really liked the gifts. But I like you more.”
Hearing it in person hit harder than a dozen “I love you”s over the phone.
“Say it again. I want to hear it again.” Bai Xizhou pulled him into a hug. The last bit of distance disappeared. Only holding him could make this feel real.
This wasn’t a dream—it was real.
“I like you, I love you. Be my boyfriend, okay?” Wen Ruqing leaned into the crook of Bai Xizhou’s neck, his voice tinged with laughter. That spot was close to the ear—he could hear it loud and clear.
“Qingqing…” Bai Xizhou had never lost composure like this before. He held Wen Ruqing tightly, unwilling to let go, repeating his name over and over.
He wasn’t some seasoned playboy. In fact, he’d once been disappointed in love. But never hopeless. He’d always held hope for love.
Wen Ruqing felt like a gift from the heavens. And of course, to receive a gift like that—there had to be some struggle.
“Is it ‘Qingqing’ as in your name, or ‘kiss kiss’?” Wen Ruqing backed up a bit, mischief sparkling in his eyes.
“Are you asking for a kiss?” Bai Xizhou shot back. “I can definitely make that happen.”
Exactly what he wanted.
He wrapped an arm around Wen Ruqing’s waist and cupped the back of his head, leaning in for a kiss—but was stopped by Wen Ruqing’s hand.
“Making moves in your office?” Wen Ruqing raised a disapproving brow—but his ears were red as blood.
He chuckled softly, took Bai Xizhou’s hand, and planted a kiss in his palm—gentle, like a feather brushing skin.
Because of unhealthy habits from before, Wen Ruqing was still quite thin. Bai Xizhou easily lifted him and set him down on his desk.
With both hands on the desk, Bai Xizhou caged him in, finally kissing the lips he had longed for.
Unlike their last kiss, messy and impulsive, this one was much gentler. After kissing his lips, Bai Xizhou kissed his brow bone, the mole beneath his eye, his nose, cheeks, corners of his mouth—and finally returned to his lips.
Wen Ruqing dared not open his eyes, simply giving in. He could feel Bai Xizhou’s tongue prying his lips open, not rushing in but gently exploring, brushing across his teeth—and pausing at one.
“Qingqing, you have a sharp little fang,” Bai Xizhou said, voice a little muffled.
Wen Ruqing’s face flushed instantly. He tried to push him away, but Bai Xizhou cupped the back of his neck and held him still. No longer content with the little fang, he dove deeper.
In his Ear was the shamefully wet sound of kissing, and the heat stirring in his lower abdomen left Wen Ruqing feeling helpless. He reminded himself this was an office—he had to behave. But his body’s reaction didn’t care about reason, and he felt like crying from the frustration. His hand fumbled blindly, trying to grab onto something to distract himself—only to knock over some objects, scattering them loudly onto the floor.
“You’re not even focused when kissing,” Bai Xizhou finally pulled away, a thin silver strand connecting them. “I’ll get mad, you know.”
Only then did Wen Ruqing dare to open his eyes. He’d been thoroughly kissed—his eyes misty, his cheeks lightly flushed, and just as Bai Xizhou predicted, his lips were now even redder.
“Qingqing, you’re so beautiful.” Bai Xizhou hugged him again but simply rubbed his face into his neck, greedily inhaling his scent.
In the end, he left countless kisses along Wen Ruqing’s neck and collarbone.
But Wen Ruqing wasn’t entirely pleased with the compliment. He gently pushed Bai Xizhou away, feeling like he was being a bit… off.
“Stop kissing. I brought you something.” Though his head was still spinning from the kisses, he hadn’t forgotten the pouch he brought.
He got off the desk, picked up the bag from the floor, and handed it to Bai Xizhou. When Bai opened it, he found a wristwatch.
The deep blue face sparkled like scattered stardust, and the metal band felt cool to the touch.
“I don’t want to give back your old one, so wear this new one instead.” Wen Ruqing helped him put it on and kissed the back of his hand.
Bai Xizhou had a habit of touching his watch. Since giving his old one to Wen Ruqing, he’d been consciously trying to break that habit. But now—he didn’t need to. He had a new one, a gift from Wen Ruqing.
“Can you wear it to court hearings?” Wen Ruqing looked at him with hope in his eyes.
“Of course.” Bai Xizhou stroked his hair, fingers threading through the strands. Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Wen Ruqing and said, “Qingqing, move in with me.”
Starting to live together right after getting into a relationship—was Bai Xizhou being too hasty?
Before Wen Ruqing could respond, there was a knock at the door. Zhu Yuyan walked in, only to see Bai Xizhou stroking Wen Ruqing’s hair. Her gaze lingered between them, and then she clapped her hands in sudden realization.
“Lawyer Bai! If you’d just told me he was your boyfriend, I wouldn’t have made him wait in the reception room. Would’ve brought him straight to your office.”
Women’s instincts were scary accurate. Wen Ruqing, having been exposed so easily, didn’t want to face her. He slowly turned around and shifted behind Bai Xizhou to hide.
“He wasn’t before—but he is now.” Bai Xizhou said calmly. The moment he did, he got a light punch in the back from Wen Ruqing.
“Congrats,” Zhu Yuyan gave Bai a thumbs-up. “But save the romance for after work. The boss just asked you to come see him—probably something urgent.”
With that, she left—thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
“I’ll head back now, won’t disturb your work.” Wen Ruqing said. He had come on impulse anyway, and now that everything was done, he was ready to go.
“Okay.” Bai Xizhou didn’t try to stop him. “Go pack up. I’ll help you move after work.”
“Who said I’m moving?” Wen Ruqing frowned, clearly not pleased with Bai’s habit of making decisions on his behalf.
“I said it.”
Bai Xizhou replied matter-of-factly, then kissed his cheek, grabbed his files, and walked out.
Frozen Starlight
Unboxing influencer Wen Ruqing – the teddy bear mentioned in the story is a real brand, and it’s pretty cute.
