The next day, data from the music platform showed that digital sales of “Shake” had surpassed 500,000. To celebrate, Acemon was set to film new content as a fan benefit.
Each member recorded their segment separately. Tan Qing finished his part first and was led to the lounge by his assistant. Not long after, Zhu Lianzhen walked in as well.
Now that the two of them were alone in the room, and since Tan Qing didn’t know about the hidden camera, Zhu Lianzhen was seriously worried he might start talking nonsense.
Fortunately, the staff called him just in time. Zhu Lianzhen glanced at the caller ID, then let the phone ring and set it aside.
That kind of obviously weird behavior was hard for Tan Qing to ignore. “Want me to answer and tell them you’re not here?”
“Ah, it’s fine,” Zhu Lianzhen mumbled.
“Is it inconvenient?” Tan Qing asked. “Should I step out for a bit, then?”
Feeling uneasy, Zhu Lianzhen hurriedly replied, “No need,” then stood up with his phone and headed into the hallway to take the call.
The performance that followed was much simpler. He only had to repeat what the staff member on the other end told him, paying attention to his tone. The lines were typical of a couple’s argument, things like, “It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, I’ve just been too busy lately,” or, “What can I do if it’s the company’s arrangement?”
The call lasted about ten minutes. After adjusting his expression, Zhu Lianzhen returned to the lounge and sat down.
“Did you meet someone difficult?” Tan Qing asked.
Zhu Lianzhen rubbed his nose absentmindedly. “Mm, someone outside of work.”
As he answered, his gaze remained low, while Tan Qing had been watching him the whole time.
“I didn’t mean to overhear your call, but the soundproofing here isn’t great,” Tan Qing said suddenly.
In the brief silence that followed, Zhu Lianzhen wondered how he should react. Flustered? Angry? Would too much emotion make it obvious he was acting?
Before he could decide, Tan Qing continued, “Koty was even joking the other day, saying you’ve been acting weird lately—always hiding from everyone and glued to your phone.”
Zhu Lianzhen feigned confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He thinks you’re dating someone.” Tan Qing gave a faint smile. “Even though his reasoning doesn’t really hold up, sometimes intuition can be surprisingly accurate.”
Only then did Zhu Lianzhen look up.
“Was that your girlfriend on the phone just now?”
Tan Qing’s voice was calm. Zhu Lianzhen, feeling a pang of guilt, didn’t answer.
“Speak.”
Zhu Lianzhen felt a subtle pressure in the air. His lips parted, and he lowered his head, muttering, “Just pretend you didn’t hear anything.”
He wanted to discreetly signal to Tan Qing about the hidden camera, but any obvious gesture could easily be caught by the directors.
After a moment, Tan Qing leaned forward slightly, meeting his eyes. “I don’t mind keeping your secret, it’s just that you’re way too easy to read. It’s not just me; other people will notice soon enough too.”
His voice remained calm, but if you listened closely, there was a trace of concern woven into his tone.
Zhu Lianzhen was just relieved that Tan Qing hadn’t blurted anything out and absentmindedly asked, “Then what should I do?”
Tan Qing thought for a moment before offering his suggestion. “To be safe, you should tell Pei-jie first. Otherwise, if something goes wrong and she doesn’t react in time, handling it poorly might upset the fans.”
Zhu Lianzhen listened very seriously, not because he was immersed in the role, but in case Tan Qing said something he shouldn’t, and he’d need to step in quickly.
However, as he listened, a strange feeling crept over him. Tan Qing hadn’t said anything inappropriate, but his words felt a little too normal.
Zhu Lianzhen felt uncomfortable speaking, knowing there was a hidden camera in the corner. Yet Tan Qing’s tone didn’t sound like a private conversation either. In fact, it almost sounded… official.
On the surface, he was giving advice, but the more Zhu Lianzhen thought about it, the more it felt like Tan Qing was speaking for the fans and the manager’s benefit.
Had he already figured out there were hidden cameras? Was he using this chance to reinforce his public image?
Zhu Lianzhen didn’t want to assume Tan Qing was that calculating, but it was hard not to, with how polished his words sounded.
Still, it helped him relax. Following the script, he said, “I don’t want Pei-jie to know. She’ll definitely make me break up. Isn’t that like walking straight into a trap?”
“Not necessarily,” Tan Qing replied. “She’s probably just worried that it’s your first time dating, you don’t have much experience, and it could easily cause trouble.”
Zhu Lianzhen froze for a moment, realizing Tan Qing seemed to be sending a message that only the two of them would understand. When their eyes met, he tried to confirm it with a glance, but Tan Qing calmly looked away.
“Then… I’ll think about it for a few more days.” Zhu Lianzhen put on a thoughtful expression. “Help me keep it a secret for now. Don’t tell anyone.”
As soon as he said it, he hesitated. Would using such a commanding tone in front of the camera come across as too harsh? But there was no time to second-guess—he couldn’t help but instinctively take that tone with Tan Qing.
Tan Qing replied, “I already said, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help you keep it a secret.”
“—Being found out by those few people or by Pei-jie isn’t that big a deal.” Tan Qing’s eyes found their way back to Zhu Lianzhen. “But if you go out with your girlfriend and can’t help showing affection in public, what if a passerby takes a photo, or you run into fans? That’d be much harder to handle.”
Just as he expected.
Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t help raising his eyebrows slightly. As he looked at Tan Qing, a barely noticeable flicker of playful teasing passed through his eyes.
He really couldn’t let his guard down around this person. Every word out of Tan Qing’s mouth felt like a trap designed just for him.
Ever since the group’s comeback… no, ever since they met again back in February, Tan Qing hadn’t stopped testing his reactions.
On the surface, he never mentioned what had happened two years ago—he even pretended to lay down some ground rules with him. But in reality, he would occasionally drop indirect reminders that they had once been lovers and had broken up.
Even though he was on guard, Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t afford to lose his temper with the cameras around.
“So you’re not planning to help me keep it a secret, right?” Zhu Lianzhen asked. “I thought you could turn a blind eye to your teammates’ private matters. Turns out you’re using double standards on me.”
Since Tan Qing dared to speak with hidden meaning, Zhu Lianzhen had no choice but to respond in kind.
Tan Qing’s expression didn’t change as he replied, “Because you’re different from them.”
Zhu Lianzhen waited for his next hypocritical line.
“I know what matters most to you is your idol career. You definitely don’t want the group to face the risk of disbanding again. As a member of the group, of course I feel the same way.”
Tan Qing’s voice was earnest, and halfway through, he even reached out and held Zhu Lianzhen’s wrist. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”
Zhu Lianzhen quickly glanced at their interlocked hands. Just as he tried to pull away, Tan Qing tightened his grip in response, making it impossible for him to withdraw.
“Got it!” Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t help but shoot him a glare. “I’ll tell Pei-jie right away, alright?”
Fortunately, by that point in the filming, the director’s requirements had already been met. The staff finally knocked on the door, carrying cameras and scripts, and informed Tan Qing that everything had just been a hidden segment to test him.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhu Lianzhen smoothly pulled his wrist free from Tan Qing’s grasp. He let out a sigh of relief—finally, he didn’t have to keep acting.
But just because filming was over didn’t mean he was going to let Tan Qing off the hook so easily.
Dinner arrangements were left up to the members. As usual, Tan Qing drove to the supermarket to buy ingredients, and Zhu Lianzhen took the initiative to go with him.
As soon as he got in the car, Zhu Lianzhen asked grumpily, “What was that supposed to mean just now?”
“Hmm?” Tan Qing looked at him, puzzled.
“What you said in the lounge—why bring that up out of nowhere?” Zhu Lianzhen fastened his seatbelt and immediately turned to face him. “Don’t play dumb. Didn’t we agree not to bring up private matters in front of the cameras under the guise of fanservice?”
Tan Qing let out a slow “Ah,” as if he’d just realized. “Sorry, I was just speaking hypothetically. Did it remind you of the past?”
He frowned and added, “It’s my fault—I didn’t think it through. I thought you wouldn’t care about it anymore.”
“You really didn’t bring it up on purpose?” Zhu Lianzhen asked. “Why are you spacing out? Drive.”
Tan Qing rested both hands on the steering wheel but didn’t move.
After a moment of silence, he spoke softly. “Xiao Zhu.”
“What?”
Tan Qing didn’t look at him. He only turned his face slightly in his direction, eyes lowered. “I know we’re supposed to be cautious with our words on the show, but what I said to you just now was sincere. I really do hope everything goes well for the group and that you’ll achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself as soon as possible.”
Zhu Lianzhen’s expression softened considerably. He didn’t really doubt those words.
“It’s just that we haven’t worked together in so long, and we haven’t kept in touch these past two years. It’s hard for me to change my attitude toward you overnight. If I came off the wrong way, that’s on me.”
At this point, Tan Qing finally lifted his eyes to look at Zhu Lianzhen. After a brief pause, his voice grew even gentler. “Xiao Zhu, please forgive me.”
Zhu Lianzhen hesitated, unsure how to respond. But Tan Qing gave a faint smile and went on, “You know I don’t really have any friends I can open up to. Being around you makes me feel relaxed, and I guess I forgot to keep my distance. I’ll be more careful from now on, don’t worry.”
Zhu Lianzhen was speechless. Tan Qing had already said everything—good and bad—with a stance that was humble yet flawless. What could he even say to that? Even Tan Qing’s gaze somehow made him feel inexplicably restrained.
“It’s not like we have to deliberately keep our distance. If you have something to say, of course you can tell me.” Zhu Lianzhen turned to look out the window. “At the very least, I understand you better than others do.”
“Mm.” Tan Qing withdrew his gaze and started the car.
The seaside villa they were staying in was fairly remote, and it took about half an hour by car to reach the supermarket. There weren’t many people in the store, so even without wearing masks, they didn’t have to worry about being recognized by passersby.
The company usually imposed strict dietary restrictions on the members, with everything they ate carefully controlled for calorie content. Every shopping trip was a hassle, but Tan Qing always volunteered to take on the task.
According to Zhu Lianzhen’s understanding of him, grocery shopping was probably one of Tan Qing’s few hobbies, perhaps because it represented a kind of ordinary daily life. While Zhu Lianzhen wandered aimlessly among the rows of shelves, Tan Qing always knew exactly where to go.
While Tan Qing went off to buy seasonings, Zhu Lianzhen stopped in front of the candy aisle.
He wasn’t particularly craving sweets, but a familiar package caught his eye: a brand of lemon candy that claimed to be “the sourest in the world.”
He picked up a pack.
Every now and then, he would recall a certain snowy night from a few years back.
More than the feeling of lips pressed together in a kiss, the first thing that came to mind was the taste of that lemon candy. It had been absurdly sour.
＊＊＊
A snowy night, a few years ago.
“Why aren’t you drinking at all?”
Back then, they had just won the Best Group of the Year award. The celebration banquet was buzzing with excitement, but Zhu Lianzhen was dissatisfied with how detached Tan Qing was acting.
Tan Qing leaned slightly toward him and whispered, “Because I want to stay sober and watch you get drunk.”
Zhu Lianzhen had always been too easily provoked. After hearing that, he downed several cans in a row to prove his alcohol tolerance. During the banquet, Koty was shouting nonsense as usual, wondering aloud why there wasn’t a Best CP award. If there were, surely “QingZhen: True Affection” would win it without question.
He wasn’t saying that because he actually supported his teammates’ CP; he just wanted to mess with Zhu Lianzhen. Unfortunately, the two people involved were too busy whispering to each other to pay him any attention.
Zhu Lianzhen didn’t end up drunk, but his reactions slowed down, and he started calling people by the wrong names. Tan Qing had been telling him about a new script he’d received, and all Zhu Lianzhen could manage was, “Huh?”
Tan Qing continued, “Seems like there’s a kissing scene—very troublesome.”
Zhu Lianzhen: “Huh?”
The banquet ended late at night. The two of them headed home along the same route but decided to skip the car ride and enjoy the season’s first snowfall. The icy ground looked like it was covered with a thin layer of frosting. When Zhu Lianzhen slipped slightly, Tan Qing held onto his arm and didn’t let go.
Zhu Lianzhen walked a few steps, pausing now and then to trace circles in the snow with the tip of his shoe. “When I was little, I wanted to run away from home to the north because it snows here in the winter.”
“Run away from home? How far did you get?” Tan Qing was more interested in that part.
“…A few hundred meters,” Zhu Lianzhen replied sulkily. “Got stuck in the neighborhood fence and was dragged back by my dad’s bodyguard.”
Tan Qing let out a soft laugh and held onto Zhu Lianzhen to keep him from slipping. “You like snow that much?”
“I do.”
“Then I’ll stay with you and look at it a little longer.”
The two of them wandered aimlessly down the deserted street in the middle of the night. While they talked, the warm yellow streetlamp overhead flickered a few times. They both looked up at the same time, and a moment later, the light steadied.
The bulb was round and yellowish. For some reason, it reminded Zhu Lianzhen of something. He lowered his head, rummaged through his pocket, and pulled out a small bag of snacks.
“The world’s sourest lemon candy.” The candies were round too. “Want one? Koty bought it.”
“You dare to eat something he gave you?” Tan Qing asked.
Zhu Lianzhen had already torn the bag open. Each candy was individually wrapped. He pulled at one in the wrong direction, so he had to bite the wrapper open with his teeth. The candy popped out unexpectedly.
Tan Qing reacted fast, reaching out to catch it, then gently fed it into Zhu Lianzhen’s mouth.
The snowy night was bitterly cold. Zhu Lianzhen’s lips had already gone numb from the chill, and his sense of taste had dulled. At first, he didn’t even notice the sourness.
Snowflakes drifted down, and though the wind was cold, it wasn’t harsh. He asked casually, “When are you joining the crew to start filming?”
“In about half a month,” Tan Qing replied.
Only then did Zhu Lianzhen recall Tan Qing whispering something to him about the script at the banquet earlier. He hadn’t paid much attention to the plot or the character details; he just vaguely remembered there being a kissing scene.
A strange feeling began to stir inside him.
Since their debut, fans had started shipping him and Tan Qing because of a few interactions. Later, the company had deliberately paired them together, and over time, Zhu Lianzhen had begun to see Tan Qing as different from the rest of their teammates.
Tan Qing had always treated him well. Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t quite put into words what exactly made Tan Qing’s kindness feel different. He only knew that he could feel it. And to Tan Qing, he was also someone apart from the others.
Zhu Lianzhen asked, “Are you really going to film a kissing scene?”
“Pei-jie said it’ll be done with camera tricks. Since she didn’t raise any objections, I guess it’s a scene that can’t be cut,” Tan Qing replied.
Zhu Lianzhen let out an “Oh” and went quiet.
Tan Qing looked at him silently for a moment, then slowly reached out and brushed the edge of Zhu Lianzhen’s upper lip with his fingertip.
A snowflake had landed there, and it melted quickly from the warmth of his touch.
“Can you help me try it?” Tan Qing asked. “The fake kiss—I haven’t practiced it before.”
“Mm, sure,” Zhu Lianzhen replied absentmindedly, agreeing without thinking.
It wasn’t until a few seconds later that he processed it. Huh? Practice what? What did he mean?
Tan Qing’s thumb gently pressed against Zhu Lianzhen’s lips. “Like this. When I kiss, I’ll only be touching my own hand.”
“Oh.” Zhu Lianzhen blinked, finally understanding that Tan Qing wanted to rehearse the fake kissing scene. But wasn’t this the kind of thing he should be practicing with classmates in acting school? Why him?
While he was still lost in thought, Tan Qing leaned in.
Zhu Lianzhen’s heart skipped a beat.
Tan Qing’s thumb shifted slightly upward, covering both his upper and lower lips. There was only the joint of Tan Qing’s finger between their mouths. Zhu Lianzhen instinctively held his breath, his nose itching where it brushed against Tan Qing’s.
Moments later, Tan Qing pulled away.
“Thank you,” he said.
Even though the practice was over, Zhu Lianzhen was still holding his breath. The sudden nervousness made him bite down on the lemon candy in his mouth. The intense sour filling exploded across his tongue.
“Hss…” He furrowed his brows and sucked in a sharp breath.
“What’s wrong?” Tan Qing asked, concerned.
“The candy.” Zhu Lianzhen pointed at his mouth with a pained expression. “Too sour.”
Tan Qing continued to watch him closely. Then, he let out a quiet sigh.
He reached out again, placing his palm on the back of Zhu Lianzhen’s head.
Zhu Lianzhen’s eyes widened slightly as he froze. He hadn’t even seen how Tan Qing moved closer, yet the warmth of their mingled breaths had already surrounded him.
The moment their lips touched, Zhu Lianzhen briefly wondered if this was just another kind of practice Tan Qing was doing for filming. But when Tan Qing’s tongue slipped in and tangled with his own, he finally understood… this wasn’t practice at all. This was a kiss charged with personal desire.
It felt like a jolt of electricity had run through his entire body. His shoulders trembled involuntarily, and Tan Qing pulled away at exactly the right moment.
Snowflakes landed on their lips, still warm from the kiss, and melted instantly.
Zhu Lianzhen was left with nothing in his mouth. He stared at Tan Qing in disbelief, every eyelash trembling with shock.
“This candy… really is sour,” Tan Qing said.
＊＊＊
“Xiao Zhu.”
Tan Qing’s voice came from above. Zhu Lianzhen was startled and quickly tossed the lemon candy in his hand back onto the shelf.
Wait, why did he feel guilty?
Tan Qing glanced at the shelf and smiled slightly. “If you want to eat it, just take it. Pei-jie won’t say anything.”
Zhu Lianzhen had no choice but to play along, pretending he was just browsing snacks. He casually grabbed a few packs of chocolate.
“Did you get the seasonings?”
“Mm.”
“Let’s go.”
Zhu Lianzhen hadn’t recalled that snowy night out of sentimentality. It was just that, when he got bored, his mind would automatically start reimagining certain “established facts” under different circumstances.
For example, what if he had pushed Tan Qing away back then? What if he’d gotten angry about losing his first kiss? Or maybe, the next day, pretended to have blacked out from drinking and acted like nothing had happened?
Maybe one of those choices would’ve led to an outcome where they “never started.” And if they’d never started, maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult now to figure out the boundaries of how to get along.
When they returned to the dorm, Tan Qing quickly made a few dishes. Seeing the noodles on the table, Koty was reminded of what had happened on Celebrity Observer, and marveled, “Kissy, you’ve got some serious tolerance. I heard they poured like half a bottle of lemon juice into those cold noodles…”
Just talking about it made his mouth water with sourness. “And you actually ate so many bites without flinching.”
Tan Qing smiled casually. “It was fine. I’ve had lemon candy that was way more sour than that.”
Zhu Lianzhen happened to be drinking something and nearly choked when he heard that.
Koty kept going, “Didn’t you notice something was off at the time? We were watching from the side, and it was obviously targeted at you.”
“It’s inevitable for staff to overlook things sometimes. But what really caught my attention was what happened afterward.”
Tan Qing lowered his head as he stirred the vegetable salad. “Didn’t Xiao Zhu always use to say, ‘What’s the point of dating’? I always thought he was completely clueless in that area. So when I found out he had a girlfriend, I was honestly shocked.”
All the teammates turned to look at Zhu Lianzhen.
For a moment, Zhu Lianzhen didn’t know what to say. After a pause, he replied hesitantly, “I said before we started filming that I wasn’t the best pick. Someone like me, with such a strong sense of the bigger picture—how could I possibly cause trouble right after the group finally made a comeback?”
His tone was particularly firm. Seeing the fake look on Tan Qing’s face, Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t help but feel irritated.
Koty patted him on the shoulder with a sigh. “Ah, you really are still young.”
Zhu Lianzhen frowned and shook him off. “Don’t touch me.”
When the topic shifted to relationships, Ji Yunting’s voice turned exaggeratedly philosophical. “He just hasn’t met someone he really likes yet. That’s why he dares to talk so big.”
It was all Tan Qing’s fault for running his mouth and making him the center of attention. Zhu Lianzhen said to Ji Yunting impatiently, “Even if I met someone I liked, I wouldn’t date them. Do you think I’m like you, unable to tell what’s important and what’s not?”
“Xiao Zhu probably doesn’t need a lover,” Tan Qing cut in leisurely at that moment. “The little things in a relationship are way too troublesome to even think about. Being single is the most free and comfortable. And if you meet someone who forces you to choose between work and love? That’s even worse, right, Xiao Zhu?”
As he finished, Tan Qing turned to look at him.
What nonsense is he spouting again… Zhu Lianzhen shot a sidelong glance at Tan Qing, then replied firmly, “Right. I don’t need one.”
Whether Tan Qing had said all that unintentionally or on purpose, Zhu Lianzhen had to admit he’d hit the nail on the head.
Liking someone didn’t necessarily mean wanting to be in a relationship with them. That was a truth he’d come to understand through the only relationship he’d ever had. Even if it hadn’t been Tan Qing, he would’ve arrived at the same conclusion.
For an idol, dating was a risk where the downsides far outweighed the happiness. He needed the stage. He needed the group. And he needed teammates like Tan Qing, who was good at fanservice.
A lover was the one thing he shouldn’t need.
