Wen Ruqing hadn’t slept well the night before. He had a strange dream—someone was holding him tightly, gripping his waist so he couldn’t move. Someone was kissing him. But whenever he tried to open his eyes to see their face, everything was shrouded in a hazy fog—he couldn’t see anything clearly.
Later, the oppressive feeling vanished.
Everything around him softened. When Wen Ruqing opened his eyes again, he was lying in a sea of flowers. Between his fingers were grass blades and snapped leaves, the air filled with the scent of blossoms. Small purple, white, and crimson flowers swayed in the wind.
But he still couldn’t move. He clearly felt someone kissing his hand, but he couldn’t see anyone. In his vision, there were only flowers and the blue sky.
Only the blaring alarm of his phone finally pulled him out of the dream. Wen Ruqing lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, exhaling deeply.
At some point, Bai Xizhou had already left. The floor bedding beside the bed had been tidied and stacked to the side. Wen Ruqing got up and walked around the house to make sure—yes, Bai Xizhou was gone. He checked his phone. No unread messages.
He didn’t say anything when he came, and now he’s gone without a word. What does he think this is, a hotel?
Annoyed, Wen Ruqing went to wash up. The reflection in the mirror showed a man visibly worn out. Being trapped in that kind of dream was not pleasant at all.
He opened the wardrobe to pick out clothes for the day and suddenly caught sight of a jacket hanging to the side. As if something occurred to him, he reached into the pocket and found a crumpled piece of paper.
It was a small note Bai Xizhou had written to him before. He’d stuffed it into his coat pocket and later forgot about it. After a few spins through the washing machine, the words were completely washed away.
Why did he put it in his pocket back then?
Staring at the ruined scrap of paper, Wen Ruqing fell into a moment of silence before finally throwing it into the trash.
He dragged himself to work. To force himself awake, he asked Chen Qi for some coffee. Ever since Bai Xizhou started watching over him, he hadn’t touched the stuff for a while.
The plain black coffee was intensely bitter. After going without for so long, Wen Ruqing couldn’t take it anymore and went back to ask Chen Qi for two sugar cubes.
“You drank it straight just now—I thought you liked it strong and unfiltered,” Chen Qi commented casually while tidying his desk.
But that offhand remark struck a chord in Wen Ruqing.
He used to drink it straight—back when he relied on it to stay awake. He was even addicted to it. But somewhere along the line, he’d started using other things to replace coffee… or simply stopped drinking it altogether.
Come to think of it, that shift happened after he reunited with Bai Xizhou.
Since then, his entire lifestyle had changed—three regular meals a day, no spicy or overly stimulating food, no more alcohol or caffeine. All the habits that had once defined him were slowly being erased.
And all of it… was because of Bai Xizhou.
He’d never really thought about it before. Now that he did, he wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Everyone, pause your work for a moment,” Feng Yuhua’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “This is President Song—he’s interested in donating to our institute. Let’s all give him a warm welcome.”
Wen Ruqing clapped along absentmindedly, slowly raising his head. For a moment, he had the strong urge to just quit his job on the spot.
Because President Song… was none other than his ex-boyfriend, Song Yang.
Honestly—last night it was sleep paralysis, and now this ghost shows up at the office.
Wen Ruqing ducked his head, trying to use the cubicle divider to block his face, hoping to avoid any direct contact. Chen Qi, confused, leaned over quietly.
“Why are you hiding? I think President Song’s pretty handsome,” he whispered.
“He was my boyfriend in university,” Wen Ruqing said wearily, glancing at him.
“What the—you’re gay?!” Chen Qi practically shot out of his seat, recoiling a little and hugging himself in mock alarm. “You—you—you’re not into me, are you?”
“What do you think?” Wen Ruqing punched him in the arm, but just then, he felt a gaze fall on him. A chill crept up his spine. He turned his head—and sure enough, Song Yang was staring at him, smiling.
Just as Wen Ruqing braced himself for Song Yang to start something, the man turned and walked out of the office.
That was odd. Not like him at all.
The rest of the day, Wen Ruqing was distracted. The dream that morning, Bai Xizhou leaving without a word, and the sudden reappearance of Song Yang… all of it was slowly shattering the peaceful routine of his life.
After work, he got a phone call—it was Qu Qingchen. They hadn’t exchanged contact info, but Teng Yuan had it.
“Are you free right now?” Qu Qingchen’s voice was as cold and emotionless as ever.
“Just got off work. What’s wrong?”
Normally, Qu Qingchen never called him. Something really was off today.
“Bai Xizhou came to the hospital at noon to get some cold medicine. He didn’t look too good. He rarely gets sick. I’m worried he might come down with a fever in the afternoon—go check on him for me.”
He hung up right after, not even waiting for a reply.
Standing beside Wen Ruqing at the hospital entrance, Teng Yuan had overheard the entire call. He looked thoughtful.
“What if Wen Ruqing doesn’t go?”
“Do you really think he won’t?” Qu Qingchen replied calmly. “If he doesn’t, then that only means Bai Xizhou has feelings, but Wen Ruqing doesn’t.”
Just as Qu Qingchen expected, Wen Ruqing couldn’t not go see Bai Xizhou—because he knew clearly, if he didn’t, no one else would.
Teng Yuan was tied up with company matters, constantly traveling for work and rarely in the city. Qu Qingchen was a doctor and obviously couldn’t take time off easily. It seemed like Wen Ruqing was the only one with a relatively free schedule.
Wen Ruqing opened the door. The room was quiet except for the faint sound of the rabbit rustling around in its cage. The bedroom door was shut—Bai Xizhou was probably inside.
He walked over and turned the knob. Thick curtains blocked out the light, casting the room in a dim glow. The blanket on the bed was mounded like a little hill. Perhaps from the sound of the door, there was a slight shift, and Bai Xizhou turned over.
There was a glass of water and some medicine on the nightstand. Even in the low light, Wen Ruqing could tell Bai Xizhou wasn’t well. He reached out to touch his forehead—yep, warm. Definitely a fever.
“Xizhou, did you take the medicine?” Wen Ruqing squatted beside the bed and asked softly.
What he got in response was a low groan and a headshake.
“Alright, take the meds first. Then go back to sleep.” Wen Ruqing followed the instructions and measured out the pills into the cap.
He helped Bai Xizhou sit up—sick people have no strength—and half-supported him in his arms, feeding him the medicine and water. Once done, Bai Xizhou lay back down, eyes still closed, a little more at ease than before.
Wen Ruqing went to the bathroom, soaked a small towel in cold water, and placed it on Bai Xizhou’s forehead, hoping the fever would come down quickly.
He then went out to feed the rabbit and was about to prep some food in the kitchen. Sick or not, he still needed to eat. But just as he opened the fridge, the doorbell rang.
A well-dressed woman stood outside—her age hard to tell, makeup flawless, dressed in a chic designer outfit. When she saw Wen Ruqing, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
“Isn’t this Bai Xizhou’s home?” she asked.
“I’m his friend. And you are?”
He couldn’t tell who she was, but the vibe was clearly unfriendly.
“I’ve never heard him mention any other friends.” She made to enter, but Wen Ruqing blocked her path.
“Sorry, you still haven’t said who you are. If you’re looking for Lawyer Bai, I can’t let you in without his permission.”
“I’m his mother. I have the right to enter my son’s house. You, on the other hand—what are you doing here? Where is Bai Xizhou?” Yan Mo revealed her identity, her tone growing impatient. “He’s inside, isn’t he? Let me in.”
Wen Ruqing didn’t budge. He had no right to interfere in Bai Xizhou’s family matters, but Bai Xizhou was sick—definitely not in the state to deal with visitors.
“Without the owner’s permission, I can’t let you in.” Wen Ruqing apologized but kept his hand on the doorframe. “And frankly, even if it was Bai Xizhou here, I doubt he’d open the door for you.”
He remembered what Bai Xizhou had told him—about how this very woman had burned his grandfather’s belongings… about how she’d hit him so badly he nearly lost his hearing. Just the thought of it made him feel uneasy—and his tone turned sharp.
“Ms. Yan, excuse me for being blunt, but since you chose to abandon him, since you’ve never fulfilled your duties as a mother, don’t expect to get anything from him now. Relationships are a two-way street.”
Wen Ruqing was already in a bad mood today and needed a target to let it out on.
“Or are you trying to make amends? Or do you still see him as your possession—his excellence just another proof of your ‘successful parenting’? He has his own life now. Do you think you can still summon and dismiss him at will like before?”
“He really told you everything, huh?” Yan Mo let out a cold laugh, holding back her anger to maintain a graceful appearance, but the way she gripped her purse strap betrayed her tension. “So what? I’m his mother. Who are you? What right do you have to lecture me?”
“You’re right—I don’t have the right. That’s why I’ll pass on every word of this conversation to him. But for now, he made it clear—not to let anyone into this home without his say-so.” Wen Ruqing smiled coldly—and slammed the door shut.
Maybe, as a lady from a wealthy family, she found it undignified to bang on the door—so she said nothing after. The outside went silent. Wen Ruqing exhaled deeply and returned to the bedroom to check on Bai Xizhou.
“Lawyer Bai, I just went and told your mother off. Didn’t let her in either. If you’re feeling better later, don’t hold it against me,” Wen Ruqing said aloud, mostly to himself. He sat beside the bed and wiped Bai Xizhou’s face with the damp towel. “Your mom’s pretty young, but not very pleasant.”
He kept talking to fill the silence, making the quiet room feel a little more alive. He turned on a bedside lamp—it was already dark outside, though you couldn’t tell from within.
Wen Ruqing checked his forehead again. Still feverish. He was just about to go refresh the towel when suddenly—his wrist was grabbed.
The change happened in a flash.
Due to momentum, Wen Ruqing toppled onto the bed. If he hadn’t braced himself with one hand, he probably would’ve crashed right into Bai Xizhou.
He tried to get up. They were too close—especially since Bai Xizhou was sick.
But before he could move, a strong force pressed on the back of his head, pushing him down—closer and closer—until their noses touched. The hem of his shirt was tugged up, and Bai Xizhou’s hand clutched the bare skin beneath. The heat seared.
The awkward position made him uncomfortable. Bai Xizhou’s face, now up close, made his mind go blank. He should have turned his head away—but his brain wouldn’t cooperate. In his stunned gaze, Bai Xizhou slowly opened his eyes.
“Am I dreaming?” Bai Xizhou looked at him, eyes soft and deep. “Such a nice dream.”
“This isn’t a dre—”
Before Wen Ruqing could finish, the rest of his words were swallowed.
A feverish person’s lips were just as burning hot.
Maybe Bai Xizhou really thought he was dreaming, because his actions only grew more unrestrained—and Wen Ruqing couldn’t break free.
He couldn’t even beat a sick man.
His breath was taken, his lips and tongue invaded, the hand at his waist rubbed insistently—tracing from his abdomen to his side and down his spine.
The scent of freesia lingered in the air.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Why had it turned out like this? He’d only come to take care of a sick friend. And now this?
“Qingqing…”
The name spilled out between lips and teeth—muffled and sticky—and it shattered the last of Wen Ruqing’s reason. His brain short-circuited completely.
Bai Xizhou was the one with the fever, so why was his face burning too? Not just his face—his ears, and every spot Bai Xizhou had touched—were all on fire.
Was he sick too?
The heat pooled in his lower belly, until finally Wen Ruqing snapped out of it. Alarm bells blared in his head. He didn’t know where the strength came from, but he forced Bai Xizhou’s hands off and tried to flee.
Bai Xizhou seemed displeased. Then—Wen Ruqing felt a sharp pain on his lip. The taste of blood spread.
He bit him?!
Reflexively, Wen Ruqing bit back!
Maybe the blood scent jolted Bai Xizhou awake. He finally seemed to snap out of his haze. Wen Ruqing stood up first, putting distance between them, pretending like nothing had happened.
But the heavy breathing and racing heartbeats were impossible to hide.
“Qingqing?” Bai Xizhou blinked, finally lucid. “Why are you here?”
“Dr. Qu said you were sick. He asked me to check on you,” Wen Ruqing blurted, voice fast and sharp. “You must be hungry, right? I left food in the kitchen—I’ll go warm it up.”
Before Bai Xizhou could respond, Wen Ruqing bolted.
Bai Xizhou didn’t understand what just happened. He tried to smile, but it tugged at the corner of his mouth, making him wince with pain. Then he realized something was off.
He raised his hand to his lip—there was a wound. It hurt.
Putting the pieces together—Wen Ruqing’s reaction just now…
So it wasn’t a dream.
He actually kissed Wen Ruqing.
Frozen Starlight
Even with a fever, he doesn’t forget to hug his “wife”. But still—this kind of kissing technique and approach… we advise not learning it, or you’ll be seen as a pervert.
Bai Xizhou: Mom, are you talking about me?
