Everyone was stunned. Even the producer behind the monitor almost shouted out, frantically patting the cameraman’s arm.
The people at the table were all equally shocked. Ge Qianyi and Hu Fei huddled together, screaming in disbelief.
No one had expected this answer.
Who? Who made Xu Cong have a crush?
Even Jiang Chuxin stared at Xu Cong, not knowing what to think.
Ling Du, however, glanced at Xia Yan without a change in expression.
Xia Yan was so stunned that he almost spit out the water he had just drunk. He turned around at lightning speed, grabbing Xu Cong’s collar. “How is that possible? How did I not know?”
He was greatly shocked, eyeing Xu Cong suspiciously, and pressing him with a barrage of questions: “Who? When? It can’t be after you were seventeen, right? Was it in middle school?”
Xu Cong stared at Xia Yan’s face, which was so close to his.
How amusing.
The person he secretly had a crush on was now interrogating him about who he liked.
The noise around them grew louder, layer by layer, but it felt like it was coming from a different time and space.
For a moment, Xu Cong almost wanted to disregard everything and kiss the back of Xia Yan’s neck right there in front of everyone.
He wouldn’t care what others thought of him.
Nor would he care how Xia Yan saw him.
He would bite Xia Yan’s neck, his canine teeth sinking into Xia Yan’s flesh.
And his pheromones would be injected into the back of Xia Yan’s neck.
He would hold Xia Yan’s face, press his nose against Xia Yan’s, and ask if Xia Yan now knew who he really liked.
But when he saw Xia Yan’s face, full of anger and aggrievement, he curled his lips and softly said, “Just kidding.”
“What?”
Xia Yan didn’t quite process it and repeated, “Kidding?”
Xu Cong slightly pushed Xia Yan away, picked a green plum from the plate, and shoved it into Xia Yan’s mouth.
He lied without batting an eye: “I liked a little boy in the class next door when I was in kindergarten. I went to school just to see him, and I even wanted to marry him. How is that not a crush?”
Xia Yan: “……………”
What the hell?
When Xia Yan realized what Xu Cong said, he couldn’t help but laugh out of frustration. He immediately kicked him under the table.
“You call that a crush?” He leaned back in his chair in disbelief. “And you’re bringing up kindergarten? Why not say you fell in love at first sight with someone in your mom’s belly?”
Xu Cong chuckled lightly and countered, “Doesn’t it count? You guys never set a time frame.”
Others also grumbled, and sighs of exasperation filled the table.
“I thought it was going to be some earth-shattering revelation,” Ge Qianyi said, deeply disappointed, protesting loudly, “I had my tears ready, just waiting for you to share a touching, tear-jerking story.”
Xu Cong smiled, something rare, and apologized to Ge Qianyi, saying, “Sorry.”
Ge Qianyi waved her hand dismissively. “Ah, no, no need.”
No one argued with Xu Cong. It was just a casual chat, meant to spice up the atmosphere. Nobody took it seriously, and soon enough, the topic shifted as everyone started fantasizing about how they would treat themselves after leaving the island the next day.
…..
The dinner lasted until almost 10 p.m., and everyone reluctantly parted ways. The production team had returned their phones, and since they had all gotten along well during their time together, they exchanged WeChat contacts.
It was the last day on the island.
The production team finally acted like human beings and didn’t make everyone stay in the rundown rooms but instead prepared new rooms for them.
It was the best-rated family inn on the island.
Though it wasn’t as luxurious as a five-star hotel, it was cozy and well-decorated. The inn had only two floors, with the rooftop as a terrace. The production team had booked the entire place, and all the guests were assigned rooms on the second floor.
“Goodnight”
Xia Yan said goodnight to the others before entering the room with Xu Cong. Their room was the one at the very back.
As soon as they entered, Xia Yan took off his jacket, jumped onto the sofa, and lay down with a comfortable sigh. “Finally done.”
Xu Cong was busy organizing their luggage. The production team had also brought them local island specialties as souvenirs.
He packed them into his bag—coconut candy, small cookies, preserved plums—perfect for bringing back to the members who loved snacks.
Xia Yan rolled over, lying on the sofa with his head tilted back but slightly turned to look at Xu Cong.
The room was quiet. After the chaotic and busy variety show had ended, both the guests and their inner worlds seemed to settle.
Occasionally, the sound of the sea breeze could be heard outside, gently tapping against the window, which was soothing.
Xia Yan’s eyes were a little drowsy.
But for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about the joke Xu Cong made earlier at the dinner table—the “crush” thing.
Was it really kindergarten?
“Hey.”
Xia Yan half-closed his eyes, feeling the effects of alcohol, his face flushed slightly, yet his eyes seemed to shine with a clear light.
When Xu Cong didn’t respond, he called again.
“Xu Cong.”
Only then did Xu Cong turn around, looking at him.
The two of them were just over a meter apart, not too close, not too far, and Xia Yan could clearly see every detail on Xu Cong’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
Xu Cong asked softly, his voice gentler than usual.
Others might not notice, but he could tell that Xia Yan was a little drunk.
Xia Yan propped his face up with one hand, his messy bangs falling over his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes. He stared intently at Xu Cong. “Is what you said earlier at the dinner table true?”
“What?”
Xu Cong didn’t quite understand.
“About that crush you mentioned—was it really from kindergarten?” Xia Yan asked, looking at Xu Cong with confusion. “You wouldn’t… have actually fallen for someone recently, right?”
Xia Yan’s mind raced through a list of possibilities.
Who could it be?
The pretty face from the neighboring girl group, the one with the pink hair?
Or was it their senior, the long-legged, cool, and elegant lady… No, that’s the type Xu Cong liked.
Xu Cong blinked.
He hadn’t expected Xia Yan to ask this.
He thought it would end just like many other jokes from past nights, fading into the darkness.
Especially since Xia Yan was drunk.
But Xia Yan had caught the slightest change in his expression.
One of the little blue beads from the souvenirs fell from his hand and landed on Xia Yan’s jacket.
Xu Cong’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
He knew that Xia Yan was drunk.
Maybe by tomorrow, this memory would be blurry.
He asked Xia Yan in return, “Why are you asking this? Even if I really have someone I like, it doesn’t concern you, does it?”
He rarely spoke to Xia Yan like this, and it even felt a little cold and detached
He didn’t smile.
Because he was genuinely asking. Xia Yan, as the leader had always been above others, never stayed for anyone’s admiration, always focused on his stage and career, carefully looking after every member of the team, never caring about personal feelings.
So, how important could his emotions be to Xia Yan?
But Xia Yan suddenly sat up, waking up from his second bout of drunkenness for the night.
He heard Xu Cong’s words, and his expression darkened.
“Why wouldn’t it concern me? I’m your captain. If you’re in a relationship, don’t I have to discuss confidentiality plans with Bai Yu? Do you know how much trouble public relations would be if a rising male celebrity was in a relationship? Besides, we’ve been together for so many years, we’re practically childhood friends, I’m your best buddy, right? You can hide it from everyone else, but you can’t hide it from me, right…?”
Xia Yan counted each point, getting more and more agitated, already convinced that Xu Cong didn’t care about him.
He was almost losing his mind. “Xu Cong, what do you mean? Do you even consider me a brother?!”
Xu Cong, however, laughed lightly.
He half-knelt on the floor, looking at Xia Yan unblinkingly.
Xia Yan was within arm’s reach, wearing jeans, with a small patch of his white leg exposed beneath the pants.
He was clearly a tall, slim man, with an alluring face that was strikingly beautiful, but it didn’t give off any weak impression.
However, his ankle was very narrow, delicate, and pale, almost as if it would snap with a simple bend. He was carelessly tapping his blue slippers, showing his impatience.
Xu Cong shifted his gaze, suppressing the urge to grab that ankle and pin Xia Yan beneath him.
He looked at Xia Yan, his expression calm, repeating the lie from earlier that night.
“I was kidding,” he said. “It really was something from kindergarten, just said to stir up the atmosphere. I’ve even told you about running away from home in elementary school. You know my bank card password. What secrets could I have from you?”
That made sense.
Xia Yan thought for a moment, and his expression lightened.
He examined Xu Cong for a long time before finally lying back down comfortably on the sofa.
“You scared me to death,” he yawned, his voice full of relief as if he had just survived a crisis. “I thought I was really going to have to work on a PR plan with Bai Yu. Our team already has me causing a ruckus; we can’t have you adding to it.”
But he lay sideways, looking at Xu Cong for a while, then suddenly chuckled.
“But I really can’t think of any omega or beta who would be a good match for you,” he said, lazily covering his eyes with one hand. “Maybe I’m just biased towards you, it seems like I wouldn’t be satisfied with anyone who could be with you.”
“But if you really do fall in love one day, I’m definitely going to be your best man at your wedding.”
Xu Cong had just turned around to close the suitcase when the zipper accidentally scraped his nail.
He paused for a moment, then turned back to look at Xia Yan, only to find that he had already fallen asleep.
So carefree.
His sleeping face looked like it had been kissed by a god.
