The next morning at 9 AM, the first thing Xia Yan did was grab his phone.
But their six-person group chat was still silent. Xu Cong hadn’t sent any updates at all.
By the time Xia Yan arrived at the company, his face was dark with irritation.
He didn’t lose his temper.
He just sat there quietly, but anyone could see that he was in a terrible mood.
“What’s wrong? Who pissed off the captain?” Xiao Ning asked in confusion. He immediately suspected Lin Qixu. “Did you send him another one of those fanfics?”
Lin Qixu cried out in protest.
“I wouldn’t dare! Ever since I found out Xu-ge likes the captain, I’ve been extra careful. There’s no way I’d send anything that might set him off—I’d just be digging my own grave.”
The two of them turned to look at Ye Zhaoyang next.
Ye Zhaoyang raised his hands calmly. “I didn’t do anything last night. I was gaming the whole time.”
Xiao Ning and Lin Qixu were even more confused. “Then who else could it be?”
Ye Zhaoyang patted both of them and said, “Stop overthinking. No one upset him—he’s just in a bad mood because Xu Cong isn’t here.”
“For real?” Lin Qixu muttered. “Xu-ge’s been shamelessly pursuing the captain. I thought he’d be relieved to finally get some peace.”
Ye Zhaoyang lifted an eyebrow, glanced at Xia Yan, and murmured, “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
…..
At the company, Xia Yan remained the same.
He attended his acting class as usual, but whenever he wasn’t in class, he kept looking at his phone, scrolling through something absentmindedly.
During dance practice, his movements were precise and flawless. He even had the energy to correct Xiao Ning’s mistakes—his expression still completely unreadable.
Xiao Ning was so intimidated that he immediately stood at attention, too afraid to make another mistake.
That night, the group had dinner together. Since they had used a lot of energy all day, they all ordered their favorite takeout.
But because practice had run late, it was already past ten o’clock by the time they sat down to eat.
Xia Yan ate the lightest meal—just some chicken breast, boiled vegetables, and a glass of milk. Then he put down his fork and said, “I’m full. I’m going upstairs.”
Xiao Ning, gnawing on his baked chicken wings, watched Xia Yan’s retreating figure and exchanged a look with Lin Qixu.
…..
Back in his room, Xia Yan took a shower first, then sat on his bed, staring at his phone.
He was debating whether or not to call Xu Cong.
It’s been a whole day, and there was still no sign of him. Xiao Yan repeatedly wondered if Xu Cong was out on a date, but he also knew that day was the birthday banquet, and Xu Cong should be tied up with that.
However, if it were in the past, Xu Cong would definitely have sent him a photo to show him the scene at the birthday banquet.
But today, nothing.
Xia Yan hesitated for a moment but still found Xu Cong in his contacts and dialed his number.
He comforted himself in his mind, telling himself that he was just concerned about Xu Cong.
Who knows where Xu Cong had gone, but as the team captain, it was his duty to know where his members were.
The phone was picked up quickly, after just three rings, and he heard Xu Cong’s voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
For some reason, even though it had only been two days since they last met, Xia Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably nervous.
“It’s me,” he said.
“I know,” Xu Cong laughed softly on the other end, “I can tell.”
When Xu Cong laughed, Xia Yan also unconsciously relaxed.
He leaned against the headboard, his hair still not fully dried after the shower, a droplet of water falling onto his neck.
He asked Xu Cong, “Did the birthday banquet end?”
“It’s over, I just got back to my room,” Xu Cong’s voice sounded a little hoarse, and Xia Yan could hear the sound of water being poured, “There were a lot of guests today, after the dinner, there was a second banquet. I’ve been smiling all night, my face is almost stiff. There were so many relatives and friends I haven’t seen in years, all trying to make small talk.”
Xia Yan could easily imagine the scene.
Xu Cong’s family was wealthy, and his grandfather was no ordinary person. The birthday banquet would naturally have a full house of guests.
Xu Cong continued, “But the main person handling all the small talk wasn’t me, it was my older brother. That guy acts all proper and serious outside, but when he’s surrounded by a bunch of elders, talking about work and family, I could see he wanted to jump off the building.”
Xia Yan laughed out loud.
He knew Xu Cong’s older brother, Xu Yan, who looked somewhat like Xu Cong but was even more serious and always had a stern expression.
However, Xu Yan was actually quite friendly to him, probably because his younger brother was under his care.
But soon, Xia Yan couldn’t laugh anymore because he heard Xu Cong say, “I also met the omega my parents wanted to introduce to me.”
Xia Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the phone, but nonchalantly asked, “Really?”
Xu Cong was looking at the wine glass in his hand.
The sound Xia Yan had heard earlier, the pouring of water, wasn’t water at all, but wine.
Xu Cong lowered his voice, “He’s a young omega, still in college. His pheromones are somewhat similar to yours, in the rose category. He came over with his parents to greet me.”
Xia Yan felt as though his heart was struck heavily, and he couldn’t speak for a long time.
After a while, he finally asked Xu Cong, “Do you like him?”
Xu Cong chuckled softly, “It’s too soon to tell after such a short time. But just like you, when we first met, he gave me a piece of chocolate.”
Xu Cong softened his voice, “Xia Yan, do you remember? When we first met as trainees at the company, I was sitting alone in the corner, ignoring everyone. But you came over, asked me if I had low blood sugar, and gave me a piece of chocolate.”
“At that time, you were only seventeen.”
Xia Yan was taken aback.
Of course, he remembered.
It was the first day he was officially accepted as a trainee by the company, and he was finally a step closer to debut.
Actually, he knew Xu Cong wasn’t low on blood sugar, but when he looked at that boy sitting by the window, watching the green shadows fall from the window, spreading into the room and onto the boy’s clothes, he thought to himself, this boy looks so cold and aloof, but his side profile is so beautiful. I must get to know him.
So, he took a piece of chocolate, found an excuse, and sat next to Xu Cong.
For the next many years, they would lean on each other like this, spending countless days and nights together.
As Xia Yan was reminiscing, Xu Cong spoke again, “In the blink of an eye, we’ve known each other for so many years. It’s already been seven years. It feels like a dream when I think about it.”
“Yes,” Xia Yan replied softly.
The two of them fell into silence for a while on the phone, neither knowing what to say, but neither wanting to hang up either.
Finally, Xu Cong spoke first, “My parents are really eager. They want me to take that omega out tomorrow, just to hang out. Even if there’s no feeling, it’s fine as friends. The omega told me he wanted to visit the art museum in Pinggang, and I’ve booked a table at the restaurant on top of the Guangmao Building for dinner. We’ve been there before, and you said the desserts were really good.”
Xia Yan felt a lump in his throat, and this time, he found it even harder to respond.
He felt like he should say something.
But his throat felt dry.
He remembered the night before Xu Cong left, when Xu Cong had asked him if he wanted him to meet someone else.
He hadn’t answered back then.
But at this moment.
He could clearly hear a voice inside his body, urging him.
Say it.
He didn’t want Xu Cong to go out with anyone else, to visit some art museum or have dinner at a restaurant with another person.
“Xu Cong…” Xia Yan whispered softly.
But almost at the same time.
Someone on the other end of the phone, probably an elder, interrupted, calling Xu Cong’s name.
Xu Cong responded, “Okay, I’ll be there soon.”
He turned back to Xia Yan and said, “My aunt called, I’ll go over for a bit. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
After that, Xu Cong hung up the phone with a click.
All the unsaid words were cut off by the sound of the “beep” from the call ending.
Xia Yan sat there, staring blankly, as he lowered his hand.
The phone sat cold in his hand. He wanted to press the dial button again, but hesitated.
After repeatedly hesitating several times, almost neurotically, he ultimately did not dial the number.
…..
Because of that call he didn’t make, Xia Yan spent the entire night tossing and turning, hardly managing to sleep. The next day, when he attended an event, he was in a bit of a daze.
He was attending the tenth anniversary celebration of TA, dressed as a noble, aloof vampire. He wore a dark blue suit, its soft sheen reflecting off his pale face like a dazzling pearl. His lips were softer and more alluring than usual, a brighter red. When he spoke, he revealed the sharp fangs he had purposely put on, as if he had just removed them from the neck of some beauty.
But at the event, he unexpectedly ran into some familiar faces: Ling Du, Jiang Chuxin, and Ge Qianyi.
They had all participated together in the variety show “Relaxing Holiday,” which had recently aired. The show had been trending and gaining attention, but due to their busy schedules, they hadn’t had a chance to meet up until now.
So, the reporters immediately asked them to take a group photo, and naturally, no one declined. They all posed for the camera.
After the photo was taken, Ge Qianyi went off to find her agent.
Jiang Chuxin slowly wandered off as well.
That left Xia Yan and Ling Du chatting.
Even after filming “Relaxing Holiday,” Xia Yan and Ling Du kept in touch. A while ago, Xia Yan was in a car accident, and Ling Du reached out to check on him and offered to introduce a doctor.
But both of them were too busy, and Ling Du had been filming in the deep mountains, so opportunities to meet like this were rare.
Ling Du was dressed in a white suit, which matched his gentle, soft demeanor perfectly.
He looked Xia Yan up and down and complimented him, “This outfit suits you well.”
Xia Yan smiled and returned the compliment, “I think your look is great too.”
Ling Du clinked his glass with Xia Yan’s and casually said, “Xu Cong must be at his grandfather’s birthday banquet, right? It feels odd not having him around.”
After all, when they were on the variety show together, any time he and Xia Yan were a little too close, Xu Cong’s gaze would follow them.
It was quite amusing.
“Yeah… it’s his 80th birthday,” Xia Yan casually responded, but halfway through, he suddenly realized and looked at Ling Du in disbelief, “How did you know Xu Cong went to the banquet?”
Is he some kind of secret agent? Do they have such an advanced network of information?
Ling Du, looking just as confused, responded, “Because he went with Xu Linzhou…”
But soon, he seemed to realize something and looked at Xia Yan in disbelief: “Didn’t Xu Cong tell you? I’ve been together with his cousin for quite a while.”
“…No.”
Xia Yan was quite shocked. To avoid any misunderstandings, he even double-checked.
“When you say ‘together,’ do you mean what I think? Like, you’re dating Xu Cong’s cousin?”
Ling Du smiled and nodded, “Yes.”
Oh my God. Xia Yan, though maintaining an expressionless face, was actually quite shocked.
What a small world.
Or is it that Xu Cong’s family only liked to date people from the industry, constantly turning to the entertainment world, and now they’d even picked an award-winning actor?
He had a lot to say, but Xu Cong’s cousin was someone he’d met before. Although good-looking, he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve and didn’t seem like a good person at all.
It just didn’t seem like he was a good match for Ling Du.
But when he met Ling Du’s gaze, he politely swallowed his thoughts.
Ling Du, however, seemed to know what he was thinking.
He smiled and explained, “I’ve known Xu Cong’s cousin for a long time, we met ten years ago, but after some ups and downs, we only officially got together in the last two years. Xu Cong probably didn’t tell you because he thought I didn’t want to expose my privacy, but I don’t mind you knowing.”
Xia Yan nodded awkwardly.
It suddenly clicked to him. When they were filming “Relaxing Holiday,” Ling Du had mentioned his first love.
He said it was someone he met before entering the entertainment industry while working part-time.
Based on the timeline, this cousin of Xu Cong’s could be the one.
Thinking about it, Ling Du really seemed to be quite devoted. To love someone for so long—it was no different than Xu Cong.
Thinking of Xu Cong, Xia Yan suddenly felt distracted.
In this world of fame, with drinks clinking and perfume in the air, he had deliberately stopped thinking about Xu Cong.
But that name, like thick fog, wrapped itself around him without him realizing.
Standing in this dreamlike event, he still thought about someone far away, and it hurt his heart to think of them.
Xia Yan suddenly asked, “Senior, how can you like someone for so long?”
He looked at Ling Du.
Actually, he shouldn’t have asked this. Although there was a connection through Xu Cong, he and Ling Du were still just a senior and junior in the industry.
But today, he was feeling restless, like there was a fire inside him, burning from yesterday to tonight. He urgently needed an outlet, and he needed an answer.
He asked Ling Du, “What does it feel like to like someone? How do you know that it’s love?”
Xia Yan looked at Ling Du, his eyes even showing a bit of confusion.
For this event, he looked stunning, with his messy short hair styled to perfection, pale skin, and eyes as dangerous and enchanting as peach blossoms.
Amidst the sea of dazzling celebrities, he was the brightest diamond.
But when he looked at Ling Du, he looked like a child waiting for guidance.
Ling Du smiled, not at all bothered by Xia Yan’s question.
He was too familiar with the expression on Xia Yan’s face. For a long time, he himself had been just like this—lost in the fog, unable to find his way.
“Everyone’s way of liking someone is different. Some want to protect, some want to possess, and some even have a destructive desire. But I think there are some common things,” Ling Du swirled his wine glass lightly, “You feel happy just seeing that person. You’re looking forward to meeting them, even if you try to avoid it, deep down you still hope for it. You pay excessive attention to their news, and when you see them with someone else, you feel jealous. Even a tiny, unfounded rumor can make you feel insecure.”
Ling Du smiled at Xia Yan. “At least, that’s how I felt back then.”
…
By the time the event was over, Xia Yan had already returned to the dorm in a nanny car.
But he was still thinking about Ling Du’s words.
“Seeing that person makes you happy.”
“Seeing them with someone else, you’d feel jealous.”
“Even a tiny rumor can make you feel insecure.”
Every single one of those thoughts struck the heart, perfectly matching his feelings for Xu Cong.
But did he really need Ling Du to tell him all of this?
Probably not.
He was simply standing in front of a door, too afraid to open it, so he kept trying to draw some strength from others.
Xia Yan closed his eyes. It felt like two little people were fighting inside his heart, and one was about to kill the other.
How embarrassing.
He thought, after all this back and forth, he had struggled for so long, only to end up falling into the pit called “Xu Cong.”
He had laughed at Zong Yi not long ago, but now, he wasn’t any better. In fact, he wasn’t as honest as Zong Yi.
But fine, if he was going to fall, then he would.
Xia Yan sighed bitterly.
His hand ran through his hair, slowly combing it back.
After coming to terms with it, the heart he had been suppressing for the past few days felt lighter, as though it was slowly landing.
To be honest, the past few days while Xu Cong had been in Pinggang, he felt like he was about to lose his mind, irritated by everything in the world.
Xia Yan thought about this and took out his phone, intending to leave Xu Cong a voice message.
But when he opened it, he froze.
Two hours ago, Xu Cong had sent him a WeChat message, which he hadn’t seen.
It was a picture.
Nothing special—just a window-side dining table for two, with a dazzling city view outside. The table was covered in a white tablecloth, adorned with beautiful roses, and since they hadn’t started eating yet, everything was neat and tidy. The plates gleamed brightly, reflecting shadows.
From Xu Cong’s side, you could see a phone with a blue case and a pair of black-framed glasses on the opposite side of the table.
But the owner of the seat was nowhere to be seen.
Xia Yan’s heart sank.
He felt like his heart had been tugged.
Xu Cong had only sent a photo, nothing else. The person with the glasses hadn’t appeared, and yet Xia Yan felt like he had stepped off a cloud and was hit by a wave of huge disappointment.
He stared at the photo for a moment longer, glanced at the time Xu Cong had sent it, and immediately dialed his number.
But strangely, the phone rang for a long time without anyone picking up.
He called again.
Then a third time.
Still no answer.
Xia Yan slowly lowered his phone, his handsome face shifting with uncertainty. “Could this guy really be out on a date?”
He listened to the mechanical voice in the phone and his imagination began to run wild, making him feel a little angry.
Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He called a fourth and fifth time.
But the result was still the same.
By the time the seventh call went through, Xia Yan stopped wasting his time. He sat in his bedroom, looking around, confused. “Why isn’t he answering late at night? Shouldn’t he be in his hotel room after dinner? Is there some midnight event I don’t know about?”
This was ridiculous.
Just as he had figured out his feelings and wanted to have an honest talk with Xu Cong, Xu Cong was out having dinner with a beautiful omega, not answering his calls. This was even worse than a melodramatic TV show!
Even Zong Yi wouldn’t watch such garbage!
Xia Yan jumped to his feet, pacing around the room.
Before today, he had considered for a moment that maybe he couldn’t return Xu Cong’s equally passionate feelings.
Maybe Xu Cong would find someone better.
But now, all those self-righteous thoughts had been thrown out the window.
To hell with it. He wasn’t that selfless and noble.
He didn’t want to see Xu Cong with anyone else, whether they were omega, alpha, or beta.
Xu Cong should only be his, and he should be Xu Cong’s.
“Damned bastard.”
Xia Yan gritted his teeth and dialed again, but once again, no one picked up, only the monotonous voice repeating, “The number you have dialed is unavailable.”
“What the hell…”
Xia Yan frowned, feeling bewildered. Xu Cong had never acted like this before, unless it was work-related, but even then, his assistant would pick up.
His face darkened. “This guy couldn’t really be so absorbed in a date that his phone died, right?”
The more he thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed. His face turned red with anger, and he started imagining Xu Cong falling in love at first sight with the omega opposite him, getting in a car and eloping.
“Son of a bitch!”
Xia Yan almost threw his phone on the floor.
When there was still no answer after another call, he couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed a jacket and stormed out of the room.
As he passed downstairs, his three goofy teammates were still playing cards, with the losers’ faces covered in white stickers.
Seeing Xia Yan storming out, Xiao Ning, who was about to lose, asked in a hurry, “Captain, where are you going?”
Xia Yan fastened the last button of his coat and answered coldly, “To catch Xu Cong.”
The last bit of rationality in him made him remember to handle things properly. “Oh right, I have a schedule tomorrow night. Tell Bai Yu I’ll be back on time. Don’t worry about me.”
With that, he put on his mask and hat and slammed the villa door behind him.
His teammates exchanged glances.
“Why is the captain going to catch Xu Cong?” Xiao Ning muttered.
Lin Qixu slapped his leg. “It’s all Xu Cong’s fault for making the captain angry!”
Only Ye Zhaoyang, the sensible one, threw his cards aside and started searching for Bai Yu’s number.
What the hell. If Captain’s angry expression got caught on camera on the streets, it would end up trending, and then they’d all be screwed. He’d better talk to Bai Yu about how to handle the PR.
……
On the other side, in Pinggang City, at the rooftop restaurant of the Guangmao Building—
Xu Cong looked at his shattered phone with an indescribable expression, then at his cousin sitting across from him, covering his face.
“Are your eyes just for decoration? How can you not tell the difference between your own phone and mine? Poor eyesight is one thing, but now your hands have issues too? Do you need a full check-up, Xu Zhaoyun?”
Xu Cong’s voice was gentle, but his eyes said something entirely different—like he was about to slice his cousin into eighteen pieces.
Xu Zhaoyun quietly, quietly shrank behind the table, not daring to meet his gaze.
“Alright, alright, someone is already bringing a new phone over,” his older cousin, Xu Linzhou, stepped in to mediate. “Staring him down won’t help. Besides, even if your phone was only broken for a short while, do you really think Xia Yan would call you within these ten minutes? Stop dreaming, will you?”
Xu Cong immediately shifted his deadly glare to Xu Linzhou.
But Xu Linzhou remained unfazed and continued twisting the knife: “What, am I wrong? You’re just a sad man who can only have dinner with me and our little cousins. And you even staged this as a fake date to provoke your captain. And guess what? Two hours later, he hasn’t even acknowledged you.”
Xu Linzhou smugly added, “Let me tell you something—your secret crush is at an event with my boyfriend right now. He’s probably forgotten you exist.”
He gave Xu Cong a pitiful look.
Just to test Xia Yan’s feelings, Xu Cong had turned what was supposed to be a casual family dinner into the illusion of a romantic two-person date.
Their unfortunate omega cousin was even forced to contribute his phone and glasses to make it look more authentic.
And the result?
Absolutely nothing.
How pitiful, Xu Linzhou thought. Compared to this, his boyfriend was truly gentle, adorable, elegant, and poised.
Xu Cong felt an overwhelming frustration. He wanted to throw both Xu Linzhou and their younger cousin off the building.
But Xu Linzhou wasn’t wrong—over two hours had passed. Even Lin Du, who was also at the event, had answered Xu Linzhou’s call. Meanwhile, Xia Yan hadn’t made a single move.
Wasn’t the answer clear enough?
With that thought, Xu Cong raised a hand and covered his eyes, feeling utterly exhausted.
What he didn’t know was that at that very moment, Xia Yan was already on a flight to Pinggang.
And in just over three hours, someone would be pounding on his hotel room door.
