PTBC chapter 65

Xia Yan stayed in Pinggang until four in the afternoon before he had to head to the airport.

Bai Yu had already gone crazy in their group chat, swearing that if Xia Yan wasn’t at the airport by seven, he was going to hang himself.

To save his manager’s life, Xia Yan had no choice but to say goodbye to his newly appointed boyfriend—for now.

Xu Cong originally planned to go back with him, but his family was having a gathering that day, and his parents insisted that he attend. Left with no other choice, he had to stay behind.

“If only my brother were here,” Xu Cong grumbled. “I have no intention of taking over the family business, so why are they dragging me into this?”

He suspected his brother had a hand in this. Just yesterday, his brother had been complaining about how Xu Cong, as a top celebrity, was somehow even busier than him, a corporate director, and that they barely saw each other twice a year.

Xia Yan patted Xu Cong’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s fine. You’ll be back the day after tomorrow anyway.”

Xu Cong let out a soft hum, still unsatisfied. He pulled Xia Yan close for another kiss.

He gently touched Xia Yan’s lower lip, which was slightly swollen from being kissed too much.

Xia Yan had teased him in the cable car, and when they got back, he paid the price—getting pinned to the sofa as Xu Cong kissed him over and over, nearly pushing things too far.

Xu Cong chuckled and said, “Before you do your makeup tonight, put some ice on your lips. Otherwise, someone might notice.”

Because of that, Xia Yan’s face stayed a little warm all the way until he boarded the plane.

It was strange—before they had confirmed their relationship, Xu Cong had already been hugging and kissing him, doing all sorts of shameless things. Xia Yan had resisted at first, but when he realized there was no stopping it, he just let it be.

But now that they were officially “boyfriends,” all those little moments seemed magnified. Just thinking about them made his neck feel hot.

That said, when he got back to the dorms and later attended the event that night, he was in a noticeably good mood. The gloomy state he had been in for the past few days had completely disappeared, catching Bai Yu’s attention and making him eye Xia Yan with growing suspicion.

Then, when Xu Cong returned two days later, they naturally stuck together again. Xia Yan leaned against him while playing games, Xu Cong peeled grapes and fed him, throwing in the occasional remark about how terrible his gaming skills were—only to get an elbow to the stomach in retaliation.

Bai Yu, watching from the side, grew more and more suspicious.

And then, one late night, Bai Yu finally caught them red-handed—Xu Cong kissing Xia Yan at the staircase landing.

He had reached his limit.

Dragging the two into a small room, Bai Yu launched into an interrogation.

But the two of them didn’t even try to deny it. Instead, they sat there shamelessly, looking at him like: Yeah, we’re dating within the group. So what? What are you gonna do about it?

Xu Cong acting this way was one thing.

But even Xia Yan was acting like this.

Bai Yu was heartbroken, looking at Xia Yan like he had fallen from grace.

Xia Yan rubbed his nose and started deflecting. “I mean, what could I do? You were right all along. This 100% compatibility thing was always going to be a problem. With a match this high, how could we not fall in love?”

“Cut the crap!” Bai Yu slammed the table in frustration. “Do you think I have memory loss?! Xu Cong liked you even before your secondary differentiation!”

But there was no helping it—those two bastards had made up their minds, and nothing could change that.

Bai Yu had actually known for a while that it was a lost cause.

Back at the hospital, he had already seen through it. Xia Yan and Xu Cong were like two peas in a pod, drawn to each other from the start.

After watching Xia Yan and Xu Cong walk out of his office hand in hand, Bai Yu silently took out his ginseng heart pills and popped two into his mouth.

Then, he opened his laptop and began drafting the eighth version of their crisis PR plan in case their relationship was exposed.

Since Bai Yu knew, the other three members of the team inevitably found out as well.

Their reactions varied.

Lin Qixu stammered, suddenly reflecting on the 180 fanfictions he had written—had he, unknowingly, set his captain up for this?

Xiao Ning widened his eyes in shock but remained silent.

Only Ye Zhaoyang remained unfazed. He patted Xu Cong’s shoulder and said, “Gotta hand it to you, man. Trust me, besides you, I don’t think there’s a single person in the entire entertainment industry who would dare go after our captain. Not only did you dare to think about it, but you actually did it—and succeeded. I’m proud of you.”

He even gave Xu Cong a thumbs-up.

Which, of course, made Xia Yan roll up his sleeves, itching to drag Ye Zhaoyang over and beat him up on the spot.

Xu Cong, however, just chuckled and said, “That’s not necessarily true.”

Whether Xia Yan was an Alpha or an Omega, there had never been a shortage of people who wanted him.

But despite their initial shock, the three teammates offered their sincere blessings. They had already been bombarded with the revelation of Xu Cong’s long-time crush on their captain, so they had been thoroughly trained to handle surprises. By now, they had mastered the art of remaining calm.

Their only request was—don’t break up.

Ye Zhaoyang clasped both Xu Cong’s and Xia Yan’s hands, looking as if he wanted to personally march them down to register their marriage.

“We seriously can’t handle another one of your cold wars. Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness, eternal love, and may you continue tormenting each other in the next life too.”

Xia Yan laughed and kicked Ye Zhaoyang. “Like we need you to say that.”

But as he leaned against Xu Cong, watching the three of them put on exaggerated expressions like they were getting cavities from all the PDA, he couldn’t help but smile even wider.

He turned his head and met Xu Cong’s gaze.

The sunlight outside was warm, another spring day. The golden light draped over the budding willow branches, just like the day they had first met.

…..

In the days that followed, not much seemed to change.

Even though Xu Cong had gone from being a teammate to a boyfriend, Xia Yan’s greatest love was still his work. He took an offer from an obscure indie director and went off to film in the depths of some remote mountains.

Completely forgetting that he was now in a relationship.

At night, Xu Cong lay alone in bed, staring at the empty pillow beside him, often questioning whether he was in a real relationship at all.

Or if Xia Yan’s confession that day had just been his imagination.

Otherwise, how could he be even lonelier than before they got together?

But thankfully, the film schedule wasn’t too long. After Xu Cong had visited the set three times out of impatience, Xia Yan finally returned.

After three months of filming, his pale skin had tanned slightly. He thought it made him look rugged and charismatic, but Xu Cong thought he looked more like milk with a hint of honey.

Xia Yan was deeply offended.

“You just don’t appreciate my handsomeness,” he protested while munching on a salad. Sitting on the couch, he recounted his filming experience to Xu Cong. “These three months were brutal—so many scenes, and it was a historical drama too. The heat was unbearable, and by the time we wrapped, it was almost summer. I got rashes from sweating under that headpiece. One time, the props even spoiled—I drank sour soy milk and still finished an entire scene. But the crew was great. No big-name actors, really, unless you count me, but I’m still a rookie in film. Outsiders probably think we’re just some scrappy little production…”

Xu Cong smiled, listening to Xia Yan ramble on. He might be in his twenties, but whenever he talked about something he loved, there was a bright-eyed passion, a youthful earnestness.

At moments like this, Xia Yan shone like a diamond. He had that magic—when he did what he loved, his enthusiasm was infectious, making it impossible not to be drawn in, not to believe every word he said.

When they were sixteen or seventeen, Xu Cong had watched Xia Yan stand on the rooftop, declaring with conviction that they would become a top-tier group.

Now, at twenty-three or twenty-four, he sat in their living room, declaring just as boldly that he would one day win a Best Actor award like Ling Du.

And every time, Xu Cong had believed in him wholeheartedly.

“When that day comes, I’ll melt the medal down and make you a ring,” Xia Yan declared smugly, tilting his chin up at Xu Cong.

Xu Cong smiled. “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

That night, Xia Yan didn’t just paint a grand vision of the future—he also gave Xu Cong an unexpected surprise.

Somehow, he had acquired a leopard-ear costume and crawled into Xu Cong’s bed.

His sun-kissed skin, now a warm honey shade, contrasted perfectly with the golden leopard tail he playfully swayed in his hands. His toned yet lazy posture exuded a wild, untamed allure—except for his delicate ankles, where the bones jutted out slightly beneath smooth skin, barely enough to wrap a hand around.

He flicked the leopard tail in his grip, tilting his head with a mix of arrogance and teasing as he gazed at Xu Cong.

He really did look like an unruly leopard, one that had grown up free in the wild.

Xu Cong found himself unable to look away.

He had just finished showering, initially planning to take it easy since Xia Yan might be too exhausted. But as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, he found a gorgeous leopard lounging in his bed, watching him with gleaming eyes—then even had the audacity to beckon him closer with a single finger.

Xu Cong’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Water trickled down his neck, trailing along his back. It should have been cool, but instead, it felt scorching hot.

Xia Yan lay leisurely on the bed, still teasing him recklessly: “Are you dumb? Get over here already.”

He was feeling quite pleased with himself.

He and Xu Cong had been together for several months now, and they had done all sorts of things, sticking together even more than before they started dating.

But with work being so busy and sharing accommodations with their teammates, every time they wanted to take things a step further, something unexpected would interrupt them.

As a result, they remained stuck at the previous stage.

Forget Xu Cong—Xia Yan himself was already burning with frustration.

As a healthy, young male omega, was it so wrong to want to enjoy life a little?

Xia Yan thought that since he was the captain and a year older than Xu Cong, it was only natural for him, as the senior, to take responsibility and break through this final barrier.

So, he secretly ordered this leopard-ear outfit. And with Xu Cong picking him up from the airport that day, plus the fact that they were staying in a hotel outside, the timing, setting, and mood were all perfect.

And judging by the results, it was working out quite well.

Xia Yan smiled with ease, completely satisfied with how he had taken control of the situation.

Xu Cong was utterly at his mercy, kissing him with such intensity and desperation, like he had suddenly reverted to an impulsive eighteen-year-old boy, reckless and impatient, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

But the next day, he regretted it.

When the morning light struggled to filter through the dark curtains, Xia Yan lay sprawled on the bed as if his whole body had fallen apart. It was like he had time-traveled back to the days after the car accident.

Every inch of him ached.

No one had told him it was this hard being the bottom.

Had omegas always been surviving in such harsh conditions all these years?

Sincerely, he suggested to Xu Cong, “Have you ever considered getting a reduction surgery or something? Personally, I don’t think it needs to be that big. Maybe cut off a little?”

Xu Cong covered his mouth with one hand. “Stop talking nonsense.”

At the same time, he went all out and ordered twenty different styles of lingerie, all shipped to his newly purchased apartment.

But seeing Xia Yan still cursing under his breath, Xu Cong couldn’t help but laugh. He leaned over and kissed his forehead.

Xia Yan was not having it at all. “Get lost, you bastard.”

Even the next day, when they went out for dinner with Bai Yu and the team members, Xia Yan still had a bandage on his neck. His skin, right where his red birthmark was, had been bitten so badly that he couldn’t show his face in public. Anyone who saw him could tell exactly what had happened.

The clueless and naive Xiao Ning even leaned in curiously, wanting to touch it. “What happened, Captain? Did you get hurt somewhere?”

Xia Yan wordlessly swatted his hand away. “Just eat your food. It’s just a rash. Not a big deal.”

….

At the end of that year, D.A won eleven awards at the Zhaochuan Music Awards, including Most Popular Artist, Song of the Year, and Best Stage Performance.

This was the most prestigious music awards ceremony in the country, a battleground for every group, and the annual hot search rankings were always dominated by it.

D.A had defended their title for four consecutive years. From their debut, they had taken home Best Album and Best Stage that first year, and since then, they had never walked away empty-handed.

This time, the competition was particularly fierce. The rival group Forest had been neck and neck with them in several categories, especially the Most Popular Award, which was decided by public votes. At one point, Forest had even surpassed them, but in the end, they lost by just 300 votes.

Zong Yi’s face turned green.

But under the flash of cameras, he still had to smile and hug Xia Yan, putting on a show of friendliness. However, in a low voice, he muttered in Xia Yan’s ear, “Go home and write your R-rated, melodramatic fanfiction tonight.”

Xia Yan was unfazed.

“Sure thing. I’ll make sure it’s heartbreakingly tragic. It’ll even help boost our group’s publicity.”

Zong Yi nearly choked on his own frustration, his expression slipping for a moment. As a result, after the awards ceremony, the fans of both groups clashed online once again.

Xia Yan led his teammates onto the stage to accept their awards. This was his fourth time standing on this platform. Ever since D.A’s debut, they had been an unstoppable force.

He wasn’t sure how others felt.

But every time he stood here, he could still see his seventeen-year-old self, slinging a single-shoulder bag and deciding to apply to the company.

Back then, he had dreamed of becoming a top-tier artist.

Now, at least in the world of music, he had made it.

He turned to look at Xu Cong beside him and clinked his trophy against his. The audience erupted into applause and laughter. Later, this moment was shared online, dominating the (Cong-Yan) CP fandom.

That same month, Xia Yan, as a rookie actor, was nominated for the Kuaiyue Awards and won Best Supporting Actor.

His drama ‘The Moon by the Silent River’ had received an overwhelmingly positive response, topping the viewership charts in its time slot. His acting skills even earned recognition from some industry professionals.

Meanwhile, ‘Tianqing Jade’, the small-budget film he had starred in, premiered a month later and became the box office dark horse of the year.

Though it wasn’t on the same level as true blockbuster films, considering its modest budget and final box office earnings, it was a massive success. The entire cast was composed of newcomers, and even the director was relatively unknown, having only worked on short films before.

At a later press conference, the director candidly admitted that Xia Yan had been the one to recognize the film’s potential first.

“It was also Xia Yan who helped secure later investments. Without him, it’s hard to say if this film would have ever seen the light of day. I’m incredibly grateful. Oh, and his teammate, Xu Cong—when Xu Cong visited the set, I even managed to trick him into investing a little,” the director said with a big laugh, waving at Xu Cong in the audience. “Mr. Xu, you’re always welcome on set.”

The cameras all turned toward Xu Cong.

Sitting in the audience, Xu Cong chuckled at the mention of his name, but his gaze remained fixed on Xia Yan standing on stage.

……

Just after New Year’s, on a certain day, Xia Yan and Xu Cong went to the cinema together to watch ‘Tianqing Jade’ for the second time.

When he wrapped up filming, it was just the beginning of summer. Now, it was already the start of a new year.

The two of them sat in the last row like ordinary moviegoers.

Since it was a midnight screening, the theater wasn’t very crowded.

But this was the first film where Xia Yan played the lead role, carrying the entire story on his shoulders. The entire movie revolved around the character he portrayed—a fallen nobleman, Liang Anyi.

Even though they had privately watched it several times before, Xu Cong still watched attentively.

On the screen, Xia Yan wore a ragged gray robe, a piece of bamboo leaf between his lips as he sat on a bamboo raft, swaying gently as he drifted through the vast expanse of sky and water.

The feeling was surreal.

The person he shared his life with, the one who lay beside him each night, had now transformed into someone else—a different face, a different soul—appearing on the silver screen.

And yet, he didn’t feel disconnected from it.

Because Xia Yan’s performance was excellent.

The moment his character turned back, eyes carrying a faint hint of menace yet curved into an ambiguous smirk as he unsheathed his long blade, it was as if a piece of Liang Anyi’s very essence had floated down and attached itself to Xia Yan’s body.

When the movie ended, they walked out of the theater hand in hand.

It was past one in the morning, and the streets were nearly deserted.

Only then did they realize that at some point, it had started snowing.

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, making a soft crunch beneath their steps.

There was a street vendor selling mulled wine by the roadside. Xu Cong walked over and bought a cup for Xia Yan.

Since he had to drive, he didn’t drink any himself.

On the way back, Xia Yan gazed at the falling snow outside the car window and murmured, “It’s really amazing… I remember this time last year, I was still on the set of ‘The Moon By The Silent River’, and you came to visit me. Back then, I was just hoping that since I was at least playing the second male lead, the show wouldn’t completely flop when it aired. But now, it has done well, even won an award, and my debut lead role is playing in theaters.”

He chuckled. “You know, on New Year’s Day, the director actually had all of us make a wish together. He even gave us lucky red envelopes, saying that sincerity would bring good fortune.”

Xu Cong laughed too.

Of course, he remembered last year around this time. Back then, he and Xia Yan were still caught in that hazy stage of something more than friendship but not quite love. Xia Yan had been struggling with his secondary gender differentiation, relying on his pheromones for treatment. So technically, he had visited the set as a simple check-in, but in reality, he was there to reinforce Xia Yan’s temporary mark.

It was during that time that Xia Yan had vaguely started to realize his feelings.

But even then, they had just sat together in a movie theater to ring in the new year, watching an ordinary popcorn flick. He had secretly held Xia Yan’s hand, and Xia Yan hadn’t pulled away—had indulged his boldness.

In the blink of an eye, an entire year had passed.

Xu Cong’s gaze softened even further.

He asked, “What about this year? Do you have a wish?”

Xia Yan sipped from his cup, the steam blurring his vision.

“A wish… Would ‘staying with you forever’ count?” he asked, smiling at Xu Cong.

“That doesn’t even need to be a wish,” Xu Cong laughed. “Because whether you wish for it or not, we’ll always be together.”

Xia Yan burst into laughter. “That’s true.”

“So that just leaves one more wish.” Xia Yan took another sip of mulled wine, his eyes filled with countless emotions as he looked at the snowy night outside.

In a quiet voice, he said, “I want to go public about being an omega. And it might not be too far off—maybe even this year.”

Xu Cong froze.

Xia Yan had never mentioned this before.

“Why?”

Xia Yan remained silent for a moment before slowly replying, “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I know that given the current situation, going public would bring a lot of trouble. But I used to believe that the version of me shining on stage was the one fans loved most. That as someone who creates dreams, I had an obligation to maintain that dream. But in the boy group world, I’ve already achieved what I set out to do. It’s like competing in a tournament—I’ve already won the gold. But now, I’ve found other paths, broader and more exciting ones. I’ve realized that even when I’m not performing, there are still people cheering me on.”

As Xu Cong’s car stopped at a red light, he listened quietly.

Xia Yan took a deep breath. “I know that being an artist means never being completely real. The flowers and applause aren’t always for who we truly are. But I still want to reveal more of my true self. Pretending to be an alpha might bring me more benefits, but I’m an omega. I’ve fully accepted that, and I don’t see it as a loss or a regret. Because I don’t believe there’s any difference between an alpha and an omega. On the contrary, constantly hiding my identity, keeping it from everyone, is what truly bothers me.”

“So, I want to tell the people who’ve supported me all this time—I didn’t become the alpha they expected. But I’m still proud of who I am.”

Xia Yan smiled softly as he said this.

This thought had been weighing on his heart for a long time.

But he knew how difficult it would be.

So until he was certain, he had never spoken about it.

Now, however, he had built something that belonged to him alone. And in the future, he would continue to carve out even greater achievements. Maybe that could become his leverage in negotiations with the company.

He turned to Xu Cong. “But so far, you’re the only one I’ve told. When Bai Yu and the others find out, I bet they’ll lose their minds.”

He actually felt a little bad for them.

Xia Yan sipped his mulled wine, lost in thought.

“What about you?” he asked, tilting his head. “Do you think I’m being naive?”

“No.”

Xu Cong answered without hesitation.

“I’ve told you before—whether you’re an omega or an alpha, I’ll love you just the same. And I think a lot of people will feel the same way.”

“No matter what you choose to do, I’ll be right by your side.”

Xia Yan smiled, thinking that Xu Cong was the one being unrealistic. How could everyone else feel the same?

He knew very well what kind of storm he would have to endure.

But it was okay.

He knew that no matter what others thought of him being an alpha or omega, Xu Cong would always love him.

The End!

 

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Author’s note:

Xia Yan and Xu Cong’s story comes to a temporary end. I’ve caught a cold, so I’ll rest for a few days before writing the extras.

The preliminary content for the extras might be:

– Xia Yan publicly acknowledging his omega identity
– The sweet daily life of the young couple
– Yan Yan’s heat” period (maybe, it feels like it would be a waste not to include it)
– And I’m not sure if I’ll write about the side couple, because once I start writing about side couples, I can’t stop

I’m really happy to have finished writing this.

The title of this chapter is the original intention behind my writing. I feel like they’re a “fairy tale”~

I hope everyone enjoyed reading it!

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