“Only five or six minutes.” Wei Xicheng smiled and gently pushed Yu Beiyan. “Come on, this isn’t the place to talk.”
Hearing this, Yu Beiyan turned around and led Wei Xicheng into the nearby compartment. The unlit room was dim, and with just the two of them inside, the atmosphere suddenly became intimate.
The door shut out the noise and chatter from outside. A faint, hazy light filtered through the frosted window on the door. Leaning against the door, Wei Xicheng could just make out the contours of Yu Beiyan’s face in the soft glow.
“Did you miss me?” Yu Beiyan leaned in, his broad shoulders enveloping Wei Xicheng in his embrace. He brushed his lips lightly against the tip of Wei Xicheng’s ear and watched as it quickly heated up and turned red. A low chuckle escaped from his chest.
“You…” Wei Xicheng turned his head, his ear grazing against something soft. “At the very end last time, did you remember?”
It was a sudden, out-of-context question. Upon hearing it, Yu Beiyan’s eyes lit up slightly. He gazed intently at Wei Xicheng, his stare burning. “How did you know?”
“I guessed.” Wei Xicheng’s eyes rested on the man’s prominent and undeniably sexy Adam’s apple.
In the previous world, at first, their interactions always felt as if there was an invisible barrier between them, largely because of him. Later, when he finally sorted out his feelings, he secretly resented his own hesitation and pretense. As time passed, Wei Xicheng had never brought it up again, but he could sense that one day, something in the person beside him had suddenly changed.
He never exposed it, and Yu Beiyan never mentioned it either. They continued to interact as before, and only then did Wei Xicheng truly feel at ease. Even though Yu Beiyan, who now possessed complete memories, differed slightly from his counterparts in each world, he was still his lover.
After experiencing so many trials and tribulations, they both cherished the long, peaceful decades of warmth that followed.
“You really just guessed? I don’t believe it.” Yu Beiyan narrowed his eyes, trying to give off a dangerous aura, but he couldn’t hide the amusement and indulgence in his gaze.
“You haven’t told me what’s going on in this world yet.” Wei Xicheng, pressed against the door, shifted his stance slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Yu Beiyan, ever observant, noticed the small movement. He leaned in and placed a light kiss on Wei Xicheng’s lips. Then, without warning, he bent down, scooped Wei Xicheng up in his arms, and carried him toward the wide sofa.
“How many times have I told you! Don’t carry me like this!”
“Stay still.”
Yu Beiyan gently set him down and sat so close that if not for the lack of pain, Wei Xicheng might have thought the man had sat right on top of him.
“This world is an opportunity,” Yu Beiyan said, holding Wei Xicheng’s hand in one of his own while the other rested on his back, enveloping him in a protective embrace. “Once I solve a small issue on my end, we can go back.”
Wei Xicheng didn’t react much. He simply asked, “Do you want to go back?”
“If you want to go back, then I want to go back.” Yu Beiyan smiled. “Honestly, to me, whether it’s the original world or a parallel one, there’s no real difference.”
“Oh.” Wei Xicheng hooked his pinky around Yu Beiyan’s. “What kind of person were you originally?”
Yu Beiyan tightened his grip, preventing Wei Xicheng from pulling his hand away. “Exactly the same as the one in front of you.”
”…”
That was a pointless question to ask.
“I’m not afraid to go back, it’s just…” Wei Xicheng ruffled his hair, searching for the right words to express his feelings. “I’m afraid we won’t return to the exact same point in time. And also, how do you even know we’re from the same era?”
Yu Beiyan smoothed out his messy hair and winked at him. “I know. Not only that, I also know a lot more—your little secrets.”
Wei Xicheng rubbed his arms. “Can you just talk normally?”
Yu Beiyan burst out laughing, pulling him closer into the couch. “I probably entered this world earlier than you. At first, I didn’t want to do any tasks… but I also didn’t want to die. So, eventually, I started completing missions while researching the system.”
He paused before continuing, “Unexpectedly, I ended up accidentally breaking the system. But that came with its own problems—I was forced to exist as a spiritual entity. And because I had done so many missions, my spirit was shattered and scattered across different worlds.”
At this point, Yu Beiyan pinched Wei Xicheng’s cheek. “Then I found out that when I broke the system, everyone who had been dragged into parallel worlds was automatically ejected… except for you.”
Wei Xicheng looked at him. He could tell from Yu Beiyan’s expression that his smile was genuine—he was truly happy.
“Xicheng, I honestly thought I’d never be able to leave. Over time, my fragmented spirit would lose its memories, and eventually, Yu Beiyan would cease to exist.”
Wei Xicheng’s chest tightened at those words. He furrowed his brows, only for Yu Beiyan to smooth them out with his fingers.
“But then, I met you.”
Yu Beiyan smiled and went on, “You were the only one who stayed behind. And because of you, I was able to become whole again. You don’t need to be afraid—only you can truly understand me. And only I can truly have you.”
His eyes flickered with undeniable possession as he pulled Wei Xicheng onto his lap with a hint of helplessness. “So, you really never heard of my name?”
“Huh?”
“Yu Beiyan. You’ve never heard of me?” Yu Beiyan leaned in, pressing his lips against the buttons of Wei Xicheng’s shirt as he spoke. “Didn’t you all want to get into the biggest entertainment company? Haven’t you ever heard of its boss?”
Wei Xicheng’s mind suddenly clicked. It had felt too distant before, so he hadn’t thought about it. But with this hint, he stared at the man in front of him in shock. “You’re… you’re that Yu—”
Yu Beiyan chuckled and pecked his cheek, mimicking his hesitant tone. “Yes, I’m Yu—”
Before he could finish, Wei Xicheng abruptly jumped off his lap. “Won’t people say I slept my way up?! I haven’t even had a chance to prove my abilities, and my reputation will be ruined!”
Yu Beiyan gazed at him, warmth and amusement bubbling in his chest. “They won’t.”
“When did you say we can go back?”
“Once I’ve finished reorganizing my energy. Your system still retains the ability to travel through time, so we’ll be able to return to reality.”
“Okay.” Wei Xicheng nodded, seeming to seriously consider what to do once they returned.
Yu Beiyan stood up and leaned closer. “I might not always be by your side for a while. You need to be careful—this world isn’t completely safe, as you’ve seen.”
“I know.”
“And?”
Wei Xicheng looked up. “And what?”
“I’ve told you everything. Where’s my reward?” Yu Beiyan bent down, tapping his cheek with his finger. “Come on.”
“Screw you.” Wei Xicheng punched him, but before he could pull back, Yu Beiyan caught his fist, tugged him forward, and sealed their lips together, letting his cool, clean scent seep into Wei Xicheng’s heart.
“Ah! Sorry!”
The door suddenly swung open, flooding the dimly lit room with bright hallway light, illuminating the two of them mid-kiss.
Yu Beiyan immediately shielded Wei Xicheng behind him, his eyes darkening with irritation. He had finally found a chance to get close, only to be interrupted again.
“I’m so sorry, so sorry!” The uninvited guest blushed deeply and quickly fled to the next private room.
Wei Xicheng tugged at Yu Beiyan’s clothes and playfully bit his chin, successfully pacifying him. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Spiritual energy can’t be seen or touched. Your body is quite unique—though you have yin-yang eyes, they clash with these kinds of matters. Let me handle it.”
Yu Beiyan hesitated briefly before adding, “And be careful around He Cheng. He has a very powerful master. We’ve come too far to risk making a mistake now.”
Wei Xicheng nodded, understanding the stakes.
“As for everything else,” Yu Beiyan smiled, “just treat this as one final adventure. Enjoy it, and wait for me to take you home.”
When Wei Xicheng returned to his classmates’ private room, he noticed that the atmosphere wasn’t as lively as before. Instead, the room felt strangely tense. As soon as he walked in, everyone’s eyes seemed to drift toward his lips.
He touched his mouth lightly, then glanced toward the “clumsy intruder” from earlier. The person was now shrinking into the sofa, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Lin Yan, looking conflicted, sat down beside him. “You…”
“What?” Wei Xicheng asked casually. He wasn’t trying too hard to mimic his original self’s demeanor, but he did adjust slightly. However, his naturally cheerful personality gave him an alluring contradiction that was hard to ignore.
Lin Yan’s face reddened, his gaze flickering unconsciously to Wei Xicheng’s slightly swollen lips. He hadn’t seen it himself, but the vivid descriptions had painted a clear enough picture.
His heart felt complicated. There had been rumors that Wei Xicheng liked him before. Now, maybe there was some truth to them.
“That guy… he’s really your boyfriend?”
“Yeah.” Wei Xicheng casually popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth, the red juice making his lips look even more plump and inviting.
Lin Yan suddenly felt a little thirsty. Looking around for a drink, his eyes accidentally landed on Wei Xicheng’s slightly rumpled shirt. A corner had come untucked, exposing a sliver of skin above his loose waistband.
Two sections were separated, revealing a small patch of fair skin in between.
“Can men really be together?” Lin Yan scratched his head, forcing himself to look up, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Wei Xicheng’s slightly long hair, which was a bit messy on his head. Right now, he actually looked especially cute.
“Why not?”
“Oh, oh… but he can’t… he can’t just… in broad daylight…”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Wei Xicheng stared directly at Lin Yan, watching as his eyes widened before his entire face flushed red.
What was going on? Was Lin Yan really this innocent? Just talking about it made him blush?
“What are you two talking about?” Another voice cut in right at that moment, blocking all the words Lin Yan had wanted to say, leaving his face even redder.
“Nothing.” Lin Yan glanced at He Cheng, who had just walked over, then gulped down two mouthfuls of Coke. He must be going crazy—he actually felt like he had wronged Wei Xicheng in the past and even found him kind of cute.
——————————————————
Author’s Note:
Yu Beiyan: Being a ghost really isn’t good—other people can’t see me, so they start fantasizing about my baby.
