HIM Chapter 18: Why Are You Still Acting Cute?
He Xizhou made a big sandwich for Bo Qin. When Bo Qin took a bite, the hearty taste immediately comforted him. With food in his stomach, he felt warm all over. He chewed with his cheeks puffed up and even squinted his eyes in happiness.
He Xizhou drank a sip of hot milk and thought that Bo Qin really did look like a rabbit.
The sandwich had lettuce, but it was wrapped in a lot of meat. Bo Qin noticed that the foods he had taken out were all cooked by He Xizhou, though the cooking was minimal and the variety was abundant, making the sandwich look huge.
He Xizhou moved the hot milk over to him, tapped the table, and motioned for Bo Qin to drink it.
Bo Qin frowned and looked at him, “I don’t want to drink it. I can’t stand the taste of milk.”
He Xizhou had just swallowed a mouthful of milk. Personally, he didn’t mind the taste of plain milk. But after thinking for a moment, he asked, “What about milk-based drinks? Would you drink those?”
“I can handle that, as long as it’s sweet,” Bo Qin replied. “But I just checked the fridge, and all we have is plain milk.”
Noticing that Bo Qin hadn’t eaten the lettuce, He Xizhou stood up and said, “No picky eating. You have to eat everything.”
As he walked past Bo Qin, he patted his shoulder. “If you can’t cook and only know how to eat, you have to have the mindset of eating everything.”
Bo Qin pouted, taking another bite of the sandwich. He mumbled, “Where are you going?”
“Can I have strawberries?” He Xizhou’s voice came from the kitchen.
Bo Qin walked over with the sandwich in his hand. “Sure, why?”
“You’re not planning to make dessert, are you?”
“You’re overestimating me,” He Xizhou said, holding a box of fresh strawberries from the fridge. He opened the lid, removed the stems, and washed them under water. Bo Qin stared at his hands as they held the strawberries under the water, thinking to himself that He Xizhou’s hands were truly beautiful.
“Go get me a napkin,” He Xizhou looked over at Bo Qin. When Bo Qin’s gaze shifted to his hands, He Xizhou raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?”
Bo Qin, still holding the sandwich, turned around to get the napkin. He handed it to He Xizhou, watching as he carefully dried the strawberries, then placed them one by one onto a glass plate.
He Xizhou must have obsessive-compulsive disorder, Bo Qin thought. But watching He Xizhou do these things was strangely pleasant and healing.
After finishing his sandwich, Bo Qin was savoring the taste when he saw He Xizhou holding a piece of strawberry and turning towards him. Leaning against the island counter, He Xizhou offered the strawberry to Bo Qin, a playful smile on his face. “Open your mouth.”
Bo Qin, as if charmed, opened his mouth.
The tart and sweet juice filled his mouth in an instant.
He Xizhou wiped his hands and took out a juicer. “Is it sweet?”
Bo Qin licked his lips. “It’s okay, a little sour and sweet.”
He Xizhou placed the strawberries into the juicer, poured in the milk, and said, “Go get the honey from the fridge.”
The sky outside had brightened, and the soft golden sunlight bathed the lake. A gentle breeze blew through, the willow trees swayed, and the mist over the water dissipated. The view was peaceful, with only the calls of birds echoing.
There were no cameras here, no constant surveillance, no bustling noise—just the serenity of nature. Bo Qin sat cross-legged on the wooden steps outside the kitchen, lost in thought, watching the vast and quiet lake. It was a very comfortable feeling.
He Xizhou walked up behind him and handed him the strawberry milkshake. Bo Qin didn’t really feel like drinking it, but he felt bad rejecting He Xizhou’s kind gesture. So he reluctantly took a sip.
His eyes lit up.
He Xizhou smiled and leaned against the glass doorframe, silently watching Bo Qin as they both looked out at the lake.
Bo Qin finished the entire glass of strawberry milkshake, savoring every drop. He Xizhou asked, “Wasn’t it sweet this time?”
Bo Qin raised the glass, letting the last bit of milk flow out. He licked the last of the strawberry milk from his lips and said, “You’re still acting cute. It’s sweet.”
He Xizhou’s smile widened. They continued to gaze at the lake for a while. Then He Xizhou said, “If we’re in A city, we should go back to Fengjiang. I don’t come here often except on weekends.”
Fengjiang was so beautiful, and most importantly, it offered strong privacy. Plus, with the perfect music composition studio and dance room on the third floor, Bo Qin immediately agreed without hesitation.
“There’s one thing,” Bo Qin said. “Though you might think it’s no big deal, I still need to mention it.”
“Hm?” He Xizhou looked at him.
“It’s about the villa,” Bo Qin said. “We should split the cost. The property, along with renovations and equipment for the composition studio, is expensive. But I might not have the funds available right now.”
He Xizhou didn’t refuse. Instead, he said, “I’ll have Xu Zhi contact your studio’s finance department when the time comes.”
Bo Qin felt relieved. Then he heard He Xizhou say, “With your popularity and commercial value, and your endorsement fees averaging in the eight figures, why would you be short on funds?”
He Xizhou immediately realized that this was crossing a line, and just as he was about to apologize, Bo Qin nonchalantly said, “I’m a spender, and making music is costly.”
He Xizhou didn’t continue the conversation. He dropped the topic and let it go.
In the afternoon, when Xiao Zhu came to pick up Bo Qin from Fengjiang, Bo Qin was lying on the couch in a tank top and shorts, playing a game. He Xizhou sat in the single sofa across from him, reading a book.
Bo Qin was wearing headphones, and the game sound effects were so loud that he didn’t hear He Xizhou call his name twice. He Xizhou took off one of his headphones, looking at him somewhat puzzled. He Xizhou raised his coffee cup and said, “Your assistant is here.”
Bo Qin sighed. “I don’t want to go to work.”
“You’re the boss. You can choose not to.”
Bo Qin sat up. “If I don’t go, I’ll be forgotten.”
He Xizhou asked, “Are you afraid of being forgotten?”
Bo Qin put on his slippers and got up from the couch. “There are many things I’m afraid of, but what I fear the most is being forgotten.”
These past years, Xiao Zhu and Bo Qin’s other staff had spoiled him. He never did anything for himself, from putting on his ear studs to removing his makeup, and even putting on socks when he was too groggy to do it himself. He was like a young master who never lifted a finger, and now He Xizhou was watching him lazily try to act like he wanted to help Xiao Zhu, only to be chased away by Xiao Zhu. He flopped back down on the couch, continuing to play with his phone.
He Xizhou looked at the way Bo Qin lay on the couch. His tank top pulled up slightly, revealing a slim, narrow waist. His skin was fair, and the waistband of his black underwear peeked out.
He Xizhou calmly averted his gaze and said, “You just ate. Don’t lie like that.”
Bo Qin responded with an “Okay” and rolled over to continue playing on his phone.
Ten minutes later, Xiao Zhu came downstairs, helping Bo Qin with his mask, sunglasses, and a hat. He even put on sunscreen for him. Bo Qin sat on the couch, leaning forward with his hand on his knee as Xiao Zhu applied sunscreen quickly and efficiently. He Xizhou closed his book and watched with interest. Bo Qin, usually lazy, felt a bit embarrassed and muttered, “Don’t look at me like that. Going out is such a hassle.”
Perhaps it was because He Xizhou was present, but Xiao Zhu seemed unusually quiet today, working quickly without chattering as he usually did.
When they were ready to leave, Bo Qin awkwardly tried to thank He Xizhou. Slowly, he put on his baseball cap and thought, There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, just thank him generously.
He turned around and saw He Xizhou sitting on the armrest of the sofa, smiling at him. His gaze was gentle, a look Bo Qin had never seen before. It made him freeze for a moment. The way He Xizhou looked at him felt strange.
“Well,” Bo Qin scratched his head, realizing he was wearing the hat. He hesitated and said awkwardly, “I’m leaving. Thanks for taking care of me these past few days.”
… Damn, this feels even weirder.
“No need to thank me,” He Xizhou lowered his gaze. When he looked back up, his eyes were emotionless again. “Good luck with work.”
At the same time, Bo Qin was on the RV, and when he got in, Tony climbed up to remove Bo Qin’s mask. He was about to jokingly pat Bo Qin’s face, but stopped when he saw Bo Qin’s gaze.
Bo Qin’s beauty was beyond ordinary. The most striking thing was his eyes. In his early years, his eyes were full of melancholy, but as he matured, his appearance became sharper and more refined, giving off a kind of distant and detached air.
Tony patted his shoulder, “You’ve finally learned to use face masks.”
Bo Qin lazily responded, “If I don’t use them, wouldn’t you eat me alive when I put on makeup?”
Bo Qin went through some emails, one about a music collaboration and another about a reply from an overseas studio. The other party politely informed him that the samples he needed would no longer be available for sale.
His mood soured. He had no inspiration for composing, so he aimlessly browsed through his files to pass the time. Unexpectedly, he found a surprise—a recording of a long and lingering tune.
It sounded like Min Nan dialect, with deliberate imitation. The background sound of dripping water reminded Bo Qin of something. This sounded like the tune he hummed while showering.
Tony asked what he was listening to.
Bo Qin smiled slightly, his expression filled with nostalgia. “Do you think it sounds good?”
Tony glanced at him. “It’s a little weird.”
Bo Qin didn’t respond. He stared out of the window, repeatedly listening to the melody, and suddenly felt inspired. Leaning against a pillow, he immersed himself in composing. By the time they reached the TV station, he told Xiao Zhu, “Tell Chen-jie to keep Saturday free for me. I have something to do.”
After recording the variety show, Bo Qin met up with Luo Ming at the studio. It was already 2 AM, and the bustling city hadn’t slept. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the luxurious and professional studio, they opened the demo sent from the deep-sea recording studio.
They listened twice. Luo Ming said, “It’s not bad.”
Bo Qin responded, “It’s average.”
Luo Ming laughed, “Why so indifferent? You know this song could be as popular as your early hit ‘Scattered.’”
Bo Qin replied, “After ‘Scattered,’ I said I would never do another sad love song.”
Bo Qin stood up, finding a throat lozenge. “When ‘Scattered’ blew up, it was everywhere. I almost got sick of hearing it, and I got stuck with that label.”
“Even now, I still haven’t shaken it off,” Bo Qin added, leaning against the desk. “These past few years, the albums I’ve released have been of a higher quality, but they haven’t made as big of a splash. Just the other day, some idiot music critic said I was out of ideas.”
Luo Ming shrugged. “So what? You know what I envy the most about you? You always get to make music your way. You have so many fans, you could release something terrible, and they’d still buy it.”
“Go to hell,” Bo Qin laughed, cursing at him. “You’re the one who would release something terrible.”
“Just an example,” Luo Ming said. “Why think so much? When we first started making music, didn’t we want two things? To make music our way and to have people listen.”
Bo Qin smiled. He turned his head to look out the window at the bright lights across the building. After a while, he said, “Release it. Let’s drop it on the seventh day of the seventh month.”
Luo Ming asked, “What should we call it?”
Bo Qin replied, “Dumped.”
Luo Ming raised an eyebrow. “Damn, you single dogs have some serious issues with couples.”
On the day of the release, July 7th at 1:14 PM, Bo Qin’s studio promoted the much-anticipated single “Dumped” across all platforms.
Couples: “???”
Single dogs: “Hahahaha!”
At the same time, Bo Qin took a box of premium tea leaves to A University.
Author’s Note: "Dumped," meaning abandoned or dumped.
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