HIM Chapter 20: "You Haven't Experienced Love."
When He Xizhou and his mother arrived at the set, Bo Qin was just finishing his final scene. Xiao Zhu led them to Bo Qin's dressing room, which was simple with a small sofa and a tea table. He Xizhou's mother expressed her concern: "This place is so simple."
Xiao Zhu laughed and said while making tea: "Brother Bo's situation is actually pretty good." He bent down to hand tea to He Xizhou's mother and said, "The conditions here are not the best, please understand."
He then carefully placed another cup of tea near He Xizhou. He Xizhou, dressed casually in a black, thin long coat over a light gray shirt, had such an imposing presence that Xiao Zhu felt like he was attending a meeting instead of offering tea. He didn’t dare look directly at He Xizhou but politely said, "Please."
He Xizhou’s mother playfully tapped his hand, "You scared him." She turned to Xiao Zhu, kindly asking, "How long have you been with Xiao Qin?"
Xiao Zhu replied, "About five years."
She smiled and chatted with Xiao Zhu, who relaxed and ended up telling her all of Bo Qin’s bad habits, like his irregular sleep, picky eating, and late-night habits. By the time Bo Qin entered, he was confused by the knowing glances between Xiao Zhu and He Xizhou’s mother.
Bo Qin had just finished shooting and hadn’t removed his makeup yet. His face was bright, with a smile that showed off his white teeth, and he wore a military-style gray uniform. His shoulders were broad, his waist slim, and his height made him stand out. The military cap cast a shadow over his face, making him appear even more charismatic. When he locked eyes with Xiao Zhu, Xiao Zhu felt weak in the knees.
Bo Qin removed his cap, smiled at Xiao Zhu, and said, "You’re telling secrets about me, huh?"
As he unfastened his belt and nodded toward He Xizhou, he gave a slight smile and then turned to face his mother, "Auntie, when did you arrive?"
Xiao Zhu stepped forward to help him out of his outer coat while Bo Qin unbuttoned his shirt. He heard He Xizhou's mother say, "We just arrived."
She noticed a large wet patch on Bo Qin’s back and sympathetically said, "How are you so hot in this weather?"
Bo Qin smiled, "It’s fine, the fabric of the uniform is just not breathable."
Since the set wasn’t an ideal place for conversation, Bo Qin had asked Xiao Zhu to book a nearby hotel. After changing clothes and removing his makeup, he was immediately pulled into the car by He Xizhou’s mother. She said, "I asked Xiao Zhou to book a hotel. Tonight, let’s go back to our place."
He Xizhou drove, while Bo Qin and his mother sat in the back seat. Bo Qin glanced behind and saw a black car following them silently.
He remembered what Xiao Zhu had told him earlier: "He Xizhou brought a lot of bodyguards. It’s like a black-market operation when he goes out."
Bo Qin texted Xiao Zhu to cancel the reservation and switched to a different car. He guessed this car wasn’t one He Xizhou used often because it didn’t have the familiar cold fragrance he was used to.
In the smooth-running car, Bo Qin, exhausted from a full day of filming, fell asleep almost immediately after He Xizhou’s mother gently touched his forehead and said, "Sleep, it’s fine."
When Bo Qin woke up, he smelled the familiar cold fragrance again. Feeling a little attached, he rubbed his face into the warmth of He Xizhou’s shoulder. He was startled when he felt something unusual under his chin, fully waking up. He opened his eyes and found himself still in the car, with his head resting on He Xizhou’s shoulder.
Bo Qin quickly sat up, "I’m sorry!"
He Xizhou rubbed his chin and said, "It’s fine." He glanced at Bo Qin and said, "You look like you’re about to explode. Your nose is red."
Bo Qin, holding his nose, spent a while calming down, feeling his face heat up. He asked, "Did Auntie already go upstairs? Why didn’t you call me?"
He Xizhou picked up his coat and said, "She went ahead. Mom said you were sleeping so soundly she didn’t want to wake you." He smiled, "But don’t worry, no snoring this time."
Bo Qin laughed, "Nah, Xiao Zhu told me I’ve never snored."
"Maybe he just never noticed," He Xizhou replied. He took a small, simply packaged box from beside him and handed it to Bo Qin, "This is your gift. When I was in North America, my assistant didn’t know we were married, so the gift wasn’t chosen with you in mind. I picked this after coming back."
He Xizhou’s voice was warm and deep, "I hope you like it."
Bo Qin was surprised and touched by the gift. He never expected He Xizhou to give him something special. He accepted the box and asked, "Can I open it now?"
"Of course, it’s for you," He Xizhou replied. "I asked my assistant to check your preferences, but the online info was vague. I took the liberty of choosing this."
When Bo Qin opened the box, he saw a silver 10-hole harmonica. His eyes widened in surprise. He looked at He Xizhou, who smiled back, "Looks like you like it."
Bo Qin took the harmonica. It was cool and heavy to the touch. He placed it on his lips and blew, producing a bright, clear sound. The harmonica was made of all metal, with a logo etched on it, belonging to a famous German brand known for its high-end instruments.
Bo Qin was so pleased by the surprise that he said, "How did you think to give me this?"
He Xizhou chuckled but didn’t answer. He tossed the coat over his arm and opened the car door, "Let’s go, my mom’s been waiting."
Having dinner with He Xizhou’s mother always made Bo Qin feel warm. He liked how she would serve him food while asking about his recent activities. While eating a piece of tender rib meat, He Xizhou’s mother casually asked, "Xiao Qin, do you have time at the end of this month? It’s your Uncle He’s birthday, come back for dinner."
Bo Qin was surprised but knew it was an invitation he couldn’t turn down, "Of course, I’ll be free. I should be done with my filming by then."
He Xizhou set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Is it for the e-commerce brand festival? Which platform are you attending?"
Bo Qin replied, "Jiangdong TV, I have a partnership with a product from the Kong family."
"Really?" He Xizhou asked, "Anything wrong with that?"
Bo Qin answered, "No, it’s just a collaboration."
He Xizhou nodded, "You’ll be the finale, right? I’ll come to pick you up."
Bo Qin didn’t understand the "pick you up" part at first. It seemed like He Xizhou might want to do it himself instead of sending someone. He hesitated but decided not to ask directly, feeling like it would be a bit presumptuous.
After dinner, He Xizhou’s mother urged Bo Qin to go to bed. He didn’t feel sleepy, so he worked on some music for two hours before heading to the hotel gym.
Unexpectedly, he ran into He Xizhou there. He was wearing a black T-shirt and gray workout pants, having just finished on the treadmill. The T-shirt was soaked with sweat, and his muscles were well-defined. When Bo Qin saw him, He Xizhou lowered his head to wipe his face, his neck arched in a very attractive way. Bo Qin raised an eyebrow and gave him a whistle.
He Xizhou smiled, "You’re not asleep yet?"
"You’re not asleep either?" Bo Qin walked with him through the glass door and asked, "Did you rent the whole place? There’s hardly anyone here."
He Xizhou walked to the bar, taking several bottles of liquor from the shelf. "This place is owned by a friend of mine," he said. He poured a drink and handed it to Bo Qin with a smile. "What would you like?"
Bo Qin took a seat at the bar, watching as He Xizhou skillfully prepared the drink. "How many things can you do?"
"Not many," He Xizhou replied, "Most of it is just for fun, to kill time." He smiled. "I’m making you a Night Cap."
Bo Qin leaned in and asked, "Another milk drink, huh? Do you have a special affection for milk?"
"At this time of night, you shouldn’t be drinking alcohol," He Xizhou replied, adding milk to the drink.
Bo Qin looked amused, "You really are obsessed with milk, He Xizhou."
Bo Qin continued to watch him prepare the drink. When He Xizhou handed it to him, Bo Qin hesitated, then took a small sip. His eyes lit up, and he sat up straight. "This actually tastes pretty good."
He Xizhou chuckled, "You can remove the ‘pretty.’"
Bo Qin laughed, then looked at He Xizhou’s phone, which was showing a post about his new song release. "Don’t," he said. "You’re really going to listen to my song?"
He Xizhou smiled, "Songs are for people to listen to, aren’t they? I can’t listen?"
"This song doesn’t represent my best work," Bo Qin said. "But go ahead, it’s fine."
He Xizhou didn’t respond, just opened the link and started playing the song. "This is good," he said, "It’s just a little too forced with the sad theme."
Bo Qin rolled his eyes. "Stop beating around the bush, can you be more straightforward?"
He Xizhou looked at him and said, "You’ve probably never had a real relationship, have you?"
Bo Qin laughed, "Ouch, you really got me there. I had one in high school, for two months. It was more like a game."
He Xizhou smiled and said, "So you’ve never really experienced love, or been hurt by it. That’s why your sad songs don’t resonate with others."
Bo Qin didn’t laugh. He took another sip of his drink and said, "You’re right. That’s a major flaw of mine. My songs lack emotional depth."
"And you?" Bo Qin asked. "Have you been hurt by love?"
Before He Xizhou could answer, Bo Qin raised an eyebrow, "Wait, are we really getting into this emotional talk at this hour?"
He Xizhou responded calmly, "It’s not about being emotional, it’s just something everyone goes through." He paused and said, "I’ve never been hurt by love."
Bo Qin was curious, "Why? You should have had relationships before, right?"
He Xizhou thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe it’s because I never loved deeply, and the relationships ended amicably. It was never intense or passionate. Both love and heartbreak were shallow."
He smiled at Bo Qin, "You should experience it yourself sometime."
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