HIM Chapter 21: They Like Me, I Belong to No One.
The bar counter was lit with a small circle of misty blue light. He Xizhou changed the color, leaving only a small warm yellow lamp, which created an atmosphere that helped Bo Qin relax. And because the person in front of him was He Xizhou, Bo Qin rarely felt the desire to confide in someone.
“How can I experience it? Whenever I try to have a relationship, it feels like I’ve committed a crime,” Bo Qin slid on the high bar stool. “I’ve been under intense scrutiny for so long, you understand, right?” Bo Qin said, “It’s like most of your time is transparent. Your emotions are impure, and your words and actions can be interpreted however people want. In the past, no, even now, my team often tells me that I’m not smooth enough.”
He Xizhou didn’t speak, just refilled his glass. He understood that Bo Qin just needed someone to listen.
“But I can accept all of this because I have the exposure and the traffic. Whatever I accept, I must also bear. I’ve become used to it, used to accepting the pain.”
“And,” Bo Qin continued, “the current me has no capital to date.”
He Xizhou still didn’t say anything, his gaze warm as he looked at Bo Qin. Under that gaze, Bo Qin froze for a moment. He wasn’t used to revealing his inner thoughts; he had always been the one people relied on. His self-development and decisions were all up to him. He was the pillar of the studio, and behaving this way made Bo Qin feel a bit uncomfortable.
He took a sip of his drink, and the soft light hit his face. He had already removed his makeup and put on a headband for convenience, showing his handsome features. His eyes drooped, and when he looked up, there was an unintentional vulnerability in his gaze.
He Xizhou saw Bo Qin looking at him with a troubled expression and gently asked, “Do you know what my fans like most about me?”
Before Bo Qin could answer, he smiled and looked into He Xizhou’s eyes. “They like me because I belong to no one.”
He Xizhou inhaled deeply and shifted his gaze, focusing on Bo Qin’s hand holding his cup. He thought to himself, You’re finished, He Xizhou.
The moment that thought occurred, his eardrums were violently assaulted by the sound of his own heartbeat. He calmly experienced a wave of heart palpitations like never before in the past 28 years. For the first time, without any romantic desire for someone, he felt pity and protectiveness.
He Xizhou reached out and covered Bo Qin’s eyes. Bo Qin, a little stunned, tilted his head. He Xizhou exhaled softly and tried to speak in a calm tone. “You have a show tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
Bo Qin touched He Xizhou’s hand that was covering his eyes and asked, “Why did you cover my eyes?”
Because I can’t stand the way you’re looking at me.
“I’m just testing,” He Xizhou said. “To see if you’re drunk.”
Bo Qin laughed. “Big brother, this is milk mixed with alcohol. You made it yourself.”
He Xizhou silently smiled and lightly wiped his finger at the corner of Bo Qin’s eye, watching as Bo Qin’s fair skin flushed lightly. “Get some sleep. Good night.”
Bo Qin leaned on his hand, watching He Xizhou leave, and then touched his eye, feeling a little strange. He thought to himself, What’s going on?
In mid-September, Bo Qin was busier than ever. Director Wang’s movie was nearing the final stages, and Bo Qin was preparing his new album while also planning the MV shoot. After attending a high-end charity gala, Bo Qin rushed to catch a flight back to China from overseas and attended the wrap party in A City.
While Tony was removing his makeup, Bo Qin was lying on the sofa, scrolling through Weibo. Suddenly, he said, “Did He Xizhou follow me on Weibo?”
Tony, who was removing his eye makeup, said, “Close your eyes.” He mumbled, “He followed you two months ago. Didn’t you know?”
Bo Qin opened one eye and quickly searched for He Xizhou’s account. “Chen-jie mentioned it to me earlier. I forgot.”
He’d been so busy, flying around the world, that he hadn’t realized it. The last time he saw He Xizhou and his mother was a month ago.
He Xizhou’s Weibo account was very official, but he had quite a few followers—over 20 million. Bo Qin smiled. “Did He Xizhou buy these followers?”
“No, He Xizhou is low-key but quite famous. He had this viral GIF,” Tony said. “Are you still not sleeping well? You look like you have dark circles.”
Bo Qin asked, “What’s so special about that GIF?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “It’s super sexy, super ‘A,’ it shook both circles.”
Bo Qin frowned. “Is it because of his status?”
Tony said, “Yeah, with money, looks, and power, He Xizhou’s low-key. The more he doesn’t want people to know, the more they try to dig it up.”
He Xizhou’s posts mostly re-shared official content from the He Group, and he rarely posted personal things, not even selfies.
Bo Qin casually clicked on one of He Xizhou’s popular posts. Underneath it, all the comments were filled with fans calling him “husband.” He scrolled a bit and found more videos with high engagement. One of them had a lot of likes, so he clicked on it.
The video started with shaky footage, unclear and unfocused. The surrounding voices were noisy, and a few frames made it clear it was at a company event. Suddenly, the camera focused, and the crowd cheered. He Xizhou, in a high-end suit, stepped onto the stage. Despite the low-quality video, his perfect body—broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs—was clear. He wore silver-rimmed, frameless glasses, his handsome face indifferent, and his tie impeccably tied. At that moment, a male voice, likely the cameraman, exclaimed, “Damn, a god!” Then a laughing female voice added, “He’s the ‘cold type.’”
Bo Qin’s phone hit his nose with a “thud” as he bent down, curling up. “Ouch,” he murmured.
Tony laughed loudly. “Hahahaha Bo Qin, are you really a straight guy? Hahahaha.”
Bo Qin threw a pillow at him and laughed. “Shut up!”
After removing his makeup, Bo Qin’s face looked pale, and his dark circles stood out, making him look exhausted. Tony applied some light daily makeup, saying, “There, now you look like a pure little flower.”
Bo Qin gave him a look. “Pure little flower my ass.”
Tony sighed. “That’s the look. You look pitiful, I want to protect you.”
Bo Qin slapped him.
In a room full of greenery, the birds pecked at their feathers. He Xizhou was about to press the camera shutter when a hand suddenly appeared in front of the lens, waving it around. He clicked his tongue irritably and said, “Wang Yin, are you asking for it?”
Wang Yin leaned against the windowsill, laughing, and handed him a cigarette. “Is this camera Qiao Lei’s?”
Qiao Lei, sitting across from him, hummed. “Yes.”
Yue Li smoked, looking at He Xizhou and teasing him. “Play Mahjong?”
He Xizhou jumped down from the windowsill. “You guys can play. I’m not in.”
Yue Li glanced at him. He Xizhou was fiddling with his phone, so Yue Li said, “You’re hooked on the internet these days, huh?”
Qiao Lei walked over and took He Xizhou’s camera, looking at the photos he had taken. “Got a girlfriend? You chatting with her?”
Yue Li laughed. “No girlfriend. I’ve had relationships, but you? Never had one.”
Qiao Lei cursed at him. “Get lost.”
He Xizhou didn’t join them, and the three of them had no desire to play either. They chatted lazily, catching up on their years of friendship. Qiao Lei had just returned to China after being away for almost half a year. After some back-and-forth, Yue Li suggested they go to his hotel to hang out all night, so they ended up in this situation.
He Xizhou glanced up at his phone and then casually said, “Bo Qin’s in A City for the wrap party. I’ll text him.”
To their surprise, Bo Qin replied quickly: “I’m back. Attending the wrap party at Huangtian Hotel.”
He Xizhou raised an eyebrow and replied, “Want to meet my friends? They’re at Huangtian too.”
He Xizhou raised his head and said, “You wanted to meet Bo Qin, right? He’ll be here in five minutes.”
The three of them froze. Qiao Lei asked, “What does that mean?”
He Xizhou waved his phone. “He’s here. I just gave him the room number.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Then Qiao Lei rushed to the bathroom, “I haven’t even washed my face!”
Wang Yin and Yue Li jumped up from the couch. Yue Li grabbed the empty bottles and cigarette butts, tossing them into the trash. Wang Yin quickly put on a jacket and picked up the game controller from the carpet.
He Xizhou crossed his arms, watching them scramble. “Am I meeting him, or are you guys meeting him? Do you think my wife is a virgin? What’s this all about?”
Qiao Lei had finished fixing his hair and walked out. “Where’s the shaving cream?”
Yue Li laughed. “First impressions matter, man. Your wife’s a star. We can’t look bad.”
Bo Qin arrived shortly after He Xizhou sent him the room number. He was wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans, looking casual but still youthful, with a handsome appearance and long legs. He smiled at He Xizhou as he entered. “He Xizhou, good evening.”
He Xizhou looked at Bo Qin. It had been half a month since they last met. Bo Qin had lost some weight, making his features sharper and more handsome, but there was an undeniable hint of fatigue in his expression. When he looked at He Xizhou, He Xizhou couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity. He stepped aside to let Bo Qin enter, saying, “Good evening.”
Comments
Post a Comment