HIM Chapter 27: Is Bo Qin Really Straight?
Bo Qin’s already poor sleep quality got even worse thanks to He Xizhou’s actions before leaving and that soft “Xiao Qin.”
The next day, Bo Qin walked into the studio with dark circles under his eyes. Zhu Guanyun nearly choked on his coffee.
“Boss, you told us all to chill and not worry about it, but you lost sleep over it yourself?” Zhu Guanyun asked. “Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep at all last night?”
Bo Qin plopped down in the boss’s chair, spun around twice with a blank face, waved his hand, and muttered, “It wasn’t because of that.”
His assistant, Hu Ling, brought him a cup of coffee. Bo Qin took a sip, propped his hand up, and listlessly said, “Let’s get this meeting started. The sooner the better.”
Bo Qin had already discussed the theme and concept of the new album with the planning department. Next up was marketing—not just for the album, but also two unreleased films, brand endorsements and contract renewals, his annual fan meeting, MV shoots, public appearances, and various promo shoots across platforms…
Three hours later, Bo Qin looked at his newly adjusted half-year schedule and said, “Alright, at least I won’t fade into obscurity anytime soon.”
Everyone chuckled. Luo Ming leaned back in his chair and twirled around. “That’s fame for you.”
Bo Qin yawned, stood up, and asked, “The visa’s ready? If it is, let’s go this afternoon.”
He was heading to Country A to collaborate with a friend on a single. The MV for his new album’s title track would also be shot in a coastal city there. He might be gone for ten days or even a few weeks. Normally, Bo Qin had no emotional baggage, but this was the first time he felt the need to inform someone. After messaging He Mama, he hesitated for a moment before opening He Xizhou’s chat window.
Because he hadn’t worked out that morning and didn’t sleep well, Bo Qin was sluggish and easily distracted.
It wasn’t until Xiao Zhu reminded him to board the plane that Bo Qin snapped back to reality. He stared at his phone screen for a while before slowly typing out a short message.
Chen-jie kept nagging him to put on a jacket and instructed Xiao Zhu to look after him. Bo Qin was zoning out again. Chen-jie called him several times, saying, “Don’t be reckless over there. Use sunscreen properly. When you come back, you’ve got the fan meeting. If you look rough, they’ll start worrying again…” She opened her mouth a few more times, then finally sighed and patted Bo Qin’s shoulder.
Bo Qin chuckled and gently hugged her, patting her back. “I know, I know. Don’t worry about what happened yesterday.”
Chen-jie said, “I just feel powerless. You’ve prepared for that stage for so long and—”
Bo Qin cut her off with a smile. He lowered his cap brim and said, “It’s fine. That’s not what I care about.”
He spoke softly: “I just care about what I care about.”
Right before takeoff, just as he was about to switch to airplane mode, Bo Qin received a reply from He Xizhou: “Okay. Safe travels.”
Sunlight streamed through the grand office’s massive windows.
Wang Yinyi glanced at He Xizhou’s expression and coughed. “Uh, not in the best mood?”
He Xizhou sat in his large office chair, just finishing a meeting. Assistant Cheng brought over coffee for both him and Wang Yinyi. He Xizhou sipped from his cup while absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. “Got a question.”
Assistant Cheng quietly left. Wang Yinyi smirked, “A love question?”
He Xizhou grunted in acknowledgment, undid his tie with one hand and pulled it off. “What do you do if you realize the person you like isn’t into your gender?”
Wang Yinyi’s brain moved fast. “Bo Qin is actually straight?”
“Oh, come on,” Wang said, “Maybe he’s just playing hard to get? Leading you on?”
He Xizhou shot him a look.
“Alright, my bad,” Wang straightened up a bit, more serious now. He looked at He Xizhou’s troubled expression and chuckled. “Old He, I’ve known you a long time. I’ve never seen you this tangled up over someone before.”
He Xizhou took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. “I always thought Xiao Qin had dated Xiao Chen.”
He took another sip of coffee. “At worst, I figured he’d just had a bad experience. Turns out Bo Qin and Xiao Chen were truly just bros. And now, he’s just genuinely straight.”
Wang Yinyi teased, “You’re calling him Xiao Qin now.” Then, seeing the normally composed He Xizhou frowning like this, he thought, Damn, he’s really fallen hard this time.
“So the rumors were true,” Wang said. Seeing He Xizhou glance at him, he added, “Don’t look at me like that! You’re seriously into him now, huh?”
“You know the scar on Xiao Chen’s eye?” Wang leaned on the desk. “They say Bo Qin hit him with a wine bottle.”
“That sounds wild,” Wang said. “But here’s the real gossip: Xiao Chen supposedly drugged Bo Qin’s drink—not something lethal, just a typical party stimulant. Don’t freak out!”
He put a hand on He Xizhou’s shoulder. “It might not even be true. I heard it through the grapevine.”
“Can you tell the whole damn story in one go?” He Xizhou snapped. “Stop with the suspense.”
Wang burst out laughing. “Okay, okay, here’s the rest—Bo Qin realized what happened, smashed a wine bottle over Xiao Chen’s head, then climbed down from the second floor of the club. Even crazier, they say the drug was so strong, Bo Qin soaked in the river for half an hour and ended up with a high fever in the hospital all night.”
Wang continued, “Honestly, that last part sounds like BS. I refuse to believe Bo Qin would be that dumb.”
He Xizhou was silent for a long moment.
“Different circles, different lives,” Wang said. “Old He, we’re not teenagers anymore. I’m going to say something you probably don’t want to hear.”
“Then don’t,” He Xizhou cut him off.
Wang punched him lightly on the shoulder. “You know better than me not to mess with a straight guy. My point is—maybe you should take a step back.”
“I get it—Bo Qin’s ridiculously good-looking. In this industry, his looks, body, and vibe are top-tier. And yeah, he just so happens to be your type.”
“You two are engaged, so of course there’s more interaction. But your worlds are completely different. You haven’t clashed yet, but that’s only because it hasn’t come to that.”
Wang went on, “After meeting him, I paid more attention. Bo Qin’s fame is legit. He clearly takes his career seriously. Compared to other celebrities, he’s squeaky clean. He values his reputation. If you two were to date, he’d never go public with it. Could you live with that?”
He Xizhou said, “Forget going public—he’s straight. This ended before it even began.”
Wang burst out laughing, and He Xizhou, tossing aside his pen, chuckled too. “What the hell are you laughing at?”
“No choice, man. You gotta hold back. Maybe the feelings will fade over time,” Wang said. “Tone it down. Don’t try that flirty stuff with a straight guy—he won’t get it. Worse, he’ll think you’re weird.”
He Xizhou rested his head on his hand, tapping the desk with his pen.
Wang knew him too well. “You tried, didn’t you?”
He Xizhou kept tapping. “Yeah. Bo Qin wasn’t completely put off. But also… not quite receptive.”
Wang shrugged. “Don’t try to ‘convert’ a straight guy. That’s messed up.”
He Xizhou gave a faint smile. “Honestly, I have thought about it. I want to try.” He added, “It’s messed up. I never imagined I’d one day hesitate over something like this.”
“Don’t,” Wang said. “Bo Qin’s personality is too tough. That Xiao Chen incident probably gave him trauma. And not just you—even I wouldn’t have expected this. But what can you do? You’ve gotta control yourself. Just treat him like a normal friend. Once your contract ends in two years, maybe you’ll never cross paths again.”
The setting sun shifted. He Xizhou twirled his pen and stared at that soft red light, thinking—If only it were that easy to control.
Fifteen hours later, Bo Qin’s plane landed in Country A.
He adjusted to the jet lag and jumped right into work—his familiar rhythm. Sometimes, heavy workloads gave Bo Qin peace of mind. Just put in effort, time, and energy, and you’ll get results. He liked that simplicity.
The sun blazed, turning the sand into a glaring white. Bo Qin lay on a lounge chair under a beach umbrella, rubbing dark bronzer onto his pale arm.
Tony, in sunglasses, had just finished applying sunscreen to Bo Qin’s left arm. He got impatient watching Bo Qin take forever and smacked his hand away, slathering a shiny layer of dark bronzer onto Bo Qin’s right arm.
Bo Qin winced. “That’s too rough.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “You’re such a baby.” But he softened his touch.
Xiao Zhu handed him a camera. “Bro, pick a few shots. I’ll post them on the studio’s Weibo.”
In the photos, Bo Qin wore a brightly colored shirt wide open, revealing his pale chest and abs. His hair was slicked back, dripping wet, a black pair of sunglasses perched on his nose. Barefoot in board shorts, he either posed at the shoreline or surfed with a skateboard.
Bo Qin clicked his tongue. “Too damn hot. Choosing any one of these is a crime.”
Luo Ming rolled his eyes behind the monitor.
They were promoting a sunglasses brand launching next month. Bo Qin picked five out of nine photos with sunglasses, sent them to PR, and once Zhu Guanyun approved, they posted on Weibo.
Bo Qin was a self-confessed looks fanatic with a major image complex. He barely tolerated the bronzer on his arms, but when Tony tried to apply it to his face, Bo Qin leaned back with a look of disgust. “Do we really have to do my face?”
Tony didn’t care. He smeared it all over Bo Qin’s face. “Yes, we do. The MV’s female lead already complained—you’re way paler than her.”
Bo Qin’s gaze drifted into the distance. A tan, long-haired woman with a perfect figure was playing volleyball under the sun.
She seemed to sense his gaze and waved excitedly. Bo Qin paused, then smiled and waved back.
Then—she ran over.
Bo Qin: ...Can I run?
Tony: “Uh-oh.”
“Bo Qin, can you play volleyball?” The woman, in a skimpy bikini, barefoot in the sand, beamed. “Ah, your abs look way hotter with the bronzer. You used to be pale like a baby chick.”
Bo Qin had no response and forced a polite smile.
Qiu Tian was a college student and part-time model—beautiful, sweet, and elegant. She was a perfect MV female lead, recommended by a friend.
She signed a confidentiality agreement before filming. Though bubbly, she was very professional. The only problem was her overwhelming friendliness.
Bo Qin had seen plenty of ambiguous flirts over the years and had always drawn a firm line. People knew his style, and such things rarely happened now.
But Qiu Tian’s warmth wasn’t flirtatious—it was admiration. She felt more like a kid, and Bo Qin couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.
So when Bo Qin climbed onto a reef and Qiu Tian suddenly hugged his waist—something not in the MV script—Bo Qin’s face went cold, and he flung her hand off. Caught off guard, Qiu Tian fell into the sea with a splash.
The waves washed up to shore, cold and gentle.
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