After Dumping the Scumbag, I Ended Up with His "White Moonlight” - Chapter 20

Night.

A knock sounded at the door.

Qiu Yuyi tidied his hair and jogged over to open it.

“Brother Xia, you’re here!” His eyes sparkled as he looked at Xia Di’an. “Quick, come in.”

Xia Di’an sat on the sofa. This was the first time he had stepped back into this room since moving out. He scooped up July, who had run over to scratch at his legs, and leaned back, casually scanning the room. It looked almost exactly as it had when he left.

Qiu Yuyi sat beside him, hands resting nervously on his knees, waiting for him to speak. Xia Di’an smoothed July’s fur with one hand, while the other rested casually on the back of the sofa behind Qiu Yuyi.

“Has Shen Nian contacted you?” he asked suddenly.

Qiu Yuyi had been mentally rehearsing how to explain his relationship with Xiao Zhu. Caught off guard by the mention of Shen Nian, his brain stalled for a beat. When the silence stretched too long, Xia Di’an’s expression began to darken.

Realizing the shift, Qiu Yuyi saw Xia Di’an looking at him gloomily and quickly said, “He did contact me.”

Xia Di’an’s expression soured further.

“But I didn’t reply,” Qiu Yuyi added. “And I never will.”

Only then did the clouds lift from Xia Di’an’s face. He reached out, pinched Qiu Yuyi’s cheek, and let out a soft laugh. “Good boy.”

Qiu Yuyi swatted his hand away and glared at him, sounding a bit miffed. “And what about you? Your former teammate has been glued to you for days. You seemed to be having a grand time.”

“Tsk.” Xia Di’an reached out to pat Qiu Yuyi’s head, but the boy ducked, causing him to miss. He wasn’t angry; if anything, his smile deepened. “Still claiming you’re not jealous? If someone insists on following me around, I can’t exactly chase them away, can I?”

Qiu Yuyi’s annoyance clearly hadn’t faded. He continued to glare with those beautiful almond eyes, which now held a trace of genuine grievance.

Xia Di’an’s heart softened. He coaxed him gently, “I was wrong. I should have told him to keep his distance from the start. Tomorrow, I’ll stay by your side the whole day, alright?”

Hearing this, Qiu Yuyi felt a little better. He gave a small “Hmph” and asked, “And what’s the deal with this ‘Xia-Mi CP’? Are you two really that close?”

He was oblivious to how thick the scent of jealousy was in his voice.

Xia Di’an pulled Qiu Yuyi into a half-embrace and said helplessly, “We really aren’t. We barely spoke during the competition, and after the group formed, we hardly saw each other. We were never close.”

“Really?” Qiu Yuyi asked suspiciously. “Then why is he always clinging to you?”

Xia Di’an sighed, seeing the boy was determined to get to the bottom of it. “Before we disbanded, he confessed to me.”

Qiu Yuyi’s face changed instantly, and he struggled to break free from the embrace.

Xia Di’an held him tighter. “I didn’t say yes. I don’t even have his contact information.” Seeing that Qiu Yuyi still looked skeptical, he pulled out his phone and offered it to him. “If you don’t believe me, check for yourself.”

Qiu Yuyi suppressed a smile and pushed the phone away. “Fine, I believe you.” He shot Xia Di’an a look and whispered, “Then ignore him tomorrow.”

Xia Di’an laughed. “Understood, my little vinegar jar.”

It was past midnight. July had long since jumped off Xia Di’an’s lap and was snoring in his bed. Xia Di’an stood up. “Alright, it’s late. I should head back.”

“Huh?” Qiu Yuyi stood up too. “You’re still going back to your room?”

“What, don’t want me to go?” Xia Di’an teased. “Who was it that said we should ‘just be friends’? Go on, get some sleep.”

Qiu Yuyi couldn’t decide if he was disappointed or relieved. He could only watch as Xia Di’an left.

The next day, Xia Di’an was true to his word, staying by Qiu Yuyi’s side all day. Mi Chen tried several times to start a conversation but couldn’t find an opening.

Watching Xia Di’an follow Qiu Yuyi into the kitchen yet again, Mi Chen’s “cute” face twisted for a moment. He gritted his teeth and followed them in. Since it wasn’t mealtime, only the two of them were there.

Seeing Mi Chen enter, Qiu Yuyi shot Xia Di’an a pointed look. Xia Di’an’s eyes flashed with fleeting amusement before he turned a cool gaze toward Mi Chen.

“Brother Di’an, I think I twisted my waist yesterday. Could you help me take a look?” Mi Chen walked up to him. Not daring to touch him, he tilted his small face up, batting his long eyelashes. He looked the picture of adorable innocence.

Check his waist? Doesn’t that mean lifting his shirt? Qiu Yuyi thought sourly. He didn’t want to stand there and watch Xia Di’an examine Mi Chen. “I’m going out for a bit,” he said stiffly, setting down a plate and turning to leave.

His hand was immediately caught.

“Don’t be like that,” Xia Di’an whispered to him. Then, his voice turned cold as he addressed Mi Chen. “If your waist is injured, contact the production team. They will find a doctor for you.”

“Brother Di’an!” Mi Chen shot a look of pure spite at Qiu Yuyi. “Is it because of him? Do you like him?”

“Yes,” Xia Di’an said without hesitation. “I like him.”

Qiu Yuyi hadn’t expected such a direct admission. In that moment, he forgot all about the cameras and microphones; a surge of secret joy rose in his chest, and a blush spread across his face.

Mi Chen stared in disbelief, his voice turning shrill and piercing. “Does he even know the real you? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell people?”

“I’m not,” Xia Di’an said, his gaze turning tender as it landed on Qiu Yuyi. “Liking him isn’t something I need to hide.”

“Fine. Just you wait!” Mi Chen shot them one last hateful glare and ran out.

“What if he really tells people?” Qiu Yuyi asked, worried. “You’re an idol. Aren’t you prohibited from dating?”

Xia Di’an smiled. “So, you’re saying we are dating? Besides, when did I ever say I was going to keep being an idol?”

“What?” Qiu Yuyi blinked at the second part. “If you’re not an idol, are you going to act?”

Xia Di’an pinched his cheek. “I told you before—I’m making music.”

Qiu Yuyi vaguely remembered Xia Di’an mentioning it at the start of the show, but he had assumed “music” meant the usual idol performances.

“Wait, Brother Xia! The cameras and mics are still on!” Qiu Yuyi panicked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have a word with the director.”

[The Editing Crew, forced to work overtime again]: “…”

That same day, Mi Chen packed his bags and left “Shao Guang” early. Word was he had to pay a hefty “contract breach” fee to the production team.

Qiu Yuyi felt a bit guilty, but Xia Di’an told him flatly that Mi Chen’s family was wealthy and the money was nothing to him.

The recording was fast approaching its end. They had reached the 50,000 yuan goal the previous week. Seeing that today was the final day of filming, Qiu Yuyi had been moping since yesterday. Su Yichen had already messaged saying he’d booked a flight to pick him up tomorrow.

“Xiao Xia, I heard you’re leaving tonight?” Cao Ziping sat beside him.

“Yeah. I have work early tomorrow morning.” Xia Di’an stole a glance at Qiu Yuyi. Hearing he was leaving tonight made the boy look even more dejected. Xia Di’an lowered his lashes and curled his lips slightly.

Not just Xia Di’an—Shen Jiashi had also booked a flight for today. Perhaps that was the difference between superstars and everyone else; they had endless schedules waiting for them.

Qiu Yuyi hung his head. He couldn’t believe a month had passed so quickly. He never imagined he’d have such a deep connection with Xia Di’an. Now that it was over, the thought of not seeing him regularly made his heart sink.

“Keep in touch, okay?” Lin Xuemeng said, joining them.

“Of course,” Shen Jiashi said, coming down with his suitcase. He left shortly after to catch his flight, making the reality of the departure even more palpable.

Qiu Yuyi looked at Xia Di’an, who happened to be looking back. Xia Di’an’s lips moved silently. Reading his lips, Qiu Yuyi nodded. When Xia Di’an went to his room to pack, Qiu Yuyi made an excuse and followed him up.

The door was slightly ajar. The moment he stepped inside, he was pulled into a full embrace. Knowing they were about to part, Qiu Yuyi hesitated for only a second before hugging him back.

“Take good care of July,” he muttered into Xia Di’an’s chest.

“I will,” Xia Di’an whispered. “Nothing else you want to say to me?”

Qiu Yuyi squeezed him tighter. “Take care of yourself too. Stay healthy.”

“You too.” Xia Di’an kissed the top of his head. “Next time I see you, I’ll kiss you for every pound you’ve lost.”

“How can you be like this?” Qiu Yuyi grumbled softly.

They stood in silence for a while before Xia Di’an let go. “Alright, I need to pack. You should go head back out.”

Qiu Yuyi pouted. “You’re kicking me out.”

Xia Di’an sighed helplessly. “Baby, if you stay here looking at me like that, I won’t be able to bear leaving.”

Hearing him say “Baby,” Qiu Yuyi’s face turned scarlet. He covered his hot cheeks and stammered, “T-then I’m going. Pack your things.” He practically floated out of the room in a daze.

At 7:00 PM, Xia Di’an’s assistant arrived on time. After smiling goodbyes to the others, Xia Di’an stopped in front of Qiu Yuyi. Seeing the boy holding July with red-rimmed eyes, Xia Di’an handed the dog to his assistant, stepped forward, and hugged him.

“I’ll be waiting for you back home,” he whispered in his ear.

Qiu Yuyi buried his face in his neck and nodded. Xia Di’an held him a moment longer before letting go. “Alright. I’m off.”

As the car disappeared from sight, Qiu Yuyi felt a hollow ache in his chest. They had only just parted, yet he realized he already missed him.