Childhood Sweethearts (ABO) - Chapter 2

Childhood Betrothal

Xie Yun made his debut as a child star at the age of twelve. Over six years of steady acting, he has garnered numerous film and television awards.

A natural talent with an aura that fills the screen, his characters consistently become massive hits. He is seen as a future “Best Actor” capable of carrying a ten-billion-dollar box office alone. His father is the household name and national film icon, Xie Su. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Xie Yun was once labeled a “resource player” (someone who succeeds solely through connections).

However, an industry insider once revealed that Xie Yun never uses stunt doubles for action scenes. Even after fracturing a bone while suspended from a high-rise building on a wire, he had a cast put on overnight and showed up professionally the next day to film scenes in a wheelchair. Later, someone compiled an Excel sheet showing that even at a young age, the number of times Xie Yun had been injured on set rivaled his father’s most hardworking years. At that point, the internet trolls collectively ceased fire, claiming that the “Little Prince” was the ultimate Alpha among Alphas despite his family wealth, he refused to “lie flat” and was truly chasing his dreams in the entertainment industry.

A favored son of heaven, surrounded by stars what kind of Omega could make him flush red like this?

His manager, Jiang Jia, claimed to have the most authority on the matter: “Once when you had a fever during filming, you were calling out ‘Brother’ in your dreams and saying how much you missed them. At that time, I really…” She shot the golden-haired youth a look, almost laughing in exasperation. “I regret not recording it for you.”

Xie Yun raised his palm, resting it lightly on the back of his neck, and complained, “Cousin, do you know you’re being very annoying?”

Jiang Jia smiled without speaking. If it weren’t for their distant relative status, she facing that spirited, handsome face would probably be like his fans, offering unconditional doting and never daring to tease him.

Right now, Xie Yun’s gaze was locked firmly on his screen. The phone was connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi. Even in silent mode, he never changed the special notification tone reserved specifically for Xi Zhiyu.

xzy: Yun-zai.

xzy: Are you flying to Berlin today?

Xie Yun sat with his back straight, his breathing slightly ragged. He savored these two messages, but it wasn’t enough; he scrolled back through six months of chat history, savoring them line by line. It wasn’t that there was a lot of content, but rather that he read it so carefully, breaking down every sentence to chew on the sweetness within, displaying a level of concentration comparable to studying a script.

“Since you’re an adult now and have finished the college entrance exams, it’s not like you can’t date. Your fans are quite supportive,” Jiang Jia said, unable to watch any longer and failing to suppress her teasing. “Since you’re so desperate to talk to him, why haven’t you replied yet?”

Xie Yun puffed out his cheeks. His hand was tucked inside the sleeve of his sports jacket, and he unconsciously nibbled on his knuckle while thinking. “I’m thinking about what to reply.”

Jiang Jia: “Just say you’re currently on the plane to Berlin.”

“No,” Xie Yun said with a serious expression. “You being next to me is affecting my performance.”

Jiang Jia: “Performance of what? Have you decided to confess?”

Xie Yun looked back at her with a “Cousin, what are you thinking?” expression. “How could that be?” The youth smoothed his bangs and said in a muffled voice, “I’m going to wait until I get off the plane and reach the hotel. I’ll find the perfect state of mind to reply.”

A young actor whose career was in its prime, he belonged entirely to the category of an Alpha adolescent experiencing his first awakening of love. Usually, during interviews, he would either skillfully answer tricky questions about acting or coldly retort to entertainment reporters’ ill-intentioned traps. But in matters of the heart, he was indeed like a novice who hadn’t left the starting village, terrified of not organizing his words perfectly.

The flight to Germany was direct, and more than half the journey had passed. The recent back-to-back schedule had left Xie Yun’s mind sluggish and his nerves fatigued. He found it difficult to chat with the “Brother” he harbored a crush on while in a subpar state. As a top-tier Alpha, he believed he should lead this relationship. Before deciding to confess, he couldn’t reply perfunctorily, nor could he easily reveal his burning feelings and scare the other person away.

Xie Yun was completely unaware that he was walking into a dead end on the path of secret love, even going so far as to build a cement wall behind him. He was still wondering how his childhood friend who was usually busy with academics and competitions and never followed entertainment news knew he was heading to Berlin today. If he remembered correctly, Uncle Xi and Uncle Shen were out of the country and had apparently had dinner with his movie-star father. Perhaps they talked about his schedule, and it reached his “Brother’s” ears.

Xie Yun’s heart stirred. He wondered if, when the elders talked about the two of them, they remembered the “childhood betrothal” they had jokingly promised when they were young.

“…Ahem.” The youth cleared his throat as a cover-up. Even his earlobes were tinged with a visible crimson. Worried his manager cousin would notice, he had to purposely maintain a cold, “cool” face.

Fortunately, the cabin lights were dim, and drowsiness washed over him. He turned on his side and closed his eyes. With his heart full of the childhood friend he longed for, he fell into a gentle, starlit dream during the remaining hours of the flight.

Nancheng. Villa District.

In the quiet night, the study window was half-open. A night breeze swept through, fluttering the paper report held in the youth’s hand.

Grade A Pheromone Disorder.

Xi Zhiyu gently opened a drawer and placed the report inside neatly. To hide it from his fathers, he pressed it down firmly under a stack of problem sets. The diagnosis was worse than he had imagined. In a form of escapism, he had stayed in the study for five hours, pulling an all-nighter to finish practice problems until the early morning.

Xi Zhiyu rubbed the bridge of his nose. On that deep, calm face, a rare ripple of emotion appeared. His phone, sitting on the corner of the desk, was fully charged. He reached out, and the magnetic charger made a disconnection sound. Countless messages popped up on the bright screen.

Except for a reply from Xie Yun.

Xi Zhiyu was used to this. His childhood friend was usually busy filming or attending events and typically replied to messages with a delay. The class groups and competition groups were bustling with activity. Xi Zhiyu never liked to speak up; he only habitually tapped in to scan them, occasionally gaining something from the discussions about problems.

However, someone posted a screenshot from a forum. Only then did Xi Zhiyu realize that rumors of their “childhood betrothal” had recently become a major, trending piece of campus gossip.

Before he could process his shock, a message from a talkative friend popped up: Sesame, Sesame! (Note: “Sesame” is a nickname for Xi).

Have you seen the forum? Some fans in our school found out about your relationship with Xie Yun and are joking about asking you to pass on letters.

Link Sharing – Nan Yi Middle School Forum: Xi Zhiyu Senior and Xie Yun are actually childhood friends?!

Xi Zhiyu: “…”

It seemed to be because of that love letter with Xie Yun’s name on it. He leaned down to pull the envelope from his bag. His fingertips brushed against a small note on the back. He flipped it over to see: Can the School Grass senior help me hand this to my idol Yun-zai? Thank you!

Xi Zhiyu recognized Xie Yun’s handwriting… wait, no. Initially, he thought someone was playing a prank in Xie Yun’s name. But through the note, Xi Zhiyu suddenly realized that the indirect exposure of their childhood friendship had caused school fans to cross boundaries. Perhaps a fanatic fan had taken advantage of Class S being in PE to sneak into the classroom and stuff a love letter into his bag, simply out of a desperate desire to get close to their idol.

Xi Zhiyu understood this passion and decided to find the perpetrator to return the item. He tucked the letter away.

His gaze moved back to the screen. His finger hovered, hesitating whether to click on the thread, but the interface showed it had been deleted by the administrator for a violation, automatically jumping back to the homepage. Since he was a breakout star among his peers, many students at Nan Yi Middle School were fans of Xie Yun their fandom name was “Peanut Shells” and the forum often contained content related to him.

The latest hot post was about Xie Yun’s arrival photos in Berlin. The golden-haired youth looked tall and sharp, one hand casually in his pocket, nodding to the sea of fans with a nonchalant “coolness.” Another photo showed Xie Yun sitting in a van, looking down at his phone as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him. Despite the window and the shaky camera angle, it was easy to see that the screen displayed a commonly used domestic chat app, and it was in the middle of a conversation.

Supposedly, the discussion on Weibo was terrifyingly high. It was all because an ecstatic fan with an overseas IP address had their post screenshotted and spread, saying that when Xie Yun exited the chat, they saw with their own eyes that the person he was talking to was the only account pinned to the top.

In previous leaked photos, everyone knew Xie Yun didn’t like touching his phone at most, he played games. Furthermore, after a long journey, he usually looked like he hadn’t woken up yet. Whether the leak was true or false, he certainly wasn’t chatting with an ordinary friend; the relationship was undoubtedly close.

Does my god have someone he’s flirting with?!!

Ahhh Yun-zai is really so handsome, so handsome TVT…

What kind of human being could possibly own such an Alpha hottie? I’m crying.

It’s unlikely. Xie Yun doesn’t seem like an Alpha who wants to date. He’s clearly top-tier career-minded!

Upstairs, think about it. If Yun-zai and Senior Xi really have a childhood betrothal, then everything makes sense hhh.

Wait, what did I miss by not checking the forum for a few days? Our school’s Omega School Grass and the superstar Alpha are childhood friends with a betrothal?!

Who has Xi Zhiyu’s WeChat? What kind of profile picture does he use? (twiddling thumbs) (starry eyes)

Xi Zhiyu was known for having a good temper; receiving a love letter from a fanatic fan didn’t cause waves in his peaceful heart. However, the speculation about their private lives in those posts might affect his childhood friend’s rising career. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath. The gland at the back of his neck felt uncomfortable. Being in a special stage recently, emotional fluctuations would cause his pheromone disorder values to fluctuate. Even his body was telling him exactly how much he cared about everything related to Xie Yun.

After a long time, Xi Zhiyu calmed down. He turned his gaze toward the bookshelf. It was filled with countless competition trophies and medals, as well as a small, aged photo frame.

It was a childhood photo of him and Xie Yun. In the photo, the young Xie Yun had his arm draped lightly over the young Xi Zhiyu’s shoulder, pulling him close, inseparable. One was an Alpha who was flamboyant and free, even his hair ends seemingly flying with energy; the other was an Omega who was silent, reserved, and had been quiet and sensible since childhood.

Because their fathers were close friends, Xie Yun, who had a personality like a little ball of fire, was never stingy about expressing his affection. Since he was small, he had shouted that he would protect Xi Zhiyu for a lifetime. They possessed a bond that was the most precious and intimate in each other’s lives a relationship that transcended being just family.

But—

As childhood became a thing of the past, the Alpha youth and the Omega youth had drifted further apart, tending toward different life paths.

Five years old: They participated in a “child celebrity” variety show together. The high-visual toddlers became hits across the internet, gaining countless fans. “Auntie fans” shipped their friendship: “Sesame and Peanut are the best in the world!”

Seven years old: In the same primary school class, everyone knew the young Master Xie had a strong sense of possessiveness and was protective of young Master Xi, calling himself the Little Prince’s Knight.

Twelve years old: Xie Yun started acting and officially entered the entertainment industry, earning the title of “National Son.” Meanwhile, Xi Zhiyu got into the most prestigious junior high school in the province, diving deep into his studies and participating in various competitions.

Fifteen years old: They attended high school in different cities. The frequency of their chats decreased year by year. Especially in the last year, both were busy, seemingly running on different life orbits.

But even so, Xi Zhiyu who never followed the entertainment circle would always quietly support the movies his childhood friend starred in. Learning that he had won impressive awards always made him feel happy in his heart.

Thinking of this, Xi Zhiyu carefully picked up the photo frame, pulled out a tissue to wipe the dust off the glass, and gently placed it back on the shelf.

Vibrate.

Along with the phone’s vibration, a “Awoo” sound echoed in the quiet study. A cartoon “Little Tiger” icon popped up on the screen.

Xi Zhiyu’s movements paused. His gaze swept over the photo again, and a soft light burst into his eyes.

In that moment, a scene from several years ago flashed through his mind. During junior high, Xie Yun had finished filming in another city and came back to meet him. They sat in a dessert shop near his house, ordering a yogurt bowl and a marshmallow coffee respectively. Because they mentioned the cute emojis fans had made for him, they specifically looked them up.

At that time, the youth leaned very close to him. His slightly raised hair brushed against Xi Zhiyu’s cheek, carrying the mellow scent of fruit yogurt.

“Brother,” Xie Yun said, chin raised, his voice full of pride. “Is the little tiger my fans drew for me cool?”

Xi Zhiyu had nodded quietly, taking a sip from his straw. “Mhm.”

But, in his heart, a contrary voice rose: The little tiger Yun-zai looks like a fluffy peanut marshmallow; he is clearly exceptionally cute.

Later, even after changing phones twice, he would always re-set this specific special effect for his childhood brother, then silently wait for that one notification sound.

At this very moment—

Yun-zai: Just arrived in Berlin, on the way to the hotel.

Yun-zai: [Shared Image]

Yun-zai: Brother, are you already asleep?

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