Even A Heartthrob Can Lose A Puppy - Chapter 10

 

Si Yu was kissing him.

This realization made He Yun’s entire body go rigid, his fingers instantly tightening into the hair at the back of his head.

Even as Si Yu’s carefully muted footsteps faded away into the silent, dark night, He Yun did not open his eyes.

He Yun knew he would regret this decision, but he hadn’t expected the regret to hit him quite so fast.

“Are you leaving?”

“Mm.”

Watching Si Yu, fully dressed and standing at the entryway, He Yun froze with an egg still in his hand.

Recovering his composure a second later, he pulled open the refrigerator and placed the egg back inside.

“I’ll drive you back to your hotel.”

“No need.”

Si Yu smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “My flight is in three hours. I’m heading back to China.”

He Yun stood against the light, making it impossible for Si Yu to read the expression on his face.

Dropping his eyelids and blinking, Si Yu lifted his head again, the smile on his face growing even brighter.

He said, “My manager is waiting downstairs. So, just seeing me out this door is enough.”

He Yun didn’t budge, remaining rooted to the spot.

Si Yu didn’t want to look at him any longer, just as he didn’t want He Yun to see him off: he was terrified he wouldn’t be able to bear leaving.

“I’m off.”

Si Yu turned around, pulled a hand from his white wool coat, and waved it backward without looking at He Yun.

It was all too abrupt.

As abrupt as the kiss from the night before.

He Yun chased his way downstairs.

He understood all too clearly that if he let Si Yu walk away now, his regret wouldn’t stop at merely failing to open his eyes the previous night.

“Si Yu!”

Through the thick, bulletproof glass doors, He Yun’s voice failed to reach Si Yu’s ears.

Yet Si Yu still came to a halt.

Not because of him, but because of the tall, mature, sharp-dressed man who had stepped up beside him.

The man removed his black leather gloves, raised a hand with a smile, and wrapped a gentle arm around Si Yu.

Then, he leaned in close, whispering in Si Yu’s ear or perhaps pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Intimate as lovers, as though repeating a ritual experienced countless times before.

Sensing He Yun’s gaze, the man turned around and sized him up from head to toe.

Immediately after, as if staking his claim, he guided Si Yu safely into the back seat of a luxury black car.

Si Yu found Shen Que’s proximity revolting, but he simply lacked the energy to fight back anymore.

Every ounce of his strength had been spent pretending to be unbothered while walking away from an indifferent He Yun.

He curled up tightly on the seat, wrapped firmly in a blanket.

“You know I hate seeing you cry.”

Shen Que brushed away a stray strand of hair touched with tear stains from Si Yu’s cheek.

“But like I said just now, the tears you shed for other men are completely worthless to me.”

Reaching out, Si Yu frantically pressed the door-close button until Shen Que was finally shut outside the vehicle.

He bent forward, closed his eyes, and found his mind completely filled with He Yun.

Click.

The door handle stirred, and the automatic car door slid open.

“I told you to get lost!”

“Si Yu.”

Si Yu snapped his eyes wide open.

Slowly straightening up, he turned his head and stared in absolute disbelief at He Yun standing outside the car door.

Equally astonished was Shen Que, who stood nearby making a phone call.

He had no idea where this punk had found the sheer audacity to actually approach them.

He Yun rested one hand on the roof of the car and handed his phone to a dazed Si Yu.

“You know my passcode, but I don’t know your phone number yet.”

Retracting his phone, He Yun shot a sidelong glance at the approaching man and immediately dialed Si Yu’s number back.

Watching the screen light up in Si Yu’s arms, he finally ended the call.

“Is this your WeChat too? Good, adding you now shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

[HY: It’s He Yun]

[Sweetheart Yu: I’ve accepted your friend request, now we can start chatting]

Putting away his phone, He Yun leaned close to Si Yu’s ear and whispered something softly.

Then, straightening up, he returned the assessing glare he’d received earlier right back at the sullen-faced man standing before him.

“Have a nice day.”

That was what He Yun had said to Si Yu just a moment ago.

Without sparing another glance at the man’s expression, split between shock and suppressed rage, He Yun turned and walked back into the building.

One hour later, He Yun, pulling bedding from the dryer, saw his single Favorite account update with a new post.

The image attached was a black-and-white English quote screenshot from Roman Holiday:

“Which of the cities visited did Your Highness enjoy the most?”

Si Yu’s caption was a single word:

“London”

Oddly enough, even though the bedding had been thoroughly washed, He Yun could still catch the faint scent of roses lingering in the air.

He Yun’s life didn’t seem to change much, much like the weather in London.

Yet December in London brought festive lights stretching from Christmas into the New Year, alongside He Yun’s ding-dong notifications chiming endlessly from morning till night.

[Sweetheart Yu: [Photo]]

[Sweetheart Yu: It looks just like you!]

Glancing briefly at the thumbnail, He Yun raised an eyebrow slightly and went back to reading his assigned text.

[Sweetheart Yu: Don’t you think so?]

[Sweetheart Yu: That steadfast gaze! Those bright black eyes! Plus the fluffy fur with droopy ears]

[Sweetheart Yu: [Photo]]

[Sweetheart Yu: [Photo]]

[Sweetheart Yu: [Photo]]

He Yun’s eyes grew tired of the pestering, and he pressed Cmd+M to minimize the window.

Three seconds later, his group partner stared at him in utter astonishment.

He Yun had uncharacteristically picked up his phone during class, staring intently at an image of himself on the screen.

“What’s going on?”

“Do I look like a dog?”

“Ha?!”

“Bernese Mountain Dog.”

Recalling the Bernese Mountain Dog’s steadfast gaze, bright black eyes, and jet-black, fluffy fur on its drooping V-shaped ears:

Group partner: Nods.

He Yun: .

“Why didn’t you reply to my message just now?”

“In class.”

Holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, He Yun pulled out a tissue and wiped his hands.

“Mhm, I was replying to your messages even while hanging on wire harnesses, you’re so heartless, He Yun.”

“Uh-huh, and last time you claimed you were digging a tunnel.”

“For real! Hey, don’t you think it looks like me?”

“Not really.”

He Yun unlocked his bicycle, gripped the handlebars with one hand, and rode out of campus.

“Says who!”

“Everyone says so.”

“They’re lying to you, they’re all bad people. Only I would never lie to you and genuinely treat you well, you know?”

“Si Yu.”

“Hmm?”

He Yun stopped his bicycle at a red light, keeping one foot planted on the ground.

“Little liars grow long noses, you know.”

“Impossible! Not a single scar or blade mark on this face, my features won’t change even ten years from now!”

The red light turned green.

“Yes, yes, Comrade Si Yu who can leap over anything and do everything. I’m riding my bike, hanging up now.”

Listening to the sound of car horns blaring on He Yun’s end, Si Yu didn’t say much more. After reminding him to stay safe, he ended the call.

“Xiaofeng!”

Si Yu shouted toward the ground.

“Coming, Si Yu-ge!”

Ou Xiaofeng hurriedly told the crew to shut off the wind machine.

“How much is left to shoot?”

“Director says three shots left, but since the remaining two might tire you out, we’ll finish those tomorrow!”

Thinking it over, Si Yu replied, “No need! Let’s shoot them all today! That way everyone can get an early holiday!”

Ou Xiaofeng nodded repeatedly and rushed off to find the directing team.

“I heard Si Yu was professional, and I thought it was all PR talk, but he really goes all out!”

“Totally! He spent the entire night shooting tunnel-digging out in the ravines, then went straight onto wire harnesses today, only taking a short break to eat. Absolute beast!”

“And he’s generous too! Morning coffee, afternoon tea pastries, and midnight snacks without missing a day, even the cleaning uncle gets a share!”

“Too bad it’s just a recorded variety show. If I were shooting a movie with him, I can’t even imagine how happy I’d be!”

Si Yu declared that right now, lying facedown on a pillow and video-calling He Yun, he was the happiest little actor in the entire world!

On the other end of the screen, He Yun, already on Christmas break, was rushing back to his part-time photography studio.

The video feed was bumpy and blurred, captured from a terrible upward angle, yet He Yun still looked incredible.

The 3:00 PM London sunlight seemed to stream through He Yun’s eyes straight onto Si Yu, warming him from head to toe.

“What is it?”

Si Yu asked.

He Yun stopped in his tracks, his gaze caught by a bouquet in a florist’s street-corner window.

With a slight upward curve of his lips, he looked at Si Yu and said, “Wait a second.”

The phone seemed to have been set down by He Yun.

The screen began swaying rhythmically, making Si Yu’s eyelashes blink slower and slower.

“Cheers. Have a nice day.”

Carefully accepting a single stem of flowers, He Yun stepped out of the shop and held it up to the camera. “Si Yu, this is…”

Resting his cheek against his arm and tilting his head slightly, Si Yu let his delicate facial features fill the screen.

His long, straight, dark lashes drooped docilely, framing his parted red lips as the most stunning highlights against his pale porcelain skin.

He had fallen asleep.

He gazed down at the Tuscan rose in his hand, an exceptionally rare variety sourced from an ancient estate in France.

Its petals were a deep, near-black crimson, cradling a golden heart that radiated a cozy, winter-defying glow.

The moment he saw it, He Yun thought of Si Yu.

It was breathtakingly gorgeous.

Yet whenever it appeared alongside Si Yu, He Yun found his gaze drawn entirely to the latter.

Rifling through a cardboard box, He Yun found a narrow-necked glass droplet vase, placing the rose and fresh water inside.

No matter, he could always gift it in person.

He Yun glanced back at their conversation from a few days prior.

[Sweetheart Yu: My plane tickets are booked, I’ll arrive on your birthday]

[HY: How do you know when my birthday is?]

[Sweetheart Yu: Immortal Si Yu, boundless in magical arts!]

[Sweetheart Yu: First day of the new year, super easy to remember!]

He Yun stood up and headed toward the kitchen.

The refrigerator was empty.

Grabbing his keys and scarf, He Yun stepped out of the apartment.

There were still three days left, so he couldn’t buy vegetables yet, but he could pick up some pork ribs for meat; for seasonings, he’d need to swing by the Chinatown grocery.

Chinese food? He wasn’t particularly skilled at it, and he had no idea what cuisine Si Yu preferred; his palate seemed relatively light, maybe he should try Cantonese food?

“Ahhhhh, is this real?!”

“What, what, let me see! Ahhhhh!”

The shrieks of two Chinese girls behind him made He Yun look up.

Gesturing to their companion who was busy checking discount coupons, the pair excitedly shoved their phone forward, eliciting a flurry of spins and jumps of joy from her.

“Is Si Yu really performing in this New Year’s gala?!”

“Yeah! It’s officially announced!”

“Oh my god, even the promo photos are this handsome! If I hadn’t seen him in person, I’d swear this was the work of a million-dollar retoucher!”

“Hey hey, what time is it?”

“Both are at 8 PM, but it’s two different nights!”

He Yun froze with a seasoning packet in hand, turning around to watch them.

“Dec 31st on CCTV, and Jan 1st is the Greater Bay Area New Year Music Concert!”

“Awesome! I get to see Si Yu two nights in a row!”

“Quick, quick, let me see if any leaked airport pics are out!”

He Yun’s hand dropped to his side, gripping the cold silver shopping cart tightly without a single moment of relaxation.

[Should I cancel the travel arrangements]

: Deleted

[Should I push back the travel arrangements]

: Deleted

[HY: Are the gala rehearsals going smoothly?]

[Sweetheart Yu: The rehearsals are running smoothly, but I am definitely not]

[Sweetheart Yu: Galas are exhausting]

He Yun stared at the blinking cursor, watching it chip away at the screen’s light until it finally died out, failing to send that question.

Si Yu hadn’t brought up any New Year holiday plans either.

It seemed they had both tacitly accepted each other’s answers.

December 31, 2021, the final day of He Yun’s eighteenth year.

He spent it at a Chinese restaurant, with Si Yu keeping him company from the television mounted on the wall.

Dressed in a white neo-Chinese suit and holding a single branch of red plum blossoms, Si Yu stood dead center in the spotlight, maintaining his signature smile even in the brief pauses between lowering his microphone.

He Yun lowered his head, folding the deep blue towel in his hands, turning around to pick up a dining tray and wipe down a table.

Buzz-buzz.

[Sweetheart Yu: So tired]

[Sweetheart Yu: What about you? Did you buy yourself a birthday cake?]

He Yun turned off the sink faucet and pulled off his black rubber gloves.

[HY: Mm, I bought one.]

[HY: The gala stage you just finished was amazing, your outfit and the set design suited you so well.]

[The other person is typing]

He Yun never received Si Yu’s reply, instead receiving a mountain of dirty dishes delivered back to the kitchen.

“Xiao He, hard work.” The boss handed him a red envelope. “Foreigners’ holidays are holidays too. Come help out during the Lunar New Year, and I’ll give you a bigger bonus.”

“Thank you, happy New Year.”

He Yun nodded and accepted it.

Stepping out of the kitchen, He Yun realized he was the only employee left in the restaurant.

That was likely the only reason the stingy boss, who normally paid an hourly wage of just eight pounds, had suddenly grown generous.

After changing his clothes, He Yun stepped out onto the deserted street just as Big Ben struck the twelfth midnight chime of the New Year.

Dong!

[HY: Wishing you from afar a Happy New Year]

Dong!

[HY: Everything goes smoothly]

Dong!

[The other person is typing]

He Yun stopped walking, waiting for Si Yu’s reply, waiting for Big Ben’s final chime.

“Happy birthday!”

Frowning in slight confusion, He Yun stared at the chat window that had yet to pop up with any new messages.

“He Yun?”

The voice didn’t echo from inside his mind; it came from right in front of him.

Dong!

The final bell toll struck, bringing the New Year and Si Yu right to He Yun’s side.

January 1, 2022, the very first day of He Yun’s nineteenth year.

Standing in the biting winter wind, he watched Si Yu holding a birthday cake, walking toward him with a smile.