Even A Heartthrob Can Lose A Puppy - Chapter 7

 

“Aww, so sweet! Thanks!”

“He Yun.”

Following the direction of the voice, the girl and He Yun looked over together.

Beneath a withered tree that offered no shelter from the rain, stood a strikingly handsome Eastern man.

Draped in head-to-toe white with a loose wool sweater and trousers, he looked like a fallen cloud. A black scarf around his neck made his delicate, palm-sized face look even fairer.

Water droplets clung to his dark hair, yet his eyes remained bright, as if the raindrops couldn’t bear to fall upon his thick eyelashes.

Before long, the wind kicked up by the opening of the black umbrella caused the starstruck blonde girl to instinctively take a step back.

“Why didn’t you go under the eaves?”

“I saw you the moment I got here.”

Although she didn’t understand what they were saying, the girl clearly saw He Yun pull out a tissue and even attempt to wipe the man’s face himself.

She exchanged a knowing look with her female companion.

The two covered their mouths, giggled at the scene, and simultaneously stepped back.

While He Yun remained fixed on Si Yu’s damp face, Si Yu understood their implication and was instantly in a great mood.

Yet the next second, He Yun still handed the umbrella to them.

“Where are you going?”

He Yun reached out and grabbed Si Yu’s wrist.

Si Yu took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Testing my waterproof performance.”

He Yun burst out laughing and pulled him back slightly.

“Let’s go eat,” He Yun said. “The rain should stop by the time we finish.”

Si Yu’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly trotted behind He Yun toward the cafeteria.

Beneath the tree where Si Yu had stood moments earlier, a homeless man happily picked up a discarded jacket and walked away humming a tune.

“What are you doing this afternoon?”

“Part-time job.”

“At a restaurant?”

“No.”

Watching Si Yu prod at his food back and forth without taking a bite, He Yun asked instead, “Does it not suit your taste?”

“Huh? No! It tastes great!”

With that, Si Yu forked a piece of fish cake and shoved it straight into his mouth.

However, his expression was so agonizingly pained that even He Yun set his fork down.

“A five-pound buffet really isn’t anything special.” He Yun rotated Si Yu’s plate. “The mashed potatoes are decent, though.”

Si Yu tossed his head back to chug a large glass of water, swallowing repeatedly to wash away the overwhelming greasiness.

“Delicious! Love it! I’m coming back here with you next time!”

A flicker of light crossed He Yun’s eyes. He picked up Si Yu’s knife and fork, placing an untouched fried potato slice onto Si Yu’s plate.

“By the way, is a five-pound buffet considered expensive?”

Si Yu picked up the potato slice and asked earnestly.

He Yun shook his head. “Not really, but it is to me. My hourly wage for my part-time job is only twelve pounds.”

Si Yu lowered his hand and muttered, “Then why did you treat me to dinner?”

Without a word, He Yun stood up to refill his glass of water.

“Where are your part-time hours this afternoon? Can I go with you?”

“It’s a photography studio. I need to take pictures of some small animals. Are you allergic to fur?”

“Not allergic at all, not allergic!”

“Alright.”

Si Yu stopped touching his cutlery, choosing instead to intently watch He Yun eat.

He Yun looked at him. “What is it?”

Si Yu waved a hand. “Nothing, just thinking of a Chinese idiom.”

He Yun tilted his head slightly, completely baffled.

“Aww! It just tilted its head at me! So cute!”

Si Yu grabbed He Yun’s arm, shaking it frantically.

He couldn’t help it; the little otters in the park were simply too adorable.

Their sleek fur, dark round eyes, tiny white whiskers, and chubby snouts completely captivated Si Yu.

“Otters are terrifying.”

“Huh?”

Si Yu cast a curious look.

Without saying much, He Yun flipped through his phone and handed a photo to Si Yu.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Si Yu screamed in terror at the image on the screen: a blood-stained, ferocious-looking otter savagely tearing into a crocodile surrounded by a pack of others.

“Shh.”

He Yun gently covered his mouth, glancing around at the small animals resting nearby.

“Take it away, take it away!” Si Yu said, still shaken. “That’s not an otter, that’s a demon! Where did you even take this?”

He Yun smiled as he put his phone away. “The Amazon. The local crocodiles are caimans, which are smaller. Once isolated, they stood no chance against a pack of otters specializing in team combat.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

Before He Yun could answer, the manager called him away.

Si Yu nodded at him and found a nearby bench to sit on.

Before long, He Yun returned.

Pulling a lens from the black camera bag beside Si Yu, he whispered, “I am. But not as much as you.”

With a grin, he jogged back away.

Si Yu made a funny face at He Yun’s retreating back, then cupped his cheeks to watch He Yun, whose expression had shifted into one of intense, serious focus.

He Yun possessed features that blended Western ruggedness with Eastern refinement.

Standing at one hundred and ninety centimeters with a broad frame, every time he raised his camera, the forearm muscles and prominent veins on display flaunted the vibrant youthful energy proper to a nineteen-year-old.

Well, even if he was still half a month shy, he certainly looked incredible.

Si Yu couldn’t suppress the corners of his mouth no matter how hard he tried.

Yet it didn’t take long for him to realize he wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

“He Yun, do you think this aperture setting is appropriate?”

“Yeah, you’ll need to adjust it like this.”

Stepping closer with a camera in hand was a man roughly He Yun’s age.

Their conversation remained entirely professional, yet Si Yu could detect subtle undertones in the man’s body language, vocal cadence, demeanor, and lingering glances.

Si Yu clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Knowing they were both Chinese, Si Yu made sure to put on his face mask before walking over.

“He Yun, I’m going to buy you some water. Is sparkling water okay?”

Si Yu naturally looped his hand through He Yun’s sleeve, looking every bit like an affectionate lover.

Sure enough, the other man’s expression darkened instantly.

He shot Si Yu a look laden with hostility from head to toe.

“Yeah, but it’s a bit far. Will you be able to find it?”

“It’s fine!”

He Yun opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing, merely watching as Si Yu’s figure vanished around the corner of the path.

“He Yun, is that your friend?”

He Yun snapped out of his daze and nodded.

The other man failed to catch the hint that He Yun wished to drop the subject, pressing on with veiled probing.

He Yun didn’t answer a single question. It wasn’t until the man remarked that Si Yu had a nice look and suggested hiring him as a model that He Yun finally spoke up.

“Yu Wen, focus on your work for now.”

Yu Wen caught the subtle warning in He Yun’s furrowed brow and offered a cooperative, obedient smile.

Not long after, they prepared to head toward the aviary zone.

“He Yun, let’s go.”

Yu Wen called out to He Yun, who was still standing in place.

“You guys go ahead,” He Yun said without turning around. “I’ll be right there.”

Before Yu Wen could say anything, he saw He Yun take a few steps forward.

Glancing into the distance, sure enough, the masked man from earlier was walking back.

“It was so far, I had to walk all the way to the zoo entrance.”

“There are vending machines.”

“I was worried the water inside wouldn’t taste good. Drink up quickly!”

“I’m not picky.”

Noticing the staff moving equipment around, Si Yu asked, “Are we changing locations?”

“Yeah, heading to the aviary next.”

He quickly shoved the water into He Yun’s hands, urging him, “Go on, don’t hold things up! I’ll be right behind you.”

Picking up his bag, Si Yu jogged to catch up.

“You know you’re holding everyone up. Instead of trying to suck up and act cute, you’d be better off not causing trouble for others.”

Si Yu shot a sidelong glance at the passive-aggressive man.

“Ugly people sure love to make a fuss.”

“You!”

“I’m better looking than you.”

Yu Wen was left speechless.

Si Yu flicked a stray lock of hair from his cheek and strode away.

During the subsequent shoots, whenever He Yun took a break, the man named Yu Wen would immediately latch onto him.

Si Yu wasn’t about to give him any openings, alternating between handing over drinks and cheering for He Yun with seal-like enthusiasm and adoring eyes.

Having been interrupted time and again, Yu Wen’s eyes widened in suppressed rage until he finally spotted an opportunity.

Clatter!

“Ah!”

Everyone turned in unison toward the black camera lying on the ground near Yu Wen.

Damn green tea bitch!

Standing right beside Yu Wen, Si Yu clenched his fists inwardly.

“Mhr, aren’t you a bit too careless?” Yu Wen pointed at the camera, looking at Si Yu with exaggerated anxiety. “My camera breaking is one thing, but what if this messes up everyone’s schedule?”

Oh right, trying to turn everyone against me, are we?

Si Yu had to fight the urge to roll his eyes into the back of his head.

True to form, the surrounding staff members immediately began murmuring complaints.

“Are we going to run over time now? But we only booked a four-hour block.”

“Yeah, and there are still so many zones left to shoot!”

“Whose friend is this anyway? How did he even get let in?”

“Wen, did you just not hold onto it properly?”

Drooping his eyebrows into a pathetic curve, Yu Wen whimpered, “Let’s not blame him, everyone. Just treat it as my fault for dropping it, let’s not delay the work.”

Si Yu wanted to rip the man’s mouth apart right then and there.

Still, catching sight of He Yun, he chose to keep his breathing steady behind his mask by taking deep, silent inhales.

“When your camera dropped, wasn’t the very first thing you should have done been to pick it up and inspect it?”

He Yun’s gaze shifted between the camera and Yu Wen.

“I, I was just panicked and forgot.”

Yu Wen bent down to pick up the camera.

Damn! It’s actually built like a tank!

“He didn’t touch you just now.”

He Yun stated calmly.

“But!”

“If you need to verify, there are security cameras right here,” He Yun pointed upward. “Though that will only waste more of everyone’s time.”

Heing his gaze to his own photography backpack, He Yun continued, “If it’s damaged, I have a backup camera in my bag you can use in the meantime. If you insist he knocked it down, we can review the surveillance footage first, and we can discuss compensation after work wraps up.”

He Yun’s speech left Yu Wen completely speechless.

After reigning in his sparkling fan-boy eyes, Si Yu glared viciously at Yu Wen.

The very next second, Si Yu, who had just clinched Best Actor at the London International Film Festival, blinked his reddish-rimmed eyes above his mask.

“If I really bumped into you by accident, let me apologize first.”

Si Yu dipped his chin slightly, looking utterly aggrieved and pitiful.

“But He Yun is right, let’s not hold up your work.”

“I’ll pay for the damages in full. Is ten thousand enough?”

Si Yu held up an index finger.

Yu Wen sneered. “Ten thousand? This lens of mine is…”

Si Yu: “Pounds.”

Yu Wen:

He Yun:

Everyone else: Honestly, my gear wouldn’t mind taking a little fall either.

The drama came and went just as quickly.

Especially when Yu Wen skeptically handed over his bank details and received a transfer notification shortly after, he fell completely silent.

“If you go around acting like this, you’ll get scammed out in the world.”

Lowering his gaze as he packed away his camera, He Yun spoke in a low voice.

“I don’t like going out much normally.”

“Hey, I just didn’t want to cause trouble for you. Using money to solve a problem is always the best way.”

“Si Yu.”

Pulling down his mask, Si Yu looked thoroughly wronged as he stood picking at his fingers. “I was just scared you wouldn’t bring me along next time.”

Si Yu’s shoulder-length hair was fluffy and soft, making anyone looking at it want to reach out and ruffle it.

“Hm?” Si Yu stared at the hand hovering above his head. “Are you planning to hit me?!”

“Let’s go.”

Seeing that He Yun wasn’t angry, the grievances Si Yu had felt earlier vanished into thin air as he hurried after him in quick strides.

As they walked away under the amber glow of streetlamps, a lone figure emerged from the depths of the tree line.

“So that’s how it is. An A-list celebrity, huh.”

Yu Wen raised his camera, capturing the two walking side-by-side, occasionally turning their heads to exchange glances.

That very evening, Si Yu received the photos.

The photos sat on the table alongside the gloomy face of Shen Que visible on FaceTime.

“Pulling such a long face, I thought my naked photos had leaked out to entertain the general public.”

Si Yu peeled off his facial mask, wrangling out the remaining essence and patting it onto his legs resting atop the coffee table.

Shen Que’s gaze tracked the movement of Si Yu’s hands, the prominent bone structure along his slender calves, the skin so delicate it looked like a gentle pinch would leave red marks.

The grim expression on his face softened by a fraction.

Yet in the end, his eyes inevitably drifted back to the photo on screen, capturing the man smiling reciprocally at Si Yu.

“I’ll handle the photos, but you are forbidden from seeing him again.”

“They’re just pictures. Whether you deal with them or not makes no difference.”

Lowering his legs, Si Yu sprawled out horizontally across the sofa, draping himself lazily over the backrest.

Like a mermaid.

A disobedient mermaid, bewitched by humans, insisting on leaving the ocean kingdom behind.

Resting his forearms on his desk, Shen Que laced his fingers together.

“What do you want to do?”

“I never want to see that Yu person again.”

Shen Que let out a low chuckle.

This was the Si Yu he knew, the one he wanted.

“Alright, I’ll have him leave the UK.” Dropping his hands, Shen Que leaned closer to the screen. “But you are forbidden from seeing He Yun again.”

Si Yu smiled. Turning onto his side, he propped his head in his hand, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he gazed affectionately at Shen Que.

Shen Que’s breath hitched, his heartbeat spiking abruptly.

“I’ll consider it depending on my mood.”

With that, he flopped backward and snapped his fingers.

Seeing Nie Shuang appear on screen with his hands pressed together in perpetual apology, Shen Que watched as the video call abruptly disconnected.

Standing up, Shen Que yanked off his tie and slammed his laptop lid shut.

He kicked over the leather desk chair spinning uselessly in place, grabbed the photographs off the desk, and glared at the man in the picture: “He Yun.”

“He Yun, I genuinely have no idea what I did wrong! I just snapped a photo on a whim…”

Standing beside the apartment entrance, He Yun looked at Yu Wen, who was crying his eyes out, and said calmly, “Get to the point.”

“My parents called me saying I offended someone big and told me to return to China immediately. I’m getting expelled!”

With that, Yu Wen broke down sobbing.

He Yun frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“It was Si Yu! That person is his boss!”

He Yun uncrossed his arms, straightening his posture.

“Si Yu told my parents to make me get the hell out of the UK immediately.”

Ring-ring.

“Speaking.”

Si Yu’s fingers, busy smoothing lip mask across his lips, paused. After rattling off several yes responses in a row, he sprinted into the bathroom.

“Looking good, looking good!”

Si Yu fluffed his hair in front of the mirror, patted his cheeks, and smiled in satisfaction upon seeing the faint rosy flush blooming across his skin.

Knock-knock.

Hurrying to the front door, Si Yu unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white silk pajamas, cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and swung the door open.

“He Yun!”

Si Yu flashed his signature smile, letting his dimples naturally emerge at the corners of his mouth.

Something was wrong.

Si Yu’s smile faded.

Standing outside the doorway, He Yun’s expression was pitch-black.