PHM chapter 14

Yan Xi was lying on the man’s broad back, and whenever he turned his head slightly, the tip of his nose would brush against the man’s ear.

His body stiffened, and he didn’t dare move at all.

A soft laugh came from ahead. “Relax.”

But he simply couldn’t relax.

Pei Yuxing had probably been meeting with a shareholder or business partner. He was dressed fairly formally, his hair neatly styled, and he seemed to have sprayed on a little perfume.

At first, the scent was somewhat unusual, but after a while, it took on a cool, woody fragrance.

Yan Xi was drunk, so his sense of smell had become strange, but this scent didn’t make him uncomfortable.

Pei Yuxing walked down another corridor of the hotel. The floor was covered with a soft blue carpet, and several landscape oil paintings hung on the walls. Yan Xi stared at them absentmindedly, the glass frames reflecting a blurry side profile of Pei Yuxing.

The corridor was quiet and deserted, with not even a camera in sight. It was probably meant to protect guests’ privacy, especially celebrities and other important guests.

“Teacher Pei…”

“Call me by my name.”

Yan Xi braced himself and spoke softly, “Pei Yuxing.”

He felt terribly embarrassed. What was a grown man doing being carried around on someone’s back like a child?

“I’m fine. I can walk by myself.”

Pei Yuxing hummed in response, but he still didn’t put him down until they reached the exit.

The moment he was separated from the man’s body heat, his chest suddenly felt a little cool. When the night breeze blew past, he couldn’t help sneezing.

Something heavy settled on his shoulders.

Pei Yuxing’s jacket had been draped over him.

Yan Xi looked at him in surprise. Pei Yuxing seemed to be getting a little warm and was undoing the top two buttons of his shirt.

His fingers were long and slender, each knuckle distinct, his nails neat and rounded.

His palm was broad, as though it could hold anything.

Sensing his gaze, the man looked over. His eyes appeared particularly deep in the night.

“Hmm?”

Yan Xi’s heart suddenly began beating rapidly, and he hurriedly turned his head away.

He said sincerely, “Thank you. Sorry for troubling you.”

Pei Yuxing smiled. “Your matters aren’t a trouble.”

Yan Xi: “…”

His palms were sweating nervously, and his fingertips felt as though they were burning.

Fortunately, Pei Yuxing’s jacket was somewhat oversized on him. His hands were hidden inside the sleeves, so the little movements he made to calm himself couldn’t be seen.

Pei Yuxing didn’t call the driver. He went to drive himself, reminding Yan Xi not to wander off before leaving.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was something else, but he was much bolder than usual. He could even joke around.

“I’m not drunk yet. I won’t get lost.”

Those words held very little credibility with Pei Yuxing.

Drunk people usually didn’t admit they were drunk.

Pei Yuxing: “Okay.”

It was the kind of tone one used to coax someone.

Yan Xi: “…”

He didn’t bother explaining and simply gave up.

Not long afterward, an expensive black car drove out from the underground exit and slowly stopped beside Yan Xi.

Pei Yuxing lowered the window. He was wearing clear-lensed glasses, which softened his sharp features, and smiled at him.

“Get in.”

Yan Xi was hesitating between sitting in the front or the back when the passenger-side door unlocked.

Once he got in, a bottle of mineral water was handed to him.

“All the pharmacies nearby are closed. There’s only a 24-hour convenience store. Drink some water first.”

Yan Xi thanked him, took the bottle, and held it in his hand. After waiting for a while without the car starting, he asked curiously, “Aren’t we leaving?”

Pei Yuxing asked in return, “You’re not going to drink it?”

Seeing the young man still staring at him, he reached over and held his thumb near Yan Xi’s lips.

“They’re a little dry.”

He was actually a little thirsty. The alcohol had simply made his mind sluggish, so even after getting the water, he had forgotten to drink it.

…So embarrassing.

Yan Xi lowered his head, twisted open the cap, and drank more than half the bottle in one go.

Only after Yan Xi finished drinking did Pei Yuxing turn on the navigation.

“Take you home?”

Yan Xi shook his head. “Take me back to the group’s dorm instead.”

It was already late, and his grandparents would be asleep. The elderly had light sleep, and if they were woken up, who knew how long it would take them to fall asleep again.

Besides, in his current state, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be subjected to another round of nagging. At that point, no one would be sleeping.

Pei Yuxing said, “Okay.”

Pei Yuxing was an excellent driver. The ride was smooth and steady, without much bouncing, and Yan Xi’s stomach didn’t feel quite as bad.

Halfway there, Brother Feng called. He was practically frantic.

“Where are you? Are you alone or with someone? Is that Dong guy there? Did he take you away?”

Before Yan Xi could say anything, he began blaming himself.

“I only stepped out to buy something for a moment, and he took advantage of it—”

The hotel had been somewhat noisy earlier, so Yan Xi had turned the volume up to make sure he wouldn’t miss the call. Brother Feng’s voice was particularly loud in the quiet car.

Yan Xi hurriedly lowered the volume and interrupted him, his ears turning red.

“I didn’t go with him. I’m on my way back now… I’m not alone. A friend came to pick me up.”

Yet his current state still couldn’t put Brother Feng at ease.

“Give him the phone. I want to say a few words.”

Yan Xi tried to explain, “He’s a very close friend, and he’s driving right now—”

“Put it on speaker.”

Yan Xi: “…”

The reason he had once fallen out with the company was that Brother Feng refused to let the artists under him accompany people for drinks. They were all young people without much backing, and he wanted the kids he brought up to remain clean.

But not everyone was willing to accept that kindness. Before taking over NEVER, Brother Feng had managed a male entertainer who followed the comedian route. He was very articulate, and because of his good looks, he had gained quite a few young female fans.

Later, in order to get onto a major variety show, the male artist secretly went drinking with an investor behind Brother Feng’s back, and the two began to clash.

“We were already about to sign the contract. I don’t know why he had to do something like that.” Even now, Brother Feng still felt that the man had let him down. “There’s nothing to be afraid of from the competition. He just left some dirt behind for people to dig up later.”

Later, that male artist’s career rose another level, and he stopped letting Brother Feng manage him. When his contract expired, he jumped ship to a larger agency.

Because of this incident, Brother Feng’s conflict with the company’s upper management began.

Yan Xi knew that Brother Feng was only worried about his safety.

By now, he had become quite laid-back. He no longer went out of his way to stop the artists from doing whatever they wanted. Fortunately, the four members of NEVER were all obedient, and their choices on such matters happened to align with his own.

Taking the call wasn’t actually a problem.

The problem was that Pei Yuxing was sitting beside him.

The man was focused on driving and wasn’t paying attention to the contents of the call.

Then an arm was carefully nudged.

Pei Yuxing glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

“Hmm?”

“My manager wants to talk to you.” Yan Xi explained, “He’s afraid I’ve been kidnapped.”

Pei Yuxing raised an eyebrow. After Yan Xi turned on the speaker, he politely said, “Hello. I’m Xiao Yan’s friend.”

His voice had a unique charm, making it quite easy to recognize.

But Brother Feng had also been drinking quite a bit that evening, and the phone distorted the man’s voice. He only found it vaguely familiar.

He subconsciously frowned, trying to remember where he had heard that voice before. But the moment he tried to think, his head began pounding, so he could only give up.

Brother Feng rubbed his forehead and forced himself to stay alert as he spoke to the other man, asking several questions in succession.

The other party answered patiently in a gentle and courteous tone, giving off the impression of a mature and steady man.

After learning that he was taking Yan Xi back to the employees’ dormitory, Brother Feng finally relaxed.

“Don’t take it personally. They’re still young and haven’t experienced much. Their families entrusted their kids to me, so I have to take some responsibility.”

“I won’t.” The man even sounded amused. “It’s Xiao Yan’s good fortune to have met you.”

After the call ended, Yan Xi wanted nothing more than to crawl into the ground.

Although Brother Feng usually took good care of them, he had never gone to this extent. It made Yan Xi feel like a rebellious student who had stayed out all night.

Alcohol really was harmful.

Yan Xi wanted to say something, but his brain was tangled up. The more he explained, the more confusing it would probably become.

He closed his eyes and gave up.

Then he comforted himself.

As an internationally acclaimed Film Emperor, Pei Yuxing had seen all kinds of situations. Surely his current state couldn’t possibly rank among the more memorable ones, right?

The car traveled at a steady speed. Yan Xi accidentally fell asleep on the way, and when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that the car had stopped outside the residential compound.

Brother Feng had rented them a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment. But to save money, the neighborhood was somewhat old, and the roads weren’t well planned. Larger cars couldn’t get inside.

Yan Xi’s thoughts were still a little dazed after waking up. It wasn’t until he saw the familiar scenery outside that he suddenly sat upright.

The car was already turned off, and the window was opened slightly, so it didn’t feel stuffy.

“How long have we been here?”

“Not long.” Pei Yuxing looked at him, amusement faintly visible on his face. “I called you, but you were too tired.”

Yan Xi: “…”

He had already embarrassed himself so many times today. One more time didn’t matter.

Still, he felt awkward as he unfastened his seat belt.

“Thank you for bringing me back. I’ll treat you to a meal when you have time.”

Pei Yuxing merely smiled lightly at the invitation.

“I’d be delighted.”

Pei Yuxing insisted on seeing him all the way to the bottom of the dormitory building.

The residential compound was probably fifty or sixty years old. The vegetation was excessively lush, and although the property management regularly trimmed it, the dense branches and leaves still blocked the streetlights.

It was pitch-black, making it difficult to see, and the temperature was also a little lower than outside.

Yan Xi was still wearing Pei Yuxing’s jacket, so he didn’t feel particularly cold. The two walked quietly along the path, neither saying anything, yet both clearly aware of the other’s presence.

It was a somewhat strange experience.

The ground was slightly damp. Yan Xi didn’t know whether the cleaners hadn’t finished cleaning or a resident had accidentally spilled something. He nearly slipped.

He should have been able to steady himself, but he had drunk too much, and his body couldn’t keep up with his brain.

Fortunately, Pei Yuxing was right beside him and immediately caught his wrist. Yan Xi instinctively placed his other hand on the back of Pei Yuxing’s hand. Only after finding something to support himself against did he avoid a disaster.

Tonight really had been a complete collection of embarrassing incidents.

Pei Yuxing had probably heard him say “thank you” enough for one night.

But Yan Xi still insisted on saying it politely, and Pei Yuxing merely responded with another quiet “Mm.”

Perhaps to prevent another accident, Pei Yuxing didn’t release his grip on Yan Xi’s wrist. His palm was dry and warm, even leaving Yan Xi’s skin slightly flushed.

The dormitory was all the way at the back. Yan Xi was led along the entire way, his head feeling warm. He didn’t feel uncomfortable or resistant.

If he had to put it into words, it seemed that being led by the hand like this for the rest of his life would be perfectly fine.

These thoughts were merely instinctive. With alcohol filling his mind, Yan Xi himself didn’t realize the feelings hidden beneath them.

They finally reached their destination. The stairwell’s motion-sensor light came on, stretching their shadows long across the floor.

The old residential building had no elevator. Yan Xi stood at the stairs and looked up at the man.

“I’ll wash your jacket before I return it.”

“Okay.” Pei Yuxing looked at his unusually flushed cheeks. “If you want to drink in the future, go to Yalou. It’s a property under the Pei family. The security is very good.”

Yan Xi naturally knew the name Yalou. It wasn’t a place one could simply visit because they had money; he’d heard reservations had to be made a month in advance.

Many celebrities liked to hold gatherings there, so naturally, plenty of paparazzi would stake the place out. Yet no news had ever leaked from inside.

And it wasn’t only for celebrities. Government officials were also frequent visitors, though that wasn’t something ordinary people like them could comment on.

For a moment, Yan Xi didn’t know whether he should agree. He was a little surprised that the man hadn’t stopped him from drinking. Perhaps after spending so many years navigating the entertainment industry, Pei Yuxing understood its rules and wouldn’t deliberately restrict him.

In the end, Yan Xi merely nodded.

They should have parted ways, but Yan Xi couldn’t seem to move. Pei Yuxing seemed determined to wait until he saw Yan Xi go upstairs, and he didn’t leave either.

Yan Xi’s brain was already barely functioning. He stared at Pei Yuxing’s face with a dazed expression, not knowing what he was thinking.

His gaze eventually settled on the man’s thin lips. They had a beautiful shape, looking somewhat stern when he wasn’t smiling.

He remembered that classic scene from Slaying the Immortals. Blood stained the protagonist’s lips, a thin trickle running from the corner, with more staining his chin.

The protagonist slowly turned his head, looking down upon all living things.

The stairwell light went out.

Darkness brought a sense of excitement and fear. A moonless, windy night—the perfect time for murder and arson.

Evil grew bolder in the dark.

Pei Yuxing stood right in front of him. The man’s unique scent stirred Yan Xi’s senses, making him want to impulsively bury himself against him.

A reassuring, dependable warmth.

“Pei Yuxing.” His voice was so soft that even the motion-sensor light in the stairwell didn’t detect it.

Then he grabbed the man by the collar, pulled him closer, and impulsively kissed him.

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