The two of them walked all the way back to the hotel. It was only when they arrived that Qi Bailu realized he had simply assumed Ruan Qiuji was staying at the same place without even asking. However, as this was the only four-star hotel in the vicinity, it was only natural for Ruan Qiuji to choose it. Feeling a bit warm from the long walk, they ordered two scoops of ice cream downstairs and finished them before heading to their respective rooms.
Ruan Qiuji had taken off his bomber jacket and draped it over his arm, wearing only a T-shirt underneath. Inside the elevator, after Qi Bailu pressed the button for his own floor, he asked which floor Ruan was on. Ruan Qiuji glanced at the panel and said, "I’m in 3236."
It wasn't far; Qi Bailu was on the 30th floor. He pressed the button for Ruan Qiuji as well, then stepped back to wait as the elevator ascended. His face was reflected in the mirror-like finish of the metal doors. He looked straight ahead, catching Ruan Qiuji’s reflection looking back at him. They were the only two in the elevator, and because the atmosphere throughout the evening had been so pleasant, Qi Bailu took the initiative to ask, "Are you leaving tomorrow night?"
"Yes."
"I have a night shoot tomorrow, so I probably won't have time to see you off."
"Just focus on your filming."
Their gazes met in the reflection of the cold metal doors. After a moment, Qi Bailu looked away, watching the numbers skip smoothly into the teens. "Tonight... I enjoyed our walk very much."
"I did as well."
Ruan Qiuji turned his head to look at his profile and asked, "Do you usually—"
"Then I'll—"
Because they spoke at the same time and stopped almost simultaneously, neither heard what the other had said. Qi Bailu looked up at him. They stood in silence for a moment before Ruan Qiuji gave a silent smile, gesturing for him to go first. Instead, Qi Bailu asked, "What were you going to say?"
"Do you usually eat breakfast at the hotel?"
"Mhm."
"What time do you usually wake up? Let's have breakfast together tomorrow."
"I have to be on set by seven, so I wake up at five-thirty."
"Then how about we meet in the restaurant at six?"
Qi Bailu thought for a moment and nodded.
"Your turn," Ruan Qiuji said.
"I was just going to say... goodnight."
Just as he finished speaking, the elevator reached the 30th floor. The doors slid open with a soft *ding*, as if deliberately reminding them that this was where they must part. Qi Bailu gave a polite, slight curve of his lips and stepped out. Behind him, Ruan Qiuji called out, "Bailu."
Qi Bailu quickly turned back. Ruan Qiuji didn't speak; he simply watched him with a heavy, weighted gaze, as if there were words still brewing within him. They had lingered long enough that, with no one entering or exiting, the elevator doors began to slide shut automatically. Just as the doors were about to sever their connection, Ruan Qiuji seemed to decide against speaking. He simply said, "Goodnight."
For some reason, those two short words made Qi Bailu’s heart skip a beat. He felt he could vaguely guess what Ruan Qiuji had originally intended to say. He recognized that look; it was the same gaze Ruan Qiuji had given him back in that bar while he was drinking orange juice, right before he had tried to kiss him. But if Ruan Qiuji had actually said it, would this time have been any different?
After returning to his room, Qi Bailu collapsed onto the bed without even changing his clothes. After a full day of filming followed by social obligations, he was naturally exhausted, yet he hadn't felt this tired during the walk. With his face pressed against the duvet, he felt a strange, unfamiliar emotion swirling in his heart, making him feel excited one moment and dejected the next.
It felt almost like being in love. Wasn't that how it was written in scripts? Qi Bailu rested the back of his hand against his feverish forehead and stared at the ceiling. Once a thought popped up, it wasn't easily suppressed. Was this feeling truly love? He felt a sudden jolt of alarm—why had he felt something similar when he first met Zheng Kunyu?
The moment this thought surfaced, Qi Bailu was stunned. He couldn't tell which of the two realizations made him more anxious. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time, but eventually, the latter overwhelmed the former because the thought was simply too terrifying.
Had he truly experienced this once before, three years ago? Walking with Zheng Kunyu in that farmhouse courtyard in Lantian County, those few times they shared a meal in Beijing, walking side-by-side under the shade of the trees at school... those memories had been crushed into oblivion by everything that followed. They were like old clothes at the very bottom of a trunk, covered by a thousand layers of gauze and ten thousand weights of brocade; he had never been willing to take them out for a second look. Now that they had been suddenly shaken loose, the realization felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
*It’s impossible,* Qi Bailu thought, propping himself up on his arms. He had already given up on himself; how could he still have other feelings?
He finally realized where that eerie, lingering sense of familiarity during his walk with Ruan Qiuji had come from. That night, he had walked back to the hotel with Zheng Kunyu, passing through crowded intersections with cars speeding by. Zheng Kunyu had grabbed his arm and pulled him close... just as Ruan Qiuji had grabbed his arm and pulled him close to block the gaze of a lingering passerby...
The two silhouettes gradually overlapped in his mind. Was the person he liked truly Ruan Qiuji, or was it simply anyone who was willing to walk and talk with him?
Qi Bailu tried to deny his thoughts repeatedly, but the more he denied them, the more clearly the memories of the past surfaced.
He couldn't think about this anymore. He needed to take a shower, get a good night's sleep, and think about it tomorrow.
Qi Bailu stood up to organize his backpack and reached for his phone. He suddenly felt an urge to call Zheng Kunyu—not for any good reason, but because he didn't want to remember Zheng Kunyu’s virtues. He didn't want his future to become a case of "absence makes the heart grow fonder." He would rather hear him be cold-blooded and biting; he would rather be hurt by him.
But when Qi Bailu took out the phone and unlocked it, he froze. The lock screen wallpaper that lit up was his own face. This wasn't his phone; his own lock screen was a default system landscape.
This was Ruan Qiuji’s phone. Why would it be...
Qi Bailu recognized the photo. It had been taken when he was walking the red carpet at Cannes. It had been raining that day, and the area was filled with people drenched by the rain. A staff member behind him was holding a black umbrella to shield him. His eyes were looking toward the side; he was dressed in a white suit with a bowtie. It was a candid shot, capturing an expression that felt almost alive. It was a photo he liked very much himself.
Earlier, when they had passed a street corner, a small truck transporting a large shipment of bottled water had dropped two crates due to a bump. The driver hadn't noticed, and Qi Bailu suggested they call out to him. Ruan Qiuji had handed his soda and his phone to Qi Bailu to put in his bag before running ahead to stop the driver and help him pick up the bottles...
They had both forgotten about it afterward.
Qi Bailu reached into his bag and found his own phone. In the modern age, life was difficult without a phone; he should return it immediately. He recalled the room number Ruan Qiuji had mentioned—3236?
After taking the elevator up, the hotel corridor was silent and deserted. Qi Bailu checked the room numbers one by one until he stopped in front of 3236. He rang the bell, but after waiting a moment with no response, he double-checked the number. Fearing Ruan Qiuji hadn't heard, he rang again and knocked a few times.
After another long wait, the door still didn't open. Qi Bailu stood there, unsure whether to stay or leave. He wasn't sure if Ruan Qiuji had gone out or was simply busy inside. While waiting, Qi Bailu looked down at Ruan Qiuji’s phone again. He didn't know the passcode, so every time he pressed the power button, he saw that lock screen.
Back then, his hair had been long, and he looked much more naive than he did now. Ruan Qiuji had mentioned that the first time he had learned of Qi Bailu was at the premiere of *Dewy Night Run* in Cannes. Qi Bailu watched the screen slowly dim and go black. He decided to head back to his room; if Ruan Qiuji realized his phone was missing, he would surely come looking for him.
As a last-ditch effort, Qi Bailu rang the bell one final time. Just as he was about to turn away, the door opened with a *click*. Qi Bailu turned back to see Ruan Qiuji standing in the doorway wearing a bathrobe. He was using a towel to dry his damp hair, and his collar was half-open.
Ruan Qiuji gave an apologetic smile. "I was in the shower. I thought I heard the bell but wasn't sure. Have you been waiting long?"
Qi Bailu shook his head.
Ruan Qiuji opened the door wider. "Please, come in."
"I should probably—"
Before he could finish, footsteps and voices echoed from the corridor. Ruan Qiuji said, "Better come in for a moment."
Qi Bailu had no choice but to enter. Ruan Qiuji closed the door behind him. For a fleeting second, they were very close, and Qi Bailu could smell the fresh, cool scent on him—it was verbena.
Ruan Qiuji casually invited him to sit. Qi Bailu walked over to the sofa. It seemed Ruan Qiuji had been in the middle of brewing tea before opening the door. While still drying his hair, Ruan leaned against the bar counter and placed the lid on a white porcelain teapot. "Did I leave my phone with you? I suddenly remembered while I was showering. I was going to head over to your room in a bit. Thank you for bringing it up."
With one hand, he picked up two pristine white teacups and poured the tea. A thin stream of water flowed into the cups, sending up plumes of white steam. Ruan Qiuji left the tea to cool and walked over to Qi Bailu, leaning partially against the arm of the sofa.
Qi Bailu handed him the phone. "It was no trouble."
Ruan Qiuji asked nothing, simply taking the phone and setting it aside. From the moment he entered, Qi Bailu had felt restless. Entering someone else's room felt like an intrusion into their private domain, and the room was filled with traces of Ruan Qiuji.
For instance, the jacket and T-shirt he had worn today were draped over the back of the sofa. On the coffee table lay a few of those suggestive little "escort" cards that had been slid under the door. Qi Bailu imagined Ruan Qiuji picking them up and found the thought slightly amusing. A laptop sat open nearby, displaying what looked like a PowerPoint analysis of a film company’s equity structure, surrounded by dense lines of small text.
Qi Bailu only caught a glimpse and couldn't see much, but Ruan Qiuji leaned over and closed the laptop. Realizing it might contain confidential information, Qi Bailu said, "I'm sorry."
Ruan Qiuji looked at him and smiled. "No, it’s nothing important."
As he withdrew his hand, he suddenly reached toward the back of the sofa behind Qi Bailu and picked up a belt from the crevice. Ruan Qiuji pulled, but it wouldn't budge, so he leaned down further and gave it a firm tug. Only then did Qi Bailu realize he had accidentally sat on it. Because the sofa was dark, he hadn't noticed it when he sat down. He felt a flush of embarrassment; he could clearly feel the sensation of the leather belt being pulled out from under him, almost as if he had been sitting on a snake.
"Sorry, the room is a bit of a mess."
"I just didn't see it."
As Ruan Qiuji leaned down, a few drops of water from his hair splashed onto Qi Bailu’s cheek. They felt itchy after a moment, and as Qi Bailu went to wipe them with the back of his hand, Ruan Qiuji noticed. He reached out with his thumb to brush a drop of water from the bridge of Qi Bailu’s nose. But after wiping it away, Ruan Qiuji didn't pull his hand back. Instead, he cupped Qi Bailu’s face and gazed at him.
Qi Bailu looked up, feeling the close-range masculine aura enveloping him. Ruan Qiuji’s dark, ink-like eyes stared straight at him. A moment later, Ruan lowered his head slightly, as if he were about to kiss him. A hotel room was a place of heavy suggestion, and with only the two of them there tonight, Qi Bailu felt that if he stayed any longer, something would truly happen. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said, "Are you going to blow-dry your hair? Perhaps I should head back?"
"The tea isn't finished. Have a cup before you go."
Ruan Qiuji pulled his hand away and created some distance between them, his face returning to that lazy, calm expression as if he hadn't just been trying to "seduce" him. Qi Bailu opened his mouth to say "okay," only to find his voice had slightly changed pitch.
It wasn't that he hadn't seen such scenes before, but this man, Ruan Qiuji...
As Qi Bailu walked over to take the teacup, Ruan Qiuji said carefully, "It might be a bit hot."
...He truly understood the meaning of a sugar-coated bullet.
***
