For ambitious people, the red carpet banquet was a battlefield of intrigue and backstabbing. For a salted fish like Xie Guan, it was like an otaku being forced by his parents to visit relatives during the New Year. While the air among the myriad of aunts and cousins was filled with cheerful chatter, he remained unmoved, a look of having lost the will to live on his face.

After exchanging pleasantries with a few acquaintances in the industry, Xie Guan returned and was led by Huo Mingjun to meet the heads of several major film companies. Everyone was well aware that Xuandu Pictures was his biggest backer, so meeting investors or not didn't really have a huge impact. But it was never wrong to build good relationships; who knew if there would be opportunities for cooperation in the future?

The auction was halfway through, and Xie Guan, hiding beside Huo Mingjun, couldn't stop yawning. Several times, his head bobbed like a chick pecking at rice, bumping against Huo Mingjun's shoulder. Seeing that he was really struggling with sleepiness, the two of them took the opportunity during the intermission to quietly slip out, leaving the venue through a dim corridor.

The banquet hall was on the second floor, and the driver was waiting at the main entrance on the first floor. Xie Guan circled the area before finally finding an elevator, which happened to be on the second floor. They lingered at the entrance for a little too long. Huo Mingjun was already inside the elevator, and before Xie Guan could even get one foot in, the doors started to slowly close, threatening to trap him.

Anyone who frequently takes elevators has probably been caught by the doors a few times. Xie Guan didn't think much of it; they would just open automatically after a bump, anyway. He didn't expect Huo Mingjun, who was standing inside, to suddenly reach out and shield his right shoulder, which was closest to the door, blocking the sliding panel for him.

The back of his hand collided heavily with the five-centimeter-thick steel panel, letting out a soft, muffled thud.

Xie Guan felt a pang of pain just from hearing the sound, and his heart gave a twitch.

The steel door slid open, and Huo Mingjun retracted his hand without a change in expression. Xie Guan silently stepped into the elevator and stood beside him.

Xie Guan's mindset had changed, and his perspective along with it. He had never noticed these small gestures from Huo Mingjun before. Now that he understood his true feelings, he realized just how much delicate care had been lavished upon him, all of it deeply hidden within that undemonstrative thoughtfulness and protection.

Even now, he still wouldn't confess, never even overstepping with a kiss, only daring to secretly plant one on his forehead.

What had he ever done to deserve this, to be held in the palm of Huo Mingjun's hand and cherished so dearly?

The elevator came to a steady stop on the first floor.

The two of them got into the car, one after the other. Soothing, quiet piano music flowed through the interior, while outside the window, thousands of brilliant city lights flashed by. The tranquil atmosphere was enough to make one drowsy.

Xie Guan turned his head to the side and yawned. Huo Mingjun took the blanket that was always kept in the car and draped it over his knees. "If you're sleepy, go ahead and sleep for a while..."

His wrist was suddenly grabbed by Xie Guan. In the darkness, Xie Guan's eyes seemed to reflect a billion starlights. "Doesn't your hand hurt?"

"..." Huo Mingjun's left hand twitched reflexively. He then immediately realized what Xie Guan was talking about and shook his head. "It's nothing."

Xie Guan let out an inscrutable laugh.

He pulled over Huo Mingjun's left hand, cupping the palm with one hand while rolling up the sleeve with the other. By the light from outside, he saw a clear bruise on the back of the fair hand and couldn't help but tease, "So you're delicate, what's there to be embarrassed to admit?"

Huo Mingjun was pampered and had delicate skin that bruised easily at the slightest knock. Xie Guan gently rubbed the injury on the back of his hand, not missing the fleeting change in his expression. After a moment, he lifted the left hand, which had gone stiff as a chicken's claw, and examined it closely. Seeing that the bruise had mostly faded, he then lowered his head, as if coaxing a child, and blew a puff of air onto the back of his hand.

And whether it was intentional or not, as he blew on it, perhaps because his movement was a bit too big, his lips "accidentally" brushed lightly against the injured spot.

In an instant, all of Huo Mingjun's senses seemed to converge on that barely perceptible touch. Then, a massive explosion went off, setting off a sky full of fireworks in his mind.

The effect was spectacular, comparable to a bullet being fired right through his heart.

Huo Mingjun was so flustered by this move that he found it hard to breathe, his pupils constricting sharply. If not for the remaining shreds of his sanity providing some cover, his gaze would have been utterly naked, looking as if he wanted to devour him whole.

He fought to suppress the raging flood in his heart, the desire to pin Xie Guan down right then and there. His voice came out hoarse, "Stop messing around."

Xie Guan released his hand, his face still holding a convincingly innocent and pure expression. He smiled faintly and said, "Just returning the courtesy."

Without waiting for Huo Mingjun's reaction, he shook the blanket open, draped it over himself, leaned back against the leather seat, and closed his eyes.

Huo Mingjun's heartbeat still hadn't returned to normal.

A dozen seconds later, Xie Guan slid down from the seatback, his head tilting to the side and conveniently coming to rest on Huo Mingjun's shoulder.

Huo Mingjun: "..."

He could see that Xie Guan's series of actions was intentional, but he couldn't tell if Xie Guan was treating it as a flirty, fun-loving prank, or a deliberate test after having sensed something.

What did he know, and how much had he filled in with his own imagination?

Huo Mingjun still had no idea that his feelings were completely transparent to Xie Guan. He maintained a considerable degree of restraint, treating him with the status of a friend but the care of a lover. Even now, with Xie Guan's head on his shoulder, he merely put an arm around him to help him sleep more comfortably.

Xie Guan's eyes were squeezed shut, but inside, he was screaming frantically: "This is the perfect chance, why aren't you kissing me! On the lips! I'm lying here helpless, don't be a coward..."

He was still ignorant about matters of love, acting purely on instinct. Like a small child begging for candy, having tasted a little sweetness, he was now eagerly hoping for another lick.

Unfortunately, this time it was Huo Mingjun's turn to be the blockhead, and he didn't grant Xie Guan's wish all the way until they got home. Xie Guan personally experienced what it felt like to be "winded by a solid club," gave Huo Mingjun an indescribable look, clutched his stomach, and staggered back to his room to sleep.

Each preoccupied with their own thoughts, Huo Mingjun returned to his bedroom. He lay on the bed like a stiff corpse for thirty minutes but still felt no urge to sleep. With a dark cloud hanging over him, he sat up and grabbed an iPad from the nightstand.

The white light from the screen illuminated his face. Huo Mingjun stared blankly at the empty search bar for a moment before typing in the words "Divine Dragon Arts."

It was a film from several years ago, possessing the deliberately mystifying dialogue and lavishly decadent set designs characteristic of commercial blockbusters of its time. The whimsical costumes and makeup seemed rather comical and jarring to modern sensibilities. Huo Mingjun fast-forwarded, cramming the plot into his head without much thought. He knew exactly what he was looking for. Around the middle of the film, at about the 60-minute mark, the playback suddenly slowed.

The camera panned over the treetops to focus on a pool where white mist was rising, revealing the slender back of a figure with long, flowing hair.

Only someone extremely familiar with the actor himself could tell at a glance that the "female lead" in the pool was now Xie Guan.

The bathing scene lasted only four seconds, the frame perfectly capturing the smooth and graceful curve of his shoulders and neck. His long, wet hair was draped over his chest, and a shallow groove ran down his spine, accentuating a pair of slightly protruding butterfly bones. He was slender but not frail, looking as if he were poised to take flight.

The next scene was even more pulse-pounding.

He stood up from the pool, appearing unobstructed before the camera. The water, once chest-deep, now barely covered his rear. Below his bare back and the deep dimples of his waist, a tantalizing curve could be seen, half-hidden as it disappeared into the shimmering ripples.

The figures of a grown man and a woman are vastly different, but Xie Guan was young then. Aided by makeup and lighting, he looked fair and slender. The grace of his waist, so slim it seemed it could be spanned by a single hand, was convincing enough to pass for a woman's. It was even more dazzling and bewitching than an actual female form.

The background music rose again. A cold glint flashed on screen as a sword thrust from behind, cutting through the air straight for his back. The "female lead" moved with the grace of a startled swan, sidestepping with unparalleled swiftness as the sword's edge grazed "her" shoulder. The instant the strike missed, the "female lead" retreated several steps as an enormous curtain of water erupted around "her," concealing "her" figure.

Before the white mist could dissipate, the gleam of a sword cut through.

Carried by a fierce wind, the sword pierced the barrier, sending transparent water droplets flying. A garish blossom of blood erupted from the assassin's throat.

The displaced water crashed back into the pool. The figure in the water, now draped in a soaking white outer robe, slowly stepped onto the bank.

The actor had been switched to Bai Yu.

Huo Mingjun didn't watch any further. He casually closed the video. In the quiet, once again dark bedroom, he suddenly realized his heart was pounding, a buzzing in his ears from the rush of blood to his head.

He had seen the TV series where Xie Guan played named characters, and had even been "fortunate" enough to witness him on the set of a Category III film. Yet, none of that could compare to this one-minute scene as a body double. It was erotic yet flawless, innocent yet wanton. It was a man's skin of ice and bones of jade, filled with a soul-snatching tension.

He couldn't think about it anymore...

Huo Mingjun forcibly blocked the enchanting images from his mind and lay back on the bed, trying to coax sleep to come. Strangely, though he had been tossing and turning restlessly just moments before, and though one would expect such a strong stimulus to make him even more awake, he unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep quite quickly.

It was just that... his sleep wasn't very peaceful.

At four in the morning, he woke with a jolt from a chaotic yet beautiful dream. He found himself hot and covered in sweat, an undeniable physiological need making its presence known.

Amid annoyance, embarrassment, confusion, and the lingering emotions of the dream, Huo Mingjun sat stunned for a long while, clutching the quilt. After confirming that his bodily functions were in excellent working order and possessed impressive stamina, he finally, helplessly, resigned himself to his fate, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to deal with his personal problem.

After showering and getting dressed, he was now wide awake. He tiptoed down the corridor and into the study.

On this day, in the first light of dawn, Huo Mingjun was forced to confront his inescapable desires. Meanwhile, the culprit who had appeared in his wet dream, completely oblivious, slept soundly under his wing.