Second Update

"Yan-ge!" Zhai Xingchen shouted, delighted.

Yan Zhi smiled, the weariness vanishing from his face in an instant.

"Zhai Xingchen."

Zhai Xingchen laughed. "What are you doing here?"

He couldn't have come looking for him too, could he?

"Came to visit my cousin," Yan Zhi said.

Zhai Xingchen laughed. "What a coincidence."

"Yeah, total coincidence." Yan Zhi smiled at him, hung the helmet on the handlebar. "You live around here? What are you doing wandering around?"

"Just out for a walk. My place is pretty far from here."

Yan Zhi just looked at Zhai Xingchen and smiled, didn't say a word, his gaze gentle and steady.

"Where are you headed?" Zhai Xingchen asked, smiling.

"About to head back," Yan Zhi said.

Before Zhai Xingchen could answer, he asked, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

"No need," Zhai Xingchen said. "I'm going to the Dance School. My roommate's heading home for the break and he's got two potted plants in the dorm he's afraid won't survive winter break, so he asked me to take them home and look after them."

"I'll take you." Yan Zhi handed him the helmet. "Get on."

Zhai Xingchen didn't refuse. "You wear it. You're more famous than me—don't want your fans recognizing you."

Yan Zhi buckled it on his head without a word.

Domineering really is every male lead's trademark, huh.

"You wear it," Zhai Xingchen said. "Aren't you supposed to get fined if the cops catch you riding without a helmet?"

"There's another one in the side case," Yan Zhi said.

Zhai Xingchen tilted his head up slightly. Yan Zhi leaned down and fastened the buckle for him, then opened the side case, pulled out a red helmet, and put it on.

Classic cold-outside-warm-inside Hibiscus Attacker—even his helmet's got that flashy color.

Yan Zhi rode a heavy motorcycle—big, bulky. Zhai Xingchen swung a leg over, and Yan Zhi told him where to put his feet.

The seat sloped slightly, low in front and high in back, so once he was on, he sat a bit higher than Yan Zhi. Through the helmet, he caught a faint scent off Yan Zhi.

Smelled a lot like the cologne he'd given him. Really nice.

"Hold on tight," Yan Zhi said.

Sitting on a motorcycle felt nothing like sitting on an e-bike. The sense of security dropped off a cliff—like going a little faster would send you flying.

The moment the bike started moving, Zhai Xingchen grabbed Yan Zhi's jacket.

Yan Zhi was wearing a fitted biker jacket, and when Zhai Xingchen grabbed him like that, his body jerked. He turned to look back, expression strange.

Zhai Xingchen hadn't expected such a strong reaction and let go.

He knew Jinjiang male leads were sensitive, but didn't expect Hibiscus types to have the same trait.

But then again, that was probably standard Hibiscus operating procedure—no need to make a big deal of it like Jinjiang did.

Yan Zhi's ears went slightly pink. "Just hold on."

"You don't look used to it."

"I'm fine, just startled." Yan Zhi pressed his lips together. "Hold on. Let's go."

The motorcycle let out a throaty roar and suddenly shot forward. Zhai Xingchen jumped and immediately grabbed Yan Zhi around the waist.

Yan Zhi's waist was lean.

It was past the after-dinner stroll hour, so the North-South Road wasn't crowded, but Zhai Xingchen wasn't used to the bike and kept feeling it was too fast. He kept telling Yan Zhi, "Slow down, slow down."

"This isn't fast."

Riders live for that flash and speed rush. But this was the Urban Village—no room to really open it up.

"How much faster can it get?" Zhai Xingchen said.

Yan Zhi suddenly didn't want to go straight to Zhongwu Academy.

He had this urge to just take Zhai Xingchen and run.

Thinking that, he spotted a fork up ahead and turned.

Zhai Xingchen called through the helmet, "Where are you going?"

"To show you how fast it can really get!" Yan Zhi shouted.

It was the first time he'd seen Yan Zhi raise his voice like that—like the guy had suddenly let himself go. Yan Zhi on the bike was a completely different person, like a refined gentleman had turned into a bad boy in an instant.

This was the contrast charm of a Hibiscus male lead!

If only Hu Ying and the others could see this.

The bike cut through a dark, narrow street and soon reached the coastal road.

A wide road hugging the coastline. Westbound, past the first overpass, not a single traffic light the whole way—the favorite stretch for South City racing fans.

Yan Zhi suddenly opened the throttle, the bike roaring, and that roar got Zhai Xingchen's blood pumping.

What guy could resist the sound of an engine redlined?

His adrenaline spiked—scared and thrilled at once. The wind was so strong he felt like he'd get blown off. He shouted at Yan Zhi, "Slow down, slow down!"

But Yan Zhi acted like he didn't hear. Something reckless and aggressive rose up in him—the more Zhai Xingchen told him to slow down, the faster and harder he pushed it, no mercy at all. A turn came up ahead and he gunned it, the bike leaning hard into the curve.

Honestly, Zhai Xingchen thought he and the bike were about to go flying off together. He clutched Yan Zhi's waist so tight his heart was in his throat.

Yan Zhi laughed. The bike whipped through the turn with a whoosh and straightened right up.

So this was what it felt like—riding your favorite bike with the person you liked on the back.

Yan Zhi carried Zhai Xingchen along the coastline, just driving and driving.

Like they could drive all the way to the edge of the world.

A place with no Huo Cheng, no Hu Ying and the others, no variety show—just the two of them, two people who knew each other in real life.

Maybe it was the time on the bike, but his trust in the rider kept growing. This kind of dangerous, thrilling ride builds trust faster than everyday life. Zhai Xingchen gradually relaxed and started really feeling the rush of the big bike. The visor caught the streetlights—bright, dim, bright, dim. Streetlights kept falling behind, buildings and trees kept falling behind, only the distant sea seemed to hold still, rolling in massive waves under the moonlight.

Yan Zhi glanced down at the hands locked around his stomach. Zhai Xingchen was practically pressed against his back.

He didn't like physical contact with people, and this was his first time carrying a passenger on a motorcycle. He was nervous, scared, and excited all at once.

Too bad they couldn't just keep driving like this forever. Someday—if he got the chance again—he'd take Zhai Xingchen on a real trip, out to the desert and the Gobi.

When they finally stopped at the south gate of Zhongwu Academy, Zhai Xingchen got off and realized his legs were a little wobbly. Yan Zhi's waist was damp with his sweaty palms.

He took off the helmet. "Can't stand."

Yan Zhi took off his helmet and smiled at him.

Zhai Xingchen's face was flushed, his bangs a little damp—like he'd just been through something intense.

"Lost control for a second. Went too fast," Yan Zhi said.

"This was my first time on a motorcycle, and the first time had to be this wild? I can't handle it," Zhai Xingchen said.

Totally normal conversation, but hearing Zhai Xingchen say 'first time' sent a hot flush through Yan Zhi. He took the helmet Zhai Xingchen handed him. "Go find your roommate. I'll wait here."

Zhai Xingchen shook out his legs, waited until he got used to standing on solid ground, then went inside. About ten minutes later, he came out the south gate carrying two potted plants.

He'd barely come out when he saw a girl holding her phone, asking Yan Zhi for his WeChat.

Yan Zhi still had his helmet on, so you couldn't really see his face, but he probably looked too cool, and the bike was too flashy—hence the swarm of admirers.

He heard Yan Zhi tell the girl, "Sorry, I've got someone."

The girl was good-natured about it. "No worries."

Once she'd left, Zhai Xingchen walked over.

"Peach blossoms everywhere," he joked.

"Not as many as yours," Yan Zhi said.

Zhai Xingchen had two potted plants in his arms, which made getting back on the bike awkward. But Yan Zhi insisted on driving him. Zhai Xingchen climbed on and wedged the two pots between them. The pots were a little dirty and smudged Yan Zhi's jacket. Knowing Yan Zhi's heavy germaphobia, he wiped it off with his sleeve.

Yan Zhi dropped him off downstairs, looked up. "What floor are you on?"

"Fourth," Zhai Xingchen said. "Want to come up for a bit?"

"Too late," Yan Zhi said. "Next time."

"Xiao Xing!"

Zhai Xingchen suddenly heard his mom calling. He looked up and saw her at the window, looking down at him.

She'd been hanging laundry on the balcony, heard the motorcycle, glanced down, and spotted her son with a stranger.

"My mom," Zhai Xingchen said.

Yan Zhi heard that, immediately hopped off the bike, took off his helmet, and called out, "Hello, Auntie."

"Oh—oh—" Once she got a clear look at Yan Zhi's features, Zhai Mama's eyes went wide.

Wasn't that Yan Zhi?

He wasn't wearing glasses, but she recognized him at a glance.

Too handsome—in that biker outfit, broad shoulders, long legs, tall and straight.

She quickly waved Zhai Baba over.

"Another one!" she told him.

The two of them leaned out together and watched Zhai Xingchen talking to Yan Zhi, two potted plants in his arms.

Under the streetlight, the scene looked almost too perfect.

Yan Zhi looked up again, saw the Zhai Residence couple, and this time gave a shallow, respectful bow: 'Uncle, Auntie, goodbye.'

"Come up and sit for a bit!" Zhai Mama called.

Yan Zhi smiled. "No, it's too late. I'll come visit next time."

He was a completely different type from Pei Xu, completely different from Huo Cheng—gentle, handsome, calm.

Their shouting back and forth between floors got a neighbor next door to poke their head out too.

Yan Zhi swung onto the bike. "Heading out."

Zhai Xingchen nodded.

The moment he got home, Zhai Xingchen was surrounded by his parents.

"Was that Yan Zhi? What is he doing here?!" Zhai Mama asked.

"Just a coincidence. I ran into him on the way to the Dance School," Zhai Xingchen said.

Really that much of a coincidence? Wasn't he here specifically for her son? Zhai Mama was suspicious.

But tomorrow was another recording day. The couple didn't want to say too much, afraid that if they read too much into what was just friendship, Zhai Xingchen might actually start misunderstanding things and fall for it.

After all, every single one of these guys was just too impressive!

Good Lord, where did the Production Team even find these people?

The motorcycle stopped at the entrance to Changping Village. Yan Zhi sat on the bike, glanced back toward Zhai Xingchen's place. He took off his own helmet and put on the one Zhai Xingchen had just worn.

It still seemed to hold Zhai Xingchen's scent. He fastened the strap, looked up, and saw a crescent moon overhead and one very bright North Star.

Everyone knew Yan Zhi was famously Asceticism, excessively germaphobic—his clothes and shoes always spotless, his closet and room always perfectly tidy. To his fans, his teammates, his relatives and friends, he always looked so gentle and refined.

But only he knew that in another hidden corner of his heart lived a different version of him—one that craved love desperately.

He wanted to lock Zhai Xingchen away and sink into a world of endless sensation.

The cleaner his body, the heavier his dark desires. If he let them all out, would Zhai Xingchen be afraid?

Even he thought it was too intense, a little terrifying. Probably no one could handle it.

He rode the motorcycle down Linhai Coastal Road, the roar splitting the night, mingling with the sound of the waves.

If love had a shape, his would be a tsunami.