Chapter 7: Xi Xingling
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With so many people in the private room watching him, Li Dong worked hard to suppress his urge to brush off the goosebumps. He put down his phone as if nothing had happened and greeted Han Tianlian, “Ge, I’m stepping out to take a call.”
Han Tianlin was in the middle of an animated discussion. He waved it off. “Go. If it’s stuffy in here, just leave early.”
He knew his brother had no patience for schmoozing. Only this morning their mother had called to say the younger one had “turned over a new leaf,” and he should look after him a bit.
“Mm.” Li Dong slipped out, found a quiet corner in the hallway, and returned the call. “What is with you? You sound like you took an aphrodisiac or something?”
Good thing he had not put the call on speaker, or he would have died of secondhand embarrassment.
“I thought Second Young Master wasn’t going to answer me again.” On the other end, Xi Xingling’s voice went small and whimpering. He had been calling and calling, and Li Dong had ignored him the whole time.
“I told you, I’m at the table, mingling.” Li Dong’s tone was dry. “I’m outside now. If you have something to say, say it. Why did you call?”
“No reason, just… just… texting with you made me, um… you know…” He was a little breathless.
“You know what?” Li Dong mimicked his tone. Anyone could hear he was being sarcastic.
Xi Xingling had no time to worry about whether Second Young Master was teasing him. He was huddled in a bathroom stall with his forehead against the wall, face flushed, and whole body hot. “Second Young Master, I miss you so much…”
There it was again, that kittenish sound.
Something was off. To Li Dong’s ears, this little brat was one hundred percent getting off.
After listening to his voice get higher and higher, evolving from a kitten’s whimper to a cat in heat in March or April, five minutes had already passed.
“Second Young Master?” When he was done, Xi Xingling’s voice came back, shy and normal. “Are you there? Second Young Master?” Where did he go?
A few minutes passed with no answer.
His smile collapsed. “Ignoring me again,” he muttered.
This was when he felt most hollow and alone. He wanted to be soothed, to be called sweetheart and darling.
“Hmph!” He hung up and immediately called back. “Second Young Master~~”
“Feeling better?” Li Dong asked. He was already driving, Bluetooth in his ear.
“What did you say?” The idiot male lead drawled, long and sugary, the kind of tone that made you want to haul him out and give him a spanking.
“You tell me,” Li Dong said.
Doing it and then pretending innocence. What was the point of that act?
“Fine. It felt great, okay?” Xi Xingling cleared his throat. “Mwah~ Kissing Second Young Master’s big XX, and now I'm going back to work. You really have to come pick me up this afternoon. If you don’t come, I’ll die.”
“Dramatic.”
“It’s true.” His voice had only been normal for two sentences before this one started getting breathy again.
Li Dong hung up like he was being chased by a ghost. He pressed a hand to his chest. “Good grief…” He had thought the faux-innocent act was unbearable, turned out the unmasked version was even scarier.
Having successfully spooked Li Dong, Xi Xingling chided playfully, “Really, always hanging up on me like that.”
He was not disappointed though. He hummed a little tune as he walked out of the restroom.
After washing his hands and straightening his clothes, the flushed stray kitten turned back into a fresh-faced designer.
“Xingling, you’re back late too?” A colleague greeted him in the hall.
“Yeah, had a stomachache and got delayed, but it’s fine now.” He laughed and chatted as they walked.
“We’re having dinner and karaoke tonight. Want to come?” The colleague figured it would be good to include the promising newcomer the GM liked and get him mixing with the team.
And a pretty boy like that was always a fun addition.
“Tonight?” Regret flickered over Xi Xingling’s face. “I already made plans with a friend. Next time? I’m getting made permanent next month. I’ll treat everyone when I get my paycheck.”
“Permanent? Oh wow, that’s great. I knew someone like you would stay.” The colleague congratulated him sincerely. “Next time then. Have fun tonight.”
“Thanks. You too.” Smiling, he waved and went back to his desk to work.
He thought happily to himself that going out with Second Young Master tonight would definitely be fun.
“You’re finally back. You okay?” Xia Bailun sat at the desk next to his. He looked him over and frowned. “Was it your stomach or a fever? Why is your face so… red?”
It looked like… it looked like… he had a fever.
“Is it?” Xi Xingling touched his cheeks, then pulled out a pocket mirror and peered at himself over the desk. Still fair, just a little dry…
He really wanted to put on a face mask. If he waited until after work, would there still be time?
“Hey, Teacher Zhang is coming,” Xia warned kindly.
Xi Xingling snapped the mirror shut and made it look like he had been diligently studying materials this whole time.
“Xingling, the two drafts you turned in, I’d like to discuss a few spots with you.” Teacher Zhang stopped at his station, smiling at the hardworking youth. She felt genuinely gratified. “Working on a new sketch?”
There was a rough on the desk.
Simple, but the lines flowed, the form already taking shape.
As a veteran, she would not steal a junior’s idea. Still, she cautioned him, “Keep your roughs safe. Otherwise you’ll be crying if one goes missing.”
“Teacher, it is just a doodle, not a real draft.” He flushed and tucked the sketch away, its inspiration had struck by doing it with Second Young Master. “Shall we discuss in your office?”
As a lead, she had her own office.
“Yes, come.” To be honest, at first she had taken him onto the series because Wang Yun had pushed for it. She had not expected much.
After seeing his drafts, her opinion had flipped.
It was not only Xi Xingling who felt the change. The other designers could see it too. Both the GM and Teacher Zhang clearly rated him.
As a peer who had joined alongside him, Xia Bolun’s resentment had grown.
Other colleagues were envious as well, but talent and inspiration were what they were. Some people were simply fed by the gods.
In Teacher Zhang’s office, Xi Xingling kept his wandering mind in check.
He valued this job no less than his desire to tumble in the sheets with Han Yubai. Given the two, work came first. The other could wait.
When the conversation turned to work, he went quiet and focused. Gone was the bathroom flirt. His explanations were orderly and fluent.
His ideas and his concepts lived on the page. From the first line he held to the theme Teacher Zhang had set, no drifting, and even a touch of uplift.
She felt his designs merged with hers and also sparked against them.
When this entire series was put together, it was magnificent and brilliant, romantic and bright.
They settled on a handful of revisions. Xi Xingling checked the time. “I’ll draw the changes now and try to have them done before I leave.”
After all, in one month’s time would be the promotional period.
They would need to finish the drawings, do prototypes, and revise within that month. Best if there were no changes at all.
“Go on,” Teacher Zhang nodded. “Don’t rush. Good work takes time. Our trade is all about patience.”
“Mm.” With the changes mapped out in his mind, he left the office and dove into work at his desk.
Xia tried to sneak peeks, but the partition was too high.
“Time to get off work.” In a blink it was five-thirty. Chairs scraped and drawers shut. People locked up what needed locking, grabbed their bags, and headed for the time clock.
Xi Xingling’s brows flicked up. He sprang to his feet. “Oh no, it’s time!” Like a rabbit about to give birth, he spun in place, slapped on a sheet mask, tidied his desk, and locked the drafts in the safe.
“Second Young Master~~” He typed two characters first, then sent a WeChat voice note. “Give me five minutes. I’ll be right down!”
Five minutes later, Li Dong texted back: What is wrong with your mouth? Your voice sounds weird.
Like he was talking with something in his mouth.
No, I was just doing a sheet mask, Xi Xingling panted as he ran.
Li Dong looked up just in time to see him.
A sheet mask?
“…”
“Second Young Master!” Xi Xingling held up two fingers and flashed a brilliant smile. That face was all springy collagen. He had earned the right to say the mask worked.
He bounded up to him. “Sorry, did you wait long? I got absorbed in work and forgot the time. I was supposed to put the mask on ten minutes before clocking out!”
Then everyone had left and he finally realized.
Obsessive designer plus sheet-mask-loving flirt, together they blinded Li Dong a little.
“No.” He kept it short, opened the car door, and jerked his chin for him to get in.
Xi Xingling, however, looped an arm around his neck and tipped his face up, waiting for a kiss. “Second Young Master, did you miss me?”
“…,”
Li Dong exhaled through his nose, opened the door wider, and said, “Inside the car.” Two men kissing out in public like this, be serious.
“Okay. I am very obedient.” He released Li Dong’s neck, gave him a smile, and ducked into the seat.
He waited there, bright-eyed and expectant.
Fresh from the mask, his skin was smooth and dewy, his whole face lit with spring. Those big eyes sparkled like he had poured in half a bottle of drops.
“Kiss where?” Li Dong leaned in.
“My lips.” He puckered immediately.
“Do you have lip balm on?” Li Dong peered, nose near his mouth, checking for any weird scent.
“I do, but it’s the kissable kind. I ordered it yesterday,” Xi Xingling said. “Second Young Master, hurry up and kiss me. Doesn’t balm make lips look even prettier?”
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