Extra 2.2 – The Star Around The Sun

“Film Emperor”

It was already bright out when Xia Xingcheng woke up. He stretched his limbs in the nest of the bedding, enjoying the sensation, and saw a small gap between the curtains. The bright early morning sunlight streamed in, giving the impression that it would be another scorching hot summer day, but the temperature in the room remained cool and comfortable. 

Yang Youming had already gotten out of bed. The sheets were cool to the touch when Xia Xingcheng reached over to feel them. He’d probably been up for some time. 

Xia Xingcheng’s recent work schedule had been so hectic that it made him less energetic than usual. He sat up on the bed, hands over his face for a spell, before he tore away the covers and got out of bed. 

He was completely naked. These days, as long as Xia Xingcheng was at home, he usually slept naked. He enjoyed hugging Yang Youming in his sleep and feeling the other man’s body pressed close to his own. 

When Xia Xingcheng stepped out of the room after getting dressed, he saw Yang Youming and Dong Dong eating breakfast across from each other at the dining table.

The moment Dong Dong saw him, he raised his head and exclaimed, “Morning, Uncle!”

Xia Xingcheng had been extremely busy recently, so he hadn’t had the time to play with Dong Dong. It was Yang Youming who took care of him the entire time. Today, he had the rare opportunity to take a close look at Dong Dong and discovered that he had really grown up a lot. He resembled both Xia Ye and Fang Ying, but there was also a shadow of Xia Xingcheng in his appearance. The beautiful boy had truly inherited the Xia family’s excellent genes.

Dong Dong was as well-behaved as he had always been. He was a little shy, and didn’t like to talk very much. After he greeted Xia Xingcheng, he lowered his head and continued eating his steamed bun.

Yang Youming had made the steamed buns himself for breakfast, which was a special treat for Dong Dong. When it was just the two of them at home, breakfast was usually noodles, with the occasional coffee and bread for variety.

Yang Youming rose to greet Xia Xingcheng. “Have you washed up? Come have breakfast.” He then went to the kitchen to get a bowl and chopsticks for Xia Xingcheng. 

“Hold on,” Xia Xingcheng said, “I need to work out first.”

Yang Youming stopped in his tracks. He leaned against the back of the chair and looked at him. “You want to work out at this hour? By the time you’re done, it’ll be lunchtime.”

Xia Xingcheng was slightly distressed. “But working out after eating is troublesome.”

Yang Youming walked over to him and grabbed his wrist as he reached his side, pulling him to the dining table and seating him. “Then don’t work out today, you can start tomorrow.” With that, he went to the kitchen to grab a bowl and some milk.

Seeing Dong Dong still nibbling on his bun, his mouth shiny with oil, Xia Xingcheng leaned over and asked, “Is it yummy?”

Dong Dong stopped nibbling, closed his mouth, chewed slowly, then nodded with wide eyes.

Xia Xingcheng then reached out for a steamed bun, took a bite, and savoured the taste in his mouth unhurriedly. 

Yang Youming placed a bowl and chopsticks in front of him, poured him a glass of milk, and asked, “How does it taste?”

Xia Xingcheng nodded, “Delicious, just a little worse than my mom’s.”

Yang Youming chuckled at his words.

Xia Xingcheng was unable to keep his mouth shut while he ate. “When we’re old and out of acting jobs, we’ll open a restaurant. You cook in the kitchen, while I man the cash register out front.”

Yang Youming had already finished his breakfast. He leaned back, an elbow on the back of the chair propping his head up as he looked at Xia Xingcheng. “Not only do I have to cook for you when I’m old,” he began, “I also have to work part time for your restaurant?”

Xia Xingcheng returned his gaze with a smile. 

Yang Youming added, “Then who’s going to serve the dishes?”

Dong Dong immediately raised his hand, and shyly exclaimed, “Can I do it?”

Xia Xingcheng burst out laughing and slapped the table, then pointed to Dong Dong and said, “Of course! That’s your job now!”

While the steamed buns that Yang Youming made weren’t small, Xia Xingcheng swallowed three down in one breath. He felt so full after breakfast that, when he went to the living room and plopped down on the sofa, lying face down, he wasn’t willing to move a single muscle. 

After washing the dishes, Yang Youming walked over and slapped Xia Xingcheng’s ass, saying, “Don’t lie down, you just ate.”

Xia Xingcheng flipped over and sat up, whispering, “Don’t spank me, what if Dong Dong sees?”

Yang Youming laughed. “You’re still worried about Dong Dong seeing?” 

“Of course.” Xia Xingcheng glanced around the living room. When he didn’t spot Dong Dong, he asked, “Where is he?”

“In the study,” said Yang Youming. “He does his homework in the morning. You can take him out to play in the evening.”

“Take him where?” asked Xia Xingcheng. 

“Where do you want to go?” Yang Youming inquired. He thought for a moment, before saying, “It’s not convenient to go anywhere nearby. If you don’t have any work for the next few days, we can take Dong Dong on a trip.”

Xia Xingcheng gave it some thought and decided it was fine. “I’ll call Lao-Huang later and ask him to book flight tickets and accommodation. How about a few days stay in a nice hotel on the mountains?”

Yang Youming nodded. 

Xia Xingcheng turned his head and shot a look at the tightly shut door of the study, then reached over and tugged Yang Youming onto the sofa. He hugged his waist and leaned over to kiss him. 

Yet Yang Youming leaned back and avoided him instead.

Dumbstruck, Xia Xingcheng asked, “Why did you do that?”

Yang Youming looked at him and said, “You still taste like steamed buns.”

Xia Xingcheng’s brows furrowed. “Your own steamed buns gross you out?” 

Yang Youming angled his body backwards. “It’s not like I want to kiss my steamed buns.” 

Xia Xingcheng said, “I don’t care. You’re not allowed to avoid me.” Afterwards, he caged Yang Youming between his knees and manhandled him onto the sofa, hell-bent on kissing him. 

Yang Youming avoided him a few times to tease him, and when he finally stopped dodging, he let Xia Xingcheng press two light kisses on his mouth. 

Xia Xingcheng hugged Yang Youming, resting his face on the man’s shoulder. “If only I didn’t have to work. It’d be great if I could spend every day with you.”

Yang Youming stroked his hair and pressed a kiss on his forehead. “We still have all the time in the world.”

–

Before Dai Xiaoxuan got off work that afternoon, she received a call from her boyfriend.

“Why so sudden?” Dai Xiaoxuan asked.

Her boyfriend said, “What’s so sudden? Don’t you still have two hours until your shift ends? That’s enough time to get ready.”

Like hell it was.

Dai Xiaoxuan had woken up late this morning. She had left in a rush, and she hadn’t done her hair and makeup. At present, even with two hours before work ended, she simply had no time to tidy up herself. 

So when her boyfriend drove over to pick her up and saw her unkempt appearance, he fell silent for a beat before saying, “You’re seriously going out like this?”

Dai Xiaoxuan stayed mute. 

Her boyfriend’s name was Qin Chi. He was the son of someone who could only just be considered a nouveau riche. He had just turned thirty this year, so strictly speaking, he was the same age as Xia Xingcheng. Qin Chi owned an apartment in the city, drove a fancy car, and had a penchant for spending money in droves. He’d apparently started a business with a few friends, but Qin Chi had never told her anything about how things were going. 

Dai Xiaoxuan could be considered somewhat of a beauty if she tidied up. When she didn’t, though, she didn’t look that impressive, resembling an ordinary university student. 

Qin Chi complained about her endlessly on the way to dinner, grumbling about how she hadn’t put on any makeup nor worn a nice dress, and how taking her out just made him lose face.

Dai Xiaoxuan kept her mouth shut grudgingly. She didn’t find out until later that Qin Chi was taking her to a high-end western restaurant, where a single head could spend nearly two thousand yuan. This was her first time eating at such an expensive joint. While she couldn’t care less about Qin Chi’s anger, she felt that she should’ve cleaned up a little before coming to such a place. 

The restaurant had no private rooms, and the interior wasn’t too large either. It probably only hosted seven or eight tables, all of which had to be reserved beforehand.

Tonight, apart from the two of them, an old friend of Qin Chi’s also ate with them. Supposedly, he had just returned from abroad, and he brought his girlfriend along to meet up with Qin Chi. Qin Chi had taken the initiative to treat them to dinner and chose such an expensive restaurant.   

Dai Xiaoxuan felt that Qin Chi was just doing something beyond his ability. It was truly unnecessary. 

As they ate, Qin Chi and his buddy talked up a storm. Sitting opposite her was his buddy’s girlfriend. In terms of looks, she wasn’t as pretty as Dai Xiaoxuan, but she was very well dressed. The tight black dress she was wearing accentuated her figure perfectly.

The western food didn’t suit Dai Xiaoxuan’s tastes. She ate absent-mindedly, with no intention to listen to Qin Chi’s boasting. Bored, she lifted her head and looked around the restaurant instead, catching sight of an empty table by the window. 

Right then, a waiter led a little boy over and sat him down at one of the tables in the dining hall. 

The little boy looked to be about ten years old. He had a very lovely, good looking face, but he appeared a little fidgety. He wouldn’t stop looking around after he sat down, and his fingers kept picking at the napkin on the tabletop.

Dai Xiaoxuan suddenly felt that he was a little familiar. She grabbed her fork in a daze. Not even a minute later, she once again saw the waiter leading a tall, slender figure towards a table by the window.

This time, the person wasn’t just a familiar face. It was a face she was very familiar with.

Dai Xiaoxuan straightened up in her seat. She watched Xia Xingcheng walk over to the dining table, stroke the little boy’s head, and sit down in the seat next to him. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d see Xia Xingcheng here. She was slightly thrilled. 

She then peered around the room and found that no one else seemed to have noticed Xia Xingcheng. The people in the dining hall were all quietly having their dinner and speaking in low voices. Those who came to eat here were probably people who didn’t think seeing a celebrity was anything worth being surprised about. 

Next to Dai Xiaoxuan, Qin Chi was pompously bragging about his business, but Dai Xiaoxuan’s mind had long since fled the conversation. 

She couldn’t recall where she had seen that little boy before.

It was apparent that the boy was very close with Xia Xingcheng. The two of them leaned into each other and flipped through the menu. Xia Xingcheng was pointing at the menu, seemingly asking the boy whether he wanted to eat a particular dish, but the boy kept shaking his head. 

After almost two minutes, they had flipped through the entire menu. Xia Xingcheng fished out his phone and took a look at the screen, and the boy patiently went through the menu from cover to cover once more. 

It was at that moment that Dai Xiaoxuan spotted someone who almost made her stand up in shock, but she managed to hold back, of course, and ended up only clinking the fork on her plate with a not-so-subtle clang. 

Qin Chi’s head whirled around to shoot her a dissatisfied look. 

Dai Xiaoxuan, however, couldn’t care less. She forced herself not to let her excited shaking show, her teeth clenched tight. She tried to keep her eyes open wide as she watched Yang Youming, together with a white man in a chef’s uniform, walking to the table by the window. 

Yang Youming didn’t sit down right away. He was still talking to the chef, and Xia Xingcheng followed suit by standing up, smiling then shaking hands with the chef. After the chef left them alone, Yang Youming sat down in the seat across Xia Xingcheng.

Dai Xiaoxuan bit her lips hard. She didn’t know whether she wanted to cry or laugh.

Yang Youming lowered his head and said something to the boy at Xia Xingcheng’s side. 

The little boy tilted his head up and looked at Yang Youming with a bashful smile.

Dai Xiaoxuan finally recalled where she had seen the boy—he was, without a doubt, the little boy who had been photographed on the streets with Yang Youming the other day.

She stared at them in a daze and suddenly realised that, instead of being Yang Youming’s illegitimate son, this boy resembled Xia Xingcheng instead. 

It turned out that Xia Xingcheng really had been in contact with Yang Youming all this time. On top of that, their relationship was even better than Dai Xiaoxuan had previously believed. 

This time, without the blurry pixels of a photograph separating them, Dai Xiaoxuan could examine Yang Youming’s face more carefully. She found that, although so many years had passed, Yang Youming hadn’t changed a bit. 

Yang Youming’s last appearance on the big screen had been the film he acted with Xia Xingcheng in, ‘The Trap’, directed by He Zheng, upon which he’d won another Best Actor award. After that, until the year before last, he worked on a massive commercial war film, which had post-production complications and wasn’t released even until now.

Dai Xiaoxuan herself was more of a Xia Xingcheng fan, but she had once asked a Yang Youming fan if it was tiring to like a star who so rarely appeared in the media or in public. That fan had answered: We’re used to it. We place this person deep down in our hearts. We won’t always think about him, but once he appears or we get to see him again, we’d find that he’s always been at the forefront of our hearts.

At the time, Dai Xiaoxuan hadn’t been in the workforce for long. Everyday, she would work herself to death and no longer had the energy to chase stars. She realised that it was a pretty good approach—being a fan of someone doesn’t require you to constantly chase them everytime and everywhere. It was enough to just have them in your heart, check out their works, and pay attention to their lives once in a while. Hence, these past few years, Dai Xiaoxuan had always kept some room in her heart for Xia Xingcheng.

Dai Xiaoxuan watched Xia Xingcheng and Yang Youming and was suddenly overcome with many memories of the past. Her nose soured. 

There was only a bottle of wine and some appetizers on Xia Xingcheng’s table. The two men weren’t in a hurry to eat, and were conversing instead. 

Dai Xiaoxuan could only see Xia Xingcheng’s back from where she sat, but she could see the way Yang Youming gazed at Xia Xingcheng, attentive, eyes tender. She had no idea what Xia Xingcheng was saying, but Yang Youming broke into a gentle smile. 

Xia Xingcheng picked up his glass of red wine and swayed it around, then handed it to the boy next to him and brought it to the boy’s lips. The little boy took a sip, then shook his head. 

When Xia Xingcheng brought the glass to his mouth a second time, the little boy dodged to the side, and Yang Youming reached out to stop Xia Xingcheng. 

“Xiaoxuan, XIAOXUAN!” Dai Xiaoxuan, whose gaze had been transfixed elsewhere, was suddenly called to her boyfriend’s attention. It was only then that she realised that Qin Chi had been calling out to her for a while.

Qin Chi glanced in the direction she’d been staring at just then. She had no idea whether he recognised Yang Youming and who he was together with, but in any case, he grumbled about her in a very disgruntled manner. Qin Chi didn’t chase stars, and he couldn’t care less about others chasing stars. In fact, he couldn’t care less about many things and only ever felt that his own taste and preferences were the most remarkable.

Dai Xiaoxuan smiled at Qin Chi’s friends and barely managed to collect her thoughts as she pretended to listen intently.

☆ ☆ ☆

Thank you to Andie for the kofis!

⟵ Extra II Part 1 | TOC | Extra II Part 3 ⟶