Chapter 10 – Give It a Try

He Rong’s kindness towards him was something Xiang Ning couldn’t quite figure out.

But asking him directly felt too embarrassing. Xiang Ning furrowed his brows, hesitating for a long while, and ultimately decided to say nothing.

That evening, Xiang Ning found himself once again being held down by He Rong to change his bandages. His face flushed, he gritted his teeth, and his toes curled involuntarily. He Rong glanced at him subtly, then smiled as he unwrapped the bandage. “You’re healing well.”

If you didn’t always tease me, I’d heal even better. Xiang Ning wrinkled his nose and closed his eyes in a huff.

After all the fuss, it was time to go to bed. Xiang Ning darted into the bedroom first, waving goodnight at him from the doorway. The next second, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

That’s enough fun for now. He Rong shook his head, a helpless smile on his face as he returned to his own room.

His phone rang, and He Rong answered, listening to Director Lin’s hesitant voice for a while before turning to knock on Xiang Ning’s door.

Xiang Ning was still sulking, and he opened the door with a fierce expression, only to be caught off guard by a simple “I’m sorry.” He Rong stood outside, his face earnest and apologetic.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you in advance. It was my mistake.”

Xiang Ning, who was more easily swayed by sincerity than stubbornness, blushed and shook his head.

“Goodnight?” He Rong smiled at him and naturally ruffled his hair.

———

The company had scheduled the release of the new song for July 20th. Director Lin had put in a lot of effort and had discreetly reached out to several well-known veterans in the industry to help with the promotion. Two days before the release, she called Xiang Ning and Zhou Yi for a pep talk.

Zhou Yi listened attentively, while Xiang Ning fiddled with his phone. After a while, Director Lin took a call and stepped out, leaving the two of them to stare at each other awkwardly.

Zhou Yi broke the silence first, pulling out a chocolate bar from his pocket and asking in a small voice, “Want some?”

The chocolate had been in his pocket for hours and was mostly melted. Zhou Yi realized this and sheepishly put it back, then pulled out a few milk candies, offering them with a slight smile.

Xiang Ning nodded, returning a shy smile as he unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth.

The recording studio fell silent again. The milk flavor quickly melted in his mouth, filling his entire palate. Xiang Ning’s phone vibrated, and he checked it to see a message from He Rong.

“What time will you be done? Want to go back together?”

Xiang Ning thought for a moment and gave a positive response.

“I’ll wait for you in the office.”

With that, the conversation ended. Xiang Ning opened Weibo, absentmindedly refreshing it frequently.

“Your Weibo handle? I’ll follow you,” Zhou Yi said, pulling out his phone and opening Weibo.

Xiang Ning hesitated, feeling embarrassed by his cryptic username. He wrote:

“This is just for my own amusement, not that kind of…”

He couldn’t find the right words, but Zhou Yi nodded understandingly and put his phone away.

“Your songs are really good, I love them,” Zhou Yi said, his face turning red as he struggled to find something to say. He sighed in frustration.

“You sing well too,” Xiang Ning typed, engaging in a bit of mutual flattery.

“No, I don’t,” Zhou Yi scratched his head, embarrassed. “I never learned before; my brother secretly submitted my entry.”

He continued, “I always thought I sang badly, but I loved singing, so I practiced in secret.”

“It was just good luck that I got chosen.”

Xiang Ning smiled in response, noticing Zhou Yi looking at him cautiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you… are you having a sore throat? My mom couldn’t speak at all when she had a sore throat, she could only type.”

“Not that, I just can’t speak,” Xiang Ning replied.

Zhou Yi scratched his head in frustration, realizing he had said the wrong thing again.

Xiang Ning turned back to his phone, and after a while, Zhou Yi, like a little hamster hoarding food, pulled out a jelly from his pocket and poked Xiang Ning’s arm. “Want some?”

Xiang Ning took it with a smile and a nod.

From that moment on, they officially got to know each other. Director Lin didn’t return, and the two boys chatted for a while, eventually exchanging contact information. Xiang Ning checked the time and stood up first.

“I need to go.”

Zhou Yi nodded, his curly bangs bouncing.

He went to the office to find He Rong, and they took the private elevator down. They ran into Zhou Yi again, who looked surprised for a moment before waving at Xiang Ning. He Rong glanced at him but didn’t say anything, just nodding coldly.

Then, he turned to Xiang Ning and asked softly, “Want to go out for dinner?”

Xiang Ning thought for a moment and shook his head.

They drove back to the villa, and Xiang Ning went into the kitchen to cook. He Rong received a call and left in a hurry, telling Xiang Ning to eat without waiting for him.

Xiang Ning sat at the dining table with a bowl of soup, staring blankly for a while before finally serving himself a bowl of rice.

It had always been the two of them eating together, and the sudden change to eating alone felt a bit strange.

The consequence of eating alone was that he tended to eat more.

Xiang Ning patted his slightly bulging belly and couldn’t help but burp. He sprayed some perfume and prepared to go out for a walk. As he opened the door, he bumped into He Rong, who had just returned.

He smelled of hospital disinfectant. Xiang Ning sniffed and took He Rong’s coat to hang it up. He Rong rubbed his temples wearily and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Out for a walk to digest,” Xiang Ning replied, wanting to ask if something was wrong but seeing that He Rong looked normal, he didn’t press the issue and put on his sneakers.

“I’ll change and go with you,” He Rong said, heading upstairs without giving Xiang Ning a chance to refuse. Xiang Ning stood there for a moment, then took some cookies from the fridge and put them in his bag.

“Let’s go,” He Rong came downstairs in a tracksuit, his hair tousled, looking younger.

Xiang Ning smiled and tiptoed to tuck in the label that had come loose.

The dusk was settling in, and the grass lights cast a soft glow, faintly illuminating the nearby lawn. He Rong’s phone buzzed occasionally, and he glanced at it, frowning before turning it off.

The summer breeze carried warmth, occasionally blowing past. Xiang Ning’s forehead was slightly damp with sweat, and he wiped it with a tissue, suddenly stopping in his tracks.

“What’s wrong?” He Rong stopped and asked.

Xiang Ning turned to look at him, pointing towards a bush. He Rong frowned and looked, seeing only leaves rustling in the wind. Xiang Ning turned and walked straight towards the bush.

He Rong followed a few steps behind, and as they got closer, he could faintly hear the cries of tiny kittens. Xiang Ning pushed aside the leaves and pulled out a cardboard box containing three newborn kittens, their eyes just opened.

He looked up at He Rong, unsure of what to do. He Rong was also at a loss, but after a moment’s thought, he said, “Let’s take them to the vet first.”

Xiang Ning nodded immediately and carried the box back home.

They hurriedly drove to the pet hospital.

The three kittens, their eyes still blue, were mewing and moving their heads around. Xiang Ning wanted to touch them but was hesitant, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at He Rong in the driver’s seat.

He Rong sighed after passing a red light. “Don’t worry, they seem fine. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Xiang Ning nodded and looked down at the kittens again.

At the hospital, they were checked and found to be in good health, except for the smallest one, which was a bit weak and needed some medication. They were given instructions on care and left with a new carrier instead of the dirty cardboard box. Xiang Ning peeked through the gaps as they left the hospital.

“Want to keep them?” He Rong asked as he backed out of the parking spot, his eyes on Xiang Ning, who was biting his nails.

Xiang Ning was taken aback, unsure of what to do.

“If you want to keep them, we can. They can keep you company at home,” He Rong said, a smile in his eyes as he turned the steering wheel.

Xiang Ning was still hesitant. After all, this wasn’t really his home, and what would happen to the kittens if he left?

Seeming to sense his hesitation, He Rong chuckled and said casually, “Actually, I have a question for you.”

He stopped the car and turned to Xiang Ning. “I think we’ve gotten along well during this time. If you’re not in a relationship with anyone else, would you consider giving us a try?”

Xiang Ning was taken aback, just staring at him in shock.

“I think we’re compatible. If you’re not sure, you don’t have to rush into anything,” He Rong said, turning back to the road. In the blind spot where Xiang Ning couldn’t see, he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The kittens continued to mew. Xiang Ning unconsciously bit his nails, starting to consider the possibility.

After a while, the car came to a stop. He Rong got out first, opened the back door, and lifted the carrier. He called Xiao Ye on the phone.

“Buy some supplies for kittens about a month old and deliver them to the villa… and…”

Suddenly, he felt a gentle tug. He turned around to see Xiang Ning nodding, his ears red.

“Hello? President He?” Xiao Ye’s voice brought He Rong back to reality. He paused, a faint smile on his face, and cleared his throat.

“Nothing.”