Trending topic alert: The mysterious fan site administrator of a top celebrity has been exposed.

When Cheng Yingzhi woke up, he instinctively reached out to grab the person beside him, but found nothing.

He instantly regained consciousness, opened his eyes and looked to his side—the indentation on the pillow was still there, and there was even a trace of body heat and Qi Yuan's unique refreshing scent, but the person was gone.

Cheng Yingzhi sat up, rubbed his temples, and looked around. The clothes scattered on the floor had been picked up, there was no sound of water in the bathroom, and the apartment was eerily quiet.

That kid actually ran away.

Cheng Yingzhi was so angry he almost laughed. The person who clung to his neck last night, refusing to let go, and whimpering with red eyes beneath him, had vanished without a trace as soon as dawn broke?

He knew almost without even having to guess where Qi Yuan had gone.

From childhood to adulthood, whenever this guy got into trouble or wanted some peace and quiet, there was only one place—the long-abandoned community basketball court they used to frequent as kids.

So many years have passed, and you haven't made any progress at all.

Just as Cheng Yingzhi picked up his car keys, preparing to go to that "old spot" to drag the person back, his phone rang. It was Chu Yi.

"Cheng Yingzhi." Chu Yi's voice came through the receiver, as calm as ever, but Cheng Yingzhi keenly detected a hint of helplessness. "Qi Yuan is with me."

Cheng Yingzhi raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that they would actually go looking for "outside help"?

"How is he?" Cheng Yingzhi asked as he walked out, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Hugging my cushion, I sat in the corner of the sofa like a dog that had been soaked in the rain."

Chu Yi described it very accurately: "He wouldn't answer any of my questions, he just said he wanted to stay with me for a few days."

Cheng Yingzhi could almost picture the scene. He rubbed his temples. "I'll come pick him up."

"Are you sure he wants to see you right now?" Chu Yi's tone held a hint of inquiry. "You two..."

"It's nothing," Cheng Yingzhi interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Yingzhi got into his car, his expression not very pleasant.

He considered this kind of behavior—sleeping with someone and then running off to disturb others—to be highly unacceptable.

He had to catch the ostrich that had retreated into its shell as soon as possible; some things needed to be said face to face.

When Cheng Yingzhi rang Chu Yi's doorbell, it was Zhou Ai who opened the door.

Zhou Ai, with her messy, spiky hair and wearing loose pajamas, was visibly taken aback when she saw Cheng Yingzhi, dressed in a suit and exuding a low-key aura, standing outside the door. She then gave him a look of anticipation, stepped aside to let him in, and said in a low voice, "He's curled up on the sofa in the living room. Chu Yi is in the kitchen making hangover tea."

Cheng Yingzhi nodded his thanks and went straight to the living room.

Sure enough, Qi Yuan huddled in the corner of the sofa, clutching a gray cushion tightly in his arms, curling himself up into a ball.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up warily and saw Cheng Yingzhi. His eyes widened instantly, like a startled rabbit. He instinctively shrank back into the sofa, his cheeks turning red at a visible speed.

"You... why are you here?" Qi Yuan's voice was a little weak, his eyes darting around, not daring to look at Cheng Yingzhi.

Cheng Yingzhi walked to the sofa, looked down at him without saying a word, but his gaze swept over him heavily, from his still somewhat messy hair to the faint red marks under his slightly open collar, and then to his hands that were tightly gripping the cushion with white knuckles.

The air seemed to freeze.

Chu Yi came out of the kitchen, saw this scene, stopped in her tracks, and wisely did not approach.

Zhou Ai leaned against the restaurant door frame, watching with great interest.

Cheng Yingzhi finally spoke, his voice not loud, "You've got some nerve? You even know how to run? Hmm?"

Qi Yuan's face turned even redder, and he stammered, unable to speak.

Cheng Yingzhi bent down and placed his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of Qi Yuan's body, trapping him between himself and the sofa. The two were so close that they could hear each other breathing.

"Avoiding me?" Cheng Yingzhi stared into his eyes, his tone unreadable, but his gaze sharp. "Qi Yuan, you sleep with me and then run away. Who taught you manners?"

Qi Yuan felt exposed under Cheng Yingzhi's gaze, his ears turning bright red. He instinctively tried to push Cheng Yingzhi away, but Cheng Yingzhi gently grasped his wrist.

"Come back with me." Cheng Yingzhi's tone softened slightly, but remained firm. "Let's talk."

"I...I won't..." Qi Yuan still tried to struggle.

Cheng Yingzhi didn't give him a chance. He reached out, slipped his hands under his knees and back, and with a little effort, easily lifted him up from the sofa!

"Ah!" Qi Yuan exclaimed, instinctively grabbing Cheng Yingzhi's neck, the cushion in his hand falling to the ground. He struggled, "Cheng Yingzhi, let me go! Chu Yi! Zhou Ai! Help!"

Chu Yi silently looked away and took a sip of coffee.

Zhou Ai laughed and whistled, not only failing to save him, but also helping Cheng Yingzhi open the door.

"Cheng Yingzhi!" Qi Yuan was both ashamed and angry, and he thrashed about with his hands and feet.

Cheng Yingzhi held him firmly in her arms and strode out, leaning down to whisper in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, a voice tinged with danger:

"If you move around again, I don't mind continuing what we didn't finish last night here."

Qi Yuan froze instantly, all struggles ceased, and he buried his flushed face tightly in Cheng Yingzhi's shoulder, becoming completely obedient.

Cheng Yingzhi hugged him, nodded to Chu Yi and Zhou Ai behind him as a farewell, and then walked straight to the elevator.

Chu Yi looked at the closed door, shook her head, and said calmly, "It seems that Qi Yuan can't escape this time."

Zhou Ai leaned in and hugged his waist, smiling like a cat that had just stolen some cream: "Sweetie, it's so good to have us, I never run away."

Chu Yi glanced at him, too lazy to refute.

Qi Yuan, who had been shoved into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt by Cheng Yingzhi, looked at the street scene rushing past outside the window and the cold yet possessive profile of the man beside him, his heart pounding like a drum.

He knew that this time, there was truly nowhere to escape.

After being "carried" home by Cheng Yingzhi, Qi Yuan became completely obedient, like a cat whose scruff of the neck had been pinched.

He curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging his knees, not daring to look at Cheng Yingzhi.

Cheng Yingzhi didn't pressure him. He simply poured a glass of warm water and placed it in front of him, then sat opposite him and quietly watched him.

"Qi Yuan," Cheng Yingzhi finally spoke first, his voice gentler than ever before, yet carrying an undeniable seriousness, "look at me."

Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his head and met Cheng Yingzhi's deep eyes.

"I remember last night very clearly," Cheng Yingzhi said slowly, his gaze fixed on him. "I remember every single detail. I wasn't drunk and acted recklessly; I couldn't control myself."

Qi Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks began to burn again.

I know you're panicked, you're scared.

Cheng Yingzhi continued, his tone steady yet firm, "I'm afraid all of this is just an accident, I'm afraid it was just a passing fancy, I'm afraid we can't even be friends anymore, I'm afraid... we'll repeat the same mistakes and be abandoned again."

He accurately struck at all of Qi Yuan's anxieties and fears.

Qi Yuan's eyelashes trembled, and he acquiesced.

Cheng Yingzhi got up and sat down next to him. He didn't touch him, but just sat very close, close enough to feel each other's body temperature.

"I admit, I used to be a jerk."

Cheng Yingzhi's voice lowered, filled with clear regret, "I handled my feelings for you in the most foolish way: I ran away, distanced myself, and even left without saying goodbye. I thought it was for your own good, but it ended up hurting you the most."

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on Qi Yuan: "But Qi Yuan, people change, or rather, they come to understand themselves. During those years abroad, not a single day went by that I didn't think about you. Seeing you go on blind dates with other people, I was insanely jealous. Seeing you drunk, all I wanted to do was hide you away, so no one could see you."

"I don't want to be your brother anymore."

Cheng Yingzhi calmly repeated the words from that rainy night, but her tone was even more resolute: "This identity has trapped me for too long. Now, I only want to love you, take care of you, and keep you by my side as Cheng Yingzhi, openly and honestly."

He reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of Qi Yuan's hand, which was resting on his knee; his palm was warm.

"Give me a chance, and give yourself a chance, okay?"

Cheng Yingzhi's voice carried a barely perceptible plea, "Let's give it a try. If you feel it won't work, if you still can't accept it in the end, I... respect your choice. But at least, don't just eliminate me without even trying."

Qi Yuan looked at the two people's clasped hands, then looked up at Cheng Yingzhi.

He recalled the embarrassing scene when Cheng Yingzhi helped him fight as a child. He remembered Cheng Yingzhi's patience when he stayed up all night tutoring him, and the few words in his emails that conveyed his concern after Cheng Yingzhi went abroad.

I recall the seemingly coincidental encounters and help he gave me after returning to China, the uncontrollable embrace and confession in the rainy night, and his choked words, "Don't leave me," spoken in my drunken stupor last night...

All the grievances, anxieties, and awkwardness seemed to be soothed by that honest and ardent gaze at this moment.

He had actually been interested for a long time.

He's just too deeply hurt by the identity of "older brother" and by the past estrangement to admit it.

Qi Yuan sniffed, then suddenly raised his other hand and pinched Cheng Yingzhi's arm hard.

Cheng Yingzhi frowned slightly, but didn't flinch. He simply looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Does it hurt?" Qi Yuan asked, his voice still a little hoarse.

"pain."

"Oh," Qi Yuan lowered his head, his ears turning bright red, his voice barely audible, "That... wasn't a dream."

Cheng Yingzhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly pulled Qi Yuan into a tight embrace, so tightly that he almost crushed him.

"It's not a dream!" Cheng Yingzhi's voice trembled with excitement. He lowered his head and kissed the top of Qi Yuan's head. "It's real! Qi Yuan, you said yes, didn't you?"

Qi Yuan buried his face in his chest, gave a muffled "hmm," and then stretched out his arms to hug him back.

later--

Their relationship was not made public immediately, but they did not deliberately hide it either.

Cheng Yingzhi would leave work on time to go home and have dinner with Qi Yuan, patiently listen to his wild ideas, and help him select the reliable ones.

After Qi Yuan's investment failed again, instead of simply giving him money, they taught him step by step how to analyze projects and avoid risks.

Qi Yuan gradually shed his impetuousness and, under Cheng Yingzhi's guidance, began to truly settle down and focus on his work.

He still loves to play and have fun, but now he has something to care about and feels more secure.

At a gathering, Qi Yuan, his mouth covered in oil from eating, casually ordered Cheng Yingzhi, "Brother Yingzhi, a tissue."

Cheng Yingzhi shook his head helplessly while skillfully pulling out a tissue to wipe his mouth, his eyes overflowing with doting affection.

The table fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Chu Yi lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Zhou Ai secretly gave Cheng Yingzhi a thumbs-up under the table.

It turns out that everyone had been tacitly aware of this all along.

Later, Qi Yuan's "health tea drink" project, which had been struggling for several years and repeatedly failed, was actually revived under Cheng Yingzhi's precise control and resource injection, and became a niche brand with a good reputation.

Although it didn't make him rich overnight, it did make him profitable, and it gave Qi Yuan his first taste of success.

On the night of the celebration banquet, Qi Yuan, slightly tipsy, leaned against Cheng Yingzhi's chest, looking at the lights of thousands of homes outside the window, and suddenly said, "Brother Yingzhi, actually... my childhood dream wasn't to do any big business."

"Hmm?" Cheng Yingzhi looked down at him.

"I just want to... always follow behind you and Chu Yi, to be a happy little tail."

Qi Yuan's voice was soft and sweet from being drunk, "It's fine as it is now."

Cheng Yingzhi's heart softened, and she tightened her arms, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Yes," his voice was deep and gentle, "From now on, you can be whatever you want. Whether you're a lackey or a big boss, I'll be by your side."

"Is it annoying?" Qi Yuan asked, looking up at him with bright eyes.

"Annoying," Cheng Yingzhi answered without hesitation, but a deep smile appeared in his eyes, "but I enjoy it."

Some feelings begin with the dependence of childhood sweethearts, and end in confusion due to the cowardice and escapism of growing up.

Finally, at a mature age, awakened by courage and honesty, they crossed the boundary called "brotherhood" and blossomed into the most magnificent flower.

Their story wasn't particularly dramatic, but through mutual protection and ultimate courage, they found the best ending—you were making a fuss, and I was laughing, living a warm life together.

---

That concludes the story for now!

Thank you all so much for accompanying me on this journey and for reading this short story.

Thank you again to everyone who left a message and gave feedback. Every read, like, or comment from you is the biggest motivation for me to finish writing this story.

A new story is in the works, and I look forward to meeting you all again in the world of words.

May we all possess genuine sincerity that doesn't run away, and joyful companionship.

Goodbye.

[End of article]