Locker room confinement
On the night of the first public performance, the hashtag #全民造星一公封神# dominated the trending searches all night. Yun Heng, nestled between the curtains of her dorm bed, swiped her fingertips across her phone screen, stopping at the cut of her and Yu Xiao's collaboration. Comments flooded in like a tide:
Yunheng’s voice is incredible! The line “moonlight kisses the wheat waves” gave me goosebumps.
[But his dancing was still so stiff hahaha, luckily Yu Xiao was there to support him, the two of them were surprisingly harmonious in the same frame]
[Did anyone notice that Yu Xiao helped Yun Heng when he turned around? That look! There's definitely something wrong!]
[+1! The prince was clearly dancing with ease, yet he deliberately slowed down to wait for Yunheng. This favoritism is too blatant.]
In the comment section, someone dug out a Reuters photo of Yun Heng turning sideways while practicing dancing, with the caption "The prince's hands-on teaching on the spot"; someone else captured the scene of Yu Xiao putting his coat on Yun Heng's shoulders, and the entry #YuXiaoYunHengAtmosphere# once again became a hot search.
Yun Heng frowned and turned off his phone. He didn't understand why these people always took normal teammate interactions in a completely different light, and he couldn't understand Yu Xiao's actions—he could have excelled on his own, but he dragged him along as a "drag," causing the entire internet to speculate whether they were "having an affair." He pinched his brows, dismissing all those wild speculations—he was straight, and had absolutely no interest in a money-grubbing, money-obsessed young man like Yu Xiao.
The day the song selections for the second public performance were posted, the corridors of the training base were like a frying pan. Yun Heng squeezed into the outermost layer of the crowd, standing on tiptoe to clearly see the tracks on the list—the original rock song he'd worked on late at night had been crossed out and replaced with the slow, lyrical song "Moonlight Rose," with "Yu Xiao Group" marked in red next to it.
His heart sank suddenly, as if it had been doused in ice water. He clutched the corner of his clothes and walked through the crowd, heading straight for Yu Xiao's exclusive practice room, his steps so fast that they could make the wind blow.
"Why change the song?" When Yun Heng pushed open the door, Yu Xiao was leaning on the sofa, flipping through a lyrics book. The sunlight filtering through the blinds cast a mottled shadow on his face. He held a pen between his fingers and drew a striking red circle around the chorus.
Yu Xiao raised his eyes, put down his notebook and patted the empty space beside him: "Come here, I'm just here to check the lyrics with you."
"I'm asking you why you changed the song!" Yun Heng's voice tightened, her fingertips turning white from the effort. "I spent half a month preparing that original song. I wrote everything myself, from the arrangement to the lyrics. Why do you just change it?"
Yu Xiao tapped his fingertips on the lyrics book and said nonchalantly, "That rock song isn't suitable for you. The instructor said your voice is more suitable for lyricism."
"I know for myself whether it's suitable or not!" Yun Heng took a step forward, trying to take back the lyrics book, but was grabbed by the wrist. Yu Xiao's force was not strong, but with a strong force that left no room for escape, he pulled him closer to his arms.
"This song, 'Moonlight Rose,' really brings out your voice." Yu Xiao lowered his head, his breath sweeping across Yun Heng's earlobe, carrying a faint scent of cedar. "You should learn to hide your weaknesses and show off your strengths." He flipped open the lyrics book, and the chorus circled in red was particularly eye-catching. "I've changed it here. When we sing it together..."
"Don't touch me!" Yun Heng jerked his hand away, taking a half step back and bumping into the piano, sending a series of harsh notes emanating from the keys. He subconsciously touched his wrist, feeling as if it had been burned. "Yu Xiao, can you please respect yourself? We're teammates, not someone you can just put your arm around!"
Yu Xiao's brow furrowed, and he suddenly stood up and approached. He was tall and long-legged, casting a shadow over Yun Heng, bringing with him an inherent sense of oppression. "Self-respect?" He chuckled, his fingertips lifting Yun Heng's chin, forcing him to look up. "What have I done to you that's worth your resistance?"
"There's something wrong with your attitude!" Yun Heng turned her head away from his touch, her cheeks flushed. "Something's been wrong since we formed the team! You're feeding me, blocking the camera, and now you're even changing the song without my permission to have a chorus—what on earth do you want to do?" He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and spoke out, "I'm straight. I don't have that kind of intention towards you. Don't keep looking at me like that!"
Warm breath puffed against his nose, and Yun Heng's heartbeat was as chaotic as a drum. He looked at Yu Xiao's face so close to him. The sunlight on his eyelashes was like broken gold, but it hid a possessive desire that made him shiver all over.
"So what if you're straight?" Yu Xiao's voice was low, like the whisper of lovers, but it carried an unquestionable command. "Be good and obey me, and I'll give you whatever you want: bonuses, resources, or... I can help you contract the wheat fields in your hometown and hire the best agricultural technicians."
"I don't want anything!" Yun Heng struggled and pushed, but the other party tightened his grip and pressed him against the locker behind him. The cold metal locker surface contrasted sharply with the heat in front of him, making him stiffen. "Let me go! I'm saying it again, I don't have any feelings for you. Don't force me to turn against you!"
"So what if I force you?" Yu Xiao lowered his head, his nose almost touching Yun Heng's forehead, the possessiveness in his eyes almost overflowing, "Yun Heng, don't be stubborn with me. Your original work is good, but it's not suitable for this stage."
The locker made a clanging sound when it was hit, and the trophy on it was shaking.
Yunheng's wrist was pressed against the metal cabinet surface, and the cold touch made him shiver.
He could clearly smell the cologne on Yu Xiao, mixed with a hint of tobacco, forming an extremely aggressive scent that made his stomach churn.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside the door, accompanied by laughter and getting closer. Yun Heng's body froze instantly, like a thief who had been caught, and she frantically tried to push Yu Xiao away.
If someone saw me in this posture, who knows what unpleasant things would be said.
"Don't move." Yu Xiao tightened his grip, pushing him into the gap between the locker and his chest. He lowered his voice and asked, "Do you want them to see?"
"You are shameless!" Yun Heng cursed in a low voice, gritting his teeth. His cheeks were so hot that he could fry an egg on them.
He could clearly hear his own heartbeat, thumping against the countertop, intertwined with the footsteps outside. Yu Xiao's chest pressed against his back, his warmth seeping through the thin training suit, bringing a disturbing ambiguity that made him physically uncomfortable.
"Are you scared?" Yu Xiao chuckled, his lips brushing Yun Heng's earlobe. "Remember, you are mine."
"Bullshit!" Yun Heng finally couldn't help cursing and struggled even harder. "I'll say this one last time. I'm a man and I'm not interested in you! If you do this again, I'll tell the director!"
The footsteps outside stopped at the practice room door, and someone called out, "Is Brother Yu Xiao here? The instructor asked us to check the details of the lyrics."
Yun Heng's nails dug deep into her palms, her nerves nearly suffocating. Yu Xiao, however, remained unfazed, calling out to the door, "Wait a minute! I'll be over after Yun Heng and I finish rehearsing this duet." His voice was as natural as if he were speaking of a perfectly normal matter, but his arms tightened, pressing Yun Heng even tighter against him.
"Oh, okay. We'll wait for you in the corridor." The footsteps gradually faded away.
Yun Heng waited until he could no longer hear anything, then suddenly thrust his elbow back, slamming it hard into Yu Xiao's ribs. The other man loosened his grip in pain, and Yun Heng took the opportunity to break free. His chest heaved violently, and several red marks were left on his wrists, like marks from being strangled.
"Yu Xiao, stop it!" Yun Heng's voice trembled with fear and anger. "If you dare to touch me again, I will definitely not be polite!"
Yu Xiao covered his ribs and frowned, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then sank again: "Do you hate me so much?"
"Yes!" Yun Heng said without hesitation, grabbed the coat on the sofa, turned around and walked out the door, "Not only do I hate you, I also find you disgusting!"
"Here are the lyrics." Yu Xiao tossed the notebook over, the part circled in red standing out in the sunlight. "Start practicing the chorus tomorrow, and don't even think about changing the song."
Yun Heng didn't take it, letting the lyrics book fall to the ground. Without looking back, he opened the door and rushed out. The voice-activated lights in the corridor flickered on and off with his footsteps, like a desperate escape.
Yu Xiao stood in the practice room, staring at the flung door, then at the lyrics book on the floor, his fingertips clenched until they turned white. He'd assumed Yun Heng's resistance was simply shyness, but he hadn't imagined she'd be so disgusted. The word "disgusting" pierced his heart like a needle.
Yun Heng hid in the fire escape, not daring to emerge until his heartbeat had calmed. He took a deep breath against the cold wall, the red marks on his wrists burning with pain, a reminder of the humiliation he'd just suffered. He didn't understand what Yu Xiao was up to. He ignored all the people trying to curry favor with him, a straight man who'd clearly rejected him.
When I passed by the bulletin board, I saw that the entry #Yu Xiaoyunheng's second public performance duet# had already climbed to the top of the trending search list, and the following was full of CP fans' carnival:
[Ahhh, chorus! Is this the chorus I was thinking of? A ballad! I absolutely have to stick with it!]
[The prince must have done this on purpose! The first performance wasn't enough, so the second performance directly locked up the chorus position!]
[Someone reported hearing strange noises coming from the practice room. They were definitely not just rehearsing lyrics!]
Yun Heng paused, suddenly feeling nauseous. He pulled out his phone, scrolled to his friend's number, and hovered his fingertips over the dial button. He really wanted to withdraw from the competition, even if it meant paying liquidated damages to leave this suffocating place.
But when I thought about my grandmother's medical expenses and the wheat fields in my hometown, I could only suppress that thought.
During rehearsal the next day, Yun Heng deliberately stood as far away from Yu Xiao as possible, with no communication at all. When the chorus began, he deliberately lowered his voice to avoid overlapping with Yu Xiao's.
"Yunheng, raise your voice," the instructor reminded, frowning. "You and Yu Xiao's parts should echo each other, not sing separately."
Yun Heng gritted her teeth and said nothing, but raised her voice slightly. She stared at the floor, not even glancing at Yu Xiao out of the corner of her eye.
During the break, Yu Xiao came over and placed a bottle of strawberry milk in front of him: "Drink something sweet to warm your throat."
Yun Heng didn't even look at it, kicking the milk aside. The bottle rolled a few times on the ground, spilling the strawberry-flavored liquid everywhere. "Don't send me anything anymore, and don't come near me." His voice was as cold as ice. "We're just teammates, nothing more than that."
The surrounding trainees were stunned, no one dared to speak. Yu Xiao's face turned pale and blue, but in the end, he said nothing and turned away from the rehearsal room.
Looking at Yu Xiao's back, Yun Heng felt a tug at his heart. He knew his words were too harsh, but he had to draw a line – he was a straight man and would never let Yu Xiao have any more inappropriate fantasies.
The lights in the training room gradually dimmed, and Yun Heng remained alone on the stage, practicing his chorus before an empty auditorium. Moonlight streamed in through the high windows, falling on him like a thin veil.
He suddenly got stuck when he sang "Only Belong to Me". Yu Xiao's words "You are mine" in front of the locker flashed through his mind, and his stomach started to churn again.
This tangle must end. Yun Heng clenched his fists and made a decision in his heart - after the second public performance, he would withdraw from the competition no matter what. He would rather go home and plant wheat than be entangled by someone like Yu Xiao again.
But he didn't notice that Yu Xiao stood in the shadows of the corridor for a long time, his eyes filled with resentment and paranoia. Wanting him to let go? Not so easy.
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