Respond to my kiss
Chapter 13
(one)
When the dumplings came out of the pot, the aroma of meat spread out, turning into a faint warmth in the cool evening breeze.
Jiang Li was the first to reach out to lift the lid of the pot, but she retracted her hand because she was burned. The male guest quickly handed her a cloth towel, and the two of them gathered together and laughed while serving the dumplings.
Xiao Chen was circling around with his camera, occasionally tilting the lens towards Zhao Yin and me.
I just picked up a dumpling when I heard Zhao Yin hiss. I turned around and saw that his fingertips were stained with soup and were slightly red, obviously he was scalded.
"How can you be so careless?" I subconsciously took out a tissue and handed it to him. When my fingers touched his fingertips, he paused and didn't take it immediately.
Only then did I realize that my movements were too natural, so I quickly retracted my hand and pushed the tissue in front of him: "Wipe it."
He lowered his head to take it, slowly wiping his fingertips. The tip of his ear was a little red. "Thank you." His voice was a little lower than usual.
The aunt next to me smiled and said, "Young people are impatient. Eat slowly, no one will snatch your food away."
Zhao Yin hummed, then picked up the crooked bunny dumpling—the one he'd copied me later, with the edges pinched so tangled it looked unrecognizable. He took a bite, looked up at me, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "It tastes okay."
"That's right," I raised my chin deliberately, "I made the filling."
He raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and took another big bite, stuffing the entire dumpling into his mouth, his cheeks slightly puffed out, like a squirrel stealing food. Looking at him, I suddenly felt that the dumpling in my hand was not as fragrant, and my eyes could not help but drift towards him.
Xiao Chen snapped a photo nearby and leaned over to whisper, "Teacher Wen, the atmosphere between you two is so good, I don't even need to edit it."
I glared at her and she ran away laughing, with her camera still pointed in our direction.
(two)
After eating dumplings, the program team said that there would be a small bonfire party in the evening, and let everyone move around freely for a while before gathering again.
I took my cell phone and wanted to go to the yard to get some fresh air, but as soon as I reached the door, Zhao Yin called me.
"Wait a minute." He came over with a bottle of mosquito repellent in his hand and sprayed some on my arm. "There are a lot of mosquitoes at night."
The cool liquid had a faint minty scent, and when his fingers occasionally touched my skin, it felt like an electric current running through it.
I froze in place, looking at his serious profile, my heartbeat becoming irregular again.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He hummed, put away the mosquito repellent, but didn't leave. He stood next to me and looked at the trees in the yard.
"You didn't seem to eat much of the dumplings I made just now."
"Huh?" I was stunned for a moment before I realized what he was talking about. "I'm a little full."
He turned to look at me, his eyes probing: "Not to your liking?"
"No," I quickly shook my head, "It's quite delicious. I just ate candied haws at the market this afternoon. I'm not hungry yet."
He smiled, didn't ask any more questions, turned and walked into the house: "I'll go get a bottle of water, do you want it?"
"No, I brought my own." I shook the water cup in my hand.
He said nothing more and walked into the house.
I looked at his back and suddenly found it a little funny - this top star who is famous for being an "iceberg" actually cared about whether I had enough dumplings.
I pulled out my phone, opened my second account, thought for a moment, and posted a microblog: [It's kind of cute that someone actually cares if I've had enough dumplings.]
As soon as it was posted, I received a lot of comments, most of which were CP fans guessing who "someone" was.
I turned off my phone with a smile, feeling a little sweet in my heart.
(three)
It was already dark when the bonfire party began. The villagers and the production crew gathered around the bonfire, singing and dancing in a lively atmosphere. Jiang Li pulled the male guest to dance in the middle, drawing applause.
Zhao Yin and I sat on a small bench in the corner, not saying much, just watching the excitement in front of us.
"You don't seem to like the hustle and bustle." Zhao Yin suddenly spoke.
I turned to look at him. The firelight danced on his face, making his eyes shine brightly. "It's okay, just a little noisy."
He smiled and took out a candy from his pocket and handed it to me. It was a fruit candy wrapped in pink paper. "Eat some candy, it will make you feel better."
I took the candy, unwrapped it, and put it in my mouth. The sweet strawberry flavor spread in my mouth. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He looked at me with a hint of smile in his eyes. "You seem to like sweet things very much."
"Yeah," I nodded, "I've loved it since I was a kid."
He didn't say anything else, just stared at the campfire in a daze.
I looked at him secretly.
(The puppy peeked successfully.)
I don't know how long it took, but Jiang Li came over and pulled us: "Brother Yin, Wenxi, come and dance!"
I waved my hands: "No, you guys dance."
Zhao Yin also shook his head: "You guys play."
Jiang Li curled her lips, didn't insist anymore, and ran back to the crowd.
"Don't want to jump?" Zhao Yin asked.
"Well, not really." I said honestly.
He smiled and said, "Neither can I."
I was a little surprised that someone like him, who shines so brightly on the stage, would say that he can't dance.
"Don't you dance very well on stage?"
"That's work," he said casually. "It's different."
I didn't say anything else, but I understood a little in my heart that he was Zhao Yin on the stage, the top star that everyone was paying attention to, but now he is just Zhao Yin, the person sitting next to me.
(Four)
Halfway through the party, I felt a little sleepy and wanted to go back to rest. As soon as I stood up, Zhao Yin pulled me back.
"I'll take you home," he said.
"No, I can do it myself." I felt a little embarrassed.
"It's dark at night and unsafe," he insisted, already standing up.
I didn't refuse and walked with him to the guesthouse. The road was very quiet, with only the sound of our footsteps and singing in the distance.
"Did you have fun today?" Zhao Yin asked.
"Yeah, I had a lot of fun." I nodded. "The market was interesting, and flying kites was fun too."
He smiled and said, "I'll take you there next time."
I was stunned for a moment and turned to look at him. His expression was serious, not like he was joking. "Next time?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "After the show is recorded, if I have time."
My heart suddenly skipped a beat and I couldn't believe my ears.
"Okay." I tried to make my voice sound calm.
He didn't say anything else, just slowed down and walked side by side with me.
When we were almost at the B&B, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at me. "Wenxi."
"Huh?" I looked at him, feeling a little nervous.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just smiled: "Nothing, go to bed early."
"Oh, okay." I felt a little disappointed, but still nodded.
He watched me walk into the B&B before turning and leaving.
I stood at the door, watching his back disappear into the night, feeling a little confused.
What exactly does he want to say?
(five)
Back in the room, I lay on the bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. All I could think about was Zhao Yin's appearance just now, and his words "I'll take you there next time".
I took out my phone, opened my secondary account, and looked through the Weibo posts I posted today. The comment section was already buzzing with activity.
CP fans were looking for sweet things in various details, and some even said that they saw Zhao Yin sending me back to the B&B.
I replied to a few comments with a smile, but I felt a little sweet and a little panicked inside.
At this moment, the phone rang. It was Zhao Yinfa’s WeChat message: [Are you asleep? ]
I quickly replied: [Not yet, I can’t sleep.]
He quickly replied: [Me too, do you want to come out and chat for a while?]
My heartbeat quickened, and I replied: [Okay, where is it?]
Roof.
I was stunned for a moment. Roof? The B&B we stayed in was a two-story building with a flat roof, so we should be able to go up there.
I put on my coat, quietly walked out of the room and into the yard. Zhao Yin was already waiting for me at the stairs, holding two cans of beer.
"Come up," he said.
I followed him up to the roof. It was very quiet up there, with only the sound of the wind blowing.
The bonfire was still burning in the distance, and singing could be faintly heard.
He handed me a can of beer and I took it but didn't open it.
"I'm not much of a drinker."
"It's okay, just play with it." He opened his can and took a sip.
We sat on the roof, looking at the bonfire in the distance, without saying a word.
But strangely, I didn't feel embarrassed, instead I felt very comfortable.
"You seem to be worried about something." Zhao Yin suddenly spoke.
I turned to look at him. The moonlight cast a faint shadow on his face. "No."
He smiled and said, "Don't lie to me. You were acting strangely in the yard just now."
I lowered my head, looked at the beer can in my hand, and whispered, "I was just wondering what you wanted to say just now."
He was silent for a moment, then said, "I wanted to say, it was a pleasure going to the market with you today."
I looked up at him, his eyes were serious.
"Me too," I whispered.
He smiled, said nothing more, and just drank his beer.
(six)
I don't know how long it took, but after finishing our beer, we were still sitting on the roof. The wind was a bit chilly, and I instinctively wrapped my coat tightly around me.
Zhao Yin noticed my movements and took off his coat and handed it to me: "Put it on, don't catch a cold."
"No, you can put it on yourself." I declined.
"I'm not cold." He put his coat on me, which still carried his body temperature.
I wrapped my coat tightly around me, feeling warm inside. "Thank you."
He hummed, looked at the bonfire in the distance, and suddenly said, "Wenxi, you know what? I don't really like participating in variety shows."
"Huh?" I was a little surprised.
“It’s too noisy, and having to keep an eye on the camera is tiring,” he said. “But this time is different.”
"Why?" I asked, my heart beating a little faster.
He turned to look at me with a smile in his eyes: "Because of you."
My face flushed instantly and I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. "You... stop joking."
"I'm not kidding." His voice was serious. "From the first time I saw you at the awards ceremony, I felt that you were special."
I froze, looking up at him with surprise in my eyes. "Awards ceremony?"
"Yes, the one from five years ago." He nodded. "You were wearing a white suit, standing on the stage accepting the award, your eyes shining brightly."
That was my first time winning the Best Actor award, and I was really excited.
But I didn't expect that Zhao Yin would do this.
"I..." I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say.
He smiled, reached out his hand, gently stroked my hair, and said in Cantonese: "Wenxi, I like you."
My heart stopped beating all of a sudden, as if I was cast under a spell, and I could only stare at him blankly.
He looked me in the eyes and said again, "I like you, not the way a senior likes to a junior, but the way a man likes to a man."
(seven)
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
I looked into Zhao Yin's eyes. His expression was serious, without a hint of joking.
"What...what did you say?" I stuttered, unable to believe my ears.
He smiled and reached out to hold my hand. His hand was warm. "I said, I like you."
My tears suddenly fell, not because of sadness, but because of excitement. The secret love I had hidden for five years was actually responded to?
"Why...why didn't you say it earlier?" I asked with a sob.
"I'm afraid of scaring you." He gently wiped away my tears, "I'm also afraid you won't like me."
"I like it." I blurted out, and only then realized what I said, and my face turned red.
He was stunned for a moment, then he laughed like a child. "Really?"
"Yeah." I nodded vigorously, tears falling again.
He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. "That's great, Wenxi, that's great."
I leaned in his arms, smelled the faint mint scent on him, felt his heartbeat, and my heart was filled with happiness.
"Brother Yin." I called him softly.
"Um?"
"I like you. I have liked you for five years."
He held my hand tighter and whispered in my ear, "I know."
I was stunned: "How do you know?"
He smiled and said, "I've known your trumpet for a long time."
My face turned red all of a sudden. It turned out that he knew everything.
(eight)
We sat on the roof for a long time and talked a lot.
He said that he had noticed me for a long time, but he just didn't dare to say it. He said that when he saw my trumpet, he was happy but also nervous, afraid that he wouldn't be able to give me what I wanted.
I said that I had actually felt that he treated me differently for a long time, but I was not sure and was afraid that it was just my illusion.
"Wenxi." Zhao Yin suddenly called my name.
"Hmm?" I looked at him.
He lowered his head and kissed my lips gently.
Very light and soft with a hint of beer.
I closed my eyes and responded to his kiss.
The kiss was very long, as if to make up for the five years of waiting.
Until we were both out of breath, he slowly let go of me, his forehead against mine, his breathing a little rapid.
"Wenxi, be my boyfriend."
"Okay." I nodded with a smile, and tears fell again.
He pulled me into his arms and held me tight.
"From now on, I won't leave you alone again."
"Yeah." I leaned in his arms, my heart full of happiness.
From now on, I have him.
(Nine)
It was already late at night when I came down from the roof.
Zhao Yin walked in front of me, his steps very lightly, but his hands were always stretched behind me, loosely protecting my waist.
"Slow down," he whispered.
When we reached the second-floor corridor, he finally let go of my hand and gently rubbed my wrist with his fingertips.
"Let's go back to our room."
"You too." I looked at him. The shadows in the corridor fell on his face, making it difficult to see his expression. "Go to bed early."
He said "hmm" and didn't move.
I turned around to open the door, but just as my hand touched the door handle, he pulled it back.
"Wenxi." He lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, "Will you... have breakfast together tomorrow?"
My heart warmed up, I looked back at him, and couldn't help but smile: "If you can get up."
He also smiled, the curve of his eyes soft in the moonlight: "I will definitely get up."
I pushed the door open and looked back before closing it. He was still standing there. When he saw me looking at him, he waved at me again.
After closing the door, I slid down to the ground with my back against the door, my heart still pounding.
The phone in my pocket was jolting. I took it out and saw it was a WeChat message from Zhao Yinfa: [Good night.]
My fingertips trembled as I replied with two words: [Good night.]
(ten)
I woke up very early the next day.
It was just dawn outside the window. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. My mind was full of the scenes on the roof last night - what he said, his kiss, and the warmth of his embrace.
The phone vibrated on the bedside table. It was Zhao Yin: [Are you awake?]
I looked at the time and it was only half past six.
This guy really gets up so early.
【Just woke up.】I replied.
[I'm waiting for you downstairs. Auntie has steamed buns.]
I quickly got up and washed up. When changing clothes, I looked at the mirror for a long time and finally chose a light gray hoodie, thinking that it would look more natural.
When he went downstairs, Zhao Yin was already sitting at the dining table with two bowls of porridge, a few plump white buns, and a small dish of pickles in front of him.
"Good morning." He looked up at me with a hint of smile in his eyes.
"Good morning." I pulled out a chair opposite him and sat down, pretending to be calm as I picked up a bun. "Auntie, you're here so early?"
"Well, she said she has to go to the market today, so come early and make breakfast."
He handed me a pair of chopsticks and said, "Try this bun. It has the red bean paste filling you like."
I was stunned for a moment: "How do you know I like red bean paste?"
His hand holding the bun paused, "I heard you say that last time on the show."
I remembered it was during the first recording. The production crew asked everyone what kind of dumplings they liked. I mentioned that I liked those with red bean paste. I didn’t expect that he actually remembered it, everything.
"Thank you." I lowered my head and took a bite of the bun. The sweet red bean paste melted in my mouth, and my heart also became sweet.
The two of us ate breakfast quietly, no one spoke. He occasionally looked up at me, and when our eyes met, he quickly lowered his head, his ears reddening.
Looking at him like this, I suddenly found it a little funny. Is this still the Zhao Yin who was so serious in front of the camera and was called "Iceberg" by fans?
(eleven)
The program team arranged to go to the village tea garden to help pick tea today.
Everyone gathered in the yard. Jiang Li yawned and complained, "Why are you here so early? I haven't even woken up yet."
The male guest, Zhou Licheng, smiled and handed over a bottle of milk: "Drink this, it will refresh you."
Xiao Chen was filming nearby with his camera. When the camera panned to Zhao Yin and me, he suddenly exclaimed, "Teacher Wen, Brother Yin, the clothes you two are wearing today... look a bit similar."
I looked down and saw that I was wearing a light grey hoodie and Zhao Yin was wearing a dark grey one. The styles were indeed similar.
"It's a coincidence." I said vaguely, feeling a little panicked.
Zhao Yin was very calm and said calmly, "The jackets distributed by the program team are almost all like this."
Xiao Chen obviously didn't believe it. He winked and smiled without asking any more questions.
On the way to the tea garden, Zhao Yin walked beside me, and we were half an arm's length apart. He turned his head from time to time and said a few words to me. His voice was not loud, just loud enough for me to hear.
"Was the red bean paste bun yesterday delicious?"
"Mm, it's delicious."
"After we finish picking tea this afternoon, do you want to go for a walk by the river?"
"Will the production team allow it?"
"I asked the director, and he has no plans for the afternoon."
I looked at him secretly.
"Okay." I said softly.
(twelve)
The tea garden is halfway up the mountain, a large green area. The village aunt taught us how to pick tea, saying that we should pick the tender buds on the top, and not pinch them, but lift them up with our fingers and fold them.
I learned very seriously and soon picked half a basket. I turned to look at Zhao Yin. His basket was not full yet, and he was pinching the tea leaves with his fingers, his movements a little clumsy.
"You're taking it too slowly." I walked over and stood next to him. "You should do it this way. Pinch the tip of the bud and gently bend it off."
As I was demonstrating to him, my fingers accidentally touched the back of his hand, and his hand shook, and the tea leaves fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry." I quickly withdrew my hand.
"It's okay." He lowered his head to pick up tea leaves, his voice a little muffled, "You teach me."
I had no choice but to stand over and teach him step by step.
"Like this?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear.
"Yeah, that's right." I stepped back, creating some distance. "Try it yourself."
He tried it a few times and it was indeed much faster.
Xiao Chen held up his camera and took photos not far away, muttering, "Oh, Brother Yin has a good learning ability. Teacher Wen teaches well."
I glared at her, and she turned away the camera with a smile, but then secretly pointed it at us.
(Thirteen)
At noon, we had lunch at a farmer's house next to the tea garden. The aunt prepared a large table of dishes, all of which were fresh ingredients from the mountains. They looked very appetizing.
Zhao Yin sat next to me and, while no one was paying attention, quietly put a piece of pork ribs into my bowl: "This is delicious."
I was just about to say thank you when Jiang Li suddenly came over and said, "Brother Yin, why are you only picking food for Wenxi? Pick up a piece for me too."
Zhao Yin calmly picked up a piece of pork ribs and handed it to her: "Here."
Jiang Li took it with a smile, her eyes moving between me and Zhao Yin: "Why do I feel like there's something wrong with you two today?"
"What's wrong?" I said quickly. "Isn't it just like usual?"
"Really?" Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. "Usually, Brother Yin doesn't serve food to anyone."
Zhao Yin put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "Wenxi is young, so I think it's only right that you take better care of him."
I felt a little amused. He was only two years older than me, but why did he act like he was ten years older?
After dinner, I took a break and went to the yard to make a phone call. As soon as I reached the door, Zhao Yin followed me out.
"I'm going to buy a bottle of water, do you want one?" he asked.
"No need, I have some here." I shook the cup of water in my hand.
He didn't leave, but stood beside me, looking at the mountains in the distance.
"You're not angry about what Jiang Li said just now, are you?"
"No." I smiled. "She was just joking."
He turned to look at me with a serious look in his eyes: "After the program is recorded, we..."
"Let's talk about it after we finish recording the show." I interrupted him. "Right now, the most important thing is to record the show well."
He was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
I know what he wants to say, but we are still recording a program and there are many people around. If something is caught on camera, it will not be good for either of us.
(fourteen)
After picking tea in the afternoon, Zhao Yin and I sneaked to the river.
The warm sunlight shining on my body makes me feel a little sleepy.
We sat on a big rock by the river, with the gurgling water at our feet. The water was so clear that we could see the pebbles at the bottom.
“It’s so quiet here,” I said.
"Yeah." He looked at the water. "Better than the city."
"Are you usually very busy in the city?" I asked.
"It's okay, I just have a lot of announcements." He turned to look at me. "How about you? I heard you took on a new movie?"
"Yes, it starts filming next month." I nodded. "It's a suspense film, and I play a policeman."
"Sounds good." He smiled. "I'll visit the set then."
"Okay." I felt sweet inside, "But don't come too early. I'm afraid I won't perform well and you'll see me and make fun of me."
"No." He said seriously, "You can play any role."
I looked at him and suddenly felt a little embarrassed, so I lowered my head to play with the water. As soon as my fingertips touched the water, he grabbed them.
His fingers were warm, gently caressing the back of my hand. "Wenxi."
"Um?"
"Does this... count as us being in love?" His voice was soft and a little uncertain.
My heart trembled and I looked up at him. There was a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
"Alright." I said with a smile, "But it's done secretly."
He also smiled and shook my hand vigorously: "Then after the show is over, we can talk openly."
"good."
(fifteen)
We walked back when the sun set.
We met a few villagers on the way, who greeted us with a smile. Zhao Yin naturally let go of my hand and chatted with them about family matters, looking like a regular customer.
"Are you familiar with them?" I asked.
"Well, I got to know them after I helped them fix their water pipes a few days ago," he said. "The people here are very welcoming."
I remember when I first came, he was always cold and spoke very little in front of the camera. I didn't expect that he would help the villagers repair water pipes in private.
"You can also repair water pipes?" I was a little surprised.
"I learned a little bit back home," he smiled. "I didn't expect it would come in handy here."
When we got back to the B&B, Xiao Chen was frantically running around. Seeing us, he quickly ran over and said, "Brother Yin, Teacher Wen, where have you been? The director is looking for you. He said there's a small fan meeting tonight."
"Fan meeting?" I was stunned for a moment, "I haven't heard of it."
"It was a last-minute decision. They said the villagers wanted to interact with us." Xiao Chen pulled us into the house. "Go in and get ready. It starts at 7 o'clock."
(sixteen)
The fan meeting was held in the yard of the B&B. The villagers brought small stools and sat in a circle. In front of them was a simple stage, which was actually made up of a few wooden boards.
Jiang Li was the first to go up and sang a pop song, which won a lot of applause. Zhou Licheng also went up and sang a folk song with a beautiful voice.
When it was Zhao Yinshi's turn, the villagers cheered. It seemed that he was quite popular here.
He sat in the center of the stage holding a guitar, the light fell on him, and the lines of his profile were soft.
He tuned the strings, looked up at me with a hint of smile in his eyes.
"Let me sing 'Highs and Lows' for everyone," he said.
The sound of guitar rang out softly, and his voice was low and gentle, very different from his usual tone.
I sat in the audience, watching him and listening to his singing.
When he sang 'You live happily, I fight to survive', he looked up at me again.
I know this song is for me.
(Seventeen)
After the fan meeting, everyone was tired and went back to their rooms early to rest.
I finished washing up and lay on the bed when my phone vibrated. It was Zhao Yin: [Come down for a moment. I'll be waiting for you in the yard.]
I put on my coat and went downstairs. He was standing under the pomegranate tree in the yard, holding a small cake with a candle on it.
"This is..." I was stunned.
"Happy birthday." He said with a smile, "I asked your assistant, today is your birthday."
I looked at him and suddenly remembered that today was indeed my birthday, and I was so busy that I almost forgot about it.
"How did you know?" I asked, my voice a little choked.
"If you want to know, you'll find out." He handed me the cake and said, "Make a wish now."
I closed my eyes, clasped my hands together, and had only one wish in my heart - I hope it can always be like this, with him.
Blowing out the candles, he took out a small box from his pocket and handed it to me: "Birthday present."
I opened it and saw that it was a silver necklace with a small moon-shaped pendant with the word "silver" engraved on it.
"I carved it myself, so it may not look very good." He said a little embarrassedly.
"It looks great." I picked up the necklace. "Please put it on me."
He walked up behind me and gently put the necklace around my neck.
"It fits perfectly," he whispered, his breath touching the top of my head.
I turned around, looked at him, and suddenly plucked up the courage, stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth.
He was stunned for a moment, then smiled, reached out and hugged me in his arms, and responded to my kiss.
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