dreams spun in berries & fluff

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    Chapter 39

    After Yun Jingqiu left, Liu He went back to sleep.

    When he naturally woke up, it was already ten o’clock.

    After washing up and changing into clean clothes, Liu He ordered room service and waited for breakfast to arrive.

    He ate in the hotel room, then wandered out leisurely and strolled around the area.

    By noon, he contacted Song Zhiyuan and rode with him to the film set.

    Filming was ongoing; Song Zhiyuan busied himself helping Yun, barely resting.

    Still, he had far more downtime than Yun Jingqiu. While Yun was on camera, Song could nap. He wasn’t Yun’s only assistant, but definitely the most capable.

    Together they brought milk tea and snacks to share with the crew—half of them fruit-and-vegetable juices with no sugar.

    Then Liu He noticed Yun Jingqiu reaching straight for a full-sugar milk tea.

    Song was busy handing things out. He didn’t even notice Yun taking a huge sip of sweetened tea.

    Liu He almost laughed aloud, but didn’t expose him.

    After all, Yun-ge pushed himself with diet control and brutal action sequences every day. What harm in one full-sugar milk tea? Consider it a cheat meal.

    Noticing Liu He’s gaze, Yun lit up. Silently, he put a finger to his lips—keep quiet.

    Liu He, face hidden under his mask, nodded knowingly.

    Just off shooting a gunfight scene, Yun was still in costume. He’d been rolling on the ground, blood staining his outfit, dust streaking his face.

    And yet, even disheveled, Liu He thought he looked devastatingly handsome.

    During break, crew bustled adjusting equipment, other actors resting as well. Yun seized the chance to drag Liu stealthily away.

    His clothes may have been dirty, but Yun’s hand was clean—warm and dry.

    “I thought you couldn’t come?” Yun murmured, slipping him into the lounge and shutting the door.

    Liu He eyed the milk tea in his hand, sat down, and said casually: “Well, here I am.”

    Yun extended it: “Want a taste?”

    Shaking his head, Liu refused.

    Moments later, Song returned. One glimpse of the milk tea and his entire worldview collapsed.

    “How could you drink this!” He snatched it away instantly.

    The cup was feather light, only a few ice cubes left—clearly drained.

    Then he read the label and nearly fainted: “Full sugar?! There were sugar-free juices! Why did you grab this?!”

    Unfazed, Yun replied, “Since when is juice called milk tea? Drinking vegetable juice every day tastes the same anyway.”

    No—it was NOT the same!

    “Relax. One milk tea won’t make me fat,” Yun soothed.

    (Last night, he’d even snuck barbecue. Of course, Little Song must never know. He’d go insane.)

    At this, Song glanced at Liu He.

    Liu only smiled back.

    Handsome! Sister-in-law is just too charming


    Wait—why didn’t sister-in-law stop him? Is he an accomplice?!

    God knows how many times this has happened without him noticing?!

    Betrayed, Song shuffled off, muttering darkly: “I’m telling Wang-ge.”

    Wang-ge?!

    Yun immediately panicked. He lunged, but Song wriggled away like a slippery eel.

    Still chuckling, Liu asked, “What’s the problem?”

    “Wang-ge confiscated dozens of the milk teas you sent me. Over ten takeouts, countless cakes you bought for me. All eaten by him.” Yun’s face went lifeless.

    Indeed, Manager Wang had a remarkable record scuttling Yun’s guilty pleasures.

    Liu chuckled awkwardly, offering sympathy: “Don’t worry. I’ll order you more.”

    But Yun’s look turned sly, leaving Liu uneasy.

    “In order to stop you feeding me snacks, Wang-ge substitutes your meals with mine.”

    


    Stunned. Yun’s plates were low-fat, low-salt, tasteless—designed for weight loss. How was Liu, who loved flavor, supposed to stomach that?

    And he wasn’t even the one who needed dieting!

    A sinking dread rose inside him.

    “The rest of your vacation, Xiao He, you’ll be eating bland, tasteless meals with me,” Yun said proudly.

    Liu fell silent.

    Sure enough, Manager Wang appeared swiftly after Song’s report.

    From then, meals were monitored personally. To burn off the calories of a single full-sugar milk tea, Yun’s dinner was leafy salad and boiled chicken breast—nothing else.

    The portion was huge, but utterly unappetizing.

    Watching, Liu wondered if he’d be forced to eat the same.

    “Here’s yours.” Luckily, Wang wasn’t that harsh—he passed Liu a separate box of food.

    It was normal dishes.

    Liu happily ate.

    Intent on sharing with Yun, he raised his chopsticks—only to see Wang’s hawk eyes glaring straight at them.

    Awkwardly, he lowered the food back into his own bowl.

    Poor Yun—his face had gone green eating nothing but “grass.”

    With Wang supervising dinner in person, there was no chance.

    Meal over, Liu’s own dish was taken too before Yun could get a bite.

    All hope of smuggling snacks vanished.

    That night at the hotel, Liu tried again: “Yun-ge, want barbecue?”

    Listless, Yun replied, “
No.” But his eyes said otherwise.

    So Liu ordered barbecue.

    Yun shot him a look filled with despair, then grabbed his pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom.

    Recalling Wang’s interception record, Liu hesitated. When the delivery came, he went downstairs personally to collect it in the lobby.

    No way Wang could block him downstairs too—right?

    No sooner had he sat down waiting, than he spotted a familiar figure opposite him. Silence crashed down.

    “You order takeout?” Wang-ge asked casually, legs crossed, scrolling his phone. He didn’t even look up.

    An immense weight pressed down on Liu. Forcing a smile, he nodded, trying to salvage it: “I didn’t eat enough dinner
”

    Wang only hummed, glancing once.

    When the delivery man in a yellow vest entered the lobby, Liu rushed to collect it.

    Wang stood too, eyes lazily flicking over the food bag.

    Liu’s grip tightened urgently, mind filling with dread. Surely he wouldn’t confiscate it? He really had meant to share with Yun
 but he himself was hungry too.

    “Come.” Wang beckoned, stepping into the elevator.

    Relief washed over Liu. Perhaps Wang wasn’t as terrifying as Yun described. Maybe strict only with Yun?

    He followed obediently. Wang pressed for the 20th floor, same as Yun’s room.

    When they reached Yun’s door, Liu reached with his card. But a hand blocked the scanner—Wang’s.

    Startled, he looked up.

    “You’ll eat it in my room. Finish it. Then go back,” Wang instructed flatly.

    “
Ah?” Liu froze. Then slack-jawed, trailed after him.

    And so he ended up in Wang’s room, scarfing barbecue alone.

    Door propped wide open, his eyes kept darting out, hoping for escape. No chance.

    Pretending not to notice, Wang let him eat in peace.

    Afterward, once Liu had bagged the trash, Wang finally asked: “No more food hidden on you?”

    Fearful and regretful, Liu whispered, “
No.”

    If only he’d told the delivery man to stash snacks too.

    Yun, meanwhile, starved pitifully, not a bite.

    Reeking of grilled meat, Liu returned guilty.

    Yun lay on the bed freshly showered, clearly already dozing. At the sound of the door, he cracked his eyes.

    “
Done eating?” he murmured lazily.

    “Yes,” Liu admitted.

    Then, suddenly fierce, “Why didn’t you tell me Wang could stop me even downstairs?!”

    “Xiao He, how do you think so many of your deliveries vanished into thin air?” Yun sighed heavily, tragedy branded in his tone. He had fought before. But so long as Wang was around, he always lost.

    How Wang always seemed to know when and what he ordered—Liu couldn’t fathom. Still, he wasn’t ready to give up
 he would try again.

    But tonight he was stuffed. No, best not risk it.

    Days passed in this cycle.

    Every single attempt, zero exception—caught by Wang.

    If Liu ordered too much, he’d share with him, and they’d quietly make supper of it.

    So in those days, Yun never touched a single scrap. But Liu? Night after night, satisfied and full.

    Yun, baffled, couldn’t decide—was Xiao He buying food for both of them
 or simply just for himself
?

    All too soon, Liu’s brief vacation ended. Despite regret, he had to return to City C.

    With Wang at Yun’s side and Song personally driving him to the high-speed rail station, it was farewell.

    Song couldn’t hide his glee: “Sister-in-law, see? Didn’t I say Wang-ge was ruthless?”

    Liu sighed. Not once had Yun gotten a decent meal during his stay. He’d wanted to sneak him treats, but only succeeded in suffering together.

    Song chuckled wickedly: “Yun-ge’s terrified of Wang. During your early online dating, nearly all the takeouts you sent him ended up in Wang’s stomach. Yun-ge would only have time to take a photo to send you, then cry watching him eat the rest
”

    “Oh
” Liu’s smile turned awkward.

    All his efforts wasted, completely thwarted.

    Manager Wang truly was formidable.

    Arriving at the station, Song said: “Text me when you’re home. If you text Yun, he might not see it right away. Send me, I’ll pass it along.”

    “Alright,” Liu agreed.

    And he boarded the train home to City C.

    After seeing first-hand how frantically Yun lived, Liu no longer resented his delayed replies.

    He truly had no choice—he was simply too busy.

    But lonely? Yes, of course.

    Exhaling, Liu texted his good brother Jiang Yi a joke:

    【What do I do? My boyfriend doesn’t text back, doesn’t call me. Has he gone and found someone new?】

     

     

     

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