The next day was the SERD brand fashion show.
Assistant Xiao Jun arrived at 1:30 PM to pick him up. After attending the event, Xia Yang would head straight back to the set, as there were still a few scenes left to wrap up.
Spending time with Han Yi these past couple of days had flown by. Reflecting on the night of the surprise appearance on New Year’s Eve and their first date yesterday felt like a dream, as if walking on clouds, with a surreal, floating sensation. It felt unreal.
And as he thought about the coming days when they wouldn’t be able to see each other, Xia Yang felt a twinge of reluctance.
“What are you thinking about?” Han Yi’s deep voice came from above, the man having appeared behind the couch without him noticing, placing a hand on his shoulder. “…Nothing,” Xia Yang snapped back to reality, looking up at him, not intending to share his real thoughts.
“It’s going to get colder next week. Remember to dress warmly and don’t catch another cold,” Han Yi reminded him.
“Don’t worry,” Xia Yang grinned, finding this icy figure becoming more down-to-earth, even bordering on a caring father figure. “Any more warm reminders? I’m all ears~”
“And don’t forget to take time to think about your life-long decision,” Han Yi bluntly stated.
Caught off guard by this straightforward comment, Xia Yang: “…”
“Uh… I will,” he replied, lowering his gaze, his eyelashes trembling slightly.
*
The SERD fashion show is held twice a year. This is a relatively new fashion brand; the clothing lacks complex and extravagant designs, yet the meticulous craftsmanship still makes it look comfortable and elegant, exuding a high-end feel.
At 3 PM, Xiao Jun dropped Xia Yang off at a five-star hotel, where he was attending as a guest for the show.
As soon as he got out of the car, a swarm of reporters surrounded him, and fans outside the security line waved their arms, shouting his name.
“Xia Yang, Xia Yang, look over here!”
“Brother, you’re so handsome today!”
Today, Xia Yang wore a stylish formal suit. The dark blue trousers outlined his fluid body lines, his shoulders were broad and handsome, and his legs long and straight. The black shirt showed off his slim and flexible waist, and even his silhouette was captivating.
Amidst the noise, he walked down the red carpet, signed his name at the guest wall, and was then led by the event staff towards the show venue. He had only walked a few steps when someone called his name from behind.
“Xia Yang!”
He turned to see Yuka walking towards him, waving.
“I was just wondering when you’d arrive, and here you are!”
Xia Yang smiled and hugged him like a brother.
“You look amazing today, bro!” Yuka admired his outfit, complimenting, “It seems like every time I see you, you get more handsome!”
“You too,” Xia Yang returned the flattery.
After a few pleasantries, they walked together to the show venue. The theme of this fashion show was “Splendid,” with a luxurious and vintage setup, exuding a strong Chinese cultural vibe. The runway was embedded in this Oriental setting.
The organizers seated them in the best spot for viewing the show. Once seated, Yuka eagerly started chatting again.
“So, how’s it going? Finished filming yet?”
“Almost, should be done in a few days,” Xia Yang replied. “What about you? Busy lately?”
“Not too bad, gearing up for a new album. Oh, by the way, bro, I shot a sneaker ad last week. Guess what?” Yuka suddenly became excited, leaning in closer and whispering, “I met a guy who stole my heart at first sight.”
“Oh?” Xia Yang raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s a model, 18 this year…”
As they talked, a tall male model walked down the aisle on the other side of the runway. Yuka sat up straight, eyes wide.
“Bro, bro, it’s him, look!” He grabbed Xia Yang’s wrist, struggling to contain his excitement. “God, he’s one of today’s main models! What a fated encounter!”
Xia Yang followed his gaze and saw the model looking back at them briefly.
Blue eyes, blonde hair, and well-defined features.
“Foreign model?” Xia Yang asked.
“Yeah,” Yuka’s eyes stayed glued to him. “His name’s Owen. We did an ad together. His body is just perfect. When he took off his shirt, I knew it—he’s the muscular alpha I want!”
“Uh…” Xia Yang remembered Yuka mentioning he’d “moved on.” The cold CEO no longer excited him; now he liked muscular alphas.
“So, this muscular alpha made you shift your affections from your idol Han Yi?”
“You could say that.” Yuka smiled, watching the model walk backstage before turning back. “But he’s pretty cold too. After the shoot, I asked for his WeChat, and he ignored me.”
Seeing him cover his face and sigh, Xia Yang couldn’t help but console him, “It’s okay. Sometimes failure is just a part of the journey. Stay calm, and life will surprise you.”
Yuka: “…”
Hmm, that sounds a bit like twisted logic.
*
At 3:40 PM, the SERD fashion show officially began.
The runway was surrounded by spectators, with soft, hazy lighting creating a strong atmosphere.
Music began playing, and the opening model stepped onto the runway—Yuka’s adored foreign model, the muscular alpha.
He wore a V-neck, Chinese-style white silk shirt, with intricate cloud embroidery on the cuffs, paired with black casual harem pants and dragon-embroidered Martin boots. The combination of Eastern and Western elements created a seamless, high-end look.
The narration timely echoed above the runway, “When a designer pours their inspiration into a piece of clothing, it comes to life. The soft touch of silk embodies gentleness and romance, blending beauty and sensuality…”
Yuka stared at the muscular alpha, unable to contain himself, “So sexy. Look at those muscles, those long legs!!”
Xia Yang patted his hand, signaling him to remain composed.
But he couldn’t deny the impressive physique, muscular and powerful. The blue eyes stared straight ahead, expressionless, yet exuding a powerful aura.
The audience gasped, clapped vigorously, and Yuka was practically swooning.
“So alpha, so my type! I’ve decided, I’ll do whatever it takes to get him.” Xia Yang took a deep breath and handed him a bottle of water to calm him down.
Just then, the model walked past them, slightly turning his head, seemingly smiling faintly in their direction.
Yuka, still swallowing his water, was once again struck by that faint smile, completely smitten.
…
The entire fashion show lasted about two hours, ending as night fell.
Guests exited the venue in an orderly fashion, Yuka stretching his neck, still searching for his alpha.
However, he found nothing.
Even after leaving the hall, he saw no trace of him.
“Bro, you go ahead. I’ll check the restroom,” Yuka insisted, determined to find him no matter what.
Xia Yang felt a bit helpless but didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm. He just nodded, “Alright, good luck.”
“Thanks!” Yuka pumped his fist.
After parting ways, Xia Yang exited the hotel through the VIP guest passage. Xiao Jun had just messaged that he was already there.
As soon as he stepped out, he spotted his assistant standing in the crowd, holding his long down coat. Upon seeing him, Xiao Jun quickly ran over.
“Brother Xia Yang!”
Xia Yang waved at him, but just then, a tall figure blocked his view. He was stunned, looking up to see the foreign model.
“Hello, may I have a word with you?” The model spoke in Chinese, surprisingly fluently.
“Sure,” Xia Yang nodded.
He turned to his assistant, signaling him to wait a moment.
“My name is Owen. You might not know me, but I’ve been following you. I’m a fan of yours,” the model said, gesturing.
“Thank you, I’m honored.” Xia Yang was a bit surprised, pausing before saying, “Uh, I have a friend who really likes you.”
“Oh,” Owen raised an eyebrow but didn’t react much, “Thank your friend. Can I add you on WeChat?”
The conversation veered back to the topic at hand.
Xia Yang hesitated, the refusal already forming on his lips, but then he remembered Yuka’s infatuated face from earlier.
He hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone.
Let’s do this for a good friend.
“You’re so kind, idol,” Owen seemed genuinely happy. “Can I invite you to dinner?”
“Oh, sorry, I have to return to the set to film tonight.” Xia Yang declined the fan’s invitation.
“Oh,” Owen’s blue eyes showed a hint of disappointment. “Then I’ll invite you another time. Either way, I’ll always support you and like you.”
After saying goodbye, Xia Yang took the car back to the filming location. It was a weekend, so there was no evening rush hour. The cityscape flowed by, casting moving shadows on his delicate face.
He leaned against the car window, contemplating whether to tell Yuka about what had just happened. As he pondered, his phone screen lit up.
It was a WeChat message from Yuka.
[Yuka]: [crying emojis]
[Yuka]: I searched everywhere, the whole area around the show, even lifted the toilet lids, but couldn’t find my alpha.
[Yuka]: Ugh, I’m lovesick.
Xia Yang feared he’d actually succumb to illness, so he quickly chose to disclose some of the recent events selectively.
The focus was on “getting the alpha’s contact information.”
Yuka was instantly energized, without asking too many questions, and eagerly asked for the alpha’s WeChat.
[Xia Yang]: [contact card]
[Yuka]: Thank you, bro! [bowing emoji]
[Xia Yang]: You’re welcome~
Feeling pleased for having contributed a small part to his friend’s pursuit of happiness, Xia Yang was in a great mood.
While he was happily thinking about this, another WeChat message popped up.
This time it was from Han Yi.
[Han Yi]: Is the event over?
Xia Yang glanced at it, momentarily putting his good friend aside, and replied to his man—
[Xia Yang]: It’s over. I’m on my way back [wave emojis]
[Xia Yang]: You won’t believe it, I did a great thing today! [proud emoji]
[Han Yi]: What great thing?
Xia Yang smiled, ready to type out the story, but then Yuka’s call came in.
He hesitated before answering.
“Ugh, bro, I’m so heartbroken!” Yuka’s wail came through the phone as soon as he answered.
“What happened?” Xia Yang had a hunch.
“Mmm, the alpha has his WeChat set to not accept friend requests from strangers.”
Xia Yang: “…”
Damn.
The path to happiness is indeed winding and treacherous.
After crying for a while, Yuka pleaded over the phone, “Bro, can I ask you for one more favor?”
“What favor, you say.”
“Well, when we were shooting the ad, I overheard the alpha telling someone that his WeChat album has a lot of photos. Bro, could you help me send some?”
“This…” Xia Yang hesitated.
“Bro, I promise not to do anything illegal, just to keep them for personal collection, to feast my eyes.”
“…” Xia Yang was reluctant but eventually agreed.
He hung up and found Owen’s WeChat, clicked into his album, and indeed saw a bunch of photos.
There were selfies and professional shots. Some showed his chest, some showed his abs.
In short, all showcasing his beautiful muscles and impressive physique.
He quickly glanced through them, saved over a dozen photos, and switched back to WeChat to send them to Yuka. The car’s internet connection was slow, so the photos were uploading slowly. It took a while before they all sent.
[Xia Yang]: He’s got a great body.
Definitely an all-time favorite for any gay guy.
After sending the message, Xia Yang didn’t receive a reply from Yuka for a while. He was puzzled, wondering if Yuka was too engrossed in the photos, maybe even getting a nosebleed…
He picked up his phone again and looked at the chat box—just one glance made his heart skip a beat, and he froze.
Damn it!
How did the contact name at the top become [Han Yi]? Was he seeing things?
Xia Yang rubbed his eyes and stared at the screen—
Damn! Damn! He didn’t misread it; he accidentally sent all those chest and abs photos to Han Yi.
Total social death. Just total social death!
At that exact moment, another message arrived. The chat box displayed a new message.
[Han Yi]: Is this the great thing you did?
[Han Yi]: ?
The author has something to say:
Han Yi: You’ve really outdone yourself…
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
