The doors of Zhang Yichen's luxury bus slid shut with a soft mechanical hiss, sealing away the distant noise of Starlight Festival and the last of the security personnel who had escorted them through the private exit.
Outside, Beijing was still celebrating.
The festival was far from over. Thousands of fans remained gathered around the grounds, performances continued across the various stages, and the evening's biggest attractions had yet to begin.
But for the occupants of the bus, their part in the festivities was finished.
And judging by the state of certain individuals, not a moment too soon.
Mo Fei stumbled towards the nearest sofa, took one look at the expensive cream-coloured leather and collapsed across it like a fallen emperor returning from a particularly devastating war.
One arm dangled over the edge. His violet hair, immaculate beneath the stage lights barely an hour earlier, was now a thoroughly dishevelled mess. His sunglasses had slipped halfway down his nose, and he had somehow managed to lose one of his earrings.
He didn't particularly care. His feet hurt. His back hurt.
His entire existence hurt. Being beautiful was an exhausting profession. Being beautiful while walking, posing, dancing and entertaining thousands of screaming people was practically a human rights violation.
"I'm dying," he announced weakly, pressing the back of one hand to his forehead. "Bury me with my beauty intact. I refuse to be remembered as an ugly corpse."
Louis, who had barely settled into his seat, gave him a weary look. "Then perhaps you should stop talking. Corpses are generally quieter."
Mo Fei made a wounded noise. "Even in my final moments, you continue to persecute me."
"Your final moments have been going on for twenty minutes."
"Because nobody will let me die in peace!"
Across from them, Nil was already scrolling through his phone, occasionally pausing to watch clips from their performance. Every few seconds, another notification appeared, accompanied by an increasingly ridiculous number of comments.
The opening stage was everywhere.
Mo Fei's sunglasses had apparently acquired a fan club of their own.
Nil was still trying to understand how that had happened.
Beside the sofa, Zhang Yichen watched his boyfriend-to-be, dramatic collapse with an unreadable expression.
He had barely taken his eyes off Mo Fei since they entered the bus.
Earlier that day, before leaving for the festival, Yichen had spent some time in the kitchen preparing something for him.
He knew Mo Fei would be exhausted after the performance. And knowing the idiot's tendency to neglect proper meals whenever he became occupied with work, Yichen had decided to make him something to eat.
Nothing elaborate. Just a few baked cookies. He had followed the recipe carefully, measured the ingredients and watched the oven with considerably more attention than he usually devoted to anything outside his work.
Now, watching Mo Fei lie across the sofa as though his ancestors were personally calling him home, Yichen reached into the small container he had brought along and offered him one.
"Eat something."
Mo Fei lifted his head. "Ouuu?"
Food?
Perhaps there was still some kindness left in this miserable world.
He accepted the cookie, brought it closer to inspect it and immediately frowned. He turned it over. His frown deepened, then he looked towards Chen Yu.
"Chen Yu, you didn't bake this, did you?"
The thing was rather unfortunate-looking. Its edges were uneven, the surface slightly cracked, and one side appeared to have risen more than the other.
Chen Yu, who had been rummaging through a bag beside Nil, looked up. "No, I didn't. Why? Is there a problem?"
Mo Fei held the cookie between two fingers, examining it as though someone had handed him evidence from a crime scene. "It's ugly."
Yichen went still.
Mo Fei continued, completely unaware that he was standing at the gates of his own funeral. "Looking at it burns my eyes." And with that, he flung the cookie away.
It landed somewhere near the opposite sofa.
Zhang Yichen stared at the spot where it had fallen. His eyelid twitched.
He had made that.
With his own hands. Admittedly, the results weren't particularly attractive. But they were edible and he had made them himself.
He had spent a perfectly respectable portion of his morning measuring flour, mixing ingredients and waiting for those damned things to bake because he knew this idiot would be tired and hungry after the show.
And what had the idiot done?
What the fuck?
Yichen slowly turned his gaze back towards Mo Fei. The offender had already resumed his dying position. Apparently, the destruction of another man's domestic efforts was not worth remembering.
Before Yichen could decide whether to retrieve the cookie or reconsider several of his life choices, Chen Yu finally found what he was looking for. He placed a rectangular box on the table and opened the lid.
"Eat first before you die."
A sweet fragrance drifted into the air. Mo Fei's nose twitched. He lifted his head with the sluggish determination of a ghost summoned by the promise of sugar. "...Is that cake?"
Chen Yu nodded.
Inside the box were several neatly arranged slices of cake, their soft layers separated by thick cream and decorated with fruit, for a moment, Mo Fei forgot about his aching feet then he sat up so quickly that his sunglasses fell into his lap.
"CHEN YU!" He lunged.
Chen Yu barely had time to steady the box before Mo Fei wrapped both arms around him, clinging with the desperation of a man who had just discovered his only surviving relative after a natural disaster.
"Wahhh! Chen Yu! You're the only one who loves me in this cold, cruel world!" Mo Fei's voice trembled. His eyes were already suspiciously bright.
Chen Yu looked down at the violet-haired creature attached to him. Honestly. He had known this fool for long enough that none of this surprised him anymore.
"I know, I know." He patted Mo Fei's back, then gently pushed him upright. "Sit properly. I packed it for you."
"Really?"
"Who else would I pack it for?"
Mo Fei looked seconds away from crying.
Chen Yu picked up a fork, cut a generous piece of cake and held it towards him. "Open up."
Mo Fei obeyed immediately. The first bite practically restored his soul.
Soft sponge melted against his tongue, followed by cool cream and the sweetness of fruit. He closed his eyes, chewing with the reverence of someone receiving a divine blessing.
Chen Yu waited until he finished before offering another piece. "Eat slowly. There's plenty."
Across the aisle, Nil finally looked away from his phone. "Chen Yu. Where is my cake?"
Chen Yu continued feeding Mo Fei.
Nil leaned forward, adopting an expression of profound personal tragedy. "Did you pack some for me?"
"No."
Nil blinked. He looked into the box again. There was more than enough cake in there.
Surely— He extended one hand.
Smack.
Chen Yu slapped it away without even looking. "That's Mo Fei's cake."
Nil withdrew his hand, for a moment, he simply stared at the man he had declared the love of his absolute life. "We are dating."
"And yet you're still alive. Be grateful." Chen Yu finally turned towards him, fork still in hand. "It's all Mo Fei's. If you want cake, go buy your own."
Nil's mouth fell open. "I'm your boyfriend."
"So what? Did hell freeze over because of our love? Have some shame!"
Louis snorted.
Nil slowly leaned back against his seat. He had entered a relationship in which his boyfriend's best friend enjoyed exclusive rights to all available desserts.
Meanwhile, Mo Fei had already opened his mouth for another bite.
Not one ounce of shame.
Louis shook his head and returned his attention to his phone.
He had spent the better part of the evening coordinating schedules, handling last-minute changes and ensuring that the entire opening performance didn't collapse into a national embarrassment.
His head was throbbing, his patience had long since expired, and he was looking forward to several uninterrupted hours in which nobody required anything from him.
Unfortunately, Sima Li was sitting beside him.
The singer had been quiet for approximately thirty seconds. An impressive achievement, then he slumped sideways, resting his head against his hand with a pitiful little groan.
"Louis, my voice..."
Louis didn't look up. "Drink water."
"It's hoarse."
"Then stop talking."
Sima Li made another miserable sound, apparently dissatisfied with the lack of sympathy.
Louis slowly raised his eyes towards the ceiling.
There was a beautiful arrangement of recessed lights overhead. He wondered whether any of them could offer divine intervention.
At the front of the bus, the driver started the engine. A low vibration travelled through the floor, followed by the gentle hum of the air-conditioning as the vehicle pulled away from the festival grounds.
Outside the tinted windows, the bright entrance lights gave way to the glittering streets of Beijing.
Traffic moved in slow streams beneath illuminated signs, and the distant glow of the festival gradually disappeared behind them.
Inside, Chen Yu had apparently accepted his new position as Mo Fei's personal caretaker.
He settled the exhausted model against his side and continued feeding him cake, occasionally brushing stray crumbs from his jacket.
"I know, I know," he murmured when Mo Fei made another pitiful noise. "Eat now and rest. I packed plenty of sweet cake for you."
Mo Fei gazed up at him. His heart was full. His stomach was becoming full. The world was beautiful again. "Wahhh, Chen Yu..."
"What now?"
Mo Fei swallowed his mouthful and tightened his arms around his best friend. "If I weren't an indentured servant to the entertainment industry, I would have married you."
Chen Yu didn't even hesitate. He stroked Mo Fei's hair with the solemn affection of a man comforting his tragic spouse. "And if I weren't already dating Nil, I would have given my heart to you."
Mo Fei looked deeply moved. "Chen Yu..."
"Mo Fei..." Chen Yu's eyes watered.
Nil stared at them.
He was sitting right there.
A few seats away, Zhang Yichen watched the exchange in silence.
Mo Fei was currently wrapped around another man, declaring his willingness to marry him, while that same man fed him cake with the tenderness of a devoted husband.
And somewhere on the floor lay a cookie Yichen had personally baked. He looked towards it, then back at Mo Fei.
The cookie was still ugly.
"Chen Yu!" Xiao Mei's cheerful voice interrupted the touching reunion. She had been sitting beside Aria, who was calmly looking through photographs from the festival on her phone. "Do you have juice too?"
"Mm." Without releasing Mo Fei, Chen Yu reached into the bag beside him, retrieved a carton of juice and handed it across to Aria.
Aria accepted it and passed it to Xiao Mei. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Chen Yu returned to feeding Mo Fei. As though nothing had happened.
Nil stared at the juice. Louis lowered his phone. Sima Li lifted his head. Even Zhang Yichen's gaze shifted towards the bag.
There was cake. There was juice. There were apparently enough provisions in that bag to sustain a small household.
Yet none of them had been offered anything.
For a brief moment, the four men shared an understanding that required no words.
What are we?
Across from them, Mo Fei opened his mouth for another piece of cake.
Chen Yu fed him and the luxury bus continued peacefully through Beijing.