APCF – Chapter 105 Taking Off Shoes

After chatting with Liang Jing, it was past 9 PM. Before heading home, Qi Xingchen decided to visit Tao Xuan.

The hospital corridor was getting crowded with family members checking on their loved ones. To avoid being recognized, he pulled up the collar of his hoodie, covering half of his face. With a knitted hat on, only his bright, dark eyes were visible.

When he entered the ward, it wasn’t check-up time yet. Tao Xuan was eating with the help of a caregiver. Seeing Qi Xingchen come in, he put down his spoon and called out happily,

“Brother Xingxing!”

Qi Xingchen pulled down his collar and raised an eyebrow. “Even with me covering up like this, you can still recognize me?”

“Your eyes are different from others—darker, shinier.” Tao Xuan propped his elbows on the table, resting his face in his hands. “Besides, apart from you and Jiaze, no one else comes to see me.”

Every time he heard things like this, Qi Xingchen’s heart ached terribly.

At such a young age, Tao Xuan had already endured the loss of both parents, a severe illness, discrimination, and being forced to take a break from school. He spent his days confined to a hospital room, with IV needles constantly inserted into his hands.

To be honest, the fact that he had held on this long made him far braver than most kids.

Qi Xingchen reached out and ruffled his hair. “Having us is enough. Jiaze is already so noisy—could you really handle another one like him?”

Tao Xuan immediately made a complicated expression, as if he had suffered deeply from Jiaze’s antics. Just as he was about to complain,

His gaze suddenly caught sight of a slender figure.

The words on the tip of his tongue twisted and got swallowed back down. Tao Xuan put down his hand, sat up straight, and greeted,

“Sister.”

Tao Tao is here?

Qi Xingchen’s back instinctively tensed for a moment, but only for that brief second. He quickly returned to his usual relaxed state and turned around.

Sure enough, Tao Tao stood at the doorway, dressed simply in a coat and jeans, with no makeup on.

“Sister Tao Tao!” Qi Xingchen put on a surprised expression. “You’re here! Long time no see!”

Tao Tao’s eyes widened slightly, as if she was also a little surprised. “Xingxing, long time no see. Professor Liang mentioned you’ve been filming in J City lately. I was actually planning to visit you if I got the chance.”

When she mentioned Liang Jing, her tone was completely neutral, as if their relationship was nothing more than a typical doctor-patient connection or just friends.

Qi Xingchen hadn’t expected her to be this composed, which made him more cautious. He smiled and replied, “The snowy scenery in J City is beautiful. If you come, I’ll give you a proper tour.”

They exchanged a few more polite words before Tao Tao called a nurse over to ask about Tao Xuan’s condition. Her words were full of concern. If Qi Xingchen hadn’t known the truth, he might have been touched by how she managed to make time in her busy schedule to visit her younger brother.

Tao Xuan, however, remained expressionless. It was hard to tell if he was happy or unhappy—perhaps a better word was numb.

Maybe he had experienced this too many times already. He was just numb to it all.

Under the table, Qi Xingchen gently squeezed Tao Xuan’s hand. Tao Xuan forced a small smile at him.

Qi Xingchen had intended to leave, but after seeing Tao Xuan’s smile, he just couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

“Sister Tao Tao,” Qi Xingchen changed his mind. “Recently, Xiao Xuan has been helping my younger brother with tutoring. I wanted to check in on his progress—do you mind?”

Tao Tao paused for a moment, then said, “I don’t mind. Go ahead and ask. I just came to visit him.”

Hearing that Qi Xingchen was staying, Tao Xuan’s mood lifted noticeably.

Qi Xingchen racked his brain for conversation topics, dragging out the time. Finally, after half an hour, Tao Tao picked up her bag and said, “I have an event later, so I’ll head out now.”

“Alright,” Qi Xingchen said. “Stay safe.”

“It’s fine,” Tao Tao replied as she stood up. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she added, “Oh, right, Xingxing. There’s something I should remind you about. I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with Brother Ye lately. Be careful not to get caught by the paparazzi.”

Two men being close wasn’t unusual—there were plenty of “good brothers” in the entertainment industry who hung out all the time. But the way Tao Tao said it was ambiguous, and she had deliberately emphasized not getting caught by the paparazzi.

Qi Xingchen suddenly wondered—had their hotel room been bugged? Did she already know that he and Bo Ye were living together?

He wasn’t sure how much Tao Tao knew, so he kept his response vague. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be more careful in the future. Otherwise, the media will keep saying I’m riding on Brother Ye’s popularity, haha.”

Tao Tao made an unreadable sound and gave him a look of feigned helplessness. “Can’t help it. The paparazzi these days are just too much. Lately, I keep feeling like someone’s been following me—it’s so annoying.”

She had been feeling like someone was following her lately…

Qi Xingchen’s heart skipped a beat.

Could Tao Tao have found out that he had hired a private investigator to track her?

On the way back to J City, Qi Xingchen kept thinking about this.

Given the investigator’s level of professionalism, it shouldn’t be easy for them to be exposed. Besides, Tao Tao was an actress—one of the rising stars with a lot of attention lately—so it was normal for a few groups of paparazzi to be following her. There was no reason for her to suspect him specifically.

After thinking it over, the most likely possibility was that she was testing him. Luckily, he had played it cool at the time. If he had panicked, she might have caught on for real.

Once he arrived back at the set, Director Zhou arranged for a few night scenes to make up for the progress lost due to his leave. By the time he finished filming and returned to the hotel, it was already past ten. He carefully searched the room again but didn’t find any hidden cameras or suspicious devices. Finally feeling reassured, he called Qi Yunxiao.

Seeing his younger brother’s name on the caller ID, Qi Yunxiao, who had been about to go to sleep, turned on his bedside lamp.

“Xingxing, calling this late—are you in trouble?”

“No, Brother,” Qi Xingchen replied with the excuse he had prepared in advance. “I’ve just been having recurring dreams lately… nightmares about our family business running into problems. I can’t shake the unease, so I wanted to talk to you.”

“Nightmares are probably caused by stress. I’ll talk to your director tomorrow—come back and rest for a while before resuming filming.”

“No, that’s not it!” Qi Xingchen said anxiously. “I just have a bad feeling. Brother, could you check on the company for me? Otherwise, I won’t be able to relax.”

Understanding the seriousness in his brother’s tone, Qi Yunxiao heard the plea in his voice. His heart softened instantly.

“Alright. Tomorrow, I’ll start investigating from the headquarters.”

“Also, be wary of anyone who might be trying to manipulate things behind the scenes,” Qi Xingchen added.

“Got it,” Qi Yunxiao replied with a mix of helplessness and indulgence. “I’ll be careful. Don’t worry.”

Qi Yunxiao had always lived by the principle of keeping his word. If he agreed to something, he would see it through.

Hearing his response, Qi Xingchen’s tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Then he made another request.

“Oh, by the way, Brother—about Noah. I remember that when you acquired Noah, you set up an investment fund. Can you transfer it to me? I want to learn about investing. In case I ever decide to quit acting, I could switch to venture capital.”

“You…” Qi Yunxiao sighed, unsure of what to say. “Even if you never work a day in your life, I can still support you. Don’t push yourself so hard, okay?”

“Brother, trust me. I can balance my life and work.” Qi Xingchen insisted.

“…Alright.”

Qi Yunxiao had no choice but to agree.

“The Xingchen Asset Management Fund is currently 60% under my name and 40% under the Qi Group. Once the integration is complete, I’ll transfer all shares to you as a gift. I’ll notify you when it’s done.”

“Got it.”

“The fund only holds 45% of Noah’s shares right now—its influence isn’t that deep yet. Be cautious when you use it.”

“Mhm, I will. Thanks, Brother.”

Qi Yunxiao continued lecturing him about things like not staying up too late and reminding him that if things didn’t work out, he could always come back and inherit the family business. Qi Xingchen nodded and agreed to everything.

Noticing his lack of sincerity, Qi Yunxiao sighed and hung up.

Qi Xingchen, satisfied that he had achieved his goal, happily jumped into the bathtub and enjoyed a nice, warm soak.

As the weather grew colder, with snow falling frequently, December 31st arrived in the blink of an eye.

On the streets, many young couples dressed up in stylish outfits, discussing where to celebrate the New Year as they strolled. Even in the mismatched, run-down parts of the city, aunties carrying bags of meat and prepared food could be seen, likely planning a hearty meal to welcome the Western calendar’s new year.

While New Year’s Eve didn’t hold the same significance as the Lunar New Year in Huaguo, it was still a holiday.

After finishing a few scenes in the morning, Director Zhou picked up his walkie-talkie.

“Take a break, everyone! Once Dazhuang gets back with the groceries, we’re having hotpot!”

“Sounds great!” Yan Ruonan, dressed in her police uniform, quickly wrapped herself in a blanket. “A hotpot will warm us up and help us get through the afternoon scenes. I’m afraid my face will freeze too stiff to show any expressions.”

“There won’t be any filming in the afternoon,” Director Zhou announced.

“New Year’s Day is a national holiday. I’m giving you all the day off… and also, my girlfriend wants to spend New Year’s Eve with me.”

At first, everyone was ready to praise him for the unexpected break. But upon hearing the real reason, the entire set erupted into boos.

Qi Xingchen was the only one who didn’t join in.

Because Director Zhou’s words reminded him of something.

Hugging his hand warmer, he sidled up to the director.

“Director, can I skip the hotpot?”

Director Zhou was a sharp person and immediately guessed his intentions. “What? Going out?”

“Yeah, I want to spend New Year’s Eve with a friend.”

“A friend or someone special?” Director Zhou smirked knowingly. “Alright, go ahead. Just make sure you’re back early tomorrow.”

Qi Xingchen’s face heated up at his teasing. After promising to return on time, he hurriedly left.

Director Zhou wasn’t wrong—he really was going to see someone special.

Bo Ye had been invited to perform at a New Year’s Eve gala, while he had been caught up with filming. Originally, he hadn’t even considered celebrating. But now that he suddenly had the day off, he couldn’t let it go to waste.

Besides, on meaningful days like this, he always wanted to spend them with Bo Ye.

Plane tickets were hard to get during the holiday season. Fortunately, Bo Ye’s city wasn’t too far from J City. In the end, he asked An Ran to find a car rental company and got a four-wheel-drive SUV, deciding to drive there himself.

An Ran was worried sick. After failing to dissuade him several times, she could only throw up her hands in surrender and let Qi Xingchen do as he pleased.

So at 2 p.m., after grabbing a quick meal, Qi Xingchen hit the highway amidst the falling snow.

Driving was slow due to the snowy conditions, and occasional accidents or breakdowns caused long delays. By the time he arrived at his destination, it was already completely dark.

The New Year’s Eve gala was being held at the city’s stadium. After parking behind the venue, he called Allen.

“Do you have a staff pass?”

The question came out of nowhere, leaving Allen utterly confused. “What staff pass are you talking about?”

Qi Xingchen named the event, and Allen froze for a few seconds.

“Holy sht, holy sht, holy sh*t—Xingxing, don’t tell me you’re here?!”

“I’m here, outside the stadium right now,” Qi Xingchen whispered. “Don’t tell your boss—I want to surprise him.”

In the past, Allen would’ve immediately ratted him out. But after understanding the relationship between the two, he fully appreciated the little romantic gestures. Secretly, he got a staff pass from Xiao Man and sneaked Qi Xingchen in according to the location he sent.

There were a ton of celebrities participating in the live broadcast, so to avoid being recognized, the two of them moved carefully, sneaking around until they finally reached Bo Ye’s dressing room.

Allen let out a sigh of relief and shoved Qi Xingchen inside.

“Hey, what are y—”

Before he could finish complaining, Qi Xingchen turned around and saw a room full of stunned staff members—and Bo Ye, who was getting his makeup done.

Tonight, Bo Ye was performing a song from his new album, which had a trap style. His makeup was kept minimal, relying on his outfit and accessories to complete the look.

But this man had a kind of magic—whenever he put on his stage persona, he became an entirely different person, exuding an overwhelming dominance from head to toe.

It made people want to worship him, to submit to him.

Qi Xingchen swallowed back the rest of his words, his eyes fixed solely on Bo Ye.

Bo Ye was just as surprised as the staff. He gestured for Xiao Man to pause, then strode over with long steps.

“Director Zhou gave you guys a break?”

“How did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

“I drove myself. The holiday was announced so suddenly that I didn’t have time to tell you.”

After explaining, Qi Xingchen lowered his eyes, waiting to be scolded. But after more than ten seconds, he didn’t hear a word.

He looked up and saw Bo Ye’s serious expression, but his eyes were full of warmth.

Bo Ye knew exactly how long the journey from J City to here was. He also knew how difficult it must have been to drive all that way in heavy snow.

Qi Xingchen had gone through all that trouble just to spend New Year’s Eve with him. There was no way he could scold him.

“Allen, go buy some hot drinks,” Bo Ye instructed, then turned to Qi Xingchen. “Wait for me—I’m almost done here.”

“It’s fine, take your time. I’ll just sit here,” Qi Xingchen said obediently, settling down beside him.

Xiao Man resumed her work. Qi Xingchen was fascinated by anything related to Bo Ye, so as she did his makeup, he curiously observed everything in the room.

Suddenly, he noticed a box of cold medicine among the clutter.

“Who’s sick?” he asked.

“The boss,” Xiao Man answered immediately.

Bo Ye growled, “Xiao Man!”

“Huh? Was I not supposed to say that?” She quickly apologized. “Alright, pretend I never said anything.”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a TV show, and Qi Xingchen had heard every word. His eyebrows furrowed.

“When did you catch a cold?”

Bo Ye didn’t answer.

“Was it because of the changing temperatures? Did you get too cold?” Qi Xingchen pressed on.

Seeing Qi Xingchen’s relentless questioning, Bo Ye could only lower his voice and say, “The day before yesterday—you passed it to me.”

Because of Tao Tao, Qi Xingchen had long forgotten about this. Now that it was brought up again, he felt overwhelming guilt, his ears instantly turning red.

Xiao Man, who was standing close to them, overheard the conversation and was utterly confused. “Xingxing passed it to you? Was it that time in J City? Wait, no—how could you two even pass it to each other?”

Qi Xingchen thought to himself: We kissed countless times, how could it not spread?

But he didn’t dare say that out loud, so he brushed it off, “Maybe we used the wrong water cup.”

“Mhmm,” Bo Ye shot him a sideways glance. “To be precise, the wrong toothbrush holder.”

Hearing this, Xiao Man was even more confused. These two were both wealthy, so why on earth would they insist on sharing a toothbrush holder?

Meanwhile, Qi Xingchen recalled the scene from back then and felt incredibly embarrassed, rubbing his hands against his thighs.

Bo Ye, in an exceptionally good mood, took his time admiring Qi Xingchen’s flustered expression. Then, his gaze shifted downward, checking to see if his little fan had lost weight over the past few days.

That’s when he noticed it—Qi Xingchen’s legs were trembling slightly.

Bo Ye had seen this before—it was a common symptom for novice drivers who had spent too long on the road. Keeping their feet tense on the gas and brake pedals for extended periods often resulted in nerve-related trembling once they finally relaxed.

His feet were probably swollen too. Bo Ye sighed, then bent down and touched Qi Xingchen’s ankle.

Sure enough, it was swollen.

His movement was so sudden that before Qi Xingchen could react, Bo Ye had already straightened up. Qi Xingchen quickly rubbed his foot against the floor, mouthing a warning: Don’t touch me in front of everyone!

Bo Ye ignored him.

Just then, Xiao Man finished with the makeup, set down her brush, and placed her hands on her hips in satisfaction. “Brother Ye, time to change into your stage outfit!”

Bo Ye hummed in acknowledgment, then pointed at Qi Xingchen. “I need an assistant. You, come with me.”

To avoid messing up the styling, outfits were usually changed before hair was done. Qi Xingchen hurriedly followed behind him toward the dressing room.

But he knew perfectly well—Bo Ye didn’t actually need an assistant.

He was probably just looking for an excuse to… steal a moment of intimacy.

Qi Xingchen scratched his neck, feeling a little excited and antsy.

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the dressing room, Bo Ye locked the door behind them and ordered, “Sit.”

Qi Xingchen obediently sat down.

Then Bo Ye gave another command, “Take off your shoes.”

Qi Xingchen’s face went pale. “N-No way! There are too many people here!”

“People? Where?” Bo Ye looked around. “It’s just the two of us.”

“It’s really not okay!” Qi Xingchen panicked. “If someone hears something, we’re doomed!”

Bo Ye paused for a few seconds before finally realizing what his little fan was thinking.

Qi Xingchen thought he was going to do something to him in the dressing room.

Bo Ye was so amused he let out a short laugh. He really wanted to know how Qi Xingchen’s brain worked.

This was a public place—there was no way he would ever do anything to Qi Xingchen in public.

He couldn’t bear to.

Besides… changing clothes wouldn’t take that long. There simply wasn’t enough time to do anything.

With no time to explain, Bo Ye simply crouched down and started taking off Qi Xingchen’s shoes himself.

To match his character for filming, Qi Xingchen was wearing a pair of short military boots. The shafts were loose, so with a gentle tug, Bo Ye easily pulled them off.

Qi Xingchen panicked even more. “This really won’t work! Or—or maybe I can use my hands to help you out first?”

Bo Ye, expressionless, continued removing his socks. “What do you take me for? I just want to check your feet.”

Wait—so Bo Ye had that kind of fetish?!

Qi Xingchen was stunned for a moment before he shyly muttered, “O-Okay then… I-I guess I can… give you a foot jo—”

Bo Ye was utterly speechless. Without another word, he swiftly pulled off Qi Xingchen’s socks.

As his feet were exposed to the air, a chill ran through them. Qi Xingchen kept his head down, desperately trying to recall the steps of a foot job.

Back when he was in the acrobat troupe, a bunch of young, hot-blooded guys would sometimes gather to watch educational videos generously shared by various teachers. Qi Xingchen was usually too busy with training to join in, but he had caught a glimpse or two.

And he had seen this kind of content before.

Just thinking about it made his face burn.

Now that his socks were off, he figured it was just a matter of Bo Ye taking off his pants. He tried to calm himself down—Stay cool. Stay cool.

But in the next moment, what landed on his feet wasn’t what he had expected.

Instead, two warm hands gently wrapped around them.

Qi Xingchen looked up in shock, only to see Bo Ye cupping his feet. Alarmed, he quickly tried to pull back. “I haven’t washed my feet! They’re dirty! Let go of me!”

Unfortunately, there was no way he could overpower Bo Ye.

Bo Ye firmly grasped his snow-white ankle with one hand while, with the other—somewhat clumsily—he began massaging the arch of his foot. “Don’t move. Your feet are really swollen—I’ll help you rub them.”