APCF – Chapter 83 Kissing Practice

After spending three days at home and making sure his family was happy, Qi Xingchen hurriedly returned to the hotel.

In the past, he never understood why people said, “One day apart feels like three autumns.” But now, he got it.

After putting down his things, he lay on the bed, sweating, and skillfully sent an emoji to his pinned contact: [Hello, duck.gif]

Bo Ye opened his phone and saw a chubby little white duck waddling toward the screen with its tiny yellow feet.

He couldn’t help but smile and replied with an emoji of his own: [Cat singing.gif]

Xingxing: [!]

Xingxing: [You actually stole my emoji!]

Bo Ye sighed helplessly: [I never saved any emojis before.]

He was always straightforward and rarely chatted idly. But ever since he got together with his little fan, he had been collecting emojis to match his energy.

Qi Xingchen pouted: [No way, you took my emoji, so you have to compensate me.]

Bo: [Okay, what do you want?]

Xingxing: [I want to eat Arctic surf clams.]

Xingxing: [Keep your lunch break free, I’ll treat you to Japanese food.]

Keeping his lunch break free…

Bo Ye paused for a moment: [You’re back?]

Xingxing: [Mhm!]

Bo: [It’s only a little past ten. What time did you wake up this morning?]

Xingxing: [Around six, I think? Can’t really remember.]

Bo: [Why didn’t you sleep in a little longer?]

Qi Xingchen bit his lower lip.

— Isn’t it obvious? So I can have lunch with you.

Xingxing: [Early to bed, early to rise. It’s good for your health!]

Bo Ye decided to take his words at face value: [Alright, I’ll pick you up around noon.]

After finalizing the lunch plans with Bo Ye, Qi Xingchen happily started hanging his clothes in the wardrobe.

That afternoon, he had to record the mentor’s original segment, and this round of post-production required mentor guidance, so he wouldn’t be able to leave for a while.

The next round was the mentor’s co-performance, where every mentor had to perform with a group of trainees. That meant he definitely wouldn’t be able to go home.

And after that was the grand finale…

Basically, from now until the end, he would be staying here.

After organizing his clothes, he washed his face but started feeling restless the longer he stayed in his room.

He really wanted to see Bo Ye.

Maybe he could use the excuse of not wanting to trouble Bo Ye to pick him up and just go find him at the studio himself?

…Yes! That’s the plan!

Comrade Qi Xingchen was a man of action. Grabbing his car keys, he left immediately.

He didn’t even call Old Qin; instead, he drove the nanny van himself to the broadcasting hall.

By now, the trainees and cameramen were used to the sight of Mentor Qi suddenly showing up out of nowhere.

He shamelessly wandered through the practice rooms under the pretense of “checking on the trainees.”

Finally, in the fifth practice room, he found the person he was looking for.

Bo Ye was playing the piano, accompanying a trainee who was practicing a cappella.

When he saw Qi Xingchen enter, he froze for a moment but said nothing.

Qi Xingchen also didn’t say anything. He leaned against the wall and listened to them sing.

Only after the song was over and Bo Ye gave some feedback to the trainee, did he finally turn to Qi Xingchen and beckon him over.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait at the hotel?”

“After discussing the song with you the other day, I suddenly got really interested in composing,” Qi Xingchen made up an excuse on the spot. “So I wanted to see how everyone creates music.”

Seeing his eyes darting around, Bo Ye knew the little guy was lying. But he didn’t call him out and instead played along.

“If you’re interested in composing, you need to develop your sense of music first.”

He stood up and gestured to the bench he had just been sitting on. “Come, let me check your basics.”

Qi Xingchen hesitated. “Play the piano?”

Bo Ye hummed in response.

“No, no way,” Qi Xingchen quickly waved his hands. “I don’t know how!”

“That’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

As the two whispered to each other, the trainees discussing their arrangement and choreography occasionally glanced at them, curious about what they were doing.

At that moment, the camera also shifted toward them.

Qi Xingchen had no way out.

So, with an awkward expression, he placed his hands stiffly on the edge of the piano…

He didn’t even know where to place his fingers, let alone play the piano.

Bo Ye seemed to notice his awkwardness and softened his tone. “Let’s start with learning the keys. A piano keyboard has 52 white keys and 36 black keys, arranged in seven complete octaves and two incomplete ones.”

He flipped the sheet music to a page that showed the divisions of the octaves. “The first note on the far left is ‘A.’ Try it.”

Following Bo Ye’s instructions, Qi Xingchen pressed the key. Sure enough, it was an A.

Bo Ye then gave a simple explanation of the notes in each octave and their abbreviations. Except for the first octave, every set started from C, making it easy to remember. Qi Xingchen quickly memorized it.

“Now let’s practice a simple fingering exercise.” Bo Ye leaned against the piano, casually pressing a series of notes with one hand. “E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E. This is the E major scale.”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

He didn’t catch any of that.

Bo Ye slowed down and played it again.

This time, Qi Xingchen remembered it. But when he placed his fingers on the keys, it was as if they didn’t belong to him. They wouldn’t move properly.

Frustrated, Qi Xingchen smacked his lips.

Bo Ye rarely saw his little fan struggling with something. He watched the annoyed expression on Qi Xingchen’s face for a few seconds, enjoying the rare sight, before stepping behind him.

Then, he leaned down, placing his left hand over Qi Xingchen’s left hand and his right hand over Qi Xingchen’s right hand. From above his head, he said, “I’ll guide you.”

Qi Xingchen: “!!!”

Bo Ye’s posture was practically a back hug. Qi Xingchen could clearly feel the warmth of his chest pressed against his back, and his chin lightly brushing against his messy hair.

The heat from their contact slowly crept up his face, layer by layer. First, the back of his neck turned red, and soon, his entire face flushed.

With so many eyes watching, he clenched his teeth and protested in a small voice, “I can do it myself!”

But Bo Ye ignored him and guided his hands, playing each note one by one.

Honestly, having someone lead him made things much easier than playing alone. After the first round, Bo Ye repeated it a few more times, and Qi Xingchen carefully listened and memorized the feeling.

“That should be enough,” Bo Ye finally let go but didn’t step away. “Try it on your own.”

Qi Xingchen closed his eyes, recalled the movements, and then smoothly played the E major scale.

The sensation of the melody flowing from his fingertips was incredible. He hadn’t expected that he could actually play the piano!

Excited, he forgot where Bo Ye was for a moment. He turned his head, eager to boast—

And immediately, something soft and slightly damp brushed against his forehead.

“…”

It took Qi Xingchen a second to process—

That was Bo Ye’s lips!

The assistant camerawoman, a young lady, witnessed the whole scene and gasped, “Whoa!”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

There’s no way he could continue this lesson now!

Using the excuse of not wanting to disrupt the trainees’ practice, Qi Xingchen hastily fled the practice room and went back to wait in the nanny van.

Not long after, Bo Ye came out as well and got straight into his car.

Qi Xingchen was lying on the small table inside, sulking. Bo Ye sat beside him and ruffled his fluffy hair.

“You knew I’d be here…?” Qi Xingchen mumbled, still buried in his arms.

“I guessed. What, are you embarrassed?”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

“So many people saw it.”

“It was just a little accidental touch,” Bo Ye chuckled. “Not like you did it on purpose.”

Qi Xingchen thought to himself, That’s because you don’t pay attention to CP fans.

Once this footage aired, Internet was going to explode in chaos.

Seeing that he remained silent, Bo Ye reached between his folded arms and found his little chin, gently scratching it like he was teasing a small animal. “Why aren’t you talking…? Don’t tell me you actually did do it on purpose?”

Qi Xingchen: “!”

Finally, he shot up from the table, revealing a face that was completely red.

“I did not—!”

Before he could finish speaking, the person in front of him leaned down.

Bo Ye sealed the rest of his words with a kiss and murmured in between the contact, “You weren’t intentional, but I was.”

After three days apart, it wasn’t just his little fan who missed him—Bo Ye missed him just as much. That was why he had deliberately used the back-hug posture while teaching him the piano—just to be a little closer.

His kisses were soft and gentle. Before long, he noticed that Qi Xingchen had slightly parted his lips, as if waiting for him to take whatever he wanted.

Bo Ye’s gaze darkened. He cupped the back of Qi Xingchen’s head and, as he wished, deepened the kiss.

It was a long, lingering kiss. Only when he felt Qi Xingchen’s grip on his shirt tightening did he finally let go.

Qi Xingchen’s eyes and lips were glistening with moisture. His eyelids drooped as he gasped for air.

“That’s the third kiss,” Bo Ye patted his back to help him catch his breath. “Still haven’t learned how to breathe properly?”

Qi Xingchen shot him a resentful look. He originally wanted to regain some dignity, but a sudden thought crossed his mind, and he changed his words at the last moment. “I’m not very smart. Maybe… maybe if we do it a few more times, I’ll get better at it.”

Bo Ye was stunned.

He had only been teasing his little fan, yet he ended up getting played instead.

He pressed his lips together. “Hmm… you have a point. How many times do you need to practice?”

Qi Xingchen tentatively raised one finger.

Bo Ye: “Once?”

“No…” Qi Xingchen swallowed nervously and carefully said, “Once… a day.”

Bo Ye: “…”

“…Pfft.” Bo Ye couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Alright, whatever you say.”

Qi Xingchen felt like this trip to the studio was absolutely worth it—he had struck gold! Kissing Bo Ye once a day? This was the dream!

Feeling victorious, he happily treated the “poor” Bo Ye to Japanese cuisine. After their meal, he cheerfully went to find Jiang Jiang for hair and makeup.

That afternoon, all five mentors were present, and the production team began recording the segment featuring the mentors’ original composition—the one Wei Qin had discussed with Bo Ye a while back. The recording took place in the music room, the same location as the initial grading session.

Technically, this had little to do with Qi Xingchen. Since neither he nor Chen Jiayi had composing abilities, they were just there to fill up space. The real work was left to the three professionals.

So, after everything was prepared, he dragged Chen Jiayi into the music room and lazily sat on the floor, treating the whole thing like a show.

However, the more he watched, the more he noticed something off—Wei Qin’s gaze frequently flickered toward Bo Ye. And when Bo Ye spoke, Wei Qin’s stare became even more brazen.

Before, when he hadn’t figured out his own feelings for Bo Ye, he had assumed Wei Qin’s expression was just admiration for an idol, much like his own.

But now that he was with Bo Ye, he could tell at a glance—Wei Qin’s feelings weren’t admiration.

They were the same as his own.

Wei Qin liked Bo Ye.

That realization made Qi Xingchen feel a little uneasy, but he quickly brushed it off. After all, Bo Ye was outstanding—it was perfectly normal for people to like him.

By now, most of the composition had been finalized, and they were moving on to writing lyrics.

Zheng Yuyang joked, “We’re here working hard on the music, while Jiayi and Little Qi are just over there relaxing—isn’t that a bit unfair?”

Wei Qin hummed in agreement. “It is unfair.”

“Hey, I’m talking about you guys.” Zheng Yuyang gestured at Qi Xingchen. “Stop eating grapes and come help us out.”

“Alright.” Qi Xingchen patted his pants and stood up. “Where do you need us?”

Zheng Yuyang didn’t answer. Instead, he played a melody on his phone.

“This is your composition?” Chen Jiayi asked.

“Yes.”

“It sounds amazing!”

“We need lyrics now,” Wei Qin said. “Jiayi, can you help us come up with a few lines?”

Then, after a brief pause, he added, “Qi Xingchen, if you have any ideas, you’re welcome to join the discussion too.”

He called Chen Jiayi “Jiayi” but addressed Qi Xingchen as “Qi Xingchen.” He directly asked Chen Jiayi for help with the lyrics but only told Qi Xingchen that he could participate if he had any ideas.

It was an obvious attempt to exclude Qi Xingchen from the group.

But to be fair, he wasn’t wrong. Qi Xingchen wasn’t a mentor—he was just the “Starlight Observer.”

A role created at the start of the show purely for hype, nothing more than a placeholder.

The moment Wei Qin spoke, Zheng Yuyang and Chen Jiayi immediately picked up on the subtext. An awkward silence flashed across their faces before they quickly recovered. Zheng Yuyang laughed, trying to smooth things over. “Little Qi’s freestyle skills are pretty solid. I’m sure he can come up with a few lines. Give us something impressive!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chen Jiayi chimed in. “Is there a rap part in this song? Maybe Qi Xingchen can handle it.”

Wei Qin coldly replied, “The rap part belongs to Bo Ye. We can’t just—”

“That’s enough.”

Bo Ye, who had been quietly listening with an expressionless face, finally furrowed his brows and cut in. “In that case, let’s split into two groups. Wei Qin, Yuyang, and Jiayi will be one group. Xingxing and I will be the other. Each group will be responsible for one verse, and we’ll collaborate on the chorus. As for the rap part… that goes to Xingxing. I trust he’ll do a great job.”

When he heard the team arrangement, Wei Qin’s face darkened.

Bo Ye: “Is this okay?”

Zheng Yuyang and Chen Jiayi immediately agreed. From the first recording, they had noticed the tension between Wei Qin and Qi Xingchen. If they had to write lyrics together, wouldn’t that just turn into a battlefield of veiled insults and back-and-forth sniping? How could they even get anything done?

Bo Ye’s suggestion was the best solution for the current situation.

Besides, they could clearly tell that Bo Ye was protecting Qi Xingchen. Everyone here was sharp—each of them quickly recalculated their positions in this little game.

Since Bo Ye had spoken, Wei Qin had no choice but to comply during the recording, even if he wasn’t happy about it. With a sullen expression, he followed Zheng Yuyang and Chen Jiayi to one side of the music room.

Meanwhile, Bo Ye led Qi Xingchen to the other side and, in a voice too soft for the cameras to catch, reassured him, “Don’t be angry. It’s not worth it.”

Qi Xingchen: “I’m not angry.”

Bo Ye thought he was just being stubborn and was about to squeeze his wrist in comfort when Qi Xingchen suddenly sneered, “If I don’t show him who’s boss, he won’t even remember his own name.”

“…” Bo Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. He had almost forgotten—his little fan was the kind of person who could roast Kevin to his face. Why would he be afraid of someone like Wei Qin?

Sure enough, the moment Qi Xingchen got his hands on the sheet music and a pen, he went from being a lazy bystander to a creative machine, his inspiration pouring out like a rushing spring. The faint “scratch scratch” of his pen gliding across the paper filled the air.

Bo Ye sneaked a glance at his work. Not bad—not exactly polished, but for a beginner, he was already at a top-tier level.

Bo Ye was in charge of writing the verse, while Qi Xingchen handled the rap portion. The weight of their parts was roughly equal, and after about thirty minutes, they both put their pens down at the same time.

Across from them, the other three had finished slightly earlier. Zheng Yuyang let out a playful whistle: “Alright, time for the big reveal. You guys want to go first, or should we?”

Bo Ye, ever the gentleman, replied, “You guys go first.”

As the strongest vocalist among them, Zheng Yuyang naturally stepped forward to sing.

But before he could begin, Wei Qin reached out and stopped him. “I’ll sing.”

“Oh, sure.” Zheng Yuyang stepped back without thinking too much about it.

Wei Qin moved to the center of the room, turned on the speakers, and tested the mic. Once he was satisfied, he adjusted his voice and smoothly delivered the first verse.

Zheng Yuyang, known as the “King of Love Songs,” had written deeply emotional yet slightly playful lyrics, perfectly aligning with the trap-style melody that Bo Ye had previously set.

Wei Qin’s naturally lazy and husky voice was a good fit for this style, and as he sang, his gaze—just like before—lingered on Bo Ye, deliberate and unwavering.

As if this love song was meant for him.

Qi Xingchen took a deep breath.

The verse wasn’t long, and soon, Wei Qin finished. Everyone politely applauded before it was Bo Ye and Qi Xingchen’s turn.

Qi Xingchen was eager to stir things up, ready to step forward, but Bo Ye shook his head and stopped him. “I’ll do it.”

“…Fine.” Qi Xingchen retreated with an exaggerated look of disappointment.

Bo Ye tested the mic and picked up his sheet music. Qi Xingchen had been too focused on writing earlier and hadn’t paid attention to what Bo Ye had written. Now, he was curious.

Two seconds later, as the melody played, Bo Ye turned to look directly at Qi Xingchen and, with a gentle smile, sang the first line:

“Meeting you was the luckiest accident…”

Wei Qin’s face instantly turned deathly pale.