Chapter 9 The Same Model
When Xie Bian suddenly confessed, Fan Wujiu’s first reaction was disbelief. But amidst that disbelief, there was an undeniable surge of joy and excitement. Unfortunately, before he could fully savor the happiness, the cold truth about the arrow of love cut through his euphoria, forcing his heart to settle back into calm.
He quickly masked the trace of disappointment, unsure of how to face the situation with Xie Bian. He decided to go downstairs to buy breakfast and take a walk, hoping the fresh air would help him regain his composure.
Human food was not a necessity for demons and gods, but it did serve to satisfy their desires and cravings.
Venus leaned lazily against the doorframe, watching as Fan Wujiu made his way downstairs.
Cupid flew out of the room, his curiosity piqued. “Father, why did you tell him that Bai Wuchang had been struck by the arrow?”
Would’t that only make Hei Wuchang think Bai Wuchang only liked him because of the arrow? He wouldn’t dare respond with his true feelings. But Hei Wuchang had liked him long before.
“They’ve known each other for a long time. Bai Wuchang’s temperament has changed so much that even if I hadn’t said anything, would Hei Wuchang not have noticed? He’s bound to be suspicious and keep his distance. Cupid, you must understand, love comes in many forms, and secret love is the most cautious of them all. Without a hundred percent certainty or the courage to burn all bridges, one dare not take that step.” Venus began imparting his knowledge of love to the little God of Love. “By now, if I directly say that Bai Wuchang loves him because of the arrow, he will avoid him. If Hei Wuchang keeps avoiding him, it will only hurt Bai Wuchang. He won’t want to see Bai Wuchang sad, so he’ll pretend to be in love with him. Pretending is one thing, but he actually has genuine feelings.
“He believes he can control the situation, but love is not something one can approach without getting caught up in it. Once love draws near, no one can escape unscathed.”
Cupid raised his hand in objection. “But, Father, you managed to escape unscathed from all the Greek gods.”
Born from pleasure and beauty, the God of Love and Beauty was inherently flirtatious and passionate, yet also the most heartless. He could wander among the pleasure grounds of the gods, dabbling in all, never staying with any one.
Venus did not respond.
He thought of the vast, endless blue sea and the pair of deep, ocean-blue eyes. Those eyes had once been filled with his reflection, pulling him from the divine mountain and drowning him in the depths of the sea.
He had struggled for centuries, and when he finally broke through the water to take a breath of fresh air, he had thought he had escaped unscathed. It wasn’t until those eyes appeared in his dreams every night that he realized he had never truly escaped that sea.
It was the place of his birth, and it would also be his tomb.
Fan Wujiu returned after buying breakfast. He stood before the bedroom door, took a deep breath, and silently chanted in his heart.
Calm as still water, calm as still water.
Bai Wuchang had been struck by the golden arrow of love, so none of his actions should be taken seriously.
Having steeled himself mentally, Fan Wujiu reached for the door handle and opened the door.
Xie Bian was already awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed, his long hair messy and falling loosely around him. His eyes were lowered in a daze. His pale pink lips were pressed together, his cheeks slightly puffed. He looked both languid and lost, like a cat that was quietly waiting for its owner to return home, but annoyed at how late they were.
Fan Wujiu’s heart was…… to hell with still water. His heart was pounding like a little deer’s in a wild panic.
So cute, so freaking cute! In his lifetime, Fan Wujiu never thought he would see Bai Wuchang make such a silly, adorable expression. For a thousand years, Xie Bian had always maintained an air of calm and composure, as if he had never encountered a problem.
And now, the reason Xie Bian was showing this expression was simply because he had woken up and found Fan Wujiu gone.
Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, Xie Bian looked up and asked calmly, “Where did you go?”
Fan Wujiu coughed lightly, locking away the little deer that had been fluttering wildly in his chest, and lifted the breakfast bag in his hand. “I went to buy breakfast for you.”
He placed the steaming buns and a bottle of Wahaha on the bedside table. “Eat while it’s hot.”
Xie Bian glanced at it and frowned. “I don’t want it.”
Fan Wujiu asked, “What do you want to eat then?”
“I want cake and milk tea.”
Fan Wujiu’s lips twitched. Lao Bai used to be like a fairy that lived on flower petals and dew. Now, after being struck by an arrow, his taste had completely changed?
“I’ll go buy it for you,” Fan Wujiu said, about to turn around.
Xie Bian furrowed his brows when he saw him about to leave. “Forget it, buy it next time.”
Fan Wujiu turned back. Xie Bian had already picked up a custard bun. He took small, careful bites, then set it down to take a sip of the Wahaha, before placing it down again to nibble a few more bites of the bun. He looked very determined to eat, trying his best to enjoy the meal.
Fan Wujiu couldn’t help but laugh. “Can’t you hold one in each hand?”
Xie Bian let out a cold snort. “Mind your own business.”
Fan Wujiu: “……” Fine, Lao Bai was being willful, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
Xie Bian took a bite of the custard bun and tore off a bit of the skin. After a while, he still hadn’t reached the custard filling.
Fan Wujiu couldn’t bear to watch. “If you don’t want to eat it, you don’t have to.”
Xie Bian stubbornly continued to work on the bun. “Can’t waste food.”
Without thinking, Fan Wujiu said, “You can give it to me.”
Xie Bian immediately handed it over to him, along with the half-drunk bottle of Wahaha. “Please take care of both.”
Fan Wujiu: “……”
Although they were brothers and didn’t need to be so formal, Lao Bai had always been a bit of a clean freak. He would never share food he had already eaten with someone else, considering it impolite. Of course, the Lao Bai he knew would have obediently finished everything himself.
This was the first time Xie Bian had so casually passed his unfinished food to Fan Wujiu. It seemed their bond had indeed grown much closer. Or maybe, after being struck by the arrow, Lao Bai had completely let go of his former reservations.
Fan Wujiu looked at the bun in his hand and thought, Does this count as an indirect kiss with Lao Bai?
Then he thought again. Last night, he and Lao Bai had already kissed directly.
But then he quickly changed his mind. Whatever he was thinking, it was all because of the arrow. It was fake.
However, this custard bun was truly the best one he had ever eaten in his life. And this bottle of Wahaha was the sweetest he had ever tasted.
Secret love truly was this humble.
After finishing breakfast, Fan Wujiu decided it was time to sit down and have a serious talk with Xie Bian.
He knew that Xie Bian was under the influence of the love arrow and now saw him as a lover. Talking about anything else was pointless unless he agreed to be in a relationship.
He was also prepared to agree. There was his own selfish desire in that, but also a wish to spare Lao Bai any sadness during this time.
“Lao Bai, there’s something I want to talk to you about, something very important,” Fan Wujiu said, his tone a bit nervous. After all, this was his first real confession.
Although he knew he would definitely succeed, he couldn’t be happy because he knew the real reason.
Xie Bian, bored, played with a strand of his long hair, winding it around his finger.
Upon hearing him, Xie Bian paused for a moment and then asked, “Is it about our marriage?”
Fan Wujiu was taken aback. “……Not that important.”
Lao Bai really was leaping through the stages at an insane pace. While Fan Wujiu was still trying to figure out the relationship, the other party had already planned the rest of their lives.
Xie Bian gave an “Oh” and continued to twirl his hair in the opposite direction. “Then what’s so important about it?” Anything unrelated to love seemed unimportant.
Once struck by the arrow of love, one was bound to fall into love-stricken thoughts.
“You said you liked me. I thought about it, and I…… I also like you,” Fan Wujiu said quietly. “We could try being a couple.”
Xie Bian tilted his head. “Really?”
Fan Wujiu nodded. “I like you. That’s not a lie.”
Even when the effects of the golden arrow faded and he would later call it a joke, he still hoped that Xie Bian would remember that he had once spoken a truth.
It was the one moment in a thousand years when he dared to voice his feelings.
And that truth was that he liked him.
Xie Bian studied his serious expression, seemingly deep in thought.
Suddenly, Xie Bian pulled him into an embrace, resting his chin on Fan Wujiu’s shoulder as he whispered, “I agree. As for my feelings for you, I’ve never lied about that.”
The embrace lasted for a few minutes, and when they pulled apart, Fan Wujiu still felt a bit dazed.
So, did this mean they were…… a couple now?
Even if it was just a temporary act, the shift from brothers to lovers still felt different in some way.
“Lao Bai……” Fan Wujiu started to speak, but suddenly realized that the familiar nickname felt strangely off.
Calling him “Lao Bai” as a brother was perfectly normal, but calling him “Lao Bai” as a boyfriend felt too formal.
A couple should have a more intimate nickname.
Deciding to go all in with the act, Fan Wujiu thought for a moment before asking, “How about I call you Xiao Bai from now on?”
“Not a good idea,” Xie Bian replied. “There’s a dog on the east side called Xiao Bai.”
Fan Wujiu hesitated. “Then I’ll change it—”
“But the dog on the west side is called Xiao Hei, so if I call you that, we’ll be even. I don’t mind,” Xie Bian added.
Fan Wujiu: “……”
Oh my ancestor, we’re supposed to become lovers, not enemies. Why hurt each other like this?
Xie Bian continued, “That little Xiao Hei is really cute. I’ve always wanted to get a dog like that.”
Fan Wujiu immediately said, “You can just keep me. I’m your Xiao Hei.” He couldn’t let other dogs steal his boyfriend’s attention.
Fan Wujiu quickly adapted to his new role, after all, he had been eyeing this position for a long time.
And so, the new nickname was decided. It didn’t seem that different. I was just a change from “Lao” to “Xiao”.
Maybe it was because love made people less rational.
Now that they were a couple, there were so many more things they could do together.
The first thing to do was replace everything in the house with couple items.
Fan Wujiu realized he could skip this step entirely. They lived in the same apartment, and all the furniture and daily necessities had been purchased together. Every cup, toothbrush, comb, slipper, sheet, and duvet set was identical, the only difference being that Fan Wujiu’s were black and Xie Bian’s were white.
The next step was to replace all the clothes in the wardrobe with couple outfits.
Fan Wujiu realized he could skip this step too. Their impermanence uniforms were already a matching black-and-white set, perfect for a couple. As for their modern daily outfits, they were all black and white as well. Every black item in Fan Wujiu’s wardrobe had a matching white counterpart in Xie Bian’s wardrobe, because they always bought double whenever they shopped for clothes.
The third step was to change their social media profile pictures to couple avatars and post a couple photo in their feed to receive well-wishes from their friends.
Fan Wujiu took out his phone and immediately saw Xie Bian pinned to the top of his contacts. Their profile pictures were both of them in their traditional impermanence outfits, posing together in a very couple-like way. They’d already shared thousands of couple photos in their feeds, so much so that their friends probably couldn’t be bothered to like them anymore. They might have even blocked them by now.
For a moment, Fan Wujiu felt lost. He realized they had long passed the honeymoon phase and had already settled into the routine of an old married couple.
So, what exactly was the difference between being brothers and being lovers?
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
