Crossdress Ch75

The jade was indeed useful, pure white and translucent, even more lustrous after being soaked in medicine.

But Xu Yan didn’t expect to repeat what he had secretly done in the bathroom under Wen Sinian’s watchful eyes.

Wen Sinian didn’t seem willing to let him off easily, so Xu Yan had no choice but to obey, his fingers trembling as he did so.

His movements were painfully slow, pausing frequently to rest.

Wen Sinian watched, his patience nearing its limit. Unable to resist, he reached out to help, quickly turning the bedsheets into a mess.

The two of them carried on late into the night, until Xu Yan, tears in his eyes, collapsed onto Wen Sinian and fell asleep.

***

On the day Xu Yan left for Berlin, Wen Sinian also had a business trip planned for Port City.

Before leaving, Wen Sinian helped Xu Yan pack his luggage, organizing his daily essentials and clothes, even tucking the fluffy rabbit plushie inside.

Xu Yan picked up his camera. “I need to bring this too. I might want to take some photos.”

After Wen Sinian packed it away, he asked, “Anything else you want to bring?”

Xu Yan thought for a moment, his eyes reddening slightly. He didn’t speak, only pointed at Wen Sinian.

Wen Sinian stepped forward to embrace him. “Then I won’t go to Port City. I’ll go to Berlin with you instead, okay?”

Xu Yan shook his head gently against his chest. “No, you have your own things to take care of. I just feel like I’ll miss you these few days…”

They had been together almost every day since they started dating. Even during their arguments, they had never been apart for more than two days.

Xu Yan didn’t realize how dependent he had become on someone else. After all, he had managed just fine on his own when he first left his small town for North City to study.

But ever since he had been with Wen Sinian, he had become clingy, prone to tantrums, tears, and childishness, spoiled in every way.

Wen Sinian stroked his hair. “If you miss me, just message me, call me, or video chat with me at night. I’ll always be here.”

Xu Yan still buried his face in his chest, his arms tightly wrapped around Wen Sinian’s waist.

Wen Sinian lifted his face, his heart softening as he kissed the corner of his lips.

“Baby.”

Xu Yan hummed softly, “Mmm…”

Wen Sinian immediately picked up his phone, preparing to call the studio to change his schedule.

Xu Yan snatched the phone away, his eyes still red as he scolded, “What are you doing?”

Wen Sinian replied, “Going with you.”

Xu Yan quickly protested, “No! Your schedule is already set. You can’t change it last minute!”

Wen Sinian said, “It’s fine. I’ll hand things over to Zheng Yao in advance.”

Xu Yan insisted, “No, no! You go to Port City for your business trip. You’re not allowed to follow me!”

Wen Sinian sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Xu Yan onto his lap and nuzzling his cheek affectionately. “But what if I miss you?”

Xu Yan pushed him away, his expression serious. “We’ll see each other soon anyway. Plus, we both have important things to do. Don’t be so love-struck.”

Wen Sinian saw how calm and rational he was acting, as if the person who had been clinging to him, on the verge of tears, just moments ago was someone else entirely.

Xu Yan stuck to his principles, letting Wen Sinian drive him to the villa entrance. Before leaving, he reminded the housekeeper and Grandma to take care of themselves, and not to forget to look after the little rabbit.

As the car drove off, Wen Sinian knocked on the window one last time, leaning in to kiss him before letting the car pull away.

The entire ride, Xu Yan felt a little down. He did want Wen Sinian to go with him, but there was another important reason, his birthday fell during this trip to Berlin.

If only he could spend his birthday with Wen Sinian.

***

Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji arrived at the airport early. After meeting up with Xu Yan, their teacher arrived shortly after. The group checked in and boarded the flight to Berlin.

After nearly 10 hours, the plane landed at Brandenburg Airport.

The organizers had arranged for someone to pick them up and take them directly to their hotel.

The hotel was close to the event venue for the next day. Their teacher confirmed the schedule in advance and told everyone to rest early, they needed to be at their best for the red carpet the next day.

Xu Yan shared a room with Shen Nanli. That night, he didn’t dare to be too affectionate with Wen Sinian over video call, keeping the conversation brief before ending it.

Shen Nanli had been scrolling on her phone beside him, gossiping, “Remember that post I showed you before?”

Xu Yan, lost in thought, asked, “Which one?”

“The one about you and Wen Sinian’s CP thread,” Shen Nanli said, handing him her phone. “Since you two have been semi-open about your relationship at school, the post has been trending again. It’s been on the front page for a whole week. I’ve been scrolling through it, it’s wild.”

Xu Yan took the phone. He remembered the post, the featured image had been atmospheric, and the chemistry between them had been enough to stir up a storm.

He scrolled for a long time, stunned by the endless comments, along with candid photos of them taken around campus, fan art in various styles, and even fanfiction. It was a full-blown fantasy fest.

Xu Yan quickly exited the post, rubbing his eyes.

Shen Nanli consoled him, “Look on the bright side. You two are such a perfect match, and you’re both so good-looking, no wonder everyone ships you. And the forum is managed by the Computer Science Department, right? The fact that no one’s deleted it means something, it means Year-Ge has definitely seen the post and is okay with it.”

Year-Ge. Xu Yan suddenly felt like that nickname was from another lifetime.

He shared the post with Wen Sinian, asking if he had seen it.

The reply came quickly.

[Husband]: I’ve seen it.

[Dumb Baby]: Then why didn’t you ask someone to delete it?

[Husband]: It’s interesting.

[Dumb Baby]: Interesting how? They’re all wrong in their analysis. Some even say we were secretly together years ago and posted a photo of us accidentally in the same frame from two years ago for comparison. But we didn’t even know each other back then!

When Xu Yan saw that photo, he was shocked. It had been taken shortly after the start of the semester, at the freshman welcome ceremony. Wen Sinian had been a student representative, and Xu Yan had also been chosen to speak as a new student. That was how they had briefly crossed paths backstage.

Xu Yan had remembered Wen Sinian instantly, but Wen Sinian might not have remembered him at all back then.

[Husband]: You didn’t know me when school started?

Xu Yan told a little white lie.

[Dumb Baby]: Of course not. We weren’t in the same year or even the same department. How would we have had a chance to meet?

A reply came shortly after.

[Husband]: But I already knew you, baby.

***

The next morning, everyone changed into their newly prepared formal attire and left the hotel for the event venue.

The grand, classical Western architecture was majestic and awe-inspiring. As they stepped into the hall, massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a brilliant glow over the entire space.

The red carpet was set up inside the venue, with media from around the world already lining both sides, the sound of camera shutters filling the air.

The moment Xu Yan stepped onto the red carpet, his heart pounded in his chest. He was nervous yet exhilarated, dazzled by the flashing lights.

They followed a group of students from the University of Denmark into the venue. Standing at the front of the stage and looking up, the sight before them was breathtaking.

The curved, spherical auditorium resembled a deep blue ocean, filled with filmmakers, judges, guests, and contestants from around the world. The massive screen on stage shimmered faintly, as if preparing for the upcoming cinematic feast.

Shen Nanli was equally amazed, whispering excitedly with Xu Yan.

Xu Yan had brought his camera and took the opportunity to snap a few photos before the event officially began, even flashing a peace sign at the screen with the others.

Soon, the film festival officially kicked off. The host enthusiastically introduced the judges and guests, followed by the short film screening session. Fifteen micro-films were selected to be played on the big screen, each representing different award categories. Twenty more would be screened at different times as honorary mentions.

When Xu Yan’s team’s name appeared on the big screen, his heart raced to its peak. As the familiar scenes played out before his eyes, and he saw that striking face on the screen, tears welled up in his eyes.

They had actually done it.

At that moment, he really wished Wen Sinian could be there to share in his joy and happiness.

Hearing the thunderous applause from the audience as the film ended, a small sense of pride swelled in his heart.

Hard work never went to waste, and he believed this was just the first small step forward.

After the screening of the award-winning films, the award ceremony began. The three members of the creative team took the stage, and the teacher had Xu Yan give the acceptance speech as the group representative.

The moment Xu Yan stood under the dazzling spotlight, a murmur of surprise rippled through the audience. With his striking appearance, one might have assumed he was born to be an actor, yet his talent in directing was equally extraordinary.

The crystal trophy felt heavy in his hands. His voice trembled slightly, but he delivered his acceptance speech with grace and poise before bowing deeply to the audience.

After leaving the stage, Xu Yan recorded a short video with his camera, cheering with Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji as they held up the trophy. Their teacher stood nearby, watching them with a proud smile.

The film festival lasted three days. On the final day, the organizers hosted a banquet, inviting everyone to dine together.

Though it was called a banquet, it was more like a large networking event, giving students from different countries and groups a chance to meet and interact.

There weren’t many Asian teams, but Xu Yan’s group was by far the most popular. People kept coming up to chat with him, and Xu Yan kept smiling and raising his juice glass in response until his face ached.

Shen Nanli watched from the side, secretly worried for Wen Sinian. Xu Yan had only dressed up a little today, but he was way too attractive.

The Danish team they had met earlier also came over. Their group leader, Sur, was not only tall and handsome but also spoke fluent Chinese. After exchanging a few words with Xu Yan, he took out his phone to add Xu Yan on WeChat, even asking when Xu Yan would return to China and what his plans were for the next few days.

Their return flight was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but Xu Yan instinctively felt that Sur had ulterior motives, so he decided to be honest.

“Tomorrow, “

Before he could finish, Zhao Qingji blurted out, “The day after tomorrow.”

Sur chose to ignore the answer he didn’t want to hear and smiled. “You’re leaving the day after tomorrow? Perfect. We can spend tomorrow exploring Berlin together. I’ve been here before, so I can be your tour guide for free. How does that sound?”

The teacher and Zhao Qingji happily agreed.

Shen Nanli discreetly pulled Xu Yan aside and whispered in his ear, “Do you remember what day tomorrow is?”

Xu Yan nodded. “I remember.”

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and also his birthday.

Shen Nanli frowned. “Is Sur deliberately trying to spend Valentine’s Day with you? He only added you on WeChat out of all of us. Don’t tell me he’s interested in you?”

Xu Yan was a little troubled. “I hope not.”

Shen Nanli said, “It’s not up to you to decide. I’ll test the waters.”

She clinked glasses with Sur and casually asked, “How did you learn such good Chinese?”

“I was an exchange student in China before,” Sur replied, “in North City. Unfortunately, I didn’t know you all back then.”

As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward Xu Yan.

Shen Nanli pressed further, “Did you have a Chinese girlfriend while you were in North City?”

“No,” Sur said, looking at Xu Yan. “So I was wondering if I still have a chance to make up for that regret.”

Shen Nanli laughed it off. “Of course you have a chance! You can ask Yanyan to introduce you to someone. We’re all taken and living happily ever after, so we’re perfect matchmakers. Oh, do you know what a matchmaker is?”

But Sur didn’t pay attention to the rest of Shen Nanli’s words. He just furrowed his brows slightly and asked Xu Yan, “So, does that mean you’re not single?”

Xu Yan replied, “No, I’m not.”

Sur’s expression changed subtly, but he didn’t say anything else and just chatted briefly before leaving.

Shen Nanli and Xu Yan exchanged a knowing glance.

They thought the matter of Sur offering to be their tour guide was settled, but the next morning, they ran into him again in the hotel lobby.

“I was worried you’d leave early, so I’ve been waiting here since a little after seven,” Sur said. “Luckily, I caught you. Let’s go.”

Xu Yan hesitated. “Actually, we don’t need to trouble you. I’ve already planned our itinerary, so we can explore on our own. If you have other things to do, you can go ahead.”

Sur stared at Xu Yan, momentarily speechless, as if stunned.

Xu Yan wasn’t dressed formally today. He wore an English-style tweed blazer, black straight-leg pants, and a brown British-style flat cap. His light brown, slightly wavy hair softly framed his face and nape. His fair cheeks and naturally rosy lips made him look even more beautiful and lively than he had the night before.

Even though the others were attractive, Sur’s gaze was fixed solely on Xu Yan.

“I don’t have anything else to do. Being your tour guide is my top priority today.”

Since the teacher and Zhao Qingji didn’t notice anything unusual, Sur ended up being their tour guide for the day.

Xu Yan stayed close to Shen Nanli the entire time, his camera hanging around his neck as he snapped photos everywhere.

The weather was beautiful, with warm, gentle sunlight bathing them, but Xu Yan’s hands, exposed for too long, grew cold.

‘If only there were a human hot water bottle beside me to keep me warm.’

Sur first took them to the Brandenburg Gate. Xu Yan found the perfect angle, capturing the archway from a side perspective. Then they went to the Reichstag building, and finally, the Berlin Cathedral, just in time for the late afternoon golden hour, the perfect light for photographing the dome’s murals. The images he captured were so stunning they could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Shen Nanli took Xu Yan’s camera and recorded a short video for him. Under the pretense of helping him carry the camera for a while, she disappeared for a long time, leaving Xu Yan to wonder what she was up to.

Xu Yan, stuck with Sur, had to endure a long lecture about the history of the Berlin Cathedral. By the time Shen Nanli returned, out of breath, the sky was already darkening.

They all headed to a restaurant together. Xu Yan whispered to Shen Nanli, “Don’t prepare any birthday surprises for me. It’ll be embarrassing.”

Shen Nanli confessed, “I didn’t prepare anything! I just bought you a birthday cake.”

Xu Yan finally relaxed.

The restaurant was by the Spree River, offering a view of the riverside night scenery.

As soon as they started eating, Xu Yan noticed that Shen Nanli, sitting across from him, seemed nervous. She kept checking her phone and sending messages, as if she were very busy.

Sure enough, halfway through the meal, the restaurant lights suddenly dimmed. The teacher and Zhao Qingji, already in on Shen Nanli’s plan, each took one of Sur’s arms and led him aside to watch something. Shen Nanli took the camera from her bag, found the latest video she had recorded, and played it for Xu Yan.

The footage started shaky, then Shen Nanli’s face appeared, whispering to Xu Yan, who was posing with his back to the camera in the distance, “Happy birthday!”

Next was Zhao Qingji’s face, also speaking to Xu Yan’s back when he wasn’t paying attention: “Happy birthday.”

Then came the teacher, smiling at the camera: “Happy birthday!”

Xu Yan even thought Sur was included. While Xu Yan was resting with his eyes closed, Sur, sitting beside him, silently said, “Happy birthday! Happy birthday!”

Seeing this, Xu Yan’s eyes welled up with tears, surprised and delighted. He had no idea when Shen Nanli had recorded and edited this behind his back. No wonder she had volunteered to carry his camera today.

Just as he thought the video was over, Shen Nanli held his shoulder, keeping him seated, and reminded him, “There’s more.”

The screen went black for a moment, then Shang Jia’s face suddenly appeared. She had recorded the video at home, holding up the gift she wanted to give Xu Yan and shouting, “Baby Yan! Happy birthday!”

Next were Zheng Yao and Xiao Xu from the studio, and Lin Xingxian at the front of the frame: “I’ll count to three, and everyone shout together! Three, two, one, Yan! Happy birthday!”

Then Grandma appeared. The housekeeper had helped film the video, the lighting was dim, and the angle was slightly off, but the old woman’s eyes were kind: “Good boy, Grandma wishes you a happy birthday. Stay healthy and safe.”

Overwhelmed by all the love and happiness, Xu Yan’s tears spilled over. He wiped his cheeks and saw the final image on the screen.

Wen Sinian looked into the camera, his gaze soft and focused, as if he could make eye contact with Xu Yan through the screen. He silently watched for a few seconds without speaking, then the screen suddenly went black.

Xu Yan froze for a moment, blinking his tear-wet lashes. “Is it not finished yet?”

No one answered. He turned and saw a faint candlelight glowing not far behind him. A beautifully decorated cake had been wheeled over, and standing behind it, gazing at him tenderly, was Wen Sinian.

Xu Yan stood up abruptly, thinking he must be seeing things. His tearful lashes fluttered as he saw the person beside the cake walking toward him.

It wasn’t a dream or a hallucination, Wen Sinian had actually come.

In the blink of an eye, Wen Sinian was standing in front of him.

He lifted a hand, gently wiping away the tears at the corners of Xu Yan’s eyes, then opened his arms and pulled him into a deep embrace.

Xu Yan couldn’t believe it. He buried his face in Wen Sinian’s chest, smearing his tears all over his clothes.

“You, how did you get here?” Xu Yan’s voice was small and nasal. “You didn’t even tell me…”

Wen Sinian stroked his smooth hair, his voice filled with affection.

“I missed you too much. I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Happy birthday, my baby.”