Chapter 11
By the time they arrived at the hotel, the sky was already starting to lighten. The news leaks couldn’t be contained, and soon, well-informed fans knew that Skye had rushed to Mong Kok City overnight.
Word had already spread that *Challenge the Impossible* would be filming in Mong Kok City. Additionally, with the original guest Nan Yu having an accident on set, Skye had to change their schedule at the last minute. With these keywords piling up, it wasn’t hard for fans to deduce that a new variety show was coming soon!
The production team allotted a day and a half for rest. Berlin finally got a good night’s sleep, something he hadn’t had in a while. He slept from dusk till dawn, and then from dawn till dusk again, like someone who had wandered the desert for days and finally found an oasis. He slept deeply, completely unaware of the world around him.
Berlin specifically told his teammates not to wake him unless absolutely necessary, and he ended up missing three meals, only waking up because he was so hungry.
When he first woke up, he had no idea what day it was. He fumbled to turn on the bedside lamp, checked the time, and then scrolled through his WeChat messages to see if there were any work-related issues. Feeling more clear-headed, he realized it was 4 AM.
Unable to order food delivery at that hour, Berlin couldn’t go back to sleep, so he decided to freshen up.
He got up, splashed his face with cold water, and checked himself out in the mirror.
Feeling refreshed, he thought he didn’t look much different from his 18-year-old self in his ID photo. His muddled brain had cleared, and the aches from staying up late had disappeared. He bounced in place a couple of times, did some light stretches, and opened the *Bilibili* video of a Shaolin Master demonstrating the Eight Brocades Qigong.
The Shaolin Master was quite popular on *Bilibili*. Last year, he was even selected as one of the top hundred *UP* creators, with many followers who eagerly gave his videos likes, shares, and comments.
Berlin had been dancing for years and had a strong foundation. He had been following the *UP* creator’s workouts for a while and found that they were indeed beneficial for fitness.
Of course, not many people actually followed through like Berlin. The top comment on most of the videos was usually something like: “Watching this counts as working out. Into my collection it goes, to gather dust!”
The commenters weren’t all there for fitness. Some were just there to “scare their fat into submission,” while others were there for the Master’s cool, otherworldly looks and physique. Many fans playfully flirted with the *UP* creator in the comments, but the Master would only give a single, exasperated reply: “.”
Berlin followed the calming music and completed a full set of exercises, breaking into a light sweat and warming up from the inside out.
*Feels great!*
Just as he was about to catch his breath and pull off his T-shirt to take a shower, there was a knock on the door.
*...Who could it be at this hour?*
Berlin froze, quickly let go of his shirt, and tiptoed to the door, peeking through the peephole.
Holding his breath, Berlin found himself face-to-face with a giant eye—dark pupils enlarged, with long, thick eyelashes blinking slowly. It looked just like a classic horror movie scene.
Berlin jumped, startled. The next second, the person outside stepped back half a step and waved the bag in their hand as if they could see Berlin through the door.
“It’s me, Han Yuzhe.”
Berlin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, scratched his head, and opened the door. “...What are you doing here?”
Han Yuzhe’s gaze paused for a moment on Berlin’s sweat-soaked shirt collar before he slowly raised the bag and answered, “I brought you some food.”
Berlin glanced at the bag, catching the scent of the food inside, and his stomach growled audibly.
In the quiet hallway, the sound was embarrassingly loud.
Berlin’s face flushed red. “...”
Han Yuzhe, unfazed, looked at him calmly, showing no signs of discomfort. He simply stated, “See, I knew you were hungry.”
Berlin quickly grabbed the bag from his hand, speaking fast, “...Come on in.”
He opened the door wider to let Han Yuzhe in, checking the hallway to make sure no one else had witnessed his embarrassing moment, and then closed the door with relief.
As soon as Han Yuzhe entered, he made himself comfortable on the sofa, his voice slightly raspy with a bit of lazy charm. “Did you sleep well?”
“Mm-hmm.” Berlin eagerly opened the food container. Inside were three dishes, a soup, spaghetti, and a serving of tiramisu—everything he liked.
The food was still piping hot, steam rising from it, while the tiramisu was perfectly chilled, not a bit melted.
Berlin, thinking out loud, asked, “Wow, how did you get this? It must be hard to find a place that delivers at this hour.”
Han Yuzhe looked at him, lips curving slightly as he answered nonchalantly, “I just stepped out for a bit.”
Berlin blinked, slowly realizing what that meant. His mouth opened slightly in surprise as he guessed, “You didn’t...?”
Han Yuzhe, resting his head on his hand and half-closing his eyes, casually confirmed, “Mm-hmm. I heard you wake up, so I made a quick trip to Italy.”
Berlin: “...!!!”
Even though Berlin knew his teammates weren’t ordinary humans, the fact that Han Yuzhe could effortlessly travel between two places thousands of miles apart still shook his worldview.
Berlin, biting into his food, glanced at Han Yuzhe, carefully choosing his words. “Uh, you didn’t need to go all the way there just to get me some food. Doesn’t that take a lot of energy?”
Han Yuzhe lazily replied, “No, it only took twenty minutes. Nineteen of those minutes were spent waiting for the food to be prepared and packed.”
Berlin’s mind was spinning as he stared at Han Yuzhe with a look of envy. “...Wow, what a convenient ability.”
“Do you want to go somewhere?” Han Yuzhe asked, his voice soft as he smiled. “I can take you wherever you want, anytime, anywhere.”
Berlin immediately shook his head, focusing back on his meal. “No thanks, I’ll wait until the company gives me a vacation and fly there myself.”
*Who knows what kind of price you’d have to pay for a deal with a demon?*
Besides, Han Yuzhe had just confirmed what Berlin had long suspected: his teammates’ senses were on a whole different level. Even though they slept in separate rooms, the moment Berlin woke up, Han Yuzhe had sensed it.
Berlin didn’t have any secrets to hide, but the thought of being so closely monitored made his enjoyment of the meal diminish a bit.
He visibly deflated, looking like he had something on his mind. Han Yuzhe wasn’t oblivious. After observing him for a moment, he said lazily, “Don’t worry. What you’re thinking won’t happen. We have rules.”
Berlin, his cheeks puffed with food, looked up at him and mumbled, “Rules?”
“Not between you and me,” Han Yuzhe shook his head, not elaborating. “Between me and the others. We’ve agreed not to intrude on your private life.”
Perhaps to reassure Berlin further, Han Yuzhe’s dark eyes gleamed as he added, “A demon’s promises and agreements are absolute. They cannot be broken. So, you don’t need to worry.”
“I knew you were up because I heard the background music from your Eight Brocades video,” Han Yuzhe said, adjusting himself more comfortably on the sofa. “You listen to it often in the mornings.”
Berlin finally relaxed, letting out a simple “Oh,” not doubting Han Yuzhe’s words in the slightest, and happily focused on eating.
Han Yuzhe, however, raised an eyebrow slightly. “I could’ve been lying. Do you really trust me that easily?”
Berlin wiped the tomato sauce from the corner of his mouth, counting on his fingers as he listed his reasons. “You sensed I was hungry and came to bring me food. You even went all the way to Italy to buy takeout. I know how much you hate moving. You remembered I like spaghetti and tiramisu... I can’t think of a reason why you’d lie about something like this.”
Han Yuzhe seemed to be in a good mood. He watched in silence as Berlin finished the last sip of soup, then smiled contentedly, the corners of his eyes crinkling like a cat basking in the sun after a meal.
Berlin saved the tiramisu for dessert, and his happiness radiated from his soul, making him glow like a bright sun in Han Yuzhe’s eyes.
From the moment Han Yuzhe first met Berlin, he had sensed something different about him.
Among countless dim souls, Berlin was always bright, always pure, exuding an unparalleled allure.
To Han Yuzhe, it was like... Berlin was a piece of cake, irresistibly sweet and tempting, always swaying in front of him.
Sinking into the sofa, Han Yuzhe lowered his gaze. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his throat moved slightly. His black, unreadable eyes were as deep as a vortex. He stared at Berlin for a while with an appreciative gaze, then casually turned his head away.
He lazily remarked, “There’s a little mouse at the door.”
“Huh?” Berlin, still holding his spoon, looked up in confusion.
Han Yuzhe didn’t explain further, but Berlin quickly realized what was happening—they’d encountered this kind of thing before.
Berlin stood up, giving his teammate a stern warning. “Don’t do anything. I’ll handle it.”
Han Yuzhe appeared obedient, replying with a simple, “Okay.”
Berlin walked to the door and peered through the peephole. Outside, a person wearing a mask and a baseball cap was sneaking around, checking something near the door. After confirming that no one else was around, they squatted down and tried to peek through the door crack.
Skye’s schedule had leaked, and the *sasaeng* fans had followed the trail.
Berlin sighed, thinking for a moment before decisively sitting down on the carpet in front of the door, pulling out his phone.
Han Yuzhe, still lounging on the sofa, watched Berlin’s actions with amused interest, curious to see what he would do.
The *sasaeng* outside seemed sure that this was one of Skye’s rooms. After failing to see anything through the door crack, they knocked lightly, their voice muffled but excited. “Berlin, are you in there?”
The *sasaeng*’s heart raced, a thrill of excitement washing over them.
They fantasized about Berlin being asleep, waking up frightened, or maybe even gently opening the door to softly tell them, “Don’t do this.” Surely, Berlin would. He was such a kind person. No one had ever seen him angry. He wouldn’t even scold them.
Confident in their knowledge of Berlin, the *sasaeng* waited expectantly.
But the next moment, they heard a knock from inside the door.
*Knock knock.* The rhythm was exactly the same as the one they had used, like a secret code being answered.
Then Berlin’s voice came, light and casual. “I’m here.”
The *sasaeng*’s racing heart skipped a beat. “...?”
*...Wait, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go.*
*Why isn’t he scared??*
The *sasaeng* stumbled over their words, thrown off by the unexpected response. They had imagined many ways Berlin might react, but not this—he hadn’t opened the door, he seemed to know they were there all along, and he was so calm.
The unexpected turn of events made them hesitate for a long time before finally managing to speak, “Berlin, why aren’t you asleep at this hour?”
Behind the door, Berlin responded quickly, “You’re not asleep either.”
The *sasaeng* stammered, “...I came to see you.”
Berlin replied, “You shouldn’t have come.”
Hearing this, the *sasaeng* actually felt a bit relieved, thinking this was finally going in the direction they had imagined. For some reason, they felt more at ease. “But I just wanted to see you.”
There was a moment of silence from inside the room. The *sasaeng* waited patiently, their heart racing again as they imagined what Berlin’s expression might be.
They had spent a lot of money to get this information, all for this secret thrill.
Berlin finally spoke again. “Sorry, I can’t meet you.”
Berlin added, “But I can play a song for you. I hope after listening to it, you’ll decide to only meet me in public from now on.”
The *sasaeng*’s eyes lit up. “Are you going to play me one of your new songs? Wow!”
Just as the *sasaeng* was getting excited and trying to say a few more words to tease Berlin, a sudden burst of music came from inside the room. They had pressed their ear close to the door to hear Berlin better, and now it sounded like the music was playing right against the door, with the volume turned up.
They listened carefully, eager to hear the song. But when they realized what it was, their expression turned strange.
Berlin was playing them the *Great Compassion Mantra*.
Sitting in the empty hallway at 4 AM, listening to their idol play the *Great Compassion Mantra* through a door, the *sasaeng* thought: “...???”
Berlin patiently held his phone against the door, keeping the volume low enough not to disturb the neighbors.
After a few similar encounters, Berlin had learned that sincere requests and polite persuasion didn’t work—he had tried.
He hoped that after listening to the *Great Compassion Mantra*, the *sasaeng* would repent and stop doing this.
If they didn’t leave, Berlin was prepared to sit there with them. He had already set the song to loop and wondered how many times they could listen to it before giving up.
To make sure the song wouldn’t stop, Berlin had even bought a premium membership.
*These days, even Buddhist prayers come with a price—modern-day Buddha only saves the VIPs.*
Half an hour later.
Han Yuzhe, his expression unusually complicated, quietly informed him, “...She’s gone.”
She had left quickly, looking utterly defeated, not even glancing back.
During that time, she had tried talking to Berlin several times, asking him to turn off the music, but he hadn’t responded.
After hearing the song enough times, Berlin had started to memorize some of the lyrics and had happily sung along.
Han Yuzhe reported, “When you started singing along, that’s when she stormed off in a rage.”
Berlin: “...”
He scratched his head. “Ah. I thought I was singing pretty well?”
Meeting Berlin’s expectant gaze, Han Yuzhe paused for a moment, then nodded calmly. “Yes, it was good. If you like, you can sing it again.”
Berlin grinned, rubbing his forehead. “Nah, I’ll save it for when I need it next time.”
Comments
Post a Comment