Dusk Falls

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Blurb:

[Emotionally detached, clueless, devoted puppy artist seme x emotionally steady, sunny photographer uke]

Zhou Jingxuan has been tormented by a psychological illness for years. His attending physician suggests he recover in a slower-paced city.

The town of Xili is very different from the place where he used to live, both in its scenery and its people.

Especially the energetic young man in front of him, who is always full of life, the complete opposite of his own gloom and despondency.

*

The day Shi Mu first meets Zhou Jingxuan, he is walking along the road when he looks up and sees the sky ablaze with sunset. Zhou Jingxuan, standing on an open-air balcony, falls into his view along with the twilight.

He remembers his grandmother saying a couple of days ago that the son of an old friend would be staying at their house for six months.

Shi Mu greets him, but Zhou Jingxuan only nods before hurrying back to his room.

Shi Mu: Shy? Perfect! I love barging into introverts' worlds!

That summer, Shi Mu takes Zhou Jingxuan up trees to pick lychees, down to the river to fish for lotus roots, and out before dawn to admire flowers and watch the sunrise...

A few months later, Zhou Jingxuan returns to the hospital for a checkup.

Doctor: "His condition has improved."

*

Shi Mu sees Zhou Jingxuan again seven years later.

The man who left without a word has been gone for seven whole years, without a single message.

That night, Zhou Jingxuan is sitting outside Shi Mu's house. He nearly makes Shi Mu twist his ankle when he comes out to walk the dog.

Shi Mu catches a faint smell of alcohol on him. "Go home. I don't need a guardian deity at my door."

Zhou Jingxuan says, looking hurt, "You're kicking me out again."

Shi Mu laughs in exasperation. "Be reasonable. I haven't hit you or insulted you. It's a kind suggestion, so please use the right words."

"Oh." Zhou Jingxuan pauses, apparently thinking about how to phrase it correctly. A moment later, he says glumly, "You don't want me anymore."

The indifference Shi Mu has been pretending to feel for so long crumbles in that instant. He drags Zhou Jingxuan into the house and pins him to the sofa.

His hand gripping the back of the sofa is tense, veins standing out. Fighting to hold back his emotions, eyes faintly red and voice hoarse, Shi Mu demands, "Zhou Jingxuan, which one of us actually doesn't want the other?"

[Extra Scene]

Lying in bed, Shi Mu sleepily talks on the phone with Zhou Jingxuan, remembering something that has never been answered.

"One night seven years ago, when you went back to Yunjiang, you called me. I was asleep and didn't hear the last thing you said."

"I told you I missed you."

"Oh... Now I know."

Zhou Jingxuan hears how soft his voice is. "Are you sleepy again?"

"Mm. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"Yes."

He says, "I love you."

Reading tips:

1. One-on-one, both are each other's first, Zhou Jingxuan is the seme and Shi Mu is the uke. No switching or pairing them with anyone else!

2. The seme has depression and emotional detachment.

3. The story is told from the uke's perspective, but the couple are together for life.

[Pre-order: Insomnia [Entertainment Industry]. Please add it to your collection!]

[Entertainment industry | Fake reconciliation after a breakup | Everyday fanservice | Handsome seme, beautiful uke]

[Possessive, jealous younger seme who loves eating vinegar x precious mixed-race young master with separation anxiety]

Zhu Yu'an and Tan Zhuo trained at the same company for five years, spending almost every day together.

Their little dorm room, less than ten square meters, was filled with their shared youthful dreams. They watched the sun rise, ran to catch buses in the early hours, and rode their bikes through empty streets.

Tan Zhuo watched Zhu Yu'an let go of the handlebars and throw his arms open to the wind as he shouted, "Tan Zhuo and I are definitely going to debut in a group!"

In that moment, Tan Zhuo felt as if something had struck his heart.

After yet another failed debut attempt, the two sat facing each other on a small bay window. Tan Zhuo played guitar and sang a song Zhu Yu'an had written, telling him, "No matter how many more years we have to train, I'll stay with you."

But in the end, Tan Zhuo debuted successfully, while Zhu Yu'an terminated his contract with the company.

Before leaving the dorm, Tan Zhuo gripped Zhu Yu'an's shoulders tightly, his eyes rimmed with red.

Zhu Yu'an coldly pried his hands off. "I hate people who break their promises most of all."

After that, they became strangers.

-

Zhu Yu'an made his solo debut with a new company and became an overnight sensation. His fame soared, offers poured in, and within two years he had made it to the top tier.

The company trained a new batch of talent. Hearing that the end-of-month evaluation would involve covering one of his songs, Zhu Yu'an took a break from his busy schedule to watch.

He sat among several instructors, turning to chat with someone as the trainees came in one group after another. Then he looked over and suddenly froze.

The one at the front of the group, looking like the world had ended, wasn't that Tan Zhuo?!

Zhu Yu'an ground his teeth in rage. He crumpled the papers in his hands and glared at him.

After the evaluation, he kept Tan Zhuo behind. He strode over to him arrogantly, standing so close they were almost touching, and said in a low voice, "Just wait. I'm not going to make this easy for you."

Over the next few months, he abused his position to make things difficult for Tan Zhuo, then deliberately removed his name from the debut lineup. Tan Zhuo was down for several days because of it.

On the day the debut lineup was announced, Tan Zhuo pinned the still-smug Zhu Yu'an to the bed. "Was it fun, keeping this from me for so long?"

Zhu Yu'an: "It was the most fun ever."

Tan Zhuo bent down and nipped at the mouth that loved to say such provocative things, then started settling their old scores one by one.

P.S.

1. Tan Zhuo is the seme and Zhu Yu'an is the uke. No switching or pairing them with anyone else! One-on-one, each other's first love, and they'll only ever date each other.

2. An entertainment industry story with no real-life inspirations. Don't project real people onto the characters or change their faces. Whoever you try to shoehorn in will only lose popularity.

3. Please don't project this onto real life. The entertainment industry here is a utopia. If you can't accept idols dating, please leave now and save yourself the distress.

Theme: Loving yourself matters more than anything