Secret Incident (BL) - Chapter 10

Under the guise of focusing on driving, Liam Jun discreetly kept an eye on things, hoping Ji Fanyun wouldn’t notice that the car’s speakers were connected to his phone via Bluetooth.

He found it curious that Ji Fanyun liked such old-fashioned music, but he didn’t ask. Assuming it was Ji Fanyun’s preference, he had deliberately searched for and played it the moment they got into the car.

There were many things he wanted to ask—who Ji Fanyun was picking up at the train station, what he wanted to do for his birthday—but the unspoken distance between them held him back.

Qiu Wei had clipped footage from security cameras, showing Liam bringing breakfast every day, then teased him, saying his way of pursuing someone was incredibly middle-aged.

Liam had denied the idea of “pursuing” Ji Fanyun multiple times, but whenever he was asked whether he had feelings for the young actor, he remained silent.

The truth was, he did. He wanted to be close to him. But their age gap, careers, and circumstances made it inappropriate—Liam knew that all too well.

“What, is the pier at Port Peacestone hiding some kind of arms deal? Smuggling? Drug trafficking? Are you an undercover cop?”

Ji Fanyun’s voice carried amusement as he fiddled with the music selection. His lips curled slightly when he noticed the car’s audio was linked to Liam’s phone, as if pleased by the confirmation that Liam had picked the music for him.

Yet he didn’t say it aloud.

Instead, Ji Fanyun continued, “Or maybe you’re a lawyer, investigating a case?”

It wasn’t a question. More like an offhand remark made while concentrating on choosing a song, as though he was more interested in showing off his own wit than in getting an answer.

So there was no need for Liam to respond. Ji Fanyun kept talking.

“If something serious is going on at Port Peacestone, considering how I’ve been your cover these past few days—helping you blend in while devouring all that breakfast—shouldn’t you give me a little inside scoop? If it’s a big deal, my film crew might need to relocate ahead of time.”

Ji Fanyun assumed Liam brought him breakfast as an excuse to frequent the marketplace. That wasn’t entirely wrong. And it certainly sounded better than what Zhao-jie secretly gossiped about—how he was trying to curry favor and build connections.

Liam wasn’t good at explanations, so he simply let the assumption stand.

Through his peripheral vision, he saw that Ji Fanyun’s expression hadn’t changed much. He was still browsing through songs.

The drive from the inn to the station wasn’t far. They passed the harbor and rows of historic houses. The streets were crowded, mostly filled with rickshaws and three-wheeled taxis. Traffic lights were sparse, and tangled webs of electrical wires crisscrossed the van’s windshield. As Ji Fanyun settled on another song, the voice of Teresa Teng filled the car, as though they had traveled back in time.

Before they arrived, Liam gave Ji Fanyun a brief reassurance. “My work will be finished soon. It won’t interfere with your filming.”

Ji Fanyun smiled knowingly. “So, there really is something big happening, huh?”

But the truth was, he didn’t know anything for certain.

The nostalgic music and the unfamiliarity of the small town blurred the lines of reality. For a moment, it was easy to lose one’s sense of place.

Feelings, too, were deceptive.

Ji Fanyun’s probing. Liam’s closeness. Both convinced themselves they were insignificant to each other.

A fleeting glance—was that attraction? A simple breakfast shared amid the morning bustle—was that affection?

They held onto these feelings but never let their guard down.

One had to be wary of unknown intentions. The other had to be cautious of rekindling emotions that could lead to irreversible consequences. So they convinced themselves it was all a misunderstanding.

A fleeting brush of fingers when passing fruit. A gaze that held no pretense.

Yet, in the end, they remained distant.

Polite. Reserved. Strangers who knew just enough about each other to maintain a façade.

When they reached the station, Liam asked, “It’s quite crowded. Will you be all right?”

“Of course.” Ji Fanyun pulled up his mask, but the curve of his eyes betrayed his amusement. “By the way, I forgot to ask—Mr. Jun, are you here to pick someone up as well?”

“Yes. My colleague arrives today.”

Liam spoke as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. As Ji Fanyun adjusted his hat and hair, Liam had already walked around to the passenger side, opening the door and waiting for him.

Ji Fanyun glanced at him as he got out. “You’re too polite, Mr. Jun. This is making me think of the bodyguards I used to hire.”

“It’s crowded,” Liam replied. “If you need a bodyguard, I can recommend someone suitable.”

“Oh? I thought you were offering to be my bodyguard.”

As they walked, Ji Fanyun tilted his head slightly, looking up at Liam with a playful smirk.

Liam turned his head slightly as well, meeting his gaze without flinching.

Ji Fanyun asked, “Mr. Jun, you work out, don’t you? What’s your sport of choice?”

“Whenever circumstances allow, I go to the gym regularly.”

Liam Jun had just finished speaking when he noticed familiar faces in the distance, watching him like hawks. He stopped mid-sentence.

Standing outside the station hall were Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei, flanked by four oversized suitcases that made them particularly conspicuous.

Technically, Liam was here to pick them up. The reason it was only “technically” was that Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei had arrived early, already arranged for a car, and loaded their luggage. But then Liam had called, using the promise of a pay raise to summon them back and wait for him at the original location.

Their expressions were dark with displeasure. The closer Liam got, the more he felt he had made a grave mistake. He considered sending them a message, telling them to pretend they didn’t know him and just take a cab to the hotel.

He had just pulled out his phone when Ji Fanyun spoke. “Are those your colleagues?”

Ji Fanyun wasn’t oblivious—being stared at so intently, he had naturally sensed something was off.

And he was quick to catch on. Even though Liam hesitated for only a brief moment, Ji Fanyun already had his answer.

“They’re so young. I thought your colleagues would be about your age.”

“They’re around your age.” Liam replied.

Ji Fanyun’s phone rang just then. Before answering, he glanced at Liam and said, “I’m younger than them, aren’t I? And better looking.”

The conversation was disjointed, its meaning vague, understood only by the two of them.

An unfamiliar relationship, yet on the verge of something possessive—it was strange, wasn’t it? Liam could hear the subtle discontent in Ji Fanyun’s tone when he said, “I’m younger than them.”

They had only known each other for a few days.

They weren’t even close.

On the way back, Liam found himself glancing at the rearview mirror, watching Ji Fanyun interact with his manager. He realized, despite himself, that he was paying too much attention.

Special interest.

Awkward distance.

Unspoken emotions.

All the peculiar tension and atmosphere existed solely between Liam Jun and Ji Fanyun.

Ji Fanyun’s manager, Xu Xiao, was an older sister figure from his neighborhood who had taken care of him for many years. She had started as an assistant, but after Ji Fanyun spent years without an agency, she gradually took over his professional and personal affairs.

On the way, Ji Fanyun introduced her to Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei.

As a former child star, Ji Fanyun had perfected the art of a cheerful yet gentle persona. He joked, “Just don’t tell me you grew up watching my shows.”

Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei had often mocked Liam for his rigid scheduling, sometimes even extending their complaints to Ji Fanyun. But now that they met him in person, any lingering irritation vanished instantly.

It seemed that, aside from Liam, Ji Fanyun could warm up to just about anyone.

His sociability was effortless—keeping a hint of mystery, yet engaging with others in a way that felt natural and generous.

By the time they were halfway back, Ji Fanyun was already deep in conversation with Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei. Perhaps it was the comfort of talking to people his own age—they discussed his past dramas and the climate of Port Peacestone.

The ride to the station had been steeped in quiet tension.

The ride back was filled with laughter, as if they were old friends.

And yet, only Liam noticed how Ji Fanyun’s casual “hahaha” was laced with subtle probing.

Ji Fanyun, ever so indirectly, steered the conversation toward Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei’s work trip.

Their gazes met briefly in the rearview mirror.

A relationship not close, yet carefully observed.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Ji Fanyun and Xu Xiao got out first.

Jiang Lai and Qiu Wei, however, remained seated, dark expressions returning to their faces as they stared at Liam wordlessly.

Liam ignored them and went to retrieve their luggage from the trunk.

Most of the bags belonged to Jiang Lai—she had packed enough facial masks to fill an entire 29-inch suitcase. She got out as well, lowering her voice to murmur beside Liam, “You actually had the heart to do this?”

Jiang Lai sighed repeatedly, saying Ji Fanyun was “too fresh, too angelic.”

It was as if her entire sense of aesthetic appreciation had been reshaped in just one car ride.

Mid-sigh, she called Qiu Wei to help, but he was still on the laptop in the car, ignoring her.

Before she could get impatient, Ji Fanyun stepped out and asked, “Do you need a hand?”

The sun was blazing. Ji Fanyun stood under the hotel’s front porch, squinting slightly, raising a hand to shield his eyes. He started down the steps, preparing to help.

Liam and Jiang Lai both immediately spoke in unison. “No need.”

Jiang Lai added, “It’s too hot outside. Go inside, go inside.”

Liam turned back to the luggage, quietly amused.

Ji Fanyun always had a way of effortlessly evoking a protective instinct in people.

Even knowing full well how much of it was an act, they still couldn’t help but want to shield him.

In the end, Ji Fanyun didn’t even need to take a step down. Inside the hotel, Zhao-jie and A Jian rushed forward, each grabbing a suitcase. Within moments, the trunk was cleared.

“Mr. Jun, thank you for today.”

Before stepping inside, Ji Fanyun turned back to Liam with a dazzling smile, bright under the afternoon sun.

Liam gave him a small nod.

Strangers.

After a brief pause, they each went their separate ways.