The Ex's Tears Are So Hot - Chapter 23

Inside the bathroom, the hum of the exhaust fan mixed with the soft dripping of water. In Guan Jinnian’s ears, it suddenly became deafening—maybe because of the thunderous pounding of his own heartbeat.

There was a moist, warm sensation on his lips—Xie Zhixin was softly licking and nibbling at them.

A faint scent of steam from Xie Zhixin’s body mingled with the woody cologne he’d casually sprayed that morning. The scent enveloped the two of them, and the wall of reason and restraint in Guan Jinnian’s mind began to rapidly melt.

It seemed Xie Zhixin really had a bad habit of holding back just enough to get his way. He didn’t deepen the kiss. It was light, teasing, with only the occasional gentle bite on the lower lip—so restrained it actually surprised Guan Jinnian.

It was an incredibly innocent kiss—no saliva exchanged, no attempt to take over the other’s mouth.

In that moment, everything in the world seemed to pause.

Only when Xie Zhixin finally pulled away did the sounds around them rush back into Guan Jinnian’s ears.

“Jinnian…” Xie Zhixin murmured his name softly.

He was bracing himself above Guan Jinnian, gently cupping his face, his thumb tenderly caressing the corner of his lips like he didn’t want to let go.

Guan Jinnian lifted his eyes and locked gazes with Xie Zhixin’s eyes, brimming with desire. In those deep, dark pupils, he saw a reflection of his own flushed, breathless face.

His eyelashes fluttered rapidly, and then he suddenly turned his head away and used his knee to push Xie Zhixin off.

“That’s enough—we still need to film the show.”

He threw out the line and practically fled from the bathroom, hurried footsteps echoing.

Xie Zhixin followed behind, wearing a satisfied, almost smug smile.

The livestream’s chat had been anxiously speculating what was going on in there. When the two finally emerged—especially seeing Guan Jinnian’s reddened lips—it all clicked.

[What were you doing in there? Gosh, so hard to guess~ 😏]
[Those lips look suspicious! Redder than when he went in. They definitely kissed!!]
[Look at that smug little face on Xie Zhixin—ugh he really got to taste those lips!!]
[Wait, weren’t they exes? So “we broke up” is just code for “we’re still madly in love”? 😂]

Both of their clothes were soaking wet. The in-room dryer couldn’t keep up, so they changed into the hotel’s bathrobes.

Since they’d already gone into the water and also made out in the bathroom… Guan Jinnian figured Xie Zhixin wouldn’t try anything again. After a moment’s thought, he decided to go ahead and film the hot spring scenes too.

“It’s getting late. We still need to edit everything after. Let’s finish shooting the rest quickly.”

He set up the tripod, adjusted the camera, hit record, and walked over to the edge of the spring, about to take off his robe.

The viewers in the livestream shrieked with excitement, thinking they were about to see a shirtless beauty bath scene—but Xie Zhixin suddenly stepped in and very deliberately blocked the camera with his body.

By the time he stepped away again, Guan Jinnian was already submerged in the water. Through the mist, only the soft curve of his shoulder could be faintly seen.

[Why… why was I even looking forward to this… 😩]
[So mad. Look at that smug bastard’s face!]
[Just show us! C’mon!! You stingy gatekeeper!!]
[He’s already this protective and they’re not even back together yet—imagine if they do get back together 😂]
[Girl, we gave you all those tips to win him back, and now you’re guarding him like a dragon guards treasure? Look at my eyes—TELL ME WHY!]

“What are you doing just standing there? Get in already.”

Guan Jinnian let out a long sigh, turning to see Xie Zhixin still standing protectively at the edge, like a literal bodyguard.

“Coming,” Xie Zhixin replied, voice oddly husky.

He stepped into the pool and only then took off his robe—a true model of male modesty.

His fans in the livestream collectively sighed in disappointment.

Since they had muted their mics while changing clothes and didn’t want to spoil vlog footage early, they left the audio off entirely for now.

They went over the rough storyline, clapped their hands for syncing, and began filming in segments.

While neither of them was a top-tier actor, they were both solid performers—and had great chemistry. Filming went smoothly, with barely any retakes.

After more than two hours, they had enough footage and finally took a break.

Leaning back against a stone wall, Guan Jinnian suddenly asked, “Have you seen my tie? I spent forever looking for it this morning.”

Xie Zhixin’s expression turned guilty. He dodged the question, muttering, “Ah… that…”

“?” Guan Jinnian slowly sat up and stared at him.

“I’m sorry… I took it.”

“What for?”

Suspicion crept into Guan Jinnian’s voice, his gut already filled with dread.

“Um…” Xie Zhixin mumbled, “Just… I used it when I missed you…”

It took Guan Jinnian two full seconds to realize what he meant. His cheeks and neck flushed instantly, and combined with the hot spring steam, his entire face was visibly red—even through the mist.

The audience, of course, had no idea what they were saying. Their voices were muted, and the fans had just been watching silent footage the entire time.

But then they saw Guan Jinnian’s sudden blush and angry glare, and curiosity exploded in the chat.

[What are they saying? Anyone here know how to read lips?]
[So impatient. This show is pure torture and I finally understand why.]
[WHERE’S MY TRANSLATOR?!]

Some bored viewers actually started lip-reading and trying to “translate.”

[Guan: …pressed… this morning… kissed for a while?
Xie: …I couldn’t hold back…
Guan: (couldn’t catch this one)
Xie: miss you… bite a little.]

[Genius. Literal genius.]
[Don’t care if it’s wrong. I choose to believe it.]
[AHHH WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?! What happened this morning?!!]

Meanwhile, in the hot spring, Guan Jinnian and Xie Zhixin were still talking—completely unaware that their totally innocent (well, mostly) dialogue had been completely misinterpreted.

Xie Zhixin gently touched the back of Guan Jinnian’s neck. “Your body temperature’s too high. Get out soon or you’ll pass out.”

Guan Jinnian slapped his hand away, splashing water everywhere. “We’re still filming. Be serious!”

Lip-readers in the chat struck again:

[He said ‘go softer’—softer on what, hmm?? 😏]
[Hehehe I don’t know… so hard to guess~]
[Guys, control yourselves or the stream’s getting banned 😂]

“They don’t know what we’re saying anyway,” Xie Zhixin said.

He got out of the pool, put on his robe, then handed Guan Jinnian’s to him—strategically standing in front of the camera to block the view and hoard the post-bath visuals all to himself.

Not that anyone in chat noticed—they were all too busy losing their minds.

Once their clothes had dried, they changed back into them, shot a few final scenes, and turned their mics back on.

Before doing so, Guan Jinnian repeatedly warned Xie Zhixin not to say anything weird or he’d cut him off completely. Only after Xie Zhixin swore up and down did Guan Jinnian finally relax.

“Is everyone still here?” Guan Jinnian smiled and waved at the GoPro. “We’ve finished filming. Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

His cheeks were rosy from the hot spring, his smiling eyes curved gently under the warm yellow lighting—so sweet and endearing it was hard to look away.

[It’s okay, it’s okay—awww look at my little dumpling’s flushed cheeks!! No wonder Xie Zhixin can’t help kissing him!]
[Watch your mouth. That’s my Empress, not yours. GUARDS! Behead this insolent peasant!]
[What’s this? A squishy rice cake? Let me kiss it! A soft, pink dumpling? Lemme CHOMP!]

“Let’s go. I already messaged the PD—they’re waiting for us at the bottom of the mountain.”

Xie Zhixin knew full well that Guan Jinnian was still radiating dangerous amounts of charm. This time, he deliberately avoided pointing the camera at him, instead filming the surrounding scenery under the pretense of “promoting the hotel.”

The chat roasted him mercilessly for being stingy.

As they made their way down the mountain, Guan Jinnian, wanting to film a few extra shots, slowed his pace.

Halfway down, the sky suddenly darkened. Fierce wind gusts howled through the trees.

They looked up to see thick storm clouds rolling overhead—ominous and fast.

Moments later, the rain came.

“Oh no. We didn’t bring an umbrella,” Guan Jinnian said, quickly packing away the camera. “Let’s hurry, we’re only a few minutes from the base.”

“Okay—don’t rush. Be careful,” Xie Zhixin replied, slipping the GoPro into his coat pocket and following closely behind.

The rain came fast and hard, soaking their hair and drenching the stone path. Water poured down the sloped trail, turning it slick and muddy.

Anxious and trying to shield the camera from the rain, Guan Jinnian didn’t notice a patch of moss on one of the stones.

His foot slipped—and before he could react, his whole body slid toward the slope at the edge of the path.

In a split second, he felt someone grab his arm and yank him back, hard. He crashed onto the wet stone path—but he didn’t care about the pain in his arm.

He turned around just in time to see Xie Zhixin lose his balance from the force of pulling him—falling backward, tumbling down the slope.

Guan Jinnian’s pupils contracted. All the bl00d in his body turned cold.

He scrambled to his feet and stumbled down the slope.

“Xie Zhixin! Are you okay?”

He didn’t dare touch him, just collapsed beside him, voice shaking.

Xie Zhixin seemed dazed, eyes open but not moving.

Getting no response, Guan Jinnian went completely pale. It felt like the storm clouds above were pressing down on his chest—he couldn’t breathe, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He panicked, unsure whether it was rain or tears soaking his face as the drops slid down and landed on Xie Zhixin’s arm—some icy cold, some burning hot.

“Xie Zhixin!” he cried again, voice choked with sobs.

“Cough… cough… I’m okay… don’t be scared…”

Xie Zhixin finally came to. He tried to raise his arm to comfort Guan Jinnian—only to suck in a breath from the sharp pain in his right arm.

“Don’t move!”

Guan Jinnian quickly supported his arm, holding it gently like it might shatter at the slightest pressure.

“Where else does it hurt?”

Xie Zhixin tried moving his lower body—his legs were fine. He grinned at Guan Jinnian to reassure him. “Legs still work. I can keep filming.”

“Are you crazy?!”

Guan Jinnian, face deathly pale, suddenly shouted—and even he was stunned at the outburst.

Xie Zhixin froze.

This was the first time Guan Jinnian had ever completely lost control in front of him.