The Ex's Tears Are So Hot - Chapter 32

He Kissed Xie Zhixin on the Lips

In the livestream chat:

【Opening scene emotional damage! CP fans caught off guard and emotionally wrecked!】
【Wuwuwu are they really just acting? It feels so natural, their emotions are so real!】
【I mean… is there a chance they actually just broke up recently?】
【…Why would you remind me of that?!】

As the barrage of comments scrolled wildly, the video continued playing.

The screen showed a stone-paved path. The morning mist hadn’t yet lifted, and dew still clung to the leaves.

Guan Jinnian and Xie Zhixin were hiking up the mountain. Under the cool blue tones, the scenery appeared even more tranquil and melancholic.

The only sounds were hiking poles piercing the silence, and the occasional crunch of leaves beneath their shoes—emphasizing the heavy silence between them.

They seemed to be enjoying the scenery, but fleeting shots revealed restrained sorrow on their faces.

“How many mountains have we climbed together before?” Guan Jinnian finally broke the silence.

“Too many to count…” Xie Zhixin’s voice was thick with emotion.

When Guan Jinnian looked over, Xie Zhixin turned his head away, forcing a stubborn expression.

Their hotel had a traditional Chinese style. Warm yellow paper lanterns hung in the hallway. As they walked slowly along the bamboo floors into the entryway, folding fans stood on a shelf with the words “One Time, One Meeting” faintly visible in ink.

Xie Zhixin stared at those four characters, his gaze darkening.

【Damn, that ‘one time, one meeting’ hit me hard…】
【This version of Xie Zhixin seems kinda tsundere?】
【Yeah, feels like it. Totally different from our real-life welder boy~】

“I think every room in this hotel comes with its own hot spring,” Guan Jinnian tried to change the subject.

“Mhm…” Xie Zhixin was still lost in the emotions from before, as if drowning in deep water, unable to surface.

Outside the balcony was an open-air hot spring. Steam fogged up the glass doors, reflecting their faces.

The wall light stretched their shadows across the pool, and they appeared to be standing close together.

Then, a leaf fell into the water. Ripples spread, distorting the shadows and gradually pushing the two figures further apart.

【This camera shot… is it symbolic?】
【I can’t take it, I need a break. There’s no yelling, no tears, but why does it hurt so much…】
【Their smiles seem composed, but every frame screams the end of a relationship.】

The most heartbreaking moment was during their conversation in the hot spring.

Guan Jinnian suddenly said, “I moved your antacids to the second shelf. Don’t grab the wrong thing next time.”

Xie Zhixin was silent for a long time before softly replying, “Okay.”

“The melatonin’s on the second shelf too.”

“Got it.”

“When you do laundry, the detergent—”

“I know. Don’t use too much.”

“And the dehumidifier—”

Halfway through, Xie Zhixin suddenly cut him off, his tone laced with sarcasm: “What’s the point of telling me all this if you’re not going to be here?”

Guan Jinnian paused and said nothing more.

Later, they stayed up all night. At dawn, they climbed to the mountain’s peak and watched the sunrise together.

The final shot froze on Guan Jinnian’s face. He tried to force a smile at the camera—but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t do it.

In the end, he only let out a soft sigh: “Trip complete.”

Just before the screen went black, a single tear rolled down from Xie Zhixin’s eye—he could no longer hold it in.

The video ended.

The stage lights came back on.

“No wonder the two of you were so confident—what an incredible video! I almost cried!” Host Wang Yue lifted his finger to dab at his eyes.

【Wuwuwu agreed, it wasn’t just sad, it left me with this unresolved ache in my heart.】
【You two better make up for real! If reality ends up like this vlog, I’ll need months to recover…】
【Honestly, this makes me want to visit Zhaonan Village now!】
【Same here, everything they shot was so beautiful!】

“Alright, next up we have Ms. Lu Yue and Mr. Qin, who’ve designed a themed guest suite for Zhaonan Village!”

The screen behind Wang Yue lit up, showing interior design renderings.

He explained: “The designers centered the theme around ‘Mountain Dwelling in Negative Space.’ They used low-saturation natural wood tones and left large white spaces on the walls, where delicate mountain patterns emerge from textured coatings.”

A low bed extended into a tatami-style platform all the way to the window. A bay window design was incorporated, and all bedding and curtains used linen-blend fabrics.

The overall look was fresh and elegant—harmonizing perfectly with the mountains outside, both cozy and natural.

The audience let out gasps of admiration. The village chief of Zhaonan clapped repeatedly, and the county officials in attendance showed visible appreciation.

Their assignments from the past few days had all been completed and presented. Now, it was time for the performances.

Guan Jinnian and the others got up to wait backstage.

Backstage was bustling with activity. When the stage manager saw them arrive, he quickly had staff lead them to a temporary waiting room.

Wu Yi and Qi Ming were the first of the three teams to perform. Both looked calm, clearly seasoned with big-stage experience.

“I’m so nervous, so nervous!” Lu Yue couldn’t sit still, pacing around the room.

In contrast, Guan Jinnian and Xie Zhixin appeared much more relaxed, though both were secretly anxious in their own way.

Guan Jinnian worried he wouldn’t be able to carry Xie Zhixin’s pitch and would end up embarrassing him in front of a national audience.

Xie Zhixin was terrified he’d sing so poorly that CP fans would kick him out of the “Guan’s husband” fandom.

But neither of them were the type to wear emotions on their faces—so no one could tell.

【Crap, I’m getting nervous watching this!】
【Come on, Lu-jie! You’re our queen, you got this!!】
【I’m actually worried about Xie Zhixin. They didn’t stream the rehearsal, so we have no idea how he sings. Please don’t be a disaster…】
【Didn’t Jinnian say he’d come up with something? Even if you don’t trust Zhixin, you have to trust Jinnian!】
【True. He gives off such reliable, dependable energy. He’s only 25, and yet he’s so mature… meanwhile I’m almost 30 and still a clingy mama’s girl. QAQ】
【Let’s gooo!! They’re all going to do great!!】

“Wu and Qi, please get ready to go onstage!”

The stage crew came to call them.

“We’re off! Lu-jie, don’t be nervous—you’ve got this!” Wu Yi encouraged her before leaving.

“You too,” Lu Yue smiled back.

After they left, the room quieted.

Guan Jinnian got restless too and pulled Xie Zhixin over to rehearse a few more times.

Just as they turned around, they saw Qin Jin gently brushing Lu Yue’s hair, adjusting a few strands with tender care.

Then, while Lu Yue was looking down at her choreography notes, he secretly lifted a lock of her hair to his nose and sniffed it.

The waiting room was small, with only one cameraman inside. Initially, Lu Yue’s side was out of frame—but when Guan Jinnian and Xie Zhixin started moving, the camera followed them and caught everything.

Qin Jin’s little act was recorded in full.

【Mr. Qin… excuse me?!】
【Didn’t know you had the obsessive-lover trait, sir…】
【Hahaha I can’t—someone needs to DM this footage to Lu-jie so she can see this man’s true nature!】

Guan Jinnian accidentally locked eyes with Qin Jin, who, usually so calm and expressionless, showed a flicker of embarrassment before quickly pretending nothing had happened and letting go of Lu Yue’s hair.

Qin Jin was awkward. Guan Jinnian was awkward too.

“Jinnian?”

Xie Zhixin, still focused on the lyrics and unaware of what had just happened, nearly bumped into Guan Jinnian’s back when he stopped suddenly.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go run through it again.”

Guan Jinnian quickly looked away and led Xie Zhixin into a corner.

They were the second act. It might’ve been nerves, but it felt like they barely rehearsed once before the crew came to call them too.

They hurried to get ready. A makeup artist touched them up, and staff helped them with in-ear monitors.

“How are you feeling?” Xie Zhixin asked, trying to ease the tension. “I’ve never performed before—kinda nervous now.”

“Honestly? I’m so nervous I feel numb…”

Guan Jinnian asked a staff member for a tissue and wiped the sweat from his palms.

“Give me one too,” Xie Zhixin reached over to take it.

“Hey—” Guan Jinnian stopped him. “I already used this one. Get a new one!”

Xie Zhixin raised an eyebrow and leaned in to whisper, “You didn’t mind when you got stuff on me before. Why so distant all of a sudden?”

Guan Jinnian’s eyes widened. He smacked Xie Zhixin lightly on the arm.

“We’re in public! What are you saying?!”

Xie Zhixin didn’t even flinch and shamelessly leaned closer again. “Not nervous anymore, are you?”

Guan Jinnian blinked, and he really wasn’t nervous anymore. Just as he was about to say something, they heard Wang Yue’s voice announce them.

“Let’s welcome Guan Jinnian and Xie Zhixin to the stage for a beautiful duet—‘The One and Only’!”

No time to respond. The stagehands led them to the side stairs.

Just before stepping out, Guan Jinnian glanced at Xie Zhixin. Xie Zhixin smiled at him and mouthed: “Don’t worry. Even if we screw up, it’s okay.”

Guan Jinnian exhaled and smiled back, taking his hand as they stepped onto the stage together.

As the spotlight pierced the darkness, waves of applause swept through the crowd.

The soft intro played. Guan Jinnian picked up the mic and began with his warm, gentle voice:

“Do you really understand the meaning of ‘only one’
It’s not as simple as breathing…”

He smoothly finished the verse. As Xie Zhixin prepared to enter with the chorus, Guan Jinnian hummed softly beneath his lines.

“I truly love you
Each word not spoken lightly…”

Guan Jinnian matched Xie Zhixin’s pitch perfectly—never overpowering him, but bringing out the depth of his voice.

【What the hell, is this magic?!】
【Wuwuwu you really can’t tell he’s off-pitch at all! Teacher Guan is amazing—so reliable and handsome!!】
【Forget Zhixin, I’d fall in love with him too at this point…】

“I truly love you
No one can compare…”

They turned toward each other, slowly closing the distance, singing the final line together:

“To prove that I’m your one and only.”

For some reason, as Guan Jinnian looked at Xie Zhixin—so close, with tears in his eyes and only his reflection in them—he suddenly had an overwhelming impulse.

He leaned in slightly and softly kissed Xie Zhixin on the lips. A warm, gentle kiss.