SA | Extra 2

Zhang Li disappeared for three whole days. Ah Meng was left walking the dog, running the shop, and greeting customers all by himself. He was feeling pretty down, and the dark circles under his eyes had practically become permanent.

At 3 PM, after the last wave of customers finished their meals, Ah Meng took advantage of the break before dinner to stick a notice on the restaurant door about hiring a head chef and a sous chef. Then, he sat behind the counter playing a match-three game.

Suddenly, Jia Jia, the dog at his feet, barked and dashed to the door. Ah Meng looked up to see Zhang Li, who had been missing for three days, finally return.

Zhang Li picked up the little dog circling him and sat across from Ah Meng. “Did you find anyone?”

“It’s not that easy,” Ah Meng put down his phone and nodded towards the notice. “I just put up the ad.”

Zhang Li said, “You’ve worked hard these days, calculate your overtime pay for yourself.”

“Then I won’t hold back,” Ah Meng agreed readily, then asked, “But why hire? Are you not coming back?”

“I won’t be here all the time, and I only asked you to help out initially. I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Zhang Li explained. “Besides, haven’t you already contacted a photography studio?”

Ah Meng guiltily replied with a small “Mm.”

Zhang Li continued, “Even though you call me ‘Master,’ I just led you to the door. Whatever path you choose is fine.”

Ah Meng’s eyes lit up. “You support me learning photography?”

“I never stopped you, and besides…” Zhang Li suddenly changed his expression, “photography is quite interesting.”

Ah Meng thought of the guy who appeared that day and was curious, but he wasn’t the gossiping type, so he held it in.

“Got something to say?” Zhang Li looked up.

“Nope.” Ah Meng was even more reluctant to ask.

Zhang Li then said, “I’m moving.”

Ah Meng gave him a curious look, and Zhang Li added, “I’m moving in with my boyfriend.”

Ah Meng: “Oh.”

Zhang Li continued, “My boyfriend is too clingy, so I’m reluctantly moving in.”

Ah Meng: “…………”

Didn’t want to know, thanks.

When Zhang Li was moving, Gu Deng had just met with an MV director. He had collaborated with a director before, but after seeing the storyboard, he decided not to continue because the director couldn’t capture the feeling he wanted. He asked Sister Lan to schedule a meeting with a well-regarded MV director for next week.

“You can ask me to find anyone, but if you don’t specify what you want, how can anyone deliver? Saying it doesn’t feel right won’t work,” Sister Lan’s voice came through the phone.

“I’m a musician; visual expression isn’t my strong suit. If I say it doesn’t feel right, it just doesn’t,” Gu Deng said as he entered his home after facial recognition unlocked the door. “If I have to come up with the video concept, what’s the point of hiring professionals?”

“Woof woof woof~!” A fluffy Alaskan puppy ran towards Gu Deng with a cute bark.

“Let’s talk later; message me on WeChat if anything comes up.” Gu Deng squatted down and extended his right hand to the puppy.

“Alright, I’ll keep looking.”

“Okay, thanks.” Gu Deng hung up the phone and started petting the puppy’s head with both hands.

Zhang Li was packing in the living room, and there was a framed photo decoration next to the sofa.

Gu Deng let go of the puppy and walked over. “Weren’t you going to wait for me to help move? Why are you here by yourself?”

“I was worried you’d be busy, so I moved when I had time.” Zhang Li unwrapped the foam packaging from the photo decoration and asked Gu Deng where it should go.

Gu Deng directed Zhang Li to hang the picture and curiously asked, “Are these all your works?”

Zhang Li confirmed and introduced each photo’s background. One was his first award-winning piece, which sold for a high price, allowing him to continue his photography.

Gu Deng learned that Zhang Li’s family wasn’t as wealthy as he initially thought. His parents were academic immigrants who hoped their two children would replicate their achievements. They didn’t allow them to develop hobbies outside of studying.

Zhang Li’s older brother followed the conventional path to become a societal elite, but Zhang Li chose a different route after graduating from college, foregoing graduate school.

His parents didn’t support him at all, even cutting off all financial support. During his toughest times, he almost couldn’t survive, often working at photography studios for months to save enough for his next shoot.

However, this situation didn’t last long. Zhang Li was fortunate to catch the golden age of social media development, mastering both video and photography. With unique content and aesthetics, he quickly amassed a large following.

Once he could take commercial orders, publish photo books, and hold exhibitions, his financial situation improved, allowing him to create more, which further enhanced his reputation and earnings, leading to his current success.

Gu Deng was surprised to learn about Zhang Li’s past. He hugged Zhang Li from behind. “So pitiful, let your boyfriend comfort you.”

“It’s all in the past,” Zhang Li said, holding Gu Deng’s hand, “and I’m actually lucky to be born in a time when social media is thriving and to have made the best choices at key moments.”

But Gu Deng still felt upset. He couldn’t imagine Zhang Li working while scrimping and saving for his next trip.

“I wish I’d met you sooner. Then I could’ve made you my exclusive photographer,” Gu Deng blurted out, but immediately shook his head, saying it wouldn’t work. “If you stayed by my side all the time, you wouldn’t be you. It’s a bit of a shame, but let’s leave it at that.”

Zhang Li patted Gu Deng’s hand. “I won’t be traveling as frequently in the future.”

“No need, you shouldn’t force yourself for me,” Gu Deng shook his head. “I’ve thought about it before. If you want to go, just go. You can go alone, and if I have time, I’ll join you occasionally.”

“You don’t mind?” Zhang Li was taken aback. “I thought you didn’t like long-distance relationships?”

“I don’t usually accept long-distance, but in this case, I understand. Your job requires you to travel to various places. I can’t just forbid you from going out because we’re together, right? That would be too controlling.”

Zhang Li tightly held Gu Deng’s hands, his chest heaving.

Gu Deng pressed his cheek against Zhang Li’s back, listening to his heartbeat. After a while, he spoke again, “And once I think about being with you forever, a little time apart doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

Before Gu Deng could react, Zhang Li turned him around and kissed him passionately. Zhang Li held Gu Deng tightly, almost desperately biting his lips until Gu Deng was nearly out of breath. Zhang Li finally pulled back slightly and hoarsely whispered, “Thank you.”

Gu Deng loved Zhang Li’s passionate yet restrained look and tilted his head to kiss Zhang Li’s Adam’s apple.

There was one thing he hadn’t told Zhang Li, but he really liked Zhang Li’s wild side in the wilderness, especially when he bathed in the river, his muscles and tanned skin exuding a strong sense of freedom and wildness.

Whenever he thought of that scene, Gu Deng felt a sense of tranquility and indescribable satisfaction. Thinking of this, Gu Deng hugged Zhang Li tightly.

This series of actions clearly stimulated Zhang Li. He pinched the back of Gu Deng’s neck with one hand and pressed the other on Gu Deng’s lower back, his voice gentle and hoarse, “Deng Deng, can I continue?”

Gu Deng had a business meeting today and wore a white shirt and black pants. Being held by Zhang Li like this, his black pants were instantly tightened by the man’s large hands. Zhang Li discovered for the first time that he really liked Gu Deng in formal wear, making him imagine their wedding.

Without getting an answer, Zhang Li pinched Gu Deng again, teasing him mischievously, “Deng Deng, can I continue?”

Gu Deng’s legs trembled, and he gasped, saying yes.

Zhang Li took the opportunity to lift Gu Deng and stride towards the bedroom.

The puppy barked, but the two men were too busy to care. The bedroom door was half-open, unable to hide the romantic atmosphere inside.

·

Gu Deng initially thought living with Zhang Li would require a period of adjustment, even preparing to make some compromises.

Unexpectedly, they didn’t need any adjustment period at all. Whether it was lifestyle, schedules, or food preferences, they matched perfectly. The only downside compared to being single was work efficiency. After coming home, Gu Deng was completely useless, often cuddling with Zhang Li for hours, unable to get anything done.

Messages went unanswered for too long, so Sister Lan had to call him directly.

“Sister Lan, what’s up?” When the call connected, Gu Deng was half-lying in Zhang Li’s arms, his voice hoarse and satisfied.

There was an awkward silence on the other end for a moment before she finally spoke, “You… sigh, never mind.”

Gu Deng: “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Sister Lan said. “That director edited another version of the video and wants to give it another try. See if you like this version.”

After watching the video, Gu Deng shook his head. “Still don’t like it.”

Sister Lan: “No feeling again, huh?”

“Yeah,” Gu Deng said. “His video is too commercial. I want something more artistic, emotional.”

“Alright, I’ll turn him down.”

When Gu Deng hung up, Zhang Li came up from behind and kissed his neck, his voice still hoarse from earlier. “Work keeping you busy?”

“Not too bad, just haven’t found an MV director that fits my style.”

Zhang Li kissed him again and asked, “What kind of feeling are you looking for?”

“I can’t really say. I’m not good with words,” Gu Deng thought for a moment. “You can listen to my songs and see if you get any feelings.”

Zhang Li agreed.

Gu Deng lifted the blanket and got out of bed, walking barefoot to the corner where the record player was, leaving a tall, slender silhouette with two handprints from Zhang Li on his waist.

Gu Deng took out a freshly recorded vinyl, placed the needle, and let the music play softly.

The vinyl contained 12 songs, but the one that left the deepest impression on Zhang Li was the title track, “Spring in Alaska.”

The song began with a piano bass line, layering a somber and oppressive mood in the beginning. But when the first drumbeat hit, Zhang Li knew the emotion wouldn’t stay suppressed. Sure enough, the orchestral instruments followed, allowing the emotions to explode after reaching their peak.

The chorus ended with the piano, gently falling like the aftershock of an explosion, but this time it wasn’t oppressive. It was a peaceful settling of dust.

The composition was already outstanding, but what added to it was Gu Deng’s voice. Zhang Li realized for the first time how beautiful and emotional Gu Deng’s voice could be.

Zhang Li listened to the entire album and replayed that song three times. On the fourth play, he finally stopped.

Gu Deng was a bit nervous. “How does it feel?”

Zhang Li didn’t speak for a moment, staying silent for a while before looking up with undisguised admiration in his eyes. “It’s amazing.”

“You scared me,” Gu Deng finally relaxed and smiled. “But I’m really satisfied with it myself.”

The song’s melody was captivating, and the lyrics were profound. Zhang Li, who made videos himself, could already imagine how many fan edits would use this song.

More importantly, the song held irreplaceable meaning for him. Only he knew what Gu Deng had gone through to write it. He understood every somber note’s oppression and empathized with the joy of each emotional outburst.

He wasn’t just a listener; he was a witness to the song. This realization made Zhang Li excited, with a tingling sensation on his scalp.

Closing his eyes, the song and images flooded his mind. Zhang Li opened his computer and started editing the video.

Five hours passed without eating or drinking, and Zhang Li finally looked up from the screen. “Come see if you like it.”

Gu Deng had some expectations but didn’t anticipate Zhang Li’s skills to be so impressive. His video was trendy yet artistic, perfectly matching every lyric and emotion in the song.

Gu Deng watched it three times, feeling like the music suddenly had a physical form.

And it was his first time directly experiencing the difference in Zhang Li’s professional level compared to others. Gu Deng murmured, “If you were the standard, everyone at my studio would be out of a job.”

Zhang Li: “I do make a living from this, after all.”

Reaching the industry’s top level solo, if he couldn’t surpass the studio’s editors, that would be unreasonable.

Gu Deng loved it to bits, watching it repeatedly, then asked Zhang Li, “You must be expensive, right?”

“Not too bad,” Zhang Li released the mouse, pulled Gu Deng onto his lap for a kiss, then hugged his waist. “Call me ‘husband,’ and I’ll give you a 90% discount.”

“90% off is still a loss,” Gu Deng said. “We’re sharing assets as a couple now. If you don’t make money, I’ll live a hard life too.”

Zhang Li didn’t give up. “No worries, your husband has other income.”

Gu Deng insisted, “I’ll have Sister Lan contact you for a commercial collaboration.”

“Are you sure?” Zhang Li raised an eyebrow. “I’m not cheap.”

Gu Deng squinted unhappily. “Your husband is also successful in his career; it’s not like I can’t afford a bit of money.”

As it turned out, Gu Deng really couldn’t afford it.

In the streaming era, the album market shrank, let alone the MV viewership dropping significantly. The studio’s budget for it wasn’t high. Zhang Li, with over ten million followers, commanded seven-figure rates for commercial deals, which were in high demand because he had been focusing on artistic projects and rarely took ads recently.

That night, Gu Deng cleaned himself inside and out, climbed into bed, and snuggled into Zhang Li’s arms, sweetly calling him “husband.”

Zhang Li paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. “What did you call me?”

Gu Deng continued to try hard. “Husband, can you lower the budget a bit, um…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Li pinned him to the bed, biting his lips. Throughout the night, he was forced to call him “husband” countless times, his voice going from clear to hoarse, even with a sobbing tone, yet it didn’t stop.