The minute Luhan disappeared into the bathroom to take his shower, Yixing slipped into Baek Hyun’s room and shut the door. “Can we talk?” he asked, sitting himself down onto the edge of Baek Hyun’s bed before the other could say anything.

An eyebrow lifted on Baek Hyun’s face, probably because Yixing had closed the door. Was it obvious that he didn’t want Luhan to walk in on them? “Sure. What’s up?”

He didn’t know how to phrase his sentences without sounding like he was suspicious. Frankly, Yixing thought his misgivings were a little absurd. He had been friends with Baek Hyun for over 2 years and the latter even looked after him whenever he got those injuries in prison.

All this thinking made his head hurt. 

“I was just wondering…” he trailed off, doing just that as he paused to piece together his sentence. “About the robbery. You told me your ex ditched you to escape when the police came.”

Baek Hyun nodded warily.

“But you replied the letters he wrote you,” Yixing pointed out slowly. “How did you manage to forgive him?”

The silence in the room was uncomfortable. Yixing wondered if he said something that he shouldn’t have had. His doubts aside, he was genuinely curious. How was it that Baek Hyun could forgive someone he so apparently loved (Yixing even called him his lover boy because they wrote each other so often) when he had abandoned him in the face of danger?

Baek Hyun sighed softly. “Time heals all wounds,” he said at last, a sad smile hanging on his lips. He fiddled with the phone in his hands. “I was lonely and needed something to look forward to when I get discharged. Chanyeol… begged for my forgiveness. I couldn’t really bring myself to hate him forever.” He sighed again. “Besides, the robbery wasn’t entirely his fault. It was my stupid mistake too.”

That was the difference between them, Yixing supposed. His stupid mistake would be covering for Kris when Yixing hadn’t done anything.

 “But the day you were released… he didn’t come for you.”

Baek Hyun’s face fell. “Yes…” he murmured. “But I can’t really fault him. He said he had something important to attend to.”

More important than Baek Hyun? Yixing bit his lip. Could it be Kris? He contemplated whether or not to ask the next question, worried that Baek Hyun might be hurt again if he knew about “KrisYeol”.

“Does this mean you are back in contact with him?” he asked instead.

Baek Hyun’s cheeks flushed an interesting shade of red as he nodded once and stared at the ground. “I guess Luhan spilled that I told him you were working for Kris. The truth is… I found out a long time ago,” he said awkwardly. “When you got the job, Chanyeol called me. I’ve talked about you in my letters to him so he does know who you are.”

This changed things a bit. So Baek Hyun actually had a hand in helping him get the job. But judging from his expression, Yixing figured he didn’t know a thing about Chanyeol cheating on him with Kris. Yixing wasn’t sure if he was in the position to say anything since this was between them but as a friend, he really did not want Baek Hyun to get hurt.

“Listen,” Baek Hyun continued, before Yixing could decide. “I told Luhan because he was worried for you. He was afraid you would leave him for Kris.” He gave Yixing a sideways glance. “Would you?”

He blinked, taken aback that he was now the one being questioned. “N-no. Of course not.”

Baek Hyun frowned. “Luhan really likes you, Xing. He genuinely cares for you,” he said gently. “Give him a chance. Don’t be fooled by Kris again.”

***

Promising Baek Hyun was easier said than done. Yixing tried his hardest to put some distance between him and the celebrity, telling himself that Kris was an actor so everything he said should be taken with a grain of salt. For all he knew, he could have been lying the whole time, putting his acting skills to good use.

Unfortunately, as determined as Yixing was in steering clear of Kris, the actor was just as determined to seek him out. There were only so many excuses Yixing could give without compromising his job as a personal assistant. It didn’t help that they, along with Chanyeol, had wound up in Kris’s house so there was nowhere for Yixing to hide.

“Here,” Kris muttered, shoving a small paper bag into his hands when Chanyeol left the study to look for snacks in the kitchen. “I had to sneak this out. It’s a sample copy of my CD.”

Yixing contemplated pushing it back to Kris but he couldn’t deny anticipation in hearing his own voice. “… Thanks,” he murmured under his breath.

The blond looked relieved that Yixing had taken it. “Won’t you come over here?” Kris asked softly. “I need some help picking photos for the album. You have a better eye for this than I do.” He gave Yixing a pleading look and gestured at the pile of photos spread across his desk.

How could he resist that look on Kris’s face? Despite his inner voice screaming at him to stay away, Yixing reluctantly moved towards the desk.

The photographer who took the shots was unsurprisingly skillful in capturing the right moment. Yixing leaned over to take a closer look, marveling at how the lighting cast a shadow that highlighted Kris’s attractive features. Without realising it, his breath caught at a particular photo of the actor staring soulfully into the lens. He had only ever seen that expression once in the years he had known Kris, right before Yixing was arrested.

“This is good,” he murmured, unable to pull his gaze away from the photo. His finger rested on the edge of the photo, not wanting to leave a fingerprint mark on it although he secretly wanted to keep it.

A hand reached over to cover his smaller one, sending a jolt down his spine. Yixing’s breathing stilled, suddenly mindful of how quiet the room was. The tension was so thick between them he could slice it with a knife. Slowly and hesitantly, he turned his head to meet Kris’s doleful eyes, swallowing at the expression on his face.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Kris whispered hoarsely, his hand heavy above Yixing’s. “Can’t we try again?”

A hundred conflicting thoughts raced through his mind. He could sense Kris’s hand trembling very slightly on top of his as if he wanted to hold his hand but was afraid.  Was this another acting ploy of Kris or did he mean it? His head hurt trying to figure him out. What about Chanyeol?

“I’m seeing Luhan,” Yixing told Kris nonchalantly, masking his feelings behind an indifferent face. “You were the one who discarded me first.”

Confusion, guilt and something else – hurt? – flashed across Kris’s face. “Of all people, Luhan?” he scoffed bitterly.

“And if you meant that time at the beach where I pretended not to know you… I didn’t have a choice,” he said with hints of frustration in his voice. “I thought you understood. There were too many people around – I couldn’t just talk to you in front of them. I would have visited you more often if I could too but you know the agency wouldn’t allow it.

“I want to make it up to you, Xing. If you’d only give me the chance—”

“What’s going on?” a deep voice laced with annoyance suddenly cut in. Yixing yanked his hand away from Kris, certain that the guilt was etched on his red face, and found himself unable to look Chanyeol in the eye. It didn’t stop the other from eyeballing him. If anything, Chanyeol’s glares only intensified Yixing’s embarrassment.

The doorbell saved him from having to explain himself. “I’ll get that,” Yixing said quickly, and hurried to leave the study while concealing the paper bag of CD behind his back to hide it from the manager.
 

After thanking the deliveryman for the food, Yixing took the containers to the kitchen to put them on serving plates. He couldn’t help wondering what was going on in the study. Were they fighting? Should Yixing reassure Chanyeol that nothing was going on between him and Kris? Sighing, he distractedly opened the cabinet doors to search for the huge serving plates.

He found something else instead.

Colourful envelopes with his name in Kris’s signature awful handwriting.

Heart in his throat, Yixing pulled them out with shaking hands and opened the first one.

Dear Xing,

Are you still mad at me? I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from those airheaded girls and the judgmental staff at the beach. Although I couldn’t acknowledge you, I was glad to have seen you for at least a minute. I wanted to ask you if you’ve gotten my letters and why wouldn’t you reply me, but there were too many people around watching my movements.

This letter marks the 98th one I’ve sent. I’m counting down the days till you get out and come back to me. The weather’s getting colder these days… I hope the blankets they give you are warm enough. You’re not allowed to fall sick, okay?

I miss you. 我爱你.

Love,

Fan

A heavy drop of water fell onto the letter and it was then Yixing realised he was crying. Tears pooled in his eyes as he flipped envelope by envelope addressed to him. Kris wrote him. He really did. But why didn’t he receive any of these?

His hands shook as he crammed the 104 letters into his backpack, keeping a teary eye at the stairs in case any of them appeared. It was unclear to him why the letters were kept in the kitchen cabinet instead of reaching him in prison but his head was far too muddled to think. Someone evidently did not want him to read the letters and until Yixing found out who it was, it was safer to pretend he did not know of their existence.

Forcing himself not to think, Yixing choked back sobs while he poured the food out on the plates. He placed three sets of cutlery on the table and tossed out the empty containers, taking his time until he was sure he was calm enough to face them.

Only when his cheeks were devoid of the wet trails of tears, Yixing climbed up the stairs to Kris’s study. “Dinner’s ready,” he called, pushing the door open. “Come downstairs—”

His heart chilled at the sight of Chanyeol’s tongue down Kris’s throat.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful comments and the fascinating theories. I guess you guys figured out who hid those letters by now? Next chapter will come when the fic hits 100 comments. 

For readers who prefer not to comment, do me a favour and vote the story up on the Foreword page? Thanks. =D