Late at night, Essen Reed lay in bed, a faint light leaking from under the covers. He was huddled under the blankets with his phone, the screen frozen on his chat with Alexander Gale. The last message was a Q-version picture he had sent at noon, to which Alexander had said thank you in person but hadn't replied since.
As the clock struck midnight, Essen typed "Happy Birthday" into the chat box, his finger hovering over the send button, hesitating to press it. After a minute, he sighed softly, deleted the text, exited Facebook, and placed his phone on the nightstand. He wrapped himself tighter in the blanket and closed his eyes but found sleep elusive.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Essen didn't know how long he had been lying there when he suddenly heard knocking. He frowned slightly, got up, and turned on the bedside lamp. The cold air from outside hit him in the face as he opened the door, only to be mostly blocked by a tall figure.
Essen stared blankly at Alexander Gale standing at his door. The birthday party that had started late was just over, and Alexander, wearing a black coat, smelled faintly of smoke and alcohol, his eyes slightly drunk and a dangerous aura seemingly trying to escape from beneath his deep black eyes.
The room was dim, lit only by the hallway light, and as they locked eyes, Alexander curled his lips into a smile. The intimidating aura around him softened a bit as he handed over a beautifully wrapped small cake.
Essen looked at the cake but didn't take it. "Take it," Alexander's voice was a bit hoarse, "It's your birthday cake."
He finally reached out, taking the cake. "Thank you."
Alexander's gaze fell to the open collar of Essen's thin pajamas, his brow furrowing slightly. "Go back to bed. Put the cake in the fridge and eat it when you wake up."
After saying that, he turned to go back to his room. The air conditioning had been fixed in the afternoon.
Suddenly, Essen stepped forward and caught Alexander's arm. He stopped, his gaze dropping to the hand where the knuckles were slightly white from the grip.
"Alexander Gale," Essen called him, "Happy Birthday."
His voice was thin and trembled slightly, whether from cold or nervousness was unclear.
Alexander turned around, pulled his arm back, and instead placed a hand on Essen's shoulder, half-hugging, half-pushing him back into the warm room. He then patted Essen's fluffy head and said softly, "I'm very happy because I received a very, very good gift."
Essen looked at him. He sighed softly, covering those clear, straightforward eyes, "Kid, you're too obvious. Be a bit more reserved."
Essen's eyelashes fluttered, and his pale cheeks gradually turned a light pink. Had he been seen through?
The palm felt ticklish, and as Alexander withdrew his hand, he also touched Essen's soft cheek with a smile, "An elevator encounter, a beauty bathing, just when the air conditioning broke. If it weren't for the fact that this hotel and its staff are all yours, I'd think this was fate."
Essen pursed his lips tightly, looking at him uneasily.
He reached for the door handle, "It's late, go to sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight..."
Essen didn't sleep all night, and the next morning, he looked even paler but was otherwise in good spirits. After getting dressed, he left his room, pausing as he passed that closed door, burying half his face in his scarf and heading down to the elevator.
Downstairs, just out of the elevator, he saw the front desk staff frantically signaling him and pointing outside.
Essen paused for two seconds before quickly walking out. As he stepped out, he saw several expensive cars driving away in a line, with Alexander getting into the last black Porsche.
Jack Smith was saying goodbye to Benjamin Reed, "Benjamin, thanks for the hospitality. See you back in Paris."
Benjamin nodded, "Sure, I won't see you off then. See you in Paris."
"Bye," Jack waved cheerfully.
Before getting into the car, Jack caught a glimpse of the person standing motionless at the entrance and waved, "Goodbye, little brother Essen."
Benjamin turned around, his eyes soft, and waved, "Come here, Essen, say goodbye to the two brothers."
The car window, which had been closed, was now open halfway, and Alexander, sitting inside, looked out with a neutral expression.
Essen stood still, silently locking eyes with him for a long while before turning to go back inside.
"Ah..." Benjamin shook his head helplessly, "Sorry, he might be cranky because he got up early."
Jack opened the car door, "Little brother Essen is probably just shy. When you guys come back to Paris, I'll take him out, and he'll get used to it."
He nodded to Alexander in the car, "Take care."
Alexander hummed in response, the car window rolled up, and the car slowly drove away.
Essen returned to the lobby expressionless. The front desk, room manager, and a few staff members gathered around.
Seeing his low spirits, they wanted to ask but dared not, only offering a few words of comfort in a low voice.
Li Hui patted his shoulder, acting as a confidante, "It's okay. When you go back to Paris, you'll have plenty of chances to meet."
"Yeah, yeah, our little brother is so handsome. If you take the initiative to chase someone, it won't be difficult."
"If all else fails, don't hang yourself on one tree. There are plenty of handsome guys in Paris..."
By chance, the front desk staff caught a glimpse of a portrait of a man on Essen's tablet and, upon asking, Essen openly admitted that he had harbored feelings for someone for a long, long time...
The staff murmured and comforted Essen, but when Benjamin Reed came in, they scattered.
Benjamin approached Essen with a stern face, "Have you had breakfast?"
Essen looked down, "No."
"Come on, let's go have breakfast."
In the restaurant, the brothers sat facing each other.
Benjamin sipped his coffee, watching Essen stir the porridge in his bowl, and couldn't help but slam his cup down in frustration.
Essen looked up, "What?"
He laughed in exasperation, "I should be asking you that. Making the staff put up with your whims, you know very well who Alexander Gale is. If you anger him, all my arrangements these past few days would be for naught."
Essen put down his spoon, his eyes wide with inquiry, "Did I drive him away?"
"..."
Benjamin was caught off guard but didn't have the heart to be harsh, "No, he was supposed to go back today anyway. There's another birthday party in Paris tonight."
Essen perked up a bit but then quickly became dejected again, "He didn't even say goodbye to me."
"Heh, it's a one-sided crush. Alexander Gale doesn't even know who you are. What's there to say goodbye for?"
"He knows. Last night..."
Benjamin perked up his ears, wary, "What happened last night? What did you do?"
Essen bit his lip, "Nothing."
Benjamin softened his tone but his words were sharp, "Ranran, you can't win Alexander Gale over. You've seen these past few days. He's the sole heir to the Gale family in Paris, always the center of attention. The glitzy life you dislike is his daily routine."
"Don't be fooled by his genteel and graceful appearance; he's actually very cold-hearted. He's too dangerous. If you get too close, you'll get hurt, and it'll only be you."
"I don't know when you fell for him, but listen to me, it's best to give up on him as soon as possible."
Essen put down his spoon, stood up, and left the restaurant without a word.
Benjamin sighed, "Not even back in Paris yet, and when did he fall for Alexander Gale? This kid is maturing too fast!"