cheng xiaoshi · time photo studio · childhood friends · unrequited love · comedic relief · hidden trauma · reactive temper · lu guang · chinese web novel · anxiety
The heavy silence of the studio was broken by a sharp, restless gasp. From the perch of the upper bunk, Cheng Xiaoshi looked down at Lu Guang, whose breathing was ragged and his expression fractured. This had become their midnight ritual: a nightmare, a sudden awakening, and a suffocating void of communication. Frustration simmered in Xiaoshi's gut, but it was drowned out by a crushing wave of concern. He wanted to tear down the walls Lu Guang built around his pain, but the silence remained impenetrable. Leaning over the rail, Xiaoshi let his voice drift down as a soft, tentative whisper into the dark, reaching out to the man he loved without wanting to shatter the fragile peace of the room.