Chapter 13: Indulgence

Feicheng Yi stood beneath the water balloon as the crew pulled the mechanism. With a loud bang, the balloon dropped. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

The balloon struck his head squarely. A rush of icy water drenched him completely.

The carefully styled hair was swept apart by the powerful flow, strands drooping over his forehead. Water traced down his high, straight nose, and his long, dense eyelashes hung like curtains, shedding a curtain of rain.

Feicheng Yi wiped his face, brushed his hair back, and opened his eyes.

Droplets still clung to his lashes.

The cold water made the skin beneath his eyes flush slightly red.

Yanyun Jiang handed him a towel prepared by the crew. He wiped his face, hair, and neck. His clothes remained soaked; he would have to wait until this segment was over before changing.

The air conditioning was strong in the studio. A breeze sent a shiver through him.

Noticing this, Yanyun Jiang stepped closer to shield him from the wind.

Feicheng Yi looked at her, his eyes curved in a smile, unable to suppress the warmth spreading across his face.

For a moment, Yanyun Jiang was distracted, thinking to herself how cold and aloof he used to be, and now his smiles seemed so effortless, so frequent...

*

The recording ended late at night.

After hours of games, conversations, and laughter, the intense energy drained them all. Off camera, the tension relaxed and fatigue settled in.

Most had booked hotels nearby. City C boasted a thriving entertainment industry and excellent accommodations.

“Wait,” Yanyun Jiang called to the driver on their way back. “What’s going on over there?”

Through the window, she noticed a peculiar street. It was not a professional commercial area—no fixed shops—but dotted with various small stalls and vendors selling all manner of things: food and drink, lanterns and balloons, antiques and jade, fortune-telling and palm reading...

Since it was past midnight, visitors were sparse, but the vendors were well prepared, creating a scene both lively and quiet.

“That’s probably the Ghost Market,” the driver explained. “It opens every Saturday night at midnight, at random locations. It’s very spontaneous.”

“What a coincidence, then,” Yanyun Jiang said excitedly. “Our flight isn’t until tomorrow afternoon. Let’s go take a look.”

Her work required frequent travel, but rarely gave her the chance to explore. Usually, she arrived, worked, rested in the hotel, then left for the next destination.

She donned a mask and hat, then stepped out.

Turning around, she suddenly noticed a black business van similar to theirs parked behind them. It looked familiar—Feicheng Yi’s vehicle?

At that moment, the rear door opened and Feicheng Yi stepped out.

They had booked the same hotel and taken similar routes. When Yanyun Jiang’s car stopped, his driver did the same.

She got out and looked his way. Feicheng Yi thought she was calling him, so he stepped down as well.

Approaching her, he asked, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much...” she replied, her gaze falling on the street. “I saw the Ghost Market and thought it looked fun. I want to take a stroll.”

“Alright,” Feicheng Yi said, “I’ll accompany you.”

Such an offer was hard to refuse.

Yanyun Jiang warned, “Make sure you wear your hat and mask properly. Put your cat ring inside your T-shirt so it’s not visible. If any of us get recognized, we split up and return to the hotel immediately. Understood?”

Lowering the brim of his cap, Feicheng Yi’s muffled laughter sounded soft and warm through his mask. “Got it, wife.”

With Feicheng Yi leading, Yanyun Jiang followed closely, with An’an and Liao Sheng trailing at a modest distance.

Vendors on both sides greeted the first visitors enthusiastically. The street ran alongside a small river in City C, where street lamps cast shimmering light on the water. Willow branches swayed gently in the night breeze.

What captivated Yanyun Jiang most were the snacks.

Golden and oily, fragrant and tempting...

She hadn’t eaten dinner and was exhausted after the long shoot. Her hunger was keen.

Usually, after recording, she would head straight to the hotel and sleep, no thought for a midnight snack.

But with such delicious food in plain sight, it was a different story.

Feicheng Yi noticed her lingering gaze on the food stalls, hesitating between desire and restraint. Amid the noise, he leaned close and whispered, “Want some? I’ll buy it for you.”

“It’s not about you buying it or me buying it,” Yanyun Jiang replied.

Yet, his offer made her waver.

Her stomach growled; she truly wanted to eat.

*

Yanyun Jiang pulled out her phone. “Let me check how many indulgence chances I have left this month.”

“Indulgence chances? Indulgence meals?” Feicheng Yi asked.

An indulgence meal, sometimes called a cheat meal, is when someone on a fitness or diet plan allows themselves a break to ease emotional tension.

“No,” she explained. “It’s a little game I set for myself. You know, our work demands a lot of self-control—diet, going out, and so on. Sometimes it’s tough. Like when I’m in a bad mood and crave sweets but can’t have them because I need to maintain my weight and skin. If I always say no, over time, life feels meaningless. So, I give myself designated little indulgences to save myself occasionally.”

Feicheng Yi listened intently, his gaze softening with affection.

He found her utterly adorable.

Smiling, Yanyun Jiang added, “It really works. You should try it too. Always having those chances makes you feel like you hold onto a little freedom, giving life more possibilities and hope. For instance now—” she said seriously, “I’ve decided to have a little midnight snack tonight.”

No work required them to be on camera tomorrow.

Besides, fate had brought her to the Ghost Market tonight.

City C was famous for its cuisine.

Since they were here, why not?

Resolutely, she approached a stall selling fried sugar puffs and ordered a small portion.

Feicheng Yi stood behind her, scanning the QR code hanging on the stall to pay.

The vendor handed the sugar puffs to Yanyun Jiang. She took one, moved into the shadows, pulled down her mask, blew on it, and bit in quickly.

The moment the sweet touched her tongue, she felt a long-lost joy.

Satisfied, she immediately chastised herself—high fat, high sugar; she was really indulging tonight!

But having already eaten, there was no use counting calories in her head.

Trying to distract herself, Yanyun Jiang started chatting with Feicheng Yi.

Looking into his deep black eyes, she asked, “Feicheng, do you ever struggle with wanting to do something but having to restrain yourself?”

He thought for a moment and said, “Seems like I do.”

“Seems like?” She wasn’t satisfied with such a vague answer.

He continued, “I don’t really remember. Like… having had a dream, but waking up forgetting what it was about, only recalling the feeling—the feeling of restraint.”

“Maybe because of your earlier accident. Your brain isn’t fully healed yet. You’ll probably remember after some time.”

“Maybe.”

Yanyun Jiang tilted her head, guessing unwillingly, “Smoking? Drinking? Binge eating? Racing cars...?”

“I don’t smoke, don’t drink, and don’t binge,” Feicheng Yi replied. “As for racing... where did you get that idea?”

She laughed. “I saw you had a really cool sports car. I just assumed you liked that kind of thing.”

“My brother gave it to me for my birthday. He didn’t know what I liked, so he just guessed.”

“What do you like then?”

She asked casually. Feicheng Yi fell silent.

Noticing a flicker of confusion in his eyes, Yanyun Jiang was stunned. “You don’t even know what you like?”

He snapped back to himself, looked at her steadily for a moment, and whispered, “I like you.”

She was speechless.

Wishing she could smack her own mouth for such a needless question.

Finishing a sugar puff, Yanyun Jiang set down the skewer.

It was a little indulgence, not reckless excess. She wanted to try other things, not just one.

After tasting one, she quickly pulled her mask back up and turned, ready to hand the rest to An’an and the others behind her.

“Not eating anymore?” Feicheng Yi asked.

“I want to try something else,” she replied. The sugary treat had lifted her spirits.

He reached out and took the sugar puff from her hand.

Blinking, she silently asked why.

Feicheng Yi said, “Let me finish it for you.”

“Isn’t that a bit...” she hesitated.

“It’s nothing. That’s what a husband does on a date.”

Date... husband...

Yanyun Jiang had just gotten used to him calling her “wife.” Suddenly hearing “husband” again made her blush with embarrassment.

He dared say it, but she wasn’t ready to hear it.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, she headed straight to another food stall.

Feicheng Yi followed, paying and finishing the leftovers for her.

They wandered, buying sugar paintings, cute rabbit lanterns, and some ancient coins from an antique stall—real or fake, who knew?

Slowly, more people arrived, until the crowd grew so dense they could hardly walk.

Only then did Yanyun Jiang realize something was wrong.

Had they been exposed?

Looking around, the people weren’t approaching them directly; it was just that the market was getting busier.

She recalled reading online that City C’s nightlife was vibrant, lasting until two or three in the morning.

They had arrived just after midnight when vendors had barely set up, so it was quiet. Now, with social media spreading the location quickly, more people were coming.

“We have to go,” Yanyun Jiang tugged Feicheng Yi’s arm.

At this density, staying longer meant certain discovery.

They struggled through the crowd to a less crowded intersection, called the driver for pickup.

Looking up, the Ghost Market, nearing 1 a.m., was as lively as if night had just fallen—voices clamorous, lights brilliant.

She was relieved they hadn’t been recognized, until a message pinged in her friend group chat.

Opening it, she saw a text and two screenshots.

The message was from her close friend Hui Shen:

“@RY, and you still say you’re not dating?”

The screenshots showed proof.

The first was a trending topic on Weibo:

#FeichengYiAndYanyunJiangAtGhostMarket#

#CityCGhostMarket#

#FeiRan#

The second was the top post under the trend:

A fan screamed in countless “ahh”s, amazed to see the Feiran couple at the market, with a collage of photos.

Comments below urged, “Don’t disturb them. Let the couple have their sweet private date.”

That fan and others did not approach but had taken many photos and videos, describing their interactions in detail.

Were these fans special forces? So disciplined and patient!

They hadn’t let a hint slip to either of them.

She had thought they were unnoticed, but in fact, they had been live-streamed the whole time.

Yanyun Jiang sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Feicheng Yi asked.

She showed him the trending topic and couldn’t help but smile. “Sometimes I think fans are really impressive.”

But then she wondered: Were the fans really that stealthy, or had she been so focused on Feicheng Yi that she ignored everything else?

Two business vans approached, one after the other. Liao Sheng, Xiao Luo, and An’an were already in their respective cars.

Yanyun Jiang and Feicheng Yi got into their own vehicles.

In the past, she might have worried about staying in the same hotel and being seen entering or leaving together.

Now... she felt strangely unbothered, as if the more complicated things got, the less she cared.