Chapter 43
Cheng Xuyuan's mind seemed to freeze for a seemingly endless three minutes. During these minutes, the "Blue Danube" to his ears was like a funeral march, with the tones from the piano keys nearly ferrying him beyond life.
"System," Cheng Xuyuan asked within his mind, "What if I kill these two people with a hundred thousand volts right now?"
The system hurriedly responded: "Don't be impulsive, absolutely don't be impulsive!"
Xiang Boyan gazed at the dazed Zhou Yuanzhe, unexpectedly finding him adorable. He felt an urge to claim his slightly parted thin lips.
Zhou Yuanzhe finally recovered his senses.
First, he looked at An Ye and seriously said, "You are a rising star, you can't have a romantic relationship, particularly not with a man. Besides, I am your agent."
An Ye's expression dropped instantly, his eyes filled with disappointment and sadness.
Xiang Boyan's eyes lit up. He stared at Zhou Yuanzhe with great anticipation, his heartbeat accelerating non-stop.
"Chairman Xiang," Zhou Yuanzhe slowly spoke, "I am not worthy of you."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Boyan's hand slightly trembled and a few petals fell onto Zhou Yuanzhe, making the icy beauty's complexion even more enchanting.
However, this iceberg was destined to belong neither to Xiang Boyan nor to An Ye.
Zhou Yuanzhe firmly stood up, organized his suit, and slightly nodded before directly walking out of the restaurant, leaving the two men behind him bathed in protracted silence and sadness.
"Waiter!" Xiang Boyan suddenly exploded, "Who let this guy in? Didn't I book the whole restaurant?!"
A waiter apologized: "I'm sorry, An Ye said he had to come here to shoot a scene, we thought it was true..."
Xiang Boyan gave An Ye a severe glare and coldly said, "You think you're worthy of liking Zhou Yuanzhe?"
"You're amusing, Chairman Xiang," An Ye instantly retorted, "Didn't you hear what Brother Yuan said? Given your wealth and background, he could never match you."
Xiang Boyan laughed in frustration: "So, Zhou Yuanzhe would fancy you, would he?!"
An Ye: "He only refused me due to my public persona. If I retire from the entertainment scene in the future, he will accept me."
Xiang Boyan: "Zhou Yuanzhe only felt a bit inferior in front of me, but in the future, I will make him understand that my money can be his too."
The two of them, like squabbling middle school kids, were engaged in a heated argument in the echoingly empty restaurant. This, coupled with the tireless rendition of the "Blue Danube" by the pianist, created an almost comedic tableau.
________________________
In the week that followed, after these confessions, Zhou Yuanzhe became much more silent, and he hardly even went to his company.
Every day, Cheng Xuyuan would ask the system, "Why must I endure pain that doesn't belong to this character?"
"I'm not entirely sure," the system responded, declaring that it simply wanted to perform its tasks peacefully. "Perhaps it's because your constitution is unique."
Xiang Boyan and An Ye each wanted to take the opportunity to clarify things with Zhou Yuanzhe and express their patience. They believed that their feelings could be cultivated slowly. However, the aloof Zhou Yuanzhe did not give them any chances.
So, in the vast Xing Entertainment, the person who was most closely associated with Zhou Yuanzhe became Tang Ying.
One day, Zhou Yuanzhe was accompanying Tang Ying on a photoshoot for a fashion magazine.
By the time they finished, it was deep into the night. Zhou Yuanzhe told his assistants to go home first, then he turned to Tang Ying and said, "You should go first. I want to take a walk around here alone."
"What's there to see around here?" Tang Ying asked in confusion.
"...The food street."
Understanding Zhou's intentions, Tang Ying was just about to leave when Zhou Yuanzhe suddenly called out to him, "Why not accompany me instead?"
The reason he wanted Tang Ying's company was because Cheng Xuyuan hadn't had a real conversation with anyone in a long while. The issues that had built up inside him during this time were causing him overwhelming distress.
"Okay." Tang Ying donned a black mask and nodded, "I'll watch you eat."
Tang Ying was unaware of Zhou Yuanzhe's confession to the two. He only noticed that his manager, who was always a man of few words, had been particularly low-spirited recently. He had an icy demeanor that often left people feeling as if they had fallen into a deep freeze.
"Boss, 20 skewers of grilled kidneys, 40 skewers of pork belly, 30 skewers of beef tendons...”
One of the things that remained the same, however, was his astonishing appetite. Despite looking every bit the elegant nobleman, he ate like a refugee who needed nobility's help.
Zhou Yuanzhe, with a large plate full of grilled skewers and several cans of beer, picked a spot at a street stall, unconcerned about his image as he enjoyed his meal.
Watching him eat always made Tang Ying's appetite surge. Unable to resist, he asked, "Can I...?”
"You gained seven pounds this month,” Zhou Yuanzhe replied coldly. “If you keep gaining weight, you can forget about auditioning.”
Tang Ying sighed, his attention now fixed on the other's lips, which moved up and down. He regretted agreeing to accompany him.
Zhou Yuanzhe looked up at him, and while munching on grilled corn, he finally relented: "You're allowed to have just one skewer.”
He picked out the smallest skewer of grilled meat for him.
Tang Ying's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. He gently removed his mask and attentively eat the skewer of grilled meat, then looked at Zhou Yuanzhe with expectation.
"...Fine," Zhou Yuanzhe finally pushed the plate to him. "Eat up. You’re so thin that it won't matter if you gain a bit of weight. Don't your fans all say they want to fatten you up?"
Tang Ying smiled like a child who got what he wanted, who looked as though he had stars in his eyes. "Thank you, Brother Yuan."
Zhou Yuanzhe, however, was not in the mood to appreciate his handsome visage. He ate one skewer after another and continuously drank beer.
Twenty minutes later.
"Tang Ying, do you know that I actually quite despise you?"
Looking at Tang Ying's fair and handsome face, Zhou Yuanzhe suddenly said such a thing.
Tang Ying, easygoing as he was, mumbled while nibbling on his chicken wing, "If you despise me, then I'll just keep my distance from you."
Zhou Yuanzhe continued to speak, "You were arranged by Xiang Boyan to spy on me. I knew that long ago."
Tang Ying was taken aback.
“To me, you symbolize Xiang Boyan's power and manipulation," Zhou Yuanzhe said, taking another big swig of beer. “You signify his overarching and intrusive possessiveness."
"So, there are times I truly despise you."
Tang Ying remained silent for a while. Suddenly, he said, "If despising me makes you feel better, then by all means, continue despising."
In reality, he also frowns upon Xiang Boyan's actions. But who could blame him? After all, Xiang Boyan was his boss.
Zhou Yuanzhe, as if not hearing him, suddenly changed the topic, "What bloody top agent, I'm just a damn worker, just a cheap labor."
Worried that his loud voice would attract attention, Tang Ying wiped his mouth and put his face mask back on.
"Who is Xiang Boyan? The president of Xing Entertainment, the heir to the Xiang family..." There was a kind of fire in Zhou Yuanzhe's eyes that Tang Ying had never seen before, something between anger and sorrow, "I'm just a, just a..."
"Just a tool who doesn't have control over my life."
But Cheng Xuyuan still had a touch of sanity and didn't put it into words. He downed a big gulp of beer and shouted, "Boss, another 20 skewers of crispy pork bones!"
Tang Ying said with some concern, "Brother Yuan, you may be a little drunk..."
"Drunk my ass." The normally aloof and ice-cold Zhou Yuanzhe now seemed absolutely indiscreet. "I'm not drunk. That's just how I am. I like to swear, and I have a big temper."
Tang Ying stared at him slack-jawed.
Zhou Yuanzhe glanced at him, his fair face turning a shade of pink due to the alcohol, "What're you looking at? Never seen a handsome guy?"
Honestly, Tang Ying had never seen a man this good-looking. In the entire entertainment circle, there were very few who could compare to Zhou Yuanzhe in terms of looks, not to mention finding someone with such excellent stature and temperament.
"Uh, Brother Yuan, why don't we go back first?" said Tang Ying, gently replacing the beer in front of him with a juice.
Zhou Yuanzhe, unaware of the change, took a sip of the juice and continued, "Living with a mask every day, I really can't stand this life."
Tang Ying nodded, "Life is like that, everyone wears a mask."
"You don't understand." Zhou Yuanzhe sighed, "You'll never understand..."
The sigh contained so much sadness and helplessness that it inexplicably pierced Tang Ying's heart.
Tang Ying tried to comfort him, "Brother Yuan, you should be happy that An Ye has recently been crowned as one of the Four Little Kings."
"Don't mention him to me." Zhou Yuanzhe rolled his eyes without a trace of grace, "That guy has something wrong with him too."
Tang Ying didn't understand why Zhou Yuanzhe was so hostile toward Xiang Boyan and An Ye, so he could only say, "Brother Yuan, don't be angry. If you hate An Ye, you still have me. I've been getting a lot of film offers recently. This is all a testament to your professional skills."
"What?" Zhou Yuanzhe's obsidian-like eyes seemed foggy under the dim light, "Do you like me too?"
Tang Ying was dumbfounded.
Fortunately, after uttering these words, Zhou Yuanzhe's eyes closed, and he fell onto the table with a "thump," motionless.
Tang Ying sighed, paid the bill, and planned to take him home.
However, the words Zhou Yuanzhe had spoken earlier kept flashing through his mind.
Therefore, the person he was supporting in his arms unexpectedly became like a hot potato, causing Tang Ying's face to flush red.
In the end, Tang Ying chose to make a call to Xiang Boyan.
"Hello, Mr. Xiang..." Tang Ying hesitated before speaking, "Brother Yuan is drunk. Could you come and pick him up?"
Half an hour later.
Xiang Boyan appeared in front of the barbecue stall. His face was ashen as he looked at Tang Ying and said, "Do you know the consequences of your actions?"
"Mr. Xiang, Brother Yuan is very upset."
Xiang Boyan was taken aback. Tang Ying's calm words caused his anger to dissipate abruptly.
Brother Yuan was very upset.
Xiang Boyan turned to look at the drunk "iceberg beauty", lost in thousands of thoughts. But in the end, he didn't utter a word. He carried Zhou Yuanzhe sideways, gently placed him in the car, and then told Tang Ying, "Do not tell anyone about tonight's events."
Tang Ying slowly nodded his head.
As he watched Xiang Boyan's sports car drive away, the tail lights of the car seemed to signal an undercurrent of change taking place.
________________________
The next day.
Cheng Xuyuan woke up with a hangover headache.
His first thought was, "I can get drunk from beer too? I'm becoming more and more good-for-nothing."
His second thought was, "Isn't my room smaller than this?"
Cheng Xuyuan abruptly sat up from the bed, catching sight of the understated yet extremely luxurious furniture. The room was arranged in black and white colors, simple yet revealing taste - so neat and tidy that it seemed untouched.
Cheng Xuyuan leaped off the bed. The cold floor stimulated the soles of his feet, making him sober up quickly.
When he walked out of the room, he was stunned.
On the living room couch, a tall and robust man was sleeping.
Xiang Boyan, awakened by the noise, turned around. He looked at the person at the bedroom entrance and said hoarsely, "Are you awake?"
Cheng Xuyuan never imagined that he would wake up in Xiang Boyan's house.
"You go freshen up first." Xiang Boyan rubbed his temples, obviously having had a rough night. "I'll make breakfast."
Cheng Xuyuan walked into the bathroom still feeling dreamy. He looked at his clothes and noticed they were undamaged, giving him a sigh of relief.
Phew, nothing happened...
After Cheng Xuyuan had freshened up, Xiang Boyan had already prepared a pan-fried soft-boiled egg and a pot of millet porridge.
"You're amazing." Zhou Yuanzhe earnestly praised, "I didn't expect the CEO would cook."
Xiang Boyan chuckled, "So, in your mind, a CEO must always rely on others for every little thing?"
Zhou Yuanzhe took a bite of the egg and his eyes lit up. He turned to Xiang Boyan, "I proclaim that Xing Entertainment will be renamed as Xing Chain Restaurant."
Zhou Yuanzhe was noticeably more outgoing today, his poker face put aside, and was in a completely relaxed state.
It was like he had taken off a long-absent disguise.
Xiang Boyan suddenly asked, "Why did you drink last night?"
Zhou Yuanzhe casually responded, "Of course we need beer with barbecue."
"You're still concerned about what happened that day, aren't you?" Xiang Boyan stared at him drinking his porridge, "But if given another chance, I would still say those words to you."
Zhou Yuanzhe paused.
"I'm serious."
Zhou Yuanzhe looked at him and said softly, "Mr. Xiang, between us..."
Afraid that he would utter harsh words of rejection, Xiang Boyan interrupted, "Zhou Yuanzhe, I never intended to force you."
Zhou Yuanzhe was taken aback.
"If you doubt my intentions, I can always tell you: 'I love you.'" Xiang Boyan took out a tissue and gently wiped the traces from the corner of his mouth, "As long as you agree, I am always yours."
A blank filled Zhou Yuanzhe's mind.
"And you... are free."
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