Chapter 66
Cheng Xuyuan’s fingers tightened slightly. He wasn’t too keen on letting that man into his personal space, even though he was a member of the protagonist group. But even from this distance, he could feel the sadness emanating from the other person, so intense that it left him breathless.
“…Fine.” Cheng Xuyuan still nodded, his tone flat. “However, it’s just to shelter you from the rain. Once it stops, you should leave.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
Xiang Boyan listened to the busy tone on the other end of the line, momentarily unsure whether to feel happy or sad. He wiped rainwater off his face and walked into the residential complex.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang at Cheng Xuyuan’s doorstep. He wore slippers as he opened the door, revealing a thoroughly drenched and bedraggled Xiang Boyan.
“Come in,” Cheng Xuyuan said, then headed toward the bathroom. “I’ll turn on the water heater for you. Take a shower first.”
Xiang Boyan stepped into the room, leaving wet marks on the floor. He had never looked this disheveled before; his clothes clung tightly to his muscles, outlining his perfectly sculpted figure.
After seeing An Ye’s Weibo post, Xiang Boyan impulsively decided to find Cheng Xuyuan. Little did he know that as soon as he got off the car, a heavy downpour began. He hesitated in the rain for a long time before finally dialing Cheng Xuyuan’s number.
“Alright.”
Cheng Xuyuan emerged from the bathroom, gesturing that Xiang Boyan could enter. With a quiet “thank you,” Xiang Boyan’s stern expression now carried a touch of weariness.
Cheng Xuyuan went to the kitchen to brew a pot of ginger tea. He wasn’t sure why he felt so naturally concerned about Xiang Boyan. Subconsciously, he considered Xiang Boyan a close friend. Whenever he saw Xiang Boyan, an imperceptible warmth enveloped him.
“Um... Yuan, do you have any pants...”
Xiang Boyan's voice came from the bathroom, making Cheng Xuyuan stunned for a moment. He shouted “wait,” then rummaged through the closet and finally pulled out a pair of large, loose pants.
He walked to the bathroom door and knocked a few times, until Xiang Boyan opened the door. In the lingering mist, his healthy complexion and strong muscles looked very sexy. Cheng Xuyuan moved his eyes to the side and handed him his pants. “You put this on first, then ask your secretary to bring your clothes to you later...”
“Uh-huh,” Xiang Boyan had never worn someone else’s clothes before. However, he didn’t mind this pair of pants at all. In fact, there was even a hint of amusement in his eyes when he took them.
As Xiang Boyan was drying his hair and walking into the living room, Cheng Xuyuan was nestled on the sofa, engrossed in his phone. The heavy rain outside showed no signs of letting up. Cheng Xuyuan got up and fetched a hairdryer from the room, handing it to the somewhat dazed man.
It took Xiang Boyan a while to take the hairdryer, only doing so when Cheng Xuyuan looked at him somewhat impatiently. “Did you know,” Xiang Boyan took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes, “I’ve dried your hair before.”
Cheng Xuyuan was clearly taken aback, not quite understanding why Xiang Boyan would suddenly bring this up. All he could do was respond softly, “Oh, is that so… You’re quite a nice person then.”
Xiang Boyan didn’t say anything more. He silently dried his hair and put on the oversized T-shirt that Cheng Xuyuan had prepared for him. However, it still seemed a bit tight, outlining the contours of his chest muscles, which looked somewhat…
“Cough,” Cheng Xuyuan turned his face towards the window, feeling a bit embarrassed. “You should call someone to bring you some clothes.”
Xiang Boyan nodded, seemingly sending a message on his phone. He took the initiative to sit next to Cheng Xuyuan on the sofa, picked up the ginger tea, and asked knowingly, “Did you prepare this for me?”
“Yes,” Cheng Xuyuan responded generously, “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“You don’t know me, do you?” Xiang Boyan took a sip of the ginger tea, the sweet and spicy flavor stimulating his taste buds. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
Cheng Xuyuan looked at him, somewhat lost in thought.
After a while, he lowered his head and said softly, “I don’t know.”
Xiang Boyan put down the cup in his hand. The spicy scent of ginger filled the air, somewhat pungent. He looked at the other person and asked, “Do you dislike me?”
“Huh?” Cheng Xuyuan looked up at him, not quite understanding why he would ask such a question.
“You said I used Zhou Yuanzhe as a tool — so do you dislike me?”
Cheng Xuyuan clearly didn’t expect him to be so direct. It took him a while to find his words, “I… I don’t dislike you.”
As a plug-in, he can only complete his tasks as Zhou Yuanzhe when was being used. From this perspective, he should actually be thankful to Xiang Boyan.
Moreover, for the capitalist Xiang Boyan, Zhou Yuanzhe is his employee. What’s wrong with using him as a tool?
The tips of Xiang Boyan’s hair were still a bit damp, which unexpectedly softened his facial features. He slowly finished the ginger tea, glanced at the heavy rain still falling outside the window, and his voice became gentle, “Then, how about we start over?”
Cheng Xuyuan’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden proposal. He widened his eyes and looked at the other person, “Start over? What are you talking about?!”
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten me,” Xiang Boyan’s lips were still a bit moist, and the upward curve brought a hint of mischief, “But I remember, we used to be lovers.”
Cheng Xuyuan almost fell off the sofa. He looked at the other person with a shocked expression and exclaimed, “What the hell… what are you talking about?!”
“I said, we used to be lovers,” Xiang Boyan’s sharp eagle eyes stared straight at him. The gentleness in his eyes was an illusion, and he had become a fierce hunter. “You just forgot.”
Cheng Xuyuan immediately denied it, “Impossible, I’m straight.”
“Straight?” Xiang Boyan reached out his hand and easily held his chin, “How can you prove it?”
“I… I…”
Cheng Xuyuan couldn’t find a reason after a long time. He simply slapped away the hand holding his chin and said angrily, “What kind of joke is this? I’ve lived this long and haven’t even dated yet. How did I become your ex-boyfriend?”
Upon hearing the words “ex-boyfriend,” Xiang Boyan was very pleased. He smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter if you forgot, I will make you remember slowly.”
At this moment, Linda, who came to deliver clothes, arrived at Cheng Xuyuan’s doorstep. As soon as she entered the room, she saw the disheveled President Xiang and was shocked. Then she saw Cheng Xuyuan on the side and almost screamed.
“President Xiang… and Brother Yuan?!” Linda threw the clothes on Xiang Boyan and hurriedly ran to Cheng Xuyuan, “By the way, I’ve always wanted to ask you, are you really Brother Yuan? Why do you look so much like Brother Yuan? Why did you change your name to Cheng Xuyuan? Why did you form a CP with An Ye? What’s going on between you and President Xiang…”
Cheng Xuyuan said blankly, “What, do I… really have a relationship with Xiang Boyan?”
Linda glanced at Xiang Boyan, who gave her a suggestive look. She immediately understood and said to Cheng Xuyuan, “Your love with President Xiang was once called the most touching story of Xing Entertainment Company.”
Cheng Xuyuan almost fainted.
Xiang Boyan walked into the bathroom and changed his clothes. When he came out, he put on a pitiful look and said to him, “See, I didn’t lie to you, did I?”
His eyes were filled with a coquettish plea, easily deceiving Cheng Xuyuan.
“I…” Cheng Xuyuan felt completely disoriented, “Am I really your ex-boyfriend?”
“Yes, you just lost your memory and can’t remember,” Xiang Boyan guided him step by step into his trap, “Right, Zhou Yuanzhe?”
“Holy cow, did I really have a thing with you? No way, how could I have fallen for you…”
Xiang Boyan’s gaze instantly became dangerous. He stared at Cheng Xuyuan and said through gritted teeth, “So you admit that you are Zhou Yuanzhe.”
Only then did Cheng Xuyuan realize that he not only inexplicably gained an ex-boyfriend, but he was also tricked into admitting it.
“You…” Cheng Xuyuan was so angry he wanted to punch him, but then he remembered something more important, “Wait, you keep saying I’m your ex-boyfriend, does that mean I slept with you?”
Linda stared at Cheng Xuyuan in astonishment, deeply impressed by his words.
“No,” Xiang Boyan’s expression was inscrutable.
“I knew there was nothing between us!” Cheng Xuyuan was elated. “Even if we dated, since we never slept together, it means our feelings were as light as water…”
“But I have slept with you,” Xiang Boyan said calmly. His statement was half-true. They had indeed shared a bed when Zhou Yuanzhe was drunk, although nothing happened.
Cheng Xuyuan was completely petrified.
Linda was excited, almost clapping her hands.
“I…” Cold sweat broke out on Cheng Xuyuan’s back. His handsome face was full of surprise. “How could I possibly…”
“You have a red mole on your waist, right?” Xiang Boyan said quietly. He had seen it when he helped the drunken Zhou Yuanzhe change his clothes.
Cheng Xuyuan swallowed, struggling to speak: “Damn.”
After a while, he took a deep breath and looked at Xiang Boyan. He said word by word: “If I ever truly had a relationship with you, I would acknowledge that past. But now, I have no memory of it. To me, you are still a stranger. Also — my name is Cheng Xuyuan.”
“Alright, Cheng Xuyuan.” Xiang Boyan smiled gently, as if there was a big tail wagging behind him. “I won’t force you to come back to me. You can decide what you want to do. However, I hope you can give me a chance.”
Cheng Xuyuan looked at him warily, “What kind of opportunity? Are you trying to frame me?”
“I want to pursue you again, is that okay?” Xiang Boyan looked at him seriously. His eyes seemed to be filled with stars. Linda, who was next to him, was already overwhelmed with girlish feelings. “Don’t reject me immediately. Can you try to get along with me first?
Cheng Xuyuan opened his mouth. He had a thousand “I refuse” stuck in his throat, but he couldn’t say it.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as your consent.”
Xiang Boyan looked at him. His radiant smile and gentle demeanor seemed to drown him.
Outside the window, the heavy rain gradually stopped.
In the sky where the clouds were dispersing, a faint rainbow appeared.
________________________
Author's Notes:
I have an idea. I want to combine the books “Pen God” and “Brilliant Star Path”. Xiang Boyan is Gu Juncheng who came out after leaving the university campus (he changed his name). Can everyone accept it?
If you can’t accept it, pretend I didn’t say it (…), don’t scold me!
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