Back in the car, Xia Xi was practically fuming.
“What the hell happened inside? Why did you have to hit someone out of the blue?”
After all these years working with Lu Rang, this was the first time he’d seen him lose his composure so publicly.
All he did was grab an extra slice of cake outside, and now he had to deal with a goddamn explosion of trending topics?!
It seemed like every marketing account was scrambling to be the first to break the news, flooding the internet with reports of Lu Rang’s altercation.
Xia Xi jabbed at the notifications on his tablet, his words slow and seething.
“‘A-list actor Lu suspected of throwing his weight around, violently assaults bystander at exhibition.’”
“Violently—assaults—”
“Lu! I need an explanation!”
Lu Rang leaned back on the sofa, his expression cold and fierce, clearly still seething with anger toward Wang Hai.
He flexed his wrist and scoffed, “Nothing to explain. He had it coming.”
Knowing he wouldn’t get anywhere with Lu Rang, Xia Xi shifted his gaze to Luo Ying.
Since Luo Ying was partly responsible for the whole mess, he awkwardly rubbed his nose and ran a hand through his hair.
After a long pause, he finally spoke up. “Wang Hai’s words were just too much—all that sarcasm and insinuation. He called Lu Rang a beggar and implied I was trash.”
Luo Ying recounted the entire incident from beginning to end.
By the time he finished, Xia Xi was so furious he almost told the driver to turn around and head back to the exhibition so he could land a few kicks of his own on Wang Hai.
Despite Xia Xi and the PR team’s best efforts to contain the news of Lu Rang hitting Wang Hai at the jewelry exhibition, they couldn’t stop fans outside the venue from spreading the story.
Those outside had no idea what had actually happened inside, and the rumors online about Lu Rang’s altercation grew wilder by the minute.
Some claimed that during the auction, someone allegedly Wang Hai had maliciously driven up the bidding, and Lu Rang, unable to let it go, confronted and beat him after the event.
Others, citing anonymous insider accounts, suggested that Lu Rang’s family business had been trying to expand further in Haidu but faced setbacks due to rejections from Wang Hai’s grandfather during the approval process, fueling Lu Rang’s resentment.
There were also those who argued that Wang Hai, known for his poor manners, had insulted Lu Rang after the jewelry exhibition ended and got exactly what he deserved.
Midway through the uproar, Lu Rang’s fans staunchly refused to believe any of it.
As if demanding proof, marketing accounts suddenly circulated a photo from the jewelry exhibition.
Judging by the angle and location, the photographer must have just exited the auction area and caught the moment Lu Rang confronted Wang Hai.
In the photo, Luo Ying was frantically holding onto Lu Rang’s arm, his brow furrowed, using all his slender strength to restrain Lu Rang’s explosive anger.
His face was turned slightly, head bowed, revealing only half of his delicate features.
While the photo didn’t capture the actual moment of the altercation, sharp-eyed netizens quickly zeroed in on Luo Ying’s presence in the image.
The trending topics instantly shifted to questioning the identity of the person trying to pull Lu Rang away.
-What’s going on with this story? Why has the focus shifted so suddenly? Weren’t we just talking about Lu Rang hitting someone? What does the person trying to break it up have to do with anything?
-I heard the Haidu jewelry exhibition has incredibly high standards. Is this person Lu Rang’s plus-one for the event or an invited VIP?
-Looking at his demeanor, he’s clearly from a wealthy family. Since Lu Rang’s family is loaded, even if he’s just a plus-one, they’re probably from similar backgrounds.
-Doesn’t anyone else think the man in the photo looks a lot like the ‘friend’ Lu Rang carried to the hospital last time?
-Huh? It really is! Didn’t they say Lu Rang spent four billion on a sapphire? Could it be that he bought it for this friend?!
-Who in their right mind spends four billion on jewelry for a friend? I told you their relationship isn’t simple! Solo fans, get lost!
-Who is this person anyway? Where’s my assistant? Find out everything about him in three minutes!
-Why is it another side-profile photo? What’s the photographer doing? Next time, get a full-face shot, damn it!
-Seriously… is no one paying attention to Wang Hai getting beaten up?
Luo Ying had been well-protected by Luo Xiaohe since childhood, and there was almost no information about him online.
Actually, that side-profile photo was taken very clearly—anyone who knew Luo Ying would recognize him instantly.
The incident of Lu Rang hitting someone was quickly handled by Xia Xi and the company’s PR team.
But the whole situation still lacked a “beginning and end” that needed to be explained clearly to the curious netizens.
Just as Xia Xi was asking Lu Rang to draft an apology statement, the brand hosting the jewelry exhibition proactively provided the surveillance audio from the event.
Xia Xi had the technical department mute Luo Ying’s name, and after noise reduction, Wang Hai’s insults stood out prominently.
With the release of the surveillance footage and audio, the online buzz shifted repeatedly.
From questioning Lu Rang’s character to condemning Wang Hai for stirring up trouble, within an hour, some netizens even dug up reports about Wang Hai’s grandfather and father abusing their positions for personal gain and seizing land.
Now things had blown up completely.
The Haidu authorities almost immediately announced the next morning that they would form an investigation team. Wang Hai went from being the victim to a universally despised rat.
“My dad was right—people like Wang Hai, who can’t keep their mouths shut, make a lot of enemies. Those reports were probably released by people he bullied, taking advantage of the chaos.”
Luo Ying lay in the office scrolling through trending topics. These past two days were definitely the most he’d ever been online.
Xie Yunyu was also checking the buzz: “Lu Rang is a public figure after all. I always thought he was mature and steady. Why did he lose his temper so impulsively this time?”
Luo Ying shrugged: “I didn’t expect Lu Rang to punch Wang Hai so decisively either. He just went up and threw a ‘bang’ of a punch. It completely stunned me.”
Xie Yunyu put down his phone, looking worried: “Luo Ying, I’ve always thought dating someone in the entertainment industry really affects your private life. See, as soon as something happens, it gets blown up online.”
“Yeah.”
Luo Ying fell into thought. He had originally been considering whether to bring up ending their fake relationship with Lu Rang. After this incident, he became even more determined to end it.
Right now, his relationship with Lu Rang was neither justified nor proper. His dad was still secretly playing his “disappearance game.” If someone dug up that Lu Rang was keeping him, wouldn’t netizens tear Lu Rang apart online?
Luo Ying was really frustrated.
He didn’t know how to explain to Lu Rang that his family wasn’t bankrupt and his dad hadn’t disappeared.
If he told him, would Lu Rang stop pitying him and taking him in?
But if he came clean, he and Lu Rang would be on equal footing. He needed to clearly tell Lu Rang that he didn’t want to be someone’s substitute anymore.
Only… it seemed like Lu Rang only liked his first love.
What was the point of overthinking and agonizing over this?
If he didn’t want to be a substitute, what reason would there be to keep Lu Rang in a relationship with him?
Luo Ying suddenly smiled, but it looked bleak and pitiful, tugging at the heartstrings.
Xie Yunyu noticed Luo Ying’s pitiful expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Luo Ying shook his head, pretending nothing was wrong, but inside he was wailing: I might be losing my partner soon!
In the evening, the company’s overseas investment project urgently required a payment reconciliation, forcing Luo Ying and Xie Yunyu to work overtime.
After finishing work, Luo Ying was dragged by Xie Yunyu to grab a late-night snack and didn’t return home until midnight.
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Luo Ying sensed something was off.
The lights in the hall were bright, and a rich floral fragrance filled the warm air.
The lights in the dining room at the far end were also on, but there was no sound of anyone clattering around cooking inside. Tonight was unusually quiet.
“Lu Rang?”
Luo Ying called out cautiously, but only silence answered him.
Is he still not back this late…?
Could it be a burglar?
The elevator to Lu Rang’s apartment required a passcode, so it wasn’t easy for just anyone to come up.
Maybe he forgot to turn off the lights when he left?
That couldn’t be it—he hadn’t turned on so many lights this morning.
Luo Ying tiptoed into the dining room, and as he stepped past the doorway, he was stunned by the scene before him.
The floor of the dining room was covered in flower petals, among which lay many gift boxes of various sizes, all draped with light blue gauze.
The long table in the center was covered with a pale golden tablecloth, and the candlesticks on the table had been deliberately lit, their flames flickering gently.
At the end of the long table, Lu Rang sat elegantly in a suit.
Seeing Luo Ying appear, he slowly stood up and walked gracefully toward him with long strides.
“What’s going on? Celebrating the trending search being taken down?”
Luo Ying couldn’t fathom what Lu Rang was up to with all this.
“Of course not.”
Lu Rang placed a hand on Luo Ying’s waist, guiding him to the long table.
He opened the velvet box on the table, revealing a dazzling Mysore blue sapphire nestled inside.
“For you, my treasure.”
Luo Ying’s ear tingled as Lu Rang leaned close and whispered, “It’s just past midnight. Today is your birthday. I’ve prepared twenty-seven gifts for you, to make up for all the ones I missed before.”
Birthday? Gifts?
Luo Ying’s lips twitched, and his face darkened.
Luo Ying’s birthday was November 12th every year, and it had already passed last month!
On his birthday, Lu Rang was busy on set, while he was at the company reconciling accounts with Xie Yunyu. It wasn’t until they finished that he realized it was already the next day.
So, what kind of birthday was Lu Rang celebrating for him today?
Damn…
Could it be that Lu Rang’s first love’s birthday was today?
Luo Ying felt as if ants were crawling all over his body, burrowing into him and gnawing at his heart.
He was so upset he couldn’t utter a word. Today wasn’t his birthday, and he didn’t want to celebrate it.
Looking at the translucent blue sapphire in the velvet box and the twenty-seven gifts hidden among the flower petals, Luo Ying felt tears welling up in his eyes.
These things didn’t belong to him. He didn’t want them, and he didn’t even want to look at them.
But it didn’t end there. Lu Rang took a ring from a jewelry box hidden near the candlestick, knelt on one knee, his gaze deep and tender.
“I know this might be a bit sudden, but it’s better to clear things up. Actually, from the first time I saw you sixteen years ago, I really liked you. You were beautiful, popular, and your family background was something I couldn’t even dream of back then. After graduation, I…”
Luo Ying couldn’t listen any longer and cut him off mercilessly, “Hold on a second.”
Sixteen years ago? Sixteen years ago, Luo Ying was only in second grade!
Where was Lu Rang back then? He probably didn’t even exist yet!
Faced with Lu Rang’s patient and expectant expression, Luo Ying couldn’t hold back any longer.
He took a deep breath, steadying his emotions.
“What exactly are you trying to do now?”
Lu Rang, like a noble classical prince, gentle and devoted, took Luo Ying’s hand and placed a tender, almost enchanting kiss on the back of it.
Then, with a smile, he said, “I want to propose to you.”
“…”
Luo Ying felt his vision darken. Being mistaken for a substitute and casually dating was one thing, but a marriage proposal?
Had this guy actually convinced himself of his own delusion?
At that moment, Luo Ying truly wanted to know just how much Lu Rang’s first love resembled him. Was it really so hard to tell them apart?
Luo Ying tried to pull his hand away. “Listen to me. Lu Rang, look closely. I am Luo Ying! Not your so-called first love!”
Lu Rang held on tightly. “You are. My first love is you.”
Frustrated, Luo Ying pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve gotten yourself too deep into this.”
Lu Rang replied, “No, I’m perfectly clear-headed. It’s you who has forgotten.”
Luo Ying gritted his teeth, wanting to curse.
But back when he agreed to be Lu Rang’s substitute, he had consented to it himself.
It was Luo Ying who had gradually led Lu Rang into this dream of “reuniting with an ex.”
As a result, Lu Rang had genuinely fallen for it, while Luo Ying had only been playing along.
Now, the more furious Luo Ying felt, the more guilty he became.
“I’m sorry.”
This apology was for the guilt Luo Ying felt toward Lu Rang.
He decided to pack his bags and go home that very night. But before that, in this situation, he had to give Lu Rang’s meticulously planned birthday celebration a proper conclusion.
Even if this birthday wasn’t meant for him.
“A proposal is a bit sudden. I think I need some time to consider it.”
Luo Ying avoided eye contact, staring intently at the gifts on the floor. “Maybe I should open the gifts first.”
Lu Rang understood. He straightened up, his expression unchanged, still elegant and composed.
As if he had already anticipated Luo Ying’s answer.
Lu Rang asked gently, “Where would you like to start opening them?”
“From the closest one, I guess.”
With mixed emotions, Luo Ying bent down and picked up the nearest gift.
It was a heavy box.
Tearing open the neatly wrapped packaging, he found a beautifully hand-carved wooden puppy inside.
The craftsmanship was somewhat amateurish, with many edges and corners poorly finished.
Luo Ying had once been interested in wood carving and had dragged Lu Rang to sign up for a wood carving class.
But his enthusiasm had been short-lived. After carving a half-finished walnut during the class, he never went back.
He vaguely remembered transferring his remaining class sessions to Lu Rang, but he hadn’t paid attention to whether Lu Rang had finished them.
Luo Ying examined the wooden carving, flipping it over to find a few clumsily carved words on the base:
—To my dearest XY.
Who was XY?
Never mind, it definitely wasn’t him, “LY.”
Awkwardly, Luo Ying placed the wooden carving on the table, praised it as “cute,” and reluctantly moved on to the next gift.
By the time he had opened the twenty-fifth gift, Luo Ying had completely lost his patience.
Aside from sports cars, properties, and shops, the remaining gifts were all signed.
Among them, sixteen were gifts Lu Rang had personally made but never given during the time he and “XY” had known each other.
The last two were a letter and a small box no bigger than the palm of his hand.
“Let’s save the other two to open during the day.” Luo Ying came up with a clumsy excuse. “My birthday lasts the whole day. If I open them all now, there won’t be any gifts left to unwrap later.”
Hah! That envelope clearly contained a love letter!
As for this box, Luo Ying didn’t care what was inside—it wasn’t meant for him anyway.
Lu Rang didn’t think much of it and respected his wishes. “Alright.”
Late at night, after Lu Rang had fallen asleep, Luo Ying quietly got up to pack his belongings.
During the months he had lived here, Luo Ying had never realized he lacked anything or was missing something.
But now, as he packed, he discovered that most of his things had been bought for him by Lu Rang.
From his everyday clothes to his underwear, everything had been prepared by Lu Rang.
Even the toothbrush on the bathroom sink wasn’t his.
In the end, Luo Ying only packed a few clothes he had bought himself. Originally, he had planned to leave without taking anything.
But afraid that Lu Rang wouldn’t understand this was a “breakup,” he decided to take all the obvious clothes from the wardrobe.
Trying not to wake Lu Rang, he tiptoed downstairs like a thief.
Once downstairs, as Luo Ying prepared to call a taxi to go home, he realized he had left his phone by the bedside.
He tapped his head, scolding himself inwardly for always being so forgetful.
He took the elevator back up, quietly cracked the door open, and after confirming there was no sound in the room, he slowly slipped inside.
Click—
The room’s lights suddenly turned on.
The sudden brightness made Luo Ying rub his eyes uncomfortably.
When he opened them again, he saw Lu Rang leaning against the bed, the collar of his silk robe open to his chest, revealing fair skin. The V-neck design accentuated his long, slender neck.
On the skin near his Adam’s apple was a faint red mark—left by Luo Ying a few days earlier when his possessiveness had gotten the better of him.
Lu Rang stared at Luo Ying without a word. The corners of his eyes were tinged with a faint red, his indifferent expression carrying a chill. His dark eyes now resembled a cold, deep pool, appearing profound and unfathomable.
He lowered his gaze, his eyelashes trembling slightly. When he looked up again, endless affection and complex emotions were unmistakable in his eyes.
Luo Ying stood at the doorway, unsure what to do. He hadn’t expected Lu Rang to wake up suddenly.
Even less had he expected to be caught red-handed just coming back for his phone.
Lu Rang remained silent, as if waiting for Luo Ying to speak first.
“I…”
Under Lu Rang’s gaze, Luo Ying felt like the worst kind of villain.
Lu Rang’s sharp eyes seemed to question what he was doing.
Biting his lower lip, Luo Ying said, “Actually, my dad didn’t go bankrupt. His disappearance and the so-called scandal about him running off with donations were just tests he set up to make me more independent. At first, I really did agree to date you and be your first love’s substitute to pay off debts. But later…”
Lu Rang raised an eyebrow, waiting for Luo Ying to continue.
“I told you I was after your money. But ever since I found out my dad wasn’t bankrupt, I realized… I’m actually more after your body. I really hoped we could stabilize… this kind of relationship between us.”
Luo Ying felt his face burning red as he spoke, but it was the truth, and he had to emphasize it.
Lu Rang sat up, his face an unreadable mask of indifference.
Recalling the pet name Lu Rang had called out in his sleep, the gifts that never belonged to him, the absurd birthday and proposal, Luo Ying felt like a clown.
Being a substitute just wasn’t suited for someone like him.
Even if it was only physical and not emotional, it still wouldn’t do.
He gradually calmed down, letting out a soft laugh. “Forget it, I won’t say too much. Anyway, I don’t want to continue anymore. You can consider it a breakup. I’m planning to go back to my dad’s place, and I just came back to grab my phone.”
Luo Ying hurried to the bedside with quick, light steps, grabbed his phone, and tried to slip away as fast as possible.
“Luo Ying.”
Lu Rang got up and followed behind Luo Ying, calling his name softly.
Luo Ying quickly waved his hand. “No, no, no need to see me off. It’s too awkward.” With that, he tried to make a run for the door.
“Come back!”
The door slammed shut heavily. Luo Ying was pinned against the wall by Lu Rang, who tightly gripped his hand. The force wasn’t light—he could feel his wrist being squeezed firmly.
Luo Ying slowly raised his head, meeting the suppressed anger in Lu Rang’s eyes. His long lashes trembled like feathers, and his teeth lightly bit his lower lip.
The nervousness brought on by an inexplicable sense of guilt made his breathing grow rapid.
Truth be told, Luo Ying had already made plenty of money off Lu Rang. He wasn’t short on cash or burdened by debt anymore, and he really didn’t want to keep playing the role of Lu Rang’s ex-boyfriend’s substitute.
How could a wealthy young master like him handle such a thankless job?
Luo Ying nervously bit his lower lip, lowering his gaze to avoid Lu Rang’s blazing anger. He cautiously tested the waters, saying, “Don’t get angry just yet. I don’t need money anymore, and I don’t want to be a substitute anymore. How about… you tell me about your ex-boyfriend? I’ll try to help you win him back, mend things between you two, and reunite you. How does that sound?”
“Mend things… reunite?”
Lu Rang’s hand trembled as he gripped Luo Ying’s chin, his tall figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped Luo Ying.
Without another word, Lu Rang’s gentle lips pressed down, the anger on the verge of eruption instantly transforming into a suffocating, greedy, and demanding kiss.
His lips trailed to Luo Ying’s ear, pressing close to the side of his head.
The deliberately lowered voice seemed to be forced out from between his tightly clenched teeth.
“Luo… Xi… Yu!”
“When will you finally remember that you are my ex-boyfriend!”