In the morning, Luo Ying planned to find Pei Mingyang to talk about the past, but unexpectedly, a call from Xie Yunyu kept him too busy to get away.
The film academy had sent someone to invite Xie Yunyu and Luo Ying for a meal. On the surface, it was just a casual gathering, but in reality, it was about confirming the funding.
The school had once again sent Teacher Song, the liaison, along with a few older mentors to accompany them.
Everyone was seated around the table in the private room, leaving only two seats directly facing the entrance empty.
Luo Ying took his seat and glanced to his left. A young man in his early twenties with a buzz cut, radiating a sunny and handsome vibe, smiled as he made his way around the table and handed him a wine glass.
Teacher Song introduced from the side, “Mr. Luo, Mr. Xie, this is Shen Fanzhou, the student who won the award for the script this time. He has always said he admires both of you.”
Shen Fanzhou had the energetic aura of a sports student. Luo Ying had read the script, which was quite artistic, and before coming, he had assumed the author would be a refined and scholarly student.
Luo Ying raised his glass and clinked it with Shen Fanzhou’s, taking a small sip.
Lu Rang was now very strict with him, absolutely forbidding him from drinking any more.
The rest of the actors from Shen Fanzhou’s team also came to toast, but Xie Yunyu stepped in to block the drinks for them.
Halfway through the meal, the older mentors at the table were as cunning as old foxes. They occasionally brought up when the contract would be signed and when filming would start, skillfully maneuvering between Luo Ying and Xie Yunyu.
It wasn’t until the signing date was finalized that the meal ended. Luo Ying and Xie Yunyu were cheerfully escorted to their car by the group, only realizing afterward that this single meal had cost them 280 million.
“Speaking of this project, I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy.”
Luo Ying leaned back in his seat and nudged Xie Yunyu beside him with his elbow. Xie Yunyu had invested the most money in this project.
“Yunyu, how’s the market research going?”
“It’s defined as an inspirational film about growth and overcoming adversity. Similar films in the past two years have performed well at the box office, so at least we won’t lose money.”
Luo Ying nodded. “At the last film exchange event, I met Teacher Ye Suishan. He asked me to save a role for Ye Xirong. Oh, and he even threw in Lu Rang as a bonus.”
“Ye Suishan?” Xie Yunyu’s voice rose slightly. “I heard he’s quite impressive.”
Then he added leisurely, “I think even if he didn’t throw him in, Lu Rang would be more than willing to participate, considering this is your first investment project.”
Luo Ying cleared his throat. “He’s sometimes busy too.”
The driver dropped them off at the company. Luo Ying planned to arrange an afternoon tea with Pei Mingyang, but before he could send the message, Pei Mingyang called first.
“Happy birthday, Luo Ying!”
Luo Ying paused. “Thank you.”
“Uncle Luo isn’t with you this year, so I’ll celebrate with you! I bought you a small cake and booked a restaurant. Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up.”
Luo Ying’s voice was calm, without a hint of emotion. “My dad is fine. I’ll come to you instead. Send me your location.”
Pei Mingyang didn’t notice anything. “Sure, I was just about to go home and change. Why don’t you come to my place first?”
“Okay, no problem. But don’t book the restaurant. I have something to do tonight.”
“What do you mean?” Pei Mingyang became alert. “Going on a date with Lu Rang?”
Luo Ying didn’t deny it. After hanging up, he sent a message to Lu Rang, saying he would be home late in the afternoon.
That morning, Lu Rang had mentioned before heading out that he would take him out for his birthday, so he couldn’t stand him up.
When he arrived at Pei Mingyang’s place, the door opened to reveal Pei Mingyang with damp hair, lazily dressed in a fleece pajama set, looking as though he had just stepped out of the shower.
Seeing Luo Ying, Pei Mingyang leaned against the doorframe as if boneless. “You got here so fast?”
Luo Ying pushed past him and walked inside, where a faint woody fragrance lingered in the air.
“You like this scent too?” Luo Ying had smelled it in Lu Rang’s car before—it was quite refreshing.
Pei Mingyang followed behind him, and upon hearing Luo Ying use the word “too,” his expression darkened slightly as he replied without much emotion.
Luo Ying noticed the cake on the coffee table—a light blue one with two little figures drawn in cream, roughly resembling chibi versions of himself and Pei Mingyang.
“I’m already 27, not a kid anymore. Why bother buying a cake?”
Pei Mingyang leaned in closer. “You’ll always be a kid in my eyes.”
Luo Ying felt goosebumps all over from Pei Mingyang’s words. “Enough already. You’re two years younger than me.”
Pei Mingyang said, “What, you don’t like younger ones?”
Luo Ying answered bluntly, “No, I don’t.”
Pei Mingyang’s tone turned sour. “I think it’s not that you don’t like younger ones—it’s just that you only like someone like Lu Rang, right?”
Luo Ying replied sincerely, “Yeah.”
Pei Mingyang was left speechless with frustration. “You two aren’t together, are you?”
Luo Ying blinked. “What kind of together do you mean? If you mean officially dating, I think it started around midnight today.”
“What?!”
Pei Mingyang’s voice rose sharply, and he almost jumped up, pacing back and forth beside Luo Ying while tugging at his damp hair.
“What the hell, why didn’t you tell me? I don’t agree!”
Luo Ying just thought he was acting like a frantic monkey. “So, I need to check in with you before I start dating? I don’t care if you agree or not. What, do I need to get your signature on an approval form too?”
Pei Mingyang howled and paced around the living room, and Luo Ying almost forgot why he had come in the first place, watching him like that.
Luo Ying grabbed him. “I feel like there’s something I’ve forgotten from before. Tell me, what happened the night before I went abroad?”
Pei Mingyang, grabbed by the collar, calmed down almost instantly.
“That… that was so long ago. How could I still remember?”
“Just tell me whether Lu Rang came that day or not.” Luo Ying sat on the sofa, crossing his legs as he waited for Pei Mingyang to recall.
Pei Mingyang sat across from him, turning his face away. “No.”
“???”
One said he came, the other said he didn’t.
Clearly, someone was lying.
For some reason, Luo Ying found himself trusting Lu Rang’s version more. Noticing Pei Mingyang’s evasive gaze, he narrowed his eyes and deliberately tested him. “But how come I remember Lu Rang coming that night? When I got drunk, wasn’t it him who took me to a hotel and settled me in?”
“Settled you in? He was just taking advantage of the situation! He, he, you two…”
“We…?”
Pei Mingyang realized he had been tricked, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes. “What did he tell you?”
Luo Ying caught Pei Mingyang’s gaze—it was cold and unfamiliar, sending a chill down his spine.
“Lu Rang and I were together before, weren’t we? I’m guessing… was it the car accident during my freshman year when I returned to China that made me forget my feelings for him? And since you hate Lu Rang, you hid this from me to keep me from getting involved with him again?”
Pei Mingyang froze. After Luo Ying finished speaking, he quickly regained his composure.
He lowered his head and said in a voice so soft Luo Ying could barely hear, “Yeah.”
Luo Ying clenched his fist. “Speak up!”
Pei Mingyang abruptly raised his head. “Yes! I said yes! I hated him. I didn’t want my best friend to be with someone I hated, so I kept it from you. I was wrong, I’m sorry!”
Anger flared in Luo Ying’s heart, and he suddenly stood up. “Do you have any fucking idea what you did?!”
“I’m sorry, Luo Ying. I was only seventeen back then. I didn’t understand anything. Later, I realized I was wrong, but all these years, I never dared to tell you. I was afraid you’d be angry, afraid you’d hit me. Please forgive me, Luo Ying. I know I was wrong.”
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Pei Mingyang’s face. He stood up, each drop falling onto the transparent cake box, as if they were also crashing down on Luo Ying.
Luo Ying suppressed his anger and closed his eyes. “Lu Rang came to look for me, didn’t he?”
Pei Mingyang’s sobbing paused noticeably. Even without hearing the answer, it was clear what had happened.
He and Lu Rang had once been together.
Their relationship had ended abruptly after his car accident.
For the sake of his selfish friendship, Pei Mingyang had deliberately concealed his relationship with Lu Rang.
He had even lied when Lu Rang came looking for him abroad, claiming that Luo Ying didn’t want to see him.
The pieces were falling into place, but something still didn’t add up.
Luo Ying hadn’t figured it out yet.
Right now, he was so furious with Pei Mingyang that he had no time to think about anything else.
He had always known Pei Mingyang was willful and reckless, but he never imagined he could be so selfish.
And all of this was simply because Pei Mingyang hated Lu Rang and didn’t want to see his best friend with someone he despised.
It was absurd.
Luo Ying could hardly imagine how Lu Rang had endured these years.
All this time, he had been alone, holding onto those memories, that photo, those gifts, and that love.
“Pei Mingyang, for the sake of growing up together and our fathers being good friends, I can let the past go. But as Lu Rang’s boyfriend, looking at this from his perspective, I can’t forgive you.”
“Luo Ying…”
Pei Mingyang tried to grab Luo Ying’s hand through his tears, but it was harshly shaken off.
“I don’t have a friend as crazy as you! Calm down on your own. And don’t you dare go crying to my dad!”
It was infuriating. Just thinking about how Pei Mingyang had always loved running to Luo Xiaohe to tattle since they were kids made his head spin.
“Don’t be angry, Luo Ying…”
Don’t be angry? How could he not be angry?
Luo Ying pinched the bridge of his nose, utterly exasperated.
“I’m leaving. I need to calm down more than you do right now. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll end up hitting you today.”
Pei Mingyang pleaded, “Luo Ying, the cake… isn’t it your birthday?”
Luo Ying glanced at the cake.
The two little figures on the cake, pressed close together and making a “V” sign, now seemed particularly glaring.
“Keep it for yourself.”