Was he angry?
Of course he was!
Even if they had once been lovers, even if Yin Liuguang was more successful, richer, and superior in every way—
The humiliation and fear of being forced against his will were still the same.
I don’t want this.
I don’t want this!
Yan Mo hated himself.
Every time his emotions surged, his eyes would redden before anyone else’s.
His throat would close up.
Weak. Useless.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at Yin Liuguang and growled:
“Get out.”
Yin Liuguang pouted.
“I—”
Yan Mo interrupted sharply.
“If you don’t leave right now, I’ll call someone over and make sure you hit the headlines for molesting a man!”
He could only pray that Yin Liuguang still cared about his celebrity image enough to back down.
Yin Liuguang frowned.
He stared at Yan Mo for a long moment.
Yan Mo straightened his stiff back and returned the stare without yielding an inch.
Finally—
“Fine.”
Not like you can run away anyway.
After washing the blood from his hands and pressing tissue against his nose, Yin Liuguang left.
The second he stepped outside, Yan Mo lunged forward and locked the door.
Only after confirming that the other man couldn’t come back in did all the strength drain from his body.
He staggered backward and collapsed onto the toilet seat.
Only then did he realize how fast his heart was beating.
His body and forehead were covered in sweat.
Raising a hand, he pressed against his eyes.
His throat tightened.
Lowering his head, he buried his face in his palms and breathed slowly.
Softly, he comforted himself.
It’s okay now.
It’s okay…
Again and again, he repeated those words until the fear and grievance gradually settled.
Truthfully, when he’d slammed his head into Yin Liuguang, he’d been terrified.
Terrified that Yin Liuguang would retaliate.
That he would lose his temper.
That he would simply pin him down and continue, regardless of whether anyone outside heard.
There was no chance Yan Mo could win in a physical fight.
If Yin Liuguang really wanted to use force, Yan Mo would only be the one getting hurt.
He stayed in the restroom for a very long time.
If a flight attendant hadn’t knocked on the door, he might have hidden there until the plane landed.
Until Yin Liuguang forgot about him and left.
When Yan Mo finally returned to his seat, the man beside him was comfortably resting his head on his shoulder while playing on his phone.
For a brief moment, watching Yin Liuguang lean against him so naturally, Yan Mo wanted to shove him away.
Tell him to get lost.
Or even start a fight.
If only he could win.
Listening to Yin Liuguang humming while gaming, Yan Mo finally swallowed his frustration and spoke quietly.
“After we get off the plane, I’m leaving on my own.”
“I don’t want to be involved with you anymore.”
“Whether you’re serious about all this or just pretending…”
Taking a deep breath, he said firmly:
“Let’s not see each other again.”
“Do you understand?”
The fingers flying across the screen paused.
His character was instantly swarmed and killed by monsters.
“Ah.”
“Dead.”
Yin Liuguang looked up.
His eyes were cold.
Yan Mo instinctively tensed.
Several seconds later, Yin Liuguang relaxed again and lazily replied:
“You’re lying.”
A wave of helplessness washed over Yan Mo.
“I’m not lying.”
“You know I’m not.”
“Can you stop pretending?”
“Is this fun for you?”
“You talk too much.”
Yin Liuguang rubbed his head against Yan Mo’s shoulder like a spoiled cat.
“No.”
“After we land, you’re coming home with me.”
He casually tossed his phone into the air and caught it again.
“I’m your boyfriend.”
“I make the decisions.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Yan Mo’s anxiety turned his voice stern.
“I won’t hide it anymore.”
“Actually, I’m married.”
“My husband is coming to pick me up!”
“Liar~”
“I really don’t like you anymore!”
“Liaaar~~”
“To be honest, I’ve always only seen you as a younger brother! I never treated you like a boyfriend!”
“Another lie~~~”
“Yin Liuguang! We’ve already brok—”
The phone he had tossed into the air landed back in his hand.
The next second—
BANG!
He slammed it down onto the armrest.
The screen shattered.
The frame warped.
The force behind it was terrifying.
Yan Mo froze.
Yin Liuguang looked at him with an innocent smile.
“Stop lying.”
“If you keep lying…”
His lips curved upward.
“I’ll get angry.”
Yan Mo felt a chill run down his spine.
So scary.
That smile alone made his blood run cold.
Their argument had already attracted attention from nearby passengers.
Even Cheng-ge, who had been keeping an eye on them from afar, hurried over.
The moment he saw Yin Liuguang’s bleeding hand, he panicked and called for a flight attendant.
Throughout the entire commotion, Yin Liuguang never stopped staring at Yan Mo.
The color drained from Yan Mo’s face.
The orderly airport had descended into chaos thanks to fans waiting to greet their idol.
Countless people held banners and posters high while screaming:
“Liuguang!”
“Liuguang!”
Security guards and assistants struggled desperately to keep order.
Even the large security staff looked helpless beneath the overwhelming crowd.
Inside the slowly moving nanny van, Yan Mo sat quietly with his head lowered.
Beside him lounged Yin Liuguang.
Cheng-ge glanced at the freshly bandaged hand and the arm casually draped possessively across the seat behind Yan Mo.
A headache immediately formed.
“The moment we got off the plane, news of your injury hit the trending searches.”
He groaned.
“My little ancestor, can’t you control your temper just a little?”
Cheng-ge looked utterly miserable.
Never underestimate a typhoon.
And never underestimate the entertainment industry.
Especially not the power of the most popular superstar.
Yin Liuguang’s fame was absurd.
After rising to fame, he overshadowed nearly every other celebrity.
Resources, attention, publicity—
Everything flowed toward him alone.
His influence rivaled the biggest idols in the industry.
Even a mosquito bite on his neck would become headline news.
Now that photos of his injury had leaked, Cheng-ge’s phone had practically exploded.
Brand sponsors.
Company executives.
Powerful fans.
He could already imagine furious fans protesting outside company headquarters tomorrow.
“President Gao chewed me out.”
“He said we need to release a statement immediately.”
“We absolutely cannot tell people you got hurt because you smashed your phone.”
Because the phone in question happened to be the brand Yin Liuguang endorsed.
Fans wouldn’t care about the details.
Anyone who hurt their precious Liuguang deserved death.
If they attacked the sponsor…
Cheng-ge felt like dying himself.
With a pained expression, he instructed assistants to control the online discussions before turning back to Yin Liuguang.
Trying to sound encouraging, he said:
“Don’t worry, Liuguang.”
“If we handle this right, it can even strengthen your hardworking image.”
“Just focus on healing your hand, okay?”
“Oh.”
Yin Liuguang didn’t even look up.
His attention remained entirely elsewhere.
The arm draped behind Yan Mo’s seat secretly played with a small tuft of hair sticking up at the back of Yan Mo’s head.
Not a shred of concern was spared for his suffering manager.
Cheng-ge: “…”
Somehow, that only made him angrier.
After a moment, Cheng-ge looked toward Yan Mo.
Forcing a friendly smile, he said:
“Yan Mo… it’s been a long time.”
Yan Mo glanced at him.
He said nothing.
“…”
Cheng-ge’s smile turned awkward.
His confidence dwindled even further.
Every interaction he’d ever had with Yan Mo had been under unpleasant circumstances.
He had even advised Yan Mo to break up with Yin Liuguang back then.
Still, people who survived in the entertainment industry were experts at swallowing their pride.
“I’m really sorry, Yan Mo.”
Cheng-ge smiled apologetically.
“For dragging you into the car like this.”
“I know you’re upset.”
“And things ended badly back then.”
“Just because you’re kind and gentle doesn’t mean this brat should have been allowed to bully you.”
He shot Yin Liuguang a fierce glare.
For once, Yin Liuguang merely pouted and didn’t argue back.
Yan Mo looked at them both.
And all he could think was—
Fake.