By the time he arrived at the recording studio, Xu Qingfeng realized that things were not going to be as simple as he had imagined.
In his expectations, as the “capitalist” who held the future of the show in his hands, he ought to receive the bowing and scraping respect of everyone there. This was the treatment Xu Qingfeng had enjoyed ever since his success in starting his business. He was long accustomed to it, and he assumed this place would be no exception.
But he was wrong.
The sole exception was the middle-aged female host. Her unique coldness actually caught Xu Qingfeng’s attention. After all, when the host saw him backstage, she didn’t even bother to greet him proactively; he had to be the one to reach out his hand first.
One could see the host’s defiance of authority through such details. After all, she must have done her homework on the guests of the interview program beforehand. To remain cold even while knowing exactly who he was could that be anything other than a refusal to bow to power?
If this were the world of “CEO Literature” and Xu Qingfeng were the protagonist, he would likely respond to the female host’s rebellious attitude with a classic “CEO wall-slam” (kabedon). He’d block her path, one hand propped against the wall and the other in his pocket, whispering in her ear with a low, husky, sexy voice: “Very well, woman. You’ve caught my attention. Many women want to get close to me; I’ll give you one chance. Speak what is it you want?”
Unfortunately…
Xu Qingfeng had absolutely zero interest in this “Middle-Aged Version of a Domineering CEO Falls for Me” literature. If he were actually forced to do those things in such a novel, he wouldn’t choose to slam the wall he’d choose to run his head into it.
Come to think of it, the current novel he was in Dumping the Scum Gong Ex-Boyfriend, I Was Pampered by a Genius Pianist, Three Kids and Four Seasons After Marriage wasn’t exactly a “start from hell” anymore!
Well…
To be fair, the moment that novel title popped into his head, he felt that any author who could come up with a title as long and tedious as a foot-binding wrap must be a total flop. Weren’t good literary creators usually limited to about five characters? He wouldn’t take a book like that even if it were free, let alone spend money at a bookstore for it.
Being a simple straight man, he hadn’t yet picked up on the “intersex/dual-body” tropes implied by the title; he subconsciously assumed the kids were adopted.
Facing such a host, Xu Qingfeng wasn’t a petty person and didn’t mind too much. What truly made him feel a bit unpleasant was what happened next…
The moment Huo Xiu appeared, it was as if the host’s world lit up.
Her stony poker face melted on the spot. Her expression compared to how she treated Xu Qingfeng was like heaven and earth. Not only did she proactively surround him with greetings, but she even reminded him: “I might ask some thorny questions; you can drink water whenever you need to.”
Actually, the host interviewed celebrities frequently. Men and women who became stars usually had excellent features and bone structures; she was already immune to looks. But upon seeing Huo Xiu, not only did her immunity fail, but coupled with the fact that she usually scrambled to buy tickets for his concerts, these two factors made it impossible for her to maintain her usual professional composure.
She regressed instantly from a middle-aged “Auntie” to a young girl with a fluttering heart.
To make matters worse, Huo Xiu himself had a cold, abstinent aura; the more distant he was, the more charming he became.
The host thought: Help! Call a stretcher! I’m fainting from his charm!
Her professional ethics were still high; no matter how much her heart surged like a tidal wave, she didn’t do anything embarrassing or out of line on the surface.
Xu Qingfeng had to admit, he was a little annoyed. They were both men had his charm really become that bad? Why did this host treat him like he owed her money, yet smile at Huo Xiu until the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes could crush a fly?
He walked directly to Huo Xiu’s side and, as if staking a claim, hooked his arm around the man’s broad shoulders.
In Xu Qingfeng’s view, friends putting their arms around each other was just a way to show intimacy. He was in a bad mood, so naturally, he didn’t want the host to be in a good one either. Both men had one-in-a-million faces, but their temperaments were vastly different. Such an action didn’t seem too casual or rude; on the contrary, they looked like a very eye-catching poster.
However, Xu Qingfeng, who knew a bit about human nature, still detected a faint, hidden jealousy behind the host’s poker face.
Once the host left to make final preparations, leaving only the two of them, Xu Qingfeng removed his arm. He noticed that although Huo Xiu hadn’t proactively pulled away, once they separated, those fair knuckles pressed against the bridge of his nose for a moment.
Did they get too close, and Huo Xiu found the scent of his cologne uncomfortable? Thinking of this, Xu Qingfeng took a step back and didn’t stay too close.
A significant amount of time had passed since their brief encounter on campus. He had originally intended to have his secretary return the coat, but Huo Xiu hadn’t provided an address. Nor did he seem to have any intention of returning Xu Qingfeng’s coat.
Accepting the silent default of an exchange, Xu Qingfeng didn’t insist on getting the clothes back. Even if it was an expensive limited edition, it was likely trivial to someone like Huo Xiu.
Given that he used to message Huo Xiu every day before the man suddenly disappeared, Xu Qingfeng couldn’t help but let his mind wander afterward. Even though Huo Xiu later explained he had changed his number and Xu Qingfeng felt enlightened, he still believed that even friends should maintain distance. Daily contact might be too frequent. Even if Huo Xiu hadn’t disappeared for other reasons, he would eventually break contact because he felt harassed.
The “Chairman Xu,” who was good at summarizing experiences, rationally suppressed his desire for daily contact. Since then, he rarely messaged Huo Xiu. The last time was to send his fitness results, but even that was half a month ago.
Xu Qingfeng discovered that Huo Xiu had a special “superpower.” That was he could give off a feeling of being both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. But those were just feelings; at least Huo Xiu’s attitude toward him remained consistent, without much change.
Once the initial awkwardness passed, Xu Qingfeng returned to his usual smooth-talking state. If he remembered correctly, this very interview would lead to very serious consequences.
How serious? It would directly affect Huo Xiu’s career.
Xu Qingfeng couldn’t quite remember the exact details of how it happened, but the ending caused by this accident was: Huo Xiu’s hand was maliciously slashed by someone, even severing the tendon of his index finger, with a wound so deep the bone was visible.
Recovery alone took several months. Even after the wound healed, it left an indelible, invisible scar on Huo Xiu’s hand. The nimbleness most crucial to a pianist was lost. His hand became stiff; those hands, insured for 80 million, were ruined.
It was equivalent to his future being cut off. That period was Huo Xiu’s most depressed and darkest time, and the person who accompanied him through it was An Yan. If a beam of light appeared and stayed for you in the darkness, it would be hard for anyone not to become obsessed and unable to extricate themselves.
At this time, although An Yan had not yet broken up with Gu Tianze, the relationship between the two was no longer simply fan and idol, but “more than friendship, less than love.” The abuse An Yan suffered from Gu Tianze would be more or less revealed to Huo Xiu, which directly deepened Huo Xiu’s pity for him.
Back to the point: although Huo Xiu eventually regained his peak through his own hard rehabilitation and wasn’t permanently affected by the incident, Xu Qingfeng couldn’t be entirely sure if “Protagonist Halo” played a role in that. After all, for a normal person, how could such a severe injury fully recover?
This was why Xu Qingfeng risked a “poison-tongued” interview to participate in the show. He would do his best to help Huo Xiu evade this harm. To prevent history from repeating itself.
If Xu Qingfeng had to give a specific reason, he would surely answer: “I just don’t want to see a friend sad.” A star is meant to shine in the sky. If it is forced to fall and become a meteorite, though still precious, it becomes dim and no longer dazzling.
He felt it was necessary to communicate well with Huo Xiu. This way, he might discover some forgotten clues. Only by knowing the cause and process could he better change the outcome, right?
Xu Qingfeng asked as tactfully as possible: “Have you encountered anything special these past two days?”
Huo Xiu’s reaction was somewhat intriguing. Although it was only a tiny change, Xu Qingfeng, who was observing him closely, still caught it. A flash of disgust crossed Huo Xiu’s expression, but it quickly returned to his cold and elegant state.
He thought the other party would reveal some clues, but in the end, nothing was said. Even though Xu Qingfeng was anxious, he couldn’t directly reveal what would happen in the future. That would be unreasonable and easily make people think he was a lunatic. He didn’t want to ruin Huo Xiu’s good impression of him, and more importantly, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain… he didn’t want the other to get hurt.
Especially those hands. Even if it was just a tiny injury to a fingernail, his heart would ache for it!
Finally, the two sat down on the sofa at the recording site.
To the audience watching below, they presented their profiles, but facing them was the experienced female host. A beautiful, designer coffee table stood between them, and the floor was covered with a fluffy carpet intended to be relaxing.
Beside Xu Qingfeng sat some cute plushies. For a mature man, they were a bit too cute; wouldn’t holding them ruin his “filter”?
But then he turned his head to see Huo Xiu holding a Squirtle under its arms with both hands. Even if it was just a plushie, it was being treated gently.
Xu Qingfeng: !
Fine, Huo Xiu’s filter didn’t break. It didn’t make people feel he was childish; he was still devastatingly handsome. He glanced sideways at the Pikachu lying quietly in the corner of the sofa and still didn’t pick it up.
The host didn’t start firing immediately; there was a progression from light to heavy topics.
“May I ask Mr. Xu’s height and weight?”
Xu Qingfeng wore a calm smile, speaking unhurriedly: “Height 180, weight 70kg.”
“And what are your favorite foods?”
“I’m not a picky eater. I’m not particularly fond of sweets, but I can accept them.”
Xu Qingfeng appeared calm on the surface, but in his heart, he felt relieved. If it was just these types of common, harmless interview questions, he could handle it easily.
But reality often runs contrary to expectations.
“Then, in your life, is there love?”
This sudden sharp turn caused Xu Qingfeng’s smile to stiffen for a moment. A sudden turn like this could easily lead to a car crash. And how did this woman manage to skip over his remarkable career achievements to ask about his love life?
In truth, although Xu Qingfeng was the richest man with staggering wealth a true “elite family” in every sense and everyone knew his name, the benefit of his low-profile nature was that the public didn’t have a strong impression of his face. This didn’t affect his private life.
Many people didn’t know “Xu Qingfeng’s” ignoble rise to wealth, his impoverished background, or how he chose to be the “clean-up man” (joint-heir/stepfather archetype) between Batman and Spider-Man.
Unfortunately, those who didn’t know were the majority; a small portion of the upper-class elite knew all of Xu Qingfeng’s “dark history.” However, they only mocked him in their hearts, while maintaining proper respect on the surface because of his current achievements.
After all, money is king. It is a powerful tool to make people shut up.
Xu Qingfeng quickly recovered from his stiff state, leaving no trace of it, though in his heart he wanted to curse the host for this attack. Why did she keep questioning him? Wasn’t Huo Xiu, sitting next to him, the protagonist more suited for attention? A “cannon fodder’s” face is still a face, and it’s worth money too!
Facing such a sharp question, he calmly began to deliver his prepared response…