Yuan Mian’s day had gone terribly badly.
His previous engagement had been overseas. He had only just returned to the country, his jet lag not yet adjusted, when filming for a new variety show began.
The new show was a team-based variety program, heavy on interpersonal dynamics. Every word and every action required caution. He forced himself to push through the accumulating exhaustion and only just began to find his rhythm when the director suddenly called for a halt in filming, saying that someone was looking for him.
Yuan Mian followed along and, in the hotel lobby where the production crew was staying, met a middle-aged man with an arrogant demeanor.
The man lifted his eyelids and swept his gaze over Yuan Mian from head to toe before introducing himself curtly. “My surname is Fu.”
Then, with an air of condescension, he added, “I’m Fu Tianle’s second uncle.”
Yuan Mian reacted a little slowly. After a brief silence, he asked what the man wanted.
The middle-aged man looked as though he couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time on him and delivered the message bluntly. “The family has arranged a fiancee for Tianle. Her background, age, everything suits him very well.”
“So?” Yuan Mian didn’t quite understand.
The man took this as deliberate affectation and provocation. He pointed at Yuan Mian’s nose and burst into furious abuse.
“Don’t give me that shit, know your place! I’m already doing you a favor by talking to you like this!”
“You’ve been freeloading off Tianle for so many years, haven’t you had enough?”
“The family’s turned a blind eye these past few years only out of consideration for Tianle. Don’t tell me you actually thought you could marry into the Fu family? You’re nothing but a—”
The rest of the sentence never came out. Not because Yuan Mian did anything but because his manager, red in the face and thick-necked with anxiety, hurriedly stepped in to stop him. The man’s voice had grown louder and louder and the hotel lobby wasn’t occupied only by the production crew, there were also gossip-hungry paparazzi lurking like flies drawn to rot.
Even so, the man still splashed a cup of coffee at Yuan Mian.
Yuan Mian tried to dodge. He didn’t succeed. An expensive brand-sponsored outfit was ruined.
Rumors spread fast in this industry. By the time filming resumed, the other guests’ gazes toward Yuan Mian had subtly changed.
Yuan Mian endured several hours of shooting under looks that were mocking or openly malicious. That evening, he was called in by the director and told that although they had filmed, it was all useless.
He had been cut from the show.
The director’s words were full of helplessness. It was all “instructions from above.”
The director also seemed unwilling to offend him and forced several placating smiles. “You’re such a big name, how could you be short of opportunities just because of a small show like ours?”
Yuan Mian had nothing to say. He stepped out and told his manager and assistant to pack up and leave.
It was at that moment that he received a message from Fu Tianle.
“Come to XX Restaurant.”
Over the past two or three years, the frequency with which Yuan Mian and Fu Tianle met had gradually decreased. Sometimes only once a month was normal. Even when they did meet, it was either at Yuan Mian’s place or in a hotel. Meetings elsewhere were rare, there was always a bed involved.
The manager, standing close by, caught a glimpse of the message on the screen. After holding back for a moment, he spoke. “Teacher, I think President Fu probably doesn’t know about what happened today. Otherwise, he wouldn’t fail to mention it at all. It was likely the Fu family acting behind his back.”
“No matter how wronged you feel, it’s better not to argue with him…”
He stopped mid-sentence when he heard a faint sound escape Yuan Mian’s lips.
At first, he tried to discern whether that sound was a scoff or a laugh but when he saw Yuan Mian’s face, he froze.
While they were talking, Yuan Mian had used a wet wipe to remove his makeup, revealing a complexion that was a little pale and worn beneath the foundation.
Knowing that Yuan Mian was about to go see President Fu, the manager instinctively disapproved of him removing his makeup but Yuan Mian’s looks were undeniably exceptional. Even though he stood at over 180 centimeters tall and had aged a few years since his debut, losing that pure, lotus-like youthful clarity he once had, he was still breathtakingly beautiful by the world’s standards. His bare face was no less striking.
“Just drop me off by the road,” Yuan Mian said. “You don’t need to wait for me. Go back.”
Yuan Mian was obviously going to leave with Fu Tianle later. The manager came back to his senses and found this entirely reasonable. He raised no objections.
The message had arrived at around nine in the evening. By about half past nine, Yuan Mian reached the vicinity of the address.
It was a private, reservation-only restaurant. Fu Tianle had called him over but forgotten to inform the staff. It took Yuan Mian some time before he managed to get upstairs and find the private room where Fu Tianle was.
“You finally made it!”
“A real superstar, huh!”
There were quite a few people inside, all young faces, each grinning broadly. As soon as they saw Yuan Mian, the room erupted into cheers.
The person closest to the door stood up to greet him. “Sister in law, sister in law, you’re really late. I told them you wouldn’t dare snub us. Sit, sit.”
He called him “sister in law” with great familiarity and was clearly close to Fu Tianle but when Yuan Mian’s gaze fell on his face, he didn’t recognize him.
That wasn’t strange. Fu Tianle’s friends came in endless waves. Yuan Mian would never finish meeting them all.
“Don’t call me that.”
“If not sister in law, then what? Hahaha.”
The young man didn’t take Yuan Mian’s words seriously at all. Once Yuan Mian sat down beside Fu Tianle, he picked up the conversation again, joining the others in lively banter.
The entire private room was the same. After the brief moment of commotion, it was as though Yuan Mian no longer existed. Everyone continued joking and fooling around, including making remarks that clearly weren’t appropriate to say in front of him.
Only Fu Tianle rested his arm along the back of Yuan Mian’s chair, adopting a possessive posture that half-encircled him.
Laughing, he said, “He doesn’t like being called that.”
Then he took a moment to ask, “Want me to order you a couple of dishes?”
After that, he merged back into the crowd.
The room was unbearably noisy, as though none of these rich young men could ever stop their laughter and games.
Then came a knock at the door. A staff member entered, looking somewhat uneasy and relayed a message. “Sorry but the new guests next door prefer a quiet environment. Could you all keep your voices down a bit?”
The moment the words fell, it was like water splashed into hot oil. Everyone was stunned. Someone laughed and cursed, slapping the table as he stood up.
“Who the hell is it, acting all high and mighty in this place? Damn it! Who do they think they are?”
But before anyone could go over to confront them, a figure passed swiftly by the doorway. Just a fleeting shadow yet the expressions of everyone in the room changed.
Even Fu Tianle straightened up with a frown.
Anyone with eyes could recognize him.
That was Hu Guangtong.
Hu Guangtong had recently taken full control of the Hu family’s enterprises. He had made international headlines and was the current head of the Hu family and what kind of family was the Hu family? If one were to go into detail, countless wealthy and powerful households across the country owed their present fortunes to the Hu family’s favor.
Hu Guangtong was likely annoyed by the noise and had simply left but even the trace of his passing was enough to extinguish all humor in the room. No one could muster the mood to joke again. Even attempts to force laughter to ease the atmosphere felt stiff and awkward.
Others felt awkward. Fu Tianle did not.
He was different. The Fu family’s wealth had bred in him a deep-rooted confidence and a languid, rakish nonchalance.
The man laughed and cursed again. “What a coincidence. I couldn’t get an appointment with Hu Guangtong before and now I run into him in this dump.”
He laughed and the others laughed along.
Fu Tianle wasn’t satisfied yet. He tilted his head and glanced at Yuan Mian, who had been silent ever since sitting down and hooked an arm around him, pulling him close.
With an air of helplessness, he said, “You guys don’t know, my family’s put a task on me. I’ve got a project that needs to sign a contract with someone surnamed Hu. The terms have gone through several rounds but he still won’t budge. I don’t even know if he’s deliberately making things hard for me.”
Then he lowered his head and grinned at Yuan Mian. “I heard Hu Guangtong likes men.”
“Superstar, why don’t you go keep him company? If you make him happy and I close this deal, I won’t have to listen to those old fogeys at home nagging me ever again.”
Thank you for reading this work and I hope you enjoy it! This is very short novel and I will complete it within a week with multiple updates! I enjoy short novel so decided to share with everyone! Happy Reading 🎉
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Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm has many treasures. Coffee is currently its favourite.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
Next →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Why don’t you go and keep him company?Chapter 2 · He opened the door and left without looking backChapter 3 · Why Hu Guangtong of all people?Chapter 4 · Have you broken up with Fu Tianle?Chapter 5 · Hello, I am Yuan Mian’s fiancé.Chapter 6 · You liked Hu Guangtong from the beginningChapter 7 · I want to spend the rest of my life with you.Chapter 8 · Have you seen Yuan Mian recently?Chapter 9 · Yuan Mian has already started talking to someone elseChapter 10 · He wasn’t Yuan Mian’s first love?Chapter 11 · Are you comparable to Hu Guangtong?Chapter 12 · Yuan Mian would certainly love Hu GuangtongChapter 13 · They’re going home together for dinnerChapter 14 · Extra 1Chapter 15 · Extra 2Chapter 16 · Extra 3