That night, Zhang Su’an was in exceptionally high spirits. Back at the Fu residence, however, Fu family’s Second Uncle was seething with hatred, so angry he nearly spat blood. Every time he replayed the incident in his mind, waves of fury surged through him, making him feel like he wanted to die.
Just how infuriating was it? He couldn’t even cough up blood if he wanted to. The teeth he’d lost had to be swallowed back into his stomach along with the blood. It was an enormous humiliation, far more than a middle-aged man with pride and a reputation could possibly stomach.
How did things end up like this?!
Fu Second Uncle clutched his chest, his face scrunched into a knot of rage. He wanted to find someone to vent his anger on, useless. He wanted to ask around and figure out what was going on but he didn’t even know who he could ask.
He suspected he had been played like a dog, that the whole world was treating him like a monkey jumping around for entertainment.
Yuan Mian and Hu Guangtong were clearly already a done deal and that could not possibly have happened overnight.
Just two days ago, he had still been asking around about Yuan Mian. Everyone he questioned dodged the topic and refused to leak anything, leaving him completely unprepared for what happened today.
In fact, before he learned about Yuan Mian and Hu Guangtong, there were already quite a few people within the circle who knew.
That day, when Yuan Mian stormed the filming set, he truly turned the place upside down.
There was a big-name actor in the crew who had debuted years ago and couldn’t tolerate newcomers. He had long made things difficult for Yuan Mian. Knowing Yuan Mian had Fu Tianle backing him, he didn’t dare use hard tactics but petty sabotage was plentiful.
When Yuan Mian arrived, the first person he tore into was that actor.
As usual, the entire crew sided with the wrong party and tried to persuade Yuan Mian not to “bully others with his influence.”
Yuan Mian snapped at everyone who spoke up, until that big-name actor flew into a rage and tried to get physical with him. Yuan Mian immediately pulled out his phone and started a live broadcast, calling out to netizens to come watch.
“This big shot is way too enthusiastic with me. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was about to beat me up!”
There was one wave of chaos at the time and another wave after things were supposedly over.
Everyone could see that Yuan Mian was in a deranged state. A barefoot person fears nothing from someone wearing shoes. For once, no one dared to rush toward the Yuan Mian who had always been the one enduring things quietly.
But after flipping the table himself, Yuan Mian still refused to back down or apologize. Instead, he announced that he’d changed his mind, no matter what, he wouldn’t leave the crew. He would stay right under their noses every day just to be a nuisance.
The crew had never imagined that Yuan Mian, who had always been the easiest to negotiate with, could suddenly turn into such an unmanageable, rolling thorn. They found themselves with no way to deal with him. In the end, not only did they not make Yuan Mian pay compensation, they even politely paid him extra to send him away.
Not long after that, rumors spread from the Fu family that Yuan Mian had been discarded by his patron like a worn-out shoe.
At a time like that, undermining Yuan Mian was the perfect opportunity. That big-name actor was practically overjoyed and went all out trying to make trouble for Yuan Mian.
However, after gathering several forces, crew executives, company higher-ups and others who held grudges against Yuan Mian and marching over together, they all returned pale-faced, just like Fu Second Uncle, swallowing their humiliation with mouths full of metaphorical flies.
There was no other reason.
Each and every one of them had seen Hu Guangtong standing by Yuan Mian’s side.
That day, the dramatic shifts in everyone’s expressions were no less spectacular than Fu Second Uncle’s.
It was so absurd, so laughable, that each person felt too ashamed to ever mention it to outsiders, wishing desperately that no one would hear of it or notice it.
All of this resulted in an almost bizarre phenomenon:
Even though many people already knew this earth-shattering piece of gossip, it somehow bypassed the very people involved and circulated only through unrelated waters.
Those outside the waters either wanted to watch the drama or wanted to avoid trouble altogether. After all, who would want to be the first to tell the Fu family, who had openly despised and humiliated Yuan Mian, that news like this existed, when it was obvious that nothing good would come of it?
Those who were directly involved were even less likely to say a word, who would want others to know they had played the clown?
All of it converged together, piling into the lingering aftershocks in Fu Second Uncle’s mind, leaving him ashamed, furious and yet utterly unable to vent.
Damn it!
He cursed under his breath and then suddenly froze as a thought surfaced,
Did Fu Tianle know yet?
About Yuan Mian and Hu Guangtong.
The answer appeared almost instantly. If he knew, there would have been an uproar already.
So… should he tell him?
Fu Second Uncle stared at his phone, thoughts flickering past yet his fingers did not move.
…Why should he tell Fu Tianle, anyway?
If one really traced things back, wasn’t the reason he had landed in this situation entirely because of Fu Tianle?!
He had humiliated himself today, yes but hadn’t he done it stepping forward on behalf of that useless Fu Tianle?
Why should he be the one playing the biggest clown?
The flowing waters once again bypassed the central whirlpool, rolling onward with dark undercurrents.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, Zhang Su’an was at the venue, watching Yuan Mian’s motorcycle race in person.
Work had delayed him and he arrived a little late, missing the chance to speak with Yuan Mian before the race but Yuan Mian was thoughtful, he specifically had someone wait at the entrance to escort Zhang Su’an to a prearranged VIP viewing area with the best sightlines.
The person who came to pick him up was none other than Hu Guangtong.
It was just one person being escorted but the treatment was instantly maxed out.
Zhang Su’an wasn’t familiar with Hu Guangtong and felt a bit awkward. After taking his seat, he made small talk, somewhat stiffly.
“The flowers are beautiful,” he said, noticing the large bouquet by Hu Guangtong’s side.
Hu Guangtong smiled at him. “Thank you. I made them myself.”
Zhang Su’an was surprised. “You like floral arrangement?”
Hu Guangtong nodded. “One of my hobbies. Choosing the flowers, trimming them, pairing them, wrapping them, every step of the process feels very healing to me.”
Zhang Su’an imagined it. He could understand, though it didn’t particularly appeal to him. Personally, he preferred a life and hobbies filled with intensity and excitement.
Thinking of Yuan Mian, whose interests were closer to his own, Zhang Su’an couldn’t help asking, “What else do you like? Motorcycles? Surfing? Do you play games?”
Hu Guangtong replied calmly, “They’re all just okay. I like growing vegetables.”
Zhang Su’an went momentarily speechless. “Have you ever grown sweet potatoes?”
Hu Guangtong responded seriously, “Do you like them? I grew a lot before. My family couldn’t finish them, I can give you two boxes.” He even praised himself earnestly. “They turned out very well. Soft, glutinous texture. Mianmian said they were very sweet.”
“…Then thank you. I’ll come pick them up later.”
Zhang Su’an had just acquired two boxes of sweet potatoes, his mind blank with disbelief, astonished both by his growing understanding of Hu Guangtong and by the fact that Yuan Mian and Hu Guangtong could actually be in a relationship. He almost couldn’t imagine what the two of them even did together.
Their interests were wildly different. Objectively speaking, in terms of compatibility, Fu Tianle and Yuan Mian seemed far more matched.
Fu Tianle was frivolous and romantic, yes but undeniably capable. He avoided serious matters but when forced into them, he handled them extremely well.
He excelled at high-intensity extreme sports, skydiving, diving, fully certified. When he was pursuing Yuan Mian, he would take him out to sea on a yacht, speeding across the waves. Every trip back left Yuan Mian fully spent, the gloom dispersed.
If Fu Tianle had been steadier, possessed better character and morals, he and Yuan Mian would truly have been a perfect match.
Just as Zhang Su’an was thinking this, the race began.
The starting gun fired and all attention snapped to the blazing-hot track.
A race centered on speed spoke of life and death, of racing hearts and sweat. The crowd roared; the engines screamed like blades slicing through the air.
Zhang Su’an found it impossible not to be swept up by the atmosphere, especially with Yuan Mian among the racers. By the final lap, he hadn’t even realized when his fists clenched, his hand pressing to his chest as he shouted himself hoarse, cheering Yuan Mian on.
Only when he saw Yuan Mian’s red motorcycle cross the finish line in first place did he finally relax, cheering and applauding.
Even so, he was drenched in sweat without making a sound.
Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Hu Guangtong.
Hu Guangtong was also applauding yet this man never lost composure, his lips curved in a faint smile, his eyes shaped like a cool crescent moon.
He stood up, bouquet in his arms and left the stands. Zhang Su’an reacted a beat late, then followed.
The newly crowned champion met the master of the Hu family holding flowers at the edge of the track.
Yuan Mian pulled off his helmet, face flushed, radiant like a peony in full bloom and leapt straight into Hu Guangtong’s arms.
He was exuberant, asking again and again whether Hu Guangtong had seen it, emphasizing repeatedly that he hadn’t even pushed his speed to the limit yet.
But soon, after Hu Guangtong lowered his head, smiled and murmured something softly to him, Yuan Mian’s flamboyant voice abruptly quieted. He suddenly looked shy, obedient almost, glancing left and right.
The flush on his face deepened into a soft pink, like peach blossoms swaying in the wind.
“….”
That Yuan Mian, the one who had recently been crashing into everything like a runaway car, was now as docile and embarrassed as a cat being held by the scruff of its neck.
So it wasn’t Zhang Su’an’s imagination. In front of Hu Guangtong, Yuan Mian truly softened unconsciously, completely different from how he’d been in his previous relationship.
Zhang Su’an stared in astonishment as the two ignored all surrounding gazes and shared a light, fleeting kiss. Then Yuan Mian coughed awkwardly and walked over toward him.
Zhang Su’an thought: Yuan Mian really does like Hu Guangtong.
An obvious statement, almost meaningless.
Yet this time, the feeling was different.
Because Zhang Su’an realized that Yuan Mian’s affection for Hu Guangtong was so pure and transparent that whether their habits were similar or entirely different no longer mattered.
No matter what they did together, they would be happy.
Was it because Hu Guangtong was his first love?
Zhang Su’an didn’t know the exact reason but when he saw them kiss, his face inexplicably burned hot, as if he had glimpsed someone else’s secret and feared being caught.
These two were in love.
He saw it clearly. Though the kiss was light, a lingering happiness spilled outward.
At that moment, Zhang Su’an’s phone rang. When he checked the caller ID, it was Fu Tianle.
Because Yuan Mian was present and because Zhang Su’an already had grievances against Fu Tianle, he deliberately waited until after the crowd dispersed. Fu Tianle had to call five times before Zhang Su’an finally answered.
His opening tone was far from friendly. “What do you want? Is something wrong? I’m busy here.”
Fu Tianle choked for a second but his attitude remained good. After some polite small talk, he finally stated his reason for calling. “Su’an, have you seen Yuan Mian recently?”
__________
Oh! Scumbag finally remember about Yuan Mian!
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A wild translator appears! Their weakness: coffee. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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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