In the beginning, Shi Liang could still enjoy it, but before long, he began to feel terrified. By the end, he was practically fainting, his consciousness flickering between clarity and blurriness.
Shi Liang had never experienced anything like this, such intense, all-consuming intimacy where every single time felt as though it were the very last moment of his life.
Shi Liang knew Qi Wei was punishing him, punishing him for no longer loving him and for his perceived infidelity.
Yet could this really be blamed entirely on him? He felt quite aggrieved as well. He had inexplicably arrived in this world, only to be thrown straight into the characters’ dramatic entanglement the moment he got there.
Moreover, Shi Liang truly felt that Qi Wei had brought this entirely upon himself.
In the novel, Shi Liang had poured his heart and soul out for Qi Wei, treating him with an absolute goodness that left nothing to be desired.
Yet while Shi Liang kept him safely tucked in his pocket, Qi Wei kicked Shi Liang straight into a ditch, and that metaphorical green hat was practically about to land on Shi Liang’s head.
As soon as Qi Wei achieved career success, a pretty female secretary immediately appeared by his side.
On top of that, Qi Wei had explicitly stated that he did not like homosexuality.
Actually, he himself still believed that there might be some misunderstanding in all of this, but when Qi Wei constantly put himself in such compromising positions that invited suspicion, one could hardly blame Shi Liang for letting his imagination run wild.
Shi Liang wore a look of desolate melancholy, his heart filled with sorrow, uncertain whether it was for the Shi Liang inside the novel or for his own tragic transmigrated fate.
Being forcibly taken by a man, and taken until he passed out.
In over twenty years of life, Shi Liang had never experienced anything so humiliating and painful.
When he woke up and sat up, he felt soreness all over his body. His backside ached particularly badly.
Yesterday, Qi Wei had put him through the wringer with all sorts of tricks and varying positions, and now he felt as though even his toes were sore.
Shi Liang: “System, get your ass out here.”
System: “Host, how may I assist you?”
System: “What kind of systems are you people, anyway? Your host’s personal safety is facing a severe threat, so why aren’t you doing anything to manage it?”
System: “We systems are not permitted to interfere in such matters. This is not our job; our sole job is to advance the plot and keep the narrative logical.”
Shi Liang was so angry his head felt like it was catching fire.
The System consoled him: “Host, do not forget that you entered university as a sports major and even practiced judo. If there is a next time, just fight him directly!”
A flock of imaginary crows flew across Shi Liang’s head: “Are you a monkey sent here to be funny, big brother? Shi Liang entered university as a sprinting champion, and his judo was just half-baked. Besides, he has not exercised at all for so many years, while Qi Wei is a provincial taekwondo champion! If I tried to fight him with my amateur judo, it would practically just be providing him with entertainment!”
Shi Liang rolled his eyes, feeling immense pressure, as the system was utterly useless.
His stomach chose that inopportune moment to let out a rumbling growl.
The housekeeper walked in and called out to him: “Has Mr. Shi woken up? The food has been reheated several times, so please get up and eat.”
This housekeeper had been hired by Shi Liang. After Qi Wei graduated from college, he established a company and showed incredible drive, turning into an absolute workaholic. He would get so busy that he would skip meals entirely, and within just a single month, he had visibly lost weight.
Filled with heartache, Shi Liang hired this housekeeper. Although her pay was significantly higher than the market rate, her cooking was truly divine, combining color, aroma, and taste, and she could prepare delicacies from all over the country.
There was constantly food, snacks, or various health tonics kept warm on the stove so that no matter what time Qi Wei came home, he could always have a hot meal.
Shi Liang got out of bed; no matter what happened, a person still had to eat. Shi Liang was deeply aware that the only certain thing about the future was its uncertainty.
Life consisted of more than just the immediate hurdle, and no one could say for sure what lay ahead; things might go a bit smoothly, or they might become even harder to navigate than they were now.
Only by eating his fill and keeping his energy up could he face whatever unpredictable twists the plot might throw his way, successfully overcoming one hurdle after another until he cleared every obstacle and sat atop a fortune of ten billion US dollars.
Shi Liang walked over to the dining table. Four or five dishes had been stir-fried for breakfast, and the housekeeper had prepared Shi Liang’s favorite century egg and lean pork congee.
“Mr. Qi only ate a little bit this morning before leaving, but before he left, he specifically instructed me to make sure I cooked the century egg and lean pork congee that you love most for breakfast. The congee is at just the right temperature now, so Mr. Shi should drink it while it is hot.”
Shi Liang gave a faint “Mn” and said nothing further.
Sensing that Shi Liang was in a bad mood, the housekeeper wisely stepped away to tidy the rooms and did not try to make conversation with him again.
Before long, Qi Wei returned from outside carrying a bag of fried dough sticks, placing them right onto the table.
The morning breeze blew into the kitchen, making the plastic bag around the fried dough sticks flutter softly. Shi Liang’s gaze lingered on the soft plastic bag outside the dough sticks, where heat was still visibly rising.
Shi Liang let his eyes stay on the plastic bag for a moment, guessing that the fried dough sticks should still be warm, or even piping hot.
Shi Liang shifted his gaze away from the dough sticks and began to focus on eating his congee.
Qi Wei’s voice was low, gentle, and filled with tenderness: “Didn’t you say a few days ago that you really wanted to eat the fried dough sticks from that shop at the end of Huixiang Street? I went to line up early this morning, and they are still hot, so hurry up and try them.”
So you actually do have a bit of spare time after all! You just refuse to spend it on me, that is all.
Shi Liang did not even raise his eyes: “I do not want to eat them anymore.” After saying that, he added, “My appetite has changed.”
Qi Wei’s face instantly turned pale, his gaze scattered, and his hands trembled violently. A few drops of congee spilled from the bowl he was holding as he slowly set it down, the ceramic bowl scraping against the table with a faint, grating sound.
Feigning that he had not caught Shi Liang’s underlying meaning, Qi Wei took a deep breath and forced out a smile: “Then what do you like now? I will go buy it for you right away.”
Shi Liang cast a cold glance at him, swallowed the mouthful of congee in his mouth, and spoke indifferently: “No need, I am already full.”
Qi Wei’s gaze remained unblinkingly fixed on Shi Liang, his heart feeling as though it were being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand while a wave of stabbing chest pains radiated to every corner of his body.
The chill he had carried back from outside was completely wiped out by Shi Liang’s single sentence, his heart twisted together so painfully that he could no longer feel the cold.
Qi Wei looked at Shi Liang with a complex expression, as resentment, helplessness, pain, and heartbreak were all intertwined. Shi Liang merely lifted his eyes to look at Qi Wei, only to be scorched by the look in the other man’s eyes.
Seeing Qi Wei like this, Shi Liang felt for a fraction of a second like he was the heartless, ungrateful one.
He put down his chopsticks, lowered his head, and avoided looking at Qi Wei, letting his gaze rest out of focus on a corner of the dining table.
Qi Wei’s gaze was far too burning, leaving him completely unable to ignore it.
He looked at Qi Wei: “Do not act like I am the one who wronged you. What kind of a good person are you, either? The moment your career took off, you rushed to replace your staff with a pretty female secretary. With such a striking beauty right by your side, what you wanted to do was already as obvious as Sima Zhao’s intent, as everyone could see right through it. Why are you acting all pure and innocent now?”
Qi Wei stepped a bit closer to Shi Liang and eagerly explained: “I have nothing with that secretary! She is just a distant relative of mine who has been struggling to find a job lately, so I just let her come work at my company. There really is nothing between us.”
Shi Liang raised an eyebrow and asked curiously: “Your distant relative? Which relative? How come I have never heard of her?” Shi Liang spoke.
Caught off guard by the question, Qi Wei did not know how to respond. Although their family had many relatives, because they had been so poor before, none of those relatives had ever stayed close to them.
Only his second aunt had consistently supported him and his sister’s education after his mother passed away. Having endured cold indifference from relatives since childhood, he harbored a strong aversion toward them, and his second aunt knew this. When she asked him to find a job for this young woman at a time when his current secretary happened to resign, he simply let her take over and had the former secretary hand the work directly to her.
Later on, discovering that this relative was merely a hopelessly dense university student who caused more trouble than she solved, he hired another secretary and henceforth directed all work matters through the new one, having almost no personal contact with the relative at all.
When Shi Liang suddenly asked like this, his mind failed to process it immediately.
It took him quite a while to recall what the previous secretary had told him, that the girl was the niece of the younger brother of his second aunt’s elder female cousin’s husband. Qi Wei finally replied: “She is the niece of the younger brother of my second aunt’s elder female cousin’s husband.”
Shi Liang was utterly speechless. After hesitating for so long, to be given an answer like that gave him a humiliating sense of being treated like a fool by Qi Wei: “The niece of the younger brother of your second aunt’s elder female cousin’s husband? Do you take me for an idiot who would believe something like that? Why not just say she is your future mother-in-law’s daughter?”
Startled by Shi Liang’s harsh tone, Qi Wei bit his lip and offered an aggrieved, soft counter-argument: “She really is the niece of the younger brother of my second aunt’s elder female cousin’s husband. Our family has very few relatives, so even some of the distant ones remain quite close.”
Shi Liang looked at Qi Wei without speaking. He himself had grown up in the countryside with his grandmother since elementary school, and in rural areas where families were small, even distant relations truly felt close. For a moment, he found it a bit hard to tell whether what Qi Wei was saying was the truth or not.
Furrowing his brows, a line from the novel suddenly flashed through Shi Liang’s mind, and he pressed on: “I remember you once saying that you were not homosexual and did not like men, right? Back then, I went to great lengths to get you a gemstone and had it made into a brilliant star to give you as a birthday gift, but you refused to accept it at all. Now that I am setting you free, why are you clinging to me so shamelessly? You straight men really are unfathomable.”
That was the first time Shi Liang had ever celebrated Qi Wei’s birthday. He had taken it very seriously, pondering for a long time before deciding on a birthday gift, spending several months rushing to finish making that brilliant star.
When Shi Liang finished speaking, there was silence for a long time, so he no longer expected an answer. Truly unwilling to say anything more to Qi Wei, he turned his head, intending to return to the bedroom.
Qi Wei walked over and grabbed Shi Liang’s arm in a death grip, refusing to let him leave.
Perplexed and utterly fed up, Shi Liang looked at Qi Wei: “What are you pulling me for?” As he spoke, he tried to push him away.
Faced with Shi Liang’s complete lack of patience toward him, Qi Wei was in deep agony, yet helpless, so he could only grip Shi Liang tightly and refuse to let go.
“In the past, my mother was gone, my sister was sick, and my father was always gambling. My mind was never once focused on finding a partner, and I never even considered whether I was attracted to men or women. Although many people pursued me because of my appearance, I have always been terribly slow when it comes to emotions; by the time I realized what was happening, people had already given up on me. Only you were different from everyone else, and I really do love you. When I said I was not homosexual back then, it was because I had never imagined that two men could be together.”
Shi Liang thought of that brilliant star necklace. The star had been exquisitely crafted; Qi Wei must have known how much time and money he spent making it, yet he still rejected it simply because Shi Liang was the one who gave it. Shi Liang’s slightly softening heart grew a few degrees colder once more.
Shi Liang gave Qi Wei a fierce shove, pushing him away: “You were simply used to my goodness toward you. Now that your father is gone, your sister has just entered high school with an extremely busy academic schedule and cannot look after you, so you say you do not want to break up. But that is just because you are reluctant to lose the emotional value I provide for you. I have already wasted far too much time on you, and I do not want to spend any more time on you. Let us part ways on good terms, alright?”
Hearing those words, Qi Wei’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. He froze in place, his eyes looking as though they were covered in a layer of ash, devoid of any remaining color.
“I really do love you. Why won’t you believe my feelings for you? Do I really have to rip my heart out for you to see it? As for that necklace, it was not because I did not like it that I refused to take it.”
Qi Wei gritted his teeth, as if there was something unspeakable that he could not force past his lips, uttering only that he was not, before ultimately failing to say anything else.
Shi Liang was completely baffled. If he liked the necklace, why wouldn’t he accept it? And even when Shi Liang stubbornly forced it on him, he never wore it. No wonder the original host didn’t believe Qi Wei loved him, as he didn’t believe it either.
He was still curious. Just like an author leaving plot holes unfilled, it felt stifling in his chest, so he decided to ask anyway: “You say you liked that necklace, but why were you so reluctant to accept it when I gave it to you? If you really liked it, why have I never once seen you wear it?”
This was the greatest lingering doubt he had while reading this book called The Brilliant Star. Qi Wei had never worn the brilliant star necklace, which made him feel while reading that Qi Wei’s feelings for Shi Liang were ambiguous, hazy, and elusive. Presumably, the original Shi Liang must have felt the exact same way.
Qi Wei said that it was the most precious gift you ever gave me, and that he was afraid of breaking it so he couldn’t bear to wear it.
Thinking of Qi Wei’s earlier reaction, what he had wanted to say just now probably wasn’t this at all, but phrasing it this way didn’t feel out of character at all.
With Qi Wei stubbornly refusing to talk, asking further would only elicit evasive replies like how he couldn’t bear to wear it.
Yet one thing was certain: Qi Wei hadn’t refused Shi Liang’s necklace because he didn’t love him, but rather because he loved him too much.
Could it be that Qi Wei felt it was too precious? That he had no way to return a gift of equal value?
That really was possible. Back then, Qi Wei was very proud, and combined with the fact that he constantly needed Shi Liang’s help everywhere, the relationship at the time must have made him feel deeply suppressed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have worked so hard over the years to accumulate wealth just to catch up to Shi Liang, ultimately ending up neglecting Shi Liang as a result.
Was that really it? At this moment, Shi Liang desperately wanted to hear Qi Wei say it with his own mouth, so he went looking for trouble just to provoke Qi Wei: “You say you liked it, but why did you accept it with such a reluctant and unwilling expression when I gave it to you?”
Torn, Qi Wei stammered and stuttered for a long time without managing to get the words out. The answer seemed right on the tip of his tongue, yet it just wouldn’t come out.
“If you want to explain something, you need to make it clear and understandable before you can call it an explanation.”
Shi Liang pushed him aside and walked toward the bedroom. Until he stepped inside and closed the door, Qi Wei didn’t pull him back.
Disappointed, Shi Liang closed the door.
That was probably the reason. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.