Shang Xueyan: [knife jpg]
Wang Xiantao typed, deleted, typed, deleted, then sent: [I’m being very objective here. Today when you were filming with your beloved, Shang Xianwang’s gaze was clearly jealous he was green with envy. When my cousin met her first love, my cousin’s husband looked at my cousin’s first love exactly like that!!]
[Also, today when we first met and I put my hand on your shoulder, your big brother didn’t seem too happy either. He was jealous too, he doesn’t like people touching you]
Shang Xueyan was speechless: [Daliang, take your meds jpg]
Wang Xiantao: [Did you see the paternity test? You two really are blood-related. Could it be that he’s got his eye on you, but knowing you hate gay people, he first tricked you into believing he’s your brother to cultivate feelings?]
Shang Xueyan: [You’ve been reading way too much Tomato Fiction]
Wang Xiantao: [Tomato Fiction barely has any BL!! If I’m reading that stuff, I go to Jinjiang!]
“Who are you chatting with?” Shang Xianwang stared at the road ahead and asked.
“Wang Xiantao. He’s got a screw loose.”
“?”
Shang Xueyan thought about showing his brother Wang Xiantao’s nonsense, leaning halfway toward him before straightening back up. That idiot must have read too many Jinjiang novels, he actually dared to insult his brother by calling him a terrifying homosexual who likes his own little brother.
He’d brush it off himself and couldn’t be bothered to let his brother see such baseless accusations.
“Just chatting about nothing.”
Shang Xueyan typed with a deadpan face: [If you haven’t got a fever, haven’t fallen in water, and haven’t been hit in the head, I’ll give you three minutes to apologize]
After a moment, Wang Xiantao hesitantly sent several messages: [Alright, maybe I was overthinking it]
Shang Xueyan put his phone away and set it on the center console. Just then, the screen lit up again.
With a cold face, he picked up the phone, ready to start cursing, but then he saw what Wang Xiantao had sent: [Yan-ge, check the trending searches. Lu Han’s been arrested]
Shang Xueyan quickly tapped into the trending page. The number one trending topic was followed by a striking red “HOT” tag, it was indeed the news of Lu Han’s arrest.
He clicked in, and there was even an official police notice.
Wang Xiantao: [The police said he’s suspected of rape and embezzlement, so he’s been arrested and detained]
Wang Xiantao: [I thought the worst of him was abusing his power for sexual favors and harassment. Didn’t expect him to be this bold]
Wang Xiantao: [Oh right, you haven’t terminated your contract with Tianli yet, have you? This is a good opportunity]
For the past few months, Shang Xueyan had been pursuing a civil lawsuit to terminate the contract, but civil proceedings moved slowly, usually three or four months before even reaching court mediation.
Shang Xueyan: [The contract was terminated a couple days ago]
Wang Xiantao: [A couple days ago? Lu Han was only arrested this morning. Why would he agree to terminate your contract two days ago?]
Shang Xueyan: [My big brother handled it]
Wang Xiantao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly asked: [Does your big brother have anything to do with Lu Han’s arrest? Did he report him?]
Shang Xueyan was slightly taken aback. He turned his head. “Big brother, Lu Han was arrested a few days ago.”
Shang Xianwang’s tone was calm. “Mm.”
“Did you report him?”
Shang Xianwang: “He couldn’t withstand scrutiny.”
The arrest of Tianli Entertainment’s CEO sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. Tianli wasn’t a huge company, but it wasn’t small either. Amidst the storm, a number of posts clearing Shang Xueyan’s name also surfaced.
Shang Xueyan had acted in two short dramas over a year ago and gained some popularity, with several hundred thousand followers on Douyin. After signing with Tianli, Lu Han failed to coerce him into sexual favors and leaked dirt on him instead, claiming he had bullied classmates during his school days, using a photo of him pinning someone against a bathroom wall.
At the time, Shang Xueyan had considered clarifying things, but his account had been taken over by the company, and the overwhelming flood of negative press malicious attacks from rivals or netizens made it clear that people never seek the truth. They only see what others want them to see, hiding behind the guise of “reasonable neutrality” to attack and insult, using it as an outlet for their own emotions.
Shang Rong’s reputation plummeted.
Taking advantage of Lu Han’s recent arrest, some gossip accounts even began to clear up the rumors, saying that Shang Rong had not bullied his classmate that the classmate he pinned against the wall was the actual bully. But Shang Rong hadn’t been famous enough over the past year; his followers had long since dwindled by eighty or ninety percent, and the topic never even made it to the trending searches.
Instead, it was Shang Rong’s former best friend, Jiang Lan, who was in a complete mess. Jiang Lan had been close to Lu Han and often appeared at his private gatherings. Birds of a feather flock together, and although there was no evidence that Jiang Lan had done anything unethical, he still ended up on the trending searches. Some of Jiang Lan’s friends exposed him as two-faced, while others claimed Jiang Lan was Lu Han’s lover.
Shang Xueyan watched for a while, then turned his head. “Brother, thank you.”
Shang Xueyan filmed for another three days. During this time, everyone on set treated him with great respect, and everyone around him seemed kind. When the final scene wrapped, Wang Xiantao, following the director’s instructions, handed him a bouquet of bright, beautiful sunflowers. Everyone congratulated him on finishing his scenes, and Director Li even organized a group photo.
Shang Xueyan felt overwhelmed by the attention. He had been filming for four months, but this particular role hadn’t taken long five days, a dozen or so scenes, at most a minor part. Roles like this usually ended without fanfare; the whole routine of flowers, photos, and congratulations was typically reserved for the main cast.
Shang Xueyan, still in his costume, stood in the center of the crowd holding the flowers, his gaze fixed on the man in a white shirt standing not far away, knowing full well why he was being treated with such importance.
Declining the director’s offer of a wrap party that evening, Shang Xueyan got into Shang Xianwang’s Maybach with the flowers in hand. The car drove for an hour and pulled into a villa district completely unfamiliar to Shang Xueyan, not far from Fengyun Bay, about five or six kilometers away.
Shang Xianwang stopped the car in front of a brick-red two-story building surrounded by lush flowers. “We’re here, Ayan.”
“Where is this?”
“A gift for you.”
Shang Xueyan opened the car door and stepped out. The first thing he saw was a cream-white sign in front of the brick-red building, with the words “Zaiyang Film and Television” written in elegant calligraphy.
Zaiyang Film and Television was a production company Shang Xueyan had never heard of.
Shang Xianwang led Shang Xueyan along a stone path to the glass door of the brick-red building. A woman with short hair and a sharp, capable demeanor opened the transparent glass door from inside and smiled. “President Shang.”
Then she looked at Shang Xueyan. “Mr. Shang, hello. I’m Shen Ling.”
Shang Xueyan instinctively glanced at his brother. Shang Xianwang said, “Didn’t you say you found acting interesting and wanted to keep doing it? I set up a production company for you. Shen Ling will be your agent from now on.”
Shen Ling extended her hand toward Shang Xueyan, whose mind was still somewhat in a whirl. She shook it instinctively.
Shen Ling was a woman of swift, decisive action. “I’ve looked over your file. You’re fifteen years younger than me, so I’ll call you Xueyan from now on, if that’s alright? Xueyan, since you’re here at the studio, why don’t you meet the rest of the team?”
Of course, the entertainment company wasn’t just Shen Ling alone there were planning, marketing, and operations staff, adding up to more than ten people in total.
And there was only one artist in the company they all served Shang Xueyan alone.
After leaving the studio, Shang Xueyan felt a rare flicker of panic. “Brother, do I have to support over a dozen people? In the entertainment industry these days, having someone back you doesn’t guarantee fame. Especially since I’m practically a nobody. Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose money?”
Shang Xianwang: “I’m not counting on you to make money. Just do what you want to do.”
“No, no, I still think it’s too wasteful to have over a dozen people taking care of a single artist.” And every single one of them was a highly educated talent from top-tier universities. Shang Xueyan had a clear understanding of herself, she lacked real drive at her core and preferred a balance between work and rest.
“Brother, can I sign two newcomers to the studio?”
Shang Xianwang started the car. “You mean Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao?”
“Yeah. Even though they’re my friends, they both have great looks. And Wang Xiantao don’t let his flaky attitude fool you, his acting is actually pretty good. As for Shen Mengkun, well, he’s handsome.”
Shang Xianwang thought for a moment, then said, “That’s fine. They’re both decent people.”
Now that she had her brother’s permission, that evening after returning home, washing up, and getting into bed, Shang Xueyan created a small three-person group chat. Wang Xiantao and Shen Mengkun knew each other but weren’t close they only knew each other’s names and would exchange a greeting if they met.
Shen Mengkun: [?]
Shang Xueyan: [@everyone, I have something I want to ask you both]
Wang Xiantao: [Dad, please speak]
Shen Mengkun: [Pulls up a chair JPG]
Wang Xiantao: [Takes out watermelon JPG]
Shang Xueyan sat cross-legged on the bed and typed, [Have you ever thought about signing with a company?]
Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao had been extras in the entertainment industry. It wasn’t that no one had approached them to sign, but the companies that came calling were all obscure little outfits, and for various reasons, neither had signed.
Wang Xiantao: [I used to think about it, but after seeing Tianli Entertainment’s contract with you, I didn’t dare sign]
Shen Mengkun: [Same. There are too few reliable companies]
Wang Xiantao: [Too few? They’re practically rarer than phoenix feathers. The entertainment industry is full of nepotism these days]
Wang Xiantao: [Yan-ge, why are you bringing this up? Did your brother find a company for you? Are you planning to sign? This time when you sign, make sure your brother brings a legal team!]
Shang Xueyan quietly typed out a few words: [My brother didn’t find a company for me]
Shang Xueyan: [My brother set up a studio for me]
Wang Xiantao: [Handsome guy pupils shaking JPG]
Shen Mengkun: [Lemons growing on lemon tree JPG]
Shang Xueyan: [Are you two willing to sign with my company?]
Wang Xiantao: [Once rich, never forget old friends!]
Shen Mengkun sent a voice message: [I’ll sign, I’ll sign right now. Boss, where do you live? I’ll ride a shared bike over right now]
Signing now was, of course, a joke. The next day, Shang Xueyan asked Shen Ling to have the legal team draft a contract and send the electronic version to the two of them. As soon as Shen Mengkun saw the contract, he called Shang Xueyan. “Yan’er, I don’t need a lawyer to look at this. Even if you’re making five hundred off me, all five hundred goes to my sister’s treatment. You wouldn’t screw me over, would you? I’m free the day after tomorrow, I’ll come sign then.”
Wang Xiantao also wanted to sign the contract immediately.
Shang Xueyan found a time when all three of them were free and brought everyone to the red-brick building to sign the contracts.
After the two signed, Shen Ling, the studio’s manager, had each of them go to her office separately to discuss their future career plans. Wang Xiantao went first and stayed for half an hour, followed by Shen Mengkun entering Shen Ling’s office.
Shang Xueyan sat in the lounge on the second floor, head down, playing Snake. Watching his snake grow longer and longer, nearly breaking his record, Wang Xiantao suddenly jumped up beside him in excitement, both hands gripping Shang Xueyan’s shoulders, eyes blazing with enthusiasm. “Yan’er, do you know who Sister Ling is? She used to be the agent for Chen Deping and Li Hai, she’s managed actors who’ve won Best Actor and Best Actress awards!”
Even as a seventeenth-tier performer, Shang Xueyan had heard of Chen Deping and Li Hai, one was a double Best Actor winner domestically, and the other had not only won all three major domestic film and television awards but also Best Actress at international film festivals.
“No wonder I thought she looked familiar when I saw her today she’s the agent of a Best Actor and Best Actress. How did I get so lucky? Shang Xueyan, what do I do? I feel like I’m about to become famous.” Wang Xiantao said, floating on air.
“Calm down. Take it easy.”
“Right now, I’m dreaming, I’m the next Best Actor. It’ll come true, right?”
“Yeah, of course it will.” Seeing him so happy, even if it was just foolish joy, Shang Xueyan didn’t burst his bubble. Let him enjoy the moment while it lasted.
Once Wang Xiantao had settled down a bit, Shen Ling walked out of the office with Shen Mengkun. She glanced at her watch. “It’s almost quitting time. Everyone’s free tomorrow at noon, right? You three should already know each other well, but the other colleagues at the company don’t know you yet. Tomorrow at noon, we’ll have a team-building lunch at a hotel. Sound good?”
“OK, I’m in.” Wang Xiantao said.
“Me too.” Shen Mengkun.
Shang Xueyan nodded along.
There was nothing else to do that afternoon, so the three walked out of the studio side by side. It was the first time Shen Mengkun had seen Shang Xueyan’s Rolls-Royce Phantom. He leaned in close, grinning. “So this is the lavish life after I latched onto a young master from the Beijing circle?”
With that, he pressed his body against Shang Xueyan, wrapping both arms around his shoulders, looking utterly blissful.
“Get lost.” Shang Xueyan shoved him off with a laugh and a curse.
The three got into the car, and Shang Xueyan treated them to dinner at a three-Michelin-star restaurant one none of them, including Shang Xueyan, had ever been to.
After finishing dinner at the restaurant, the three walked out and quietly exchanged their thoughts, feeling it wasn’t all that different from eating at a street stall, except the ambiance was far better, the service far better, the dishes far more refined, and the prices far steeper. Other than that, not much difference.
The three left the restaurant.
Wang Xiantao said, “It’s still early. Let’s go somewhere else to celebrate. We should take advantage of being unknown now, play whatever we want while we still can!”
“Isn’t that right? My manager used to be the manager for Best Actor and Best Actress winners.” Shen Mengkun said cheerfully, “So where are we going to hang out?”
Shen Mengkun had been in a good mood these past few days. His mother had recovered and could now take care of his younger sister. With the million yuan that Brother Shang Xueyan had lent him, Shen Mengyue’s medical bills were no longer a bottomless pit. Now that he had a manager who had once represented top-tier actors and actresses, and his boss was a good brother, Shen Mengkun finally had reason to celebrate for himself.
“Yan-ge, you tell us, where should we go?” Wang Xiantao slung his arm around Shang Xueyan’s shoulder.
Catching sight of a shop diagonally across the street out of the corner of his eye, Shang Xueyan pointed ahead. “How about we hit a bar?”
He’d never actually been to a bar before only seen them on video apps.
Since they were going to a bar, Wang Xiantao enthusiastically recommended one he’d been to before. The bartender’s cocktails were something else not just beautiful in color, but with a flavor that was hard to come by.
The three arrived at the bar, greeted by soft, lyrical music drifting through the air. They picked seats at the counter, and the drink menu showed cocktails in a dazzling array of colors. After asking the server, Shang Xueyan chose two mixed drinks with low alcohol content.
Just then, Shang Xueyan’s phone buzzed with a vibration.
Seeing the caller ID, he answered.
“Ah-Yan, what time are you coming home tonight?”
“Probably a bit later.” Shang Xueyan noticed a guy in a mesh top walk in through the door and averted his gaze. “I’m out with Shen Mengkun and the others.”
“Where are you hanging out?”
Shang Xueyan hesitated for a moment.
“Where are you?” Shang Xianwang asked again.
“Just at a bar,” Shang Xueyan said. “It’s a pretty legit one!”
“Which bar? Where is it located?”
Shang Xueyan dutifully told Shang Xianwang the name of the bar.
Shang Xianwang didn’t say much more, only calmly telling him to come home early, and if he’d been drinking, not to drive to remember to call a designated driver.
Shang Xueyan agreed to all of it.
“What are you looking at?” After hanging up, seeing Wang Xiantao holding a cocktail with several distinct layers of color and staring at him thoughtfully, Shang Xueyan shoved his phone into his pocket and asked.
“Just thinking you’re pretty practiced at being the younger brother surprisingly used to being managed like that.” Wang Xiantao said.
“How is that being managed?” Shang Xueyan disagreed.
They chatted for a bit, and just then the server brought over the cocktail Shang Xueyan had ordered. It was called Manjusaka. Whatever the bartender had done, a hazy white sat at the very bottom, while the dark layer above was tinged with a hint of sunset’s dying glow.
Shang Xueyan took a sip. It was slightly sweet on entry, with a faint bitterness in the aftertaste, and the alcohol wasn’t too strong.
“Pretty good, actually.”
Shang Xueyan flipped through the drink menu and ordered two more cocktails.
Around then, the bar’s slow, gentle folk song came to an end, replaced by a high-energy, fiery rock track.
Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao headed to the dance floor. Shang Xueyan didn’t know how to dance and didn’t feel like shaking his hips, so he stayed put.
A long-haired girl sat down next to Shang Xueyan. The music in the bar was too loud, so she raised her voice: “Hey handsome, want to add me on WeChat? We could hang out sometime?”
“Sorry, I’m taken.”
Shang Xueyan brushed off the girl with practiced ease. The server delivered the two cocktails he’d ordered. After admiring the colors for a moment, he downed them in one go, then ordered two more.
A few glasses of wine went down without much of a taste of alcohol. Shang Xueyan leaned back against the sofa, but his head gradually began to spin. His lashes brushed lightly against his eyelids, then snapped open again, and finally squeezed shut.
Wang Xiantao pushed away the girl who was trying to hug him, left the dance floor, and walked toward the booth where Shang Xueyan was sitting.
Although he sometimes jokingly called Shang Xueyan “Dad” or “Yan-ge,” Shang Xueyan was actually the youngest of the three of them, and many times he treated him like a younger brother.
The bar was a legitimate establishment, but it drew all sorts of people, and leaving Shang Xueyan alone in the booth for too long made him uneasy after all, Shang Xueyan didn’t have the kind of face that put people at ease.
He headed toward the booth, and when he was still four or five meters away, he saw a stranger sitting down beside Shang Xueyan, reaching out to touch his cheek.
Before Wang Xiantao could rush over, a man in a camel-colored trench coat, his face cold, suddenly seized the stranger’s fingers just as they were about to land on Shang Xueyan’s cheek.
“Ow, ow, ow let go of me.” His wrist gripped by a large hand, the man felt like his wrist was about to be crushed, the pain stabbing straight to his heart.
Shang Xianwang flung his hand away and said coldly, “Get lost.”
The man was annoyed, but he was a coward at heart. He cast one reluctant look at the handsome youth passed out drunk in the booth, then left with lingering resentment.
Right after, Shang Xianwang lowered his head and seemed to call Shang Xueyan’s name twice. Shang Xueyan didn’t wake; instead, his head started to slump forward toward the sofa. Shang Xianwang moved with quick reflexes, reaching out to steady Shang Xueyan’s face.
He sat down beside him and let Shang Xueyan’s head rest against his shoulder.
Seeing the look Shang Xianwang gave Shang Xueyan, Wang Xiantao’s mind jolted, and the haze of alcohol in his eyes cleared completely.
The man seemed to sense something and glanced over at him.
Wang Xiantao strode over to the booth. “President Shang.”
Shang Xianwang glanced at Wang Xiantao, then called Shang Xueyan’s name once more. When he got no response, he leaned forward and bent down, one hand naturally sliding under Shang Xueyan’s knees while the other smoothly reached around the back of his neck. With a slight flex of his arms, he lifted Shang Xueyan, who weighed about a hundred and thirty pounds into a cradle hold.
“I’m taking him home,” Shang Xianwang said to Wang Xiantao.
Shang Xianwang carried Shang Xueyan out of the bar and into the parking lot, set him in the back seat, opened the driver’s door, and drove home.
The Maybach came to a stop in the garage. Shang Xianwang turned on the dome light and looked back. Shang Xueyan was sleeping soundly in the back seat, his breathing long and steady. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Shang Xianwang’s mouth before he picked him up again and carried him back to his room.
He took off his shoes, socks, and jacket. Shang Xianwang went to the bathroom, grabbed a face towel, wet it, and wiped his hands and face. Finally, he swapped in a fresh towel and cleaned his feet. He didn’t touch the short-sleeved shirt or casual pants Shang Xueyan was wearing. He set a glass of warm water on his nightstand, turned off the light, and left the room.
When Shang Xueyan woke up, his head ached a little. He sat up in bed, his gaze hazy as he scanned the room. Looking down, he realized he hadn’t changed clothes he was still wearing yesterday’s short-sleeved shirt and casual pants.
Shang Xueyan sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then yawned and shuffled to the bathroom to shower. After changing into clean clothes, he felt fresher and more clear-headed.
He reached for the phone on the nightstand.
Wang Xiantao had actually bombarded him with a whole string of messages, starting from two hours ago.
Wang Xiantao: [Are you awake?]
Wang Xiantao: [Is your ass okay?]
Wang Xiantao: [Did your big brother do anything to you?]
Wang Xiantao: [What time is it now? Reply to me as soon as you’re awake.]
Wang Xiantao: [You’re still not awake? Are you alright?]
Shang Xueyan: [It’s not even eight yet. Why are you up so early?]
Shang Xueyan: [What could my big brother possibly do to me?]
Shang Xueyan: [How did I get back last night? Did you guys bring me back?]
Wang Xiantao: [You’re finally awake. You don’t remember? Your big brother came to pick you up last night.]
Shang Xueyan thought back no wonder he’d caught a faint whiff of sandalwood and jasmine.
Wang Xiantao: [You should go get yourself checked out first. Make sure there aren’t any weird marks, right?]
Shang Xueyan said blankly: [I drank alcohol, not Yunnan mushrooms.]
Wang Xiantao: [Your big brother really didn’t do anything to you?]
Wang Xiantao: [Yan-ge, the way your big brother looked at you last night was seriously off! You know what? When you fell asleep on the booth and your face started sliding down, the tenderness in his eyes when he caught your face was practically overflowing, Liang Shanbo must have looked at Zhu Yingtai exactly like that!!]
Wang Xiantao: [Your ass is really fine, right?]
Shang Xueyan was utterly speechless. [If you’re still drunk, go back to sleep.]
Wang Xiantao: [Did you pull out his hair to do a paternity test? He might have faked it.]
Too lazy to deal with him, Shang Xueyan put away his phone and headed downstairs. Reaching the dining room on the lower floor, he saw Shang Xianwang wearing a pure black shirt, buttons done up to the second one below the collar, revealing a hint of smooth neckline, sleeves folded up twice at the cuffs, seated at the black walnut dining table having breakfast.
“Big brother.”
Shang Xueyan cheerfully pulled out the chair beside him and sat down.
“Awake?” Shang Xianwang said in a gentle tone, glancing at his complexion. He called out to Aunt Wang, who was busy in the kitchen, asking her to bring the hangover soup over for Shang Xueyan.
“Drink this first. Have breakfast after.”
“Alright.” Shang Xueyan slowly stirred the lemon honey water in the ceramic bowl with a spoon, then looked up and asked: “Big brother, you brought me back last night?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why didn’t you change me into pajamas?” Shang Xueyan took a sip of the lemon honey water, Aunt Wang had gotten the lemon and honey just right, not too sweet, not too sour either and said in a complaining tone: “It’s uncomfortable sleeping in the clothes I wore out.”
Wang Xiantao had been rambling on about how his big brother might harbor feelings beyond brotherhood, worried his big brother might secretly take advantage of him but in reality, his big brother couldn’t even be bothered to change his clothes for him.