Yu Lang shoved Chi Jianqing away in sheer terror, scrambling and tumbling off the bed. He retreated until his back pressed against the wall, staring at Chi Jianqing with open vigilance and fear.
Only then did Chi Jianqing realize he had gone too far. He had frightened Yu Lang.
So when Yu Lang wanted to leave, he did not stop him. He even handed over his own wallet.
“There’s money inside.”
Half afraid, half dazed, Yu Lang accepted the wallet. He grabbed a bath towel and wiped himself off perfunctorily, then threw on a bathrobe and rushed straight out into the street.
He stood there, lost, staring blankly at the world around him.
In a fog, he wandered along the roadside for an entire night. It wasn’t until dawn broke that he finally dared to go home and sleep.
After that incident, Chi Jianqing disappeared for more than half a month yet online, “the boss” remained constantly active.
Yu Lang’s entertainment contract was in his hands. He spared no effort helping Yu Lang pay off his debts, clear his name and lift the ban on him.
At first, even with the money in hand, Yu Lang didn’t dare do much. Restless and uneasy, he became a regular at bars, drinking night after night to drown his sorrows.
Then he realized that even after swiping the card several times in a row, Chi Jianqing still didn’t come looking for him. Gradually, Yu Lang grew bolder.
He treated it as payment for a one night stand.
He plunged headfirst into the bar scene and shouted, “Tonight, everything’s on Young Master Yu!”
Amid tsunami like cheers, he raised his glass. He watched as more than a dozen girls dressed as bunny girls, holding light boards emblazoned with his name, paraded once around the bar before finally stopping in front of Yu Lang’s booth.
Under everyone’s gaze, he elegantly took a sip of the Ace of Spades, fake liquor diluted with water.
Then, with a sharp “pfft!” he sprayed it all over the bar manager.
“That’s unethical,” he said. “One hundred and eighty thousand a bottle and you sell me fake liquor.”
The bar manager replied, “Well, doesn’t this lineup of bunny girls make it worth the price?”
Laughing, Yu Lang tipped the fake liquor straight over the bar manager’s head. Seeing the man’s resentful yet powerless expression, he finally spoke lightly, almost lazily: “Small money.”
A few days passed.
Not only did the buzz around Yu Lang on Weibo fail to cool down with time, it intensified, growing hotter and hotter.
Yu Lang actually had fans now.
Back when he debuted, he’d been forcibly pushed into the center position, despite having almost zero singing or dancing ability.
Later, every drama he acted in flopped one after another, his acting skills mocked across the entire internet.
In the end, he’d been frozen after a disastrous failed betting agreement, leaving behind the résumé of a so called top tier star in name only and yet, under the meticulous packaging of “the boss” relying solely on that face of his, he managed to attract a massive wave of fans!
As long as the face remains, the kingdom stands, an eternal truth of the entertainment industry.
“Yu Lang, there’s an investment meeting for a drama tonight at eight. Are you coming? The second male lead hasn’t been finalized yet. Want to show your face?”
The manager from the boss’s company took the initiative to call Yu Lang, his tone and attitude openly coaxing and ingratiating.
“Sure” Yu Lang replied casually.
At the moment, Yu Lang was still out on the street, experiencing life as a big star. He held a cup of mint milk tea, drinking with great enthusiasm.
Leaning against a motorcycle, he watched as girls continued to gather around him in an endless stream.
He emphasized again and again, “Photos are fine but don’t take ugly ones.”
Using the milk tea as a prop, he cooperated with the cameras, striking several attractive poses that sparked waves of cheers around him.
As his gaze swept across the crowd, Yu Lang’s fingers tightened abruptly around the cup. His heart clenched as well, a sharp stab of pain spreading through it.
In that instant, the world spun violently. He looked down at the milk tea in his hand and it seemed to transform into a damaged heart that had been forcibly torn out.
Their eyes met.
In that split second, everything else fell away, all irrelevant elements stripped clean, leaving only black lenses and the reflections within them, so stark that even color itself became a scarce commodity.
Chi Jianqing’s expression was not cold. If anything, it carried an air of assured arrogance, the kind that came from believing victory was already in hand.
Yu Lang sucked hard on a mouthful of mint milk tea. The cool, refreshing taste rushed straight into his head, clearing it noticeably.
He raised his brows and returned a look just as provocative.
Yu Lang said nothing, yet Chi Jianqing could clearly hear the mockery in his eyes: Being killed by me is your honor.
Chi Jianqing took a step forward. The provocation on Yu Lang’s face vanished instantly, replaced by guilt and panic as he reflexively stepped back.
No longer daring to pay Chi Jianqing any more attention, Yu Lang treated the mint milk tea as though it were a heart he despised. He tossed it aside casually, then swung a leg over his road bike.
Key in. Ignition on. Throttle twisted.
The engine roared to life.
Yu Lang turned his head and shot Chi Jianqing a vicious middle finger, baring his teeth and sticking out his tongue in a grin.
Silently, he cursed, “Idiot”
Vroom!
Vroom! vroom!
In the next second, the tires screamed against the pavement, releasing a deafening hum.
Within Chi Jianqing’s line of sight, Yu Lang shrank rapidly into a single black dot, disappearing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.
By the time Yu Lang arrived at the investment gala, night had already fallen. Men and women of every description gathered at the venue, a sea of glittering figures.
Flattery. Polite chatter.
Yu Lang maneuvered through the crowd. He was not a child blessed with manners or restraint, so all he could do was bite the inside of his tongue, plaster on a fake smile and think about who he might latch onto to snag a supporting male role.
So he could return to the entertainment industry, once again standing toe to toe with the lead actor, playing a villain who was one hundred percent excellent.
Then a refined, mature man entered his field of vision.
The man’s wine glass slipped through the crowd and stopped in front of Yu Lang. He deliberately lowered the rim.
With a light tap, the glasses clinked together, producing a crisp chime.
Several people passing by greeted the man respectfully. “President Zhou.”
He was clearly someone of status at the gala.
Yu Lang did not rush to curry favor. Instead, he bent at the waist and lowered himself, returning a toast from a humbler position.
Once he had successfully caught President Zhou’s attention, Yu Lang quickly withdrew, moving away from the crowd to sit in a quiet corner.
Half a minute later, the sofa beside him sank.
Yu Lang knew the man had taken the bait, drawn in by his deliberate push and pull.
Yu Lang turned his head, wearing a look of pure surprise.
His round eyes widened as he stared at President Zhou in disbelief, only to avert his gaze first, lowering his head and speaking in a low, muffled voice:
“Good evening, President Zhou.”
The diamond encrusted gemstone necklace around President Zhou’s neck caught Yu Lang’s eye again and again. His hands twitched restlessly, itching to move.
Suddenly, Yu Lang’s gaze went unnaturally still.
He froze at a fixed angle.
This time, he was not looking at President Zhou but past his shoulder, straight at the nightmare behind him.
Chi Jianqing had followed him, relentless as a ghost.
They were clearly very far apart, practically from the east end of the hall to the west, spanning the entire banquet space.
And yet the shadow in Yu Lang’s eyes was as if it had been carved from stone with a knife, edges so sharp they hurt to look at. The deep black mass struck against his vision from every angle, hard and unyielding, without a trace of softness.
The nightmare realized it was being observed and stopped, standing perfectly still.
Then, in the instant Yu Lang’s gaze wavered and drifted away, the shadow suddenly surged forward by a great step.
When Yu Lang blinked again, the shadow’s form filled his vision completely.
That calm, expressionless face stared at him coldly. There was no reproach for Yu Lang’s deception but neither was there any kindness.
On the surface, Yu Lang maintained his fake smile and continued making small talk with President Zhou.
The temperature of the gala seemed to plummet all at once.
President Zhou frowned. “Why did it suddenly get so cold?”
Yu Lang took off his jacket. President Zhou reached to take it but Yu Lang dodged his hand.
“I’ll do it for you.”
President Zhou’s unclean gaze piled onto Yu Lang like thick mud.
Yu Lang grasped both ends of the jacket and, as he draped it over the man’s shoulders, naturally leaned his entire body toward him. His arm swept over President Zhou’s shoulder in what looked like an embrace.
The brush at the wrist was unavoidable, light and fleeting.
Fingers loosened. The hem fell.
Without the jacket as cover, the gesture turned into a half hidden hug.
Yu Lang never bothered with meaningless flattery.
At that moment, President Zhou had no idea that the dazzling gems around his neck had already become Yu Lang’s possession.
The brilliant jewelry, bright enough to dazzle the eyes, scraped across the lines of Yu Lang’s palm.
On the surface, Yu Lang smiled and praised President Zhou but in his mind he was already matching the necklace with a full set of luxury brand outfits, planning to take hundreds of glamorous photos to post on Weibo and flaunt his wealth.
This wasn’t stealing. It was simply a more efficient redistribution of resources.
The thief finally remembered the dead man he had left aside.
He lifted his head.
On Chi Jianqing’s deathly pale skin, thin bluish purple veins gradually surfaced, spreading across every inch of exposed flesh.
Against the white of his skin, the color deepened, even turning red.
As if it were cracking.
As if a mirror were splitting apart.
Yu Lang’s snake like tongue traced a deliberate circle along his lips before pressing against his lower lip, his mouth curling into a malicious smile.
In his pupils, Chi Jianqing elongated vertically, making Yu Lang’s eyes look eerily like those of a serpent.
The mirror had cracked but not yet shattered.
Yu Lang decided to help him along.
Yu Lang’s hand landed on President Zhou’s shoulder. Without waiting for anyone to react, he let out a soft yelp and tilted his body, falling lightly into President Zhou’s arms.
Half his face skimmed past the other man’s temple, touching nothing, not even allowing their breaths to mingle.
It was a misaligned kiss.
In Chi Jianqing’s eyes, it looked like lips pressed against a cheek, a kiss offered of one’s own accord.
Yu Lang grew even more excited, locking his gaze onto Chi Jianqing.
Half his body was nearly stretched taut, deliberately provoking those features that were on the verge of collapse.
Chi Jianqing arrived.
He stopped right in front of them.
“Good evening, President Chi,” President Zhou greeted him first.
Chi Jianqing’s eyes moved like small balls jammed in their sockets, turning stiffly downward at the sound. Half lidded, he slowly looked President Zhou up and down before snapping his gaze back into place and fixing it on Yu Lang again.
“President Chi.”
The two words rolled lazily around Yu Lang’s lips like cotton candy before being swallowed whole.
“Good evening,” Chi Jianqing replied.
“President Chi is interested in him as well?” President Zhou said with a smile. “He’s a very pretty boy.”
He removed the jacket from his shoulder, not in a hurry to return it but instead patted it as though showing it off.
The petty pleasure of taking something from someone else was always especially enticing.
Chi Jianqing’s hand reached toward Yu Lang’s throat.
Yu Lang dodged in time, like a cat that refused affection, shooting him a sharp, wary glare.
But almost immediately, Yu Lang realized his lapse. He quickly hid his claws, returning to an obedient, docile facade.
President Zhou sneered, half mocking. “But President Chi… shouldn’t there be an order to these things? First come, first served.”
“Did you kiss him?” Chi Jianqing demanded of Yu Lang.
Yu Lang stayed silent. He had been actively provoking just moments ago, yet now that Chi Jianqing stood before him, he behaved like an elementary school student.
President Zhou answered for him. “I did.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
As he savored that nonexistent sensation, President Zhou sighed. “Young people these days are so proactive.”
Chi Jianqing’s features suddenly spread into an expression of realization.
It was as if he now understood exactly what his next move should be.
For no clear reason, Yu Lang’s heart jolted violently. Panic spread through him like wildfire, igniting his entire body.
His eyes spun rapidly, searching for the source of his fear.
!
He found it.
A fruit knife, a short black handle peeking out from the edge of a coat pocket.
Yu Lang had bought that knife himself. He recognized it instantly.
The thing that cracked didn’t have to be Chi Jianqing’s pitch black mirror, it could just as easily be someone else’s body.
If anyone dares covet you, I’ll kill him outright.
The words exploded in Yu Lang’s shallow mind like popcorn, blowing the lid clean off, his hair nearly standing on end with it.
Chi Jianqing’s hand had already moved, unnoticed, to the knife handle. His sharp gaze pressed against the skin at President Zhou’s temple, as if drawing a boundary, marking a spot, a place that might have been kissed by Yu Lang.
His palm slid closer to the hilt, fingers curling tightly around it.
He was going to cut off President Zhou’s face.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Did you enjoy that? Excellent. Coffee. Now. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Dead HusbandChapter 2 · Ghost ChaseChapter 3 · I’ve been fooled againChapter 4 · I need lots and lots of loveChapter 5 · I’ll kill you!^^Chapter 6 · Haha, really!Chapter 7 · This is what it means to be love-struck.Chapter 8 · We meet again, my loveChapter 9 · The little snakeChapter 10 · I’ve been fooled againChapter 11 · The daily routine of sasaeng fans following othersChapter 12 · Inferiority complexChapter 13 · It hurtsChapter 14 · Want to go out? Sure!Chapter 15 · Damn it!Chapter 16 · My wife hitting me is a reward for meChapter 17 · Licking sweatChapter 18 · The vinegar was friedChapter 19 · What a clever tactic, Chi Jianqing!Chapter 20 · Loving me is a very painful thing.Chapter 21 · The words may be rough, but the principle is soundChapter 22 · It wasn’t just two hitsChapter 23 · Turns out I’m not 3, I’m 1!Chapter 24 · Easy To CoaxChapter 25 · Confessing loveChapter 26 · DearChapter 27 · Honey, it felt so good when you scolded me.Chapter 28 · Let’s go after tearing off the human skinChapter 29 Part 1 · Honey, I caught you!Chapter 29 Part 2 · Honey, I caught you!Chapter 30 · Little Blind CrippleChapter 31 · How could I give up? I’ve given you my heart.Chapter 32 · The gloomy CEOChapter 33 · X-harassmentChapter 34 · Little third wheelChapter 35 · I am Chi JianqingChapter 36 · I am his husband, and you are?Chapter 37 · CarChapter 38 · Broken carChapter 39 · I want to kiss youChapter 40 · Silly babyChapter 41 · Chop off hands and feetChapter 42 · Ships and DeathChapter 43 · Chi Jianqing participated in the battle royale and finally obtained a ticket to meet Yu Lang.Chapter 44 · You bastard, get out of here!Chapter 45 · Bad cats can only be forced to love.Chapter 46 · Circle the fox’s tail and rub it back and forthChapter 47 · It hurts so muchChapter 48 · The Second World EndedChapter 49 · Brainless and grumpyChapter 50 · I don’t like you anymoreChapter 51 · I haven’t thought of a title yetChapter 52 · You smell so good, let me hug you and pet youChapter 53 · A big dog bit a kitten’s muzzleChapter 54 · Captive canariesChapter 55 · Male Ghost StrikesChapter 56 · I told you to be quiet!Chapter 57 · I have decided to bestow upon you the title of my wife.Chapter 58 · We’re talking about loveChapter 59 · I really, really like you!Chapter 60 · I want to eat your noodlesChapter 61 · Don’t abandon your puppy!Chapter 62 · What a blissful ending!Chapter 63 · Extra 1Chapter 64 · Extra 2Chapter 65 · Extra 3