Chapter 108

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Yang Youming’s voice wasn’t loud, rather ice-cold and full of deterrence. In Xia Xingcheng’s impression of him, it wasn’t that Yang Youming wasn’t tough—this was just his first time displaying such a blunt and unconcealed anger.

He was safe and secure in Yang Youming’s arms, and his embrace was so tight that he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He sensed that Yang Youming was genuinely tense.

He was nervous himself, but he had no other choice but to place his wholehearted faith in Yang Youming.

Yet the person who opened the door didn’t turn and leave at Yang Youming’s cold and firm rebuke. Instead, they stood at the door and said, “You dare to leave the door unlocked when you’re fooling around?”

The voice belonged to an unfamiliar man.

At the sound of his voice, however, Xia Xingcheng clearly detected a slight loosening in Yang Youming’s hold. At the same time, his tone relaxed as he said, “The door was locked, how did you get in?”

Xia Xingcheng identified this tone of voice as the one Yang Youming used on somebody he knew well. He couldn’t help but struggle in his arms, wanting to take a look at who exactly the man was. At this hint of a struggle this time, Yang Youming removed his hand, letting him look up and see the man at the door.

The man was standing at the doorway, his back against the corridor lights, but from the tall build and the slim-fit black suit, Xia Xingcheng recognized him at a glance—it was the man who had spoken to Yang Youming back at the award hall.

At this time, his head was lowered as he fiddled with the door lock, seemingly somewhat shocked. He said, “Locked?”

Xia Xingcheng saw him press the inner lock with a finger, then turned the outer lock again. The lock core that had already been locked appeared to suddenly flip back to its original position simultaneously. The man spread his arms. “The lock’s broken. That’s not my concern.”

Yang Youming and Xia Xingcheng watched him fiddle with the door lock. They’d been too stirred up when they came in, and had casually locked it without double-checking—they never expected that the door couldn’t be locked in the first place.

In light of this, Xia Xingcheng was covered in cold sweat from head to toe once more.

“Do you have to talk from the doorway?” Yang Youming said to the man. “Anyone could pass by any time.”

The man adopted a helpless tone, “Aren’t I afraid that your passion hasn’t been extinguished and you’ll keep going at it?” Despite these words, he still walked in and closed the door behind him.

Yang Youming said to Xia Xingcheng, “This is Lu Nianxin, you ought to have met him, right?”

Hearing Lu Nianxin’s name, Xia Xingcheng immediately reacted. The man in front of him was the boss of Yang Youming’s agency, Juxin Entertainment. No wonder he felt that the man seemed familiar—he had once seen Lu Nianxin at a charity dinner, but they hadn’t crossed each other’s paths. Strictly speaking, this was the first time they spoke face to face.

He wasn’t sure how old Lu Nianxin actually was, but he looked to be in his thirties. However, Xia Xingcheng guessed that his real age ought to be a little older, after all, it had been almost twenty years since he single-handedly founded Juxin.

As Xia Xingcheng sized Lu Nianxin up, Lu Xianxin did the same. He then extended a hand towards Xia Xingcheng, “Nice to meet you.”

Xia Xingcheng promptly followed suit and shook his hand. Recalling that Yang Youming hadn’t introduced him, he then said, “Hello Mr. Lu, I’m Xia Xingcheng.”

Lu Nianxin laughed and said, “I know. My ears are getting worn down from hearing your name.”

Xia Xingcheng turned to Yang Youming.

Lu Nianxin said, “Not him, it’s Du Jin. He’s been complaining to me about you guys for a long long time.”

At Du Jin’s name, Xia Xingcheng suddenly became a little nervous. Yang Youming was surrounded with so many veterans who had worked with him for more than ten years—Li Yun, Du Jin, Lu Nianxin. He knew that Li Yun didn’t like him, but he didn’t expect that Du Jin, whom he had never met before, also opposed them.

Lu Nianxin probably perceived Xia Xingcheng’s nervousness as he said, “Don’t mind, Du Jin can’t control Youming. He only dares to complain in front of me, he doesn’t dare say shit in front of Youming.” With that, he lifted hand to pat Xia Xingcheng’s shoulder.

Yet Yang Youming raised his hand and batted it away.

Xia Xingcheng froze for a moment. He first looked at Yang Youming, then turned back to Lu Nianxin, only to see Lu Nianxin inspecting his own hand. Laughing, he said, “Are my hands dirty somehow?”

Yang Youming said, “Your hand isn’t dirty, your mind is.”

Xia Xingcheng felt that Yang Youming’s words were too crude, and he was worried that Lu Nianxin would get angry.

Yet Lu Nianxin surprisingly remained grinning. “Your words aren’t making me happy.” Though he said that, he didn’t look the slightest bit displeased. Turning to Xia Xingcheng, he said, “Go comfort this little friend so he won’t be so nervous.”

Yang Youming reached over and grabbed Xia Xingcheng’s hand, then said to Lu Nianxin, “No need.”

Lu Nianxin laughed as he looked down at their hands. He sighed, then said, “If there’s no need then forget it, it’s me who interrupted you two, sorry about that. But if you’re planning on continuing, you’d better change rooms. Make sure there’s no problem with the lock.”

Xia Xingcheng glanced at the door lock with lingering trauma.

“What’s your business here? Don’t you know how to knock first?” Yang Youming asked Lu Nianxin.

Lu Nianxin was already at the doorway, and he reached out to touch the lock. “Wasn’t I waiting for you to introduce your new wife? How was I supposed to know that the door would open just like that?”

Hearing the word ‘wife’, even in the dark, Xia Xingcheng subconsciously blushed.

People passed by in the corridor outside; it appeared to be two girls, giggling as they gossiped in low whispers.

Yang Youming, seeming to have calmed down from his moment of impulse, said to Xia Xingcheng, “Let’s get out of here.”

Xia Xingcheng nodded.

Right then, Lu Nianxin suddenly lifted a hand and turned on the lights. Xia Xingcheng’s eyes that had previously adjusted to the dark now stung from the abrupt bright lights, and he instinctively shut his eyes.

Lu Nianxin gave the two a once over, and said, “Fix up your clothes.”

It was only then that Xia Xingcheng noticed how disorderly his and Yang Youming’s clothes appeared. He immediately lowered his head and straightened out his clothes. Yang Youming was seemingly much more relaxed, his slender fingers curling as he fastened the buttons on his collar one by one and re-tied his bowtie. Afterwards, he also helped Xia Xingcheng straighten out his collar.

Lu Nianxin then reached out to open the door.

When the door of the private room opened, the two actresses standing at one end of the corridor were whispering to each other. They seemed to be the two people who had passed just a moment ago. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, they peered over for a look.

As Lu Nianxin exited the room, he grabbed the shoulder of Xia Xingcheng who followed behind him. Without giving Yang Youming time to react, he took Xia Xingcheng into his arms and walked out.

The two actresses had a hint of astonishment in their eyes. As soon as they spotted Yang Youming coming out of the room, they promptly opened their mouth to greet him. “Ming ge.”

Yang Youming nodded. He was walking at the very back, and he closed the door after turning off the lights.

The three of them seemed as if they were looking for a room to chat in. The two actresses no longer found them strange, so they withdrew their gazes.

With his arm still around Xia Xingcheng’s shoulder, Lu Nianxin’s strides were large as he walked and talked. “It’s almost the Lunar New Year, let’s all go out for a meal.”

Xia Xingcheng turned to seek out Yang Youming.

Lu Nianxin said, “What are you looking at him for? Can’t I even invite you out to a meal?”

Xia Xingcheng smiled. “Of course you can, but I have to ask Ming ge if he’s free, so we can go together.”

Lu Nianxin thus laughed. “Sure, your Ming ge has the final say anyway. I’ll make an appointment with him later and invite Du Jin too. We should get together before the New Year.”

They eventually arrived at the hall as they talked. Many people caught sight of Lu Nianxin talking to Xia Xingcheng with an arm around his shoulders, and they all looked towards them.

In this industry, a rich and resourceful big boss like Lu Nianxin is the one everyone wants curry favor with.

When Lu Nianxin finally let go of Xia Xingcheng, he turned and saw the expressionless Yang Youming. He then went and slung an arm over the man’s shoulders, pulling him to a corner for a few words.

Everybody knew what the relationship between Lu Nianxin and Yang Youming was, so there were less probing gazes directed at the two.

Seeing that they appeared to have a lot to talk about, Xia Xingcheng returned to his seat.

The media interviews were still ongoing, and the one who was currently being interviewed was the veteran actor who won this year’s Film Emperor title.

Xia Xingcheng leaned back on his chair and looked around. The frustrations in his heart from a moment ago had entirely been appeased by Yang Youming. Staring at the centre of the spotlight, he thought to himself, it was only a matter of time before he stood there himself.

Afterwards, there was always someone at Yang Youming’s side, and there was nothing he could do to go over to Xia Xingcheng.

But come the end of the late-night dinner, they went back to the hotel at around the same time.

Xia Xingcheng had drunk a little wine, and his whole body was faintly feverish.

It was already the wee hours of the morning, yet the hotel lobby was bustling with people. Yang Youming was standing in the middle of the lobby talking with a distinguished actress in her forties, with three or four young actors around him listening in on their conversation.

Jogging into the hotel lobby, Xia Xingcheng saw a glimpse of Yang Youming’s handsome face through the crowd.

Yang Youming turned his head and caught a quick look at Xia Xingcheng. He then said to the actress, “It’s late, we’d all better rest up.”

The actress nodded and, gathering the shawl around her, she turned to head to the elevator.

The other young actors also accompanied them into the elevator.

Yang Youming was one step slower, waiting for Xia Xingcheng to come over—he walked into the elevator with him last.

The elevator was packed to the brim, and no one spoke any longer. They merely watched in silence as the floor indicator lights it flashed from floor to floor.

Xia Xingcheng and Yang Youming stood at the very front. The elevator door in front of them had a mirror surface, and it clearly reflected everyone’s faces.

Xia Xingcheng had run a fair distance, and due to the wine he drank, his lips were dry. Right as he licked his lips, his line of sight fell on Yang Youming’s face in the mirror and found that the man’s eyes were trained on him.

The floor they stayed on was above the tenth floor. The elevator slowly climbed upwards.

After Xia Xingcheng noticed Yang Youming’s eyes, his mouth felt even drier, so he licked his lips again.

In the quiet elevator, Yang Youming suddenly lifted a hand and patted Xia Xingcheng’s shoulder—his strength not small.

Xia Xingcheng couldn’t keep his heartbeat from accelerating. He looked at Yang Youming nervously.

The other people in the elevator also looked over towards them.

Yang Youming calmly withdrew his hands, and said, “Your clothes were dirty.”

Xia Xingcheng was baffled, not knowing where it was dirty. He couldn’t ask, and had no other choice but to play along and politely say, “Thank you, Ming ge.”

As they arrived on Xia Xingcheng’s floor, two young actors exited the elevator along with him.

Yang Youming remained in the elevator, watching Xia Xingcheng the whole time, until the elevator doors closed.

When Xia Xingcheng turned towards his room, he subconsciously peered down at his shoulder. He didn’t find any stains, but when he moved a little closer, he smelled a mild hint of men’s cologne. It wasn’t Yang Youming’s scent, so it was probably Lu Nianxin’s.

He tread on the soft carpet and continued walking, unable to resist a small smile.

Back in his room, Xia Xingcheng took off his clothes, hung them, then went to the bathroom to shower. He came out in a bathrobe after his shower, then lay on his bed and grabbed his phone to send Yang Youming a message, “Are you asleep?”

Yang Youming didn’t reply.

Xia Xingcheng laid there in silence, hands propping up his phone in front of his face. He stared at it for a while yet there was no reply and, blinking tiredly, he unknowingly fell asleep.

The lights in the room hadn’t been turned off. He was lying on his back, chin against the bed, and he maintained this uncomfortable sleeping posture for an unknown period of time when the phone that had fallen out of his hands suddenly rang.

Xia Xingcheng was awakened with a start. He reached out for his phone and, seeing that Yang Youming was calling, he swiftly accepted the call and pressed his phone to his ear. With a voice still slurred from sleep, he said, “Ming ge?”

Yang Youming’s deep voice rang out in the spacious and empty room. “Open the door.”

Xia Xingcheng froze for a moment, and by the time he reacted, he’d already jumped off the bed, the belt of his bathrobe falling loose. The lapels were wide open, and he didn’t even bother with his slippers as he rushed to open the door.

Yang Youming was standing outside the door with his phone in his hand, and walked in the moment he saw the door opening. He had already showered and changed his clothes; he wore a loose long-sleeved shirt paired with linen pants, and his hair was down and soft. In the dim lighting, he looked like a twenty-something youth.

Xia Xingcheng yawned as he closed the door. “I thought you were asleep.”

Yang Youming made his way over to the king-sized bed and turned to look at him. “You’re not even dressed. What if it wasn’t me outside?”

Under Xia Xingcheng’s open bathrobe was a lone pair of white cotton underwear, and other than that, one had an unobstructed view of the wide expanse of his beautiful body. He tugged at the robe and said, “Who else would it be if not you?”

Yang Youming bent down and unhurriedly sat down on the bed.

Xia Xingcheng immediately leaned over and took a seat on his lap with his legs apart, wrapped his arms around Yang Youming’s shoulders, and asked, “Why did you come over so late?” He thought that Yang Youming wouldn’t be coming.

Yang Youming held his waist and said, “Couldn’t sleep.”

Xia Xingcheng laughed, looking at him as he asked, “Why did you pat my shoulder back in the elevator?”

Yang Youming’s expression stayed the same as he said, “It was dirty.”

“Where was it dirty?” Xia Xingcheng asked unrelentingly.

Yang Youming softly said, “If I say it’s dirty, it’s dirty.” After that, he leaned back and collapsed on the bed.

Xia Xingcheng’s back was pressed, and he fell down along with him. Lying on Yang Youming’s body, he saw the other man close his eyes.

Yang Youming said he couldn’t sleep, but he looked exhausted nonetheless.

Lying on top of Yang Youming, Xia Xingcheng quietly watched his face and asked, “You don’t like Lu Nianxin touching me, do you?”

Yang Youming kept his eyes shut, and only after a while did he answer, “Lu Nianxin—there’s nothing wrong with the man, other than the fact that he can’t control his lower body. He’s fine with both men and women.”

Xia Xingcheng propped his face on his hands, slightly distanced himself from Yang Youming, and trained his gaze on Yang Youming’s fine features. Laughing, he said, “He’s a horndog?”[1]

When Yang Youming heard this description, the corners of his mouth curled up. “That’s right. The only kind of people he’s interested in are the ones he wants to sleep with.”

Xia Xingcheng thought for a moment, and wondered, “You guys are pretty close, does he want to sleep with you?”

Yang Youming lifted a hand and left a heavy slap on Xia Xingcheng’s butt. “Does he want to die?” His eyes remained closed the whole time, and his tone didn’t fluctuate much.

Xia Xingcheng laughed. “I didn’t think so too. He knows about our relationship, there’s no way he’d have any thoughts about me.”

Yang Youming didn’t respond. After a while, he let out a long hum.

Xia Xingcheng thought he’d fallen asleep, so he quietly laid down, face sideways on the bed sheets as he stared at the visible half of Yang Youming’s face.

Yang Youming’s breathing was soft and unhurried, his body motionless.

Xia Xingcheng shifted to his ear and whispered, “Didn’t you have trouble sleeping?”

Yang Youming suddenly hugged him and turned over. Lying on his side and holding him tightly, his face on Xia Xingcheng’s shoulder and his lips pressing against the tattoo on his collarbone, he said, “That’s why I came to hug you to sleep.”

☆ ☆ ☆

[1] lmao the original term was ‘human teddy’/’human toy poodle’ which is apparently slang for someone who can and wants to go at it any time anywhere… like the dog

t/n – thank you to Anon for the kofi!

⟵ Chapter 107 | TOC | Chapter 109 ⟶

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