Chapter 44: The Truth About Shen Chao

The thought of UK holding so many shares in Leaf Media had Liu Pangpang so worried he couldn’t even eat dinner.

But Fu Mu and Su Xuan had remarkably strong nerves. After making a fuss, the two calmly reached a consensus and actually went out for Haidilao hotpot.

Su Xuan ordered four different hotpot bases in separate pots, watching the bubbling broth with intense craving.

He had to wear designer clothes for many of his recent appearances, and these were almost all high-end. High-end clothing has a peculiar trait: if you gain even a little weight, it looks terrible. Su Xuan’s physique had previously been only average in the industry—nowhere near the magazine-cover bodies of Du Mu or Shen Chao.

But after filming, Su Xuan had painstakingly developed quite nice abs. When he took off his clothes for a commercial, it was actually quite eye-catching.

To maintain this figure, Su Xuan hadn’t eaten anything strongly flavored in a long time. So when Fu Mu asked if he wanted hotpot, he couldn’t help but nod enthusiastically.

Su Xuan ordered almost every item on the Haidilao menu, leaving Liu Pangpang no time to grieve. He furiously slapped Su Xuan’s hand away: “Eat less!! Are you a pig?!”

Su Xuan looked at him with pleading eyes: “Pangpang, I’m hungry.”

Fu Mu frowned from the side: “Let Su Xuan eat. He’s hungry.”

Liu Pangpang pointed at them in exasperation: “He’s never not hungry! Fu Mu, I’m telling you, don’t spoil Su Xuan like you used to, giving him everything to eat. If he turns into a fatso, can he still model luxury goods?”

Fu Mu had signed with Leaf Media when he was only seventeen or eighteen, a half-grown boy at his peak appetite. When they went out for hotpot, he could easily eat 150 yuan per person.

Su Xuan used to eat with Fu Mu often, and he couldn’t resist having one more bite, then another, then another.

A man only needs one bite and countless more—Su Xuan.

Su Xuan’s peak weight was 140 pounds, but he was only 176 cm tall. He didn’t look fat, but there was some belly.

Meanwhile, Fu Mu’s weight also reached 140, but this rascal was only two centimeters shorter than Ning Xinyang at 186 cm, with solid muscle. In clothes, he looked thin.

During that time, Su Xuan was heartbroken, and heartbreak makes you want to eat. But Fu Mu ate with him and gained no weight—just grew taller and more muscular.

At the time, Su Xuan felt a resentment that his bestie could eat the same things as him without gaining weight while he packed on pounds.

Eventually, Su Xuan reluctantly began dieting.

Liu Pangpang gave Su Xuan a threatening look: “You’re going to have a public partnership with Shen Chao. Do you want him standing next to a 140-pound fatso?”

Su Xuan dejectedly withdrew his hand that wanted to order more, looking pitiful: “Forget it then. I’m going to be working with Shen Chao. Being too fat would be embarrassing.”

Fu Mu’s resentment toward Shen Chao was completely natural. As soon as he heard that, he snatched the tablet and started ordering: “Working together, working together—he’s just stringing you along. Hey, Su Xuan, I don’t get it. What’s so good about Shen Chao that you can’t even eat? You’re such a simp.”

The conflict between Shen Chao and Fu Mu was deeply rooted, mainly stemming from Su Xuan. Even when Su Xuan ate lunch in the cafeteria, it was a small war.

Su Xuan usually chose a spot where he could see Shen Chao and sit down to eat. Occasionally, Shen Chao would meet his gaze. Just as Su Xuan happily raised his hand to greet him, Fu Mu would plop down with a cold face, blocking the view between them.

Su Xuan’s smile froze: “…”

Shen Chao, who had been about to respond: “…”

Fu Mu strictly guarded against any interaction between Su Xuan and that green tea male god, Shen Chao.

For a while, they lived in the company dormitory. One night, Su Xuan schemed to borrow shampoo from Shen Chao. When he opened the door, Fu Mu was standing there with a full set of toiletries, grinning sarcastically: “I knew you were going to borrow something from Shen Chao. Tell me, what do you need? I have everything here.”

Su Xuan: “…”

Su Xuan calmly glanced at Fu Mu’s toiletries: “Borrow soap.”

Fu Mu snorted: “Were you planning to borrow soap from Shen Chao or pick up soap? Do you think I don’t know?”

Su Xuan: “…”

Having a junior disciple who knew him too well was really annoying!!

At that time, Song Xiao was filming with Shen Chao, and rumors were flying. Su Xuan hadn’t yet developed immunity to Shen Chao’s scandals. He would wail to Fu Mu that straight men were poison.

Especially after Shen Chao rejected Su Xuan, he would occasionally come to have meals with Su Xuan, greet him, or privately ask for acting advice. On one hand, Shen Chao was getting close with Song Xiao, and on the other, he was stringing along Su Xuan, an excellent graduate from the Shanghai Theater Academy, to explain scenes.

It made Fu Mu furious and frustrated.

Fu Mu’s view was that since the other party knew he was straight and had rejected Su Xuan, he should keep his distance instead of flirting.

And Fu Mu’s anger peaked when he learned that Shen Chao had asked Su Xuan if he and Fu Mu were together at the peak of their relationship.

“Were you already dating Fu Mu when you confessed to me?”

Shen Chao had been insinuating for a long time.

Su Xuan privately explained to Shen Chao: “Fu Mu is straight. He’s my friend.”

Fu Mu snorted at Su Xuan: “He rejected you. Who you date is none of his damn business! Isn’t he straight?! Why does he care about your affairs?! So what if I’m your boyfriend?! He can bite me!”

Su Xuan helplessly explained to Fu Mu: “Shen Chao is straight. He’s just worried that you’re tricking me. I need to clarify things.”

Shen Chao said to Su Xuan: “Oh, really? I’ve never seen a straight guy who monopolizes his friend like that.”

Fu Mu laughed coldly: “Tricked by me? I’ve never seen a straight guy who meddles in others’ business like that.”

Shen Chao said: “Are you sure he’s not interested in you?”

Fu Mu said: “None of his damn business. Green tea d*ck.”

One said coldly, the other sneered: “I don’t believe it. Is he really straight?”

Ahhh! Su Xuan went crazy. Why did they have to squeeze him in between?! Don’t use me as a messenger!

Why don’t you two just fight it out face to face!

In the end, both Shen Chao and Fu Mu believed that Su Xuan was a backup being used by a straight guy. Su Xuan, doubly backup, was on the verge of tears. He couldn’t explain himself, wanting to ask what these straight men misunderstood about the gay circle. He was a bottom, where would he find so many tops to string him along?

Su Xuan sadly thought that he was clearly a single gay dog, yet he was stuck in a triangular love affair with two straight men that had no end. It seemed like there were tops everywhere, but there wasn’t a single one.

Su Xuan called it Schrödinger’s top, also known as the false straight man effect.

When surrounded by these invisible and intangible tops, Su Xuan felt that maybe there was something wrong with his approach to being a bottom.

At that time, rumors were rife in Leaf Media that the [New Star] group was in a love triangle, saying Su Xuan was amazing for bending two straight men with his own power.

But in reality, Su Xuan was nothing. He was caught in the middle as a double simp, and his reputation suffered severely. Thinking back, it was all tears.

Back then, Fu Mu acted as if he had turned gay, clinging to Su Xuan all day. Whenever he saw Shen Chao, he would hum and scoff, until Su Xuan finally couldn’t take it anymore and said: “Aren’t you going to get a girlfriend anymore? You’re sticking to me like a gay! Don’t you care about your reputation?!”

Fu Mu acted as if nothing was wrong: “I don’t care. I’m handsome and talented. There will be plenty of girls who love me in the future.”

Su Xuan gritted his teeth: “But I still need a boyfriend! If you ruin my reputation like this, how can I get a boyfriend?!”

Fu Mu was shocked: “When did you ever have a reputation? Have you ever had a boyfriend?”

Su Xuan: “…”

This guy was so annoying!!!!

Fu Mu added even more items to Su Xuan’s order, then put the tablet down and said generously: “Eat whatever you want from the hotpot. I’ll treat.”

Su Xuan said melancholically: “Too bad I can’t eat. Sigh.”

Being a celebrity was really a magical job. When you couldn’t afford it, you couldn’t eat; when you could afford it, you couldn’t eat.

Fu Mu was like an old father watching his daughter starve herself for a scumbag, raging helplessly: “Come on! Are you really going to diet for Shen Chao?”

Su Xuan tapped Fu Mu’s head with the handle of his chopsticks in annoyance: “I have a lot of endorsements now that have image requirements. If I gain weight, nothing looks good on me. Don’t you have to maintain your figure? I don’t have time to exercise a lot, so I need to watch my diet.”

Fu Mu: “I don’t need to watch my diet. I’m still growing.”

Su Xuan: “…”

Su Xuan, the elderly who was almost thirty, changed the subject to avoid being annoyed to death by Fu Mu while eating his hotpot: “How did you find out about UK?”

They had chosen a private room with good soundproofing. Liu Pangpang also leaned in, curious. Both Su Xuan and Fu Mu were under his management, and they had similar information channels. Logically, Su Xuan, who had been on many film sets and knew many people, should have more channels than Fu Mu.

There was no reason for Fu Mu, a newcomer, to know inside information about UK before Su Xuan.

Su Xuan only learned the inside story of UK after interacting with top-tier people like Wang Muzhe, Hua Na, and Song Xiao.

Fu Mu paused his hand while cooking tripe, looked up at Su Xuan, and said: “Do you know who tipped off the higher-ups about my fight with Shen Chao?”

Su Xuan’s eyes widened: “You found out?”

Shen Chao and Fu Mu had a fight before they left, but fighting was strictly prohibited at Leaf Media. If discovered, it could be considered a serious incident, lead to online reports, and require a huge penalty payment. It could ruin an entertainment career. And Fu Mu couldn’t afford that money. So when Su Xuan discovered the fight, the first thing he did was cover it up. He was sure no third party knew.

Fu Mu ate a piece of tripe: “At first, I thought it was Ning Xinyang, to take my spot in the New Star group. Someone reportedly saw him at the scene of the fight. So I suspected him. Later, when he went to UK, I became even more suspicious. But I never expected…”

The New Star group had three standout figures: singer Fu Mu, excellent graduate Su Xuan from Shanghai Theater Academy, and Shen Chao, who had an exceptionally photogenic face.

Ning Xinyang had also wanted to join the New Star group, but his positioning overlapped with Fu Mu, and he wasn’t as outstanding in appearance or ability, so he was rejected. Although he still followed Liu Pangpang, his treatment was much worse than Fu Mu’s.

Su Xuan knew that Ning Xinyang had always envied Fu Mu for being trained by the New Star group. Later, when he found out that the New Star group was run by UK, he used all his savings to buy out his contract and left Leaf Media for UK.

Fu Mu took a gulp of sour plum juice, his expression complicated: “…It wasn’t him. He went to UK without knowing anything. Later, I spent money to get him back from UK.”

“But while investigating, I discovered that Liu Mengke had contact with Ning Xinyang. Liu Mengke introduced him to UK, and also introduced UK to other artists at Leaf Media. He described UK as a dream paradise. I feel many people were tempted, especially the younger ones.”

Su Xuan’s scalp tingled. After Shen Chao left, the New Star group was soon disbanded due to Leaf Media’s poor management. Then a large number of promising newcomers bought out their contracts and went to UK and other companies, like Ning Xinyang, indirectly draining Leaf Media.

Su Xuan had thought it was because of Shen Chao’s departure, but now it seemed Liu Mengke might have been involved.

Fu Mu continued: “I’ve been in underground bars, and I think the way Liu Mengke persuaded Ning Xinyang was like pimping minors in those bars. Something felt off. But since I was facing expulsion from Leaf Media and a huge penalty payment for fighting, I approached Liu Mengke and said I wanted to become famous. After he made a few demands…”

Fu Mu lifted his eyelids and glanced at Su Xuan: “He took me to UK headquarters.”

Su Xuan couldn’t help raising his voice: “UK headquarters? You were at UK headquarters during that month you disappeared?”

Fu Mu had disappeared for a month in the middle, said to be taken for special training, right after the two had a falling out over Shen Chao.

Fu Mu didn’t answer directly but continued: “I made a lot of money there. Liu Mengke took a thirty percent cut. He revealed the [All New Star] plan to me, saying they originally meant to sign you. I said I wanted to be famous. Then you know what happened next.”

He gave a sarcastic smile: “This [All New Star] plan was soon aborted when UK withdrew from Leaf Media, thinking it had no potential. I went through all that for nothing.”

Su Xuan was silent for a moment, then asked: “Did you find out who reported the fight between you and Shen Chao?”

Fu Mu looked at him, tilted his head back, and finished the sour plum juice with a smack, his tone ambiguous: “Su Xuan, haven’t you already guessed? There was no outsider report. Neither you nor I reported it. So who could it be?”

Su Xuan inhaled sharply, rubbing his hands vigorously on his knees. His eyes landed on the bubbling hotpot, his expression indistinct in the rich steam rising. His voice carried a sense of unreality: “Shen Chao?”

Liu Pangpang was also stunned: “Who? Shen Chao? Wasn’t he already gone?”

Fu Mu said: “Yes. Shen Chao turned back and stabbed us.”

Su Xuan picked up several shrimp balls with his chopsticks and ate them without a word, which only made Fu Mu more anxious. He threw down his chopsticks: “Do you really believe he’s a good person?”

Fu Mu emphasized: “Who else could it be?”

Liu Pangpang hesitated before adding: “If Fu Mu got fired for the fight, wouldn’t you, Su Xuan, have accepted Shen Chao’s invitation to Star Culture? Star Culture could pay the penalty for fighting…”

Fu Mu snorted repeatedly, crossing his arms: “I told you he’s a deep-scheming green tea d*ck.”

Su Xuan tapped his fingers on the table, frowning deeply as if connecting something in his mind. He pulled a pencil and a notebook from under the hotpot table and wrote: “Don’t panic. Everyone sees things from their own known perspective. Let me write everything down and see if we find any new conclusions.”

Fu Mu said pityingly: “Su Xuan, stop struggling. With your IQ, it’s normal to fall for a green tea guy.”

Su Xuan: “…”

Su Xuan glared at him, but his hands kept working as he muttered: “Shen Chao had no reason to report us.”

Su Xuan, being a bit narcissistic, thought based on Shen Chao’s various actions that even if Shen Chao had no romantic interest, at least he considered Su Xuan a friend.

Shen Chao wouldn’t do that to a friend.

Shen Chao had always wanted to take him away. It was only after Fu Mu replaced Su Xuan in that damn [All New Star] plan, and UK withdrew investment from Leaf Media, that Star Culture and UK officially started fighting. At that point, the failing Leaf Media became much safer than the hot Star Culture.

So when Su Xuan said he would stay for Fu Mu, Shen Chao was silent for a long time. He looked at Su Xuan with an expression Su Xuan didn’t understand, then said, “If I said I like you, would you come with me?”

At that time, Su Xuan felt humiliated. He felt like a tool because his acting was good, and Shen Chao wanted to take him away. But now, thinking back, if Shen Chao was straight, perhaps that was a lure or a sacrifice to get him to leave.

But Su Xuan chose to stay at Leaf Media, to watch over Fu Mu. He sarcastically told Shen Chao that he wouldn’t leave for a momentary liking.

Like was like, but he would rather not have such charity-like companionship. He pushed away Shen Chao’s outstretched hand.

Su Xuan barely remembered Shen Chao’s expression then. He only recalled the moment he pushed Shen Chao’s hand away, how his once burning affection turned to ashes, and the tears of humiliation he fought to hold back. But now, thinking back, he remembered Shen Chao looking at him calmly, murmuring as if in sudden realization or relief, “So it was only a momentary liking?”

“Shen Chao wouldn’t betray a friend,” Su Xuan said, frowning. “There must be someone or something else we haven’t thought of that could have exposed your fight…”

Su Xuan stopped there, slowly looking at Liu Pangpang, who also seemed to recall something.

“…I know what happened,” Liu Pangpang said with a bitter smile.

Fu Mu frowned: “What happened?”

Liu Pangpang shook his head miserably, rubbing his face: “Both you and Shen Chao went to the emergency room. The ER can be reimbursed through the company’s medical insurance. Shen Chao had already terminated his contract, but yours still went through the company insurance. I remember your ER medical history report mentioned your injuries were from fighting. The company department probably directly reported it.”

Fu Mu was indignant: “That’s it?!”

Liu Pangpang was also speechless: “Yeah. Normally, you would have to submit the report yourself, and you could modify it accordingly. But then you disappeared for a whole month! I didn’t think about it either. Everyone was broke back then, so we submitted the reimbursement process for you.”

Fu Mu was totally speechless. He had hated Shen Chao for so long over this, only to find out it was such a ridiculous mistake.

Su Xuan tapped his fingers on the bowl twice and tentatively asked: “Why do you think Shen Chao reacted so sensitively to UK?”

Both of them looked at him.

Liu Pangpang also wondered: “Right, he reacted too quickly. He left cleanly, as if he knew UK wasn’t something good…”

Su Xuan’s initially relaxed expression turned serious. He uncrossed his arms and slowly said: “What if the [New Star] project wanted to sign me and Fu Mu to create a second Shen Chao? That would mean there was a project to create the first Shen Chao.”

“Only after successfully creating the first Shen Chao could there be a follow-up star-making project…” Su Xuan shuddered at the thought, looking around: “What if Shen Chao had also undergone training at UK?”

Fu Mu frowned: “But why would he agree to go to Star Culture for training? Shen Chao could have just left. He’s not like us; he’s rich. He wouldn’t have difficulty paying the penalty.”

Su Xuan looked at him: “Fu Mu, you sound so sour.”

Liu Pangpang took the notebook and wrote [Su Xuan]. He stroked his double chin thoughtfully, sighed, and said: “I think Shen Chao did it for Su Xuan.”

Both Su Xuan and Fu Mu looked at him.

Liu Pangpang continued writing and drawing on the notebook, analyzing: “If Shen Chao had just left, the [All New Star] plan would have fallen on Su Xuan. Star Culture hadn’t emerged yet, and there was no competitor to UK. If he left directly, Su Xuan would probably have been exploited for five years.”

“Su Xuan signed a five-year contract with Leaf Media. The New Star project wanted to train him, and Su Xuan would likely have agreed. At that time, no one knew what UK really was. Everyone thought UK was great—a path to stardom. If Su Xuan had been specially trained by the project, he would have been thrilled.”

Fu Mu snorted coldly: “I still think Shen Chao is a b*tch. If he really didn’t want Su Xuan to be exploited by the project, he could have just told Su Xuan how disgusting UK is, and Su Xuan could have refused directly. Why all the fancy tricks?”

Liu Pangpang shook his head grimly: “I’ll say something unpleasant, Fu Mu. At that time, if Shen Chao had said that the [New Star] project—the ace group that created you and promoted a bunch of stars—was all a scam, would you have left? And if the New Star group simultaneously presented a very attractive star-making plan with lots of resources, would you leave?”

Fu Mu paused, his expression turning awkward: “…No.”

Liu Pangpang looked at Su Xuan: “Would you leave?”

Su Xuan hesitated for a long time, then honestly sighed: “…I don’t know.”

“See?” Liu Pangpang spread his hands. “Neither of you would have fully believed Shen Chao, nor would you have easily quit the project just because of his words. What use would his words have been?”

Su Xuan’s mouth slowly fell open in shock.

Considering UK’s perverse nature… Su Xuan stared blankly at Fu Mu’s familiar yet unfamiliar face, thinking of Du Mu, who had played an orphan for almost ten years; Wang Muzhe, whose voice was bitter when talking about UK; Ning Xinyang, who now had a hoarse voice; and Yan Gang, who said many stunt doubles had died at UK…

A chill crept up Su Xuan’s spine, making his scalp cold. In front of him was a boiling hotpot, but he felt cold from head to toe, trembling.

What had Shen Chao gone through during those three years of the bet? Why had he become so outstanding—working skills that even Su Xuan, a graduate of the Shanghai Theater Academy, couldn’t match, excellent acting and business ability, formidable work intensity year-round, calmly facing severe injuries, eager to go back before recovering…

In just three years, he had changed beyond recognition, astonishingly excellent to the point of being terrifying.

Liu Pangpang gloomily ate a piece of tomato: “…I think Shen Chao is a real man. He did everything he could for you two.”

Su Xuan felt suffocated. He pushed away his dipping sauce, unable to eat another bite: “I don’t need this kind of silent sacrifice. He could have told me. And Shen Chao has absolutely no obligation to protect me like this!”

Su Xuan wanted to confront Shen Chao: Who am I to you? Why are you protecting me like this, without a word, expecting nothing? Are you some kind of selfless savior?!

Why did you stay at Leaf Media knowing everything? What were you thinking? You could have left this circle at any time.

Shen Chao, why did you go this far for someone who confessed to you four years ago and has been rejected by you ever since?

After eating hotpot, Su Xuan went home and lay sideways on his bed, staring blankly at the giant poster taped next to his computer.

The poster beside his computer was for “Horses’ Hooves in Flight.” The young and arrogant Crown Prince Shen Chao wore a dragon robe and a golden crown, with a restrained gaze piercing through the poster from above, exuding a chilling aura.

He rode a horse across bushes, holding a birch longbow, majestic with an overwhelming presence. Whenever Su Xuan was too tired to memorize his lines and wanted to slack off, he would glance at Shen Chao on the poster, stare blankly for a moment, and then continue.

Song Xiao had told Su Xuan that this poster shot of Shen Chao was taken seventy-eight times.

When Shen Chao was too tired to memorize lines, what did he rely on to keep going?

Su Xuan carefully recalled filming with Shen Chao. He didn’t think he had ever seen Shen Chao look very tired. Even after two consecutive all-nighters, his expression remained unchanged, and he never complained. At those times, Su Xuan, exhausted himself, had marveled at the young man’s vitality.

Now, thinking about it, maybe it wasn’t because of good vitality. Shen Chao was already used to this work pace.

From the quantity and quality of Shen Chao’s acting output during the three-year bet, Su Xuan could tell that his workload was on a completely different level from Su Xuan’s.

Shen Chao was operating under a kind of self-destructive pressure while maintaining efficient and calm output—every film a hit, every episode high quality.

But why? What was Shen Chao staying here for, enduring all this torment, this wear, these injuries?

Was it for me? Su Xuan thought dazedly.

But doesn’t Shen Chao dislike me?

To imagine that the other person likes you after they have clearly rejected your confession several times—Su Xuan thought he was being a bit narcissistic.

Wasn’t one of the three great illusions of life mistakenly thinking someone likes you?

But then, why would Shen Chao go this far? Was it to repay a debt of gratitude?

Su Xuan couldn’t understand. Was a four-year age difference enough for Shen Chao to see him as a benefactor?

Su Xuan’s phone vibrated. He shifted his eyes to look and saw that the serial fanfiction “Obstacle” he had bookmarked had updated.

He opened it out of boredom.

【Shen Chao had been in a good mood lately, though you couldn’t tell from his face. Shen’s mother had persisted for a long time, and he finally agreed to talk about Su Xuan with her.

But not the encyclopedia version—the Su Xuan that existed in Shen Chao’s heart. She was always curious about how Shen Chao thought of Su Xuan, but Shen Chao was like a dragon guarding its secret treasure, overly protective and possessive when it came to this topic. Even just mentioning Su Xuan’s name in front of him felt like an offense.

Shen’s mother smiled wryly, thinking Shen Chao acted like a middle school boy with a crush on a classmate—his reactions were embarrassingly immature.

Shen’s mother asked: “When did you start liking him?”

Shen Chao paused for a moment: “Four years ago. He came to ask for my WeChat. I gave it to him.”

Shen’s mother laughed: “Oh my, I never thought you’d respond to such a pickup attempt. Many have tried and failed. I want to know how he managed to pick you up.”

Shen Chao thought for a moment: “He ran up to me and asked if I would be willing to play his boyfriend.”

Shen’s mother laughed uncontrollably: “And then? Did you agree?”

Shen Chao: “No. I refused. But he came back the next day.”

Shen’s mother: “Quite persistent. So, did you agree to play his boyfriend?”

Shen Chao twitched his index finger, his eyes downcast: “No. He brought me a milk tea, and on it, he wrote, ‘Can we be friends?'”

Shen’s mother covered her mouth, laughing: “He’s really cute. And then? Did you agree to be friends?”

Shen Chao pursed his lips: “I threw away the milk tea.”

“Hey, that’s a bit too much, Shen Chao. It’s very rude,” Shen’s mother said.

Shen Chao hummed in acknowledgment: “He was too annoying. He came again on the third day, bringing a meat floss bun with a note asking if I hated milk tea.”

Shen’s mother laughed and sighed: “Su Xuan doesn’t seem to mind your rudeness. I’ve never seen anyone so persistently try to get close to you. You’re always so aloof, keeping everyone at a distance. Many people get hurt trying to approach you, but not Su Xuan.”

Shen Chao said: “He brought me snacks every day for a month. Later, I… I would eat with him outside school.”

Shen’s mother asked: “Did you fall for him?”

Shen Chao said: “I don’t know.”

After a moment, he added: “Probably. I would do a lot for him. I hate his friends. Sometimes I hate him too.”

Shen’s mother softened her voice: “Why?”

Shen Chao’s breathing was light—a sign he was thinking. His light-colored eyes fixed on his fingernails, indicating he was recalling some very important memory. After about three minutes, he gave his answer: “I hate it when he shows fondness for others.”

“Even friends?”

“No.”

“You need to understand, Shen Chao, Su Xuan can like many people. He can have friends, colleagues, family. You have to accept that.”

Shen Chao looked at his mother, his tone serious and indifferent: “But I only like him. I don’t even like you. I only like him.”

“Among the seven billion people in the world, I like and can only like Su Xuan.”

Shen’s mother exhaled, raising her finger like a pointer and waving it in front of Shen Chao: “I know you don’t like me, but you don’t have to tell me. I don’t feel like your mother at all. You do so many risky and excessive things, things that give me nightmares, and you never inform me. The outcome is good, but what if it’s bad? What if you lose, Shen Chao?”

She sighed worriedly: “You did a lot of dangerous and risky things at your previous company.”

Shen Chao said very calmly: “Before Father left you, he told me something. He said, ‘People always have to pay a price for unchangeable love.'”

His expression was very faint, as if he had accepted any outcome, good or bad: “If something happens to me, that’s just the price I pay for my love.”】

Su Xuan felt almost brainwashed.

He felt that the novel “Obstacle” faintly overlapped with the real Shen Chao, explaining those aspects of Shen Chao that Su Xuan couldn’t understand.

But then he thought he was probably crazy—being brainwashed by a fanfiction about his own CP. He must have ruined his mind by pining over someone.

Also, Shen Chao’s mother had said that Shen Chao had someone he liked, and Shen Chao was supposed to be straight… right?

Su Xuan began to doubt, but he had to go to Aunt Qian’s film set the next day for wrap-up work. So after thinking for a while, he went to sleep in melancholy.

If only there was a device to verify if someone was gay.

The next day, Qian Huai felt his scalp prickle under Su Xuan’s gloomy stare. He couldn’t help but walk over and smack Su Xuan on the head: “What? What?! Is it because I asked you to come in for overtime? Don’t be so resentful!”

Qian Huai also felt a bit guilty. This was the umpteenth time Su Xuan had come in for overtime, and he wasn’t even getting paid. He’d be staring at his boss like that too.

Qian Huai cleared his throat twice: “I can do you a favor, okay? To make up for you having to come today.”

A strange light slowly appeared in Su Xuan’s eyes, making the hairs on Qian Huai’s neck stand up. He quickly added: “Nothing illegal! And nothing involving money! I’m not lending you any!”

Su Xuan said hesitantly: “I heard Director Qian has a very impressive special skill?”

Qian Huai said warily: “Who do you want me to curse out?”

Su Xuan: “…”

“No, not cursing,” Su Xuan said. “Emperor Wang told me that Director Qian is very good at spotting gay people. Can you help me figure out if someone is gay?”

Qian Huai breathed a sigh of relief: “Sure. Who is it? I need to have interacted with them!”

Su Xuan hesitated, then asked: “Director Qian, do you think Shen Chao is gay?”

Qian Huai’s face twisted oddly. He looked at Su Xuan with an expression that said, “Come on, you have such bad taste?” and said: “You like Shen Chao?”

Su Xuan: “…Is it written on my face?”

Aunt Qian’s reaction was way too fast!

Qian Huai’s face looked like he had eaten a fly. He never liked Shen Chao, but he quite liked Su Xuan. Knowing Su Xuan liked Shen Chao was expected.

Qian Huai said: “No, it’s because you’re not the first male actor to ask me this. Everyone who asked ended up liking Shen Chao.”

Su Xuan: “…”

Su Xuan asked again: “So, is Shen Chao gay or not…”

Qian Huai shook his head decisively: “No. He shows no interest in any man he interacts with. Definitely not gay!”

Su Xuan was unwilling to accept it but found it amazing. He looked at Qian Huai with an exploratory gaze: “Director Qian, how do you determine that?”

Qian Huai was straightforward: “Sexual desire.”

Su Xuan’s expression cracked: “Pfft—!! What the hell is sexual desire?!”

Qian Huai looked like Su Xuan was being overly dramatic, and said proudly: “I’m very sensitive to detecting people’s desires toward others. If Shen Chao had any sexual interest in a man, I would definitely see it. The last time I saw him was six months ago. At that time, I felt Shen Chao was completely a machine without desire. Forget being gay—it’s hard to say if he can even have normal relationships. I really find it amazing that someone without desire can act…”

Qian Huai couldn’t help dissing Shen Chao: “Hey, let me tell you, guys like Shen Chao, who are ‘desireless and therefore strong,’ can’t act in my films. They lack a certain flavor…”

Qian Huai started a never-ending critique of Shen Chao. Su Xuan hummed and hawed a few times, then found an opportunity to slip away: “Director Qian, I need to go film reshoots!”

Qian Huai shouted behind him in alarm: “Shen Chao!”

Su Xuan also panicked, thinking: Seriously! Am I so far away that Aunt Qian still has to yell about Shen Chao? Not likely!

But then Su Xuan saw the crew members around him staring blankly behind him. Before he could finish turning around, someone grabbed his right wrist and pulled him upward. He almost lost his balance and was flipped into a broad embrace.

Su Xuan’s hand pressed against Shen Chao’s chest. He was stunned, half-forcibly pulled into Shen Chao’s arms, so flustered he could barely find his voice. Looking up at the grim-faced Shen Chao, he said: “Shen Chao… what are you doing here?”

Shen Chao wore a long trench coat. He looked at Su Xuan lying in his arms with barely contained anger, his breathing heavy, a barely suppressed violence in his eyes. Shen Chao’s features were usually cold and noble, giving an impression of being hard to get along with, but generally calm. When Shen Chao was angry, however, the fury on his face cut through his eyes like a knife, piercing into Su Xuan.

Shen Chao tightened his grip on Su Xuan’s wrist. He looked down at Su Xuan, his voice sharp: “Has Leaf Media agreed to cooperate with UK?”

Su Xuan couldn’t help leaning back. Shen Chao was too close—almost kissing distance. Hearing the question, Su Xuan was momentarily stunned before blurting out: “How did you know?”

Hadn’t the news been released yet?

The overt anger on Shen Chao’s face slowly receded, replaced by a calm that frightened Su Xuan even more.

Shen Chao turned to Qian Huai and said coldly: “I’m taking Su Xuan to terminate his contract with Leaf Media. He’s taking the day off.”

It wasn’t a request; it was an order. Without waiting for Qian Huai’s response, Shen Chao grasped Su Xuan’s wrist again, dragged him away with a cold face, and strode off quickly. Shen Chao was tall and walked too fast; Su Xuan struggled to keep up.

When Shen Chao dragged him out of the set and was about to reach the road, Su Xuan saw no one around and couldn’t help struggling: “Shen Chao, let me go.”

Shen Chao abruptly turned around, staring straight at Su Xuan from close range. Su Xuan was startled. Shen Chao’s hot breath sprayed on his face. He could feel Shen Chao’s hand trembling slightly. The blood vessels on Shen Chao’s palm pressed against Su Xuan’s wrist, and a volcano that had been dormant for years seemed to erupt in his light-colored eyes. The moment Su Xuan said “let me go,” an uncontrollable emotion melted and burst forth.

Shen Chao’s Adam’s apple moved twice. Su Xuan could see a bit of sweat on the inside of his collarbone. It was the first time he heard Shen Chao’s voice so hoarse: “You’d better not say ‘let me go’ right now, Su Xuan.”

When Shen Chao spoke, his eyes were as clear as glass but unfathomable. Su Xuan felt a illusion of being trapped in Shen Chao’s gaze.

Su Xuan felt that Shen Chao… had lost his composure. The way Shen Chao stared at him sent chills down his back. He made two calming gestures with his palm.

Su Xuan softened his tone: “Calm down first. Let go of me. Terminating the contract isn’t possible right now. I still have many ongoing collaborations with Leaf Media. Can we talk about things first, okay?”

Shen Chao looked at him: “Ongoing work can be halted.”

Su Xuan replied calmly: “Shen Chao, where would I go after terminating the contract? What about Liu Pangpang? What about Fu…” Fu Mu’s copyrights were still with Leaf Media. If Su Xuan left directly, these people might be sacrificed to UK.

The moment he said “Fu,” Shen Chao’s eyes turned icy. Su Xuan shut his mouth and didn’t continue.

They fell into a rigid and cold silence. Su Xuan stood on one side, Shen Chao on the other. Neither backed down, staring each other down.

Shen Chao’s breathing became heavier. Su Xuan didn’t give him time to answer. Looking straight at Shen Chao, he said quickly: “Shen Chao, why do you care so much about me? Why do you want to protect me?”

Su Xuan said slowly and clearly: “You signed that bet to prevent UK from targeting me. And UK signed with Leaf Media to use me against you. If I don’t agree, UK can use someone else to target you, like Du Mu.”

Su Xuan paused, then said seriously: “You helped me once. I can also help you in my own way. Shen Chao, I don’t owe you any favors.”

Shen Chao had helped him once; Su Xuan couldn’t pretend not to know and not repay the favor forever.

Now his situation was the same as Shen Chao’s back then. As long as he weathered UK, it could do nothing to him. There was no reason Shen Chao could do it and he couldn’t. If worst came to worst, he could go home and ask his father to fight against the evil capitalist forces.

Su Xuan didn’t actually have the courage to confront UK head-on, but he knew he had to repay what he owed.

…He already owed Shen Chao too much.

During those three silent years, Su Xuan feared he would drift through life aimlessly forever. But Shen Chao, just like he had shone brightly among the crowd four years ago, shone again. At the press conference for “Siheyuan,” surrounded by a sea of fans, Shen Chao walked up to Su Xuan and extended his hand. The dazzling light instantly illuminated Su Xuan, who had been covered in dust and silent for three years.

Recalling the past, Su Xuan felt that all the light and courage in his life had come from one person.

As long as Shen Chao never lost and kept shining, Su Xuan only needed to catch a distant glimpse—like looking at the poster by his computer that took seventy-eight shots to get—to bear everything and struggle through the darkness, always moving toward Shen Chao.

Su Xuan thought he might be some kind of phototropic creature, with Shen Chao always being the brightest person in his sight.

He had already experienced being a has-been, but Shen Chao hadn’t. Su Xuan could never bear to let Shen Chao know that feeling.

Shen Chao held Su Xuan’s hand, closed his eyes, and spoke again: “Do you know what price you will have to pay?”

Su Xuan shrugged, pretending not to care: “People always have to pay a price for unchangeable love, don’t they?”

After Su Xuan used this line he had learned from the fanfiction, Shen Chao’s breath hitched. He tightened his grip on Su Xuan’s wrist, opened his eyes, and looked at him.

Every hair on Su Xuan’s body stood on end. Damn! What kind of look was that! Was he going to kill me?

But Shen Chao only nodded. His gaze was unfocused, yet the focus was locked on Su Xuan. When Shen Chao was about to kill someone in a fight scene, he also had this state. It made Su Xuan feel very dangerous. He wanted to pull back, but Shen Chao grabbed both his hands with one hand, immobilizing him. Shen Chao forcibly pulled Su Xuan close and rested his head on Su Xuan’s stiff shoulder.

Shen Chao’s breathing was uneven, spraying hotly on Su Xuan’s neck. His fingers holding Su Xuan tightened uncontrollably, as if he had finally gotten something he had worked so hard to obtain.

Su Xuan’s hands were pinned down like an arrest, his whole body enveloped by Shen Chao. Every breath was filled with Shen Chao’s scent. Su Xuan was so nervous he stepped on his own foot, completely unable to make sense of the situation. His neck was flushed red, and his voice became thin and shy from embarrassment: “Shen, Shen Chao? Wh-what are you doing?”

Shen Chao’s voice was low and hoarse, with a whisper: “Unchangeable love?”

It seemed he was confirming a very important answer from Su Xuan. Su Xuan seemed to realize that too. He thought seriously for a while before stammering an explanation: “…At least from the past until now, besides you, I haven’t liked anyone else.”

Shen Chao’s breathing became even lighter, almost inaudible. Su Xuan could only feel the movement of Shen Chao’s jawbone on his shoulder. Shen Chao seemed to be gritting his molars, as if he wanted to bite a piece of flesh from Su Xuan’s neck. His voice was hoarse: “What about the future?”

Su Xuan swallowed and continued: “The future… After liking you, I seem to have lost the ability to like others. I think I can’t like anyone else.”

“In the many days to come, I’m sorry to trouble you to continue being liked by me, Shen Chao.” Su Xuan relaxed, as if making a compromise, sighing helplessly with a smile.

Shen Chao didn’t speak anymore. He just held Su Xuan tightly. After who knows how long, Su Xuan felt his phone vibrate. He carefully pulled it out to see a text from Qian Huai, all in exclamation marks:

【Su Xuan!! I was wrong!! Shen Chao might be gay!! When he came looking for you, he had a very strong sexual desire towards you!!! Be careful not to get fucked!! And you have to come in for overtime tomorrow morning! Don’t let Shen Chao f*ck you to death!!】

Su Xuan: “…”

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