Following behind WangYuDong is also TanYin, whom he had not seen for a long time. TanYin was also very surprised in seeing ZhouXiang but his expression soon turned to one that is indescribably complicated.

The few people looked at each other stiffly. The atmosphere is very awkward.

President Zhang looked back a forth a few times and smiled, “What’s the matter?”

WangYuDong revealed an elegant smile, “It’s nothing. I just haven’t seen MingXiu for a long time. This is such a coincidence.” His phrase ’Such a coincidence’ didn’t come off as very sincere.

He didn’t think that YanMingXiu’s so-called matters actually involve ZhouXiang. The name ’ZhouXiang’ is practically his nemesis. It was before and it is now. Everything related to the two characters ’Zhou-Xiang’ is almost all bad luck. He couldn’t help but suspect that YanMingXiu had a purpose in bringing ZhouXiang here. Even if it was him, he had to put in a lot of effort to discuss with this studio on any collaboration, and still, it is not always possible for there to be a suitable script. After all, the studio picks the artist; he also had to pick the script. However, YanMingXiu actually led ZhouXiang to the president’s office; seemingly their discussion is going very well.

For a newcomer who is not famous like ZhouXiang, it’s actually easier to find a suitable role as compared to him (WangYuDong). If YanMingXiu were to also assist in promoting him (ZhouXiang), then ZhouXiang could very likely get a role that even he himself might not be able to get. When he thought of his own stuntman upstaging him, he can’t help but think of the ZhouXiang from three years ago. That ZhouXiang was also his stuntman. He also wanted to take over his role as lead. All of this, everything is all too familiar, so familiar that he also felt the same sense of crisis and disgust with this ZhouXiang.

ZhouXiang didn’t look at these two people in front of him pleasantly. After the incident in Guizhou last time, he didn’t even bother to give face to WangYuDong and TanYin. After all, trying to be nice to them is a joke. Why bother to waste the energy so he simply looked at them expressionlessly. His cold attitude in WangYuDong and TanYin’s eyes exuded ’conceit’ from someone’s good grace." They felt that ever since ZhouXiang got himself involved with YanMingXiu, he’s not at all the same from before.

WangYuDong gloomily glanced at ZhouXiang and asked even though he already knew, “Isn’t this ZhouXiang? Why are you here?”

ZhouXiang faintly responded, “Came with President Yan.”

“MingXiu, you said that you had some matters this afternoon. So it was his matters?" WangYuDong’s tone is full of disdain.

YanMingXiu responded calmly and assuredly, “Yes, brother-in-law, we’ve arranged to meet in the company tomorrow meeting. You and President Zhang have matters to discuss, you guys go ahead first. President Zhang, we’ll see you later." After saying that, he led ZhouXiang and JiangYuan away.

In his impression, YanMingXiu rarely ever addressed him as “brother-in-law” unless they are at home. To hear him say "brother-in-law,” he didn’t’ know why it made him feel full of unfamiliarity. He absentmindedly doubted whether the teenager of the past who use to call him "DongGe" with glimmering eyes of adoration actually existed. Who really is this gloomy, indifferent, and imposingly threatening man? He blurted out, “Wait a minute,” suppressing his anger, he sneered, “MingXiu, I’m also looking for you with some urgent matters. Since this is such a coincidence, why don’t we invite President Zhang for dinner? Then afterwards, we can find a place to chat. Isn’t this a better arrangement? That way, I don’t have to make another trip in the morning." He was in the way of the door so it was impossible for YanMingXiu to get out.

President Zhang noticed the tensed atmosphere so he quickly voiced, “I’m going to go to the restroom, Xiao Wan, take our guests to the conference room. I’ll be there shortly." After saying that, he led his people away, having no intention to get involved.

After the people in the studio left, YanMingXiu no longer intended to be respectful to WangYuDong. He said very directly, “I have matters tonight. I’ve said tomorrow morning so it’s going to be tomorrow morning. I’m going to leave first." He immediately grabbed ZhouXiang’s arm and pulled him away.

ZhouXiang uncomfortably pulled his arm back. The eyes of everyone around fell on his arm. ZhouXiang glanced at WangYuDong without changing his expression and walked right passed him to get out.

WangYuDong is so enraged he clenched his fist with his lips shivering a bit. TanYin’s face also paled as he looked at ZhouXiang’s back, his expression extremely complicated.

YanMingXiu also passed by WangYuDong, following closely behind ZhouXiang as they leave.

JiangYuan is the last one leave. When he passed by the door, WangYuDong grabbed him. JiangYuan looked at WangYuDong awkwardly, “President Wang, I shouldn’t be involved with family matters, don’t make it difficult for me.”

“I’ll just ask you a question, answer honestly.”

JiangYuan saw that YanMingXiu had already walked further away, he hastily said, “Ask”

“Are they living together?”

JiangYuan didn’t comment but only looked at WangYuDong with his eyes glistenning. His expression conveyed the answer that both could understand.

WangYuDong’s face became gloomy, “Okay, go.”

JiangYuan also quickly left.

WangYuDong turned his head to glance at TanYin, “It seems that you really don’t know your ex-boyfriend that well.”

TanYin gritted his teeth, “Dong Ge, he is like a different person from before, completely changed into another person.”

“I’m guessing your brain has gone awry. That’s not right. It should be that it’s finally enlightened." WangYuDong patted his head lightly and mocked, “If you have half of his ability to entice YanMingXiu’s type, then I won’t have to put in so much effort on you.”

TanYin’s face paled as he lowered his head and didn’t say anything.

WangYuDong coldly snorted, the expression in his eyes becoming erratic.

JiangYuan drove the three of them to the hotel. There were no words spoken along the way. After arriving at the hotel, it was still two hours away from the arranged dinner with President Zhang. YanMingXiu had JiangYuan book a room and took ZhouXiang to get some rest.

In fact, the both of them were not tired but ZhouXiang felt that YanMingXiu had something to say. Sure enough, after entering the room, YanMingXiu probingly asked, “Do you hate WangYuDong a lot?”

ZhouXiang shot him a glance and smiled, “President Yan. You asking this kind of question, aren’t you making it hard on yourself, why bother?”

YanMingXiu’s face somberly sank. “I would rather it be hard on me than you.”

ZhouXiang is slightly startled. He lowered his head and thought a bit, then responded, “Can’t be considered as hate, it’s just that I’m inferior to him on everything. It’s uncomfortable. To say it frankly, it’s jealousy, nothing big."

“Is it just that? The matter with the role from years ago... Do you hate him? Hate... me?”

ZhouXiang smiled coldly, “Too tiring to be talking about this at this point. I also don’t want to mention it anymore. In short, as long as WangYuDong mind his own business, that is enough. But right now....." ZhouXiang mocked, "I don’t know what’s going on. He’s still seeing me as an eyesore. Why don’t you go and tell this big star brother-in-law of yours to not lower himself to my level and just let me off?"

“I’ll definitely not allow anyone to hurt you anymore. But if you have something weighing heavily on your mind, I hope that you will say it out. Xiang Ge. I’m already prepared to battle alongside you for the long term. Everything that I can make up to you, I want to make it up to you one by one. But you must let me know, how much do I still owe you?”

ZhouXiang frowned deeply, “YanMingXiu. If I was to take on your Dong Ge, what would you do? Will you deal with him for me? Are you willing? Even though you keep saying that you like me now, I still remember how you became a complete drunken mess when he got engaged to your sister back then. That kind of affections and love can’t be fake right? Let me tell you the truth. No matter how I see it, I don’t like WangYuDong. I’m jealous of him. When I was his stuntman before, it was just envy. I envied that everything seems to go his way. He got everything. Up until you appeared, until I come to realized that the person I love also fucking treated me as his substitute, I became jealous of him, even hated him. No matter how I tried to please you, it amounted to nothing. The other person (referring to YanMingXiu) didn’t even care. What do I amount to? Even now, I still can’t forget the shame and humiliation of you treating me as his substitute. I really want to trade places with him. Are you satisfied with this explanation?" ZhouXiang gnashed his teeth, angry that his scalp is about to explode.

This is so ridiculous. He used to believe himself to be a generous and tolerant person in his past life. He was never bothered with his losses, success and failures, living freely and at ease, making people endlessly envious of him. With the exception to love, he just couldn’t get pass it. All the gloominess and negative emotions got incited, shocking him continuously. Yet he had no way to control himself. He had changed beyond recognition, completely losing his previous identity. Not just the outer shell, but even the soul that took over this body has changed.

YanMingXiu lowered his head and somberly responded, “Xiang Ge, I’m sorry.” No matter how much guilt he felt or how remorseful he is, the things that have happened could no longer be changed. If it could be described that in their relationship from the past, ZhouXiang was the one who threw himself at him, pulling at his heartstrings step by step behind his back, with him merely trudging along relaxingly without putting in any effort, then in this moment, the person who is having great difficulty progressing forward has been replaced by him. Every step he took requires great willpower. He must constantly encourage himself to not retreat from ZhouXiang’s indifference. He endured heartaches, endured remorse, and endured blaming himself to get closer and closer to ZhouXiang, because at this time ZhouXiang only wanted to get far away from him. He must not lax his grip even for a bit until he can be back to ZhouXiang’s side once again.

How long would this take? How hard would it be? He can’t imagine it at all. In fact, he wondered whether or not he had used any strength with every step he had taken. He had never courted anyone and his love life had already suffered such a devastating blow. In this regard, he is like a primary school student. There is no teacher guiding him on how to get a person’s heart back. He could only feel his way around to move forward, even if he was to hit the wall everywhere, he can’t stop.

At this time, whenever ZhouXiang openly expresses the guilt in his heart, it would make him feel immense pain. But it also continued to give him hope. At least... at least ZhouXiang is willing to talk to him... at least ZhouXiang can respond. This is a hundred million times better than not being able to find a person in this vast and wide world.

He lifted his head to look at ZhouXiang and said seriously, “Xiang Ge. I used to like WangYuDong. But right now, I only treat him as my brother-in-law. I only have you in my heart. I won’t have anyone else. He is my brother-in-law. I can’t do much to him. But for all the things you lost because of him, I will give it all to you...the best roles, the best films, the best teams. Everything that WangYuDong can’t get, I will give you. You don’t have to be jealous of him or envy him because there is going to be that day when you will do better than him."

ZhouXiang’s expression exposed a trace of confusion. How much of YanMingXiu’s words can he believe? YanMingXiu use to like WangYuDong so much. Can he completely forget it all because of him now? Can it be that in YanMingXiu’s consciousness, only the things that he can’t get are particularly precious?

ZhouXiang felt a terrible migraine.

YanMingXiu raked through his hair and said softly, "Xiang Ge, believe me, I will give you the best.”

ZhouXiang shook his head, “I’m not that kind of material. I know my own worth. As long as WangYuDong don’t come to provoke me is enough.”

YanMingXiu gripped his chin and softly kissed the corner of his mouth, “Don’t think that things are so complicated. To make a person popular is not a hard thing to do. I just want you to be happy."

ZhouXiang smiled lightly and shook his head, then slowly moved his head away, “If you were like this for even one percent in the past, everything would have been different.”

YanMingXiu looked at ZhouXiang’s solemn side profile, sharp piercing pains reverberated in his heart.

End of the Chapter