T/N: At last.. we know this was coming...but still.. 😦

ZhouXiang stared blankly and thought that he heard wrong.

YanMingXiu cried out anther ’Dong Ge. Unknowingly, YanMingXiu suddenly got the strength to throw himself at ZhouXiang’s and cried out "Dong Ge" as he hastily kissed ZhouXiang.

ZhouXiang’s entire body felt like he was struck by lightning, so much that he couldn’t react as he allowed YanMingXiu to kiss him a few times.

Dong Ge? Who is he calling?

It became hazy in front of ZhouXiang. WangYuDong’s refined and elegant appearance continuously lingered in front of his eyes. The expression that YanMingXiu gives WangYuDong is obviously very different from his usual expression. How could he not have noticed even bit before? Just because YanMingXiu is WangYuDong’s brother-in law?

Why would YanMingXiu be with him? Why is it that every time they do it (have sex), he always liked using the back position? Why is he drunk on WangYuDong’s engagement day? Everything now has an answer.

ZhouXiang only felt a sharp knife piercing heart, his entire body soaked with blood.

He had never felt such excruciating pain.

He could accept YanMingXiu not liking him, even if he doesn’t like him for a lifetime. It’s nobody fault. But to treat him......as a substitute?

Not only is ZhouXiang heart-broken but he also experienced unprecedented humiliation.

He fell short of WangYuDong in all aspects. When WangYuDong mocked him, he can only suffer in silence. To make a living, he had no other choice but to be WangYuDong’s stuntman. But why is he also a substitute for him in his personal life? What does he owe to WangYuDong to be humiliated to this extent?!

ZhouXiang had never been trampled in his life like this by anyone. He simply didn’t know how to react.

He shoved YanMingXiu away harshly and fled frantically....fled from his own home.

Driving aimlessly, he continuously circled around the streets on this cold and quiet winter night. The more he circled, the more flustered he became. He didn’t know where he should go.

His eyes gradually became blurry; he couldn’t see what is in front of him so he could only park his car on the side of the road. The heating in the car is very good, but he still felt chillingly cold. His mouth tasted a bit salty. He had not tasted tears for many years. His life was peaceful and content before...hardly were there any huge fluctuations in his emotions. But ever since he met YanMingXiu in this year’s time, he had experienced all kinds of anxieties... yearnings, suspicions, irritabilities, and sadness.

It’s shameful to say, how can he fall in love with a boy who is ten years younger than himself?

He had been thoroughly played. No matter what kind of effort he put in, YanMingXiu would not like him. In YanMingXiu’s eyes, he is always looking for WangYuDong through him. He, ZhouXiang, is not a person that will stand out in YanMingXiu’s eyes and certainly will not have a place in his heart.

Right from the start, he didn’t even stand a chance but he still stupidly fantasized for a year.

ZhouXiang, you are really a dumb fuck

He wiped the tears on his face and looked at the dimly lit streets, completely at loss. His heart is in too much in pain, so painful that he didn’t know what to do.

He really likes YanMingXiu. But every moment with him and every time they make love, YanMingXiu treated him as someone else. And this someone else is a person that ZhouXiang is deeply disgusted with. When he thought of this, he felt that his heart and lungs are about to explode.

A sports car sped by from the opposite lane, and then piercing brakes sounded loudly on this desolate street in the middle of the night.

ZhouXiang thought that there was a car accident. He immediately turned his head and sees a car turning around and parked on his side.

Looking through his window, ZhouXiang sees LanXiRong, who was wearing only a sweater, bolting out of the car and walking toward his car. ZhouXiang quickly wiped his face and opened the door.

LanXiRong still look a bit hesitant but when he saw ZhouXiang, he said with surprise, “Xiang Ge, it’s really you? When I drove by, I thought your car looks familiar. Why did you stop on the side of the street in the middle of the night? There are many robberies in this area at night.”

ZhouXiang got out of the car and quietly said, "Drank a bit of alcohol so taking a break.”

LanXiRong came closer and sensed that ZhouXiang didn’t seem right.

ZhouXiang’s body was tinged with a little of the alcohol smell from YanMingXiu, but he didn’t appear a bit drunk at all. Instead, LanXiRong could tell at a glance that he’s in a gloomy mood.

LanXiRong bunched his brows and took a few steps forward. He reached out and touched ZhouXiang’s eyes. He was shocked, “Xiang Ge, what’s wrong?” What matters can make a man who is usually optimistic run to the street in the middle of the night and cry?"

ZhouXiang lowered his head embarrassingly, “It’s nothing. Go to your car and put on a jacket. You might catch a cold."

LanXiRong clenched his chin, forcing him to look up and angrily asked, "You think I’m a fool? What the hell is going on?”

ZhouXiang swatted his hand away, "Leave me alone. I’m going to go.”

LanXiRong grabbed his shoulder and pressed him to the car, said sternly, "Did you get into an argument with your little boyfriend? So you ran out in the middle of the night? That’s your home, why didn’t you tell him to leave!"

“Don’t think too much...”

“Humph! My guess is correct, right?" LanXiRong revealed a sorrowful expression, “Xiang Ge, you could cry for him, are you really the Xiang Ge that I know?"

ZhouXiang sighed. At this time, he didn’t want to face anyone, not to mention hearing their skepticism. He wanted to push LanXiRong away, "Can you leave it alone? I want to be alone for a while. Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see me?"

LanXiRong refused to let him go, “No, I can’t pretend that I didn’t see you. Come back with me to my house."

“No. XiRong, I repeat, let me go," ZhouXiang felt both embarrassed and annoyed, he just wanted to hide.

“What if I don’t let go? Are you going to punch me?" “LanXiRong unflinchingly stared at ZhouXiang, "If you want to punch me, go ahead. I really owe you a beating. "

ZhouXiang saw that his lips were paled and his mouth was blowing cold air, but still was unrelenting in letting him go. He couldn’t help but feel touched, but he’s really not in a bit a mood deal with him.

He shoulders drooped as he sadly mutters, “XiRong, let go of me okay? I really just want to be alone for a while. See it as me begging you. I already feel embarrassed as it is, can you just leave me alone?"

LanXiRong’s hand that was grabbing him trembled; with a heavy-heart and helplessness, seeing ZhouXiang’s dispirited expression, his heart also tightened.

ZhouXiang pushed him away, then turned to get into the car and quickly drove away.

From the rearview mirror, he could still see LanXiRong standing at the same spot, watching him until he turned and disappeared.

ZhouXiang drove aimlessly around all night, not sleepy but not fully alert. Finally, he drove the car to the company and stayed in the car for two hours. At this time, the sky has brightened. After the company’s doors were opened, he went to CaiWei’s office and rested on the sofa.

CaiWei came at 9am. When he entered the office and saw him, he was shocked.

ZhouXiang didn’t sleep at all so he was very exhausted. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. When he heard movements, he sat up, “Wei Ge.”

CaiWei looked at him astonishingly, "You...What’s going on?”

He looked at ZhouXiang’s exhaustive and desolate appearance; he (ZhouXiang) obviously does not look normal

ZhouXiang was not afraid of CaiWei laughing at him, “Had an argument with him, came out to calm down a bit."

CaiWei muttered an ’Oh’ as he didn’t think this was a big deal. How can there be no argument when two people are together? He even teased, "I haven’t seen you like this for so many years. It’s really refreshing. Let me see. Aiyah, even cried? What’s the big deal? When your sister-in-law and I were newly married, we had a big fight every three days and a small fight every two days. Haven’t all that passed? Just get through this period and things will be fine." CaiWei also patted ZhouXiang’s head.

These words did not comfort ZhouXiang. He couldn’t tell CaiWei the truth, of what he heard and found out last night. He can guarantee that it is unbearable for anyone. His mind is still buzzing right now; he couldn’t concentrate and his heart is in pain.

CaiWei looked at his unmoving expression and realized that this is not just any ordinary argument. Setting aside his joking mentality, he asked softly, “It’s very serious?”

ZhouXiang shook his head, “Wei Ge, don’t ask. Can I stay here for a while?”

“Of course. Just stay here.” CaiWei poured him a glass of hot water, “Drink some water; your lips are cracked.”

ZhouXiang held the cup and looked at the floor tiles, his mind in a daze.

Seeing him like this, CaiWei feared that the two people might break up so he wanted to shift his attention away. He really can’t get used seeing ZhouXiang looking like this. He asked, “Have President Wang contacted you the past few days?”

ZhouXiang shook his head; how can he remember President Wang.

CaiWei sighed, "He said that he contacted you but you did not answer the phone. Actually, he just wanted me to tell you. It is about Director Wang’s film. President Wang told me to tell you that the director is very optimistic about you, for you to decide for yourself."

ZhouXiang is astonish, “What? What do you mean let me decide?”

“Precisely, it is for you to decide whether you want to accept the role or not. It’s likely that those two Wangs couldn’t persuade the parties and didn’t want to offend them so they pushed the decision to you.”

This is a very difficult predicament for ZhouXiang. He drank some water and forced his mind to sober up a bit, "This, let me decide? I don’t know...”

CaiWei looked at him gravely, “ZhouXiang, you have to know. You must make a decision."

ZhouXiang forcefully smile, "Wei Ge, I’m really not in the mood right now. Moreover, I really don’t know if I should accept this role. To be honest, I am a little scared.”

CaiWei patted his back harshly, "Just because you two lovebirds have an argument, it can’t delay real business. This matter directly impacts your future. It must be your first priority in consideration.”

ZhouXiang forced himself to be a bit spirited. He knew that what CaiWei said is reasonable. Without love, life still has to continue. He asks, "Wei Ge, what do you think I should do?”

CaiWei’s expression is resolute, “Accept it.”

“Accept?”

“Yes, you have to accept it. Just like I said last time, you’ve already offended WangYuDong. Whether or not you accept the role, the news from that day had already spread. Everyone knows that you are taking over WangYuDong’s role. What is WangYuDong’s status is in the entertainment circle and what is yours? Do you think anyone will offer you work in the future? Who wants to offend WangYuDong because of you? This matter had already been settled conclusively. If you don’t accept the role, you will completely disappear from the circle. But if you accept it, maybe you can be popular. President Wang and Director Wang will promote you, especially Director Wang. From what I see of this old man’s mannerisms, he is determined to humiliate WangYuDong no matter what. If you act in the role, even if you don’t get popular, at least you get a huge sum of money and don’t have to work in the entertainment circle in the future. You can invest in other businesses. So you can’t give up this opportunity.”

Every sentence that CaiWei sounded reasonable, especially the sentence “determined to humiliate WangYuDong” made ZhouXiang’s heart beat especially fast.

If he replaced WangYuDong role, WangYuDong would certainly be enraged. WangYuDong had always thought that ZhouXiang could only be his stuntman. Now that the position is switched, with him becoming the lead actor, even if it was just in a film, ZhouXiang still felt happy. Even if he was only WangYuDong’s substitute for the rest of his life in YanMingXiu’s eyes, there is actually a time when a stuntman like him could actually make WangYuDong feel dejected and depressed.

ZhouXiang felt a sudden burst of warped pleasure.

If not for anything else but to be able to strive for vindication in front of WangYuDong, and be able to lift his head slightly in front of WangYuDong, and not be inferior to him and grieve to such extent, ZhouXiang is also willing to accept this role that he had no assurance in.

His heart trembled unconsciously. He really wanted to see what YanMingXiu’s expression would be when he finds out that he had stolen his Dong Ge’s lead role.

He, ZhouXiang, is only WangYuDong’s stuntman; he is not to be his substitute outside of filming!

CaiWei asked, "Are you done deciding?”

ZhouXiang turned to look at him and uttered each word clearly, “Wei Ge, I’ll accept.”

End of the Chapter