If You Were Even Half as Outstanding as Jiang Tingxu

The two sat at an empty round table in the dining area.

Si You could feel the intentional and unintentional gazes falling in their direction.

Jiang Tingxu was the star of tonight's dinner, but the star was aloof by nature. He had invited everyone to eat, yet had no interest in joining the bustle. Si You, meanwhile, was covered in scandal, and countless people had been watching him ever since they were on set.

The two of them together were bound to stir things up.

"Director Zhu, Jiang, the Movie Emperor, and that Si You..."

Director Zhu waved a hand. "They're young people. It's perfectly normal for them to enjoy making friends."

Everyone: "..." Was that really how it was?

After dealing with the producer, Su Ya elegantly settled onto the sofa and lightly sipped from the rim of her glass. The misty sheen of water blurred her vision, but she was actually looking in Jiang Tingxu's direction.

Su Ya had not been sure before, but now she was. In this "farce" that outsiders saw as Si You throwing himself at Jiang Tingxu, Jiang Tingxu had been the one to make the first move. The reason was simple: not just anyone could enter Jiang Tingxu's safe zone. Su Ya had known him for years and understood perfectly how far his protection of Si You went.

Before filming began, Lu Xiangrong had quietly told Su Ya that Si You probably would not have an easy time. Aside from his own issues, there was also Sun Wenzhu. Sun Wenzhu had originally been certain to get the role of Yun Si, only for it to be handed to Si You instead. Yet nobody had expected Jiang Tingxu to personally keep watch over even something as trivial as taking medicine, leaving Sun Wenzhu with no chance to "bully" him.

Oh my, Su Ya thought with great interest. She truly wanted to see what it looked like when a "god" untouched by worldly desires fell in love.

Meanwhile, halfway through eating, Si You tugged at his collar. Jiang Tingxu noticed. "Too hot?"

"Mm." Si You answered, though he could tell the alcohol was hitting him. There was definitely something off about this red wine, and the effects came in waves. A scorching heat inexplicably rose from his chest. It was not unbearable, but it was uncomfortable. Si You lost his appetite and looked at the freshly peeled boiled shrimp. "Want it?"

Jiang Tingxu nodded. "Give it to me."

Jiang Tingxu dipped it in seafood vinegar, placed it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

Si You spoke quietly. "Do I still have to go drink with people?"

"What, do you want to drink?"

"I don't." Si You said, "But I'm worried someone will pressure me into it. So far, I've only had a drink with Director Zhu."

Jiang Tingxu's answer was brief. "I'm here."

Hearing that, Si You leaned back in his chair, raised a brow, and smiled.

Jiang Tingxu's hand holding the chopsticks trembled ever so slightly.

Si You always felt that Jiang Tingxu was remarkably handsome, that it was hard to withstand his serious gaze. But he had overlooked his own qualities. That kind of "mental impact" worked just as well when directed at Jiang Tingxu.

Si You joked half-heartedly, "It feels great having someone cover for you."

Jiang Tingxu said nothing, tacitly acknowledging that he was covering for him.

Si You might have been touched. The moisture in his eyes became clear and rippling, and under the overhead lights, he looked like some soul-stealing demon who had wandered in from nowhere. A waiter passed by and could not help looking back at Si You several times. Si You noticed and even raised a hand to greet him. "Hi~"

Jiang Tingxu: "..."

Jiang Tingxu frowned slightly, finally realizing something was wrong.

He leaned closer and snapped his fingers in front of Si You. "Are you still conscious?"

The words were like a hand popping the dizzy bubble surrounding Si You. He suddenly came back to himself and tugged at his collar again. Damn... there really was something in this red wine!

"I only drank one glass..." Si You muttered.

Jiang Tingxu stated the facts. "That means your alcohol tolerance is less than one glass."

That could not be right. Si You's tolerance had been awful, but in his previous life, he could still manage three glasses. That left only one possibility: the original owner's alcohol tolerance had been unbelievably terrible.

Right. Thinking about it now, several of the original owner's previous scandals had happened while he was drunk, including the time he harassed Shen Chuan.

Fuck. If he could not drink, he should go sit at the dogs' table. He had caused so much trouble, only to leave Si You carrying the blame.

Si You lightly shook his head. "I..."

Damn it. The scene before his eyes had already begun spinning.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Si You heard Jiang Tingxu ask.

How was I supposed to know?

When Si You pushed himself up using the dining table, he swayed noticeably. Jiang Tingxu had intended to step forward and support him, but Si You directly threw himself at him instead. Jiang Tingxu felt a head land on his shoulder and instinctively wrapped his arms around him.

"What should I do..." Si You sounded a little anxious. "Movie Emperor, if I do anything improper later, just slap me to death."

Jiang Tingxu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

In truth, although his body had poor alcohol tolerance, his soul was different, and so was his drunken state. Si You did not make a fuss at all. Instead, he was very quiet. The only excessive part was that he became Jiang Tingxu's tail.

Wherever Jiang Tingxu went, Si You followed, as though he instinctively believed staying beside this man was the safest thing.

"Tingxu, this..." An older senior acquaintance looked at Si You and hesitated.

Jiang Tingxu smiled calmly. "He's drunk. I'll take him home later."

As soon as he said that, Jiang Tingxu's expression shifted slightly.

Si You had grabbed his clothes from behind and given them a light tug.

Jiang Tingxu did not want to think of it as acting cute, but... the man quietly drew a breath and clinked glasses with the senior. "I hope you write a few more scripts. I'm waiting to act in them."

"Sure, sure, sure!"

After Jiang Tingxu finished his toast and turned around, Si You judged his direction and turned with him. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two seemed to be playing little train.

"Si You." Jiang Tingxu reached back and pulled him in front of him. "You don't need to follow me like this. Find somewhere and just..."

Si You tilted his head slightly, his eyes seeming to be veiled in mist. "You don't like it?"

Jiang Tingxu: "..."

Su Ya drifted past like a delicate flower with a wineglass in hand, then gave Jiang Tingxu a thumbs-up. Her eyes clearly conveyed one sentence: Impressive! You can endure even this?!

Jiang Tingxu: "..."

Su Ya did not find it particularly unbelievable that Jiang Tingxu had taken a liking to Si You. People had seven emotions and six desires. Only a Buddha deep in the mountains would never be moved by affection. Besides, after interacting with Si You recently, Su Ya felt that some of the mud-slinging online was far too ridiculous. Right and wrong in the entertainment industry were impossible to discern clearly. Rotten people could be fairies, and good people could be rats and insects. It all depended on one's own judgment.

Jiang Tingxu led Si You to an unoccupied chair and sat him down, then held his shoulders. "Wait here for ten minutes, okay?"

Huahua jogged over. "What happened? What happened?"

"Perfect. Keep an eye on him. He's drunk." Jiang Tingxu said.

Huahua nodded repeatedly. "Mm-hm!"

Following the usual process, Huahua should have called Yuan Fei, had Linzi bring the car over, and sent Si You home in one smooth sequence. But with Jiang Tingxu's single instruction, Huahua completely forgot.

"Si You, do you remember who I am?" Huahua asked.

Si You tried hard to stare at her seriously for several seconds. Then his head thudded heavily against the chair back, and he lazily said, "My assistant, little Huahua."

Huahua had just nodded in satisfaction when Si You added, "A bit silly."

Huahua: "..."

There were still some people Jiang Tingxu needed to meet. Everyone knew his personality was cold and distant, so they would not go overboard in pestering him.

From time to time, Jiang Tingxu glanced in their direction and saw Si You laughing loudly at something he had said to Huahua.

Director Zhu moved closer and quietly asked Jiang Tingxu, "You're going to... take Si You home later?"

Jiang Tingxu took a sip of wine and said nothing.

Director Zhu: "...Restrain yourself. We're still filming lately."

Jiang Tingxu smiled. "Director Zhu, what are you thinking? Si You and I haven't even confirmed our relationship."

Just as I thought, Director Zhu said to himself. This man was serious.

"So you two are just friends now?" Director Zhu said whatever was on his mind around Jiang Tingxu.

"Mm." Jiang Tingxu said, "I'm not even sure whether he likes men."

Director Zhu sighed upon hearing that. "Maybe he doesn't like men, but he should like you. Jiang, the Movie Emperor, have more confidence in your own charm."

Jiang Tingxu clinked glasses with him and drained his wine. "I'll take that as a good omen."

Gao Jin had also made the rounds drinking and came out with unsteady feet. When he turned and saw Si You, his eyes immediately went blank.

No matter how much he believed Si You was ungrateful and wanted to make him suffer later, the moment he saw Si You, his biological instincts instantly overwhelmed his anger. Gao Jin knew very clearly that he wanted this person.

Unable to control himself, Gao Jin walked toward Si You. "Drunk?" As he spoke, he reached for Si You's arm. "I'll take you home."

Perhaps the desire in his eyes was too blatant. Huahua felt uneasy and promptly stepped in front of Si You. "No need. I already contacted his manager. Someone will come pick Si You up soon."

"Why make it so troublesome?" Gao Jin said. "I'm going that way anyway."

Huahua spread her arms slightly. "No need, Mr. Gao. You should head back first. Huh? Where's your assistant? I..."

"Get lost!" Gao Jin's tone was icy.

Huahua was a girl, after all, and she was somewhat frightened.

Then someone pulled her backward with just the right amount of force. Huahua saw a black shadow flash past the corner of her eye, and then Si You stepped forward and grabbed Gao Jin by the collar, his gaze vicious. "What the fuck are you barking about?"

That glass of red wine had fully fermented inside Si You, churning his consciousness into a dazzling, twisted nebula. Si You knew Huahua was his assistant, but in his haze, he thought he was back in his previous life, still the powerful figure at the height of his career. His true nature surfaced as he thought, Who the fuck do you think you are? How dare you order my assistant around?

Huahua jolted. "Si You?!"

But Si You did not hear her at all. He only felt that Gao Jin's face was twisting alongside the surrounding scene, becoming incomparably ugly. At the same time, he did not miss the lust in Gao Jin's eyes. He was so angry he laughed. "You want to sleep with me? Who the fuck do you think you are? Even if I were desperate, I wouldn't choose you, okay?"

Ignoring Gao Jin's livid expression, Si You grew more animated as he cursed. "If you were even half as outstanding as Jiang Tingxu, I might give you another look. The question is, do you deserve it?"

Gao Jin was enraged by the insults and immediately reached for Si You's throat. But before his hand could reach him, someone seized it and flung it away. Jiang Tingxu cast Gao Jin an icy, warning glance, then held the hand Si You had clenched around Gao Jin's collar. "Let go."

Si You blinked slowly.

Jiang Tingxu repeated, "Let go. Be good."

This time, Si You let go.

Jiang Tingxu pulled him protectively into his arms and turned to Gao Jin. "Anything else?"

Gao Jin, however, seemed to have been doused with cold water and sobered up instantly.

Jiang Tingxu's gaze was impossible to describe. It was a murderous, crushing warning from a wolf toward someone who had entered his territory and coveted his treasure. In Gao Jin's mind, Jiang Tingxu had always been free of desire and favored by heaven, able to effortlessly obtain anything he wanted. But at this moment, Gao Jin truly realized that beneath that cold, elegant exterior, every bone in Jiang Tingxu's body was covered in spikes. He was fiercely aggressive.

Among males, a fight for possession often ended when one side retreated in cowardice. In the end, Gao Jin turned and left in disgrace.

"If he were even half as outstanding as Jiang Tingxu, you'd give him another look?" Jiang Tingxu lowered his head to scrutinize Si You, his presence still overpowering as he asked word by word, "And after that look?"

Si You gave a soft snort.

"I'm asking you. After looking at him once, what then?" Jiang Tingxu's tone was slightly stern.

Si You looked confused. "Just one look. There's no after that."

"What if it were Jiang Tingxu himself?" The man's voice was full of gentleness and temptation. "Would you only look once then too?"

"Gao Jin wants to sleep with me? Dream on!" Si You's thoughts lagged half a beat behind as he said, "If it were Jiang Tingxu, I could consider sleeping with him."

Huahua: "!!!"

Ahhh!!!

Jiang Tingxu stared at Si You very seriously, and his eyes suddenly darkened.

As he was wrapped in a jacket carrying a cool fragrance, Si You seemed to hear Jiang Tingxu whisper, "Remember what you said."

The lights and shadows before Si You's eyes flickered. Remember what?

Jiang Tingxu had Qian Su send Huahua home. All the way there, Huahua stared blankly ahead, lightly biting her finger.

Qian Su: "What's wrong with you..."

"Don't talk!" Huahua cut him off. "Let me savor it again..."

Qian Su: "..." Say something I can understand.

Elsewhere, Sister Chen was practically stomping the gas pedal through the floor.

Jiang Tingxu spoke up for the fifth time. "Slow down."

Sister Chen quickly glanced at the rearview mirror and finally snapped. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Jiang Tingxu said, "It's not that serious."

"You brought him home!!!"

"Slow down." Jiang Tingxu said. "It's more convenient to take care of him at home. We can go to set together tomorrow, which saves time."

By then, Sister Chen's features had already twisted into a grimace. A few seconds later, tears welled up in her eyes. "Do you think my life has been too easy these past few years?"

After a long silence, Jiang Tingxu calmly said, "Sooner or later."

The words were like an icy wind whistling through Sister Chen's mind, and she calmed down instead.

"You're serious?"

"Mm."

Sister Chen rolled her eyes. "No, there are countless people in this circle who like you, dote on you, and admire you. Why do you insist on getting involved with some washed-up celebrity..."

"He's no longer washed up." Jiang Tingxu said. "At most three years from now, Si You can become another legend after me. Do you believe that?"

Sister Chen wanted to say no, but Jiang Tingxu's judgment had never been wrong.

Si You sat quietly against the seat, already asleep.

Sister Chen still refused to give up. "What if Si You isn't interested in you..."

"He wants to sleep with me." Jiang Tingxu interrupted unhappily.

Screech—

The car swung into a sharp stop in front of Jiang Tingxu's luxury apartment. Sister Chen took deep breath after deep breath and no longer wanted to say a single word to Jiang Tingxu. "Get out!"

Jiang Tingxu helped Si You out of the car. Before he could even say goodbye, Sister Chen slammed on the accelerator and sped away.

Jiang Tingxu smiled and shook his head.

"Uncomfortable..." Si You woke up from the disturbance, deeply dissatisfied. His legs had gone limp like noodles, and he tried his best to grab onto something.

When Si You wrapped his arms tightly around his waist, Jiang Tingxu's body stiffened. Then he half-supported, half-carried Si You inside.