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However, when he reached the door, Fang Huiwang had no choice but to calm down again.

No matter how slow on the uptake he was, he had gradually realized that Xie Ran was impervious to both threats and persuasion now. There was simply nothing he could do to him.

Fang Huiwang weighed things over in his heart before taking a deep breath and pushing open the door. "Xiao Ran, I'm back. About work..."

Before he could finish, he froze, forgetting his unfinished sentence.

Xie Ran had just finished showering and was stepping out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam. A bathrobe hung loosely over him, untied and open at the collar, exposing his chest and waist.

Xie Ran's skin was very fair, carrying a trace of cool detachment without making him look frail. On the contrary, he had an excellent figure, with long, smooth lines and just the right amount of muscle.

He was drying his hair. The hair he had kept slicked back these past days had fallen limp after getting wet, hanging softly over his eyes. Without the lofty air he had during the day, he suddenly seemed tender and gentle.

Just like ten years ago, when they had been competing on Tomorrow's Star.

Back then, Fang Huiwang and Xie Ran had shared a dormitory. Every night after Xie Ran showered, he looked just like this—his hair hanging limply down, his skin fair, his gaze gentle. Whenever he looked at Fang Huiwang, he seemed to glow all over.

Over the years, Fang Huiwang had seen beauties of every kind in the entertainment industry, but no one had ever made his heart stir as purely as Xie Ran did.

Fang Huiwang had always thought that once he climbed high enough and earned enough money, perhaps he and Xie Ran could start over.

Yes, provided his career was secure and he held power and wealth in his hands.

He had come so close to succeeding. During the New Year's Eve concert, he had still been full of ambition. Xie Ran had clearly changed his mind then.

At that thought, Fang Huiwang's heart suddenly tightened.

That was right. Xie Ran must still have feelings for him. Otherwise, he would not have agreed to perform on the same stage with him before, much less appear on a variety show with him.

At that moment, Xie Ran looked over at the sound, his expression indifferent. "What did you say?"

As he dried his hair, his head tilted slightly. Steam swirled around him, and in the reflected light, he seemed to glow all over. It was as though time had suddenly flowed back ten years.

Fang Huiwang's heart pounded wildly. He had originally wanted to try persuading Xie Ran again, to make him give up stock trading and work properly, but now he changed his mind.

"Nothing. I just remembered what happened ten years ago." Fang Huiwang looked at Xie Ran with tender eyes, his gaze fixed directly on him, his voice carrying a hint of intimacy. "Do you remember when we were on Tomorrow's Star? We lived together like this too. Do you... remember?"

"I remember." Xie Ran finished drying his hair and casually tossed the towel into the laundry basket.

The original owner's consciousness atom cluster had merged with his, and the memories had practically been imported into him like a database. Forget events from ten years ago—he even knew exactly what scores the original owner got in elementary school.

If he could choose, he would have liked to delete some of them.

Yet Fang Huiwang was instantly overjoyed by those words.

Xie Ran said he remembered. He did not hide it, nor did he put on a show of drawing a clear line between them. He simply told him directly.

Sure enough, just like him, Xie Ran had never let go.

"Those days were truly so simple and happy." Seizing this rare opportunity, Fang Huiwang stepped forward twice, closing the distance between them. His voice grew softer and softer. "Although training every day was exhausting, with you by my side, none of that hardship mattered..."

As he spoke, Xie Ran took off his bathrobe and changed into his own pajamas. His movements were natural and fluid, with no intention of avoiding suspicion.

The instant the bathrobe came off, Fang Huiwang felt heat surge through his whole body, his throat seeming to go dry as well.

He unscrewed a bottle of water and took two sips to calm himself down before cautiously probing, "Xiao Ran... do you still hate me over what happened ten years ago?"

Otherwise, he could not understand why Xie Ran had been so unpredictable lately.

"Hate?" As though he had heard something strange, Xie Ran unusually lifted his eyes to glance at him, smiling without really smiling. "What is that?"

Meng Feixuan flew into a rage in his earpiece. "Sir, he's making things difficult for you. He's deliberately targeting a gap in your knowledge!"

"Mm." Xie Ran had only mentioned it casually and did not care. With that, he lay down on the bed and began preparing to sleep.

But Fang Huiwang completely misunderstood what Xie Ran meant.

Xie Ran was avoiding the question. He did not dare face it, so it really was like that!

Feeling that he had finally grasped the crux of the problem, Fang Huiwang became excited at once.

He was not afraid of Xie Ran hating him. Hatred meant he had not let go, which meant Fang Huiwang still had a chance.

"Xiao Ran, I truly had no choice back then." Fang Huiwang lowered his voice, his tone tinged with bitterness. "With our qualifications at the time, we simply had no ability to oppose the talent agency's decision. But over these years, I have never forgotten every little moment we spent together..."

Once he began, the rest came naturally. Using this as a breakthrough, Fang Huiwang sat on the edge of his own bed facing Xie Ran and began reminiscing about the past.

They had not been together for long back then, and they had not even had many chances to be alone intimately. But with time acting as a filter, every memory now seemed beautiful and sweet. Even their occasional quarrels had become vivid and touching.

Fang Huiwang spoke with growing emotion, but Xie Ran was not listening to him at all. The moment Fang Huiwang started talking, Meng Feixuan skillfully turned up his own volume and began reporting on the studio's project progress.

He directly blocked out Fang Huiwang's voice.

"...Those are the cooperation applications currently submitted to the studio by various organizations. Quest Technology has also reassessed my value. The valuation currently reported has risen to 1.2 billion yuan." Meng Feixuan was extremely professional when working. His data was accurate and orderly, his electronic voice calm and matter-of-fact. He never said anything unnecessary and did not require Xie Ran to spare even a trace of attention.