After finally dragging his suitcase up to his room on the third floor, Song Nianxing had barely stepped inside and had yet to catch his breath when someone shoved the door open behind him with a deafening bang.
He startled and turned around. Jiang Jingzhe stood there like a demon that had crawled out of hell, glaring at him with hostility radiating from his entire body.
The instant their eyes met, it was as though a switch had been flipped in Jiang Jingzhe. Brows furrowed, he advanced toward Song Nianxing one step at a time.
"Tell me who you slept with."
His voice was low and harsh, every word slamming into Song Nianxing's ears and piercing his eardrums, forcing him to instinctively take a step back.
That retreat only provoked Jiang Jingzhe further. He immediately seized Song Nianxing's shoulders and bent down slightly, his wide eyes tinged with a frightening scarlet.
"You're avoiding me? Fucking answer me! Who did you sleep with? Who was that man? Oh, don't tell me it was some producer or investor connected to this show? How else could you, Song Nianxing, have gotten onto this show, right? Answer me! How did I never know you were this desperate and shameless?"
His grip was so forceful that pain shot through Song Nianxing's shoulders, and involuntary tears instantly spilled from his eyes.
Yet in that moment, he could not tell whether his body or his heart hurt more.
"You're hurting me..."
Song Nianxing whimpered. Through the mist of his tears, he felt for the first time that the Jiang Jingzhe before him was a stranger.
His features were clearly no different from when he had been a teenager, only a little more mature, yet everything was different-utterly, completely different.
Biting his lip, Song Nianxing forced himself to meet Jiang Jingzhe's eyes and struggled fiercely against his hold. "Let me go. Didn't you tell me to stay away from you? Then whoever I sleep with is none of your business."
"None of my business?" Jiang Jingzhe gave a cold laugh, clearly furious, then tightened his hold on Song Nianxing considerably. "Who do you think you are? Without me, who else would even bother with you?"
For some reason, the instant Jiang Jingzhe said those words, someone's figure appeared in Song Nianxing's mind: Shen Siyi.
And just then, that familiar, clear, cool voice sounded from the entryway, as though answering his thoughts.
"Me."
That single word landed in the room, yet it instantly set the atmosphere on a knife's edge.
Jiang Jingzhe turned his head, and Song Nianxing seized the chance to break free of his grip and head toward Shen Siyi.
To Jiang Jingzhe, that sight undoubtedly added fuel to his already unsettled emotions. What little reason remained vanished in an instant, leaving his mind filled only with disbelief that Song Nianxing had actually abandoned him and run to another man's side.
"What brings you here, Best Actor Shen? You seem to care a great deal about Song Nianxing. I had no idea you two had become so close."
"Well, we've slept together. Naturally, we're close."
Shen Siyi answered casually, taking the opportunity to shield Song Nianxing behind him.
At those words, Jiang Jingzhe instantly exploded.
It was Shen Siyi! The man who had slept with Song Nianxing was actually Shen Siyi!
With that thought, and at the sight of Song Nianxing hiding behind Shen Siyi and watching him warily, Jiang Jingzhe could no longer control himself. He strode toward Shen Siyi and grabbed his collar. "It was you!"
His voice rose sharply, and as he spoke, he raised a fist and aimed a punch at Shen Siyi's face.
"Jiang Jingzhe! Have you lost your mind?" Badly frightened, Song Nianxing hurriedly reached out to stop him, desperately pulling him and Shen Siyi apart.
Had Jiang Jingzhe's punch landed, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Yet Song Nianxing's actions only made Jiang Jingzhe more furious.
His gaze cut back and forth between Song Nianxing and Shen Siyi several times before he gave a self-mocking laugh. "You're protecting him? Song Nianxing, you shoved me away for him? Ha, fine. Just fine! You've found someone better to latch onto now. I suppose you won't need to come looking for me anymore!"
As he spoke, he backed away, looking deeply hurt, then shot Shen Siyi several venomous looks before leaving without looking back, slamming the door behind him.
The door slammed with another deafening bang, cutting off every word of explanation Song Nianxing had wanted to offer.
Looking at the closed door, Song Nianxing could not help the loneliness that crept into his eyes.
Watching him, Shen Siyi's gaze darkened imperceptibly, and then he suddenly began coughing violently.
Song Nianxing snapped back to his senses. Seeing the red marks left on Shen Siyi's neck by his tightened collar, he felt boundless guilt well up inside him again.
"I'm sorry, Senior Shen. I've dragged you into this again. Jiang Jingzhe... he's always had a problem with gay people. He only acted like that because finding out about me made him so angry and disgusted with me..."
Listening, Shen Siyi slowly lowered his eyes. "I really envy him, having you defend him like this, yet he still doesn't understand how hard you're trying for him... Nianxing, you seem to trust him a lot?"
As he spoke, he raised a hand to his neck, seemingly uncomfortable.
Seeing that, Song Nianxing felt even worse. "We grew up together... He's all I have, so I depend on him a lot. But he must be sick of me now."
Remembering Jiang Jingzhe's recent distance and the unfamiliar rage he had shown just now, Song Nianxing felt his eyes sting again.
"He's not all you have."
Shen Siyi parted his thin lips and softly spoke those words.
Song Nianxing suddenly looked up at him.
He leaned closer, the smile on his lips infinitely gentle. "I told you, if you need anything, I'll help you. I won't be like him. I won't find you annoying, and I certainly won't refuse to accept gay people."
Song Nianxing was stunned by his words, and memories of how Shen Siyi had looked after him over the past few days involuntarily replayed in his mind.
That's right. Shen Siyi is like me.
Besides, he was clearly the one who had more to feel guilty about toward Shen Siyi, yet Shen Siyi had not held any of it against him, always accepting and protecting him.
At that moment, to Song Nianxing, it felt as though, after losing the lifeline he had relied on for so long, someone had reached out a hand to him just as he was about to fall into the abyss.
"I..."
His lips moved, and he felt an urge to speak, but then he hesitated and closed them again.
Shen Siyi... Can I trust him?
Will he really help me?
Watching his hesitation, Shen Siyi could barely suppress the tingling feeling in his heart.
Tsk, his Nianxing was so adorable.
So hesitant? Then let him help~
With that thought, Shen Siyi straightened up again, then lowered his eyes with a rather hurt smile.
"It seems Nianxing doesn't need me. Never mind. Perhaps I really am not good enough yet, not someone Nianxing can trust the way he trusts Jiang Jingzhe."
After speaking, he made as if to head toward the entryway.
Seeing the "outstretched hand" he had finally found about to withdraw again, Song Nianxing panicked a little and reached out to catch Shen Siyi's wrist.
"No... It's not that I don't trust you, Senior Shen." As he spoke, he seemed to summon all his courage and lifted his tearful eyes to Shen Siyi. "Actually, some bad things have been happening to me lately. There's someone-I don't know if they're a fan or what-who keeps sending me... adult toys and things, and sends me lots of obscene messages too."
Shen Siyi glanced at the hand holding him, and his smile immediately deepened considerably. "Did you keep those things? Oh, I mean those things... what did you do with them?"
"Of course I threw them away!" As Song Nianxing spoke, it was as though he saw those objects again: low-temperature candles... whips... erotic outfits... bells that moved... As he recalled them, his grip on Shen Siyi unconsciously tightened considerably.
The tail of Shen Siyi's brow lifted almost imperceptibly. "You threw them away."
What a pity.
But that was all right.
He had plenty more at home.
With that thought, he promptly put on a sympathetic expression again. "Good thing you threw them away. Ah, how could someone be so awful~ My heart really aches for you, Nianxing."
Listening to him and seeing the sincerity on Shen Siyi's face, Song Nianxing could not stop his heart from beating faster.
Jiang Jingzhe had scolded him and said this was normal, but Shen Siyi understood him and felt for him.
Sniffling, Song Nianxing's lips began trembling uncontrollably. "The biggest thing is, I feel like that pervert... like he's right here, among the people on this show!"
Shen Siyi's eyes flickered, then, looking full of concern, he took Song Nianxing's hand in his own. "Really? You must be very scared, then, Nianxing. How about this: if you discover anything or he messages you again, come to me. I'll protect you, all right?"
At those words, Song Nianxing's eyes lit up, and he was so moved that he did not know what to say.
"All right! But... wouldn't that be too much trouble for you, Senior Shen?"
"No. I'm willing to listen to everything Nianxing has to tell me~"
Shen Siyi: I can listen to everything Nianxing has to tell me, but you know what might happen after I've listened~
Before you continue