Please, I'm begging you

He wasn't "Xu Shi."

Yes, they had the exact same name, looked identical, and even shared every tiny detail of their bodies.

But he truly wasn't someone from this book.

The original text had never mentioned these details at all. He shouldn't have known them.

Yet his reaction just now had been so fast, almost like a reflex.

Was it natural for him to know these things?

Why?

"..."

Xie Yanci froze too.

The second compartment from the bottom on the wardrobe's third tier was where he hid things.

On the second day of their marriage, Xu Shi had thrown his wedding ring into the trash. Xie Yanci had picked it up and hidden it here.

Even the dark red tie from just now had been stuffed in here.

He checked it every day, and there had never been any sign of anything being disturbed.

How had Xu Shi known?

They exchanged a look, both more or less shocked, and neither said a word.

They lay back down on the bed without bringing it up again.

Xu Shi had no engagements for several days in a row.

He didn't return to the villa, staying instead in the spacious single-floor apartment downtown.

Xie Yanci had been busy with work these days and hadn't had time to come home either. He had only sent Xu Shi a message to let him know.

"Did you fight with your husband again?" Xiao Chi asked, lying on the couch as he checked the upcoming schedule.

"No. Why would you ask that?" Xu Shi looked baffled.

Though it was true he hadn't spoken to Xie Yanci for several days.

"Because you used to fight with your husband every day and 'run away from home' every day..." And I've never seen your husband come coax you back.

Xiao Chi didn't dare say that last part.

Xu Shi lazily yawned, showing little reaction.

He had asked Secretary Zhou about it. In the past, he and Xie Yanci hadn't exchanged more than a hundred sentences in a year, and they had never slept together.

Because Xie Yanci was busy with work and never came home.

He was the only one who would occasionally call to hurl a few insults.

Xu Shi still thought the original owner's thinking hadn't been open-minded enough. With such a perfect opportunity, he hadn't even gone out to find male models!

What a waste!

"Holy shit!"

Xiao Chi exclaimed beside him. "Insider news! The person in charge of the Starlight Red Carpet was replaced yesterday!"

Xu Shi wasn't interested. He picked up his coffee and took a sip. "Don't know them."

"It's the person who crossed our name off the red carpet guest list last time! He was fired outright." Xiao Chi was particularly pleased. "Heaven really does have eyes!"

Xu Shi: "..."

It probably wasn't heaven watching over them, but Xie Yanci.

The coffee was a little bitter. Xu Shi dropped in a sugar cube and stirred it unhurriedly, his long fingers holding the silver spoon.

He lowered his eyes, the corners of his lips unconsciously curving upward.

He had thought Xie Yanci wouldn't stand up for him.

He'd known it. With a CEO for a husband, surely the man had to be useful for something.

He took another sip of coffee. The sweetness was just right.

"Oh, right." Xiao Chi suddenly remembered something. "Shallow Summer trended again this morning, but this time it was because dirt on Director Zhang came out."

"Hmm?" Xu Shi perked up.

He really did loathe this Director Zhang.

He had deliberately targeted him during filming and openly tried to solicit sexual favors from him at the auction. A sleazy old man like that deserved to be blacklisted!

"I heard he's going to be blacklisted, and Shallow Summer won't be able to air either."

"Cough, cough..." Xu Shi nearly spat out his coffee. "It's that serious?"

He had a feeling.

He seemed to know who had done it.

"Yeah. He's one of the top directors, after all, but once something happened, he couldn't even save his show."

Xiao Chi explained everything one point at a time.

"Three years ago, he got drunk and argued with someone at a nightclub, then injured them."

"But he was already detained for over ten days back then. I don't know why it's been dug up again now."

"Then there were some rumors about him keeping Omegas, and he was explicitly named and blacklisted."

All those old incidents had been dug up. The intention had been to get him blacklisted from the start.

Of course Xu Shi supported blacklisting scum like that, but...

Shallow Summer shouldn't have been sacrificed.

He didn't have much screen time in it, but it was extremely important to Wen Yu.

It was the first television drama Wen Yu had carried on his own. He was the top-billed male lead and had poured a great deal of effort into it.

Later, he would also win his first Best Actor award for this drama.

The original story had been completely rewritten...

"Then isn't Wen Yu's team making a fuss?" Xu Shi lowered his eyes and asked cautiously.

"Oh, right! I only just realized they've all been quiet. Not a single one is making a fuss. How strange," Xiao Chi said.

"..."

Xu Shi didn't respond. He tipped his head back and drained his coffee in one go.

They had probably realized they couldn't afford to offend the powerful figure behind it.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Xu Shi stood.

Only after shutting the bathroom door did he take out his phone and call Xie Yanci.

He didn't know what he wanted to say either. It clearly had nothing to do with him.

The man had even helped him get back at someone.

"Hello?"

The Alpha's voice came through, as cold as ever.

Xu Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he felt nervous for no reason. "Were you the one who got Director Zhang blacklisted?"

He hadn't thought through his wording, and now that he had said it, it sounded rather accusatory.

There was no response from the other end for a long time.

Thinking Xie Yanci was probably busy with work, Xu Shi simply got straight to the point. "Could you let Shallow Summer air..."

"Please, I'm begging you."

Begging.

The Beta's voice came over the phone, yielding and a little cautious. It was the first time Xie Yanci had seen his wife willingly yield.

And it was actually for a television drama that had nothing to do with him.

Xie Yanci's dark, reserved eyes narrowed slightly, his voice particularly icy. "Why?"

Xu Shi hurriedly put on an ingratiating smile. "Because I think my acting in it was especially good!"

Xie Yanci lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Xu Shi had no more than thirty minutes of screen time in it. He had to be here for either Wen Yu or Xia Shian.

Someone his wife cared about this much...

Xie Yanci's brow furrowed slightly, his thin lips pressing into a straight line. Only after a long while did an extremely quiet syllable escape them:

"Mm."

The call ended.

Xu Shi leaned against the doorframe and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Only when he was in the weaker position, taking the initiative to beg someone, did he personally experience this CEO Xie's oppressive presence.

He hoped Xie Yanci hadn't seen through his flimsy excuse.

Xu Shi lay on the couch. An entire afternoon passed, and Xiao Chi still hadn't found more than a handful of engagements for him.

"We're so pitiful." Xiao Chi sighed heavily. "When will we manage to latch on to someone powerful?"

Xu Shi: "..."

He had begged Xie Yanci for Wen Yu, yet had never once thought of himself.

He said he had little ambition, but when he saw others liked by so many people, he felt envious too.

But he was only a malicious cannon fodder character.

"Hey." Xiao Chi called to him. "Didn't you say before that your husband was someone powerful too?"

"Why don't you go beg your husband?"