I only have one wife

When Xie Yanci woke up, he was already lying in a hospital bed.

"Ugh..."

His head hurt terribly.

Wanting to touch his burning forehead, he instinctively moved his right hand.

So heavy.

He raised his other hand to shield his eyes from the bright lights in the VIP Ward, then lowered his gaze.

Xu Shi was asleep beside his bed.

Usually mischievous and swaggering, he looked rather docile in his sleep.

With his head resting on Xie Yanci's arm, he held Xie Yanci's right hand tightly. Their wedding rings overlapped, glittering under the bright lights.

Xu Shi had said he wore this wedding ring to get used to playing Xia Cen.

Xia Cen...

Thinking of that character, Xie Yanci became distracted for a moment.

"Mm..."

A series of sleepy murmurs sounded.

Xu Shi seemed not quite awake. He turned his head and rubbed it against Xie Yanci's arm.

"..."

Xie Yanci instinctively moved his fingertips and held Xu Shi's hand.

"Hmm?" Xu Shi looked up. "You're awake?"

A large patch on his left cheek was red from being pressed against the arm, and his eyes were red-rimmed, as though he had not slept well.

Xie Yanci's slightly prominent Adam's apple bobbed. "...Yes."

"Oh."

Xu Shi nodded blankly.

He had no idea what to say to Xie Yanci, and being alone together felt a little awkward.

"Oh, right." Xu Shi opened the insulated lunch box. "Auntie made some porridge and brought it over. Would you like some?"

He hurriedly ladled a small bowl of porridge, trying to act composed while avoiding his gaze.

Xie Yanci did not answer.

His dark, somber eyes rested on Xu Shi. He did not know how to begin.

After a moment of silence, Xu Shi spoke first. "Are you still feeling unwell?"

He set the bowl on the table, leaned closer, and laid a hand on Xie Yanci's forehead. "...You're burning up."

He instinctively withdrew his hand.

"Have you been here looking after me the whole time?" After deliberating for a long time, Xie Yanci spoke, his voice strained.

"Who else?" Xu Shi looked at him without a trace of hesitation. "Who do you think would come look after you besides your wife?"

"Wen Yu?"

At that name, Xie Yanci grew so anxious that he coughed several times. "The role of Xia Cen..."

Screech-

The chair scraped against the floor with a piercing sound.

Xu Shi stood straight up. "I'll go get the doctor."

With that, he left the ward without looking back, several more coughs from Xie Yanci sounding behind him.

"..."

The moment the ward door closed, Xu Shi's tears fell. He slowly slid down the wall to the floor.

[You promised me.]

[You promised...]

He knew Xie Yanci did not like him, and he knew Wen Yu was Xie Yanci's canonical partner, but they had already agreed on this.

At the very least, he was now Xie Yanci's wife in name.

When Xiao Chi said Wen Yu had been chosen for the Male Lead role, he had naively thought Xie Yanci had failed to secure the investment for the film.

Only later had he learned that the investor had personally chosen Wen Yu.

Xie Yanci had chosen him personally...

[He didn't choose me.]

[He didn't choose me...]

It was actually the result he had expected.

He was only a malicious cannon fodder character, not the protagonist of this book.

"..."

The VIP Ward was spacious and silent. All Xie Yanci could hear was Xu Shi crying.

Xie Yanci listened quietly and reached for the phone on the bedside table. He opened his WeChat conversation with Song Zhixing.

The chat history on the screen was particularly jarring.

[Xie Yanci]: I'll only decide the Male Lead. You choose the rest.

[Xie Yanci]: Wen Yu will play Xia Cen.

[Song Zhixing]: ?

[Song Zhixing]: All right.

"..."

Looking at those words he had "personally" sent, he was dazed for a moment.

The fire ten years ago, Xu Shi's thoughts that he could now hear, and the words he had seen...

"Yanci."

Song Zhixing's voice suddenly came from the doorway, interrupting his thoughts.

Song Zhixing strode in carrying a fruit basket. "Your assistant told me you fainted from a fever. As your business partner, I made a special trip to see you."

Having finished the polite formalities, Song Zhixing quickly glanced back at the doorway.

With a conspiratorial air, he said, "Holy shit, I just saw Xu Shi crying outside!"

Xie Yanci forced himself upright and pulled the needle out of the back of his hand. "I'm going to find him."

"Hey, hey, hey..." Song Zhixing hurriedly stopped the irrational man. "He left ages ago. Why do you care so much about your little lover?"

His fever had been so high that he had actually fainted, yet his wife had not come. Instead, his little lover had been crying outside.

Song Zhixing despised him every time he saw him.

He looked down on homewreckers most of all.

"Xu Shi is my wife." Xie Yanci explained to him in all seriousness, his voice betraying no emotion.

"?"

Song Zhixing froze.

Seeing that Xie Yanci did not look as though he was joking, he took several steps back. "What do you mean? Xu Shi successfully took her place?"

"I only have one wife," Xie Yanci corrected him.

Song Zhixing: "?"

His friend looked so restrained and proper, yet he had married a wife as beautiful as an enchantress?

Appearances really were deceiving. No wonder there had never been any romantic rumors about a certain someone in their circle.

Song Zhixing had originally wanted to seize the opportunity to hit on Xu Shi. Fortunately, he had not made a move, or he would surely have been buried alive.

"Wait." Song Zhixing finally caught on. "Your wife was competing with another Omega for the same role, and you chose the other person instead of your wife?"

Shameful!

Despicable!

Abominable!

However much of a womanizer Song Zhixing was, even he could not be as ruthless as Xie Yanci.

"..."

Xie Yanci had no way to explain. No one would believe something so supernatural, and his position did not permit him to make claims without scientific grounds.

Looking at the tightly shut ward door, he said slowly, "I'm withdrawing my investment."

"What?" Song Zhixing had not yet caught up.

Without hesitation, Xie Yanci repeated emphatically, "I'm withdrawing my investment. The penalty for breach of contract will be transferred to you within five business days."

"Huh?" Song Zhixing's face was full of shock. "Did that fever fry your brain? Do you know you'll have to pay over a billion in compensation?"

"I know," Xie Yanci said.

He was a businessman through and through. Even his marriage had nothing to do with love, only interests. He should not undertake a project that would leave him with a net loss of over a billion.

But he had promised Xu Shi, and he did not want to break his word.

Even if Xu Shi ultimately failed to get the role, he did not want to be the reason.

"..." Song Zhixing truly did not understand, but he said little more.

After all, he was the one who would actually benefit.

Xie Yanci was going mad, and he would get over a billion for nothing-enough to make films for the rest of his life.

Song Zhixing nodded. "If you breach the contract, your designated Male Lead won't count anymore either. Can you accept that?"

"Yes." Xie Yanci nodded. "Choose again. Whoever you choose will have nothing to do with me."

The director could choose anyone, but he himself could not choose Wen Yu behind Xu Shi's back.

He was bound by marriage, and he had to be responsible to Xu Shi.

Song Zhixing wanted to say more, but Xie Yanci's attention was elsewhere. He did not linger, simply saying goodbye and leaving.

The hospital's VIP corridor was very quiet. Xie Yanci found Xu Shi hiding in the Emergency Stairwell, smoking.

Xu Shi raised his eyes and gave him a languid glance. "Director Song left?"

"Yes."

Xie Yanci walked over, took the cigarette from his hand, brought it to his lips, and took a drag.

A Mint Burst Bead. He was not used to smoking it.

The curling smoke put distance between them. Xie Yanci slowly said, "They'll recast the Male Lead. Don't worry."

At that, Xu Shi froze. "Didn't you choose Wen Yu?"