Shi Wei sat cross-legged on the sofa, his gaze sharp as he watched the screen, all ten fingers flying over the keyboard.
His phone was on speaker, and Ma Xianbei's roars kept pouring out.
"Bro, think about the situation you're in! The surveillance footage is out, the whole internet is trashing you, and all you have to do is apologize to put this behind you. Why are you acting so badass?"
Ma Xianbei swallowed his anger and earnestly advised him, "Xu Xirui isn't like you. He's an artist the company is investing heavily in. You're nothing compared to him. Come back and apologize. Have you forgotten that audition you worked so hard to get? How will you turn things around if you're shelved?"
As he spoke, Ma Xianbei lowered his voice again. "I know you still think Xu Xirui got you kicked out of that trainee show, and you can't accept it, but sometimes you have no choice but to bow your head..."
Shi Wei's fingers paused. His lips twitched into a somewhat cold smile. "Stop, Xianbei."
Hope rekindled in Ma Xianbei's voice. "You're willing to come back and apologize?"
Shi Wei curled his lips. "Xianbei, I just think you talk too much. Either way, I'm not apologizing or bowing my head."
"Are you really going to destroy yourself...?"
Shi Wei hung up on him.
At the same time, the image on his computer screen began to change.
Shi Wei's eyes lit up, and he gave an "I knew it" smile.
"Heh. You thought deleting it would make everything fine?"
In less than ten minutes, Shi Wei restored the deleted video. Once he had the segment he wanted, he erased all traces while he was at it.
[Host, how do you know how to do all this?]
"Don't you know I was an all-round big shot in my past life?" Shi Wei humblebragged shamelessly.
[...Then what do you plan to do, Host?]
"Get ready for some face-slapping."
[If you slap the protagonist's face, you could end up very badly.]
Shi Wei yawned carelessly. "Then I just have to beat him to death, right?"
The system was shocked!
Ji Hanchuan spent the entire day at his studio, discussing upcoming work with his team.
His manager, Feng Wan, had been with him since the studio was founded. Ji Hanchuan trusted her deeply, so she knew exactly who Shi Wei was.
Ji Hanchuan had returned to the country to prepare for his retirement from the industry. She didn't want his final days as an actor to be tarnished.
And Shi Wei was that enormous stain, a crisis that could erupt at any moment.
Only after their other colleagues left did Feng Wan speak. "Hanchuan, has that minor celebrity agreed to a divorce?"
Ji Hanchuan answered honestly, "I haven't brought it up yet."
He had intended to bring it up when he returned last night, but Shi Wei had said he was tired and wanted to sleep. As it turned out, he had only been making advance preparations for a sneak attack.
Later, he discovered that whenever he met Shi Wei's eyes, he could hear his thoughts, which disrupted his plans.
Still, that hardly seemed like a reason not to divorce him.
Speaking of which, did this "skill" work on anyone else?
In the spirit of experimentation, Ji Hanchuan met Feng Wan's eyes.
Feng Wan: ?
"What is it?"
Ji Hanchuan's gaze darkened, and he kept staring.
Feng Wan, whose skin was crawling under that sharp, probing gaze: ...
Ji Hanchuan looked away. He couldn't hear anything. Apparently, it only worked on Shi Wei.
"Go on."
"Don't blame me for nagging, but you should divorce that minor celebrity as soon as possible." Feng Wan opened a video on her tablet. "He's no decent person."
Ji Hanchuan watched the highly popular video.
Feng Wan spoke earnestly. "See? He even dared to shove someone on a live variety show. At best, that's vicious; at worst, it's a crime. Such a pretty face, and yet he's so vicious."
She truly couldn't understand it. Of all the people Ji Hanchuan could have secretly married, why someone like him?
Ji Hanchuan set down the tablet, his expression cold. "You can't tell?"
"Tell what?" Feng Wan asked, puzzled.
"Hanchuan, Wan, it's time." His assistant, Li Xiaochen, pushed the door open and entered. "If we don't leave now, Director Zhang will get impatient waiting."
Feng Wan gave an "Ah," then hurriedly said, "Hanchuan, you'd better get going. Don't worry. I guarantee this person's scandal won't spill over onto you."
Ji Hanchuan stood up, took two steps, then stopped. His expression remained stern as he looked at Feng Wan. "Get someone to take that trending topic down."
"Take it... down? You're going to help him?" Feng Wan was so shocked that she lost her composure. "You... don't want a divorce anymore?"
"I do." Ji Hanchuan was utterly cold. "But that doesn't mean I have to watch him be falsely accused." He would consider it a divorce perk.
Falsely accused?
Feng Wan stared at Ji Hanchuan's retreating back, increasingly puzzled.
"Hanchuan, you're finally back." As Ji Hanchuan entered the elegant private room, Zhang Zixiang couldn't help smiling despite his stern face. "My film just won't work without you."
"You're too kind, Mr. Zhang."
Ji Hanchuan had deep-set features and a high, straight nose. His shirt was meticulously buttoned to the top, the pristine white fabric tucked into his trousers, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
Zhang Zixiang patted Ji Hanchuan's broad shoulder, a hint of pride in his eyes.
Ji Hanchuan had won his first Best Actor award for starring in his film. Now he was an unrivaled top star, yet he still respectfully called him his teacher. What an honor that was.
"Come on, let's have a proper get-together tonight."
"Gladly."
Zhang Zixiang's idea of a get-together involved an awful lot of alcohol. Even with his impressive tolerance, Ji Hanchuan was a little muddled, while Zhang Zixiang had to be carried into his car by his driver.
"Hanchuan, let's go too." His assistant, Li Xiaochen, drove over to pick him up.
"Mm."
Politely declining Li Xiaochen's supporting hand, Ji Hanchuan returned home and saw a lump on the sofa.
Shi Wei was curled up in the corner, wrapped in the jacket he had left behind last night. His soft black hair was slightly tousled, and his long lashes trembled with his steady breathing, catching the dim yellow lamplight like scattered stars.
Half his face was buried in Ji Hanchuan's jacket. He slept so soundly and peacefully, as though he needed to smell his scent to fall asleep...
Ji Hanchuan's gaze grew deep.
Does he really love me?
Remembering Shi Wei's thoughts, Ji Hanchuan gave a cold scoff and walked over. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the jacket, his hand paused.
"Hm?"
The strong smell of alcohol woke Shi Wei right up.
He lifted his heavy eyelids, only to see Ji Hanchuan reaching toward him.
Shi Wei: !!!
Ji Hanchuan: ...
For a moment, the air stood still.
Shi Wei was scared fully awake.
Holy shit! Is this bastard trying to sneak up on me? Didn't he say he definitely wasn't coming back tonight?
Stay calm. Can't break character.
Shi Wei smiled, his eyes curving. He casually flung off the jacket covering him and lunged at Ji Hanchuan. "Hubby, you're finally home!"
Alcohol had made Ji Hanchuan a little slow. Caught off guard, he found himself in Shi Wei's embrace, two long legs wrapped around his waist.
"I knew you couldn't bear to leave me home alone, hubby."
Shi Wei looped his arms around Ji Hanchuan's neck. As soon as he drew close, he smelled the alcohol on him. He looked up into his slightly hazy eyes. "You've been drinking, hubby. You've been naughty."
-Heh, just as naughty as those hands of yours on my ass!
Ji Hanchuan: ...