"Hubby, your heart is beating so fast..."
The voice came through the speaker, sounding somewhere between coy complaint and reproach, and another message soon followed.
"Impostor: /image"
"Impostor: Sorry, I think I sent that to the wrong person. Yuzhou is just so clingy. You're not jealous, are you? /hand over mouth"
An ominous feeling stirred in Bai Ruanruan's heart, and he opened the photo.
That damned impostor Nan Qing was shamelessly nestled in a man's arms. Bai Ruanruan enlarged the picture and saw the man's fine-quality shirt and lustrous mother-of-pearl buttons.
How could that possibly be Huo Yuzhou?
Bai Ruanruan found it laughable.
Huo Yuzhou was his most loyal, most powerful simp in this world. He only liked him, so how could he possibly be with someone else?
Refusing to believe it, Bai Ruanruan enlarged other parts of the picture for a look.
Who knew where Nan Qing had found this actor, but he certainly had a good figure. Blue veins stood out on his long, strong arms, and even his well-defined fingers had a sexy beauty to them.
But to claim this was Huo Yuzhou was far too ridiculous, wasn't it?
Bai Ruanruan sneered and replied with a vomiting emoji.
But he had no intention of deleting Nan Qing.
The cannon fodder Nan Qing hadn't died and had become a slinking dog instead, which made him perfect entertainment.
Bai Ruanruan had plenty of things he had nowhere to show off. Sending them to anyone else would seem petty, but sending them to Nan Qing was just right.
Just imagining a penniless Nan Qing huddled in a rented room, enviously looking at the luxurious life he posted, watching him drink champagne and fine wine, drive luxury cars and live in a villa, while Nan Qing could only gnaw on steamed buns with a belly full of jealousy, made him feel unbelievably good.
Bai Ruanruan tossed his phone aside, only to keep glancing back at it.
Who knew where Nan Qing had found that actor? He looked quite decent.
But that was only because he hadn't met him yet. Once he appeared before the man with his heartthrob halo, this decent-looking man would definitely dump Nan Qing at lightning speed and fall at his feet.
It probably wouldn't take long, either.
Tomorrow, he would appear on the variety show and take his first step toward explosive fame. Then the whole world would know the name Bai Ruanruan.
As for this man, he would add him to his fish pond too.
He would let Nan Qing get a good look.
All the wealth and men in this world belonged to him, Bai Ruanruan.
There was only what he didn't want, never what he couldn't get.
The audio sent with a whoosh.
Nan Qing furtively hid his phone, then patted his backside and mercilessly rose from Huo Yuzhou's arms.
For once, Huo Yuzhou didn't stop him.
An unusual emotion flashed through his dark eyes, and he lifted one long leg encased in suit trousers, discreetly crossing it over the other.
Nan Qing swiped across the screen, looking at the lovey-dovey photos he had taken and figuring they would last him a good while.
After all, he was going on the variety show tomorrow, and the production team would definitely target him.
There was only so much dirt on him. That so-called photo from today would almost certainly come up, and these pictures would definitely be useful then.
Nan Qing picked through them and set his favorite as his lock screen.
When he turned back, Huo Yuzhou was still sitting in the same place like a jade Buddha, except his collar gaped too widely, revealing the smooth lines of his collarbones and firm, sleek chest muscles.
Cool yet seductive, the two qualities blended in a way that was contradictory yet harmonious.
An air of restraint accompanied by the appeal of a seductive scumbag made him impossibly alluring.
After a moment's thought, Nan Qing decided he might as well finish what he had started and button him up.
After all, Huo Yuzhou had done him such a big favor by lending his good looks. Helping straighten his clothes was no big deal.
A sweet smile hung on Nan Qing's lips as his nimble fingers worked the mother-of-pearl buttons.
When he had nearly finished, Nan Qing lowered his gaze and glanced down, looking a little surprised.
Feigning composure, Huo Yuzhou stiffened, afraid Nan Qing would notice something.
But even changing his sitting position couldn't conceal it completely. Huo Yuzhou suddenly regretted indulging in this brief moment of tenderness and exposing such a pathetic side of himself before this little bastard again.
Sure enough, after fastening his last button, the beautiful young man gave him a long look, then suddenly smiled.
"Hubby, you've been scammed."
Huo Yuzhou didn't understand what he meant, his sharply defined brow lifting slightly.
With the air of someone who knew these things, Nan Qing patted his shoulder and spoke without reservation about what he had just seen.
"That's what happens with badly tailored clothes. They don't sit right when you sit down. Those people must have seen how freely you spend and didn't bother making your clothes properly."
The stunningly beautiful youth's eyes were clear as he arrived at his conclusion.
"That's why it bulges."
Under that clear gaze, Huo Yuzhou fell silent for a moment.
He went along with the mistake. "All right."
This internet-famous restaurant served fusion cuisine, and most of the dishes were cloyingly sweet. Apart from its big name and photogenic presentation, it didn't suit Nan Qing's tastes.
Fortunately, Huo Yuzhou wasn't picky, so he had him finish most of the dishes.
Huo Yuzhou had come out in a hurry today. His phone rang several times during the meal, and he swiftly silenced it each time.
As the meal neared its end, his phone screen lit up again. Nan Qing considerately looked over, his voice as sweet as could be.
"It's all right, hubby. Go answer your call first."
Wearing gloves, Nan Qing showed Huo Yuzhou the chicken wing in his hand.
"I'll be here gnawing on this for a while yet, hubby. If you're really too busy, you can go straight to work."
Huo Yuzhou glanced at his phone, his voice low.
"Then I'll step out to take this call. I'll just be a moment."
This internet-famous restaurant sold itself on fusion cuisine, and its decor was something of a mishmash too. Paintings with a distinctly Southeast Asian style lined the long corridor, yet the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa stood around the corner, and even the directional signs were a jumble of styles.
Passing the Armless Venus at the corner, Huo Yuzhou entered the restroom. The instant the call connected, a smiling male voice enthusiastically asked him,
"How did it go?"
Huo Yuzhou put on his wireless earbuds and turned on the tap.
"He didn't ask for anything."
"Nothing? Didn't you hint that you could give him the lead in Journey through Luo? He didn't even want such a juicy offer?"
Huo Yuzhou gave a low hum of acknowledgment.
"I did. He didn't want entertainment industry resources, a car, or a house. All he wanted was for me to take him to work tomorrow."
"Holy shit!"
The person on the other end exclaimed, "Sister-in-law really knows what he's doing!"
Perhaps that form of address pleased Huo Yuzhou. A faint smile appeared on the handsome face in the mirror as he continued,
"He hugged me of his own accord."
The person on the other end clicked his tongue a few times and teased him,
"He~ hugged~ me~ of~ his~ own~ accord~"
"President Huo, do you really have to show off your love like that?"
"Tsk, sickeningly sweet."
A smile appeared in Huo Yuzhou's eyes, but he soon seemed to recall something and began earnestly seeking advice.
"But today, he had me help him take some photos. I don't quite understand what he meant by it."
"What kind of photos?" the person on the other end asked.
Huo Yuzhou fell silent for a moment, and the other person immediately understood.
"That kind of photo?"
Huo Yuzhou didn't deny it, and the voice on the other end grew louder, brimming with nosiness.
"And then? What did you two do?"
"Nothing."
That was precisely why Huo Yuzhou was baffled. With a calm expression, he stated,
"He straightened my clothes again."
This time, he wasn't the one who fell silent. The person on the other end was.
Only after the sound of running water stopped did the other person swear.
"Are you even capable, Huo Yuzhou? Little sister-in-law finally made a move for once, and you couldn't even seize the chance?"
Huo Yuzhou hesitated. "But I don't think he meant it that way..."
"What do you mean, he didn't mean it that way? Do you even understand dating, Huo Yuzhou?"
"You're an absolute blockhead!"
"Do you know why you've had a crush on him for so many years without ever managing to date him? Because you're too dull! You haven't got a romantic bone in your body!"
The person on the other end berated him loudly.
"Go learn a thing or two, buddy."
"How many more times does little sister-in-law have to make the first move before you get it?"
"Here, listen to me-"
The person on the other end lowered his voice and said something indistinct.
Huo Yuzhou's stern, handsome face remained unruffled, but a blush spread over his ears.
A long while passed, until the person on the other end finished speaking and threatened that his husband would run off if he didn't try harder.
Only then did Huo Yuzhou come back to his senses, his ears so red they looked ready to drip blood, and quietly say, "All right."