Zhang Li felt utterly wronged. “I only went along with you because you were swearing your head off at her. What else was I supposed to do?”
With Xie Chen’s mercurial temper, even Zhang Li—an absolute people person who had been his agent for years—couldn’t always figure him out.
But seeing how shamelessly the man was throwing himself at Pei Liang, Zhang Li couldn’t be bothered with him anymore. He used the excuse that there were still a few things he had forgotten to arrange for the afternoon tea and slipped away.
Yu Wenqing was even less inclined to risk provoking him. She had already figured out that Xie Chen and Pei Liang might have some romantic entanglement. Judging by Xie Chen’s reaction, he was certainly unhappy, but he clearly didn’t harbor any real dislike toward Pei Liang.
That meant all those suggestive remarks of hers had only earned her a rebuff. The only answer Xie Chen wanted was one specific response, and she had no reason to play the villain.
Since he was in a foul mood, she could only give up on trying to ingratiate herself with him. Otherwise, not only would she fail to improve their relationship, she might accidentally step on a land mine and offend Best Actor Xie.
She mumbled an excuse and left.
Xie Chen hadn’t managed to get a single useful word out of them and had instead worked himself into an even worse temper.
He truly couldn’t understand why Pei Liang, a young woman, could hold such unshakable, uncompromising views on relationships between men and women.
It wasn’t as though he knew nothing about her personal background. He had met her father before, and the man had been very warm toward him, treating him almost like a prospective son-in-law.
Pei Liang had always been close to her father. Although her mother had died young, her father had never remarried all these years. He had also kept his personal life clean and devoted himself wholeheartedly to his work.
It didn’t seem as if the root of the problem lay in her family.
That left her past romantic experiences as the most likely explanation. Had an earlier relationship dealt her a serious blow?
Since he couldn’t find out anything from people in the industry, and he didn’t know any of Pei Liang’s close personal friends, there was nothing he could do.
Then again, in the year or so they had spent together, he had never seen her with any truly close friends.
At first glance, she seemed popular wherever she went, yet he had never seen her share a genuine bond with anyone. The people she contacted most privately—and who were closest to her—were, apart from himself, Gao Jun.
Thinking it over made Xie Chen realize that Pei Liang had a certain air of detachment.
She seemed to exist outside this world. No matter how dazzling the scene around her was, she remained somehow apart from it. In that sense, she was surprisingly similar to Gao Jun.
So was that why she treated Gao Jun differently?
Had he finally realized that she was simply cold by nature, and that was why she put a clear price on her desires?
The thought made Xie Chen choke up. What was he doing—making excuses for her now?
He began sulking and stewing in his own anger.
A few more days passed, and Xie Chen had nearly finished filming his scenes. There might be some reshoots later, but production was already entering its final stage.
The director was getting into the flow of things as well, and there was no real need for Xie Chen to keep watch on set every day. So he had his assistant book a flight and planned to go home to see his parents.
The Xie family was comfortably well-off. His father was a university professor, while his mother was a businesswoman.
He had been born into privilege, was handsome, and had been doted on by his parents. He was popular with his teachers, classmates, and friends—in fact, he had been the center of attention wherever he went from the moment he was born. It was no wonder he had developed such a personality.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that, surrounded by people who indulged him without principle, Xie Chen had still grown into someone sunny and upright, with sound values. His minor flaws were harmless. At most, he was sharp-edged and unwilling to bow to unspoken rules. That, if anything, was a testament to his parents’ good upbringing.
When Xie Chen arrived home, both his parents were there. Knowing their son was coming back, his father had left work early to buy groceries and make soup.
The moment Xie Chen stepped inside, the aroma of his favorite dishes greeted him. The familiar atmosphere of home put him considerably at ease.
He set down the gifts he had specially brought back from abroad, then embraced his parents. For a while, the whole family basked in a warm, happy atmosphere.
“I thought you wouldn’t be back until the New Year,” his mother said.
Xie Chen smiled. “My scenes in this film are mostly toward the beginning, so I’ve got a few days free.”
“Then stay home for a few days.” His father ladled him a bowl of soup. “It’ll save me from being the only one getting nagged all day.”
His mother shot him a glare, then turned to Xie Chen. “You’ve been awfully busy this year. You’ve worked on three movies back-to-back.”
“Get some proper rest during the New Year. There’s no end to the movies you can make.”
“You can make endless movies, but good ones are hard to come by,” Xie Chen said distractedly.
His father worked on related research at the university. Hearing that, he nodded. “That’s true. The domestic film market has been getting worse these past few years.”
“I’ve seen all your films from this year. They’re all rare quality productions. There haven’t been many outstanding movies this year, but a few have certainly caught people’s attention.”
“Especially The Haunted Mansion and Space Station, the two films you made. One reinvented the domestic horror-mystery genre, while the other gave Chinese science fiction hope. Both are highly valuable films.”
“Space Station still has quite a few flaws and plenty of room for improvement. The Haunted Mansion, on the other hand, is remarkably polished. You certainly have a good eye.”
Naturally, Xie Chen was pleased to have his parents approve of his work. But the moment he thought of the time he had spent filming The Haunted Mansion, the smile faded from his face.
His mother assumed he was tired and didn’t want to talk about movies. She shot his father an annoyed look. “Must you turn the dinner table into a classroom?”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Xie Chen went to open the door, but the moment he saw his cousin, Xie Wei, he immediately tried to shut it again.
Xie Wei hurriedly braced the door with her hand. “What are you doing, big brother? Second Aunt, look at him!”
Reluctantly, Xie Chen let his cousin inside.
The two cousins were only three or four years apart. It wasn’t that they had a bad relationship, exactly—it was just that whenever they were together, chaos ensued.
The Xie family had excellent genes. Xie Chen had become a celebrity capable of dazzling the entire entertainment industry, and the three children of his uncle’s family were all good-looking as well, especially the youngest, Xie Wei.
The eldest cousin and second cousin were considerably older than Xie Chen and Xie Wei, so the two of them had been raised together from childhood.
One was the only child in his family, while the other was the youngest and most spoiled. Both were beautiful and clever, and both had grown up arrogant and domineering. They were cut from the same cloth, so naturally neither was willing to give way to the other.
Later, after Xie Chen entered the entertainment industry, they saw each other less often. As the saying went, absence made the heart grow fonder. They would occasionally find themselves missing each other, but whenever they came home for a holiday, it never took more than a few hours together before they were sick of one another again.
Xie Chen was already irritated and had no desire to see this walking nuisance.
Sure enough, the moment Xie Wei came in, she began grumbling. “You think I came here to see you? If I hadn’t seen Second Uncle buying my favorite ribs before school let out, I would’ve known you were home and stayed far away.”
Xie Chen laughed. “You really have the nerve. Those ribs were bought because you like them? At your age, shouldn’t you have a little self-awareness?”
His mother looked as if she wanted to swat him. She served Xie Wei a bowl of soup and asked with a smile, “The last few times your second uncle invited you over for dinner, you refused to come. Did you hear your brother was home today?”
Xie Wei rolled her eyes at Xie Chen. “Of course not. I just suddenly felt like eating Second Uncle’s cooking.”
There it was. The two cousins were both shamelessly bad at admitting they cared. The older couple didn’t call her out on it.
As they ate, Xie Chen’s mother remembered the gifts he had brought back and said to Xie Wei, “Oh, right. Your brother brought back some excellent tea.”
“Doesn’t Young Song’s dad like drinking tea too? I’ll portion some out for you later. Have Young Song take it to his father.”
Young Song was Xie Wei’s boyfriend. They attended the same university, and he was a local. His family was well-off, he was both handsome and talented, and he had a wonderful personality—an outstanding young man all around.
Otherwise, he would never have caught the eye of someone as discerning as Xie Wei. He was warm and courteous toward the Xie family’s elders, so naturally, the whole family adored him.
But the moment she finished speaking, Xie Wei pouted. “Fine. I’ll find time to give it to Aunt Song.”
The moment Xie Wei’s mother heard that, she knew the young couple had quarreled. Still, considering how domineering and unreasonable her daughter could be—and how she usually bullied Young Song mercilessly—she merely asked indifferently, “What did you do this time?”
Xie Wei immediately felt wronged. “Second Aunt, what do you mean by that? You don’t even know what happened, yet you’ve already decided it’s my fault?”
Then she could no longer contain her grievances. “Am I being unreasonable? We’ve been together for two years, and he still doesn’t know that I hate steamed egg with okra.”
Her parents exchanged helpless looks. “No, but you and your brother have always been difficult to feed. You both pick and choose at every meal.”
“You have more food-related preferences than anyone could remember. How is anyone supposed to keep track of them all? I remember you’re like your brother—you’ll eat stir-fried chives, but not dumplings filled with chives. The same ingredient, prepared differently, and suddenly you pull a face. How’s anyone supposed to remember all that?”
Before Xie Wei could say anything, her brother, Xie Chen, retorted, “That’s exactly how it should be. If someone can’t even remember the things you hate, how can they claim to love you?”
His mother looked ready to smack him. “What does this have to do with you? Not many people can put up with your sister’s temper. Stop egging her on.”
Xie Wei continued, “It really isn’t that I’m being petty. If he had only gotten this one thing wrong, I could let it go. But a few days ago, it was our anniversary.”
“I spent ages carefully choosing his gift. And what did he give me? It was practically identical to last year’s. I’ve never seen anyone be so perfunctory.”
“How was it identical?” her mother asked. “Your mother-in-law called me yesterday and told me all about it. A huge box of snacks, lipstick, cosmetics, and a new phone. Young Song spent all the prize money he won from that competition on it.”
“Exactly. Think about it—how is that any different from what he gave me last year?” Xie Wei said. “He bought a new model from the brand of phone I like, picked out a whole line of cosmetics I usually use, ordered a selection of snacks based on my Taobao purchase history, and added some flowers. How much effort could that possibly take?”
Her parents fell silent. This really was their own child. They felt even more apologetic toward Young Song.
Unfortunately, her brother joined in as well. Xie Chen nodded with an air of authority and offered his assessment. “That really won’t do.”
“People’s tastes change. If you want to please someone, you have to consider what they need at that particular moment. A gift that doesn’t touch your heart only proves that he didn’t put enough thought into it.”
His mother finally reached out and smacked him. “I told you to stop stirring things up. You’re not young anymore—do you really have to enjoy watching other people’s troubles? Stop teasing your sister.”
Xie Wei glared at Xie Chen. “Who are you saying doesn’t put thought into me? I’m only annoyed that he’s dense. What the hell would a dog-brother who’s never dated know?”
Xie Chen immediately perked up. “I don’t know? Then your boyfriend really is hopeless. I bet he still hasn’t figured out why you’re angry.”
That was probably true. But her boyfriend was hers to criticize.
There was no way she would allow the dog-brother who had bullied her since childhood to look down on him.
So Xie Wei gave a mocking laugh. “You’ve never even been in a relationship, yet you’re acting like some expert? Did you watch a few dramas and decide you’re qualified to lecture me?”
Then she teased him, “Brother, our parents used to say that my expectations were unrealistic. But honestly, I don’t think they’re that unreasonable. At least I understand that no one can be perfect enough to match my ideals.”
“But you, Brother, seem not to have figured that out.” Xie Wei took a satisfied sip of soup. “My problems are all minor. What I’m really worried about is whether you’ll ever manage to find someone.”
Xie Chen couldn’t stand watching his little sister flaunt her superiority in front of him.
He immediately became stubborn and sneered. “It’s precisely because I’ve experienced it that I know what you’re getting is nothing special.”
Xie Wei didn’t understand him at first. It took her several repetitions of the sentence before she, along with their parents, stared at Xie Chen in disbelief.
“You—you’re lying, right?”
Xie Chen’s face darkened. Then, in the next second, he put on a smug expression again. “Sure. If that makes you feel better.”
“She can remember my preferences after only a few meals together. Anything I mention disliking just once, she remembers perfectly. Whenever she cooks for me, she never gets it wrong, and she can always prepare dishes suited to my mood at the time.”
“You can also pretend that the person who never cares about holidays, yet turns every day into one as long as she’s thinking of you, is making it all up. Everything she finds for me is something I genuinely like—even things I never expected.”
“And, of course, you can also treat the fact that she always knows what I’m thinking—that the moment I frown, she knows what’s upsetting me—as nothing more than a fantasy.”
As he spoke, Xie Chen gave Xie Wei an annoyingly childish grin. “If the kind of treatment your brother gets despite being so unrealistic is too difficult for you to accept, then just assume everything I said was boasting.”
The moment he finished, their parents were overjoyed.
They had been genuinely worried when Xie Wei said those things. To be honest, given the way these siblings behaved, it would already be lucky if they didn’t both end up alone for the rest of their lives.
So they hurriedly asked, “You’re in a relationship? What kind of girl is she? Are you officially together? Where did you meet?”
The smile on Xie Chen’s face stiffened. Bragging had felt good for a moment, but facing reality was another matter entirely.
The smugness vanished from his face, replaced by sudden listlessness. “She’s not my girlfriend. We’re not going to happen. Don’t get your hopes up.”
His parents sighed. “Oh, well. With your personality, always making the other person accommodate you, how many girls could put up with it?”
Then they turned to lecture Xie Wei. “See? This is what happens to your brother. You keep acting spoiled, and one day you’ll drive Young Song away too. Just wait and see how you’ll cry then.”
Xie Chen’s temples throbbed. He protested unhappily, “Why are you assuming it was my fault? I did nothing wrong. She was the one who behaved terribly.”
“Fine, then tell us. How exactly did she wrong you?” his parents asked.
There was no way Xie Chen could bring himself to mention the matter of her trying to support him financially in front of his parents. He stammered vaguely, “I was sincere about my feelings, but she tried to humiliate me with money.”
“...What?” His parents and Xie Wei all spoke at once.
Three pairs of eyes locked onto Xie Chen, demanding an explanation.
Xie Chen mumbled, “She gave me a share of the box-office profits from my movie.”
“?”
“She found me a script written specifically for me.”
“??”
“She even introduced me to the commercial endorsement with the highest pay.”
“???”
“And those were only the preliminaries. She wanted to give me even more. Do I, Xie Chen, look like the kind of person who’s after her money and connections? She was practically slapping me in the face with banknotes.”
“How outrageous!” Xie Wei suddenly shot to her feet.
Xie Chen nodded, feeling that his idiot sister had finally said something sensible. “Exactly. It was utterly outrageous. No one in the Xie family would sell their dignity.”
Xie Wei snapped, “I’m talking about you.”
“Huh?” Xie Chen stared at her in disbelief.
“What the hell do you mean, ‘huh’?” Xie Wei said. “You’ve loved showing off since you were little. I usually put up with it, but I never thought you’d go this far.”
“So what if I had a little argument with my boyfriend? So what if I complained to you about it? If you weren’t going to comfort me, fine—but how could you brag to me at a time like this?”
“Listen to the crap you were saying just now! It was like someone who’d gotten a five-hundred-million-yuan bride price bragging about being insulted by money in front of someone who hadn’t even gotten fifty thousand.”
Xie Chen was dumbfounded. Then he turned around and saw that even their parents were frowning at him, their faces full of disapproval.
“Now you’re acting spoiled after getting everything handed to you?”
Xie Chen felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Couldn’t they hear how badly their son had been wronged?
His mother shook her head helplessly. “She indulges you, cares about you, understands what you’re thinking, and she’s capable and generous.”
“With a girl that wonderful, anyone else would count themselves lucky to meet her even once. You’ve got everything, and you’re still acting difficult.”
“Fine. Your father and I won’t try to talk you into anything. Maybe it’s a good thing if she manages to get away from you. Let’s not go on ruining that girl’s life.”
Xie Chen flew into a rage and stood up. “Why should she be the one to get away from me? If anyone’s avoiding the other, it should be me avoiding her!”
With that, he stormed away from the dinner table and ran back to his room.
Seeing Xie Chen react that way, Xie Wei also reflected deeply on her own behavior. Her guilt toward her boyfriend immediately grew, and she hurriedly shoveled down a couple more bites of food, grabbed the tea leaves, and left the house.
His mother shook her head. “Those two little bastards. They came into this world just to collect debts from everyone.”
Back in his room, Xie Chen had originally planned to sleep the whole thing off, but he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Yes. Who else could see it?
She was patient with him and indulged him. She understood him from the bottom of her heart and knew what he wanted.
She remembered every one of his likes and dislikes. When he was being vain, she praised him. She gave him one-of-a-kind gifts. She could see through his sudden bouts of moodiness and effortlessly cheer him up.
Xie Chen had truly thought he’d found the perfect person he’d always dreamed of.
But she simply didn’t want to give him her heart. She refused to make him any promises or offer him any future.
Even so, everything she did was still countless times better than those who constantly talked about love, promises, and staying together until death.
Xie Chen felt both resentful and aggrieved. One moment, he hated Pei Liang for being inhuman; the next, he thought that if someone was willing to do that much for you, then perhaps you had no right to ask for anything more.
By the time he realized he was standing at the edge of a dangerous cliff and forced himself to stop making excuses for her, Xie Chen discovered that he had already opened an anonymous forum.
A question he had apparently typed without realizing it was displayed prominently:
“Things to watch out for when becoming a sugar baby?”
Xie Chen’s hand trembled. He nearly slapped himself across the face.
But someone had already replied.
“I’ve been a sugar baby before. It was pretty good overall, except the kidney-tonic supplements tasted spicy and burned my throat. I strongly recommend they come out with a peach flavor.”
“Give me a break. Peach flavor? Are you going to wash peaches with it? Believe me, the sugar mommy will shove something up your ass in no time. The first ironclad rule every sugar baby knows is this: under no circumstances—ever—do anything that might trigger a new game. Otherwise, you’re the one who’ll suffer.”
“You three above are all acting weird. Isn’t it enough to just watch out for the Big Four? Personally, I can’t stand those pleasure balls. Forget it. It hurts when I pee.”
“You four above are all acting weird. How could it possibly be that exaggerated? If you don’t have a strong, healthy body, don’t get into this line of work. It’s useless people like you who drag down the reputation of our entire community.”
“You five above are all acting weird. I’ve already called the police. Officers, please come arrest them.”
“Seriously, though, OP, you’re still young. Don’t ruin your life. The money you make might not even cover the medical bills later.”
Xie Chen felt as though his entire worldview had been overturned. He sat there, completely stunned.
Then someone suddenly asked:
“OP, how much is the other party offering? If you don’t give us the details, we’ll assume you’re just trolling.”
Xie Chen thought about the box-office profits, the new film, and the endorsements. After excluding the income he was entitled to based on his own market value, he calculated only the actual additional benefits he’d receive.
Without thinking, he replied: “About two hundred million.”
“???”
“????”
“OP, listen to me. You’re young and inexperienced, and you know nothing about the darkness of this world. You’re also young, with limited stamina and physical strength, so as people who’ve been through it, we have a duty to warn you and keep you from going astray. A man has plenty of opportunities in life. Why sell your—no, I mean, this is wrong. What’s that sugar mommy’s phone number? How dare she set her sights on you? I must strongly condemn her.”
“OP, take my advice. When you’re young, you don’t understand the value of dignity. Once you lose certain things, they’re hard to get back. Since we seem to have met by fate, your big brother here would drag an IV stand along just to come out of retirement for you one more time.”
“Let that sugar mommy go. Let me take her place.”
“Hehehehehe, one of you dares to say it, and the other dares to believe it.”
Xie Chen was getting frightened. He quickly exited the thread.
But some of the unfamiliar terms mentioned there aroused his curiosity. Unable to control himself, he searched for the so-called “four-piece sugar mommy pleasure set.”
After reading the descriptions, along with several accounts claiming to be based on real experience, he shuddered.
His entire face turned bright red, though he couldn’t tell whether it was from embarrassment or anger.
Could Pei Liang want to keep him as a sugar baby just to play those kinds of perverted games?
No, no. She probably wasn’t that twisted. Besides, he wasn’t especially conservative. If they talked about it properly and nothing hurt his body, it wasn’t as though he’d necessarily refuse—
Bah! Whether she was perverted or not had nothing to do with him.
What an idiot. Why had he gone and searched for that stuff?
Xie Chen mentally slapped himself more than twenty times before finally forcing himself to shut off his phone.
This time, he stayed at home for several days before leaving. Just before he went, he checked his social-media feed and saw that the idiot Xie Wei had already made up with her boyfriend.
The two of them had visited quite a few places over the past few days, grinning foolishly in every photo.
The production team called to say that a section of the script had been revised to emphasize the conflict more strongly. Xie Chen was quite satisfied after discussing it with them over the phone, so what had originally been a period with no work for him turned into several additional days of filming.
Xie Chen returned to the set and finished shooting the added scenes. By then, awards season had arrived.
Xie Chen had made three films that year. Aside from the one that was still unfinished, the other two had already been submitted for awards.
The literary film in particular had a real chance at competing at the three major film festivals, so its prospects for domestic awards went without saying.
Although the specific awards would not be known until the ceremony, the committees usually gave the actors who were going to win some advance indication. With two highly competitive films under his belt, Xie Chen had already received hints that he might bring home another Best Actor trophy this time.
On the day of the ceremony, Xie Chen and Yu Wenqing both attended.
Yu Wenqing had appeared in a television series that had received a good response that year. She had become somewhat popular, and her acting skills had earned widespread recognition.
Otherwise, if Pei Liang had not taken over Huiyuan, she would not have been singled out for ridicule like this. Aside from the mockery started spontaneously by netizens, there were naturally also competitors who had brought it up first to stir the pot.
But the difference between their positions was now like heaven and earth.
Yu Wenqing took her seat—not too far toward the back, but certainly not somewhere conspicuous. She then watched as Pei Liang, dressed in an evening gown, went straight to the prime seats reserved for the major investors.
Zhuo Ya was seated in the front row as well. With Pei Liang introducing her, she shook hands and exchanged greetings with several influential figures.
Back when they had been in the girl group, Zhuo Ya had indeed been the most popular as an idol, with First Love second. Yu Wenqing ranked below her, while Pei Liang had been at the bottom.
But as time passed, each of the others developed shortcomings to varying degrees. Zhuo Ya was a good singer with strong stage presence, but the domestic market was already in decline, leaving her with few avenues for development. First Love needed no explanation; she had relied entirely on cultivating her public persona. As for Pei Liang, not only had her stage performances been mediocre, but her public image had been terrible as well.
Yu Wenqing alone had found a path into acting and continued widening it. After laying a solid foundation, she should have become the most accomplished member of the group.
She had never imagined that in just one or two years, the world could change so completely.
The woman she had once regarded as a worthless puppet of capital had leaped into becoming someone who controlled capital itself, while Zhuo Ya had risen along with her. Meanwhile, Yu Wenqing sat in an inconspicuous seat, and First Love was no longer even qualified to enter.
The thought left Yu Wenqing feeling bitter.
Xie Chen naturally spotted Pei Liang at a glance as well.
Their seats were even quite close to each other.
Today, Pei Liang was wearing a black mermaid-style evening gown. Its elegant lines were free of any unnecessary embellishment, making her look both sexy and alluring.
Seated among a group of old men whose average age was in the fifties, Pei Liang stood out all the more.
Xie Chen knew there were cameras everywhere, and as a leading contender for the most important award, he could be shown on-screen at any moment.
But he simply could not stop stealing glances in her direction.
Quite a few Huiyuan artists had come today. The several idiots he had run into at Pei Liang’s office had recently released a new album.
One high-quality song after another was currently dominating the charts and sales rankings on all the major music platforms.
The group had become a complete sensation, soaring to fame overnight. They had gone from a second-rate idol group that relied on variety shows to becoming original singers with both real achievements and proven songwriting ability.
They were performing at the awards ceremony, looking confident, triumphant, and full of energy.
Xie Chen noticed that the boys even blew kisses toward Pei Liang from the stage.
There happened to be a camera positioned in that direction, so the fans behind her assumed the kisses were meant for them. Their screams nearly lifted the roof off the building.
Xie Chen looked toward Pei Liang and saw the delighted smile on her face. Clearly, she was enjoying it.
That shameless woman!
Xie Chen was furious. His eyes stabbed toward her like needles.
Pei Liang seemed to sense his gaze and turned around, meeting his eyes directly.
Xie Chen panicked slightly and wanted to look away, but the next second he realized—why should he hide? She was the one who ought to be hiding.
His expression grew even more sullen as he stared back at her.
Pei Liang merely curved her lips into a smile, as though she had completely forgotten all the scummy things she had done. She even winked at him with her right eye.
Her eyes were beautiful, their shape refined and fluid, her gaze deep and mesmerizing. When she blew him a kiss—or rather, gave him that wink—it did not look frivolous in the slightest. It was as if she had shot an arrow straight into his heart.
It kept Xie Chen rooted to his seat for the entire evening.
As expected, Xie Chen went on to win Best Actor once again, taking home his second Best Actor trophy.
The Terror Mansion also performed well, winning several major awards, including Best Screenplay. It could be considered a beacon of hope for the horror genre.
There was a party after the awards ceremony. Having just won Best Actor, Xie Chen naturally could not skip it.
After making the rounds and socializing, Xie Chen instinctively searched the crowd for Pei Liang, only to find that she was nowhere in sight.
He felt somewhat disappointed, though he had no idea what he was doing.
It was obvious that there was no future for the two of them. So why was he still clinging to the intimacy they had once shared?
Xie Chen felt miserable. He slipped away from the crowd and went to the restroom.
After washing his face, he stepped back outside—and unexpectedly found Pei Liang waiting for him.
“You—”
A trace of uncontrollable delight appeared on Xie Chen’s face, only to be forcibly suppressed at once.
Putting on an indifferent expression, he said, “You’re still here? I thought you’d left ages ago.”
Pei Liang smiled at him. “I still had something to say to you. How could I leave early?”
“Do we still have anything to talk about?” Xie Chen replied stiffly.
Yet inside, he was hoping she would say something to him.
Pei Liang said, “You’ve probably heard that The Space Alliance will be cutting down the Korean actors’ scenes, reshooting and re-editing the film, and releasing a special version in China.”
“I know. They can’t afford to give up such a huge market. And China can’t exactly enter a cold war with the entire film industry of Country X over a few people involved in one movie. It’s just a mutual compromise.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Xie Chen asked coldly.
“Of course it has to do with you. The Space Alliance’s compromise goes beyond that.” Pei Liang said, “They also agreed to hand over part of the investment rights to investors from Hua Nation. The profits from this series are enormous, but its box office returns are actually quite predictable.”
“I exchanged some concessions and secured all of those investment shares. I now hold considerable influence over the project.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Xie Chen frowned.
“The director of the next installment of The Space Alliance will be JM.”
Pei Liang tossed out the explosive news in the same light, casual tone she might have used to discuss the weather.
Xie Chen stared blankly for a moment. It took him several seconds to process what she had said before he hurriedly asked, “JM—the JM I’m thinking of? The greatest director of the century, JM?”
His favorite director—the one he wanted, more than anything, to work with?
Pei Liang nodded. “Of course, getting him on board wasn’t entirely my doing. He originally had no intention of directing another installment of The Space Alliance.”
JM had played a crucial role in making The Space Alliance the biggest franchise of the century. After all, he had directed the original trilogy.
“But JM is a true filmmaker. He was deeply saddened by the fact that racial discrimination had nearly destroyed The Space Alliance and damaged relations between the two countries. With that as the foundation, along with quite a few other conditions, we ultimately managed to persuade him to clean up the mess.”
Xie Chen’s breathing grew lighter, as though he had already anticipated what Pei Liang was about to say.
Sure enough, Pei Liang continued, “The next installment of The Space Alliance will have a new Asian lead actor. I think you’d be a perfect fit.”
As she spoke, she leaned close to his ear.
“This was always what everyone wanted, wasn’t it?”
Xie Chen’s attention was entirely captured by the tingling sensation in his ear.
What everyone wanted… That was true enough.
Xie Chen could believe that once news of the new installment’s casting was released, he would have a very good chance of winning the role through a fair audition, without relying on anyone’s help.
Just as he had the last time.
But how much effort had Pei Liang put in to make this happen? What had she sacrificed, and how long ago had she begun planning it?
Xie Chen suddenly remembered what Pei Liang had said the first time she went to his home.
“Because you’re so wonderful, I’ll make sure your unfulfilled wish comes true.”
So she had already been planning this from back then? And she had been certain she could pull it off?
Even though Xie Chen knew that Pei Liang was unwilling to give him her true feelings, the effort she had made—so perfectly at odds with her cold words—still shook him to the core.
He stared at Pei Liang, unable to speak for a long time.
Pei Liang smiled and slipped a room card into his hand. “The choice is yours.”
The card felt like a red-hot iron in Xie Chen’s palm. He glared at Pei Liang, so furious he almost cried.
“What is this supposed to be? What the hell is this?”
After doing so much for me—things no one else ever has—why couldn’t you lie to me just once more?
Just one sentence. That was all it would have taken.
Pei Liang reached out and stroked his face. “Don’t make that expression. Brooding and melancholy don’t suit you.”
“From the day I met you, I decided that the pride and smile on your face would never fade. Just choose whatever makes you happy.”
What the hell!
What the actual hell!
What kind of heart-wrenching confession was this supposed to be?
Misty tears appeared in Xie Chen’s eyes.
He knew that every word she was saying was true. She could do the most devoted things for him, yet she simply refused to say that she loved him.
Xie Chen clenched the card so tightly he nearly snapped it in two. His pride kept urging him to throw it back in her face, but his hand refused to obey.
In the end, his mouth betrayed him too, asking a completely unrelated question: “What about Gao Jun?”
Pei Liang paused. The conversation about becoming her kept man had been going perfectly—why was he suddenly asking about that boy?
“He went abroad. He wants to pursue further studies there for a few years.”
Xie Chen’s gaze darkened. He understood Gao Jun’s intentions all too well.
That boy had realized that if he stayed by Pei Liang’s side and grew up under her watch, then in her eyes, he would remain a child for the rest of his life.
So he had decisively put some distance between them, determined to erase that impression, even if it meant sacrificing several years of his advantage.
That kid was working himself to the bone to take Pei Liang away from him.
If he was willing to fight that hard, was Xie Chen really supposed to sit back and watch him return in a few years, unstoppable?
As if he had finally found a reasonable excuse for himself, Xie Chen watched Pei Liang’s retreating figure. With an expressionless face, he put the room card away and left.
Meanwhile, Yu Wenqing stepped out from the corner, having heard the entire conversation.
The shock on her face had yet to fade.
The three of them returned to the party one after another, and none of them showed the slightest sign that anything had happened.
After the reception ended, Xie Chen went back to his room and took a shower.
His face wore the heroic expression of a man forced by circumstances to sacrifice himself for his dreams, but his actions told a different story. He secretly agonized over which underwear to wear and sprayed on cologne, all while repeatedly worrying that Pei Liang might wait too long and fall asleep upstairs.
There wasn’t the slightest hint that he was being forced to do any of this.
When he reached the floor where Pei Liang’s presidential suite was located, a smile emerged involuntarily on Xie Chen’s face.
He immediately convinced himself that it was merely professional conduct.
But the moment the elevator doors opened, he saw several members of the boy band gathered outside Pei Liang’s door, apparently preparing to knock and go inside.
Xie Chen nearly exploded on the spot.
What the hell? Don’t tell me that room card wasn’t the only one she gave out?
