Chapter 100 – This Tragic Movie Emperor – “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” (05/08)
When Yan Qing left, the rain had already stopped.
Xie Chenyang stood by the window, watching his figure grow distant below. His hands pressed against the glass as he reluctantly said: [Dad, I think raising him could be nice. Can I call him back?]
You Huang: “Don’t embarrass yourself. Deal with the scumbag first.
[Dealing with that scumbag is easy—just a matter of minutes.]
You Huang: “Got a plan?”
[Everything’s ready, just waiting for the right moment.]
That moment took a whole month to arrive.
Tao Xiaosong and the others were already on winter break. Xie Chenyang timed his departure perfectly.
The moment he stepped out the door, Tao Xiaosong immediately called Yan Qing. “Brother Qing, my uncle’s out. Come over.”
Yan Qing: “You keep playing. I won’t be coming tonight.”
Staring at the disconnected call, Tao Xiaosong was utterly baffled. “He told me to call him when Uncle left. Didn’t he want to hang out while the adults were gone? Weird.”
Yan Qing sat in a café diagonally across from their apartment building, bundled in a thick down jacket with a hat and scarf pulling down over half his face.
Spotting Xie Chenyang’s figure, Yan Qing’s gaze flickered. He slipped his hands into his pockets, exited the cafe, and followed him.
He clenched the chocolate bar in his pocket, wondering if Yu Zhang’s method would actually work.
But if he could even catch up to a big star, surely the method should be effective?
Xie Chenyang had long legs and walked very fast. Yan Qing was already some distance behind and had to quicken his pace just to keep up.
As the gap narrowed, he watched Xie Chenyang enter a bar.
Yan Qing paused, studying the flashing neon sign. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped inside.
Perhaps because he was bundled up tightly and appeared calm and composed, the bouncer merely glanced at him before letting him pass.
Xie Chenyang exchanged a nod with the security guard behind him and took a seat at the bar. The bartender expertly mixed him a drink.
Yan Qing found a corner to sit in. The warm-up music made him frown uncomfortably. The bar was noisy and clearly not the ideal spot for a confession.
He wondered when Yan Qing would leave…
Staring at the empty table, he glanced at the menu and gritted his teeth before ordering a bottle of the cheapest liquor.
Xie Chenyang propped one arm on the bar, picked up his glass, and took a casual sip.
[Tonight, right? Not here yet? Figures.]
Wonder where Ke Ming holed up. Xie Chenyang had timed his arrival precisely.
After a few drinks, he spotted Ke Ming walking in. He wore understated clothes, thick-rimmed black glasses, and a mask.
Xie Chenyang glanced at him, set down his glass, and started walking towards the back. Ke Ming met his gaze, realizing he’d been recognized, and quickened his pace in pursuit.
Yan Qing in the corner: “?”
He set down his glass and followed with a cold expression.
Behind the bar was a dedicated staff passageway. Beyond it lay several offices, and at the end was a door opening onto a quiet alley.
Xie Chenyang gave the security guard stationed outside the passage a look and strode swiftly inside. Ke Ming gave the guard a sharp look and followed him in.
Yan Qing in the corner: “?” He set down his glass and walked back.
Ke Ming jogged inside to catch up. Immediately after, Yan Qing arrived.
The guard offered a perfunctory hand. “Sir…”
Yan Qing sidestepped and walked in. The guard touched the baton at his waist, glanced outside. Hmm, no one else followed. It should just be these two.
The boss’s exact words were, “When someone follows me later, just pretend to stop them.”
“Brother Fan.”
By the time Ke Ming caught up to Xie Chenyang, he had already opened the door and stepped outside. Xie Chenyang paused briefly, tapped his phone once, tossed it into his pocket, and kept walking.
Ke Ming rushed up and grabbed his arm. “Brother Fan, don’t do this.”
Xie Chenyang shook off his hand, coldly asking, “Who are you?”
Ke Ming removed his glasses and mask, his expression resigned. “Brother Fan, it’s me.”
He was certain Xie Chenyang recognized him.Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ran the moment he saw him.
Shen Yangfan turned to face him, irritation etched on his features. “Who are you?”
Ke Ming took two steps forward, stopping before him. “Ke Ming. Brother Fan, you really don’t want to see me?”
Xie Chenyang caught sight of Yan Qing propping open the door and his expression shifted slightly.
He thought Yan Qing was about to burst out, then today’s show might have ended right there.
The next moment, Yan Qing retreated, gently closing the door to leave only a sliver open, revealing the faint outline of a phone camera.
Xie Chenyang: Nice work!
“Brother Fan, I…”
Xie Chenyang sneered. “So it’s our big movie star Ke Ming.”
A hint of sadness flashed across Ke Ming’s face as he forced a bitter smile. “If I said I had no choice in that matter, would you believe me?”
“Oh?” Xie Chenyang pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his lips as he spoke. “Someone forced you to take those photos of yourself and post those defamatory words about me? That I took advantage of you? Ha, what a joke.”
“I’m not like you.” Ke Ming’s expression was downcast. “My contract at the time… My agent discovered everything that day after I returned. I… I had no choice.”
“Still putting on a show in front of me?” Xie Chenyang lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. “With my connections back then, even if your agent found out, he’d be scrambling to cover it up for you. Playing such a risky card—stepping on me to climb the ladder—didn’t he fear I’d make a comeback?”
Ke Ming glanced around, confirming the alley was empty before whispering, “The person he likes is in the industry. You snatched a role from her. Plus, I’m not his only artist. His plan was either I step on you to rise, or we both go down.”
Xie Chenyang cursed silently, his voice growing impatient. “Ke Ming, there’s no need for this. You know the truth. If you hadn’t pushed things, even if your agent discovered our relationship, he couldn’t have destroyed us.”
Ke Ming had already prepared his excuse. He lowered his head. “I’m sorry… I panicked then. I didn’t think it through… Brother Fan, what would it take for you to forgive me?”
Xie Chenyang replied coldly, “Then you explain everything clearly to the media.”
Ke Ming paled. “Besides that… Brother Fan, I have connections now. The entertainment industry has a short memory. If you come back, I’ll pave the way for you. You…”
“Enough.” Xie Chenyang walked a few steps, stubbed his cigarette out in a nearby trash can, and said in a deep voice, “You said back then that for the sake of our careers, we had to be cautious. That’s why there were no ambiguous chat records between us, no intimate photos circulating the internet. My kindness to you, to outsiders, was just unwarranted attentiveness, surely motivated by ulterior motives. Ke Ming, wasn’t this all part of your plan from the start?”
“No.” Ke Ming lifted his head, eyes red. “I genuinely feared our relationship would harm you if exposed. Back then, I was just an unknown actor…”
“Fine. Even if you didn’t mean it…” Xie Chenyang swung around abruptly, locking eyes with him. His gaze lingered on the door behind Ke Ming before a mocking smile twisted his lips. “Then what about the marks on your body? You know perfectly well why we ended up together that night.”
Ke Ming lifted his gaze slightly, suppressing the moisture in his eyes, his voice trembling. “You think I did it on purpose? It was the heat of the moment, I just–”
“The heat of the moment? We never agreed on a relationship. You took advantage, got me drunk, had your way with me, then used it as evidence to issue a statement accusing me of… Hah.” Xie Chenyang’s fury was no longer restrained. “Shen Yangfan was blind to see you, only to have you turn the tables and steal his dreams, leaving him drowning in drunkenness. Now that you’ve made something of yourself, you come looking for me. What game are you playing?”
Ke Ming: “I’ve always…”
“I don’t want to hear it. I’m warning you—don’t show your face to me again. Otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll beat you.”
“Fang…”
Xie Chenyang brushed past him, blocking the slightly ajar door. He darted inside and slammed the door shut without mercy.
Ke Ming was a step too late, pounding on the door and calling his name.
Yan Qing, seeing him approach, had calmly turned off the recording and stowed his phone away. But before he could flee, Xie Chenyang, who had slipped inside, pinned him against the door.
Outside the door came Ke Ming’s heartfelt, moving pleas for forgiveness. Inside…
Yan Qing’s heart pounded like thunder.
Xie Chenyang feared Yan Qing would be furious upon hearing the “truth,” so he held him down forcefully, waiting for Ke Ming to leave before explaining.
Receiving no response, Ke Ming stopped after two minutes.
Of course, he knew winning him back wouldn’t happen in one go. Though the setting wasn’t what he’d expected, the fact Xie Chenyang had listened to him for so long meant he wasn’t entirely indifferent.
Whether it was love or hate, he’d win him back eventually. Ke Ming repositioned his mask and glasses before stepping out.
The sound of his footsteps fading away echoed distinctly in the quiet surroundings.
Yan Qing: “Uncle, can you let me go now?”
“I saw it,” Xie Chenyang murmured into his ear, lowering his head. “You were secretly filming.”
Xie Chenyang pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed stop on the recording in front of Yan Qing. “I was baiting him into talking.”
Yan Qing: “…Oh.”
“It wasn’t me personally who had relations with him.”
Yan Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Did he mistake the person? Get the wrong guy?”
Xie Chenyang met his gaze, his eyes brimming with deep affection and tenderness. “I said I didn’t have a relationship with him. Kid, do you believe me?”
That look was too intense. Yan Qing averted his eyes. “No.” His words denied it, yet inexplicably, his heart believed him.
Even when he heard the “truth” just now, he’d instinctively recalled what Xie Chenyang had said at his place before—and believed him then too.
“I know you believe me.” Xie Chenyang chuckled softly, ruffling his hair. “Does your phone pick up sound well? After all, this door’s quite a distance from where we are.”
If he didn’t believe it, this little brat wouldn’t be pressed against the door, waiting obediently.
“…It’s decent.”
Xie Chenyang took Yan Qing’s hand, opened the door, and stepped out. “Then let’s go. My place today.”
The chocolate in Yan Qing’s pocket… seemed rather inappropriate to give now.
Tao Xiaosong had gotten hungry from gaming and was rummaging through the fridge for snacks. Hearing the noise, he quickly shut the door and turned around, his face full of confusion. “Uncle? Brother Qing? Why did you two come back together?”
“I came looking for you and ran into Uncle downstairs.”
Yan Qing thought expressionlessly: You call me brother now, but maybe someday you’ll have to call me uncle.
Tao Xiaosong: “Oh! I thought you weren’t coming today. Why are you here so late…”
Yan Qing followed Tao Xiaosong back to his room.
After sitting for a while and seeing Tao Xiaosong engrossed in his game again, he left for the living room.
Xie Chenyang held out his hand. “Phone.”
Yan Qing silently placed it in Xie Chenyang’s palm.
“Passcode?”
“…0403.”
“Your birthday?”
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
