Zhou Xiang got a call from Cai Wei at night. Cai Wei excitedly told him that Director Wang might be collaborating with Wang Yudong again for his next movie, and Wang Yudong's company still wanted Zhou Xiang to be his martial arts double.
Zhou Xiang was astonished, "Director Wang is collaborating with Wang Yudong again? They’re at such loggerheads with each other already."
"Director Wang doesn't want to but the investors want Wang Yudong to be in it, to guarantee box office success. They're still arguing about it, but I reckon they'll have to compromise in the end."
Zhou Xiang felt a bit weary. "Wei'ge, I don't want to do it this time."
"What? Why?"
"You already know what happened last time. Wang Yudong definitely has a low opinion of me now, and I feel really awkward too. Think about how screwed I’ll be if those two start fighting again and make me their cannon fodder. I'll rather earn less money than to tread into muddy waters."
"Your misgivings are justified, but our Chief Wang is one of the main investors this time. He still hopes that you can be in it. Our company will support you no matter what, and it’s not like you directly offended Wang Yudong or anything, he’s not likely to be that narrow-minded."
"At any rate, I feel that I’ve incurred his dislike, so it'll be better to just stay away from him. I really don't want to take the job." If it was only that incident last time, maybe Zhou Xiang wouldn't be so apprehensive either, but Wang Yudong discovered his relationship with Yan Mingxiu. It'd be a strange if Wang Yudong could still look happy seeing him. Say nothing more of collaborate, from now on Zhou Xiang planned to take a detour around Wang Yudong.
Cai Wei said with slight regret, "Alright, this is your own business, I have other jobs available for you anyway. Oh, right, Lan Xirong is going to be the second lead actor. He's the most popular star at our company right now, Chief Wang really put in a lot of work and effort into him."
"That's a good thing. That kid can lift up a big bridge, and he's never betrayed Chief Wang's expectations."
Cai Wei agreed, "Yeah, he thought that you were going to continue being Wang Yudong's body double and was elated. He was saying that he'd be able to act opposite you, and that he's happy even if your face won't be shown. But now it turns out that you're not taking the job, he's definitely going to be really disappointed. This kid really knows how to show gratitude, and treats you really well."
Zhou Xiang laughed, "How can that be called acting opposite each other? Get him to focus on his own acting, I'm just a stuntman, how could I possibly act opposite him?"
"When he goes to you to complain, you deal with it yourself."
They chatted a little more, and then hung up the phone.
It had already been three days since their fight and Yan Mingxiu hadn't come back since. He wasn't answering calls either. He was like this every time. Decides he'll ignore someone and truly ignores them. Zhou Xiang was powerless to do anything about him.
He was about to find something to eat when he suddenly heard a door opening. Someone outside was opening the front door.
Zhou Xiang hurriedly strode into the living room, and sure enough, he saw Yan Mingxiu push open the door and come in.
Zhou Xiang was a bit excited, "You're back."
Yan Mingxiu coldly glanced at him, "I’m here to get something." After he spoke, he entered the study, and rummaged out a brown file envelope from a drawer.
Zhou Xiang followed him into the study and shut the room door behind him. He said seriously, "Mingxiu, can we have a talk?"
"I don't have time." Yan Mingxiu answered without raising his head. After he finished inspecting the stuff in the envelope, he turned to leave with it.
Zhou Xiang stood in front of the room door and said, without giving any room for argument, "Mingxiu, let's talk."
Yan Mingxiu angrily glared at him, "Weren't we staying out of each other's businesses? There's nothing we have to talk about."
Zhou Xiang said with a strained smile, "I was too worked up that day. We both weren't too level-headed that day. It's actually all just a misunderstanding. Can we just proper talk with each other? I swear to you, there's nothing between me and Lan Xirong. My heart only has you. We've been together for so long, do you really want us to be locked in a fight over some misunderstanding?"
Yan Mingxiu's layer of cold-hard armour slackened a tiny shred, but he still continued to stare looking at Zhou Xiang.
Zhou Xiang said somewhat unconfidently, "You like me even just a little bit, right?"
Yan Mingxiu was taken aback. He actually didn't know how to answer. Like? The person he liked was that Wang Yudong, who would never belong to him for all eternity, not some substitute.
How did he make Zhou Xiang think this way? What made Zhou Xiang think that he liked him? This made him terrified to the point that he felt humiliated and angry hearing Zhou Xiang ask this sort of question. This was practically calling his feelings into question.
Was it because he and Zhou Xiang were too close and he forgot to maintain a distance? He absolutely did not to want let Zhou Xiang be under that sort of misconception.
Although, never once had Zhou Xiang not felt dejected, Zhou Xiang had already gotten used to never obtaining the answer he wanted. He even had the feeling that no matter how much energy he put in he would still never be able to shake Yan Mingxiu's heart. This feeling was like a bottomless pit. What he had invested wasn't small, but Yan Mingxiu wasn't even willing to coax him or go along with to even one word of his. When will this reach an end?
Even the always optimistic Zhou Xiang now tasted the bitterness of defeat.
While Zhou Xiang was being down in the dumps, alarm bells started ringing wildly in Yan Mingxiu’s head. He enjoyed living together with Zhou Xiang, but absolutely didn’t want to have any emotional entanglement with him. Perhaps, agreeing to live with him was a reckless and wrong decision from the beginning. Now that a problem had emerged, he should promptly make it right.
"I think… I should move out." Yan Mingxiu’s palms were damp with sweat when he said these words and his lips felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms. Why was he so hesitant?
Zhou Xiang immediately looked up at him. There was complete panic in his eyes. "Mingxiu!" Zhou Xiang dropped his shoulders in disappointment. It wasn't that he didn't know what Yan Mingxiu was thinking. Yan Mingxiu only wanted to find a companion, and didn't want to drag emotions into it. Zhou Xiang’s goal was already completely different now. This sort of casual physical relationship was very common in the entertainment circle. Everyone partnered with someone to pass their days. Sleeping together, chatting, and keeping each other company, so that their lives won't be lonely. However, they had no intention of being together long-term, living and making decisions by the day. If one of them decides to end things one day, then they can calmly end things. This was a really harmonious sort of relationship, and people were unlikely to end up tearing each other's faces apart. In the beginning, both he and Yan Mingxiu had had that the sort of attitude when they started living together. Zhou Xiang was the one who stepped out of the line. He was unsatisfied with that sort of relationship. He liked Yan Mingxiu and wanted more, but Yan Mingxiu did not like him.
He was the one who broke the rules. He couldn't demand Yan Mingxiu to cooperate with him.
However, he couldn't bear to have their relationship end like this. He couldn’t accept it. He had no choice but to say bitterly, "Mingxiu, I was too greedy, don't move out. Let's go back to our initial relationship. Can we return to how we were before?"
He couldn't bear it. He truly couldn't bear to part with him. If it was possible to just stop liking a person whenever you wanted to, how many tears could have been saved?
Yan Mingxiu’s heart started throbbing with a gripping pain, even his breathing turned a bit uneven. He wanted to break away from this foreign emotion as fast as possible. He lowered his head and said sternly, "We'll talk about this another time." He started to leave with the file in his hand.
Zhou Xiang hugged him. "Mingxiu, we’re living so well together. I hope that you won't leave." Zhou Xiang had never begged anyone this way. He felt that he had lost a lot of face, but it was something he could afford to lose.
Yan Mingxiu's cheeks were right next to Zhou Xiang's hair. It was light and soft and a bit ticklish, scratching his heart bit by bit.
This person liked him so much. He really wanted to let that surnamed Lan see.
As it was because of Lan Xirong he was nursing a grievance, his resentment and anger instantly faded by a large amount. Yan Mingxiu stroked Zhou Xiang's hair, and said moodily, "Am I also allowed to get a say in your relationship with that Lan Xirong?"
"Do I have a choice?" Zhou Xiang said helplessly, "You are my ancestor."
The look on Yan Mingxiu's face finally eased.
Zhou Xiang took the opportunity to say a lot of flattering words. The crisis this time seemed to have tided over smoothly. However, Zhou Xiang knew that the closer he got to Yan Mingxiu, the more he wanted to obtain him. The more he wanted to obtain him, the more he needed to control himself. Continuing to live together with Yan Mingxiu was not a good decision, but he knew that he couldn't bear to separate from him.
He hoped that one day, he would be able to freely let go of Yan Mingxiu too.