Chapter 30 – Beautiful Misunderstanding

Jiang Heng chatted with the seasoned actor for quite some time before Xiao Zhang approached him upon returning to the dressing room. “Brother Jiang, you have a text message.”

Jiang Heng glanced at it, surprised—it was from his older brother.

Jiang Yuan: Your sister-in-law is on set; make sure to look after her. Don’t let any little bitches bully her. Call me immediately if anything happens to her.

Jiang Heng: Aren’t you worried about me?

Jiang Yuan: What do you need me to worry about? If it weren’t for Yingying joining the ‘Pieris Flowers’ crew, I wouldn’t even know you were also shooting this drama.

Well, that’s a real brother for you.

Jiang Heng: Isn’t she your ex-wife now? Mom gave her ten million to leave you, and she agreed right away, asking if you had any brothers. She almost came after me. And you still dare to ask me to take care of her? You’re quite something.

Jiang Yuan: Why wouldn’t I? Who in our circle doesn’t know you’re gay, chasing after big stars until you ended up in the entertainment industry yourself? You won an acting award but haven’t had any contact with him for two years. It’s hilarious. To fail at life to such an extent is quite rare.

Jiang Heng: If you have the guts, chase after Yang Yingying and get yourself into the industry. Make it a deep romance both on and off screen. What’s the point of asking me for help? You’re so introverted every time there’s a scandal involving her. You never make a move, and it’s truly sad for me to see.

Jiang Yuan: Fine, if you come back and take over the company, I’ll have the time to join the industry and act.

Jiang Heng: Then I’ll bankrupt the company with my genius business skills, and you’ll forever remain a third-rate actor due to your terrible acting. In the end, we’ll beg on the streets together, getting further and further away from our dream men and women.

Brothers traded barbs and hurt each other, then said goodbye cheerfully.

____

After replying to Jiang Yuan, Jiang Heng checked Shen Fubai’s WeChat Moments. He had been so busy these past few days that he barely looked at his phone. Now that they were finally WeChat friends, he couldn’t miss the chance to strengthen their relationship.

He was a man of action, unlike someone else who was low on EQ and didn’t take the initiative, destined to be a lifelong bachelor.

Shen Fubai’s WeChat Moments were simple, mostly food and selfies, along with some beautiful travel photos. Many people within the industry liked his posts, indicating a very refined lifestyle.

Shen Fubai let loose on his Weibo alternate account, but maintained a certain image on his WeChat Moments, much like any other piggy boy living a refined life in WeChat Moments—except the silly content was set to private.

The difference was that he was genuinely refined. His physique, appearance, and standard of living were all top-notch.

As Jiang Heng looked through the posts, he felt that Shen Fubai was a fairy-like young man.

Imagination can be beautiful.

____

Fairy-like young man Shen Fubai was now dressed in tattered beggar clothes, sitting in a makeup chair and reviewing his lines for the next scene.

After practicing stilts all morning, Shen Fubai’s ankles were sore. If not for the presence of the stylist, he could have transformed from a pitifully beautiful beggar into a beautiful foot-scratching man in no time.

The stylist was working on his hair while Shen Fubai leaned against the back of the chair, searching for “Yang Yingying.”

He hadn’t paid much attention to Yang Yingying before, only knowing that her reputation wasn’t great. Seeing her in person today naturally piqued his curiosity.

Not knowing was one thing, but when he found out, it was shocking.

Public girlfriend of the entertainment industry, rubbing shoulders with half the industry, gossip queen, heartthrob collector…these titles were well-known, but Shen Fubai had previously considered them exaggerated. As someone within the industry, he knew how these things worked—a simple handshake could be misconstrued as a lifetime commitment.

But Yang Yingying…

There seemed to be some truth to it.

____

Online, there was a dedicated thread titled “Exposing the Boyfriends YYY Has Dated Over the Years.”

The thread listed names chronologically from most recent to oldest. Ignoring the speculations and forced pairings, there were seven that seemed to have substantial evidence.

Seven might not sound like many, but considering their status, it was indeed half of the entertainment industry.

Number seven, the face of a popular idol group.

Number six, one of the four heavenly kings of the music industry.

Number five, a rising star in the Chinese music scene.

Number four, the famous lead singer of a rock band.

Number three, a top actor in film and television.

Number two, the chief dancer at a major opera house.

Each had a somewhat ambiguous photo with Yang Yingying, none of which were photoshopped. The rumored boyfriends spanned film, music, idols, and dance circles, all bowing to Yang Yingying’s charm.

However, since none of them officially confirmed their relationships and their fame far exceeded Yang Yingying’s, she was often ridiculed for attaching herself to them.

Seeing this, Shen Fubai could only silently marvel at Sister Yang’s prowess.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, having connections with so many leading men was a skill in itself. Besides, the most intimate these photos got were hand-holding or suspected kisses, not revealing much.

Shen Fubai’s casual attitude toward the gossip disintegrated when he reached the bottom of the page.

Number one, the prodigy newcomer and Golden Horse Award-winning actor.

The post was from two years ago, and the only person who fit that description two years ago was…

Shen Fubai’s last hope vanished when he saw the blurry photo.

Jiang Heng.

He recognized it too clearly. As a die-hard fan, even a heavily pixelated photo couldn’t hide Jiang Heng’s features. That nose, those eyes—it was a perfect match…

In the photo, the two seemed to be on an empty street, with Jiang Heng pinning Yang Yingying against a wall, kissing her passionately.

This angle clearly wasn’t just a pretense.

Shen Fubai’s heart sank.

Two years ago, he took a break and didn’t follow any entertainment news. By the time he returned, the scandal should have already died down, and he missed it entirely.

If not for stumbling upon this old post today, he wouldn’t have known about Jiang Heng and Yang Yingying’s past.

Wow, it hurt.

____

Shen Fubai suddenly felt hopeless.

Past relationships were in the past, and Shen Fubai knew he shouldn’t care. After all, he and Heng didn’t have a chance together, but he still felt hurt.

He was gay, and he liked Jiang Heng. Shen Fubai was crystal clear about this. But he was equally aware that there were more straight men in the world, and he couldn’t expect Jiang Heng to be gay as well, let alone hope that Jiang Heng would like him back.

Now, it was finally confirmed—Jiang Heng was indeed straight.

Turning a straight man gay was something Shen Fubai didn’t even consider. The path was already difficult enough, even more so in the industry. He wouldn’t burden Heng with the hardships of such a lifestyle.

Sigh, heartache, pain, tears.

And now that they met again on set, who knew if they would reconcile? Shen Fubai, playing the third wheel, felt like he was the third wheel himself.

It was humiliating.

Shen Fubai wallowed for a bit, realizing he couldn’t be so pessimistic. What did a single photo prove? He needed to clarify things!

…But perhaps he didn’t have the right to ask.

No matter, he could probe indirectly.

Reinvigorated, Shen Fubai went to Jiang Heng’s dressing room once his styling was complete.

He marched with determination, but upon reaching the door, he turned timid, not daring to knock.

…How should he ask?

Before Shen Fubai could think of a plan, he heard voices coming from inside.

It was Jiang Heng and…Yang Yingying’s voices.

These two were together?!

Shen Fubai’s heart skipped a beat. He cautiously pressed his ear against the door, listening intently.

He knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he couldn’t resist!

____

“Do you want to start over?” Jiang Heng’s voice came from inside.

“Yes,” said Yang Yingying. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come looking for you.”

“Are you sure you won’t leave this time?” Jiang Heng asked. “When you broke up, someone was really upset.”

“You Jiangs are so stubborn. You didn’t call me for two years, waiting until you joined the production to have a reason to find me,” Yang Yingying said.

“You’re just as stubborn. You kept changing boyfriends these two years, just to provoke someone to call you,” Jiang Heng thought that Jiang Yuan and Yang Yingying were two proud people, equally stubborn, neither willing to take the first step.

Yang Yingying’s boyfriends became more and more famous, ensuring that the news would reach Jiang Yuan’s ears.

Yet, Jiang Yuan, that fool, would rather cry into his pillow than call Yang Yingying.

“It was your mom who asked me to leave. If I returned on my own, I’d be lacking in integrity,” Yang Yingying complained.

Jiang Heng: …You have the nerve to say that. I watched you spend that ten million breakup fee quite happily.

Jiang Heng: “I recommended you to Director Xu. He couldn’t remember you, so I reminded him.”

Unable to bear watching Jiang Yuan and Yang Yingying’s stubborn standoff, Jiang Heng took the initiative to create an opportunity for Yang Yingying to join his production. This way, Jiang Yuan finally had a reason to call Yang Yingying, ostensibly asking her to look after his younger brother, but in reality, it was a chance to mend their relationship.

As a result, Yang Yingying called Jiang Heng right after hanging up, asking him to relay her willingness to reconcile with his brother.

Jiang Heng felt like a mere messenger.

Something you two could resolve with a phone call! Why must I bother myself with it!

Yang Yingying: How can your EQ be so similar to your brother’s?

Yang Yingying: “So it’s settled. We’re family again. Oh, seeing your face reminds me…” after all, identical twins had the same face.

Shen Fubai, outside the door, couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He covered his face, sobbing as he ran away.

____

Shen Fubai ran back to his dressing room and locked the door, crying.

What was there to ask? It was solid proof!

Not only had they definitely been together, but now they were reconciling, damn it, they were family again!

Shen Fubai resented it.

He decided to unfollow Heng for a minute, to soothe his wounded heart.

A minute later, Shen Fubai wiped away his tears expressionlessly, his beautiful peach blossom eyes still misty, incredibly captivating.

That afternoon, Shen Fubai’s performance was exceptionally outstanding. His acting was already superb, a rare talent, and today he surpassed expectations. His tragic scenes flowed naturally, tears falling at will, causing Director Xu to applaud and Li Man to marvel.

She hadn’t seen her child in days, and the village had just gotten internet access, discovering that Shen Fubai’s acting was unexpectedly impressive.

Everyone praised Shen Fubai’s crying scenes, except Jiang Heng, who was slightly worried.

Why did he feel…that Fubai was truly upset?

____

Shen Fubai was indeed upset, so much so that he ate two extra bowls of rice that evening.

At night, he returned to the hotel to soak his feet, relieving the fatigue in his legs. He opened Weibo to read the compliments in the comment sections to improve his mood.

Who would you choose: the one you love or the one who loves you?

Heartbroken Shen Fubai chose the latter.

Tomorrow, he would still be Heng’s diehard fan, but today he allowed himself a day of sulking.

Shen Fubai switched to his alternate account, wanting to post something, staring at the blank screen for a long time, but finding nothing to write.

He saw Amber’ words again.

Amber: If he doesn’t like the candy house, a golden house will do.

Hmph, look at that—there were so many people who loved him.

Perhaps when one feels wronged, their mind goes haywire. Shen Fubai didn’t know what possessed him, sending a private message to Amber:

Friend, are you there?

He probably needed a confidant. Shen Fubai thought.