DP Chapter 11

Chapter 11

In a matter of seconds, Xiang Yiye considered many possibilities.

Du Luocheng’s hand, broad, warm, and calloused, hovered just beneath his chin, as if seeking someone’s consent.

Perhaps Du Luocheng would make a decent lover. He was handsome, composed, and every gesture was gentlemanly. Even though he was over twenty years older, time had brought him more refinement than devastation. Being with him was also quite comfortable.

However, Xiang Yiye gently brushed the hand away, saying, “I’m sorry, President Du, it’s too late. I should go.”

Without waiting for Du Luocheng’s response, Xiang Yiye left without another word.

In his haste, he accidentally bumped into someone in the hotel hallway. The person had a phone to their ear, speaking to someone, and glanced at Xiang Yiye.

Xiang Yiye looked up and saw the person wearing a dark gray double-breasted suit jacket. The hallway light accentuated his slightly high brow bones, making his eye sockets appear deep.

It was Xie Zhimin, the person he was trying so hard to avoid, yet he still encountered.

Xie Zhimin’s attention was entirely focused on the other end of the phone at the moment, and he didn’t take the collision with Xiang Yiye to heart, continuing to walk forward.

“Anything goes for the others, just leave them with their lives, it’s troublesome if they die.” Xie Zhimin’s voice was as calm as if discussing a transaction. “Focus on Xu Chuo, don’t injure him too badly, and don’t hit the face…”

Hearing Xu Chuo’s name, Xiang Yiye slowed his pace. Xie Zhimin was the person he had encountered who was most like a madman in his previous life, no, in both his lives. His personality was capricious, his preferences were unusual, and he would even satisfy his possessiveness and control by randomly hurting others.

Xiang Yiye thought that if he hadn’t been an actor in his previous life, needing to appear in public, perhaps Xie Zhimin would have really left some humiliating marks on his face. And it wasn’t just limited to the physical; Xie Zhimin also knew how to mentally torment a person.

Xiang Yiye recalled the almost abusive treatment and immediately found a secluded place to call Xu Chuo.

Xu Chuo didn’t answer, leaving Xiang Yiye worried that he might already be in trouble. He called repeatedly, asked Lin Xiao, the makeup artist Xiao Ya, and was even about to ask Han Fangyan, but still no news of Xu Chuo.

Xiang Yiye was about to call the police when the call finally connected.

“Hello, Xiao Yiye.” Xu Chuo’s voice sounded normal, but there was some background noise on the other end of the line. “Shouldn’t you be at Xinghui Film and Television Company at this hour…”

“Where are you now?” Xiang Yiye interrupted him.

“Blue Bar, what’s wrong?” Xu Chuo said.

“Send me your location, and don’t leave the bar before I get there,” Xiang Yiye said.

“Wow, baby, are you coming to catch me cheating?” Xu Chuo teased.

“I’m not kidding!” Anxiety seeped into Xiang Yiye’s voice. “Xu Chuo, don’t hang up. Stay where there are a lot of people and wait for me. I’ll explain later.”

Xu Chuo seemed to sense that something was wrong and said, “Okay.”

Xiang Yiye hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Blue Bar. On the way, he urged the driver while explaining to Xu Chuo, “I ran into someone at the company tonight… named Xie. I heard him mention your name on the phone. It sounds like he’s planning something against you.”

Xu Chuo was strangely silent for a moment, then said, “Oh, him. He won’t do anything to me. I’m about to head back to the apartment anyway. Don’t come.”

Xiang Yiye insisted, “I told you to wait for me there. I’ll take you home tonight.”

“Is that your real intention?” Xu Chuo laughed. “What could happen to someone as old as me? Tell the driver to turn around. I have other friends with me right now. Let’s reschedule and spend some time alone, just the two of us, okay?”

“No,” Xiang Yiye said. “If you leave without waiting for me tonight, we’re no longer friends.”

“Just friends? Your ambition is too small…” Xu Chuo didn’t finish his sentence before the call suddenly ended.

The fear in Xiang Yiye’s heart instantly overwhelmed him, and to make matters worse, they got stuck in traffic. The taxi came to a stop, trapped in a seemingly endless stream of cars. He stared at the GPS for a few seconds and realized that he was only 2 kilometers from his destination, so he decisively paid the fare and got out of the car.

He ran all the way, catching sight of the lights of the Blue Bar in the distance. Before he even reached the entrance, he noticed a group of hoodlums lurking around the corner of the alley, some of them carrying weapons.

Seeing the silhouette of the person surrounded by the group, Xiang Yiye silently charged toward them.

Xu Chuo was facing off against the men, when he saw a tall figure rush out of the alley, kicking one of them away and pulling him into a run.

“Damn it, he’s just stalling for time! Quick, chase him, don’t let him get away!” the thugs shouted behind them.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come? I could have handled it myself,” Xu Chuo said.

“Shut up, let’s lose them first,” Xiang Yiye said.

The bustling streetscape retreated behind them, and the city seemed to transform into a wilderness in an instant. Under the cover of night, they embarked on a private escape.

But the scene didn’t remain romantic for long. The pursuers split up, some of them circling around to cut them off. Surrounded from both sides, Xiang Yiye kicked down the leader of the group, shielding Xu Chuo between himself and the wall, using his back to block the blows raining down on them.

“Xiang Yiye!” A trace of attachment grew wildly on top of danger, Xu Chuo momentarily lost himself in the temporary sanctuary.

They had already run out of the secluded alley, and a police car on patrol spotted them, ordering them to stop and pull over through a megaphone.

They were taken to the nearest police station to make statements. The thugs were skilled at playing the victim, pointing to injuries they had sustained somewhere and claiming that Xiang Yiye and Xu Chuo were responsible.

Xiang Yiye suggested checking the surveillance footage to prove who the real victims were.

But Xu Chuo said it wasn’t necessary and directly dialed a number. After saying a few words, he handed the phone to the officer in charge, whose attitude immediately changed. Soon, the thugs were detained for causing trouble.

Walking back down the quiet alley, Xu Chuo leaned against the side of the road, lit a cigarette, reached out, and pressed on the left side of Xiang Yiye’s chest, asking, “You ran all the way here, is your heart okay? And what about the injuries on your back…”

Xiang Yiye didn’t speak, coldly brushing his hand away.

Amidst the rising smoke, Xu Chuo said, “Xiao Yiye, if you had come any later, I would have taken care of them.” Before Xiang Yiye arrived, he had been negotiating with the thugs.

Xiang Yiye couldn’t accept that statement. “Taken care of them? Five of them, and just you alone, how could you have taken care of them?” He stopped, his expression flustered, and then suddenly fell silent, as if his lips had been sealed.

Under the streetlight, Xu Chuo wrapped his arm around Xiang Yiye’s neck, pressed the back of his head, and passed the lingering smoke from his lips to him, deepening the kiss.

Xiang Yiye was stunned. He had to admit that even six years ago, Xu Chuo was still unmatched when it came to kissing.

This made Xiang Yiye tremble while also feeling annoyed. He grabbed Xu Chuo’s shoulders, pushed him against the wall, and returned the kiss fiercely and clumsily, with no technique, only emotion.

The streetlight in the alley was old and faulty, flickering and instantly triggering memories of Xiang Yiye’s previous life. He had first met Xu Chuo in a bar as well.

There were no romantic accidental encounters, just simple lust at first sight. At that time, Xiang Yiye was at a low point in both his life and career. The hospital had issued a critical condition notice for Father Xiang, and Xie Zhimin, the patron who had always supported him, had clearly cut ties, stating that he would no longer provide any assistance. Xiang Yiye was also unable to get any decent roles because of his poor reputation in the industry.

When people are extremely vulnerable, they are like a mayfly about to drown, and any passing duckweed will be firmly grasped.

Xu Chuo was that duckweed. When he spotted the listless Xiang Yiye at the bar through the heavy noise, he walked through the crowd and “clinked” Xiang Yiye’s glass. When Xu Chuo leaned down and asked him if he was a celebrity, kindly reminding him that someone nearby seemed to be taking pictures, the string that Xiang Yiye had been holding so tight snapped.

He thought, to hell with it, it couldn’t get any worse than it was now, so he would just live for this little bit of indulgence tonight.

As their lips intertwined, a sharp thought pierced his mind—this wasn’t his previous life. He and Xu Chuo had only known each other for a few months. Xiang Yiye suddenly woke up, released Xu Chuo, pressed his forehead against his, and tried to calm his breathing.

Xu Chuo tilted his head slightly, his chest rising and falling, and suddenly laughed. “Why do I feel like you’re hungry and want to eat someone?”

Xiang Yiye’s heart was about to jump out, but he had to bluff, “…Yeah, I’m gnawing on a pig’s trotter.”

“You’ve been drinking,” Xu Chuo licked his aching lips, as if savoring the taste. “Haven’t you ever been kissed before?”

Xiang Yiye was about to retort, “How could that be,” but then it occurred to him that, in this life, it really was his first time. He immediately became angry and embarrassed, “What does it matter how many times I’ve been kissed!”

Xu Chuo leaned on Xiang Yiye’s shoulder, laughing so hard that he couldn’t stand up straight. Finally, Xiang Yiye couldn’t bear it any longer and turned to leave.

They got into a taxi, and the driver asked where they were going. Xiang Yiye turned to Xu Chuo and asked, “Back to your place?”

“Or your place? Or…” Xu Chuo’s voice trailed off suggestively, “Do you want to go to a hotel?”

Seeing that these two were up to something, the well-informed driver eagerly chimed in, “The nearest hotel is just a short walk away, no need to take a taxi. If you’re in a hurry…”

Xiang Yiye’s face twitched, and he said to Xu Chuo, “Your place isn’t safe. Let’s find a hotel for you to stay in for the night.”

Xu Chuo thought for a moment and said, “No need, let’s just go back to the drawing studio. I sometimes rest there.” After saying that, he told the driver an address.

The car started smoothly, and Xiang Yiye looked at Xu Chuo’s profile by the window and asked, “Why were those people looking for trouble with you?”

“Who knows, maybe they wanted to kidnap me and threaten my dad,” Xu Chuo said vaguely.

“No, those people were sent by that Xie guy. What’s your relationship with him? Did you offend him?” Xiang Yiye asked.

“No, we’re childhood friends. He’s just messing around,” Xu Chuo said.

“Messing around requires such cruel methods?” Xiang Yiye pressed relentlessly.

Xiang Yiye knew that Xu Chuo and Xie Zhimin weren’t just childhood friends. But Xu Chuo wasn’t willing to talk about it; he didn’t even want to mention Xie Zhimin.

“That’s between him and me. I’ll handle it myself. Xie’s might be cooperating with Xinghui Film and Television Company in the future, so it’s better for you not to get involved. If you encounter him at Xinghui Film and Television Company in the future, it’s best to pretend that you don’t know me,” Xu Chuo said.

Xiang Yiye didn’t agree or disagree, just sulked.

In his previous life, Xie Zhimin liked him and supported him because he had some of Xu Chuo’s qualities. Although he and Xu Chuo didn’t look alike, the similarities that the eyes couldn’t clearly perceive, but the will could keenly capture, were the rarest.

Xie Zhimin liked Xu Chuo, which was undeniable in his previous life. But now, Xiang Yiye was puzzled. Did Xie Zhimin treat the people he truly liked with such tormenting methods?

The key to the problem seemed to lie in Xu Chuo and Xie Zhimin’s past, which was the only thing Xiang Yiye didn’t know much about. Xie Zhimin was authoritarian and arrogant, not allowing anyone to pry into his heart.

Xu Chuo’s drawing studio during his graduate studies was near L University. This was the first time Xiang Yiye had been here. As he entered the old residential building and climbed the stairs amidst the deafening sound of mahjong tiles, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Xu Chuo’s drawing studio at thirty was much more upscale than this.

“I quite like it here, it’s noisy but quiet,” Xu Chuo seemed to see what Xiang Yiye was thinking and took out the key from his pocket. “It might be a little messy inside.”

Xiang Yiye subconsciously felt that once he went in, he wouldn’t be able to leave. “I’m not going in. Remember to lock the door.”

“You have injuries on your back. There’s a first-aid kit inside, I’ll put some medicine on for you,” Xu Chuo said, pushing the doorknob. He was surprised to find that the door was open, even though he clearly remembered locking it before he left.