PMWAIAAPM Chapter 61

Chapter 61: I Miss You

The trade of glands is no different from taking a life.

“Mr. Xing, I will arrange for your gland. To be honest, the farther you are from Zhiyu, the better it will be for him.”

As the sun set, its light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the office. The fish tank glowed an eerie blue, water flowing slowly, rippling circles one after another.

It was not until four in the afternoon that Zhou Jiaoyue replied to him: “The donor gland sent for inspection indeed matches you very well. If a new gland is transplanted, it might really work, but… where did she find the gland?”

The gland is an organ of great importance in the human body, just like the heart. To qualify for transplantation, not only must the blood type match, but the gland must also be from someone who is just at the age of second differentiation after adulthood for better recovery capability—this means buying a life.

Her connections and power could easily toy with human lives, her tone indifferent and commanding: “I don’t care what happened between you and Zhiyu. As a mother, I won’t let him have any stains on his reputation for life. Mr. Xing, I believe you understand that if you two separate, you can survive, and he can salvage his image. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

Win-win…

Xing Yang suddenly felt a bit cowardly.

He had been blinded by Tan Zhiyu’s affection. Yes, what would happen to Tan Zhiyu if he died?

His company was nothing in Fiona’s eyes; money held no value to her whatsoever.

Fiona negotiated with him like a businessman, only discussing pros and cons. Xing Yang came from a poor background, carrying the burden of a life, with a negative company image and extremely poor public sentiment. She had no time to get to know Xing Yang’s character. Her son being with such a person would only ensnare her in judgment and hinder her career. This alone was enough for her to personally break them apart.

In other words, Xing Yang not being directly eliminated was her benevolence.

“Tan Yushen sent someone over to discuss the acquisition. Will Mr. Xing meet?” Song Tian quietly asked at the door but was stopped by Secretary Wang.

Secretary Wang shook his head: “Wait a bit longer.”

–

The light in the office was dim. Xing Yang rubbed his lower abdomen, tapping his pen on the documents again and again. The price offered by Tan Yushen was fair, but it required him to give up his position as executive president. In the future, he would not have to work, and he would still receive dividends at the end of the year.

As long as he signed the documents and set a date to publicly clarify the boundaries with Tan Zhiyu, the surgery could be performed anytime. Fiona had planned everything out very well.

After the surgery, the child could no longer be kept.

Businesspeople only discuss pros and cons.

He should take it easier.

In their eyes, he, Xing Yang, was merely a small ant. Despite ten years of hard work rising from nothing, no matter how hard he tried to stand on equal footing with Tan Yushen, life experiences and connections were enough to turn the wealth he had accumulated over the years and so-called sincerity into a joke.

What would happen if he did not comply?

–

Three days later, at the Hai Cheng Film Base.

As the director Zheng called “cut” late at night, the filming ceased, and Tan Zhiyu lay lazily in the village.

The entire village had been constructed for the film crew, close to the lake, with fishing boats outside. The two-story villa was temporarily reserved for him to rest alone. To get to the city center from here, one would have to drive quite a distance.

He saw that public opinion about the Yuanyin Real Estate still remained poor, and Xing Yang had forbidden him from randomly posting on Weibo.

Tan Zhiyu was about to attend an awards ceremony next month, and his fans were still in an uproar. After all, the issue of a hidden marriage had been exposed, and neither side had provided a clear explanation. As time passed, this only increased people’s desire to dig deeper, with no benefits whatsoever.

At eleven o’clock at night, Tan Zhiyu read through scripts, feeling a bit dazed.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Upon seeing the familiar note, he immediately picked up: “Why did you call just now?”

“Just finished up.” Xing Yang’s voice sounded a bit tired.

He had been in meetings all these days at the company, and Tan Zhiyu didn’t press him further, simply murmuring, “Alright then.”

“Did you finish filming today? Is it cold by the lake?”

“It’s okay; it’s a bit chilly compared to Beijing. I just can’t sleep.”

He wanted to say he missed Xing Yang, to ask how Xing Yang’s health was and when he would come to see him.

But would saying it make him seem too petty or overly sentimental?

Tan Zhiyu sighed deeply, feeling a bit helpless, finally just asking, “Can you sleep well?”

Xing Yang didn’t respond; he was driving, the voice of the navigation system crackling through the microphone: “Are you reading the script?”

“Yeah, what else can I do? There’s an exclusive interview tomorrow, and they’ll probably ask a bunch of pointless questions. It’s boring…”

“Ten minutes later, go to the village entrance to pick up a delivery. You go get it,” Xing Yang said.

“What kind of delivery is coming in the middle of the night?” Tan Zhiyu glanced outside at the dark road: “You’re being inhumane.”

This village was built specifically for filming, and it was quite far from the city center. Even driving here involved a rugged route.

And at this hour, it would soon be midnight. Having someone deliver something here was indeed quite inhumane.

“If it’s cold, just wear a jacket.” Xing Yang’s voice was low but still warm and full of laughter: “The humane Mr. Xing is paying for expedited service.”

Tan Zhiyu oddly agreed, venting about everything that had been happening in the production to him.

There was a real couple in the crew, holding hands and smiling brightly during a camera interview. He wondered when he could hold hands with Xing Yang on camera, proclaiming to the world that he had a home.

When would that be?

Tan Zhiyu didn’t want to voice such thoughts, not wanting to add another shackle to Xing Yang’s heart, for the first time refraining from saying something childish.

Perhaps it was because Xing Yang had not been by his side recently that he felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on his heart, like the stillness before a storm, with only the intoxicating spring breeze surrounding him in silence.

In less than ten minutes, Tan Zhiyu casually put on a coat and went out.

At this time, even the props team had gone back to rest.

The road was dimly lit, shadows stretching short. The temperature indeed dropped by the lake at night. This area of the film base was renovated from a real fishing village, with many unused houses already covered in cobwebs. The wind blew, making the wooden doors creak.

Tan Zhiyu stood at the village entrance, looking at the vast blackness of the road, somewhat complaining: “Mr. Xing, are you afraid I’m not getting enough exercise? If you’re playing with me, be careful I’ll bite you to death when I go back.”

As he vented, suddenly his wrist was grabbed, and the microphone crackled with a voice: “Then you may as well bite me now.”

Xing Yang hugged him from behind, the faint scent of ebony seeming even stronger than before, encapsulating Tan Zhiyu entirely.

Tan Zhiyu saw the man before him clearly, forgetting to hang up the phone, gazing at him in disbelief: “Aren’t you busy lately?”

In the deserted area, Xing Yang pulled out flowers hidden behind him and stuffed them into his arms: “I am busy, but I promised to come see you.”

The bright red roses were shoved into Tan Zhiyu’s embrace: “A delivery.”

Tan Zhiyu could hardly believe it, directly pulling Xing Yang into his arms: “Sign for it—”

The wind blowing from the lake carried a salty moisture, and they held each other tightly, the man’s chin resting on his shoulder. He was so happy he could hardly contain himself, and he repeated, “Sign for it!”

It seemed Xing Yang had lost a bit of weight these days, yet he still looked impeccably clean and tidy, the scent of aftershave wafting from his cheek, dressed in a gray coat that made him appear particularly tall.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me due to your busyness.” Tan Zhiyu buried his face deeply into Xing Yang’s neck and shoulder. He felt like a little puppy wagging its tail, unable to express his joy in any other way than knocking down his owner.

But Xing Yang stroked his fingertips, taking off his scarf and wrapping it around him: “You said you were cold; why don’t you wear more?”

“Wearing another layer means I won’t get your scarf.” Tan Zhiyu chuckled: “Let’s share it, one half each.”

He hurriedly wrapped the scarf around both of them, the soft fabric ensnaring them closely together.

Amidst the warmth was Xing Yang’s lingering ebony scent, and suddenly, Tan Zhiyu felt his heart soar.

“Like a child.” Xing Yang chuckled softly, watching the tall man before him display all his emotions unguarded.

Tan Zhiyu was different from the person he had imagined—better than he had envisioned. He was sincere, lovely, and had a heart that beat with vibrant intensity.

He quickly took Xing Yang’s hand and headed toward his little villa: “If I had known you were coming, I wouldn’t have washed off my makeup.”

“Did you know? This is the first time anyone has come to visit me while I’m filming in so many years.”

Even though Tan Zhiyu had become widely known, with countless fans who adored him, this was the first time family had come to visit.

And he even brought roses.

For some reason, the roses from Mr. Xing always seemed to carry a hint of romance.

“I dreamt about you last night.” Tan Zhiyu’s smile hadn’t faded since he saw him; he leaned closer by the empty road: “Did you miss me?”

“That’s why I came.” Mr. Xing indicated he was a man of action, turning and kissing him.

Tan Zhiyu felt satisfied: “I was just looking at plane tickets. I’ve never disliked filming this much before.”

He had once loved acting because it meant that as long as he was in front of the camera, people would like him, revolve around him. Even the love from strangers was enough to thrill and satisfy him. But that was no longer the case; he just liked Xing Yang. He just liked Mr. Xing.

His world had quietly changed without him realizing when. Only the existence of this man could command his joy.

All the fans online were saying he should hurry up and divorce Xing Yang, that Xing Yang was not a good person, etc.

But Mr. Xing was the best person in the world.

Xing Yang stroked his palm. The injury he had suffered in the crew had healed a lot, but there were still some scars in his palm.

“What’s wrong with you? You seem a bit distracted.” Tan Zhiyu keenly sensed that his mood didn’t seem very high.

The two entered the house, turning off the lights. Xing Yang held his hand that was reaching for the switch and hugged him tightly from behind: “Nothing much, just missed you.”

“Missed you very much…”