Chapter 6: Crying

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April 30, 2023Merchie

“Chen Rui’s coming today?” Chi Mingyao asked.

“What do you think? You’re a rare visitor, but he’s a regular.” As he spoke, Cao Ye leaned closer to Chi Mingyao and laughed, “Earlier, I thought that you had brought that Young Master Li here in order to show Chen Rui up.”

Chi Mingyao scoffed: “I have no interest in getting involved with this mess.
I was planning on introducing a financial backer to him in order to return a favor.”

“But he really is attractive.
Such a pity.” Cao Ye squinted at Li Yangxiao.

“All right, I don’t have time to talk nonsense with you, I’m going to take him away first.
When Chen Rui comes, help me stall him for a bit.
No matter how despicable he is, he would never throw his shame away for a little actor.” After Chi Mingyao finished speaking, he stuffed his wine glass into Cao Ye’s hand and patted his shoulder, before he turned and walked toward Li Yangxiao.

Li Yangxiao was still reading the English words on the wine bottle.
At this point, he was so bored that he had opened Google Translate.

Chi Mingyao walked up to him and hooked an arm around his neck.
He leaned down and said into his ear: “Come with me for a moment.”

“Oh, all right.” Li Yangxiao put his phone away and followed Chi Mingyao out.

During their brief walk, a few very polite people greeted Chi Mingyao.
Although Chi Mingyao did not know any of them very well, he nodded cordially and smiled back at them.

While they were waiting for the elevator, Chi Mingyao fiddled with the car keys in his hand, and asked Li Yangxiao: “Do you know Chen Rui?”

Li Yangxiao immediately looked up at Chi Mingyao.
There was a trace of alarm in his gaze: “Why?”

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“Chen Rui’s also coming today.” Chi Mingyao’s eyes shifted away as he spoke with nonchalance.

Li Yangxiao froze for a moment, and he did not speak for a long while.

The elevator was slowly ascending from the third floor.
Chi Mingyao took out a cigarette case, and passed a cigarette to Li Yangxiao.
Only then did Li Yangxiao’s eyes flit downward, as he said: “No thanks.”

Chi Mingyao held his cigarette in his mouth and lowered his head to light it.

Just as Chi Mingyao took his first puff of smoke, a “ding” sounded.
The elevator doors opened, and several people walked in.

“Hey, Young Master Chi?” One of those people stopped, and the others immediately halted as well, “What an honor, it’s been a while.”

Chi Mingyao shook the hand that the man extended to him: “Director1 Chen, I hope you’ve been well.”

At this moment, when Li Yangxiao, who was standing behind Chi Mingyao, looked up, he froze again–this person was the man Chi Mingyao had just mentioned, Chen Rui.

“And this is–?” That man looked toward Li Yangxiao.
Their eyes met, and the topic of conversation instantly diverted, “Oh, an old acquaintance.
Li Yangxiao, if I’m not mistaken?”

Li Yangxiao’s smile was a bit stiff: “Ah, Director Chen.
You still remember me.”

“I don’t just remember you.
You really left a deep impression.” Chen Rui smiled, and even reached out to gently pat Li Yangxiao’s face, “Beauties… always leave a very deep impression.”

Then, he looked at Chi Mingyao again, and smiled: “Young Master Chi, you’re leaving? Have I come too late?”

“I have something to take care of,” Chi Mingyao’s lips tugged into a perfunctory smile, “Let’s meet up again some other time.”

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“Then it’s settled, ” Chen Rui took a step back, and placidly raised a hand, “Stay safe on your way back.”

The elevator doors closed.
The pair stood in the tiny pocket of space, when Chi Mingyao exhaled a breath of smoke, stretching his neck as he said: “Why don’t you explain what happened?”

Li Yangxiao looked up at him: “It’s exactly as you think.”

Although Chi Mingyao was only five or six centimeters taller than him, his imposing aura was much stronger.

“What do you mean? I heard that you were already sitting on his bed before you ran out of there?” Chi Mingyao leaned against the wall of the elevator, and laughed rakishly, “Li Yangxiao, you really are something else.
I didn’t expect that you would be this interesting.”

Seeing that Li Yangxiao did not respond, Chi Mingyao asked: “At that time, what was your thought process?”

Li Yangxiao took out his cigarette case and pulled a cigarette out.
He held it in his mouth, his head lowered as he fumbled with the lighter.
Chi Mingyao reached over and pressed the lighter.
Li Yangxiao leaned forward a bit, and lit his cigarette with the flickering flame.
Then, he said: “Nothing much.
The person I liked at the time called me.”

“Is that so,” The elevator door opened, and Chi Mingyao walked out, “Huh, so you could afford to give it all up.
Did you two get together?”

Li Yangxiao shook his head.

“You lost your wife and the army too2?” Chi Mingyao glanced at him, before he quickened his pace, walking in front of Li Yangxiao.

Li Yangxiao followed behind Chi Mingyao.
He was a bit confused about the meaning of those words.

Lost my wife… and the army too? What does “losing the army” mean?

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Li Yangxiao sat in the car and buckled his seatbelt.
Only then did he cautiously ask Chi Mingyao: “Young Master Chi, that phrase you said just now… what does it mean?”

“What phrase?” Chi Mingyao opened the car’s sunroof.

“That phrase about losing my wife and the army too… what does ‘losing the army’ mean?”

“You offended Chen Rui, does that not count as ‘losing the army’?” Chi Mingyao reached out the window and tapped the ash out of his cigarette, “Chen Rui’s always bouncing around the entertainment industry.
What kind of result were you expecting?”

“But back then… I apologized to Director Chen, and he said that it was no problem.”

“Is there really no problem just because he says there isn’t? You really are naive.” Chi Mingyao leaned his head against the seat, and cast an amused glance at Li Yangxiao, “It’s hard to tell from the outside, but you’re pretty simple-minded.”

“But Director Chen… didn’t make me pay the penalty sum for breaching the contract.”

“You’re funny.
Do you think Chen Rui needs your money?” Chi Mingyao started the car before adding, “To tell you the truth, Chen Rui is extremely perverted and petty.
It’s not a bad thing that you ran away back then, but it absolutely isn’t a good thing either.
Because you’re probably already blacklisted by Chen Rui.”

“As for how thoroughly blacklisted you are, I’m not too sure right now either.
If you want to know, I can ask around for you.”

“But tonight in the banquet hall, there were quite a few people looking over at you, no? Judging by this situation, the impact radius can’t have been too small.”

After Chi Mingyao finished, he focused on driving.
Li Yangxiao sat beside him; after listening to those words, he did not say anything more.

This person was really quite ignorant.
He had been blacklisted for the better part of year, but he had no idea? Chi Mingyao found this to be utterly unbelievable.

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Chi Mingyao drove back the way they had come.
After he dropped Li Yangxiao off at home, he planned on giving Xu Yan a call and explaining this situation to him –it was not that Chi Mingyao did not want to help him, it was just that the mistake Li Yangxiao had made was too great.
He and Chen Rui were not on the best of terms anyway, so it was too difficult for him to interfere in this matter.

“We turn left up front, right?” As he was about to pass a four-way intersection, Chi Mingyao looked at the road ahead and asked.

He waited for a long while, yet Li Yangxiao had still said nothing.

“I’m turning, all right?” Chi Mingyao twisted the steering wheel and turned, before he looked over at Li Yangxiao.

This single glance made him freeze.
Li Yangxiao was crying.
His cheeks were already covered in tear tracks.

More accurately speaking, Li Yangxiao was merely shedding tears, because he had not made a single sound.

When Li Yangxiao cried, his lower eyelids would flush red, and he would exude a thorough aura of beauty.
So at this moment, a single thought flashed through Chi Mingyao’s mind–this guy would probably be able to get famous by acting in crying scenes.

 

Notes

HUG HIM YOU LOAF

Thanks for reading~ Sorry I couldn’t get this out on Saturday…

-总 (zǒng): if this is used behind someone’s surname, it’s a title (Boss, Chief, Director, etc.).
Not sure if he’s a director, we’ll see later~ 赔了夫人又折兵 (péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng): “Losing your wife and the army too”.
Equivalent to “double whammy”.