BFILWY CH 28

Chapter 28: The Mess Between He Zhifan and Shao Ye

Anyone familiar with their orchestra knows that the conductor, Shao Ye, has an unofficial girlfriend—rumored to be the orchestra’s concertmaster, Su Yingcheng.

This rumor had reached He Zhifan even before he joined the orchestra. Shao Ye and Su Yingcheng were regarded as a match made in heaven in the world of Chinese classical music. He was handsome, she was beautiful, and their artistic achievements in music complemented each other perfectly, making them the envy of many.

He Zhifan had admired Shao Ye for a long time. Although he knew that Shao Ye was straight and already had a girlfriend, it didn’t stop him from appreciating him. After all, there’s no harm in admiring beautiful things and people. Moreover, Shao Ye wasn’t just a pretty face—he was a prominent figure in the classical music world, and being able to join such a powerful orchestra under his direction had been He Zhifan’s greatest aspiration.

Two years ago, He Zhifan’s dream finally came true when he passed the audition to join Shao Ye’s orchestra. Everything went as expected, and his dream became a reality. The only thing that wasn’t as he had anticipated was Shao Ye himself.

Shao Ye was aloof and cold, even a little antisocial. He kept everyone at arm’s length, even Su Yingcheng, his rumored girlfriend. According to the people in the orchestra, other than some public events where Su Yingcheng would link arms with him, there were no displays of affection between the two. No hand-holding, no kissing—nothing. Even when fans managed to snap photos of them during private outings, the pictures were always ordinary, keeping their distance. The closest thing to a “romantic” photo was a shot taken by a mischievous band member during a long-haul flight, where Su Yingcheng had fallen asleep on Shao Ye’s shoulder.

He Zhifan, still holding onto a shred of hope, once asked, “So how do you know Su Yingcheng is the conductor’s girlfriend? Could it be a misunderstanding?”

“The two of them live together,” the bass player explained, crushing He Zhifan’s hope. “The conductor has a house in the suburbs of Vienna. Whenever we perform in Vienna, Su Yingcheng stays there too. Her address in the band’s contact list is the same as his.”

“Oh.” He Zhifan sighed. That settled it—she was definitely his girlfriend. They were living together, after all!

He Zhifan felt a deep sense of frustration.

Shao Ye, the conductor who kept a respectful distance from everyone, even his girlfriend, Su Yingcheng, seemed to behave differently around He Zhifan. Occasionally, he would make unexpected gestures, like lightly patting his head or brushing against his waist. Though these brief, unintentional touches only lasted a second, they sent shivers down He Zhifan’s spine and made his heart race uncontrollably. He, with his natural inclinations, couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Did Shao Ye, the straight man, even realize what he was doing? Was he aware that his actions were causing these chaotic feelings in He Zhifan, who was already struggling with his emotions?

Shao Ye, despite having a girlfriend, frequently sent He Zhifan mixed signals. He was the harshest with him during rehearsals, but after a successful performance, he would give him a special, approving smile. When He Zhifan was sick, Shao Ye would carry his violin for him, and during group dinners, he always chose restaurants He Zhifan liked. Even when He Zhifan performed poorly and was scolded harshly during rehearsals, he would receive afternoon tea from the conductor before leaving the practice room. While everyone in the orchestra got the same, He Zhifan knew he was the only one who had an intense love for Sacher cake^[1], something Su Yingcheng would never touch due to her concern about weight. Over the two years He Zhifan had been in the orchestra, Shao Ye’s gaze had become more intense, no longer hidden—like a wolf or a tiger, full of desire and raw emotion. It gave He Zhifan the mistaken impression that there was something deeper in that gaze, something full of affection.

He Zhifan had already harbored feelings of admiration for Shao Ye, but with the increasingly bold and obvious flirtations from Shao Ye, He Zhifan became helplessly immersed in them. He was torn between joy and guilt, sneaking around in secrecy, unsure of how to face Su Yingcheng, Shao Ye’s girlfriend.

Su Yingcheng was a wonderful, cheerful girl. Whenever she smiled at He Zhifan with pure sincerity and affectionately called him “Zhifan-ge,” He Zhifan couldn’t help but feel vile for secretly coveting her boyfriend.

Despite the fact that neither Shao Ye nor Su Yingcheng had ever openly acknowledged their relationship, everyone in the orchestra knew they were a couple. He Zhifan didn’t know what to make of Shao Ye, this infuriating, fickle man.

All he could do was hide.

He kept avoiding Shao Ye’s advances while being unable to stop his own feelings for him. On the outside, he remained calm, but his heart was already a boiling mess, burning with torment.

Then, one night, after a performance in Salzburg, at a thank-you dinner held at the hotel rooftop garden, away from the noise of the other band members, under the starry sky, Shao Ye could no longer hold back. He finally confessed his feelings for He Zhifan. He Zhifan, mistakenly believing that Shao Ye and Su Yingcheng had broken up, thought that Shao Ye’s confession was a declaration of love, a truth spilled out after a few drinks. He didn’t dare ask more or confirm anything, afraid that it might all just be a fleeting moment, an illusion.

The two of them secretly escaped the still ongoing banquet and retreated to Shao Ye’s hotel suite. After keeping their desires suppressed for so long, and with the aid of alcohol, they became unstoppable.

Shao Ye, consumed with possessiveness, ravaged He Zhifan throughout the night. He Zhifan, inexperienced and already half-drunk from the banquet, became disoriented after just two rounds. He cried out Shao Ye’s name in an attempt to plead for mercy, but for some reason, that only angered Shao Ye more. Shao Ye’s spoiled, arrogant nature was no joke. As the youngest and most favored son of the Shao family, when he lost his temper, no one could stop him. The entire night turned into a frenzy of passion, with He Zhifan crying, dizzy, and overwhelmed by a mixture of pleasure and pain. It wasn’t until the early morning that Shao Ye finally calmed down. By then, He Zhifan had passed out.

He Zhifan, in a daze, didn’t sleep soundly. In his hazy state, he sensed that Shao Ye was sitting on the sofa at the end of the bed, staring at him with a distant, cold gaze. The sight startled He Zhifan awake. He struggled to sit up, wanting to ask Shao Ye what was wrong, why he seemed so upset.

At that moment, the door to the suite beeped open, and with the cheerful sound of a voice, both of them froze.

It was Su Yingcheng.

He Zhifan still vividly remembered how Shao Ye hurriedly covered him with the blanket when he heard Su Yingcheng enter, urging him to stay quiet. He remembered how Shao Ye frantically put on his robe to hide the ambiguous red marks on his body. After Su Yingcheng left the bedroom and closed the door, Shao Ye tried to softly coax her into leaving, speaking in a tone He Zhifan could barely hear.

Su Yingcheng left, her cheerful laughter echoing as she departed, filling the room with a bittersweet sense that pierced He Zhifan’s cold heart.

Which ex-girlfriend still has the ability to casually enter her ex-boyfriend’s room with a key card?

Which ex-boyfriend would hide his current partner just for the arrival of his ex?

The beautiful and passionate moment from just a few hours ago turned into a filthy, disgraceful affair as soon as Su Yingcheng stepped through the door.

He hated that Shao Ye had made him an intruder in their relationship, but he couldn’t truthfully say he had no idea. He had pretended to be ignorant, turning a blind eye. He was an accomplice in this sordid affair.

Shao Ye, after sending his girlfriend away, walked back into the bedroom with a serious expression. He looked at He Zhifan, who was struggling to get up from the bed, his face showing a complex range of emotions.

He Zhifan wondered if Shao Ye regretted it. Was he worried about not being able to get rid of him?

“I’ll go take a shower first. When I’m done, we can talk,” Shao Ye said, averting his gaze as he entered the bathroom.

Talk? Don’t bother. I’ll leave on my own, thank you very much.

As expected, good dreams are easily shattered. That confession he had treasured was nothing but a lie—a cheap trick to get what he wanted.

He Zhifan endured the discomfort and returned to his own room, quickly taking a bitter, painful shower.

His bags were already packed. The plane back home was leaving soon, and it was just the right time to leave.

He dragged his sore body to the airport, his mood extremely foul. In a fit of anger, he decided to splurge and upgrade to first class. His phone kept ringing, but He Zhifan decisively turned it off. After over twenty hours of flying, including a layover, when he landed and turned his phone back on, he saw that Shao Ye had called him 47 times. There was a message too: “I know where you live.” The message was cryptic, sounding almost like a creepy stalker, making He Zhifan feel thoroughly confused.

He didn’t want to, nor could he, return home, so he went straight to hide in Ye Qinghe’s Green Scenery Mountain. He never expected that Shao Ye would go so far as to find him there.

At this moment, He Zhifan was really angry. These past few days, he had been trying to cope with his broken heart in secret while pretending everything was fine in front of his blind friend. Compared to Ye Qinghe’s eyesore of an accident, his personal issues seemed insignificant. He didn’t want to cause his friend unnecessary worry.

But now, Shao Ye had directly shown up at Ye Qinghe’s door, not only casting doubt on their friendship but also exposing their issues, making everyone worried for no reason.

“You have a girlfriend?” Ye Qinghe furrowed his brows, stepping forward to protect his friend.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Shao Ye said in frustration, still trying to explain, when suddenly a low, growling bark echoed through the air.

(To be continued…)