LHKE Ch44

As everyone was chatting, two more people walked in through the side hall door.

The man in front was dressed in a black suit with slicked-back hair, exuding a dominant presence. Though he appeared proper, there was a hint of a carefree, rebellious attitude about him. Behind him followed a younger man, also in a black suit, which added a touch of maturity to him. His hair was styled and dyed, with straight bangs and a black earring on his right ear. He followed the man quietly, but when he lifted his eyes and met Jing Yu’s gaze, both seemed slightly surprised.

However, the man in front seemed to have forgotten the person trailing behind him, his gaze fixed steadily on Lu Changting.

When powerful men encounter one another, there’s always a silent battle of wills.

Shen Li paused for a moment when he saw the face of the person behind him.

That face was one he knew all too well. He had seen this person countless times on screen—clumsily slicing watermelons, squatting to fix a bicycle chain, biting on the end of a pen, unable to solve a simple math problem, or stumbling through reciting a classical poem.

It was He Ting, the actor who played Feng Jiang.

“Yao-ge, I’ve been looking for you for ages,” Fan Jingling called out to Xiao Yao with a playful tone, as he often added a diminutive to his name. His gaze swept past Lu Changting and landed on Xiao Yao, where he finally broke into a genuine smile. “Hey, I found a companion for your little goldfish.”

“What little goldfish?” Xiao Yao glared at him, displeased by the nickname for Jing Yu. “Speak properly.”

“Alright, I found a companion for Jing Yu,” Fan Jingling glanced at He Ting, gesturing for him to go over to Jing Yu.

Jing Yu and He Ting had previously acted in a show as brothers, and Jing Yu had always looked after him. But seeing He Ting with Fan Jingling now, Jing Yu’s face immediately turned cold.

Fan Jingling was not someone who brought good fortune, and Jing Yu knew that following him could only mean trouble for He Ting.

“Come on, let’s go have a drink,” Fan Jingling slung his arm around Xiao Yao’s shoulders and cheekily whistled at Chen Xingye. “You coming, Ye-ge?”

Chen Xingye tapped the ash from his cigarette into an ashtray without looking up. “Go to hell.”

Fan Jingling then turned to Lu Changting, “President Lu.” His gaze lingered on Shen Li for a moment before he smiled slyly. “So, you took care of my little rat for Boss Shen.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Xiao Yao asked, confused. “What little rat?”

“My unruly younger brother,” Fan Jingling replied, whether intentionally or not, revealing everything about Lu Changting. “Last time, he offended Shen-laoban, and Lu-zong specifically invited me to dinner to ask me to handle the matter.”

Xiao Yao nodded thoughtfully, “Yeah, your brother really deserves a good lesson.”

After saying all that needed to be said, Fan Jingling pulled Xiao Yao away for drinks, leaving with his “mission” accomplished.

He Ting led Jing Yu to the balcony outside the side hall. Inside the hall, only Lu Changting, Shen Li, Chen Xingye (who was smoking), and Jiang Chifeng (playing with his phone) remained.

The side hall’s balcony had floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing the scene outside to be visible, though their words couldn’t be heard. Jiang Chifeng glanced at He Ting and leaned in to whisper to Shen Li, “Isn’t that the actor you like? The one who played Feng Jiang?”

Lu Changting stared at He Ting for a while, finally recognizing him as the actor from Feng Jiang. He then looked at Shen Li and couldn’t help but frown, “You like him?”

“No, I don’t!” Lu Changting’s jealousy flared too easily, and Shen Li quickly explained, “I just like the show Yun Hu Bu Xi, that’s all.”

Jiang Chifeng, clearly enjoying himself, twisted the knife a little more. “You finally met him in person. Should I go get you an autograph?”

Shen Li shot him a warning look, “Don’t stir up trouble. I only like Changting, so stop trying to cause problems.”

Hearing Shen Li express his affection was rare. Lu Changting’s mood instantly improved, and he smiled, no longer concerned about He Ting.

Meanwhile, outside on the balcony, He Ting had no idea he had become the topic of conversation. He stood there, head bowed, enduring a scolding from Jing Yu.

“You’re following Fan Jingling?” Jing Yu asked with a frown, “For what? For resources? For money?”

He Ting kept his head down, not responding.

Jing Yu pressed on, “You’ve got a bright future ahead of you. If you make it big now by following him, what will happen later?”

Jing Yu lectured He Ting for a long while. He Ting listened silently, and after a lengthy pause, he looked up with a bitter smile in his eyes.

“Ge, I’m not like you,” he said, “I don’t have the same luck to have someone pull me up.”

At first, He Ting had been reluctant, but Fan Jingling had blocked several of his opportunities, and then his agency suddenly wanted to terminate his contract. What else could he do?

“Do you know how Zhou Yang’s scandal came out?” He Ting lowered his eyes again. Although he was at the prime of his life, his eyes were filled with a sense of hopelessness. “It’s because he refused to follow Fan Jingling.”

Zhou Yang had been an up-and-coming star with a promising future. But because he caught Fan Jingling’s eye and refused to follow him, explicit photos of him were leaked, and he was blacklisted across the industry. That had happened less than a year ago, and already Zhou Yang was forgotten by the public.

For actors, the worst fate is being forgotten by the audience.

“And yet, he eventually followed Fan Jingling anyway.”

“So struggling is pointless.” He Ting’s tone turned indifferent. “The outcome is the same.”

“Ge,” he looked at Jing Yu, the sarcasm in his eyes fading, replaced by a gentle smile, “don’t try to save me. It’ll only dirty your hands.”

Jing Yu was lucky to have met Xiao Yao. He Ting wasn’t as fortunate, and he accepted that.

“He Ting…” Jing Yu called his name with a heavy heart. “Don’t be like this.”

There had to be a way out.

“I’ll talk to Xiao Yao,” Jing Yu said. “I can’t stand seeing you like this, though I can’t promise he’ll be able to help.”

“I’ll try.”

He thought that He Ting could still withdraw from the situation.

He Ting smiled, “Just let me be alone for a while.”

Being brought here by Fan Jingling had already made him uncomfortable. He had no interest in mingling with the elite; he just wanted a quiet place where he could be alone.

Jing Yu sighed and turned to leave.

The summer was unbearably hot, with the incessant cicada chirps hidden among the flowers and branches, day and night.

The night breeze was oppressive. When He Ting heard the sound of the floor-to-ceiling window being opened, he initially thought it was Jing Yu returning. Instead, he heard a new, refreshing male voice, and the air was suddenly filled with a faint, clean woody scent.

“He Ting.”

He turned around to see a pair of smiling eyes.

A stranger.

A stranger who looked at him with a beautiful smile.

The stranger looked at him with a warm tone, “You need to act well.”

This kind of gaze was very familiar to him. Many of his fans looked at him like that—mostly female fans at the airport, waving and calling him “little brother,” their eyes filled with that kind of concern, telling him to take care of himself and to act well.

So, he had male fans too.

……

On the way home, Shen Li wanted to ask Lu Changting if he could ask Fan Jingling to leave He Ting alone. However, he was unsure whether He Ting was willingly involved with Fan Jingling or if there were other complications. Not wanting to make Lu Changting jealous, he held back and instead asked about what Fan Jingling had said.

“Did you invite Fan Jingling to dinner because of me?”

Lu Changting replied with a simple “mm-hmm.”

Shen Li was somewhat surprised. He had always thought that Fan Jingling had simply given up trying to trouble him, not realizing that it was Lu Changting who had handled the situation. “Why didn’t you tell me before…”

“Brother Changxu said you’re stubborn and advised me not to get you involved,” Lu Changting said casually, holding the steering wheel. “I was afraid you might think I was meddling.”

Shen Li glanced at him, feeling both touched and a bit sour inside.

It turned out that not only was he quietly caring and giving, but Lu Changting had also silently alleviated his worries.

He didn’t quite know what to say. “…Am I really that ungrateful?”

Lu Changting turned to him with a smile, “Well, I’m not the kind of person who keeps score of favors.”

Compared to the kindness Shen Li had shown him, Lu Changting’s actions seemed trivial.

Shen Li looked at him and said softly, “I’m very happy.”

“Actually, you don’t have to do these things for me…” He wasn’t sure how to express himself, “But I’m really glad you do.”

At a red light ahead, Lu Changting slowed down and stopped. He freed a hand to pinch Shen Li’s cheek, “If I had known you were this easy to please, I would have told you earlier. Maybe you’d have been so moved you’d be offering yourself to me.”

Shen Li’s gaze wandered. “Maybe.”

“Then I have to treat you even better,” Lu Changting said, “Not just offering yourself but a lifetime’s worth.”

Shen Li’s ears turned slightly red. He thought to himself, even if Lu Changting weren’t so good to him, he’d already committed himself for a lifetime.