TYMRHBDES Chapter 175

Upon hearing this, Pei Yu’s lips curled into a sardonic smile.

Jiang Luoluo turned his head, his clear, bright eyes sparkling. “Pei Yu!”

Pei Yu strode over, his sharp gaze sweeping past Zhou Jing.

Jiang Luoluo tilted his palm-sized face upward, his dewy eyes blinking like a small creature finally finding shelter. His soft, coquettish voice rose at the end of his sentence, sounding almost like a plea:

“Pei Yu, I’m so nervous.”

Pei Yu took his hand. “Remember what your husband told you yesterday?”

The person holding his hand nodded obediently. “I remember.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Pei Yu squeezed his fingers. “Your husband is here with you.”

Jiang Luoluo went to change into the brand’s clothes, but Zhou Jing remained. He stood opposite Pei Yu, smiling as he spoke: “Teacher Pei, you seem to be having a rough time lately.”

Pei Yu met his gaze, a faint smile playing on his thin lips. “How could I be having a rough time when I get to spend every day with my wife?”

Zhou Jing glanced in the direction Jiang Luoluo had left. “Even if you call him ‘wife’ a hundred times, he’ll never truly be your wife. Teacher Pei, do you really think your family will ever approve of your marriage?”

“You’ve been doing quite a bit of digging,” Pei Yu said coldly.

Zhou Jing’s smile remained as gentle as ever. “How could I not care about Luo Luo’s affairs?”

“Teacher Pei, your family is prominent, and you’re still young. It’s inevitable that you’ll face constraints.”

“But I’m different. I’m alone. If I want to be with someone, no one can object.”

Pei Yu scoffed coldly. “Your calculations are impressive, but does he even like you?”

“I have patience,” Zhou Jing replied, his face betraying no hint of the pain his words should have caused. “I can wait.”

Pei Yu forced a smile. “Then wait as long as you like.”

Zhou Jing nodded and went to change.

The room fell silent, but Pei Yu’s heart remained unsettled, a vague restlessness stirring within him.

He frowned and went to the restroom, lighting a cigarette.

The crimson ember burned at his fingertips, smoke curling around his sharply defined knuckles.

Voices drifted from a nearby stall, gossiping about Pei Yu and Jiang Luoluo.

“I was squatting in the corner organizing props when I overheard Pei Yu and Zhou Jing talking.”

“You should have seen it—two Best Actors trading barbs like swordsmen, back and forth, tsk tsk tsk…”

After a moment of hushed murmuring, one of them sighed, “Jiang Luoluo sure has it good. But he’s naturally captivating. What can you do?”

“Who would you choose?”

“Definitely not Pei Yu. With that arrogant attitude and terrible temper, who could stand him?”

The person paused. “Besides, marrying into a wealthy family isn’t easy. He’d probably suffer endless grievances later.”

“It’s better to choose Zhou Jing. He has a car, a house, and both his parents are dead.”

The other person agreed, “Exactly! Luo Luo will definitely be in the entertainment industry.”

“Pei Yu is practically retired already. What good is all that money? Once you’re out of the industry, even the biggest directors won’t give you the time of day! How much can he really help Luo Luo’s career?”

“Zhou Jing is way better. He’s already a Best Actor. Without Pei Yu around, Luo Luo will get even better resources and become even more successful.”

“He’s good-looking and has a great personality. He definitely won’t regret choosing him!”

“Damn! I’m almost convincing myself!”

The other person chuckled, “Why don’t you go knock on Zhou Jing’s door tonight and see what happens?”

“Me? No way! Zhou Jing isn’t my type. Jiang Luoluo is much prettier and more my style.”

“Speaking of which, I bought some of Jiang Luoluo’s old borderline content. Want some? Perfect for a late-night session when you can’t sleep!”

“You sly dog!” the other person teased. “Hurry up and share!”

Pei Yu’s phoenix eyes lowered, his gaze churning with terrifying emotions.

His long legs turned the corner, heading toward the two stalls.

In the bathroom, where pale tiles lined the walls, a tall, slender figure was reflected. The silent air was suddenly pierced by the sound of footsteps.

The two men, who had been laughing, fell silent, trying to shrink into the background.

A sudden rapping echoed against the wooden partition.

Someone was knocking on the door of one of the stalls.

The person inside muttered, “You’re out already!” and opened the door.

At the same moment, a voice came from the adjacent stall: “I didn’t go out!”

Immediately afterward, a gust of wind swept through the air, followed by a bloodcurdling scream from the stall…

***

As the ambulance siren wailed, Jiang Luoluo had just finished filming and was about to change out of his costume.

The camellia brooch on his jacket was askew. Zhou Jing, brushing aside the stylist who had come to help, removed the brooch and was about to reattach it.

“Why is there an ambulance?” Jiang Luoluo asked casually.

A staff member observing from the window exclaimed in shock, “Teacher Pei!”

Jiang Luoluo’s eyelids twitched, his heart pounding wildly. He shoved Zhou Jing aside and bolted outside.

As he ran, Jiang Luoluo frantically called Pei Yu, but the call went unanswered.

He asked a staff member, who whispered, “Teacher Pei… he went with the ambulance.”

A sharp, piercing pain tore through his chest, leaving him disoriented and panicked. He hailed a taxi at the entrance and sped toward the hospital.

He rushed through the hospital, asking for directions to the emergency room. As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Pei Yu sitting on a bench outside the emergency room.

The sleeves of his high-quality black shirt were rolled up, his arm draped casually over the armrest. Fresh blood stained his knuckles and forearm.

Yet Pei Yu remained motionless, his back ramrod straight, his eyes utterly devoid of emotion as he stared coldly into the distance.

Jiang Luoluo toddled over and stopped two steps away, calling out Pei Yu’s name in a small voice.

The fierce aggression radiating from Pei Yu froze.

He looked up and saw Jiang Luoluo standing before him. Slowly, he clenched his bloodied fingers and hid his hand behind his back.

His treasure is too pure.

This blood is too filthy. I don’t want to taint him.

Jiang Luoluo crouched down, placing his small hands on Pei Yu’s knees. His dewy eyes misted over, brimming with concern.

“Pei Yu, what’s wrong?”

The small hands on his knees slowly wrapped around Pei Yu’s waist, then reached desperately for the hand hidden behind his back. His voice trembled with tears as he repeated, “Pei Yu, what happened to your hand?”

“I’m fine,” Pei Yu said, masking the ferocity in his eyes with a gentle gaze. “Don’t worry.”

The person before him wore a pristine white suit, his flawless face radiating purity, untouched by any trace of grime.

His eyes were misty, as if tears were about to spill over at any moment.

He was worried about Pei Yu.

So worried he was about to cry.

Pei Yu’s heart swelled. He pulled Jiang Luoluo into his arms, careful to avoid getting blood on him, and murmured in a low, regretful voice, “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have left you alone at the shoot.”

“I’m sorry. I lost control.”

Hearing those two scumbags discuss his precious one in such a lewd manner, Pei Yu had wanted nothing more than to kill them both.

What a pity.

He had been interrupted.

The person in his arms trembled almost imperceptibly, their voice tinged with lingering fear:

“Pei Yu, do you know what they said? That you left in an ambulance…”

“I thought something had happened to you…”

“Pei Yu…”

The person in his arms sobbed twice, their soft voice filled with helplessness:

“Don’t get hurt… I’ll be scared…”

Pei Yu kissed their forehead. “I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Don’t worry, darling.”

By the time the two men were wheeled out of the emergency room, they had regained consciousness.

Pei Yu lowered his gaze to look at them, as if they were ants he could crush with a single finger.

A thousand malicious thoughts churned in his chest, but he forcibly suppressed them.

Perhaps recalling their encounter in the restroom, both men’s eyes were filled with terror, their wrists trembling beneath the IV drips until nurses quickly restrained them.

Pei Yu’s dark gaze swept over their wounds, his voice deep and cold: “Don’t worry, I’ll cover the medical expenses.”

The two men stammered, too afraid to speak, completely lacking the bravado they had displayed in the restroom.

Watching their cowardly demeanor, Pei Yu curled his lips into a sardonic smile and spoke slowly, each word deliberate:

“Next time, I’ll cover your funeral expenses too.”

The blatant threat hung in the air as Pei Yu casually wrapped his arm around Jiang Luoluo and walked away, as if the two men didn’t exist.

Zhang Hao, who had rushed to the hospital after hearing the news, arrived just as Father Pei, who had also been alerted, was entering.

He had barely greeted his uncle when Pei Yu and Jiang Luoluo emerged from the elevator, both wearing black masks.

Zhang Hao’s gaze naturally followed them, and Father Pei’s eyes followed his.

“It’s always about him!” Father Pei seethed, barely containing his anger. “Are you throwing away your career for this?”

Passersby glanced over at the commotion.

Pei Yu pulled Jiang Luoluo behind him. “What do you want?”

“What do I want? What do I want!” Father Pei roared. “I’m your father! What do you think I want?!”

“What good has being with him ever done you?”

“Break up with him now! Go back to acting properly, and I guarantee all your resources will be restored!”

The young man shielded behind Pei Yu suddenly looked up.

The man before him loomed tall and imposing, his voice as deep and calm as ever.

“Are you finished?”

“Yes, I’m leaving now.”

The car started smoothly. Zhang Hao, sitting in the driver’s seat, didn’t dare utter a word.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the young streamer in the back seat, his palm-sized face tilted upward, his long, dark lashes fluttering. His soft voice was barely a whisper:

“Pei Yu, is it because of me?”

“Because of me, you lost your role and your endorsements? No one dares to cast you anymore?”

“It’s all my fault, isn’t it?”

The man pulled him into his arms, his large hand gently patting his back as he soothed the person in his embrace:

“No.”

“It has nothing to do with you, darling. Don’t think about it.”

Pei Yu kissed his hair. “Being an actor is too restrictive. That’s why your husband is planning to move behind the scenes.”

“I’ll start an entertainment company to protect our darling.”

“Our darling can boldly venture into the entertainment industry.”

“Your husband will keep you safe.”

“Do what you want, without fear.”