SGSHE143

The next day.

Huo Chenxing skipped two meetings.

His secretary was terrified, fearing something had happened to the boss. Huo Chenxing, however, found himself blushing with embarrassment.

The first meeting was scheduled for 9:30 AM, and the second for 11:00 AM.

The reason for oversleeping? Perhaps…it was just too comfortable in the arms of his young lover?

The sensation of skin-on-skin contact was novel, and he was intoxicated by the satisfaction it brought.

But this ‘monarch neglecting his morning court’ was merely the beginning.

Huo Chenxing was very pleased with the young man and took him straight back to his own residence.

Jing Heguang’s contract was also transferred from the original predatory agency to a legitimate entertainment company under the Huo Group.

Being a ‘sugar daddy’ for the first time, Huo Chenxing was quite inexperienced.

That night, they ruined yet another set of bedsheets.

Huo Chenxing tentatively asked, “Heguang, what kind of work do you plan to pursue next?”

“TV dramas? Movies? Music? The fashion industry?”

Jing Heguang glanced at him, his eyes crinkling into a smile that radiated youthful charm. “I’ve signed up for an acting class. I want to finish that first. My agent said he’d take me to audition for roles in some of the company’s major web series later on.”

“Web series?” Huo Chenxing frowned.

Roles in web series were resources the company would allocate anyway.

As the ‘sugar daddy’,the fact that he couldn’t actually influence the situation simply wouldn’t do.

Huo Chenxing asked again, “Is there nothing else you want?”

Jing Heguang saw, and appreciated, Huo Chenxing’s efforts. Jing Heguang appeared to be deep in thought. A minute later, he spoke: “So…could Huamei be a bit more above-board in the future? I was tricked at the start, they told me they were training me to compete in a talent show.”

Jing Heguang gazed into Huo Chenxing’s eyes and earnestly explained the reason: “Not every version of ‘me’ gets to meet you.”

Huo Chenxing, his heart racing, asked, “What about me?”

Hearing this, Jing Heguang lowered his eyes, a flush rising on his face.

Then, he stole a quick glance at Huo Chenxing. “You’re exactly my type.”

With that, Jing Heguang leaned in close and planted a swift kiss on him!

A second ago, upon hearing Jing Heguang’s words, Huo Chenxing had been thinking: You little rascal, acting on impulse just because of looks.

But in this very second, only two words filled his mind: So handsome!

The impact of that handsome face, suddenly so close, was overwhelming.

The ‘sugar daddy’ felt his knees go weak.

***

Jing Heguang attended acting classes and became the star pupil, the kind of person others held up as a shining example.

His talent for acting seemed exceptionally high.

Whether playing an eye-catching lead or a simple, vivid extra, he could portray characters of all personalities with both physical precision and emotional depth.

However, just as he finished the month-long acting course, the elderly relative in the hospital couldn’t hold on any longer and passed away.

Treatment had begun too late, even the doctors were powerless to save them. Yet, thanks to financial support, the elder’s quality of life had improved during those final days, and she departed peacefully.

The last relative of the original owner was gone from the world.

Jing Heguang felt a deep sorrow spreading from the bottom of his heart.

The usually energetic wolf cub suddenly fell silent. Worried, Huo Chenxing cut back significantly on his workload to make time to stay by Jing Heguang’s side.

His friends finally realized, Huo Chenxing wasn’t just working anymore.

At twenty-eight, Huo Chenxing had long since come of age. He possessed independent judgment and was a thoroughly mature man.

His friends didn’t actually bother him. They just teased him in the group chat, joking that Huo Chenxing was the type to abandon his friends for a pretty face.

Basking in that warmth and realizing his own importance, Jing Heguang pulled himself out of his sadness and moved forward.

He threw himself into his work.

A man ought to have a career of his own. Of course, the word ‘man’ could be dropped from that statement entirely.

With his stunning looks, Jing Heguang’s acting was practically lethal, it captivated everyone instantly.

His first drama had a lukewarm reception initially, but once his visuals went viral, the show gained a sudden surge of popularity.

By his second drama, he had landed a role in a major fantasy period series broadcast on a national satellite channel.

He played the second male lead, a junior disciple clad in flowing white robes, who became a total fan favorite.

The audience also offered their blessings to the main couple, thanking them for keeping Jing Heguang’s character single so he could shine all on his own.

Once he became famous, making money became easy.

With his own earnings, Jing Heguang could now ‘treat’ his partner in return.

Spending money on the person you love is a joyful thing.

On social media, Huo Chenxing became the guy who was ‘kept’ by a hot young wolf cub, drawing envious jokes from everyone.

Huo Chenxing smugly told his snarky friend, Qin Da Baobei: “So many people are green with envy, one more won’t make a difference.”

Qin Da Baobei was Huo Chenxing’s childhood friend. They shared the same sexual orientation and the same ‘type’.

Upon hearing this, Qin promptly ‘cut ties’ with his childhood friend, for a whole three minutes.

***

In the blink of an eye, a year passed.

Jing Heguang had become a top young star, a rare gem in the entertainment industry who possessed both acting talent and stunning looks.

His looks caused his fanbase to skyrocket, yet his talent meant he didn’t have to rely on those fans to do what he wanted.

He didn’t need to exploit his fans for profit. His talent alone was enough to make a living. Shortly after celebrating an anniversary that could best be described as a wild, uninhibited affair, Jing Heguang was approached by Huo Chenxing’s family.

The visitor was Huo Chenxing’s father. The elder man had become a father late in life and was now sixty years old.

A close friend of his, also sixty, had a grandson only a few years younger than Jing Heguang.

Having learned that their relationship had begun as a ‘sugar daddy’ arrangement, father Huo did not have a favorable impression of Jing Heguang.

Looking at the handsome face of the young man before him, father Huo frowned. “Has Chenxing been with you lately?”

“It’s not just lately,” Jing Heguang shook his head. “Uncle, we…we just celebrated our one-year anniversary.”

Although Jing Heguang’s tone was neither servile nor arrogant, father Huo still felt the young man lacked proper deference.

He snorted in dissatisfaction. “I’ll give you fifty million. Leave my son.”

Jing Heguang thought: …It’s finally happening!

Jing Heguang shook his head. “Uncle, I genuinely like Chenxing.”

“Like?” Father Huo retorted sharply. “I don’t like ‘you’. I’m going to make my stance clear to Chenxing.”

With that, he rose with a cold expression and walked away.

His long, mature-style trench coat billowed, stirring up a chilly breeze.

Even three days later, Jing Heguang could still vividly recall the cold, haughty look in the older man’s eyes as he left.

***

Jing Heguang glanced at the person sleeping beside him and planted a kiss on Huo Chenxing’s cheek.

That evening, Huo Chenxing had received a call from his father. He had stepped out onto the balcony to take it, deliberately avoiding Jing Heguang’s presence.

Although he knew Huo Chenxing habitually stepped away to avoid disturbing others with his conversations, Jing Heguang still felt a twinge of agitation. Even though Huo Chenxing’s attitude hadn’t changed in the slightest after the call, he remained as affectionate as ever.

In the darkness…

Jing Heguang made up his mind: he was going to pull off something big.

***

[Romance of Popular Young Actor Exposed!]

[Jing Heguang actually doing ‘that’ with a man…]

[Pictures prove it! The wealthy backer of breakout star Jing Heguang has been exposed!]

As soon as the news broke, a massive storm of controversy erupted.

Jing Heguang merely dropped a single piece of dry ice, yet a torrential storm broke out across the entertainment industry. It felt as though every single person was watching him.

In reality, not ‘everyone’ was focused on Jing Heguang. It was simply that the actors, both big names and up-and-comers, who competed with him were paying close attention and had decided to jump into the fray.

Top-tier resources are finite.

High-profile endorsements, magazine features, and film or television roles, there is only so much to go around.

Yet, the number of people vying for a share of these resources in the entertainment industry keeps growing. Newcomers are constantly emerging, and younger, more handsome faces are always appearing on the scene.

The size of the pie remains largely unchanged, but the number of people trying to get a slice has increased.

Thus, if a ‘wolf’ capable of tearing off a chunk of meat could be forced out, everyone else would stand a chance to gain. The greater the potential benefit, the more vigorously people acted during this storm, some even playing the role of the thunder and lightning gods themselves.

Public opinion, the media, fans, and even casual observers were all demanding a definitive answer from Jing Heguang.

Was he gay?

Why was he so close to another man?

What exactly was the nature of their relationship?

Jing Heguang was forced to hole up in his villa, unable to step outside. By extension, Huo Chenxing couldn’t go out either.

Outside, a heavy rain was falling, and the sound of the downpour, heavy with moisture, seemed to permeate every inch of the space.

The two of them sat on the sofa, facing each other in a serious, composed manner.

Jing Heguang pursed his lips, sexy and slightly thin, and handed his phone to Huo Chenxing.

Huo Chenxing didn’t need to look at the screen. “I already know.”

He paused, then asked Jing Heguang, “How do you want to handle this?” It was just like before, a discussion held in a gentle tone, though the gravity of the situation made his expression somewhat solemn.

The uproar outside had become massive.

Jing Heguang asked, “What if we go public?”

It was the answer Huo Chenxing had anticipated, and he smiled.

But before he could nod, a call came in from Huo Chenxing’s father.

The phone was lying to the side, and both of them saw the word “Dad” displayed on the screen. “Let me take this call.”

Huo Chenxing ruffled Jing Heguang’s hair, picked up his phone, and walked toward the balcony.

As he headed there, a message popped up on his screen.

[Qin Dabaobei: Holy shit, that little wolf cub is ruthless!! Do you realize, he…]

Huo Chenxing swiped the notification away and answered the call from his father.

Through the balcony glass, Jing Heguang couldn’t make out the specific words, but he could clearly sense Huo Chenxing’s father’s displeasure.

Huo Chenxing wore a gentle smile, patiently placating the old man.

He wanted to soothe his father and make it clear: even if he didn’t like it, he had to accept the addition of another family member.

Because he was so focused on appeasing his father, Huo Chenxing didn’t notice Jing Heguang gripping his own phone tighter and tighter, looking as if he wanted to crush it to pieces.

Jing Heguang even wondered if he had misread the situation.

How could Huo Chenxing smile so happily?

He had wanted to go public, yet Huo Chenxing had ignored him and refused to give an answer.

They hadn’t been together long before moving past their transactional relationship and becoming a genuine couple!

A glass shattered. Jing Heguang, overcome by emotion, opened the social media app, filled with mentions of his name, and posted a message.

Then, he stood up and went to the entryway to put on his shoes.

The rain poured down noisily as Huo Chenxing gazed out the window.

While Huo Chenxing was having a serious discussion with his father, Jing Heguang stood by the doorway for five minutes.

Five minutes later, Jing Heguang stepped outside, carrying a large black umbrella.

Once out of the house, he immediately bought a plane ticket, picking a destination at random.

***

[It’s real. We’ve broken up.]

Those five words sent shockwaves through the gossip circles.

Jing Heguang’s fans were left bewildered. In a situation like this, should they be sad that their heartthrob is dating someone, or feel heartbroken for him because he’s just gone through a breakup?!

It felt like sadness, yet not quite. The feeling of heartache seemed to weigh more heavily on the heart.

The fans were bewildered, while Huo Chenxing had a massive headache.

He stayed on the call with Old Huo for another twenty-five minutes before Old Huo finally agreed.

But when he turned around, delighted — the little guy was gone.

Huo Chenxing said a quick word and hung up on Old Huo.

As soon as the call ended, a flood of messages popped up, catching Huo Chenxing’s eye.

Seeing the words “It’s real. We’ve broken up” a few more times reminded Huo Chenxing that he hadn’t actually responded to what Jing Heguang had said earlier.

Thanks to Qin Da Baobei, Huo Chenxing had found out about the plane ticket immediately.

***

The airport.

Jing Heguang was fully disguised, empty-handed, sitting not far from the boarding gate.

Every few moments, he’d glance at the time, mentally counting down the minutes.

With every tick of the minute hand, his anger rose.

After many minutes had ticked by, he felt a mix of anger and sadness.

Jing Heguang peered through his sunglasses toward the entrance.

His gaze had been dim, but the next instant, he stood up and walked toward the boarding gate with a determined air.

Even though he was bundled up tight, Huo Chenxing recognized him at a glance.

Huo Chenxing breathed a sigh of relief, ran over, and stopped him.

“What are you running away for? I never said I wouldn’t agree to go public.”

“And I never agreed to break up!”

Huo Chenxing looked up at the stubborn wolf cub before him. Realizing the misunderstanding, he took his hand and coaxed him gently: “Let’s go back and talk about it, okay?”

“No.” Jing Heguang clutched his ticket tightly in one hand.

Huo Chenxing glanced at it, snatched the ticket away, and tore it to shreds.

Jing Heguang lowered his head: “I was the one who deliberately leaked the news.”

Huo Chenxing sighed: “I know.”

Jing Heguang was taken aback.

He hadn’t expected Huo Chenxing to figure it out so quickly. After all, he had always been a well-behaved one. Huo Chenxing shouldn’t have immediately suspected him.

But…it didn’t really matter anymore.

Jing Heguang took Huo Chenxing’s hand and placed it against his own face mask, then let go, handing the control over to him.

Huo Chenxing pressed firmly and removed the mask.

Then, Huo Chenxing looked up and took a playful bite of Jing Heguang’s chin.

“You little troublemaker.” Did you really have to go and make it public so thoroughly?

Jing Heguang started listing his grievances: “You didn’t even look at me when you answer the called. I smashed a cup, changed my shoes three times, and stood by the doorway for five minutes. I even waited here for you for eighteen minutes.”

As he aired his complaints, Jing Heguang took off his own coat and draped it over Huo Chenxing, who had forgotten to wear one.

Hand in hand, one spoke in a low voice while the other smiled helplessly.

As they walked toward the airport exit, a scream rang out.

While photos of them holding hands were circulating everywhere, Huo Chenxing picked up Jing Heguang’s phone.

@JingHeguang: The last part isn’t true. He was just spouting nonsense out of anger. /[It’s real. We’ve broken up.]

T/N: The End!!!!! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ