Chen Miao sat in the driver’s seat while Lu Lianning walked around the front of the car and got into the passenger seat.
Chen Miao started the engine, and the black Porsche slipped into the night.
He felt a bit uneasy. He wasn’t sure when it had started, but lately, Lu Lianning no longer sat in the back seat. Instead, he rode in the passenger seat beside him, almost as if he were supervising his driving. With Lu Lianning’s strong presence so close, Chen Miao sat up straighter, like a schoolkid on the first day of class, eager to impress the teacher.
When they arrived at Lu Lianning’s hotel, Chen Miao pulled the suitcase from the back. Even though it was late and the streets were nearly deserted, Lu Lianning was fully geared up, his face entirely concealed without any space exposed.
They had several days of “Floating Jade” promotions ahead and an early flight to another city the next morning.
Lately, Lu Lianning’s dislike for Ye He had grown stronger by the day. In the past, he might have been displeased, but he would keep it to himself and avoid embarrassing the other person. Now, he no longer bothered hiding his disdain.
The next morning, Chen Miao knocked on Lu Lianning’s door to wake him. Still groggy, Lu Lianning got into the car with a scowl. Chen Miao handed him the buns and soy milk he had bought but Lu Lianning only took the buns.
Holding the soy milk cup in one hand, Chen Miao inserted the straw, as he always did, then passed it to him. Only then did Lu Lianning take it.
The driver up front noticed this scene through the rearview mirror and couldn’t resist taking a second glance. But when his eyes met Lu Lianning’s in the mirror, he quickly looked back at the front, thinking to himself that this young master truly never had to lift a finger.
As Lu Lianning worked his way through breakfast, he shot a glance at Chen Miao and snapped, “Why are you always wearing the same few outfits? Hasn’t Gu Chen been paying you?”
Chen Miao glanced down at his dark blue jeans, now a light blue from countless washes, and said nothing.
Lu Lianning bit down on his straw. “Tsk, you’re making it look like we’re mistreating you.”
Thankfully, he didn’t linger on the topic and quickly moved on after those remarks.
Today was the last promotional event for “Floating Jade.” Afterward, Lu Lianning didn’t have any new scripts lined up, meaning there would probably be a break. Chen Miao thought he might finally get a chance to catch his breath.
Since it was the final event, the crowd was particularly large, and surprisingly, nearly half were Lu Lianning’s fans. From the audience, they and Ye He’s fans shouted, each side trying to outdo the other.
Beyond his acting roles, Lu Lianning didn’t participate in variety shows or reality TV, and he’d always kept his distance from stage performances like singing or dancing. Once, a TV station offered him double the usual rate to appear in a New Year’s Eve show, but he turned it down.
His interactions with fans were minimal. Having only recently debuted, he was known more for his looks than for any notable acting talent and was often entangled in scandals, so his fan base wasn’t that big.
At previous promotional events in other cities, most fans came for the other lead actors, but today, the situation was unexpectedly different.
Chen Miao, however, was too oblivious to notice, busily helping out backstage.
It wasn’t until the event was almost over that he heard a loud cheer as fans began chanting in unison, “Happy Birthday, Lu Lianning!”
Only then did Chen Miao realize it was Lu Lianning’s birthday. He quickly pulled out his phone, checked the date, and made a note of it in his memo.
Since this was both the final event and a celebration of Lu Lianning’s birthday, the atmosphere was especially charged. The fans were so enthusiastic that an extra group of security personnel had to be called in to keep order.
By the time the event ended, night had fallen. The host reminded fans to stay safe on their way home, and each of the lead actors gave a brief farewell speech.
Later that evening, the director and other lead actors threw a birthday party for Lu Lianning in a lavish banquet hall, where they surprised him with a cake two tiers higher than the one at the earlier event.
From a distance, Chen Miao watched as Lu Lianning stood out effortlessly, remaining strikingly eye-catching even among the many other stars with impressive looks and figures.
Lu Lianning’s beauty was direct, with nothing subtle about it. It was the kind of beauty that instantly seized your attention—bold, raw, and overpowering.
As if sensing Chen Miao’s gaze, Lu Lianning turned slightly in his direction. Caught off guard, Chen Miao instinctively took a step back.
When he looked again, Lu Lianning had turned away, leaving Chen Miao wondering if he had imagined it.
Chen Miao left the banquet hall to find the restroom. As he walked down the corridor, a drunk man in light-colored clothes stumbled straight into him, spilling red wine all over him.
Chen Miao let out a quiet gasp and steadied the man, who lifted his head—it was Ye He.
Now standing by the sink, Chen Miao used a wet tissue to clean the stains off Ye He. The wine-red stains had dyed half of his shirt.
Realizing that wiping wouldn’t be enough, Chen Miao turned on the faucet and rinsed the red wine from his hands.
He glanced up at the mirror and noticed Ye He was watching him through the reflection.
A haunting presence—the words floated into Chen Miao’s mind.
It seemed Ye He hadn’t even realized that his impure intentions were written all over his face. Clearing his throat, Chen Miao said, “Mr. Ye, I’m sorry, but you actually bumped into me first.”
Ye He didn’t respond, simply offering a warm smile. Perhaps due to the alcohol, his face was slightly flushed, making his fair skin appear even more attractive.
“I never said you bumped into me. Don’t be so nervous, Xiao Miao. Have you thought about what I mentioned last time?”
What was there to think about? Lu Lianning’s repeated accusation “disgusting” echoed in Chen Miao’s mind.
“I think I’m doing quite well working for Lu-ge,” Chen Miao politely declined. “Besides, Mr. Ye, you don’t lack assistants, so there’s no need to ask me.”
Ye He didn’t seem the least bit upset by the rejection, as if he’d expected it. He suddenly told Chen Miao, “Did you know that I was actually Lu Lianning’s first love? But I made a mistake, and we broke up. He refuses to forgive me. The reason I’m reaching out to you is to ask for your help.”
Chen Miao was stunned, wondering why Ye He was telling him this. And what kind of help could he possibly offer?
I’d like to climb into his bed too, but I can’t even manage that.
So, after all this, it turns out he’s a rival.
Chen Miao sized up his rival through the mirror, examining from the top of his hair to the tip of his chin.
A sudden sense of defeat washed over him. He thought of Xiao Ming, then looked at Ye He, and finally focused on his own tanned face in the mirror. He considered withdrawing from this competition altogether.
So this was the standard required to get into Lu Lianning’s bed. He felt a bit lost, but Ye He’s voice snapped him back to reality.
“I know he seems to dislike me now, but surely you’ve heard the phrase ‘hatred caused by love.’” Ye He continued to extend an olive branch. “Help me, and I won’t treat you badly.”
Chen Miao shook his head firmly. He felt that Ye He was overestimating his influence with Lu Lianning. He didn’t have any real say in the matter.
If he could get into Lu Lianning’s bed, maybe he could try using some pillow talk to sway him.
But first, he would have to be able to touch Lu Lianning’s pillow.
That was difficult, at least for now.
Ye He’s expression darkened, though for an Omega, such a look was naturally adorable. “Well, could you at least help me grab a change of clothes from my car? There are so many people outside—I can’t go out like this.”
It wasn’t an unreasonable request.
But Chen Miao still thought it was better to stay away from Ye He. He said, “Why not have your assistant bring them?”
Ye He pulled out his phone and showed it to Chen Miao. “My phone’s dead. I can’t remember his number, and I don’t know where he is.”
Chen Miao stood there, smelling the strong scent of red wine in the air, and then said, “Alright.”
He took Ye He’s car key, went down to the underground garage, found the car, and grabbed the clothes. But when he returned to the bathroom, Ye He was already gone.
Since the hotel had been booked entirely for their group, there were no other guests around.
Chen Miao knocked on each stall door, calling out, “Mr. Ye?” But the spacious, bright bathroom was empty, with only his own echo in response.
The smell of red wine still lingered, though there was no visible trace left.
Holding Ye He’s clothes, Chen Miao glanced at himself in the mirror and placed a few paper towels under the clothes before setting them on the hand dryer.
As he turned to leave, he grasped the bathroom door handle and twisted it, only to realize it was locked.
Meanwhile, in an empty lounge, Lu Lianning reclined on a brownish-red sofa with his legs crossed, holding a magazine. When he heard someone enter, he didn’t move but instead questioned, “Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?!”
Ye He had a slight smile on his face. “Isn’t it just past midnight?”
Lu Lianning set the magazine down, frowning as he spoke icily, “Why are you here? Where’s Chen Miao?”
Ye He tore off the partially peeled blocker patch, releasing a strong, almost overpowering scent of red wine into the air.
Lu Lianning rose slowly from the sofa, his expression frighteningly dark. “Where is Chen Miao?”
Ye He was deeply displeased and sarcastically remarked, “I never thought I’d see the day when you’d wait up so late for someone. Young Master Lu, are you that deprived of love from childhood, or are you just incapable of taking care of yourself, needing someone to be at your beck and call 24/7?”
