The intense sound of the phone hitting the ground made the surrounding servants tremble, none daring to make a sound.
The handsome man’s face was as dark as water, his eyes filled with anger as he looked at the shattered phone, yet he didn’t know exactly what he was angry about.
That night, the two slept in separate rooms.
Xie Mu didn’t take the initiative to come to Rong Jing, and Rong Jing naturally wouldn’t take the initiative to come to him.
The news about the awards ceremony had been confirmed, and Xie Mu was going to win an award. Even though he was going to receive what he wanted most, his expression still couldn’t show any happiness.
During breakfast, the young man cautiously glanced at the expressionless man and asked softly, “Around what time can you come tomorrow?”
Rong Jing’s hand holding the fork paused. He knew what Xie Mu meant, but he still asked, “Go where?”
“Award Ceremony.” Xie Mu’s heart swelled with a desire for recognition. He pursed his lips and revealed a small smile, “It has been confirmed that I’ll be receiving the award.”
“I have to go to the company tomorrow. It seems I can’t go.
Rong Jing got up before finishing his meal, as if he didn’t notice the bewildered expression on the young man’s face, and said directly, “I’ll be working overtime tonight and won’t be coming back.”
Watching the man’s back as he left without a second glance, Xie Mu suddenly stood up, “Rong Jing.”
He stopped in his tracks but still didn’t turn around.
Behind him, the young man mustered up his courage and said with a pleading voice,, “Tomorrow is really important to me. Can you come and see?”
Afraid that the man might refuse, he hastily added, “Just for a while would be fine. it doesn’t matter if you leave again.”
Rong Jing didn’t reply and left straight away.
At the large dining table, only the young man remained seated, staring blankly at the retreating figure.
***
Rong Jing didn’t go to the company; instead, he went to the bar.
He thought he should clearly tell Xie Mu the truth, to tell him that he was just using him as a pet.
All the talk about lovers, about love, was just nonsense to coax him into behaving in bed.
But when he really saw the young man, saw the grievance in his clear eyes, he couldn’t say those words anymore.
Rong Jing refuses to admit that he has developed feelings for him.
A gullible little pet.
Even if he truly has feelings for him, in a few decades, as Xie Mu ages, those feelings will eventually dissipate.
He and Wen Mingquan are of the same kind, except Wen Mingquan hides it, while he never denies it.
Rong Jing can, after winning someone’s heart, mercilessly shatter this beautiful illusion, and casually utter those vows of a lifetime commitment.
He’s long accustomed to this kind of life.
Even after breaking up, the other party would still feel grateful to him.
But when facing Xie Mu, it’s as if he can’t employ those tactics anymore.
Drinking one glass of heavy liquor after another, Rong Jing no longer wants to think about it.
He doesn’t know how long he’s been drinking, but suddenly, a face appears in front of him.
A face, Xie Mu’s face.
“Xiao… Xiao Mu…”
The man lunged forward, embracing the person in his arms.
He leaned in to kiss him, but the person in his arms dodged. With the last shreds of his rationality and some memory remaining, Rong Jing spoke softly to coax him, “Don’t be angry, I like you…”
“Like…”
That beautiful and delicate face drew closer to him, its gentle voice intertwining with Rong Jing’s embrace. He softly said, “I like you too.”
“We should kiss, right?”
Suddenly, a sense of relief washed over Rong Jing.
Just like this, he thought, just spend a lifetime with this person.
Living the life he once spoke of in those lies.
Even if it’s stupid.
Even if you despise it.
He hugged the person in his arms tightly.
But holding him suddenly something felt wrong.
“The scent is amiss…”
As he spoke, a glass of wine was handed to him.
After drinking in confusion, feeling even more dizzy, the person didn’t come over this time. Someone approached to help him up, but Rong Jing pushed them away.
He figured it out; he needed to find Xiao Mu.
To tell him that he likes him.
***
In the early morning of the awards ceremony, Xie Mu appeared backstage, and Bai Yuxiu was putting on makeup for him.
His complexion was very pale, and Bai Yuxiu, wearing a mask, carefully applied some blush to give him a rosy complexion.
“Xiao Mu, didn’t you sleep well last night? Is it because of the news?”
Xie Mu had just finished his eye makeup, and couldn’t even rub his eyes, “What?”
“You don’t know yet?”
Bai Yuxiu’s delicate eyebrows, which were not covered by the mask, were filled with concern and tenderness, “Go on stage first, you’ll find out when you come down.”
Rong Jing didn’t return all night. Xie Mu tossed and turned all night last night and couldn’t sleep well. At this moment, he was feeling a bit tired, yawning as he spoke to Bai Yuxiu, lacking the excitement from before.
“Why are you here again?”
“Because I want to see Xiao Mu.”
The man spoke gently, his eyes full of brightness. “You’re not mad at me anymore?”
The young man pursed his lips without answering.
Someone was calling him ahead, so he walked down and sat in the audience.
When it was time to step onto the stage, he had to pretend to be refined but not arrogant.
Before the ceremony even began, those seated in the audience already knew who the final winner was. As Xie Mu took his seat, the people around him began whispering their congratulations.
He thanked them with a polite smile, but there was fatigue hidden in his eyes.
The inexplicable tension with Rong Jing made it impossible for him to focus.
The award ceremony proceeded smoothly. The moment he heard his name, Xie Mu ascended the stage.
He recited the words he had memorized long ago, but his eyes searched the audience as if looking for something.
No, he didn’t come.
His eyes dimmed slightly, but he forced himself to maintain a smile as he accepted his well-deserved honor.
Until the end, Rong Jing never showed up.
Someone came to congratulate him. The young man raised his eyes and met Wen Mingquan’s handsome face.
“Xiaomu,” he said, “You look great in red.”
Xie Mu politely smiled at him, intending to leave, but Wen Mingquan stopped him. The gentle gaze that Wen Mingquan usually wore now reflected stubbornness. He stared at Xie Mu intently, his eyes filled with hope as he asked, “Can we start over?”
The smile on the young man’s face fell.
He stared at the person in front of him coldly, “Impossible.”
Not possible…what?
Wen Mingquan’s eyes darkened for a moment, then quickly returned to his usual courteous demeanor, “How are things between you and Rong Jing?”
Xie Mu ignored him and turned to leave, but the person behind him continued nonchalantly, “Even if he’s seeing someone else outside, would you still continue to be with him, without caring?”
The young man paused in his steps.
***
He saw a video.
A video of Rong Jing kissing another person passionately.
In the video, only Rong Jing is facing the camera.
This video didn’t cause much of a stir on the internet, after all, Rong Jing’s reputation for being fickle in love has always been there.
There have been instances where he was caught in intimate photos with various young flowers and fresh meat.
Comments at most just sarcastically mention how being born into wealth is great, and that they can do whatever they want.
Some people also question the timing of the video, suspecting that the person who leaked it just used an old video to stir up trouble.
But Xie Mu knows, this was from last night.
Rong Jing was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
For this man born with a silver spoon, as long as a piece of clothing is stained with the smell of alcohol, it will never be worn again, nor will he buy another one like it.
This piece of clothing, it’s the first time Rong Jing wore it.
It was bought by Xie Mu for him.
When the two of them were still sweet.
When he accepted the clothes, he even smiled and said he would cherish them.
But now, Rong Jing is wearing this outfit, in a video like this.
As if the blow to Xie Mu wasn’t enough, suddenly there were also intimate photos of Xie Mu, who had just won the Best Actor award, with a stranger on the internet.
Not the intimate photos of holding hands or lip kissing, but actually having sex.
To the regret of the melon-eating public, except for Xie Mu’s face, everything else in these photos has been censored.
On his most glorious day, Xie Mu was dragged down from the pedestal.
Countless people’s abuse and contempt poured into his personal platform.
This is something that even Wen Mingquan didn’t expect.
