Translator: Lynn
“Ji Kai, Ji Kai, I finally found you! Why didn’t you answer your phone? I was in a panic!”
Zhu Ling clung to the door frame of the hospital room, taking a few heavy breaths. His lips were dry, and his eyes were swollen and misty. Despite his worn-out appearance, he still radiated his usual vibrant aura.
“I searched everywhere… I was so afraid I’d miss you! Luckily, I found you! Brother Kai, it’s all my fault, please don’t be angry, okay?”
Phone?
Ji Kai mulled it over; he hadn’t brought his phone with him when he left.
“I’ll explain everything once we’re home. The situation between Ye Yin and me isn’t what you think. Don’t let your imagination run wild!”
“Keep your voice down.” He whispered, glancing at the medical staff passing by.
There was no shortage of hospital staff coming and going, and Zhu Ling’s celebrity status didn’t go unnoticed. Even the night shift nurses stole glances at him—was he awake?
“Alright, alright, as long as you’re not mad at me, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Zhu Ling nodded rapidly, his gaze flickering as he fixated on the blue and purple bite marks on Ji Kai’s arm.
“Baby bear!”
“Baby bear, these… do they hurt? I’ll call a doctor right away for you!”
“It’s fine!” Ji Kai waved him off with one hand. “It’s been taken care of.”
“Damn it, baby, I didn’t even notice you were hurt earlier! Just hit me a few times in return, and I’ll let you take charge right here!”…
Ha ha.
This Zhu Ling really knows how to appease people.
Li Weidu lay quietly, his eyes showing less redness. A sneer of disdain slowly curled up at the corner of his mouth.
Even his partner, who was initially just a decorative presence at home, was willing to coax him so tenderly. No wonder Ye Yin fell for his persuasive words.
“Baby bear, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
His voice quivered with sorrow, almost sounding like a faint whimper.
Li Weidu was momentarily surprised. After all, he attended the same high school as Zhu Ling, but he didn’t fully comprehend this person’s nature. Is this guy really capable of turning casual coquetry into genuine affection? Could this original spare part in front of him be Zhu Ling’s true love?
Or perhaps, after years in the entertainment industry, they’ve become this skilled at acting?
“…If you’re here to demonstrate your love or intelligence, kindly keep your distance from me. Your noise is unbearable.”
Zhu Ling hadn’t even realized until now that there was someone lying on the hospital bed in the room.
Thankfully, he and death were old adversaries.
“Why is he here?”
If he isn’t here, then who is? Who did I rush to the hospital in the middle of the night for? Ji Kai shot Zhu Ling an incredulous look.
“I’m in the hospital due to stomach bleeding caused by your attack. Luckily, it’s not too serious. But if it were, Zhu Ling, not only would your acting career crumble, your life might be on the line too!” Zhu Ling appeared oblivious to Li Weidu’s words.
The room was dimly lit, and he simply stared at Ji Kai’s hand covering Li Weidu’s stomach.
It felt as if a stake had been driven through his heart.
…
Ji Kai was practically yanked out of the hospital room and taken to a deserted stairwell.
Zhu Ling’s breakthrough in his stagnant acting career came from a song that skyrocketed on the charts. The second breakthrough came when he played the role of the secondary male antagonist in a high-profile, widely-watched TV series.
This role was that of a brooding and tormented villain, an icy character consumed by his love for the heroine, both detestable and pitiable.
Prior to this role, Zhu Ling often faced ridicule from the public due to his “acting skills that could bore through the Earth’s core, as if he were reading off a PowerPoint presentation.” However, after successfully portraying this character, fans of both singing and acting flocked to him, transforming him from a mere “pretty face” to a multifaceted talent in a matter of seconds.
In this moment, the eyes that appear dark, resentful, malicious, and almost unhinged match exactly with the character he portrayed in the show.
“Ji Kai, how could you do this?!”
“How, how could you love someone else the way you’ve always loved me!?”
What? WTF? What on earth are you accusing me of?
Ji Kai thumped the back of his head against the cool wall, momentarily befuddled before finally grasping the situation—what in the world is Li Weidu talking about?
Well, to him, wasn’t that just the most basic form of humane concern?
But Zhu Ling wasn’t letting go. His eyes were reddened and brimming with malevolence.
“Baby Ji Kai, you belong to me! You’re mine! You’re my baby! Taking care of me like you just did, caressing me like that… they’re all mine! How could you give that to someone else?”
“…”
“I won’t allow you, won’t allow you to get close to Li Weidu!”
In that instant, Ji Kai’s rational mind had a teasing thought—Zhu Ling, you won’t let me get close to Li Weidu, yet how did you manage things with Ye Yin?
However, the realm beyond reason suddenly crumbled. There was little he could do to deny it; the tender warmth that pervaded his entire being… it couldn’t be fabricated.
Much like being a parent, even in the face of countless errors, one’s child remains the dearest. It’s no different in love. Even when you’re fully aware you’re putting on blinders to reality, you still fiercely take sides.
… No one is immune to pain, and no one is impervious to anger.
Yet, no matter what, Ji Kai’s skin is thick, and he often prefers to bear the burden himself rather than see Zhu Ling suffer.
…
“Baby bear, you know it’s not like that…”
“I told you! Back in high school, I detested a spoiled second-generation scoundrel! That guy, the one named Li just now! He’s always been like this, even back in school. He knows how to steal my things! He’s been stealing from me constantly!”
A gust of night wind infiltrated my thoughts, chilling my beliefs to the bone.
Ji Kai chuckled at his own expense, shaking off the haze of intoxication.
“Zhu Ling, what did Li Weidu steal from you?”
“…”
“Speak up. Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Zhu Ling stood stupefied, leaving Ji Kai at a loss—
Yes, he stole from you. What’s yours? Nothing other than taking Ye Yin away from you.
Seriously? You have the audacity to say that in front of me?
“Alright, you go home first.”
“Brother Kai…”
Life abruptly shattered the illusion of love and sweet talk, reverting back to a deflated state. Ji Kai gripped his arm and said, “You’re so popular now. If you cause a scene in a place like this, if you get caught on camera, it won’t end well. If you don’t want to go home, head to the hotel where Ye Yin is staying. Be with him, do whatever you want.” With a firm push, Zhu Ling’s body was jerked back and pressed against the wall.
“Brother Kai, I don’t care about Ye Yin anymore! I won’t see him again, don’t send me away!” Zhu Ling buried his face heavily in Ji Kai’s shoulder, a hoarse cry echoing near his ear. Amidst the heartfelt sob, the clarity in Ji Kai’s eyes began to waver, his resolve weakening once more.
Yet, perhaps it was a stroke of divine luck—
Just as he was on the brink of being swayed again, the ringing of “Dear” ringtone snapped him back to the sober reality.
Ye Yin’s frantic series of calls always punctured through at just the right moment.
Zhu Ling repeated his old pattern, scowling, rejecting the call, but the other side persisted.
“Answer it.”
Shaking his head.
“Pick it up!”
Zhu Ling capitulated, reluctantly answering.
“Tonight…I can’t come, go to bed early.”
“Stop crying! I really, really can’t make it anymore. Xiao Yin… you understand, the situation is already complicated enough! I don’t want Ji Kai to be misunderstood again, and you certainly don’t want Li Weidu to misunderstand, right? So why don’t we… let’s not even be regular friends, let’s pretend we never met each other!”
“…Xiao Yin?”
“He said… If I don’t come now,” Zhu Ling hung up, a dazed expression on his face. “He’ll jump from the thirty-second floor.”
“Alright, alright, then hurry.”
“Baby Ji Kai, I…”
At this point, even feigning ease seems impossibly hard. Nonetheless, Ji Kai took a deep breath and mustered a serene smile.
“Hurry up. If he really does it, neither you nor I can bear the consequences, alright?”
Translator’s Notes:
That’s it for the mass release! Thanks for reading, see you on Wednesday <3
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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