Han Shao Zhou found it amusing—this seemed like the first time Mo Ming had ever shown a bit of a temper in front of him. Not that it was intimidating; in fact, it was more like a cat scratching at his heart, making it itch in a way that made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
This wasn’t anger; it was clearly just Mo Ming being playful.
“Look at all these couples walking around, holding hands,” Han Shao Zhou said. “Why aren’t you holding mine?”
After a moment, Han Shao Zhou added, “There are so many people here; aren’t you afraid you’ll get lost if you don’t hold onto me?”
Mo Ming would’ve been fine if Han Shao Zhou hadn’t said anything, but once he did, Mo Ming promptly shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
Han Shao Zhou chuckled softly and took Mo Ming’s arm himself.
Mo Ming paused, turning to look at Han Shao Zhou.
“See? I’m giving you plenty of face,” Han Shao Zhou said with a smile. “Feeling better now?”
Mo Ming pressed his lips together tightly, but the smile in his eyes was hard to hide. He whispered, “I wasn’t mad in the first place…”
Han Shao Zhou was in a great mood. “Let’s find a place to sit and have a bite to eat.”
The two of them ended up having a meal in a private room at a small restaurant. As they were leaving, they ran into Xia Xiaotang, who was returning from the restroom to her own private room.
Mo Ming had put on his mask as soon as they left their room, so he hadn’t noticed Xia Xiaotang right away. But she recognized him immediately and cheerfully ran over to say hello.
Xia Xiaotang mentioned that she and some friends from the theater group were grabbing a late-night snack after the performance.
Han Shao Zhou thought she looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her. Xia Xiaotang noticed the confusion in his eyes and smiled. “Don’t you remember me, Mr. Han? We met at the hotpot place last time. My boyfriend was there too.”
The mention of the hotpot place triggered Han Shao Zhou’s memory, bringing back the time when Mo Ming had been so reluctant to introduce him to his friends, practically nudging him to leave.
Even though Mo Ming had later explained it was for his own good, Han Shao Zhou had still felt a bit sour about it.
Han Shao Zhou smiled faintly and nodded. “I remember.”
Xia Xiaotang then turned to Mo Ming. “Mo Ming, seriously? This time you watched the show and left without a word? You didn’t even come backstage to say hi. The teacher mentioned you this morning. He was so happy to hear you were filming with Director Liu Hekun.”
Han Shao Zhou frowned slightly. “Teacher?”
“Oh, I mean Teacher Zhou Yixiang! Mo Ming didn’t tell you? He’s Mr. Zhou’s favorite student.”
“…He didn’t mention it.”
Han Shao Zhou felt a bit frustrated. He had no idea Mo Ming had a connection with someone as influential as Zhou Yixiang, a national treasure of an actor. It also puzzled him—when he’d first decided to keep Mo Ming as a lover, he’d had someone do a basic background check. Mo Ming had come from a small village in Zhong’an City, with nothing but a gambler of a father and a life of poverty.
No power, no connections, and a shy, unassertive personality—how had he managed to establish a relationship with someone like Zhou Yixiang after moving to Chuanhai on his own?
Mo Ming spoke softly, “Today wasn’t a good time. Next time, I’ll invite Mr. Zhou and you and Qi Yue out for hotpot.”
“Don’t make us wait too long,” Xia Xiaotang replied with a grin. Then, with a mischievous glance at Han Shao Zhou, she asked playfully, “So, just a quick question—what’s your relationship with Mo Ming, Mr. Han?”
“Boyfriend,” Han Shao Zhou replied with a small smile. “I thought after last night, the whole world would know by now. What, it wasn’t obvious?”
Xia Xiaotang beamed, giving an understanding nod. “Got it! So next time my colleagues bring it up, I’ll be able to give them the official scoop.”
Han Shao Zhou nodded. “Thanks, Ms. Xia.”
As they left the restaurant, Mo Ming asked, puzzled, “Shaoge, why did you tell Xiaotang—”
“Usually, after a performance, you go backstage to greet your teacher,” Han Shao Zhou interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you tonight?”
Mo Ming hesitated, his original question suddenly stuck in his throat.
“Was it because I’m here?” Han Shao Zhou stopped walking, looking Mo Ming directly in the eye.
“You don’t know my teacher…”
“Well, we’d know each other if we met. I watched his plays when I was a kid. I could just tell him I’m a fan,” Han Shao Zhou said as he leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t want me getting involved in your social circle?”
Mo Ming shook his head. “No, Shaoge.”
Han Shao Zhou placed a hand on the back of Mo Ming’s neck, bringing their faces even closer. “Really?”
Mo Ming’s clear eyes reflected a hint of confusion. “Why are you interested in my social circle, Shaoge?”
Han Shao Zhou blinked, his expression blank for a moment.
Yeah.
Why was he?
Han Shao Zhou slowly let go of Mo Ming and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just asking.”
Mo Ming slipped his hand through Han Shao Zhou’s arm, gently holding onto him. “Shaoge, let’s go home. It’s getting late.”
With a strange expression on his face, Han Shao Zhou muttered an absent-minded “Mm,” before turning to leave with Mo Ming. But his sharp eyes caught sight of a man hiding behind a nearby car, taking pictures of them.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” Han Shao Zhou told Mo Ming before striding straight toward the sneaky paparazzo. The man tried to duck into his car and drive off, but before he could start the engine, Han Shao Zhou was already at the window.
With a click, Han Shao Zhou pressed down on the rising window with one hand and snapped a photo of the man’s face with his phone.
“Which company do you work for?” Han Shao Zhou asked, his expression cold as he leaned down to peer at the nervous man in the driver’s seat. “Either delete the photos right now, or I’ll find out who you are and deal with you later.”
The paparazzo quickly grabbed his camera and hurriedly deleted the photos, giving Han Shao Zhou a nervous smile. “They’re all gone, Mr. Han. Sorry about that.”
Han Shao Zhou didn’t even bother to check. “If any photos of me and Mo Ming from tonight show up online, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
“Wait, wait, Mr. Han, you can’t blame me for everything!” The paparazzo stammered, panicked. “Mr. Mo is such a hot topic right now. I’m sure I’m not the only one trying to get shots of him tonight. There might be other photographers from different agencies out there too. If you blame me for all of it, that’s really unfair!”
“Not the only one? They’re giving me this much attention?”
“Please don’t be mad, Mr. Han. We’re just trying to make a living. This is our job—keeping an eye on whoever’s trending.”
Han Shao Zhou chuckled darkly. “So it’s because Mo Ming is trending?”
“Yes, and he’s only going to get bigger. Future superstar, guaranteed. He’s already being called ‘Little Wen Ci’ online.”
As soon as the man finished speaking, the smile vanished from Han Shao Zhou’s face.
“That’s not something I made up, Mr. Han,” the man said quickly, cursing his loose tongue. He’d seen online speculation that Han Shao Zhou was only with Mo Ming because he was a stand-in for Wen Ci, who was Han Shao Zhou’s true love.
But no matter how much Han Shao Zhou pampered Mo Ming, the guy was still just a substitute. That nickname, “Little Wen Ci” probably sounded like an insult to Han Shao Zhou.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Han. I didn’t come up with that nickname. I’ve never even thought of it that way.”
“His name is Mo Ming,” Han Shao Zhou said, his gaze darkening. “Not ‘Little Wen Ci.’”
“Yes, yes, those bored netizens just came up with that nickname. Wen Ci is Wen Ci—no one else can be him.”
Han Shao Zhou frowned deeply.
Was this idiot misunderstanding his point?
“I promise, Mr. Han, I’ll never try to take pictures of you and Mr. Mo again. I have a family to support, a mortgage, car payments… I’m already drowning in debt. Please, be generous…”
Annoyed by the man’s babbling, Han Shao Zhou waved him off. “Fine, go.”
The man thanked him profusely and drove off quickly.
When Han Shao Zhou returned to Mo Ming, he adjusted the mask on Mo Ming’s face, pulling it up from his nose to his nose bridge as if straightening a child’s collar.
“Let them take pictures if they want,” Han Shao Zhou said. “They already uploaded a kissing video online.
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