The sunlight grew warmer, transitioning from golden to light yellow. The young man stood in the sun, his soft black hair turning light golden brown.
He lowered his gaze to avoid eye contact, and from Tu Xi’s perspective, one could see his long, pale neck with a few playful droplets of sweat sliding down his collarbone into deeper areas.
The man’s eyes darkened with longing; his throat dry. Despite not having exercised, his breath came in short bursts.
No, it’s not the right time yet.
Tu Xi abruptly closed his eyes and reopened them, restoring his gentle facade. He was acting like a considerate boyfriend who didn’t press further.
“It’s eight o’clock. Let’s go have breakfast. Before that…” he asked softly, “Would you like to go back to your room and take a shower?”
“Okay.” The young man nodded, opening the door and heading upstairs as usual.
Tu Xi watched him for a while until his figure completely disappeared. Then, he disgustedly tugged at the collar of his shirt. The physical contact still lingered on his skin, making him feel nauseous.
Scenes from earlier involuntarily flashed in his mind.
The tall man and the striking young man were within ten centimeters of each other, perfectly matched from a distance.
Wei Junhao’s hurried departure, when he bumped into him and apologized with a flushed face and shy expression, was also particularly irksome.
In his room, Tu Xi changed out of his shirt and wore a white T-shirt.
The white T-shirt had an intricate red rose embroidered on the collar, with pointed, cute thorns. Wearing it felt like carrying a piece of someone with him.
He felt satisfied.
Buzz Buzz Buzz~
The phone on the bed kept ringing.
The bright screen showed an unfamiliar number without a name, sending continuous text messages.
[I don’t know why you’ve become like this. Since childhood, your father and I invested a lot in you, and you lived up to our expectations, becoming the pride of our family.]
[Tu Minghuai, Tu Jun, Tu Shiyi—each of them is eyeing the company, eager to take the shares from your grandfather.]
[Among all the grandchildren, the old man favors you the most. He intended to make you the heir.]
[Yet you quietly entered the entertainment industry to become a star. Your father and I strongly opposed it, but you ignored us.]
[You’re still young and want to explore more paths that we understand and accept. But it would help if you hadn’t chosen an actor as your partner and made it so public.]
[When you return to the company, which noble young lady will accept you?]
[Think carefully, and don’t disappoint your father and me.]
…
The man stood by the bed, looking at the messages.
In a daze, he felt as if he were back in his childhood, engulfed by a suffocating sensation, with the pressure of the surrounding waters crushing him into pieces.
He deleted the messages expressionlessly and blocked the number.
There is no need to reply, explain, or hope for anything. After countless failed communications and accumulated disappointments, even a fool wouldn’t pursue a zero-success-rate endeavor.
Besides, Tu Xi had always been a smart child.
The Tu family was a large clan, having prospered since the grandfather’s generation and accumulated into a massive entity over sixty years.
His father was ambitious, wanting to inherit the company. Unable to fulfill that role, he pinned all hopes on his child.
They controlled him.
From what school to attend? What knowledge to learn? What interests to cultivate, down to what clothes to wear? What food to eat? The curve of his smile.
Tu Xi was like a puppet, controlled by his parents.
He was gentle, considerate, intelligent, well-mannered, and good-looking. Anyone who saw him couldn’t help but praise him as a “young talent.”
But beneath the perfect facade was a cold, unresponsive soul.
Happiness, anger, sadness, pain, joy—he had no emotions, lacked empathy, and couldn’t relate to others’ situations.
Until the grandfather noticed something was wrong, he took his grandson in and expended considerable effort to help him gradually improve.
By chance, he participated in a school stage play and felt truly ‘alive’ while playing a role.
Following that, he naturally entered the entertainment industry, debuting through a talent show, becoming the leading man in TV dramas… stepping up step by step.
Tu Xi’s meteoric rise was predictable.
Even after leaving his parents, their marks on him wouldn’t disappear. He was accustomed to living behind a mask, his fake gentle demeanor ingrained in his bones.
He was a refined gentleman, an understanding neighbor.
He had handsome looks, a sharp mind, and perfect acting skills.
Some might not be attracted to his type, but no one would dislike him.
Tu Xi thought his life would pass by in such a dull manner until he met Xia Yan. Although he was initially impressed by Xia Yan’s appearance, that was all.
Yet someone always had to provoke him.
With a naively ridiculous acting style, pretending to be a master of the dating scene. Sending clichéd roses, sweet chocolates, and crystal balls meant for middle schoolers.
Like a big cat eagerly offering gifts.
Every time he was rejected, Xia Yan visibly became dejected, making one want to pat his head and scratch his chin like petting a cat.
If he accepted the gifts, the young man would look at him sparklingly as if he had done a great deed.
Teasing him was entertaining, and Tu Xi fell into it unwittingly.
When he realized it, he was already deeply entangled and unable to extricate himself.
Tu Xi knew Xia Yan didn’t love him, but since he dared to provoke him, he shouldn’t expect to leave. He would keep him by his side even if it meant doing anything.
–
After the “Heartbeats” run yesterday, the guests were all exhausted.
The director didn’t issue any tasks today and didn’t start the live stream, allowing the guests to entertain themselves, hoping to capture the sweet daily moments between couples.
The variety show was set to film for seven days, but aside from the live broadcasts, only five hours of footage would be aired—two episodes, each two and a half hours long.
The director would cut many unnecessary scenes.
For artists, exposure is crucial. Anyone appearing on a show would want to gain fame, except for a certain someone who seems to want to slack off.
After hearing the director’s announcement, the guests quickly understood, it was time to grab the spotlight!!!
Everyone had their tricks up their sleeves.
Song Xueyang and Zhong Feiyang chose to go swimming. With blue skies and clear seas, handsome men and beautiful women in swimsuits touching each other and applying sunscreen—it was guaranteed to be sweet and leave a lasting impression on camera.
Bai Zhiyi and Ruan Meixian opted for the amusement park, choosing to show their playful side despite being adults, which was also quite endearing.
As for the other two pairs—
Xia Yan didn’t want to go out, so Tu Xi naturally stayed with him. Fang Xihua wanted to go out, but Wei Junhao ignored him completely. Frustrated, he spoke a series of pitiful words on camera to ensure he gained plenty of sympathy.
……
At six-thirty in the evening, at the private airport.
A white plane landed with a roar on ‘Love Island.’ Staff opened the plane door, and bodyguards escorted two figures to a car heading towards the filming villa for the “Heartbeats” show.
The setting sun painted the sky a bright, fiery red.
Zhao Wenhan was restless, repeatedly checking his clothes to ensure no stains or wrinkles. He was excited and nervous: “What should I say when I see Xia Yan later?”
“Speak the truth.”
“Isn’t that too straightforward?” Zhao Wenhan worried, “Xia Yan has a strong sense of pride. If I say I want to offer him resources, support him… no, date him, will he get angry?”
Zhao Wenxiu sneered internally: “Just a small-time star.”
“And as for Tu Xi…”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Zhao Wenhan asked, “Hmm?”
“Tu Xi, being a top star, has no shortage of resources, but they’ve been dating for half a year.” The specific time was investigated by Zhao Wenxiu, who continued, “Xia Yan still only gets minor roles in second-rate web dramas, which shows Tu Xi hasn’t given him any resources or paid him much attention.”
And this public announcement was probably captured by paparazzi, which was undeniable.
Zhao Wenxiu thought casually.
He didn’t think Xia Yan could refuse their offer. A high school graduate and ordinary person who entered the entertainment industry solely on looks, Xia Yan had gained unattainable wealth for average earners.
What else could he do outside the industry? Go back to manual labor?
Once a person is used to easy money, returning to a humble monthly salary job is more unbearable than death.
“So don’t worry.” Zhao Wenxiu said confidently, “Xia Yan will become yours.”
“Ah… oh.” Zhao Wenhan nodded obediently but couldn’t help thinking about what happened at the bar. It seemed Tu Xi wasn’t as indifferent about Xia Yan as his brother claimed.
On the contrary, he was full of affection and possessiveness toward Xia Yan.
He bit his lip. He couldn’t let others’ strengths dampen his resolve. He was determined to succeed.
–
At the villa.
The director gathered all the actors, took up a loudspeaker, and said energetically: “Good evening, everyone. Today was a free day, and I’m sure you all had a lot of fun. I have an important announcement to make.”
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll introduce two special NPCs. You can receive various tasks from these NPCs, and completing them will earn you rich rewards. So, everyone, do your best!”
“Now, let’s welcome our special NPCs, Ah Da and Ah Er.”
From the shadows, two figures stepped out.
Zhao Wenxiu, called Ah Da, twitched his mouth, clearly displeased with the casual names.
Ah Er, a.k.a Zhao Wenhan, stared at Xia Yan with shining eyes. When Xia Yan looked over in shock, he tilted his head and returned a sweet, obedient smile.
Xia Yan: “…… Help me!!”
