Xia Yang was startled by his thoughts and quickly dismissed them. Han Yi had made it clear that they were in a contractual marriage with clearly defined terms. He had even told Xia Yang, “This is a contractual marriage. No emotions involved. I hope you can stay clear-headed in this relationship.”
It was almost as if “Don’t fall for me, there’s no future” was written on his forehead.
Setting these facts aside, if either party in a contractual marriage were to develop real feelings, it would be a breach of the agreement, potentially leading to its premature termination. Han Yi was a straightforward person; it was unlikely he would do something that underhanded.
So, Xia Yang concluded that he was probably just overthinking things.
After analyzing the situation, he convinced himself and decided to let the matter rest.
—
The next morning, the entire crew had a half-day off to rest.
After lunch, the assistant director sent Xia Yang a message, notifying him that the official account had posted some stills from yesterday’s car chase scene and asked him to help promote it by reposting.
“Got it, I’ll repost it right away,” Xia Yang replied via voice message. He exited WeChat and quickly logged into Weibo.
The car chase scene from the previous day provided plenty of exciting stills. The photographer had captured several solo shots and group photos of the cast.
Xia Yang’s solo still was a “battle-damaged” shot, leaning against the back seat of a car.
Outside the car, the setting sun cast light through the window, creating slanted squares of shadow. The blurry autumn leaves under the streetlights created fragmented patches of light and shadow.
Inside, Xia Yang was bathed in this light, with slightly reddened eyes, a slightly open mouth, and traces of blood around his lips. The torn collar of his shirt couldn’t hide the two scratches on his pale neck—one near his Adam’s apple and another near his collarbone.
He leaned against the backseat, his eyes half-closed, his long eyelashes casting a shadow. There was a fragility to his “tough guy beauty,” but his bright eyes still shone with determination.
Xia Yang reposted the Weibo post with the assistant director’s suggested caption. Soon, the comment section was buzzing.
One user wrote, “Ahhh, he’s killing me! I love the battle damage makeup so much!”
Another commented, “Licking the screen! Gotta lick the screen! His beauty is in full service today!”
Others said, “So cool! Time to change my phone wallpaper. Can’t wait for Xiao Chang in ‘Hidden Heart’!”
And another: “I’m really in love; I’m pregnant from a distance!”
One person humorously declared, “I hereby announce, Xia Yang is my next husband!”
Another added, “Show me more! I want to see his eight-pack abs and the V-line!”
Among the netizens were some skilled at Photoshop, who added some rather suggestive elements to the “battle-damaged” photo of Xia Yang.
For example, they added a gag and chains with handcuffs…
The edited photo was so realistic that it stirred up quite a reaction from the fans.
One fan exclaimed, “Wow! A hidden treasure!”
Another added, “Is this something I can see for free?!”
Someone else humorously remarked, “Oh my, hubby, you’re so cool and badass, how did you end up being forced into a little dark room?”
Another fan commented, “It totally has that forbidden romance vibe. I think I just turned myself gay in a minute!”
Xia Yang’s cheeks flushed when he saw this edited photo in his fan chat. “What is this inappropriate stuff…”
Though he was complaining, he quickly saved the photo to his album.
Just as he finished saving it, two WeChat messages popped up. He opened them and saw they were from Han Yi.
[Han Yi]: [File] PDF
[Han Yi]: These are the profiles of potential assistants. It’s time to set up your studio, so you should have a few assistants.
Xia Yang was surprised, his mouth open wide: A few… assistants.
He remembered Fang Ming mentioning that Han Yi had secretaries and assistants, totaling about eight or nine people.
Big-shot elites have their own style, but he was just an ordinary person; he didn’t deserve this.
[Yang]: Thank you for your concern, but at my level, I don’t think I need any assistants yet~
[Han Yi]: No, you do.
[Yang]: …
Han Yi insisted, so Xia Yang decided to choose at least one assistant to not seem ungrateful.
He opened the file Han Yi sent and reviewed nearly a hundred profiles, finally choosing a tall, strong young man named Xiao Jun, who was a year younger than him.
[Yang]: I’ll go with him! He looks like a down-to-earth worker.
[Han Yi]: Good, your assistant will contact you soon.
As they chatted, Xia Yang couldn’t help but feel a sense of “overthinking” coming back.
…It seems like his “plastic husband” was genuinely concerned for him. Yesterday, it was about his safety, and today, it was about his work.
Han Yi had even thought about finding an assistant for him. It felt like the roles of Party A and Party B in their relationship were reversed.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, another message popped up in the chat.
[Han Yi]: Are there any more action scenes?
Xia Yang was stunned, fearing Han Yi might try to hire a stunt double for him. He quickly typed—
[Yang]: No more, no more. All the intense action scenes were shot yesterday~ [Victory sign]
[Yang]: By the way, here’s a cool still from yesterday!
[Yang]: [Image]
[Yang]: How about it? Doesn’t it look badass? Did it win your heart?
[Yang]: [I love seeing you dumbfounded] jpg
After sending the stickers, Xia Yang looked up at the still image he sent and suddenly realized it was the edited photo with the gag and chains.
Crap!
He hurriedly tried to retract the message, hoping Han Yi hadn’t seen the altered picture yet.
But then—
[Han Yi]: …
[Han Yi]: What kind of movie are you filming? Can this even pass the censors?
Xia Yang: “…”
Dammit, fate was against him, and Han Yi saw it.
Blushing, he hurriedly typed.
[Yang]: Sent the wrong one [Cover face][Cover face]. The fans were just having fun editing it.
He then quickly went to his album, triple-checked, and sent the normal still.
[Yang]: Forget about that, dear. Use this to cleanse your eyes.
After a while, Han Yi replied, but he seemed to still be stuck on the earlier topic.
[Han Yi]: If fans edit your photos like that, are they really fans, not anti-fans?
Pfft!
Imagining the cold big boss seriously discussing this issue made Xia Yang laugh.
[Yang]: [Pat, pat]
[Yang]: You don’t understand the entertainment industry. Let me give you a proper lesson when we have time~
—
A week passed quickly. On Saturday morning, after finishing his filming tasks, Xia Yang returned to the hospital where Han Yi was staying.
His new assistant, Xiao Jun, had already started work and drove him to the hospital.
“Brother, I’ll come to pick you up the day after tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, call me if anything comes up.” Xia Yang grabbed his bag, ready to get out of the car, when he thought he saw two elderly women in the hospital lobby.
One of them looked a lot like Grandma Tang.
He rubbed his eyes hard and craned his neck to get a better look, but the two figures had already disappeared.
“Was I seeing things?” he muttered to himself.
Xiao Jun immediately pulled out something from his bag: “Brother, take care of your eyes. Here, use this.”
Xia Yang was momentarily stunned and accepted the item. It was a brand-new, unopened bottle of eye drops.
“Uh… thanks.” He patted his thoughtful little assistant and didn’t think much more about it as he made his way into the hospital.
He walked through the lobby and headed straight for the elevator, feeling a little excited at the thought of seeing his “household” member soon.
While waiting for the elevator, he couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to message Han Yi. Just as he typed “I’m,” someone called his name from behind.
“Xiao Yang!” The voice was strangely familiar.
He turned around, his pupils contracting in surprise as he saw Grandma Tang looking equally stunned.
Xia Yang: “!”
No need for eye drops; he wasn’t seeing things.
“Grandma, what brings you to the hospital?” he asked, his mind racing as he recalled the “honeymoon” story he and Han Yi had concocted. He vaguely remembered the gist of it and quickly messaged Han Yi, sending him his location along with the word “Help.”
Grandma Tang stepped forward, staring directly at his face. “I came with a friend for a check-up. But why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon with Han Yi?”
“Uh…” Xia Yang clutched his phone, his eyes darting around like a grasshopper, avoiding her gaze. “Our honeymoon ended yesterday. We just got back and hadn’t had a chance to tell you yet.”
Grandma Tang paused, quickly catching the key point: “You just got back from your honeymoon… so why are you at the hospital?”
If Xiao Yang weren’t a man, she might have suspected they were expecting good news from the honeymoon!
Just then, Han Yi gestured toward a less busy corridor nearby. Xia Yang caught on and helped Grandma Tang walk over.
The old lady seemed dazed, her steps slower than before.
Once they stopped, Han Yi pulled Xia Yang behind him, shielding him with his tall frame. “I changed the surgery date, had it done earlier, and told you we were on our honeymoon to keep it from you.”
“”Ah?!” Grandma Tang covered her mouth in shock.
Seeing her expression change, Han Yi continued, “I didn’t want you to worry. The surgery was weeks ago, and I’m recovering well, almost walking normally. This was my decision alone; it has nothing to do with anyone else.”
Xia Yang glanced up at him, his calm demeanor stirring a faint ripple of emotion. He remembered Han Yi saying that Grandma Tang couldn’t stand being deceived, even with good intentions.
So, was he trying to take the blame?
Turning to Grandma Tang, Xia Yang saw her lips tighten and her chest heaving. “You mean you had such a major surgery without telling me?!”
“Yes,” Han Yi nodded.
Grandma Tang took a deep breath, looking like she wanted to say more. Just then, Xia Yang suddenly stepped out from behind Han Yi and positioned himself protectively in front of him.
Han Yi: “?”
“Grandma,” Xia Yang said with unexpected courage, his expression determined. “Han Yi is still recovering; his body is weak. If you need to vent your anger or scold someone, direct it all at me. I’m willing to take full responsibility!”
Grandma Tang: “…”
Han Yi: “…”
Silence fell over them, each staring at the other.
After a while, Grandma Tang suddenly opened her arms and pulled both her grandson and his spouse into a tight embrace.
“I’ve waited so long for this moment!”
In her emotional state, she hugged them so tightly that Xia Yang’s forehead bumped into Han Yi’s neck.
Both of them: “…”
Grandma Tang, still emotional, didn’t notice her eldest grandson had been head-butted by her granddaughter-in-law.
Tears welled in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion, “Han Yi can finally stand up! Thank you both for giving me such a wonderful surprise!”
Both: “!”
With no stormy outburst, Xia Yang closed his eyes, letting out a long breath of relief.
As he comforted Grandma Tang, he glanced at Han Yi with a reassuring look that said, “It’s all good.”
A few passersby stopped to stare at the scene, mostly captivated by the two handsome men’s striking looks.
Ignoring the stares, Han Yi supported Grandma Tang’s arm and pointed to the nearby elevator. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“Yes, let’s go,” she said, wiping her eyes and holding his hand tightly.
Just as they turned to leave, a young man with braids suddenly appeared from somewhere and rushed up to Xia Yang. Despite the sunglasses, he recognized him instantly.
“Wow! Is that you, hubby? I’ve been a fan for so long!”
Xia Yang: “…”
“Hubby, can we take a picture together? Please, hubby!” The braided fan jumped up and down, pulling out his phone.
Xia Yang instinctively took a step back and was about to say something when Han Yi pulled him close, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and holding him firmly.
“You’ve got the wrong person. He’s not your hubby.”
Han Yi’s voice was low and sharp, his gaze intense. Before the fan could protest, he had already ushered Xia Yang into the elevator.
The fan watched the elevator doors close, bewildered. “Huh? Isn’t that Xia Yang? No way, I know my hubby when I see him…”
Ding—
The elevator stopped on the 17th floor. The trio exited and entered the suite.
“Grandma, Han Yi will be discharged next week. These are his last few days here,” Xia Yang reported with a smile, holding her hand.
Looking around the suite, Grandma Tang’s eyes reddened again as she noticed the wheelchair in the corner. With a choked voice, she said, “So Han Yi won’t need the wheelchair anymore?”
“Yes,” Han Yi confirmed. “We’re planning to get rid of it.”
“Oh, don’t just throw it away!” Xia Yang exclaimed, nudging Han Yi’s waist. “You spent seven figures customizing that wheelchair. I could sell it on Xianyu.”
Han Yi: “… Do whatever you want.”
After inspecting the suite, Grandma Tang requested Han Yi’s medical report and recovery records. As she read through them, her smile grew wider, her wrinkles deepening with joy.
“Today is a good day. I’m not going for my check-up. I’m going to cook a few dishes myself to celebrate!”
She called her friend to cancel their plans and asked the driver to buy some fresh ingredients.
The elderly lady was quick and skilled in the kitchen, not allowing anyone else to help. Han Yi and Xia Yang could only stay outside, chopping vegetables and fruits for a salad.
The big-screen TV in the living room was tuned to an entertainment channel, broadcasting the week’s entertainment news. Xia Yang glanced at it and suddenly thought of something.
“Honey, I think it’s time I give you a lesson,” he said, looking at Han Yi, referring to the fan they encountered downstairs. “In the entertainment industry, ‘husband’ is a term fans use for male idols, and ‘wife’ for female idols. It doesn’t mean they’re actually married or in a relationship.”
Han Yi paused, his eyes flickering with a hint of light. His previously tight lips relaxed slightly, and his tone softened.
“So, to you, ‘husband’ is the partner in a romantic relationship?”
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Thanks for the chapter