BPTCMW : Chapter 46

“Uh… what else could it mean?”

Xia Yang was completely lost in thought, blinking his eyes in confusion as he looked at Han Yi, pondering the question he’d just been asked. “Isn’t it obvious that ‘husband’ refers to a partner in a romantic relationship? Did I say something wrong?”

“Or do you have a different opinion, my debating friend?” He tilted his head and made a “please” gesture, indicating he was all ears.

“No,” Han Yi replied, staring into Xia Yang’s doe-like eyes. A barely noticeable emotion flickered in his gaze. “I completely agree with your answer.”

Xia Yang: “…”

That evening, after enjoying a celebratory dinner together, the two escorted Grandma Tang downstairs. The driver had already brought the car to the entrance of the hospital.

Before leaving, Grandma Tang held Han Yi’s hand and solemnly said, “Han Yi, these days Xia Yang has taken good care of you. You should cherish him. Once you’re fully recovered, you should still go on that honeymoon.”

“I know,” Han Yi nodded to her, “That was the original plan. We’ll schedule the honeymoon after the Spring Festival.”

Grandma Tang smiled with relief, while Xia Yang blinked in surprise, sneaking glances at Han Yi.

Wow, the boss’s acting skills are impressive, almost on par with his own. He can operate without assistance now.

Excellent!

Truly, the talented excel in everything they do!

After Grandma Tang got into the car and left, Xia Yang turned to Han Yi and immediately praised him with the utmost sincerity: “Dear, your level of engagement has skyrocketed. As your master, I’m very pleased. Let me give you a seal of approval!” As he spoke, he extended his thumb and playfully tried to press it on Han Yi’s arm.

However, before he could touch him, Han Yi coldly stepped aside, his expression indifferent.

“I don’t think so. No seal.”

“… So petty.” Xia Yang pouted, feeling unappreciated.

He complimented Han Yi on his excellent engagement skills, but somehow that seemed to annoy him…?

—

After the “family visit,” they returned to the set. The director sped up the shooting schedule, aiming to finish by January 1st. As a result, the entire crew adopted a routine of working from eight in the morning until nine at night. The director even gave Xia Yang extra scenes, sometimes making them perfect a single shot for hours.

The promised “five days on, two days off” was brutally revoked, and for more than three consecutive weeks, he wasn’t allowed to go back home for a “family visit.”

However, Xia Yang increasingly enjoyed the busyness of the set. Each frame on the monitor, filled with emotional resonance, crystallized their hard work and dedication. He began to reconsider his previous thoughts, realizing that finding value in a career brought more joy than being a rich idle person.

He had been too narrow-minded before.

One night after shooting, Xia Yang and Tang Siming returned to the hotel from the film studio.

In the car, Tang Siming’s agent called, saying they had secured two more movie roles, both big-budget costume dramas, and asked him to review them when he had time.

Sitting beside him, Xia Yang felt a surge of envy. After the call ended, he leaned over to Tang Siming and, resting his chin on his hand, said, “Brother Tang, can I ask you a favor?”

“Don’t be so formal. Your business is my business. Just say it.”

“Well…” Xia Yang paused to choose his words, “You’ve been in the entertainment industry for many years. You have deep experience and connections. Could you help introduce me to a good manager?”

“Sure, no problem,” Tang Siming readily agreed. Then he smiled and asked, “Why the sudden interest in your career? Were you inspired by your husband? You know Han Yi is a workaholic.”

“Maybe,” Xia Yang grinned, not denying it. “A family should be united.”

—

Tang Siming was highly efficient. Two days later, he introduced Xia Yang to a well-known manager.

“Qi Le used to be with Juxing Entertainment, managing several successful newcomers. He’s recently left to start his own company. I think you two would work well together,” Tang Siming explained.

Xia Yang had heard of Qi Le—a talented manager with connections and skills.

“Working with Brother Qi would be an honor. You can set the terms, and I’m fine with them,” he expressed his full sincerity.

After a meal of Japanese food, they basically sealed the deal.

Back at the hotel, within two hours, Qi Le sent Xia Yang a custom career development plan.

Xia Yang read through it, thoroughly impressed, and sent a barrage of red hearts in WeChat to express his admiration. Just as he finished, Qi Le called.

“Brother Qi?”

“Yes, I just remembered something I forgot to include. Just a heads-up,” the manager said over the phone.

Xia Yang was in awe of his dedication. “Brother, please go ahead.”

“No dating allowed,” Qi Le emphasized each word clearly.

“No problem!” Xia Yang assured, patting his chest. “I definitely won’t date. I haven’t even…”

His words trailed off.

He hadn’t dated; he’d skipped straight to marriage.

So the question arose.

Is an idol who doesn’t date but is married still okay?

He didn’t dare directly ask this, fearing Qi Le might think he had a screw loose.

After hanging up, it was getting late. Xia Yang thought for a moment and decided to call Han Yi.

Since the studio was getting new members, he felt obligated to report to the investor. “Got it,” Han Yi said calmly after listening. “I can have the company’s legal team help with the contract.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Xia Yang laughed, feeling cheerful. “Great minds think alike, dear.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

After a while, Han Yi cleared his throat and changed the subject, “What prompted this sudden focus on your career?”

Xia Yang glanced at the TV, which was showing a documentary about struggling couples, and joked, “It’s tough for one person to support a family. I want to help out, earn a little extra to supplement the household income.”

Han Yi: “…”

Han Yi: “There’s no need, but thank you.”

Having the other half go out to earn money to supplement the household income was probably the greatest insult to a billionaire…

Xia Yang laughed it off and moved on. Another glance at the TV showed the struggling couple cuddling and kissing, catching him off guard with a dose of public affection.

After witnessing this, he suddenly thought of something.

“By the way, I talked with my manager about personal development today, and he specifically told me I’m not allowed to date.”

“Why?” Han Yi’s voice sounded deep.

“You see, another area where big shot executives lack knowledge? In the entertainment industry, to survive as an idol, you can’t just date freely.”

“Idols are also people, independent individuals,” Han Yi’s voice seemed to rise slightly. “You don’t have to listen to your manager about everything.”

Xia Yang: “.”

Xia Yang: “???”

How surprising!

His plastic husband seemed to be advising him to break the rules and fight back?

Was he experiencing delayed development and growing a rebellious streak?

Though puzzled, Xia Yang didn’t intend to delve into the topic. The entertainment industry was beyond Han Yi’s understanding; he could explain it to him later.

With that in mind, he smiled and adopted a light-hearted tone, “No big deal. I never planned on dating, nor do I have any romantic feelings for anyone. It’s just that I’m married. If neither of us mentions it, I’ll be single again in three years!”

The phone line went silent again. After a while, Han Yi’s cold voice came through, “I’m busy. We’ll talk later.”

Then the call ended.

Xia Yang: “???”

What was that about?

The conversation ended so abruptly, and he felt something was off with Han Yi recently.

—

After that call, Xia Yang didn’t receive any more calls or messages from Han Yi for several days.

A few times, feeling bored in the evenings, he tried to reach out. He sent compliments and emojis, but all he got back were two cold words—【Busy】.

And that was it.

Even the news that Han Yi had left the hospital and returned home came from Fang Ming.

Xia Yang couldn’t figure out what went wrong. He couldn’t recall saying or doing anything offensive.

This continued for two more days.

Then it was Singles’ Day. Female lead Bai Xiaoxiao’s new husband, an outsider, visited the set, treating everyone to a hotpot feast.

It was said that from meeting to falling in love to getting married, they had taken only one menstrual cycle—28 days.

The beautiful couple showered everyone with affection, feeding the whole crew a dose of envy. Xia Yang got a group photo of the hotpot gathering from the photographer and, after getting permission, posted it on his Moments:

—On Singles’ Day, our crew celebrates a wedding [rose][rose][rose][rose]. A good relationship starts with endless conversation. Deepest blessings and heartfelt envy~~

Before posting, he made sure to hide it from people in the know like Grandma Tang and Fang Ming, but deliberately left one “fish” in the net—Han Yi.

Yes, he was pointing at you.

After posting, it wasn’t long before he received a flurry of likes and comments.

Bai Xiaoxiao: Thanks, pretty brother {heart}, secretly telling you, you were actually my first choice~

Director Guo: Bai Xiaoxiao, you’d better be more mindful. Secretly getting married without telling even your uncle. I’m so mad at you! Also, be here tomorrow morning at 8 for filming, whether you’re married or not!

Old Classmate (Forgot His Name): Hey, Xia! From your words, it seems like you’re eager to get married, too? My family is also pressuring me. How about we grab a meal and chat in detail?

Tang Siming: [Eating Melon][Eating Melon][Eating Melon]

Yuka: Wow, bro, whose good news is this? It’s not yours, is it [laughs]

Manager Qi: Don’t pull a Bai Xiaoxiao. Secretly getting married, lightning-fast weddings—it’s hard to handle the PR.

Reading Qi Le’s comment made Xia Yang feel a bit guilty: Copying Bai Xiaoxiao? No way. In some sense, he’s actually the “senior.”

Secretly married, quickly wed. And in three years, they’ll change the certificate.

He hadn’t planned on telling the manager…

After the hotpot, back at the hotel, it had been two and a half hours since he posted on Moments. Finally, the “fish” he had been eagerly waiting for called.

Seeing the familiar name light up on the screen, Xia Yang felt his heart stir, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.

But despite the excitement, he kept his cool demeanor.

Clearing his throat, Xia Yang slowly answered the call, hiding all his anticipation and excitement.

“Hello? Is this Mr. Han? Have you returned from running for President of the United States??”

The person on the other end paused, ignoring his sarcastic tone, and calmly said, “I’ve just returned to the company. It’s been busy with a lot of work to handle.”

“Yeah. So you’re not busy tonight?”

No answer.

After a pause, Han Yi cleared his throat and asked, “How are you? How’s the filming going lately?”

Hearing this, Xia Yang felt a slight lift in his spirits, a faint smile forming at the corners of his mouth. “It’s going well, quite fulfilling. I’m working on my Oscar-winning supporting actor speech.”

“Yes, that sounds fulfilling,” Han Yi’s voice took on a rare gentle tone. “Have you written your acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor?”

Xia Yang was taken aback, not expecting the cool boss to play along and humor him.

“I’m still working on it, no rush.”

“I believe in your talent.” Another compliment.

Xia Yang chuckled, all his previous frustrations disappearing. He fiddled with the little wheat spikes on the bedside cushion, crossed his legs, feeling as bright as the sun after a spring rain.

Glancing up at the wall clock, he noticed it was nearly 9 PM. The night was deep, and the city lights were twinkling outside.

“Are you still at the office? Have you had dinner?” he asked with concern.

“Just finished…”

Han Yi’s words trailed off, suddenly going silent, as if someone nearby had interrupted him.

Xia Yang pressed his ear closer to the phone, and a moment later, he heard a warm male voice on the other end: “Mr. Han, I’ve ordered some wontons for you. It’s cold outside, so we should have something warm. Oh, and here’s some coffee I just made. It’s your favorite flavor…”

He didn’t catch the rest, but it was clear the speaker was a young guy.

Whether it was a secretary, assistant, or someone else, the tone was unmistakably gentle, warm, and considerate.

Handmade coffee, hot wontons, and did he just say “we”???

“We” what the heck!

Suddenly, Xia Yang remembered the past few days when Han Yi hadn’t been in touch with him. Maybe every night, he’d been sipping on that handmade coffee, chatting intimately with this young guy…

As his imagination ran wild, Xia Yang sat up abruptly, his lips pressed tightly together, chest heaving. His previously sunny mood was suddenly overshadowed by a dark cloud.

Han Yi’s voice came back on the line, but Xia Yang gritted his teeth and let out a snide laugh.

“It seems Mr. Han is having a late-night snack! I shouldn’t be bothering you right now. Enjoy your meal, but just a friendly reminder—”

“Wontons with coffee can cause heartburn if eaten late at night…”

Author’s Note:

Happy New Year, everyone!

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