After saying goodbye to his agent, Xia Yang dashed back to the hotel. Despite the short distance, he sprinted across the street like it was a 100-meter dash at a sports event.
As he entered the hotel, he ran into his co-star, Li Ke, who pulled him aside and whispered conspiratorially, “Yang-ge, I saw a mysterious guy at your door when I was coming down. Tall, wearing a black coat and sunglasses. You haven’t gotten involved with any shady bigwigs lately, have you?”
“…” Xia Yang paused, realizing who this “shady bigwig” was. He patted Li Ke on the shoulder and smiled, “Bro, ever heard of the anti-crime campaign? But thanks for your concern.”
Li Ke responded, “Oh? So you know him!”
“Yeah, he’s my… uncle,” Xia Yang quickly corrected himself, changing “husband” to “uncle.”
Li Ke was immediately intrigued, “Wow! Judging by his back, your uncle seems like a big shot. Mind if I come up with you and meet him?”
“Maybe next time. He’s having one of his social anxiety episodes and doesn’t meet strangers,” Xia Yang declined politely.
Li Ke: “…”
Li Ke: “?”
After parting ways with Li Ke, Xia Yang entered the elevator alone. As he exited, he saw Fang Ming and a hotel staff member carrying his luggage down the hall.
“What’s going on?” Xia Yang was confused, looking back down the corridor. There was no one else around.
Fang Ming pressed the elevator button and explained, “Mr. Han thought your current room was substandard. He arranged for a suite, so you’ll be staying there from now on.”
“What?!” Xia Yang was stunned, nearly blurting out “wasteful spender” in front of Fang Ming and the hotel staff.
“The elevator’s here, let’s go.” Fang Ming gently urged him, and the elevator doors slowly closed.
The suite was on the top floor of the hotel, offering a spacious and luxurious environment. As Xia Yang entered, he saw Han Yi already waiting in the living room. Fang Ming left after placing the luggage, giving them privacy.
“Mr. Han, aren’t you here to check on me? Why did you move in too?” Xia Yang asked as he looked around the suite.
Kitchen, living room, bedroom, study—the room was filled with expensive-looking decor.
“How much is this per night?” he wondered aloud.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Han Yi replied, standing up and walking over to Xia Yang. He raised his hand to check Xia Yang’s forehead.
The sudden warmth made Xia Yang stiffen. His heart raced, and his eyelashes fluttered rapidly.
“I told you this morning, I don’t have a fever anymore,” he mumbled, looking down and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
Han Yi lowered his hand. “Doctors need to follow up; patients should cooperate.”
Xia Yang: “…”
Damn, did he hear my excuse to the agent and turn it into a joke?
He widened his eyes and couldn’t help but scrutinize Han Yi.
“I’ve noticed you’re becoming less like a cold, aloof boss,” he remarked.
“Is that so?” Han Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Yeah, you’re more like a sweet treat now, evolving into a softie,” Xia Yang teased.
Han Yi: “…”
“Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“No, it is, definitely a compliment!” Xia Yang laughed, forming a heart with his fingers.
They had dinner together, with Han Yi ordering a nutritious meal from a private kitchen. Though Xia Yang was still recovering, his appetite hadn’t diminished; he quickly finished two meal boxes and leaned back in satisfaction, rubbing his belly.
After a moment, he sat up straight and remembered something. “Right, you said you wanted to talk to me. What about?”
“What do you think I want to talk about?” Han Yi countered, looking at him.
Xia Yang blinked. “About dreams, life, philosophy?”
Han Yi: “…I don’t have such unique tastes.”
After a brief pause, he looked down and said, “Let’s wait until I get back from my business trip. Then we can have a proper talk.”
“Oh, wait, you’re going on a trip? When and where?” Xia Yang asked, suddenly intrigued.
“France. There’s a problem with an overseas acquisition that I need to handle. I should be back in about ten days.”
Xia Yang counted on his fingers. “It’s almost New Year. Looks like you’ll be spending it with some foreign hotties.”
His tone carried an inexplicable nuance.
Han Yi caught the expression in Xia Yang’s eyes. “I’ll handle it quickly.”
After dinner, Han Yi needed to return to the office. His private jet was scheduled for the next morning, and he had two more meetings that night.
Xia Yang accompanied him to the elevator.
While waiting, Xia Yang noticed Han Yi’s collar was slightly turned up on one side. He stood on tiptoe and reached up to straighten it, his warm breath brushing against Han Yi’s neck.
Han Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked down at Xia Yang’s delicate fingers and then at his pretty face. Xia Yang’s long, curled lashes blinked, reflecting his image in the bright pupils.
As he watched, Han Yi suddenly reached out and gently placed his arm around Xia Yang’s shoulder. Leaning down, he softly brushed his lips against Xia Yang’s hair, catching a hint of jasmine. It felt like the air was tinged with sweetness.
Feeling the warmth on his shoulder, Xia Yang froze. The next moment, Han Yi’s deep, magnetic voice came from above.
“Take care of yourself. Call me.”
“…Okay,” Xia Yang replied, stunned. He moved his lips, “If you’re not busy, just text ‘1’ and I’ll call you.”
After Han Yi left, Xia Yang stood in the room for a while, feeling inexplicably empty, as if something was missing.
As he replayed Han Yi’s actions and words from recent days, the more he thought about it, the more things seemed off.
The concern and care he had experienced firsthand were real, undeniably present between them.
So… could it be what he was imagining?
*
Xia Yang’s cold was gone by the third day, and he returned to the set on the fourth day.
With New Year’s Eve tomorrow, the crew was planning a party tonight.
Director Guo was considerate and only scheduled two scenes for the recently recovered patient. After filming, he allowed Xia Yang to rest, telling him to join the party later that night.
Back at the hotel at noon, Xia Yang found that he’d left the TV on. Glancing at the screen, he saw a familiar face flash by on the business news channel.
The blue ticker at the bottom read: “Yunding Group Successfully Acquires French Yacht Company TEUFHG; Group Chairman Han Yi Attends Press Conference.”
Xia Yang’s eyes lit up. He hurried to the TV, forgetting to change his slippers.
In the footage from the press conference, Han Yi wore a dark business suit, exuding a cold aura and determined eyes. Beside him stood a blue-eyed foreign man with graying hair and beard, who looked at least two decades older.
They signed the agreement in front of the cameras. This was the first time a domestic cruise company had acquired a foreign yacht company.
“Amazing! So cool!!” Xia Yang clapped excitedly, full of admiration, even though Han Yi couldn’t hear him.
After the news segment ended, he checked Weibo, where several major news outlets were also reporting on the acquisition. The comment sections looked like a massive fan meet.
@DiaryOfMadness: So impressive! Han Ba-ba, you! Are! My! God!
@AmbitiousAndDriven: How can someone be so handsome, rich, and successful? This is the idol of the new era!
@NotEvenADollar: Boss, do you need a bag-carrying lackey? I’m willing~
The video replayed, and Xia Yang watched it several times, feeling thrilled and exhilarated. His heart raced as he eagerly posted in the comment section.
@XiaYang: The wind is blowing, the rain is falling, and I’m calling for you. Crazy for you, hitting walls for you~ Men serious about their work are the most attractive! [Love you] [Heart] @HanYi
In his excitement, he forgot to switch to his private account. It wasn’t until after posting that he realized he wasn’t using a pseudonym.
In less than a minute, his comment stood out among the rest, shooting to the top of the trending list.
Xia Yang: “!!!!”
Netizens reacted with glee, as if they were munching on fresh gossip in a melon field.
@LittleChickenRun: Hahaha, caught a little fanboy [Hehe]
@GiveMeMoney: Wow! So, idols also idolize “idols” [Hehe]
@AngelBaby: So cute! Yang-yang, such a beautiful person, actually uses cheesy lines. Love it!
@WhenWillYouMarryMeXiaYang: Wuwuwu, hubby, do you not love me anymore?
@HubbyHubbySaySomething: @XiaYang, good taste! Definitely Han Ba-ba’s true fan~
@ThunderAndLight: I’m imagining a sweet story of a domineering CEO and a popular idol.
@WhoTheLittleOne: @ThunderAndLight, here’s a pen for you.
@EndaTheDuckEater: Haha, just trying to get attention? Han Yi probably doesn’t even know you. You don’t deserve to @XiaYang.
@WhenAreYouGonnaDie: Which sewer lid wasn’t properly closed, letting you crawl out? Yang-yang shot a commercial for Han Ba-ba’s group’s cruise line half a year ago, and his studio has investments from Yunding Group. And even if they’re not close, can’t he talk? I think you’re the one trying to get attention [Disdain]
@BlushingBandit: Hehe, read between the lines. What’s with the [Love you] [Heart] emojis? [Smirk][Smirk]
Xia Yang regretted his impulsive post but knew deleting it would only make things worse.
He could only let the comment sit at the top of the list.
About twenty minutes later, his phone buzzed with a few WeChat messages.
He opened them and saw one from his agent.
@AgentQiGe: You really know how to get attention [ThumbsUp]
@AgentQiGe: But, that Han Chairman probably doesn’t like being associated with strangers. Just this once, but be more careful next time.
Xia Yang: “…”
He’s not a stranger. Definitely not trying to get attention.
Though he knew he had to keep a low profile, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of rebellion.
@Yang: Ge, actually, I do have a bit of a connection with that Han Chairman.
@AgentQiGe: Yeah, I know. Your studio has his company’s investment, but that doesn’t mean you can develop a deeper relationship.
@Yang: Why not?
@AgentQiGe: Because, according to some exclusive insider info I have, this big boss seems to have a wife.
@AgentQiGe: Bro, I know this might be hard to hear, but we need to face reality, right?
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
Obrigada pela tradução