Xia Yang felt like crying, and couldn’t even manage to type a message. He quickly sent a voice note explaining, “No, no, no, this isn’t the great thing I did. A friend of mine wanted to see the alpha’s photos, and I accidentally sent them to you.”
[Han Yi]: .
A simple period sat in the chat box. It felt cold, indifferent, and deceptively calm, but underneath, there was a turbulent undercurrent—a clear message: “I don’t believe you.”
Covering his face in regret, Xia Yang felt as if he’d slipped into a mud pit and couldn’t climb out. He clutched his phone, waiting for a response, but nothing came. He thought for a while, trying to gauge Han Yi’s thoughts, and sent a few more messages.
[Xia Yang]: “Really, a friend wanted to see them.”
[Xia Yang]: “And honestly, this model’s body is pretty average. Sure, it’s big, but it’s not the perfect proportion I have in mind. Oh, by ‘big,’ I mean muscle mass!”
After adding this clarification, he continued holding his phone, waiting for a reply.
He initially thought Han Yi might ask what his idea of a perfect body was, which would give him the chance to shower Han Yi with compliments: “Just like you, darling.”
Even though he’d never actually seen Han Yi “bare-chested,” who doesn’t love a bit of flattery? It would at least help smooth over the awkwardness of the situation.
But as much as he hoped, reality didn’t match his expectations. He waited all the way to the hotel, but the chat remained quiet. His plan to resolve the situation went unused…
Meanwhile, Han Yi had just finished a meeting.
The marketing director and the R&D director had a disagreement on an issue, so he spent over an hour listening to both sides and made the final decision.
After handling the work, he picked up his phone and saw two messages from Xia Yang from over an hour ago.
Han Yi listened to them, pursed his lips, and was about to press the voice call button but hesitated at the last moment.
It was 8:30 PM.
He lowered his eyes in thought, then put down his phone and used the desk phone to call his secretary.
“Come to my office.”
“Okay, Mr. Han.”
Five minutes later, the secretary entered.
“What important plans do I have tomorrow?” Han Yi asked.
“Mr. Han, tomorrow morning is the annual report meeting with the various subsidiaries, which will be conducted via video conference. In the afternoon, there’s a company visiting to discuss a collaboration, and then there are some business project approvals,” the secretary reported.
Han Yi nodded, “Bring me the approval documents now. Also, inform Vice President Wang that he’ll be in charge of the collaboration meeting tomorrow afternoon. I won’t be available.”
“Understood, Mr. Han,” the secretary noted, then asked, “Should we prepare a car for you tomorrow afternoon?”
“No need,” Han Yi replied, “I’ll drive myself.”
…
The next afternoon at 3 PM, Xia Yang finished filming his scenes for the day. There was only one more scene to shoot tomorrow before wrapping up.
The director mentioned that he could go back to the hotel to rest if he wanted, but Xia Yang decided to stay a bit longer, feeling nostalgic about the three months of filming. He didn’t have much to do back at the hotel and wanted to spend a little more time on set.
“I’ll just stay here and watch everyone else film, learn a bit,” he said, holding a cup of hot coffee.
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ke immediately approached him, “That’s great, Xia Yang! If you’re not in a hurry, could you do me a favor?”
“What favor? You tell me.”
“My assistant had to leave unexpectedly, so could you record a short video for me while I’m shooting?”
The next scene involved Li Ke taking a shower, representing an emotional release before his character’s death.
“You can film from the director’s side using my phone. This scene is important to me, and I want to document it.”
“…Oh.” Xia Yang was a bit puzzled but agreed, finding Li Ke’s sentiment peculiar.
Seeing Xia Yang’s confusion, Li Ke explained with a smile, “I have my assistant film all my firsts in acting—first kiss, first cry, first time playing a fool. I want the rawest, most unfiltered moments, so I can review and improve.”
“Impressive!” Xia Yang understood and admired his dedication, giving a thumbs up.
Serious actors are rare these days. With such a spirit of pursuing excellence, he couldn’t refuse to help. He pulled out his phone, only to find the battery warning flashing, indicating less than 20% left.
“I brought a power bank,” Li Ke pointed to a simple shelf in the corner of the set. “It’s in the black fanny pack. You can grab it. Use my phone for filming; the passcode is 2222.”
“Got it.” Xia Yang nodded.
Half an hour later, everything was ready.
The clapperboard snapped, and the camera rolled. Li Ke, shirtless, stood under the shower.
Cold water poured over him, drenching his hair, which clung to his forehead, obscuring his tense brows and hollow eyes.
Xia Yang filmed the scene from an appropriate angle, capturing the raw emotion on video.
The director watched the monitor, shaking his head. “The expression’s not quite right, a bit overdone. We’ll have to do another take. But I have to say, Li’s physique is impressive; no wonder he hits the gym daily.”
“Yeah,” Xia Yang agreed flatly, his face expressionless as he stared at the phone, feeling indifferent.
Just then, a call came in on the phone connected to the power bank. The phone’s owner was too focused on filming to notice…
“It wasn’t answered.” In the studio parking lot, Han Yi put down his phone, noting aloud.
He had arrived ten minutes earlier and happened to see Tang Siming.
Tang Siming’s scenes were scheduled for 5 PM, so he had just arrived.
“He might be filming. Let’s go; I’ll take you to the set,” Tang Siming smiled at Han Yi. “I know you’re here to see your wife.”
“Alright.” Han Yi nodded.
It took about ten minutes to walk from the parking lot to Studio 2. As they approached, the assistant director, Mao Liao, stepped out.
“Hey, Mao,” Tang Siming called out, waving. “Is Xia Yang still filming?”
“No, he finished his scenes early today,” Mao Liao joked, “Right now, Xia Yang’s enjoying watching a hunk take a shower.”
Han Yi: “?”
Tang Siming: “?”
Tang Siming: “Are you kidding me?”
“How did you know?” Mao Liao chuckled, seeing his serious expression, he explained, “It’s just Li Ke’s shower scene. Xia Yang’s filming a video. Who doesn’t enjoy watching a muscular guy? Right?”
Han Yi: “…”
Tang Siming: “…”
He glanced at Han Yi, noticing his thin lips pressed into a line. After sending Mao Liao off, he patted Han Yi’s shoulder, trying to console him.
“That actor Mao mentioned is known as our studio’s resident muscleman. He’s always lifting weights, even during filming.”
“It’s normal for your wife to enjoy the sight. They’ve been on set for two to three months, feeling lonely and not seeing you…” Realizing he was going off-track, Tang Siming quickly stopped.
What was he thinking?
Internally scolding himself, Tang Siming coughed and tried a different approach, “What I mean is, Xia Yang probably watched the scene out of boredom, not because the actor’s muscular. Your wife wouldn’t be interested in a muscular guy.”
Han Yi: Heh.
Yesterday’s images of chest and abs flashed through his mind.
To say Xia Yang wasn’t interested in muscular men… he doubted that.
As they spoke, the studio doors opened, and Xia Yang, the director, and Li Ke emerged.
Xia Yang was wrapped in a white short down coat. The director seemed to be explaining something to him and Li Ke as they walked.
All three were completely absorbed in the discussion, paying no attention to anything else.
“It looks like they’re done filming,” Tang Siming nudged Han Yi, then whispered in his ear, “Hey, Han, you’re not here to make things official with your wife, are you?”
“…No.”
“Then I’ll just say you’re here to visit me.”
He knew how to cover for a friend.
“Hello, Director Guo! Look who came to visit,” Tang Siming waved, raising his voice.
The three turned to look in their direction.
The director, upon seeing Han Yi, was momentarily stunned but quickly plastered a smile on his face and hurried over.
He extended his hand well before reaching them.
“What a surprise! Mr. Han, it’s an honor to meet you!”
Han Yi, expressionless, briefly shook the director’s hand. His gaze shifted past the director’s shoulder to meet Xia Yang’s eyes.
“!!!”
Xia Yang was stunned, stopping in his tracks, his eyes wide with surprise.
What was Han Yi doing here?
Lately, his surprise visits were becoming a habit!
“Tang said Mr. Han had business here and dropped by to visit the set,” Tang Siming’s voice came at just the right moment, giving Xia Yang a subtle look.
Those who understood would understand, no need for explanations.
The oblivious director followed Tang Siming’s lead, genuinely marveling, “Wow! Tang, you really have connections, getting Mr. Han to visit the set. So envious!”
Tang Siming: “…”
Han Yi didn’t respond, his gaze shifting from the director’s grinning face back to the distant figure.
Li Ke, next to Xia Yang, tugged on his sleeve, whispering, “Xia Yang, that guy seems to be looking at you. Do you know him?”
“Uh…” Xia Yang stammered, unsure of what to say.
Though Han Yi had revealed his feelings, it didn’t mean they could flaunt their relationship.
His agent might kill him.
With that in mind, he shook his head and denied, “No, I don’t know him.”
“Wow, but he looks so familiar,” Li Ke mused.
Xia Yang suddenly remembered when Han Yi had unexpectedly appeared at his hotel, and Li Ke had mistaken him for a suspicious character.
Back then, he had jokingly explained Han Yi was his uncle.
Damn. He had just denied knowing him; hopefully, his “uncle” wouldn’t blow his cover…
As he frantically thought of a solution, Tang Siming suddenly called out, “Hey, Xia Yang, didn’t you and Mr. Han meet before?”
Xia Yang, still scrambling, was caught off guard by the question and instinctively replied, “No, I’ve never met him.”
Han Yi: “…”
Tang Siming: “…”
There was a brief silence before Tang Siming coughed and, signaling with his eyes, continued, “Well, if you haven’t met, this is a great opportunity. Mr. Han said he admires you.”
Han Yi: “…”
Xia Yang: “…”
The director glanced between them, suddenly raising an eyebrow. He pulled Li Ke away, smiling, “Well, you all chat. We’ll go prepare for the next scene. See you.”
Li Ke, catching the hint, gave Xia Yang a sympathetic look and whispered, “Xia Yang, be careful. Don’t get targeted. Nowadays, many big shots are wolves in sheep’s clothing. When they say they admire you, they actually just want your body.”
Xia Yang: “…”
The others who overheard: “…”
The director, grinding his teeth, quickly dragged Li Ke away. Once they were out of earshot, Tang Siming exhaled and patted Han Yi’s shoulder, “Alright, you two. Now that the coast is clear, you can talk freely.”
With that, he left as well.
Silence settled between them, neither speaking, only the rustle of wind in the treetops breaking the quiet.
Xia Yang looked up at Han Yi’s deep, inscrutable eyes. After a moment, he swallowed, his voice shaky, “You… weren’t you here to visit Tang Siming?”
“Do I seem that free? I’m not chasing after him.” Han Yi’s voice was low and cold, his lips pressed tight.
Xia Yang’s heart raced, feeling like a cat’s paw was scratching at his chest.
But any joy lasted only a moment before he felt a pang of anxiety.
After all, he had just…
“So you… came here just to see me?” he asked, his eyes darting away.
Han Yi didn’t answer.
“Did you… need something?”
Han Yi let out a cold chuckle, stepped forward, and grabbed Xia Yang’s wrist, his gaze sharp and dark.
“I’m here to settle a score. You’ve been away too long; you don’t even recognize your own husband.”
Author’s Note:
Han Yi: Choose one of the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty.
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