In the context of a music group, going solo is always a sensitive topic. If both parties amicably agree to part ways and pursue their own paths, fans may be heartbroken, but they typically move on to support the individual members or leave the fandom altogether.
But Su Shengbai’s departure from Yaxing Studios had been anything but amicable.
Cao Dingkun, known for his straightforwardness, had initially wanted to promote Su Shengbai. However, when the group’s popularity didn’t pick up, and Gu Yaxing refused to release him, Cao had no choice but to pay the contract termination fees, leaving no room for argument.
But legal procedures always took time.
At the time, Su Shengbai had likely never imagined that Luo Ding would rise to such heights. News of the group’s breakup had barely made it into the gossip columns of small tabloids. Now, those same blurry photos from the press conference announcing the group’s disbandment were circulating online. In those pictures, Su Shengbai, unable to hide his excitement at the prospect of success, sat beaming, while Luo Ding, seated on the opposite side of the long table, remained silent, his head bowed. The young man’s handsome face was clouded with melancholy, a look that tugged at the hearts of his current fans.
Journalists, always eager to stir up trouble, soon unearthed more stories, including the close relationship between Su Shengbai and Cao Dingkun. It wasn’t long before industry insiders revealed that it was Cao Dingkun who had poached Su Shengbai from Yaxing Studios, raising even more suspicions about their relationship.
In this world, nothing happens without leaving a trace.
But before the truth could be revealed, Su Shengbai’s innocent façade had already begun to crack.
Many who had long disliked him seized the opportunity to dig up dirt. Fortunately for Su Shengbai, he had been cautious over the years, leaving few scandals to be exposed. Otherwise, this storm could have completely toppled him.
As Luo Ding listened to Su Shengbai’s tearful complaints and explanations over the phone, he casually responded, agreeing to everything. Meanwhile, he took the boarding pass Duan Xiubo handed him and headed to the boarding lounge.
Duan Xiubo observed him closely, his expression neutral, but his ears were attuned to the frustration in Luo Ding’s eyes as he listened to Su Shengbai’s voice.
“I’ve regretted it for years…” Su Shengbai sobbed, the sound of him blowing his nose especially unpleasant.
After showing his boarding pass and entering the lounge, Luo Ding responded with empty assurances, “I know, I know.”
“Do you blame me?”
“I don’t blame you.”
“I was so wrong back then… But you have to believe me, nothing was going on between me and Cao-ge. He’s not gay. I was just afraid he would discriminate against me, so I didn’t tell him about our relationship.”
Luo Ding mentally applauded his audacious lie. “I know, I know.”
“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” Su Shengbai’s sobs quieted down, though he was still sniffling.
“No, why would I be mad at you?”
“Then… could you help clear my name?” Su Shengbai tentatively asked, afraid Luo Ding might get angry. He quickly added, “During an event the other day, someone threw eggs at my car! It was so scary… all because of what happened in the past…”
Luo Ding had known this was coming and didn’t point it out. Instead, he pretended to be in a difficult situation. “I wanted to clarify things as soon as it came out, but Gu Yaxing took control of my Weibo account. I don’t have any other way to speak out. Now I’m busy with filming and heading abroad, so I won’t have the chance for any domestic interviews…”
Gu Yaxing!
Su Shengbai was fuming. Back when the group had disbanded, Gu Yaxing had bluntly told him that his decision to go solo would be a fleeting success, if any. Although Su Shengbai knew Gu Yaxing had only said that to spite him, the trajectory of his career after Cao Dingkun’s death had aligned with Gu Yaxing’s prediction. It was like a curse! Gu Yaxing must have been bitter about his departure, secretly hoping for his downfall!
But Luo Ding’s gentle reassurance was a balm to Su Shengbai’s wounded pride.
Luo Ding’s meteoric rise had taken Su Shengbai by surprise. With the young actor on the cusp of starring in a major Hollywood production, his future seemed incredibly bright. Su Shengbai vividly remembered the words the other person had said to him at the *Fashion* party.
Now, Luo Ding was no longer as easy to manipulate as he had been in the past, so Su Shengbai adjusted his strategy, becoming more compliant and considerate. Luo Ding hadn’t yet found a new agency and still had to follow Gu Yaxing’s directives. But as he grew more famous, his influence would inevitably increase. By then, the opinions of people like Gu Yaxing and the fanbase would be insignificant. As long as Luo Ding made a statement, Su Shengbai’s damaged reputation could be quickly restored.
After a few more gentle reminders for Luo Ding to take care of himself, Su Shengbai reluctantly hung up the phone.
Luo Ding let out a long sigh of relief.
Duan Xiubo, who had overheard bits of the conversation, deduced the obvious. “Su Shengbai?”
“Yeah,” Luo Ding nodded, rubbing his temples. “He wants me to clear his name.”
The tenderness in Luo Ding’s voice on the call and the annoyance in his eyes had already allowed Duan Xiubo to piece together a soap opera-worthy drama. Holding back his jealousy, Duan asked nonchalantly, “Are you still close with him? The reports say he abandoned you to go solo. Is that true?”
“It’s true.”
“Then how does he have the nerve to ask for such a favor?”
Luo Ding didn’t know how to explain it. Because Su Shengbai saw him as his backup plan? Was that why Su Shengbai felt justified in acting spoiled and unreasonable? There was no way he could say that, so Luo Ding brushed it off. “It’s complicated.”
Duan Xiubo frowned. What was Luo Ding avoiding?
Thinking about the ghastly scar on Luo Ding’s wrist, Duan grabbed him by the shoulders and asked in a low voice, “Did you try to slit your wrist over him?”
Duan Xiubo’s persistence on this issue caught Luo Ding off guard. While Duan’s guess was spot-on, it didn’t alarm Luo Ding much. It wasn’t that he couldn’t share the truth—it was just a difficult subject to broach.
After ensuring no one around could overhear them, Luo Ding nodded and admitted frankly, “Yes.”
Shit!
Duan Xiubo’s eyes widened in disbelief. That wild guess was actually true?!
Luo Ding had really slit his wrist for Su Shengbai?!
What kind of soap opera nonsense was this?! So, Luo Ding’s rise to fame was essentially the story of a young man being abandoned by a friend, only to turn his life around? But how could anyone, especially Luo Ding, have been so quick to give up on life over a friend? This wasn’t some tragic romance!
Wait!
Tragic romance…
Duan Xiubo’s mind spiraled as he imagined a scenario that nearly made his blood boil.
Noticing how odd Duan Xiubo was acting, Mi Rui, who had been standing nearby, asked with concern, “Duan-ge, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”
Duan Xiubo’s mouth twitched. “Get lost.”
Damn it.
Mi Rui scowled as he backed away. If you weren’t the one paying me, I’d quit tomorrow!
As he retreated, Mi Rui bumped into a solid figure. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with Wu Fangyuan’s large, innocent eyes. The big guy was staring at him seriously.
Mi Rui’s heartache over his salary was quickly healed as he compared his own income to Wu Fangyuan’s. Feeling smug again, Mi Rui adjusted his glasses and walked away with his head held high.
Despite his burning curiosity, Duan Xiubo dared not ask about his suspicions. Regardless of the answer, it wouldn’t be good for him. If his guess turned out to be true, he’d be too angry to sleep tonight. If it was false, Luo Ding would probably be confused about why Duan had jumped to such conclusions. That would definitely damage his image of being calm and composed!
Even by the time the plane landed, Duan Xiubo was still simmering in frustration.
By the time they arrived at the filming set, Duan, Luo Ding, and the others were all in a foul mood, except for the blissfully ignorant Wu Fangyuan. Carmen Clovis, the director, felt a chill run down his spine as they entered the room.
“…Luo,” Clovis hesitated for a moment before bypassing the unusually expressionless Duan Xiubo to embrace Luo Ding. “Congratulations! I heard your album is doing incredibly well. Duan sent me…”
Duan Xiubo’s face immediately darkened. He reached out to interrupt, “Has everyone for the training arrived?”
Clovis was baffled. “?”
But Luo Ding sensed something was off. “Duan-ge sent you something? Was it my album?”
Duan Xiubo pursed his lips, attempting to interject, but Luo Ding gave him a knowing smile that silenced him.
Seeing Duan’s reaction, Clovis cautiously replied, “Yes… He didn’t just send it to me. Emma, Tony, and many others in the crew received copies…”
Duan Xiubo, feeling like he had been slapped in the face, turned away.
Luo Ding leaned closer to Duan, still smiling. “Duan-ge?”
“Hmm?” Duan Xiubo responded with forced seriousness.
“How many copies did you buy?”
“Not many.”
“How many?”
“Really, not many…”
“How. Many.”
“…A thousand.”
This time, Luo Ding was genuinely touched.
His expression shifted several times before settling into a wry smile.
“Thank you.” He tugged at Duan Xiubo’s arm. “Why were you embarrassed to tell me? I’ll also be recommending your movie to my friends to help boost ticket sales. Thank you for promoting my album.”
Duan Xiubo, finally feeling less awkward, replied, “It was nothing.”
******
Sitting in the corner, Duan Xiubo kept his eyes locked on Luo Ding, making Clovis speak more cautiously than usual.
In the same small room were thirteen people, including Duan Xiubo, Luo Ding, and one woman.
That woman was none other than the undisputed female lead of “Blade Warrior III.” However, due to the limited screen time for female characters in this film, Emma Routrange, often hailed as Hollywood’s sweetheart, was little more than a supporting role compared to the male leads.
She played the role of the elven queen of the northern continent.
Arriving just five minutes before the meeting began, she was dressed in a stunning mini-skirt and sky-high heels, radiating confidence and beauty.
Clovis said to her, “You’ll need to spend a lot of time studying the elven queen’s aura. Don’t underestimate your limited screen time. If you’re captivating enough, the audience won’t forget what they’ve glimpsed.”
Emma straightened her posture and gave Clovis a regal smile.
Clovis shook his head. “Nowhere near enough.”
One of the actors playing a warrior, Um, patted Emma on the shoulder as a gesture of comfort. She dodged his touch and happened to catch Luo Ding’s gaze from across the table. She pursed her pink lips and gave Luo Ding a polite smile.
Luo Ding returned her greeting with a friendly nod.
Seeing his smile, Emma seemed momentarily surprised. Her gaze softened, and she waved gracefully at Luo Ding with her slender right hand.
Duan Xiubo, sitting beside Luo Ding, noticed their exchange and furrowed his brows. Wrapping his arm around Luo Ding’s waist, he whispered a warning.
“Don’t get distracted. What Clovis is saying is important.”
He shot a glance at Emma.
This wasn’t Duan Xiubo’s first time working with Emma. They were quite familiar with each other, so she playfully blinked her large eyes and switched her greeting to Duan.
This was met by a not-so-friendly look from Um.
Duan Xiubo felt a headache coming on.
—
R : I can also feel a headache coming hahaha
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! ★~(◡‿◡✿)
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