Chapter 039
The bathroom was filled with swirling steam. Ji Tingqian kept his eyes closed, letting the hot water cascade over his face. His expression was utterly unlike his usual self; his brows were knitted tightly together, and the hand resting by his side was clenched into a fist with such force that the veins on his arm bulged prominently, as if he were struggling desperately to suppress something.
Ji Tingqian’s mind was consumed entirely by Ming Huai: Ming Huai smiling, Ming Huai crying, Ming Huai in the throes of passion. Frame after frame flashed through his thoughts like scenes in a revolving lantern. Only now did he realize that this person, Ming Huai, had carved such a profound mark upon his heart.
During that phone call earlier in the evening, he had heard only fragments. On the other end was a man, calling Ming Huai “baby.” It was merely a term of endearment, yet Ji Tingqian found himself unexpectedly consumed by it. At that moment, he didn’t even realize how much effort it had taken to restrain the fury surging within him and the urge to shout out his accusations.
Ji Tingqian had always been a man of composure, yet this one person, Ming Huai, could effortlessly pluck the strings of his mind, drawing him closer and commanding his attention against his will. He knew clearly that some things were likely wrong; he had told himself hundreds of times in his heart to stay away from Ming Huai, not to soften, not to look back. Yet, whenever Ming Huai faltered even slightly, he found himself frozen to the spot, unable to move.
The next day, Ming Huai was completely distracted, even making a minor yet noticeable mistake during filming. It seemed to be Ming Huai’s unique charm; Fu Hairong, known for his strictness and exacting standards, showed more tolerance toward him than toward others. For such inconsequential errors, Fu Hairong would merely scold him briefly before reshooting the scene, letting it go at that. Usually, only Ji Tingqian received such treatment from him.
Last night, the more Ming Huai thought about it, the more something felt off. It was one thing for Xu Zhuoyan to come alone, but he couldn’t fathom why Ji Peihan had tagged along. The Xu and Ji families were old friends, yet their business focuses and market strategies differed significantly. While Xu Zhuoyan and Ji Tingqian were close, Ming Huai had never heard of any deep bond between Xu Zhuoyan and Ji Peihan.
During Ming Huai’s break, Ji Tingqian happened to have no scenes scheduled either. Having reverted to his true self two days prior, Ming Huai slipped away the moment Manager Yu Fanglan let her guard down, making a beeline for Ji Tingqian. Ji Tingqian was in mid-conversation with Xu Hanchao when he spotted Ming Huai approaching; he immediately halted his discussion and shifted his gaze entirely onto Ming Huai.
“Brother Ji,” Ming Huai greeted, his smile curving his eyes into an exceptionally captivating arc. Coupled with his exquisite features, the sight was almost dazzling.
Ji Tingqian took in the entire scene, his eyes instantly darkening by several shades.
The weather was stiflingly hot, and the costume was heavy. Ming Huai had been jogging without a break, and by the time he reached Ji Tingqian, a few beads of sweat were sliding down his forehead. Ji Tingqian, seeing this, effortlessly picked up a wet wipe from the side and held it out to Ming Huai. “Wipe off your sweat.”
“Thank you, Brother Ji.” Ming Huai took the wipe and casually dabbed at his face, unaware that beneath Ji Tingqian’s indifferent exterior, his heart was churning with regret. If he hadn’t reacted in time, he would have been the one wiping the sweat off Ming Huai himself.
Xu Hanchao looked suspiciously from Ming Huai to Ji Tingqian, utterly baffled. He had only taken his eyes off them for a few days; how had their relationship become so close? At the very least, Xu Hanchao had never seen Ji Tingqian offer a tissue to anyone else.
Ming Huai had few scenes to shoot today. After wrapping up, since he still needed to meet Xu Zhuoyan, the two of them didn’t linger on set. When he left, Ji Tingqian was still filming with Group B, so Ming Huai simply bid farewell to Fu Hairong before departing.
Yu Fanglan had recently relied on her keen female intuition to sense that something was off with Ming Huai. Fearing things might spiral out of control, she decided to go all in, shadowing him constantly and keeping him firmly under her watchful eye. If mistakes still happened under such scrutiny, then there truly would be nothing more she could do.
Thus, when Yu Fanglan heard Ming Huai tell her he planned to spend the night away from home, she nearly exploded. With only the two of them in the room, Yu Fanglan slammed her water glass down on the table and glared at him, demanding, “Just who are you planning to spend the night with?”
Ming Huai had considered slipping away on his own; after all, the chances of Yu Fanglan finding out were slim, and even if she did, what could she really do? At most, she’d scold him a few times.
But then Ming Huai realized that the destination and the people he was about to meet were not meant to be exposed. If someone managed to capture photos, it would spark a chain of scandals, leaving Yu Fanglan caught off guard and struggling to contain the fallout.
It would be better to come clean than to keep comparing the two.
“My sister came to see me.” How could Ming Huai dare mention that Xu Zhuoyan was also there?
“Your sister?” Yu Fanglan looked Ming Huai up and down, seeming both convinced and unconvinced.
Ming Huai added, “The one who was photographed by reporters last time.”
After a long pause, Yu Fanglan finally nodded. She knew she couldn’t really restrain Ming Huai, so she settled for one last warning: “Be careful; don’t let the reporters catch you.” Hesitating for a moment, she added, “If you realize you’ve been photographed, contact me immediately.”
Ming Huai nodded repeatedly. With that face of his looking so obedient, Yu Fanglan simply couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Clicking her high heels, she strode out of Ming Huai’s room.
Ming Huai casually gathered his things. He changed into a simple white printed T-shirt, paired with white canvas sneakers, a backpack, and a baseball cap. The entire ensemble looked perfectly natural on him, without a hint of dissonance.
Xu Zhuoyan had previously sent a text message saying a car was waiting outside, followed by another message with the license plate number. Ming Huai walked from the main gate to the roadside and, following the location pin Xu Zhuoyan had sent, easily found the black sedan parked beneath a tree.
Ming Huai tapped on the car window. It rolled down slowly, revealing a face adorned with exquisite makeup. The woman offered a sweet smile and, seeing Ming Huai’s slightly surprised expression, said, “Huai Huai, get in.”
“Sister…” Ming Huai chuckled helplessly before walking around the car, opening the passenger door, and sliding inside.
After fastening his seatbelt, Ming Huai turned to her curiously. “What brings you here?”
“Just came to see if my silly little brother has managed to win over his ‘older brother’ yet,” Ji Peihan replied teasingly as she started the engine.
At the mention of this, an unmistakable sense of helplessness crossed Ming Huai’s face. He spread his hands and complained lightly, “It’s still too early. I tested the waters a few days ago, only to find that everything has to start all over again.”
Ji Peihan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She had already learned the full story from Xu Zhuoyan. “Come on, you should know Tingqian’s personality better than anyone. He’s so reserved. If he says he’s not interested, do you actually believe him?”
Why wouldn’t he believe it? Ming Huai fidgeted with his fingers, lost in thought. He believed every word Ji Tingqian said. Besides, that day Ji Tingqian had been so resolute, his reaction so intense—it was clearly heartfelt honesty. There truly had been no spark of attraction.
Ji Peihan first drove the car into the garage, while Ming Huai entered the house ahead of her. Walking side by side with Xu Zhuoyan, he asked, “What exactly are you and my second sister planning? Why all the secrecy?”
No wonder no one ever said Xu Zhuoyan and Ji Tingqian looked alike. Even with Ming Huai present, he remained utterly unassuming. He guided Ming Huai to the living room sofa, then retrieved several cans of beer from the refrigerator and placed them on the table.
Ji Peihan had already parked the car. Upon entering, she settled beside Ming Huai, picked up a can from the table, popped it open, and pressed it into his hand before opening another for herself.
Ming Huai took two swallows of the beer, the cool liquid rushing straight down to the pit of his stomach. He licked his lips, glanced sideways, and found both of them staring at him. He paused mid-action and asked, “Why are you both looking at me like that?”
“Nothing,” Ji Peihan replied with a smile.
The group was simply sitting in the living room, chatting idly. Xu Zhuoyan, a man of few words, sat quietly to the side, watching Ji Peihan and Ming Huai.
At nine o’clock in the evening, as the final scene of the day wrapped up, the film crew finally called it a day. Ji Tingqian finally found a moment to himself; with a hint of nervousness, he scanned the surroundings with his eyes, searching for someone specific. Yet, the person he longed to see was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, last night’s phone call flashed into his mind.
Noticing his grim expression, Amy leaned over and asked, “Brother Ji, are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” Ji Tingqian replied, a storm brewing in his eyes. He asked, “Have you seen Ming Huai?”
Amy thought for a moment before replying, “It seems Teacher Ming left quite a while ago. If I remember correctly, he departed sometime after seven o’clock, and he looked rather hurried.”
“After seven?” Ji Tingqian repeated Amy’s words, his expression now so grim it seemed ready to drip with gloom.
At that moment, a delicate and coquettish voice rang out nearby, “Brother Ji, I have something to discuss with you. I wonder if you have time.”
Lin Zhimeng approached while holding her phone. Knowing she no longer had any chance with Ji Tingqian, she dropped all pretense of innocence. A faint, mocking curl touched the corners of her lips. Before Ji Tingqian could refuse, Lin Zhimeng spoke first, “Isn’t Brother Ji looking for Ming Huai?”
“Amy, go ahead and wait for me there,” Ji Tingqian said, lowering his gaze to look at Lin Zhimeng, his indifferent eyes radiating an icy chill.
Only after seeing the other person leave did Lin Zhimeng step closer. She shook her phone slightly and offered an innocent smile. She knew Ji Tingqian’s patience was limited, and coincidentally, she herself was eager to deliver this news to him quickly. If she, Lin Zhimeng, couldn’t have it, then Ming Huai certainly wouldn’t get it either.
By 10:30, Ji Peihan and her companion still hadn’t explained the purpose of their visit, though it was genuinely late. Xu Zhuoyan escorted Ming Huai upstairs to the second floor, saying, “I’ll drive you to the film set tomorrow morning.”
As Xu Zhuoyan turned to leave, Ming Huai called out to him, bewildered. “Did you and my second sister really come all this way just to chat with me all night?”
“Yes,” Xu Zhuoyan nodded, then walked away from the second floor without looking back.
At this point, Ming Huai decided not to overthink it. He soaked comfortably in a bath, blow-dried his hair until it was half-dry, slipped into his loose pajamas, and yawning, made his way toward the bed.
Yet the moment he had barely touched the bed, a forceful pounding erupted at the door. Ming Huai propped himself up, assuming it was Xu Zhuoyan or Ji Peihan needing something. Barefoot, he hurried across the room in three long strides and twisted the doorknob open. But upon seeing who stood outside, Ming Huai froze on the spot, his eyes widening in bewilderment as he stared at the figure before him, utterly unable to comprehend how someone who should never have appeared here had suddenly materialized at his doorstep.
“Ji…”
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Still reeling from shock and unable to gather his thoughts, Ming Huai found himself pinned against the wall by the man in the next instant. A palpable sense of danger enveloped him entirely. He blinked, his body trembling involuntarily. Gazing up at the person pressing down on him, he saw a face brimming with ferocity, as if ready to devour him whole in the very next moment.
Ji Tingqian remained silent, yet his silence was more terrifying than any words or actions could ever be. For a man usually so aloof, once his emotions erupted, nothing ordinary could compare to its intensity.
Ming Huai’s mind felt like a rusted machine, utterly unable to function. It was as if the past and present had overlapped. The old Ji Tingqian would occasionally behave this way, and whenever he did, Ming Huai knew for certain he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed the next day.
Ming Huai had no capacity left to wonder why Ji Tingqian appeared here, how he had arrived, or how he managed to enter. None of these questions fell within the scope of his thoughts. He instinctively took a step back, only to find there was nowhere left to retreat.
What happened in the next second was enough to make Ming Huai scream aloud. He felt a sudden dizzying spin before falling into a steady, secure embrace. Confused and helpless, he leaned against Ji Tingqian’s chest, his exposed skin quickly flushing pink.
What happened next spiraled completely out of control.
Ming Huai was whisked away, ushered into Ji Tingqian’s car, and then driven to another location. When he was finally lifted and tossed onto the bed, Ming Huai still hadn’t regained his senses. Shivering, he stared up at Ji Tingqian; past experience told him that whatever came next would surely be nothing good.
Ji Tingqian hovered over Ming Huai, his expression as cold as still water, yet his deep eyes burned with madness. He had marked Ming Huai as his own territory, his gaze roaming over every inch of him, so scorching it seemed ready to pierce through the thin layer of fabric.
“Did he touch you?”
“Where did he touch you?”
Ming Huai was utterly powerless to stop Ji Tingqian’s actions; he felt like a lamb led to the slaughter. Before long, the outer layer covering him was stripped away completely.
“No, no one touched me,” Ming Huai forced out with difficulty. Cornered to this extent, under such bright lights that cast a faint rosy hue over every inch of his skin, he turned his head aside in embarrassment, unable to bear Ji Tingqian’s gaze.
“Do you still like me?” Ji Tingqian acted as if he hadn’t seen Ming Huai’s words. He stroked Ming Huai’s hair with a gentle touch, yet his eyes were fierce and unyielding.
After a long silence, a few soft words drifted through the quiet space: “I love you.”