Chapter 65

“Brother Wen, saying it like that really hurts my feelings.”

Chang Ming slowly rubbed the positioning tracker in his hand. There wasn’t a trace of guilt or remorse on his face for what he’d done. “I was clearly just concerned about you.”

Wen Chaosheng heard his robber’s logic and felt his pupils tremble. “Concerned?”

“Yeah, Brother Wen, you forced me into this—”

Chang Ming paused for a moment, a hint of resentment entering his gaze as he looked at him.

“Ever since you came back to the country, you’ve refused to tell me your new address on WeChat. I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere asking you directly, so I had no choice but to track you down this way.”

He had anonymously bought this positioning tracker online ahead of time.

Last night in the hotel room, Chang Ming had slipped his hand into Wen Chaosheng’s coat pocket under the pretense of a hug and planted the subtle device there.

The phone he’d found in the pocket had been a pure stroke of luck.

Wen Chaosheng had been in the midst of an emotional breakdown at the time, so he hadn’t noticed the sleight of hand.

After Wen Chaosheng left the hotel, Chang Ming hadn’t slept a wink all night.

He had first tracked the signal on the special app until he pinpointed this apartment building.

Then he had searched online for rental listings at Azure Bay Apartment Building, contacted the landlady pretending to be interested in renting, and smoothly gained entry to this unit.

Chang Ming concealed many details, putting on a false air of understanding. “I was worried you’d panic if you couldn’t find your phone, so I came over first thing this morning.”

Wen Chaosheng didn’t buy this man’s supposed “good intentions” for a second.

The building had a full sixteen floors, and there were surely plenty of units available for rent. How had Chang Ming zeroed in on this exact one so precisely?

“…”

Thank goodness he had refused Xi Zhui’s invitation last night.

Otherwise, it would have been Xi Zhui’s private address on the line right now!

Wen Chaosheng didn’t dare dwell on it. His breath caught in his throat. “Chang Ming, what exactly are you after?”

Over the past six years, he had witnessed Chang Ming’s control issues growing worse by the day. The man was constantly testing his boundaries—starting with exploiting his soft heart and goodwill, then escalating to all sorts of threats.

But this time, Chang Ming had gone beyond even his expectations. This kind of stalking crossed a line!

“Brother Wen, relax. I don’t mean you any harm.” Chang Ming’s gaze drifted from his face to the bedroom behind him. “Aren’t you going to invite me inside?”

Wen Chaosheng refused flatly. “It’s not convenient.”

“What’s so inconvenient about it?”

Chang Ming shot back, his tone turning accusatory. “Did Xi Zhui bring you back last night? Is he in the bedroom? Did you two sleep together?”

Wen Chaosheng’s expression turned incredulous. “You…”

Before he could get the words out, the main door swung open.

His subletting roommate from next door had skipped work to grab something and walked right into the scene, freezing in place at the sight of them.

Chang Ming flashed a polite smile at the unfamiliar roommate, seizing the perfect opening. “Brother Wen, your roommate’s back. Shall we head inside to talk? Or do you want me to bring it up right here—”

He paused, silently mouthing the name: Xi Zhui.

Wen Chaosheng’s Achilles’ heel was seized once more. He stepped aside in resignation. “Fine, come in. We’ll talk inside.”

“…”

So it wasn’t convenient until he dangled Xi Zhui?

Chang Ming’s pupils flashed with a vicious streak of jealousy that vanished in an instant.

The bedroom was cramped indeed, the narrow aisle just wide enough for a wheelchair to squeeze through.

Chang Ming glanced around before parking himself in front of the desk. He stared at the turtle in the constant-temperature tank and immediately thought of Wen Chaosheng’s long-unchanged WeChat profile picture.

“Brother Wen, who gave you this turtle?”

“…”

Wen Chaosheng didn’t answer.

He set the gift box from the landlady down in the corner and glanced over from a distance.

Black Boss, who hadn’t been let out of its cage yet, hopped about restlessly, eyeing the stranger warily. “Who! Who!”

Chang Ming watched it with keen interest and reached out to tease it. “Brother Wen, I didn’t know you were into these little critters. Why didn’t you ever mention it?”

“You’re the little critter!”

Black Boss bared its most aggressive side for the first time, viciously pecking at Chang Ming’s hand with its beak. “Get lost! Get lost!”

“Hiss—”

Blood welled up almost instantly on Chang Ming’s fingertip.

He stared at the bead of blood, a flash of murderous intent surging in his eyes toward Black Boss. He itched to reach out and snap the beast’s neck right then and there.

“Chang Ming, don’t touch it!”

Wen Chaosheng hurried to intervene. He approached and yanked the light-blocking cloth off the cage. “Boss, easy now. Quiet down.”

Sensing Wen Chaosheng’s favoritism and protectiveness, Chang Ming let out a cold snort. “Brother Wen, the one you should be worrying about is me.”

He squeezed his injured fingertip hard, and more blood oozed out the next moment.

Wen Chaosheng stared at the red stain, and for some reason, the blood sea from last night’s nightmare flashed through his mind. He forced his gaze away and cleaned up after the “troublemaking” Black Boss.

“There’s a medicine cabinet in the common area. I’ll grab you a band-aid.”

“…”

A subtle gleam of satisfaction flickered in Chang Ming’s eyes. “Fine. For your sake, I won’t hold this against the beast.”

Wen Chaosheng said nothing. He turned and headed out. He couldn’t stand sharing the same room with Chang Ming for even one more minute!

A moment later, Wen Chaosheng returned with an antiseptic swab and a band-aid. “Patch it up yourself.”

Chang Ming felt the lingering warmth of the medicine, a nostalgic note in his voice. “Brother Wen, you used to take care of my cuts for me.”

Wen Chaosheng ignored him.

His mind felt clearer now than it had the night before. Seizing the moment, he laid it out plainly. “Chang Ming, let’s talk this through properly.”

Chang Ming replied, “Sure thing, Brother Wen. What do you want to discuss?”

Wen Chaosheng lowered his gaze and reminded him gently, “That accident happened six years ago. It’s time for you to move on. I can’t stay by your side taking care of you forever.”

Over the years—whether footing the bill for Chang Ming’s treatments, commissioning expensive custom prosthetics, or covering the rent and daily expenses for him and his mother overseas—

Wen Chaosheng believed he had done everything in his power. By any measure, emotional or rational, he no longer owed Chang Ming anything.

The past couldn’t be undone.

Wen Chaosheng didn’t dwell on what he’d lost in those years. He considered the six years a fair price for a clear conscience.

“…”

The fake smile on Chang Ming’s face finally vanished completely at those words. “Brother Wen, you want to leave me?”

Wen Chaosheng met his abruptly shifted gaze and felt a surge of inexplicable panic and fear.

He took a deep breath and laid out the plan he’d already thought through. “You can come back to the country if you want, or stay overseas. I’ll cover part of your living expenses and Aunt Chang’s from now on—but not all of them.”

“If you ever need help with anything in the future, you can always come to me.”

Wen Chaosheng knew how obsessive the man before him could be. He couldn’t sever ties overnight, but he had to put a stop to this twisted obsession.

His own life had been derailed for far too long. He wanted to get back on the right path.

The gloom in Chang Ming’s eyes deepened. “Brother Wen, I don’t agree.”

His gaze locked onto Wen Chaosheng without wavering. “If you insist on staying in Haishi City, then I’ll stay here in the country with you.”

“You want to keep living here? I’ll rent the unit next door. Want to move somewhere else? I’ll find us a bigger place.”

“We’ve gotten by like this for years now. If you want to make movies, I won’t stand in your way anymore. I…”

Wen Chaosheng cut off his fantasies. “Chang Ming, stop deluding yourself!”

It was a firm decision and a helpless plea all at once. “I don’t want to be trapped by you anymore. Let me go. Let yourself go, okay?”

“No way!”

Chang Ming rejected him outright.

He crushed the antiseptic swab in his fist, releasing a sharp, acrid scent.

Realizing he’d lost control, Chang Ming abruptly calmed himself. “Brother Wen, I didn’t come here to fight. I just wanted to remind you—”

“Some feelings are dead and gone. There’s no point trying to rekindle cold ashes. It’ll only backfire and burn you in the end. Isn’t that right?”

Wen Chaosheng caught the veiled threat, a chill running down his spine. “You…”

“I’m heading back to the hotel!” Chang Ming cut in preemptively, masking his coercion with a calm tone. “Brother Wen, I’ll give you time to think it over and come around on your own!”

With that, he maneuvered his wheelchair around Wen Chaosheng and rolled straight out of the apartment.

Outside the apartment building, directly across from the outer wall of Quansheng Entertainment’s headquarters, a new cycle of LED posters was playing.

Chang Ming stared at Xi Zhui on the massive screen, jealousy igniting in his chest like wildfire. He wanted to burn it all to the ground right then!

“…”

No.

Not yet.

A fathomless malice swirled in the depths of Chang Ming’s eyes. He gritted out, “Just you wait.”

Even if he had to resort to the most extreme, underhanded methods, he would keep Wen Chaosheng by his side—forever and always!

…

The curtains hadn’t been drawn yet, leaving the bedroom in dim gray light.

Wen Chaosheng had barely recovered some strength from his nap, but this brief, tense confrontation drained it all away again.

He had no time to rest. In a panic, he unlocked his phone and opened WeChat first thing.

The pinned profile picture was still Xi Zhui’s—it hadn’t been deleted. But when he tapped in, he saw—

Xi Zhui had messaged him last night, this morning, even sent a heads-up right before boarding his flight midday. There was also a missed voice call.

Wen Chaosheng didn’t want Xi Zhui worrying about him. He hurried to reply:

“Xi Zhui, I just woke up.”

“…”

Xi Zhui was probably busy and didn’t respond right away.

Wen Chaosheng then checked his other apps, photo albums, and even his private album, confirming nothing was missing or out of place before letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

It seemed Chang Ming really hadn’t unlocked the screen lock on his phone.

The next second, a WeChat voice call popped up at the top of the screen. It was from Xi Zhui.

Wen Chaosheng recalled Chang Ming’s meaningful warning just before he left. He hesitated for several seconds before finally answering. “Hello, Xi Zhui.”

Xi Zhui on the other end of the line let out an audible sigh of relief. “You finally got back to me, Wen Chaosheng. I was about to hop on a plane and fly straight back to Haishi City.”

That last half-sentence carried a childish note of grievance.

A faint curve tugged at the corner of Wen Chaosheng’s mouth—one he himself didn’t even notice—and he apologized in a gentle voice. “Sorry, I overslept.”

Xi Zhui had no intention of blaming him. “Are you feeling any better? Is your head still spinning? Have you had lunch?”

Wen Chaosheng replied, “Much better. Lunch… I haven’t eaten yet.”

Xi Zhui spoke in the tone of someone who’d seen it coming. “I knew it. I’ll order some takeout for you in a bit.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a bit of noise erupted on the other end.

Wen Chaosheng asked, “Are you busy?”

Xi Zhui said, “I’m trying on the outfit and styling for the Hundred Flowers Award.”

He had to attend the opening red carpet on the first day, as well as the awards ceremony the next.

Not wanting to disturb him, Wen Chaosheng said, “Oh, then I’ll let you go.”

Xi Zhui stopped him. “No rush. The staff are still ironing things. We can chat a little longer.”

Wen Chaosheng was a beat slow. “Chat about what?”

Xi Zhui on the other end seemed to chuckle, teasing him. “There are a ton of staff around here. I’ve got to keep my voice down—you’ll need to hold the phone close to your ear.”

Wen Chaosheng paused for a moment, then did as instructed. “Mm.”

Moments later, Xi Zhui’s serious declaration came through the line. “You weren’t feeling well yesterday, and something was off about you. I’m worried you didn’t hear me clearly, so let me repeat it now—”

“No matter what exactly happened over these six years, or what your relationship with Chang Ming is, or how the two of you got along—as long as you don’t want to tell me, I won’t pry. I won’t force you to do or say anything.”

“Wen Chaosheng, all I want is for you to be okay. To eat on time. To sleep on time.”

“…”

“But if you run into some thorny problem you can’t handle on your own, you have to tell me.” Xi Zhui’s voice came through the phone’s speaker, low and threaded with a hint of deep affection. “I’ll help you. And I’ll be right there with you.”

Wen Chaosheng’s eyes grew dry and achy once more. “Xi Zhui, actually, I…”

He had only just begun his confession when a clear prompt sounded from the other end. “Teacher Xi, time to try on the clothes.”

“Right away.” Xi Zhui responded, then turned back to him. “What were you about to say?”

“Nothing.”

A few words couldn’t capture six years of torment, nor could they convey just how terrifying Chang Ming truly was.

Wen Chaosheng didn’t want to hold up Xi Zhui’s work, so he changed the subject. “I’m just really looking forward to seeing you on the red carpet. You’ll look so handsome, I’m sure.”

Xi Zhui asked in return, “Not looking forward to me winning an award?”

Wen Chaosheng replied warmly, “I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”

Win or lose, in his heart, the man was already the Best Male Lead—and always had been.

“Alright, I’ve got to get to work.”

Xi Zhui felt bad about leaving a bunch of staff hanging, so he issued a gentle reminder. “Stay in touch. We’ll chat more when we have time, okay?”

Wen Chaosheng agreed, but he couldn’t bring himself to hang up. Only when he was with Xi Zhui did he feel this profound sense of peace.

One second. Two seconds. Three—

All that remained in the phone was the soft sound of their breathing.

Xi Zhui seemed to read his mind and let out a tender, low chuckle. “I’ll fly back to Haishi City first thing the morning after tomorrow. I’ll come straight to you the moment I land.”

“Mm.”

“Wait for me to get back.”