Chapter 3
Two days later, at the Huaxing Premium Clubhouse.
To celebrate Shen Wu’s recovery and discharge from the hospital, team manager Tan Wenxuan was treating everyone to a small gathering at the clubhouse.
As the guest of honor, however, Shen Wu was lacking in spirits, detached from the lively atmosphere.
“Xiao Shen, Miss Shu here is a model, and she’s also a fan of yours,” Tan Wenxuan said with effusive enthusiasm, playing matchmaker for a beautiful woman. “She insisted on coming along, I really couldn’t stop her.”
Shen Wu listlessly picked up the wine bottle in front of him. The blue veins on the back of his fair hand were distinct, and his thin eyelids drooped.
After a moment, he spoke abruptly, “I’m married, Tan-ge.”
The private room fell silent for three seconds.
“That’s a terrible excuse,” Tan Wenxuan, who had had quite a bit to drink, wore an expression that said, ‘You think I’ll believe that?’
The others in the room also broke into laughter. Miss Shu was more reserved, covering her mouth as her slender shoulders trembled slightly.
Shen Wu helplessly sprawled his long body out on the sofa, nestled in his black leather jacket. His expression was weary and lazy, but his peach blossom eyes, flickering in the light, were still dazzling and inexplicably alluring.
Miss Shu moved to sit beside him, leaning forward slightly to offer her phone. “Can I add you on WeChat? I really like you, I’ve watched every single one of your races. You’re so handsome.”
Shen Wu lowered his gaze, his peach blossom eyes hiding in the deep shadows. On the tip of his luminous, snow-white nose was a light brown mole that was very eye-catching.
Miss Shu took a good look, but unfortunately, her moment of observation was fleeting. Shen Wu took the phone, tapped the screen once with his fingertip, and handed it back.
Miss Shu frowned slightly. “W… what does that mean?”
“The password,” Shen Wu chuckled lightly. “Take a guess.”
Xiang Zixu, who was sitting at the other end of the long bench, hadn’t expected Shen Wu to suddenly bring up his marriage. He came over a few beats too late to back him up. “Miss Shu, Wu-ge really is married…”
“You’re Shen-ge’s assistant, I don’t believe you,” Miss Shu smiled. “Who could possibly be worthy of our Shen-ge? They’d have to be as beautiful as a famous actress, right?”
Xiang Zixu: “…”
She’s actually right.
But Miss Shu was just joking. She stared at her phone and murmured, “W is for Wu, right? I know that. But one letter is too little. Take Meng Huaizhi’s ‘W’ tattoo—his tens of millions of fans have been digging for years and still haven’t figured out if it has any other meaning. You only gave me one letter, how am I supposed to guess!”
Miss Shu was a smart person. She could see that Shen Wu was unwilling to give his contact information but still wanted to try her luck. As she spoke, she leaned closer and closer, her voice soft and sweet.
“Give me another hint, please? Pretty please?”
Shen Wu suddenly leaned forward, dodging the woman who was getting closer, and seamlessly changed the subject. “I’m a little dizzy.”
“I saw you drank quite a lot. Are you drunk? Do you feel unwell anywhere else?” Miss Shu was very solicitous.
“I’m not a good drunk. When I’ve had too much, I don’t recognize anyone, and I might even get physical,” Shen Wu said, not giving her much face.
Among everyone present, Xiang Zixu was the only one who knew about Shen Wu’s secret marriage and had seen his “wife” with his own eyes. No matter how heartless his wife was, she was still his wife. Besides, to put it bluntly, his wife was much better looking.
He went along with Shen Wu’s excuse. “Wu-ge, should I take you home then?”
“No need,” Shen Wu waved his hand in refusal. “I’ll get a cab myself.”
Shen Wu successfully escaped the private room, but he didn’t leave right away. He stood alone in a dark corner at the end of the hallway.
And not two minutes after he left, someone from the room predictably came chasing after him, perhaps to see him off, or perhaps to continue playing matchmaker.
He watched the few people, who were destined to find nothing, walk away. Leaning against the wall, he leisurely scrolled through his phone, curious to see what kind of news the recently returned Meng Huaizhi could stir up now.
In his peripheral vision, a familiar figure flashed in front of him, perfectly matching the person on his phone screen.
He was slightly startled and quickly straightened his slouching back.
Meng Huaizhi was wearing a black windbreaker today. The fringe on his forehead was pressed down by the brim of his baseball cap, looking a little messy. The crisp black mask outlined the smooth lines of his face.
“Meng Huaizhi.”
Shen Wu was the first to call out, his voice seemingly soaked in alcohol, with a slight nasal tone.
After speaking, he glanced around to confirm that there was no third person present. The well-known name fell without causing the slightest ripple.
Ever since Meng Huaizhi’s debut, they had rarely met outside. Even if they did run into each other by chance, moments for a quiet conversation like this were few and far between.
Meng Huaizhi walked over and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Team dinner.”
“I was meeting a producer. Just finished.”
“There were a few people smoking and drinking in the room, I reek of it,” Shen Wu explained, as if possessed, as he saw Meng Huaizhi getting closer.
“Mm,” Meng Huaizhi didn’t object, acting as if he didn’t smell the smoke and alcohol he detested. He then suggested, “Going back? I’ll give you a ride.”
“Okay.”
Their conversations were always this concise. Just like their agreement three years ago, a matter that could affect their entire lives was settled in just a few words.
Just before they left, Meng Huaizhi’s voice sounded without warning. “What about the perfume?”
“Perfume?”
Shen Wu sluggishly lifted his sleeve and pressed his nose against it, taking a few deep breaths. He caught a barely perceptible scent of sweet perfume.
It must have been from that Miss Shu who had hit on him.
Again, as if possessed, he said ambiguously, “Oh, there was a girl at the party. Very pretty.”
Meng Huaizhi didn’t think too much of it, simply repeating stiffly in his mind: Pretty girl.
The two of them stepped out of the clubhouse one after the other. Before Meng Huaizhi could speak, he stopped abruptly, then grabbed Shen Wu’s arm and pulled him into a small alley to the side.
Shen Wu was stunned for a moment.
In the tranquil night outside the door, several white flashes went off.
He quickly realized: Paparazzi.
He wasn’t in the entertainment industry, so his reaction wasn’t as sharp as Meng Huaizhi’s, but he had the plot of the entire novel in his head.
Various clubhouses, bars, and the male lead’s private residence were all classic locations in the novel. As long as the male lead appeared with someone else, they were bound to be secretly photographed.
This kind of thing happened often in the novel:
The male lead, knowing that exposing his relationship would cause trouble for the main character shou, would always act with explosive manliness whenever they encountered paparazzi outside. He would pull the main character shou into his arms, put his own hat on his head, and display a strong, protective stance.
But Shen Wu was just a cannon fodder ex-husband. Such a romantic novel plot would never happen to him. Besides, he and the male lead were about the same size; neither could completely shield the other. Trying to hide would only make things more conspicuous.
The entrance to the alley was very narrow. The two of them hid inside, staring at each other.
The current situation was a bit tricky.
Meng Huaizhi thought for a moment, took off his baseball cap, and placed it on Shen Wu’s head without asking. “You wear it.”
Shen Wu was momentarily stunned. He remembered Meng Huaizhi’s fans saying he was a germaphobe, that he never accepted personal gifts from fans, and would hand bouquets directly to his assistant, never touching them himself.
But from what Shen Wu knew of Meng Huaizhi, he figured the reason he didn’t accept gifts was most likely because he had no desires to begin with, and also because he wanted his fans to focus on his work and not spend extra money.
He had never seen any signs of germaphobia.
Shen Wu gently pressed down the brim of the cap, his fringe half-covering his beautiful eyes.
Meng Huaizhi looked at this face up close, which was still excessively eye-catching even with the cap on, and fell into silent thought.
He rummaged through the pockets of his windbreaker and was lucky enough to find a new mask. Then, aiming for the light-colored mole on the tip of his nose, he covered it.
While Shen Wu was still in a daze, Meng Huaizhi took off his own mask. His face, no longer hidden by a mask and cap, was completely revealed to Shen Wu.
He still had that cold and detached look, his tone devoid of much emotion. “I’ll go out first. You leave in a bit.”
“…Won’t you get photographed if you go out now?”
“They won’t leave until they get me.”
“So you’re not wearing a hat or a mask?”
“Mm, taking the bullet for you.”
Seeing Meng Huaizhi joking so seriously, Shen Wu’s expression relaxed slightly. The corners of his lips turned up, and his eyes filled with mirth.
His already bright peach blossom eyes instantly shone like stars, sparkling brilliantly.
“The top-tier star taking a bullet for me, what an honor.”
Meng Huaizhi repeated patiently, “You leave in a bit.”
Shen Wu replied lazily, “Oh.”
“At least ten minutes. Wait until I’ve driven away, then you can go.”
“Okay.”
Like instructing a clueless younger brother, over and over again. After giving his instructions, Meng Huaizhi still seemed a bit worried, his departing figure carrying a hint of hesitation.
Once he was completely out of the dim alley, the dark figure quickened his pace, walking openly under the orange glow of the streetlights. The loose hood of his windbreaker hung behind his neck, setting off the fair skin above.
Meng Huaizhi made no attempt to hide, appearing brazenly before the paparazzi and getting into a car by the roadside.
It was eight in the evening, the long night just beginning. Meng Huaizhi had always been plagued by rumors, so the paparazzi were naturally curious about his whereabouts at night. But they were also worried that following him would only lead to a fruitless trip.
During the three years Meng Huaizhi was abroad, the paparazzi had followed him day and night, practically inseparable. But during the day, he was usually going to work, to the recording studio, or to a shoot. At night, he would finish work and return to his bachelor pad. He rarely even went out for dinner.
Shen Wu watched the car drive away, confirming that all the hesitant paparazzi had been led away.
He secured the baseball cap on his head and pressed down on the mask.
Neither the cap nor the mask carried any particular scent, just like Meng Huaizhi’s car—spotlessly clean.
The last time he had taken his car home, it had been a long drive of nearly an hour. But in that enclosed space, the smell of gasoline, leather, or car air freshener was barely detectable.
Just like the man himself.
A cold temperament, a detached personality. He was a household name, a top-tier star, yet he was never affected by the hustle and bustle of the outside world. All the complex, turbulent emotions would never stir the slightest ripple in his placid heart.
Shen Wu had never met another person like Meng Huaizhi.
As a young boy, he had only seen him as a deity from the heavens, unapproachable, untouchable. A god, naturally, would not understand love. But thinking back now, it turned out he just hadn’t met his fated person yet.
It wasn’t strange that Meng Huaizhi was so special. Because he was the male lead of a novel—unrealistic, out of touch with reality. That was normal.
Besides, Meng Huaizhi was a dignified Jinjiang male lead. The sky could fall, but he would never be the 0.
In this world full of 0s, two of the rarest pure 1s had managed to bump into each other by sheer coincidence.
Shen Wu sighed softly and stepped out.
It was fate. He should just be a competent, supportive ex-husband.
