Chapter 61: The Hypocritical Senior 03 Part 2

Since Li Xia had sown the seed, and Su Shan had reaped the bitter fruit, guilt kept him from revealing the truth.

In the village, the two were ostracized, especially Su Shan—his face was so terrifying that people would hurl stones at him as he passed.

Their grandmother was old, hard of hearing, and not very mobile. She couldn’t protect them.

The two managed a brief period of uneasy peace.

Until they pushed one of the kids who always bullied them into a pond.

That boy was the village bully, tall and burly. The two of them weren’t his match, and they were always covered in bruises.

They’d only meant to teach him a lesson, but he drowned.

Having already endured one disaster, they cooled their heads quickly.

“You turn yourself in,” Li Xia said, looking at Su Shan. “Otherwise, we’re both finished.”

“Why should I?” Su Shan naturally refused. His face twisted into an even more ghastly expression.

“My grades are a bit better.” Li Xia counted off on his fingers, utterly calm even with a corpse still floating in the distant pond. “I’m good-looking and have lots of friends.”

“So what? I should just die?” Su Shan’s eyes darkened with malice.

“Listen to me.” Li Xia gazed at him. “We’re not adults yet. We’re young. You go, get a proper education, and when you get out, I’ll be at the best university. Once we have money, I’ll take you to the best doctors.”

“But…”

“How about I get fixed up to look like me?” Li Xia stared at him. “Then everything I have will be yours, Su Shan. From that fire onward, we’re tied together. Trust me.”

Su Shan believed him.

Li Xia had always been sweet-talking and good at deception. When he cried, he looked so pitiful.

Even under adults’ questioning, he showed no guilt.

He bared his wounds and said his brother must have been protecting him, flying into a rage when…

A disfigured boy, isolated and bullied after the accident, who accidentally hurt someone while shielding his little brother—it was a heartbreaking story.

Everyone except that family was moved.

Su Shan went to a special school. Li Xia watched his retreating back tearfully and fell so ill he was bedridden for days.

He tested out of the small town for high school and went to the best city school.

In the second semester of his freshman year, Su Shan was released.

Li Xia got the call and went to pick him up personally.

He arranged a place for him to live, gave him money, and introduced him to doctors.

Su Shan hadn’t expected him to keep his promise so faithfully.

Only later did he learn Li Xia’s true intentions.

To disgust him.

Su Shan underwent plastic surgery to look just like him, mingled with his friends, mimicked his tastes and personality.

He was like a shadow—or a cheap knockoff.

Su Shan hated him so much his teeth itched. He began using Li Xia’s identity to cause all sorts of chaos.

Li Xia realized he’d gone too far.

But their secrets bound them together like a noose. Neither could escape unless one died.

They’d come to this city because in the last one, Su Shan had botched Li Xia’s job.

Li Xia picked up his phone and messaged Yu Sui afterward, asking if he’d gotten home safely.

Su Shan glanced at the screen. Whatever he saw made his eyes narrow. He left without a word.

Li Xia watched his retreating figure, frowning slightly.

He was starting to regret his past arrogance.

Su Shan donned a mask and hat—that was his usual look. He hated this face; every time he looked in the mirror, it reminded him of being toyed with.

Yet he kept it to torment Li Xia, so he never got a second surgery.

Did he like that guy?

Su Shan didn’t think Li Xia knew what real affection was. This little brother was the real freak.

His own biological father, his mother—they’d loved him so fiercely, cherishing him like priceless treasure.

Yet when they died, Li Xia hadn’t truly grieved. He had no heart. He was a cold-blooded creature.

So how genuine was his “liking”?

No matter. If it was a job Su Shan found interesting, he’d sabotage it. If it was someone Li Xia liked, he’d drive them away.

Yu Sui returned to his complex, washed up, and lay in bed. Thinking over the day’s events, he soon fell asleep.

Su Shan slipped into the man’s apartment like a ghost, utterly silent.

Perhaps he’d grown accustomed to being a shadow.

He turned on his phone’s flashlight to survey the living room layout, then checked everywhere but the master bedroom.

He did nothing else and soon left.

The next day, Yu Sui arrived at the company and immediately spotted the director.

“I went out specially to find some inspiration.” The director grabbed his arm. “But first, I hope you two can shoot some interaction videos to boost exposure.”

“Exposing us this quickly?” Yu Sui raised an eyebrow. “And filming has barely started.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” With that, the director walked off.

Yu Sui frowned, watching his back. The thought of interacting with Li Xia gave him chills. After all, this was the real deal.

As he pondered how to get Li Xia off the job, someone knocked on the lounge door.

“Come in.”

“Xiao Yu.” His manager entered. “The higher-ups saw clips from this drama and want you two to collaborate on more videos.”

“The director just said the same thing… Keeping the exposure going like this… Won’t it overhype expectations?” Yu Sui frowned, trying to dissuade him.

“It’s you two specifically.” The manager emphasized. “Not the drama’s characters.”

This meant off-screen CP pairing with Li Xia…

Yu Sui felt even worse, his face paling. “But I…”

“You’re an artiste. Plenty of them hype CP with exes or people they hate—guys and girls alike.” The manager cut him off.

Yu Sui sighed without responding.

“The company sees big things for you. They want to groom you for a full entertainment career.” The manager continued.

Yu Sui’s eyes lit up at that. “I…”

“There’s a reason for this setup.” The manager lowered his voice. “Dramas like this grab public attention fast, spark discussions and love from viewers. It lets you pivot quickly and snag a loyal fanbase.”

“You know why we didn’t pair you with a big name?” the manager added. “It’d steal your spotlight. Can’t pick total newbies either—they’d drag you down. So, Xiao Yu, you see the company’s good intentions now?”

Yu Sui nodded. “I’ll cooperate.”

But inwardly, he thought: Li Xia was already so talented, gaining buzz with zero prior exposure. If the drama blew up, wouldn’t he be the star? Could Yu Sui really outshine him?

As for any “win-win.”

Sorry, he wasn’t that magnanimous.

Plus, if the drama exploded, the company would milk it forever with “rekindled romance” tie-ins.

For the long game, he had to ditch this partner.

After seeing the manager off, Yu Sui clenched his fingertips, a dark glint in his eyes.

Su Shan was company grunt labor, hauling props wherever needed.

Dressed in his drab work uniform, he pushed a cart into the elevator and headed upstairs.

Every artiste needed live streams, each with unique styles and setups.

After delivering props to one room, he wheeled the cart to Yu Sui’s workspace.

Yu Sui rarely came here except for streams, and the door stayed unlocked for staff cleanings.

Su Shan entered, set down the props, and looked around.

Top Star’s room was bigger and plusher than the others.

Su Shan had joined the company because of Li Xia. He didn’t want to stay purely reactive, so he’d become a lowly employee, biding his time to stir trouble.

He hadn’t expected Li Xia to show that guy a different expression—whether it was an act or not, he wouldn’t let it happen.

Li Xia had taken the day off; the marks on his neck were too obvious.

Lying at home, he got a call from his manager. Li Xia’s eyes brightened. “Great.”

He hadn’t expected to collaborate with the senior.

His lips curved up, but thinking of Su Shan darkened his mood. He absolutely couldn’t let that guy ruin this.

A few days later, Li Xia recovered.

Over those days, he’d gotten more anonymous “caring” messages. He forwarded his fears to Yu Sui.

Hearing the senior’s reassurances made his heart swell with sweetness.

So this was his way of building affection?

The two were in the lounge now. An assistant came over with a script. “Brother Sui, this is the script from Sister Minmin. Take a look.”

Yu Sui paused slightly at the name.

Sister Minmin was the photographer, a master at capturing vibes—especially the guy-on-guy kind.

Sometimes she would offer ideas too. After all, a photographer saw a richer world and could construct that scene in their mind.

With her taking the lead, it was basically a sure thing.

But Yu Sui dreaded that certainty. He had scrolled past videos from other artists at the company—far too ambiguously intimate…

Li Xia clutched the notebook and flipped through it. Gradually, his ears turned red. “Senior…”

Yu Sui’s expression faltered.

The first duo video they had to shoot was the cat in his arms transforming into a human.

His eyelids twitched wildly. This was far too intimate.

“Where’s Minmin?” Yu Sui stood up. He needed to shut it down.

“She’s guiding at Brother Min’s place,” the assistant said.

Yu Sui sank back onto the sofa.

Forget it. He wouldn’t go over there just yet—he was afraid he’d walk in on some explosive scene.

Li Xia skimmed the detailed descriptions, then pulled out his phone and logged into the platform. He checked out what the others from the company had filmed.

His gaze drifted involuntarily to the waist of the man beside him.

The man wore a high-neck black fitted sweater. He was slouched forward now, bending at the waist, but the lines of his body remained taut. Be it his back or his waist, the sight held the eye captive.

At the end of one video, Li Xia’s gaze drifted lower. The senior was wearing suit pants.

The last time he’d come over to the house, when the man had bent down, Li Xia had noticed how fully packed those suit pants were.

Li Xia’s throat bobbed. Something stirred restlessly in his heart.

He pictured the man in a full suit, complete with a twitching tail and ears, cradled in his arms, legs clamped tight around his waist…

“Little Li, why is your face so red?” the assistant beside him asked, puzzled.

At her words, Yu Sui glanced at the young man next to him. His eyes fell on the scene playing on the phone screen. He pressed his lips together and silently edged away.

“He must be fantasizing about me holding him,” he thought with certainty.

[You’re overthinking it. He probably just finds this kind of interaction too intimate and feels embarrassed.]

“What are you thinking?” Yu Sui asked the young man, staring straight at him.

Li Xia froze. The man’s clear eyes held his reflection, and his voice was so gentle—like a lover’s murmur.

His heart nearly pounded right out of his chest.