Chapter 67: The Hypocritical Senior 09 Part 1

Hearing his words, Yu Sui knew exactly what he planned to do.

[Host…] The system sounded anxious. [The story unfolds in this company. If he quits…]

“What does it have to do with me?” Yu Sui turned and headed upstairs.

[I’m worried about you,] the system said.

Yu Sui didn’t reply. He simply went upstairs.

When Li Xia got home, he saw Su Shan hunched over a laptop, fiddling with something.

He paid no attention and retreated to his room, intending to log into his account and publicly confess his misdeeds.

Su Shan stared at the screen, his eyes narrowing.

One surprise after another. This man truly never failed to deliver.

Determined to crush Li Xia’s spirit, Su Shan scooped up the laptop and strode toward the master bedroom.

Li Xia was in the middle of editing his post.

Su Shan entered, intending to mock him at first, but then he saw what the man was doing.

“What are you up to?”

“I’ve wronged him,” Li Xia said without so much as blinking.

“You’re serious?” Su Shan was taken aback. Li Xia had always prized his reputation above all else, yet here he was…

And if he quit, he’d sever every last tie with Yu Sui.

Li Xia said nothing more. He clicked send.

The post failed to go through.

“You…” Li Xia whipped his head around. “What have you done?”

“I told you—we’ve swapped identities.”

With that, Su Shan lifted his chin defiantly.

Bang—

Li Xia’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped unconscious.

Su Shan was an expert at this sort of thing, striking with precisely measured force.

Just enough to keep the other man from causing trouble.

To be safe, he bound Li Xia securely and tossed him carelessly to the floor.

He picked up the youth’s new phone and punched in Yu Sui’s birthday. It unlocked effortlessly. Then he synced the data to his own device.

Su Shan wandered over to the closet and eyed Li Xia’s clothes, one eyebrow arching slightly. He selected a few crisp new outfits and took them.

After washing up, he slipped into a set of clean pajamas.

Standing before the mirror, Su Shan tousled his bangs, then curved his lips into an innocent, guileless smile.

He knew this expression all too well.

Yu Sui turned in early that night. The next morning, he headed to the company.

[The protagonist didn’t post anything…] The system seemed surprised. [Was he banking on you going soft?]

“Maybe.” Yu Sui found it a little odd but didn’t dwell on it.

Since they were collaborating on the company’s promotional content, they had to film a few segments together.

When Yu Sui arrived at the room, Li Xia was already there.

He acted as if nothing had happened, chatting amiably with the people nearby.

He seemed oblivious to the assistant’s obvious reluctance, peppering her with questions.

Li Xia was behaving strangely today.

Yu Sui pressed his lips together and arched a brow.

“Senior.”

Spotting him, Li Xia rose to his feet with a beaming smile. “Good morning.”

An awkward silence blanketed the room.

No one had expected Li Xia to carry himself with such brazen composure, utterly devoid of guilt.

Whispers rippled through the group.

Li Xia’s smile only grew brighter.

But to Yu Sui, that grin felt utterly frigid.

A shiver ran through him. He nodded politely in response.

They changed into costume, and the two of them began filming.

This time, Li Xia was the one in control, while Yu Sui played the unlucky target who couldn’t escape.

Dressed in a sharp suit, Yu Sui sat rigidly in a chair. Behind him, the youth draped himself over his shoulder, eyes gleaming with mischief.

The man’s body was tense, his face etched with defiance.

For the second set of shots, terror twisted the man’s features. The youth knelt before him, gazing up as he caressed his cheek.

Though he occupied the subservient pose, the sheer pressure he exuded was suffocating.

Yu Sui met those eyes head-on, struck by how profoundly strange Li Xia seemed today.

Once the two videos wrapped, Yu Sui retreated to the lounge.

Li Xia followed close behind.

“Senior.”

Yu Sui had just stepped inside and reached for the door when the youth blocked it. “I want to show you something.”

The youth’s smile was disarmingly bright.

A thread of unease stirred in Yu Sui’s chest, but he stepped aside and let him in.

Li Xia shut the door behind them and glanced around. “I’ve tracked down the puppet master stoking the online backlash.”

He pulled out his phone and handed it over.

Yu Sui glanced at the screen. His body went rigid, his pupils contracting. “What’s this supposed to mean?”

“It’s your assistant,” Li Xia said. “Now, who do you suppose put him up to it?”

He fixed Yu Sui with an unwavering stare. “Any guesses, senior?”

“How should I know?” Yu Sui arched a brow. “You ought to take that to the company, not me.”

Su Shan hadn’t anticipated such nonchalance. His eyes lit up brighter. “I never imagined you could be this ruthless, senior…”

Yu Sui frowned at the words. “What are you getting at?”

“Watching you sink to these lows just to shake me off.” Su Shan sauntered over to the sofa and sank down. “No need for pretenses anymore, then.”

Yu Sui closed the distance between them. “Li Xia, you…”

“The first time you laid eyes on me, your mask slipped.” Li Xia’s smile was syrupy sweet as he pinned Yu Sui with his gaze. “I’ve known about your hostility all along.”

A chill slithered down Yu Sui’s spine.

“You can’t stand me? Perfect.” Su Shan let out a laugh. “I’ve been dying to see how long you’d keep up the phony smiles for your precious image while seething inside.”

He shook his head. “Who knew you’d drop the act so soon?”

“Senior, you’ve broken my heart.” Su Shan delivered the line deadpan, his expression unchanging.

His goal was to tarnish Li Xia’s reputation in Yu Sui’s eyes—to make him loathe the man utterly.

Yu Sui’s frown deepened. For a moment, he held his tongue.

[How did it come to this?] The system sounded stunned. [Is this Li Xia’s true colors? So vicious?]

“Not exactly a shock,” Yu Sui replied. “He put up with Su Shan trying to choke him to death. How balanced could anyone’s mind be after that?”

[Fair point.]

“What do you want?” Yu Sui asked the youth.

“We’ve got a scene this afternoon.” Su Shan reclined languidly on the sofa. “Senior, no body doubles for me.”

Yu Sui’s expression darkened. “You…”

“Your misery is my joy.” Su Shan dissolved into manic laughter. “Go ahead and refuse if you like, but…”

He waggled the phone. “That assistant’s been with you for years, handled all sorts of dirty work. Loyal or not, once I leak this… will your flawless persona survive, senior?”

Faced with the naked threat and the glimpse of madness, Yu Sui wondered if he knew the anonymous account was his doing.

“Where’d you buy this fake dirt?” Yu Sui shot him a dismissive glance, calm as ever—like he’d never touched those deeds.

Su Shan marveled at his poise. “I have my sources.”

Yu Sui could tell he’d sent someone digging—likely into the assistant, or threats would’ve come up already.

Trouble enough to drown in.

“Do you like me?” Yu Sui asked bluntly.

Su Shan scoffed. “As if.”

“Then…” Yu Sui caught the derisive mirth in his eyes, the scorn of someone who’d heard the punchline to the world’s dumbest joke.

[His acting was Oscar-worthy before,] the system marveled.

Slowly, Yu Sui closed in. He planted a knee on the sofa and leaned forward.

Su Shan went rigid, his smile vanishing. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing.” Yu Sui pulled back and straightened.

The guy was good—those earlier blushes had been scarily convincing.

“I’ll agree,” Yu Sui said, “but you delete all this first.”

Su Shan knew of his homophobia, his disdain for Li Xia. Yet here he was, acquiescing.

Momentarily thrown, he scrutinized Yu Sui, wary of some hidden agenda.

Relief washed over Yu Sui at the reaction.

Straight guy, then. Capricious, sure, but harmless.

Straight actors kissing on set? Pure professionalism. No messy fantasies.

[You… you’re actually agreeing?] The system could scarcely believe it.

“He’s got zero interest in me,” Yu Sui explained.

[So you’re cool with it because he’s straight?]

“He won’t take it too far.” Yu Sui was confident.

Su Shan furrowed his brow. He hadn’t expected the man to follow the script.

Still…

The object of Li Xia’s obsession had just greenlit a kiss.

Su Shan’s mood soared.

Tsundere, maybe?

“One demand, one deletion,” Su Shan stipulated.

A promise of future torments.

Yu Sui’s face soured. “You’re not scared of the backlash from blackmailing me?”

“Don’t care.” Su Shan shrugged it off. “Mutual ruin at worst.”

Yu Sui fell silent, lips pressed thin.

“Decide already.” Su Shan’s patience frayed.

“The most recent one,” Yu Sui said without pause.

Su Shan obliged readily.

He rose to leave. “Looking forward to our scene this afternoon, senior.”

Yu Sui watched his retreating back. Only when the door clicked shut did he turn away.

Wordlessly, he headed off to shower and change.

Su Shan slipped into Li Xia’s workspace and donned his costume. Then he ducked into the bathroom.

He pulled out his phone and tapped into the feed monitoring Li Xia.

The youth had come to.

Taking in his predicament, Li Xia unleashed a torrent of curses.

But Su Shan’s knots were a special breed—the more one struggled, the tighter they bit.

He froze.

Pain contorted the young man’s features.

Su Shan shut off the feed, grinning ear to ear.

That afternoon brought another intimate scene.

The runaway little brother, dragged home by his captor. They locked lips the moment they crossed the threshold, tumbling onto the sofa.

Yu Sui flung open the door and hauled the youth inside, slamming him against the wall. “Bai Bai, when will you ever learn?”

He pressed closer, their breaths intertwining.

Su Shan recoiled instinctively, repulsion etched in every line of his face.

At such close range, he wanted to shove the man away. The dangerous aura radiating from him triggered an instinctive urge to fight back.

Yu Sui’s grip was ironclad. Su Shan jerked his head aside, dodging the face drawing near.

Seeing that reflexive dodge, Yu Sui admired his former acting skills all the more.

It must have been tough on him.

Of course, it was just another off-screen positioning shot.

Once the take wrapped, neither of them breathed a word about it.

Su Shan claimed he had business to attend to and left first.

The assistant nearby grumbled in dissatisfaction. “What business could he possibly have? Off delivering gifts to his relatives or something?”

The remark dredged up memories of the online backlash for everyone, stoking their resentment toward Li Xia even further.

Su Shan retreated to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face.

His brows knit as he recalled Yu Sui’s proximity.

The man was a damn good actor. He’d almost bought it…

Su Shan clocked out and returned home. He lingered in the living room for a long while before remembering the bound Li Xia.

When he pushed open the bedroom door, he froze in shock.

“Su Shan!” Li Xia’s eyes blazed with ferocity.

Su Shan flicked on the light and eyed the disheveled young man. “Guess what I did today?”

He could hardly wait to share the good news with his little brother.

“You…” A sense of foreboding coiled in Li Xia’s gut.