Chapter 72: The Hypocritical Senior Part 1

Yu Sui sat on the bed, showing no immediate intention of going to sleep.

[You’re not afraid of him…] The System worried. [If those scandals of yours get exposed, then…]

“If he goes that far, I’ll immediately head to the next world,” Yu Sui said firmly.

[What if the next world…]

“I can just keep dying.”

[You…] The System was stunned.

Li Xia’s physical condition was truly impressive. Su Shan ignored him and kept tapping away at his computer while holding it close.

The man on the floor slowly opened his eyes.

Su Shan glanced over. “Scoundrels like you never die easily.”

Li Xia sat up. “Delete everything you found on Yu Sui.”

Su Shan froze. “You…”

“I know I was wrong.” He covered his face. “I can never get close to him again…”

“What happened to you?” As the man broke down in tears, Su Shan frowned. This couldn’t be some evil spirit possessing him, could it?

Li Xia said nothing. He got up and went to the bathroom to shower and change clothes.

Warm water soaked his hair. Li Xia crouched on the floor, thinking of Yu Sui’s words and the expression on his face.

Suddenly, he started coughing violently. Every organ in his body ached.

The next day, Li Xia called in sick.

Yu Sui wasn’t surprised at all.

He continued with his own work.

A week passed peacefully. Then Li Xia showed up at the company.

He had lost a lot of weight and looked rather frightening.

There was no smile on Li Xia’s face, and he seemed somewhat dazed.

He didn’t deliberately parade in front of Yu Sui; he only nodded in greeting when they crossed paths.

The young man appeared to have given up.

Yu Sui raised an eyebrow but paid it no mind.

Finally, the director had found a suitable location. They were about to film the final scenes.

Li Xia’s condition was perfect for his role as Bai. In the story, Bai still couldn’t accept his brother and kept trying to run away, only to be caught repeatedly. His mental state and physical health had deteriorated badly, leaving him gaunt and ghastly-looking.

In the room, Bai sat barefoot on the bed, perfectly still and quiet.

He wasn’t trembling in fear. He wasn’t thinking of escape. He didn’t even notice when his brother entered, lost as he was in his own world.

Yu Sui reached out and stroked his face. “Brother’s back, Bai Bai.”

The young man showed no reaction.

“Bai Bai?” Yu Sui frowned. “The sky has cleared up. Bai Bai likes the sea—how about Brother takes you to see it?”

Still no response. He was like a corpse.

“Bai Bai…” He lifted his brother’s chin. Those vacant eyes filled him with fear.

In this scene, the brother spoke all sorts of words to provoke a reaction from his brother, but the young man remained utterly unresponsive.

One was a terrifying silence, the other a caged beast on the verge of rampaging.

The crew watched in heavy silence, the atmosphere oppressively stifling.

Several more scenes followed in the same vein.

At last, they were filming the finale.

On the beach, the gaunt and ghastly-looking young man refused to eat or drink. With no strength left, he could only sit in a wheelchair.

The vast blue sea stretched endlessly before them. Couples laughed and played nearby—a scene that should symbolize freedom—but the tension between the two men made it hard to breathe.

The young man said nothing as the man reminisced about the past. “Bai Bai, you said you like the ocean, like the wind here. Look at those seagulls over there…”

No matter what he said, his brother remained utterly unmoved.

Yu Sui sighed. “What will it take for you to say even one word to me?”

“Let me go,” he finally replied.

“Impossible,” Yu Sui shot back.

Li Xia lowered his eyes and fell silent.

They moved to a quieter spot. “Bro…”

That form of address made a spark flash in Yu Sui’s eyes. “Speak, Bai Bai. Tell me.”

“I want ice cream. Vanilla flavor.” Li Xia gazed at the sea. “Can you buy some for me?”

“Sure, sure. I’ll go get it.” Seeing that his brother had no strength to run far, Yu Sui walked off toward the distance with peace of mind.

Gazing at the endless sea and listening to the waves, Li Xia took a deep breath. He slowly rose to his feet.

His strength was nearly gone, and his steps staggered, but he walked resolutely toward the water.

The freedom he craved lay ahead.

The seawater engulfed him. Li Xia didn’t struggle at all.

He let himself sink.

By the time Yu Sui returned with the ice cream, the wheelchair was empty.

His first thought was that the man had run away. He looked around frantically.

Only when someone shouted that there was a person in the water did he realize it was his brother.

He tossed the ice cream aside and plunged into the sea.

But he couldn’t catch up, no matter how hard he tried.

And with that, the ending wrapped.

The underwater crew immediately fished both of them out.

Yu Sui scratched his head and took a towel from his assistant.

He walked over to the director to review the footage.

In the shot, Li Xia truly showed no will to live. It was as if he really wanted to die.

Yu Sui frowned.

With this scene done, their collaboration came to a temporary end.

Back at the hotel, Yu Sui showered and changed into dry clothes. He was blow-drying his hair.

Knock knock knock.

Someone was at the door.

He raised an eyebrow and went to open it.

“Senior, I want to apologize to you.” Li Xia bowed deeply with utmost sincerity. “Can we talk?”

His voice was weak, devoid of emotion, his eyes dull and lifeless.

Yu Sui let him in.

“I’m sorry.” Li Xia sat across from him and apologized again. “Su Shan was right. I’m selfish. I don’t understand love at all.”

“What I thought was affection was probably just because I’ve always gotten everything I wanted growing up.” He kept his eyes downcast. “Senior…”

“Oh.” Yu Sui remained unmoved.

A sour ache filled Li Xia’s heart. He knew that after lying so much, no one would believe the truth anymore.

“I’ve never told you about my past, have I, Senior…” Slowly, he recounted his family, his mindset, and his history with Su Shan.

“I used to think I could easily manipulate people’s emotions and take whatever I wanted.” Li Xia continued. “I trampled on their sincerity and kindness. I even thought they were fools for falling for my deceptions.”

“I always congratulated myself inwardly…”

“And then there was Su Shan…”

“Even when he wore my face and ruined my work and relationships, I didn’t care. Those things weren’t the most important to me. I didn’t mind.”

“I indulged him…”

“Until you said…”

Emotion finally flickered in his eyes.

“How laughable I am. I brought this on myself. I never imagined that the decision I was so smug about back then would one day turn into the knife stabbing me.”

Yu Sui listened quietly.

People with psychological issues usually stemmed from family problems.

Yet Li Xia’s family was perfectly happy. Both his birth mother and stepmother adored him.

So he was just born rotten to the core.

To prove his parents’ love, he’d even burned down the house. That showed how extreme he was.

[He…] The System was shocked. [This is completely different from the original plot.]

“What are you telling me all this for?” Yu Sui countered. “To make me pity you? Forgive you?”

“I don’t deserve it,” Li Xia replied.

“Aren’t you just trying to gain sympathy by spilling all this?” Yu Sui didn’t buy it. He let out a cold laugh.

Li Xia’s body stiffened. He looked up at the man and blinked. “Senior, you’re so sharp.”

[He…] The System was frightened. [Is he faking it?]

“I won’t pity you,” Yu Sui said. “Nor will I condemn you. I just want nothing to do with you.”

Li Xia bit his lip hard.

“What did you think of today’s ending scene?” Yu Sui asked.

Li Xia stiffened again. “Senior…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t go to that extreme.” Yu Sui leaned back on the sofa, relaxing. “You’re not worth it.”

It felt like needles piercing Li Xia’s heart. A metallic sweetness surged up his throat.

“What is it you like about me?” Yu Sui wondered aloud. “Is it because I don’t like you, so you want to conquer me?”

“Does bending a straight guy give you a thrill?”

“Or do you just like this face of mine?”

Faced with the questions, Li Xia’s lips moved, but no words came out.

He clenched his teeth and stayed silent.

“If you really like me, then stop bothering me, alright?” Yu Sui stood to see him out. “From now on, I want no connection with you whatsoever.”

“You… and Zhou Ran…” Li Xia asked.

“Can’t you tell?” Yu Sui laughed.

“As expected…” Li Xia covered his mouth. His hands trembled. He didn’t finish the sentence. He stood and tried to hurry out.

Pfft—

Too late.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and swayed unsteadily.

Yu Sui was stunned. He instinctively reached out to support him.

The metallic smell of blood filled the air. This was no act.

Yu Sui looked at Li Xia’s bloodless face and called 120 on his phone.

At the hospital.

Yu Sui sat in the waiting area. When the System mentioned the protagonist’s life hanging in the balance, he showed no expression—utterly relaxed.

[How did this happen?] The System was baffled. [He’s the protagonist. How could anything happen to him?]

Yu Sui remained silent.

Finally, the door opened, and the doctor emerged.

The director’s assistant stood up.

Yu Sui didn’t listen closely, but he got the gist.

In short: He was so angry he threw up blood.

What a guy…

His emotions were indescribably complex.

He didn’t stay long. Yu Sui got up and left.

Back at the hotel, his room had been cleaned spotless.

Yu Sui lay on the bed, flipping through a magazine in total leisure.

[It’s stable now.] The System breathed a sigh of relief.

“You said he’s the protagonist favored by the world. So how could anything happen to him?” Yu Sui said.

[You have a point.]

Su Shan was still blending in with the crew. When he heard Li Xia had fainted, his first thought was that it was a ploy for sympathy.

His colleagues returned and gossiped about how frightening Li Xia’s complexion had been—and how he’d even vomited blood.

Su Shan changed his clothes and headed straight to Yu Sui’s place.

Knock knock knock.

Yu Sui heard the sound and went to open the door.

“Want to talk?” Su Shan asked.

Yu Sui let him in.

“You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Su Shan said in astonishment.

Yu Sui’s expression remained neutral. “What do you want to say to me?”

“Don’t go feeling sorry for him just because of this. You have no idea what he’s done…” Su Shan launched into a recounting of the young man’s misdeeds.

“He’s already told me,” Yu Sui replied.

Su Shan blinked in surprise. “He actually told you?”

Su Shan removed his mask, revealing a face identical to Li Xia’s. “So, what do you think?”

“What does it have to do with me?” Yu Sui arched an eyebrow.

“You’re right.” Su Shan burst into loud laughter.

Yu Sui eyed his exaggerated expression and silently edged away.

Clearly, this Su Shan wasn’t entirely normal either—though he lacked Li Xia’s obsessive streak.

“Do you think he’ll just let this go?” Su Shan asked.

Yu Sui said nothing.

“He won’t. Not unless he’s dead.” A flicker danced in Su Shan’s eyes.

He seemed to speak from bitter experience.

“You…” Yu Sui caught the twisted glint in his eyes and frowned in confusion.

“I thought about leaving, about living my own life,” Su Shan said. “But he’s sick. He can’t stand to see me doing well.”

[This Li Xia…] The System’s voice trembled. [He’s beyond forgiveness.]

“He’s the so-called protagonist of your world,” Yu Sui said mockingly.

[In stories like this, it’s all for the sake of ‘that something’ existing.]

Su Shan went on for a while. “He might impersonate me again in the future.”

“I have no intention of dealing with either of you,” Yu Sui replied.