Yu Qingyue couldn’t get anyone to leave, as the person was either avoiding him or changing the subject. Xu Ran even called to urge him, so he had no choice but to return to the company first.

Yu Wanlai heard the door close and finally sighed in relief. Oh my god, that was so awkward! He tried to calm his racing heart while thinking that he should rent a place soon.

When Jiang Cheng returned from work in the evening, she found the living room dark. She thought Yu Wanlai had left, but as soon as she turned on the light, she saw a figure sitting cross-legged on the couch. She was startled, but when she saw it was Yu Wanlai, she relaxed. As she took off her coat, she complained, “Why didn’t you turn on the lights? Are you that stingy with electricity?”

“Who were you trying to scare?” Yu Wanlai glanced at the door. “You’re back? I guess it’s time for dinner. Let’s order takeout.”

He pulled out his phone and turned on the screen. “What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Cheng walked over to sit next to him, just about to browse the takeout apps together when his phone turned off due to the battery being dead.

Jiang Cheng: “…”

Yu Wanlai gave an awkward smile. “Ah, I forgot to charge it.”

Jiang Cheng then took out her own phone. “Alright, let’s use mine.”

After ordering, Jiang Cheng saw Yu Wanlai staring blankly into space again. He’d been doing this often since yesterday. She rolled her eyes, feeling helpless. “What are you two even doing?”

She frowned thoughtfully. They kissed yesterday, but now they were arguing… Could it be because of the whole “who’s the dominant and who’s the submissive” issue? Her eyes suddenly lit up. That seemed like a possible explanation. She’d heard that many people argue over this.

She raised her hand and waved it in front of Yu Wanlai’s face. When he snapped back to reality, he slapped her hand away irritably. “What are you doing? Stop bothering me!”

Jiang Cheng retracted her hand, muttering, “You’re really rude to me.”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue. “What did you say? Speak up.”

Jiang Cheng rolled her eyes at him and huffed, “Look at how impatient you are. If you really miss him, just go back! It’s just about positions. It’s simple. You can take turns—on odd days you top, on even days he tops! Why make such a big deal out of it?”

Yu Wanlai furrowed his brows, clearly confused. “What do you mean? What’s with the positions? Why does this sound so improper?”

Jiang Cheng: “…”

Seeing the confusion on Yu Wanlai’s face, she realized he wasn’t pretending. She sighed. “Of course, I mean Yu Qingyue. Who else could it be?”

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. “Wait, are you telling me you like someone else besides Yu Qingyue? I didn’t realize, boss, you’re actually a scumbag!”

Yu Wanlai exploded in frustration, slapping her on the head. “…You’re the one who likes Yu Qingyue! You’re the scumbag! Keep talking nonsense and I’ll deal with you!”

He was a fine young man! How dare she call him a scumbag?

Jiang Cheng rubbed her head. “If you don’t like him, why’d you kiss him? That’s scumbag behavior for sure!”

She was certain that Yu Wanlai liked Yu Qingyue. He clearly cared about him.

Yu Wanlai got even angrier, raising his voice. “…He kissed me suddenly! How did it turn into me liking him?”

Jiang Cheng paused for a moment. Alright, this was new to her, but judging by the way Yu Wanlai was trying so hard to deny it, she felt even more convinced! She decided she had to get to the bottom of this. “Then you must like me!”

Yu Wanlai rolled his eyes dramatically, clearly disgusted. “Go away! Who likes you? I’m not crazy.”

Jiang Cheng slapped her hands. “See? If you don’t like someone, your first reaction is to deny it. You still say you don’t like him.”

Yu Wanlai: “…”

He pointed at himself, incredulous. “Didn’t I deny it before?”

Jiang Cheng shook her head and sighed. “If you didn’t directly deny it, then it means you do. If you didn’t say you don’t like him, then you like him.”

Yu Wanlai started to doubt his life choices. “That’s nonsense! Pure rubbish!”

Jiang Cheng crossed her legs and sat on the couch, speaking seriously. “Alright, you don’t like him, huh? Then let me ask you, if you didn’t give him the chance, could he have kissed you? You’re a guy, you’re stronger than him, don’t tell me you couldn’t push him away.”

Yu Wanlai: “…How was I supposed to know he wanted to do that?! He ambushed me!”

Jiang Cheng blushed, almost laughing out loud. Wow, they were already in the shower together. She tried hard to hold back her laughter. “No, big brother, you were already in the shower together, and you still didn’t like him?”

Yu Wanlai felt like he was about to explode. “…So what if we showered together? It’s normal for guys to shower together! Haven’t you been to a public bathhouse before?”

Jiang Cheng wanted to hit Yu Wanlai. “You know that’s a bathhouse, a public place with lots of people. But who showers together at home? That’s only for fun or excitement. Or is there a second shower in your room?”

“Then why didn’t you shower with me before?” Yu Wanlai frowned. “…Why would I shower with you? He suddenly came in and said we should shower together!”

Jiang Cheng: “Well, you didn’t refuse.”

Yu Wanlai: …Are you kidding me? If I had refused, this would have never happened!

“Not just showers, you two are always hugging and cuddling. Bai Jian and I have seen it countless times!”

Yu Wanlai felt powerless. “We’re both guys. We can sleep together, so what’s wrong with a hug?” Jiang Cheng, feeling her mouth dry, took a sip of water. “Wow, you’ve slept together? Also, was it just one hug? Why didn’t you hug me? Every time I try to hug you, you scold me!”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue. What was wrong with him today? Why was he even engaging in this conversation? He gritted his teeth. “We’re brothers! You’re a girl!”

“I used to be a guy, and you didn’t let me hug you.”

“Not even letting me touch your abs.” Jiang Cheng shook her head and scrutinized Yu Wanlai for a while. “You… don’t actually think you’re straight, do you? Really, you’re that straight?”

Yu Wanlai didn’t bother to refute, but his expression clearly said yes.

Jiang Cheng looked at him in shock and disapproval. “Aren’t you embarrassed? You’ve been single all this time, so why are you so sure you like women?”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Yu Wanlai immediately got up to get the takeout.

Jiang Cheng continued her nagging when he came back. “I thought you two were already together, but turns out you’re not! How trashy. Flirting without responsibility. You’ve hugged, kissed, slept together, and now you suddenly claim to be straight and run off!”

Yu Wanlai sat down at the table, opened the takeout bag, took out his portion, and broke his chopsticks, beginning to eat as if he hadn’t heard a word Jiang Cheng said.

Jiang Cheng sat down to eat too, but seeing that he was unmoved, she threw a bomb. “Didn’t you ask me what happened the night of Bai Yi’s birthday?”

“I’ll tell you now.”

Yu Wanlai finally looked up at her. “Didn’t you say nothing happened?”

Of course, she was lying. He never trusted her!

Jiang Cheng slowly started speaking. “…You hugged Yu Qingyue, pinned him to the backseat of the car, hugged and kissed him. When he didn’t let you touch him, you groaned. When we got out of the car, his clothes were all messed up. He looked so disheveled—hardly the aloof, cool male lead from the book.”

“Does he have a vest with no buttons?” Yu Wanlai frowned heavily. He looked at his food, feeling even less hungry. “Why didn’t you say this earlier?” He knew something was off, but this sudden realization! No wonder Yu Qingyue made him pay for the clothes! He was in the room, and Yu Qingyue got angry… but if he had just gone downstairs, it would’ve been fine. And then he ended up giving his own clothes to Yu Qingyue and putting them on for him. Oh my god, this was a disaster!

Yu Wanlai had been holding onto a sliver of hope up until now, but he was now completely resolved to move out of the house.

A few days later, Yu Wanlai found a place and moved out. Even Jiang Cheng didn’t know where he had gone.

…

The cold spring wind blew in.

Jiang Cheng looked at Yu Qingyue in front of her, feeling guilty. She had originally planned to make Yu Wanlai treat the male lead better, and then help him realize his feelings. Otherwise, once the male lead left, Yu Wanlai would regret it, and it would be too late. After all, the male lead in the novel was a very loyal character—once he liked someone, it would be hard for him to change.

Jiang Cheng felt a little guilty, though she didn’t know why she felt that way. “…He moved out. He said he’s not staying here anymore.”

Yu Qingyue wasn’t giving up. He asked, “So, where did he move to?”

Jiang Cheng shook her head. “I don’t know either. Boss didn’t trust me. He thought I’d definitely betray him, so he didn’t tell me.”

The light in Yu Qingyue’s eyes dimmed instantly. He lowered his head and thanked Jiang Cheng, then said in a disappointed tone, “Thank you. Can we add each other on WeChat? Let me know if you hear anything.”

Jiang Cheng nodded repeatedly, taking out her phone to scan his code. “Okay, no problem.”

Yu Qingyue sat back in the car after seeing Jiang Cheng go upstairs. It wasn’t until nightfall, when the streetlights turned on, that he suddenly snapped to attention, realizing something. He quickly called Bai Jian. “I agree with the method you suggested before.”

Yu Wanlai didn’t exaggerate by moving to another city to start a new life; he simply found a place farther from his home. He worked as a resident singer at a bar to earn money and also applied for jobs at a music company.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the leaves on the trees lining the streets began to sprout. Yu Wanlai sat in a café, ordered a latte, and waited for someone while sipping his coffee. He took a small sip, but the bitterness still made him frown.

At that moment, a man dressed in a black hoodie with a trendy style walked into the shop. He glanced around before sitting down opposite Yu Wanlai. “You’re Yu Wanlai, right?”

Yu Wanlai nodded, “Yes, I am.”

The man extended his hand and introduced himself, “Hello, let me introduce myself. I’m Zhang Chang from Fengxing Entertainment. I’m the one who contacted you earlier.”

Yu Wanlai nodded and shook his hand. Zhang Chang took a contract out of a folder and slid it across the table. “Here’s our contract. Take a look, and if you have any questions, you can ask now.”

Yu Wanlai flipped open the contract and read it carefully. Zhang Chang, with some free time, called over a waiter. “An iced Americano, please.” He then pointed at the coffee in front of Yu Wanlai. “This one’s on my account.”

The waiter nodded, taking the order tablet back. “Okay, sir.”

As Zhang Chang’s coffee was nearing the bottom of the cup, Yu Wanlai had reviewed the contract. There were a few things he wasn’t happy with. “…Can the contract term be reduced? Five years is too long, and the profit share, to be honest, isn’t that high compared to other companies.”

Zhang Chang leaned forward, looking at Yu Wanlai. Before he arrived, he only thought Yu Wanlai had a good voice, but he was surprised by his good looks too. It was a shame he was a bit older; otherwise, sending him to a talent show to become an idol would have been great! However, he was still quite satisfied with Yu Wanlai, so he was open to negotiation. “We can negotiate the term. How about three years? Honestly, we can’t go lower, because it takes time and effort to develop a new talent. As for the profit share, the companies you mentioned are probably larger, more established ones. While they offer higher shares, their resources are tilted towards more established artists, and newcomers are often suppressed. Our company is different. We value equality and fair competition. Those who are capable get ahead, and we currently don’t have a top artist, so we will pay extra attention to new talent.”

He added, “As for the profit share, I’ll make the final decision and increase it by 5% for you.”

Yu Wanlai’s lips curved slightly. He was bluffing. The offers he received from several companies were similar, and he didn’t expect this one to actually work out. He nodded. “Alright, then no problem. Just contact me when the contract is revised.”

Zhang Chang thought to himself, “That won’t work.” He stood up quickly, looking eager. “No need. Let’s head to the company now. The revisions are minor; we can finish them in no time.”

Yu Wanlai exclaimed in surprise, “Huh?” He was a bit shocked. Why the rush? Was this company reliable?

Zhang Chang realized he had come across as too eager and quickly corrected himself. “Actually, our office is upstairs. I thought it would be more convenient to finish the revisions today, so you don’t have to make another trip.”