Chapter 19: The Movie King and the Husky 02

After asking his question, Tang Bin nervously looked at Lin Moning again.

Everyone in the room was visibly shocked, except for Lin Moning, whose face didn’t show any emotion. He simply stared at Tang Bin with his usual indifferent expression.

Tang Bin tried to maintain a stern face, making sure his expression gave away nothing, but inside, he was trembling and nervously asking the system, “Is it okay for me to do this now?”

【It should be fine.】3376 gave him its usual ambiguous answer.

“Okay,” Tang Bin sighed softly.

Just a moment ago, 3376 had reminded him to carefully review the task details.

Tang Bin understood that 3376 couldn’t reveal too much due to its responsibilities, so he didn’t bother it further. Instead, he followed its advice and re-read the task that had just been assigned to him.

The new mission, like the previous one, was displayed in a non-existent taskbar for Tang Bin to review.

The two missions were clearly placed side by side for comparison, making it easy for Tang Bin to notice… the previous task only had two requirements, but this new one… had an extra one?!

Moreover, the first mission had one star, while the new one had two stars…

In that instant, Tang Bin felt his heart skip a beat.

Why did he have to become the target task’s financial backer?!!

Once the host had realized the issue, 3376 could provide an explanation and clarification.

It told Tang Bin, 【In order to fit the plot, the host will have to endure this.】

Tang Bin: “…”

Tang Bin’s gaze fell back on the title line, and he felt even more anxious.

“After successfully raising a little wolf dog… I was completely devoured by him… What does this have to do with becoming the target’s financial backer?”

His voice trembled as he spoke, clearly frightened by the phrase “completely devoured.”

3376: 【…】

Had the host missed something important? How was it supposed to explain this?

After 3376 explained—completely devoured was just a necessary step on the road to a happy ending—Tang Bin roughly understood. It wasn’t as he had thought, that they wanted to actually eat him.

He felt a bit relieved, as long as it wasn’t literally eating him…

Being eaten would definitely be very painful…

However, even knowing he had to follow the main storyline, Tang Bin still didn’t know what to do.

After finishing his conversation with the system, he came back to his senses, only to find Lin Moning’s battered face right in front of him.

Tang Bin felt that not only had he fallen so low as to work at a bar, but he was also inexplicably picked on and beaten up, missing work and facing a scolding from the manager. It was truly pitiful.

In a moment of desperation, he blurted out, “Would you come with me?”

The small private room fell into silence. For a moment, everyone’s expressions and movements froze. The only sound was the clanging music from the bar’s DJ, reminding them that time hadn’t stopped—it was still flowing.

Everyone stared at him with the expression of someone choking on a steamed bun, but Tang Bin was completely oblivious.

At this moment, all he could think about was how to win the male lead’s favor to complete his task. He unconsciously ignored his own “Young Master Luo” persona. But he didn’t know how to please the male lead. After a long pause, he only smiled at Lin Moning after asking the question.

The others: !!!

Tang Bin had forgotten that he was Luo Rui at the moment, but he also forgot that to others, he was always the temperamental, unpredictable “Young Master Luo.”

Because Luo Rui’s temper was hard to gauge, others thought that as long as he didn’t go too far, his actions wouldn’t raise suspicion.

So when he smiled at Lin Moning, what everyone else thought was—

“What’s going on? Young Master Luo likes Lin Moning?!”

“No way! Young Master Luo actually likes Lin Moning? With Lin Moning looking like this… Does Young Master Luo have this kind of taste?!”

Tang Bin was unaware of what everyone was thinking. His gaze was only on Lin Moning.

In fact, just moments ago, he nearly blurted out the task’s requirements directly and asked Lin Moning, “Can I be your financial backer?”

But as the words came to his lips, after thinking it over, Tang Bin felt that asking like that would be too disrespectful.

In the past, he was naive and clueless, but he wasn’t actually dumb.

After experiencing a lifetime of challenges in a different world, Tang Bin had subtly learned what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t.

And looking at the male lead’s fierce gaze… he might just jump up and beat him up.

So after thinking for a while, he eventually asked this… line that sounded incredibly charming to others.

Unfortunately, despite the various shocked reactions from the others, the person involved showed no appreciation.

Lin Moning coldly replied, “Sorry, Mr. Luo, I still have work here. I can’t leave.”

Then he turned to the manager and said, “Sorry for the delay, can I go change clothes now?”

“This…” If it were anyone else, facing someone with a beaten face who still wanted to continue working, the manager would most likely scold them harshly.

But since the other person even dared to refuse Young Master Luo, and seeing that Young Master Luo didn’t seem angry, it was clear that they not only knew each other but had an unusual relationship…

In such a situation, the manager didn’t dare to scold Lin Moning, nor did he dare to take him away in front of Young Master Luo.

Not knowing how to handle it, the manager could only look toward Tang Bin again.

Tang Bin didn’t notice the manager’s gaze. He was still somewhat at a loss after being rejected, but he wasn’t discouraged.

After all, according to the information he had gathered, the male lead wasn’t familiar with the original host, so it was normal for him not to go with him.

After calming down, Tang Bin let it go. As long as he could find Lin Moning somewhere, that was enough.

But seeing Lin Moning’s face covered in bruises, his body so thin it looked deformed, and his overall pitiable condition, Tang Bin couldn’t help but ask again, “Really, you won’t come with me? I’ll take you to the hospital, your injuries…”

He blinked his large eyes and spoke with a clear, bright voice.

If Tang Bin were in another identity, he would appear to others as a gentle, delicate, and kind-hearted student.

But now, he was Young Master Luo, dressed in an expensive suit, always high and mighty.

So when he said these words, it caused everyone in the room to gasp again—

Who exactly was Lin Moning? What kind of person could make Young Master Luo ask him so many times, speaking so gently?

Especially Zheng Zhe, who remembered how cold Young Master Luo had been when he sat next to him earlier, and now comparing it to his attitude, it felt like a drastic change!

He was nearly going mad with anger and jealousy!

But he couldn’t show any of it.

At that moment, Lin Moning still replied coldly, “I’m fine, thank you for your concern, Young Master Luo.”

He said “thank you,” but his expression was still cold, and his tone was nothing more than a polite formality.

Who would have known that Young Master Luo, without showing any temper, just nodded and said, “Alright, well, if you ever need anything, come find me.”

“…” Zheng Zhe gasped once again.

Tang Bin, unable to keep the male lead with him, just watched helplessly as Lin Moning left with the manager.

Although… the male lead looked so fierce, even if he had stayed, Tang Bin wouldn’t have known what to do.

“Young Master Luo, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.” Zheng Zhe came up to him again, smiling and apologizing.

His face was originally cold and stunning, but now, with the appearance of someone who was submissive and apologetic, it felt a little out of place.

But Tang Bin couldn’t quite say what felt wrong.

On the first day of arriving in this world, he accidentally ran into his target… He felt like it was time to call it a day.

After Lin Moning left, Young Master Luo had been distracted, and Zheng Zhe noticed this.

He tried to suppress his thoughts, pretending not to notice, but deep down, he was getting more and more anxious.

Back in the private room, Yuan Ming surprised them by asking, “Where did you two go? Why did it take so long for you to come back?”

Before anyone could answer, Yuan Ming immediately reacted, “Oh~” with a deep and knowing tone.

Zheng Zhe lowered his head even further.

After sitting down, everyone resumed singing, drinking, or playing video games, while Young Master Luo continued sitting there, motionless.

He didn’t drink, didn’t look at anyone, and didn’t speak.

Zheng Zhe couldn’t take it anymore. Watching Yuan Ming drunkenly stumble out to use the restroom, he couldn’t help but follow and corner him in the hallway to recount what had just happened.

Of course, after his embellishments and omissions, he made sure to hide the fact that it was he who had provoked things first, and he just complained to Yuan Ming about Young Master Luo’s coldness and his own unease.

Yuan Ming wasn’t stupid. Although he was younger than Luo Rui, he had seen more of the world, and he was more mature than Young Master Luo.

He immediately understood Zheng Zhe’s words, but since he didn’t know Zheng Zhe and was being treated especially well, it must have been because Young Master Luo had selected him earlier.

So, he felt helpless and, somewhat impatiently, said, “Your manager should’ve told you about Young Master Luo’s temper, right? If he likes you, he’ll lift you to the skies. If he doesn’t like you… tsk tsk.”

“Ah?” Zheng Zhe’s mouth dropped open in shock, looking rather miserable, which didn’t quite match his cold, glamorous appearance.

“So you should take some time to think about why Young Master Luo isn’t interested in you. Complaining to me won’t help. Should I send you to Young Master Luo’s bed instead?”

Yuan Ming’s voice clearly carried impatience. He also gave off the vibe of someone not to be messed with, so Zheng Zhe didn’t dare act rashly.

“Brother Yuan… I didn’t mean it like that…” Zheng Zhe sounded somewhat aggrieved, “I’m just curious. Things were fine before, but now, when Young Master Luo sees that Lin Moning…”

“Does it have anything to do with you who Young Master Luo likes?” Yuan Ming gave him a side-eye, making his meaning quite clear.

Zheng Zhe, frightened, immediately fell silent.

“Although, I’ll admit, Young Master Luo’s behavior tonight is kind of strange.” After scaring Zheng Zhe, Yuan Ming continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint what was so strange, but… Young Master Luo’s gaze seemed a bit different?

Luo Rui had always had a bad temper, moody and unpredictable. Even Yuan Ming had to be careful around him, or else he could really lose his temper without a second thought, disregarding anyone’s feelings.

But tonight, the way Young Master Luo looked at him… it seemed a bit dazed, as if he didn’t dare look him directly in the eye?

—

Luo Rui had always been handsome, tall, and attractive, though he’d always seemed a bit frail.

On top of that, his family was wealthy, very wealthy by domestic standards, and his father spoiled him. So, Luo Rui had always been an untouchable presence.

Even though he often threw tantrums, everyone was used to flattering him, and no one had ever seen Luo Rui like this… looking pitiful? Or vulnerable?

Tsk. Yuan Ming thought he wasn’t good with words, but he couldn’t quite describe the feeling.

He just knew that although Luo Rui often looked sickly and would throw a fit when something didn’t go his way, he had never acted like this before, almost giving off a pitiful vibe. His big eyes looked dazed, as if they could start shedding tears at any moment…

Lost in thought, Yuan Ming suddenly stopped breathing for a second.

He looked down at his lower body, cursed softly, and impatiently pushed Zheng Zhe away.

“Alright, alright, go cry somewhere else, don’t block me from using the bathroom.”

Zheng Zhe, who had been talking to Yuan Ming about how strange Young Master Luo was, was suddenly shoved against the cold wall.

…Young Master Yuan was different from Young Master Luo. Young Master Yuan had a fierce look, and his methods were more ruthless. Although Young Master Luo’s mood was unpredictable, Zheng Zhe had seen it before, but compared to the delicate, clean Young Master Luo, he was more afraid of Yuan Ming’s sudden bursts of temper.

Zheng Zhe, feeling wronged, no longer dared to cause any trouble. He leaned against the wall and, clearly unaware, didn’t notice a thin but perfectly proportioned figure standing at the end of the corridor.

—

Tang Bin, unable to bear the stuffy air in the private room, wanted to step out for some fresh air. He didn’t expect that as soon as he opened the door and closed it behind him, blocking out the music from the room, he would overhear Yuan Ming’s voice in the corridor. The conversation seemed to be about how strange he was acting tonight.

As soon as Tang Bin heard those words, he froze, feeling a chill spread through his body.

Earlier, when 3376 had reminded him to act as the original character, he had listened and tried his best. But he didn’t expect the result to be so disappointing.

In just a few short hours, Yuan Ming had already found him strange.

“Is it really that obvious?” Tang Bin asked the system helplessly. “What should I do…?”

3376 gave the same reply as always: 【Try to play the part.】

Tang Bin: “Hmm…”

This answer didn’t ease his panic.

He became anxious and, instinctively, wanted to shrink into himself.

If Tang Bin had two fluffy ears, he would definitely look like a soft, chubby little rabbit.

3376 seemed most intolerant of him acting this way, so it had to remind him: 【The original character is a moody person.】

“…So?”

【So the host needs to be more confident, show a little strength.】 3376 paused before adding: 【Because you are who you are.】

Its words were indirect, but Tang Bin seemed to understand.

…Because the original character was moody, whatever he did seemed right in the eyes of others.

As long as he wasn’t shrinking away…

He should be a bit tougher.

It wasn’t the first time he had done a mission.

Tang Bin thought.

“Ah Rui? Why are you standing here?”

Just as Tang Bin was lost in thought, he heard someone ask him.

It was Yuan Ming, who had returned after going to the bathroom.

Snapped back to reality, Tang Bin instinctively froze for a moment. But then he remembered that he needed to act tough, so he quickly adjusted and pretended to be strong, saying, “Nothing, it’s too noisy inside. I came out for a bit.”