Chapter 8

Perhaps because he had been stimulated by what he had done with Lin JunYi, but Xie Xian really didn’t go to look for Chen Heng for a week. Probably he had no idea how to face him under the current circumstances.

However even though he didn’t go to look personally, he still kept a close eye on Chen Heng. And so it was with a heavy face that Xie Xian looked at the pictures and the reports from the people he had sent to protect and watch over Chen Heng over the last few days.

After a few moments he picked up the phone. “Zhou Yi? Come to my office.”

Ten minutes later, Lin JunYi sat cross-legged and relaxed on the chair opposite Xie Xian’s desk as he flipped through the photographs of Chen Heng and Sun YuZhu. It seemed that the butterfly effect had taken place again. Right now judging from the kissing and hand holding photographs of the two, their relationship was progressing much faster than under the original storyline. That was probably because Xie Xian hadn’t been furiously pursuing Chen Heng as he should have. In the original storyline, Xie Xian forced Chen Heng to come home the next day. By that time he’d investigated Sun YuZhu and confronted Chen Heng. 

Chen Heng broke down in tears. Under pressure from Xie Xian, he promised that he wouldn’t meet Sun YuZhu anymore. He'd shut himself in the house and refused to answer Sun YuZhu’s calls and text messages. But inside, he began to resent Xie Xian more and more. After that Sun YuZhu eventually broke into Chen Heng’s house and confronted him.

After a lot of tears, screaming and slamming doors, Sun YuZhu eventually forced Chen Heng to confront his feelings for the other person. These protagonist gong and shou actually managed to go all the way on the floor of Chen Heng’s piano room in Xie Xian’s house. After that, the two of them briefly ran away together before Yan Nuo called Chen Heng because she needed money desperately. By that time, in order to find Chen Heng, Xie Xian had put a lot of pressure on Sun YuZhu’s family. Trying to convince him to give up on Chen Heng, they’d cut him off financially. So when Yan Nuo called saying she was in trouble, Chen Heng had no choice but to return to Xie Xian to ask him for help. After that had come the imprisonment, Zhou Yi’s psychotic break, Sun YuZhu’s revenge, Xie Xian’s tragedy and etc.

Actually now that he had met and personally observed Xie Xian and Chen Heng, Lin JunYi really felt bad for the second male lead. Because it wasn’t until he’d finally confirmed his relationship with Sun YuZhu that Chen Heng actually told Xie Xian that he didn’t want to be with him. Previously he’d always given him a lot of ambiguous messages and strung him along. Even after Xie Xian had brought him home after the fight, he didn’t tell Xie Xian he didn’t want to be with him but had instead told him that he was going to distance himself from Sun YuZhu, only to still run away with him in the end. Plus he was in such a hurry to leave, he didn’t even leave Xie Xian more than a cursory note saying he wanted to break up and “live free”. How could anyone really understand someone’s thoughts from a one line note like that? No wonder Xie Xian pursued him relentlessly - he wasn’t even sure if Sun YuZhu’s feelings towards Chen Heng were genuine or if he was treating the other person well! 

And even when Xie Xian had imprisoned Chen Heng, he still hadn’t done anything to him except tell him that Sun YuZhu wasn’t a good person and that he was trying to protect him. Although his methods were of course wrong, Lin JunYi thought Xie Xian was actually quite pitiful.

“Host, what should we do?!” 729’s voice was very anxious. “It looks like the protagonist gong and shou have already gotten together! Since that’s the case, how can we rely on the protagonist shou to treat the second male lead well? It looks like you’d better change tactics and make him happy yourself after all!”

“Hush, you don’t know a thing.” Lin JunYi replied. He shuffled the photographs and out loud said, “How do you feel about this?”

Xie Xian sat back on his chair and gazed out of the floor length windows at the setting sun. That’s right, how did he feel about this? No man who’d had a green hat put on his head would feel happy but then again… he’d cheated on Chen Heng himself. So it wasn’t like he could really criticize the other person.

But this Sun YuZhu fellow… would he really treat Chen Heng well? Judging from his family background, he wasn’t exactly an innocent young man. Although none of his family’s crimes could be attributed to him and indeed he was only from a branch family, several of the incidents had happened with him being most likely present. So he couldn’t have known nothing…

Could he really leave Chen Heng in the hands of someone like this?

After thinking that, Xie Xian was so shocked he actually froze. For the first time in his life he actually thought about… giving Chen Heng up?!

Almost on reflex he was suddenly overcome by a feeling of nausea. No, no. I can’t give Chen Heng up! I love him! I can’t live without him!

The thoughts which flashed through his brain were extremely strong but at the same time they… felt weird. Xie Xian clutched his chest with his left hand. Suddenly he thought… Are these really my thoughts?!

“President?” Lin JunYi noticed that the other person wasn’t responding. When he saw him spacing out, a mischievous grin came over his features. Reaching out, he brushed his fingertips against Xie Xian’s right hand which was resting on the table. Xie Xian jumped. “What?”

“Are you okay, President? Well I suppose that’s a stupid question… seeing your lover with  another man, of course you wouldn’t be okay.” Lin JunYi sat back in his chair. “But if you’re prepared to listen to me and let me help you, then it’s not too late to win him back.”

Xie Xian stared at him. When his secretary had touched him, that feeling of nausea had immediately disappeared. It was like a strong wind had risen, dispelling the fog from his mind. It wasn’t just now but recently… every time he was in the young man’s presence… he felt more clear headed and relaxed.

Although they hadn’t done that again since that time, he hadn’t always rejected Zhou Yi’s constant flirtatious advances and teasing. Zhou Yi also didn’t seem to even realize he was doing it sometimes, nor did he seem to mean anything serious by it. He was probably somebody who would go around disturbing flowers and grass by habit..

Thinking about that, Xie Xian’s eyes grew dark. Noticing his hot glare, Lin JunYi looked up. He raised his eyebrow. “President? Are you listening to me? According to this report, they have a booking this evening at a French restaurant. What do you want to do about it?” Seeing that Xie Xian didn’t reply, Lin JunYi frowned a little. What was this guy doing, spacing out at a time like this? “Do you remember what I said to you before? About giving jealousy a try?”

Xie Xian frowned. “I remember.”

Lin JunYi grinned at him. He folded his hands. “Then should we go together? To the French restaurant?”

***

Soft and languid music was playing while people chattered in low voices and wineglasses clinked together. Outside the windows, the vista of the lit up harbor could be seen. It was a completely romantic and gorgeous atmosphere.

But for some reason… Sun YuZhu didn’t feel quite right.

He looked across from him where Chen Heng was eating. As usual Chen Heng looked incredibly beautiful and even his eating manner was flawless and elegant. But somehow.. well it was hard to say exactly what it was… but hadn’t everything happened a little bit too easily?

Yesterday, after getting Chen Heng drunk, he’d successfully gotten his way with his seemingly untouchable piano teacher. Sun YuZhu didn’t know what he was expecting… well considering it was Chen Heng’s first time it probably wasn’t too unexpected that he would cry… but did he have to cry so much?! 

It wasn’t exactly conducive to lustful feelings when your partner wailed like they were a virgin princess that had been deflowered before her wedding day. Afterwards Sun YuZhu had to spend a lot of time pacifying him and comforting him and promising him that the next time would be better…

No, no, what am I thinking? Sun YuZhu shook his head. I’ve finally gotten together with Teacher Chen! It’s what I've always been wanting! It’s a dream come true! From now on, for the rest of my life, I’ll treasure Teacher Chen…

“Xiao-Zhu, are you alright? What are you thinking about?”

Sun YuZhu shook his head and smiled. Lovingly he reached out and clasped Chen Heng’s beautiful hands. “Teacher Chen, from now on you’re my boyfriend right? We’ll never be apart and will stay together forever?”

Chen Heng ducked his head, blushing. Last night... hadn’t been pleasant. It wasn’t exactly how he imagined something like that happening. If he had to give himself to someone, if he really had to split his heart between music and another person, then somehow he’d always thought that that moment would be more momentous somehow. 

Afterwards he had been quite upset although Sun YuZhu had apologised a hundred times that he was drunk and hadn't been able to control himself and promised to make it up to him next time. That’s why they’d come here to this very romantic restaurant even though in the previous few days they hadn’t dared step foot out of the house for fear of being caught by Xie Xian.

Speaking of Xie Xian… why hadn’t he made a move at all?

Did he really intend on just giving up like this? 

Chen Heng bit his lip. He should feel happy but somehow he felt upset instead. It turned out that Xie Xian could give up so easily? That he hadn’t love him as much as he said after all?

Just as he was thinking about this, his pupils shrank.

The person he was thinking about actually came in through the door! Chen Heng’s eyes widened frantically as he looked up at Xie Xian’s tall and imposing looking figure as he passed his coat to the bowing waiter with his usual severe and impassive expression.

But then, as Chen Heng watched in shock, Xie Xian turned around. As his gaze fell on the smaller, slender person behind him, his face slackened and a tender expression, that Chen Heng had only ever seen directed at him before, appeared…

***

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for the comments and reviews left :) You guys make my day! Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far.... I've loved writing it haha and so happy others like it too.