Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Watching Shang Huoyong walk away, Su Tinghe couldn't help but sob softly, his eyes darting occasionally towards the door, wondering if Shang Huoyong would hear his sobs and come back to comfort him.

But after crying for a while, no one came, and there wasn't even the sound of footsteps at the door.

Su Tinghe cried even louder. He had already tried to stop Shang Huoyong, but that heartless man still pushed him away. Didn't he care about my dignity?

Su Tinghe thought to himself, Shang Huoyong wasn't incapable; perhaps he just didn't like him.

The thought of this possibility twisted Su Tinghe's heart like a hemp rope, causing a suffocating ache.

Su Tinghe lay curled up on the bed, and after crying until he was spent, he gradually fell asleep.

In the next room, Shang Huoyong first took a cold shower. Though his body had cooled down, the irritation in his heart remained unabated. Thinking of Su Tinghe, who had been so alluring under his grasp just moments ago, only served to agitate him further.

The two had been sharing a bed for some time, and now suddenly separated, Shang Huoyong wondered what Su Tinghe might be thinking.

Shang Huoyong quietly approached the master bedroom door, listening for any sounds from within. Sure enough, he caught the sound of Su Tinghe's intermittent sobs.

Shang Huoyong raised his hand to knock and enter, but stopped himself. After a long time, when there was no sound from inside, he pushed the door open.

He saw only a small lump on the bed. Upon closer look, he saw Su Tinghe's fair cheeks streaked with dried tears, his nose red, likely from crying so much.

Shang Huoyong dampened a towel with hot water and gently wiped Su Tinghe's face, careful not to rouse him. Su Tinghe merely whimpered a few times, still sound asleep.

Unable to suppress his frustration, Shang Huoyong pinched the soft flesh on Su Tinghe's cheek. Su Tinghe frowned and whimpered, as though on the verge of waking.

Shang Huoyong quickly withdrew his hand, holding his breath to observe for a while. Only when he was sure Su Tinghe wouldn't wake up did he relax.

Having worked himself up, Su Tinghe had cried himself to sleep. Looking at Su Tinghe's sleeping face, Shang Huoyong felt a gnawing frustration.

This life's Su Tinghe was so different from the previous life's Su Tinghe. Shang Huoyong couldn't even understand his own feelings towards Su Tinghe anymore.

The overwhelming hatred he felt upon being reborn seemed to have faded a lot during their time together. Realizing this, Shang Huoyong was startled.

If he had fallen for Su Tinghe in both lifetimes, then he really was a fool!

With no outlet for his anger, Shang Huoyong couldn't help but pinch Su Tinghe's cheek again. After doing so, he felt somewhat relieved and prepared to return to the adjacent room to sleep.

Just as he was about to get up, Su Tinghe hugged his arm. Shang Huoyong tried to pull away, but the more he tried, the tighter Su Tinghe held on.

With a helpless sigh, Shang Huoyong ultimately stayed to sleep in the master bedroom.

The next morning, Shang Huoyong unusually did not linger in bed, turning off the alarm at its first ring.

Taking advantage of Su Tinghe still being asleep, Shang Huoyong carefully arranged Su Tinghe in his arms and tiptoed to the adjacent room to wash up and change.

Seeing Shang Huoyong come downstairs, Aunt Qin eagerly greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Shang!"

Shang Huoyong nodded slightly, responding with a "Good morning." Aunt Qin then asked, "Has young master Su not gotten up yet?"

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Shang Huoyong absentmindedly replied, "He was a bit tired last night, so don't go calling him."

"Tired, was he!" Aunt Qin couldn't stop smiling, waving her hands, "No, no, let him rest well. I certainly won't disturb him."

Seeing the smile on Aunt Qin's face, Shang Huoyong immediately realized what she was thinking, but he couldn't explain that Su Tinghe was actually tired from crying.

Preferring not to see or be bothered, Shang Huoyong gave up on explaining and simply went to work without eating breakfast.

Aunt Qin called out from behind, "Mr. Shang, aren't you going to have breakfast?"

"I'm too angry to eat anything," Shang Huoyong said resolutely without even turning his head.

Su Tinghe woke up and found the other side of the bed empty. The heartache from last night hit him again. He lay in bed for a while to calm himself before getting up and going downstairs.

Seeing Su Tinghe, Aunt Qin quickly brought over the breakfast she had been keeping warm, urging him to eat.

Su Tinghe forced a smile at Aunt Qin and clarified yesterday's misunderstanding: "Shang Huoyong, he's perfectly fine. I was wrong."

Aunt Qin thought Su Tinghe looked unwell from yesterday's exhaustion and gently patted his head, saying, "Aunt Qin knows, don't overthink it. You must be starving, have some easy-to-digest porridge to soothe your stomach."

Su Tinghe nodded vigorously, his smile growing a bit. No matter what, both Aunt Qin and Shang Huoyong's mother genuinely cared for him, making him feel a rare sense of warmth in this world.

After breakfast, Su Tinghe opened his phone to find a message from Zhang Shijing asking if he had time today to audition actors together.

There was still some time before the agreed meeting time with Zhang Shijing, so Su Tinghe called to say he would come over to take a look.

When Aunt Qin heard that Su Tinghe was going out today, she was a bit worried. She noticed that Su Tinghe had gotten up late and didn't look well. Shang Huoyong had specifically told her not to wake Su Tinghe up, thinking that Su Tinghe must have had a long argument with Shang Huoyong last night, and Shang Huoyong didn't seem like the weaker one, so Su Tinghe might even be injured.

Su Tinghe appreciated Aunt Qin's concern but thought it was a bit much today. He explained that he had important matters and an appointment, so he had to go out. Aunt Qin reluctantly agreed.

At the meeting place, Su Tinghe saw that Zhang Shijing was with a young girl. Zhang Shijing introduced her to Su Tinghe as his daughter, Zhang Muqing, who was also the original author of the TV series "Yu Lin Ling."

The girl chuckled, "No wonder my dad kept saying he met someone who perfectly fits the young prince from the novel. Seeing you today, I know he wasn't exaggerating. Are you sure you don't want to try acting?"

Su Tinghe shook his head, firmly telling her, "I can't act, and I don't want to try. I prefer watching dramas over acting."

Zhang Muqing didn't press further, just sighed regretfully, then told Su Tinghe that the roles being auditioned today were for the regent and the young prince, the two main characters. However, due to their low production budget, most of the auditionees were inexperienced newbies.

Su Tinghe nodded in understanding, but when he actually saw the actors auditioning, he couldn't help but frown. Even as someone unfamiliar with modern TV dramas, he could tell that many of the actors' performances were quite superficial, and their looks were too modern, lacking any ancient atmosphere.

What was more absurd was that after Zhang Shijing mentioned he was the investor, many started subtly or overtly flirting with Su Tinghe, making him too embarrassed to watch their performances.

Midway, Su Tinghe went to the restroom and encountered one of the auditioning actors. The actor slipped a small note into Su Tinghe's hand, saying, "Here's my contact info. If you're ever bored, feel free to call me anytime."

Su Tinghe didn't understand the implication at first, but then the actor leaned in and blew a breath into Su Tinghe's ear, startling him so much that he quickly returned the note, repeatedly saying, "No interest, no interest."

Zhang Muqing saw Su Tinghe running over as if chased by a wild beast, stopped him, and looked behind him, finding nothing unusual, then asked what happened.

Su Tinghe hesitated but then told Zhang Muqing about the incident. After hearing it, Zhang Muqing sighed, "That's just how the acting circle is. Can't be helped, especially since you're the investor with the power to decide on actors. And objectively speaking, you're quite handsome. Being with you wouldn't be a loss; in fact, it might be a gain."

Su Tinghe was shocked to learn about such things in the acting world for the first time, pointing at himself in disbelief, "Investor?"

Zhang Muqing affirmed, "You put in the money, so you're the investor."

Su Tinghe hugged himself, shaking his head firmly, "Absolutely not that kind of person."

Zhang Muqing laughed, agreeing with Su Tinghe, "Listen to the investor, absolutely not."

Being called 'investor' felt very strange to Su Tinghe, so he told Zhang Muqing, "Just call me by my name from now on. I don't want to be your investor, especially since your dad is here."

Zhang Muqing found Su Tinghe's words hilarious, calling him too cute.

Zhang Shijing came out to call them, as there were still people waiting to audition, urging them to come in quickly.

The next batch of auditioning actors was no better than the previous ones, none particularly outstanding. However, there was a model who had never acted before but had a striking appearance, with sharp features and a stern look, fitting well for the role of the regent.

Zhang Shijing told them to wait for the notification. After everyone left, he discussed with Zhang Muqing and Su Tinghe, agreeing that only the model had a good appearance, but Zhang Shijing was concerned about his acting skills.

As for the role of the young prince, none of the actors who came for the audition were suitable, so we'll have to continue searching later.

After the casting ended, Zhang Shijing and his daughter had a lot to do and had to leave early. Su Tinghe didn't want to go home for the time being, but he had nowhere to go. After thinking for a while, he asked the driver to take him to the coffee shop where Bai Hua worked.

Su Tinghe wasn't sure about Bai Hua's working hours and went there on a whim. However, upon arriving at the coffee shop, he found that Bai Hua was sitting across from a well-groomed, elegant lady who looked very familiar.

Su Tinghe found a seat a bit away from the two and, using the coffee shop's plants as cover, secretly looked in their direction.

This glance revealed the lady's face, and Su Tinghe was shocked. The lady sitting across from Bai Hua was none other than Shang Yizhi's mother, his and Shang Huoyong's second aunt.

What are these two doing together? Su Tinghe strained to listen, trying to eavesdrop. He faintly heard the second aunt say, "I heard that Shang Yizhi is head over heels for someone. Seeing you today, I can see why my son is so taken with you."

"But my son can't be with you. His marriage isn't up to him."

The second aunt took a bank card out of her purse and handed it over, her mouth opening and closing: "So..."

Here it comes, Su Tinghe thought he was about to witness the scene of a wicked mother-in-law breaking up a young couple. Next, his second aunt would say, "Here is ten million, please leave my son."

"Here is one million, please accept my son's advances."

Su Tinghe: This doesn't make sense!? This is nothing like the TV dramas I've watched!

Bai Hua looked equally confused, staring at the lady across from him. The lady calmly explained, "You must be surprised, right? I know what my son is like. If you keep him chasing, he'll keep thinking about you, never forgetting you. But if you easily agree to his pursuit and let him have his way, he'll quickly lose interest in you. He enjoys the thrill of the chase, not a specific person."

"So, I hope you accept his advances, be with him, and go along with whatever he says. Within three months, he'll break up with you. This one million is just a down payment. Once you break up, I'll give you another million. I heard your father is in the hospital and probably needs a lot of money."

Bai Hua reached for the bank card. Su Tinghe's heart rose with anticipation, but Bai Hua hesitated for a few seconds and pushed the card back.

Bai Hua: "Thank you for your kindness, but I won't agree to Shang Yizhi, nor will I use my feelings as a bargaining chip."

The second aunt smiled, putting the bank card back into her purse: "It's okay, you'll come to me."

Watching the second aunt leave, Su Tinghe quietly looked at Bai Hua, unsure if he should approach him at this moment.

Just then, a waiter approached Su Tinghe's table, "What can I get you, sir? Here's the menu—you can scan the QR code to order."

Hearing the waiter, Bai Hua glanced over. Su Tinghe hurriedly picked up the menu to cover his face, but Bai Hua still came over.

Su Tinghe set the menu down and lowered his head apologetically: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"It's fine—she is your second aunt, after all," Bai Hua said indifferently.

"Yes," Su Tinghe admitted, "I didn't know Shang Yizhi liked you, nor did I know she came to split you two apart."

Bai Hua chuckled and denied: "Shang Yizhi and I are not a couple."

Su Tinghe nodded, then asked another question he was concerned about: "Is your father sick? Does he need a lot of money?"

Bai Hua didn't hide it: "Yes, that's why I have to work so much."

Su Tinghe stammered: "If you need money, you can tell me. I enjoy helping others."

Bai Hua shook her head: "Since we are friends, I can't just take your money."

"Think of it as a loan from me," Su Tinghe immediately said, then as if suddenly realizing something, he loudly said to Bai Hua, "Look up at me, face me directly."

Su Tinghe happily slapped the table: "I've found a way for you to make money."

Bai Hua was baffled by Su Tinghe's sudden excitement, "What way?"

Su Tinghe said in a hushed tone, "Do you want to act and become an actor? I invested in a drama, and the director said I'm the primary backer. I have the authority to decide on the actors, and I think you are particularly suitable."

Bai Hua was even more baffled and quickly held Su Tinghe back, "Isn't this too casual?"

Su Tinghe opened his eyes wide, shook his head, and told Bai Hua, "It's not casual at all. You don't know, I just auditioned many actors, and none of them looked as good as you. You have a very clean, classical demeanor about you. Believe me, you are really suitable."

Bai Hua was half-convinced. Seeing that Bai Hua didn't believe him, Su Tinghe sent him the audition clips and explained the synopsis of the TV drama again, inviting Bai Hua to come for an audition in a couple of days.

Unable to refuse his enthusiasm and seeing that it indeed seemed quite serious, Bai Hua reluctantly accepted Su Tinghe's offer for the time being and changed the topic, asking, "How did things go with your husband last night?"

Su Tinghe's face fell, "Don't mention it."

Bai Hua looked at Su Tinghe in shock, "He really can't perform?"

Su Tinghe looked sorrowful, "It's not that he can't; it's that he won't with me, because he doesn't like me."

Bai Hua thought of the person who had picked up Su Tinghe from the bar before and said, "That can't be."

"Why can't it?" Su Tinghe said sadly, "Last night he acted that way, and he still didn't want to touch me. We even ended up sleeping in separate rooms last night."

Bai Hua held Su Tinghe's hand and comforted him, "He might be going through something."

"What could he possibly be going through? It's better to pretend he doesn't exist. It's not that he doesn't want me, it's that I don't want him," Su Tinghe thought of the young actor who had handed him a note today and said resentfully, "I'm very popular; lots of people like me, who cares about him."

Seeing Su Tinghe's tough exterior, Bai Hua suddenly thought of a good idea and asked Su Tinghe, "Do you feel like hitting the bar tonight?"

Su Tinghe didn't really like the chaotic vibe of bars, but he didn't want to go home either, so he told Bai Hua, "I'm up for it."

Bai Hua smiled mysteriously, "Tonight, you'll see if your husband really cares about you."

Su Tinghe didn't take Bai Hua's words seriously, but when he followed Bai Hua that night, he found out they weren't heading to the same bar as last time, and this bar was even louder, with people going wild on the dance floor.

Bai Hua took Su Tinghe to a booth and whispered something to the people in the bar. Soon, several handsome men with exquisite makeup crowded around their seats.

Su Tinghe was at a loss, leaning against Bai Hua and not daring to move, whispering, "Who are these guys?"

Bai Hua answered him, "They all like you. You can have them drink as much as you want, but with me watching, you're not allowed to drink randomly."

Su Tinghe was stunned, his mind spinning for a while before hesitantly asking Bai Hua, "Are we engaging in a drinking game here?"

Bai Hua grinned, "You might say that."

Su Tinghe was dumbfounded. He, a regular guy, had hit the jackpot, actually able to engage in a drinking game, but he really didn't want to drink.

And with Bai Hua watching over Su Tinghe, he only let Su Tinghe drink Wangzai Milk.

A few good-looking guys wanted to show Su Tinghe how to play some games. At first, Su Tinghe was unwilling to participate, but seeing Bai Hua and them playing happily, he found that the games weren't as messy as he thought, so he joined in.

Bai Hua kept an eye on Su Tinghe's phone, waiting to see how long it would take for Su Tinghe's husband to call. If he really couldn't wait, he would find a reason to have Su Tinghe call.

But it turned out that Shang Huoyong was indeed not as calm as Su Tinghe thought. When the bar got more crowded, Su Tinghe's phone rang. Su Tinghe wanted to answer, but Bai Hua wouldn't let him. It wasn't until Shang Huoyong called for the third time that Bai Hua allowed Su Tinghe to answer.

Bai Hua gave a wink, and several handsome men quickly gathered around Su Tinghe, deliberately trying to feed him drinks.

"Mr. Su, put the phone down, we're playing games. You lost, it's your turn to drink, and it's with me, we can even drink cross-cupped, mouth to mouth if you like."

Shang Huoyong must have been very angry on the other end. Bai Hua leaned close to Su Tinghe's phone, and even in the noisy bar, he could hear the roar from the other side, "Su Tinghe, where exactly are you?"

Before Su Tinghe could think of how to respond, Bai Hua shouted next to him, "Isn't Drunk Island Bar great? Aren't these drinking companions handsome? Tonight we won't go home until we're drunk, so don't go back."

Su Tinghe only heard Shang Huoyong's angry shout from the other end of the phone, "Su Tinghe, you're really something, I underestimated you." Then Shang Huoyong hung up the phone.

Su Tinghe was completely confused. When did he lose the game? When did they say about feeding drinks? When did they say about not going home until drunk? Bai Hua only let him drink Wangzai Milk.

And, how dare Shang Huoyong hang up on him!