Chapter 139 Homewrecker

Chapter 139: The Other Man

How could he be here?

Bu Qiran never imagined he'd encounter Zhan Jiayu at a comic convention, let alone see him cosplaying a character. He doubted Yan Anxuan would believe him if he recounted it later.

The figure on stage stood still, and the host began to speak:

"We have a little surprise—or perhaps a delightful unexpected twist—for today’s event. Our upcoming official interactive skit has just gained an additional performer at the last minute: the person standing right beside me. I believe everyone has already noticed him."

The host’s voice was clearly excited, brimming with unmistakable joy.

Down below, Yan Zhoubai stood frozen the moment he caught sight of the tall figure on stage, almost too hesitant to trust his eyes.

Was that really Zhan Jiayu?

But why was he dressed as Ural? Was he cosplaying Ural?

Was he here for the comic convention too?

Why hadn’t he mentioned anything about it?

He looked so handsome—such a dashing Ural.

A flood of thoughts rushed through Yan Zhoubai’s mind.

But one thing was absolutely certain: before seeing Zhan Jiayu cosplay as Ural, Yan Zhoubai would never have imagined Ural could look this striking.

It wasn't that Ural was unattractive, but as a villain, few people paid much attention to his appearance.

Zhan Jiayu’s cosplay was definitely going to boost Ural’s popularity. After all, Yan Zhoubai felt the cosplay was so impressive that even people outside the fandom would take a second look.

When the tangible and intense gaze from the stage landed on him, Yan Zhoubai knew without a doubt it was Zhan Jiayu. He was looking right at him.

The venue was spacious and buzzing with noise, but in that moment, the gaze that cut through the crowd made Yan Zhoubai’s heart pound.

Zhan Jiayu had actually come to the comic convention—and was even cosplaying a character from "Kitten Kia's Adventures." This had to be the biggest surprise of his day.

"Who’s that on stage? Why do you look so grim?"

Standing toward the back of the crowd, Zhang Lin glanced at Bu Qiran’s expression, clearly puzzled.

The moment Bu Qiran recognized the person in the black wizard robe as Zhan Jiayu, he gripped the staff he was holding so hard it almost splintered. Fortunately, all the props were expensive, custom-made, and could withstand his grip.

How could Zhan Jiayu be here? Someone of his stature actually attending a comic convention and even cosplaying? If that were the case, then every advantage Bu Qiran thought he had over Zhan Jiayu would vanish.

He didn’t have Zhan Jiayu’s power or influence, but there was one thing Zhan Jiayu could never match: Bu Qiran was younger.

How old was Zhan Jiayu anyway? Around the same age as Yan Anxuan. Yan Zhoubai was always going on about "Big Bro" this and "Big Bro" that at home, clearly seeing Yan Anxuan as an elder figure. Shouldn’t he see Zhan Jiayu the same way? There had to be a generation gap between him and Yan Zhoubai. If the two of them were dating, it could only be because Zhan Jiayu was taking advantage of Yan Zhoubai’s youth and inexperience.

Given time, Yan Zhoubai would surely realize that an older man like Zhan Jiayu was boring. Someone his own age would be a much better match.

Knowing Yan Zhoubai loved "Kitten Kia's Adventures," Bu Qiran had tailored his approach accordingly—playing to his interests. How would a work-obsessed older man like Zhan Jiayu even know about this kind of anime?

That was what Bu Qiran had thought before inviting Yan Zhoubai to the comic convention: play to his strengths, cater to Yan Zhoubai’s preferences, maximize his advantages. That was how he could compete with Zhan Jiayu.

But Zhan Jiayu’s appearance today shattered every advantage Bu Qiran thought he had.

"That’s Yan Zhoubai’s boyfriend," Bu Qiran said coldly, not bothering to hide the scorn in his voice. Though if one listened closely, there was also a tinge of jealous bitterness.

"Boyfriend? Boyfriend? Yan Zhoubai likes men?"

Zhang Lin was so stunned by Bu Qiran’s casual remark that he felt a little lightheaded.

So Yan Zhoubai was not only taken—his partner was another man? Yan Zhoubai was gay?

Zhang Lin stood there processing this for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion: So that’s how it is. It wasn’t just his imagination—he’d always felt Yan Zhoubai was even more delicate than most girls. Turns out it’s because he likes men.

Well, that explained a lot.

But if that were the case, then Bu Qiran’s behavior just now seemed… questionable.

"If he already has a boyfriend, then what was that little performance you just pulled? You’re not…"

Zhang Lin had never watched "Kitten Kia's Adventures" and couldn’t understand the meow language Teacher Xingxing had used. Bu Qiran had directly explained the meaning of that passage to him.

At first, it had sounded random and confusing. His initial thought was: So Bu Qiran really doesn’t hold a grudge against this fake young master. In that case, I shouldn’t give him trouble anymore either.

Now, knowing the person on stage was Yan Zhoubai’s boyfriend and connecting the dots, he suddenly understood Bu Qiran’s intention.

Zhang Lin slapped his forehead, nearly pacing on the spot as if he’d discovered a new continent, eager to voice what was on his mind. But before he could finish, Bu Qiran cut him off:

"I like him—isn’t it obvious? I thought it was pretty clear. Only he’s clueless, too slow to notice."

Bu Qiran’s gaze remained fixed on the person on stage as he spoke calmly.

"You… then you…"

Cut off mid-sentence, Zhang Lin found himself at a loss for words. He tried to reorganize his thoughts but didn’t know how to phrase them.

He wasn’t sure if it was the shock of his always-assumed-straight childhood friend coming out, or if it was because he had some unspeakable thoughts of his own. Either way, his mind was in turmoil, and he didn’t know how to respond.

"But he already has a boyfriend. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Forget it—just say whatever comes to mind. Zhang Lin felt if he didn’t ask something right now, he might burst.

Ophelia stood out in the crowd like a crane among chickens. Even though this wasn’t the main venue for "Eternal City," she still captured everyone’s attention.

Yes, this was exactly why Bu Qiran had invited Yan Zhoubai out and prepared in advance—to subtly confess his feelings.

Before, he hadn’t understood his own emotions. He just found it fun to tease and bully Yan Zhoubai. By the time he realized how he felt, he didn’t know how to express it, and Zhan Jiayu had beaten him to it.

Was he angry when he heard Yan Zhoubai and Zhan Jiayu were together? Of course he was. But what’s done is done—anger wouldn’t change anything.

As for home-wrecking, Bu Qiran felt zero guilt. He didn’t even see it as stealing from Zhan Jiayu because he always believed Yan Zhoubai’s relationship with Zhan Jiayu was just child’s play—nothing serious.

Besides, the system had said it: one was a villainous boss, the other a nameless cannon fodder. They weren’t meant to be together. He was the true protagonist, the chosen one. So if he put in the effort, getting Yan Zhoubai to be with him shouldn’t be a problem.

Zhang Lin’s mouth fell open slightly, his face full of disbelief.

"So you’re unapologetically trying to be the other man, is that it?"

Yan Zhoubai had a boyfriend, yet Bu Qiran asked him out, prepared a "surprise" that was actually a covert confession. If his understanding was correct, wasn’t Bu Qiran’s current behavior exactly that of someone trying to be the other man?

"Who’s the ‘other man’?" Bu Qiran dismissed Zhang Lin’s comment. "This old man really has some tricks up his sleeve. I underestimated him."

Zhang Lin: "..."

This trip today was totally worth it, completely worth it. After not seeing Bu Qiran for a while, he felt this person had changed a lot—or perhaps he thought he hadn't really understood him well enough before?

On the other side of the stage, Zhan Jiayu had already completed his part in the official interactive play. He was just a temporary extra role with no significant lines, only needed to stand there for visual effect.

He was pulled into the performance because his cosplay of Ural today was exceptionally handsome. He had arrived at the venue of *Kitten Kia's Adventures* earlier than Yan Zhoubai and caused a small stir as soon as he showed up, catching the official team’s attention.

To be honest, Zhan Jiayu didn’t really like places like comic cons—too crowded, and he found it somewhat noisy. When the official team asked him to make a cameo, his first reaction was to refuse. But then it occurred to him: hadn’t he cosplayed as Ural to give Yan Zhoubai a surprise? Wouldn’t going on stage make the surprise even bigger?

Little did he know it would actually turn out to be a huge surprise.

While waiting backstage, he overheard the meow language session from the previous segment, and someone nearby translated it for him. As soon as he heard it, he immediately realized those words were Bu Qiran’s message to Yan Zhoubai.

He had long known that this guy had a thing for Yan Zhoubai. He just hadn’t expected that even now, when Yan Zhoubai was officially with him, this guy would still dare to try something like this right under his nose.

If he didn’t put him in his place, he’d probably keep buzzing around Yan Zhoubai like a fly. It’d be best to settle this once and for all.

Wasn't he just supposed to be the so-called male lead of the original plot anyway? The system, which had been quiet for a while, had recently started urging him to take action against Bu Qiran. Might as well handle it all together.

As soon as Zhan Jiayu finished his performance as Ural and stepped off the stage, Yan Zhoubai immediately pushed his way through the crowd to get to him.

Zhan Jiayu had only intended to surprise Yan Zhoubai alone and didn’t want to be disturbed by others. So, as soon as he saw Yan Zhoubai approaching, he pulled him into his arms and quickly ducked behind the backstage curtain.

"Slow down, what if you fall?"

Zhan Jiayu pulled Yan Zhoubai tightly into his embrace. The crowd had been so dense earlier—he was afraid Yan Zhoubai might get crushed.

Yan Zhoubai gazed intently at Zhan Jiayu. In the narrow space behind the curtain, their eyes met, and then Yan Zhoubai rose on his tiptoes and kissed Zhan Jiayu’s lips.