How could he not be afraid? Sentence after sentence poked at Qiu Xing’s heart. Qiu Xing grasped Xie Yang’s hand and squeezed it a bit harder. His body tensed like he was suppressing something and his eyebrows sunk, a terrible storm brewing in his eyes.

However, he still tried to stay sensible as he gave something that was half a warning and half a plea. “Xie Yang, don’t provoke me.”

“I’m not provoking you, I’m just telling the truth.” Xie Yang’s hand was a bit sore but he didn’t struggle. He even took the initiative to hold back. “Qiu Xing, these assumptions just now were good. There are bad ones. Do you want to listen?”

Qiu Xing intuitively sensed it wouldn’t be what he wanted to hear. He pulled Xie Yang’s hand vigorously and spoke in a fierce tone. “Don’t say it!”

Xie Yang wasn’t deterred and continued. “The bad situation is that after you left, I didn’t get what I wanted from you and became blind and crazy. You gave me so much money so I am sure to be targeted by trash. They approach me deliberately, pretending to care about me and love me. I gradually fell but in fact, they—”

Qiu Xing suddenly pulled Xie Yang into his arms and held the back of Xie Yang’s head.

“Don’t say it. Xie Yang, don’t say it.”

“……”

Xie Yang lifted his loose arms and embraced Qiu Xing’s body. He placed his chin on Qiu Xing’s shoulder and said, “In fact, they don’t love me at all. They used me, betrayed me and mentally abused me. They made me want them and then made me pained—”

Suddenly, Qiu Xing released Xie Yang. He held Xie Yang’s cheek in his hand, lowered his head and approached Xie Yang.

Xie Yang stared straight at Qiu Xing and didn’t move.

The two of them were just about to get closer when Qiu Xing stopped abruptly. His eyes rolled and his hands were hard, his breathing slow and heavy.

“Qiu Xing.” Xie Yang saw the intense struggle in Qiu Xing’s eyes and raised a hand to hold the one Qiu Xing had placed on his face. “Without your protection, my life might become a mess.”

“…It won’t!”

Qiu Xing pushed Xie Yang away and moved back against the car door, as if ordering and persuading someone. “You are so smart. How can you be exploited and betrayed? You aren’t Qinglin. You can’t have a bad life. Xie Yang, you are bewitching me. You are a cunning liar. Aren’t you smart? Don’t you understand? In the end, you…”

“Qiu Xing.” Xie Yang interrupted Qiu Xing. “I won’t be smart forever. In addition, you told me during the Spring Festival that it doesn’t matter if I become stupid.”

He had clearly taken a step forward and made promises. Why did he want to take it back now?

Qiu Xing understood Xie Yang’s meaning. He turned his head in embarrassment to avoid Xie Yang’s gaze. His Adam’s apple moved and he suddenly ordered, “Stop.”

In the front seat, Zhou Miao had already been frightened by their quarrel and he hurried to find a place to stop. Xie Yang sat back and watched Qiu Xing, who was no longer looking at him or talking. He understood what Qiu Xing meant, raised his hand to pull the door handle and pushed open the door.

“Xie Yang.”

Xie Yang stopped and turned back.

“You…” Qiu Xing stopped talking. He just raised his hand and pressed it firmly against his forehead, hiding the expression on his face.

“I reject your deal.” Xie Yang retracted his gaze and completely pushed open the door. “I haven’t changed my interests from the Spring Festival. If you really want it, take the promise you gave me that night and come to me with the courage to live.” Then he got out of the car, closed the door hard and left with big strides.

Wu Shui, who was sitting in the front passenger’s seat, hurriedly got out of the car and followed Xie Yang. He took out his phone to call for another car while leading Xie Yang to the side of the road, avoiding vehicles.

Xie Yang walked on the side of the road without wearing a hat or a mask. This quickly attracted the attention of many passersby. Two young girls approaching made stupid expressions as they stared at Xie Yang for a few moments. They exchanged a few excited words and tentatively stepped forward. They were two steps away from Xie Yang when they mustered up the courage to speak. “You, are you Xie Yang? We are your fans. I don’t know if we can—”

Xie Yang raised his eyes. His gaze was cold without any temperature and he gave off a sharp and repellent atmosphere.

The fans closed their mouths with wide eyes. They were obviously shocked by Xie Yang’s current appearance but after a few seconds of being scared, they became more excited.

“……”Xie Yang frowned. He seemed to think of something and suddenly stopped, tilting his head in the direction where he got off the car. Then he converged his aura and smiled at the fans. “Thank you for your love and support. Do you want a signature? Or a photo?”

The iceberg suddenly melted and doubled its lethality.

The fans were dumbfounded for a few seconds before their faces and ears turned red. One of them excitedly took out a pen and paper while the other excitedly took out her mobile phone. “Can I take a photo? I-If possible, please! I’ve liked you since Who is the King of Songs. You are great! I’m cheering for you!”

“Thank you.”

Xie Yang smiled at the fans again. He signed his name on the paper and asked for the fan’s name, writing a blessing to the fan. Then he took the initiative to talk to the other fan and smiled at the fan’s mobile phone camera.

This was a place close to a school and there were many young people coming and going. The movement here quickly attracted the attention of other people. One by one, several young girls found Xie Yang and plucked up the courage to run over.

Xie Yang was slowly surrounded by a circle of people. Wu Shui stood beside Xie Yang and guarded him carefully to prevent Xie Yang from being rushed by enthusiastic fans.

Xie Yang’s patience today was surprisingly good. He not only cooperated with the fans to give signatures and take photos but he also responded to a few fan queries.

“Why here? I happened to get out of the car here. The moment the new car comes, I will return to the company.”

“My new album is being made. Tong Jian and Ke Lan also have works that will be released soon.”

“What type of person do I like?” Xie Yang was silent for a few seconds before smiling at the fan who asked the question. “This question is a bit much but it doesn’t matter if I tell you. I like…”

He paused as he bowed his head to sign his name. Then he looked at a fan’s mobile phone. “I like people who are honest, gentle and honor their word.”

***

The next day, Rongding.

“I like people who are honest, gentle and honor their word.”

The video ended.

Qiu Xing’s mouth lowered and he clicked again on the Weibo video with the title ‘Mom, I’m in love again’ that was number one on the Weibo hot list. Then he pulled the progress bar to the end.

A young man with clear facial features and good skin without any blemishes looked at the camera with a smile. “I like people who are honest, gentle and honor their word.”

Honest, gentle, honor their word…

Qiu Xing forcefully closed the laptop screen. Standing behind the desk, He Jun lowered his head and pretended he hadn’t heard the sound from the computer just now. He said, “Boss, Vice-director Qiu—”

Qiu Xing raised his eyes and stared at He Jun with a murderous gaze.

“…I’ll tell you you don’t have time to see him now.” He Jun decisively changed his words, held the documents in his hand and turned to leave the office.

“No need.” Qiu Xing took the initiative to get up and tidied up his sleeves with a gloomy expression of ‘I’m going to explode so I need to vent my anger’ on his face. “It is just right. It is a new year and I should teach him a long memory.” After speaking, he walked around the desk and glanced in Yang Xing’s direction through the French windows. Then he strode out of the office with a body full of a murderous spirit.

He Jun, “……”

His phone in his pocket vibrated. He Jun took it out and clicked on the new message.

Xie Yang: He saw it?

He Jun wanted to sigh as he replied: He saw it.

Xie Yang: Is he angry?

He Jun desperately replied with a pained emoji. ***

Long Shuyou’s studio.

Xie Yang put down his phone and drank his milk. Then he looked at Long Shuyou eating rice and flipping through the score on the other side. He stared at Long Shuyou’s face and suggested, “Shuyou, take a selfie together?”

Long Shuyou looked confused. “What?”

minutes later, Xie Yang posted on Weibo.

[Xie Yang: Recording the songs.]

There were nine photos under the Weibo post. Five were selfies and four were takeaway photos. In the group photo, Xie Yang and Long Shuyou were sitting beside each other. Xie Yang had raised his arms to the back of the chair behind Long Shuyou and it looked like he was holding Long Shuyou in his arms.

Fans were choked by these sudden photos and died quickly. Then they revived in seconds as they shouted excitedly at the photo of two handsome men. The comments on Weibo skyrocketed and the CP fans appeared.

Qin Cheng called Xie Yang. “You just exploded the news that Long Shuyou is helping you make an album?”

Xie Yang drank the last of his milk. “It will be revealed sooner or later. If I say it now, it can be used to warm up the album. By the way, Tong Jian’s new album is about to be officially released?”

“It is going to be released the day after tomorrow. Why?”

Valentine’s Day, it was a good day.

Xie Yang replied, “It’s nothing. I just thought about it and want to help him promote it. Ke Lan’s micro-movie is also being released?”

“Yes, it is the day after tomorrow as well. The two agents want to send IUD to the hot spot and share the heat. They just called me and asked if you can take the time to show up on Valentine’s Day and help Tong Jian and Ke Lan with publicity.”

“Of course.” Xie Yang agreed. He thought about it and suggested, “We don’t we just do an IUD live broadcast on Valentine’s Day? Go and contact Tong Jian and Ke Lan’s agents and plan it. We will make waves.”

Qin Cheng hesitated. “However, don’t you have to talk to Mr Qiu on Valentine’s Day—”

Xie Yang coldly interrupted. “No. He and I aren’t lovers and don’t need this holiday.”

“……” Qin Cheng smartly changed the subject. “I will communicate with Tong Jian and Ke Lan’s agents about the live broadcast. You continue to work hard.”

***

The next night before Xie Yang went to bed, Qiu Xing suddenly sent him a WeChat message after being quiet for two days.

Qiu Xing: I’m sick.

Xie Yang raised his eyebrows and typed.

Xie Yang: Really? drink more hot water.

The opposite side was as quiet as a chicken. Xie Yang watched the message about someone typing appear and disappear, appear and disappear, again and again for more than 10 minutes.

Finally, Qiu Xing sent a new message.

Qiu Xing: Master Liao has studied new dishes and wants you to go home and try them.

It was a bad excuse.

Xie Yang smiled and typed.

Xie Yang: I still have work tomorrow. I’m going to sleep. Good night.

He waited a while. It wasn’t until the typing prompt on the chat box disappeared that he finally put down his phone. He got out of bed and came to the French windows to look at the opposite Rongding.

A few minutes later, the lights in the position of the chairman’s office were turned off.

Xie Yang turned back and headed to bed. He picked up his phone and posted to his circle of friends.

[Xie Yang: Do you think you’re the only one who has a spy?]

Who did he want to scare to death by making this excuse of being sick?