Love Contract chapter 2
Face-to-Face
As night deepened, the atmosphere in the club grew more intense. The second floor tables were littered with empty bottles and piles of burnt-out cigarette ash.
Friends who were playing around leaned against the railing, glanced downstairs, and suddenly shouted, “He Yujing, a celestial being! We’ve found someone for you!”
“What is it…” He Yujing, not having a great tolerance for alcohol, was already a bit drunk. With a dazed expression, he mumbled, “Can someone change the song downstairs? I’m tired of hearing it.”
The DJ downstairs was playing He Yujing’s debut song, and the remixed beat had a strong rhythm. This song was extremely popular, and almost everyone in the venue was singing along. Su Wan couldn’t stop laughing at his straightforwardness. Used to the flattery in the industry, He Yujing’s fearless and audacious personality was truly rare.
Not only because of his talent and skill but also due to his distinguished family background.
Su Wan teased him, “It sounds great, everyone likes it. You’re amazing, even a song from seven or eight years ago is still so popular now.”
He had heard similar compliments countless times over the years, and he simply gave a perfunctory smile.
Seeing that he was not responding, his friend urged, “Ah Jing, He Yujing! Come and take a look!”
He Yujing responded lazily. He didn’t want to get up, but his friend kept urging him. As he stood up from the sofa, he threatened, “If it’s not a celestial being, you’ll have to cross-dress and shoot the MV for me—”
His words were cut off abruptly.
He Yujing’s gaze fixed on the bar. There were a few young people chatting and laughing there. From his angle, he could only see a small part of one of their faces.
The colored lights in the first-floor lobby were spinning. Zhou Xun patted the person next to him, and Jiang Liusui turned just at the right moment, his face completely exposed to He Yujing’s view.
Seeing his reaction, his friend laughed, “Oh, looks like I won’t have to cross-dress after all.”
He Yujing didn’t respond. Su Wan, curious, came over and asked, “Are you talking about the ones by the bar? Are they boys or girls?”
“The boy on the far left,” the friend said, “I’ve never seen someone so attractive before.”
Su Wan looked closer and recognized him, exclaiming, “Hey, isn’t he the…?! He’s the little actor I mentioned before. This kid is pretty good at acting. He can carry a role even in low-budget web dramas.”
“From Shengyun?”
“I think so, but I’m not too sure.”
The friend, excited, suggested, “Why not invite him up? We can ask him directly.”
He Yujing remained silent, and his friend took this as a sign of approval. Just as they were about to go downstairs, He Yujing’s phone rang.
When he answered, his manager, Shen Jie, sounded somewhat anxious, “Are you still out?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“A reporter must have heard some news from somewhere and sent out a post in the middle of the night, saying you’re in a nightclub smoking and drinking, acting like you won’t come home all night, and also saying you can’t write songs…” Shen Jie paused, “and that you’ve basically given up on yourself.”
He Yujing sneered, “That’s nonsense”
Every move he made easily attracted countless gazes. The media’s excessive attention and speculative interpretations of his private life had reached a pathological level. Years ago, it would have affected his mood, and there were times he would even confront them angrily. Now, he could mostly remain calm in the face of such baseless rumors.
Seeing that he was relatively composed, Shen Jie felt relieved that he had finally matured and comforted him, “Ignore them; it’s all nonsense. But now it’s all over Weibo, and the club’s address has been exposed. Fans are starting to gather; you need to leave quickly.”
The situation escalated rapidly, and other artists present were also receiving news one after another.
Shen Jie advised, “You and Su Wan should try to avoid the media; otherwise, they might write more nonsense. It’s better to use the underground parking lot, though there might be people there as well, but at least it’s less crowded…”
“No need. Have Xiao Wen drive the car to the front door.”
Shen Jie was stunned, “You want to leave from the front?”
“I haven’t broken any laws. I’m just out relaxing; why should it feel like I’m sneaking out?” He Yujing scoffed, “Let them take all the pictures they want.”
His friend gave him a thumbs up. Su Wan’s manager on the other end of the phone was alarmed by his reckless comments and quickly warned, fearing their artist would go wild with He Yujing.
“I’ll use the underground parking lot,” Su Wan hung up and hurriedly got up, “I’m leaving first. Yujing, you take care.”
Shen Sijia couldn’t handle the gossip about her idol and Su Wan, so she turned her grief into energy and joined the crowd dancing, leaving Zhou Xun and Jiang Liusui to chat by the bar.
Jiang Liusui had poor alcohol tolerance and was aware of it, so he had spent the night drinking lemon water at the club. Zhou Xun asked, “You and Shen Sijia are graduating next month?”
Jiang Liusui and Shen Sijia were from the same school but different departments. Their graduation timing was the same. Zhou Xun attended a polytechnic university, which had strict requirements and many courses, so his graduation was a few weeks later than theirs.
“Guoyi’s graduation ceremony is pretty lively this year. Are you coming?”
“I’ll come if I have nothing on that day.” Zhou Xun got up, “I’m going to the restroom; be careful.”
Jiang Liusui casually replied, “Don’t worry, being clueless is my protective color.”
“Not that.” Zhou Xun thought for a moment and took off his black cap, placing it on Jiang Liusui’s head, “Cover your face, be careful or someone might come over to hit on you.”
Jiang Liusui adjusted the hat and playfully blinked, “So, I’m that popular in your eyes?”
“…”
Zhou Xun was momentarily taken aback by his deliberately ambiguous remark and decided to retort, “After all, we’re a couple.”
Jiang Liusui smiled, unfazed. Zhou Xun gave him a thumbs up, “You win, bro. I’m so disgusted I just want to puke.” He glanced at Shen Sijia, who was already lost in the crowd, “Watch her.”
Jiang Liusui agreed and looked down at his phone. Unexpectedly, Zhou Xun’s words came true; soon after, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey,” a stranger with straw-like yellow hair asked, “Are you alone?”
Jiang Liusui was far from polite with men, not even looking up as he replied, “With friends.”
Ignoring his cold response, the yellow-haired man sat down next to him and said, “Your friends aren’t here, so come join us.”
“Over there,” he gestured toward a VIP seat, “A young master is celebrating his birthday and wants to invite you over. He’ll cover your expenses tonight.”
Jiang Liusui looked at the large face of the yellow-haired man coming towards him and mentally told himself to endure it.
Fortunately, this guy didn’t recognize him, but if things got messy, someone might figure out who he was.
Seeing that Jiang Liusui was ignoring him, the yellow-haired man actually reached out and grabbed his shoulder. His rough movements knocked over several glasses of cocktails on the table, and Jiang Liusui was suddenly drenched in alcohol. The hat that Zhou Xun had given him also fell into the spilled liquor on the floor and was accidentally stepped on by the man.
Jiang Liusui’s expression darkened. “I said—”
“Can’t you see he doesn’t want to be bothered?”
A large hand with prominent knuckles grabbed the yellow-haired man’s wrist and forcefully pulled his hand off Jiang Liusui’s shoulder.
Jiang Liusui turned his head and saw a tall young man. The person was dressed in black, which at first glance seemed understated, but upon closer inspection, he wore a very thin platinum necklace and several rings on his long fingers, indicating he was used to dressing up. Jiang Liusui was close enough to him to catch a faint scent of perfume on him.
It was a mix of musk and sandalwood, with a touch of assertiveness, warm and intense.
The yellow-haired man’s wrist was gripped painfully, and he could almost hear his bones cracking. He cursed, “Let go of me, you bastard—!”
The man shoved him forcefully, causing the yellow-haired man to stagger several steps, almost losing his balance.
“Stop causing trouble.”
His voice was soft yet cold, with a hint of disdain. The yellow-haired man, still trying to curse, was stunned when he clearly saw the man’s face.
He Yujing happened to see Jiang Liusui being harassed as he passed by. He initially didn’t want to get involved, but thinking that Su Wan said he was a small-time actor who probably wouldn’t dare to make a fuss in such a place, he figured he might end up suffering in silence.
After hesitating for a moment, he intervened when the yellow-haired man spilled the alcohol on Jiang Liusui.
“Thank you.”
He Yujing heard a clear voice and looked down at the speaker. Jiang Liusui was looking up at him, his body drenched.
A bit pitiful.
Like a cat caught in the rain.
As if thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, Jiang Liusui repeated, “Thank you, you…” Jiang Liusui widened his eyes and immediately recognized him.
“Here’s a new one.” He Yujing placed a red baseball cap on Jiang Liusui’s head. Seeing him staring blankly at him, he gave a slight, gentle smile. “I haven’t worn it before.”
After saying that, he walked away without looking back, with bodyguards clearing the way through the crowd. The yellow-haired man pointed at his retreating back, his finger trembling. “He…”
“He Yujing?!”
“It’s He Yujing!!”
People around quickly reacted, and after a brief shock, the club erupted in excitement.
“Lao gong(husband)?! Oh my god! Is it really him?!”
“How is he here?! Who was he talking to earlier?!”
“He Yujing!!! Damn it!! It’s really He Yujing!!!!”
“Ahhh I don’t care, He Yujing I love you I love you I love you!!! Did you hear that?!!”
…
…
Reporters hiding in the club rushed out and started taking photos furiously. Even the DJ got excited and changed the music to He Yujing’s songs.
The crowd wildly pursued his steps. Amidst the chaos, someone grabbed Jiang Liusui’s arm.
“Let’s go!” Zhou Xun whispered. “The reporters will realize and start taking pictures of you soon.”
Jiang Liusui snapped back to reality and instinctively looked around for Shen Sijia. “Shen Sijia…”
“Forget about that woman! She might be going crazy somewhere.”
“Who says I’m going crazy?” Shen Sijia’s voice came from the side. She had somehow run over and, seeing Jiang Liusui, excitedly pinched her own thigh, muttering to herself, “Ahhh, calm down, calm down!… Suisui, let’s get out of here first!”
They escaped the club amidst the chaos, only to find an even more astonishing scene outside. The street was packed with people in the early morning hours, traffic was nearly paralyzed, and the media’s cameras were focused on the center surrounded by bodyguards, with countless fans arriving after hearing the news.
He Yujing had been in seclusion for several months and made a sudden appearance at a club. Such reckless behavior was something only he could pull off.
“It’s impossible to get a cab like this. Let’s wait until the crowd thins out,” Zhou Xun said, seeing the crowd moving in that direction. He guessed that no one would notice their corner. Just in case, he took off his coat and handed it to Jiang Liusui. “Put this on and wear the hat. Don’t get noticed.”
The red baseball cap given by He Yujing was too conspicuous, so Jiang Liusui had already taken it off. He looked at the surging crowd in the distance and suddenly said, “He Yujing is quite nice. He looks much better in person than in photos.”
Zhou Xun, rarely hearing him compliment a man’s looks, instinctively asked, “How does he compare to you?”
Recalling the man’s last gentle smile, Jiang Liusui gave the highest praise. “Fifty-fifty.”
“…”
“You two are not in the same league. You’re beautiful, and he’s handsome,” Shen Sijia said, holding her face. “I’ve always said he looks a thousand times better in person than in photos! The camera can’t capture his perfect face!”
“Because he helped you, you think he’s handsome, right… But it’s surprising he would help you.” Zhou Xun, remembering the earlier scene, found it quite unbelievable. He glanced at Jiang Liusui’s pale, beautiful face under the hat’s brim and teased, “How does it feel to be saved by a hero?”
“Not bad.” Jiang Liusui put his hands in his pockets and turned to Shen Sijia. “When He Yujing’s new album comes out, I’ll buy a batch and give them to you.”
Shen Sijia was overjoyed. “Really?”
Zhou Xun asked, “Why?”
Jiang Liusui’s lips curled into a smile and, imitating Shen Sijia’s style, changed his address. “To boost our Lao gong’s sales and support his career. Thank you, Lao gong, for your help.”
His demeanor was so charming that even a small smile made people feel sweet.
Author’s Note:
“Don’t worry, being clueless is my protective color” is a popular internet phrase.