Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 19
Long Xingyu’s last scene had him collapsing with injuries among the bushes, his fate uncertain.
The storyline for this minor boss was temporarily concluded.
Before the blood on him was even wiped clean, Yu Ruoyun called him over.
“What is it?” Long Xingyu asked.
Yu Ruoyun grabbed his wrist, turned it palm-up, and placed a key in his hand. “You’re still living in the company’s dormitory, right? If you’re not used to it, you can stay here. I don’t come back often. I’ll send you the address on WeChat.”
Long Xingyu tried to pull away, but Yu Ruoyun didn’t let go. The grip wasn’t strong, but he couldn’t break free.
“What does this mean?” Long Xingyu asked.
“A new life, isn’t it?” Yu Ruoyun said. “Just like you said.”
He had said that, but it felt strange. He didn’t expect Yu Ruoyun to hand him a key for a hookup and even send the address. He knew the place well enough to know how many steps were on each floor. He didn’t need the address.
Yu Ruoyun added, “The property management replaced the elevator.”
When Yu Ruoyun first became famous, Beijing’s real estate market wasn’t restricted. Though he didn’t earn much at the time, he could still buy a nice house in a good location with good security. Over the years, the place became a bit outdated, but Yu Ruoyun didn’t move, saying he was used to it. Jiang Yu always felt nervous going there, worried about paparazzi, covering himself tightly even at night. Paparazzi would capture Yu Ruoyun walking his dog or dining with friends, but never suspected Jiang Yu, who was just rising in fame, had any connection with Yu Ruoyun. Surprisingly, there were never any rumors. Sometimes the elevator broke, and he’d have to take the stairs. Halfway up, he’d hear footsteps and run into Yu Ruoyun, who once caught him mid-fall, preventing a tumble down the stairs. Jiang Yu complained, “What a lousy place. Are you planning to die poor? If you can’t afford a house, I can lend you money.”
He remembered it was no longer possible to buy property, no matter how much money he had.
Yu Ruoyun said, “I was making coffee and suddenly thought you might be arriving soon, so I came down to check.”
They walked up together, one floor at a time. Halfway through making the coffee, Jiang Yu took a sip and said Yu Ruoyun’s coffee-making skills were poor—too sour and bitter.
Long Xingyu asked, “So what do I do? Clean the place as rent? Or sleep with you?”
Sleeping with him seemed easier.
But Yu Ruoyun’s fingers brushed over the scars on Long Xingyu’s wrist, scars from a suicide attempt later covered by a tattoo. Feeling the scars, Yu Ruoyun said, “You tried to kill yourself, and the cuts were deep.”
Having deduced this, he answered Long Xingyu’s question. “You don’t need to do anything. There’ll be a housekeeper.”
Long Xingyu finally pulled his hand back, feeling goosebumps rising.
It had always been like this. Yu Ruoyun returned to the way he usually saw him—emotionless even while speaking, always leaving Long Xingyu guessing.
The Yu Ruoyun from moments ago, with his emotions spilling over like a flood, was rare. It overwhelmed Long Xingyu, forcing him to turn away, making excuses about starting filming, and fleeing faster than a rabbit.
“I think you’re getting more and more abnormal,” Long Xingyu said, but still pocketed the key.
Yu Ruoyun really sent him the address. In the car to the airport, Long Xingyu looked at his phone, trying to distract himself, but ended up on Yu Ruoyun’s Weibo page again. The posts were as dull as ever, mostly promotional—something he had scrolled through when he first woke up.
In the year since Jiang Yu’s death, Yu Ruoyun had posted dozens of times, with only one personal post. “Today, Tiger passed away. He was with me for many years.”
The photo showed Yu Ruoyun’s long-time golden retriever, who always needed to run outside, often barging into rooms at the wrong times, begging Jiang Yu for treats. Even it had died.
The comments on this post were filled with condolences, some suggesting getting another pet, countered by those saying feelings can’t be easily transferred.
Yu Ruoyun wouldn’t get another pet, but today he told Long Xingyu it was time to start a new life, to find someone else worth loving.
This was the route Long Xingyu initially envisioned, but reaching this point felt out of his control. This wasn’t some love strategy game that quickly led to a happy ending.
Unless…
Yu Ruoyun was also looking at his phone screen. Long Xingyu hadn’t replied, but Yu Ruoyun received a message from his agent, Xu Ye.
Xu Ye didn’t manage him much, only visiting when Yu Ruoyun had his accident. Yu Ruoyun rarely saw Xu Ye, and most of Yu Ruoyun’s affairs didn’t need Xu Ye’s involvement. In Yu Ruoyun’s early career, Xu Ye, with her excellent networking skills, shielded Yu Ruoyun from many obstacles, while being “Yu Ruoyun’s agent” significantly boosted Xu Ye’s career.
Xu Ye asked, “I heard there’s some ambiguity between you and that little star from Yunteng Entertainment?”
She hadn’t even remembered Long Xingyu’s name.
“Are you here for gossip?” Yu Ruoyun replied. “Maybe you should be prepared—it might not just be ambiguity in the future.”
Xu Ye was startled and quickly called.
She was so shocked she didn’t even scold him, just said, “I never expected this.”
“Is it too blatant?” Yu Ruoyun said. “Maybe it’s a compensatory behavior. I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Having never been exposed to the public before, he was now reckless, like a starving person gorging on an endless supply of food, risking overindulgence. This was unhealthy. Emotions overwhelming reasons could suffocate both him and Jiang Yu.
“Why?” Xu Ye still didn’t understand. “What is he like that made you fall for him?”
“He… He’s good at bluffing, causing trouble,” Yu Ruoyun said. “Wants to touch others, but only uses claws.”
Xu Ye was silent for a moment.
“I’m looking at his photos,” Xu Ye said. “He resembles Jiang Yu a bit from the side.”
“The person you hid before, was it Jiang Yu?” Xu Ye finally couldn’t resist asking.
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