After Bankruptcy, I Became the Film Emperor's First Love Stand-in - Chapter 1

In the spacious, brightly lit living room of a hotel suite in Haidu, a man took out a blank check and slowly slid it across the table toward the person opposite him.

“Fifty million for one month. Is that enough?”

“You’re spending this much money just to date me?”

“Mhm. Is that not allowed?”

Luo Ying rested his chin on one hand, leaning lazily against the sofa.

If he still had a cigarette in his pocket right now, he would have lit one to calm his nerves.

His slender fingers tapped rhythmically against his thigh, and his gaze, hidden beneath long lashes, couldn’t help but drift toward the check on the table.

He was indeed troubled by the debt of over a billion yuan, but he had never considered repaying it by being kept as a sugar baby.

As for the debt, it all started two months ago.

Two months earlier, Luo Ying’s father, Luo Xiaohe, had racked up tens of billions in debt. Under the pretense of traveling abroad, he had fled with the money in advance.

Much of that debt had been borrowed in Luo Ying’s name.

As a result, not only was he now penniless, but he was also inexplicably saddled with a mountain of debt.

He was almost the last person in the family to find out about it.

If the bank hadn’t come to repossess the house today, he might have remained in the dark forever.

He tried calling his father to demand an explanation, only to find that the number was out of service—he couldn’t even reach him anymore!

He had heard of children causing trouble for their parents, but he had never seen a parent causing trouble for their child.

As for the man sitting across from Luo Ying, who had offered to spend money just to date him—he was a high school classmate Luo Ying had run into while homeless.

Tonight’s rain was pouring heavily. Ever since his house had been repossessed, Luo Ying had been reaching out to friends, hoping someone would take him in.

But none of those fair-weather friends were willing to help him. They were all too eager to watch the show and kick him while he was down, like a “drowning dog.”

Luo Ying had run into Lu Rang while taking shelter from the rain at the entrance of a hotel.

Under the hotel’s portico, a sleek black luxury car was parked, and a concierge stood respectfully by the door, waiting for its owner to board.

Not long after, a tall, well-built man emerged from the hotel. He seemed to have just finished a dinner engagement.

As he walked out, one hand was tucked into his pocket. His tailored black suit was buttoned, accentuating his waist, and his hair was neatly slicked back. His thick brows were slightly furrowed, and his dark, deep eyes were fixed intently on Luo Ying.

His chin was slightly raised, his handsome, chiseled features forming a cold and serious expression. The bright lights at the entrance cast a hazy glow around him.

Luo Ying felt like he had seen this face somewhere before—it was familiar, especially those beautiful, slightly sunken eyes, as if they had once stared at him like this long ago.

Luo Ying felt as though he were rowing through memories, slowly paddling through layers of dust-covered recollections. The name he had almost forgotten and the youthful face of a boy gradually merged with the man before him.

Luo Ying’s thin lips parted slightly as he tentatively uttered the name from his memory: “Lu Rang?”

…

Snapping back to reality, Luo Ying looked up at the strikingly handsome man across from him, feeling puzzled.

The Lu Rang he remembered wore old, worn-out clothes—clean and tidy, but he only had two sets that he alternated between.

The only pair of sneakers he owned had been a birthday gift from Luo Ying.

No matter how hard he tried, Luo Ying couldn’t connect that memory with the imposing man before him, who was now offering to keep him as a sugar baby.

He had heard earlier that Lu Rang had been scouted by a talent agent during college and had entered the entertainment industry.

It seemed he had done quite well for himself in that world.

Although Luo Ying had invested in many projects before, he had never ventured into the entertainment industry.

He had no interest in these things and couldn’t be bothered to spend money investing in them.

As for the matter of dating, Luo Ying remembered—

“I heard while studying abroad that you had a boyfriend who looked a lot like me, right?”

Luo Ying watched as Lu Rang’s eyes darkened, the calm in them frosting over, a chill enveloping his entire being.

The hand resting on the table gradually clenched into a fist, the muscles on his arm becoming clearly defined.

Lu Rang remained silent for a long time before finally responding, “We broke up a long time ago.”

So, it really was true.

When he first heard about it, Luo Ying had thought Lu Rang secretly had a crush on him and had found a guy who looked like him to date.

But judging by Lu Rang’s expression and reaction now, it wasn’t clear who was whose substitute.

Luo Ying had never seen Lu Rang date anyone before, so that guy was probably his first love. And judging by the situation, Lu Rang was likely the one who got dumped.

First love plus being dumped—buff stacked on buff. That guy must have become the kind of “white moonlight” character in Lu Rang’s heart, the kind you’d find in novels.

Luo Ying smiled and said, “When you said you wanted to date me, was it also because I look like him?”

If that were the case, it would make perfect sense why Lu Rang was willing to take Luo Ying in and bring him back to the hotel.

Not waiting for Lu Rang’s response, Luo Ying began fiddling with his fingers.

Fifty million a month—he’d have to stick by Lu Rang’s side for at least two years to pay off his debts.

Lu Rang seemed quite determined. Was it possible that if he agreed to this arrangement and took a more active role in the relationship, he could squeeze out even more money?

After all, he was already drowning in debt, and survival was the immediate problem.

Lu Rang wanted a substitute for his first love, and Luo Ying wanted money. It was a matter of mutual consent between adults—morality could take a backseat.

As for dignity… well, it would just have to endure a little hardship for now.

Lu Rang’s silence lasted too long, and Luo Ying worried he might change his mind, so he happily accepted the invoice.

He rubbed the corner of the invoice, a bright smile spreading across his handsome face:

“You want me to be a substitute for your ‘white moonlight,’ right? That’s no problem at all—as long as the money’s there.”

“But—”

Thinking of his usual extravagant spending habits, Luo Ying added a reminder: “Lu Rang, keeping me is expensive.”

Lu Rang’s lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile as he looked at him. “Don’t worry, I can afford it.”

With their conversation concluded, Lu Rang stood up first.

He picked up his bathrobe and went to take a shower, leaving Luo Ying alone in the living room to wander aimlessly.

When Lu Rang finished, Luo Ying wandered around for a bit before slipping into the steam-filled bathroom.

The suite was equipped with a panoramic sunlit bath chamber.

A pristine white bathtub sat in the center, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see Haidu’s landmark buildings and countless glittering lights.

After filling the bathtub, Luo Ying gazed out the window, where fine raindrops left faint traces on the glass.

Against the dark sky, the occasional plane with its navigation lights on streaked by. At that moment, he felt as though he were floating among the clouds, overlooking the entire city of Haidu.

Luo Ying leaned over the edge of the bathtub, idly stirring the bath bomb in the water.

As the bath bomb dissolved, colorful foam spread through the water. He lifted his pale leg and slowly slid his upper body into the tub.

At some point, Luo Ying had developed the habit of practicing holding his breath during baths.

The feeling of emptiness as he submerged himself in the water, the sense of impending doom as his oxygen and strength dwindled—it fascinated him.

After his bath, he dried off, wrapped himself in a bathrobe, and stepped out of the bathroom.

Only the bedside lamp on Lu Rang’s side of the room was on, casting a dim, warm glow.

Seeing him emerge, Lu Rang’s gaze shifted from his phone screen to him.

Luo Ying could feel Lu Rang’s eyes sweeping over him, then lingering on his exposed legs.

Remembering he wasn’t wearing underwear, his ears flushed red instantly.

Fortunately, the dim lighting in the room made it hard to see clearly, or he would have felt utterly embarrassed.

He had indeed schemed earlier in the shower about how to tease Lu Rang, but that was under the assumption he had underwear to change into…

Lu Rang narrowed his eyes, the undeniable hint of ambiguity hidden in the half-darkness of the room.

But he quickly averted his gaze.

As Luo Ying climbed into bed, Lu Rang put down his phone and turned off the light. Both of them were tacitly aware of the nature of their relationship.

As adults, they knew what was appropriate and what wasn’t, and they understood the boundaries.

The floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom was only covered by a thin curtain, allowing the faint moonlight to filter through.

Luo Ying lay at the edge of the bed. When he glanced sideways, he saw Lu Rang facing him, his back to the moonlight.

He couldn’t make out Lu Rang’s expression, but he could sense that his eyes were closed, his breathing light and steady.

After lying at the edge of the bed for a while, Luo Ying felt uncomfortable and tugged the blanket, rolling over until he was right beside Lu Rang.

The moment he closed his eyes, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He arched slightly, feeling the warmth of a chest press against his back.

For a moment, Luo Ying was stunned.

It felt as though time had rewound to their high school days, when they shared a dorm room.

Because he had always been afraid of sleeping alone, he would crawl into Lu Rang’s bed every night after lights out.

Back then, just like now, Lu Rang would hold him in his arms and even coax him to sleep.

The reason Luo Ying had gotten along so well with Lu Rang back then wasn’t just because Lu Rang was quiet, considerate, and caring, but also because Luo Ying was drawn to his looks—he was just that handsome.

Even now, it was the same. If anyone else had offered him fifty million to date them, Luo Ying would probably have called them an idiot.

Thinking back, Luo Ying had realized he was gay since middle school.

But in high school, Lu Rang was still a quiet, straight guy. When exactly had he started to change?

Puzzled, Luo Ying turned in Lu Rang’s arms to face him.

Lu Rang’s facial features were sharp and defined. Even with his back to the light, his refined nose and deep, well-shaped eyebrows were clearly visible.

Because they were so close, Luo Ying could feel Lu Rang’s breath brushing against his nose.

The idea of dating an old classmate, being kept by him, and serving as someone’s substitute—no matter how he thought about it, Luo Ying found it all a bit absurd.

He had always been self-centered and carefree since childhood, and this was the first time he had ever bowed to money.

In the end, it was all thanks to his father.

But he couldn’t bring himself to hate Luo Xiaohe. In fact, he even suspected his father had his reasons for embezzling the money and running away.

Aside from failing to keep Luo Ying’s mother when he was younger, Luo Xiaohe had always been quite skilled at making money.

Perhaps out of guilt for raising Luo Ying in a single-parent household, Luo Xiaohe had doted on him since childhood,

indulging him until he became the notorious playboy of Haidu. Even then, Luo Xiaohe would smile and say, “Young people should enjoy themselves.”

Thinking of this, Luo Ying felt that if things didn’t work out with Lu Rang, he could always go to another city and seek refuge with his mother.

Even though she had divorced Luo Xiaohe over twenty years ago, he was still her biological son. Surely, she wouldn’t abandon him, right?

But this was just wishful thinking. His mother had never contacted him all these years.

Perhaps he already had a new family. All he knew was that his mother had returned to her hometown in Jiangdu, but he had no idea where exactly to find her.

Time slowly passed, and Luo Ying, lying in Lu Rang’s arms, began to ache all over.

He shifted his arms and hips, and as he stretched his legs, he inadvertently brushed against Lu Rang.

Just as he was about to slip out of Lu Rang’s embrace, a long-fingered hand pressed against his back.

Was this guy awake? Or had he never been asleep?

Blinking in the darkness, Luo Ying saw that Lu Rang’s open eyes were clearly filled with desire.

What did this mean?

Had Lu Rang gotten into character so quickly, already seeing him as the white moonlight?

What was going on? He hadn’t even started acting yet!

Luo Ying was deeply annoyed by Lu Rang’s affectionate gaze, but since he had taken the money, he had to maintain some professionalism as a stand-in.

From a young age, Luo Ying had seen too many people fawning over him, and besides, he was gay himself.

He understood all too well what kind of person men liked.

Facing the blatant intimacy in Lu Rang’s eyes, Luo Ying felt a surge of excitement, his heart racing like a galloping horse.

Though he enjoyed playing around and having fun, he was also quite careful about his personal boundaries.

Before finding someone he truly liked, he had never gone all the way.

Since his school days, Luo Ying had harbored an extra fondness for Lu Rang’s appearance. Now, faced with Lu Rang’s handsome, aloof face and the newly established “relationship” between them, he felt tonight was the perfect opportunity to let loose.

His slender arms wrapped around Lu Rang’s neck as he pressed close, tilted his head up, and tentatively kissed him.

Wet, warm, soft.

Luo Ying had never kissed anyone before—everything he did was learned from TV.

Clumsy, uncertain, and met with no response.

Luo Ying realized that although Lu Rang’s eyes held desire, his actions were as stiff as a wooden puppet.

He had gone this far, but when he opened his eyes again, instead of seeing Lu Rang’s passion, he was met with a dazed expression.

Lu Rang was lost in thought—what was he thinking about?

Was he seeing his first love, the white moonlight, through him?

Could it be that the white moonlight was shy and passive, while he was too enthusiastic and proactive, creating a contrast that left Lu Rang confused?

Boring, dull!

Luo Ying’s excitement plummeted into the negatives.

He couldn’t possibly change his personality just to earn fifty million a month!

Fine, do it or don’t—he had taken the initiative only to be met with cold indifference, and now he had lost all interest.

He withdrew his hand, turned over, and pressed his back against Lu Rang’s chest.

Drowsiness washed over him, and Luo Ying yawned.

Suddenly, the wooden puppet behind him spoke.

Lu Rang’s voice was low and gentle, tinged with a hint of teasing. “I never expected you to be so proactive.”

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