After Failing to Reverse the Plot, I Made My Escape - Chapter 47

“In love, there is no such thing as ‘first come, first served.’ The one who is not loved is the interloper.”

【Steady Confidence: Wow, what a sudden turn of events.】

【Read It Aloud: This is amazing. Let them fight!】

【The Birds Left the Forest: So, were those hotel photos real? Did the officials lie when they said they were AI-generated?】

【Helpless Term: He was defending Yu Fuqiu in front of the media that night, saying, ‘My wife and I have a great relationship,’ but then he went to a hotel with his lover right after the meeting?】

【Dawn: He says one thing and does another. Men really are driven by their basic instincts. Stay away; this is such bad luck!】

【Love Sounds So Sweet: Ke Qi’an’s fans should stop defending him. They aren’t even divorced yet, and your idol is openly seducing someone else’s husband. He is a homewrecker. Get out of here.】

【Keke’s Baby: Watch your mouth. The one who isn’t loved is the interloper. Besides, who knows if they have actually divorced? Maybe someone is just playing the victim to get sympathy. Don’t blame Keke.】

【Qiuqiu’s Little Ball: Even if they are in the divorce cooling-off period, they are not fully divorced. Your idol is a homewrecker for seducing another person’s husband. How shameless!】

Watching the comments scroll violently as the viewer count climbed, the host’s smile widened. She cleared her throat to break the tension.

“What an enviable relationship,” the host said to smooth things over. She leaned slightly toward Ke Qi’an, smiling as she answered questions from the live chat alongside him. Yu Fuqiu sat behind her, his gaze exceptionally calm as he watched the scrolling comments while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

After the live stream ended, Yu Fuqiu sat in his dressing room, trying to catch his breath and escape the suffocating atmosphere. Before his tense nerves could relax, the door was pushed open.

Yu Fuqiu looked up and froze, his brows furrowing slightly. “What are you doing here?”

Ke Qi’an leaned against the door with a beaming smile. Since their last meeting, Ke Qi’an had grown his hair long. His half-tied hair cascaded down, making his features bear a striking resemblance to Yu Fuqiu.

Ke Qi’an looked Yu Fuqiu up and down with eyes full of disdain. He flicked his long hair with a ring-clad finger. “I really don’t know what he sees in you.”

Yu Fuqiu straightened his back and met Ke Qi’an’s gaze coldly. “You are aware that I am Zhang Tingzhi’s legal spouse, right?”

Ke Qi’an simply shrugged. “I know.”

He slowly approached Yu Fuqiu and pulled down his collar to reveal a faint but clear hickey. “But so what?”

“In love, there is no such thing as ‘first come, first served.’ The one who is not loved is the interloper.” He boredly twirled a strand of hair around his finger and tilted his head. “He doesn’t even remember you, and he doesn’t love you. How can you bear to stay by his side? You are quite thick-skinned for taking up space that belongs to someone else.”

“Are you proud of being a homewrecker?”

Yu Fuqiu lowered his eyes. A sharp pain throbbed in his stomach, yet his breathing remained steady.

Ke Qi’an laughed and twisted the ring on his finger. “So, why doesn’t Teacher Yu just give Zhang Tingzhi back to me?”

“Are you going to go crazy and announce my identity to the whole internet? A man acting crazy is hideously ugly. Doing something so classless would certainly suit your status.”

“You saw the video, didn’t you?” He took out his phone and held out the Live Photo that Yu Fuqiu had watched repeatedly. His finger pointed to a silver ring in a trash can. “I just told him the ring was poking me and making it uncomfortable for him to hold me.”

“He immediately took it off, threw it in the trash, and said, ‘Rubbish belongs in the trash can.'”

“Perhaps in your eyes, it is a valuable item, but in his eyes, it is a cheap piece of junk. It is embarrassing even to talk about it.”

“However, I was kind enough to pick it up.” Ke Qi’an pulled a small trash bag from his bag. He frowned as if he were touching something filthy and tossed it into Yu Fuqiu’s lap. “Here, I am giving it back to you. After all, things should return to their original owner.”

Yu Fuqiu’s fingertips brushed the black plastic bag. With just a touch, he was almost certain that this was the ring Zhang Tingzhi used to wear on his ring finger.

“As for me, I mentioned that I wanted one too, and he stayed up for several nights to handcraft this ring for me.”

Ke Qi’an sighed, looking at Yu Fuqiu with pity. “So why are you still struggling? You stole someone else’s things to begin with. Have you no shame occupying a nest that isn’t yours?”

“I am back now. What belongs to me should naturally be returned.”

Yu Fuqiu tucked the ring into his pocket. “And then?”

Ke Qi’an froze, staring blankly at Yu Fuqiu. He did not see the expected grief, panic, or pleading. Instead, there was only endless calm.

“But right now, in the eyes of the public, you are the interloper in our marriage.”

Yu Fuqiu smiled gently and slowly stood up. He was about the same height as Ke Qi’an, but as he approached, Ke Qi’an felt an uncontrollable sense of dread.

“Your hair is nice. It’s a pity, though.”

“You are just a poor imitation.”

He lightly patted Ke Qi’an’s shoulder. “If he really wanted to be with you, he wouldn’t let you be branded as a homewrecker. Did he give you a real promise?”

Ke Qi’an’s expression stiffened.

“Well then, I look forward to our cooperation, ‘Little Yu Fuqiu’.”

The corners of Yu Fuqiu’s lips curled into a faint smile as he walked past Ke Qi’an and left the dressing room, ignoring the sound of Ke Qi’an smashing objects inside.

No matter what, as the plot progressed, Zhang Tingzhi remained a profit-driven businessman. Ke Qi’an’s family background was excellent and could bring him many benefits. As long as Zhang Tingzhi had not fully realized that only Ke Qi’an could treat his emotional cognitive disorder, Yu Fuqiu still had a chance to stay close to him.

“So, that is the plan. This time, we are adopting a dual-guide format. According to the netizens’ votes, today’s guides are Yu Fuqiu and Ke Qi’an.”

As expected, as soon as the production team announced the lineup, it immediately became a trending topic.

“Teacher Yu will serve as the Life Guide, responsible for itinerary planning, food and lodging arrangements, and budget management.”

“Xiao An will serve as the Culture Guide, responsible for explaining attractions and designing deep-dive experiences.”

“A friendly reminder: this trip is to Country Y. English must be used throughout, or you must translate for yourselves. The production team will not provide any other assistance.”

【LOL. Does Yu Fuqiu, who didn’t even finish high school, even know how to speak English?】

【I just re-watched the English he spoke on that educational show. That accent was hilarious.】

【This division of labor makes Yu Fuqiu a servant. Planning itineraries and meals is hard work. If he misses a dietary restriction, it will be a disaster. One of the male celebrities in this group is very high-maintenance.】

【The positioning is so obvious. Ke Qi’an is clearly the high-end choice.】

【Ke Qi’an is the young master of the Ke family. He grew up abroad and attended a prestigious high school. He even gave up an Ivy League offer to pursue acting.】

【Comparing them like this is embarrassing. Having someone who didn’t finish high school explain history to highly educated people in English is a joke.】

Yu Fuqiu’s hand holding the itinerary curled, his knuckles turning white. He remembered being mocked for his accent. He had been determined to learn English, but whenever he brought it up, Zhang Tingzhi would always find excuses to stop him.

He would say, “Baby, learning this is very hard. I cannot stand to see you suffer. Can’t you just stay home and spend more time with me?”

Zhang Tingzhi would offer to practice with him, but those practice sessions always ended in bed before a single vocabulary list was finished.

“Baby, you don’t need to learn these things. When we go out, there are assistants and translators. I will be by your side to help you.”

It was only much later that Yu Fuqiu understood the truth. By then, he had already lost his sight and his ability to leave. Zhang Tingzhi had whispered in his ear that if he saw too much of the outside world, he would want to leave. Only by plucking his wings could Zhang Tingzhi keep him by his side forever.

“Is Teacher Yu alright?” Shi Tong looked at Yu Fuqiu mockingly. “Are you dissatisfied with the production team’s arrangements?”

“There’s nothing to be done,” Shi Tong smiled. “Does Teacher Yu know about the cathedrals or the murals in Europe? Since it will be explained in English, Teacher Yu probably won’t understand anyway. This is content covered in high school history.”

“Oh my,” Shi Tong covered his mouth. “I forgot Teacher Yu never went to high school.”

Ke Qi’an giggled and tapped Shi Tong’s head. “Don’t poke at his sore spots. Apologize quickly; Teacher Yu is our senior, after all.”

While waiting for the other guests, a black car pulled up. Tian Xin stepped out, took off her sunglasses, and looked at them lazily.

“I recall the director has the power to delegate tasks. So, can I have Fuqiu throw you behind the hotel to wash toilets?” Tian Xin asked Shi Tong. “It could save us some money for the team.”

Shi Tong’s face stiffened. Tian Xin was a powerful actress with a deep background; he could not afford to offend her.

“Sister Xinxin! He is just immature, please don’t mind him,” Ke Qi’an said, trying to act familiar with her.

“Don’t touch me. Who are you?” Tian Xin stepped back. Ke Qi’an looked wronged, and the live chat immediately started attacking Tian Xin for being rude.

“I am An’an, Ke Qi’an,” he said with misty eyes.

Tian Xin frowned. “I don’t know you.” She brushed past him and whispered, “Also, stop trying to imitate Fuqiu. You are not doing a good job.”

Ke Qi’an’s expression froze. When Tian Xin saw Yu Fuqiu, her face lit up. “Fuqiu! Come give me a hug. Why are you so thin?”