After I Started Dating the Scum Gong Substitute, the White Moonlight Returned - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jiang Yan was satisfied with everything about Cheng Jianyu.

The only exception was Cheng Jianyu’s habit of being stoically silent in bed. Unless Jiang Yan pushed him too hard, he would only let out soft, weak whimpers from his throat, his feverish arms encircling Jiang Yan’s neck like a koala. His voice would turn sticky and sweet as he begged for gentleness, but this often had the opposite effect, inciting the man to bully him even more ruthlessly.

An unexpected heavy rainstorm interrupted the original filming schedule. Jiang Yan had the entire day to use every trick in the book and various “patterns” to force a sound out of Cheng Jianyu.

With their skin pressed together, he looked down at Cheng Jianyu from a commanding height, his thumb and index finger pinching Cheng Jianyu’s cheeks to suppress any thought of keeping his mouth shut. Along with the heavy or light “charges,” that sweet voice was pounded into fragments. Perhaps because the oppression was too tight, Cheng Jianyu’s usually bloodless face revealed an indescribable sense of vivid beauty; his out-of-focus eyes were dazed, looking both exceptionally wanton and extraordinarily beautiful.

This fascinated Jiang Yan. The two of them played until noon. Holding the limp and soft Cheng Jianyu, Jiang Yan—rarely for him—did not immediately withdraw to take a shower. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Cheng Jianyu’s waist to linger in the warmth for a moment. “You were so good today. What reward do you want?”

Cheng Jianyu mumbled something, lifting his tear-streaked face from the covers. “I want a leave of absence.”

“What kind of leave?” Jiang Yan asked him intentionally.

Cheng Jianyu turned his head to look at the ceiling. “Sick leave.”

Jiang Yan turned his face back with one hand, forcing Cheng Jianyu to look at him. He smiled wickedly. “If you get pregnant with my seed, I’ll give you maternity leave.”

Cheng Jianyu shot him a sidelong glance and closed his eyes as if he didn’t want to lower himself to Jiang Yan’s level. Jiang Yan retracted his hand, and Cheng Jianyu immediately rolled over, supporting his weakened calves to get out of bed. With his clothes in disarray and his silk loungewear rumpled, his pants thrown who-knows-where, he walked straight into the bathroom to clean himself inside and out.

…

Lunch was a buffet carefully prepared by the production crew. Cheng Jianyu arrived too late; everyone had already finished and left, leaving the massive restaurant empty.

He took a plate of mango sticky rice along with some steamed dumplings and siu mai, leisurely enjoying his lunch. A steady hand placed a glass of bright green juice in front of him. Cheng Jianyu looked up; Yan Rong was looking at him with a smile, followed by a young man wearing glasses.

“Drink some cucumber juice; it’s good for the body.” Yan Rong led the man to sit on the sofa opposite him.

Cheng Jianyu glanced at him. “Thank you, Teacher Yan.” He continued eating unhurriedly, not asking what Yan Rong’s intentions were. It was the man in glasses next to Yan Rong who couldn’t hold it in first, introducing himself: “We’ve met at Mr. Bei’s studio. I am Director Liang’s assistant, Wei Long.”

“Mm. Do you want some siu mai?” Cheng Jianyu nonchalantly pushed the plate of siu mai toward them.

“Ah?” Wei Long froze for a moment and shook his head. “No thanks. Director Liang wants to talk to you about a collaboration.”

When he said the latter half, he intentionally raised his voice, revealing a sense of pride as he waited for Cheng Jianyu to show a look of pleasant surprise. To his surprise, the youth opposite him had no expression at all; his clear, black-and-white eyes looked at him calmly.

Yan Rong was used to such cold silences.

Wei Long swallowed his own embarrassment and took out his phone. “Director Liang is recuperating domestically and it’s inconvenient for him to come. You can talk over the phone.”

“Okay.”

Cheng Jianyu took the phone, stood up, and walked to a spot by the window. After a few beeps, the call connected. Liang Qiu’s robust and powerful voice came through: “Comrade Xiao Yu, in ancient times Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times to invite Zhuge Liang to Shu. Am I still one visit short of being able to move you?”

“Director Liang…”

“I’m just joking with you.” Director Liang was a straightforward person and cut to the chase. “You wrote the script for Please Kill Me Gently, didn’t you?”

Among those who could make it to Director Liang’s level in the film industry, nine out of ten were “spirits.” Director Liang was the spirit of spirits. One look at the script Bei Xinhong sent over and he could tell it was the work of two different hands. Cultural taste is something that cannot be changed; it’s impossible to go from “highbrow” to “lowbrow” overnight. He knew all the twists and turns inside out.

Cheng Jianyu gave an absent-minded “Mm.” This was the first time someone had asked him this question directly.

Liang Qiu gave a heavy sigh and was silent for a few seconds. “Do you know how much fame and fortune a script of this level would bring you if your name were on it? You could hold all those awards screenwriters dream of in your hands. To be a ghostwriter for someone else… I really am…”

He was at a loss for words.

Cheng Jianyu said nonchalantly, “I know all of that.”

Liang Qiu realized he had overstepped. “Come see me when you return to the country. I will coordinate the collaboration with Nanka Entertainment. I think very highly of this script. If we complete it together…”

“Director Liang.” Cheng Jianyu took a deep breath, resting his elbow on the railing as he watched the torrential rain outside. “I am deeply grateful for your appreciation, but I cannot agree. My reason is the same as the one I gave your assistant five years ago: your films focus on sensibility more than rationality. They aren’t suited to film this work.”

His voice was shallow and light, polite and gentle, yet it was like a thunderclap on level ground. Liang Qiu was profoundly shocked. Five years ago, Cheng Jianyu was at the height of his fame with plenty of opportunities; refusing a collaboration was understandable then. But today was not like the past. Nowadays, Cheng Jianyu was like a dying person at sea; when a piece of wood dropped from the sky, he refused to hold on tight.

Yan Rong, who was eavesdropping, was also stunned. Cheng Jianyu didn’t seem to think this was at all inconceivable. His reflection in the glass window was cool and handsome; his expression was humble and sincere, without a hint of joking.

“Is he… sick in the head?” Wei Long complained in a low voice.

Yan Rong frowned and gave him a nudge. He actually admired Cheng Jianyu. Faced with a massive temptation, he could still stick to his principles. Clean and crisp—if it’s a ‘no’, it’s a ‘no’. He wasn’t manipulated or coerced by any interest or power. This kind of person is the one who achieves great things.

So what kind of ‘bewitching soup’ did Jiang Yan give Cheng Jianyu…

He really couldn’t figure it out.

Liang Qiu took a long time to recover; he had never expected to be rejected. He sighed deeply, but then felt quite happy. “Since you put it that way, I simply must help you. I have a few friends; when you get back, I’ll take you to see them. There will be one that fits you.”

“Don’t be in a hurry to refuse.” Liang Qiu laughed and continued, “I hope everyone in this industry can have boundaries and principles like you. Only someone like you can write a good script, and only with a good script can I make a good movie. I’m doing this for myself.”

“Furthermore, I cannot bear to see talent buried. You shouldn’t be in your current state.”

If it was talent that surprised him five years ago, it was the person himself who surprised him five years later. Not arrogant in gain, not discouraged in loss; elegant in stillness, composed in action. To have such character and ability at such a young age—he was one in ten thousand.

If such a person couldn’t rise to fame in the industry and instead remained a “pearl covered in dust,” living in mediocrity, how tragic would that be?

…

In the hotel room.

Jiang Yan came out after his shower. The meal Cheng Jianyu had ordered was set on the dining table. He sat down in a relaxed posture and took a sip of coffee. The hotel barista’s skills were a bit worse than Cheng Jianyu’s.

Breakfast wasn’t as delicious as what Cheng Jianyu made either; they couldn’t grasp his taste at all. After a few bites, Jiang Yan lost interest and put down his fork. He lazily hung a cigarette in his mouth and used one hand to check his work WeChat.

[Brother Chao]: Has Cheng Jianyu kept the agreement? He’s not being clingy with you, is he?

He stared at WeChat for a few seconds, completely uninterested. On the contrary, he wished Cheng Jianyu would be a bit more clingy, to make that “big-tailed wolf” Yan Rong back off.

Cheng Jianyu wouldn’t dare have a change of heart, but Jiang Yan didn’t want others prying into what belonged to him; even them thinking about it wasn’t okay.

Ding-dong.

On the dining table, the dim blue indicator light of a white laptop flickered. Cheng Jianyu actually had a Weibo? Jiang Yan reached out his long arm, dragging it over with interest. The interface lit up, staying on the Weibo home page. He casually clicked into the “Following” list.

A long list of “Special Follows.” Jiang Yan clicked into a few; they were all Chinese photographers or journalists from Ethiopia. The pages occasionally posted the local customs and scenery of Ethiopia—not a single entertainment star.

Including Jiang Yan himself.

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a playful smirk. Aside from his young uncle who was willing to go there as a volunteer doctor for local women and children, who else would want to travel to Ethiopia?

Cheng Jianyu’s taste really was unique.

Jiang Yan casually closed the Weibo page. Just as he was about to shut the laptop, he caught sight of a file on the desktop, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

[Breakup Contract].DOC

Cheng Jianyu pushed open the room door, carrying a plate of sliced oranges in one hand. Outside, the rain had turned light, pitter-pattering on the palm trees. As he knelt to change his shoes, he said, “The director asked the local weather bureau; the rain won’t stop until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Do you want some oranges? They’re very sweet.” He stood up and turned the corner from the foyer. The large suite had an open view. Jiang Yan looked up at him. His eyes, which naturally showed a bit too much white, already had a hint of ruthlessness; combined with his current aura of intense hostility, he looked like he wanted to devour someone.

“What is this?” His voice was devoid of temperature, sharp as a knife.

Cheng Jianyu was stunned for a moment. He put down the plate and stated the facts steadily and calmly: “Considering that there is a possibility of us breaking up, I wanted to draft a contract that protects both parties.”

Jiang Yan’s blood rushed to his head and his muscles tensed. He squeezed his solid fists tightly, turned his head to stare at him fiercely for a few seconds, and then let out a chilling laugh. “If you want to know my attitude toward you, just ask me obediently. Don’t engage in this kind of boring testing. Is it interesting?”

He loathed the behavior of using a “breakup” as a test or a threat. What was the difference between this and those nagging people outside?

He was just considering taking Cheng Jianyu to Ethiopia for a trip, yet behind his back, Cheng Jianyu actually wanted to use this method to gauge his feelings. He had truly wasted a piece of his affection.