Break Up Right After Same-sex Marriage Is Legalized - Chapter 3

At the wrap-up banquet, all the lead actors were present.

The director sat at the head of the table, with the male and female leads on his left and right. The other actors sat in order according to their billing, so I sat next to the second male lead, Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan is a popular traffic idol who is currently trending. He hasn’t been debuted for long but has many fans. He started in singing and dancing before moving into acting. It’s said there is capital backing him, which is why he could play the second male lead in Director Chen’s movie for his very first acting role.

Director Chen has high standards for actors, but he was forced to accept Liu Xuan.

Unfortunately, it was Liu Xuan’s first time acting in a movie and he didn’t work hard. His acting was a mess, and he had the bad habit of wanting to use body doubles for everything. This resulted in Director Chen often being unable to control his explosive temper during filming, scolding him until he was covered in dog’s blood.

All the above came from what Hu Zeliang told me.

As the third male lead, I didn’t have many scenes with Liu Xuan and didn’t know him well.

Sitting next to Liu Xuan this time, I only felt that he was difficult to get along with and somewhat impetuous.

A banquet inevitably involves drinking, and my alcohol tolerance is decent.

I remember one time last year when I drank too much, Mr. Wei got angry. He said I didn’t know how to take care of myself and told me to refuse all alcohol from then on. If anyone dared to object, I was to give them his name.

Because of social obligations, Mr. Wei himself would sometimes encounter people of high seniority—uncles or even grandfathers who, once they opened their mouths, left him unable to refuse, resulting in him getting dead drunk. Yet, he told me to directly push away any toast regardless of who it was, and he would bear the consequences.

Naturally, I couldn’t do that.

So, I slowly learned how to dodge drinks and control my intake, and I would take sobering medicine before banquets.

Thus, after several rounds, I didn’t feel any discomfort.

But the first rule of dodging drinks is that even if nothing is wrong, you must act as if you can’t handle your liquor.

As the number of rehearsals increased, my acting in this area became perfected. The indoor heating was high, so blushing was easy to achieve.

With hazy eyes, after blearily refusing a third person’s drink, Hu Zeliang walked up to my side.

“He Zhi?” he called me.

I heard him clearly but answered vaguely: “Mmm, Brother Liang, I really… really can’t drink anymore…”

Hu Zeliang smiled: “I’m not making you drink, I just wanted to chat with you.”

“Chat… chat about what?”

“Just chatting.” he said with feigned lightness, almost jokingly, “For example, praising how good-looking you are. Look at our crew—who doesn’t like you?”

“There actually is someone…” I paused, then returned the compliment, “But Brother Liang is very handsome too.”

He continued: “Or for example, what your ideal type is.”

This time, I didn’t speak.

After a moment, he teased again: “Do you think I still have a chance?”

I narrowed my eyes unconsciously.

This time, I was certain he wasn’t joking.

So, I intentionally used a regretful tone, mumbling as I played along: “It’s… it’s a pity, but no.”

He continued to ask: “Really won’t consider it?”

Though my eyes were hazy, my tone became serious: “There’s really no need.”

His behavior was becoming more and more obvious; I had roughly guessed his intentions. If I couldn’t discourage his thoughts, then I would have to part ways with this not bad senior and try to avoid meeting him in the future.

Probably seeing that I was actually sober, after a long silence, Hu Zeliang laughed.

“Alright then.” He shrugged and raised his glass: “Let’s collaborate again if there’s a chance in the future. I think highly of you.”

I had to drink this glass.

For our tacit break.

A moment later, the female lead Tao Shi came over to exchange pleasantries, diluting the awkward atmosphere.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the private room. The actors around me began to whisper, all looking toward the door as if a great figure was arriving.

Even the director and producer stood up.

I also stood up and followed everyone’s gaze toward the door. As I looked up, I bumped into a pair of deep eyes.

Mr. Wei’s grandmother was a beautiful French lady, so the color of his eyes was not pure black or brown, but an ink-blue like the night sky. If you looked closely under the light, there seemed to be a hint of green. He arrived looking travel-worn, a slight frown between his sharp brows as if he were carrying the howling cold wind from outside. When he looked at you seriously, he was as affectionate as the sea, with infinite tolerance.

Just like now.

Mr. Wei was wearing a grey-blue long coat, his face handsome and extraordinary, his hair meticulously styled as if it had just been groomed.

Behind him followed his special assistant Lyu Cheng. Director Chen and the producer hurried to meet him. Mr. Wei only spoke a few words before he stopped entertaining them, leaving the rest for Lyu Cheng to handle.

The other actors didn’t have high enough status and didn’t dare to step forward for casual conversation. Tao Shi stood next to me and whispered: “You know him, right? The boss of your Yi Yu Media, and even more so the CEO of Sheng Shi. He’s the biggest investor in our movie.”

I nodded, timely considering whether, as a discreet lover, I should greet my benefactor at this moment.

In the past when I was filming, Mr. Wei would often visit the set. He never hid his closeness to me, so in the crew, at least the director and producer knew about our relationship. He had even once picked me up to go home in front of the entire crew.

Mr. Wei did it openly, so I accepted it candidly.

No one dared to criticize him. Those who spoke ill of me at least wouldn’t do it to my face.

However, today, remembering that the two of us hadn’t met for a long time, I was a bit hesitant, unsure if I should be candid. Constantly considering the benefactor’s feelings is the professional quality of a canary. Although Mr. Wei is a very good benefactor, I have never forgotten this point.

After all, adhering to professional standards is also my job.

Just as I was thinking that if Mr. Wei didn’t want to see me, I should pretend to be drunk and find a corner to hide through this wrap-up banquet, Mr. Wei actually walked straight toward me.

Only then did I realize belatedly that since he entered, those sea-like eyes had been fixed on me without moving.

He was tall and slender with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. With a few strides of his long legs, he was standing in front of me.

“Drunk?”

Mr. Wei frowned and reached out a slender finger to touch my cheek.

A lingering chill made me shiver.

He immediately withdrew his hand, rubbing his palms together to warm them before placing his hand against my cheek again.

This time it wasn’t as cold as before, but it still hadn’t warmed up.

Mr. Wei said: “It’s a bit hot. You drank too much. Do you feel sick?”

I shook my head: “I’m alright.”

I was indeed alright, because I wasn’t yet drunk.

Seeing Mr. Wei’s unreserved actions, both Tao Shi and Hu Zeliang showed surprised expressions. Liu Xuan went even further, actually knitting his brows and showing a scrutinizing look.

Tao Shi and Hu Zeliang, after all, had been in the industry for a long time and quickly suppressed their improper expressions. They exchanged a look, put on considerate smiles, and said: “Good evening, President Wei. We’ll go toast the others and won’t disturb you.”

Mr. Wei was non-committal.

The two of them took the hint and left. As Hu Zeliang left, he gave me a subtle look—one that was contradictory and worried. I was only an acquaintance to them. After this movie, we might not have any more contact, so there was no need to explain, and I let them speculate as they wished.

The people present were all very good at reading the room. The people around Mr. Wei gradually dispersed.

The only exception was Liu Xuan. He had originally been sitting next to me, the distance between our chairs about fifty centimeters. When he stood up, he also stood on the other side of his chair.

But at some point, he had actually walked over to my side.

“President Wei?” Liu Xuan spoke up with a look of pleasant surprise. “It really is you. I’ve seen you in finance magazines. You—”

“Is there something?” Mr. Wei frowned, his tone slightly irritable as he interrupted him. “If not, don’t be noisy here.”

Liu Xuan choked. Because he was afraid of offending someone, he didn’t dare speak again, yet he still didn’t leave.

Mr. Wei ignored him and gently pressed my temples: “Don’t drink if your face is this red. Come on, follow me home.”

After saying that, he took my hand and led me outside.

I had no choice but to follow his lead.

Seeing this, Lyu Cheng immediately followed after saying a few words to Director Chen and the others, picking up my coat as he came.

After walking out of the private room, I took the coat handed to me by Special Assistant Lyu and thanked him.

Just as I was about to put the coat on, Mr. Wei took it and said to me: “Hold out your arms.”

I did as I was told and reached out.

I don’t know if it was the alcohol going to my head, but I actually thought his expression had softened.

Mr. Wei patiently guided my arms into the coat, pulled the zipper all the way to the top, and then pulled the fuzzy hood over my head. The button on the hood was fastened tightly across my jaw until only the upper half of my face was visible. Only then was he satisfied and led me out again.

Thinking I was drunk, he walked extremely slowly, sometimes stopping to warn me: “Watch the steps.”

I might have actually been drunk, following him without a word.

“You ride in my car first.” On the way to the parking lot, Mr. Wei spoke about the upcoming arrangements. “Lyu Cheng will communicate with Xiao Dai in a bit and have the driver bring the nanny van and the staff back tomorrow.”

I nodded. Because I was wrapped up so tightly, the movement wasn’t very obvious. Although I couldn’t see what I looked like now, I guessed I must look heavy and ridiculous.

Sure enough, Mr. Wei seemed to let out a light chuckle.

He is seven or eight centimeters taller than me. The short laugh came from diagonally above; through the thick hood of the coat, his low voice was somewhat distorted.

Reaching the underground garage and sitting in the passenger seat, I still felt as if I were in a dream.

Mr. Wei very gentlemanly buckled my seatbelt. His usually serious tone was actually a bit light: “Sleep for a while. We’ll be home soon.”

He said soon, but Liu City is over three hours’ drive from North City.

Outside the car, Lyu Cheng watched us leave.

Not long after the car started moving, I received a message from Special Assistant Lyu: “Mr. He Zhi, I’ll tell you something secretly. Before seeing you, President Wei spent a long time fixing his hair at the door.”

I took off the heavy hood and looked at Mr. Wei who was driving.

his profile was as handsome and resolute as ever, his nose bridge high and his brow deep. His hair was groomed smoothly and stylishly, solemn as if he were attending an important banquet, his expression serious and silent.

After squinting and watching for a while, I lowered my head to send a message to Special Assistant Lyu. I typed— “Is that so? Mr. Wei is very cute.”

After a moment, I came to my senses and deleted it word by word, then closed the chat box.

I thought.

I might really be a little drunk.