I Became a Heartthrob After Marrying in My Sister's Place - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The room was filled with a harmonious and lively atmosphere.

Wen Zhi was busy continuing his video shoot while WeChat messages popped up incessantly.

Seeing that Ming Yantang had sent him such a long voice message, he intentionally slipped away to the hallway to play it. The secret of the Ming brothers must never be known by anyone else.

However, as he played the message with a smile, the expression on his face gradually froze, shifting from surprise to sheer dread by the end.

Ming Yantang actually disapproved of Sang Yu and Ming Huaizhi being together?

Was this… technically a backstab to his own brother?

Wen Zhi instantly became a coward, replying tremulously: “Tangtang, I thought you wanted me to keep an eye on Sang Yu and have him pamper your younger brother a bit more.”

Ming Yantang was so angry his head throbbed: “Where is your brain? You didn’t even listen to the whole story before playing matchmaker? Do you not know why I refused to marry Sang Yu? Don’t you know how much of a player Sang Yu is in private and how many people he’s screwed over?”

With a long face, Wen Zhi rubbed his head: “My brain is right here, but I really didn’t know about Sang Yu’s past. Is it possible you’ve misunderstood him? Sisi’s brothers are all decent people. Back then, Sang Yu was incredibly reliable and steady when helping Sisi resolve company troubles abroad. That’s why I hoped he’d be with your brother.”

Ming Yantang’s voice turned cold: “An Chu told me personally Sang Yu toyed with his feelings, dumped him right after they slept together, and had numerous lovers at the same time.”

Wen Zhi began to panic: “Then… What should we do? Your brother seems to really like Sang Yu.”

“You, right now, get them apart. I’ll handle the rest,” Ming Yantang said coldly before hanging up.

Wen Zhi stood in the hallway, utterly lost and pacing like an ant on a hot pan.

“Zhizhi, what’s wrong?”

Si Mingchen walked out at that moment. Seeing Wen Zhi’s expression looking as if he were about to cry he frowned. “What happened?”

Wen Zhi looked guilty. “I did something wrong.”

Si Mingchen had sensed something was off with Wen Zhi since they arrived. He walked over and leaned down. “Tell me about it.”

Wen Zhi’s eyes darted away. He still refused to tell Si Mingchen about the Ming brothers swapping identities.

“It’s nothing major. Let’s go back inside.”

Si Mingchen didn’t push further. “Alright.”

Inside, Ming Huaizhi and Sang Yu had finished their game. Sitting next to Sang Yu, Ming Huaizhi’s cheeks were tinged with a faint pink, though it was unclear if it was from the heat or shyness.

Wen Zhi stared at Ming Huaizhi, wanting to cry: What a disaster!

For the rest of the time, Wen Zhi stopped conspiring with Si Mingchen to set up Ming Huaizhi and Sang Yu, behaving himself quite well.

Taking advantage of a gap in the conversation, Wen Zhi pulled Ming Huaizhi into another room.

When Zhi grabbed Ming Huaizhi’s hand and said urgently, “Little cutie, even though I know it’s not great to say this, I have to tell you Sang Yu seems to be quite the playboy.”

Ming Huaizhi smiled slightly. “Why do you say that?”

Wen Zhi frowned. “I heard from your brother that he changes bed partners very frequently and is quite promiscuous.”

Ming Huaizhi hesitated for a moment. “Bed partners?”

Wen Zhi: “You know, friends with benefits.”

Ming Huaizhi knit his brows, thinking seriously. “Sang Yu told me he’s never been in a relationship.”

Wen Zhi tapped him on the head. “They’re just hookups; of course he doesn’t count them as relationships.”

Ming Huaizhi shook his head slowly. “But how could Sang Yu do something like that? He isn’t the type to toy with people’s feelings.”

Wen Zhi finally understood why Ming Yantang was so worried about Ming Huaizhi. This younger brother was simply too innocent.

“You’ve only known him for less than half a year. Men are very good at masking themselves. And there are many things even Sisi doesn’t know, even though they’ve been brothers for over a decade.”

Ming Huaizhi remained firm in his judgment. “I think my brother might have some misunderstanding about him. I believe Sang Yu isn’t that kind of person.”

Wen Zhi sighed, feeling the situation becoming increasingly complicated.

…

Meanwhile, Ming Yantang’s hospital room was swarming with doctors and nurses. He was in a private hospital that provided one-on-one patient care; even at night, specialized staff were responsible for him.

Changes in his heart monitor had given everyone a fright, but fortunately, nothing was wrong, and the doctors were relieved.

“Mr. Ming, you are currently in the recovery phase. You must not get angry.”

Hearing these words repeated over the past two days, Ming Yantang, already suffering from the discomfort of the transplant, felt even more irritable.

He crossed his legs and casually scanned the group before him. “Is Dr. Ye not here?”

The staff paused and looked at each other.

“Dr. Ye doesn’t work the night shift. He will be in tomorrow afternoon.”

Ming Yantang countered, “He’s not coming in the morning?”

The nurse explained, “Dr. Ye’s schedule is not something the hospital dictates.”

Though Ming Yantang found it strange, he assumed Dr. Ye was simply such a skilled physician that he had special privileges, so he didn’t press the matter.

After promising the doctors he wouldn’t get angry again, the group finally left.

It was now nearly 1:00 AM. Ming Yantang’s whole body ached; lying down was uncomfortable, and standing wasn’t much better.

His mother had been exhausted from taking care of him, so he had sent her back to their home in the US to rest for a few days, leaving his care to the medical staff.

Thinking of Sang Yu gave him a headache. Forcing himself to stand, he leaned against the nearby furniture and slowly shuffled toward the bay window.

Opposite the hospital was the famous financial district. From here, the city’s night view was dazzling and vibrant.

Dragging his frail body, he leaned against the window and toyed with his phone. Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the room.

Ye Jinho pushed the door open, and the sight of Ming Yantang leaning against the window came into view.

Ming Yantang tilted his head to look at him. “Why is Dr. Ye here?”

A trace of coldness flickered across Ye Jinho’s indifferent expression. He walked over to Ming Yantang and said slowly, “It’s late and you aren’t sleeping. Sitting here is not conducive to your recovery.”

Ming Yantang was quite interested in Ye Jinho because he had heard that his heart had been escorted from a very distant place by the doctor himself.

Leaning lazily against the window, he flashed a smile. “What are you doing here so late?”

Ye Jinho’s expression remained flat. “I came to the hospital to get my keys and heard about your ‘exploits.'”

Ming Yantang raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”

Ye Jinho’s gaze fell on the phone. He stepped forward and picked it up. “As of now, this phone is detrimental to your recovery. I have already obtained your mother’s consent to temporarily confiscate it.”

Ming Yantang wasn’t angry; instead, he found it amusing. “Confiscating my phone? That’s something you do to primary schoolers. I’m an adult; is Dr. Ye really punishing me like this?”

Ye Jinho sealed the phone in a bag and looked at him slowly. “Get down. Go to sleep.”

Ming Yantang’s smile deepened. “What if I don’t?”

Ye Jinho said expressionlessly, “If the person who donated this heart knew you were so careless with your body, I wonder what they would think?”

The smile on Ming Yantang’s face gradually vanished. “Did you know him?”

Ye Jinho spoke candidly: “No. But I know how difficult it was to find a compatible donor, and how long the journey was to escort it here from Africa.”

Ming Yantang stopped speaking. He dragged his weakened body down from the bay window and, step by step, returned to the bed.

Before leaving, Ye Jinho said, “I won’t give you the phone for the time being. I also hope you don’t go online during this period. If you’re bored, you can pick some movies to watch on the television.”

Ming Yantang ignored him and closed his eyes.

…

In the blink of an eye, the leisurely life in the small courtyard was coming to an end.

After experiencing real-life CS, camping adventures, river rafting, and various other outdoor games, Ming Huaizhi packed his small bundle and happily went home with Sang Yu.

He heard that his brother’s phone had been confiscated by the doctor, so his own phone had been very quiet lately. Every time Mother Ming called him, it was only after Ming Yantang had fallen asleep.

In Mother Ming’s words, if Ming Yantang caught a chance to talk to Ming Huaizhi, he would surely be furious. Ming Yantang was like a powder keg, and Sang Yu was the lighter.

Ming Huaizhi secretly chuckled at that description.

After returning home, the recording of the reality show variety program began in earnest. Regarding the million-dollar promotion fund, Ming Huaizhi had his own plans.

He didn’t cast a wide net like other celebrities, spending most of the promotion fee on splash screen ads for major video apps. While that could attract a massive number of users in a short time, user retention was hard to guarantee.

Instead, he split the money into three parts.

One part went toward “pause” ads in hit dramas popular with young people, one part toward big screens in fashion centers like the CBD, and the third part toward marketing through major influencers on similar apps.

With a more detailed and specific allocation, the promotion costs were reduced while increasing the number of promotional channels.

In addition to these, the planners for the “Island” app announced that beyond the million-dollar fund given to everyone, there was an additional promotional reward: whoever could secure a promotional spot on the Skyscraper Building would receive an extra five million in investment. In other words, the Skyscraper Building would display that person’s promotional poster and download QR code.

Ming Huaizhi was very interested in this. The foot traffic at the Skyscraper Building was arguably the highest in the country. If he could be promoted there for a week, his chances of winning the competition would be much higher.

The Skyscraper Building was owned by a foreign company. Getting the chance to negotiate with the person in charge was the first and most difficult step.

Ming Huaizhi sat at work calculating: would it be considered cheating if he asked Sang Yu for help?

At that moment, he heard Lu Zilin on the phone. Lu Zilin’s voice was loud, with no intention of avoiding others. The person on the other end was clearly helping him get a lead with Skyscraper Real Estate.

Meanwhile, Gu Ci and Xie Jingsheng were also on the phone with their managers, hoping their companies could help out.

Only Jing Lan didn’t seem to be in a hurry, quietly working on her own marketing plan.

Ming Huaizhi asked her, “Jing Lan, what do you think about the Skyscraper advertisement spot?”

Jing Lan smiled. “It has nothing to do with me. My tiny company can’t help with that.”

Ming Huaizhi handed her a box of chocolates. “That’s okay, we’ll just do what we can.”

…

When he got home that evening, Ming Huaizhi waited for Sang Yu to return. For this purpose, he personally went into the kitchen and, following the butler’s guidance, prepared a table full of delicious dishes.

When Sang Yu returned and saw Ming Huaizhi bustling about, the fatigue of a day’s work vanished instantly. He leaned lazily against the doorframe and let out a whistle. “Why is student Xiao Zhi so industrious today? You made so many dishes?”

Wearing a small floral apron, Ming Huaizhi ran to Sang Yu’s side. “Because I have something to ask of you.”

Hearing this, even the butler laughed. Who would be so “premeditated” and then state their purpose so bluntly?

Sang Yu raised an eyebrow. “As expected, you’re only this attentive when you have a favor to ask.”

Ming Huaizhi giggled and took Sang Yu’s arm. “Sang Yu, let’s eat and talk.”

Sang Yu drew out his voice: “Fine.”

Actually, Ming Huaizhi had his own selfish reasons. He wanted to help his brother win the ad spot, so the probability of becoming the spokesperson at the end of the variety show would be higher. If he could really win the endorsement, he’d consider it a gift for his brother’s recovery and return to the country. He had certainly upset his brother quite a bit over the last few days.

“Sang Yu, here’s the thing…”

Ming Huaizhi explained everything about the Skyscraper ad spot to Sang Yu. “If possible, could you help me get in touch with them? Tell me what I need to prepare.”

Sang Yu poured a glass of orange juice for Ming Huaizhi. “Just this?”

Ming Huaizhi’s eyes were bright. “Mm-hmm.”

Sang Yu gave a roguish smile. “If I help you, what do I get out of it?”

Ming Huaizhi raised his right hand. “I’ll do whatever you need, as long as it isn’t murder or arson.”

“Really?” Sang Yu propped up his head. “I can help you, but I’m not very close with their CEO. However, I can still arrange dinner for tomorrow night.”

Ming Huaizhi immediately stood up and moved to Sang Yu’s side, his small hands kneading the other man’s shoulders and neck. “Sang Yu, you’re so amazing, your connections are so broad.”

Sang Yu felt a bit dazed by the massage. “It’s alright. This kind of thing isn’t too difficult.”

Ming Huaizhi applied more pressure with his fingers, his eyes full of admiration. “The other guests were looking for connections today too, but I heard it was very difficult. I knew you were the best; I was right to come to you.”

Sang Yu cleared his throat. “Stop praising me, it clearly isn’t sincere.”

Ming Huaizhi whispered back, “It is! I truly think you’re incredible.”

Sang Yu was in a great mood. After the shoulder rub, he even ate a bit more than usual.

“What do I need to prepare? Tell me in advance so I can do my homework.”

“No need to prepare. You just need to show up and express your request during dinner.”

Ming Huaizhi was stunned. “Is it that simple?”

Sang Yu: “It’s that simple.”

The next day, Sang Yu and Ming Huaizhi headed to the Skyscraper Hotel.

Actually, Sang Yu’s acquaintance with the CEO of Skyscraper Real Estate was partly thanks to Ming Huaizhi. The last time Ming Huaizhi had been bullied by Chairman Bai, Sang Yu had sent people to teach Bai a lesson and unintentionally damaged some of the hotel’s facilities. Upon learning this, he had personally selected a gift and sent it to the Vice President’s office to apologize.

The VP mainly handled Asian operations and became familiar with Sang Yu. After a few interactions, they exchanged numbers, got along well, and agreed to have dinner sometime.

So, using this connection, Sang Yu invited the VP, Spike, out tonight for a meal.

Because of the Chairman Bai incident, Ming Huaizhi still felt a lingering shadow over this place and was a bit nervous in the elevator. Sang Yu took his hand without a word and had him stand in the corner behind him, shielding him the whole time.

Ming Huaizhi curled his lips into a hidden smile and squeezed Sang Yu’s hand back.

Reaching the fifth floor, the two walked toward the restaurant, neither noticing a familiar figure staring at them from behind.

Seeing Xiang Yi staring at Ming Huaizhi’s back, Sang Lin couldn’t help but sneer. “What? You like him too?”

Xiang Yi frowned. “Why is he with Sang Yu?”

Sang Lin: “Ming Yantang is married to my brother; isn’t it normal for them to be together?”

Xiang Yi’s gaze darkened. “But I have a feeling the person Sang Yu was just holding hands with wasn’t Ming Yantang, but his younger brother, Ming Huaizhi.”

Sang Lin found this increasingly strange. “Does Ming Yantang’s brother look that much like him?”

This time it was Xiang Yi’s turn to be shocked. “You didn’t know? Ming Yantang and his brother are twins.”

“What? Twins?” Sang Lin knit his brows tightly, Ming Huaizhi’s every action gradually surfacing in his mind.

He suddenly realized something; he even had a bold guess.

Staring intently at the retreating backs of the two, Sang Lin suddenly laughed. “I was wondering why Ming Yantang had been so strange lately. The Ming family is certainly daring!”

Xiang Yi didn’t quite understand. “What is it?”

Sang Lin’s smile was hair-raising. “A ‘Civet Cat’ exchanged for a Prince’ scheme, obviously.”

…

In a luxurious and private room, Spike and Sang Yu were already seated.

Spike was Arabian. While he usually communicated in English, he preferred using Arabic with friends as it felt more personal. Sang Yu had recognized this and intentionally used Arabic when inviting Spike out, which had both surprised and delighted him.

After exchanging greetings, Spike looked at Sang Yu with a smile. “Is this your partner?”

Sang Yu replied, “Yes, he’s very cute.”

Spike: “Indeed, and very beautiful. If it were me, I’d have beaten those scoundrels up too.”

Ming Huaizhi couldn’t understand what they were saying. He watched them politely, and whenever both of them looked at him, he would smile, offering Spike his greatest friendliness.

As the appetizers and main courses were served, Spike asked, “Yu, I heard your partner has something to ask of me?”

Sang Yu nodded and signaled Ming Huaizhi to explain his request and ideas, offering to translate for him.

Ming Huaizhi put down his cutlery. “Mr. Spike, the Skyscraper Building has always been a landmark of this city and the country. Its cool exterior and advanced engineering never fail to attract the eyes of young people. We have an app called ‘Island.’ If it can be showcased on the Skyscraper’s advertising spot, it will be seen by many more people.”

Spike smiled and nodded. “Can I see your app?”

Ming Huaizhi handed over a pre-prepared tablet. “I heard you have quite an interest in dance. One section here is a gathering place for dance enthusiasts.”

Spike randomly clicked on a promotional video, glanced at Ming Huaizhi, and then back at the screen. “Is this boy on the screen you?”

Ming Huaizhi nodded. “Yes.”

Spike smiled. “And what is your budget?”

Ming Huaizhi: “Seven to ten at night for one week, roughly five million.”

Spike raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that a bit low?”

This time, Sang Yu didn’t translate for Spike but spoke to him directly: “I heard you’re interested in the land in the Coastal New Area, but there are some issues with the process. If you’re willing, I can help you look into it.”

Spike gave a surprised laugh. “Do you even know about that? Since President Sang knows me so well, if I don’t agree tonight, will I be unable to go home?”

Sang Yu knew he was joking and raised his wine glass. “Precisely.”

Seeing that Sang Yu hadn’t translated for him yet, Ming Huaizhi grew anxious. He lowered his voice: “Is there some kind of trouble?”

Sang Yu and Spike shared a smile. “Yeah. I told him that because you’re my partner, I hope to secure the ad spot to make you happy that I’m trying to move him with sincerity.”

Ming Huaizhi asked blankly, “And then?”

Sang Yu: “And then, he said we don’t look all that affectionate, since we’re sitting so far apart.”

Ming Huaizhi’s palms immediately broke into a sweat. He hurried to lean closer to Sang Yu. “Then tell him we are very affectionate!”

Sang Yu said with feigned difficulty, “I did, but as you saw, he just shook his head and smiled; he clearly doesn’t believe it.”

Ming Huaizhi lost his composure. “Then what should we do?”

Looking into those urgent eyes, Sang Yu put an arm around his shoulder. Suppressing a smile, he whispered, “Maybe you should give me a kiss… just to show him.”

Ming Huaizhi froze, completely at a loss.

“That… okay then…”