If The Persona Is Wrong, Everything Else Is In Vain - Chapter 3

Fanxing Entertainment Penthouse Office.

Gu Ning sat in his executive chair, legs crossed, looking down at Yunzhou through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

A knock sounded from behind. “Come in.”

Lin Luo walked straight to the desk. He glanced at the minimalist office’s most conspicuous feature: a giant two persons poster, a magazine cover featuring him and Zhou Wan.

He snatched a lollipop from a small box on the desk and took a seat opposite Gu Ning.

Gu Ning spun around, removing a lollipop from his own mouth, a bright smile on his face. He was wearing a cream-colored V-neck sweater today, looking lazy and uninhibited. His chest muscles were partially exposed, and the silver snake-bone chain he never took off was wrapped just above his collarbone.

“Did you talk to Zhou Wan?”

“Yeah.”

“He was that easy to talk to? Doesn’t sound like him,” Gu Ning said skeptically, his eyes suggestive. “What did you do?”

Lin Luo was suddenly hit by a burst of undissolved sour powder in his lollipop. Grimacing, he took it out and grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth.

“What’s with that look? You think everyone is as unscrupulous as you?”

Gu Ning shrugged, speechless.

“But speaking of which,” Gu Ning stood up and walked to his side, suddenly lifting Lin Luo’s left arm. “What happened to your shoulder again?”

Lin Luo hissed and clutched his shoulder. “Just an old injury flaring up.”

Gu Ning froze. “Because of Zhou Wan?”

Lin Luo didn’t answer. He lowered his head and gently massaged his stiff, numb shoulder; every movement felt like a strained tendon.

“Damn, that brat is really something else. You’re old enough to be his uncle, this is straight-up elder abuse.”

“Hey, shut it,” Lin Luo nudged Gu Ning’s waist with his elbow. “I’m only seven years older than him. You make it sound like I’m eighty.”

“I don’t have an arrogant, crazy nephew like that. You have no idea, yesterday, while hanging mid-air, he unhooked his own wire.”

“Holy shit, he’s that crazy?” Gu Ning gossiped while kneading Lin Luo’s shoulder. “But why?”

“It’s because…”

“Hm?”

Lin Luo looked away. “He’s just a lunatic.”

Gu Ning pondered for a moment. “I really don’t know why you chose him in the first place.”

Lin Luo gave a couple of awkward laughs.

Why? Because I was fooled by him.

Back then, Lin Luo was at a dead end himself. After leaving his previous company to start a business with Gu Ning, they faced immense difficulties. Only after becoming the “head of the household” did he realize how expensive life could be.

Just as Fanxing was on the verge of collapse, he spotted a “business opportunity.” However, he couldn’t hype a “CP” (couple pairing) alone, and he certainly couldn’t do it with Gu Ning. That was out of the question; they both felt like vomiting just looking at each other.

That was when Zhou Wan appeared.

A few months ago, Zhou Wan, who was working part time at a bookstore, was solitary and gloomy. Even the store uniform and baseball cap couldn’t hide his inexplicable aura of coldness. He was always hunched over the counter reading, despite being a college student, there was a deep-seated, long-standing sorrow in his eyes.

When Lin Luo’s gaze shifted from his script to Zhou Wan’s face, he instantly understood a description from the text:

He stood there quietly, his features holding a sorrow that seemed impossible to melt. Solitary and icy, the sunlight falling on his shoulders couldn’t dissipate a fraction of the chill. Like scattered light hitting a glacier, or silt entangling a lake, futile and indifferent. But when he raised his eyes.

That indifference crashed into Lin Luo’s eyes and reached his heart.

Glaciers can melt, lakes can be stilled.

That was the first script Lin Luo got after leaving his old company. He didn’t know what methods Gu Ning had used, but he had managed to secure the project even before the script was finalized. It was essentially an empty shell, other than knowing a project was being developed, everything else was unknown.

The investors were even willing to wait until the actors were cast to tailor the show specifically for them. This gave Lin Luo’s side absolute control.

At the time, he didn’t know that a rich second generation heir would go to a bookstore for a part-time job. He had rushed over excitedly to talk “business.” He only recently learned about the secrets of the Zhou family’s mansion.

If Zhou Wan hadn’t become increasingly excessive lately, Lin Luo wouldn’t have brought up that illegitimate younger brother Zhou Wan feared so much.

Lin Luo sighed. Just as he stepped out of the Fanxing building, he received a call from an unknown number.

“I have a big deal here. You coming?”

Lin Luo froze. “What do you mean?”

Zhou Wan was playing with a lighter. The clicking sound came through the phone repeatedly, irritating Lin Luo.

Zhou Wan chuckled and gave an address. “Fulfilling your ‘obligations.’ Whether you come or not is up to you.”

When Lin Luo arrived skeptically, it was exactly as he expected: a “Hongmen Banquet” (a trap).

There were four people at the table including Zhou Wan, each a prominent figure in the industry. Now, they were actually sitting there waiting for a small timer like Lin Luo.

As soon as the door opened, Zhou Wan stood up to meet him. He practicedly placed a hand on Lin Luo’s waist and introduced him to everyone.

Lin Luo suppressed his displeasure and instantly switched to “business mode,” downing three shots of liquor as a self-penalty.

He could guess Zhou Wan’s intention, either get him drunk to make a fool of himself or make him realize his own “weight” and status. Ultimately, it was a punishment for anyone who dared to threaten the young master.

But he hadn’t expected Zhou Wan to be this malicious.

He was seated right next to Zhou Wan. On his other side was likely the core of this gathering. Lin Luo recognized the face, a top-tier director in the industry, though rumors whispered of a messy private life.

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Luo sat down, the man leaned in with a smile and raised a glass. “So this is Lin Luo? I’ve heard so much about you.”

Lin Luo laughed awkwardly and quickly returned the toast. “Not at all. It’s your great reputation that I’ve long admired.”

The moment the drink went down, a sudden dizziness hit him. His vision began to spin, yet the smiles of the people at the table seemed nailed to their faces, unmoving.

Lin Luo held his forehead and shook his head. He looked at Zhou Wan in confusion, only to see him leaning his head on one hand, watching him with a meaningful smile.

Lin Luo’s tolerance, built up from drinking until his stomach bled years ago, was far beyond this. He immediately realized something was wrong. Cursing internally, he grabbed his phone and used the bathroom as an excuse.

But as he stood up, he stumbled. The director next to him caught him. “Oh, careful now. Let me help you.”

Lin Luo was in casual clothes today. His shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to his body in a tight, uncomfortable layer. The man held Lin Luo’s waist and even gave it a light squeeze, through the thin fabric, Lin Luo could feel the heat of his fingertips.

It made Lin Luo feel utterly disgusted.

Once in the bathroom, Lin Luo found an excuse to squeeze into a stall and didn’t hesitate to lock it. The knocking outside was incessant, making the door panel vibrate. Drenched in sweat and with reddened eyes, Lin Luo dialed a number. Then, he pulled a small knife from his pocket and stabbed his leg several times.

The sharp, dense pain transmitted through his nerves, finally allowing him to regain a shred of sanity.

His eyes still held some lingering traces of forced passion. He squinted and said into the phone, “Do me a favor.”

After an unknown amount of time, it finally went quiet outside. Lin Luo reopened his eyes. Blood had flowed down his pant leg, forming a small puddle at his feet. He checked the time on his phone and walked out.

Zhou Wan was leaning against the door with his arms crossed. He only gave a fleeting glance when Lin Luo emerged.

“That’s it? All done?”

Lin Luo washed the blood off his hands thoroughly. He looked at Zhou Wan through the mirror. “You sent them away?”

Zhou Wan arched an eyebrow and said nothing.

Lin Luo looked down, slowly turned off the water, shook his hands dry, and suddenly turned to grab the back of Zhou Wan’s neck.

The leftover water on Lin Luo’s hands slipped into Zhou Wan’s collar, sliding down his spine. The cold, itchy sensation sent a shiver through his back. Being half a head taller than Lin Luo, Zhou Wan was forced to meet his gaze. The sudden pressure threw him off balance.

A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but it vanished instantly. He looked down at Lin Luo. “What do you want?”

Lin Luo stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed. “I want to….”

He leaned into Zhou Wan’s neck and took a deep breath.

Zhou Wan frowned and pulled his neck back, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Lin Luo gently rubbed his Adam’s apple. “Smell your pheromones again.”

As if a switch had been flipped, the scent of green grass poured out uncontrollably.

Zhou Wan suddenly pushed him away, clutching his neck. “What did you do to me?!”

Lin Luo pursed his lips and applied a pre-prepared suppressor patch. “Just returning the favor.”

He was an inferior Alpha, true. But Zhou Wan was also an inferior Omega. He couldn’t control his pheromones, which would often leak out inexplicably.

What was more terrifying was that the “trigger” for the leak, which Zhou Wan himself hadn’t even figured out, was known by Lin Luo, the man who had been acting like his lapdog just a few months ago.

As Lin Luo finished speaking, a group of Alphas, catching the scent, came rushing over.

Lin Luo dodged Zhou Wan’s grasp with a quick move. He laughed, tossed the rest of the suppressor patches into a corner, and shouted back at the darkened, murderous Zhou Wan:

“If you’re so capable, get yourself out of this.”