Perfect Divorce [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 40

If he were ten years younger, Tan Yanke might have been able to comfort himself. But as a man in his late twenties, it was truly difficult to interpret the “verb” Ye Huai used as anything other than its literal meaning.

This was… simply shocking!

Wasn’t it all supposed to be fake?

Yuan Xingzhou’s face had already flushed a deep red. He turned back and shot Ye Huai a fierce glare.

Meanwhile, Tan Yanke could only curse his own lack of experience in reading people; he couldn’t even tell if the flush on the other’s face was out of anger or embarrassment.

Only Ye Huai remained as steady as a rock.

“What’s there to be shy about?” Ye Huai’s hand was still cupping the back of Yuan Xingzhou’s neck. “We’re all adults.”

“Can you please stop…” Yuan Xingzhou stammered, continuing to duck away with a beet-red face.

Tan Yanke felt that Yuan Xingzhou seemed somewhat unwilling. Just as he was about to ignite a flicker of hope, he spotted a tiny hickey on the side of Yuan Xingzhou’s neck.

Tan Yanke: “!!!”

“…Stop being like this regardless of the setting,” Yuan Xingzhou mumbled the rest of his sentence, effectively snuffing out Tan Yanke’s last shred of hope.

Tan Yanke’s expression shifted, looking from one to the other.

“You guys, you two are actually… ahhh—” Tan Yanke clutched his head with both hands, looking utterly broken. “Was I… was I being played?”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

Yuan Xingzhou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He thought to himself, This kid is way too naive! Even if it were fake, how could they possibly admit it in front of you?

“What did Yuan Cheng tell you?” Yuan Xingzhou could only play dumb and look at Tan Yanke.

Ye Huai also turned his head and shot him a glance.

Flushing with shame, Tan Yanke said, “He said you two were only doing this because the company required it—that you weren’t actually close and hadn’t been in contact since getting your marriage certificates.”

Yuan Xingzhou was surprised. “How does he know about our business? We’re even less close to him.”

“He said a friend told him—his friend slept with one of your executives. Later, I had my dad ask around,” Tan Yanke said. “He asked your Vice President Wu, who said that’s how it was, so I took it as the truth.”

Yuan Xingzhou’s heart sank slightly.

There was a knock on the door as a server arrived. Everyone paused the conversation to see four beautiful women in qipaos pushing in a dining cart. The cart was filled with red roses, with a three-tiered cake nestled in the center.

Everyone: “…”

Greatly embarrassed, Tan Yanke hurriedly had them push the cart back out and canceled the rest of the entertainment programs.

Yuan Xingzhou stared intently at the roses on the cart. He couldn’t help but sigh—what was going on lately? Was his “peach blossom luck” (romantic luck) suddenly overflowing?

“So the friend slept with Vice President Wu…” Tan Yanke was still piecing together the mystery, muttering with annoyance. “If I’d known, I would’ve had my dad ask someone else.”

“It might not be the same person,” Ye Huai remarked. “Perhaps his friend has a wide range of business interests.”

Tan Yanke: “…”

“Do we look fake to you?” Ye Huai continued to bully the honest man, draping an arm around Yuan Xingzhou’s neck as he looked at Tan Yanke.

After observing them for a moment, Tan Yanke could only shake his head.

“No.”

“As long as you know,” Ye Huai said. “Stay away from my wife from now on.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “!!!”

“Okay, okay, I got it wrong.” Tan Yanke nodded repeatedly, his face full of guilt. “I wish you both happiness.”

With the “misunderstanding” resolved, the meal proceeded with incredible harmony.

Tan Yanke ordered a new set of dishes and two bottles of wine to apologize to Ye Huai. Since Ye Huai had to drive, Tan Yanke drank alone. However, with every sip, he couldn’t help but look at the two opposite him, his expression a mix of envy and grievance.

This was the first time Yuan Xingzhou had met such a simple-minded “rich, handsome, and successful” guy. Filled with guilt, he had to bite the bullet and pretend not to notice.

Fortunately, with Ye Huai there, Tan Yanke would instinctively restrain himself when looking at him.

“I thought my love was finally coming…” By the end of the meal, Tan Yanke could no longer hide it. He covered his face and said sadly, “I specifically went to watch Xingzhou’s interviews. He said when he’s in love, there are fireworks, so I bought so many boxes and put them all in my car.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

Yuan Xingzhou hadn’t expected Tan Yanke to actually look up his interviews. Moreover, even knowing that his CP topics back then were fabricated, Tan Yanke didn’t find them annoying; instead, he extracted the information that “a confession needs fireworks.”

Though he didn’t want to admit it, Yuan Xingzhou’s heart was indeed touched.

Unlike Zhu Yueming’s confession the other day—which had left Yuan Xingzhou feeling flattered, as if he had missed out on a 50-million-dollar lottery ticket—Tan Yanke gave him a sense of grounded sincerity. It made him wonder: if it weren’t for the contract and Ye Huai’s presence, Tan Yanke might have been an easy choice.

I wonder what a ‘sweet love’ is really like…

Yuan Xingzhou looked up and gave the other man a serious glance.

However, Tan Yanke was already immersed in his sorrow.

“…I even asked a friend for a good location. After the fireworks, we would sit and watch the stars, kissing under the starlight…”

“You’ve had too much to drink,” Ye Huai frowned slightly and interrupted. “Are you calling a friend to pick you up?”

Tan Yanke nodded sadly, though it was unclear if he understood or was just reacting instinctively.

“Then we’ll head out first.” Ye Huai stood up unceremoniously, grabbed his wallet and phone, and took Yuan Xingzhou by the arm, heading to the parking lot without looking back.

It wasn’t until they were back in the car that Yuan Xingzhou slowly regained his senses.

“Is it okay to leave him like that?” Yuan Xingzhou thought of the two bottles of wine on the table and felt a bit worried. “Will something happen if we just leave?”

“What could happen?” Ye Huai said irritably. “It’s not like the restaurant manager won’t look after him.”

Yuan Xingzhou gave an “oh,” figuring that made sense. Plus, Tan Yanke still had to pay the bill… Ye Huai had pulled him out so fast that neither of them had paid.

“That thing he mentioned, about fireworks when in love…” Ye Huai suddenly spoke up. “I wanted to ask you too—why did you choose that day?”

Yuan Xingzhou froze.

Ye Huai had watched that interview too?!

Oh right, when Ye Huai first returned, he had seen a clip of it in the conference room…

“I…” Yuan Xingzhou felt a bit awkward and could only explain, “I just made it up on the fly.”

Ye Huai gave an “oh.” “I thought you already liked me back then.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

“But I was quite touched that time,” Ye Huai continued. “The commercial event that day was crowded to death. I was in a foul mood, and someone told me a scalper had sold my hotel information.”

Yuan Xingzhou thought he would have forgotten long ago, but he didn’t expect Ye Huai to still have an impression of it.

“…Then you knocked on the door,” Ye Huai said. “I didn’t get to thank you properly that day. Why did you come looking for me?”

Yuan Xingzhou told the truth: “I was a bit depressed that day, so I went to Shanghai… I didn’t expect to stay in the same hotel as you.”

Ye Huai gave a meaningful “oh.” “So you didn’t go specifically for me?”

Yuan Xingzhou felt a bit uneasy. Staying at that hotel had been a coincidence, but the reason he chose to go to Shanghai was because he knew Ye Huai was there.

Even though they weren’t close back then.

Yuan Xingzhou thought about it. Perhaps back then, he had admired Ye Huai and found a sense of solace in him. So, when he felt lonely and helpless, he instinctively drew closer to the other man; even being just a little bit closer made him feel more secure.

“No,” Yuan Xingzhou denied. “It was just a coincidence.”

The two sat in the car for a while longer. Ye Huai looked out the window, then at Yuan Xingzhou, and then slumped against the driver’s seat, leaning over like he had no bones.

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

Isn’t this posture awkward? What is Ye Huai doing…

“Aren’t we going home?” Yuan Xingzhou asked blankly. “Why are we just sitting in the car?”

“We are.” Ye Huai sighed, then closed his eyes and pointed to himself. “But I’m out of battery.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “??”

“I need a ‘kiss-kiss’ to get back up,” Ye Huai said righteously. “The kind that happens after fireworks and watching the stars, the very romantic kind under the starlight… a kiss.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

“I never even agreed to that!” Yuan Xingzhou said gloomily. “Don’t pin those words on me!”

“Fine then,” Ye Huai said. “Then I want a Christmas Eve kiss, the kind in front of a hotel window.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

The car was silent. Only the faint glow of the ambient lighting outlined Ye Huai’s handsome features.

Yuan Xingzhou wanted to wail and tell him not to push his luck, but seeing Ye Huai leaning there so shamelessly, he somehow changed his mind.

“Don’t think I won’t dare!” Yuan Xingzhou turned his face sharply and threatened, “If you don’t start driving, I’ll really… really kiss you!”

Ye Huai kept his eyes closed, though the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Yuan Xingzhou pursed his lips, steeled his heart, and actually leaned over. However, he was still nervous; he felt like his heart was beating too fast… And he still didn’t dare to kiss the lips… The cheek? The forehead?

While worrying his heart might fail him, Yuan Xingzhou went for it. He lowered his head, searching left and right for a spot. After hesitating for a long time, he finally flushed red and pressed a light kiss against the corner of Ye Huai’s mouth.