Spilling the Tea on the Movie Star Who Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 23

Xu Chi had fallen into a very deep sleep. Before the New Year break, his average sleep time had been no more than three or four hours a day. As soon as the alarm went off at 5:00 AM, he had to crawl out of bed to go through the grueling hours of makeup, putting on hairpieces, and changing costumes. Now, having had a bit of alcohol, the exhaustion from so many days of hard work flooded over him all at once. He slept more soundly than he ever had before.

Gu Jingxuan stood by the car for a while holding Xu Chi, looking down at his sleeping face with a mix of complex emotions. He hoisted the younger man higher in his arms, let out a long breath, and carried him into the elevator to return to his apartment.

Because no one ever stayed in the guest room, Gu Jingxuan had never cleaned it. The last time Xu Chi stayed over, Gu Jingxuan had found it too much trouble to prepare the extra room and simply let Xu Chi share his bed. Thinking back on it now, Xu Chi’s entire body had been stiff and tense; it likely wasn’t just simple shyness, but rather a fear that his secret would be discovered.

Gu Jingxuan placed Xu Chi in his own room and tucked him in. He then took out a quilt and blanket his assistant had stored in the guest room wardrobe, walked quietly to the living room, and lay down on the sofa.

Even now, he didn’t know exactly what he was thinking. What were his true feelings regarding Xu Chi?

He couldn’t say he felt disgusted, but he also couldn’t just laugh it off and accept it easily. Even for someone like Gu Jingxuan, who had lived abroad for several years and had a high capacity for accepting new things, his brow was currently furrowed in a tight knot.

He didn’t understand why he was suddenly so bothered by Xu Chi’s body. Logically, he should have just pretended he saw nothing and continued interacting with him as before, yet he found himself unable to let the matter go.

Did anyone else know Xu Chi’s secret? What did Xu Chi think of himself? Did he consider himself a man or a woman? Did he like men? Too many questions swirled in his head, each one like a ticking bomb keeping his nerves highly strung.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that Gu Jingxuan, unable to hold out any longer, finally closed his eyes and fell asleep. Even in sleep, his brow remained furrowed, as if he were still pondering Xu Chi’s situation.

The moment sunlight filled the room the next morning, Xu Chi woke up. He stared at the ceiling for a long time before realizing this wasn’t his own room. He scrambled up and looked around, only to realize he was in Gu Jingxuan’s bedroom again. His face turned bright red, and a moment later, he realized Gu Jingxuan wasn’t beside him.

Did he wake up this early?

Xu Chi pulled back the covers and saw that he had slept in his clothes without even taking them off. He opened the door quietly and saw Gu Jingxuan’s legs stretching out from the sofa.

He froze. He knew now that Gu Jingxuan had not slept with him last night.

The man who had insisted on sharing a bed just two nights ago had moved to the sofa with his own blankets last night. Xu Chi didn’t have a blackout after drinking; he had only been slightly tipsy. He could still clearly remember their conversation from the previous night, as well as Gu Jingxuan’s tone and attitude.

Thinking of this, the small spark of excitement Xu Chi felt from sleeping in Gu Jingxuan’s bed vanished.

Everything had happened so suddenly. On the way to the hot spring, and even once they were inside, Gu Jingxuan had been his usual self, teasing him gently. But after barely an hour in the water, the man had begun to avoid him like the plague.

Xu Chi squatted in front of the sofa, studying Gu Jingxuan’s sleeping face. He had always thought Gu Jingxuan had very defined, almost European features. His deep-set eyes made him look particularly spirited. His eyelashes were thick and long, casting shadows on his skin as the sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He had thin lips and a high bridge on his nose. Between his brows, a small crease had formed, as if he were dreaming of something troubling.

Xu Chi stared at Gu Jingxuan’s face for several minutes without moving, simply watching him in silence. It felt as though he might never get to see this face again. In truth, it felt like that might be the case; he could clearly sense Gu Jingxuan’s estrangement and rejection, and he was not the type to pester someone.

Xu Chi felt very inferior, especially in front of Gu Jingxuan. He felt that no part of him was good enough to catch the other man’s eye. Since he could feel Gu Jingxuan’s dislike, it was better to be sensible and leave on his own. Xu Chi did not want to experience the pain of being personally driven away by the person he loved.

He reached out a finger, wanting to touch the frown on Gu Jingxuan’s brow, but he stopped a few centimeters away. He was afraid he would become addicted to that momentary tenderness. He felt as though he could stay squatted there, watching Gu Jingxuan for an entire day.

It was nearly noon by the time Gu Jingxuan woke up, roused by the growling of his empty stomach. Seeing the bright sun outside, he muttered about how the weather had suddenly turned so nice during the New Year before remembering that Xu Chi should still be in his room.

To his surprise, when he entered the bedroom, he found the bed neatly made and the curtains drawn. Gu Jingxuan searched the entire apartment but saw no sign of Xu Chi. Thinking the boy had gone out to buy lunch, he walked into the kitchen, only to find a container of takeout being kept warm in the microwave.

Has Xu Chi… left?

Now it was Gu Jingxuan’s turn to find things strange. Was Xu Chi throwing a tantrum? And if so, why? Gu Jingxuan, who prided himself on his high emotional intelligence, found his mental circuits blocked after thinking about the situation all night. He stood in the kitchen looking at the warm food, unable to come up with a logical answer.

While he was eating, his manager called him.

“Regarding that script Director Jiang mentioned, he called today. He said Xu Chi rejected the lead role. He wanted to ask who you think would be a good fit instead.”

The manager knew nothing of the previous night’s events and assumed Xu Chi simply felt that type of role might negatively impact his future career, so he didn’t find it particularly odd. Gu Jingxuan, however, frowned deeply, his face filled with disbelief.

“Did Xu Chi reject it himself, or did his company or manager reject it?”

Gu Jingxuan had heard Xu Chi agree to take the role with his own ears. How could the boy disappear in a single night and even give up on the script that had made him so excited?

“It was Xu Chi. Director Jiang said Xu Chi called him personally this morning.”

“Are you sure?” Gu Jingxuan still found it hard to believe.

“My goodness, why would I lie to you about this?” The manager’s tone was full of confusion at Gu Jingxuan’s persistence.

Did he really reject it because he’s worried about his future roles and public image? Were his words last night about being happy to act with me again all just a lie?

Otherwise, why would he turn it down the moment he looked away?

Between discovering Xu Chi’s secret and then being given the run-around regarding the role, Gu Jingxuan felt he needed to have a serious talk with Xu Chi. But before that, he needed to figure out exactly how he felt about him.