The Affectionate Backup is a Heartthrob [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Devoted Stand-in is Coveted (6)

Jiang Han didn’t know why he had driven all the way here so early in the morning. He parked his car at the hotel entrance, glancing toward the doors from time to time.

It wasn’t until he saw Wen Zhe and Jiang Yan come out that his gaze locked onto the two of them, watching as Wen Zhe saw Jiang Yan into his car.

He seemed to have suddenly figured out a reason for coming over: he wanted Wen Zhe to understand that he shouldn’t be overly familiar with others and should set boundaries; even if that person was his younger brother, he should still maintain a proper distance.

The thought that Wen Zhe lacked even this basic self-awareness made Jiang Han feel a twinge of displeasure.

The car horn honked sharply twice. Wen Zhe’s attention was drawn to the sound. He looked over, recognized the Maybach that Jiang Han usually drove, and immediately walked toward it.

Seeing his lover first thing in the morning naturally put him in a good mood, though for the real Wen Zhe, it truly felt like they had been seeing quite a lot of each other lately.

Wen Zhe opened the car door and sat inside, a smile on his face. “Why did you come over?”

“Business nearby,” Jiang Han said coolly.

“Oh. Have you had breakfast yet?” Wen Zhe asked.

“No,” Jiang Han replied, then added, “Forget breakfast for a moment. You and Jiang Yan slept separately last night, didn’t you?”

Wen Zhe knew he would ask this. “Yes. I slept on the floor.”

Jiang Han raised an eyebrow and gave a snorted laugh. “You’re certainly generous, giving up your bed to him instead of sleeping in it yourself.”

For a moment, Wen Zhe couldn’t tell what Jiang Han was thinking. Shouldn’t he, as a stand-in, be the least important person in Jiang Han’s mind? Giving the bed to his younger brother should have been the correct move, so why was he being sarcastic again?

This male lead is truly hard to serve.

“I’m so much older than him; of course I had to let him have it,” Wen Zhe said.

“I’m telling you this because Jiang Yan will be an adult in a month. You need to be careful how you interact with him; he’s not a child anymore, he’s an adult,” Jiang Han said, showing rare patience in speaking so much to him. “Also, you are my person. Be mindful of boundaries when dealing with others. I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”

“Mhm,” Wen Zhe answered softly. “I understand.”

That was all Jiang Han had to say. Once finished, silence fell between them. The driver had stepped out, leaving only the two of them in the back seat, and the atmosphere quieted down.

“I have a craving for crab roe noodles,” Jiang Han said suddenly.

Wen Zhe’s eyes immediately curved into a smile. He was naturally happy during this rare moment of warmth. “Let’s go eat then. My first scene isn’t until ten; we have time.”

Jiang Han shook his head. “Cook them for me some other day.”

“Some other day?” Wen Zhe asked, looking at him.

Jiang Han fixed his gaze on Wen Zhe’s face. Seeing his curved eyes, he momentarily lost himself. His hand unconsciously reached out to stroke Wen Zhe’s cheek, feeling it delicately.

When he snapped out of it, he felt frustrated by his own behavior. He had to admit, Wen Zhe was indeed very deceptive.

He rubbed his fingers together; the smooth, fine texture seemed to linger on his skin. Truth be told, Wen Zhe was quite attractive.

He remembered clearly the first time they met at a dinner party. Wen Zhe had just sat quietly at the table, yet he had drawn the eyes of everyone present. He was like a lamb that had fallen into a pack of wolves.

Had he been possessed by a ghost then, or did Wen Zhe truly look a bit like Su Cheng? He couldn’t remember clearly. He only remembered that if it hadn’t been for him, Wen Zhe would have left with any other man there.

At that thought, displeasure rose in his heart. All that talk of liking him and loving him—how much was the love of such a person actually worth?

“Get out,” Jiang Han said coldly.

Wen Zhe watched the shift in his emotions. The warm atmosphere from a moment ago had vanished as if it had never existed.

Looking at Jiang Han’s tense face, Wen Zhe didn’t know how he had offended him. He reached out to touch Jiang Han’s hand to appease him, but he was brushed off directly. “Didn’t you hear me? I said get out.”

Wen Zhe’s heart tightened as he reluctantly exited the car. He stood by the roadside, his gaze lingering on the vehicle as the driver returned and the car started and drove away.

Inside, Jiang Han rolled down the window. Through the rearview mirror, he saw Wen Zhe’s figure becoming smaller and smaller. He reached up to tug at his tie, his mood becoming even worse.

Compared to dealing with the mercurial Jiang Han, Wen Zhe preferred filming with the director and actors on set. Though it was hard work and exhausting, it was better than mental torture.

That day, when it was time for lunch, the director suddenly announced to them, “No lunch boxes today, everyone! President Ye has treated us to stir-fry from Magpie Tower! Make sure you eat your fill later.”

Hearing this, everyone started offering their thanks before the food even arrived.

A moment later, a black luxury van drove up. Ye Baihuai stepped out, and the driver and crew members immediately went to fetch the food.

“Thank you for the treat, President Ye!” people called out one after another.

Wen Zhe also went to grab a portion. Just as he was about to head over to eat with the other actors, Ye Baihuai called him. “Wen Zhe.”

Holding his food, Wen Zhe looked over in confusion. Ye Baihuai said, “Come eat inside the car. There’s food in here.”

Wen Zhe paused, then set down the food in his hand and followed. He had thought that after the incident at the club, Ye Baihuai would stop bothering with him after realizing he was a “love-brain.” He hadn’t expected the man to truly look after his friend’s lover so much.

Inside the van, Ye Baihuai was already seated. His face was devoid of extra expression, his deep eyes looking at Wen Zhe as he gestured for him to sit opposite him.

Wen Zhe saw that the table was already set with dishes. Very elegantly, they hadn’t used takeout boxes, but rather white jade-like plates and bowls.

He couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Ye Baihuai, then smiled. “Then I won’t be polite.”

Ye Baihuai gave a “Mhm.” “Start eating.”

Ye Baihuai ate very gracefully, in a slow and orderly fashion, saying very little.

Wen Zhe looked at him from time to time until Ye Baihuai met his gaze. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Wen Zhe’s gaze swept over him, from his precise cuffs to his collar buttoned to the very top. He hesitated for a second before finally asking, “Mr. Ye Baihuai, are you looking after me so much because I’m your friend’s lover?”

Ye Baihuai’s eyes were deep-set and his pupils were intensely dark, giving people a sense of a bottomless depth that couldn’t be seen through. At this moment, he simply said calmly, “No.”

Wen Zhe’s hand holding the chopsticks paused. “Then why?”

“Out of my own selfishness,” Ye Baihuai said, then paused. “Which is to say, my attraction toward you.”

Wen Zhe was stunned this time. Just then, staff members boarded the car to clear away their dishes and replaced them with sliced fruit.

Only when Wen Zhe smelled the fresh sweetness of the fruit did he gradually come to his senses. “Apologies, I still don’t quite understand.”

He felt that things were heading in an utterly unpredictable direction. Ye Baihuai’s status was noble, his manners were those of an elegant gentleman, and even his clothes were meticulous, without a single flaw. How could a person like this…

Ye Baihuai’s dark eyes looked straight at him. “To be precise, I want to break you and Jiang Han up and make you mine. I suppose it would be called ‘stealing a love away’.”

Wen Zhe was thoroughly shocked. How could he say such morally bankrupt words with such a straight and serious face?

The content was too far beyond reason. Wen Zhe took a bite of a strawberry to calm his nerves. He gathered his thoughts and then said seriously, “Mr. Ye Baihuai, I think you should give up on this plan. I will not leave Jiang Han.”

“You don’t need to be in a rush to refuse. Jiang Han isn’t suitable for you at all. To him, you are just a poor little thing to be summoned and dismissed at will, a stand-in who can be replaced at any time. Therefore, you will definitely leave Jiang Han,” Ye Baihuai said with certainty.

Wen Zhe opened his lips. Thinking back carefully, there had been some faint, lingering ambiguity and strangeness when dealing with Ye Baihuai. So combined with now, him saying these words didn’t seem so unbelievable.

“When did you start having these thoughts about me?” Wen Zhe asked curiously.

“The first time we met,” Ye Baihuai said.

Wen Zhe was surprised again. “The first time we met…”

“Yes. At a banquet, you were by Jiang Han’s side. I fell in love with you at first sight,” Ye Baihuai said frankly.

Wen Zhe stared at him, still feeling a bit shaken. He had actually taken a liking to him a year ago.

Then, Ye Baihuai’s voice sounded slightly regretful. “I thought you would break up with Jiang Han very soon. After all, it’s not a relationship worth keeping. But I didn’t expect you to stay by his side for so long. I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Hearing this, Wen Zhe felt a bit ashamed of his own “love-brain” nature.

“But you and Jiang Han are friends.” Wen Zhe still didn’t quite understand. Ye Baihuai’s behavior was far too out of line. For someone whose collar button was done up to the very top, it was impossible to imagine him stealing a friend’s lover.

“Actually, Jiang Han and I aren’t really friends, just business partners. And the reason I reached out to him was partly because of you,” Ye Baihuai said.

Wen Zhe took a deep breath. The weight of this information had shocked him into numbness. “I’m truly sorry. As you said, I’m a poor little thing to be summoned and dismissed, a stand-in who can be replaced. But until the day I am replaced, I will not leave Jiang Han. I truly cannot leave him. I love him.”

Having said that, under Ye Baihuai’s deep gaze, he stood up and walked out, leaving behind one last sentence: “Mr. Ye Baihuai, let’s not meet again from now on. It wouldn’t be good if Jiang Han found out.”

Silence fell inside the car. Only Ye Baihuai remained. His face was dark, his jaw tight. He reached up and violently ripped open the top button of his collar, his chest heaving for a moment as if he could only breathe that way.

Finally, his gaze fell on that strawberry with a bite taken out of it. He picked it up, put it into his mouth, and began to chew slowly.

Wen Zhe had just told Ye Baihuai “let’s not meet again,” and the next moment he was proven wrong. Some people cannot be avoided just because one wishes to.

The next day, Wen Zhe finished work early and took a car into the city. Jiang Han had a business gala, and he would be accompanying him as his partner.

Jiang Han had already arrived. He sounded a bit impatient when he called. “Where are you? Are you making me wait for you?”

“Very soon. I’ll be there in a moment,” Wen Zhe said.

The car passed a traffic light and soon reached the hotel entrance. The stairs were covered in red carpet, looking exceptionally striking.

He was wearing a black haute couture suit that had been delivered to the hotel early on. Though Jiang Han was difficult to deal with, he never skimped on Wen Zhe in this regard.

Exiting the car, Wen Zhe hurried up the steps. There were quite a few people heading into the venue, and many gazes fell upon him.

Soon, Wen Zhe saw the tense-faced Jiang Han. When the man saw him, the tight muscles in his face gradually relaxed. He looked Wen Zhe over from head to toe, though his words remained impatient. “Do you know I’ve been waiting here for five minutes? Do you know how much face I lose being watched by people coming and going?”

“Sorry,” Wen Zhe said.

The two walked into the venue together. Once Jiang Han entered, a crowd gathered around. Compliments were endless. Seeing Wen Zhe, they praised Jiang Han’s good eye and showered Wen Zhe with praise as well.

It was clear that Jiang Han’s mood was quite good.

However, Jiang Han didn’t waste time on them. He scanned the room and then waved in a certain direction. “Baihuai.”

Hearing that name, Wen Zhe’s heart couldn’t help but throb. He looked over and saw Ye Baihuai looking straight at him.

Wen Zhe braced himself and walked over. Their circle of friends were all standing together. Once Jiang Han arrived, he began chatting with them.

Wen Zhe stood to the side like a decorative vase; he didn’t quite understand their topics.

He could feel Ye Baihuai’s gaze still fixed on him. Wen Zhe took a sip of champagne, his eyes scanning the venue aimlessly.

“You look very good in that.”

Ye Baihuai’s voice sounded. Wen Zhe had no choice but to look at him. He gave a polite smile. “Thank you.”

Wen Zhe’s proportions were excellent, his legs long and his posture upright. The suit he was wearing was different from his usual ones; this set accentuated his figure more, making the curve of his waist look exceptionally slender and elegant.

A bowtie had replaced a necktie, adding a touch of playfulness.

At this point, Jiang Han looked over from the small talk, the curve of his lips rising further. “I picked that out. Good taste, isn’t it?”

Ye Baihuai glanced at him, then returned his gaze to Wen Zhe. “Your taste has always been excellent.”

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