The Affectionate Backup is a Heartthrob [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Devoted Stand-in is Coveted (8)

Wen Zhe’s ears were tingling, and he felt numb all over. He stole another glance to confirm: this man before him, dressed so impeccably and looking so serious, was actually capable of saying the word “affair.”

At this moment, he was still being held tightly. A broad palm was pressed against his waist, and the scorching heat transmitted through the suit fabric made the skin there feel like it was burning.

Wen Zhe gave him a push, but he didn’t budge. “Let go. Jiang Han should be far away by now.”

Ye Baihuai buried the tip of his nose into Wen Zhe’s neck, taking a deep breath before reluctantly letting go. Wen Zhe’s muscles tensed slightly, and he instinctively took a step back.

The atmosphere between them tightened for a moment. Ye Baihuai gave him a deep look, then turned the handle and stepped out.

Wen Zhe remained where he was, feeling a bit at a loss. Did he just make Ye Baihuai angry?

The thought vanished as quickly as it came. He checked his watch and planned to head out in two minutes.

Two minutes later, he pushed open the lounge door and walked out. In the corridor, waiters and guests were moving back and forth. He instinctively scanned the area but didn’t see Ye Baihuai.

Instead, he headed toward the restroom. Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Jiang Han by the entrance. The man was leaning against the wall smoking, the smoke blurring his face as he seemed lost in thought.

When Jiang Han saw him, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by a tone that sounded somewhat piqued. “Where did you go?”

“Just walking around,” Wen Zhe said.

Jiang Han stubbed out his cigarette, his gaze scanning Wen Zhe’s face. “Are you angry?”

Wen Zhe kept his expression restrained and devoid of emotion. “No.”

Seeing Wen Zhe’s suppressed and restrained manner, Jiang Han instinctively raised his hand to stroke his face, his thumb sliding over Wen Zhe’s rosy lips. His tense expression softened, and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “Then why did you run?”

Wen Zhe looked at him, feeling the warmth of his palm. He didn’t know if Jiang Han currently regarded him as a little plaything to be teased. It wasn’t that he was being malicious; it was simply that Jiang Han had kept him for this very purpose. He didn’t know if this question was a test—he had grown afraid of being tested. If he revealed his true thoughts, Jiang Han’s words would turn into a sharp blade, piercing him until he was bloody.

“It was a bit stuffy inside,” Wen Zhe gave a bitter smile, then added, “Actually, he was right. I can’t compare to Su Cheng. He’s better than me in every way, including his place in your heart.”

Hearing this, Jiang Han’s expression didn’t change, and he remained smiling. His fingertips pinched Wen Zhe’s chin. “Are you jealous?”

Wen Zhe looked at him, curled his lips, and shook his head. “No, I’ve just figured out my place.”

He did indeed love Jiang Han deeply, but over the past year, he had come to realize one fact: no one could replace Su Cheng’s position in Jiang Han’s heart; not even a tiny bit of space could be squeezed out.

He didn’t care what others said or thought of him, but that didn’t mean he had truly become a wall of bronze and iron. Jiang Han’s attitude exhausted him. Over time, he realized he wasn’t completely indifferent to what others said. Though he still loved Jiang Han, after so much time, he had woken up and grown despondent regarding this hopeless relationship.

“I’m really not angry,” Wen Zhe said, even explaining with a smile on his face, “and I’m not jealous. When Su Cheng returns, I’ll give up the position by your side.”

Jiang Han’s smile froze, and his face darkened completely. “What do you mean by that?”

Wen Zhe couldn’t help but frown as the pressure of the fingers on his chin increased. He sensed that Jiang Han seemed angry, but why? Shouldn’t he feel relieved and happy that Wen Zhe said this?

Wen Zhe’s eyelashes trembled, and the pain in his chin caused his eyes to redden. “I mean, as long as you want me to, I won’t pester you.”

The atmosphere around Jiang Han seemed to drop even further. He stared intently at the person before him before finally flinging his hand away. “You’d better do as you say.”

Jiang Han stared deathly at Wen Zhe. Under this pressure, Wen Zhe lowered his head slightly and gave a soft “Mhm.”

Jiang Han’s chest heaved for a moment, and his handsome, sharp face grew even more tense. A mocking sneer curled at his lips. “Also, what’s all this about ‘giving up’ the position by my side? What right do you have to give it up? It belongs to Su Cheng in the first place.”

A flash of shock crossed Wen Zhe’s face, followed by a return to calm. A surging wave of bitterness rose in his heart, but his face remained unruffled. “Fine, I understand.”

Jiang Han looked at his calm face, his eyes looking as if they were about to spit fire, but in the end, he left indignantly.

Watching his back, Wen Zhe realized that this was what he was angry about. True, how could he use the word “give up”? That position belonged to Su Cheng all along.

After returning to the banquet, several of Jiang Han’s friends were gathered around Lu Yan, laughing and chatting. They likely all knew each other; given their similar family backgrounds, they probably met through Su Cheng long ago.

He and Jiang Han walked over one after the other. When Lu Yan saw him, he gave him a glare but didn’t insult or mock him further, turning his attention back to socializing with the others.

“I have a proposal. All of you should come over to my place in a bit. You have to help me ‘warm up’ my newly bought villa. We also need to host a welcome-back dinner for Lu Yan. None of you even think about escaping,” Zhao Kuo proposed. He was on the best terms with Jiang Han, and basically everyone here had to give him face.

Everyone expressed their agreement. Soon, they left the venue, each getting into their cars to head toward Zhao Kuo’s villa.

Jiang Han’s anger hadn’t dissipated yet, so he didn’t let Wen Zhe ride in the same car. Wen Zhe had no choice but to get into his own luxury van; fortunately, his assistant had been waiting for him.

The villa was relatively close; the drive took about twenty minutes. The exterior was very grand, and the courtyard was decorated with great style.

It turned out Zhao Kuo hadn’t acted on a whim; he had prepared everything in advance. Behind the villa, drinks and food were already set out, with ambient lights creating an atmosphere. There was also a large swimming pool, its surface currently shimmering with ripples of light.

However, since it had been raining frequently lately, the weather was on the cooler side and the pool water was very cold. Otherwise, knowing Zhao Kuo’s style, he would have certainly called over several sexy men and women to add to the scenery.

The male and female partners brought along looked at the large pool with envy, teasing Zhao Kuo and telling him he must host a swimsuit party in the summer.

Amidst the surrounding playfulness, Wen Zhe fell into a daze. The shimmering light from the pool reflected on his face, acting like a special effect—beautiful to the point of appearing illusory.

While Wen Zhe was lost in thought, someone stepped up beside him. “Like it here?”

Wen Zhe’s drifting thoughts were pulled back. He turned his head and saw it was Ye Baihuai. The man was looking at the pool, seemingly deep in thought and not looking at him. Wen Zhe replied casually, “It’s quite nice.”

“If you like it, I can buy it for you,” Ye Baihuai said calmly.

Wen Zhe: “…”

Did he not realize at all how outrageous the thing he just said was?

Before they could chat for more than a couple of sentences, Ye Baihuai was pulled away by the men who treated him like a brother.

Wen Zhe scanned the area and saw Jiang Han. The man was playing dice with others, the game growing quite heated.

Wen Zhe walked over and sat down beside Jiang Han. Jiang Han’s anger toward him hadn’t faded yet; he didn’t even give him a glance.

The crowd also seemed to sense the abnormality between the two. With various hidden agendas, they teased, “Lu Yan, how much longer until Su Cheng returns? Can you give us a definite date? We all miss him.”

Lu Yan glanced at Wen Zhe, his gaze seemingly saying: See? Everyone is concerned about Su Cheng. No one cares about you at all.

“About two months. Don’t worry, if he tells me anything, I’ll definitely let you all know.”

“Make sure to tell us in advance so we can prepare for his return.” Saying this, the man nudged Jiang Han. “Right, Jiang Han? You’ll need to prepare yourself mentally several days in advance.”

Wen Zhe looked a bit unnatural. He turned to Jiang Han, only to see a smile curl on the man’s lips as he turned to look at Wen Zhe.

The moment their eyes met, Wen Zhe’s expression froze; he hadn’t expected Jiang Han to suddenly turn around to look at him. Then, he heard Jiang Han say, “That goes without saying. Of course.”

Wen Zhe realized then: Jiang Han was still emphasizing Su Cheng’s importance. He tried his best to keep his composure, his face showing no emotion, looking as gentle as ever.

Jiang Han’s smile vanished bit by bit. Then, another voice that loved to stir up trouble rang out. “Wen Zhe, what will you do when Su Cheng returns?”

Wen Zhe took a silent deep breath, ignoring the stinging pain in his heart to keep himself from losing composure. His face appeared very dignified. “That isn’t something I should think about. The decision is not in my hands.”

Wen Zhe’s breezy answer made everyone feel the fun was gone. Jiang Han’s expression grew darker and darker. Finally, he slammed his wine glass onto the low table with a “bang,” startling everyone. Then, Jiang Han lit a cigarette. “Keep playing. Why is everyone dazing?”

Everyone snapped back to their senses and began betting with renewed vigor. Lu Yan’s attention, however, was fixed on Wen Zhe, his gaze somewhat complex.

At first, he thought Wen Zhe was just a common lover of Jiang Han’s, shamelessly clinging to him to move up in the world. But now it seemed that wasn’t the case…

He seemed to truly love Jiang Han, even to the point of placing himself in the humblest of positions, waiting at any moment for the other to abandon him. It made him not know what to say for a moment.

Wen Zhe’s thoughts began to drift again. He planned to stay for a bit longer before heading back; after all, he had work tomorrow.

His gaze fell upon Ye Baihuai not far away. He was discussing business with two people, his behavior dignified and elegant—a world apart from the group of people here with their exaggerated manners.

The man had said that reaching out to Jiang Han was partly because of him. It was truly hard on him, as he was completely out of place with these people.

“I have a proposal. Playing like this is boring. Let’s compare the dice. Whoever is the smallest has to swim a lap in the pool. How about it?” Zhao Kuo said excitedly. “I haven’t even swam in this pool once since it was finished.”

“Sure! Jumping in at this temperature talk about a thrill!”

“I’m in! Whoever doesn’t play is a dog!”

The group began a new and even more exciting round of gambling. Wen Zhe was drawn in by their noise, watching the dice cups being revealed one by one. Everyone was caught up in the tense atmosphere, waiting for the results to be unveiled.

It wasn’t until Jiang Han revealed the last cup that the crowd let out a cry of surprise. “Jiang Han! The smallest!”

Everyone found this result unexpected; no one thought Jiang Han would be the unluckiest one. Although the people sitting here usually treated Jiang Han like a brother, most of them didn’t actually treat him as a friend; there was always a level of flattery involved.

“The pool water is very cold. Maybe we should forget it.”

“Don’t forget it! Jiang Han, you can find someone to go in for you.”

As soon as these words were out, everyone’s gaze fell upon Wen Zhe. “Wen Zhe, why don’t you swim for Jiang Han?”

“Yeah, isn’t that what a male partner is for?”

The crowd jeered. Jiang Han, who had already planned to take off his clothes, stopped. He also looked toward Wen Zhe.

Wen Zhe was surrounded by the crowd. He had to continue filming tomorrow; if he caught a cold, it wouldn’t just be him that was delayed.

His face looked a bit helpless. Finally, he turned his gaze toward Jiang Han, only to find the man looking at him unmoved.

Wen Zhe knew. He lowered his head, his face showing a trace of desolation. Right, as a male partner, wasn’t this exactly what he should do?

Beside them, Lu Yan couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Although they had a conflict at the start and he had no good feelings toward Wen Zhe, seeing this group of people jeering while Wen Zhe looked so helpless and pitiful… “How about I say we forget it…”

However, his voice was immediately drowned out. Wen Zhe rose slowly. He unbuttoned his suit jacket. He kept looking at Jiang Han, and Jiang Han did not stop his actions.

At this moment, Wen Zhe finally stopped hoping. He withdrew his gaze and then took off his coat.

Watching him, Jiang Han felt increasingly suffocated, as if he were competing with himself. He wanted to see if Wen Zhe would actually do it for him, but once he actually did, so what? What kind of conclusion did he want to reach?

The moment Wen Zhe walked toward the pool, Jiang Han regretted it. But when he reached out to pull him, he only caught a corner of his clothes. Recalling the slightly disappointed look Wen Zhe gave him at the end, his heart panicked for a split second.

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