The Beautiful but Obscure Star Is Targeted by a Scheming Movie Star - Chapter 15

Jiang Guo watched Gong Yingxiao step out of the room, his eyes darting toward him with frequent glares. Every look was laced with utter disdain for Gong Yingxiao.

“If your eyes are sick, go get them treated,” Gong Yingxiao said, unable to stomach the constant staring.

“I think the person who needs to go to the hospital is you!” Jiang Guo lowered his voice and leaned in close to Gong Yingxiao, his tone gritted with teeth-clenching frustration. “What is the meaning of this? Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for him.”

Gong Yingxiao’s tone remained indifferent. “I’d like to have fallen for him, but so far, he hasn’t taken a liking to me.”

This single sentence instantly depleted half of Jiang Guo’s health bar, nearly making him cough up blood. “You… you… You!”

In all his years since his debut, it wasn’t exactly normal that Gong Yingxiao had never had a scandal. However, every time one even began to brew, he would personally smother it in its tracks. Thus, for years, he had been virtually scandal-free.

Jiang Guo had always thought he was incredibly lucky to have such a low-maintenance artist. He never expected that the man who usually stayed silent would go and pull something this massive!

Without a word, he had carried the guy straight into bed.

“You pervert!” Jiang Guo evaluated him, his tone full of disappointment.

Gong Yingxiao: “…”

“Do I need to remind you that the other party is a grown man?”

“Well, you’re still older than him!”

The veins on Gong Yingxiao’s forehead pulsed slightly. He took a deep breath. “Just get to the point.”

“Hmph.” Jiang Guo pulled out the documents from under his arm. “The surveillance has been checked. Based on the footage, it appears to be a complete accident.”

“The door latch loosened and closed accidentally after Tang Jingran and the cat entered the room. But the strange thing is, the light inside was broken.”

“I asked the staff, and they said the power outage might have been caused by a short circuit.”

“Curiously, some netizens are spreading theories about human sabotage. For now, Zhang Song’s side has managed to pacify them.”

Gong Yingxiao frowned slightly upon hearing this. “Human sabotage?”

Jiang Guo was also a bit puzzled. “Tsk, some netizens claim another artist in the program deliberately caused it, but we really couldn’t find anything suspicious in the surveillance.”

“I watched the footage several times, and there’s truly no issue. I don’t know what those netizens are thinking.”

“Send me a separate copy of the video,” Gong Yingxiao said after a moment of silence. “What do the others think?”

“Currently, most believe the loud noise of the door closing was just an accident,” Jiang Guo told him, the production team’s consensus.

“Fine, I got it.” After saying that, Gong Yingxiao turned to go back into the room to look after Tang Jingran.

Seeing this, Jiang Guo quickly blocked him. “What are you going back in there for?”

Gong Yingxiao glanced at Jiang Guo with a hint of disdain. “Taking care of a patient.”

“You’re taking care of him all the way into his bed!” Jiang Guo grabbed Gong Yingxiao’s shoulder.

“Put away your filthy thoughts,” Gong Yingxiao said, brushing Jiang Guo’s hand off before opening the door and stepping inside.

Clack.

The door shut gently in Jiang Guo’s face.

Jiang Guo: “…”

Still feeling uneasy, Jiang Guo sat down on a nearby bench to keep a close watch on the hospital room door.

Inside, Tang Jingran was still fast asleep, his complexion having regained a bit of color.

With nothing else to do, Gong Yingxiao sat quietly by the bed, gazing at Tang Jingran’s dark brows and eyes. Outside the window, the wind rustled the leaves, making the room feel exceptionally still.

A while later, Tang Jingran opened his eyes blankly, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds, not yet realizing where he was.

“You’re awake.” A low, magnetic voice sounded in his ear, followed by a sensation of warmth near his lips.

It was Gong Yingxiao.

“Do you want some water?”

Tang Jingran turned his head slowly toward the tall man beside the bed. Usually, Tang Jingran’s face was expressionless, giving him a cold, detached aura. But now, because he was still out of it, his gaze was misty, and the corners of his eyes were slightly flushed.

Gong Yingxiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

A few seconds later, reality hit Tang Jingran, and he bolted upright in bed.

“Hiss.” Tang Jingran moved too fast and accidentally tugged the IV line in his hand. “Why am I here?”

“Be careful.” Gong Yingxiao held the water to Tang Jingran’s lips, intending to feed him. “What’s the last thing you remember before losing consciousness?”

Tang Jingran tilted his head to avoid the gesture and took the cup himself, offering a soft “thank you.” The water was at the perfect temperature.

Gong Yingxiao didn’t react to Tang Jingran’s avoidance and remained seated in his chair.

“I remember the cat went in, so I followed. But just as I was about to come out with the things, I turned around, and the door was shut.” Tang Jingran drank some water to soothe his dry throat.

Gong Yingxiao asked, “So, it was an accident?”

“It happened so fast. Let me think.” Tang Jingran knit his brows slightly.

“Okay.” Gong Yingxiao observed his expression and asked softly, “Why did you faint?”

Tang Jingran’s hand, which was rubbing his head, paused. He spoke unnaturally, “It’s nothing.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was filled only by the sound of each other’s breathing.

“Everyone was very worried about you,” Gong Yingxiao finally broke the silence. “Including me.”

Tang Jingran’s fingers pressed against the cup, which trembled. His other hand gripped the bedsheet so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“I’m an orphan.”

Just when Gong Yingxiao thought there would be no answer, Tang Jingran spoke.

Tang Jingran had always faced many malicious looks because of his status as an orphan. At first, he would fight back, but as the gazes of disgust became more overt, he began to feel a sense of shame about his identity.

It was humiliating.

“Nobody liked me. The children at the orphanage all hated me.”

“When I was little, they locked me in a small, dark room. By the time the Director Mama found me, I was already unconscious.”

“So, after that, I stopped liking dark, enclosed spaces.”

Tang Jingran’s tone was so flat it didn’t seem like he was recounting his own past, yet Gong Yingxiao could still detect an imperceptible tremor in his voice.

“That’s all.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Gong Yingxiao didn’t ask for anything more. He simply looked at him calmly and spoke in a gentle voice. “Now then, do you remember what happened right before you fainted?”

Tang Jingran looked at him in surprise, his fingers slowing their friction against the cup. His subconscious told him this incident was related to a certain person, but his mind was currently a bit muddled.

“No.”

“Then I’ll tell you the current situation first.”

Gong Yingxiao relayed the information Jiang Guo had given him.

“So, everyone saw the surveillance, and it shows the door closed automatically after I went in?” Tang Jingran frowned.

“I’ve seen the footage too; there really isn’t anything wrong.” Gong Yingxiao tapped his finger rhythmically against the chair. “The staff said the light was working during installation. This situation might just be a short circuit.”

Tang Jingran felt that meeting Qin Ze that night wasn’t an accident, but since the surveillance showed no issues, he couldn’t just throw accusations around.

“Okay, thank you.”

Tang Jingran’s head was still spinning. Because he had sat up too quickly, he just wanted to rest. “Thank you for telling me. I’m going to rest now.”

Seeing that the person beside him didn’t move, he turned to find Gong Yingxiao staring straight at him.

“I’m going to rest,” Tang Jingran repeated, thinking the other man hadn’t heard.

“Go ahead and rest.” This person had absolutely no intention of leaving.

Left with no choice, Tang Jingran spoke plainly, “I don’t like noise when I sleep.”

Gong Yingxiao replied, “I’ll be very quiet. I won’t make a sound.”

Tang Jingran: “…”

Taking a deep breath, Tang Jingran brought out his trump card: “I don’t like having someone else’s breathing near me when I sleep.”

Gong Yingxiao: “…”

A few seconds later, Gong Yingxiao let out a short laugh. “What kind of habit is that?”

Then he spoke slowly, “You heartless little thing. Throwing me away as soon as you’re done with me.”

“It’s truly heartbreaking.”

Tang Jingran: “…”

Tang Jingran didn’t understand what he meant by “throwing him away,” so he asked politely, “What do you mean?”

Gong Yingxiao admired the confused, dazed expression on the other’s face for a few seconds before saying contentedly, “A certain someone kept burrowing into my arms while unconscious and wouldn’t stop grabbing my hand.”

“No matter how I tried, I couldn’t pull it away.”

A crack appeared in Tang Jingran’s composure. He had been drunk before, but he never acted out. Those who cared for him always said he was easy to handle.

Tang Jingran didn’t believe he would do such a thing. “You’re lying. I never act crazy when I’m drunk.”

“You said it yourself—you were drunk then, not fainting.” Gong Yingxiao’s face was entirely serious and very convincing. Then he acted as if he were going to pull out his phone. “If you don’t believe me, I can show you the video.”

Though he was exaggerating a bit, Tang Jingran really had held onto his hand and wouldn’t let go. So, technically, it wasn’t a total lie.

Tang Jingran looked up in disbelief. “You actually recorded it?”

“How else was I going to prove my innocence?” After saying that, he tilted his head toward Tang Jingran.

The message: See?

“Delete the video,” Tang Jingran said.

The other man nodded. “Don’t worry.”

Tang Jingran was intimidated by the other’s serious expression and began to wonder if he really had made such movements.

“Um… sorry.”

A few minutes later, Tang Jingran apologized anyway. He remembered that in his last moment of consciousness, it was this man who had caught him. No matter what, the other had looked after him, and he had indeed caused trouble.

Suppressing a smile at the corner of his mouth, Gong Yingxiao spoke with great magnanimity, “It’s fine.”

“So, how are you going to thank me?”

Tang Jingran’s head was still foggy. He replied slowly, “Whatever you want is fine.”

Gong Yingxiao’s eyes darkened. “Whatever I want?”

“Nothing illegal,” Tang Jingran added sleepily.

Then he heard the other man let out a very satisfied laugh. At that moment, Tang Jingran almost regretted saying those words.

“Don’t worry.” Gong Yingxiao’s gaze lingered on the fair face. “It won’t be illegal.”

Tang Jingran rested his face on the pillow and nodded, feeling relieved. “Then say it. What do you want?”

“Then promise me one thing.” Gong Yingxiao was charmed by Tang Jingran’s movement, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his index finger.

“What thing?”

“I haven’t thought of it yet. I’ll tell you when I do.” Seeing that Tang Jingran had no energy left, Gong Yingxiao didn’t say more. He stood up and tucked the corner of the quilt for him.

“But you must promise.”

“Get some rest. I’m leaving.”

The world returned to silence, and Tang Jingran finally fell into a deep sleep.

After Tang Jingran was discharged, he checked the surveillance and found nothing out of the ordinary. Thus, he had no choice but to post a message on Weibo.

#Cat Cafe Variety Show Tang Jingran V: I am very grateful to every fan and friend who cared about me. Regarding my recent fainting incident on the show, I would like to clarify that it was entirely due to my personal physical condition and has nothing to do with the production team or anyone else. Please remain calm and rational when discussing this matter, and do not post any inflammatory remarks. I hope everyone can understand, and thank you for your continued support and concern.

As soon as the Weibo post went out, countless comments appeared.

【Thank goodness! I’m so relieved to hear you’re okay.】

【That’s great, Teacher Tang, you’re fine! [Crying jpg.]】

【Teacher Tang must get plenty of rest!】

【Production team, please strengthen safety measures!】

【If your health isn’t great, take more breaks. Don’t let yourself get sick.】

【We worry when you’re sick [Hug jpg.]】

【Can the production team please check the equipment? If an artist gets hurt, it’s bad for the show’s reputation, too.】

【Okay, we’ll listen to Teacher Tang!】

【Some people, whether they are real fans or fake, just spread malicious info. In the end, doesn’t the idol have to be the one to apologize?】

【Exactly, the people saying it was sabotage were getting a bit too much into conspiracy theories.】

【Agreed.】

【Use your brains, please.】

After the incident passed, the show continued its live broadcast as usual, while also taking the netizens’ advice to increase safety measures.

The interactions between the artists and the cats on the show healed the weary hearts of netizens, becoming a favorite “digital side dish” for meals. The show’s popularity continued to soar.

Among them, Tang Jingran quickly became famous due to his looks and the fans “shipping” him with Gong Yingxiao. However, after watching the show more closely, people were even more touched by Tang Jingran’s personal charm and his genuine care and affection for the cats.

Tang Jingran wouldn’t treat the cats roughly just to win the competition, which earned him the admiration of many viewers. After all, it was still a competition, and winning usually makes people happy.

After leaving the hospital, Tang Jingran specifically asked Gong Yingxiao what his request was, but the other man always answered, “I haven’t thought of it yet, but you must promise when I do.”

For the first few days after hearing this, Tang Jingran was constantly on edge, fearing the man would ask for something bizarre. But since that day, the other had never brought it up, and gradually, Tang Jingran almost forgot about it.

As time passed, June arrived. L City was covered in lush greenery, and the heat slowly climbed over the city.

At the same time, the Cat Cafe variety show was nearing its end.

One day, the show announced a one-day hiatus.

Because Gong Yingxiao had fallen ill.