The Beautiful but Obscure Star Is Targeted by a Scheming Movie Star - Chapter 16

The cameras were switched off.

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. You are free to spend the rest of your time as you wish,” Zhang Song said before approaching Gong Yingxiao. “Teacher Gong, do you have a moment? I need to…”

Zhang Song stopped mid-sentence and looked up, only to see Gong Yingxiao’s face looking somewhat pale. “Teacher Gong, are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s nothing.” Gong Yingxiao waved his hand, signaling the other to continue. “What is it?”

“No, Teacher Gong, you don’t look good at all. Do you have a fever?”

As he spoke, Zhang Song reached out, intending to test the temperature of his forehead.

Gong Yingxiao tilted his head slightly away. “I’m fine. There’s no need to delay the work progress.”

Seeing Gong Yingxiao’s persistence, Zhang Song could only say, “It’s like this, Teacher Gong: if the fans find out you were filming while sick, it might have an… unfavorable impact.”

Although working through an illness could enhance an artist’s image of professional dedication, Gong Yingxiao’s status was simply too high. Some fans might attack the variety show, ultimately resulting in a “lose-lose” situation that wouldn’t look good for anyone.

“Taking a day off won’t be a problem. Besides, none of the teachers has had a proper rest yet.” Seeing Gong Yingxiao’s expression soften, Zhang Song continued, “Our show is nearing its end; everyone will understand.”

Because the air conditioning had been set too low last night, Gong Yingxiao’s breathing had been heavy since he woke up this morning. He hadn’t paid it much mind, but after a full day, the symptoms were showing signs of worsening.

“Then I’ll trouble you,” Gong Yingxiao finally agreed to Zhang Song’s request.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Zhang Song waved his hand. “So, are you going to the hospital now, or will you rest here with us?”

Gong Yingxiao had his own property in this area. If he stayed here, Zhang Song would inevitably have to worry more, and Gong would have to see more people.

“No need. I’ll just go back to my house nearby.”

“Alright, I’ll arrange for someone here to drive you back.”

“Don’t go to the trouble. Jiang Guo can take me.”

“Hey Jingran! We actually have tomorrow off. No work!” After the program finished its broadcast, Bai Wensheng came to Tang Jingran’s room to hang out. He was currently sprawled on the sofa, scrolling through hashtags related to the cat cafe variety show.

Tang Jingran was watching a playback of the show, observing his own performance. He looked up at Bai Wensheng. “Did they say why?”

“Director Zhang said in the group chat that there’s a minor issue with our equipment, so we’re taking a temporary break for a day,” Bai Wensheng read out Zhang Song’s message from the group. “He said they’ll post an official Weibo update later, too.”

“But Yingchen told me just now that he saw Jiang Guo driving Teacher Gong away. He said Teacher Gong’s complexion looked a bit off.”

Hearing that Gong Yingxiao looked unwell, Tang Jingran’s hand—the one holding the phone—paused for a split second.

“Did he say where they were going?”

“No,” Bai Wensheng shook his head. “Yingchen said he only caught a glimpse; he might not have seen clearly.”

Tang Jingran pursed his lips. “Okay.”

That evening, Tang Jingran and Bai Wensheng went to a street stall for dinner, returning no later than seven o’clock.

The faint silhouette of the sun still lingered on the distant horizon, dyeing the edge of the sky a deep, crimson red.

Tang Jingran had nothing to do and planned to take a shower before heading to bed. Just as he was about to pick up his toiletries, a phone call came in.

Tang Jingran stepped over the sofa and picked up the phone from the coffee table, freezing in place.

It was Gong Yingxiao.

“Hello,” Tang Jingran said, his grip on the phone tightening with nerves.

The call connected, but there was no voice from the other side—only the sound of somewhat heavy breathing.

Hearing no response, Tang Jingran hurriedly asked again.

“Gong Yingxiao? What’s wrong? Speak to me.”

There was still no sound. Just as Tang Jingran was about to speak again, a low, slightly raspy chuckle came through the phone.

“This is the first time you’ve called me by my name.” Due to his illness, Gong Yingxiao’s voice carried a heavy nasal tone, making his speech sound even deeper and more gravelly than usual. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

“You are,” Tang Jingran said, feeling a tiny spark of annoyance at being teased.

The person on the other end laughed softly again. “Disturbing you with what?”

Tang Jingran replied, “I was just about to shower.”

The other side fell silent. Just as Tang Jingran was about to lose his patience and speak up, the other man beat him to it.

“Sorry. But… could you help me buy some fever medicine?”

“There’s no one else at my house, and I don’t have any medicine.”

Perhaps because the other man’s voice was so low and lacked its usual vitality, Tang Jingran had a fleeting sensation that he was acting spoiled.

Tang Jingran was thunderstruck by his own thought, his skin crawling with goosebumps.

“Where are you?”

“I’ll send the location to your phone. Thank you.”

After hanging up, Tang Jingran didn’t care about showering. He quickly packed up and took a taxi to buy medicine before heading to Gong Yingxiao’s address.

Fortunately, the place where Gong Yingxiao lived wasn’t far. After buying the medicine, it only took half an hour by taxi to reach the destination.

Stepping out of the car, Tang Jingran saw a low-profile, minimalist villa before him. It featured a simple gray-and-white color scheme, surrounded by glowing streetlights.

As Tang Jingran reached the main gate, he was stopped by a security guard. Before he could speak, Gong Yingxiao’s voice came through the intercom nearby.

“Just let him in.”

Upon hearing this, the guard opened the gate for Tang Jingran.

When Tang Jingran reached Gong Yingxiao’s front door, he pressed the doorbell a few times. The voice came through the intercom again.

“The door isn’t locked. Come straight in.”

Click.

The light in the entrance hall turned on in response. As Tang Jingran entered, he saw a tall figure leaning against the wall not far away.

The man, who usually wore his hair slicked back, now had it completely down. Stray strands draped over his deep-set eyes, revealing a pair of dark, heavy pupils and a face flushed with the heat of his fever.

The man was wearing gray-blue trousers and a V-neck shirt that slightly revealed his sturdy chest muscles.

His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, faintly showing the veins in his arms. He stood with his arms crossed, watching the person who had just entered.

Tang Jingran had never seen this side of Gong Yingxiao before. For a moment, he couldn’t react and simply stared blankly for several seconds.

Realizing what he was doing, Tang Jingran turned his head to look elsewhere.

“Do… do you have any spare slippers?”

Tang Jingran thought he heard the other man let out a small laugh, followed by his voice.

“The slippers next to you were prepared for you. Just wear those.”

“What are you doing?” After putting on the shoes, Tang Jingran walked toward Gong Yingxiao, reaching out to hand him the medicine. “Take the medicine first.”

“You haven’t eaten yet?” Tang Jingran realized as he got closer that the man was standing in the kitchen, where a pot of millet porridge was simmering.

It smelled quite fragrant, and its appearance was unexpectedly decent.

Tang Jingran was surprised. “You know how to cook?”

You couldn’t really blame Tang Jingran for his surprise; Gong Yingxiao simply didn’t look like the type of person who knew his way around a kitchen.

To put it bluntly, the man’s aura was just too powerful.

Gong Yingxiao reached out to take the medicine. As he did, he accidentally brushed against Tang Jingran’s cool fingers.

“When I was starting on my own, I slowly learned how to do it to save money.”

Tang Jingran’s thoughts were pulled back by the warmth on his hand. Only then did he realize that the distance between them was too close—so close that the other man’s hot breath felt like it might brush against his face at any second.

Tang Jingran took a step back inconspicuously, recalling the man’s history of making it on his own without relying on his family. “You’re actually quite impressive.”

“There are things I’m even more impressive at.” Gong Yingxiao led Tang Jingran to the living room to sit down. “Sit. What would you like to drink?”

“No need, no need,” Tang Jingran waved his hand hurriedly. “I shouldn’t disturb you since you’re sick. I’ll leave as soon as you’ve taken your medicine.”

Gong Yingxiao’s movement to stand up froze. His dark eyes looked directly at Tang Jingran.

Tang Jingran looked at the porridge in the pot and wondered if eating only that was lacking in nutrition. When he turned back, he met the other man’s gaze.

Tang Jingran hesitated before speaking. “Um, how is your appetite?”

Gong Yingxiao’s gaze remained fixed on the other’s face. “Why?”

“If your appetite is okay, I was thinking of making you something else to eat.” Tang Jingran explained, “When you’re sick, just having porridge isn’t very…”

“I have an appetite.” Gong Yingxiao gave his answer before Tang Jingran could even finish. “What are you going to make?”

“What do you have in the house?” Tang Jingran asked.

Gong Yingxiao led Tang Jingran to the refrigerator. Inside, all sorts of ingredients were arranged with perfect neatness.

Tang Jingran was a bit speechless. He was truly seeing something new today; a rich person’s fridge was basically a miniature grocery store.

“Can you even eat all this stuff?”

“No.” Gong Yingxiao shook his head slightly. “A housekeeper comes by regularly to clean.”

“Then won’t these ingredients go to waste since you don’t live here often?” Tang Jingran picked up a green pepper; it was huge and plump.

“The housekeeper comes once every five days. I told them that if I haven’t returned, they can take these things home.” Gong Yingxiao tapped the green pepper in Tang Jingran’s hand. “We must cherish food.”

“Alright.” Tang Jingran nodded, apologizing in his heart for assuming two seconds ago that the man would just throw it away. “Then you go rest first. I’ll call you once the food is ready.”

Gong Yingxiao saw the flicker of shame on the other’s face but didn’t say much. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

The kitchen in Gong Yingxiao’s house was an open-plan design, facing directly into the living room.

Tang Jingran was wearing an apron, his back turned to the others as he prepared the ingredients. The light blue apron traced the line of Tang Jingran’s waist, and the smooth, pale nape of his neck protruded slightly as he bowed his head.

Gong Yingxiao sat on the sofa with his head resting against the back cushion, his eyes narrowed as they lingered repeatedly on that slender figure.

His gaze rested particularly on that small protrusion on the neck—a spot that looked perfect for covering with a palm and rubbing gently, over and over again.

Tang Jingran prepared a few simple, refreshing dishes. Originally, Gong Yingxiao hadn’t had much of an appetite; he had only agreed because he didn’t want the other to leave.

But now, looking at the food in front of him, he actually felt a spark of hunger.

Tang Jingran watched him take a bite and asked nervously, “How is it?”

“It’s delicious.” Gong Yingxiao wasn’t just being polite; Tang Jingran’s skills were indeed excellent.

He had originally intended to eat only a little, but now he had unconsciously finished half a bowl of rice.

“Okay. Then remember to take your medicine after you finish eating.” Tang Jingran checked his phone; it was almost ten o’clock. “I’ll head back now.”

“Wait,” Gong Yingxiao called out.

Tang Jingran stopped. “What is it?”

“I might… need someone to look after me tonight.”

As Gong Yingxiao spoke, he lowered his head slightly. His hair obscured his eyes, making his expression unreadable, leaving only his high bridge and his tightly pressed lips visible.

He actually looked a bit pitiful.

After saying it, he felt he was being too demanding and added considerately:

“But if it’s inconvenient for you, then never mind.”

Tang Jingran looked at the man’s pitiful state and felt a bit of a tug at his heartstrings. Perhaps people really are more fragile when they’re sick and need comfort.

Besides, this man had looked after him before; it was only right that he look after him in return.

“Then… sorry for the intrusion.”

In a place where the other couldn’t see, the corners of Gong Yingxiao’s mouth curled up slightly before quickly dropping back down.

“Not at all.”