The Protagonist in This Bad Ending (BE) Story Is Reborn [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

As if playing a deliberate game, Shang Linyi kept his eyes fixed on Yin She, his gaze brimming with a smile as soft and fluid as spring water.

His phoenix eyes already possessed a natural, soul-stirring depth, but after being blindfolded for so long, the corners of his eyes were flushed a faint red. Looking at Yin She like this, as if gazing upon a lover, Shang Linyi seemed to cast a spell. Under that bewitching stare, Yin She felt himself drawn in, taking step after step until he stood right in front of the youth. He tilted his head slightly, leaning in toward Shang Linyi’s lips.

Throughout this approach, Shang Linyi didn’t pull away. Yin She was ecstatic, his heart racing with the urge to bridge the final gap and claim those lips.

But when only a few millimeters remained between them, Shang Linyi’s lips curled into a smirk. He reached out and gave Yin She a firm shove.

Caught off guard, Yin She stumbled back two steps. Shang Linyi straightened his posture, his previous languor evaporating instantly. His eyes were now clear and piercing, and that familiar, frigid aura returned to him.

Looking at Yin She with a gaze devoid of desire, he asked curiously, “What is the meaning of this?”

Despite being pushed, Yin She wasn’t angry. On the contrary, Shang Linyi’s resistance only piqued his interest further. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and spread his hands wide in a seductive gesture. “How about you come with me?”

Shang Linyi arched an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled. “And what does that mean?”

Yin She patiently repeated himself. “Stay with me. I’ll make sure you reach the very top of the entertainment industry.”

He paused for a moment. Perhaps Shang Linyi didn’t quite realize who he was dealing with yet. Yin She cleared his throat, his face glowing with the smug satisfaction of a man used to getting his way. He was certain no one would refuse him once they heard his credentials.

“My name is Yin She—Yin, as in the Yin Wang corporation.” Fearing Shang Linyi might only recognize the name on a surface level, he added slowly, “I am also one of the main organizers of this gala.”

To host an event at the Gezi Auditorium, especially a custom-tailored one, required not just immense wealth but significant power. Money alone wasn’t enough; one needed a prominent family lineage spanning at least three generations. New money and “nouveau riche” types weren’t even allowed through the door.

Shang Linyi listened with remarkable patience before summarizing: “So, you want me to be your secret lover?”

Yin She’s heart skipped a beat. Meeting Shang Linyi’s dark, fathomless eyes, he felt he had a real chance. He misinterpreted the statement, thinking Shang Linyi simply disliked the “mistress” label.

Yin She smiled. “You don’t want to be a lover?”

His eyes remained fixed on Shang Linyi’s face, searching for any flicker of emotion. The more he looked at him, the harder it was to control his fascination.

The idea for this specific gala at the Gezi Auditorium had actually stemmed from a particular moment. When Shang Linyi first emerged as a rookie in the industry, he had turned heads immediately. He was so unique that his debut felt like a bomb dropping into the entertainment world. Rumor had it that every major capital player wanted to sign him. Everyone expected him to pick a top-tier agency, yet he chose none of them. He spent two years fighting his way through the industry alone.

Then, for reasons unknown, he finally signed with a company but it wasn’t a major player. It was a move that invited trouble; a small agency could never protect someone like him. He began receiving the strangest, most questionable gigs.

Yin She had first seen him when Shang Linyi was acting as a backup accompanist for one of Yin’s friends. Naturally, the focus was meant to be on the star, and the handsome accompanist was kept in the shadows. Yet Shang Linyi took every job offered without a hint of ego. People in the circle whispered that he was desperate for money or that his agency had lost its mind by letting a talent like him play second fiddle.

In that setting, wearing a simple white T-shirt and playing the cello with an icy, detached expression, Shang Linyi had stolen the show without even trying. Seeing him like that gave Yin She an idea: a stage surrounded by debauchery, with Shang Linyi performing at the center of it all.

******

Convinced that Shang Linyi was merely holding out for a better title, Yin She put on an indulgent expression. “Fine. If you don’t want to be a ‘lover,’ that’s fine too. On one condition…”

He dragged out the last word. Shang Linyi remained noncommittal, but his gaze drifted toward the doorway. A shadow had appeared there; someone was standing just outside. Shang Linyi felt a surge of satisfaction.

Yin She continued, “The condition is that you have to be obedient. You have to perform well.”

The shadow at the door vanished. The listener had gone.

Having achieved his desired effect, Shang Linyi began adjusting the cloth strip he had tied around his wrist, which made his skin look particularly pale and his wrist look strong. He moved to end the conversation decisively. “No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, President Yin.”

Rejected yet again, Yin She’s eyes followed Shang Linyi’s movements. He felt as though that cloth wasn’t tied around Shang Linyi’s wrist, but around the last of his own conscience.

A sudden sense of malicious playfulness seized him. He reached out and tugged at the end of the cloth, loosening the knot.

As the fabric hung loosely around Shang Linyi’s wrist, Yin She pulled back his hand and shrugged with absolute certainty. “One day, you’ll come looking for me yourself.”

With that parting shot, Yin She turned and left. He was confident he held the leash. If he had the means to get Shang Linyi to perform here today, he could make him bow his head tomorrow. When that time came, he would have Shang Linyi kneeling at his feet like a dog, licking his toes inch by inch.

******

As Yin She’s footsteps faded into the distance, 99 popped up again. It had heard the entire conversation, but its vocabulary was limited, and it struggled with human euphemisms like “come with me.”

Did “coming” with someone really offer that many benefits?

“Host,” it asked in confusion, “why did he say you’d become a top star just by going with him?”

Shang Linyi looked away, his voice flat. “He’s talking nonsense.”

He picked up the bag containing his original clothes and gave 99 a look. The system dutifully vanished back into his body.

He stepped out of the dressing room to begin the walk down the long corridor. The auditorium was mostly empty now, with only the dim, amber lights of the hallway casting a golden glow against the ornate walls.

At the far end of the corridor stood a figure. Perhaps the lights were too bright, or perhaps the person was standing directly against the glare, but Shang Linyi couldn’t quite make out their face.

To walk through this corridor to the very end meant someone would be there to take your hand.

He walked forward as if nothing were amiss, his long strides covering the distance quickly. Just as he was about to pass the figure, his wrist was grabbed or rather, the cloth strip on his wrist was seized.

The knot, already loosened by Yin She, gave way under this new person’s touch. The fabric now hung precariously over his hand, like a fraying lute string.

The stranger’s fingers wound the fabric around themselves before pulling back. The cloth had been transferred to a new owner.

Shang Linyi turned, acting as if he were noticing the person for the first time.

Yan Chen.

Yan Chen looked exactly the same as he did in his memories. He was exceptionally handsome; the kind of face people couldn’t help but look at twice. He looked like a finely polished blade, cold and sharp, and he was dressed, as always, in a flawless custom suit.

Yan Chen lowered his gaze and tied the cloth strip around his own wrist, as if completing a solemn hand-off.

“Shang Linyi,” Yan Chen said.

Shang Linyi felt a sudden, sharp pang in his heart. After decades, he was hearing Yan Chen call his name again.

Despite the internal turmoil, he kept his expression neutral. He crossed his arms like a casual observer and replied languidly, “Hmm?”

Yan Chen let out a faint smile. He lifted the wrist tied with the cloth and, right before Shang Linyi’s eyes, pressed a lingering, devoted kiss against the fabric.

“Shang Linyi, how about you come with me?” Yan Chen met his gaze, his voice heavy with sincerity.

Shang Linyi’s lips curved. He rested a hand on Yan Chen’s shoulder and slowly leaned down. As that handsome face was suddenly magnified inches from his own, Yan Chen felt a wave of dizziness. His heart hammered against his ribs, and the oxygen seemed to vanish from the air, making it difficult to breathe.

He held his breath, forcing down the heat rising to his face, and maintained eye contact with steady resolve.

Shang Linyi held the pose for five seconds before straightening up, a playful glint in his eyes. He flicked Yan Chen’s earring with a finger and said casually, “You are the 79th person to say that to me.”

Seventy-ninth? Who were the other seventy-eight? A surge of irritation rose from the depths of Yan Chen’s heart, quickly turning into a vast ocean of jealousy. His mind raced. Who else had been here?

He suddenly grabbed the hand that was touching his earlobe. “I’m not like them.”

Shang Linyi’s brow twitched. Yan Chen’s hand was cold. Following Shang Linyi’s gaze down to where he was gripping his wrist, Yan Chen startled, snapping back to his senses and pulling his hand away.

“I didn’t agree to the first seventy-eight. Why should I agree to you?” Shang Linyi gave a mocking smile. “To me, you’re no different from the rest.”

Yan Chen pursed his lips, realizing how rude he had been. Who starts a conversation like that?

“I’m sorry,” Yan Chen explained. “But I really am different from them.”

Indeed, you are different, Shang Linyi thought. They just want to sleep with me; you want to turn me into a substitute.

He had learned this lesson the hard way in his past life. It had been right here, at this exact moment, in this very auditorium, that Yan Chen had asked him to be together. Back then, Shang Linyi had been so hounded by people like Yin She that when another wealthy fool offered to “support” him—and a good-looking one at that. He had simply agreed.

He hadn’t expected that he would fall more in love the longer they stayed together. And just when he loved Yan Chen most, that “White Moonlight” had suddenly appeared.

To deal with someone who has a first love tucked away in their heart, you have to keep them on the hook. You have to make them realize that pursuing you is actually quite difficult.

You have to be unpredictable.

Shang Linyi gave a soft “hmm,” a subtle hint for Yan Chen to continue.

Yan Chen went on, “As rude as it was to start like that, I’ve actually wanted to be with you for a very long time, Mr. Shang.”

I’m not like those who just want to play with you. I am coming to you with genuine feelings.

A trace of arrogance appeared on Shang Linyi’s face. Yan Chen heard him say with total self-assurance, “Yan Chen, I have no shortage of admirers. If I had to be with everyone who wanted me, my list of scandals would be a mile long.”

He spoke with a flamboyant pride. In many ways, Shang Linyi’s looks were top-tier even by entertainment industry standards. Combined with his immense talent and the fact that he was still a student at a premier university set to graduate this June, he naturally attracted a massive following.

“Mr. Shang, please consider me. I won’t let you down.”

Won’t let me down? Shang Linyi scoffed internally. In my last life, you were the one who disappointed me most.

He arched an eyebrow and said noncommittally, “The next time we meet, let me see your sincerity.”

His gaze drifted down to Yan Chen’s wrist. The cloth wrapped there overlapped with flashes from his previous life—a large bed, clothes scattered on the floor, and two people tangled together.

Yan Chen’s hands had also been bound by a cloth strip then. The room had been stiflingly hot.

Shang Linyi pulled himself back from the memory. Mimicking Yin She’s earlier action, he caught the other end of the cloth and gave it a sharp tug.

Yan Chen felt his heart tugged along with it. It didn’t hurt, but it left him feeling hopelessly captivated.

“Consider it a gift. Don’t mention it.”

Shang Linyi took a half-step back and walked away in the opposite direction.

To handle Yan Chen, this was the only way. This was a strategy Shang Linyi had carefully calculated. He refused to lose the upper hand in their “game” this time. He intended to be the one in control.

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