The Scum Gong Refuses the Crematorium [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 25

The floor bed, of course, did not happen.

Lu Mingyue’s bed was very large; it was no problem for two people to sleep there. He wasn’t so poor that he would make Sheng Yan sleep on the floor.

One bed, two blankets. They didn’t bother each other.

It was just a bit awkward when they woke up in the morning. After all, they were both normal men, and some natural physical reactions were bound to happen.

But the awkwardness only lasted a moment. As they woke up fully, it passed quickly. Both acted as if nothing had happened.

Lu Mingyue had told Sheng Yan that he was setting up a rock music company, and he wasn’t lying. A few days later, he took Sheng Yan and the others to the office he had prepared for them.

“It’s still being renovated, so the smell isn’t great.” Lu Mingyue handed his handkerchief to Sheng Yan to cover his nose, while he used his own hand to cover his. He led them through the building. “If you have any suggestions, please feel free to ask.”

“Wow, wow, wow!”

Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai walked through the five-story building. They were so amazed they couldn’t find any other words to say.

A company! A real company! A whole five-story building!

It was located in the center of Jinghai City, where land is extremely expensive. Once the rock company’s logo was put up, everyone passing by would see it. If they were lucky, they wouldn’t even need to spend money on advertising.

Plus, their boss was so nice. Even while the office was still being renovated, he brought them here to ask for their input.

They said they wanted a soundproof recording studio.

Done!

They said they wanted a cool-looking lounge.

Done!

They said they wanted a quiet place to find inspiration.

Done!

Everything was prioritized according to their needs, with no concern for the cost. The feeling of being able to get whatever they wanted with money made the two of them very happy.

While Lu Mingyue went to talk to the designer, the two of them found Sheng Yan and asked suspiciously, “Brother Sheng, are you sure Mr. Lu doesn’t have feelings for you?”

Away from the construction noise, Sheng Yan was drinking a bottle of water. He put the bottle down and asked, “Why?”

“It feels like Mr. Lu treats you very differently. Even in a real marriage, people aren’t usually this careful, let alone a contract marriage,” Zheng Ke said, hitting the mark.

Even though the three of them came together, Lu Mingyue always noticed Sheng Yan.

He gave him his handkerchief. He warned him to watch out for debris on the floor. When asking for opinions, he instinctively looked at Sheng Yan first. Only after seeing that Sheng Yan had no objections would he look at the others.

These details showed that Lu Mingyue’s feelings for Sheng Yan were special. It made a song pop into Zheng Ke’s head: If This Isn’t Love.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zhong Nai nodded. “For a normal relationship, who would spend this much money on us?”

He had overheard that Lu Mingyue didn’t just rent this building; he bought it. Including the renovation and equipment, the value had to be at least nine figures.

Given how rock music is struggling these days, how many shows would they have to play to earn that back? But Lu Mingyue didn’t seem to care about that at all. Whatever they asked for, he agreed.

Zhong Nai thought to himself that if it were just a contract partner, he wouldn’t be willing to give so much without expecting anything in return.

The only conclusion was that Lu Mingyue had special feelings for Sheng Yan. This marriage wasn’t just a simple “contract” like Sheng Yan said.

“Is that so?” Hearing this, Sheng Yan looked over at Lu Mingyue, who was talking to the designer.

Actually, he felt it a little bit too.

This marriage felt strange from the start. With Lu Mingyue’s status, he could find anyone. Why did it have to be him?

And the decorations in Lu Mingyue’s house felt like they were made specifically for him. Sheng Yan was a very cold person in his mission worlds; he never told anyone his true likes. But Lu Mingyue’s home was very similar to his real home.

“It definitely is!” the two said loudly at the same time. There’s a saying: Love and a cough cannot be hidden. Lu Mingyue’s feelings for Sheng Yan were so obvious he might as well have used a megaphone.

“What definitely is?” Their voices were a bit loud, and Lu Mingyue heard them. He turned around and asked.

Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai didn’t dare answer. After all, they were just guessing. What if they were wrong? They shook their heads quickly. “Nothing.”

Lu Mingyue didn’t ask again. After talking to the designer for a bit longer, he walked over. “You’ve seen the company and have no problems, right? Now, shall we sign the contracts?”

“Sure,” the three of them agreed.

They found a quiet coffee shop. They read the contracts carefully. To make sure they were comfortable, Lu Mingyue even brought two lawyers to explain everything.

Once every point was clear, he asked, “Any more questions?”

Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai shook their heads. But Sheng Yan tapped his pen on the contract and asked, “The terms you’re giving us are very generous. Are you sure you won’t lose money?”

“I won’t,” Lu Mingyue smiled. He sent them a list of invitations on his phone. “These are various business events my other companies are planning. They all need rock bands to set the mood. Signing you will bring me profit, not loss.”

“Besides, we will later get into live streaming, merchandise, ticket sales, and your music copyrights. I was actually worried the terms weren’t good enough and you wouldn’t want to sign with me.”

Ah. As expected of a boss. His words were so smooth and comforting. Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai were immediately convinced. They looked at the invitations. There were three or four hundred of them! Even if they did one show a day, they couldn’t finish them all.

The two looked at each other, then looked at Sheng Yan.

“Lu Mingyue,” Sheng Yan called his full name.

“Yes?” Lu Mingyue looked at him.

Sheng Yan met his eyes. “I’m thirsty.”

“What do you want to drink? I’ll call the waiter over.” Lu Mingyue didn’t expect him to say that. He reached out to call for service.

“I don’t want coffee.” Sheng Yan pushed the coffee away and looked at the vending machine outside. “I want a drink from there.”

“Okay, I’ll go buy it.” Lu Mingyue followed his gaze, saw the machine, and immediately stood up to walk outside.

“Wow, Brother Sheng!” Once Lu Mingyue was out of sight, Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai gave Sheng Yan a thumbs up.

They wouldn’t dare ask Mr. Lu to buy them a drink, but their Brother Sheng was cool enough to give him orders directly. Truly, the one who is loved has nothing to fear.

A short while later, Lu Mingyue came back with many different drinks, filling the table.

He said to Sheng Yan, “I forgot to ask what flavor you wanted, so I bought one of each. Pick one you like.”

Sheng Yan took a jasmine tea. “I like this one.”

“Um…” Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai looked on timidly. “Can we have one too?”

Lu Mingyue nodded. “Yes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lu!” The two took their favorite flavors and even gave drinks to the lawyers. While doing so, they kept winking at Sheng Yan.

See? Mr. Lu is so thoughtful toward you.

Sheng Yan ignored them. He took a few sips of his tea and, finally satisfied, said, “Let’s sign.”

Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai quickly signed their names on the contracts.

After signing, Sheng Yan handed the three contracts to Lu Mingyue. “Mr. Lu, are you happy now?”

“Hmm?” Lu Mingyue didn’t understand.

Sheng Yan looked at him. “My family life and my career are both in your hands now. I can’t escape you. Are you still not satisfied?”

Lu Mingyue felt his heart beat faster under that gaze.

After sending Zheng Ke and Zhong Nai away, the two sat in the car on the way back to the Lu house. Lu Mingyue still felt uneasy.

Sitting in the back seat, he said to Sheng Yan, “Sheng Yan, I didn’t mean to ‘control’ you.”

He thought he should explain. He really didn’t want to control Sheng Yan’s life. He just felt that instead of watching Sheng Yan wait for a chance at another company, it was better to create everything for them himself.

He had plenty of money and connections. They didn’t need to fight for resources or wait for a lucky break. They could create their own opportunities. Why not take the shortcut?

Sheng Yan hadn’t finished his tea. He replied simply, “Mhm.”

He didn’t look up, so Lu Mingyue couldn’t see his face. He didn’t know if Sheng Yan believed him.

Lu Mingyue added, “If I ever make you feel uncomfortable, just say so. I won’t make things hard for you.”

Lu Mingyue concluded that maybe he was just older and liked to plan things too much. Maybe he couldn’t keep up with the fast-thinking of young people. They were young and full of energy; maybe they liked to struggle and fight for their dreams, even if they got hurt. Because that was their youth.

Youth.

Lu Mingyue smiled bitterly at the word. His own youth had ended before it truly began. Since then, he had walked forward numbly, holding onto a hope that might not even be real. Until that person appeared again.

“Lu Mingyue,” Sheng Yan suddenly called out.

“Yes?” Lu Mingyue answered.

“You like me, don’t you?” Sheng Yan looked up. His long hair was neat, and his eyes—which looked calm but were actually quite cold—stared at Lu Mingyue with certainty.

Sheng Yan didn’t know where Lu Mingyue’s feelings came from, but after living through many worlds, he wasn’t a fool. He could see it clearly.

If building a company for him and caring for his every need wasn’t “liking” someone, what was? So, Lu Mingyue liked him. There was no doubt.

“I don’t.”

Meeting Sheng Yan’s eyes, which seemed to see through everything, Lu Mingyue heard his own heart screaming.

Yes. He liked Sheng Yan. He had liked him twenty years ago. After twenty years of sinking into that feeling, seeing him again, he still couldn’t help but love him.

But he forced himself to stay controlled. What would admitting it change? Time had passed. He was no longer the brave young man he used to be. The current Lu Mingyue was older.

Facing the bright and lively Sheng Yan, he could only watch from where he stood. He couldn’t walk beside him and share that youth. So, stopping here was enough.

Lu Mingyue touched the prayer beads on his wrist again, suppressing his desire. Being able to meet and talk like this was already good enough. He didn’t dare ask for more.

“Is that so?” Seeing that he wouldn’t admit it, Sheng Yan smiled and didn’t say anything else.

With plenty of money, the company was set up very quickly. In less than a month, the renovation was almost done.

Sheng Yan and Zheng Ke bought some plants to put inside to help clear the air. Their band wasn’t idle, either. Lu Mingyue had sent them so many invitations. They picked some shows around Jinghai to play, so they could build some connections before the company officially opened.

It turned out that the three of them were quite good-looking, and each had a unique style.

Zheng Ke was funny and flashy.

Zhong Nai was serious.

Sheng Yan was both beautiful and cool, with his eye-catching long hair.

Whenever they appeared on stage, they quickly caught people’s attention. Plus, their rock music was great at getting people excited. As soon as the music started, the crowd couldn’t help but dance.

In this age of short videos, some people in the audience recorded their solos and posted them online. The views were very high.

Because they became popular, some video platforms asked to sign them. But since they already had a company, the platforms instead invited them to be regular streamers.

Sheng Yan and the others didn’t refuse. After talking with the manager Lu Mingyue hired, they decided to stream on the most popular platform. Monday to Friday, from 8 PM to midnight. Four hours a day, which they treated as daily practice. At other times, they either did shows or discussed how to make the band famous.

One day, Lu Mingyue finished work early. He wanted to take a shower before going down for dinner.

He pushed the door open and saw Sheng Yan walking out of the bathroom, wearing only boxers and still wet from the shower.

It had been about three months since they last saw each other properly. In those three months, Sheng Yan was always out for shows, and Lu Mingyue was busy with work. They almost never saw each other. Even when they were both home, Sheng Yan was usually already asleep by the time Lu Mingyue finished his work.

Lu Mingyue had actually been looking for a chance to tell Sheng Yan that he would move to the guest room and let Sheng Yan have this room.

But then, the man appeared right in front of him. Unlike last time, he wasn’t even wearing a towel. The impact was much stronger. Sheng Yan was completely exposed.

He was tall and beautiful, with smooth muscles and very fair skin. Lu Mingyue felt his blood rush to his head.

However, Sheng Yan acted as if it was nothing. He just nodded calmly. “You’re back.” Then he walked past Lu Mingyue and wandered around the room without putting on clothes.

Lu Mingyue’s breath hitched. His heart beat so hard his ears turned red. He tried many times to calm himself down before asking, “What are you doing?”

“Looking for an earring.” Sheng Yan showed Lu Mingyue the earrings he had found from bookshelves and drawers.

He liked to leave his things wherever he wanted and didn’t want anyone to put them all in one place. He had told the housekeeper, so the servants were careful when cleaning the room. Having lived in Lu Mingyue’s room for a few months, his things were now everywhere. He liked this feeling of “fullness.”

“Are you going to wear one?” Lu Mingyue’s throat felt dry. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help being attracted to him.

“Yeah,” Sheng Yan said, looking at the earrings. “Tonight is our streaming debut. Manager Zhang said I should wear something eye-catching.”

Manager Zhang was the rock manager Lu Mingyue found for them. She was very good at her job, and they all listened to her.

“Why don’t you pick a pair for me?” Sheng Yan wasn’t satisfied with the ones he found, so he asked Lu Mingyue.

“Okay,” Lu Mingyue said. It was like he was under a spell; his mouth agreed before his brain could react.

He walked over to Sheng Yan with difficulty. Standing in front of Sheng Yan’s warm, damp body, he tried his best not to look at him and focused only on the earrings.

They were mostly small diamonds. The larger ones were too heavy. None of them felt right for Sheng Yan.

“How about a hanging earring?” Lu Mingyue suggested. He felt Sheng Yan was beautiful but a bit too “cold” or “plain” in his expression. A bright hanging earring would change his whole look.

Sheng Yan didn’t refuse. “Okay.”

Lu Mingyue called the housekeeper. Soon, a jeweler arrived with a collection of earrings. Among them, Lu Mingyue immediately liked a ruby earring.

He picked it up. “Try this one?”

“Okay.” Sheng Yan tilted his head and offered his left ear, signaling for Lu Mingyue to put it on for him.

Lu Mingyue was going to hand it to him, but since Sheng Yan offered his ear, he had no choice. He moved the wet hair away from Sheng Yan’s ear. With a slightly shaking hand, he pushed the earring through the small hole. The ruby rested against his ear and neck.

The red was redder, and the white skin was whiter. Sheng Yan was already beautiful, but with this, his cold face suddenly looked like a rose blooming on an iceberg. He was incredibly beautiful.

Sheng Yan took a mirror and shook the earring. “Not bad. This is the one.”

Now that the earring was on and he was dry, Sheng Yan wiped his hair and started putting on his stage outfit piece by piece.

Lu Mingyue swallowed hard and looked away. He felt guilty. He felt like Sheng Yan was teasing him just by getting dressed. In that moment, all the prayers and scriptures he had ever read were forgotten.

Luckily, he controlled himself in time and didn’t act embarrassed in front of Sheng Yan.

“Okay, I’m going.” Sheng Yan finished dressing, checked the time on his phone, and didn’t pay much attention to Lu Mingyue. He said goodbye and left.

“Mhm,” Lu Mingyue replied. But the moment the door closed, he let out a huge breath. His face was red as if he had just stepped out of a sauna. He slowly took off his damp clothes and went into the bathroom to wash away the heat with a shower.

That night, their first live stream was a huge success.

Manager Zhang had hired a styling team for them. All three were good-looking, and with professional styling, they were stunning. Especially the combination of Sheng Yan’s long hair and the ruby earring. As he played the drums, the earring flashed under the lights. No one could look away.

Before the stream was even halfway through, they were trending on social media: #LongHairRubyEarringRockBeauty.

The topic reached the top ten trending list. The viewers in the room grew toward a million. But Manager Zhang felt that as a new team, they shouldn’t be too flashy too soon, so she had the trending topic removed.

Without the trend, the numbers dropped, but they stayed around 100,000 viewers. For a new team, that was excellent.

If Sheng Yan had talked more, the numbers might have been higher. But Sheng Yan only said a few words like “Mhm,” “Ah,” and “Oh.” Many people who came to see the “beauty” left because they didn’t want to wait for his drum solos or for him to speak.

Manager Zhang wasn’t upset. This was better. A team shouldn’t rely on just one person. If Sheng Yan did everything, the three friends might eventually have problems. For a team to last, everyone needs to do their part. They shouldn’t just do whatever the audience wants.

They streamed for an extra thirty minutes as a gift to their fans.

“Good job,” Manager Zhang said, handing them special tea for their throats.

“This tea is great. How did you get it?” Zheng Ke asked.

Manager Zhang pointed to Lu Mingyue, who had been waiting for a long time. “Mr. Lu bought it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lu!” everyone said.

Lu Mingyue smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“Here to pick me up?” Sheng Yan asked directly.

“Yes,” Lu Mingyue nodded. “Will you come with me?”

“I will.” Whether as a partner or an employee, Sheng Yan had no reason to say no.

As they sat in the car, Sheng Yan’s phone buzzed. He took it out to check.

Lu Mingyue knew Sheng Yan didn’t have many friends and rarely got messages late at night. He asked, “Is it for work?”

“No,” Sheng Yan didn’t hide it. “It’s Xie Qingyao. He finished the painting of me. He asked if I want to go see it.”

Lu Mingyue’s hand on the steering wheel tapped slightly. “Are you going?”

Sheng Yan leaned back in his seat. “I suppose. We grew up together, and he saved my life. It would be cold of me if I didn’t even look at a painting he made for me.”

Lu Mingyue’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Support