Ch.80 – The Star Around The Sun

The day Xia Xingcheng had a commercial shoot for an endorsement, Huang Jixin came and picked him up with his car.  

Huang Jixin didn’t go upstairs and parked his car in the underground garage.

When Xia Xingcheng opened the door of the back seat and got into the car, there was still some discomfort in his heart and he coldly ignored Huang Jixin, not saying a single word.

Huang Jixin looked at him from the rearview mirror and suddenly spoke up, “I’m sorry.” 

Hearing him apologize so solemnly though, Xia Xingcheng was at a complete loss. He turned to look out the window and quietly muttered, “It’s fine.” If he thought about it carefully, Huang Jixin didn’t do anything wrong either. 

Huang Jixin turned the steering wheel and steered the car out of the garage as he said, “Not angry anymore, are you?” 

Wearing a particularly puffy, short down jacket with his hands in his pockets, Xia Xingcheng resembled a round duck toy displayed at a store. He said, “What’s there to be angry about.”

Huang Jixin laughed, “That’s good then, look at me working hard for you every day, I have a few more grey hairs.” 

Hearing this, Xia Xingcheng shot a glance at Huang Jixin’s hair. He could see that there were indeed several grey hairs interspersed in the area near the back of his head. He knew that Huang Jixin had gone through a lot of hardships throughout the years since he debuted, and it also took more than a year of work until things took a turn for the better that Cai Meiting finally paid a little attention to him. Prior to that, Huang Jixin was constantly on the move and strived to get him anything he could get his hands on. The relationship between them has long surpassed a simple ‘workplace colleagues’.

So he softened up and said, “You’ve worked hard.”

Huang Jixin saw that Xia Xingcheng couldn’t be coerced, so he changed his tactics and tried to pacify him, “Look how hard your ge has worked, won’t you listen to a few words of advice?”

Xia Xingcheng knew what he wanted to say. He wasn’t too willing yet still said, “Go on.”

Huang Jixin said, “If you insist on living with Yang Youming, then I can’t make you budge, but you have to remember not to go in and out with him. If you go out or I come to pick you up and you get photographed, we can say that you bought a new house, no one can check your property anyway, but if you get photographed coming and going with him, it won’t be so easy to explain.”

Xia Xingcheng said, “I know.” 

“Xia Xingcheng.” Huang Jixin glanced at him from the rearview mirror, his voice sinking, “It’s not about whether or not you know, it’s whether this sunk in.”

Xia Xingcheng looked at him, and this time he was silent for a moment before saying, “It has, I promise you.”

Huang Jixin added, “And as I said before, it can’t be revealed. I don’t just mean to the media and the public, but your family and friends and Yang Youming’s family and friends too.” 

Xia Xingcheng suddenly recalled Chen Hailan, but nevertheless he said, “Okay.”

Although Huang Jixin heard this promise, he still felt uneasy and let out a heavy sigh. “If you really feel that your own career isn’t important to you, then there’s nothing I can do. As your agent though, I still have to remind you—if something bad really happens in the future, at least I don’t owe you anything.”

From the back seat, Xia Xingcheng stared at his lonely side-profile and the few strands of grey hair and was suddenly overcome with a little bit of guilt, so he said, “I promise! I swear to you! Is that good enough?” 

It was only then that Huang Jixin said, “All right, I believe you.” 

The commercial shooting location was in a studio on the outskirts of the city. The contract was signed minutely then and there. That day’s filming was a very heavy task, and it was expected to take a whole day. 

After Huang Jixin sent Xia Xingcheng off, he said he had other things to attend to and needed to leave for a while. He told Xia Xingcheng to call him if anything happened and that he would come back to pick him up in the afternoon.

In fact, after dropping Xia Xingcheng off, Huang Jixin still needed to go back and pick up Yang Youming. Today, he deliberately took advantage of the fact that Xia Xingcheng had a shoot—he passed on a message and helped Cai Meiting invite Yang Youming to lunch. 

This was the first time Huang Jixin was alone with Yang Youming. From the instant Yang Youming got into the back seat of the car, he immediately felt a sense of oppression. 

Yang Youming was actually very polite to Huang Jixin; his speaking voice always carried a gentle courtesy, but when the two of them were alone in the car, Huang Jixin felt as if he had been alienated by Yang Youming; the man would barely chat with him at all.

As for that sense of oppression, Huang Jixin thought it might be the impression Yang Youming left on him right from the beginning. Up until now, he still clearly remembers the time Xia Xingcheng slapped Yang Youming’s face and Cai Meiting personally showing up to invite Yang Youming to dinner the very same night. Yang Youming was just like this—gentle and polite, yet cold and tough underneath. 

Huang Jixin suddenly wondered why Yang Youming would like Xia Xingcheng. He had filmed with so many outstanding and beautiful actors and actresses before, and he even got married to a rare beauty like Yuan Qian. In comparison, Xia Xingcheng wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. 

There were traffic jams along the way. Huang Jixin rushed to get there at the agreed time and parked the car in front of the restaurant. As he got out of the car to help Yang Youming open his door, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. He opened his mouth and asked, “Ming ge, will you not be able to make a movie now?”

Yang Youming looked over at him and didn’t answer the question, opening the door himself and getting out of the car. 

Huang Jixin tossed the keys to the server at the entrance of the restaurant to park the car and accompanied Yang Youming inside. He still wanted to say something, but in the end nothing came out; he had already caught sight of Cai Meiting coming out of the private room to greet the other man in person, so he could only give up.

When Cai Meiting and Yang Youming sat down in the private room, Huang Jixin also stayed.

He helped take Yang Youming’s jacket before the waiter and heard Yang Youming thank him.

Two cups of fine herbal tea had been placed on the table, but neither Cai Meiting nor Yang Youming moved their chopsticks and chatted about their families instead. 

Huang Jixin sat to the side and naturally couldn’t interrupt.

Later, he heard Cai Meiting ask, “I heard that Xingcheng moved in with you, it must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?” 

Yang Youming only replied, “Luckily he’s very obedient.”

Cai Meiting nodded, “He’s a good boy, just a little arrogant and willful. His parents had him quite late, and he also has an older brother. Their age difference is pretty big. He’s been spoiled since he was a child.” 

Yang Youming asked, “Is his brother much older than him?” 

Cai Meiting chuckled, “He didn’t mention it to you?” 

Yang Youming said, “I only know that he has a brother.” 

Cai Meiting laughed and said, “He said he was ten years older. His parents didn’t want him until they were well into their thirties.”

Yang Youming gave a slight nod.

Cai Meiting continued, “He’s actually more innocent than he seems, entering this industry can be considered an accident.”

Yang Youming suddenly let out a soft laugh, “I know.” 

Huang Jixin looked at the other man’s eyes and felt as if they were both lackluster and yet seemingly gentle at the same time.

“So that’s how people are,” Cai Meiting couldn’t help lighting herself a cigarette so that she could face Yang Youming in a more relaxed manner, “Life is too easy, just make a scene and you’ll get sweets, so long as you want it, you have to go fight for it, regardless of the consequences.” 

Yang Youming watched her and calmly listened to her speak.

Cai Meiting held the cigarette between her fingers near her mouth. The corners of her mouth rose. She said, “You see, you just fed him sweets.” 

There were many things that Huang Jixin wanted to say to Yang Youming but couldn’t, and now that they were coming out of Cai Meiting’s mouth, it felt like he had just heaved a sigh of relief.

Yet right then, the phone on Huang Jixin’s body rang ill-timedly. He practically wanted to hang up straight away but he took it out and found that it was a call from Xia Xingcheng. 

Seeing that Cai Meiting and Yang Youming were both staring at him, he could only say, “Xingcheng called, I’ll ask him what happened.” He got up and walked out of the private room as he answered the call. 

Xia Xingcheng’s side and the other party’s side had a small disagreement over the contract, and he asked Huang Jixin to go over there now.

“Now?” Huang Jixin glanced at the closed door of the private room.

Xia Xingcheng heard the hesitation in his tone and questioned him, “What are you doing?” 

Huang Jixin had no way out and could only say, “It’s nothing, I’ll be right over.” 

With that, he hung up and returned to the private room, walking over to Cai Meiting’s side and saying, “Chief Cai, there’s a small situation at Xingcheng’s, I’m going over there now.” 

Cai Meiting replied, “Go ahead, I’ll arrange for someone else to come here later.” 

Huang Jixin nodded and greeted Yang Youming again, “Ming ge, I’m leaving first.”

Yang Youming said, “Alright.”

Huang Jixin put his phone back in his pants and walked to the clothes hook on the wall to retrieve his jacket. 

He heard Cai Meiting say, “Xingcheng isn’t sensible. You and I both know this, but you should know better than anyone else what will happen if this continues. Why do you have to spoil him? Let him cry enough and not have any sweets, he’ll know to give up.” 

Huang Jixin could have walked out after getting his clothes, but he deliberately slowed down his pace and put his jacket on in the private room before slowly making his way to the door.

Yang Youming didn’t speak until Huang Jixin opened the door and went out. Just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly heard his deep voice say, “Because it hurts me to see him cry.”

The door closed softly, completely blocking out the sounds inside and outside. Huang Jixin stood in place for a long time because of Yang Youming’s last words. Taking a deep breath, he raised his foot and made his way forwards. 

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⟵ Chapter 79 | TOC | Chapter 81 ⟶