“Second Brother Jin—!”
“Little Brother Jian—!”
The two of them threw themselves into a big hug, then quickly separated.
Jin Yi grimaced in disgust.
“Hugging a guy really does feel kind of weird.”
Jian Feiyang nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, yeah. Super weird.”
Kinda… gay-gay!
“But seriously, why did you run off to the entertainment industry?”
Jin Yi stared at him in amazement. “That old fossil Jian Feishuo actually agreed to this? I thought he was the type who’d break your legs if you even thought about entering this circle!”
Direct hit.
Fan Qing sighed softly.
Jian Feiyang’s previously bright little face instantly wilted.
Jin Yi perked up. Oh? He nailed it?
“Wait, what—your brother really wanted to break your legs?”
Excited!
Intrigued!
Wants to see!
The other three people all stared at Jin Yi’s completely unrestrained expression and fell into a strange silence together.
Only Jin Yi kept chattering away.
“Hey, Little Brother Jian, why aren’t you talking? Tell Second Brother Jin what’s going on—maybe I can even help you!”
If only you’d rein in that watching-a-show look in your eyes.
That exact thought flashed through both Fan Qing’s and Nie Luo’s minds.
Jian Feiyang scratched his head and shook it.
“Well… it’s not like he actually said he’d break my legs. And lately he seems to be able to talk things through properly again, so it probably won’t trouble you, Second Brother Jin.”
If it does trouble anyone, it’ll be A-Qing!
Jian Feiyang sneaked a glance at Fan Qing.
If those two were allowed to keep going, the topic would completely derail beyond recovery.
Fan Qing casually ruffled Jian Feiyang’s hair, signaling him to behave.
Jian Feiyang immediately went quiet and started eating obediently.
He even only dared to eat the dishes Fan Qing pointed out.
Damn—
How should one put this? This guy seems kind of good at training dogs—no, wait!
Training people?
If Nie Luo really has a breakthrough someday and reaches this level, would he even be able to handle it?
Watching this, Jin Yi couldn’t help glancing at Nie Luo’s expression.
That glance made him freeze.
Wait—
Nie Luo, what is that look?
And where exactly are your eyes focused?
They were on Fan Qing’s fingers.
Nie Luo didn’t know why. It was just a seemingly casual movement from Fan Qing, yet his eyes were inexplicably drawn to that hand, unable to look away.
So he hadn’t remembered wrong.
Nie Luo thought.
That hand felt just like its owner.
Very distinctive.
An odd quiet settled over the table.
Jian Feiyang was burying his head in food, Jin Yi was fidgeting restlessly.
Nie Luo’s face looked cold and calm as ever, but his eyes followed Fan Qing’s hand as if entranced.
He had bet right.
Once Fan Qing realized the reason behind all these subtle changes, he nearly laughed out loud inside.
He admitted that helping Nie Luo back then had been a gamble.
He’d even selfishly used quite a few techniques he normally reserved for pleasing himself.
What he hadn’t expected was that Nie Luo was even more innocent than he’d imagined.
Which meant—
There was room to maneuver.
“Brother Nie.”
Fan Qing finally spoke, breaking the stillness.
As much as he liked the way Nie Luo’s gaze lingered on him, what he wanted wasn’t fleeting pleasure.
What he wanted was Nie Luo’s wholehearted devotion.
So he had to shatter this moment of ambiguity.
What a pity.
Truly a pity.
Sighing with regret in his heart, Fan Qing’s eyes were nonetheless clear and cool, like spring water.
“I still haven’t properly thanked Brother Nie and Young Master Jin for gracing us with your presence. Since your time is valuable, I’ll get straight to the point.”
He’s calling him Second Young Master Jin?
This kid really knows how to conduct himself.
Jin Yi thought.
Nie Luo said nothing, only gave a slight nod.
“You should already know our purpose.”
“Of course.”
Fan Qing glanced around, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
“Choosing a place like this to eat means no media will ever think Brother Nie and I have any kind of ‘private relationship.’”
Jin Yi shot Nie Luo a smug look.
See?
Told you this idea of mine wasn’t bad.
“But—”
Fan Qing quickly let the smile fade.
“Brother Nie should also know that this incident is only the beginning.”
Nie Luo’s handsome, almost godlike face remained impassive, betraying no emotion at all.
As expected of a top-tier actor—his control over his expressions was genuinely impressive.
Fan Qing praised him inwardly, and the desire in his heart only intensified.
“So what do you mean, this is only the beginning?”
Jin Yi couldn’t help cutting in from the side.
Honestly—he didn’t get it at all.
There were four people at the table, after all. Don’t just have a two-person conversation!
Fan Qing looked toward Nie Luo.
Nie Luo neither responded nor stopped him.
Taking that as tacit approval, Fan Qing immediately smiled lightly at Jin Yi and explained.
At the same time, a quick note flashed through his mind—Jin Yi really does seem to have a close personal relationship with Nie Luo. That could be a useful entry point.
“It’s simple. This incident was a deliberate move by someone targeting both me and Brother Nie.”
“Targeting both of you?”
Jin Yi couldn’t hide the confusion in his voice.
If someone was going after both of them at once, didn’t that mean they thought Nie Luo and Fan Qing were involved with each other?
Nie Luo finally spoke.
“You know who it is?”
The moment he opened his mouth, a faint flush crept up Fan Qing’s ears.
Damn it. This man really was exactly his type. Even his normal speaking voice made him—
Want to keep him all to himself.
He wants him more and more.
Suppressing the desire in his chest, Fan Qing nodded calmly.
“I do. And it’s someone Brother Nie knows. Jian Feiyang knows him too.”
Nie Luo’s thick, swordlike brows drew together as he spoke coldly.
“The agent?”
“What—?!”
Jin Yi blurted out in shock, then immediately shut up again.
Jian Feiyang also slowly lifted his head from his bowl. What… what’s going on?
He really had guessed it.
Fan Qing gave a quiet, approving sound, but shook his head.
“Not entirely.”
He paused slightly, a mocking expression gradually appearing on his face.
“Or rather, he still doesn’t know that he’s nothing more than someone else’s chess piece.”
“You mean…”
Nie Luo quickly picked up on the deeper implication.
“It’s Jing Yuan.”
“Brother Nie really is sharp.”
Fan Qing nodded.
Ignoring the praise, Nie Luo rapidly connected the dots.
“So that means when you became my assistant before, he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes?”
“It’s not that simple.”
Fan Qing spoke with pointed meaning.
“Brother Nie, have you ever thought about why Jing Yuan barged straight into your dressing room with people back then?”
Nie Luo’s expression turned icy.
Clearly, he remembered that ‘accident.’
In his low, magnetic voice, storm clouds gathered as he said coldly,
“You’re saying…”
Fan Qing tapped the table lightly with his knuckles.
“If something had really happened to you back then, Brother Nie, then that audition…”
He leaned slightly toward Nie Luo. “Who do you think would have been most likely to get the role?”
Jing Yuan.
Without question.
The storm in Nie Luo’s eyes intensified.
Not enough.
Still not enough.
Fan Qing leaned in even closer, his clear voice soft, each word sounding like a demon tempting the heart.
“And has Brother Nie ever wondered why, when you were clearly going to audition, your agent still sent Jing Yuan as well?”
Because the agent had already grown dissatisfied with him.
The thought flashed through Nie Luo’s mind—until he suddenly sensed a warm breath brushing lightly past the tip of his nose, snapping him back to reality.
Too close.
Only then did Nie Luo realize—
Fan Qing was standing far too close.
Caught.
Fan Qing concealed the regret in his eyes and casually leaned back into his seat.
“Whatever conflict exists between you and your agent, one thing is certain—the agent has already become completely Jing Yuan’s pawn. And if Jing Yuan wants to climb higher, we’re all obstacles in his way.”
As he spoke, he ruffled Jian Feiyang’s hair like one would a dog, his gaze turning cool.
“Not just you and me. Jian Feiyang too.”
Didn’t understand.
But as long as A-Qing understands, that’s all that matters.
The food is really good!
Jian Feiyang showed no reaction at all to being ruffled, quietly continuing to eat.
Nie Luo steadied himself, his eyes returning to calm.
“It’s not just that. He and the agent also tried to take variety show opportunities from me before—projects I didn’t want. Unfortunately for them, I noticed…”
Before he could finish, he saw from Fan Qing’s unsurprised expression that something clicked.
“You already knew.”
As sharp as ever.
Though when it comes to physical closeness, he seems a bit slow?
That might be an opening.
Thinking this, Fan Qing nodded calmly.
“Of course. After that, the matter also became connected to us to some extent.”
He briefly explained how, after suspecting Jing Yuan, he got in touch with Jian Feishuo and the cooperation that followed.
Damn—!
Listening from the side, Jin Yi quietly leaned back, trying to shrink his presence.
No, seriously—this Fan Qing, the more you think about him, the scarier he seems.
Granted, he knew exactly how difficult Jian Feishuo was to deal with, but Fan Qing actually managed to persuade him?
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Yeah, no. He’s not in the same league as these people.
Better to follow Little Brother Jian’s example and just eat quietly.
Jin Yi sorted himself out and cast a pitying glance at Nie Luo.
Brother, if you really do get involved with this guy, you’re done for.
Won’t it just be a matter of time before you’re completely eaten alive?
Nie Luo didn’t notice his look at all.
He followed Fan Qing’s words, slowly sorting through things he should have noticed long ago—but hadn’t.
The agent’s favoritism.
Those resources Jing Yuan had received when he rose to fame, ones that had always seemed oddly familiar.
And the “accident” at the last audition—those ambiguous, half-veiled words Jing Yuan had blurted out when he burst through the door.
Fan Qing’s voice was clean and cool.
Bit by bit, he laid everything out, weaving in his cooperation with Jian Feishuo, then bringing up matters that looked unrelated to Nie Luo on the surface, yet were all tightly bound to Jing Yuan beneath.
One incident after another, one detail stacked atop the next—by the time Fan Qing finished, Nie Luo felt a thin sheen of cold sweat break out on his forehead.
He’d been far too careless.
He had sensed something off about his agent for a long time, yet had completely failed to notice how wrong Jing Yuan was.
But—
Their gazes met.
This time, Nie Luo didn’t miss the faint, unusual glimmer hidden deep in Fan Qing’s eyes.
He abruptly cut off Fan Qing’s smooth explanation, his tone firm and certain.
“That incident—you weren’t an accident either, were you?”
Fan Qing’s voice stopped short.
After a moment, his long fingers brushed lightly over the corner of his eye, regret impossible to hide in his tone.
“Was it because of the contact lenses?”
He’d wanted Nie Luo to see his eyes—
and in doing so, had he exposed his true intentions?
Was this what they meant by there being no perfect solution in this world?
But—
Fan Qing slowly lifted his head. This time, he didn’t try to conceal the blazing emotion in his eyes.
“It was an accident. The accident was that these eyes saw you.”
If not for that one glance, how could he ever have fallen so completely?