At dinner, when Xu Tang came downstairs, he didn’t see Zong Xuan. He only saw Zong Xuan’s slippers by the entrance, meaning he had gone out. As for where he had gone, Xu Tang definitely didn’t know, nor was he qualified to ask.
After dinner, Xu Tang tossed the dishes into the dishwasher and went upstairs. He had no plans for the next two days, so he could stay home and relax.
Back in his room, Xu Tang picked out a movie starring Zong Xuan to watch.
It was a historical martial arts film. Zong Xuan played a wandering hero who, according to the script, wore dull gray clothing so drab that if he lay on the ground, he could blend into the dirt in seconds without looking out of place. Even in a film where the costumes had clearly been carefully designed and selected—but still deserved a failing grade in taste—Zong Xuan somehow brought this heroic, conflicted, and slightly arrogant swordsman completely to life.
Later, people commented that things like costumes were just props on Movie Emperor Zong. Even if he dressed like a beggar, he could still make you believe he was playing an overbearing CEO.
This wasn’t the first time Xu Tang had watched this movie.
He had watched every one of Zong Xuan’s movies countless times. The classics were so familiar he could recite the lines by heart. This film wasn’t even considered a classic, but it was the one that made him fall in love with Zong Xuan at first sight.
That year, Xu Tang was seventeen.
Because he attended a private high school, his academic workload was relatively lighter. Back then, he was the kind of guy who cared about nothing except music. He had ridiculous long hair that looked straight out of a punk phase and spent all day hanging around with a few classmates who loved music just as much as he did, convinced they were sophisticated and artistic.
He wasn’t the type to look down on others, but during that phase—with teenage hormones and a heavy dose of edgy arrogance—he genuinely felt that classmates who didn’t understand music lived in a completely different world from him. They had no common language.
Looking back now, it was admittedly pretty foolish.
But that had been his youth.
His music composition also started during that time, so even though photos from that period were painful to look at now, he was still grateful for those years—and for the friends who had created music with him.
Because the Xu family’s Huayan Entertainment had invested in this movie, they received invitations to the premiere screening.
Originally, his older brother was supposed to attend with their father.
But his brother came down with sudden gastroenteritis the night before, so Xu Tang became the last-minute substitute.
It had to be said—his father really had nerves of steel.
He didn’t even consider what kind of image his youngest son had at the time.
In the eyes of most adults, Xu Tang back then practically screamed rebellious teenager.
And sure enough, that day he received plenty of stares.
Even the people who came over to chat with his father seemed unable to find words to compliment him. Their comments about him were so uniform and unoriginal that it felt like “Your son has grown so tall” was the only phrase they could think of.
Meanwhile, in Xu Tang’s eyes, these suited-up uncles and aunties were just country bumpkins.
Clueless.
And ugly.
Until the movie started, he had been completely unwilling to be there.
But the moment Zong Xuan’s face appeared on the giant screen—
Xu Tang felt as if something had struck him.
Just like that, he sat there obediently and seriously through the entire film.
When it ended, he still wanted more.
And from that moment on, he liked Zong Xuan.
It was a feeling somewhere between admiration and love.
From then on, he started paying attention to Zong Xuan and learned about Zong Xuan’s student years and acting journey.
For the first time, Xu Tang had a goal.
An idol.
A role model.
So he cut off his long hair, began studying seriously, and threw himself into composing music. He stopped wasting his days fooling around and stopped squandering his youth.
He wanted to get closer to Zong Xuan.
Closer and closer.
Later, he got into a good university and entered the entertainment industry.
But dreams and reality still had a gap.
He and Zong Xuan never really became close.
After finishing the movie, Xu Tang read for a while.
He was worried he wouldn’t sleep well, so he deliberately picked up a dry classical Chinese text and slowly worked through it, trying to make himself sleepy.
Just when drowsiness finally arrived, Yuan Shang called.
“Brother Xu! Is Movie Emperor Zong home?” Yuan Shang sounded anxious.
Xu Tang was baffled.
Yuan Shang had never called to ask what Zong Xuan was doing. He wasn’t even a fan of Zong Xuan, so there was no reason for him to care this much.
“He’s not home. What happened?”
Yuan Shang let out an anxious sigh.
“Check Weibo. Don’t get too worked up.”
“What’s there to get worked up about in the middle of the night?”
As he spoke, Xu Tang opened Weibo.
The number one trending topic was—
#ZongXuanCheating#
Xu Tang sat upright instantly.
“What the hell?”
Yuan Shang didn’t reply, apparently waiting for him to read it himself.
In just a few minutes, the topic had already surpassed a million views.
The news had been released by the well-known gossip account See You Monday.
There were many paparazzi teams like this in the entertainment industry, but See You Monday was one of the more famous ones. Their habit was to drop a major scandal every Monday, then wait for the hype to die down before releasing another.
For gossip-hungry netizens, they were both loved and hated.
Loved because they had exposed many real scandals and revealed the true faces of certain celebrities.
Hated because their ethics were awful—偷拍, stalking, invading privacy… they’d done plenty of shady things and were basically one of the entertainment industry’s biggest parasites.
The post read:
#ZongXuanCheating# Around 10 PM tonight, popular movie emperor Zong Xuan was spotted in the parking lot of a well-known hotel embracing a woman intimately. No manager or assistant was present. Suspected cheating.
Below were two photos.
In one, the woman held Zong Xuan’s arm as if they were walking together toward a car.
In the other, the woman was hugging Zong Xuan’s waist by the car, while Zong Xuan’s hand rested on her shoulder.
The photos weren’t very clear.
But Xu Tang recognized immediately that it was Zong Xuan.
And the car beside them clearly wasn’t Zong Xuan’s.
It was likely the woman’s.
Over the past two years, though Xu Tang and Zong Xuan hadn’t interacted much, Zong Xuan had never been caught in a scandal with actual photographic evidence. Occasionally some vague gossip surfaced, but his fans always crushed it quickly.
This time was different.
This came from See You Monday.
And this wasn’t something fans could simply shut down.
“Brother Xu? You still there?” Yuan Shang asked worriedly after hearing no response for a long time.
“I’m here…”
Hearing Xu Tang’s voice, Yuan Shang suddenly felt he might’ve made a mistake.
He shouldn’t have rushed to tell Xu Tang.
Xu Tang probably wouldn’t sleep tonight.
And if Kang Duo found out, she’d probably storm into his house and throw him straight out the window.
For the sake of his life, Yuan Shang hurried to patch things up.
“Uh, Brother Xu, don’t take it too hard. You know those See You Monday people don’t always report the truth. Damn, this is my fault… I was just too shocked when I saw it and couldn’t stop myself…”
“It’s fine.”
Xu Tang smiled.
Even if it were true—
What could he do?
He didn’t even have the right to question Zong Xuan.
“It’s huge news. I would’ve seen it sooner or later. Get some rest.”
“Brother Xu, you’re really okay?”
Yuan Shang still sounded worried.
Xu Tang chuckled softly.
“I’m really fine. Just don’t confess to Sister Kang, or she’ll throw you off a building.”
“…Yeah.”
As expected, they both understood Kang Duo the same way.
“Okay, I definitely won’t say anything. Brother Xu, sleep early. Don’t overthink.”
“Mhm. Got it.”
After hanging up, Xu Tang scrolled through the comments and reposts.
“I believe Movie Emperor Zong! He’d never cheat!”
“I’m not so sure. Zong Xuan and Xu Tang barely interact these days. Haven’t you brain-dead fans noticed?”
“Zong Xuan, say something! Did you betray our Tang Tang or not?!”
“How dare Zong Xuan show up right now? He’d get ripped apart. Better stay hidden like a turtle.”
“Who even is that woman? How is she better than our Tang Tang?”
“See You Monday is disgusting. All they do is dig up trash and ruin Movie Emperor Zong’s reputation.”
“Tsk, the paid commenters are here. Starting to attack See You Monday now?”
…
Having spent so long in this industry, Xu Tang was used to all kinds of internet commentary.
He could ignore the comments.
But he couldn’t ignore the actual issue.
Because that woman had really hugged his idol.
Even he had never hugged him!
Damn it.
That made him angry.
But after the anger came disappointment.
He was so close to his idol…
And yet…
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone rang again.
Xu Tang assumed it was Kang Duo.
But when he checked, it was actually his friend He Xin.
True friendships were rare in the entertainment industry.
He Xin counted as one.
They had been classmates in university—same major, same class, same dorm. That was how their friendship formed.
He Xin’s dream had always been to become a host. He participated in many selections, but his thinking tended to jump around too much, and he wasn’t suited for traditional formal hosting. So his results were never great.
Later, after becoming close, Xu Tang introduced He Xin to his family’s entertainment company.
From then on, He Xin’s hosting career flourished.
“So? Your Movie Emperor Zong is cheating. What are you going to do?” He Xin asked bluntly.
He Xin had a very pleasant voice.
Not deep and magnetic.
Not gentle and warm.
But lively in a way that made people feel good.
Even frustrating things somehow sounded less depressing when he talked.
“Cold salad.”
Xu Tang answered flatly.
What could he do?
He knew nothing.
He Xin burst out laughing.
“Honestly, I’m impressed with you. You’ve been hanging from this one tree for years. Aren’t you just ridiculously stubborn? Someone like you wouldn’t survive three lines in a novel.”
He continued.
“What kind of place is the entertainment industry? Way more complicated than novels. For your own survival, I seriously advise you to give up already.”
As both friend and menace, He Xin always spoke directly.
Normally people said you should encourage love, not separation.
But after watching Xu Tang’s situation these past years, He Xin had never gone easy on urging him to give up.
“Do you know who that woman is?” Xu Tang asked.
“No clue. Photos are too blurry.”
He Xin snorted.
“But no matter who she is, haven’t you had enough after all these years? Don’t say your brother here doesn’t support your love life, but tell me—how many years have you been married? Other than that obligatory kiss at your wedding, have you kissed even once since then?”
“What exactly are you after?”
“Just because he’s handsome?”
“Sure, looks matter. But no matter how handsome he is, if he doesn’t want to sleep with you, what’s the point? He’s less useful than a massage wand.”
There was real frustration in He Xin’s voice.
“If you ask me, either tackle him and sleep with him already, or forget it. Wouldn’t it be better to find someone who loves and cherishes you?”
“You, Xu Tang—good looks, great body, amazing singer. Bet you’re good in bed too. A flower like you? Plenty of people would line up wanting you. Why insist on loving only Zong Xuan? Listen to me—”
“Stop, stop!”
Xu Tang hurriedly cut him off.
“Watch your mouth!”
He Xin had an innocent-looking face.
Usually lively and clever.
But once he started roasting people or making dirty jokes, absolutely nothing was off-limits.
He Xin sounded offended.
“How am I not speaking properly? Which part wasn’t true? Stop being so stubborn. He’s not worth it.”
Xu Tang fell silent for a moment.
“He Xin, I know you mean well, but—”
“Okay, stop. I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
He Xin sighed helplessly.
“You’re just the type whose brain refuses to turn. You won’t stop until you slam into a wall.”
Xu Tang laughed softly.
That was his dream.
How could he turn back so easily?
Pain was pain.
But they weren’t lovers.
So all he could do was swallow it.
After hanging up, Xu Tang sat quietly in his room for a while.
The sleepiness he had finally built up had completely disappeared.
He got up and went downstairs to pour himself some red wine.
A little alcohol now and then could help with sleep.
Just as he reached the first floor, Zong Xuan walked in through the front door.
“You’re back?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Tang greeted him first.
No matter what their relationship was—or what the internet was saying—they lived under the same roof.
It would be strange not to speak at all.
“Mhm. Not asleep yet?” Zong Xuan didn’t actually know Xu Tang’s bedtime. It was just a casual question.
“Going soon.”
Xu Tang answered.
After changing shoes, Zong Xuan looked Xu Tang over.
Xu Tang wore pajamas with every button properly fastened.
Zong Xuan suddenly remembered the photos from Weibo today and smiled.
“Why are you wearing so much at home?”
The words themselves sounded normal.
But if one thought a little deeper, they felt strangely suggestive.
Xu Tang looked at him, but in the end didn’t ask.
Zong Xuan chuckled.
He casually removed his coat, his eyes lazily sweeping over Xu Tang’s waist.
He was just about to tease him when his phone rang.
Xu Tang had no intention of listening to his conversation, so he went into the kitchen first.
“Hello?”
Zong Xuan tossed his coat onto the sofa and sat down.
Wen Hui’s voice came through the phone, sounding cold.
“You home?”
“Just got back. What’s wrong?”
“Go check Weibo. I’m heading to the studio for a meeting now. I’ll come to your place tomorrow morning.”
She hung up immediately.
Wen Hui had originally planned to attend tonight’s dinner with him.
But her period had hit suddenly, and she’d made things worse by eating ice cream yesterday. She was in so much pain she could barely straighten her back. So Zong Xuan told her not to come and only brought his assistant.
Judging by Wen Hui’s tone, something had clearly happened.
She just didn’t have time to deal with him right now.
Zong Xuan frowned and opened Weibo.
After pouring half a glass of red wine, Xu Tang took a sip.
It tasted pretty good.
He carried the glass toward the stairs—
But when he reached the living room, Zong Xuan crooked a finger and summoned him over.
Zong Xuan waved his phone.
“You saw Weibo?”
Xu Tang nodded honestly.
Zong Xuan took the wine glass from Xu Tang’s hand.
Apparently, he hadn’t realized Xu Tang had poured it for himself. He assumed it was for him and naturally took a sip.
Xu Tang froze.
Th-that was his glass.
And the spot Zong Xuan drank from—
Was exactly where Xu Tang had just drunk.
Zong Xuan finished the remaining wine in several gulps and said:
“I have nothing to do with that woman. Don’t overthink it.”
“Oh…”
Xu Tang replied blankly.
He heard Zong Xuan’s words.
But his brain hadn’t fully processed them yet.
He was still stuck on the fact that Zong Xuan had drunk from his glass.
Seeing that Xu Tang didn’t seem to believe the scandal anyway, Zong Xuan nodded.
“Alright. Sleep early.”
Then he went upstairs first.
“Okay…”
Xu Tang nodded, watching Zong Xuan disappear around the stairway corner.
Then he quickly grabbed the empty wine glass and returned to his room.
Only after placing the empty glass on the decorative shelf by the wall and lying back on his bed did realization finally hit him—
Wait.
Zong Xuan had just explained that scandal to him, hadn’t he?!