“Hmm?”
Fan Qing rubbed his aching forehead in mild surprise.
“You recognize me?”
The boy froze, then instinctively blurted out:
“Is there anyone in the company who doesn’t know Fan Qing?”
“Hmm?”
Fan Qing’s interest piqued.
“I didn’t know I was that famous.”
Although he had appeared on a few trending searches, weren’t these new signings of the company?
Since when was he so well-known that even new talent could recognize him?
Scanning the boy’s expression, he asked pointedly,
“You scared of me?”
The boy froze completely, like he might crumble with a gust of wind.
Interesting.
But at this hour, Fan Qing didn’t care much for small matters.
He knocked again, prompting the boy to regain composure.
“If I recall correctly, the company dorms have rules…”
He tapped his jade-like earlobe casually.
“The noise is a bit too loud. It’s late, and it could disturb others.”
The boy’s face flushed immediately.
“I-I understand. I’ll tell them to quiet down.”
“No rush.”
Fan Qing gestured to the messy room.
“Though it’s a bit early to worry about this now, if you ever appear on a variety show and the cameras see this mess, it won’t do.”
The boy lowered his head in shame.
“…We don’t have much time during the day.”
He hesitated, then whispered, “I’ll make sure it’s better.”
“Good. That’s perfect.”
Fan Qing nodded in satisfaction, exhaled, and turned to leave.
The boy watched him go…
But didn’t leave entirely.
His gaze lingered as Fan Qing opened the door of the dorm next to theirs and stepped inside.
The assistant had been thoughtful—he had cleaned the dorm, leaving a faint, fresh scent in the air.
Fan Qing tidied up a bit, then sank into a deep sleep.
So much had happened recently, and he had been exhausted from spending days at the company.
It had been a long time since he had slept so well.
Late at night.
Lights across the city gradually went out, one by one.
Yet some windows remained bright.
On the 131st floor of a skyscraper, a dim yellow light flickered, as if malfunctioning.
A figure pressed against the glass, the cold surface fogging slightly from the heat of their body, making the silhouette even harder to discern.
“You’ve been very obedient.”
The man in a suit swirled the wine glass in his hand—though the liquid inside was still white.
He took a small sip, eyes narrowing slightly, a faint expression of pleasure on his face.
“However… a bit too greedy.”
The person pressed intermittently against the glass window made a weak struggle.
Zhuo Yuan’s face lit up with a sudden realization, his delicate features carrying a trace of delight.
“Oh, I forgot—you can’t talk right now.”
He snapped his fingers.
“Let him speak.”
“Yes, sir.”
The nearly two-meter-tall, muscular man who had been holding the other against the window responded in a deep voice.
He removed the obstruction from Jing Yuan’s mouth and said respectfully,
“All done, sir.”
Zhuo Yuan nodded and reached out his hand.
“Let me see it.”
The man obeyed, releasing Jing Yuan’s waist, letting him drop heavily from the glass.
Jing Yuan landed roughly on the floor. The muscular man ignored him, instead handing the wet item respectfully to Zhuo Yuan.
“…Quite a lot.”
Zhuo Yuan toyed with it briefly before tossing it into the glass, swirling it around casually.
“Speak.”
Lying on the floor, Jing Yuan twitched slightly. After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“Cough… it’s just a small thing. For you, Mr. Zhuo, this counts as a lot?”
Zhuo Yuan smiled faintly, handing the wine glass to the muscular man.
“I don’t think this counts as a lot. To me, it’s just a drop in the ocean.”
His polished shoes approached Jing Yuan, and Zhuo Yuan reached out, fingers precisely grasping the long glass rod.
He played with it a few times, then spoke with an intentional tone.
“But I think you’re not worth this price anymore. You understand what I mean?”
He moved the glass rod back and forth; the slender rod gradually gleamed with a wet sheen.
“…H-ho.”
Jing Yuan clenched his hands behind his back. “Then… what do you want?”
“Clever child,” Zhuo Yuan said, slowly rising.
“I’m a person who enjoys novelty. Do you understand?”
He casually pulled along the cord at the end of the glass rod.
The man on the floor curled into a ball.
Holding the rod by its end, Zhuo Yuan’s expression slowly darkened with disdain.
“…Boring.”
But…
He walked over to the muscular man, handing him the glass rod.
The man accepted it respectfully.
Zhuo Yuan leaned in closely, his posture intimate.
“This… I want to play with it in a new way. You understand?”
The muscular man didn’t respond this time, only nodded.
The light hit his towering frame, flickering across his face—his eyes tightly shut.
“You’re still the most obedient.”
Zhuo Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then tapped the prone figure on the ground with his polished shoe.
“And you… you’ll behave too, right?”
The person curled on the floor finally spoke weakly after a long pause.
“I’ll obey… novelty… I understand, zhuren.”
A satisfied smile spread across Zhuo Yuan’s face.
“All good children.”
He scratched the muscular man’s palm, breathing suddenly quickening.
“It’s been a long time since we played together. Throw this thing out, and the two of us can have some fun.”
The muscular man silently stood, lifting Jing Yuan’s leg and moving him outside.
Even though the room was carpeted, Jing Yuan was tossed around violently.
Yet his eyes sparkled brightly.
Finally, Zhuo Yuan had grown bored of him—he was free!
And as for the novelty…
Jing Yuan’s gaze darkened with calculation and resentment.
A little novelty, huh?
As long as Zhuo Yuan agreed to back him up, it was only a matter of a few people. No matter how much Zhuo Yuan wanted, he could deliver it.
Thrown all the way into the living room outside the room, Jing Yuan stayed curled on the floor, unable to get up.
Inside, Zhuo Yuan’s soft, sinister laughter echoed.
Thinking of this, Jing Yuan no longer felt the initial disgust or nausea he had felt guessing at Zhuo Yuan’s intentions.
A faint sense of joy crept in.
Zhuo Yuan would think this dog was obedient, right?
That’s why he shamelessly let him hear what he shouldn’t.
Jing Yuan sneered inwardly, rubbing a small object in the carpet subtly.
Sure enough, someone had placed it there.
Feeling the small item, he let out a quiet breath, face glowing with satisfaction.
Zhuo Yuan… you think I’m your dog?
Wait until I’ve used you. Then you’ll be my dog.
Thinking this, Jing Yuan’s breathing grew heavier, oddly synchronized with the sounds coming from behind the closed door.
Fan Qing finally had a full night of sleep.
When he woke and saw the clock pointing to eight, he decided to skip his morning exercise—an unusual lazy day.
After a quick wash and skincare routine, he opened his phone as usual.
He habitually gathered the latest useful information each morning.
Opening his phone, Weibo was flooded with news about Nie Luo.
#NieLuoStudioOfficiallyEstablished
#NieLuoNewAlbum
#NieLuoNewDrama
Out of ten posts, one was specifically about Nie Luo.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow, a smile flickering at the corner of his lips.
After finishing his routine, he headed out.
The door beside him opened just as he stepped out.
“Oh, I heard a little rumor before… that Teacher Nie and our Manager Fan even had some… romantic gossip…”
The person speaking froze on the spot.
He blinked several times, staring at Fan Qing in disbelief.
Rubbing his eyes again, he suddenly let out a loud shout and turned, flinging himself into the arms of the boy who had just walked out.
“Captain! I—I might be blind! Quickly, check if there’s anyone outside the door!”
“What do you mean blind? It’s early in the morning, what are you even saying…”
The boy called “Captain” froze as soon as he saw Fan Qing.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t tell them?”
The boy’s face fell.
“I did… but they didn’t believe me…”
No wonder.
Fan Qing had been wondering how anyone could be bold enough to discuss such gossip right in front of the person involved.
He didn’t care much about that and was about to walk off, but his eyes caught the buried face of the other boy, and he stopped.
“You,” he said, pointing, “turn your head so I can see you.”
W-what was going on?
The Captain looked stunned.
The boy in his arms also turned slowly, shivering, his lips moving slightly, forming barely audible words.
“C-Captain… am I… going to be… blacklisted? Or… am I being forced into something?”
Fan Qing: …maybe next time consider whether the other person can read lips.
Ignoring the boy’s words, Fan Qing scrutinized him for a long moment, brow furrowing.
Too similar.
Earlier, when speaking, it wasn’t as obvious, but now, quiet… it was uncanny.
He gestured to the boy.
“Smile. A gentle smile.”
The boy forced a small, stiff grin.
Fan Qing immediately interrupted, “No teeth showing.”
The boy tensed, pulling his lips into a tight, controlled smile.
Indeed.
Fan Qing stared at the face—almost identical to Jing Yuan’s—but the aura each carried was completely different.
He felt a slight chill.
How could someone look so much like Jing Yuan?
“What’s your name?”
The boy’s expression stiffened.
“…I’m Yuan Jing.”
Fan Qing noticed immediately.
He only looked a few more times, then nodded.
“All right, that’s enough.”
He turned sharply and left.
The older boys let out a collective sigh of relief once he was gone.
The boy still held by one of them nudged Yuan Jing.
“Fan Manager has left. You’re fine now.”
Yuan Jing wiped the sweat from his forehead, still feeling a little dazed.
He asked cautiously,
“He really didn’t say anything… or ask anything before leaving?”
He knew perfectly well how much his face and name resembled Jing Yuan’s.
He had once considered entering the industry… but the money his grandmother needed for her treatment…
Yuan Jing quietly clenched his fists.
The Captain patted him on the shoulder.
“He didn’t ask, didn’t say anything. Relax—you’re safe in the company. Fan Manager won’t say anything about you.”
Yuan Jing slowly typed a question mark in his mind.
“Hua Ge… how do you know I’m safe?”
Hua Er’s expression froze briefly.
How to put this?
Should he admit that he heard it all from Yuan Jing’s older brother, Hua Zi?