AAUMOBIP C5

Chapter 5

So handsome—that was Liu He’s first reaction.

So familiar—that was his second.

He stared blankly at Yun Jingqiu, watching that face draw closer and closer.

Before Liu He could react, there was a loud clang and the crisp sound of something shattering.

The noise was so loud it instantly pulled both of them out of their silent staring contest.

Jiang Yi looked at Yun Jingqiu, his voice trembling with disbelief:

“You… you… you deceived my brother’s feelings!”

“You already have a partner! Do you find it fun to toy with the emotions of ordinary people?” Jiang Yi raised his voice. “Every day you’re on Weibo parading your sweet, loving relationship with your partner, and then you turn around and trick my brother?”

His reaction was even stronger than Liu He’s, his eyes red, looking like he was the one being cheated on.

“And to think I was a fan of yours! I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person!” Jiang Yi cursed.

Liu He: “Huh?”

Yun Jingqiu: “Calm down.”

The situation instantly spiraled into chaos.

After venting, Jiang Yi turned to leave.

Liu He sensed something was off. He quickly stood up, grabbed Jiang Yi, and pressed him back into his chair, comforting him:

“Wait, let’s at least hear what your idol has to say.”

Jiang Yi cooled down a little.

On one hand, there was the celebrity he had just started stanning; on the other, there was the brother he’d known for years.

No question, he was going to support Liu He.

Still, he wanted to see how this scumbag would try to explain himself!

When Jiang Yi burst out like that, Liu He also realized who his online boyfriend actually was.

He couldn’t believe it, but after Jiang Yi stirred things up, he mostly felt helpless.

He had once thought there was no way he could ever end up in an online romance with an actor. Who would have guessed the boomerang would smack him in the knees?

Turns out, his online boyfriend really was a rising star.

It explained a lot—like why Yun Ge sometimes replied late, why he traveled across the country all the time.

Why he stuck to low-fat meals even though he hated them.

The man had so many loopholes, and yet Liu He hadn’t noticed a thing.

He had actually believed Yun Ge was some globe-trotting salesman with a busy schedule.

He was nothing but a liar.

Back then, when Yun Ge said he was hiding something, it turned out he was hiding this.

What else was there to figure out? Liu He already understood everything now.

He looked at Yun Jingqiu, his eyes full of disappointment from being deceived.

He had even heard about Yun Jingqiu having a partner—after all, it was unusual, and many people paid attention to it.

Most celebrities hid their relationships, but this man never concealed it. Even while standing in the spotlight, he had openly admitted he had a partner.

No one knew who that partner was.

Of course, a few celebrities had tried to use Yun Jingqiu’s popularity, posting vague hints on Weibo that they were his partner.

But those tricks didn’t work on him—he directly tweeted that his partner wasn’t in the industry, just an ordinary person.

Those who tried to ride his clout ended up getting mocked by his fans.

But still—if he already had a partner, why did he start an online romance?

“You both need to calm down first.” Yun Jingqiu sighed helplessly. “Yes, I do have a partner.”

He looked at Liu He.

Liu He stared back, confused.

“My partner has always been just one person,” Yun Jingqiu said. “Xiao He, how long have we known each other?”

Liu He didn’t want to answer, but subconsciously followed his lead and thought about it. “Almost two years.”

They had met while playing games, then grew close, eventually becoming an online couple.

Liu He had thought those early days were so long ago he’d have trouble recalling them. But as soon as he thought back, every moment they’d shared in the game resurfaced vividly.

He had truly liked Yun Ge. Even without knowing what he looked like, even if they could only talk online, even if their daily routine was just calls and chats.

Just hearing his voice at night was enough to melt away the fatigue of a long day.

But this man turned out to be a liar who played with feelings.

The thought made Liu He’s chest ache. His eyes stung, tears welling up, threatening to spill at any second.

Yun Jingqiu had wanted to explain slowly, but seeing Liu He on the verge of tears, he panicked.

“I’ve only ever had one partner! We talk every day, and I still have to film—where would I find the time to date someone else?” Yun Jingqiu blurted. “That partner is you.”

“Then why didn’t you ever say it was Xiao He?” Jiang Yi cut in instinctively.

Liu He didn’t even think, just nodded quickly in agreement.

“Xiao He is a regular person. He’s never been in the industry. If people dug up his identity, there’s no way he could just live peacefully at school anymore,” Yun Jingqiu answered.

Liu He and Jiang Yi considered it and realized it was true.

If Liu He’s relationship with him came to light, he’d face endless trouble.

But still—he was suspicious. All of this came straight from Yun Jingqiu’s mouth. Who knew if it was just sweet talk meant to comfort?

After all, he was a skilled actor.

“I really only have you.” Yun Jingqiu leaned closer. “I never once named my partner on Weibo. All I dared do was subtly tell people how wonderful my partner was.”

He reached out, trying to hold Liu He’s hand.

Liu He pulled his hand away, his voice stiff: “I haven’t forgiven you for lying to me.”

At least he wasn’t as angry as before.

“Take your time, Xiao He. Forgive me whenever you’re ready.” Yun Jingqiu smiled softly. “Can we eat now?”

Liu He sat back down, and Yun Jingqiu sat beside him.

Jiang Yi glanced at the glass he had smashed earlier in his fit, then silently grabbed a fresh set of tableware.

“If I was just playing with you, why would I go through all this trouble to meet you? Wouldn’t it be easier to hire a stand-in?” Yun Jingqiu explained patiently. “I really do like you, Xiao He.”

Though, he had already done plenty of obsessive things behind Liu He’s back.

Thinking it over, Liu He realized it made little sense for such a famous actor to go to such lengths just to deceive a regular person like him.

Still, he was angry.

“You said once you liked shrimp.” Yun Jingqiu peeled shrimp for Liu He, placing the meat in his bowl, then naturally started on the crab as well.

Liu He ate the shrimp Yun Jingqiu peeled, along with crab meat, feeling a little awkward.

The restaurant’s portions weren’t large. There were only three shrimp in the dish, all peeled and given to him.

The crab was king crab; Yun Jingqiu cracked several legs, placing the tender meat into Liu He’s bowl.

Jiang Yi withdrew his chopsticks that had been aimed at the shrimp and went for other dishes instead.

He couldn’t even snatch the last shrimp from Yun Jingqiu.

What, were they the only ones allowed to flaunt affection? Xu Yi treated him well too!

Jiang Yi stuffed himself!

Meanwhile, being constantly fed by Yun Jingqiu, Liu He felt embarrassed. He looked up, intending to refuse, but his eyes caught on Yun Jingqiu’s face. He blanked out for a moment, then quietly let him continue.

No wonder he thrived in the entertainment industry—this face really was stunning. Just looking at it was enough to eat three more bowls of rice.

Liu He still couldn’t wrap his head around it—his online boyfriend was actually a popular actor.

He ate in silence, while Yun Jingqiu chatted away beside him.

“The gift you gave me, I’ll keep it safe. Wang Ge won’t get his hands on it.” (Wang Ge was his manager.) “I’ll sneak it myself tonight.”

“This role I’m filming now requires me to keep in shape. If I eat tonight, I’ll just work out extra hard at the gym tomorrow.”

“There’s this newbie shoved into our crew—bad acting, endless demands, and annoying everyone. He’s gained a lot of weight lately, looks bad on camera, and even scolded the director for not shooting him well. He told the director to Photoshop him to look better.”

“The other day our director slipped in the shower and bruised his tailbone. For days, he wouldn’t sit down, or when he did, he had to sit on a thick cushion. Rumors spread that he was being kept.”

Liu He: “??”

Was the entertainment industry always this messy? These scandals sounded downright sleazy.

Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up. “I know about this! People said it was the screenwriter keeping him! When the director was found, the screenwriter just happened to be in the bathroom too. Was that false?”

Yun Jingqiu nodded firmly. “It was false.”

“Because of that rumor, the director can’t stand the screenwriter anymore. They bicker every time they meet. But actually, they have a great relationship.”

“The screenwriter ran in to save him,” Yun Jingqiu added.

Liu He laughed. “They seem pretty close.”

“They are.”

The atmosphere in the private room relaxed under Yun Jingqiu’s chatter. He spilled entertainment gossip that made Liu He laugh now and then, and his gaze never left Liu He.

As for Jiang Yi, the third wheel, he chimed in occasionally whenever the gossip intrigued him.

After the meal, Liu He glanced at the time and unwillingly looked at Yun Jingqiu.

They had only just met—shared one meal—and now it was time to part.

He didn’t want to leave.

Yun Jingqiu didn’t want to either.

He finally held Liu He’s hand, squeezing it gently, then leaned to whisper against his ear, his voice just a hushed breath:

“Next time, Xiao He, you can touch my abs.”

With no mask blocking him, his breath spilled hotly over Liu He’s ear, a tingling itch spreading through half his body, leaving him weak.

His eyes darted away, and he whispered back: “We’ll see next time.”

“Alright.” Yun Jingqiu wasn’t in a rush. He leaned back slightly.

Still, Liu He’s ears burned. He couldn’t tell if it was from shyness or from Yun Jingqiu’s teasing.

He took a deep breath to steady himself.

Yun Jingqiu put his mask back on, donned his coat and hat, fully disguising himself again.

Just before leaving, Jiang Yi remembered something and blurted: “Can I have your autograph? I’m your fan!”

Liu He almost laughed.

This guy had just been furious on his behalf, railing about what kind of idol he had stanned—and now he was begging for Yun Ge’s autograph.

Yun Jingqiu searched himself, then asked Liu He: “Xiao He, did you bring a pen?”

Liu He rummaged but found none.

Jiang Yi reluctantly pulled out the pen Yun Jingqiu had gifted him, handing it over: “I’ve got one.”

This was the pen his idol gave him. He planned to enshrine it at home!

Now his idol was about to use it to sign for him—was there a happier fan on earth?

As long as Liu He and Yun Jingqiu didn’t break up, he’d always get insider info.

Thinking that, Jiang Yi shot Liu He a warning look.

Liu He stared back, baffled. “That’s a new pen with no ink in it. Handing him an empty pen—how’s Yun Ge supposed to sign with that?”

Jiang Yi froze.

He looked at the pen in disbelief, then hurriedly snatched it back, tucked it back into its box, and carefully stashed it in his pocket.

“I’ll go borrow one from the waiter,” he muttered, rushing out.

Liu He and Yun Jingqiu exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with laughter.

“Before we leave, can I keep holding your hand?” Yun Jingqiu asked.

He wanted to kiss Liu He even more, but he was afraid of scaring him off by coming on too strong.