Spoiled - Chapter 22

Fang Baijing’s ears were buzzing. He felt a burning pain in his cheeks.

Li Ran, standing in front of him, was a very beautiful woman, fair-skinned and attractive, with an elegant temperament in her every gesture. She said Fu Feng’s father wanted them to marry, and then she sought him out to pass a message to Fu Feng.

What did that make him in their eyes?

Fu Feng’s father definitely knew about his relationship with Fu Feng and likely saw him as a kept lover sponsored by Fu Feng.

And Li Ran? Li Ran probably equated him with Zhuang Chengan, viewing him as an insignificant plaything. After all, when Zhuang Chengan got into trouble, she didn’t help him at all, not even showing a photo.

Fang Baijing lowered his gaze, releasing Li Ran’s hand. He said coolly, “I am not familiar with Fu Feng.”

“Not familiar?” Li Ran’s eyes narrowed slightly, a look of amusement and deep meaning in her gaze. “Not familiar, yet he ruined Zhuang Chengan just for you?” Her tone was slightly regretful: “I actually quite liked Zhuang Chengan. He suited my tastes in every way, but he just lacked the judgment to provoke you.”

Li Ran grew up abroad. She returned to the country right around the time Fu Feng went overseas. She had heard Fu Feng’s name many times, and many stories about him, but never had the chance to meet him. Until one day, she had just gotten out of her new flame’s bed when the phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow and answered the call.

“Hello, Ms. Li, I’m Fu Feng.”

Li Ran’s eyes lit up because Fu Feng’s voice was very magnetic—just the type she liked. She couldn’t help but act affected: “What is it, Mr. Fu? Is there something I can help you with?”

Fu Feng’s next sentence made Li Ran’s smile freeze.

“When investigating Zhuang Chengan, I found a photo of you, Ms. Li. I need to release the photo now. I will censor you to ensure no one can recognize you.” His tone was calm, but the meaning was clear: the photo would be released no matter what.

Li Ran sat up straight. If Fu Feng wanted Zhuang Chengan dead, there was nothing she could do. She rested her chin in her hand and asked lazily, “I have other private photos. Does CEO Fu need them?”

Fu Feng refused politely: “No need, thank you.”

She originally thought her interaction with Fu Feng ended there, but then the thing that made Li Ran laugh the hardest happened. Her father, Mr. Li, suddenly approached her, actually wanting her to marry Fu Feng through a political alliance. Li Ran laughed with anger on the spot, made an excuse to put him off, and immediately started investigating Fu Feng.

The relationship between Fu Feng and Fang Baijing was not exactly a secret, though it was well hidden, or perhaps no one dared to speak of it.

Li Ran lay in bed, simultaneously placating Zhuang Chengan with a few perfunctory words on the phone while thoughtfully reviewing the information she had dug up on Fang Baijing.

She recognized Fang Baijing because, even though he consistently followed the low-key, acting-focused route, his face still made him half a celebrity, and his fans were quite enthusiastic. …She just hadn’t expected Fang Baijing to be involved with Fu Feng.

Of course, not wanting to marry wasn’t just her own concern.

Unable to reach Fu Feng by phone, Li Ran resorted to this plan: finding Fang Baijing at the film set.

She felt indifferent about it, but the Fang Baijing in front of her seemed to be terrified by her.

The malicious humor in Li Ran’s heart suddenly flared up, and she asked, “Have you two been together for a long time?”

Fang Baijing still had a broken blood packet in his mouth that he hadn’t had a chance to spit out. The sickeningly sweet syrup flavor occupied his taste buds, but he didn’t find it sweet at all. He suddenly realized that Fu Feng was the only son of the Fu family. He was bound to marry eventually, and his spouse would definitely be a beautiful, accomplished, and sensible woman from a comparable family background. It could never, ever be a man like him. To put it bluntly, even if Fu Feng said he liked him, Fang Baijing felt they would eventually break up.

Fang Baijing felt momentarily confused. What happens after they break up? Would people call him Fu Feng’s ex-boyfriend, or would they say he was a small lover Fu Feng once kept, or would he simply cease to exist?

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He said, “We are not together. Ms. Li, if you have something to say, you can go find Fu Feng yourself. I am not your messenger.” Fang Baijing’s tone was cold. He bypassed Li Ran and walked toward the dressing room. “Excuse me.”

There were several red envelopes on the dressing table in the room, likely “calming envelopes” placed there by the director and a few close actors.

Fang Baijing sat down in front of the makeup mirror. The makeup artist wasn’t there, so he took off his wig and removed his makeup himself.

The makeup gradually came off. It was strange; although the makeup was light, he looked like two different people before and after applying it.

What was he and Fu Feng doing?

Fang Baijing thought, Fu Feng would eventually start a family and a career. It would be better to end this complicated relationship sooner rather than later.

He put on his own hoodie, pulled the hood over his head, and when he pushed the door open, he was abruptly sprayed with streamers.

“Congratulations on wra—” Chen Yun suddenly stopped speaking when she saw Fang Baijing’s expression.

“Thank you,” Fang Baijing said with a forced smile. “I’ll treat you all to the wrap party next time. I have something to take care of now.” He held out his hand to Ji Weile, lowering his eyes, “Car keys.”

Ji Weile instinctively pulled out the car keys and placed them in Fang Baijing’s hand. In the silent corridor, only he, Chén Yùn, and a few staff members were left. The host of the wrap party had vanished without a trace.

Ji Weile whispered to Chén Yùn, “Sister Chen… don’t you think Baijing looks a bit off?”

Chen Yun nodded, hesitating. “I feel like… his boyfriend cheated, and he’s going to catch them in the act.”

On the city roads, Fang Baijing could only forcefully restrain himself from flooring the accelerator. Many times, he irritably wanted to push the pedal all the way down, but in the end, he barely managed to stay within the speed limit. It was two or three in the afternoon, the least congested time for traffic.

Fang Baijing drove so fast, yet when he stood downstairs at Fu Feng’s office building, he didn’t know what to do.

Should he walk up and fiercely tell Fu Feng they were breaking up? Or should he pretend not to know anything and continue playing the fool? Or should he relay the message from Li Ran and let Fu Feng’s reaction dictate what happened next?

Fang Baijing didn’t know what to do.

He was wearing a mask, and the hood of his sweatshirt was pulled up. People came and went around him.

Fang Baijing didn’t know how long he had been standing there. The security guard at the entrance probably thought he looked suspicious, reaching for the electric baton on his waist and preparing to approach him.

“Baijing?” Assistant Li, who was perpetually by Fu Feng’s side, happened to appear at the company entrance. He was holding a large document bag. Fu Feng often used him to help Fang Baijing with things, so he recognized Fang Baijing immediately.

Startled by someone calling his name, Fang Baijing instinctively turned around. His eyes were somewhat red, possibly from the long drive in the wind.

“Why are you here?” Assistant Li asked. “Looking for CEO Fu?”

Fang Baijing’s years of psychological preparation suddenly crumbled. He stepped back a few paces, shaking his head, “…Just passing by.”

This was a lie no one, not even himself, would believe. Assistant Li certainly didn’t believe it.

He grabbed Fang Baijing’s wrist and pulled him into the company. “If you have nothing to do, come in and sit down.” His reasoning was simple: if Fang Baijing came, Fu Feng would be in a good mood, and if Fu Feng was in a good mood, everyone’s mood would improve.

Fang Baijing could have easily pulled his hand away from Assistant Li, but he made no move to do so, following Assistant Li with slow, heavy steps.

Assistant Li took him to Fu Feng’s private elevator.

As the elevator ascended, Fang Baijing felt a strong sense of weightlessness.

Fu Feng’s office occupied the entire floor. He didn’t like to be disturbed much, so Assistant Li was his only assistant.

Fang Baijing removed his mask. The air he inhaled was cold and fresh. Fu Feng’s office was a glass room; the outside view could only be blocked when the blackout curtains were drawn.

Right now, the black blackout curtains were raised to the top.

Fang Baijing saw movement inside the office. His feet seemed glued to the floor; even the simple act of lifting his leg felt incredibly strenuous.

He suddenly grabbed Assistant Li’s arm, gripping a little too hard. Fang Baijing apologized with a pale face, then asked, “Who is that person?”

Inside the predominantly black office, there was not only Fu Feng but also Mishu, with his brown hair and blue eyes. He was sitting in the chair in front of Fu Feng’s desk, crossing his legs in a relaxed posture, playing with Fu Feng’s usual fountain pen. It was obvious they were very close.

Fang Baijing suddenly remembered that Fu Feng had said before that he knew Mishu; they might have been friends all along.

“Mishu?” Assistant Li glanced into the office. “He’s CEO Fu’s cousin. Even though they don’t look alike, they are truly related by blood.”

Fang Baijing’s head spun instantly. He almost bit his tongue until it bled. He couldn’t even breathe now. Both people in the office were facing away from them. Fu Feng was diligently reading a document, while Mishu was rambling on. Neither saw him and Assistant Li. But the office door was wide open, and their conversation leaked out completely through the gap.

Mishu’s voice was cocky: “Cousin, how are things going with your little boyfriend? Didn’t I tell you? Just scare him a bit, and he’ll definitely listen to you obediently. Getting my head split open was worth it if it gets me a sister-in-law, right?”

Fu Feng raised an eyebrow and gave him a cold look. “Shut up.”

Fang Baijing heard every word of their conversation.

The buzzing in his ears intensified. His head was like mush now, completely incapable of thought.

He suddenly couldn’t control himself and bent over, coughing violently and heartbreakingly. Assistant Li frantically tried to help him up, but Fang Baijing pushed him away with a quick reach of his hand.

Fang Baijing felt a suffocating tightness in his chest, as if a rock had been thrown into it. He propped himself up against the wall, veins throbbing on his hand.

His coughing was too loud. Fang Baijing heard a rush of footsteps. The next moment, Fu Feng put a hand on his shoulder.

Fang Baijing’s eyes were red. He suddenly burst out with a force that pulled him away from Fu Feng. He stood up, leaning against the wall.

Fang Baijing experienced the feeling of being dizzy with anger for the first time. He felt like a complete joke. After all this time, wasn’t this whole thing just a trap Fu Feng set for him to jump into?

—”He’ll definitely listen to you obediently.” Those words sounded especially harsh. Fang Baijing’s ears were roaring, and a sense of suffocation washed over him. He wanted to talk to Fu Feng calmly, but the words that followed were practically screamed: “I want to break up with you! Break up!”

He blinked, and his tear ducts lost control. Tears rolled down the corners of his eyes. Fang Baijing roughly wiped them away with his hand, but he couldn’t stop the flow. They fell like ceaseless, drizzling rain. It seemed he could only stop them by holding his breath.

“You two leave first.” Fu Feng first chased Mishu and Assistant Li away.

Only he and Fang Baijing were left in the vast space of the floor.

He pulled out a few tissues, intending to wipe Fang Baijing’s tears, but the hand he raised was ruthlessly slapped away by Fang Baijing before it could even touch his eye. Fang Baijing didn’t know why he was crying, but it seemed tears truly were uncontrollable when his emotions collapsed.

His eyes were red. He fiercely dug his nails into his palms, forcing the tears that had gathered in his eyes back.

Fang Baijing’s voice was hoarse. Finally, he repeated calmly, “Fu Feng, let’s break up.”

Fu Feng’s actions paused suddenly, then he continued to reach out to wipe Fang Baijing’s tears. This time, Fang Baijing didn’t stop him.

“We’re breaking up.” Fang Baijing leaned against the wall, his calm tone suddenly exploding. “I fucking want to break up!”

Fu Feng crumpled the tissue, soaked by Fang Baijing’s tears, in his hand. His calloused fingers wiped the corner of Fang Baijing’s eye. He asked an irrelevant question, “Why did you come here?”

Fang Baijing twisted away from Fu Feng’s outstretched hand, glaring at him. “Don’t you understand? I want to break up! I want a clean break from you.” His pent-up anger erupted at once. Fang Baijing pushed Fu Feng’s shoulder, pressing him: “If I hadn’t come today, were you going to keep hiding it from me, hide it forever?” Fang Baijing suddenly let out a laugh. “Where’s ‘forever’? You’re about to get married, aren’t you?”

His nose drew close to Fu Feng’s. As Fang Baijing tilted his chin up, the distance between them was extremely close. Fang Baijing rarely proactively approached Fu Feng or initiated such intimate actions, but the tone he spoke in now was very cold: “Fu Feng, are you messing with me? I can be with you, and I can willingly sleep with you, but I will never be a third party, especially not for a man. That’s too disgusting. If you’re going to get married in the future, then don’t come provoking me.”

After saying this, Fang Baijing mocked himself, “No, ‘provoking’ isn’t the right word. After all, our relationship wasn’t fair from the start.”

It was he who had something to ask of Fu Feng from the beginning, so he should have listened to Fu Feng from the start. If Fu Feng wanted to be with him, he had to be with him. If Fu Feng didn’t want to be with him, he could kick him away, as was his right.

Although their mode of interaction didn’t resemble that of a patron and a kept lover, Fang Baijing felt that’s what they were. Fu Feng helped him, and he slept with Fu Feng.

But one day, Fu Feng held his hand and said he liked him. His kisses were more passionate than any couples. They did so many intimate things couples do, yet this was the first time Fang Baijing heard the words couples should say.

Fang Baijing finally felt that his relationship with Fu Feng had changed its flavor. They seemed to have truly become what they initially said they were—”together.”

Fang Baijing turned around sharply, acting tough and decisive. But the moment he turned his back, his nose started to sting again. He didn’t want to cry, because Fang Baijing thought tears were cowardly. His breathing gradually grew heavy.

Fang Baijing took a large step, the sound of his footfall heavy. If he walked out today, he would sever all ties with Fu Feng.

However, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his arm. It was undoubtedly Fu Feng. He was yanked back and crashed into Fu Feng’s embrace. Fu Feng hugged him tightly from behind. Compared to Fang Baijing, he seemed much calmer: “Who told you I was going to get married?”

Fang Baijing struggled desperately in his arms. A hot tear fell onto the back of Fu Feng’s hand.

Fu Feng turned Fang Baijing to face him. The tear drop on his hand was searing, leaving a wet trail across his skin. He lowered his head, meeting Fang Baijing’s eyes. “Who has been spreading nonsense in front of you?”

“Your Ms. Li,” Fang Baijing said sarcastically. “But she apparently doesn’t fancy you. She asked me to pass a message, saying she wasn’t done having fun yet and didn’t want to get married for the time being.”

Fu Feng countered, “Li Ran?”

“Don’t you even know her name?” Fang Baijing scoffed. “Why are you asking me?”

Fu Feng’s arm around his waist tightened. He explained, “I have no relationship with her. I haven’t even met her.”

“So what? You’d still marry her, wouldn’t you?”

“I won’t,” Fu Feng frowned. “I won’t marry her.”

“But your father seems very fond of her.”

“That’s just my father,” Fu Feng said concisely. “My relationship with my father is strained. What he says doesn’t count.”

Fang Baijing’s reaction was still intense. He sneered, “Does any of this matter, Fu Feng? I won’t believe a single punctuation mark you say right now. I’m easy to deceive, aren’t I? Didn’t you and your cousin team up to spin me around? In your eyes, I must be especially stupid, especially foolish, and especially gullible, right? Why did you lie to me? And why didn’t you ever tell me! Even though I was already—” Even though I was already used to being with you. Even though I… I was starting to like you a little. Fang Baijing couldn’t force those last words out no matter what. He felt ashamed and cheapened.

Fang Baijing finally lowered his voice. After his hysterical outburst, all that remained was exhaustion and weakness. “I’ll say it one last time. We’re breaking up. Breaking up for good.” He stared at Fu Feng, enunciating every word: “I want a clean break from you.”

The moment the words left his mouth, aside from the relief, Fang Baijing felt an unspeakable heaviness.

As his words fell, Fu Feng’s grip on his hand tightened. He heard Fu Feng say, “I can explain.”

“No need to explain. I don’t want to hear it.” Fang Baijing shook off Fu Feng’s hand one last time. At this moment, he was extremely resolute: “That’s it.”

This time, Fang Baijing was lifted up and carried by Fu Feng around the waist.

“Fu Feng!”

Fang Baijing could clearly feel himself kicking Fu Feng’s leg, but Fu Feng seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to carry him toward the office. The button for the window curtains was right by the door. Fu Feng pressed it, and the black blackout curtain descended from the top. He didn’t turn on the lights. The room was plunged into darkness.

Fang Baijing was pressed onto the boss’s chair by Fu Feng. The chair had wheels. The moment Fang Baijing sat down, the four wheels rolled, and the person and chair crashed against the floor-to-ceiling window behind him with a loud thud.

Fang Baijing instinctively grabbed the armrests of the chair beside him. He knew he was on the nineteenth floor of a tall building. He knew the floor-to-ceiling window was behind him, and he knew the glass was, in fact, incredibly strong. But in the darkness, Fang Baijing felt a sense of fear.

He groped around, trying to get up, but before he could, Fu Feng’s warm, moist breath brushed his cheek. Fang Baijing was pressed back into his original position. Another thud—the glass seemed to vibrate.

“Fu Feng…”

Fang Baijing was a little night blind; he truly couldn’t see anything in the dark. He reached out to grab something. His fingertips brushed against smooth fabric, which must have been Fu Feng’s shirt.

In the silent air, Fu Feng let him hold on.

A cold finger traced his cheek. Fang Baijing’s nose bridge was perfectly straight. Fu Feng, relying on instinct, traced the line of his nose, finally stopping at his lips. He lowered his head and kissed him.

This kiss was not gentle at all; it was even a little brutal.

Fang Baijing couldn’t help but lean back. His head hit the back of the chair and gently knocked against the glass. He didn’t dare to lean back further and only dared to grip the hem of Fu Feng’s shirt. Fang Baijing was certain he had crumpled Fu Feng’s shirt. His chin was forced upward. Fang Baijing couldn’t catch his breath and became even more compliant from the kissing.

“Fu—” Fang Baijing finally gasped and barely managed to squeeze out one syllable, but Fu Feng covered his mouth again.

When kissing, Fu Feng loved to hold the back of his neck. His broad palm moved upward, finally covering Fang Baijing’s throat. Fu Feng heard Fang Baijing’s quiet cry again, a soft sound like a skinny kitten meowing.

Fu Feng finally stopped kissing, and in the pitch-black darkness, he could still accurately find the corner of Fang Baijing’s eye.

“Why are you crying again?” Fu Feng asked. “What are you sad about?”

Fang Baijing held his breath, but his voice was still nasal. He was still clutching Fu Feng’s shirt, but his words remained stubbornly firm: “Fu Feng… I want to break up.” He didn’t know why he was crying, but he couldn’t stop the tears.

Fu Feng suddenly turned on the light. Fang Baijing subconsciously covered his tear-streaked face with his hand. He didn’t want Fu Feng to see him like this.

“That matter is a long story, but I absolutely haven’t done anything to betray you. You can ask me anything you want.” Fu Feng reached out and pulled Fang Baijing’s arm away from his eyes.

“Fang Baijing,” his voice was deep and brooked no argument. “Don’t even think about breaking up.”