34 – My Opposite Number is You

Chapter 34: My Co-star is You

While He Yu and Xie Qingcheng were talking behind the curtain, the director instinctively sensed an all-nighter and called Jiang Liping, the general manager of the drama production. If she contacted the building administrator, they would be able to use the small auditorium late into the night.

The director waited for a response, listening to the rhythmic beep, beep of the dial tone.

Meanwhile, inside a suite at the campus hotel. Jiang Liping’s phone vibrated on the bedsheets.

However, the vibration of the phone was nothing. The hotel bed was shaking far more violently than the phone. Ignoring the call, the woman entwined herself with the man, acting coquettishly with a face intoxicated by pleasure.

It was only after a long while that the shaking stopped.

“Good grief. If it weren’t for that annoying phone call earlier, we could have gone on longer.”

Once finished, a sturdy man lit a cigarette and spoke to the woman lying on the bed.

Jiang Liping leaned against him, narrowing her eyes flirtatiously.

“You tormented me enough as it is; what more do you want?”

At the woman’s flattering stolen contentwords, [stolen content]the man let out a [Read on Read BL Novels]hearty laugh, his expression brimming with confidence.

“I’m better than your other men, right?”

“Oh my, how could you say something so disappointing?”

Jiang Liping spoke softly.

“The other men were all just one-night stands. You’re the only real husband I’ve acknowledged in my heart. I’m just waiting for the day you propose to me.”

Lost in ecstasy, the man hugged the woman and said, “No other man can satisfy you. Only I can do that. Since my wife is away on a business trip to the US, shall we enjoy ourselves a bit more privately?”

As Jiang Liping burst into laughter, her soft, plump body shook along with her.

“You’ve finally regained your energy. You were so out of it last time.”

“Ahem, there was a reason for that back then…”

The man stopped abruptly, shuddering as if hit by a sudden chill.

Pretending not to know the details, Jiang Liping smiled and leaned deeply into the man.

“Honey, you have the leisure to think of other [visit our site]things while you’re with me. You’re really too stolen contentmuch. Let’s play a little stolen contentmore. How should we play to satisfy you?”

Caught in the woman’s seduction, the man swallowed hard and restarted the nighttime festivities.

“…When I’m with you, I really… stop worrying about other things… Yes, darling… play with me again…”

Jiang Liping simply welcomed the man with a smile.

* * *

“She’s not picking up.”

Inside the small auditorium. Having failed to connect again, the director ruffled her hair in frustration. Letting out a sigh, she spoke to the junior beside her.

“In that case, we have no choice but to hurry. The administrator here is stubborn and impossible to reason with. Tell He Yu to hurry up.”

“He’s currently persuading Professor Xie.”

Persuading? That was clearly a battle of wills.

Behind the curtain. He Yu read Xie Qingcheng’s expression with a mysterious look, neither smiling nor frowning.

Xie Qingcheng hadn’t realized He Yu was such a lunatic.

He wants to drag me down with him?

Was that disgusting kiss at the hotel not enough?

Xie Qingcheng spoke coldly.

“You want me to be your co-star?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

With that single phrase, he turned away decisively.

“You brought this on yourself.”

He Yu restrained him, his eyes widening. It was a fierce gaze, as if he intended to crush every bone in Xie Qingcheng’s body.

“Don’t think about running away now. You were the one who tormented me first. If you’ve committed a sin, you have to deal with the consequences.”

“You were the one who touched my computer first.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that the website popping up was an accident? I don’t know about mid-life depression, but I don’t think you’re at the age for dementia yet.”

A beast wearing a human skin was the most malicious thing in the world.

A clean and elegant face. A beast that thoroughly hid its ugliness to project a perfect image to others. But the moment he cornered Xie Qingcheng, the beast shed its mask and began spouting beastly nonsense. And it was the kind of nonsense that scratched at a person’s pride without even needing to use foul language.

Xie Qingcheng retorted coldly.

“As for you, you’re just an adolescent ADHD patient, you brat.”

He tried to shake off He Yu’s hand, which was gripping his left wrist.

“I don’t have time to chatter with you. I’m not an actor to begin with. Find another female student.”

“A female student won’t do,” He Yu said. “Gay acting should be done with the same sex.”

“Then get lost right now and grab any male student to act with.”

“Why say such disappointing things, Hyung? Where in this place is there anyone better than you?”

He Yu, who had been on the verge of exploding with rage [Read on Read BL Novels]at Xie Qingcheng’s antics, completely threw off his false mask in front of him. The way he kept calling Read on Read BL Novelshim ‘Hyung’ with a sneer made [Read on Read BL Novels]him look exactly like a beast wearing human clothes.

“This little…”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Qingcheng looked at this cheeky bastard he had looked after for seven years with a fresh perspective.

“You’re not just mentally ill. You’re completely insane. What on earth was Huzhou Psychiatric Hospital thinking when they let you out?”

At that, He Yu raised a finger and poked the air as if pointing at Xie Qingcheng. He slowly rolled his eyes from top to bottom. A brazen, delinquent-like audacity lurked at the corners of his mouth, visible only to Xie Qingcheng.

“Look at this. You’re so angry that your Huzhou dialect is coming out.”

“…”

“Your voice is usually quite soft. Do you know that when you mix in the Huzhou accent, it sounds even softer, so it doesn’t feel like you’re cursing at all?”

By this point, Xie Qingcheng’s face turned dark.

“Doesn’t it make you want to vomit to do this kind of acting with me?”

Unexpectedly, the ‘bastard’ gave a bright smile before his expression instantly turned serious as he replied.

“Hyung, even if I vomit, Read on Read BL NovelsI’ll vomit into your Read on Read BL Novelsmouth. Without leaving a single drop.”

“…You little bastard!”

Even after taking a harsh curse head-on like a spell, He Yu only smiled playfully. He even had the leisure to offer Xie Qingcheng some advice.

“Since it’s a drama written by your sister, wouldn’t it be better if it’s filmed well? I’ve sacrificed this much, so you can just think of it as stepping in some shit together. Surely you don’t want to ruin the script Xie Xue wrote? Ah, then again, I wouldn’t know.”

He Yu looked at him with his eyes cast down, keeping a slight distance. It was impossible to tell if the following words were sincere or fake.

“I don’t like Xie Xue. I just think of her as a friend. I’m human too, so if I’m truly offended, I won’t care about Xie Xue or anyone else. Keep in mind that when that happens, the one in an awkward position won’t be me, but Xie Xue.”

At these words, a murderous glare flew toward him.

Dark waves flowed within the peach blossom eyes that met the almond-shaped eyes.

Xie Qingcheng’s left wrist was still firmly held by He Yu’s hand. Amidst the tense tug-of-war, Xie Qingcheng’s pulse—passing through the skin, fingers, bones, and deep blue veins—was transmitted directly to He Yu’s ‘information reception center.’

“…Fine.”

Xie Qingcheng gritted his teeth and made a final decision.

“Fine, I get it. I’ll do it.”

He nodded to himself, as if some lingering resentment remained.

“Fuck, I’ll just do the damn acting, okay? Are you satisfied now?”

He Yu, who had been staring at him, slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile. It was a smile that was infinitely soft yet somehow eerie. Soon after, he released Xie Qingcheng’s thin wrist and straightened Xie Qingcheng’s gown and inner shirt, which had been rumpled because of him.

Receiving He Yu’s touch as he adjusted his collar, Xie Qingcheng spoke with eyes like ice.

“But let’s get one thing straight. This shoot is a rehearsal, not the official take. Your crew knows this well. I can help with the emotions, but I can’t do a real kiss. Absolutely just match the angle to make it look like a kiss.”

He Yu whispered softly in his ear.

“I know. Just being embraced is cringeworthy; do you really think I’d actually want to kiss you?”

Lowering the hand that had been adjusting the shirt collar, he gave Xie Qingcheng’s shoulder a final pat. The smile on his face vanished in an instant.

“Xie Qingcheng, once this fight is over, let’s call it a draw and have a truce. I’m actually going to vomit.”

At those words, Xie Qingcheng thought to himself: Fine, tonight I’ll steal this brat’s lines, give a masterclass performance, and take the extra’s daily pay as a bonus.

When the two stepped out from behind the velvet curtain, [unauthorized copy]their faces were stolen contentcalm, as if they had never engaged in a violent argument.

And so, the rehearsal began.

“How much do you love me? What will you give up for me?”

Xie Qingcheng spat out the lines with a blunt face and a rigid tone. What kind of attitude was this for someone in love? He was the spitting image of a family elder interrogating someone while sitting in an antique wooden chair.

It wouldn’t have felt out of place if the next line was, ‘If you don’t confess everything, I’ll break your legs.’

“My god, I’m going cra—”

Just as the director covered her face and was about to call ‘Cut,’ the senior acting director approached and stopped her.

“Wait a moment.”

“The co-star’s acting is too much. How could the professor possibly…”

The experienced senior acting director said with a smile, “Calm down for now and just keep watching.”

Meanwhile, He Yu was already continuing the scene, responding to Xie Qingcheng’s lines.

“I love you sincerely.”

The director, who had paused, turned her head back.

Huh? It’s not as disastrous as I thought?

It wasn’t a masterclass performance, but it was at least watchable.

“I love you sincerely. For you, I could give up everything I have.”

“…”

Xie Qingcheng continued to recite his lines indifferently.

“Look into my eyes and tell me.”

Then, as per the script, He Yu gazed intently at Xie Qingcheng.

It was a gaze filled with temperature and touch. When He Yu’s gaze slid from the eyes and the tip of the nose to the lips, it felt ticklish, and when it slid from the lips to the neck, it felt hot.

“Hyung, I’ll tell you while looking into your eyes…”

Xie Qingcheng remained uncooperative with the acting throughout the rehearsal. Eventually, He Yu looked at him for a moment, then suddenly leaned down and approached Xie Qingcheng’s neck, which was like a sheet of thin ice. The carotid stolen contentartery was pulsing just beneath the skin. Sensing a certain predatory nature, Xie Qingcheng instinctively detected danger. His entire Read on Read BL Novelsbody froze in an instant. He wanted to stop acting immediately, push He Yu away, and avoid his gaze.

He Yu’s lips stopped near the carotid artery.

“You told me to look into your eyes. Why aren’t you looking at me, Hyung?”

This line was an ad-lib. A warm breath delivered this question, which sounded almost like a sigh, into Xie Qingcheng’s ear. The voice, penetrating the pores, traveled down the artery and struck the heart heavily.

The hair on Xie Qingcheng’s neck stood on end. The words ‘You’re insane’ rose to the top of his throat. He shifted his eyes sharply and glared at him with an appalled expression.

However, this was a fatal mistake.

He Yu’s condition was quite good. In fact, it was far better than the senior acting director had expected. There was a reason the senior had changed He Yu’s co-star. Watching the rehearsal, it was obvious that the level of immersion between He Yu and the previous co-star was vastly different. The previous co-star was actually gay and showed blatant affection for He Yu. Conversely, He Yu seemed to feel a repulsion toward this affection. He even disliked contact with the same sex.

In such cases, the deeper the other person’s immersion, the more the repulsion grows, negatively affecting the acting. It was like how a drunk person and a sober person cannot communicate. He Yu needed a sober guide, just like himself.

Although Xie Qingcheng’s acting was a mess, he guided He Yu’s emotional line well.

He Yu wasn’t wary of Xie Qingcheng. The two knew each other’s sexual orientations better than anyone. If he thought of the other as the ultimate ‘old fogey,’ he felt no particular emotion whether he kissed or hugged him. With this perception as a foundation, He Yu’s acting became natural. His gaze as he looked back at Xie Qingcheng could not have been more affectionate.

He Yu tilted his head slightly, acting as a fifteen-year-old boy unable to suppress a secret lust. His breathing gradually became labored, and his gaze grew increasingly desperate. He Yu’s lips, which had been lingering on Xie Qingcheng’s neck, moved upward.

The angle was slightly off, but as if two breaths were entwined like saliva stretching between lips after a unauthorized copypassionate kiss, they merged. The boy focused on his acting while [visit our site]looking at the man before him. The breath he exhaled was hot and hurried. It felt as if unauthorized copythe formless breath would suddenly take physical shape and bury itself deep into the other’s skin.

“…”

Xie Qingcheng felt his entire body stiffen.

That one night at the hotel. Even the drunken He Yu had climbed on top of him and looked at him with such heat. A hot desire characteristic of a youth, similar to that day, crushed him relentlessly.

People naturally feel a slight repulsion toward unfamiliar emotions and objects. Let alone a gaze that collided violently from a distance where their noses almost touched.

Xie Qingcheng thought with a numb mind: Isn’t it normal to feel this tension, for my face to turn pale, and for my guard to be on high alert?

Why are those people around me smiling?

“Okay, cut!”

The director, satisfied with the acting, gave the cut signal.

At that shout, Xie Qingcheng hardened his expression and pushed the incredibly young man away. He Yu’s soft gaze vanished instantly. He stared at Xie Qingcheng’s lips for a while with a strange expression, as if pondering something.

Then, with a look that was almost a smile, he scanned Xie Qingcheng up and down a few times.

“…Are you the type whose acting visit our siteskills manifest visit our site[visit our site]when you’re hugging a block of ice?”

The director, sitting in a chair with her cheek resting on her hand after finishing the monitoring, asked He Yu.

He Yu quietly cast his eyes down.

“I think I’ve figured out the knack.”

By ‘knack,’ he meant that the more seriously he acted, the more Xie Qingcheng’s stomach turned.

Seeing Xie Qingcheng as pale as a corpse, it seemed he had successfully achieved his goal.

The director looked pleased and checked her watch. There was still a fair amount of time left.

“Good, then let’s move into the official shoot right now. Now—”

She called the male student who was He Yu’s original co-star.

“Xiao Zhao, come here! We’re doing the official shoot! Everyone, let’s give it our all before the small auditorium closes tonight…”

Bang!

Before she could finish her sentence, the door of the small auditorium opened with a heavy thud.

Everyone in the auditorium turned their heads in surprise. The auditorium manager, who had just burst in, spoke while panting.

“Time’s up, time’s up! Everyone wrap it up quickly!”

At this, the director flew into a rage.

“No, there’s still rental time left! Look, there are still about forty minutes left, so why suddenly…”

Just as the manager was about to answer, a plain, mechanical sound echoed through the auditorium.

—Throw it… throw it… throw the handkerchief, throw it softly behind the little one, no one must tell the little one…

Everyone froze in a daze at the sudden song.

The sound was streaming simultaneously from everyone’s phones.

“Crazy! What’s wrong with my phone?”

“Some video popped up?”

“Me too! It won’t turn off! What is this?”

Xie Qingcheng quickly checked his phone. All the apps were working normally, but the pop-up window embedded in the top left of the screen refused to close. As he tried to look closer, police officers in uniform entered from outside the small auditorium.

The officer walking at the front spoke in a heavy voice.

“An accident has occurred on campus. It’s a murder case. A curfew is in effect from now on, so everyone please return to your dormitories immediately.”

After a short silence, screams of chaos erupted in the small auditorium.

“Aaaaagh!”