Professional Body Double

Chapter 21

Lan Xirong's eyes were a bit red. He was only little past twenty [1], and had never properly dated anyone before, but his instincts told him that he didn't want to give Xiang'ge to another person. When he was unsuccessful and unpopular, only Zhou Xiang treated him well. The people who only came near him after he became popular were nothing.

    Zhou Xiang blinked and quickly calmed down, "Xirong, do you know what you're saying?"

    "I know."

    "Let go of me first." Zhou Xiang gave Lan Xirong a push but Lan Xirong didn’t budge. Lan Xirong stubbornly stared at him. Zhou Xiang said helplessly, "Let go of me. You should know what rumours will start spreading if someone sees us like this." Zhou Xiang slowly, but forcefully pushed Lan Xirong away.

    Lan Xirong half lowered his eyelids. His emotions had calmed slightly. "I'm serious about what I said. I don't trust anyone, they all have ulterior motives, only you are sincerely good to me."

    Zhou Xiang forced a smile, "I had an ulterior motive too. I approached at that time because you were handsome."

    Lan Xirong pursed his lips and looked at him. "In the least, only you were willing to unconditionally help me when I had nothing. I know you liked me in the past. What about now? Don't tell me you don't feel anything for me now?"

    Zhou Xiang didn't know how to explain to him. If you had to talk about liking, he was indeed very fond of Lan Xirong at that time. However, just like when he saw Yan Mingxiu for the first time, he was only attracted to his appearance. Zhou Xiang had never refrained himself from liking good-looking men but a course of events was necessary to develop real feelings for the other person. Lan Xirong fell out with him before giving him the time. Any fondness he had for Lan Xirong couldn't withstand all that happened; he had lost all feelings for Lan Xirong a long time ago.

    Besides, he already had Yan Mingxiu.

    Lan Xirong came back and now wanted to be with him. Zhou Xiang felt very distressed and helpless, because he knew that Lan Xirong wasn't gay.

    Zhou Xiang sighed. "Xirong, you don't like men. Don't be wilful, okay?"

    "But I like you."

    "What you feel isn't like, it’s reliance. You didn't have any friends or any family in Beijing, that's why you think I'm trustworthy, that's why you depend on me, but you don't like men, don't waste each other's time."

    Unconvinced, Lan Xirong tightly clenched his fist. His lips were slightly trembling.

    Zhou Xiang said softly, "Go back and have a good think about it, you're not little anymore, you'll figure it out."

    Lan Xirong wanted to argue, but he didn't know what to say. If Zhou Xiang was still single, he definitely wouldn't have rejected him like this. The resentment and indignation in his heart had nowhere to vent. He was so mad he turned around and kicked a rubbish bin over.

    Zhou Xiang didn't say anything else and silently walked past him.

    Lan Xirong watched his back, his eyes filled with non-acceptance.

    ---

    Zhou Xiang drove and rushed to the studio. Although the movie, in which Wang Yudong was starring as the lead, had met a lot of bumps and issues along the way, they were now almost at the final phases of filming. Today, Zhou Xiang was acting out a combat scene inside a tavern as Wang Yudong's stand-in.

    As soon as he reached the set, he sensed that the atmosphere was strange. The staff all had their heads down, silently busying back and forth. No one was speaking.