Chapter 36

The corridor was bathed in a warm yellow halo, elongating the figures and casting them on the distinctly textured wallpaper. Ruan Feng hurried to the door of 6206, with black sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, his palm-sized face mostly covered.

Qu Yanting had summoned him with a single, cold-toned phone call. He didn't dare to delay, dropping his half-eaten small cake and rushing over.

The doorbell rang. Ruan Feng unzipped his down jacket, which was done up to the top, revealing his chin. The door clicked open. He took off his sunglasses and looked up to see Lu Wen opening the door.

Ruan Feng quickly glanced at the nameplate on the door, confirmed it was 6206, and then greeted him hesitantly, “Brother Lu Wen... here for a visit?”

Lu Wen pulled at the corners of his mouth and smiled, a smile that was two parts awkward, three parts guilty, and five parts lingering astonishment, all blended together into a hundred percent forced expression.

The room was warm. Ruan Feng took off his down jacket but didn't dare hang it up, instead holding it in his arms to maintain the posture of a guest. Strolling into the living room, he saw Qu Yanting sitting upright in the center of the long sofa. The upturned corners of Qu Yanting's eyes glanced over sideways, like icicles falling from the eaves.

Ruan Feng shrank his neck, remembering scenes from his childhood when he had made mistakes. Qu Yanting would be just like this, and he would act cute, pounce on him to kiss his face, and even fetch water to wash his feet.

But now, in front of Lu Wen, he couldn't even call him "Brother." Ruan Feng put aside his inner thoughts and said, "Teacher Qu, I'm here."

The incident had happened at the hot pot restaurant. It was just the two of them, but the emotions were earth-shattering. Qu Yanting was wide-eyed, Lu Wen tongue-tied. If the waiter hadn't pushed the door open to add more broth, they could have faced off in the roiling, steamy heat until dawn.

Qu Yanting had promised to treat, so he paid the bill, including compensation for the teacup, then wrapped his coat around himself and left the hot pot restaurant, calling Ruan Feng from the taxi.

Lu Wen stuck to the other car door the entire time, shrinking his 188cm frame, acting shy and awkward. His face was pressed against the window, red to the ears, causing the driver to frequently sneak glances at him in the mirror.

Arriving at the hotel, Qu Yanting strode ahead with large steps while Lu Wen trailed behind with his head down. After swiping the keycard to open the suite door, Qu Yanting grabbed Lu Wen by the collar and yanked him into 6206.

Lu Wen didn't dare to enter the room proper. The small space of the entryway became his cage; he was imprisoned here, facing the wall to reflect on his mistakes. The withered and dying carnations in the vase were a true reflection of his current state.

Qu Yanting went in and out, ignoring him—washing his face, changing his clothes, brewing a cup of Longjing tea—while waiting for the other involved party to arrive.

Now everyone was here. The one surnamed Lu was uncomfortable all over, while the one surnamed Ruan had a face full of innocence. They stood in the living room like a stalk of twin flowers—one blooming foolishly, the other blossoming naively — like real brothers.

Qu Yanting's lips, pressed into a thin line, parted, and he said bluntly, "No need to pretend anymore."

Ruan Feng didn't understand at first and reflexively glanced at Lu Wen. Lu Wen belatedly realized that Ruan Feng's eyes were actually a bit like Qu Yanting's—the corners were slightly upturned, but their overall shape was rounder.

Ruan Feng gave up thinking. "What happened?"

Qu Yanting answered, "He already knows about my relationship with you."

Ruan Feng was so stunned he couldn't quite believe it. "No way, we were hiding it so well..."

Qu Yanting said, "I told him."

Ruan Feng looked even more surprised, but his body reacted instinctively. He tossed his jacket aside, walked over to sit next to Qu Yanting, and picked up the readily available tea to quench his thirst.

After drinking, he asked curiously, "Why..."

Qu Yanting turned his head, framing both the person sitting next to him and the one standing by the coffee table in his view, and spoke to both of them at the same time, "If I didn't tell him, even jumping into the Jialing River wouldn't be enough to clear my name."

Lu Wen's face burned. He moved his lips, wanting to salvage the situation, terrified of saying something else irreparable.

Not understanding the reason, Ruan Feng asked, "Brother, what do you mean?"

"You have the nerve to ask?" Qu Yanting flipped his hand over and pinched Ruan Feng's thigh. His five fingers were long and flexible, the back of his hand tensing to reveal elegant tendons. Ruan Feng immediately let out a pained cry and shot up from the sofa.

Lu Wen remembered how Qu Yanting had grabbed his wrist, anxiously telling him not to leave.

Ruan Feng steadied himself. "Brother..."

Qu Yanting said, "How did you explain it to him back then?"

Ruan Feng was clueless but obediently repeated his story. As Qu Yanting's expression grew darker and darker, his voice grew quieter, and he edged closer to Lu Wen for cover.

After he finished, Ruan Feng turned his head to ask, "Brother Lu Wen, what exactly is going on?"

From the moment Qu Yanting had yelled the words "biological brothers," the shock in Lu Wen's eyes seemed semi-permanent; it hadn't faded. Even now, a stubborn spark of hope remained in him, seeking to turn the tables.

Lu Wen said hoarsely, "Xiao Ruan, are you and Teacher Qu really biological brothers?"

Ruan Feng answered, "Really."

"Then why isn't your surname Qu?"

"I took my mother's surname."

"Why is his name so elegant, while yours is so ordinary?"

"My original name is Ruan Mengtang."

"Hey, wait a minute." Ruan Feng came to his senses. "How is mine ordinary? Ruan Feng, Lu Wen, we're on the same level, aren't we?"

Lu Wen acted as if he hadn't heard. He grabbed both of Ruan Feng's hands like a poverty alleviation official having a heart-to-heart talk, his voice trembling slightly. "Those things you said at the hospital..."

Ruan Feng said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I made all of that up."

A chill ran through Lu Wen's heart. As expected of a screenwriter's real brother, he could spin a tale off the cuff that left him in utter turmoil. Letting go of his hands, he stammered, "You've made me suffer so much."

Ruan Feng didn't understand the whole story at all, but he knew he was in the wrong for lying. He gripped Lu Wen's shoulders, with an air of sharing his sorrow. "This is why you never followed me back, right?"

The space between Qu Yanting's eyebrows twitched. Now that the matter was clarified, he told Ruan Feng to get back to the bedroom.

Once Ruan Feng went into the room and closed the door, the living room fell silent. The crystal chandelier glowed with a cold light, and Qu Yanting watched with cold eyes. The relationship between the three of them had been straightened out; now it was time to sort out the twists and turns between the two of them.

"Sit there."

Lu Wen obediently sat down. The astonishment vanished, leaving only a thick embarrassment in his chest that surged to his face, making it turn pale one moment and red the next, like a built-in "yuan yang" hot pot effect.

Qu Yanting asked, "Do you believe it now?"

It was as if Lu Wen's cervical spine had snapped, his head hanging nearly to the floor. "I believe it."

Qu Yanting began to settle accounts. "Before this, what did you think my relationship with Xiao Feng was?"

Lu Wen remained silent, and the surroundings fell silent with him. In terror, he straightened his spine and met Qu Yanting's lake-like eyes. The silent pressure was more effective than any interrogation.

"I thought," he couldn't take it anymore, "you were his... sugar daddy."

Qu Yanting's waist rested against a cushion, very relaxed. Every subtle expression revealed a languid air. "You even know what a sugar daddy is?"

Lu Wen lowered his head, accepting the mockery. He reasonably suspected that after this incident, in Qu Yanting's mind, his brain would be considered to have less substance than a plate of pig brains.

Qu Yanting had no patience for pulling teeth. "Spit it out yourself."

"Leniency for those who confess." Lu Wen clenched his fists on his knees, gritted his teeth, and steeled himself. "I thought you were interested in me, that you wanted to sleep with me for roles!"

"That night I accompanied you for your IV drip, I went to check my blood pressure, and my heart rate was so fast because of you! You scared me!"

"You sent me 520. It was the first time in my life I'd ever received that number, of course I'd get excited."

"When Ruan Feng asked me to bring you grapes, I was in agony! Those grapes might have been delicious for you to eat, but they were like a hot potato in my hands!"

"When I went to your room at night, I was scared to death, afraid you'd try to coerce me, or even force yourself on me. But man proposes, God disposes. I accidentally turned on the projector and managed to piss you off instead!"

Scene after scene flashed through his mind as Lu Wen poured out all the tangled feelings that had been stuck in his chest these past few days. He confessed everything he could. From having a 'broken' spine, his chin slowly lifted, and a trace of feeling wronged began to brew in his desolate heart.

Wasn't the shock he received big enough?

Who was it that had Ruan Feng being so huggy when he first came in? Who was it that had Qu Yanting smiling so gently and intimately? Who was it that had these two brothers meeting in the middle of the night?

Lu Wen said pitifully, "I was in the wrong, but is it entirely my fault? You were nice to me, that wasn't just my imagination, was it? Even Ruan Feng knew how to make up such a moving story, so you can't blame me for getting the wrong idea!"

Qu Yanting's temples throbbed. "So now it's my fault?"

"At least you misled me!" Lu Wen yelled. "There were several RVs, but you only rode in mine. When we were filming the car crash scene, you touched my face. That night we went swimming, you even ruffled my hair—you ruffled all the brains out of my head! The note I tucked into your hand, you kept it all this time. The carnations are all withered to hell, but you still have them in the vase!"

Qu Yanting was so angry his eye sockets felt hot. "Are you trying to be shameless?"

"I'm speaking the facts!" Lu Wen said stubbornly, craning his neck. "In the taxi, you said Ruan Feng and I were very similar. Do you know how much trouble that one sentence caused me!"

Qu Yanting couldn't bear it anymore. "That's because I see you as a younger brother!"

In that instant, Lu Wen fell silent.

Dazed, his heart, which had been full of emotions, felt as if it had been pricked by a needle. It instantly emptied and deflated. If Qu Yanting saw him as a younger brother, then all of his actions became reasonable.

He couldn't say a word, like a deflating ball.

After a long while, Lu Wen gave up all rebuttal, admitted defeat, and apologized without a struggle, "Teacher Qu, I'm sorry."

Qu Yanting bent his index finger and pressed the knuckle against the space between his eyebrows. In the time he had known Lu Wen, he felt like he had experienced a lifetime's worth of ridiculous misunderstandings at an accelerated pace.

He didn't want to waste any more mental energy on this farce. "I hope you can keep my relationship with Xiao Feng a secret," he said.

"I will," Lu Wen promised.

The clock on the wall was approaching midnight. A wave of fatigue washed over Qu Yanting, and he issued a pardon, "Go back."

Lu Wen could finally escape, but his movements were slow and mechanical. It was all a misunderstanding. Qu Yanting and Ruan Feng didn't have that kind of relationship, Qu Yanting didn't want to sleep with him for roles, and he even saw him as a younger brother.

But why couldn't he feel a single trace of comfort?

After all this, would Qu Yanting still bother with him?

Lu Wen couldn't help but stop. His hope was no match for his anxiety, but he didn't dare hold his words in any longer and had to ask clearly, "Teacher Qu, can we still get along like we did before?"

Qu Yanting replied softly, "I'm afraid not."

Lu Wen nodded and shuffled away. When he reached the entryway, his tall figure stopped again, and he decisively turned back.

He rushed in front of Qu Yanting and squatted down beside his knees. Having already lost all face and dignity, what else mattered? He tilted his face up. "I'll never do something so brain-dead again. Can you forgive me?"

Qu Yanting tried to pull him up. "Get up first."

"I... this is my limit," Lu Wen said, a little panicked. "I can't do anything more idiotic than this. Please give me one more chance."

Qu Yanting was momentarily speechless. The person squatting here and begging him was also the person who had stood guard outside the restroom to protect him. All the shock and anger from tonight softened into an uncontainable pool of helplessness.

Qu Yanting took Lu Wen's arm and pulled him up with him. The space in front of the sofa was small, and they stood very close.

He said, "It's because I'm leaving."

Lu Wen opened his mouth, but only empty air passed between his lips and teeth. He had long forgotten that Qu Yanting was only following the production and would naturally leave once he was finished.

He had no right to ask him to stay.

He didn't know how he got back to 6207.

The night grew late. Qu Yanting turned off all the lights and lay down on the bed in the dark, curling his knees and pressing his back against the headboard. He felt tired, but after such a tumultuous night, he wasn't very sleepy.

Qu Yanting put his phone on silent and noticed an unread WeChat message. It was from Yu Nan, who had booked his plane ticket and sent him the flight information, along with some work that had been arranged for after his return.

He looked at it for a moment, didn't reply, and exited the chat.

Below Yu Nan was Lu Wen, with a childish cartoon avatar and his real name as his nickname. Qu Yanting tapped on it, edited the contact name, and changed his perfectly fine name to "Idiot."

He had groups for his Moments feed—close friends, distant acquaintances, industry circles—all divided into many detailed categories. The pad of his finger hovered for a moment, but he couldn't decide which category to put Lu Wen in.

Qu Yanting skipped this step and opened Lu Wen's Moments feed.

There were quite a few handsome photos, showing him looking cool and smug. Most were posted a few months ago; since filming had started, Lu Wen had been too busy to post any photos.

But there was a rich variety of text-only posts.

Qu Yanting scrolled down a bit and stopped at the first post. The date was the day he joined the cast. Lu Wen had posted one sentence: Never appreciated a Porsche so much.

Judging by the time, it must have been posted from the car.

The second night, after the big joke at the commencement banquet, Lu Wen posted a reflection at dawn, blocking his father: Today I said something that would get me killed if Lu Zhanqing heard it.

The day Qu Yanting explained the scene, Lu Wen was hit hard. That night, he asked on his Moments: Are my overseas fans here?

After bumping into Ruan Feng's late-night meeting with Qu Yanting, Lu Wen could only sigh to himself: Fuck! Fearing he couldn't stop himself from letting it slip, he added in parentheses: Comments on this post are disabled.

Long night shoot is so tiring. I'll just share a song.

You all might not believe it, but my salary is higher than a certain popular young idol's.

It happened suddenly, so I stole a flower from the hotel.

Ugh, so the persimmon cough remedy was from a WeChat article. If someone like that can get into grad school, it's no surprise I got into a first-tier university.

Can Lu Zhanqing not call so suddenly? What's the benefit of scaring your own son to death!

That was the last one. Qu Yanting calculated the dates. The misunderstanding had occurred the night Lu Wen took him to the hospital, and after that, Lu Wen had been silent.

He couldn't help but laugh. The guy had to post about every little thing. He must have been really frustrated these past few days.

Qu Yanting exited the personal album. The "Moments" feed showed Lu Wen's avatar. He tapped to refresh and saw a sentence Lu Wen had just posted a few seconds ago.

"I really should eat some pig brains,"

Pfft. Qu Yanting couldn't help but laugh.

Perhaps it was an occupational hazard, but he noticed the sentence ended with a comma, which bothered him a little. He commented, half-joking and half-instructing, "Change it to a period and post it again."

The silenced phone made no sound, only a notification box flashed once at the top of the screen.

Qu Yanting returned to the chat list. Lu Wen's avatar was at the very top, showing one unread message. He opened it curiously.

Lu Wen had sent: Because I deleted the second half of the sentence.

Qu Yanting asked: What was the second half?

After a long time, the typing indicator appeared and then disappeared. Just as the screen was about to go dark, Lu Wen replied to him: Then can you leave a little later?

Qu Yanting held his phone, stunned in the faint light.

In 6207, just a few walls away, Lu Wen had been tossing and turning. Before he suffocated from holding it in, he had sent that sentence, deleting the second half before hitting send. He hadn't expected Qu Yanting to comment, and in a moment of impulse, he had blurted it out.

It was too late to retract the message. Lu Wen punched himself and tried to backtrack: I mean... could you stay to watch one more of my scenes?

A long dozen or so seconds passed.

Qu Yanting sent: Okay.

After replying, Qu Yanting tapped on Yu Nan's avatar again and typed out a sentence: Postpone the flight. Put all the scheduled work on hold for now.