CH 41

After the concert, Yu Le meant to leave immediately. Unexpectedly, Zhu Luo happened to turn around from the backstage and their eyes met in the air.

Zhu Luo was still wearing his suit and holding his violin. He didn’t say hello, just glanced at Yu Le gently and passed by like a stranger. 

Yu Le watched him leave.

Feeling the gaze from behind, Zhu Luo never looked back. He turned into the backstage corridor and headed towards the lounge. As he approached it, he found a man leaning against the wall. This man’s sharp facial profile was like that of a beast, his deep set eyes let him recognize the figure immediately, “Mr. Huo, why are you here?”

Huo Annong didn’t answer, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, he asked instead, “What happened between you and him recently?”

Obviously, Huo Annong had seen the scene just now.

Zhu Luo sighed softly. He didn’t want to ask how Huo Annong found out, he was too tired to think about this right now.

Normally he would never express his feelings towards a stranger like Huo Annong, but at this moment, he didn’t have the mood or strength to hold on to anything anymore. He leaned against the wall—almost without any strength. Closing his eyes, he stretched his neck, “A lot of things happened between me and him. Or to be more precise, I found out a lot about him, nothing’s truly changed for him.” His voice was audibly tired, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but finally, took it back with a wry smile, “There was nothing important though.”

At these words, Huo Annong just blinked and didn’t ask any more questions.

Huo Annong’s attitude made Zhu Luo feel better. He stood up, stretched, and met Huo Annong’s eyes.

His mind wandered to the ridiculous things Yu Le had said before, that he would get together with Huo Annong in the future.

Of course he didn’t believe that someone had seen his future in a dream, so why had Yu Le said that? Was he being perfunctory or teasing him? Carefully looking at the appearance of the man in front of him, he saw the sharp domineering features, deep eyes, and clear outline that made him up. He had to admit that Huo Annong wasn’t bad looking, but he wasn’t his type at all. After all, he had never thought about finding a man. He was ready to spend his life with only his music, completely unaware of anything more if A Yu hadn’t opened his eyes.

Thinking of this, Zhu Luo couldn’t help laughing, muttering to himself, “I’m really so stupid…”

He smiled politely at Huo Annong and went to push the door open to enter the lounge when his phone vibrated at a message.

As soon as he saw the sender, Zhu Luo frowned, disgust showing clearly on his face.

The sender was Wang Furui.

[Mr. Wang: My dear Zhu Luo, watching you on stage today truly made my heart feel alive. I don’t want to look at you like this, because you are a pure white elf on the stage, absent of any desire or desecration. But I’m merely human and when faced with you all I can do is apologise for my filthy desires. I hope to see you again soon Zhu Luo.]

Fuck him!

Resisting the urge to swear on the spot, he gritted his teeth harshly, disgusted and angry.

He had met Wang Furui at the concert a few months ago. Of course, he had refused to share his contact information at first, but then the man began to stalk him and even bribed the staff around him to find his schedule.

This person even managed to use his financial connections to become the sponsor of all his concerts.

Forced through his career, he could only bite the bullet and bear with this man’s pestering.

At first, Wang Furui only made some innocuous comments. Recently though, his messages had become more and more excessive. Today’s was undoubtedly going beyond the realm of normal and was blatant sexual harassment.

When he thought of the middle-aged man squinting his eyes in the audience, he felt sick to the point of nausea—both physically and mentally. Grimacing, he blocked the other.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Zhu Luo’s uncomfortable expression as he stopped by the door, Huo Annong expressed concern out of politeness. After all, he still had a good impression of Zhu Luo and admired his musical talent.

“Well…” Zhu Luo came back to his senses. Lowering his eyes, he didn’t respond. He had acted too obviously right now, having forgotten Huo Annong was still around in his disgust. Calming his expression, he showed some distance and gave the other a cold smile, “It’s nothing.”

Huo Annong didn’t give up, still looking at him in that same polite but distant way as before, “Is everything really okay?”

The man’s tendency to persist in his questioning was wearing Zhu Luo down, not that he wanted to admit it.

He had already confided in him with a few details about Yu Le, not enough to let him know anything, but enough to relieve the psychological burden on his mind. Facing the double sided effects of Wang Furui’s harassment and Huo Annong’s pressing, Zhu Luo really couldn’t stand it anymore.

Complaining, his voice was hard as he said, “Mr. Huo, you and Mr. Wang are friends. Please relay to him that if he continues to send such inappropriate messages, I will call the police and enforce legal action without hesitation.” Finished speaking, he nodded to the other man and moved to leave again.

“Hmm, harassing messages? I see.” Obviously, Huo Annong had long guessed what was going on between them, but out of politeness didn’t ask in detail, instead saying, “Mr. Wang is really being presumptuous. According to what I’ve heard, he merely admires you on stage a bit more than most do, I didn’t expect him to bother you in private. Don’t worry, if I have the chance to see him again in the future, I will convey a warning to him in your stead.”

Zhu Luo wanted to thank him, but Huo Annong’s tone when saying this was really just too much.

What does he mean by being presumptuous?! This was plain harassment!

Playing the violin, he was very sensitive to music, yes, but also emotions. Listening to this man talk, he could easily pick apart the habitual thinking leaking through into his words.

Frowning, he was unwilling to continue the conversation with Huo Annong on this topic and prepared to leave without another word.

“But Mr. Wang and I have never been friends,” Huo Annong hadn’t finished with him yet, “we are just former business partners.”

Zhu Luo turned back in surprise, “Former?”

“Well, Mr. Wang and I had a little disagreement recently over a business deal…We haven’t had much contact recently. Sorry for not being of more help to you.” He nodded politely as he finished his words.

Zhu Luo lowered his eyes, “No need to apologise, many thanks for your efforts Mr. Huo.”

Finally, concluding their farewells, both parties opened the doors and left in their respective ways.

Not aware of this conversation, Yu Le had headed straight back to his small rental house after the concert.

He was still thinking about the unexpected encounter he’d had with Zhu Luo just now, the other person’s figure as he left him behind coldly embedded in his mind. But as soon as he opened the door, the scene in front of him instantly made all his stray thoughts disappear—an uninvited guest was sitting on his sofa in the living room watching the entertainment program with great interest.

He scowled impatiently, “Why are you here again?”

It was Yu Youzhi.

It was only a month ago when Yu Le had solved the sub personality in his dream, but he had lost his job the very next day. At that time, Yu Youzhi actually clung to him, asking if he wanted to be one of his assistants. 

Of course, he refused, asking, “Don’t you already have Assistant Song by your side?”

Yu Youzhi had replied as matter of factly, “I have long disliked him. If you, Yu Le, are willing to come over, I will fire Brother Song immediately. He can go back to his hometown to farm!”

Yu Le couldn’t help but feel that Brother Song was really too pitiful.

In order to dispel this unrealistic idea from Yu Youzhi’s mind, Yu Le vehemently refused and planned to find a part time job again as soon as possible. There weren’t many convenience stores in the small university town though, and he was struggling to find one even by the third day. At this time, Yu Youzhi stepped up and quietly contacted an acquaintance of his who worked for a fairly large magazine company, helping Yu Le find a job providing photos for them. 

He liked photography and the pay was actually pretty good. He thought about it for a bit less than two hours, but there was really no way for him to refuse. And really, he didn’t have the heart to do so anyways.

But being grateful to Yu Youzhi had its flaws as well. His small rental house had gradually become Yu Youzhi’s main place of residence, with him letting himself in whenever he desired.

“How was your day?”

The grey eyed man slumped on the sofa didn’t answer Yu Le’s question. He didn’t even muster the energy to turn around and look at him. Instead, he leaned directly against the back of the sofa, almost flipping upside down to meet Yu Le’s eyes above his.

Although Yu Youzhi had also received an invitation from Zhu Luo, he had been unable to go in lieu of other plans on his busy schedule. Despite his lazy appearance at home, he was still a busy star after all.

“Today’s concert…was not bad. Zhu Luo’s performances never are, even I who has no knowledge of music can admit to that.”

Yu Youzhi sighed noncommittally.

“What’s wrong, are you in a bad mood?” 

The depressed man slumped on the sofa turned around, kneeling as he held the backrest and stared at him with concerning focus, “Haven’t all the sub personalities disappeared? Why are you still obsessed with that violinist?”

“No, I’m just a bit confused about some things…”

After the sub personalities were eliminated, the original plot had obviously become distorted and out of reach, but calculating, the timeline, this should be around the point where the cannon fodder Wang Furui wanted to take advantage of Zhu Luo only to be beat down by Huo Annong. After that, Wang Furui retaliated crazily, almost killing Huo Annong at one point.

Yu Le was a little confused, now that things had twisted so far, did he still need to do anything?

But he felt too uneasy to leave it alone completely.

“Yu Le, what are you thinking about?” Yu Youzhi was still lying on the sofa, staring at him curiously like a child.

Casting a glance at Yu Youzhi, he thought about saying something, but when he met the other’s eyes his throat clammed up. “Nothing, I’m just a little tired.”

Once these words passed his lips, he received a message from Assistant Song asking if Yu Youzhi was with him.

Since being entangled with Yu Youzhi a month ago, there were many more opportunities to meet Brother Song. He really felt pity for this assistant who was on the verge of insanity so often from his willful boss.

Reading the message, he turned his back to reply: [Yeah, Yu Youzhi is here. I really can’t deal with him anymore, come over quickly and take him back!]