AMMSCF Chapter 22

Chapter 1-21

---

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month had just passed. Duan Baisui was once again immersed in busy work.

The Spring Festival film had received a great response, with a total box office of 5.8 billion. The actors who starred in this film also saw their value soar. They had even been nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, with a strong chance of winning.

Not only that, but the xianxia drama that streamed online during the winter break had also become a massive hit.

It not only made the male and female leads popular, but Ju Xiao, who played the second male lead, also gained a large number of fans thanks to his outstanding acting skills.

He was no longer an obscure, unnoticed minor celebrity. Now, with his own strength, he had fought to win back his reputation. Having started as an idol, he was not just a pretty face, nor was he a dodder vine that could only cling to those three Alphas to get any attention.

He, who used to be inconspicuous in the group, had finally shone brilliantly, proving that Duan Baisui’s eye for talent had not been wrong.

Because of Ju Xiao’s sudden surge in popularity and the considerable buzz he had previously stirred up, many variety shows had approached him, but Ju Xiao politely turned them all down.

He had joined Director Qin’s team and recently only wanted to focus on acting well and honing his skills. He did not wish to squander his newfound popularity.

The company and his manager both respected his decision. After all, a good actor who wants a long-lasting career needs a solid foundation.

After his vacation, returning to the company meant that Duan Baisui had far more social engagements, and every night he would only come back in the early hours.

But no matter how late it was, whenever he opened the door to his room, Zuo Nian would always have a small night lamp on, waiting for him.

The drowsy Omega would crawl out from the warm blankets, run downstairs to bring him sobering soup, and would even use his warm palm to rub his stomach, easing the pain caused by drinking and eating cold, raw food.

“Gege, are you feeling better?” Zuo Nian looked up and asked.

“Much better.” Duan Baisui replied softly. He stroked the back of Zuo Nian’s neck, pulling him closer into his arms, and said, “You don’t have to wait up for me anymore. Go to bed earlier yourself.”

“But I want to wait for you.” Zuo Nian said softly. “Gege drinks and feels awful. Nian Nian is your Omega. I have to take responsibility for you and take good care of you.”

“You also have to go to the shop every day. It’ll be tiring for you.”

“It’s not tiring,” Zuo Nian retorted. “Nian Nian can secretly nap in the shop. But Gege is so busy, you don’t even have time to slack off. Gege works even harder.”

After a whole day of busyness, Duan Baisui would always find warmth and comfort here with Zuo Nian.

Duan Baisui kissed his forehead, murmuring tenderly, “Sleep now.”

“Gege, good night.”

“Good night.”

Holding the person in his arms, Duan Baisui realized with absolute clarity that he seemed to have fallen in love.

He loved Zuo Nian’s gentleness, loved how tolerant he was toward him, and loved even more his innocence and sweetness.

His Omega had so, so many good qualities. Why had he only come to realize it so late?

—

In mid-February, Xing Entertainment launched a new idol-making project, planning to inject fresh blood into the company.

The audition show was being prepared intensively. That day, when Duan Baisui came out after a meeting, Luo Yin came over and said, “Mr. Duan, a Mr. Zhou Xu is looking for you. He’s been waiting in the reception room for quite a while.”

“Zhou Xu?” Duan Baisui instinctively repeated the name in question.

“Yes.”

Zhou Xu was one of the few friends Duan Baisui could truly open his heart to.

The two had known each other since junior high. Later, when they went abroad, they studied in the same region, often meeting up for small gatherings. They had even bought houses near each other. Both sets of parents had arranged it so they could look after one another.

Later on, Duan Baisui returned to the country early to take over the company, while Zhou Xu was still preparing for graduate school. His father had always hoped he would become an excellent lawyer, but clearly, that hope would come to nothing.

When Duan Baisui pushed open the door, he just happened to hear a robotic female voice: “Defeat!”

Zhou Xu threw down his phone and cursed, “You suck, marksman!”

Looked like he’d lost another game.

“When did you come back?” Duan Baisui’s sudden question startled him.

Zhou Xu turned his head, then got up and gave Duan Baisui a warm hug, shouting, “Alex! Finally, I get to see you!”

When someone shows such unexpected enthusiasm, there’s always a catch.

Duan Baisui coldly pushed him away and asked, “Did you pass the bar exam?”

Zhou Xu’s face instantly fell. “No. I had a fight with my dad. That godforsaken place, I don’t want to stay there another second! I said I’d come back, so I came back. That’s how much backbone I have!”

“And then?” Duan Baisui knew it couldn’t be that simple.

Zhou Xu’s father was extremely strict with him and had once declared that if he didn’t pass the bar exam, he wasn’t allowed to come back to the country.

But who was Zhou Xu, anyway?

One hundred and fifty jin of body weight, one hundred and forty-nine jin of pure defiance.

If he wasn’t falling in love, he was on the way to falling in love. His mind was never on his studies. It would have been strange if he actually managed to pass.

“Then he froze all my cards. I don’t have any friends back home, so I could only come running to you. I heard your company is planning an idol show. What do you think, do I have what it takes? I think with my looks, I can earn a living in the entertainment industry.” Zhou Xu said, half joking, half serious.

Duan Baisui looked at him. “With your overseas dating history? You want to be an idol? You’d debut in the morning, apologize by noon, and quit the industry by the afternoon. I don’t have time to do PR cleanup for you.”

Zhou Xu: …

“Then let me stay with you for a few days, okay? I have nowhere else to go. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you for long. My mom will feel bad for me, you know.” Zhou Xu said shamelessly.

He really knew how to play his mother.

Duan Baisui glanced at the time, past four in the afternoon. Today’s work was done early, and there wasn’t much left to do.

Looking at Zhou Xu, all travel-worn and in a sorry state, he said, “Come on, let’s go.”

“Got it!” Zhou Xu quickly pushed his suitcase along. “Duan Ge, you’re the best.”

After all, they were childhood friends who had known each other for so long, and it was rare for Zhou Xu to be back in the country. Duan Baisui couldn’t bring himself to dump him at a hotel.

He figured Zhou Xu’s family wouldn’t let him drift outside for too long anyway. Treating him like a guest, Duan Baisui brought him straight home.

The villa was quiet today. Auntie Liu had gone out grocery shopping and hadn’t returned yet.

After changing their shoes and stepping into the living room, Zhou Xu, exhausted, pushed his suitcase aside and flopped onto the sofa like he had no bones left in him.

Just then, Zuo Nian’s ginger cat suddenly jumped out from somewhere, eyed the two of them warily, then darted upstairs.

Zhou Xu chuckled and said, “You have a cat now?”

Duan Baisui said, “Zuo Nian picked it up.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot that you’re already married.” Zhou Xu immediately sat up straight. “Where’s your wife? I couldn’t make it back for your wedding back then, so I haven’t officially met him yet.”

“He should be at the shop,” Duan Baisui said. “It’s not like you don’t know him.”

“Of course I know him~” Zhou Xu dragged out his tone. “Your little child bride, huh~”

“Back in junior high, you used to drag me along to lunch every day just to avoid him. Then in the afternoons, you’d go home with me, too. My first love back then always thought you were an Omega. She made such a fuss about it.”

“When we graduated from junior high, that kid said he wanted to get into the same high school as you, so you turned around and chose to go abroad instead. That made my dad insist on sending me out, too. Tell me, wasn’t I just an innocent bystander?”

Duan Baisui shot him a sidelong glance. “You got sent abroad. Wasn’t it because you got caught having an early romance, refused to break up, and then the girl’s parents came knocking? Your dad got so mad he shipped you off.”

“Nonsense.” Zhou Xu pouted, stubbornly denying it. “But back to you. If you didn’t like him so much back then, how did you end up marrying him after all that running in circles?”

Duan Baisui said, “I promised him when we were kids. Besides—”

Zhou Xu cut him off. “Yeah, right, keep making stuff up. You clearly said before that childhood promises don’t count, so why did you cave? That’s not like you at all, Duan Baisui. If you ask me… you just didn’t want to accept a forced match, so you went along with him instead. Who doesn’t know you? You big block of straight-man wood, no heart at all.”

Duan Baisui was just about to argue back when the villa door opened.

Auntie Liu came in carrying groceries, walking through the entryway into the living room, and greeted them politely, “Young master, sir, you’re back.”

“Auntie, you went grocery shopping? Sorry for the trouble. There’s an extra mouth to feed today.” Zhou Xu said with a bright smile.

Auntie Liu laughed along with him. “What are you saying, sir? Have a seat, I’ll go cut up some fruit for you.”

Zhou Xu said, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Auntie Liu carried the groceries a few steps, then suddenly stopped and looked toward the staircase. She asked in surprise, “Young Master Zuo, you still have a fever. Why are you sitting on the floor?”

---