SABA Chapter 56

Jiang Tiao has been having Zhuang Xiang collect information on Chu Xu’s investments and fund flows over the past few days, while also reaching out to many friends to inquire about his activities during the past four years. The answers he received were all shocking and confusing, making him doubt if he was truly under a spell, as Jiang Mingyan had suggested. Otherwise, how could he have done so many unbelievable and infuriating things?

Normally, when faced with such a situation, Jiang Tiao would immediately seek out Huo Shen, either for comfort or solace. He could always find inner peace with Huo Shen. However, due to the intimate dream from that night, he felt too ashamed to face Huo Shen and couldn’t bring himself to take that step. The guilt and regret from learning about his actions over the past four years were driving him mad.

Fortunately, Guan Qing’s television series finally began filming, forcing him to pack his bags and join the crew. The daily filming schedule was demanding and tight: wake up, apply makeup, rehearse, shoot, remove makeup, sleep. The day was practically over.

While he had to dedicate more and more energy to understanding and portraying his character, he was also grateful for anything that could distract his thoughts and attention.

Lin Wansi played a courtesan whom Zhao Heng often visited while drunk. She had many scenes with Jiang Tiao. She was beautiful, cheerful, and had a good relationship with Jiang Tiao on set. One day, the new issue of “ELEGANT” was released, and her agent was coming to see her. She specifically asked her agent to bring a copy from an offline sales channel, planning to take it out during lunch to admire her cover photoshoot pictures, which had become popular online.

Jiang Tiao had a good personality and had mingled with everyone on set within a few days of joining. Early that morning, many people came to congratulate him or tease him. Jiang Tiao didn’t pay much attention at first until he was resting between scenes and took out his phone. He saw a trending push notification: “Shanyao Group’s Leader Accepts Interview After Many Years, Waiting for Years for One Person to Turn Back!”

Jiang Tiao initially thought it was an unscrupulous marketing account but discovered upon clicking that it was Huo Shen accepting a written interview with “ELEGANT.” The beginning of the interview contained answers about technology, intelligence, the future, company strategy, and environmental protection. Only the last paragraph discussed emotional matters.

Editor: A source revealed that you have remained single all these years because you have someone you like?

Huo Shen: Yes.

Editor: May I ask how long you have liked him?

Huo Shen: Ten years.

…

The comments below were all roaring with excitement.

[Ahhh, how can there be such a perfect and devoted person!]

[What kind of novel male lead is this! Young CEO of a listed group, created miracles with his own hands, devoted and loyal! And chaste!]

[Please, let the female lead see this interview and have a happy, perfect ending of broken mirrors mended or old flames rekindled!]

[Why is it a female lead? Didn’t the editor use “him”?]

[Is it a public coming out? Impossible, right?]

[According to the “Modern Chinese Dictionary,” “him” can refer to a third-person singular pronoun when the gender is unknown or when there’s no need to distinguish. [Note]]

[A piece of cold knowledge every day: In all emotional interviews for “ELEGANT” magazine, if it’s unclear who the interviewee is referring to, “him” is used uniformly to represent them.]

…

The comments increased by tens of thousands in an instant, impossible to keep up with. “Shanyao Group Leader’s Relationship” immediately surged to the top of Weibo’s trending list, with a deep purple “Hot” sign prominently displayed.

The marketing accounts didn’t post magazine photos, only a few snippets of the interview text. However, someone on Weibo quickly posted screenshots of the relevant interview photos – identical to the content from the marketing accounts.

Jiang Tiao didn’t believe it. There were so many fake news and false information online every day. Videos could be photoshopped, let alone a single photo! Jiang Tiao found Lin Wansi and almost tripped over his ancient costume robes. “Where is the new issue of ‘ELEGANT’? I want to see it.”

Lin Wansi was amused by Jiang Tiao’s hurried appearance. As she went into the RV to get it, she teased, “What’s wrong? Are you so eager to admire your handsome photos?”

Jiang Tiao, uncharacteristically, didn’t respond to the girl’s remark. He quickly flipped to the interview page and found that it was exactly the same as the photos online!

For the first time, Lin Wansi saw an expression on Jiang Tiao’s face that could be described as grim. He gripped the magazine tightly, folding a corner and leaving an irreparable crease. Upon closer inspection, one could see that his hand holding the magazine was trembling slightly.

Jiang Tiao wasn’t just angry; he was extremely, extremely angry. He felt as if his liver, heart, spleen, and lungs were all in pain, his head was buzzing, and he had a slight ringing in his ears.

The events of that night had made Jiang Tiao hesitant. He hadn’t figured out what the future held for him and Huo Shen, and then he learned that Huo Shen had someone he liked! He suddenly felt the rage of discovering that a jar of rice, which he had painstakingly obtained, saved, and cherished for years, and finally decided to taste after cooking, had been stolen by a mouse!

Huo Shen had someone he liked and didn’t tell him? And it wasn’t a fleeting infatuation but something he had liked for ten whole years! Ten years!

During those ten years, they had discussed relationships, but Huo Shen had never mentioned it to him.

What did their friendship of over ten years mean then?!

Jiang Tiao took out his phone and found Huo Shen’s number. His voice was almost gritted through his teeth, “Where are you?”

Huo Shen’s voice sounded very calm, “Jiangcheng.”

Jiangcheng was next to Hengdian, and it took less than an hour to drive there.

Jiang Tiao: “I’ll come over after I finish filming. It won’t be later than midnight at the latest. You wait for me!”

Huo Shen hung up without a word. Hearing the beeping sound from the phone, he was in an exceptionally good mood and began to eagerly await the evening.

Jiang Tiao looked at the magazine he had creased and apologetically offered to apologize to Lin Wansi and replace it. Lin Wansi sensed that Jiang Tiao was preoccupied and magnanimously waved it off, telling him not to worry.

The afternoon scene involved berating an imperial envoy, which was perfectly suited to Jiang Tiao’s current mood. His anger was expressed with great specificity and detail, and all three scenes were completed in one take.

Jiang Tiao found Guan Qing to ask for leave. Guan Qing seemed to have known in advance, “Don’t worry, your scene tomorrow is in the afternoon.”

Jiang Tiao’s mind wasn’t on this, so he didn’t notice the discrepancy in Guan Qing’s words. He hadn’t even said where he was going, so how did Guan Qing know he could return before the afternoon tomorrow?

Jiang Tiao had intended to drive himself, but as soon as he entered the parking lot, he saw Huo Shen’s driver, Li Lu.

Li Lu was in his thirties, looking as elite and capable as Lin Shun. His attitude was humble, and his tone was very polite, “Young Master Jiang, Chairman Huo sent me to pick you up.”

Jiang Tiao’s expression was sullen, “Your Chairman Huo is really thoughtful!”

Li Lu’s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t heard the sulkiness in Jiang Tiao’s tone.

Jiang Tiao was angry with Huo Shen and didn’t want to ride in Huo Shen’s car, but in the end, he couldn’t bear to make Huo Shen worry.

Li Lu drove steadily and quickly, delivering Jiang Tiao to Huo Shen’s hotel in less than an hour.

Jiang Tiao had immense anger in his heart. He had already thought about how he would severely reprimand and scold this untrustworthy person who broke his promises and betrayed his trust when they met! He fiercely opened the door, the “bang” echoing through the quiet corridor.

He had expected to be furious, but the moment he saw Huo Shen, his anger subsided by a third without any resistance.

It seemed like it had been half a month since he and Huo Shen had last seen each other.

Huo Shen was sitting in the living room of the hotel suite. On the snow mountain-colored slab coffee table, there was a cup of cold brew tea and a glass of iced mint water.

Jiang Tiao walked over and drank the mint water in one gulp. “Mint water cools the fire,” Jiang Tiao gestured with his chin towards the teacup Huo Shen had placed in front of him, his eyes narrowed with danger, “What’s the use of cold brew tea?”

Huo Shen’s expression was as gentle as always, with a smile that held an unreadable meaning. “To help me stay calm.”

Jiang Tiao couldn’t see anything uncalm about Huo Shen from head to toe. He felt that even every strand of his hair screamed “calm”!

Jiang Tiao picked up the teacup in front of Huo Shen and drank it all in one go. Then, with a “clang,” he placed the teacup back heavily, wiped the water from his lips, “I’m the one who needs to be calm!”

Jiang Tiao spread the magazine out in front of Huo Shen. “Is this interview true? Did you answer all of it? Did you say it yourself?”

Huo Shen looked into Jiang Tiao’s eyes. He felt as if they contained a rumbling, active volcano. The smell of sulfur and smoke carried by the steam spurted from the fissures, and the molten lava squeezed the rock layers, emitting dull cracking sounds. The dark red glow of the earth’s fire dyed the clouds orange – a magnificent and bizarre spectacle that all photographers longed to witness, no matter how arduous the journey.

“Of course. ‘ELEGANT’ is not some gossip tabloid. They always show the interview to the person concerned, and it’s only published after obtaining consent and authorization.”

Jiang Tiao did not expect Huo Shen to admit it so frankly, without any possible excuses. Jiang Tiao’s head buzzed with anger, and the fire in his heart could not be suppressed, rushing straight up, as if a mushroom cloud had exploded in his head. He spun around twice in place before suppressing the urge to grab Huo Shen by the collar.

“I remember asking you if you had someone you liked, and you said no!”

Huo Shen: “You misremembered. I never answered that way.”

Jiang Tiao blinked in surprise before realizing that Huo Shen had indeed never directly answered that question. Then why had he always had the illusion that Huo Shen had never liked anyone?

Jiang Tiao felt a surge of grievance from his anger, “But you definitely said that if you found a partner, you would let me vet them.”

Huo Shen: “I only like him unilaterally and dare not hope to be together. If I really have a chance to be with him in the future, I will definitely let you know first.”

What kind of love-struck, devoted, and pitiful statement was this?! Jiang Tiao finally understood why his brother had such a look of disappointment, wishing he could break open his head and take a look. You cherish him in your palm, dote on him, indulge him, fear even the slightest unhappiness, not wanting him to suffer even a tiny bit of grievance. And then, in a blink of an eye, he goes to grovel for someone who appeared out of God knows where! And the object of his affection doesn’t even love him! He doesn’t even take him seriously! Jiang Tiao’s heart ached with anger!

Jiang Tiao gritted his teeth, “Is that person male or female?”

Huo Shen: “Male.”

Jiang Tiao froze for a moment before realizing. No wonder! He thought he clearly remembered asking Huo Shen, but he had asked if he had ever liked any girl at the time. Damn it!

“You like men, why don’t you like me?!”

Huo Shen’s eyes held a smile, and he calmly asked, “Do you like men?”

The words he had spoken so confidently over two months ago, during his argument with Jiang Mingyan, came back like a boomerang, hitting Jiang Tiao and slightly dampening his fervor. He had indeed thought he didn’t, but that was because he had never considered it. Jiang Tiao, though not justified, retorted, “I…”

Huo Shen: “Then do you like me?”

Jiang Tiao’s aggressive words were stuck in his throat. His eyes, burning with fire, were like a startled fawn, filled with panic and bewilderment.

The intimate dream, his inner conviction, and every righteous rebuttal after others’ teasing flooded his mind… He was flustered and wanted to say, “I’m not…” but the words were stuck in his throat, unable to escape.

Huo Shen stood up and walked step by step towards Jiang Tiao. The warm chandelier behind him cast his shadow completely over Jiang Tiao. He reached out, cupped Jiang Tiao’s chin, and gently stroked his lower lip with the pad of his thumb, “Jiang Tiao, you want me to give you an answer for something you haven’t even figured out yourself?”

…