SABA Chapter 57

Jiang Tiao fled in a panic.

He had no memory of what he had said or what his expression was before he left. All he remembered was the frantic beating of his heart, so loud it hurt his eardrums.

Fleeing might be shameful, but it was useful… Not at all!

These past few days, he had been dreaming of Huo Shen from time to time. Sometimes it was the image of Huo Shen’s finger brushing his lower lip, and other times it was the hazy glimpses of Huo Shen in the bathroom that drunken night… In all of them, the scenarios invariably developed in ways Jiang Tiao didn’t want to see. Sometimes he was the initiator, sometimes Huo Shen was. Even their innocent affectionate touches from their youth felt twisted in his dreams.

“Ahhh!” Jiang Tiao pulled at his hair. “So annoying!!”

…

Guan Qing and Huo Shen stood in an inconspicuous spot on the set. In the distance, Jiang Tiao was acting opposite the male lead playing a constable.

Guan Qing: “You’re visiting the set and just watching from afar? Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Jiang Tiao’s acting was becoming more and more skilled. Even without post-production enhancements, and with all the crew members around, he could still immerse himself in the role and convey the character’s love, hate, joy, and anger.

Huo Shen watched quietly for a while and then shook his head, “Never mind, it’s not time yet.”

For Jiang Tiao, the bond of growing up together was both a tie and a restraint. If he didn’t resolutely push Jiang Tiao, their relationship would always remain in a comfortable state of pleasant self-sufficiency. And a comfortable relationship rarely makes one want to change. Although pulling the rug out from under someone is painful, it is also the most effective method. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

Guan Qing: “Aren’t you afraid of pushing him too hard? He’s been quiet and withdrawn lately, not half as active as before.”

If Jiang Tiao wasn’t doing well, Huo Shen wasn’t doing any better. He couldn’t suppress his longing and had visited the set several times this month alone.

“What confines Jiang Tiao is always only himself. For Jiang Tiao, once he’s made up his mind about something, it’s never a problem.”

Guan Qing detected a hint of admiration and pride in Huo Shen’s firm tone. He was speechless and felt like laughing, “Don’t blame me for not warning you, but your Jiang Tiao is quite charming. In the few months he’s been in the crew, I’ve noticed at least several people who are clearly interested in him.”

Huo Shen’s composed expression froze. He cast a deep, lingering glance at Guan Qing.

In the distance, after finishing that scene, Jiang Tiao had just stepped out of the camera’s view when a gentle-looking male actor solicitously handed him a cup of milk tea.

Jiang Tiao politely waved his hand and accepted the coffee his assistant gave him. With a tired and silent expression, he sat back in his chair, waiting for the next scene to begin.

Witnessing the entire exchange, Huo Shen reverted to his usual composed demeanor. “It’s fine, he’s always been good at handling these kinds of situations.”

Jiang Tiao didn’t know who was nervous for a moment, and Guan Qing chuckled. However, Huo Shen’s words were not wrong. Guan Qing didn’t know how Jiang Tiao managed it. Based on his limited observations, Jiang Tiao always managed to reject unwanted attention without offending anyone. Even those who had explicitly expressed their feelings for him eventually became ordinary friends.

Guan Qing: “The investors who wanted to bind Ye Qinghan are planning to withdraw their funding.”

Huo Shen understood, “You want me to increase the investment?”

Guan Qing showed a faint smile. “No, I plan to accept Jiang Tiao’s investment.”

Since when did Jiang Tiao start investing in film and television? Huo Shen was somewhat surprised.

Guan Qing: “After the audition that day, Jiang Tiao came to see me. He said that whether he was ultimately chosen or not, I could ask him for the investment funds I was lacking.”

“He knew that if I insisted on choosing him, some investors would withdraw their funding, and I would definitely turn to you. He thought you weren’t interested in investing in the entertainment industry, so he didn’t want you to do something you didn’t want to do because of him.”

Of course, according to Guan Qing’s observations, there was also a small selfish motive on Jiang Tiao’s part – he didn’t want Guan Qing to approach Huo Shen.

Huo Shen, however, knew nothing about this. After that angry meeting at the hotel, Jiang Tiao had forbidden Zhuang Xiang from revealing any information about him – except for his whereabouts.

He was making a film and also running a film investment company?

Guan Qing: “I’m repaying the favor I owe you to Jiang Tiao, and I believe you would do the same for him.”

Huo Shen’s gaze fell on Guan Qing, his eyes appraising.

Guan Qing smiled, “At my age, I naturally hope that all lovers in the world can end up together.”

Even if he could no longer have it in this life…

…

On the day Jiang Tiao finished filming, almost half the crew gave him flowers. With a grand gesture, he booked the largest and most expensive hotel in Hengdian and treated everyone in the crew to a meal.

The dinner was lively, and Jiang Tiao, as the protagonist, was in high spirits all night.

After sending everyone off, Jiang Tiao, with shaky steps, returned to his family’s car. He rested his arms on the window frame, his chin on his arms, gazing at the brightly lit, bustling street with a vacant look in his eyes.

Driver Uncle Tao: “Are we going back to the hotel?”

Jiang Tiao shook his head.

Uncle Tao: “Then shall I take you to Young Master Huo Shen?”

Jiang Tiao’s eyes flickered slightly, and he finally buried his face in his arms, his voice muffled, “Never mind, take me to Chu Yanhao’s place.”

…

Chu Yanhao thought Jiang Tiao was crazy, making him pick him up at the airport at one in the morning to go to a bar.

Chu Yanhao grumbled as he picked him up and drove, carrying his burden without complaint.

Jiang Tiao nestled in the passenger seat, gazing at the colorful neon lights beneath the overpass. Chu Yanhao’s angry pronouncements about being woken up from his sleep went in one ear and out the other.

When they were children, he and Chu Yanhao had a very difficult time getting along at first. He only met Chu Yanhao because of his brother and Chu Qingchao. His brother had been good friends with Chu Qingchao since childhood and always invited him along wherever he went. However, Chu Qingchao couldn’t rest easy about the young Chu Yanhao, so he always brought Chu Yanhao along on long trips.

Given Jiang Mingyan’s personality, he wouldn’t be willing to bring a child. So, whenever Chu Qingchao brought Chu Yanhao, he would bring Jiang Tiao along. Then, based on the idea that if one child needed looking after, two children could be left to play by themselves, he would send Jiang Tiao and Chu Yanhao off to play.

Chu Yanhao wouldn’t show it too obviously in front of Chu Qingchao, but as soon as Chu Qingchao left, he would start being annoyed with Jiang Tiao.

Jiang Tiao could certainly guess the reason. When he was young, he was sunny, cheerful, and articulate, and everyone liked him. Chu Yanhao, on the other hand, was a standard mischievous and hyperactive troublemaker. When they were together, it was easy to imagine who others would treat with more kindness.

Chu Qingchao was Chu Yanhao’s most important relative, like a brother, father, and mother. Just as a child gets jealous when they see their parents being kinder to other children, the better Chu Qingchao treated Jiang Tiao, the more Chu Yanhao disliked Jiang Tiao.

Jiang Tiao thought Chu Yanhao was sick, complaining about being disliked by everyone while also resenting him for being likable. Coupled with his own bit of young master’s temper, after Chu Yanhao gave him the cold shoulder twice, they entered a phase of mutual digging, disdain, and even fighting countless times.

The real turning point came during their trip to the catacombs in Paris, when Chu Yanhao scared him with a skeleton late at night. Chu’s father, in order to account for the situation to the Jiang family, severely beat Chu Yanhao. It was the only time Chu Qingchao had ever seen his father beat Chu Yanhao in front of him without intervening.

Jiang Tiao heard about it and felt very annoyed, thinking Chu Yanhao would surely resent him even more and would be even more relentless in the future.

But what he didn’t expect was that Chu Yanhao would come to apologize to him the next day. He walked into the hospital room with a limp, his face bruised and swollen, clearly having been beaten badly. His face was full of guilt and apology, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were so easily scared. I really didn’t mean to scare you this badly. I thought you weren’t afraid.”

Jiang Tiao was speechless at the time because he had never met anyone so bad at apologizing! But Chu Yanhao’s apology was sincere. From his eyes, it was clear he wasn’t forced to come; he genuinely believed he was wrong and felt very sorry.

Jiang Tiao felt at that moment that although Chu Yanhao was disliked by everyone, he was surprisingly a decent person.

Later, with great magnanimity, he grudgingly became friends with him.

Chu Yanhao glanced at the rearview mirror and happened to catch Jiang Tiao’s gaze, giving him goosebumps. “Are you calling me out late at night just to use your newly learned acting skills to gross me out?”

Jiang Tiao rolled his eyes. So, it was really hard to talk to someone like Chu Yanhao properly.

Perhaps it was because of Huo Shen.

“I’ve been remembering things from the past a lot lately.”

It was as if he wanted to re-examine and revisit the past.

That trip to Paris was like that too. He had already made plans with Huo Shen to go on a seaside vacation with their families a few days later. But early in the morning, he was inexplicably pulled out of bed by Jiang Mingyan, stuffed into a car, and put on a plane. He resisted the entire way, nearly severing his brotherly ties with Jiang Mingyan. It was only when Huo Shen called and told him that he would come to Paris to find him in a few days that he reluctantly forgave Jiang Mingyan.

He could even clearly recall his feelings when he received Huo Shen’s call. The anger was like being doused with a basin of cool water, hissing and steaming, leaving only boundless grievance.

Chu Yanhao: “Getting old, are you? When people start to age, they begin to like reminiscing about the past.”

Jiang Tiao was very speechless. “Thanks, I’m only 22, a year younger than you.”

Chu Yanhao was left speechless, only able to respond with a cold “Heh.”

Seeing Chu Yanhao steadily driving the car into the underground garage, Jiang Tiao finally realized that he hadn’t experienced any significant bumps along the way – considering Chu Yanhao’s driving was on par with his own.

“Why has your driving become so steady lately?”

Chu Yanhao’s mocking and teasing expression paused. He seemed to realize something, his face showing annoyance and frustration. He slammed on the accelerator and parked the car, nearly causing Jiang Tiao to hit the windshield.

Jiang Tiao almost threw up from the seatbelt, “Are you crazy!”

Chu Yanhao said sinisterly, “You’re still talking so much even though I’m driving steadily.”

Jiang Tiao seemed to understand something, yet he understood nothing. “What’s going on?”

Chu Yanhao’s expression was sinister, and of course, he didn’t answer him.

Normally, Jiang Tiao would have been keenly interested in asking a few questions, but he was also feeling melancholic himself. Since Chu Yanhao wasn’t saying anything, he couldn’t be bothered to ask. And so, it became two people with their own worries, listening to the rock music downstairs and drowning their sorrows in alcohol.

Jiang Tiao’s alcohol tolerance was not bad compared to Huo Shen’s three-drink limit, but it was not impressive compared to someone like Chu Yanhao, who frequented bars.

After a few cocktails, he was already feeling dizzy.

Chu Yanhao watched Jiang Tiao slump onto the table, spinning an empty glass. Tsk, this was why he didn’t like drinking with Jiang Tiao.

It was always like this; before he had even started drinking, the other person was already unable to hold their liquor.

He finished the brandy in his glass and intended to get the drunkard out of here before he lost all reason and revealed his true drunken nature. However, before he could implement his plan, he heard Jiang Tiao, in a despondent yet serious tone, ask, “What does it feel like to like someone?”

…