SABA Chapter 65

“What do you mean, ‘more than that’?” Jiang Tiao asked for the tenth time.

Huo Shen, in his uncontrollable surge of emotion, had already begun to regret saying those words. Jiang Tiao’s disgusted gaze and the phrase “You truly disgust me” were like knives that had broken off and lodged in his heart. Even though he had repeatedly warned himself with reason that it wasn’t Jiang Tiao, that it wasn’t the real Jiang Tiao, the remnants of that knife were still lodged in his heart, impossible to remove or move. Every beat of his heart would be pierced by the fragments of the knife left there.

He pushed away Jiang Tiao’s head as it nudged closer, blinking his big, bright eyes. “I heard you started a film investment company recently?”

Jiang Tiao: “…”

The topic change was too abrupt!

What else was there? What couldn’t they talk about between them?!

Jiang Tiao let out an “en,” practically writing “Don’t you see how dissatisfied I am?” on his face.

A smile flickered in Huo Shen’s eyes. He had to admit, Jiang Tiao looked quite cute like this.

“Shengyao also invested in one before, and its reputation has always been good. I’ll transfer the shares to you. It will also be convenient for your future distribution and promotion.”

Shengyao Group’s sole subsidiary film and television company had always aimed to support young directors and creators, enjoying a very good reputation both in the industry and online. Whether through a merger or acquisition, it would be of great benefit to Jiang Tiao, who was trying to break into the film investment market.

It was truly a case of “a pillow delivered when you’re drowsy.” No wonder so many people throughout history couldn’t resist the allure of flattery and gifts. Jiang Tiao puffed out one of his cheeks, looking at Huo Shen. Was he that easily appeased?

Huo Shen poked his cheek, as if trying to manually create a dimple.

Jiang Tiao couldn’t help it and deflated, laughing. He patted Huo Shen’s hand away, forgiving him.

Seeing that Jiang Tiao was appeased, Huo Shen asked, “Why did you suddenly want to start a film company? Are you thinking of going behind the scenes?”

“Not really,” Jiang Tiao said. He knew there were many reasons, like seeing many good actors who diligently honed their craft but had no roles, or good directors who wanted to make quality dramas but couldn’t secure investment… But what truly solidified his decision were the things Jiang Mingyan had told him about the past four years. Chu Xu had invested more than half of his accumulated assets in the entertainment industry over the years. The quickest and most effective way to make someone lose money was through market-driven competitive suppression. Chu Xu had used what he extorted from Jiang Mingyan and Huo Shen; he had to make him cough up at least half of it.

Huo Shen noticed Jiang Tiao’s gradually sharpened eyebrows and frowned slightly. However, before he could speak, Jiang Tiao returned to his usual demeanor.

Jiang Tiao’s eyes curved slightly, the gloom and sharpness within them hidden by a gentle smile.

“Acting is quite interesting, but film investment has its own unique pleasures. Besides, my brother constantly says I’m not doing proper work,” Jiang Tiao joked. “Starting a film investment company might make him nag me less.”

Huo Shen said helplessly, “Your brother’s just saying that casually.”

Jiang Tiao knew that too. His gaze gently but deliberately fell back on Huo Shen, as if probing. “What about you? Brother Qingchao said you really disliked the entertainment industry before, and even became displeased hearing any news related to it.”

“If it wasn’t for my feelings, you actually wouldn’t want me to enter the entertainment industry, right?”

Huo Shen asked, “Are you happy as an actor?”

Jiang Tiao thought seriously. “It’s pretty good. I think I quite like acting.”

Experiencing the joys and sorrows, tasting the myriad facets of life…

“When you were filming ‘Under the Principle of Justice,’ I visited the set a few times,” he said, looking from afar at Jiang Tiao rehearsing lines and scenes with his co-stars. Jiang Tiao’s eyes were bright, shining, his whole being radiant. Huo Shen’s eyes filled with a gentle, watery smile. He reached out and stroked Jiang Tiao’s hair. “I don’t dislike the entertainment industry. I just like seeing you do what you love.”

Jiang Tiao’s gaze softened incredibly. He looked deeply at Huo Shen, feeling that there was a reason he liked Huo Shen. Jiang Tiao took Huo Shen’s outstretched hand, about to speak.

With a “crash,” the sound of a glass shattering against marble in the quiet corridor was particularly striking.

“Do you want to anger me to death before you’ll be satisfied?!” Chu Father’s angry voice came from the sofa resting area around the corner of the corridor. “I’ll give you one last chance. As long as you’re willing to marry a suitable woman and have children, I won’t care whether you pursue men or women after marriage. ELEGANT will still be yours, and I won’t support anyone to contend with you.”

A cold, mocking laugh echoed. It was Chu Qingchao’s voice. “And then let her wither away like my mother? Aren’t you satisfied with having killed my mother once? Support whomever you want. I don’t even look at those useless people. ELEGANT was founded by my mother. Without her, you wouldn’t have today. I will not let it fall into the hands of those who killed my mother.”

Chu Hongzhen felt as if he had been slapped. The flesh on his cheeks twitched violently. He gritted his teeth fiercely and turned in place twice before managing to suppress his anger.

“How many times have I told you, the person who killed your mother was Chu Yanhao. If it weren’t for giving birth to him, how would your mother have died? Why don’t you hate him and instead hate me?”

Chu Qingchao sat on the sofa, raising his eyes in disbelief. Every conversation with Chu Hongzhen refreshed his understanding. He had had enough. “You are truly shameless. Do you really have no idea why my mother died? You promised her a lifetime of exclusivity, but after marriage, you cheated again and again. While she was pregnant, what she waited for was your mistress bringing a child to her door, begging for recognition.”

Chu Hongzhen retorted, “I never lied to your mother. The only person I have loved in this life is her!”

Chu Qingchao’s hand, gripping the wine glass, trembled continuously. He suppressed himself fiercely, barely managing to stop himself from splashing the wine on Chu Hongzhen’s face.

Chu Hongzhen continued, “Your mother was just too rigid. The love she wanted simply doesn’t exist. Xiao Chao, I have so many children, but you know, the only one I care about is you. How long has it been since you called me ‘Dad’? You were so obedient when you were little. Those days when our family of three lived together, not only do you not forget, but they were also the happiest times of my life that I most want to return to.”

“You always feel that I didn’t fulfill my fatherly responsibilities towards Chu Yanhao. Yes, because I hate him. My biggest regret in this life is that he was born! If it weren’t for him, your mother wouldn’t have died, and you wouldn’t be arguing with me like this today!”

Every word Chu Hongzhen spoke hit Chu Qingchao’s sensitive nerves. Jiang Tiao looked at Huo Shen. A moment ago, he was worried they might get into a fight; the next moment, he heard a “crash.”

Chu Qingchao directly threw the wine glass onto Chu Hongzhen. The brick-red wine spread across his light gray tuxedo, and the shattered wine glass fell to the ground, its fragments cutting Chu Hongzhen’s hand.

Chu Hongzhen gasped heavily, seemingly not expecting Chu Qingchao to be so rebellious as to throw a cup at him. His face filled with anger as he looked at Chu Qingchao and raised his hand, about to strike Chu Qingchao’s face.

Seeing that there was no way to de-escalate the situation, Jiang Tiao quickly pulled Huo Shen and rushed in, trying to ease the atmosphere. However, what he didn’t expect was that he and Huo Shen weren’t the only ones who had heard the commotion and hadn’t left because they were worried about a fight.

“Dad!”

Chu Yanhao’s voice was the first to ring out. With a displeased expression, he stood in front of Chu Qingchao.

Chu Qingchao seemed to have not expected Chu Yanhao to be nearby. The sarcasm and coldness on his face were replaced by blankness and worry. He was about to open his mouth to tell Chu Yanhao not to believe the vulgar talk when he saw Chu Hongzhen’s palm land on Chu Yanhao’s face. “Slap!” it sounded, heavy, very heavy, with no restraint whatsoever.

Chu Qingchao’s face instantly turned very grim. He looked at Chu Hongzhen with hatred, his eyes leaving no doubt that he would genuinely fight his father in the next second.

“Brother! It’s okay, it’s really okay,” Chu Yanhao said, tightly holding onto Chu Qingchao, afraid he would actually make a move. “Let’s go change. The banquet is about to start.”

No one liked their family affairs to be witnessed by outsiders, especially someone like Chu Father, who was very concerned with his image. He glanced at Jiang Tiao and Huo Shen not far away, then at his own stained suit. His wrinkled face, turned liver-colored by anger and embarrassment, looked at Chu Qingchao, who looked like he wanted to come over and fight him. With a grim expression, he dropped a sentence, “I’ve spoiled you too much over the years. Since you’re unwilling to acknowledge me as your father, you won’t get a single share of my stock!”

No one expected that their casual stroll would lead them to witness this. After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Tiao reluctantly left Huo Shen behind and went to comfort Chu Yanhao.

Jiang Tiao found Chu Yanhao in a corner of the garden, sitting alone on a dimly lit swing. The swing looked somewhat old, having been installed there initially for children, but it had gradually fallen into disrepair due to long disuse. The mushroom-shaped garden lights around it no longer illuminated, becoming purely decorative.

An adult’s frame sitting on a swing meant for children looked somewhat crowded and narrow, but Chu Yanhao didn’t seem to mind. The tip of his finger held a half-smoked cigarette, its flickering light struggling and dancing in the darkness.

Chu Yanhao looked somewhat surprised to see Jiang Tiao.

“Why are you here?”

“Are you okay?”

After both of them spoke unrelated sentences at the same time, they looked at each other speechlessly.

Chu Yanhao reacted first, letting out a cynical laugh. “It’s rare. You can actually be so selfless that you’d ditch Brother Huo Shen to see me.”

After all, whenever Huo Shen was present, Jiang Tiao wouldn’t even have eyes for their friends.

Jiang Tiao was surprised that Chu Yanhao was still in the mood to joke.

Chu Yanhao smiled, gently rubbing the cigarette between his fingers, exhaling a thin smoke ring towards the dark blue sky, like a halo above an angel’s head. Chu Yanhao’s gaze fell upon it, watching it slowly rise until it disappeared into the night sky.

“It’s alright. I’m not that upset. Unlike my brother, he had expectations of a father. Chu Qingchao was born when Chu Father and Mother were most in love. At that time, Chu Father was a good father and a good husband. He experienced fatherly love and witnessed his happy family shattered by Chu Father’s philandering and debauchery. So his feelings towards Chu Father are complex; he hates him, but he also loves him. Chu Yanhao is different. He never experienced fatherly love from birth. His father blamed him for his mother’s death, and whenever he cursed him, he was blaming him for his mother’s death. If his brother hadn’t told him stories of the past and his mother’s love over and over again, he might not have grown up with a healthy personality, and without any psychological issues.”

Jiang Tiao sighed, not knowing what to say. He looked at Chu Yanhao’s slightly swollen profile. Unloved by his father, his mother died young, how miserable! Even Jiang Tiao felt some sympathy for Chu Yanhao. Jiang Tiao rarely felt this way. “Actually, you didn’t need to rush out at that moment. You know your father’s personality. Your dad might not have actually hit your brother, but your dad definitely would have hit you.”

Chu Yanhao glanced at Jiang Tiao with a mournful look. “I thought you came to comfort me.”

Jiang Tiao: “? Wasn’t I comforting you?”

Chu Yanhao: “Has anyone ever told you that you’re really bad at comforting people?”

Jiang Tiao thought seriously. “I don’t think so. You’re the first.”

Chu Yanhao: “…”

Jiang Tiao saw Chu Yanhao looking speechless and exasperated, as if he didn’t want to speak anymore. He guiltily touched his nose. Alright, he actually understood what Chu Yanhao meant. That slap on his face was just a common occurrence throughout his childhood; he was already used to it. But if that slap had actually landed on his brother’s face, he feared his brother would have been hurt.

“Sigh…”

Complicated, so complicated. When matters in this world involve the word “feeling” – whether it’s family affection or love – they often become like threads, impossible to untangle.

Chu Yanhao looked up at the starless, cloud-covered night sky. “Love and hate are strange words. They are opposite, yet they coexist.”

Jiang Tiao rarely agreed with Chu Yanhao’s words.

Chu Yanhao asked, “Would you hate someone you don’t care about at all?”

Jiang Tiao replied, “No, why would you hate someone you don’t care about? At most, you’d find that person annoying, like a bothersome plaster.”

Chu Yanhao continued, “So, if I have strong emotional fluctuations, even hatred, because of someone, does that mean I haven’t let go of him at all?”

Jiang Tiao: “?”

Chu Yanhao asked, “If you hate someone very much, do you feel pleasure in tormenting and insulting them? If you don’t feel any happiness, and sometimes even feel pity when you see their suppressed reactions or faint sadness, why is that?”

Jiang Tiao: “???”

What was he hearing! Couldn’t this topic change any faster! Who “he” referred to here was self-evident!

Jiang Tiao saw the pain in Chu Yanhao’s eyes.

“Ah—” Jiang Tiao screamed and took two steps back. “Don’t talk to me about emotional problems, I don’t understand! Why don’t you try finding Guan Yuyun or Jiao Yiming? One of them has rich relationship experience, and the other got married young. They can definitely give you better advice!”

Chu Yanhao looked exasperated. “I thought you specifically came to comfort and enlighten me?”

Jiang Tiao replied, “Well, I can only offer comfort regarding your family matters!”

Chu Yanhao said, “Then please offer some comfort.”

Jiang Tiao opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Alright, he realized that the Chu family’s affairs were even more complicated to untangle than Chu Yanhao’s relationship problems.

It was rare for Chu Yanhao to see Jiang Tiao show such a distressed expression for something other than Huo Shen. He waited leisurely, wanting to see what Jiang Tiao could come up with.

Jiang Tiao hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself, then wanting to speak again. Finally, he said, “I’ve suddenly realized you’re quite open-minded, and you don’t seem to need my comfort that much. Maybe I should go find Huo Shen. You can pretend I never came?”

Chu Yanhao retorted, “Get lost! You’re prioritizing your love over your friends!”

Jiang Tiao caught the cigarette pack that Chu Yanhao threw at him with one hand and tossed it in his palm like a ball. “I genuinely don’t understand. I’m still researching how to pursue someone, and you’re already talking about love and hate. It’s too advanced for me. If you ask me, liking someone is just liking them. Why are there so many concerns and considerations?”

Chu Yanhao fell silent. Liking someone is just liking them, why so many concerns? He used to think the same way as Jiang Tiao. But relationships are really difficult. He felt like he had laid his heart bare back then, but it still ended up a mess. He didn’t understand, so he hated him unilaterally for many years. However, as time passed and his experience grew, he sometimes looked back and realized that he might have made many mistakes.

Isn’t the purpose of being together for happiness? Since there were so many arguments back then, it was understandable that things didn’t work out. So he gradually let go, thinking that liking someone is one thing, but compatibility is another.

But the heartbreak after their breakup was etched into his bones. Every time he remembered it, he felt a pain like being stripped of bone and skin. So he didn’t want to like anyone anymore because liking someone is too painful.

Jiang Tiao saw Chu Yanhao’s desolate and melancholic expression and couldn’t understand. Shouldn’t liking someone be a happy thing? Why was it so painful?

Jiang Tiao’s genuine bewilderment and confusion made Chu Yanhao’s mood unbalanced. He showed a sinister smile and deliberately said, “Liking someone, and that person liking you back, that’s what brings happiness. What if you can never pursue Brother Huo Shen? You said he’s liked someone for a long time. What if tomorrow he tells you that the two of you are together?”

“!!!”

Jiang Tiao felt that the worst decision he made all night was showing Chu Yanhao misplaced sympathy! This was a twisted psychology of “if I’m unhappy, everyone else must be unhappy too!”

The key point was, even though he rationally knew that Chu Yanhao was deliberately saying this to affect his mindset, Chu Yanhao’s words still uncontrollably transformed into concrete images that flashed through his mind, refusing to disappear. Such things truly couldn’t be dwelled upon; just thinking about them brought an indescribable heartache.

He didn’t want to let go, but if Huo Shen truly found love and became a couple with someone else, what should he do? Like the villainous supporting characters in dramas, disregard Huo Shen’s will and happiness, and disrupt or entangle himself?

Chu Yanhao was just casually being mean. He didn’t really intend to make Jiang Tiao as despondent as him. Seeing Jiang Tiao’s ahoge drooping almost to his forehead, he quickly said, “Hey, hey, hey, I was just talking nonsense. Don’t take it seriously!”

Jiang Tiao glanced at Chu Yanhao with a resentful and lonely look, forced to bow to reality. “You’re not entirely talking nonsense.”

Chu Yanhao: …

No way? What kind of direction is this? If people knew that his words caused another change between these two, wouldn’t he be roasted alive? Chu Yanhao silently “tsk’d” in his heart, feeling annoyed. He wanted to light a cigarette but realized he had just used the pack to hit Jiang Tiao.

Jiang Tiao said distressedly, “I’ve tried every reliable method in the group chat, but Huo Shen simply doesn’t react at all.”

“I think it’s either that he doesn’t consider our relationship in that way at all.”

Or he’s deliberately pretending not to know, wanting to maintain the current relationship through this method, and subtly letting him know to back off.

Chu Yanhao asked, “You’ve tried all the methods in the group chat? Have you tried the method I suggested?”

Jiang Tiao retorted, “I said any reliable methods! Were you actually trying to give me advice?”

Like, “don’t ask questions, just get him drunk, confess, and sleep together.”

“If you want to see me make a fool of myself, just say so. You don’t need to deliberately offer such a ridiculously bad idea.”

Chu Yanhao: …

He truly had nowhere to turn to for reason! He had adopted every single one of the amusing ideas from the group chat. He’d been genuinely trying to help him think of a solution, and Jiang Tiao thought he was mocking him!

Chu Yanhao said with a half-smile, “Have you ever considered that the person Huo Shen likes might be you?”

Jiang Tiao scoffed. “I think you’re quite spiteful. Although I haven’t comforted you as you wished, I at least had the intention and came to care about you. You don’t have to retaliate for that joke I made earlier, it’s too petty!”

… Chu Yanhao was furious. He was petty? Fine!

“Then tell me, why do you think my idea won’t work?”

Why even ask that? This idea was unfeasible from both a logical and ethical standpoint!

First of all, he couldn’t beat Huo Shen, so he couldn’t do anything to Huo Shen. Secondly, if he confessed directly, and Huo Shen couldn’t accept it, given Huo Shen’s personality, the most likely course of action would be to ignore him for a year or two, not see him, and let him calm down and think things through. By then, he wouldn’t even be able to catch a glimpse of him, so how could he pursue him?

Chu Yanhao said, “Okay, let’s sort this out. What do you think is the biggest gap between you and Brother Huo Shen, or what are you most worried about? Is it that before you can soften Huo Shen’s heart, he will have already fallen for someone else, or that he will finally end up with the person he’s liked for so long, right?”

Jiang Tiao interjected, “Use a different word, please. What do you mean ‘end up with’? That person has been liked by Huo Shen for so long, they’re clearly blind. What ‘end up with’? Even if they get together, they’ll just be resentful spouses!”

… Chu Yanhao’s lips twitched twice. He really wanted to see how Jiang Tiao would eat his own words in the future.

What Chu Yanhao said was indeed Jiang Tiao’s biggest concern. He had set his sights on Huo Shen and could spend a lifetime slowly wearing him down. He wasn’t afraid that he couldn’t soften Huo Shen’s heart; he was afraid he wouldn’t have enough time. Seeing Chu Yanhao inexplicably stop mid-sentence, he couldn’t help but urge him, “Continue.”

Chu Yanhao said exasperatedly, “Continue what? I’ve already said it. You just take advantage of being drunk to confess and have sex. With this relationship, plus your years of friendship, tsk, it’s all tangled up. Then you’ll have the time you need.”

Jiang Tiao thought along the lines of Chu Yanhao’s suggestion and felt that his method actually had some feasibility. Setting aside the “making rice into cooked rice” part, he could completely use the excuse of being drunk to deliberately reveal a bit of his feelings. The biggest problem between them now was that they were too familiar with each other. Having grown up together, their relationship as friends was deeply ingrained. The reason Huo Shen hadn’t reacted at all after his prolonged pursuit might be that he simply hadn’t considered it in that way. Getting drunk would be a good opportunity to break through this fixed way of thinking. As for whether he would get a headache, it wasn’t within Jiang Tiao’s scope of consideration at all. If it worked, let alone a headache, even if he underwent eighteen kinds of torture, he believed he could endure it and finish speaking.

If it doesn’t work out, he could just say he was drunk the next day and didn’t remember. Anyway, it was just expressing his feelings; Huo Shen wouldn’t bear to truly do anything to him. If he was willing to pretend that nothing happened, Huo Shen would also be willing to maintain superficial peace with him.

If it really works out…

But he wasn’t very good at this. Should he find some material to study beforehand?

Would Huo Shen… if his sexual orientation had always been homosexual, then it should be possible, right?

Cough, Jiang Tiao quickly pulled back his wandering thoughts.

Jiang Tiao touched his nose and asked, “You said… if I couldn’t hold back and made a move on Huo Shen, would he hit me?”

Chu Yanhao lay down his face and said with great certainty, “No.”

“…” Jiang Tiao felt that Chu Yanhao’s answer was very irresponsible. Also, if he were actually beaten and went to settle the score with Chu Yanhao, that scoundrel Chu Yanhao would definitely be laughing with great joy.

Chu Yanhao, adding fuel to the fire, continued, “Then figure out a way to get Brother Huo Shen to drink some alcohol. You know Huo Shen’s alcohol tolerance, and he wouldn’t have any defenses against you anyway. The banquet tonight is a perfect opportunity! Oh, if you two really reach that stage, you can even text me. I’ll take your brother to ‘catch you in the act,’ then with the evidence, you can take the opportunity to throw a tantrum and make Huo Shen responsible for you.”

“Get lost!” Jiang Tiao threw the cigarette pack back at Chu Yanhao. “Why is it that he’s responsible for me? Why can’t I be responsible for him?”

Chu Yanhao smiled wickedly, “That’s also possible, as long as you’re willing.”

“……” Jiang Tiao touched his nose, not taking up Chu Yanhao’s offer.

Alright, he was indeed unwilling to.

……