LOI Chapter 08 — The Gossip Judge

Rong Ke knew paparazzi were everywhere, but he never expected that even a nobody like him would have baseless rumors spread about him on such a remote island.

The barrage of accusations didn’t anger him; he found it amusing. “You snuck away from the set just to ask me this?”

“What else?” The eyes beneath the baseball cap barely contained their fury. “Do you know I stood up the entire crew for you?”

Rong Ke found it even more amusing, a hint of mockery escaping his lips.

When he cheated, it was always “busy, something came up, talk later,” but now that he thought Rong Ke was cheating, he didn’t mind offending the crew.

“Didn’t you sleep with Liu Qing too?” Rong Ke leisurely lit a cigarette, his casual attitude as if discussing everyday matters. “You shouldn’t mind me and Yan Zhi either, right? After all, you wanted to have a foursome originally.”

“That was just a mistake, a moment of weakness. But you,” Jiang Si said, “you’re deliberately getting back at me. How can that be the same?”

So cheating could be categorized now.

Rong Ke chuckled softly, taking a drag from his cigarette, and played along with Jiang Si’s words. “Yes, my intentions are malicious. So can we break up now?”

In the past three years, Rong Ke had learned one thing: the secret to maintaining a relationship was compromise.

As long as one party was willing to compromise, nothing was insurmountable.

Rong Ke was the type to accommodate his partner in a relationship, compromising most of the time. He adjusted his schedule to Jiang Si’s, catered to Jiang Si’s food preferences.

Even when Jiang Si often complained about his lack of fame and criticized his odd jobs, he just let it slide.

After all, they had genuinely liked each other once.

But now Rong Ke was unwilling to compromise anymore, leaving only one outcome for the two of them—to go their separate ways.

The alley had no streetlights. Moonlight fell quietly on Rong Ke’s face, making him appear aloof and distant.

Jiang Si’s gaze towards Rong Ke gradually filled with disillusionment. “How dare you break up with me, Rong Ke? Haven’t I invested enough in you all these years? I introduced you to idol drama resources, but you didn’t take them. I took you to fashion week to broaden your horizons, but you were a wet blanket.”

“You’re always like this, blind to all the good I do for you. Am I not capable of supporting you? Yet you insist on working odd jobs. If that gets exposed, we’d both lose face. You blame me for going public with Liu Qing, but ask yourself, could I go public with you? People would ask, who’s Rong Ke? Isn’t he just a construction worker? What am I supposed to say?”

Jiang Si had brought up the part-time job issue countless times, but Rong Ke really couldn’t comply.

After being shelved by his agency, any role Rong Ke took bypassing the company would violate his contract. If the company pursued it, he’d have to pay several times his income in breach of contract fees.

So Rong Ke only took one or two roles a year at most, afraid to take more lest Zou Wei use the contract against him.

But he couldn’t stay idle when not filming. He’d been working part-time jobs to earn living expenses since college, so continuing now wasn’t a big deal.

Moreover, Wen Cheng, the director of “Inferno Case,” once told Rong Ke that actors must learn to observe. So Rong Ke didn’t see part-time jobs as merely a way to make a living but as great opportunities to observe the myriad aspects of life.

How could he possibly give up a part of his acting career just because Jiang Si criticized him a few times?

“And your attitude too. Have you ever considered that you’re not famous because of your low EQ?” Jiang Si continued, “Someone as magnanimous as Mr. Zou has long moved on from past events. What’s wrong with apologizing? If the company gives you a couple of film and TV resources, you’re afraid you won’t become famous?”

“But you refuse. You think apologizing lacks backbone. Please, you’re in the entertainment industry. Backbone is the most useless thing!”

Rong Ke listened silently for a long time, his cigarette burning to its end.

He tossed the butt into the trash can, his eyes showing no emotion. “Are you finished?”

“No.” The more indifferent Rong Ke’s attitude, the more agitated Jiang Si became. “You clearly care most about yourself. I really can’t feel how much you like me. When I went public with Liu Qing, you didn’t even call me. I had to come find you myself. Do you even see me as your boyfriend?”

It was getting more and more absurd.

Rong Ke frowned slightly, unable to help asking, “So you cheated, and you think I’m the one with the bigger problem?”

Seeing Rong Ke finally respond, Jiang Si calmed down a bit, taking a deep breath before saying, “I think we’re both at fault for this situation. Let’s put the past behind us and start over. You know I care about you. I can understand why you’d want to get back at me like this. It was mainly my mistake first. I’ll apologize to you, okay?”

“No need, Jiang Si,” Rong Ke said. “Let’s end it here. Let’s break up.”

“I don’t agree,” Jiang Si’s eyes moved, his eye rims starting to redden slightly. “After so many years together, are we really going to throw it all away because of one mistake I made?”

Rong Ke turned his head away, not responding.

“I know you’re not such a cold-hearted person,” Jiang Si said, his voice hoarse. “Or are you abandoning me for Yan Zhi?”

“Think about it. What kind of people hasn’t he been with? How could he possibly be interested in you? You probably weren’t even that into it when you were with him. You’re always like that. He won’t like your performance.”

Rong Ke’s patience finally ran out. Just as he was about to tell Jiang Si to stop talking nonsense, the sound of flip-flops suddenly came from around the corner.

Looking back, they saw a tall figure in flip-flops walk up beside Rong Ke, a lazy voice with a distinctly arrogant British accent. “He performed excellently last night.”

Jiang Si, who had been full of emotion just moments ago, suddenly froze in place, even the glimmer of tears in his eyes receding.

Well, Rong Ke thought, the gossip judge really showed up.

Nothing had actually happened between them last night. Where did this “excellent performance” come from?

But he also knew that “His Honor” was here to help, and he really didn’t want to continue entangling with Jiang Si anymore, so he played along, “It’s thanks to your good training.”

Yan Zhi, who had been looking at Jiang Si, glanced at Rong Ke beside him upon hearing this, the corner of his mouth curling into a knowing smile.

Jiang Si’s face changed as quickly as flipping a page. The previous vulnerable and pitiful look vanished. When he spoke again, his eyes were full of aggression. “This is between the two of us.”

“Then carry on,” Yan Zhi said quite reasonably. “I just need to listen in on the parts that mention me.”

Jiang Si gritted his teeth, clearly not daring to offend Yan Zhi, this big shot—or in his words, this was a display of high EQ. He turned back to Rong Ke, saying in angry humiliation. “How could you become like this, seeking pleasure under another man for resources?”

“If that’s the case, why bother putting on airs with Mr. Zou? Isn’t sleeping with anyone the same?”

After listening to Jiang Si’s tirade for so long, Rong Ke had felt nothing, but hearing these words, his eyes suddenly turned cold. “You knew?”

Jiang Si realized he had slipped up, freezing for a moment with a flash of guilt in his eyes.

“So you’ve known all along that Zou Wei wanted to take advantage of me, and when I refused, the company shelved me.” Angry to the extreme, Rong Ke’s voice began to shake. “And you said nothing. You still want me to apologize to Zou Wei?”

“I only found out recently…” Jiang Si mumbled, then added, “But Mr. Zou has moved on. If you apologize, he won’t do anything to you again.”

“Enough, Jiang Si.” Rong Ke took deep breaths, suppressing his surging anger. “You really know how to suck up to your boss. I’ve learned my lesson.”

His fingertips dug into his palm, but Rong Ke felt no pain.

However, the flood of anger was suddenly dissipated by a warmth transmitted through his skin. Yan Zhi grabbed Rong Ke’s wrist and asked, “Shall we go?”

Before Rong Ke could speak, Jiang Si hurriedly grabbed Rong Ke’s other wrist, saying urgently, “Don’t go.”

“Let go.” Rong Ke no longer wanted to say more to Jiang Si. He coldly shook off Jiang Si’s hand and left the alley with Yan Zhi.

Yan Zhi kept holding Rong Ke’s hand as they walked for a long time, until it became inappropriate to continue. Only then did Rong Ke withdraw his wrist.

Yan Zhi bought a six-pack of beer from a small shop. They found an empty beach to sit down. Yan Zhi opened a can and handed it to Rong Ke, asking, “Are you alright?”

After walking for a while and feeling the sea breeze, Rong Ke’s emotions had calmed down. “I’m fine.”

Yan Zhi drank his beer while glancing at Rong Ke, as if confirming he was really okay before casually asking, “Why did he think we slept together?”

Instead of answering, Rong Ke asked, “How long were you listening?”

“About the time it takes to smoke a cigarette?” Yan Zhi said.

No wonder he smelled faintly of smoke.

Rong Ke let out a breath, took a sip of beer, and said, “He saw a post on Guatian¹. Someone said you entered my room last night.”

Yan Zhi: “Guatian?”

Jiang Si was an avid internet surfer. He followed his own news and loved gossiping about others.

Rong Ke found the gossip forum Jiang Si frequented from memory, located the post in question, and handed his phone to Yan Zhi. “This one. The source is probably someone from MQ.”

Yan Zhi took Rong Ke’s phone and scrolled down the page. As he scrolled, he suddenly chuckled.

Rong Ke asked, “What’s so funny?”

“They’re saying you lasted less than fifteen minutes,” Yan Zhi said, looking amused as if he wasn’t the subject of the gossip.

Rong Ke took back his phone and looked at the comments, completely speechless.

He frowned and said, “Bullshit.”

“So how long do you usually last?” Yan Zhi asked.

“Can you have some sense of boundaries?” Rong Ke deflected the sudden question, retorting bluntly, “Whether I wax or how long I last, what business is it of yours?”

Although the MQ consultant was someone Rong Ke should curry favor with, when Yan Zhi lacked boundaries, Rong Ke responded in kind.

Yan Zhi’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he said, “You dumped that scumbag, yet you seem to be in a bad mood.”

Rong Ke thought to himself, how could his mood be good?

After all, it was a three-year relationship. Three years down the drain – who could be in a good mood?

Seeing Rong Ke silently chugging beer, Yan Zhi mused, “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced what you’re feeling. My breakups have always been peaceful.”

“Have you ever been hurt?” Rong Ke asked.

“No.” Yan Zhi shrugged, revealing his life philosophy, “Love is just a seasoning, not a necessity. How much damage can it do?”

“…Fair enough.” Coming from His Highness, it seemed quite reasonable.

Rong Ke hadn’t intended to discuss his love life with Yan Zhi, but as they drank and the alcohol took effect, he gradually opened up.

“You know what’s most ridiculous? He, someone who’s never studied acting, tried to teach me how to act, hah.”

“He said the most important thing in acting is to look handsome from all 360 degrees. He even screenshot a scene where I had an emotional outburst, saying my expression was ugly.”

“I’ve been top of my class every year. Do I need him to teach me?”

“…”

“Rong Ke,” Yan Zhi quietly observed the red-faced, unusually talkative Rong Ke, “you’re drunk.”

The beer was finished, and so were Rong Ke’s complaints.

He collapsed onto the beach, gazing at the starry sky, feeling his eyelids grow unbearably heavy.

Jiang Si was right about one thing: let the past be the past. So let today be the dividing line to say goodbye to the past…

“Rong Ke?” Yan Zhi looked at the person beside him breathing steadily, uncertainly waving a hand in front of his face. “Asleep?”

— It’s just a breakup, is it necessary to get this drunk?

Yan Zhi didn’t understand, but he left Rong Ke’s side.

–

That night, Rong Ke slept fitfully, alternating between hot and cold, constantly feeling like his body was sinking.

He didn’t know how long he’d slept when he opened his eyes in a half-awake state. A magnified face entered his field of vision without warning.

Yan Zhi’s face was indeed pleasing to look at, even more captivating up close…

Wait.

Rong Ke sat up abruptly, looking around, completely bewildered.

He and Yan Zhi had actually slept on the beach all night?!

A tattered canvas covered him, likely found by Yan Zhi somewhere. Perhaps due to the night’s chill, Yan Zhi’s hand rested on his waist, clearly using him as a human heater.

“Yan Zhi?” Rong Ke shook the person beside him forcefully.

“Hmm?” Handsome brows furrowed tightly as Yan Zhi displayed an irritated expression of someone whose sweet dreams had been disturbed.

However, upon recognizing their surroundings, he sat up from the sand and said, “Awake?”

“Why are we sleeping here?” Rong Ke asked.

Even if Rong Ke had accidentally fallen asleep last night, Yan Zhi could have easily woken him up.

What was the point of finding a tattered canvas to use as a blanket for both of them?

Was His Highness suddenly inspired to experience camping on a whim?

Yan Zhi didn’t answer. He took out his phone to check the time, then looked at the gradually brightening sky in the distance and said, “Perfect timing.”

“What?” Rong Ke asked.

Yan Zhi leaned back on his hands, tilted his chin up, and pointed to the distance. “Look.”

Rong Ke followed Yan Zhi’s gaze. In the blink of an eye, a golden semicircle began to emerge from beneath the ink-blue horizon.

It was the sunrise.

Rong Ke was stunned.

So Yan Zhi had accompanied him on the beach all night just to show him this fresh sunrise?

“Feeling better?” Yan Zhi asked.

Rong Ke pressed his lips together, unsure what to say, and finally just gave a soft “Mm.”

He wasn’t sure if Yan Zhi wanted to see the sunrise himself and brought him along, but judging from some of Yan Zhi’s actions, Rong Ke realized he seemed to be… a difficult person to define.