LOI Chapter 55 — Say You Love Me

At this moment, no matter how much Rong Ke wanted to go home and confront Yan Zhi, he wouldn’t show it in front of Jiang Si.

He maintained his usual composure, saying in a flat tone, “Thank you for informing me. Apparently, I no longer need to work and can directly become the crown prince’s consort.”

The best way to hurt an ex-boyfriend is to show that your current partner is better.

Since Jiang Si brought up Yan Zhi’s status, Rong Ke played along.

As expected, Jiang Si’s face darkened. “Don’t you understand? He’s just stringing you along because you’re useful. How could he possibly bring you home for real?”

“You seem rather ignorant,” Rong Ke stood on the steps, looking at Jiang Si with a hint of pity. “We’re already engaged.”

Hearing this, Jiang Si was instantly speechless, his smug expression frozen on his face. He finally seemed to realize how foolish he looked trying to drive a wedge between them.

“You won’t be invited to the wedding, and I don’t think we’ll meet again,” Rong Ke continued up the stairs. “I wish you a bright future, Jiang Si.”

After dropping this “blessing,” Rong Ke turned away, immediately dropping his peaceful smile.

Engaged? What a joke!

Yan Zhi never proposed. He only mentioned in an interview that he wanted to get married, and Rong Ke stupidly responded at the awards ceremony.

He couldn’t help but reflect: had he been spoiling this prince too much?

Oh no, if not for Jiang Si’s revelation, he wouldn’t have known that the man at home wasn’t just a prince, but the crown prince.

Reaching his front door, Rong Ke unlocked it with his fingerprint. As soon as he entered the entrance hall, Yan Zhi came from the living room and gave him a big hug.

“Congratulations on your award, wife,” Yan Zhi wore a bathrobe, smelling of shower gel, obviously prepared for the upcoming celebration.

Rong Ke allowed Yan Zhi to grip his hands and kiss him. After a moment, he faintly realized something was wrong and stepped back, looking at the ring on his finger. “What’s this?”

“Engagement ring.” Yan Zhi waved his left hand. “I was going to bring it out when proposing, but it seems we can skip that step now.”

Huh. Skip.

Rong Ke inwardly scoffed and subconsciously wanted to remove the ring. But as his right hand touched it, he hesitated. He felt that his issues with Yan Zhi shouldn’t be taken out on a small ring, so he left the silver band on his finger.

Admittedly, the ring felt quite nice.

Rong Ke twisted the ring, concealing the coldness in his eyes. He casually handed his bag to Yan Zhi, saying, “The trophy’s inside. It’s yours.”

While Yan Zhi was opening the bag, Rong Ke went to the balcony and called Luo Fei.

“Boss?” Luo Fei answered immediately.

“Xiangzi¹, I have a question,” Rong Ke stood by the railing, gazing calmly at the courtyard. “How’s the ‘The Tempest’ contract coming along?”

“Legal just finished reviewing and stamping it,” Luo Fei said. “We can send it back tomorrow.”

“Don’t rush yet,” Rong Ke said.

After a brief exchange, Rong Ke hung up just as Yan Zhi came to the balcony.

He finally seemed to realize the atmosphere was off and asked Rong Ke, “What are we doing on the balcony?”

“Jiang Si moved out,” Rong Ke turned around, leaning against the railing to face Yan Zhi.

“Isn’t that good?” Yan Zhi tilted his head slightly, not understanding Rong Ke’s reaction.

“I just ran into him, and he told me something,” Rong Ke paused, choosing to be direct. “It seems you didn’t come to China just to be MQ’s consultant.”

This unexpected topic clearly surprised Yan Zhi. He raised an eyebrow, transforming from an affectionate puppy awaiting his wife’s kisses to the formal Prince Yan.

“What does he know?” Yan Zhi asked.

“Shouldn’t you be telling me what you’ve hidden from me?”

“I didn’t intend to hide anything,” The puppy returned as Yan Zhi approached Rong Ke, holding his waist. “Whatever it is, please don’t be angry, okay?”

His tone was sincere, his gaze earnest. Those deep eyes stared directly at Rong Ke, which made him almost ascend to immortality again.

However, keeping the ring on was already Rong Ke’s last act of leniency.

He poked Yan Zhi’s exposed chest with his index finger, saying coldly, “You have five minutes to explain.”

Yan Zhi asked, “What do you want to hear?”

Usually, someone who really wanted to explain would have started already, but Yan Zhi was still probing to see how much Rong Ke knew.

Very well.

Rong Ke’s face turned cold as he turned to leave. Yan Zhi, finally seeming to grasp the gravity of the situation, hurriedly stopped him, saying, “At first, approaching you was indeed part of my plan.”

Rong Ke ignored him, walking straight to the bedroom.

“Your face perfectly matched my aesthetic, and your background was as clean as a blank sheet. I thought I could create a new fashion star.”

At this point, he couldn’t help but boast, “As it turns out, I succeeded.”

Rong Ke entered the bedroom, took out Jessie—a pair of fluffy handcuffs—from the drawer, and tossed them onto the bed expressionlessly. “Cuff yourself.”

“Wife,” Yan Zhi frowned in distress, “you know I hate playing submissive.”

Rong Ke crossed his arms, “Then we won’t play anything anymore.”

Yan Zhi obediently cuffed his hands behind his back.

His robe fell open further with the movement, exposing his toned chest and abs in the light.

Rong Ke glanced briefly, unmoved, and asked, “Did you want to make me a fashion star or an influencer?”

By now, Yan Zhi seemed to catch on, saying, “So Jiang Si told you I was using you?”

“I’m giving you one last chance to explain from the beginning.”

“Can I first ask, do you know who Fei-jie married?” Yan Zhi sat cross-legged on the bed, finally adopting an honest attitude.

“I know,” Rong Ke said.

Yan Zhi exhaled, saying, “I don’t know where Jiang Si got his information, but this is Fei-jie’s privacy, which is why I didn’t tell you.”

What Rong Ke wanted to know wasn’t Yan Fei’s gossip, so he asked, “Did you come for the Fashion Group?”

“Yes,” Yan Zhi said, “but I’m also doing my consultant work properly.”

“So when you started the studio with me, you had ulterior motives?”

“You needed a studio after terminating your contract with your previous company, and I needed to tell people about Zhi-Ke Syrup. Does that count as an ulterior motive?” Yan Zhi asked.

Rong Ke’s lips twitched, “Be serious.”

“I am serious,” Yan Zhi said. “Initially, I approached you for work, but after falling for you, I’m certain you’re more important than work.”

When Yan Zhi spoke sincerely, Rong Ke found it hard to be harsh. His brow relaxed slightly as he said, “But you didn’t tell me what your real job is.”

“Because who Fei-jie marries is her business, and it should be her decision whether to tell you,” Yan Zhi said. “Although I didn’t explain everything clearly, it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve given you my best.”

“That’s not the point, Yan Zhi,” Rong Ke sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You said you wouldn’t interfere with my acting career.”

“Yes,” Yan Zhi said, “I haven’t interfered.”

“But you encouraged me to film ‘The Tempest’.”

It’s normal for couples to have privacy, and Rong Ke’s focus wasn’t on who Yan Fei married or which group’s heir Yan Zhi was.

He cared that he had given up a script he liked for Yan Zhi, while Yan Zhi hadn’t told him it was all business.

Not that business was bad.

Things like SPL sponsoring TV dramas and variety shows, and Rong Ke endorsing SPL were business, but these were open transactions. Unlike “The Tempest,” where Rong Ke thought he was filming a movie, but it was actually an advertisement.

“Wen Cheng has strong box office appeal. You won’t lose out by filming his movie,” Yan Zhi said.

Instead of delving deeper, Rong Ke asked, “What are the Fashion Group’s expectations for ‘The Tempest’?”

Yan Zhi asked, “Expectations?”

“In short, how does the investor want Wen Cheng to film it?” Rong Ke said. “Is the entire movie supposed to be filled with luxury brands?”

“That’s necessary,” Yan Zhi said. “I chose Wen Cheng’s film because it’s suitable for integrating luxury brands.”

Just as he thought.

Rong Ke said, “So it’s as I expected, your family’s brands will appear in every corner of the film.”

Yan Zhi seemed to finally understand Rong Ke’s point, frowning slightly, “You think I’m encouraging you to advertise for the Fashion Group.”

“If you had told me beforehand that you needed me to film a promotional video for the Fashion Group, I wouldn’t have refused. Instead, you…” Rong Ke paused, then continued, “You took advantage of my love for you to trick me into filming this movie.”

The bedroom fell silent for a second.

Yan Zhi blinked. “What did you say?”

Rong Ke countered, “Aren’t you trying to trick me?”

“I’m not tricking you. There are multiple reasons for recommending this film to you, but I absolutely have no intention of deceiving you. I understand if you think I’m pressuring you or manipulating you for profit, but do you really believe I’m that kind of person? Even if you don’t want to take it, I’ll prioritize your wishes, because I know you accepted ‘The Tempest’ for my sake.” Yan Zhi continued, “If I heard correctly, you just said you love me.”

Rong Ke, still feeling upset, naturally wouldn’t repeat it. He stood up, leaving Yan Zhi in the bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower. You should reflect on your actions.”

“I’ve already reflected deeply,” Yan Zhi said, reaching out to pull Rong Ke into his embrace from behind. “You don’t want our relationship to be tainted by business interests—and it truly isn’t.”

“That’s not it,” Rong Ke glanced at Jessie nearby, then glared at Yan Zhi. “You didn’t put the handcuffs on?”

“You didn’t check.” Yan Zhi pinned Rong Ke beneath him, gazing at him eagerly. “From now on, I’ll communicate everything with you. You won an award today. Do we really need to argue on such an important day?”

“Who’s arguing with you?” Rong Ke asked, bewildered. “I’m trying to reason with you.”

“I understand what you mean. I didn’t explain things clearly, and it won’t happen again.” Yan Zhi kissed Rong Ke’s lips. “So, can we start celebrating now?”

Rong Ke’s mind was still rational, but his body betrayed him.

After a moment’s struggle, he decided that intimacy and settling accounts weren’t mutually exclusive. “Put the handcuffs on, and we’ll start celebrating.”

“Okay,” Yan Zhi obediently agreed.

The next second, two clicks were heard. Rong Ke looked down to see his own hands cuffed together, and a rush of anger surged to his head.

“Yan Zhi!!!”

By the time they finished, it was late into the night. The accounts remained unsettled, and it was Rong Ke who ended up thoroughly dominated.

He was so exhausted he couldn’t even move a finger, all his anger long dissipated by Yan Zhi’s forceful thrusts.

He lay peacefully on the bed like a drained mummy, while Yan Zhi continued to kiss his collarbone, showing signs of wanting to continue for another round.

This couldn’t go on.

“Yan Zhi,” Rong Ke called out.

“Hm?” Yan Zhi looked up.

No matter how many times he saw it, Rong Ke never tired of Yan Zhi’s face.

He raised his right hand, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of Yan Zhi’s neck. “From now on, I’ll shoot any commercial you want me to, but I don’t want to do ‘The Tempest’ anymore.”

Yan Zhi sighed helplessly. “You’re still upset.”

“It’s not that,” Rong Ke said calmly. “Commercials are commercials, movies are movies. I don’t want to mix them up.”

Yan Zhi didn’t respond.

“‘The Tempest’ is purely a commercial film. Even if Zhou Lin were to star in it, it wouldn’t make much difference to the Fashion Group.” Seeing Yan Zhi’s lack of reaction, Rong Ke raised his other hand. “Or we can do it the old way—rock-paper-scissors.”

“No need,” Yan Zhi grasped Rong Ke’s fist, kissing the ring on it. “Whatever you want.”