Chapter 27
How could that be possible?
Although Lu Shenxing’s tone was indifferent, perhaps just a casual question, for some reason, Ji Wei scrambled to explain before he even had a chance to open his mouth.
“You’re my fan.” Lu Shenxing continued flipping through the book, paused, and said, “You’re not allowed to switch your allegiance.”
Ji Wei was stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Lu Shenxing’s expression was gentle, as if he was no longer angry. He wouldn’t ask him again if he understood what marriage meant. Instead, he maintained the distance of an idol and a fan with him.
It was just as he had hoped.
Not so far that he couldn’t see him when he looked up.
Not so close that he would be burned by the light.
But for some reason, his chest felt tight, as if something was blocking it, making it hard to breathe. He thought it might be because the hospital room was too stuffy. He needed to go out for a walk.
***
Zheng He packed his things and left the television station building. The people around him looked at him as if he were some kind of virus, afraid to be associated with him. He spat, “If I’m going down, you’re not going to have it easy either.”
He had worked hard at the station for twenty years. Even if he had no merits, he had put in the effort. He never expected the station to turn its back on him so quickly. Not only did they fire him, but they also sued him for embezzlement.
He would remember all of this.
He tightened his grip on the USB drive in his hand. He had taken photos of Film Emperor Lu on the beach, about to kiss Ji Wei. If these were released, they would definitely become a trending scandal.
At this thought, his anger suddenly subsided.
If he was going to hell, he would definitely drag someone down with him.
Zheng He carried his box to the parking garage, unlocked his car with his key, got in, and fastened his seatbelt. Just as he was about to drive out of the garage, a Porsche suddenly lost control and sped towards him.
His pupils contracted instantly, his eyes filled with terror. His hands on the steering wheel trembled uncontrollably, and he was so scared he lost control of his bladder. But no matter how scared he was, the car still came straight at him.
With a loud crash, the two cars collided.
His car was just a Volkswagen worth just over two hundred thousand yuan. Its safety and protection features were no match for the other car.
His head slammed directly into the car window, a bloody mess. A heart-wrenching pain shot through his legs, and the USB drive in his hand was thrown out of the half-shattered window.
In the moment before he lost consciousness, Zheng He finally understood why everyone in the industry was so respectful to Film Emperor Lu. Lu Shenxing was absolutely not someone he could afford to provoke.
Let alone Ji Wei, whom he protected with his life.
***
For two consecutive days, Ji Wei took leave from school to take care of Lu Shenxing at the hospital. However, there was a city-level calligraphy and painting competition being held at Yan University that afternoon.
Although it was only a city-level competition, because it was co-hosted with the sister city of Moscow, the photos of the event posted on his Moments looked particularly grand. He heard that reporters from CCTV and Moscow’s official television station would be there for live coverage and interviews.
Yan University placed great importance on this competition, and the class president had signed everyone up for it. He had to go back to school to participate.
Just as he arrived at the entrance of the competition venue, he received a message.
[World Destroyer]: Damn, Wen Zimu seems to have gone crazy because his family went bankrupt. He’s livestreaming on Weibo, doxxing your real-life information.
Ji Wei frowned and opened Weibo.
[Bilibili’s Wen Zimu]: I am furious about the accident that occurred on the National Style show. What makes me even more furious is that the show has been deceiving the audience from the very beginning. The so-called handsome, top-school student is just a marketing gimmick. Sharp Comment Lord exposed this before but was forced to apologize due to capital pressure. I’m not afraid of capital. Today, I’m going to expose him.
It had to be said that Wen Zimu was much better at doxxing people than playing games, but it was still… unremarkable.
He had managed to gather information on all the new students at every film academy in the country. Through a process of elimination, he finally narrowed the scope down to a Ji Wei with the same name at a third-rate university. He posted his ID photo, and the comments quickly surpassed a thousand, with countless more retweets and likes.
[Honey Pomelo Tea]: Holy crap, this blogger is something else. But why do I feel like the photo doesn’t really look like him?
[Soda]: He definitely had plastic surgery. I said he had plastic surgery before, but no one believed me back then. Just think about it, if he was this good-looking before, why wouldn’t he show his face during streams? By the way, professing my love for Zimu’s looks.
[Dark Forest]: Why is there so much drama one after another these past two days? I’m so full. I didn’t expect Ji Wei to crash and burn so quickly.
[Dragon Tamer]: +1
The competition was about to start.
Ji Wei had no time to deal with this. He turned off his phone and entered the venue.
He walked to the desk with his name tag, sat down, took out the writing brush he always used from his backpack, and moistened it with water.
Today, he was going to paint a peony.
He was following the style of Xu Wei from the Ming Dynasty, using the ink-splashing method to paint peonies. The brushwork was refined, the ink was rich and fluid, and he sought not form but artistic conception.
As time passed, his painting was eighty percent complete. Finally, he used vermilion to dot the stamens, which, like adding the finishing touch, brought the entire painting to life.
When he put down his brush, he noticed that several judges had gathered around him at some point, discussing in low voices.
“How would you judge this?”
“It has seventy percent of Xu Wei’s wildness.”
“You’re asking me? Isn’t this just a city-level competition? Since when were the contestants this skilled? I can’t judge it. I, as a judge, am not as good as him.”
…
Because their voices were very low, he couldn’t hear the specifics, but he could feel the judges’ gazes on him were particularly fervent. He submitted his work and left the venue.
As soon as he left the venue and was about to head back to his dorm, he heard his counselor’s voice from behind him. “Student Ji Wei, wait a moment.”
He turned around. “Is something wrong?”
The counselor was holding the registration form, with several CCTV reporters by her side. She waved at him anxiously. “Come here quickly. Why did you fill out your registration information incorrectly?”
Ji Wei walked over, a little confused.
The registration form the class president had sent them was an electronic file. He remembered checking it once after filling it out before sending it. How could it be wrong?
The counselor pointed at the form and said, “You filled in your marital status as ‘married.’ Luckily, the organizing committee said it can be changed. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if the personal information doesn’t match when you receive the award.”
“Receive the award?”
Ji Wei was puzzled. “Have the results been announced so quickly? I thought it would take a few days.”
A staff member walked over with a smile and explained, “The judges have seen your work and unanimously agreed to award it the special prize.”
Because it was impossible for anyone to paint better than Ji Wei.
Before coming, he had been very curious to see what kind of person could make several of Yancheng’s art world giants feel inferior.
He never expected him to be so young.
Truly, the younger generation is to be feared.
The staff member couldn’t help but sigh.
The counselor handed him a pen. “Hurry up and change it. I’m in a rush to submit it.”
Ji Wei didn’t take it and shook his head. “Thank you, but there’s no need.”
The counselor whispered in his ear, “The school really values this competition, and the reporters are still recording on the side.”
Ji Wei lowered his voice helplessly and said, “But I really am married.”
The counselor was utterly shocked and couldn’t control her volume. “You’re married!”
As her words fell, the entire place fell silent.
After a few seconds, the reporters finally reacted. The youngest special prize winner of the Yancheng Cup Calligraphy and Painting Competition was already married young. This was big news!
The cameras all turned to Ji Wei. The only female reporter recognized him from National Style in surprise. So he was from Yan University.
When National Style was popular, she had watched a couple of episodes with her colleagues. The online rumors all said he was a top student from some film academy and was going to enter the entertainment industry. She never expected him to be from a top-two university like Yan University.
With these academic credentials, he really didn’t need to enter the entertainment industry.
How come there wasn’t a single whisper about this online…
She suppressed her doubts and boldly asked, “You’re so outstanding. May I ask what kind of person your partner is?”
Facing the camera.
Ji Wei was silent for a moment.
Lu Shenxing probably didn’t want their relationship exposed. To prevent anyone from connecting it to Lu Shenxing, he slowly began to speak. “My partner is average-looking, his family is very poor, and he has a bad temper…”
The female reporter’s eyes turned red as she listened. She took out a tissue to wipe her tears. “Such a scumbag! Why don’t you divorce him!”
***
The competition was being broadcast live. On the television, the young man was surrounded by a group of reporters, saying with a sincere tone, “My partner is average-looking, his family is very poor, and he has a bad temper…”
Lu Shenxing turned off the television with a blank expression.
After repeatedly declining the counselor’s offer of legal aid for a divorce lawsuit, Ji Wei returned to the hospital at nine in the evening.
The light in the hospital room was still on.
He pushed the door open and went in.
Lu Shenxing was sitting up halfway in bed, a blanket covering his legs. Seeing him enter, he lowered his eyelashes and said, “I’m an average-looking person.”
Ji Wei glanced at Lu Shenxing. The man’s features were sharp and distinct. He silently thought, This is what you call average-looking?
He was a direct hit on his preferences.
Before he could say anything, he heard Lu Shenxing speak again. “My family is very poor.”
The man let out a soft “heh.” “And I have a bad temper.”
Although Lu Shenxing’s voice held a hint of laughter, there was not a trace of a smile on his face. He exuded a cold aura.
It was over.
He definitely saw the interview.
Ji Wei swallowed nervously, not knowing how to explain. His palms were sweating profusely.
Just as he was about to speak, the man suddenly picked up a document from the bedside and said slowly and deliberately, “I think we need to sign a postnuptial agreement.”
An agreement…
It seemed Lu Shenxing was truly angry and intended to clearly define their rights and obligations within the marriage.
Ji Wei pursed his lips, walked over with his head bowed, and took his copy.
The agreement was thick, a full three hundred pages.
He opened the first page. The first part detailed Lu Shenxing’s obligations:
One: Responsible for household expenses. The clause was followed by a detailed list of Lu Shenxing’s assets, which spanned from domestic to overseas and were staggeringly vast.
Two: Fulfill Ji Wei’s requests. This included ordering haute couture every season, buying gifts of any price on his birthday, etc.
Three: Accompany Ji Wei. Guaranteed to be at home for more than one week per month, and more than half a month when not filming.
Four: Visit Ji Wei’s parents once a month.
…
Lu Shenxing had meticulously considered every aspect of their life. According to the black and white text of the agreement, they would seem like a normal couple.
It should save Lu Shenxing a lot of trouble, Ji Wei thought silently.
He flipped to the section on his own obligations.
One: Not allowed to like anyone else.
Two: Not allowed to ignore him.
The first two were a bit strange, but still acceptable. He continued reading, and his face quickly turned crimson at the following clauses. He was so flustered he didn’t know what to do, his mind completely blank and unable to think.
Three: Kiss Lu Shenxing at least once a day.
Four: Fulfill spousal duties with Lu Shenxing at least once a week.
…
Ji Wei instinctively wanted to refuse.
But he cautiously looked up and saw Lu Shenxing with his gaze lowered, his emotions unreadable. The young man grew worried. If he refused… would his idol get angry?
He didn’t want Lu Shenxing to be angry.