A whole box?!
Bo Xiyun was already overwhelmed by this series of revelations, as if the world collapsing before his eyes would be less shocking. Even in a different gender world, he hadn't experienced such a profound impact.
However, in front of the landlady, he couldn't display his inner turmoil. He managed to maintain a calm expression and thanked her for her hospitality, then politely escorted her out.
"Make sure to close the windows, Yun, it's going to rain today, and the wind can be chilly," the landlady reminded him. She was warm-hearted, and her caring tone was never intrusive. Before leaving, she even gave him a friendly hug.
The landlady was a beta, with no pheromones, but she exuded a gentle fragrance, combined with the scent of cookies and syrup, making the atmosphere feel warm and inviting. It was like the smell of home.
Seemingly fond of Bo Xiyun, the landlady added, "I'm on the ground floor. If you need anything, just call me."
"Oh," she suddenly remembered something and advised, "By the way, the soundproofing here is excellent. If you call me, you'll have to come downstairs for me to hear."
Bo Xiyun had become somewhat numb to all these strange circumstances and simply nodded as he saw the landlady off. He didn't want to dwell on why the soundproofing here was so good.
Once the landlady left, the room regained its quiet atmosphere, and Bo Xiyun glanced at the entire box of condoms on the bedside table.
"..."
It was as if he had been burned, and Bo Xiyun immediately averted his gaze. However, the packaging of the outer box clearly displayed the quantity, making it impossible to fool himself.
Bigboy.
A box of 12.
Bo Xiyun tried to avoid looking at it as much as possible, but the deep-colored box stood out on the pristine surface, impossible to ignore.
This item was eye-catching no matter where it was placed, and the image printed on it was vividly detailed.
An elephant.
It couldn't be. What kind of size...
Bo Xiyun had to restrain his wandering thoughts. There were no drawers on the bedside table, so he simply stuffed the item haphazardly beside the couch, far away from the bed, and covered it with a throw pillow.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Once he had hidden it, Bo Xiyun finally had the peace of mind to look at the pastries that had been wafting their warm and sweet aroma towards him.
The pastries were accompanied by a round, plump dessert fork. Bo Xiyun speared a soft piece of pastry with the fork, buried his face in it, and started eating. His cheeks filled up round.
Since waking up, Bo Xiyun hadn't eaten anything, and now he realized that he was feeling a bit hungry.
The pastries were delicious, with a soft texture and a rich milky flavor that melted on his lips and tongue.
It indeed seemed like the landlady had personally prepared the pastries, even using the brand of milk that Bo Xiyun was familiar with, likely made specifically for him.
After finishing a small bite, Bo Xiyun felt a bit better in his weak and empty stomach. However, because he remembered the assistant's advice, he didn't eat too much. He placed the remaining portion in the mini-fridge.
After eating, Bo Xiyun resumed his exploration. In theory, having just filled his stomach with a bite of pastry, he should have felt more alert. However, he still felt weak and even began to shiver.
It was probably the aftereffects of his recent separation.
Bo Xiyun found the air conditioning remote control and raised the room temperature by a few degrees to make himself more comfortable.
This suite on the second floor wasn't particularly large, only about seventy to eighty square meters, but in the land-scarce Hong Kong, it was still considered spacious.
Relying on his vague memories, Bo Xiyun quickly went through the place. Unlike the previous house where he was kept, there were no surveillance cameras here.
Even though Bo Xiyun was well aware that if he tried to leave now, he wouldn't last a second before someone stopped him, it was still better than having cameras installed in the room, monitoring his every move.
However, he soon had another thought. The absence of cameras inside the room might be because Wen Xiusen also lived here.
So...
Bo Xiyun hesitated. What exactly had happened between him and Wen Xiusen? Why had he been providing for Wen Xiusen? Could it be that he genuinely enjoyed pursuing relationships in the entertainment industry?
There was a router in the room with a smooth internet connection, so Bo Xiyun decided to search for information about Wen Xiusen.
The search results matched what Bo Xiyun remembered. Wen Xiusen, a well-known actor, was twenty years old and had come to Hong Kong from the mainland five years ago to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Back then, the Hong Kong entertainment scene was still thriving, unlike now, where many Hong Kong actors had gone to the mainland to earn money and settle down.
In his initial years in Hong Kong, Wen Xiusen was relatively unknown, often playing nameless extras in roles. Bo Xiyun found some early promotional videos, which were edited to showcase Wen Xiusen's impressive looks. During those two years, Wen Xiusen had few opportunities to appear on screen, and in some promotional videos, his name wasn't even spelled correctly.
It wasn't until the year before that Wen Xiusen gained fame with a low-budget but critically acclaimed suspense TV series called "Desperation." Afterward, he received more acting offers, and his career prospects improved. Last year, he won the Best Actor award at the Berlin International Film Festival for a realistic-themed movie called "Healing Hands," further cementing his position in the industry.
There were many discussions about Wen Xiusen online, with most people believing that he was lucky to be noticed by the director of "Desperation," which provided him with the opportunity to become famous.
After all, it was evident that the production cost of "Desperation" was not high, and most of the actors were newcomers. They hadn't cast any high-profile stars. However, with just a glance at the synopsis of this film, Bo Xiyun realized that "Desperation" had a powerful and compelling plot. It skillfully used deception and had a jaw-dropping twist at the end.
Experienced directors or producers could easily see that this was an exceptional script, and even with a lower salary, it wouldn't be difficult to attract good actors. Moreover, the main spotlight was on the lead actor, a role that wouldn't typically be accessible to an unknown actor.
Most importantly, Bo Xiyun saw his own name in the list of producers. "Desperation" was a film produced by Bo Xiyun.
Bo Xiyun continued to research his film and television company, "Shuhuai Investment." Over the past few years, Shuhuai Investment had invested in various films and TV dramas, covering a wide range of genres from artistic films to martial arts dramas. It seemed to fit the image of a wealthy young master who was willing to spend lavishly.
However, in the entertainment industry, specialization was key, and dabbling in everything might mean not deeply understanding anything. Bo Xiyun scrolled through recent news articles and found that, as the assistant to Wen Xiusen had mentioned, Shuhuai Investment had recently filed for bankruptcy due to poor management. This meant that some of the projects they had been planning to produce were now in jeopardy.
This news had garnered significant attention in the industry, with most comments focusing on Bo Xiyun. Despite the company's bankruptcy, Bo Xiyun himself wasn't significantly affected; he still had plenty of personal wealth.
After all, this young master had inherited enough money from his father to last him hundreds of years of extravagance.
Most of the comments didn't seem to understand the intricacies of the power struggles among Hong Kong's elite families. However, Bo Xiyun himself didn't pay much attention to these comments.
What did strike him, though, was a sense of regret when he saw the projects that were planned to be aborted due to Shuhuai Investment's bankruptcy. Whether it was because he had stared at the screen for too long or because he was suffering from the aftereffects of late differentiation, Bo Xiyun's condition had worsened. He was experiencing fluctuating temperatures, going from feeling cold to hot.
Perhaps this was a consequence of late differentiation, which could lead to disruptions in information molecule production. Bo Xiyun had just tried to find relevant information online, but the internet was filled with unreliable sources, and useful information was scarce.
Bo Xiyun suspected that those responsible for his condition wouldn't let him die so easily, so he didn't pay much attention. Feeling increasingly drowsy and fatigued, he decided to lie down on the nearby sofa.
Although his bed was not far away, Bo Xiyun had an instinctual aversion to it. There was a thin blanket on the sofa, and he wrapped himself in it.
The blanket had a velvety texture, and at first, Bo Xiyun thought it might be made of cashmere. However, he knew he was allergic to all polyester fibers and couldn't use them. Yet, the people around Wen Xiusen had managed to avoid this oversight. The blanket was made of a high-thread-count material, soft and warm to the touch. Bo Xiyun huddled under the blanket, wrapping himself into a tight ball.
The blanket was white, making Bo Xiyun look like a round snowball. He continued to hold his phone and search for information about Wen Xiusen. Although lying down had made him somewhat more comfortable, he still felt very drained, almost like he had a severe cold.
Online, there was a significant amount of information about Wen Xiusen. What was unusual, however, was that despite being a young actor with exceptional looks, Wen Xiusen didn't have the fan clubs or fan groups that were common for popular celebrities. These kinds of organizations usually required professional management and financial investment from the celebrity's team, but they could yield substantial benefits, so most stars didn't neglect their fanbase.
However, Wen Xiusen seemed to be an exception. It was evident that his team hadn't focused on building a fanbase.
Apart from his work, Wen Xiusen had no personal exposure online. He didn't even have accounts on platforms like Weibo or TikTok.
This kind of behavior was quite unconventional, and some discussions about Wen Xiusen reflected this confusion.
"Why is Wen Xiusen so low-key? His family even forbids fan clubs?"
Replies to this question mostly praised his approach:
"It's great that he's not building fan clubs. This shows true dedication to his work."
"Fan clubs usually lead to the toxic fan culture. It's refreshing to see someone who prioritizes their craft."
"He's an actor, not just an idol."
However, there were also a few comments with a more cynical tone:
"He doesn't care about his fans' feelings, did you read what was said above? He even finds fans annoying."
"Maybe he's being sponsored. His sugar daddy doesn't want him interacting with fans; it's too conspicuous."
These few comments received numerous replies, sparking some debate within the discussion thread.
While Wen Xiusen didn't actively manage a fanbase, it appeared that he had a good reputation among the general public, as evidenced by the highly upvoted counterarguments in the comments:
- "What nonsense! WenSen would never be sponsored. He despises that kind of thing."
- "Exactly! I heard he really faced something like this before, and he almost got blacklisted because he insisted on refusing. How could someone like him be sponsored?"
The last comment made Bo Xiyun pause for thought. He exited the discussion page and quickly searched for keywords like "Wen Xiusen blacklisting."
The search results quickly populated with various gossip and rumors, but there wasn't much substantial information. It wasn't until Bo Xiyun narrowed the time frame to approximately a year ago that he found a genuinely useful news article.
Before that time, Wen Xiusen was embroiled in a drug-related case involving several celebrities, which had been quite a scandal in the entertainment industry. Many Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stars were implicated, and there were multiple alleged lists of celebrities involved, with Wen Xiusen's name prominently featured.
However, in the end, the false accusations against him were cleared, and Wen Xiusen was proven innocent. This incident occurred before Wen Xiusen started filming "The Abyss," so most of those who cared about him learned about it later.
Many people sympathized with him for being unjustly accused, believing that Wen Xiusen was not the kind of person to use drugs, and that a clear conscience would ultimately prevail.
But as Bo Xiyun looked at the news reports from a year ago, he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. He was a native of Hong Kong, and in the earlier years, the entertainment industry was even more chaotic than it is now, with numerous scandals involving blackmail, drugging, and other illicit activities. In such an environment, a relatively unknown actor like Wen Xiusen would have been an easy target.
Before he drifted into sleep, Bo Xiyun had realized that the drug case from a year ago was far from being as straightforward as it seemed. Could it be that Wen Xiusen had been coerced into a situation where he had no choice but to accept being sponsored? That would explain why he was so infuriated when Bo Xiyun refused to sign the contract earlier. It wasn't a simple case of unrequited love from a past life. The circumstances here were much more sinister.
Recovery was no easy task, and Bo Xiyun sighed. There was indeed a reason for harboring such deep resentment.
He tried to recollect his memories once more, but his already foggy mind became even more confused. Bo Xiyun's eyes, which had been staring at the screen for a long time, started to feel heavy and tired. He decided to close his eyes for a moment to rest.
However, as he relaxed, the exhaustion overcame him, and he fell asleep without realizing it.
When he woke up, Bo Xiyun felt warmth all around him, and the bone-chilling cold that had invaded his body seemed to have dissipated. There was a familiar, comforting scent of cold snow in the air, and it made him instinctively feel safe.
Something was being fed to his lips – it was warm to the touch but carried a bitter, acrid taste.
Bo Xiyun turned his head away before fully opening his eyes. He didn't like the taste of bitterness.
As he gradually regained his senses and woke up a bit more, he realized that something was amiss. He raised his eyes and met a pair of cold, emotionless, pale-colored eyes. The person holding him close around the waist, exuding a scent that he instinctively found pleasing, was none other than Wen Xiusen.
The sky had darkened, and a warm lamp illuminated the room. The other assistants and bodyguards were not present, so Bo Xiyun couldn't rely on any hope.
The person who had kindly tried to give him medicine but was refused by him, also had a possibility.
It was the cold and aloof Wei Xiusen right in front of him.
Realizing this, Bo Xiyun couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
The young man suddenly recalled something terrifying, something that often happened in old-school Hong Kong movies with dim lighting and suspenseful scenes.
Someone stubbornly refusing to eat, and then with a simple command, people would rush in, hold him down, and forcefully insert a feeding tube into his throat.
Directly force-feeding.
However, this dreadful imagination did not become a reality.
The handsome and cold-faced Wei Xiusen didn't turn into the fierce and evil demon from those scenes.
Bo Xiyun woke up, and the Wei Xiusen who had been refused put down the spoon and placed the bowl of medicine aside.
He didn't intend to continue feeding it.
It made sense.
Bo Xiyun realized.
Wei Xiusen must be very disgusted with him.
Feeling that he didn't want to trouble the other person, Bo Xiyun breathed a sigh of relief. But he soon realized that he was still leaning against the man.
Probably for the convenience of feeding the medicine, Wei Xiusen had picked up Bo Xiyun, who had originally been sleeping on the sofa, and was now holding him in his arms.
Bo Xiyun was even resting most of his weight on him.
Bo Xiyun felt that this was impolite, so he hastily tried to get up, only to realize that he had overestimated his own condition.
As he tried to lift himself with his arms, he suddenly felt a pang in his waist, and his legs, which should have provided support, were unexpectedly weak. He ended up falling right back into Wei Xiusen's embrace.
Bo Xiyun didn't exert much effort since his initial attempt had already been quite feeble. However, this time it seemed like he had pressed on Wei Xiusen, and even Bo Xiyun could sense that the man's breath had become stifled for a moment.
"Sorry..."
The young man quickly apologized. Then he saw Wei Xiusen furrow his brow and free up one hand to reach behind him, seemingly searching for something. His previous clumsy movement had bumped Wei Xiusen, who was sitting on the sofa.
Wei Xiusen soon found the object, and Bo Xiyun's eyes widened abruptly.
In fact, his instincts had already given him an ominous premonition earlier, but Bo Xiyun had never thought he would end up in such a terrible situation.
The thing Wei Xiusen took out was precisely the condom that Bo Xiyun had randomly stashed away earlier.
To his surprise, the condom box was of high quality and hadn't deformed despite being squashed. The lifelike pattern on it made Bo Xiyun's heart race.
However, the next actions by Wei Xiusen were even more frightening for Bo Xiyun.
Wei Xiusen glanced at the condom box with no particular expression. He then swiftly opened the packaging with an expert and practiced motion.
Bo Xiyun was shocked to see him doing that.
But Wei Xiusen seemed indifferent to the situation. He pulled out one of the pieces with his fingers and was about to tear the condom pouch open when Bo Xiyun blurted out, "You... You don't have to do this, right?"
The young man blurted it out without thinking, "Even if you dislike me, you don't need to force yourself, do you?"
Wei Xiusen's movements paused. He lowered his gaze and looked at the slender young man leaning against him, much shorter than himself. Wei Xiusen's elevated gaze gave him an air of superiority, and his expression was filled with an enigmatic depth.
Finally, he said with a thin, cold voice, but only one word, "Why?"
"Do you want to do it without protection?"
These words completely twisted Bo Xiyun's earlier statement of "You don't need to force yourself," sending shivers down his spine.
What made Bo Xiyun even more apprehensive was that, at this moment, through their intimate closeness, he could distinctly feel an unusual warmth radiating from below.
While Wei Xiusen had been bothered by the condom box earlier, what was pressing against Bo Xiyun now was something considerably more formidable than a mere box of twelve condoms.
The horrified young man suddenly realized that he had completely misunderstood Wei Xiusen's intentions.
Even if Wei Xiusen might have some aversion or disdain for him, it certainly didn't mean he wanted to force himself upon him.
___________________________________________
Tn: This chap left me with mixed feelings