Jing Yuanqi rushed into the hospital with Shi Qing in his arms, sparks flying as if accompanied by lightning. His face was dark, and with his long, trained legs, he moved swiftly even while carrying someone. Fortunately, there weren't many people in the hospital at the moment; otherwise, the news of "Popular Young Actor Carrying the Emperor" might have trended on social media.
As the nurse was tidying up a hospital bed, the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. She turned in surprise, dumbfounded by the sight of the young man storming in with Shi Qing in his arms. "Mr. Jing, Mr. Shi?" She asked in bewilderment. "Didn't you already complete the discharge procedures? And I remember, Mr. Shi's injury was on his back, so why is he being brought in again?"
Although Jing Yuanqi's anger had clouded his judgment, he managed to take a deep breath and speak with a stiff voice. "I'm sorry, I remembered I left something behind."
"Oh, in that case, please find it, and let us know when you're ready," the nurse replied and left the room.
Once they were alone, Jing Yuanqi couldn't contain his anger. He was about to toss Shi Qing onto the bed, but at the last moment, he remembered Shi Qing's injured back and gently placed him on the bed instead.
"Tell me, what's going on between you and Chen Rong!" Jing Yuanqi demanded.
Shi Qing furrowed his brows and sat up on the bed. "I haven't asked you yet. What's going on between you and Arong?"
"Are you two together? Does he know what kind of person you are?" Jing Yuanqi retorted.
"What kind of person am I?" Shi Qing asked.
Jing Yuanqi, who had lost his earlier composure, exploded. "What? Do you think I'm no different from your stepbrother? Did you see my true self and want to break up with me?"
The Emperor's brows furrowed even more, and he looked at Jing Yuanqi with a serious expression. "Don't change the subject. What's going on between you and Arong?"
"Me and him? Me and him?!! It's you and him!!" Jing Yuanqi resembled an agitated feline, and his whole body seemed to bristle, though he didn't have any fur. After angrily pacing around the room for a moment, he turned and pointed at Shi Qing, his hand trembling. "Explain to me, what's the meaning of his gaze? What did you say to him? He's your brother, your registered brother, don't you know?"
As if his heart had been pierced, the usually composed Emperor's face showed signs of embarrassment. He looked down and spoke softly, "We're not blood-related, and I just thought..."
"You thought what? You're not allowed to think!" Jing Yuanqi was breathing heavily, and in an attempt to calm himself, he paced around the room again.
Taking a deep breath, the young man approached the Emperor once more. "Why were you so proactive last night? Are you saying you weren't interested in me but Chen Rong instead?"
"No," Shi Qing said, lifting his head abruptly. His face, which had been calm, now turned a lovely shade of red, and even the delicate lobes of his ears turned crimson. He blinked rapidly, and his eyes showed a hint of shyness. "I wasn't... thinking about Arong."
In this moment, it was clear that he had been thinking about something.
The usually aloof Emperor's shyness made him all the more enchanting. But Jing Yuanqi was about to explode where he stood.
"Are you seriously telling me that you were thinking about him, not me? Are you blind? Am I not as good as him?"
"You damn well kept thinking about that scoundrel? That ugly, hypocritical, conniving scoundrel who constantly schemes against you?!"
"Jing Yuanqi!"
The Emperor's face darkened suddenly as he stood up and looked displeased. "Don't defame Arong."
"I haven't asked you yet. What's going on between you and Arong? Did you deceive him? Arong is innocent; he can't see what kind of person you are, but he has me as his brother. If you dare to treat him unfairly, I won't let you off."
Jing Yuanqi had completely lost control.
"Is he innocent?!! Is he innocent?!! Is he innocent?!!"
"Do you know why he came with me? It's because he wanted to provoke you, to make you angry. He did it on purpose. Do you understand?"
"Purposefully..."
Gradually, a glimmer of understanding appeared in Shi Qing's eyes.
Seeing this, Jing Yuanqi began to feel uneasy.
Sure enough, in the next moment, the Emperor looked at him with hope in his eyes, and his cool voice seemed to carry a hint of excitement. "Why did he want to provoke me?"
"Does he also..."
Jing Yuanqi: "???"
Jing Yuanqi: "…"
"No!"
He was so infuriated that he couldn't think straight. "Are you blind? Can't you see that he's a schemer? You like him, but he despises you!"
The young man didn't even bother hiding the fact that he had investigated Shi Qing's past. He spoke angrily, listing one incident after another. "When you were a child, he pretended to be sick at your award ceremony, making your father accompany him. When he was fifteen, he locked you in the bathroom. When you turned eighteen, he took your father's gift to you and crashed the car, blaming it on you. And when you just started college..."
"All of those were misunderstandings," Shi Qing interrupted.
Shi Qing interrupted Jing Yuanqi, his eyes filled with disagreement. "During the awards ceremony, he caught a cold because he wanted to finish his homework early and attend. He locked himself in the bathroom because I had teased him before, and it was normal for him to get angry. And about the car accident, he was driving to buy me a gift."
The system chimed in: [Host, is that true?]
[No, the awards ceremony, Chen Rong did it on purpose. Locking in the bathroom was because the original host had someone block him and beat him up before. The car accident incident, the original host knew that Chen Rong wanted to use his car, so he intentionally sabotaged the brakes to make him crash, but Chen Rong was more cunning and shifted the blame to him.]
System: [...]
Jing Yuanqi added, "..."
After a long pause, the young man uttered four words, "You're beyond help."
He had never felt so powerless before. He had always thought he was the one in control of this relationship. But now, with a clang, he realized he was just a substitute, a substitute for that disgusting schemer, Chen Rong. It was a miracle that his mental state hadn't completely shattered.
Jing Yuanqi, a man of countless means, considered himself a formidable figure. Yet, he had been defeated by Chen Rong, a deceitful person with hidden motives. And Shi Qing, who had turned a blind eye to Chen Rong's true nature, seemed completely unaffected by his emotional turmoil. It was as if Shi Qing didn't care about him, Jing Yuanqi, at all.
Jing Yuanqi struggled to regain his former composure. He had one goal now: to win the blind Shi Qing over from Chen Rong.
The young man took a deep breath and sat down next to the movie emperor. He gently embraced Shi Qing and used his seductive tone, lowering his magnetic voice as he coaxed, "Shi Lao Shi, he's your brother, even if there's no blood relation, you share a household registration. Even if you have some..."
At this point, Jing Yuanqi's voice became somewhat resentful, "irrational, unstable, impulsive, and incorrect thoughts, you should know that you two are impossible."
Shi Qing pushed him lightly, but instead of pushing him away, he let the young man hold him tighter.
Jing Yuanqi continued, "But I'm different. We're a match made in heaven. Am I not better than that Chen Rong? I don't look good? I'm not physically fit? That Chen Rong, with his weak physique, couldn't even last three times. And..."
The young man slowly climbed up like a snake, intentionally dragging out his words and saying near Shi Qing's ear, "I really like drinking congee."
"Especially congee made by you."
Shi Qing: [He's really good at bargaining.]
The system, which had spontaneously altered memories, transformed back into its innocent, cute self.
[What congee? There's no congee.]
Shi Qing was truly tempted, but for the sake of a long-term future, he resolutely pushed away the clingy young man and spoke coldly, "Don't belittle Ah Rong."
Jing Yuanqi: [...]
He felt like he was about to explode.
Like a pufferfish that could burst with a poke.
"Fine! Fine!"
The young man suddenly stood up and couldn't contain his rage any longer. "Just wait and see! Sooner or later, I'll make you realize what a trash Chen Rong, whom you like, is!"
—Bang!
After storming in, he stormed out.
Shi Qing shrugged and also got up.
The system asked quietly, [Host, did you anticipate this situation beforehand?]
Shi Qing replied, [Of course, isn't it simple? Given Jing Yuanqi's personality, if I didn't agree to him, he would definitely seek someone to provoke me. As for who he would choose, people like him usually opt for those with whom I have the worst relationship, as it yields the best results. After a quick search, he would have found no one else but Chen Rong.]
[It's just perfect because Chen Rong is also the kind of troublemaker I don't want to deal with. Jing Yuanqi is protective of his food, and in such a situation, he will definitely target Chen Rong. It will also help sober up his flawed brain with this regular operation.]
The system quickly noted: [Regular operation, got it.]
In the following days, Jing Yuanqi and Chen Rong were together every day. They spent money like it was nothing, taking Chen Rong to various places and buying luxury goods. Although Chen Rong, as Shi Qing's stepbrother, was quite wealthy due to his efforts to please their stepfather, he had always been seen as the obedient younger son who shouldn't spend extravagantly. So, he had often felt like he was leading a frugal life.
Then, Jing Yuanqi appeared.
During these days, Jing Yuanqi didn't hide anything about his wealth from Chen Rong. Being the heir of the Jing family might not sound too impressive by itself, but Jing Yuanqi was a business genius. Over the years, he had built up a business empire far more impressive than the Jing family. He was known as the founder of C Corporation and the chairman of N Group, each of which could easily outshine the Jing family.
Aside from that one day when Jing Yuanqi had inexplicably lost his temper, Chen Rong was very pleased with him. Furthermore, Jing Yuanqi had come to apologize afterward.
Chen Rong's eyes were now fixed on Jing Yuanqi. With such immense wealth, even the contracts signed by Shi Qing were with C Corporation. If he got together with Jing Yuanqi, he wouldn't need to curry favor with their stepfather anymore or find ways to get rid of Shi Qing. He could simply sit in a position of power.
Chen Rong's thoughts were quite beautiful, and he was increasingly convinced that Jing Yuanqi had strong feelings for him.
When they were together, apart from going to various places and having fun, they often discussed Shi Qing's flaws. At such times, Chen Rong would join in and add to the criticism of Shi Qing.
After about a week of this, Jing Yuanqi mentioned that Shi Qing's injury had fully healed, and the film crew called them back to work. He sighed and expressed his reluctance to cooperate with Shi Qing. If only he could stir up some negative news, like a physical altercation with his stepbrother.
That was Chen Rong's specialty!
He immediately promised to help and vowed to visit the film set the next day to tarnish Shi Qing's reputation.
On the same night, Jing Yuanqi went to the film set early, thoroughly inspecting it inside and out, finally finding a secluded spot without surveillance cameras or people.
He wanted Shi Qing to see what kind of person Chen Rong truly was. However, he didn't intend to actually harm Shi Qing's reputation.
*The next day
Jing Yuanqi tried to meet Shi Qing, but he was harshly rejected. Suppressing his anger, he called Chen Rong and asked him to come and meet Shi Qing.
Chen Rong didn't think he could succeed, but he sent a text message to Shi Qing just to give it a try. To his surprise, Shi Qing immediately agreed to meet.
Chen Rong found it increasingly bizarre. Had Shi Qing taken the wrong medication?
No matter; starting from today, Shi Qing would become his stepping stone, and he would always stay ahead.
Jing Yuanqi arrived first, carefully checking the area to ensure there were no surveillance cameras or witnesses. Then, he called Chen Rong and asked him to bring Shi Qing. Jing Yuanqi assured him, "Don't worry, I've prepared surveillance footage. All you need to do is frame him, and I'll handle the rest."
With everything set up, he took out binoculars, positioned himself in the best viewing spot, and began remote monitoring.
He could roughly guess the tricks Chen Rong, the white lotus, would use—creating a visual illusion to make it seem like he was attacked by Shi Qing from a certain angle, with some injuries on his face in advance.
Chen Rong was confident and ready to proceed. He met Shi Qing, and the two of them stood in the empty corner.
Chen Rong knew exactly how to provoke his stepbrother. "Brother, let me tell you a secret. Actually, Dad says I'm much better than you, his biological son."
He planned to say a couple more words to anger Shi Qing, but suddenly, Shi Qing took two steps forward and delivered a strong punch to his face.
The punch was too powerful. Chen Rong's tears and snot flowed instantly. His vision darkened, and he tumbled to the ground. After struggling to get up, he wiped his nose, leaving a trace of blood.
Was Shi Qing really this easy to provoke?
While enduring the pain, Chen Rong couldn't help but laugh. He looked up at his stepbrother, who he had always been unable to surpass, and said triumphantly, "You're as foolish as ever."
The movie emperor, who had remained silent, suddenly showed a panicked expression on his face as he approached to help Chen Rong. "Arong, are you okay?"
Chen Rong: "???"
He pushed away his stepbrother's hand and, with great difficulty, managed to get up on his own. As he climbed up, he mocked, "It's useless. Your actions have been recorded. Get ready for your reputation to be ruined."
Jing Yuanqi, seeing that everything was going as planned, walked over confidently. "Jing ge!"
Chen Rong hurriedly approached him. "Look at me! Look at what he's done to me!"
Jing Yuanqi glanced at the bewildered movie emperor, then examined the bloodied and bruised Chen Rong. He clapped his hands. "Very good. You're quite professional. Your makeup looks just like the real thing."
Chen Rong quickly explained, "No, Jing ge, this is real. Shi Qing really hit me. You have to help me seek revenge!"
Now it was Shi Qing's turn to step in. He approached and tried to hold Chen Rong's hand, his face filled with confusion and urgency, and his cold voice quivering slightly. "Arong, it wasn't me. I didn't hit you. Are you okay? Do you need to check your injuries?"
"Get away! You're scared now, huh?!!"
Chen Rong forcefully pushed Shi Qing aside, feeling triumphant.
Jing Yuanqi, who had been watching the scene unfold, had a smug and yet compassionate look in his eyes as he approached. He hugged Shi Qing from behind and said, "Shi Lao Shi, can you see it now? Chen Rong is not as innocent and harmless as you thought. He despises you to the point of setting up this kind of trap. Look, even though you didn't hit him, he pretended so well. Now, do you see who your best choice is?"
Astonished by this unexpected turn of events, Chen Rong exclaimed, "???"
Chen Rong: "Jing ge, what are you doing? I really got hit by him! These injuries on my face are real!"
Jing Yuanqi found that hard to believe. Shi Qing liked Chen Rong so much; how could he possibly hurt him? He held onto his little prey and raised an eyebrow impatiently. "Enough, it's none of your business now. Go wash your face and get lost."
Chen Rong protested desperately, "It's true! I really have these injuries, Jing ge! Shi Qing, he... he punched me just now. Didn't you see it?"
Chen Rong was speaking through the pain, and as he did, he tried to reenact what had happened. "It was right here. I said a few words, and he suddenly punched me in the face. Jing ge, look at my nosebleed! Can't you see it?"
Jing Yuanqi squinted and, to his surprise, thought it did look real. "You're something else, deliberately getting punched by someone just to frame Shi Lao Shi. What talent."
Chen Rong: "..."
He felt like he was going crazy. "It was Shi Qing! Shi Qing! He punched me just now! Jing ge, didn't you see it?"
Jing Yuanqi chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter. You've gone to great lengths to frame Shi Lao Shi just to get punched by yourself. Impressive."
Chen Rong: "..."
He was losing his mind. Who on earth was the white lotus here?
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