Chapter 52#

“Devoted” Best Actor (6)#

Lu Yi pushed aside the messy thoughts and focused first on earning money and managing finances. Originally, he was worried about insufficient capital, but Kong Si conveniently delivered the principal to him like a pillow when he was dozing off.

However, since this was joint property of the couple, he still needed to discuss it with the other party before using it.

Unsure if the other person was resting, Lu Yi thought for a moment and decided to wait until tomorrow to talk to him.

On his end, it was quiet. On Kong Si’s end, it was chaotic. Having suddenly dropped a bombshell into the circle of relatives and friends, the messaging apps like Fat Goose were fine—just mute them and pretend not to know.

The main issue was the barrage of calls from his mother and father. Apart from confirming that he was indeed married, they kept interrogating him about the other boy’s age, height, education, job, and so on.

Parents would naturally worry about such things. In terms of family background or education, they hoped the two children would match. Even if they weren’t exactly the same, they shouldn’t be too far apart.

Kong Si knew his parents’ personalities well. If he told the complete truth—that he had a flash marriage after sleeping together—there would definitely be another storm of scolding.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, he told a white lie, saying that they had been dating for nearly a year but had kept it hidden from the family. The other party was a college student who had just graduated this year. Since he had just reached the legal marriage age, they decided to get married and register after graduation.

Kong’s mother thought she knew her son well and couldn’t believe he could hide a year-long relationship so perfectly. Kong Si had no choice but to knock on the door again and ask Lu Yi for photos of relevant documents.

Lu Yi didn’t overthink it. After all, they were already married, and it wasn’t anything shameful. “The documents are all in the first drawer of the right bedside table. You can open it and see.”

Kong Si, barefoot on the wooden floor, crouched down to look. Sure enough, he found them as soon as he opened the drawer. He took photos of Lu Yi’s graduation certificate and degree certificate, then checked the age: twenty-one by Chinese reckoning, but his actual age had only passed the legal marriage age of twenty by three months.

When the photo was sent, it certainly startled Kong’s mother. There was a long silence, and then a message came through.

Kong Si looked closely and read:

Mom: How did I give birth to such a beastly son like you? Luring a young college student!

Since he was a fresh graduate, Kong Si’s mother didn’t press further about work or salary.

Seeing his own mother’s ruthless accusation, Kong Si rubbed his sore butt and felt extremely wronged. Clearly, he was the one who had been treated like a beast.

He immediately crouched in Lu Yi’s room and engaged in a verbal battle with his mother via phone. Lu Yi, who had been typing on the keyboard, was about to get a glass of water. When he turned around, he saw Kong Si. “Where are your shoes?”

Kong Si looked down and said nonchalantly, “It’s fine. The wooden floor isn’t cold.”

Lu Yi frowned, walked over, and directly lifted Kong Si off the ground, carrying him to the bed. “Sit here for now. I’ll get your shoes.”

Before Kong Si could react, he found himself sitting on the soft mattress.

He held up his phone, and after the young man left, he realized that in the small video window in the corner, his mother had seen everything. “This kid isn’t bad. Having someone to keep you in check puts my mind at ease.”

Since the photo was static, it couldn’t fully capture the person’s aura, so the two looked very similar. But in the dynamic video, she could instantly tell the difference between Lu Yi and her own son.

Although the other party was young, he appeared mature and steady. Judging by his eyebrows and eyes, he seemed like a well-mannered and good kid, even more charismatic than in the photo.

Over on Lu Yi’s side, he didn’t know that he had already met Kong Si’s parents indirectly and had made a good first impression.

After he brought the shoes back, Kong Si had already finished the video call. He remembered he needed to align their stories with Lu Yi. “I told my mom that we’ve known each other for a year and have been dating all along, just keeping it a secret. Remember that, and don’t slip up.”

Lu Yi said he would remember. “Tell me everything you like and what you love to eat, so I won’t make a mistake if Auntie comes one day.”

Hearing this, Kong Si slapped his thigh. Good thing he hadn’t forgotten. “I’ll get a pen and paper for you. Memorize it quickly. Tell me what you like too, and I’ll remember it.”

Thus, they spent another two hours or so. Finally, Kong Si was about to leave Lu Yi’s room.

Before he left, Lu Yi called out to him. “Those thirty thousand—the gift money—I plan to use it for some investments. Is that okay?”

Kong Si waved his hand generously. “Sure. That money was given to you anyway. I kept half for myself. Do whatever you want with it.”

He had received sixty thousand. Thinking that since it was marital property and should be split equally, he transferred thirty thousand to Lu Yi without much thought.

Once Kong Si was gone, Lu Yi started worrying again. He didn’t know if Kong Si was like this with everyone. At first glance, he had seemed quite shrewd, but now he was so casual and indifferent. It really caught Lu Yi off guard.

But since they were already married, he had to take responsibility as a husband. At the very least, he couldn’t let the other person be taken advantage of so foolishly anymore.

Over on Kong Si’s side, he had no idea he had already been labeled as naive and easy to fool. After replying to all his relatives and friends and chatting with colleagues about work, he saw that it was late and simply pulled the covers over himself to sleep.

Perhaps due to exhaustion, he slept soundly all night. The next day, he woke up at nine o’clock. Yawning, he stepped out of the bedroom and found that Lu Yi was already awake, sitting in the living room watching the morning financial news program.

“Good morning,” he said lazily, letting out a yawn.

Lu Yi looked over. “Good morning. Your breakfast is on the table.”

Kong Si glanced at the bag and then flipped over the note beside it: “Crab roe soup dumplings from XX Ji! These are so hard to get! How did you know I like them?”

Because his work hours were flexible, he always got up late. By the time he went, the crab roe soup dumplings at that shop were always sold out.

Lu Yi’s gaze returned to the TV screen. “You mentioned yesterday that you like them.”

Oh, right. He had written it himself. In a good mood, Kong Si went to wash up. Even though it was a flash marriage, the novelty of each other made him feel pretty good.

When he left the house, he said to Lu Yi, “I might work late today. Don’t wait for me for dinner.”

Lu Yi gave a soft hum to indicate he understood.

After retiring from the entertainment industry, Lu Yi didn’t plan to look for a job immediately. His education and social experience were quite average. Although he had years of management experience, no one would believe it if he wrote it down.

Rather than find a steady job with a fixed salary, he decided to stick with his old trade.

Without the heavy burden of corporate business to handle, Lu Yi worked as a trader from home. Every day, rain or shine, he woke up at six on the dot, exercised, watched the news, and analyzed various K-line charts. Often, when Kong Si left in the morning, Lu Yi was sitting on the sofa watching the morning news; when he came back at night, Lu Yi was still watching the news and doing various summaries.

Sometimes, when Kong Si had no work and stayed home to rest, he would see Lu Yi staring at colorful stock market charts all day.

But whenever he called out to him, Lu Yi would respond almost instantly. Moreover, when he was at home, Lu Yi never neglected him. Although he felt that his flash-marriage partner sometimes had a frighteningly regular lifestyle, since they were just starting to get to know each other, Kong Si didn’t think it was a big problem.

Lu Yi’s cooking skills weren’t great. Kong Si could cook a bit, but he was lazy, so basically, they ate out most of the time.

Since he was already working and had a steady monthly income, he sympathized with Lu Yi, who was still a student with little money, so he insisted on paying the bills.

Since it was all marital property anyway, Lu Yi didn’t argue with him. In his eyes, it was a meaningless waste of time.

Two months into their marriage, the novelty between them had faded somewhat. Kong Si introduced Lu Yi to his friends. Since Lu Yi had no friends in this city apart from Lu Xingchen, he only introduced Kong Si to his parents.

They managed to keep things from Kong Si’s parents, but Kong Si’s childhood friends knew that Lu Yi was his flash-marriage partner. As for the specific reason for the flash marriage, Kong Si was vague and didn’t explain clearly.

Originally, the two sides were fairly matched, but when they learned that Lu Yi was a stay-at-home spouse being supported by Kong Si, they were shocked.

Kong Si’s friend criticized him: “I know you like your own face, but you can’t marry just for looks. He’s completely dependent on you now and doesn’t even look for a job. Isn’t that just mooching off you?”

Kong Si worked with a friend who ran his own studio. His hours were flexible, but when he was busy, it was very exhausting. He earned a decent amount, but nobody’s money fell from the sky.

In their situation, both were male, and according to Kong Si himself, they split the household chores evenly. The kitchen was rarely used, and when it was, Kong Si did most of the cooking. In this marriage, Kong Si clearly contributed more, so his friend naturally complained on his behalf.

Kong Si had originally asked his friend for advice on how to tactfully urge Lu Yi to find a job and build a social network, but as they talked, the friend started listing all of Lu Yi’s shortcomings. Kong Si became very unhappy.

He immediately retorted, “Stop talking nonsense. I think he’s great. His lifestyle is very regular. With the money I earn, I can support him just fine. We get along well, and I don’t see anything wrong with him.”

The longer they were together, the more they understood each other. Initially, they slept in separate rooms, but after a month, they started sleeping together.

Two men lying in the same bed, legally married, with intense chemistry—they ended up burning the midnight oil every few nights.

Lu Yi didn’t exercise much, but he had better stamina, so Kong Si usually couldn’t keep up. Sometimes, when Kong Si was very tired from work, Lu Yi would give him a massage.

The initial novelty had faded, but a sense of mystery and freshness remained. He felt that Lu Yi had many secrets, and he enjoyed the process of exploring each other deeply.

Kong Si said, somewhat pretentiously, “God created Eve from Adam’s rib. I feel like he’s my rib.”

His friend was suddenly hit with a big bowl of dog food. Though well-meaning, he said, “Alright, it’s all good or bad depending on what you say. Since you say he’s so great, just treat him like a little wolfdog you’re keeping.”

Kong Si muttered, “I never said he was bad. I just worry that he doesn’t interact with society enough.”

After all, Lu Yi used to be in the entertainment industry with a lot of social contact. Now that he had settled into a peaceful life, Kong Si was concerned that things might swing to the extreme and Lu Yi might suddenly break down.

He wanted to talk more with his friend, but the friend refused to eat any more dog food and stopped engaging.

Before they knew it, another half a year had passed. Although it was a flash marriage, the two had adapted well to each other. Friends who had initially been skeptical started saying they wanted to find a little wolfdog too—though it was all talk. After all, there were many flash marriages and flash divorces. Being able to turn a one-night stand into a marriage partner was something only someone like Kong Si could pull off.

In the eighth month of their marriage, Lu Yi noticed that Kong Si had been acting strange lately. He used to come home pretty regularly, but over the past two weeks, he had been coming home late often. Moreover, he had recently taken a long business trip and came back reeking of strong men’s cologne.

Kong Si never bought cologne himself. He usually smelled like lemon or the faint scent of their shower gel at home—light and pleasant.

Lu Yi casually asked about it, and Kong Si said he had sprayed some cologne on himself.

Lu Yi gave his spouse a few extra looks but didn’t say anything. However, he began paying closer attention to the little details of daily life.

He soon noticed that when Kong Si was at home, he would often space out. When Lu Yi asked if something was bothering him, Kong Si would be evasive, his eyes darting—clearly hiding something. It had gotten worse recently; even when they were intimate, Kong Si seemed less interested.

After they finished that night, Lu Yi didn’t immediately carry him to clean up. Instead, he pulled Kong Si into his arms, resting his chin on Kong Si’s, and asked, “Tell me honestly. What’s going on?”

Men could hardly keep secrets in bed. Knowing that paper couldn’t wrap fire, Kong Si confessed, “The studio I was working at—because of my friend’s situation—had to shut down. I feel so exhausted doing this.”

In fact, he had stopped working two months ago.

Lu Yi sighed in relief. “You should have told me sooner.”

“I wanted to switch to a different job first, but I wasn’t making any money, so I didn’t tell you. I was waiting until things stabilized.”

Although his family had money, he still had a mortgage to pay. Plus, after getting married, he loved buying things for Lu Yi, thinking his man looked good in anything.

His savings weren’t much to begin with, and he spent quickly. Before he knew it, there wasn’t much money left at home. By chance, he had recently taken on some work, but it didn’t pay much, so he didn’t mention it to Lu Yi.

“Let me tell you something. Don’t be mad.”

Lu Yi said, “Go ahead. I won’t be mad.” As long as Kong Si wasn’t telling him he was having an affair, he wouldn’t be angry.

“It’s just… I’ve always had a dream of being a star. When I was a kid, I performed, and my teacher said I had talent. But my grades in culture subjects were good, so I ended up studying interior design. Then not long ago, after I broke up with my friend, by chance, I got a job as a background actor.”

He stammered, “That long business trip before—I was actually going to the film set to act. It was a friend’s script, and my part wasn’t big. I was afraid you’d disagree, so I… but I got paid now! It’s not much, just thirty thousand.”

He hadn’t told Lu Yi earlier because Lu Yi used to be in the entertainment industry, and Kong Si felt like taking up acting would somehow betray Lu Yi.

Hearing this, Lu Yi felt a huge weight lift off his chest. If Kong Si had actually cheated, he would have broken both his legs and castrated the lover.

“Is that all? You should have told me earlier.”

“You’re not mad?”

Lu Yi asked him, “Do you like acting?” He could sense that Kong Si was a very emotional person. If it weren’t for the fact that the original Lu Xingchen also loved acting and they were a few years apart, Lu Yi would have suspected that the two families had swapped babies at the hospital back then.

“Yes, I do.” Kong Si snuggled into his man’s arms, rubbing against him like a pet seeking affection.

He said, “I gave myself a stage name, Yu Si, using my mother’s surname. I don’t have an agent or anything. I’m just fumbling around on my own.”

Actually, he felt that he was still young and wanted to try everything. He hadn’t planned to pursue acting long-term, but after two months of exposure, he found that he loved being in the spotlight, loved playing different roles. He wanted to be an actor.

If he were still the single Kong Si, he would have gone for it without hesitation. But now he had a family, and Lu Yi was still so young. He couldn’t let Lu Yi suffer with him. “I wanted to wait until I achieved something before telling you, but I couldn’t keep it bottled up. I couldn’t hide it.”

Lu Yi kissed his eyelids. “From now on, no matter what it is, I don’t want you to hide it from me, okay?”

The man’s lips were warm and gentle. Even though they had been married for almost a year, Kong Si still felt a jolt of electricity run through him. He rubbed against Lu Yi. “I won’t hide anything from you from now on. It’s just… our life might be a bit harder, and I might buy fewer gifts for you.”

He wasn’t famous yet, and actors without fame earned about the same as ordinary office workers. The background actors in film studios usually made about a hundred yuan a day, including a boxed lunch.

Lu Yi was silent for a moment, then said, “If it’s just about our previous expenses, there’s no need to cut back. We have money.”

Kong Si replied, “But we still have the mortgage to pay.” His income was unstable now, and the mortgage was ten thousand a year, which meant nearly ten thousand a month. He didn’t have much personal savings left—just forty or fifty thousand.

Lu Yi asked him, “The investment account I told you about before—have you never checked it?”

Kong Si said, “There wasn’t much money in it, right? I only gave you thirty thousand back then, and I feel like you’ve bought quite a few things.”

Lu Yi had been buying daily necessities and other items for the household. In the six months of marriage, Kong Si’s average monthly income was about twenty thousand, minus mortgage, utilities, and other expenses, leaving him with about ten thousand. He gave Lu Yi five thousand each month and set aside the rest. Lu Yi didn’t have a job or other income, and he had bought many things for himself, so Kong Si figured there wasn’t much left.

Lu Yi sighed. “I’ve been making money at home for the better part of a year. It’s not a huge amount, but it should be enough to cover our previous expenses.”

Hearing this, Kong Si grew curious. Since he had banking apps on his phone, he reached for the phone on the bedside table.

He logged into the account Lu Yi had given him earlier and checked the balance.

When he saw the balance, he rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

He carefully counted the digits in front of the decimal point: one, two, three, four, four, three, two, one—eight digits before the decimal. The balance showed 10,375,451.57 yuan.

He shot upright like a carp. “Lu Yi! Did you go rob a bank behind my back?”

Eight months ago, Lu Yi had only 35,000. With the 5,000 a month Kong Si had been giving him, the total should have been around 75,000.

Lu Yi tapped Kong Si on the head. “I’m a law-abiding citizen. I don’t do anything illegal. I told you I was investing. What did you think I was doing in front of the computer all day?”

With a small initial capital, he focused on ultra-short-term investments, aiming for stability rather than high risk and high reward. He only jumped in when the success rate was above 80%. The compound interest was only about 1%, but by accumulating small gains, the money snowballed. He had to monitor the market all day, which was very mentally draining.

In the first two months, he worked on his own. After achieving results, he connected with some big clients and worked as a trader for them for two months, accumulating a larger principal. After that, he only focused on his own investments.

Kong Si stared at the balance and grabbed Lu Yi’s hand. “Quick, pinch me. I must be dreaming!”

Among his peers in design, there were plenty who earned a lot. A designer charging 3,000 per square meter for a large client’s house could make hundreds of thousands for a few hundred square meters.

But that required constant work and consumed a lot of time and energy. Those who earned a million a month were essentially trading their lives for money.

What Lu Yi had done—going from 35,000 to 10 million in eight months—was the stuff of stock market legends. And he was lying right next to him, sleeping in the same bed every day. It felt like a dream.

“Do all stock traders make this much money?”

Lu Yi said, “Probably not. I might be one of the better ones. Key is having a good mindset, and I’ve been lucky too.”

In his past life, he had handled money in the billions, so this amount was pocket change to him.

Kong Si lay back in Lu Yi’s arms. “No, I need to clear my head. I definitely won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Sudden wealth was everyone’s dream, but it was just a dream. As someone who never even bought lottery tickets, he had never hoped for it. He never imagined that heaven would drop a cornucopia on his head.

Remembering something important, he said, “Men become bad when they have money. I’m not going to act anymore. I need to keep an eye on you so you don’t turn bad.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Faced with Kong Si’s rambling, Lu Yi playfully kneaded his partner’s cheeks. “Since you like acting, go ahead. I plan to register an entertainment company and sign you as my first artist.”

To register a film or media company, the registered capital couldn’t be less than three million. With ten million, he could take out a loan for the rest. The harder part was getting the approval, but he had kept in touch with his previous clients, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

He leaned down, his breath brushing against Kong Si’s smooth forehead. “I told you the first time we met: I’ll have money, and I’ll take care of you.”