Chapter 58#
“Devoted” Best Actor (12)#
Kong Si’s eyes widened. “Do you mean… he lied to me?”
He recalled what He Xiao had said before: “He said he used to be thin, but then had issues with hormones and later lost weight again. Could it be because of that?”
It wasn’t that he was deliberately defending the other party; rather, he thought it would be too strange for someone to use something like that to deceive. Besides, He Xiao had indeed provided many specific details.
Lu Yi said, “That situation doesn’t exist. His former classmates and teachers all indicated that He Xiao has always been thin and never gained weight.”
Kong Si asked, “Is the source reliable? Could it be that his classmates said that out of consideration for his reputation?”
“Why do you trust him more than you trust what I say?” Lu Yi’s mood was slightly subtle—perhaps he was being oversensitive.
Kong Si quickly shook his head. “No, no. I was just thinking—there’s no benefit for him to lie to me. If he were the one who helped me and was claiming credit for a favor, that would be one thing, but who would pretend to be someone repaying a kindness? It just seems illogical, so I asked a few more questions.”
Between his beloved husband and a stranger with no significant connection, he would unhesitatingly choose the former. The reason he kept probing this issue was simply that he was reluctant to believe his own judgment was wrong.
Lu Yi was silent for a long while before saying, “You should have some confidence in my management abilities.”
Since it was an important matter, he would naturally arrange for reliable people to investigate, not jumping to conclusions after asking just one or two people.
Kong Si lowered his head. He took the initiative to hold Lu Yi’s hand, his voice sounding very upset. “I’m sorry.”
He had been too insensitive, focusing only on himself, completely failing to consider Lu Yi’s feelings. It was just a trivial matter, yet he had troubled Lu Yi to help him, and then he had questioned the results of his efforts. It was his fault.
Seeing Kong Si like this, the slight displeasure in Lu Yi’s heart dissipated. In truth, this was only a minor issue. Questioning something that defied common sense was inevitable. The reason he cared so much was simply that he remembered how, in the original ending, He Xiao ended up with Kong Si.
When he had obtained the evidence, he had also thought about many problems. For instance, since He Xiao was lying, if Kong Si were to get together with him in the future, wouldn’t the lie eventually be exposed?
Moreover, both were best actors. Kong Si had just entered the circle and still had several years before achieving future success. Even the most innocent and harmless person would eventually grow up and mature.
“There’s no need to say sorry between us.” Lu Yi gathered all the documents Kong Si had looked through and tossed them into the small paper shredder kept at home.
He dumped the shredded bits into the trash can. “Don’t say there’s no benefit in lying to you. If he’s after you as a person, then there is a benefit. He can’t trick you out of money, but he can trick you out of your body.”
“But doesn’t he like women? He has no interest in men at all?” He Xiao had been maintaining his straight-man image for quite some time. Kong Si hadn’t paid attention to these things before, but after becoming an artist, he had done extensive research on the entertainment industry and fashion.
As for He Xiao, although his status wasn’t particularly high, Lu Yi had initially marked him as someone to dislike. Since Lu Yi rarely showed such clear aversion to an outsider, Kong Si had also paid special attention to He Xiao, gaining some understanding of him.
“That’s not necessarily true. Don’t you have so many fans clamoring to have your babies? Don’t underestimate your own allure.”
In the original trajectory, He Xiao and Kong Si had gotten married and obtained a marriage certificate. Even with same-sex marriage legalized, very few celebrities in the industry dared to come out. If He Xiao could openly declare that he had married a man, it must be genuine love.
A smile finally appeared on Kong Si’s face. “What’s this? I feel like I can smell a bit of jealousy in the air.”
He sat on the sofa for a moment, then suddenly came up with a bold idea. “How about I just come out?”
Lu Yi looked up at him. “Come out about what?”
Kong Si walked over and placed his hand on his husband’s left hand. “About the fact that I’m married, of course.”
He looked at the ring on Lu Yi’s hand. He had never taken it off before, but for filming, he had removed the ring and left it at home, and hadn’t worn it since.
Just as Lu Yi had said earlier, entering this circle meant gains and losses. As an artist enjoying glory, every move he made was under the spotlight, and he often couldn’t act as freely as before.
Even his marriage had to be hidden considering his popularity. If he put himself in Lu Yi’s shoes, he would definitely feel wronged—being married but unable to announce to the world that the person beside him was his man.
Lu Yi shook his head. “Wait for the right time to announce it. It’s still too early.”
It had been a year since he married Kong Si, and he could see what was on Kong Si’s mind right now. He said gently, “You did this because I supported you. If I couldn’t handle the consequences, I would have clearly opposed it from the start. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I want to be a shoulder you can lean on, not a psychological burden.”
Looking at Lu Yi, whose face resembled his own but whose personality was completely different, Kong Si suddenly covered his face.
Lu Yi quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Kong Si shook his head. “I was just thinking—have I been dreaming this whole past year? How can there be such a wonderful man in the world, and I ended up with him?”
Thank goodness he had inexplicably agreed to marry Lu Yi back then; otherwise, he would regret it even more than buying a lottery ticket that won a million but then losing the ticket.
He had said similar things many times over the past year. It wasn’t that he was deliberately trying to flatter Lu Yi; it was simply that his man was truly wonderful.
Lu Yi relaxed, and a pleased expression appeared on his face. Everyone likes to hear good things, and Kong Si’s sincerity showed. Even after a year, he still enjoyed hearing Kong Si indirectly praise him.
While the couple enjoyed a harmonious atmosphere, He Xiao, whom they had been discussing, was also meeting an old acquaintance in private. The advantage of maintaining a straight-man persona was that as long as he wasn’t meeting young women privately, meeting male friends wouldn’t cause concern about being exposed by paparazzi.
He Xiao looked at the young man with a handsome face and slender build across from him. “Long time no see. You’ve changed a lot.”
The other took over the conversation. “You still look the same as before, unchanged.”
He Xiao said, “I don’t like hearing that.”
The young man then said, “You’re still as good-looking as before—no, even better looking.”
The two looked at each other in silence. Finally, the other broke the silence first. “Do you want to go see him? If you go, he’ll definitely be very happy.”
A crack appeared on He Xiao’s face. After a long pause, he said, “No need. Like this is fine. But his wish—I will definitely fulfill it for him.”