Accidental Mark

Chapter 72

Pei Shaoze swiped his card to open the door and headed to the window. The French windows occupying an entire wall had a very wide view that looked down on the bustling night scenery. There was an apartment building in the distance with a height that wasn’t much different from this hotel. The side windows of the apartment building faced the windows of this row of guest rooms in the hotel. If there was a professional camera with an ultra-long focal length then it could completely take photos of inside the hotel room.

Ya’an International Hotel was very close to Ya’an Movies and Television Studio. A large number of crews stayed here every year. Therefore, paparazzi often lurked in the nearby communities. Pei Shaoze had checked the news for the past few years. Two years ago, a crew had an accident in this hotel. An alpha had a fixed girlfriend and they had agreed on a marriage date. Then he was filmed doing it with an omega female. It was at the hotel and shot by the paparazzi. After the video was released, the two of them were scolded on the hot search. The fixed girlfriend was from a rich family who blocked them in the entertainment circle. The two of them were ruined and never appeared in public again.

Since this incident, the hotel realized that the guests’ privacy might’ve been compromised and strengthened security. The gates were strictly guarded, no paparazzi could enter and all guest rooms had brand new blackout curtains. Once the curtains were drawn, nothing could be photographed.

Later, every time the crew checked into the hotel, the director would warn them, “If you’re in your room then you must draw the curtains!”

There were so many paparazzi near the movies and television studio that it couldn’t be helped.

Previously, Pei Shaoze would draw the curtains in advance every time Cheng Xia came here but today he didn’t do so. Instead, he stood in front of the French windows, poured a cup of coffee, and drank it slowly. When would Cui Jue act? Folding Paper was unstoppable. If he didn’t find a way then the company’s financial report at the end of the year showing that Pei Shaoze had invested 10 million yuan only to make back a few hundred million would shock the shareholders.

Vice President Cui’s position was about to be shaken.

Pei Shaoze smiled lightly as he took out his mobile phone to send a WeChat message to Cheng Xia. [Don’t meet tonight. I will be waiting downstairs for you at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning. Go to bed early.]

Cheng Xia always listened to Pei Shaoze’s words and he immediately replied after receiving the message, [Yes. Good night, Brother Pei.]

The next morning, Cheng Xia came downstairs and saw his agent Zhou Yan and Pei Shaoyan both waiting. Cheng Xia didn’t think much about it because it was common to bring an agent and assistant when going out to work. Pei Shaoyan came over and said mysteriously, “I really don’t understand my brother’s brain circuits. He said he would take you to see reporters but I also have to come along! Do I have to learn how to talk to reporters?”

Cheng Xia smiled at him. “Your brother asked you to follow so he must have his own reasons. You should go in a relaxed manner.”

In the very spacious business car, Pei Shaoze and Pei Shaoyan sat in a row while Cheng Xia and his agent sat on the other end. Uncle Zhong was driving.

Cheng Xia was a bit startled when he saw Uncle Zhong. He hadn’t expected Brother Pei to bring his driver over at this time. He vaguely perceived that something was wrong. Just then, his phone vibrated with a WeChat message that was sent by Pei Shaoze. [The agent and assistant are here today. We should pay attention and not be too close to each other. Wait for my message in the evening before coming to my room for a chat, okay?]

Cheng Xia replied, [Yes, Brother Pei.]

Just then, Uncle Zhong braked sharply and he told them, “President Pei, someone is following us.”

The moment this came out, Cheng Xia and Zhou Yan immediately tensed. Pei Shaoze still looked calm. “Don’t care about them and keep driving.”

Pei Shaoyan became alert. “Fuck, is it the paparazzi?” He opened the curtains of the car and looked out. There were many cars on the street and he couldn’t see which one belonged to the paparazzi. Pei Shaoyan wondered with admiration, “Uncle Zhong, how could you tell?”

Uncle Zhong smiled. “I used to drive for a celebrity and I can still tell when we’re being tracked. Since President Pei says we don’t need to hide, I will keep driving!”

Pei Shaoze instructed, “Take them for an additional lap before going to the parking lot of the Huaxiang Building.”

Cheng Xia’s heart was beating like a drum but he wasn’t afraid when seeing Pei Shaoze’s calm expression. He always felt that Brother Pei had expected this. Why else would he have brought Uncle Zhong here as a personal driver?

The car made a big circle before stopping in the garage of the Huaxiang Building. Pei Shaoze and Pei Shaoyan got off first before Cheng Xia and the agent got out of the car. The four people walked into the building together.

The reporter was really waiting in the office. Entertainment Today had its headquarters in Ya’an, it was a very famous website in the circle. They published daily news, interviewers, movie and drama reviews, and music reviews. There were many well-known commentators and reporters and the traffic was considerable. Due to the popularity of Folding Paper, they invited Cheng Xia for an interview and Pei Shaoze agreed.

The interview room was warmly decorated and the sofa had a particularly cute style. The woman in charge of the interview poured tea for President Pei’s group and checked with Cheng Xia if he had any taboo questions.

Cheng Xia carefully read the questions and pretended to ask his agent, “Do I have to answer the question about personal feelings?” In fact, he was asking for President Pei’s opinion. Sure enough, he heard Pei Shaoze say in the next second, “Just answer it truthfully.”

The word ‘truthfully’ was lightly emphasized. Cheng Xia immediately understood and smiled and nodded.

At the start of the interview, the reporter first congratulated him on the excellent performance of Folding Paper. Then she asked a lot of questions related to the drama such as what Cheng Xia thought about the role of Qin Nian, whether he encountered any difficulties when shooting as a new actor, how he got along with the crew, etc.

After asking questions about the drama, the reporter started with gossip. “Cheng Xia, there are many fans of yours on the Internet. They are very curious about your emotional situation. Is it convenient to say if you have ever been in a relationship?”

Cheng Xia seriously replied, “I am still young and should focus on my career. I’m not in a hurry regarding relationships.” It was a very skillful answer. He didn’t lie but from the perspective of the questioner, it was similar to denying that he was in a relationship.

The reporter really understood it as ‘he was still young and had never been in love’ so she asked, “Do you have an ideal alpha that you like?”

Cheng Xia cocked his head and thought for a moment before smiling shyly. “I like alphas who are mature, steady, and older than me. I feel like I have a special sense of security around such an alpha.”

The reporter agreed. “Yes, an older alpha really takes care of people! There is another question. Who is your favorite alpha actor and omega actor?”

Cheng Xia frankly answered, “My favorite alpha actor is Senior Liu Hengyu. I have been watching his dramas since I was very young. The omega I like most is Teacher Cai Yun. Her crying scenes are especially powerful.”

Pei Shaoze, “……”

Just now when the reporters asked about Cheng Xia’s favorite alpha actor, he was worried that Cheng Xia would instinctively say, Shen Kai. As a result, Cheng Xia seemed to have forgotten Shen Kai? Thinking carefully, since the ending of Folding Paper, the two people had no interactions. Cheng Xia never mentioned Shen Kai’s name. He would call Pei Shaoze by ‘Brother Pei’ and called very frequently, sending Pei Shaoze a WeChat whenever he was free.

Did he get it wrong? The person Cheng Xia liked wasn’t Shen Kai at all? But… it was him? Pei Shaoze’s heart jumped and he didn’t dare believe it for a while.

The interview finished and Pei Shaoze took the initiative to invite the reporter and boss of Entertainment Today to a meal. They took two cars to a famous restaurant to eat and chat. The afternoon passed quickly and Cheng Xia didn’t have a chance for time alone with Pei Shaoze. A large number of people followed them and his interaction with Pei Shaoze was very small.

After returning to the hotel in the evening, Pei Shaoze didn’t go up with him and instead went to find Director Zhu to discuss things. Cheng Xia went upstairs with his agent.

They needed to avoid suspicion in front of outsiders and the two people barely exchanged any words all day long. Cheng Xia didn’t mind. Pei Shaoze had sent him a message to go back at night to chat. He didn’t need to be so clingy.

After returning to his room, he read the online comments while waiting for Pei Shaoze’s WeChat message. It wasn’t until 9 o’clock that his mobile phone lit up. [Come over. I saw no one in the hallway. In addition, don’t change the outfit you wore today.]

Cheng Xia immediately got up, grabbed his key card, and sneaked out. He walked around the corner and saw Pei Shaoze’s door open. He quickly stepped forward and closed the door behind him. Before he could speak, he was pulled into the man’s arms and pressed against the wall.

Cheng Xia, “……”

Was this knocking against the wall?

Cheng Xia was startled when he was held and his back pressed against the wall. A tall alpha was in front of him and the familiar woody scent made him feel at ease. He didn’t struggle as he stared up at the other person and whispered, “Brother Pei…”

Pei Shaoze’s heart trembled at the soft ‘Brother Pei.’ He lifted Cheng Xia’s chin and passionately kissed the young man. Cheng Xia trembled and closed his eyes. He opened his mouth and responded to the other person.

They all said that absence made the heart grow fonder. They hadn’t seen each other in a while and Pei Shaoze had also missed Cheng Xia. He had dreamed that so many oranges drilled into his arms. Now that the live little orange was right in front of him, how could he bear it?

Pei Shaoze held Cheng Xia in his arms and they kissed for a long time.

Cheng Xia’s cheeks were red and his heartbeat was so fast that it was almost out of control. It wasn’t until Cheng Xia gently pushed him away due to lack of air that Pei Shaoze let go. He asked in a hoarse voice, “I was cold to you all day. Are you angry?”

Cheng Xia was hot from the kiss. He gasped and shook his head. “Of course not. There were paparazzi following us and you did it out of consideration for me.”

Pei Shaoze gently touched his head. “Come and sit. I have something I want to say to you.”

Cheng Xia followed Pei Shaoze and sat on the side of the bed. He found that the curtains were tightly pulled over the French windows, giving him a lot of peace of mind.

Pei Shaoze handed him a glass of water. “I originally didn’t want to tell you about the senior executive’s struggle for power and profit in the company but I’m afraid you will think wildly if I don’t tell you. Based on our current relationship, I shouldn’t hide anything from you.”

Cheng Xia’s heart was warm. His loved one was willing to tell him about this, showing Brother Pei’s trust in him. Cheng Xia hated the type of misunderstandings on TV dramas where they hid from each other and guessed what the other person was thinking.

Pei Shaoze sat next to Cheng Xia and told him softly, “I am the first heir of the Tianxuan Group. My father retired due to illness last year and gave me the position of president. Previously I was young and immature so I only paid attention to eating, drinking, and playing. I didn’t do any business. In fact, there aren’t many people who were convinced about me, including the seniors who started the business with my father?”

Cheng Xia listened carefully and couldn’t help asking, “Senior? Do you mean Vice President Cui?”

Pei Shaoze nodded and continued, “I later suggested that Tianxuan start the group management. On the one hand, I want to manage a group personally so I have the right to make some investments. On the other hand, I let Cui Jue do whatever he wanted in Group A so he would show his feet and be careless due to underestimating the enemy. At present, I am collecting evidence to bring him down. The result of our Folding Paper is beyond expectations. He definitely can’t sit back and ignore it. He will definitely do something in the near future.”

Cheng Xia became nervous. “How will he deal with you?”

Pei Shaoze’s eyes flashed sharply and he explained coldly, “The first drama I invested in is about to make a lot of money. He naturally won’t be happy. Our drama itself doesn’t have any black points. If he wants to destroy a well-reviewed drama then he can only rely on the actors. Imagine if the lead actor in a drama has a serious taint on him. Would the audience still be willing to spend money to buy the drama?”

Cheng Xia’s heart tightened and his back straightened. All the blood in his body seemed to become cold and a bad feeling rose in his heart. “Then will our meeting after the company’s annual meeting be exposed…”

Pei Shaoze noticed the young man’s nervousness and held his head. “This is what I am worried about. I want to vaccinate you in advance so you will be prepared.”

Cheng Xia gritted his teeth. After all, this thing wasn’t too glorious. An omega actor’s pheromones went out of control and he lay naked on the boss’ bed. What would people think of him? He would be an omega who used any unscrupulous means, even his own body. He would be an 18th tier artist who used his body as a trading method and released pheromones to seduce the boss.

Who would want to spend money on a drama performed by such a person? How could such an actor with an inferior character be worthy of the sunny and lovely Qin Nian in Folding Paper? Once the audience knew about it, they would definitely be as disgusted as eating a fly. He and President Pei might be innocent and nothing happened but would the netizens believe it?

Pei Shaoze saw Cheng Xia trembling slightly and hugged him in a distressed manner, comforting him. “Don’t be afraid. I am prepared for this. Do you trust me?”

Cheng Xia returned to his senses and nodded. “Of course, I trust you.”

Pei Shaoze stated, “Zhao Wenxiu’s case hasn’t been heard in court.”

Cheng Xia was startled and looked up. “Brother Pei, you did it?”

“I asked the lawyer to find more evidence to postpone the trial until mid-August.”

Cheng Xia, “……”

Pei Shaoze told him, “If there is no accident, Cui Jue will soon release your black materials and people will smear you everywhere. He will let netizens think that you used your body and omega status to seduce the boss to get to the top. Such a personality is very different from Qin Nian. Netizens who like Qin Nian will definitely flock to Weibo to scold you. However, the moment Zhao Wenxiu’s trial starts, things will reverse. The court will clear your name. There is no evidence more convincing than the evidence submitted in court by your lawyer.”

Cheng Xia’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I’m still not marked and I will appear in court in person! In addition, there is evidence that Zhao Wenxiu bought the pheromones release agent and that he found someone to stab me. This will definitely be accepted by the judge. There is so much evidence that I believe netizens will understand the truth.” He excitedly held Pei Shaoze’s hand. “Brother Pei, did you already expect that someone would smear me using this incident?”

Pei Shaoze sighed. “On the day of the company’s annual meeting, you were sent to my bed. Zhao Wenxiu definitely isn’t the only one who knows about it. This is a hidden bomb buried between us that might explode at any time and ruin your reputation. Therefore, I had to prepare in advance to deal with this situation and solve your problem at once. Do you understand now why there were two cameras at the Folding Paper audition? It’s because I want a backup of the audition to let everyone know how you got the role of Qin Nian.”

He looked gently at the young man in front of him. “Cheng Xia, from beginning to end, the relationship between you and I has always been fair. There is no dirty deal. Therefore, don’t be sad or afraid. All the achievements today are the result of your hard work.”

Cheng Xia’s nose was sour as he hugged the alpha in front of him hard. He didn’t expect that Brother Pei actually did so much for him. Even a long time ago when they weren’t in love with each other, Brother Pei was prepared to protect him. Why did the audition require two cameras recording at the same time? He finally understood. Only the video could clear him when he was being questioned!

This thorn buried in his heart must be removed by the root or else he would never be able to raise his head in the entertainment circle.

Pei Shaoze saw Cheng Xia’s wet eyes and touched his head, speaking softly, “I have another question. Can you truthfully answer me?”

Cheng Xia nodded. “Yes, just ask.”

Pei Shaoze frowned. “You told me that you have someone you like and will cherish him in your heart… who is that person?”

Cheng Xia smiled shyly. “It’s you.”

The young man’s eyes were bright, clear, and full of Pei Shaoze. He stared at the alpha in front of him and clearly enunciated every word. “In my heart, there has always been only you.”

Proofreader: Cat