Professional Body Double

Chapter 19

Zhou Xiang hadn’t been drunk for a long time. When he woke up, he turned over, but his body met air and he fell onto the ground with a thud. He opened his drowsy eyes and saw that he was in the living room, and just before he had been sleeping on the sofa with only a blanket over him.

Zhou Xiang couldn’t remember how he got back, but since he got home safety, it didn’t matter.

"Awake now?"

Zhou Xiang jumped with a start. He turned his head and saw Yan Mingxiu sitting in front of the dining table, coldly staring at him.

Zhou Xiang’s body ached terribly all over. Someone his height had squeezed in a sofa for one night so it wasn’t surprising. "My waist really hurts, ow." Zhou Xiang complained resentfully, "You let me sleep on the sofa?"

Yan Mingxiu’s anger hadn’t dispelled. He snorted, "Don’t tell me I should have let someone as stinky as you sleep on the bed?"

Zhou Xiang thought to himself, ’That’s my bed’, but it was true that a drunken person was pretty troublesome, and it ended up fine anyway; now he didn’t have to change his sheets.

He absentmindely closed his eyes again. His head was very heavy. He didn’t want to move.

Yan Mingxiu slammed a cup down on the glass dining table, and raised his voice. "Why don’t you ask yourself how you got back?"

"Ah? How did I come back? Who sent me home?" He felt that it should be Cai Wei.

"It was a young handsome guy." Yan Mingxiu sat down on a sofa next to his one, and said in bad-temperedly, "Your attractiveness level is pretty high, if I wasn’t at home yesterday, today you two would have probably woken up in the same bed."

Zhou Xiang worked hard to recall his memories. Don’t tell me it was Lan Xirong who sent him back home? Besides him and Cai Wei, no one else knew where he lived. He replied, "Oh, I know who it is now. A colleague, right?" He cracked a grin, "Are you jealous?"

Yan Mingxiu burst into anger. "Don’t think so highly of yourself." He then stood up, grabbed his keys, slammed the door and left.

Zhou Xiang stared blankly at the door. Unfortunately, he had a serious hangover right now. He really didn’t have the energy to think any further. He wobbled into the bedroom, fell head first into the bed, and fell asleep right away.

When he woke up again, the sun had already set. Zhou Xiang got up and had a very thorough shower. He changed his sheets, and fed himself some food.

When he turned his cell phone on, he saw that there was pile of unread messages and missed calls from Lan Xirong.

Zhou Xiang called him back. After the call connected, Lan Xirong’s slightly deep voice sounded from the other side, "Xiang’ge, why did you only turn on your phone now?"

"Slept too much." Zhou Xiang kneaded his temples. "Did you send me back home yesterday? Sorry for the trouble."

"Why are you being so polite?" Lan Xirong let out a sigh, and asked quietly, "Is that person your boyfriend?"

"Hm", Zhou Xiang answered vaguely. "You saw him?" Yan Mingxiu couldn’t be considered his boyfriend, after all, they hadn’t ever made any sort of commitment or anything. Right now, they could only be considered bed partners.

"Xiang’ge, do you..."

Zhou Xiang could tell that Lan Xirong had something to say but had stopped for some reason. He pressed, "What is it?"

"Do you like him?" After Lan Xirong spoke, he wanted to take back those stupid words, but it was too late.

Zhou Xiang honesty confessed, "I like him. Things are going pretty well between us."

Lan Xirong was silent for a moment. "Didn’t you say that you were going to invite me out for a meal? When?"

"How about the weekend? I have work the next few days."

"Okay, but you can’t take your boyfriend with you, is that okay?"

"What’s up with you?"

"You’re inviting me out to eat, why do you have to bring him with you?"

As Zhou Xiang and Yan Mingxiu didn’t poke their noses into each other’s lives, Zhou Xiang didn’t think much before replying with a laugh, "Fine, I won’t bring him."

Lan Xirong let out a breath of relief. "I’ll be waiting for your call."

After Zhou Xiang hung up the phone, he finally remembered that Yan Mingxiu had slammed the door and left this morning. Had he misinterpreted his and Lan Xirong’s relationship?

Although it was a real mystery to Zhou Xiang why Yan Mingxiu got mad, the possibility that Yan Mingxiu was throwing a jealous fit over him still made Zhou Xiang secretly elated. He immediately dialled Yan Mingxiu’s number.

The phone rang a few times, and then hung up.

Aiya, such a big temper.

Zhou Xiang thought for a moment, and dialled again a few more times. In the end, Yan Mingxiu finally answered, saying impatiently, "What?"

Zhou Xiang laughed, "I just woke up, and really missed you. Where are you?"

"The company."

"Are you coming home for dinner?"

"No."

"Are you still angry?"

Yan Mingxiu didn’t answer.

"That person yesterday was a little brother of mine in the past. He sent me back home out of kindness. You can’t just see a hot guy and think that I’m cheating with him, we’re just friends."

"It didn’t look that way to me. That man looked at me like he’d seen an enemy."

"Why would he? He had drunk a lot too, people act differently when they’re drunk, you’re being oversensitive. Darling, are you jealous?" Zhou Xiang let out a deep laugh.

Yan Mingxiu was a bit embarrassed and angry. He said coldly, "You’re the one being oversensitive. I’m only hoping that you remember our agreement, to not get involved with other people, or else, don’t come to find me again."

Zhou Xiang wanted to laugh imagining Yan Mingxiu baring his fangs on the other end, "Don’t worry, right now, my heart can’t fit in anyone but you. Don’t be angry anymore, and come back home for dinner. I’ll make you whatever you want to eat."

Yan Mingxiu’s heart finally felt a bit more comfortable, and reluctantly said, "Make whatever."

Yan Mingxiu came home past six. Zhou Xiang was cooking while watching TV. When he saw him, he smiled, "You’re back," and then went over, embraced Yan Mingxiu and gave him a big kiss. He looked at him, eyes crinkling. "You look so handsome even when you’re being jealous."

Yan Mingxiu knitted his brows, pushed Zhou Xiang away, and went to change.

When he came out all the dishes were already on the table. Zhou Xiang helped Yan Mingxiu ladle soup as he hummed a note. "Come over, drink it while it’s still hot."

Yan Mingxiu glanced at Zhou Xiang’s apron-wearing homely figure, which looked surprisingly elegant and unrestrained. His slender and powerful fingers, which were moving around the bone porcelain tableware, gave off yet another flavour.

The TV happened to start broadcasting an entertainment variety show. The female presenter excitedly announced today’s guest——Lan Xirong.

Zhou Xiang couldn’t resist lifting his head to look at the TV. Lan Xirong appeared on the TV screen with a smile, dressed in a casual suit.

Yan Mingxiu followed the line of his gaze and looked over. His face instantly darkened.

Zhou Xiang realised that Yan Mingxiu had become unhappy because of the person on the screen. He promptly withdrew his eyes, and grabbed the remote control, wanting to change the channel.

Yan Mingxiu snatched away the remote control, fiercely glared at him, and then turned his head to look at the TV.

The presently started happily and excitedly announcing Lan Xirong’s overseas box office performance, and the new single that he was about to release. When Lan Xirong talked about his experiences of rising to fame over the past year, as per format, he started expressing his thanks to multiple people. At the very the end, he said, with a smile on his face, that he especially wanted to express his gratitude to a big brother who took care of him when he was still a lowly-ranked unpopular model.

Zhou Xiang’s eyebrows jumped. He lowered his head and raked a mouthful of rice into his mouth.

Yan Mingxiu asked him, "Is he talking about you?"

"Probably not, how can a stuntman like me help him with anything."

However, when the presenter was asking in-depth questions about his experiences and struggles, it was unknown whether it was intentional or accidental, but Lan Xirong said out ’Xiang’ge’. He said it really quickly. Almost no one noticed, but two people outside the television set did.

Zhou Xiang glanced at Yan Mingxiu.

Yan Mingxiu coldly snorted. "You two seem to have a really good relationship."

Zhou Xiang finally started feeling a bit upset. Yan Mingxiu was really cute when he was jealous, but it was always so surly and weird, and kind of annoying.

It wasn’t like he had been caught red handed committing adultery. It was only a series of interlinked trivial matters. What was the point of Yan Mingxiu being so mocking and sarcastic? It was like he was purposely picking a fight.

Zhou Xiang sighed. "It very wasn’t easy for him at that time. We’re from the same company, I helped him out a little. It was nothing, really. Mingxiu, what’re you trying to do? Is such a small matter worth making such a big fuss over?"

Yan Mingxiu slammed his chopsticks onto the table. Zhou Xiang was talking as if he was a resentful woman making trouble for no reason. However he simply couldn’t contain his anger. His intuition told him that Lan Xirong’s feelings for Zhou Xiang weren’t normal, and it definitely wasn’t as simple as feelings towards a normal friend.

Yan Mingxiu wanted to blow up, but as Zhou Xiang had already said his part, if Yan Mingxiu did get angry, it’ll seem like Zhou Xiang’s words had hit the mark. He firmly clenched his fist, and then released it. He switched off the TV, holding down his anger as he turned around. "Let’s eat."

Zhou Xiang ladled him some soup and said softly, "Mingxiu, cheer up. I, Zhou Xiang, am a man of my word. I definitely won’t make advances at someone else when I’m with you."

Yan Mingxiu raised his head and gazed steadily at him. "I hate that person. I don’t want you to ever see him again, will you agree?"

Zhou Xiang expressed a troubled expression. "Mingxiu, we work at the same company."

"No meeting in private."

Zhou Xiang gave a strained smile, "Mingxiu... Didn’t we say that we won’t interfere in each other’s lives?"

An enraged expression appeared on Yan Mingxiu’s face.

Zhou Xiang got a fright, not daring to believe that Yan Mingxiu would reveal such a vicious expression.

Yan Mingxiu narrowed his eyes. "You’re right. I have no right to interfere." He lowered his head and silently continued to eat.

Zhou Xiang also continued eating. However, he felt deeply worried and sick at heart during the meal. He couldn’t shake of the feeling that something had changed in their relationship.