Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Being the Other Man Isn’t So Bad

She was halfway through tucking her hair back when the elevator doors opened with a DING.

Standing at the entrance were the actors, finished with their auditions and on their way out.

Jiang Qingli gave up on her hair, lowered her terminal, and offered a polite nod and smile.

Her dark hair once again cascaded to her side, hiding her ears, as Jiang Qingli headed toward the conference room.

The two males followed in silence.

The actors had mostly been recruited by the student council, so they all knew Yuan Shiyao and greeted him one by one.

On the surface, Yuan Shiyao nodded politely, but his thoughts had already drifted far away, involuntarily replaying the scene that had flashed before his eyes—

The girl’s fair, delicate ear was densely covered in suggestive red marks and bite marks.

Those kinds of marks, clearly, couldn’t have been left by a brief touch.

A whole host of doubts scrambled to the forefront of Yuan Shiyao’s mind.

’What on earth had they done during that time alone in the infirmary?’

’Gu Nian had kissed her ear...’

’Did he only kiss her ear, or did he kiss other places too?’

’She didn’t refuse. Does that mean she has accepted Gu Nian?’

He knew he was just Jiang Qingli’s friend and had no right to ask these questions.

But the mere thought of her blushing, nestled obediently in another male’s arms, letting him knead her earlobe and lightly bite the tip of her ear, made Yuan Shiyao’s eyes turn red with jealousy.

’I should have stayed and watched Jiang Qingli get her treatment, to make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of.’

’Or even earlier... I should have stopped her from going to the upstairs restroom.’

’If only I’d grabbed her hand and left, and just ignored Gu Nian.’

’I should have let those two idiots beat the hell out of Gu Nian, knock all his teeth out. Then we’d see what he’d use to bite her...’

As he stewed in his thoughts, they entered the conference room, one after the other.

Ke An, who was waiting at the door, greeted Jiang Qingli and Baili Jing before whispering to Yuan Shiyao, "Hey, what were you and Mr. Baili doing upstairs? I just got a notice that someone else was sent to the discipline room—what’s that about? Was it Ling Qing’s little brother again? Were you guys busting cheaters? But Jiang Qingli doesn’t seem like the type to go for trash like Ling Sheng... What really happened?"

To protect privacy, the reasons for a student’s admittance to the discipline room were never announced.

Ke An had heard the person was taken from the theater, so when she recalled Yuan Shiyao and Baili Jing’s sudden trip upstairs, she naturally put two and two together.

She had waited at the door until now, eager for the gossip.

After firing off her barrage of questions, she noticed Yuan Shiyao’s face was grim, his expression even more pained than usual.

The young man’s heavy gaze was fixed on a single spot, his expression bordering on sullen.

Ke An followed his gaze and saw Baili Jing pulling out a chair for Jiang Qingli. He waited for her to sit before pouring her a glass of water.

The White Fox Actor, who normally avoided females like the plague, now wore a gentle expression, his movements so practiced it was as if he’d done this countless times.

Ke An’s eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped.

’What am I seeing? H-h-how... how could my idol be so... so... so... thoughtful toward Jiang Qingli?!’

Although they were childhood friends, when they met at a banquet last year, Baili Jing had clearly ignored Jiang Qingli, acting as if she were a stranger.

’What’s going on with them now?’

As Ke An walked toward the conference table, she pretended to glance casually at the two of them.

She shouldn’t have looked. The moment she did, she got a shock.

Their upper bodies maintained a normal distance, but under the table, Baili Jing’s leg, clad in suit pants, moved closer to the girl’s, tapping her leg lightly, now and again.

Suddenly, Ke An recalled some old news reports. The period when Baili Jing announced he was married was the exact same time Jiang Qingli had returned to school. Someone had even seen them walking together back then, looking very close...

And on that variety show a few days ago, the host had been fishing for details about Baili Jing’s wife. Baili Jing only admitted that his female master was younger than him and said he very much enjoyed taking care of her.

’And Jiang Qingli... happens to be five years younger than Baili Jing...’

Ke An was completely floored.

’My idol’s wife is right here beside me?’

Like most of his fans, Ke An truly wanted Baili Jing to find happiness. After all, when he was happy, he was in his best form, and that meant he could make more movies for them.

But Jiang Qingli used to be so wild... The two of them just didn’t seem...

Ke An glanced at Jiang Qingli, then at Baili Jing.

A beautiful woman and a handsome man—they made a harmonious picture that was very easy on the eyes.

Especially with a face as beautiful as Jiang Qingli’s, even the most critical person couldn’t find a single flaw.

In the past, many people on the forums had trashed Jiang Qingli, but when it came to her face, the most they could do was accuse her of plastic surgery—no one could ever call her ugly.

Ke An pushed her budding criticism back down.

’Ugh... If it’s Jiang Qingli... they’re actually... a pretty good match...’

’I could even ship this.’

Ke An stared at the pair for a little too long. Although she quickly retracted her gaze, Yuan Shiyao still noticed.

He glanced across the table.

It was time to look over the script revisions. Baili Jing read for a moment, then lifted his eyes to look at the girl beside him.

Jiang Qingli glanced up, her eyes meeting his. She quickly looked away, only to sneak another peek, like a kitten stealing a glance.

Baili Jing smiled gently, the love in his eyes nearly overflowing.

As if annoyed by his overt display, Jiang Qingli secretly shot him a glare, but when she lowered her head to look at the document again, the corners of her lips curled into a small smile.

It was such a tender scene; anyone who saw it would think they were a perfect match.

Yuan Shiyao even heard Ke An click her tongue in admiration beside him and murmur, "A lovely sight."

The young man lowered his eyes, his chest so tight he could hardly breathe.

At that moment, he knew his pain didn’t just stem from the love marks he had seen, nor did it come solely from Gu Nian.

It was because the one holding her, coaxing her with kisses, was not him.

But that person should have been him.

If his father hadn’t swapped the matching results, he, with his 92% Match Value, would have become her husband. He would have been with her, open and proud. He would be able to hold her hand, embrace her, and whisper countless sweet nothings to her...

A trace of unvented, venomous resentment even rose in Yuan Shiyao’s heart.

’Why... why is my Match Value with Jiang Qingli higher than my brother’s?’

’If it were any lower, I wouldn’t be in this much pain.’

Some people believe that the greatest pain is not "what I once had," but "what I could have had."

That minuscule one-percent difference, that what-could-have-been... It all led to restless nights where Yuan Shiyao would endlessly fantasize about the life that should have been his. He was sinking into a mire of pain, unable to pull himself free.

...

"Yuan Shiyao? Are you listening to me?"

The girl’s slender, fair hand waved in front of his face.

Yuan Shiyao’s head snapped up. He realized the meeting was over, and Jiang Qingli was standing in front of him, leaning down to talk to him.

Her dark hair cascaded down with the movement, carrying a rich fragrance.

Yuan Shiyao’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His gaze fell on the screen beside him, where several dates were marked.

She had already picked out her free days and was asking when he was available.

Yuan Shiyao looked at the dates and chose the soonest one. "Next Saturday, then."

"Okay, I’ll book a restaurant then! Is there any type of cuisine you like?"

"I’m not picky. We can eat whatever you like."

Looking at her, Yuan Shiyao’s heart hammered in his chest—a mix of adoration and apprehension.

He knew the odds of him succeeding were slim.

Faced with a hopeless future, he had considered running away.

But he couldn’t bear to give up any chance to be close to her.

He would rather every encounter be like walking on a blade, leaving him bleeding, than be a stranger to her.

Jiang Qingli pulled up some of her favorite restaurants and asked if he liked any of them.

Yuan Shiyao looked into her eyes.

A struggle flashed in his jade-green eyes. Complex emotions battled within him for a long moment before finally settling into a quiet calm.

He asked softly, "That day... could you not bring my brother?"

Jiang Qingli was a little confused, but she nodded anyway. "Of course."

Yuan Shiyao’s lips curved.

’Maybe I really am a glutton for punishment, willingly debasing myself.’

’But still, that doesn’t matter anymore.’

’Don’t they all think I’m desperate to be the other man?’

’Thinking about it now... as long as she can spare a little love for me, show me a little concern...’

’...I’d be willing to be anything, whether it’s a lover on the side or the other man.’