Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me-Chapter 270 : Yan Renzhong’s Determination

Shang Ruohai was quite pleased that morning when he summoned Yan Renzhong to his office.

"Good news!" He announced. "The Kunlun Snow Lotus Award ceremony is to take place within a month. You are naturally amongs the renowned actors nominated for the Best Actor category."

Under normal circumstances, Yan Renzhong would be floating on cloud nine. Today, he was unable to conjure a single smile in response.

"What’s wrong?" Shang Ruohai furrowed his brows, baffled by his champion’s lacking enthusiasm for the amazing news.

"I am dying," Yan Renzhong answered in three succinct words.

"..."

If this were any other person, Shang Ruohai might just break in laughter, inviting the other to laugh with him.

But this was Yan Renzhong.

He did not make such immature jokes.

Yan Renzhong lowered his gaze and took out the medical report Dr. Kang prepared.

"I have brain tumor, stage three."

Shang Ruohai’s eyes flickered down the medical report, each word a blur until he reached the final diagnosis.

"Brain tumor, stage three."

The stark reality hit him like a physical blow.

He slowly raised his eyes until he met Yan Renzhong’s.

"Does Shen Jingwei know?"

"No."

"..."

"Not yet."

"... And why not?"

Yan Renzhong drew a chair and took a seat at the other side of the desk, facing Shang Ruohai.

"I am planning to have a brain surgery in a month. Probably one or two days after the Kunlun Snow Lotus Award ceremony. The success rate as of now is around 20%. He is enjoying the peak of his career. I don’t want to distract him."

One of Shang Ruohai’s brows ticked upward in amazement.

"Really? You actually consider a life-threatening brain tumor to be a distraction for your spouse?"

"Yes."

"..."

Yan Renzhong leaned against the chair support and stared at Shang Ruohai.

"You and I had a deal, three years ago. In return for Shen Jingwei taking the fall for you, you would do your best to promote him."

"You know I did."

"I know you tried," Yan Renzhong pointed out. "But you failed. You still had to protect yourself, so you couldn’t openly help Shen Jingwei."

"With much effort, he finally reaches this stage. You and I owe him the success. Do not ruin it for him."

Shang Ruohai took a deep breath.

"What do you want me to do...?"

"Slowly, even in the weeks leading to the surgery, I am going to start suffering from the growing tumor. I need someone to take care of him in my stead."

"And so you pick me."

"Yes."

Yan Renzhong narrowed his eyes at Shang Ruohai.

"I need you to do everything in your power to get him under your wings."

"... You know I tried recruiting him so many times but he never agreed to sign with CNC Studio."

Yan Renzhong shrugged.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Shang Ruohai stared at his champion.

"Do you really want me to do ’that’?"

"Do whatever you need to do. I am only interested in the result."

Silence stretched between the two men as they engaged in a staring competition.

Eventually, Yan Renzhong broke the eye contact first.

"Well then, Senior Shang, I shall take my leave."

The medical report was left behind for Shang Ruohai.

"Yan Renzhong," Shang Ruohai called out before Yan Renzhong left his office. "What do you plan to do about Shen Jingwei?"

"I don’t know yet," Yan Renzhong answered. "We will see about that."

He expected to see Shen Jingwei that night, but he ended up going home late because a job was delayed for over two hours.

By the time he arrived at their shared apartment, Shen Jingwei was already curled up on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

When morning came, Shen Jingwei for once had to leave early.

Zhu Dongyi came by to pick him up, and together they embarked on a four-hour drive to a secluded shooting location.

On first glance, it appeared to be rather unfortunate, but when Yan Renzhong opened his eyes that morning, he was glad that Shen Jingwei was gone.

That was because he spent almost fifteen minutes in the bathroom, retching a mixture of stomach acid and water.

Once he was done, he slumped against the counter, his body wracked with dry heaves.

With much effort, he dragged himself back into the bedroom to find the pills Dr. Kang gave him to take every day while they prepared for the surgery.

They cost a fortune, but they could stave off the tumor’s progression, allowing him to function adequately while waiting for the surgery.

After he popped three pills down his throat and flushed them with a glass of water, he sat leaning against his bed, pondering about the horrifying days to come.

His parents never wanted him to know that his father suffered through the illness, but he still found out, one way or another.

He heard vomiting sounds seeping out of the bathroom from time to time.

He saw his father getting thinner day after day.

He saw the black circles around his parents’ eyes deepening with every sleepless night they went through.

He saw his mother crying alone in the backyard when she fed the chicken.

He recalled the many nights his mother had to rush his father to the small hospital in the village, leaving him alone at home.

On such nights, little Yan Renzhong was unable to sleep even a wink.

...

As the patients bore the burden of physical pain, their loved ones carried the weight of emotional distress.

Yan Renzhong’s heart ached when he pictured Shen Jingwei in his late mother’s stead.

Haggard, sad, heartbroken.

...

He couldn’t do that to Shen Jingwei.

It wasn’t even because the timing was very poor.

It was because he did not want Shen Jingwei to suffer.

And he also did not want Shen Jingwei to see him in such a sorry state.

Therefore, Shen Jingwei must not know about his illness or his deteriorating condition.

He had to go through it alone, and trust that the odds were in his favor.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only