Chapter 36: Beat You Up

When the day’s work ended, Tang Feng left in a car accompanied by his assistant and agent without saying goodbye. After such a thing had just happened, it would be awkward and strange if he were to talk to anyone. In the end, this is still a film set, Tang Feng did not want Gino to eat his fists in full view of everyone.

Tang Feng just wanted to go back to his hotel to take a hot bath and have a good night’s sleep. Then in the morning he’d get up, eat his fill, and then beat Gino up.

Gino, what did that bastard take him as?

Tang Feng knew that Gino had some affection for him, but Gino had gone far too overboard with the things done to him today while borrowing the excuse of work, and had crossed the bottom line between them.

Even knowing the scene was well filmed, it was hard for Tang Feng to cheer up.

He was unsure if Lu Tian Chen knew what happened, after Tang Feng went back with a black face, Lu Tian Chen didn’t ask or say anything, just having a drink of wine with Tang Feng after he came out of the bathroom, then they each went back to their own separate beds to sleep.

Lu Tian Chen had been taking advantage of Charles’ being away to occasionally join Tang Feng in bed, just to hold each other or to cuddle, with at most an innocent peck on the lips. As long as Tang Feng didn’t indicate anything, Lu Tian Chen also would not casually do anything too intimate to the man.

This evening, it was obvious with a glance that Tang Feng wasn’t in a good mood, Lu Tian Chen wisely did not disturb the him.

In the middle of the night, Lu Tian Chen crawled over from his bed, lying beside Tang Feng to hold the man from behind. The half-asleep half-awake man also just hummed twice in his dream, then leaned back into Lu Tian Chen’s embrace.

Lu Tian Chen quietly asked “Who on earth are you?”, lined with a little moonlight, Lu Tian Chen kissed the back of Tang Feng’s neck gently.

♦

Tang Feng who did not have to get up early the next morning woke up naturally after his sleep. He vaguely remembered that someone climbed into his bed yesterday in the middle of the night, that person was probably Lu Tian Chen.

When he got up in the morning, there was no one in the bed next to him, or on the other bed. But when he stretched his hands to touch the sheets, there was still a little residual warmth. Lu Tian Chen should not have been gone for too long.

Stretching leisurely, Tang Feng got up from bed to go to the bathroom to take a bath, slowly transitioning from the half-dream half-awake state to sobriety. He went back to the bedside to put clothes on, at the same time, he picked up the phone to see if anyone had been looking for him, only to find that his phone had been turned off.

Maybe Lu Tian Chen turned off his phone.

Then what about Lu Tian Chen, that guy?

After Tang Feng finished grooming he did not directly call Lu Tian Chen, instead he called his agent Xiaoyu; she usually knew where Lu Tian Chen was.

“Xiaoyu, do you know where President Lu is?” Tang Feng asked. According to Xiaoyu’s habits, she should have told Lu Tian Chen about what happened on the set yesterday. Tang Feng knew Lu Tian Chen wasn’t one to just sit back and watch.

Lu Tian Chen didn’t greet him this morning before leaving, maybe to deal with the thing regarding Gino. Furthermore, Lu Tian Chen was now his boss; he had a valid reason to fight for his employees’ rights.

“President Lu, President Lu, he …” there was some stuttering between the words of Xiaoyu on the other end of the phone.

“What’s the matter, did something happen? Tell me where he is.” Listening to Xiaoyu stuttering, Tang Feng could guess what may have happened.

Lu Tian Chen didn’t do anything rash, did he?

“Gino came to the hotel just now, President Lu wouldn’t let him come up, and then the two of them went to the hotel gym. It seems like President Lu beat Gino up, the agent over on Gino’s side is now rushing over. Tang Feng, you would have found out about this matter sooner or later, but you must not … Hello, hello?”

Tang Feng had long since hung up the phone, pulled open the hotel room door and ran towards the hotel gym. Even if Gino should be beat up it should be him doing the beating right.

He is now in a very complicated mood. On the one hand, he was angry at Gino’s childish tantrum and impulsive unprofessional behaviour yesterday, on the other hand, there is some concern that Gino would be handicapped by Lu Tian Chen.

Tang Feng had consulted Lu Tian Chen on martial arts before. He very clearly understood that beneath Lu Tian Chen’s seemingly gentlemanly outward appearance was a skilled fighter with unmatched fierceness. Since he can evenly match Charles without falling behind, and since Charles can easily beat Gino up, Lu Tian Chen can naturally do so as well.

Lu Tian Chen wasn’t someone that angered easily but once angered he was terrifying.

Like a volcano, which is usually peaceful and quiet, once it erupts, it is enough to shake the ground and destroy the sky.

♦

Sometimes when you really don’t want something to happen, fate has other plans, allowing it to occur despite the best laid plans. When Tang Feng arrived at the gym, the sight that greeted him happened to be the last thing he wanted to see.

There weren’t many people in the gym, it can be said that there was no one. A few people of unknown origins stood at the door. When Tang Feng went in, they just glanced at the man allowing him to enter without obstruction.

When Tang Feng found Lu Tian Chen and Gino on the boxing ring stage, Lu Tian Chen was walking to the ring side, grabbing his coat that was hanging on the post to put it on, only lightly glancing towards Tang Feng’s arrival.

“Lu Tian Chen.” Tang Feng’s gaze landed on the back of Lu Tian Chen’s hand, where his knuckles were stained with some blood. It didn’t look like it belonged to Lu Tian Chen, then it can only be…

“I can still fight! I haven’t lost yet!” A clamour sounded from behind Lu Tian Chen. Tang Feng walked closer and found Gino lying on the ground. This Hollywood superstar looked a little embarrassed, but the blazing flames in his eyes seemed to tell all of them that he wouldn’t easily bow his head and concede.

Lu Tian Chen, with his back to Gino, raised his lips into a condescending sneer: “No, you lost from the beginning.”

“What are you guys doing?” Tang Feng started to walk up to them.

Lu Tian Chen quickly moved forward to stop the man, noticing Tang Feng’s tightly scrunched brow and said, “Let’s go.”

Tang Feng could see Gino behind Lu Tian Chen. The youth’s hair was rather matted; the corners of his mouth were also bleeding, panting heavily presumably because of adrenaline and over exertion from the fight. When he met Tang Feng’s gaze, his pupils slightly constricted, before slowly lowering his head to avoid the man’s eyes.

“This is what he deserves.” Lu Tian Chen said.

“Then it should be me beating him up.” Tang Feng hadn’t actually wanted to beat Gino up this badly.

Lu Tian Chen shrugged it off: “Are you treating him like a child? Don’t forget how lethal the child is.” He paused, his eyes glancing back slightly, “Furthermore, he is a wayward child with the strength of an adult.”

“I know …”

“Then don’t give him any delusions.” This was the first time Lu Tian Chen had spoken with a stern tone to Tang Feng since they started to get along.

Tang Feng nodded, reaching out to pat Lu Tian Chen on the shoulder: “I know what to do.”

Lu Tian Chen looked at the other man, even if Tang Feng didn’t do these things, he would still help this man to complete them.

“I’ll be waiting for you outside.” Lu Tian Chen decided to hand this place over to Tang Feng. He immediately jumped out of the ring and left.

♦

“Do you think I’m a failure? I lost when I fought with Charles, and when I fought with this Mr. Lu, I was beaten till I’m black and blue.” Leaning against the boxing ring’s pole, Gino bitterly laughed in self-pity.

Tang Feng walked over, condescendingly staring down at the youth. He had no intention of comforting Gino. “That’s right. You really are a failure. Not because you couldn’t beat them in a fight, but because you didn’t know exactly what you wanted from the start. I believe the people by your side should’ve called you a willful child more than once, but why haven’t you changed at all?”

“I’m working on it!”

“Obviously you’re not working hard enough!” Tang Feng loudly reprimanded.

“Then what the hell do you want me to do?!” Gino was too emotional; he lowered his head and covered his face.

“Throwing this kind of question at me, is it because if it’s me telling you what to do it would allow you to be able to do it? Then go and be a mature adult. You’re already long past the age of being a willful child immersed in your fantasy dreams. Yesterday’s event really infuriated me. Then let me ask you a question too. What do you even see me as?”

Gino fiercely raised his head, shouting: “I like you!”

“So, you did that kind of thing to me in front of everyone yesterday, is this the way you like someone?” Tang Feng sighed in frustration. “The things you like, other people may not necessarily like them.”

“I’m sorry, yesterday…. I was too impulsive yesterday.”

“Impulse is never an excuse or a reason. Gino, stop finding excuses for yourself. I don’t want to comfort you, or give you reasons and advice. You’re already an adult. Just like what you said before, you’re even older than me. As a man, think about what you should do.” Tang Feng sighed. He looked at the Gino in front of him, continuing: “Think about what consequences your actions will bring.”

“Are you still mad at me?” Gino’s voice quieted.

“If a man were to do that kind of thing to you, will you be mad?” Tang Feng asked instead.

“I think I’ll kill him.” Once the positions were reversed, Gino couldn’t take it anymore, and vigorously shook his head.

“Then that’s that” Tang Feng looked at Gino one last time, then turned around to leave.

Gino just stared after the man leaving. Even though he let Lu Tian Chen beat him up, Gino hadn’t received any comfort, nor had he received the forgiveness that he had imagined.

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Translator: Kacy
Proofreaders: Lyrick

ANNOUNCEMENT: Translation of this story has been picked up by: https://hutnovel.blogspot.com/search/label/True%20Star