Chapter 20: Jealousy

Ever since Gino first laid eyes on Tang Feng, he was struck with a sense of familiarity. And strangely enough, he found that he also trusted the other to an inexplicable level. Yet despite that trust, he’d kept several things from Tang Feng. One of them was that he’d been secretly excited for the kiss scene for an entire week before they were scheduled to film it.

Another thing he’d never told Tang Feng was that he’d brushed his teeth at least four times and chewed through an entire pack of gum before the scene. He was afraid that Tang Feng would dislike him.

When he kissed Tang Feng back at the church, he was only half-immersed in his role. When he felt the other’s lips on his own, he felt as if he’d been transported back in time. At that moment, he felt as if he were a seventeen-year-old who’d just been struck with the first signs of love. His heart was racing, and he could feel the blood rushing to his head. In his panic, he couldn’t control himself and ended up biting Tang Feng.

It was the first time that he found that a kiss could be more nerve-wracking and more memorable than the actual act of love itself.

♦

“Is this your answer? Michael Gino, you’re disgusting! You bastard! I hate you!” Lilith screamed as she launched a pillow at Gino’s head.

Gino leaned sideways and dodged the soft projectile. He’d thought about everything and came to the conclusion that Tang Feng was right. He didn’t love Lilith. He’d simply been in a rush to find someone to fill the hole Fiennes had left behind.

“Let’s break up,” he said calmly.

It was better for them to end it now than later. He didn’t want to continue living this foolishly.

“Why are you so selfish, Gino? I love you…” Lilith stared at him for several long seconds. After she processed Gino’s words, she fell onto the couch as if injured and started crying.

“Lilith, nothing will come out of our relationship even if we stay together. Since I’m the one who brought it up, I’ll take full responsibility. If the media picks up on this, I will deal with it.”

At first, they’d started dating because it was their agency’s idea. They needed to create anticipation for the movie they’d starred in, so their agency leaked to the media that they were dating. The plan was a success; they’d won the media’s undivided attention. Somewhere along the way, they truly started dating each other. Even now, Gino still had a tough time deciphering whether they had been simply acting or if they had actually loved each other.

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell people? I’ll tell everyone that you’re in love with Fiennes Tang! A dead man who’s a decade older than you!”

Gino chuckled and replied, “Lilith, you know I’m not afraid of those sorts of tactics. I don’t mind letting the world know that I love Fiennes. Also, Fiennes is not dead. He still lives in my heart, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.”

“You’re out of your mind,” Lilith mumbled. Leaning into the couch, she rubbed at her eyes. When she removed her hand, the back of it was completely black. All her makeup had smudged into a mess.

Gino walked over and handed her a tissue. Almost ripping it out of his hand, Lilith accepted it and wiped at her face. She then reached for her bag and pulled out a mirror and a bunch of makeup. As a devotee to beauty, Lilith wanted to look beautiful no matter the situation she was in.

Fortunately, Lilith was still young. Gino knew she would never break herself over a half-serious relationship. She was a Hollywood girl.

“Fine, whatever. In any case, I’m going to marry someone who’s handsomer than you. And you’ll only have your memory of me to comfort yourself when you’re all old and lonely,” Lilith said angrily. She pulled out a tube of lipstick and retouched her lips. “We’ll break up. I hope you don’t regret it afterwards.”

“Of course I’ll regret it.” Gino smiled and shrugged. “Thank you for your good wishes.”

Lilith snapped her mirror shut and glared at Gino. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then pursed her lips in displeasure. She lowered her head and started storing her makeup away. She then said quietly, “I hope you can thank him for me. That man with black hair and black eyes.”

Even though Lilith had been completely drunk that night, she still remembered who’d saved her and then looked after her.

“I will, he’s a good person.” Gino understood who Lilith was referring to.

“That’s right. He’s a good person, and I am a good girl. Yet how did we both come across someone like you?” Lilith slung her bag across her shoulder and stood up. She collected herself and said, “Listen up, there better be a good reason for why we broke up. I don’t want the world to know that I lost to a man who’s already passed away. My manager will contact you about this. Also, don’t talk to me in the future!”

Lilith turned around and walked away with big strides, leaving behind a confident figure. Yet she couldn’t stop the rims of her eyes from turning red again. She quickly pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

Who hadn’t had a passionate and short-lived love back in the days of youth?

Like Lilith, those adolescents would laugh and cry, and would live on to see tomorrow.

♦

After coming back to the United States, what Tang Feng wanted to do the most wasn’t meeting up with the people he once knew, but to take a trip around the places he’d once stayed at and look around, this included his final resting place.

His death had come in a sudden manner, so he had no idea who’d taken care of all the matters related to his death afterwards.

Had it been his manager John?

Or had it been his good friend Randa, or perhaps Leroy?

No matter who it was, they did a very good job. There hadn’t been any public broadcasts on the news or exclusive interviews with reporters. It had been a private funeral with a group of his close friends. It had been a simple and quiet affair, something that suited him perfectly. Although he didn’t know who had planned everything, fortunately, they had made sure that his grave would be open to the public afterwards.

Tang Feng thought he had a right to visit his own grave once, so he planned to visit it together with Gino over the weekend. Coincidentally, they were going on the same day as Fiennes’ birthday.

After having a talk with Gino, they’d spent two days finishing the filming of their first bed scene. Although it was described as a bed scene, the actual time they had to expose themselves in front of the camera was minimal. Tang Feng did have his pants taken off, but he was still wearing something underneath. Not to mention, he was also wearing the long and bulky monk robe on top.

For the entire scene, Gino merely held himself above Tang Feng and simulated a few movements. However, the director was a perfectionist and asked the two of them to repeat the scene several times, with a different set of movements each time. The director was also particular about which direction they should face and whether they needed to look at the camera and who should look at the camera.

Whenever the director came up with a new idea, they had to repeat the scene. After several repeats, Gino was embarrassed to find that he was physically reacting. He could feel himself getting hard, but fortunately, the monk robe was loose enough to hide his reaction. Even though no one else had noticed, Tang Feng was the exception. Gino had been rubbing himself on him back and forth for the better part of the day. If it weren’t for the obvious look of apology on Gino’s face, Tang Feng would have assumed that the other was taking advantage of the situation and doing it on purpose.

For the entire scene, the two of them mainly exposed their legs, and only up to their thighs at that.

The director didn’t have any plans to turn the film into an erotic film. Regarding the relationship and actual nudity in the film, the director had chosen to turn up the intensity in a gradual manner. The first kiss and the first bed scene had to be controlled and subdued. Later on, it would turn more passionate as the two main characters collided more and more with each other.

“Are you all right?” After the day’s filming wrapped up, Tang Feng ran over to Gino and asked. Gino had been in the same position for quite a while now. It wouldn’t be good if he developed a problem because he was holding it in for so long.

“Do I look like all right to you? If you give me a tree, I’m pretty sure I would start humping it right now,” Gino joked crudely. After talking with Tang Feng a bit more, Gino made an excuse that he had to go change and ran off to his trailer.

As for what Gino was actually doing inside his trailer, who knew?

Tang Feng snickered to himself. What was Gino going to do when the more intense scenes came around?

To avoid coming across Gino and getting himself in an awkward situation, Tang Feng left first. Today, the one picking him up was still Lu Tian Chen.

The president seemed to be in a bad mood today. When he saw Tang Feng, none of his usual “cordialness” was present, cordialness as in holding the door open for Tang Feng and asking where he wanted to go before heading home.

“Get in.” Lu Tian Chen didn’t bother holding the door for Tang Feng. He also didn’t ask Tang Feng where he wanted to go. Right after Tang Feng got in, Lu Tian Chen put the car in drive and sped away.

Only an idiot would fail to see that Lu Tian Chen was angry, but Tang Feng couldn’t recall what he’d done to make the man angry. Was Lu Tian Chen angry at the fact that his “loving breakfast” the other day had given him an upset stomach?

“Are you feeling okay? It was my first time making breakfast. Sorry.” Out of politeness, Tang Feng felt that he should apologize for making the brave man beside him eat everything he’d made.

Lu Tian Chen didn’t reply; he outright ignored Tang Feng.

“Are you angry at me?” Tang Feng tried asking.

Lu Tian Chen ignored him again. This time, Tang Feng was a bit angry himself. Since when had he ever had to lower himself this much? One couldn’t act too weak around Lu Tian Chen or Charles, otherwise they’d eat you for breakfast.

Tang Feng smiled and said, “Keeping your anger all bottled up is going to lead to health problems. I hope you’d take care of your health, President Lu.”

“I’m not angry. I’m only jealous.” Lu Tian Chen’s answer was direct and simple. A calm and logical conclusion that nevertheless shocked Tang Feng.

 

Next: Chapter 21: Confession
Previous: Chapter 19: Gino’s Secret (2)
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Translator: Nannyn
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