RSDH CH21

Duan Xingye’s new variety show, Singer-Songwriter 101, was an original male idol survival show with a total of three mentors.

Besides Duan Xingye, Tao Ziyi was also on the invitation list.

When the official announcement came out, Duan Xingye only responded with a cold sneer, making no other comments.

The drive from Shanghai to the studio in the neighboring province took two hours.

Today was the rehearsal for the first round of mass auditions.

Just as it was about to start, Tao Ziyi called to say he couldn’t make it in time, causing the person in charge to look a bit grim. They had no choice but to run through the process with the remaining people.

The opening was a solo stage for the mentors, with the theme “Nostalgic Golden Oldies.” The songs to be performed were still in the voting stage on Weibo, so this part was skipped for now.

The program team arranged for several contestants to take turns on stage to sing their songs.

These people basically all had company backgrounds and were waiting to debut, so they got the opportunity to rehearse in advance.

For most contestants, the official audition would be their first time facing the stage.

The mentor beside him was named Jin Zimi, a capable female singer. She whispered, “What do you think?”

Duan Xingye looked at the boy in front who couldn’t even hit an A3 note and said, “A complete mess.”

“…”

Jin Zimi stuck out her tongue and laughed.

Because it was a rehearsal, the contestants didn’t seem to take it very seriously, and the scene appeared sluggish.

Except for one kid who rapped. He was energetic, jumping around, and ignited the atmosphere for a moment.

After finishing, he didn’t leave the stage obediently like the other contestants. Instead, he looked at Duan Xingye with burning eyes and raised his microphone: “Will you choose me on audition day?”

Jeering sounds immediately erupted off-stage.

Duan Xingye raised an eyebrow, looked up from the documents, and gave an official answer: “If your performance can conquer me.”

Then the kid was scolded off stage by the person in charge.

Rarely seen, this was an individual contestant.

However, Duan Xingye didn’t make an effort to remember his name.

Because one mentor was missing, the process went quickly, and the rehearsal ended before six o’clock.

On the way to the hotel, Duan Xingye leaned against the back seat. The prosperous lights of the downtown area slid past his eyes, leaving no trace.

It wasn’t until a jewelry advertisement occupying the outer wall of a shopping mall appeared at a street intersection that Duan Xingye’s gaze lingered.

After a while.

The red light flashed, and the green light turned on.

Duan Xingye said unhurriedly, “Pull over for a moment.”

At night, rain began to fall outside the window, pitter-pattering, accompanied by the whistling wind.

Ten o’clock, Vanke Metropolis.

The lights were on in the hallway of the huge flat, extending all the way to the master bedroom.

Suddenly.

The sound of the password unlocking came from the main door, very clear in the quiet night.

Duan Xingye pushed his suitcase into the house and changed shoes at the entryway.

Slightly hurried footsteps came from the master bedroom. Cheng Duzhou appeared in the hallway, holding the door frame with one hand, looking at Duan Xingye.

Two seconds later, he blinked. “You’re back?”

Duan Xingye had thought about it and decided to come back. Staying in a hotel wasn’t as habitual as home. Anyway, the two-hour journey wasn’t long; he just arrived home late, not leisurely enough.

Duan Xingye saw Cheng Duzhou wearing pajamas and asked, “Were you asleep?”

“No.” Cheng Duzhou seemed to subconsciously glance into the room, sighed almost imperceptibly, raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, walked towards the door, his tone finally calming down. “Why didn’t you say something in advance?”

“What’s there to say?” Duan Xingye unzipped his jacket. “It’s not like I can’t get in.”

“…”

Cheng Duzhou looked like he didn’t know how to respond and actively took Duan Xingye’s suitcase.

Duan Xingye paused, leaned his face close to Cheng Duzhou’s collar, and sniffed lightly. “Did you spray perfume?”

Spicy and sweet. Opium pour Homme.

Cheng Duzhou took a step back, grabbed his clothes, and smelled them. “Did I?”

When his long fingers cut through the air, the evaporated scent became noticeably stronger.

Duan Xingye lifted his eyelids to look at him.

Showered, ready for bed. Spraying perfume?

Right at this moment.

The video doorbell monitor on the entryway wall rang.

Duan Xingye looked over.

An unexpected person appeared in the small window on the screen.

A young, creamy face was drenched by rain, squinting painfully in the wind, looking very miserable and anxious, revealing a pleading posture.

It was Tang Ning.

“?”

Duan Xingye looked at Cheng Duzhou inquiringly.

Cheng Duzhou met Duan Xingye’s gaze and asked, “Who is it for?”

After speaking, his eyes couldn’t help but dodge for a moment.

Obviously knew the answer.

“Whose junior brother is it?” Duan Xingye was amused, leaning against the wall beside him. “Mine?”

His eyes were smiling, but his voice was cold. “Don’t dawdle. Answer the call, speakerphone, hurry up.”

“…”

Cheng Duzhou’s vigilance for danger had always been high. He knew that once he responded to the person outside, Duan Xingye would definitely make his life difficult later.

But if he didn’t listen, he wouldn’t get past this moment.

He inhaled secretly, extremely reluctantly reached out, and pressed the speakerphone button on the monitor unit.

With a beep.

“Senior Brother, you’re home, right!” Tang Ning’s urgent voice was accompanied by static. “The rain outside is too heavy, can I come up?”

Cheng Duzhou’s jawline tightened.

Duan Xingye watched Cheng Duzhou with a faint smile the whole time.

He suddenly remembered high school, when girls gathered during P.E. class discussing that Cheng Duzhou’s face looked both deeply affectionate and heartless.

Growing up into adulthood, his contours became deeper, but the bone structure remained the same.

Duan Xingye found it hard to clarify right now why Cheng Duzhou repeatedly confirmed on WeChat whether he would come home tomorrow, his obvious panic when seeing him just now, and why he specially sprayed perfume after showering.

Cheng Duzhou spoke to the video phone at this moment: “You…”

The next second.

His lips were pressed by a slender white finger.

Cheng Duzhou couldn’t speak and looked aside.

Duan Xingye’s fox-like eyes curved, and he silently mouthed clearly: “Let—him—come—up.”

Under the coercion of Duan Xingye’s gaze, Cheng Duzhou pressed the unlock button.

Duan Xingye withdrew his hand, turned, and walked toward the bedroom.

Cheng Duzhou hesitated for a moment and followed behind.

Duan Xingye definitely misunderstood, but since he didn’t ask anything, Cheng Duzhou didn’t know where to start explaining.

And whether actively explaining would look like covering up, thereby triggering more unnecessary misunderstandings.

Cheng Duzhou thought for a moment, looked up, and said, “I didn’t know he…”

Bang!

The bedroom door slammed in his face.

“…”

No chance to explain at all.

Duan Xingye entered the bedroom, taking off his jacket while walking to the walk-in closet.

He didn’t actually think Cheng Duzhou was cheating within the marriage. His character and personality were there; even if it was a contract marriage, Cheng Duzhou could maintain loyalty.

Tang Ning probably came on his own.

But so what?

The feeling of his territory being violated was still strong.

The scope wasn’t just this flat, but also the identity endowed by a paper contract.

He looked down on third-rate trash like Tang Ning, but Cheng Duzhou failing to manage his own relationships made him unhappy. That was Cheng Duzhou’s problem.

Just after saying let Tang Ning come up, Duan Xingye actually regretted it.

He should have told Cheng Duzhou to get out.

Don’t bring your personal matters into their shared life.

Duan Xingye, with a face as cold as ice, let his jacket fall onto the floor of the walk-in closet. He inadvertently glanced at Cheng Duzhou’s wardrobe door, which wasn’t fully closed, revealing a crack.

Even that tiny bit of unruliness felt like a thorn in his eye. Passing by, he reached out to shove the door back.

A rustling squeezing sound came from inside.

Duan Xingye pulled the wardrobe open.

The next second.

Black gauze roses that almost filled half the wardrobe tumbled out from inside.

The massive volume fell right into Duan Xingye’s arms, which were open from pulling the door.

Duan Xingye’s eye color sank to the bottom.

Perfume, roses—undoubtedly a series of dating operations.

Specifically on the night he wasn’t supposed to be home.

Cheng Duzhou, good job.

Duan Xingye shoved the huge bouquet of roses back, unceremoniously plucked the card with the Italian cursive logo inserted among the flowers.

Flipped it over.

Powerful and elegant handwriting came into view.

[Duan Xingye, Happy 2nd Anniversary.]

…

…

Duan Xingye stared at that line of words for a long time, turned around, and leaned his back against the wardrobe door.

When he first came home, Cheng Duzhou was messing with something in the room and panicked when caught.

What era is this to still pull a surprise with 999 roses?

Local dog (Tacky).

Duan Xingye looked at the handwriting for a while longer, his dark pupils turning upward, fanning himself with the card.

The spicy, sweet scent of Opium spread richly.

Even specially sprayed perfume on the card.

The tackiest of local dogs.

Living room, a knock sounded from outside.

Cheng Duzhou closed his eyes in endurance, took two seconds to stabilize his emotions, and turned to open the door.

Motherfucker.

Sitting at home, disaster falls from the sky.

__

Author’s Note:

President Cheng, hold on. Get past this and it’s a mandarin duck bath with rose petals; fail and you’re a homeless little local dog.