Xie Guan: “It’s not what you think… No, this is my own business, you don’t need to…”
Huo Mingjun interrupted, “Yes, I know you have your difficulties. You’re afraid of retaliation by someone named Zhang, and you’re afraid of being jobless, but do you know what ‘public opinion is formidable’ means? Don’t say that very few succeed on this path in the end. Even if you become famous someday, I’m sure the public’s perception of you won’t be any better than being known as the ‘king of Category III films’.”
Huo Mingjun stared relentlessly into Xie Guan’s evasive eyes, asking calmly but ruthlessly, “Xie Guan, do you think the clothes you took off today can be put back on in the future?”
Xie Guan’s mind was in turmoil, and he struggled to explain, “I didn’t…”
“‘Didn’t’?” Huo Mingjun nearly burst into laughter, “Did someone hold a knife to your throat and force you to come here and make Category III films? Or did someone point a gun at your head and force you to disappear from the world without a word?!”
“Can’t bear a little hardship, can’t stand a little injustice, and when something happens, you want to cry and scream. Do you really think of yourself as a three-year-old child who needs someone else to pick you up when you fall?”
Fury surged through Xie Guan’s temples, and his fingers were trembling. He resisted the urge to punch this heartless bastard who didn’t understand his circumstances and then shove the words ‘You don’t know anything’ right back down his throat.
Huo Mingjun’s words were too direct and sharp. He didn’t hesitate to tear apart Xie Guan’s self-deception, revealing the wretchedness and embarrassment he had been desperately trying to conceal. For an adult man, this was a face-losing experience, and his self-esteem was completely trampled upon.
Xie Guan gritted his teeth and said, “You don’t know anything.”
Huo Mingjun remained indifferent.
As soon as he said this, a small voice in his heart suddenly whispered, “But what he’s saying is the truth.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Xie Guan was not ungrateful, and with his rationality returned, he immediately grasped the hidden frustration in Huo Mingjun’s words regarding 'hating iron for not becoming steel.'.” He had endured many hardships and worked hard to support himself up until this point, yet strangely, his heart felt numb to pain. It wasn’t until Huo Mingjun’s casual words that he finally felt needles pierce through calluses honed by the unpredictability of life, and struck straight into the pride that had not yet faded.
In just a few moments, a strange and searing pain swept through his body and his vision promptly blurred.
Xie Guan stumbled back, causing his knees to knock against the sofa edge, and he sat down stiffly like a broken puppet.
Huo Mingjun didn’t press him, and instead waited silently to hear what Xie Guan was going to say next.
“It’s true… I had a falling out with the company some time ago. I went out to find acting gigs on my own, but no production wanted to hire me. So, when I received an email from the assistant director, I departed with the intention of fleeing.”
Xie Guan stared at the patterns on the ground absentmindedly, his voice becoming hoarse. His back remained straight as if in some unspoken challenge and the tenser it got, the more desolate he appeared.
“It was only after I arrived on Hong Kong Island that I realized it was an adult film. At first, I refused, but within two days, my hotel room was robbed, and my belongings, phone, and identification were all stolen. When I went to the police station to report it, they told me to go back and wait. I thought of asking for help, but I couldn’t understand the language here. Without money and no way to contact anyone, I felt completely cornered, and agreed when the director approached me again.”
Throughout, he never once questioned Huo Mingjun, “What would you do if you were in this situation?” Instead, he listened quietly to the other’s reprimands, offered superficial explanations in return, and pretended that he still had room for self-improvement.
“Mr. Huo is right, ultimately it is my own weakness,” Xie Guan took a deep breath with his head lowered, and in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry for losing control. Regardless, thank you for your help today. If Mr. Huo doesn’t have any other matters, I’ll head back now.”
“Where else do you want to go?” Huo Mingjun asked with a furrowed brow. “Didn’t I just tell the director that there’s no point in you returning to film anymore?”
“Not back to the crew,” Xie Guan turned towards the door wearily. “Please don’t bother yourself any further.”
Then he was blocked at the door by a bodyguard.
Xie Guan: “…”
Unable to endure it any longer, he turned back and said, “Mr. Huo…”
His words abruptly vanished in his throat.
Huo Mingjun appeared behind him at some point, lowering his head slightly to meet his gaze. His expression remained inscrutable, but there was a hint of unexplained gentleness in his eyes, shimmering in the lamplight.
For the first time, Xie Guan felt as if he were truly seeing him, and a thought popped into his mind: Huo Mingjun’s countenance was not cold at all; his presence was simply imposing. When his features relaxed, he was surprisingly good-looking.
More than good-looking, he was handsome.
“I was impatient, so I scolded you,” he raised his hand and lightly brushed a very fine streak under Xie Guan’s eye, leaving a faint trail of moisture, “I know you’ve been wronged, but please don’t do anything that worries others in the future.”
Xie Guan was unable to react, gazing at him in a daze.
Huo Mingjun had a heated argument with him. Now, as they both calmed down, he met Xie Guan’s reddened eyes. Amidst the overwhelming anger, a tinge of heartache emerged and quickly gained momentum. He pulled Xie Guan back to the living room sofa, slowly prying apart his tightly clenched fingers. As he touched his palm, it was covered in cold sweat, and his fingertips were icy. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret. “Come over, take a seat first”.
Xie Guan snapped back to reality and quickly said, “Wait…”
Huo Mingjun pressed him into the sofa, sighing in concession, “I might have been too harsh with my words just now. Do you need me to apologize?”
“N-no need,” Xie Guan hurriedly shook his head, “It’s okay.”
“In that case, please don’t cry, okay?”
“Huh?” Xie Guan blinked in confusion, and a tear glistened in the corner of his eye, suddenly falling. He was startled and quickly turned away to wipe it off.
A hint of a smile passed through Huo Mingjun’s eyes as he reached over and handed him two tissues to wipe his tears. “Alright, let’s put this behind us. We won’t mention it again in the future.”
Just as Xie Guan was about to speak, there came a knock on the door from outside. Huo Mingjun gestured for him to wait and shortly after, a hotel room service cart was wheeled into the living room by a bodyguard.
Huo Mingjun handed him a cup of hot milk, telling him to hold it to warm his hands. “You’ll stay here tonight, and in a couple of days, you’ll return with me. You’re not allowed to go to those messy film sets anymore.”
“Um…”
The bodyguard parked the meal cart and left the suite. Xie Guan, feeling like he was in a dream, watched with wide eyes as the current head of the Huo family personally arranged seven or eight dinner plates on the coffee table. Finally, unable to hold back, he asked, “Why are you helping me?”
He should still apologise for being an ass when they barely knew each other hmph hmph 😠 thankfully he is a bit considerate. I just wanna give xie guan a hug, hes such a champ 😭
Man, I still don’t like him.
hmmm. I get what he was trying to do but this is literally their third meeting and the last two were pretty cold and intimidating. The whole “tough love” approach was a bad call as they’re strangers. Huo Mingjun is lucky Xie Guan is mild tempered and can put aside his pride to see where others are coming from. So far, I’m loving Xie Guan but Huo Mingjun is on thin ice for now 😒 Thank you for translating!