Jiang Long has never been able to figure out what Bai Han is thinking. Bai Han is like a still, dark pool of water, deep and silent most of the time. Although a bit dull, at least he listens obediently.
Jiang Long likes obedient people.
Obedience means no betrayal.
When he went abroad for further studies for just a couple of years, most of his fans were snatched away by Chen Xiao, that damn guy. Now, only a few remain, and they are also wavering.
Though Jiang Long was angry, he was still relatively calm about it. In the entertainment industry, without exposure, how many people will remember you? He was mentally prepared when he went abroad.
Jiang Long booked a flight back home for tomorrow and has three well-polished original songs ready. He is determined to make a comeback and surpass Chen Xiao.
The spacious single apartment is messy, with only Bai Han tidying up. Jiang Long is lying lazily on the sofa, scrolling through domestic news on his phone. When he sees Chen Xiao's new movie or TV series trending again, he scoffs, still despising his former rival.
What's so great about him?
He swears he will outdo Chen Xiao when he returns home!
Thinking about this, Jiang Long furrows his brows, throws his phone aside, and lies on the sofa, propping his head with his hand, asking, "Who do you think is better, me or Chen Xiao?"
Bai Han is squatting on the floor, packing. His black short-sleeved shirt clings to his well-built body. Clearly, he has heard Jiang Long ask this question many times before. He softly says, "You."
Very earnestly.
Jiang Long sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. He actually wanted to hear some sweet words, but Bai Han is too straightforward, just giving a few sparse words without much praise.
Jiang Long stands up directly from the sofa, walks to Bai Han, squats in front of him, and pinches his chin to make him look at him, sternly asking, "Hey, will you lose weight if you speak some sweet words?"
Bai Han looks at him silently, not saying a word.
For some reason, Jiang Long feels a bit guilty and awkwardly retracts his hand, muttering, "You're so dumb. I guess when I return, if anyone would still want you as an assistant, it'll be me. You should spend more time online and get smarter."
Learn to say some sweet words to make me happy in the future.
After saying this, he pats his butt and stands up, ready to lie back on the sofa. However, his phone suddenly rings. Jiang Long picks it up and sees it's a message from his agent. He frowns, avoids Bai Han, and walks to the balcony to answer the call.
Jiang Long's behavior is unusual; he even closes the balcony door. Usually, he never avoids Bai Han when taking calls.
Bai Han glances at Jiang Long's back, then stands up and quietly opens the balcony door slightly, able to faintly hear Jiang Long's conversation.
"Replace the assistant? Why?... So what if he has a criminal record? He served his time; he didn't escape... I don't care what the internet says."
Jiang Long's usual tone is quite spoiled, but this time, there is a hint of annoyance. He holds onto the railing and the phone, his brows furrowed tightly. "We'll discuss this when I return. I'll talk to the big boss myself."
Bai Han grew up in an orphanage and even served time for fighting before. If this matter is dug up by netizens when he returns to China, it will inevitably affect Jiang Long. The agent, considering various factors, hopes he can dismiss Bai Han.
But Jiang Long is stubborn and always ends the call on bad terms.
Outside the apartment, the sound of the lawnmower is buzzing. Jiang Long hangs up the phone and turns back to see Bai Han has already packed his suitcase.
Jiang Long silences his phone and casually tosses it onto the sofa, "Snacks? Did you pack them too? I'll need them later."
Knowing Jiang Long's temper after working as his assistant for several years, Bai Han opens a storage cabinet and takes out a box of snacks Jiang Long likes, placing it on the coffee table.
Jiang Long doesn't eat any but lazily sits on the sofa, lighting a cigarette, exhaling smoke, and glancing at Bai Han.
He is contemplating, is he really going to argue with the company for such a small assistant?
The answer is no. After all, Bai Han, this little "dumb guy," is not particularly special.
But he still argued.
Sometimes what one thinks and what one does are two entirely different things.
Jiang Long usually doesn't smoke to protect his voice, but perhaps due to his wild days abroad, he occasionally smokes a few. Today, feeling upset, he smokes to calm himself.
Seeing this, Bai Han shifts his feet and finally takes the cigarette from Jiang Long's mouth, whispering two words, "Don't smoke."
Jiang Long raises an eyebrow, "Why?"
Bai Han: "Your throat will get hoarse."
Jiang Long dismissively replied, "Perfect, I'll go sing rock."
He hadn't noticed that Bai Han seemed troubled. As bedtime approached, he habitually checked his phone and found out that today marked the anniversary of the official announcement of Chen Xiao and Qi Yubai being together. Fans were going crazy making videos and sharing photos. He coldly blocked them.
Those two damned gays, no wonder they always targeted him during recordings; they had long been together behind his back!
Jiang Long threw his phone aside, ready to sleep, but sleep eluded him. He didn't know what came to mind, and he walked to Bai Han's room intending to talk to him. To his surprise, the door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open to find Bai Han packing.
Unlike Jiang Long's four large suitcases packed to the brim, Bai Han's belongings were pitifully few. He barely packed anything, just a few old clothes thrown into a black travel bag, along with his ID and charging cable. That was all he had.
Jiang Long had sent him his salary, but Bai Han had sent it back to his foster mother for her medical treatment.
Bai Han was still the same old Bai Han, silent and reserved in the dim light. The fierceness he showed when he was imprisoned was now buried deep within him, barely visible.
Jiang Long stood by the door with his hands in his pockets, lost in thought and feeling a sense of guilt for some reason. He kicked the door, suddenly saying, "Hey, I'll increase your salary when we return to the country."
Bai Han hadn't expected Jiang Long to come to his room in the middle of the night. Subconsciously, he turned and saw Jiang Long staring at him, with a self-satisfied smile as if he was waiting for his thanks.
However, Bai Han hesitated and refused, "No need."
Jiang Long raised an eyebrow, "If I give it to you, just take it. Why so many questions?"
Bai Han continued to pack his clothes and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have some personal matters to attend to. I might resign when we return to the country. Thank you for these years."
This was probably the most Bai Han had ever said. He appeared calm, almost emotionless, like a still black pond.
Jiang Long was momentarily stunned, taking a few seconds to understand what Bai Han was saying. He stood upright and stammered, "You have something? What could be more important than my matters?"
Bai Han seemed unwilling to speak further and continued to fold his clothes meticulously, over and over. He had learned to do these small tasks slowly after following Jiang Long, even though he wasn't good at them.
Bai Han: "Personal matters."
Unable to hold back, Jiang Long swore, "What personal matters could you possibly have?"
Being dominant by nature, Jiang Long directly pulled out the few old clothes Bai Han was packing and threw them aside. The travel bag, already shaky, fell down with a crash.
Bai Han bent down to pick up the fallen clothes but was kicked away by Jiang Long.
Jiang Long glared at Bai Han, grinding his teeth, "You dare!"
This was the first time Bai Han had seen such a fierce look on Jiang Long's usually carefree face. He didn't argue with Jiang Long but calmly said, "I'm just your employee; there's nothing I wouldn't dare to do."
Though Bai Han's words were correct, he was indeed just an employee, Jiang Long was infuriated, "Did you overhear my phone call?"
Bai Han shook his head and bent down to pick up the scattered clothes, "I didn't hear anything."
As soon as he finished speaking, his wrist was suddenly grabbed, "If you pick up that junk again, I swear I'll tear all your clothes!"
Jiang Long was furious and wished to hit someone. If it weren't Bai Han in front of him but Chen Xiao, he would have punched him already.
Bai Han, empowered by some newfound strength, managed to free his hand from Jiang Long's grip. His black eyes stared directly at Jiang Long, mixed with a hint of anger, and coldly said, "We are not on the same path, Jiang Long. You are not an emperor; you can't control my life!"
It was the first time Bai Han had spoken to Jiang Long with such a tone, leaving Jiang Long stunned.
Bai Han's face turned ugly, realizing he was losing control. He quickly picked up his clothes, lips pressed tightly into a thin line.
He couldn't stay any longer or be entangled with Jiang Long anymore.
That was the only thought in Bai Han's mind.
He almost frantically grabbed his backpack, preparing to leave the room. However, before he had taken two steps, he was suddenly pulled back and forcefully pressed against the wall. Accidentally, his back touched the switch, and the room instantly darkened, his vision obscured.
In the pitch-black darkness, Jiang Long directly yanked the backpack from Bai Han's hand, threw it on the ground with a loud bang. Although his voice didn't reveal any emotion, it felt dangerously cold, as he raised an eyebrow and said, "I insist on being in charge of you!"
His warm hand firmly gripped Bai Han's waist. Those hands, skilled in playing musical instruments, were incredibly agile, and he quickly removed Bai Han's clothes.
Bai Han was startled, "What are you doing?!"
Jiang Long didn't answer, his chest heaving, his mind blank. In fact, he didn't even know what he was doing. All he could think about was the news he saw this afternoon about Chen Xiao and Qi Yubai.
Those two damn gays.
Being attracted to men?
Can this kind of nonsense spread through the internet?!
Jiang Long firmly held Bai Han, pinching his chin and said, "Let me tell you, if you work for me for a day, you have to work for me for a lifetime. No one can say otherwise!"
Bai Han's face turned pale at these words. Even in the darkness, his stiff posture was visible. After a long pause, he struggled to say, "Jiang Long, I've been in prison..."
He had been in prison.
That was a mark that could never be changed or erased.
In the future, it might even be used as a weapon to attack Jiang Long.
He couldn't follow him anymore; the spotlight couldn't tolerate such a stain.
Hearing this, Jiang Long suddenly fell silent. He looked at Bai Han's pale face and suddenly realized that he had been too harsh. His temper had made this person endure too much. Not just for a day or two, but for three whole years.
He relaxed his grip slightly, but the distance between them didn't change.
Jiang Long chuckled, "Is it because of this?"
He tilted his head, feeling that it was not a big deal. He casually said, "If it bothers you that much, just leave the entertainment circle. Is it worth making such a fuss?"
During his years abroad, Jiang Long didn't really care about that glamorous entertainment circle, but others thought he did.
In reality, he didn't care at all.
Not at all.
Bai Han was stunned by his words, looking at him in disbelief.
Jiang Long didn't change his stance, maintaining his indifferent expression. While staring at Bai Han, he slowly unbuttoned his pants, satisfied to see Bai Han's body stiffen.
In fact, all men have those kinds of needs, but Jiang Long was not interested in foreigners. He only had dealings with Bai Han every night. He wasn't sure about his orientation anymore; all he knew was that this assistant must stay by his side.
"Bai Han," Jiang Long easily removed the last restraint, because Bai Han never resisted him, "stay with me from now on."
Bai Han heard this meaningful statement, his ears ringing. He looked at Jiang Long instinctively, unsure of how to respond. His mind was blank, and before he knew it, he was pulled onto the bed.
Jiang Long leaned over him, his voice dripping with interest, "Do you know how?"
Bai Han shook his head blankly.
Jiang Long asked again, "Can you make a sound?"
Bai Han looked at him, his ears turning red.
Jiang Long patted his face, "Make it sound nice later, and if you do, I'll let you become official."
Bai Han, who used to be a tough guy, was now pinned down by Jiang Long, unable to resist. His mind was muddled, and he was overwhelmed by Jiang Long's actions. It wasn't until the middle of the night that he finally rasped out, "Become official...?"
Jiang Long was now amused, with a satisfied smile on his face. He lazily leaned against the bed and, hearing Bai Han's words, he looked at him and gently kissed him, licking his chapped lips, "Becoming official means you will be my partner, and also a part-time assistant."
He was like a cunning merchant.
But Jiang Long added, "You're not losing out; you'll manage my salary from now on."
In the darkness, he laughed like a sly fox, just like when Bai Han first saw Jiang Long on TV many years ago, just like in countless bizarre dreams from past lives, the first time Bai Han dreamed of him...