Spare Tire is Gone – Chapter 73

Jiang Zhaoyan strode into the lobby of the Huaxia Hotel with a briefcase, and headed straight to the front desk. He asked the staff members who stood up, “May I ask if the crew of ‘Legend of Youth’ has moved here?”

The staff stood up as soon as they noticed someone coming, and just as they were about to welcome a potential guest, they were shocked by his question.

A staff member standing beside the front desk, who was more than likely a supervisor, hearing Jiang Zhaoyan’s question immediately looked over, sizing up Jiang Zhaoyan surreptitiously, and frowned. Then he signaled to the staff member who was asked and motioned her to move aside as he himself went up and walked in front of Jiang Zhaoyan.

Jiang Zhaoyan looked at the approaching supervisor, and frowned. Already a little impatient, he asked again, “Excuse me, does the crew of ‘Legend of Youth’ stay here?”

Seeing  Jiang Zhaoyan’s bloodshot eyes, the supervisor smiled politely and replied, “I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t answer this question.”

Jiang Zhaoyan’s face darkened, but because he didn’t want to lose his temper he controlled himself. Looking at the time, he took out his ID card and slid it on the desk saying, “I want to check in. I want a room on the middle floor.”

The supervisor didn’t pick up his ID card and just said regretfully, “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any rooms available.”

“How could you not have a room available? I just saw several people check-out with their luggage–“

“Huaxia does have a vacant room, but they still won’t check you in.” The conversation was interrupted by an unfamiliar low male voice. A shadow was cast on Jiang Zhaoyan as a hand reached out to pick up his ID card.

Jiang Zhaoyan was recognized and pointed at everywhere these days. When he heard the strange male voice cut off his words and then take his ID card so impolitely, he got angry, and leaned over to teach the other person a lesson. However, after getting a proper look at the other person’s face, he froze and frowned hard.

Gu Xun lazily leaned on the front desk and looked at Jiang Zhaoyan’s ID card.  He then turned his eyes to Jiang Zhaoyan who had already turned around. His eyes swept over his somewhat wrinkled shirt and his not-so-good expression. Smiling, but his tone extremely cold he asked, “Jiang Zhaoyan, how do you still have the face to come here?”

Jiang Zhaoyan looked Gu Xun up and down and called out in a deep voice, “Gu Xun.”

“It’s me, long time no see.” Gu Xun slapped Jiang Zhaoyan’s ID card back on the reception desk and pushed it in front of Jiang Zhaoyan. Leaning slightly, Gu Xun looked into his eyes. His voice low, almost like a whisper, “Until Qi Cong’s scenes in the ‘Legend of Youth’ crew are all filmed, Huaxia Hotel won’t accept any news guests. Have a good trip. Don’t try to get close to Qi Cong, or else…” 

Gu Xun didn’t finish his words, but his neatly trimmed fingernails gently scratched Jiang Zhaoyan’s ID card, making his meaning self-evident.

Jiang Zhaoyan noticed Gu Xun’s small movements and felt unwelcome due to the threat sent in his direction. He clenched his teeth, looked at the supervisor who pretended not to hear anything and finally understood. He reached for his ID card and said, “This Huaxia…”

“It’s a business my parents set up for my convenience while filming.” Gu Xun straightened up and gestured to the door. “You can go, I won’t see you off.”

What Jiang Zhaoyan hated the most was being suppressed by people with power and money, which made him feel really humiliated. Also, since this humiliation was imposed on him by a “romantic rival” he had once defeated, the effect doubled.

He looked at Gu Xun with a contemptuous and condescending gaze, squeezed his ID card and as if to earn something he said, “Qi Cong is only looking at you because he forgot about me. So what if your family is good? You still can’t get a relationship unless you cheat, or bind another person’s feelings by threatening them, while I can get it just by snapping my fingers.”

Gu Xun squinted and suddenly smiled again, his smile a little dangerous. His eyes fixed on Jiang Zhaoyan as he spoke very slowly, “Jiang Zhaoyan, everyone has their own place. You relied on exploiting Qi Cong to stand in a place that didn’t originally belong to you. Now that Qi Cong is well, he will get back everything he lost and you will return to the place you should originally stand. Also…where did you think you were going?”

Jiang Zhaoyan’s gaze changed.

“If he hadn’t been sick,” Gu Xun turned the red garnet ring on his finger, “do you think that with your former situation, you would’ve even had a chance to know him? Even I could only get him to look at me by cheating and coaxing, but someone like you…” 

He looked Jiang Zhaoyan up and down, not hiding his contempt. “I’m afraid he saw through the cold heart hidden under your hypocritical skin the first time he saw you, and only wished to stay far away from you. Jiang Zhaoyan, you have never met the real Qi Cong, so how could you even talk about getting his affection?”

He let go of the hand that turned the ring, suddenly toning down his expression and asked, “He is so good, do you think you are worthy?”

The hand that was holding Jian Zhaoyan’s briefcase turned white due to force used, but even though he was angry, he just smiled scornfully. “Gu Xun, you say I don’t know the real Qi Cong, but does Qi Cong know the real you? You kidnapper….” The last words were said very lightly.

Gu Xun’s expression changed sharply. It was originally only seven points cold, and now turned into ten point killing intent. He stared at Jiang Zhaoyan, his posture tight, like a beast whose territory was threatened and was now ready to attack people.

“Yes, that’s the look.” Jiang Zhaoyan laughed mockingly, “Does Qi Cong know that you are like this? Gu Xun, don’t think that if you tell everyone that Qi Cong is sick, he is really sick. Whether Qi Cong is a mental patient or not I know best. I also know best if his feelings for me were due to his psychological state or not. If he can forget me and think of you, he can also forget you and think of me again. “

With that, he glanced toward the inside of the hotel before turning around and striding away.

The supervisor and the front desk staff who witnessed the whole conversation between the two looked at Gu Xun after Jiang Zhaoyan left. They were too scared to speak due to Gu Xun’s terrible expression and aura. Finally, the supervisor, who was a little bolder, called out, “Deputy Director, you-“

“I told you, don’t  call me Deputy Director casually.” Gu Xun collected all his emotions and his expression returned to normal, but his eyes and tone were slightly colder than usual. He looked at the supervisor and instructed, “Strengthen our security. Don’t let Jiang Zhaoyan come near the Huaxia hotel, especially when the crew of “Legend of Youth” is going in or out.” Having said that, he glanced in the direction of the hotel gate and turned to leave.

A staff member couldn’t help but look up, approached the supervisor and asked in a low voice, “Sister Wang, Mr. Gu really–“

“Don’t say what you shouldn’t say.” The supervisor turned her head to look at the young girl who asked, with a warning, “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. Mr. Gu is only a resident of the Huaxia Hotel right now. Go and call another group to change shifts, and you will all come with me to the small conference room for a meeting.”

A meeting….

The staff member shrank her head and smartly stopped asking any more questions.

 

…….

 

Qi Cong knew nothing about Jiang Zhaoyan’s sudden appearance. When he returned to his room, he immediately went to the window and looked at Gu Xun’s room opposite. Not seeing any lights on, he wondered, ‘Why was it still dark?’ 

In theory, Gu Xun should have arrived back to his room before he did.

When his phone suddenly vibrated, he regained his senses, lowered his head and unlocked his phone.

A new WeChat message came in from Gu Xun. He quickly opened it.

Gu Xun: I was blocked by Kevin. I have to go out to deal with something. I would have sent you back if I knew.

It was followed by aggrieved cute cat emoji.

So late and still going out?

Qi Cong frowned and typed a reply.

Qi Cong: Is it an urgent matter?

Gu Xun replied just seconds later: A little urgent, but it’s a very small thing. It will take half an hour to deal with.

Gu Xun: Don’t worry and rest early.

Gu Xun: Good night. [cute].

After three consecutive messages, Qi Cong  looked at the dark room opposite and wanted to ask Gu Xun why he had to go out to deal with something so late. 

After thinking about it, he only replied: Come back early, good night.

At five minutes past twelve, Qi Cong noticed that the light was on in Gu Xun’s room, so he stopped writing, saved the document and then closed his laptop. Getting up from the bed that was bathed in moonlight, he went  to the window and looked toward the window opposite.

Almost the moment he stood in front of the window, the huge cat doll on the opposite windowsill was removed, and a familiar tall figure appeared behind the window, almost like he was looking his way.

Obviously he was using curtains as cover and Qi Cong’s light was also not on so the person opposite shouldn’t see anything. Even so, Qi Cong instinctively crouched down to hide. He realized, only after hiding, the stupidity of his behavior. He stood up silently and looked back at the other side.

The doll was put back and the familiar figure disappeared.

He should be taking a shower and getting ready to go to sleep.

Qi Cong relaxed, returned to bed, and picked up his phone to look at the chat with Gu Xun. Then he locked the phone and put it down, pulling the quilt over himself and closed his eyes.

Perhaps the good fortune of the last day of August carried over into September, because the next two days were unusually smooth for Qi Cong.

The atmosphere of the crew was very friendly and the rest of his scenes were filmed very smoothly, while he and Gu Xun got along and gradually found the feelings of the past. Even public opinion on the internet was going well. After the crew was looking for good publicity, a “the crew members have a particularly good relationship with each other” topic developed smoothly, which was particularly beneficial to Qi Cong.

Qi Cong’s previous makeup trial photos were once again published and, together with the blooper shots released by the crew, they were once again all over the internet.

Perhaps because netizens pitied Qi Cong’s previous experience or perhaps because Zhao Zhenxun and the crew did some public relations, this time praise toward Qi Cong was much more sincere and there were many people wishing Qi Cong a smooth life in the future, while avoiding all kinds of diseases. Other gossip about Qi Cong, right and wrong, slowly reduced.

All these good luck and wishes for success didn’t make Qi Cong as happy as a piece of news related to Gu Xun – “Heaven Asked?” broke domestic one-day box office records as soon as it was released. The feedback from all sides was very good. Gu Xun’s reputation that wasn’t so good recently was strongly boosted back by the film’s high quality and his own strong performance.

The topics, “Gu Xun’s quality assurance”, “Gu Xun deserves to be Gu Xun”, “Focus on the actor’s work and not his personal life”, and “Gu Xun creates legends again” could be found everywhere.

Contrary to the smooth and successful comments about Qi Cong and Gu Xun,  Jiang Zhaoyan, the Jiang family, and Yanhuang were stamped as sinners by public opinion, and ushered in a wave of great misfortune in their lives.

Since the early morning of September 1, there were reports, one after another, about tax evasion, accounts that were in doubt, illegal competition, and investigations into the Yanhuang Company. Jiang Tian and Jiang Zhaoxiang, who bullied Qi Cong the most in the Jiang family, were now under investigation for committing crimes. It was said that Jiang Tian was suspected of the embezzlement of company property and Jiang Zhaoxiang of credit card crimes.

 

Edited by: Antiope1

 

Support translation:

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