Chapter 30 I'm the male lead's backer, but I don't want to be a backer! ...

Si Qi ultimately failed to achieve his goal.

Over this period of time, Chu Feng's germaphobia, which made him feel disgusted when touched, has significantly improved. When he occasionally has physical contact with Chu Feng, he only stiffens briefly, almost for a moment, and quickly returns to normal.

Everything is getting better, but it's still quite difficult to get Chu Feng to take things a step further with him.

At least in the past, in other worlds, Chu Feng rarely remained calm and inactive when things had developed to this point.

Si Qi gritted his teeth, grumbled inwardly, and quickly came up with a new solution.

They remained close friends, sharing everything. While busy with their own work, they would find opportunities to get together in their free time.

However, as Heng Hui Group's reputation has grown recently, business elites from all walks of life who were already very optimistic about Si Qi, this rising star, have come to fully recognize Si Qi's abilities, and various invitations have been coming one after another.

It was a banquet that day. Si's mother was supposed to go to the orphanage to participate in the children's activities. She left early and sent her son, Si Qi, to the banquet.

Si Qi has been quite busy lately. Some people want to cooperate with him, some want to invest in him, some want to befriend him, and some even want to introduce their children to Si Qi.

Si Qi then invited Chu Feng to the banquet, which was destined to be attended by many young talents.

Thus, Chu Feng "had the honor" of witnessing countless business tycoons bringing their children to "make friends" with Si Qi.

These children, born into wealthy families, were all carefully nurtured and raised. They were poised and elegant, young and beautiful, speaking with confidence and grace, as precious as flowers, as dazzling as diamonds, and standing like queens in their own domain.

Although Chu Feng excels in scientific research and is second to none in terms of intellect, he finally felt a sense of crisis when faced with this group of outstanding and knowledgeable young ladies who had won numerous awards since childhood and traveled the world with their families and friends during holidays. They chatted happily with Si Qi, casually mentioning things that Chu Feng could not imagine or had never encountered before.

Perhaps it was the blind confidence that his superpower gave him that made him know from the beginning about his relationship with Si Qi and that they were destined to be together. So he unconsciously lowered his guard and always felt that Si Qi was his and there was no need to rush.

But as it turns out, Si Qi was too outstanding, and too many people wanted to be with him. These people were different from him; they excelled in every aspect, including emotional intelligence, connections, and knowledge. They were people who lived in the same circle as Si Qi and shared the same values.

He then realized with a start that the situation was extremely critical.

How could he not worry?

How could he dare to cower in the safe zone and wait for Si Qi to approach him step by step?

Standing to the side, watching Si Qi chat happily with his peers, and noticing that Si Qi's gaze repeatedly lingered on the face of the beautiful woman opposite him, Chu Feng suddenly realized that Si Qi was unlike him; he didn't have anyone he secretly loved. He might very well develop feelings for someone someday, or suddenly fall in love and begin pursuing that person.

Even just realizing the possibility of this, Chu Feng's jealousy and fear almost materialized through his eyes.

Si Qi kept a close eye on Chu Feng's expression. When Chu Feng sensed the danger and finally realized he needed to be anxious, Si Qi stopped talking and made an excuse to leave.

Some things are best left unsaid; too much provocation will upset Chu Feng, and he will also feel reluctant to let go.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Si Qi asked Chu Feng with concern. "If you're not feeling well, let's leave first."

Chu Feng then realized that Si Qi had suddenly taken him away because he noticed that Chu Feng's expression was strange.

This gave him a secret thrill. He should have explained, but he didn't want to see Si Qi go back there, so he nodded with a pained expression: "There are too many people, I feel terrible."

"I'm sorry, I pushed you too hard," Si Qi said apologetically, leading him out of the banquet hall without any hesitation.

While feeling ashamed of lying, Chu Feng enjoyed Si Qi's preferential treatment and left the dangerous place with Si Qi without looking back.

Who knew that just as they escaped one wolf's den, they would fall into another?

Having somehow learned about Si Qi's whereabouts, Zhou Wu stood with his head down in the parking lot, waiting by Si Qi's car.

Upon seeing the two approaching side by side, Zhou Wu initially moved towards Si Qi with tears of joy, as if he were so excited he wanted to give Si Qi a big hug. Then, noticing Chu Feng standing extremely close to Si Qi, their atmosphere clearly overly intimate, his expression became quite subtle.

"Xiao Qi..."

Zhou Wu took off his mask, and his face was not clearly visible due to the shadow of his baseball cap, but you could still see the bloodshot eyes and his haggard and tired expression.

He said to Si Qi, "You've come. I've been waiting for you for so long..."

After saying that, she looked at Chu Feng again, her eyes filled with an indescribable meaning: "Auntie said you've been very busy lately, that you're going on a date with someone... Is this the one?"

Chu Feng recognized Zhou Wu's face and remembered what Si Qi had told him about Zhou Wu's ungrateful behavior. He had initially thought Zhou Wu had come to ask Si Qi for help again, but Zhou Wu's sudden mention of a "date" caught Chu Feng off guard.

Si Qi's expression was not good. "I think I've made my attitude very clear."

Zhou Wu smiled bitterly: "I really don't know what I did to offend you so much that you're so ruthless. Aren't we brothers for over twenty years? Just because I left the Si Corporation, you... But you left later too!"

Si Qi: "Don't you know perfectly well why I left?"

“I don’t think you were kicked out,” Zhou Wu said, head down. “You did very well at Si’s, and Heng Hui is thriving under your management. People from Si’s are looking for you and want you to come back… This information isn’t hard to find out.”

He looked at Si Qi, who remained expressionless, his feelings a complex mix: "The reason you left the Si Corporation is because I wasn't there anymore, right?"

Si Qi's expression changed slightly, vaguely realizing that Zhou Wu's tone was a bit off. Before she could stop him, she heard Zhou Wu say again, "I'm sorry, Xiao Qi, I'm so stupid. I only realized your feelings now!"

Si Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned to look at Chu Feng. Sure enough, Chu Feng, who usually had a cold and expressionless face, now had fierce eyes, staring intently at Zhou Wu, and then suddenly turned to look at him nervously.

Si Qi, who suddenly met Chu Feng's gaze, was speechless.

Neither of them looked particularly comfortable. Seeing this, Zhou Wu added fuel to the fire: "For so many years, you've always helped and accompanied me without reservation. Whether it was studying or extracurricular activities, we were always together. Even after leaving school and entering the workforce, you went to work for Si's company for me, supporting me as much as possible during that year to help me achieve my dreams... I got used to your presence and thought this was how good brothers should interact, until I got a girlfriend, and then you started having conflicts with me, and I left the company for my girlfriend..."

His words became increasingly outrageous, and Si Qi's face turned green. He felt that Chu Feng next to him was about to turn into a volcano, his aura fierce and menacing.

Zhou Wu: "Back then, I didn't understand why you were so heartless, refusing even to see me. Now that I hear you have someone you like, and that person is a man! I realize that I'm the one who hurt you... I didn't know you had a crush on me for so many years, and I didn't know you were jealous because of Bai Qian. I argued with you time and time again about Bai Qian, and I understood why you didn't want to see me or come to the studio where Bai Qian and I were..."

"What do you understand?" Si Qi gritted his teeth. "It's all utter nonsense!"

Zhou Wu shook his head: "Xiao Qi, you don't need to hide it anymore. I understand now. Otherwise, how do you explain why you insisted on leaving Si's? If you wanted to leave a long time ago, why did you wait until I proposed to terminate the contract? You only worked at Si's because of me, didn't you?"

Si Qi was speechless and about to speak when Chu Feng suddenly strode in front of him, blocking him completely so that Zhou Wu could not see him.

Chu Feng thought about Zhou Wu's words, "I heard you have someone you like, and that person is a man." Suddenly, the thought, "No way, does Xiao Qi also like the same sex?" Angry that this "love rival" had come out to find Si Qi again after many days, trying to reconcile with Si Qi.

He didn't even have time to ask Si Qi if she really liked men, or if she might like him. He stood protectively in front of Si Qi, tall and strong (in his own opinion), and glared at Zhou Wu: "No matter what you say, you just want Xiao Qi to step in and solve your problems, to be a useful tool in your hands. Otherwise, why would you deliberately bring up those things? Don't you know how bad Xiao Qi's mood will be after hearing them?"

Zhou Wu glared back at Chu Feng with resentment, knowing that this man was the one who stole Si Qi's "favor," leaving him all alone without any support, and suffering from exclusion and suppression in the entertainment industry.

Ultimately, all of my current predicament is caused by this person!

“I have known Xiao Qi for over ten years. How could I just cut ties like that?” Zhou Wu said. “It’s just a small conflict. You don’t need to sow discord between us and twist my attempt to reconcile into something so utilitarian.”

He looked at Si Qi with a sincere attitude: "Xiao Qi, I know I made a mistake. I won't make you unhappy about things like that again. Can you forgive me?"

Chu Feng also turned his head, looking at Si Qi with hopeful eyes.

Si Qi reached out and gently patted Chu Feng's back reassuringly, then said to Zhou Wu, "I told you, everything you said is nonsense. I have never liked you. Don't connect it to yourself just because I... because the person I like is a man."

He was "too embarrassed" to look at Chu Feng. His shy and evasive reaction made Chu Feng, who had been nervously watching his reaction, light up. The burning jealousy in his heart instantly turned into brilliant fireworks, making him overjoyed.

Zhou Wu looked embarrassed: "I know you said that because you didn't want your current date to misunderstand... but what happened in the past—"

"Don't think that homosexuals don't discriminate and will like any man," Si Qi interrupted impatiently. "How could you think I would be interested in you? We've known each other for so many years, what do you have that I don't? Why would I choose a defective product like you when there are so many outstanding people in the industry?"

Zhou Wu's face turned pale: "You didn't need to say that, did you?"

"Before meeting Chu Feng, I never knew I liked men." Since things had come to this point, Si Qi didn't hide anything anymore. He glanced at Chu Feng with "concern," and seeing no resistance or rejection on Chu Feng's face, he breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhou Wu, "I joined and left Si's because of you? You're being too presumptuous. I only left Si's for Heng Hui because I didn't like the work environment there. Why did I try so hard to help you succeed in the entertainment industry? Because your qualifications are more suitable than other artists, and I believe you have potential. Business is business; you should do what you're supposed to do in your position."

"Then why did you argue with me about my girlfriend and refuse to go to my studio?" Zhou Wu retorted anxiously.

"You're a traffic star, not a talented actor. You attracted fans through hype and your looks. If your relationship were exposed, do you think you'd still have a future?" Si Qi sneered. "I've given this advice to all the artists in the company whose career paths overlap with yours, not just you. But you completely ignored the company's advice, insisted on arguing with your manager and me, and even left someone you'd only known for a few months out of gratitude."

Zhou Wu was annoyed by what he was being said, but he remained firm in his opinion: "I don't believe that's your reason."

In the past, how many times had Si Qi made concessions for him? How could it be such a coincidence that he was completely angered by this relationship issue, and that he decisively said he didn't want this brother anymore? This is unreasonable!

“I used to have a notebook that I used to keep, in which I wrote down what we would say in class, do you remember?” Zhou Wu pressed.

Si Qi raised an eyebrow, understanding why Zhou Wu had come to him with such a determined attitude and insisted that he liked him—it turned out that the transmigrator was behind it all.

In the original work, the male protagonist encourages the original owner to face herself and not run away. During a casual chat in class, he writes down a lot of things in his notebook.

At that time, the original owner was troubled by his unique fetish, afraid that he liked those clothes, or even wanted to wear them, which was a sign of psychological abnormality, and he was in a low mood.

The male protagonist's casual conversation made the original owner realize that everyone has the right to pursue what they love. Therefore, she corrected her mindset, faced herself directly, let go of her own problems, and was extremely grateful to the male protagonist for helping her resolve her inner conflicts.

Therefore, with the idea that "although my preferences cannot be shared with the public, I can make your wishes come true," he was happy to see the male lead wearing all kinds of costumes, walking in front of the camera, and realizing his dream.

This is the reason why the protagonist's powerful backer in the original work is so steadfast in helping him. It is also the key prop that the original owner took out to encourage the protagonist to rediscover his original intentions when he encountered a bottleneck and fell into a predicament later in the story. It was the notebook that the original owner had previously treasured and used to resolve the original owner's inner conflicts.

For readers of the original work, this is actually a great scene that expresses the deep bond between brothers. For fans of the original couple, it is also a great point to ship. However, the transmigrator uses this plot to mislead the male protagonist in the original timeline, saying that the original owner had a crush on him.

Now, for some reason, they've resorted to the same old trick again and brought this matter up again.

But no matter what, it's strange that Zhou Wu came to Si Qi about this matter.

In the original timeline, to avoid suspicion, he pretended to be unaware of the situation from beginning to end, leaving the original owner completely confused and unaware of what Zhou Wu was misunderstanding.

Now, Zhou Wu, knowing full well that Si Qi does indeed like men, takes the initiative to approach Si Qi, saying he hopes to reconcile, and even mentions the notebook that the original owner treasured, as if he couldn't wait to confirm that Si Qi really likes him, and that he doesn't resist it.

The difference is that the original straight man in the original timeline always helped Zhou Wu, while the current Si Qi, who is as gay as a mosquito coil, completely ignores him.

Si Qi raised an eyebrow: "I remember, so what?"

"The notebook is with you, isn't it?" Zhou Wu said confidently.

Si Qi was speechless: "Why would I keep that kind of thing?"

The original owner did keep the things, but when Si Qi moved in, he threw them away along with other unwanted items.

Zhou Wu couldn't believe it: "What??"

Si Qi: "I don't know where you got this idea from, but everything you're thinking is nonexistent."

He was getting impatient. The person opposite him wasn't Chu Feng, and he had no interest in discussing such topics with him.

“But you really are because—” Realizing that Si Qi seemed to really not want to like him anymore, Zhou Wu became anxious. He took a few steps forward, trying to argue with Si Qi and win back Si Qi’s favor, but was blocked by Chu Feng, who was standing in front of Si Qi.

"Get out of my way!" Zhou Wu shouted angrily, reaching out to push Chu Feng away.

Si Qi didn't want Zhou Wu to have any physical contact with Chu Feng, who suffered from mysophobia, and subconsciously wanted to help. However, he saw that Chu Feng not only did not dodge, but stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Wu's wrist directly, his eyes were extremely cold.

This startled Si Qi, but at the same time, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

It was at this moment that Chu Feng used the joints other than his gloves to actively touch Zhou Wu's body.

Perhaps Zhou Wu's emotions were too intense, or perhaps his mind was filled with thoughts related to Si Qi. Chu Feng saw quite a lot.

There is a scene depicting Zhou Wu as a child who accidentally fell into a lake and was narrowly rescued by Si Qi and his men when he was on the verge of death.

When Zhou Wu was young, he looked at Si Qi, who had no worries about food and clothing and seemed as superior and dazzling as a prince. He felt a struggle between love and jealousy in his heart.

After graduation, he joined an entertainment company. Thanks to Si Qi's protection, he had a smooth and successful career, and even found a girlfriend with whom he had a perfect match. He was completely satisfied and content.

Of course, there are also those who, after leaving the company, lose control of everything, feel helpless, panicked, desperate, or even collapse, and try everything possible to find Si Qi and get everything back on track.

His repeated searches and failures led to arguments with his constantly mocking girlfriend. She took the opportunity to insult Si Qi, ridiculing him for not seeing Si Qi's true colors, and told Zhou Wu a lot of "evidence" that Si Qi had a crush on him and liked him, telling him that Si Qi had completely given up on him because he had a girlfriend.

Zhou Wu was greatly shocked by this. While his emotions were running high, a secret joy quietly sprouted in some unexpected corner of his mind.

It turns out that Si Qi distanced himself from him not because of his betrayal or ingratitude, but simply because he had a girlfriend.

Since Si Qi likes him so much, could he try to win Si Qi back and, with Si Qi's love and help, become a top star again?

So he tried every means to find out Si Qi's whereabouts. After dressing up, he pretended to be heartbroken because he had lost Si Qi. He found Si Qi's car in the parking lot and waited there.

Unexpectedly, the man who made Si Qi fall in love with someone else also ended up by Si Qi's side.

A guy I've never seen before has appeared at such a banquet. Is Si Qi trying to introduce him into the industry so that he can also rise to the top?

In the past, Si Qi would clearly only take him to places like this.

Unable to contain his jealousy, Zhou Wu said to Si Qi, "You're only denying your feelings for me because he's here, aren't you?"

Si Qi had no patience to argue with Zhou Wu, so he pushed Zhou Wu's arm away and pulled Chu Feng back: "I think you're just looking for someone to kick you when you're down because you think you're in a good position right now."

Zhou Wu's eyes widened in disbelief that Si Qi would speak to him like this. He said with grief and indignation, "You did this to me because of him?"

In an instant, Zhou Wu's mind was filled with literary works about "white moonlight" and "stand-ins." He was the poor white moonlight who, because he went abroad to study, had his position as the CEO's true love stolen by a stand-in.

Zhou Wu was about to question Si Qi about how he could be so heartless and unfaithful when Chu Feng said, "You want to take advantage of Xiao Qi's 'affection' for you and trick him into going back to work for you?"

Zhou Wu, of course, vehemently denied it, but Chu Feng continued, “You used to be very grateful to Xiao Qi for finding jobs for you and your mother and solving your living problems. But later, when you went to an international school with Xiao Qi, you saw too many children from wealthy families, and you began to envy Xiao Qi. You didn’t understand why you, who were clearly ‘no worse’ than Xiao Qi, had to be inferior to him in every way.”

Zhou Wu felt a slight unease, but his face remained cold as he sneered, "You really know how to sow discord."

"So you hid the chessboard that Xiao Qi cherished, lied to the school beauty you used to like that Xiao Qi didn't like her, and even stole Xiao Qi's qualification for the group competition, explaining to others that Xiao Qi was busy that day."

Zhou Wu's eyes widened suddenly.

"Not only that, you also know that your mother once stole a diamond ring from Mrs. Si. The ring was bluish-purple, but you pretended not to know about it."

Zhou Wu instinctively shook his head in a panic, his fear becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.

"You even complained to your girlfriend about Xiao Qi, saying that he wasn't loyal enough, that he deliberately stood by and watched you make a fool of yourself when he could have easily solved the problem, and that he let a group of people bully you."

Zhou Wu repeatedly denied it: "I'm not, how could I possibly be—"

"Not long ago, you learned from your girlfriend that Xiao Qi might like you, so you had the idea of ​​taking advantage of Xiao Qi and couldn't wait to find him."

Ignoring Zhou Wu's increasingly nervous reaction, Chu Feng coldly said, "You're still considering having Xiao Qi help you get that movie by Director Wang, because Xiao Qi used to have a good relationship with Director Wang, and Director Wang trusts Xiao Qi's judgment."

Zhou Wu's face turned deathly pale, and he looked at Chu Feng as if he were looking at some kind of monster.

"Before, you thought Xiao Qi valued women over friends, and you were unhappy that he ignored you now that he had someone he liked. Later, you thought it was because Xiao Qi was fickle and forgot his old love after finding someone new, so you came to Xiao Qi demanding an explanation, thinking that Xiao Qi would feel guilty and agree to your demands." Chu Feng's tone became more and more disgusted as she spoke. "I also know a lot of things that could ruin your future. Do you still want to stand here and listen to me continue?"

Zhou Wu was thrown into a panic, fearing that Chu Feng would really say something that would ruin his reputation. He looked to Si Qi for help: "You, you're just going to stand there and watch him slander me?"

Si Qi remained expressionless: "Whether it's slander or not, I'll find out when I investigate the whereabouts of that ring."

Zhou Wu was filled with fear and trepidation. "We're friends! You're starting to doubt me because of just a few words?!"

"Didn't you also fall out with your agent because of Bai Qian's few words?" Si Qi mocked. "Now, because of Bai Qian's few words, you've come running over to question me, acting like a wife catching her husband's mistress."

Si Qi found it laughable as he spoke.

Zhou Wu's eyes reddened: "You're so biased towards him because of this man... You're so biased towards him!"

"How you treated me before because of Bai Qian, I'll treat you like this now because of Chu Feng." Si Qi said righteously, gesturing to the security guards who had come over after hearing the commotion: "Please take this person away. He is not an invited guest at this banquet."

The security guard recognized Zhou Wu's face and knew about the series of troubles Zhou Wu had recently caused.

Considering the kind of people who participated in this banquet, he didn't doubt anything and stepped forward to take Zhou Wu away, threatening him with "If you cause any more trouble, I'll contact the reporters," which quickly stopped Zhou Wu from resisting.

Before being dragged away, Zhou Wu kept looking at Si Qi, as if he were looking at a heartless man who had abandoned him.

Si Qi was speechless under their gaze.

He turned his head and met Chu Feng's gaze, who had been staring at him for some time. He belatedly realized that their conversation had just revealed the truth that "Si Qi likes Chu Feng," which had thrown his prepared rhythm into disarray.

Should he pretend to be embarrassed at this moment, or should he go with the flow and confess his feelings to Chu Feng?

Just then, Chu Feng suddenly grabbed his hand, took a deep breath, looked directly into his eyes and said, "Xiao Qi, I like you."

"From the first moment I saw you, I knew I had fallen in love with you."

Chu Feng struggled with his words, but finally confessed and opened up his heart: "But I have an eccentric personality and some hobbies that are hard to talk about. I'm afraid I might hurt you."

Si Qi blinked, recalling the incident not long ago in the dressing room where Chu Feng remained unmoved despite being patted on the shoulder, and suddenly realized: "So that's how it is..."

He said that Si Qi suddenly lost his charm in front of Chu Feng because he was too charming. Chu Feng was afraid that he would lose control and scare him, so he pretended that he was not moved at all.

Chu Feng: "What I just said to Zhou Wu..."

He hesitated whether he should tell Si Qi about his superpowers, but how should he tell him? Should he tell Si Qi that on the first day they met, he saw himself holding Si Qi's weakness in his hands and bullying him over and over again?

"Ah, it's nothing," Si Qi said nonchalantly. "Since you like me, it's normal that you care about my past life and can't help but investigate Zhou Wu, who is my best friend."

I just don't know how Chu Feng could know such detailed information so clearly; it must have taken him a lot of effort.

No wonder Chu Feng himself felt he was "abnormal"; his behavior was indeed a bit too exaggerated.

Chu Feng didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he could only say, "I'm so glad to know that you liked me too... I'm really lucky."

He seemed to have traded all the misfortunes of his first half of life for the chance to meet Si Qi, and he was deeply grateful for this deal.

"Would you accept my confession? Even though my... hobbies are so... difficult..."

He spoke in a low voice, seemingly ashamed of his overly lewd and violent fetish. But he didn't want to hide it from Si Qi, lest Si Qi find out that her boyfriend was such a pervert after they became a couple, and be deceived in the relationship.

"I like seeing you wear those shameful clothes with me... I'm sorry, I really..." Chu Feng said dejectedly, head hanging low. "I didn't know I had this kind of hobby before, but I can't help it when I see you..."

“It’s alright,” Si Qi said, his enthusiasm stirred by Chu Feng’s words. He tried his best to maintain his usual dignified, gentlemanly, elegant, and reserved demeanor, and said with great tolerance, “I can do it.”

Chu Feng looked up in surprise: "Really?"

“Yes,” Si Qi coughed lightly, his ears turning a rare red, and said to Chu Feng, “If you like, I can change it for you when I get home.”

Chu Feng was also embarrassed by what he was told, but his body was more honest than his thoughts. Before he could even think of how to phrase it, he nodded vigorously and said, "Okay!"

So the two of them looked at each other, and an unspoken atmosphere spread between them, as if they were silently conveying many things.

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Author's Note: --

Chu Feng (ashamed): I'm a pervert, I'm sorry.

Si Qi (shifting his gaze): Cough cough, it's alright.