Boy Toy

At some point during the day, Wen Rui noticed that he was garnering more and more side-glances. He could hear furtive whispering as he walked through the corridors of CE's headquarters and even some of the new trainees that he bumped into outside the recording studio threw him strange looks.

He checked his reflection out but couldn't see wardrobe mishaps that could be causing this sort of reaction.

The answer came to him when he was having dinner in the cafeteria with Mu Feng and, surprisingly enough, Pei Jun, who had joined them at the entrance without asking. Mu Feng had lit up like a 100-watt bulb though, so Wen Rui guessed he truly enjoyed having Pei Jun around, even if, as far as Wen Rui can tell, Pei Jun's image, both in front and away from the media, was 'cold, sullen beauty'.

"Pei Ge, Rui Ge, there's cream of pumpkin soup today, it's the best dish—"

"Get us a bowl each," Pei Jun suddenly interrupted. His tone was curt and demanding, just on the border of being rude, but Mu Feng didn't seem to mind. He grinned and hopped to his feet.

"Okay! Did either of you want those little bready things with on top?"

Wen Rui blinked. "Little pieces of bread?"

"He means croutons," Pei Jun muttered. Wen Rui had the impression he was holding himself back from rolling his eyes. Mu Feng must have noticed too because his laughter was sheepish.

"Forgot what they're called, these foreign food names are so complicated…"

After Mu Feng headed off to the counter, the easy smile on Wen Rui's lips fell off.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

Pei Jun's jaw tensed. He looked like he was in two minds about having this conversation, which was alarming because from what Wen Rui had seen of his character so far, he didn't seem like the kind to hesitate if he wanted to say something.

"You're making me nervous," Wen Rui said with a little laugh, trying to lighten the tension.

"Did you offend someone?" Pei Jun asked reluctantly in the end.

Wen Rui couldn't help but stare at him. He knew that Pei Jun liked to keep to himself, holing up in a distance even when they were all in the same practice studio unless they had to work on a routine together. But surely, no one was this removed from the society around them? The entire company had to know by now that Hong Si and Wen Rui had bad blood going on. And Manager Qu and Wen Rui. And quite possibly the entire management and Wen Rui.

"Um. The better question might be, who haven't I offended?"

That earned him an unintended snort from Pei Jun. "You still have some self-awareness, I see." Pei Jun took out his phone and placed it on the table but he didn't unlock it. "Do you know what people are saying about you right now? Within this building?"

This was the longest sentence Pei Jun had ever said to him. He was talking to Wen Rui very seriously, which Wen Rui hadn't expected. But despite his callous demeanour, there was no gloating gleam in his eyes. Was he actually on Wen Rui's side?

"What…are they saying?" The uncomfortable attention Wen Rui had been receiving all day came to mind again. He'd been trying his valiant best to pretend it didn't exist, had told himself that this was just part and parcel of being a celebrity. But he couldn't deny that he disliked it.

"Someone's been spreading rumours about you. They're telling everyone that you're no longer Chairman Wen's heir."

Wen Rui tried to laugh but it was strained. "Well, it's not a rumour if it's true," he said, his voice wavering slightly. He doesn't know whether he was officially unregistered from his father's residence but given how he still hadn't heard a word from even his father's secretary, Wen Rui surmised that there was little difference.

"That's not all that they're saying." Pei Jun folded his arms. There was a tight twist to his mouth, like he found something displeasing, but Wen Rui had the hunch that it wasn't him that Pei Jun was unhappy about. "I heard some of the admin staff talking about your sugar daddy. I also checked online to see if the news has spread."

Sugar…daddy?

Wen Rui felt something explode in the back of his brain. What sugar daddy? He only had a father and there was no coating of sugar on that relationship. They were practically estranged!

Pei Jun unlocked his phone screen and slid it over. It was already opened to the Weibo app. Wen Rui refused to pick the phone up, as though denying that it existed would stop this new mess from spreading.

[Cut me some slack already, please…] It had been one thing after another the entire week and he wasn't sure how much more his heart could take.

Pei Jun wasn't sympathetic. "Hurry up," he urged. "I don't want Mu Feng seeing this." They both turned to see Mu Feng queuing. He was watching them too, brightening up when they finally noticed him like a puppy whose owners had returned home. He gave them an enthusiastic wave, which Wen Rui felt obliged to return weakly when it became clear that Pei Jun wasn't going to.

Pei Jun was right. Wen Rui didn't want Mu Feng seeing this either. Mu Feng had already proven himself to be too willing to empathise and Wen Rui was worried that he would get himself into trouble trying to help Wen Rui out of this quagmire.

Dreading what he would see, Wen Rui reached out for the phone and pulled it towards him with trembling fingers. The Weibo page belonged to a known gossip influencer. They were even a verified account, which meant that they had enough clout in the media industry. To Wen Rui though, they were nothing more than just another type of tabloid, here to make his life a living hell.

There were two photographs uploaded to the post, both of them blurry so that Wen Rui's face wasn't entirely in focus. But it was still unmistakably him in both shots. The first was presumably taken by the paparazzi that had lain in wait for him outside CE's headquarters that day he woke up with amnesia. He was wearing that hideous neon hoodie in the shot, expression cold and disinterested as he stepped away from the limousine.

The second photograph though, was far more disturbing than that. It was taken even earlier in that day and he was still wearing the same outfit. In it, he was leaning heavily on the arm of a tall man in a suit, as they walked towards their car. The shot was from the back and the man was looking ahead so his face couldn't be seen. But Wen Rui's was half-turned as he pressed it against the man's arm. Hence, still recognisable.

Wen Rui knew where this was taken. He even knew that from this angle, the photographer must have been standing inside the apartment lobby. They must even have walked past him, unknowing that he was the lurking there, stalking them for this opportune moment.

His blood drained from his face. He knew what this photograph looked like to the third person. He hadn't been feeling well that morning and had had to rely on Zhou Ye's assistance to move but in the picture, it wasn't obvious that he was unwell. His clinging on to Zhou Ye's arm made them look more intimate than they were, like Wen Rui had been reduced to a kept boy toy, who wanted affections even in public.

He turned the phone screen down to face the table, refusing to look at it anymore. He didn't even dare to read the article or the comments.

"Who—" he croaked. This photograph had been taken even before Manager Qu had informed him that Hong Si was going to be replacing him in the drama role. Could Hong Si really have been lying in wait for him for that long? Arranging for the tabloids to stalk Wen Rui that early on just so he would have material on his hands to threaten Wen Rui with if things didn't go according to his plans?

But Wen Rui's home address that was registered with the company wasn't that apartment. He would have been crazy to put down their 'marital home'. How did Hong Si know where he stayed?

His brain swam. He couldn't focus. He felt like there were a lot of pieces to the puzzle that were missing, that there was something more sinister going on than just a petty fight for a role in a B-grade drama.

And the worst part was, what if someone recognised Zhou Ye from the pictures? Although he wasn't a celebrity, Zhou Ye had already appeared multiple times before in the media eye for corporate launches and in financial magazine. Wen Rui had even seen one recently, just two days ago.

What if someone picked him out to be the Zhou Group's heir?

He didn't like Zhou Ye but he didn't want to drag him down either.

Pei Jun took his phone back. His expression was calm, like he hadn't just broken horrific news to Wen Rui.

"Do you really think this is Hong Si's doing? Or Manager Qu's?"

No. Wen Rui had his doubts now. No matter how much the company wanted to punish Wen Rui for bad behaviour, they wouldn't risk destroying their hottest boy group like this just as retribution. And Manager Qu, despite his personal vendetta against Wen Rui, wouldn't jeopardise his own income like that. Hong Si had a good motivation but Wen Rui wasn't certain a mere young idol without any real financial status would be able to afford hiring a photographer, influencers on Weibo, and even the 'internet navy', a group of people employed to post messages on the social media. In this case, to badmouth Wen Rui and tarnish his reputation.

Pei Jun nodded. "I didn't think so. So now, Young Master, let me ask again. Are you sure you haven't offended anyone else?"