Why Is the Male Lead Looking at Me Like That [Entertainment Circle] (BL) - Chapter 1

“Did you guys see that thread that exploded on the homepage? Who is this Xia Xu they’re talking about? I opened the post with a face full of question marks!”

“He’s from an obscure, little boy band on the 18th tier, so it’s normal not to know him. What’s up with King of the Sea Xia?”

“He’s been hyping up too many scandals and is now being collectively besieged by over a dozen fan groups!”

In the three years since his debut, this was the first time Xia Xu had seen himself generate this much buzz.

On a certain entertainment forum, more than a dozen front-page posts were related to him. Many were old scandal threads that had been pushed to the top on this special day.

Even Xia Xu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion:

Are my “battle results” already this glorious?

It looks like I’m about to unite the old, middle-aged, and young generations of the entertainment circle.

His manager, Qi Hong, comforted him, “Entertainment Circle Rule Number One: being infamous is still being famous!”

Xia Xu leaned next to Qi Hong, looking at the tablet in her hand: “I’m just wondering who this short-haired guy in the scandal is. I have absolutely no memory of him.”

Having worked in the entertainment circle for the past few years, Xia Xu was, of course, unfazed by the netizens’ attacks; he was used to being cursed at.

The collective mobilization of these fan groups was related to today’s Entertainment Gala.

As everyone knows, there are two major annual fashion events in the entertainment circle, moments where all the stars gather. This also meant that Xia Xu would be attending the event with a whole slew of his alleged “scandal boyfriends,” and they didn’t know who he might be photographed with.

In the fans’ eyes, King of the Sea Xia was now like an emperor on his dragon bed, and their brother’s name was on a plate, ready to be “chosen” at any moment.

King of the Sea Xia lazily reached out a hand: “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…”

All the fans hugged their idols, trembling in fear.

They were mobilizing collectively now to seize the initiative early!

“Send out the studio statement again. Our brother has already denied it, okay?”

“Sending a bouquet to the film crew counts as a crush? Hehehehe, our brother has said he has no intention of dating before he turns 35.”

“No offense to any sexual orientation, but please update the list of our brother’s past girlfriends. He’s as straight as an arrow, so don’t cue him!”

The fans desperately tried to distance themselves, laying the groundwork in advance, and passersby flocked in to watch the excitement. The lively atmosphere was already brewing before the fashion gala even started.

You’d think Xia Xu had become a top celebrity.

“You don’t have to worry about any of this. As soon as the red carpet starts, these posts will naturally lose their heat.”

Tonight was a battle among deities; it was the main stage for the top-tier traffic stars. An 18th-tier celebrity like Xia Xu was, at best, an appetizer. He didn’t even have the qualifications to be discussed like this for long.

Qi Hong scrolled through the posts one by one, and suddenly a picture of a handsome man appeared on the tablet.

A top-tier handsome man with light-colored eyes and rosy lips, handsome enough to make one’s breath catch.

Her finger paused, and she turned to look at Xia Xu. The Xia Xu, who had been lazily lounging, was now pursing his lips and visibly tensing up.

The May sun was bright and dazzling, and there were clusters of pink roses lining the path, but Qi Hong felt that all the summer flowers in the world couldn’t compare to the dimple that appeared at the corner of Xia Xu’s mouth when he pursed his lips.

King of the Sea Xia had countless scandals and was a notorious “hundred-man slayer.” Who would have thought that a “King of the Sea” like this only had one actual ex-boyfriend?

And it was the one he had never been rumored with.

The entertainment circle truly was bizarre and jaw-dropping.

Qi Hong complained, “Such a brief relationship in high school—is it really worth it? I don’t even remember what the people I dated in school looked like.”

Xia Xu looked at her.

…Well, if they were as good-looking as Nan Qingyan, it truly was hard to forget.

“So, what are you going to do when you attend the gala? Nan Qingyan will be there, too. Are you going to turn and run if you see him?” Qi Hong pondered: “Fortunately, there’s quite a gap in your status, so the chance of running into each other isn’t high. One is a member of an obscure group, and the other is a current hot favorite. You’ll be walking the red carpet wholesale with a group of people, but Nan Qingyan will be the red carpet’s focus. Once inside, you and your teammates will be lucky not to be seated in the last few rows, but Nan Qingyan will be in the first row.”

Hearing Qi Hong say that, Xia Xu felt even more depressed.

Seeing him close his eyes to nap, Qi Hong secretly saved Nan Qingyan’s high-definition photo to her phone album.

In the evening, Xia Xu arrived in the South City, and after meeting up with his other teammates, the four of them walked the red carpet together.

Because they were an obscure boy band, they walked with a few other boy groups of similar status. They were all very hú (unpopular), and they finished in less than a minute. They entered the venue under the guidance of the staff.

In the entertainment circle, whether it’s an awards ceremony or a charity gala, seating is very particular. The first row and the second row are different, and the two ends and the middle are different. This heavily tests the organizer’s coordination ability, but clearly, the organizer of today’s gala wasn’t doing a great job.

“This is where your seats are,” the staff member said with a smile.

The other three group members didn’t dare to move, staring intently at the seat.

Xia Xu looked at the chair in front of him with the name HOPE written on it and confirmed that this was indeed the spot arranged for them by the organizers.

Isn’t this a little too close to the center?

Having been in the entertainment circle for the past few years, he had attended many industry events. There was no better place than a star-studded venue like this to clearly see where you stood.

Their group was an 18th-tier obscure boy band. As the leader and visual center, his popularity was slightly higher, but he was at best a third-tier artist. The gala was divided into three sections, and the center was obviously reserved for first-tier celebrities. People like them usually sat on the sides. Their position was in the right section, but in the leftmost part of the second row, right next to the central area for the big stars.

However, their group name was indeed affixed to the back of the chair in front of him.

Wen Yu, the youngest member of the group, excitedly said, “Why are we sitting so far forward this time?”

Then Xia Xu heard a boy band of a similar status behind him say, “Why are they sitting so far forward this time?”

Xia Xu: Yeah, why are we sitting so far forward this time?

He had a bad feeling.

Xia Xu immediately sent a message to Qi Hong.

Qi Hong replied: “Something this good is happening?”

Xia Xu replied: “Misfortune must follow a position you don’t deserve!”

“It’s not like you stole or robbed it. Just sit where the organizers arranged. But wait, wouldn’t you be very close to Nan Qingyan like this?”

As soon as Xia Xu heard this, he immediately stood up and swapped seats with Wen Yu, moving to the innermost spot.

The red carpet outside was still underway, with more and more big names arriving as time passed.

As his “scandal boyfriends” entered the venue one after another, Xia Xu’s thin lips became tighter and tighter.

Fortunately, even though BL dramas were popular and male-male CPs were a big hit, openly gay celebrities in the mainland entertainment circle were still rare. These rumored boyfriends at most glanced at him a few times and kept a certain distance.

Xia Xu unscrewed his bottled water and took another drink. As the first-tier actresses and actors entered the venue one after another, the atmosphere heated up. Drinking water made him feel even warmer, so Xia Xu simply unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. Right after he unbuttoned it, he heard a burst of screams from the audience in the back row. He quickly looked up and saw a young man walking over, surrounded by a few people.

This person—even in the entertainment circle, where beauty was a cloud, you would always spot him at first glance.

The “once-in-twenty-years comic book body” of the entertainment circle, with a height of 190 cm, the most superior head-to-body ratio, broad shoulders, a lean waist, and long legs, he was so clean he was intoxicating.

There’s a saying among fans: “Before meeting Nan Qingyan, I didn’t know the phrase ‘ice-pure and unblemished’ could describe a man.”

His aura was so outstanding that almost everyone at the scene was looking at him, including the first-tier actresses seated in the first row.

Wen Yu and the others were even more excited: “Wow, God Nan!”

Xia Xu was filled with emotion.

How could this encounter not make one emotional? After years of breaking up, one effortlessly shot to fame overnight, while the other had worked diligently for years and was still an 18th-tier celebrity relying on scandals to stay afloat.

The innate male lead and the innate cannon fodder—the aisle between them seemed like a river that could never be crossed in a lifetime.

Nan Qingyan still had that familiar face, but his youthful greenness was gone, replaced by a devastating, godly beauty.

He was still a heartbreaker.

But he was never as cold and lofty as he appeared now. Dressed all in black with only his skin showing, he looked impeccably clean, as if he had severe mysophobia. He was too clean, to the point of being devoid of human warmth.

Xia Xu even suspected Nan Qingyan had switched souls.

He wasn’t sure if Nan Qingyan knew he was also present. They were sitting so close, probably only two or three meters apart—close enough to hear a whispered word.

He decided to be as quiet as a chicken throughout the night.

Just as he was thinking, Wen Yu suddenly patted his arm excitedly: “Captain, Brother Liu is here!”

Xia Xu looked up and saw one of his most famous recent “admirers” walking towards him with great excitement: “Xiao Xu!”

Xia Xu: “…”

I should have checked the almanac before leaving the house today.

The gala was about to begin, and the host was already on stage, but the venue was still a bit chaotic. A popular young actress was sitting next to Nan Qingyan, clutching her phone and wondering if she should abandon her composure and proactively add him on WeChat.

Nan Qingyan’s exceptional qualities weren’t just personal; hooking up with him could pave the way for a smooth career in the entertainment circle, right?

But then she suddenly heard a slightly gossipy voice quietly drifting from the back row: “What’s the deal with Wei Qiang and Liu Fen having a falling out? Weren’t they close?”

“Not anymore. They’ve become love rivals!”

She immediately turned her head to look.

Look what I’ve found?!

Liu Fen and Wei Qiang were standing side-by-side in front of a young idol, both smiling like blooming flowers.

A love triangle drama?

More, more!

Clutching her phone, she suddenly glanced at Nan Qingyan next to her. Black suit, pure white shirt underneath, buttoned to the top. His skin was extremely fair. She had never seen anyone with such a luminous, abstinent aura. Yet his features were so beautiful—a high brow bone and nose bridge, eyes as light as glass, rosy thin lips, and a smooth jawline.

His Adam’s apple was stunning, his hands were beautiful, and his legs were impossibly long. Even the cuffs of his trousers were perfectly pressed, as if carrying a cool, clean scent.

He wasn’t called God Nan for nothing. The dream lover of a hundred million girls!

However, at this moment, the gossip behind her had completely overshadowed her interest in Nan Qingyan.

Artists also love to gossip about the inner circle.

“What do you mean, love rivals?”

“I heard those two are both pursuing Xia Xu.”

“Which one is Xia Xu, and how good-looking is this guy? I also heard that Second Master Feng is pursuing him.”

“The one in the white suit, the super gorgeous one!”

The super gorgeous Xia Xu was currently surrounded by Liu Fen and Wei Qiang.

Liu Fen: “How are the seats I arranged for you guys?”

Wen Yu immediately said, “So Brother Liu arranged them for us!”

Liu Fen looked smug: “You didn’t know? The organizer of today’s event is my cousin! I just mentioned it casually to him, and he immediately made the arrangement. We’re all one family, after all! Sitting here, you’ll see the performance more clearly and might even make it into the camera frame.”

“That’s so thoughtful,” Wei Qiang’s jealousy could fill three kilometers.

“I’m always thoughtful to the people I like,” Liu Fen raised his voice, wishing everyone could hear.

“Hurry up and get back to your own seat!” Xia Xu reprimanded him.

“I do whatever Xiao Xu tells me to do; I’m the most obedient!” Liu Fen said and then trotted off.

Xia Xu: “…”

He watched as Wei Qiang and Liu Fen left, then glanced at the Nan Qingyan beside him.

Logically, for an ex-lover to meet him while he was surrounded by a host of admirers, he should be feeling incredibly smug, as if he’d snagged the script of a powerful, female lead.

But at this moment, Xia Xu only felt a knot of dread.

Fortunately, the gala immediately began, and the live broadcast camera light turned red. Xia Xu let out a long breath. The light from the stage shone down, a misty and dense red glow that enveloped all the celebrities, passing through the crowd and illuminating his face.

When Xia Xu looked toward the stage, his peripheral vision couldn’t help but catch Nan Qingyan sitting on the right side of the first row.

Old lovers meeting again, separated by only two or three meters, but Nan Qingyan did not look his way from beginning to end.

It was as if he didn’t even know Xia Xu existed.

Or perhaps he did know, which was why he wouldn’t spare him a single glance.

This was for the best. Having scandals with other people was one thing, but if he had a scandal with Nan Qingyan, he would die of shame.

After the gala ended, it was time for the industry to socialize and exchange pleasantries. People walked around the venue with wine glasses. Once the venue became chaotic, his admirers couldn’t stand it anymore and gradually came over to try to get closer to him.

They were enthusiastic yet restrained, and there was a subtle tension between them. Xia Xu was surrounded and kept feeling someone was staring at him, but when he looked back, he saw nothing.

By the time he finally managed to leave the venue, his back was sweating.

The commercial vehicle picking them up hadn’t arrived yet, and everyone was chatting by the landscaped area. Just then, another person ran over, wanting to get his contact information.

This time, the person confessing to him was a member of a new boy band. Xia Xu found the face familiar but couldn’t recall the name. The boy looked only seventeen or eighteen.

Because the person looked so young, Wen Yu and the others suppressed their laughter and retreated to the side.

“I really… I really like you…”

The other person was so nervous he stammered.

Xia Xu was thinking about how to reject him without hurting the young man’s sincere heart when he suddenly heard Wen Yu exclaim, “Nan Qingyan!”

Xia Xu, who had his hands tucked into his trousers pockets, immediately looked up and saw a black Cadillac Escalade slowly driving past them.

Xia Xu glanced at the reflective car window, which mirrored his slender figure.

He suddenly remembered the feeling of weak legs and felt a sense of relief:

Good thing they broke up long ago, or I’d probably die in bed tonight.

The number of domestic boy bands is like spring flower buds; one batch hasn’t fully bloomed before a new one arrives. A three-year-old group like theirs was already considered old news. After grinding for these three years, what everyone envied most was the kind of person who became an overnight sensation.

Take Nan Qingyan, for example. His debut film grossed five billion at the box office, instantly making him a first-tier celebrity.

So, on the way back, his teammates were all talking about him.

“He’s actually even more handsome in person than on the big screen. His aura is incredible.”

“How could his aura not be good? I heard he graduated from Peking University and is a super scholar. His family is also scholarly. His grandfather is supposedly an academician, and he has a bunch of professors and CEOs in his family.”

Everyone sighed with envy.

“Then why did he enter the entertainment circle?”

“Why else? He’s so handsome!”

“Oh, did you all see the movie he had released during the Lunar New Year? I heard he did the high-mountain skiing completely in person!”

“I haven’t seen it. Is a sports movie good?”

“Sh*t, you haven’t seen it? Of course, it’s good if it made such a high box office! It’s super passionate, and Nan Qingyan is so handsome in it. His physique is absolutely incredible!”

“That movie really captured his vitality. His eyes are so light; set against the ice and snow, he looks very heroic, unlike his personality, which makes him seem like he’s sexually cold.”

“He doesn’t just seem sexually cold; he is! Someone interviewed him about whether he would film a romance drama, guess what he said?”

“What did he say?”

Someone played a video. Nan Qingyan said expressionlessly: “Whether in real life or in a movie, love is not an area I will touch again.”

Wen Yu immediately grasped the key point: “Again?”

“It sounds like he said that because he suffered a heartbreak. A friend of mine said the exact same thing when he got dumped!”

“Who would dump Nan Qingyan? Who would dare to dump a male god like that!”

Xia Xu quietly closed his eyes upon hearing this.

“Maybe he really is sexually cold? An incompatible sex life is a very good reason for a breakup. Some men look good but are useless in bed.”

Xia Xu quietly thought to himself, Nan Qingyan is definitely not sexually cold.

He remembered the day they confirmed their relationship. Nan Qingyan suddenly said to him, “There’s something I think you might be misunderstanding about me. Since we’re dating, I should tell you in advance.”

He looked at Nan Qingyan.

At that time, Nan Qingyan was the cold, distant male god sweeping the campus. His school uniform was neat and clean, his skin was very white, his Adam’s apple was prominent. His just-adult frame and sharp features still carried a lot of youthful spirit. His lighter-than-average eyes made him look particularly cool and detached.

If there really was a fairy maiden who didn’t eat mortal food, she would probably look like this, right?

Then he heard Nan Qingyan say flatly, “I have a very strong libido.”

Nan Qingyan stared at his lips, his gaze thick and heavy.

As if he was about to devour him.

Memories flooded in, and Xia Xu, feeling uneasy, couldn’t help but button up his shirt collar.

The “trauma” brought by a dramatically contrasting ex.

“Wow, Captain, there’s a comparison thread about you and Nan Qingyan that actually exploded!”

Xia Xu’s thoughts were yanked back by Wen Yu, and he abruptly sat up straight: “Huh?”

Netizen [Why Am I Not the Only Fish in Your Pond]:

“Let me drop some gossip. The visual center of a certain obscure boy band, the one who was just collectively besieged by over a dozen fan groups—easy to guess who, right? His current boyfriend is actually none of the people rumored online; it’s the second son of a famous mobile phone brand family! Didn’t he attend a phone promotion event last week? Apparently, the new lover was instantly smitten. Tsk, you have to admire his ability to charm men, right? Speaking of which, he’s really something. An 18th-tier celeb is already this promiscuous; if he ever gets famous, his harem could gather three thousand beauties. Why do you think he’s so charming? Just his face?… Okay, I admit his physique is also absolutely incredible, but so what? Just based on that? Men these days are so shallow. The mainland entertainment circle is doomed!

Speaking of this, I can’t help but mention someone else, the new top star in your section. You might not know this, but they were actually high school classmates! Surprising, right?! I heard they were very close in school, often inseparable… Of course, they have absolutely no contact now; they don’t interact at all! Top star fans, don’t attack me! These two people are now completely at two extremes: one looks and acts promiscuous, busy collecting a harem all day, and the other has zero scandals, looks clean from head to toe. If there really is a virgin left in the mainland entertainment circle, it’s probably him!”