The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: I'll Tell You Who's the Boss

"Some things aren't achievable no matter how much time and effort I invest," Xie Yihang lamented, gasping for breath. He turned away, avoiding Nie Jia's gaze, looking at his own helpless, reddened eyes in the mirror.

"Much like one's inherent appearance, some things are unchangeable. You won't understand the futility of relentless efforts because you naturally possess these things. Do you know how tough it is to be a trainee? Spending countless hours practicing vocals, dancing, barely having time to sleep—wishing to be in the practice room 24/7. I've given my all just to debut. Yet, you never had to be a trainee; you were directly signed in because of your natural looks and voice. I climbed the mountain desperately, but you were born at the peak. You have no right to look down on me. If you lacked this halo of talent and stood on the same starting line as me, maybe you wouldn't even match up to me!" Xie Yihang gritted his teeth, wiping away tears fiercely with his sleeve, sneering bitterly, "You even have those rare 'Angel Eyes,' a one in a billion chance of possessing light-colored irises. You're too favored by fate."

Nie Jia lowered his gaze, casually wiping the water droplets off his hands with a tissue, calmly stating, "The one who truly looks down on people is you. You look down on my musical talent, on my less dazzling appearance compared to yours, and even on my lack of a naturally good singing voice because none of these were achieved through my efforts."

Xie Yihang averted his gaze slightly, lowering his head a little, his emotions bursting forth, causing him to breathe heavily.

Nie Jia, devoid of emotion in his eyes, grabbed Xie Yihang's collar forcefully, lifting him up. Xie Yihang's eyes widened in shock, forced to tiptoe. He never expected Nie Fei to resort to physicality, despite their past dislike not being indicative of violence.

Nie Jia didn't bother to lower his gaze to meet Xie Yihang's, keeping them at the same level. His voice, cold and cutting, continued, "You seem to have forgotten that before I joined D Group, DDD was merely a small, insignificant group singing mediocre songs. Shi Yanshen and Chen Tian had decent family backgrounds; they could return home if the entertainment industry didn't work out. But you, with no education or background, would end up washing dishes in a restaurant if you couldn't make it here. It was my talent and ability that propelled DDD globally, allowing you to easily pocket millions for even a terrible film. You think your position today is due to hard work? You damn well ride on my talents, Xie Yihang! Anyone can say I'm nothing without my talents, but you're the one least qualified! The company packaged you as someone hardworking and inspiring. Do you truly believe you're diligent and inspiring? You can't even distinguish these petty matters, useless."

Nie Jia threw Xie Yihang away, not bothering to spare him another glance as he walked out.

Xie Yihang stumbled a couple of steps backward, almost falling. The washroom remained silent as the realization slowly dawned on him. He felt a quiet sense of humiliation, his face burning red.

As Nie Jia returned to the resting room, the performance in the box had ended. Galaxy, with their seamless synchronization and eight members, owned the stage perfectly. Nie Jia watched Yu Jingwei hitting high notes effortlessly on the screen, now feeling disdain for Xie Yihang.

DDD and Galaxy had competed for four years. Yu Jingwei, just like Xie Yihang, considered Nie Fei as their rival. However, Yu Jingwei's animosity toward Nie Fei surpassed Xie Yihang's by far; he despised Nie Fei to the core. Yet, Yu Jingwei concentrated all his efforts on self-improvement. Knowing Nie Fei's exceptional talent, he aimed to surpass him one day. Although he hadn't achieved it yet, his efforts and drive had elevated Galaxy to rock stardom, just slightly trailing behind DDD in reputation.

As for Xie Yihang, consumed by jealousy, he believed the only difference between him and Nie Fei was talent, ignoring Nie Fei's accumulated injuries from dancing and relentless efforts. He not only couldn't match Nie Fei but couldn't even measure up to half of what Yu Jingwei was.

"Galaxy's strength is undeniable. Nie Fei, any thoughts on the finals?" Chen Tian initiated conversation for the first time, even sitting beside Nie Jia on a single sofa, seemingly eager for a heart-to-heart.

"No thoughts. I just want to finish recording and go home for dinner," Nie Jia replied, disinterestedly twisting open a bottle of mineral water on the table.

Shi Yanshen and Chen Tian had planned to perform "Battle of the Stars" for the finals. The die was cast, and Galaxy was no ordinary opponent. With the finals approaching, they had to prepare thoroughly. The battle for honor was about to commence in earnest.

Chen Tian nodded, refraining from further discussion, mindful that the show was still ongoing, not the right time for final preparations.

The door to the resting room swung open, and Xie Yihang returned. He silently took his previous seat without a word.

Shi Yanshen glanced at him, suddenly freezing in astonishment. Xie Yihang had washed his face, removing all his makeup, revealing a completely bare face, highlighting the redness around his eyes—a visage of evident recent tears.

After coming down from the stage, Xie Yihang's emotions had stabilized considerably. The thought of Nie Fei and him returning from the restroom, one after the other, reignited Shi Yanshen's subconscious protective instincts. Without a second thought, he gazed at Nie Jia and questioned, "Nie Fei, did you bully Xiaohang again?"

This statement made Shi Yanshen feel awkward, and the room's temperature seemed to drop suddenly. Nie Jia lounged on the couch, exchanging messages with Shi Si, casually swinging his leg as if he hadn't heard Shi Yanshen speaking at all.

Chen Tian glanced at Xie Yihang with impatience, furrowing his brows. "Xie Yihang, how long are you going to cry? Are your tear ducts that developed?"

Xie Yihang hastily wiped his nose, releasing the pillow and gripping Shi Yanshen's sleeve. "No, Shi Yanshen, please don't misunderstand. Really, there's nothing. Please don't argue."

Seemingly afraid that the two might erupt into a usual heated argument, Xie Yihang, on the verge of tears again, was aware that the show was still being recorded, and it wouldn't look good if this altercation aired. However, his appearance of almost crying only solidified Shi Yanshen's suspicions.

Nie Jia nonchalantly glanced up. "Who cares to argue with him?"

Shi Yanshen blushed; he'd been severely criticized by Chen Huanyin in front of four thousand people today. His immense pride had left him teetering on the edge of fury. Even though he now realized he might have misunderstood Nie Fei, he couldn't ignore his pride. He coughed, trying to justify himself. "You've bullied Xiaohang before anyway."

"Xie Yihang, why are you dragging this out? Can't you see Shi Yanshen misunderstood? Explain!" Nie Jia suddenly fumed.

This situation occurred frequently before; every time, they would argue because of Xie Yihang. Xie Yihang intended to explain, but by then, the two wouldn't listen.

Xie Yihang, shouted at, snapped back to reality, red-eyed as he addressed Shi Yanshen, "Shi Yanshen... it's not what you think."

Nie Jia smirked inwardly. Indeed, getting Xie Yihang to explain things clearly was harder than reaching the skies.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chen Tian interjected. "Did Nie Fei bully you just now?"

Xie Yihang, unsure why the topic suddenly revolved around him, looked flustered. Clutching Shi Yanshen's sleeve, he shook his head, "No."

Clearly in a bad mood, Chen Tian scoffed loudly, pinpointing Xie Yihang. "Then why did you blabber about irrelevant things? Just say Nie Fei didn't bully you. Is it that hard? You pretend to be bullied and then speak vaguely, causing misunderstandings. Do you enjoy watching your teammates argue because of you?"

Xie Yihang was at a loss, murmuring, "I didn't..."

"Why are you shouting?" Shi Yanshen angrily retorted. "You've known Xiaohang for a long time; don't you know he's like this, timid?"

Chen Tian sneered, "Yes, I've known Xie Yihang for six years, and today, I finally realized what kind of person he is. He used to do this, cried at everything without explaining clearly. Made me think he was defending someone being bullied, made me think he's so kind. I was blind!"

"You!" Shi Yanshen stood up, eyes widened, panting heavily.

Xie Yihang blinked, feeling pale from Chen Tian's scolding.

"Xie Yihang, forget about the past. Let's talk about this competition. We're getting eliminated because of you, right? You knew we had a match the next day, yet you stayed up gaming, got sick, and ruined a week of preparation for me and Shi Yanshen. We didn't blame you, and you didn't even apologize. And today? Nie Fei's back injury wasn't healed, yet he came back to restore honor for DDD. But you almost got us eliminated by falling! How can you collapse on a stage with nothing? We've performed for 200,000 people before. Today, with just 4,000, you struggled to breathe? Chen Huanyin criticized you, and you've been crying since. Do you feel wronged? You've ruined my performance, and I'm supposed to feel wronged?" Chen Tian raged, pacing around the lounge, pointing at Xie Yihang, "I don't understand how you can fall on an empty stage? Have you turned into Lin Daiyu in your past life?"

"I didn't..." Xie Yihang trembled, intimidated by Chen Tian's raised voice.

"Shut up!" Shi Yanshen retorted angrily.

"What did Chen Huanyin say just now? You've already forgotten?" Chen Tian continued, "Keep defending him, that's your specialty."

Chen Tian and Shi Yanshen were almost ready to fight. Xie Yihang had no idea what to do, while Nie Jia nonchalantly played with his phone.

The main director and the writers backstage were utterly confused. Did they think the show would cut this part out, speaking so freely? Don't they know Wankai Group's director is here and demanded not to cut any of these scenes? Do they want our show to explode and become a universal phenomenon?

The writers felt that after this episode airs, the entire internet's focus won't be on the show, but on the internal strife within DDD.

Shi Si furrowed his brows backstage, sensing something amiss. Despite his younger brother being part of D Group, Shi Si didn't know much about them. He beckoned his secretary over and murmured something in a low voice.

Chen Tian's temper settled after a fiery outburst, the director intervened before things escalated further. Chen Tian and Shi Yanshen sat back, watching the competition on the screen. Xie Yihang buried half his face in a cushion, Nie Jia quietly played on his phone, occasionally glancing at the competition. Everything seemed to return to normalcy.

After D Group's decisive victory, the semi-final results became a foregone conclusion. In the end, Box and Hertz Era were eliminated, granting Galaxy the spot in the finals.

Post-match, Shi Yanshen stormed off, visibly angry. He didn't wait for Xie Yihang, skipping interviews and departing in a huff.

The atmosphere within D Group turned icy. No one acknowledged each other, an awkward tension hanging in the air.

Nie Jia finished his interview first and promptly left through the TV station's back door, heading off in Shi Si's car. Chen Tian and Xie Yihang hadn't finished recording. Chen Tian had much to say, while Xie Yihang spoke slowly, in a foul mood, dragging out the recording until the very end.

"Tired? Where do you want to go for dinner?" Nie Jia slouched onto Shi Si's lap as soon as they got in the car. Shi Si, tenderly, ran his fingers through Nie Jia's hair, lowering his gaze.

"I don't have much of an appetite, let's head home." Nie Jia hadn't slept well last night. Today's program recording had been riddled with accidents, extending the time to four and a half hours. He wasn't tired, just terribly idle.

"Alright," Shi Si replied softly.

Of course, 'home' meant Shi Si's place, a hotel-style apartment in the city center. The elevator opened directly into the living room. Nie Jia helped Shi Si sit on the couch. He lifted Shi Si's legs onto his lap, checking the injury on his ankles. Thanks to Nie Jia's discreet treatment, the wounds had nearly healed. The recovery speed was astonishing, considering yesterday's accident. Nie Jia didn't want Shi Si to suffer longer.

Trying to ease his concern, Shi Si said, "It's getting better quickly. I think I'll be able to walk in a few days."

"Okay," Nie Jia replied, setting his feet back down.

Shi Si smiled, gently pulling Nie Jia into an embrace, peppering him with affectionate kisses. "I checked your medical report today. Your back injury is quite severe; you should take care. Did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes are red. Rest well today."

Nie Jia rested his chin on Shi Si's shoulder, obediently nodding.

After their affectionate moment, Nie Jia helped Shi Si in the kitchen, assisting while watching Shi Si expertly prepare ingredients. Shi Si had learned to cook during his college days and was adept at it. "What do you feel like eating?" Shi Si asked, holding Nie Jia close and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"I want to eat you," Nie Jia teased, hugging Shi Si's waist and shaking his head.

Shi Si's pupils dilated, overwhelmed with affection. He held Nie Jia tightly, showering him with kisses, unable to stop. "I looked at your medical report today. Your back injury is serious; you need to take care. Did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes are red. Rest well today."

Nie Jia nestled against Shi Si's shoulder, nodding meekly.

After their intimate moment, Nie Jia helped Shi Si in the kitchen, assisting while watching Shi Si expertly prepare ingredients. Shi Si had learned to cook during his college days and was adept at it. "What do you feel like eating?" Shi Si asked, holding Nie Jia close and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"I want to eat you," Nie Jia teased, hugging Shi Si's waist and shaking his head.

Shi Si's pupils dilated, overwhelmed with affection. He held Nie Jia tightly, showering him with kisses, unable to stop. "I learned to cook during my college days. I can make anything you want," Shi Si said, pulling Nie Jia into a warm embrace.

"I want to eat you," Nie Jia joked, wrapping his arms around Shi Si's waist and swaying his head.

Shi Si's eyes widened, unable to contain his affection. He held Nie Jia close, peppering him with kisses. "I saw your medical report today. Your back injury is serious; you need to take care. Did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes are red. Rest well today."

Nie Jia rested his chin on Shi Si's shoulder, nodding in agreement.

After their intimate moment, Nie Jia helped Shi Si in the kitchen, assisting while watching Shi Si expertly prepare ingredients. Shi Si had learned to cook during his college days and was adept at it. "What do you feel like eating?" Shi Si asked, holding Nie Jia close and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"I want to eat you," Nie Jia teased, hugging Shi Si's waist and shaking his head.

Shi Si's pupils dilated, overwhelmed with affection. He held Nie Jia tightly, showering him with kisses, unable to stop. "I learned to cook during my college days. I can make anything you want," Shi Si said, pulling Nie Jia into a warm embrace.

"I want to eat you," Nie Jia joked, wrapping his arms around Shi Si's waist and swaying his head.

Shi Si's eyes widened, unable to contain his affection. He held Nie Jia close, peppering him with kisses. "I saw your medical report today. Your back injury is serious; you need to take care. Did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes are red. Rest well today."

Nie Jia rested his chin on Shi Si's shoulder, nodding in agreement.

The following day, Nie Jia woke up beside Shi Si, who seemed to have been awake for a while, yet chose to stay. He was half-lying in bed, examining the files the secretary had delivered early in the morning.

Nie Jia leaned into his embrace, sitting up in bed and planting a playful kiss on Shi Si's lips. "Good morning."

Shi Si gently ruffled his hair. "Sennheiser's manager tried contacting you after you fell asleep last night. Would you like to meet them today?"

Nie Jia grabbed a random shirt from Shi Si's wardrobe and, while buttoning it up, asked, "Sennheiser's manager? Why do they want to meet me?"

"They want to customize a microphone for you. Seems like some regional staff were at the studio yesterday," Shi Si said, watching Nie Jia put on his shirt and snuggle back into his arms, revealing only his slender, straight legs in the morning light. His heart raced.

"So troublesome," Nie Jia complained.

"I can sing like a studio album using a KTV microphone. Customizing one means waiting and recording again. I just want to laze around with you before the finals, no responsibilities."

Shi Si put the files aside, embracing Nie Jia with a smile. "Changing the mic isn't just about enhancing your voice but ensuring it's a hundred percent true to your sound. We might not make it for the finals..." Shi Si paused, unsure of what to say next, then softly added, "I'll ask the German factory to expedite. We should have it before the finals."

"Do you need me to cooperate with anything?" Nie Jia lazily asked.

"Yes," Shi Si noticed Nie Jia disliked the hassle, playfully nibbling on his fingertips. "Cooperate with me, stay by my side."

Nie Jia chuckled, then suddenly turned around, kneeling on the bed. "I also need your cooperation."

"Hmm?" Shi Si looked at him gently.

"I want to make love with you," Nie Jia said.

-------

Table of content - Next Chapter >>> 

• You can access publicly available chapters of "The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo" right HERE.
• Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.
• You can also check out the other Novels I'm currently translating by clicking HERE.
• If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections.