Chapter 315: Male Zerg Celebrity × Arms Dealer (5): Mr. Ravens... Could He Really Have Wanted to Kiss Him?

Unlike An-shen's previous books, the protagonist of this novel was a rather famous celebrity in Zerg society. As soon as it was published, it attracted attention that went far beyond the novel itself.

In particular, the book subtly hinted that Shamir was planning to retire from the entertainment industry, making his fans even more restless.

They wanted to know the truth and get some answers, whether this was a "script" that Shamir and An-shen had collaborated on or something else entirely.

Yes, rumors were already circulating on StarNet that this was a new marketing strategy devised by Shamir's studio. They had supposedly collaborated with the famous author An-shen to create a novel featuring Shamir as its protagonist, attracting enormous attention before adapting it into a drama to further consolidate Shamir's position in the entertainment industry.

Shamir's fans were delighted that their "Male Lord" was receiving so much attention, but they were also worried about the hints of "retirement" in the book.

They believed the retirement rumors were false, yet they were afraid they might come true.

They flocked to Shamir's official account and his studio's account to ask questions.

Shamir didn't check his terminal or pay attention to StarNet outside working hours. His longtime fans all knew this, so it was perfectly normal for them not to receive a response from him.

What surprised everyone, however, was that Shamir's studio remained completely silent as well. No matter how persistently the fans pressed for answers, the studio refused to say anything.

This made the fans very uneasy.

[Shamir isn't really going to retire, is he?]

Someone asked anxiously in a fan group.

[No, no, he won't. It's just a script. Trust me, I've seen plenty of these things before.]

Someone tried to reassure them, but as more and more evidence and suspicious details emerged, unease continued to spread throughout the fan groups.

[Shamir really does have fewer and fewer endorsement deals. The number has dropped to an abnormal level. I checked, and he actually only has three endorsements left now. All three expire at the end of next month, too.]

The moment this was said, the fans panicked.

It wasn't that they hadn't noticed Shamir taking on fewer endorsements.

But Shamir had always been extremely cautious when choosing endorsement deals. Even among celebrities of comparable popularity, he had always been the one with the fewest and most carefully selected endorsements.

This had even been one of the things his fans loved about him.

They thought Shamir was particularly cool this way, detached from worldly concerns, aloof and proud, yet responsible. He possessed a unique charm that made him utterly captivating.

Because he had always been like this, even when they noticed that his endorsements were decreasing, they didn't think anything was wrong.

They even came up with reasonable explanations for themselves, believing that their "Male Lord" was as aloof and otherworldly as ever.

While they continued drooling over him, they also worried that he might be earning less money because of this.

Their hearts ached for him, and they became even more concerned, working harder to support him through tips and paid purchases.

By the time they realized what was happening, his endorsements had already dwindled to an abnormal degree.

And this happened to match the contents of the novel perfectly.

The fans panicked even more.

[It must be because of Ravens! That arms dealer forced Shamir to provide services for him. Shamir suffered such terrible grievances that he became completely disillusioned with the entertainment industry, lost all confidence in it, and just wants to leave.]

[Exactly! It's all his fault! Maybe he even added other conditions to the agreement, restricting Shamir's pursuit of his acting dreams to the duration of the contract. That means ten years! Once the contract ends, he'll blacklist Shamir and shelve his career, deliberately suppressing him!]

[How awful! Evil Ravens!]

[Report him to the Marshal! He must be a Tianjia spy!]

[He's concealing his rank and plotting something sinister. He's also involved in the arms business, so he must be tampering with the military's orders!]

[His group sells weapons and equipment abroad, too. They claim they're civilian weapons, but with a few modifications, they could be used by the military. Maybe the modification instructions are even included in the manuals! There could be Tianjia buyers among them. That's aiding the enemy!]

The more the fans discussed it, the more convinced they became that their suspicions were correct.

For a time, reports flooded the mailboxes of the military and the Federal Government.

Naturally, the Male Zerg Protection Association wasn't overlooked either.

The fans suspected Ravens of abusing a Male Zerg.

He had actually made a Male Zerg serve him! It was a complete reversal of the natural order!

Even if he was the one providing money and resources, he shouldn't be so arrogant.

The Male Zerg Protection Association initially treated the enormous number of reports it received with great seriousness.

Then they investigated and were dumbfounded.

Were they really supposed to demand that the highest-ranking executive of the Ravens Group cooperate with an investigation because of the plot of a novel?

But the matter involved the Male Zerg celebrity Shamir, so they couldn't afford to be careless.

After some consideration, they decided to contact the Zergs involved and learn more about the situation first.

...

【Ravens apologized for losing his composure earlier.

Of course he knew that the scene in the film had been created through camera techniques and wasn't real.

He also told Shamir that he didn't need to worry about such things. There were no restrictions concerning them in their contract.

Yes, the contract contained no such restrictions.

It was perfectly normal for a Male Zerg to have multiple Female Zergs. Even when they signed their contract, Ravens had only stipulated that Shamir couldn't fool around indiscriminately during the contractual period.

Things like having relations with several Female Zergs simultaneously or attending certain chaotic parties and immersing himself in the debauchery were certainly not permitted.

But ordinary hand-holding and dating with other Female Zergs, or some intimate physical contact during filming, were not included in those restrictions.

At least, that was what Ravens had thought when he originally established the terms of the contract.

After all, all he had wanted back then was a doctor who could provide Psychic Soothing without interfering too much with his life.

Who cared about a doctor's private life?

As long as he didn't fool around too much, washed himself thoroughly before coming over, and didn't bring any filth into Ravens's presence, that was enough.

Later...

How had things developed to the point where Ravens became jealous merely from watching Shamir interact with other Zergs on screen?

How had he reached the point of feeling jealous over a fictional "love"?

Ravens himself didn't know.

Ten years was enough time for someone to become a habit, to become woven into the fabric of one's life.

Shamir had never done anything wrong.

It was Ravens who had misunderstood his own position.

He had begun to covet things beyond the contract, even coming to regard the "contract" itself as an obstacle.

Yet Ravens also understood that without this contract, he might lose the right to stand before Shamir at all.

Shamir would leave him.

That price was far too great.

The contract had allowed him to obtain Shamir, but it had also deprived him of the possibility of taking their relationship any further.

Without the contract, he would face losing him completely.

Shamir's behavior recently had already made things quite clear.

He was preparing to "leave."

And he intended to leave without giving Ravens any opportunity to stop him.

He would leave Ravens, and he would leave his original company as well.

Ravens wasn't a slow-witted Zerg.

From the way Shamir had compressed his schedule to finish his filming commitments, to his quiet reduction of endorsement deals, to his avoidance of any discussion about renewing his contract with the company...

Everything pointed toward a single answer.

Shamir was leaving.

Ravens had to make a tremendous effort to conceal his emotions and prevent anything unusual from showing.

He considered what Shamir might do if he left.

Which talent agency would he choose? Or would he become completely independent?

Given Shamir's position and resources in the entertainment industry after all these years, he was entirely capable of doing so.

If he chose the former, Ravens could purchase shares in every talent agency.

If Shamir minded that, Ravens could reduce the proportion of shares he controlled.

But he absolutely couldn't allow Shamir to place himself within an unfamiliar organization without making any preparations.

If Shamir chose the latter...

That would be a little more troublesome, but Ravens could still extend goodwill toward him from every direction and offer him assistance, as long as Shamir was willing to accept it.

Ravens considered many possibilities in a short span of time.

He felt that things hadn't reached the worst possible point yet. No matter how events developed or what choices were made next, there would still be opportunities.

Yet a faint sense of unease lingered in his heart.

What if Shamir chose neither?

What if Shamir left completely, disappearing from his world and going somewhere Ravens would never be able to find him again?

Ravens's fingertips dug slightly into his palms.

Endless panic and unease surged through him, yet he remained determined to believe that this wouldn't happen.

He believed Shamir wouldn't be so resolute.

This confidence didn't come from any faith in himself.

It came from his faith in Shamir's love of acting, and his belief that Shamir wouldn't abandon everything he had accumulated in the entertainment industry over so many years.

...

Shamir had no idea what Ravens was thinking.

He had originally planned to leave after breakfast, but the scene in the film and the teacup that had shattered in Mr. Ravens's hand made him hesitate.

In the end, he decided to stay.

His financial backer was in a bad mood. Whether out of personal consideration or professional obligation, shouldn't he stay and cheer him up a little?

Even though Ravens insisted that he was fine and had even brought out the terms of their contract to explain that Shamir was permitted to have something going on with other Zergs...

Did that really look like someone who was fine?

Shamir had never had to coax anyone before, either.

Mr. Ravens had never been the sort of Zerg who needed coaxing. Shamir had only ever needed to provide his services properly.

This was a first for him.

Since he had no personal experience to draw on, the only thing Shamir could use as a reference was what he'd seen in films.

Seeing that Mr. Ravens was still fairly agreeable and didn't appear to have anything else to do, Shamir simply pulled him behind the curtains.

The sheer white curtains enveloped them, separating them from the rest of the room, while sunlight spilled across their faces.

For the first time, a crack appeared in Ravens's flawless composure.

He stared at Shamir in astonishment.

They were standing together in the secluded space behind the curtains.

Ravens didn't understand what Shamir intended to do, yet at the same time, he understood what this scene might represent.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes remained fixed nervously on Shamir as he approached.

Shamir moved closer.

It looked as though he was about to kiss him.

Ravens's pupils contracted.

Shamir raised his right hand and hooked it around Ravens's neck, bringing their bodies even closer together.

His mint-green eyes held a smile as he gazed at Ravens and said, "Lower your head a little, Mr. Ravens."

In the sunlight, Shamir seemed to radiate brilliance from his entire body.

A faint golden glow covered his skin, making him appear almost luminous.

His smiling face was especially captivating, enough to send anyone's heartbeat out of control.

Ravens could hear his own heart pounding violently inside his chest.

Drawn toward Shamir, he lowered his head.

His movements were somewhat stiff and awkward, betraying his inexperience and embarrassment, yet he was also impatient to close the distance.

But just as Ravens was about to lean straight into him, Shamir suddenly laughed.

Turning his head to look at the curtains, he said to Ravens:

"Mr. Ravens, look at our shadows. Don't they look like we're kissing?"

Ravens paused.

He stiffly turned to look at the shadows Shamir had mentioned.

Their shadows were projected onto the curtains.

Their postures were extraordinarily intimate, the lower halves of their faces pressed together, making them look like a pair of lovers locked in a passionate kiss.

Ravens's complexion shifted between red and pale.

He finally understood why Shamir had pulled him over here and what he had wanted him to see.

"It's fake," he said, his expression ugly.

Shamir nodded.

"Of course it's fake."

That was exactly what he had wanted to show Ravens.

If a verbal explanation couldn't improve Mr. Ravens's mood, perhaps seeing it with his own eyes would do the trick?

Ravens stared fixedly at those intimate, false shadows.

Their kiss was fake, too.

Or rather, Shamir had never intended to kiss him in the first place.

He had simply been presumptuous.

Ravens kept staring at the shadows, wanting to engrave the image into his heart.

Even if it was fake, he wished this moment could last forever.

But an illusion was ultimately just an illusion.

Ravens squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he pulled the curtains aside and walked out without looking back.

"€€? Mr. Ravens?"

Shamir had no idea what was happening.

He stared in surprise at Ravens's departing figure.

Recalling how Ravens's expression had shifted from anticipation to something so unpleasant, Shamir gradually realized something.

His eyes widened, and he became even more astonished.

Mr. Ravens... Could he really have wanted to kiss him?

When Shamir had asked Mr. Ravens to lower his head and come closer, his lips had almost touched Shamir's for a moment.

If Shamir hadn't turned his head in time, they might really have kissed.

Even so, Shamir could vaguely remember the sensation of Ravens's lips almost brushing against the side of his face, leaving a faint ticklish feeling.

Shamir raised his hand and touched his cheek.

Feeling the lingering warmth beneath the sunlight, he was still surprised.

He couldn't tell whether the heat in his face came from the sun or something else.

Would Mr. Ravens really want to kiss him?

Was it an attempt born of curiosity?

Or did it... mean something else?

They had already done the most intimate things together, yet this sudden development still left Shamir at a loss.

Seeing that Ravens's figure was about to disappear from view, Shamir hurried after him.

"Mr. Ravens, may I stay the night tonight?"

It was the first time Shamir had ever asked this question.

In the past, Ravens had always been the one to summon him, and Shamir would only come over when called.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to ask to stay.

Ravens stopped in his tracks and turned around in astonishment.

Shamir found an excuse.

"I don't have any work scheduled recently, and I can't think of anywhere else suitable to spend my time. Could I... stay?"

The Male Zerg looked at him, his eyes full of anticipation.

Ravens's Adam's apple moved.

He nodded cautiously and said, "Of course. You can."

......】