Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 29

The filming of the behind-the-scenes footage was completed, and each guest returned to their respective rooms. The trio from Dream Without Limits finally had a chance to sit down for an internal meeting.

With the assistants sent away, only Wang Xi, Ran Lin, and Han Ze were left in Wang Xi’s room.

Wang Xi wore a Bohemian-style beach vacation dress today, elegant and romantic, softening her usually sharp and efficient demeanor into that of a pretty, petite woman.

Ran Lin quite liked this version of Wang Xi, approachable and neighborly, almost making one forget her usual oppressive aura.

However, as soon as she spoke, she was back to being the straightforward agent, focusing on the essentials. “The production team wanted to capture your spontaneous reactions, so I had to keep it from you.”

“It’s not that you had to tell everything, but you could’ve given some hints,” Ran Lin said, still shaken. “When I opened the door, I thought I had time-traveled back to Dream Without Limits.”

“The chances of you seeing me as soon as you open the door in Dream Without Limits are also not high, right?” teased Han Ze, lifting his eyebrow playfully.

Ran Lin was surprised, as his impression of Han Ze was always of someone with a cold face, boasting an attitude of “I’m more famous than you.” Even in fleeting encounters at Dream Without Limits, Han Ze never spared him a glance. But now, communicating directly, Han Ze turned out to be unexpectedly natural and humorous.

“I was just joking with you. Don’t be angry,” Han Ze quickly explained, seeing Ran Lin not responding.

Wang Xi gave him a look. “Are you familiar enough with him to joke like that?”

Han Ze obediently raised his hand as if to acknowledge his mistake. “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Seeing the popular Han Ze so obediently managed by Wang Xi was quite a peculiar sight. The comforting feeling of “So I’m not the only one who’s timid” was incredibly healing.

“I’m not angry.” Ran Lin finally found a chance to speak, not wanting the agent and colleague to misunderstand. “It was just too unexpected, and I need some time to digest it.”

“There was no other way.” Wang Xi shrugged. “It was sudden, and Han Ze was just coming to save the day.”

Ran Lin’s heart skipped a beat, eager to know more but afraid of exposing any flaws to Wang Xi. After a long deliberation, he cautiously repeated her words with a questioning tone. “It was sudden?”

Wang Xi didn’t think much of it and casually explained, “Yes, it seems like it was only two days ago that there was an urgent leave request from the production team. The artist coordination team was in chaos, looking everywhere for someone to fill in. They contacted me yesterday, and Han Ze just happened to have wrapped up his drama shoot, so he flew over immediately. If it had been a day earlier, we wouldn’t have been able to make it.”

Ran Lin’s heart was already anxious when he heard about the emergency leave. He bravely waited until Wang Xi finished speaking, then immediately asked, “Did something happen with Lu Yiyao?”

Wang Xi looked at him strangely. “You’re not really a fan of his, are you? Look how worried you are.”

“We’ve recorded several episodes together.” Ran Lin forced a strained smile.

Wang Xi shrugged, not thinking much of it, treating her artist like a personified angel. “The artist coordination side hasn’t leaked any information, so I’m not clear on the details. But these sudden leaves are mostly due to unexpected events disrupting the schedule. There’s a small chance it’s due to the artist’s own reasons, like throwing a tantrum or acting like a diva.”

“I don’t think Lu Yiyao is the type to lose his temper.” Han Ze interjected casually, guessing, “It must be something urgent.”

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Are you that familiar with him?”

Han Ze spread his hands in a serious tone. “I don’t have to interact directly. I can observe from the sidelines.”

Wang Xi rolled her eyes angrily.

Han Ze, unfazed, shared a knowing look with Ran Lin, as if saying, “You understand my struggle.”

Ran Lin could clearly feel a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere between Wang Xi and Han Ze. Wang Xi was still the same, but Han Ze was measured in his approach, knowing when to be humble and when to joke, very accurately gauging the agent’s mood. This was a rapport formed from long-term cooperation, something Ran Lin envied but also knew couldn’t be rushed.

Returning Han Ze’s “I understand you” look of shared empathy, Ran Lin didn’t pry further. The conversation slowly shifted towards the senior Ran Lin sharing his experience on the show with his junior.

Han Ze listened intently, and Ran Lin spoke in detail, pointing out all potential pitfalls to Han Ze, not wanting him to be tormented into questioning his life choices. However, Ran Lin’s mind occasionally drifted, especially when thinking about Lu Yiyao, until Han Ze’s questions or reminders brought him back.

Fortunately, Han Ze and Wang Xi, fully focused on the next day’s recording, noticed nothing.

What exactly happened to Lu Yiyao? This question kept Ran Lin tossing and turning all night, leading to a sleepless night. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang brothers didn’t have such concerns; Xia Xinran directly called out to Lu Yiyao in the group chat, and later Gu Jie also chimed in, but until dawn, there was no response from Lu Yiyao.

The next morning, as the recording began, they finally got a reliable update—

“Lu Yiyao couldn’t join this episode’s recording due to health reasons, but his heart is with the Drifting Team,” the director said, unusually straightforward. “So he especially recorded a video to cheer everyone up…”

As the director stepped back, the big screen on the set showed Lu Yiyao’s face. The mobile-shot footage was a bit shaky, with a white wall in the background, and the person on screen looked a bit haggard, but his peach-blossom eyes still sparkled.

“Hello, my Drifting Team buddies. I’m sorry I can’t fight alongside you this time, but my spirit is with you! So don’t miss me too much. I’ll be back next episode… and welcome Han Ze to the Drifting Team. I’m sure you’ll love this mysterious journey, and I have high hopes for you winning the Curry First Love!”

The video was short, and before Ran Lin could react, it was over. The friends expressed their alternative concern through teasing comments like “Who would miss you” and “Don’t flatter yourself,” while the director announced the next task.

But Ran Lin’s thoughts were still on the video.

Lu Yiyao welcomed Han Ze, and Wang Xi said Han Ze was confirmed to fill in only yesterday, meaning the video was recorded after Han Ze’s confirmation. The director mentioned Lu Yiyao couldn’t come due to health reasons, so if he was able to record such a clip yesterday, did that mean his situation wasn’t too serious?

Ran Lin regretted not messaging Lu Yiyao yesterday. If he had known earlier, he would have sent a video invitation right away, no matter how abrupt.

……

Ever since the fourth episode aired, Lu Yiyao felt he was shrouded in bad luck.

First, his sister called to relay their mother’s imperial command. Then, his father called to issue a direct decree.

While he racked his brains to find two days to visit the two supreme elders in the east and west of the city, the investor of a script he was recently interested in specifically asked to meet him.

Usually, investors only care about returns unless they’re specifically funding a passion project. But occasionally, some dedicated investors like to oversee the main cast for the director, purely out of love for the arts. Not wanting to offend a potential investor, Lu Yiyao had to put his parents’ ultimatum on hold and squeezed the two days’ worth of schedule into one and a half days to meet with the investor.

The investor seemed quite satisfied with him. The dinner lasted from noon until evening, accompanied by the director, producer, and several others whose roles in the project Lu Yiyao couldn’t remember. He only recalled their constant flattery toward the investor.

The investor, immodestly, first critiqued the entire entertainment industry and then elaborated on industry development and major IPs, almost as if he could revolutionize the Chinese entertainment industry’s model right at the dinner table.

The investor’s money made him the boss, an unchanging truth. Compared to him, the director seemed more principled, offering compliments sparingly and insightfully, which pleased the investor and further affirmed his professional skills—although the two weren’t directly related.

Lu Yiyao, sitting next to the director, seized opportunities to discuss the script, sparking the director’s interest. The two hit it off, chatting enjoyably.

The meal lasted from afternoon until late at night. Exhausted, Lu Yiyao staggered into his nanny car and then passed out. Yao Hong, his manager, was nearly frightened to death and immediately directed the driver to the nearest hospital, where his assistant carried him into the emergency room.

The emergency doctor, a calm thirty-something, carefully examined the unconscious Lu Yiyao while asking Yao Hong about the circumstances and any medical history. Recognizing Lu Yiyao and considering the recent schedule reported by Yao Hong, the doctor preliminarily diagnosed overexertion and lack of sleep but insisted on close observation until he woke up.

Thus, Lu Yiyao was hospitalized, unconscious. He woke up the next day, and Yao Hong had already requested leave from the program on his behalf.

Apart from exhaustion and lack of sleep, Lu Yiyao also had a fever. He thought he could recover in two days for the three-day shoot, but Yao Hong sternly refused, leaving no room for discussion. Lu Yiyao didn’t insist, acknowledging he had indeed been overworking.

Lu Yiyao spent three days in the hospital and was discharged on the third night. As Ran Lin guessed, the video was recorded the day before the shoot in the hospital, deliberately in front of a plain white wall to avoid revealing the hospital setting.

During his three-day complete break, Yao Hong forbade him from all forms of entertainment, including his phone. According to her, his sudden phone addiction was one of the reasons for his collapse. Lu Yiyao had no choice but to obey.

He didn’t touch his phone again until the night he was discharged. Yao Hong had rearranged his recent schedule, postponing what could be and spacing out the rest to ensure he had ample rest. She also arranged for Li Tong to stay at his house, on call 24 hours a day, in case of any further health issues.

Li Tong knew many assistants who often complained about their jobs. Celebrities were difficult to serve, had big tempers, and were always busy, so assistants had to be submissive, attentive, and forget about having personal time.

Lu Yiyao was the first celebrity Li Tong worked for, and his experience was different from others. Except for the “busy” part, he hadn’t encountered the rest. If some celebrities treated their assistants like employers to nannies, or worse, like masters to servants, Lu Yiyao’s relationship with him was more like a corporate hierarchy—Lu Yiyao made requests, and Li Tong fulfilled them without any arrogance or subservience.

More importantly, Lu Yiyao cared about his personal space. Not just his assistant, even Yao Hong rarely entered his apartment, often waiting downstairs with the nanny car. Lu Yiyao usually came down quickly.

Other assistants might be used to their celebrities, but Li Tong always maintained a “gossip enthusiasm” towards Lu Yiyao. Hearing that he could “live together” with him, he was so excited that he didn’t even need Yao Hong to mention overtime pay; he happily packed his bags and followed.

Knowing Yao Hong was worried about him, Lu Yiyao hesitated but eventually relented, agreeing to have the assistant closely monitor him to ease his agent’s mind.

Yao Hong had her family, husband, and son to worry about. Balancing family and career wasn’t easy, and Lu Yiyao didn’t want to add to her troubles.

Thus, on the night the first day of filming for “National First Love Drifting Story” ended, Lu Yiyao left the hospital and went home with his assistant.

As the saying goes, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. His collapse and hospitalization, though unfortunate, loosened his otherwise relentless schedule, meaning he didn’t have to worry about finding time to visit the two supreme elders.

Dealing with his mother and sister was easy; if he really couldn’t visit, a soft apology or a little fib over the phone would suffice, as women tend to be soft-hearted. But defying his father was another matter—no, Lu Yiyao admitted he didn’t dare.

Therefore, he suspected that, besides physical exhaustion and lack of sleep, “psychological pressure” also contributed to his collapse.

“Lu Ge, your house is so big…” Li Tong, lacking grandiose words to express his feelings, simply stated his impression plainly.

Lu Yiyao smiled and gave his assistant a brief tour. “That’s the bathroom, this is the walk-in closet… Here’s the study. Next to it is my bedroom, and your guest room is over there…”

Li Tong followed Lu Yiyao around the apartment, feeling an urge to stay permanently.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can watch TV,” Lu Yiyao said, eager to wash off the hospital smell.

“Okay.” Li Tong nodded obediently. “Be careful, Lu Ge. Call me if you need anything.”

Lu Yiyao, amused but appreciative of his assistant’s sincere concern, replied, “I’ll be careful not to slip or bump into the bathtub.”

Mid-March in Beijing still carried the chill of late winter, but the apartment was comfortably warm and stable, neither too hot nor too cold.

Li Tong flipped through channels, finding nothing of interest, so he settled on watching <National First Love Drifting Story> on the streaming service, starting with the latest episode.

When Lu Yiyao came out of the shower, he saw Ran Lin on TV asking his on-screen self, “So you don’t like the world of Pooh, but this kind of experience?”

TV Lu Yiyao coughed lightly and said, “I like Pooh, and I also like this experience.”

“This kind of ride is common. You can find it in any children’s park. What exactly do you love about it?”

“Stability,” his TV self-replied, sounding full of pretense.

Li Tong, curled up on the sofa, chuckled to himself, unaware that Lu Yiyao was standing right behind him. When Lu Yiyao tried to make a comment, he too got absorbed in the show. He stood there for a long time until Li Tong, shifting his position, caught sight of him and nearly fell off the sofa in shock.

“You scared me to death, Lu Ge!” Li Tong exclaimed, clutching his chest.

“I got too absorbed.” Lu Yiyao apologized, walking around to sit at a distance from Li Tong.

Li Tong asked funnily, “You recorded the program but are still so absorbed in watching the replay?”

Lu Yiyao shook his head, still watching the screen. “It feels different watching it than recording it.”

Li Tong, having never recorded a show, couldn’t comment, but seeing Lu Yiyao enjoying himself, he sparked up his gossiping spirit. “Lu Ge, you seem to get along well with those stars. What are they like?”

Lu Yiyao suddenly asked, “Who’s your favorite among them?”

Li Tong, thinking it was a test from his boss, replied without hesitation, “Definitely you, Lu Ge!”

Lu Yiyao laughed, adding a condition. “Besides me.”

After some thought, Li Tong answered, “Gu Jie.”

Lu Yiyao was surprised. “Why?”

“He’s cool.” Li Tong’s eyes shone. “That physique, that presence—he’s the epitome of a real man!”

Lu Yiyao, inexplicably triggered, asked, “Do you like Iron Man?”

Li Tong, confused by the topic shift, pondered seriously. “I like the Hulk.”

“Lu Ge, you haven’t answered yet. What are they like?” Li Tong brought back his original question.

Lu Yiyao opened WeChat, smiling at the group chat. “They’re all pretty good.”

His vague answer left Li Tong unsatisfied, but he returned to watching TV. Lu Yiyao typed and deleted messages, finally changing “Do you miss me?” to “Good evening, buddies.”

When the group received Lu Yiyao’s message, Xia Xinran was applying a face mask, Gu Jie was lifting dumbbells, Zhang Bei Chen was browsing Weibo, and Ran Lin was reading <Beihai Tree>. Except for Gu Jie, everyone immediately checked the message.

Then, Xia Xinran burst out laughing:

Xia Xin Ran—[Good evening? Are you on an official visit or something?]

Just after he finished complaining, his “pig teammate” undermined him:

Ran Lin—[Good evening. 😊]

Xia Xinran was so speechless that even his face mask wrinkled.

Zhang Beichen—[How’s your health? Are you okay now?]

Alright, they’re all gentlemen, except for him, the mischievous youth.

Xia Xinran sighed, took off his mask, and joined the comfort brigade.

Xia Xinran—[You looked as pale as a ghost in the video. What’s actually going on with you?]

Lu Yiyao—[Lack of sleep.]

Xia Xinran—[……]

Zhang Beichen—[💦]

Ran Lin—[Have you caught up on sleep now?]

Lu Yiyao—[I’m full of energy. 😎]

Lu Yiyao—[How was the first day of filming? Was it fun?]

When Gu Jie got to his phone, this was the first thing he saw, almost bringing him to tears—

Gu Jie—[Can I refuse to answer that question…]

Xia Xinran—[Hahahaha]

Lu Yiyao—[?]

Zhang Beichen—[He got sick from eating too much durian today.]

Lu Yiyao—[A task?]

Gu Jie—[A game, one so insane you’d be thankful you weren’t there…]

Xia Xinran—[Hahahaha]

Gu Jie—[Keep laughing, and I’ll ask the director to swap Han Ze in for you tomorrow!]

Xia Xinran—[I was wrong. 💦]

Lu Yiyao raised an eyebrow. Han Ze had such capability that he could intimidate Xia Xinran, who was normally fearless?

As if he heard his thoughts—

Xia Xinran—[Lu Yiyao, you’re definitely coming back next episode, right? Han Ze is like a black hole in games. He was a special guest today, so we drew lots to decide which regular guest would play with him. Today it was Gu Jie, and we don’t know who it will be tomorrow. Now everyone’s scared to be in the same group as him. It’s every man for himself!]

Lu Yiyao laughed out loud.

But typing it out automatically muted the onomatopoeia—

Lu Yiyao—[Don’t worry. I’ll definitely be back next episode.]

It seemed the new guest’s chemistry wasn’t bad. The variety show didn’t lack all-rounders, but they love to play black holes. The sparkle effect would be crackling when edited later.

After chatting for a while, Lu Yiyao suddenly realized that from beginning to end, Ran Lin had only sent one message, asking if he had caught up on sleep, and then remained silent throughout, not knowing if he was busy with something else or still peeking at the screen.

The chat in the group was heating up, already reminiscing about the day’s thrilling events. Lu Yiyao couldn’t quite explain it, but his thoughts kept drifting, mostly to the silent Ran Lin.

He thought the other party would at least ask a few more questions about his health.

Although this “thought” had no scientific basis.

Finding it too abrupt to interrupt the group chat, Lu Yiyao simply switched out to find Ran Lin’s private chat—[Are you there?]

Ran Lin was certainly there.

From the moment Lu Yiyao sent the first WeChat message, Ran Lin hadn’t changed his posture, holding his phone the entire time.

Lu Yiyao casually attributed his absence to “lack of sleep”, but Ran Lin understood at a glance that it was due to overworking and excessive stress. This was a common situation in the entertainment industry, affecting both male and female artists.

However, from Lu Yiyao’s messages, it seemed he had recovered and wasn’t in any serious trouble.

So, Ran Lin relaxed and watched his friends chat animatedly, his smile turning into a silly grin.

His mood, which had been down all day, brightened with Lu Yiyao’s appearance.

He didn’t need to talk one-on-one with Lu Yiyao; just watching him interact with friends in the group was enough to make him happy.

Ran Lin was used to his mood lifting as easily as it had fallen, unable to control his feelings but trying his best not to reveal them.

Then Lu Yiyao knocked on his virtual door—[Are you there?]

Ran Lin didn’t want to reply, but his fingers betrayed him—[Yeah, here.]

[Why aren’t you talking in the group?]

[Applying a face mask.]

[On your hands too?]

[Yeah, hand mask.]

[……]

[Just finished it 🤭. How’s your rest going?]

[Very leisurely. Almost don’t feel like working again.]

[Your fans would cry.]

[My manager would beat me up first.]

[😆 But seriously, there’s never an end to schedules, but your body is your own.]

[Yeah, I’ve started adjusting.]

[That’s good.]

[Any spoilers for tomorrow’s task?]

[What do you think 💀?]

[Why do I feel like I dodged a bullet by not being there for the filming?]

[You’re overthinking. The director said the most exciting part is saved for the last episode. Can’t let you down.]

[Is that last part from the director or you?]

[[A polite and cute smile.jpg]]

[Can’t you find a corresponding emoticon. Always using text versions…]

[gif animation]

[Sorry, I shouldn’t have made such an unreasonable request.]

Lu Yiyao looked at the gif of a politely smiling, slightly eerie figure sent by Ran Lin, speechless.

While he was speechless, Ran Lin sent another message—[Are you outside?]

Lu Yiyao was startled, quickly replying—[At home. Why do you ask?]

[Oh, nothing, just asking.]

Lu Yiyao frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then understood—[Because I didn’t send any voice messages today?]

After a while, the other side replied—[Are you a mind-reading detective 💦?]

Lu Yiyao smiled proudly, glanced at his assistant nearby, and then replied to his friend—[My assistant is also at my place, monitoring my health 24/7 for the next few days.]

[Yeah, these days, it’s still important to pay more attention to your health.]

Ran Lin clicked send, then pondered perplexedly—What’s the inevitable connection between having the assistant at home and not sending voice messages? They weren’t discussing anything secretive, were they?

Equally baffled was Li Tong—Lu Yiyao was just chatting with his co-stars in a group chat. He had even heard Xia Xinran’s voice messages through the speaker, so why did he suddenly start glancing at him suspiciously from time to time?

Li Tong had no interest in gossip about friendships between male stars. Was Lu Ge being too cautious?

Finally, after chatting with Ran Lin and catching the tail end of the heated discussion in the group, Lu Yiyao contributed a few words here and there. As it was getting late, everyone gradually dispersed.

Lu Yiyao felt satisfied and began to look forward to the last episode’s filming.

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