Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 34

The eighth episode of <National First Love Drifting Story> was delayed by a week and only aired on April 11^th.

By then, Lu Yiyao’s workload had returned to normal. Although there were no more back-to-back schedules, his agenda was still fully booked. By the time he remembered to watch the grand finale of the show, it was already after the Labor Day holiday.

That day, a spring rain had just ended, injecting a touch of coolness into the continuously rising temperatures. Beijing rarely saw a blue sky, and the leaves on the trees lining the streets were washed a bright, verdant green, swaying gently in the lazy sunlight.

Lu Yiyao opened all the windows of his apartment, letting the cross breeze blow through, clearing away the haze of the entire winter, and making his mood feel refreshed and clear.

If one were to remove the sandstorms and the lingering chill, only considering the gentle rain and the refreshing air as the standard for spring, then Beijing’s spring always arrives late and leaves early, heartbreakingly brief.

Fortunately, Lu Yiyao was able to steal a moment of leisure in this fleeting season.

“The biggest feeling from the whole season is that the interaction between people is a very wonderful thing…”

On the TV screen in the living room, Lu Yiyao sat talking, apparently facing the director, but the camera only showed Lu Yiyao and the program’s logo backdrop behind him.

On the screen was Lu Yiyao from a month and a half ago, and on the sofa outside the screen was the present Lu Yiyao.

Perhaps because he had been cooped up in the media room lately, watching the program in the afternoon sunlight felt quite nice.

“One sentence for each person… Xia Xinran is like a little sun, always burning brightly, enjoying himself and warming others; Zhang Beichen, youthful and vibrant, I think he’s the most like a campus first love among us; Gu Jie, a tough guy, it’s a pity this season didn’t have real-life CS or tactical-style games; otherwise, he would have been unbeatable; Ran Lin… He’s someone who makes you feel comfortable being around.”

The footage abruptly stopped, and the screen seamlessly switched to Xia Xinran—

“My biggest feeling is that I wish I could participate in more shows like this. We got to visit many places I usually wouldn’t go to and made good friends. It’s really hard to have such opportunities with our busy daily work schedules…”

Wait.

Lu Yiyao narrowed his eyes. If he remembered correctly, he praised Ran Lin more than just once. Even if they couldn’t use everything, at least they could have edited a highlight! Keeping only the first sentence was too simple and crude. He felt he spoke more expressively later, with many golden quotes…

“One sentence for each person. Uh, I have to think about it…”

The camera shifted to Ran Lin, who looked as serious as a graduate student in an interview.

Lu Yiyao unconsciously sat up straighter, perking up his ears.

“Gu Jie is always full of energy, making people feel motivated just by looking at him; Zhang Beichen is very gentle and accommodating, making it very easy to get along with him; Xia Xinran has the heart of a child… Lu Yiyao, um, he’s serious, responsible, and committed. He’s very sincere and open-hearted with friends… Yes, he gives off a sense of righteousness…”

Seemingly realizing his commentary was a bit odd, Ran Lin in the camera couldn’t help but chuckle.

In front of the TV, Lu Yiyao’s feelings were mixed.

Ran Lin was indeed praising him, and it was evident from his tone and demeanor, very earnestly.

But a sense of righteousness… Where did that impression come from? He’s not Justice Bao*!

*A Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Renzong in China’s Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao was known for his honesty and uprightness, with actions such as impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong’s favorite concubine and punishing powerful families.

As the program neared its end, it began flashing back to all the group photos from the journey.

Cycling in Guilin, watching pandas in Sichuan, building coconut leaf shelters in Sanya, playing in amusement parks in Shanghai, dune bashing in Dubai, modeling in France, encountering elephants in Thailand, witnessing the Northern Lights in Iceland…

The scrolling credits were filled with inspiring quotes, some of which touched Lu Yiyao’s heart—

They were adapting—

They were growing—

They were understanding each other—

They were accommodating each other—

They didn’t encounter another version of themselves in the world—

But these interesting companions with diverse characters—

Created a colorful world amidst laughter and tears…

“Should I ask about it on Weibo?” As the program ended and the TV returned to the on-demand interface, Lu Yiyao switched between WeChat and Weibo, undecided.

A month ago, he asked about a brand advertisement in his comment, but it sank without a trace, receiving no reply from Ran Lin.

Busy with work, he had almost forgotten about it, but watching the final episode just now brought back the memory.

It wasn’t a big deal, but for Lu Yiyao, it felt like an unresolved issue. So, whenever he thought about it, he would ponder for a few minutes.

“Li Tong…” Lu Yiyao called his assistant, who was packing in the guest room.

Today was the last day of Yao Hong’s 24-hour surveillance order. Given Lu Yiyao’s good performance over the past month, showing no signs of a second fainting incident, assistant Li Tong, the supervisor, could finally step down.

Hearing the call, the young assistant dashed out. “Lu Ge, what’s up?”

Lu Yiyao thought for a moment and asked, “If you were a star with a million fans, and another star left a comment on your Weibo, would you see it?”

Assistant Li was no stranger to playing the role of a social media celebrity. He confidently answered this hypothetical scenario. “You should be able to see it because usually fans will push the celebrity’s comment to the top, making it the hottest comment. So as long as they enter their own Weibo homepage and click on the comments under that post, they will see it at first glance.”

“What if they don’t enter their own Weibo but just check the latest messages directly on the app’s homepage?”

“Then all comments are sorted by update time indiscriminately, and yours would definitely be drowned in tens of thousands of other comments.”

“Makes sense. Alright, continue packing.”

“Okay, call me if you need anything, Lu Ge.”

Watching Li Tong disappear behind the guest room door, Lu Yiyao belatedly realized…

[Your comment would definitely be drowned in tens of thousands of other comments.]

Your comment?

How did the assistant know he was the one wanting to leave a comment? Couldn’t he be the one receiving the comment?

Ding-dong—

The intercom at the entrance suddenly rang, signaling a visitor waiting downstairs to be let into the building.

Lu Yiyao rarely had visitors at his home, except for Yao Hong.

But due to Lu Yiyao’s personal habits, Yao Hong rarely came over directly unless there was something important.

As he was wondering, Li Tong had already sprinted to the intercom. Without waiting to answer, he turned to Lu Yiyao and reported, “It’s Hong Jie.”

As expected.

Lu Yiyao felt reassured, and Li Tong had already answered the call and opened the door for Yao Hong.

Soon, there was a knock on the door. Li Tong, who was guarding the entrance, immediately opened it. Yao Hong nodded at him, changed into slippers, and entered the living room. Without even sitting down, she stated her purpose. “The cast list for <Sword of Fallen Flowers> has been drafted. I’ve brought it for you to see.”

Lu Yiyao looked at his agent, who had rushed over, a bit puzzled. “You could have just sent it to my phone. There was no need to make a special trip.”

Yao Hong didn’t respond but instead hurriedly took out the A4 paper with the provisional cast list from her bag and handed it to Lu Yiyao. “Just take a look.”

Lu Yiyao took the list, somewhat clueless. The first thing he saw was his own name, and below his name, playing the role of Fang Xian…

“Yu Dong? He’s playing Fang Xian?” Lu Yiyao was genuinely surprised this time, looking at Yao Hong as if to confirm the truth of this information.

Yu Dong was a few years older than him and had become famous quite early. He was now a solid movie actor and rarely filmed TV dramas, let alone a double male lead drama.

A double male lead, to put it nicely, has two protagonists, but where there is a main plot, there is inevitably a focus. Take <Sword of Fallen Flowers> as an example. The so-called double male lead means that the roles of Tang Jingyu and Fang Xian are roughly equal in status, with roughly equal screen time. But ultimately, the story revolves around Tang Jingyu, starting with the destruction of the Tang Clan, and ending with Tang Jingyu giving up on revenge and retiring from the martial world. From beginning to end, Tang Jingyu is the soul that drives the story forward. No matter how significant Fang Xian’s role is, the inherent “protagonist feel” of the story remains indelible.

Yu Dong being willing to share the “male lead” title with him and being the slightly lesser of the two double leads was incredible.

“There’s no need to overreact. If Chen Qizheng and Song Mang can come down from the big screen, so can Yu Dong. Filming movies isn’t as profitable as TV dramas. Wanting both prestige and real money, these movie-level TV dramas are truly rare.”

“But Yu Dong is more famous than me.”

“But his popularity isn’t as high as yours.”

Lu Yiyao had no reply.

In an era where ratings reign supreme, whoever brings in the viewership is the boss. It’s both very realistic and very harsh.

He understood this principle, but he was just a bit worried about the future cooperation.

He had dealt with Yu Dong a few times. Yu Dong was talented but proud. He didn’t seem like someone who would willingly share the double male lead role with him.

Lu Yiyao wasn’t overly committed to the art of acting, but he hoped for a harmonious relationship with his work partners.

Seeing Lu Yiyao’s thoughts drifting further away, Yao Hong sighed helplessly.

Yu Dong wasn’t the point.

“Forget about Yu Dong and look further down.” Finally losing patience, Yao Hong spoke to bring Lu Yiyao back from his daydreaming.

Below Fang Xian was Xu Chongfei.

And the actor for Xu Chongfei… Ran Lin?!

Lu Yiyao suddenly looked up, his eyes widening at Yao Hong, much larger than when he saw Yu Dong’s name.

Yao Hong was satisfied with his reaction, smiling faintly. “Surprised, aren’t you?”

Of course, he was surprised.

But in that shock… there was also a bit of happiness?

Yao Hong waited for her artist to express his opinion. Left waiting, she only saw a dumbfounded, surprised face and was speechless. “Why don’t you speak?”

Lu Yiyao blinked, coming back to his senses, and said with emotion, “This is really…”

Yao Hong waited with bated breath.

“…Life is full of unexpected encounters.”

Yao Hong almost choked.

Whether happy or disgusted, there should be a clear attitude. This kind of philosophical exclamation was just absurd.

“What do you really think?” Yao Hong stopped guessing and asked directly. “This is not the final list, which means, apart from Yu Dong, if you think anyone else is inappropriate, you can bring it up. There’s room for negotiation with the production team.”

Lu Yiyao froze at her words.

Yao Hong was asking him what he thought, and he wanted to ask the same question. “Hong Jie, what do you mean by that?”

Yao Hong calmly observed Lu Yiyao’s expression, and after a long while, she finally accepted the reality—her artist was genuinely asking, and he had no issue with the draft list.

No, he even hesitated about collaborating with Yu Dong in the future, but faced with Ran Lin’s name, he was as warm as spring.

Even someone as good-natured as Yao Hong wanted to crack open her artist’s head to see what was inside.

“We’ve always been straightforward with each other, and today is no exception.” Yao Hong sighed, trying to keep her tone gentle, like she was negotiating. “I think it’s best not to act with Ran Lin.”

Lu Yiyao’s expression turned serious. He pursed his lips and was silent, but his slightly furrowed brows indicated he was listening carefully.

Yao Hong continued, “Ran Lin previously used you for publicity and clout-chasing, there’s no doubt about that. Including his participation in the reality show later, wasn’t it also to continue the hype? Yes, the show later changed its style to brotherly love, and his team stopped the hype, but whether you and Ran Lin are marketed as CPs or good brothers, you’ve already appeared together too many times. If you work together on a TV drama, even if his team doesn’t intend to bind you, you two will inevitably be linked together in and out of the show. The production team, audience, and media will tie you together. For Ran Lin, being seen as friends or even an on-screen CP is great, but this type of audience perception doesn’t help your career much.”

Lu Yiyao pondered for a long while, then squinted slightly. “You mean Ran Lin wants to be in this drama because of me, just like the variety show?”

Yao Hong shook her head, objectively analyzing. “This kind of opportunity, even without you, he would definitely want. But with you, it’s even better. Who wouldn’t want more benefits?”

Lu Yiyao fell silent, lowering his gaze, deep in thought.

Yao Hong patiently waited, believing that Lu Yiyao would understand the pros and cons. A male-male CP is a double-edged sword. It attracts fans quickly, but the risk is high. If something goes wrong with one of them, the other has nowhere to turn. Given Lu Yiyao’s current resources and prospects for development, there was no need for him to wade into these murky waters.

The living room fell into a subtle silence.

Fortunately, the afternoon sun was bright enough, and the breeze continued to flutter the curtains, preventing the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.

Li Tong, originally planning to fetch water, sensed the serious tone of the conversation and wisely retreated into the guest room, continuing to struggle with his luggage.

After some time, Lu Yiyao finally looked up and said, “Hong Jie, I remember you saying that Director Chen is very strict about acting. Since he has chosen Ran Lin for the third male lead, it must be a recognition of Ran Lin’s acting skills rather than just the potential to generate hype with me as the lead.”

Yao Hong didn’t expect that, after so much thought, Lu Yiyao would end up defending Ran Lin, and she became a bit anxious. “If someone has good acting skills and can also create buzz, no director will refuse them. The objective situation is clear. You and Ran Lin are like two buckets of water at different levels. Your level is high, his is low. As long as there’s a connection between you, whether it’s in variety shows, dramas, or anything else, it will always be your water flowing towards him. Do you understand?”

“So, replacing him with someone else means they won’t ride on my popularity?” Lu Yiyao felt his agent was stuck in a logical fallacy. “Think about it, Hong Jie. Before I knew Ran Lin, did the actresses I worked with refrain from creating hype? According to your bucket theory, does it mean I can’t work with anyone who has less popularity than me?”

Yao Hong was speechless.

Lu Yiyao sighed lightly, trying to soften his tone, knowing Yao Hong meant well. He didn’t want her to feel like they were arguing, but he wanted to express his true thoughts. “Hong Jie, Ran Lin earned this role himself. Given his status, it must not have been easy for him to get this role. If I just dismiss it with one word, it’s not what friends do.”

Yao Hong looked at her artist, saying meaningfully, “If he considered you a friend, you wouldn’t have found out about his participation from the preliminary list.”

“Maybe he didn’t expect to pass the audition.” Lu Yiyao tried to find a reasonable explanation.

Yao Hong shook her head with a “you’re too naive” expression of resignation. “With Wang Xi’s capabilities, she would have gotten the preliminary list even earlier than us. If, as you say, Ran Lin was afraid of not passing the audition, now that it’s over, why hasn’t he informed you?”

“He has no obligation to inform me…” Lu Yiyao was still defending Ran Lin.

“But you said you’re friends.” Yao Hong felt like asking Ran Lin for the formula for a memory-erasing potion.

Lu Yiyao fell silent.

Just as Yao Hong thought he had finally seen reason, he suddenly shook his head gently.

It was light, slow, but firm.

“Hong Jie, if the production team and director reject Ran Lin for other reasons, I won’t interfere. But on my part, I won’t harm him. If you insist on telling the production team that I don’t want Ran Lin to play this role…” Lu Yiyao spoke slowly but forcefully. “I will really be angry.”

For the first time in her life, Yao Hong was threatened by her own artist.

And with the tactic of “I will be angry”, something a kindergarten child would use.

And yet, Yao Hong was swayed by it.

That’s why they say spoiling a child is a disease, and it’s incurable.

“Fine. I’ve said what I had to, whether it should be said or not. If you get taken advantage of again later, don’t complain.”

“Okay.” Lu Yiyao smiled. “I’ll just shake it off.”

Yao Hong rolled her eyes at him, wondering how much pleasure Lu Yiyao derived from persuading her, as now his eyes and eyebrows were full of joy.

Having reached this point, what more could Yao Hong say? She could only look ahead. “In at most half a month, the final script and contract will be sent to us.”

Lu Yiyao said, “Filming starts in September. Time is indeed tight.”

“No choice. I heard the investors have various modification suggestions. Song Mang is going crazy,” Yao Hong said. “But the location and start date are set, and all the actors’ schedules have been coordinated according to the shooting time. The investors probably have a sense of this, so they won’t be too unreasonable.”

Having moved past the issue with Ran Lin, Yao Hong and her artist’s conversation became more relaxed. But there wasn’t much left to talk about. After discussing various trivial matters, Yao Hong stood up to leave.

After seeing Yao Hong off, Lu Yiyao was far from calm.

Despite his assertive and clear stance while talking to Yao Hong, contemplating the matter of “Why didn’t Ran Lin inform him” was quite tormenting.

And the more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became, the more guilty he felt, the more chaotic his thoughts, the more his mind was filled with Yao Hong’s hypothetical “If he really considered you a friend.”

The most annoying thing in the world is ‘if’.

It gives you many answers but never marks the correct one.

Then just go and ask directly.

After sitting on the sofa in the living room and thinking for ten minutes, Lu Yiyao decided to adopt a straightforward approach.

Feeling inexplicably nervous, Lu Yiyao dialed Ran Lin’s number for the first time.

After a musical interlude, the call was answered on the other side.

“Hello.”

Ran Lin’s voice was polite and courteous, and maybe it was an illusion, but it sounded a bit… soft and mellow?

“Cough,” Lu Yiyao cleared his throat before saying. “Hello.”

There was a pause on the other end, then the question, “Who is this?”

Lu Yiyao was speechless, his budding brotherly feelings cooling down considerably. “You didn’t see the caller ID?”

After a few seconds of silence on the other end, the tone suddenly rose. “Lu Yiyao?!”

Lu Yiyao held his forehead. Why did the voice on the other end sound not so joyful but a little… scared?

“Why are you calling me?” Ran Lin, having confirmed the caller’s identity, finally spoke clearly. “I just ordered a meal. I thought it was the delivery.”

The fear was gone—Lu Yiyao was relieved.

The softness was gone too—Lu Yiyao felt a bit disappointed.

The meal delivery… Lu Yiyao endured.

“I’m calling to congratulate you.” Lu Yiyao didn’t beat around the bush. “<Sword of Fallen Flowers>.”

“How did you know I auditioned for this drama?” The voice on the other end of the phone was filled with surprise, seemingly genuine. “But it’s not certain yet. You know, the competition for this drama was fierce. Xi Jie said the chances were slim, and just getting familiar with the director and making an impression was good enough.”

Lu Yiyao frowned, feeling that something was off and not just one thing.

Ran Lin: “Hello?”

Lu Yiyao: “You didn’t know you passed the audition?”

Ran Lin: “… Really?!”

Lu Yiyao: “You didn’t know?”

Ran Lin: “Xi Jie didn’t tell me. Could it be that she hasn’t received the news yet?”

Lu Yiyao: “Impossible, the preliminary cast list is already out. If nothing goes wrong, you’ll be Xu Chongfei.”

Ran Lin: “I need to process this. The happiness came too suddenly… Wait, how did you know about my audition?”

Lu Yiyao: “The preliminary list would, of course, be sent to me as well.”

Ran Lin: “Why would it be sent to you?”

Lu Yiyao: “I need to know who my co-stars are.”

Ran Lin: “…”

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Then—

“You are the male lead in this drama?!”

Lu Yiyao sighed almost inaudibly. He had a feeling something was odd.

First, Ran Lin didn’t even know he had passed the audition.

Second, Ran Lin also didn’t know that he, Lu Yiyao, was the male lead of this drama.

Third, now the situation was awkward. What should he do?

“That’s great, we can act together!”

“…Yes, that’s what I called to tell you!”

Ran Lin must be an angel!

“What about Zhang Beichen? Did he make it?” The voice on the other end excitedly asked.

Lu Yiyao was confused. “Zhang Beichen?”

Ran Lin: “Yes, we auditioned on the same day. His role is Fang Xian. Did he pass?”

Lu Yiyao understood and said with a bit of regret, “On the preliminary list, Fang Xian is Yu Dong.”

There was silence on Ran Lin’s end.

Both understood that with Fang Xian being fixed as Yu Dong had nothing to do with the audition results. Yu Dong probably didn’t even audition, simply using his status to overshadow other contenders.

Regardless, getting the role of Xu Chongfei was an absolute joy for Ran Lin. He was too occupied to talk more with Lu Yiyao. “I have to call my agent right away. She’s also been waiting for the news. Can we talk later?”

Lu Yiyao wanted to say his agent probably already knew, but on second thought, this assumption was just something Yao Hong had mentioned without solid proof. If Ran Lin’s agent really knew, it made no sense for Ran Lin to be completely clueless.

“Hello?” Ran Lin sadly realized that Lu Yiyao’s wandering mind wasn’t limited to face-to-face interactions but also manifested during phone calls.

“Ah, okay, you go and contact your agent. See you later.”

After hanging up, Lu Yiyao spent a long time pondering why he had made the call and what he had said.

His mind had been blank since the end of the call.

The only thought left floating in the emptiness was—Ran Lin is poisonous, extremely poisonous.

Lu Yiyao, in his luxurious apartment, contemplated life, while Ran Lin, in his small apartment, was overjoyed.

A pie had fallen from the sky, landing right on his head. His happiness was indescribable.

“Xi Jie, I got the role of Xu Chongfei!” As soon as the call connected, Ran Lin couldn’t wait to share the news.

Wang Xi was startled, instinctively asking, “How did you know?”

Ran Lin, not thinking much of it, assumed Wang Xi had just received the news. With multiple sources confirming, the reality seemed more tangible. “So it’s true, I really passed?!”

“Yes.” Wang Xi went along, not wanting to explain why she hadn’t said anything, but she had to know where Ran Lin got his information. “Who told you?”

Caught up in sharing his joy, it wasn’t until then that Ran Lin’s heated brain started to cool down. But at this point, he could only tell the truth. “Well, Lu Yiyao.”

Wang Xi was shocked by the answer. “Lu Yiyao told you?!”

Ran Lin: “Yes, he just called.”

“What was his attitude?”

“He congratulated me.”

“…I congratulate you too.”

Wang Xi sat in her office chair, suddenly feeling the world was very surreal.

Was Lu Yiyao really just calling to congratulate him?

He should be. Otherwise, he could have secretly sabotaged Ran Lin without anyone knowing. Why bother calling to say all this?

But if he genuinely congratulated…

Then what had she been fretting over these past few days!

So while she was brainstorming ways to knock on doors and subtly probe Yao Hong for information, Ran Lin had already swiped his way in with the card handed to him by the homeowner!

“When did your relationship with Lu Yiyao get so good…”

“It’s not that great. We just got familiar while filming the variety show…” Ran Lin vaguely replied, quickly changing the subject. “Xi Jie, since you also have the list, do you know what’s going on with Yu Dong? Was he always the choice for Fang Xian?”

Wang Xi had heard a bit about this from her inside sources. She wasn’t too concerned about it, but since Ran Lin asked, she shared what she knew. “I heard Fang Xian was the hardest to decide, as the character has extreme psychological conflicts. From the beginning, investors and the director didn’t have a unified preference. After several auditions, although none completely satisfied the director, the general consensus leaned towards Zhang Beichen…”

“Then Yu Dong…”

“Came out of nowhere at the last minute. He didn’t audition, just directly replaced Zhang Beichen. Yu Dong’s acting is well-known, and his status is evident. He’s more than qualified for Tang Jingyu, let alone Fang Xian. Investors would be delighted.”

After finishing, Wang Xi sighed. “Fortunately, he set his sights on Fang Xian, not Xu Chongfei. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had a chance.”

Ran Lin was still feeling sorry for Zhang Beichen, not quite catching Wang Xi’s words.

Thinking Ran Lin was scared by her words, Wang Xi quickly added, “Of course, he wouldn’t compete with you for the third male lead. Double male lead is already his bottom line.”

The imagined difficulties never arose, and things went even smoother than expected. Wang Xi, pleasantly surprised, didn’t know what to say, leaving only advice to cherish the opportunity and study the role carefully.

But on these two matters, Ran Lin had already given his 101%.

What Wang Xi said afterward didn’t really sink in for Ran Lin, as he had begun to retrospectively reflect, after calming down, on whether he had been too enthusiastic on the phone with Lu Yiyao.

If he remembered correctly, he seemed to have said, “That’s great, we can act together!” and his tone was unmistakably excited… Where is your reserve?!

What should he do?

Would Lu Yiyao overthink it?

Would he think Ran Lin was again trying to ride on his popularity?

Or even, discover his secret feelings?!

The more Ran Lin thought about it, the crazier he felt, almost compelled to call back and explain that his excitement was purely due to passing the audition and had nothing to do with acting alongside Lu Yiyao… Yeah, Lu Yiyao would definitely think he was a patient.

But then again, he was genuinely happy.

Just thinking about passing the audition brought a sense of elation and clarity to his heart.

Thinking about acting with Lu Yiyao made his heart slowly contract and then ooze honey from its crevices.

On a whim, Ran Lin opened his WeChat Moments, found that comment he had deliberately ignored, and mischievously replied, a month later—Miya Men’s Shampoo, all-natural, silicone-free, refreshing anti-dandruff, bringing back your vibrant youth.

……

“Lu Ge, I’m leaving now.” Li Tong, pulling his suitcase, stood at the entrance, looking back three steps at a time. “Take care of yourself. Don’t always stay up late in the media room.”

“Got it.” Lu Yiyao responded with a smile, feeling like he was seeing a male version of Yao Hong.

Li Tong waved and left with his suitcase.

On the way back to his rental, Li Tong recalled his month-long cohabitation experience with Lu Yiyao, his gossip heart surging, but with no one to confide in. He took out his phone and drafted a venting private message to a certain “confession” Weibo account. But after writing it, he felt it revealed too much of his boss’s privacy. Plus, perhaps because he typed each word so carefully, by the time he finished, his urge to vent seemed to have subsided, so he deleted the long message word by word—

[Hi XX Confession. I’m an assistant to a celebrity, the kind who carries bags and runs errands. My boss is a very famous male celebrity. He’s a really nice person, never puts on airs, and treats us staff with respect. But, I really think he’s a bit abnormal. First, he hangs up his drama photos all over the house—ancient and modern, close-ups and long shots, half-body, full-body, front, side, backlit, against the light—you name it. I feel like the whole room is staring at me. Second, he likes listening to vinyl records. Yes, the kind that only appears in movies—feels so retro. Third, he didn’t use his phone much before, but recently he’s become obsessed with it, always pulling out his phone to check something, then mumbling to himself. It’s really weird. Honestly, I really like this job, and I like my boss too. A kind and approachable boss is really hard to come by these days, but the longer I work with him, the more I feel…]

At the same time, in Lu Yiyao’s apartment.

The freshly showered mainland star picked up his phone for his daily check and unexpectedly saw new information in his WeChat Moments!

[Miya Men’s Shampoo, all-natural, silicone-free, refreshing anti-dandruff, bringing back your vibrant youth.]

No matter how Lu Yiyao looked at it, the last part of the slogan seemed awkward, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the manufacturer or Ran Lin’s own creation.

There was a sense of “If you don’t use this shampoo, just wait to age” in the curse.

But receiving a reply from Ran Lin was still comforting.

Lifting his phone, the mainland star talked to himself as usual, facing his friend’s profile picture. “You should check your Moments more often. Once a month is too infrequent…”

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Kinky Thoughts:

Oh Yao Hong, if you pry open his brain to look inside, you’ll probably have a heart attack considering he’s about to get bent.

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