Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 64

Ding Kai didn’t really persist in bothering him. After discussing ideals, there was no more response from the other end.

Ran Lin wasn’t sure if he was either too embarrassed to continue the pointless conversation or truly took the pep talk to heart and decided to reflect on it, or perhaps he didn’t think much of the whole thing and forgot about it once he got distracted with more important matters.

Whichever it was, Ran Lin was relieved.

Different people are nourished by the same world; some, like Ding Kai, would hide deep meanings in every word, expecting others to decipher, while others, like Lu Yiyao, are straightforward, making sure you understand them, even providing translations and notes.

People like Ding Kai are common because they make things comfortable for themselves and troublesome for others.

People like Lu Yiyao are rare because they do the opposite.

Finally, feeling at ease typing in the chat box of “Teacher from Sanya”, Ran Lin tapped away, feeling the small sapling of pride growing in his heart. By the time he finished his sentences, the sapling had turned into a towering tree, with each leaf bearing a little Ran Lin standing proudly with hands on hips—not everyone could see how good Lu Yiyao was, but he not only discovered it but also pocketed it for himself. He was immensely proud.

[<Mint Green> didn’t go through. They changed actors at the last minute, but it’s okay. Xi Jie recently received a lot of scripts. I can pick another one 😎.]

……

While Ran Lin was matching wits with Ding Kai, Lu Yiyao was having afternoon tea with Huo Yuntao.

Today was the only free day before he joined the film crew, but he still had a fashion party to attend in the evening, so he could only meet with Huo Yuntao until four in the afternoon.

Huo Yuntao, an old friend, was used to his hectic schedule and just squeezing in time to meet, so after a phone call, they met at a tearoom, and naturally, his hotel checkout was handled after he left.

Huo Yuntao, when serious, was both capable and considerate, and Lu Yiyao always wished that side of him would last forever.

Huo Yuntao had chosen a private British tearoom called “L.T.” The owner was a Norwegian friend he had met in the UK—an international friend who was fascinated by Chinese culture and loved British tea culture. He had a lofty ideal—to bring authentic British afternoon tea to the feet of the Eastern dragon.

Huo Yuntao had always been supportive and approving of such unique ideals, and with his help, his friend really did come to Beijing and opened this tearoom. The place wasn’t big, but it was exquisitely decorated with a full British flair. After overcoming initial challenges, it now operates well. While not making a fortune, the owner didn’t aim for that and found joy in his pursuit.

It was quiet, private, and familiar, which was why Huo Yuntao chose it.

Moreover, although located in Beijing, the tea room’s clientele was mostly foreigners, with few knowing who Lu Yiyao was. The tea room’s semi-enclosed and semi-open layout felt more like a living room with a homey atmosphere than a restaurant. Each table was semi-privately arranged with bookcases, green plants, and other decorations. There were even two completely private rooms, ensuring minimal disturbance among customers as long as they didn’t make too much noise.

Like now, they were in one of the private rooms. Two single sofas on a vintage-patterned carpet, a low table in between, and a delicate three-tiered afternoon tea tray filled with an assortment of savory to sweet snacks in the traditional order. The typical eating sequence is savory before sweet, but when Huo Yuntao and Lu Yiyao were together, it became sweet for Huo and savory for Lu.

No one remembered how this habit started or discussed it; it was as natural as having the sun in the day and the moon at night.

So when the snacks were served, Huo Yuntao directly went for the sweet scones on the second tier, while Lu Yiyao naturally took a ham sandwich from the bottom layer.

Huo Yuntao, noticing his friend’s quick consumption of the sandwich, realized after the fact. “Didn’t you have lunch?”

Lu Yiyao took a sip of hot tea, finally feeling comfortable. “I came over right after your call. No time for lunch.”

“What were you doing all morning? Don’t tell me you were on the phone with your agent the whole time.” Huo Yuntao had called Lu Yiyao twice; the first was in the morning around nine to check up on last night’s developments, but they were interrupted when Lu Yiyao had to take a call from his agent. Huo Yuntao was busy with other things until Lu Yiyao called back, saying he was ready to leave, which was almost noon. He had thought Lu Yiyao would have eaten by then, so they directly arranged for afternoon tea.

His friend’s question was casual, not sharp.

But Lu Yiyao, feeling guilty, got defensive—how could he admit he’d been wallowing in sorrow about “the meat flying away from his mouth” all morning?

“Uh… yeah, Hong Jie was discussing work with me. I couldn’t just not listen.” Lu Yiyao looked forthright and grabbed another small piece of cheese sandwich to nibble on.

Huo Yuntao scrutinized his old friend with a skeptical gaze, sensing something off but couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, attributing it to the usual shyness of first-time experiences.

To be considerate, Huo Yuntao didn’t pry further and changed the topic to something more straightforward. “Wasn’t the <Mint Candy> contract supposed to be signed this morning? How did it go?”

“…” Lu Yiyao noticed that those who like sweets tend to see everything as sweet. “It’s <Mint Green>, and I don’t know how it went. He hasn’t told me yet.”

“If he hasn’t told you, just ask,” Huo Yuntao said matter-of-factly. “It’s the afternoon already. The signing must be done.”

“No need.” Lu Yiyao lifted his teacup and took a sip with a face full of proud confidence. “He’ll tell me when there’s a result.”

Huo Yuntao was mid-chew on his pastry when he got a face full of unexpected show of affection. Continuing to eat, the pastry started to taste off, almost like dog food*.

*Clarity: It’s a metaphor for when couples show affection in front of someone who is witnessing it all, so the witness feels like they are being fed “dog food”.

Lu Yiyao’s phone vibrated on the low table, the sound transmitting from the phone to the wooden surface, creating a dense, muted rumbling. The screen lit up; from Huo Yuntao’s angle, it seemed like a message, but before he could see clearly, Lu Yiyao had already picked up the phone to check.

Quickly, the old friend’s face darkened, his thumb typing rapidly.

Huo Yuntao knew something was up just by looking and patiently waited until Lu Yiyao finished sending the message before asking, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yiyao looked up from his phone, his brows furrowed. “<Mint Green> didn’t get signed. They went with someone else.”

Huo Yuntao’s brows also furrowed. “Who did they change to?”

Lu Yiyao shook his head. “He didn’t say. I’ve asked.”

Huo Yuntao was speechless. “Then why text? Just send a voice message.”

Lu Yiyao sighed, saying softly, “Voice messages also need to confirm if it’s convenient on their end first.”

Huo Yuntao had an epiphany but also felt a bit sorry for his friend—when being cautious becomes the first rule in all actions, any fun and happiness are diminished. Why choose such a path?

While lost in thought, Ran Lin’s voice invitation came through. Clearly Lu Yiyao had just confirmed it was convenient on his side.

Without avoiding Huo Yuntao, Lu Yiyao answered directly. Even in a private public setting, it was still a public place, so he used the earpiece, not speaker.

“Did they give a reason?” As soon as the call connected, Ran Lin mentioned the final decision of Zhang Beichen, so Lu Yiyao got straight to the point.

Huo Yuntao stuffed the last half of his pastry into his mouth, ears perked up to listen.

On the other end, Ran Lin laid it all out. “The financiers didn’t contact Wang Xi directly. They probably went through a middleman, saying after repeated viewing of the audition tapes, they still felt Zhang Beichen was more suitable.”

“That’s impossible. If that was the case, they would have told you it wasn’t final to begin with, not after they had already decided on you.” Lu Yiyao, without a second thought, refuted. “There must be some method they used, and it’s something they can’t disclose to you.”

After speaking, Lu Yiyao also felt frustrated, thinking of asking Yao Hong later if she could find out some inside information. While trying to make Ran Lin feel better, he changed the topic. “Don’t think too much about it. Whatever the real situation is, it doesn’t matter. Their loss for not using you. You’ll definitely get better scripts.”

Towards the end, Lu Yiyao suddenly felt a bitter taste in his heart.

<Sword of Fallen Flowers> was concluding tonight. No one knew how long the popularity would last. The longer Ran Lin’s next work was delayed, the higher the cost would be to make an impact, like if a new work was launched by the end of this year, maybe a score of 6 would be enough to continue the momentum, but if it was next year, the work would have to be an 8 or even 9 to reignite the passion viewers had during <Sword of Fallen Flowers>.

And such encouragement as “you’ll definitely do this or that” was nothing but hollow.

He wanted to give the best to Ran Lin, but when faced with difficulties, all he could offer were these insipid words.

“Let me finish.” The person on the phone, seemingly seizing the opportunity to speak, said irritably, “Wang Xi didn’t get the real reason, but I did. Ding Kai added me on WeChat and told me himself.”

Lu Yiyao, internally beating up a figment of himself, was stunned, involuntarily raising his voice. “He added you on WeChat?!”

Huo Yuntao was about to drink tea when he heard the sudden octave jump, startling him into scalding his mouth.

After a momentary lapse, Lu Yiyao calmed down, though his voice still held a biting edge. “What does he want?”

Ran Lin, fearing misunderstanding, simply sent the entire chat screenshot.

Lu Yiyao narrowed his eyes, reading from start to finish. His inner “God Lu Figurine” now transformed into a “Ding Kai Strawman”, with the little figurine kicking, punching, and gnawing at the strawman, enjoying every moment of vengeance, even plucking a few strands of hair when needed, until the strawman was beaten back into a pile of straw, finally calming his restless heart.

After sending the screenshot, Ran Lin waited anxiously. Although he was upright and unafraid, Ding Kai had a history, and if by any chance Lu Yiyao misunderstood that he had given Ding Kai some hint, causing the latter to approach him again…

“You shouldn’t have responded to him like that.”

After a long silence, Lu Yiyao’s voice came through the phone.

Ran Lin was stunned, his heart unwittingly lifting.

“You responded so well—what if he really falls for you.”

His heart fluttered with joy.

Ran Lin held back the corners of his lips that wanted to curl up. “Have you ever seen any sentimental man that starts off with ‘I want to sponsor you’ that can be swayed by one or two sentences?”

Lu Yiyao thought about it, and it seemed to make sense.

Clearing the scattered straw from his heart, finally feeling light and clear-headed, his thoughts also became orderly. “Has the contract been signed on their side?”

“Zhang Beichen?”

“Yeah.”

“Probably not yet. You see in the WeChat it was a last-minute change yesterday evening. They have to redo the contract and send it over to Zhang Beichen’s side. All of this takes time.”

“……”

“Wait.” Ran Lin heard something in Lu Yiyao’s tone. “Do you have a plan?”

Lu Yiyao indeed had a plan, but only in its initial stages, uncertain whether it would work, so he didn’t want to say too much to Ran Lin.

Yet Ran Lin seemed to glimpse his thoughts. “Whatever you plan, you need to tell me.” After a half-second pause, the voice on the phone softened, slightly coquettish, slightly affectionate. “Don’t let me be the last to know.”

Lu Yiyao was inevitably defeated.

“I want to explore what exactly they did on their end and who that so-called important friend is. The circle is only so big. If they can find someone, so can we. It’s just a matter of who has better connections…” Lu Yiyao spoke all in one breath, took a deep breath, and then softly said, “I want to help you snatch the role back.”

It wasn’t just “want”, it was “must”, but without full certainty, Lu Yiyao couldn’t say it like that.

But Ran Lin heard it. He had practically etched all of Lu Yiyao’s emotions and tones into his mind. Hearing the voice, he could feel the determination in the words, even if it was cloaked in gentleness and nonchalance.

“Mwah.”

A sudden, indistinct sound came through the earpiece.

Lu Yiyao, who had been frowning, expressed confusion. “Hmm?”

On the other end, Ran Lin muttered softly, “Kissing you.”

Suddenly, Lu Yiyao felt as if he could feel the warmth and softness of lips on his cheek, a pity that the peck was fleeting and left irresponsibly.

“No more,” declared Ran Lin who had just kissed, suddenly speaking up with a hint of cheerful resignation.

Lu Yiyao snapped out of the sweetness of the virtual kiss, his heart sinking slightly. “Afraid I can’t help you snatch the role back?”

“Of course not.” Ran Lin almost immediately denied, even sounding a bit indignant at the misunderstanding. “My Teacher Lu can pluck stars from the sky and catch dragons from the sea!”

Lu Yiyao chuckled. “I’m not that powerful…”

Huo Yuntao, who was half-understanding the conversation, didn’t understand why his old friend’s mood suddenly changed from gloomy to bright, from determined to sweet, and now this shy modesty was beyond him!

“I believe you can snatch it back for me, but I don’t want this role anymore, and I don’t want you to use methods you dislike for my sake.” Ran Lin had called Lu Yiyao just to inform him of the situation as soon as possible, but Lu Yiyao’s reaction had given him more courage. Courage wasn’t only about daring to strive but also about being able to give up gracefully. “I like that you have principles, righteousness, perseverance, and know what to do and what not to…”

“If you keep praising me, I really won’t be able to resist coming over and pouncing on you.”

Ran Lin instantly shut up, but his eyes and corners of his mouth curled up. After a quiet two seconds, he asked, “Are you going to ignore your schedule?”

Lu Yiyao replied righteously, “What’s that?”

The last bit of gloom in his heart dispersed. Ran Lin especially regretted not calling Lu Yiyao immediately after leaving the company; then he could have been cheerful an hour earlier. “Do you think, if I really got the role, Ding Kai would come to ‘chat’ with me every other day?”

“……” Lu Yiyao froze, having never considered this aspect, and now the thought was unbearable!

“So, I don’t want this role. When <Chronicles of Winter> was snatched away, you said <Sword of Fallen Flowers> would be a hit, and it was. Now you say I’ll encounter better scripts, so I definitely will. Who gave me this confidence? You.”

Lu Yiyao found himself utterly disarmed by Ran Lin. “Stealing my lines, have you paid the copyright fee?”

Ran Lin: “Mwah.”

Lu Yiyao: “Got any fresh ones?”

Ran Lin: “Mwah mwah.”

Well, that’s satisfactory.

Finally content, Lu Yiyao leaned back into the sofa, initially with a lingering smile on his face, which gradually faded to a thoughtful expression.

Seeing his old friend so serious, Huo Yuntao dared not disturb him, pressing down his curiosity, waiting for him to finish thinking, to take the initiative to speak.

But the wait turned into half an hour.

By the time Huo Yuntao had finished all the snacks on the tray, Lu Yiyao finally snapped back to reality, looking up at his friend seriously. “Lao Huo, this can’t go on.”

Huo Yuntao was startled, cautiously asking, “You’re not thinking about breaking up with him after just getting together, are you?”

Although he believed Lu Yiyao had invested more in the relationship, breaking up right after getting together seemed too cruel!

“I’m talking about career!” Lu Yiyao really wanted to open up Huo Yuntao’s head to see what dark image he had of him in his friend’s mind.

“Career?” Huo Yuntao leaned forward to hand Lu Yiyao his teacup. “Have a sip of tea. Take your time.”

Lu Yiyao held the cup but didn’t drink, his mind still on the life decisions he’d been pondering. “Being a celebrity is too restrictive. Countless eyes are watching you. Anything you want to do feels constrained.”

Huo Yuntao retorted, “Then what were you thinking when you entered the industry?”

Lu Yiyao shook his head lightly. “When I entered, I was alone, so it didn’t matter, but now I’m not alone anymore, and this profession has become troublesome.”

Huo Yuntao understood but didn’t agree. “Changing the direction of a career you’ve been fighting for because of love, isn’t that too rash?”

Lu Yiyao asked, “Do you remember why I chose this path in the first place?”

Huo Yuntao searched his memory and found it. “To go against your dad.”

Lu Yiyao smiled. “So…”

Huo Yuntao rolled his eyes and nodded. “You’ve always been rash.”

“But then again,” Huo Yuntao continued, “it’s also good if you leave the industry. Your dad’s and your mom’s big businesses can’t all be shouldered by your sister alone.”

“She likes doing business; she should be able to handle it.”

“…” Huo Yuntao was exasperated. “What are you implying?”

Finally, Lu Yiyao took a sip of tea, which had already gone lukewarm; its fragrance had slightly faded. After setting down the cup, he shared everything from the phone call with Huo Yuntao.

Having heard it all, Huo Yuntao understood his old friend’s thoughts. “You want to enter the entertainment industry?”

Lu Yiyao nodded slightly.

Huo Yuntao: “Just for Ran Lin?”

“Half and half,” Lu Yiyao confessed. “I’m also quite interested in figuring out this circle.”

Huo Yuntao, recalling the WeChat screenshots of Ran Lin and Ding Kai that his old friend showed him, felt complicated. “Ran Lin’s dream is to act, to act well. Your dream is because you like Ran Lin, and coincidentally, you’re somewhat interested in this circle, so you want to transition from being a celebrity to a businessman. If you wanted to go into business, why didn’t you do it earlier, like going directly to business school? By now, you might have already become ‘President Lu’.”

Lu Yiyao asked, “What’s your point?”

Huo Yuntao looked steadily at him. “I’m saying, Ran Lin’s dream has nothing to do with you. No matter who he’s with, it doesn’t affect his pursuit. How come when it comes to you, dreams and love are suddenly linked? Your career is your own; it shouldn’t be swayed or disturbed by anyone but yourself. If a man can easily give up or waver in his career for love, then I would despise him.”

“That makes sense.” Lu Yiyao nodded, conceding gracefully. “Lao Huo, I despise you.”

Huo Yuntao doubted he heard correctly. “Huh?”

“Didn’t you swear never to return to China, claiming your dream wasn’t to inherit the family business? Yet, once Lin Panxi said, ‘I won’t go abroad,’ you obediently came back.” Lu Yiyao felt his logic was sound. “So, listening to you, I despise you.”

Huo Yuntao: “……”

Suddenly losing his moral high ground, Young Master Huo felt extremely conflicted.

Lu Yiyao laughed, shrugging without pressing further. “Actually, so-called dreams are just things you want to do. It doesn’t matter if the ‘want’ originates from yourself or someone else, from struggle or love, from a sense of honor or happiness. As long as the final direction is ‘I want to do it,’ then you should go for it.”

“Lao Huo,” Lu Yiyao looked earnestly into his friend’s eyes, saying word by word with emphasis, “for the first time, I’ve found something I truly want to do.”

Huo Yuntao had nothing more to say.

Because from Lu Yiyao’s tone, he unexpectedly heard a hint of joy.

He thought this path would bring Lu Yiyao endless pressure, but unexpectedly, his old friend was joyfully cutting through the brambles, almost regretting not having ventured down this path earlier.

……

That evening, as the elegant Lu Yiyao was mingling at a reception, Ran Lin was sitting in front of the TV in his apartment, watching the grand finale of <Sword of Fallen Flowers>.

Unsurprisingly, the viewership soared to its highest point.

Halfway through the last episode, “Xu Chongfei Dies Blocking the Sword” started trending.

Although the wording wasn’t elegant enough. Many viewers suggested “Noble Sacrifice” as a better choice! But in reality, most tearful fans chose the most direct way to spoil the plot, reasoning that they shouldn’t be the only ones crying.

As Xu Chongfei died blocking a sword for Tang Jingyu, killed by Fang Xian, the original “Support Fang” and “Anti-Tang” factions gradually shifted stance, ultimately siding with “Support Tang”.

The reason was simple: Tang Jingyu’s final choice was “provoking Fang Xian to kill him”, meaning he was ready to die as atonement, but Fang Xian stubbornly went ahead and caused Xu Chongfei’s death. Compared side by side, the audience naturally redirected their affection toward Tang Jingyu.

However, when the show was two-thirds done and Fang Xian was alone in front of Xu Chongfei’s grave, drinking and reminiscing, the audience’s hearts softened again. The most shared post came from a big vlogger with a million followers. She was a usual joker, but today, she was just a quiet viewer—

[My heart of stone was softened by Fang Xian’s tears; Ran Lin’s crying scene is top-notch 😔.]

When they met again in the plum garden, looking at each other across the falling petals, silent and speechless, the discussion on Weibo completely exploded.

“Should Fang Xian forgive Tang Jingyu?” and the almost trademark “Fang Xian crying” trended throughout the night.

Ran Lin’s Weibo saw wave after wave of visitors, all expressing their views on Fang Xian with praises, criticisms, and tears. Those who praised generally became his Weibo followers, watching as his follower count neared 9 million. Critics were mostly fans of Tang Jingyu or Lu Yiyao, who, due to different perspectives, critiqued Fang Xian or him, dissecting everything from his dark past to the present.

Ran Lin was accustomed to being criticized; compared to before, he was practically blissful now. But seeing so many actual fans of Lu Yiyao, who clearly adored Lu Yiyao so much yet despised him to the point of wishing he’d disappear from the entertainment industry, was still quite upsetting.

Even though Ran Lin kept telling himself that they didn’t know about his relationship with Lu Yiyao, he couldn’t help feeling a subtle sense of “not being accepted by the other’s friends and family”.

A subtle sourness, a subtle sense of loss.

Ding-dong.

While browsing Weibo, a new message from Lu Yiyao popped up on WeChat—[Repost my Weibo.]

Ran Lin was puzzled; instead of refreshing the homepage, he clicked directly into Lu Yiyao’s Weibo via the comments section, where fans had tagged him. The latest post was from just a minute ago, with a picture of the three meeting in Liuma Town’s rundown temple from early in the series. The scene was cold at night, and the three only had one tattered blanket for warmth. The photo was full of comical warmth but also brotherly affection.

The text of the Weibo post read—[Good brothers, one blanket. @Ran Lin @Tang Xiaoyu]

In the photo, “Fang Xian” looked disgusted, but Ran Lin clearly remembered the secret joy he felt during the shooting, that sneaky delight of being close to his crush.

Ran Lin obediently reposted—[Fallen Flowers Iron Triangle 😆//@Lu Yiyao: Good brothers, one blanket. @Ran Lin @Tang Xiaoyu]

Half an hour later, the belated Tang Xiaoyu reposted—[Tang Xiaoyu: When three people walk together, there’s always a third wheel 🐕//@Ran Lin: Fallen Flowers Iron Triangle 😆 //@LuYiyao: Good brothers, one blanket. @Ran Lin @Tang Xiaoyu】

When Tang Xiaoyu’s repost appeared, the comments below were filled with “Stop looking at others. You’re the one!” chants.

Ran Lin found it all too amusing.

Before he could close his mouth, another new message came on WeChat, not from Lu Yiyao but Xia Xinran—[I watched the finale, the scriptwriter is a bastard! 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭]

Ran Lin checked the time; it was almost 10 PM. Xia Xinran should have finished work by now, but—[Aren’t you on set? Still have time to follow the series?]

Xia Xinran—[I just watched the last two episodes from yesterday and today’s finale, but I had my assistant narrate the content of the first thirty-seven episodes to me [😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭]

Xia Xinran—[I’m a die-hard fan of Xu Chongfei. You’re too cruel!!]

Ran Lin wanted to offer comfort, but his fingers typed rebelliously—[It ended at 8:30, and you’re coming to me now. It’s expired!]

Xia Xinran—[I only got back at 9 and watched the replay on TV!]

Ran Lin—[…Okay. 🤗]

Xia Xinran—[Are you two being lovey-dovey together again?]

Ran Lin—[?]

Xia Xinran—[Didn’t he just post a Weibo to take the bullets for you?]

Ran Lin—[We’re not together. He has an event tonight.]

Xia Xinran—[Then he must have been scrolling through your Weibo comments, or else he wouldn’t have just posted that one tweet.]

Ran Lin:—[ 👉👈 ]

Xia Xinran:—[You guessed it already, right!]

Ran Lin—[Wait, how do you know there are God Lu’s fans coming to scold in my Weibo comments?]

Xia Xinran—[By the way, Gu Jie hasn’t popped up in the group for a long time.]

Ran Lin—[……]

Xia Xinran—[Okay, I actually just wanted to see if there was anyone else defending Xu Chongfei like me…]

Ran Lin—[How free are you!]

Xia Xinran—[It shows how much I truly love your show!]

Xia Xinran—[By the way, next time we meet, teach me how to cry. Every time I try, the director cuts before the tears come out, saying my expression is too distorted nine times out of ten!]   

Ran Lin—[At least you passed once, pat pat.]

Xia Xinran—[No, the remaining one was ‘ferocious’.]

Ran Lin—[……]

Thinking about it, Ran Lin realized he’d never actually seen Xia Xinran shed tears on screen; at most his eyes would get red, already distressing enough.

But when it comes to crying beautifully, Ran Lin thought Lu Yiyao would be the authority.

While daydreaming, suddenly, WeChat notified Ran Lin that he was removed from the “Chen Sheng Wu Guang” group.

Ran Lin was baffled and sent a voice message directly to Xia Xinran. “What happened?”

After a while, the reply came, also in voice message. “I dissolved the group.”

Ran Lin was stunned, and before he could speak, Xia Xinran sent another message. “Anyway, no one has spoken in there for a long time, so I dissolved it. You, me, and Teacher Lu understand. Zhang Beichen must have an idea too, so he won’t be so foolish to come asking.”

Ran Lin: “Did you forget someone?”

Xia Xinran: “……”

……

Gu Jie had just attended the premiere of a movie. He hadn’t starred in it, but the lead actor was his friend, so he came to show support. For some reason, whether it was the organizer’s fault or something else, the entire event was a mess. Except for the peaceful hundred minutes of watching the film, everything else was chaotic. The start was rushed, the end was abrupt, his friend was surrounded by reporters, and Gu Jie had no chance to talk before leaving.

As soon as he met his waiting assistant outside, the assistant handed him his phone. “Gu Ge, you were kicked out of ‘Chen Sheng Wu Guang’.”

Gu Jie, a man without secrets, never set a password for his phone. Whenever he was busy with schedules, he’d leave his phone with his assistant, who would report first thing after the event about who had been in touch or what messages he received, filtering out the junk and saving Gu Jie a lot of time while noting down important things to plan and remind.

Moreover, his assistant, who had been with him since his debut, was tight-lipped and attentive, never giving his unlocked phone to anyone else or divulging any of Gu Jie’s privacy—though Gu Jie felt there was nothing to hide, standing upright and walking straight.

With his assistant, Gu Jie was as close as brothers.

“Kicked me out?” Gu Jie perplexedly took the phone. “Did they say anything before kicking?”

The assistant said, “Nothing before, but after you were kicked, Xia Xinran sent a message saying he dissolved the group. It’s not about you specifically, and he didn’t want to elaborate, saying you should realize it on your own.”

Gu Jie: “……”

After a whole night at the premiere without breaking a sweat, hearing his assistant relay Xia Xinran’s message made him sweat.

As he sat in the van, he kept studying the message over and over, eventually turning to ask his assistant, “What do you think the reason could be?”

The assistant cut straight to the point. “Gu Ge, do you think he really dissolved the group, or did he just kick you out and use dissolution as an excuse?”

“Definitely dissolved. Otherwise, he could have just made a new group of four, unnoticed, without having to kick me out and then explain.”

Assistant: “But you haven’t been active in the group lately either…”

Gu Jie: “Yeah, lately I’ve been attending events, working out, reading scripts, and you know I don’t like being glued to my phone all day.”

Assistant: “Did the group have a rule about being kicked out if you don’t speak for a few days?”

Gu Jie: “Shouldn’t… I don’t think so…”

Assistant: “Then there’s only one reason. The others in the group had a conflict, and relations can’t go back to how they were, so the group was dissolved.”

Gu Jie: “What kind of conflict can five straight guys have?”

Assistant: “…I can’t say. Why not realize it yourself, Gu Ge.”

Gu Jie hated guessing games his whole life. Why not just speak directly, or at worst, settle it with a fight, instead of these exhausting palace intrigues.

But Xia Xinran always did what he said, telling him to realize it himself meant unless Gu Jie figured it out, he’d be left in the dark. Such steadfast will, used in the most unreasonable places.

However, Gu Jie also knew Xia Xinran was sensible, not doing things without reason. Whatever he did, no matter how outlandish it seemed, there was always a cause. This group, formed during a show by Xia Xinran, now dissolved by him, formed because everyone got along, now dissolved, surely meant relationships went sour.

Sighing at the top spot in his WeChat list, where four groups used to be, and now one was missing, Gu Jie felt the absence keenly.

As the car sped through the night, the cool air from the AC made it slightly chilly inside. Gu Jie frowned in deep thought, finally giving up on guessing and opening Weibo to search for recent updates of his buddies.

The assistant watched Gu Jie determinedly searching, unsurprised.

Facing challenges head-on was their boss’ way. The more difficult the mountain, the more he wanted to climb; the tougher the bone, the more he wanted to chew. In front of the words “you go realize”, he could keep realizing until the end of time.

The first person Gu Jie searched for was Xia Xinran, but after a long search, he found nothing unusual. Xia Xinran had been quiet, busily shooting on set.

Considering that Lu Yiyao wasn’t very talkative in the group and didn’t seem close, Gu Jie felt it unlikely he was the problem. Xia Xinran had always been indifferent to him, while his attitude towards Zhang Beichen and Ran Lin was more apparent—dislike for the former, fondness for the latter.

Gu Jie always felt relationships should be natural, like who you like, no need to force it if you don’t. So he thought Xia Xinran’s attitude towards Zhang Beichen was just a simple mismatch of personalities. He wouldn’t alienate Zhang Beichen just because Xia Xinran did, nor would he take sides because of it. Everyone’s an adult, be true to yourself and clear of conscience.

But now, with the group gone and feeling it was “somewhat regrettable”, he wanted to find out the reason. He could be easygoing, but not clueless. Clearly, there was a problem, and he needed to understand it.

It was unlikely Ran Lin would conflict with anyone, so the most probable cause seemed to be a feud between Xia Xinran and Zhang Beichen.

With this in mind, Gu Jie switched the search bar from Xia Xinran to Zhang Beichen.

The first result was from a marketing account, clearly stirring things up—[Zhang Beichen rumored to star in <Mint Green>? Who is your ideal Li Yi? …[Read the full text]]

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