Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird

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

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Chapter 29

Jiang Yu endured the most agonizing few hours of his life.

It turns out that living like a gigolo wasn’t as easy as it seems, he thought, having been reduced to a small-time actor kept by Yu Ruoyun, who unabashedly admitted to his face that he was just using him as a substitute.

It made Yu Ruoyun sound like a real scumbag.

But Yu Qiwen refused to stay, saying that his current batch of students was graduating, and he had to rush back for their graduation ceremony. He mentioned that he came by just to check on Yu Ruoyun and that his plane ticket was already booked. Yu Ruoyun suddenly became enthusiastic. “Let me give you a ride.”

He changed his clothes, grabbed his car keys, and went downstairs with Yu Qiwen. As expected, Yu Qiwen’s temper was still short. Standing by the elevator, he saw that Yu Ruoyun hadn’t caught up and started urging him again, saying he’d hold Yu Ruoyun accountable if he missed his flight.

But Yu Ruoyun wasn’t in a hurry at all. Once dressed, he walked over to Jiang Yu, looking down at him. “You went out while I was still sleeping.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Yu said. “I went to the company. We had a teacher come over this morning.”

“Are you free now?” Yu Ruoyun asked again.

“Yes, I’m free now.”

“Then don’t wander around.” Yu Ruoyun pressed his forehead against Jiang Yu’s.

“I’ll take a taxi myself.” Yu Qiwen called out from the door.

Yu Ruoyun straightened up and walked out.

“Last night, I went to see your new movie,” Yu Qiwen said suddenly as they got into the car. “It was pretty good.”

Yu Ruoyun paused, then realized he was referring to the movie “Dark Fire” that premiered yesterday. After several delays, it was finally released. It was filmed a few years ago, so it wasn’t really new. Yu Ruoyun had been busy filming and hadn’t seen the final cut.

According to the original schedule, he was supposed to fly back today and start promoting the movie in various cities’ theaters tomorrow.

“But the box office might not do well,” Yu Ruoyun said. The biggest selling point of the movie was him, but hearing his father’s comment, maybe it would have good word of mouth.

Yu Qiwen, sitting in the back seat, watched Yu Ruoyun for a while before sighing. “You always have your own ideas, and no amount of advice or scolding can change that. But I hope you live a more comfortable life.”

“I know,” Yu Ruoyun said. “I’ll be fine.”

At the terminal, Yu Qiwen got out of the car, but Yu Ruoyun didn’t leave immediately. He rolled down the window. “Great professor, with your credentials in the Hundred Talents Plan and being a Changjiang Scholar^*, as a law professor, you must know some police officers, right?”

^*A prestigious fellowship program established by the Ministry of Education in China to elevate the academic status of Chinese universities and revitalize higher education in China. It aims to attract and support outstanding scholars who have made significant contributions to their respective fields.

Yu Qiwen had already taken a few steps away. Hearing Yu Ruoyun’s question, he stopped. After considering his words, he stared at Yu Ruoyun, trying to understand his thoughts.

“It’s the Thousand Talents Plan*. How did I end up with such an illiterate son?” Yu Qiwen muttered.

*Technically, it was called the Hundred Talents Plan, but they have given over a thousand awards so far, so it has become the Thousand Talents Plan. It’s a program by the central government of China to recruit experts in science and technology from abroad, principally but not exclusively from overseas Chinese communities.

……

Jiang Yu didn’t have to wait long for Yu Ruoyun to return. Yu Ruoyun asked him, “What did you do today?”

Jiang Yu answered honestly. “I asked the teacher if my dance practice method was wrong because my waist seems to hurt more.”

Remembering last night, he scrambled to explain, “It started hurting a few days ago.”

Yu Ruoyun’s hand slid to Jiang Yu’s lower back. “Here?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Yu said. “Actually, it’s pretty good. I have fewer problems than before.”

“If you keep pushing yourself, it might not stay that way,” Yu Ruoyun said. “Or there could be another way.”

Jiang Yu looked at him in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

“Go back to school.” Yu Ruoyun’s unexpected answer came. “With the excuse of studying, the company can’t say anything, and you can avoid many unnecessary activities.”

“What?” Jiang Yu frowned. “Are you kidding?”

“Do you still want to act?” Yu Ruoyun asked.

Of course, he did.

“I checked, and Long Xingyu’s student status is still preserved,” Yu Ruoyun continued. “His family handled it. He wasn’t expelled, so he still has a chance to go back and study. And his parents care about him, even though he left home to pursue his dream and hasn’t contacted them since.”

Jiang Yu was momentarily speechless.

He hadn’t received any calls from Long Xingyu’s parents and hadn’t tried to contact them. He didn’t know how to pretend. From Long Xingyu’s diary, it seemed he had cut ties with his parents. Only Yu Ruoyun remembered this matter.

“And,” Yu Ruoyun said, amused by Jiang Yu’s stunned expression, reaching out to pinch his face, “Long Xingyu has gained some fame, but there’s been no exposure of his family, indicating that they don’t want to tarnish his reputation. But continuing like this won’t work.”

Jiang Yu understood.

The entertainment industry was a massive sample pool, with everyone observing through a magnifying glass. To survive, one had to expose everything, even if it was fake. A mysterious route might work, but he wasn’t like that. He couldn’t keep avoiding it. If he became famous and his past was dug up, it would be even more embarrassing.

“I’ll give it a try,” Jiang Yu finally said.

Ironically, he had done this before, with years of experience. He wondered if it would work now.

“How did you do it before?” Yu Ruoyun clearly remembered.

“Just play the victim,” Jiang Yu said. “At first, she seemed unreasonable, only thinking about herself. One day in the rental, I watched an interview with a director who said that those who never forgive their parents haven’t grown up. Maturity comes when you realize ‘she’s also pitiful.’ Once you understand, you no longer need to be tough in front of her. Once you have a dream, you understand why she became like that for not realizing hers.”

Jiang Yu’s mother eventually divorced his father and raised him alone, spending every weekend running around, afraid of losing control over Jiang Yu. So Jiang Yu chose to go back, to comfort her fears, and then slipped away like sand through her fingers.

“She’s doing well now,” Yu Ruoyun said. “Sometimes she messages me. She joined a senior choir recently and told me she dreamt of Jiang Yu the other day.”

“Have you dreamt of me?” Jiang Yu asked.

“No,” Yu Ruoyun said. “Not even once.”

‘It’s better not to dream,’ Yu Ruoyun thought. He didn’t want to see Jiang Yu in dreams because waking up would mean facing the emptiness and the reality of Jiang Yu’s death again.

Jiang Yu didn’t say anything more or ask Yu Ruoyun again. When he said he would try, he meant it. He walked to the side to make the call, speaking in a low voice.

“How did it go?” Yu Ruoyun asked when Jiang Yu returned after hanging up.

Jiang Yu seemed bewildered. “I don’t know… It started with yelling, then she was crying. I didn’t dare say much, feeling like a thief.”

“Well, you kind of are,” Yu Ruoyun said.

“……” Jiang Yu realized something was different. “I never noticed you were so…”

So annoying. He realized this when Yu Ruoyun spoke to his father earlier.

“I told you, I’m not a good person. My father always worried I’d go astray,” Yu Ruoyun said. “Especially before I was an adult. When I shot my first film, I forged the notification, telling him I was going for a training camp for a competition. He gave me money for living expenses, thinking it was for the competition. I did participate in the competition and won. The crew needed parental consent, and I found someone to forge the signature. It was almost foolproof. But unexpectedly, I won an award.”

“He wondered what I’d do for fame if I entered the entertainment industry when I’d already lied to him just to act in a film. He told me to have my fun and then return to school, to forget about it. I called Director Wu, saying I couldn’t see him again. He got anxious and came to my house daily, pleading with my father.”

“I’m very selfish. Whether I steal or rob, it’s you who’s bearing the responsibility and managing all relationships,” Yu Ruoyun said. “That’s your concern. The only thing I have to do is to make sure that you’ll never leave again. If you dare, I might really break the law to dig you out of hell.”

He was serious.

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The author has something to say:

More facets of Yu’s character will unfold, but don’t worry. He’s genuinely a good person.

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