Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird

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

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Chapter 31

“Qi Yiren,” Jiang Yu interrupted her, deciding to salvage Yu Ruoyun’s increasingly precarious image in Qi Yiren’s mind. After all, he didn’t want to persuade Qi Yiren to convince Yu Ruoyun to seek treatment. “You’re really overthinking it. Yu Ruoyun is perfectly normal. He’s not ill. If anyone might get this kind of illness, it certainly wouldn’t be him. So many people love him. If anyone would be more likely to get it, it would be your former boss, Jiang Yu, who was always so paranoid. Having delusions would be completely normal for him.”

The truth wasn’t pleasant to hear, and sure enough, Qi Yiren got angry.

“Don’t put so much sugar in your coffee.” Jiang Yu saw Qi Yiren’s hand move and quickly took away the sugar dish. “You might as well drink syrup directly. Eating so much sugar, you’ll cry when you break out in pimples.”

Qi Yiren was stunned and looked at him.

Jiang Yu smiled. “This isn’t something Yu Ruoyun imagined. Once, you mixed up your cups, and Jiang Yu drank from yours, saying you were insulting coffee.”

Despite being told many times, Qi Yiren still couldn’t change. When she weighed herself, she would complain about gaining weight.

“Do you want me to keep going?” Jiang Yu asked. “For example, your boss caught a cold from you. You were bouncing back after a few days, but your boss had to get an IV drip, canceling several events.”

It seemed he didn’t need to say more. Qi Yiren had already listened. After mentioning a few more private matters known only to Jiang Yu and Qi Yiren, Jiang Yu concluded, “These things were all told to Yu Ruoyun by Jiang Yu. He tells Yu Ruoyun everything.”

‘If only this were true,’ Jiang Yu thought. If they really shared everything, telling each other everything, they would be an incredibly honest couple, advancing together in their careers…

Wake up, stop dreaming. It’s impossible even now.

“If they were really together, would he not trust me with that?” Qi Yiren believed it but asked another question, feeling hurt. “I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Jiang Yu was at a loss for words again, unsure how to comfort Qi Yiren. There were some things that couldn’t be said through Long Xingyu. For instance, at that time, Jiang Yu didn’t distrust her—he distrusted himself. He always felt that his relationship with Yu Ruoyun could collapse and disappear at any moment, and every moment was a lucky gain.

When he was still Jiang Yu, he once went to Thailand with a group of so-called friends. They dragged him to see a ladyboy show, watched elephants that were imprisoned and forced to perform, and even went to see a fortune-teller. His “friends” said the fortune-teller was very effective and could change his fate to win an award one day. Everyone laughed and agreed.

Initially, he wanted to refuse angrily, but suddenly thought of someone. He didn’t know what came over him, but he walked into the house, paid the fee, sat down, and looked at the mysterious fortune-teller shrouded in smoke, ready to ask a question.

“I have a friend,” Jiang Yu said. “I really want to get along with him, but it always seems difficult. We don’t even fight. It’s just me getting angry. I always feel like this relationship will eventually be reduced to nothing as I expend every little inch of it.”

This shouldn’t be asked to a fortune-teller. Asking someone like Ayawawa or Mi Meng* would be more appropriate. At least they might give a real answer for a fee.

*They’re famous columnists/talk show hosts, interviewers (ect.). 

So he decisively stopped and made a more mundane wish.

“I hope I can win an award,” Jiang Yu wished at the time. “I hope he, well, his life is pretty smooth. I hope he can get rid of me soon.”

Thinking back now, it all came true in a bizarre way. He received a very prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, and Yu Ruoyun finally got rid of Jiang Yu, only to be entangled with someone named Long Xingyu a year later.

What kind of sinister fortune-teller was this? They should be arrested and punished.

“Are you really willing?” Qi Yiren’s voice pulled Jiang Yu out of his memories. “If they were really together, he might never forget Jiang Yu.”

Her suspicion arose because Yu Ruoyun had never given her any proof. To Yu Ruoyun, it was already an established fact and didn’t need to be shown. But now, with Long Xingyu recounting those trivial matters, she was genuinely confused.

“Being with you every day, he starts to recall things about Jiang Yu, repeating what Jiang Yu said to you. Then what is your significance to him?” Qi Yiren persuaded, leading to the expected point of encouraging the young star in front of her to leave her boss.

Of course, he would never forget Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu was always lingering in front of him.

But that couldn’t be said. Jiang Yu cleared his throat. “I believe he will forget one day, and then his eyes will only have me.”

It sounded very confident, completely ignoring Qi Yiren’s pitying gaze.

“Don’t use your misguided goodwill and imagination on this.” Jiang Yu told Qi Yiren before leaving. “With this effort, you should think more about what to name the children you will have with your forever boyfriend.”

His tone was familiar, and coupled with that somewhat similar face, Qi Yiren was a bit confused about who was speaking. She thought, ‘This Long Xingyu is really trying hard to imitate Jiang Yu.’

Could this person really replace Jiang Yu? Originally, the answer was no, but suddenly, Qi Yiren’s firm heart wavered a bit.

……

Jiang Yu picked a weekday matinee to watch a movie, selecting a show where he was the only one, enjoying a private screening. Watching the same movie, his feelings were vastly different from Yu Ruoyun’s. As soon as the end credits rolled, he took out his phone and called Yu Ruoyun.

“You must be crazy to take this role.” Jiang Yu was almost angry. “Besides being the first lead, this movie is completely shared between you and some unknown Bo Yan. Your screen time is split evenly, and you’re still the secondary storyline! What double male lead? You’re just making a wedding dress for others*!”

*Metaphor describing someone who is working hard for the benefit of others but won’t reap the rewards of their labor.

Yu Ruoyun said, “But the script is very good. I was initially supposed to play Bo Yan’s role, but I felt it lacked challenge and chose the other one. Actually, the original story was better. I’ll bring it back for you to see.”

Jiang Yu was even more displeased. “I can’t see if it was well shot. It’s because it was well shot that you’re at a disadvantage! When people discuss it, some might think you were worse than Bo Yan because your role required more restraint. Are you stupid…”

Criticized by Jiang Yu, Yu Ruoyun said, “Do you think it’s not worth it for me?”

“I…” That one sentence stopped Jiang Yu. “It’s really not worth it for you.”

“It doesn’t have to be evaluated like that.” Yu Ruoyun still spoke gently. “In the entertainment industry, me, you, and everyone else will eventually turn into bubbles. But something must be left behind. These are much more important than the evaluations you mentioned. Like you said, I did a pretty good job.”

With the words said like this, Jiang Yu could only sigh. “You did great.”

This was a fact he always acknowledged. Just like when Yu Ruoyun told him, it wasn’t about pretending to be a perfect person for him; it wasn’t like that. Yu Ruoyun had always been a good person.

Jiang Yu wasn’t in love with a good person, not at all. He just loved Yu Ruoyun.

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