If he hadn’t discovered how hoarse his voice could get, Shen Jintai wouldn’t even notice how loud he was moaning this time around. Only now did he know that Yan Qiuchi had been considerate before and hadn’t used his full strength.
“I have to cover your mouth next time.” Yan Qiuchi hugged him as he rubbed the beads of sweat off his forehead.
Shen Jintai shivered and didn’t speak. When he thought about how he claimed to be a 1, he wanted to find a rock and hide under it. Fortunately, he kept his bottom line and still didn’t call him husband.
However, despite this, he would be in bed for most of today.
At noon, he called Xiao Tang, “Didn’t you say that you were going to send me a script for a new project today? Where did you go?”
Xiao Tang hurriedly replied, “I’ll be right there.”
“You made so many calls in the morning. Is something wrong?”
“President Yan’s alt has been exposed. I wanted to call you to tell you, but no one answered. Brother Jin, you have been sleeping for a long time today, hahahaha.” Xiao Tang smiled embarrassingly and continued, “Later, Sister Lan said that it’s not easy for you to find time to rest, so she told us to let you sleep more.”
Shen Jintai said, “Alt? What alt?”
“It’s on the Weibo hot search. I’m at home now, so I’ll come over shortly,” Xiao Tang said.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Jintai immediately logged onto Weibo and looked. He was surprised, as he didn’t even know that Yan Qiuchi had an alt account. What made him even more surprised was finding out about the watch.
That Patek Philippe watch given to him was from Yan Qiuchi?!
There were so many things he didn’t know!
Shen Jintai took a shower. He felt Yan Qiuchi had gone a bit overboard today, since he felt it inconvenient for him to walk. His waist was extremely sore, and his legs were soft. Thinking about all that energy Yan Qiuchi had that could swallow him made his heart hot again. He opened the window to let the wind in.
Spring was here, and the weather was just right. When Xiao Tang came in, he saw the wind blowing against the curtains, seemingly causing them to float in the air. He still felt embarrassed as he handed the script to Shen Jintai.
Shen Jintai acted as usual, and he couldn’t spot any abnormalities. After being with Yan Qiuchi for so long, he felt that there were traces of his characteristics that had rubbed off on Shen Jintai. No matter how turbulent the inside was, the outside was still light and lofty.
“Have a seat,” Shen Jintai said.
Xiao Tang sat down on a chair by the bed. The curtains were blowing against him, so he got up again to close part of the window. When he turned around, he saw Shen Jintai lying on the bed with his hips upturned, wearing very comfortable clothes. Xiao Tang’s heart moved slightly as he looked at Shen Jintai’s face. It looks as if Shen Jintai was reading the script seriously.
After the initial restlessness, Xiao Tang calmed down and said, “Sister Lan and them think that this script is good. It’s an ancient costume comedy drama aimed at families.”
During his last public appearance, some members of the media asked him if he had any other arrangements besides a variety show. Shen Jintai said he would love to make a comedy movie, and since then he had received endless scripts for them.
After Shen Jintai had finished reading the script, it was time for lunch. Since it wasn’t convenient for him to walk, he asked Xiao Tang to go buy something for him. As they were eating lunch, Yan Qiuchi had returned.
Seeing Yan Qiuchi, Xiao Tang’s embarrassment, which had dissipated, suddenly resurfaced. He stood up with a blushing face as he greeted him, “President Yan.”
Yan Qiuchi let out a “Nn” as he took off his coat. Underneath was a white shirt that was tightly wrapped around his body and was tucked into his pants. He was tall, and his waist looked thin and slender. He was wearing black suit pants and shiny gray leather shoes. The length of his pants was just right so that as he sat down, it revealed his ankles, which were wrapped in black socks.
Xiao Tang couldn’t really imagine how a person who is so cold and abstemious like Yan Qiuchi could make his Brother Jin like that. Despite the sound insulation of this kind of high-end hotel, which should be much better than that of an ordinary hotel, they could still vaguely hear their sounds from outside. It can be seen that…
He looked at Yan Qiuchi’s powerful legs, as well as his hands, which were faintly showing blue veins.
Shen Jintai waved his hand at him. “Xiao Tang, sit down and finish your lunch.”
After speaking, he turned his head and asked Yan Qiuchi, “Why are you back at this time?”
“Came back to see you. You’re not madly sending messages to scold me.” Yan Qiuchi gave him a smile.
Their eyes met, and only they understood. Shen Jintai’s face turned slightly hot as he turned away and asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
Yan Qiuchi said, “No.”
Xiao Tang immediately stood up. “I’ll go out and get it. What would you like to eat?”
“I’ll just make do with what’s here,” Yan Qiuchi said.
The food on the table was only half eaten. Shen Jintai had a bad habit when he ate. His eyes were usually bigger than his stomach, so eventually, there would be way too many dishes ordered that couldn’t all be finished in one sitting. Yan Qiuchi glanced at the food on the table and saw a plate of spicy crispy duck and a plate of dried broiled salted fish.
“Can you eat spicy food?” He turned his head and asked Shen Jintai, quite concerned.
Shen Jintai didn’t look at him; he lowered his head and said, “Yes.”
Yan Qiuchi was silent and just smiled.
Xiao Tang was under a lot of pressure. In normal times, this conversation wouldn’t mean much, and he wouldn’t think too deeply about it, as actors should avoid eating spicy food to prevent acne and whatnot, but now that he knew what he shouldn’t, the implications of their words were much more meaningful. He pursed his lips and took a sip of his soda, preparing to wait for the two of them to finish eating so he could clean up and leave.
“Did you know about the exposure of your alt account?” Shen Jintai asked.
Yan Qiuchi acknowledged it and then started talking about it. Xiao Tang said in surprise, “You specially prepared this alt?”
“You should know how cunning he is,” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi asked, “Have you seen it?”
Shen Jintai said, “After reading two posts, I can’t read it anymore.”
Yan Qiuchi laughed. “I also want to ask you if you want me to delete it.”
“I think the comments from the netizens are very good,” Xiao Tang said with some restraint. “The fans are also very happy.”
The gold powders felt that with this alt account, it had completely calmed their hearts. Although no one has mentioned Shen Jintai turning upside down for a long time, to them, Yan Qiuchi’s love revealed from his alt account felt more authentic and credible than what was shown on the variety show, and thus it made the gold powders feel completely at ease. This was the hard evidence they needed to show that Yan Qiuchi was chasing Shen Jintai madly!
The alt account incident made the relationship between the two of them even more popular, and many CP fans from Jintai Qiongying and Jintai Meizhou have climbed the wall.
Is there a better CP in the world than a high-value true couple? The setup was an overbearing president and a male star!
“They all say that Prince Yan is fresh and moving on his alt account. Am I the only one who can smell something fishy between the lines?”
“Sister upstairs, I’ll give you the microphone. Please tell me clearly!”
“For example, this sentence: Other times I feel that even if I hug and kiss him every day, I still won’t be satisfied… Hug and kiss him every day. I strongly doubt that’s what he really means!”
“Hahaha, my friend said, Yan Qiuchi has a long ‘nose’. From the looks of it, it seems very big and lustful!”
“Pfft, you have dirty-minded friends! Yan Qiuchi’s complexion is very abstemious, and he’s always super serious and cold. I think he would be very old-fashioned.”
“You guys, shut up. I already have a picture in my mind. Wuwuwu, such a superb figure for Touhua, wuwuwu!”
“Prince Yan isn’t wasteful, right? If I were him, I wouldn’t get out of bed for three days and nights!”
“Speaking of three days and nights, I suddenly remembered Bai Qingquan’s post!”
“The next episode will be out soon. I want to see Prince Yan undressed. A gentleman who always wears formal clothing outside. I want to see what he’s like underneath!”
“It’s said that wife powder and husband powder are the real husband powder. Yan Qiuchi is probably the only powder who has succeeded in capturing his idol!”
“Yan Qiuchi’s fans now exceed those of third- and fourth-tier stars. I think he’s up to five million now, and this is only from the first episode.”
“The show is already on fire, and the interactions are really good. The exposure of the alt account directly made him jump! His alt is really good, and as far as the real CP is concerned, the two of them are regarded as the best pairing in all aspects. They even beat all those popular online couples. The fans are crazy about them!”
Yan Qiuchi was so hot that even Old Lady Fang was chasing their variety show. She even called and asked where they went.
Due to her busy schedule, Fang Fengmei didn’t have time to watch until several days later after the broadcast. Yan Tiefeng got up after watching a few minutes of it. “No, no. I can’t watch this.”
Fang Fengmei said, “They’re so sweet! So perfect!”
She didn’t understand what was going on in these men’s heads.
Shen Ruhai also refused to watch it. When Liu Qi was watching the broadcast at home, he glanced at it for a bit before leaving. When he came back, he asked Liu Qi how the show was.
“A lot of people in my circle of friends are raving about it,” Liu Qi said. “Qiuchi is really good. He could speak French so smoothly and had such a good temperament. He’s very popular on the show.”
Shen Ruhai said, “If it weren’t for knowing that this kid is capable, I wouldn’t recognize him.”
Shen Jintai was originally worried that becoming popular would affect Yan Qiuchi’s life, but later he found that he was worried for nothing.
Since Yan Qiuchi’s not an ordinary person, he was able to keep most of his privacy, as the places he went to were mainly high-end places with a lot of security. Except for the variety show, he had refused all interviews and said early on Weibo that he would not participate in any other shows in the future.
His low profile made him even more mysterious, which only further increased the public’s attention to him.
Shen Jintai had shown Yan Qiuchi the script he had received. Due to his busy schedule, it took Yan Qiuchi two days to finish reading. It was late at night when he finished. He thought it was okay and commented, “You can make adjustments if needed.”
“I think the production team is quite reliable,” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi nodded and said, “It might be hard to hang on the harness.”
“I’ll try anything once,” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi: “We’re going to Italy to record the next portion of the show tomorrow.”
Shen Jintai put the script on the head of the bed, glanced back at him, and immediately stretched out his legs, pressed his feet against Yan Qiuchi’s chest, and said, “What are you doing?”
Yan Qiuchi smiled, untied his pajamas, and put his feet directly into his arms.
“Is it warm?” Yan Qiuchi said, “Your feet aren’t cold anymore, right?”
“What season do you think this is? Who would have cold feet now?” Shen Jintai noticed what Yan Qiuchi wanted to do and said, “Brother, big brother, give your chicken a holiday.”
Yan Qiuchi smiled, showing a sweet and gentle yet shy smile. The buttons of his pajamas were opened, exposing his chest. Shen Jintai scratched with his toes and felt only Yan Qiuchi’s solid abdominal muscles.
Yan Qiuchi reasoned, “But you haven’t worked recently, so you’re on holiday every day now.”
Since “Qiuchi Yingjintai” is the name of the CP fandom, there were many ID numbers with this name on Weibo. Many accounts had “Qiuchi Yingjintai” had long been registered with letters, numbers, or patterns at the end.
Yan Qiuchi’s alt account had a red heart added to the end of “Qiuchi Yingjintai”. The name is rotten, so it wasn’t very eye-catching. Many fans followed him, thinking that he was just one of the many CP fans among them.
Yan Qiuchi had created this account a long time ago and would use it from time to time to blow rainbow farts for Shen Jintai. Now his alt was discovered, but the treatment was very different from Bai Qingquan, and that’s because his alt only had a certain purpose and nothing that it posted would be deemed “controversial”.
In the beginning, his relationship with Shen Jintai was widely resisted by the gold powders. At that time, the public’s impression of them was still stuck on the fact that Shen Jintai was cheap and turned upside down. To solve this problem, Yan Qiuchi made a series of efforts, including using this alt account. His original intention was to burst this out after a period of time, so that he could show netizens that he really liked Shen Jintai, including his fans.
The purpose was clear. It was to pave the way for their relationship and to protect Shen Jintai, so all the posts he made on the alt account spoke the truth. Since he knew that this alt would be exposed in the future, he restrained himself and didn’t post anything inappropriate for young children.
Only later, when he and Shen Jintai got together, did he realize that the alt was no longer meaningful, so he kept this secret and didn’t tell Shen Jintai. He planned to tell him one day in the far future and felt it would be a cute and funny little secret between them.
Unexpectedly, after <Honey, Let’s Travel> was broadcast, he’d become popular, and with this popularity, his alt was instantly discovered.
It was easily found out because the set of brooches he wore was very special. A lot of them were from Cartier that cost over a million. There was one that he liked very much that was given to him by Fang Fengmei when he first started working. He would sometimes wear it on formal occasions, and it was through this that his alt was discovered.
Another hard piece of evidence was his watch, and from his alt, it also revealed a super sweet secret.
Most of the alt Weibo posts were usually about his feelings. The gist of them was that the owner of the account had fallen in love with a boy who was his childhood sweetheart. This boy has a good relationship with his family, but he didn’t love him. He then developed a secret crush on him, and when he confessed, he was rejected. One of the posts was about a watch that said:
[I didn’t know what to give him for his birthday. Later, I gave him a Patek Philippe watch. I was afraid he wouldn’t accept it because it was a bit expensive. I put it in with the gifts my mother gave him, so he didn’t know that it was from me. He thought that it was from my mother, and he often wears it. Every time I see him wearing the watch I gave him, I feel very happy, because when I first saw that watch, I felt it was very suitable for him.
Coincidentally, later, on my birthday, he also gave me a watch. It turned out to be the same style, but the color palette was swapped. I often wear this watch and feel like I’m wearing a couple’s watch. Sometimes I feel that I’m already very happy just by wearing it. Other times I feel that even if I hug and kiss him every day, I still won’t be satisfied.]
“Oh my god!”
“Omigawd!”
“I brushed the alt from start to finish. A’Wei’s dead*!”
*It’s a line from the movie “Anti-drug” that refers to being killed by someone or something. It’s used to express one’s extreme excitement or love for seeing something.
“Hahaha, I wasn’t interested in the Touhua couple on the new variety show, but Yan Qiuchi’s alt made my day. Oh my god, my roommate asked me why I had on an auntie smile*!”
*Buzzword to describe a kind, doting, and loving smile that a girl shows when she sees a person or things she likes.
“Are you me? I was laughing like a chicken under my blankets!”
“Prince Yan looks so tall, cold, and excellent, but I didn’t expect such a domineering president to have such a humble secret crush. He’s on the side carrying the sedan chair for his wife. This just proves how charming Touhua can be.”
“Have you seen the pictures posted by netizens? The watch that Shen Jintai usually wears the most to attend events is really a Patek Philippe’s, with a white dial and black needle. And the watch Yan Qiuchi wore on <Honey, Let’s Travel> is also a Patek Phillipe’s, but the dial is black.”
“Someone researched it and said that the watch Prince Yan gave to Touhua cost more than three million yuan! The rich will eventually get married, and the poor can only witness it with their very own eyes. Wuwuwu!”
“I really admire this pair. The money spent on Touhua by the Crown Prince is so sweet!”
Whether it was due to <Honey, Let’s Travel> being so popular, the topic being pushed by Sina, or just his own popularity, but [Yan Qiuchi Alt Account] made it onto the hot search. Because of Bai Qingquan’s scandal, everyone was very nervous when they saw the word “Alt Account”, especially Sunshine Media and Monsoon Entertainment.
When Li Meilan saw this hot search, she was so frightened that she dropped all the steam buns in her hands. Now that Shen Jintai’s and Yan Qiuchi’s relationship had transitioned safely, there was no room for any mistakes. She looked at it hastily and called the team.
Xiao Tang immediately called Shen Jintai. After calling for a while, no one answered. When he checked the time, it was 8 in the morning.
He hasn’t gotten up yet?
He got up immediately and prepared to go to the hotel to take a look.
Li Meilan said, “Call someone from the team, let’s meet at the hotel together.”
Meanwhile, earlier that morning, at 7, Yan Qiuchi said Shen Jintai had broken his word, so in the morning he set out to do what hadn’t been done last night.
Shen Jintai trembled all over as he held a pillow and buried his face in it. Yan Qiuchi pulled it away from him because he wanted to see his expression. While Shen Jintai could cover up his face using his hands, he couldn’t cover up his stomach.
While this excursion was happening, the phone kept vibrating on the bedside table so incessantly that it almost fell off the table.
Li Meilan and others hurried to the hotel. It took a long time to get from the negative first floor to the 22nd floor. Li Meilan asked in the elevator, “Haven’t you contacted him?”
“Brother Jin may still be sleeping,” Xiao Tang said.
Li Meilan said, “I just took a look while on the road. It doesn’t seem like a big issue regarding the alt.”
“I read it from start to finish. There is nothing shady about it. On the contrary, it’s very sweet. The comments also thought the same,” Xiao Tang said. “It also happened that the show is now on fire, so it caught heat from it. Sister Lan, do we need to spend money to take down the hot search? I feel that Brother Jin has been on too many hot searches recently.”
“We haven’t spent money to buy any hot searches in the past few months. There’s no point now because Xiao Jin is on fire.” Li Meilan laughed as she said this.
With Shen Jintai’s popularity, Sina was more than happy to push him to attract traffic. In addition, the works he’s been in have their own PR company that will buy them for him for the sake of popularity, so he’s often on the hot searches frequently.
However, most of the hot searches in the past two days have been about his relationship with Yan Qiuchi, yet the netizens weren’t disgusted by it. Rather, they were eager to dig out more material.
With a ding, the elevator had reached the 22nd floor. Li Meilan got out and asked, “Are the two of them still living on the 22nd floor?”
Xiao Tang said, “As far as I know, this floor is not open to the public. I didn’t see anyone when I came here yesterday.”
“The two of them really dare to live here. Aren’t they afraid of me?” Li Meilan walked towards the door of Shen Jintai’s room and knocked.
As he took out his phone to make a call, they could hear some noises coming from the room. The room was soundproof, so the noises were muffled, but it seemed to be a man’s voice crying, as if he was shouting from both pain and joy.
Li Meilan frowned and froze for a moment as her woman’s intuition kicked in. She suddenly woke up and grabbed Xiao Tang’s hand, saying, “Stop calling.”
Xiao Tang hung up the phone and gradually understood as his face turned red. He felt awkward, and he didn’t know where to stand.
“Did you bring your room card?” Li Meilan said, “Let’s wait in your room.”
Xiao Tang’s room was on the right of Shen Jintai’s; since he was his assistant and spent the most time with him, it was natural that his room should be the closest since he can come over as soon as he’s needed.
After speaking, everyone walked towards the next door. When Xiao Tang was about to open it, Li Meilan paused and went through her bag. “Let’s go to my room.” Her room was farther away.
In the beginning of filming <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>, Yan Qiuchi had arranged the rooms for their entire team, one for each person. Li Meilan’s room had a very good view, but she didn’t live there often.
When she swiped the room card, she immediately opened the door, and everyone hurried in. The atmosphere was awkward as Xiao Tang nervously rubbed his hands and said, “That… There seems to be nothing wrong with the alt account, so it should be okay not to talk about it.”
“Then… should we just disperse?” Li Meilan said slyly. They felt that even when Shen Jintai was done, it would not be easy for them to enter.
Everyone left the room again. This time, no one spoke. They walked with light footsteps towards the elevator. When the elevator door opened, everyone rushed inside in a panic. Just as the elevator door was about to close, they suddenly heard Shen Jintai’s obvious scream.
When the elevator door closed, everyone was silent for a few seconds before Li Meilan took the lead and let out a “pfft”. Everyone started cracking up, feeling embarrassed and amused. Li Meilan said, “No one is allowed to mention this. Let’s treat it as if we were never here!”
Xiao Tang was still a bit worried. He wanted to ask but was too embarrassed to, but he felt that the last sound he heard was a bit too loud.
Isn’t this domestic violence?
Wuwuwu, he was really worried for Shen Jintai!
The author has something to say:
Don’t worry, he is fine. This is just the “daily routine” with his husband powder.
Kinky Thoughts:
Well, it certainly is a kind of domestic violence, but not in the way you’re thinking of. Shen Jintai is about to ascend to heaven, dear Xiao Tang, not hell.
A hot search recently exploded on Weibo: [Shen Jintai sugar]. When you clicked on it, it would take you to a clip from <Honey, Let’s Travel>. The clip showed a scene of the living room facing the bathroom door. The picture was still, and you could only hear muffled sounds come out with subtitles at the bottom.
First, the voice of a man is heard. “You’re acting mischievous again. You know I dare not touch you, right?”
Then there was Shen Jintai’s voice, with hints of teasing. “I’m just praising you. Your French is so good that it gave me a lot of face.”
“If I don’t come back out and they broadcast this, the audience will think we’re doing it in the bathroom.”
“How do you say my sweetheart in French?”
“Mon chéri.”
Then you could hear Shen Jintai’s voice, in a very emotional tone, with a slightly muffled ending as he dragged out his speech and said, “Monch é ri.”
“What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to rile me up?”
“I just think it’s so sexy when you speak French!”
Fortunately, the program group cut it off here and didn’t release what they said next. The reason, though, wasn’t because the program team wasn’t human; it was most likely that the scale would be too large and it wouldn’t pass review.
In the comment area of a group of groundhogs:
“Oh my god! I have goosebumps! I feel ashamed and excited! Ahhhhhhhh!”
“Honestly, he had said more excessive lines in his works than this, but the issue here is that they’re real lovers! It’s so reminiscent!”
“It looks very ordinary, but the amount of information is huge. Yan Qiuchi saying ‘being mischievous again’, ‘dare not touch you’. The subtext here is quite vulgar.”
“It’s no wonder Touhua is excited. I also think Yan Qiuchi is very sexy when he speaks French, especially when he has such a handsome and aristocratic face. I heard that his English is also very fluent since he studied in the UK. I’m so jealous of Touhua’s husband. How could any fan be dissatisfied with such a flower brother-in-law!”
“Looking at the next trailer, they’re going to the French ski resort in Val d’lsere, so it’ll become Yan Qiuchi’s home court. He could ski very well, and together with Touhua, it’ll be so awesome!”
“It’s not surprising. Compared to me, a rich second-generation like him is much more capable. In the next episode, he’ll most likely attract even more fans. Touhua dared to take a man on a variety show, and it turned out he came prepared. Such an excellent husband, I don’t even know if I’m jealous of Yan Qiuchi or of Touhua.”
The end of the episode ended well. It was the clip of them at the hot springs, where everyone was soaking. When Shen Jintai took off his bathrobe and revealed his superb figure, everyone wanted to see what Yan Qiuchi’s figure looked like. The ambiguity was just right when suddenly the episode ended! It made people so unbearably itchy that they couldn’t wait to watch the next episode!
After they finished watching, Yan Qiuchi got up and went to shower. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw Shen Jintai still lying on the sofa, chatting with Bai Qingquan and Zheng Siqi. He had his phone on speaker, and Bai Qingquan was howling like a groundhog.
“Xiao Bai, do you want to be a flying guest or not?” Zheng Siqi asked.
“You’re all couples, and I’ll be alone. I feel that I can only eat dog food if I go.”
“Yang Lizhi and I are not a couple,” Zheng Siqi said.
“Is that really true though? When I look at the interactions between the two of you, I find them quite ambiguous, especially when you carried her on your back when you guys were trying to find the hotel.”
Zheng Siqi said, “She hurt her foot stepping on a stone. I felt that after receiving money from the program group, my performance hadn’t been too good, so I carried her on my back. Besides, we’re familiar with each other, and I know the type of person she likes, and it’s definitely not me.”
Bai Qingquan had sharp ears. When he heard the sound of water in the background, he asked, “Is anyone else there in your room?”
“Is that sound coming from Jintai?” Zheng Siqi said.
“It’s Yan Qiuchi,” Shen Jintai said. “He’s drinking water.”
As soon as Bai Qingquan heard that Yan Qiuchi was there, he immediately said, “It’s getting late, so let’s talk again when we have time.” He wasn’t sure if the groundhog scream was heard by his boss just now.
After Bai Qingquan hung up, Shen Jintai chatted with Zheng Siqi for a bit before going to the shower. After he came out, he saw that Yan Qiuchi was lying in bed swiping on his phone.
“Looking at comments?”
Yan Qiuchi said, “My Weibo followers have risen so much.”
“Everyone says you’re on fire.” Shen Jintai opened the blanket and laid down. “President Yan, you’re so hot now. A bunch of people want to marry you, but you must resist.”
Yan Qiuchi put down his mobile phone and stretched out his hand, wanting to hug him. Shen Jintai dodged sideways. “You should also give me a vacation.”
“My fire is rubbing against you. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know who I am,” Yan Qiuchi said.
“It has little to do with me. The main thing is that you are good enough.”
Yan Qiuchi turned to his side and asked, “Do you still think I am good and sexy enough?”
Shen Jintai said, “Really, you’ve been working hard for the past few days. You get up before 6 and it’s already midnight, yet you haven’t even slept yet. You have also been working overtime these few days. I feel bad for you, and you should feel bad for me. Can’t we take a break today?”
Yan Qiuchi said, “As you said, we’ll take a break… But tomorrow, don’t make excuses.”
Shen Jintai’s ears tinted red. He got up and turned off the lights and said, “Why do you want to… every day?”
“It’s because I haven’t loved you enough yet,” Yan Qiuchi wrapped his arms around him as he said it, wanting to take off his clothes.
Habit was really a terrible thing. Shen Jintai was now used to taking off his clothes and sleeping naked with him. He didn’t resist, but instead cooperated and took the initiative to take off his pajamas. He felt sorry for Yan Qiuchi, who’s been hard at work these days. In another week, they had to set off to Italy and continue recording the show. Not only did Yan Qiuchi have to finish the work that accumulated from last week, but he also had to do the work this week and part of the work for the upcoming week.
“Fortunately, now that your Auntie Fang is becoming more familiar with the company’s business, she’s more capable than me,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Since they weren’t planning any physical activities that night, the two of them embraced each other as they chatted. Yan Qiuchi said, “I really didn’t know my mom would be so capable. She used to be a full-time housewife at home, which had buried her talents.”
“Then Auntie Fang will work for the company often in the future?”
“It’ll be at least a year or two. Although my dad has recovered a lot, his mental state is not as good as before. He used to be a workaholic, but after resting for so long, his mentality seems to have changed a lot. He’s picked up a lot of hobbies and wants to do them in his spare time. Even if he’s fully recovered, most likely he’ll slowly take a back seat.”
The Yan’s burden would slowly fall on Yan Qiuchi’s shoulders sooner or later.
“It’s a pity that we didn’t see Yaoxuan when we went to the UK this time,” Shen Jintai said.
After they left France, they flew to the United Kingdom. When they arrived in London, they wanted to meet Yan Yaoxuan, but Yan Yaoxuan wasn’t in school. They were only there for two days and couldn’t wait for him to return. Instead, they were received by his friend Shan Cheng, who invited them to have a meal together.
Yan Qiuchi was unhappy that Yan Yaoxuan was skipping class. Foreign universities are different from domestic ones, so truancy is taken very seriously and could affect his ability to graduate. He scolded Yan Yaoxuan until he was bloodied over the phone as Shen Jintai listened on the sidelines, feeling that Yan Qiuchi was too fierce.
Yan Qiuchi explained to him, “I am in charge of him in our family, and I’m not cruel to him, but he eats hard, not soft*.
*(吃硬不吃软) Describe someone who yields to force but rejects the soft approach.
With his father busy with work, his mother, who relied on free-range parenting, and an excellent and capable older brother, Shen Jintai felt it wasn’t an easy environment for Yan Yaoxuan to grow up in.
Since there was no excursion last night, Shen Jintai was awakened early the next morning. He found that Yan Qiuchi had gotten up before 6 and finished his breakfast a little past 7. Shen Jintai didn’t know where Yan Qiuchi got all that energy. Before Yan Qiuchi left, he gave him a kiss and said, “I got breakfast for you. If it gets cold, don’t eat it. Have Xiao Tang buy you something.”
Shen Jintai squinted his eyes and responded with a “Nn” before going back to sleep. He woke up again around 8. Breakfast was long and cold, so he planned to go out and buy it himself.
Although he’s a popular star now and it wasn’t convenient to go out in public, he still occasionally wanted to go shopping like ordinary people. He didn’t tell anyone, put on a mask, and headed out.
Despite having an ordinary style and wearing new clothes that he had never worn before and a mask, he was still recognized by the clerk when he went to buy breakfast.
“Your boyfriend… That is… Yan Qiuchi, didn’t he buy this for you?!” The owner said excitedly.
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment and kept saying “Nn” awkwardly, not really understanding what was going on.
“Did he buy breakfast here?” Shen Jintai asked rhetorically. He loves the breakfast at this shop the most, so whether it was himself, Xiao Tang, or Yan Qiuchi, they all came here to buy breakfast for him.
“Yes, I recognized him at a glance!” The owner leaned over and said proudly, “Your partner is really handsome. Much more handsome than on TV!”
That was true. Yan Qiuchi didn’t have that actor-like aura on camera like he did, but in reality, he was definitely a stunning, handsome guy.
The show had just aired last night, and his popularity was still fermenting, but some people have already begun to recognize Yan Qiuchi.
Shen Jintai’s first thought was, ‘It’s over. They might both have to wear masks when they go out in the future.’
At 10 that morning, the ratings for <Honey, Let’s Travel> came out. The premiere broke 3, breaking the ratings record for a premiere of a variety show for many years now. The audience of the drama was mainly young people, so its popularity online was even more frightening. In less than 12 hours of being online, it had already exceeded 100 million hits.
The East Palace powder, gold powder, plum powder, fresh powder, rotten women, plus the fans accumulated from the first season of <Honey, Let’s Travel>, as well as countless melon-eating passersby, were the main contributors to the rating of this variety show.
In just one episode after broadcast, Yan Qiuchi, the only amateur among the guests, had caught fire.
When the program group tasted sweetness, they became even more enthusiastic. The whole group met together to discuss the recording content for next week. They wanted to focus on two things. First, how to show off Yan Qiuchi’s charm as a male god as much as possible. Second, how to create a pink atmosphere as much as possible.
As soon as someone caught fire, more people would become familiar with them. Soon, someone unearthed a little secret about Yan Qiuchi:
“Oh my god, look what I found! Someone dug up Yan Qiuchi’s alt account. It’s Qiuchi Yingjintai ❤️!”
“I also saw it. Looking at the watches, brooches, and other characteristics they dug out. I’m pretty sure that it’s Yan Qiuchi, no doubt. “
“Oh, my god, those Weibo posts are too sweet, right? I believe he’s indeed Shen Jintai’s husband fan!”
“I was rolling on the bed when I saw it! Now it’s even better when I watch <Honey, Let’s Travel>!”
The author has something to say:
The husband fans are here!
Kinky Thoughts:
You think Yan Qiuchi would’ve learned from Bai Qingquan, though his alt post is all sweetness for Shen Jintai.
Shen Jintai didn’t do anything all day. He’s been staying inside the hotel and swiping through the real-time comments that were pouring in online with his team. One member focused on Weibo, another on the forum, another on Baidu, and another on TikTok. Everyone had a clear division of labor and could report at any time.
Although the groundwork had been laid for a long time, a lot of preparations still had to be made. Everyone was extremely nervous when it came to the official announcement.
After brushing for most of the day, everyone’s hearts were finally put at ease. The comments were very good. Everyone was busy gossiping, but no one took the opportunity to hack them. The public’s curiosity about Yan Qiuchi and the support from the gold powders for Shen Jintai exploded into Weibo’s top two hot searches.
“It was right to be on the show,” Li Meilan said. “Now everyone’s focused on it.”
When it came to the internet, it felt as if it was now Shen Jintai’s world. No variety show had ever seen this kind of popularity before it even started broadcasting. However, it was well understood that having a top flow and being in an open relationship with an exceptionally good second generation on a variety show would create a level of excitement that would be unprecedented and that would supersede even any new shows in the future. From the gossip alone, this kind of pairing can be regarded as once in a century!
“Report! Yan Qiuchi has 640,000 fans, and the show hasn’t been broadcast yet. I don’t know what to say besides awesome!”
“Prince Yan has rubbed off the heat of the crown princess. Of course, this credit belongs to Touhua!”
“At ten o’clock tonight, the sisters who are squatting together, please come into the live broadcast building!”
“Today, a new trailer has been released on a certain station, but no one accompanied me to chat. Touhua couple are so sweet.”
“I saw it! I’ve been groundhogging all afternoon! I have taken Touhua, Zheng Siqi, and Bai Qingquan’s sugar, but in the end, they all left me with cuts in my mouth and abused me to death. Now there’s finally real sugar to take! I’ve watched Touhua say “my sweetheart” in French over a dozen times!”
“The section of them biking along the lake was really sweet. It’s like watching an idol drama. I think this variety show is far better than <When You’re Older> and <The East Palace is Coming> because it’s all real. Can’t anyone see my point?!”
“Hahaha, I get it. Although the TV series and movies are touching, they’re just fantasy. Touhua and Yan Qiuchi are actually true lovers. Seeing them, I can’t help but think more about them. When I imagine how they must be in private, I could feel my adrenaline rushing!”
“Fuck! I had no idea, but when you put it that way, I also felt an emotional burst!”
“This is the charm of a true couple. Imagine the underwear advertisement shot by Touhua, think about his waist, his ass, and those long legs, and then think about Yan Qiuchi…”
“Ahhhhhhh, I want to chase this show with you!”
The program team also held a media conference. Except for Yan Qiuchi, all five other stars attended, and some fans were even invited to watch the highlights together. Because time was tight, the conference was held on the day of the broadcast, and the clips from the broadcast were also limited. After the screening, everyone was interviewed by the media, and naturally, Shen Jintai was the focus of everyone’s attention.
This was his first public appearance after his romance announcement, so the media would not let him off easily. However, Shen Jintai, who was usually cooperative with the media, spared no words this time. He answered most of the reporters’ questions with, “You’ll know once you watch the show.”
Questions like “When did you and Yan Qiuchi start to fall in love?” or “Why did you participate in the show?” would all be answered in the show as well.
That night, before 10 PM, almost all the entertainment sectors, such as Douban and the Rabbit Zone, were swiped. The three major fandoms—gold powder, plum powder, and fresh powder—all went into battle. The name of the show, <Honey, Let’s Travel> was heavily searched, and the TV stations paid unprecedented attention to this program. After the news was over, they began to roll out the advertisements and sponsors of the show.
Shen Jintai felt he could only watch the show by himself. To watch it with others, whether it be with Fang Fengmei or Xiao Tang, would be too embarrassing. After dinner, he turned on the TV and watched it alone in his hotel room.
Before the show started, Bai Qingquan called, “Sister, your variety show is going to be explosive. I have never seen a variety show with such high popularity before it started. I heard that President Yan has almost 800,000 fans!”
“So you should hurry up and think about it. If you come, our show might be even more popular.”
Bai Qingquan smiled and asked, “Is President Yan by your side?”
“He’s still in the company. After going on vacation for a week, there’s a ton of work piling up, so he usually stays late in the office.”
Bai Qingquan said, “It’s about to start! Ah, I’m going to chase, and I’ll share my experience with you after watching it!”
After hanging up the phone, Shen Jintai looked at the time; it was already ten o’clock.
The TV station was also eager. When the advertisement just finished airing, there was no buffer at all, as it immediately entered the broadcast.
The intro clip at the beginning was very emotional, and almost all the highlights they shot that week were included. Although the footage was short, just the fact that he, Zheng Siqi, Yang Lizhi, and the three others appeared in the same frame was enough to make netizens bark like groundhogs.
“The most beautiful variety show in history!”
“What did I see just now? Did Touhua take off his clothes again!”
“I never get tired of watching Yang Lizhi run barefoot in a red dress!”
“That shot of Zheng Siqi’s brooch. Ahhhhhh! My royal highness, you are so handsome! Mother, I want to marry him!”
“Touhua is still the best match with Zheng Siqi. Wuwuwu, Jintai Qiongying is the girl’s last stubbornness!”
This nearly three-minute clip ended with a dinner between the six of them in the evening. The owner of the restaurant praised Shen Jintai and Zheng Siqi, saying, “You two are a perfect match.”
Then it showed Shen Jintai leaning slightly sideways towards Yan Qiuchi and asking the boss with a smile, “Then do you think I’m worthy of this gentleman?”
Finally, he smiled and said, “He’s my boyfriend.”
Although there was no one around, Shen Jintai’s face turned red when he watched this scene. He stood up and jumped around the living room, then went to pour himself a glass of red wine. While drinking, he saw Yan Qiuchi open the door and come in.
“Has it started already?” Yan Qiuchi asked while panting.
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “I thought you had to work overtime until midnight again.”
“Today is the premiere, so I have to see how it goes.”
After all, it was his first time on TV, and he was very curious about what he was like on TV and how he performed.
“You’re really photogenic,” Shen Jintai said.
Usually, the camera would add ten pounds, making a lot of people’s faces bigger than normal, but since Yan Qiuchi’s face wasn’t big to begin with, his facial features became more vivid. Although he’s not as handsome on TV compared to Shen Jintai, he wasn’t inferior to others. Compared with other male actors, his clear and noble temperament made him stand out.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
Yan Qiuchi nodded, pulled off his tie, and sat down on the sofa. He seems a little uneasy. Shen Jintai smiled and laid down in his arms. Yan Qiuchi was taken aback for a moment, then hugged him. Shen Jintai moved his body and finally rested on Yan Qiuchi’s thigh to watch the show together.
He was not only watching the show but also browsing on his phone to watch the real-time ratings.
As the most popular variety show in recent years, before it even started airing, <Honey, Let’s Travel> had already broken the record in the first minute. After a few minutes it dropped slightly, but in the second half, the ratings went up again.
Before the show was over, their “Honey” WeChat group exploded. He clicked and saw that Guo Weimin and the others were extremely excited. The ratings were good, but the reputation was even better.
Shen Jintai hurriedly searched Weibo for real-time comments. Despite having five stars on there, the one that was discussed the most was Yan Qiuchi.
“Damn, I’ve been following Prince Yan for half a year, and I never knew what kind of person he really is. Today all I can say is handsome.”
“He spoke French so well. His voice is so sweet. He definitely deserves to be a top student from an Ivy League school!”
“He dotes on Touhua so much. He doesn’t talk much and acts cold, but his eyes are always on Touhua!”
“Yes, yes, especially that scene 30 minutes in. Touhua said something, and he looked back and suddenly smiled. His eyes were full of love.”
“I think he really has the temperament that male stars in the entertainment industry don’t have, and he doesn’t have the greasy feeling of a wealthy businessman. He’s very pure and gentle. I feel that after this show is broadcast, he’ll explode!”
“It’s only been an hour and a half, and his fans have already soared to 1.2 million!”
In the gold powder group, when the broadcast first started, everyone was screaming groundhogs for Shen Jintai, calling him their brother or son. As the show started to progress:
“Yan Qiuchi speaks quite standard French.”
“He is quite polite. He doesn’t try to grab the camera. He also puts in the work and doesn’t let my brother take his luggage.”
“I saw that when he was packing his luggage, his clothes were only one-third of my brother’s. He said that my brother’s good looks were the most important. It was such a sweet moment.”
“It’s true, there is no procrastination, no inferiority, no arrogance, and a little handsomeness… although it is not comparable to my brother!”
“Okay. I’m already openly in love with my brother’s relationship. You are your own people, so don’t hold back. Let me be the first to boast. He’s really fucking handsome. His legs are so long, and his head-to-body ratio is so good!”
“Wuwuwu. I was slapped in the face. That bathroom scene was so sweet that it made my heart tremble! But I was originally a poison fan*!”
*Refers to irrational fans who only like their own idol and hate and hurt other artists around their idol.
“Hahaha, that scene was hotly searched on Weibo. The program team is not human! They cut it off too early!”
The author has something to say:
The groundhog continued to howl.
Kinky Thoughts:
They are going to have an aneurysm when Yan Qiuchi takes off his clothes during the hot spring scene.
The community where Hui Yiguang lives was surrounded by tabloid reporters. Residents around the community were attracted to all the commotion. Some that were stopped by reporters even came forward for interviews. Dong Zhi and Gu Meiren didn’t have an access card, so they could only call someone to come downstairs and pick them up. Hui Yiguang’s assistant naturally couldn’t do it, so it was Cheng Yuan that came down and let them in.
When all three entered the elevator, they finally got rid of all the covetous eyes staring at them and let out a sigh of relief.
“How is Miss Hui?” Gu Meiren asked.
Cheng Yuan said, “I heard that for the first two days she wasn’t in good spirits, so she slept most of the time. She appears to be doing much better these last two days. I’ve made her soul solid again, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but ask, “Are there any abnormal behavior from her?”
Cheng Yuan: “No.”
When Dong Zhi thought about it, they hadn’t known Hui Yiguang for long, so even if there were abnormal changes, they wouldn’t be able to tell.
Hearing of their arrival, Hui Yiguang personally came out to greet them.
“Thank you both so much. If it weren’t for you that night, I might not be sitting here today!” She was full of gratitude and seemed to be in good spirits.
They exchanged greetings and sat down. Gu Meiren didn’t talk much and mostly listened to the others. After everyone finished their greetings, she said, “Miss Hui, in my capacity, and you may feel offended when I say this to you, I still suggest that you help manage the affairs of Wang Qi’s death. After all, strictly speaking, her death is indeed related to you.”
Xiao Han’s expression changed when she heard this. After Hui Yiguang woke up, she and her agent were afraid of committing taboos, so they never mentioned Wang Qi in front of her. The reporters outside couldn’t get in, and Xiao Han didn’t dare let Hui Yiguang know about the gossip online.
Surprisingly, rather than showing displeasure, Hui Yiguang nodded and agreed wholeheartedly, “You are right. We used to be good friends, and now she’s no longer here. I can’t be unkind and unrighteous and ignore this. I have entrusted her affairs to a professional company who will handle her funeral.”
Seeing Xiao Han’s surprised expression, she smiled helplessly. “I know that you have been hiding the news from the outside world from me for the past few days. In fact, I have secretly looked at them. I have done a lot of things wrong in the past, but now that I’ve walked through hell’s gate, I understand many things. If I lose money, I can always earn more, but if I lose the people in my life, there’s nothing that can replace them.”
Hui Yiguang sighed, and then said, “To tell you the truth, I plan to donate a sum of money to a project that helps girls in mountainous areas go to school. When I was a child, I didn’t have such condition, so I could only go to a performing arts school. I hope that there will be more children in the future who don’t need to be like me and can choose the path they want to go.”
Gu Meiren said happily, “That’s great to hear. When the time comes, Miss Hui, please let me know. I also want to donate as well!”
While they were talking, Dong Zhi was quietly observing Hui Yiguang. It seemed like it was still the same person as the tone of her voice had no big changes. Her face and smile were kind and soft, similar to how she was before.
Even if there was a major change, it’s unlikely that Dong Zhi, who had only met her a few times, would be able to pick it out.
Looking down, he saw a ring on Hui Yiguang’s hand. With a thump in his heart, a chill quickly rose throughout his body, even all the way to his hair!
He remembered this ring! It was that night in the hospital. Wang Qi was lying breathless on the hospital bed, wearing a ring on her hand. Enamel-blue petals were inlaid with pearls, giving it a very chic look. At that time, he had looked at the ring very carefully since it caught his eye, so it was impossible for him to forget what it looked like!
Dong Zhi’s breathing became short. Gu Meiren noticed his strangeness, turned her head and said with concern, “Are you okay?”
Dong Zhi calmed down, smiled and shook his head, as he inadvertently asked, “Miss Hui, your ring is very beautiful. Where did you buy it?”
Hui Yiguang glanced down and said, with a smile, “This is from a friend.”
“Is it convenient to tell which friend? I think it’s unique looking, and I also want to buy one to give it to someone.” He pretended to be embarrassed and hesitant.
Hui Yiguang said clearly, “A girlfriend?”
Dong Zhi smiled shyly.
Hui Yiguang touched the pearl on the ring as she said, “This was brought back by a friend from abroad many years ago. I have always liked it very much. Now it seems that it is difficult to buy it.”
Dong Zhi asked, “Maybe your friend still has a few on hand?”
Hui Yiguang sighed and said regretfully, “He has been dead for many years now.”
After that, she smiled slightly at Dong Zhi. “Therefore, there are very few of the same style in the world.”
The weird feeling in his heart became even stronger, causing Dong Zhi’s hair to stand completely upright. He couldn’t wait to run to the morgue to find Wang Qi’s body to see if she still had the ring in her hand.
Hui Yiguang didn’t seem to be interested in the topics of rings, so after a few words, she began chatting with Gu Meiren about other things.
Dong Zhi was full of questions that needed to be answered like crazy grass* but was unable to ask anything. He felt like there was a thin veil covering the truth, but he was unable to tear it away.
*Refers to desire for something that’s grown to the point of madness.
After half an hour had passed, Hui Yiguang showed signs of fatigue, so Gu Meiren and Dong Zhi said their goodbyes. Hui Yiguang sent them to the door.
“I heard that you’ll be performing duties soon, so you don’t need to come again.” Hui Yiguang said, “In fact, I’m someone who’s deeply concerned about my privacy, so I don’t like having others around. Last time, I had no choice but to trouble you. Now that the matter has been resolved, I’m feeling much better now. If anything comes up again, I’ll ask for your help, but for now, we can stop here. Thank you very much.”
Gu Meiren was a little surprised. “The other people…”
Hui Yiguang said, “I’ll let Banxia tell them.”
Since this was her request, Gu Meiren didn’t insist any longer. The interview scores would be announced soon, and if they pass, they’ll start on the training exam. It was true that there was no time for them to follow up on Hui Yiguang’s affairs.
Before parting, Dong Zhi suddenly said, “Miss Hui, did you know that Wang Qi also had the same ring on her hand as you?”
Hui Yiguang was surprised. “Did she?”
She sighed. “We used to be good sisters, so she would use my things at will. Maybe I had given the same ring to her once, but I didn’t expect that things would develop like this now.”
Her tone was so affectionate that it dispelled most of Dong Zhi’s doubts. It wasn’t until he and Gu Meiren entered the elevator and Hui Yiguang had sent them to the door that he saw Hui Yiguang giving him a smile right as the elevator door closed.
It was so profound, as if it contained endless secrets. Dong Zhi’s whole body shook. Gu Meiren wasn’t paying attention as she just lowered her head. Dong Zhi couldn’t help but take a step forward, but the elevator door was already closed and was slowly descending.
Seeing his behavior, Gu Meiren said strangely, “What’s the matter?”
Dong Zhi said, “Do you think Hui Yiguang is a bit strange?”
Gu Meiren thought for a while. “How can you tell? We barely know her, so I can’t really tell. What’s the matter?”
Dong Zhi told her about his thoughts on the ring, and Gu Meiren gave him a disapproving look. “Didn’t she already explain it? She gave that ring to Wang Qi.”
“But she was almost possessed and had her body stolen by her, yet she still wore the same ring without any grudges. Don’t you find that strange?” Dong Zhi said.
When he said this, Gu Meiren became more thoughtful. “Do you think Hui Yiguang is actually Wang Qi?”
Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “I don’t know. At that time, we all thought that Hui Yiguang’s soul had been returned, but after thinking about it, it was so chaotic that night, and there were monsters mixed in too. It’s possible that something went wrong.”
Gu Meiren comforted, “Don’t think too much. At that time, we all felt that there was no mistake. Now she’s recovering well. After this catastrophe, she changed her ways and is doing well. Isn’t this enough?”
Dong Zhi can only say, “Maybe.”
When they both got off the elevator, they met Cheng Yuan downstairs. He had come to help Hui Yiguang repair her soul.
When Dong Zhi asked about Hui Yiguang’s physical condition, Cheng Yuan said, “Her soul has just returned to its original place, and her spirit is a little unstable. In a few days, she should be fine.”
“Has she shown any behavior that is different from ordinary people or different from usual in the past few days?” Dong Zhi asked.
Cheng Yuan shook his head. “No, her soul is very consistent with her body, and there is no rejection, but her assistant told me privately that after Miss Hui’s accident, her whole demeanor had changed.”
Dong Zhi and Gu Meiren looked at each other. “How?”
Cheng Yuan said, “Her temper has improved, and she is more kind. She even offered to give Xiao Han a raise and even gave her agent a break, saying she needed to recuperate for a while. Xiao Han said that Ms. Hui used to be more impatient in private, wouldn’t listen to others’ opinions, and wouldn’t be picky with scripts, as long as the pay was high.”
This didn’t really explain much. At most, people who crossed a tribulation would often improve their mindset and change their behaviors. Perhaps as Long Shen said, there are many things in this world that have their own cause and effect. The perfection you want may not be consistent with the perfection that others want. As long as you work hard and feel worthy in your heart, it will be the best result.
Dong Zhi said goodbye to Cheng Yuan and left with Gu Meiren. The reporters still haven’t left. With eyes sharper than knives, they immediately spotted Dong Zhi and Gu Meiren coming downstairs from Hui Yiguang’s residence. They immediately flocked over and asked if they were Hui Yiguang’s friends. While Gu Meiren and Dong Zhi can battle against monsters, handling these reporters was a different matter. It took almost all their strength just to squeeze out of the crowd and flee.
After having a meal with Gu Meiren, the two of them received separate notifications informing them that they had passed the interview and asking them to report to the General Administration Bureau in two days to start training.
The unexpected, good news came so suddenly that even an introverted girl like Gu Meiren couldn’t help but express joy.
“After seeing everyone’s abilities, I thought I wouldn’t pass. This was unexpected!” Her face was flushed with glee.
Overwhelmed from his happiness he barely could think straight as he said, “I heard that there’ll be an exam after training. If we pass that, we’ll finally be able to join the Special Administration Bureau. Until then, it’s still up in the air.”
Hearing what he said, Gu Meiren gradually calmed down, nodded, and patted her cheeks. “Calm down, calm down!”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. “Want to ask the others? Maybe they got their notification too.”
“Okay!” Since Gu Meiren knew Ba Sang best, she picked up her phone and called him, while Dong Zhi sent the notification to Long Shen, He Yu, Kan Chaosheng, and Zhong Yuyi to inform them of the good news.
Zhong Yuyi, despite being a bit airheaded, was surprisingly the first to respond: [Congratulations.]
Dong Zhi replied with a happy emoji.
Zhong Yuyi: [This year’s training will have my course in it. Classmate, I’ll greet you in advance.]
Almost spitting from the shock, Dong Zhi quickly replied: [Teacher Zhong, please tell me, is the name of your course “How to make your reflex skills longer than the Earth”?]
Zhong Yuyi: [You dare underestimate me! Just you wait and see!╭(╯^╰)╮]
He then sent a few unhappy expressions to Dong Zhi. Dong Zhi was happily chatting with him when he received a message from Kan Chaosheng.
Kan Chaosheng: [Please treat me! Tan Jiacai! Japanese Food! Hot pot! Nothing less than that!]
This was indeed an appropriate response that was most fitting of his character.
Dong Zhi couldn’t laugh or cry. Just as he was about to reply, the other party sent another message: [He Yu’s like a dead dog right now, so he can’t reply to your message. He told me to say congratulations to you. He owes you a meal debt, so he’ll pay it back when he returns!]
He hurriedly asked: [Are you alright? How is it going? When are you guys coming back?]
Kan Chaosheng: [I don’t know yet. Many unexpected things have happened. He Yu rescued a group of three yesterday and almost got himself killed. He’s still lying in bed! That’s why he was so frustrated. If it was me, I would be up and kicking about right now!]
Although his mouth was full of trains*, he didn’t disclose any specific information. Dong Zhi knew that it was most likely confidential, and since he hadn’t officially joined the Special Administration Bureau, it was natural that they couldn’t tell him, and he didn’t pry. After telling them to take care of themselves, he ended the conversation.
*(满嘴跑火车) A few meanings. 1. Refers to a well-spoken, articulate person. 2. Refers to someone who is talkative, smug, or bragging. 3. Describe someone who has no control over their speech and say whatever they want irresponsibly. || In this context, it’s referring to 2.
Long Shen never replied. Dong Zhi surmised he should have known the results long ago.
Gu Meiren put down her phone and said to him, “Cheng Yuan didn’t seem to pass.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback. “No way?”
Li Ying was quite shrewd. That day, when he invited those 9 people, including Dong Zhi, to dinner, he made it clear that he thought these were the ones who would be able to pass the interview, and he wanted to get together so that they could get to know each other. But the results now, was Cheng Yuan didn’t pass.
Gu Meiren: “I also find it strange that Cheng Yuan didn’t pass. He’s quite capable of his psychic abilities. Why didn’t he pass? He said that he didn’t receive a notice, so I asked Li Ying and the others, who all said they got theirs. Even Ba Sang passed.”
Not knowing how to answer, Dong Zhi could only say, “Maybe the above had other considerations. If I have a chance later, I’ll ask.”
While talking with Gu Meiren, Dong Zhi received a message from Long Shen: [Practice more by yourself. I’ll see you in two days.]
This message implied that Long Shen had no time to have a meal with him. Dong Zhi scratched his nose and replied back: [Understood. Please take care of yourself! (*^__^*)]
Long Shen was talking to a visitor in his office.
“Boss Long, I wonder if you have made picks for any candidates?” Song Zhicun said with a smile.
Unlike Wu Bingtian, who liked to welcome and send1, Song Zhicun was more like a fish in water2, and didn’t seem to be cold and impersonal like Long Shen. This Deputy Director of Group Three has always been low-key in the General Administration Bureau.
1(迎来送往) Refers to someone who likes socializing. 2(如鱼得水) Metaphor referring to someone who gets along well in their environment || In this context it’s saying he’s easy to get along with.
He usually picks up the remaining candidates that the other two groups pass on. Trivial tasks are mostly handled by group three. Their members are made up of a mix of people who are from smaller sects or have no affiliation, and their team leader is a cook who’s also a half-cultivator. Thus, their group was given the nickname, the miscellaneous group.
Of course, to be a Deputy Director of the General Administration Bureau, Song Zhicun was not just good at cooking rice. Just like Long Shen, his temper is cold and there’s no room for error.
Hearing this, Long Shen said, “There is no need to decide so soon, right?”
Song Zhicun smiled bitterly. “There are quick hands and I’m slower. Many of the talents I was optimistic about in previous years were snatched away by Wu Bingtian. Last year, I finally got optimistic about one and I targeted him before the Boss Wu and the result was good. Many have taken the initiative to ask for transfer to the Northwest Branch since they refused to stay in the General Administration Bureau. No matter what this year, I have to get some fresh troops for our group! This time, Yunnan had lost a colleague, so everyone’s morale was low!”
Long Shen said, “Have you talked to Boss Wu about this?”
Song Zhicun silently thought that this guy was too cunning. He’s not like Long Shen, who is straightforward.
He smiled and said, “I have told him, but he ignored me! He has a group of rich and powerful people, as well as the Longhu Sect and Yuanming Palace support. If they need pills, they get pills. If they need talismans, they get talismans. Newcomers aren’t stupid. They all want to go to Group One. Who will come to our groups when they exist? We have suffered losses in previous years, but this can’t go on this year. We have to think of a way to unite and let Wu Bingtian suffer!”
Long Shen: “Then what good idea does Boss Song have?”
Song Zhicun had already thought of it quite some time ago. “Let’s discuss who we fancy, so we won’t have any conflicts with candidate selection and shove it in Wu Bingtian’s face. When the time comes to choose someone, we can join forces to speak on behalf of each other to avoid the other party taking any big advantage.”
Long Shen said, “There will be exams after the training. Even if we take a fancy now, they may not be able to pass the exams.”
Song Zhicun smiled and said, “Let’s bring them to our side first. If they can’t pass the exam at that time, then we only have ourselves to blame.”
Long Shen nodded but didn’t say who he liked, so Song Zhicun made the first move. “I think that Chi Banxia is not bad.”
Witchcraft was popular in Southeast Asia but wasn’t very common in this country. Their domestic comrades who traveled to Southeast Asia often suffered from witchcraft. Later, when they had a mission abroad, they would have to call in poison practitioners to assist.
While the Miaojiang poison technique and witchcraft have the same origin, they later developed separately and are very different now. It could be said they’re equivalent to two flowers on the same branch. Poison practitioners are also, in and of themselves, rare to find. Among the Miao people, most are no different from those of the Han nationality who don’t know the art of poison. One or two experts could be found among a few seedlings who live in seclusion in the mountains and forest. Unfortunately, such experts do not follow the ways of the modern world, let alone their country. It’s estimated that they would not travel far, and there’s also a barrier to communication as well.
The Hainan Chi family wasn’t in line with the secular world but was well known for their art of witchcraft in Southeast Asia, and a unique art at that. No one from their clan had come out to pursue a career before, thus making Chi Banxia the first. Even if she was only half as good, she would be highly sought after. Knowing this, Song Zhicun had his eyes on her, but was afraid Wu Bingtian might rob him of his chance, so he sought Long Shen’s help.
Long Shen said, “Boss Song hasn’t accepted an apprentice yet. If you throw out this bait, you might have a good chance to tempt Chi Banxia.”
Song Zhicun’s eyes lit up. Yes! It was impossible for Yuanming Palace to accept a witchdoctor as an apprentice. Even if Wu Bingtian promised big things, he couldn’t grant her the prestige of being a direct apprentice to a Deputy Director. Since the Chi family allowed her to take the exam, it must mean that they hope to develop her career. Between being a group member compared to being a Deputy Director’s apprentice, there’s no need to even think about which of the two is more important.
This is like two universities trying to grab the champion of the college entrance exam. One would offer to waive the tuition fee for four years, while the other would offer not only free tuition for their undergrad, but also for their postgrad as well. The champion, of course, would lean towards the university with the more favorable conditions.
“Boss Long really knows how to wake up a dreamer with just a word!” He laughed. “Thank you, thank you!”
Long Shen: “You’re welcome, Boss Song.”
Song Zhicun said again, “Li Ying is also very good, but he’s born on Mount Maoshan, so he’ll probably join group one. There’s also Zhang Song, who’s from a side branch of the Longhu Sect, so he’ll join them as well. As for Liu Qingbo, Boss Long saved his life once, so he admires you very much. With such enthusiasm, don’t you want him as an apprentice?”
Long Shen said, “That’s just a kid playing around.”
Song Zhicun smiled and said, “Boss Long, you’re too humble. There’s also Dong Zhi, who ranked first on the written exam. I heard that he’s been named a disciple of the Hezao Sect, and your group have already met him. He must also want to join group two to be with his brothers, but I heard Wu Bingtian is very interested in him.”
Seeing Long Shen’s eyebrows twitch, Song Zhicun secretly smiled. “Liu Qingbo has a deep background. You must already know that his father is very valued by the higher-ups. If he joins group two, money and staff would no longer be an issue. You may even be able to suppress Wu Bingtian. However, Dong Zhi and Liu Qingbo, neither one would want the other to join the group they’re in, which means you have to make a choice.”
“Thank you, Boss Song, for reminding me.” Long Shen nodded while remaining calm.
Seeing that he still refused to reveal anything in the slightest, Song Zhicun inwardly scolded him for being so cunning.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On the day of registration, Dong Zhi came to the designated classroom early.
Since everyone didn’t know the specifics of how many had passed, when they looked around, they couldn’t help being surprised. There were only about 20 tables and chairs in the classroom, meaning that only about 20 people had passed through the training stage.
The elimination rate was quite high, so it was no wonder no one was admitted last year. It seems the Special Administration Bureau remained in line with their ideals, preferring to recruit for shortages and be picky with who they recruited rather than recruit indiscriminately. When the training course is completed, there’s most likely another elimination. By the end, if even 10 people remained, that still wasn’t bad.
Li Ying, Liu Qingbo, and the others were already there. Everyone had become a little closer after the incident on the rooftop of the hospital. In any case, they had gone through life and death together. They all smiled and greeted each other warmly. Surprisingly, Liu Qingbo didn’t seem so antagonistic towards Dong Zhi.
When Ba Sang saw Dong Zhi come in, he waved to him happily, motioning that he had reserved a seat next to him. Gu Meiren, who was sitting behind Ba Sang, flashed him a smile.
Dong Zhi walked over and sat down.
Ba Sang leaned over and whispered, “I heard that you had it rough recently?”
Dong Zhi whispered, “Fortunately, I was there to save the day. I’ll tell you the details later.”
Ba Sang gave him a regretful look. “This beauty had told me, but it was a pity that I was at home and missed out. Otherwise, I could have gone with you. What a great practice opportunity!”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “You want to practice? You won’t have to worry about that chance in the future. I heard there’ll be a ton of exercises during this training period. By then, you’ll probably wish you were still back at home!”
Ba Sang said happily, “Speaking of home, I brought yak meat from home. I’ll give you your share later!”
While everyone was talking, a man walked in. It was Deputy Director Wu, the legendary leader of Group One, who was magnanimous and had ample wealth. The noisy classroom was instantly silent as everyone quickly shut their mouths, as not to leave a bad impression on their potential future leader.
Wu Bingtian looked around with a kind smile on his face. “Dear students, first of all, congratulations on successfully passing the written and interview exams for the Special Administration Bureau this year. You may become a part of our future. Why did I say future? It’s because there’s still a training exam after our training course. Don’t think that just because you passed the interview means this is a shoo-in for you. In previous years, many people have been eliminated as a result.”
Seeing everyone sitting stiffly upright, he smiled again. “Don’t be so nervous. Being able to pass the interviews shows that you’re capable. I also hope that I can work with everyone here in the end. If this year’s practice exam can achieve no elimination, then it will be the most wonderful session ever. I’ll have to engrave your accomplishment in the corridors of the Special Administration Bureau for latecomers to admire.”
“I suppose he says this every year. Next year, he’ll say the same thing to them.” A person next to Dong Zhi muttered in a low voice. Dong Zhi thought it was a bit funny.
Wu Bingtian continued, “In order to encourage everyone to make progress, let me announce the results of the interview. Li Ying ranked first. Second place, Dong Zhi. Regarding this, although he placed second in the interview, combined with his excellent results of first place in the written exam, his total overall score is still first. Presumably everyone knows that his written exam score far exceeded second place by a full 20 points. The Special Administrative Bureau had never given such a high written test score before, thus making Dong Zhi set a new historical record.”
All the sights in the classroom fell on Dong Zhi in an instant, and he finally knew what it was like to have thorns on his back*.
*(如芒在背) Idiom referring to the feeling of extreme uneasiness.
He wasn’t sure if he was remembering things wrong, but Dong Zhi recalled that when he was practicing his Five Thunder Talisman technique on the rooftop, although Deputy Director Wu gave him a smile, his attitude was far from kind as he’d been now. Even from the way that he was looking at him, his eyes were so soft that it made Dong Zhi involuntarily shiver.
Kinky Thoughts:
I have some thoughts on Hui Yiguang, but to avoid any potential spoilers, I’ll state it later.
Of course, it was much easier to be carried than to walk on your own. Since Dong Zhi was muddleheaded, his usual worries were gone, and he was only driven by instinct.
“Boss Long have you decided on a candidate to be your apprentice?”
Long Shen snorted.
Dong Zhi said, “I just summoned heavenly thunder once again and took out a demon. Would you consider me?”
Long Shen didn’t answer, but he felt more and more courageous. Although he was being carried, he lost control of his mouth as words continued to flow out.
“A potential apprentice like me, there won’t be this kind of shop if you pass this village*. Although Liu Qingbo is a bit taller than me, he’s not as handsome. With someone as good-looking as me, you’ll have a lot of face when you take me out in the future. Otherwise, if you take Liu Qingbo out, people will say, Boss Long, how can you find an apprentice that looks so much older than you?”
*(你错过这村，就没那店了) Metaphor referring to a rare opportunity that cannot be missed.
After a long time, Long Shen still hadn’t given him a response. He suddenly stopped and put him down. Dong Zhi thought he was angry, so he aporetically said honestly, “It was all nonsense just now. Don’t take it to heart.”
Long Shen: “The key.”
“Huh? Oh!” Only then did he realize that they had reached his dorm, so he hurriedly took out the key to open the door. The heat quickly spread across his face, and his saving grace was that the light above his head wasn’t bright enough for the other party to notice his embarrassment.
He opened the door and turned on the lights. Long Shen hadn’t left, so he most likely wanted to hear his report on what happened tonight. Dong Zhi stepped aside and let him in. He had returned back to his room, so of course he couldn’t let Long Shen continue to carry him. When he tried to move, his legs got so soft that he ended up kneeling directly in front of Long Shen, looking as if he was kowtowing to him.
Dong Zhi: …So embarrassing!
Long Shen: “You haven’t studied under a teacher yet, so there’s no need to be so polite.”
Dong Zhi really wanted to dig a pit and bury himself in it, but from this he found that Long Shen had a sense of humor. He just hid it deeply. It was only when King You of Zhou lit the beacon fires* and made fun of the warlords was he able to win the smile from his beauty. With his soft legs, he could elicit a sense of humor from Deputy Director Long, so it wasn’t a total loss.
*The story goes that King You was infatuated with his concubine Bao Si, who does not like laughing, and wanted to impress her, so he played a trick on the warlords of his kingdom and had the beacon fires lit. When they saw this, they all rushed to defend him, thinking the city was under attack, but it just turned out to be a prank. This made Bao Si laugh, so he kept doing it and eventually, when a real attack came, the warlords ignored the beacon fires, and he was ultimately killed.
After taking a break for a bit, he finally regained some strength. Dong Zhi recount to Long Shen what happened tonight.
Long Shen asked rhetorically, “How would you analyze it?”
Dong Zhi regarded this as a test, so he tried his best to raise his spirits and thought about it carefully before saying, “I guess that Hui Yiguang and Wang Qi do have grudges against each other. After Wang Qi turned into a vegetative state due to her car accident, her soul left her body and was somehow targeted by demons. I remember you told He Yu that people have seven emotions and six desires that spawn love and hate. The greater the desire, the greater it’ll attract demons. Wang Qi’s resentment provided energy for the demons, and in return they gave her unspeakable powers.”
Long Shen nodded. “Hospitals hold countless births, sufferings, illnesses, and deaths every day. It is a place of reincarnation. All walks of life mix there, so feelings, especially resentment, will be infinitely amplified. There are countless incarnations of the Archfiend, so even if the body is destroyed, the demon’s clone may still spread all over the world and even hide in places like hospitals to absorb energy to strengthen itself again. What you bumped into tonight was most likely one of its essence or clones.”
Dong Zhi frowned and said, “But we protected Hui Yiguang and destroyed Wang Qi’s soul. Are we right or wrong? Perhaps Hui Yiguang was truly like what Wang Qi said, and that’s why she hated her so deeply and wanted revenge.”
Long Shen’s expression was faint. “We’re only responsible for subduing demons, not soothing people’s hearts. Even if it was a doctor or a policeman, they could only save lives, but not hearts. The Special Administration Bureau performs a similar duty, but on a different level.”
Dong Zhi sighed. “Yes, no matter what the reason is, if you allow demons to exploit your weakness, then you should be subjected to punishment.”
Still, the reaction between Hui Yiguang and Wang Qi when they were confronting each other was too vivid. Everyone present, including Dong Zhi, didn’t think that Hui Yiguang was completely innocent in this matter.
She had concealed her relationship with Wang Qi in advance and tried numerous times to dodge answering questions about her boyfriend. With Wang Qi’s appearance, they could tell from Hui Yiguang’s tone that she wasn’t completely ignorant of the matter. She might have suspected it a long time ago, but because of her guilty conscience, she dared not admit it.
Long Shen seemed to see through his thoughts. “Many things have their own antecedents, and the results will only be known in the underworld. The so-called Heavenly Way exists in everything. If you and I follow it, then we may become its sword.”
Dong Zhi: “You mean, karma?”
Long Shen shook his head. “Whether it’s retribution or not, it’s just human wishful thinking. I think it’s better to use the law of conservation of energy to explain it more appropriately.”
Facing the puzzled look of the other party, he said, “If a person exudes a little bit of hostility to the world and to others, he’ll accumulate negative energy. After accumulating to a certain extent, he’ll naturally be hit by its backlash. This is the conservation of the Heavenly Way.”
Dong Zhi suddenly said, “So the ancient sages that emphasize walking in line with heaven, they didn’t necessarily mean that good people will receive rewards, but rather if you follow the Heavenly Way, you will naturally get Heaven’s blessings!”
Long Shen nodded slightly. “In the era of the end of the law, materialistic desires flowed, and people’s hearts were chaotic. It’s not unusual for many people to cross their bottom line and do anything for the sake of financial gain. In the end, they became the very same people that they had looked down upon in the beginning. This is a scene that is common that you will only see more of if you continue to engage in this kind of business.”
He paused before saying, “It’s not a bad thing to have a soft heart. It at least gives you a standard that you won’t cross, but when it comes to making decisions, you should avoid being indecisive and dragging your companions down in battle.”
“Yes.” Dong Zhi obediently nodded. He was exhausted after their conversation but wasn’t sleepy. He rubbed his face and yawned. “It’s so late. I hope I didn’t bother you too much.”
Long Shen: “I’m writing a report.”
Does this mean he was disturbed? Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Then I won’t bother you any longer. I’ll rest after washing up.”
He sent the great god on his way and turned around, heading to the bathroom. After he washed up, he felt refreshed but even less drowsy. Touching his stomach, all the food he had eaten that night was consumed by all his nerves. He decided to buy some barbecue and brought it back. He thought there was someone still up writing a report, so he went to knock on said person’s door and was greeted by Long Shen.
Dong Zhi lifted up the bag in his hand, gave him a smile, and said, “Hungry? Would you like some?”
Long Shen said, “No, I’m good.”
With that said, he was about to close the door when Dong Zhi pulled out his killer move. “I can’t sleep and wanted to read a technical book, but I don’t understand many terms and I can’t find anything about them online. Can I read in here if I don’t disturb you?”
Long Shen turned his body slightly sideways, signaling him to come in. He was overcome with joy and fearing that the male god would regret his decision and change his mind, he hurriedly entered with the book in his arms.
The dorm room was like a studio apartment. It had one bedroom and a living room, but they were all connected as there was no walls dividing up the space. The Deputy Director’s dorm was the same pattern as Dong Zhi’s but his decorations was more unified. The walls were beige, and his sofa and bed were covered with a stain resistant sheet. There was a small bar that was connected to the kitchen. Overall, it looked like a mid-to-high-end decoration. Dong Zhi guessed that the Special Administration Bureau had spent most of the budget on office and staff rooms that they had no money left to pay for the actual property.
Long Shen said, “Make yourself at home. You can ask if you don’t understand something.”
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “If you are too busy, I can just read on my own.”
Long Shen nodded, poured him a glass of water, turned his head, and sat down at the desk.
Dong Zhi swore to God that he really just wanted to study seriously, and he only came here with the mentality that if there was something he couldn’t figure out, there was a great god that could help teach him. However, when the person that you like was nearby, few people would be able to resist gazing at the object of their affection.
Long Shen had his back turned to him, writing hard, and showed no sign of turning around, but he was keen, so it was impossible for him not to notice the gaze behind him. And the gaze was locked on him for a while, then it turned away, then came back for a while, then turned away again, and thus continued all night.
Long Shen secretly shook his head and thought. ‘Can he really concentrate on his studies?’
As soon as this thought occurred, he heard Dong Zhi ask, “Boss Long, I want to donate all the money paid to me by Hui Yiguang.”
Long Shen didn’t lift his head. “How much did she pay?”
Dong Zhi said, “Three million, 300,000 for each of us. Although the matter came to an end this time, I didn’t think I did a perfect job, so I feel guilty and want to donate all the money.”
Long Shen finally stopped writing. “What do you think is perfection?”
Dong Zhi was taken aback by this question. He thought seriously for a while, then said, “Maybe it’s because I saw that the victim is not completely innocent, and the perpetrator is not without cause. As the saying goes, a poor man must have something to hate1, and a hateful man must have something to pity2. Nine out of ten things in life are unhappy3, but all I ask is for perfection in my own heart.”
1(可怜之人必有可恨之处) Refers to a seemingly pitiful person’s unsatisfactory reality must’ve been caused by previous faults or was self-inflicted. Knowing that they are wrong, but not changing their ways after repeated teachings is the hateful thing about such people. 2(而可恨之人也必有可怜之处) Second part of the saying that’s not well known. It refers to there must be some kind of suffering a hateful person has gone through that made him that way, so he deserves our pity. *Clarity: Linked together, it basically means that not everything is black and white. Someone’s misfortune may not be because of their own doing and cause them to become resentful, so we should take pity on that. Life is complicated and you can’t simply judge whether a person is good or bad because everyone has different experiences and their own circumstances. These two sentences link together, allowing us to see how multifaceted human nature really is. 3(世间不如意事十之八九) Refers to how life isn’t as pleasant and ideal as it seems (AKA Life isn’t like a bed of roses). || In this context, Dong Zhi is saying he knows life isn’t perfect, but he’ll strive to do his best and what’s aligned to his “perfection”.
Long Shen looked back at him. “There will be more dangerous and unpredictable things in the future where good and evil might be hard to distinguish.”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “Then I will try my best to be perfect. One step at a time, I’ll strive to always do better.”
Long Shen nodded. “I will help you find a reliable charity to donate to.”
Outside of work, he rarely takes the initiative to put forward his own opinions and interfere with others, but this time, when he saw Dong Zhi’s eyes curling, he added, “You also worked hard this time. It’s not bad to receive some compensation. If you want to donate, donate half of it and take the rest.”
Dong Zhi was attentive when responding. “Then I’ll listen to you.”
Seeing Long Shen writing his reports by hand, he couldn’t help but say, “Why don’t you use a computer to type? It would be much faster.” There are few who would do handwritten reports these days.
Long Shen said, “It may be because I used to have very few opportunities to write.”
Dong Zhi thought that he just wanted to practice his penmanship, or maybe he wasn’t good at using a computer, but he didn’t expect such an answer.
Long Shen seemed to be in a good mood as he took the initiative to talk to him.
“Creating words is a significant difference between humans and creatures. Once it appears on paper, it has a life of its own.”
He casually pointed to the book spread out in front of Dong Zhi, and the black arial characters seemingly came to life in an instant, twisting their shapes as they jumped out of the paper. The word “human (人)” bounced around on its left and right sides, and the word “road (道)” rushed forward like a car knocking “human (人)” down. The words “older brother (兄)” and “younger brother (弟)” trembled on the side and, as a result, were shot in the ass by the word “open (张)”, which hit it with its bow and arrow. Then suddenly, they all became a ball of letters*.
*Clarity: I put in the Chinese characters so you can visualize what the characters are doing. Look carefully and see how each of them matches the description of their actions.
Dong Zhi was stunned.
Long Shen said, “Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Buddhism says that there are three thousand great worlds and three thousand small worlds*. What the human eye can see is only one of them. When life is created, it also creates other life. Our duty is to maintain the balance between our world and others.”
*(三千大世界，三千小世界) Referring to the three thousand great thousand world. In Buddhism, it describes the organization of our world. It refers to the world being formed by three kinds of “thousand worlds” split into small, medium, and large. The big thousands of worlds are integrated by the small and middle ones, with Mount Sumeru at the center.
With a wave of his hand, the word “open (张)” suddenly turned into dust and dissipated in the air, and the other words huddled together trembling in a ball of fright.
Dong Zhi thought they looked funny yet pitiful. He stretched out his finger and touched the word “human (人)” and found that he didn’t have a substantial touch. The character seemed to feel his approach and desperately wanted to hide. When his finger came close, it shattered instantly, popping like a bubble.
With another wave of Long Shen’s hand, the words flashed and returned to the pages of the book. They were flat now, as if the scene he had just seen was an illusion.
Dong Zhi sighed. “I suddenly felt that I had lived in the belly of a dog* for more than 20 years!”
*(活到狗肚子里去) Refers to studying/learning in vain. || In this context, he’s saying all that he had been taught and studied has been turned upside down by this new revelation.
Long Shen said, “Every stroke has a spirit. Being able to read and write with your own hands is the natural gift of being human. Many humans often feel small, but what they don’t know is that they have inadvertently created countless worlds.”
Dong Zhi became thoughtful as he looked at the boring textbook, which now seemed a bit more interesting, as if he was reading something from a different world. The more contact he had with Long Shen, the more mysterious he seemed to become. It was like his body was covered in a thick fog, making it difficult to clearly see, but it’s exactly this that drives people to want to get closer to discover what’s behind it.
Long Shen turned around continuing to write his report again, and from time to time he would hear pages turning from behind him. Dong Zhi had finally concentrated on reading his textbook and was no longer distracted as he stopped raising his head to stare at him.
The report he was writing was related to their discovery in Inner Mongolia. Although the work was handed over to a different group, Long Shen still had to write down everything so it would be explained clearly.
The directors above were not cultivators, so they did not accurately predict the severity of an Archfiend. He believed that this was related to similar incidents of the past, so the three deputy directors, Wu Bingtian, Long Shen, and Song Zhicun, had all agreed they should solemnly explain this to their superiors so as to prevent a more serious consequence from happening. Long Shen’s report was one of the speeches he was prepared to give in their subsequent meetings.
While Deputy Director Long was good at subduing and exorcising demons and had been a leader for several years, he was not good at writing reports. He stumbled, frowned, and wrote for over an hour. This report had been delayed for an entire week and could no longer be pushed off.
Such was Long Shen, the Deputy Director of Procrastination. He looked at the punctuation mark he had just written and breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that there were no longer any movements coming from behind him.
He turned his head and saw Dong Zhi was still sitting on the sofa with a book spread across his knees and his head crook to the side, as if he was unconscious. Long Shen got up and walked over, then patted him on the shoulder, rousing Dong Zhi. He woke up and rubbed his eyes.
“…Sorry. Did I fall asleep?”
Long Shen said, “Go back and sleep.”
Dong Zhi hurriedly packed up his books and apologized again. He originally wanted to come over to ask questions, but instead he fell asleep.
Long Shen didn’t reproach him. “You must be exhausted if you summoned Heavenly Thunder today. Before going to bed, make sure to practice your kung fu tona.”
Dong Zhi nodded obediently and walked to the door. Seemingly recalling something, he smiled shyly. “Boss Long, can I take the liberty to ask what my chances are of becoming your apprentice?”
Long Shen raised his eyebrows. “Why do you want to be my apprentice so much? According to the techniques you have practiced, even if you have not worshipped under the Hezao Sect, you have the opportunity to become a disciple of the Wu Bureau. He was born in Yuanming Palace on Mount Qingcheng. Their gate is comparable to that of Maoshan.”
Dong Zhi scratched his head and told the truth. “I only know that if I’m not able to summon thunder, they would not even look at me, but you treat everyone equally. Even when you were harsh on me at the beginning, it was just to prevent me from taking risks and doing things out of impulse.”
Long Shen said, “I’m not as good as you think. As for the apprenticeship, that has yet to be determined. So far, I have no plans to accept any apprentices.”
Dong Zhi felt disappointed, but after thinking about it, if he couldn’t become his apprentice for the time being, then neither could Liu Qingbo. They were all on the same starting line, but he had the advantage of living on the opposite door, which was close to the water tower*.
*Reminder: (近水楼台) Metaphor for getting some kind of benefit or convenience first because he’s closer to someone or something.
In fact, what he didn’t know was that before this, Liu Qingbo had already given waves of gifts to Long Shen; among them were even two antique swords that Dong Zhi couldn’t afford, as well as such things as specialty poison from Miaojiang, an ancient book on swordsmanship from the Song Dynasty, and the like. His net worth was so rich that he could dump Dong Zhi more than ten blocks down. Despite this, all the flattery was a slap on the horse’s leg*, as Long Shen didn’t accept any of them.
*(马屁拍在马腿上) Metaphor referring to wanting to please but the other party isn’t interested.
Unlike him, though, he could get treatment like sitting on the couch and having a face-to-face talk with Long Shen without giving a single thing. If Liu Qingbo knew about this, he might have become so jealous that his eyes would turn red.
But for Dong Zhi, he was like a child who “didn’t know their blessings when they were blessed1” and felt melancholic for a while before deciding to continue his efforts and keep up his perseverance. Every drop of water would wear away the stone2, and the mountains were moved by foolish men3.
1(身在福中不知福) Refers to living in happiness but not feeling happy. 2(水滴石穿) Refers to constant efforts will bring success. 3(愚公移山) Refers to having determination for victory and the courage to surmount every difficulty.
Early the next morning, Long Shen’s office welcomed a guest.
“Zong Lao.”
Long Shen welcomed her in. While he didn’t bow his head in the face of the chief director or even the higher-level leaders, he slightly lowered his head in front of this elegant middle-aged woman.
Zong Ling smiled and said, “I’m not bothering you, am I?”
Long Shen said, “No, it’s an honor to have you visit me.”
Zong Ling laughed. “It’s rare that you can joke. It seems you’re in a good mood today. Last time Wu Bingtian came to me, he said that he was afraid you would be dissatisfied with their group taking over Inner Mongolia, so he asked me to help, lest it leave some negative feelings in your heart.”
Long Shen said lightly, “He likes to think too much and complicate small matters all day long. If he put as much effort as this into his cultivation, he would’ve inherited the head of Yuanming Palace long ago.”
Zong Ling said, “The two of you are the mainstays of the Special Administration Bureau, so naturally your every move attracts much attention. He has always been heavy-minded. Instead of devoting himself to cultivation, he’s more suitable for mixing in with the officialdom. Jiang Jun is a person who likes to talk about law and order the most. Wu Bingtian fits his line of thought, so it’s inevitable that there will be favoritism, but he was sent from the top. I can’t easily interfere with him, but he’s usually fine during ordinary times. If you are dissatisfied, you can contact me to complain, and I’ll report it to the higher ups.”
Long Shen ignored Zong Ling’s exhortation and said lightly, “I am not dissatisfied.”
Zong Ling nodded and said nothing more, “How is the matter of the stone tablet progressing?”
Long Shen said, “You’re here just in time. I have something to tell you.”
He briefly explained Hui Yiguang’s affairs. As she listened, Zong Ling’s carefree expression gradually disappeared.
“It seems that there are still remnants of the Archfiend.”
Long Shen said, “As long as the world exists, resentment will always be there, and so will the Archfiend. It is an endless cycle that constantly pushes back and forth. People’s hearts are chaotic and resentful, which gives the Archfiend an environment of ample nourishment. I suspect that it was not completely destroyed at Tianyuan Building during the last incident. What Dong Zhi encountered with Hui Yiguang is most likely a remnant of the Archfiend.”
Zong Ling frowned and said, “You must find its ontological source before you can completely kill it. Of the three top demons, the Archfiend is the most active. If it’s not destroyed, there will be endless trouble in the future.”
However, it’s not easy to find the source of the Archfiend. There are many sporadic records of the Archfiend being born and wiped out in history, ranging from decades to hundreds of years. However, when resentment has condensed to a certain extent, the Archfiend will gradually be revived again.
Zong Ling said, “It’s not like its body hasn’t been found before and was seriously injured. After all, two hundred years had passed yet the Archfiend had lay low and dared not act rashly.”
Long Shen smiled. “That is one of Zong Lao’s achievements.”
Zong Ling coughed lightly. “That was many years ago. You probably heard it thousands of times. It’s quite old, so don’t bother mentioning it. I thought it went too smoothly when Tang Jing and the others eliminated the Archfiend on Tianyuan Building. However, even if it wasn’t wiped out, it must’ve been severely injured during that battle, otherwise it would not have scattered itself into remnants. Since you found one of its remnants in a hospital, if you search around the area with that hospital at the center, you may be lucky enough to find its body to take it out in one fell swoop. That would be ideal.”
Long Shen nodded and said, “After Hui Yiguang’s incident, it’s most likely spooked and I have taken more precautions, but I still have this intention. I’ll send people out and try to scout the area.”
Zong Ling said, “He Yu and Kan Chaosheng have all gone to Yunnan. You have only Zhong Yuyi here now, which may not be enough. I’ll provide three groups to come and assist you.”
Long Shen said, “That’s okay.”
Zong Ling said, “Speaking of this, the second group should indeed add a few more people. Do you have any candidates you fancy for this time around?”
Long Shen didn’t speak.
Zong Ling smiled. “Then there is? How rare. I have always felt you are too strict with your subordinates, but all of them can easily take charge and lead their own team.”
Long Shen frowned slightly, obviously disapproving. “Not Kan Chaosheng.”
Zong Ling smiled and said, “Well, he hasn’t been in shape for a long time, still acts like a child and is quite greedy. You are a dignified Deputy Director of the General Administration Bureau but have so little manpower compared to the others. It would be shameful if this were to spread, but if you really fancy someone this time, you should grab them quickly. I heard Wu Bingtian has eyes on a few good seedlings. The interview scores and total scores have already been released. They are with me. Do you want to take a look and open a backdoor for any of them?
Long Shen was about to say no when a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in.”
Dong Zhi pushed open the door and walked inside. He didn’t expect there would be someone else in Long Shen’s office, so he was taken aback for a moment before he recognized the person and hurriedly bowed before politely saying, “Good morning, Ms. Zong.”
“Good morning. Are you looking for Long Shen?” Zong Ling said with a smile.
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “No, no, it’s fine. You two talk first. I won’t bother you guys.”
Zong Ling smiled. “Am I so annoying that you wanted to run away when you caught sight of me?”
Although he knew that the other party was joking, it still made him uneasy, so he told the truth of why he came. “I came to see if Boss Long would like to have a meal together at noon. Would you like to join as well, Ms. Zong?”
Zong Ling said, “It won’t be a bother?”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “Of course not. I’m just worried since the scores haven’t been announced yet that others will misunderstand if they see me with you. If you don’t mind, it’ll be an honor.”
Zong Ling waved her hand. “Come now. I was only teasing. Go on now.”
Seeing that they were talking business and that he had been given amnesty, he quickly said goodbye and closed the door as he left.
Zong Ling smiled and looked at Long Shen. “Among the people you want to recruit, is it Dong Zhi? Or is it a step further, perhaps an apprentice?”
Long Shen was silent for a moment before he said, “He has insight, understanding, and perseverance.”
Zong Ling smiled and said, “He Yu and Zhong Yuyi have the same qualities you mentioned, but if they knocked on the door and asked you to have a meal together like he did just now, I would think that you would’ve deducted their entire year’s salary.”
Long Shen said, “He’s not a member of the Special Administration Bureau, so I cannot apply my standards to him.”
Zong Ling raised an eyebrow. “After he joins group two, can you still say the same thing?”
Long Shen: “Yes.”
Zong Ling laughed. “How about we make a bet?”
Long Shen frowned. “Zong Lao!”
Zong Ling raised her hand in surrender. “Alright, alright. I know that gambling is strictly prohibited in front of you. I’m not a rule-breaker. Do you really not want to look at the scores?”
Seeing that Long Shen didn’t answer, she smiled and said, “Then I’ll leave first so I won’t disturb you.” She got up and started to walk out. The moment her hand touched the doorknob, a voice called to her.
“Zong Lao.”
Zong Ling smiled.
—
A few days later, Dong Zhi received a call from Gu Meiren.
In accordance with the order, after Li Ying and Chi Banxia, it was Dong Zhi’s and Gu Meiren’s turn to watch Hui Yiguang, but the events of that night had broken their agreement. With the efforts of Dong Zhi and the others, Hui Yiguang’s affair was completely resolved. However, Cheng Yuan and the other four failed to arrive on time, so naturally the task of protecting Hui Yiguang fell on them.
However, after that day, Hui Yiguang was no longer troubled by her mysterious incidents. Rather, the story of her unsuccessful suicide attempt at the hospital spread like wildfire, and the media even photographed her being helped out of the hospital. Although Wang Qi was not as well known as Hui Yiguang, she had been a celebrity for a while. After her car accident, there were some media reports, but she quickly lost her popularity. As soon as Hui Yiguang’s matter came to light, someone dug into it and found that Wang Qi was also hospitalized in the same hospital. Even more coincidentally, it was the same night that Wang Qi was pronounced dead.
This led to the relationship between Wang Qi and Hui Yiguang being uncovered. News of their relationship in the beginning, and the fact that they had dated the same guy, was made public to the world. Nothing was kept secret and rumors continue to spread. Many people said that Wang Qi wanted revenge, so she haunted Hui Yiguang, wanting her to accompany her to the afterlife. Some say that it was Hui Yiguang’s guilty feelings for being a thief and that she owed Wang Qi, so she went there to commit suicide. There were even those who said Wang Qi’s death was related to Hui Yiguang. It was only after the surveillance video came to light, confirming that Hui Yiguang never entered Wang Qi’s ward, that the suspicion was cleared.
Fortunately, Li Ying and the others had foresight. When they went to Wang Qi’s room that night, they used a trick to disable the surveillance for a period of time. Otherwise, this would turn into a criminal suspense case and not just a supernatural one.
Still, Hui Yiguang was not as lucky as Li Ying and the others. She was completely sucked into the vortex of public opinion. Even her boyfriend had called and told her to not meet for the time being. She simply hid at home and couldn’t even finish up her latest film for the time being. Outside her house, there were a swarm of media reporters who would crowd the area as soon as she left.
During the past two days, Dong Zhi was recuperating. Since Cheng Yuan and the others were at Hui Yiguang’s side, they wouldn’t need his intervention. He had heard all the news about her from Gu Meiren.
At that time, Gu Meiren called him and asked if he wanted to visit Hui Yiguang together. After all, they had received 300,000 from her, so it would be good to do a “follow up”. Dong Zhi wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, he agreed and made an appointment with Gu Meiren to visit Hui Yiguang together.
Kinky Thoughts:
Like I said, and maybe it’s just me, but you’re a pretty shitty friend if you start dating your best friend’s ex. And like I also said, the guy they were fighting over is hardly ever worth it.
My goodness I did not expect to delve into the philosophy of life trying to footnote idioms. Quite some heavy stuff, but very interesting. Just know that you shouldn’t judge someone just on the surface because you don’t know what kind of circumstances they’ve been through. Life’s hard and unfair. My life motto is: treat others as you want to be treated and be kind to everyone.
Oh my, Zong Ling is sure sharp. That’s a bet that Long Shen will definitely lose.
With glazed eyes and clutching his stomach, Shen Jintai thought he was wrong, very wrong. He was still working, recording a program, yet how could he die. Did he forget that Yan Qiuchi had been holding back for many days? Did he forget how scary Yan Qiuchi could be?
He didn’t forget, so he died, but he had no one to blame but himself.
While it was still midnight in France, it was already morning in China. The Reuters video of <Honey, Let’s Travel> on the Seine River had been circulating everywhere online, making Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi flood Weibo for a day.
Fang Fengmei didn’t dare to look at first, for fear that they would scold her son again. Later, she couldn’t resist, so she looked around and found that everyone was gossiping. After reading everyone’s comments, she found there was no ***.
*Clarity: Was originally censored. I would assume it’s shit talk or something of that nature.
Everyone was waiting for the official announcement. It seemed their strategy of slowly boiling a frog in hot water* was the correct path. The gold powders and passersby had generally accepted it, and because there hadn’t been an official announcement yet, everyone was looking forward to it, to the day when they officially announced their relationship to the world.
*Metaphor referring to the inability or unwillingness of people to pay attention to or respond to an emerging threat. || In this case, they were slowly making people get used to their relationship so that when they finally announce it, there won’t be much backlash since everyone got used to it.
Though extremely exhausted, he still had a show to do, so Shen Jintai had to get up early the next morning. When he got up, the first thing he did was look in the mirror and check his neck. Fortunately, Yan Qiuchi didn’t kiss his neck this time around, and what was below the neck would be covered up.
Thankfully, they did the hot springs scene yesterday, so he didn’t need to strip down. He took a long breath, supported himself on the bathroom door, and shook his leg. At least he could still walk thanks to the secret reward Xiao Ai had left him. Still, these rewards had done him more harm than good!
Because whenever Yan Qiuchi looked at it, he would say, “Don’t say you can’t do it again because I don’t believe you.”
Shen Jintai: “…”
He could barely contain his anger. “You’ve overdrawn several times! There will be no next time!”
“It’s just twice…” Yan Qiuchi said. He was restrained and gentle.
In actuality, Shen Jintai wasn’t really angry. He did quite enjoy it, and Yan Qiuchi was gentle this time around, though in their second round, Yan Qiuchi was a bit more powerful. Still, his love for Yan Qiuchi was now unprecedented, and he also enjoyed this kind of intimacy.
After washing up and getting ready, everyone was to gather at the restaurant booked by the program group for breakfast. The people in the program group stared intently at their expressions in the early morning.
“Yes, yes,” the assistant director said with some excitement. This was the kind of ambiguous and sultry feeling that they wanted. It was truly amazing how much the aura around two people changed after they had sex last night. This kind of strangeness was very shallow and light, and the inexperienced wouldn’t be able to pick it up, but for those paying careful attention, they would find a lot of clues.
Amongst the group, Wang Siyi and Tang Ye also changed. The two of them deliberately quarreled before going to bed yesterday, so Wang Siyi was pretending to be cold towards Tang Ye. However, the two actually slept together last night.
Wang Siyi and Tang Ye were already in love before they came on the show. Despite that, they were invited by the program team, and the script given to them was to act as a single man and woman who’d fall in love while traveling together.
The two of them were putting on a front. Wang Siyi’s face was cold, and despite Tang Ye’s various courtesies, she did not warm up at all. The coldness between the two of them provided a stark contrast to Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi. Their pair looked obviously sweeter than they had been in the previous two days.
For today’s shooting, they would explore the town of Evian together. The group was divided into three pairs, each with their own activities. Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi rode bicycles around the lake. The scene of two handsome guys against the backdrop of the lake and mountains was like they were filming an idol drama.
The crew had arranged two bicycles for them at the beginning. After riding for a while, Yan Qiuchi stopped and asked if Shen Jintai wanted to sit on the back of his bike.
Shen Jintai tapped his foot on the ground and said, “Why?”
“I just want to carry you.”
Since his ass felt a bit uncomfortable, he immediately got up and sat behind Yan Qiuchi when he heard his offer.
Yan Qiuchi said, “Hold on tight.”
Shen Jintai squeezed Yan Qiuchi’s waist while Yan Qiuchi took his hand and hugged him.
The program group was very happy. It seems that their scheming had not been in vain as the progression of this couple had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Once they had let go, they didn’t feel embarrassed anymore. Gradually, they had adapted to the existence of the follow-up cameras and were now displaying their intimacy more openly and acting in a more natural manner. In the latter half of their travels, Shen Jintai thought that part of it was due to the program team but also to his inner feelings. He gently pressed his head against Yan Qiuchi’s back, smelling the unique scent of Yan Qiuchi, as he recalled the events from last night.
His heart became hot, and his ear flushed red. He felt he had been completely “transformed” by Yan Qiuchi and was starting to become addicted to him. After all, this was what a young man of his age should look like when he is in love. Shen Jintai was already starting to crave the warmth of Yan Qiuchi’s body and the feeling of him biting his ears.
The show was right. The two of them have never been together like this, 24 hours a day, and now that he’s in such a situation, he has found the feeling of being in love.
Today was their free excursion. Yan Qiuchi silently made up his mind that, when the show is over, he would find another time to travel with Shen Jintai. By then, it would be just the two of them without any cameras around and he would be able to unscrupulously kiss Shen Jintai.
It wasn’t just their pair; the other two pairs had also begun to develop pink bubbles. Even Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi would occasionally have some bursts of ambiguity when they were alone.
The couples variety show was officially on track and continued this way for a week. On the day of returning back to their country, Shen Jintai and the others went to the variety show’s TV station to promote <Honey, Let’s Travel>, while Yan Qiuchi directly went back to his company headquarters.
It was early in the morning after returning from his recording as Shen Jintai dragged his tired body back to the hotel… <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> had been finalized, but he still had his room at the hotel, which remained the same. It had become his other fixed residence in the city. After taking a shower, he went to bed first. Yan Qiuchi didn’t come back until past two in the morning.
When Shen Jintai heard noises, he opened his eyes in a daze. He saw Yan Qiuchi come out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe. Seeing Shen Jintai awake, Yan Qiuchi headed back into the bathroom to blow dry his hair. He was afraid of disturbing Shen Jintai, so he was planning to let his hair air dry.
Still overcome with sleep, Shen Jintai fell asleep again until he was awoken by Yan Qiuchi at seven in the morning the next day.
“What are you doing today?” Yan Qiuchi asked while eating breakfast.
Shen Jintai laid down on the bed and ignored him. Yan Qiuchi laughed, kissed him after eating, and left for work. Shen Jintai slept until past ten before he got up. When he took a shower, he scolded Yan Qiuchi multiple times. He found that Yan Qiuchi was insatiable. The man wanted it every day and every night!
Shen Jintai had bought a lot of things from abroad. He first went back to his house to visit Shen Ruhai and Shen Xiaomei. He had lunch while he was there. Shen Ruhai asked him, “Have you been to the Yan’s house?”
Shen Jintai said, “Not yet.”
“Then go and visit them,” Shen Ruhai said.
Liu Qi smiled and said, “You really need to rest more. You’ll look better that way when you go out.”
Though the trip was supposedly a “vacation”, he was still recording a show and was on a tight schedule, so he didn’t have much chance to rest. On the other hand, his relationship with Yan Qiuchi had grown a lot closer, so he was quite satisfied with this. When Fang Fengmei saw him, she gave him a hug and said, “You look so much more energetic.”
Shen Jintai also went to visit Yan Tiefeng. Yan Tiefeng’s recovery was going well, and he could walk on crutches now.
It was mid-March, so Nancheng had started to heat up. The program team from <Honey, Let’s Travel> officially announced that at 10 a.m. tomorrow they would release the trailer for the second season. The trailer showed the scenery of France. In it, Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi had taken the lead. Yang Lizhi, who was wearing a red dress, ran desperately in her high heels. The scene was wild and enthusiastic, as behind them were the newcomers Wang Siyi and Tang Ye. Finally, Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi were the finale. Their clip was at night while they were on the cruise. They were leaning against the boat’s handrails, looking out at the illuminated Statue of Liberty. Suddenly, Shen Jintai clasped Yan Qiuchi’s hand and looked back at the camera.
This shot was done in slow motion. When Shen Jintai looked back, he smiled and raised his hands as Yan Qiuchi looked back towards him. His bright and gorgeous face gave off an icy gentlemanly demeanor as Shen Jintai’s voice provided the narration. “Honey, let’s travel.”
The trailer abruptly ended and instantly exploded.
All six people reposted this trailer on their Weibo, though the matching text was different.
Yang Lizhi and Zheng Siqi’s text was: [Setting off with friends.]
The text on Wang Siyi was: [I’m Wang Siyi. Pleasure to meet you.] Then she @Tang Ye.
Tang Ye posted: [It’s not just the scenery that’s being harvested.]
Shen Jintai was the last to post. He didn’t put any text and only @ a special account with two red hearts. When you clicked on the @ account, it was sent to an account named [Yan Qiuchi].
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, Touhua’s official announcement!”
“A top stream is a top stream. It’s been circulating for so long that it stands to reason everyone should know it by now. Still, Weibo collapsed again as soon as the official announcement was made today!”
“I was wondering why I couldn’t open Weibo anymore. Can someone take a screenshot for me *bows*! Although the two of them have long had stone hammers, I still want to see the official announcement from Touhua himself with my very own eyes!”
“Fuck. Did you see Touhua’s avatar on Weibo? He’s changed it!”
“What changed? What am I missing?”
“I don’t understand this. This is the landscape picture that Prince Yan confessed to him using all those screens in the beginning, Qiuchi Yingjintai!”
“The two of them are so romantic. I strongly suggest that if they get married in the future, they should go to such a place to take their wedding photos. Qiuchi Yingjintai, Qiuchi Rijintai!”
“The sisters upstairs are so violent, but I like it!”
“The broadcast will start in two days. Let’s squat for the ratings for the premiere!”
“As a fan who started watching this CP a few years ago, I’m really emotional right now. The love story of these two is so bloody and torturous. Now I want to cry whenever I see their love story!”
“The show hasn’t been broadcast yet, but it seems Yan Qiuchi already has a bunch of passerby fans. They all got caught up in the trailer. The two of them looking back at the scene together is too good! Among the flowers of brothers-in-law in the entertainment industry, isn’t Yan Qiuchi the most handsome, youngest, and rich?!”
“For such a top talent, he managed to slay the TV series, then slay the movies, then slay the variety show, and finally he slays in love as well?!”
“All you need is just one word: slay!”
“It’s not just Touhua who’s standing as the top flow by himself. He’s going to take his man to the top as well!”
The author has something to say:
Groundhog netizens are ready!
Kinky Thoughts:
Shen Jintai slaying so much you think he’s some kind of demon hunter, but sorry that’s Dong Zhi’s job~ Plugging in my other project: Bu Tian Gang.
To be handsome, a man must first be tall and have long legs, a good waist, and broad shoulders. Yan Qiuchi was not only 1.9 meters tall, but his proportions were excellent. His face matched perfectly with his broad shoulders, and his narrow waist and long legs were the perfect size. He was muscular but not overly buff, and his face was extremely handsome.
When he wore clothes, he looked much thinner, so no one had expected he was so well-defined underneath. Yan Qiuchi’s usual style was very different from Shen Jintai and the other two male celebrities. His usual formal attire was very low-key and rigid. Everyone couldn’t imagine what he would look like with his clothes off, and now they were stunned and speechless!
Shen Jintai, on the other hand, had always thought Yan Qiuchi was sexy with or without clothes on. He felt that Yan Qiuchi was most handsome when he was wearing a suit. With his somewhat ascetic looks and handsome facial features, he exuded a very strong sexual charm. When he took off his clothes, he was… fine.
It was obvious that his female companions regarded him as a sister, but when they looked at Yan Qiuchi, they considered him 100% full male. They were shy, surprised, and excited all at once, and they wanted to take a closer look.
Yan Qiuchi was wearing loose swimming trunks as he felt too embarrassed to wear a tight-fitting one, but even they had their drawbacks as they tend to cling to the skin after getting wet.
“Brother Chi’s in great shape,” Wang Siyi couldn’t help but compliment.
Tang Ye asked, “What about me?”
“It’s not bad, but it’s not comparable to Brother Chi.”
Tang Ye looked jealous. “It’s a pity that Brother Chi already has a master grass, so don’t be delusional. Your partner is me.”
Wang Siyi said, “Yes, what a pity!”
After speaking, she laughed and splashed a handful of water on Tang Ye’s face. Tang Ye immediately splashed back, causing Wang Siyi’s scream to fill the hot springs. There was a hint of ambiguity in the scream. In the dense water vapor, Yang Lizhi saw the staff members holding the camera as they walked towards them.
Yang Lizhi felt that with her experience in the entertainment industry for so many years, she couldn’t be robbed of her limelight on a variety show. It was obvious that the Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi pair was being supported by the program team and she couldn’t compete, but if she couldn’t even compete for beauty against a newcomer like Wang Siyi, then what was she still doing in the industry!
She immediately loosened off her bath towel and let out a soft scream that attracted the attention of the follow-up camera. The bath towel became loose, so she immediately covered her chest and squatted into the water. Zheng Siqi was very gentlemanly and blocked the follow-up camera lens.
She was, after all, a popular actress, so she had to make a name for herself. Yang Lizhi clenched her hand and said, “Jintai.” Since Shen Jintai was gay, it was more appropriate to ask him for help, and by interacting with him, she could rub off his heat.
Shen Jintai walked over as soon as he heard this and found that the knot on Yang Lizhi’s bath towel had opened and the outermost circle had loosened. Before he could stretch out his hand to help, Wang Siyi had swum over first and asked, “Sister Yang. What’s wrong?”
Without waiting for Yang Lizhi to respond, she let out an “Ah” and quickly stretched out her hand to fasten Yang Lizhi’s towel.
Yang Lizhi: “…”
Shen Jintai laughed inwardly. These two female stars shouldn’t be taken lightly. It was obvious that Yang Lizhi didn’t like Wang Siyi and made very little effort to hide it. However, Wang Siyi had always behaved sweetly and liked to rely on Yang Lizhi. Both had different paths. Yang Lizhi took the route of the beautiful queen, whereas Wang Siyi was the delicate little princess. As far as the program was concerned, both of them were pretty dedicated to their route, which made for a distinctive showing.
While the director felt that those two were pretty dedicated, the least dedicated were Yan Qiuchi and Zhang Siqi. They had on serious expressions as they sat to the side and chatted, ignoring the schemes of the production crew.
Relatively speaking, Zheng Siqi was the most low-key. After recording these two days, it felt like he was an invisible person. His outer personality is supposed to be cold and handsome, but his actual personality was honest and gentle, which was why he was particularly suitable to become friends with.
After soaking for about half an hour, everyone came out of the pool one by one. The staff handed bathrobes to the female stars and bath towels to the male stars. Shen Jintai took his towel and tied it around his waist. When he saw Yan Qiuchi coming out of the pool, he blocked the camera filming them. It’s just that this scene was caught by his follow-up camera, which captured his smile.
After soaking in the hot spring, it was already late at night. Shen Jintai felt hungry as he didn’t have much to eat that night, and the other guys were in the same boat, so they proposed to find a restaurant to eat at together.
At this time, very few restaurants were open, so the six people wandered around the streets and finally found a Chinese restaurant that was still open. The owner is Cantonese and was very excited when he saw their group stop in. “A friend in my country told me that there were stars coming here to record a show. I thought he was just joking around.”
He knew three of the six people, as he had seen <The East Palace is Coming>. He also knew some of Shen Jintai’s gossip, but it was only a little, so he had assumed that Shen Jintai and Zheng Siqi were lovers both inside and outside the drama.
“You two are a perfect match,” the owner couldn’t help boasting as he served them food.
Shen Jintai smiled and tilted his head towards Yan Qiuchi and asked the boss, “Then do you think I am worthy of this gentleman?”
The owner said, “You’re a better match for the prince.”
Everyone laughed. Shen Jintai looked at the camera, a bit nervous and excited, as he patted Yan Qiuchi’s arm and said to the owner, “He’s my boyfriend.”
Wang Siyi wasn’t shy during dinner, as she kept asking about their relationship.
When did they meet? When did they get together? Why did they go on this show?
It felt like she was interviewing them on behalf of the program group and the netizens. Since they were on the program together, Shen Jintai gave her some face and answered her questions.
Suddenly, Yang Lizhi, who had been listening quietly on the sidelines, raised her head and asked, “What do you like about him?”
“Speak well,” Yan Qiuchi said as he looked at Shen Jintai.
Shen Jintai drank some wine, causing his face and ears to flush. He gave a laugh and said, “I like everything. He’s perfect, don’t you think?”
Zheng Siqi and the others heckled, “Can you tell the truth?”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “Really, except for being a bit too sappy*, there are no other shortcomings!”
*Tired of crooked (腻歪) Refers to feeling bored or disgusted because of repetitive action or doing some intimate things between lovers and saying intimate words. || In this context, he’s saying Yan Qiuchi is very clingy and too lovey-dovey.
Zheng Siqi and the others made angry expressions, acting as if they couldn’t believe his answer. Wang Siyi excitedly asked, “Is Brother Chi sappy? I can’t imagine it at all!”
Yan Qiuchi kept one arm across the back of Shen Jintai’s chair as he smiled shyly and touched his ear. “Did you drink too much?”
Yang Lizhi, who has always acted as an icy queen, softened her stance. She brushed her hair to the side and smiled as she asked Yan Qiuchi, “Then President Yan, what do you like about Jintai?”
“Of course, it’s because I’m handsome!” Shen Jintai said.
“Don’t speak. Let President Yan answer.” Yang Lizhi smiled as she raised her wine glass.
Alcohol had loosened everyone up.
Yan Qiuchi looked at Shen Jintai and saw that his cheeks were flushed. Following Yan Qiuchi’s earlier response, Shen Jintai said, “Think about it carefully and just say it.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “The first time I felt attracted to him was when he was filming <The East Palace is Coming>. I had a dream about him one night.”
Yan Qiuchi’s follow-up camera was in the corner. When he heard Yan Qiuchi speak, he immediately zoomed in on him.
“I felt that he was a bit different from what I originally thought, and I wanted to get to know this person better. The closer I got to him, the more frightened it made me feel, and the stronger I felt for him. In fact, mixed in is a bit of a fan’s love for an idol. I was his fan that was secretly chasing The East Palace at that time.”
“Then Brother Chi should be the most inspirational fan, being able to sleep… as the first person ever to catch his idol!” After Tang Ye finished speaking, he laughed out loud at the “slip of the tongue” he made just now.
“I’m full of dog food today,” Yang Lizhi said.
When the meal was over, everyone went back to their respective residences. They first bid farewell to Wang Siyi and Tang Ye, then separated from Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi. In the end, it was only the two of them left, being followed by the camera.
Everything around town was basically closed, and it was so quiet that the slightest sound of the wind could be heard. The stars were glowing brightly in the sky. Shen Jintai asked, “Did you really secretly chase <The East Palace is Coming>? I didn’t know.”
“There’s much you don’t know,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai said, “You’re really deceptive in appearance. I can’t tell what kind of person you are at all, but…”
“But what?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
Shen Jintai glanced back at the camera behind him, then covered the mic on his body with his hand before standing on his tiptoes lightly and leaning into Yan Qiuchi’s ear to whisper something. Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “I still have my mic on.”
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment. “Fuck!” After speaking, he realized he couldn’t say “fuck”.
Yan Qiuchi said, “It’s fine. They’ll censor it.”
Shen Jintai said, “But they probably recorded what I said just now.”
“It’s natural for the two of us to get along. After all, we like each other.”
Shen Jintai smiled, then suddenly grabbed Yan Qiuchi’s hand and ran away. The two of them ran fast. The cameraman was holding onto heavy and expensive machinery, and there were rocks and such on the street, so he didn’t dare run too fast, so he was quickly left behind. Shen Jintai turned his head and shouted, “Good night! See you tomorrow!”
Since they were going back, the two cameramen stopped chasing them. Seeing as they weren’t followed anymore, Shen Jintai stopped running. He turned off the mic on his body and reached out to turn off Yan Qiuchi’s mic as well.
“Now it’s possible to do something natural,” Shen Jintai said with a smile. As he said it, he kissed Yan Qiuchi on the lips.
Yan Qiuchi smiled and put his arms around his waist. “Let’s go back to the hotel. There are no cameras there.”
Shen Jintai asked, “What do you want to do?”
“Do something natural, of course,” Yan Qiuchi said.
The two kissed as soon as they entered their room. After holding back for so long, once it was released, it was like the sky was thunderous and the earth was on fire.
Shen Jintai said, “I seem to be falling more in love with you.”
“I can see it,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Being on this show was worth it.”
Shen Jintai used to be relatively passive. Yan Qiuchi had to grind hard for a long time if he wanted to sleep with him. Now, he felt that Shen Jintai’s desire for him was growing, as his eyes would always light up whenever he looked at him.
As soon as Yan Qiuchi unbuttoned Shen Jintai’s shirt, he saw that Shen Jintai’s neck was completely flushed, due to the reward that was given to him. He would always turn red when he felt emotional, and right now he was particularly emotional.
Yan Qiuchi suddenly let go of him and said, “I’ll check again.”
He was worried that the crew would leave cameras or microphones in the room. There was a certain side of Shen Jintai that no one in the world could see or hear except for him. This was his gluttonous feast that belonged only to him and him alone.
The author has something to say:
See, Xiao Chi won’t let you see it!
Kinky Thoughts:
More like the Chinese government won’t let us see it!
Taking into account the program, Shen Jintai had tried asking passersby in his broken English for directions. After asking several questions, he didn’t understand what they told him. He then followed Yan Qiuchi around two blocks and suddenly found himself in front of a hotel. When he saw it, he thought he had entered a shooting scene, as it looked exactly like the photo in his hand.
It was just that the angle they were standing at now was different from the one in the photo, but examining the exterior wall closely, it was almost the same.
While trying to find the angle to match the one in the photo, he heard someone yelling, “Ahhhhhhhhh stop!”
He hurriedly looked back and saw Tang Ye and Wang Siyi rushing towards them like a wind. Shen Jintai immediately ran towards the hotel entrance and rushed Yan Qiuchi. “Hurry! Hurry!”
Both teams had found the same hotel, so chances were, this was the correct one!
Yan Qiuchi smiled and followed Shen Jintai into the hotel with their suitcases.
Tang Ye panted and stopped at the hotel entrance and saw Shen Jintai standing behind the glass door, waving triumphantly. “I’m sorry!”
Wang Siyi also ran over. Her face was flushed, and she was heavily panting. “It’s too… bullying! I was almost there! Where did you come from? How could you be faster than us!”
“If I were you, I would try to find the second hotel quickly. I heard Siqi and Yang Lizhi say their goal is the second hotel,” Shen Jintai said.
Tang Ye straightened up as soon as he heard this, pulled his suitcase, and, together with Wang Siyi, they hurriedly ran away again.
“I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I really can’t run anymore.” Wang Siyi clutched her stomach and waved her hand.
Shen Jintai smiled, turned around and walked towards the counter. When he saw the brand of yogurt sponsored by the program group in the hall, he knew they had found the right place. Yan Qiuchi went over to talk to the front desk, and Shen Jintai looked at him with admiration.
He was really captivated by Yan Qiuchi. After looking for a few seconds, he suddenly realized that the camera was capturing his face. Only then did he realize how lustful his expression had been just now, and he immediately restrained himself and gave a thumbs up to the camera, pretending that he was overly excited.
“How did you know it was closer to take the alley?” He asked Yan Qiuchi as he walked.
Yan Qiuchi said, “Didn’t you see the map of the town?”
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment. “No. I thought you had been here before.”
“I guess a few of them didn’t see it either,” Yan Qiuchi said with a smile. “But there is also an element of luck, and luckily I was right.”
Pushing open the door to their room, Shen Jintai couldn’t help but marvel. “It’s really super luxurious.”
He opened the door to the balcony and saw a small round table with two chairs. On the table was the yogurt provided by the sponsor. He opened it, sat down on the chair, and started eating it as he gazed out at the view. Lake Lemans was blue like the sky and incredibly beautiful, like a piece of jade. In the distance, there were towering snow-capped mountains. The view was exhilarating.
Yan Qiuchi never came over. Shen Jintai got up while eating his yogurt, saw Yan Qiuchi come out of the bedroom, went to another bedroom, and then came out again, and said, “There are really no cameras.”
Shen Jintai almost forgot about this and immediately double-checked when he heard his words. Soon, the people from the program team came over and wanted to interview them. Shen Jintai chose to give the interview on the balcony. He felt that the scenery was beautiful enough and that it would look better when it was broadcast.
He felt that the program team was most intimate with him, as they seemed to be everywhere. The setting sun was dimming outside, but its light was still very strong. He asked Yan Qiuchi to sit beside him and went to the camera to take a look before adjusting his position. Since he was a professional in this regard, Yan Qiuchi fully obeyed his instruction, moving his body bit by bit according to what Shen Jintai said.
“I’m very curious. It seemed that everyone was walking straight in the direction of the church, but why did you choose a different path all of a sudden?”
Shen Jintai said, “I asked him this, and he said that he had noticed the map on the side of the road.”
“But there is no name of the hotel in the photo, so you can’t tell if you just look at the direction, right?”
Shen Jintai looked at Yan Qiuchi. “Then I have to ask President Yan.”
Yan Qiuchi lightly took out the photo to explain, listing three reasons:
First, since the program team prepared the most luxurious hotel rooms, he felt that it must be one of the most famous hotels in the area. It wouldn’t be an unknown small hotel, and as such, most hotels in town besides the very big ones that are marked on the map are eliminated.
Second, the corner of the church is shown in the photo. The height should be a room above four floors. The snow-capped mountains cannot be seen behind the church, which determines the location of the hotel.
Third, it was based on his intuition. He felt that as a tourism program, they wanted to show off the beautiful scenery of Evian as much as possible, so the location of the hotel must be in an ideal area where both the mountains and lake are visible.
Shen Jintai said, “I saw the church.”
Everyone was basically like this. They all headed straight to the church from the beginning and, after finding it, would search for the hotel.
“It’s also luck,” Yan Qiuchi said politely.
“Did you really not put any cameras or microphones in this room?” Shen Jintai asked.
The director smiled and said, “I really didn’t. I hope everyone can have fun in Evian. You can take a break, and after the other two groups settle down, we’ll all meet at city hall.”
After the program crew left, Shen Jintai went to the bedroom to change clothes. As soon as he took off his shirt, he saw Yan Qiuchi come in.
“All gone?”
Yan Qiuchi said, “Nn. Xiao Fan isn’t following me anymore, so I’m a little bit unaccustomed.” Xiao Fan is Yan Qiuchi’s follow-up cameraman.
Shen Jintai smiled, bent over, and took off his pants, exposing his fair body and glorious ass. Yan Qiuchi asked, “What do you want to wear?”
“I want to wear the blue plaid shirt.”
Yan Qiuchi opened one of the suitcases and took out his plaid suit and also a gray suit. What surprised Shen Jintai was that he not only remembered which suitcase had the plaid shirt, but that before they joined the program, the costume designer had matched all their outfits together, and Yan Qiuchi listened to his advice and remembered them all. This ability was as terrifying as his skill at making people’s stomachs bulge!
After changing their clothes, they all gathered at the City Hall. At this time, dusk had settled in, and the lights were turned out. It was quite cold in March. Everyone was dressed formally, and Yang Lizhi and Wang Siyi both wore evening dresses.
The most handsome of the men was Yan Qiuchi. It wasn’t just his face, but when everyone was dressed in formal wear, nothing was more suitable than this than him.
The local government had set up a banquet to entertain them. Because Yan Qiuchi was there, none of the translators invited by the program team came in handy. Today, not only did Yan Qiuchi give him a lot of face, but Shen Jintai felt that he gave the entire program group face. He was proficient in French and had an extraordinary appearance that gave him a gentlemanly demeanor.
If he hadn’t joined the program, he wouldn’t have known all these good qualities about Yan Qiuchi!
Although they are celebrities, they were still nervous about attending such an occasion. After all, these people are from the local government, and they were in a way representatives from China, so they couldn’t afford to embarrass their own country. Everyone was on their best behavior that night, even Tang Ye, who was usually impulsive but held back and acted like a shy gentleman.
Yan Qiuchi had slayed the entire audience.
Their program schedule was compact. After the dinner party, they have to walk to the hot springs. Because of this, Shen Jintai didn’t dare eat much, fearing that he would be uncomfortable if he was too full while soaking in the hot springs.
Walking through Evian at night, the air was moist and full of fragrance from the flowers, and the weather was a bit cold. The scene of a group of young men and women in formal clothing walking along the streets covered with flowers and stone houses was beautifully shot. Though the night dimmed visibility, everyone was glowing like stars.
Tang Ye kept complaining about their accommodations. “There’s really only one bed, and it’s in the attic! I have to bend over whenever I go up, and the window is this big.” He gestured with his hands.
Wang Siyi, whose accommodations were downstairs, wasn’t any better. Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi managed to find the medium-quality hotel, and according to them, it was similar to the suite they stayed at in Paris.
Tonight would be the highlight for them. If they wanted to soak in the hot springs, they would have to undress and show off their bodies. The cameramen and the program crew sat on opposite sides, with Guo Weimin sitting in the middle.
The crew chose an open-air hot spring, so it was very large. Dense water vapors could be seen smoking out under the night sky. Around the area were rocks that were covered with lush vegetation and flowers, and a large lamp illuminated the entire hot springs.
They began changing out of their clothes and came out in turns, covered by a white bathrobe. When Shen Jintai came out, he felt the chill of the cold air. He tested the water temperature of the hot springs and thought it wasn’t as hot as he expected. Most hot springs in France seemed to be medium to low temperature.
Yang Lizhi had originally brought a sexy swimsuit. Although she rarely shoots sensuous TV series, her figure was quite hot as she was blessed with a big chest and a thin waist. She wanted to blind the audience’s eyes with her beauty this time, but the program team had checked her clothes in advance and said they were too revealing. Even the ones that weren’t too revealing weren’t approved by the program team, as her chest was too big that even if she wore a conservative swimsuit, it would still be a bit over the line. Thus, with no other option, Yang Lizhi could only wrap herself in a bath towel.
However, to show off her good figure, she wrapped the towel tightly around herself so all her curves could be highlighted.
Wang Siyi had an average figure, so she wore a pink swimsuit that fully covered her.
Among the male stars, Zheng Siqi turned out to have the worst figure. Since he was young, he didn’t exercise much. His figure was lean. Tang Ye obviously worked out, as his upper body was strong, but his lower body was a bit too short. When he came out, he immediately jumped into the hot spring, causing a big splash. Wang Siyi screamed, and Yang Lizhi was hit in the face by the oncoming water. She has gotten used to this pair by now.
Shen Jintai’s expression was calm, and he sighed inwardly. He knew the intention of the program group and what they wanted to show the audience. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made them “present” themselves and enter the hot springs individually like this.
Well, it doesn’t matter. He had shown a lot more in the movies and dramas he had done, and at least now he still had swimming trunks on. He untied his bathrobe and dipped into the hot springs, but found that as he got into the water, Zheng Siqi and the others were all watching him.
Shen Jintai’s figure was well-known in the entertainment industry. Everyone knew about his thin waist, long legs, and glorious ass. Along with his fair complexion, it gave him a kind of ethereal glow under the lights.
Seeing him in person like this, even Yang Lizhi was surprised, not to mention the rotten queen, Wang Siyi.
So white and pink, wooooo.
Just halfway through their conversation, Yan Qiuchi had started to untie his bathrobe.
Holy fucking shit!
The delicate Wang Siyi couldn’t help but curse loudly in her mind. The best man on earth had just descended from heaven.
The author has something to say:
God descended to earth? Author, you exaggerate too much! What an ancient term is this!
Author: As the best male protagonist in a danmei, please imagine that he’s the best male god in the world!
Shen Jintai was in a more complicated mood. He originally wanted to work so he could “recuperate”, but now that he was “working” on a show, he suddenly felt a strong urge towards Yan Qiuchi. He thought that Yan Qiuchi looked more handsome, felt much better, and was more charming than usual.
Feeling this way, he expected that something would happen tonight, and he was looking forward to it. He licked his lips and turned to look at Yan Qiuchi. His face was incredibly handsome as he drove wholeheartedly with an icy demeanor.
There was a camera that was installed in front of them, so Shen Jintai tried his best to behave naturally as he said, “It’s the first time I’ve been to the countryside in Europe. The scenery here is really good.”
Evian was a famous tourist destination. Now that it was spring, the drive there was full of vitality.
—
On a domestic forum.
“Has anyone seen the video of Touhua recording a variety show that broke out on Weibo?”
“Where is he? Didn’t he go abroad?”
“In Paris, on the Seine. A Chinese tour group ran into them while he was filming <Honey, Let’s Travel>.”
“Whether it’s a photo or a video, please share it quickly so we can be happy together.”
Someone immediately posted a Reuters video. The video was quite long and was dimly lit. Through a group of staff members holding cameras, Shen Jintai, Zheng Siqi, and the others were sitting around and chatting. Not bothering to mention Yang Lizhi and the other eighteenth-tier stars, everyone was focused on the big flow.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, Yan Qiuchi is next to Touhua. It’s really Yan Qiuchi!”
“I guess we finally got the stone hammer. Touhua really took the Prince to film a variety show. Damn, I’m a little excited. I guessed several times that they were going to announce their relationship, but there hasn’t been any news from the two of them yet. I thought they were just keeping a low profile, but the two actually went on a variety show! How much did the station pay to actually convince Touhua to make his relationship public on their show?!”
“This variety show is going to explode. I can’t wait to see it!”
“Compared with the big stars such as Touhua and Prince Ying, I want to see what kind of person this legendary top is!”
“Me too. I have always heard the legends of Prince Yan, but I really don’t know what he’s really like. I haven’t even heard his voice, but watching the video, he’s so handsome and his face is like a star!”
“I want to watch, I want to watch, I want to watch! When will this show be broadcast?!”
“It seems that the broadcast is about to start soon. This show has been scheduled for a long time. It should have started recording at the end of February but was delayed until now due to the Touhua couple, so I heard the film crew has been rushing it.”
“Hahahaha, Touhua couple. Who made this name? It sounds pretty good.”
“The broadcast will start in mid-March. Unsurprisingly, the program team will start promoting it in two days. The first variety show to feature a gay couple in China, it’s unreasonable if it doesn’t explode!”
“If all the TV series, movies, and variety shows reach the top, this means that Touhua is really awesome!”
“I’m tired of saying the word slay!”
The gold powders moved when they heard the sound.
“The control and evaluation team are ready. The anti-black powder group is ready! The topic group is ready! I have said it before, and I’ll say it again! At this point, whether you like Yan Qiuchi or not, it’s already an established fact. He and our brother are now both prosperous, so we need to put aside our personal emotions and join the battle for him!”
“Now it’s time that Brother Jin needs us. Although this relationship is well known, it has not been made public yet. In order to prevent black powder from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, everyone must pay attention to the trend of public opinion during the recent period to ensure that it will not affect Brother Jin’s career. I know that we are all fans of Brother Jin’s career!”
“Although, as a fan, I shouldn’t spread the Reuters video, I’m still tempted to be a groundhog. Ahhhhhhh, I really didn’t think my brother would shoot a variety TV show, and it’s my favorite travel variety show to boot!”
“The catch is that my brother also brought Yan Qiuchi with him. Alas, I hope Yan Qiuchi will behave better and won’t drag my brother down. I mainly eat my brother, so I’ll watch even if it’s hard to.”
“I just beg them not to be too sweet. Otherwise my heart will hurt while watching them. I still can’t accept the fact that the goose was taken away!”
“Me too. I hope he has fewer shots and less interaction with my brother, and that my brother will be cold to him and turn him into a licking dog. Thank you!”
“Sisters upstairs, are you not afraid of the real fragrance law?”
“Hahahaha, I’m already so fragrant. Yesterday, I searched the Internet for Yan Qiuchi’s information. He’s a complete male god. My brother is very discerning!”
“Can it be considered fragrant to Yan Qiuchi? Hahaha, my greatest tolerance is to not dislike for the sake of my brother!”
The Reuters video quickly circulated on the Internet. The relationship between Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi had been rumored for ages, but they hadn’t officially made it public yet. Once the Reuters video appeared, it was basically a stone hammer that confirmed it.
However, Shen Jintai and the others were still on the road and knew nothing about it. Before leaving Paris, the crew confiscated their phones.
They arrived in the town of Evian a little past four in the afternoon. They were only on the edge of town when the program group began their plan. Shen Jintai looked out the car window and saw the program team’s car parked in front of them. Guo Weimin was leaning on the car, waving to them.
After stopping their cars, they all got out and gathered together.
“I knew that the program team would not be so kind and would definitely make us do tasks,” Tang Ye said.
Guo Weimin smiled and said, “What do you think of the small town in front of you?”
Shen Jintai gave two thumbs up and shouted, “Beautiful!”
It truly was. The landscape and plant life are all magnificent. In the distance were the snow-capped alps that were right in front of them. Most of the homes were stone houses with white walls and red tiles. The solemn and cold European-style buildings gave off tranquility and warmth as they basked in the sun, creating a tender scene.
“Today, I arranged for everyone to stay in three different hotels, but the rooms for each of them are not the same. Right now, I have the photos of three hotels in my hand. The size and price are all different. The good ones are very good. It includes a super-luxurious suite that has its very own spa. You also have a view of the entire Lake of Le Mans. The bad room is very poor and only has a single bed. Which room you get determines whether you win or lose in the game we’re about to play.”
Everyone wasn’t surprised by this kind of routine. It’s impossible for the program team to just keep quiet and let them eat and play in peace. With the recording process complete, each pair sent their representative to take the photos.
“The way of the game is also very simple. Look at the photos of these hotels in my hand and try to find them in the town. The one who arrives first will get the room.”
Tang Ye and the others immediately objected when they heard this. “We can’t speak any foreign languages. When it comes to direction, Brother Chi has the advantage!”
“Our program group is fair,” Guo Weimin said with a grin. “Since Yan Qiuchi’s foreign language skills are excellent, he’ll be able to find the hotel just by asking someone. For the sake of fairness, it will be up to Shen Jintai to find it. Yan Qiuchi can only stay by his side, and during this entire period he cannot speak.”
“That’s too unfair. I can’t even tell the difference between north and south!” Shen Jintai wailed. He had a poor sense of direction, so once he lost his direction, he wouldn’t even know which side the sun was on, let alone where he was.
“It takes two people to enter the hotel together to win. The other two pairs have girls, and they definitely don’t run as fast as you two with your luggage,” The director said with a smile.
“Alright then.” Shen Jintai immediately took the suitcase out of the trunk.
With an order from the director, six people pushed their suitcases along and started running on the road. The road conditions are good, so the luggage was not too strenuous. However, Yang Lizhi wore high heels, so she ran so slowly that even Wang Siyi, who looked daintily, passed them. Yang Lizhi gritted her teeth, took off her high heels, and ran barefoot.
Zheng Siqi kept laughing while pulling two suitcases in the back. Yang Lizhi, who’s wearing a red dress, turned her head and said, “Hurry up, hurry up. This old lady* is freezing to death.”
*(老娘) When used to refer to yourself, it’s a vulgar, conceited way for young women to refer to themselves.
After speaking, she immediately pointed to her follow-up camera and said, “Cut off ‘old lady’!”
Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi were at the front. As they were running, Shen Jintai looked at the photos. The production team had inserted this game to spice things up for the show. Everyone’s sights were set on the hotel with the best conditions, and he was determined to win. “This blue-domed building must be a church. We have to find the church first.”
Evian Town had a checkerboard layout. All the houses were made of stone, so they all had a similar appearance. Shen Jintai was running when he suddenly stopped because he saw a particularly beautiful house that had a particularly stunning window. In the middle were two flowerpots with red flowers in them that looked entrancing. As soon as he stopped, Tang Ye and Wang Siyi jumped ahead from behind him.
Shen Jintai was shocked. Where did that delicate Wang Siyi go?!
He immediately chased him wildly. Yan Qiuchi grabbed him and motioned for him to turn around and enter the alley next to him.
Shen Jintai glanced at Tang Ye and Wang Siyi, who were far ahead, when he heard, “You should go that way.”
Yan Qiuchi glanced at the follow-up camera next to him. “Can I speak?”
Zheng Siqi came from behind as he was pulling his luggage and pointed at him. “Foul!”
“He didn’t say anything!” Shen Jintai shouted immediately. As soon as he finished shouting, he saw Yang Lizhi carrying her high heels as she passed them like a breeze.
What’s wrong! Why does everyone suddenly look as if they’ve been injected with chicken blood!
But this would make the show better. Shen Jintai planned to listen to Yan Qiuchi’s suggestion, so the two turned into the alley next to them. At the end of the alley were some steps. Before Shen Jintai had a chance to reach out to carry his suitcase, he saw Yan Qiuchi had already taken it with one hand and started walking up the steps as if he were flying, leaving Shen Jintai and the follow-up camera watching from the back stunned.
Shit. He knew Yan Qiuchi was strong but didn’t expect him to be this strong!
The program team suddenly found that they were worried for nothing. Last season, they played the game of “the negative person choosing a room”. The men would have to carry the women, either on their backs or in the princess carry style. The pink glow was constant, and there were many jokes. After the broadcast, the response was particularly good, so they wanted to use it again, but seeing as there was a same-sex couple and while Shen Jintai wasn’t fat by any means, he was still tall and well-proportioned, it would be tough to carry. It was also estimated that Yan Qiuchi, a son from a rich family, wouldn’t have the strength either, so the program team could only give up.
Originally, they planned to support Yan Qiuchi in case he couldn’t support himself. If he had gotten tired after a few steps, it wouldn’t be conducive to the mold they were trying to shape him into. Looking at him now, Yan Qiuchi may look thin, but in fact, he turned out to be extremely strong and was full of strength!
The author has something to say:
Xiao Chi is big everywhere.
Very similar to crew cut guy, who can also hold a certain object up!
Kinky Thoughts:
I translated Bai Qingquan’s gong as buzz cut guy, but his hair style is more in line with a crew cut than a buzz cut. Will fix that in earlier translations when I have time.
Kinky Translations 