Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch138

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 138: Try a Few More Times

When all this happened, Li Meilan was looking at Headline Entertainment’s Weibo post. After reviewing all the comments, she found that most of them were guessing that it was Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi. Rumors have surrounded these two for a long time, but there has never been clear evidence. [Secret of the East Palace] did seem to be talking about them.

She felt a bit guilty because she felt that it could potentially be Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi. The two of them were staying in the same hotel and on the same floor. She wasn’t sure if people would make a fuss about this.

There’s also the fact that Yan Qiuchi had entered Shen Jintai’s room once, which she didn’t know about beforehand. It was better to prevent things from happening, as she’s been doing for a long time now. Hearing Yan Qiuchi buying a watch and gifting it to Shen Jintai to show off his love, Li Meilan immediately contacted the rest of her team and the PR team to link up with several marketing accounts to push the topic of [Delivery at Charity Dinner].

She saw that there was a high probability that Shen Jintai would be with Yan Qiuchi. She needed to seize every opportunity she could and make a move for the two of them so that the negative impact was minimized.

“The jade pendant of The East Palace, the watch of JinQiu. This is a wonderful line. I feel we can take advantage of it,” Xiao Tang said. “Since the East Palace favorability is high, we can rub President Yan against it. Have a water army write some articles on it.”

“Golden autumn*?” Li Meilan was taken aback for a moment.

*Clarity: JinQiu translated means golden autumn.

Xiao Tang: “It’s Brother Jin and President Yan Qiuchi.”

“Hahahaha.” Li Meilan said, “You don’t say. Netizens are quite good at coming up with names.”

Xiao Tang: “Then do you know the names of Brother Jin and President Yan’s CP fans?”

Li Meilan was even more surprised. “Do they still have CP fans?”

Xiao Tang: “Yes, it’s called Qiuchi Yingjintai.”

“Wow,” Li Meilan said. “That’s pretty good too.”

Since receiving the watch, Shen Jintai returned to his seat and had no intention of raising his placard again. His heart was beating furiously, and he felt as if he had become the center of attention. Bai Qingquan kept touching him secretly with his feet and raising his eyebrows at him.

The charity dinner was still in progress. Yan Qiuchi sat down for a bit and then left the table. Fang Yun was already waiting for him outside. When he got into the car, he said, “Go to Lawyer Zhuo.”

Mr. Zhuo wasn’t the lawyer for Sunshine Media but was the lawyer for the Yan family and was quite well-known in the industry. Since Headline Entertainment always acted villainously, this time, in order to protect Shen Jintai, he had to pay them off. Still, he was quite unhappy with this situation. When he arrived at Lawyer Zhuo’s home, he consulted with him about the relevant legal issues. Lawyer Zhuo regretfully told him, “There’s no prohibition in the law regarding this.”

There was currently no press law in this country, especially when the news was reporting on a public figure, so there was no clear regulations or boundaries. There had been a few celebrities who had sued Headline Entertainment in the past for invasion of privacy and defamation, but none of them were successful.

Headline had been in the entertainment industry for years. They knew exactly what the legal boundaries were, and they skirted around them very well.

“If you want to deal with them, you can only start with online platforms. However, this is more difficult. Weibo needs traffic, so they generally don’t block influential entertainment accounts that drive them.”

There were countless stars that had connections and influence behind them, and many were ruined by Headline’s candid shots and breaking news. They had been through many battles, and if they could have been brought down, this would have happened a long time ago.

However, Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai were now almost officially dating. With Shen Jintai’s popularity, it wouldn’t be just Headline Entertainment that would be eyeing him. It wasn’t a viable solution long-term to use money to pay them off every time they got photographed.

He must hurry and catch up with Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai has been loosening, and the only obstacle left was public opinion. The show he put on tonight would be regarded as the first wave. He would make a few more bigger contributions on the next few waves.

“Contact Lao Jiang and the others in the public relations department and ask them all to come to the hotel… And Zhang Yuan, call him too,” He said to Fang Yun.

Fang Yun had a hunch that the boss was planning to make a big move and felt it was certainly related to Shen Jintai.

Ooooohhhhhhh~

She was so excited. As both a gold powder and one of Yan Qiuchi’s admirers, she felt that an excellent man like Yan Qiuchi should be worthy of a man like Shen Jintai.

When the charity dinner ended, it was already past 10. Artists greeted and bid farewell to each other as they left one after another. It was still snowing heavily outside. When Shen Jintai came out, Li Meilan immediately made him put on a down jacket. He went over to say goodbye to Mrs. Yan, who hugged him and looked to be in a good mood. She felt that it wouldn’t be long now before Shen Jintai officially became a family member.

“It’s cold. Take care of your body and come visit me when you have time,” Mrs. Yan said.

Shen Jintai felt that due to his relationship with Yan Qiuchi, he had grown even closer to Mrs. Yan. He also felt that part of his liking Yan Qiuchi was because of Mrs. Yan. Xiao Ai was right. To have such a mother-in-law… Ah, no, to have such a mother; he would definitely benefit from more love in his married life.

Zheng Siqi and Bai Qingquan were still waiting for him. After sending Mrs. Yan to the car, Shen Jintai immediately walked over while tightly wrapped in his jacket. Zheng Siqi was rubbing his hands together as he asked, “Let’s find a place for the three of us to have a couple of drinks?”

“Won’t work today. I have to get up early tomorrow for filming,” Shen Jintai said. “Let’s schedule something for next time.”

Bai Qingquan, who still remembered the post from Headline Entertainment, said, “Headline hasn’t deleted their post yet. It’s still hanging at the top. Since it’s so late now, they probably won’t break the news until tomorrow. They probably didn’t want the charity dinner to distract people from it. You two need to be alert.”

“I’m fine. The scandal between Yang Lizhi and I is fake. If Headline Entertainment explodes us, it will give me free publicity,” Zheng Siqi said. “It’s Jintai. You have to pay attention. I think you and President Yan have been talking about it?”

“We’re almost there,” Shen Jintai didn’t hide it from them. “I’m not sure if I’m being secretly photographed. I always feel as if someone has been filming me recently, but I haven’t noticed anything unusual.”

“Headline Entertainment is now slowly becoming shadier. If they really have something, they will contact you to negotiate the price,” Bai Qingquan said.

Shen Jintai had almost forgotten about it. Having the conversation now, he suddenly felt a chill run through his body. He was worried about this matter. What worried him the most was not the content of the photo, but how he would respond if it really broke out.

Bai Qingquan felt happy for Shen Jintai but also felt inexplicably lost. Seeing Shen Jintai again today had finally made him completely exit the act. He felt he was seeing a good sister again, but this feeling couldn’t be explained. He would probably feel the same way if it were Zheng Siqi who fell in love, or rather, if anyone around him fell in love.

He zipped up his down jacket and said, “Okay, let’s get together another day when we have time. Don’t let the staff wait on us.”

After Shen Jintai got in the car, he went to check Headline’s Weibo post again. Li Meilan said, “They’re all guessing it’s Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi.”

Shen Jintai: “It’s not Siqi. He and Yang Lizhi had a scandal about their drama some time ago.”

Li Meilan: “It’s not you, is it?”

Besides the four of them, there were no other notable traffic stars in the East Palace.

“It could be Yang Lizhi, right? Maybe not with Zheng Siqi, but with someone else?” Xiao Tang said. “She’s already 28, so it’s normal to fall in love. I heard that she now has a boyfriend who’s a wealthy businessman.”

There wasn’t any useful information, and it was useless to worry, so they were limited in what they could do. Halfway on the ride back, Li Meilan suddenly sat up and asked in a low voice, “If, and I mean if, Headline photographed you and President Yan, shall we admit it or deny it?”

She felt denying it wouldn’t be the best option; otherwise, they would be slapped in the face when they were photographed together in the future, but they were still a long way off from admitting it.

Fortunately, gold powders’ current acceptance of Yan Qiuchi was quite high. The ridicules or blessings from passersby weren’t that important. She asked this primarily for the purpose of gossiping and determining the stage of their relationship.

Shen Jintai thought for a while and said, “Just say that it is at the stage of further understanding.”

With these words, Shen Jintai felt more relaxed. Thinking about it, he does really have feelings for Yan Qiuchi. In the past, he might not have wanted a love that could affect his career, and he didn’t want to be with Yan Qiuchi just for the sake of completing tasks to survive. But now he really did like him.

Thinking of Yan Qiuchi, he thought of the sudden gift that he gave him tonight. He was embarrassed in that moment, but more importantly, that gesture made him feel hot and filled him with indescribable pleasure. He suddenly understood the feelings of girls who shed tears of excitement when they were proposed to.

It was a kind of anxious, embarrassing feeling, but it was filled with a pleasant happiness. As a man, he could also experience this kind of sappy joy. He thought that when they were together in the future, he would also be romantic. After all, men and women both enjoyed eating romance.

Getting back to the topic at hand regarding Headline Entertainment, he felt that he needed to talk to Yan Qiuchi first. If this news was really about them, then it would mean Yan Qiuchi would be implicated again.

When he knocked on Yan Qiuchi’s room, he was surprised to find it was Fang Yun who had opened the door. Her expression showed excitement, especially when she saw him, and her eyes seemed to be twinkling, and she couldn’t stop smiling. He also discovered that there were other people in the room as well.

“That’s all,” Yan Qiuchi said. “It’s so late, I’m sorry to disturb everyone’s rest.”

“You’re too polite.” Several middle-aged men and women came out of the room, saw Shen Jintai, looked around, and then greeted him.

Shen Jintai was a little flustered. He wasn’t familiar with any of these senior executives from Sunshine Media, except for Zhang Yuan.

After everyone left, Fang Yun said, “Then, President Yan, I’ll head back first. See you tomorrow.”

Yan Qiuchi said, “Let Xiao Li take you back.”

Fang Yun didn’t decline. “Alright.” After speaking, she glanced at Shen Jintai with a smile, waved her hand slightly and left.

Shen Jintai laughed and asked, “Still working so late?”

Yan Qiuchi: “Come sit. I need to tell you something.”

Shen Jintai sat down. It was warm in the room, so he took off his jacket and looked at Yan Qiuchi with a smile.

“Headline Entertainment photographed us,” Yan Qiuchi said directly.

The smile on Shen Jintai’s face immediately disappeared. “Really? I was going to talk to you about this. What did they take?”

Yan Qiuchi showed him the video that Entertainment handed over.

“Fuck,” Shen Jintai said. “How was this taken?”

Forget the parking lot, why was there a part where it was in front of his windows from last night?!

“They took from a room in the hotel opposite of your room,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai didn’t expect something like this. He usually shuts his curtains, but the minute he left them open, he was photographed. Looking at the footage taken, both he and Yan Qiuchi were in pajamas. If this were released, it would really cause a major uproar.

Even though he and Yan Qiuchi are in love, there’s still a big difference if they appear in the same room in the middle of the night with just pajamas on.

“It has been solved,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Don’t worry.”

Shen Jintai couldn’t help but ask, “How much did it cost?”

“Not much,” Yan Qiuchi said. “I’m just telling you so you’ll know. Let’s pay better attention in the future.”

Shen Jintai watched the clips again, feeling as if this problem was squarely on him. His awareness and caution weren’t high enough. However, he was extremely popular, so there were hordes of people who wanted to capture him, and with them getting together, it would be inevitable that Yan Qiuchi would be eventually photographed with him.

“Okay, go back and wash up, then get some rest,” Yan Qiuchi said. “You don’t need to film early tomorrow.”

Shen Jintai stood up, glanced at Yan Qiuchi, and said, “You should rest early too.”

Yan Qiuchi went out with him. “When you finish showering, tell me.”

Shen Jintai looked back at him. Yan Qiuchi smiled and didn’t speak, but his pair of eyes held all his words. They were gentle and passionate.

His fiery mood at the dinner party suddenly burned up again as he said, “You can’t sleep with me. I can’t fall asleep.”

Yan Qiuchi held his two fingers, looked at him, and said, “Try a few more times, and once you get used to it, you’ll sleep just fine.”


The author has something to say:

Practice makes perfect.

A long-term love.


Kinky Thoughts:

Yan Qiuchi is so good! Get ready for some dog food!


<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch17

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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


Chapter 17

As the room settled down, Zhang Xing was the first to speak. “People from the tour group came to visit me. They asked about Yao Bin’s whereabouts, and I didn’t know what to say.”

It was impossible to tell the truth, as no one would believe it. Lao Zheng and the others have special responsibilities, and most likely they would not come forward to support Zhang Xing’s testimony.

Dong Zhi couldn’t think of a good solution. “Then what did you tell them?”

Zhang Xing said, “I just said that I was separated from Yao Bin at the time, and I don’t know what happened to him later. I heard that his parents have received the news and have set off looking for him. I don’t know how to face them when the time comes.”

As she spoke, her eyes turned red. “I still dare not tell my parents or let them come visit me. At that time… If the two of us hadn’t fallen behind… Maybe… Maybe we wouldn’t have encountered those things!”

Zhang Xing couldn’t help but sob quietly. Yao Bin’s death most likely left a permanent shadow in her heart.

Dong Zhi couldn’t bear it. “Why don’t I ask Lao Zheng for you and see what to do? No one expected this kind of thing to happen. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t feel pressured.”

After he consoled her, he persuaded her to stop her tears.

However, Yao Bin’s parents moved faster than expected, and they arrived the next morning, heading straight to the hospital accompanied by the medical team. Dong Zhi and Zhang Xing were not in the same ward, so he didn’t know the specifics of what they were discussing. He could only hear muffled voices from the door as the volume steadily increased, turning into shouts and clamors. It lasted for what seemed like hours. Eventually, Dong Zhi painfully got out of bed and ran over to see, just in time to witness police and hospital security guards accompanying a middle-aged man and woman who were surrounded by a large group of people who looked like they were relatives and friends of the Yao family.

When Lao Zheng saw the Dong Zhi, he asked, “Why did you come out?”

“It was such a ruckus, I wanted to check it out. How is it now?” Dong Zhi asked.

Lao Zheng sighed. “There’s no person in life and no corpse in death*. It’s normal for people’s parents to be anxious and angry. We have already contacted the police and will ask them to help search for the body, so it’ll bring some comfort to the family members. After all, it’s impossible to tell them the truth or give them a random body. The little girl was wrongly aggrieved by the victim’s parents. You should go and comfort her!”

*(生不见人,死不见尸) A saying referring to someone is missing or has disappeared.

After that, he lowered his voice again. “The little girl is good-looking, and she’s interested in you. Hurry up and snatch this opportunity!”

Dong Zhi felt helpless. “Isn’t this taking advantage of someone, especially given the state she’s in?”

Lao Zheng glanced at him. “No wonder you haven’t found a girlfriend yet!”

Dong Zhi thought, ‘That’s rich coming from you’, but before he could say it, Lao Zheng had already opened the door.

Zhang Xing’s eyes were really red, as if she had been crying. Dong Zhi put a small potted plant he had bought online next to her and said, “It’s very easy to raise. Just water it once a day and by the time you’re discharged from the hospital, it might grow pretty tall.”

Zhang Xing chuckled. “Then how can I take it back?”

Dong Zhi also laughed. “You can give it to other patients when you leave so that they can continue to raise it. I bought some snacks online, and I’ll give you some when they’re delivered tomorrow.”

Zhang Xing was surprised. “The doctors allowed it?”

Dong Zhi smiled and said, ” Lao Zheng secretly asked me to buy it. He was more restricted by the doctor and could only eat porridge and side dishes, but he couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Zhang Xing suddenly said, “Thank you, Brother Dong. I was able to survive because of you, and now you’re even comforting me.”

Dong Zhi patted her head. “You are already very strong. I’m just a little more experienced than you because of my parents’ death a few years ago. There are no hardships in life that you can’t get through.”

Zhang Xing looked at Dong Zhi. He had a warm smile that was just like the potted plant, full of vigor and vitality. No matter how violent the storm, there would be no haze and he would remain vibrant, even infecting the people around him with his optimism, brightening their hearts.

She plucked up the courage and suddenly said, “Brother Dong, I like you very much. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Dong Zhi was caught off guard. Seeing his reaction, Zhang Xing wanted to laugh, thinking to herself. ‘How could someone find a boy this good?’

“I know you don’t have a girlfriend, so don’t rush to reject me. It doesn’t matter if you don’t chase girls, I’ll chase you.”

“Actually, I have someone I like!” Dong Zhi finally thought of an excuse and blurted it out.

Zhang Xing was taken aback. “You are not lying to me, are you?”

“Of course not,” Dong Zhi opened his eyes and lied. “The other party doesn’t know it, and I haven’t figured out how to confess.”

Zhang Xing didn’t let him off so easily. “Then what does the other party look like?”

He continued lying. “Uh, tall, thin, pretty, not talkative…”

At that moment, a knock on the door sounded, and Dong Zhi, as if he had been granted amnesty, hurriedly opened the door under the discerning gaze of the beauty. A nurse entered, and while she came to check on Zhang Xing, he took that chance to slip away.

Outside, by the wall near the door, Lao Zheng was seen leaning against the wall, laughing wretchedly.

Dong Zhi: …

Lao Zheng sighed. “The beautiful little girl delivered herself to your doorsteps. How could you bear to refuse?”

Dong Zhi said, “When I was in school, there was a girl in my department who was liked by the school grass* of another department. At that time, the boy was surrounded by girls, but he didn’t like her to the point where he would reject the other girls for her, so he kept being ambiguous with her. Since he led her on, the girl thought that he really liked her and she fell for him even harder. Unexpectedly, she caught him kissing someone else, and it broke her heart. She confronted him, and the boy said that the person he was kissing was being amorous, and she herself was also quite dumb. She couldn’t handle his response and eventually jumped to her death. I later heard that the boy was also affected by this incident and developed some mental issues.”

*(校草) Refers to the most handsome boy in the school that is recognized by everyone.

After telling that story, he spread his hands and said, “So it’s best not to carry things like emotional debt.”

Lao Zheng hated that iron is not made of steel*. “Who told you to step on several boats? You can just choose one, and there’s one right in front of you now!”

*(铁不成钢) Idiom that describes being dissatisfied with a person who didn’t live up to your expectations and eagerly hoping that he will get better. || Basically he’s disappointed Dong Zhi didn’t make a move on her.

Dong Zhi blinked. “But I don’t like her. If I lead her on, won’t it hurt her instead?”

Lao Zheng patted him on the head. “How can a man not like a beautiful girl? Even if you say you don’t like her, if you get along with each other, you’ll eventually come to like her. Don’t be like me and regret it when you’re old!”

Dong Zhi: “Do you like Zhang Xing?”

Lao Zheng said, “I don’t like naive and crying little girls. I prefer mature women!”

“Like Wang Jie?” Dong Zhi replied happily. He still remembered the fierce and unsmiling face when he first met him. After becoming more acquainted, he found it was actually quite funny.

Lao Zheng curled his lips. “How is she considered beautiful?”

Dong Zhi didn’t respond as he silently moved a step to the side, then another step, then slowly moved back to his room as he thought, ‘You’re dead.’

Wang Jingguan’s gloomy voice came from behind Lao Zheng. “It must be hard to work with such an ugly bastard for so long, ah? I’ve really wronged you.”

“No, no, wait and listen to me! Eh? Don’t go! Wait, let me explain!” Lao Zheng cried anxiously.

A nurse reprimanded him, “Don’t be loud in the hallway! You’re disturbing other patients!”

Dong Zhi couldn’t help feeling happy.

After that, Dong Zhi didn’t visit Zhang Xing’s ward again. She often came to visit him as if that conversation they had that day had never happened. A month later, she was discharged and contacted her parents before leaving, but concealed the reason behind her broken leg. She lied and said it broke while she was climbing the mountain and she was rescued by Dong Zhi and Lao Zheng. Zhang’s father and mother came and took their daughter away in great distress. They profusely thanked Dong Zhi, and Mother Zheng even offered him money, to which he resolutely declined.

When the Zhang family left, Lao Zheng wandered over restlessly as usual and saw Dong Zhi packing up his bags.

“Yo. You suddenly found true love and planned to chase after it?”

Dong Zhi laughed. “Yeah. Going to Beijing to find my true love!”

Lao Zheng scratched his head. “How’s your reference book?”

“I read it every day.” Dong Zhi patted his backpack, indicating that he wasn’t a slacker.

Lao Zheng said again, “The difficulty of the written exam is similar to the national examination*. This year, there are more candidates than in previous years. You are considered to be part of our branch, so don’t embarrass the Northeast Branch. Last year, the recommendations we sent from our branch failed to pass the exam.”

*(国考) Method used for the national ministries, commissions, agencies, and general bureau to recruit staff to the central government. The recruitment is relatively strict. Examinations happen every fourth Sunday in November of each year. The written exam that Dong Zhi is taking is similar to this.

Hearing what he said, Dong Zhi felt disheartened. “I have found questions for the national exam in previous years and scored about 60 to 70 percent. The exam should be similar to these tests. Can anyone really get a high score?”

Lao Zheng looked embarrassed. “That’s not… The candidate we recommended last year was a green-skinned fox who had just cultivated into his human form. During the exam, he wanted to cheat with the Five-Ghost Handling Method* and asked his younger brother to steal the answers. As a result, he was caught and disqualified from the exam for thirty years. Even our Northeast Branch was hit with demerits and was shamed in front of all the other branches!”

*(五鬼搬运大法) Refers to the five ghosts in Chinese novels that take people’s property without opening people’s doors or breaking people’s boxes. The handling/transport method refers to the ghost transporting the wealth (or in this case, items) of others to your own home. See lore in Kinky Thoughts.

Dong Zhi: …

Wang Jingguan learned that he was going to Beijing, bought him some Changchun specialties, and asked Lao Zheng to drive them to the airport.

“Xiao Dong, although we haven’t known each other for a long time, this sister knows that you’re a good kid. I don’t have a younger brother, so I see you as my younger brother. Come back and play when you’re free, and this sister will take you home to eat delicious food.”

Wang Jingguan stuffed food into his hand, and then told him to be careful on the road and have a safe journey. Seeing that Dong Zhi was calm, she suddenly felt sad.

Lao Zheng waved his hand. “All right, all right, let’s go! As long as he fails the exam, he will definitely have a lot of time to come back to see you!”

“Fuck off!” Wang Jingguan kicked him with anger.

Dong Zhi laughed.

The plane he boarded took off, flying higher and higher towards the sky. Everything in Changchun gradually grew smaller, and everything in Beijing slowly approached. Leaning on a soft pillow, Dong Zhi looked at the heavy clouds outside his window as he was filled with anticipation.

He was finally here in Beijing.

—

Wangfujing Street.

Dong Zhi stood in a daze in front of a dusty revolving door. Looking from the outside, the dusty interior shows a building that seems to have been abandoned for a long time. The hotel’s signboard hung at the door, but the three-point water* in the word “wine” had long since disappeared. It was hard to imagine that such a place existed in a bustling commercial street that had a ton of traffic.

*The radical represented by the three marks in front of the character wine (酒) is gone. So translated, it would be like the w in wine was missing.

Perhaps his expression looked too innocent as an auntie who was passing by enthusiastically said, “Kid, are you here to apply for a job? Don’t be sucked into a pyramid scheme. This building has been abandoned for several years!”

Dong Zhi didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. He thanked the other party and, after repeatedly confirming that the address was the correct one, he dialed the number left by He Yu.

No one answered the other line. He was getting worried.

What should I do?

Suddenly, someone tapped on his shoulder from behind. He turned around and was pleasantly surprised. “He Yu!”

He Yu smiled and said, “Follow me.”

He took the Dong Zhi around to the back of the building and entered through a half-concealed small door. A uniformed security guard was at the door, looking as if he was in his fifties. He sat with his head down, as if he was dozing off, but when Dong Zhi followed He Yu in, he saw the other party looking up at him. His eyes were cold, and he didn’t look like an ordinary security guard, giving Dong Zhi the chills. When Dong Zhi looked back at him, the other party had already closed his eyes and fell asleep again, as if what he had just seen was a figment of his imagination.

The two walked through the back hallway into a lobby. The smell of dust was everywhere, causing Dong Zhi to cough.

“Why are we taking the fire exit?”

“Because we didn’t pay the maintenance fee, so the elevator stopped working a long time ago.”

Dong Zhi: …

If it weren’t for what he experienced on Changbai Mountain, he would really have thought that he had fallen into the den of a pyramid scheme.

He Yu continued while climbing the stairs. “In reality, stopping the elevator is also for concealment. The front door is locked, and Uncle Yun is guarding the back. Idlers and passersby generally can’t get in, and thieves won’t be curious about such a place.”

Dong Zhi thought it was strange. “Why don’t you just change location? Lao Zheng and his department are attached to the Social Security Bureau, and no one noticed them at all.”

He Yu responded back, annoyed, “We are the General Administration Bureau! How can we squeeze in with other agencies and not have our own independent office building!”

Dong Zhi saw a cockroach scurrying quickly by his feet and silently swallowed his words.


The author has something to say:

Answering two audience questions:

1. Dong Zhi has bad fortune. Why hasn’t he encountered strange things before?

His physique is only yin, not the beloved Tang monk meat*. Monsters are not targeting him. These attacks were all incidental. I mentioned this before, but some careless readers didn’t pay attention to it, so I’m answering it again.

*(的唐僧肉) Refers to Tang Sanzang from <Journey to the West>. As an extremely pious monk and with the blessing of Buddha and other gods, monsters and demons prize his flesh and want to eat him to gain more power.

2. Does the strange title have anything to do with the content?

Yes.


Kinky Thoughts:

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t chase girls” | In his case, it actually kind of does, my dear…

“Yeah. Going to Beijing to find my true love!” | You’re closer to the truth than you know…

—

Five Ghosts

The five ghosts are also known as the five plagues, five plague messengers, or the gods of plague in Chinese folklore. Every year, some temples will worship these five to ensure the safety of their livestock.

They are:

  1. Zhang Yuanbo (fortune-ghost of the east)
  2. Liu Yuanda (fortune-ghost of the west)
  3. Zhao Gongming (fortune-ghost of the south)
  4. Zhong Shigui (fortune-ghost of the north)
  5. Shi Wenye (fortune-ghost of the Chinese side/general manager of the 5 ghosts).

A second version in Chinese folklore refers to the five ghosts as bringers of fortune who will transport the wealth of others to the giver’s horoscope. They can do this without opening the door or breaking any boxes. Often, monks will charge high fees for their talismans that can ward off these ghosts.


<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch16

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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


Chapter 16

Dong Zhi had a good appetite and ate all the soup in one go. Wang Jingguan was very happy to see her own craftsmanship so lauded. “What would you like to eat tomorrow? Wang Jie will make it for you!”

Dong Zhi replied sincerely as he held the bowl, “Wang Jie’s cooking is delicious. I’ll be happy with just another pork rib soup.”

Wang Jingguan’s heart almost melted when she heard this. “Let me make you my old mother’s chicken soup tomorrow. If you like, Wang Jie will recognize you as her younger brother in the future. When you get better, you can come live with me for as long as you want!”

Lao Zheng said quietly from the side, “You’re more than twenty years older than him! Isn’t it embarrassing to be his sister*?!”

*Clarity: The term they’re using is jiejie (姐姐) which can refer to your blood-related older sister but extended can refer to any woman older than you. Generally, it would be used for someone closer to your generation and someone that you’re close to, and considering her age compared to Dong Zhi’s, it’s probably more appropriate for her to be referred to as an “auntie” than a “sister”.

Wang Jingguan god annoyed. “I’m unmarried, not old. What’s wrong with being a sister? It’s better than having an old orange peel face like yours. If anyone calls you brother*, they’ll have to vomit first!”

*Gege (哥哥). Same concept as jiejie but applies to older men.

Dong Zhi wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to, as he saw Lao Zheng fleeing from humiliation. After Wang Jingguan left, Lao Zheng wandered back in again, muttering and complaining: “That old hag is so annoying. I won’t come in next time she’s here!”

Dong Zhi smiled. ” Lao Zheng, the tail of youth doesn’t wait for anyone. Hurry up and catch it!”

Lao Zheng glared at him, but after a while, he became discouraged. “You know, she confessed to me back then, and I rejected her. Later, she regarded me as unsatisfactory and too irritating. How can I dare say anything? If I do, I’ll be laughed to death by her.”

Dong Zhi was speechless. “You don’t understand a woman’s heart? If people don’t care about you, how can they constantly target you? It’s so obvious. If you don’t take the initiative, you won’t be happy!”

Lao Zheng said suspiciously, “You are right. Why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?”

Dong Zhi: …You just stabbed me right in the heart, buddy*.

*I’m worried, old iron. (扎心了,老铁) Catchphrase that means something touches you very much, causing a change in your emotions. Old iron refers to “iron buddy” which is just another dialect for buddies. I decided to translate it as the original sounded too awkward.

He pivoted to a question that he was more concerned about. “What happened to them?”

“They left a long time ago. You passed out in a coma early yesterday morning. Long Shen carried you halfway down the mountain, then we took a car down the rest of the way. They left in the afternoon.”

Hearing that he was carried down the mountain, Dong Zhi blinked. Without understanding the meaning behind this, he said in surprise, “Wasn’t He Yu still suffering from a serious injury?”

Lao Zheng wiped his face, his expression a little heavy. “It can’t be helped. This matter is more serious this time, so they have to rush back to deal with the report.”

Dong Zhi asked cautiously, “Can I know?”

Lao Zheng said, “There’s really not much to say. There was a dragon buried under Changbai Mountain, but it had died for many years. It was rumored that there were abnormal activities happening on the mountain a while ago, but we didn’t associate them with the dragon corpse. Then it was suddenly resurrected. Although it was suppressed in the end, it was regarded as a level 4 incident. What’s more troublesome is that no one expected there to be a stone tablet under it.”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. There were some ancient talismans on the stone tablet, which have been lost now. We have to wait for the result of the investigation. They took away the stone tablet, so I speculate that it should have had a special effect, and most likely the dragon corpse was used to suppress it.”

A flash of inspiration struck Dong Zhi. “That is to say, it is very likely that the behind-the-scenes instigator of the Sneaky Yaksha wanted to destroy the stone tablet?”

Lao Zheng nodded. “Yes, after the stone tablet was broken, those Sneaky Yaksha disappeared out of thin air and never returned again. As for how the Japanese got news of the dragon corpse, we are also tracking that down.  It’s better to keep them alive so we can follow their trail and find out more, but you don’t need to worry about these things. If you know too much, it’ll only add to your troubles. Just take care of your injuries first.”

Inexplicably, Dong Zhi suddenly remembered that he saw Xu Wan when he got lost in the mountains. He still couldn’t confirm whether it was a hallucination or the real person. He didn’t find her suspicious. Every time he’s been in contact with her, he always felt a sense of seeing a sister or mother. Perhaps because of this, he often unconsciously reduced his vigilance. However, after encountering many strange things when the other party was always present, he couldn’t help but begin questioning it.

He told Lao Zheng his thoughts, and Lao Zheng nodded and said, “I’ll ask someone to check on it, but I have something to ask you. When we were in the mountains, why did you say you wanted to join us?”

Dong Zhi was tongue-tied.

Lao Zheng laughed. “Did it out of impulse? Too dazzled? It’s normal for young people to become hot-blooded, but this isn’t a joke. You’re an ordinary person. Even if you learn a few things under He Yu, you won’t be able to accomplish much.”

Dong Zhi remembered what he said in front of Long Shen and became embarrassed.

“At first, I was quite scared, especially when I was on the train. I felt that I was unlucky and got entangled in this kind of mess, but I wasn’t completely afraid. In fact, I was a little curious, so after I got off the train, I went to practice drawing talismans according to what He Yu taught me. Unexpectedly, it came in handy in the hotel and mountain.”

Lao Zheng showed an expression of sympathy and understanding.

“In the past, when my parents were still alive, I had to take care of them. I didn’t even dare ride a rollercoaster, afraid that if I got into an accident, I would leave them all alone. Then their accident happened, and it made me rethink things. In maybe just a few decades of my life, perhaps I’ll get into an accident as well. In that case, it’s better just to live freely and bravely and do what you want. Besides, fighting alongside you was very thrilling.”

He wasn’t used to sharing his own thoughts in front of others. What Lao Zheng had said was indeed correct. He was impulsive, but it was something he felt he couldn’t hide when encountering this kind of thing, and he didn’t regret it.

“He Yu said that my physique is a bit special. If I can join you, I can also learn more skills. If I encounter this kind of thing in the future, I won’t have to wait for others to save me, and I can also help ordinary people… Uh, of course, Boss Long is powerful, which is also another reason. What kind of man wouldn’t want to slay demons like him, so majestic and powerful!”

Lao Zheng understood. “After saying so much, aren’t you just mesmerized by the beauty of the boss?”

Dong Zhi couldn’t help but choke on his spit and cough violently.

Lao Zheng laughed loudly. “Don’t worry, I won’t make fun of you! In fact, there are a lot of people like you. Before, there was a young man whose ancestors were oracles*, and he was talented in his generation. The family originally wanted him to work and get married in peace. Unexpectedly, he once asked to join the Special Administration Bureau after seeing the boss subdue evil!”

*[Luan sheng] Basically, a prophet/oracle. It’s a person who’s possessed by the gods, and they would write scriptures to convey the god’s thoughts and make prophecies.

Dong Zhi said curiously, “What happened after?”

Lao Zheng: “Naturally, he joined, and his performance was quite good. He’s now with the General Bureau and his name is Zhong Yuyi. That’s why I always say that the boss is like a living billboard. Now that the Special Administration Bureau has expanded in scale, there’s not enough staff. If it was up to me, I think the boss should go out and advertise more. With one swing of his sword in front of the camera, hordes of people would line up and squeeze through the door to apply for jobs!”

Dong Zhi imagined a scene of Long Shen looking at a bunch of fan-crazed job seekers with a cold face and burst out laughing.

Lao Zheng: “He Yu told me before he left, to confirm that you’re not being impulsive, then give you something. Do you want to think about it for a few more days?”

Dong Zhi said seriously, “No, I have thought about it. I really want to join you.”

Lao Zheng nodded, giving him a serious look as if he was about to teach some peerless martial arts secret. He took out a book from his bag and handed it over.

Dong Zhi looked at the title [2017 Civil Service Examination Guidance Bibliography].

???

He was bewildered.

Lao Zheng smiled and said, “Don’t you want to join us? The two civil service entrance exams are the same as the application exams. Although it is an independent exam, the difficulty level is lower, but you should still hurry up and read it. The exam will be in four months. Look, there’s an address in the back. When you go to Beijing, go to it and look for He Yu.”

Dong Zhi asked, “But isn’t the national examination at the end of the year?”

Lao Zheng said, “The Special Administration Bureau recruit candidates independently, so they set the time themselves. It’s different every year, and this year it’s in July.”

He had thought he had been rejected by Long Shen when he had asked to join, and the other party did not answer. He didn’t expect that the dawn of hope would appear at the turning point of such a critical juncture. A smile slowly appeared on his face, getting wider, eventually to the point where he couldn’t contain it. His mood was filled with joy, and he was more expectant than when he first graduated from college and was about to enter the work force.

Lao Zheng was also happy when he saw him like this. “Don’t be too happy too early. There will be interviews after the written exams and training after the interviews. It’s not easy to formally become a member of the Special Administration Bureau. It has become more and more difficult for our branch to enter in recent years. I heard that the General Administration Bureau, including the Dragon Bureau, may have plans to accept apprentices this year.”

Dong Zhi found it strange. “Why do you call it the Dragon Bureau? Why do they call Long Shen boss?”

Lao Zheng: “Long Shen is the head of the Long Bureau and is the deputy director of the General Administration Bureau. I am from a branch office, so I have some positions while He Yu and the others are team members of the Long Bureau and directly under his management.”

Dong Zhi opened his mouth wide: “So great!”

Lao Zheng nodded: “It’s not that great.”

Can he really enter such a powerful and mysterious department?

He had spoken impulsively that day and knew that if he were to stand in front of Long Shen again, he probably wouldn’t have the courage to say what he did.

Dong Zhi: “Is the interview difficult?”

“Of course it’s difficult, but chance plays a factor too. If you’re lucky, perhaps when you’re interviewed, you’ll get hired by one of the big guys!”

“That means that ordinary people like me still have a fighting chance, right?”

Lao Zheng laughed. “Yes, it’s not like that hasn’t happened before. If you’re truly interested in the Special Administration Bureau, you can give it a shot. However, I hear that competition will be particularly fierce this year. Many famous candidates and rising stars want to join. They have been practicing since they were young, but their cultural classes* may not be comparable to yours, so you still have the opportunity if you work hard.”

*Clarity: Cultural classes refer to intellectual or artistic cultural courses. A broad term would be liberal arts and sciences. He’s saying Dong Zhi has this advantage since he’s already graduated from college.

After speaking for so long, he found Dong Zhi staring fixedly at him, like a boy looking at his crush, and it gave him goosebumps all over. He couldn’t help but wonder. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Lao Zheng, I really want to kiss you now.”

Lao Zheng’s face frowned in fright, and he groaned. “Don’t! If that old hag Wang Jingguan sees it, it’ll cause more misunderstandings!”

Dong Zhi smiled, “I thought you said she wasn’t interested in you!”

A knock came at the door, so Lao Zheng thought it was Wang Jingguan who had returned. To his surprise, when he opened the door, it was Zhang Xing in a wheelchair.

“Brother Dong, you are awake!” Zhang Xing replied happily.

Dong Zhi was stunned. “Come in. Are you okay?”

Zhang Xing greeted Lao Zheng, then with a smile said, “I’m okay, but I broke my leg and have to sit in a wheelchair for a while.”

Lao Zheng said in a timely manner, “She’s staying in the ward next door. She came over to visit you three to four times when you were still passed out.”

Zhang Xing became embarrassed.

“Oh. I just remembered that I had some things to do, so I’ll leave first and let you guys talk.” Lao Zheng winked at Dong Zhi before heading out.

They were all hospitalized! What could he possibly be busy with?!

Dong Zhi wanted to stop him, but before he could, Lao Zheng was already gone.


Kinky Thoughts:

He’s not interested Lao Zheng!


<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch137

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 137: Public Delivery

The celebrities were separated from the other guests, so Shen Jintai sat in the front row of tables. When he saw Mrs. Yan, he came over to greet her and then glanced at Yan Qiuchi with a smile.

This unexpected danger made Yan Qiuchi realize that he had to deal with his relationship with Shen Jintai quickly to avoid them running into such a pitfall again.

Yan Qiuchi took the initiative to come over and said, “Is it cold?”

Shen Jintai was not used to talking to him in public and said, “It’s fine.”

From the moment Yan Qiuchi walked towards him, he noticed that many eyes were secretly looking at them. The scandal between the two of them seemed to be something that everyone wanted to gossip about.

“Is Jintai and President Yan in love?” Zheng Siqi asked Bai Qingquan softly when he sat down.

Bai Qingquan looked back at him, smiled, and asked, “I want to ask if what’s between you and Yang Lizhi is true.”

Zheng Siqi smiled, slightly embarrassed, and said, “No, we just had dinner together a few times.” It was just a marketing plan between their companies to create hype. At that time, it was to promote the idol drama they both starred in.

“It seems you guys are circulating online.” Bai Qingquan asked, “Have you been photographed? I read the news from Headline Entertainment and wondered if it was talking about you two.”

Zheng Siqi said, “Really?”

Headline Entertainment was well-known in the circle, so naturally Zheng Siqi had heard of them. He immediately went on Weibo and searched for them after seeing the words [Secrets of the East Palace]. He couldn’t help but be surprised and said, “Is it referring to me and Yang Lizhi?”

Bai Qingquan glanced at Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi, and his eyes widened. “It couldn’t be that they were photographed, right?”

Zheng Siqi: “I haven’t seen Yang Lizhi recently. It doesn’t make sense for them to release something now if they took the picture a while ago…”

“You’re not in love, are you?” Zheng Siqi asked again.

Bai Qingquan laughed. “I like to, but I have no time.” He had been recording a couple of variety shows recently, bouncing back and forth from one to the other. When he was free, he would participate in promotional activities across the country, and after the new year, he would join the crew to make a new drama. Falling in love was simply a pipe dream for him.

“Isn’t it Jintai and President Yan?” Zheng Siqi said.

It wasn’t suitable for Shen Jintai to be in a romantic relationship at this time, especially if it was with Yan Qiuchi.

After Shen Jintai took his seat, Bai Qingquan immediately asked, “Were you and President Yan photographed together?” He didn’t think so but couldn’t help but suspect, as Shen Jintai looked particularly radiant today.

Shen Jintai asked, “What was photographed?”

Bai Qingquan showed him the headline. Shen Jintai became nervous, but the charity dinner had already started, so he sat up rigidly as he waved his hand to the camera. Recordings of the charity dinner would be edited and broadcast online in the future.

Yang Lizhi and Yuan Weiwei joined forces to sing a song of sisterhood, kicking off the charity dinner. After their performance, a calligraphy painting by Yan Tiefeng was used as the opening for the auction. Yan Tiefeng was a lover of calligraphy, and his work was well known, and he himself was an influential figure in that community. His works have sold for 100,000 yuan or more, and some have even sold for over a million.

Mrs. Yan said to the people around her, “If Lao Yan knew, he would be very happy.”

In order to heat up the atmosphere and give Yan Tiefeng face, Shen Jintai repeatedly raised his placard. However, the painting was finally won by the second son of the Zhao family at a price of 1.8 million.

Shen Jintai couldn’t help but glance at the second son of the Zhao family. He had met him when he was filming <When You’re Older>.

Bai Qingquan had also seen him and said, “Such a tall, rich, and handsome1 man. As expected from someone with deep pockets2.”

1[Gao fushuai] (高富帅) Buzzword meaning tall, rich, and handsome.
2(
财大气粗) Has two references. The first is to refer to the wealthy and their extraordinary style. The second refers to the dominance of people because of their wealth.

Shen Jintai smiled and asked, “Big pockets or big equipment*?”

*Clarity: He’s making a pun here. He’s saying [qi hai shi qi] (气还是器). In the previous line, Bai Qingquan is saying Zhao has [deep pockets] (财大气粗). Shen Jintai is making a pun here as (粗) has many meanings, one of which is thick. The (气) in deep pockets and the (器) in what Shen Jintai is saying are homophones, so he’s using that to make his pun. As for what equipment refers to, you get the idea.

Bai Qingquan said, “Are you possessed by Luo Wensheng?”

Obviously, buying a painting for 1.8 million was just for charity. That money meant little to the Zhao family.

Bai Qingquan didn’t participate in the bidding and instead just ate the whole time. This time, he simply attended for the dinner and decided before he came to not buy anything and only donate 15 ambulances.

Shen Jintai was the opposite. He was in good spirits at such a happy event. He raised his placard at almost every item for auction, winning a brooch donated by Mrs. Yan and a watch from screenwriter Song Chenchen. He spent over a million in one night alone!

“The next thing we are going to auction is a Piaget Men’s wristwatch provided by Mr. Zheng Siqi. The starting price is 500,000 yuan.”

Before the host even finished speaking, Shen Jintai had already taken the lead and raised his placard. Seeing him bid on the item already, the host said amusingly, “Mr. Shen, you are very enthusiastic tonight.”

The hostess joked, “Of course our Li Xu will grab the watch provided by Prince Ying.”

“One million.” Shen Jintai directly doubled the price. Zheng Siqi, who was sitting next to him, was elated when he heard his bid and patted him on the shoulder.

“Are you okay today?” Bai Qingquan said.

Immediately, a rich lady raised her placard and pushed the price to 1.1 million. Shen Jintai responded, and the two went on a bidding war until the price reached 1.5 million.

“Does Mrs. Zhang want to increase the price?” The host asked with a smile.

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, “I will give it to Shen Jintai.”

“If no one continues to bid, then the watch provided by Mr. Zheng Siqi will…”

At this moment, someone raised their placard. Yan Qiuchi, who had been sitting there without participating, suddenly put in a bid. The audience immediately erupted in commotion, and Bai Qingquan, who was busy playing on his phone, immediately jumped with gossip. Ahhhhhhh~!

“President Yan!” The female host was even more excited, as she almost stomped her feet. “President Yan, how much do you want to bid?”

Mrs. Yan looked back with a smile, as she knew that Yan Qiuchi would definitely make a move tonight.

“2 million.” Yan Qiuchi said.

“President Yan is offering two million!” The female host smiled and looked at Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai flushed slightly, leaned back in his seat, and said, “Then I can only bear the pain and give up my love.”

2 million broke the auction record tonight. Zheng Siqi and Yan Qiuchi took the stage together. The two shook hands, then Zheng Siqi smiled and handed him the watch. “Thank you.”

Buyers usually have to speak on stage, so the host gave the microphone to Yan Qiuchi. He kept his appearance that of a tall, cold gentleman as he said, “I bought this watch to give to someone.”

The female host’s voice trembled with excitement. She immediately glanced at Shen Jintai with a smile and asked, “Then President Yan, who do you want to give it to? Is that person here?”

Yan Qiuchi didn’t expect the host to be so inquisitive. He smiled and nodded. “I think this watch is very suitable for that person.”

Some of the audience members had started to heckle, giving “whoo whoo” under the stage. Zheng Siqi, who was standing on stage, clapped his hands and looked at Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai was confused; his face was red and hot as he didn’t expect Yan Qiuchi to do this.

Netizens who were watching the live broadcast exploded.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the president pursuit of his wife is really extraordinary!”

“Am I the only one who thinks Prince Yan’s demeanor is not inferior to any of the celebrities present? Who said that he’s not as good as Zheng Siqi? I think Zheng Siqi is inferior when standing next to him!”

“He has both looks and wealth! Touhua why are you still hesitating? Marry him!”

This move was a bit unexpected, but it was also very su and romantic. The gold powders curled their lips, and thought it was fine. Not annoying. It wasn’t like Yan Qiuchi had only been chasing their brother for a day or two. Today, they just witnessed how imposing the love of rich people could be. In order to please Shen Jintai, 2 million was spent on sprinkled water*.

*(洒洒水) Buzzword originally referred to trivial things but now extended to something that is very relaxed and not worth mentioning.

The only thing that ordinary people could do is look at experiences like this and pretend that it was them.

“Shen Jintai,” Yan Qiuchi said with a smile on stage.

“Mr. Shen Jintai, please!” The male host shouted.

“President Yan is giving this watch to Mr. Shen Jintai. We like to invite him to the stage.”

Shen Jintai stood up amidst the encouragement and applause of everyone. He buttoned his suit and walked on stage. He shook Zheng Siqi’s hand as usual and then stood in front of Yan Qiuchi with a blushing face.

The light in the room was dim as Yan Qiuchi looked at him with a soft smile, the watch case in his hand. Shen Jintai felt like he was being confessed to in public.

Even the female host excitedly said something very out of place, “President Yan giving Mr. Shen Jintai a watch, can this be counted as a confession?”

Yan Qiuchi took the microphone and said, “I have confessed many times, but he has refused.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” The gold powders suddenly boiled.

Although it had long been rumored that their brother had rejected Yan Qiuchi many times, it was never verified. Now that the actual words were coming from the horse’s mouth, it was more effective than them blowing 10,000 rainbow farts online!

“My god!” Netizens were even more chicken-blooded. “Yan Qiuchi really could bend and stretch. I now believe he made the original statement!”

“Where can I find such a man that has looks and money?!”

“Touhua is obviously moved. Look at him blushing like that!”

“Ahhhh~ They’re such a good match standing together! They are both so good-looking, the Prince of a Consortium and a Starlight Beauty!”

“I think some people say that Touhua will lose all his powder if he falls in love with Prince Yan. I don’t think it’s necessarily true. Touhua now relies on his charm to make the other become a licking dog. Isn’t this a radiant thing? If I were a gold powder, I would be flying!”

Shen Jintai took the watch from Yan Qiuchi’s hand and, with a blushing face, let out a long sigh. The host asked him to say a few words, but he didn’t know what to say. His mind was blank as he spoke. “Thank you, President Yan. I like this watch very much.”

The female host was like an undercover agent sent by Yan Qiuchi as she probed with a smile, “What about the person who gave you the watch?”

Shen Jintai smiled and said, “Men with kind hearts are attractive.”

His response was appropriate, as it not only gave Yan Qiuchi face but addressed the question as well.

The gold powders were very satisfied!

“I think we can use Prince Yan’s sentence, where he confessed many times and was rejected. We can edit it out to match the statement he made at the beginning. See if anyone dares say that my brother has posted upside down!”

“I hope that some sisters will make it into a small video so I can loop it 10,000 times!”

“Prince Yan’s operation was both coquettish and scheming, but for what he said, I forgive him. It’s still best for my brother to resist his advances! I hope he can sit on the cold bench for a while, which will be even better!”

“It’s okay for him to say that. After all, everyone knows that he’s been chasing my brother. In fact, Prince Yan… is quite handsome. I think he and my brother… match well… covering face.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Prince Yan. Regardless of his appearance or personality, he’s barely worthy of my brother. Forget it! My brother used to like him so much. If he still does, I will… reluctantly accept it.”

“Prince Ying’s watch, Prince Yan took it and gave it to Li Xu. My feelings are indescribable and unclear.”


The author has something to say:

The jade pendant of the East Palace, the watch of JinQiu.


Kinky Thoughts:

Marry him already!!!


<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch136

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 136: Starlight Dinner

“I also saw it. Headline Entertainment has already posted a trailer, saying that it’s related to a top traffic and will detonate Weibo!”

“Headline Entertainment has always liked to use grandstanding words, so there’s always been a gap between the popularity in their mouths and our understanding of popularity. Last time, they said that there would be a video of a first-line huadan. After days of guessing which huadan was involved, it was revealed that it was only Shao Qingqing. The only line she’s on is the shit-line and the affair was with her model boyfriend that floods the news every day!”

“Did anyone copy the limerick of Headline Entertainment?”

“This time it’s not a limerick. It’s a still photo of <The East Palace is Coming>!”

“Shit! Zheng Siqi didn’t really fall in love with Yang Lizhi, right?”

“I also think it’s Zheng Siqi and Yang Lizhi. After all, they’re both top streams.”

Rumors circulated that the two had fallen in love while filming their idol love drama, but it appeared to be a sibling love rather than a romantic one.

“After the two of them finished filming that idol drama, weren’t they photographed eating together?”

“I also think it’s the two of them. There have been a lot of news about them recently. A popular actress paired with a popular student fits the eligibility to paralyze Weibo.”

“Monsoon Entertainment usual hype methods are good!” The plum powders was angry. “Take Yang Lizhi away! Monsoon and Zheng Siqi are dead.”

Fresh powders weren’t so easy to provoke. “A certain old sister shouldn’t play too much, and hype things not fitting of her image!”

“Who is the old sister upstairs is referring to?”

“The one that’s eight years older than Zheng Siqi. You know, that, older sister.”

The two fan groups instantly started bickering. 

Bai Qingquan, who loved to watch gossip, also noticed this breaking news and was a little sad. He said to Wei Ge, “Siqi’s a famous grass that has an owner*!”

*(名草有主) Refers to a handsome guy who’s famous who has a girlfriend. || Side note: Grass generally refers to handsome boys/men while flower refers to beautiful girls/women. You may be familiar with the term like school grass/flower.

Wei Ge said, “You’re obviously not a person with a heart of flowers, so why do you always act so thirsty when you see a handsome guy? Just now, Li Meilan sent a message and asked if you would like to walk the red carpet with Shen Jintai and Zheng Siqi.”

Bai Qingquan said, “We’re not from the same company.”

“I suggest you go with them,” Wei Ge said. “The three of you standing together as the three masters of the East Palace will get you on the hot search.”

Bai Qingquan said, “Forget it.”

Wei Ge: “What’s wrong with you? Weren’t you quite hot with Shen Jintai during filming, constantly hugging and crying, but now that filming is done, you’re being cold again?”

Bai Qingquan smiled and said nothing. He felt like he was falling for Shen Jintai, and he wasn’t sure whether it was because he was still too caught up in the act. He hoped that being estranged from him for a while would pull him out of the drama.

He was desperate for love, but he had never been in love. He yearned for that feeling that Yu Nuo and Luo Wensheng had.

It had snowed heavily today, but it still didn’t stop the enthusiasm of the fans. The red carpet was already covered by a thin layer of snow. The most dedicated stars tonight were the female ones. On such a cold day, they still wore dresses and high heels, showing off all their glamor. Bai Qingquan saw Yang Lizhi stepping onto the red carpet in high heels, wearing a red mermaid dress, as she trailed past the red carpet, soaking in the admiration of everyone around.

If it was him, he would be shivering from the cold. He took off his down jacket and got out of the car. The moonlight powder had already seen him, and screaming started as they began shaking their glow sticks and light signs.

He smiled and stood at the entrance of the red carpet, waiting for the dispatcher to cue him. Wei Ge finally asked him again, “You really don’t want to wait for Shen Jintai and the others? They have already arrived.”

Bai Qingquan glanced back and saw that Shen Jintai’s car had stopped nearby. The organizers specially arranged the appearance order of the three of them together. The dispatcher seemed to be waiting for him to make a decision, and Yang Lizhi was already being interviewed.

Shen Jintai got out of the car first and waved his hand toward Bai Qingquan. Before he could call to him, the gold powders screamed restlessly. The sky fill with the shout of gold powders as golden light signs dazzled in the snow. Shen Jintai was momentarily shocked by the scene before he smiled and waved to the onlookers, who waved back to him.

Immediately after, Zheng Siqi had also gotten out of the car, dressed in a black suit that made him look tall and handsome.

“Ahhhhhhhh. This is looking at history on screen! The East Palace three heroes! Li Xu, Zhou Ying, and Zhou Jing!”

“Touhua’s outfit this time looks so good, especially the gold rose on his chest!”

“I thought he was wearing flowers again, but after a close-up view, I found that it’s actually embroidery on the top of the pocket! Touhua looks so radiant today!”

“Are there any better-looking men in the entertainment industry than the three of them? I can do all three of them!”

Bai Qingquan also felt that Shen Jintai seemed to have become more beautiful. Why did he feel so aggressive?

“Qingquan.” Shen Jintai greeted him with a smile.

Zheng Siqi: “Long time no see.”

Bai Qingquan greeted Zheng Siqi. “Siqi.”

“We sent you a message. Didn’t you get it?” Zheng Siqi asked with a smile.

Bai Qingquan gave a light smile, trying to hide his embarrassment. They were arranged to walk together on the red carpet today, and the red carpet host was even more riveted. He cut Yang Lizhi’s interview short and tiptoed excitedly as he took the interview card and looked at them with a smile.

The combination of shouts from gold, moonlight, and fresh powders echoed loudly at the scene and reached its peak in an instant the moment the three stepped on the red carpet.

Yang Lizhi crossed her arms and said to her assistant, “The three of them are all very popular by themselves, but when they combine, they have stolen all the limelight today.” She regretted not walking with them, as she was a member of the East Palace as well. Well, her role as the main heroine had been more like a superfluous accessory since its broadcast.

“Welcome, welcome!” The male host’s voice was loud and clear.

“Welcome, welcome Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan, and Zheng Siqi!” The female host’s voice sounded more like a fan as she successfully suppressed her inner fangirl screams.

“The three great masters of the East Palace are united again. With this combination, our charity dinner tonight is certainly bathed in starlight!”

“We like to welcome the three: Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan, and Zheng Siqi!”

The three of them walked to the shooting area under the guidance of the beautiful emcee. There were a bunch of photographers holding their cameras and shooting wildly at them. Shen Jintai had a hard time adapting to all the flashing lights since he hadn’t appeared in public for a while. He couldn’t help but smile and slightly tilt his head to the side, which only made the shutter sound more rapidly.

“Owwwww!!! Ah~ Touhua is such a beauty!”

“Is it the makeup? I feel that he looks so good, and his whole body is glowing.”

“Touhua isn’t in love anymore, right? My eyes are very poisonous, but I think his face has love written all over it!”

“The skin is fair, the eyes are bright, the lips are red, and the laughter is alluring. Who can hold such a superbly handsome guy like this in his arms!”

“Sure enough, he still matches Zheng Siqi best. Cold and handsome with a dazzling beauty!”

“Why do you all use beauty to describe Touhua? Have you already accepted Touhua as a shou by default?”

“Hahahaha, it’s a pity if Touhua isn’t the shou!”

The gold powders were so busy licking their brother’s face that they forgot to comment on this matter. With Shen Jintai reputation pristine now, black powders were unable to make a peep, especially after Xiaoqi was fined by the court some time ago, causing several professional black powders of Shen Jintai to disappear.

Mrs. Yan didn’t walk the red carpet but instead directly entered the banquet scene with her entourage. She watched the event live on the big screen inside the banquet. She smiled and turned to look at Yan Qiuchi at the next table, who was talking to the Zhao family’s second son. From time to time, he would sneak a peek at the big screen.

The host had finished interviewing Zheng Siqi and looked at Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan with a smile. He was accommodating and gave them a chance to promote their movie. “I heard the two of you have just finished working on a movie that will be released on Valentine’s Day next year. Would you like to tell everyone here more about it?”

Shen Jintai smiled and gave Bai Qingquan the microphone. Bai Qingquan smiled and motioned for him to speak. Shen Jintai nodded. “Yes, our new movie, <When You’re Older>, will be released on February 14th next year. It’s a very sincere love film. I hope you can watch it in theaters and support it.”

After speaking, he raised the microphone to Bai Qingquan. This time, he picked it up, and the moonlight powders screamed. He smiled and stretched out his hand to signal for them to be quiet, showing a very graceful and handsome look. “This is the second project I have collaborated on with Jintai. It can be regarded as the big-screen debut for the both of us. I hope you will support it. Thank you everyone.”

After speaking, he bowed quietly. Shen Jintai couldn’t help but laugh when he thought Bai Qingquan’s words were coquettish. Bai Qingquan noticed him laughing and turned to him, then laughed as well.

“Then will Siqi go see them?” The host said, cuing in Zheng Siqi again.

Zheng Siqi smiled and said, “I will reserve an entire venue as support.”

“Okay, thank you for coming! We hope to see more outstanding works in the future. Thank you again, you three, and please head inside!”

Fang Yun hurriedly walked through the crowd with a complicated expression on her face. She reached Yan Qiuchi, leaned into his ears, and whispered to him.

Yan Qiuchi walked out immediately, and Fang Yun said, “They all called several times.”

It was Xiao Yang who called. “Qiuchi, I just heard that the paparazzi of Entertainment Weekly photographed you and Shen Jintai.”

Yan Qiuchi was taken aback for a moment. “Where is the news?”

“I heard it from a senior executive from Headline Entertainment. Listening to your tone, it seems to be true,” Xiao Yang said. “The paparazzi of Headline Entertainment have always been notorious. They usually are the ones who expose most of the romances in the entertainment industry. They haven’t released the news yet. Why don’t you contact them and negotiate on a price.”

Yan Qiuchi: “Is the news certain?”

“My friend and I have a very good relationship. Knowing that I am best friends with you, he was willing to reveal the news to me. He said that you should be prepared in advance. Read it for yourself. Headline Entertainment’s official Weibo made a post not long ago referring to Shen Jintai.”

Yan Qiuchi said “Nn”, and after hanging up, he immediately searched the official Weibo account of Headline Entertainment. The stills of <The East Palace is Coming> hung impressively on the post with the text: [Secrets of the East Palace].

Yan Qiuchi’s heart rose instantly. He had very few opportunities to meet with Shen Jintai during this period of time. The only time he had been in contact would be either the parking lot or Shen Jintai’s room. The parking lot could still be salvageable, but there was no way to explain if it was a photograph of him appearing in Shen Jintai’s room, and it would be even more troublesome if it got publicized.

Their hotel check-in information was strictly confidential, and no one from the outside knew on which floor the crew was staying, let alone the specific room number. Either it was photographed from a window or the surveillance data of the hotel corridor was stolen.

Now that this candid shot had begun fermenting, it would explode. He immediately called Fang Yun and went to find the contact information for Headline Entertainment. Since they were in the same circle, the information was easily found, and Fang Yun quickly connected him with President Sun of Headline Entertainment.

President Sun said, “To tell you the truth, our people did take pictures, and they broke the news anonymously for a fee. Since you have contacted me on your own initiative, I will give you some face. The news will definitely explode, but I’ll give you an update tomorrow morning. Finally, congratulations, President Yan. You finally caught up.”

When the paparazzi capture an explosive scene, they usually let netizens play guessing games to let the anticipation ferment while they contact the parties involved. If the price could be negotiated, they would release less painful material. Otherwise, the material would be directly released.

Headline Entertainment mainly relied on this method to make a living. Their bad reputation had long been well known, so there wasn’t a better way to solve it. Yan Qiuchi simply said, “Name your price.”

Yan Qiuchi had his own bottom line. Even if his relationship with Shen Jintai was made public, it would be on their terms and only after sufficient preparations were made, ensuring it wouldn’t impact Shen Jintai. Only then will he take the initiative. This kind of forced disclosure, with only a half-day time limit, was simply not enough time for a PR counterattack, and he would never allow himself to cause a negative impact on Shen Jintai.

Taking a step back, even if he and Shen Jintai were in a romantic relationship, he would never allow a video of him and Shen Jintai getting along privately to be made public on the internet. Their appearances in front of each other were only for their eyes. He didn’t want to be watched by others or have Shen Jintai’s private appearance seen either. This should only belong to him and Shen Jintai alone.

Mrs. Yan noticed his strangeness as she asked, “What happened?”

“It has been resolved.” Yan Qiuchi said lightly.

As soon as his voice fell, he saw Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan, and Zheng Siqi enter the banquet together, guided by the emcee. Even with the area filled with hundreds of celebrities, the three of them could still attract everyone’s attention. Young, tall, fair-skinned, and handsome; they were brilliant like starlight.


The author has something to say:

The exposure of this chapter was quite unexpected, so you can look forward to it.


Kinky Thoughts:

Ahhh Yan Qiuchi~ So gong!!! He takes care of his wifey.


<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch135

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 135: Brewing

Yan Qiuchi’s body was abnormally quivering, and the hug made him so excited that he pressed his forehead into Shen Jintai while saying, “Thank you, thank you.”

Being thanked so profusely made Shen Jintai embarrassed that he couldn’t say anything. His actions were strong, while his language was humble. Yan Qiuchi’s routine had eaten Shen Jintai to death.

The hotel where the crew of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> was staying was located in a new district that was originally rural. When it was first built, it was a landmark building in the area. After the district government moved nearby, the area developed rapidly and became the biggest feature of the new area. Eventually new high-rises appeared, and it could now be called the most prosperous place in Nancheng. Just opposite from this hotel across an artificial lake was another hotel. At this moment, someone was sitting on the bed watching a candid video.

On the snowy winter night, the lighted windows were photographed more clearly. The video showed Shen Jintai opening the curtains and looking out with a smile on his face. He turned around and said something before Yan Qiuchi was seen walking over behind him in only his pajamas. Shen Jintai then opened the window and reached out to pick up snowflakes. From the angle, it was obvious this was a candid shot, but the video looked as if he was filming an idol drama.

“These two look good together.” A man sighed.

“I didn’t expect to be able to shoot such a hot video,” the man’s colleague said. “Is Yan Qiuchi also wearing pajamas?”

“Both of them are wearing pajamas, so the relationship is solid.”

“It will definitely explode when it’s sent out. This month’s performance has been achieved! It was worth it for us to squat here for two days.”

—

Dawn had arrived, slightly brightening the sky. When Shen Jintai opened his eyes, he saw Yan Qiuchi looking at him. The feeling was strange, as Yan Qiuchi was the first thing in his sight. He was still in a daze, not fully awake yet. He stretched out his hand to cover his face as the memories from last night came rushing back.

Shen Jintai: “What time is it?”

Yan Qiuchi: “Half past nine.”

When Shen Jintai heard this, he immediately sat up. Yan Qiuchi’s arm was still around his waist. He grabbed it and shook it off. “Go back quickly! I accidently let you sleep here!”

Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “You fell asleep after I kissed you yesterday.”

Shen Jintai blushed and waved his hand. “Xiao Tang and the others will be here later.”

“It’s still snowing heavily outside,” Yan Qiuchi said.

When Shen Jintai heard this, he glanced out the window. The curtains were opened, and the fluttering snow showed no sign of stopping.

Yan Qiuchi got out of bed and said, “Then I’ll go.”

“Did you sleep?” Shen Jintai asked.

“Rested my eyes for a bit,” Yan Qiuchi said. Though he didn’t sleep well, and his expression still looked haggard, his spirits was uplifted.

Yan Qiuchi put on his coat and said, “You can go back to sleep. Isn’t the dinner party in the afternoon?”

“Do you know my entire schedule?”

“I only know that your filming schedule was arranged by me, and it’s not as packed as your previous few dramas,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai laid down with a smile, lying on his side and looking at him.

“I’m leaving now,” Yan Qiuchi said with a reluctance in his tone.

After Yan Qiuchi left, Shen Jintai got out of bed and opened the curtains completely. Overnight, the whole world was wrapped in snow.

—

Fang Yun was the first to discover that Yan Qiuchi was very different today. He looked incredibly happy.

Oh my god! Could it be that what she had imagined came true? Did he knock on Shen Jintai’s door in the middle of the night?

How exciting! So exciting! She wanted to know more!

She could be regarded as a passerby fan of Qiuchi Yingjintai. She held Shen Jintai in high esteem, so there were not many people in this world that could be worthy of him. Even a man with a good figure and a good family background, like President Yan, could only be considered barely worthy of him.

She tried to imagine all kinds of scenarios that could’ve happened but found that she couldn’t think of anything. President Yan was really too icy and looked too abstemious, and his personality was so cold that she couldn’t imagine what he would look like when he acted tender and affectionate.

She glanced at Yan Qiuchi. She still couldn’t imagine anything. Shen Jintai, on the other hand, was like a brain tonic for her. He was full of sexual tension and seductiveness, with hints of reserved coquettishness. She felt that he could be paired with anyone, and her imagination was endless.

—

Li Meilan came in the afternoon. The heavy snowfall had brought about serious traffic jams on the roads. She arrived half an hour earlier than scheduled due to this. When she entered, she asked Shen Jintai, “What’s wrong with your mouth?”

Shen Jintai acted naturally as he said, “Seems like I ate something I’m allergic to.” He then licked his lips and asked, “Does it look obvious?”

“It’s a little swollen.” Li Meilan took a closer look.

“It’s a bit itchy and painful,” Shen Jintai said.

“What did you eat?”

Shen Jintai didn’t answer her and pivoted to, “Just let Wang Nan cover it up with some makeup. It’s just a bit red.”

His team members arrived one after another, and they all believe his story. Wang Nan, as his makeup artist, instantly noticed the bullshit. How could something like this escape his expert eyes? He was a veteran on this kind of battlefield who would draw lips every single day. Whether it was due to allergies or a rough kiss, he could tell from a single glance. However, he didn’t expose it either, only giving Shen Jintai knowing glances as he was putting on his makeup.

Shen Jintai probably knew that he couldn’t hide it from him, as he sat there with his head slightly raised and his eyes a little unnatural.

“Very intense,” Wang Nan whispered.

Shen Jintai glanced at him, and his ears turned red. He had always felt that Yan Qiuchi was a very gentlemanly and restrained person. He always had a sense of forbearance, which gave him a certain kind of urgency and a kind of beauty that reflected a well-disciplined gentleman. It was this kind of look that girls especially liked. The color wasn’t obscene, as he held a sense of restraint and shyness.

But yesterday, perhaps due to the security of the darkness, the essence of human nature was released, and Yan Qiuchi was eager to swallow him to satisfy his thirst and hunger. Fortunately, it was dark and nothing could be seen; otherwise, Yan Qiuchi’s current appearance must’ve looked extremely ugly, like a primitive male animal exposed in its natural state.

Since he caught fire, Shen Jintai had rarely made any public appearances and spent most of his time in seclusion. The gold powders were excited that he was attending a charity dinner organized by a fashion magazine and wanted to give their brother a sea of gold again.

“All gold powders who will be at the charity dinner are invited to find a station and receive light sticks, banners, gold ribbons, signs, and support gift packs!” A big fan named “Shen Jintai Station” posted.

“It’s snowing heavily in Nancheng today. All gold powders must pay attention to safety on the road. When you arrive at the scene, you must abide by their orders and listen to instruction so that the outside world can see the quality of us gold powders!”

“In addition, in response to the charity theme, there will be a charity donation called <Walking with you in the name of Jintai> organized during dinner in the name of my brother! I hope that we, as gold powders, can all give our love like our brother and contribute to the beauty of the world!”

Shen Jintai sat in the car and heard the news from Xiao Tang. “They also want to donate?”

Xiao Tang said, “This is the power of role models. There are many gold powders who are kind-hearted and lovely.”

“Most of them are students. Let them do what they can. It’s okay to do good things as long as it doesn’t affect their normal lives.” Shen Jintai thought for a bit and said, “After the dinner party, you can arrange for me to meet them.”

“The end of January will be your birthday. We are already renting a venue. Let’s do it then,” Li Meilan said.

When Shen Jintai heard her mention the birthday party, he laid back down on his chair. He was under a lot of pressure for this birthday party, mainly because this was his first birthday celebration that he’d be holding after his comeback. The whole process will not be just a simple meet-and-greet, as there will have to be singing, dancing, and a variety of other things that will take at least a few hours. If it was acting, there wouldn’t be an issue, but singing and performing on stage was a different ball game.

Although the original Shen Jintai’s singing skills were average, he was at least a good dancer. He, though on the other hand, was not. Since he hadn’t performed in years, he can use this as an excuse, but he was also the kind of person who would go all out once he decided on something. He asked Li Meilan, “Can we not do it?”

“If you don’t do it, can you still be worthy of thousands of gold powders?” Li Meilan said, “Be considerate of your fan’s feelings and give them a chance to get up close and personal with their idol.”

What could Shen Jintai say? He was someone who always doted on his fans.

“We will solve the problem of the venue right away. You are so popular now so there’s a huge number of fans. The company is looking at Nancheng Sports Center and the invoice will be issued after it is set.” Li Meilan flipped through her small notebook and continued, “For the remaining days of December, we will determine the performance process during the meet-and-greet and will contact a performance team for you to train and rehearse. You have to rehearse at least twice.”

“Is there enough time?” Shen Jintai felt that the scope of the project was huge.

Li Meilan: “It’s possible to squeeze it in. You need to work a bit harder.”

“Everyone has worked hard.” Shen Jintai said.

“Since we plan to do it, we must do it well and make it a spectacular gold powder event,” Li Meilan said. She was ambitious and had the intention of turning this meet-and-greet into one for the ages.

—

Tonight’s charity dinner had many famous faces in the entertainment industry, including Zheng Siqi and Bai Qingquan. He had dined with Zheng Siqi recently but hadn’t seen Bai Qingquan since they filmed together on the set of <When You’re Older>. He would usually text Bai Qingquan, but his replies weren’t as frequent as before. It seemed as if he had turned into a cold white moonlight all of a sudden. He wasn’t sure what was going on.

“I heard that Mrs. Yan is here too?” Xiao Tang asked while browsing his phone.

“This year’s charity dinner is very big. It basically includes all the famous and top echelon of Nanchang. The Yan family has always been keen to do charity, especially Mrs. Yan, so she’s coming on behalf of the Yan Family Charity Foundation,” Li Meilan said.

“Will President Yan come?” Xiao Tang asked immediately.

Li Meilan glanced at Shen Jintai, who responded, “I don’t know.” Yan Qiuchi didn’t say anything, and he didn’t ask.

Since the charity dinner was a rare event that gathered top celebrities, the internet was already lively before the red carpet even began.

“Come, come, sisters, come and watch. When the red carpet is about to go online, hotties and beauties will appear!”

“Touhua, Bai Qingquan, and Zheng Siqi! The three great top flows will meet again! There are also the three great flowers, Yang Liuzhi, Zhao Siyu, and Yuan Weiwei!”

Fans and water army from all walks of life poured in, and high-rise buildings were erected in a short time.

In the midst of all the fans’ rowdiness, a voice said mysteriously, “Sisters, my friend is from the industry. I heard that among the celebrities participating tonight, some of them will have a big explosion in the next two days, the kind that will paralyze Weibo!”


The author has something to say:

The grand event, the exposure, and the public trilogy are coming!


Kinky Thoughts:

The paparazzi never give up.


<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch134

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 134: Third Kiss

The corridor was quiet. Shen Jintai found that Yan Qiuchi was wearing only pajamas. It seems like he had fallen asleep and gotten up again.

“You haven’t slept yet?” Shen Jintai said.

“It’s really cold outside,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai asked Yan Qiuchi to come in and said, “It’s so late. What’s the matter with you?”

“Look at my eyes,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai was startled when he looked at them. Yan Qiuchi’s eyes were extremely red and bloodshot.

“Can’t sleep,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai felt that his bloodshot eyes looked really serious, and it reached a point where he should see a doctor.

Is this really just because of insomnia?

He was skeptical, but he didn’t know what it was like to have skin hunger, so he didn’t think it was bad to this extent. Still, he harmed Yan Qiuchi and prescribed him meat when he shouldn’t have.

“I haven’t slept for almost three days, and I woke up again after squinting for a while,” Yan Qiuchi said.

“Have you seen a doctor?” Shen Jintai said, “Take some sleeping pills?”

Yan Qiuchi’s lips quivered, and his face showed a slight embarrassment. “I don’t want to take drugs.”

Shen Jintai pursed his lips, he knew what Yan Qiuchi wanted, “Then what should I do?”

Yan Qiuchi didn’t speak either. The two stood by the door for a while in silence. Eventually Shen Jintai walked towards the bedroom. Yan Qiuchi stood there for a bit before following him in.

Shen Jintai sat down on the bed and said, “Go back and try sleeping meds.”

“You can’t take that stuff casually. If I take them today, what about tomorrow? I can’t take it every day. I heard if you take it too much, it’s not good for your health.”

Then what do you want me to do? Have me sleep in your arms every day? But we haven’t determined our relationship yet!

Yan Qiuchi knew he was being cunning, but he was truly uncomfortable. In the end, he was still a novice and felt embarrassed doing this kind of thing, but he knew the other party’s feelings. They had nearly pierced the paper window, so he knew Shen Jintai would not dislike him, even if he was acting coquettish. Perhaps if he exerted a little more force, that thin layer of paper would finally be punctured.

Meanwhile, Shen Jintai was having an internal struggle between heaven and earth. His reluctance was mainly due to them not having determined the relationship yet, but now it has already come to this point. If Yan Qiuchi determines the relationship by giving a fair and honest answer, he might not be able to resist. He had a hard time refusing what Yan Qiuchi was doing to him right now, plus his body was indefatigable!

He was also worried about the negative impact of his career. What Ji Fengxing said was reasonable, and the risk of falling in love with Yan Qiuchi was high. Although the gold powders were no longer repulsed by Yan Qiuchi, he believes that they still needed to wait a bit. The longer it takes, the less impact the matter will have.

The fact was that Yan Qiuchi had only been chasing him for a few months, and he had fallen for him. If Yan Qiuchi really couldn’t sleep and the aftereffect was this bad, he felt… very distressed for him.

As his internal struggle continued, his phone suddenly rang. He went to pick it up and saw that it was Li Meilan who was calling. A laughter like a child came through with hints of excitement as Li Meilan said, “Jintai, get up. Look outside. It’s snowing!”

Shen Jintai was taken aback momentarily, then immediately ran to the window, opened it, and saw snow falling everywhere.

“It’s snowing!” He exclaimed excitedly to Yan Qiuchi.

Yan Qiuchi walked behind him and stopped. The snowflakes were dense. When Shen Jintai opened the window, a snowflake fell into his hand and quickly melted, leaving behind a cool feeling. The north wind was cold, so he quickly closed the window and habitually shut the curtains. Feeling excited, he said, “I just thought that maybe when I wake up tomorrow morning, it’ll be completely white outside.”

The joy of the first snow dispelled their awkward and ambiguous feelings. Yan Qiuchi said, “Aren’t you cold? Hurry up and get in bed.”

Shen Jintai sat down on the bed and looked at Yan Qiuchi as he sat down on a chair nearby. “Are you cold?”

“Cold,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai said, “Then come sit on the bed and let’s talk for a bit before you leave.”

When Yan Qiuchi heard this, he immediately got onto the bed. Shen Jintai’s throat bobbed as he said, “I’m just letting you sit, not lie down.”

“Cold. Now I’m warm,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Thank you.”

…Thank you my ass.

Shen Jintai said, “Is this really the first time you have fallen in love?”

“No,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai was stunned as Yan Qiuchi continued, “Strictly speaking, I’m not in love yet.”

Shen Jintai laughed. Yan Qiuchi smelled his quilt and said, “Your quilt smells good.”

Shen Jintai suddenly remembered the body fragrance reward and became embarrassed. He made an excuse, saying, “Probably my cologne or shower gel.”

“No. I also smelled this the last time I hugged you. It’s your smell. It was very light and pleasant.” Yan Qiuchi always felt warm in his heart whenever he smelled it.

Shen Jintai crossed his hands and leaned against the bed. Yan Qiuchi suddenly moved to the side, then looked at him and smiled. Shen Jintai felt that the person in front of him was quite unfamiliar. Yan Qiuchi was warm, and his smile was sunny with a hint of shyness. Looking at him like this, Shen Jintai felt emotionally moved.

“How is filming going? The company has been busy recently, so I didn’t have time to visit the set.” Yan Qiuchi took the initiative to bring up a new topic.

“It’s going well,” Shen Jintai said.

“The production team this time is very reliable. Qiu Hong does have two brushes. The publicity budget for this film is also high, so it’ll have good PR when it’s released. Perhaps it’ll be able to participate in the international film festival. After all, Qiu Hong’s work has been internationally recognized.”

“It’s a strange feeling to say that Qiu Hong had won an award at Cannes, but after winning he couldn’t find investments to make this film, so he had to change <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> into an X-rated script.”

“Because he’s trying to make a commercial film, the outlook wasn’t good. His shooting technique is not mainstream enough, and his own personal taste is too heavy, so it doesn’t have a wide audience appeal, but film festivals like to eat up this kind of literary and artistic film. I have asked Director Liu Siping to be the producer. With his control and your acting, the editing quality will be superb.”

“I’m just worried that the box office won’t be good and you’ll lose money,” Shen Jintai said.

“We don’t aim for high box office number for every film we invest in. Besides, the movie has you and Cai Jun. At the very least, I don’t think it’ll be a problem to at least get a return on our initial investment.” Yan Qiuchi inched closer to him and continued, “When I was eating with Liu Siping, he praised you, saying you have passionate eyes.”

Shen Jintai smiled when he heard this, scooted closer to Yan Qiuchi, and deliberately widened his eyes. “Are they now?”

“I don’t know what he is talking about, but I think it looks good and photogenic,” Yan Qiuchi said.

There was something in Shen Jintai’s eyes when they were close-up that could immerse the audience into the act with just a single glance.

Shen Jintai smiled, and the two looked at each other. The atmosphere was about to become ambiguous again, so he sat up straight.

Yan Qiuchi laid down flat and chuckled. “Now I finally know why they say that men are like animals, driven by their lower half.” He put his arm on his back and smiled silently.

Shen Jintai told himself not to overstep because he knew what the consequences would be, but he still did it anyway. “Why?”

Yan Qiuchi: “I haven’t slept well for the past few days. I’m obviously haggard and tired, but after lying in your bed and saying a few words, it’s just… It’s uncomfortable.”

Hearing this, Shen Jintai laid down, pulled the blanket up, and turned sideways to face Yan Qiuchi, startling him. Yan Qiuchi retracted his resting arm and turned to his side as Shen Jintai inched forward and hugged him.

Yan Qiuchi only felt that his whole body was in a state of numbness. Between their noses, the smell that belonged to Shen Jintai was more intense. It was like it was his aroma. His heart was boiling when he smoked, so he stretched out his hand and hugged Shen Jintai tightly.

“If you dare make a move, I’m kicking you out.” Shen Jintai’s voice was hoarse. He didn’t know why he wanted to do this, but in the heat of the moment, a strong feeling of love for Yan Qiuchi suddenly appeared in his heart. He still had the upper hand. His body was slightly titled upwards and was half a head higher than Yan Qiuchi. Yan Qiuchi’s head was resting on his shoulder, as if he were holding him in his arms, but even in this posture, Yan Qiuchi’s tall figure made him feel as if he were imprisoned. He felt that, compared to Yan Qiuchi, he was still lacking.

Yan Qiuchi hugged him tightly; his strength was a little bit too strong. He wished that he could pull Shen Jintai into his body, as if he could absorb him. His body shook abnormally, and it took a long time for it to calm down. By the time he did, Shen Jintai was already sweating, as it was too hot being entangled together.

Shen Jintai stretched out his hand, and as soon as he moved, Yan Qiuchi immediately hugged him again and said, “I’m turning off the lights.”

Only then did Yan Qiuchi let go of him, his palms sweaty. After Shen Jintai got out of bed, Yan Qiuchi got up slightly and said, “I can’t get out.”

Shen Jintai looked back at him, seeing his face flush slightly as he said, “I dare not open the blanket now.”

Shen Jintai blushed. He went to the living room to grab a glass of water. As the water filled the cup from empty to full, he felt as if he was being filled as well. When the cup was full, he picked it up, raised his head, and drank it in one go, then turned off all the lights and returned back to bed.

The room plunged into darkness as he was hugged by Yan Qiuchi. There was a rustling sound before he heard Yan Qiuchi say, “Can I kiss you?”

He didn’t hear Shen Jintai respond, and he couldn’t see anything in the dark. While the outside was chilled by the north wind as heavy snow fell like goose feathers, inside the room was a world filled with warmth.

Shen Jintai vaguely heard Yan Qiuchi sigh contently. He was holding Shen Jintai as if he were his whole world, as there was no greater feeling than holding the person you love tightly and deeply kissing him.


The author has something to say:

The third kiss was skipped and was just a hug. I hope the review can pass, thank you!


Kinky Thoughts:

Where’s the kiss??? Chapter title is a lie! Gotta say I’m really hating all these censorships where it forces the author to skirt around the issue, so their chapters won’t get blocked. It’s not even sex for god sakes.


<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch15

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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


Chapter 15

Unlike Long Shen, Lao Zheng and He Yu both sat down on the ground, gasping for breath, disregarding their entire image. Yin Huai was lying on the ground not far away, seemingly unconscious.

Lao Zheng was brooding about letting the few remaining Japanese go and muttered, “We could have left them behind and say that they all disappeared on Changbai Mountain. After all, they didn’t report to the Special Administration Bureau!”

He Yu said, “We still have diplomatic ties between the two countries, and both the master and apprentice have status in the Shinto religion over there. If we kill them, it’s impossible for Japan to be unaware, and next time we have a mission over there, little Japan will retaliate, and the rules will become a chaotic mess.”

“Well, I’m only from the General Administration Branch, so your overall view is better than mine!” Lao Zheng patted He Yu on the shoulder. “I was just venting. What I hate most in my life is Japs!”

He Yu laughed. “I don’t know you that well yet! We should have a chat. Since I’m finally here, you have to invite me out for drinks, and you have to order at least three rounds for me!”

Seeing Dong Zhi cast a curious look, he said smoothly, ” Lao Zheng’s ancestor belonged to the Northeast Army. He once followed Zhang Zuolin* who was later murdered by the Japanese, so he has hated them ever since.”

*An influential Chinese bandit, solider, and warlord during the Warlord Era in China. He was backed by Japan and successfully influenced politics in the Republic of China. He was later assassinated by a bomb planted by the Kwantung Army.

Lao Zheng curled his lips. “This is a common hatred*, and there are a few in the northeast who don’t hate little Japan!”

*(国仇家恨) National enemy and family hatred. It’s an idiom meaning the hatred of the country being invaded and the hatred of the destruction of one’s homeland. Generally, it is used to refer to a common hatred.

“Is it okay to let them go down the mountain like this? In case they go elsewhere…” Dong Zhi coughed twice, feeling a faint smell of blood in his throat.

“It’s okay. The boss asked Kan Chaosheng to follow them.” He Yu stretched out his hand and grabbed Dong Zhi. Seeing him wince in pain, he said, “You have a broken rib. Don’t move. We’ll take you down the mountain and to a hospital.”

When Dong Zhi heard the words “Kan Chaosheng” he said in surprise, “The cat?!”

He Yu smiled and said, “So you found out?”

Realization hit Dong Zhi. It was no wonder when he got lost by the waterfall, the big yellow cat had guided him back and that greedy and tsundere* look was exactly the same as Chaosheng.

*Japanese term depicting someone who is initially cold, stern, stoic, harsh, temperamental, hotheaded (and sometimes hostile), before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time.

But for a person to become a cat… He thought of the fearful appearance of the snow wolf facing the big yellow cat and said curiously, “Is he a cat spirit or a tiger spirit?”

He Yu smiled mysteriously and did not answer him.

Dong Zhi was so exhausted that he couldn’t even lift a finger. The heat gradually evaporated and the chill surged in. He was completely drenched inside with sweat, making him extremely uncomfortable.

At that moment, he heard Long Shen say, “The stone tablet is broken.”

The faces of He Yu and Lao Zheng, who were still talking and laughing just now, suddenly changed.

“How could this happen? Wasn’t the dragon corpse subdued?!”

Long Shen walked over, but his tone did not change much. “The stone tablet was under the dragon corpse. I suspect that the aim of the person who resurrected the dragon corpse was the stone tablet.”

He Yu’s mind turned quickly. “So, the reason why those Japanese people get news that a dragon corpse was buried here most likely came from someone deliberately leaking it?”

Lao Zheng also said, “I’ll check on the Sneaky Yaksha when I go back. It must have something to do with this! As soon as the bone dragon died, they disappeared. How could there be such a coincidence!”

Long Shen snorted, “I just got in touch with Wang Jingguan. After she was separated from you, she couldn’t find you, so she went down the mountain to find help. She’ll be coming over soon.”

Lao Zheng was relieved. “That’s great!”

He Yu smiled and winked at Long Shen. “Boss, Dong Zhi has made a great contribution this time. He was an innocent bystander but got involved with us. Shouldn’t you be a bit more concerned?”

Long Shen remained completely neutral. “What kind of expression do you want?”

He Yu hurriedly poked Dong Zhi. “A batch of funds had just been issued recently, and Dong Zhi was injured due to public affairs. How about giving him a five-star resort package or something? It’s best if it’s for two, don’t you think?”

Dong Zhi couldn’t help laughing and blurted out, “What do single dogs need a package for two for?”

He Yu said pitifully, “For me! Can’t I be the two?!”

Long Shen looked at him with a smirk. “I remember that the salary deduction from your demerit last time hasn’t been deducted yet, right?”

He Yu’s mouth changed into a dogleg smile. “Boss, I worked so hard this time. Isn’t it worth balancing my merits against those demerits?”

Long Shen nodded. “That’s right, so in order to reward you, this month’s salary will not be deducted.”

He Yu: …

In other words, it will be deducted next month! He Yu suddenly felt that there was no love in life. His games were running out of currency, and he needed to recharge them to buy more heroes!

Dong Zhi laughed while in a daze, triggering his injury. The pain jolted him, making him sober again. “Then can I make a request?” He asked.

He Yu said meekly, “Single dogs are not allowed to make requests!”

Dong Zhi automatically ignored He Yu and looked at Long Shen. He fortified his heart and blurted out, “Can I join you?”

He thought his tone was calm, but others could still sense the anxiety.

Seeing that Long Shen didn’t answer, Dong Zhi became nervous. “I don’t know how to fight, especially compared to you, but I can draw. Uh, my talismans seem to be okay. I can be He Yu’s assistant, or I can work the front desk or something…”

It was originally a request made impulsively, but later he expanded on it more clearly.

He Yu broke the ice and joked. “Our front desk’s job is better than mine.”

Dong Zhi snorted and, like god’s messenger*, added, “Then playing games makes you very powerful, huh?”

*(神使鬼差) Idiom which means it seems there are ghosts and gods in support, unconsciously doing things that were not expected to do before.

He Yu made an aggrieved sound. He was so embarrassed by what Dong Zhi countered that he wanted to dive into the sky and lie dead by the bone dragon’s side.

Long Shen was noncommittal and only said, “Go back and have a good rest first.”

He didn’t refuse on the spot, but to Dong Zhi, it seemed like a polite decline. He felt a bit disappointed and embarrassed for being rejected and didn’t know what to say. Long Shen didn’t give him much chance to respond either, as he turned around and walked to the edge of the pit to survey the area.

He Yu patted Dong Zhi on the arm and whispered, “The boss is right. You should take care of your injuries first. Don’t think too much about this matter. I will try my best to apply for your rewards.”

Dong Zhi wanted to respond, but his body was in so much pain that he couldn’t even move the corners of his mouth. His eyelids grew heavier as He Yu’s voice, who was talking to Lao Zheng, slowly got softer, like trying to listen to someone talking through a layer of glass.

“Zhang Xing,” Dong Zhi whispered, suddenly remembering the girl who was still placed halfway up the mountain.

Lao Zheng seemed to hear him and comforted him with a few more words. Dong Zhi tilted his head and finally passed out. The aftermath matters had nothing to do with him.

The world was quiet.

Perhaps he would dream of a dragon.

—

Thin eyelids first sense light, and a bright and dazzling feeling was then transmitted to the brain. When he opened his eyes, Dong Zhi saw a bunch of pink and white bellflowers. Half of the water in the vase reflected the branches below, which were clear and bright like the sky. The faint smell of disinfectant lingered on his nose. The ward was quiet, and he saw another bed beside him that was empty.

“The double room I specially found for you is in good condition, right?” A familiar voice was accompanied by the sound of a door being pushed open.

Dong Zhi said in surprise, ” Lao Zheng!”

Lao Zheng came in with a smile. “Yo! You’re recovering well, and you have no memory loss!”

His arm was bandaged, but he still joked around when he opened his mouth. The image was extremely different from the way he looked around the Japanese that day. Following him in was a woman.

Lao Zheng introduced, “This is Wang Jingguan. Just call her Wang Jie. She was the colleague who was separated from me on the mountain that day. She heard that you were honorably injured and came to visit. I didn’t expect we would catch up this early, but we’re just in time as you just woke up!”

Dong Zhi wanted to sit up, but Wang Jingguan motioned him to stop as she said kindly, “You can lie down. The doctor said you have a concussion, so you need to recuperate!”

No wonder he felt a little dizzy. He raised his hand to his head and found there was still a needle in his arm.

Dong Zhi: ” Lao Zheng, are you okay?”

Lao Zheng: “I’m fine. My arm’s broken, but it’s not serious.”

Wang Jingguan glanced at him blankly. “What’s fine? Your internal injuries were not light. The doctor told you to rest in bed, but you constantly have to jump around!”

Lao Zheng scratched his head. “I can’t lie still. Makes me too antsy.”

The doctor soon came and gave him a general examination, pulled out the needle, and explained, “You have some broken ribs and a slight concussion, but it’s not serious. You mainly need to rest. Don’t walk around when you’re free. The nurse will come check on you regularly to give you medicine for the traumatic wounds on your body. Remember to take your anti-inflammatory drugs on time.”

Compared to the disobedient Lao Zheng, Dong Zhi nodded compliantly and was more well liked, especially since he looked so sunny and handsome. The middle-aged female doctor couldn’t help but rub his head, and then walked away smiling under Dong Zhi’s embarrassed gaze.

Wang Jingguan smiled and said, “Although it’s not too serious, do you want to call your family, so they don’t worry?”

Dong Zhi said, “I’m an only child. My parents passed away in a car accident a few years ago. There are no close relatives at home, so I won’t bother them. Besides, it’s not a big deal.”

His tone was calm, but to the others, they didn’t know how to respond to his words. Dong Zhi didn’t let this awkward atmosphere permeate and soon jokingly asked, ” Lao Zheng, Wang Jie, since I was injured while on duty, do I get the benefit of free food while I’m here?”

Wang Jingguan laughed and said, “Of course. Not only is the food free, but the check-ups and your stay are also included. You can stay as long as you want.”

Lao Zheng opened the food box. “Here, your Wang Jie has prepared it for you. Let me see… There’s yam porridge and pork rib soup. Not bad, but you should make pig’s trotter next time.”

This remark made Wang Jingguan roll her eyes.

As soon as he drank the pork rib soup, he knew that it was homemade. The addition of carrots and corn made the soup turn golden yellow, and the taste was sweeter. There were a few pieces of pork cartilage in the soup that had soaked in the sweetness, and after tasting it, he praised, “This soup is really delicious!”

Wang Jingguan smiled and said, “I made this myself. Go on and eat more. I’ll bring more for you tomorrow.”

Seeing Dong Zhi’s well-behaved demeanor and attitude stimulated her motherhood, and her eyes became softer when she looked at Dong Zhi.

Lao Zheng showed envy and jealousy. “I haven’t seen you give me soup for so many years!”

Wang Jingguan sneered, “Didn’t I send you some twelve years ago and it was dumped into the toilet.”

Lao Zheng: …

Dong Zhi sensed an unusual ambiguity between the two as he lowered his head, sipping on the soup in silence.


The author has something to say:

[Not related to the main text] Short story:

(Time point: after Dong Zhi’s apprenticeship)

Dong Zhi liked Long Shen, but he didn’t dare say it. He was afraid that after he confessed, he would be slaughtered by him and clean the door1. In desperation, he turned to superstitions and would turn koi2 daily. He would actively retweet on Weibo every day whenever he saw: [As long as you forward this koi, you will receive good news within 30 days.].

1Refers to throwing away dirty and bad things in the house (AKA clean house). It’s also used to refer to the “sect” extending its meaning to remove or rectify the members of the sect that disgrace its reputation. 
2Internet buzzword referring to seeking good luck by reposting pictures of koi. Koi is a symbol of wealth and luck, and it’s used by bloggers as a gimmick to gain forwarding volume. While many netizens hope to take this for good luck, it has eventually become a modern internet superstition.

Until one day, the busy Boss Long discovered that his apprentice was obsessed with forwarding kois. He called Dong Zhi into the office, pointed to a young man, and said, “Turn.”

Dong Zhi looked dumbfounded. “Turn what???”

The young man said shyly, “My original form* is a koi.”

*Clarity: This will be explained later in the novel, but just know that in this novel’s setting, animals and things can cultivate and become human.

Long Shen: “He’s visiting from the General Administration Branch and will stay for about a week. Isn’t there room at your place? Just take him back and you can turn him every day.”

Dong Zhi felt exasperated. He really wanted to say: “Master, it’s not koi that I want, it’s you!”

PS: This short story has nothing to do with the main text. Don’t confuse the plot~


<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch14

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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


Chapter 14

As the yellow cat faced off with the snow wolf, the battle between Long Shen and the Bone Dragon was starting to kick off. The bone dragon roared endlessly, trying to wrestle its lower body out of the mount. Though it was dead, its strength was still earth-shattering and could make ghosts and gods weep with tears*. It opened its bloody mouth and, with one fell swoop, bit the shackles that were keeping it in place.

*(惊天地,泣鬼神) Idiom describing something amazing/touching/earth-shattering that it could move the gods and ghosts to tears.

The bone dragon seemed to be scared of the long black sword in Long Shen’s hand. Despite the multiple slashes, the bone dragon remained unscathed, as it floundered and struggled about. Fujikawa Aoi was also nearby and would interfere whenever Long Shen was about to make a decisive blow. Although Long Shen didn’t take him seriously, the hinderance still distracted him, so he was unable to kill the bone dragon.

The dragon’s wrath triggered thunderstorms from above, as lighting and thunder rolled in, adding another variable that could affect the outcome of the battle.

“Son of a bitch! That old Japanese fucker, such an incompetent bungler1! Fuck his uncle2!” He Yu gritted his teeth as he dipped his brush in cinnabar and began drawing talismans. Before he could finish, he spurted out blood, and if it weren’t for Dong Zhi, who came to quickly support him, he would have fallen directly on top of a sharp rock.

1(成事不足败事有余) An idiom referring to doing bad things and making it worse.
2Curse dialect used near Beijing. It’s similar to fuck your mother/grandfather but generally less emotional and can be used among friends since it’s not as serious.

Seeing that the blood he spat out was as much as half a mug full, Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched. “Why don’t you take a break. Long… Your boss seems to have it covered.”

He Yu’s face was like gold paper*, and he looked weak and powerless. “The dragon itself is a creature that conquers the heavens and earth, so it can fit in with any natural change. Since it was fed blood and souls with strong resentment, it is even more difficult to deal with… Of course, the boss is very strong, but he was injured a while back and the sword he’s using now is not the one he normally uses!”

*Paper for worshipping gods and offering sacrifices.

Dong Zhi asked, “What can I do?”

He Yu swallowed the bloody spit in his mouth, gritted his teeth, and said, “Come, help me draw talismans. I’ll teach you the formula and handprint!”

Dong Zhi felt he might not be able to perform well, but given the situation, there was no room for hesitation.

To the side, the Japanese girl, Kitaichi Eiko, sat cross-legged, eyes closed, as if she was healing. Her two skikigamis were entrenched behind her, one to the left and one to the right, unmoving.

The battle waged as humans and dragon wrestled about, kicking sand and stone everywhere, bathing the sky and earth with color. The man in the jacket was about to move, trying to get closer, but was spotted by the sharp-eyed Old Zheng, who responded by squeezing his broken whip and staring at him coldly.

At this moment, Aso Kenzo let out a scream and said in horror, “Demons! Those demons are coming!”

He spoke in Japanese, but everyone could hear the fear in his tone, and they all followed his gaze, seeing that amidst the flashing lightning, clouds of black translucent mists were floating towards them, causing their scales to go numb.

From their appearance, it was unimaginable what kind of horror they were experiencing at that moment. Dong Zhi recalled the scenes of the train attendant, the guest who walked on tiptoe in the hotel room and leapt to her death, and Yao Bin, who became a zombie, causing him to immediately freeze and feel like he couldn’t breathe.

“Don’t be scared. Come and help me draw!” He Yu said.

The group of black mist didn’t dare approach Long Shen and the bone dragon, as if they were afraid of them, and as if they had other scruples, since they were unceremonious to Old Zheng and the others, showing their clear intentions.

Old Zheng still had about half his remaining power. His whip was broken, with only half its original length, so when he whipped the mist, it trembled slightly but didn’t dissipate like before. Their movement slowed momentarily, but then continued to float forward again.

Gunshots ran out and one of the bodyguards under the man in the jacket screamed as the black mist entered from the top of his head, slowly merging inside, bit by bit. He tumbled and struggled desperately on the ground, but to no avail. The man in the jacket quickly shot him in the chest. His legs spazzed a few times before his eyes widened and then his movements stopped. A short while after, his body suddenly got up, stiff and slow. The man in the jacket fired several more rounds, causing the body to gush out with blood, but his face showed a hideous smile as he rushed towards the man in the jacket.

His movement was interrupted by the white crane, who flew over and threw the bodyguard to the ground. Aso Kenzo and the man in the jacket quickly retreated behind Kitaichi Eiko. They were so terrified that they had lost the haughtiness that they had treated Dong Zhi and Zhang Xing previously.

He Yu set up a small array on the ground and circled Old Zheng in. The black mist could only wander outside the array and couldn’t penetrate it. Dong Zhi glanced down and found that the talismans on the ground were slowly turning black. He wasn’t sure how long it would be before they lost their effectiveness.

He quickened his hand speed, but the more anxious he was, the more erratic his writing became, causing him to draw several bad talismans.

He Yu suddenly patted him on the back, and Dong Zhi found that everything was silent. He raised his head and looked around, seeing that the scene was still chaotic and finding that his ears couldn’t hear any noise. He Yu made a gesture towards him, indicating that this was to allow him to concentrate on drawing the talismans, and Dong Zhi immediately understood his intentions.

He forced himself to relax his mind and concentrate on the paper that was in front of him. He first simulated the talisman’s pattern in his mind, and then, using his brush, started drawing one stroke at a time, while mediating the formula in his heart. “The heavens give birth to water, the earth gives birth to fire, the heavens give birth to wood, the earth gives birth to gold. The five central palaces*, subdue malignity, overcome disasters, and eliminate all traces of evil!”

*Referring to the Luoshu Square, which is also known as the Nine Halls Diagram or the Turtle Book in ancient times. Each square represents a palace.

The runes he drew were all sunlight talismans. The effect was poor because it was too late and there was no time to learn a new talisman. He Yu simply asked him to keep drawing them and memorize the formula and handprint. After he finished drawing one, Dong Zhi made a lotus seal with both hands and put his finger against the middle of the rune and poured out his breath. The talisman… was still a talisman. There were no flashes of red lights, and it didn’t levitate off the ground like in his imagination.

Dong Zhi felt frustrated, but he knew that this was normal. He Yu said that drawing talismans requires unity of mind and body, and being such a novice, it was practically impossible to achieve something like this overnight.

However, the beginning of every novel was always like this. Although the protagonist was mediocre at first, he could always turn the tide at a critical juncture, defeat the villain and kill the quartet*, subdue the bone dragon, and hold its corpse in the air and receive shock and admiration from the group of Japanese…

*(大杀四方) Refers to being so highly skilled that you overwhelm everyone else.

Obviously, he was thinking too much. Fantasies were beautiful, but reality was cruel. He had failed to draw more than two dozen talismans consecutively until he finally was able to draw a usable one. Remaining persistent, he kept up his efforts and successfully painted a few more. He wasn’t aware of how long he was drawing for when his back was suddenly patted, and all the noise from the outside world surged in like a tide, as if he had returned to the real world from a different dimensional space.

Only then did he realize that his chest and back were soaked in sweat. The cold wind penetrated his collar, bringing in dampness and coolness, and he felt as if he had just run a marathon.

“What happened from the time you patted me until just now?” Dong Zhi asked curiously.

From the time he spent drawing talismans to now, it was less than an hour. He Yu’s face had turned pale again, and he saw that part of the talisman array had been completely scorched. Thankfully, Lao Zhang guarded the gap, so they were able to resist the attack from the Sneaky Yaksha.

Kitaichi Eiko’s side didn’t fare as well since they didn’t have an array. The man in the jacket and Aso Kenzo could only rely on her for protection. She herself was heavily injured and could scarcely support the two shikigamis in battle as danger was surrounding them from all sides.

“We need to set up a bigger array. Eight sheets should be barely enough to support it! You, stick the talismans according to my instructions!” He Yu said to Dong Zhi as he pointed to the northwest of the sinkhole. “With the bone dragon at the center, post one talisman there and start counterclockwise to form the array. Make sure to keep the distance between each talisman the same and try not to vary the radius too much from the center. Be careful!”

“Why don’t I go? Xiao Dong has no experience after all!” Lao Zheng volunteered.

He Yu glanced at him. “You’re currently injured and isn’t as fast as him.”

Lao Zheng smiled bitterly.

“Don’t underestimate me! Even otakus have spring*!” Dong Zhi patted Lao Zheng on the shoulder and comforted him, then got up and ran to the northwest.

*Means to be strong/powerful ect.

Behind him, Lao Zheng whispered, “You want to recruit this kid, right?”

He Yu whispered back, “Whether he can enter our department or not will depend on the boss’ approval. I have no say in this matter, but I want my master to accept him as an apprentice. He has a talent for drawing talismans, but I will have to wait until this matter is over, then I’ll ask that old geezer.”

Long Shen and the bone dragon continue fighting fiercely in the sinkhole. Explosions blasted periodically as cyclones swirled around, splattering rocks and dirt everywhere. Although he was cautious, Dong Zhi was still affected by the scene.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck and crashed near the sinkhole, blinding everyone. The ground trembled violently as the lower body of the bone dragon dislodged a little bit, revealing thick white bones as its eyes burned brightly. Despite having none of the splendor of a dragon, it was still equally as fearsome.

After Long Shen inserted his long sword into a phantom scale area, he pulled a whip out of nowhere and wrapped it around the dragon’s neck and pulled out the sword again. He leapt and landed on top of the dragon’s head, and holding the sword with both hands, he jammed it into one of the dragon’s eyes.

The bone dragon wailed wildly. Its entire body churned, trying to throw Long Shen off. As if resounding with the pain from the dragon’s heart, thunder roared endlessly in the sky above.

Fujikawa Aoi, standing in a blind spot at the corner of the sinkhole, took out a talisman and threw it. In mid-air, it turned into a falcon and swept towards the dragon’s head at lightning speed, grabbing the long sword that was inserted into the dragon’s eye and taking it away!

Kitaichi Eiko, who was further away from the battlefield, seemed to have tacitly understood her master and used her white crane to block Long Shen. Without blinking an eye, Long Shen batted the white crane away. The crane, which was the size of half a basketball court, didn’t put up even the slightest resistance as it fell straight down, turning into a ball of light before dissipating into thin air. With its disappearance, Kitaichi Eiko, as its master, was inflicted damage. She screamed and fell to the ground, unconscious.

The white crane was able to stop Long Shen for only a short moment, but it was enough. Long Shen lost his opportunity. The bone dragon went into a fit of rage and completely broke free from its binding. The mountains shook as a huge white bone dragon broke through, roaring as it flew into the air!

It held the resentment of being sealed underground for eons and, combined with the blood-soul wraith that was surging in its eyes, made it even more fierce. It spewed out a mouthful of turbid gas and its tail suddenly swept towards the sinkhole. In an instant, stones exploded everywhere, and a large boulder came crashing down on top of Dong Zhi.

It was too late to dodge, but before he even realized it, a beam of light was shot from the dragon’s head heading towards him. He heard the sound of sudden movement and raised his head, seeing that the boulder was being held up by a figure. Only then did he comprehend that he had just escaped death.

He looked at the man standing in front of him, holding a long sword, and wished he could shower him with praise, calling him “handsome” a hundred times, but the other party paid no heed and didn’t even bother looking at him as he quickly rushed towards the bone dragon again.

Seeing his disciple seriously injured and unconscious, Fujikawa Aoi’s face turned black with anger. His snow wolf was caught in battle with the yellow cat, so he called out to another black giant falcon and pounced on Long Shen. He then pinched a talisman in his hand and drew symbols with his hand, summoning eight green balls of light that surrounded the bone dragon.

The eight green balls looked small and were suspended in midair around the tumbling bone dragon. The light grew brighter and brighter as the red fire in the bone dragon’s eyes gradually dimmed and its movement became sluggish.

Lao Zheng was flabbergasted. “What is he doing?!”

He Yu frowned and said, “He wants to absorb the bone dragon’s resentment and make it his shikigami, but its power is too strong! Even the boss couldn’t subdue it. This old man simply has a death wish!”

As if confirming his words, lightning struck one of the balls of light. The remaining seven balls were overturned by the dragon’s aura in an instant, as the dragon roared a hundred times more furiously than before.

Thunder resounded in the clouds, rocks were cracking, and the flashes of light illuminated the large tracts of snow on the peeks of the distant mountains. The aura swept through the mountains and river in an unparalleled domineering manner. Amid the violent wind, the bone dragon opened its jaws and flew towards Long Shen and Fujikawa Aoi, vowing to swallow the two small human beings into its stomach and smash their corpses into thousands of pieces!

Long Shen didn’t retreat a step but advanced forward. His figure jumped agilely on the bone dragon, shuttling between lightning bolts as if he was invincible. Although the bone dragon was large and fearsome, its figure wasn’t flexible. It couldn’t twist its body in time to bite at Long Shen, so it could only vent its anger on Fujikawa Aoi, who was standing on the ground. Abandoning his thought of trying to subdue the bone dragon, he ran around in complete embarrassment to avoid the bone dragon’s attack.

His black giant falcon tried to fight the dragon, only to be hit with a mouthful of rancid gas and immediately turned into black mist that scattered in the wind. Fujikawa Aoi was shocked and angry at the sight and threw out twelve talismans into the air. They turned into sharp arrows and whistled towards the dragon as they ignited. When they reached the dragon, they exploded as each arrow was nailed into the bones of the dragon’s body, instantly scorching the area.

Lao Zheng, who was observing the battle, let out a long sigh.

He Yu, feeling the same mood as him, commented, “The idea is good. After all, the dragon’s nature is water, and after its death, it was resurrected with blood and souls that held resentment, invoking the fire of the heavens and earth, giving it a metal attribute, so it’s best to subdue it with fire, but…”

Fujikawa Aoi had forgotten that dragons are among the largest creatures in the world. If one could not defeat it in a single move, a more severe backlash would be coming their way.

Sure enough, the bone dragon wailed, and its torso twisted violently. It swung its tail, slamming it into Fujikawa Aoi, who didn’t have time to dodge the attack, catapulting him into a wall. His limp body fell to the ground, and he vomited out a basin full of blood; his state was now no better than his disciple’s.

In its state of rage, the bone dragon became even more difficult to deal with. Long Shen was almost thrown off several times. While the dragon was focused on Long Shen and Fujikawa Aoi, Dong Zhi had taken the chance and posted the talisman in all seven directions. There was only one remaining.

He was sweating profusely, and he couldn’t tell whether he was tired or scared, or both. His down jacket was heavy on his body, and he wanted to take it off, but was afraid he’d get too cold, so he gritted his teeth and continued moving forward, step by step. His final destination was only ten meters away.

In face of wind so strong that it could blow a person away, he slowly crawled forward on the ground. While resisting the howling of the icy wind, he recalled the scene was like Red Army soldiers sneakily ambushing bombing bunkers and felt inexplicably happy.

Before he could enjoy his moment of happiness, he heard a shout, “Get out of the way!”

The bone dragon swooped down from mid-air and, in the blink of an eye, white bones covered the stars and sun, casting a shadow on top of Dong Zhi. He didn’t even look up as the smelly wind was blowing around, knowing that the dragon was just a few short distances away.

There was nowhere to hide and no way to escape, so he simply gritted his teeth and rushed forward, holding the last talisman tightly in his hand. At the moment that the bone dragon crashed down, he slapped the talisman in the place designated by He Yu!

A hurricane swept overhead as he felt a pain in the back of his head. His body was immediately thrown about, hitting the mountain wall full of jagged and broken corpses. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through, and he couldn’t tell whether it was from his chest or back. All he felt was that his entire body was about to fall apart.

The surroundings were full of flying sand and rocks, blurring the scene. The talisman array he had laid out seemed to have worked, forming a binding barrier around the bone dragon, isolating the connection between the thunder and the bone dragon. However, the formation didn’t last long. All eight talismans started turning slowly black until they all exploded at the same time!

With a loud thud, Dong Zhi couldn’t tell whether the pain he felt on his face, hands, and back was caused by the blistering wind or the impact of the gravel. Even with his mouth tightly closed, the sand still penetrated in as his entire body was submerged by dirt. Everything became numb and even the thought of life and death no longer seemed important.

A day ago, he never expected that he would see a creature like a dragon in his lifetime, and now he was almost killed by it. Dong Zhi raised his head laboriously and saw Long Shen piecing into the other eye of the dragon. He gripped tightly to the hilt of the sword as the bone dragon struggled frantically. His whole body was flung in the air, like a dead leaf in the wind, flopping about, creating a thrilling scene.

The red fire in the bone dragon’s eyes gradually disappeared and its roar turned into wailing, resounding through the entire wilderness of the mountain, echoing in everyone’s hearts, paralyzing their minds. It was the sound of the struggle of all creatures under heaven who were unwilling to die, and it mourned more angrily at being awakened as an evil creature. It once roared majestically around the world, becoming a symbol of this land, but now it could only scatter about, flying chaotically in this pitiful form.

Unconsciously, tears welled in Dong Zhi’s eyes as tears began gushing down. He seemed to have understood the inner voice of the bone dragon moments before its death and realized its indomitable struggle against destiny.

The faces of the others were equally heavy. Fujikawa Aoi knelt beside the sinkhole and burst into tears. It was unknown whether he was mourning for the dragon or because his bamboo basket was empty*. The man in the jacket was lying on the ground covered with blood. Aso Kenzo gathered his breath, his legs became soft, and he fell flat on his ass.

*(竹篮打水一场空) Idiom referring to wasted effort, doing things only for it to be all in vain.

Just as the bone dragon was on its last breath, a huge burst of energy erupted. The man in the jacket covered Aso Kenzo from the blast and died instantly from his injuries. Dong Zhi was also injured but luckily survived.

He Yu said, “I didn’t expect that there were such loyal and brave people in little Japan that they would die for their employers!”

Lao Zheng shook his head. “You don’t know anything. Since ancient times, Japan has had samurai who served their lords for generations. If Aso had died just now, even if he survives, he wouldn’t live once he returns to Japan, so it is better to fight for your name and the loyalty of your lord.”

He Yu was speechless. “It seems that they are not only cruel to others, but even more cruel to themselves!”

Fujikawa Aoi staggered towards Kitaichi Eiko to check on her injuries. He looked up at Long Shen and the others and said menacingly, “I will never forget the kindness you showed to my disciple!”

He Yu sneered. “What’s the matter? You want revenge? Your apprentice is not good at learning, so you’re blaming others? Don’t forget that you came here without special notice. It’s already kind enough of us not to take the opportunity and turn you into a missing person report!”

Fujikawa Aoi’s face became even uglier. He opened his mouth but reluctantly held back, not saying anything, and responded with a heavy huff.

On the contrary, Aso Kenzo limped over and bowed to Long Shen and the others. “I am very sorry for the trouble we caused you. Thank you for your help. After we go back, we will definitely go through the formalities and will also keep in mind the kindness you showed us today!”

He Yu waved his hand carelessly. “You don’t need to keep us in mind. In the future, if you bring more riffraff* and set foot on our land, don’t blame us for taking action!”

*Term used here is no three no four (不三不四). It refers to a dubious/not decent thing or person.

Fujikawa Aoi, who was labeled as “riffraff”, turned red with anger. He was fluent in Chinese, so he understood their whole conversation. As a highly respected onmyoji, he had never been treated like this. This was simply unbearable for him, who always held himself up in high self-esteem.

After He Yu finished speaking, Long Shen said, “For this incident, we will negotiate and propose serious grievances on a diplomatic level.”

This time it was Aso Kenzo’s turn to look bad. Negotiation means wrangling, and wrangling means being blackmailed by the treacherous Chinese, but they were caught red-handed* so there was nothing they could say. He gave them a reluctant smile and said goodbye to everyone. He picked up the unconscious Kitaichi and walked down the mountain with Fujikawa Aoi, looking embarrassed and ashamed, like a defeated general.

*The term is the handle falls into the opponent’s hand (把柄落在别人手里). It refers to evidence against you have fallen into the hands of your opponent.

After a night of fierce fighting, dawn has arrived. When you come, you wear the stars and moon, and when you return, the morning sun is slightly dewy. Carrying the morning light on his back, Long Shen stood by the sinkhole and looked down. He held a long sword in his hand; the scabbard was gone.

He wasn’t sure if it was due to the desolate snow on the mountain’s peaks or the quietness of the smoke that was slowly dissipating, but Dong Zhi felt the feeling of loneliness coming from Long Shen’s figure.

Hidden deep within his eyes, he held countless of words for him.


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Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day Ch133

Author: 公子于歌 / Gong Zi Yu Ge

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


Chapter 133: A Beautiful Man

He couldn’t stand it! Couldn’t stand it! Yan Qiuchi’s eyes were too enthusiastic. His tone was a bit pitiful but humble, and his body language came on strong. Shen Jintai felt he couldn’t bear to refuse, or rather, he didn’t want to refuse.

“Just… just a hug?” Why did he feel as if this was as untrustworthy as when a man says he’ll only rub but won’t insert it?!

Ahhhhhh, what is he thinking about!

Yan Qiuchi had already reentered the room and shut the door. He walked up to him and reached out his arms towards Shen Jintai. Feeling infected by Yan Qiuchi’s desire, Shen Jintai barely stabilized his mind before stretching out his hand, intending to give Yan Qiuchi a symbolic hug.

Yan Qiuchi didn’t show great eagerness but gently hugged him. At the moment when they hugged, Shen Jintai seemed to hear something. Yan Qiuchi seemed to let out a slightly satisfied sigh, and he couldn’t help but think he might have heard it wrong.

Shen Jintai’s back was rigid. Although he was embarrassed, he pretended to be calm and politely patted Yan Qiuchi on the back to show some comfort, then he smiled and prepared to let go.

Huh? He couldn’t move.

He patted Yan Qiuchi on the shoulder again and motioned for him to let go. Not only did Yan Qiuchi not listen, but he hugged him even tighter as his breathing got heavier, and he buried his face into the crevice of Shen Jintai’s neck.

Yan Qiuchi’s face was hot, and his breath sprayed on his neck.

Damn it! Just like he thought! This man’s words were truly not credible!

“Good?” Shen Jintai said.

“No,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Huh?

Shen Jintai couldn’t move, but he felt emotionally moved. Yan Qiuchi seemed to be really struggling.

Yan Qiuchi asked again, “If you say hug, I will just hug, but…” He hesitated, probably thinking his request might be difficult to fulfill. After a pause, he didn’t give up and requested, “Can I stay and just… hold you?”

“What do you think?”

“I may not be able to sleep when I go back tonight.” Yan Qiuchi eased his hold and looked him in the face. “Look at my eyes.”

Shen Jintai blushed. He looked at Yan Qiuchi’s eyes and found that they were bloodshot and had dark circles under them, but it wasn’t as severe as Yan Qiuchi was implying. He had determined that men’s words in this regard were not credible, and even he was starting to buckle. After all, he was also a man and was prone to thinking with his lower body, so with great restraint he said, “Go back quickly. Don’t try to push for an inch.”

Yan Qiuchi kept his promise and finally let him go. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out as he stood there speechless, reluctant to leave. When a man suddenly has this kind of idea, he’ll really die slowly in a pitiful state.

After Yan Qiuchi left, Shen Jintai closed the door and let out a long breath. He felt sickly sweet and seeing Yan Qiuchi’s reactions made him feel turbulent and mushy. He untied his pajamas and looked at his chest, which was now completely flushed.

He didn’t resent the rewards that Xiao Ai gave him anymore. In fact, an idea came to his mind by accident. If Yan Qiuchi were to see him like this, he didn’t know if he would just explode* on the spot.

*Clarity: Figuratively and physically, as in down there.

Shen Jintai couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Yan Qiuchi had insomnia that night—really bad insomnia. Like he said, it was uncomfortable not being able to hold Shen Jintai, but now that he was alone, he felt even more uncomfortable after tasting sweet bliss. Unable to sleep, he got up and started to work, completing the work for the next day in advance.

The next morning, Li Meilan came to pick up Shen Jintai and check on his outfit. She felt that Shen Jintai was in good spirits and was looking forward to this happy event. Recently, he had been depressed due to filming <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>.

After all, the entire story was relatively somber. In the beginning, he discovered that his boyfriend, who he had been with for over a decade, was cheating on him. As an immersive actor, Shen Jintai carried all his character’s emotions with him when he entered the act.

“Yesterday…” Li Meilan asked in a low voice, “President Yan came?”

“How did you know?” Shen Jintai asked.

Li Meilan said, “Because your face has the look of spring.”

The corner of Shen Jintai’s mouth twitch as he said, “President Ji came yesterday.”

“What was he doing here?”

“He said he came to see me and might have something serious to talk about, but Yan Qiuchi interrupted so he went back.”

“Did the two of them meet?” Li Meilan said, “I heard that they’re rivals. I’m not sure if it’s true or not. In any case they are cordial in public. Didn’t President Ji just have dinner with you yesterday and he came to see you again?”

If it weren’t for the fact that Ji Fengxing never ate side grass*, she would have suspected that he had ulterior motives about Shen Jintai.

*This is referring to the saying rabbits don’t eat grass besides their nest (兔子不吃窝边草). It refers to the fact that bad people do not commit bad acts locally. It also can mean being kind to neighbors and as a reminder to not do bad things on one’s doorsteps (though this does not apply in this context).

When they left the hotel room, they happened to run into Fang Yun and the others who were accompanying Yan Qiuchi out. Li Meilan’s eyes lit up when she saw Yan Qiuchi and greeted him, “President Yan, what a coincidence.”

Shen Jintai pursed his lips when he saw Yan Qiuchi. His image looked haggard, especially in the daytime when there was plenty of light. The fatigue was obvious, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed even heavier.

Yan Qiuchi nodded towards them and bypassed them, heading into the elevator with Shen Jintai. After Yan Qiuchi went in, Xiao Tang was about to follow him when Li Meilan grabbed him and said, “There are so many people that it won’t fit everyone. We’ll just wait for the next one.”

Fang Yun and the others smiled indifferently, and no one entered as they watched the elevator slowly close.

“You didn’t sleep well?” Shen Jintai said.

“Insomnia.”

Shen Jintai felt a bit distressed for him but also found it a little funny. The ambiguity and restlessness were palpable, so he said, “I can’t sleep if I’m held, so it seems like it’s better not to hold me at all.”

“But I can’t sleep without holding you,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Then how can we both not lose sleep? Can he sleep while being held in his arms?

Shen Jintai turned to look at him and smiled.

Yan Qiuchi said, “Let’s have dinner together tonight?”

“I’ll see if I can get off in time from filming.”

“Then I will wait for your call.”

The elevator opened with a “ding”, and they had reached the underground parking lot. Xiao Tang and the others hadn’t arrived yet, so they were waiting for them by the elevator. Shen Jintai now has a certain degree of acuity and felt as if someone was filming him in the parking lot, so he glanced around.

When Xiao Tang and the others came down, Shen Jintai got in the car with them. Li Meilan sat down and asked, “President Yan doesn’t look well. Is he sick?”

“He didn’t sleep well.”

“He’s been trying his best, but it’s okay. He’s still young. I haven’t been able to sleep properly since I gave birth and am exhausted from staying up all night.”

“If you have time to bring your kids over, I will meet them.”

Li Meilan smiled and said, “Wait for the Chinese New Year, just in time to hand out red envelopes.”

When Xiao Tang heard this, he immediately excitedly said, “Brother Jin, Sister Lan said you are going to pay a year-end bonus this year?”

“We are not fighting alone now, but as a team, so we should look like a team,” Shen Jintai said.

Li Meilan: “In my opinion, when the two-year contract expires, we should do it alone. Now that the team has been formed, we can open a studio of our own. Or we can still remain attached to Monsoon Entertainment and maintain a cooperative relationship. In fact, it’s almost the same as what we’re doing now.”

“Let’s talk about it then,” Shen Jintai said.

If he continued to develop according to his current momentum, it didn’t seem to be a problem to start his own studio in the future. He didn’t need resources from a brokerage company. As the boss, he could have final say on everything.

His life was almost complete, so he let out a satisfied laugh in his heart and forgot the agony of being forced to be a 0.

—

Xu Xingchen was 28 years old. Since he was a few years older than his actual age, the makeup had to be done a little rougher and the costume had to be more mature, matching more closely to a business-oriented look. He had a lot of looks in this movie, but they were mainly coats. Xu Xingchen was a migrant worker living in a big city. Due to the nature of his job, the clothes he wore every day were not the same. According to the lines in the movie: “The money you make is either to eat or to wear. Buying a house feels like a matter of the next life.” No matter what kind of dilapidated housing condition he lived in, he always had to look glamorous when he went out.

With Shen Jintai’s well-proportioned frame, he was a natural clothes hanger. With a height of 180 cm, he can wear at least 188 different styles. The well-known designer and art director Zhang Kehan was responsible for the costume design of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>. Zhang Kehan was particularly fond of Shen Jintai and had several outfits made for him. As an old veteran in the entertainment industry, it was rare for him to meet an actor who could stimulate his enthusiasm for creation.

He was also gay, so he had a natural sense of intimacy with Shen Jintai and felt that his temperament was very unique. It was clear and had a bit of a literary and artistic atmosphere. When he wore a coat, he was good-looking but not refined, rambunctious but not vulgar, neutral but not girlish, and upright but not rigid.

The footage of him waiting for the train at the station was shot back and forth at least five times. Shen Jintai was pulling a suitcase, wearing a dark khaki coat and an ink-blue scarf. The cold wind blew through his hair slightly, and the tip of his nose was red from the chill. When the train was about to enter the station, a whistling sound came from the distance. He turned his head and looked away, showing off his side profile to the camera.

Qiu Hong felt that the only drawback to this scene was that Shen Jintai was too beautiful. His side profile was unique, and his nose was truly one of the best ones he had ever seen. The bridge was smooth and tall, and he stood out in the vast crowd, shining brightly.

In the end, the director asked him to change his clothes, switching into a down jacket, removing his scarf, and asking him to use the hood from the jacket instead of a hat. Even with this casual wear, Shen Jintai was still good-looking. As long as he didn’t deliberately pretend to be old and ugly, he would look great in anything. The producers suggested that since Xu Xingchen and his father had cut ties for many years, for his return to his hometown for the first time in a decade, he needed to dress up like a successful person. What was more, Xu Xingchen’s personality was originally that of a beautiful man.

“Don’t forget that there is still a love story in this movie.”

Xu Xingchen had returned to his hometown and met his first love, whom he hadn’t seen in over a decade. He was the only warm color in this movie.

The sunlight penetrated through Shen Jintai’s hair, and the camera created a very dreamy feeling. Before getting in the car, he finally looked back at the city, then resolutely got in.

The filming went later than expected. It was already dark when he returned to the nanny’s car and sent a message to Yan Qiuchi, telling him not to wait. After he sent the message, he continued filming. It lasted until midnight, and he was so tired he almost fell asleep on the way back.

It was starting to get cold, and the weather forecast said there would be snow for the next two days. This was the first snow of the year. When talk of snow arose, the car became lively. Li Meilan said to Xiao Tang, “The first snow is the season for confession. Does Xiao Tang have any girls he likes?”

Xiao Tang blushed and said, “No, my mother is setting me up on a blind date.”

“There is no need to look down on blind dates. My husband and I met on a blind date,” Li Meilan said. “As long as you get along, you’re more likely to get married from blind dates than falling in love and you’ll still be very happy*.”

*Clarity: She means that the success of blind dates is better than just “falling in love” with someone seemingly randomly and hoping that it will work out.

“Sister Lan must be happy.” Shen Jintai tilted in his seat wearily and said, “I will keep you for two years.”

Li Meilan said, “I have been separated from the eldest and the second for more than a year. They happened to both be born within the two years that you retired from the circle. Thankfully, the timing worked out; Otherwise, with so much work like this, there would be no time to have children.”

Xiao Tang picked up a blanket and covered Shen Jintai with it. “I have been so busy, but I’m living a very fulfilling life now. I’m very happy to see Brother Jin become so popular. After two years of idleness, I almost planned to quit and do something else. My mother found me a job at that time as a manager in a supermarket.”

A person’s fire could lead a group of people to fortune. This was one of Shen Jintai’s motivations. Stars like him spent 360 days with his team. Xiao Tang, Li Meilan, and the others weren’t much different from his actual relatives. He hoped that one day he would be a superstar who could afford to gift his staff cars and houses!

When he got out of the car, Shen Jintai put on his mask and said, “I think someone has been taking pictures of me recently.”

Due to the complexity of the hotel parking lot, it was hard to say if this was the case. Li Meilan and the others surrounded him as they returned to his room. The first thing they did was close all the curtains.

Shen Jintai removed his mask, took off his jacket, and looked at the time. It was in the early morning. Yan Qiuchi had probably gone to bed a long time ago.

“You have no scenes tomorrow, so get a good night’s rest. We’ll pick you up in the afternoon,” Li Meilan said.

“The dresses, shoes, and watches provided by the brand company for the dinner party are all ready, and I have put them in the cloakroom,” Xiao Tang said.

Shen Jintai nodded. He hasn’t participated in a public event for a long time, so he was looking forward to it. It’s been too long since he heard the cheers from his fans. Often, he would forget that he was a traffic idol. After being so used to his popularity online, he would feel that it was unreal. He needed some real popularity to recharge himself.

It’s enough to be a good actor most of the time, but occasionally you have to experience the feeling of being a star. Fame and fortune are always good motivators.

After Li Meilan and the others had left, Shen Jintai took a hot bath. Before going to bed, he opened the curtains and glanced out. It was dark outside, but there was no snow in sight. He climbed into bed and picked up his phone, only to find that there were two missed calls, both made by Yan Qiuchi.

He called him back, and they quickly connected. “I’m outside your door.”

Shen Jintai immediately sat up, his heart pounding. “It’s the middle of the night. If you’re not sleeping, what are you doing outside my door?”

“Open the door first and let me in,” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai felt that if he opened the door tonight, it wouldn’t be as simple as just hugging. He was being eaten away slowly, step by step. He was hesitating when he heard Yan Qiuchi’s low, sultry voice that had a hint of pitifulness. “Let me in, okay1?”

Using ‘okay1’ and ‘un1’, did he consider himself some kind of domineering president?!

Well, he was indeed a domineering president. And indeed, he was the ‘okay1’ in Shen Jintai’s heart.

Clarity: In Chinese, they often have interjections. A common one is like ba (吧) which many of you might be familiar with. This interjection that Yan Qiuchi is using is okay (嗯) which can be translated as okay, un, or mm. In this case, Yan Qiuchi is acting sort of like a domineering president by saying, “Let me in, okay?” but in a tone that’s not necessarily a request but more of a statement of affirmation, as in he will let him in.

Shen Jintai got out of bed, went over, and opened the door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yan Qiuchi wearing just his pajamas with only a coat on and said, “It’s freezing.”


The author has something to say:

He’s here again, this cunning son of a bitch.


Kinky Thoughts:

Freezing? Bro, you’re in a hotel!


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