Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “Let’s make it public on Valentine’s Day.”
Shen Jintai was momentarily stunned but then nodded. Yan Qiuchi hugged him and gave him several kisses. Shen Jintai felt that if they didn’t leave the room, he would be at risk of being dragged into bed at any moment.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” he said.
“Let me get you a scarf,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Or you can wear my turtleneck sweater and cover it up.”
Shen Jintai suddenly remembered the hickey marks on his neck, and his anger returned. “If you try and dare plant strawberries on my neck in the future… I can’t keep covering my neck while filming.”
“I don’t know when I did it,” Yan Qiuchi said. He might’ve been too excited at that time that his brain was completely controlled by his lower body, so he exerted his force too fiercely, whether it was with his hands, mouth, or other places. Seeing Shen Jintai’s “scars” made him regret it, mainly because his skin was too fair and any little trace would be obvious, making him look quite pitiful. He loved Shen Jintai and felt distressed when he saw this kind of thing, so he had to pay attention carefully next time!
Yan Qiuchi went back to his room, grabbed a scarf, then went back to Shen Jintai and wrapped it around him. They prepared to head back to the hotel.
The Yan Manor was very warm inside, so it was strange for him to wear a scarf around the house. Although he and Yan Qiuchi were lovers, and it was normal to do intimate things, he still felt embarrassed if Fang Fengmei and the others knew about it.
Fang Fengmei said, “You’re leaving now? Go after lunch.”
“Sister Lan and the others are waiting for me back at the hotel, and the crew is also in a rush,” Shen Jintai said.
“Then let Qiuchi drive you back,” Fang Fengmei hurriedly said. “I have prepared a little gift for you. Take it with you and give it to the staff to eat, or you can eat it yourself. These are dim sum dishes from Qiuyue Zhai. You said you liked them last time, so I ordered a lot.”
“Thank you, auntie.”
“We’re family. There’s no need for thanks.”
Before Shen Jintai left, he went to visit Yan Tiefeng again. Yan Qiuchi followed him in, and when he took a closer look, he found that Shen Jintai was walking a bit awkwardly; his legs seemed to be spread a little further than usual. He suddenly felt distressed for Shen Jintai and helped him. After all, it was their first time, and he would suffer just as much as a woman.
Fang Fengmei walked them out to the courtyard. As soon as Yan Qiuchi opened the car door, he saw a Porsche driving over. It was Yan Yaoxuan’s car.
“This kid is finally back,” Fang Fengmei said. “He doesn’t even know how to answer his phone when he’s playing.”
While the car was owned by Yan Yaoxuan, the driver was Shan Cheng. When he got out of the car, he greeted Fang Fengmei and the others respectfully, then opened the passenger door and helped Yan Yaoxuan out.
Fang Fengmei was taken aback, thinking that something had happened to Yan Yaoxuan, but Shan Cheng hurriedly said, “He just drank too much.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “How can he drink this much?”
“I kept trying to stop him, but he refused,” Shan Cheng said.
“Qiuchi, help me with him,” Fang Fengmei said.
“I got it.” Shan Cheng’s height was not that far from Yan Qiuchi’s. He easily picked up Yan Yaoxuan without any trouble and said as he walked in, “I originally wanted him to stay with me, but he refused. He kept drinking and went crazy and kept crying that he wanted to go home.”
Fang Fengmei smiled and said, “It’s really been hard on you.”
Yan Qiuchi asked Shen Jintai to get in the car and said, “Don’t move too much.”
Shen Jintai suddenly realized that Yan Qiuchi had also discovered that it was inconvenient for him to walk and felt embarrassed, so he got into the car without saying anything. He sat down awkwardly, not daring to sit directly on his ass. While there wasn’t any pain, it was probably more of a psychological thing, and he had this feeling that it was… swollen.
It most likely had something to do with his reward from Xiao Ai. Last night, at first, Yan Qiuchi only tried it, but neither of them expected it to go all the way. After all, Yan Qiuchi was quite well endowed, but he actually managed to take it all. It was improbable not to think that this didn’t have anything to do with Xiao Ai’s rewards.
Speaking of Xiao Ai, he was truly so sweet, to reward him with this kind of… Wait! What the hell is he thinking about?!
Yan Qiuchi left for a few minutes before returning to the car.
Since it was the first day of the new year, the hotel was deserted. Yan Qiuchi went back after they sent him back to the hotel. Since it was Chinese New Year, in addition to visiting friends and families, Yan Qiuchi would also have to accompany Fang Fengmei to visit the directors of the Yan company, as well as other large political and business figures. Now that Yan Tiefeng was incapacitated, the job fell to him.
Now that he had officially taken over, he had to maintain his image both on and off the job. The PR department had no holidays during this time as they had to accompany Yan Qiuchi through the whole process, where they would record and take pictures of him. These things would be put on the company’s website in conjunction with a public statement.
The pressure was insurmountable, as Yan Qiuchi was only 26 and had already taken over a large business empire. Even with Fang Fengmei to assist him, his daily workload was incomparable to what he previously had at Sunshine Media.
When he was finished with dinner at the Fang household, it was already past 9 p.m. Fang Fengmei asked him, “Are you going home or to the hotel?”
Yan Qiuchi said lightly, “Hotel.”
Fang Fengmei let out a “Oh” and the corners of her mouth pursed slightly.
Yan Qiuchi said, “Home is still a bit too far from the company. I plan to move to the hotel for a longer stay in a few days.”
“That’s a good idea. Otherwise, with you and Xiao Jin being so busy, you guys won’t have time to meet. You still need to see each other often so you can deepen your relationship.”
Yan Qiuchi let out a “Nn”.
Fang Fengmei turned her head and looked out the window, before letting out a soft laugh.
Yan Qiuchi planned to move into Shen Jintai’s room. After returning to the hotel, he sorted his belongings, packed them up, and brought them over to Shen Jintai’s room. He knocked on the door, and it was Xiao Tang who opened.
When Xiao Tang saw him, he immediately shouted happily, “President Yan, Happy New Year!”
Yan Qiuchi nodded coldly and majestically. Xiao Tang hurriedly let him in. When Yan Qiuchi entered, he saw that Li Meilan was also there, and there were two children playing in the living room.
“President Yan,” Li Meilan said with a smile. “I brought my kids over to show Jintai.”
When she saw what Yan Qiuchi was holding in his hands, she stood up with her daughter in her arms and said, “It’s getting late, and it’s time for the children to go to bed. I’ll come back later.”
Xiao Tang took Li Meilan’s son from Shen Jintai’s arms and went out with her. Yan Qiuchi took out his wallet, took out all the red banknotes in it, and gave it to the two children as their New Year’s money.
“I almost forgot if you didn’t remind me.” Shen Jintai got up to find his wallet. Li Meilan came over and said, “President Yan already gave it to them.”
She and Xiao Tang left the room, and after entering the elevator, Xiao Tang said as he hugged the child in his arms, “President Yan seems to have moved in.”
Li Meilan said, “I feel that we should prepare to draft a statement as their relationship’s about to go public.”
Just now, she saw a few strawberries on Shen Jintai’s neck that were extremely dark in color, which showed that the kissing was very intense and vigorous. Thinking about the strawberries that Yan Qiuchi had planted made her feel sentimental since she couldn’t really imagine a person like that to be so enthusiastic. He was usually so abstemious and cold. For a person who wore his clothes so tightly, it was unimaginable what he would be like when he took them off.
At 10:30 p.m., Shen Jintai was sitting on the bed, looking at a new script that Li Meilan had brought him, when he looked at Yan Qiuchi in surprise. Yan Qiuchi had taken off his bathrobe and gotten into the blanket completely naked.
Shen Jintai: “…”
He got out of bed, went to the cloakroom, brought a pair of pajamas, and threw them on the bed. Yan Qiuchi sat up, showing off his sturdy upper body, and gave Shen Jintai a serious look. Without speaking, he put on his pajamas.
“Put on the top too.”
“But…” Yan Qiuchi paused and didn’t continue the rest of the sentence as he obediently put on the shirt.
Shen Jintai got into bed and continued reading his script as Yan Qiuchi laid next to him looking at his phone. After a while, he said, “What time are you going on set tomorrow?”
“Seven.”
“Then it’s time to go to bed. Don’t read anymore,” Yan Qiuchi said.
“You go to bed first. I want to finish reading this,” Shen Jintai said.
The two had a tacit understanding and knew the meaning behind each other’s words. Yan Qiuchi moved towards his side and leaned against Shen Jintai’s ass. Shen Jintai turned the page of his script without moving. He persisted, and eventually Yan Qiuchi fell asleep. He then put the script down, went to the bathroom, returned, and laid down quietly on the bed. When he turned off the lights, he examined Yan Qiuchi, knowing that he liked to pretend to be asleep and would rush up to him the moment the lights were turned off.
Fortunately, Yan Qiuchi really was asleep. He liked the sleeping Yan Qiuchi. He took the initiative to lean on him and hug him. Since they had close physical contact, the relationship between the two of them had deepened. He felt that he was falling more and more in love with Yan Qiuchi. Last night had seemingly changed everything. He felt comfort and relief when he smelled the scent that was unique to Yan Qiuchi.
It was late in the night when he eventually fell asleep in a daze. In his drowsiness, he felt someone unbuttoning his clothes. He stretched out his hand in the dark and pushed it against Yan Qiuchi’s strong, bare chest.
Shen Jintai: “…”
When did he take off his clothes?!
“What are you doing in the middle of the night…” Shen Jintai said drowsily. “I’m going to film tomorrow, and I really can’t ask for leave… I need to recuperate…”
“Don’t move. I just want to embrace you,” Yan Qiuchi said. Though he may be serious this time, Shen Jintai didn’t believe him. Still, his pajamas were already torn off. “I told you I like skin on skin contact. Let’s not wear clothes in the future when in bed, okay?”
Shen Jintai wanted to resist but found that Yan Qiuchi had already taken off his pajamas, so he didn’t dare move. Yan Qiuchi wrapped around him from head to toe and sandwiched him between his legs as he put his arms around his waist and pressed his face against him.
Fuck, it was too tight. How could he sleep like this?
Yan Qiuchi said, “Just sleep. Go to sleep. I just want to hug. Just hugging. I won’t even kiss you.”
Shen Jintai: “…”
Only ghosts could fall asleep like this!
Yan Qiuchi gave him a peck on the face.
Didn’t you say you weren’t going to kiss?!
Shen Jintai felt that this would not work. It was too easy to get angry.
“Just get used to it,” Yan Qiuchi said. “It’s so comfortable.”
Yan Qiuchi really felt so good that he was about to explode. His skin craving was finally satisfied, and he no longer felt the torture that it once gave him. Instead, it now gave him a sense of happiness that others didn’t have.
“Baby…”
Shen Jintai felt so embarrassed that his liver trembled. Why is he so sticky and greasy?!
Still, his attitude softened, and he said lightly, “Really, I have to film early tomorrow, and I can’t ask for any more leave…”
Yan Qiuchi: “Then call me…”
Shen Jintai: “By your name?”
Yan Qiuchi whispered softly, showing hints of embarrassment in his voice. “Call me husband.”
Shen Jintai kicked him away, set up, grabbed his pajamas, and put them on. “You’re really asking for me to kick your face!”
The tiger didn’t show its power, so you treat me like a sick cat*!
*(老虎不发威，当他是病猫) Idiom referring to don’t underestimate my strength.
The author has something to say:
Yan Qiuchi: It seems that I need to be forceful at another time.
The winter night was cold, but the embrace between them as they quietly held each other caused them to sweat profusely.
How did this happen? How did it develop to this point? Shen Jintai felt blindsided as he was in a state of confusion.
Yan Qiuchi kept kissing him on the cheek, and after each kiss, she would smile tenderly at him. Shen Jintai covered his stomach and didn’t speak; his eyes were blank.
“Lost?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
Shen Jintai turned over, facing the end of the bed, as he turned his back to Yan Qiuchi. Yan Qiuchi wrapped his arms around him and hugged him from behind. Sure enough, he couldn’t trust a man’s words. When they say they’ll only hug, kiss, or rub, it’s all lies!
Yan Qiuchi kissed his slightly damp shoulder. He felt that Shen Jintai was perfect. There were no shortcomings. How could such a perfect person like this exist in this world? From the tips of his toes to every inch of his hair, the existence of this flawless person occupied every part of him. Love surged through him, and he couldn’t help becoming excited again.
Shen Jintai pushed him and said, “I have to film tomorrow.”
“I’ll ask for leave for you.” Yan Qiuchi half coaxed, half begged, and half insisted. “It’s almost midnight in a few minutes. Let’s celebrate New Year’s Eve together.”
Shen Jintai bit the pillow, thinking about how futile it was.
The sound of firecrackers rang from the outside and all over the city. An old year had passed, and a new year would officially begin.
The next morning, Fang Fengmei saw Yan Qiuchi coming down, looking extremely refreshed. She asked, “Xiao Jin hasn’t gotten up yet?”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “He has a bit of a cold, so he’s still sleeping. I’ll bring him something to eat.”
When Fang Fengmei heard this, she immediately asked, “Is it really a cold? Are you okay? Is this something I should be concerned about?”
“It’s just a small cold. He’s been too tired recently, so just let him sleep a little longer,” Yan Qiuchi smiled and said to the maid. “I’ll eat upstairs too so bring my share as well.”
Fang Fengmei gave him a glance. Yan Qiuchi often looks stoic and tough, with an icy demeanor, but today he looked glowing, his lips were rosy, and his complexion was in excellent condition. She felt as if some of Shen Jintai’s beauty had rubbed off on him.
Perceiving her gaze, Yan Qiuchi also returned her gaze and smiled at her, showing a row of pearly white teeth. His entire body felt as if it were glowing, and something fundamentally changed.
The maid brought out two breakfast portions and handed them over to Yan Qiuchi. He quickly ran up the stairs, walking as if he had sprouted wings. The maid was stunned and said, “Qiuchi is so happy today.”
Fang Fengmei looked at his back and said, “Indeed.”
Yan Qiuchi felt as if he were like a spring breeze that was bringing in a sense of bliss that could transform into a flower. He had always been prudent and quiet, yet this feeling of joy was so overwhelming that he actually ran up the stairs, skipping three steps at a time.
He quickly returned to the room, closed the door, and brought the food to the bed. Shen Jintai was still lying in bed. When he felt movement, he opened his eyes and asked, “What time is it?”
“Eight in the morning,” Yan Qiuchi said. “I have already asked for your leave today.”
Shen Jintai didn’t speak while he wrapped himself up in the blanket. His ears were red.
Yan Qiuchi asked, “Would you like to eat something?”
Shen Jintai said, “No.”
He suddenly remembered a very important thing and quickly summoned Xiao Ai.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” Xiao Ai howled.
Shen Jintai’s face flushed slightly. “Have I completed the task?”
“Yes, dear, congratulations!” Xiao Ai said excitedly, “Not only have you gained a new life, but you have also gained a good man who’ll still love you even when you reach 60. He will never cheat and never change his heart!”
“Can such a thing also be rewarded?”
“Dear, this is not our reward. Yan Qiuchi is just single-minded by nature! Kiss~ How was your experience? It wasn’t as terrifying as you thought, right?!”
“I was about to ask.” Shen Jintai’s face was hot. “Did you secretly give me some reward?”
Xiao Ai smiled. “Hee hee~ Do you want me to tell you…”
Shen Jintai interrupted, “Don’t talk about it.”
“Dear~ Xiao Ai congratulates you on completing your mission. My colleague Xiao Mei extends congratulations as well.”
Shen Jintai whispered, “That… Thank you.”
Xiao Ai sighed again when he heard this. “Dear, this means we’re going to say goodbye forever.”
Shen Jintai said, “Well, you can still show up in my mind occasionally to chat.”
“This is against the rules. Dear, it’s been a pleasure to meet you. Xiao Ai has also witnessed your love and career with my own eyes. I believe that your current conditions and abilities will only get better in the future. Good luck!”
“Who are you going to pit next?”
“Dear! How can you say that? Did you think you had been deceived by me?!”
“I was cheated by you! Otherwise, how could my waist be so sore, and my stomach be so swollen that I can’t even get up from bed!”
Xiao Ai smiled. “But I didn’t detect any dissatisfaction from you. On the contrary, I noticed that you seemed to enjoy the taste of meat. Whenever you see the male protagonist, your heart beats rapidly. Your mouth may be hard, but your body is more honest.”
“Okay, okay, let’s stop attacking each other,” Shen Jintai said. “Tell the truth. Who is the next person? Is he also in this world, and what is his name?”
“You won’t know him. He’s in another world. His name is similar to yours, with the gold character, Jin Yanliu.”
“Just hearing the name, he must be a handsome guy,” Shen Jintai said. “Is it also by the same method of coercion and seduction to become beautiful?”
“His face is divine, the light of gold and jade. He doesn’t need to be more beautiful,” Xiao Ai said with a tone seemingly yearning. “Yanyu pp1, bright willows of spring2, handsome, rich, and is widely popular at the age of 20. It’s a pity that you can’t see him with your own eyes.”
1Jin Yanliu (金燕柳) name broken down. The Yan (燕) refers to a swallow and is from [yanyu]. Yu (羽) refers to feathers. PP is slang for really pretty. Put it all together it becomes a pretty swallow’s feather. The Jin refers to gold (same Jin as in Shen Jintai). 2Liu (柳) refers to willows/ferns. The line refers to the spring willow that’s prosperous. Putting it all together. It refers to someone with a gentle appearance.
Shit, that’s some good su. Fortunately, they weren’t in the same world, so there wasn’t a need to fight him for a job.
“Dear, I bless you one last time. I hope your love is complete and your career will continue to soar!”
Shen Jintai felt sad about their parting. “Thank you. I will always remember you.”
Xiao Ai smiled and then fell silent for a while. Before Shen Jintai was about to speak, he heard a beep, and Xiao Ai went offline.
“Hello, Xiao Ai.” He tried to call, but there was no response from Xiao Ai. He could no longer hear the ding dong sound or Xiao Ai’s wretched and lovely laughter.
He felt melancholic, as if he had said goodbye to an old friend forever. Partings in life always seemed rushed. Even if you had prepared well in advance, the moment you parted, it always felt as if it was too quick.
Feeling tired and somber, Shen Jintai sank back into the bed without eating his breakfast. He was about to fall asleep again when he suddenly felt Yan Qiuchi get into the bed. Feeling vigilant, his physical instinct made him feel a little afraid. Yan Qiuchi hugged him and said, “I just want to hold you. Don’t be scared.”
Yan Qiuchi’s was plenty satisfied currently, and his heart was full at the moment. Shen Jintai’s timid reaction aroused his desire to protect and satisfy his dignity.
Fang Fengmei wasn’t at ease as she didn’t see Shen Jintai and her son come down even after past 10. She went upstairs to take a look and knocked on the door. Hearing no one answer, she quietly opened the door and looked into the room, which was dark as the curtains were closed. Yan Qiuchi was hugging Shen Jintai as they both slept soundly together on the bed.
Seeing the two sleeping together, Fang Fengmei’s heart jumped as she hastily shut the door. She finally figured out why her son had a face like the spring breeze. Having said that, she always felt Yan Qiuchi’s temperament was dull and restrained, and the two still hadn’t made things public yet. Even if they had confirmed their relationship, she thought they would only hold hands at most. She truly underestimated her son’s abilities.
This was the most exciting news she received in the New Year, and she had no one to share it with!
Shen Jintai slept until past 11 when he woke up due to hunger. He rubbed his eyes and realized that Yan Qiuchi was still holding him. He glanced down and wanted to undo Yan Qiuchi’s hand. Before he had the chance, he heard Yan Qiuchi say from behind, “Have you had enough sleep?”
When Shen Jintai heard his tone, he felt something was wrong. Reading between the lines, it meant, “If you slept enough, let’s go again.”
He was still naked and felt the danger of falling again, so he said, “I’m hungry and want to eat.”
Yan Qiuchi got up and said, “I’ll get it for you.”
Seeing Yan Qiuchi get up, he saw that he was only wearing his trousers, baring his completely shirtless body. Yan Qiuchi’s figure was truly astounding. His back was majestic and tall. While he may look thin in clothes, when he was undressed, he was full of muscles. Then he caught sight of a bite mark on Yan Qiuchi’s shoulder.
He actually bit him!
When they did it for the first time, it didn’t take long, but when they went for round two, Yan Qiuchi was so good at tossing and turning him and wasn’t fooling around anymore that in the end, he couldn’t bear it, so he bit him.
“Can you eat fruit?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
Shen Jintai tried not to look down at him. He laid back down on the bed, took a piece of fruit, and said, “Where did you toss my pajamas?”
“It’s dirty. I took the bathroom.” Yan Qiuchi said, “Don’t rush to wear it yet.”
When Shen Jintai heard this, he was horrified and simply made it clear. “What are you going to do in broad daylight? Do you want to go at it all day?”
Yan Qiuchi laughed without speaking. Shen Jintai loved it when he laughed like this. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but now that it was on his mind, this smile that looked shy and restrained was actually very colorful underneath!
He ate a few more pieces of fruit until he was satisfied.
Yan Qiuchi got into the blanket, hugged him, and said, “I checked on it when you first fell asleep, and it looks fine.”
What the hell did you look at? What’s fine? What were you watching?!
Why was he even asking himself these rhetorical questions?
Shen Jintai became embarrassed, and Yan Qiuchi said, “I asked for a day off for you.”
So that’s why you asked for a day off!
“I’m going to get angry,” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi stopped moving. He hugged him tightly and kissed his face, saying, “I love you. I feel as if I love you even more now.”
Shen Jintai felt that he was too tired. “You, go and bring me my clothes. I want to get up.”
“It’s cloudy outside,” Yan Qiuchi said. “It’s very cold, so don’t go out.”
“Auntie Fang got up a long time ago, right?” Shen Jintai said. This wasn’t his home after all, so it wasn’t appropriate to sleep in for so long, and it made him feel a bit guilty.
“I told them that you have a cold and are not feeling well, so you were sleeping in.”
—
Yan Tiefeng was doing his rehabilitation training accompanied by the medical staff. He asked Fang Fengmei, “Today’s the first day of the new year. Don’t you want to go with Qiuchi, Old Wang, and the others to celebrate?”
In the first few days of the Spring Festival of every year, they would run around the homes of the Yan’s major shareholders and employees’ representatives to give New Year’s gifts.
“I’ll go in the afternoon,” Fang Fengmei said. “Xiao Jin’s a little uncomfortable, so Qiuchi is taking care of him at home.”
When Shen Jintai went to the bathroom to shower, he found that he was covered in hickey marks, which look quite scary. He knew that Yan Qiuchi was extremely hungry yesterday, as it was obvious that he had taken quite a few bites on his neck and that these wouldn’t be gone by tomorrow. How could he still film?
Moreover, when he first got off the bed, he found that his legs were trembling, and the feeling of discomfort suddenly became stronger. Did Xiao Ai really secretly give him a reward? Why was he still like this?
He could only hate that he could no longer contact Xiao Ai. Perhaps it wasn’t his own problem but Yan Qiuchi’s.
Shen Jintai blushed, and after washing for a long time, he heard Yan Qiuchi shouting to him from outside, “Baby, are you okay?”
Shen Jintai had goosebumps all over his body. “Baby your head!”
He dried himself off and got dressed before coming out and saying, “Don’t shout like that in the future.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “But it’s just the two of us.”
“Also, call me by my name,” Shen Jintai said.
“When I called you that yesterday, I thought you quite liked it.”
“…that’s in bed.”
“So, I can’t call you that when it’s out of bed,” Yan Qiuchi said. “I see. Okay, I’ll keep it just to the bed.”
As he said it, he went up and hugged Shen Jintai and said, “I want to confess something to you.”
“What?”
“I have skin hunger.” Yan Qiuchi asked, “Do you know this disease? I especially like skin contact.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“I have a home outside. Shall we move there in the future?”
Shen Jintai thought of the connection between a separate home and Yan Qiuchi’s disease and suddenly found lots of extremely inappropriate thoughts popping into his mind.
“I will… next year… This year’s schedule is too full, so I don’t have time to go home and live there,” he replied.
“Your fame has gone up now. You can be pickier in the future and ask for quality, not quantity,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Film less and create great products, right?”
After speaking, he kissed him on the cheek again. Shen Jintai felt that if this continued, the clothes he had just put on would be taken off again.
He responded vaguely and said, “I want to go out. I’ve been sleeping all morning, so I’m embarrassed.”
“I have one more thing,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai looked at him, and Yan Qiuchi smiled, giving off that shy grin, but his eyes remained fiery.
‘It’s over,’ Shen Jintai thought. ‘Yan Qiuchi doesn’t know any shame and does not conform to the main theme of socialism*!’
*Clarity: He’s referring to the “harmonious” theme.
The author has something to say:
Congratulations to Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai. Goodbye, Xiao Ai.
*Stands for alpha, beta, omega, world setting. You can read more about it here if you don’t know.
Kinky Thoughts:
Welp, sorry, but due to China’s censorship, that’s all you’re going to get. I’ve heard that authors do post the X-rated version on their Weibo or other sources. As far as I know, I can’t find anything on this series, but if it does exist and you have the raws, I’ll be more than happy to translate it.
“Didn’t you tell Auntie Fang that you want to go back home?” Shen Jintai asked.
Yan Qiuchi looked a little confused and asked, “Did you say anything?”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “Have you really drunk too much? Auntie told me several times before we left. What are you planning to do back at the hotel?”
Yan Qiuchi laughed. His face and neck were red, and he smiled shyly and said, “Nothing.”
Not long after they had left, Shen Jintai’s phone rang. He saw it was Liu Qi and connected it. “Your dad forgot to give you the red envelope he prepared for you.”
Fortunately, the car hadn’t gone far, so they turned around. When Shen Jintai got out of the car, Liu Qi ran over with a smile and handed him two red envelopes. “This one belongs to you, and this one is for Qiuchi.”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “There’s mine as well.”
Liu Qi: “We know that you’re not short of money, and you often help us out. This is your father’s intention.”
“Thank Dad for me,” Shen Jintai said.
“Okay, it’s cold outside, so get in the car. Come and visit us when you have time.”
Shen Jintai was about to leave, but he saw Shen Xiaomei running out. He gave her a hug as Liu Qi said, “Your brother has something to do. He’ll come play with you next time.”
Eventually, Shen Xiaomei got tired and let go. Liu Qi smiled and said, “You’re filming with the crew now. Can we come visit you on set? Your dad told me some time ago that he wanted to see what your job is like.”
Shen Jintai: “No problem. Just tell me in advance before you come.”
Shen Jintai kissed Shen Xiaomei and put her down. She waved her hand and said, “Goodbye, Brother Qiuchi.”
Shen Jintai glanced back and saw that Yan Qiuchi had already gotten out of the car and was holding the car door for him as he waved back to Shen Xiaomei. Shen Jintai returned to the car and gave him the red envelope.
Fang Fengmei had given him a large red envelope earlier. He was still thinking about whether he would also give Yan Qiuchi one if Shen Ruhai hadn’t thought of it, but he didn’t expect that Shen Ruhai was already prepared. It was a good sign and meant that he was already considered a family member.
Shen Jintai had always had very subtle feelings for Shen Ruhai, and even for Shen Xiaomei and Liu Qi. He didn’t feel as comfortable with them compared to the Yan family, who weren’t even his blood relatives. When he thought about how Shen Ruhai was standing outside the arena that day alone, he felt sad and warm. Their father-son relationship was full of regrets and very similar to the story in <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>.
The streets were deserted on New Year’s Eve. Shen Jintai leaned on Yan Qiuchi’s shoulder and smelt the heavy smell of alcohol on his body. Though he didn’t drink, the smell radiated off of him as if it were staining him as well.
Yan Qiuchi’s phone suddenly vibrated, and he took it out drunkenly and said, “It’s my mother.”
“Have you finished dinner?” Fang Fengmei asked.
Yan Qiuchi said, “Nn. Finished.”
“Then come back as soon as possible. Your dad is feeling depressed, saying the younger one ran out to fool around while the older one went to eat at someone else’s New Year’s Eve dinner. Come back and comfort him as soon as possible.”
He didn’t pay attention during the day, but when they returned back to the Yan’s Manor that night, Shen Jintai found that there were lots of colorful lights hanging in the courtyard that glowed brightly at night. Two red lanterns were hung in front of the courtyard, beaming vibrantly.
Shen Jintai helped Yan Qiuchi into the house. Fang Fengmei went downstairs to greet them and asked, “Have you drunk too much?”
“A little bit,” Yan Qiuchi said.
“He outdrank my dad,” Shen Jintai said.
“Yaoxuan didn’t come back?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
“No. He ran out in the afternoon, and he told me he was going to the Shan family. All the household staff have gone on vacation, so I asked him to come back early. Yet he still hasn’t even answered his phone now! I don’t know where he’s off fooling around,” Fang Fengmei said. “Don’t talk about it. It’s just the two of us at home, so it’s really deserted.”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and went to see Yan Tiefeng first. Yan Tiefeng was lying on the bed watching the Spring Festival Gala. When he saw them coming in, he said, “You came back so early.”
“Qiuchi outdrank Old Shen.” Fang Fengmei said as she came in with melon seeds and fruits.
Yan Tiefeng smiled when he heard this and said, “Old Shen still can’t hold his liquor.”
Yan Qiuchi turned on the headlights in the room. Now in the brightly lit room with two young men, the room seemed to have suddenly come back to life. The four chatted while watching the Spring Festival Gala. After less than ten minutes of gossiping, Yan Tiefeng said, “Okay, I’m sleepy, so you should go rest.”
Fang Fengmei was taken aback for a moment, then saw Yan Qiuchi stand up and say, “Then you should rest early.”
Shen Jintai also stood up, and Fang Fengmei said, “By the way, Xiao Jin, there may not be pajamas that fit you here. If not, you can make do with Qiuchi’s.”
“I’ll get it for him,” Yan Qiuchi said in a light tone.
After the two of them went out, Fang Fengmei closed the door and turned to Yan Tiefeng. “I just told the children to come back and accompany you, so why did you drive them away again?”
“Didn’t you see that the boss can’t sit still?” Yan Tiefeng said.
Fang Fengmei was surprised. “Really?”
Yan Tiefeng said, “He’s been looking at his watch absent-mindedly… and shaking his legs from time to time.”
With his excellent upbringing, Yan Qiuchi didn’t have bad habits, but when he was nervous or anxious, he would shake his legs. Yan Tiefeng thought that he had fixed this problem a long time ago, as he hadn’t seen it for so many years.
Yan Qiuchi went upstairs and checked the time. It was half past eight, so the night was still long. Shen Jintai said behind him, “Don’t bring me trousers, just short pajamas.”
“Okay.”
Shen Jintai went back to his room. When he was chatting just now, his phone kept buzzing, so he turned it off. When he turned it back on, the phone shook violently as piles of notifications poured out. It was time for him to return all the new year’s blessings.
He sat down on the sofa and began to reply to text messages from more important people. While he was in the middle of it, Yan Qiuchi came in with pajamas.
“My pajamas may be a bit big for you to wear,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai said, “Nn”. Yan Qiuchi sat down beside him, tilted his body slightly to his side, and urged him. “You haven’t taken a shower yet.”
Shen Jintai: “I’m just finishing up replying to some messages.”
Yan Qiuchi sat next to him for a while, then went out. A few moments later, he came back in again and was dressed in his pajamas. Shen Jintai was still responding to messages. Yan Qiuchi sat by him again and leaned over.
Shen Jintai said, “I have to go film early tomorrow morning.”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “I know.”
Shen Jintai put down the phone, stood up, and went to the shower. As he got up, Yan Qiuchi gave him a happy look and went straight to his bed. Shen Jintai didn’t speak but pursed his lips and went into the bathroom. He took a long shower before coming out. Yan Qiuchi’s pajamas were really too big for him.
When he sat down on the bed and opened the blanket, he found that Yan Qiuchi was already asleep. He was stunned momentarily. It seemed that he had taken too long in the bathroom.
Yan Qiuchi must’ve endured it pretty hard. In fact, Shen Jintai knew his pain whenever they slept together. He was also a man, and he liked Yan Qiuchi very much. When he was embraced by him, he would get excited, but he wasn’t as eager as Yan Qiuchi. At most, when he was on the brink of moving forward, his body would inadvertently shake.
It was quite uncomfortable. He laid down gently, stretched out his hands, and wrapped them around Yan Qiuchi’s waist. Suddenly, Yan Qiuchi caught his hand and pressed it against his forehead.
As soon as Shen Jintai moved, Yan Qiuchi grabbed him tightly. He hurriedly said, “I have to film tomorrow…”
“I know,” Yan Qiuchi said softly, “but it will take a month for you to finish filming.”
Shen Jintai: “I didn’t prepare…”
“Then promise me.”
Shen Jintai said, “Promise you what?”
“Let me embrace you.”
This requirement felt amicable. Shen Jintai didn’t speak until suddenly he grabbed Yan Qiuchi’s hand. “What are you doing undressing me?!”
“I just want to hold you. I promise I won’t do anything else.”
Shen Jintai struggled, and Yan Qiuchi said, “There’s no gas*. What are you afraid of? I’ve been thinking about you all day…”
*Car/driving is a euphemism for sex in Chinese. He’s saying there’s no gas (in the car) meaning that the car won’t be driving (no sex).
The darkness boosted Yan Qiuchi’s boldness, and he pressed Shen Jintai down and said, “Baby, be good…”
“Don’t call me baby.”
“Won’t call. Won’t call.”
“Hey.” Shen Jintai couldn’t hold onto his clothes. “Why are you acting like this?”
Yan Qiuchi stopped talking. He silently got up and turned on the bedside lamp. As soon as the lights turned on, he stared at Shen Jintai for a while as Shen Jintai wrapped himself tightly under the blankets. Yan Qiuchi quickly took off his clothes and rushed back in.
His skin hunger was finally satisfied. Both of them trembled, and Yan Qiuchi didn’t say a word. He simply hugged him, and the feeling of the skin-on-skin contact was mind-blowing. It was so shocking that it eventually got out of control. He said he would only hold him, but it turned out that a storm was currently brewing.
After such repeated torture, Yan Qiuchi couldn’t fall asleep and woke up early the next morning. Shen Jintai was still sleeping. He was really exhausted from all his work. His schedule was too tight.
Yan Qiuchi got up and washed up, then went out to buy breakfast. It had snowed all last night, and now the outside world was covered in a blanket of white. By the time he returned, Shen Jintai was already awake, leaning on the bed and squinting his eyes in a daze.
“Awake?” Yan Qiuchi said, “Get up and have something to eat.”
Shen Jintai tilted his head and said, “What time is it?”
“Nine in the morning.”
Shen Jintai yawned again, rubbed his eyes, and said, “I want to sleep all day.”
“Don’t arrange your work so full in the future. If they are too tight and one goes over, then your schedules will bump into each other.”
Shen Jintai got out of bed groggily and went to take a shower. Yan Qiuchi was sitting in the living room, waiting for him to come out so they could eat together. The sound of the water rushing made him feel as if all the heat from the hot water was flowing into his heart.
Yan Qiuchi sat on the sofa with his head down, and his legs became antsy and couldn’t help but shake a few times.
After taking a hot shower, Shen Jintai’s mind was completely clear. After blow-drying his hair, he came out of the bathroom and saw that Yan Qiuchi was on the phone.
“I think the snow on the ground is quite thick. Although it didn’t fall much, it rained all night and didn’t stop until dawn.” Fang Fengmei said, “Drive slowly on the road. Safety first.”
Yan Qiuchi said “Nn”. After hanging up the phone, he asked Shen Jintai, “Would you like to go home with me today to see my parents?”
Of course, he would go.
Shen Jintai said, “I haven’t been back to my house for a long time. My dad said that if I have time, I should visit them. I’ll have lunch at home, and I’ll go see Auntie Fang and the others in the afternoon.”
“Today’s the 30th. If you don’t spend New Year’s Eve at home, Uncle Shen may be upset,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Let’s go to my house at noon, and I’ll take you home in the afternoon and pick you up in the evening.”
Shen Jintai thought this would work. He sat down opposite Yan Qiuchi in his bathrobe, and the two of them began eating breakfast. About halfway through, Xiao Tang came.
“It’s rare for you to have a day off. Don’t stay with me in the hotel. Go home and see your parents. We may not be able to rest during Chinese New Year’s.” Shen Jintai said.
Xiao Tang nodded and turned to leave. Yan Qiuchi stopped him and said, “I heard that you are from Nancheng, so your home is here?”
Xiao Tang smiled and said, “My home is in the Changping district.”
Yan Qiuchi got up and handed a red envelope to him. “While the shopping mall is still open, go take your family shopping.”
“Thank you, President Yan!” The red envelope in his hand was quite thick. Xiao Tang smiled with joy. “I wish Brother Yan and Brother Jin a happy Chinese New Year’s in advance!”
“I also want a red envelope,” Shen Jintai said.
“My parents have already prepared a red envelope for you,” Yan Qiuchi said.
When Shen Jintai heard this, he thought he should call Shen Ruhai and ask him to prepare a red envelope for Yan Qiuchi, but he felt embarrassed thinking about it.
Yan Qiuchi took a sip of water and looked at Shen Jintai’s neck unconsciously. The bathrobe Shen Jintai was wearing was loose, showing off a large piece of his neckline. As he looked, he lowered his eyes slightly, gripped the water cup harder, and put it down on the table after he gulped down all the water inside.
He was having a battle between heaven and earth internally. He thought that Shen Jintai rarely had a rest day, and if it weren’t for New Year’s Eve and they had to visit their parents, he wouldn’t go home and instead stay in a hotel with Shen Jintai for an entire day. Thinking about this, he realized that both of them were too busy, and they didn’t have enough time to spend together.
To him, he felt that Shen Jintai kept getting more beautiful the more he looked. He found him extremely attractive. His skin was fair and smooth, his hair was jet black and thick, and he always seemed to look radiant. Due to his fair complexion, it seems to accentuate his ears, making them look pinker, and also his lips, making them look rosier. The more he looked, the better he felt.
Shen Jintai had recently lost weight again. The lines of his chin had become more distinct. As he was eating, he suddenly looked up and shot a glance at Yan Qiuchi.
“Don’t keep staring at me,” Shen Jintai said. Yan Qiuchi smiled and continued to eat.
Before heading home, Yan Qiuchi called his family first. Fang Fengmei said, “It’s perfect you’re coming here first. This year I bought a lot of gifts for the Shen family, so take them with you when you drop him off.”
When Shen Jintai arrived at the Yan’s Manor, he found that the gifts Fang Fengmei had prepared were too many to fit in just one car. They were all packed in wooden boxes and stacked up high, tied together with a red cloth.
“Some were bought by me. Some were given by others,” Fang Fengmei said. “Recently, people have been visiting us every few days, and they don’t come empty-handed. They have brought so much food that we can’t possibly eat it all, so we divided some to give to the household staff to take home, and I picked out the rest for your family. You can give it to your dad and Liu Qi for them to eat or give it to their relatives so it won’t go to waste.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “With so many things, my car may not be able to carry it all.”
Fang Fengmei: “It’s fine. I’ve already ordered the driver to drive another car with you when the time comes.”
“I originally thought you didn’t have time to go home, so I let Qiuchi take things to see your dad and the others on the first or second day. Now it’s better for you to go there before New Year’s and help save them money on buying gifts. I have prepared everything.” Fang Fengmei smiled and said to Shen Jintai, “This also happens to be around the time when our family receives a lot of gifts that we don’t really use. You don’t need to worry. If this really was an engagement gift, it’s much better than what I got when I married your Uncle Yan.”
She laughed as she said this, but Yan Qiuchi became embarrassed and said, “Even if we get married, we won’t need to do this.”
“No?” Shen Jintai joked, “Then I guess our family can save some money on my dowry.”
Fang Fengmei smiled and took Shen Jintai’s arm. “Let’s go and see your Uncle Yan. He has long been wanting to see you.”
Lately Yan Tiefeng was bored. He used to be a busy person, but now he suddenly had to lie in bed all day, making him feel suffocated. In the past few days, he binge-watched <The East Palace is Coming> and finished the series last night. He still hadn’t emotionally recovered, and seeing Shen Jintai, he felt pity in his heart.
When Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi left, Fang Fengmei helped him up to use the bathroom, and he told her, “Xiao Jin, the older he gets, the better he becomes. Our Qiuchi is also quite good, right? But standing by Xiao Jin’s side, I feel as if he’s inferior.”
Fang Fengmei said, “He has always been brighter than Qiuchi, and now he has a professional team around him to take care of his image.”
However, she didn’t think Yan Qiuchi was inferior. These two have their own merits and were special in different ways. Judging from the outside, it was obvious that Yan Qiuchi was more in love, but she thought it should be rightly so. Yan Qiuchi was more introverted and restrained. If he loves less, he’ll show more coldness, which could make Shen Jintai turn upside down again. Now that the turbulent waves were inside of him, she noticed that from time to time small details would burst out, making their relationship look quite harmonious.
After lunch, Yan Qiuchi sent Shen Jintai back to the Shen’s house. Shen Ruhai was with Shen Xiaomei, hanging New Year’s couplets outside. When he saw the pile of things sent over by the Yan family, his expression became quite shocked.
Shen Jintai is also a man, so why are they acting as if it were the same as marrying a daughter of their family? If Shen Jintai really married into the Yan family, he will have to send much more than this to the Yan’s home in the future!
“Don’t leave tonight. Spend it at home,” Shen Ruhai said.
Yan Qiuchi said, “He still has filming to do, so he has to return to the crew.”
Shen Ruhai said, “You don’t even get a break for New Year’s?”
“It’s like this. One day’s delay is one day of money spent. Many people are still working over the Chinese New Year’s holidays. It’s not easy for me to take a day off,” Shen Jintai said as he gave Yan Qiuchi a glance.
Shen Ruhai originally thought that Yan Qiuchi was leaving, but later learned that Yan Qiuchi would stay and have New Year’s Eve dinner with them tonight. He felt good and went to get the maotai that his friend had been hoarding, promising to have a good drink with Yan Qiuchi in the evening.
It was Fang Fengmei’s idea to let Yan Qiuchi stay and eat at the Shen’s house this year. She said to Yan Tiefeng, “He spent time at our house last year, so this year he should go to his. It’s better to distribute it fairly so Old Shen won’t get angry. He’s stubborn, and it would be nice if he could accept Jintai and Qiuchi together and not let him think he’s marrying off a daughter and that he couldn’t eat New Year’s dinner with her again.”
Yan Tiefeng smiled and said, “I can understand him. You women don’t understand the way men think.”
Shen Ruhai hurriedly asked for two bottles of maotai from his friend’s house and threatened Yan Qiuchi would have to solve at least one bottle tonight.
“He can’t drink very well,” Shen Jintai said. “He’s not even as good as me.”
“Then you should drink more too,” Liu Qi said with a smile.
“How can he drink? This… He still has filming tomorrow. Just drink juice with your sister. Actors shouldn’t drink alcohol.” Shen Ruhai poured a glass for Yan Qiuchi as he said, “Come, let’s drink together.”
Shen Ruhai was a traditional man, and Yan Qiuchi knew it. He was more afraid of Shen Ruhai than his parents. He respectfully nodded, and whenever Shen Ruhai poured him a glass, he held it with both hands as a sign of respect.
Shen Ruhai used a large cup as Shen Jintai watched him fill it up. After touching Yan Qiuchi’s leg with his knee, Yan Qiuchi glanced at him and gave him a restrained smile.
Shen Xiaomei leaned on Shen Jintai and said, “I want to drink too. “
“What kind of child drinks alcohol?” Liu Qi turned to Shen Ruhai and said, “You should drink less too.”
Shen Ruhai didn’t drink much. After drinking a bit, his face was flushed, and he started talking more. At first, he kept the topic related to work but later asked about Yan Qiuchi’s parents and their condition. After a glass, Yan Qiuchi had started to flush, and his neck was already red. He was already sweating, so he took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and poured another glass for Shen Ruhai.
Shen Ruhai was very satisfied with Yan Qiuchi. If he was honest, finding a man was not as good as finding a daughter-in-law, but his son’s sexual orientation had been determined, and he had been chasing Yan Qiuchi for many years. Since his son was deeply in love, he would accept it. After he accepted it, he felt that Yan Qiuchi was still quite a catch.
His family background, appearance, and abilities were all outstanding, but the most important thing was that he had a good personality, was stable, down-to-earth, and was polite. The only drawback was that, from his inferences, Yan Qiuchi was probably the top and thus his son was the bottom.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t open-minded enough to accept it, but, in the end, Shen Jintai was his son, and he still cared for him. Still, there was nothing he could do now that Shen Jintai had recruited this good son-in-law for him.
Both of them drank the same amount, and before they even finished a bottle, they were both tipsy. Shen Ruhai drank a bit more, so it didn’t take long for him to start talking drunkenly, and eventually he slumped over the sofa and fell asleep. Shen Jintai and Liu Qi helped him into the bedroom. Liu Qi said, “We don’t sleep here. It’s next door.”
Only then did Shen Jintai find out that the couple really had been sleeping in the second bedroom, while his master bedroom remained untouched.
When they put Shen Ruhai on the bed, he suddenly sprang up and said, in a daze, “Where is Xiao Yan? Then—then…”
Liu Qi said, “I told you not to drink so much. Now you’re drunk.”
She said to Shen Jintai, “You go. He gets a bit crazy when he gets drunk.”
Shen Jintai smiled and was about to turn around to head back to the living room when Shen Ruhai grabbed him. “Xiao Jin…”
Shen Jintai answered as Shen Ruhai deepened his grip. Liu Qi said, “Old Shen, don’t go crazy again.”
Shen Ruhai didn’t speak but took Shen Jintai’s hand and patted his arm.
“You have drunk too much. Lie down and rest for a while,” Shen Jintai said.
Shen Ruhai tilted his head, squinted his eyes, and said, “Xiao Yan is not bad. You two have a good life… Well, you tell Yan Tiefeng and the others that they don’t need to… Don’t need to deliver things to our house every time. Our house is enough. Ah, this is enough. There is no shortage of food or clothing.”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “I didn’t even know about it.”
“You… don’t interrupt. Listen to me.” Shen Ruhai looked up and said, “Your dad—I have no ability, no ability. I can’t give you anything. I can’t even give you face, but at least you are good enough. This… Eh, why am I talking nonsense…”
Liu Qi’s tone eased a bit, and said, “He tends to babble nonsense when he drinks too much.”
Shen Jintai smiled. Shen Ruhai let go of his hand, fell on the bed again as he said, “Don’t work too hard when filming. You need to rest—to rest…”
His voice became fainter, and eventually he fell asleep.
Shen Jintai was touched. He lightly chuckled as he walked out of the bedroom. Liu Qi closed the door and said, “Your dad doesn’t know how to express his feelings. Before, you two used to quarrel all the time, and now you don’t quarrel anymore. He doesn’t know how to talk to you. Yesterday, during your birthday event, he stood alone outside the arena for a long time.”
Shen Jintai was stunned.
Liu Qi smiled.
Shen Jintai really didn’t have a clue. Shen Ruhai had called him on his birthday to wish him a happy birthday. They had a short, awkward conversation on the phone, and there was more silence during the conversation than words. They made small talk about his birthday event, and eventually Shen Ruhai told him not to work too hard before hanging up.
He never thought to even invite Shen Ruhai, and he didn’t know why the thought never crossed his mind.
“I will try to come back when I have time in the future,” Shen Jintai said.
Liu Qi smiled and said, “Okay.”
Shen Jintai suddenly remembered that he was filming <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> and his mood became somber. When he arrived at the living room, he saw Shen Xiaomei lying on Yan Qiuchi’s lap and looked up at him. Yan Qiuchi’s face was red from the alcohol as he said to Shen Xiaomei, “Of course I’m called brother.”
Shen Xiaomei said, “But our kindergarten teacher said my brother’s partner should be called my sister-in-law.”
Though Shen Jintai still had feelings of lingering sadness, he became amused all of a sudden. Liu Qi laughed and said, “She’s learning all these new terms right now, so things can get a bit messy.”
When Yan Qiuchi saw them coming out, he straightened up. Shen Jintai said, “You outdrank my dad, so you held your liquor quite well.”
“Why don’t you all sleep here tonight?” I just made the beds in your room.” Liu Qi said.
“No, we have to go back,” Yan Qiuchi said as he stood up.
Liu Qi didn’t push the issue and sent them out. When they got into the car, Shen Jintai heard Yan Qiuchi say to the driver, “Go back to the hotel.” He seemed to be much more sober than before.
He was pretending to be drunk?!
The author has something to say:
Thick and long updates.
Kinky Thoughts:
Are we going to get to see something thick and long?
“Has anyone seen the video circulating about Shen Jintai’s birthday event? Touhua is so beautiful!”
“I want to see. Where is the link?!”
Someone immediately posted a link.
When you click on it, you can see Shen Jintai in a white shirt; half of his waist was exposed as he was dancing, and his hair was messy. As he turned around, he took a rose from a backup dancer and pinned it to his ear. The red rose, combined with his black hair and fair face, made him look exceptionally handsome.
The screams of fans can be clearly heard in the video. Although there was no live broadcast for this birthday event, there were a lot of materials online, especially Shen Jintai’s last speech, which was hotly searched.
Of course, the main reason why it went to the hot search was due to the power of the three great masters of The East Palace. It was unique to have the three of them sing <Moths to a Flame> together, so it wasn’t a shock that it made it onto the hot search.
“Many satellite TV channels are broadcasting <The East Palace is Coming> during Chinese New Year’s. It’s been replayed so many times already, but every time I watch it, I still cry my eyes out. Li Xu, Zhou Ying, and Zhou Jing. The stamina of the characters is too strong. My douban* rating for watching this drama has risen.”
*It’s similar in functionality to Reddit.
“Yeah, the three of them sang the theme song together. I only heard one sentence and got goosebumps. It’s a pity that such a good drama will probably not be made again in the next ten years.”
“I’ve been squatting all night. Why didn’t I see the news of Touhua’s public love affair? I thought he would go public tonight.”
“I don’t think it was made public this time. It seems that it’s just a test to see what the public opinion is like, as Yan Qiuchi was also there. When Shen Jintai sang <Gentle Wind and Rain>, the big screen cut to Yan Qiuchi, and many fans started screaming, an obvious sign that they have accepted it.”
“Damn, where is this video? Why didn’t I see it? Please have mercy on me, a JinQiu CP fan, and reward me with some sugar!”
Someone immediately posted this video. In the blurred and shaking lens, Shen Jintai’s singing voice was faintly heard. When he sang the lyrics “Like I am with the lovely you”, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. The recorder can be clearly heard in the video as the sound of a girl’s voice saying excitedly, “Fuck me! Fuck me!”
The phone camera swayed and moved to the big screen, showing Yan Qiuchi wearing a baseball cap. When he saw the camera pointed at him, he acted a bit shy, then smiled and waved his hand towards it. The best thing is that in the next second, the camera switches to Shen Jintai’s face. Amidst the screams of fans, Shen Jintai smiled shyly, but his eyes were glowing.
“My god, my god. This is public. Naked, so naked! I’m basking in love!”
“It’s really no different from being public. Depending on the reaction of the gold powder, they may already have accepted him as their son-in-law.”
“Touhua’s birthday is so grand. The sea of golden flowers looked so romantic.”
After the event, the gold powders began posting pictures of the scene. <The sea of golden lights and flowers> was a topic that gold powders brushed on and ranked first on the hot search. When you click on it, you can see a golden sea of lights and colorful flowers everywhere. The joy and excitement of the gold powders can be felt across the screen.
“Don’t go, we’ll have dinner later.” Shen Jintai shouted at Bai Qingquan and Zheng Siqi while undressing.
“Aren’t you busy?” Bai Qingquan asked.
Shen Jintai took off his costume in the fitting room and put on his jacket. “I will meet a few fans. You go to the restaurant I have booked and wait for me. I’ll be there in a while. Xiao Tang, you take them there.”
After Shen Jintai changed his clothes, he went to meet with a few fan representatives, took a photo with them, and chatted with them for a bit before getting in the car and heading to the restaurant.
As soon as he got in the car, he was completely limp. He was completely exhausted, and he couldn’t believe that he managed to survive that event.
“Tomorrow is the 30th, so you can take a good day off,” Li Meilan said.
Shen Jintai opened his eyes slightly and asked, “Aren’t we still filming?”
“Director Qiu Hong sent a message and said to let you take a day off so you can adjust your mental state before filming.”
<Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> has now entered its most important parts, so the scenes being filmed were all highlights. The emotions need to be extremely strong. Qiu Hong felt that he had been tired recently and was afraid he wouldn’t be able to perform well. Still, Shen Jintai was happy that he could have a day off that he could use to get good sleep and recover.
They had reserved two private rooms at a restaurant following the event. Zheng Siqi and the others were in one, while his own team was in another. Halfway through their meals, he went to his team to hand out red envelopes.
Shen Jintai: “This year is a good harvest year, and it has also been a hard year. I didn’t take a break, and everyone followed me without a break. You’ve all worked hard!”
Wang Nan smiled and said, “As long as the year-end bonus is in place, it won’t be hard!”
Everyone laughed. Shen Jintai motioned to Li Meilan and said, “Yours!”
“Thank you, Brother Jin!”
The year-end bonuses were all in Li Meilan’s hands. She carried a bunch of bags of various sizes. Everyone guessed that it was gifts such as an iPhone and the like. When Wang Nan opened his bag, he immediately let out a “Wow” and clutched his chest and took a step back.
Xiao Tang and the others laughed and asked, “What? What?”
Li Meilan smiled and said, “Everyone has a share.”
Shen Jintai laughed and gave each of them a bag according to the name on it.
Bai Qingquan was talking to Zheng Siqi when he heard a scream from next door. He turned his head and glanced at the door of the room. “What’s the matter?”
Xiao Tang jumped up. As one of the oldest employees, he received a year-end bonus of more than 200,000 yuan, and his bag was full of red hundred-yuan bills!
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “I don’t know what to give everyone, and I was afraid of giving you something you don’t need and it going to waste. If you think about it, it’s best just to give money. That way you can buy whatever you want!”
Stars were always generous when giving out year-end bonuses, but they were usually in the tens of thousands. Rarely did one pay more than six figures. This shows that Shen Jintai was popular enough that he earned enough and that he was also extremely generous. They all knew that Shen Jintai was still young and was on the rise, so the good days are just starting!
“I am a nostalgic person. Whether it’s now or in the future, I hope that our team can always be together.” Shen Jintai raised his cup and said, “Come, let’s have a toast. Everyone has worked hard this year, and we’ll continue to work hard in the coming year.”
Everyone raised a glass together, and Li Meilan’s eyes turned red with emotion. After drinking a glass, the team members dispersed. Shen Jintai returned back to the other room and chatted with Bai Qingquan and the others for a while. Bai Qingquan told him that the box office for their movie had hit a new high.
The reputation of <When You’re Older> had so thoroughly improved that the predicted box office kept rising. It has now been raised to 1.5 billion.
Since he didn’t have to work tomorrow, Shen Jintai let go and drank to his content. By the time the three of them left, Shen Jintai was completely drunk. Bai Qingquan and Shen Jintai helped him walk outside, where they saw that it had started to snow again. The snow was light, and the snowflakes were fine.
Shen Jintai staggered and said with a smile, “I’m very happy to have you with me today. I hope… I hope that the friendship between the three of us will last forever. No matter whether we’re still… popular or not in the future, our friendship will not change.”
Zheng Siqi smiled and said, “We’ll all be big hits. In the future, we’ll be the big three in the entertainment industry.”
Bai Qingquan said, “Don’t be sensational. If you get too excited, you’ll make me cry.”
Shen Jintai and Zheng Siqi laughed.
When Shen Jintai returned to the hotel, it was almost midnight. He was exhausted, and the alcohol did not help. In his state of lethargy, he took off his clothes and slumped onto the bed. Yan Qiuchi turned off the lights and went to cuddle him. Shen Jintai suddenly woke up and kept pressing his lips on him.
Humph. I want to kiss him.
Yan Qiuchi’s heart jumped and lifted him up as he asked, “Are you sober or drunk?”
Shen Jintai didn’t speak but kept pecking his lips like a woodpecker, being quite proactive. Yan Qiuchi couldn’t resist and took action. When he was about to make a move, Shen Jintai had fallen asleep again.
Yan Qiuchi’s fire was lit, and he couldn’t hold it down. After suffering all night, he suddenly heard Shen Jintai say, “Yan Qiuchi, you’re so kind.”
Yan Qiuchi was taken aback for a moment and asked, “Are you not asleep?”
He suddenly became energetic and wanted to pull off Shen Jintai’s clothes. Shen Jintai hummed and said, “I’m exhausted…”
“Just lie down and don’t move,” Yan Qiuchi said. He wasn’t planning on doing anything else besides kissing. He went to unbutton Shen Jintai’s clothes but felt that he was motionless. It seemed that Shen Jintai had really fallen asleep.
Yan Qiuchi sat there hesitating for a long time, then buttoned up Shen Jintai’s shirt again.
On the stage of the Nancheng Arena, Shen Jintai pressed one hand to his ear as his body swayed to the music, looking extremely relaxed and confident. In actuality, he felt embarrassed, and his breath was unstable. Li Meilan stood under the stage and gave him a thumbs up.
If he wanted to rest in the afternoon, he would need to pick out the important content and arrange it this morning. This time, dancing and singing were separated, which worked better for him so he wouldn’t be constantly panting and unable to sing.
“Good?” He came down and asked Li Meilan.
“That’s all we can do.” Li Melian felt that saying more would deflate Shen Jintai’s self-confidence, so she added, “I think it’s enough. We didn’t charge anything for this event, and it’s mainly for the fans to see you!”
Shen Jintai was still worried, especially after he witnessed the whole process of Bai Qingquan’s depowdering with his own eyes. Not every fan was a little angel, and many had come from far away just to attend this event. If he performed too badly, they would be disappointed and angry.
If his stage skills weren’t enough, he could only make it up with other aspects. He decided that every fan who was present would be given a small gift package. Souvenirs would be given during the event, and after discussing it, everyone decided to add a snack package to it.
It happened that he had an endorsement with a highly popular national snack brand. Li Meilan immediately contacted the brand. Before she left, she turned back halfway and asked, “Do you want to add a bottle of milk as well?”
Shen Jintai also had a milk endorsement. Apart from his underwear endorsement, both of these national brands were his only two non-high-luxury endorsements.
“Let’s give each person a rose,” Shen Jintai said.
“That’s a good idea!” Li Meilan said.
Flowers have always been Shen Jintai’s signature. He’ll be wearing a rose in his chest pocket during his performance, so if a rose is distributed to every fan there, it’ll be romantic and would make them very happy.
“We are really losing money this time,” Xiao Tang said. “Brother Jin, take it easy and don’t let it affect our year-end bonus!”
Shen Jintai laughed loudly and said, “I have already prepared all your red envelopes. When the event is over tonight, let’s celebrate together, and I’ll send them to you!”
At 6 PM, night had already fallen. The weather wasn’t good, and it was extremely cold. Outside of Nancheng Arena, there was a scene of hustle and bustle as long lines wrapped around the entrances.
“Is this the largest birthday party in the entertainment industry? I heard that the stadium, which could hold 30,000 people, is full!”
“I saw the aerial photography just now. It’s really amazing! Gold powders occupy about half the fan circle!”
“I want to go to the scene to watch it. Why don’t you broadcast it live? Touhua will be on the stage again after a few years. To be honest, although he was a bloody storm at the beginning, he really had the charm of the stage. He was harmed by the ghost animal Touhua Dance made by the black powder!”
“I heard that Shen Jintai’s team emptied all flower shops in Nancheng today. It seems he’s being very generous!”
“It’s true. My friend works for a flower shop. He said that he only wanted roses at the beginning. Later, except for the ones that other people had reserved, he bought all the flowers!”
“Touhua is really popular. This birthday has such a prosperous atmosphere!”
“The LED screens of the whole city seem to have been covered in gold powder. It is said that they are going to send him a sea of gold all over the city tonight. There are so many gold powders, and a lot of them are local tyrant fans!”
“Speaking of local tyrants, isn’t Shen Jintai’s biggest local tyrant fan Yan Qiuchi? Is he going to take advantage of this birthday to make a big wave?”
“Why do I think the two of them will go public tonight?”
“Now, fans generally have acquiesced, right? Maybe it will be made public at the birthday event, but I don’t know if Prince Yan will be there.”
The gold powders thought this as well, especially when they saw that the staff at the entrance were handing out flowers. The arena was not only a sea of people, but also a sea of flowers. Golden light signs and glow sticks connected one by one like a flowing ocean.
The star-chasing experience this time was truly great. It was more lively than Chinese New Year’s. Looking around, they were all people who were the same. Everyone was like-minded, and for the sake of their idol, they gathered today. The sisters who used to chatter in the group chat finally had the opportunity to meet in reality.
“Where did you get this bracelet? I want it too!”
“Wow, your poster is so beautiful!”
“Have you watched my brother’s new movie… Yes, yes, my crying eyes are swollen now, look at my eyes!”
“Sister Qianqian, I finally met you in person, I’m Xiao Hui. I even put on makeup today!”
“When the meeting’s over, let’s go back together from Dongcheng and have dinner together? Okay, okay!”
The atmosphere in the arena was positive and enthusiastic, full of people who spoke a common language and had the same interests!
Zheng Siqi was the first celebrity friend to arrive. When he entered the dressing room, he saw that Shen Jintai was already putting on makeup.
“Happy birthday,” Zheng Siqi said as he handed over a bouquet of flowers.
Shen Jintai took it and hugged him. “I’m too busy, so I won’t greet you.”
Zheng Siqi said, “Xiao Bai will come later, and he asked me to tell you.”
When Zheng Siqi and Bai Qingquan went to the audience area accompanied by security guards, they caused a small commotion, but the bigger commotion was when Yan Qiuchi appeared.
“Really, really, is it Yan Qiuchi?!”
“It must be. He is so tall!”
“So handsome! Why is he so handsome in person?! He walks so manly!”
“It won’t really be made public tonight, right? Wuwuwu. I’m in a complicated mood.”
Li Meilan and others heard this commotion in the dressing room. Xiao Tang, who was brushing the gold powder group, laughed and said to Shen Jintai, “The fans are all guessing that you will announce your relationship tonight.”
Shen Jintai: “What is their attitude?”
Xiao Tang: “Most of them are saying that it’s a pity for such a good cabbage*, ahahahaha!”
*The full saying is that a good cabbage will make a pig arch. It’s a metaphor referring to something good having been ruined.
The video of Yan Qiuchi’s appearance at Shen Jintai’s birthday party quickly circulated on the forum. In the dim light, Yan Qiuchi was wearing a black coat and a baseball cap. Accompanied by a group of friends, he entered the auditorium very low-key, exuding a very restrained and luxurious aura. When it came to handsome men, the more photos that were taken, the more handsome they looked.
“The two of them are really worthy. The prince is young, handsome, and rich. He also has no messy love history. This brother-in-law is much more reliable than the other little flowers.”
“Hahaha, have you automatically classified Shen Jintai as a little flower?”
“Didn’t Weibo engage in a selection of our brother-in-law’s flower last time? Prince Yan ranked first. If Touhua is not a flower, who would dare to call it a flower?”
“No way, Touhua is too popular. He’s part of the young men’s selection and in the little flower competition.”
“The nickname Touhua is really getting more pleasing to my ears. I wish Touhua and brother-in-law’s flower to tie the knot tonight!”
The stage slowly rose to the sound of music, and the stadium of 30,000 people was surging with energy like a tide of golden waves in an ocean. The moment Shen Jintai appeared on stage, waves of cheers and screams rushed towards him. The big screen cut to him and gave Shen Jintai a close-up. His eyes were clear, his lips were rosy, his teeth were white, and his eyes were slightly moist. He looked majestic and energetic, and there was a red rose by his chest that was blooming brightly.
“I am like a moth drawn to the flame. Love and hate burn inside of me.”
As soon as Shen Jintai started singing, fans cried with excitement. The current Shen Jintai was completely different from the one from three years ago. It was like an entirely different person, but the starlight in his body was even stronger. There were more fans, and more of them were loyal. The mood was infectious, as hearing the young sisters and brothers shouting his name until their voices became hoarse made the surrounding area full of excitement.
“Shen Jintai, Shen Jintai, Shen Jintai…” Waves of shouts blasted throughout the arena. Yan Qiuchi saw Shen Jintai smiling and bowing, and his eyes were red at that moment.
“Ahhhhhhhhh.” Bai Qingquan waved his glowstick and said to Zheng Siqi, “I’m also a gold powder at this moment!”
He used to be a fake gold powder, hiding in the gold powder group and doing undercover work. Now he’s truly a real gold powder, as he sincerely shouted Shen Jintai’s name.
When Yan Qiuchi heard this, he glanced back at him.
Bai Qingquan smiled and patted Zheng Siqi. “Let’s go. It’s time for us to go on.”
The climax of the meeting was the theme song of <Moths to a Flame> accompanied by the shots of the three masters in <The East Palace is Coming>. Three people appeared on the slowly rising platform. Shen Jintai stood in the middle, while Zheng Siqi was on his left and Bai Qingquan was on his right.
The audience was boiling. The song was sung twice in total. Once when Shen Jintai sang it at the beginning and again with a three-person chorus. After singing, Shen Jintai took the microphone and said, “Everything started with <The East Palace is Coming>. If there was no East Palace, there wouldn’t be me today. Where are Director Guo Rui and screenwriter Meng Xiaosheng?”
Guo Rui and Meng Xiaosheng appeared in the audience on the big screen. They stood up, smiled, and waved. Song Wei, who played Empress Xiao, also came, as did Chang’an’s actor, Sun Chen.
“I don’t need to introduce these two people on stage.” Shen Jintai said with a smile.
The fans answered for him, he smiled and raised his hand to signal to the left, and the fans shouted, “Zheng Siqi!”
He raised his hand to signal to the right, and the fans shouted, “Bai Qingquan!”
“Thank you so much! But what I want to thank most of all is you…” Shen Jintai burst into tears and gave a slight pause. The gold powders went crazy.
Shen Jintai smiled with tears in his eyes as he saw the scene cast on the big screen of smiles all around. “I don’t know what to say. Just like the theme song we just sang, history does not leave my name, but I will remain a memory to you all. I think that after many years, no one will remember my name, but I know that at least you will remember me. I am honored to be remembered by you, and I believe that no matter how many years or decades pass, everyone will remember that there was a month on the 29th that you spent with a person named Shen Jintai. Thank you! I wish to be with you forever and always!”
The big screen behind him suddenly showed a clip of Shen Jintai that was glamorous and wild on the stage of <Pick Me>. He was dancing vigorously and had flirtatious eyes that ignited the heat of that summer. Following that shot were clips of <The East Palace is Coming> with a black hair Li Xu running on the long palace road wearing a green robe that turned into a white hair Li Xu wearing a red robe. Then the sound of surging music aired as a clip of Luo Wensheng slowly turned his head.
Finally, there is a video recorded by Shen Jintai. He looked directly at the camera; his eyes were bright and clear as he said, “Hello everyone, I am the actor Shen Jintai.”
The author has something to say:
Ooooooooo!!
Bai Qingquan finally became a real gold powder.
The East Palace was the most important chapter in Shen Jintai’s life, career, friendship, and love. This was all because of Bai Qingquan. (Bai Qingquan: My intention was to humiliate him!)
Remember and say goodbye to Shen Jintai in the past.
I wish to be with you forever and always.
Kinky Thoughts:
Yesssss! Bai Qingquan has become a real gold powder!!! Forever and always!
They slept throughout the entire flight, and when they came out of the airport, it was already dark. Neither of them could go back to the hotel to rest. Bai Qingquan was going to record a variety show, while Shen Jintai had to rush to the set of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>. After filming, he has to go to Nancheng Sports Arena to participate in his birthday celebration rehearsal.
“The day after tomorrow, I will see what time the variety show can be recorded. If I have time, I will join you,” Bai Qingquan said. He wanted to appear at Shen Jintai’s birthday party to support him and to use the opportunity to promote <When You’re Older>. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Shen Jintai said, “If you want to come, tell me in advance, or tell Sister Lan and the others.”
The two hugged, and he couldn’t stop sneezing. Bai Qingquan patted him on the back and said, “You should pay special attention to your body for these few days and don’t get sick.
“I’ve been too tired recently.” Shen Jintai hadn’t slept enough.
“This is going to trouble Director Hong,” Bai Qingquan said with a smile.
Shen Jintai smiled and watched him get into the car. Only then did he go to the filming set accompanied by Xiao Tang and others. Exhausted, he fell asleep in the car on the way there.
When he arrived on the set, Li Meilan immediately handed him two cups of hot coffee to warm and refresh him. The coffee was ineffective as he fell asleep again while makeup was being applied to him, and he couldn’t hide his fatigue.
“Fortunately, the recent scenes I have had require me to act fatigued, so this state is good.” Shen Jintai laughed as he took a deep breath before arriving on set.
As soon as Qiu Hong saw him, he said, “Congratulations.”
The opening for <When You’re Older> exceeded box office expectations, and everyone in the crew knew it and was happy for him. After all, the more popular Shen Jintai is, the more favorable their movie box office will be in the future.
Shen Jintai filmed until 4 AM before sleeping in his RV for a while. At 8 AM, he took a few bites of breakfast before he started filming again. He continued until 4 PM and then took a car to Nancheng Sports Arena.
Tomorrow was his 29th birthday. He had been so busy recently with all his schedules colliding that the rehearsal time had to be squeezed out. This was his only chance to rehearse. Without any stage experience, this was more stressful for him than acting.
The Nancheng Sports Arena can accommodate tens of thousands of people. Tickets were given out, and even then, it wasn’t enough. The number of gold powders was far too large. From elementary and middle school students to aunties in their 50’s and 60’s, his fans cover four generations, from the young to the middle-aged.
All the tickets for this event were free. Despite the ticketing process being strictly controlled, many still fell into the hands of scalpers, and the price set for them was sky high. Many fans spent copious amounts of money and rushed thousands of miles away just for this event. The 29th would be the coldest time of the year. Shen Jintai was worried that if he didn’t perform well, it would disappoint all his fans’ enthusiasm.
The stage was unfamiliar territory for him, and it was even more difficult to cooperate with the band. After rehearsing all night, it was still a mess. He began to feel regret about holding this event.
“You used to sing and dance very well,” Li Meilan said. “It’s only been a few years yet you’re this rusty?”
“That’s all I can do,” Shen Jintai said wearily.
Seeing that his eyes could barely stay open, Li Meilan said, “Go back and get some sleep first. Let’s discuss it again and see which parts can be cut off. I think you can’t keep up with your physical strength now, so you can cut off a little bit of your dance portion. Bring in more background dancers.”
“But many old fans want to see Brother Jin take the stage again and reproduce the performances that were more famous during the draft,” Xiao Tang said.
Although Shen Jintai won the C position by throwing money in the draft, he really had the charm onstage. There are several performances that are classics in the hearts of old fans. Although Shen Jintai has now embarked on the path of an actor, his old fans were looking forward to him singing and dancing to a few of his notable songs during his birthday event.
“If I have time tomorrow, I’ll try again,” Shen Jintai said.
It really couldn’t work today. Not only could he not dance anymore, but he couldn’t sing either. The weather was bad, and it was a moonless night. The forecast stated that there might be some light snow. Seeing snow made him nervous, especially when there were so many fans and people coming tomorrow.
Anxiety had plagued him all day and will keep doing so tomorrow.
Shen Jintai returned to the hotel under Xiao Tang’s escort and met Yan Qiuchi as soon as he got there.
He smiled and asked, “How do you know I’m back?”
“President Yan always asks me,” Xiao Tang said.
“You go back and rest. Just leave him to me,” Yan Qiuchi said as he took the luggage from Xiao Tang’s hand.
Due to rehearsing all night, Shen Jintai’s body was all sticky and greasy from sweat, so he went to take a shower. As he left to shower, Yan Qiuchi helped him organize his luggage. After seeing that Shen Jintai hadn’t come out of the bathroom for a long time, he knocked on the door.
“Haven’t you finished yet?”
There was no answer inside. Yan Qiuchi opened the door and saw Shen Jintai lying in the bathtub, already asleep. He was sleeping soundly until he was patted twice. Shen Jintai slowly opened his eyes, narrowed them into a slit, and said in an extremely tired voice, “I’m so sleepy.”
Yan Qiuchi fished him out of the bathtub and didn’t mind the hot water soaking him. He held Shen Jintai with one hand and went to get a bath towel with the other. Shen Jintai suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him blankly while saying, “You’re so strong.”
“I thought you fell asleep,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai pursed his lips, but then really fell asleep. He regarded Yan Qiuchi as his lover now and was completely relaxed in front of him. There was nothing to worry about.
On the other hand, this was painful for Yan Qiuchi, who was holding a snow-white body while wiping it down. Still, he counted this as a profit. He had seen a glimpse of it in the movie. His heart was racing looking at this view, and he felt like he was rubbing tender tofu.
He and Shen Jintai hadn’t been able to see each other or sleep together for many days. With his arms around Shen Jintai, he slept more comfortably than usual. He was entangled for a few minutes over whether he should dress Shen Jintai in his pajamas or not. Eventually, his gentlemanly demeanor overcame the desires of his heart, and he felt that he shouldn’t take advantage while Shen Jintai was sleeping like a dead log. It was best to strip Shen Jintai’s clothes off one by one when he was most sober.
Shen Jintai didn’t sleep well that night. He kept dreaming about the upcoming event and became more nervous. Suddenly he woke up, and it was already early the next morning. When he woke up, he found that he was tightly held in Yan Qiuchi’s arms, and the smell of Yan Qiuchi filled him.
“Happy birthday,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai smiled in a daze, rubbed his eyes, laid down for a while, and said, “I have to get up.”
“It’s still before 7.”
“I want to rehearse again before dark.” Shen Jintai moved for a moment and then glanced at Yan Qiuchi slightly embarrassedly.
Yan Qiuchi’s complexion was slightly red, but his expression was very magnanimous as he said, “It’s just a natural reaction, right?”
Shen Jintai: “I’m exhausted, so I don’t think about it.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “It’s said that it’s a natural physiological response that has nothing to do with whether your brain wants it or not. If you think there’s a problem, maybe you should see a doctor.”
“No, I am very healthy!”
Shen Jintai sat up but Yan Qiuchi lied back down and said, “I have to sleep for a while. You slept soundly last night, but I didn’t sleep much.”
Shen Jintai knew the reason why, so he said, “You’re still busy?”
Yet you still have so much energy to think about this kind of thing!
“I’m done. It’s Chinese New Year’s, so the company is on holiday.” Yan Qiuchi stretched out his hand and suddenly put his arms around his waist again, burying it into his pajamas as he took a deep breath.
Shen Jintai smiled, laid down again, and inched closer to Yan Qiuchi, meeting his eyes.
Yan Qiuchi pressed his forehead against his and said, “You were right last time.”
“About?”
“You love me more than before,” Yan Qiuchi said. “The way you look at me is different.”
There was a soft gentleness in those eyes, and more love. Whenever he talked to Shen Jintai, he would always look into those eyes.
Shen Jintai got up to wash. While brushing his teeth, Yan Qiuchi suddenly entered the bathroom and peed directly behind him. Shen Jintai was a little unaccustomed to it, so his face became slightly hot as he secretly looked at Yan Qiuchi through the mirror. The sound of the water felt as if it was penetrating his heart.
The way they act now was like an old married couple. They wake up together with their arms around each other. When one washed up, the other came in to use the bathroom. This showed that they were very close. But it was still different from a real married couple, as they have not had intimate physical contact yet.
Yan Qiuchi came over to wash his hands after peeing and kept watching Shen Jintai with a smile on his face. Shen Jintai gave him a glance while he continued brushing his teeth with his electric toothbrush when Yan Qiuchi suddenly came over and hugged him from behind, and took a big inhale of his neck.
“I like your smell,” Yan Qiuchi said. It smelled so good, and it warmed his heart.
“Later, will you go to the hospital with me to see Auntie Fang and the others?”
“They have already gone home. It’s too far away,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment and asked, “Can they be at home?”
“I hired a professional medical team at home, which is more comfortable than the hospital,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai rinsed his mouth, as Yan Qiuchi kept hugging him. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I want to wash my face.”
“When can you take a full day off?” Yan Qiuchi asked suddenly.
“What’s the matter?” Shen Jintai asked.
“Nothing,” Yan Qiuchi said. “I just want to hold you all day.”
Yan Qiuchi has always been restrained and gentlemanly. He would rarely say things that were too straightforward, like this. Even so, Shen Jintai understood the implicit meaning behind the words that he dared not say aloud. A whole day of hugging would be more than just hugging.
The two of them are now of the same mind, and they have already determined their relationship. Unless they were exhausted, how could they be alone all day and be like Liu Xiahui*?
*Also known as Zhan Huo, he was a Chinese politician who was known for his eminent virtue. It is said that on one occasion he held a lady in his lap without the slightest imputation on his moral character.
Even if Yan Qiuchi could, he could not. Thinking of these things made Shen Jintai a little nervous, and some discordant thoughts appeared in his mind. He recalled that day he went to Yan Qiuchi’s room and suddenly ran into him, who had just taken his shower and was standing there naked…
His mood changed suddenly. He even felt that his taste in men had changed because of the person who was hugging him at this very moment. In their own private space, there was no cover. Yan Qiuchi might act abstemiously, but his hair was messy as he just woke up, making him seem a little less aggressive. He looked handsome but had a very homely feeling.
While he may look indifferent on the outside, there was an entirely different scene in his heart. Maybe it was because they haven’t slept with each other, yet Yan Qiuchi refused and couldn’t let him go. While he acted gentlemanly, everything he desired was said in secret.
Yan Qiuchi laughed. The sound was very light and airy.
The author has something to say:
Fill in the blank: “I want to [ ] you all day.”
OR
Reading comprehension: How to understand the sentence, “I want to hold you all day.”
Kinky Thoughts:
I love how the author is doing his best to skirt around these censorship issues. I’ll play your game, author. For those who missed it, replace “hold” with a four-letter word that starts with the letter F and ends with a K.
Chapter 156: You’re the White Moonlight in My Heart
Yan Yaoxuan saw Shen Jintai when he first came in. He was sitting in front of him, a row away. After the screening was over, he stood up and applauded with everyone else. He was so excited that his palms were red.
It was so fucking good! Shen Jintai’s face was too compelling on the big screen. Every subtle expression was extremely moving. He was truly a fan.
“Don’t your hands hurt?”
As the applause and drums were beating enthusiastically, the sentence suddenly floated over from next to him. Yan Yaoxuan turned his head and glanced at Shan Cheng, and found that among the group of crying audiences, only Shan Cheng looked dull and indifferent.
Is he serious?! How can he be like this for such a touching movie?!
This only motivated Yan Yaoxuan to clap more vigorously to make up for Shan Cheng’s share.
This was the first actor’s interview by the crew after the screening, so almost everyone attended, including screenwriter Song Chenchen. The host first introduced the director and screenwriter, then Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai bowed again under the applause, smiled, and said, “To be honest, when this film was first cut, Director Sun invited me to watch it. I refused. I wanted to sit with everyone and watch it be released together. At first, when Qingquan and I were sitting under the stage, my attention was on the reactions of the audience around me, but then I got hooked on the movie. When I was immersed in it, I suddenly heard Qingquan crying… Originally, I felt like I could hold it in, but hearing his cries, tears started rushing out.”
He smiled and looked at Bai Qingquan. Bai Qingquan blushed, smiled embarrassedly, took the microphone, and said, “This is the first time I have seen the film.”
His feelings were deeper and more complicated than Shen Jintai’s. The emotional outburst after the movie was over wasn’t only because he was moved by the movie itself, but because it made him reminisce about the time they spent filming it. He thought of the feelings he had invested in them while they were shooting and wasn’t able to get out of the act for a long time. This led to his low period, which resulted in his scandal.
After watching this movie, he knew that his acting career was promising again. He contributed his best performance since his debut with this movie. The big screen can’t deceive people. They could see all the passion and emotion that he had put in. For the first time, he experienced the charm of the big screen, and his heart was fully invigorated. He had never loved acting as much as in this moment.
After a short interview, everyone drove to the next city.
<When You’re Older> had officially entered their intensive publicity period.
During this period, Yan Qiuchi was busy with the affairs of the Yan group. He ate and lived in the office. Shen Jintai had asked for a few days off from the crew of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> so he could fly around the country to promote his movie.
The process was gradual, fermenting through word of mouth. To further promote the movie, the crew posted tidbits on the official blog. The tidbits were made with great care. At the beginning, it was completely cinematic, as if it were a trailer. Bai Qingquan suddenly rushed towards Shen Jintai and hugged him tightly. Then the staff entered the shot, and it was seen that it was a behind-the-scenes shot. In the tidbit, Bai Qingquan was hugging Shen Jintai tightly, in an emotional state, but not too intense, as he shed a few tears. Shen Jintai returned his embrace and patted him on the back, giving a faint, sad smile.
This tidbit was released to the circles, and it was hailed as the “last hug” by the Jingtai Meijing CP fans.
Shen Jintai now belonged to Yan Qiuchi, and in the future, Bai Qingquan would be with someone else as well, but at this moment, they only belonged to each other. This was Jintai Meijing’s last piece of sugar.
“I believe they really fell in love with each other when they were filming. Wuwuwu.”
“Zhou Jing and Li Xu, Luo Wensheng and Yu Nuo. Both the past and the present. Wuwuwu.”
Facts had proven that <When You’re Older> presale prediction was correct. On the first day, the box office closed at 50 million. It had made a strong breakthrough in the highly competitive time during Chinese New Year’s. The prediction for the total box office was raised to 1 billion.
“I, his mother, is crying with excitement!” The gold powders were celebrating Chinese New Year’s in advance.
“Everyone knows that actresses look at awards while actors look at the box office. My brother’s first movie was a hit, and there’s still his big blockbuster, <Pilot> hitting theaters later. The road to movies will definitely be smooth!”
“Yes, yes! I have been uneasy for the past two days, afraid that the reputation and the box office won’t be good. Now I can finally get a good night’s rest now that it can break 10*. This kind of achievement is unparalleled in my life!”
*Term for breaking 1 billion.
“Everyone keeps a low profile. Breaking 10 is just hope. It’s not too late to celebrate after breaking 10. I’m brother’s fan, but it may be too wishful thinking!”
“After filming <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>, I don’t know if my brother will consider making another TV series. I am a big fan of <The East Palace is Coming> and I still hope that my brother can make another long TV series when he has time.”
“Does the one upstairs have any ambition? If he can do movies, what kind of broken TV series will he make? Doesn’t he smell good on the big screen!”
“I also don’t think it makes much sense to make another TV drama. It is difficult to surpass The East Palace in terms of ratings and topicality. It’s better to make a good movie and be a box office superstar!”
“I think my brother’s acting skills are also very good. We can look forward to awards for <When You’re Older>, right?”
“Movie Emperor! Movie Emperor!”
“Hahahahahaha, everyone is so happy today!”
How could they not be happy? Shen Jintai was too hot after his comeback. This wasn’t just a matter of luck. He carried it and deserved it. Looking at reviews for <When You’re Older> almost all of them gave him high praises.
“Touhua does not only have a face for the big screen but the figure as well. His body is so amazing. It’s not too meaty or too thin. He’s tall and beautiful, heroic and charming, can pass as either a man or woman!”
“What kind of luck does Touhua have? After his comeback, he starred in a phenomenon-level hit TV series. The salted fish* turned over and became popular. Now he’s making a movie that’s looking to surpass 1 billion at the box office. This luck is too good!”
*(咸鱼) Buzzword for someone who’s lazy and has no ambition.
“You may have forgotten that Touhua’s emotional counterattack is better than his career. Prince Yan has already fallen under him! Touhua is a winner in life, and I’m really proud to be his fan.”
“It’s not just Touhua’s performance, but Bai Qingquan’s was also amazing. He has held on to this kind of twin performance and did not lose to Shen Jintai in several of their rival scenes.”
“Speaking of luck, he’s also lucky that this movie is considered a success and he’s able to turn over.”
Wei Ge felt that Bai Qingquan was completely worth his luck. Due to being caught too deep in the act when filming <When You’re Older>, Bai Qingquan wasn’t able to get out of his feelings from the play. Later, when the Yan Family experienced their accident, he came out to record a few shows to support Shen Jintai. The first few days were extremely rough.
The most impressive thing was that when he was recording on a variety show, the guests and host kept secretly poking at his alt account and sexual orientation. It was done so subtly that people couldn’t tell whether it was to add more heat or if they were just trying to be funny and joke around. Bai Qingquan was full of laughter and supported them during the entire show, but when he went to the toilet, he sat in a stall by himself and cried miserably.
This was always like him. Since his debut, he has been bullied, and so he would hide and cry to himself. When Wei Ge went to find him, Bai Qingquan slammed the door open and came out. His face was already calm, and his eyes were slightly moist and flushed, but he was ready to go on to record the show again, full of smiles and cheers.
Despite his sexual orientation and alt account being exposed, Bai Qingquan was even more unable to be himself. It wasn’t that he was afraid of revealing to the world his true self; after all, his alt account was already exposed, and he had nothing to hide; he just felt too ashamed. He used to be able to just be himself when he was in front of Wei Ge and the others, but now he had become more reclusive.
Perhaps he wasn’t pretending either, as these kinds of major blows can drastically change people’s hearts.
Wei Ge felt sorry for him and hoped that he could return to his usual self, at least in private, and become the unscrupulous Bai Qingquan that they all knew.
Shen Jintai also found that Bai Qingquan had become a lot calmer. He felt that he was now truly walking the fairy path that his image used to be. He was quiet and gentle, like the bright light of a white moonlight.
Ironically, the outside world no longer believed him, calling him “hypocritical”, especially since he had basically betrayed the moonlight powder.
For several days, they went on roadshows everywhere, to the point of exhaustion. On the way back to Nancheng by plane, Shen Jintai patted Bai Qingquan and said, “Let’s talk.”
Bai Qingquan said, “You still have the energy to chat.”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “I think a lot of your fans have returned recently.”
Bai Qingquan smiled and didn’t speak. After a while, he said, “Actually, my feelings for them are very complicated now, and I am also very confused…” He sighed faintly and said, “Fans love us as they see us, but as stars, it is impossible for us to reveal our true nature. Distance can produce beauty. What they fall in love with is not the real us. Sometimes I think this love is really fleeting. Today, they love me as if I’m their favorite in the world. If I provoke them tomorrow, that can instantly turn into hate. This love and hate are so strong that it makes me feel very insecure. I think it would be better to live in peace than deal with this.”
Shen Jintai thought what he said made sense. However, if someone hated, there was also someone who loved. Even if a bunch of people hated you, as long as a few really loved you, you could make it through. He felt that Bai Qingquan needed someone to love him so that he could change back into the little cutie of the past.
“Has anyone chased you recently?” He asked Bai Qingquan.
Speaking of this, Bai Qingquan’s eyes finally lit up.
“Don’t mention it. Since I was exposed, I haven’t looked at any of my private messages on Weibo. Everything is out there on my posts, and some people have sent some nasty pictures.”
As Bai Qingquan finished speaking, he opened the photo album and showed him one of the screenshots. A man directly posted a photo of his penis with the text: [18″. Three times a night is not a problem!]
Shen Jintai whispered, “Isn’t this fucking sexual harassment?”
But these are not surprising because he had also received messages like this. Besides that, he even received many pictures of girls begging to date him despite the fact that he’s a well-known gay man.
“I have tens of thousands of private messages on Weibo now, and I have never read them.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t know that among those private messages, there was one that was more than 2,000 words long. It came from the buzz-cut senior who had once pursued him. After knowing that he also liked men, he sent this private message that was neither courting nor loving. After waiting for him for so many years, he also knew that they would no longer be a possibility.
Before planning to completely move on and start over, he sent this private message to Bai Qingquan, as if to signify an end. Bai Qingquan was now a bright moon in the sky that he could only raise his head to watch from a distance. Even so, he was satisfied with this.
The author has something to say:
This is really white moonlight in my heart.
The chapter that was originally overjoyed became so sad! Xiao Bai, fly bravely and his senior will always follow!
Kinky Thoughts:
COMMON BAI QINGQUAN’S WHITE MOONLIGHT. YOUR BAOBEI IS SUFFERING. Step your pussy up and comfort him!!!
On a different note, don’t send unsolicited dick pics. Save that for Grindr.
Note: This is not part of the novel Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day but from the author’s other work, <Don’t Be Coquettish>. I have decided to translate the parts that are related only to <When You’re Older>, the movie adapted from this story in which Shen Jintai acts in, because I really like the story. You know the synopsis, and you know how it ends, so prepare for dog abuse if you continue reading.
A lifetime is not enough. I want to love you for a few more lifetimes.
Chapter 1
Luo Wensheng disappeared. When he went out in the morning, everything was fine, except it was rare for the two to hug, but as soon as he left, he never came back. He was getting older. His legs and feet were already inconvenient, and he was also suffering from illnesses. With his old age, Yu Nuo was afraid that Luo Wensheng would encounter an accident, so he asked everyone to help search for him. Still, despite searching every possible location, no traces could be found.
Ultimately, Yu Nuo called the police, who told him that, based on their experience, Luo Wensheng probably ran away from home.
“Who is he to you?” The policeman asked.
Yu Nuo said, “My lover.”
The policeman was stunned, obviously surprised by their age difference.
Yu Nuo said, “I have an immortality disease.”
Realization then dawned on the policeman. Immortality disease was an odd disease. There have been more than a dozen cases across the country. People who suffer from this disease will suddenly stop growing old, freezing at the age at which they first contract it. Doctors could not find a reasonable explanation and could not treat it. Many who hope to be young, and immortal have spent an insurmountable amount of money to contract it, but to no avail.
When Yu Nuo was diagnosed with this disease, he had been with Luo Wensheng for three years. At that time, their affection was strong, so naturally they were reluctant to separate. More than forty years had passed, and they were both now sixty-seven years old. Though their ages were nearly the same, one was a man who looked like he was in his sixties, while the other maintained the youthful appearance of someone in their twenties. He had jet black hair, rosy lips, and a perfect row of white teeth. No matter how he dressed, he couldn’t deceive the eyes of others, as his eyes were clear and his skin was firm and fair.
Truthfully, in the past few years, the relationship between the two has not been as close as before. Occasionally, when they looked at each other, Luo Wensheng would unconsciously turn his head, showing hints of embarrassment on his face.
When they were out, outsiders would always think they were grandfather and grandson.
Luo Wensheng was a teacher. His hair had turned gray early, and he had suffered from an illness the year before as he began to forget things. Despite his strong physique that he had maintained since he was young, the illness was so pervasive that it bent his straight back. However, he was stubborn and had picked up all the household chores, refusing to let Yu Nuo do a single thing house related. After retirement, he would get up every morning to do morning exercises. He even set alarms on his phone to remind him to take his medication so he would not miss a single pill. He said he would stay with Yu Nuo for at least another 20 years, and he planned to do so.
On the morning of his disappearance, he had swept away the fallen leaves on their porch early in the morning, then went out and bought him pickled cabbage, steamed stuffed buns, and sweet soybean milk. Such a person left without saying a word.
Yu Nuo had searched all over the country, and after looking for over half a month, he finally found Luo Wensheng’s hometown. Luo Wensheng owned a house here, which was about to be demolished. The house was unfit for an elderly person to live in because it was so depilated. Yu Nuo had peered in through the window, wondering if he should try to open the door, when he saw Luo Wensheng falling to the ground, crashing through a broken glass window.
Yu Nuo kicked open the window and jumped in, his movement slightly mechanical, as he shouted, “Luo Wensheng!”
He helped Luo Wensheng, who lay still and motionless. His lips were dry and chapped. Yu Nuo trembled as he touched Luo Wensheng’s wrinkled face, which was as warm as the tears he was shedding.
Luo Wensheng opened his eyes when he heard the sounds, and when he did, he laughed loudly, showing off the crevices of the wrinkles on his smiling face. “Did I trick you?”
Yu Nuo was extremely angry and put him down. Luo Wensheng let out an “ouch” as he hit the ground, causing Yu Nuo to quickly help him up again. “You deserve it, pretending to be dead.”
The old house was very cold, and when Yu Nuo saw that he didn’t look well, he helped him pack his luggage and led him back. Yu Nuo didn’t speak along the way, which was inconsistent with his style. Luo Wensheng had expected his reaction to be much more intense than this.
He asked, “Are you angry?”
Yu Nuo drove with a cold face as Luo Wensheng continued, “I did ask you to practice in advance so that one day, when I do really die suddenly, you won’t be as uncomfortable when that day comes. So practice more.”
Yu Nuo suddenly stepped on the brakes when he heard Luo Wensheng’s words, veered the car to the side of the road, and broke down in tears. Being sad was also not in line with Yu Nuo’s style, and it made Luo Wensheng regret seeing such a sight.
Chapter 2
Luo Wensheng was still insistent and kept pretending to be dead every three to five times a week. When Yu Nuo came back from work, he often saw him in his act. He strongly suspected that Luo Wensheng was influenced by a Japanese drama he saw. He had once swiped Weibo and seen a Japanese show called “Every Day When I Go Home, I See My Wife Pretending to be Dead”. He showed it to Luo Wensheng, thinking it was a funny video, but he didn’t expect Luo Wensheng to follow suit.
The problem was that the Japanese drama was a comedy, but their family was a tragicomedy. While the death was fake, it was still mixed with a bit of truth, foreshadowing the inevitable future.
He looked at Luo Wensheng, who had fallen to the ground and was lying dead. The act was so well done that he truly looked as if he were really dead. Even though Yu Nuo knew he was pretending, he still got worried every time he saw it. It seemed that one day, when he returned home, this would be a reality for him.
He felt pain in his heart, but he had to pretend to be impatient and kick Luo Wensheng as he said, “Get up quickly.”
Luo Wensheng got up when he heard Yu Nuo, wiped off the fake blood on his head, and said, “Doesn’t look right this time?”
Yu Nuo behaved very calmly and said, “It’s boring.”
Luo Wensheng had been lying in that position for a while, so his body was stiff. He limped to the bathroom to clean up as Yu Nuo took a mop to clean the floors, trying to hold back his tears and keep a wooden face.
He sometimes wonders why he is doing this. Maybe it was because he wanted to love for a little longer. Luo Wensheng was paranoid, and so was he.
Luo Wensheng had been in the bathroom for a long time and hadn’t come out. Yu Nuo was starting to worry, so he went in to take a look, only to find Luo Wensheng’s thin and rickety body sitting in the bathroom with eyes that were red.
Yu Nuo bent over and picked up the shower head on the ground, turned off the hot water, and said, “Get up and dry off.”
Luo Wensheng couldn’t get up. He had slipped in the bathroom, fallen on his waist, and become incapacitated. He must have fallen when he just got in, as the hot water had scalded his entire leg.
Yu Nuo took him to the hospital and stayed with him for half a month, taking care of his eating and drinking needs. He knew that his fate with Luo Wensheng was nearing its end, and he wanted to do more for him, but Luo Wensheng showed great resistance. Even though he knew that Luo Wensheng would not listen to him, he still said, “We’re an old husband and wife and I still love you.”
Luo Wensheng responded, “I hate myself.”
Yu Nuo hung his head, packed his things, and prepared to take him home from the hospital. Not long after his discharge, when Yu Nuo returned home one day, he found that Luo Wensheng was not at home.
The home that they had lived in for decades had a sense of homeliness, a breath of life that permeated every corner of the house, but when he returned that day, he felt the house was cold and desolate.
Luo Wensheng vanished once more, this time permanently, after leaving him a letter.
[I still can’t accept aging in front of you, and I don’t want you to watch me die.]
After saying so much, Yu Nuo knew that he could not be convinced, but he still couldn’t easily let go and was able to catch Luo Wensheng, who was about to get on the train at the station.
Luo Wensheng put his arms around his waist and said tremblingly, “Why are you doing this? Didn’t I make it clear in my letter.”
Yu Nuo said, “I’ll let you go. Just let me take a good look at you at the end, and I’ll let you go.” When he got old, Luo Wensheng resisted taking pictures, so he didn’t have a single picture of him at home.
The two looked at each other. Yu Nuo took in the other person’s face, which was now old and wrinkled. His eyes were glistening, just like when they first met in high school. He discovered that it wasn’t that his eyes were bright, but that it was because of the tears that were welling. They flowed down, bathing the wrinkles on his face, and for the first time, he had cried in front of Yu Nuo.
Unable to bear it, he said, “I’m leaving now.” Luo Wensheng stiffened his waist and got into the train with his suitcase.
Immortality is not always a good thing. An immortal should not love. Yu Nuo had sent away his relatives, his parents, and now his lover. All the ones he loves will eventually leave him.
When Yu Nuo returned home, he sat on the balcony looking at the setting sun as he put on “Gentle Wind and Rain” on his phone. This is a song that Luo Wensheng especially liked when he was young. It was originally sung by Terasa Teng, and Faye Wong later covered it.
“The breeze blows over the clouds, The drizzle slowly falls down the earth. Drenching me and drenching you, Makes the world poetic. The breeze, accompanied by the drizzle, Like I am with the lovely you. Looking at me and looking at you, See how beautiful the world is. Ahhhh~ may I be the wind and you the rain, Ahhhh~ the breeze in all the drizzle.”
For a long time, Yu Nuo sat there, clinging to his knees, as the music played in the background.
Chapter 3
Yu Nuo spent ten years alone before he finally found Luo Wensheng in a nursing home. By then, Luo Wensheng was already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and was in a severe state where he was always drooling and unable to speak clearly. The medical staff in the sanatorium didn’t bother to take care of such an elderly man who had no relatives, so he had sores all over his body.
Yu Nuo squatted down in front of him. The smell of the old permeated as he called out to him, “Luo Wensheng.”
“It’s me, Yu Nuo.”
Luo Wensheng was thin and haggard. He opened his soulless eyes to look at the speaker. By now, he was almost 80 years old.
Yu Nuo held his hands, which used to be so strong and slender when they were young but now look like withered branches. Still, it was warm, full of the heat of life. He took Luo Wensheng back to his home, the home they had lived in together for decades. It was now facing demolition. All the furniture in the house retained its exact appearance right before Luo Wensheng left, but Luo Wensheng no longer recognized it.
But now they were together again. Yu Nuo had quit his job to concentrate on taking care of Luo Wensheng. He bathed him, and they would bask in the sun together. The weather was perfect as the two sat on the balcony together to watch the sunset as they listened to “Gentle Wind and Rain”.
“The breeze accompanied by the drizzle, like I am with the lovely you.”
It transported Yu Nuo back to their high-school days. It was the first time they met. He was gnawing on a steam bun while running to school in a panic, his backpack flopping wildly on his back. When he turned the corner, he was knocked to the ground by someone on his bike who didn’t have time to stop. He hurt his arms, and he dropped the steam bun. When he got up, he saw Luo Wensheng extending out his arm to help him up. The seventeen-year-old Luo Wensheng was youthful like sunshine, and his eyes were bright.
On the day Luo Wensheng died, he suddenly woke up. That morning, he was asleep in a haze when he felt someone patting him. He opened his eyes and saw Luo Wensheng with tears in his eyes. Luo Wensheng had become clearheaded, but he couldn’t speak clearly, only saying, “Nuo, Nuo.”
His trembling lips and brown eyes were covered with a layer of mist.
Yu Nuo knew that the day had arrived. He climbed into Luo Wensheng’s arms, smelling his body fragrance, the same mint-flavored smell as his shower gel. When Luo Wensheng was young, he loved being clean, and this was the smell he had for decades.
Luo Wensheng hugged him tightly as they lay there in silence. Suddenly, Luo Wensheng gasped violently, as if he couldn’t breathe. Yu Nuo grabbed his clothes, but he didn’t dare look at him as he cried, “Luo Wensheng, Luo Wensheng.”
Luo Wensheng died in extreme discomfort, and Yu Nuo had died with him.
Chapter 4
Yu Nuo has the body of an immortal. He passed his days year after year, seeing the world around him change day by day. Many years later, the changes were dramatic. After conforming to international trends, same-sex marriage was finally legal in his country. On the day it became legal, many domestic comrades rushed to get married. He sat on the flower bed outside the Civil Affairs Bureau for most of the days, watching them go in and out happily while holding a red book* in their hands.
*It’s real estate certificate that can be freely bought and sold. It’s basically the title to a piece of real estate.
He still remembered that when he and Luo Wensheng were together, Luo Wensheng would often say that he didn’t know when gays could get married in their country, and he didn’t know if it would happen in his lifetime, but he wouldn’t care. Even if he was 70, 80, or however old they were, as long as his legs and feet could walk, the two of them would go together and get registered. They would be a real husband and wife, one that was recognized by the law.
Now, that dream was possible, but Luo Wensheng was no longer there. For Yu Nuo, it was always too late.
To avoid rumors and turmoil, the state issued a new ID card for Yu Nuo, who has now changed his name to Yu Sheng. With this new identity, he met new colleagues at work, and once, after dinner, he talked about what the future would look like.
Yu Sheng said, “In the future, there will be flying cars, but people’s environments will return to the past, and the rural areas will develop better than cities. There are few jobs that exist for humans, and everyone becomes more indifferent. When you go to the supermarket, all you see are robots that are working, and everything can be delivered. You don’t even need to see or interact with people for months, which can lead to a boring life. But the positive is that time travel has become a reality. Many people travel to the past, to live in a time of the past, and meet those who they will never be able to see again.”
His colleagues knew that he had a lover who had passed away, and when they heard him say these things, they comforted him, “Maybe in the future, we can really travel through time and space. Who knows, just like decades ago, who would have thought that you can pay, call, and make recordings with just your phone.”
Yu Sheng held his wine glass, staying silent.
Chapter 5
After Luo Wensheng died, he lived alone for many, many years. With the death of each generation, his name was changed several times. It had eventually progressed to the point where science and technology could make time travel a reality.
Anyone could use this technology to transfer their soul into any era in which they have lived in the past. As long as you had the money, you could utilize this technology.
After living for so long, Yu Nuo had saved up a lot of money. He packed up his home, closed the door, and immediately went to sign up.
His approval came shortly after. The staff told him that there are many rules that must be observed, such as not interfering with the past and following the original history trajectory. Of course, not everything must be exactly the same. Small deviations were negligible, but bigger life choices cannot be altered; otherwise, they would interfere with the past and affect the you the present era, and the cost would be immeasurable.
“Our current crossing technology is still immature, so it’s difficult to come back after going back in time. This also means that when you cross into the past, you have to start from that time period and live in that period all over again.”
Out of all the participants, Yu Nuo was the calmest. He nodded whenever they said anything. Unlike others who participated in this project and were hesitant while they considered their gains and losses, he seemed to be used to it.
As an orphan, his parents have been long gone, and those familial feelings have long eroded. When he was a child, he wasn’t happy living at his uncle’s house. When asked what time period he would most like to return to, he naturally chose the year he met Luo Wensheng.
Luo Wensheng was like his lifeline. Nothing was more valuable than spending half of his life savings to relive the moments between meeting Luo Wensheng and when he vanished.
He laid down in an enclosed capsule and saw the staff working through the glass. When the countdown clock sounded, he closed his eyes.
Three, two, one.
It was like a dream. With intense discomfort and pain, his soul and body seemed to have separated. His eyes remained close as tears moistened around them. After the long darkness passed, he only felt a bright light shining in front of him. At the age of 16, he was standing in front of a steam bun shop. The boss said, “Boy, what’s the matter with you? Here’s your steam bun.”
Yu Nuo hurriedly took it. On the cold winter day, all that came out was white steam from the bun that warmed his frozen hands. He took a bite, then ran towards the school quickly, but he didn’t run to the school. He was running to meet Luo Wensheng again.
He ran through one familiar street after another. A flock of pigeons flew from above a building as the streets began filling with students in twos and threes running anxiously towards the school, wearing the uniform that he was most familiar with.
This was it. This was the crosswalk.
He was so excited that tears were about to gush out, and he leaped forward with great difficulty. Immediately, he was knocked to the ground by a bicycle.
His arm was sore, and he dropped the bun in his hand. When he got up, he saw a hand stretched towards him. Because his eyes were filled with tears, he seemed to be unable to see clearly. He just saw a person standing vaguely in front of him and asked, “Classmate, are you okay?”
It was the 17-year-old Luo Wensheng, who was as youthful as the sun and had bright eyes. This was the fourth time in his life that he had seen this image.
What a terrible, self-abusive obsession. It was like drinking heavily poisoned wine to temporarily relieve his thirst. Yu Nuo knew the final ending. After Luo Wensheng disappeared, he followed the trajectory of the previous few times to find him and then took him home, watching him pretend to be dead before he finally really died in his arms.
Note: The campus era in the novel is not written in detail, so the following jumps directly to Luo Wensheng’s old age.
Chapter 6
Yu Nuo looked at Luo Wensheng, who had fallen to the ground and was lying dead. His act was so realistic that if he hadn’t known better, it really looked as if he was dead. He knew that one day, when he returned home in the future and saw Luo Wensheng like this, it wouldn’t be just “pretend” but “reality”.
Yu Nuo pursed his lips. His eyes were bitter but resolute. He pretended to kick impatiently and said, “Get up quickly.”
Luo Wensheng got up when he heard the sound, wiped off the blood on his head, smiled, and said, “How does it look this time?”
Yu Nuo said, “It’s boring.”
It stood to reason that with a person’s life so long, especially his, he shouldn’t be able to remember what he said or did, but every action remained vivid in his memories. The fact is, there was no need for him to follow history in these exact details, and a small deviation won’t affect anything, but he seemed as if he were acting in a movie, carrying out his own lines and walking his own steps according to the script.
Luo Wensheng got up and went to the bathroom to wash off the blood stains on his body, but he didn’t come out for a long time. Yu Nuo knew that he had fallen and couldn’t get up in the bathroom as the hot water was scalding his thighs. When he would go in, he would see the same scene he had seen many times already; a helpless old Luo Wensheng.
The hot water was scalding, but it wasn’t what burned him. It was Luo Wensheng.
What is he doing?
He had been through so many reincarnations. He asked himself, why? Was it because he was stubborn, paranoid, or morbid that he was constantly chasing Luo Wensheng, who insisted on maintaining his dignity?
In the end, he had gained nothing but an urn of ashes.
If the ending was destined, would the process of getting there still be meaningful?
Chapter 7
After Luo Wensheng died in his arms and his funeral had been arranged, Yu Nuo sat alone on the balcony, basking in the sun while listening to “Gentle Wind and Rain”, like a zombie. He was too tired to fall in love. With every death of Luo Wensehng, he also died inside. All he could do was use the decades of time to store his remaining energy before he could meet Luo Wensheng again.
Life was long, and there was more time for pain than happiness.
Was it really worth it? Yu Nuo slumped in his chair as he looked towards the sunset that bathed the sky in dying light.
He wanted the cycle to end. There are so many in this world, and he wasn’t ugly. It was easy to find another. It was a new era, one in which same-sex marriage was now as common as heterosexual marriages, and people’s views had improved. Even blind dating has now become popular among same-sex couples.
He uploaded his profile at a marriage agency and kept himself busy while trying to think that he wasn’t betraying Luo Wensheng. It wasn’t betrayal; he wanted to set them both free.
Within two days, someone from the marriage agency contacted him and said that they had helped him find several blind dates. If he was willing, one could be arranged for Wednesday. He agreed to it and went shopping. He hadn’t dressed well for so long that his life was a bit decadent. He bought new clothes and got a haircut. When he looked in the mirror, it was still the same young image that he had so long ago.
Luo Wensheng was now a skeleton, but he still maintained his youth.
Yu Nuo changed into his new outfit, stood in front of the full-length mirror, buttoned the top of his neckline, and went to the appointed place. He chose to walk instead of taking a taxi and sweated a lot along the way.
It seems that when you give yourself time, it opens more opportunities for you to repent. With every step he took, he felt regret creeping up. After walking for a while, he paused his movements. As he was dealing with his entangled feelings, he stopped at a crosswalk where he saw a pair of young boys, in their 20s, walking past him with arms hooked around their shoulders, like friends and lovers. The tall boy was very similar in height and size to seventeen-year-old Luo Wensheng.
Seeing the scene, he felt like dying inside. He continued walking and stopped in front of the place they agreed to meet. The other party called and asked, “Are you here yet?”
“Almost there.”
“I’m wearing a black jacket. There’s no one in the shop now, so you’ll find me easily when you come in.” The voice on the other line was gentle.
“Ok.”
He was standing on the corner. He only needed to take a few more steps and turn the corner, and he’d be there. From the glass window, he could see the man that he was going to meet on his blind date. This was the first step in his life. He could usher in a new relationship, and from now on, he didn’t have to go back to Luo Wensheng over and over again. He knew that as long as he was willing to open up, he could fall in love a second time. He may very well meet a man who was handsomer, had a better temper, and could fuck him better than Luo Wensheng, and he may love this man more than Luo Wensheng.
Luo Wensheng had become a thing of the past.
Yu Nuo’s heartbeat was pounding so badly that he couldn’t tell what was going on. He felt as if he was cheating. But Luo Wensheng is dead, and this was only him trying to move on and accept a new relationship. How ridiculous for him to feel that he was “cheating”.
He smoked two cigarettes on the corner of the street and called the other party. “I’m sorry. Something suddenly came up and I can’t meet anymore.”
The other party had a very good temper and didn’t get angry. He said, “That’s a pity. I read your profile, and I like you quite a bit.”
Yu Nuo hung up the phone and began to walk back. He felt he had betrayed Luo Wensheng when he tried to take one step forward and saw the face of his blind date.
How ridiculous. Why was he like this? He cried as he walked and then quickly ran away. He was like a moth to a flame. In this modern society, there was no other person like him.
As he ran, he felt as if he had returned to the year when he was sixteen years old, running fast to greet Luo Wensheng, who was riding his bike. He wanted another chance. If he persisted alone, perhaps in ten, twenty, or even a hundred years from now, medicine would overcome this difficulty. Perhaps there would be a cure to his immortality, and he’d be able to grow old with Luo Wensheng again, and they could die together.
As long as he didn’t give up, there was always hope.
If he simply gave up now and didn’t persist, wouldn’t this be equivalent to him giving up his love for Luo Wensheng?
Luo Wensheng could have found a normal person to be with. He had paid for himself all his life and suffered so much. A normal person can only love for so many decades. He had received this love from Luo Wensheng, and he should be satisfied. Thinking this, he found the courage to live alone for decades, waiting for that day.
Chapter 8
Yu Nuo lived for another twenty years on his own. Science, technology, and medicine were still developing rapidly, but the problem he wanted to solve hasn’t been solved. Instead, he had fallen ill and almost died from it. As someone who never grows old, he was still able to die.
Due to his diseases, he had to change jobs every few years and cities every decade. It wasn’t that he was afraid of being discovered, but he didn’t want to be regarded as some kind of alien. He no longer contacted his friends of the past, and after a long while, they stopped contacting him. It was better this way. He had experienced too many life-and-death partings.
He went to register himself for an infusion. Modern science and technology had advanced to the point that he hadn’t been to a hospital for many years. Many processes are different from before. While he may have had the body of a young man, he had an old soul. He felt that he was out of touch with society, and it was difficult to adapt.
After returning from the hospital, he slept at home for a day. He laid on his bed alone, in the dark room with only a little light that was exposed from the window. At this moment, he suddenly wanted someone to accompany him. It didn’t matter if it was someone he loved or not; just anyone would do. If someone was here, he didn’t have to be afraid when he was ill or dying.
He could find someone, but if the other person wasn’t serious, would the other party really take care of him in his time of need? On the other hand, if the other person really did love him, wouldn’t this turn into another Luo Wensheng situation?
He really shouldn’t have lived for so long. He should have died before time travel was discovered. Now that the technology existed, he was reluctant to die. While he could continue to travel back in time and relive the happy days with Luo Wensheng, he began to have more expectations for technology and medical care, looking forward to maybe one day being able to accompany Luo Wensheng in life and death.
But his patience was limited, and the technology may not come before he dies. If that’s so, then what would be the meaning of all these repeated lifetimes and hundreds of years of persistence? For him, whether it was bitter or sweet, it was his own choice. The blame was all on him, but what about Luo Wensheng?
If it weren’t for him, Luo Wensheng might have met an ordinary person and lived a happy and ordinary life. On the contrary, thinking about it this way, what he was doing was harming Luo Wensheng.
If Luo Wensheng didn’t meet him, he might be happier. They had been together for decades, and he could say that Luo Wensheng had been unhappy for about half of that time. There was the pain of coming out of the closet and the suffering when he reached old age. He was tortured physically and mentally, and he died without having a son or a daughter.
When Yu Nuo recovered from his illness, he went to Luo Wensheng’s cemetery and sat in front of his tomb for an entire day. The next day, he went to the Time and Space Travel Bureau and received his approval shortly after. The staff told him again about the rules that must be observed, such as not interfering with the past, and following the original historical trajectory…
“Otherwise, it will interfere with the past and affect the you in the present era. The cost is immeasurable. You may disappear, and your memory will be wiped along with it.”
Unlike the previous few times, Yu Nuo, who usually remains calm throughout the whole process, had an abnormal expression, as if he couldn’t sit still during the introduction phase.
As he laid down in the capsule, he saw the staff working outside. The countdown clock sounded, and he took in a few deep breaths. When the staff saw that he was acting abnormal, they asked, “Sir, do you want to terminate?”
Yu Nuo shook his head and closed his eyes.
Three, two, one.
With intense discomfort and pain, his soul and body were separated again. After the long darkness passed, he heard a strange voice say, “Boy, what’s the matter with you? Here’s your steam bun.”
At the age of 16, he was standing in front of a steam bun shop. The owner of the shop looked at him suspiciously and asked, “Are you okay?”
Yu Nuo shook his head and took the hot bun from the owner’s hand. On the cold winter day, all that came out was white steam from the bun that warmed his frozen hands. He took a bite and began to turn his head to run towards the school.
No matter where you are in my life, I will find you.
There was probably nothing happier in the world than running into one’s lover’s arms.
In less than a minute, he would be reunited with the seventeen-year-old Luo Wensheng.
He ran through one familiar street after another. A flock of pigeons flew from above a building as the streets began filling with students in twos and threes running anxiously towards the school. All these were scenes he was most familiar with.
This was it. This was the crosswalk.
He was so excited that tears would gush out. To get acquainted with Luo Wensheng, he only needed to leap forward quickly.
Luo Wensheng would stretch out his hand and ask him, “Classmate, are you okay?” His eyes were bright, and his voice was crisp.
It seemed that a long life was floating in his mind the whole time: the life they lived together, the cum they shot, the saliva they exchanged, the tears and blood they shed, and the most painful and helpless convulsions and suffocation experienced when Luo Wensheng died in his arms.
Luo Wensheng, Luo Wensheng.
Yu Nuo pursed his lips tightly and took a step forward. The jingling of the bike rang as he saw the 17-year-old Luo Wensheng flying past him.
What was the point? It seemed that the past few hundred years had suddenly become meaningless. He didn’t know what he was doing.
Yu Nuo’s face was distorted; he lowered his head and cried, and the seventeen-year-old Luo Wensheng glanced back at him, thinking what had happened to this student to make him cry so sadly.
Everything has changed. From then on, Luo Wensheng no longer knew Yu Nuo. They never met and never fell in love. In this world, there was no longer a Yu Nuo who traveled through time and space for Luo Wensheng. The memories of their past disappeared.
The bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. Groups of students began to walk out the gate. Spring was coming. On the road outside the school, cherry blossoms were scattered all around. Yu Nuo was walking home with his backpack on his back when he suddenly heard the crisp sound of bells, jingling, jingling.
He stopped on the side of the road as Luo Wensheng rode past him on his bike.
He patted his shoulder and continued walking away as if he were carried by the wind. Fine falling petals fluttered in the air and brushed against the 16-year-old Yu Nuo’s face.
He didn’t look up as he kept on walking.
My entire love for you is to give you an ordinary life.
Kinky Thoughts:
GOD I’M CRYING. WHY DID I TRANSLATE THIS?! I must be as self-abusive as Yu Nuo.
I was hoping for some more dog food like they had in high school or middle school, but NOPE! Just all fucking dog abuse. Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I’m now sobbing, like all those who saw the movie.
“Ahhhhhhhh, Touhua’s ass landed on the hot search!”
“Hahahaha, I laughed when I saw it. It’s a shame to buy this hot search, hahahaha.”
“I think the hot search for Touhua’s ass is real, because it’s so fucking hot!”
“I’ve taken a special screenshot. I’m nose bleeding over here. So fair and firm, smooth and silky. Simply peerless!”
“I’m the only one who’s eating beauty. Needless to say, Bai Qingquan’s face is so beautiful. I think he’s much more handsome here than when he did The East Palace. I think the beauty of these two guys alone is worth the ticket.”
“I’m waiting to see reviews first!”
“In the entertainment industry, only Touhua is a real flow, and the purchasing power of gold powders is amazing. Just from the trailer, the box office presales have already passed 20 million. Going to 50 doesn’t seem like a pipe dream.”
“It’s normal. As long as the quality of the movie is good, it’ll definitely explode. As a rotten girl, I can’t refuse it at all. The double top flow of top actors, authentic gay themes, a romance movie, and it’s the only love film during Chinese New Year’s, and the reunion of Jintai Meijing from The East Palace. My only regret is that Shen Jintai is already taken, otherwise it would be unimaginable at the box office if you fry the CP!”
Not only were the gold powders excited, but even the moonlight powders felt riveted. Since Bai Qingquan’s crisis, many had abandoned the moonlight fandom, and their group had lost more than half of its members. Those who stay behind were considered to be true love fans. After this wave of abuse, the moonlight powders who remained were even more united. While this movie was icing on the cake for Shen Jintai, who was basking in the middle of the sun, for Bai Qingquan, it was a film that delivered charcoal in the snow. Failure was not an option!
“Everyone is going to the cinema to support my brother’s new movie. It’s time for our moonlight powder to shine!”
“I have already booked movie tickets with my best friend and rushed to be the first wave of viewers. I will give everyone feedback after I finish watching!”
“The kind of feedback that must be blown to death!”
“Two brushes*, three brushes, ten brushes, let’s go!”
*Movie term meaning to watch it again.
“Are there any relatives in the Wanda Theater in Nancheng Shopping Center? I heard that there will be an interview with the actors after the screening. Shen Jintai and my brother will be there!”
Immediately, a fan posted a photo of him in the theater. “Already seated, the seats are full. Waiting for the movie to open!”
“Ahhhhhhh, I’m so excited. My brother’s big screen debut!” The moonlight powders screamed.
“Wuwuwu*,” the gold powders were even more lively. “I’m so nervous and anxious. I hope my brother’s first movie sell well!”
*The term they’re using is [yingyingying] (嘤嘤嘤嘤). It’s basically a cute way to cry that’s normally used by girls, but it doesn’t really translate well, so I just went with wuwuwu instead.
“The early box office is very important. The pre-sale is high, the attendance rate is high, and the box office is high. When it’s officially released, there will be more theaters showing it. If there are more movies scheduled, the possibility of a box office explosion is even greater. Therefore, these days, everyone must go to the cinema to support my brother’s movie!”
“Private venue support!”
“In addition to buying tickets to watch, everyone should also pay attention and actively speak and comment on Weibo, TikTok, and forums. Word of mouth is very important in the early stages! Strictly prevent black powder from becoming a demon!”
“Honestly, this movie is all supported by my brother. Bai Qingquan used to be able to make a difference, but now he’s just dragging him down. His black powders are going crazy in the rabbit area.”
“Everyone, help Bai Qingquan. To help him is to help our brother. After all, it’s now one for all and all for one!”
Moonlight fans immediately came over to hug their thighs when they heard these words, and for the first time, the two major fan bases united like a family. With Chinese New Year approaching, all of Nancheng’s commercial business districts had become crowded in the past few days. Everywhere was filled with joy in anticipation of the coming holiday. The square outside the shopping center opposite the district government was already crowded.
Xingyun had suddenly decided to push the movie to an earlier release. Originally, <When You’re Older> was scheduled to be released on Valentine’s Day but was moved to the second day of Chinese New Year’s. Today, large-scale screening had already begun.
“I really want to go to the cinema to be the first wave of audiences,” Fang Fengmei said. “It’s a pity that my body can’t last.”
“I have already bought a ticket anyway. Just let me get off at the shopping mall,” Yan Yaoxuan said.
“You’re going to watch it by yourself?” Fang Fengmei asked.
Yan Yaoxuan made a weird expression. “Well, there was originally also you…”
Fang Fengmei: “You have to bring a few more people to see it. Better yet, rent out an entire space!”
Yan Yaoxuan smiled with joy. “There’s an actor’s interview at the Wanda Theater. You don’t know how difficult it was to get these tickets. The one I bought was from a scalper at a high price… just stop here!”
The car stopped on the side of the road, and Yan Yaoxuan got out of the car.
Fang Fengmei asked Yan Qiuchi, “You’re not going?”
Yan Qiuchi started the car and said, “I’ll wait for the official release before watching it. When the time comes, let’s go together.” As he said that, he glanced into the rearview mirror and vaguely saw the figure of Shan Cheng holding a coke and popcorn in his hand.
“Drink?” Shan Cheng asked.
Yan Yaoxuan took the coke and said, “I am here to thank you for accompanying me back to my country. Although you are of no other use than a burden, thank you. Today, I will show you the new changes in the cinema of the motherland.”
Shan Cheng said, “Nn. Then I have to thank you.”
As they walked through the crowd, since they were both tall and handsome guys, they attracted the stares of many girls.
Because of the actor’s interview, many fans who couldn’t get a ticket stood outside, unafraid of the cold. Yan Yaoxuan didn’t understand why they were all gathered outside until he entered the shopping center and saw that it was packed with hordes of people. The entire fifth floor was filled to the brim, and the third floor was jam-packed, as that was where the theater was located.
Bai Qingquan glanced out, then turned to Shen Jintai and said, “There are so many people. It’s scary.”
Shen Jintai first put on a hat, then a jacket, then took a mask from Xiao Tang and put it on. They were also watching the first screening, but they were pretending to be passersby and sit in the audience. Shen Jintai was nervous, afraid that he would be recognized if he sat next to a gold powder.
“The lights have been turned off, and there’s still a minute left before it starts. You can enter now,” Li Meilan said.
Bai Qingquan immediately became fully armed. He, Shen Jintai, Li Meilan, Wei Ge, and others entered the cinema in the dark. Due to being so nervous, when he was walking up the stairs, Bai Qingquan staggered and almost fell. Shen Jintai grabbed him by the arm and couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh.
The movie has started to play, and the opening music was accompanied by subtitles. When Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan’s names appeared, the fans screamed.
The beginning and the end of the movie were the same; both were scenes of their encounter on the way to school. Yu Nuo nibbled on a steamed bun as he ran towards school. When the bell rang, he bumped into Luo Wensheng’s bicycle at the intersection.
Pigeons in the attic of a roof flew in groups as Luo Wensheng quickly stretched out his hand. “Classmate, are you okay?”
Shen Jintai hadn’t watched the finished version of the film in advance. Now that he was sitting in the cinema and looking at himself on the big screen, he was really excited.
He’s been shooting <Welcome Rian on a Spring Night> for a while now. Looking back and watching <When You’re Older> he felt uncomfortable. The styles of the two movies were too different. <When You’re Older> had beautiful captures, moving music, and lines that were fantastical and dyed with sensational colors. He would blush when he watched himself say those lines, and it was obviously effective at hitting the hearts of girls. In the early stages, there would be commotion in the cinema at every scene. There were even more screams during the kissing and bed scenes. Shen Jintai blushed when the shot of his exposed ass was shown.
However, when Luo Wensheng got old, the atmosphere of the cinema began to become solemn. The gold powders who failed to get tickets to the premiere relied on the live broadcast of the movie group.
Crazy for a while: [Brother is so handsome!]
Scream for a while: [The two of them are so seductive. The plot is warm, the music is great, and every frame of the picture could be used as a wallpaper!]
Crying and laughing for a while: [It’s so fucking touching! My makeup!]
Although Yan Qiuchi didn’t go to the cinema, he was paying close attention to word-of-mouth. Fang Fengmei was lying on the hospital bed, and from time to time she would ask, “Has the evaluation come out?”
Yan Qiuchi: “The movie hasn’t finished yet, but some on-site reviews have come out, and the overall picture is good.”
Fang Fengmei: “Read it to us.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “You can see for yourself.”
He felt that a girl’s rainbow fart was not suitable for him to read out loud. He handed the phone over to her.
Old Lady Fang smiled and said, “I haven’t seen much of this Xiao Jin. He’s changed a lot. I remember that he used to dye his hair red and wear earrings. Now he’s clean and looks good.”
“I remember you didn’t like him back then,” Fang Fengmei said.
“It’s not that I didn’t like him, but I didn’t think it was a good match. The most important thing is that Qiuchi likes him.” Old Lady Fang smile and said, “I think he likes him now.”
“He more than likes him,” Fang Fengmei said.
The first wave of reviews came for <When You’re Older>. Tears flowed in the cinema, and as the audience of the first wave was mainly fans, their feelings felt more sincere.
The fans:
“Ahhhhhh, I’m bursting with tears!”
“The music, pictures, stories, and performances! This is the best romance film of the year! Don’t look at me. I’m a mess!”
“It was so good that I’m speechless. It definitely exceeded my expectations! Let’s go, two brushes!”
“At the end of the film, Yu Nuo’s running scene made me burst into tears. As soon as the lights turned on, everyone around me had red eyes. The screenwriter is awesome, the director is awesome, and the actors are even more awesome!”
“It’s no exaggeration to say that my boyfriend, who has always boasted that men don’t cry easily, is now crying like a stupid dog.”
Passerby：
“Are all these praises done by a water army?”
“It’s either a water army or the fandom. Isn’t it just a love film about some high school students? The trailer probably showed the best scenes the movie has to offer.”
“Better wait and watch it first. If the movie is as good as they say, the real word of mouth will come out in a day or two. For fan movies, be cautious about entering the pit this early in the stage.”
“I am neither a moonlight fan nor a gold fan. I can say with good conscience that it is the best romance movie in recent years and the best gay movie in the history of domestic movies. It has almost no shortcomings. I was really moved.”
Well-known reviewer Yu Dazui commented:
[I think fans should thank Director Sun Sihai. He was born to be a cinematographer. He delivered the best-looking shots for Touhua and Bai Yueguang. During the entire movie, I was surrounded by weirdos. In the beginning, I was a bit agitated, but later, I found myself crying. I give the cinematography 9 points, the music 8 points, and the story 8 points. The worthiest mention is the performances of the two actors that could be compared to the same level of a film emperor. They were absolutely phenomenal. I was dazzled, especially by the elderly scenes. The daily and delicate shooting of this film has gone beyond the scope of a romance movie and is more like a featured film. It’s hard to believe that this is the first big-screen work by the director and the two actors. I’m optimistic about the performance of this film during the award season.]
When the movie theater lights were turned on, the theater staff and security guards were the first to come in. Everyone looked up from their sobbing and looked at the stage, where they saw the main creators walk in one by one as applause rang out.
Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan took off their masks at this moment, and the audience sitting next to them instantly blushed and screamed. For a moment, they couldn’t tell whether they were Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan or Yu Nuo and Luo Wensheng, who had come out from the screen. The feeling was exhilarating, as if the male gods they just saw had suddenly turned into reality.
The girl sitting to the left of Shen Jintai, who was still crying, turned her head and jumped up when she saw him. She was a gold powder, and she had no idea she’d be sitting next to her idol, watching this movie with him. The surprise came so suddenly that she was so happy that she felt like exploding!
Then something even more amazing happened. Shen Jintai stretched out his arms and hugged her. Screams erupted instantly in the theater.
Shen Jintai’s eyes were red. He smiled, put his hands together, and bowed to everyone. Bai Qingquan was obviously crying much more severely. He was still sobbing as he embarrassedly wiped away his tears. Shen Jintai touched his arm, and the two walked towards the stage.
Both of them were excited because they knew that this movie was stable.
The author has something to say:
I want to see it too!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
Me too, so I decided to translate it. The next chapter is not part of this novel. Someone had graciously pulled out all the parts of <When You’re Older> from the author’s other novel <Don’t Be Coquettish>. It is a relatively short story (well, in a sense where it’s like 8 chapters). You know the story and you know how it ends, so prepare your tissues.
If you do not want to read dog abuse, then wait until the following chapter is released so you can skip it.
Kinky Translations 