Tang Zhen sat in the small corridor behind the studio with a small medicine box in his hand. It contained various colorful pills—green, blue, white, and multicolored. He took out two green capsules and swallowed them, while Qi Lu sat beside him, handing him a glass of water to wash them down.
Someone approached him, standing at the entrance of the corridor and cheerfully calling his name. Tang Zhen looked up, his face pale with sweat on his forehead, but upon seeing the figures—one chubby and one thin—he forced a smile.
“My little darling, let me have a look,” the chubby girl who approached first exclaimed. Her name was Chang Daiyu, wearing a black skirt and draped in a coat. Her chubby legs were encased in fishnet stockings. As she got closer, she noticed Tang Zhen’s permed long hair. “Wow, your hair looks just like the models I saw in a New York fashion show a few days ago.”
“Is it good or bad?” Tang Zhen asked almost in a breathy voice, his stomach cramping.
“It’s good, much better than those foreign models,” Chang Daiyu squatted in front of him, furrowing her brows. “What’s the matter with you, little one? What’s bothering you?”
Tang Zhen was taken aback, his smile freezing on his face. The woman beside them spoke up, “Daiyu, why are you asking like that? Can’t you see Tang Zhen is feeling unwell?”
It was Dong Ling, who had a modeling background and later ventured into the film industry. Recently, she had just filmed a movie with Chang Daiyu. Today, the two of them, along with the male lead, were appearing on “Roman Online” for promotion.
Dong Ling glanced at the medicine box in Tang Zhen’s hand, her eyes filled with pity. “You’re still taking this kind of medication?”
Tang Zhen smiled, his eyes bright, but his voice weak. He teased her, “Do you want a couple of pills?”
Dong Ling chuckled and scolded, “I don’t get nervous in front of the camera.” Then she assessed Tang Zhen, “Your condition seems alright, much better than I thought.”
“Who said my condition wasn’t good?”
“Liang Qiuyun,” Dong Ling said, pausing for a moment. “You shouldn’t push yourself too hard; your health is important.”
Tang Zhen turned to Chang Daiyu and said, “Dong Ling knows how to take care of people.”
Chang Daiyu replied, “Let Liang Qiuyun handle him. After he’s done, all his problems will be solved.”
Tang Zhen blinked and smiled. Dong Ling couldn’t stand their teasing and said to Chang Daiyu, “You didn’t say that in front of me.”
Chang Daiyu responded, “I’ll say the same thing here. If Liang Qiuyun has the ability, let him try to pursue me. Let’s see if he dares. Apparently, it’s only considered collaboration when Dong Ling and Tang Zhen work together, but when I collaborate, it’s not.”
After saying that, Chang Daiyu turned to Tang Zhen again and said, “I asked her if Liang Qiuyun is good in bed, and she wouldn’t say.”
Dong Ling blushed and said, “We still have a program to do later. It’s embarrassing for you to say such things here.”
“You’re not embarrassed to appear on your ex-boyfriend’s show, but a couple of remarks from me make you embarrassed.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
As Tang Zhen listened to their banter, Qi Lu put away the medicine box and gestured to him. Tang Zhen immediately turned his head and indeed saw Wen Xin at the entrance of the corridor.
Fqbc rfflcu tlw, Qfc Wlc lwwfvljafis fzmijlwfv, “P aglfv mjiilcu sbeg qtbcf, kts lr la aegcfv boo?”
Kjcu Itfc kjr ajxfc jyjmx jcv rjlv, “Vffwr ilxf ws qtbcf gjc bea bo yjaafgs.”
Qfc Wlc vgjqfv tfg mbja bnfg tlw jcv rjlv, “Tbe rtbeiv tjnf abiv wf fjgilfg rb P mbeiv mtjguf la obg sbe. Rb kbcvfg P mbeivc’a olcv sbeg qtbcf rlcmf kf ifoa tbwf. Qtja lo rbwfbcf cffvfv ab gfjmt sbe—”
Tang Zhen interrupted with a smile, “But I have you, don’t I?”
Wen Xin said, “Oh, right. They can reach out to me.” After saying that, she glanced at the studio outside, then at Tang Zhen, her gaze a mix of anticipation and worry. “Are you okay, Tang Zhen Laoshi?”
Tang Zhen nodded and said to Chang Daiyu, “Let’s go over now.”
Tang Zhen walked into the studio and found his own sofa to sit on. Chang Daiyu called over a young man, introducing him as the male lead of the film, a newcomer named He Qi.
Tang Zhen shook the hand extended towards him and exchanged greetings with He Qi.
As soon as He Qi approached, he said, “Tang Zhen Laoshi, I’m your fan. I’ve watched the movie ‘Flower God Temple’ that you collaborated on with Yun Laoban.”
Tang Zhen couldn’t hide his awkward expression, while Chang Daiyu clapped and burst into laughter. He Qi thought he had said something wrong.
Chang Daiyu whispered to the young man, “Remember to bring up what you just said during the program later and say it again.”
At seven o’clock in the evening, the sky was already dark, and the rain continued to pour. Ai Wentao called Zhou Ziyuan while standing at the entrance of Zhou Zike’s apartment, repeatedly apologizing over the phone, “I really don’t know where he went. I’ve been searching all day!”
Inside the brightly lit studio, the director said to Tang Zhen, “Tang Zhen Laoshi, look at this camera. From now on, just sit there and do your best—”
Liang Qiuyun urged, “Come on, Feng.” Tang Zhen remained silent. Chang Daiyu sat beside him, reaching out to support Tang Zhen’s knee and cheering him on.
Wen Xin watched from the audience below, gripping her hands tightly, listening to the cheers of the audience. Her heart pounded like a drum, and her palms were covered in sweat.
The recording of the program went smoothly, and the process was straightforward. Due to Tang Zhen’s “special condition,” he wasn’t given a script before coming to the recording. It was estimated that even if they gave him one, he wouldn’t be able to remember it. The only requirement for him was to sit properly from start to finish.
Despite this, Tang Zhen still spoke up and even walked to the edge of the stage midway through, taking a package of small gifts from the audience below. At that time, He Qi was describing the theme of the film to Liang Qiuyun, talking about heartbreak and breakups, and pointing at Dong Ling, he said, “Dong Ling Laoshi portrays the kind of first love that many men have encountered.”
At that moment, a few audience members near Tang Zhen had been quietly and eagerly calling his name. Tang Zhen, who had been sitting on the sofa lost in thought, heard them. He stood up and walked over, and the excited audience members handed him their small gift bags and cards.
“…It’s the kind of girl a man meets at the poorest and most incapable age, the one he wants to take care of for the rest of his life,” He Qi said.
Liang Qiuyun held the microphone and smiled at Tang Zhen from nearby, saying, “What are you doing?”
He Qi was taken aback, turned around, and saw Tang Zhen just opening a fabric teddy bear from one of the gift bags. Tang Zhen held up the bear for the audience to see and showed it to the other guests as well.
“Looking good,” Luo Tiantian whispered leisurely.
Dong Ling glanced at him.
He Qi truly lived up to Chang Daiyu’s expectations. Right after introducing the film, it was his turn to talk about himself, and he immediately mentioned that his favorite movie during his school days was the one Tang Zhen Laoshi and Yun Laoban collaborated on, “Flower God Temple.”
Upon hearing this, Liang Qiuyun held the microphone, chuckled, and fell silent. The audience erupted in a commotion. Chang Daiyu quickly asked, “Which scene do you like the most?”
The audience started to cheer even louder, and He Qi blushed, stuttering. Liang Qiuyun remained silent, while Tang Zhen continued to play with the teddy bear, keeping his head down.
Chang Daiyu said, “I know, it must be the most famous scene.” After speaking, she turned to look at Tang Zhen amidst the laughter of the audience and patted him, saying, “Still playing with the bear, huh?”
Tang Zhen looked up and quietly asked a few girls in the audience who had just given him the gift, “Why do the three buttons on this bear’s shirt have different colors?”
The excited audience responded, saying that it was intentionally chosen as a blessing for his speedy recovery.
Tang Zhen had been speaking incoherently on stage, often trailing off or veering off into another topic. His speech was slow and no one knew what he was thinking in his mind.
He Qi was still blushing and mentioned that he even watched the music video of the movie’s theme song.
“It’s the one where Tang Zhen Laoshi dances blindfolded,” he said.
Chang Daiyu teased him, saying, “Did you secretly watch it multiple times under the covers?”
He Qi couldn’t continue and simply said, “Chang-jie, you’re bullying me too much.”
Director Feng obviously didn’t expect this newcomer to be so knowledgeable about the popular topics from previous years on “Roman Online.” He signaled to Luo Tiantian, and indeed, the audience on that side had already started urging Tang Zhen to dance.
Tang Zhen said, “I’ve long forgotten how to dance.”
Liang Qiuyun turned around and asked, “Can Tiantian dance?”
The audience began applauding again.
Luo Tiantian didn’t hesitate. He walked up to the stage and asked He Qi if he wanted to dance together. Chang Daiyu nudged He Qi, who suddenly felt flustered. Being a young newcomer, he blushed, became flustered, and didn’t know what to do. The music started playing, but he remained seated, and Luo Tiantian let him off the hook. Although “Roman Online” was Mattias’ show, Luo Tiantian had gained quite a popularity among the audience. Liang Qiuyun’s status was not what it used to be, Tang Zhen was often unwell, so whenever there was a chance for a funny performance, Luo Tiantian, the junior, would take over. He already had a good fandom, and he worked hard. He had been the lead singer of his band, “Europa,” and had been in the spotlight until he joined “Roman Online.” Many people only then discovered there was a young man named Luo Tiantian in ASE who not only resembled Tang Zhen but also put a lot of effort into singing and dancing.
Now, he was dancing alone on stage, performing Tang Zhen’s masterpiece from nine years ago. He was agile and flexible, and this dance posed no difficulty for him. However, when Tang Zhen performed this dance back then, he was only seventeen years old, and every movement exuded the naive and inexperienced charm of a young person. With his eyes covered, his expressions became even more innocent. Dancing these seductive and provocative moves designed by the choreographer, any inconsistencies only added a touch of interest and charm.
Luo Tiantian danced even better, more seductive, and more alluring, resembling a flower demon battered by wind and rain on a stormy night. He even incorporated modifications to the parts where Tang Zhen fell short, clearly having put thought into it beforehand. The guests and the audience watched, and even Tang Zhen himself was fully focused on the performance.
Liang Qiuyun also watched him. After Luo Tiantian finished his one-minute solo, he suddenly turned around and provocatively looked at Liang Qiuyun, his eyes filled with sweat, as if he wanted to pull Liang Qiuyun onto the stage.
Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to pull Liang Qiuyun, but instead, Liang Qiuyun effortlessly grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the sofa.
Tang Zhen said, “Tiantian has great talent. Even when he was a trainee, his dancing was excellent. If he debuted at the same time as me, I might not have stood out so much.”
The audience said, “That’s impossible, impossible.” Tang Zhen spoke with a smile in his voice, sounding a bit dreamy but genuine. Luo Tiantian sat on the sofa, staring at him. Just after finishing his dance, Luo Tiantian was breathing heavily. Some people in the audience even shouted “Tiantian,” and Luo Tiantian heard it and smiled at the camera.
The final segment of the show was a Q&A session on the theme of movies. The production team had prepared a set of questions on the question board for the guests and the host to answer.
The questions were all common relationship-related ones, such as whether someone would initiate a breakup, if they would remain friends with their ex after a breakup, how long it would take to start a new relationship after a breakup, and so on. Tang Zhen also answered along with the guests, giving ordinary responses. However, he was mocked by Chang Daiyu, who said, “You, dude, haven’t been in a relationship for so many years. Why are you even answering?”
Tang Zhen was taken aback, and the audience erupted in a commotion. Dong Ling also asked, “Tang Zhen, how long has it been since you were in a relationship?”
Tang Zhen didn’t know how the topic had shifted to him.
“Let me tell you all about Tang Zhen. Firstly, he doesn’t like kissing, secondly, he doesn’t like intimacy, except for acting. He doesn’t like others getting close to him,” Chang Daiyu said to the audience. “When we act together, in kissing scenes, even though I’m a girl, his reaction is exaggerated. It feels like I’m forcing myself on an innocent girl. So don’t believe those magazines that write nonsense. It’s better to ask Tang Zhen to die than to have him date so many people!”
Tang Zhen was mocked by the audience. A little girl in the audience said, “We know, we just like Tangtang the way he is!”
Dong Ling turned to the little girls and said, “Tang Zhen really belongs to the type that makes people feel insecure. You like him because you don’t understand him.”
Tang Zhen was at a loss, holding the microphone with a blank expression on his face, unsure of how to refute the statement.
The girls said, “We don’t believe that.” Dong Ling said, “If you don’t believe, ask Liang Qiuyun Laoshi!”
The audience erupted in excitement. He Qi was chuckling with his head lowered, while Liang Qiuyun looked helpless and puzzled as he stared at Dong Ling. He smiled and said, “Why are you suddenly dragging me into this?”
This episode of the show turned out to be quite successful. Clearly, even the director didn’t anticipate such a positive response after Tang Zhen’s comeback from his suicide attempt. Over the past year, Tang Zhen had been lackluster and lifeless on the show, unable to find his footing even in front of the camera. Today, he seemed particularly determined, desperately trying to keep up with the pace and appearing natural. Even if he occasionally lost focus, he pushed himself to catch up with every segment. But why was he pushing himself so hard? Director Feng couldn’t figure it out.
It’s frightening to think that, being as early as this is within the novel, there is probably still a long way down for Tang Zhen before things begin to improve.
I’m surprised he got as bad as he did; I was certain there is already a good treatment for syphilis. (Damn you, House M.D. for misleading people.) Though, with the way the people around him keep pushing him, he probably hasn’t had any time to recover, and the origin of his problems was probably discovered too late.