The originally scheduled one-week filming period for《Our Perfect Journey》was delayed by a day due to Xia Yue’s incident, yet the task was still completed ahead of schedule.
Although the Che-Zhou team got back the other half of the 1000 yuan spent on buying the inhibitor from the program team, there were countless issues along the way. Even though Xu Tangzhou secretly contributed the compressed biscuits he had hidden in his clothes, the Lu-Mi CP still won by a narrow margin of less than 200 yuan.
The return flight tickets were originally purchased in advance, but now that they need to return earlier, the program team has already re-purchased the tickets uniformly.
Apart from the staff, all the guests were in first class.
This time there was no need for further filming or playing games, everyone quietly rested in first class.
Xu Tangzhou, participating in a group activity for the first time, was about to say goodbye and felt an unexpected sense of melancholy as if it was the end of an era.
Being older, Lu Cheng’an noticed his mood and comforted him, saying, “Zhou Zhou, there will be promotions and activities after the program. We will have plenty of opportunities to meet. You might even get tired of seeing us eventually.”
Mi Fei said, “That’s right. This isn’t the last time.”
Xu Tangzhou nodded.
He knew.
But… it still wasn’t the same.
Yet he couldn’t quite express how it was different.
“Zhou Zhou, are you staying at the company’s place now?” Mi Fei asked.
These past few days, Mi Fei had regained some energy. Online, his and Lu Cheng’an’s passionate night had been fervently imagined by the fans… quite… well. In reality, Lu Cheng’an wasn’t that beastly. He managed to control himself and immediately took the inhibitor voluntarily. It was nowhere near as explicit as the CP fans’ written mini erotic stories, and he certainly wasn’t made to faint.
“Not yet,” Xu Tangzhou told them, “My home is in Qinan, and after finishing university in the capital, I lived in an apartment with a friend.”
“A friend?” Mi Fei asked, “A university classmate?”
Xu Tangzhou said, “No, he’s studying medicine, and working on his doctorate. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
The apartment was originally rented by Qiu Yin, who was rarely home, so he posted an ad online for a roommate. By chance, he met Xu Tangzhou, who had just come to the capital for his studies and needed a place to rent. Over the past four years, the two became close friends.
The omega population was scarce, and few could endure the tedious and lengthy years of medical study, so most doctors were predominantly alphas and betas. Hearing Xu Tangzhou speak like this, everyone assumed that he was sharing an apartment with someone of the opposite sex.
Lu Cheng’an said, “Zhou Zhou has just debuted not long ago, probably the company hasn’t had time to arrange things yet. Living outside is always inconvenient. When you have time, you’re welcome to come over to our place. Mi Fei and I will make some delicious food to treat you.”
Mi Fei also happily said, “Yes, you’re especially welcome. Come with God Che.”
Ling Che seemed to be asleep.
Xu Tangzhou felt that he could sleep even more than himself.
Even when his name was mentioned, Ling Che showed no signs of waking up. He was wearing an eye mask this time, looking like he intended to sleep until the end of the flight.
Lu Cheng’an then said to Mi Fei, “You forgot. God Che has a concert to perform when he gets back.”
Mi Fei said, “Ah, that’s right, I even bought a ticket.”
Xu Tangzhou finally realized what was wrong.
It was Ling Che.
It was true that he and Senior Lu would continue to participate in some upcoming promotional activities, but Ling Che would not be joining them. This was agreed upon with the program team before the recording of the show started. Ling Che was not a variety show regular, nor did he need more exposure. His focus remained on his own career.
This meant that although they were in the same company, they would no longer have such opportunities to spend extended time together, as each had their own business to attend to.
Not to mention that Ling Che hardly even went to the company.
Xu Tangzhou couldn’t express the sense of loss he felt.
The sudden filming opportunity allowed him to spend day and night with Ling Che, so long that it felt like an entire month had passed. But in reality, the days he became somewhat familiar with Ling Che were merely a short week.
The end of the filming came too abruptly. He had thought there would be time to finish shooting leisurely and say goodbye slowly, but who knew that such an incident would occur midway and threw the plans into disarray.
Before leaving, Mi Fei heard about their abruptly canceled coconut-selling plan and expressed amazement: “Would someone like God Che really be willing to sell coconuts by the roadside?”
Xu Tangzhou also found it hard to imagine such a scene.
Upon reflection, he wasn’t quite sure if that plan would have been feasible. Setting aside their lack of experience in doing business, Ling Che himself was so recognizable that if he really stood by the roadside, they might have had to cancel the plan midway due to unforeseen issues.
But the things that didn’t come to fruition always left a sense of regret.
Because after this, he and Ling Che might not have any more interactions, and as the plane landed, this feeling grew stronger.
Due to Ling Che’s tremendous influence, Xu Tangzhou became increasingly aware of the gap between them.
The airport was packed to the brim, and somehow the news had leaked that the program team would be returning together today. Just as Ling Che had mentioned before, the airport was almost paralyzed.
Thousands of people swarmed at every exit, with even the VIP passage outside crowded with frenzied fans waiting to pick them up.
Countless light sticks and banners turned the airport into a massive fan support event. Xu Tangzhou could already hear the faint shouts from the jet bridge, a real clamor of voices.
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.
They had not expected to return to such a scene.
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Xu Tangzhou saw him and felt a sense of familiarity: “Okay, Huang Ge.”
The kid was still so well-behaved, Huang Qian was quite pleased.
Lu Cheng’an had his agent by his side and left with Mi Fei first. As soon as they showed their faces, the screaming outside nearly lifted the airport’s roof. After this incident, Lu Cheng’an’s solo fans disliked Mi Fei even more, but he gained the support of Mi Fei’s fans and the CP fans.
Not all the fans at the scene were there for Ling Che; a significant portion came to see the two of them being sweet to each other, which was within his agent’s expectations.
Xiao An helped Ling Che with his luggage and made sure he also wore a mask and a baseball cap.
Xu Tangzhou then realized that artists wearing masks and sunglasses when exiting the airport wasn’t about putting on airs, but a form of self-protection.
Once ready, Ling Che seemed not to have heard Huang Qian’s words and turned back to Xu Tangzhou to say, “Follow me.”
Xu Tangzhou nodded reflexively.
Huang Qian: “…”
Was he always this obedient to his ex-boyfriend?
Unaware of everything, Xiao An thought their relationship had improved after filming the show and was quite happy about it. He called over the airport security personnel, and a group of them completely surrounded them.
The moment they stepped out of the passageway, there was an instant when Xu Tangzhou truly feared he might go deaf.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ling Che!!! Ahhhhhhhh”
“Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!”
Amidst the waves of screaming, Ling Che’s name was the loudest of all. At the international flight exit, the fans had been waiting for an entire day, and at this moment, it seemed like the energy they had stored up for the day finally erupted.
The security formed a human wall, but it still couldn’t hold back the sea of people. Amidst the surging crowd, Xu Tangzhou felt like they were almost being submerged.
Countless people were pushing, and hands kept reaching out, trying to touch their arms. Cameras, light sticks, and cell phones—many dazzling lights made Xu Tangzhou’s vision blur into a haze.
“Ling Che!!! Ahhh I love you!!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!”
“Ling Che! Ling Che! Ling Che! Ling Che!”
Ling Che walked in front of Xu Tangzhou, standing at a height of nearly one meter ninety, wearing a black coat that almost completely shielded Xu Tangzhou behind him.
As they moved a short distance, someone finally noticed the person behind him.
“Zai Zai!!!”
“Xu Tangzhou!!!! Zai Zai ahhhhhh!!”
Xu Tangzhou looked up in surprise, but in that dense sea of people, he couldn’t make out who was calling his name. It was a small wave of voices, mixed in with the shouts for Ling Che, yet he still heard them.
A rush of emotions surged in his heart, the feeling of being liked made him a bit overwhelmed. Because he had nothing right now, and he had never expected anyone to come to pick him up.
Amidst the dazzling light sticks, he thought he saw one with his name on it. However, there were too many people, and he was quickly pushed forward, unable to take another look.
Huang Qian was angrily scolding those who were pressing in closer and closer. The chaos spread out from them as the center, and only if they moved faster could this place return to its usual orderly state.
The terminal was in complete disarray.
Someone had been stepped on and was crying loudly. Amidst the shouting and shoving, Huang Qian nearly fell, instinctively trying to protect Xu Tangzhou like a mother hen with her chick.
Xu Tangzhou was separated from the group, with only two security guards still protecting him, and a ringing in his ears.
Just then, a new wave of screaming started, and a large hand grabbed his arm.
It was Ling Che, who had fought his way back through the crowd to firmly grasp him.
Xu Tangzhou saw Ling Che frown, seemingly saying something that Xu Tangzhou guessed might be, “Didn’t I tell you to follow me?”
Before he could think further, Ling Che had already pulled him to his side, shielding him as they walked out together.
The short distance of a few hundred meters felt as long as a day’s journey before they finally saw the light of day.
Both of their cars were waiting outside, and to ensure they could get in quickly, the airport security had managed to clear a path for them.
“Ling Che!! There are rumors from this show’s filming that Xia Yue was trying to seduce you! Is it true?”
“God Che!! God Che! What are your thoughts on omegas this time?!”
“…Is the reason the show finished recording early because you couldn’t stand being around an omega?”
“Ling Che, can you explain…”
……
Where there were fewer fans, there were certainly plenty of media, and this corridor was almost breached by reporters and paparazzi. Faced with those questions, Ling Che didn’t answer any of them, but he did take paper and pen from two or three relatively well-behaved fans and quickly signed his name for them.
Those fans were so excited that they started crying on the spot.
Before they parted, Ling Che grabbed his arm again.
The person who had been somewhat silent since before boarding the plane now seemed hesitant to speak: “Xu Tangzhou, if…”
Xu Tangzhou was puzzled.
His face was hidden under the mask, revealing only a pair of somewhat indifferent phoenix eyes.
Only those familiar with him knew that his heart was actually tender and passionate, very soft, and with just a little teasing, he would show a shy and sweet expression.
Ling Che let go of him: “Forget it.”
Xu Tangzhou was pushed into the car first by Huang Qian, and the car started abruptly. Through the rear window, he saw Ling Che was blocked by a new wave of people.
Ling Che, the tallest one, seemed to look towards his car in the crowd, as if to confirm whether he had gotten on.
It was just a brief glance, and then Ling Che and the chaos were left far behind by the car.
Soon, Xu Tangzhou’s car merged onto the main road, and he could no longer see anything.
Huang Qian had brought a driver and was squeezed half to death, his glasses askew and no time to straighten them.
“Are you okay?” Huang Qian said, panting, “The last time I encountered a scene like this was when I was in my twenties working as an assistant! No wonder Situ Ya didn’t come. She has the experience! I think it’s time to find you an assistant.”
“Huh?”
Xu Tangzhou snapped back to reality.
The scene just now, where Ling Che checked to see if he had gotten into the car, felt strangely familiar, as if it had happened somewhere before. A sudden palpitation in his heart, accompanied by a slight pain, oddly distracted him.
“I’m fine,” Xu Tangzhou settled into his seat, “Can they get away?”
“Don’t worry,” Huang Qian said, “Xiao An is experienced, and he’s been through even worse situations.”
Xu Tangzhou had never seen such a scene before, except perhaps on television.
The spot on his arm where Ling Che had pulled him still hurt a bit, but it also felt warm. If Ling Che hadn’t turned back to pull him, he might still be stuck in the crowd. It was clear that Ling Che was very experienced, and was probably feeling numb from being blocked.
Huang Qian complained verbally, but deep down he was quite pleased.
These days, due to the controversy surrounding the show, there had been a surge in fans of ‘Zai Zai’. These fans were starving for content, having to make do with his old runway photos and mist advertisement, and the few promotional photos from the program team were constantly mocked by haters as being heavily edited.
Xu Tangzhou’s looks were truly striking, and he knew how to dress well. Huang Qian knew that once the candid photos from the airport were released, they would outshine many of the current young celebrities.
Xu Tangzhou spent a few days on an island, but back home, the weather was still cold.
Huang Qian had the driver increase the temperature inside the car and said to him, “I’ll take you home first. You should rest for a couple of days. After that, there’s an audition for a secondary male lead role. I’ve already got the script, and overall it’s not too challenging, the plot is simple too. Just take a casual look at it these next two days.”
“Secondary male lead?” Xu Tangzhou was very surprised.
Huang Qian misunderstood his reaction: “It’s not quite the right time to aim for the leading role yet. It’s not that there aren’t any scripts, I’ve rejected them for you. Right now, it’s not appropriate for you to overshadow others. It’s easy to attract negative attention. Start with a supporting role to build up popularity, then we can be choosier with the next script.”
Xu Tangzhou quickly said, “No, Huang Ge, I mean, I don’t have any experience. How can I play a secondary male lead?”
It didn’t seem quite honorable getting such opportunities by riding on Ling Che’s popularity.
Besides, Xu Tangzhou already had a role in mind that he wanted to play.
Returning to work discussions immediately didn’t bother Xu Tangzhou.
He said to Huang Qian, “Huang Ge, I like that script from before. Can I audition for that role?”
Before filming the show, Huang Qian gave Xu Tangzhou two scripts for third male lead roles, one of which was an ancient fantasy drama. The director and production team weren’t particularly famous, but the script was very good and it was adapted from a game.
The game was called 《Yufeng》and Xu Tangzhou’s character was the least noticeable among the four major sects, with a persona somewhat similar to his own—cold and aloof, without a heavy role.
Xu Tangzhou liked this script for two reasons: first, because the script had a slow logic and plot line, a work of conscience; and second, because he understood the principle of starting from scratch to make a breakthrough. If a person couldn’t even play a role similar to themselves well, how could they challenge something more difficult?
In the car, Xu Tangzhou shared his thoughts with Huang Qian in detail.
Huang Qian hesitated: “This… the conditions offered by this production team are not even half as good as the one I mentioned. They have limited funding, and the lead actor they’ll choose is definitely not going to be a big star. They’ll also fall short in terms of post-production promotion and fan mobilization.”
Xu Tangzhou understood all this. He knew Huang Qian was looking out for his best interests, afraid that he would miss out on a great opportunity.
Although the production cycle for a TV drama wasn’t too long, it still took several months. By the time it was finished, the current hype might have died down. If the drama flopped, his career could be doomed.
In the past, Xu Tangzhou would have definitely followed Huang Qian’s advice.
But… today, when he heard those people shouting his name, when he thought of those who had always supported him and were excited about his debut, he felt a sense of responsibility to do something. He didn’t want to let down that affection; he should be worthy of being liked.
Of course, there was another very important reason that caused Xu Tangzhou’s thoughts to change.
He had once promised Ling Che with conviction that after the show ended, he would not ride on Ling Che’s popularity. He also wanted to stand on his own strength.
That was if he could.
The distance between him and Ling Che was really too great.
Huang Qian said, “Zhou Zhou, didn’t you say you wanted to become an artist to make some money? I think you should consider it. Once you have the popularity, better scripts will naturally be at your disposal, and you can have whatever you want by then.”
“Money still needs to be earned,” Xu Tangzhou said, “but it can wait. I now feel that dreams are more important! Who wouldn’t want to be a good actor rather than just a fresh-faced celebrity?”
Huang Qian: “???”
He awkwardly changed the subject, “Let’s talk about you guys. You said on the phone that you and Ling Che, cough. You said you got along quite well with God Che. What do you mean by ‘quite well’? Is there anything different between you two?”
Xu Tangzhou: “…There’s nothing different.”
It was just because of an accident, a temporary marking, that was all.
Huang Qian felt bitter inside.
Ling Che even went as far as defending him during a live broadcast, which had taken him by surprise at the time. However, Situ Ya seemed to act as if it was within her expectations, like she was very clear about Ling Che’s attitude. Even if Huang Qian was blind, he could tell that Ling Che had special feelings for Xu Tangzhou.
Not to mention that the person who left had lost his memory. Just take the phone call Ling Che made to him a few days ago, he had grievances he couldn’t express.
Huang Qian had planned to tell Xu Tangzhou about this matter as soon as he returned, but Ling Che had made a request.
“This is our matter,” Ling Che said on the phone, not very politely, “Please, Huang Ge, don’t interfere. I will clarify some things and then tell him myself.”
Huang Qian was taken aback. Ling Che was the one who had been left, and regardless of any changes between them, this was indeed a matter for the two of them.
He could only say, “Well, what if he remembers on his own? He has the right to know, doesn’t he?”
It took a while before Ling Che said, “If he remembers on his own… I hope you can tell me immediately.”
Huang Qian wasn’t worried about what Ling Che might do. He hadn’t even thought about that yet. He was just concerned that someone as proud as Ling Che might take issue with Xu Tangzhou.
Having received Xu Tangzhou’s answer, Huang Qian was temporarily reassured. He dropped Xu Tangzhou off at his apartment and even escorted him upstairs.
Xu Tangzhou’s phone had been collected by the program team during the filming, and now Huang Qian returned it to him. After giving him some instructions like “Don’t go out casually” and “I’ll bring you some food later,” Huang Qian finally left.
His phone was out of battery.
Xu Tangzhou charged his phone while he unpacked his luggage and then tidied up the house, which hadn’t been lived in for several days, working up a sweat in the process. After he finished his chores, he finally had time to pour a glass of water and check the messages on his phone from the past week.
After turning on the phone, he discovered messages from Ling Che.
This was Ling Che’s private number.
Xu Tangzhou had even called it once during the last show.
He hadn’t expected that Ling Che’s personal number would appear on his phone when they weren’t filming.
Ling Che: [Have you arrived?]
This message was sent two hours ago.
Ling Che sent another one: [Xu Tangzhou.]
Just three words, calling his full name.
Xu Tangzhou could imagine Ling Che looking a bit displeased—eyebrows slightly raised, expression cold, the deep light brown eyes filled with annoyance, as if the whole world better not provoke him.
Xu Tangzhou felt a bit excited, as if afraid that Ling Che would stop paying attention to him, and quickly replied: [I’ve arrived! Sorry, I was just organizing my luggage! My phone was out of battery and wasn’t turned on!]
He thought that Ling Che, being so busy, would at least take a long time to reply.
But as soon as he sent his message, Ling Che’s reply came back immediately, almost as if he had been waiting by the phone.
Ling Che: [.]
Just a simple period, indicating that Ling Che had received the message. He communicated with Situ Ya in the same way.
Yet, because of this period, Xu Tangzhou’s heart started to beat rapidly.
He mustered up the courage, making conversation out of nothing: [What about you? Have you arrived?]
Ling Che: [I have.]
Thanks for the chapter! <3
Thank You for the new chapter (੭ु ›ω‹ )੭ु⁾⁾♡
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter!