After attending the gathering, Ling Che still had to rush back to work. These two hours were like a stolen moment of leisure amidst his busy schedule.
Nobody drank alcohol, and Mi Fei kindly offered to drive Xu Tangzhou home.
Among the four, only Xu Tangzhou didn’t have a car or an assistant. Being the youngest, everyone was quite protective of him. When they reached the garage, Xiao An had already returned from outside and was waiting to drive Ling Che.
Lu Cheng’an said, “God Che is busy, so we’ll take Zhouzhou home, and I also need to stop by the studio on the way.”
Lu Cheng’an’s studio was not on the way to where Xu Tangzhou lives.
Ling Che looked down slightly, looking at the person beside him: “What do you think?”
With their busy schedules, it was uncertain when the two would be able to meet again—perhaps three days at the shortest, or it might not be until the day of the concert.
Xu Tangzhou said, “Then I’ll trouble Senior Lu to send me. I haven’t finished talking with Brother Mi either.”
He knew Ling Che was busy and didn’t really want to delay his time.
Additionally, he still bore Ling Che’s temporary mark, and being alone with Ling Che in the back seat, he feared he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to get closer.
Ling Che didn’t seem too pleased with this choice.
Just then, his phone vibrated. He took it out to look and found a message from a number he had recently contacted.
The message was concise: “Year 2203, Qinan City First People’s Hospital, from surgery to omega gland internal medicine.”
Ling Che turned off his phone.
Xu Tangzhou noticed that after Ling Che turned off his phone, his gaze towards him became somewhat inscrutable, containing too many things that Xu Tangzhou couldn’t understand. But soon, Ling Che put away those inexplicable emotions and spoke in an even tone.
“Alright,” Ling Che said, “then you two take your time to chat.”
The three of them waved goodbye, watching as Ling Che got into the car and left first.
Mi Fei said, “God Che must be the busiest person.”
“He’s probably not like this every day. No one can schedule his time for him,” Lu Cheng’an said with a smile, “It gets busy like this with the concert. After this period, he’ll be able to spend every day with the person he wants to be with.”
Mi Fei got the meaning of that sentence.
Xu Tangzhou seemed… not to get it, still staring blankly at the exit where Ling Che’s car had disappeared.
He was wondering if they would have to wait for the next “neck-biting deal” before they could interact again.
If only Ling Che’s rut cycle could keep recurring.
He had a somewhat wicked thought: if he couldn’t have Ling Che’s heart, he’d settle for his body first, finding an indirect way to achieve his goal.
The next morning, Huang Qian knocked on Xu Tangzhou’s door bright and early.
Accompanying Huang Qian was a petite omega girl with a round face who looked quite sweet. Upon seeing Xu Tangzhou, she excitedly shook his hand: “Zhouzhou, I really like you. I didn’t expect you to be even more handsome in person than on camera!”
Xu Tangzhou, dressed in pajamas, had a blank expression on his face.
Fortunately, his naturally cool demeanor made it difficult for his true inner state to be disturbed, so he appeared quite composed.
Huang Qian cheerfully said, “She’s your assistant.”
The girl was very sharp and immediately introduced herself: “My name is Wu Nana. I just graduated from university last year, and I’m twenty-two this year, the same age as you! I can drive, sew clothes, and make soup, so feel free to ask me for anything you need in the future!”
Wu Nana?
The name sounded like a song when spoken, and Xu Tangzhou found it very cute.
He nodded and said formally, “Hello, then I’ll be in your care from now on!”
Everyone took their seats, and Xu Tangzhou, without putting on airs, went to pour tea for them.
Seeing this, Wu Nana quickly came over to take the cup: “I can do it!”
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.
“Just let her do it,” Huang Qian said casually, “She wouldn’t believe us if we didn’t let her into this industry.”
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Knowing that Huang Qian was looking for an assistant for Xu Tangzhou, Wu Nana clamored and volunteered herself enthusiastically.
Huang Qian had previously worked as a celebrity assistant for five years and had encountered many arrogant artists. He knew Xu Tangzhou wasn’t that kind of person, but being a celebrity assistant was undoubtedly one of the most difficult and exhausting jobs in the entertainment industry, especially for actors’ assistants.
After a brief chat, Huang Qian said, “You should also consider moving out soon. I’ve looked at four or five apartments for you, you should get to know them a bit.”
Xu Tangzhou was surprised: “So sudden? I haven’t even discussed this with my friend yet.”
Huang Qian also felt that there was no rush and that it would be fine to wait until Xu Tangzhou joined the film crew before moving. By the time the filming was finished, the new apartment would also be ready.
However, Situ Ya suddenly brought up this matter to him and even showed him a few photos.
Not only were there photos of Mi Fei sending Xu Tangzhou home last night—taken by Lu-Mi CP’s sasaeng fans who were following them—but there were also photos of Ling Che sending Xu Tangzhou home the night before—taken by paparazzi.
This apartment was convenient, but it lacked privacy.
It was believed that in a few days, fans would be able to trace the address based on the architectural features in the photos.
Even if they were not found, with Xu Tangzhou’s doorstep becoming so lively, it would inevitably become a spot for paparazzi to stake out.
“Then you should talk to your friend as soon as possible,” Huang Qian said, “The rent here isn’t cheap, and it would be good for your friend to find the next roommate sooner. The company provides you with options for free, so you don’t have to worry about that. Just choose whichever one you like.”
Xu Tangzhou understood.
He really needed to talk to Qiu Yin soon.
To be honest, if it weren’t for work, he really wouldn’t want to move; he had almost gotten used to this way of life.
Wu Nana took out a tablet, swiped a few times, and skillfully brought up the layout and photos of each apartment, teasing Huang Qian: “I picked these out! The ones uncle gave are all so 'old man straight male aesthetic'!”
Huang Qian: “……”
Wu Nana introduced: “These apartments are all in good locations and have privacy. But since you, Zhouzhou, will be living alone, I chose smaller units for you. Take a look and see what style you like?”
Each apartment had several photos taken of different rooms, and Wu Nana had also thoughtfully written down the pros and cons with a pen.
“Thank you,” Xu Tangzhou smiled at her, “I will choose carefully.”
After saying this, he lowered his head to look at the tablet, his long and curled eyelashes casting shadows, his face flawless from any angle.
Wu Nana was momentarily stunned. No wonder there were so many fans of his looks, his beauty was truly unmatched.
As he lowered his head, Huang Qian noticed something amiss and asked with concern, “Are you feeling a bit uncomfortable?”
Xu Tangzhou: “Hmm?”
Huang Qian touched his own neck, hinting at him: “You’re using a gland patch today.”
Because someone had bitten him.
Xu Tangzhou’s ears turned red as he remembered what happened in the corridor last night.
He still remembered Huang Qian’s reaction from last time, and this time he didn’t want to be so honest about it, casually saying: “I’m not uncomfortable, it’s just routine maintenance, didn’t you know? Regular gland care can be beautifying.”
Huang Qian, a beta, didn’t quite understand these things. Although he was a bit skeptical, he didn’t ask any further.
Beautifying?
Wu Nana only heard this part and had no doubts.
She didn’t know that gland care could be beautifying, so she immediately took out her notebook to jot it down, planning to share the tip with her best friends when she got back.
Xu Tangzhou managed to deceive two people at once, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.
Huang Qian brought up business matters: “Right, you’re recording the show《Super Player》tomorrow. You’ve read the script thoroughly, right? Are there any segments you have concerns about? If there are, I can negotiate on your behalf.”
《Super Player》was an outdoor variety show. Once recording started, it would go on for the entire day. If someone were to change the existing arrangements midway due to personal reasons, it would affect everyone and waste everyone’s time.
The promotional program originally planned for five people was now down to three because of the Xia sisters’ incident. With the program’s duration fixed, inevitably, some new segments had been added.
One of these was a challenge to see who could change clothes the fastest on-site—a segment that seemed tailor-made for Xu Tangzhou, who had a background as a model.
Huang Qian had already reviewed this segment; winning or losing wasn’t important, but with Xu Tangzhou’s amnesia, he was still a bit worried about whether he could handle it.
Xu Tangzhou had carefully read the script, and after thinking it over, he said: “I think it should be fine. The challenge is to change clothes within one minute. I tried it at home yesterday, and it’s not impossible.”
In fact, Xu Tangzhou hadn’t been in touch with the modeling industry for many years, and with the amnesia, he had completely forgotten about it. However, when the music started, he seemed to have muscle memory, able to hit the marks quite accurately.
Huang Qian felt somewhat relieved and patted him: “Alright then, the sooner we finish shooting, the sooner we can wrap up. Don’t forget, tomorrow night is the premiere of《Our Perfect Journey》It’s a variety show you participated in; you must be eager to watch it, right?”
It wasn’t until Huang Qian mentioned it that Xu Tangzhou remembered this matter.
《Our Perfect Journey》had an astonishingly efficient production, with various leaks and behind-the-scenes footage appearing online these days, all in preparation for the broadcast. The production team released the official trailer while still working on the first episode, but since many of the intriguing scenes in the trailer had already been seen by netizens in the behind-the-scenes footage, the buzz was only average, as everyone’s appetite had already been whetted.
Last night, after dinner at Mi Fei’s place, Lu Cheng’an had mentioned it.
At that time, Xu Tangzhou heard Lu Cheng’an ask Ling Che: “Will God Che watch the premiere?”
Ling Che said: “No.”
He seemed not at all worried about his own performance on the show.
But Xu Tangzhou was different; he was very worried about things like his expressionless face, his clumsiness, his lack of social skills… all his shortcomings would be laid bare on this program.
“It’s okay if the recording runs late,” Huang Qian said, “Nana can help you record the screen, so you don’t have to wait for the online version or a rerun.”
The next day,《Super Player》indeed ran late.
The recording was long and complicated, requiring the editing of a full hour and a half of material.
Without Ling Che or the Xia sisters, Xu Tangzhou left on his own, relying entirely on the help and guidance of Mi Fei and the others to avoid being completely lost.
This episode of the recording would be broadcasted next Sunday, which coincided with the airing of the second episode of《Our Perfect Journey》By then, the critiques and highlights would have already been listed by netizens. If there was any negative impact, this episode of《Super Player》 could serve as damage control, a common tactic for variety shows.
By the time they wrapped up,《Our Perfect Journey》had already finished airing, and a wave of buzz had started online. Wu Nana had recorded the show for Xu Tangzhou, and even bought milk to ease his fatigue, which he held in his hands still warm—a clear benefit of having an assistant.
“Zhouzhou, I drive very steadily, so you can rest assured and take a nap,” Wu Nana said without showing any signs of fatigue. “If you can’t sleep, you can watch the video first. This episode is really good! It’s already trending on Flow several times!”
Xu Tangzhou couldn’t fall asleep, so he simply took the tablet as suggested, put on his headphones, and prepared to watch the show.
Before parting, Mi Fei had said, “Thinking back, the handicrafts we brought were so silly. I’m embarrassed to even look at them.”
Xu Tangzhou said, “The silliest must have been me…”
He was actually more nervous than any of them.
With such an uneasy heart, he pressed the play button.
The familiar program BGM started playing, and the exquisite opening flashed by, showing the chibi avatars representing the six people on the map of Surland, before cutting to the main content.
The first person to appear on the screen was very unexpected to Xu Tangzhou, as well as to the netizens.
—It was Ling Che, whom everyone thought would make a grand entrance at the end.
On the screen, the spacious residence seen through the camera was immediately recognized by fans as the mansion where Ling Che lived alone. Ying Chen often posted many photos when he visited here, and additionally, the interior of Ying Chen’s own home had been revealed on a show before, with a layout identical to this one.
Ling Che was lying on a home physiotherapy table, covered with a large towel, and the physiotherapist was packing up the equipment, indicating that the therapy session had just finished.
“Is it okay?” The off-screen voice was Situ Ya’s.
“It’s fine.” Ling Che didn’t lift his head, just gave a faint reply, low and magnetic.
The live comments went wild.
[Ahhh gege!!! The first one to appear!!!!]
[Wow, such a big house, I’m envious!!!]
[What’s okay???]
[Ahhh Ling Che you listen to me I love you!]
[Ahhh I’m dead ahhh]
[The voice is so explosive 5555555]
[Ahhh gege, you’re getting a massage so early in the morning? Can I come too?]
[If gege can’t do it, I can! I can do it myself!]
[No! Gege! I’m fully automatic!!! I have many skills! I can do it!!!]
But Situ Ya hesitated: “Forget it. It’s just a show. What’s the big deal?”
[Ya jie is so badass hahaha!]
[Didn’t expect the manager to be more capricious than the artist hahaha]
[Situ Ya is being too arrogant, is the show owned by her?]
[Heh, they’re rich enough to compensate, what’s it to you, you jealous chicken, scram]
[If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked hahaha]
[233333]
[Situ Ya is capricious, I love it!!]
Ling Che sat up to put on his clothes, his solid back muscles and broad shoulders quickly covered by the fabric, including the shocking bruise on his tight waistline.
[??? What happened to Ling Che?]
[I feel so heartbroken ahhhh how did he get hurt? I’m crying my eyes out!]
[What’s going on? How did he get such a serious injury???]
[55555 Situ Ya I’m knocking on your mother! How do you take care of people?]
[He’s injured and you still don’t stop him!!!! I’m crying to death!]
[Ahhhh can someone explain how he got injured????]
[I’m so heartbroken I could die!! Gege!!!!]
The show’s flowery voice-over appeared on the screen.
【Two days before departure, due to a mishap during rehearsal, God Che accidentally fell and injured his waist. He completed his last physiotherapy session at home at six in the morning.】
As the camera moved, Ling Che had already turned around, his light brown eyes calm and undisturbed: “If I say it’s okay, then it’s okay.”
Marachne:
Let me be completely honest… I was doing the next chapters in advance… and… it’s filled with cliffhanger. Every. Chapter. Instead of resting, I couldn’t even stop since it’s igniting my spirit to… Know. What’s. Next! Stop me… Stop me aaahhh… STOP ME! Please…. (╯︵╰,)
Oh, since I finished this chapter way before scheduling the previous one, I decided to just let ZaiZai be. Much better that way.
Another thing, since I might be doing multiple chapters today and tomorrow… I’ll… I’ll try to post it everyday. Author, aaaahhhh…. Why are you so good at writing? I’m crying while working on them… Whyyy aaahhhhh.
Guys, if you’re able to, please support our beloved author (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ
ty for the chapters!
Thanks for your hard work!
🫡
Thank you so much for the chapters!
Oh no, don’t get burnt out!
Thanks for the chapter!
Yes, I’ll try 🥹 I can’t remove being an avid reader in this work, but I’ll try!! Thank you 🙇
Remember to take breaks in between.
You could also listen to the audio drama to find out what happen 🤣🤣Thanks for the chapter
I don’t want to be spoiled (´。＿。｀) Dun wanna… If I listened, I won’t be able to stop until I finished it…. And so, I will only listen to it once this novel is completed (:3」∠) (If I can complete it, that is)
Waaaah thank you for doing such a good and fast job at translating!!! I’m cheering on you hehe
take breaks and drink water
Thank you for the chapter!
And I feel you.. This novel is addicting. I found it yesterday and am already caught up! I’m attempted to MTL but your translation is so good I promise i’ll stick around! <3
Thank You for the new chapter ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡ Wow, You are so hard working! Take good rest ❤
thanks for the chapters!!!