MoMo asked, “God Che, the netizens are all very curious. Why did you decide to participate in this program?”
Ling Che: “It was arranged by my agent.”
[So real hahaha]
[What, was he supposed to tell you “I’m here for image rehabilitation”? I’m dying of laughter]
[So straightforward]
[Hahaha Gege ended the topic with just one sentence]
[I just want to ask how Ling Che manages to be so alpha all the time!]
MoMo awkwardly glanced away and continued to ask, “So, how do you feel about the first day of filming?”
Ling Che: “Not great.”
The barrage of comments was once again a wave of laughter.
Mo Mo forced a laugh and said, “I’ve noticed that your interactions with Xu Tangzhou are quite different…”
Ling Che: “Are you trying to say I bully him?”
Mo Mo weakly asked, “Really?”
Ling Che looked unflinchingly at the camera, his light brown eyes narrowing slightly: “Yes. Don’t you think it’s fun?”
[Hahahaha it’s too funny, I want to know the size of Xu Tangzhou’s psychological shadow!]
[Ahhh I feel like I’ve been shown off to??]
[They really have a CP feel, as a Wei fan, I’ll… temporarily… ship Che Zhou…]
[As someone who’s watched two episodes, I think this pair is more shippable than Lu Mi 【lights a cigarette】 you don’t understand my joy]
[Che Zhou!! It’s a lock! (whispers with a pig squeal)]
[Hahaha it’s damn funny, Zaizai’s gonna cry now]
[So pitiful, why is it so pitiful to be friends with God Che hahaha]
[Someone, pass Ying Chen a microphone!!]
[God Che, be careful or they might gang up on you for revenge hahahaha]
[Am I the only one who thinks this is bullying (whispers)]
[mjd, this is how very close friends act! They dote on you a lot too! But still! Bullying you is non-negotiable!]
[I also think it’s fun, I also want to bully Zaizai]
[Who wouldn’t want to bully such a contrastingly cute, soft candy Zaizai!! Let me do it!]
Xu Tangzhou: “…”
So this was how the new hashtag #WhoDoesntWantToBullyXuTangzhou came about.
He responded to the online discussion with a post on Flow—
Xu Tangzhou zzv: #WhoDoesntWantToBullyXuTangzhou# [No, you don’t want to.jpg]
Little did he know, less than a minute after posting, Ling Che had liked it.
The comments under this Flow post were varied and growing at a visible rate, all similar to “hahahaha” in a mocking tone, which made Xu Tangzhou both annoyed and amused.
He sent a message to Ling Che.
Xu Tangzhou: [Cancel your like! 【Angry】]
Ling Che: [?]
Xu Tangzhou: [Your account is gone.]
Ling Che replied slowly: [Situ Ya doesn’t know the password.]
Xu Tangzhou: […]
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.
He guessed that too?!
Lf tjv atbeuta atja rlcmf Lejcu-uf wjvf atf lcmlvfca klat “P ilxf sbe, atf cfk rbcu lr jggjcufv” rbecv rb rfglber, Vlrafg Tj rtbeiv tjnf mbcolrmjafv atf jmmbeca ogbw atlr qfgrbc.
Zlrmjimeijalbc!
Ling Che: [How is it over there?]
Xu Tangzhou opened up as soon as this was mentioned: [It’s really tough. I used to be able to handle the first four characters, but now I can’t even manage five.]
Ling Che: […]
Xu Tangzhou: [The food is terrible.]
Pc rewwjgs, Lejcu Hljc kjr nfgs rjalrolfv klat atf foofma bo atlr rtbk’r ygbjvmjra. Aera jr Wljb Tjcu rjlv, We Kjcuhtbe tjv ujlcfv ubbv qeyilm ojnbgjylilas, jcv tlr ojc yjrf tjv rffc j rluclolmjca lcmgfjrf. Zjcs qfbqif kfgf cbk mbcmfgcfv jybea tlr gfmfca jmalnlalfr.
After just two episodes, Xu Tangzhou was established with a sweet and soft persona. No matter how aloof he may seem in the future, people would remember his variety show debut and label him as a contrastingly cute figure, which would undoubtedly broaden his path for development.
Before Xu Tangzhou agreed to participate in this program, he had never thought that it would bring him such high exposure.
All this exposure was given by Ling Che.
Whether it was the interactions in the show or being bullied, Ling Che had indirectly given him enough screen time.
That afternoon, Wu Nana brought over a large bag of food, all packed from dessert and cuisine shops outside the film city, most of which were to Xu Tangzhou’s taste.
Xu Tangzhou asked in surprise, “Did you go buy this?”
Wu Nana said, “I thought you ordered it! Someone drove it over just now, and the crew asked me to pick it up. It was a big carload, and there’s enough for other people in the crew too. It was even ordered in your name.”
Xu Tangzhou understood. He felt a warm sensation in his heart, and suddenly missed Ling Che even more.
This was only the second day of filming.
How was he going to get through the long month ahead!
After taking a photo, he sent a message to Ling Che: [Are you there? Are you sponsoring me? 【Photo】]
It took a while for Ling Che to reply: [I can’t let you lose your only good point.]
Xu Tangzhou decided not to think about him anymore!
Xu Tangzhou put even more effort into his acting than the previous two days.
During his free time, he occasionally took the initiative to practice scenes with Xiao Yang. Somehow, the two of them created a rather intense academic atmosphere on set, to the point where even the scriptwriter, Teacher Gu, joined in their off-screen discussions.
He was so engrossed in his work that before he knew it, the third day of joining the crew had arrived.
That day, Qin Bao finally came.
After finishing the last shot that evening, Xu Tangzhou was still in the makeup room arranged by the hotel, removing his makeup, when he heard a commotion outside.
Wu Nana, holding his clothes, ran to the window to take a look and confirmed after seeing, “Qin Bao is here!”
Two luxury nanny vans arrived downstairs, surrounded by a crowd of reporters and fans, turning his joining the crew into a press conference.
Qin Bao got out of the first van, wearing sunglasses and a mask at night, but his dyed light-colored hair was particularly striking. Amidst a flurry of flashlights and screams, his two assistants carried several large suitcases, and together with the hotel security, they escorted him into the hotel entrance.
“What a big show,” Wu Nana said, “So high-profile even though he’s late.”
The makeup artist laughed and said, “You shouldn’t let others hear you say that. Qin Bao is quite petty. I’ve worked with a teacher on his crew before. Not only does he arrive late, but he also gets up the latest every morning, making everyone wait for him after they’ve finished their makeup. If something doesn’t go his way, he’ll call off shooting for the day.”
Wu Nana clicked her tongue in disapproval.
The makeup artist continued, “Speaking of which, I don’t understand how he got so popular. He’s been offending people everywhere these past few years…”
Listening to their gossip about Qin Bao’s various bad deeds for a while, Xu Tangzhou unconsciously started to imagine the other’s handsome face with a somewhat demonic twist.
It didn’t matter to him if such a person was difficult to get along with; he just hoped it wouldn’t delay everyone’s time.
After removing his makeup and changing into his own clothes, it was already ten o’clock.
Xu Tangzhou was ready to go back to his room to rest, while Wu Nana went to his room to tidy up his clothes for changing and take care of miscellaneous daily tasks.
While waiting for the elevator, Wu Nana said, “I checked the trending topics just now, and now the whole world knows that Qin Bao has joined the crew. They say he was busy recording a charity program and rushed to the small production crew overnight. So professional!!!”
She muttered indignantly, “Oh my god. If I hadn’t been in this industry, I might have believed it.”
The elevator doors opened, and it was pitch black in front of them.
Wu Nana was literally bristling with alarm.
Indeed, one should not speak ill of others behind their backs, for the person standing in the elevator was none other than Qin Bao himself.
Qin Bao had already taken off his sunglasses and mask, bare-faced, and despite looking a bit tired, his natural good looks made him stunning even without makeup.
Both parties were momentarily speechless.
Xu Tangzhou had never encountered such a situation before.
Question one: upon seeing a colleague, should he take the initiative to greet them?
Question two: since they were in the same crew, if he greeted them and the other party didn’t respond, would it make future interactions awkward?
In just a few seconds, as Xu Tangzhou was about to speak, Qin Bao spoke first: “Excuse me.”
Xu Tangzhou and Wu Nana stepped aside slightly, allowing them to exit the elevator, and then they left without saying a word.
He really puts on quite the airs, Xu Tangzhou thought.
As they passed by each other, Xu Tangzhou caught the unmistakable scent of alpha pheromones coming from Qin Bao. He involuntarily glanced at the back of Qin Bao’s neck, where there was a healed but still visible bite mark.
That was a sign of a complete claim.
Xu Tangzhou was surprised. As far as he knew, Qin Bao had never publicly disclosed having a bonded partner.
Wu Nana, being shorter and due to the angle, didn’t see the permanent mark on the other person but did catch the scent. As soon as Qin Bao and his entourage disappeared, she exclaimed, “Qin Bao has an alpha now?! What a shocking secret! Why hasn’t it been reported?”
Xu Tangzhou said, “They probably don’t want to make it public yet; we shouldn’t casually talk about it with others.”
Wu Nana nodded, “He seems very proud. The other party must be someone very important.”
Xu Tangzhou nonchalantly nodded in agreement.
Internally, he was roaring.
No, it’s your artist’s partner who’s the important figure!
Your artist’s boyfriend is Ling Che, hey wake up!!
But it was no use. Now, nothing could be said, one could only be secretly thrilled.
Xu Tangzhou returned to his room and found unread messages on his phone.
His eyes lit up, thinking it was Ling Che.
They didn’t contact each other much, but he often found himself thinking of Ling Che at unexpected moments, so much so that he checked his phone several times during the evening’s scene rehearsal, prompting Xiao Yang to ask if he was waiting for a call.
The message, however, was from Qiu Yin.
Qiu Yin: [No hope.]
Xu Tangzhou had almost forgotten about this—before he left, he had sent a message to Qiu Yin asking if there was any hope for an 18% compatibility.
Qiu Yin: [I checked the data, and such a low compatibility percentage is basically nonexistent in the world. Why do you ask?]
Xu Tangzhou felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
For some reason, he didn’t want to tell his good friend about the possibility of a tragic occurrence happening to himself.
It was as if by not speaking of it, the matter wouldn’t be real.
Xu Tangzhou: [Just asking for a friend.]
Qiu Yin: [Oh. Then tell your friend to forget about it. An 18% compatibility can’t be together.]
Xu Tangzhou: [Hmm, got it.]
His words were casual, but his heart felt as if it had been heavily struck.
Xu Tangzhou had truly cared about compatibility before, but now he felt a bit of tinnitus.
An 18% compatibility couldn’t be together, he didn’t believe it.
Qiu Yin thinks in a straight line and couldn’t imagine this was part of the “I have a friend” series of questions and didn’t actually consider that it might be about Xu Tangzhou himself.
Qiu Yin: [How is it going on the set?]
Xu Tangzhou: [Not bad, met a few actors and they’re all pretty nice.]
Qiu Yin: [Are actors really good at deceiving people?]
This question was a bit strange.
How to put it? As for Xu Tangzhou himself, he felt that he became somewhat capable of deceiving people, but he couldn’t say that all actors were good at deceiving.
Xu Tangzhou: [Theoretically, actors who can act should be quite good at deceiving. Why do you ask?]
Qiu Yin: [That Ying Chen, he’s not a good person. A few days ago, I ran into him at the hospital, and he said he had a terminal illness. However, today I saw him picking up a report, and it turns out he was just there for a routine check-up a few days ago.]
Xu Tangzhou: […When he gets tough, he even curses himself. Ying the Best Actor 666]
Xu Tangzhou didn’t feel it was his place to judge Ying Chen’s character, believing that someone who was friends with Ling Che couldn’t be all bad.
However, he always felt that Ying Chen didn’t seem to like him very much.
Perhaps it was the sight of Qin Bao’s bite mark, or maybe it was Qiu Yin’s message, but that night Xu Tangzhou had a dream again.
“I don’t want to leave,” he heard himself say.
The Ling Che in front of him still looked like a young boy.
Still with light brown pupils and brown hair.
In the sunlight, Ling Che pinched the back of his neck and then leaned down slightly to kiss his forehead, “I’ll come to pick you up after the exams. Do you still want to transfer here?”
“I do.” He felt a soreness in his eyes and a great surge of sorrow in his nose, “Can I call you these next few days?”
“You can’t.” Ling Che said coldly, “I will be very busy.”
Even in the dream, the other person was so indifferent.
Xu Tangzhou saw himself reaching out with both arms, embracing Ling Che’s neck, and choking up, “I promise I’ll only make one call a day. It won’t take up much of your time.”
Ling Che’s expression was sour, but the way he gently pulled away Xu Tangzhou’s arms was tender: “Zaizai.”
Tears fell from Xu Tangzhou’s eyes, sliding down his face, cool against his skin.
“Alright.” Ling Che relented, “One call a day. Zaizai, you need to try harder.”
A car nearby was honking impatiently.
Xu Tangzhou’s perspective shifted, and he found himself in a car, leaning on the rear window looking at Ling Che outside.
The youthful Ling Che stood there, pretending to be both arrogant and indifferent.
If only he could bite him.
At least… their pheromones would blend together, inseparable by any means.
This intense thought swelled in Xu Tangzhou’s heart.
If only he could bite him.
To completely claim himself, to be marked with Ling Che’s brand, then they would never be apart.
As the car gradually moved away, Ling Che’s figure became smaller and smaller.
Xu Tangzhou’s nape suddenly started to hurt intensely. When he reached to touch it, his hand came away covered in blood and the clear fluid from his gland.
He was horrified, but the scene before his eyes instantly changed to a train compartment.
It seemed he was on a train, the rhythmic sound of wheels on tracks filled the air, and he turned to see his gland in the reflection of the glass.
It was a bloody mess. The gland had been gouged raw by himself.
Xu Tangzhou abruptly opened his eyes, gasping for air.
Upon waking, he found himself still in the bed of the crew’s hotel, drenched in sweat, the sheets and pillowcase soaked through as if doused with a bucket of water.
Something was rampaging through his mind, his temples throbbing.
Both his body and mind were exhausted to the extreme, as tired as if he had run a marathon.
He had a fever.
Thanks for translating!
Thank you for the update🌺
:((( what happened before he lost his memoryyyy omg
Thanks for the chapter as always !!
Hang in there, bubu! QAQ
Thank You for the new chapter (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
I don’t know, something about the 18% feels sus to me… would he have such a strong reaction to being around LC if they have such low compatibility?
I think that too !! I suspect that there was actually an error or conspiracy when he did the compability test.
Thanks for the update 💕
Poor Zaizai, what could have happened for him to end up that way.
The cliffhangers are real 🙂↕️
oh no why do i feel like qin bao might do something with ling che’s vague confession? 😰😥