Chu Yunsheng pressed Yin Zheng’s wrist against the partition door of the restroom.
A strange scent began to permeate the restroom.
The wrist in his palm was trembling uncontrollably. Chu Yunsheng lowered his head slightly, moving closer, as if he could clearly smell the inside of that pale, slender wrist. The blue veins emitted an intense and decadent sweet scent of blood, like an exotic and sensual perfume.
Chu Yunsheng placed a kiss on it, then released the wrist.
“Chu-ge…”
Yin Zheng seemed to be suddenly awakened by this action. He hurriedly grabbed his belt, reaching for the toilet paper.
But Chu Yunsheng was a step ahead. He tore off some toilet paper with his clean hand, wiped his right hand, and then used it to wipe Yin Zheng’s hand, fastening his belt.
Yin Zheng kept his head down, letting Chu Yunsheng help him with everything. Then, as soon as they stepped out of the stall, he quickly grabbed Chu Yunsheng and rushed to the sink.
“…It’s not clean enough.”
He didn’t dare look at Chu Yunsheng. He squeezed out a large amount of hand soap and meticulously scrubbed Chu Yunsheng’s hands.
Chu Yunsheng did not stop him.
Although his slight germophobia was not worth mentioning, it was naturally better to clean thoroughly.
However, feeling the warmth that didn’t belong to him slowly massaging and rubbing through his fingers and palm, the sensation was somewhat peculiar, causing an inexplicable itch in his chest.
“That’s enough. The movie is about to end, and people will come to use the restroom.”
Chu Yunsheng said, listening to the faint sounds from outside.
“Okay.”
Yin Zheng rinsed the soap off Chu Yunsheng’s hands with clean water, then wiped them with a paper towel. Still not entirely reassured, he lowered his head and sniffed Chu Yunsheng’s slightly open palm, finally confirming, “No more smell. So, shall we… go home?”
The cool tip of his nose brushed lightly across the palm like a feather.
Chu Yunsheng glanced at Yin Zheng, took out the pair of sunglasses, and put them on both of them. Taking advantage of the movie reaching its climactic execution scene, he quickly led Yin Zheng out through the back door.
On the way back, Yin Zheng drove, as he was worried about Chu Yunsheng’s “tired hands” and insisted on taking over the task.
Chu Yunsheng didn’t mind either way. He had been extremely busy recently, and while a short nap on the road might not do much, it was better than nothing.
Early that morning, when they got home, Chu Yunsheng, oblivious to the outside world, took a shower and then collapsed onto the large bed, drowsy and ready to sleep.
Yin Zheng came in to bring him some milk.
Chu Yunsheng mustered a bit of energy to take the glass and drink, but he keenly noticed that Yin Zheng’s gaze kept drifting, always intentionally or unintentionally glancing at the hand holding the glass. Despite having stayed up for a day and a night, Yin Zheng showed no signs of fatigue, looking energetic and spirited.
“Not tired?”
Chu Yunsheng placed the glass on the bedside table.
Yin Zheng sat on the edge of the bed and smiled, “Not really. This is my first movie, after all. Although I think I did a good job, actors and audiences are different. I’m still unsure. The first day’s box office results will be out in a little over ten hours, and I’m a bit nervous…”
“But… Chu-ge, you were really amazing. You acted so well.”
Chu Yunsheng’s half-closed eyes lifted slightly, and he saw Yin Zheng’s eyes sparkling with excitement and admiration as he looked at him.
He felt that such a gaze was truly like the stars and the bright moon, captivating and enchanting.
Yin Zheng then softly said, “Chu-ge, you’re tired, so rest first. Tomorrow, I’ll make chicken soup for you…”
Before he could finish, Chu Yunsheng grabbed the wrist that had been trembling and struggling earlier, pulled him into his embrace, and casually turned down the air conditioner’s temperature.
“Chu-ge!”
Yin Zheng was startled but didn’t get up, as if the wrist Chu Yunsheng was holding was his lifeline. With just a gentle press, he went soft and stayed there.
Noticing that Yin Zheng didn’t resist, Chu Yunsheng naturally pulled the summer quilt over Yin Zheng and raised his hand to lightly cover his eyes.
“Sleep here.”
Chu Yunsheng said softly.
Yin Zheng’s dark circles were already quite pronounced, and not getting proper rest would be bad for his health. So, upon hearing Yin Zheng’s intention to stay up, Chu Yunsheng didn’t think much and simply pulled him into his embrace.
He remembered that Yin Zheng tended to be sleepier when he was beside him.
“Okay…”
Yin Zheng mumbled in response. Seeing Chu Yunsheng close his eyes, he quietly nestled his face into Chu Yunsheng’s shoulder and neck.
Feeling the body in his arms gradually relaxing and hearing the steady, long breaths by his ear, Chu Yunsheng finally let his mind unwind and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Their first night sharing a bed truly didn’t seem to have much impact on their relationship.
The next day, Chu Yunsheng woke up at noon. In the afternoon, he didn’t go to Yunsheng or the studio but stayed with Yin Zheng on the sofa, enjoying the air conditioning and going through reviews and data.
Last night’s premiere had invited many film critics, most of whom were quite objective and dedicated, working through the night to produce reviews. To Yin Zheng’s delight, at least nine out of ten reviews were positive.
One particular review offered a deep analysis, stating that Azure Sky Murder was the best anti-war film in recent years.
“The impact of war on the era and individuals is starkly revealed in this small-budget film… War is never a term that can be simply summarized. It signifies supreme glory, the birth of heroes, the collapse of bones, as well as the exchange of interests, the destruction, and reformation of beliefs…”
“Some become hardened, some become soft, and some become unrecognizable as humans…”
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.
“Kindness, innocence, simplicity, and integrity—countless hopes and beauties, as Du Mingyao said, are only worthy of being discussed in times of peace. War, in times of chaos, devours people. In Azure Sky Murder, it seems no one was literally devoured, but who can be certain that no one was metaphorically consumed?”
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These three elements were precisely what Azure Sky Murder gently yet coldly presented to the audience, urging them to reflect.
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“I went with my boyfriend, originally planning to drool over Chu-ge and Zheng Zheng’s stunning beauty, but we got so caught up in the movie that we forgot…”
“I feel like I understood everything in the movie, yet at the same time, I understood nothing… The visuals weren’t overly oppressive or depressing, but I just felt breathless. I was so heartbroken for Yuan Qing’s experiences, but at the end, when he smiled during his execution, I felt like dawn had broken.”
“Yuan Qing truly died a fitting death; his smile was genuinely joyful. But I cried even louder, the whole cinema was crying in the middle of the night, we even startled the staff!”
“Chu-ge, in his thirties, played a teenager without any sense of discord! He was brimming with youthful energy! I’m raving about Zheng Zheng’s military uniform! Both righteous and evil, a warlord who is paranoid and ruthless yet willing to sacrifice himself for his country, Ah Wei is dead!”
“Even though everyone was crying, we still need to watch it a second, third, fourth time. I’m frantically recommending it to everyone, and I don’t know what kind of spell this movie has cast. A bunch of people are queuing up to buy and collect tickets with tears in their eyes. It’s truly one of the most extraordinary sights I’ve seen this year!”
“Predicting the first day’s box office for Azure Sky Murder…”
The afternoon’s buzz continued to ferment.
By evening, at least half of the various reviews and searches were dominated by Azure Sky Murder.
Miraculously, aside from some picky critics and deliberate trolls, the online feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many people even expressed their intention to watch it a second time.
At eleven o’clock at night.
Chu Yunsheng glanced at his phone. The group chat for the film crew was going wild, filled with nervous and crying emojis. Yin Zheng was also a bit restless, playing a match-three game absentmindedly.
Finally, the three major figures of the production team, who had been silent in the group, suddenly appeared. Among the sea of emojis, the producer sent out two text messages.
“26 million!”
“The first day’s box office is out! 26 million!!!”
The emojis paused.
Then, Chu Yunsheng’s screen was flooded with a series of “ahhhhhhh” messages.
Yin Zheng also saw the news and, shouting “ahhhhhhh”, pounced directly onto Chu Yunsheng, wriggling excitedly.
Chu Yunsheng wrapped one arm around him and answered a call from Zhang Feifan with the other: “Old Chu! Did you see it? Did you see it? Over 20 million! Almost 30 million! And it’s only the first day!”
Director Zhang was so excited he was practically stomping his feet: “With such a low screening rate, to achieve this box office on the first day! I have a feeling… Old Chu, I have a feeling that tomorrow those cinema guys will have to increase our screening rate! Then tens of millions, breaking a hundred million, breaking two hundred million! Hahaha, we’re going to make it big, Old Chu! We’re going to make money! Get rich!”
Chu Yunsheng wasn’t very familiar with the box office and cinema distribution in the entertainment industry, but for a low-budget film costing only a few million, achieving this box office on the first day under somewhat unfavorable conditions was indeed quite impressive.
“Is Xiao Yin with you? Quick, quick, quick! The producer wants to send out a hundred big red envelopes. Have Xiao Yin send me that red envelope snatching plugin!”
Zhang Feifan shouted.
Chu Yunsheng glanced at Yin Zheng, recalling that he had casually made such a little gadget for Yin Zheng to snatch red envelopes in the group.
Yin Zheng heard Zhang Feifan’s loud voice and shook his head very righteously, shouting into the phone, “Director Zhang, what are you talking about? What red envelope snatching plugin? I don’t have such a thing. I rely purely on luck, and Chu-ge is my living lucky charm.”
Zhang Feifan quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, yes! Old Chu is our crew’s living lucky charm! With him around, I save money, get green lights all the way, and reach the pinnacle of life! Old Chu is really strong!”
Before Zhang Feifan could finish his low-quality flattery, Chu Yunsheng directly hung up the phone.
He looked at Yin Zheng, who was lying on his chest excitedly watching him. Chu Yunsheng raised his hand and pinched Yin Zheng’s cheek, a hint of a smile in his eyes, and said calmly, “I ordered a cake for you. Go open the door in a bit. Today is special, so you can have an extra piece.”
“Chu-ge!”
Yin Zheng hugged Chu Yunsheng tightly, rubbing his face against his, like a clingy little puppy wagging its tail furiously.
Chu Yunsheng had long noticed that when Yin Zheng was truly excited or moved, he became almost mute. He was unable to say any other clever or pleasant words, only calling him “Chu-ge” over and over.
Many people called him “Chu-ge”, but only when Yin Zheng said it did Chu Yunsheng feel the burning, passionate emotion contained in those two words, as if no matter how cold his heart was, it could be melted by it.
Holding Yin Zheng, he felt his own emotions shifting.
He thought carefully and decided that there was something that needed to be put on the agenda.
As Zhang Feifan predicted.
The next day, the screening rate for Azure Sky Murder increased slightly.
Although it still couldn’t compare to the other three highly anticipated major productions, at least it was no longer labeled as a flop.
As time went on, the true power of this film gradually began to reveal itself.
“Low-Budget Film Makes a Comeback! Azure Sky Murder Breaks 100 Million in Three Days!”
“Biggest Dark Horse of the Summer? Azure Sky Murder Surpasses Mermaid’s Love! First Week Box Office Reaches 250 Million!”
“Three Weeks in Theaters, Azure Sky Murder Closes with 500 Million!”
Ever since the box office broke 100 million, Zhang Feifan’s calls became as persistent as a death knell, ringing Chu Yunsheng’s phone once every hour. Unable to bear the nuisance, Chu Yunsheng simply blocked him.
Later, when he checked the film crew’s group chat, he discovered that Director Zhang had been calling every member of the crew hourly to announce the latest box office figures.
Until the entire crew blocked him and kicked him out of the group.
Azure Sky Murder was, in some ways, a niche art film that defied easy categorization. Logically, even with good word of mouth, it wouldn’t be expected to achieve such high box office returns.
However, fortuitously, the film had two major traffic-driving stars, and Chu Yunsheng invested money to ensure it had a smooth run.
Moreover, what really needed to be said was that this film was indeed worth watching.
To avoid appearing overly melancholic, the film’s color grading had a strong sense of era, being both antiquated and vividly elegant.
When it was warm, it was genuinely warm; when it was furious, it was truly furious. Once you get into it, you would be on edge, eagerly wanting to know what happens next.
Despite its many shortcomings and flaws, it was undeniable that Azure Sky Murder was an excellent film.
Azure Sky Murder ignited the entire summer.
With the film’s success, Yin Zheng also officially regained his former stature.
Yuan Meng came over with a pile of scripts again. Yin Zheng picked out a suspense film and, after staying at home for a short while, hurriedly joined the crew.
Chu Yunsheng, accustomed to this, packed his things and moved into the dormitory at Yunsheng Technology.
The previous technology had been launched, but that was just the beginning. There were more and more troublesome matters waiting ahead.
Additionally, Yunsheng had acquired two of the three major companies under the Zhou Group, making the workload even more extensive. Chu Yunsheng ate and slept at the company, wishing he could split himself into two.
Moreover, he had already taken a few weeks off to accompany Yin Zheng, which had caused the entire technical team to collectively explode with jealousy, turning as sour as lemons. It wasn’t appropriate to slack off any further.
Time quickly moved towards the end of the year.
One day, Zhang Feifan, full of vigor, stormed into Chu Yunsheng’s company and slapped two invitations to the Jinna Film Festival on Chu Yunsheng’s desk: “I don’t care if you’re building a spaceship or researching nuclear reactions! Come! You must come!”
Chu Yunsheng was very familiar with the Jinna Film Festival.
In his previous life, his last film had narrowly missed winning the Best Actor award at the Jinna Film Festival. The subsequent mental illness he suffered was partly due to being unable to escape the shadow of his role and partly due to self-doubt and self-abandonment.
“I’ll go.”
Chu Yunsheng accepted the invitation, ordered two sets of formal wear, and, as the date approached, went to the film set to pick up Yin Zheng. Together with the crew, they headed to France.
After a series of tense competition rounds, the luxurious and grand awards ceremony finally arrived.
Azure Sky Murder was nominated for four awards. Zhang Feifan maintained a composed exterior, but Chu Yunsheng occasionally glanced at his phone, revealing through the groundhog-like screams of “ahhhhh” in the crew’s group chat the turbulent emotions beneath the director’s calm facade.
Chu Yunsheng and Yin Zheng walked the red carpet together.
Their formal wear was similar, but their appearances and temperaments were strikingly different.
One was as elegant and graceful as a jade tree under the bright moon, dignified and beautiful; the other was as dazzling as a star in the sky, free-spirited and radiant.
Their highly recognizable Eastern faces immediately attracted the media’s cameras.
This attraction reached its peak when the Best Supporting Actor award was announced.
“Best Supporting Actor: Azure Sky Murder, Yin Zheng from China!”
This sentence was read three times in French, English, and Chinese, and the spotlight suddenly fell on the strikingly radiant young man.
Chu Yunsheng stood up and hugged him, looking at his slightly stunned expression and couldn’t help but smile: “Go on, I’ll have a surprise for you when you get back.”
Yin Zheng came to his senses, took a deep breath, and forced a polite smile as he walked up to the stage to accept his award.
As times progressed, international film festivals had finally achieved a level of impartiality, treating films from all over the world equally, judging solely on quality without bias.
Chu Yunsheng saw Yin Zheng’s slightly nervous steps gradually become poised.
He went up on stage and received the little golden statuette, delivering his acceptance speech fluently in French, which he had learned specifically for acting.
Yin Zheng’s acceptance speech was very brief.
After finishing, he repeated it in Chinese, adding just one more sentence at the end: “Someone pulled me back from the edge of the abyss, saved me, and taught me. I am grateful to him, but what I do is not because of gratitude…”
The flashbulbs frenziedly captured the moment.
It was an exhilarating night for cinema.
The competition for Best Actor was intense, but Chu Yunsheng’s performance in Azure Sky Murder was beyond doubt, and the Best Actor award unquestionably ended up in his embrace.
Chu Yunsheng took the stage with calmness and his acceptance speech was almost non-existent. Turning around with the little golden statuette in hand, he was immediately swarmed by the ecstatic film crew and rushed off to the hotel to celebrate.
Chu Yunsheng didn’t get drunk, but Yin Zheng ended up vomiting half the night and was listless on the plane the next day.
The welcome ceremony upon their return to the country was also grand.
Various media outlets were fervently praising the Jinna Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, with more reviews and trending topics about Azure Sky Murder emerging continuously.
The celebration surrounding Azure Sky Murder lasted for about a month before it finally calmed down a bit.
Drowning in a flood of film offers, Chu Yunsheng turned around and issued a statement declaring that he would only take on one film per year. Regardless of whether the outside world complained, mocked, or lamented, he remained unfazed. He changed his Weibo certification to “high-end technical talent” and ignored all the noise.
Not modest at all.
Meanwhile, Yin Zheng finally wrapped up his new film on New Year’s Eve and boarded a plane home.
After getting off the plane, he first sent Yuan Meng away, then drove himself to a luxury store to pick up a small gift box he had ordered a month ago.
On the way back, Yin Zheng, unable to contain his excitement, sent a message to Chu Yunsheng.
“Chu-ge, I’m almost home! What was the surprise you mentioned at the awards ceremony? If you don’t give it to me soon, the New Year will be here!”
After a few minutes, Chu Yunsheng replied: “Come directly to the basement when you get back.”
Yin Zheng put down his phone, puzzled and confused.
After arriving home, he parked the car, nervously holding the small box as he approached the basement door. He knocked, thinking about what to say and do next, when the door suddenly opened in front of him.
Chu Yunsheng, wearing a white lab coat, stood at the door, slowly revealing the world behind it.
An operating table.
Surgical knives gleaming with a cold light.
Vials of strangely colored liquids.
For a moment, Yin Zheng thought he had stepped into the laboratory of a psychopathic killer from his suspense film.
He trembled, about to speak, when Chu Yunsheng pulled him inside first. His cool, deep voice echoed in the basement: “I spent a month setting up this basement as a surprise for you.”
Yin Zheng: “…”
Wait, do you have some misunderstanding about what a surprise is?
Chu Yunsheng didn’t see any joy on Yin Zheng’s face, but he still believed this was something that needed to be done, so he continued: “The operating table, surgical knives, anesthetics, and hemostatic agents are all prepared. Additionally, I was worried you might lack experience, so I prepared a set of surgical tutorial videos for you to watch…”
Yin Zheng, dazed: “…Surgery? What surgery?”
Chu Yunsheng unhurriedly unbuckled his belt: “Castration surgery.”
Yin Zheng: “…”
Is this the difference between a human and a genius’ thought process?
Yin Zheng felt a tightness in his chest, almost unable to catch his breath. Seeing Chu Yunsheng about to play the so-called surgical video, he immediately lunged forward like a hungry tiger, pressing down on him: “Chu-ge, calm down!”
Chu Yunsheng paused and looked at Yin Zheng.
He hadn’t prepared this out of a whim or stubbornness. He was very clear that he had made a mistake, and regardless of the reasons, he should bear the consequences.
This was the crux of the issue between him and Yin Zheng.
This issue, even if Yin Zheng could resolve it himself or could forget it, Chu Yunsheng would always remember that a mistake was a mistake. Compensation and subsequent changes in feelings should not obscure the sense of right and wrong.
Call him stubborn or foolish, he would never treat the promises he made to Yin Zheng as mere ploys to placate.
Seeing the look in Chu Yunsheng’s eyes, Yin Zheng knew he was serious.
He stood stunned for a moment, then finally let out a weary sigh.
“Chu-ge.”
He embraced Chu Yunsheng’s neck.
“You don’t need to do this. I was just speaking off the cuff back then…” Yin Zheng’s voice was gentle. “You have to trust me. I said I wouldn’t forgive the you at that time. But I’ve moved past that hurdle. I will forget it, and I want you to forget it too. But now I’ve changed my mind. I’ll punish you to remember it.”
“That is the punishment for that mistake. Compared to physical harm, the guilt in your heart will be more painful, won’t it?”
Chu Yunsheng felt Yin Zheng’s body trembling slightly.
“But I know, what you’re doing isn’t out of guilt.”
That slightly hoarse voice continued in his ear, “And what I’m doing now isn’t because you helped me or saved me. It’s because I want to do this. No matter what the reasons were back then, no matter what happened, I prefer to believe in the you I see now. You are honest, lovable, serious, and smart. You are the most outstanding person I’ve ever met. Don’t worry, if one day it turns out that my judgment was wrong, just like you, I will not evade it and willingly bear all the consequences.”
“Chu-ge, you’re such a rational person. You must think I’m being emotional, like a gambler. But… isn’t love a gamble?”
“I’m betting that you love me.”
Yin Zheng quietly released Chu Yunsheng and took out the small box, opening it.
Two simple and understated platinum rings lay quietly on the velvet cushion.
Chu Yunsheng’s usually clear and orderly mind suddenly became chaotic. He didn’t know if he was coercing Yin Zheng or if Yin Zheng was killing him, but he didn’t have time to think. He picked up one of the rings and slipped it into Yin Zheng’s ring finger.
He heard his own voice: “Yes, I love you.”
After speaking, Chu Yunsheng finally regained some clarity, belatedly realizing their overly intimate posture and his own reaction. He then said calmly, “Newly minted lover, you can get off me now. I’m not wearing pants.”
Yin Zheng’s hand holding the ring trembled.
After a moment, he firmly shook his head and smiled as he leaned in for a kiss: “Ge, look at how cold the operating table is… don’t you want to press me down on it?”
“I like the basement.”
The intimate, soft kisses gradually swallowed all sounds.
With a clatter, the surgical knives at the edge of the operating table fell to the ground.
The bright blade edge reflected a suddenly tensed, pale foot.
Thanks for the chapter!💜💜
I laughed at the idea of him prepping up a lab and then my eye started twitching when I found out the reason why he set it up in the first place. 😂
OMG Chu Yunsheng is something else.
Groundhog screams in excitement, “AHHHHHHH!”
•Alternate Ending•
Yin Zheng: Dont castrate! I will be using it!!! (≧^≦)
Chu Yunsheng: ???
Chu Yunsheng: !!!
WHEEZE 😂😂😂