Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor- yuki_shuichi, Proofreader- adjective
In the spacious living room, Ruan Song didn’t even get a clear look at what Ren Qinming’s multi-million-dollar penthouse looked like before being pressed against the door by his kisses.
This area was one of the most famous wealthy neighborhoods in City A, and standing in front of the French windows, you could see the bustling commercial center a few blocks away.
There were rows upon rows of modern office buildings in the surrounding area, and the lights were brightly lit at night. The building diagonally across hung up large billboards.
Sometimes, when Ruan Song took the bus, he also saw advertisements for luxury cars, watches, or international luxury goods, often featuring Ren Qinming’s iconic face.
In the past, Ruan Song turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, closing himself off to Ren Qinming and himself.
But today, when he suddenly opened his eyes, it felt like a day had passed. In just a few years, they would already have such a great difference in their social status.
His little dog was no longer just the one who used to follow him around and call him “Brother Song,” nor would the other grow excited and call him after winning a role at an audition or after a certain director or actor recognized him.
The whole house was dark.
The two of them stumbled and tumbled into the expensive leather sofa in the living room, clothes scattered everywhere, and they hadn’t even turned on a single light.
When Ruan Song’s bare back fell against the ice-cold sofa, he absent-mindedly faced upward to look at the crystal chandelier above him for a moment and was just about to push aside the other to ask where the things were.
But Ren Qinming’s kiss had already reached his abdomen, and he handed him a brand new, unopened square box, saying, “It’s right at the entrance.”
Ren Qinming had already obtained it as soon as they entered the door, without wasting any time.
Ruan Song skillfully unwrapped the package, feeling both annoyed and amused by how hard Ren Qinming had worked to bring him back. “Are you afraid I’ll run away?”
Since Ren Qinming from high school was naive and daring, he had no idea how to use this thing at all, so Ruan Song had always been the one to handle the unpacking and setting up. This division of labor naturally continued from that time on.
Even now, after they had broken up, they still did it subconsciously.
At this moment, Ren Qinming, just like every time before, sat there obediently waiting, his deep ink-black eyes staring at Ruan Song. Only today, there was an added layer of complexity and tension.
So much so that when Ruan Song held the condom, he suddenly remembered their first time.
The little puppy that had already tasted the forbidden fruit before determining the relationship was the same as the beautiful and charming film emperor today who had already broken up with him.
Ruan Song reminded him at that time, “You know that us doing this doesn’t mean we’re together, right?”
Ren Qinming was too nervous to speak; he just nodded.
Ruan Song reminded him again, “You know that us doing this doesn’t mean we’re getting back together, right?”
Eight years older, Ren Qinming managed to say, “I know.”
After drinking, they both knew in the tent on the mountaintop that Ruan Song’s willingness to be with him didn’t symbolize anything.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have done everything that a couple should do, and they wouldn’t have waited until their sophomore year in college to officially be together.
During that time, Ren Qinming also couldn’t help but question Ruan Song closely, countless times at his bedside, about exactly what he had to do to solidify their relationship status.
At first, Ruan Song said he didn’t know, then he said he hadn’t thought about it, and later he said he would only consider it on a happy day, and maybe on a good day, it would happen.
And Ren Qinming’s birthday in their second year of university happened to be that kind of day.
Ren Qinming tried to make his debut as an actor, running to numerous drama crews, and finally won his first role.
Ruan Song only occasionally helped him during their freshman year. At that time, he was officially recruited into Yuan Yinhai’s studio and became a closed-door disciple.
Both of their lives had critical turning points, as if everything was about to develop in a positive direction. For the first time, there was a clear path for the “future,” but the timing was wrong.
Ren Qinming never imagined that, after becoming a public figure and an actor would occupy not only his energy but also his time.
And Ruan Song never imagined that the mentor who brought him into the industry would, with a turn of the face, become a pseudo-gentleman who coerced and exploited students.
The sky outside the French window had completely darkened, and the cold moonlight shone on Ruan Song’s smooth skin, casting a layer of pale, cold light.
He lowered his head and touched the sofa beneath him as if giving a signal. “Is it okay to dirty your leather sofa?”
Ren Qinming raised his legs dumbfoundedly. “This house was bought for you and Auntie.”
His parents divorced in high school and started their own families. If it weren’t for Ruan Song and his mother looking after him, he might not have been able to go to college at all.
There was no need to say anything about dirtying the leather sofa. He looked forward to the rug, dining table, bed sheets, bathroom……dirtying all the other places that could be dirtied.
……………
Chen Yan had been hearing Ruan Song’s name no matter what he did these days.
At work meetings, Ruan Song…
Going out to dinner with colleagues after work, Ruan Song…
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.
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Now, Chen Yan had just arrived, and before even sitting down, he’d already heard their lively discussion.
“He’s on fire this time; you won’t have to worry about not having anything to write in the future.”
“There’s no need to write screenplays; he can directly go and sell goods. He can earn several million with just one gig, only an idiot would still write screenplays.”
“He’s breaking new ground, isn’t he? The first screenwriter to rely on looks for a living.”
“It’s a matter of life and death. Nowadays, people who wield pens have to make public appearances to become famous; this is nothing.”
Who are they talking about? Ruan Song?
Chen Yan has been feeling the pleasure of Ruan Song hiding Ren Qinming in front of him these days and has even tasted a bit of a forbidden thrill. He continued to pretend not to know and said, “Maybe he has lofty ambitions, just loves to write stories, and doesn’t like to do anything else.”
The old classmates laughed. “Who doesn’t love writing stories in this field? But we also have to have food to eat. We’re nearly starving to death, but you’re still chatting about whether or not we like it.”
Someone else said, “Old Chen, you’re really lucky to have that agoraphobic roommate of yours. He doesn’t go out for his own business but pushes you to go. You should treat him better, you hear?”
Chen Yan thought to himself that he really should treat him better. He had hit the jackpot with a great roommate. “I’m very considerate, you know. Cooking, taking out the trash, doing the laundry—I’m like a perfect young man from the countryside.”
After hearing this, the group of friends burst into laughter.
“Listening to you, it sounds like you’re still a bit reluctant. How about we switch?”
“Yeah, as long as there’s work to do, forget being a perfect young man; I’d even be willing to warm the bed and bring foot-washing water.”
“Your roommate is basically your bread and butter, your sugar daddy. If you’re not respectful next time, then he’ll be snatched up by me. I’ll come over for a visit and offer up my services.”
Chen Yan didn’t hesitate and filled everyone’s glasses. “You guys can volunteer yourselves. Go on, see if he pays attention to you. See if your agoraphobic friend understands what agoraphobia means.”
For so long, he had portrayed Ruan Song in front of his friends as a severe social anxiety sufferer who refused to go out and meet people.
Even if it weren’t for Ruan Song’s mother falling ill and needing money urgently, Ruan Song could still live quite well, calmly and patiently waiting for long-term high-quality projects, just with delayed payments.
Among those present today, there was one who used to excel in school, just like Chen Yan in their major courses, but now they all envied him, saying, “When will I also be able to find a roommate who cooks delicious food?”
“Otherwise, if I had Ruan Song’s charming face that girls like, that would work too. It’s like God has closed all the doors and windows, making it hard for me.”
These old classmates found joy in their times of sorrow, and each poured themselves cup after cup.
“Even if Ruan Song doesn’t change careers and continues to work in the scriptwriting industry, it would be completely different, right? With Jiang Zhi and Sun Kaizi and a famous mentor like Yuan Yinhai, not to mention there’s still an entire group of twenty-seven crouching tigers and hidden dragons. He doesn’t have to worry for the rest of his life.”
“But that person could view Sun Kaizi’s script as having good prospects, which requires a bit of skill; we can’t compare at all. Aiya, if I can’t find work by next month, then I have to prepare to return to my hometown guys. I really can’t go on like this…”
After a few drinks, everyone finished chatting and gossiping and then began planning for a career change in the future.
Dreams ultimately couldn’t compete with reality.
As one of the very few lucky enough to work with Ruan Song, Chen Yan didn’t know how to comfort everyone.
After all, this was reality, and this was how their profession as script writers was.
There were too few people who could break through heaven and earth relying only on themselves despite having no resources and no connections. It wasn’t that you didn’t write well; it was that others had absolutely no chance to see you in the first place.
This was a problem rooted in the fundamental rules of industry.
So Chen Yan just had a sudden idea. “What if we also start a scriptwriting studio? Find someone with resources to be the boss and assign us some work.”
Everyone laughed at his wild idea.
Why should those with resources be the bosses of these small fries? Wasn’t making money for oneself more appealing? Even the scapegoat might not be willing, but at least a top-notch philanthropist started from the highest point.
…………….
By evening, the program team’s reminder call indeed came.
Ruan Song, with a cigarette in his mouth, lying on the bed, didn’t want to move except to flick the ash, so it was Ren Qinming who answered the phone in the living room.
Just like they scripted, they could only return tomorrow morning.
But right after that, Xu Lan’s call also came, straightforwardly asking, “What’s going on with you guys?”
Ren Qinming, standing shirtless in the living room with a thin blanket around his waist, continued the excuse he made for the program team, “Ruan Song’s mom has a serious fever, so we’re staying with her tonight.”
To which Xu Lan responded, “I’m right by his mom’s bedside now. How come I don’t know she has a fever?”
From the very moment they mentioned Mother Ruan was sick during the variety show broadcast, Xu Lan felt something was off. She immediately brought fruit and gifts to the hospital, and sure enough, nothing had happened.
Now, she was in the corridor outside the ward, asking someone on the phone, “You two got back together and now you’re running off for a date?”
Ren Qinming was about to answer when Xu Lan preemptively reminded him, “Article 3 of the agreement says you have to tell the truth when I ask a question.”
Ren Qinming hesitated for a moment and then said, “It’s true that we’re on a date, but we haven’t reconciled yet.”
It wouldn’t be a lie if he avoided the truth.
Xu Lan asked, “Where are you meeting? You won’t be caught by anyone, will you?”
Ren Qinming hesitated again and replied, “No, we won’t.”
Xu Lan, “If you say you haven’t, then you haven’t. Exactly where did you go?”
Ren Qinming: “…My place.”
There was a two-second silence on the phone, and then Xu Lan said, “I can’t control what you do privately; I just don’t want you to mess up on ’19 Days of Cohabitation,’ okay?”
This time, before Ren Qinming could speak, he didn’t know when, but Ruan Song had exited the room and heard Xu Lan over the speaker, and responded for Ren Qinming as he hugged his arms while leaning against the doorframe to the corridor. His voice was hoarse after just being tossed around, “We won’t blow our cover, Sister Lan; don’t worry.”
Ren Qinming raised his head in response.
Seeing Ruan Song in his oversized robe, loosely tied at the waist, with his long legs faintly visible, a crimson cigarette between his fingers, barefoot on the cold marble floor, the red marks bursting across the other’s collar appeared like plum blossoms dotting against the snow-covered ground and could also be seen at the other’s inner thigh.
Xu Lan, upon hearing his presence, went straight to the point and asked, “Do you have anything to tell me recently, Xiao Song?”
The seasoned agent’s intuition, honed over many years, wouldn’t be wrong.
During this time, not only did Xu Lan call Ruan Song out to pay attention to not be “complacent in the face of praise, but had also greeted the program team of ‘19 Days of Cohabitation.’
When Jiang Zhi and Sun Kaizi appeared on the variety show, there was a continuous trend in public opinion not to idolize anyone.
But Xu Lan still couldn’t sleep well at night. Ruan Song left her with too many questions, leaving many questions for netizens. This kind of curiosity was not something that could be easily guided through.
For example, why did Ruan Song, a student of science, switch to studying art? Why did he, as a graduate student under a famous mentor, have to start over? Why did Ruan Song disappear without a trace, to the extent that even Jiang Zhi could not find him and had to ask Yuan Yinhai himself for Ruan Song’s contact information…
These questions hadn’t caused a stir in public opinion yet, but with various clues intertwining, it was hard for Xu Lan not to think too much.
“Even though I’m only responsible for managing Ren Qinming, now you two are one entity. If something happens to you, it’s as if something happened to Ren Qinming, and if something happens to Ren Qinming, it’s as if something happened to me. So, if you think of anything that needs to be prevented in advance, you must tell me in advance, okay?”
Even though Xu Lan and Ruan Song only had a brief encounter, after interacting with each other, she could tell that the ‘professional spirit’ was the best way to persuade Ruan Song.
Before, Ren Qinming didn’t know about the things between Ruan Song and Yuan Yinhai, but now that he knew, he wasn’t sure whether to tell Xu Lan for a moment.
But Ruan Song was more straightforward than he expected.
The slender man leaned against the wall and found the ashtray placed beside the wall. “I was planning to find you these past two days. Sister, you are a professional in public relations, so many details of the public opinion about my situation may still need your oversight.”
Nowadays, even murder dind’t require one to pay with their lives, let alone a dean who ‘superficially’ occupied the belongings of poor students.
Since he had already decided to take down Yuan Yinhai, there couldn’t be any mistakes. He had to use his influence to the fullest and utilize all available resources. He might have overlooked some things, so he would have to ask for help shamelessly.
Xu Lan didn’t care what Ruan Song wanted help with. “Since you’re willing to honestly tell me, I’ll definitely help to the end.”
In the entertainment industry, no type of scandal was scary; the scariest thing was being unprepared and caught off guard.
Many artists have been ruined by their own carelessness.
………..
It was like a kind of miracle; after Feng Xiao endured admonishment during the day, she regained the ‘normal level’ she should have in Yuan Yinhai’s thoughts that night.
The script sent to his email finally brought a little peace to Yuan Yinhai’s restless heart. It was also reviewed by the production company without any issues, and they even reassured him to rest well.
Before, it might have been tough to juggle teaching and writing the script, causing him to feel drained. He shouldn’t take it to heart.
Almost as a habit, since Ruan Song started participating in variety shows, Yuan Yinhai had been browsing through all the hot topics about him every night before going to bed.
There were those that have gone viral because of their looks, and some because of his relationship with his actor boyfriend Ren Qinming, and even Sun Kaizi and Jiang Zhi expressed interest in collaborating with him…
He could see all this, and naturally, Fang Wei could see it too.
In recent days, Fang Wei has been feeling increasingly resentful as he watched a despicable person with a history of plagiarism and almost failing to graduate rise through the ranks by hyping up their appearance on variety shows.
With their class reunion approaching, Fang Wei finally couldn’t resist sending a message to Yuan Yinhai.
[Fang Wei: I’m really very furious, Dean! All the screenwriters in our profession are industrious and conscientious, and we’ve all used our real skills to eat. It’s just that Ruan Song is acting as if he’s about to debut and develop a huge fanbase. No one’s seen his works, but everyone’s chasing after him. This kind of atmosphere is creating a horrible influence on our industry! It’s completely like bad money drives out good business! They’re all so fickle-hearted!]
He thought that Yuan Yinhai, as the first person to expose Ruan Song’s plagiarism, would support and respond to him when he scolded Ruan Song.
But the reality was that Yuan Yinhai’s response to him was quite evasive.
[Teacher: Those who don’t have true ability will ultimately fail and be exposed. This period of popularity is just a mirage, and one day it will be destroyed. We just need to wait for him to reap what he has sown. There is no need for us to spend so much energy on these things that do not benefit us.]
Fang Wei couldn’t understand this at all.
[Fang Wei: But we can directly expose him! Why should we allow him to deceive everyone and make a profit off of things that don’t belong to him??]
[Fang Wei: Also, you might be unaware of it, but if the serial murder IP didn’t land in my hands, then the production company was about to find Ruan Song to write the script! They only stopped after I spoke up about it!]
In the previous messages Yuan Yinhai managed to control his temper, then as soon as this last one popped up, he instantly smashed the cup at hand and cursed Fang Wei as a fool.
Not only did he smash the cup, but he also smashed whatever was at hand, making a mess in front of everyone and completely losing his composure.
Fang Wei waited and waited on the other end, but all he got was three words.
[Teacher: Don’t provoke him.]
Fang Wei, “???”
If it weren’t for his long-respected mentor, he would have replied, “What are you afraid of?”
It was the same when he discovered Ruan Song’s plagiarism before graduating from graduate school.
By rights, they could have directly revoked Ruan Song’s master’s degree, but in the end, there wasn’t even a punishment, and Yuan Yinhai repeatedly urged him not to make a fuss.
If this were in the past, Fang Wei might have truly believed the pretty words that Yuan Yinhai didn’t want A University to be under fire for a plagiarism scandal.
But after seeing all the ways Yuan Yinhai has been defending him, he couldn’t help but suspect that Yuan Yinhai was simply harboring a bias towards Ruan Song and covering up the charges!
Little did he know that today’s Ruan Song was no longer the same as the Ruan Song who used to be easily bullied.
As Ruan Song’s popularity on Weibo grew, Yuan Yinhai became more anxious.
Because this meant Ruan Song had more influence and a growing status, he was no longer just a roadside ant who could be easily blacklisted with a single word.
Ruan Song clearly should have been the same as the other students that he had ‘chosen’ before, who disappeared from public view after they were used. How did he not know that the other still had a boyfriend who debuted as an actor…
Ruan Song’s sudden fame has become a demon in Yuan Yinhai’s heart, putting his carefully crafted image at risk.
So much so that the next morning, Yuan Yinhai even experienced hallucinations in class.
He was shocked to see “Ruan Song” again, just like when he was an undergraduate, wearing a mask and a hat, sitting in the corner of the classroom closest to the window, looking straight at him.
And sitting next to him was Feng Xiao.
Still wearing outdated clothes, simple twin ponytails, and earnestly looking at the textbooks, as if Ruan Song didn’t exist at all.
None of the other students in the classroom felt anything amiss, without any excitement at seeing a celebrity or idol.
Yuan Yinhai was forced to teach under the unblinking gaze of “Ruan Song,” his hand shaking as he clicked through the PowerPoint.
He had to repeatedly remind himself that Ruan Song should be taking care of his sick mother and was busy with variety show recordings, so he couldn’t be here.
As the first class ended, he finally managed to convince himself that “Ruan Song” was just a hallucination because the other had been on his mind frequently in the past few days.
The bell for the end of class rang.
During the whole class, the motionless “Ruan Song” suddenly got up from his seat, and then all the students in the class were no longer as calm as before.
Following the bang bang bang sounds of hand-held firecrackers being unscrewed by someone, everywhere Yuan Yinhai could see was filled with streamers and glitter, turning the quiet classroom into a frenzy.
The students were clapping, stomping, and cheering, and the “Ruan Song,” which he thought was just a hallucination, took off his mask, removed his hat, and brought out a birthday cake from the drawer. In the face of the audience’s stares and the increasingly resounding noise, he walked forward step by step towards the podium with a smile on his face.
He asked, “Did I change so much? Dean Yuan seems to not recognize me; he didn’t even recognize me in the whole class.”
Yuan Yinhai looked at Ruan Song standing in front of him, seemingly alive, in front of so many students, and almost thought he was still dreaming.
“Aren’t you supposed to be back recording variety shows?”
“But today is your birthday, Dean. Did you forget?”
Ruan Song’s nightmare-like voice continued to echo in Yuan Yinhai’s ears, and a pair of gentle and harmless phoenix eyes looked at him with deep meaning, greeting him, “I heard that you don’t plan to have a birthday banquet this year. I thought you couldn’t handle writing scripts while teaching, and I was really worried. So, I decided to make time to come back and see you. It just so happened that I could also bring you a birthday cake. It’s been a long time; I hope you’re well.”
Yuan Yinhai, unaware, found his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Ruan Song.
He was about to continue questioning, not giving up the last hope that he was still in a dream.
Then he heard Ruan Song lean in and whisper in his ear, “Do you still think that if I came forward to accuse you of academic fraud, no one would listen to me?”
Yuan Yinhai was on the verge of losing control of his blood pressure and about to have an outburst.
Ruan Song, seemingly unfazed, stepped back from his ear and wished him, “Happy birthday, Dean Yuan.”
Countless girls from other classes rushed to the classroom upon hearing the news. As soon as they saw Ruan Song’s face, they started screaming frantically, and in no time, the scene was completely packed.
Ruan Song, always good-natured, smiled and repeated the action of taking the signed edition.
Everyone was immersed in the excitement of the celebrity’s appearance, until there was a thud from behind, and Yuan Yinhai fainted.
The students immediately turned around and started screaming, “Dean Yuan.”
Only Ruan Song, completely unfazed, took out his phone and calmly said, “I’m calling an ambulance.”
No, no, we were waiting for them to reap what they has sown and the time has come!
Thank You for the new chapter ✧✰(♡´❍`♡)✧✰
Not him fainting? 😭😂 pleasee I cannot wait for the revenge on these fools who dared to bully our Ruan Song and Feng Xiao >:$
Another typo : her mom’s bedside > his
The dean really seems as if he has mental problems. He’s not gonna get away with it because of it, is he?
Thanks for the chapter!
How guilty is this guy that he can’t even take the mere sight of Ruan Song.
Thank you for the chapter!