Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor- yuki_shuichi, Proofreader- adjective
The lights suddenly lit up.
Ruan Song was startled by the unexpected commotion from everyone and instinctively took a half-step back, bumping into Ren Qinming’s sturdy chest, who was following closely behind.
Colorful glitters and ribbons floated down from the ceiling, covering both of them from head to toe.
Ren Qinming placed his hands on Ruan Song’s shoulders, and it took Ruan Song a while to blink and finally see everyone in the room.
Zheng Qing, Qin Sijia, Jiang Qiqi, and Liang Yi each held a bouquet of fireworks.
The whole house was decorated with lights and colorful decorations. Flower garlands hung on the walls, unique flower arrangements adorned the tables, piles of balloons scattered on the floor, and candles were placed on the dining table. The atmosphere was warm and festive, clearly prepared to welcome their return.
However, Ruan Song couldn’t help but tease a bit. He innocently looked at everyone and said, “How is it that when we weren’t here, someone among you was getting married?”
One after another, the bullet screen was filled with ‘Hahahaha.’
[What’s going on, am I mistaken? Why do I feel like Teacher Ruan is cuter than before!!]
[Me too! Could it be that it’s been too long since I’ve seen Teacher Ruan in the live broadcast, pitiful.jpg]
[Sure enough, Teacher Ruan didn’t mention it, but the matter with Yuan Yinhai probably affected him a lot. In my memory, this should be the first time that he’s joked around with everyone, wuwuwu, how nice.]
[I’ll say it as I’m not afraid of being a laughingstock, but just a moment ago when everyone welcomed Teacher Ruan home, I instantly began crying 15551]
[It’s a happy occasion, ya!! Now that everything’s been settled, the grievances have been cleared, and he can even use his real name to produce work, he must be relieved! Now Teacher Ruan looks like a family with everyone else! Happily holding face.jpg]
On the scene, when Jiang Qiqi heard Ruan Song interrupting, she immediately waved her hand dismissively and said, “Hey, don’t interrupt. We’ve rehearsed a whole set of routines!”
Among the four of them, Zheng Qing was the first to move.
He turned and ran to the coffee table, his hands empty, not knowing what he was pretending to hold. He gestured with a big imaginary object, holding it up solemnly.
Initially, Ruan Song didn’t understand at all.
It wasn’t until Zheng Qing stood still and handed the “invisible object” to Qin Sijia with both hands.
Qin Sijia carefully took it and then turned to hand it to Jiang Qiqi, and finally, Ruan Song’s mind was enlightened, guessing that they were passing around a crown.
It just wentn to show that actors needed to be professional all the time. Performing without any props was not as easy as it seemed.
Ruan Song watched the non-professionals, who were clumsy yet dedicated, protectively passing the “invisible crown” to him. It made him feel both amused and touched.
In the past 26 years, Ruan Song had never experienced such ordinary and childish interactions with friends.
Even he seemed to not have so many friends.
When the “crown” was finally handed over to Liang Yi, he held it with one hand, and with the other hand, he gallantly tilted it towards his chest, like a knight, and slightly bowed to Ruan Song. Then, he held the “crown” up in front of him with both hands.
At that moment in the cabin, every single person’s gaze was bright and glistening.
Caught in such eager and expectant gazes, Ruan Song couldn’t help but bend down, cooperating with something he would never have done before.
He guessed that it must have been Jiang Qiqi’s idea because she seemed the most excited among them.
As he watched Liang Yi put the “crown” on his head, his hands clenched with excitement and pressed against his chest.
However, Ruan Song lacked experience, so when he stood up straight after the knight put the “crown” on him, it was probably a bit abrupt.
Everyone was afraid that the “crown” would fall off.
Luckily, Ren Qinming, the movie emperor, came in handy. He quickly remedied the situation, getting into character and reaching out from behind to support Ruan Song’s head.
He immediately rescued the almost-falling “crown,” carefully adjusting the angle and position. Finally, he held it firmly with both hands, turning it slightly and aligning it correctly.
Although they were just small finishing touches, these actions instantly enhanced the realism of the “crown,” making it feel like there was something on Ruan Song’s head.
With Ren Qinming’s lead, Ruan Song suddenly raised his hand and lightly touched his head, then straightened his waist and lifted his chin.
The ceremony was over!
Jiang Qiqi immediately clapped her hands with raised eyebrows, and Liang Yi handed him a big imaginary “bouquet” of flowers.
With the experience from the first time, Ruan Song naturally took over this time, unexpectedly.
Throughout the whole process, not a single person spoke, yet the movements flowed smoothly, and everyone started applauding.
Ruan Song couldn’t help but join in and laugh.
After all the ups and downs, they suddenly found themselves in such a harmonious and heartwarming moment.
In the comment section, everyone was saying, “I don’t even know why I’m crying,” but they were all crying loudly.
Ruan Song thought it was almost over when he arrived, but as a result, those four people surrounded him, invited him to the table, poured tea and water for him, and held signature boards that seemed to appear out of nowhere, all claiming to be his fans, lining up one by one at the table.
Ruan Song genuinely felt that they were going a bit overboard and chuckled, saying, “Are you guys going a bit too far with this play?”
“Not at all!”
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.
Qin Sijia was the first to vehemently refute, almost shoving a marker into Ruan Song’s hand to sign, expressing their joy, “We didn’t expect it either, but when we found out about your work as a couple, all four of us became fans of your TV dramas!”
Coafg rqfjxlcu, rtf bcmf jujlc jvvfv j rfcafcmf, “Ktf yeiifa rmgffc mjc afralos.”
Geglcu atf vjsr ktfc Eejc Vbcu jcv Efc Hlcwlcu kfgf jkjs, atfs rajsfv byfvlfcais lc atf kbbvfc tberf, ilnf ragfjwlcu, gfmflnlcu uefrar, jcv mbwqifalcu ajrxr.
Mgbw Eejc Vbcu ublcu ab Fclnfgrlas C ab rjnf Tejc Tlctjl’r ylgatvjs, ab reyrfdefca gfnfijalbcr jcv Eejc Vbcu rqfjxlcu eq, atf fcalgf qgbmfrr bo yflcu vewyobecvfv ys atf ubrrlq kjr gfmbgvfv.
“I might randomly test you with exam questions, so don’t pretend just for the sake of the show,” Ruan Song teased with his mouth, while secretly starting to sign with the pen in his hand.
The white background with golden letters and the handwriting didn’t have a specific shape, it was quite elegant and casual. After signing his full name, he conveniently added the date in the bottom right corner.
Qin Sijia, the first person in the audience to get an autograph, was ecstatic. She didn’t act like a typical fan; she jumped in place several times, expressing her dissatisfaction with Ruan Song’s lack of confidence. “Why won’t you let people like you?! If you don’t believe me, just randomly test me. I truly adore ‘The Last Sunflower.’ It’s my favorite, my precious!”
As the barrage saw them having Ruan Song’s autograph, they flooded the screen with comments like, “Who’s jealous? Not gonna say, just sipping lemonade.”
This dating reality show turned into a huge fan meeting.
The ones doing the chasing were the celebrities who were already famous before the show, while the one being chased was Ruan Song, the only amateur among them.
Qin Sijia expressed her love but didn’t get a response from Ruan Song. She was then pushed aside by Jiang Qiqi, who was standing behind her. “Song ge, Song ge, sign mine first before you test her! I also love ‘The Last Sunflower.’ It made me almost cry; even Liang Yi cried!!”
After signing, Ruan Song was pleasantly surprised and looked back at Liang Yi. In his mind, Liang Yi had always been synonymous with “rationality.”
Liang Yi, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “I don’t usually watch dramas much. It was back when Qiqi and I were studying abroad. She was watching, so I glanced at it, and unexpectedly, I found it quite good…”
“Don’t act like you didn’t expect it.”
Zheng Qing immediately interrupted and said, “What’s there to explain? It’s not embarrassing. At that time, I wasn’t even with Sijia yet. I was just alone at home, watching it and crying my eyes out. Ruan Song, you’re amazing. I think you had just graduated from your bachelor’s degree at that time, right?”
After signing the autograph boards for the four of them, Ruan Song didn’t hesitate to answer, “To be precise, I wrote it in the first semester of my senior year. It’s a short drama, only twelve episodes, so it was quick to write. The ideas were flowing smoothly at that time. I remember from conceptualizing to finishing the whole script, it only took me fifteen days.”
[Wow!!!!!]
Both the guests and the bullet screen were shocked.
“The Last Sunflower” was not only important to Ruan Song but could also be considered a masterpiece for Yuan Yinhai. It didn’t have a clear gender preference and was an inclusive work.
“So, on average, did you only think for three days and then write one episode each day?” Jiang Qiqi was dumbfounded.
Ruan Song smiled and said, “Actually, I didn’t think about it at all.”
He wrote this script purely out of boredom during class, not wanting to pay attention.
“After all, it’s ridiculous to still have classes in our senior year. I’m not someone who enjoys listening to teachers, so while the teacher was lecturing, I would casually jot down some drafts. And before I knew it, I had finished writing the first episode of ‘The Last Sunflower’ during one class.” Ruan Song nonchalantly said all of this, as if it were just a trivial thing.
The listeners were left in awe, with their jaws dropping one by one.
[……That’s not right, I don’t like listening in class either, covers head.jpg]
[I’ve truly disturbed you; this is probably the difference between me and a genius. Old man on a subway looking at his phone.jpg]
Ruan Song, “After finishing it, I felt pretty good about it. So, for the next three days, I wrote one episode per day. Then, I was called in to take care of some school matters for two days, and after that, I wrote for nine more days. On the last day, I went through what I had written before, made some changes, and in about fifteen days, the final draft was completed.”
Bullet screen, [?????]
[So he didn’t stop writing for a single day? He directly wrote it all in a single breath???]
Qin Sijia and the others were also stunned. Who would have thought that Ruan Song could complete such amazing work in just fifteen days?
“You’re too amazing…” Qin Sijia exclaimed.
Ruan Song was extremely candid and smiled, “It’s just luck. I’ve written so many scripts, and this one went smoothly.”
Indeed, this achievement was remarkable.
The drama’s title, “The Last Sunflower,” had a calming effect, and the film’s cinematography and lighting were likewise calming.
But the story it told was about two vulnerable and helpless teenagers struggling to survive and grow up in difficult circumstances. They thought they could finally overcome the challenges and make it past the age of 18, but they ended up falling into the darkness before dawn—one died, and the other became a murderer.
The title “The Last Sunflower” was a metaphor for the disappearance of the innocence of these two children due to the hardships of life, as well as the disappearance of light and hope in their hearts.
When the drama was aired, it caused a huge social impact and generated a significant public response.
The audience watched as the two teenagers embarked on a path of no return, feeling helpless because every bit of what happened to the main characters was a reflection of reality, the true nature of society that many people have experienced.
So when the two main characters “fell” and “disappeared” in the final climax, no one was surprised. Many resonated with it, as it felt like a collective outcry of society, calling for reflection from all walks of life.
Because of this drama, Yuan Yinhai received numerous honors and awards, and the highest TV drama offer of 500,000 yuan came after the release of “The Last Sunflower” from the production company.
Liang Yu thought it was unbelievable that Ruan Song, at that age, came up with such a story. “How did you even think of writing such a story?”
It was a story of despair, yet it filled people with hope.
As everyone took their seats at the candlelit table, Ruan Song looked at them and said something that caught everyone off guard, “Maybe it’s because I was once in that situation myself.”
Despair, not wanting to give up, but feeling like there was no choice but to let go.
When those words were spoken, the barrage of comments went crazy.
The public screen of the broadcast was filled with dirty words scolding Yuan Yinhai as well as ‘Wuwuwu’, as if water were flooding Jinshan Temple.
(T/N-An idiom describing an urgent situation, where it is necessary to adopt correct methods in time to achieve ideal results.)
Soon after, [Ruan Song ‘The Last Sunflower’] appeared as a trending tag on the hot search list.
[Ahhhhhh, mother’s Teacher Ruan 155551]
[It’s too distressing, all the students whose hopes were stolen by Yuan Yinhai are too miserable, they were very hopeless, wuwuwu]
[I can’t even help but think if this was Teacher Ruan sending out an SOS!!]
[I also think so!! Just, Teacher Ruan has long given us a signal for help, but we didn’t discover it at all. I’m, I stopped myself from crying yesterday, but today I’ve completely been attacked by Teacher Ruan’s words, fuck, ahhhhhh]
[Now, my entire brain is filled with ‘The Last Sunflower’, this big drama. Fortunately, Teacher Ruan didn’t give up!!!]
[Ay, let’s not talk about it; I’m going to rewatch it!]
Because of Ruan Song’s words, everyone at the table grew emo and couldn’t speak.
Even Ren Qinming couldn’t help the dark expression that appeared on his face.
The atmosphere was once very dull.
As Ruan Song looked at how he had unintentionally dampened the joyful atmosphere, he felt a bit guilty. Quickly brushing it off with a smile, he tried to change the subject, saying, “It’s not as serious as you all think. It’s a blessing in disguise. It’s all in the past. Is there anything else you want to ask?”
But the more he tried to console them, the more downcast everyone became. They felt that his attempt to pretend everything was fine only made them feel more heartbroken.
Just as Ruan Song was about to ask if there were any more questions, Jiang Qiqi suddenly turned her head and hugged Liang Yi, resting her head on his shoulder.
This caught Ruan Song off guard.
Even when he played the role of a naive character that was watched by so many people online a few days ago, he had never seen such a reaction. It was the first time in his life that he made a girl cry with just one sentence.
The lights in the room had been turned off by the production team since they finished signing and started the Q&A session.
Now, the light in everyone’s line of sight only came from the flickering lights of the several candles on the table. The orange flames leaped and danced, casting ever-changing shadows on everyone’s faces.
When Jiang Qiqi cried, she didn’t make a sound, and her arms were tightly wrapped around Liang Yi’s neck, her face avoiding the camera.
It was clear that this wasn’t Liang Yi’s first time being a pillow for the crybaby, and he proficiently smoothed her hair and patted her back, exposing a soothing smile while looking at Ruan Song. “Ever since she heard your news two days ago, she’s been hiding under our covers in the middle of the night to cry. She truly does love your shows.”
[Ay, it’s so unbearable.]
[I get it; the delayed effects of this matter are huge. Two days ago, I was on Weibo during the daytime cussing Yuan Yinhai out with all my might and didn’t feel anything, but as soon as night struck and I thought of the experiences that Teacher Ruan and the others underwent, I cried like an idiot. Crying.jpg]
[Actually, I originally thought that a rich daughter like Qiqi wouldn’t understand the feelings of us at the bottom of society, sad.jpg]
[Qiqi is a good girl!! Those marketing accounts love to say she has a love brain, is prissy, or whatever, but she’s very good!!!]
[Seeing Qiqi like this, Teacher Ruan freezes up completely, and he has no idea what to do.]
Fortunately, Jiang Qiqi quickly adjusted her emotions. Without making a sound, she straightened up from Liang Yi’s shoulder, with only her eyes slightly red. She knew everyone was watching her and felt a bit embarrassed. She cleared her throat and said, “You guys can continue talking; don’t mind me.”
In the end, it was Liang Yi who helped her raise her head again and asked Ruan Song, “So, what made you decide to switch from a cultural major to an art major?”
Usually, people were not allowed to switch majors like that.
But at A University, they temporarily introduced a new rule during those years, which Ruan Song happened to catch. As long as students majoring in cultural studies could pass the specialized exams set by each art major, they were allowed to switch.
Yuan Yinhai mentioned Ruan Song’s major change in the class, misleading everyone into thinking that Ruan Song took a shortcut. Since there weren’t many people wanting to switch majors each year and this rule was quite specific, it was canceled after two years, and most people didn’t even know about it.
Yuan Yinhai’s so-called “convenience” was simply telling Ruan Song about this matter. He didn’t provide any improper help during Ruan Song’s exams. He had relied on his own intelligence and self-study.
“Initially, I was admitted to the finance program through recommendation. At that time, I didn’t have any particular interests or thoughts. I just thought it could make money, and maybe I could get into hedge funds in the future.”
Ruan Song had always been honest when answering questions, so he said what was true. “But after studying for half a semester in my freshman year, I took the initiative to learn more about the program and the industry atmosphere. I started to dislike it because it didn’t align with my expectations. I became unwilling to attend classes seriously and started skipping them.”
Bullet screen: [???]
[SOS help, Teacher Ruan you shouldn’t be too honest; you can also just answer causally, lmao]
[He even dares to mention skipping class, looks like he hates school just like me, I love it, I love it, doge]
Where could you escape when skipping class? Ruan Song wasn’t the type who enjoyed going out, so when he skipped class, he would usually go to the library to read some miscellaneous books.
“The first time I met Yuan Yinhai was actually in the library at A University. I borrowed a book that he wanted to use, which was a popular science book about navigation. He ended up waiting for a whole week, sitting at the library’s book return desk every day, waiting for me to return it.”
As they kept running into each other at the library and borrowing similar books, the two of them gradually became acquainted and eventually exchanged WeChat contacts.
“Looking back now, I realize that back then, I must have seemed quite strange in Yuan Yinhai’s eyes. I never showed any curiosity about who he was. Whether he was a teacher, an administrator, or part of the logistics team, I didn’t care at all and never asked.”
Zheng Qing immediately expressed the sentiment of the barrage. “Wow, you’re so cool.”
Ruan Song, “I just felt like it wasn’t important; whoever he was didn’t matter to me. We would just chat for a bit when we happened to run into each other at the library.”
The first time Ruan Song found out about Yuan Yinhai’s identity was when he skipped class and got caught by the secretary of the School of Economics in the library.
Because he was one of the top students, the secretary happened to know him and immediately failed him for that course on the spot.
“I was annoyed because I genuinely didn’t like the subject and didn’t want to retake it. Then Yuan Yinhai asked me if I wanted to transfer to his department. As long as I passed the major exam for the new major, I wouldn’t have to retake the course. It was a new policy that had just been implemented.”
Ruan Song also found out for the first time during that period that Yuan Yinhai was actually the Dean of the School of Literature and personally taught the Drama and Film Literature major.
Qin Sijia, “Wow, isn’t that reason a bit…?”
“Isn’t it a bit disillusioning, hahaha.”
Ruan Song could also guess that everyone probably thought there would be some special sentiment or story behind this. “Honestly, it was just a very simple reason for not wanting to retake the course. I used to be quite rebellious and never really feared teachers.”
Speaking of this, Ren Qinming rarely interrupted and said, “The first time I saw Song ge in high school after transferring, he was caught by the grade director for not wearing the school uniform. And he never changed, no matter what.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“And then Yuan Yinhai stopped bothering me. He just told me that transferring majors could solve this issue. So I casually tried learning it, and as I continued learning, I found it quite interesting, writing scripts and stories and all. After meeting with Yuan Yinhai again, I passed the exams and officially switched majors at that time.”
Ruan Song, “I reckon he probably didn’t show up because he was observing me, trying to test if I had any talent.”
And then naturally, he ended up in Yuan Yinhai’s class.
Normally, he should have stayed one grade below and started from the beginning with the Drama and Literature class.
But Yuan Yinhai looked at his exam papers and felt that he could directly start from the second year. After all, there were many easy courses in the first year, and Ruan Song had already caught up with the basic concepts on his own.
Actually, at that time, Ruan Song had no concept of whether he had talent for screenwriting.
Because he had never been exposed to it before and had never seen anyone else studying it, he didn’t know the general level of everyone.
However, under Yuan Yinhai’s guidance, the gap became apparent after a few classroom assignments.
Ruan Song felt that he hadn’t put in much effort, but it seemed that he was better than the other classmates, and not just by a little bit. When he looked at what everyone submitted, it was hard to imagine that they had been studying this major since high school and made it this far.
“Anyway, at that time, it was obvious that Yuan Yinhai started to focus on nurturing me. I was originally a transfer student and not familiar with everyone. Yuan Yinhai would occasionally do something special for me, and if others didn’t like me, I understood and didn’t take it to heart.”
Ruan Song’s thoughts were more about seeing a glimmer of hope after leaving the hardships of his original major and suddenly finding a new direction in life.
“The more I studied, the more I liked it, and the better I became at it, the more Yuan Yinhai took care of me. Sometimes on weekends, he would privately invite me to watch movies and have meals, discussing our thoughts on the field.”
At this point, Ruan Song had more or less paused, then smiled against the candlelight. “Then you know the rest of the story.”
The mentor turned against the apprentice.
Perhaps the entire event was excessively shocking, but everyone was still very fascinated by Ruan Song’s detailed retelling of his ordinary past.
After Ruan Song finished speaking, it took a while for everyone to come back to their senses. They were still staring at him as if they hadn’t realized the story had ended.
Ruan Song had to laugh and repeat himself several times to bring everyone’s souls back.
As they went back to their rooms to freshen up, it was evident that they were still immersed in the story.
Even Ren Qinming, as he closed his door, seemed like he wanted to say something to him.
Ruan Song immediately spoke up and said, “I don’t want to hear those useless things. Don’t you know it in your heart?”
Ren Qinming nodded his head, his head drooping down.
Even though he went to freshen up obediently, it was clear that his mood remained low.
And this situation continued even after Ruan Song finished freshening up.
The person who usually clung to Ruan Song was now burying himself in the covers, feeling self-loathing and defeated. It left Ruan Song both amused and exasperated, sitting on the edge of the bed, ruffling his hair and playfully tapping him through the covers, saying, “What are you doing? I’m the one suffering, not you.”
Ren Qinming sighed, “It would be better if it were me.”
“What should we do then? Give you a consolation prize, like a kiss from me?”
Ren Qinming shook his head.
“I can’t even cheer you up with a kiss?” Ruan Song chuckled, raising an eyebrow. He thought for a moment and then said, “How about this as a reward… Tonight, you can sleep while cuddling with me?”
Ren Qingming shook his head.
“Oh, I see. How about I reward you by taking a shower with me tomorrow?”
This time, Ren Qinming didn’t refuse so quickly. He stayed quiet under the covers for a while.
In the live stream, Ruan Song’s phoenix-like eyes peeked from outside the covers, captivating the audience. He leaned down and gently persuaded, “To prevent any regrets, how about you uncover your eyes from the covers and take a look at me before deciding?”
Ren Qinming didn’t have any particular thoughts. He thought Ruan Song just wanted him to see his face.
But as soon as he slowly moved his head out from under the covers, he was immediately stunned by the breathtaking sight in front of him!
Ruan Song, who was lying on his chest, had his collar wide open, revealing his delicate collarbones and messy hair. From Ren Qinming’s perspective, he could even see the marks he had left on Ruan Song’s chest a few days ago. The vibrant tooth marks stood out clearly against the snowy white skin.
Ren Qinming dumbfoundedly asked, “Why are you wearing my bathrobe…?”
Ruan Song didn’t answer at all, but pouted slightly and asked him, “So, are you going to shower with me tomorrow or not?”
Ren Qinming first touched his own nose, then without saying a word, he suddenly lifted the covers and got up, lifting Ruan Song in his arms, and firmly said, “I want to shower right now.”
The livestream camera in the room was still on, capturing the sight of Ruan Song’s long and straight legs peeking out from the bathrobe.
At first, the viewers in the chat didn’t understand the meaning of Ren Qinming touching his nose, but when they saw this scene, they couldn’t help but start touching their own noses too.
Turned out it was to check whether or not they had a nosebleed!
[This good-for-nothing. He’s only at this moral caliber after seeing his own wife everyday, doge]
[Then I’m also only at this moral caliber. May I please ask where I should go to find a wife, pervert.jpg]
Everyone had become accustomed to the occasional adult content from these two, so when Ren Qinming suddenly turned back halfway and completely turned off the camera’s sound and footage without a word of complaint, no one was surprised.
Because at that time, the production team had quietly released the information online about the celebrity guest who would be appearing on the variety show the next day. However, the guests who were currently filming the variety show were still unaware of this.
The bullet screen was all filled with, [Tomorrow will be Ren Qinming’s personal hell. It’s not too excessive for him to have his final meal today, doge]
That was a long chapter! You’ve worked hard, translator-nim. (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
Thank You for the new chapter ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )
Wow. Thank you for that very long but heartwarming chapter
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the chapter! It really does seem like Ruan Song is opening up more now that YY is taken care of!!