The organizers of the Starlight Awards provided catering for the celebrities, both at noon and in the evening. Xiao Luo and Zhu Xiaoxiao went to get the food, and, on their way there, they saw several female celebrities taking photos in the hallways, the lobby, the observation deck, and the rooftop gardens of the hotel. The photography teams were giving it their all, and so were the celebrities themselves. Of course, there were also celebrities who were close to each other getting together for a chat beforehand.
Xiao Luo and Zhu Xiaoxiao picked up the food and returned to Xu Jingzhe and Liang Yu’s dressing room. They let the makeup artists and stylists leave for lunch first. Then, they handed the food to their two bosses. Zhu Xiaoxiao had a feeling that Xu Jingzhe probably wasn’t going to eat anything. Still, she opened up each dish, hoping to persuade him to take a bite.
Xu Jingzhe grabbed a pair of chopsticks, not so he could eat but rather so he could pick through each dish. Liang Yu generally avoided seafood. He found it to be too fishy, so he didn’t even look at any of the Japanese cuisine. He could, however, tolerate some freshwater fish.
The hotel’s catering service seemed to be considerate of the celebrities’ lack of appetite or perhaps they were aware that most of them tended to avoid heavy dishes. There was no pork, beef, or lamb—only chicken, fish, and shrimp. Xu Jingzhe went through the food with a fine tooth comb. Then, he put all the food that Liang Yu could eat on one plate and had Xiao Luo pass it to him.
“Don’t worry about me.” Liang Yu glanced at the plate and said, “Eat your own food.”
Xu Jingzhe didn’t dare to eat too much. He only took a couple of bites to stave off his hunger before setting his chopsticks back down. Liang Yu, on the other hand, sent back an empty plate. Seeing that they had finished eating, the makeup artist and stylist immediately began touching up their makeup.
“What time is it?” Xu Jingzhe asked Zhu Xiaoxiao, fearing that they were late.
Zhu Xiaoxiao: “It’s not even six yet. We’ll set off at seven. You and Mr. Liang are both scheduled to arrive at eight thirty, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
To be honest, the artist and their team were under a lot less pressure once all the preliminary work was done. Typically, celebrities would keep just one or two makeup artists on standby and they’d touch up right before going on stage.
Xu Jingzhe rarely used Weibo, but, with nothing better to do, he resorted to scrolling through Weibo to pass the time.
Liang Yu’s bangs were brushed back. In order to keep them in place, the hairstylist would spray it with hairspray every now and then. Given his tall stature, standing would require the hairstylist to stretch her arms up, so he decided to sit on a sofa in their dressing room, also scrolling through Weibo.
Luo Yaoye’s company had already posted a series of photos on Weibo, eighteen in total. Xu Jingzhe checked the timestamp and found that they’d been posted before 3:00 PM. Liang Yu must’ve seen it as well and commented, “She was the first to post on Weibo.”
Zeng Nian claimed to disdain the idea of gaining fame through hype and media attention alone, but, when it came to appearance, there were very few in the industry who could beat Luo Yaoye. She hadn’t held back at all, making the first move before anyone else could. While there may be celebrities that could compete in terms of appearance or seniority, they still needed to consider whether their styling today would actually be able to defeat Luo Yaoye.
Sure enough, there wasn’t a single post from any of the other big actresses for the next hour or two. Luo Yaoye’s name was at the forefront of Weibo’s trending list. Zeng Nian probably bought a few slots because several of Luo Yaoye’s sponsors soon followed. It was essentially a bit of advertising for their brand partnerships.
In the midst of it, some mid-to-low tier female celebrities also began posting their photos. Jiang Yueming was one of them. She only posted six pictures. She also tagged the official Weibo account for Liang Yu’s holiday film and wrote, “Thank you everyone.” This caption was followed by a heart emoji.
Xu Jingzhe felt that she was far too considerate. Liang Yu had practically handed her his assistance on a silver platter, yet she didn’t even dare to accept.
“Jiang Yueming’s just that kind of person.” Liang Yu told Xiao Luo to login to the holiday film’s Weibo account and share Jiang Yueming’s post. “She’s a good kid. She remembers your kindness, but she’s afraid of causing trouble for you by expressing it.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Xu Jingzhe could actually understand this mindset. He was just a little surprised that Liang Yu was also able to understand the delicate thoughts of a young girl.
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Xu Jingzhe let out an “oh”, but, before he could speak, Liang Yu reached over and turned his face towards him.
“Let me take a look,” Liang Yu said.
Xu Jingzhe didn’t move, obediently allowing him to inspect him. However, Liang Yu suddenly dipped his head and kissed him in front of everyone.
Xu Jingzhe: “…”
The makeup artists were about to go crazy. They shouted, “Mr. Liang!”
Liang Yu nonchalantly wiped his lips and said, “I’m helping him moisturize his lips.”
Xiao Luo and Zhu Xiaoxiao were speechless. Xiao Luo straight up told him, “Ge, please sit in the back. Stay away from Mr. Xu. That would be the safest option for everyone.”
For the rest of the ride, the two makeup artists kept a close eye on Liang Yu, fearing that he would do something outrageous and ruin Xu Jingzhe’s look. Finally, they arrived at the red carpet safely. Xu Jingzhe’s makeup artist immediately stepped in between them and applied lipstick to Xu Jingzhe.
Liang Yu unhappily said, “Hey.”
The other makeup artist pressed down on his head to keep him from moving. “Your bangs! Your bangs!”
After the final touches of hairspray, Liang Yu still had a sour look on his face. An attendant opened the car door, and Xu Jingzhe exited the nanny van first. Suddenly, he turned around and stretched a hand out towards Liang Yu.
The location where celebrities got off was actually a little ways away from the red carpet, but, in order to get the best photos of the celebrities, reporters had long since blocked the entrance. Xu Jingzhe stepped out of the car, and, as soon as he did, it was as if he were in a thunderstorm. Camera flashes flickered incessantly, and people kept calling his name, hoping he would look their way.
Xu Jingzhe didn’t pose for any photos. He turned around, slightly bowed, and reached a hand into the car.
After a while, another hand reached out of the car and took his.
Liang Yu had barely taken a single step out of the car when all the cheers around him suddenly dissipated. The reporters stared with bated breath, waiting for the person in the car to finally reveal himself and stand by Xu Jingzhe.
Security had already gathered around them, blocking people left and right. Liang Yu took Xu Jingzhe’s hand, gently pulling him into his arms, and calmly walked forward.
He didn’t walk too fast. The media on both sides could still keep up with him, almost as if they were being followed by a series of flashbangs. The scene was both shocking and comical.
The red carpet also had photographers and reporters on both sides. Liang Yu only slowed his pace once they got there. He then took Xu Jingzhe’s hand and walked the red carpet with him. Occasionally, Xu Jingzhe would go off to the side and autograph posters for his fans, and Liang Yu would stand where he was, waiting for him to return to his side.
Towards the end of the red carpet, Liang Yu suddenly leaned into Xu Jingzhe’s ear and whispered, “They should play the wedding march for us.”
Xu Jingzhe gave him a helpless glance and said nothing. He simply reached out his hand and straightened the other’s bangs.
The host was anxiously waiting for them both. She almost lost the ability to speak upon seeing Xu Jingzhe, stammering, “Mr. Xu.”
Xu Jingzhe smiled and nodded, saying, “Hello.” He took the pen handed to him by an attendant and signed his name on the backdrop. Before he could hand it back, Liang Yu reached from behind him and took it, signing his own name right above Xu Jingzhe’s.
The host suddenly blushed for some reason. She stared at their signatures and blurted out, “Both of you have really nice handwriting!”
Xu Jingzhe had actually gotten a professional design a signature for him, and he had spent a lot of time practicing it. Liang Yu, on the other hand, clearly had not done that. He signed his name very casually. It was almost a betrayal towards the host’s conscience for her to have given it such a compliment.
The interview session was later in the schedule. The two of them first had to pose for the major media outlets. Xu Jingzhe’s suit was close in color to the black backdrop behind him, a deep purple with delicate gold embroidery woven into intricate patterns. He rarely wore such flamboyant and extravagant styles, but, somehow, the effect was even better than his previous red carpet looks. It highlighted his exceptionally delicate features and his thick, dark hair, bringing out his noble and restrained temperament to the fullest.
Liang Yu’s styling naturally went without saying. His fashion taste was universally recognized as the best in the industry. He attended all sorts of fashion events every year, and fashion bloggers often saw him as a benchmark. More importantly, Liang Yu wasn’t the type to follow the crowd. He picked out his brands himself, and he focused only on the design, not the country that it was based in. Not even the best of designers may possess such sharp fashion acumen.
The two of them didn’t linger in front of the backdrop for too long. The photographers wanted nothing more than to shout themselves hoarse just for the two to stay and take a few more pictures. Liang Yu gently guided Xu Jingzhe towards the host. He impatiently said, “No more photos. Give it a rest already. It’s annoying.”
Xu Jingzhe knew that he was genuinely fed up, so he didn’t drag his feet and headed straight for the interview area. The hosts here were Nian Bao and Cui Shuo from Phoenix TV, two old acquaintances. Xu Jingzhe wasn’t surprised to see them. He smiled and greeted them.
Nian Bao had always been known to be a fan of Xu Jingzhe. Upon seeing him, she couldn’t help but cup her face and let out a squeal of excitement. She also shot Liang Yu a jealous look and playfully said, “Mr. Liang, you have no idea just how jealous us fans are of you!”
Liang Yu raised an eyebrow. He played along and shamelessly replied, “I’m so sorry about that. I’ll make sure to love on him on your behalf.”
Nian Bao let out another screech, seemingly about to swat him. Cui Shuo quickly pretended to intervene, joking, “Stop fighting over me, you two!”
In order to maintain his image, Xu Jingzhe had to put in quite a bit of effort to hold back his laughter. The four of them were just too familiar with each other. They ended up having a little bit too much fun, and they didn’t get through very many serious questions either. Nian Bao even went so far as to ask about their wedding date. She said that, since they were already engaged, they might as well get married as soon as possible so that she can finally give up on Xu Jingzhe.
Surprisingly, Liang Yu didn’t shy away from the question, responding, “We’ll probably get married by the end of this year. If you give us a big red envelope, I’ll let you be a flower girl. You’re just the right age for it.”
On the one hand, Nian Bao was thrilled that she was “young enough” to be a flower girl. On the other hand, however, she was tormented by how Liang Yu was so blatantly trying to “rob” her. Her entire face was scrunched up, and she said, “You really are a bad guy! A heart-stealing villain!”
A staff member subtly reminded them of the time. With most of the questions out of the way, Liang Yu and Xu Jingzhe said their goodbyes to Nian Bao and Cui Shuo before following the crowd into the venue and settling down in their seats.
The venue for the Starlight Awards was huge. The seats had plenty of space between them as well. Celebrities that got along were seated close to each other, and celebrities that didn’t were seated far, far apart. It was hard to make out faces under the dim lighting.
Liang Yu and Xu Jingzhe naturally had the best seats in the entire venue. Yang Jierui and Zhang Man even had the power to pick and choose their neighbors. In addition to the cast of Xu Jingzhe’s latest drama, Green Water, the cast of Liang Yu’s holiday film was also seated nearby. Luo Yaoye and several guests from Have We Slept Together Today were definitely the closest in proximity to them. Surprisingly enough, FigureTeenager, a time limited group that recently debuted through Produce Camp, was also seated near them. It wasn’t clear if Yang Jierui had arranged this or if it was just something that Pheonix TV had decided to do, but they were seated very close to Xu Jingzhe and Liang Yu. In fact, Tang Mian and Liang Yu were separated by just a single aisle. The group even came by to say their hellos before sitting down.
“Hello, Mr. Liang. Hello, Mr. Xu.” Tang Mian really did have a very well-behaved appearance. His face was young, like a budding flower beneath the venue lights.
Xu Jingzhe noticed his large, slightly upturned eyes. When he smiled, two small dimples would be carved out of his cheeks.
Liang Yu nodded perfunctorily and considered their greetings done with. Xu Jingzhe smiled politely and replied, “Hello.”
Tang Mian’s gaze fell upon his face, scrutinizing him rather imprudently. Xu Jingzhe let him stare until Liang Yu spoke up, somewhat displeased, “What are you looking at?” His expression turned sour, coldly saying, “Didn’t Yang Jierui tell you to sit still and not run around?”
Tang Mian obediently let out an “oh”. He then apologetically said in a low voice, “Sorry, Mr. Liang. I was wrong.”
He then bowed his head towards Xu Jingzhe and said rather pitifully, “Mr. Xu, I’m sorry. I’ve disturbed you, haven’t I? I’ll leave first then.”
Xu Jingzhe continued to smile at him and said, “Mn, you can go.”
Tang Mian: “…”
Liang Yu didn’t really understand the subtle confrontation between the two of them, but Tang Mian seemed rather reluctant to leave. Xiao Luo and Zhu Xiaoxiao arrived a little later. The makeup artists had come with them as well, ready to touch up Xu Jingzhe and Liang Yu’s makeup.
“Hold on.” Xu Jingzhe suddenly stood up. He patted Liang Yu’s leg and said, “Switch seats with me.”
“?” Liang Yu was flabbergasted. “What for?”
Xu Jingzhe glanced at him. Then, he glances at Tang Mian on the other side of the aisle. Finally, Xu Jingzhe lowered his head and kissed the tip of Liang Yu’s nose, coaxing him, “Your seat has the perfect angle to capture my left side. You know my left side is my good side.”
He’s so jealous 🤣🤣
Thanks for the chapter ❤️
💖💖💖💖
Hehehe
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡