One year later.
“Taste delicious food, admire the beautiful scenery, learn about local conditions and customs, and discuss the streets and alleys. Welcome, dear viewers, to the program “Have you tried this?” on B city television station’s Travel Satellite TV! I’m your host, Qianqian!” The beautiful hostess blinked in front of the camera, causing her small fan-like fake eyelashes to flutter. Ling Xi, who was standing outside the scene, was concerned about her eyelashes falling out.
“I, Qianqian, will take you to a chain milk tea shop today. Those of you sitting in front of the television must wonder: What makes this milk tea shop unique? In our program, we’ve always explored the streets and alleys to find snacks. Why did we choose to focus on this particular chain store today? In fact, this store is truly exceptional.” The hostess’ narration was delightful: “This milk tea shop suddenly opened in several Chinese cities at the same time a year ago. The owner appeared to be wealthy and domineering, and he drew a lot of attention. Their milk tea is not only reasonably priced, but it also tastes fantastic. Their tea bags are said to be air-freighted directly from Hong Kong Island and their milk is also imported from Sheep Country…”
For a while, the hostess stood in front of the store and exaggerated wildly. She praised a cup of ordinary milk tea to high heaven, from the raw materials used to the technique to the packaging. Ling Xi, who was standing next to her, blushed slightly when he heard it.
Following the cancellation of the contract with the talent agency, Ling Xi introduced the Ling Ling Xi milk tea store into the market as planned. Initially, he intended to occupy one or two cities. An Ruifeng took the initiative to turn in his passbook, which gave him the confidence to promote in multiple cities at the same time. His selling price was five yuan higher than the average market chain beverage store, but his turnover was consistent due to the advantage provided by carefully selected quality raw materials, along with a small celebrity effect. When Andrew’s commercial, starring An Ruifeng, hit the market, the spike in sales was uncontrollable, much like ejaculation.
There were two sorts of Ling Ling Xi milk tea establishments. The first was a milk tea business on the streets and alleyways, where customers couldn’t stay and had to leave after purchasing; the second was comparable to a cafe, where the milk tea was served with desserts and cakes with higher consumption, allowing consumers to enjoy delicious food in the store.
Although the investment money had not been fully recovered after one year, it was very close to being returned. It was anticipated that his stores would reach pure profitability within a few months. A year’s net profit was quite impressive. He was now worth many times more than he was when he was a minor artist.
“Have you tried this?” was a popular tourism food program. The program team had contacted Ling Xi several times in order to interview him, but he had repeatedly refused. Later, they approached his former agent Wu Youpeng directly to explain the situation, to which Ling Xi reluctantly agreed. He used to be afraid of on-the-spot interviews when he was a performing artist. There was nothing he could say every time he faced the camera’s pitch-black lens.
Ling Xi was welcomed into the scene by the hostess, who asked him several questions.
The questions she posed had been discussed in advance with Ling Xi. Ling Xi recited the answers as if they were memorized, following the prescribed answers to the letter. When the interview was about to end, the hostess unexpectedly asked a question that had not been communicated in advance.
The hostess inquired: “Ling Xi, may I ask you one more question? I believe the viewers in front of the television are very interested in this question. For a long time, everyone has been guessing. I’m hoping Boss Ling can give us an answer today.”
Ling Xi patiently stated: “What exactly is the question? It cannot involve trade secrets.”
“It’s definitely not a trade secret!” The hostess extended three fingers and swore: “I’ve seen many fans on the Internet speculate that Drama King An Ruifeng has a stake in Ling Ling Xi milk tea stores, so he doesn’t get any endorsement fee to advertise and endorse Ling Ling Xi milk tea stores. May I ask you to answer this question in our program today?”
If it were not for scruples due to being on camera, Ling Xi genuinely wanted to roll his eyes. Programs these days utilize all kinds of tricks in order to capture ratings. A good food show had to come and try to find out celebrity gossip. Is it possible for people to sell milk tea happily?
Ling Xi gave an appropriate smile and shrugged in front of the camera: “It looks like I’m going to disappoint everyone. Ling Ling Xi Milk Tea Shop is a chain store that I entirely own. An Ruifeng does not hold any shares.”
Of course An Ruifeng did not have Ling Ling Xi shares. However, he held Ling Xi shares.
After sending out the gossipy food program crew, Ling Xi stretched his body and returned to the store. Today, “Have you tried this?” chose a branch where desserts and milk tea were sold. The interview time was deliberately set to avoid the peak flow of customers, yet when the interview was over, the shop less than 80 square meters was full with people. There were still numerous young girls queuing at the door.
Ling Xi looked at his watch and summoned a shop assistant to inquire, “It’s only past four o’clock now. Why are there so many people?”
The shop assistant employed a “isn’t this trouble created by your smiling little fairy” attitude to look at him, and sighed: “Boss, didn’t you ask the TV station to come over for an interview? Just now, when the camera team came in, some fans wrongly thought that An Ruifeng would come to this store later, and hurried to An Ruifeng’s fan site and posted a message. As a result, this group of people flocked here. Those who are standing at the door refuse to leave. As soon as we go over they want us to take orders. We can’t drive away the folks who bought items, right?”
It was no wonder that fans believed that An Ruifeng had a stake in Ling Ling Xi because An Ruifeng’s enthusiasm for this store was absolutely strange. Fans had photographed An Ruifeng arriving and leaving the Ling Ling Xi milk tea business on the wayside innumerable times. Ling Ling Xi also delivered dozens of cups of milk tea and dozens of desserts to the cast and crew every week for the team to enjoy during tea break.
“Others are fatigued and lose weight while filming,” a certain actress who used to be on the same crew as him complained. “Only in our group is everyone gaining weight. An Ruifeng’s tea breaks are absolutely delicious. Occasionally, while reading the script, I unknowingly consume a cup of milk tea. I’m not even going to try to count the calories!”
As a result, when the camera crew arrived today, some fans misinterpreted, believing that the TV station was there to interview An Ruifeng.
The more the fans thought about it, the more suspicious they became of this store. They had visited this store before. Why was the floor so immaculately clean only today? Why did the arrangement of cakes on the sales counter today appear to have been done using a ruler? Why was Ling Xi, the “nominal” boss, only present today? It had to be because An Ruifeng was on his way!
The fans appeared to be incarnations of Sherlock Holmes, their eyes searching for clues inch by inch — look, the TV set in the store is looping An Ruifeng’s commercial for Ling Ling Xi. This was a very interesting advertisement shot in the first person. An Ruifeng wore a fresh woolen coat and went for a walk in the snow during the snowy winter. He walked step by step, his gaze fixed on the camera as if he were staring at his sweetheart, a happy and satisfied smile on his face. Outside the scene, the “lover” extended their hand and handed him a cup of milk tea. An Ruifeng bowed his head, sipped his tea, and exhaled, his breath condensing into a misty cloud. He caressed his “lover’s” cheek and then went away slowly, holding the “lover’s” hand.
From the beginning to the conclusion, An Ruifeng didn’t have a line, nor did the person who acted with him appear on screen, yet he caught all the audience just by depending on his expressions, making them feel that he was in a relationship with them.
In the wake of An Ruifeng’s fading figure, the commercial theme song written and arranged by Ling Xi himself was inserted at this time—
You’ve seen so much scenery, am I the one you dream about?
You’ve met so many people, am I the one you cannot live without?
My wish is great, I desire it to be me.
Only for destined ones, Ling Ling Xi milk tea.
At the time, as soon as this advertisement that abused single dogs to death aired, the female fans collapsed one after the other. They stormed into the milk tea shop, yelling, “An Ruifeng, you must marry me in the next life,” and swept away all of the milk tea. An Ruifeng specifically thanked the fans for supporting his friend Ling Xi’s business in an interview after learning that his ad had received such a massive response.
Fans were well aware that An Ruifeng and Ling Xi were like blood brothers. Furthermore, all of the signs today were so unusual that they were convinced An Ruifeng would definitely appear in this store today!
Ling Xi, who couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry, gave the shop assistant instructions: “Go and explain to them, An Ruifeng is going for a magazine photoshoot today and won’t be able to come here.”
He’d barely finished speaking when he heard the fans outside the store burst out in raucous cheers, almost enough to topple the roof. He subconsciously returned his gaze to the source of the sound, and saw that the man he was certain would not be there was standing in front of the store, waving to him, surrounded by bodyguards and assistants.
An Ruifeng took a long time to sign autographs for all of the fans at the door, after which Ling Xi rushed him to the staff break room behind the counter.
“What brings you here?” Ling Xi inquired: “Didn’t you say you were very busy today when you left in the morning?”
Seeing they were alone, An Ruifeng drew him into his arms and kissed him, saying, “I knew you were pretending to sleep in the morning.”
“No, no, no, I was really asleep in the morning,” Ling Xi said as he promptly covered his butt.
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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“It’s not an emergency.” An Ruifeng grabbed Ling Xi’s waist with both hands, hugged him, and spun in a circle. Ling Xi had no idea what he was going to do and had subconsciously wrapped his legs around An Ruifeng’s waist, as well as his arms around his neck. Despite the fact that they had been together for a long time, Ling Xi blushed when he was so close to this handsome face.
An Ruifeng hugged him and moved over to the sofa to take a seat, inviting Ling Xi to straddle his lap. “It’s not an emergency; it’s excellent news.”
“The Golden Panda Award nominees were announced this morning…”Jian Jue Tianxia” garnered twelve nominations, encompassing nearly all of the main TV series categories. The most important thing is that the ending song for “Jian Jue Tianxia,” which you wrote, has been nominated for the Most Popular TV Soundtrack Award!” An Ruifeng was thrilled. He hadn’t been this ecstatic even when he won the Drama King title the previous year. Now that his beloved had been nominated, he rushed over, eager to share the good news with him as quickly as possible.
“…Oh.” However, Ling Xi’s reaction to the nomination was mediocre, contrary to expectations. The fact that he was nominated did not guarantee that he would win the award. There were five finalists for the Golden Panda Award. Ling Xi honestly didn’t think he stood a chance of winning the honor.
“Jian Jue Tianxia” was broadcast six months ago. Ling Xi, who performed the ending song for the TV series and played the dog demon fourth apprentice in the play, inevitably became popular, as Zhu Linlin predicted. For a while, Ling Xi’s cute dog ears, naive nature, and sweet voice had made him a favorite of many female fans. Even the elderly ladies adored him. It was claimed that the episode in which he died in the arms of his master caused viewers to cry uncontrollably, soaking their pillowcases.
Because of its lovely melody and heartfelt emotion, the title track of “Jian Jue Tianxia,” which served as the show’s end-credit song, became a huge hit. Ling Xi, however, still couldn’t escape the curse of being the “Little Singer King of Two Yuan Stores” and this song was widely heard at the ‘two yuan can't buy you a loss, two yuan can't be fooled’ stores. No matter where, it’s melody could be heard…
The ending song’s nomination came as no surprise, but Ling Xi didn’t dare to dream for it – he had composed so many songs before leaving the entertainment circle, yet not a single one had ever received an award. Wasn’t it unthinkable for him to win an award after leaving the entertainment industry? The reality that he was nominated demonstrated his strength. Despite not canvassing or brushing votes, it had acquired such a high popularity rating, indicating that this music was genuinely popular.
An Ruifeng could tell by his expression what he was thinking after living with him for so long. He kissed his lips and whispered solemnly: “Ling Xi, when I was nominated for the first time, Xu-ge advised me: Don’t think about whether you can win the prize; first, prepare the award acceptance speech. It would be fantastic if you win the award…”
“What if you don’t win the award?”
“If you don’t win the award, save the speech for next year.” An Ruifeng paused, “But for you, I’m going to change it.”
Ling Xi gave him a suspicious glance.
“If you don’t win the award, read it to me in bed.”
Ling Xi, as expected, was upbeat: “OK, then I’ll write it now!”
※※※
The annual Golden Panda Award event was packed with brilliant celebrities. Ling Xi dressed up as An Ruifeng’s assistant and followed his assistance team into the venue about this time last year. He was wearing a uniformly dispersed black suit at the time and snuck in through the side door. But now, he stood candidly at the start of the red carpet with the other cast members of the drama team, waiting to step onto the red carpet and go to the signing board for an autograph and souvenir photos.
Ling Xi had never had the opportunity to walk the red carpet at such a renowned award presentation, let alone receive a nomination. If this had happened a few years ago, he could have been so excited over his large pie that he couldn’t sleep. But he had left the entertainment industry and became a big boss who could relax. Now, when he walked down the red carpet, he was neither excited nor nervous. Instead, he appeared to be at ease. Looking around at the bustling crowd, he felt a pang of nostalgia.
This time, many actors attended the award ceremony, including Bao Hui, who had a major feud with Ling Xi. He was the male lead in “Jian Jue Tianxia,” and he was nominated for “Most Popular Actor” based on TV ratings. If he won, An Ruifeng, the previous Drama King, would personally present him with the trophy. Last night, Ling Xi and An Ruifeng talked about it in bed. They both agreed that, given Bao Hui’s acting abilities and recent debut, his nomination was entirely based on idol canvassing and fan voting. His acting abilities were mediocre, and the judges were unlikely to award him the title of Drama King.
Ling Xi and Bao Hui were at the far ends of the crew. When their gazes met, they exchanged a smile.
Bao Hui: ^_^ Didn’t you open a restaurant?
Ling Xi: ^_^ Why hasn’t this moron been kicked out of the circle?
The mood was positive, as if two heads of state had just concluded a diplomatic meeting.
Ling Xi didn’t want to pay attention to him. When he looked to the left, he noticed Zhu Linlin removing her coat and handing it to her agent, revealing a scarlet full-length evening gown. She appeared slim and graceful. “Linlin, I heard you have a good momentum of progress recently?” said Ling Xi as he approached her for a greeting.
“Yes, thanks to An Ruifeng.” Zhu Linlin nodded, her face triumphant. At a critical moment, she’d pushed Ling Xi from behind and pushed him right out of the closet, allowing him to understand his affections for An Ruifeng. She could be said to have acted as cupid for them. An Ruifeng recalled her assistance and had pulled a few strings this year to introduce her to a few jobs. Zhu Linlin took advantage of the opportunity and participated in one of the most popular outdoor variety shows at the time. She dared to be adventurous while simultaneously working hard. Unlike those delicately pretty female celebrities, she had progressed from being only a foil to becoming a totally worthy show center.
They were both small fry struggling at the bottom of the circle not long ago. One was now a variety show queen, while the other was a food business nouveau riche. They realized how childish and ridiculous they’d been when they remembered their previous tit-for-tat.
An Ruifeng, who’d just finished a discussion with the director, came over to join Zhu Linlin and Ling Xi in their conversation. An Ruifeng got right to the point after exchanging a few pleasantries, saying: “By the way, the funding for my brother’s first directed film is now in place, and they’re looking for actors. Almost all of the roles have been cast, except for a minor role of a lesbian murderer, for which no suitable actor has yet been found. The few female stars they were interested in declined the role because they were concerned about their image. I only received the script yesterday. It has a similar feel to your style. Do you want to go for the audition?”
Despite the fact that it was a minor role, this film drew a lot of attention because it was Andrew, a former film emperor’s directorial debut. Wang Li Li was the film’s male lead, and he was the circle’s golden supporting male lead. Wang Li Li was taking on the role of the male lead for the first time. Senior actors took on all of the other roles. It was difficult for ordinary starlets to play in it. An Ruifeng knew how to conduct himself properly. He was introducing Zhu Linlin to a great job, but he never used the tone of “charity.” Instead, he seemed to be asking for her assistance, which made her happy.
Zhu Linlin was astute and appreciated his kindness. More importantly, she was aware that the only reason she was able to obtain An Ruifeng’s repeated support was due to her good intentions at the time. She did not deny the invitation and instead accepted it.
“Being a matchmaker for you guys has been the most profitable investment I’ve ever made.”
They were chatting about something when they heard a dog barking from the side. Ling Xi’s heartbeat quickened, and he turned to look towards the direction of the sound. He observed the little ancestor, as expected, sitting in its exclusive dog cage while being carried in its trainer’s hand. The cast and crew of “Jian Jue Tianxia” garnered the most nominations and the most attention in this year’s Golden Panda Award. All of the performers and creators had arrived at the location. The adorable and lovely little ancestor dog actor in the show couldn’t be forgotten, of course.
Ling Xi hadn’t seen the little ancestor in quite some time. He was concerned that the little ancestor might have forgotten about him. He hadn’t anticipated it smelling him from such a long distance. It paced around the cage, its small paws resting on the cage door, and its two black grape-like eyes stared at him unblinkingly. When the little ancestor saw Ling Xi return its look, he became even more thrilled, raised his neck, and called out, his tail swinging from side to side and pounding on the dog cage.
“Little ancestor!” Ling Xi dashed over, knelt, and opened the cage door. Whoosh! The little ancestor flew into his arms like an arrow, its big and fluffy foxlike tail wagging madly. It scared Ling Xi into quickly grasping its buttocks, fearful that it would wag its tail off.
An Ruifeng also adored the little ancestor and stood beside Ling Xi, teasing it with his fingers. The little ancestor was well-trained and never bit anyone. It extended its tiny pink tongue to lick An Ruifeng’s fingers.
When Ling Xi saw An Ruifeng smile after being licked by it, he had an epiphany: “Oh! So you enjoy being licked like this.”
“……” An Ruifeng withdrew his hand and said with a serious face: “This is a dog. What are you thinking about?”
Ling Xi was more serious than him: “I’m talking about fingers. What are you thinking about?”
When a staff member arrived to alert everyone that they were going to walk the red carpet, the two were seriously discussing matters that were inappropriate for children. The little ancestor was supposed to be placed in a cage and carried directly into the venue by the trainer through a small door, but Ling Xi refused to let go and insisted that he be permitted to carry it on the red carpet.
The director was not convinced: “There are a lot of flashbulbs. What if the dog jumps out of your arms and rushes around, scared?”
Ling Xi: “The trainer stated that it has seen more flashbulbs than I have. You’re worried it’ll be startled and run about, so you might as well be concerned about what to do if I’m startled and run around…”
An Ruifeng patted him on the shoulder: “It’s all right, I’m here. Nobody would dare to fertilize you.”
Finally, Ling Xi walked the red carpet while holding the little ancestor. In the play, they were initially one. They were both vibrant and adorable, with a childish heart. The demeanor of the little ancestor was that of a great general. As soon as Ling Xi stepped onto the red carpet while hugging it, numerous cameras focused on this unusual combination. Flashbulbs went off one after the other, and the shuttering noises continued. Ling Xi struggled to keep his smile under the harsh flashbulbs, but the small dog in his arms kept quiet the entire time.
An Ruifeng walked slowly alongside them. After all, this was Ling Xi’s first time walking the red carpet. He was concerned that Ling Xi would be involved in an accident. The more you worry about something, the more likely it is to occur. As a result, Ling Xi, blinded by the flashbulbs, failed to notice the ground and tripped over a fold on the red carpet. He was going to fall since he couldn’t control his balance while holding a dog. An Ruifeng instantly grabbed his shoulders and yanked him away from the red carpet, preventing him from making a spectacle of himself.
This unforeseen accident caught Ling Xi off guard, and he stood there with his heart pounding. An Ruifeng came to a halt and enquired in hushed tones if he was all right. He gathered his thoughts, glanced at An Ruifeng, and mouthed OK.
The adorable doggie sat in Ling Xi’s arms, sticking out its tongue foolishly, while Ling Xi, who was holding it, raised his head to face An Ruifeng — Later, this photograph of two men walking with a dog was reprinted by numerous media outlets, with the captions “the warmest scene at the Golden Panda Award” and “the cutest combo at the Golden Panda Award,” prompting many fans to humorously refer to these photos as the “family of three group photos.”
They arrived at the autograph area after strolling down the red carpet. Ling Xi accepted the proffered pen and signed his name on the one-person tall display board. This was his first and possibly last appearance at such an awards ceremony, therefore he took his signature very seriously. Every stroke of his pen was significantly more deliberate than when he signed on the line specified by the legal representative of the company.
An Ruifeng, who had already signed his name and took the little ancestor from his arms, did not press him and waited quietly for him to sign. Ling Xi used so much force that the strokes would have pierced paper if he had been writing on it. Ling Xi peered at the two characters for a whole minute after finishing the last stroke before putting down the pen in his hand.
“All right, let’s go.” He was relieved.
He’d made the decision to leave a long time ago. Even if he had regrets, he would not regret his original decision.
An Ruifeng nodded and followed him into the venue.
Each Golden Panda Award had a similar theme. The award hall was adorned with gold panda decorations, and even the chairs of invited guests were embossed with panda busts. Ling Xi sat in the back row last year, and the chair was narrow and hard. He could now relax comfortably on the plush satin chair with his name on it and await the trophy. It felt fantastic.
“I’m perfectly content just being able to sit on it,” Ling Xi remarked as he sat down with the dog in his arms and moved his butt comfortably.
An Ruifeng: “I’m going to be jealous if you say that. Why haven’t I heard you compliment me after I’ve let you sit so many times?”
“…Excuse me, there is a lady here,” said Zhu Linlin, who was sitting on the side.
Ling Xi stated impressively: “Aiya! Sorry, I forgot that you were still single.”
Zhu Linlin: “Hehe, I thought you were going to say I’m a single dog.”
Ling Xi hastily covered the little ancestors’ ears with his palms and yelled angrily: “Don’t attack dogs. The little ancestor was sterilized in six months. It cannot breed due to physiological factors. You cannot find a girlfriend because of your personality.”
When the lights dimmed and the personnel in charge of the event came to inform everyone that the award ceremony was about to begin and requested everyone to sit quietly, Zhu Linlin had assumed the posture of wanting to hit him. Zhu Linlin could only smooth her skirt with a black face and sit elegantly on the comfortable soft chair, but because of the conversation she had just had with AnLing, she felt contradictory no matter how she sat.
The Golden Panda Awards’ hosts had always been a set pair. For several years, two senior hosts from the anchor circle had hosted the awards ceremony. Within minutes of appearing on stage, they joked that they had seen the list of finalists backstage and discovered that a certain TV series appeared frequently among the nominations this year; its momentum was very strong.
Following their introduction, the lighting engineer focused on the cast and crew of “Jian Jue Tianxia,” who were seated closest to the podium. The director stood proudly and along with his team waved his hand in greeting to the other actors and creators. No one else could compete with their star power.
With 55 awards in four categories, the Golden Panda Award was the highest honor bestowed upon Panda Country’s television programs. The cast and crew of “Jian Jue Tianxia” received twelve nominations for the 17 awards in the TV series category. Even though a nomination did not guarantee an award, it could fully demonstrate the audience’s adoration. The director and the creative team had collaborated for several years. It wasn’t the first time they’d sat down to accept an award, but it was certainly the first time they’d received so many nominations.
An Ruifeng did not accept any TV series this year, but he was nominated for “The Most Popular Supporting Actor” for his role as a master in “Jian Jue Tianxia,” despite only appearing in ten episodes. However, he understood that regardless of the criteria, the judges would not be able to grant him the trophy. As a result, one of the twelve nominations was automatically removed from the list of possible winners.
If you count the art awards, special effects awards, and lighting awards that did not hold a dominant position, only a few key ones could win the prize.
Despite mentally preparing himself, the director’s expression was not at all calm when he observed the trophies being given to others one after the other. The director’s face looked increasingly unsightly, especially when the editing award, which he was convinced they would win, ended up in the hands of another team.
The surrounding teams glanced at them sympathetically – it wasn’t the first time that a team that had been nominated for multiple trophies ended up winning only one or two. Such teams frequently relied on celebrities for support and received great ratings, but they fell short of the standards for winning awards.
Fortunately, the screenwriter daren easily won the Best Original Screenplay award, saving some of “Jian Jue Tianxia’s” face; otherwise, the director would like to leave with his team at this point.
The awards were announced and given out one at a time. The procedure was as dull as a dishwasher. Ling Xi was very energetic at first, but when he saw that the honors were going to other crews, he grew exhausted. Presumably, his nomination for “The Most Popular TV Soundtrack” award had little chance of success.
He was bored, and the little ancestor he was holding was much more so. It had been calmly resting in Ling Xi’s arms for more than 30 minutes and was now at its most fidgety. It kept kicking in his arms, trying to jump down and play.
Ling Xi couldn’t let it go. He’d made a pact with the director to keep the little ancestor with him diligently, and there was no way he’d break his pledge. But the tighter he held the little ancestor, the more it squirmed; and the more it squirmed, the tighter he held it. One man and one dog were on the verge of a fight. Angrily, the little ancestor stretched out its two front paws and patted his face.
“The award for music is up next. Let me remark that the shortlisted TV drama’s theme songs are quite beautiful, and the award-winning one is very popular. The small shop downstairs of my house even has it on repeat.”
Ling Xi was completely unconcerned about the honors being awarded on stage at this time. All of his focus was on the small dog, which he was trying to keep in his arms.
“Now, let us enjoy this lovely theme tune – congratulations to the “Jian Jue Tianxia” team and the creator on winning the ‘Most Popular TV Soundtrack’ award!”
The musical composition that Ling Xi was quite familiar with floated in the venue before the presenter could finish speaking. The crisp and refreshing male voice, combined with the melodic song, immediately transported listeners back to the plot of “Jian Jue Tianxia.” They thought they saw an aloof immortal on a sword racing across the sky, pursuing the Great Dao.
The camera panned to Ling Xi, who was menacing the little ancestor in his arms and forcing him into his embrace.
Even the other nominees couldn’t help laughing as his embarrassment played out on the big screen. Everyone applauded and smiled with kindness. Ling Xi gazed around in confusion, his head a blank space. Finally, his gaze was drawn to An Ruifeng, who sat beside him. Those two eyes, with which he’d spent countless evenings and early mornings intertwined, were smiling at him with pride.
“Congratulations,” An Ruifeng praised: “Ling Xi, you won the award.”
Ling Xi stood up and took a few steps towards the podium, perplexed, until he heard everyone guffawing and realized something was amiss! — He still had the dog in his arms! But he was already halfway to the stage, and it was improper for him to return and put the dog down. He could only bite the bullet and take quick steps to the podium while holding the little ancestor.
The presenter had never seen such an unconventional award winner before, but the rules didn’t say he couldn’t go on stage while holding a dog, so he handed the trophy to Ling Xi’s hands while laughing heartily.
“Uh…thank you all…uh, thanks,” Ling Xi muttered incoherently, holding the trophy in one hand and the dog in the other. He’d prepared the award acceptance speech since learning he’d been nominated and had even practiced it every night in front of the bathroom mirror after having a shower, but when he really won the award, he couldn’t recall a single word.
It had been far too long since he’d been in the spotlight, and far too long since he’d written a song in the hopes of winning the prize. He once yearned for his considerable efforts to be recognized, but this recognition came so long after he had left the circle.
He was no longer delighted by this honor after such a long time; he simply felt ineffable.
He…won the award?
Ling Xi’s mood was complicated as he held this trophy, the gold content of which was neither high nor low. He finished the shortest acceptance speech of the past award winners, dragged the dog’s buttocks up and hugged him, bowed a full ninety degrees to the audience, and hurried quickly down the podium.
But, halfway through, he abruptly turned around and stepped in front of the microphone again, much to everyone’s surprise.
Even the most seasoned host was unable to handle this unforeseen change.
But Ling Xi didn’t require anything from him. He took a deep breath, stood in front of the microphone, abruptly lifted up the trophy, and spoke—
“Last year at this time, I was sitting in the audience, watching other people receive awards, applauding for others, and wishing others well. At the time, I hoped desperately that I would also win an award so that I could make my loved ones and those who care about me happy and proud. I’d like to thank the Golden Panda for allowing me to win this trophy in such an unexpected circumstance, and for giving my lover something he can talk about and brag about for the rest of his life. Even if we are old and gray-haired, I believe he will point to the trophy and tell the guests at home, “Look, although my family’s old boss is not the most popular singer, he once wrote the most popular song.””
Ling Xi finished what was probably the most romantic award acceptance speech ever, and walked down the stairs with the trophy dazed by the crowd’s applause.
The entire team was so shocked by Ling Xi’s confession that no one remembered to congratulate him for a while. Previous award winners had to be polite when they came on stage, thanking the judges, the crew, the audience, and talking about their own experiences. Only Ling Xi deviated from the norm, with three of four sentences focusing on his mysterious lover.
An Ruifeng was the first to rise, and as he took the little ancestor from Ling Xi’s arms, he extended his hand and shook hands with him.
In the eyes of the other artists around them, the two hot palms clasped tightly together looked like nothing more than two close brothers, but only Ling Xi knew that An Ruifeng’s eyes were full of love as he looked at him.
As other awards were being handed on stage, they both took their seats. They had no intention of paying attention.
If An Ruifeng hadn’t had to wait until he walked on stage to present the Drama King award, he would’ve left it all behind and taken Ling Xi with him, celebrating this honor in every way he could fantasize of.
He had always suspected that Ling Xi had a knot in his heart since his efforts had not yielded the desired results. Even though he had left the entertainment industry and was doing well in the food industry, he couldn’t fill the vacuum in his heart. But now, this award had filled the void and made the final regret in his heart disappear.
Despite his claim that he had little chance of winning the honor, Ling Xi was as overjoyed as if he had been hit by a shooting star when the trophy was placed in his hands. With the trophy, he teased the little ancestor. The little ancestor peered curiously for a while before whimpering and biting the small panda on the trophy. Ling Xi, distraught, quickly removed his hand. An Ruifeng watched his shenanigans with it and desired he could see him like this for the rest of his life.
While playing, Ling Xi abruptly halted his hand motions, peered at the trophy for a moment, then raised his head and looked suspiciously at An Ruifeng’s face. After a thorough examination of his expression, he lowered his voice and asked, “AnAn, tell me the truth. Did you purchase this award for me?”
An Ruifeng did not respond directly. Instead, when no one was looking, he quietly covered Ling Xi’s hand.
He grasped the other party’s smooth and warm hand and traced the guitar calluses on the other party’s fingertips, vaguely and ambiguously misleading him: “What if I bought this award, and what if I didn’t buy it?”
Ling Xi’s expression was neither too dismayed nor too confident as a result of this response. He looked around very carefully, and when he saw that no one else was looking at him, he opened his mouth and whispered, blushing with shame—
“Actually, I want to win a Young Entrepreneur award.”
An Ruifeng burst out laughing. He reasoned that he had ample time to accompany Ling Xi and pluck all the buds that piqued his interest.
[End]
Author’s Note:
Yes, the 185,000 word text is over!
This is not a story about personal struggle. It lacks the ‘fighting against all odds and bettering yourself in hardship’ feel. Rather, it is the story of a protagonist who finds true love after climbing the 12th tier and happily sits and goes down the slide.
Ling Xi and An Ruifeng are completely different individuals, or Ling Xi is absolutely different from all of the other artists in this story. Everyone wants to reach the top and prove their ability; everyone has ambitions and dreams. However, Ling Xi did not. Even at the start, he signed a contract because he wanted to sing, not because he wanted to be famous. After eleven years of tossing and turning, he discovered that few people listened to his singing, so he gladly let it go.
His lightheartedness is also what I like the most about him. His sadness will never last more than three minutes.
An Ruifeng is not the same as Ling Xi. He is ambitious and has skills, and his hardware is up to the standard(not that hardware). As he stated when he received the Drama King title, the recognition of his acting abilities and good appearance helped him succeed. He was also very kind to Ling Xi. When he was tempted, he took the initiative to pursue and seduce. After the two got together, he prioritized Ling Xi in everything. Ling Xi was inseparable from him because of his gentleness.
They are two completely different people that happen to cross paths.
They happily fell in love. I hope you like it.
I’m still debating whether to write a separate story for gege and Li-ge or add another extra. I’m afraid of writing a separate story _(:з」∠)_ but I really like this pair.
T/N: The author then goes on to talk about the book’s extras and cover page. Yes, this story has been published in Mandarin.
Translator:
A perfect ending.
Thank you so much for this translation, I enjoyed it immensely!
‘…happily going down the slide.” Perfectly description of LX. 😂. Thank you
Thank you so much 💓
Yes the perfect ending ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you so much for the hard work… I enjoyed reading Ling Xi and An Ruifeng story so much (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Thank you so much for your translation 💕
Awww~ sweet ending is sweet :3
Thx for the ch ٩( >ヮ<)۶
Thank you so much for translating this treasure!!
I honestly love every single bit of it (and even want more, thank the author theres still extras) Ling Xi is so precious that im glad that An Ruifeng is his ML
Totally love this novel. Thank you for all the hardwork!
Yah a perfect ending happily ever after 🎆 thanks for your time and patience for translating this piece of work… it was a good company for my boring life. Love it ❤️❤️🥰
Sometimes in life you get on for a different journey at some point and that okay. Everyone wants to win but what about those who couldnt? Everyone has to find joy in their life because we only live once.
It has really helped me lot in this current situation of my life. Seriously, Ling Xi is what I aspire to be in my life. Worry free about things and passing the life with positivity. Sadly, like him I lack supporters who will tell me to do as I wish. Ling Xi actually made me realize even if I have to go on the path what others tells me to go…I can always do the things I want in future. Maybe after 10 or 11 years I will have a small business of my own a personal thing which will have my love.
Also loved this story. Never expected to like it this much. Thanks to the transaleter for putting your efforts in it
This novel was really, really well written. The dialogue was awesome, the characters really likeable. I like that both characters were open and not playing games . Older brother was awesome and the agents were fantastic especially Wu. Great reading all around, really liked it. Thank you writer and translator, great job !
They let him bring the dog into the event hall just like that?? But but people may have dog allergies and get rashes and stuff from the fur, needed to have a scene where they confirm with the event coordinator if this is OK…
Such a sweet read! Gonna miss them… 😢
Thanks for the chapter <3
Thank you for the translation 🥰 I really loved and enjoyed this novel! ♥️♥️♥️
I really appreciate Ling Xi lightheadedness in this novel, sometimes that is a characteristic I want to have.
Such a unique and beautiful story. Thank you so much for your kindness sharing this with us ❤️👏🙏🧧
This novel was completely different from what I expected: something cliché and sweet full of slaps in the face, but I ended up receiving something calm, beautiful, realistic and enjoyable to read. By far it’s not the most engaging or emotional story I’ve read with the hottest couple drowning in the hot and suffocating love I like, but it definitely ranks among my top 20 most beautiful and enviable couples, with MC and ML realistic and different from classics I will never forget.
thank you so much for this heartwarming story!!!!