At ten thousand meters above sea level, the sunlight pierced through the windows.
At the end of the vast continent that stretched for thousands of miles, a blue bay finally appeared. Soon, the flight would land in Paris.
Stretching lazily after a long nap, Jiang Si yawned and took the script from Rong Ke’s hands. “Haven’t you finished filming your scenes yet?”
Jolted from his thoughts, Rong Ke withdrew from his character. “Almost done.”
Those who had been on set knew that waiting was the norm during filming.
Waiting for lighting, waiting for set-ups, waiting for scenes to be arranged. As a minor character, Rong Ke had to wait for his scenes as well, and need not be constantly present on set.
Hence, even though his scenes weren’t completed, he had ample time to accompany Jiang Si to Paris Fashion Week.
“Don’t take such roles anymore,” Jiang Si flipped through the script nonchalantly before tossing it back to Rong Ke. “I don’t want my boyfriend playing a laborer on and off screen.”
The thin script landed in Rong Ke’s hands, covered in more handwritten notes than lines.
Unperturbed by this recurring topic, Rong Ke let the words pass through one ear and out the other, replying offhandedly, “Okay.”
In early October in Paris, the chilly wind carried a lingering warmth.
The streets teemed with media gathered for Fashion Week, cameras long and short omnipresent. Celebrities seeking exposure were everywhere, as if Fashion Week’s main attraction wasn’t the fashion but the spotlight-hungry stars.
Ten minutes before the start of CVV’s spring/summer showcase, final adjustments were still being made to Jiang Si’s outfit.
“Don’t stand in the way!”
“Film my vlog from the front!”
“Are the hot search trends ready?”
Making their Fashion Week runway debut thanks to CVV’s invitation, Jiang Si and his team lacked experience.
The brand’s designer hurriedly tended to the feathers on the outfit as the hairstylist seized every opportunity to tame the unruly strands.
The cramped artist’s tent buzzed with activity, except for the idle Rong Ke, who could not join the frenzy and left for the backstage area instead.
CVV’s spring/summer showcase comprised four segments, each featuring a celebrity showstopper. Jiang Si was one of them.
Initially, Jiang Si excitedly informed Rong Ke about the other three prominent figures, boasting that walking alongside them would elevate his status far above that of other popular actors back home.
Rong Ke, who was not very interested in these things, listened and then forgot. So when he arrived outside the tent and saw the “YZ” sign on the neighboring tent, he couldn’t recall who that person was for a moment.
The showcase commenced over twenty minutes late, but no one in the audience complained.
Watching the runway from the backstage monitors, Rong Ke had to admit that top-tier fashion shows were truly a feast for the eyes.
The models streamed out in a seamless flow, each tall and long-legged, making even the fashions Rong Ke couldn’t comprehend seem reasonable here.
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.
As over a dozen looks graced the runway one by one, the first segment neared its conclusion. It was Jiang Si’s turn to take the stage.
Clad in black, his features chiseled, he strode to the front in sync with the music’s beats, striking a pose. Though not a professional model, his 1.87m height and handsome face held their own among the models.
The invited domestic media in the audience clapped supportively. Rong Ke captured the moment on his phone too—who wouldn’t want to record their lover’s shining moment?
The show lasted about forty minutes, and Rong Ke’s attention waned after Jiang Si’s segment ended.
He wasn’t very interested in fashion, so his excitement for the show was not high. He found his gaze drifting towards his phone when a collective “Wow” erupted around him.
Glancing back at the stage, the fourth segment had begun, the final showstopper was a shirtless Asian man in white trousers, adorned only with unique silver chains draped across his torso.
His distinct features seemed a diverse mix—deep-set eyes, a chiseled nose bridge exuding Nordic aloofness yet Latin charisma, creating an altogether striking visage.
Fortunately, this striking image didn’t linger. The cameras swiftly pan down from his face to his defined Adam’s apple, collarbones, chiseled chest, and abdomen before showcasing his entire physique.
Muscular arms, a slender waist—an impeccable physique.
Even through the screen, Rong Ke felt a tinge of awe.
It was only then that he remembered the neighboring tent’s “YZ” was referring to Yan Zhi, a fashion icon even Rong Ke, who wasn’t deeply involved in the fashion industry, knew.
The son of legendary supermodel Yan Fei, raised backstage and groomed as the godson of fashion patriarchs, his renowned fashion instincts made him a consultant for numerous luxury brands. He even spearheaded the recent fetish trend revival.
No wonder walking alongside him elevated Jiang Si’s profile.
As Rong Ke pondered this, Jiang Si and Yan Zhi returned to the runway trailing the models for the final walk.
The other two celebrity guests being women, their presence alongside Yan Zhi didn’t trigger comparisons. Jiang Si, however, paled in contrast.
Though similar in height when walking side-by-side, Yan Zhi’s broader shoulders and longer arms made Jiang Si’s proportions seem almost pitiful—even Jiang Si’s boyfriend, Rong Ke, couldn’t help but frown and avert his gaze.
After the designers’ final bow, the spring/summer showcase concluded.
The backstage overflowed with chattering models and staff. Rong Ke waded through the crowd towards the artists’ tent when a “wall” suddenly materialized before him.
The “wall” was shirtless with fair skin, and a few familiar chains hanging on his shoulders.
Rong Ke tilted his head slightly and glanced at the side of the “wall,” confirming that it was Yan Zhi.
Rong Ke glanced at Yan Zhi’s profile as the latter headed towards the same tent, likely to remove his makeup.
Without much thought, Rong Ke was about to avert his gaze when a feathered earring slipped from Yan Zhi’s lobe, fluttering past his shoulder and landing right in Rong Ke’s palm.
Naturally, one should return lost items.
According to Rong Ke’s knowledge, Yan Zhi had never been part of the domestic entertainment circle, nor made public appearances in the country. He most likely had poor Chinese proficiency, if any at all.
Meanwhile, Rong Ke’s English wasn’t great either, rendering him mute abroad. Thus, between speaking and gesturing, he opted for the latter.
He gently tapped Yan Zhi’s shoulder and offered the earring back.
Yan Zhi turned, glancing first at Rong Ke, then at the earring, before his gaze settled on Rong Ke’s face.
Previously separated by a screen, the brief camera shots hadn’t allowed Rong Ke a proper look. Now, up close, he noticed Yan Zhi’s porcelain skin, light brown eyes, and lush lashes fanning out like delicate feathers, amplifying his striking presence.
Inadvertently evoking images of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
If the goddess of beauty had a tangible form, it should be at this level of beauty, right?
Their shared glance lasted but a moment before the “Aphrodite” uttered a soft “Merci” and retrieved the earring from Rong Ke’s palm.
Rong Ke nearly forgot they were in France—”merci” was one of the two French phrases he understood, meaning “thank you.”
He maintained his silence, rejoining the crowd towards Jiang Si’s tent.
By the time Jiang Si had removed his makeup and changed, the afterparty had begun at the venue.
Dimly lit, pulsing music filled the dancefloor as models and celebrities let loose, freed from professional restraints. Jiang Si seemed especially exhilarated, appearing remarkably assimilated into the Parisian social scene for a first-timer.
Rong Ke felt bored drinking alone for a while and was about to head back to the hotel when Jiang Si, who had disappeared somewhere, returned to his side and led him to the smoking area in a corner.
“Jeff and his boyfriend invited us over.” The thumping music required Jiang Si to raise his voice despite the relative privacy.
—Jeff was CVV’s lead designer who had spent time in Jiang Si’s tent before the showcase.
“When?” Rong Ke asked.
“Now,” Jiang Si replied.
“Now?” Rong Ke was somewhat surprised and raised his wrist, checking the late hour approaching 11 p.m.
One gay couple inviting another gay couple to their place late at night, besides playing a foursome, Rong Ke couldn’t think of any other reason.
Before he could voice his reservations, Jiang Si seemed to sense his resistance and reasoned, “We’re abroad, Rong Ke. Loosen up, it’s fine.”
Rong Ke exhaled lightly, retrieving his cigarettes as his gaze dropped. “You know I don’t enjoy these things.”
“How would you know without trying?” Jiang Si patiently persisted. “I haven’t either, but I’m open to it.”
Rong Ke didn’t respond, patting himself in search of a lighter. “Got a light?”
Jiang Si frowned, silently urging Rong Ke not to change the subject.
Rong Ke had noticed the growing divide in their perspectives as Jiang Si’s fame rose.
Before, when they discussed the messy affairs of the entertainment industry, Jiang Si would scoff at them. However, over time, Jiang Si became more accustomed to such matters, even thinking that Rong Ke was naive.
Rong Ke admittedly wasn’t as open-minded. Not only could he not fathom a foursome, even a threesome was unacceptable—he didn’t know how Jiang Si could suggest it so casually.
“I’m not going.” Rong Ke returned the cigarette to its pack, declining outright.
As expected, Jiang Si’s expression soured, his tone taking a personal turn as he revisited their recurring dispute. “When will you ever make it big with that attitude?”
Here we go again.
Rong Ke impassively turned away.
Fortunately, the surrounding foreigners paid them no mind.
“I don’t know what you’re so uptight about. What’s wrong with low-budget web dramas? At least you’re the third lead, better than playing a laborer. Or have you not had enough of that manual work?”
Technically, while Rong Ke did play a laborer, manual labor wasn’t a major part. His role mainly involved leading coworkers in demanding payments before accidentally killing the project manager.
It was a fairly significant supporting role in the legal drama series.
However, Rong Ke knew Jiang Si’s dissatisfaction stemmed not just from him taking such fringe roles, but also from Rong Ke genuinely working construction sites for life experience.
Between projects, Rong Ke liked immersing himself in various professions to observe people from all walks of life. But to Jiang Si, it was meaningless—better to attend more networking events than waste time as an actual laborer on and off screen.
Rong Ke understood why their perspectives were drifting apart.
They had debuted together, yet Jiang Si was now a popular leading man with a steady stream of offers, even haute couture brands inviting him to walk their runways. Jiang Si lived comfortably unaware of life’s hardships, so how could he comprehend why someone like the idle Rong Ke chose to take on odd jobs in his free time?
Rong Ke absent-mindedly zoned out for a while, which only seemed to further irritate Jiang Si.
“Are you even listening?” Jiang Si frowned. “Don’t you realize your lack of ambition is widening the gap between us?”
Lack of ambition?
Rong Ke nearly laughed.
Not wanting to party warranted accusations of lacking drive—not being a star was the original sin, it seemed.
He finally met Jiang Si’s gaze, too weary to argue. “Do you want to break up?”
“I didn’t say that.” Jiang Si reined in his condescension slightly. “But if you keep this up, I’ll only lose more confidence in us.”
Watching Jiang Si’s retreating back, Rong Ke leaned against the wall, idly contemplating their relationship.
He forgot he didn’t have a lighter on him and subconsciously reached for his cigarette pack. As he placed one between his lips and patted his empty pockets, he snapped back to reality with a self-deprecating chuckle and removed the cigarette.
Then, a crisp “click” sounded from the dim corner as an arm extended, kindly offering a flame.
Bumming a light was a common courtesy among smokers. Rong Ke returned the cigarette to his lips, leaning slightly towards the small fire while casually glancing up.
The faint glow illuminated the corner, nearly causing Rong Ke to choke on his smoke.
His obliging lighter was none other than Yan Zhi.
The smoldering embers danced within his deep-set eyes exuding nonchalant poise as he seemed to study Rong Ke.
Straightening up, Rong Ke exhaled a plume of smoke, responding with relative composure. “Merci.”
To his surprise, Yan Zhi replied in perfect Mandarin, “You’re welcome.”
OOooo! This looks super promising! Excited to read the story. Thanks for picking this up ♡