Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen
Luo Hui took quite a while to process all the information Wei Tingxiao had just shared.
Though he usually didn’t meddle much in other artists’ affairs, it didn’t mean he was completely unaware of what was trending on Weibo.
The boy named Yan Shu had caused quite a stir when he left the entertainment industry, and netizens had recently brought up topics about him again.
Luo Hui had a vague impression but couldn’t match the face.
Who would have thought that the boy from the mountains was the same person?
“Sigh, he’s a pretty good kid. If he was under my management, he would have been famous by now. But their manager apparently didn’t have good intentions and ended up holding the kid back,” Luo Hui sighed softly.
“The entertainment industry really isn’t suitable for him. Now, like this, he actually attracts me even more,” Wei Tingxiao said, his tone filled with admiration that made Luo Hui feel like he barely recognised this person.
“Tch, you suddenly got all mushy—it’s making me uncomfortable,” Luo Hui said with a smirk.
“Well, get used to it. If we end up together someday, you’ll be seeing more of this kind of thing. Don’t complain,” Wei Tingxiao shamelessly warned.
Luo Hui gave him a cold look. “Oh.”
“There’s a business gala tomorrow night. I heard many famous directors will be there to discuss cooperation and investments. Why don’t you show up?” Luo Hui shifted the topic towards work.
“Nope,” Wei Tingxiao flatly refused without hesitation. “I’m not attending any social events these three days. Yan Shu is rarely in Beijing for a few days. If I go do something else now, then being single later is on me!”
“…” Luo Hui found himself speechless for a moment.
True, after so many years in the industry, Wei Tingxiao had collected most of the awards he could. Resources weren’t always acquired through social events like this.
Besides, good projects always came every year. Now that Wei Tingxiao was slowing down the pace of taking roles, he preferred quality over quantity.
No rush at all.
“Alright, I won’t push you. If it weren’t that managers aren’t allowed to enter this kind of event, I’d go in your place.”
This gathering was quite high-profile. Most entertainment people who attended held multiple roles. Someone like Wei Tingxiao, being both an artist and a businessman, was a key invitee.
“If we’re talking work, I’d rather take another project up in those mountains, preferably for a longer stay,” Wei Tingxiao added.
“Don’t get too obsessed. Some things still rely on fate. But I can keep an eye out for related announcements. That place really is a treasure—great for filming or shooting shows,” Luo Hui said.
“Then I’ll trouble you to keep an eye out. If there’s really no chance, it’s okay—I’ll create my own opportunities.”
Wei Tingxiao wasn’t one to give up easily. When he set his mind on something, he would do his best to see it through.
Though he and Yan Shu seemed to be separated by distance, physical space was never Wei Tingxiao’s real concern. The real point was the distance between their hearts.
How could he make sure he was constantly present in Yan Shu’s thoughts?
The simplest, if somewhat clumsy, approach was to find all kinds of topics to chat about every day on messaging apps.
[Night]: Did you have fun at the gathering last night? Did you have sweet dreams?
[Night]: [Little dog sticking out tongue jpg.]
One second passed, then two, one minute, two minutes… ten minutes went by, and no reply came.
That just meant Yan Shu hadn’t checked his phone yet.
It definitely wasn’t deliberate ignoring.
In Wei Tingxiao’s view, Yan Shu was polite to his friends and would always reply when he saw messages.
He must have played too late with his buddies last night and hadn’t gotten up yet.
…
On the other side, Yan Shu—
He really hadn’t gotten out of bed, but he saw the messages immediately.
He was still a bit groggy, staring blankly at the phone for a while.
Then, after reading the question, he inexplicably felt his face flush.
He put down the phone, wrapped himself in the blanket, and rolled back and forth twice.
He’d had a great time at the party, but the dreams he had that night were…
“…” Yan Shu exhaled deeply.
Since leaving the entertainment industry, his sleep quality had been pretty good—mostly deep and dreamless.
Having a night full of dreams like this was a first.
And the person appearing in all those dreams was always the same one…
So when that person messaged him, Yan Shu still felt a bit dazed.
He wondered if he was still dreaming and hadn’t woken up yet.
In fact, the dreams were scenes he had experienced before—like spending New Year’s Eve together, or watching the concert yesterday.
Only the dream content made those memories richer, more exaggerated, and more detailed.
In reality, on New Year’s Eve, Wei Tingxiao just lightly pinched his cheek. But in the dream, Wei Tingxiao looked at him with a gentle gaze, continuously caressing his face and even stroking his earlobe.
That touch felt incredibly real, making his face flush, his ears tingle and itch. He wanted to shy away, but couldn’t bear to.
In reality, after the concert, Wei Tingxiao just held his hand to leave. But in the dream, Wei Tingxiao held his hand the whole time from the start, never letting go.
The two of them were very close, not speaking, just exchanging glances—and each glance triggered a strong heartbeat.
Yan Shu lay in bed for a long time, trying to calm down from the vivid images his dreams had left him with.
He found himself longing for this person…
Was that behaviour especially impolite?
But… it wasn’t something he could control.
Having lived two lives, his first flutter of romantic feelings blossomed at this moment.
The feeling was sweet yet complicated, leaving him savouring it and greedily wanting more.
Yan Shu wasn’t great at handling emotions. When Wei Tingxiao messaged, his instinct was to hide.
Even though there was a screen between them and the other couldn’t peek into his thoughts, he still felt a flush of embarrassment.
Yan Shu got up, washed his face, hoping to clear his mind.
Stepping out of the room, he saw that no one else was up.
“Huh? You’re up? Want breakfast? I saw some ingredients in the fridge, so I casually made something.” A-Liang came out of the kitchen carrying a plate.
“Are they not getting up to eat?”
“Bah, forget them. They drank until dawn and just got to bed. They’ve barely slept for a few hours and will probably sleep until the afternoon. Just you and me for now,” A-Liang said.
After quietly finishing breakfast, A-Liang said he wanted to go out for a walk.
“I’ll come with you and get some fresh air,” Yan Shu said.
“Sure! In a villa area of this calibre, maybe we’ll even run into other celebrities. Honestly, I haven’t seen much since graduating. It’s such an honour to be an assistant around those guys.”
A-Liang came from a very ordinary working-class family in a small city and attended a regular university.
His path had ups and downs, but he was lucky in many ways.
Now, enjoying the good life with SAP, he was truly grateful.
This villa area was divided into South and North zones. Guan Shuo’s villa was in the North, so Yan Shu and A-Liang walked down the slope from North to South.
The spacing between villas was quite large; roads separated some, others were decorated with plants and flowerbeds.
Some villas’ designs didn’t completely match the overall style of the neighbourhood, probably because homeowners hired designers independently.
“The houses in the South zone are all quite unique and look more upscale. Look at this one—it’s so elegant. The design seems to blend Eastern and Western elements,” A-Liang chatted as they strolled, admiring one of the villas.
Yan Shu agreed that the aesthetics were nice and thought his homestay could be renovated toward that style.
Since they were talking near someone’s front door, it wasn’t good to linger too long. After a few more glances, they planned to leave.
Unexpectedly, someone stepped out from the house.
The person wore a mask and sunglasses, making their features hard to see. After coming out, they headed toward the garage.
In this process, their eyes accidentally met with the two standing outside.
Yan Shu and A-Liang suddenly panicked and felt a bit awkward.
“Sorry, we were just taking a casual walk and happened to pass by your house. We were about to leave. Sorry to bother you,” A-Liang said instinctively, bowing slightly out of humble social anxiety.
After all, those living here belonged to wealthy families; they didn’t want to appear suspicious.
Unexpectedly, after A-Liang finished speaking, the person acted as if they’d seen something shocking. They quickly retreated back inside, rushing through the doorway.
A-Liang was left dumbfounded: “??”
Yan Shu: “……”
“Is there something on my face?” A-Liang asked Yan Shu.
Yan Shu shook his head.
“Then why did he look at me like he saw a ghost? What was that expression about?”
…
Inside the house.
“You said you were leaving. Why did you come back? I’m not providing meals here—I was planning to order takeout myself.”
Wei Tingxiao, bored and waiting for messages on his phone, saw Luo Hui return and looked at him strangely.
“I just went out and saw Yan Shu. He was walking with another guy,” Luo Hui said, still catching his breath, pointing outside the house.
Wei Tingxiao was silent for three seconds before saying, “Are you insane?”
“He’s really outside, right at your front yard!” Luo Hui grew a bit impatient.
“Today isn’t April Fool’s Day. Don’t joke about Yan Shu—that’s not funny at all.”
Wei Tingxiao was still waiting for Yan Shu to get up and reply to his message.
“Go check for yourself. He probably hasn’t gone far. If I’m lying, you can call me a dog.”
Luo Hui rarely insulted himself like that. Wei Tingxiao’s expression softened but also grew puzzled.
“Seriously? Are you sure you didn’t mix him up? Yan Shu went to a party with friends yesterday…”
As he spoke, Wei Tingxiao suddenly froze.
Luo Hui said they were having a celebration with friends, but didn’t specify where. Could it be—
Without even putting on shoes, Wei Tingxiao rushed to the window by the front door and looked out. Seeing no one, he opened the door and went outside into the front yard.
The fence, about a meter high, didn’t block the view.
Wei Tingxiao looked down the road and, in the distance, saw two people walking side by side.
One of them was Yan Shu.
Luo Hui wasn’t lying.
The boy etched into Wei Tingxiao’s memory—just by the shape of his back—he could recognise him.
The two gradually walked away, eventually disappearing from the area.
Wei Tingxiao went back inside and lay on the sofa, suddenly feeling a wave of loss.
No time to reply to him, but time to walk with someone else.
Had he already begun to feel annoyed with him?
“Why that look? Knowing he’s here, shouldn’t you be happy?” Luo Hui said, speechless.
“Even if I know, I can’t just show up casually. Seeing but not touching is even harder,” Wei Tingxiao guessed that maybe some of Yan Shu’s friends lived nearby and that the party was at their place yesterday, which explained why he saw Yan Shu today.
If he had known… he wouldn’t have refused the invitation yesterday.
What’s the point of boundaries? He should let all Yan Shu’s friends know him.
The one he cared for was near yet still far.
Maybe he should figure out a way to get him out alone.
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