hello peeps… Mae has been beaten by RL stuff (job, economy, politics, my dog dying…) so please excuse me TT-TT. I’ll upload 4 chapters today, and there’s only 1 main chapter + 3 extras left! I’ll finish this series this week, so please wait~
In order to trick his eldest brother into coming over to help with the marriage registration, Lin Zhu went against his own wishes and finally, under Lin Song’s earnest gaze, nodded with difficulty.
Lin Song ended the video call and happily went off to buy Huaying for his younger brother.
Lin Zhu still had quite a bit of work to do. Temporarily suppressing the pressure of wanting to keep Zhong Yao, he unzipped the file his brother had sent over, skimmed through it once, then distributed it to the eager team while carefully reviewing it and assigning tasks to each department.
Huaying was refusing to die quietly. Making one last desperate struggle, they barely managed to push #Zhong Yao Suspected of Keeping a Lover onto the trending searches, and there were already quite a few comments.
Zhong Yao’s reputation had always been solid. He had always forcefully refuted rumors with irrefutable evidence. After so many instances, netizens no longer really believed the messy scandals that kept popping up.
But this rumor had taken a different approach. [On the Road] was currently airing to great success, and the buzz from his coming out not long ago was still fresh. Fans who supported Lin Zhu were at the height of their enthusiasm, and seeing this kind of news instinctively made them worried.
There were plenty of fans who firmly believed Zhong Yao was upright and honest, but those who feared there was no smoke without fire and worried that the agent had been wronged could not stay calm. Under the ambiguous rumors, the comments section had already descended into endless arguments. Everyone was anxiously waiting for Zhong Yao’s studio to speak out.
“They sure know how to pick their timing. Releasing something like this right when [On the Road]’s ratings are at their peak. This is completely intentional…”
The PR department was unimpressed by this final struggle. Opening the file Lin Zhu had sent, they calmly analyzed the situation.
“They’re trying to incite Lin-laoshi’s new fans and some CP fans to cause trouble, dragging us down with them before they die. Honestly, it’d be better if things got bigger. Anyway, we’ve found that brat who received Zhong-laoshi’s money. We can go directly to the aid recipient, get in touch with him, and have him make a statement—”
The page loaded.
The PR staff stared at the information on the screen in shock, the rest of the sentence suddenly stuck in their throat.
Lin Zhu said nothing. Leaning back in his ergonomic chair, one hand on the mouse, he slowly read through the strict, cold documentation line by line.
The PR manager swallowed hard and cautiously spoke. “Lin… Lin-laoshi?”
When the two had parted at the airport, Lin Zhu had said they would not look for the aid recipient anymore. The PR team had even felt somewhat regretful and had settled for preparing plenty of supporting evidence proving that Zhong Yao’s actions had been purely charitable sponsorship.
This time, Lin Zhu had returned with direct evidence, and the aid recipient had actually been found. The entire team had been thrilled, planning to use this opportunity to build momentum and stage a beautiful comeback.
No one had expected events to develop in such an unforeseen direction.
The planning manager read through the documents several times before timidly asking, “Lin-ge… were you… adopted?”
Before he could finish speaking, both the PR and publicity teams shot him severe looks through the camera, instantly silencing him.
“No.” Lin Zhu laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “I got lost for a few years when I was little. Later, my family found me and brought me home.”
Lin Zhu had no intention of going into detail. Tapping the table, he returned to the main topic. “I called everyone here so we could discuss how to present this appropriately.”
This background was obviously much better than having been an orphan adopted from childhood. Everyone visibly relaxed and carefully reviewed the documents again.
“So… Lin-ge, you came back to become Zhong-laoshi’s agent because of what happened when you were a kid?”
The publicity manager was quick-witted and immediately connected the dots. “You decided to enter the entertainment industry and become Zhong-laoshi’s agent because he sponsored you back then?”
It was easy to imagine how wildly the CP forums would celebrate if this got out. Even the publicity manager couldn’t help becoming excited. “Isn’t this great? Why don’t we just release it directly? Once people see this proof, everything will make sense…”
Lin Zhu rested his forehead on one hand and slowly spun his chair twice.
“No. There are still parts that don’t add up.” The PR manager frowned. “Among the messy evidence Huaying released, Zhong-laoshi supposedly continued sponsoring someone until last year. Lin-laoshi, did you receive sponsorship money last year too?”
The PR manager had thought things through carefully and looked concerned.
“People online more or less know your family background. Even if, looking back now, the worst interpretation is that Zhong-laoshi simply paid you in advance, there’ll still be stubborn people who’ll use this to attack you…”
Lin Zhu had never deliberately concealed his background. The pair of cufflinks Zhong Yao once introduced on national television as a gift from his agent was worth tens of thousands. If someone really wanted to stir up trouble, they could taint what was otherwise a very heartwarming story.
The PR manager didn’t want either of them affected by something so trivial and continued pondering a solution.
Then Lin Zhu, still leaning back in his chair, suddenly spoke. “No.”
The PR manager froze.
Lin Zhu had already finished reading another document. Pulling his gaze away from the photographs of physical evidence, away from Zhong Yao’s handwritten note saying “The Coolest Kid”, away from the old, worn toys and gifts, he sat upright using the armrest for support. “The sponsorship money was always sent to the orphanage… I was taken home, so I never received it.”
Feeling that wasn’t precise enough, Lin Zhu lowered his gaze and corrected himself. “I received the first year’s package. I got the letter too, and I even wrote back. After that, I was taken home, so I wasn’t there anymore.”
His voice remained calm. “I didn’t know he’d continue writing. If I had known, I definitely would have told him in my reply that I’d gone home. Everything he sent me after that… I never receive any of them.”
“Lin-laoshi!”
The PR manager couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted him. Meeting Lin Zhu’s raised gaze, he gritted his teeth. “That’s enough…. This is sufficient. Now everything connects. We can explain everything clearly. You two don’t need to get involved anymore.”
Rubbing his face twice and taking a deep breath, he continued, “You two should hurry up and give the fans some sweetness. Can’t you see they’re starving? Leave the rest to us. Don’t worry about anything else…”
Lin Zhu blinked, looked up, and couldn’t help laughing. “Come on, I haven’t even cried yet. Why does everyone look like they’re about to cry?”
His mind was occupied with seeing those gifts. Originally, he had wanted his brother to bring them over, but it felt too informal. It would be more appropriate to go back and pick them up himself. He was still wondering when he might have the time when he looked up and found everyone staring at him.
With his own team looking at him like that, even he was starting to feel like he really was pitiful.
“How… how could this happen…” The publicity manager had already figured things out while listening and now understood exactly what had happened. His voice was hoarse. “That orphanage just accepted everything without a second thought? Didn’t they know it was meant for you?”
He felt awful, rubbing his eyes hard out of view of the camera. “How could they just miss each other like that…”
Lin Zhu lowered his head and tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth.
The publicity manager still wanted to say more, but Lin Zhu tapped the table and sat up straight with a smile. “Alright. Enough about that. Let’s talk business.”
The past was already gone. No amount of regret could change it. There was still work to do right now.
Lin Zhu had no intention of dwelling on old memories and regrets. Refocusing, he said, “We already have all the materials we need. The evidence is ironclad and can’t be argued away. I’ll leave it in your hands. No problems?”
The PR manager’s eyes were still red-rimmed as he sharpened his metaphorical knife. “No problem. We’ll beat Huaying so badly they’ll be calling us Daddy.”
Calling it a PR crisis was already an exaggeration. There was really no need for Lin Zhu to get personally involved.
He nodded, gave a few more instructions, checked the time, then ended the meeting and closed the video call.
After his eye injury, the American hospital had recommended that he rest as much as possible for three months. He was still limiting his screen time, and he had already spent about enough time on the computer today.
Lin Zhu listened to Zhong Yao. If Zhong Yao said not to use the computer too much, then he wouldn’t. He stood up, preparing to stretch a bit, when a message window from the planning agent suddenly popped up.
The planning managerwas a bit slow on the uptake. After finally piecing together the entire story, he felt miserable too and secretly sent him a message: [Lin-ge, does Zhong-laoshi know about all this? QAQ]
Lin Zhu’s body stiffened slightly.
Of course, Zhong-laoshi still didn’t know.
Looking at the screen, Lin Zhu took a deep breath.
To refute the rumors, they had to tell the truth. And if they told the truth, sooner or later, Zhong Yao would learn about all of this. What he least wanted to face was now being sternly placed right in front of him as the studio’s new round of crisis management preparations got underway.
The smile in Lin Zhu’s eyes gradually faded. He pressed hard against his temple.
In other words…
Before long, Zhong Yao would find out that the chuunibyou, childish little brat who had threatened never to be his “number one best friend in the whole world” again… was him.
Lin Zhu tried imagining it for a moment, and his vision nearly went black.
Even the mature agent who had already come to terms with the missed connection from all those years ago took a deep breath and suddenly felt the urge to pack his bags and sneak onto the next available flight home before Zhong Yao found out.
Or maybe he could run back now to look at the gifts first, then return after Zhong Yao learned the truth…
Half-dead, Lin Zhu rubbed his forehead and trudged around the room twice in defeat, beginning to formulate an escape plan.
Unable to understand their agent’s worries, the team sharpened their knives and launched a swift, decisive rebuttal. In no time, they laid out all the evidence and delivered a fatal blow to the trending rumor.
The comments under the studio’s Weibo exploded instantly.
[So… Zhong-laoshi has basically been keeping the agent he’s raised himself all these years?!?!!]
[W-what do we even call this Σ(°△°三°Д°;)っ A child bride?! Little bamboo-shoot child bride! Wife… husbandry???]
[My god, what kind of colossal sugar is this… You saved my life, so I’ll walk the rest of my journey with you. Is it really this sweet?]
[Friend above, look carefully. There’s a second Weibo post. All those years of gifts got swallowed by that garbage orphanage… This is a knife…]
[HOLY SHIT?!?!?!]
[Seriously… Our Xiao Zhu never forgot Zhong-laoshi all these years, and Zhong-laoshi never forgot our Xiao Zhu either. Neither of them did anything wrong, yet they were forced to miss each other for so many years…]
[Even though it’s still sweet now, suddenly I’m so sad… I can’t get over it QAQ Those gifts were for Lin-laoshi! Garbage orphanage!!]
[Watching “On the Road” while crying. What would this story have been like if he’d received everything earlier? Wouldn’t it have been unbearably sweet??]
Lin Zhu had packed half his luggage. After finally calming down, he pulled out his phone and listened to the Weibo comments through voice playback for a while.
The PR team’s prediction had been correct. As soon as the first statement was released, people immediately dug up Lin Zhu’s clothes, personal belongings, and gifts he had given Zhong Yao, questioning whether an agent from his family background had really needed sponsorship.
The second Weibo post followed immediately, cleanly shutting those people up.
But it also caused the usually sugar-filled comment section to do a complete 360-degree turn.
Lin Zhu folded clothes while listening for a while, then unpacked everything he’d just packed and piled it back up before turning off the robotic voice.
He stood by the window for a long time before finally making up his mind, grabbing his phone and heading out.
The comment section couldn’t stay like this.
Comments full of “AAAAAAAHHHHHH” would suit the Weibo account of a studio that was about to officially announce their marriage registration much better.
Everything was proceeding smoothly with the movie’s production, and there was no need for the co-producer to be on standby providing inspiration for script revisions.
When Lin Zhu arrived at the soundstage, filming was in full swing.
Scenes involving CGI effects had to be shot in a fully enclosed studio. Zhong Yao was inside the green-screen room, repeatedly performing several movements under the guidance of the special effects team.
“Lin, have the issues at your studio been resolved?”
The producer’s eyes lit up when he saw Lin Zhu, and he greeted him with a smile. “Zhong still has a while before he finishes shooting. Are you here to see him?”
Lin Zhu smiled and greeted everyone. “No rush. Work’s mostly settled. I came to take a look.”
Filming movies like this was always demanding and grueling. Even for someone as experienced as Zhong Yao, it wasn’t easy.
Today’s scene involved the protagonist accidentally exposing his supernatural abilities. Faced with the subtle avoidance and distancing of those around him, he became increasingly lost and wandered the streets aimlessly, only to unexpectedly witness the beginning of a new incident.
Zhong Yao had always been able to focus completely. Even if he had to repeat the same action dozens or hundreds of times, he showed not the slightest impatience, meticulously following instructions and making adjustments over and over again.
“Zhong really is a born performer. Plenty of actors have this kind of perseverance, but most lack his talent. Those who possess this talent often can’t stay this patient.” The producer couldn’t help sighing. “I seriously wonder if he was born knowing how to act. Was he already this outstanding when he debuted?”
Something stirred in Lin Zhu’s chest.
Lowering his eyes, he smiled and nodded seriously. “He was outstanding.”
Looking at the monitor, Lin Zhu unconsciously tightened the hand in his pocket around the little bamboo-shoot keychain.
Back then, Zhong Yao had been shining.
It had been his very first shoot. He was unfamiliar with everything, with no one to take care of him, no one to look out for him. The youthful awkwardness still hadn’t completely faded from him. Yet, simply standing there made people unable to stop looking.
Lin Zhu gently closed his eyes.
Even now, he could still remember the first time he saw Zhong Yao.
He had just gotten into a fight and managed to snatch back the boxed lunch that belonged to him. Clutching together his torn clothes, he had been searching for somewhere to sit and quickly finish eating when he accidentally wandered into the main filming area.
He had been too short and too skinny. The crew hadn’t noticed him, allowing him to weave his way all the way to the edge of the set.
Then that tall, elegant figure suddenly crashed into his vision, and rooted itself there forever.
Lin Zhu opened his eyes.
His gaze settled once more on the figure before him, now far stronger and sturdier than back then, and the corner of his lips quietly lifted.
Sometimes he thought that even if things hadn’t happened so coincidentally — even if he hadn’t later collapsed from fever while working as an extra, hadn’t fallen into the mud unable to get up, hadn’t been saved by Zhong Yao, hadn’t experienced everything that followed…
He probably still would have met Zhong Yao again. Maybe on some future film set; maybe while accompanying his brother to a banquet and slipping outside for some fresh air; maybe at a university publicity event where he volunteered as a student and Zhong Yao appeared as a guest; maybe he would have eventually decided to debut and entered a competition, with Zhong Yao coincidentally serving as the gentle and patient guest judge.
Or maybe…
One day he would casually turn on the television, find himself captivated without realizing it, become a fan of Zhong Yao’s, and keep liking him all the way until now.
No matter how it began, they probably would have found their way back to each other in the end. He would still become Zhong Yao’s agent. And together they would experience more or less the same storms and happiness.
Lost in thought, Lin Zhu suddenly heard a burst of noise and instinctively looked up.
Filming had already wrapped.
Zhong Yao had just come out. Smiling, he exchanged high-fives and words of thanks with everyone. Then a Chinese actor beside him patted him on the shoulder and pulled him aside to say a few words.
A strange expression gradually appeared on Zhong Yao’s face. He accepted the phone the actor handed him and lowered his head to scroll through it.
Without realizing it, Lin Zhu’s steps toward him slowed.
The commotion back in China had become so huge that everyone here probably knew about it too.
Zhong Yao had been too busy filming to check Weibo. Now that he’d seen it, he would definitely figure out what had happened.
Lin Zhu had come here intending to confess everything to Zhong Yao anyway. Watching him carefully scroll through Weibo, Lin Zhu took a deep breath and stood where he was, a quiet nervousness rising in his chest.
Zhong Yao finished reading.
He handed the phone back to the Chinese actor beside him, swiftly removed part of his costume, casually passed it to a props assistant without even taking off his makeup, and quickly headed into the crowd in search of his assistant.
Then his gaze stopped.
Lin Zhu’s chest rose and fell slightly.
Before he realized it, his eyes slipped into Zhong Yao’s deep, gentle gaze. The sound of that gentle heartbeat filled his mind. Lin Zhu’s throat suddenly tightened painfully, and a chest that had never once felt aggrieved suddenly overflowed with countless grievances.
Caught completely off guard, he grabbed at the fabric over his heart and hastily looked away.
He wasn’t supposed to feel wronged, after all, he had already figured everything out. All he wanted was to sincerely live well from now on, be together properly.
He had come here to find Zhong Yao, to figure out a way to give the comment section some sweetness so that all those people would stop feeling regret and lingering sorrow on their behalf.
Twelve years…
Their twelve years.
Annoyed at his own weakness, Lin Zhu lowered his head, pressed his lips together, and desperately tried to steady his emotions.
The people around him parted, rapid footsteps approached.
A familiar warmth spread around him, wrapping him securely and sheltering him against a broad, sturdy chest. The surrounding noise seemed to be abruptly cut off, everything around him became quiet and warm.
Forcing back his tears, Lin Zhu took a deep breath. Through the unavoidable blur of moisture clouding his vision, he looked up, wanting to speak, but then his entire body suddenly trembled.
Time blurred for an instant, sweeping away everything else.
Only those eyes remained, dark and steady, gentle and calm. Passing through twelve years of separation, they quietly held him within them.
Only him.
The battered, wounded boy trapped inside his memories suddenly broke free of all reason, all responsibility, all pride, stumbling out overwhelmed with grievance.
Lin Zhu trembled lightly. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned into Zhong Yao’s embrace, silently tilting his head back. He had once been Zhong Yao’s coolest little kid.
