YPHC Chapter 76

Hearing this, Qi Hong was quiet for a moment, and finally, as if somewhat helplessly, smiled and shook her head gently:

 

“Alright, I understand. I’ll consider it.”

 

As she spoke, she picked up her laptop bag and put her notebook computer back in it, saying:

 

“I have a video conference soon, so I’ll head back to the hotel. Feel free to stay.”

 

“?” Yan Jie raised an eyebrow slightly:

 

“Why are you leaving so soon? Didn’t Sister Hong call me here because you had something to tell me?”

 

“I did before.”

 

“And now?”

 

“Now…” Sister Hong sighed, truly reluctant to admit:

 

“Now I feel like there’s no need anymore.”

 

The meaning of these words was clear to both of them.

 

Yan Jie nodded, made a fist-and-palm salute to her, and said without much formality: “Then I’m truly honored.”

 

“You’d better be! This person, it hasn’t been easy for him to get where he is, and he’s so stubborn. If you dare to deceive or bully him, I’ll…”

 

Qi Hong raised her fist threateningly at Yan Jie, but probably feeling this behavior was too childish, she laughed at herself:

 

“Forget it… I’m leaving.”

 

“Wait, hold on.”

 

Catching a certain point in Qi Hong’s words, Yan Jie quickly stopped her before she stood up:

 

“Since we’re on this topic… I have another question I’d like to ask you.”

 

“Hmm? Go ahead.”

 

“How exactly did our Teacher Jiang develop such a personality? Or what exactly did he experience before his debut? I heard from little brother Xiao Sun that you’ve been with him since his debut, so you should be very clear about those things, right? For example, before becoming ‘Jiang Nan’an,’ what was his real name?”

 

These questions had been weighing on Yan Jie’s mind, but Jiang Nan’an was unwilling to tell him, and he couldn’t find anyone else to ask.

 

“…” Hearing his words, Qi Hong was briefly silent, and when she spoke again, her tone seemed to have become heavier:

 

“Since he hasn’t told you himself, it’s not my place to reveal his past behind his back.”

 

“I just want to understand him better.”

 

“Then wait until he’s willing to tell you the story himself.”

 

In this matter, Qi Hong had no intention of giving in.

 

After a pause, she added:

 

“The past is past, and barring any unexpected circumstances, those matters should never be brought up again, so knowing or not knowing doesn’t really make much difference. Don’t get too hung up on those things. Just focus on the person in front of you now and treat him well.”

 

After saying this, Qi Hong picked up her bag and left, leaving Yan Jie alone at the table.

 

He wasn’t in a hurry to leave. After all, Jiang Nan’an still had the wrap party in the evening, and he would just be alone if he went back. So he sat in the café slowly finishing a cup of coffee before putting his hands in his pockets and leaving, taking a stroll through the nearby night market by himself.

 

The night market was mostly food stalls, with some small shops selling handicrafts in the corners. Yan Jie was attracted by a small stall selling crocheted pendants. He crouched down in front of the stall, picked up one of the small items to examine it, and chuckled:

 

“Did you crochet all these yourself? They’re quite cute.”

 

The stall owner was a young girl. She nodded and enthusiastically introduced them: “Yes, I made them all myself. Each one is unique-one of a kind in the whole world, globally limited edition!”

 

“You really know how to sell,” Yan Jie said, swinging the small pendant in his hand and taking out his phone from his pocket:

 

“I’ll take this one. How much?”

 

…

 

The wrap party venue wasn’t far from the hotel. After it ended, Jiang Nan’an didn’t ask Xiao Sun to call a car but instead walked back alone, taking his time.

 

On an early summer night, the temperature was just right. The warm yellow streetlights shone through the trees in the green belt, casting swaying shadows on the ground.

 

Jiang Nan’an wore simple long pants and a white T-shirt, with a bucket hat and a mask, strolling while observing the street scenes.

 

An old man collecting recyclables rode past on his shabby tricycle, the old wheels squeaking as they turned. Not far away were some late-night food stalls with several people gathered around. Under the lights, you could see the hot food emitting puffs of steam that dissipated into the air.

 

An old grandmother selling tanghulu (candied fruit skewers) stood by the roadside with her old-fashioned tanghulu rack, occasionally calling out “tanghulu” in the local dialect.

 

The grandmother’s tanghulu looked plump and beautifully red.

 

Jiang Nan’an didn’t usually eat such things and hadn’t planned to stop, but after walking a few steps, he paused and circled back.

 

When he left again, he had a plastic bag in his hand containing the tanghulu skewers made by the old lady.

 

The evening breeze rustled the leaves, and the air was filled with the fresh, slightly bitter scent of plants.

 

Jiang Nan’an walked with one hand in his pocket, looking at the rough branches of the trees along the road, then following the texture of the trunk up to their lush foliage.

 

“Baby, what are you looking at?”

 

A familiar voice suddenly appeared beside him. Jiang Nan’an was startled for a moment, looked toward the sound, and sure enough, it was Yan Jie.

 

Yan Jie seemed to have been waiting specifically outside the hotel. He was standing on the stone bricks at the edge of the green belt, but Jiang Nan’an had been so focused on looking at the trees that he hadn’t noticed him as he approached.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“Waiting for my boyfriend,” Yan Jie laughed softly:

 

“But my boyfriend was so busy looking at trees that he almost walked right past me without seeing me. What’s up, are trees more attractive than me?”

 

As he finished speaking, his gaze fell to the plastic bag Jiang Nan’an was carrying:

 

“What did you buy? Oh, tanghulu? Do you like eating these?”

 

“No,” Jiang Nan’an handed the bag to him:

 

“You eat them.”

 

Yan Jie was taken aback, then curved his eyes into a smile:

 

“You bought them specially for me?”

 

“No… uh, yes.” Jiang Nan’an’s answer changed three times in one vague sentence. Yan Jie looked at him, his eyes deepening with amusement, and gently pressed:

 

“Which is it? Did you buy them specifically for me?”

 

“I guess… so.” Jiang Nan’an averted his gaze:

 

“It’s very late, and that old lady still hadn’t sold all her tanghulu. I remembered you like sweet things, so I bought some. No other meaning.”

 

“Don’t say that, you can have other intentions toward me, I have the right. My baby likes me, so he remembers what I like to eat and buys me things I enjoy, right?”

 

After saying this, Yan Jie continued:

 

“I have something for you too.”

 

He felt in his jacket pocket and took out a small gift box, handing it to Jiang Nan’an.

 

Jiang Nan’an hadn’t expected to receive a gift on such an ordinary day. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Yan Jie, then reached out to take the small gift box and open it.

 

Inside the box was a small crocheted keychain in the shape of a little tree. The tree roots were made to look like small feet, and the tree crown was the head and face, with a cold but cute little smile.

 

Jiang Nan’an picked up the keychain with his index finger to look at it, then glanced up to find Yan Jie smiling at him as he examined the pendant.

 

“Seeing how much you like trees, always looking at them even while walking, I happened to spot this at a night market stall and thought it was perfect for you, so I bought it. Do you like it?”

 

Jiang Nan’an gently pressed his lips together, like a very faint smile.

 

But he was wearing a mask, so Yan Jie couldn’t see this hint of a smile.

 

“Mm.”

 

–

 

[Lily Pear: Congratulations on the completion of “The Imperial Tutor”! Presenting Xiao Shan baby’s airport LOOK!! Baby cut his hair after finishing filming, thank you for accompanying baby for several months, goodbye to long-haired Xiao Shan baby. But baby looks good with any hairstyle! Is the new hairstyle to match the character for the promotion of “Twelve Hours”? Looking forward to it!]

 

[Xiao Shan is a Cute Cat: Am I the only one with sharp eyes who noticed the new pendant on Xiao Shan’s bag? What is it? Can’t see clearly, is it a little tree? So cute… When will the studio release the same model??]

 

[Boating at Guazhou is Real: A friend of a friend’s sister’s bestie says this pendant is one she made herself to sell at the night market, just one piece, no duplicates. And she said the person who bought the pendant wasn’t Xiao Shan… who knows…]

 

[Destroy the Whole World: Here we go again with the insider dropping hints, before creating sugar for your ship, could you at least change your ID so you don’t expose your bias and make yourself a laughingstock?]

 

[Boating at Guazhou is Real: Believe it or not…]

 

[Work Hard Every Day: It’s definitely not true!]

 

[Cat Loves Leopard: This bag has been with Xiao Shan for many years, he carries it every time he goes to the airport and has never hung any random pendants on it. And as far as I know (as a five-year fan), Xiao Shan doesn’t like this style of things at all, at least I’ve never seen it. This time he’s so conspicuous with the pendant hanging on his bag… I think there’s an 80% chance he’s dating someone, and this thing is most likely a gift from his partner, but who the partner is, it’s hard to say. Waiting for more insider leaks.]

 

[Work Hard Every Day: Definitely! Not! True! Stop guessing! Can’t he just like it himself?!!!]

 

Xiao Sun sat in the makeup room, typing with such force that he nearly poked a hole in his phone. He replied to that post, then looked up with a fierce glare at the little tree quietly hanging on his brother’s bag.

 

Smile, smile, what are you smiling at? Smiling all day long! You’re going to smile away all our good fortune!

 

“Xiao Sun?” Just as Xiao Sun was gritting his teeth and launching a virtual attack on the pendant, Qi Hong suddenly called him:

 

“What are you doing with your eyes so wide? Bring the water cup, let your brother have a few sips. He’s about to go on stage soon.”

 

“Oh, okay.” With a task at hand, Xiao Sun immediately put his resentment aside, took the water cup to mix some hot water, then inserted a straw and brought it to Jiang Nan’an.

 

After leaving “The Imperial Tutor” production, Jiang Nan’an had cut his long hair much shorter, returning to the style he had when filming “Twelve Hours.”

 

In “Twelve Hours,” his character was an artist with dissociative identity disorder. The slightly long, fluffy, curly hair gave off a morbid, depressed vibe.

 

The press conference was about to begin. Before leaving the backstage area, Jiang Nan’an reached out his hand to Qi Hong, habitually ready to receive the glasses she would pass to him.

 

This was their agreement. In social situations like this, where he needed to face audiences and media, he needed to adopt a persona with high emotional intelligence. Generally, he would use “Gu Qingze” to ensure that no trouble would arise from his unfiltered speech.

 

But today, Qi Hong didn’t hand him the glasses, just lightly patted his hand:

 

“Get ready to go on stage.”

 

Jiang Nan’an raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise: “No need for Gu Qingze?”

 

“No need.” Qi Hong paused, then explained:

 

“Always having you face these situations as someone else, I’m afraid you’ll become increasingly unable to speak properly, which would be more troublesome. I think you’ve improved a bit recently, and your performance on the variety show was quite likable, with good responses from fans and the general public, so let’s try this for now. When you go on stage, think a bit, consider how Gu Qingze would answer the questions, and exercise some discretion. You can be yourself, but don’t be too unrestrained, understand?”

 

“…” Jiang Nan’an didn’t know why Qi Hong, who had always been so firm and resolute on this matter, suddenly changed her attitude.

 

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded somewhat uncertainly:

 

“…Ah.”

 

Today was the press conference for “Twelve Hours.” All the main actors from the drama were present, mainly to support the promotion, accept interviews, and provide material for fan creations and generate buzz.

 

This drama had no romance plot and no female lead, only the leading actor Liang Cheng and the special guest star Jiang Nan’an. It was considered a dual male lead drama, with no distinction in billing.

 

Today’s audiences enjoy shipping male-male CPs, making dual male lead dramas more marketable. But when Qi Hong first signed the contract, she made it clear that Jiang Nan’an would not participate in CP marketing. So the press conference wouldn’t have questions or interactions targeting the main actors’ CP, just questions about the plot and character settings, along with some normal team-building games.

 

But whether due to issues with the script or not, the questions the host asked Jiang Nan’an today were strange. “What commonalities does Teacher Jiang think he shares with Chu Xiaozhī?” was normal enough, but then came questions like “Does Teacher Jiang think someone with Chu Xiaozhī’s personality would be very strange?”, “Does Teacher Jiang think Chu Xiaozhī’s psychological issues or personality issues are more significant?”, “Would you be friends with someone like Chu Xiaozhī?”…

 

Jiang Nan’an had sidestepped the first few questions, but later, the host asked:

 

“Has anyone ever told Teacher Jiang that his personality is difficult to get along with? Or has anyone ever given you a hard time because of this? How does Teacher Jiang handle these kinds of issues?”

 

The main storyline of “Twelve Hours” involves the protagonist successively meeting the twelve personalities of the reclusive painter Chu Xiaozhī, becoming friends with them, and then gradually helping him integrate his personalities through daily interactions. Essentially, it calls for public attention to rare psychological disorders and childhood trauma, so it’s reasonable for the host to ask related questions.

 

But this way of asking seemed strange, especially considering the conflict between the two main actors when the drama had just wrapped, as well as some rumors about Jiang Nan’an afterward. It inevitably felt subtle, like a direct confrontation.

 

Jiang Nan’an already disliked this Q&A session, and being repeatedly challenged made him even more annoyed.

 

He smiled at the host, and when he spoke again, his tone wasn’t very polite:

 

“I think our questions should focus on the character, since I’m here today representing Chu Xiaozhī. If you want to ask about how Chu Xiaozhī would handle it, I think if he encountered someone who made things difficult for him, he would directly tell that person: if you don’t know how to speak, then don’t speak.”

 

The host was gently but firmly rebuffed, and felt a bit awkward for a moment. Fortunately, he didn’t continue to press Jiang Nan’an, but instead turned his attention to the other actors. However, the questions he posed to them were much gentler and more normal, far less sharp than those directed at Jiang Nan’an.

 

Whether it was Jiang Nan’an’s imagination or not, after this, in the subsequent Q&A interactions, the host seemed to deliberately avoid him, not involving him.

 

The same happened during the small game segment later. Despite being a main actor, he wasn’t cued at all during the games and could only stand on the side watching others play.

 

However, for Jiang Nan’an, observing was more comfortable than participating, so he didn’t dwell on it, just quietly standing to the side as a backdrop.

 

Until the last game of the press conference began, when staff members brought out several bottles of yogurt and distributed them to the actors.

 

“Everyone knows that our protagonist Cheng Xiaoliang is particularly fond of yogurt, always having a cup or two whenever possible, so today we’ve also thought of a small game related to yogurt.”

 

The host smiled as he explained the rules to everyone:

 

“I don’t know if everyone has heard of a game called ‘I Have, You Don’t,’ where players can take turns saying something unique they’ve done. If other players have also done it, the questioner loses. If no one else has done it, the other players lose. The penalty for losing is to drink a small cup of yogurt. Look, we’ve already prepared the yogurt and cups for everyone. This bottle of yogurt can be poured into about five small cups. Once you finish your yogurt, you’re considered out of the game. The last person remaining is the winner. We’ve also prepared a mysterious surprise for the final winner!”

 

All actors had to participate in this game. Before the game officially began, Jiang Nan’an opened the yogurt bottle and, like others, poured himself a small cup first.

 

But as the liquid from the yogurt bottle flowed into the small cup, he looked at its consistency and suddenly felt something was wrong.

 

Jiang Nan’an raised an eyebrow slightly, brought the cup closer to examine it, and gently sniffed its scent.

 

Chu Xiaozhī was a painter, and Jiang Nan’an had frequently worked with painting materials while acting in this drama, becoming quite familiar with them.

 

For instance, he could be certain that what was in his bottle and cup was not yogurt.

 

It was something that had been altered and substituted…

 

White paint.

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)