Chapter 82

In front of Ji Wei was the man’s tall frame, and behind him was an incredibly cold wall. A shadow fell over him from above, as if he had suddenly plunged into the edge of darkness. He felt completely and tightly compressed, almost unable to breathe.

It was a very intimidating position.

And he could constantly feel the scorching heat from the man’s body.

Today’s Lu Shenxing seemed different from his usual self.

Ji Wei subconsciously wanted to escape. He looked up at the man’s face, but because he was backlit, the dim light obscured the quietly flowing emotions, making his expression seem only gloomy.

In the end, he still raised his arms and hugged Lu Shenxing.

He hugged his Lu Shenxing.

Ji Wei gently nuzzled his head against the man’s chest and asked cautiously, “Are you in a bad mood?”

If sleeping with him would make Lu Shenxing feel better, then he was willing. Although he didn’t know what it meant to be fucked so hard he couldn’t get out of bed, he was a guy. He shouldn’t be… that fragile, right?

But his face still turned red.

A deep blush spread from his neck to the tips of his ears.

But Lu Shenxing’s body temperature was even hotter than his own face, hiding his reaction. He quietly sighed in relief. Then, Lu Shenxing held him even tighter, and the man’s voice came from above his head. “I’m in a good mood now.”

Unlike the suppressed tone from before, it now held a clear hint of delight.

Ji Wei couldn’t quite understand Lu Shenxing’s change in mood.

He had clearly just given him a gentle hug.

Could that make him feel so good…

Then he would have to hug him more often in the future.

Ji Wei made up his mind.

***

During his afternoon class, Ji Wei only lectured for two hours. He left the remaining time for Meng Hao to work on a test paper and also uploaded a PDF version online. He had originally intended to end the stream, but due to strong requests from his fans, he had no choice but to leave it on.

[Hmph, I never thought I’d see the day I’d be a proctor.]

[Don’t try to cheat, little classmate. You have eighty thousand proctors watching you from behind.]

[Hahahahahahaha, are you all devils? This vacation must be really boring.]

[His calculations seem to have stalled. If you can’t solve one problem, move on to the next!]

After Meng Hao submitted his paper, Ji Wei graded it with a red pen.

Today’s test was math, and the error rate was quite high. He got about six out of every ten questions wrong.

[Damn, why am I so nervous watching Weiwei grade the paper?]

[Aww, wrong again!]

[My brother in his first year of high school got more right than him. You have to work harder!]

After finishing the grading, Ji Wei handed the test paper to Meng Hao and said encouragingly, “You’ve made great progress. Keep up the good work.”

[Weiwei is so nice. If I scored ninety, my parents would give me a double beating.]

[Forget parents, my math teacher would beat me up first.]

[Hahahahaha, why am I so happy watching your experiences? I’ve never scored below one hundred and thirty in math.]

[Someone who scored one hundred and forty laughs without saying a word.]

Meng Hao stared at the bright red ninety on his test paper, remained silent for a long moment, and then gave Ji Wei a deep bow. “Thank you.”

After sending Meng Hao off, Ji Wei looked at the bullet comments, which were already in a heated debate over what score in math was considered high. He sighed helplessly and explained, “This student’s foundation isn’t very good. Scoring ninety is already a great effort.”

[How bad is this foundation?]

[I’m shocked. In my grade, this would probably be last place.]

[His score must have been pretty low. I’ve been listening to Weiwei’s lectures on functions and geometry these past few days, and my score has improved quite a bit.]

[What did the little classmate score before?]

Since it was a live stream, Ji Wei decided to save Meng Hao some face and stated the highest score he had ever gotten. “He got a 67.”

But even so, the bullet comments were still in shock.

[Holy crap, it’s only been a few days and he’s improved by over twenty points. Weiwei is amazing, and so is the little classmate!]

[Maybe I’ll get to see the little classmate get into a top-tier university.]

[Cub Wei is a really good teacher. He explains the concepts comprehensively around a single point. My sister’s foundation isn’t as bad as the little classmate’s, but she still improved by four or five points by doing the mock tests with him.]

Meanwhile on Weibo, Ji Wei’s Super Topic had been taken over by all sorts of problems. Amidst a sea of posted questions, a video abruptly appeared.

Ji Wei clicked on it curiously.

It turned out to be the video of him writing the sign for Chen’s Gold Store the day before.

Due to the considerable distance between the stage and the audience, the video was very blurry. One could only vaguely make out his figure; finer details were impossible to see. However, the video was complete and even included the part where the sign was hung up.

His fans quickly recognized him. After the live stream ended, they flocked to comment and like the video, briefly pushing it to the tail end of the trending topics.

[Lu-Wei Marry on the Spot] It’s Weiwei! I used my limited knowledge of calligraphy to observe for a while. Is this Yan style? Aww, how can he be good at everything?

[They’re Already Married] It’s Yan style, perfect for writing large characters. Weiwei is so amazing. Why can’t I come up with excessive praise! Every time, I can only dryly say ‘amazing’.

[Awakening of Insects] Neutral netizen here, but I’ve been following The Forbidden City’s Little Shop. I feel like I’m constantly shocked by Ji Wei.

[Ghost’s Notebook] Ahhhhhhh, his writing is so beautiful. I’m begging for Ji Wei to be on the next episode of Focus People.

For some reason, Ji Wei didn’t know why, the last comment had received over eighteen thousand likes.

Focus People was a talk show hosted by Du Ruosong. Each episode featured an interview with a representative figure from various industries. Du Ruosong’s hosting style was light-hearted and witty, offering both depth and entertainment. It could be considered a flagship variety show on CCTV, with an extremely stable viewership.

Forget about influencers, Focus People rarely even invited celebrities. The last one they had invited was Lu Shenxing, but his idol was filming at the time and directly refused.

There was no way they would invite him, right?

However, he was unaware that the next episode of Focus People was indeed planning an interview themed around influencers, and his name was on the first page of the list of potential guests.

In the conference room, the director was flipping through the list. “Considering the social climate, we should try to select positive-energy influencers. People like ‘Country Boy Gu’ and ‘New Yorker in Beijing’ are great choices. They’re not very controversial and are well-liked by everyone.”

Du Ruosong twirled a pen in his hand. He had been hosting Focus People for nearly ten years, but the one thing he was dissatisfied with was that it didn’t present a true picture of the industry. He stopped twirling the pen and crossed out A Liang’s name.

For the next special, the influencer he had most wanted to feature was this A Liang, but considering the show’s direction, he had to give up on the idea. As he scanned down the first page, he suddenly said, “What about Ji Wei?”

Ji Wei was a kid who did everything seriously.

On him, you couldn’t see a trace of the restlessness that came with sudden fame.

The director frowned. “He’s quite controversial, isn’t he? We should try to…”

Just then, another female director interrupted him. “Oh come on, he’s the fastest-rising influencer recently. If we don’t even invite him, what’s the point of doing an influencer special?”

Her tone clearly marked her as a fan of Ji Wei.

The entire conference room shared a knowing smile.

“We have to give Channel Six some face, too. The variety show is still filming,” Du Ruosong added, chiming in. He opened Weibo and happened to see the video of Ji Wei’s calligraphy. He handed his phone over. “Besides, we can also promote traditional culture.”

The director watched the video for a few minutes. He didn’t know much about calligraphy, but it looked impressive. He pondered for a moment and then nodded. “Let’s discuss the other candidates.”

***

Because the calligraphy video had become a small hit online, some fans of Chen’s Gold Store went to check it out. Chen Yan’s father was delighted and wanted to treat him to a meal at the best restaurant in Yancheng.

Ji Wei glanced at the prices and politely declined.

Chen Yan wasn’t one for pleasantries either. He didn’t press the matter and instead sent him a QR code.

[Ji Wei] What’s this?

[Chen Yan] Two movie tickets for you. It’s a preview screening of Passionate Love Star River, perfect for couples.

Ji Wei searched for the cast and crew list. They were all actors who were very popular among young people and had decent acting skills. Several film critics had strongly recommended the movie, with reviews claiming it would “make you want to fall in love immediately after watching.” Ji Wei was… tempted.

But he quickly thought of a problem.

[Ji Wei] What if Lu Shenxing thinks their acting is bad?

A professional’s perspective on movies was probably different from that of an ordinary audience member. The DVDs in his idol’s study were all old film movies; he rarely saw any trendy films.

[Chen Yan] Trust me, no couple really goes to the movies just to watch the movie. It’s all about the atmosphere. Did you tell Lu Shenxing you like him yesterday?

Ji Wei embarrassedly replied with a “no.”

He seemed to be too timid.

He knew this wasn’t good.

But he still didn’t dare to say it out loud.

[Chen Yan] Listen to your big brother. Ask Lu Shenxing to go to the movies with you tonight. When the movie ends, take advantage of the good atmosphere and say it. It’s not that hard!

[Ji Wei] Okay, I’ll try.

After dinner, Lu Shenxing was in the study on a video call with a director.

When the call ended, Ji Wei knocked on the study door.

Lu Shenxing turned to look at him. Remembering what he had to do today, Ji Wei grew inexplicably nervous. He avoided the man’s gaze and stared at the bookshelf as he asked, “Chen Yan gave me two movie tickets.”

Feeling the man’s gaze lingering on him, he suddenly forgot what he was going to say next.

The air was silent for two seconds.

Lu Shenxing narrowed his eyes, as if confirming something. “You want me to go?”

Hearing the man’s words suddenly, Ji Wei couldn’t help but panic. His palms started to sweat, and he nodded quickly, about to say, “If you’re busy, you don’t have to go.”

But before he could say it, Lu Shenxing interrupted him. “Then I’ll go.”

He looked up at Lu Shenxing abruptly. The man’s expression was completely matter-of-fact. Their gazes collided in mid-air without any warning—

It was as if a whistling wind had swept by.

His heartbeat couldn’t help but accelerate.

And it wouldn’t stop.

***

Chen Yan had thoughtfully chosen a private cinema near Hua Ting. The audience members were all guests who had made reservations, so the evening lobby was not as noisy as expected, but surprisingly quiet.

Ji Wei walked to the self-service ticket machine to retrieve the tickets.

But he encountered a problem.

The machine indicated that there was an issue with the screening key for the preview of Passionate Love Star River. The film could not be shown today. He could come back tomorrow, get a refund, or exchange the tickets for another film.

Ji Wei was stunned. He turned and glanced at Lu Shenxing.

Due to his profession, his idol rarely went out. It was a rare occasion for him to be out…

He decided to switch to another movie.

There was a rich selection of films for the summer blockbuster season, but because it was evening, everyone was out watching movies. Tickets for popular films were all sold out. The only one with tickets still available was… Ancient Castle Terror, which was about to end its run.

The name alone told him it was a horror film.

Ji Wei had initially wanted to get a refund, but then he remembered Chen Yan saying that the movie itself wasn’t important; what mattered was the atmosphere of the cinema. It would be a hassle to go to another theater, so he decisively chose to exchange the tickets.

There were five minutes until the show started.

They walked into Hall C.

This movie was truly unpopular. The film was about to start, yet the hall was empty. They had managed to book the entire theater for the price of two tickets.

Was it really that bad?

Ji Wei couldn’t help but wonder.

If he had checked the online reviews, he would have known that the reason few people watched this movie wasn’t because it was bad.

It was because it was too terrifying. Many people couldn’t sleep for days after watching it, and some had even broken up with their boyfriends for taking them to see it.

After he and Lu Shenxing found their seats, the movie hadn’t started yet; commercials were playing.

“I forgot to buy Coke and popcorn. I’ll go get some.”

Just as Ji Wei was about to stand up, the man suddenly spoke. “It’s about to start.”

He had no choice but to sit down. The dark environment made him less nervous. He relaxed his shoulders against the back of the chair and gradually calmed down.

After three minutes, the movie officially began.

It was about a group of people who died mysteriously in an ancient castle, and their deaths were extremely gruesome. Everyone suspected that there was a ghost in the castle.

The film started with a bang, filled with blood, dismembered limbs, and creepy background music. But Ji Wei had played many horror games, so a film of this level only made him frown slightly.

Lu Shenxing didn’t even frown.

He glanced faintly at Ji Wei beside him. The young man was completely engrossed in the movie, not noticing his gaze at all.

He took the young man’s hand and said calmly, “I’m scared.”

Ji Wei was focused on the movie when his right hand was suddenly held, startling him. After realizing what had happened, his face couldn’t help but turn a quiet red.

But since his idol said he was “scared,” he could only embarrassedly and slowly squeeze his idol’s hand back, until their hands were tightly clasped together.

In the darkness, the corners of Lu Shenxing’s lips gently curved up.

With his hand held tightly by the person beside him, Ji Wei finally understood what Chen Yan had meant. Lu Shenxing’s hand was cool to the touch, but he felt hot.

So hot that he had no mind to watch the movie anymore. He could clearly hear his own heartbeat, each beat more violent than the last.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

They were the only two in the hall, so he wasn’t afraid of disturbing anyone. He took out his phone with his left hand.

He swiped the screen open—

The Weibo post he had made yesterday on his side account had been reposted by a top fan, and many people had left comments and likes as a result.

No rush to reply.

Just as he was about to switch off Weibo, his left hand wasn’t steady, and the phone slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor with a very dull thud—

He immediately bent down to pick it up, but the man’s movements were faster than his.

Lu Shenxing bent down and picked up the phone. He wasn’t someone who liked to pry into his partner’s privacy, but from his angle, his gaze inevitably fell upon a post on the screen. He paused for a few seconds—

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] I really like Lu Shenxing so much.

The timestamp was yesterday.

He averted his gaze and handed the phone back to Ji Wei. “A friend’s WeChat?”

Seeing that Lu Shenxing hadn’t seen the content on the screen clearly, Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief. “It was a reply on Weibo.”

The man let out a thoughtful “oh.”

Even though it was just a single word in reply, for some reason, Ji Wei felt that his idol’s tone was very cheerful. He couldn’t help but say, “I got a reply, and you seem happier than I am.”

Lu Shenxing added faintly, “Extremely happy.”