Chapter 16 – One Hundred Million

“Sir!” Uncle Yan called out to Yan Shengping with rare seriousness. To Yan Shengping, Uncle Yan was already half a family member, and this call carried the weight of an elder.

And he really did feel guilty now.

But while he was willing to do other things, when it came to comforting people, he wanted to, but he didn’t know how.

After a moment’s thought, Yan Shengping first pulled out a tissue and handed it to Lin Ganzhi.

Lin Ganzhi was taken aback and took it, but one tissue was completely insufficient for his urgent need. His eyes were in severe pain, and worse, the tears were about to smear all over his face!

Yan Shengping took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean it like that just now.”

Okay, is that all?

Lin Ganzhi looked at Yan Shengping expectantly. Yan Shengping uncharacteristically turned his head to the side. It seemed that was it.

“It’s okay. I know you’ve always been a good person.” One tissue wasn’t enough, so Lin Ganzhi grabbed another and stood up, running to the bathroom while wiping his tears.

Wuwuwu, what kind of biochemical weapon is applying chili oil to your eyes?!

The two people left behind in the living room fell into a strange silence.

Uncle Yan gave Yan Shengping a look of disappointment, as if to say, aren’t you going to be the one to coax back the wife you angered?

Only when the cool stream of water washed over his eyes did Lin Ganzhi feel like he had come back to life. He would never use this kind of biochemical weapon on his eyes again. It wasn’t worth it, and it’s not like he couldn’t cry on cue! Most importantly, it really hurt!

Lin Ganzhi rinsed his eyes under the water for a while before lifting his head. His eye sockets were still red, and the tip of his nose was inevitably stained with a touch of red. But when he looked up at the mirror, he found Yan Shengping had appeared behind him, looking at him with an awkward expression.

Huh? What’s with that expression? Are you some kind of childish little kid?

Lin Ganzhi wiped his eyes with a tissue, then turned to face Yan Shengping.

“Do you, uh, need to use the restroom? I’ll get out.” Lin Ganzhi lifted his right foot, preparing to bolt, but his left hand was gently held by Yan Shengping.

A warm touch spread between them. This seemed to be the first time the two of them had truly held hands.

Realizing he had overstepped, Yan Shengping let go in a fluster and asked, “Are you okay?”

Lin Ganzhi shook his head. After rinsing with water, he was completely fine!

But in Yan Shengping’s eyes, Lin Ganzhi shaking his head with red eyes didn’t look like he was fine at all. It was clear he was desperately holding back.

“I apologize for what I said just now. It’s only right that you took it to heart. After all,” Lin Ganzhi had always said he liked him, yet he had said such cruel things, “in the future, if you’re upset, you don’t have to hide and cry. Just talk back like you did before.”

Like before? Which time? Lin Ganzhi’s mind raced.

Hiss!

Could it be the recent, Ganzhi-persuades-you-to-eat play?

A thousand alpacas stampeded through Lin Ganzhi’s mind!

Yan Shengping’s eyes seemed to hold many unspoken words, but he ultimately suppressed them, only saying, “There are many unpredictable dangers in the wild. Be careful this time. Don’t get carried away playing or get hurt trying to show off. Just be an unknown and ensure your own safety.”

Lin Ganzhi looked at Yan Shengping’s slightly awkward but calm-as-possible admonishment, feeling a little confused. Huh? Is the boss really concerned about me?

The novel described Yan Shengping as a naturally aloof person, extremely indifferent to people and things.

Emm, he was now questioning the authenticity of the novel. At least in his opinion, although the boss was sometimes awkward and stubborn, he really wasn’t a bad person.

“Mhm, I promise. I will definitely prioritize my own safety.” Lin Ganzhi raised three fingers in front of Yan Shengping to swear an oath.

The height difference was there. Every time Lin Ganzhi was close to Yan Shengping, he had to look up at him, his cheeks puffed out, looking very cute.

Yan Shengping couldn’t resist. He reached out again and pinched Lin Ganzhi’s cheek.

Mmph.

“Shengping, wha’ are ‘ou ‘oing?” Lin Ganzhi asked indistinctly.

Yan Shengping let out a low “hmm.” “Let’s have meat buns for breakfast tomorrow. They feel pretty good.”

!!!

Lin Ganzhi nervously backed away. “There’s no meat in here, it’s all water!”

Yan Shengping couldn’t help but smile.

That night, as Lin Ganzhi was preparing for bed, Uncle Yan knocked on his door, holding a bottle of liniment.

“Ganzhi, your arm is injured. Sir asked me to bring this to you. This ointment was personally prepared by my senior brother. If you keep applying it, your injury will be completely healed in two days.” Uncle Yan smiled kindly. Although the master had repeatedly emphasized not to let Lin Ganzhi know it was his instruction, how could the old fox follow his twisted thinking when it came to the master’s feelings?

Lin Ganzhi took the liniment, feeling a little touched.

Hmm, yesterday I saw Yan Shengping staring at the mango mousse ad on TV for a long time. I’ll make him mousse tomorrow! A super large portion!

Three days passed quickly. Lin Ganzhi packed his things in the morning and was ready to leave. He wasn’t in high spirits today because Yan Shengping had developed a fever again yesterday afternoon. However, this time it was a low-grade fever, purely due to his own immunity issues. Lin Ganzhi accompanied Yan Shengping, making him drink medicine and giving him a fever-reducing shot.

Seeing Yan Shengping’s chapped lips, his face flushed with an unhealthy red, and his rapid breathing, Lin Ganzhi truly felt bad for him.

When Yan Shengping got sick, his appetite regressed to pre-liberation levels. Lin Ganzhi had to coax him to eat a little, and only felt relieved after watching him take his medicine.

The fever broke at midnight, but he couldn’t get up the next morning to see Lin Ganzhi off.

“Uncle Yan, I’ve stewed some soup. Let him drink it when he wakes up. I also made some small cakes and braised snacks. Let him eat some when he has no appetite,” Lin Ganzhi instructed Uncle Yan before getting out of the car.

Uncle Yan nodded to each point. When it was time to get out, Uncle Yan turned back and handed a card to Lin Ganzhi.

“Uncle Yan, what’s this?” Lin Ganzhi’s hand trembled as he held the card.

“Sir said it feels too distant to always be transferring money to you like this. There’s one hundred million in here. Sir said you should use it to buy good food and have fun,” Uncle Yan said with a smile.

The hand holding the card instantly developed Parkinson’s. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he wanted to turn back, rush into the room, and hug his boss while crying his heart out. Was this a boss? This was an angel!

Lin Ganzhi felt completely guilty. He had taken so much money, yet he hadn’t even managed to help improve his condition. This time, he had to be shameless and ask more people for help. Yan Shengping’s body needed to be conditioned with traditional Chinese medicine; relying on Western medicine was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as his boss’s health didn’t improve, he wouldn’t retire for a single day!

***

“He’s gone?” Yan Shengping propped himself up, his voice a little hoarse. His messy bangs fell across his forehead, hiding his usual sharpness.

Uncle Yan nodded, but then reached out and placed a piece of fruit candy in Yan Shengping’s palm. “Ganzhi left this instruction before he left. He said you can have a piece of candy after taking your medicine in the morning.”

Yan Shengping looked down at the small candy wrapped in pink paper in his palm and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is he trying to coax a child?”

Although he said that, he didn’t toss the candy aside. Instead, he held it tightly in his palm. “When does the show air?”

“It starts at eight tonight and runs until ten.”

Yan Shengping hummed in acknowledgment. He seemed calm on the surface, but he had actually moved his work schedule around, either bringing things forward or pushing them back, to free up the time from eight to ten.

***

At the departure gate in the morning, a group of fans who had woken up at five AM were waiting eagerly for their idol, holding fan signs and gifts.

The fan leader stood at the front, maintaining order. “Listen up, when Yi-zai arrives, don’t throw your gifts at him. His arm was just injured a while ago. Remember to give them to the assistant and bodyguards behind him. Right, and what do we need to say?”

“We have to say thank you to the staff,” a girl in the group raised her hand.

The fan leader nodded in satisfaction. “Yi-zai’s assistant just contacted me. He’ll be here soon. Sisters, get your spirits up!”

A group of fans stared intently at the corner up ahead.

The sound of rolling wheels approached, and someone in the crowd could be heard swallowing.

Then, a pair of high-top boots appeared before everyone.

“Yi—” a girl couldn’t help but start to shout when the fan leader pulled her back.

At this moment, the person from around the corner fully appeared before them. He was dressed all in black, even his wide-brimmed hat was black, obscuring half of his eyes. He was pulling a suitcase with his right hand. His top was an extremely loose-fitting suit jacket with no shirt underneath, revealing snow-white skin. He wore a uniquely shaped skull necklace. Below, he wore equally loose and flowing wide-leg pants, making him look visually about 1.82 meters tall. The extremely individualistic and casual combination, coupled with a “do not approach” aura, made many people at the airport turn their heads, wondering which male model he was.

“Oh my god, he’s so handsome~” one of the sisters in the fan group exclaimed, which resonated with many others. Some even started taking pictures with their phones.

However, there were also those who couldn’t stand it. “What’s so handsome? His clothes are all asymmetrical. How can he be as cute as our Yi-zai!”

“Exactly!”

The person being discussed had already walked past, but he suddenly turned and walked towards the fan group, heading straight for the girl who had just spoken ill of him.

The girl’s breath caught in her throat. The man’s special aura left her momentarily unsure of how to react. As he approached, even the hem of his clothes seemed to carry the wind.

Five seconds later, he stood in front of her.

“Hello, my earbud fell behind you. Could you please help me pick it up?” The lower half of the young man’s face was fair and translucent, the tip of his nose tinged with pink. His voice was clear and pure, the end of his words gently lilting, stirring the hearts of many.

The girl’s face turned bright red. She bent down several times but couldn’t pick up the earbud. Finally, gritting her teeth, she put down her sign and handed over a white Bluetooth earbud.

“Thank you.” The young man chuckled softly. “As a token of my thanks.”

The girl looked down. A small candy wrapped in light green paper appeared in her palm. The candy was still slightly warm. When she looked up again, the young man had already left, pulling his suitcase.

Lin Ganzhi put his earbud back in and accidentally played a voice message Zhang Dianhuai had sent him this morning.

“To avoid being recognized at the airport, change your clothes. Wear something low-key, the less conspicuous the better. And wear a hat to cover up. That pink hair of yours is too eye-catching.”

Following the instructions, Lin Ganzhi had hurriedly put on this outfit at home. All black, hey, that’s low-key enough, right?

Thinking this, Lin Ganzhi couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

Suddenly, a burst of screams came from behind him. Lin Ganzhi turned around, but could only see a dense crowd of people. Forget it, it was better not to get involved in this gossip. With that thought, he turned and boarded the plane.

For celebrities, every airport outfit is a major highlight. This time, Zhong Jingyi had chosen a black casual suit, a couple’s outfit with Luan Yuanzhou beside him. As soon as they entered the airport for this variety show, a photographer started following them. This was a privilege only for the bigger names on the show.

Zhong Jingyi pulled Luan Yuanzhou’s hand and walked to the departure gate, where his and Luan Yuanzhou’s fans had been waiting for a long time.

Because of the camera, Zhong Jingyi specially stopped to sign autographs for his fans, showing a friendly smile for the camera. While signing, he also asked about his fans’ recent situations.

“Yi-zai, you’re so cute up close. You look even better in a suit than that model-like guy just now. Your styles are so similar too!” the young fan’s eyes shone.

Zhong Jingyi’s hand paused while signing. “A model?”