Chapter 15 – Enter: Lin, the Drama King
“Even if you danced naked in front of me, I wouldn’t feel anything for you.”
Yan Shengping felt a stinging pain on his cheeks.
But Lin Ganzhi didn’t notice Yan Shengping’s strange behavior. Instead, he blinked his somewhat expectant eyes. “Do I look good?” Lin Ganzhi’s soft, thick eyelashes brushed against his lower eyelids twice. He boldly crossed the chasm between them, leaning in a little closer. The scent of coconut milk rushed straight to Yan Shengping’s well-defined nose.
As a deeply closeted gay man in his previous life, Lin Ganzhi never dared to wear such androgynous clothes. Even after entering the motley entertainment circle, he always dressed conservatively outside of filming, afraid that others would discover his sexual orientation. But in this world, same-sex relationships were treated as equal. Although he was a bit shy when he first put it on, after a trip to the supermarket, Lin Ganzhi had completely fallen in love with this uninhibited style!
Unrestrained, being himself—this felt like the best gift he had received since coming to this world.
For a rare moment, Yan Shengping avoided Lin Ganzhi’s gaze. He looked up, only to find that at a red light, Uncle Yan was also staring at him through the rearview mirror.
He was in a difficult predicament.
If he said he looked good, what if he started buying more of these clothes in the future? Of course, he didn’t like Lin Ganzhi, so he wouldn’t get jealous over this!
But if he said he didn’t look good…
Yan Shengping glanced again at the young man beside him. The blue and white sweater made his skin look even more translucent, and his little pink hair shone brightly in the sunlight as he waited spiritedly for his answer.
If he said he didn’t look good, Uncle Yan in the front probably wouldn’t agree and might even think he had ulterior motives.
Yan Shengping’s fingers curled slightly. He compromised, “The one from this morning looks good.”
Oh, so that was Yan Shengping’s taste. A sly glint flashed in Lin Ganzhi’s eyes. In that case, he would have to wear these clothes more often in front of Yan Shengping. As for the semi-sheer silk shirt in the bag, he would wear that outside!
Woohoo~!
This was a perfect case of having his cake and eating it too!
Lin Ganzhi shyly rubbed his face, looking very much like a sea otter acting cute at the zoo. “Then I’ll wear it for you again next time~”
Yan Shengping never would have imagined what a huge pit he had dug for himself with his stubborn words. Of course, the days of regret were still to come.
After getting out of the car, the first thing Lin Ganzhi did was go to the trunk to get the groceries. The hot pot ingredients he bought filled a large bag. Lin Ganzhi held his clothes with one hand and went to grab the groceries with the other. But as he lifted the bag halfway, he suddenly paused. His right arm went slack, and the large bag of groceries fell back into place.
Damn, when did his arm get so sore?
Lin Ganzhi stood there, dumbfounded.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” A not-so-enthusiastic voice sounded from the side. Lin Ganzhi looked up. Yan Shengping hadn’t gone inside yet; instead, he was staring intently at his right hand.
It wasn’t something to be ashamed of, so Lin Ganzhi confessed honestly, “I probably bumped it when I was helping a colleague at the company.”
“A colleague?” Yan Shengping’s sharp eyes picked out the word.
Um, it didn’t seem like a big deal when he said it, but why did he feel a little guilty when Yan Shengping asked?
“A woman. I’m gay, you know,” Lin Ganzhi chose to play it safe.
Yan Shengping snorted, pushing the bag in his left hand up to his elbow. He was about to lift it with one hand when Yan Shengping stepped in, took the large bag of hot pot ingredients, and went inside without a word.
His pink hair trembled twice in the wind, and he ran in after him.
At noon, Lin Ganzhi hastily made a simple lunch. At three in the afternoon, he began to prepare the ingredients for the evening’s hot pot. Uncle Yan was happy to have a break and helped out by his side.
Lin Ganzhi had bought some beef and pork. Since his right hand was injured, the task of chopping the meat was left to Uncle Yan. Lin Ganzhi could manage with his left hand and even made a large pot of rich chicken broth as a base for Yan Shengping.
He himself was craving something spicy, so he made a two-sided hot pot. They started eating at six in the evening sharp.
Yan Shengping looked at the chicken broth base that had been specially turned to face him, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Aside from when he was out working, here with Lin Ganzhi, he was experiencing the long-forgotten feeling of someone thinking of him. Before, at the Zhong family, whether they were having hot pot at home or out, as long as Zhong Jingyi said he wanted a spicy pot, he couldn’t raise any objections. It was because Zhong Jingyi felt that having an extra mild pot was a waste of space, so they never had a mild pot at home again.
Yet, every time after ordering, Zhong Jingyi would hypocritically ask if he could handle spicy food. Father Zhong would always chime in, saying that as his son, how could he be so weak as to not be able to eat spicy food?
Thinking of this, a trace of mockery flashed in Yan Shengping’s eyes. Forget it, it was all in the past. He would repay Lin Ganzhi’s kindness with even more in the future.
“Here, eat some meat. It’ll get tough if it’s cooked for too long!” Lin Ganzhi used the serving chopsticks to place a cooked beef roll into Yan Shengping’s bowl, his movements practiced and skillful.
Yan Shengping said a soft “thank you” and put the beef in his mouth. Although the quality of the beef wasn’t on the same level as what he used to eat, the texture was fresh and delicious. Paired with the chicken broth that had been simmering for hours, the flavor was very fresh and fragrant, with a long-forgotten taste of home.
“Is it good?” Lin Ganzhi always liked to ask questions in areas where he excelled. The little pink-haired boy was waiting for praise!
For once, Yan Shengping wasn’t stingy with his praise. “It’s very good.” With his sharp edges and defenses down, Yan Shengping seemed like an approachable older brother in front of Lin Ganzhi. The warmth of the food even brought a healthy flush to his pale face, making his exceptionally handsome face look more lively.
Lin Ganzhi giggled, satisfied, and went to work on his own spicy pot. He believed that with his persistent care, his boss’s health would gradually improve!
Uncle Yan also praised the soup base Lin Ganzhi made. For the spicy pot, Lin Ganzhi hadn’t used a pre-made base but had bought the raw ingredients and fried them himself. It was both numbing and fragrant. However, Lin Ganzhi wasn’t just enjoying himself; while eating from his own pot, as soon as the food in Yan Shengping’s pot decreased, he would deftly add more.
Uncle Yan didn’t intervene at all during this process, watching the young couple with a kind smile.
“Ganzhi, the show you’re going on in two days, is it about farming and cooking in the countryside? I’ve seen a lot of shows like that on TV recently.” As they were finishing their meal, Uncle Yan asked about Lin Ganzhi’s work with concern.
Lin Ganzhi slurped down a whole wide noodle, chewed it, and felt that description was a bit off. “It might be a little bit harder than just growing vegetables~” Lin Ganzhi gestured with his thumb and forefinger.
Yan Shengping’s chopsticks paused. “What exactly will you be doing?”
“It’s probably like a wilderness survival situation,” Lin Ganzhi thought for a moment, feeling that Uncle Yan might not understand that description, so he described it in more detail. “When I went to sign the contract today, I heard the agent and director say that the first stop is the Southern Archipelago. Um, a semi-developed island, I guess. The director asked me what I’m good at, and I said I can eat anything that’s edible. He even praised me~”
Being praised made Lin Ganzhi feel delighted.
This time, it wasn’t just Uncle Yan; even Yan Shengping lost his appetite. “An uninhabited area? They’re sending a few singers and actors to survive? Has the production team considered the various unpredictable dangers?”
Faced with a barrage of questions, Lin Ganzhi hesitated. “The director said it’s a live broadcast all day, so there should be professionals accompanying us. I’m not afraid! I’m especially good at survival!” To prove his point, Lin Ganzhi even rolled up his sweater sleeve, only to reveal a patch of soft, white flesh and a barely noticeable outline of muscle.
Um…
Lin Ganzhi quickly lowered his sleeve to avoid further embarrassment!
“Ganzhi, we didn’t think it would be this dangerous before. Why don’t you take a show with a higher safety factor? I saw another show before, a group of young people farming, that looked quite interesting,” Uncle Yan persuaded.
Lin Ganzhi nodded. He knew that Uncle Yan and Yan Shengping were looking out for him.
But the appearance fee was eighty thousand! And he had already promised and signed the contract. Lin Ganzhi didn’t want to go back on his word. Most importantly, he really felt he could handle it, but he didn’t know how to prove his strong survival skills to them.
After all, the original owner was a complete drama king. He had no other skills besides riding on others’ coattails and causing trouble!
“Turn it down. You signed the contract, so I’ll pay the breach of contract fee for you. Whatever variety show you like, I’ll help you pull some strings,” Yan Shengping said, wiping his mouth, his eyes glinting coldly.
Say what you will, the boss looked really handsome when he said that.
If he hadn’t transmigrated and known how dire Yan Shengping’s current situation was, he might have almost nodded in agreement.
“Let’s just do it this time. I’ve already promised my agent. He helped me solve the last issue, so let’s just consider it returning a favor. Besides, don’t underestimate me. My abilities are super strong!” To reassure the two of them, Lin Ganzhi was even willing to sell his looks. An actor’s expression management was also a very important lesson. The teacher would give one-on-one guidance on whether your expression was up to par. Lin Ganzhi was used to being free and unrestrained. Although he could produce a standard smile that would satisfy the public, he wouldn’t bring it into his personal life.
Lin Ganzhi raised the corners of his mouth, his curved eyes seeming to hold a galaxy of stars, sparkling with tiny points of light. The angle of his smile was precise to the millimeter. The teacher had said that as an actor, you must understand the strengths and weaknesses of your face and then do your best to enhance the strengths. Lin Ganzhi’s cheeks were a bit chubby, which was acceptable for an idol.
But for an actor, a strong personal style was not suitable for a variety of roles. So this time, when he smiled, he deliberately suppressed his chubby cheeks. His slender fingers rested lightly on the side of his face, and his aura seemed to change completely.
Uncle Yan had never seen someone change so much in such a short time, but with that smile, he suddenly felt that Lin Ganzhi was even better-looking than Zhong Jingyi.
Yan Shengping stared at Lin Ganzhi for two seconds, then reached out and, without any politeness, pinched the cheeks Lin Ganzhi had tried to slim down. The feel was still as good as before.
“Don’t fake a smile.”
That one sentence completely broke Lin Ganzhi’s composure. His eyes turned exceptionally resentful. His most satisfactory smile had been seen through by this man!
Really…
As expected of his boss~
Lin the sycophant was back online. But the fact that Yan Shengping didn’t like the meticulously designed, much-praised fake smile gently touched a certain part of Lin Ganzhi’s heart.
“The strong ability you mentioned isn’t the two rows of vegetable seedlings in the yard, is it? As far as I know, there are no vegetable markets on a deserted island, nor will there be any aunties to haggle with over prices,” Yan Shengping pointed out mercilessly.
Well, that’s true. Wait a minute. How did Yan Shengping know he haggled with the aunties?
Lin Ganzhi squinted suspiciously at Uncle Yan. Uncle Yan coughed and pretended to drink his soup.
Hmph! A spy!
“But,” Yan Shengping continued, “since you’ve already promised someone, I won’t interfere. Personally, I’m not reluctant to see you go to a deserted island. I’m just reminding you from the perspective of a business partner. I don’t care what happens to you.”
Ha, man, your mouth could be sold at the market. When it comes to cracking walnuts, nothing is better than your mouth.
Although he thought this in his heart, Lin Ganzhi still nodded happily on the surface.
Then Uncle Yan looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at a pitiful creature.
Um, wait, his persona was supposed to be madly in love with Yan Shengping. At a time like this…
Lin Ganzhi’s shoulders trembled. He lightly wiped his eyes with his fingers. He hadn’t wiped the chili oil off his hands properly, so now he didn’t even need to force it; tears streamed down his face.
Yan Shengping also froze. He hadn’t meant to make him cry.
When Lin Ganzhi cried before, it was always more thunder than rain. A couple of tears would fall, and then he’d pull back. But this time, the tears flowed like a small stream, completely unstoppable.
Oh no, this brand of chili oil is a bit strong. Lin Ganzhi felt so uncomfortable he wanted to run to the bathroom and stick his eyes under the faucet. But thinking of his million-a-month salary, Lin Ganzhi took a deep breath and forced himself to endure it!
Lin Ganzhi’s eyes were now completely red. He pinched the fleshy part of his hand between his thumb and forefinger to hold on for a moment longer. When he looked up, he forced a brave smile. “It’s okay. I know Shengping still cares about me, he just doesn’t know how to express it. I’ll bring you back a gift when I’m there. Take good care of yourself at home. Your health has just started to get better, don’t get sick again by the time I come back. I’ll be very upset.”
Yan Shengping was speechless, feeling like he had fallen into a pit of lifelong guilt.
No matter how bad Lin Ganzhi was, he had been concerned about him since he arrived. And what was he doing?