Chapter 81 – Public Display of Affection
The day after they finished recording the show, it was time for Lin Ganzhi and Wenren Yi’s scheduled trip abroad for medical treatment. When Lin Ganzhi and Yan Shengping came downstairs for lunch, Uncle Yan kept giving them advice on various daily matters. Yan Shengping would occasionally mumble an “mm-hmm” with his head down, but Lin Ganzhi was much more cooperative, even sweetly asking about some details. This made Uncle Yan even more enthusiastic, creating a stark change from their usual quiet meals, and the conversation only ended when he went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Yan Shengping sat on the sofa, seizing the moment to deal with work matters, while Lin Ganzhi sat beside him, eating fruit. The distance between them was that of friends. Although Yan Shengping hoped Lin Ganzhi would move a little closer, the chances of that happening seemed to be zero. He had come to understand that this fool was probably allergic to romance; no matter what he thought about, love never crossed his mind. Subconsciously, he would give Yan Shengping a little taste of sweetness, but having a romantic epiphany was out of the question.
“Yan Shengping,” Lin Ganzhi said mysteriously after finishing the last bite of his ginseng fruit and wiping his hands with a tissue.
Yan Shengping stopped his work to listen attentively to what Lin Ganzhi wanted to say.
“Last time, you said I should act towards you in public the same way I usually do. My public persona is a Love Brain.”
Yan Shengping raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Lin Ganzhi to continue, clearly in a good mood.
“So, when we go out later, should I be following the script of unrequited love?”
“And then I’d be cursed out as a scumbag and a heartbreaker?” The smile on Yan Shengping’s face gradually faded as he gave Lin Ganzhi a half-smile that wasn’t a smile.
Lin Ganzhi chuckled awkwardly, a look of sudden realization on his face. “Oh, right! I almost forgot! So, are we supposed to pretend to be a loving couple in public? Will that be difficult for you?” Would Yan Shengping be willing to go along with this?
“We can. It’ll be a good way to lower the Zhong Family’s guard,” Yan Shengping said, finding an excellent excuse. “A deposed outcast who’s physically weak and now completely engrossed in love—they won’t focus their attention on me for the time being. I’ve been making some big moves recently, and they’re probably getting suspicious.”
Lin Ganzhi wanted to ask what moves he was talking about, but the thought of Yan Shengping showing him all sorts of complicated spreadsheets made him dismiss the idea. It was just a public display of affection; he should remember what his bro was a professional at! A mysterious smile appeared on Lin Ganzhi’s face.
A car slowly pulled up at the airport entrance, and a man in a black overcoat stepped out from the right-side door. His brightly polished leather shoes crunched softly on the fresh snow. His cold, pine-like aura drew the attention of many passersby. Unfortunately, he wore a black mask and a gray scarf that covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of exquisite eyes that sparked people’s imaginations.
Immediately after, a pair of hands in cream-colored gloves reached out from the car. The man easily grasped the small hand and gently pulled its owner out. A long, warm-yellow padded coat enveloped him, making him look like a little yellow duck. The first thing he did after getting out wasn’t to stand properly but to tightly hug the man in front of him, rubbing his pink-haired head against the man’s chest several times.
Onlooker: “[Damn! Is this a novel coming to life? I love, love, love this height difference!]”
Some excited girls couldn’t resist taking pictures and posting them online.
Yan Shengping wrapped his arm around Lin Ganzhi, the smile in his eyes never fading. He was incredibly glad he had agreed to go abroad for treatment. He was only annoyed that something this good hadn’t happened sooner. Even if it was an act, Lin Ganzhi actively burrowing into his arms was as real as it gets.
The two were lovey-dovey for over a minute. When Lin Ganzhi finally pulled his head out of Yan Shengping’s embrace, his cheeks were flushed red. He wasn’t deliberately wearing a mask, but his cream-colored scarf covered the lower half of his face, giving off a sense of trying to hide something in plain sight.
The photo of their embrace quickly went viral online. Lin Ganzhi’s fans promptly recognized their idol and came out to claim him, using “Holy-crap” to express their utter astonishment.
“[The one Ganzhi is hugging must be his husband, right? Is the old man that tall?]”
“[Why wear a mask when you’re out having fun! You have to face the music eventually! Can some kind soul please post a full-face picture! I’m dying of curiosity~]”
“[Aww, Ganzhi is so well-behaved in his husband’s arms. He loves to nuzzle so much~ Isn’t he afraid of playing with fire? Hehe~]”
“[That part where they got out of the car was so sweet! He wouldn’t get out without holding hands, hehehe!]”
“[Who said CEO Yan was ugly? Come out and admit it! With that height and aura, he could easily make it in the entertainment industry!]”
“[Aww, have they boarded yet? Is it too late to go watch?]”
“[To the person above, I advise against it. You should go review Ganzhi’s Weibo. He hates that kind of superficial stuff. If you want to see him, it’s more practical to @ the company’s official Weibo and see if they can arrange an offline fan meeting.]”
“[Agreed. It’s over for me. All I want now is to see what CEO Yan looks like. Are there any friends from the business world here? If you have photos of CEO Yan, hurry up and post them~]”
“[I am. Although I’m in management at a company, I can responsibly tell you that when Yan Shengping was at Zhong Corporation, he never accepted media interviews. The gatherings he attended were high-level business conferences full of big shots. Reporters couldn’t even get in the door, let alone guests who wanted to take photos. Their phones would be confiscated by bodyguards before they could even put them back in their pockets. If he hadn’t fallen from grace, you probably wouldn’t even be able to see a full-body shot of him now.]”
“[Damn! Is his backstory that intense? Whoa, I’m getting more and more interested! I want to know who’s better looking, him or the Big Shot~ Aww, the Big Shot only shows up in live streams to throw money around and never pops up in the group chat.]”
The internet was abuzz with speculation. When his secretary relayed the news to Zhong Wenwei, he snorted coldly, his voice hoarse from long nights of staying up late. “He’s been completely ruined. I overestimated my adopted son. He used to have some real ability and plenty of backbone, but now he’s fallen for a little celebrity. How useless! Cough, cough, cough!“
After speaking, Zhong Wenwei began to cough violently.
The secretary quickly handed Zhong Wenwei a glass of water and said worriedly, “Chairman, don’t ruin your health over this. Both companies are relying on you right now.”
Zhong Wenwei took a sip of water to catch his breath, the gloom in his eyes deepening. He muttered in frustration, “It’s my fault for having such a useless son. He seemed fine when he first returned to the country, but then he started dating and nearly sided with the Luan Family. It’s infuriating!”
At the airport, the two of them put on a simple display of affection before walking hand-in-hand to the departure lounge. The hand-holding part wasn’t initiated by Lin Ganzhi; as they walked, Yan Shengping’s hand had somehow found his. Lin Ganzhi had probably gotten used to it recently, as he accepted it naturally. It wasn’t until he saw Wenren Yi’s teasing gaze flitting between them that he coughed shyly.
“This is Wenren, you’ve seen her in the live streams. Wenren, this is… my partner, Yan Shengping,” Lin Ganzhi introduced.
He had thought Yan Shengping’s cold personality would make it hard for him to get along with Wenren Yi. However, Yan Shengping stepped past him, took off his mask, and greeted Wenren Yi amicably, “Hello. Thank you for taking care of Ganzhi.”
They were in the VIP lounge where there weren’t many people, and the three of them sitting in a corner didn’t attract much attention. Otherwise, Yan Shengping’s face was handsome enough to cause a commotion. Even if people didn’t show it, their hearts would surely be racing.
Wenren Yi was usually quite confident in her own looks, but upon seeing Yan Shengping’s face, she finally understood why Lin Ganzhi was such a Love Brain. If she weren’t into women, she wouldn’t have been able to handle a face like that either. If the public knew what Yan Shengping looked like, half the face-cons would stand up and fight for him. This was a textbook example of “beauty is justice”!
“Hello, hello,” Wenren Yi said, stunned for a moment before extending her hand in greeting. “Could I take a picture with you later? I have a friend who would definitely love you.”
“Huh?” Lin Ganzhi interjected, feeling like he was being cuckolded.
“It’s Que Jin!” Wenren Yi cleared her throat and quickly explained. “Didn’t she say last time that she didn’t get a good look at CEO Yan? He’s so handsome, why wouldn’t you share him?”
Was Yan Shengping an object to be shared? Still, he had to admit, Yan Shengping was indeed handsome—a kind of beauty that transcended gender.
“That depends on Ganzhi. If he agrees, I have no problem with it,” Yan Shengping gave a near-perfect answer. After speaking, he looked down at the slightly bewildered Lin Ganzhi, the affection in his eyes almost melting into a pool of spring water.
Lin Ganzhi’s heart couldn’t help but pound wildly. Who could resist the boss when he was this gentle?
After stammering for a long while, Lin Ganzhi fidgeted with the pom-pom on his scarf and nodded in agreement. “It’s okay. Sister Que Jin went to your birthday party before, but she said there were too many people and she couldn’t get a clear look at you from the corner. If… if you’re willing.”
“Of course. I just hope the photo isn’t circulated, if that’s alright,” Yan Shengping said.
Wenren Yi quickly nodded in agreement. They were just admiring his looks; they definitely had no other intentions!
And so, before the plane took off, Wenren Yi received what was truly Que Jin’s first-ever “Holy-crap.”
Que Jin: “[With a face like that, who wouldn’t be a Love Brain for him besides Ganzhi!]”
Wenren Yi deeply agreed, then used the few minutes before takeoff to frantically exchange thoughts with Que Jin.
Lin Ganzhi and Yan Shengping were seated next to Wenren Yi. He pulled a pack of chewing gum from his pocket, which Uncle Yan had stuffed into it that morning. He took out two pieces and handed one to Yan Shengping.
“Want one? Your ears might pop during takeoff. Chewing on this can help.”
“You have it. I almost never get ringing in my ears, so I don’t need it.” Yan Shengping took it, tore open the wrapper, and brought it to Lin Ganzhi’s lips.
Lin Ganzhi obediently opened his mouth to take it. Perhaps he was too nervous, but his teeth gently grazed Yan Shengping’s fingertip. With a burning face, Lin Ganzhi wanted to grab a tissue to wipe Yan Shengping’s finger, but Yan Shengping gently pushed his head back.
“We’re taking off. Don’t move,” his deep voice, like a cello, soothed Lin Ganzhi’s emotions. He let out a muffled “mm-hmm.” While genuinely admiring his boss’s acting skills, he rested his fluffy head on Yan Shengping’s shoulder and subconsciously nuzzled it again.
Wenren Yi, who had long since finished her messaging, let out a: “Hic~”