Chapter 10
When Ji Wei returned to his dorm, it was already past one in the morning. While washing up, he received a Weibo push notification. He was about to swipe it away when he noticed it was about him.
—Entertainment Sharp Comment Apologizes to Ji Wei
He clicked into Weibo.
[Entertainment Sharp Comment] I apologize for the previous false statements that infringed upon his reputation. The original Weibo post has been deleted. Please help retweet and spread the word, thank you.
Unsurprisingly, the comments under this post were all filled with astonishment.
[Salmon Belly] Blogger, if you’ve been kidnapped, blink twice.
[Tomato Beef] Amazing. A non-celebrity can make a blogger with three million followers delete a post. Who would believe there’s no marketing involved?]
[Noodle Dough] +1
As the number of doubters grew, the intended effect was not achieved at all. At first, the blogger seriously replied to each comment, explaining himself. But after being repeatedly accused of being paid to whitewash the situation, he seemed to panic.
He directly uploaded censored screenshots of his chat history and transaction records of being paid to write the post, stating that he only takes money to write posts, never to delete them!
[Sandwich] This move to ruin his own career, I’m truly speechless!
[Snowman] The article from the beginning of the year, Gossiping About a Certain Popular Starlet’s Path as a Mistress, was also paid for? Oh my god, I feel like I’ve stumbled upon the biggest scoop of the year. This must have been done by a rival company.]
[Yuan Yuan Yuan] Bump this up! I have a feeling the fandoms are going to tear each other apart tonight. Exciting!]
[Mountain and Water Scenery] Sharp Comment Lord, apologize to my sister!!! Ji Wei needs an apology, and my sister needs one too. Was it fun spreading paid rumors?!]
…
There was no need to scroll further.
The fans of various celebrities were engaged in a bloody war.
Having lost all credibility, the “Entertainment Sharp Comment” account, which had always prided itself on being objective and fair, was finished. Netizens no longer had the time to care about a minor non-celebrity like him.
Ji Wei wasn’t stupid; he understood that someone must have been pulling the strings behind the scenes. And… it couldn’t have been anyone other than his idol. Without a second thought, he walked out onto the balcony and closed the door behind him.
Then, he nervously dialed Lu Shenxing’s number.
The dial tone beeped in his ear. He looked up and saw that the dormitory building opposite was completely dark. He suddenly realized a very serious problem.
It was already past one in the morning. His idol was probably already asleep. How could he call him at this hour!
Luckily, the call hadn’t gone through. Ji Wei quickly hung up.
He stood on the balcony for a while, letting the wind calm his emotions. Just as he was about to turn and leave, his phone rang. A call came in. He thought it was a spam call, but when he swiped the screen, he was surprised to see it was… Lu Shenxing.
His idol actually called him back…
It wasn’t a particularly special gesture, but Ji Wei’s heart pounded. He took a deep breath before answering, speaking before Lu Shenxing could. “Mr. Lu, thank you.”
It was a very sincere thank you.
He added with a hint of worry, “Actually, it’s fine with me. Let them say what they want, I don’t care about these things. If it affects you, Mr. Lu, I’d feel really bad…”
The man listened quietly until he finished, then replied with an “mm.”
After getting it off his chest, Ji Wei felt a little more at ease and was about to wish Lu Shenxing goodnight.
The man then added, “But I care.”
His tone was serious, and his slightly weary voice was deeper than usual.
Not expecting such an answer, Ji Wei’s heart skipped a beat.
Was he this gentle with everyone…
A warm feeling slowly coiled and spread at the tip of his heart. At first, it was just a swaying leaf, but it grew into a towering tree, enveloping his entire heart.
Suddenly, he wanted to see him.
“Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to treat you to a meal to thank you,” Ji Wei said, his hand gripping the railing so tightly that it was already damp with sweat.
“Tomorrow, huh…”
Lu Shenxing’s voice paused, sounding a little uncertain. “I might have something on.”
His idol was so busy.
He shouldn’t have asked…
“It’s okay, I was just asking casually.” Ji Wei slowly let go of the railing, but his tone betrayed no disappointment. “You just focus on your work.”
“Goodnight, Ji Wei.”
The man said it in a breathy voice, as if he were right beside him, so close he could even hear the rise and fall of his breathing.
Ji Wei closed his eyes. “Goodnight, Mr. Lu.”
***
Qin’an, on the film set.
It was already one-thirty in the morning.
Lu Shenxing sat in a chair, staring at his darkened phone. After a moment of contemplation, he walked over to the director and leaned in. “Let’s shoot the night scene.”
The director of Sun Eater was a young man in his early twenties. After a moment of joy, he hesitated. “Can your body handle it?”
Theirs was a low-budget film with a limited budget. Due to censorship issues, they had to reshoot a full day and night’s worth of scenes tomorrow. Filming at night would reduce venue and equipment costs, and the sound recording would be better.
But it would be too much trouble for Film Emperor Lu.
He had spent three years writing the script for Sun Eater and sold his house to raise the production funds, but when it came time to actually shoot, no one was willing to star in it.
He had nervously approached Film Emperor Lu with the script, not holding out much hope.
But a few days later, after reading the script, Film Emperor Lu had proactively sought him out, willing to star in this film that no one had any faith in.
“It’s fine, let’s shoot.”
Lu Shenxing shook his head.
Hearing this, Ying Guanxiao, who was standing nearby, frowned tightly. He wanted to say something, but held back since the director was present.
Lu Shenxing was usually gentle and reserved, but once he started acting, only one phrase could describe him.
—Utterly radiant.
Even if he didn’t have a single line, all eyes would be on him. He was a born actor, destined for the stage.
The filming didn’t end until the sky began to brighten. Lu Shenxing got into the car, unbuttoned the second button of his shirt, and wearily rubbed his temples.
Ying Guanxiao’s expression wasn’t good. He handed him a glass of warm water. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you. You think acting is more important than anything, but I don’t think it’s more important than anything, and it’s not more important than your life. Staying healthy is more important than anything else.”
“I know.”
Lu Shenxing lowered his eyes.
“You know, yet you still pull an all-nighter to film?” Ying Guanxiao was a little angry now, his tone somewhat sharp. “You’re almost thirty, not a young man in his early twenties anymore.”
“I have no choice,” Lu Shenxing said faintly after taking a sip of water. “My person at home is waiting for me. A single man like you wouldn’t understand.”
Ying Guanxiao: “…”
***
On Sunday, there were no classes, so Ji Wei was theoretically supposed to stream. But he was a bit distracted, so he posted on Weibo to take a day off.
[Ji Wei Who Plays Games] Going home today, taking a day off.
Because the post was so perfunctory, the fans below all left comments.
[Man-eating Flower] You didn’t run into God Wen Zheng on Esports Youth, did you? I heard the great god brought his new boyfriend with him while filming the show. What a suffocating scene of conflict.]
[Queen Bee] Didn’t Weiwei say he was on a local TV variety show? It probably isn’t Esports Youth, because… all the guests are quite good-looking, especially Wen Zheng. He’s really handsome.]
[Flower of the Rotten Land] Sigh, after participating in the show, Wen Zheng’s follower count is almost at one and a half million. When will Weiwei ever get popular?]
[The End] In our lifetime, maybe.]
When Ji Wei saw the name Wen Zheng, he felt a little dazed. If it weren’t for his fans constantly reminding him that he was the “abandoned husband” ruthlessly cast aside by Wen Zheng, he really would have forgotten about him.
Was his idol not good-looking enough, or was his voice not dreamy enough?
As he walked out, he switched to his side account and browsed the popular videos in the Super Topic. But after scrolling through seven or eight posts, why were they all… CP-centric video edits?
For example, “Lu-Wei is Definitely True Love,” “A Little Sweet (Lu-Wei),” “National Style Romance Documentary,” “Lu-Wei Promo”…
The video editors were so skilled that some tech-savvy fans had even made R-rated videos, which made a suspicious blush quickly spread across Ji Wei’s cheeks.
If his idol saw topics like this when he entered the Super Topic, it would be really embarrassing!
Shouldn’t… the top fans do something about this?
He sent a private message to the host.
[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] It’s not really appropriate for the Super Topic to be full of CP fans’ Weibo posts, right? Solo fans will be unhappy when they see it. I think we need to strictly control the content to restore a clean and positive atmosphere to the Super Topic.]
[Lu Shenxing’s Fan Club] This CP fan fell silent for two seconds. Are you trying to control me?]
[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] …
Just then, Ji Wei’s phone rang.
It was his idol calling.
Was it a wrong number?
Ji Wei hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Where are you?”
Lu Shenxing’s voice came through the phone.
Ji Wei wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt his voice sounded more tired than last night, with a hint of hoarseness.
Ji Wei slung his backpack on and walked out. “In the dorm, getting ready to go home.”
“Is your home in Yancheng?”
the man asked nonchalantly.
Ji Wei closed the dorm door. “Yeah, it’s in Xishan District. It’s about a half-hour drive.”
“What a coincidence,” the man paused, then said in a low voice, “I’m also going to Xishan District.”
Before Ji Wei could get excited, Lu Shenxing slowly added, “To meet the parents, by the way.”
Hearing the words “meet the parents,” Ji Wei froze.
Because…
He hadn’t dared to tell his parents that he was married (T＿T).
He had even secretly taken the household registration book.
***
Ji’s Father was a middle school Chinese teacher, and he had always been very proud of raising his son to get into Yan University.
He sat in the living room, holding a mobilization meeting for the parents of several high school seniors. “The third year of high school is the most critical year. There are several aspects that parents must strictly guard against: one is puppy love, two is gaming, and three is following celebrities…”
Ji’s Father cleared his throat. “Don’t think that following celebrities is a small matter and not take it seriously, especially that one named Lu Shenxing. You must be on high alert. In the classes I’ve taught, nine out of ten girls like him, always going on about ‘Lu Shenxing, Lu Shenxing.’ Do they still want their grades? I can’t stand him.”
“Back then, Weiwei liked him. Before the first mock exam, he actually bought a train ticket to attend some promotional event. That was right before the first mock exam, you know.”
Ji’s Father felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He said patiently, “If you have any questions, please wait until I’m finished.”
He continued, “Luckily, I found out, confiscated all the posters in his room, and reasoned with him with both emotion and logic. Later, Weiwei became sensible and told me, ‘Dad, I’ll never follow celebrities again.’ And there really isn’t a single thing related to Lu Shenxing in the house anymore.”
His sleeve was tugged again by the person next to him. Just as he was about to speak, the parent pointed behind him.
Ji’s Father frowned and looked back.
He saw his son and another man walking in side by side.
The man was handsome and looked somewhat familiar. Ji’s Father tried hard to remember where he had seen him before.
In a flash—
He suddenly remembered. Wasn’t this the Lu Shenxing from the posters!
“Teacher Ji, didn’t you say there wasn’t a single thing related to Lu Shenxing in your house?” that parent asked doubtfully.
How come there was a real, live one now?!