FLME Ch58

Yu Wen and Yi Ming leaned on the classroom window, chatting about the scandal of the Movie Emperor two-timing his relationships.

From their angle, they could clearly see the fans gathered at the school gate. When the fans saw them looking over, they would raise their light boards high, and Yu Wen would smile and wave to acknowledge them.

Yi Ming hesitated about whether or not to send the photos she just took to the Movie Emperor’s girlfriend. That girlfriend was also in the entertainment industry, and they had just made their relationship official recently. She had her contact information.

“The main thing is, I don’t know if they are a real couple or just a publicity stunt…”

The Movie Emperor’s dating rumors with this girlfriend started a month ago, and their new drama was about to be released. The official announcement of their relationship at this time felt a bit like a publicity move.

Yu Wen wasn’t paying attention to Yi Ming’s words; his eyes were drawn to a figure in the fan crowd.

“Second Master, where’s your photo?” he suddenly asked, as if he had noticed something.

Yi Ming then took out the photo, and Yu Wen zoomed in again and again, his gaze shifting between the photo and the fan crowd. Finally, he let out a breath and said, “Look at that fan’s outfit—doesn’t he look like the person in the photo?”

No wonder he found it familiar. It was the male fan who had given him a small gift before entering.

Yi Ming stared at the photo for a full two minutes before her brain processed it, and she cursed.

“He’s even hooking up with fans?!”

Yi Ming summarized the whole situation from start to finish, feeling like this was more than just gossip.

She told Yu Wen, “I need to get to the bottom of this. Xiao Yu, your Second Master is quitting being an artist to become a detective and rid the world of evil!”

“…” The topic changed too fast, so Yu Wen could only say, “Xiao Yu will always be with you!”

Yi Ming nodded and solemnly extended a hand toward him.

Yu Wen also extended his hand and bumped fists with her.

Yi Ming: “Yi!”

Yu Wen: “Yu!”

In unison: “Cross (merge)!”

While responding, Yu Wen thought, how childish.

But Yi Ming was very satisfied. Yu Wen was quick-witted and could keep up with anything she said. Getting this apprentice was truly a treasure.

Detective Xiao Ming was highly efficient. By the time the recording ended, Yu Wen was in the car when he received a message from her.

Yi Ming: [I had my assistant send them bubble tea and found out the big fan’s Weibo ID. I DMed him, subtly probing. He seems like a nice guy, very gentle. When I asked him about the Movie Emperor’s relationship, he also thought it was just a publicity stunt.]

Yi Ming: [Next, I’ll see what the girlfriend says. If this scumbag is playing both sides, Detective Xiao Ming will make sure he knows that the maple leaves in the Imperial Garden aren’t red enough this year!]

Yu Wen was pumped up by her words and replied: [Detective Xiao Ming! Charge ahead! Detective Xiao Yu! Always on standby!]

Yi Ming: [Cross!]

—

On a weekend afternoon, Yu Wen went to the studio to record the fan-requested “Fulfilling the Dream” version of the Hero Group.

The production team didn’t mind giving permission, but the ending of the Hero Squad had to be written based on the final outcome of the battle royale. They communicated that personal materials should avoid the main storyline as much as possible.

So the company decided not to do a hologram projection and planned to personify the dragon, finding a model to cover the face and just record the body shape.

But Xie Jiamao was struggling with finding a model for this.

The dragon, as presented in the variety show, was large and ferocious. Just looking at it gave off a sense of oppression. The person couldn’t be short, at least 190 cm tall, and they couldn’t be too skinny—at least a bit muscular…

Chu Han was eager to play the part, clearly excited, but Xie Jiamao took one look at him, saw that he had a similar build to Yu Wen, and said, “Pass.” As for Xi Su, that troublesome guy had been acting crazy lately, and if the audience recognized him, the dragon’s image would be ruined. “Pass.”

After going through the options, Xie Jiamao pointed, “Xiao Xie, you take the role.”

Xie Heyu was leaning on the sofa, staring blankly at Yu Wen beside him. It wasn’t until all eyes were on him that he slowly lifted his head, pointed at himself, and said, “Me?”

Xie Jiamao: “Exactly. You’ve built up all those muscles. It’d be a waste not to show them.”

Yu Wen turned his head and met Xie Heyu’s gaze. He suddenly remembered the slightly ambiguous content in the script and felt uncomfortable. “Boss, I think…”

Xie Jiamao said, “What? He’s heartbroken and can’t work?”

Yu Wen: “…”

Before Yu Wen could respond, Xie Heyu spoke up: “Xie Jiamao, if you bring this up again, I’ll really cut ties with you as uncle and nephew.”

Everyone didn’t know that the subject of Xie Heyu’s secret crush was Yu Wen, so they had teased him about it countless times in the group chat. Xie Jiamao treated it as a joke, bringing it up every now and then in front of Xie Heyu. But while the speaker had no real intention, the listener took it to heart, and Yu Wen always felt awkward.

“Oh, oh, oh.” Xie Jiamao said mischievously, “You won’t say who it is, and we’ve given you so many suggestions. Still haven’t treated your colleagues to a meal.”

Xi Su: “Yeah, yeah, I have a lot of experience with this. The company even had a special class to teach us how to show that sneaky kind of crush. So many CP posts on Weibo prove my success.”

Chu Han shyly smiled, “I don’t know much about pursuing someone, but I do know a thing or two about… you know. If you need it, I can share a little bit of experience.”

The whole room fell silent.

Yu Wen closed his eyes.

Green fruit! Sew Chu Han’s mouth shut!

The recording location was divided into two parts: the studio and the outdoors. The script was written by Gao Kaiyu, and he was also the director behind the camera.

The content of the script wasn’t complicated; it basically replicated the plot from the variety show. However, some scenes that seemed ordinary when involving a dragon and a human became much more ambiguous when replaced by two people.

Like the scene where the dragon gets a bath.

When Yu Wen read the script, he was in a good mood because Director Gao had said that, even though the scene was ambiguous, he would film it in a way that conveyed straightforward brotherly affection.

But now that he was facing Xie Heyu… Yu Wen felt it would be hard to be straightforward.

The bath scene appeared both in the princess’s diary and the dragon’s memories. It was a crucial scene showing the daily interactions of the Evil-Dragon and Hero pair. After watching the variety show, Director Gao had insisted that the scene must be included.

Xie Heyu came out of the makeup room after finishing his makeup. Since it was a water scene, he didn’t wear a mask, but his face was heavily painted, making it hard to see his real appearance underneath.

The filming location was at an outdoor hot spring hotel. The hot spring was large and open-air, and the company had booked the entire place. They planned to shoot a short one-minute clip.

Xie Heyu’s upper body was bare, with black scales painted from his right shoulder down to his waistline. The scales were so lifelike that every time his muscles moved, the scales seemed to move too.

The most alluring part was his Adam’s apple. The scales extended from his shoulders to the side of his neck. When his Adam’s apple moved up and down, the scales on his skin would stretch and lift, showing a slightly lighter patch of skin, as if they were alive.

He walked straight into the water, drenching his upper body and hair, then slowly walked to the edge of the pool.

Yu Wen was crouching at the pool’s edge, holding a brush, and staring at him.

Gao Kaiyu instructed Xie Heyu to hug Yu Wen’s waist; he wanted to film this shot as the cover for the video.

Xie Heyu then wrapped his arm around Yu Wen’s waist, pressing his face against Yu Wen’s lower abdomen.

It was an incredibly intimate gesture, full of dependency.

For the dragon, this action wasn’t strange. It wasn’t human and lacked the human sense of boundaries. When it was in dragon form, it liked to curl up with the hero to sleep. Whether this scene came across as ambiguous or simply close depended on Yu Wen’s reaction.

But Yu Wen, holding the brush, froze.

“… Are you zoning out?” Gao Kaiyu scolded unceremoniously. “Can you act? If you can’t, I’m leaving.”

Yu Wen’s mind had gone blank, but his mouth was still sharp. He retorted, “I’m finding the right feeling. Actors don’t zone out.”

Gao Kaiyu: “…Have you found it?”

Yu Wen: “I’m still searching. Don’t interrupt me.”

For some reason, Yu Wen, who was usually polite, always wanted to snap back at Gao Kaiyu whenever he lost his temper.

Xie Heyu, who was resting his forehead against Yu Wen’s abdomen, chuckled softly.

The vibration spread through their contact points, sending tingles all over Yu Wen’s body.

Maybe sensing Yu Wen’s tension, Xie Heyu shifted the conversation with Gao Kaiyu to company matters, chatting idly.

Somehow, they ended up talking about Xie Heyu’s recent relationship troubles, and Gao Kaiyu said, “Xiao Xie, don’t trust Xie Jiamao. He’s unreliable and just loves watching drama. If you really want to pursue someone, you should ask me for advice.”

Xie Heyu had already been bombarded by family members recently, and he was tired of hearing about it. He rubbed against Yu Wen’s stomach, as if frustrated, almost acting like he was sulking.

He said, “Forget it. You just want to know how far I’ve gotten. You just want to watch the show too.”

Gao Kaiyu: “I’m not that kind of person.”

Xie Heyu looked up, accidentally meeting Yu Wen’s gaze, then raised an eyebrow.

His eyes were naturally long and narrow, and with the makeup, they looked even deeper. His eyes slanted upward, and with the golden contact lenses he was wearing, that single raised eyebrow shattered his cold expression, as if someone reserved was now flirting.

Xie Heyu said, “I’ll handle it myself. Don’t worry.”

Gao Kaiyu: “Are you confident?”

Xie Heyu replied, “Not at all.”

Gao Kaiyu: “You’re screwed. With your temper, if you can’t catch the person, you’ll be a bachelor for life. If that happens, all the men in your family will be single, and you might as well rename it a monastery.”

Xie Heyu just said, “Yeah, if I can’t catch them, I’ll drag Xie Jiamao to shave our heads.”

Yu Wen: “…”

As Gao Kaiyu turned to adjust the equipment, Yu Wen bent down quietly and asked Xie Heyu, “You, you… If I don’t agree, are you really going to shave your head…”

He was a little nervous, feeling the pressure.

Xie Heyu said, “I won’t shave. I’ll just let Xie Jiamao do it, then sneak out the back door of the barbershop.”

Yu Wen: “…You’re such a trickster.”

Xie Heyu said, “Xie Jiamao tricked me before. Like uncle, like nephew.”

Yu Wen thought Xie Heyu must have experienced a lot. Hearing him say these lies with such a serious face, Yu Wen couldn’t help but laugh.

“What if you do catch the person?” Yu Wen asked.

Xie Heyu raised his eyes to look at him.

Yu Wen’s heart skipped a beat, nervously saying, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying, what if, what if—”

“If I do catch them…” Right then, Gao Kaiyu called for them to get ready. Xie Heyu buried his face back into Yu Wen’s waist and murmured, “I’ll invite Xie Jiamao to a banquet and settle all our past grudges. If I get married, he’ll sit at the head table.”

Yu Wen was relieved that Xie Heyu didn’t look up. As long as he didn’t meet his eyes, Yu Wen didn’t feel as flustered.

Teacher Xie was deliberately saying all these playful words, deliberately lowering his head to ease the atmosphere, making things less awkward. Yu Wen knew that.

He was playing with the wet strands of hair near Xie Heyu’s ear. The damp strands left water marks on his palm, and the ends tickled his skin, feeling moist and soft.

“How about… we still trick him into shaving?” After hesitating for a long time, Yu Wen couldn’t resist his mischievous streak and smiled, his eyes curving. “I really want to see the boss bald.”

Xie Heyu chuckled, “Trick him even if I succeed? Fine, we’ll sneak out the back door together when the time comes.”

Yu Wen nodded eagerly.

The two of them were laughing for some inexplicable reason, leaving Gao Kaiyu confused. He couldn’t help but remind them, “Yu Wen, brotherly affection. Don’t look like you’re about to kiss.”

Yu Wen pouted.

Xie Heyu stepped in, “We didn’t kiss, did we? Don’t project your ‘bro’ vibes onto others.”

Gao Kaiyu, feeling unfairly accused, said, “?”

Yu Wen laughed again. Although the fact that Teacher Xie liked him was awkward, it was always so comfortable being with him. Teacher Xie was always considerate, always standing by his side.

Gao Kaiyu instructed them to press their foreheads together, recreating an iconic scene.

Yu Wen placed his forehead against Xie Heyu’s, accidentally brushing his nose. Xie Heyu squinted, and, almost unconsciously, lifted his face slightly. Yu Wen, in response, brushed against his nose again.

Teacher Xie had a very straight nose, and his skin felt nice to the touch.

Yu Wen unknowingly revealed a smile and whispered, “Teacher Xie, although I may not be able to like you romantically, um, but…”

Yu Wen paused for a moment and pursed his lips.

“As a friend, I like you very, very much.” He said softly.

—

It seemed like the awkward period had passed. After sharing his true feelings with Teacher Xie, Yu Wen realized that he could finally get along with Xie Heyu naturally, just like before.

This was truly something worth celebrating.

During the break, Yu Wen went to the restaurant on the first floor, planning to get some fruit and drinks. Xie Heyu had been soaking in the hot spring for quite a while. On such a hot day, he was surely thirsty after staying in the water for so long.

This hot spring hotel was well-known, and the restaurant operated all day. It wasn’t mealtime, so there were very few people in the restaurant.

Yu Wen asked a server for a fruit platter to be delivered to the hot spring. Just after he paid, a familiar figure walked by him.

…Dead Zhuang!

Yu Wen’s detective instincts instantly kicked in, his alarms going off. Watching Movie Emperor Zhuang gradually walk away, Yu Wen immediately called Yi Ming.

“What?!” Yi Ming was extremely excited on the other end of the line. Hearing it was at a hotel, she immediately jumped to conclusions. “He’s still daring enough to get a room?!”

Yu Wen cautiously replied, “I’m not sure about a room. I just saw him in the restaurant… He doesn’t seem to be eating alone. With who? Oh, I see her… His girlfriend!”

There weren’t any media in the restaurant, and there were few people around. Movie Emperor Zhuang walked straight to a private room, while Yu Wen hid behind a pillar, watching his officially announced girlfriend come out to greet him with a bright smile. The two acted very intimate, clearly not a fake couple just for publicity.

Yu Wen immediately shared the new intel with Yi Ming.

Yi Ming said, “Ha! I’ll bring justice to the world. Detective Xiao Yu, find a seat, and keep an eye on them for me! Sis is about to take action.”

Yu Wen replied solemnly, “Yes!”

The private rooms in the restaurant were very secluded. Yu Wen could only find a seat where he could watch the door of the private room. After eating half a plate of snacks, about ten minutes later, faint sounds of an argument could be heard from inside.

Yu Wen continued munching on his snacks. The next second, the two of them came out of the private room.

Movie Emperor Zhuang had a furrowed brow, as if he still had something to say. He tried to grab the woman’s hand but received a sharp slap in return.

“Smack!”

It was especially loud and crisp.

In the almost-empty restaurant, the sound of that slap drew everyone’s attention. Yu Wen even noticed someone pulling out their phone in confusion, unsure of what had happened, but ready to film anyway.

…Unbelievable.

The woman could barely conceal her anger. She glared coldly at Movie Emperor Zhuang and scolded, “You animal.”

Then, wearing her stiletto heels, she stormed off with loud, echoing steps.

Yu Wen had picked a very conspicuous spot since he needed to watch the door of the private room. Movie Emperor Zhuang only had to glance around to spot him. Now, with Movie Emperor Zhuang standing at the door, his gaze was about to sweep over, and there was no time for Yu Wen to escape—

Master! Why didn’t you care about my well-being while taking action?

This is great; now I’m stuck at the scene…

Just as Yu Wen was lamenting his fate, a pair of sunglasses suddenly appeared over his eyes, and he caught a familiar scent at his nose. Xie Heyu’s face appeared in front of him, his tall and broad frame practically shielding Yu Wen completely.

Yu Wen didn’t even have time to feel surprised; he first felt relieved.

Xie Heyu helped him put up his hoodie and glanced back, silently asking Yu Wen: What’s going on?

Yu Wen shook his head bitterly, signaling that it was too complicated to explain in a few words.

Xie Heyu had arrived just in time, but it seemed like Movie Emperor Zhuang had still caught a glimpse of Yu Wen. After all, they had worked together before, and Yu Wen’s face and figure were quite recognizable.

From behind Xie Heyu’s shoulder, Yu Wen saw Movie Emperor Zhuang slowly approaching. There was nowhere to hide, so Yu Wen nervously buried his face into Xie Heyu’s chest.

Xie Heyu froze for a moment, then comfortingly patted the back of Yu Wen’s head.

“Hello, did you just take any pictures? Could you delete them?” Movie Emperor Zhuang’s tone had a bit of an accusatory edge to it.

Xie Heyu replied coldly, “No photos. I don’t know you.”

“…” Movie Emperor Zhuang thought the person in his arms looked a bit familiar, “May I ask, is your…partner…?”

Xie Heyu then turned his head, his side profile looking especially sharp under the daylight. He didn’t speak, merely casting Movie Emperor Zhuang a glance—a gaze so cold it made him shiver.

“…Never mind.”

Movie Emperor Zhuang swallowed the words he was about to say, gave an awkward smile, and left embarrassed.