RSDH CH62

After the video voice actor reveal last week, the Night Crossing Star River account had long since broken a million followers. As soon as Cheng Duzhou updated his status, netizens flocked to it immediately.

They saw that in the Weibo post celebrating a happy marriage, one hand was slightly larger with distinct, slender bones, while the other hand was fine and white, the fingernails showing a pale pink. The ten fingers were interlocked, and the ring fingers of both hands bore identical platinum diamond rings, accentuating the elegance and beauty of the fingers, enough to make hand fetishists scream.

Although such a composition was as commonplace as a couple showing off on their Friend Circle (social media), the meaning was extraordinary.

Looking across the entire entertainment industry, no CP fans were happier than Travel at Night, Write Feelings fans because their main couple openly livestreamed the entire process of giving out candy!

“Happy newlyweds!”

“Thought this account was abandoned! President Cheng picked it up again!”

“First time seeing a main couple creating their own CP fan account.”

“To be honest, the official announcement two years ago seemed strictly business; this time it really feels like they’re newlyweds.”

Travel Together was also seeing such cooperative guests for the first time, who even specifically took a photo to help with promotion. So the official blog joined in, liking and commenting: The main couple is leading the candy consumption. [Snicker]

“……”

The topic popularity was very high, even higher than reposting the official announcement on their personal accounts.

Duan Xingye hadn’t noticed before, but he discovered it now: Cheng Duzhou really loved to show off.

His freshly washed hair tickled his eyebrows slightly. Duan Xingye scratched above his eyelid, slid down a few inches in his seat, and messaged the person next to him on his phone.

Seen: [Can you be a bit more restrained?]

Cheng Duzhou felt his phone vibrate and picked it up to check.

The audience was very sharp: Talking in secret behind our backs again!

A moment later, Duan Xingye received a reply.

Second Marriage Man: [Isn’t this restrained enough? I didn’t use my main account.]

Seen: [Might as well have used your main account.]

Second Marriage Man: [No.]

Second Marriage Man: [You aren’t reposting. If I repost alone, I’ll look like a widower.]

“……”

Duan Xingye wanted to kick someone.

Cheng Duzhou didn’t see a reply and glanced sideways.

In that glance, the name “Second Marriage Man” at the top of Duan Xingye’s phone screen clearly crashed into his view.

“…………”

Cheng Duzhou’s face darkened.

Second Marriage Man: [Change my contact name.]

Duan Xingye realized Cheng Duzhou had seen it and raised the corners of his lips in a half-smile.

Seen: [Why?]

Second Marriage Man: [It’s unlucky.]

Seen: [Widower is lucky?]

Second Marriage Man: [I was wrong, won’t talk nonsense again. Help me change it.]

Second Marriage Man: [Crying cat head.jpg]

Second Marriage Man: [Your contact name scares me.]

“……”

How promising.

Seen: [V me 50 (WeChat pay me 50).]

Cheng Duzhou’s slender fingers tapped quickly on the screen, inputting his password.

Second Marriage Man: [Transfer [200000.00]]

Duan Xingye fell silent seeing the string of numbers.

Two hundred thousand was the daily limit for WeChat transfers.

Second Marriage Man: [Giving you more, let me change it myself.]

Duan Xingye pursed his lips lightly, his rosy lower lip slightly moist. He clicked to accept the payment and handed the phone to the person beside him.

Cheng Duzhou held the phone and typed for a long time. Duan Xingye glimpsed out of the corner of his eye that he seemed to be typing and deleting, repeatedly many times.

Changing a name was such a struggle.

Duan Xingye turned his head to look at him. “Done yet?”

Cheng Duzhou turned slightly toward the car door and whispered, “Almost.”

When he finally finished changing it, he returned the phone, his gaze lingering on Duan Xingye’s face for a moment. “Not allowed to delete.”

Duan Xingye took back the phone and saw the new contact name.

[Love of a Lifetime]

So corny his scalp went numb.

The next second, Duan Xingye pressed the settings button.

Cheng Duzhou was quick-eyed and deft-handed, scooping the person into his arms and encircling him, not letting him move.

The audience didn’t know what happened, only that the two were hugging tightly, so they seized the last bit of time to consume candy, too joyous.

In the end, Duan Xingye failed to change the contact name because the dog thing was unusually clingy.

He’d just consider it sold for two hundred thousand.

When the guests arrived at the airport, they had to say goodbye to the audience.

Duan Xingye put on his coat, and Cheng Duzhou smoothed out one side of his collar.

The husbands faced the camera and said, “See you next week.”

The bullet comments were reluctant to part:

“Two days passed in a flash.”

“President Cheng and Teacher Duan must live happily together for a hundred years.”

“Post more daily life on the side account! Begging! I rely on Travel at Night, Write Feelings to sustain my life.”

“See you next week without fail!”

After this episode, the recording for Travel Together was halfway done.

The production crew Cheng Duzhou was with was preparing to change filming locations, so notice came down for a one-week break.

A break was a break, but people wouldn’t be idle.

Ever since Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye exploded in popularity on Travel Together, the invitations their two teams handled every day were too numerous to manage.

Manager Duo Ge set his sights on a variety show called Pastoral Style. It was an upcoming life documentary program, mainly about cooking and chatting. They invited the husbands to be the flying guests for the first episode. It was this week, and filming would end in just one day, so both of them happened to have time.

The trailer for Pastoral Style had already been released online. Duo Ge put the laptop in front of Cheng Duzhou. “Look at the tone of this show, can you accept it?”

Cheng Duzhou sat in the chair turned to the other side, not looking at the computer, only fiddling with his phone. “I’m fine with anything, depends on what Duan Xingye thinks.”

“……”

Does every love-struck brain neglect their proper duties?

Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye came to work together in the morning. After arriving at the company, although seven floors separated them, Cheng Duzhou had been looking for Duan Xingye on his phone all morning.

Love of a Lifetime: [I’ll finish the video conference in a while, do you want to come down and take a look?]

…

Love of a Lifetime: [The office is distributing cherries, want some? Shall I send them up to you?]

…

Love of a Lifetime: [What to eat for lunch?]

…

Love of a Lifetime: [I’ll go up earlier to wait for you.]

…

Love of a Lifetime: [Duan Xingye, I miss you, I’ll go find you.]

…

Duan Xingye was in the arranging room on the seventeenth floor, so annoyed his fur was about to bristle, wishing he could throw Cheng Duzhou back to the film crew.

He was preparing a new song as the opening performance for the All-China Music Awards ceremony. The arrangement had been put aside before he joined the romance variety show. He had wanted to clear his head before coming back to finish it, but picking it up again today, he found the process wasn’t that smooth. So he needed a quiet space to create, but Cheng Duzhou kept looking for him on the phone over and over.

Seen: [Shut up! Blocking you!]

Duan Xingye turned on flight mode and threw the phone aside, ignoring it.

By the afternoon, Duan Xingye turned off the synthesizer, biting a pencil as he looked at the sheet music. Melodies were generated in his mind as his gaze swept over the notes. He frowned slightly.

The whole piece was still mediocre; he hadn’t found the most critical support point.

Duan Xingye had ambitions in music. Four months had passed since the release of his new album. He hoped to appear at the ceremony with a new song this time—better, more explosive.

But the current degree of completion obviously couldn’t satisfy him.

Duan Xingye took off his glasses to rest temporarily. He picked up his phone and finally remembered Cheng Duzhou.

Surprisingly, after he told Cheng Duzhou to shut up, more than four hours had passed, and no more messages had come from that side.

…Quite obedient.

Duan Xingye had time now. He was about to ask what Cheng Duzhou was doing, but then deleted the typed text.

He thought for a moment, got up, and left the arranging room.

…

Duan Xingye took the elevator to the seventh floor. The girl near the door saw him and immediately revealed an ‘auntie smile’ (doting smile), calling out, “Hello, Teacher Duan.”

Everyone on the entire floor cast their gaze toward the door.

Duan Xingye’s expression didn’t change, like a beauty made of ice and snow. He only asked the girl, “Where’s Cheng Duzhou?”

“Called by management for a meeting.” The girl was sharp; she got up and made a guiding gesture while walking toward Cheng Duzhou’s office. “He’ll be back soon. Teacher Duan, please come this way first.”

Duan Xingye thought he wouldn’t be able to write music if he went back now anyway, hesitated a moment, and followed.

The last time Duan Xingye came to Cheng Duzhou’s office was to negotiate with Cheng Duzhou about the persona for the romance variety show.

Looking back now, it was completely unnecessary. Personas always collapse when the two are together.

Duan Xingye sat in Cheng Duzhou’s seat and looked around this office again, feeling the decoration style wasn’t so cold anymore.

Among the main black and white tones, a bright red rose was inserted in the vase on the coffee table. The desktop computer screensaver was colorful oil splashes, and a garish rabbit-shaped ceramic art piece sat on the side.

He remembered Cheng Duzhou wouldn’t let him look at it last time.

Duan Xingye’s rebellious streak rose. He picked up the rabbit, leaned back in the chair, and examined the decoration.

But as he looked, that lingering sense of familiarity struck again.

Duan Xingye flipped the bottom of the rabbit over and found a thick layer of blue paint brushed on it, with a patch where the paint had been scraped off.

“……”

Duan Xingye blinked and sat up straight.

This was the rabbit he had DIY painted while playing in the park in first grade, and later gave to Cheng Duzhou.

After identifying it, a warmth slowly spread through Duan Xingye’s heart. When he came back to his senses, his face was burning hot.

He hadn’t expected Cheng Duzhou to keep a gift he gave casually until now. Even though he had forgotten about it, even when they were still in a cold war, this rabbit was placed on the office desk.

Duan Xingye put the rabbit back on the table, propped his cheeks with both hands, and stared at it. As his long and dense eyelashes fluttered, his dark pupils shone brightly.

He began to realize that perhaps there really could be something in this world that remained the same from the past to the future.

…

Duan Xingye didn’t wait for Cheng Duzhou; he left early.

He returned to the arranging room and turned on the electronic synthesizer. With just a little thought, when his slender hands were placed on the black and white keys, smooth and moving music flowed from his fingertips.

Duan Xingye suddenly found that point.

He wanted to write a song about holding hands since childhood.

Let’s start with a bright F major.

In the evening, Duan Xingye worked overtime and didn’t leave with Cheng Duzhou.

He returned home, showered, got into bed, and opened his tablet.

Sister Yu had sent him the trailer link for Pastoral Style.

What Duan Xingye found funny was that Wang Shixi was actually among the resident guests of the program.

It hadn’t even been a month, and Wang Shixi appeared in the public eye again as if nothing had happened, continuing to be promoted in a different style of program.

Wang Shixi signed with the company upon debut. Even with the stain of plagiarism, the company had to try every means to whitewash him; otherwise, it would be a loss-making business.

Beside him, Cheng Duzhou had already laid down, wrapped in the quilt with his back to Duan Xingye. After remaining motionless for a long time without anyone paying attention to him, he couldn’t bear the loneliness and turned his head.

However, Duan Xingye was sitting against the headboard, wearing headphones and watching a video, not noticing the look he cast that seemed to want to speak but stopped.

The trailer was only ten minutes long, featuring interviews and introductions of the four resident guests.

Wang Shixi was last.

His interview location was a pristine white mansion.

Dressed in name-brand clothes, Wang Shixi faced the camera, walking backward, and said, “Welcome to my home. This is where I grew up.”

Bullet screen:

“Whoa! So rich!”

“A rich second generation!”

“Crying with envy!”

A trace of a sneer appeared in Duan Xingye’s eyes.

Grew up since childhood?

He only knew that Duan Qiwei had taken the mother and son away from a dilapidated neighborhood in a small town back then.

As resident guests, everyone sets up a persona on variety shows. Obviously, Wang Shixi wanted to establish a rich second-generation persona this time.

The public has a psychology of admiring the strong; such a persona attracts fans easily.

The camera swept over photos on the cabinet. There were ones of Wang Shixi, and also one of a woman.

Seeing that woman, Duan Xingye restrained his expression and pursed his lips.

Bullet screen: Is this his sister? Sister is so beautiful!

Among the praises, two identical discordant bullet comments slid past: Wang Suqian is a slut!

Duan Xingye’s gaze fixed for a moment.

Wang Suqian, Duan Qiwei’s first love, the person in the photo. Unrelated netizens couldn’t possibly know the woman’s identity. The person who posted this bullet comment seemed to have a grudge against Wang Suqian in reality, cursing all the way into the video comments.

Finally, the image froze on a photo of Wang Shixi sitting on a horse.

Host: “You can ride horses?”

Wang Shixi: “I learned equestrianism since I was little and participated in international youth equestrian competitions, winning gold medals.”

Host praised: “So amazing.”

Wang Shixi smiled: “It’s nothing. Equestrianism is just part of my interests. Mainly, many classmates around me were learning it in elementary school.”

The host followed up: “Which elementary school did you go to? Sounds unusual.”

“Huist Bilingual School,” Wang Shixi said. “This school goes straight from elementary to high school, so the admission conditions are relatively strict.”

Bullet screen:

“Huist! The admission conditions for this school aren’t just strict. Let’s put it this way: having money alone is useless if you want to get in.”

“Equestrianism is a noble sport!”

“So handsome, so handsome, so handsome!”

“Trembling, Wang Shixi opened my eyes.”

In the video, the camera swept over a violin on a decorative shelf.

Host: “Is this yours too? How much is it?”

Wang Shixi said nonchalantly, “My dad brought it back from Milan. Six million US dollars.”

There were a few minutes left; Duan Xingye watched patiently.

Duan Xingye had a violin, bought for him by Duan Qiwei from Milan back then, six million US dollars. It was sitting on the cabinet in the study right now.

The school he and Cheng Duzhou attended from elementary to high school was called Huist.

He learned equestrianism when he was little and won a gold medal in an international equestrian show jumping competition at the age of twelve.

There were also many recollections of past experiences by Wang Shixi in the video that sounded incredibly familiar to Duan Xingye.

——Because those were his life experiences, not Wang Shixi’s.

Duan Xingye wore a mocking expression as he exited the video.

Originally, he didn’t have much interest in this program, but now he started looking forward to it.

Wang Shixi, a clown who stole his life to set up a persona for himself—how exactly would he perform when the time came?

Duan Xingye cast aside distracting thoughts to avoid ruining his mood and opened the music editor.

Just then, Cheng Duzhou turned around, threw a long leg over, and rested it on Duan Xingye’s legs.

“I rarely have a holiday.” He hugged Duan Xingye’s waist, burying his face in Duan Xingye’s side. Having had enough of the cold shoulder, his tone was pitifully drawn out. “Can’t you keep me company—”

“……”

Duan Xingye’s face was like snow. He glanced at Cheng Duzhou, then glanced again. He closed the tablet cover, took off his glasses and threw them aside, then turned over and straddled Cheng Duzhou.

Cheng Duzhou’s breathing stopped, his face full of astonishment.

Duan Xingye lightly pursed his rosy lips and pulled the quilt up to cover both of them.

Annoying to death, all day long.

__

Author’s Note:

President Cheng: Look at me quickly, touch me, accompany me.