FLME Ch59

The person left, and Yu Wen poked his head out from Xie Heyu’s embrace, letting out a small sigh of relief.

The security at this hot spring hotel was strict, requiring reservations in advance. The guests here were people with some status. While they might observe the drama, they weren’t as curious about celebrities.

Yu Wen took off his sunglasses and sat down to eat with Xie Heyu, briefly explaining the situation.

Xie Heyu, having removed his makeup and changed into casual clothes, was visibly moved for a moment after hearing the story. Even with his calm demeanor, he couldn’t help but say, “What a scumbag…”

Yu Wen responded, “Yeah! We all call him ‘Dead Zhuang’—a name brimming with our best wishes for him!”

This time, Yu Wen felt somewhat fortunate to have his gossip magnet trait. If he hadn’t coincidentally stumbled upon it, who knows how long it would’ve taken for this to come to light?

“But,” Xie Heyu added, “he’s the male lead in Moon Harbor. Now the filming schedule will have to be delayed.”

Yu Wen replied, “Better to delay than to have it pulled after it’s done. It’s just tough on Director Miao; now he has to find someone new.”

While eating, Yu Wen sent messages to Yi Ming, only to learn that what just happened was the result of Detective Xiao Ming sending the photos he had secretly taken in the bushes a few days ago directly to the woman, after realizing neither side was aware of the affair. The woman, with her fiery temper, exploded when she saw the photos and confronted Emperor Zhuang, who had no reasonable explanation.

Just now, the two of them broke up! The Yi-Yu team had won their first battle! The world rejoiced! Announce it to everyone!

While Yu Wen was celebrating his victory, Gao Kaiyu was agonizing over the surveillance footage.

He hadn’t noticed during filming, but why did the final cut look more and more like there was chemistry between them?

It was just a one-minute short film, so there wasn’t much plot. Xie Heyu didn’t have any lines and had to express everything with his back, while the camera focused mostly on Yu Wen.

At the start, the anthropomorphic dragon emerged from the water with a wilted cabbage leaf on its head, not saying a word, clenching its fists in frustration, and its every pore radiating grievance. The brave hero saw this and laughed, carefully picking off the dirty things stuck to the dragon.

“The people in the capital are a bit cleaner. It’s not that they don’t like you, hahaha…”

His laughter was carefree and pure, and Yu Wen clearly got into character.

Then, the dragon wrapped its arms around the hero’s waist, the beast, having softened, rubbing its head against the hero’s waist, full of dependence and affection.

The hero held up a brush and talked to it.

“Well… If you don’t like the capital, let’s travel together across the lands!”

The problem came right here.

The dragon reacted strongly to the idea of traveling together. Upon hearing this, it released the hero and slowly tilted its head, expressing a sluggish joy.

Then, Yu Wen’s gaze changed—a look of having his heart struck by something adorable, his expression instantly softening.

This look only appeared for a fleeting moment, but because it was so brief, it left a particularly strong impression. And…

The more you think about it, the sweeter it seems.

No, no, if you sell this chemistry too much, it leaves no room for imagination, making it less enjoyable. There’s a saying… “If the official leans into the ship too much, it’s doomed.”

Gao Kaiyu scratched his head in frustration as he stared at the monitor, feeling like he was facing the biggest challenge of his career.

He was good at editing emotionless glances into ambiguous tension, but how do you edit this kind of unclear eye contact into just “socialist brotherhood”?

His assistant patted him on the shoulder and sympathetically said, “Boss, you got this.”

–

Gao Kaiyu planned to shoot three short films. One was a bath scene, another was a farewell at the city gates, and the final scene was something not included in the variety show.

In a grassy field on a hillside, the anthropomorphic dragon sat idly, plucking blades of grass while gazing into the distance.

It was waiting for someone to return.

The stars spun across the sky, the sun rose and set, brightened and dimmed, and still, it sat there, bored, plucking at the grass.

One day, as the sun set over the horizon, a figure slowly walked toward it, sword in hand.

At first, the figure was silhouetted against the light, their form indistinct. Yet, the dragon seemed to sense something and slowly lifted its head.

“Hey! Dragon!”

The wounded hero waved and greeted it with a radiant smile.

The video froze at this moment.

They parted, and now they were reunited. This was Starlight Media’s ultimate happy ending for the fans.

After filming, Xie Heyu removed his half-face mask, his hair soaked with sweat.

In the sweltering heat, he was dressed tightly to match the dragon’s costume, wearing a scaly exterior that resembled armor on his upper body.

Yu Wen, wearing makeup that mimicked scars, handed him a bottle of water. Xie Heyu thanked him, to which Yu Wen smiled and said, “You’re the one who worked hard! You’re doing this cameo without any pay, and Xie Jiamao really isn’t giving you a salary? I’ve been meaning to say this for a while, you’re his nephew, but you should at least get some shares, right…?”

Xie Heyu glanced at him, his eyelashes lowering to hide the guilt in his eyes.

Every time the company came up, Teacher Xiao Yu always felt bad for him, making it impossible for Xie Heyu to admit that he actually had shares in the company.

Forget it, he wouldn’t mention it.

In this matter, he would have to be a liar.

–

That night after work, Yu Wen finally had time to check his messages, only to find that Yi Ming had bombarded him, urging him to check the trending topics.

The Film Emperor, who had announced his relationship just two days ago, had broken up today, initiated by the woman.

The woman directly went to war on Weibo, listing numerous accusations against the Emperor Actor, including having a secret relationship for eight years, marketing himself as single to deceive fans, and other major wrongdoings. There were also smaller faults, like being stingy and not washing his hands after using the bathroom. She concluded by stating that their previous rumors were fabricated by the production team, that the man had pursued her for a month during that time, and that they officially got together two days ago, only to break up today.

Regarding the eight-year secret relationship, she didn’t specify who it was, only mentioning it was with a regular person, seemingly protecting their identity.

Yu Wen had just finished reading the trending topic when he received a call from Yi Ming.

His second master, sounding like a spy, said, “Kitty, kitty, this is Fox.”

Yu Wen replied, “…When did we agree on code names?”

Yi Ming said, “Just now. I forgot to ask you.”

Alright then.

Yu Wen responded, “Fox, fox, kitty received.”

Yi Ming said, “Come to my place now. I’ve sent you the address. Be discreet, move quickly.”

Yu Wen was startled, “Master, isn’t this risky? What if we get photographed…”

Yi Ming reassured, “Don’t worry, I have a brilliant plan.”

It was already dark, but not too late. They both lived in the same city, and although Yu Wen didn’t know what Yi Ming was up to, he still prepared to go.

Xie Heyu noticed his movements and asked, “Where are you going?”

Yu Wen looked at him, thinking that if they got photographed later, having his manager around would make it easier to explain, so he said, “Teacher Xie, do you have anything to do? Come with me for a bit.”

Xie Heyu naturally had nothing going on.

So the two drove all the way to Yi Ming’s apartment.

As soon as the door opened, Xie Heyu slowly raised an eyebrow and looked at Yu Wen, “You came out this late to visit her apartment…”

Yu Wen, feeling misunderstood, hurriedly explained, “No, no, my relationship with Master is purely one of teacher and student. She called me, and I came because I was worried something was wrong…”

“What are you two dawdling about?” Yi Ming saw them standing at the door, not moving, and came out to urge them, “There’s actually something going on. Xiao Yu, we might need to start a live stream.”

Yu Wen was confused, “Huh?”

A young, handsome man stepped out holding a cup of water, looking a bit nervous as he gazed at them.

As soon as Yu Wen saw him, he was even more puzzled.

Of course, he recognized this person—he was the male superfan who had given him a gift at the school gate on the day they filmed Battle Royale, and also one of the people involved in the Film Emperor’s cheating scandal.

Yu Wen asked, “So, what’s the play for tonight?”

Yi Ming turned around and righteously flipped her hair.

“Justice Play!”

–

The young man wasn’t originally a fan; he was the Film Emperor’s classmate.

So calling it “sleeping with a fan” wasn’t quite accurate, since they were lovers first. They got together after graduating from high school. In the early days of the Emperor Actor’s career, he wasn’t popular and had no fan support. The young man pretended to be a fan, holding up support banners for him, and gradually became a superfan.

Yi Ming accidentally revealed her identity during their conversation, but the young man didn’t mind. When the trending topic surfaced today, he suddenly contacted Yi Ming, asking if there was a way to protect himself while also exposing the scumbag’s true nature.

Yi Ming declared, “So, we will host this live stream to uphold justice.”

Since they were celebrities, starting a live stream would attract attention. If an anonymous person tried to expose the actor, it would have much less credibility, and the voices of doubt would far outweigh the support.

Yu Wen said solemnly, “Good idea, but I have one question—”

Yi Ming replied, “Go ahead.”

Yu Wen asked, “Is it absolutely necessary to wear this shirt?”

He tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, which had four glaring characters printed on the front: “The Melon King Has Arrived.”

As soon as they entered the door, Yi Ming had pulled out this T-shirt for him, and she herself had also changed into one. Her shirt was the same green color and design, with bold characters that read: “Move Aside.”

She even found a larger size for Xie Heyu. Yu Wen suspected she had bought these shirts in bulk because he saw a whole stack of green T-shirts when she was rummaging through her things.

Teacher Xie had already been forced to put his on and was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, waiting for instructions.

Yi Ming said, “This shirt is to highlight your role. With the Melon King personally spilling the tea, it’ll be more credible and sincere.”

Yu Wen protested, “But it’s so embarrassing…”

Yi Ming said, “Don’t be embarrassed.”

Yu Wen waited for her to continue, but his second master just blinked her big eyes, saying nothing more.

“Come on, let’s shout a slogan and fire the first shot to clean up the entertainment industry!” Yi Ming extended her hand.

“Yi!”

“Yu!”

Then the two of them, wide-eyed, turned in unison to look at Xie Heyu, who was also wearing a green T-shirt.

Teacher Xie hesitated, then slowly extended his hand, “Xie…”

“Cross!”

“…”

Yi Ming gave her live stream a sensational title: “The Film Emperor Who Loves to Spread His Legs, Back in the Day…”

Before the stream began, Yi Ming had told Yu Wen that this would be a very serious broadcast, involving extremely serious moral issues. As the host of this live stream, he had to be serious and couldn’t act casual or indifferent.

So when Yu Wen saw the stream’s title, he just pursed his lips and held back any laughter, not showing the slightest hint of amusement.

But Yi Ming, who had warned him repeatedly, couldn’t help it.

“The title is meant to say he’s a cheater… Yes, I am indeed very talented.” Yi Ming glanced at the stream’s title and was moved by her own wit, finding it harder and harder to suppress her grin.

Once they got to the main topic, Yi Ming said, “Today, Xiao Yu and I are here representing the person involved in that ‘eight-year secret relationship.’ He’s sitting right across from me. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. He’ll explain the full story, and afterward, I’ll post screenshots and evidence on Weibo. Please don’t ask for too many personal details that invade his privacy.”

The two of them sat on the sofa to start the stream, while the guy sat across from them at the coffee table. Meanwhile, Xie Heyu opened his laptop to monitor public reaction.

The guy had prepared a script in advance. During the stream, he wouldn’t speak or show his face. Yi Ming and Yu Wen were in charge of relaying questions from the audience, and the guy would type out his answers, which they would then repeat aloud.

The script clearly and smoothly explained the entire relationship. Yi Ming and Yu Wen filtered out any details that might reveal too much, but there were some parts the guy insisted on sharing.

“He’s male, yes.”

“The defendant approached my client first. After my client realized he was into guys, the defendant used the excuse that his parents wouldn’t accept a same-sex relationship to keep it hidden for years… like a grandma binding her feet, he’s here binding his brain.”

“Why put up with the lover’s fake romance publicity? Good question. You’d have to ask the defendant, who never says anything truthful. I won’t go into detail—check out the screenshots on Xiao Ming’s Weibo.”

Yu Wen sat silently beside her, upright and serious, with a look so stern that it seemed like he was ready to declare the verdict on the case.

「Defendant? Uh-oh, did I accidentally enter an internet court?」

「This must be the plaintiff’s lawyer, and the guy next to them must be the chief justice of this court.」

「Clear as broth, the presiding lord!」

「Judge Xiao Yu! Sentence the scumbag to a ‘staff punishment’!」

Yi Ming had hidden the live stream from her agent, so it wasn’t in any recommendations, but since the actor was in hot water at the moment, curious viewers quickly gathered.

「Xiao Yu, darling, here we are again in the melon field (rose in mouth)」

「I knew it. We’re always eating the leftovers of the melons Teacher Yi picks for us.」

「(Scratching head) Xiao Yu baby, promise me, next time you have some melons, let your fans have the first bite, okay?」

One viewer asked whether it was true that the actor didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom.

Netizens always focus on the oddest details, and Yu Wen, without changing his expression, repeated the question aloud. The guy hesitated for a moment, then typed on his phone: [Yes.]

“Yes,” Yu Wen confirmed.

The comments exploded with activity.

Yi Ming watched for a moment, her lips curling into a pout like Psyduck. She then graciously offered, “Xiao Yu, why don’t you read the next one?”

Yu Wen took a deep breath.

Serious, serious—this is a serious live stream.

“The Film Emperor once claimed on a show that he never licks the yogurt lid, but there’s footage from an old variety show where he clearly did. So, does he lick the lid or not?”

“How cheap is he exactly? Who pays for the hotel room?”

“If he doesn’t wash his hands, does he flush the toilet?”

The guy had been with the Film Emperor for eight years and knew these trivial details better than the woman who had exposed him, and with more accuracy.

He hesitated for a bit, likely surprised at the direction the conversation had taken, but since he had already shared what he wanted, he didn’t mind indulging the audience’s curiosity.

Yu Wen took the phone the guy handed him, glanced at the screen, and quickly looked away. Yi Ming caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and couldn’t hold it together. In front of tens of thousands of viewers, she let out an ungraceful snort of laughter.

“He licks it. He loves licking yogurt lids. The company gave him an elegant persona, but he has absolutely no aristocratic temperament in real life. As for who pays for the hotel, it depends on who has the better Meituan discount at the time. He never washes his hands after using the bathroom. In winter, he says the water’s too cold; in summer, it’s too hot. Sometimes he doesn’t even flush the toilet, saying he forgot.”

「This melon has a bit of a flavor…」

「Send him to the dungeon, quick.」

「What is this? A melon? I take a bite, ew. What is this? Another melon? Bite, ew…」

「(Looks around) No one’s laughing? Can I laugh?」

「My expression matches Yi Ming’s exactly—disgusted but also can’t stop laughing.」

「Any more dirt? Spill it all at once! I have no other hobby but devouring juicy gossip.」

「Let me lead the way! Next person, listen to my orders. If I say this melon’s good to eat, then eat it! If you find it tastes off, don’t blame me for not warning you!」

「Our hero speaks with great righteousness!」

Yu Wen relayed the viewers’ questions, and the guy thought for a while before burying his head to type.

After about half an hour, Yu Wen took the phone and saw an essay of at least 800 words.

Yi Ming took one look at it and couldn’t hold back anymore. She handed the stream over to Yu Wen and crawled off, trying to contain her laughter. It wasn’t until she was out of the camera’s view, leaning against the wall, that she burst into silent fits of laughter.

Yu Wen opened his mouth, feeling like he was about to laugh but immediately forced it shut again.

With a trembling voice, he called out to Xie Heyi, “Teacher Xie… can you read this instead?”

The comments were buzzing with excitement, urging them on, eager to find out what had made the seasoned “melon king” pull such a face.

Xie Heyu hesitated for a moment, then put on a mask. The moment he saw the screen, he fell silent.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he slowly read one line: “Didn’t take a shower for eight days in the summer, developed heat rash, and lied to fans saying it was an allergy.”

「……」

「I told you it had a smell.」

「Xi Su, fire away!」

The second line: “He’s had plastic surgery but always claimed he had a natural face. At one point, his aesthetic was concerning; he wanted to shape his face like a cone and firmly believed that whether or not he had plastic surgery, he was the most handsome man in the world.”

「……My spirit has been polluted. Where’s my shoehorn? I want to beat him with it.」

「First of all, the one with the surname Zhuang should apologize to me. Secondly, the netizens who asked these questions, you should also apologize to me (closes eyes).」

「Let’s say, hypothetically, can I really not execute him?」

The third line: “Last winter, he gained weight and lied to his fans, saying it was due to medication causing hormonal obesity, but in reality, he was in excellent health and could eat three bowls of white rice in one sitting.”

……

The nth line.

Teacher Xie was a master of emotional management.

As he continued reading, his speech was clear, and his expression was calm. Yu Wen beside him was on the verge of pouting up to the sky, yet Xie remained steady and unfazed.

Until he reached this line, he finally paused, showing a hint of obvious doubt.

“Defecated, it was particularly smelly.”

「……」

「Death penalty! Death penalty!」

「I stink, that’s fine, but the one with the surname Zhuang stinks—death penalty!」

「It feels like the brother revealing this has endured for quite a while…」

「The direction of this live stream is becoming increasingly absurd. Can you and your group of artists at least compensate me a bit?」

「What a godly moment, making me laugh for no reason.」

「Is Xiao Yu’s manager a former drug addict? Not even smiling at this.」

「Xiao Yu next to him is about to endure a painful mask.」

「Incredible, so incredible.」

「Judge Xiao Yu, grant him the death penalty! I really can’t take it anymore…」