FLME Ch68

Xie Heyu carried Xi Su to a safe place, where there was a long bench nearby. He put Xi Su down, while Yu Wen clutched a hoe, panting.

What a nerve-wracking development… He had never encountered such a bizarre plot.

Xi Su clung to a trash can beside him, dry-heaving, and after a moment, he regained his composure and complained, “So you guys were there all along… and didn’t bother to save me! Feng Chengzhou almost killed me!”

Yu Wen replied, “Why would he kill you? The Feng family has loads of assets waiting for him. Would taking on a murder charge for you really be worth it? Think about it.”

Xi Su was about to argue, but Yu Wen quickly interrupted him, “Hold on, hold on—when you start thinking, even God laughs. Listen, this situation isn’t that complicated. I’ll explain it to you in a bit, but first, tell me why you pretended to pass out.”

“I thought it out like this.” Xi Su said solemnly, “I’d suddenly faint, and Feng Chengzhou would definitely send someone over to check on me. Once they got close, I’d spring to my feet, flip up in a quick move, grab them by the neck like lightning, and take them hostage to force Feng Chengzhou to let me go.”

“…”

Yu Wen and Xie Heyu both fell silent. Xi Su studied their expressions, confused. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

It was hard to comment on.

Xie Heyu, hands in his pockets, sighed in relief, “Good thing we stopped you in time.”

“Yeah.” Yu Wen nodded blankly, “Otherwise, we’d be starring in a crime documentary.”

Their dear Teacher Xi was truly a cautious yet recklessly daring young man.

After a moment to regroup, Yu Wen explained Feng Chengzhou’s true intentions to Xi Su. At the end, he asked, “Where did you get that hoe?”

Still reeling from the shock of “I thought my brother wanted to kill me, but he actually wants to take care of me,” Xi Su pointed outside with a delayed reaction. “I borrowed it from the gardener in the big garden.”

Yu Wen told him to return it himself.

Xie Heyu, with sweat on his forehead, wiped a few strands of gelled-back hair that had come loose and asked Yu Wen, “Go straight home, or head back to the main hall?”

It was still a bit hot in early autumn. Although Yu Wen hadn’t been carrying a person, lugging around a hoe was just as tiring, and his carefully styled hair was now messy.

“Let’s go back to the main hall,” he said, though he’d rather go straight home. However, since they’d been invited by Feng Chengzhou, it was polite to say goodbye. “His thought process is also pretty out there, so let’s make things clear just in case.”

Xie Heyu nodded, and the two reached an agreement, just about to head back when Xi Su suddenly called out, “Help me express my respect and affection toward him from Xiao Xi.”

Yu Wen: “…Who? Feng Chengzhou?”

“How dare you call my godfather by name?!” Xi Su scolded.

Yu Wen: “…He’s your brother.”

“There’s no inherent hierarchy in bloodlines—only sons who don’t know how to strive for position!” Xi Su declared proudly, puffing out his chest. “From now on, I’ll call him godfather, and he’ll call me brother. We’ll each stick to our titles.”

The fact that Feng Chengzhou was such a reasonable and generous person was quite unexpected. And to spend money to keep Xi Su in line—did that really bother Feng? Just one command, and he’d be off to a foreign country for plastic surgery! He’d make sure even his grandmother wouldn’t recognize him.

By Xi Su’s personal genealogy, Feng Chengzhou had risen at least a hundred generations, from being a brother to becoming an ancestor. If not for worrying about making him sound too old, Xi Su would have been calling him “god-grandpa.”

Yu Wen: “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

Yes, that was truly their Teacher Xi—flexible, practical, and money-minded, an example to be emulated!

As they walked away, Xi Su stood in place, waving at them with hope, “Put in a good word for me with godfather… see if he’ll drop a few extra coins…”

As they returned along the original path, they found that Feng Chengzhou hadn’t left; his eight bodyguards were still standing guard. Yu Wen squinted to get a better look and saw that Feng was cleaning up the trash they’d left on the swing chair.

Seeing them return, Feng Chengzhou stood up, his tone displeased.

“You didn’t sort it.”

“…”

Yu Wen pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to let his thoughts show.

He thought Feng was becoming less of a cold CEO and more of an ordinary person—but then again, not quite. Was this the same man he’d first met? Was it Xi Su’s influence, or Chu Han’s? It couldn’t possibly be his own doing, could it?

Impossible, Yu Wen thought. He was too normal to have changed anyone this much. It had to be Chu Han and Xi Su; those two were the strangest.

Yu Wen briefly explained Xi Su’s situation, and since Feng had helped them by cleaning up the trash, Yu Wen decided he’d put in a good word for him with Chu Han later.

“Really?” This promise clearly pleased Feng Chengzhou. Just moments ago, his face had been dark, but now he brightened up. “I knew I didn’t misjudge you—you’re my destined matchmaker.”

Yu Wen patted his chest, promising to handle it.

Turning away, he messaged Chu Han: [President Feng’s good point: he’s very diligent about sorting trash.]

It wasn’t until he got in the car that Chu Han replied, simply and concisely:

[?]

—

When filming for Moon Harbour began, Yu Wen’s schedule became packed. Even though he had just started dating, he had no time to savor the sweetness of love. Whenever he saw Xie Heyu, all he wanted was to snuggle into his arms and sleep.

Sometimes, they would sneak a moment of closeness in the car after a day of shooting. Xie Heyu’s kissing skills had vastly improved; he no longer bit Yu Wen’s lips too hard like he did at the beginning.

Since they were filming, Xie Heyu never touched Yu Wen’s neck to avoid leaving marks—giving Yu Wen a chance. If Xie couldn’t bite him, he could bite Xie!

No fancy techniques were needed; he just nibbled away. The act of biting his neck wasn’t particularly fun, but the way Xie Heyu would hold back and give him that helpless look made Yu Wen feel triumphant.

Ah, he had won a point.

Dating could be both boring and fun.

It was just the same few things over and over. With filming keeping them so busy, they had little time to date, which left them with limited options: hugging, kissing, the occasional shared glance and warmth.

Yet every one of those little “boring” moments felt special.

It seemed that hormonal responses between lovers were different from with others; Yu Wen, at least, found that as soon as he caught Xie Heyu’s scent, he felt deeply at ease and just wanted to fall asleep holding him. He was convinced that Xie had a unique fragrance, perfectly suited to his taste, like a custom-made cologne.

Recently, Yu Wen had been on a spree of learning about certain aspects of intimacy. He discovered that while Teacher Xie had strong boyfriend vibes, he was also a bit clumsy in some areas—perfect for Yu Wen’s comeback strategy!

There was no reason he should be the only one embarrassed every time. Teacher Xie had a mischievous side, too; the shyer Yu Wen was, the more he’d tease him.

Just wait. Yu Xiao’s learning abilities weren’t a fluke!

The first filming location for the crew was in the same city, so Yu Wen spent his days immersed in the production, and he sometimes returned to the villa at night. But the second location was in a different province, where all the actors stayed together, lodging in a hotel near the film set. With his manager not staying on set, his chances to see Xie Heyu became increasingly rare.

Yu Wen finally understood why celebrities often cite “being too busy with work” as the reason for breakups.

It wasn’t an excuse—it was true. He was genuinely busy, so busy he could forget he even had a boyfriend.

Whenever he managed to make time to call Xie Heyu, he often ended up falling asleep on the couch halfway through.

Acting on Xie Heyu’s instructions, his assistant would come in to cover him with a blanket and then quietly leave.

The video call would stay on all night, with Xie Heyu never hanging up. In the morning, Yu Wen would see Xie, half his face buried in the blanket, his hair sticking up messily as he slept.

In the early morning light, Yu Wen would stretch and greet him, saying, “Good morning, Teacher Xie.”

Teacher Xie would reply, “Good morning, Teacher Yu.”

Busy as he was, Yu Wen actually enjoyed life on the film set.

This period drama was a genre he had never tackled before. The crew invested heavily in recreating the sets and props with great attention to historical detail. Yu Wen often gazed in awe at things like pocket watches, large clocks, and tram cars. These weren’t particularly high-tech items, but they were weighty, old-fashioned, and brimming with a sense of history, filled with character.

During breaks, he would often wander around, taking a look at this, inspecting that, even examining the cigarettes in the extras’ hands.

Yi Ming remarked that he looked like an emperor on a Western tour or a high-ranking official inspecting. Hands behind his back, he would stroll from one end of the street to the other, just short of saying, “You’ve all worked hard. I wish you happiness.”

Today’s shoot wrapped early, with the sun still above the horizon. Feeling leisurely, Yu Wen decided to go for a stroll nearby and asked Yi Ming if she wanted to join him. Her assistant declined, saying, “No, the streets are filled with delicious food; it’s better not to see it.”

Yu Wen was puzzled. “How come I didn’t know Second Master was so self-disciplined?”

So, Yu Wen went out on his own, walking about two hundred meters along a path that led to another narrow road lined with ginkgo trees. By this season, the ginkgo leaves had fallen, covering the sidewalk in a thick layer of golden yellow.

As it grew darker and the streetlights came on, Yu Wen found a bench, sat down, and messaged his long-unseen friends, catching up. While waiting for replies, he logged into Weibo with his side account, curious about fans’ reactions to other celebrities’ relationship announcements.

Yes, he had been considering going public with his relationship for a while now.

Though Xie Heyu had never brought it up, Yu Wen disliked the feeling of hiding things. Now that their relationship was stable, he felt it was bound to go public eventually. He was gathering data, preparing to learn from the successes and pitfalls of others to plan a perfect announcement.

Fans of actors tended to be more accepting, often offering their blessings as long as the relationship didn’t impact their careers.

Fans of younger actors were more intense, but as long as the partner wasn’t a controversial figure, they wouldn’t be too resistant.

Yu Wen identified himself as a young actor… but his fan base seemed a bit unconventional. Perhaps the unusual way he first became popular online attracted a rather “unusual” crowd. His fanbase didn’t think in a “normal” way; whenever he logged in with his side account, he felt like they were in a very unique mental state.

Each had their own chats, their own eccentricities.

In the big fan groups, you’d see a large number of gossip fans, along with mom fans, sister fans, husband fans, wife fans…

Scrolling through the group chats, Yu Wen saw a fan group for him and Teacher Xie as a couple.

He even saw groups for him with other people.

And groups for him with complete strangers!

There was even an all-in-one group!

And an all-inclusive group!

It seemed his fans defied all conventional expectations.

Yu Wen reflected that for young actors announcing relationships, there were two key concerns to watch out for: the impact on their careers and possible backlash against the partner from extreme fans.

Sitting on the bench, he pondered for a while.

With that in mind, it seemed best to wait for the right time to go public. He would wait at least until he had some career achievements so fans wouldn’t worry about his career, and Teacher Xie wouldn’t be attacked easily.

Yes, perfect.

Yu Wen sprang up, filled with resolve.

Xiao Yu, charge ahead! Win awards! Rise up in fame! Make it public! Give Teacher Xie full confidence—

“Xiao Yu—”

In the middle of his self-motivation, he suddenly heard Yi Ming’s voice and was startled. Looking around, he heard her voice but saw no one.

“Over here—”

Following the voice, Yu Wen saw a wall at the end of the path.

Yi Ming was on top of it.

Yu Wen: “…”

The sky was now fully dark, and with the nearby trees casting shadows, Yu Wen hadn’t noticed her up there at all.

Yi Ming had just climbed up, panting with excitement as she waved at Yu Wen, saying, “Xiao Yu! Let’s go out for a stroll!”

Yu Wen walked over, looking up at her.

“Second Master, didn’t you say the streets were filled with tempting food, better to avoid it?”

Yi Ming had somehow found a ladder and was struggling to move it from inside to outside. “I just worked out at the gym and burned 700 calories… I need to replenish those 700 calories to maintain balance.”

Yu Wen: “…Then why are you climbing the wall?”

Yi Ming replied, “My assistant doesn’t agree with my logic. They just don’t understand the art of healthy living; you need both in and out to be healthy. Just working out without protein replenishment? How does that work?”

Yu Wen stepped forward to help steady the ladder. When it was secure, Yi Ming sat on the wall, catching her breath.

“Let me rest for a bit… this wall is so high, my legs are shaky…”

Yi Ming frequently snuck food behind her assistant’s back, but this was the first time she’d climbed a wall. Yu Wen said, “I have some cookies in my room, and there are snacks in the main hall too. You can get 700 calories in no time; no need to climb a wall.”

Yi Ming answered, “Those are carbs. I need protein.”

Yu Wen asked, “Like?”

Yi Ming said, “Chicken breast.”

Yu Wen: “Your manager won’t let you eat chicken breast?”

Yi Ming thought carefully before saying, “The chicken breast I want is a bit… special.”

Yu Wen asked, “What’s special about it?”

Yi Ming explained, “There’s a shop called Zhang’s Roast Chicken just outside the alley. The owner has been doing this for over a decade. The roast chicken comes out with golden-brown skin, soft and tender meat that falls off the bone at a pull, and juices flowing with every bite… One of our crew members often eats there and highly recommends it.”

Yu Wen asked, “You call that chicken breast?”

“Chicken breast is dry and hard to swallow. Gotta have a drumstick to go with it, right?” Yi Ming said confidently.

It made sense. Yu Wen was at a loss for words.

“By the way, have you been following the marketing accounts? That person from your company, the one with blue hair from the Feng family… Just before I came out, I saw some marketing accounts saying the two of them got into a fight. You should check it out.” Yi Ming, lying on the wall, continued to chat with him.

Yu Wen opened his phone and checked the gossip, saying as he did, “You should get down. Don’t fall.”

Yi Ming urged, “Look at the pictures; they’re amazing! I saw this one first, so I get to eat the news first…”

Yu Wen took a glance, “Wow—”

Yi Ming: “How is it? I’m a good friend, right? First thing when something happens, I let you know. It’s probably going to trend soon. Luckily, I follow a lot of marketing accounts.”

Yu Wen, still scrolling quickly, replied, “It’s just gossip. He was just escorted out with a lot of bodyguards, no actual fight.”

Yi Ming replied, “How could that be? Someone’s down on the ground… Wait, how do you know they’re bodyguards?”

Yu Wen: “I was hiding in the bushes nearby when it happened.”

Yi Ming: “…”

She thought she’d finally claimed the crown of gossip queen, only to realize it was just a dream.

Annoyed, Yi Ming went limp, draping herself over the wall.

Yu Wen said, “Hurry down, or tonight I’ll be rescuing those brothers, and tomorrow I’ll be rescuing you.”

Rescue her?

Impossible.

Yi Ming dismissed him, waving her hand in defeat. 

“What’s there to expose about me? I’m just climbing a wall.”