FLME Ch87

Originally, they had planned to rest for another two months, but with the year-end festivities piling up, Xie Jiamao couldn’t delay any longer. He had no choice but to call them back.

Before getting off the plane, Yu Wen was discussing with Chu Han about going to a restaurant near the company. The group walked out of the jet bridge, laughing and chatting, only to be met with cheers in the terminal that nearly shook the roof.

“Ahhhh! Xiao Yu, come give your sister a kiss!”

“Baby—baby—baby—”

“Yu Wen—no more vacations during show broadcasts! Fans missed you so much they could only eat four meals a day!”

The shrill screams pierced their eardrums. Yu Wen froze in place, too stunned to move forward.

In front of him was a dense crowd of people, countless faces either joyful or moved. Fans near the front were desperately trying to hand over handwritten letters.

Chu Han and Xi Su silently took a step back. Still feeling it wasn’t enough, and seeing that Yu Wen wasn’t paying attention, Xi Su put on sunglasses and quietly slipped away down another path, embodying the saying, “Better them than me.”

A moment later, Chu Han noticed Xi Su’s retreat. Torn between friendship and self-preservation, he decisively chose the latter.

Taking advantage of the fans’ focus on Yu Wen, the two sneaked along the side like thieves, escaping to the nanny van and making their getaway.

Meanwhile, Yu Wen was still stuck in place. Airport security came to maintain order, and the deafening noise finally quieted a bit.

He turned helplessly, “Chu Han…”

Teacher Chu had abandoned him—this fact was silently confirmed by the emptiness behind him.

Yu Wen pouted.

What kind of situation was this?

Colleagues were supposed to stick together, yet when disaster struck, they all flew their separate ways! The world was in decline, and human nature had deteriorated!

He turned his head again, looking at Xie Heyu, pointing behind him to complain, “They ran away.”

“Mm.” Xie Heyu calmly put on a mask and said, “When we get back, tell Xie Jiamao to make them write a self-reflection.”

Yu Wen asked, “How are we supposed to get out?”

This kind of situation was common for top-tier celebrities. With enough bodyguards to clear the way, it wouldn’t be a problem. But neither Yu Wen nor Xie Jiamao had anticipated Yu Wen’s current popularity, so no one had arranged for bodyguards.

“No problem.” Xie Heyu scanned the area and said, “The exit isn’t far. I’ll take you out.”

Yu Wen was led into the crowd, his initial nervousness vanishing the moment Xie Heyu picked him up.

…Here we go again.

Sitting on Xie Heyu’s shoulders, Yu Wen whispered, “Didn’t you say we’d walk out?”

Xie Heyu replied, “I am walking.”

Yu Wen: “…”

This method, though shameless, worked every time. The surrounding fans, caught off guard and afraid of causing Yu Wen to fall, hesitated and slowly backed away. In just moments, a barely passable path opened up.

Fans nearby looked up at Yu Wen’s jawline, which was even more striking up close. Unable to help themselves, they said, “Xiao Yu, is this your standard airport look?”

Yu Wen modestly replied, “No, this is my standard airport height.”

Sitting high and seeing far, Yu Wen skillfully directed the crowd: “You with the bun, don’t back up, watch out for the railing… You with the twin ponytails, there’s a staircase behind you, don’t trip… Letters, I’ll take those. Gifts, sorry, I can’t accept…”

By the time they left the airport, Yu Wen’s arms were full of letters and bouquets.

Before getting into the car, a fan couldn’t resist addressing the silent Xie Heyu.

“Manager, isn’t our Xiao Yu adorable?”

Xie Heyu instinctively looked up. Yu Wen happened to glance down and smiled at him.

Xie Heyu didn’t respond.

The fans teased, “Playing it cool, huh? But your face must be breaking into a grin under that mask…” “Xiao Yu, take off his mask…” “Haha, you really care about your image, don’t you?”

Yu Wen freed one hand with difficulty and reached for Xie Heyu’s mask. His fingers brushed against Xie Heyu’s ear, and he couldn’t help but smile with his eyes.

“Report!” He betrayed him with righteous indignation, announcing to the fans, “The manager’s ears are red—burning hot!”

The fans became even more excited, shouting, “Take it off! What can’t the esteemed fans see?” “Mask off, mask off—”

The fans asked for a group photo. Yu Wen put his things back in the car, intentionally tucking Xie Heyu’s stray hair behind his ear to expose his flushed earlobes. Then, he made a peace sign, enjoying the spectacle.

Xie Heyu glanced at him and also made a peace sign.

They stood in front of the car while fans snapped away. Just then, the car door opened, and the two escapees poked their heads out.

Chu Han and Xi Su each occupied a window, shouting in unison, “Cheese—”

After leaving the airport, they drove straight to the dormitory.

On the way, they passed a shopping district. Yu Wen leaned against the window, looking at the large screens everywhere showing his image. “Wow…”

Xie Jiamao hadn’t been exaggerating. After taking a few months off abroad, Yu Wen returned to find himself everywhere in the country. The spectacle was truly overwhelming.

Chu Han said, “I don’t think you can come with me to review the new restaurant anymore.”

Yu Wen asked, “Why not?”

Xi Su mocked, “Because now, walking down the street, you might get stuffed into a sack and carried off.”

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up, a thought flashing through his mind. “Right, you’re especially valuable lately… Hey, Yu Wen, do you know about those K-pop photocards? Kind of like Polaroids. You handle the photos, I handle the sales. We split it three to seven…”

Yu Wen: “Get lost.”

Of course, Xi Su’s business acumen wouldn’t be deterred by a mere “get lost.”

A few days later, he successfully installed a camera in Xie Heyu’s home.

After Yu Wen returned to the country, his schedule became busier, leaving him less time to stay home idly. On rare days off, he would occasionally try cooking at home.

His cooking skills were average—not great, not terrible. Due to some uncertainty, he often asked Xie Heyu to supervise. Usually, Xie Heyu would take over halfway through.

Xi Su and Chu Han frequently came over to mooch meals. Every time they praised the food, Yu Wen would proudly declare, “I made it.”

If a dish got burnt, that was Xie Heyu’s doing.

The camera Xi Su installed faithfully recorded all of this.

When the variety show episode aired, Xie Heyu trended on social media as the “Scapegoat King.” Under the hashtag, Yu Wen commented:
[I did half of it. Why can’t that count as my cooking…? (Crying cat emoji)]

Even through the screen, you could feel his grievance. Netizens immediately switched sides:

—”Who said it? Stand up and admit your mistake!”

—”@Xi Su, my Brother Yu is calling you out.”

—”Today, I’m standing here. Let’s see who dares say Yu Wen didn’t cook it.”

—-“A couple is one unit. If Brother Xie cooked it, it’s the same as Yu Wen cooking it.”

Half an hour later, Xie Heyu replied under Yu Wen’s comment:
[@Xi Su, remove the camera.]

Xi Su’s lightning-fast internet reflexes kicked in, and he immediately responded:
[???]

Xie Heyu: [It’s a violation of privacy.]

Netizens burst into laughter:

—”I’m dying….”

—”Good, the manager is great. Protecting Xiao Yu while coming up with excuses.”

—”Our manager is a man skilled at lying with a straight face….”

Having struck Yu Wen’s sore spot, Xi Su’s ambitious plans met a tearful end.

*

Autumn had passed, and the weather gradually turned to winter. Yu Wen had a day off and, bored at home, decided to go out shopping for some winter clothes.

Over a month had passed since Moon Harbor finished airing, and its peak popularity had started to wane. New celebrities had emerged, and the media wasn’t fixated on him anymore. Yu Wen figured it was finally time to venture out.

Be brave, little fish, fear no obstacles!

Xi Su and Chu Han both had work today, and Xie Heyu, for once, went to the company to work overtime. Leaving Yu Wen to entertain himself at home, Xie Heyu probably hadn’t expected him to be so bored—his messages went unanswered.

After asking around and finding everyone busy, Yu Wen donned a mask and hat, packed a small bag with his essentials, and confidently headed out alone.

There were several large shopping malls nearby, and Yu Wen chose one with relatively less foot traffic. It was a weekday, so the mall was nearly empty.

He wandered through a few clothing stores but couldn’t find anything he liked, not even enough to try on. Feeling dejected, he stepped out and noticed a few jewelry stores nearby. The promotional images of men’s necklaces outside looked quite appealing.

Since he was already here, why not take a look?

The real necklaces didn’t look as good as the pictures. Yu Wen examined one for a while but decided it didn’t suit him and regretfully put it back. His gaze then drifted to the rings nearby.

…Hmm?

Although he and Xie Heyu shared a jewelry cabinet, they didn’t seem to have any couple’s pieces. They didn’t usually care about such things and didn’t even own matching rings like ordinary couples did.

Yu Wen felt that his urge to go out today, his arrival at the mall, and his distraction by the necklaces that led him into the jewelry store—it was all divine guidance.

The heavens were reminding him: it was time to buy matching rings.

If the idea had come to him randomly, he might have hesitated over the material or design. But since he was already in the jewelry store, what was there to hesitate about?

Gold was great—valuable and enduring!

He asked the sales clerk to take out a few plain bands from the display case for him to inspect. Carefully examining them, he realized that while they all looked similar, some didn’t appeal to him, while one caught his eye immediately.

“I want to try this one,” he said, pointing to the one he liked at first glance, his tone tinged with excitement.

Even he didn’t know why he was so happy.

After putting it on, he examined it repeatedly, growing more and more satisfied. His mood soared.

Nearby, a mother and daughter were chatting. Immersed in his own world, Yu Wen didn’t catch what they were saying. While discussing the ring size with the clerk, he momentarily tuned in and overheard them talking about a recent drama—Elegance.

The mother was a fan of the show and was discussing its plot. The daughter, equally enthusiastic, exclaimed, “There’s a star I like who guest-starred in it! Did you watch episode twelve? The boy who cried so heartbreakingly—that’s Yu Wen, the one I told you about…”

Yu Wen: “?”

He belatedly realized that Elegance seemed to have already aired. However, since he was just an extra and didn’t need to participate in promotions, the company hadn’t paid it much attention.

The girl continued, “Back then, he was new to the industry, and his crying was so funny, hahaha! It’s like night and day compared to MoonnHarbor, hahaha!”

Yu Wen: “?”

His mind was now filled with question marks.

He hadn’t watched the final cut yet, but the assistant director had clearly praised him for his natural talent at the time. He had also thought his performance was decent…

Could it be that his judgment back then was off?

Yu Wen sank into a small bout of emo reflection.

After finalizing the ring size with the sales clerk and preparing to pay, he could still hear the girl chatting with her mother about the drama.

She said, “Hahaha, even though it’s kind of a black mark on his career, it’s also pretty cute. The director even released behind-the-scenes footage where he didn’t even know how to hit his marks. But Yu Wen only had a small cameo in this drama. Honestly, I think it’s kind of adorable…”

“It was as an extra,” Yu Wen couldn’t help but correct her. “Not a cameo, just an extra.”

“Ah? Oh, haha, sorry.” The girl laughed and glanced over at him, her eyes lingering on his for a moment.

Her expression slowly turned puzzled, then suspicious. Yu Wen thought, Uh-oh. Even though he was wearing a hat and mask, if she was a hardcore fan, she’d probably recognize him in an instant.

“You…” The girl drew out the word. Just as Yu Wen’s internal alarm blared and his brain scrambled to come up with a rebuttal, she blurted out, “Are you my high school classmate ***? You still owe me 200 bucks.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Suddenly, he didn’t feel all that famous anymore.

Carrying his gift bag, he left the jewelry store, dejected.

After walking just a few steps, he saw Xie Heyu coming up the escalator. Surprised, Yu Wen jogged over with a bit of excitement.

“Why are you here? Weren’t you working overtime?”

Xie Heyu had taken off his coat, draping it over his arm. The cold from outside still clung to him. When Yu Wen reached for his hand, it felt cool for the first time.

Xie Heyu said, “I saw your message and thought you might be bored alone, so I came over.”

The two walked hand in hand toward the lower level. Xie Heyu noticed the bag Yu Wen was carrying and, out of habit, reached for it. “What did you buy?”

“A ring,” Yu Wen replied.

Xie Heyu froze for a moment.

Yu Wen smiled brightly. “I bought a beautiful pair of plain band rings. Open it and see if the size fits.”

Xie Heyu took the ring box out of the bag. For once, Yu Wen saw a hint of fluster on him. It took him a while to open the box, his hands either slipping or turning it the wrong way.

“Is it nice?”

“…Yes.”

The plain bands weren’t particularly striking—neither ugly nor especially beautiful. The only difference between the two was their width.

Xie Heyu lowered his gaze, staring at the matching rings. He seemed lost in thought, making no move for a long while.

Yu Wen prompted, “Try it on.”

Instead, Xie Heyu shook his head, took the slimmer ring, and held Yu Wen’s hand to put it on him.

As he slid the ring onto Yu Wen’s finger, he seemed to smile faintly, his expression softening. It was as if a long-standing weight had been lifted, and some unspoken emotion in his eyes quietly dissipated.

He said, “It looks great.”

*

Meanwhile, the girl from earlier was replaying their conversation in her mind, sensing that something was off.

That voice…

It sounded so familiar.

Suddenly, she smacked her forehead.

“I remember now!”

No wonder those eyes seemed so familiar.

That was Yu Wen! Not some high school classmate who owed her 200 bucks.

She quickly told her mother and rushed outside, hoping he hadn’t gone far so she could ask for an autograph.

The heavens truly don’t disappoint sincere fans.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Yu Wen standing by the escalator, his mask off.

Next to him was someone she also recognized very well—Yu Wen’s boyfriend. No fan wouldn’t know him.

Excited, she was about to call out when she paused. Something seemed off…

The manager… was putting a ring on Yu Wen’s finger?

She thought for a moment and then gasped audibly.

A proposal?!