RBNR Ch70: A little bit

The child is only three years old, an Omega boy, who couldn’t speak when he arrived in Ella. He had been living with the refugees before being placed in the Imperial Capital’s children’s welfare home recently.

Qin Bao, along with Feng Chengyu, visited Shu Helan’s home in the capital for the first time. It was a two-story duplex apartment, industrial style, with exposed concrete, pipes, and red bricks, fitting Shu Helan’s style.

As soon as they arrived, Shu Helan went to the children’s room and brought out the child.

The little boy had naturally curly black hair, dark skin, big round eyes, and was playing a game with the nanny, holding a mech card in his hand.

“Hi.” Qin Bao wasn’t good with kids and didn’t know what language he spoke, so he awkwardly uttered a syllable.

The little boy turned his gaze to Feng Chengyu beside Qin Bao and reached out his little hand: “Chairman, hug.”

“Hello, Xiya.” Feng Chengyu took the child from Shu Helan, “Not Chairman, Uncle Feng.” The child ignored him, calling him in a soft voice, “Vice Chairman.”

“The child likes you; why don’t you continue being the Vice Chairman of the Imperial Council?” Shu Helan said playfully, “The grateful people of Feilu Star even use your photos to teach their children to recognize faces.”

Feng Chengyu, holding the child, looked quite natural: “I’ll visit them again when I have time.”

“You should,” Shu Helan said. “When you stepped down, you said you were seriously injured. The kind and simple people of Feilu Star are very worried about you.”

Feng Chengyu smiled slightly: “Got it.”

With two Alphas handling the child, An Qingyan was in the kitchen working on the menu. He and Shu Helan usually didn’t cook, so they were learning on the go, buying semi-prepared food for processing.

An Qingyan asked, “Why did you suddenly decide to shoot a costume drama?”

“You’re the ones who are sudden, your speed is incredible,” Qin Bao said. “Last time I heard you were breaking up, and now you’re getting married and even have a child.”

An Qingyan gave him a glance: “If it weren’t for Xiya, do you think I would marry him? Just that bed in this house alone, who knows how many people have slept in it.”

Qin Bao was speechless.

An Qingyan coughed lightly: “Of course, I’m not saying I’ve had fewer partners than him. I know those were things before we met, but it still bothers me. We’ll argue, but we’ll just get through it.”

Qin Bao asked, “When will you have the wedding?”

An Qingyan said, “We’re not having one. Getting married isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Qin Bao: “.”

An Qingyan laughed: “I’m not talking about you guys. Xiao Bao, I envy relationships like yours, where you’re each other’s one and only from start to finish. If I had such a fate, I’d be willing to marry young too.”

Qin Bao thought, if An Qingyan knew about his pheromone rejection disorder and that he was forced into marriage, he might not be so envious. But for Qin Bao, he was lucky that the person was Feng Chengyu.

Seeing him looking at Feng Chengyu’s back, An Qingyan said, “I heard about Feng Chengyu stepping down…”

He was referring to the real reason behind it, which should have been told by Shu Helan.

Qin Bao nodded.

An Qingyan said, “You gain some, you lose some. Uncle Qin is now cleared of charges, and Feng Chengyu is safe and sound. The two of you can love each other for the rest of your lives; that’s actually very good. Would you rather live like before, constantly fearing assassination, always on edge? Bao, what happened has happened. Don’t carry too much psychological burden.”

An Qingyan hit the nail on the head.

Qin Bao understood the reasoning, but achieving inner peace was really difficult.

Qin Bao withdrew his gaze: “Don’t you think Feng Chengyu was born to stand in such a position?”

Feng Chengyu was a natural politician, idealist, and leader.

He shouldn’t just be buried like this.

An Qingyan ruffled his hair: “At your young age, think more about happy things. You can’t change anything. Wait for the boat to straighten when it reaches the bridge. While your husband has some free time in the coming years, have a few kids for fun.”

“What?” Qin Bao’s face turned red instantly, his thoughts derailed, “You’re so free, why don’t you have more kids!”

Later, An Qingyan posted a few photos on Flow, showing the food he made, the little child’s hands holding utensils, and his intertwined fingers with Shu Helan, wearing rings.

An Qingyan V: A new life journey officially begins, please take care of us in the future. (pictures)pictures)

He suddenly announced the marriage and adoption of a child, shocking the entire internet. Fans and onlookers alike sent their blessings in confusion.

Qin Bao also switched to his account to comment and repost.

Qin Bao V: (flowers)(flowers)

Qin Bao rarely reposted others’ content and seldom interacted with people online. His cool demeanor made it evident that he was genuinely excited about An Qingyan’s post.

Except for a few haters making snarky comments, most comments were blessings from fans, with some joking around.

[Seeing An Qingyan getting married, I thought I was just dreaming. Seeing that he also adopted a child, okay, I’m sure I’m dreaming.]

[Bao loves doing charity, and his friends are so kind! Indeed, excellent people stick together! (happy)]

[The chubby little black hands of the child are so cute. I’m starting to imagine Bao having a baby someday too.]

[Wake up! Bao is only twenty-two! Not even married, not even close!]

[Married? I think Bao should find a boyfriend first. (smoking) Let me get in line here.[

[If you don’t line up, it’s a waste. +1.]

[Bao’s last episode of ‘Direct to Dreams’ is today, right? He’s about to join the crew! Yay!]

After recording the program, Qin Bao hurriedly rushed to the film city, not even washing off the temporary light-colored hair dye he had used for the show.

“With the Wind” had already finished shooting the character styling photos, and it had been three days since filming started. He was probably the last one to join the crew. Once he joined, it would be two or three months of shooting. Feng Chengyu wanted to personally send him to the film city, but Qin Bao refused.

“No need, Brother Lu said there are a lot of paparazzi and undercover fans there,” he said. “It wouldn’t be good if we got spotted.” Noticing his distraction, Feng Chengyu pulled him close, hugging him and patting his head. “Don’t be nervous.”

Qin Bao’s palms were sweaty. “What’s there to be nervous about? It’s not my first time acting.”

“I’m not talking about that.” Feng Chengyu smiled, “After you see him… no matter what the situation is, call me.”

This “him” could only refer to Xu Tangzhou.

Qin Bao pulled away. “It has nothing to do with him. He’s just someone irrelevant, a thing of the past.” Just as he finished speaking, he saw Brother Lu’s car arrive. “I’m leaving.”

After loading his luggage into the car, Qin Bao hesitated for a moment before leaving. Seeing Feng Chengyu with his hands in his pockets, he felt a bit embarrassed to say anything in front of Xiao Xu and the others, so he closed the car door reluctantly.

Feng Chengyu was right; he was indeed nervous.

After four years, what would Xu Tangzhou’s reaction be upon seeing him? After all those smear articles, didn’t Xu Tangzhou feel guilty? Was there some unspeakable reason?

As they drove to the hotel booked by the crew, Qin Bao’s heartbeat was so fast it felt like it would jump out of his throat. But aside from the crew members waiting outside, there was not a single other person, and naturally, no sign of Xu Tangzhou.

Originally, Xiao Xu would have been enough to accompany him upstairs, but Brother Lu insisted on following him to get settled, which was definitely at Feng Chengyu’s behest.

With the limited budget of the secondary crew, the hotel conditions couldn’t compare to luxury hotels, but it was comfortable and clean, with all the essentials.

Brother Lu took a few photos of the room and sent them to someone before leaving.

After settling in, Xiao Xu brought Qin Bao some shampoo. In the hotel room, Qin Bao washed out the temporary hair dye and changed his clothes. He planned to report to the crew and set up the schedule for the next day.

The elevator reached the floor, and the door opened.

For a moment, Qin Bao felt as if time had stopped.

Reunions after a long separation are always unexpected.

Xu Tangzhou stood right at the elevator door, with his phoenix eyes and thin lips, looking taller than before.

Qin Bao: “…”

Xu Tangzhou also had an assistant with him, who looked utterly surprised, clearly not expecting to see Qin Bao there. However, Xu Tangzhou himself was much more composed, showing only a fleeting surprise before his expression remained unchanged, as if he didn’t know Qin Bao at all.

The silence was awkward.

Qin Bao’s throat tightened. “Excuse me.”

The two of them moved aside, and Qin Bao strode out of the elevator, with Xiao Xu following closely behind.

They didn’t look back.

The crew members greeted Qin Bao warmly, but everyone seemed a bit off. After returning, Xiao Xu realized, “Brother Bao, you forgot to put on your gland patch today!”

Being significantly shorter than Qin Bao, and considering Qin Bao usually didn’t need a reminder, she hadn’t noticed.

Qin Bao touched the back of his neck instinctively. “…”

He had been so distracted that he forgot to put it on after showering.

Xiao Xu panicked. “Will they gossip? Especially Xu Tangzhou, will he spread rumors if he saw it?”

Xu Tangzhou knew about him and Feng Chengyu, but it had been years, and he might not be sure if the mark was still from Feng Chengyu.

Moreover, since Xu Tangzhou hadn’t used this against him in those smear articles, he probably wouldn’t mention it now either.

Qin Bao calmed down first. “Let them talk. Even if they saw it, they wouldn’t know whose mark it is. I’ll remember to put it on tomorrow, and you remind me too.”

“Okay!” Xiao Xu nodded quickly. “I’ll add it to my reminders right away!”

The night passed without incident, and no one leaked anything about the permanent mark on Qin Bao’s neck.

The next morning, after doing his makeup and hair, Qin Bao took a couple of character styling photos, which were then posted on the official Flow account of the “With the Wind” crew.

Xu Tangzhou played the third male lead, Song Yao, and his styling photos had already sparked some discussion. When Qin Bao’s styling as the main lead Yan Xingyuan was revealed, it immediately set off a storm of debates about “who fits the role better” and “who has the most beautiful costume look,” leading to a fierce battle between their fans.

Feng Chengyu called, and Qin Bao stubbornly said, “You don’t need to worry. We’re just colleagues. Let them market it however they want. I’ll just focus on my acting.”

Feng Chengyu: “Really?”

Qin Bao: “Hmph, more real than pearls.”

Who would have guessed that on that very night, Qin Bao would have his first scene with Xu Tangzhou, and he couldn’t get into character, constantly causing NGs when their eyes met.

Xu Tangzhou, playing Song Yao, had to run back and forth on a mountain path three or four times. The director couldn’t stand it anymore. “It’s normal for you two to lack chemistry at first. Let’s rehearse a few times before we shoot.”

Qin Bao had never experienced such repeated NGs on a first take and was in a foul mood. Seeing Xu Tangzhou’s calm demeanor, he said, “If you’re impatient, just shoot your part first and find a stand-in for me to act with.”

There wasn’t a shot of them in the same frame for this scene.

Xu Tangzhou said, “I’m not impatient.”

Eventually, they got through the scene, and Qin Bao had to treat Xu Tangzhou as a complete stranger to act properly. After the shoot, Xu Tangzhou didn’t say anything, but his assistant, quite protective, came over and said, “You’re sick and still pushing yourself. Some people can’t even act properly and waste everyone’s time.”

Qin Bao was stunned. He had only seen Xu Tangzhou sweating on his forehead and nose, thinking it was from running too much, but it turned out he was sick?

Feeling a bit guilty, Qin Bao saw Xu Tangzhou being mobbed by fans when they wrapped up. The assistant girl seemed inexperienced, acting too soft with the fans, afraid Xu Tangzhou would be disliked, not considering his health.

Just as he was about to leave, Qin Bao suddenly called for the car to stop.

Xiao Xu was puzzled. “Brother Bao?”

Qin Bao opened the car door and walked over, pulling Xu Tangzhou away from the fans and said to them, “Xu Tangzhou is sick, let him go back and rest first.”

Everyone was stunned for a moment and then started asking questions all at once.

Qin Bao, not caring anymore, directly pulled Xu Tangzhou away and pushed him into the car, then turned to Xu Tangzhou’s assistant and scolded, “If I had an assistant like you, you’d have been fired long ago.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked back to his own car, sulking.

Xiao Xu knew him too well, said nothing, and silently poured him some water to help him calm down.

Qin Bao was very annoyed. What was this? Where did Xu Tangzhou find such an assistant? Xu Tangzhou was sick and didn’t inform the crew, and after filming, he didn’t know how to refuse being surrounded by fans. Did he even know how to take care of himself?

That evening, the hashtag #QinBaoXuTangzhou trended on Flow’s real-time hot searches.

[They seem very familiar, don’t they look like rivals?]

[Haha, probably just pretending to be friends.]

[Bao Bao was so manly today, full of friend energy (blush)]

[So fierce but cute, I kind of get it now]

[Tangzhou is sick? What happened! And it brought out Qin Bao?!]

Seeing this, Qin Bao regretted intervening. Xu Tangzhou ignored him and always badmouthed him, so why did he have to meddle? Even if Xu Tangzhou had been delayed by fans a bit more, it wouldn’t have mattered.

So, from then on, whenever Qin Bao encountered Xu Tangzhou on set, he hardly spoke to him.

However, Xiao Xu brought back a shocking piece of gossip—Xu Tangzhou had hooked up with the currently popular music star Ling Che, who had secretly come to the hotel, spending the previous night in Xu Tangzhou’s room.

“Really?” Qin Bao was skeptical, “Don’t spread rumors.”

“I know,” Xiao Xu, aware of Qin Bao’s character and knowing he didn’t like gossip, said, “I didn’t gossip with anyone. I just overheard the makeup artists and assistants talking about it.”

Sure enough, not long after, Ling Che was photographed at the film city, and the hashtag #LingCheVisitsXuTangzhou trended on the hot searches.

Qin Bao had shot a music video with Ling Che and always found him cold and sharp. What was Xu Tangzhou thinking? Did they get together just because of a variety show? Or was it just for publicity?

After all, Ling Che needed rumors with an Omega to clean up his image, and Xu Tangzhou needed the buzz. They were both from the same agency, so it was possible they were just stirring up publicity.

It seemed Xu Tangzhou had indeed changed a lot.

As the weather grew hotter, Brother Lu came to visit Qin Bao and felt reassured hearing everyone was taking good care of him.

During these days, the phased ban on rare element mining, led by Feng Chengyu, progressed smoothly to the next step. Following the Star of Feilu, Beiye Star became the next banned mining zone.

Political commentators said that the Imperial Council’s work was probably done for now. The Council President had previously given Feng Chengyu free rein but wasn’t personally interested. With Feng Chengyu’s departure, the scheduling of the third round of mining bans became uncertain, which both commentators found regrettable.

Commentator A said, “Do you think Mr. Feng will return to work after he recovers?”

Commentator B: “It’s quite possible. The incident in Yatan where Mr. Feng was attacked has been resolved, with the National Security Department successfully capturing the terrorists. Given the known relationship between Director Feng and Mr. Feng, once he recovers, things should get back on track.”

Commentator A cautiously added, “As for Mr. Feng’s actual condition and whether he’s physically fit or willing to return, that’s something we can’t predict. It’s not out in the open.”

Commentator B: “Exactly. The election season is just warming up. Though Mr. Feng isn’t running, he’s very popular.”

After wrapping up for the day, it was time for Qin Bao’s usual call with Feng Chengyu.

When the call came through, Qin Bao turned off the TV.

The room was quiet, and Feng Chengyu asked about the trending topic, “I heard Xu Tangzhou was sick, and you helped him out?”

Qin Bao: “The news is all exaggerated. Do you believe it?”

Feng Chengyu said, “Fans posted videos.”

Qin Bao: “…”

Now Qin Bao couldn’t deny it, feeling embarrassed. “Are you mocking me for being foolish?”

“How could I? I said before, I’m on your side,” Feng Chengyu said. “You still care about him, don’t you?”

Qin Bao: “…No, I just happened to see him unwell and helped out.”

Feng Chengyu asked, “So, will you help him again next time?”

Qin Bao, frowning, answered firmly, “Of course not. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

“Okay.” Feng Chengyu chuckled softly, then said, “I asked Brother Lu to order some chilled desserts. They’ll be delivered to the set tomorrow, and you can say it’s your treat.”

Qin Bao had treated the crew before but didn’t expect Feng Chengyu to do this. “…Actually, I’m not that familiar with them.”

He wanted to say thank you but suddenly felt it was too formal.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re not familiar. Maintaining a good working relationship is important,” Feng Chengyu said. “This is your first time filming a drama, and it’s different from movie production. I heard everyone is taking good care of you, so this is a way to express your gratitude.”

Qin Bao said sourly, “As expected of a former politician, you really know how to win people over.”

Feng Chengyu laughed, “I’ll take that as a compliment. So, does my winning people over count as applying my skills and making the best use of talent?”

They chatted for a long time every day, not really discussing anything substantial, yet the call always lasted long.

After a few more words, Feng Chengyu suddenly said, “Xiao Bao, I miss you.”

Qin Bao’s ears immediately turned red, and his fingertips curled up. “…Oh.”

He didn’t respond, but Feng Chengyu wasn’t upset. He asked back, “Do you miss me?”

Several of Feng Chengyu’s coats were still piled on the bed, stolen by Qin Bao.

During that period, Feng Chengyu often wondered why the clothes hanging in the hallway would disappear. Qin Bao would steal a piece and pack it in his suitcase, keeping silent.

Qin Bao would wrinkle the clothes, hugging them while he slept, only able to rest peacefully by smelling the scent of Feng Chengyu’s pheromones.

Feeling exposed, Qin Bao abruptly stood up, pacing around the room several times, like a monkey scratching its ears and cheeks where Feng Chengyu couldn’t see.

Feng Chengyu said, “I get it, you miss me a little bit.”

“Mm-hmm,” Qin Bao admitted, somewhat reluctantly but boldly, “just a little bit.”