Just as he sat down to eat, Yan Qing immediately felt a sense of familiarity with the person in front of him.
Although Wu ge is called an older brother, he was just in his early thirties, with a handsome and traditional look.
Thinking about his image in the group and Wu Ge’s attitude towards him, Yan Qing felt their relationship should be strong. So, upon meeting, he warmly said, “Long time no see!”
Wu Ge didn’t think much: “Yeah, long time no see.”
Yan Qing introduced, “Brother Wu, let me introduce you. This is my husband! Husband, this is my… colleague from the drama theater, everyone calls him Brother Wu.”
“Hello.” Wu Ge remained polite, carrying a certain level of prestige.
Even though Wu Ge wasn’t deeply involved in the entertainment industry, he certainly knew the renowned Wen Jueli, and greetings ensued.
Then he remarked, “Yan Qing, you really know how to keep secrets.”
Seems like he’s referring to their marriage. Yan Qing responded, “Well, blame it on my desire for a little privacy. Haha.”
Wu Ge: “…”
Do you think I’m hinting at something here?
“By the way… Have you heard about the online rumors?”
“Online? What happened?” Yan Qing was puzzled, “I had my phone taken away during the show.”
Wu Ge: “Well, forget about that…just pretend I didn’t mention it. You tend to be sensitive about such things.”
Yan Qing: “I’m not sensitive!”
Even without Wu Ge’s words, he guessed it must be related to Wen Jueli – probably saying he’s not worthy. It’s okay; as long as Wen Jueli likes him.
But reality was different.
The show had been airing for weeks, and the public witnessed Wen Jueli and Yan Qing’s relationship. Online skepticism about them being a contractual couple had decreased. Most haters turned into fans, while the remaining unsuccessful ones focused on criticizing Yan Qing’s new drama.
However, due to the poor reviews of the recent episodes, Yan Qing had been targeted multiple times. Not aware of this, Wu Ge tactfully changed the topic, sensing something off about Yan Qing.
He seemed quieter than usual.
Returning home that night, Yan Qing still seemed elated, “I haven’t had such delicious food in a long time…”
After all, someone else treating you is the best.
After a shower, he found Wen Jueli searching through his luggage.
“Did something go missing?”
“My incense, I can’t find it.”
“Eh? Without the incense, can you still sleep?”
Wen Jueli was also taken aback, “I don’t know, I’ve been doing it for years and it became a habit.”
Yan Qing knew about Wen Jueli’s habit of using incense before sleep. After weeks, even he got used to the presence of the incense. He helped search for it, but it was in vain.
“What should we do now?” Yan Qing sat at the edge of the bed, watching Wen Jueli, who seemed uneasy. After a moment, a bold idea crossed Yan Qing’s mind, and he raised his head, asking, “I have a solution, husband. If you can’t sleep, why not try a psychological suggestion?”
“Suggest what?”
“Suggest that I am your fragrance.”
“…What?”
Yan Qing acknowledged the eccentricity of his idea, but he wasn’t aiming for logic. Since Wen Jueli had started feeling jealous, why not provide him with a bit more reassurance?
So, Yan Qing said playfully, “I think I smell really good.”
He opened his arms, “Don’t believe me? Come on, give me a hug.”
Three seconds later, Wen Jueli blushed instantly, remaining silent.
Yan Qing thought, ‘He’s shy, handsome guys can’t resist direct approaches.’
Stopping at that, Yan Qing let go, smiling without saying a word. He turned around, got under the blanket, leaving Wen Jueli bewildered.
The lights went out, Yan Qing lay still under the blanket. In the darkness, everything was invisible, but his senses became unusually acute.
When he noticed Wen Jueli getting into bed, Yan Qing gathered courage and proactively hugged him.
The moment they touched, Yan Qing was surprised – why was he so cold?
It reminded him of when he got lost in the heavy rain, and Wen Jueli came to find him alone.
“Husband.”
“…Hmm?”
Unexpectedly embraced, Wen Jueli stiffened momentarily, instinctively wanting to resist. But in an instant, he relaxed, staying motionless, afraid of disturbing Yan Qing, silently smelling the faint scent in his hair.
In the darkness, Yan Qing found a comfortable position on Wen Jueli’s body without saying a word. Then, in a mumbled tone, he said, “Husband, I really like you…”
Yan Qing felt like he had worn out his tongue saying this line repeatedly, unsure if Wen Jueli heard it.
Only in the latter part of the night, in a half-dazed state, did he seem to hear a faint “Me too” before drifting into a deep sleep.
Wen Jueli’s used incense was specific, and the next day, unable to find a replacement after searching several stores, he was at a loss.
As live chat messages flooded in with “order one for him,” Yan Qing volunteered, “I’ll continue accompanying you tonight.”
“Hehehe.”
Wen Jueli’s lips slightly lifted, “Okay.”
Yan Qing was also happy. He liked sleeping with something to hug, especially with Wen Jueli being this “big guy,” even if his muscles sometimes pressed against him.
After all, they were an old married couple; cuddling while sleeping was no big deal.
Perhaps feeling Wen Jueli’s clear affection, Yan Qing felt the days that followed passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the show was coming to an end.
Today, as soon as he woke up, he received good news.
The production team will return their phones.
Holding the phone like a caveman discovering fire, Yan Qing examined it carefully. The cameraman next to him felt that Yan Qing’s gaze was even gentler than when he looked at Wen Jueli.
“Oh—my phone… sniff…”
As soon as the phone was turned on, it exploded with a barrage of messages.
Greetings from friends and family, real-time video calls from parents watching the live broadcast, and as Yan Qing greeted them, his long-unseen parents interrupted, not mincing words, “Where’s Jueli? Let us see him.”
Yan Qing: “…But I’m your son.”
Parents: “Hahaha, of course, we know you’re our good son. We just want to meet your boyfriend- husband.”
Wen Jueli, usually like an invisible person, miraculously appeared at this moment: “Hello.”
Yan Qing: “…”
Well, that’s great.
After dealing with messages, Yan Qing opened Weibo and realized not only were his direct messages exploding, but his follower count had skyrocketed to eight digits. Even his long-neglected Weibo account was forced to auto-log out due to excessive activity.
Blinking in confusion, Yan Qing felt truly bewildered.
He actually had so many fans?
Thinking of something, Yan Qing immediately sat up straight, obediently facing the live camera and said, “Thank you!”
“Thanks for your love and attention!”
【Hahaha, Yan Qing’s appearance is so cute, I want to pinch him!】
【Same here, same here!】
【Did Yan Qing just see my private message just now? Aooo!】
The live broadcast’s popularity reached a new high.
Having a phone really changed everything. After Yan Qing sorted out the surge of data on Weibo, he finally had time to check the trending topics. The top few were jokes from netizens’ daily lives, and Yan Qing chuckled while scrolling past them. When he saw a familiar name, he relaxed and slowly let the laughter fade away.
[#WenJueli_LinXu#]
Lin Xu? Who is he?
And why is he mentioned together with Wen Jueli?
Topic details:
[#SunsetRollerCoaster Trailer Released#
#WenJueli_LinXu#
“Sunset Roller Coaster” releases a trailer, scheduled to be nationwide on June 7th… Starring Wen Jueli and Lin Xu… The film tells the story…]
Real-time comments:
[Who is Lin Xu? Why does he sound familiar?]
[Wow, he’s starring alongside Mr. Wen in his first movie; that’s impressive.]
[I remember now. Didn’t he have rumors with Mr. Wen before? Heard they used to be in a past relationship!]
[Huh? Is that true?]
[Seems like it is. Back then, paparazzi photos were everywhere, but he mysteriously disappeared later.]
[This topic suddenly came up maybe because their movie from last year is about to be released.]
Past relationship?
Wen Jueli actually has an ex!
This news surprised Yan Qing immensely. After reading these comments, he saw some interview videos of Lin Xu.
Entertainment reporter:
[Do you have any regrets recently?]
Yan Qing hid in the bathroom watching the video on his phone. Honestly, he felt that Lin Xu looked a bit like him, both with round cat-like eyes, and he found this person quite attractive.
The protagonist in the video seemed surprised but quickly smiled awkwardly without losing politeness, [Yes, but regret only exists when you miss it…]
Reporter: [What superpower do you wish to have?]
Lin Xu: [The superpower to travel through time and space, so there would be no regrets.]
Reporter: [Is it because of someone you like?]
Lin Xu: [Hmm… but now I can bless him.]
The answer was ambiguous yet suggestive. Was it true or not?
Yan Qing perked up. Although he was only halfway into the entertainment circle, he knew that some companies intentionally created publicity, playing up CP relationships. Given that the subject was Wen Jueli, topics about whether they were exes naturally gained several trending spots. People were arguing fiercely, but Yan Qing was only wondering if Wen Jueli really had an ex.
Yan Qing swore he was just curious, with no other emotions mixed in.
So, he found Wen Jueli. However, before getting closer, he noticed Wen Jueli putting away his phone.
“…” Yan Qing sat down next to him, “What are you doing?”
Wen Jueli: “Nothing.”
Distracted by his actions, Yan Qing suddenly lost the urge to ask further.
And after missing this opportunity, he never found a suitable time to ask this question again. After all, live broadcast cameras were everywhere, and if he really asked, it would probably trend.
Calm down, Yan Qing decided to stay put. It could wait until after the show; after all, who doesn’t have an ex these days?
As the trip neared its end, it also signaled the impending end of the show. The production team conducted another post-interview with the guests: [The program is about to end. What are your thoughts on this trip?]
The interactions and the journey had left everyone with many feelings, and rare were the moments they spoke heartfelt words directly to the camera. Some even unintentionally shed tears while speaking.
The production team brought out a whiteboard: [These are the eight cities you wrote down as the ones you most wanted to visit before the start of the program. You can vote for another city besides the one you wanted to go to, and tomorrow afternoon, we will head to the city with the highest votes to conclude the program.]
Looking at the different cities on the whiteboard, Yan Qing slowly recalled everything that had happened over the past few days, as if it were just yesterday.
The voting results were out, and it was a city unfamiliar to Yan Qing.
To be honest, Yan Qing was somewhat disappointed because the city he had written down was one he had visited in his childhood, just next door. He thought the production team would have a keen eye for discovering treasures and provide a chance to play at the expense of the show, but the chosen travel route had nothing to do with it.
But Yan Qing thought it was okay; he would have plenty of opportunities to play in the future. After completing the program, he would be a wealthy person. Isn’t it just a matter of going wherever he wanted?
Although he said so, Yan Qing still felt a bit down. He restrained his emotions in front of everyone.
However, whether it was because he couldn’t go to the desired place or for other reasons, who really knew?
Tonight, everyone will spend their last night in the hotel. The next day, they would fly directly to the city with the most votes from the poll.
After finishing his personal routine, Yan Qing noticed the room had only a faint light, and Wen Jueli was already asleep.
He lay on the bed, almost every night in this posture, breathing evenly. Yan Qing watched his sleeping face, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while, he moved his steps, crawled under the covers, and snuggled up to him.
The next day, unusually, Yan Qing started to laze around in bed.
Just when he thought there were no plans for the morning and decided to sleep until the afternoon, in a daze, he heard someone whispering in his ear, “Yan Qing, get up.”
The tone of the voice was cold and steady.
Yan Qing rubbed his eyes, opened them, and saw Wen Jueli next to him. He whispered, “Get up and freshen up.”
Yan Qing was still a bit confused, “Huh?”
Was it morning?
Or was it time to catch a flight?
Yan Qing didn’t know how, but he obediently followed Wen Jueli’s instructions, getting up from the bed, brushing his teeth, washing his face, and changing clothes slowly.
When he came out, Wen Jueli was already prepared, “If you’re tired, you can sleep a bit more in the car.”
Yan Qing replied, “Okay.”
However, Wen Jueli suddenly stopped him, “Wait… no need to bring the microphone.”
Although a bit puzzled, Yan Qing’s drowsiness overcame his confusion, and he still followed Wen Jueli’s instructions.
After seeing them taking off their microphones and gradually moving away from the camera, the audience and fans in the live broadcast room were left puzzled, typing question marks.
【What’s going on? Are there no other camera angles in the live broadcast room? Why can I only see an empty room here?】
【What the heck, where are the cameraman and the crew? Wasn’t it not planned for this morning? Where would these two go?】
【Could it be that Mr. Wen is running away with Yan Qing? Haha.】
【Stop joking, they wouldn’t really run away, right?!!】
Yan Qing said he was a bit tired and went to sleep as soon as he got in the car.
As the sun rose at six in the morning, filling the land with its radiance, Wen Jueli silently removed the sun visor from the front passenger seat and moved it in front of Yan Qing, preventing him from being awakened by the sun.
Following the navigation on his phone, Wen Jueli set off for a city he had never been to before.
And as time passed in the radiant sunlight, they arrived at their destination.
When they reached the destination, Yan Qing was up from sleeping. He stretched and asked, “Are we there?”
Wen Jueli’s lips slightly pursed, “Yes, we’re here. Get off.”
Yan Qing obediently unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and got off. After his feet touched the ground, the glaring sunlight and the brisk sea breeze seemed to pull him from the soft dream into reality.
Yan Qing was stunned.
The sea?
“Is the airport by the seaside?”
In front of him was a large, flat sandy area. After climbing a few steps with a marble-like texture, the sight that greeted him was a stretch of blue sea along the coastline.
The daylight at seven or eight o’clock was brilliant, with colorful clouds and clear distinctions between the colors of the sea.
The sea waves swayed, and seagulls circled above.
It wasn’t strange for the airport to be by the seaside, but what was most surprising and frightening— the cameraman was nowhere to be seen!
Yan Qing’s eyes widened, and he suddenly realized that this place looked very familiar!
“What is this place?”
“Porsay.”
Porsay is the name Yan Qing wrote on the whiteboard.
He instantly woke up from his confusion, “Porsay?! Why did you bring me here? Weren’t we supposed to take a plane to another city? Why did you bring me here? Did you not inform the program team?”
Seeing him bombarded with multiple questions, the invisible burden in Wen Jueli’s heart seemed to collapse gradually.
He was human; he felt that Yan Qing had been absent-minded lately, not sticking to him like before. This subtle feeling was strange; although the other person was supposed to be clinging to him, he found himself uncomfortable when it stopped.
Seeing joy in Yan Qing’s eyes, Wen Jueli smiled gently, “The flight is in the afternoon. We can stay here for three hours and drive back in time…”
“Brought you out like this all of a sudden, you’re not angry, right?”
Yan Qing: “How could I be? I’ve always wanted to come here! How did you know I wanted to visit Porsay?”
Wen Jueli: “Saw it on Weibo.”
Yan Qing: “…”
No wonder it’s you.
Wen Jueli: “Because I saw you wanted to come, so I brought you here.”
Yan Qing was stunned; such straightforwardness from his husband was rare. His cheeks turned slightly red, and he averted his gaze, saying, “Thank you… But honestly, I’m a bit uncomfortable without the cameraman following us suddenly.”
Watching Yan Qing’s silly expression, Wen Jueli couldn’t help but chuckle, but his gaze never shifted away from Yan Qing.
He lied again; it wasn’t from Weibo but from the handwriting. When he saw those names on the whiteboard, he immediately recognized Yan Qing’s handwriting. Moreover, who else would add a little heart after their name…
Wen Jueli awkwardly raised his hand, “I’ve already booked a restaurant with a view of the seaside. Let’s go together now.”
Yan Qing looked down at the outstretched hand and couldn’t help but laugh. He swatted away that hand and intertwined his fingers, “That’s a handshake; this is holding hands!”
It seemed like fate that the restaurant Wen Jueli booked was one Yan Qing used to love when he was a child.
The reserved seats were on the corridor, overlooking the endless sea. The soft morning sea breeze occasionally brushed across their faces, creating a serene atmosphere.
Wen Jueli said, “I actually prepared a small cake for you.”
Yan Qing: “A small cake? Why? My birthday has already passed.”
“At that time, something happened that made you unhappy.”
“Oh, I see.” Yan Qing wouldn’t delve into what happened back then. He grinned and said, “Well, thank you for caring enough to celebrate my birthday again. Today will definitely be a great birthday!”
Even though it was a bit odd to have cake early in the morning, the fact that it was arranged by his husband made Yan Qing unable to hide his smile. His lips kept involuntarily curling upward.
“By the way, dear husband, although it might be a mood spoiler, a few days ago, I actually thought of you and…”
Wen Jueli: “Thought about me and Lin Xu?”
Yan Qing raised an eyebrow: “You know about that?”
Wen Jueli: “I found out about it yesterday. It seemed to have caused quite a stir on the internet… You seemed distracted these past few days. Is it because of that?”
Yan Qing blushed. Distracted? It wasn’t that exaggerated.
“Where did you hear that! Having exes is normal, right?” He absentmindedly crushed the cake on the plate with a spoon and continued, “I was just thinking about what Lin Xu said. His ex was very proactive, doing his laundry, cooking for him, and going to great lengths to buy whatever he wanted—a very proactive partner. I just pondered for a moment, that’s all.”
Definitely not jealousy.
Like a gentle breeze, the small talk blew away something insignificant.
Wen Jueli caught on and smiled, “Really? Well, his ex was indeed proactive. I’ll learn from his ex.”
Yan Qing: “Yeah, very proactive… Wait, what do you mean by that?”
Meeting Wen Jueli’s deep eyes, Yan Qing realized something.
Wen Jueli: “We’ve never been involved romantically, except for that one collaboration. I’ve never dated him.”
“Never dated?”
“Yeah.”
Whether to trust the internet or Wen Jueli, Yan Qing naturally believed what Wen Jueli said. He hadn’t seen any concrete evidence of them being together.
And even if they were, so what? Wen Jueli’s heart was still with him, right?
Yan Qing was relieved he didn’t ask this live.
Feeling a bit shy, Yan Qing thought he was being considerate. He continued, “Well, those are all things of the past. Let’s focus on living well from now on.”
After saying that, he felt exceptionally thoughtful. Rarely, Wen Jueli suddenly asked, “Can I ask you something?”
“Ask me?” Yan Qing raised an eyebrow. What could he possibly ask? At eighteen, he was dragged into a blind date and got his face slapped on the first meeting… This made him angry, the first time he met someone so obedient, so many people liked him, and Wen Jueli was the first to ignore him!
Looking at him now, the person sat across from him, sitting obediently, looking at him with gentle eyes. Yan Qing felt that truly, there was a significant difference between the eighties and nineties.
Wen Jueli awkwardly asked, “Do you have any other romantic experiences?… I just thought you seemed quite skilled.”
Skilled? What was so skilled? Yan Qing chuckled mysteriously, “Hoho, other romantic experiences… It’s hard to say… Let’s eat, let’s eat. This cake is delicious. After eating, let’s go shopping together. The view of the seaside here is fantastic.”
“…”
“What? Don’t tell me you really think I had other exes? Hahaha, don’t suddenly lose your expression.” Yan Qing grabbed Wen Jueli’s hand, laughing, “My first love is you. Really, during my student days, I was busy with extra classes and competitions. Who had time for dating?”
Wen Jueli: “So, I’m lucky we had this engagement, or else I might not have met you?”
Yan Qing: “Exactly, or else, with my freedom in college, I might have gone wild!”
Wen Jueli held Yan Qing’s hand in return, squeezing it as if he wanted to hold onto him tightly.
“I should have come to find you much earlier.”
Yan Qing smiled, “It doesn’t matter when. Everything is at the right time, with the right fate and the right person.”
“Thank you for taking me out secretly.”
The first time.
It was the first time Wen Jueli didn’t follow the routine in life, movies, or shows. Also, it was the first time he regretted not meeting Yan Qing sooner.
