A person’s growth is often completed unconsciously.
Before Rong Jin, he thought he had witnessed all the changes in Chi Feiran after he entered the circle, watching him grow, even accompanying him in his growth.
He thought he had clearly remembered all these changes in his mind, being the witness of it all.
But at this moment, Rong Jin still had a sudden feeling. Time is indeed too cunning. It makes people feel like they have seen everything, but at some sudden moment, it tells you, no, there’s much more than that.
Just like that, it surprises him.
Outside, the snow was still falling. After the end of the play, Chi Feiran was pinned against the dressing room door by Rong Jin, the windproof curtain not lowered, letting the cold wind in through the gap behind him.
But neither of them felt cold. It was as if fire was burning from within.
When their lips parted, even their breath felt scorching.
Chi Feiran and Rong Jin’s noses touched, their gazes collided, and they couldn’t help but smile.
In the crew, intimate actions inevitably carried a sense of danger, but along with this danger, there was also tension and excitement.
It’s like secretly eating candy, the sweetness known only to oneself.
Rong Jin didn’t stay long in the crew. He left the next afternoon. With just two days and one night, Rong Jin still had to exchange pleasantries with the director and producers on this side of the crew. Chi Feiran’s shooting didn’t stop either.
So their time together was actually quite limited, but neither of them complained. The future is still long; there’s no rush for a moment.
By the time they parted again, it was almost New Year’s. Chi Feiran’s filming ended earlier than expected, and he used the excuse of wanting to rush home for the New Year, so he hurried back home overnight.
Rong Jin ended his shooting two days earlier. When Chi Feiran entered the house, he saw Rong Jin busy. He hadn’t even taken off his apron yet. Seeing him coming in, he naturally went over to take his luggage.
Chi Feiran originally thought he could surprise him too, but seeing Rong Jin like this, it was obvious that he had known for a long time.
On one hand, because the plan was foiled, there was some disappointment, but on the other hand, the feeling of someone waiting for him as soon as he opened the door was indescribably good.
Chi Feiran grew up surrounded by love since he was young, but lovers and family are still different. Think about it, they were originally strangers, but fell in love, stayed together, and were willing to do so much for each other.
Caesar and Oreo, who were originally sleeping in their nest, rushed over one after the other when they heard Chi Feiran enter, all excited and meowing, wanting to jump into his arms.
Oreo was no longer the little kitten he used to be. He was as big as Caesar now. When the two cats pounced, even Chi Feiran couldn’t handle it and quickly bent down to pick them up, one on each side.
The two fluffy cats stretched their necks, rubbed affectionately against Chi Feiran’s neck and face, purring happily, making Chi Feiran’s fleeting emotions turn into a scene of parent-child love. The way the two little darlings were being so affectionate made his heart melt.
He also lowered his head, rubbing his face against his two sons, whispering words of longing softly.
Rong Jin sighed for a moment at the loss of favor and then, when the father-son affection show was almost over, he reached out and took the two little rascals out of his boyfriend’s arms.
Chi Feiran saw his sour expression and couldn’t help but laugh, leaning over to exchange a gentle and sweet kiss with him.
Rong Jin’s hand gently stroked his cheek, and Chi Feiran leaned into it, softly asking him, “Did Dreamyang tell you?”
Rong Jin revealed a mysterious expression. “Secret.”
How could he betray the informant?
Chi Feiran hummed while laughing, “Another secret…”
They would discuss the secret matter later; it was time to offer incense to the Five Viscera before anything else.
Rong Jin had prepared easily digestible and stomach-warming beef porridge with a few side dishes. It wasn’t too heavy for dinner and tasted good.
The porridge was proper, but eating it was not so proper because Chi Feiran couldn’t resist the two sticky and clingy cats. His hands were occupied with them.
Rong Jin couldn’t resist the pleading look of his boyfriend and ended up feeding him the porridge with a spoon, unable to help but say with righteous indignation, “Children these days are too spoiled.”
Chi Feiran obediently ate the porridge fed by Rong Jin, responding to him with a hum, looking quite pleased with himself.
Rong Jin: “…”
Spoiled indeed.
The spoiled little prince finished his supper like this, rested for a while, took a hot bath, and crawled into bed with a rosy complexion.
There was already a beautiful person waiting for him in bed, with two little treasures sleeping beside him.
Chi Feiran knew he should focus his attention on the beautiful person now, but his hand seemed to have a mind of its own…
Rong Jin watched as his boyfriend climbed into bed, effortlessly scooping up the eldest son, handling it all smoothly and naturally.
Chi Feiran didn’t expect himself to be so careless. When he looked towards Rong Jin, he felt a bit guilty.
Under his gaze, Rong Jin smoothly picked up the youngest son.
Now they each held one, and it looked quite harmonious.
Chi Feiran moved closer to him, and when their arms touched, he lightly nudged Rong Jin, as if trying to appease him.
Rong Jin turned to look at him, with a look that seemed to say, “Let’s see how you explain this.”
Chi Feiran felt like a big “jerk” was written all over his face with that look. Think about it, he had been busy making soup and waiting for his boyfriend all night, finally, when his boyfriend arrived, all he did was play with cats, eat, play with cats again, and now, he couldn’t even do anything serious!
Chi Feiran, feeling the pain of his mistake, decided to put aside playing with cats for now. He was about to let go of his eldest son when he noticed a hint of amusement in Rong Jin’s eyes.
He looked carefully and when he saw the amusement gradually spreading, causing Rong Jin’s eyes to crinkle into a smile, Chi Feiran realized Rong Jin had been teasing him just now. He let out a sigh of relief and before he could overthink it, he was pulled closer by Rong Jin.
Rong Jin turned off the bedroom light and whispered softly, “Let’s sleep.”
Chi Feiran poked him with his finger and whispered, “Aren’t we supposed to have some ‘newlywed time’?”
Rong Jin squeezed the finger and held his hand in his own, “No rush, we’ll ‘win’ after we’re fully rested.”
Chi Feiran smiled with his eyes closed. The two big plush cats squeezed in between them, feeling a bit heavy and warm, but their purring sounds were comforting. The slight warmth didn’t bother them at all.
Chi Feiran was indeed tired from the journey back. He couldn’t help but be a little restless when he saw Rong Jin, but now, with the pillow under his head, the fatigue overtook him, and any lingering restlessness was subdued by sleep.
One night, good dreams. Chi Feiran slept particularly soundly. As for Rong Jin…
Rong Jin: “My hand’s numb.”
Chi Feiran hurriedly pinched his arm, giggling as he did.
Rong Jin remarked, “Looks like your weight is my limit. At least I can’t handle two cats weighing over twenty pounds each.”
Chi Feiran burst into laughter this time, then chuckled, “You better not let go in the future.”
Rong Jin replied, “I’m afraid if I move, our sons will wake up.”
Chi Feiran paused, then realized that he was worried about waking them up. This statement was clearly payback for his cat antics last night.
Chi Feiran looked at Rong Jin, feeling he was irresistibly cute.
Chi Feiran leaned over to kiss him, then pushed him down, unabashedly declaring, “I’m feeling quite energetic now.”
Rong Jin was actually quite energetic too. This time, they fully experienced the feeling of “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
They hadn’t properly been together for over a month due to their schedules. Now, refreshed, they felt satisfied.
Chi Feiran thought if they hadn’t been caught lazily lying in bed until the afternoon and then scolded by their parents, the day would have been perfect.
As experienced parents, when Chi Feiran and Rong Jin appeared affectionate downstairs, Chi Jun didn’t bat an eye. He calmly invited them, “Come have some snacks.”
The couple straightened up instantly, becoming obedient babies, eating snacks with proper manners alongside their father/father-in-law.
Chi Jun held his two grandsons, signaling that when his precious son and his cheap son-in-law were eating, they should focus and not play with the cats.
After hearing this, Rong Jin glanced at Chi Feiran, indicating he should pay attention.
The little prince acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, enjoying his snack, then listened to Chi Jun ask, “Have they eaten?”
Chi Feiran quickly nodded, “Yes, they have.”
Nobody should go hungry, especially not these two little darlings!
With that settled, although Chi Jun still felt a bit awkward, he instructed, “Don’t forget to eat yourselves.”
Chi Feiran wanted to bury his face in the snack plate. It was embarrassing to be caught not eating by their parents and then lectured on the importance of meals.
Luckily, Chi Jun didn’t dwell on the topic, instead, he started talking about the upcoming Chinese New Year.
Last year, the Chinese New Year coincided with Rong Jin’s Olympic training, so Chi Feiran accompanied him, and they didn’t properly celebrate. This year, they needed to discuss how to celebrate both sides of the family.
However, it wasn’t a big issue. The Rong family was open-minded, not the type to argue over where to spend the holiday. So, they quickly settled the matter.
Then came the time for casual conversation. Chi Jun hadn’t seen his son in over a month, so naturally, there were many things he wanted to discuss and know about.
Though there were people updating him about the shoot, it wasn’t the same as hearing it from his son.
Chi Feiran admitted he only shared interesting things, like snowball fights during breaks.
There were many young actors in the crew. Despite the cold and fatigue during shooting, they still found joy in playful activities. Once, when they finished work early, almost the entire crew played together, having a blast. Chi Feiran found it quite amusing.
Chi Jun and Rong Jin listened as Chi Feiran recounted these amusing stories, without mentioning any of the hardships he endured.
Rong Jin understood the sacrifices required to be a good actor, but Chi Jun’s feelings were more complex.
Chi Jun didn’t mind young people working hard for their careers, but when it came to his son, his attitude became conflicted. Moreover, his son always shared joys but never worries, leaving the father feeling a bit disappointed for not experiencing his son’s vulnerability.
Caesar and Aurelio might have sensed his mood because they both snuggled up to Chi Jun, purring and asking for pets.
Chi Feiran observed and chuckled, “Dad, they both like you.”
Chi Jun had never raised pets before, always focused on his career. He planned to hand over the business to his son when he couldn’t handle it anymore, then enjoy his retirement by playing with his grandkids.
But now…
Chi Jun looked at the two furry faces. These grandkids were entirely different from what he imagined!
Caesar and Aurelio loved attention. When they noticed Chi Jun looking at them, they blinked their round blue eyes, purred sweetly, and then waited for him to pet them.
Chi Jun: “…”
Chi Jun silently petted both of them on the head, thinking to himself, they’re both quite adorable.
Feeling the cuteness of his two grandsons, Chi Jun’s mood improved significantly. He even became interested in learning from Chi Feiran about how to take care of cats.
Rong Jin watched his father-in-law’s potential transformation into a cat person and sighed inwardly. Truly blood-related…
For a family like the Chi family, Chinese New Year is quite busy. The time they get to spend together is actually quite limited. Besides the scheduled visit to the Rong family, Chi Feiran inevitably has to accompany Chi Jun to various social gatherings, meeting uncles and other elders.
By the time they could really rest, the winter holiday was almost over.
Chi Feiran laughed with Rong Jin, saying that at least his dad made sure to leave Valentine’s Day free for them.
Rong Jin responded, “Thanks to my father-in-law.”
The little prince raised an eyebrow, “Huh? What?”
Mr. Rong smoothly corrected himself, “Thanks to my father.”
It didn’t matter much what he called him; the important thing was not just gaining a little verbal advantage.
Chi Feiran, having been influenced by various domestic dramas, couldn’t face the term “father” without feeling it was not purely innocent.
Chi Feiran said, “Forget it, just call him father-in-law.”
Indeed, what he called him didn’t really matter…
Days without work or social obligations were very leisurely for Chi Feiran, who remained relaxed until the new semester started. He thought he was in for an easy term, but as soon as school began, Li Yuan handed him a script.
This was the first script Chi Feiran received where he would play the male lead.
It was a youthful campus romance drama, simple and heartwarming. Importantly, the original novel was already very popular, giving it a strong fan base. The character’s image and age also matched Chi Feiran well.
Li Yuan, reinvigorated with career ambition after being inspired by Chang Haoqing, was the driving force behind this project. He analyzed for Chi Feiran, “You’ve already done three movies—one historical, two period dramas. It’s time for a modern drama, and it’s time you play the male lead.”
Actors fear being typecast but it’s very easy to get typecast. If a costume drama becomes popular, more costume scripts come their way; if a period drama is a hit, more period scripts follow.
Having a signature role is good, but being defined by a role can be a double-edged sword. If audiences only see you as a particular character, it becomes both a blessing and a curse.
People might say, “Then break out of it,” but it’s not that easy. Classic roles are rare and sometimes, it’s not the actor who doesn’t want to break out but investors unwilling to take the risk. They’re not going to gamble their big investments on an actor trying to reinvent themselves.
Chi Feiran didn’t have the problem of unwilling investors, but he couldn’t give the audience a single impression of himself. He needed to show them more versatility before their perception of him solidified.
Chi Feiran understood the logic, but when it came to the audience’s perception…
He laughed, “Aren’t I the landlord’s son?”
This was his new nickname on Weibo. Previously, he was called the “Chi family’s little prince,” but after attending the Tianyun annual meeting with his father in matching Tang suits, the videos and photos from the event turned them into memes.
Chi Jun was the landlord, making Chi Feiran the landlord’s son. From the attire to their personas, it all fit perfectly.
Probably because it was amusing, the meme was still quite popular.
Li Yuan sternly said, “You can’t be limited by memes.”
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then assured he would seriously review the script.
This youth drama, where he would be the male lead, might be his only chance. In a few years, he would be too old to take on such roles.
Honestly, if it weren’t for knowing how much effort Li Yuan put into this project, Chi Feiran wouldn’t be interested in a campus romance movie. He felt disconnected from that phase of life.
Even though he was still in college and had a good time with friends, his mindset was no longer truly youthful.
To Li Yuan, the script that matched his age was actually quite challenging.
Chi Feiran first read the script outline and felt relieved. Li Yuan had a good eye. This was a true youth film, about young people striving for their dreams, with beautiful friendships and a bit of innocent romance. Simple but, if done well, it could be a very pleasant movie.
Unlike those so-called youth films filled with betrayal and abortions!
Relieved, Chi Feiran decided to read the original novel to better understand the character. The novel’s deeper character analysis would help him more than the script alone.
Meanwhile, halfway through reading the original, Rong Jin had already read the entire script and novel twice.
Chi Feiran was genuinely envious. This was like having a brain scanner! His boyfriend was practically artificial intelligence! So smart!
He watched as Rong Jin began highlighting key points. Seeing his serious and focused expression, Chi Feiran felt a sweet surge. His boyfriend was contributing to his first lead role movie! This was love and support!
Chi Feiran: “…”
Wait, what was this?
“Backs of their hands gently touched,” “leaned against him,” “grabbed his sleeve”…
Chi Feiran advised him, “Don’t bother. The most intimate it gets is a hug, nothing more.”
Rong Jin smirked coldly and showed Chi Feiran the line he had just highlighted in the script: “kissed him lightly.”
