Inside Rong Jin, waves surged, yet his expression remained calm. He displayed the acting skills of a film emperor, maintaining the demeanor of a senior.
Rong Jin looked at Chi Feiran earnestly, saying, “Handle your emotions with caution. Don’t easily develop feelings based on surface matters. Sometimes, reality may not be as good as it seems. Understand?”
Although Chi Feiran didn’t comprehend why Rong Jin suddenly delivered such earnest advice, each word Rong Jin spoke was good guidance. Chi Feiran, of course, accepted it wholeheartedly.
So Chi Feiran nodded and replied sincerely, “I understand, Rong-ge.”
While Chi Feiran seemed to grasp the situation, Rong Jin, on the other hand, was unsure whether Chi Feiran truly understood his intentions.
Hesitating for a moment, Rong Jin continued, “Regardless, I hope you consider matters of the heart when you’re more mature. Okay?”
Chi Feiran replied, “Sure, I will.”
Why did he feel like something was off?
Meanwhile, Rong Jin, thinking that he had successfully conveyed his feelings to Chi Feiran, relaxed a bit. However, just as he was easing up, Chi Feiran unexpectedly asked, “Rong-ge, you’ve been single for a long time. Is it because you haven’t met the right person?”
Rong Jin: …
Rong Jin felt a sudden jolt in his heart. He wasn’t sure how to respond. What if Chi Feiran asked about his preferences?
Determined to shut down this topic, Rong Jin said, “Actually, I value my independence. I find being alone more comfortable.”
While Chi Feiran didn’t think there was anything wrong with valuing independence, Rong Jin was worried that Chi Feiran might delve deeper into the topic.
Trying to change the subject, Rong Jin asked, “Regarding the matter we discussed earlier, have you thought about it? Do you want me to recommend a good teacher for you?”
Chi Feiran’s attention shifted, “I discussed it with Yuan-ge. Next year during the enrollment period, he will help me register. I plan to take the entrance exam for the A City Film Academy’s Performing Arts Department.”
Rong Jin thought it was a good choice and encouraged him, “Then, you must work hard.”
Chi Feiran smiled, “With your encouragement, Rong-ge, I’ll definitely do my best.”
As Rong Jin began reflecting on his earlier advice, he wondered if he should have said those encouraging words. The emotions of adolescents were easily swayed by a bit of sunshine…
However, he couldn’t analyze it on the spot. He wished he could take out his phone and review his study materials. Yet, he knew it was inappropriate to do so. What if someone saw him? Adolescents’ self-esteem couldn’t handle that!
Chi Feiran, oblivious to Rong Jin’s internal struggles, casually picked up a dessert, thinking it looked delicious. He suggested, “Rong-ge, try this. It’s really good.”
Rong Jin felt he should politely decline, “No, I don’t… actually, I don’t like sweet things much.”
Chi Feiran felt a bit disappointed; he didn’t know Rong Jin didn’t like sweets. Just as he was about to express his fondness for them, the dessert slipped from his hand back onto the plate.
Chi Feiran furrowed his brows and rubbed his hands. He had been signing autographs all afternoon, and not only were his hands sore, but his entire arm also ached. Chen Mengyang had already helped him massage them in the car, but he still felt pain and stiffness.
Observing Chi Feiran, Rong Jin somehow interpreted it as the young man being upset because he didn’t share Rong Jin’s taste for sweets.
Rong Jin thought that guiding teenagers in matters of the heart was genuinely challenging. Perhaps he lacked a talent for it.
Fortunately, the mealtime passed quickly. Chi Feiran had more schedules to catch the next day, so he needed to return early for rest.
As they arrived in the underground garage, Rong Jin suddenly felt that something was amiss. Subconsciously, he glanced in a certain direction and indeed spotted a young man with a long lens camera.
The person met Rong Jin’s gaze but didn’t avoid it. Instead, he rapidly pressed the shutter a few times, seemingly satisfied with the photo results.
Chi Feiran and the others noticed as well. While Li Yuan disliked paparazzi, today there were no female celebrities around except for Zhou Ya. Since pictures were already taken, the only concern was whether Rong Jin would mind. The others looked at Chang Haoying, silently asking if he found it troublesome.
Chang Haoqing didn’t mind borrowing some of Rong Jin’s popularity for the Little Prince, so he didn’t say anything and bid farewell to Li Yuan with a smile.
Rong Jin withdrew his gaze, said “goodbye” to Chi Feiran, and then got into the car with Chang Haoqing.
Meeting friends for a meal and being photographed were ordinary occurrences, and the only notable aspect was that the people being photographed were Rong Jin and Chi Feiran.
While both looked good, the persistent reporter had followed Chi Feiran all the way. By comparing the photos taken earlier, it was clear that one of them was Chi Feiran.
Rong Jin was harder to compare, given his physique and aura. Unless he was disguised as a doll, it wasn’t easy to conceal. Moreover, there was the distinctive Chang Haoqing next to him, making it even more obvious.
Speaking of luck, this reporter was fortunate. It was challenging to capture Rong Jin on film. Many reporters who had camped at his doorstep had eventually given up, as Rong Jin rarely ventured outside!
Rong Jin typically went straight to the film set when he left home or attended promotional events. Even during cast dinners, he stuck close to the male cast, leaving no room for anyone to approach. It was frustrating!
Regardless of the frustration, getting a shot of him was considered a success!
On their way back, Chi Feiran searched for news about their meal together and found it already posted on a media’s Weibo account.
Chi Feiran glanced at the title, feeling relieved. It seemed ordinary, portraying their meal as a friendly get-together. However, when he opened the comments section, he was taken aback.
The top comment read, “Forget about friendship! This is clearly love!”
There were many replies agreeing, saying, “Spreading sweetness! Rong Rong, who rarely goes out, eating with a young friend! This is so affectionate!!!”
Chi Feiran closed the Weibo app, feeling that he couldn’t control other people’s thoughts. It was better to control his own actions and resist the urge to search for news about them.
…
The more popular a celebrity became, the busier their schedule became. Especially for someone like Chi Feiran, who had recently debuted and had few works, maintaining enough exposure was crucial. Otherwise, he might quickly be replaced by other newcomers.
Such a high-intensity work schedule allowed Chi Feiran to keep up physically, but mentally, he couldn’t help but feel fatigued. Social interactions within the industry were more complex than before. Despite the initial freshness of encountering a new circle, he began to miss home.
Although he didn’t want to admit it and thought it might make him seem childish, he was, at his core, someone who cherished home.
He enjoyed the carefree and secure feeling of being with family, where defenses were deliberately lowered. It was something others couldn’t easily provide.
Family had always treated him with gentleness and protection, creating a sense of dependency in him. He preferred to stay within his comfort zone, even though he knew he couldn’t hide behind his family forever.
But now, after his rebirth, this event pushed him to step out of his past circle. Everything was slowly changing, and he needed to grow up. He couldn’t hide behind his family forever.
However…
Chris lifted the cat and said, “Come, say hello to Ethan.”
The beautiful Ragdoll cat, seeing its little owner on the screen, meowed and pressed its furry face against the screen, purring loudly. It tried to rub against the screen, as if trying to squeeze through it.
Chi Feiran couldn’t resist, “Chris… You’re breaking the rules!”
How could he bring Caesar out like this? It would only make him miss home more!
Chris said, “He misses you a lot.”
Chi Feiran suddenly felt a bit sour in his heart, “I miss him a lot too… miss Mom, miss Emon, miss you…”
Chris asked him, “Don’t you want to come back yet?”
Chi Feiran pursed his lips, not sure how to answer that question.
Seeing his expression, Chris knew the answer. He said, “It’s fine. Let me handle things here, and then you can come back.”
Chi Feiran knew what he meant. Since he chose to disclose that matter to Chris, Chris would surely investigate it. It was a gamble for Chi Feiran, trusting his family, and he should face the possible consequences. Fortunately, it seemed like he made the right bet.
Chi Feiran was about to speak when he heard a notification sound from Chris’s end.
Looking at it, Chris said, “I’ll hang up now. Chat with Caesar for a while.”
After Chi Feiran hung up on his end, the person who had their communication request rejected earlier finally got through.
On the video call, a somewhat arrogant young man said, “Did you hang up on me?”
Chris, caressing the cat in his arms, spoke calmly, “I was communicating with Ethan.”
The person on the other end furrowed his brows sharply, emitting a contemptuous “hm.”
Chris continued to stroke the furry creature in his arms, carefully observing the person’s expression, and asked, “Do you need something?”
