The second day was still scorching under the blazing sun. Early in the morning, He Jing drove to the airport to pick up his parents.
His parents worked as farmers in the most remote countryside of the central southern province. Years ago, Ye Ting’s aunt established a charitable foundation with a specific project to support impoverished students. He Jing was chosen, and every year, his tuition and living expenses were covered by Ye’s aunt’s foundation, relieving a significant burden on his impoverished parents.
Later, He Jing excelled in his studies, and when he was admitted to Haicheng University, Ye’s aunt approached him, asking if he wanted to be an assistant to Zhou Nianyuan. He agreed without any hesitation at that time because he knew how formidable the Zhou family was, and Zhou Nianyuan was the future head of the Zhou family. He understood very clearly what it meant to be the assistant to the heir of the Zhou family.
He had always been someone who knew what he wanted.
His parents, on the other hand, were the most honest of peasants, with little education, but they truly loved him.
Knowing that everything he had achieved was due to Ye’s aunt’s help, they were deeply grateful to her. Every year, they would bring many home-grown green vegetables to Ye’s aunt, as well as pork, chicken, ducks, and fish they raised themselves.
He Jing was very filial to his parents. He had built a new house in their hometown, bought a villa for them in Haicheng, and arranged for two servants to take care of them.
But there was one thing he never talked to his parents about; his work and life. He never mentioned the hardships he had endured, and he savored all the honors he received in solitude.
His parents knew his capabilities and had always gone along with his decisions. However, now that he was twenty-eight and had reached the age when people in the countryside typically get married and have children, his parents were getting a bit anxious. They had hinted several times and even vaguely mentioned that there were some excellent young ladies in their hometown, asking if he wanted to get to know them.
He Jing had turned down their offers every time.
…
This time, He Jing’s parents brought a lot of vegetables and home-raised chickens, ducks, and fish. They also brought some cured meats and sausages, leaving only one-fifth for him and instructing him to deliver the rest to Ye’s aunt.
He Jing accepted and prepared to visit the Zhou family’s old residence in the afternoon.
His parents sorted out the things they had brought and sat down on the sofa to rest. The elderly couple looked at He Jing, hesitating to speak a few times.
He Jing calmly sipped his tea, knowing that his parents were about to bring up the topic of marriage.
Sure enough, after a moment, He Jing’s mother spoke, “Ah-Jing, this time, your aunt introduced a girl from the provincial capital. She’s a nurse, exceptionally beautiful, and has a good personality…”
She seemed somewhat hesitant and cautious, knowing that her son wasn’t enthusiastic about getting married.
He Jing set down his teacup and said, “Mom, I have something I want to tell you.”
The elderly couple exchanged glances, and his father said, “Go ahead.”
He Jing lowered his gaze and continued, “I have someone I love, and I’m going to marry them.”
Both his parents wore surprised expressions on their faces.
His mother immediately asked, “Whose daughter is it? Where is she from? Have we met her? When are you bringing her home?”
It wasn’t until she finished asking that He Jing calmly said, “It’s not a girl.”
The elderly couple continued to exchange looks, and their expressions shifted from surprise to seriousness.
He Jing dropped another bombshell, “You’ve both met this person.”
The circle narrowed further.
His father frowned and asked, “It’s not a girl, so who is it?”
His mother suddenly grabbed He Jing’s hand, her voice trembling as she said, “We’ve met them? Could it be… Ye Ting?”
They came to Haicheng every year, and Ye Ting had been running around with He Jing since he was in his teens. Naturally, they knew Ye Ting well.
Not just knowing him, they were quite familiar with him, as Ye Ting was naturally sociable and had a subtle way of ingratiating himself with He Jing’s parents.
The elderly couple both liked Ye Ting very much.
He Jing raised his gaze slightly.
This was somewhat unexpected for him. He had never thought that his mother could guess it was Ye Ting.
He Jing made a noncommittal sound and didn’t deny it.
His parents exchanged glances and remained silent.
He Jing deeply respected his parents and had considered countless times what he would do if they opposed his choice.
He had pondered whether he could completely give up.
But every time he saw Ye Ting, his long-lost feelings would reignite.
He knew he couldn’t give up.
Especially after last night, when Ye Ting had approached him with both excitement and trepidation, he felt that he needed to make a decision.
He also had to talk to his parents, even if they would ultimately object.
His mother looked at him and said, “Actually, we guessed it a while ago.”
This was another surprise for He Jing.
His mother continued in a soft voice, “Do you remember the last time you came home for the New Year? On New Year’s Eve, you went out, and a few hours later, you came back with Ye Ting?”
With just one sentence, He Jing understood how he had been exposed.
Half a year ago, on New Year’s Eve, he was spending time with his parents in their hometown. At 8 p.m., he received a call from Ye Ting, saying he was in the town near his hometown, had rented a car, and wanted to drive to the village himself to see him. He asked him for navigation assistance.
A few days before New Year’s Eve, there had been heavy snowfall, and the roads were icy. The road to his hometown had many winding turns, and even with snow chains on the tires, it was challenging to drive.
When he suddenly heard that Ye Ting wanted to come over by himself, he was both anxious and angry, and he ordered him to find a hotel and wait for him.
After hanging up the phone, He Jing told his parents that he had to go out for something and immediately left their home.
Finally arriving in the town, Ye Ting stood at the entrance of a small hotel, wearing a thick scarf and looking like a little bear. His fair face turned rosy, and he gazed at him with a smile full of trust and joy.
At that moment, he was thinking about what it would be like to embrace this child as part of his family.
Later, when they returned home, he boiled water for Ye Ting, made his bed, and even gave him his own clothes to wear.
When Ye Ting wanted to share a bed with him, he agreed.
He assumed that his parents must have sensed something was amiss at that time.
He Jing collected his thoughts.
Since his parents had already figured out the truth, he didn’t want to hide anymore. He admitted directly, “It’s him.” He looked at his parents and spoke with a seriousness they had never seen before, “Mom, Dad, I want to marry him.”
He Jing’s parents remained silent for a long while.
The wall clock in the dining room ticked away, and the TV in the living room was still playing variety shows. Amid the bustling noise, his parents’ silence weighed even heavier.
After about three minutes or perhaps four, his mother sighed and said, “If you want to marry him, then go ahead.”
He Jing was slightly surprised.
His mother continued, “We know that men can marry men now, and if you love Ye Ting so much, as your parents, we won’t oppose it… Moreover, Ye Ting is a great person, and your dad and I really like him.”
More importantly, they knew that once He Jing made a decision, no one could change his mind.
Even as his parents, they couldn’t control He Jing.
Getting his parents’ support relieved He Jing.
Although he had ways to make his parents agree, if they willingly nodded their heads, he had no reason to be unhappy. However, he was always composed, showing no signs of joy or anger, as if everything was within his expectations.
Only he knew that he was so happy that he drank a full cup of bitter tea in one gulp.
The tea was initially bitter but turned sweet afterward.
He Jing’s father glanced at him and hesitated, “But there’s one thing, Ye Ting is Lady Ye’s nephew, and I heard the Ye family is quite influential… Will they be willing to let you be with Ye Ting?”
This wasn’t a difficult matter, and He Jing smiled, saying, “Don’t worry.”
Aunt Ye had long given her tacit approval for Ye Ting to pursue him, and as for the Ye family, he had gleaned some information from Zhou Nianyuan. The Ye family didn’t oppose Ye Ting’s affection for him.
However, he couldn’t get past the hurdle in his own heart.
The disparity in their social status was too great, and Ye Ting was Aunt Ye’s nephew. If he were with Ye Ting, he would always have a feeling of unfairness and disloyalty.
Moreover, Ye Ting was too young. He had just turned eighteen last month, and He Jing couldn’t bear to taint his feelings during the best years of his life.
He also had concerns: what if Ye Ting was just infatuated for a moment, what if Ye Ting fell in love with someone else in the future, what if Ye Ting was unhappy because of his numerous rejections…
He Jing’s thoughts wandered a bit, and Ye Ting’s WeChat message promptly interrupted his daydreaming.
Ting on Beautiful Jing: [Old man, I’m going to the film set today. From now on, I’m a big star, so you better be prepared for me to show my power. I’ll definitely trample you underfoot and make you regret rejecting me. Hmph!]”
He Jing furrowed his brow and stared at the message for a long time.
The entertainment industry?
Even though Ye Ting was an enthusiastic actor, the cutthroat nature of the entertainment world wasn’t suitable for a carefree and innocent young man like him.
Would his boss, Zhou Nianyuan, and the Ye family be willing to let Ye Ting suffer in the entertainment industry?
He stared at the last line of the message several times.
Compared to being a big star, Ye Ting’s identity as the young master of the Ye family was actually more daunting. But this young man was blissfully unaware and always uncautious around him.
It made him feel sorry for Ye Ting.
He replied, [Where are you?]
Ye Ting soon sent a location.
Film and television city.
He Jing silently calculated the distance between Haicheng and the film and television city and didn’t reply to WeChat.
After having lunch with his parents, he planned to go to the Zhou family’s old residence to deliver the vegetables. Aunt Ye lived there year-round.
Before getting in the car, he received several WeChat messages from Ye Ting.
Ting on Beautiful Jing: [Image]
It was a full-body photo of Ye Ting, lying on the ground with half of his face smeared with what looked like red pen or blood. There were also red marks on his forehead, and his clothes were tattered.
Ye Ting added a caption to the photo: “I’m an invincible, super handsome, and cute dead body from the universe.”
Ting on Beautiful Jing: [How cool is my role?]
He Jing: “…”
*
Not receiving a reply, Ye Ting couldn’t help but mutter, “The old man isn’t responding to WeChat again. So annoying.”
He scrolled through their chat history. The old man’s responses were mostly one or two words: “En,” “Okay,” “Where,” “Wait for me…”
Fortunately, he knew that He Jing had an old-school communication style. He rarely used WeChat, and if there was something important, he would call directly. So, he didn’t mind too much.
Feeling delighted, he took several photos of himself. He was determined to document his first acting role from all angles.
Even though he was playing a dead body.
As for why he was cast as a dead body, that story began with what he did last night, deliberately acting as a third wheel between his cousin and his wife.
This morning, Zhou Nianyuan mentioned that his friend had invested in a TV drama and asked if Ye Ting was interested in trying a role in it.
Ye Ting believed he had some acting talent and was also bored during the summer, so he agreed without hesitation.
After all, it was his cousin’s friend who owned the film and television company, and they would definitely take care of him.
He eagerly came to the film and television city, thinking he might get the role of the second male lead at worst. After all, he had connections.
However, reality dealt him a heavy blow. His cousin’s friend personally called the director and insisted that Ye Ting play a dead body.
…What happened to all the resources and connections he was supposed to have?
His cousin was clearly getting back at him for being a third wheel last night.
Now, he had invested his own pocket money into the production, and he wondered if he was even going to get a chance to enter the crew himself.
