As a very proactive person, Ye Shanshan, after feeling melancholy for five minutes, decisively decided to run away from home.
However, where to go was the question. The image of the large house in the city center crossed his mind, but Ye Shanshan dismissed the idea, thinking it might not be suitable—he had never run away from home, and his skills in this matter were not well-practiced.
Regardless of the destination, he decided to have breakfast first. “Uncle, uncle, I want xiao long bao! Nine of them!”
※※※
When the doorbell rang, Xu Luoyang turned over and, in a daze, covered his ears with a pillow. However, the person outside the door persisted, perhaps thinking that ringing the doorbell was not effective and started knocking on the door.
Annoyed, Xu Luoyang walked to the door. “Who is it? If it’s Zheng Dong, we might end up fighting!”
“Food delivery!”
“…”
Xu Luoyang, disturbed by the noise, walked to the door with impatience. “How can you prove you’re a delivery person?”
“?” Ye Shanshan looked at the still-closed door, scratched his head, finding this question difficult. How should I prove I’m a delivery person? But I’m not really a delivery person. The premise isn’t even established. If I can prove—logically, it doesn’t hold water.
Suddenly feeling like he might have become stupid, did he leave his intelligence at home?
Not hearing any sounds from outside for a while, Xu Luoyang found it strange. Eventually, he opened the door. “Shan—” He glanced at Ye Shanshan from head to toe, finally managing to say the last syllable, “Shan?”
Ye Shanshan waved at Xu Luoyang. “Ah, long time no see!” Then he took a few steps and entered, conscientiously changing into slippers.
Xu Luoyang, habitually casting a glance outside to make sure there were no paparazzi, closed the door. He looked at Ye Shanshan, who was changing shoes.
“Wanted to complain about the security. How did they let you in?” He glanced at his attire. “Did your Mr. Gong just release you like this? Aren’t you afraid of scaring people?”
Ye Shanshan removed the fake beard under his nose and took off his sunglasses, surprised, “Isn’t it you who said you should dress up so much that your own mother wouldn’t recognize you when you go out?”
“…” Xu Luoyang was unable to respond for a few seconds. “Uh, although I said that, if you are photographed by reporters— the scene is too beautiful, I can’t imagine!”
Thinking that it was a minor issue, Xu Luoyang didn’t pry into others’ privacy as a brother should. “Alright, if you really ran away from home, I’ll kindly take you in. Luckily, I’m on a break these two days.”
He gestured to Ye Shanshan, “Play games, do you want to?”
“Sure, sure, sure!”
So, two young men, wasting the best time of their youth at home, gathered to play—Super Mario.
After just a few minutes of playing, Xu Luoyang directly dropped the controller in despair and looked at Ye Shanshan. “You’re cheating!”
Ye Shanshan, with his eyes still on the screen, retorted, “I’m not cheating!”
“You must be cheating! How else can you perfectly avoid all obstacles every time and eat everything? It’s not scientific!”
Xu Luoyang, who considered himself proficient in any game and whose skills ranked at the top, felt like he had encountered a major blow in life. He sat next to Ye Shanshan, watching him play effortlessly.
Then he found out that Ye Shanshan’s gameplay was really slippery, as if he could predict what would happen next.
“Damn, are we playing the same game? Did you really not use any cheats?”
Ye Shanshan, skillfully manipulating the game character, even took the time to glance triumphantly at Xu Luoyang. “That’s why I said I didn’t cheat. Do you want me to teach you? I can teach you, and then you can impress Zheng Dong!”
“That’s a good idea!”
“Of course! Call me ‘bro,’ and I’ll teach you. Isn’t that a good deal?”
“Not calling.”
“…” Firmly rejected, Ye Shanshan felt life was tough. Why is it so difficult to get someone to call me ‘bro’?
After playing a couple more rounds, both of which were directly killed by Ye Shanshan, they felt that this broken game couldn’t be played any longer. Xu Luoyang thought for a moment. “By the way, I have a lot of ice cream at home. Want some?”
Ye Shanshan’s eyes lit up, “Eat, eat, eat!” He didn’t expect that running away from home would come with such perks. Ye Shanshan calculated that he could run away from home more often in the future, especially to Xu Luoyang’s place.
Xu Luoyang rummaged through the refrigerator, finally handing a super-sized tub of ice cream to Ye Shanshan. They each grabbed a spoon, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and enjoyed their ice cream while watching anime.
“I think Gundam is very cool, flying into space in humanoid mechs, killing and all, so handsome!”
Ye Shanshan, spooning ice cream into his mouth one after another, nodded unclearly, “Yes, very handsome!” Maybe a bit less than the Great Demon King.
Xu Luoyang watched Ye Shanshan devouring ice cream like a hamster, face filled with joy, “Are you being treated unfairly?”
Upon hearing this question, Ye Shanshan instantly felt that all the bitterness in his heart was about to overflow. “Yes, my digestion system wasn’t great before, so Gong Yue didn’t allow me to eat too much icy stuff.” He never expected that even with amnesia, he still forbids him.
The farthest distance in the world is being able to see but not eat!
“He cares about that too?”
Xu Luoyang was surprised. Although he always felt that Ye Shanshan’s family background, represented by Gong Yue, had a different style from the outside world, he still had some concerns. Unable to resist, he asked, “Does he often ‘bully’ you?”
Ye Shanshan felt that Xu Luoyang had some misunderstanding about Gong Yue. Although Gong Yue was indeed a Great Demon King, he had always been good to him, and recently, there seemed to be an improving trend—what should he do? Suddenly feeling a bit guilty!
He shook his head, “He doesn’t bully me; he just wants me to accompany him to sleep these days.”
The Great Demon King is so clingy, he’s almost turning into a little demon.
Xu Luoyang’s hand holding the spoon paused for a moment. He didn’t expect the conversation to take such a wide turn. It felt like talking about the weather and suddenly having to drive. But, seeing Ye Shanshan’s calm expression, he felt that he shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. So, he casually asked,
“Every day, huh?”
“Yes, every day I have to sleep with him.” Ye Shanshan sighed, always feeling that if he didn’t sleep with him, Gong Yue would definitely have nightmares and wake up crying at night. It’s heartbreaking.
“So that’s how it is,” Xu Luoyang looked at Ye Shanshan with worried eyes, “It must be very tiring and hard, right? No wonder you always seem sleep-deprived.”
Ye Shanshan found that Xu Luoyang understood him so well, nodded, and felt he couldn’t wake up no matter what. Thinking about it, he spooned another large spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss.
Seeing Ye Shanshan’s silly appearance, Xu Luoyang suddenly felt full of worry. He instantly transformed into a protective mother hen, “I just asked, Mr. Gong—is he tough?”
Asking this question, he felt like his heart had been shattered into pieces.
“Ah?” Tough? Ye Shanshan thought for a moment, nodded, “Yes, he’s tough, very tough,” he even added a provocative tone, “extremely tough!”
Hearing him say that, Xu Luoyang became even more worried. He didn’t even want to eat ice cream anymore and looked at Ye Shanshan seriously, saying, “You must take care of yourself, pay attention to your health, don’t get hurt. If you need to buy… some medicine, you can ask me for help.”
Actually, from the beginning, when Xu Luoyang knew that Ye Shanshan had a golden thigh, especially Gong Yue, he was relieved. His parents were in the same industry, so he knew how chaotic and dirty this circle could be. When his parents died, the people who used to call him “Yangyang” all turned cold and indifferent, eager to trample his parents into the mud.
At that time, Zheng Dong wanted to help him, but he had already signed with Ye Shanshan. Gong Yue didn’t allow Zheng Dong to sign other artists after signing Ye Shanshan. Ye Shanshan even took the initiative to let Zheng Dong sign him; otherwise, he wouldn’t know where he would be now, probably rotting away in some corner.
So he has always felt that although Ye Shanshan is intelligent, he often appears a bit silly, not very savvy in the ways of the world, and his looks attract too much attention. He must have a strong backing to protect him.
After all, sometimes, beauty is also a kind of mistake, not to mention Ye Shanshan’s level of attractiveness, which completely defies the laws of nature.
But now he is also very worried. What if Mr. Gong is too demanding, and Ye Shanshan’s body can’t handle it?
He always feels like he is a man, but he’s mothering around with a helpless heart.
Realizing that he can’t quite keep up with Xu Luoyang’s train of thought, Ye Shanshan thought for a moment, then freed up one hand, patted the other’s shoulder, and said, “You also need to take care of yourself, don’t overwork.”
“…” Xu Luoyang fell silent, suddenly very skeptical whether Ye Shanshan understood what he was saying.
After finishing the ice cream, the two continued to play games. Xu Luoyang remembered the news he saw when browsing Weibo today, “By the way, both your and Zheng Dong’s Weibo comments have exploded. Do you want to say something?”
“Ah? What exploded?”
“You don’t know?”
“?” Ye Shanshan looked bewildered, vividly demonstrating the essence of “I don’t know what I should know.”
Paused the game, Xu Luoyang was somewhat sympathetic to Zheng Dong, “Check your Weibo.”
Reluctantly putting down the mouse, Ye Shanshan opened Weibo, only to find that the app crashed.
“…”
Opening it again, he discovered that under his latest Weibo post, there were tens of thousands of comments. Some were from the “sightseeing group here to see the master,” while the rest were all from his fans, neatly flooding the comments with “Don’t go, stay, master!”
Ye Shanshan pointed at the comments, “What’s going on? Where am I supposed to go, and why don’t I know about it?”
“You should check Zheng Dong’s Weibo too.”
Opening it, Ye Shanshan found the comments section under Zheng Dong’s Weibo was also extremely peculiar.
—”Dongdong, if you don’t get the master to take movie and TV endorsements, the master will run away! Sob sob, I always feel that once he leaves, we won’t be able to bring him back!”
—”I feel like saving money to buy water armies is useless now. Let me go cry in the corner for a while…”
—”I think I need to start saving money now. Maybe next month, the master will bid farewell to the entertainment industry and go to Austria for a piano solo concert. Tickets must be expensive, and I might need to prepare for airfare and hotel expenses… Why did I become a fan of such a unique style star? Feeling sorry for myself!”
After quickly reading the earlier comments, Ye Shanshan finally grasped the situation. However, the key point was, “How do they know that I’m participating in Professor Hess’s concert?”
“Several headlines are about Professor Hess’s concert, and of course, you are part of it. Then Professor Hess gave an interview to ‘Phonograph’ magazine, directly stating that you are the most talented person he has ever seen. He really hopes you can continue your studies with him in Austria, and in the future, you will surely achieve higher accomplishments than him.”
Xu Luoyang explained, pointing to the Weibo page, “So your fans are going crazy, afraid that you, in a moment of passion, will follow your teacher and never look back.”
Ye Shanshan scratched his head, “But I won’t follow Professor Hess; Gong Yue is still here.”
“…” Xu Luoyang witnessed for the first time someone giving up their career for a benefactor. However, he was curious,
“Actually, I’ve always wanted to ask you. You’re clearly so talented in playing the piano. Not to mention Gong Yue, you have connections, and anyone would think your future is limitless. Maybe twenty years later, you could be a piano master, leaving a lasting mark in history. But why did you decide to pursue acting?”
After some thought, Ye Shanshan explained earnestly, “Because, for me, whether it’s the piano, physics, or mathematics, they are all straightforward. I just have to learn, and I can master them.”
Unaware of how much damage her words caused to Xu Luoyang’s self-proclaimed “academic underachiever” heart, Ye Shanshan continued,
“But acting is different. I don’t know how to act, and it’s challenging for me to experience and immerse myself in the emotions of the characters. Moreover, the most important thing is that through portraying roles, I feel like I’m living many different lives.”
Xu Luoyang looked at Ye Shanshan and suddenly recalled many news reports mentioning that most highly intelligent geniuses often lack emotional and sentimental aspects. So, is Ye Shanshan one of them? High IQ, learns everything easily, but with deficiencies in emotional sensitivity?
With this thought, the protective mother hen in Xu Luoyang’s heart revived, and in an instant, he declared with great spirit, “No worries, Shanshan! In the entertainment industry, I’ve got your back!”
Ye Shanshan looked at Xu Luoyang strangely, “But I have Gong Yue.”
“…” Can we still continue this conversation!
※※※
Gong Mansion.
Eister was giving a presentation when he heard Gong Yue’s phone ringing. He timely paused at a certain point and then fell silent.
After Gong Yue asked, “What’s the matter?” the other end said something, and Gong Yue then said, “Run away from home?”
Noticing Gong Yue’s expression darkening, Eister’s heart skipped a beat. Now, without guessing, he knew something happened to Ye Shanshan. Surely, their boss would cancel the upcoming meetings, promptly leave, and head home.
Just as he thought about it, after hanging up the phone, Gong Yue instructed, “Prepare the car.”
As expected.
※※※
Sitting in the car, Gong Yue rubbed his forehead, “Are you sure he’s at Xu Luoyang’s place?”
Chris was driving, and he understood the implication behind Gong Yue’s question,
“Yes, Sir Ye used a family car to leave, and the two undercover bodyguards following him are still there. There’s no imminent danger for now.”
“Any progress on the hospital side?”
“None.”
Watching the shadows of trees passing outside the window, Gong Yue slowly closed his eyes. “Organize all my medical reports from the past seven years and send them to me later.”
“Understood.”
“How is the situation with the Gong family recently?”
Chris glanced at Gong Yue through the rearview mirror, reporting truthfully, “Madam’s health is fine, and your uncles haven’t shown any unusual activity.”
Gong Yue made a soft “hmm” sound and fell silent.
When the car stopped downstairs at Xu Luoyang’s house, Gong Yue took out his phone, looking at the golden-yellow phone hanging on it, “On which floor is Xu Luoyang’s house?”
In the living room, Ye Shanshan was helping Xu Luoyang clear a game level. When he heard the doorbell, he didn’t move. “You go, you go. I’m at a crucial point!”
Xu Luoyang walked to the door in a few steps, saw the screen of the visual doorbell, wiped his face, and then looked back at the teenage boy addicted to the game sitting on the carpet. Anxiously, he opened the door.
Hearing Gong Yue greet him with a low voice, Xu Luoyang was taken aback, “Hello… Hello!”
Gong Yue politely stood at the doorway without entering further, but his gaze instantly fell on Ye Shanshan, not saying a word.
Xu Luoyang cautiously glanced at Ye Shanshan, only to find him still sitting there obliviously, cross-legged, eyes gleaming with the excitement of the game. He wanted to remind him, but for some reason, he felt intimidated by Gong Yue and dared not make any move.
Brother, I’m sorry! I owe you a few good meals later!
As Ye Shanshan played, he suddenly felt something was wrong. How come there was no sound at all when Xu Luoyang opened the door?
In the intervals of the game character’s movements, he turned his head, and then his neck froze, his facial expression gradually shifting to a frozen “horror” mode. The plot development was not right! Why is the Great Demon King here!
Ye Shanshan quickly organized his thoughts in his mind—
I bit his clothes and slobbered a lot, I even tried to destroy the evidence. Most importantly, I ran away from home, and now the Great Demon King has caught me!
No words can describe his current emotions.
Just as Ye Shanshan’s inner mini-drama unfolded, he saw Gong Yue extending his hand towards him.
“Shanshan, let’s go home.”
Ye Shanshan blinked his eyes. He dared to guarantee with the name “Clueless Shanshan” that at this moment, the mood of his family’s Great Demon King was not good.
So anxious!
—-
Author’s note: Sweet Shanshan: [Panic.jpg] Sob sob sob, do you still think your Shanshan is cute?
Capturing Attacker: Yes.
Sweet Shanshan: Oh, what does “hmm” mean? Is it cute?
Capturing Attacker: Cute.
Sweet Shanshan: Okay, you can go back first. I’ll play games for a while, and I’ll be back home for dinner in the evening.
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ❤️”
