As it approached one o’clock, Gong Yue finally found some time to have the kitchen send over lunch.
Realizing the moment had finally arrived, Ye Shanshan could no longer hold back after suppressing his impulses all morning. He instantly moved behind Gong Yue, leaned over, and began meticulously unbuttoning Gong Yue’s shirt.
At that moment, Gong Yue was checking his emails and didn’t stop Ye Shanshan’s actions, not even changing his posture to make it easier for him.
Gong Yue appeared very aloof, as if nothing could compel him to pause and give any attention. However, his patience was surprisingly good, able to withstand Ye Shanshan’s constant antics throughout the day, and he usually cooperated as well—after all, he had accumulated so much patience over the years, almost all of it invested in Ye Shanshan.
After unbuttoning half of the shirt, Ye Shanshan paused, finding the right angle to gaze down at the exposed chest muscles beneath the open collar. He thought that indeed, the sight of Gong Yue half-dressed was the most alluring. He was so captivated that he couldn’t tear his eyes away, feeling that his heart was already half-satisfied.
The only thing missing was a commanding line from Gong Yue—“Little demon, are you satisfied with what you see?”
—“Satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied! Couldn’t be more satisfied!”
As his imagination soared, Ye Shanshan was lost in bliss when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
Instantly jolted awake, he thought how could he let anyone else see his charming majesty? Ye Shanshan hurriedly buttoned up the shirt and quickly tied the tie, his hands moving much faster than when he was unbuttoning.
The dining cart was pushed in by the chef, and Ye Shanshan was served a large bowl of specially made, deliciously hearty mixed noodles. He inhaled the fragrant aroma, his eyes narrowing with joy, but then he glanced at Gong Yue’s food and froze—Parma ham and a vegetable salad.
Finally regaining his voice, Ye Shanshan looked at the chef plating the food and tentatively said, “Uncle Youkisi, it’s Parma ham again.”
Wearing a white chef’s hat, Uncle Youkisi smiled brightly and, accustomed to addressing Gong Yue, lowered his voice, “Mr. Gong has really liked this combination for the past six months; his orders have been pretty much the same.” After setting the tableware, Uncle Youkisi bowed and left the office.
Staring at the white plate, Ye Shanshan remembered a conversation from over six months ago when he called Gong Yue to ask if he had eaten lunch. After receiving a negative response, he mentioned that Uncle Youkisi would be on duty in the kitchen and that the Parma ham he made was particularly delicious. He added that a vegetable salad and a glass of water would be in line with Gong Yue’s dietary aesthetic.
He never expected that even now, Gong Yue hadn’t changed at all.
His gaze fell on the cufflinks peeking out from Gong Yue’s sleeves—also a gift he had bought for him. Ever since he gave them to Gong Yue, no matter what clothes he wore or what occasion he attended, he would always wear this pair and never switch to anything else.
Holding his chopsticks, Ye Shanshan couldn’t quite describe his feelings; he rested his chin on the table, looking at Gong Yue, feeling that he could never get enough of him.
—-
A few days later, Ye Shanshan joined the crew to record a show. Sitting in the van, Zheng Dong was explaining some precautions to him.
“I remember that during the promotion of ‘Legend of the Hero,’ you recorded a show once, and the process was pretty much the same. This ‘Starlight Call’ is a classic indoor variety interview show, so you just—” Zheng Dong paused for a long time and finally gave up, saying, “Anyway, just play it by ear; you’re a supporting role, so the focus of the show won’t be on you.”
After saying this, Zheng Dong felt like he wouldn’t even get a toothache or heartache anymore. He was quite good at comforting himself—Ye Shanshan hadn’t abandoned him to become a vegetable farmer, which was already quite good.
At that moment, Zheng Dong felt that his philosophical outlook had also been elevated.
Ye Shanshan had been fiddling with his computer since getting on the van, but Zheng Dong still felt a bit uneasy, wondering if there was anything he had overlooked.
“Don’t run around before going on stage; it will be stressful if you can’t find someone. Wei Ying won’t be participating in this show; she probably fears you now. Joining this time are Yan Ke and Cheng Shaoran, who plays the female lead Jiang Rui. You’re familiar with both of them. There are also the male second and male third, but you don’t need to pay much attention to them; the movie hasn’t even been released yet, and their teams are already starting to step on each other’s toes to vie for ranking. It’s better for us to avoid that mess.”
“Okay.”
Feeling that he had said everything he needed to, Zheng Dong noticed Ye Shanshan looking seriously at the screen, and he was a bit curious, “What are you doing on your computer?”
“I’m hacking into the core database of a biological laboratory.”
“…”
Zheng Dong pulled out his phone, deciding to play a puzzle game for a while; he couldn’t discuss such things with Ye Shanshan, or he would surely suffer a catastrophic blow.
Ye Shanshan wasn’t lying; he was indeed hacking into a laboratory that Aunt Katherine had invested in, and it was the one with the largest investment among multiple projects.
He had spent the last two days there but hadn’t found anything noteworthy until this morning when he accidentally discovered a “blind spot.” After breaking in, he found out that the laboratory was conducting a highly classified research project on gene mutations on the long arm of the fourth chromosome.
Ye Shanshan stared at the materials related to the experiment, having read them twice already. If Katherine really invested in the pharmaceutical factory and laboratory because of Gong Ji’s illness, could it be that Gong Ji was undergoing ossification of muscles and ligaments due to genetic reasons? If this hypothesis were true, what would be the cause of Gong Ji’s muscle ossification?
He felt he was touching a thread connecting to the truth behind it all.
“Shanshan, we’ve arrived.”
Hearing Zheng Dong’s voice, Ye Shanshan exited the system and closed the computer. Suddenly, he heard several different voices calling his name. He glanced out the car window and was surprised to find many fans standing at the entrance, holding signs that said “Ye Shanshan” or holding up posters of him. Half of the posters were advertisements for the Juno perfume he had shot.
Looking at his disheveled appearance, his mood felt quite nuanced.
Zheng Dong got out of the car first, ensuring that security was fine before opening the back door. The surrounding fans quieted for a moment and turned to look at the car door, as if the atmosphere had reached a critical point.
Ye Shanshan didn’t wear sunglasses or a mask; he just got out. His face wasn’t made up, and his hair wasn’t styled, giving it a somewhat soft look, swaying slightly as he walked.
Usually, artists would choose to wear masks and sunglasses at this time, quietly entering the television station with the help of bodyguards and assistants. But after thinking for a moment, Ye Shanshan waved at the screaming fans, saying, “Everyone, please don’t push!”
This remark had an immediate effect. The fans, who had been overly excited, stopped their movements, looking at Ye Shanshan with wide eyes, and several even began to cry uncontrollably.
Having never encountered such a scene, Ye Shanshan felt frozen, wanting to call Gong Yue and ask what to do when girls cried!
He scratched his hair, feeling a bit helpless, when he noticed Lin Xiaotian getting out of the passenger seat. Suddenly inspired, he thought—if they were crying, they must want something to eat!
“Xiaotian, could you go to the fast-food place nearby and buy each of them a cup of coffee, milk tea, or juice? Something hot, okay? I’ll pay.”
Lin Xiaotian handed the items in his hands to Zheng Dong and nodded, “Got it, Young Master Ye.”
Feeling that his idea was quite clever, Ye Shanshan checked his pockets, only to find them turned inside out. After a while, he finally pulled out a crumpled fifty-cent coin—so embarrassing!
A bit awkward, he stuffed the fifty cents back into his bag, searched the car again, and finally found his wallet in the crevice of the back seat.
He took out all the money inside, pretending to forget about the fifty cents issue, and turned to his quiet fans, saying, “It’s so cold today, and you’ve been waiting for me for so long. Your hands and faces must be freezing red. Let’s go eat something with Xiaotian; it’s on me.”
Seeing them all nod, Ye Shanshan then entered the television building with Zheng Dong.
Watching Ye Shanshan’s figure disappear, the fans who had been holding back for so long were about to burst.
“Ahhhh, our little fairy boy is not only stunningly handsome but also so kind! His voice is so gentle! I can’t take it anymore; I’m really going to cry!”
“I feel like I’ll never get married in this lifetime. After drinking a cup of hot coffee from Young Master Ye, my heart belongs to him! I just can’t handle it! He’s even more handsome in person than on screen! So tall! Such a good figure! His back looks so good!”
“Indeed, leaving home last night to come and wait here was the right choice. I think I could support him for ten thousand years!”
Listening to the various exclamations and screams, Lin Xiaotian suddenly wondered what would happen if Gong Yue saw this scene—forget it; it might cause a big commotion!
—
During the show recording, it was just as Zheng Dong had said—the hosts focused on the male and female leads. Even in the backstage, the second and third male leads were somewhat at odds with each other, and even Ye Shanshan could sense it. Whether they were chatting about fun things that happened on set or playing games, both of them were trying to steal the spotlight.
At this point, Yan Ke, who was bantering with the male host, smoothly shifted the topic to Ye Shanshan.
“I’ve noticed that when the cameraman films us, it’s always from a medium shot, which feels pretty rough. But as soon as the camera focuses on Shanshan, it’s like they can’t help but start from a close-up of his shoes and then pan up inch by inch. I’m not quite convinced by this!”
As he spoke, he walked over, handed the mic to the cameraman, and joked, “How much did Shanshan pay you? I’ll give you triple!”
The cameraman wasn’t shy at all and responded bluntly, “He’s good-looking.”
The whole room burst into laughter. The audience, holding up light boards with Ye Shanshan’s name, waved their support materials enthusiastically. The cameraman even cut to a close-up of Ye Shanshan’s face on the big screen.
“Everyone calm down, don’t get too excited. Your ‘Master Ye’ isn’t going anywhere!” The male host gestured for the audience to quiet down, then continued, “Speaking of which, a lot of people know that Shanshan’s fans are known for having a very ‘unique style.’ Of course, I don’t know where that reputation comes from, but one time I was curious and visited Shanshan’s fan forum. I found that the top few post titles were—”
He paused for suspense, then turned to Ye Shanshan, “Do you know what they were? Or have you ever visited your own fan forum?”
Ye Shanshan replied honestly, “No, I usually hang out on Weibo.”
The host pointed to the big screen, “Everyone, take a look. This is the ‘unique style’ of Ye Shanshan’s fans. The top trending post was titled, ‘What if Shanshan really is a vampire? Does he like Type A blood?’ I clicked on it, and it was very convincing. By the time I finished reading, I was practically brainwashed and started feeling like Shanshan really does look like a vampire!”
He feigned an exhausted expression and continued, “Now, look at the second trending post: ‘The price of real estate in the sky is rising quickly; should the little fairy buy a few more properties to invest?’ The post even had charts analyzing the housing market trends and investment prospects, which made me feel like I should go buy some properties in the sky too!”
After reading these, everyone, including the guests, couldn’t stop laughing. After a few more jokes, the male host moved to stand beside Shanshan, keeping a cautious step away as he reluctantly passed the mic.
“Don’t think I’m standing so far away for no reason. Seriously, you should never share the frame with Shanshan. Director Zhang is the perfect example of this; he ended up looking three points less attractive just by standing next to him! Now, Shanshan, what do you have to say about your fans having such a ‘unique style’?”
Ye Shanshan thought for a moment, then answered earnestly, “They’re doing great.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire studio erupted into screams so loud it seemed they might blow the roof off. The male host retrieved the mic and faced the camera.
“I’ve also seen a phrase that goes, ‘Fans resemble their idols.’ What does that mean? Well, I’ll leave that for everyone to figure out!”
The conversation then shifted to other guests, and Ye Shanshan quietly observed. He happened to notice a group of his fans sitting in a corner near the stage, all holding his light boards, which stood out clearly.
Ye Shanshan sneaked a glance at the hosts, and seeing no one paying attention to him, he turned around and waved at his fans, flashing various smiles and even making a cute “shh” gesture. His fans cooperated by not screaming, instead frantically snapping photos, feeling like such an adorable ‘Master Ye’ was almost unfair!
The third segment was a quick Q&A, where the guests drew lots to see who would play the game. This segment was very popular, as it often revealed little secrets about the celebrities.
Ye Shanshan, with his famously bad luck, drew a slip with a red circle. Sighing, he stepped onto the small round stage. In front of him was a question board, with each line of questions covered by white paper. Tearing off the paper would reveal the question underneath.
“You need to answer all these questions within three seconds. Are you ready, Shanshan?”
Ye Shanshan nodded, “Ready.”
The background music started. “Alright, first question!” The paper was torn off, and the male host read aloud, “If aliens invaded Earth, what’s the first thought you’d have?”
Ye Shanshan instantly replied, “Does this mean I don’t have to do homework or write essays anymore?”
After he answered, the entire room went silent for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
“Homework and essays—that’s the most unique answer I’ve ever heard since hosting this show! So refreshing!” The male host tapped the question board, “Shanshan, with an answer like that, your high-IQ ‘academic god’ persona might be in danger!”
The audience echoed in unison, “Yes—!”
“Alright, second question,” the host tore off another strip of paper and read the next question slowly, word by word, “What is your special talent?”
Once again, Ye Shanshan answered quickly, “My eyelashes are especially long.”
Seeing his “completely logical” expression, the host nearly lost it from laughter.
“I finally understand why Ye Shanshan’s fans have such a unique style! This is truly a case of ‘fans resemble their idol!’ I don’t know what to say; I really believe you now! Your special talent is long eyelashes, haha!”
Finally realizing what the word “special talent” was meant to imply, Ye Shanshan touched his eyes and responded confidently, “My eyelashes really are long. I’ve yet to meet anyone with longer ones.”
Not even Gong Yue had eyelashes longer than his.
“Alright, fine. You’re good-looking, so whatever you say must be right.” The male host, knowing he would fall into Ye Shanshan’s trap if he continued, moved on to the third question, “What instrument can you play that most people can’t?”
“An instrument that most people can’t?” Ye Shanshan answered seriously, “The drum of retreat.”
After saying that, he couldn’t stop laughing, the dimples at the corners of his mouth especially charming, making it impossible for anyone to take their eyes off him.
Every time he tried to steal a kiss from Gong Yue while he was asleep, he would always play the drum of retreat. Ye Shanshan thought that by now, he must have reached a level ten performance artistry in retreating.
After the question was asked, Ye Shanshan’s expression, combined with his response, hit everyone’s funny bone again. The male host sighed, “Now I want to say one more thing,” and held the mic toward the audience. In perfect unison, the crowd shouted, “I believe in your nonsense!”
“…”
Ye Shanshan thought to himself, *I’m definitely not taking the blame for this!*
“Let’s go for another question! What was your dream job when you were younger?” The male host looked at Ye Shanshan, thinking what a treasure he was. It would be such a waste if he didn’t go into variety shows. He could tell that Ye Shanshan’s thought process was naturally a bit quirky and very interesting, making him perfect for the variety scene.
For this question, Ye Shanshan answered seriously, “My dream used to be opening a bun shop, making and selling buns every day because I thought making soup dumplings looked super cool!” He even made a couple of gestures while saying this.
Back when he had first moved to City B, he was obsessed with soup dumplings and wanted to open his own shop, but Gong Yue stopped him.
“That’s a great idea! I could open a noodle stand next to you,” the host joked before becoming curious. “But why didn’t you end up pursuing that dream? It doesn’t seem too hard to open a bun shop.”
Sighing, Ye Shanshan recalled the reason with a bit of resignation. “Because when I told someone about this dream, they said there was a big flaw in my career plan.”
“What flaw?”
“They said the shop would quickly go out of business because I’d probably eat most of the buns before I could sell them. Then I wouldn’t be able to afford the rent. I thought about it and realized they were right, so I didn’t go through with it.”
The male host laughed so hard his face hurt. He rubbed his cheeks and said, “That actually makes a lot of sense. Now I’m really curious—who was this person? Can you tell us?”
Before Ye Shanshan could answer, the audience began shouting, “It’s His Majesty!” “It has to be his Ge!” “His Ge!”
Initially hesitant to answer, Ye Shanshan was surprised to hear the audience reveal the truth. “Huh, how did you all know?”
1You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️” -TL: Ysiad
