TGBOG Chapter 15

Tian Gai V: Look who these two handsome guys are! [Photo] @Shiye

Everyone Will Get What They Deserve: !!! Gai Gai and the Little Prince in the same photo!

I Am Mango Flavor: Grandma, your CP has come back to life!

LE-XU You: As expected of the first fashion BOY of Yue Si, I’ve been conquered by this gray hair.

A Little Hungry: Why are all of them heading towards Zhao Zhao recently?

Feng Ning Ya: Please move the book away! Why is Zhao’s face always covered or sideways in photos?

Wang Zai Milk, My Favorite: So why @ Shiye? Are you declaring your sovereignty, 2333333333?

…

Zhao Yijia looked at the constantly increasing retweets under Tian Gai’s Weibo and felt a headache coming on. “You can post it, but why did you @ Ye Luan?”

Tian Gai took a bite of his dessert and answered, “I’m just giving our CP fans some room. Recently, your CP fans with Shiye have been overshadowing us, so I’m helping them gain some ground. After all, I’m known for pampering my fans.”

Just after he finished speaking, Tian Gai exclaimed, “Damn, I can’t outdo Shiye.”

“What happened?”

Tian Gai showed his phone to Zhao Yijia, “Look at this.”

Zhao Yijia glanced over and saw that Ye Luan had replied to Tian Gai’s Weibo:

Shiye V: There’s some snacks in the cabinet next to the TV wall, help yourself. Eat more.

Tian Gai Gai Tian V: Goodbye, not eating!

Tian Gai clicked his tongue, “Can’t beat that. People who don’t know might think this is his house.”

Zhao Yijia felt a bit guilty: It really is his house.

Tian Gai’s sudden visit to Zhao Yijia was something no one in the group knew about. Tian Gai said he wanted to surprise everyone with a sudden photo on Weibo, but the reaction from the “Flowery Garden” group was indifferent:

Qin Hai: I really feel for Zhao Zhao. With the first big eater of Yue Si visiting, Zhao Zhao’s going to suffer.

Hishui Fox: Tian Gai, why did you change your hair color again?

Qin Hai: It looks good, like the Tony at the hair salon downstairs in my building.

Tian Gai: [Can’t Smile.jpg]

Tian Gai: You guys are just jealous that I get to eat and hang out with Zhao’er!

Shiye: Are the snacks in the cabinet tasty? [Smile]

Tian Gai: …Delicious.

…

Zhao Yijia couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing him like this, Tian Gai lamented, “Zhao’er, you’ve changed. You used to be all about me, now you’ve been bewitched by Shiye… If I had known, I wouldn’t have helped him…”

Zhao Yijia was surprised, “Help him? With what?”

Tian Gai explained, “Yes, he begged me to introduce you two. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken him to play games with you.”

Zhao Yijia raised an eyebrow, “You knew I didn’t like him, yet you brought him anyway?”

Tian Gai defended himself, “You don’t know. He was so earnest at the time. He said he wanted to be friends with you too… My god, the last time I heard such words was in kindergarten, like a poor abandoned child.”

Zhao Yijia reflexively denied, “What abandonment? It’s not true.”

Tian Gai spread his hands, “Anyway, I thought Shiye was quite nice after getting to know him, right?”

Zhao Yijia didn’t reply.

Tian Gai nudged him, “What are you thinking about? How about a game of PUBG?”

Zhao Yijia glanced at him, suddenly asking, “Tian Gai, how do you write the emotional scenes between Shen An and Duan Ruxing?”

Tian Gai was puzzled, “What do you mean, how? Just write them.”

“You mentioned before that writing two men… I feel like I can’t write it well either.”

Tian Gai nodded in realization, “I think you shouldn’t overthink it. Whether it’s two men or a man and a woman, it’s just two people in love. It’s not that complicated. People in love act a certain way, so just write them that way.”

“Then what does it mean if someone suddenly kisses another person but doesn’t say anything?” Zhao Yijia hurriedly added, “Oh, this is a plot idea I came up with.”

“If it’s your idea, shouldn’t you know what it means? What do you want it to mean?”

Zhao Yijia was deep in thought. Meanwhile, Tian Gai seemed to remember something, and his expression turned ambiguous, “Hey, Zhao’er, let me tell you some gossip. Do you know Mao Lizi, the author of ‘On the Throne of Gods’?”

Zhao Yijia nodded. Mao Lizi was also a writer for Yue Si, and his popularity had been rising fast in recent years.

“He’s gay and confessed to Shiye.”

Zhao Yijia was stunned, staring at Tian Gai.

“I didn’t dare tell anyone this, but I’ve been dying to share.”

“How do you know?”

“I went to the Moon Viewing Event two days early because I had a meeting with Xuesong at Yue Si. The assistant was new and gave me the wrong conference room, and I happened to overhear Mao Lizi confessing to Shiye.”

“Could it have been a fan-like confession?”

“How could that be? I’m not stupid. Can’t I tell the difference? Mao Lizi is a rich second generation and has good connections with Yue Si’s executives. Shiye was invited by Yue Si in advance, so Mao Lizi probably timed it right.”

“What was Shiye’s reaction?”

“Of course, he rejected him. Shiye was very cold, with his arms crossed, keeping his distance. Mao Lizi’s eyes were red. He looked pitiful. Our Shiye is truly cold-hearted. I wonder who can win him over. But come to think of it, Shiye is really a killer, charming both men and women. Countless girls confess to him, and now even men are too. Impressive.”

Zhao Yijia opened his phone and searched for Mao Lizi’s Weibo, scrolling through it, feeling increasingly sour: He’s quite handsome.

That evening, as usual, Zhao Yijia received a call from Ye Luan. Afraid that Tian Gai would notice something, he went to the balcony to answer the call.

Ye Luan: “I had a dish called ‘Small Courtyard Tofu’ at dinner today. It was delicious.”

Zhao Yijia chuckled, “You’re just like Tian Gai, always talking to me about food.”

Ye Luan: “So, did you cook? You and Tian Gai should go out to eat these days. Cooking is tiring.”

Zhao Yijia seized the opportunity, “Then why do you always want me to cook when you come back?”

Ye Luan laughed, “Because I want to be special.”

The deep laughter in the quiet night, transmitted through the phone, reached Zhao Yijia’s ears. He looked up at the distant stars and mumbled, “You think too highly of yourself…”

…

Ye Luan hung up the phone.

The dark night always feels solemn and serene, but Ye Luan’s mood was inexplicably light. He looked at his watch. In just a few more hours, he would see Zhao Yijia again.

Ye Luan didn’t tell Zhao Yijia about his return this time because he wanted to see the look of surprise on his face. Of course, “surprise” was just what he hoped for. Ye Luan was usually confident, but when it came to matters of the heart, he was cautious and impatient—like a lovestruck young man, all his maturity and composure nowhere to be found.

When Ye Luan opened the door, he saw Zhao Yijia sleeping soundly on the sofa.

He paused, then lightened his steps. As he passed by Zhao Yijia’s room, he glanced inside: Tian Gai was sprawled on the bed, snoring. Ye Luan went to his room, grabbed a blanket, and gently covered Zhao Yijia with it.

Zhao Yijia was sleeping deeply, his eyebrows slightly furrowed in his sleep. Ye Luan’s gaze softened. Those urgent, hidden feelings had ripened and mellowed during the wait, ultimately prompting him to lean down slowly. But just as his lips were about to touch Zhao Yijia’s forehead, a figure flashed by.

It was Tian Gai, who had just woken up and was coming out to get some water.

Zhao Yijia’s room faced the living room sofa, so Tian Gai witnessed the entire scene. He stared at Ye Luan, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

Ye Luan straightened up and put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Tian Gai was in shock.

He didn’t know whether to be surprised that Shiye was suddenly at Zhao Zhao’s house or to be shocked that Shiye was also gay and wanted to kiss Zhao Zhao. Or, perhaps even more deeply, did Zhao Zhao and Shiye already have something going on?

Tian Gai internally screamed: I’m still a kid. Why do I have to bear all this?

Seeing Ye Luan’s “shushing“ gesture, Tian Gai’s heart sank: This definitely means “You better keep this to yourself,” right?

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Ye Luan pointed to the study. Tian Gai took a deep breath and followed Ye Luan there. As they passed Zhao Yijia, Tian Gai glanced over: He was sleeping like a log.

In the study, they sat facing each other in silence. Ye Luan was calm and composed, sitting as if he was ready for a meeting; Tian Gai, on the other hand, felt nervous: He kept looking at the ceiling, the walls, and even touching the armrests of the chair. Tian Gai scolded himself: Why are you panicking?

Ye Luan cleared his throat and broke the silence, “Let’s play a game.”

Tian Gai was puzzled, “A game? Isn’t that inappropriate?”

Ye Luan: “Five questions. You can ask anything, and I’ll answer everything.”

Tian Gai relaxed: I see. This is his way of addressing being caught red-handed and not knowing how to explain it. He’s initiating an interview.

“But before we start, can I ask why Zhao Zhao is sleeping on the sofa?”

Tian Gai immediately picked up the cue. He felt aggrieved, “Zhao’er said he wanted to watch the game. He must have fallen asleep while watching it.”

Ye Luan nodded, gesturing for him to start, “You can begin. You’re Zhao Zhao’s best friend. I won’t hide anything.”

Tian Gai felt at ease and became more assertive.

“Shiye, what’s your relationship with Zhao Zhao?” Tian Gai asked directly.

“I’m pursuing him. He might have sensed it, but we are not together yet.”

The first question was already so explosive that Tian Gai had to control his urge to exclaim. However, he was a bit conflicted, “Shiye, we’re good friends, but I have to say, Zhao’er hasn’t agreed to be with you yet, and you’re already sneaking kisses. That’s not good.”

Ye Luan replied, “Okay, I’ll be more careful next time.”

Tian Gai continued, “So, what did you tell Zhao Zhao?”

“I haven’t confessed yet.”

“Hey, slow progress.”

“Partly because your sudden visit disrupted my plans. But I’m not trying to chase you away.”

“…” Can I take back the “Shiye is nice” comment? Tian Gai thought indignantly.

“Shiye, putting aside the fact that you’re both men, I want to confirm, do you really like Zhao Zhao?”

Ye Luan fell silent.

Because of his work, he had to evaluate many projects: looking at teams, markets, and operations. He would break down a project into various data points, eventually forming conclusions. But when it came to Zhao Yijia, he was a bit irrational and one-sided. He eagerly seized upon any hint of mutual affection, but in his impatience, he kissed Zhao Yijia without confirming his feelings.

He didn’t have data to support his actions or seek conclusions. He just followed his heart, and there was only one reason.

“Yes, I like him.”

Tian Gai felt relieved. For someone who had spent a long time on the internet, the issue of being gay didn’t matter much. Zhao Zhao’s preferences were personal, up to him to decide. As a friend, Tian Gai only hoped that Shiye would be sincere and serious.

“There’s one thing I still don’t understand. I think your feelings for Zhao Zhao don’t quite add up logically. You two only got close after the Moon Viewing Event, and in just a few months… Don’t tell me it’s ‘love comes like a whirlwind.’”

Though still a university student, Tian Gai was sensitive and perceptive, which allowed him to write lengthy and complex science fiction novels. Zhao Yijia had screened out many Shiye-related messages due to his previous misgivings, but as a gossip enthusiast, Tian Gai knew well: Shiye was rational and a workaholic. It’s not that rational people can’t fall in love quickly, but for someone like Shiye, if he wasn’t sure about something from the start, why invest time and feelings? Now it seemed that participating in the Shameful Play Big Adventure and co-writing the BL novel were for Zhao Zhao. So the question remained, why Zhao Zhao?

“Do you remember when there was a Weibo post accusing Zhao Zhao of plagiarizing a story from my novel?” Ye Luan stood up and looked out the window, seeming to reminisce:

“A lonely fox kept receiving misaddressed letters, sometimes with little gifts. The fox found it troublesome and decided to return the letters to the sender and tell them not to send them anymore.”

“The sender was a hedgehog who wrote letters to a squirrel named Pine Blossom. Because of its quills, the hedgehog only had Pine Blossom as a friend. The little hedgehog was delighted to see the fox, thinking Pine Blossom had asked the fox to visit.”

“The fox didn’t tell the truth and continued receiving the hedgehog’s letters, sometimes replying, and even gave the hedgehog a seed, saying that when the seed sprouted into a tree, Pine Blossom would come to see it.”

“But it was winter, and the seed couldn’t sprout. The hedgehog fell ill, unable to recover.”

“The fox found out and dragged a tree from a far distance, planting it outside the hedgehog’s home. In the morning, the little hedgehog woke up, opened the window, and saw the tree and a dirt-covered fox, smiling and saying—”

“‘Look, spring is here.’”

This was the version from Ye Luan’s “Lie.” Zhao Yijia’s wuxia novel had adapted it slightly to fit the ancient setting, but the main plot was identical, which explained why Twelve Leaf’s fans accused Zhao Zhao of plagiarism.

“It’s very similar, but Zhao Zhao’s version indeed came first, as proven by the emails.” Tian Gai didn’t understand why Ye Luan brought this up again.

“Of course, I know the story came first—” Ye Luan turned to Tian Gai, his expression relaxing:

“—because we came up with this story together.”

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