T.N: Author-Sama is spoiling me with a sweet, lovely, and short chapter! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
In that unusual autumn, the ridiculously expensive clothing brand “Yunshang” was brought into the public eye by its equally as ridiculously high-profile founder.
At the same time, the domestic electronics and food industries also entered a new age. It was no exaggeration to describe that era as the time when a hundred flowers bloomed.
The film industry also welcomed a succession of masterpieces. A war film adapted from a novel, “Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain1Gao Shan Xia de Hua Huan-高山下的花环- 1984. Follows a Red Army company from training through to combat in the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979 and the aftermath of the war, focusing on the anger created by corruption among the Party elite“, became popular all over the country, and there were also martial arts movies such as “Shaolin Boy2Wǔ Shàolín Xiǎozi – 武少林小子- 1984. Romance blossoms between two rival families practicing Shaolin and Wudang kungfu respectively, despite familial opposition, until they overcome a gang of scheming bandits together“, which quickly turned into a hot topic in the streets.
It was Shu Ran and Xu Shen’s turn to take a day off, and they wanted to go watch a movie. They were used to being so busy, busy enough that their feet didn’t even touch the ground. And so, when they came to their senses, they realized that they had never had a good date, which was so inappropriate.
Now, they could finally put down work completely and enjoy a vacation.
“Brother Shen, which one do you want to watch?” At the entrance of the cinema, Shu Ran was wearing a very low-key autumn shirt, paired with a hat and mask, to prevent anyone from recognizing him.
After all, he was sort of a celebrity and…
Not long ago, he was still scolding people in the newspapers with his venomous tongue.
He looked up and stared at the big sign that advertised what was being released that day and asked Xu Shen: “War or martial arts?”
“Let’s watch the battle.” Xu Shen was also dressed very low-key, wearing a dark-colored long-sleeved shirt and trousers. However, the fact that he was a natural clothes rack couldn’t be concealed. He just stood there for a moment and already attracted a lot of attention.
“Okay.” Shu Ran nodded. “Anyway, we have plenty of time. If you also want to watch the martial arts one later, let’s just go buy the tickets.”
“Okay.” Xu Shen had no objections since he rarely watched movies. He didn’t have enough leisure time before, as it was hard to give up on all his worries just to go watch a movie.
It was always the same reason, but today, he went to the movies with Shu Ran. He was looking forward to it. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it.”
It was very popular to bring some food with you when watching movies back in those days, such as fried melon seeds, fried peanuts, boiled water chestnuts, or roasted chicken legs. The smell around the cinema was enough to make children cry.
“I just finished eating not long ago, I don’t want to eat anymore.” Shu Ran looked around and pointed at a stall selling herbal tea: “Buy two cups of herbal tea to quench our thirst.”
“I’ll buy it.” Xu Shen nodded.
“So many people…” The cinema was full, and Shu Ran didn’t want to squeeze in the front, so he pulled Xu Shen’s wrist: “Brother Shen, we are both tall, so we might as well sit in the back.”
However, by the time they arrived at the back row, they found that many young people had the same idea as them, with some standing directly next to them, unwilling to crowd in with everyone.
“We’d better find a place to sit, otherwise you’ll be too tired standing…” Xu Shen held Shu Ran by the waist. He was too tough last night and he was now afraid that his wife might not be able to handle it.
After a lot of groping around, the two finally found a couple of seats next to each other and sat down. Shu Ran leaned on the chair and sighed softly. It felt so good to have a vacation, but it felt even better to have a vacation with your boyfriend…
“Take a sip?” Xu Shen opened the lid of the herbal tea and presented it to Shu Ran.
If they were home, Shu Ran would have drank directly from his hand. But now, in a crowded movie theater, he, a big man with functional arms, could only take the cup, hold it, and drink from it by himself.
“I heard this movie was adapted from a novel.” Xu Shen said with a smile. “It seems that your first novel is also suitable for a movie adaptation.”
The audience in front of them might have heard what he said and they couldn’t help but look back.
Shu Ran quickly pulled on his mask and waited for those people to turn around before saying: “There’s no rush. We’ll start filming when the film market gets better in the future.”
No matter how high the box office was, they couldn’t make much money yet. It would be better to use their time to succeed in other industries first.
“Well, you have your ideas, anyway.” Xu Shen said.
Since marrying his wife, life has been very relaxed. He no longer had to steer the ship by himself, and he only needed to be down-to-earth and implement his wife’s every wish and desire.
Unlike before, when he always worried about whether his decisions were right or not. If he made a wrong move, dozens or even hundreds of people who followed him could go hungry.
He was under a lot of pressure.
On the other hand, Shu Ran was always confident and never seemed to worry about failure. Maybe Shu Ran didn’t even know how charming he was, looking so light and easy.
Take their employees as an example. In fact, most of the people struggling in the world were in dire straits. How could everyone be lucky enough to become successful on their first try?!
Confusion and anxiety about the future were the norm for everyone he knew.
Xu Shen was distracted for a moment, and the movie started. The title was printed on the screen, and then the first few scenes appeared. He turned his head and glanced at Shu Ran, only to find that Shu Ran was looking at the screen seriously, so he suppressed his thoughts and also turned his attention to the story.
As for Shu Ran, he was very focused. That classic old movie was later re-screened to the public, but he didn’t see it. He never expected to be able to watch it the year it was released.
The movie was indeed touching, and it didn’t take long for both of them to get involved in the plot. By the time they came back to their senses, it was already the end of the movie, when all the dust settled.
“That’s a really good shot.” Xu Shen praised.
“Yes. It would definitely become popular all over the country.” Shu Ran said.
“You can do it too.” Xu Shen came over and said quickly.
“Brother Shen…” Shu Ran borrowed one of his words and returned it: “I know you’ll become excited and start thinking about me when you see these literary and artistic works, but in public, please restrain yourself!”
Xu Shen smiled: “Hey!”
After the movie ended, everyone was still listening to the ending song. Shu Ran was worried that there would be too many people, so they left early. But unexpectedly, when he walked out of the cinema, he was chased by someone. Several young and excited voices asked: “Shu Ran! Are you Shu Ran?!”
At that moment, Shu Ran’s whole body froze. In contrast to his reaction, Xu Shen, who was standing next to him, felt particularly warm and fuzzy.
Since he was not the protagonist, Xu Shen was in a happy and proud mood, even in a state of excitement that Shu Ran couldn’t understand. He brushed his feet on the floor and smiled brightly at others: “Are you book fans?”
Shu Ran looked at him in disbelief: “!!”
What’s going on with this guy?!
Those young students nodded wildly: “Yes, yes, we are book fans! Can you sign a book for us, Shu Ran – we like your books so much!”
“When will you publish your new book?”
“We also bought the magazine, and we really like your aesthetics!”
“I also like to see you quarrel with others in the newspaper…”
Shu Ran’s head was pounding. He first glanced at the boyfriend who had made the matter into a big deal, only to see that his face was full of pride… Xu Shen looked like he was the one who was being sought after by others…
With a thought in his heart, Shu Ran swallowed his embarrassing words, turned to look at the enthusiastic book fans, and at the same time, took off his mask and said with a smile: “Hello everyone, I didn’t expect that you’d recognize me like this.”
Seeing their idol up close, alive, with clear facial features and a smile, his book fans almost fainted with joy.
For a moment, they couldn’t think of anything else to say except calling Shu Ran’s name!
It was also the first time Shu Ran encountered that kind of situation. To be honest, he was not used to it and didn’t have the feeling that he was a celebrity. Maybe there were too few ways to chase stars back in that era, and there was nothing he could compare his experience to.
Apart from seeing real sales data and receiving the attention of tabloids, his daily life was similar to that of ordinary people.
Meeting enthusiastic book fans on the street finally gave Shu Ran the real sense of…”Ah, I’m famous”. He generously took out a pen and the small notebook he carried with him to record inspiration, and signed autographs for all his book fans.
He even hugged everyone one by one, looking very graceful.
His fans could only regret not having a camera. It would be great if they could take a precious photo together!
“Shu Ran, will you hold a personal signing party?” Someone asked expectantly.
Shu Ran glanced at the man next to him, remembering when Xu Shen said: “You won’t be allowed to hold autograph sessions when you become famous!”
“…”
Xu Shen felt that Shu Ran was looking at him, but he folded his arms and watched the wall, smiling and saying nothing.
“It depends on what my partner wants…” Shu Ran raised his hand with the ring and shook it, saying with a happy smile on his face: “I have a lover, and I promised that I won’t hold any autograph sessions when I become famous in the future.”
“Why?!” His fans were shocked that Shu Ran was already married at such a young age but also shocked that his lover didn’t allow him to interact with his fans. How could there be such a wife who didn’t support her husband’s career?!
“He… Is jealous.” Shu Ran said.
Since Xu Shen didn’t care about his life and death before exposing him to a hoard of fans, then he also didn’t care about Xu Shen’s life and death and exposed his jealousy to the people!
Leaving behind a group of young people with stunned expressions, Shu Ran took Xu Shen away.
“Hello?!” Xu Shen protested.
“You tricked me first.” Shu Ran said confidently.
“You damaged my reputation.” Xu Shen lightly bumped into Shu Ran.
“You deserve it.” Shu Ran also bumped back.
In the crowd, such physical communication was nothing, and both of them enjoyed themselves as if they were drunk on honey.
The movie theater and their store were in the same prosperous area. The two bought some food and drinks and went over to express their condolences to Jiang Fan, who was on duty.
“There are many rich people in Beijing, but there are also many rich people in Shanghai…” Shu Ran said to himself. “Our store can expand by the end of the year, and we’ll start interviewing staff again after the holidays.”
“Oh, and who do you want to be stationed in Shanghai?” Xu Shen carried afternoon tea in his hand, including snacks and roasted chicken legs.
It was a very rich meal.
Shu Ran: “It’s better for us to expand it and then hand it over to the team below.”
Xu Shen nodded: “I found that you prefer to recruit girls.”
The people who were going to be interviewed after the holiday were also a group of young girls. It was not that there was anything bad with hiring girls, he just observed such a phenomenon and found it interesting.
“Of course, the sales industry tends to favor women.” Shu Ran thought for a moment: “In fact, it’s the same in other industries. You’ll find that women are absolutely reliable in doing things.”
That argument was very fresh, as if there had been a lot of data research.
Xu Shen said thoughtfully: “That’s fine.”
“Do you think I’m too much and make you too busy?” Shu Ran paused and suddenly stopped, looking at Xu Shen.
For many people, their current career was enough to last a lifetime. Maybe it was time to slow down and transform into wealthy and idle people.
“No, why do you ask that?” Xu Shen was puzzled and wanted to touch his wife’s face, but outside, he could only suppress his impulses. “I used to be very busy, but now I am much better, at least… Just busy. It’s fulfilling and not stressful.”
“It depends on what you want…” Shu Ran asked. “Did you have a lot of pressure in the past?”
“I did… How could there not be?” Xu Shen said, with a frightened expression flashing across his face. “So many people were looking at me in order to eat. If I made the wrong step, everyone would go hungry.”
Also, behind each of his brothers was a family, so to speak… Shu Ran was suddenly very happy that he had shared a large part of Xu Shen’s pressure.
“But there is none now. My wife is so capable. There’s no pressure.” Xu Shen raised the corners of his mouth and stretched his arms, looking very relaxed.
The two chatted while walking and soon arrived at the store.
The items in their store were too expensive, and there really wasn’t much foot traffic. Even if there were people, they just came in to take a look.
Jiang Fan mainly took phone orders. After receiving one, he needed to call the factory and adjust the goods. It was a proper online store customer service job.
“You’re here…” Jiang Fan asked whimsically. “Are you here to help me look after the store?”
“That’s a nice thought.” Shu Ran gave him the food. “Brother Shen and I just finished watching a movie and stopped by to express our condolences to you. We still have to go on another date later.”
“What movie? Is it good?” Jiang Fan picked up a cup of herbal tea and drank it, while also grabbing the snacks with his other hand and stuffing them into his mouth. “I’ll watch it tomorrow too.”
“It’s beautiful… But do you want to go by yourself? That’s too pitiful.” Shu Ran looked sympathetic to Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan almost choked: “What’s so pitiful?!”
“Watching a movie is fun only when two people are together.” Xu Shen added. “As an adult, it would look silly to go alone, right?”
“Fart!” Jiang Fan was so annoyed with them that he said with disdain: “If you’re not here to help me look after the store, then leave quickly, and don’t stop me from doing business!”
“We’ll go…” Shu Ran looked around the store, pointed at Jiang Fan’s treasure on the table, and said: “Can you lend us your camera for a while?”
Since it was Jiang Fan’s “wife”, he had to ask carefully.
Jiang Fan waved his hand: “Take it, take it, and leave quickly.”
The disgusting Shu Ran and Xu Shen were kicked out of the store. Once outside, they looked at each other and laughed for a while.
“Brother Shen, shall we go on another date next?” Shu Ran spoke at a volume that only the other party could hear, making it seem like they were in contact with some underground organization.
“Date.” Xu Shen smiled while holding the camera. He liked the word “date” very much and also liked going on a date with Shu Ran.
“Is there any place in Beijing that you particularly want to visit?” Shu Ran was familiar with them all, even though he was familiar with how they looked thirty or forty years in the future…
“Not really.” Xu Shen thought for a moment. Now that their household registration had been moved there, they were technically from Beijing, but he was still very unfamiliar with the city. He usually only went out to deliver orders and run errands, only familiar with the places where rich people lived. “How about going to the Summer Palace3The Summer Palace (simplified Chinese: 颐和园; traditional Chinese: 頤和園; pinyin: Yíhéyuán) is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside, it includes the Longevity Hill (万寿山; 萬壽山; Wànshòu Shān), the Kunming Lake, and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water?”
“Okay.” Shu Ran remembered that the scenery there was very nice. He took a look at the clothes they were wearing, regretting looking too low-key and not dressing up for the occasion. But anyway, forget it! Why should he depend on clothes when they had such a great face and figure?!
The two of them spent the whole afternoon in the Summer Palace, looking at the scenery, taking photos, and enjoying their leisure time. However, every time a passer-by looked over, Shu Ran and Xu Shen felt a little uneasy. Two grown men visiting the Summer Palace together… Was it strange? Strange enough to be noticed?
But soon enough, they saw that there were quite a few similar combinations, and everyone was just hanging out with each other openly, making them feel a little relieved. After all, it was only because they knew they were together that they were afraid of others suspecting them.
“Time is so short… One day passed just like that.” Shu Ran sat on a bench by the lake, looking at the birds flying over the sunset.
His and Xu Shen’s legs were relaxed and always touching, whether they were sitting down or not.
“Yes, I have one less day to love you.” Xu Shen raised his camera and took pictures of the passing birds.
“Are you also so sentimental?” Shu Ran glanced at him in surprise.
“Occasionally.” Xu Shen smiled.
He was not sentimental, but after meeting Shu Ran, he began to cherish time. Suddenly, Xu Shen seemed to understand what Shu Ran meant when he said: “I feel happy because of your presence.”
It felt so good to understand each other and be close.
Shu Ran stood up: “Let’s go and have a big meal to end today’s date perfectly!”
“Eat.” Xu Shen also stood up, turned around, and asked: “We still have two days off next month, right?”
“Yes.” Shu Ran looked at him. “What do you want to do?”
Xu Shen shook his head. “I’m still thinking about it, but I’m already looking forward to it.”
“Yes…” Shu Ran exaggeratedly rubbed his eyes and pretended to cry. “It’s so nice to have a holiday and something to look forward to… This little entrepreneur is so moved that he almost cried.”
Then he heard the sound of pressing the shutter. Shu Ran turned his head and glared angrily. That person was secretly taking an ugly photo of him… Again!
“Hey!”
After Xu Shen took the photo, he ran away with the camera, turning back to smile provocatively at Shu Ran.
“Xu Shen! Do you believe I’ll take off my shoes and throw them at you?!” Shu Ran pointed at him and laughed.
Tomorrow was still a holiday, but neither of them planned to go out to play. They wanted to stay at home and deal with some trivial matters, such as repairing the roof, doing yard work, fixing furniture, etc.
It seemed that it was all Xu Shen’s work.
As the saying goes, let those who can do more work, work. Shu Ran thought about it and accepted his “do nothing” persona with peace of mind.
However, there was something that Shu Ran had to do… Send the camera back. He felt quite embarrassed to meet Jiang Fan and force him to waste his time developing their pictures. One had to know that he and Xu Shen worked very hard to take pictures of each other’s faces…
Since Shu Ran didn’t want to be scolded by Jiang Fan, he sent it over and left quickly. And so, he didn’t know that Jiang Fan cursed him several times in the darkroom.
People who fell in love were so damn sick, as if they were possessed by ghosts!
Wasn’t it a waste of perfectly good film to take photos of people’s faces from various angles?!
Sick, really sick!
…………
The new recruitment advertisement for “Yunshang” was quite eye-catching… Shu Ran thought it may be because people thought that one of the founders had a charming personality…
Anyway, there were so many elites who wanted to join that fashionable brand.
After the holidays, a large number of talents poured into the store for interviews, and the bosses were dazzled by the selection.
Although Xu Shen said it was better to be busy and live a fulfilling life, Shu Ran still didn’t want work to take up too much of their personal time.
That time around, the company recruited more than 20 people at once. After a period of hands-on training, they were assigned to various positions to shine.
The bosses’ time was finally freed up and they could concentrate on researching new seasonal products.
Since there were more employees working, it was obvious that the courtyard could no longer be used as a studio. All in all, they still needed to have a formal company with an office building, otherwise it would be too crowded to move around.
Xu Shen went to rent an entire floor in the most fashionable building, at a huge price.
Jiang Fan also asked for a part of the floor to be converted into a photo studio… It was simply too extravagant to arrange a photo studio in a high-end office building!
Since it was originally part of an office building, the hard decorations did not need to be changed much. The walls were repainted, the ceiling was done, the lighting was changed, and the rest was made up of soft furnishings.
Since it was decorated with Shu Ran’s modern aesthetic, the luxurious, high-end, and upscale atmosphere came out instantly, making it very suitable for shooting fashion blockbusters.
There were four or five styles of men’s clothing for spring, and Shu Ran really wanted to have his husband model them for the new issue of the magazine. And so, after Boss Xu finished his work, his wife dragged him over to change clothes.
“Where to change?” Xu Shen asked, holding the clothes. “Just change in the studio?”
“Yeah, anyway, the door is closed and there’s no one else.” Shu Ran turned to look at Jiang Fan. “Brother Fan, do you mind?”
Jiang Fan, who was debugging the camera, raised his head and said: “You don’t mind, what do I mind?”
Shu Ran raised his chin to Xu Shen: “Come on!”
The photographer didn’t mind, and neither did his wife… Xu Shen felt that no one seemed to care about his opinion. “Okay…” He first changed his shirt and then his pants.
Shu Ran was amused by his shy way of changing clothes.
Was this a violation of his male virtue?!
It was something that Xu Shen just thought of. The hem of the top was quite long, enough to cover what should not be exposed… It was either a violation of his chastity or at least, felt like one!
After changing his outfit, Shu Ran praised: “Anyone who sees you would turn docile…”
He already knew that the proportion of Xu Shen’s waist, hips, and legs was amazing. After dressing him in a well-made, high-end formal suit, a wave of hormones rushed to Shu Ran’s head, making his face blush and his hands itch. Well yes… While helping Xu Shen tidy up his clothes, he already touched everything twice.
“It looks good and feels great!”
That was their code. If they couldn’t help but touch, it meant the other party passed the “sexy” assessment.
Xu Shen laughed, blew gently into Shu Ran’s ear, and said slyly: “Brother, I’ll wear this for you later tonight.”
Shu Ran clicked his tongue and rubbed his numb ears: “Comrade Xu Shen, please correct your work attitude!”
When he finished speaking, he found that Xu Shen had already put on a serious face. At first glance, he looked like a professional model.
Maybe that was the benefit of having a superior appearance… God would reward you.
Shu Ran secretly muttered that it was a waste of natural resources. Obviously, he could rely on his appearance to make a living, but he still had to live a life of licking blood from the tip of a knife.
“What do you need me to do?” Xu Shen asked.
“Go sit on the sofa and look at the camera.” Shu Ran pointed to the high-end sofa that he bought at a large price.
Xu Shen sat down casually, feeling a little uncomfortable with the soft touch at first. Later, he adjusted his posture and expression following Shu Ran’s guidance, and he was finally able to relax.
Right, the clothes fit him really well, and the whole body line was exposed when stretched, making everything clearly visible.
Xu Shen had never worn such slim-fitting clothes before. He glanced down at himself, raised his eyes, and asked: “Are you sure this can be released?!”
Wouldn’t the comrade in charge of the review actually accuse him of being inappropriately dressed and degrading his elegance?!
Look, the smooth high-end fabric clung to his thighs, and the lines revealed were, well…Thick. People might blush when they open the magazine!
Xu Shen was also feeling very suspicious… What rich men would like such slutty clothes?
…Right?!
Shu Ran followed Xu Shen’s gaze down and went silent for a while, then comforted him with a little excitement: “Ahem, it’s okay! I asked Brother Fan to pay attention to the angle when shooting!”
When the time came, the effect printed on paper would definitely not be as good as the photo, and it wouldn’t matter if the details were not obvious.
“Is that possible?” Xu Shen pulled at his pants and asked Shu Ran: “Are you really sure you want me to appear like this in front of the whole country?!”
And it was a magazine for women…
Shu Ran hesitated for a moment. Of course, he could have hidden Xu Shen in their home and chosen another male model. Maybe he was naive or vain but… He just wanted everyone to know that Xu Shen was very good!
“Don’t you want to?” Shu Ran said. “If you really don’t want to, I respect your opinion.” Then he continued: “But Brother Shen, this suit looks really good on you, and sales will definitely be very good.”
Xu Shen didn’t refuse, but he was a little embarrassed. Also, wasn’t Shu Ran jealous?! Like… Not at all?!
“Are you sure there will be sales?”
…Their magazine was only read by women!
“Of course!” Shu Ran seemed to know what he was thinking about and said: “You have to know that many men’s clothes are bought by their wives. Just like I buy them for you, you can wear whatever I want you to wear.”
Xu Shen was taught: “I understand!”
That example was really intuitive. And Shu Ran smiled at him…
“Okay.” Xu Shen gave up the struggle and completely handed over the control over his body to Shu Ran. His wife asked him to sit down, so he sat down.
That state of giving up the struggle was very good, making him feel a little careless and a little lazy as if all his desires had been satisfied.
As far as the current Xu Shen was concerned, he really had nothing new to gain. He already had a career and love, and everyone he cared about was living well. He was surrounded by Shu Ran’s love on all sides, looking like a well-fed, docile beast.
Even if he opened his mouth to show his fangs, he still wouldn’t look aggressive and make people feel uncomfortable. Xu Shen was not tense at all now.
He seemed no different from any other, ordinary family man.
“Brother Fan, please pay attention to the angle when shooting, don’t shoot Brother Shen’s… Crotch.” Shu Ran looked away, turned to Jiang Fan and instructed him.
Jiang Fan nodded, smiled knowingly, and said: “I’ll take a few pictures for your collection.”
“Brother Fan understands me!” Shu Ran immediately hugged him and said: “A good person will have a safe life!”
Xu Shen fell into a half-lying position on the sofa and was instantly amused by their conversation.
However, his change of posture was immediately scolded by Shu Ran and Jiang Fan: “Don’t move!”
Jiang Fan said with disdain: “It ruins the sense of the picture. Just keep your cool.”
Xu Shen rubbed his face and answered: “I also want to stay aloof. You two should talk a little more seriously! If you talk like that, I won’t be able to take pictures.”
How shameful! To treasure pictures of… That.
The two of them had no choice but to shut up and stop discussing Xu Shen’s amazing figure.
Four or five sets of spring clothes were not many, and the photoshoot was completed in one morning. Xu Shen immediately changed back into his own clothes.
… And then he started to pack up a few sets. They were all made according to his size anyway and since it was impossible to wear them out in public, he could still wear them at home for his wife.
