Day: January 17, 2021

Chapter 65 – His brother won’t like him

Thank you for the ko-fis impatientlywaiting! ♡♡♡

Btw, this chapter really broke my heart. I had to pause when I read the raws back then. Even our editor’s heart broke lol. So, ready your heart everyone~

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“Why are you here?”

The first person to break the silence was Zhou Jinchen. The space in the bathroom wasn’t quite enough, and the muffled echo of the question could be heard faintly which highlighted his originally low magnetic voice deeper and deeper.

An Xumo’s complexion didn’t look very good rather, it should be said that it is awfully bad, but he still quickly opened his mouth to answer the question.

“Brother told me to come back here…… I just asked the assistant for the room card and came over.”

“I know that,” Zhou Jinchen said looking at An Xumo who was obviously in a trance. His eyes darkened slightly. “I was asking why you were in the bathroom.”

An Xumo reacted half a beat late, looking down at the sink. “I came to wash my hands here……”

He explained again, “When I wanted to go out, I heard Teacher Lin speaking and felt that it wasn’t proper, so I didn’t go out.”

Zhou Jinchen looked at the boy for a while until the atmosphere around him quieted down again. He turned his head and gestured.

“Come out.”

There was nothing unusual in the bedroom, even the bottle of mineral water on the sofa table was taken away by Lin Rui. When he took it, he said that this is also considered as something Zhou Jinchen gave him. The latter did not understand the meaning of Lin Rui’s action and he was not interested in knowing it.

The two men sat back on the sofa and the scene reverted to the way it was when he was talking to Lin Rui. The difference was that An Xumo seemed even more nervous than Lin Rui who was sitting here before, causing Zhou Jinchen to look at him for a while before finally opening his mouth.

“What’s wrong with you?”

An Xumo’s face seemed to turn a little paler because of his question and he hesitantly said, “……me?”

“En.”

An Xumo naturally knows himself. The great panic was like a bottomless abyss, blowing out cold wind and he is hanging above the abyss. Even if he tightly held on to the rope, he could still fall in minutes and seconds.

But this won’t work, An Xumo thought. He must act natural. He can’t let his brother find out his thoughts……

“I just heard Teacher Lin’s voice and felt a little surprised……”

The knuckles were pale from the excessive force with numbing pain on his palm. An Xumo finally found an explanation, only to see the man on the opposite side frown.

“What Lin Rui said is the truth.”

At that moment, An Xumo could not even feel the pain that came around his whole body. (E/N: my heart also fell hnggg)

“The truth……?”

Even the voice was like a rough sound made from grinding sandpaper, it was difficult to hear to the extent that it was unbearable. The only fortunate thing was that his physical skills were still functioning and he could still hear Zhou Jinchen’s voice in his ears.

What the other party said was, “The publicity plan of 《Different Roads》 will indeed focus on my relationship with him.”

An Xumo froze for a moment.

He thought that the fact that his brother refers to was Lin Rui’s last words but he didn’t expect the other party to turn to the movie again.

“This is not something I can decide,” Zhou Jinchen said. “The crew’s publicity originally had to maximize the benefits in the most effective way.”

“En……en.” An Xumo nodded, trying to disguise himself as normal with his movements. “I understand.”

His current thought was already chaotic, so much to the extent that he didn’t even think about the reason why Zhou Jinchen brought up the matter of the movie. He could only do so until the other party said a word and react along with it.

Until Zhou Jinchen completely revealed the reason.

“But Lin Rui is already emotionally involved; I don’t want to have an affair with him.” Zhou Jinchen said.

An Xumo felt that the abyss not far below his feet seemed to stop emitting cold wind.

Zhou Jinchen said, “Filming with you and calling you here today is to discuss this matter with you.”

“The most effective way to prevent other people from pairing me with Lin Rui without affecting the film’s publicity is to separate the film from reality. In the film, I have the deepest involvement with his character but outside the film, I have another preferred choice.”

The dark bottomless abyss was sealed, and a hard ground made of lime and cement solidified on top.

But An Xumo could not understand why, the throbbing feeling tightly clenching his heart still did not disappear.

He heard himself saying, “Therefore…….it’s to use me and brother’s gossip to avoid the gossip between brother and Lin Rui, right?”

However, An Xumo could no longer hear Zhou Jinchen’s voice.

He could only see the other party’s rational and calm expression and the mouth’s shape that pronounced the verdict.

—— Correct.

Zhou Jinchen also added a word, An Xumo heard it intermittently, but this did not affect the pain of that word, like a sharp blade cutting on the tender flesh of the heart.

He said, like Lin Rui, other people did not know about the relationship between the two so these fake rumors could be spread as if they were real.

Fake.

Zhou Jinchen is not a man of many words; he only briefly explained a few sentences to explain the word ‘fake’. But those details have been revealed from Zhou Jinchen’s words, uncovering the original peaceful disguise and showing the truest face.

An Xumo couldn’t really hear it, his ears were full of buzzing tinnitus which was very annoying. Even so, he still understood Zhou Jinchen’s meaning and picked up the dusty beads that had been scattered everywhere and strung them into a string of gloomy, unsightly chain of beads.

He deliberately came to talk about the script to An Xumo to avoid staying in the room and being found by Lin Rui to be alone; took the initiative to tell Ma Lao and Mr. Tao to revise the kissing scene and change the actor in order to pave the way for the subsequent rumors; agreed to sleep with An Xumo in the same room to let the other people in the crew misunderstand the relationship between the two. It was the same when filming the kissing scene in the classroom, repeatedly made exceptions and shown affection but it’s also merely an act in front of everyone.

And when the film is promoted in the later stage, these kinds of news will burst out among the public with a hundred times stronger effect than in the crew, and those people present are prepared in advance. If you pull one out randomly, the truest news will explode.

It was only then that An Xumo realized how outrageously wrong he was. ¹E/N: Sh—t that hurts. T/N: I know *heartbreaking

He thought that the only thing he was worried about was that his brother would find out his unseen feelings but when Zhou Jinchen really didn’t find out about his feelings, and bluntly and frankly said that he wanted the two of them to act together, An Xumo realized that he was still in severe pain, and the tears were streaming with blood from the bowl-sized hole in his chest.

The abyss was filled but he was still slammed into the rough, hard ground, leaving a trace of lingering breath. Because the rope hanging from him is Zhou Jinchen’s attitude towards him, it is that bowl of tonkatsu ramen and that mint flavored-kiss that happened in front of the seat of the classroom.

Now the rope disappeared and An Xumo was violently thrown down from a height.

How he got back to his room from Zhou Jinchen’s room, An Xumo himself didn’t know. He stepped on the sharp tip of the knife that once again pierced the soles of his feet with every step, pretending to normally brush open the door of his room.

Open, close, lock.

That was all that was left. Even the strength to insert the room card in the wall switch was no longer there.

With his back pressed against the cold door, the emptied An Xumo slowly slid down and fell for a long time before he touched the floor.

He sat on the wooden floor behind the door, surrounded by terrible and safe darkness.

After such a long and tumultuous day, at last in the evening, An Xumo discovered his true thoughts.

He was far more ridiculous and despicable than he had ever imagined.

From a long time ago, An Xumo knew that he was different and that no matter what he did, he would not be liked by his family. But at that time, he still held that ridiculous wishful thinking again and again, trying to be well-behaved and obedient to achieve all tasks perfectly in exchange for easing the attitude of the people around him.

But it didn’t.

Not even once.

That’s why An Xumo locked up his bloody heart early on, didn’t look at the surrounding eyes regardless of other people’s judgment on him. He thought that he would certainly not make the same mistakes again. Even if he stumbled, he could see the road ahead and could go on.

But now, An Xumo once again made the same mistakes that are no different in nature.

He thought that as long as he could look at his brother, he would have strength and hope. Yet he didn’t realize that he stepped out of the warning line that he had drawn himself before he knew it.

So when Zhou Jinchen said that all those things were deliberately planned, An Xumo bled and got hurt.

Why can’t he honestly stay where he should be and why does he think that he can touch the sun?

An Xumo extremely detests this kind of him.

He only had one light source but he almost locked himself in the dark wooden box without a key forever.

It can’t be like this……he thought, fortunately……fortunately, he did not commit any mistake in front of his brother just now.

There is still room for turning things around.

An Xumo stretched out his hand and tried to touch around, but it was dark and empty in front of him. He couldn’t touch anything. He could only withdraw his hand and hold his ankle.

The feeling of having something real in his hands finally calmed down An Xumo a bit. He slowly stood up holding the door, his back leaning on the solid wooden board, his chest heaving violently and his legs were filled with soreness.

But at least he stood up.

An Xumo fumbled for the switch on the wall and pressed it twice only to find that it did not light up. The room card was not inserted. He bent down and searched the floor little by little for a long time.

With a soft ‘click’ the power was finally turned on in the room. The blinding light came on and he subconsciously raised his hand to block his eyes.

The light was like a lifetime ago.

An Xumo walked into the bathroom holding the wall. He propped himself up in front of the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed the cold water on his face.

The sound of water lasted for a long time before he gradually calmed down. He turned off the switch and looked at the bright mirror in front of him.

The boy’s face in the mirror was full of water drops but it hid a bit of his frightening paleness. His lips are still red, like an iron-faced and selfless judge,²impartial and incorruptible; described someone who is relentless in his purpose in the execution of his duties according to law or regulations. always reminding him of his previous mistakes.

It won’t happen again…… An Xumo thought, he would never, ever do it again.

As long as he can look at his brother, this is the only habit that he had engraved into his instincts for seventeen years so there is no way to change it. Along with all other thoughts, An Xumo would completely cut off.

He will never allow himself to think that his brother will respond to his feelings.

Never again.

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The author has something to say:

Xiao Mo’s thoughts are also explained clearly la. He thought he just had to look at his brother, and as a result, he crossed the line. After the pain this time, he would honestly stay in the circle he drew and never come out again.

Xiao Mo’s pain is over……it’s time for another one.

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Sees the line Never again:

mochimùwú: My heart hurts

Editor (because she didn’t want to have any name lol): 🙁

Chapter 64 – I don’t think you love him

Thank you for the ko-fis impatientlywaiting! ♡♡♡

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To be able to ask such a question, even Lin Rui also took a lot of effort.

However, his efforts are still fruitless.

Zhou Jinchen’s attitude was very decent and his answer was also straightforward.

“Sorry.”

Lin Rui smiled. His usual expression at this time was less than his usual disguise and only the paleness hid his embarrassment.

The room was quiet for a moment.

The clock displayed in LED mode did not even tick and the surrounding area was frighteningly quiet. Zhou Jinchen is not a person who will take the initiative to ease the atmosphere. After a long time, Lin Rui opened his mouth again to break the silence.

He was talking about another seemingly irrelevant topic.

“Jinchen,” Lin Rui’s voice has returned to its normal mood. “Have you heard of this sentence?”

“In matters of this world, there are 80% or 90% of them which do not happen according to one’s wishes. Since this is the case, you should not force me to do anything.” [Note 1]¹It’s actually available in Novel Updates and I used their translation on this passage. I forgot which chapter it was lol. Apologies. NU Link. Direct Link

Zhou Jinchen raised his eyes to look at him and saw Lin Rui pick up the water bottle on the table and held it in his hand. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed, “I think this sentence makes sense.”

Lin Rui did not give any additional explanation for this limitless sentence. Once the words were finished, he went back to talking about the movie.

“Ma Xiao approached me before filming 《The Scarecrow》. I happened to have little idle funds at that time so I was dragged into it by him.”

“I was also pulled by friends to cast a few films before but that was a few years ago. As you know, the market has changed so much in recent years that in the film industry, there is no longer a saying that fragrant wine fears no dark alley.”²fragrant wine fears no dark ally (idiom): quality goods need no advertising

Zhou Jinchen listened silently.

“After the filming of 《The Scarecrow》, I happened to have a vacation so I followed Ma Xiao for two days. He happened to be discussing the follow-up publicity with the team at that time and I listened to it several times which was also very beneficial.”

Lin Rui said, “They have studied the publicity methods of all the movies that have made big success at the box office since three years ago and found one thing in common.”

Zhou Jinchen’s expression looked unmoved, “What is it?”

Lin Rui smiled and spoke unhurriedly, “I’m not an internal member. I’m only a spectator at best so what I know is only a general concept.”

“Generally speaking, before and during the screening of these films, in addition to a complete publicity program, they will also identify a very powerful main point of attack.”

“For example, comedy films will pick the right time for holidays and festivals, and military films will be associated with current affairs. These are all very general examples. Let’s talk about The Scarecrow as an example. When the film was released, it caused a flurry of discussion about the damage caused by the family of origin. All kinds of discussion were extremely hot, which in turn worked on the box office.”

Lin Rui said, “But when the issue was first launched, it was a plan arranged by the team.”

“Someone buried the seed in the right place and it sprouted with such good results.”

Zhou Jinchen listened in silence but he knew very well in his heart that Lin Rui’s purpose was never as simple as talking to him about work.

Sure enough, Lin Rui quickly changed his words.

He looked at Zhou Jinchen and said, “Jinchen, do you know what the seeds of 《Different Roads》 will be?”

Zhou Jinchen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lin Rui smiled and pointed his chest with his index finger and turned his wrist and fingertips to Zhou Jinchen on the opposite side.

He whispered, “It’s us.”

Lin Rui’s sentence sounded a little too taken for granted, but Zhou Jinchen knew that what he said was indeed the truth.

It has been only two months since the end of the Wutong Awards and Zhou Jinchen’s Film Emperor Title is still hot. However, the film 《Different Roads》 which is being filmed doesn’t require much complex post-production special effects. For the sake of high box office on holidays and catching up with the awards, 《Different Roads》 schedule will certainly not be too far away.

Not to mention the pre-screening publicity, even when 《Different Roads》 officially announced the actors, the most eye-catching topic was the second cooperation between Zhou Jinchen and Lin Rui.

This is not because Zhou Jinchen wants to distance himself from Lin Rui, he can refuse it according to his wishes.

The two of them have always maintained a good relationship in public. As early as during the filming and roadshow of 《The Scarecrow》, Lin Rui expressed his admiration for Zhou Jinchen several times. At that time, Zhou Jinchen had not yet won the Wutong Awards and his status could not be compared to now. Lin Rui is definitely Zhou Jinchen’s senior in the film industry and his attitude can be considered as an unreserved promotion.

If 《The Scarecrow》 was just a personal relationship between the actors, then here in 《Different Roads》 the two of them are definitely double fated inside and outside the film.

In any case, Ling Sihang’s secret love for Ye Qicheng is a fact that cannot be changed. How can this excellent material with its own topic be ignored by the public and be spared by the production?

Zhou Jinchen never thought about accepting Lin Rui’s feelings but he knew very well that after the movie is released, the crew, the media, and the audience would surely spare no effort to link their names together.

He can’t reject this matter as much as he can reject confession. Lin Rui is right. This is something that must be done during the official promotion because it can draw more people to the cinema.

Moreover, as one of the biggest investors behind 《Different Roads》, Zhou Jinchen’s box office income of the movie is more closely related to him than ordinary actors. Therefore, it is even more impossible for him to willfully reverse the most favorable publicity plan because of his own personal wishes.

What’s more, the current Zhou Jinchen needs the money more than ever. He desperately needs to get out of the Zhou family’s grasp and if the box office of 《Different Roads》 is not satisfactory, he will have to accept the Zhou family’s intervention again. The possibility of pulling himself out will become increasingly slim.

After Lin Rui finished his words, the room once again fell into silence. Only this time, Lin Rui became the more relaxed one.

He left enough time for Zhou Jinchen to think about the matter and this is Lin Rui’s confidence that his invitation tonight will not be rejected.

But the development of things seems to deviate from his expectations in subtle ways.

For example, Lin Rui previously thought that Zhou Jinchen would not allow him to enter his room so he offered to go to his room to talk. And now, for example, he originally thought that Zhou Jinchen would have a change of expression after hearing his words but the other party was still the same cold expression, and he couldn’t even see much fluctuation in his eyes.

Lin Rui boasts that he has been in the industry for many years and has thoroughly studied acting. Even off cam, all kinds of subtle changes in the facial expression cannot escape his eyes.

However, Zhou Jinchen is always the one who makes him feel like going back with a feather.³return in low spirits following a defeat or failure to achieve one’s ambitions [idiom]

Perhaps the other party has always been accustomed to their expressionless face like this. Lin Rui can only comfort himself for this reason. He knows the weight of the chips he holds and so far, Zhou Jinchen also did not express his opposition as he had previously refused his confession.

This night talk is not easy for both sides and the final win or loss can only be confirmed in their hearts. Before leaving, Lin Rui stopped in the hallway not far from the door and on the right-hand side was the bathroom that reduced the space to the hallway.

He looked at Zhou Jinchen who followed him and finally couldn’t resist saying another remaining sentence.

“In matters of this world, there are 80% or 90% of them that do not happen according to one’s wishes. Since this is the case, you should not force me to do anything.” Lin Rui repeated this sentence. He looked into Zhou Jinchen’s pure black eyes and asked the other party, “Do you know what the next sentence is?”

Zhou Jinchen shook his head.

Lin Rui smiled.

He also has outstanding looks, and his acting skills are basically not limited by his appearance. The orange light above his head made his expression look more and more radiant.

Lin Rui said, “The next sentence is ‘I want to force you.’” [Note 1]

Zhou Jinchen remembered Lin Rui’s previous statement “I think this sentence makes sense” and couldn’t help but frown. However, before he could say anything, Lin Rui said, “I know what you want to say to me — you have someone better in mind, don’t you?”

They were standing in the hallway with the closed bathroom door less than a person’s distance away on their right. Zhou Jinchen did not answer the question at first and Lin Rui had already continued to pick up the conversation.

“My initial thought was the same as Ma Xiao’s. I thought you finally found that special person but after you finished filming on the set this morning, I changed my mind.”

Lin Rui said, “You and Xiao An did not film a borrowed position in the kissing scene, and acted it completely for more than a dozen times. In order to relax his emotions, you also blocked Xiao An with your body and directly kissed him on the set. Every single act was a choice that the old you wouldn’t have made before and you have broken so many exceptions for him.”

Lin Rui’s voice softened and looked at Zhou Jinchen with his usual smile on his lips.

“But I don’t think you love him.” 

Zhou Jinchen’s eyes darkened slightly and asked rhetorically, “You think?”

Lin Rui was not influenced by his aura. He graciously admitted, “Yes, I think so.”

“You know, Jinchen, everything you do when facing Xiao An is like the perfect boyfriend in a perfect script. Every move is the most appropriate choice that everyone envies.”

“However, these perfections are not real feelings outside the camera.”

Zhou Jinchen’s brows twisted more and more severely.

“If a person really moved his heart, no matter how tough and indestructible he was before, he will certainly suffer from gains and losses, and he will be nervous and helpless. He will feel that he is not doing well enough when facing the object of his heart.”

Lin Rui looked at Zhou Jinchen’s expression and smiled lightly, “But you’re not, you are too calm and collected. You are still the same person who habitually plans everything well, and every action has its own purpose.”

“Although I still don’t know what your intention is,” Lin Rui raised his eyebrows, “but I can tell that you are completely unaffected by this kind of emotion.”

Zhou Jinchen slowly said in a low voice, “Your judgment is too subjective.”

“Perhaps,” Lin Rui shrugged, the smile on his face was still indifferent, “but Zhou Jinchen, you should know that you can deceive others in matters like feelings but you can never deceive someone who likes you.”

He settled his chest a little.

“My heart can feel it.”

Zhou Jinhcen’s expression is obviously a little unpleasant. Lin Rui looked at the person who had just been quiet on such a big matter as the publicity program but he showed such a look at this time. There was an inevitable faint uneasiness that emerged in his heart.

But he quickly suppressed these emotions and said the last words to Zhou Jinchen.

“Maybe you have a reason for your attitude towards Xiao An or maybe you have other plans. No matter what, I won’t stand in your way. But there is one fact that is enough for me to know.”

Lin Rui smiled and raised his hand to hold the doorknob.

“Right now, Xiao An and I are still on the same starting line.”

After Lin Rui left, the room was quiet again.

Zhou Jinchen glanced at the door then quickly turned around and walked towards the bathroom that was only a few steps away.

He opened the bathroom door and at a glance, he saw An Xumo standing next to the sink, neatly dressed.

The boy’s lips were still of brilliant color but his face was ghastly white. Under the snow-white light in the bathroom, his entire body was so pale that it was almost transparent as if he would dissipate in the air if touched.

Zhou Jinchen frowned.

He heard it all.

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The author has something to say:

Note 1: 【In matters of this world, there are 80% or 90% of them do not happen according to one’s wishes. Since this is the case, you should not force me to do anything —I want to force you. 】 from Jin Yong’s 《Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre》

Because this text is fiction, I didn’t put the Old Master’s name directly into the main text. I just felt that this passage fits Lin Rui’s attitude so I put it in. It had nothing to do with gender ha and it doesn’t correspond to the characters in the text!

Now, the elder brother is still skeptical of Lin Rui’s words. He doesn’t know that one day, he will not be able to accurately calculate everything with reason and won’t certainly imagine that he will become a vinegar jar……_(:3」∠)_

Chapter 63 – Try to confess again

Jie Jie: Thank you for the wait~ I hope everyone had a great week and will have an even greater week ahead~

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Xin Zimai immediately gave the answer, “The crew dismissed Lu Pinghui. At one o’clock just now, the official Weibo released a statement.”

An Xumo paused for a moment. He thought of a different outcome but did not expect it to be so serious.

“……dismissed?”

“En.” Xin Zimai explained, “The official statement has two main points. One, the crew did not film the kissing scene before the incident and there is no phenomenal breaking news of taking the initiative to kiss. Second, Lu Pinghui not only released unauthorized photos with the set’s content but also with messages insinuating the cast, deliberately induced plot discussion causing a bad impact. That’s why the crew used such a tough attitude to deal with the matter.”

He also added, “The key point is to expose the set’s content and deliberately distorting the plot to induce discussion.”

An Xumo was a little confused, “Plot discussion?”

After Xin Zimai explained, An Xumo remembered that there had been a round of discussion about the triangular relationship when the crew had a public interview before. When Lu Punghui said this, it was tantamount to stamping the relationship between Lin Rui and An Xumo acting the role in advance. This is why the crew came out and strongly denied it.

An Xumo really didn’t think about this point. He always thought that the target of this news was him but he did not expect that the crew would be involved.

Xin Zimai gave a frank answer to his doubts.

“It’s not crucial who will be affected but the key is that the crew will come forward to minimize the impact and impose the most severe punishment for Lu Pinghui.”

An Xumo listened to him and understood what he meant. However, remembering the name Yin Yuan that the two mentioned that day, he hesitated again, “To deal with him so directly……will there be any trouble?”

“There will be trouble,” Xin Zimai did not hide it. “But your brother has already dealt with this.”

An Xumo did not expect him to say this directly and subconsciously said, “That troubled brother……”

“For the time being, there is no need to rush to say thank you,” Xin Zimai sighed. “There is a reason for Jinchen to take action. He let you answer the phone today probably because of this. Xiao An, there is one more thing to tell you here.”

An Xumo curiously said, “What is it?”

“In order to make up for the impact of this revelation, after discussing with the team and the crew, they are going to shoot a little bit of your daily scenes on the set and wait for the right opportunity to release it,” Xin Zimai said. “The crew’s filming progress has already been more than halfway and you will gradually resume attending various interviews and activities afterwards. By then, the media will be asking all kinds of questions related to the period of filming Different Roads. You and the film emperor’s kissing scene will definitely be bitten to ask.”

“What you need to do is pay attention to your attitude during the interview.”

An Xumo understood a little and took the initiative, “Good. I want to keep my distance and clear the relationship—”

“No.”

Xin Zimai interrupted him.

An Xumo was stunned for a moment and heard on the other end of the phone say, “It’s to tell you not to deny the various rumors with Jinchen.”

“……”

An Xumo’s eyes widened, “Why?”

Countless complicated and different reasons flashed through his mind but none of them could convince him.

More importantly, Xin Zimai did not give him an answer.

He said, “It’s better for Jinchen to explain this matter to you.”

After the phone hung up, the room regained its calm. However, the heart of the only person left was in a mess.

“Don’t deny it head-on.” Although Xin Zimai added a sentence afterwards, “Don’t directly admit it.” But this kind of hollow answer, what kind of effect it will cause, An Xumo can definitely imagine it.

He couldn’t figure out why Xin Zimai would make such a request.

Doesn’t my brother hate spreading scandals with others?

Although it can’t be said to be a complete insulator of gossip but since the beginning of his career, Zhou Jinchen never had gossip that could be spread on a large scale nor have announced his love affair. The only thing that had been discussed on a large scale was Han Ming and the final result, An Xumo was also well aware.

In addition to Han Ming, there is also a very direct example in front. Since his brother had told him that he rejected Lin Rui’s confession, An Xumo had also paid attention to the relationship between the two people in general. Although there was nothing strange between Zhou Jinchen and Lin Rui, An Xumo found that his brother had never been alone with Lin Rui.

Zhou Jinchen was physically expressing a clear attitude: Avoidance.

But this time, why is it……

Although An Xumo doesn’t care much about various rumors in the entertainment industry, and apart from the need to work, the only news he cares about are Zhou Jinchen’s but that doesn’t mean he is not aware of the power of such news as sleeping together and the kissing scenes. Even if An Xumo leaves the set now, he can imagine what the other people in the crew are saying about them.

According to Zhou Jinchen’s usual behavior, he would certainly not allow such news to spread. 

No, An Xumo thought. It should be said that, according to common practice, his brother would never make such intimate moves with other people.

He slowly lowered his head and stared at his folded knees, feeling that the pattern on his clothes was like a black vortex that was trying to suck people in.

Although he didn’t understand the reason why Xin Zimai said not to deny the rumors positively, An Xumo could guess why this special case would be him.

The reason is that he is the only one who has maintained a brotherly relationship with Zhou Jinchen for more than ten years.

It has nothing to do with blood relation and reality. As long as there is this relationship, no matter what kind of news they spread, they won’t end up making the fake drama into reality.

This is an absolutely safe identity.

But……

An Xumo covered his eyes with his palm. He rested his other hand on his knee as if with these two layers of barriers, he could not be sucked in by the spinning pattern on the fabric.

What he was afraid of wasn’t the panic over the scandalous rumor caused by unknown reasons.

It is the fear of his immoral thoughts at the bottom of his heart that might be exposed to the sun.

–

After filming two scenes in the morning, the crew wrapped up smoothly and started lunch on time.

But unlike the usual, a piece of news spread quickly among the crowd.

The previously hired actor, Lu Pinghui, was directly dismissed by the crew by making a public statement.

Lu Pinghui has been in the group for seven or eight days, and many people in the crew have dealt with him. When he first entered the group, he brought his own barrage of ‘I have a backer, who dared to mess with me’. Not only no one dared to mess with him, but he himself had caused a lot of trouble.

It is common practice to subjectively instruct the staff, fiddle with the crew’s equipment without permission, never greeted the person in charge, and even took selfies with the key props in the crew. A staff member even came up to remind him to delete the photo but Lu Pinghui and his agent scolded him till he cried.

If not for his small part, and if Ma Zechi hadn’t stopped him, this matter would have stabbed Ma Lao.

Although Ma Lao can certainly kick people out directly, his health has not been good. Ma Zechi doesn’t want to bother his father with this kind of thing. Lu Pinghui’s backer is indeed a hard piece of iron. Ma Zechi can only appease the staff while putting Lu Pinghui’s scenes together as soon as possible so that he can finish filming and quickly roll¹get lost; go away; scram away.

Unexpectedly, Lu Pinghui kicked an even harder iron plate²kicking an even harder iron plate, something like this: others thought that they are weak and easy to bully and as a result, the other party was worse than themselves and they end up suffering. before he left the group.

Zhou Jinchen’s way of handling is still the same. He did not even show his face and only helped behind the scene with the most appropriate reasons to promote the most effective results. Most of the people in the crew didn’t even know that this matter was related to Zhou Jinchen and thought that the reason was only the one stated in the official statement.

Lu Pinghui’s relationship with the crew was not good. When this happened, it was all those people who tried to suppress their emotions without clapping their hands and cheer. The confidentiality agreement is an agreement that everyone has signed. Apart from Lu Pinghui, no one else will be stupid enough to reveal the news to the crew.

As for An Xumo who was targeted by the news, although the crew knew what had happened, An Xumo was naturally more liked than Lu Pinghui. An Xumo’s relationship with the crew is not bad, even if someone wants to target him, after Lu Pinghui’s dismissal, they also have to give birth to concerns.

From the breaking news to the dismissal, it took no more than two days for Lu Pinghui who walked sideways³overbearing/arrogant to be dealt with. If there were others who want to spread An Xumo and Zhou Jinchen’s matter…….what kind of results will be waiting for them?

Moreover, Ma Lao hates it when actors’ do publicity during filming. There are only so many people in the crew, because of the incident, when the kissing scene was filmed, all the people present were screened and registered. If they spread the gossip, not to mention whether they can achieve their expected explosive effect, even their own identities could not be hidden.

In addition, Zhou Jinchen’s team has well-known public relations ability in the entire industry……

Therefore, as Xin Zimai expected, the news which should have caused a sensation was temporarily suppressed.

The initiative is still in the hands of their team.

Unlike the crew with such complicated ideas, the news of Lu Pinghui’s dismissal from the crew spread, and the majority in social media immediately gave the most direct response.

The eye-catching headlines occupied the most prominent positions. Although the specific contents of various reports were more or less the same because of the lack of information, these reports have also earned all the clicks long ago only by the headlines. The film 《Different Roads》 which was originally the scope of focus burned a topic again and the crew’s decisive approach made the main media happy.

These media are not necessarily purely agreeable but this kind of highly relevant news is a good material that can’t be missed. Coupled with the management and instruction of the crew’s investors, the report that agrees with the crew’s vigorous and resolute handling of the results was overwhelmingly dominant.

In addition to the official reports from various media, the voices of fans can’t be ignored on Weibo, WeChat, and several major forum websites.

The focus of the media attention is on the cast and crew of 《Different Roads》. After all, Lu Pinghui did not specify a name when he broke the news. Even if they wanted to directly guess that it was An Xumo, they have to consider the possibility of being sent a lawyer’s letter. The crew made it clear in the statement that it was too late for the media who previously rubbed An Xumo’s heat to avoid suspicion so how could they take the initiative to get into trouble again.

But in the fan’s eyes, Lu Pinghui’s biggest crime is to harm An Xumo.

It insinuates, reversing black and white and describes the idol that is serious about filming as a despicable villain who tends to follow the trend. After the crew’s statement was issued, the enraged fans finally started an organized and large-scale counterattack.

The certified Weibo account used by Lu Pinghui has been completely taken over by An Xumo’s fans. The fashion brands he worked with also announced that they were ending their contracts with him under pressure. Lu Pinghui can only be regarded as a mid-range influential online celebrity on Weibo and didn’t have many die-hard fans. After causing such a scene, his fans left on the spot and there were many who turned black and stepped back.

Furthermore, some inappropriate remarks released by Lu Pinghui have also been found out by An Xumo’s fans. What is more unexpected is that someone used technical means to restore the original picture released by Lu Pinghui, combined with his previous high-profile Weibo content, they actually found evidence of his tax evasion.

This is an absolute violation of the law.

The evidence of tax evasion was posted by fans on Weibo, and the skills of the great god of technology were simply amazing. The neatly typeset, well-organized, and well-documented Weibo was turned directly out of the circle. Finally, the official certified Blue V⁴verified companies, non-profits & government institutes which has been forwarded and @ for more than 20,000 times, has stepped in and announced that the local tax bureau has been involved in the investigation of the matter.

The development of the incident took a sharp turn and the onlookers were satisfied to eat melons.

As for An Xumo’s fans, this incident is actually an important turning point.

Since his debut, An Xumo’s development can be described as smooth sailing. Accordingly, his fans’ fighting power is slightly inferior. Usually, they are cloud sucking⁵to attractMo little girls, who have little experience in fighting against black powder and gossip. As a result, the original somewhat loose cuttlefish fanbase rapidly developed a very effective, collective organization and some potential great gods have demonstrated their abilities. The fans’ growth rate was particularly impressive at least from the statistics within the fanbase.

After this incident, the number of people who have left the group because of the news wasn’t much. On the contrary, it gathered a very considerable force within the group and developed a good side-by-side friendship and ‘fighting’ ability.

The development trend of fans is particularly gratifying, but for the parties involved, he has another important problem to face.

The crew arranged four scenes on the same day. After the filming was over, there were no additional night scenes.

When the actors returned to the hotel just before eight o’clock, they came back together, found their own rooms in the hallway, and swiped their cards to enter the room. But when Zhou Jinchen wanted to enter the door, someone stopped him in a low voice.

“Jinchen.”

Lin Rui’s voice was a bit low. He hasn’t been in a good mood all day, although Zhou Jinchen didn’t notice it.

“Can I talk to you?”

He looked at Zhou Jinchen who obviously had no intention of agreeing, he whispered, “It’ll be just a minute.”

There still so many rival scenes to film and Lin Rui knew that Zhou Jinchen will not quarrel with him at this time.

As expected, Zhou Jinchen did not refuse.

“Go to my room ba.” Lin Rui gestured to the side. After so many days together, he finally gave up the idea of going to Zhou Jinchen’s room to be alone with the man……

Because none of his attempts had ever been successful.

Unexpectedly, however, Zhou Jinchen glanced at the door that was pushed halfway and swept a quick glance at the spare room card that was inserted on the wall next to the door but he said, “Don’t bother.”

Lin Rui looked at him and saw the man pushed open the door to his room and motioned him, “Come in.”

Lin Rui obviously froze for a moment. Zhou Jinchen had already walked in and he quickly followed.

The lights were turned on in the room and the bed was covered with a soft quilt without wrinkles. It’s clearly the same room layout but this room obviously reveals that it belongs to Zhou Jinchen’s style.

Concise, strict, and meticulous.

Lin Rui came in and sat down on the single sofa inside the room. Zhou Jinchen sat opposite him and took out two bottles of mineral water from the side and placed them on the table.

As if to engage in some formal business cooperation. Reserved and unwelcome.

While Lin Rui smiled bitterly in his heart, he didn’t notice that Zhou Jinchen who picked up a bottle of mineral water, scanned the room and stopped for a moment in front of the closed bathroom door.

The golden room card is still lying in Zhou Jinchen’s pocket.

The silence did not last long. Lin Rui quickly spoke up to break the silence.

He looked at Zhou Jinchen who was separated from him by a table and seriously asked, “Jinchen, is it really impossible for you to accept me?”

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The author has something to say:

Xiao Mo waited in the room to ask questions, and as a result, two people came……

There is still a hurdle before the elder brother determines his heart to chase Xiao Mo. His illness hasn’t been written yet. The next key point is the process of his enlightenment. After writing about the brother’s change of heart, it’s a long way to chase Mo (also the process of healing Xiao Mo).