Month: June 2021

Chapter 100 – I want to hear your voice

After the magazine shoot, An Xumo participated in several more activities arranged by the team and made use of all available space to complete an endorsement shoot and renew the contract. However, he still spends most of his time on his schoolwork. It wasn’t long before the first midterm exams of the university came.

The mathematics department of P University is known as ‘the first department of the first university’ where the ranking in the country is estimated to be far ahead of the second and third place. Not to mention the many big cows¹‘niu people’ online term which refers to outstanding people in a certain field.within the department, just looking at the student population, every year there are half of the students who enter the competition and the fierce competition can be seen. In addition, the failure rate is significantly higher than the other departments so one can imagine the heavy workload of the Math department and the difficulty of the exams.

Therefore, when the results came out and found that he had not failed any subjects, An Xumo who had been at the top of the list was obviously relieved.

After all, he had asked for many leave before, it was good to make sure that his grades didn’t fall below the bottom line.

The week before the exam, not only An Xumo himself was busy, Zhou Jinchen also specially made time to come out in the evening to accompany him to study. There is a separate study in the courtyard, the room has a large space, and the furnishings and layout also make people feel very comfortable. In the study, where the aromatherapy lamp is lit, there is the sound of keyboard and pen resounding from time to time. The time and night together are quietly slipping over people’s shoulders. Obviously, intangible things can’t be touched, but it carves deep traces in people’s hearts.

Although there is no intersection between the two people’s work and although An Xumo has long been used to studying by himself for a long time, as a result, when he looks back after the exam, he has to admit that those complicated steps he has solved have become blurred to the point of not being able to see them clearly and that he had forgotten when the solution was finished.

All that remains is the aromatherapy, the wooden floor, and the familiar figure that can be seen not far away.

In addition to Zhou Jinchen who accompanied him, there was also another person who appeared in An Xumo’s life because of the midterm exam.

Not only the major courses but the freshmen also had some big courses to test. An Xumo originally wanted to follow his roommates to ask for some review materials but someone took the initiative to sort out and send over the previous years’ original questions and answers.

This kind-hearted brother is Yin Hanxing.

When Yin Hanxing came over to deliver the stuff, the other people in An Xumo’s dormitory were present. Once the smiling senior brother left, three pairs of eyes were fixed on the stack of materials. Taking into account the matter of Lu Pinghui, An Xumo originally wanted to warn everyone that there might be a fraud. As a result, several people checked the answers and found that there was no big deviation between the reference answers and the scattered data collected from various places. Finally, they took over the original topic.

After the exam, An Xumo also found that these materials sent by Yin Hanxing did not have any misleading information which made him have another layer of doubt about Yin Hanxing. Apart from Lu Pinghui, An Xumo really couldn’t understand what other reason the other party had to insist on approaching him.

If he could read a few more young adult novels, or pick up a school idol drama, he might be able to understand Yin Hanxing’s intentions — all these chasing tactics are overused but they still work well.

So much that An Xumo only needs a little more confidence in his self to guess the real reason.

Unfortunately, he has neither.

After the midterm, An Xumo took on a new movie. He needed to leave the school to film with the group. As soon as he got busy, he completely forgot about Yin Hanxing.

The team had originally agreed that they would wait for the winter break before giving An Xumo a movie but the company pressed too hard and the team couldn’t hold on. Tang Tang had no choice but to confirm that An Xumo’s condition had improved. After discussing with others, she took the film contract before the midterm.

An Xumo doesn’t feel anything personally, for him, he still likes the feeling of fulfillment when working. The team treated him very well and An Xumo didn’t want them to have a hard time. After the crew started work, he soon joined the group within the allotted time.

The team was able to get a script of significantly higher quality than the previous one because of the preceding relationship with 《Different Roads》. The next film they took up this time was one of the best in terms of overall conditions.

The movie is titled 《Joy In Going Out》 which is a road comedy movie. The director has been transformed from a well-known actor. His first film, directed and acted by himself, has reaped a lot of box office which is a very successful example of transformation. This time, coupled with the director himself as the main actor in 《Joy In Going Out》, several other important roles in the film are also his old partners he had worked with, including many actors with strong box office appeal. Just by watching the movie, the film’s cast is a sufficient guarantee for the box office after its release.

In 《Joy In Going Out》, An Xumo is still a supporting actor. The film’s overall plot is divided into four parts and he will appear in only one of them, so there aren’t many scenes. However, judging from the plot, if he can really act well, this role is still very likable, along with the momentum to absorb a wave of fans is also very possible.

Therefore, for An Xumo who currently needs to consolidate his impression on behalf of the role and does not have much working time, this opportunity can simply be said to be the most suitable.

The film is shot at the film and television based in Jiangnan.²referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. An Xumo’s scenes took more than half a month, which he needs to shoot with the team. Naturally, he can’t return to B City so the course was also temporarily placed on leave.


However, although he didn’t go back, he received a phone call from B City.

Before the call came, An Xumo was watching the broadcast of CCTV News. On the screen was a celebration ceremony attended by representatives from all walks of life, and the person whom An Xumo was most familiar with was one of them.

The lighting of CCTV news programs has always been indescribable but the faces on the TV are still so good that one can’t help but take screenshots. The actor living with him hadn’t returned yet, An Xumo hesitated for a moment and pointed his phone’s camera mode at the TV.

He only took one picture and stopped, which is a big improvement compared to the previous time when he couldn’t move his eyes once he saw the picture of his brother.

As a result, once the photo was just put into the album, a phone prompt suddenly popped up on the screen.

The person who had just been photographed by An Xumo was calling.

In fact, he really didn’t talk about anything in particular. He just asked the boy if he was comfortable with the filming and whether he had eaten on time during the day. Until the phone hung up, An Xumo was still a little unresponsive.

Before that, it was hard for him to imagine that his brother would specifically call to ask about these trivial matters. After all, in An Xumo’s impression, his brother has great self-control, and each of his actions has his own purpose.

Yet this impossible imagination has clearly become a reality in front of him.

It also changed every day.

The phone call every night became the norm, coupled with the usual inquiries, the phone call also slowly talked about other things such as filming. Because of signing the confidentiality contract, the specific content of the script cannot be disclosed, but from some general issues, Zhou Jinchen also gave An Xumo a lot of very useful advice.

Not only with the filming skills but also because of the previous cooperation, Zhou Jinchen has an understanding of several actors in the crew. Which actors will patiently bring up their juniors, who likes to steal the show, and some advice on how to get along with the others, he also told it to An Xumo.

In a trance, An Xumo seems to have returned to the nights when the script was discussed during the filming of 《Different Roads》.

Due to the irregularity of the completion of work every day, the phone call became An Xumo’s call later on. There were times when he came back late from a night shoot, after dialing the phone, he fell asleep without saying a few words, and only to find himself holding the phone in his hand at dawn.

The first few times he fell asleep, An Xumo didn’t pay much attention to it until he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, and he realized that the phone screen was still showing the connection status.

An Xumo whispered a sentence as to why he didn’t turn it off and was just about to hang up when he heard the man’s voice on the other side.

“Xiao Mo? Are you awake?”

“…… Brother?” An Xumo froze for a moment, taking into account his sleeping roommate, he did not dare to raise his voice. In a daze mixed with a nasal voice, it sounded even softer.

“Why didn’t you hang up the phone……?”

“I want to hear your voice.”

When saying this, Zhou Jinchen’s tone was no different from the past as if he was calmly stating a fact.

The night was deep and his voice was low and slow, “Go back to sleep ba. It’s still dawn.”

An Xumo was so sleepy that he didn’t think about it. After fumbling to charge his phone, he fell asleep and didn’t hang up the phone. It was not until the next morning when he woke up when his roommate went to wash up, in the sound of water, An Xumo was dumbfounded by the call log on his phone.

Four hours and thirty-nine minutes, hanging up only after 5:00 am.

It’s also possible to flip forward.

In addition to those dozen or so minutes of calls that were actively hang up when awake, there are also some five hours, six hours, which are large segments of call records.

While An Xumo was asleep.

No matter how late the call is, you will pick it up as soon as possible. I think I worked overtime at night, and recalling the voice of late last night, my brother was also very awake.

Listening to your own voice…….

What is there to listen to after falling asleep, the sound of breathing?

An Xumo propped his forehead and frowned in confusion.

Moreover, he now realizes in retrospect that, except for the few times he fell asleep, he actually hung up first on all the daily calls too.

His brother has been waiting for him.

Like Yin Hanxing, An Xumo also did not understand Zhou Jinchen’s intention. However, Yin Hanxing could be ignored but not his brother.

He took another look at the two hundred and seventy-nine minutes on the screen.

….. Does the treatment need to be so serious?

An Xumo once again wavered.

In his state of being bruised all over, the boy used his bare hands to build up his defenses a little bit with the broken bricks that had been hit hard twice. He planted steel bars into the high walls he built and poured them with cement. He built them into a tall fortress, turning it into the strongest heart defense.

The boy took back all the keys he had given and even the doors he had left before were firmly sealed so that no one could ever cross this line of defense and hurt him again.

An Xumo stayed alone in the dark fortress, even if it was cold, he felt safe.

Then one day, he suddenly heard — someone sang a soft and warm song outside the fortress.

•·················•·················•

The author has something to say:

One hundred chapters, hands out some sugar~

The rotten peach blossom will be explained in the next chapter. How to make a person who lacks security who had a crush on you feel loved?

The brother’s paper on this issue must pass with high marks (^o^)

About [Why are all the rotten peach blossoms are owned by the brother, Xiao Mo doesn’t have such things as being kept, speculated, and tied]

I’ll also explain it later (in fact, the answer is very obvious la)

The sweet part has actually started wa~
•·················•·················•

Jie Jie: Wow~ we’re already at the 100th chapter! Congrats to us! 🥳

Chapter 99 – Look at me and take your time
 
The photographer with a small ponytail is surnamed Zhang, the photographer responsible for shooting An Xumo. As Zhou Jinchen had previously instructed, during the trial shoot, he gave An Xumo a number of requirements that sounded rather odd. However, judging from the final effect, it is clear that the demands made by Ponytail Zhang are still very reasonable.
 
Compared with Zhou Jinchen’s cold, hard, and handsome style, although An Xumo is also wearing black and white, it gives people a completely different impression. He wore a white shirt with a lace collar, a one-piece suit with a deformed design similar to a pair of suspenders, a slightly fluffy short shawl, and a pair of brown round leather shoes. The design sense of the clothes, mixed with his temperament, made An Xumo look like a noble young master who has never been through the affairs of the world, pure and lovely.
 
The contrast between this outfit and the one Zhou Jinchen wore was somewhat obvious which is why An Xumo froze for a moment when he just saw his brother in a horse riding outfit. He had been worried whether the two would not match if they stood together like this. As a result, after the trial shoot, he was called to the dressing room and came out with a new set of clothes.
 
Unlike Zhou Jinchen who can handle most styles, An Xumo still lacks a lot of shooting experience. The working group didn’t know him very well so they prepared several sets of plans and took their time to discover the feelings in him.
 
Therefore, in this way, An Xumo spent a little more time than Zhou Jinchen.
 
After the trial shoot, the team finished a set indoors and then moved to the pasture. Working until late at night, the team left the pasture and stayed in a hotel not far away.
 
Early the next morning, the weather turned clear. Before the sun fully rose from the sky, the light was much better than it was yesterday. The person in charge made a prompt decision to shoot outside first.
 
While the sky is not yet bright, the two people have to carry out a simple horse riding training. Zhou Jinchen has no problem since he has even shot several costume literary works. This intensive training is in fact carried out for An Xumo.
 
The working group hired a coach to come over and guide the relevant skills but is also responsible for the protection of the artists’ safety. However, what made the coach a little curious was that although An Xumo hadn’t ridden a horse before, his movements and riding posture were quite standard. When he sat on the horse, he didn’t have the nervousness that ordinary people have when they first come into contact with horses.
 
“Are you sure you really haven’t ridden it before?” the coach couldn’t help asking. Chatting with the guest is actually a way to distract and ease the tension but now, it seems that the person he has to take care of doesn’t seem to need this kind of initiative.
 
An Xumo thought for a moment, “Was helped once……”
 
“He previously rode for ten minutes.”
 
Before An Xumo’s finished his words, he was interrupted by an interjected voice.
 
Yin Hanxing walked over, he reached out and patted the black horse underneath An Xumo and smiled, “Rode Jade Rabbit with me.”
 
The coach was hired by the working group at the racecourse, naturally, he knew his young boss. After nodding and gesturing, he went around to the other side to hold the reins, leaving space for the two.
 
“Don’t be nervous, take it slow,” Yin Hanxing’s voice was pleasant and carried a magical effect that soothes people. “Black Rabbit is very well behaved and runs steadily.”
 
An Xumo couldn’t help but smile, and his taut back relaxed a little.
 
“Why are all your horses called rabbits?”
 
“Because the best horse in the stable is called Red Rabbit which is a red date.” Yin Hanxing said smiling with his peach blossom eyes, “so, the best horse in every other color has the same name.”
 
“Red Rabbit was also rented by you guys……”
 
Before Yin Hanxing finishes his words, An Xumo already looked up towards his back.
 
As if Yin Hanxing felt something, he turned his head back and an enlarged, wet horse’s nose appeared in front of him. Yin Hanxing staggered a step away and the maroon, tall horse snorted.
 
Sitting on the horse, Zhou Jinchen looked condescendingly at Yin Hanxing. The sun’s rays were blocked behind him, making the expressionless man look even more intimidating.
 
Yin Hanxing paused for a moment before resuming his smile.
 
“Mr. Zhou.”
 
An Xumo did not notice the strange atmosphere between the two, he called out “Brother Jinchen” and looked curiously around the man, “You can already ride by yourself?”
 
Zhou Jinchen withdrew his eyes on Yin Hanxing and when he turned to An Xumo, even his voice slowed down a bit.
 
“I’ve practiced before.”
 
The two horses walked side by side and soon left Yin Hanxing, who only had two legs behind. Under the care of the coach and Zhou Jinchen, An Xumo also quickly adapted to the bumpiness and speed of the black horse. When the sun came up, the sky was bright, and the shooting on horseback began.
 
The shooting on horseback was quite smooth. When the photos were finished, the difficulty of the rest of the shooting was significantly reduced. Although there was a constant need to change clothes and makeup, for An Xumo who is used to the life of an artist, this kind of thing is no longer a challenge.
 
The only special thing is that the photo is a double cover which is much more difficult than a single photoshoot.
 
There are two types of two-person fashion magazine photoshoots, one is the group shot method, where the subjects do not overlap with each other much and even two people can be shot in separate studios and then edited together in a post. The shooting of Ming Entertainment clearly belongs to the second type — there is a clear sense of interaction between the subjects and blocking anyone will have an impact on the perception of the photo.
 
Therefore, during the initial shoot, Ponytail Zhang and another ace photographer wearing a blue square scarf specifically told the two that they need not purposely look at each other or intentionally create obvious eye contact but that they had to conform to the shot.
 
An Xumo remembered these instructions and did what they said. As a result, after shooting a few sets in the pasture, Zhou Jinchen went to change clothes, and Ponytail Zhang and the blue square scarf who were in charge of the two, stood together to discuss for a while but walked towards An Xumo.
 
Ponytail Zhang spoke briefly but bluntly, “You don’t give enough attention to Teacher Zhou.”
 
When he said that, not only An Xumo, but also the whole working group was a little confused.
 
In fact, at the very beginning, the person in charge had also considered the lack of interaction between the two. But at that time, everyone was worried about Zhou Jinchen — even when he was just starting out and couldn’t get any resources, he hadn’t done any cover shoots with others. So far, all the group photos Zhou Jinchen has taken are movie stills, and it’s easy to see his rejection of non-single covers when you look at his past shooting experience.
 
As for the other person, the working group didn’t worry much about it. Generally, this kind of cooperation object with a disparity in status, the lower one needs to restrain emotions. If one side is too headstrong, it will appear a little awkward in front of the camera.
 
As a result, when they arrived on set, anyone with eyes could see that Zhou Jinchen was the one who cared most about An Xumo — even An Xumo’s own agent couldn’t follow him around at all times. The person in charge put this worry aside for the time being but to his surprise, when the shooting really started, An Xumo became the one who did not interact enough.
 
An Xumo nodded stiffly in full view of everyone. He was about to say something but he was called out by Zhou Jinchen who came out of the dressing room.
 
“Xiao Mo,” Zhou Jinchen signaled, “it’s your turn.”
 
“Okay!”
 
An Xumo answered hurriedly.
 
There are only temporary changing rooms on the pasture so they need to take turns to go in to change clothes. An Xumo trotted over and quietly breathed a sigh of relief as he walked past Zhou Jinchen, with his clothes in his arms, he was about to close the door when the doorknob was pulled.
 
An Xumo subconsciously looked up and the man outside the door looked over. He had handsome looks and a deep and low voice.
 
“Relax, take your time.”
 
The dressing room’s door was closed and the focus of attention was quickly taken back by Zhou Jinchen who turned around.
 
Zhou Jinchen looked back at the dressing room and then walked towards the crowd.
 
What he wanted to say just now was actually “look at me”.
 
When he opened his mouth, in the end, he changed it to “take your time”.
 
Perhaps it was the photographer’s advice or perhaps because of Zhou Jinchen’s comforting, after changing into a new costume, An Xumo quickly entered the state, and the shooting process became increasingly smooth.
 
After the grassland part was finished, the team moved to Ye Mountain for the next shoot. Before leaving, Yin Hanxing also appeared, after talking to the person in charge, he came over to find An Xumo.
 
In fact, from the looks of it, Yin Hanxing is not the type of person who is very easy to get along with. Although he often wears a smile, he always gives people a feeling of distance. However, for some reason, he always took extra care of An Xumo.
 
After the two talked a few words, Yin Hanxing handed over a pendant in the shape of a snow-white pony.
 
“It’s braided from the hair dropped by Jade Rabbit and it’s given to you as a souvenir.”
 
While waiting for the person to take the item over, Yin Hanxing smiled again and said, “Looking forward to our next meeting.”
 
An Xumo paused. He always felt that they did not seem to be familiar with each other to this extent.
 
Without waiting for the boy to figure out how to answer, Zhou Jinchen who was at the side reached out and directly pulled the person away.
 
The scenery of Ye Mountain is also captivating. The maple leaves began to turn red, dappled with fiery red burns among the leaves, dyed with a strong sense of autumn. It took a whole day to shoot and it was only the next afternoon that the team left N City and returned to B City.
 
It wasn’t yet late when he returned so An Xumo went back to school first. As soon as he came back, he received the Equestrian Club’s leaflet on campus. Looking at the figure on the paper that was placed in the most extreme position, An Xumo couldn’t help but frown.
 
This Yin Hanxing……who exactly is this person?
 
After dealing with the accumulated news over the past two days, An Xumo thought about it and finally opened the school’s forum.
 
He searched for Yin Hanxing as keywords and a whole page of related posts soon popped up on the screen.
 
It seems that Yin Hanxing can be considered a popular figure in P University.
 
An Xumo roughly browsed through, there were three or four independent posts related to Yin Hanxing alone. In addition, there are also a variety of activity posts, selection posts, gossip posts, and so on, in which there is a lot of news related to Yin Hanxing.
 
What An Xumo didn’t expect was that Yin Hanxing was actually foreign Chinese.¹Chinese having foreign citizenship.
 
Yin Hanxing was admitted to the school as an international student and is a senior this year. Since he had created the Equestrian Club, he had been gossiped about his family’s situation. Despite all kinds of news, they prove that his family was indeed very well-off.
 
An Xumo clicked on an event post that showed Yin Hanxing’s name. It talks about some of the top ten singers of previous years. Yin Hanxing seems to have also participated in this competition and some people spoke in the post, wondering why he had such good conditions but didn’t debut.
 
The following post caught An Xumo’s attention.
 
[Panda burning candles: Isn’t his uncle one of the top-level members of Jin Dian? All he needs to make a debut is a word. It’s just not his aspiration.]
 
The next few pages were filled with gossip and some people questioned the content of this follow-up post. However, this information seems to have been available three or four years ago, and a number of links were soon posted. In addition to the scattered clues, there was one related piece of information that was particularly noteworthy — Yin Yuan, a director of Jin Dian, whose son is named Yin Hanyue.
 
Yin Hanxing, Yin Hanyue, just by looking at their names, one can guess that they are family.
 
When he saw the name Yin Yuan, An Xumo couldn’t help but stare blankly.
 
Isn’t he the one who previously moved next to brother’s residence and also frequently talked to brother at the housewarming banquet…. is he the one who is the top executive of Jin Dian?
 
So Yin Hanxing came into contact with him because of Yin Yuan?
 
An Xumo thought and couldn’t help but have some doubts, but his relationship with his brother, there should be no one in the entertainment industry know about it.
 
However, apart from his brother, what did he have to do with this Director Yin?
 
An Xumo suddenly paused.
 
He remembered.
 
During the filming of 《Different Roads》 previously, a supporting actor who once spread news about him on Weibo was finally dismissed by the crew. At that time, when Xin Zimai said this matter, he mentioned Yin Yuan’s name.
 
Lu Pinghui’s dismissal had something to do with him more or less. The more An Xumo thought about it, the more it makes sense. It seems likely that it was because of Lu Pinghui that Yin Hanxing came to deliberately approach him.
 
Moreover, this kind of thing probably has nothing to do with Yin Yuan — if Yin Yuan wants to take revenge, he can do it directly at the company, why go around in such a big circle and choose the school.
 
So, it was Yin Hanxing’s own idea?
 
An Xumo wondered vacantly. How could this young master think of standing up for Lu Pinghui?
 
Is it because…… Yin Hanxing likes Lu Pinghui and can’t bear to see the person he likes suffer so he deliberately came close to him and wants to wait for an opportunity to retaliate?
 
Thinking about it, An Xumo couldn’t help touching his nose.
 
Then he must take note to stay away from Yin Hanxing in the future. People who like Lu Pinghui…… are certainly birds of the same feather flock together.
 
An Xumo’s thinking is extremely divergent, but from the very start, he denied all the possibilities that Yin Hanxing had taken the initiative to show his kindness is because he was interested in him.
 
•·················•·················•
 
The author has something to say:
 
The love rival has not made great achievements and was strangled to death in the ashes by Xiao Mo himself.
 
Brother expressed his satisfaction.

•·················•·················•

Jie Jie: Poor Hanxing lmao 😂

Chapter 98 – The use of horsewhip and love rival
 
In the distance, Yin Hanxing and the person in charge chatted for a while before the two of them came their way.
 
The costume and prop team were still preparing so the two people who were about to be photographed were still free from the time being. The person in charge introduced Yin Hanxing to them and said, “The horse farm is owned by Mr. Yin’s family and he will show us the horses to be used in the shooting later.”
 
Yin Hanxing was wearing a denim jacket with a pair of Dr. Martens boots on his feet. His hair was simply tidied, looking fresh and handsome. He obviously also recognized An Xumo, without waiting for the person in charge to introduce him, he came up and took the initiative to call out the other party’s name.
 
“Xiao An? What a coincidence.” Yin Hanxing smiled, “I just sent Jade Rabbit¹[Chinese mythology] The Jade Rabbit; alternative name for 月兔 (yuètù, “the Moon Rabbit”). (literary, figuratively) the moon.back. My family asked me to come over to help the crew but I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
 
The person in charge didn’t expect Yin Hanxing to know An Xumo but he was clearly happy to see the two talking to each other. When someone called him from the side, the person in charge went ahead and only the three people were left in the same place.
 
It was indeed a coincidence. An Xumo greeted Yin Hanxing and asked, “Jade Rabbit?”
 
Yin Hanxing looked at An Xumo, his peach blossom eyes were smiling. There was always an illusion of affection when he looked at the person.
 
“It’s the white horse that we rode together.”
 
When the two talked, Zhou Jinchen on the side never said a word until he heard this sentence. Blue veins appeared on his forehead and finally opened his mouth and interrupted, “Mr. Yin.”
 
Yin Hanxing turned his eyes over as if he only saw another person next to him.
 
He didn’t ask why Zhou Jinchen called him instead he showed a smile but not a smile kind of expression and took the initiative to extend his hand towards Zhou Jinchen, “Mr. Zhou.”
 
Zhou Jinchen looked at him and the two people’s eyes crossed. Finally, Zhou Jinchen raised his right hand and they simply exchanged a handshake.
 
An Xumo stood at the side and looked at them curiously, always feeling that the atmosphere between the two was a bit odd. He couldn’t help but say, “Brother Jinchen, did you know each other before?”
 
The person who answered was Yin Hanxing. He looked at Zhou Jinchen and smiled meaningfully, “Mr. Zhou is so famous, how can anyone not know him?”
 
Zhou Jinchen narrowed his eyes but did not retort.
 
This slightly weird atmosphere did not last long. Soon, someone came and told them to put on make-up and change clothes. After hurriedly saying goodbye to Yin Hanxing, An Xumo and Zhou Jinchen went into the dressing room in the wooden house together.
 
This time, Ming Entertainment’s invitation wasn’t only for the cover, but also to complete a set of more than twenty shots. The shooting process is much more wearisome than ordinary studio shooting. Before the official shooting, they also have to complete a makeup trial.
 
The team arrived at the meadow at a late hour, coupled with a cloudy day. Today, the light became even more inadequate. After finishing the styling and changing clothes, the team moved to the indoor area where the conditions were satisfactory.
 
Zhou Jinchen was the first to put on makeup while An Xumo changed clothes and came back. Zhou Jinchen was already standing under the spotlight. He wore a long slim black jacket with a pure white lining on his upper body and dark gray tights on his bottoms, plus a pair of black shiny riding boots, a complete set of riding outfits.
 
Zhou Jinchen’s appearance is already eye-catching, coupled with these tailor-made clothes, he looks even more aggressive. He simply stood in place which was enough to give people the illusion that they will be burned but can’t help but want to look even more. In addition to the spotlight overhead, the man’s light spread more dazzlingly, so much that the originally messy field at this time seemed to be suddenly pumped out of air, repressed and quiet.
 
An Xumo missed a beat before he found his breathing.
 
Ming Entertainment’s two ace photographers have not yet arrived, those present are backup photographers. With Zhou Jinchen’s status, he doesn’t need to receive regular instructions. Coupled with the accumulation of long experience, his natural camera sense also allows him to effortlessly show full tension. Along with the advantage of no dead angle, Zhou Jinchen can easily get the feeling that the photographers desire without even thinking about choosing the most photogenic angle.
 
No one spoke at the scene and the photographers directly began to shoot. The set was still very quiet, the ‘click’ ‘click’ sounded constantly and every sound is clearly audible.
 
An Xumo stood not far away from the place, looking at the photos shown on the enlarged screen. The man’s body proportions are excellent, wearing a long black cloak to make his body more slender. The outline of his side profile is stiff and three-dimensional, his brow ridges cast a light shadow over his eyes, and when he faces the camera, it is a kind of aggressive beauty that makes people can’t help but hold their breath.
 
Every move is a breathtaking experience.
 
After a brief shot, a staff member handed over the props needed for the shoot. An Xumo looked over only to see that the horsewhip he had taken a fancy to before was held by the slender fingers wrapped in white gloves.
 
While lying in the long brocade box, the whip handle has attracted An Xumo’s attention but when it was held in the hands of Zhou Jinchen, it really came to life.
 
The slim-fit riding outfit carried restrictions and restraints similar to uniforms that are somewhat wilder. This contradictory temperament has been perfectly rendered by Zhou Jinchen and the same goes for the horsewhip that is black in body and cold in luster.
 
It imparts discipline and cold abstinence but gives birth to a deeper desire.
 
The set was already very quiet but the atmosphere becomes more subtle when the strongly suggestive horsewhip is shown in the light.
 
There is fear, the torture device made for beast arouse fear from the bottom of people’s heart but at the same time, there is a kind of suppression, forbearance, and explicable expectation that slowly grows out.
 
A man with handsome eyebrows and a cold face holding a horsewhip, the long and hard whip handle will draw a cold snap in the air. The square whip’s snap shows a hard texture and the pain caused can be imagined at a glance.
 
It was an overwhelming and high sensual pressure that one couldn’t help but surrender. The desire to be dominated surged from the bottom of one’s heart and even the pain that is supposed to arouse fear has become a gratifying gift. (T/N: Author…please aaahh qaq)
 
This was supposed to be a makeup trial session but no one cared about the makeup anymore.
 
As An Xumo watched, he suddenly understood what the little brother had said at that time — this horsewhip was for Mr. Zhou.
 
Only his temperament can accomplish such a perfect fit.
 
An Xumo actually did not quite understand why the atmosphere around him was so odd. He only felt that looking at Zhou Jinchen as such, he couldn’t help but feel an indescribable feeling in his heart.
 
The brother in front of the camera reminded him of the feeling a long time ago, the sun hanging high in the sky, emitting an incomparable dazzling light.
 
Warm and bright but unattainable.
 
There was a commotion outside the door, An Xumo looked up and saw the person in charge walking in with a few people followed by the two ace photographers and Yin Hanxing, whom he had just met.
 
They had just gone to check the environment of the pasture and thus, have just come back. Once they saw Zhou Jinchen under the spotlight, several people also paused for a moment, especially the two photographers as their eyes were all lit up.
 
Yin Hanxing who was following at the end first glanced at An Xumo who was standing by the monitoring screen and then turned his gaze to Zhou Jinchen. He raised his hand and rubbed the corner of his lips with a meaningful look in his eyes.
 
Zhou Jinchen’s makeup trial ended. When he left the lighting board, the others were still a bit unresponsive. The person in charge and the two photographers went over to look at the photos that had just been taken, while Zhou Jinchen walked over in the direction of An Xumo.
 
The man’s dress hasn’t changed and he was still holding the whip. A staff member next to him wanted to take it but he waved his hand and said something to the person.
 
When Zhou Jinchen walked up to An Xumo, the aura around him was completely different from that in front of the camera.
 
“Wait until you try it out.” There is a gap in height between the two and Zhou Jinchen lowered his eyes to look at the boy. “Ming Entertainment’s photographers are not the same as other magazines. You don’t have to be nervous, just listen to their requirements.”
 
His tone remained calm and steady but it doesn’t sound cold at all. “Relax, don’t be nervous.”
 
An Xumo looked up at him and nodded obediently. Zhou Jinchen glanced back and saw that several of them were still looking at the photos so he handed over what he was holding.
 
Reaching out to take the whip, An Xumo’s face still had obvious doubts written on it.
 
“Do you like this?” Zhou Jinchen said, reaching out to cover the back of An Xumo’s hand.
 
With leather gloves on the back of his hand, he actually doesn’t feel any strange body temperature. It’s just that the man’s movements are gentle and he is very patient in correcting his gestures.
 
“Like this, put it here and hold it.” Zhou Jinchen taught the correct way of holding the whip to An Xumo, then let go of his hand and let the boy try it himself.
 
“If you like it, you can use it when riding horses on the location afterwards.”
 
An Xumo’s eyes lit up for a moment, “Can I use it too?”
 
“Mm.” Looking at the boy’s expression, Zhou Jinchen couldn’t help but want to touch the other’s hair. However, taking into account the environment, he finally resisted the desire to raise his hand. “The horsewhip is originally for horseback riding.”
 
A staff member came up to help An Xumo to put on simple makeup, the boy reluctantly returned the whip. Apparently, he had thrown away the unattainable thought he had just a moment ago to an unknown place.
 
Soon, someone came to call him and under the watchful eyes of Zhou Jinchen, An Xumo walked towards the spotlight and started his own trial shoot.
 
Unlike Zhou Jinchen just now, this time the person mainly in charge of An Xumo’s shooting was replaced by one of the two new aces. He had a small ponytail at the back of his head and quickly made a lot of requests to An Xumo in front of the camera.
 
An Xumo’s appearance and camera sense is not bad but compared to Zhou Jinchen, he still needs certain supplementary conditions to get into the shooting state.
 
While the boy was shooting, Zhou Jinchen was watching not far away, he was still wearing a long black jacket. After reining in the gentleness he had just faced with An Xumo, he looked a little repulsive this time.
 
However, there is still a person who approached very naturally.
 
As soon as Zhou Jinchen raised his eyes, he saw Yin Hanxing beside him.
 
Yin Hanxing raised his hand to gesture and said with a smile, “Don’t look at me so fiercely, Mr. Zhou.”
 
“Perhaps……” He smiled at the expressionless man, his voice softened so that only the two of them could hear.
 
“We might even be a family in the future.”
 
•·················•·················•

The author has something to say:
 
Let’s see if anyone can guess the meaning of the last sentence correctly.
 
Xiao Mo (excited): My brother said la, I can use the whip~
 
Brother (face unchanged): Mm.
 
Everyone: ……? ? ? ? We may not be thinking of the same usage…….
 
In fact, my brother wants to teach another one, but he is reluctant.

Chapter 97 – Bedtime stories and love rival

Jie Jie: Sorry for the delayed update, it was quite a busy day (*_ _)人

•·················•·················•
 
The words fell for a long time and An Xumo still did not have any obvious reaction. From the time he heard An He’s name, his state has been very slow, like a cub that has been frozen for too long, moving his tail takes a lot of effort.
 
Zhou Jinchen didn’t pursue the question nor did he repeat it. He even slightly relaxed the strength of his hands so that the boy in his arms could be held more comfortably.
 
An Xumo’s body is still shivering uncontrollably, Zhou Jinchen reached over along the side of his body and held the boy’s cold and trembling fingertips.
 
He passed on his temperature in silence.
 
After a long time, the man opened his mouth again, and the hoarse voice caused a slight tremor in the cool air.
 
He asked, “Is it okay?”
 
An Xumo moved, Zhou Jinchen lowered his eyes to look at him, the boy’s gaze is still somewhat empty as if a touch can dissipate in the air.
 
His voice was even lower than Zhou Jinchen’s, as if his vocal cords had just been sharpened by gravel.
 
“Or……no need,” An Xumo slowly moves his eyes away, “I, myself can also……”
 
Zhou Jinchen did not retreat because of the obvious resistance in the other party’s words.
 
“Everyone should live for themselves,” he tightened his fingers and gently rubbed the cold, stiff, and thin fingers in his hands, “but this doesn’t prevent us from absorbing sunlight from the outside world.”
 
Perhaps the words poked the deepest part of the heart, An Xumo was silent and did not continue to resist.
 
It was late at night and the empty porridge bowl was left on the table. There was a gap on the door of the living room, the sound of footsteps slowly extended to the bedroom, and the two people returned together to An Xumo’s room.
 
The lights in the room came on and the warm orange light fell down, giving a soft layer of gold on An Xumo’s black hair. Zhou Jinchen tucked him in the quilt and, like coaxing a child, touched An Xumo’s forehead.
 
“Do you still feel uncomfortable?”
 
He still remembered how his younger brother looked when he had his last attack.
 
An Xumo closed his eyes and exhaled one word in a soft voice.
 
“Cold.”
 
Zhou Jinchen looked around. He went to the cabinet and found a duvet. The double-layer warm, snow-white, soft quilt was warm enough that after wrapping the person tightly, Zhou Jinchen picked up the round boy and hugged him in a relaxed manner.
 
The body heat and duvet together make the warmth.
 
The lights in the room turned dim and the dim light set off a drowsy atmosphere. The boy was wrapped in a thick duvet and his thin chin was covered a little, leaving only the cold, soft, cheek that is gently pressed on the man’s hard shoulder blade.
 
An Xumo’s hair is very soft, close to the side of a person’s neck, the touch feels like a fluffy little animal. Zhou Jinchen held him in his arms; the other person’s weight doesn’t feel much heavier than that of a kitten.
 
The moon hung high and in the quiet night, Zhou Jinchen who has never liked to talk opened his mouth at this time and told the story of a long time ago, little by little.
 
There is a small dumpling that was born fair and his looks carved by jade, very cute. He likes to laugh, rarely cries, well-behaved, and easy to coax, and everyone who sees him likes him to the point they can’t help but want to reach out to tease.
 
Later, the little dumpling slowly draws out a long strip and softly chased after a person and called him brother. He is very satisfied. He can read a book in his arms all afternoon and be happy for a long time with a piece of milk candy.
 
After the incident, Zhou Jinchen’s memory was also intermittent, vaguely covered with a veil. However, since sorting out his thoughts, he began to recall these memories of his early years.
 
Therefore, these stories that came out of his mouth, even if they are trivial, they are incomparably true and vivid.
 
There was no lighted clock in the room and time ran away quietly in the magnetic voice. Don’t know how long has passed, the boy in his arms hasn’t moved. Just when Zhou Jinchen thought the other party had fallen asleep, a cool feeling quietly came from his shoulder.
 
“……”
 
Zhou Jinchen’s voice couldn’t help but pause.
 
Unlike the last time in the hospital, the boy’s crying this time was extremely quiet. He even made an effort to slow down his breathing but he couldn’t control his tears and quietly wet Zhou Jinchen’s shoulder.
 
The air was filled with depression, like a hand reaching out from the darkness, firmly holding a person’s heart. The repressed breathing with nasal sounds came from his bosom, passed upward to the ears, and pierced into the bottom of the heart.
 
Zhou Jinchen didn’t pause for long and continued to tell the story.
 
After preparing to lay all cards on the table with An Xumo on the identity of An He, Zhou Jinchen retrieved the suggestion from Li Qiucheng who is connected remotely. At present, An Xumo’s situation is a little better than expected.
 
It’s much better to be able to vent out than hold back until the panic attack sets in.
 
The night was shrouded in darkness; the low magnetic voice weaves into a warm and firm net bed. A man who has never told a bedtime story, accompanied by a boy who has never heard a bedtime story, spent a quiet early autumn night.
 
—-
 
The next morning, Tang Tang who flew in from S City, came over with her luggage in a dusty manner.¹travel-wornShe was startled before entering the alley, and after stepping into the courtyard, she was once again surprised.
 
This location, this area, this decoration……
 
Poverty limits the ability of working people to dream.
 
An Xumo took a leave of absence from school in order to take a set of cover photos. This photoshoot wasn’t only An Xumo’s first activity since school started but also the highest standard of the magazine he received. That’s why Tang Tang made a special effort to come over.
 
After getting off the plane and taking a taxi, it was already late when Tang Tang arrived. Yet, An Xumo seemed to have just woken up with distinct sleepiness written on his face.
 
However, he seems to be in good shape and his body doesn’t have the same strong sense of fatigue as before. Although she had kept in touch before, when she saw it with her own eyes, Tang Tang was really relieved.
 
It seems that the learning atmosphere of P University is quite good and Xiao Mo has obviously relaxed a lot.
 
Tang Tang naturally doesn’t know that it’s not just school life that made An Xumo improve evidently. On the other hand, the man with the greatest credit has no intention to show it, he is concentrating on choosing breakfast for his younger brother.
 
“Brother,” An Xumo called out to him, his voice still somewhat restrained, “I’m not hungry……”
 
He went to bed so late last night that he naturally had no appetite when he was woken up in the morning. The only progress was that he could call out his brother smoothly.
 
“Long ride on the road.” Zhou Jinchen only said and pushed the things in the tray over.
 
After breakfast, the people set off. When he got into the car, An Xumo still didn’t react until the car was getting closer to the destination. It was only then did he look at Zhou Jinchen as an afterthought.
 
The man sitting beside him immediately noticed his sight, “What’s wrong, carsickness?”
 
“No,” An Xumo shook his head, he hesitantly said, “Brother, do you want to come too……?”
 
Zhou Jinchen looked at him, “Tang Tang didn’t tell you about today’s work?”
 
“Yes.” An Xumo said, “She said to shoot the cover for Ming Entertainment.”
 
Zhou Jinchen raised his eyebrows and his magnetic voice carried some imperceptible pleasure.
 
“Double cover.”
 
An Xumo froze for a moment, “……Double?”
 
As for whom the other person is, one should be able to guess when one thinks about it.
 
The cover that An Xumo is going to shoot this time belongs to Ming Entertainment. The Ming Entertainment magazine is one of the top five fashion magazines and the candidates for the covers of the top five magazines are the most popular artists and models nowadays. They represent the top fashion resources and commercial value. With Ming Entertainment’s men’s magazine, Zhou Jinchen has been able to win five major magazine slams but for An Xumo, this is the first time he has been on the top five.
 
Top fashion resources are not much easier than the big director of a movie. The team had already prepared for a long-term attack but they did not expect to receive the invitation of Ming Entertainment at all. At that time, Tang Tang looked at it three times in a row to confirm that it was true. 
 
But sitting in the car, next to the man, An Xumo was vaguely aware of something.
 
He remembered the expensive gifts given to the media in his name on his eighteenth birthday and also remembered that in the magazines he had brought before, Zhou Jinchen’s covers were all single covers.
 
He has access to this resource……I think it’s because of my brother ba.
 
Last night’s encounter removed the huge stone engraved with the word ‘mother’ from the bottom of An Xumo’s heart, taking the load off and stripping away the sharpest pains. And after the emotions gradually returned to normal, An Xumo couldn’t help but feel a little shaken by the ‘stimulated romance as therapy’.
 
Perhaps…..
 
It’s just that for now, he doesn’t dare think about it deeply yet.
 
The vehicle passed without hindrance. After arriving at the Ming Entertainment Group’s building, the prepared working group soon rejoined the road with the two. What they are going to shoot this time is not a studio film, but a location and the shooting time last about two or three days. According to the person in charge, there are even filming plans for horseback riding. (E/N: Lol. Covering the other horseback riding memory. T/N: Lmao. True.)
 
The group left B City and headed north to N City where the venue was located. The theme color of this shooting is autumn yellow and the scene is mainly selected in two places. One is the Ye Mountain covered with maple trees and the second is the grassland where the grass leaves turning yellow. The Ye Mountain has wooden houses and the grassland has fences. It has both natural scenery and man-made fire, the filming effect is expected to be good.
 
The team first drove to the grassland, which is a privately contracted place. To be precise, it’s actually a horse farm and the horses to be rented are also kept in this place. The working group had already negotiated a contract with the owner of the horse farm and after the gatekeeper let them go, they drove into the open, endless meadow.
 
The scenery was magnificent all around, An Xumo kept looking out the window as soon as the car pulled in. The team stopped at the selected location and the working group counted the equipment while the boy walked around the perimeter.
 
The soft, grass leaves swayed in the wind, like a golden ocean. When one is in the middle of it, one’s mood will naturally brighten.
 
When An Xumo returned after looking around, the costume team was already dismantling the props. He immediately saw the long box placed in the pile of props. After seeking permission from the staff, he carefully took the thing over.
 
On the soft and smooth brocade lay a black and shiny hard long whip. The long whip has smooth lines and cold luster, and the hard body of the whip is the length of a man’s arm. With a leather-wrapped handle on one end and a flat whip beat on the other. ²T/N: Oya? What is this k*$#y thing!! HAHAHAHA. E/N: Is this foreshadowing HAHAHAHAHA. T/N: Apologies for our corrupted minds lmao but I’m sure everyone thought of it too~~ *winks
 
An Xumo had never seen such a thing but was attracted by it at first glance.
 
“What is this? Is it also for shooting too?” He asked the staff on the side.
 
The little brother nodded, “Yes, this is a horsewhip.”
 
Seeing An Xumo’s eyes light up all of a sudden, the little brother hurriedly added, “but this is not for you.”
 
“Huh?” An Xumo was stunned for a moment.
 
The little brother pointed to the man standing next to him, “It’s for Mr. Zhou.”
 
Zhou Jinchen, who was envied by his own younger brother, did not notice this matter.
 
His attention at this time is focused on a young man talking with the person in charge.
 
An Xumo, who had put down the box, came over and followed Zhou Jinchen’s line of sight, also noticed the figure.
 
“Yi?” An Xumo said in surprise. “That seems to be my classmate in P University. I didn’t expect to meet him here……”
 
Before the boy could say the other person’s name, Zhou Jinchen had already silently pronounced the three words.
 
The one who hugged his younger brother on the back of the horse, dr4p3d his coat over Xiao Mo, and almost had a scandal with Xiao Mo,
 
Yin Hanxing.