Besides the paper bag containing clothes, Xin Zimai also gave An Xumo a clean towel. After briefly wiping the damp marks on his chest, An Xumo put on the brand-new shirt and pants. These clothes seemed to be casual wear, much more comfortable than the formal shirt he had worn earlier. However, due to the size difference, they were noticeably loose on him.
When asked for his address, An Xumo was in the middle of folding the two damp garments. No one had ever taught him how to fold clothes, so even though he had been living independently for a while, his movements were still somewhat clumsy. After hearing Xin Zimai’s question, An Xumo paused, looking up at him in disbelief. “But… I live on the top floor ah?”
Xin Zimai turned the wheel and started driving the RV. “You live in the last row of the company dormitories?”
An Xumo nodded blankly, “Yes.”
Xin Zimai asked, “Then have you seen the building across the street?”
An Xumo thought for a moment, “That high-rise villa?”
He lived in an eight-person dormitory, the worst accommodation available, which was why he had been placed in a remote corner, far from the building in front. However, that area was not the only residential complex. Across the fence and the roadway was another housing district.
Xin Zimai coughed lightly, “How do you know that the villa is across the street?”
An Xumo replied, “You can see them from the hallway windows. The rooftops there are open-air gardens.”
Xin Zimai nodded. “That’s right. But do you know that your own building also has an open-air garden on the rooftop?”
An Xumo was taken aback. “…Yi?”
The RV exited through a side gate. Since the necessary registration had been completed in advance, there was no obstruction as they left. While driving, Xin Zimai explained, “Your building is the farthest one if you enter from the main entrance of the employee district. But if you go through the central avenue of the residential area, it’s actually in the best location. That area has a total of 20-30 buildings, and the top floors are all high-rise villas. These were specially reserved by Jin Dian as benefits for executives and artists.”
The artists he referred to were, of course, not just ordinary signed contracted stars. Jin Dian has produced 3-4 top-tier superstars that are labeled as “First Brother,” “First Sister.” Even in terms of seniority alone, there were plenty of notable names.
Xin Zimai continued, “But many seniors prefer more private spaces. Mr. Zhou only acquired that property because of work needs. He’s currently staying there. If you want to go over, you can ask him first.”
The impact of this offer was a bit too strong—almost like suddenly winning a 30-day buffet pass. An Xumo didn’t react immediately and dazedly asked, “But… our floor doesn’t seem to have any way to go further up?”
Xin Zimai chuckled. “The entrance to the high-rise villas isn’t the same as the units below. You also need to go through identity verification before entering. So, you’d have to ask Mr. Zhou first. He can take you there.”
An Xumo was little afraid to accept this buffet pass, afraid that indulging in it would make the boss dislike him. “Thank you, but I might trouble Mr. Zhou… I’ll wait for another opportunity to talk about it.”
Xin Zimai didn’t let his polite refusal end the conversation. “If we’re talking about trouble, tonight has already caused you quite a bit of inconvenience.”
Through the rearview mirror, he looked at An Xumo. “You’re signed with Jin Dian, right? Who are you currently working with?”
An Xumo mentioned Tang Tang’s name. Xin Zimai nodded but didn’t say more. “If you’re tired, get some rest. You can recline the seat by pressing the button on the side. It’s still over two hours to Jin Dian—I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
An Xumo softly thanked him and placed his folded clothes on the back seat. He knew it wasn’t the most polite thing to fall asleep while alone with someone, but the intense training of the past few days, combined with today’s series of shocks, had left him physically and mentally exhausted.
After the seat was reclined, Xin Zimai turned on the car’s audio system. The song playing was one of Zhou Jinchen’s previously released singles. The familiar, deep, and soothing male voice carried a calming charm. Completely drained, An Xumo finally couldn’t hold on any longer and drifted off into sleep.
The RV had ample space, a comfortable temperature, and thanks to its smooth performance, there were no major jolts along the way. An Xumo slept deeply, only beginning to regain consciousness when faint noises reached his ears.
A hazy grayness surrounded him. The lights inside the vehicle had been dimmed to a night mode. An Xumo drowsily opened his eyes, only to see an unexpected silhouette in front of him.
He stared in a daze for a moment. Even though his eyes were open, he felt like he was still dreaming.
The figure quickly moved away, and the lights inside the vehicle brightened. The sudden brightness stung An Xumo’s eyes, making him instinctively shut them. As he heard the sound of the car door opening beside him, he raised a hand to shield his eyes and sat up, only to see Xin Zimai poking his head in. “Awake?”
An Xumo figured he must have been mistaken earlier and nodded at Xin Zimai.
Xin Zimai said, “We’re here, come down.”
An Xumo followed him out of the car. Though it was already summer, the night breeze was still cool. The temperature outside was a bit low, and wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, he couldn’t help but shiver. The lingering drowsiness in his mind vanished completely.
He was wearing Zhou Jinchen’s clothes, but since their body sizes were different, the tailored outfit looked rather loose on him. The movement of stepping out of the car was quite large, and the loosely hanging pants around his waist felt cumbersome. Worried that he might step on the fabric, An Xumo moved with extra caution.
Just as he set foot on the ground, before he even had the chance to adjust his borrowed pants, a deep voice beside him asked, “Are you injured?”
An Xumo froze and looked up blankly. Zhou Jinchen stood about a meter away from the car door, frowning as he looked at him.
“Huh?” Xin Zimai, who had been closing the car door, looked up at the question. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Only then did An Xumo find his voice. He quickly shook his head. “No, no, I’m fine. I’m not injured.”
Xin Zimai almost laughed at the three consecutive denials.
He cleared his throat and glanced at Zhou Jinchen, only to see that the man’s expression hadn’t relaxed much. Zhou Jinchen’s gaze swept over An Xumo’s legs before he asked again, “Did I step on you during the collision?”
It took An Xumo a moment to realize that the other party was referring to the accident at the birthday banquet. He quickly replied, “No, you didn’t step on me. I’m really fine.”
He wanted to explain, but the real reason was somewhat embarrassing to talk about. Speaking in front of the two of them, his voice involuntarily lowered. “It’s because of the pants… The waistband is a bit thick, and I was afraid they’d fall down…”
Xin Zimai really couldn’t hold it in this time—he leaned against the car door and burst out laughing. An Xumo looked at him in confusion, and Xin Zimai quickly waved a hand. “Sorry, sorry.”
But even as he apologized, his laughter didn’t stop.
Zhou Jinchen shot him a sideways glance and reached for a paper bag from the car roof. He handed it to An Xumo, who took it and realized it contained the clothes they had bought together that afternoon.
Behind him, Xin Zimai was still grinning. “Jinchen, do you need to increase your workout plan tomorrow?”
After all, he had just been personally criticized by his younger brother for having a thick waist.
Zhou Jinchen glanced at him indifferently. “Sure. The extra training costs will be deducted from your salary.”
Xin Zimai’s smile froze instantly.
Ignoring him, Zhou Jinchen gestured to An Xumo. “Turn right and walk straight for two hundred meters. The main entrance of the complex is there. Go back first—I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”
An Xumo quickly nodded and carefully bid farewell to both of them seriously. His slightly oversized clothes hung loosely on his frame, the wide neckline revealing the smooth lines of his shoulders and collarbone. His fair skin, bathed in the moonlight and street lamps, was hard to look away from.
He had completely forgotten Xin Zimai’s earlier suggestion about going to the rooftop villa. Hugging the paper bag obediently, he turned and left.
An Xumo often felt hungry, but when it came to Zhou Jinchen, his appetite seemed to shrink. Just catching a few glimpses of him in person was enough to fill both his heart and stomach to the brim.
* * *
Two days later, backstage at Green City TV, Han Ming had just finished recording an episode and was about to leave when he ran into a surprising figure in the elevator.
“Brother Mai!” Han Ming greeted him with a smile and glanced toward the entrance. “What a coincidence! Did Brother Jinchen come with you?”
Xin Zimai smiled, “I came alone.”
Han Ming didn’t show any sign of disappointment. “Brother Mai, are you here for the next episode of <Sunny Weekend>?”
Xin Zimai nodded. “Next episode’s guest is Jinchen.”
Han Ming’s eyes lit up. Even though he had long known that Zhou Jinchen would be participating in the <Weekend with a Sunny Day>1This is the full title of the program. The author just switch between this and the shortcut one which is Sunny Weekend. hearing the confirmation still brought him undiminished excitement. “Then we’ll get to record the next episode together. I’ve always looked forward to working with Brother Jinchen.”
After exchanging a few more polite words with him, Xin Zimai left as soon as the elevator doors opened. Meanwhile, Han Ming, who had been stopped by his manager, was still lost in his excitement, not fully registering what was being said to him.
It wasn’t until his manager repeated it that Han Ming snapped out of it. “What? A last-minute guest addition?”
His manager nodded. “Yes, aside from Zhou Jinchen, another guest will be joining the next episode.”
Han Ming frowned, “Who is it?”
“The director only mentioned adding someone but hasn’t confirmed the details yet,” the manager explained. “It’s probably similar to that unexpected guest from season one—someone arranged by a sponsor.”
Han Ming was puzzled. “Which sponsor has that much influence… to get someone placed in the same episode as Brother Jinchen?”
His manager wasn’t sure either and reassured him, “The temporary guest’s identity hasn’t been confirmed yet. But since you’re a regular cast member, just focus on performing well. The newcomer won’t be familiar with the team, so the final result will definitely be affected.”
“Besides, isn’t Zhou Jinchen known for disliking being constrained? He probably won’t go out of his way to accommodate this last-minute addition,” the manager added. “Next episode’s key focus will definitely be on Zhou Jinchen. Just interact with him more, and as for that temporary guest… whether they even get screen time is another story.”
The author has something to say:
Sorry for being late!!
An Xiao Mo’s triple denial: It wasn’t me, I didn’t, I’m not hurt.
Zhou Jinchen: Mm.
An Xiao Mo (softly): I didn’t say your waist was thick either.
Zhou Jinchen: …
Zhou Jinchen: Let me measure just how thin your waist is.
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