Side Story (1) : Newlywed Life
One week after the wedding, Song Jianchu’s Weibo became a [sugar-craving refugee camp.]
The newlyweds, after a century wedding that brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, vanished into hiding without a single update, causing their fans to go on a relentless search across the internet, desperate for any trace of sweetness.
Starving for content, fans flooded Song Jianchu’s Weibo, urging him madly for updates.
[Hello?? Did you guys go for a honeymoon on the moon?]
[Teacher Mu, it’s been a week, could you please ask my son to update his Weibo?]
[Darling, if you’re tied up by your husband, just post an emoji to let me know you’re okay.]
[Are you there? Sugar? Understand?]
[Mu Ye, I admit you’re capable. Can you get my son to come out and say he’s safe?]
[Another day of waiting for my OTP to share something sweet (bitterness)]
…
After the wedding, the newlywed couple and their friends spent three days in New Zealand.
As everyone knew, these friends were all heavy drinkers.
Instead of saying they had fun for three days, it was more like they drank for three days straight. Not a single one of their friends was a light drinker, and Mu Ye’s nightly return to the room was more of a performance art piece.
Everyone was happy, so Song Jianchu didn’t really intervene.
Then they returned to their home country.
Due to the urgent film project Song Jianchu was handling and Mu Ye’s upcoming world concert tour, both of them were extremely busy and had no time to rest, diving straight into their hectic work schedules.
Their married life was completely different from what fans imagined. They only saw each other after finishing work and returning home at night.
Their routines were completely reversed during this time. It was usually Mu Ye who came back first to prepare dinner and wait for Song Jianchu to return.
As a producer, most of Song Jianchu’s work involved communication and assembling an ideal film team to pave the way for future shoots.
During these days, Song Jianchu was busy selecting a director. The director was a core creator who injected soul into a film and was highly important. Instead of aiming for those established directors with guaranteed box office results, Song Jianchu had chosen a young and talented director who had made a mark in recent years. He believed that this director’s style was a perfect fit for the project.
However, communicating with this type of artistic director posed some difficulty. They selected projects based on feelings, usually wrote and directed their own work, and were resistant to collaborating with idol actors.
For the project designed for an idol’s transformation, this director outright declined Song Jianchu’s invitation.
At the very start of his formal career, Song Jianchu encountered a challenge.
He didn’t give up and stuck to his judgment, spending this time trying to persuade the young director to join the team.
Mu Ye, in between, attempted to cook a few dishes following a video and sent a photo to Song Jianchu.
[MY: What time are you coming back?]
[Song Jianchu: Sorry, it’ll be a little late. Still in discussion.]
[Song Jianchu: You can eat first, don’t wait for me.]
Mu Ye leaned on the dining table, gazing at the food for a few seconds, letting out a light sigh of regret.
[MY: You’ve worked hard. [Hug]]
[MY: Still in talks with that director?]
[Song Jianchu: Yes.]
[MY: Where? Can I come over? I won’t disturb you.]
[Song Jianchu: It’s far away, don’t come. About an hour, I’ll definitely be home.]
[MY: [OK]]
Mu Ye didn’t disturb Song Jianchu in his discussions and went to the music room.
Picking up the guitar, he strummed for a while, feeling somewhat absent-minded.
Song Jianchu had found a new goal, which made Mu Ye happy.
However, he wasn’t quite used to it yet—the sudden transformation of a child into an adult.
The phone vibrated on the keys, and Mu Ye’s eyes lit up, putting down the guitar.
Seeing it was a message from Pei Shinian, his eyes dimmed again.
[Pei Shinian: [Photo]]
[Pei Shinian: Brother, check out my producer. He’s super handsome.]
Mu Ye raised an eyebrow, his lips curved slightly upward, and he clicked open the photo.
Indeed, quite handsome.
In the picture, Song Jianchu wore a black duckbill hat, crossed his arms, and sat on a gray single sofa, listening attentively to the person speaking to him. He suited the casual style of clothing, looking cool in black, with a few more years of maturity than peers. There was a faint upward curve at the corner of his mouth.
Opposite, the young man should be the director, wearing a round-topped knitted hat, tattoos on the back of his hand, a bit cold in his eyes, yet quite handsome.
The two seemed to be having a congenial conversation.
Song Jianchu had a silver wedding ring on his finger that was resting on his arm. Mu Ye stared at the ring for a few seconds and suddenly felt a pang of longing.
[MY: Done talking?]
Pei Shinian seemed extremely frustrated after this trip and couldn’t resist complaining.
[Pei Shinian: We’ve been chatting all afternoon till now. He keeps talking about irrelevant things, both of them graduated from the same university.]
[Pei Shinian: This director isn’t that great. What director is more pretentious than an actor.]
[Pei Shinian: D*mn it, and this person is biased against me. He only talks to Jianchu and ignores me.]
[Pei Shinian: I think I’ve figured it out. Actors also have a hierarchy.]
[Pei Shinian: Even if we make a deal later, Dad won’t like him. I’ll take the initiative to add him on WeChat, I’m a dog [smile emoji]]
Indeed, many directors with artistic aspirations disliked collaborating with idols and disdained the guaranteed box office an idol brought.
Mu Ye guessed it wouldn’t be that smooth.
[MY: Behave well, cooperate.]
[Pei Shinian: Oh)]
After Song Jianchu finished talking to the director, it was already nine in the evening. He had promised Mu Ye to be home an hour later, which he couldn’t fulfill.
The director was almost convinced by him but needed some more time to consider.
While driving home, Song Jianchu sent a message to Mu Ye. Thinking about the dinner table, he felt a bit guilty. He hadn’t had much time for Mu Ye these days and wondered if Mu Ye might be unhappy. Even though it was their first marriage, Song Jianchu knew that normal newlywed life shouldn’t be like this.
But he had no choice. The success of a film depended on timing, and many things couldn’t be delayed. This year was the best opportunity for Pei Shinian’s transition, and the film had to be scheduled for release before the year-end.
As he parked the car in the garage, Song Jianchu stood in front of the house door for half a minute, considering several ways to cheer up Mu Ye.
Unlocking the door, only Mint excitedly rushed to greet him, but no sight of Mu Ye.
Song Jianchu suddenly felt a bit nervous, as if dealing with a husband who returned drunk late at night from social gatherings.
Taking off his shoes, removing his hat and straightening his hair, Song Jianchu slowly walked inside. Glancing around the empty living room and kitchen, he bit his lip and switched to a different form of address, “Brother, I’m back.”
No response. Mint came out from the music room, “Meow~”
Song Jianchu looked at the music room, growing a bit more nervous.
Making a quick assessment of Mu Ye’s mood, Song Jianchu adjusted his plan to cheer him up and slowly entered the music room.
Approaching the door of the music room, Song Jianchu paused.
Mu Ye was slumped on the table, draped in a coat, covering his broad and long shoulders.
He had fallen asleep…
Song Jianchu sighed in relief, cautiously approached.
Mu Ye’s hand was resting on the edge of the table, wearing a ring on his slender fingers, holding a phone loosely.
A notification lit up, suddenly showing a photo of himself. Judging by the angle and location, it should have been sneakily taken by Pei Shinian.
The photo had been set as the screensaver.
Song Jianchu faintly curved his lips, placed his hand on Mu Ye’s shoulder, and softly woke him, “Go to the bedroom, it’s not good for your neck to sleep like this.”
Mu Ye closed his eyes, suddenly lifted his hand, pressing down on the back of Song Jianchu’s head, raising his chin, and kissed his lips precisely.
Before Song Jianchu could react, he was forced to bend over, leaning on the table and chair back, his nose accidentally bumping into Mu Ye’s. He managed to slightly turn his head away in time.
After a few seconds, Mu Ye slowly opened his eyes, lazily hugged him, buried his face in his coat, his voice hoarse after a light sleep, “So late, had dinner?”
“Not yet.” Song Jianchu placed his hand on Mu Ye’s shoulder, saying, “Have you eaten?”
“Was waiting for you.”
Song Jianchu felt guilty again, “Sorry, let’s go eat now.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Sort of.”
“Then no rush.” Mu Ye wrapped his arms around Song Jianchu’s waist, lifted him onto his lap, kissed his face a few times, and whispered in his ear, “It’s my time now.”
Even though they were married, the ambiguous atmosphere that comes with romance was still strong as long as they were together. When Mu Ye spoke in his ear like that, his heart would beat quickly.
The instruments in the music room were placed casually, and Song Jianchu rarely visited. Afraid of touching anything, he obediently placed his hand on Mu Ye’s shoulder, not daring to move around.
The black short coat fell off his shoulder and loosely draped over his arm. Mu Ye’s hand pushed his back from behind, and his burning lips touched the white T-shirt on his body.
Song Jianchu instinctively glanced at the music room’s French windows.
It was dark outside, the family garden visible from here with no one able to see in, except for the family’s cats and dogs.
Waiting and Mint curiously lifted their heads by the chair, observing for more than ten minutes without any sign of wanting to leave.
Song Jianchu met Wait’s pure black eyes for two seconds, uncomfortably turned his head away, burying his hot face into Mu Ye’s shoulder, tightly hugging Mu Ye’s back.
Mu Ye suddenly stopped and turned his face with one hand, observing Song Jianchu’s expression, trying to suppress his laughter, “Why are you so obedient today?”
Song Jianchu’s eyes were tinged with red, his expression momentarily lost, not understanding the meaning of stopping at this moment, “Huh?”
Mu Ye squinted, ambiguous and enticing, “Don’t you dislike being anywhere outside the bedroom?”
“?”
Song Jianchu was stunned again.
Did he say that?
But recalling it, every time they… indeed, they had never left the bedroom.
“Why do you think that?” Song Jianchu asked strangely.
“Every time we’re in a strange place, you get very nervous.”
“…”
Song Jianchu didn’t really want to admit this point, but it seemed… true.
Mu Ye wrapped his arms around his waist, kissed his earlobe, “Being this cooperative today, am I performing too well?”
Song Jianchu looked away, calmly praised, “…Yeah.”
Mu Ye looked at this excessively cute person in front of him, took a deep breath, bit Song Jianchu’s face restrainedly, and asked, “What’s good about me?”
“To pinpoint?” Mu Ye said, “So I can keep working hard.”
Song Jianchu thought carefully.
Yeah.
What’s good about him?
Just an ordinary day.
From receiving the photo Mu Ye sent to opening the door to come home, he had been in a very good mood.
Even driving home alone, he didn’t feel lonely. The familiar streets that he had seen countless times became comforting, he didn’t get annoyed at traffic or waiting at red lights. He even took a photo of the moon tonight through the car window.
He’d never have had the leisure to do such sentimental things before.
Lost in thought, Mu Ye bit his lip, “What are you thinking about?”
The lights in the music room had just been turned off.
Song Jianchu slowly blinked in the darkness, looking down to see the moonlight shining on the back of his hand and the ring on his ring finger.
In an instant, Song Jianchu realized the answer.
Mu Ye observed Song Jianchu’s eyes.
A crescent white light sank into the boy’s eyes, much like the moon tonight.
Song Jianchu smiled with a boyish innocence and shyness, without saying anything, just lowered his head and hugged him, breathing relaxedly.
Mu Ye was slightly bewildered by this different feeling in the hug, his heartbeat accelerated, and he felt a little embarrassed to continue.
Afterward, they showered together, and Mu Ye heated up some dishes and had dinner with the already-sleeping Song Jianchu.
Because he had napped in the music room, Mu Ye was a bit insomniac lying in bed, turned off the lights, and hugged the already-sleeping Song Jianchu, playing with his phone.
Casually browsing Weibo, he unexpectedly found Song Jianchu’s account had updated.
The fans finally stretched their necks out, anticipating the first post after marriage.
[???]
[Sisters, is this sweetness? Why am I not getting it?]
[So profound, huh?]
[What’s the meaning? Is it my lack of cultural level??]
[Help, it’s too difficult nowadays, do we need comprehension skills for sweet moments? (cracking up)]
Looking at these words, Mu Ye’s lips slowly curved upwards, leaning down to kiss the hair of the person in his arms.
Song Jianchu posted a picture, the moon taken while stuck in traffic on the elevated road.
[Song Jianchu: The focal point is you [picture]]