After finishing the vacation and returning home, Mu Ye was captured by Gu Jiaming and went to deal with the long overdue work.
At the end of December, Mu Ye Studio officially signed a contract with Mu Xing Cultural Media.
The studio’s official Weibo account made an announcement.
【[u Ye Studio V: From now on, we are a family! @Mu Xing Cultural Media]
Although netizens were mentally prepared, the official announcement still sparked discussions.
[To be honest, I don’t quite understand. Mu Ye Studio has already been operating very well, and its artists are developing strongly. They already have sufficient resources on their own, so do they really need the support of a sponsor?]
[Of course, more resources are always better. With a big sponsor supporting them, the studio’s future development will only get better. It’s a case of joining forces for mutual benefit.]
[It’s been two years since Teacher Mu released a new album. Now, they’ve attached the studio to Mu Xing Media. Could it be that they want to focus on behind-the-scenes work?]
[Ah, no! Our idol is still so young and can sing for more than ten years! Ugh, don’t jinx it!]
[The number one fanboy must be thrilled. Our male god has become an employee of the company, so now it’s easier to meet him, right? Sigh, I’m really envious of rich people who can pursue their idols…]
…
Mu Ye went to the studio, while Song Jianchu stayed at home to edit and compile the vlog footage they had shot. It was rare for the two of them to be apart for a day.
Song Jianchu sat in front of the computer in his study, brewed a cup of coffee, and placed it on the table. He leisurely and slowly edited the video.
Without the clingy person hanging around him all day long, it seemed like he had gained several extra hours of time.
Song Jianchu had also gotten used to coexisting naturally with Peppermint. While he edited videos, Peppermint would sleep on his computer desk, lying on its back with its two front paws resting on the sides of its head. It had a very peculiar sleeping posture.
Song Jianchu had actually wanted to have a pet for a long time. He had planned to get a dog before, but he gave up on the idea after falling ill.
He took a video of Peppermint’s sleeping posture and sent it to Mu Ye.
Mu Ye quickly replied.
[MY: So cute! Pinch its paw pad for me.]
[Song Jianchu: Okay.]
Song Jianchu carefully pinched the pink paw pad of Peppermint. It felt soft and tender, providing a sense of stress relief.
As if a door to a new world had been opened, the boy with a dog-like personality felt a little moved.
Song Jianchu gently pinched it a couple more times and then restrained himself, thinking that cats seemed to be cuter than dogs.
His phone, placed on the desktop, received another message.
[MY: Now, hug the handsome guy beside it for me.]
Song Jianchu paused for a moment, hesitated, and sent a question mark.
Was he supposed to hug himself?
[Song Jianchu: ?]
[MY: Never mind, the handsome guy can wait for me to come back and hug him myself. I have a lot of things to do today, so I might be home late. If you miss me, send me a video [heart].]
[Song Jianchu: …Okay.]
Video calling was not possible, and Song Jianchu didn’t want to disturb Mu Ye’s work.
Calmly, he thought to himself that they could skip such private matters. There was no need for two men to be overly clingy when there were other people around.
Song Jianchu calmly opened the editing software.
There was quite a lot of footage from that day’s shoot, and organizing it took a lot of time. Unconsciously, he ended up working until the afternoon.
He cut out all the parts with Mu Ye’s voice or appearance, leaving only the footage he had shot alone, and edited a fifteen-minute vlog to upload on Weibo.
Super internet celebrities always have people squatting on their Weibo accounts. Within minutes of the latest vlog being posted, there were already thousands of comments in the comment section.
[Family, it’s the Lunar New Year!!]
[What a great day it is today? It’s a good day when my son takes the initiative to update. Mom’s good obedient son, mwah~]
[No wonder it’s been so quiet on the show these days. Turns out they went on vacation.]
[So satisfying! Although there’s no daily life show, this vlog is really good and the daily obedient son is so captivating.]
[Hahaha, is this a travel vlog? It’s clearly an informative anti-landmine encyclopedia.]
[Surprise!! The richest person on Weibo is actually a hidden big eater!!]
[Wuwuwu, the big son who can eat is so adorable.]
Although some parts involving Mu Ye were edited out, sharp-eyed netizens still noticed the difference in this vlog.
[Huh? It seems like Stinky Treasure isn’t alone? Who is he constantly looking at?]
[Holy cow, who did my son travel with?]
[Traveling together and filming a vlog together… Holy cow, has Stinky Treasure fallen in love??]
[Son, are you in a relationship?]
[Wait, could it be that otaku goddess who held onto my son and didn’t let go before?]
[Has the Weibo Beauty finally appeared?]
[Ah, ah, ah, I’m so curious! Who is behind the camera?]
[Let me dream for a moment. Could it be Teacher Mu? Hehehe]
…
Song Jianchu glanced briefly at the comment section.
He had already anticipated that someone would notice the presence of a companion. Seeing the discussions in the comment section, Song Jianchu just snorted and let the fans speculate freely, paying no attention to it at all.
After all, even if they burned their brains, they wouldn’t be able to guess the truth.
Traveling with his idol, a month ago, he wouldn’t have believed it himself.
After finishing editing the video and having nothing else to do, Song Jianchu thought for a moment. He opened the unused video footage one by one and watched them again. He re-edited a complete version of the video with Mu Ye appearing in it, encrypted it, and saved it carefully.
Song Jianchu made a simple bowl of noodles for lunch and ate it. While eating, Yin Chi sent him a message.
[Yin Chi: Come to the company when you have time. Let’s talk about something.]
In the afternoon, he had a scheduled regular check-up at the hospital. Song Jianchu changed his clothes and left the house.
As usual, the doctor asked about his recent physical condition, “Have you had a fever or any bleeding recently?”
Song Jianchu answered truthfully, “I forgot to take my medication one day and had a nosebleed. After that, I continued taking my medication, and it hasn’t happened again.”
Dr. Zhao, a gentle and beautiful woman, emphasized again, “Make sure to take your medication on time. The best treatment method in the early stages is to rely on targeted medications to control the disease and prolong the chronic phase, delaying the acute phase as much as possible.”
Song Jianchu nodded, “I won’t miss it again.”
“Your most significant symptom now is anemia.” Dr. Zhao looked worriedly at the slightly pale face of the young man and said, “And both your father and grandfather have chronic myeloid leukemia, and their chronic phase was very short, turning acute within three months. You must be even more careful in controlling it, and you must not stop taking your medication.”
Song Jianchu lowered his eyes, “I know.”
“While your physical condition is suitable, I suggest you start the bone marrow transplant matching process as soon as possible. Only hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can completely cure chronic myeloid leukemia. Moreover, you are young, so the probability of successful cure is higher and the probability of relapse is lower,” Dr. Zhao said, pausing for a moment.
She spoke gently, “Although the probability of a successful match is highest with direct relatives, in cases like yours where there are no direct relatives available for matching, you can also consider matching with close relatives or through the bone marrow registry. The probability of a successful match through the registry is only a few in ten thousand, so it’s best to try contacting close relatives.”
Song Jianchu remained silent for a few seconds. He rubbed the edge of his phone case in his coat pocket with his fingertips. “Okay.”
Carrying the prescribed medication back to his car, Song Jianchu leaned back against the driver’s seat and looked at the pale and dim lights of the hospital parking lot.
He sat in the car for five minutes, letting his mind wander. Then he took out his phone and opened the contacts.
Song Jianchu didn’t have any close relatives to contact.
His mother was an only child of a former prominent family, and both his grandparents had passed away long ago. There were no relatives on his mother’s side that he could reach out to.
His father did have a younger brother who became his guardian after his father’s death, but his uncle hardly ever took care of him. His uncle’s family also had a cousin, Song Yan, who had now become his enemy.
He didn’t even need to talk to Song Yan to imagine his reaction when he found out about Song Jianchu’s “winning.”
Song Yan had now become a drowning dog and would definitely take the opportunity to extort a large sum of money from him.
Money wasn’t an issue, but Song Jianchu didn’t want to give that idiot a chance to turn the tables.
Should he contact his uncle?
He was like a vampire in human form, the most ruthless one in the family.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have held onto the inheritance left by his parents for so many years and only given him a few hundred yuan as a living allowance each month. He would find ways to make more interest before the inheritance was officially transferred.
And this person cared more about his own life than money. He had always been afraid of inheriting the disease-causing gene himself. Donating bone marrow was something he probably wouldn’t do even if he was paid.
His finger hovered over his uncle’s name for a while. Song Jianchu exhaled a breath and dialed the number.
“The user you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Sorry, the number you…”
Song Jianchu looked up and leaned against the seat, unable to hold back a laugh.
He almost forgot.
After SUK went bankrupt, this person was in debt and left behind all the mess for his own son. He disappeared with the little money he had, probably sneaked on a boat to seek refuge in some small country.
Placing the phone on the car mount, Song Jianchu’s lips curved with a casual and mocking smile. He scrolled through the screen and found an album by Mu Ye to play, then drove out of the parking lot.
It had been a while since he had been to the studio. Gu Jiaming finally caught the boss who came to work and didn’t let him go until ten o’clock in the evening.
“Your new album needs to be prepared soon too,” Gu Jiaming rolled up his shirt sleeves and brought a cup of tea, asking with concern, “Still lacking inspiration lately?”
Mu Ye took a sip of tea and glanced at his phone absentmindedly. “This time should be fine.”
The pinned chat box was quiet, and none of the messages he had sent after noon received a reply.
“Really? That’s great!” Gu Jiaming exclaimed excitedly. “Keep up the good work and aim to release it next year!”
Mu Ye sent another message to his little sponsor.
[MY: Are you asleep?]
After waiting for a few seconds, there was still no reply.
Mu Ye furrowed his brows lightly.
“You’ve been stuck on this for too long,” Gu Jiaming said, relieved. “If you don’t release a new album soon, your fans will come and smash the studio’s door.”
“Can I leave now?” Mu Ye asked, looking up.
“You can,” Gu Jiaming replied. “I’ll handle the rest. You’ve worked hard today. Go back and accompany your sponsor. We have a promotional event in a few days, and I’ll come pick you up then.”
“Okay, you’ve worked hard too,” Mu Ye stood up, picked up his coat and draped it over his arm.
“Hey, in such a hurry, did you find the sponsor?” Gu Jiaming looked at the departing boss, his smile carrying a meaningful implication. “Indeed, big business is still more important.”
Mu Ye took the elevator downstairs to the studio’s parking lot to retrieve his car. As the elevator doors opened, he dialed Song Jianchu’s number.
Just as he dialed, the sound of a ringing phone echoed through the quiet parking lot.
Mu Ye followed the sound and a gentle smile returned to his face. He walked briskly over. “Jianchu.”
Song Jianchu, with a lollipop in his mouth, lazily leaned against the car and took out his phone from his pocket upon hearing footsteps from under his low-brimmed hat.
In their own studio’s parking lot, there was no need to worry about being seen. Mu Ye hugged him directly, burying his head and inhaling the clean scent of a man, mixed with the fruity taste of the candy.
He held him tightly for a few seconds, and Mu Ye felt completely relaxed.
He turned the brim of the man’s hat to the back, revealing the face he hadn’t seen all day. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Song Jianchu smiled lightly. “Didn’t see them.”
The parking lot was a bit cold, so Mu Ye touched the man’s cool face and furrowed his brows slightly. “How long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you come up?”
Song Jianchu replied softly, “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Mu Ye warmed the cold face with his hands and said with a smile, “No, now you’re the sponsor of the entire studio, and I belong to you. What is there to be afraid of? Next time you come, just come straight up.”
Song Jianchu softly replied with an “Mm.”
Mu Ye held Song Jianchu’s hand and happily said, “Let’s go home.”
Suddenly, Song Jianchu grabbed him. “Mu Ye.”
Mu Ye stopped. “Hmm?”
Song Jianchu took out the lollipop from his mouth and looked at his face. “Can I have a kiss?”
Because of the kiss they had in the haunted building last time, Mu Ye knew that the little fan didn’t like being affectionate in public, so he had been restraining himself since then.
Mu Ye was slightly surprised and unconsciously looked at the faint color of the man’s lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed lightly. “Here?”
Song Jianchu’s expression remained calm. “Yes.”
It was the first time the sponsor took the initiative to ask for a kiss. Without hesitation,
Mu Ye lowered his head in an instant.
The man’s lips were also slightly cold.
The lips were soft, with a sweet and sour berry flavor.
The touch was delicate and tender, as if it would break with the slightest touch.
Mu Ye unconsciously softened the intensity of the kiss.
He carefully cupped the man’s face, attracted by the sweet taste, repeatedly licking the cold and tender lips that carried a hint of fruitiness, savoring the last bit of sweetness.
Just as he was about to impatiently explore the seam of the lips.
A slippery tongue, half a second faster than him, met his teeth with a more direct sweetness.
Mu Ye’s eyelashes trembled for a moment, immediately cooperating by opening his mouth, allowing the tip of the man’s tongue to smoothly enter.
Feeling the initiative and inexperienced kissing technique, Mu Ye’s breathing became heavier, passionately responding and holding his waist, lifting him onto the hood of the car.
After kissing for ten minutes, fearing that Song Jianchu would catch a cold, Mu Ye restrained himself and pulled away.
It was the middle of winter, and white mist spread between their parted lips.
Mu Ye’s eyes darkened, using the back of his hand to wipe away the moisture on the man’s lips. He took him off the car hood and said in a hoarse voice, “It’s cold.”
Song Jianchu reached out and embraced him, burying his face in Mu Ye’s shoulder.
Despite engaging in such an intimate act, he still politely asked, “Can we kiss again?”
Mu Ye’s heart softened, and he lowered his head to kiss the person in his arms. He zipped up the collar of Song Jianchu’s coat and gently comforted, “Good boy, you might catch a cold. Let’s go home. You can do whatever you want when we get back.”
Song Jianchu looked into his eyes and suddenly said, “Mu Ye, your eyes are beautiful.”
Mu Ye was stunned.
Feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest, Mu Ye stayed still for a few seconds, exhaled a hot breath that turned into a burning white mist, and chuckled, “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Song Jianchu said in a somewhat magical tone, raising his hand and lightly touching the corner of Mu Ye’s eye with his cool fingertips. “It’s snowing inside.”
Aww baby Xiao Chu 🥺🥺