After taking a nap, Jiang Mo forgot where he was. He thought he was sleeping in his own room as usual.
When he woke up, he tossed and turned in bed several times, his unique way of waking up.
It wasn’t until he rolled into a warm embrace that Jiang Mo fully regained his senses.
He opened his eyes and saw a smiling face, a close-up beauty that struck him with a momentary daze.
“Good morning.” Jiang Mo blushed, quietly pulling himself under the covers, hiding his face pretending to be asleep.
Through the covers, Chi Yu gently rubbed Jiang Mo’s head and smiled, “Last night, the supervisor from Xiao Mao TV called you.”
“Huh?” Jiang Mo opened one eye.
“You were asleep, and I was worried someone might have an urgent matter, so I answered it for you.” Chi Yu explained, “Xiao Mao TV wants to sign you again, and they’ll contact you today.”
Jiang Mo said, “I, I don’t plan to sign.”
Jiang Mo had discussed it with Chi Yu last night. He decided not to sign with a live streaming platform for the time being.
Chi Yu didn’t directly refuse Cao Xing. He didn’t have the right to interfere with Jiang Mo’s work matters. If Jiang Mo wanted to decline, he had to do it personally. If Jiang Mo regretted later, there would still be a chance to sign again.
From his perspective, it was best if Jiang Mo didn’t sign. The contracts for regular streamers were not as good as those for professional players. If Jiang Mo joined a professional team in the future, Chi Yu could help him secure the best contract terms.
Chi Yu said, “Well, he’ll call you around ten o’clock. You can talk to him yourself then.”
Jiang Mo replied, “Okay.”
Jiang Mo sluggishly got out of bed, and neither of them felt like making breakfast. Chi Yu took him out for a walk and they had breakfast outside.
After returning, Jiang Mo embarked on another day of climbing the ranks.
At exactly ten o’clock, the other party indeed called him. After Jiang Mo answered the call, he exchanged a few words with the person.
The other party was very polite and explained the new contract in detail. The revenue share was one percent higher than Lu Yu’s initial contract.
Regular streamers on the platform had a 64% share, but Xiao Mao was willing to offer him a 55% share. For Jiang Mo, a newcomer, it was already a great show of sincerity.
Jiang Mo wanted to say something several times, but the enthusiastic person on the other side kept interrupting him. Jiang Mo had a stutter and couldn’t get a word in, so he could only play the game while listening to the other person talking incessantly.
Cao Xing believed the fish was already caught in the net and couldn’t possibly escape.
He spoke until his mouth was dry and finally finished. Only then did a slightly hesitant voice come from the other end.
“Th-thank you for saying so much, but I refuse.”
Cao Xing: “…” He had spent so much time and exhausted his mouth, but it was all in vain?
Cao Xing never imagined that he had been speaking continuously and Jiang Mo didn’t even have a chance to interject.
Jiang Mo tended to overlook other things while playing games. For the past few days, Chi Yu had been cooking lunch and dinner for him. If Chi Yu didn’t feel like cooking, they would order takeout.
At mealtime, Chi Yu had to make an effort to get Jiang Mo to leave his seat.
Chi Yu was very worried about Jiang Mo. The parents of the Lu family worked hard to run their store, and there was no one cooking at home. Lu Yu always took care of himself outside.
At Jiang Mo’s age, with no one to take care of his meals, he should be able to take care of himself. But judging from Jiang Mo’s current state of neglecting sleep and food, if he joined the team, it was highly likely that he would only eat one meal a day. He would eat when he remembered, and skip meals when he didn’t.
By the time he finished filming and returned, wouldn’t Jiang Mo become extremely thin?
“Have some more soup,” Chi Yu suggested.
Jiang Mo finished a large bowl of rice, and Chi Yu served him another bowl of fish soup.
Covering his mouth, Jiang Mo discreetly burped. He had already drunk three bowls of soup, and his stomach was completely filled with liquid. He was feeling incredibly full.
“This is the last bowl,” Jiang Mo took the bowl and muttered to himself, wrinkling his nose, then he chugged it down in one breath.
Chi Yu took out a tissue and chuckled as he wiped Jiang Mo’s mouth.
“Why is it so difficult to make you eat?” he asked.
Jiang Mo replied, “…Don’t I eat enough?” Eating with Chi Yu was terrifying.
He could hardly bear the affection Chi Yu was showering him with.
“Feeling uncomfortable?” Chi Yu observed attentively, noticing how Jiang Mo furrowed his brows and quickly relaxed them.
Jiang Mo fell silent for a moment, then confessed honestly, “Can you not feed me so much in the future? It’s too much. My stomach…it feels so bloated. I couldn’t eat anymore a while ago…”
Jiang Mo spoke truthfully, but Chi Yu didn’t immediately respond to his words. He raised his gaze, and in his shallow eyes, there were colors that Jiang Mo couldn’t understand, growing deeper and deeper.
Chi Yu walked up to Jiang Mo’s sofa, bent down, and lifted his shirt.
“What are you…doing?” Jiang Mo grabbed Chi Yu’s wrist, his ears buzzing.
Chi Yu was easy to negotiate with. When Jiang Mo didn’t let him lift the shirt, he quickly gave up. However, his hand slipped under Jiang Mo’s sweater and gently touched his swollen belly.
Jiang Mo said, “…”
“It’s bloated,” Chi Yu said expressionlessly, his voice inexplicably hoarse.
Jiang Mo muttered, “Of course it’s bloated. I’ve had four bowls of soup.”
“Yeah, my bad. I won’t feed you this much anymore. I’ll feed you something else in the future,” Chi Yu said, lightly rubbing Jiang Mo’s belly with one hand while touching Jiang Mo’s reddened cheek with the other.
Jiang Mo shrunk into the single sofa, with the sofa behind him and Chi Yu in front of him. It was such a good opportunity, but he restrained himself.
With a face of innocence and inexperience, Jiang Mo completely failed to grasp the meaning behind Chi Yu’s words.
This kind of Jiang Mo was too easy to bully, which stabbed at Chi Yu’s conscience. He couldn’t bring himself to make a move now.
He was going crazy.
“You fool, if you say something like that again, I won’t let you off easily,” Chi Yu vented, biting Jiang Mo’s cheek.
“Ouch.” Jiang Mo protested, “Wh-what are you talking about?”
Chi Yu found it strange that he couldn’t understand.
Chi Yu pressed his nose against Jiang Mo’s cheek, then gently kissed the spot where he had bitten.
It felt so good. Jiang Mo’s skin was so tender,
like that of a newborn baby, that Chi Yu couldn’t help but bite again, this time with less force, transitioning to sucking.
Jiang Mo said, “…”
“I’m really worried about you acting like this,” Chi Yu said, finally releasing Jiang Mo after spending a long time nuzzling his face into the sofa. He ruffled Jiang Mo’s hair and asked, “You haven’t been going out recently, right?”
Jiang Mo caught his breath and replied once his breathing had steadied, “Yeah, I’ve been staying at home, not going anywhere.”
Chi Yu smiled and said, “In that case, do you want to come to the set with me?”
Jiang Mo was stunned, “Go to the set with you?”
Chi Yu replied, “I can’t leave you alone at home. I’m really worried. Besides, you’ll be alone at home anyway. If you come with me to the set, the hotel has internet. I’ll be filming, and you can play games in the hotel. It’s no different from being at home.”
“But, but,” Jiang Mo hesitated, “Would it be inappropriate for me to go with you?”
The set is crowded with people, and even if he stays in the hotel and doesn’t go out, he might still be discovered by paparazzi lurking outside. He really wants to be with Chi Yu, especially since their next meeting might be two months later. They finally have the chance to be together, and he wants to spend more time with Chi Yu. But he’s afraid of causing trouble for Chi Yu.
“Don’t think about anything else for now. Just tell me if you want to go to H City with me,” Chi Yu could see Jiang Mo’s hesitation.
Without thinking, Jiang Mo immediately answered, “I want to.”
Chi Yu smiled and said, “Then come with me. Focus on your role, and leave everything else to me.”
“Okay,” Jiang Mo’s heart raced.
No star would bring their partner to the set before getting married, especially not Chi Yu, the superstar.
Chi Yu really likes him.
And he likes Chi Yu too.
Before setting off for H City, Jiang Mo went home to inform his parents about his plans, and Chi Yu went with him.
When Jiang Mo brought Chi Yu home for the first time, his parents misunderstood their relationship. Jiang Mo didn’t have a chance to explain, and after they started dating, he felt there was no need to explain anymore. He didn’t hide the fact that Chi Yu is his boyfriend from his parents or Lu Yu.
The things Auntie mentioned to Mother Lu were relayed to Father Lu, who the next day paid Auntie a month’s salary and fired her.
“Hmph, she couldn’t even last seven days in the noodle shop. As relatives, my dad gave her a month’s salary. She still has the nerve to say that our family treated her poorly and played tricks on her,” Lu Yu sat in a breakfast shop next to the noodle shop, eating youtiao and gritting his teeth.
Lu Yu said, “I won’t go to her son’s wedding in the future, not even if I’m dead. Don’t expect me to go to Uncle’s house during the New Year either, and you shouldn’t go.”
Jiang Mo obediently nodded, and his impression of Auntie worsened even more.
Fortunately, the neighbors knew what kind of person Auntie was, so no one believed her accusations.
“Can you believe it? In a few days, she’ll come crying to our house again, asking Dad for money. It’s just that Dad has a good temper and can’t bear to turn her away,” Lu Yu said. “You should go out. It’s better to stay away for a few more days, so you won’t be bothered by her if you stay at home.”
Chi Yu wore a hat and only ate a few bites of steamed bun and unsweetened soy milk before putting on his mask. He remained quiet throughout Lu Yu’s conversation.
After hearing Lu Yu’s words, he nodded in agreement.
The three of them left the breakfast shop, and Lu Yu waved his hand to Jiang Mo, acting like an older brother as he told Chi Yu, “Take care of my little brother.”
There was no trace of the initial awkwardness he felt when he first met Chi Yu.
“Big brother, don’t worry,” Chi Yu held Jiang Mo’s hand.
Lu Yu muttered, “Can you stop calling me that? It sounds cheesy.”
“Does your aunt want you to buy a house for her son?” After Lu Yu left, in the chauffeured car heading to the airport, Chi Yu finally spoke up.
Jiang Mo replied, “Yes.”
Chi Yu scoffed, “She’s dreaming.”
Jiang Mo said, “I’m not that foolish, and besides, I don’t even have enough money to buy a house for myself.”
Chi Yu smiled and said, “You’ll definitely be wealthy in the future.”
After all, Jiang Mo is a little money enthusiast.
…
Chi Yu was very punctual with the timing. The plane didn’t have any delays, and they arrived at the airport just in time for boarding.
Chi Yu booked a first-class cabin for the two of them, and the three-hour flight was not tiring at all. After getting off the plane, they took another half-hour car ride to reach the hotel arranged by the crew.
Chi Yu never sought special treatment. His room was the same as the other actors’, and the crew had booked him a king-size bed. When Jiang Mo entered the room, the first thing he saw was a large bed, and his face inexplicably turned red.
He had already grown accustomed to sharing a bed with Chi Yu, but only at Chi Yu’s home or his own.
Now they were in the same hotel room, and it was a single room, which looked quite ambiguous.
“If, if it’s one bed?” Jiang Mo stammered.
Chi Yu didn’t catch Jiang Mo’s meaning and said naturally, “Of course, do you want to sleep with Da Zhuang?”
Da Zhuang had arrived in H City early and would meet them at the airport. Chi Yu didn’t hide his relationship with Jiang Mo from Da Zhuang.
Jiang Mo replied, “I don’t want to.”
Chi Yu said, “So, I can only inconvenience you and ask you to sleep with me.”
Jiang Mo remained silent.
Jiang Mo had already quit the entertainment industry, so there was no need for him to get involved with anyone from the crew. Chi Yu asked Jiang Mo to stay obediently in the room while he went to meet the director alone.
“Chi Yingdi, long time no see,” Chi Yu exchanged a few words with Director Qin before the female lead of the film, Liang Yi, arrived late.
Liang Yi had just won an award last year and became a rising actress with numerous film offers. The role of the female lead in this film had been undecided for a while, but Liang Yi eventually secured the role.
Liang Yi and Chi Yu were old friends. It was Chi Yu’s second film, and Liang Yi portrayed Chi Yu’s sister in the movie. The two had known each other for many years and had a close relationship.
“Aren’t you filming Director Huang Shan’s new drama? How do you have time to come here?” Chi Yu shook hands with Liang Yi and asked.
Liang Yi smiled and replied, “Director Qin invited me. When I heard that you were the male lead, I didn’t hesitate and agreed.”
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow and politely said, “If you were the female lead, I might not be able to go all out in the fight scenes. If anything goes wrong during filming, let me apologize to you in advance.”
Fans knew that Chi Yu never accepted romantic films. This movie had many action scenes, and the male and female leads started as enemies in the beginning. There were several scenes where the male lead pinned down the female lead and fought her. Liang Yi didn’t like to use a stunt double, so she usually did the scenes herself if she could.
Liang Yi said, “Don’t hold back because of me. If you do, I’ll feel awkward continuing to film.”
The other actors had already arrived, and it was lunchtime. The crew invited everyone to have lunch together. Chi Yu walked to a corner and sent a message to Jiang Mo on his phone.
[Chi Yu: Will you join me for lunch?]
If he called, Jiang Mo would answer immediately. Chi Yu was worried that Jiang Mo might be distracted at a critical moment.
In less than a minute, Jiang Mo’s message came back.
[MOMO: Are you having lunch with the crew?]
[Chi Yu: Yes. If you don’t want to come, I’ll have Da Zhuang order takeout for you.]
[MOMO: Takeout is fine for me.]
Just as Chi Yu expected.
[Chi Yu: Okay, I’ll join you for dinner later.]
[MOMO: Okay.]
[Chi Yu: I’ll have Da Zhuang keep an eye on you until you finish eating. No games during mealtime.]
[MOMO: …I understand.]
The crew and actors went to the restaurant to have lunch. Liang Yi specifically waited at the entrance for Chi Yu. She hadn’t seen him in almost half a year, and this reunion made it seem like Chi Yu was different in some way.
After lunch, a group of people gathered in the small room prepared by the crew to read the script.
Time passed quickly, just an afternoon, and the main actors and supporting cast got along fairly well. The initial communication problems were also resolved smoothly.
…
“Chi Yu, are you free tonight? Would you like to have dinner with me?”
After finishing work, Chi Yu greeted the staff and quickly walked out the door. Liang Yi caught up with him, handing her belongings to her assistant to pack up.
Chi Yu: “Sorry, I have something else to do.”
Liang Yi smiled: “You’re a busy person now.”
Liang Yi’s words had a double meaning. When they were reading the script, Liang Yi noticed that Chi Yu wasn’t focused, and his phone never left his hand.
They had worked together three times before, and Chi Yu used to be a dedicated worker who never got absorbed in his phone on set, let alone during script reading.
Thinking about the uproar on the internet and Chi Yu’s suggestive Weibo post, Liang Yi couldn’t sit still.
Since their first collaboration eight years ago, Liang Yi had developed a fondness for Chi Yu. When she found out about his sexual orientation, she gave up and had several relationships in between. Later, she heard that Chi Yu was bisexual, and her hope was reignited, along with the opportunity.
The youthful excitement from long ago couldn’t be let go, as if she was unwilling and wanted to fill that void.
She had made up her mind, but then she heard that Chi Yu participated in a same-sex relationship show and did things that didn’t seem like something Chi Yu would do for a boy named Jiang Mo.
However, opportunities had to be fought for. She wanted to fight for herself, so when Director Qin approached her, she didn’t hesitate and took on this film.
Old friends reunited, and it wasn’t just Liang Yi who felt the change. Chi Yu also sensed the difference in Liang Yi.
Liang Yi used to hide it too well, and Chi Yu didn’t pay much attention to the people around him, so he hadn’t noticed Liang Yi’s feelings towards him. This time, Liang Yi’s behavior was too obvious, especially the meaningful glances that conveyed her emotions without disguise.
Knowing that Liang Yi liked him, Chi Yu was somewhat surprised. They had known each other for so many years, and he had never thought that their friendship would one day turn into something more.
[Chi Yu: Do you miss me?]
Chi Yu sent a message to Jiang Mo, apologizing to Liang Yi with a smile: “I’m quite busy. I’m in a relationship now.”
Liang Yi’s smile froze instantly.
Chi Yu was in a relationship?
“Is what you posted on Weibo true?” Liang Yi’s face was full of disbelief as she asked, “Are you pursuing that boy named Jiang Mo?”
Chi Yu said he was in a relationship, so does that mean he successfully pursued him?!
“Yes,” Chi Yu nodded, “It wasn’t easy. It took a long time to win him over, so whenever I have free time, I just want to be with him.”
Liang Yi fell silent.
Neither of them explicitly said it, but they were both intelligent people.
Liang Yi understood what Chi Yu meant.
“I watched your show,” Liang Yi regained her smile. “I only watched a little, but that boy is quite cute. I never thought you would be interested in that type.”
“Before meeting him, I never thought so either,” Chi Yu’s gaze fell on his phone screen as Jiang Mo had just replied to him.
[MOMO: I miss you. I just finished this game, Da Zhuang said you’re coming back soon, so I won’t play anymore. I’ll wait for you!]
Chi Yu’s eyes involuntarily softened, and his tone became unusually gentle: “I never imagined that this kind of low probability event would happen to me. I fell in love with him at first sight.”
Liang Yi had a momentary daze, both because of Chi Yu’s words and because of the expression Chi Yu had never shown in front of her.
She glanced at Chi Yu’s phone, and he was chatting with someone. The conversation screen paused on the chat interface, and without needing to look closely, Liang Yi guessed who the other person was—it must be Jiang Mo.
At the top of the chat box, the nickname was—
My silly little fool.
Liang Yi couldn’t imagine that one day Chi Yu would do something like this, but he really did.
It was cheesy and made one’s teeth ache.
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH SILLY LITTLE FOOL HEHEHEHEHEHEH