YPHC Chapter 65

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to see you…”

 

Xiao Sun didn’t understand why he would see Spring at his brother’s home.

 

During the show, it was one thing for Spring to take over his duties, but how had he followed his brother home even after the show ended???

 

The three of them took the elevator down to the underground garage. The driver was already waiting with the trunk open. Xiao Sun had originally wanted to help carry the suitcases, but after hearing Yan Jie say “I’ll do it,” he watched in confusion as Yan Jie naturally picked up two huge suitcases with one hand each, walked toward the business car, greeted the driver warmly, and efficiently loaded the suitcases into the trunk.

 

Xiao Sun gritted his teeth, looked at the last suitcase beside him, and, unwilling to be outdone, picked it up and brought it over.

 

“What do you all bring when you join a production? So many things.”

 

Yan Jie helped Xiao Sun with a hand, placing the last suitcase in the trunk, then closed the door.

 

“Clothes, daily necessities, and such. Mainly clothes. There are many fan photographers and paparazzi there, so brother’s outfits for coming and going need to be well-prepared,” Xiao Sun replied.

 

“Oh…” Yan Jie paused, then asked:

 

“How long will you be gone? You’re going to Hengdian, right?”

 

“Yes, Hengdian, probably for about half a year. If we need to shoot on location, we’ll have to travel elsewhere too. It all depends on the schedule.”

 

“…Alright.” Yan Jie nodded and walked around to the side of the car.

 

Jiang Nan’an had already gotten into the car, sitting in the middle row. Yan Jie walked over, leaned against the car door to look at him, and glanced at the window.

 

Usually, the middle row windows in commercial vans can’t be opened, but Jiang Nan’an’s vehicle had been modified, probably because of his claustrophobia, with a window that could be pushed open.

 

“Ready to go?” Yan Jie looked at Jiang Nan’an and asked.

 

“Mm.”

 

“Being gone for half a year, that’s really tough.” Yan Jie sighed, but there was nothing he could do-this was the nature of being an actor.

 

He made a phone gesture with his hand, holding it to his ear:

 

“If you need anything, just message or call me. I won’t put my phone on silent anymore. We’ll stay in touch.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“There’s no point in me staying here without you. I’m going back to Beijing this afternoon. When it’s convenient for you, let me know, and I’ll come visit you. What’s it called-visiting the set?”

 

“No need. It’s troublesome to travel back and forth. Go do your own things.”

 

Jiang Nan’an said in a flat tone.

 

Yan Jie leaned against the door, looking at him with curved eyes, then nodded with a light chuckle:

 

“Fine, you go then. I’ll be off too.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Jiang Nan’an looked up at him, just in time to see him reaching out his hand.

 

Noticing this gesture, he instinctively raised his chin, but Yan Jie wasn’t going to give him a kiss. Instead, he placed his hand on Jiang Nan’an’s hair, gently ruffling the top of his head.

 

“Have a safe trip, Teacher Jiang. Let me know when you arrive. I’m going now, bye-bye.”

 

Jiang Nan’an was slightly stunned, then lowered his eyes slightly and nodded.

 

Yan Jie closed the car door, and the vehicle slowly started moving, quickly leaving Yan Jie’s figure behind.

 

Jiang Nan’an gazed out the window, lost in thought.

 

Yan Jie didn’t kiss him?

 

That was strange.

 

Before today, whether saying good morning, good night, or parting and meeting again, Yan Jie would always kiss him.

 

This person really liked hugs and kisses, but why not today?

 

Was he unhappy?

 

Was Jiang Nan’an’s apology not sincere enough to be accepted?

 

Or had he said or done something wrong again?

 

…It was so complicated.

 

Jiang Nan’an silently sighed.

 

“Brother?” As he was worrying about these convoluted emotions, Xiao Sun spoke up beside him:

 

“You and Brother Spring are really close, haha. He just said he set up a new studio here? Wow, what a coincidence that it’s right below your home, so close to you. Now you two can hang out together all the time.”

 

Xiao Sun couldn’t quite understand how such a coincidence could happen-Spring coming to Shanghai to set up a studio and happening to buy an apartment below Jiang Nan’an’s. If Spring and Jiang Nan’an weren’t already good friends, Xiao Sun would have thought this person was his brother’s stalker fan.

 

But then again, Spring was inviting his brother to the studio, helping carry suitcases, and saying he wanted to visit the set. Xiao Sun didn’t understand the reason for his excessive enthusiasm and found it strange, but not being able to figure it out, he could only attribute it to “Spring is just a very warm and friendly person.”

 

Xiao Sun liked helpful people, though he would have liked Spring more if he hadn’t taken over Xiao Sun’s duties.

 

“Mm.” Jiang Nan’an nodded, acknowledging Xiao Sun’s comment.

 

Having received confirmation that “they indeed have a good relationship,” Xiao Sun let out a breath he didn’t know why he was holding, feeling as if some part of his heart had settled, though he wasn’t sure what he had been nervous about.

 

Unable to figure it out, he stopped thinking about it and reached into his bag to pull out a neck pillow for Jiang Nan’an:

 

“It’s a journey of several hours. Brother, would you like to wear this and rest a bit?”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Jiang Nan’an took the pillow and put it around his neck, but instead of closing his eyes to rest, he continued to gaze out the window at the passing scenery, lost in thought.

 

Driving from Shanghai to Hengdian would take about four or five hours, even longer if they encountered traffic congestion.

 

By the time Jiang Nan’an arrived at the film city, checked into the hotel, and unpacked his luggage, the sky outside was already darkening.

 

After organizing his belongings, Jiang Nan’an changed clothes and finally had time to sit on the sofa and rest for a while.

 

He remembered Yan Jie’s instructions before leaving, so he took out his phone from his pocket, opened the WeChat chat box, and typed.

 

Jiang Nan’an: Arrived.

 

Yan Jie replied almost instantly.

 

Yan Xiaochun: Good, baby.

 

Yan Xiaochun: Are you free now?

 

Jiang Nan’an was about to reply “Yes,” but just as he had typed it out, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

 

So he went back to the word “yes,” added “no” in front of it, and clicked send.

 

He wasn’t sure who would be looking for him at this hour. Jiang Nan’an went to open the door and saw Sheng Yujia wearing a baseball cap and a completely covered-up masked person outside. Judging from the complete set of “History of Xuan” in her arms, the masked person was likely Ms. Jiang Shanshan.

 

Jiang Nan’an stepped aside to let them in. Jiang Shanshan darted into the room like a bolt of lightning, put down the books, and quickly removed her mask:

 

“Don’t worry, Teacher Jiang! I carefully scouted before coming-no one saw me visiting you!”

 

She had truly been frightened by the omnipresent paparazzi and on-site weirdos.

 

“Good,” Jiang Nan’an nodded.

 

“Thank you for your trouble.”

 

“No trouble, no trouble, hehe. I came to return your books. I happened to meet Teacher Sheng, so we came together.” As she spoke, Jiang Shanshan mysteriously winked at him:

 

“I saw it! Teacher Sheng is hiding some delicious treats!”

 

“It’s nothing special,” Sheng Yujia took out two boxes from the bag he had brought and handed them over:

 

“I went back home for the New Year. These are local specialties-mung bean cakes and some other pastries. Little Mountain, this is for Teacher Shan.”

 

“Wow, there’s a portion for me too?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Sheng Yujia nodded, his gaze falling on the set of books Jiang Shanshan had brought, seeming quite interested:

 

“Is this Xiao Shan’s History of Xuan set?”

 

“Yes.” Jiang Shanshan nodded:

 

“Teacher Jiang’s notes are so detailed! Heaven knows how much they helped me to digest this material so quickly.”

 

“Let me see.” Sheng Yujia reached out to take one volume, casually flipping through it, and found that indeed, as Jiang Shanshan had said, almost every page contained Jiang Nan’an’s notes. The navy blue fountain pen ink alongside the printed standard text was particularly pleasing to the eye.

 

When Sheng Yujia was roommates with Jiang Nan’an, he often saw him reading books and taking notes in the dormitory, but had never looked closely.

 

He closed the book and asked Jiang Nan’an:

 

“May I borrow these to read as well?”

 

Jiang Nan’an naturally wouldn’t refuse.

 

He nodded:

 

“As you wish.”

 

Sheng Yujia and Jiang Shanshan didn’t stay long, after all, they had to get up early tomorrow for the script reading, which was exhausting work. They needed to rest early to ensure they’d be in good condition for the entire day tomorrow.

 

After seeing them off, Jiang Nan’an went to the bathroom for a shower. When he came out drying his hair, he saw the unread messages on his phone.

 

Yan Xiaochun: Let me know when you’re free. If it’s too late, forget it. If you’re tired, rest first.

 

Jiang Nan’an sat down on the sofa, took a sip of water from his teacup, and replied to Yan Jie with one hand: “I’m free now.”

 

Before he could put down his teacup, his phone rang.

 

It was a video call from Yan Jie.

 

Glimpsing Yan Jie’s face on the screen, Jiang Nan’an was somewhat confused.

 

He accepted the call, but didn’t notice that his camera was pointing at the coffee table with his teacup and script.

 

“Oh my, baby, I finally get to video call you, and all I see is your script?”

 

Yan Jie’s laughter came through the speaker:

 

“Let your boyfriend see your face?”

 

“?” Jiang Nan’an had never made a video call before and didn’t know how to operate it:

 

“How do I see?”

 

“Look for it, there should be a camera flip icon at the bottom, tap it.”

 

“…”

 

Jiang Nan’an followed his instructions, found the icon and tapped it.

 

Then his boyfriend successfully saw him on his screen.

 

Jiang Nan’an was very close to the screen, hadn’t really found the right angle, and the camera could only capture the upper half of his face, his long eyelashes, and his slightly curly hair that hadn’t been dried yet, falling on his forehead and around his cheeks.

 

Yan Jie was slightly taken aback, his Adam’s apple moved, and he cleared his throat:

 

“All settled in? Are you at the hotel?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“What were you doing just now? Are you free now?”

 

“Teacher Sheng and Teacher Shan came to visit, they’ve left now.”

 

“Oh? Nice, a little gathering?”

 

“Not really, the two of them happened to meet. Teacher Sheng came to deliver gifts, Shanshan came to return books.”

 

“Gifts? What kind?”

 

“Pastries, specialties from his hometown.”

 

“Are they good?”

 

“Haven’t tried them yet.”

 

“What did you have for dinner? You didn’t just make do, did you?”

 

“No. I had chicken leg rice, Xiao Sun bought it.”

 

“That’s fine. Even if I’m not watching, you can’t be careless about eating. As the saying goes, people are iron, food is steel… No, I’ll have to chat with little brother Xiao Sun on WeChat later, tell him to take good care of you.”

 

Yan Jie half-joked, then said:

 

“I’m back in Beijing too, want to see?”

 

As he spoke, Yan Jie flipped the camera to show Jiang Nan’an his home.

 

Yan Jie’s home had a strong lived-in feel, with photos hanging on the walls and an entire wall of glass display cabinets filled with trophies and various models and figurines.

 

Jiang Nan’an lowered his eyes to look at the screen, following the camera as it panned around his little nest, then asked: “Where’s the dog?”

 

“The dog? The dog is at my mom’s place, it doesn’t live with me.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Jiang Nan’an nodded, returning to the main topic:

 

“Did you need something from me?”

 

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to see you. We haven’t seen each other for several days, and today’s brief encounter didn’t give me a chance to hug you.”

 

Yan Jie lounged on the sofa, smiling casually.

 

“…I have something I want to ask you.”

 

Jiang Nan’an looked at him through the screen.

 

“Hmm? Ask away.”

 

“Today…” Jiang Nan’an lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously pinching his loose pants leg, searching for the right words:

 

“Were you unhappy?”

 

“No, why?” Yan Jie hadn’t expected this question, raised an eyebrow slightly, and answered in the way Jiang Nan’an was accustomed to:

 

“I was a bit angry when I first opened the door and saw you about to leave without saying anything. After all, we’re dating, and you should have told me in advance that you were joining the production. But you apologized, and I accepted it. What reason would I have to still be angry?”

 

“Mm…”

 

“Why did you think I was angry?” Yan Jie probed.

 

“Because when I was leaving, you didn’t kiss me.”

 

Jiang Nan’an said:

 

“Normally, every time you’re about to leave my side, you ask to kiss me, but today you didn’t. Besides you being angry, I couldn’t think of any other reason.”

 

“?”

 

Yan Jie was almost amused by this absurd reasoning:

 

“No, baby?”

 

He sat up straight:

 

“There were people in the car today-your assistant was there, and so was the driver. They don’t know about us yet, and even if they did, it wouldn’t be appropriate to kiss you in front of others, would it?”

 

“It wouldn’t?” Jiang Nan’an raised his eyebrows.

 

This touched on a blind spot in his knowledge.

 

“No. Kissing on the cheek or a quick peck on the lips might be okay, but more intimate, private acts like kissing aren’t appropriate when there’s a third person present, or in public places. It’s not illegal, but it’s not very ethical, because it can affect others’ feelings.”

 

Yan Jie paused, then added:

 

“Also, there’s a selfish reason: I don’t want others to see you in that state.”

 

“What state?”

 

“Nothing, tsk, just something that shouldn’t be seen.”

 

“Oh.” Jiang Nan’an nodded, silently memorizing these words.

 

Yan Jie raised the corner of his lips, smiling as he looked at Jiang Nan’an’s lowered eyelashes:

 

“What’s this, you haven’t been thinking about this all day, have you?”

 

“Mm, I have.” There was nothing embarrassing about admitting this.

 

“Then why didn’t you ask me earlier? Isn’t it uncomfortable to keep all these confused thoughts bottled up inside?”

 

“Because you said to tell you when I arrived and had free time. You specified a time and condition, so I thought you didn’t want to receive messages from me before then.”

 

“?”

 

His feelings were indescribable.

 

Yan Jie really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

 

“How could you interpret it that way, baby? I want to be stuck to you twenty-four hours a day-how could I not want to receive your messages?”

 

Yan Jie finally understood why Jiang Nan’an was so distant online, to the point that he hadn’t received a single proactive greeting from him during the past few days since returning to Beijing. So this was the reason.

 

“Listen, from now on, if I’m angry, unhappy, or feeling upset about something you said or did, I’ll tell you immediately. If I don’t speak up, it means there’s no problem-it’s not your fault. If you feel something is off with me, you can also ask me anytime. If I’m not by your side, just send me a message or call me. As soon as I see it, I’ll communicate with you right away, okay?”

 

Listening to his words, Jiang Nan’an nodded:

 

“Okay, I understand.”

 

His answer was so proper and formal, truly adorable.

 

Yan Jie deliberately teased him:

 

“Understand what? Do you know what I’m doing now?”

 

“What?” Jiang Nan’an raised an eyebrow slightly.

 

Then he saw Yan Jie on the screen smile:

 

“Teaching you how to love me, Nan Nan.”

 

#

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)