***
Chapter 39 – Adapt
Jiang Liusui stood alone at the entrance of the apartment building, lost in thought.
He Yujing had already left some time ago. Instead of immediately going upstairs, Jiang Liusui wanted to sort through his thoughts first. His eyes fell on the message He Yujing had just sent. An account had been shared with him, saying that if he didn’t want to stay at Zhou Xun’s place, he could contact this person, and they would arrange another place for him to stay.
He didn’t know much about this kind of arrangement, but he understood well enough that, for convenience and safety, someone might set aside a place specifically for a lover.
Had things really progressed this quickly?
Jiang Liusui shook his head, dismissing the chaotic thoughts. Yet the direction this situation was taking was truly unexpected, leaving him no choice but to overthink.
Back in the car, He Yujing had been so sure—so confident, as though he knew Jiang Liusui would agree.
Jiang Liusui’s expression drifted.
Had He Yujing… done this sort of thing before?
***
The car moved steadily through the late night, scenery flashing past the windows.
He Yujing flexed his fingers, curling and stretching them. The warmth of another person seemed to linger on his skin.
It was the first time he’d done something like this, and he wasn’t as composed as he seemed—but he could keep it together.
Before leaving, he reached out and pulled Jiang Liusui into a brief hug.
He actually wanted to ask if he was tired, but in the end, all he said was that he would help him handle things properly.
“Ah, really…”
Unable to put his feelings into words, He Yujing suddenly leaned back and covered his eyes with his hand.
Never mind—at least now the person was his.
***
When Zhou Xun returned home, only Snowball was fluttering against the glass door on the balcony.
He had gone to see Shen Sijia off. When he came back, the apartment was empty, save for a single message from Jiang Liusui saying he’d be out for a while. Right then, Shen Sijia called—Jiang Liusui was livestreaming to clear up his online rumors!
His rebellious attitude, combined with the explosive content, had skyrocketed to the top of various platforms in record time. Netizens were practically analyzing the livestream replay , and Jiang Liusui himself, frame by frame—what dramas he’d been in, what variety shows he’d appeared on, determined to uncover who exactly had conflicts with him… In no time at all, the discussion went viral. Even Weibo Square, usually flooded with bots, saw many differing voices.
At this critical moment, Zhou Xun, worried that something might happen to him, was about to call to ask where he had gone, when he happened to glance out at the balcony—and saw Jiang Liusui getting out of a car.
After a while, Jiang Liusui made his way upstairs and pushed open the door. Zhou Xun hurried toward the entrance.
“Where did you go? I just saw you getting out of a car,” Zhou Xun couldn’t help asking. “Was it someone from your company? Did something change, so that’s why you went live?”
Jiang Liusui was stunned. “How did you know…”
“Your livestream went viral.” Zhou Xun said, pulling up Weibo to show him. Over the past few days, every major platform had been unanimously attacking him, so seeing the sudden shift caught Jiang Liusui completely off guard.
Zhou Xun had assumed it was a new PR strategy. Seeing this, he asked in astonishment, “It wasn’t someone from your company? Then who did you meet just now?”
Jiang Liusui changed his shoes and walked inside. “It was He Yujing.”
Zhou Xun was taken aback. Even he knew—thanks to Shen Sijia—that He Yujing should be overseas and on a tour right now. Remembering the unpleasant fallout between Jiang Liusui and He Yujing before, Zhou Xun instinctively asked, “What was he doing, looking for you in the middle of the night?”
“He’s going to help me handle things.”
“Help you?” Zhou Xun repeated, disbelief written all over his face. “Why would he… still be willing?”
“I agreed to one of his conditions.” Seeing Zhou Xun staring at him without blinking, clearly urging him to speak, Jiang Liusui paused briefly, then said lightly, “I agreed to be his lover.”
“……” Zhou Xun was completely dumbfounded.
Jiang Liusui studied Zhou Xun’s expression and finally realized how he must have looked earlier in front of He Yujing.
So this was the silly, blank look he’d had.
How dumb.
Zhou Xun opened his mouth, wanting to say their relationship had taken a complete 180-degree turn—not for better or worse, but charging headlong in an entirely unexpected direction… Is this really okay? Really no problem??
Zhou Xun tried to speak several times but stopped. Jiang Liusui couldn’t help asking, “What’s with that expression? It’s not like I’m getting the short end of the stick, right?”
He himself hadn’t quite adjusted to this sudden new identity. When negotiating the deal with He Yujing, he’d been more focused on solving the problem—he hadn’t thought much about anything else.
But since things had come to this, Jiang Liusui felt he needed to maintain composure and not appear so naive or inexperienced.
Jiang Liusui muttered under his breath, “Anyway… He Yujing is pretty good-looking.”
Is that really the main point?? That can’t be the main point, right?!
Seeing that Jiang Liusui had jumped out of ordinary logic, Zhou Xun, worried he might be taken advantage of, hurriedly asked the most important question: “What did he mean by helping you handle things? What will he actually do?”
Jiang Liusui repeated He Yujing’s words verbatim. Zhou Xun, who had been initially apprehensive, gradually felt that He Yujing was being quite sincere—he would do everything he could, even going so far as to settle old scores.
Rational by nature, Zhou Xun’s initial shock passed quickly. Given the circumstances, he offered an objective assessment: “Well… that’s not so bad.”
“Right?” Jiang Liusui said, feeling even more confident in his choice now that Zhou Xun agreed. “I think it’s fine too.”
Seeing him like this, Zhou Xun couldn’t help but feel a flicker of worry.
Jiang Liusui was usually sharp and quick-witted—so why did he seem so dazed tonight? Was he really going to trust He Yujing that easily?
The two of them sat facing each other in silence for a long while, then suddenly spoke at the same time.
Jiang Liusui: “Let’s not tell—”
Zhou Xun: “Maybe we should keep—”
Jiang Liusui: “—Miss Shen.”
Zhou Xun: “—Shen Sijia.”
The two of them laughed at the same time. Zhou Xun spoke first: “We absolutely can’t let her find out. I can’t even imagine how she’d react.”
“Same here,” Jiang Liusui said with a smile. After talking with Zhou Xun, the weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted. He sank onto the sofa, exhaling and murmuring to himself:
“Wow… I feel so much lighter all of a sudden.”
“Want to play some games?” Zhou Xun asked suddenly. Seeing Jiang Liusui nod, he reached out his hand. “You can fill me in on the details after.”
Jiang Liusui took his hand to pull himself up, then leaned on Zhou Xun’s shoulder and deliberately teased, “Sure, what do you want to hear? I’ll tell you everything, every single detail.”
Zhou Xun: “……”
Zhou Xun got goosebumps from the tone Jiang Liusui used—like he was talking to a lover. Seeing that Jiang Liusui had finally calmed down, he held back his reactions and let him drape himself over his shoulder as they walked into the study.
Early the next morning, Jiang Liusui received an unexpected call.
The woman’s voice on the other end was very gentle and polite, introducing herself as an agent from Xingshi Entertainment. As a well-known star-making factory[mfn]造星工厂 (zào xīng gōng chǎng) – companies that systematically train and promote young celebrities.[/mfn] in the industry, Xingshi, while not comparable in scale to Shengyun, was on a completely different level from Gallery.
Last night’s livestream had stirred up endless discussion—and in one fell swoop had put Jiang Liusui firmly in the spotlight, catching the attention of a major company like Xingshi.
Coupled with his recent strong momentum, Xingshi thought he was worth cultivating and wanted to poach him while the opportunity was still ripe.
Somehow, the agent had tracked down Jiang Liusui’s contact details. She stated that if he was willing to switch to Xingshi, they would suppress this controversy for him—no need to worry about breach-of-contract fees. The only condition was signing a ten-year contract.
When Jiang Liusui went all-in with the livestream, he never imagined it would have such a huge impact—o much so that a company would actually come looking for him because of it.
After going through this crisis, changing companies was inevitable. But for now, He Yujing had promised to help clear his name, and his role in ⟪Eternal Bell⟫ was secure. Choosing a new agency was something that required careful thought.
Moreover, the female agent used the word “suppress” in her pitch, suggesting it was just routine PR measures—perhaps even hyping the incident for publicity and then steering him down a so-called controversial-fame[mfn]黑红路线 (hēi hóng lùxiàn) – lit. black-red route; slang for becoming famous through scandal or negative publicity rather than goodwill[/mfn] path later.
After only a few minutes of conversation, Jiang Liusui thanked her and politely declined the offer.
After hanging up, he couldn’t help but think—if He Yujing hadn’t been there, he probably would have said yes.
He’d assumed that since He Yujing had just flown back from Japan, it would take at least half a day to get things in order. Instead, not long after Jiang Liusui hung up with the agent, a long Weibo post rapidly spread across all major platforms.
He stated that, at the time, he had acted under orders from an investor surnamed Zhu, deliberately blocking the door from the outside. Jiang Liusui, he said, had been entirely unaware of Zhu’s actions and had never willingly participated in any so-called casting couch dealings[mfn]referring to consenting to sexual exploitation in professional contexts[/mfn], contrary to the rumors that had spread online in recent days. At the end of the post, Qiao Heng publicly apologized to Jiang Liusui.
Attached to Qiao Heng’s post was the complete surveillance footage. The previously released footage had crucially edited out key segments. After Jiang Liusui entered the room, a man in a black cap suddenly charged forward and braced himself against the door. The camera faced Jiang Liusui’s room head-on. Clear as day, it captured the door being pushed open from the inside—just a sliver—before it was violently blocked by the man outside.
Once this video was released, public opinion immediately shifted to one-side—but unlike before, this time it was almost entirely in Jiang Liusui’s favor.
【What more is there to argue about? He was clearly coerced! Is the person who first leaked that edited footage out of their mind? Don’t they feel even a shred of guilt for twisting the truth like that?!】
【Wuwuwu I was so angry before! No explanations worked, and trending searches were flooded with trolls every day! If not for Suisui’s unexpectedly viral livestream last night, who knows what would have happened…】
【So fierce, Jiang Liusui. I always thought he was the gentle, soft-spoken type, but last night he was unbelievably cool—very few people would have the courage to go live in a situation like that.】
【And he was so calm yesterday. He suffered such a huge injustice, but before the truth came out he didn’t play the victim, didn’t vent his resentment, and didn’t cling to anyone. Otherwise he would’ve been labeled as throwing a tantrum. I became a fan purely because of how he handled himself in that livestream!】
Unlike the earlier, carefully obscured surveillance clip, this footage left no one censored. It didn’t take long for netizens to dig up the full background of the so-called investor—right down to the entertainment company under his name.
Zhu Renliang had never been particularly powerful or influential to begin with—back then, even Xie Chen had dared to barge in directly. In recent years, his fortunes had only declined further. Whether netizens were simply too capable, or someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes, information was exposed showing that Zhu Renliang had embezzled public funds by exploiting his position. The scandal erupted instantly, and this time, Zhu Renliang was bound to face imprisonment.
【It’s already gotten this far and the company still isn’t filing a lawsuit?! Is Gallery seriously going to keep pretending nothing’s happening??】
【It’s been too long—without solid evidence, there’s probably no grounds to sue. But isn’t the current trend obvious? We’ll likely hear about Zhu Renliang’s downfall soon.】
Amid the uproar, around noon, Shengyun’s official account suddenly went online and released a logically clear and meticulously worded statement.
Sheng Yun’s statement addressed every recent incident in full, clearly laying out the facts and correcting the rumors. It also announced that evidence had already been collected against several users who had spread false information online, and that legal action would be taken against them one by one.
【As expected of headquarters—thorough in their work. The statement clearly says Jiang Liusui is the victim. Let’s see who still dares to run their mouth now—want to get sued too?】
【Why is the announcement coming from headquarters? Is it because the “cold palace[mfn]冷宫 (lěng gōng) – lit. cold palace; originally refers to imperial concubines banished from favor. Internet slang meaning being sidelined, ignored, or abandoned by power structures.[/mfn]” can’t handle things anymore?】
【Where does Gallery get the nerve? Shengyun has so many subsidiaries—none of the previous big or small incidents ever got a statement from the main account. Jiang Liusui is probably being transferred to the headquarters.】
【Holy crap! That’s impressive, Jiang Liusui. The last person to move from a subsidiary to headquarters was two years ago!】
【They must see his potential. Last night really pulled in fans, and he has great qualities himself—he’ll definitely develop well. Now it just depends on whether Shengyun signs him.】
【Gallery just rushed out a so-called “serious statement.” What a joke of a small workshop—headquarters already made an announcement and then they finally showed up.】
At the same time, many people remembered Jiang Liusui mentioning during his live stream that someone was behind the smear campaign. Given the current situation, it seemed highly likely that such a person existed. Who could hold such a deep grudge against Jiang Liusui and come up with such a malicious plan?
Just as public curiosity hit its peak, a set of photos surfaced online at precisely the right moment.
Taken during the audition for ⟪Eternal Bell⟫, the photos captured a scene of Jiang Liusui and Xie Chen in a heated argument. Jiang Liusui’s expression was cold and unreadable, while Xie Chen wore a forced, insincere smile. Even through the photos, the tension between them was palpable.
【Someone’s dug it up! They competed for the same role a while back, and Jiang Liusui was the one who passed the audition!】
【What does that mean? Xie Chen lost the role and held a grudge, so he spread rumors for revenge?】
【Of course it’s not that simple. Think about it—Jiang Liusui’s situation blew up so badly that everyone thought something was wrong with him. If the investors were affected too and decided to replace the actor, once Jiang Liusui was out, wouldn’t Xie Chen have a good chance of stepping in?】
【The film they were competing for was invested in by Tianguang Media, right? Tianguang has always disliked taking risks—there’s a high chance they’d replace the actor.】
【Holy shit! That’s vicious—directly squeezing a competitor out?!】
【Xie Chen is a joke of a competitor. Jiang Liusui earned that role fair and square! And what about him? I’m seriously disgusted. I’ve never seen someone this despicable!】
Surprisingly, Tianguang Media also chose to get involved at this critical moment.
After seeing that Shengyun intended to back Jiang Liusui and that the online narrative had settled somewhat, the studio decided to seize the opportunity to market the film. They released all the previous audition footage—naturally including both Jiang Liusui and Xie Chen.
Soon, some netizens who love drama took the two audition videos, edited them side by side, and posted them online, immediately sparking countless discussions:
【I can’t even watch… the contrast is brutal. Xie Chen looks totally unhinged when he acts.】
【Jiang Liusui’s acting is really good. Maybe it’s because of that arrogant livestream; this kind of slightly ruthless character really suits him.】
【Tianguang really knows how to kick someone when they’re down hahahahahaha, but aren’t they afraid of making enemies?】
【Why would Tianguang care about Xie Chen? He’s a washed-up actor without skills. Even if he had a strong background, it wouldn’t count for much. He can only bully small actors without connections; if he met someone tough, you’ll see if he dares make a sound.】
【What movie were they auditioning for? Looks so interesting!】
【It’s called ⟪Eternal Bell⟫, seems to have some supernatural or eerie elements! Interested sisters can check out the original novel. Finally, Suisui is getting a period costume film! Can’t wait to see the red-clad beauty[mfn]红衣大美人 (hóng yī dà měi rén) – a trope in period dramas describing a visually attractive costume aesthetic[/mfn]! Hope for lots of beautiful makeup and styling!】
From the morning onwards, Jiang Liusui had been flooded with calls, all from friends and classmates checking in on him. Shen Sijia had been dragged out by her mom to some social event; otherwise, she would have rushed over to celebrate immediately. Whenever she got a free moment, she bombarded the group chat with messages, finally breaking into uncontrollable laughter at Xie Chen’s audition—completely awkward, like he was having a seizure rather than acting.
At the height of her excitement, Shen Sijia even sent a voice message: “His reputation is totally ruined! And he’s trying to make a comeback? If he had any pride, he’d just quit the industry!”
Shen Sijia didn’t know about the deal between Jiang Liusui and He Yujing, and thought all these changes were just caused by that unexpected livestream. She repeatedly praised Jiang Liusui: “This actually gained you tons of new fans! I noticed your Weibo followers skyrocketing since last night—things will only get better from here!”
Finally, she sighed: “But… these past two days feel like a dream.”
It wasn’t just Shen Sijia—Jiang Liusui also felt this surreal, dreamlike sensation.
The desperate situation that had left him cornered for days was resolved so swiftly in one clean, decisive move. He Yujing had only returned to the country last night—he must have exerted significant effort for Jiang Liusui’s sake.
Jiang Liusui pulled out his phone and sent a message.
Suisui: Thank you.
No reply came. He figured that with a concert in a couple of days, He Yujing might be leaving soon and was probably tied up at the moment. Shrugging it off, Jiang Liusui went to take a shower.
As he stepped out of the bathroom, he heard his phone ringing.
Zhou Xun happened to walk by. “How many calls have you taken today?”
Zhou Xun glanced at the caller ID, teasing: “This one’s different—it’s from your benefactor[mfn]金主 (jīn zhǔ) – lit. gold master/money owner; used here to mean a patron, benefactor, or someone funding/supporting you[/mfn].”
Jiang Liusui fell silent for a moment, then picked up the phone.
“I was in the shower just now,” he first explained why he hadn’t answered the call sooner. “I’ve seen what’s happening online. Thank you for helping.”
He Yujing replied indifferently, “Don’t mention it. It’s all what I promised.”
For a while, the line fell silent. Before, chatting with He Yujing had been easy—Jiang Liusui could chat with him about anything and everything. But now that their relationship had changed and he wasn’t quite sure what to say. Making a call just to say thank you seemed too distant.
He didn’t know much about being in a lover relationship, but he’d seen pigs run even if he hadn’t eaten pork[mfn]没吃过猪肉也见过猪跑 (méi chī guò zhū ròu yě jiàn guò zhū pǎo) – meaning one may not have direct experience but is aware of how things work.[/mfn]. Four years in the industry had filled him with plenty of gossip, and he’d picked up hints from films and novels alike…
Jiang Liusui suddenly asked, “Do we need to sign a contract?”
He Yujing: “What contract?”
Jiang Liusui said something shocking: “A kept lover[mfn]包养合同 (bāo yǎng hé tóng) – a provocative term in modern slang referring to a formalized financial-romantic arrangement.[/mfn] contract.”
Zhou Xun, who had been about to leave, abruptly stopped in his tracks upon hearing this. He turned his head and stared at Jiang Liusui in shock. Somehow, in just this short span of time, he’d been dumbfounded more than he had all of last year.
What on earth is this kid saying so casually? His adaptability was way too strong??
He Yujing fell silent for a moment, almost wanting to laugh.
Suppressing his amusement, he maintained a nonchalant tone and deliberately teased Jiang Liusui.
“You want a contract? Fine.” He Yujing said leisurely, “Do you have any requests? How much allowance do you want per month?”
When Jiang Liusui mentioned signing a contract, he only thought they should follow the usual procedures like everyone else, without considering the deeper implications. But when He Yujing mentioned allowance, a flicker of surprise went through him—only then did he realize that He Yujing really intended to support him.
Jiang Liusui’s mood was complicated: “How about… we talk about it when you get back?”
He Yujing: “Wait a moment.”
He moved the phone away and quietly asked his assistant beside him, “When does the Japan tour end?”
He Yujing had only come back briefly, quickly tying up Jiang Liusui’s affairs and leaving the rest to Shen Jie before heading out again. Seeing that He Yujing’s mood had directly shifted from gloomy to sunny after this trip back, Lin Chong softly reported his schedule:
“The last show is on September 7th. After that, there’s over ten days of rest, during which the third recording of Fantasy Holiday will take place. Then we’ll go to Singapore and South Korea…”
September 7th—just a week away.
The thought that he could see Jiang Liusui at home right after his return made He Yujing’s heart lift. He added, “If you’ve got nothing going on, get in touch with Shen Jie and move in early.”
Hearing him mention moving again, Jiang Liusui couldn’t hold back any longer, his mind flashing with countless “kept lover” tropes from fiction.
What kind of place had He Yujing arranged for him? With countless reporters tailing He Yujing, the slightest rumor could spiral out of control. It was probably some remote villa, the kind where you might not even be allowed to step outside without his permission… No, this needed to be negotiated. Wouldn’t anyone go crazy otherwise?
After waiting a while without a response from Jiang Liusui, He Yujing casually asked, “Why so quiet?”
Jiang Liusui was still pondering his “canary-like[mfn]金丝雀似的未来 (jīn sī què shì de wèi lái) – metaphor implying being pampered, protected, or dependent like a caged pet bird; similar to “kept” or “spoiled” in English[/mfn]” future when he suddenly heard He Yujing’s voice. Subconsciously drawing on his professional acting skills, he replied, fully in character:
“Mm! I’ll wait for you to come home properly.”
— — — —
strawberrypoptl: And the miscommunication begins… wahahaha! Please take note that from this point forward, every time JLS says he’s HYJ’s “lover”, he means like a “sugar daddy-sugar baby” relationship. Let’s see how long before he figured out what HYJ really meant when he said he wanted to be his lover.
(I got tired creating footnotes for this word in the succeeding chapters so I figured I might as well put it out here like this to save me the trouble.)
— — — —
