***
Chapter 2 – First Encounter
The night had deepened, and the atmosphere in the club grew increasingly heated. The second-floor table was littered with empty bottles, and piles of cigarette ash had accumulated like small hills.
A friend who was bored out of his mind, lounged against the railing and cast a lazy glance downstairs and suddenly exclaimed, “He Yujing, a celestial beauty! Look, I found one for you!”
“What nonsense…” Yujing’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t great, and since everyone liked to keep urging drinks on him, he was already quite drunk. His eyes were dazed as he muttered, “Can someone tell the guy downstairs to change the song? I’m sick of hearing it already.”
The DJ downstairs was playing He Yujing’s debut song, the rearranged beat was powerful and intense. The song was wildly popular, and almost everyone in the venue was singing along.
Su Wan couldn’t help but laugh at his bluntness. Having grown accustomed to the industry’s veiled compliments and calculated pleasantries[mfn]曲意逢迎 (qū yì féng yíng) – “to bend one’s words to please others”; referring to insincere flattery or calculated politeness—commonly used to critique social or industry behavior.[/mfn], she found He Yujing’s personality—afraid of neither heaven nor earth[mfn]天不怕地不怕 (tiān bù pà, dì bù pà)[/mfn]—was truly a rare sight.
It wasn’t only his talent and natural gifts that set him apart, but also his exceptional family background.
Su Wan coaxed him, “It sounds good, doesn’t it? Everyone likes it. You’re just that amazing—songs from seven or eight years ago are just as popular even now.”
He Yujing had heard similar praises countless times over the years and responded with a perfunctory smile.
Seeing that he wasn’t paying attention, his friend urged, “A’Jing! He Yujing! Come take a look for yourself!”
He responded with a lazy hum. He didn’t feel like moving, but unable to resist his friend’s persistent urging, he rose from the couch and warned, “If it’s not a celestial beauty, you’ll dress up as a woman and go shoot an MV for me—”
His words cut off abruptly.
Yujing’s gaze at the bar counter, where a group of young people were chatting and laughing. From where he stood, only half of one person’s face was visible.
Colored lights whirled across the first-floor hall. Zhou Xun tapped the person next to him, and Jiang Liusui turned at precisely the moment the lights swept over—his face fully revealed in He Yujing’s line of sight.
Seeing his reaction, a friend laughed and said, “Well, looks like I won’t have to cross-dress and perform after all.”
He Yujing didn’t respond. Curious, Su Wan stepped closer. “You mean the ones by the bar? Is it a guy or a girl?”
“The guy on the far left,” the friend said. “It’s my first time seeing someone so captivating.”
The longer Su Wan looked, the more familiar he seemed. She blurted out in surprise, “Hey, isn’t he that…?! The one I mentioned before—that young actor. This kid’s acting is really good. Even in low-budget web dramas, he can still carry the role.”
“From Shengyun?”
“I think so, but I’m not entirely sure.”
The friend grew excited. “How about we call him up here? We’ll know once we ask him ourselves.”
He Yujing remained silent. His friend took the silence as an agreement and was just about to head downstairs when He Yujing’s phone rang.
The moment he answered, his agent Shen Jie spoke, anxiety clear in her voice. “You’re still out, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“Some reporters—no idea where they got it—started working with marketing accounts and dropped articles in the dead of night. They’re saying you’re holed up in nightclubs, smoking and drinking, partying like you won’t be going home all night. They’re even claiming you can’t write music anymore…” Shen Jie paused before adding, “That you’ve basically given up on yourself.”
He Yujing let out a cold laugh. “And that counts as giving up on myself?”
Every move he made could effortlessly pull countless eyes toward him. The media’s excessive focus on He Yujing’s private life—paired with their wild, speculative interpretations—had reached an almost pathological level. In his early years, he would still be affected emotionally. There were times he’d been so angry he’d nearly fired back at them himself. Now, when faced with most of these baseless rumors, he could remain calm.
Noticing how steady he seemed, Shen Jie felt a quiet sense of relief—this spoiled young master had finally grown up. She comforted him, saying, “Ignore them—it’s all nonsense. But things are spreading fast on Weibo right now. The club’s address has been exposed, and fans are starting to gather. You need to leave as soon as possible.”
The situation escalated far too quickly; the other artists present also began receiving the news one after another.
Shen Jie reminded him, “Try to avoid leaving together with Su Wan, just in case those shameless media outlets start spinning stories again. How about taking the underground parking garage? There will definitely be people waiting there too, but at least there’ll be fewer…”
“No need. Have Xiao Wen bring the car to the main entrance.”
Shen Jie was taken aback. “You want to leave through the main entrance?”
“I haven’t committed any crime. I’m just here to relax—why should I act like a thief?” He Yujing scoffed. “If they want to take photos, let them take as many as they want.”
Hearing this, his friend immediately raised a thumbs-up. Meanwhile, Su Wan’s agent, who overheard his shocking statement on the phone, hurriedly issued repeated warnings, afraid that their artist would follow He Yujing’s reckless lead.
“I’ll go through the garage,” Su Wan said after ending the call, standing up quickly. “I’ll head out first, Yujing. Be careful, all of you.”
***
Shen Sijia, unable to process the dating rumors between her idol He Yujing and Su Wan, decided to channel her sorrow into energy and joined the crowd on the dance floor, leaving only Zhou Xun and Jiang Liusui chatting by the bar.
Jiang Liusui had a notoriously low alcohol tolerance and was well aware of it. He had spent the entire evening at the club drinking lemon water. Zhou Xun asked, “You and Shen Sijia are graduating next month, right?”
Jiang Liusui and Shen Sijia attended the same university but were in different departments. Coincidentally, their graduation dates aligned. Zhou Xun studied at a science and engineering university[mfn]理工大学 (lǐ gōng dà xué)[/mfn], which had stricter requirements and a heavier course load, so his graduation would be a few weeks later than theirs.
“The National University of Arts’ graduation ceremony is quite lively this year. Do you want to come and join the fun?”
“If I’m free that day, sure.” Zhou Xun rose to his feet. “I’m heading to the bathroom—be careful.”
Jiang Liusui replied casually, “Don’t worry. Being a nobody is my camouflage.[mfn]糊是XX的保护色 (hú shì XX de bǎo hù sè) – lit. being mediocre/unknown is XX’s protective color; often used humorously or ironically to comment that someone’s lack of fame, skill, or exposure actually protects them from criticism, expectations, or scrutiny.[/mfn]”
“That’s not what I meant.” After a brief pause, Zhou Xun took off his black cap and dropped it onto Jiang Liusui’s head. “Hide your face a little. Don’t let anyone flirt with you again.”
Jiang Liusui adjusted the cap and winked playfully. “So, in your heart, I’m this popular, huh?”
“……”
The deliberate hint of ambiguity nearly made Zhou Xun choke. He decided to retaliate with something even more nauseating. “Well, we are a couple, after all.”
Jiang Liusui smiled, completely unfazed. Zhou Xun gave him a thumbs-up. You win, bro. I seriously feel like throwing up right now.” After that, he glanced at Shen Sijia in the crowd, who was very clearly already dizzy and disoriented. “Keep an eye on her.”
Jiang Liusui hummed in response and dropped his gaze back to his phone. He hadn’t expected Zhou Xun’s words to come true—not long after he left, someone tapped Jiang Liusui on the shoulder.
“Hey.” The stranger sported a head of blond hair. “You alone?”
Jiang Liusui was far less polite to the man than he’d been to the girl earlier. Without even lifting his head, he replied, “I’m with friends.”
The man ignored his cold response and directly sat down beside him: “Your friends aren’t around. Come hang with us?”
“Over there,” he said, gesturing toward the booth area, “There’s a rich young master celebrating his birthday. He wants to invite you over to hang out. He’ll cover all your expenses tonight.”
Hold it in.
Jiang Liusui looked at the big face leaning in close and persuaded himself inwardly.
Fortunately, this guy didn’t recognize him. But if things escalated, someone might figure out who he was.
When Jiang Liusui continued to ignore him, the guy reached out and grabbed his shoulder outright. The blond guy’s movement was too forceful and knocked over several cocktails on the table. Caught completely off guard, Jiang Liusui was splashed all over with alcohol. The cap Zhou Xun had given him also rolled into the puddle of spilled liquor on the floor and was accidentally stepped on.
Jiang Liusui’s eyes darkened. “I said—”
“Can’t you see he’s not interested?”
A large, well-defined hand gripped the blond-haired man’s wrist, forcibly pulling his hand off Jiang Liusui’s shoulder.
Jiang Liusui turned his head and saw a tall young man. He was dressed entirely in black, seemingly low-key at first glance, but on closer inspection one could see an extremely thin platinum necklace, and several ring bands on his long fingers—clearly someone accustomed to dressing with intention. Jiang Liusui was close enough to smell the faint scent of perfume on him.
It smelled like a blend of musk and sandalwood, carrying a hint of aggression—warm yet intense.
The blond guy’s wrist was gripped so painfully tight he almost heard the crack of his bones dislocating. He cursed loudly, “You fucking—let go of me!”
The man shoved him hard, forcing the blond guy to stagger back several steps, nearly losing his balance.
“Don’t start trouble.”
His voice was light and cold, laced with an indescribable mockery. The blond guy, having just steadied himself, wanted to curse again but froze the moment he clearly saw the other man’s face.
He Yujing had passed by Jiang Liusui and happened to see him being harassed. He hadn’t wanted to meddle at first, but remembered Su Wan mentioned he was a minor celebrity who probably wouldn’t dare to cause a scene in a place like this. Odds were, he’d end up swallowing the insult and walking away[mfn]吃闷亏 (chī mèn kuī) – lit. to suffer a stifled loss[/mfn].
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped in when the other person splashed alcohol onto Jiang Liusui.
“Thank you.”
He Yujing heard a clear, clean voice and lowered his head to look at the person speaking. Jiang Liusui happened to look up at him as well, half his body soaked through.
It looked a bit pitiful.
Like a cat that had been caught in the rain.
As if thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, Jiang Liusui repeated himself when He Yujing turned to look at him. “Thank you, you—” Jiang Liusui’s eyes widened slightly as he suddenly recognized who he was.
“Here, take a new one.” He Yujing placed the red baseball cap in his hand onto Jiang Liusui’s head. Seeing him staring blankly, he let out a very soft laugh. “I haven’t worn it yet.”
He finished speaking and strode forward without looking back. His bodyguards closed in on either side, forcing a path through the crowd. The blond guy pointed at his retreating figure, his finger trembling. “He—”
“He Yujing?!”
“It’s He Yujing!!”
One by one, the people around them reacted. After a brief moment of shock, the club instantly exploded.
“Gege?! Ahhhhh oh my god— is that really him?!”
“How is he here?! Who was he just talking to?!”
“He Yujing!!! Holy shit!!! It’s actually He Yujing!!!”
“Ahhh I don’t care anymore—He Yujing, I love you, I love you, I love you!!! Can you hear me?!”
Reporters hidden in the club suddenly surged forward, snapping photos like crazy. The DJ, caught up in the frenzy, went wild and temporarily switched the track to He Yujing’s song.
The crowd surged after him in a frenzy. Amid the chaos, someone grabbed Jiang Liusui’s arm.
“Hurry!” Zhou Xun said quietly. “Once those reporters catch on, they’ll be after you.”
Jiang Liusui came back to his senses and instinctively glanced toward Shen Sijia’s location. “Shen Sijia…”
“Never mind her! Who knows where she’s off losing her mind right now?”
“Who said I’m losing it?” Shen Sijia’s voice came from nearby. She had somehow made her way over and, upon seeing Jiang Liusui, pinched her own thigh in excitement, muttering to herself, “Ahhhhh, no, calm down, calm down! …Suisui, let’s go first! We’ll talk once we’re out of here!”
They wove through the chaos and made it out of the club, only to be met by an even crazier scene outside. The streets past two in the morning were packed, traffic nearly at a standstill. Media cameras[mfn]长枪短炮 (cháng qiāng duǎn pào) – lit. long guns and short cannons; referring to DSLRs, telephoto lenses, and other camera and photography equipment[/mfn] were pointed at the center of the bodyguard formation, while swarms of fans surged forward, drawn by the news.
He Yujing had been in seclusion for several months, unseen for a long time, and now the first place he appeared was in a club, partying. Only he could pull off something so reckless.
“We can’t get a taxi like this. Leaving now would look suspicious. Let’s wait for the crowd to thin out,” He figured no one would pay attention to their little corner. Just to be safe[mfn]以防万一 (yǐ fáng wàn yī) – lit. to prevent ten thousand-to-one situations; often used before taking preventive measures for unlikely but possible problems.[/mfn], he took off his jacket and tossed it to Jiang Liusui. “Put this on, hood up too. Don’t draw attention.”
The red baseball cap from He Yujing was too conspicuous, so Jiang Liusui had already taken it off. Looking at the surging crowd in the distance, he suddenly said, “He Yujing’s pretty decent. Way more handsome in real life than in photos.”
Hearing him compliment another guy’s looks was rare enough that Zhou Xun asked reflexively, “Compared to you?”
Recalling the other’s faint smile at the end, Jiang Liusui gave the highest possible rating: “Fifty-fifty.”
“……”
“You two aren’t on the same level. You’re beautiful, he’s handsome,” Shen Sijia said, cupping her face. “I’ve said it a million times—he looks a thousand times better in real life than in pictures! No camera can capture that perfect face.”
“You only think he’s handsome because he helped you… But I’m shocked he stepped in for you.” Zhou Xun found the earlier scene unbelievable. Glancing at Jiang Liusui’s fair, exquisite face under the jacket hood, he teased, “How does it feel to be saved by a hero?[mfn]被英雄救美 (bèi yīng xióng jiù měi) – a trope where a (usually female) character is saved by a heroic (usually male) character, often in romantic or dramatic contexts[/mfn]”
“Not bad.” Jiang Liusui stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to Shen Sijia.“When He Yujing’s new album drops, I’ll buy an entire row for you.”
Shen Sijia’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Why?” Zhou Xun asked.
A smile curled Jiang Liusui’s lips as he playfully mimicked Shen Sijia’s phrasing: “To boost our gege’s sales and support his career. Thank you, gege, for helping me out.”
He was so good-looking that even the faintest smile felt sweet enough to melt hearts.
Shen Sijia’s heart fluttered at his charm, and she couldn’t help muttering, “Unbelievable… calling him gege, he’s like a little devil or something[mfn]妖精似的 (yāo jīng sì de) – lit. like a demon/elf/fairy; often used to describe someone or something that looks mischievous, enchanting, or strangely attractive, sometimes with a hint of slyness or trickiness.[/mfn]…”
Author’s Note:
Little He, always buried under piles of clothes, jewelry, and perfume.
Little Jiang, simple in dress but stunningly beautiful.
Refinement defines Teacher He from head to toe. Can’t wait to write the part later where he gets to dress his wifey, hahahahaha
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