When Gong Yue entered the lounge, Director Zhang tactfully left with his assistant. The two bodyguards stayed at the door, leaving only Ye Shan Shan and Gong Yue inside.
Ye Shan Shan felt his ears itch as Gong Yue leaned in close to speak, and his mind began to race. If he just casually tilted his head, he could kiss his boyfriend so effortlessly!
As he indulged in the beautiful mental image, Ye Shan Shan suddenly realized what Gong Yue had just said—delicate flower!
His eyes widened slightly as nervousness surged through him. The sweet-and-sour dessert in his mouth only made it harder to think straight. Acting on instinct, Ye Shan Shan immediately pretended to choke, placing a hand on his neck and putting on a pained expression, as if he couldn’t speak.
His acting was impeccable, though his other hand still instinctively clutched the dessert wrapper.
Watching his performance, Gong Yue didn’t expose him and instead handed over a bottle of freshly squeezed juice from the bag.
“…”
Ye Shan Shan stared at the juice for several seconds before reluctantly taking it and sipping. Hmm, it’s delicious! Before he knew it, he’d finished the whole bottle and now didn’t dare look up at Gong Yue.
Years of their relationship might be on the verge of collapse. In such a dire situation, what should he do?
Gong Yue patiently waited for him to finish before asking, “Feeling better now?”
Giving himself a mental pep talk, Ye Shan Shan decided to go for broke. Since he’d already been caught, honesty might be his best option. He looked at Gong Yue earnestly, paused for two seconds, and said, “Let me read your palm!”
Amused, Gong Yue’s eyes filled with laughter. He cooperatively extended his right hand. “Okay.”
Ye Shan Shan traced Gong Yue’s palm lines with his finger, then concluded, “Your palm says… I’m destined to be in your life.”
He cleared his throat and, with exaggerated seriousness, said, “Let me see the other hand.”
Gong Yue switched to his left hand as instructed.
Studying the lines with the same intensity, Ye Shan Shan’s expression grew even more solemn. “Mr. Gong, your fortune predicts that you shouldn’t get angry today or tomorrow.”
Two days—that’s enough time to calm down, right?
After delivering his analysis, Ye Shan Shan lowered his head and kissed Gong Yue’s palm. Then he looked up and added, “I’ve sealed away the bad energy that might upset you. Very effective, so no getting angry, okay?”
Seeing Gong Yue remain silent, Ye Shan Shan’s heart skipped a beat. He leaned in and kissed Gong Yue’s lips, saying, “This will seal it even more securely.”
He then looked at Gong Yue with a righteous expression.
After a long moment, Gong Yue, who hadn’t said a word, reached out and began untying Ye Shan Shan’s costume belt, moving to take off his outer robe.
Ye Shan Shan was startled. This isn’t how I imagined things would go!
He quickly grabbed Gong Yue’s hand, stammering, “Although… I’d really like to… and I’m looking forward to it, isn’t this… not the best place?”
Even as he spoke, Ye Shan Shan’s grip on Gong Yue’s hand loosened noticeably.
Gong Yue looked at him, amused, and pulled him into an embrace. “What are you thinking?” His tone was warm as he continued, “Alright, change your clothes. Let’s go home.”
Ye Shan Shan wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved. Scratching his head awkwardly, he muttered an “Oh,” then quickly stripped off his costume, leaving only a white cotton undershirt. He grabbed his clothes from the side and put them on.
Once dressed, Ye Shan Shan ran to the mirror to fix his hair, sneaking a glance at Gong Yue. Feeling the need to confirm he’d weathered the storm, he ruffled his bangs and grabbed a black hair tie to approach Gong Yue.
“Look, my hair’s grown out again. I’ve been so busy filming that I forgot to get it cut.”
Understanding his intention, Gong Yue took the hair tie, gathered Ye Shan Shan’s bangs above his eyebrows, and tied them into a little tuft. “Done.” His movements were noticeably more skilled than before.
Satisfied that he had passed the crisis, Ye Shan Shan felt his efforts to diffuse the “delicate flower” situation had paid off. Happily, he followed Gong Yue out of the lounge.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Director Zhang and Xu Luoyang waiting nearby. Both men scrutinized Ye Shan Shan from head to toe before collectively sighing in relief.
Xu Luoyang glanced at Gong Yue, then recalled Ye Shan Shan’s earlier “delicate flower” comment. Imagining a six-foot-tall “delicate flower,” Xu Luoyang felt it would be a long time before he could look Gong Yue in the eye again.
If I accidentally spill the beans one day, won’t that expose Ye Shan Shan?
After briefly saying goodbye to Xu Luoyang and Director Zhang, Ye Shan Shan followed Gong Yue into the car. Remembering he hadn’t finished his cranberry dessert, he reached for it, but Gong Yue suddenly spoke.
“Shan Shan, I’m the one you ‘planted out of a flowerpot’?”
“!!” So much for the issue being swept away by the wind!
Ye Shan Shan put the dessert aside and gave Gong Yue a pitiful look. “I’ll go back and voluntarily recite the dictionary. In order—Hebrew included. Self-punishment: no sugar for three—no, two days.”
Unmoved, Gong Yue firmly said, “Your phone.”
With a resigned expression, Ye Shan Shan handed over his phone. Watching Gong Yue scroll through the contact list, his heart raced.
At the very top of the list was Gong Yue’s number, saved under the name: “Delicate Flower Needing Care and Attention.”
Ye Shan Shan remembered how Gong Yue had ignored him for over thirty hours the last time he discovered a nickname like this. He could already foresee the lonely days ahead.
To his surprise, after reading it, Gong Yue’s expression brightened. Without warning, he leaned over and kissed Ye Shan Shan.
The stormy skies of the “great demon king” cleared instantly. Ye Shan Shan thought his boyfriend was both hard to understand and unpredictable. But no matter how it happened, as long as Gong Yue was happy again, everything was fine.
So he wrapped his arms around Gong Yue and opened his lips, welcoming him in.
The next day, Ye Shanshan was in an exceptionally good mood. In an uncharacteristic move, he bought ten roasted sweet potatoes and a big bag of boiled peanuts, placing them on the table in the lounge with a flourish. “Help yourselves!”
Xu Luoyang stared at Ye Shanshan in shock. “What good thing happened today to make you so generous?”
Ye Shanshan sat beside Xu Luoyang and lowered his voice. “Yesterday, I answered some questions on Weibo, and my brother found out.”
Xu Luoyang immediately caught on. “The delicate flower?”
“Yes, yes, the delicate flower!” Ye Shanshan nodded several times. “You have no idea how nervous I was. My brother directly asked me what was up with the ‘delicate flower.'”
“And then? Did you get punished with the family rules?”
Ye Shanshan scratched his head, looking puzzled. “I was fully prepared for some harsh punishment, but then my brother’s mood suddenly improved. When we got home, he even spent hours playing puzzles with me.”
However, what he didn’t mention was how things escalated later, with Gong Yue pinning him down in various ways, leaving him sprawled on the table, crying, and hoarse by the end.
Imagining Gong Yue playing puzzles with Ye Shanshan, Xu Luoyang came to a conclusion. “Mr. Gong truly has infinite patience for you—true love.”
“Of course!” Ye Shanshan looked smug and even started humming a tune. “By the way, if all goes well, I’ll finish filming today.”
As the styling team entered, Ye Shanshan sat down to put on his wig cap, still chatting with Xu Luoyang.
“Yeah, and then I have to follow the crew to the wilderness. Just thinking about it makes me feel miserable. That place has no internet, and if you’re not careful, you’ll get chased by shepherd dogs.”
Ye Shanshan sympathetically patted Xu Luoyang’s shoulder. “If you do get chased again, make sure to film it!”
“…”
Ye Shanshan’s final scene was set in the third year after Ji Lingyun came to Chu. He had been invited to a banquet.
The banquet was filled with music and dancing, with performers dressed in vibrant costumes gracefully dancing at the center of the waterside pavilion. Ji Lingyun held a glass of wine, and the servant beside him whispered, “Your Highness, the doctor said you shouldn’t drink.”
Nodding slightly, Ji Lingyun still took a small sip. As he set the glass down, the Fifth Prince of Chu, seated in the place of honor, sneered.
“I heard that the Third Prince has been frail since childhood, falling ill even from a small taste of meat. But it seems fake, doesn’t it? Here he is drinking wine, and look, he’s still alive!”
The young nobles seated around joined in, but it was clear to everyone that Ji Lingyun’s complexion was poor, making him look weak.
“Recently, I heard Father say that several prominent families in the Northern Dynasty have been executed. Now, only young scholars from the imperial examinations hold office. So what does this mean? Pushed to the brink, they simply chose to destroy themselves?” The Fifth Prince’s tone dripped with mockery. “Without this ‘auspicious symbol,’ the Northern Dynasty really can’t manage, huh?”
Ji Lingyun glanced at him, his expression calm and emotionless. This inexplicably provoked the Fifth Prince, who smashed his wine cup on the ground. “Guards!”
A trembling eunuch stepped forward.
The Fifth Prince, still staring at Ji Lingyun, curled his lips. “Didn’t the Northern Dynasty send some fine wine as tribute? Bring it here—let’s have the Third Prince taste a bit of his homeland!”
When the wine was brought out, Ji Lingyun picked up the jade wine jug, fiddling with it briefly before tilting it to drink directly. His lashes lowered, hiding his eyes as the clear liquid poured into his mouth.
The pavilion fell silent, with everyone’s eyes drawn to Ji Lingyun. In that moment, he looked like a celestial being who had descended to the mortal world.
Setting the emptied jug down, a faint flush appeared on Ji Lingyun’s pale skin. The vermillion mole at the corner of his eye added a touch of allure. He lifted his chin slightly and said in a clear voice,
“Thank you, Fifth Prince, for allowing me to taste the wine of my homeland.”
After filming Ji Lingyun’s departure along the long corridor, Director Zhang grabbed a megaphone. “That’s a wrap for Ji Lingyun! Congratulations, Ye Shanshan!”
The crew burst into applause, congratulating him. Ye Shanshan rinsed his mouth, wiped away any water residue, then grabbed the megaphone from the director.
“Dinner’s on me! Thank you all for your hard work and care during this time!”
Another round of cheers followed.
Later that evening, as rain began to fall, Director Zhang saw the crew losing motivation and called it an early wrap. A large group of them piled into vehicles, heading to the place Ye Shanshan had reserved.
When they arrived, they discovered Ye Shanshan had reserved the entire Hai Dynasty Pavilion, a famous and luxurious venue in B City where even getting a single table was nearly impossible.
Standing at the entrance, Ye Shanshan looked a bit stunned. “I told my brother I wanted to treat everyone to barbecue.”
Hearing this, Xu Luoyang sighed. “If you really treated the crew to barbecue, tomorrow’s headlines would be something like ‘Ye Shanshan stingy as a miser—won’t spend a dime!'”
He patted Ye Shanshan on the shoulder. “Let’s go. Mr. Gong clearly thought of everything.”
Realizing this, Ye Shanshan raised his chin proudly. “Of course, my brother is always thorough!”
Xu Luoyang, meanwhile, felt helpless. Why did I willingly come here to eat this public display of affection?
After wrapping up Mountains and Rivers Remain, Ye Shanshan found himself completely free, with his schedule blank.
So, he spent his days at home with Sparkle, floating around aimlessly and sneaking sweets from the kitchen. His stealthy efforts were never caught—until Gong Yue decided to guard the kitchen himself.
When Sparkle climbed in through the window carrying lollipops under Ye Shanshan’s instructions, they were caught red-handed.
Standing in front of Gong Yue, Ye Shanshan and Sparkle both stared at him, wide-eyed.
“Explain,” Gong Yue said.
Sensing trouble, Ye Shanshan quickly confessed,
“Officer, over five days, I stole 21 lollipops, 13 mille-feuilles, 7 macarons, 2 mousse cakes, 4 cupcakes, 1 black forest cake with cherries, 1 opera cake, and 1 soufflé.”
He glanced at Gong Yue’s expressionless face and concluded, “That’s everything.”
Seeing his pitiful look, Gong Yue pinched the bridge of his nose. “Shanshan, you can’t eat so many sweets. You know that.”
Ye Shanshan’s gastrointestinal system couldn’t properly metabolize sweets due to irreparable damage caused during his time as a test subject in the lab.
“I know,” Ye Shanshan admitted, feeling guilty as he stood with his hands behind his back.
Hearing his aggrieved tone, Gong Yue pulled him into a hug and said softly, “Shanshan, you promised to stay with me forever. You can’t get sick.”
Hearing this, Ye Shanshan’s heart ached. Realizing how upset his brother must be, he hesitated for three seconds before making a vow.
“I won’t touch sweets for two weeks,” he promised. Then, feeling he owed more, he added, “I’ll even finish 100 practice papers.”
Gong Yue stroked his hair gently. “Good.”
Seeing that Gong Yue was less stern now, Ye Shanshan leaned in for a kiss. As things escalated, he briefly felt like something was off but ultimately ignored it in the face of Gong Yue’s overwhelming charm.
[mfn]If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! -TL: YSIAD[/mfn]
Thanks for the dog food.🐶