MOGHA Chapter 128

On the way back, Xu Luoyang was the one driving. He knew Director Yang’s excuse of discussing the MV was just a pretext, so he didn’t bring it up. After a few minutes of silence, feeling a bit stifled, he was about to find a topic when Director Yang spoke first.

“Shanshan is the most naturally gifted actor I’ve ever seen. Among actors at the same stage, he’s undoubtedly top-tier. But he has too few works.”

Xu Luoyang thought for a moment and understood what he meant. “Shanshan told me before—he doesn’t want to play lead roles. He doesn’t like those pre-constructed characters. That’s why every role he takes is one he chooses himself, and acting is just a hobby for him.”

In truth, Xu Luoyang really wanted to say that Ye Shanshan spent all his time falling in love—when would he even have time to act?

Director Yang was quiet for a while, still sounding a bit regretful. “But he’s such an excellent actor. He’s someone who will definitely go down in film history. He shouldn’t be limited. He shouldn’t be at this level.”

“How can you tell he’s being limited?” As they hit a red light, Xu Luoyang stopped the car and turned to look at Director Yang, still smiling, but his tone was a bit harder than before.

“I don’t know what you really feel about Shanshan—whether it’s as a fan or something else. And I’m not sure what you said to Mr. Gong. But I believe, whether Shanshan wants to be a world-class actor in the spotlight, or a physicist, a pianist, or even a farmer raising pigs—that’s his freedom. It’s his passion.”

Watching the countdown on the traffic light, Xu Luoyang softened his tone.

“If you don’t mind me being nosy, let me say this—whether it’s you, Zheng Dong, or even the old me, we all thought Shanshan was so brilliant that he should become someone world-renowned. No matter what title or achievement, we felt like if he didn’t, it would be a waste of his talent.

And when we see his current situation doesn’t match our expectations, we assume he’s being held back. Some might even think—if they were in Gong Yue’s shoes—they wouldn’t control or hinder him. They’d help him grow. That’s what you’re thinking, right? I’m not wrong, am I?”

Director Yang was silent for a moment. “Isn’t that the truth?”

The first time he saw a scene from Ye Shanshan’s film, he couldn’t take his eyes off him. It was like being enchanted. He started searching for all of Ye Shanshan’s works, silently following every update, remembering every little detail. When he found out Shanshan was starring in the MV, he couldn’t sleep all night. His heart pounded wildly—only he knew just how much.

He had never had feelings for anyone before. Only now did he understand—once your heart moves, it really hurts.

Looking at Xu Luoyang, Director Yang spoke seriously. “If it were me, I’d do everything I could to push him to the very top.”

Hearing this, Xu Luoyang felt stifled again. That protective “mama hen” instinct flared up.

Since they’d already gone this far, he figured he might as well say it all.

“And that—is the difference between us and Gong Yue. Zheng Dong wants to conquer the entertainment industry with Shanshan. You want Ye Shanshan’s name etched into film history. Fans want him to win countless awards and star in countless works. Even his teacher might hope he’ll inherit his legacy. But Gong Yue? He just wants Ye Shanshan to be happy. Whatever Shanshan wants to do, however he wants to live—Gong Yue supports him. Unconditionally. Even indulgently.”

As the car slowly moved again, Xu Luoyang looked out at the darkening sky, a little emotional. “Honestly, it’s only after seeing Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue together that I finally understood what the best kind of love looks like.”

Traffic started speeding up. Xu Luoyang kept his eyes on the road. “So, Director Yang, after all that I’ve said—what I really mean is, there are some things you should just let go.”

---

Meanwhile, Ye Shanshan followed Gong Yue home and saw Liang Jingjing slowly crawling around on the carpet like a little snowball. Ye Shanshan crouched down and followed behind him, confused.

“Didn’t that biomechanical research institute say all their kittens are lively and energetic? So… did Liang Jingjing mutate?”

He picked up the little furball and lifted him high with a smile. “It’s okay, your big brother still loves you. Even if you crawl slowly, you’re still my Liang Jingjing—the cutest little kitty!”

Saying that, he placed Liang Jingjing on Gong Yue’s shoulder. “Go bond with your daddy. I’ve got stuff to do.”

Just as he finished, he noticed Gong Yue watching him with smiling eyes. Ye Shanshan froze. Only then did he realize what he’d blurted out—Daddy, big brother… that sounded way too suggestive!

Flustered, he pretended nothing had happened, gave Gong Yue a quick kiss, and headed to the storage room. On the way upstairs, he took out his phone and saw that Weibo was on fire again.

He clicked in and saw that fans who had visited the set had posted super long blog entries. Since they couldn’t take photos, they hand-drew the scenes—surprisingly accurate and very clever.

Zooming in on a fan-drawn image of Gong Yue, Ye Shanshan thought it was well done and quietly took a screenshot. Then he read the accompanying text and gave it a serious thumbs-up.

The main reason? The fan had written the “Gong Yue gets out of the car” scene really well:

“…When the car door opened and a man in a dark suit stepped out, my heart nearly stopped. How to describe it? Not the kind of instant dazzle like seeing Shanshan, but definitely the kind of presence that makes you go, ‘Oh sh*t, I can’t look again.’ Powerful aura, striking features, amazing physique, and that suit? Lethal. He instantly locked eyes on Shanshan, and the expression on his face—just devastatingly charming.

…When Shanshan ran over, he smiled like a blooming flower. After all this time being a fan, I’ve never seen him smile so brightly! And the most heart-melting part? Everyone knows Shanshan’s hair is usually a mess. His Majesty saw him and gently, carefully fixed his hair. Even from afar, that look in his eyes made me gasp! Then they held hands—clearly something they’ve done a thousand times, because their fingers interlocked perfectly.

…Before today, I thought no one could match Shanshan. But after seeing His Majesty—I finally understood what real compatibility means.”

Ye Shanshan read it twice, feeling great. “These fans really have taste,” he thought. “Of course Gong Yue and I are a perfect match!”

Humming a ridiculous remix of Little Cabbage, he entered the storage room and started rummaging around.

Twenty minutes later, he came downstairs with a box in hand. “Ge! I found it! I found the beard!”

He opened the box to reveal white horsehair, already glued together.

“Beard?” Gong Yue put down his water glass, Liang Jingjing still lying on his shoulder.

“Yeah, a white beard!” Ye Shanshan sat next to Gong Yue, scooped a spoon of veggie salad, found it tasty, and fed a spoonful to Gong Yue. “I’m going to livestream in a bit.”

Gong Yue swallowed. “Mm, is it enough?”

“Plenty!”

At exactly 9 PM, Ye Shanshan went live.

The chatroom had been busy gossiping about meeting His Majesty during the set visit. Then suddenly, Ye Shanshan’s face appeared onscreen—and chat exploded.

“—What the heck? Since when did our Shanshan turn into a white-bearded, silver-haired old man? Grandpa Whitebeard? Elder from the Moon Palace?”

“—Why do I weirdly find white-bearded Shanshan kinda attractive? My aesthetic must be broken!”

Clearing his throat, Ye Shanshan gently stroked his white beard. Speaking slowly and with otherworldly flair, he embodied the role of a reclusive immortal elder.

“Today, we of Mount Taiyi welcome new disciples. I am Elder Ye, head steward. If you have any doubts or troubles, speak up. I will answer in detail.”

Apparently, fans were used to his quirky style. No one questioned it—instead, they joined right in with matching enthusiasm.

“Elder Ye, my family’s too poor to afford magical tools. What do I do?”

Ye Shanshan smiled warmly. “No worries, young friend. Our sect is rich. There’s a big pit behind the mountain full of slightly used magical tools. Once you join, feel free to pick from it.”

“—Sign me up! I’ve been using the same gear for ten years! Life as a rogue cultivator is tough!”

“—Elder Ye is so cool! I’ll join! I’ll even donate some broken tools to the pit!”

“I’m a Wood Spirit Root and want to learn to grow spiritual herbs. Do I need to bring my own seeds?”

Elder Ye replied patiently, “No need. But bringing a few cabbage seeds wouldn’t hurt. Bribe—cough—I mean, offer them to me, and you’ll have free rein in the sect.”

“—LOL got it. And don’t forget sweet potatoes!”

“—Elder Ye, you must’ve been a cabbage spirit in your past life!”

“I’m a dual Gold-Fire Root, interested in alchemy and artifact refining. Why do I also need to learn 20 kinds of farming tools?”

Elder Ye twirled his beard. “Because before you can control magical tools, those farming tools are your best weapons. Group brawls in the cafeteria are fierce—new disciples always get the short end. Be prepared.”

“Elder Ye, do you have a Dao partner? Do we still have a chance?”

Ye Shanshan sighed. “No more chances—I already have one.” Just as he said that, he heard footsteps and called out, “Dao partner? Come in!”

Moments later, the viewers saw a man in a white shirt walk into frame, standing just behind Ye Shanshan. His face wasn’t visible, but his rolled-up sleeves, well-formed hands, and striking waistline were enough to send the chat into a frenzy.

“AHHHHH—”

“—The keyboard is destroyed and I don’t care! Show us His Majesty’s face! Wait, why did he come in right when you called him Dao partner? What kind of psychic connection is this??”

“—The dog food is being shoved down my throat! Should I eat it or not??”

“—Elder Ye, your cultivation must be low. You’re too busy showing PDA!”

Ye Shanshan grabbed Gong Yue’s hand and started tattling. “Dao partner, these people tried to steal you away! They’re so shameless!”

“They can’t steal me.” Gong Yue raised his other hand and gently ruffled Ye Shanshan’s hair. The strands slid through his fingers—it was a beautiful scene.

Ye Shanshan squinted in comfort, letting out a pleased hum. “Exactly, I’m yours. No one can take me.”

“—I’m dying from blood loss! Someone hand me red dates to recover! This is lethal!”

“—This is criminally cute. Even if I collapse, I’ll crawl back just to keep watching!”

Ye Shanshan took off the fake beard and waved at the camera. “No more today—I must go absorb the moon’s essence for cultivation.”

Still in character, he added sincerely, “You must all work hard too. We’re destined to ascend.”

Then he grabbed Gong Yue’s hand and made him press the “end stream” button. Since Gong Yue was behind him, the motion looked like a backhug.

As the computer shut down, Ye Shanshan bit Gong Yue’s Adam’s apple, then lifted his chin slightly, a bit aloof.

“Dao partner, shall we go cultivate together?”

Bending down, Gong Yue picked him up from the chair and said simply, “Yes.”

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