Song Yu’s breath caught. How was he supposed to answer that?
If he directly said he wouldn’t reconcile with Fu Yuqian, fans and bystanders would think he was heartless. But to immediately reconcile—well, he still wanted to see Fu Yuqian wear a qipao and dance a girl group routine. Song Yu pursed his deep pink lips and suddenly remembered that Fu Yuqian had once mentioned wanting him to act in The Tyrant’s Beloved. He used the drama as an excuse and came up with an answer, which could also serve as a bit of promo for Fu Yuqian:
“Of course I’m touched by everything Teacher Fu has done for me. Thinking back on it, I was really immature before. I’d like to take this chance to apologize to Teacher Fu. To show my sincerity, I’m willing to act in his new drama for zero pay.”
Outside the door, Fu Yuqian leaned against the wall, lips curled into a smile. What a sly little kitten.
But this little kitten was still naive, unaware of the dangers of the world. Fu Yuqian split his screen, watching Song Yu’s livestream while sending a WeChat message to Guo Mao:
“Director Guo, I’ve found the actor for Fu Qingyu.”
Guo Mao must not have been filming at the time, as he replied almost instantly:
“Who is it? I just saw the trending topic—Song Yu woke up. Did he say yes?”
Fu Yuqian: “He agreed to join the cast. Director Guo, I remember the script has a lot of differences from the original novel—several romantic scenes were cut, right?”
Guo Mao: “Had to do it. The current climate just doesn’t allow anything too intense. Tsk. Honestly, without the emotional plotlines, it’s like having a Manchu Han banquet and getting served nothing but vegetarian dishes—totally bland.”
Thinking of the news he’d received a few days ago, Fu Yuqian replied:
“Song Yu needs rehab for the next few days and can’t join the crew yet. While you’re waiting, revise the script—add those emotional scenes back in. We can shoot them.”
Guo Mao, being a seasoned player in the industry, knew that Fu Yuqian had sharp sources. And with Fu Yuqian having long advocated for same-sex marriage laws, could this mean some progress had been made?
Since Fu Yuqian said it was doable, then it was. After all, 70% of the drama’s funding came directly from Fu Yuqian and Huacan. Guo Mao wasn’t about to rock the boat. He quickly picked up on Fu Yuqian’s intentions and jokingly teased:
“Should I add a bed scene too?”
Fu Yuqian replied with a single smiling emoji.
Veterans like them needed only an emoji to get the message. Guo Mao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—this kid Song Yu was no match for the scheming old fox Fu Yuqian. But having worked with Fu Yuqian for so long, he trusted his character—Fu Yuqian would never force someone into something. And with everything he’d done and how he had protected Song Yu during this time, the boy was surely touched. So this might just turn out to be a happy ending.
After all, he himself had only gotten together with his girlfriend because his friends helped him during a game of truth or dare.
There’s just something innate in humans that drives them to play matchmaker.
The fans quickly reacted to Song Yu’s response:
[I took off my pants just for this? Where’s the emotion? The blushing? The tears?]
[Aaaaaa Song Yu ge you’re so cold!! Zero pay?? What’s that about? Fu Yuqian’s filthy rich—he doesn’t need you to save him money!]
[Sis, are you dense? What drama is Fu Yuqian shooting? It’s a BL drama!! Wake up! Pisces szd! Wuwuwu I can die happy now…]
[I’m losing it someone help me. Just the thought of them acting in a danmei drama together makes it hard to breathe. AAAHHH Pisces szd!!!]
Previously, the official Weibo of the drama had announced Tang Jiayan’s withdrawal from the cast. It hadn’t been promoted on the hot search and was done very low-key, simply stating that he had other commitments. Many fans worried the show might get scrapped and were constantly asking who would replace him. But the production team stayed silent no matter how much they were pressed, driving fans nuts.
Usually at times like this, celebs would release ambiguous press statements—saying they received an audition invite or were in talks about a project, trying to ride the wave. But because of the lasting fear from how ruthlessly Fu Yuqian had blacklisted people in the past, everyone kept their heads down and didn’t dare stir the pot. As a result, fans were left anxiously waiting.
So when Song Yu said he would join the cast of the web drama without pay, the internet exploded.
[So you’re telling me Song Yu is going to star in a BL web drama with Fu Yuqian?! Am I dreaming?!]
[Gege, be honest—have you already been sneaking around with Fu Yuqian behind our backs?]
[Today is another glorious day for Pisces shippers! Invest in Pisces now, become a winner at life, and own a mountain of sugar! What are you waiting for!]
Everyone was pressing about Pisces (their ship name). Song Yu hadn’t expected it to backfire so badly. His face turned a little red, and his brain, unused for so long, knotted up. He stammered out a reply:
“Pis… Pisces isn’t real. I mean, I don’t know what Pisces is, I…”
The more he tried to explain, the worse it got. His face was completely flushed as he forcibly changed the subject:
“My head still hurts a bit. I’m ending the stream for now. I’ll chat with you all later.”
He fumbled to end the livestream, then immediately spiraled into self-doubt.
Fu Yuqian watched this adorable Song Yu and felt an overwhelming urge to eat him up. His heart itched like it had been scratched by a kitten. He put away his phone, pushed open the door, and entered—only to be driven back by a red-faced Song Yu:
“You’re not allowed in here! Get out! Or I’ll never talk to you again! Yiyi, help me block the door!”
Yiyi, who had been playing in the corner, immediately sprang into action with a meow, pouncing toward Fu Yuqian and driving him out—clearly having betrayed him.
Fu Yuqian didn’t want to push his luck and truly make Song Yu angry, so he had no choice but to leave. But he left with a smile as radiant as ever.
Song Yu buried himself under the blanket, head and all, thinking he could sleep for another six months and it still wouldn’t be long enough.
He was doomed.
Why did he insist on livestreaming? Wouldn’t recording a video have been better? What was he even thinking?! Song Yu wanted to smother himself.
Although he didn’t exactly mind being with Fu Yuqian, that didn’t mean he was ready to go public. Would his fans be so heartbroken they’d stop supporting him? Just the thought made Song Yu’s heart ache.
Even the things Song Yu could think of, how could Fu Yuqian not have anticipated them? He first contacted Yin Lang to stabilize Song Yu’s fans and had already arranged the direction of the public guidance—clearly, he had been prepared in advance.
At the same time, he coordinated with Huacan to sign Song Yu and to handle all the various contracts tied to him.
Xingyue was in the midst of bankruptcy liquidation, so the contract signed with Song Yu was naturally no longer being carried out. Song Yu was now completely free and could start signing with a new company. Fu Yuqian personally prepared a contract and arranged for Huacan’s Artist Management Department to come by in a few days for Song Yu to sign. Huacan was, of course, delighted to sign Song Yu—even if the contract terms were highly favorable to him, they had no objections.
As for the contracts tied to Song Yu, most were annual agreements that naturally lapsed while he was unconscious and had not been renewed. Only one or two were signed for three years, and those would be handled by Huacan after he officially signed with them.
Originally, Fu Yuqian had also wanted to post something on Weibo, but considering Little Song Cat’s thin skin, he decided against it.
Yin Lang, looking like someone who had run out of luck for eight lifetimes, switched to his alternate female account and went online. As expected, the fanbase had exploded. Fortunately, everyone was still relatively rational, and the situation was under control—for Fu Yuqian’s earlier groundwork had paid off. Even the “Fish Fans” admitted Fu Yuqian’s goodness.
When Yin Lang went online, several fan club presidents immediately pulled him into a private group chat to discuss the matter.
Although they all thought Song Yu was adorably pitiful, his public response seemed like he was hiding something. So Song Yu had been following Double Fish (the CP) too? They felt a bit breathless.
Yin Lang, expressionless, typed away rapidly with a flurry of analysis:
Song Yu had always been extremely hostile toward Fu Yuqian, and this sudden change in attitude was clearly due to a rush of emotions after realizing all that Fu Yuqian had done for him. The feelings aren’t really there yet—it’s just an emotional reaction. Everyone must stay calm and refrain from discussing this. Song Yu reads the comments! What if we inadvertently trigger his awakening? If anyone tries to stir the pot or marketing accounts try to create hype, we need to control the narrative and fight the rumors. We absolutely cannot let Song Yu wake up to the truth so soon—got it?
Also, let’s be real, Fu Yuqian has a great public image. Song Yu can’t stay single forever just for us. If he’s going to date someone, better it be Fu Yuqian than some random little seductress. At least then we can enjoy shipping the CP. Isn’t Double Fish sweet?
After this breakdown, the fan leaders were fully convinced and immediately coordinated the fanbase: No mass CP hype—keep it subtle.
The fans suddenly had a revelation. Of course they knew what kind of person their Song Yu-ge was—innocent and pure. They had been touched by Fu Yuqian’s devotion, but Song Yu didn’t have that emotional buildup. His words were obviously just a slip of the tongue in a moment of excitement. They must stop him from realizing his feelings!
Thus began a massive fan-led operation to prevent Song Yu from realizing he liked Fu Yuqian. Passersby were dumbfounded—was this even a thing people did?
Even the “Qian Qian Girls” (Fu Yuqian’s fans) joined in to support their sisters. In private chats, they were already referring to each other as “in-laws.” A small number of girlfriend-fans initially struggled to accept it, but after some comforting from the Double Fish fans, they also came around. If they couldn’t have Song Yu-ge, then no one else should either—may as well let him be with that “scumbag” Fu Yuqian.
Yin Lang also had Huacan’s PR department keep an eye on gossip accounts and trending searches, ultimately succeeding in keeping the situation under control and preventing Song Yu from facing any major backlash.
After all that chaos, Yin Lang once again sighed over having to manage such a troublesome little ancestor. And judging from Fu Yuqian’s words, it seemed Song Yu would continue being his responsibility. He now only prayed that neither of these two would come out of the closet before same-sex marriage became legal—just let him have a bit of peace!
He was just about to switch accounts when he received a message from one of the fan club presidents:
“Sister Yue, I have a question to ask you~ 😳 Are you still single?”
This fan leader used her own photo as her profile pic—cute and innocent-looking. Yin Lang’s heart fluttered for a moment, and he quickly replied:
“Still single, why do you ask? 😳”
Luoluo: “That’s great! You’re amazing—I’ve been telling my brother all about you, and he’s really interested. He says you’re exactly his type. He’s very accomplished too—CEO of a top 100 global company’s China division, just 34 years old, talented and handsome. Sister Yue, can we set up a meeting? Give my brother a chance!”
Yin Lang nearly choked on air.
Fu Yuqian, you bastard!
I’m quitting today!
Author’s Note:
Yin Lang: Fu Yuqian, look what you’ve done! Someone’s trying to introduce their brother to me now!
Fu Yuqian (smiling): Well, you are getting older, and he does sound like a good catch.
Yin Lang: ………
As expected, never make a flag (promise)… But I will definitely fulfill the promised extra chapter!
Those who followed my last book know—I have a good track record, just a terrible history with setting flags…
Thank you to the lovely angels who gave me tips and nutrient fluid between 2020-03-14 21:11:11 and 2020-03-15 21:04:05~
Rocket Launcher Giver:
- Wuxing Queqian Haoduonian – 1
Landmine Giver:
- Shen Wei – 1
Nutrient Fluid Givers:
- Tao Bayue – 30 bottles
- Wuxing Queqian Haoduonian – 26 bottles
- Ye Shang – 5 bottles
- Xilou Xie Yu – 1 bottle
Thank you all so much for your support! I’ll keep working hard!
[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! [/mfn]
