Chapter 180. Don’t Cry

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Arc 9: Real World.

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Chen You didn’t remember the thank-you speech Hu Wei had prepared for him, after all, he’s an award winning actor, you know.

He didn’t think he would win the award, being nominated was already an unthinkable outcome, so he had no expectations at all. Then, such a big award unexpectedly landed on his head.

Chen You felt very dizzy.

The moment he slapped himself was captured on camera, and it’ll surely be tomorrow’s headline. The content suggests that the newly crowned movie emperor was overcome with emotion, slapping himself on the face on the awards stage and fainting several times.

The host said something that elicited laughter from the artists in the audience. Chen You swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He regretted wearing a tie. He couldn’t breathe properly and took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

The handsome male and beautiful female hosts spoke again, and this time the buzzing in Chen You’s ears disappeared, and he could hear them clearly. The two of them said he looked nervous, with a hint of playful teasing in their voices.

Of course he was nervous, he was so nervous he was practically dying.

Chen You coughed twice, turned to look at the veteran actor who was presenting him with the award, and blurted out, “Teacher Wang, my dad is a fan of you.”

This is true, and there is absolutely no flattery involved.

His father is a die-hard fan of this veteran actor, he watches every single one of his films and even writes down his thoughts afterward. The ‘You’ in his name was inspired by one of the actor’s works, which shows just how much he admires him.

With a kind smile, Teacher Wang handed the trophy to Chen You and said, “You are a promising young man. Keep up the good work!”

Chen You shook hands with him and even gave him a happy hug. He’ll tell his father all about it when he gets home, hehehe.

Then came Chen You’s moment to express his gratitude. He bowed to the camera and began to express his thanks using a series of parallel sentences, forgetting one sentence after another, seemingly unaware of what he had said. When he finished speaking, applause broke out.

Chen You’s heart was no longer calm, but it was surging with emotion, each wave higher than the last. Holy crap, a big celebrity is clapping for me! And so-and-so, famous and influential figures, are also clapping.

The only pity is that his idol is no longer here.

Stepping off the stage and back to his seat, Chen You’s heart was still pounding, and his hand holding the trophy was trembling, just like someone with Parkinson’s disease.

Hu Wei patted Chen You on the shoulder, offering silent encouragement.

This title is an affirmation, an honor, but also a spur and a source of pressure. Because he is a Best Actor winner, he must adhere even more strictly to the professional ethics and standards expected of an actor.

With his hands no longer trembling, Chen You turned to Hu Wei and asked, “Could there be a mistake?”

Hu Wei turned his face away，“……”

Chen You glanced at the camera’s position, suppressing the urge to scratch his neck, “Does my acting deserve this award?”

Hu Wei turned his face back and said in a low voice, “You have to trust the judging penal’s professional level.”

Chen You found it hard to believe. After silently processing it for a while, he began to feel smug. The award in his hand was real, quite heavy, and felt hard and cold. Aiya, he unexpectedly became a movie emperor. This was truly…

Marvelous!

I’m loving life, I’m so done. Chen You hummed to himself, his legs shaking involuntarily, “Old 4, come out! Look, look! I’ve won Best Actor! Who said my acting was bad? Do you even know what a Best Actor award means? It means I’m the movie emperor!”

Even though there was no response, Chen You would still call the system, asking or saying things, as if he felt it would hear him.

Everyone around Zhou Zhaodi, including his competitors, congratulated Chen You. Regardless of whether there was any sour grapes in their hearts, they all did a good job of putting on a good show. The cameras were watching, and no one wanted to be reported as petty, jealous, or intolerant of newcomers.

Next up were the awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress. Chen You followed the crowd’s lead, laughing when he was supposed to laugh and clapping when he was supposed to clap, without any inappropriate behavior. Otherwise, some people would have accused him of getting arrogant and disrespectful after winning an award.

When the Best Screenplay award was presented, it was Chen You who went up on stage. After staying on the stage for a while, he came down with an award in his hand. He was walking with a limp, trying hard to restrain himself from getting carried away.

Where should he put the trophy? By the bedside? In the study? In the living room? It’s hard to decide. He needs to think about it carefully when he gets back.

The celebration banquet was held at a famous high-end club. Many other artists from xx Company attended, including several of the more famous ones, making it feel like a grand reunion of XiongDi JieMei.

As the boss, Lin Fuxing also attended the event in formal attire, beaming with joy. He seemed to be in an even better mood than Chen You, who had won the award.

Chen You moved a little closer and smelled Lin Fuxing’s scent, the scent unique to people in love. His gaze swept over and he found a hickey on the inside of Lin Fuxing’s collar. Judging by the size, he knew that the person in question did not have cherry lips.

Lin Fuxing felt slightly awkward when he noticed Chen You staring at him, “So? How does it feel to be a movie emperor?”

Chen You looked away and said honestly, “It’s pretty good.”

“You rascal, you must be overjoyed, but don’t show it all. Just let the outside world see about a third of your happiness, and keep the remaining two-thirds to yourself.”

Lin Fuxing said there would be media interviews later, and told Chen You to be careful about what he said, and to think things through before speaking.

Chen You nodded, “I memorized the script.”

Having learned his lesson, he was very serious this time, memorizing every single word of the interview script prepared by Hu Wei. Not only that, but he also reminded his assistant to give him a reminder at the appropriate time.

Lin Fuxing asked, “Where’s Li Ge? I haven’t seen him. He’s a shareholder of the company and the person you came out with. Just making an appearance at this event will guarantee you plenty of attention for the next week.”

Chen You nodded to an actor not far away and replied to Lin Fuxing, “He has a cold, a slight headache, and he’s lying down in a room on the fourth floor. I didn’t let him come out.”

Lin Fuxing asked if they should call a doctor.

Chen You said no, “He has taken his medicine. I’ll go upstairs to check on him a bit.”

He raised his glass and said, “Lin DaGe, congratulations!”

A crack appeared on Lin Fuxing’s face, and he laughed, “I’m not the one who won the award, so what’s there for me to be congratulated about? You’re out of your mind, brat.”

Chen You gave him a look that said, Don’t pretend, you punk.

Lin Fuxing’s eyelids twitched. He took a sip of his drink, made an excuse to leave, and said, “I’m going over there. Just let me know if you need anything.”

Chen You turned around and bumped into a beautiful woman, spilling red wine on her dress, leaving several red stains of varying sizes. He apologized sheepishly and went to get some tissues to hand over.

The beautiful woman took the tissue to wipe herself, said she was fine, and started talking to Chen You.

She has special techniques for striking up conversations. She started by approaching him as a fan, first talking about the show 《The Fifth World》, and then about 《The Big Shot》, discussing the plot, costumes, props, and everything else, all without making him feel annoyed or that the conversation was awkward.

Chen You only admired the beautiful woman from a distance, much like he would admire a painting, a piece of clothing, or a piece of fruit, he had no other intentions. He was lost in thought for a moment, and seeing that the beautiful woman was still talking, he casually asked if she worked for the same company.

The beautiful woman immediately burst into laughter, saying that she was a newcomer, having only recently graduated and been signed to the company less than a month ago, and that she also worked under Hu Wei.

Chen You let out a sound of understanding, realizing they were people working for Hu Wei.

He looked at her again, she was better-looking than Zhou Zhaodi, but she had a foxy, seductive face, and the traces of plastic surgery were quite obvious. Overall, she had a wicked aura about her, making her suitable for playing roles like mistresses, evil female villains, or arrogant and rude young ladies.

It is estimated that the future drama will not be wide.

Chen You caught a glimpse of Hu Wei and quickly took the opportunity to leave, telling him about the beautiful junior.

Hu Wei was unsurprised, “You’re only twenty years old and you’ve already won a Best Actor and Best Screenplay. It’s normal that many people are eyeing your resources, especially those from the same company, they’ll naturally want to befriend you.”

“The influence of the dream of becoming a star is many times greater than in the past. Now there are more and more students studying performing arts. Zhou Zhaodi’s qualifications are, at best, average, she’s not particularly outstanding, and her appearance doesn’t have any unique characteristics. She was simply fortunate enough to be cast in your work, which is why she had a better start in the entertainment industry than most people.”

Chen You was puzzled, “I don’t have any resources.”

Hu Wei said, “Others may not think so, but the fact that you can create a work like 《The Big Shot》 is enough to prove your talent. In the future, when you produce more works, those who are close to you will benefit from it.”

Talent my foot! I don’t even recognize this word. Chen You rolled his eyes. He didn’t write 《The Big Shot》, he used his own experiences, but he couldn’t tell anyone. It had to be a secret, forever hidden in his heart.

“I have no more works, I can’t write anymore.”

Hu Wei had a I knew you’d say that look on his face, “Take it slow. How old are you? When I was your age, I was still in school, carrying my guitar around picking up girls.”

Chen You said, “I want to hear your story.”

Hu Wei’s face, bearing the marks of time and the marks of a butcher’s knife, said, “Some other time, when your Ge, I,  have some free time, I’ll tell you a few stories.”

Chen You suddenly said, “Lin DaGe has a partner.”

Hu Wei did not show any surprise.

Chen You then thought of a possibility, and his eyes widened in disbelief, “It couldn’t be you, could it? You two…”

Hu Wei immediately interrupted, “Bullshit! How could LaoZi possibly be with a guy who can’t even get an erection!”

Chen You was dumbfounded, and in a daze, he learned a shocking secret.

Hu Wei belatedly realized he had let something slip, and he cursed under his breath, thankfully no one around had heard him, “Ah You, don’t tell anyone I told you this..”

Chen You said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. So, Lin DaGe really has erectile dysfunction? Is it congenital? Or is it a psychological issue?”

Hu Wei put on a stern face and said, “You a kid, why are you asking so many questions?”

Chen You was silent for a while, then said, “Hu DaGe, you’re still a virgin, aren’t you?”

Hu Wei’s face instantly went from black to red, and then from red to black.

Holy crap, it’s actually true! Chen You just said it casually, but unexpectedly, he was right. He handed a glass of red wine to Hu Wei and said earnestly, “Life is short, so enjoy it while you can. Good luck, Hu DaGe.”

Holding a wine glass in one hand, Hu Wei pushed up his glasses, and sigh. For people in their situation, who have to keep their relationship a secret, there are so many things they have to hide when they’re in a relationship. They’re constantly anxious, cautious, and paranoid, fearing that their family and friends will find out.

In the entertainment industry, when people within the group are caught in a compromising situation, they usually either resort to private settlements or deny everything, using various means to cover up the matter. Rarely do public figures choose to come out publicly like Chen You, admitting their sexual orientation and adopting an optimistic attitude of, I’ll live my life, you can do whatever you want, and still manage to endure the insults, comments, and criticism from around the world.

Hu Wei snapped back to reality just as he saw the young man’s back disappearing into the elevator. He brought the wine glass to his lips and took a sip. The future was uncertain, but based on his years of experience, he believed the young man would do well and carve out an extraordinary path in the entertainment industry.

Chen You went upstairs to the room, hugged Li Yan and kissed him, his mouth full of the smell of alcohol. He smacked his lips and pulled away, saying, “Your mouth is so hot, and so is your tongue. Lie down quickly, I’ll take your temperature.”

Li Yan refused to cooperate, instead pulling Chen You into his arms and continuing to kiss him.

Chen You grabbed his short hair, ai Ge, messing around won’t bring down a fever. What you’re doing is useless.

Even in his dazed state, Li Yan remained strong and domineering, he simply wouldn’t let go, held Chen You up by the door.

Chen You clung to the man, putting his entire weight on him, his buttocks dangling in the air, feeling a cool breeze even without wind. To be honest, he really couldn’t estimate the other person’s strength, he himself wouldn’t be able to do it, he couldn’t lift him up or carry him, only carry him on his back.

A person with a fever has a burning hot body temperature.

At this moment, Chen You felt, well, how to put it, almost like he was being ironed by a hot iron, from head to toe, the inside out, and then from the outside in, even the strands of hair were burned.

Li Yan was completely unaware. He continued ironing Chen You several times with the hot big iron before stopping.

Chen You thought he had a fever too. As he and Li Yan left the club, a strong gust of wind embraced him, and his body temperature immediately dropped rapidly.

There were quite a few luxury cars parked outside the club, along with bodyguards dressed in black.

When celebrities are out and about, they still need to pay attention to their safety. In case they encounter emotionally unstable individuals who might act impulsively, having bodyguards present can help prevent accidents.

Chen You was about to get into the car when his hand on the door paused as his gaze swept around. The car next to him was shaking.

“……”

The car belonged to Lin Fuxing, and Chen You recognized it. He wasn’t in a hurry to leave, so he sat in the back seat, rolled down the window, and casually enjoyed the breeze, looking incredibly relaxed and in high spirits.

Li Yan said, “Go home.”

Chen You said, wait a minute, and pulled a blanket from behind him, draping it over the man, “You can lean on me to sleep.”

Li Yan frowned and pulled the person into his arms.

People who are sick are easily vulnerable, which is understandable. Chen You’s fingers ran through the man’s dark hair, gently stroking and caressing his scalp, wondering how he could be so handsome.

So incredibly handsome.

Chen You couldn’t help but click his tongue, unable to understand how this person’s face looks exactly like what he envisioned, as if it had been prepared for him.

After an unknown amount of time, the car door next to them opened, and Lin Fuxing got out first, followed by a youth.

Chen You was taken aback, never expecting that Lin Fuxing, that old fox, would actually get involved with someone from his own company, having an affair with his assistant.

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Lin Fu couldn’t do the work himself, so he had to rely on his assistant, and ultimately, the assistant was the one who reaped the most rewards.

Chen You hadn’t paid much attention before. He tilted his head and looked over. The assistant has a tall, straight posture, broad shoulders, and long legs—quite good-looking, and seemingly better built than Hu Wei.

Hu Wei is a complete 0, no doubt about it. No idea who will be able to take him.

Lin Fuxing, being an old man, couldn’t withstand the force of the younger man’s grip, his bones creaked several times. He was rubbing his lower back when he unexpectedly bumped into Chen You, who was in the car.

This is a bit awkward.

Chen You grinned broadly and was about to raise his hand to greet him when he saw Lin Fuxing’s assistant turn around, his eyes red, as if he had been crying.

He was stupefied.

This doesn’t make sense. Who messed with whom, and who was messed with by whom?

The assistant was tall and strong, surnamed Da and given name Diao. When his full name was pronounced together, it sounded like Da Diao. To be honest, when Chen You first found out, he was drinking coffee and immediately spat it all over the table.

It’s not his fault that his thoughts weren’t pure, it was all because of the homophones.

Moreover, Chen You felt that the name should belong to his man, and that Lin Fuxing’s assistant could not possibly surpass him, absolutely not!

Li Yan was sleeping restlessly, so Chen You lost interest in teasing Lin Fuxing. He smiled and said, “See you later.”

Then he told the driver to drive.

After Chen You’s car left, Lin Fuxing’s face flushed slightly, and he whispered a reprimand to the youth, “I told you, this is outside, it’s not appropriate to mess around. You insisted on continuing, and now Chen You has found out. If it were someone else, who knows how much trouble it would cause.”

Da Diao pursed his light-colored lips, “It was you, President Lin, who said you wanted…”

Lin Fuxing glared at him, his tone even harsher, carrying the sternness of a superior addressing a subordinate, “Which ear did you hear me say that?”

Da Diao suddenly looked up, then lowered his head again. His eyelashes trembled, and his face wore a tearful expression, “I’m sorry, it was my fault. I didn’t realize how much my actions would affect President Lin. I’ll control myself in the future and won’t approach President Lin again.”

Lin Fuxing’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Damn it, his family was forcing him to go on blind dates. Those women were parading around in front of him, their perfume giving him a terrible headache. He was going crazy, and couldn’t take it anymore, so he went to a bar, hoping to find someone pleasing to the eye to relax with.

Otherwise, if things continue like this, Lin Fuxing feared he would remain single forever and spend his entire life with his pets.

Who would have thought that Lin Fuxing, after failing to find a suitable target at the bar, would unexpectedly find his meek and submissive assistant quite appealing? With the alcohol and tobacco fumes constantly stimulating his nerve endings, he impulsively took the assistant back to his apartment.

What happened next was just as expected.

It was the assistant’s first time, and he relied entirely on brute force. Lin Fuxing was the one who suffered, yet the other party looked utterly miserable, apologizing to him while simultaneously messing with him, managing to do both at the same time.

The next day, Lin Fuxing fell ill. He stayed in his apartment for two days, and his assistant took care of him for those two days, attending to him at his bedside, feeding him porridge and water, washing fruit for him, and wiping his face—all without him having to ask.

As soon as he recovered, Lin Fuxing and his assistant did it again. But unlike the time at the bar, he didn’t drink or smoke, and even kissed his assistant.

The assistant was still the same, constantly apologizing, as if he thought betraying his boss was an unforgivable sin. Despite this, he still went ahead with it, sending his boss to his downfall with tears in his eyes.

Now, things are even worse, he wants to get away scot-free, acting as if nothing ever happened.

The more Lin Fuxing thought about it, the angrier he became, a fire burning in his chest. He kicked the youth in the leg, unable to control his strength.

Da Diao remained silent and motionless as he took the blow.

People passing by glanced at them curiously, but in the dim light of the evening, it was impossible to recognize them unless they were acquaintances.

Both of them were standing by the car.

Lin Fuxing lit a cigarette, blew a few smoke rings into the night sky, and glanced sideways at his assistant, “Minimize it outside. It’s okay if it is deserted.”

Da Diao’s body trembled, “Yes.”

Lin Fuxing said, “Don’t give me that attitude, like you’ve received some great blessing.”

Da Diao’s voice choked with emotion as he said, “It’s an immense blessing that President Lin thinks highly of me.”

Lin Fuxing rolled his eyes. When you were messing with me, you were like a raging bull, but once you put on your clothes, you turned into a harmless kid. You’re really something.

He flicked the cigarette thinking that Chen You wouldn’t go around spreading rumors, and besides, he hadn’t seen anything, had he? At most, the car had shaken slightly, which was a problem with the car itself.

Lin Fuxing, who was in the car, was unaware that the car was not just shaking slightly, but was shaking continuously. Chen You, who witnessed the whole process, hummed 《Nunchucks》 twice.

Chen You wouldn’t talk nonsense, he’s not that gossipy. Besides, it’s not that unusual for a boss to have an affair with his assistant.

Before he even got home, Xiao Langgou called, saying he had seen the awards ceremony video online and congratulated Chen You.

Chen You knew that Xiao Langgou was lying. What a load of rubbish! He was clearly there to witness the situation firsthand, and he saw what was happening, but he didn’t want to go and say hello because there were media reporters present, and he was afraid it would stir up more trouble.

However, Chen You didn’t expose him. Xiao Langgou said, “Zhaodi was also shortlisted this time, which surprised us all. Thank you so much!”

Chen You said, “It was Zhou Zhaodi’s own hard work, she’s quite perceptive.”

He wondered what Xiao Langgou’s plans were, since he was graduating next year, “Are you going to enter the entertainment industry?”

Xiao Lang nodded, “I plan to sign with the same company as Zhaodi.”

Chen You thought to himself, how cool! The school heartthrob’s tone is so confident, completely without any worries about not getting signed. Having such excellent qualifications really makes a difference. He suddenly paused for a moment. Zhou Zhaodi’s company, isn’t that the company he works for?

Is this the start of a family-like relationship?

A disgruntled voice suddenly rang in his left ear, “Noisy.”

Chen You’s face twitched.

Xiao Langgou heard the man’s voice on the other end. He paused, then said, “I have two buyers asking questions right now. I’ll hang up now and talk to you later.”

Chen You put his phone back in his pocket, closed his eyes, and pondered, hoping that everyone around him could find their own path in life, leaving deep or shallow marks on it, and not stray from the right path.

That night, Li Yan had a high fever. The doctor rushed over in the rain to give him an IV drip, and his fever finally subsided at dawn.

Chen hadn’t slept much, and with dark circles under his eyes, he was making porridge for Li Yan’s breakfast. He yawned every now and then, his eyes were watery, and twice he almost put his hand into the pot.

The butler, who slept unusually little, moved in and out of the living room, occasionally glancing towards the kitchen, fearing that his master’s breakfast might consist of human hands.

He wanted to instruct the servant to do it, but the kid disagreed, saying he would do it himself.

As a result, he was able to fall asleep while standing.

After Chen You finished preparing breakfast, turned off the stove, and came out, the butler and servants all breathed a sigh of relief. It was a relief that he had come out alive, otherwise, if anything happened, they would also be punished.

Chen You took off his apron and draped it over the back of the chair, then knocked on the door, “Dad, are you up yet?”

The door opened from the inside, and Chen Weidong, who had just finished washing up, saw his son, who looked quite haggard. He asked, “Youyou, why are you up so early?”

Chen You covered a yawn with his hand and said he hadn’t slept, “Let’s have breakfast.”

Chen Weidong frowned and first addressed his son seriously, “Youyou, your achievements are simply due to a combination of favorable timing, location, and people. Don’t be arrogant.”

You shouldn’t walk too fast, you have to take things one step at a time. Becoming famous too early isn’t necessarily a good thing, it can easily lead to restlessness and anxiety about gains and losses. He started paying attention to entertainment news because of his son and learned a little about this kind of thing. There was a singer who became incredibly popular early in his career, but later couldn’t handle the pressure of public opinion, fearing he wouldn’t be able to produce any more good work, so he developed depression and committed suicide.

Chen You said that he understood, “Dad, don’t worry, I have a good mindset and won’t overthink things.”

“As long as you understand. Dad just thinks that in today’s society, no profession is easy, and making money isn’t easy either. You can’t earn all the money you need in a short time, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

Chen Weidong went to the living room, glancing upstairs out of the corner of his eye, “How is that person?”

Chen You feigned ignorance, “Who?”

Chen Weidong said, “Stop being flippant with your dad.”

Chen You felt very wronged, “I’m not one being rude. It’s Dad. People have names. Why say ‘that person’? That’s impolite.”

Chen Weidong was so embarrassed that he quickly changed the subject, “Where’s breakfast?”

Chen You shook his head, helpless with his father, “Sit here and wait, I’ll go get the porridge.”

In the morning, Chen Weidong was browsing his phone in the living room. There was a lot of controversy online, with fans of his son’s rivals swarming to his son’s Weibo account to criticize him. However, there wasn’t any deliberate attempt to tarnish his acting skills, nor did they focus on his lack of experience, considering there are even younger actors and actresses who have won awards for their first works.

The criticism directed at his family’s Youyou, was mainly stemmed from his coming out as gay, with people calling him selfish and unfilial, citing the saying that among the three unfilial acts, having no offspring is the greatest.

The point is to seize on one issue and attack relentlessly.

Chen Weidong browsed through several forums, finding that much of the content in the posts was unreadable. He felt indignant on behalf of his son, and after trying to restrain himself, he finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He registered several anonymous accounts and started arguing with people in the forum threads.

When it comes to whether his son is filial or not, the person with the most right to speak is Chen Weidong, the father. What does it have to do with anyone else? He hasn’t even said anything, so why do those people have the right to stand on a moral high ground and criticize his son so harshly?

Chen You, who was upstairs, was also scrolling through the comments.  Many netizens were on his side, and some of the comments felt very familiar to him. He could confirm that some were from the school heartthrob, some from Old Shuai, and others from Old Wang, all his buddies, but he wasn’t sure about the others.

With a suspect in mind, Chen You tiptoed downstairs and sneaked up behind his father.

Seeing what his father was doing, Chen You was stunned, “Dad, it really is you!”

Chen Weidong was startled, and his phone even fell from his hand onto the sofa, “Why are you scaring your dad like that?”

Seeing his father was having trouble breathing, Chen You quickly went to help him calm down, “I was just so shocked. I suspected it was you when I was browsing the forums, and I didn’t expect it to be true. Dad, you even use Weibo and have a secondary account!”

Chen Weidong recovered his composure and said, “Your dad, I, knows a lot more than that.”

He picked up his phone again, scrolled through the comments, and said with a grim face, “Youyou, what kind of people are online? They can’t distinguish right from wrong, and they all blindly follow the leader and make a fuss. These people are irresponsible about their words and are just talking nonsense!”

Chen You, the person involved, didn’t care. He watched while eating snacks, and occasionally he would laugh at a few particularly creative and peculiar comments, and then follow them.

“Don’t worry about it, let them talk. There are so many news stories every day. Once the headlines change, those people won’t focus their attention on me anymore, they’ll have other things to do.”

Seeing that his son genuinely didn’t take it to heart and wasn’t faking it, Chen Weidong breathed a sigh of relief and was quite impressed. Even he, who had lived most of his life, couldn’t tolerate the distorted facts and malicious insults online and would be so angry that he wanted to smash his phone.

After calming his father down, Chen You went upstairs to arrange the trophies, and he finally decided to place them in the study.

Li Yan was watching a movie, and Chen You took a quick look. Oh my goodness! There were five or six people fighting on the water, their figures constantly clashing amidst the turbulent waves, with flashes of swords and blades everywhere. It was still unclear who would win or lose.

What a brilliant and thrilling exchange!

It was so exciting and inspiring that it made him feel incredibly enthusiastic, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration and want to applaud.

Chen You walked over, rested his chin on the man’s head, and casually put his hand on his shoulder, “What movie is this? I’ve never seen it before?”

Is it because he has too many movies in his collection and can’t remember them all?

Li Yan brought his legs together, “On this.”

Chen You then noticed the location of the mouse cursor and realized the man had opened a website filled with movies of all kinds—modern, historical, romance, action, and thriller. He rolled his eyes, “Holy molly, when did you go in there? You didn’t download anything, did you? If you bring a virus…”

As soon as he stopped speaking, the word virus inexplicably became less offensive, “Give me the mouse.”

Li Yan let go of Chen You’s hand, touched the back of Chen You’s hand, and watched him open the software scan on the desktop.

Chen You warned the man, “Behave yourself. Have you forgotten who had a high fever last night and struggled when they were getting the injection?”

Li Yan grasped Chen You’s hand and squeezed his fingers, “I will never get sick again.”

Chen You snorted, “Now you know how painful it is to get a needle prick, right?” But pain is pain, and whether you get sick or not is not something you can control, poor silly boy.

Li Yan pursed his lips and said, “I don’t want you to suffer.”

Chen You was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Who’s suffering? You’re the one who’s sick, you’re the one who’s suffering, not me.”

Li Yan turned around, looked up at Chen You, and smiled.

Chen You muttered, “Fool.”

He leaned closer, pressing his lips against the man’s eyes, then kissed the mole on the man’s face. It was these two things that allowed him, even after losing his memory, to still have some recollection and utter the words, have we met somewhere before?

A month later, public opinion shifted towards a female A-list celebrity. The trolls and haters under Chen You’s Weibo posts finally dispersed. He handed over his social media management to his assistant and went to have dinner with Zheng Shuai and Wang Yao, asking about Pang Yilong’s whereabouts. There was still no news, that brat was probably having the time of his life abroad.

After drinking, Chen You walked down the street. He had XiongDi, a father, and a lover, everything was great.

The customs for celebrating the New Year vary from place to place in China. On New Year’s Eve, Chen Weidong said he wanted to go to the cemetery, so Chen You accompanied him. Li Yan was also there.

When they arrived, there were other people in the cemetery, but it still felt desolate and cold.

This winter, not a single snowflake fell. Chen You waited and waited, almost going blind from anticipation, but the snow never came. While there was no snow, it was colder than in previous years, a damp, biting cold. The air was heavy with moisture, every breath felt like a wet tissue was pressed against your nose, making it incredibly uncomfortable.

Chen Weidong’s legs were not very strong. He slowly squatted down in front of the tombstone, took a handkerchief to wipe the photo on it, and called out his wife’s name, saying that he and their son had come to visit.

The woman in the photo was in her twenties, with delicate features and a mole near her eye, in almost the same position as Chen You’s, but larger, more noticeable, and more alluring.

Chen You said in his heart, Mom, the man next to me is Li Yan, your daughter-in-law. What do you think? Isn’t he handsome?

Li Yan didn’t say anything, he just held Chen You’s hand, which was resting outside. His hand was warm, while Chen You’s was cold, holding it would warm it up.

After the ceremony, Chen Weidong exhaled a breath of white air, “Youyou, you and Li Yan go outside and wait for Dad. Let Dad talk to your mom for a bit.”

Chen You did as instructed and led Li Yan away.

Chen Weidong stayed at the tombstone for a long time. When he returned, he was in good spirits and busied himself preparing sticky rice, making glutinous rice balls filled with sesame seeds and sugar, and frying a big pot of them until they were golden brown.

In previous years, Chen You had always cooked the New Year’s Eve dinner all by himself, but this year his father was helping him, which he found very unusual, “Dad, I’m begging you, please go to the living room and watch TV with Li Yan.”

Chen Weidong, while picking corn, said, “I’m not going. I get angry as soon as I see him.”

“If it weren’t for him, would you have gone down this wrong path?”

Chen You felt it necessary to remove the blame from his man’s head, “Ai Dad, it really wasn’t Li Yan. I was already like this before I met him.”

Chen Weidong tossed the corn into the basket, “…Which bastard was that?”

Chen You said there was no one else, it was just him.

Chen Weidong remained silent for a long while, then sighed and said, “It seems to be fate. Heaven wants my Chen family line to end.”

Chen You was speechless for a moment, “Dad, please don’t. It’s the New Year, why talk about such heavy topics? If you’re not going out, let’s talk about something lighter. Laifu’s fur has grown a lot, it’s a big, fluffy clump. And Xiaojin has grown even stronger, and his relationship with Laifu has become better than before.”

Chen Weidong’s thoughts drifted, and he started complaining about Laifu, listing its flaws such as hiding things haphazardly, shedding fur everywhere, and being unhygienic. These were still somewhat affectionate complaints. But when it came to Xiaojin, everything about him was truly wrong in Chen Weidong’s eyes.

Chen You sat on a small stool, picking cilantro, and responded with nods and murmurs, listening attentively to everything his father said.

As he’s gotten older, he’s become a bit more talkative, but that’s perfectly acceptable to him, he can talk as much as he wants.

After dinner, Chen You and Li Yan set off fireworks in the open space outside.

Looking at the flowers blooming in the night sky, Chen You remembered the song 《The Fireworks of Last Winter》 that Old 4 had mentioned. It was so catchy, after listening to it so many times, it was etched into his mind.

“Old 4, Happy New Year! Wishing you great fortune and many more such days to come.”

There was no response even during the Chinese New Year.

Chen You shook his head, thinking how inconsiderate it was. He leaned against Li Yan, watching the fireworks while wishing the school heartthrob Zheng Shuai and the others a Happy New Year. He received an anonymous blessing with just four words: Happy New Year, Youzi.

It was Pang Yilong. Chen You tried calling, but no one answered. The other party was clearly trying to avoid something. He twitched his mouth, stopped dialing, and instead saved the number, labeling it “Old Pang.”

After returning home, Chen You dragged Li Yan to sit in the living room and watched the New Year’s Eve gala with his father until midnight, welcoming the new year.

Chen Weidong gave red envelopes to the butler and servants, not much, just to share in the festive spirit of the New Year. He also received a red envelope, which was quite large, and put it in his drawer.

In April, Chen You walked the red carpet abroad, wearing a suit from a certain brand. The naivety of his student days had finally faded away. He had grown up and was moving towards the realm of successful people.

Signing autographs, posing for photos, making appearances, giving interviews, and greeting fans – Chen You cooperated fully, following the typical work routine of an actor. To be honest, the initial excitement had worn off, what remained was sheer perseverance.

The entertainment industry is ever-changing, who knows what will happen next?

The day after Chen You returned to China, Chen Weidong was exercising in the garden when he suddenly fainted. He had been lucky the previous two times, but this time he stopped breathing on the way to the hospital and could not be saved.

From the moment Chen Weidong collapsed to the moment the doctor pronounced him dead, it all happened in a very short time. The sun was still high in the sky, and it was still early for sunset.

The flowers and plants in the western corner of the garden were still waiting to be watered, but the person who usually waters them was gone.

Laifu rolled around in the grass, while Xiaojin lay on the windowsill basking in the sun and enjoying the view. Little did they know that no one would ever take them out for walks again, or that the person who used to complain about them but still cleaned their nests every day is no more.

Chen You sat motionless in the chair, completely bewildered.

Do people have feelings before they die? His father said some strange things to him the other day and kept staring at him, as if he was about to die and wanted to see him one last time.

Someone came over, said something, placed their hand on his head and gently rubbed it, and then someone pulled him into their arms, held his head, and told him not to cry.

Chen You felt like he was dreaming, and it was a nightmare. He screamed and yelled desperately, wanting to wake up quickly, but he couldn’t.

His father went underground to find his mother, and doesn’t want him anymore.

The funeral was simple, and the news was kept secret, known only to a few people in the know. This was thanks to the help of Lin Fuxing and Hu Wei.

Although Li Yan wasn’t the same as before, he knew that someone had died, someone from the family of the person he loved most. Seeing the person he loved most in sorrow, he felt sad too, and not knowing what to say, he stayed by his side without leaving for a moment.

A black and white photo appeared in the living room. Chen You stood there looking at it, and as he looked, he burst into tears.

When Li Yan saw Chen You crying, he paused for a moment, then hugged him and patted his back awkwardly, saying, “Don’t cry.”

Chen You couldn’t stop crying. How could he not cry? His father was gone.

Seeing the person in his arms crying, Li Yan’s eyes also reddened. He felt helpless and his heart ached terribly.

“I thought my dad would live another twenty or thirty years.”

Chen You cried as he recounted the past, saying that his father had practiced Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and was in good health. He kept blaming himself, speaking incoherently, and the more he talked, the harder he cried.

Li Yan’s clothes were soaked.

After the death of his loved one, Chen You had been very calm for the past few days, but now he finally released all the grief that had been building up in his heart.

At that moment, he suddenly understood that this is how life is, after joy comes disaster, which always catches people off guard.

Nobody knows if tomorrow will come.

A mechanical sound suddenly appeared in Chen You’s mind.

【Ding! Congratulations to system staff member number 333 for successfully completing the assessment. All three values—love, family, and friendship—have met the standards. All data has been transmitted to the main system network and verified one by one. The transmission has been started. 】

Chen You’s consciousness vanished instantly. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a void, and an electronic voice rang in his ears, “Congratulations on being promoted to the main system. Please take your new ID badge and proceed to the left, the first room is your office.”

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