The scene was at once very awkward.

Yu Wenning never expected that Lian Qing not only took it seriously, but also said that he wanted to take responsibility for him. He had spent so much effort getting close to the little monk and becoming friends with him. But in the end, it was no better than an imaginary “drunken mistake/one-night stand”?

If he had known earlier, he would have taken a little loss last night and pretended to be more like someone else. Instead, he is now in a situation where the little monk can easily spot his flaws once he calms down.

However…if he were honest with himself, even if he had known earlier, he might not have acted differently. Because he would rather the little monk really liked him and wanted to be with him, rather than a relationship based on a sense of responsibility and duty, which would probably not last.

With his decision already made, Yu Wenning’s expression also softened slightly as he followed the little monk’s words and said, “Responsibility? How can you take responsibility? What if you meet someone you really like in the future? And as a star, if people find out you’re with me, won’t your reputation be greatly affected? “

Lian Qing shook his head firmly and said, “It doesn’t matter. When I entered the entertainment industry, I was mentally prepared to be criticized and have eggs thrown at me. So I’m not afraid. And I believe that if we spend more time together, we will definitely develop feelings for each other. Big brother, don’t worry, I can guarantee that I won’t like anyone else except you!”

He will crush any potential threat before it even arises. He can also be mindful of his distance and behavior around other men and women for the sake of his big brother. Hmm, if there are kissing scenes in their acting, he doesn’t know if he can push them away.

Oh, wait. If he is together with his big brother and they go public, no one would want to film kissing scenes with him, right? Maybe no one will want to work with him at all. Then how will he make money and support his family in the future…

Lian Qing had already started thinking about their livelihood after they got together.

On the other hand, Lian Qing’s words made Yu Wenning’s original thoughts begin to waver. What if he and the young monk were to make a mistake together…

Shaking his head, he reluctantly smiled and got out of bed, standing at the edge of the bed and saying to the little monk, “Actually, nothing happened between us.”

Lian Qing: “???!!!”

He looked in shock at Yu Wenning’s intact pants, with even the belt still fastened. Earlier, when Yu Wenning had covered himself with the blanket, Lian Qing had only taken a quick glance at himself and hadn’t clearly seen his brother’s lower body. He had thought that his brother’s pants must have been torn as well, seeing that his upper garment was ripped.

Looking at the underwear that seemed untouched on his own body, Lian Qing looked up at Yu Wenning in a daze.

Seeing his confused look, Yu Wenning felt a sense of regret in his heart. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I’ll go see if there’s anything in your home that can be used to make breakfast. You…calm down yourself.”

After speaking, he turned and walked out of the room in a hurried manner, looking like he was fleeing.

Lian Qing understood completely from his agile gait that it was all a misunderstanding!

He didn’t take advantage of his brother while he was drunk.

Nothing had happened between him and his brother.

Upon careful recollection, it seemed that his brother had never said anything, and it was all his own imagination…he even told his brother that he would take responsibility!

Lian Qing collapsed back onto the bed, sighing and wrapping himself in the blanket, pretending to be dead.

After a while, he rolled around on the bed, muttering to himself and feeling tormented.

After rolling around for a while, he calmed down a bit. He sniffed himself and realized that he hadn’t showered in a day and night, and had sweated a lot and drunk quite a bit of alcohol, making him smell bad. Lian Qing felt even more sorry for his brother – he had been held and had to endure his bad scent all night, it was so miserable.

He got up and put on some clothes, then quietly peeked out of the room while crawling against the door. Seeing that there was nobody in the living room, he quickly ran into the bathroom and took a quick shower, using the fragrant shower gel his big brother gave him last time.

When he came out of the shower, he saw Yu Wenning, with a slender figure and a peaceful expression, arranging tableware on the windowsill in the morning light. At this moment, he was surrounded by a faint halo of sunlight, and the almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth seemed so tranquil, fresh and warm. Of course, we should ignore the disheveled and barely covered upper body…

Ignoring the clothes, for a moment, Lian Qing suddenly felt regretful – how nice it would be if Yu Wenning were his future partner instead of just his big brother.

TN: ✨Progress✨

Yu Wenning knew that Lian Qing had already come out of the bathroom, but he waited for a while and didn’t see him coming over. He looked up and saw the little monk standing dazedly not far away. The man’s big eyes were staring straight at him, seeming to be filled with a mixture of regret and admiration. Such emotions didn’t seem appropriate for the little monk. Yu Wenning thought it was his own illusion and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he saw Lian Qing bowing his head to tidy up his clothes.

That look just now was indeed his illusion. Yu Wenning couldn’t tell if he was relieved or disappointed, so he quickly concealed his emotions and called out, “Come and eat.”

Lian Qing responded nervously, lowered his head and walked towards the dining table. He was still reminiscing about the electrifying feeling of locking eyes with his big brother just now. It was embarrassing to be caught peeking at him…

Yu Wenning made four sandwiches and heated two cups of milk. The sandwiches had ham, eggs and tomatoes, but… Lian Qing wondered, “Where did you get these things from?”

He remembered that there were only two eggs and a few cartons of milk in his fridge. And his big brother couldn’t have gone home because he had dropped his keys behind the door, right?

Yu Wenning pointed to the fridge, “There are a lot of things in your fridge, all of which are non-perishable foods. I guess your assistant or manager put them there for you.”

Lian Qing went over to take a look and indeed saw many things like eggs inside. He immediately called Cheng Lan and asked, “Sister Cheng, why are there so many things in my fridge?”

Sister Cheng replied directly, “Zhao Chengyi came to the company a few days ago, and I gave him your key to help you buy some food to put in your fridge on his way home. Otherwise, I think you would eat instant noodles every day to save money.” The little monk’s assistant had previously reported to her that there was not much food in the little monk’s home, only instant noodles.

Lian Qing spoke with a guilty conscience：“Actually, it’s not to save money… I don’t know how to cook. I can only boil things from the fridge…” He only knows how to fry eggs, boil vegetables, or stir-fry greens.

“If you don’t know how, you can look up recipes online or eat out. It’s necessary to supplement your nutrition, and you still have to grow taller,” Sister Cheng advised earnestly. “Take a good rest at home these few days, spend money on what you need to spend on, and eat what you need to eat. If you need anything, just call Assistant Chen or me. I’m currently screening scripts for you and preparing to get you a new role. Rest well first, and you’ll probably be busy again soon.”

Lian Qing hurriedly agreed and thanked Sister Cheng. After hanging up the phone, he immediately sent a WeChat message to Zhao Chengyi to thank him. Zhao Chengyi was probably free and immediately replied, “You’re welcome. My assistant was already going to buy it for me, so I just asked him to help. But I’m currently outside for a shoot and won’t be able to return for a short while. Should I return the key to you?”

“No problem, just keep it with you,” replied Lian Qing in a voice message. After receiving Zhao Chengyi’s confirmation, he returned to the dining table to eat.

Yu Wenning pushed the food in front of him and smiled, “Do I need to explain last night…?”

Lian Qing quickly shook his head, “No need, I remember most of it. I haven’t thanked you yet. Sorry for troubling you last night.”

“It’s nothing.” Yu Wenning took a sip of milk and asked, “Are you free for the next few days?”

“Yes, I can rest for a few days.”

Yu Wenning was delighted and said as calmly as possible, “Great, I’m also planning to take a few days off. How about we travel together? It’ll be fun.”

Travel? Upon hearing this word, an equation automatically appeared in Lian Qing’s mind: Travel = Spend a lot of money = Become poorer!

He quickly shook his head, “No, I’m planning to go back to the mountain to see my shifu and shidi.” The round trip ticket is much cheaper than traveling.

TN: 
Shifu – Master
Shidi – Junior apprentice brother under the same master.
I have decided to go with the pinyin as it is more cohesive with the original text and to make some future translations less awkward. 

“I’ll go with you,” Yu Wenning blurted out, and then smiled slightly to cover up his eagerness. “The scenery in the mountains should be nice, and I haven’t been to a temple before. I can go and take a look.”

Lian Qing looked at him suspiciously for a while, feeling as if he could see a big tail behind Yu Wenning…

After collecting his thoughts, he agreed.

“It would be great to go together, but I have to tell you that the conditions on the mountain aren’t very good,” said Liang Qing.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Although I may not look like it, I can endure hardships,” Yu Wenning replied with sincerity.

“Alright…” Liang Qing took a bite of his sandwich and then suggested, “Why don’t you change into my clothes first?” He felt guilty seeing his big brother dressed in shabby clothes.

Yu Wenning was tempted but he knew Liang Qing didn’t have many clothes, so he shook his head and said, “No, let’s find a hanger at your place and try to get the keys.”

Lian Qing naturally had no objection. After they finished eating, he found a hanger and bent it into a straight rod with his bare hands, then bent the top part.Then, he led Yu Wenning out, ready to retrieve the keys from his doorstep.

However, as soon as they stepped out, they saw a young man standing at Yu Wenning’s doorstep. The man clearly saw them too and greeted Liang Qing with a friendly smile. But as soon as he saw Yu Wenning come out from behind Liang Qing, his eyes widened and he dropped the bags of breakfast items he was holding with a loud “clatter.”

“Pres… President Yu… Your clothes…” The young man stammered, unable to complete a sentence. He looked at Yu Wenning, then at Liang Qing, his eyes full of disbelief.

Was their boss, who had always been domineering, now being dominated?!

Yu Wenning “…” How could he have forgotten that the previous night he’d asked his assistant to bring over breakfast… 

It was over. With his assistant’s extraordinary and overly dramatic brain from watching too many TV Dramas, he couldn’t wash himself clean even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

Liang Qing, who wasn’t usually quick-witted, suddenly realized the young man’s identity and intentions. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, “Wait, let me explain. It’s not what you think. Nothing happened between us!”

The young man’s eyes became sharp all of a sudden as he looked at Liang Qing. He realized that this man was just another player who didn’t recognize people after a one-night stand, pei!

*Pei – Spit in contempt

TN:
The little assistant is me, but with medical dramas. Now anytime I get even a little sick my mind makes up all sorts of serious/terminal illnesses I might be suffering from based on a certain episode 😭.