Chapter 87

After years of being a “veteran virgin,” Shen Mofeng was practically floating with pride, finally flipping the tables. He reveled in his newfound glory, shamelessly fussing over his embarrassed-to-death boyfriend, demanding one thing after another… truly the picture of someone who finally got his way!

“Baby,” Shen Mofeng turned his face, “give me a kiss.”

Ye Chen covered his thoroughly manhandled backside with one hand and grabbed Shen Mofeng’s wrist with the other, pressing his soft lips to Shen Mofeng’s cheek in a quick kiss.

Unfazed, Shen Mofeng changed tactics, letting his hands roam with a mischievous grin. “C’mon, sweet talk me a little.”

Ye Chen squirmed, “Sweet talk you… how?”

“Last night, you just passed out right after,” Shen Mofeng teased leisurely. “Didn’t even chat with me, just had your fun and left me hanging.”

Ye Chen stammered, “That’s not…”

“What kind of man does that?” Shen Mofeng sighed dramatically, sounding just like a girlfriend complaining about her clueless, engineering-student boyfriend.

“Passed out?!” Ye Chen’s face was red with indignation. “I only passed out because you… well, you know… went too far!”

My boyfriend’s completely shameless!

“Excuses,” Shen Mofeng clicked his tongue. “Here I was, a mess after you left me in ruins, having to shower and change the sheets all on my own, while you slept like a little piggy… right?”

Covered in a motley of red and purple kiss marks and finger imprints, Ye Chen practically wailed in frustration, “You weren’t the one left in ruins! I was…”

Who the hell was on top last night anyway?!

Stifling a laugh, Shen Mofeng turned slightly to reveal his scratch-covered back. “And these? Not your doing?”

Ye Chen: “…”

“Come on,” Shen Mofeng said, smiling, “say a few nice things to me.”

Eager to appease him, Ye Chen leaned over to Shen Mofeng’s ear, whispering some shy words of endearment, his voice stumbling slightly.

Barely a minute of peace had passed before Shen Mofeng got playful again, giving Ye Chen a wide-eyed, eager look. “Baby, since we’re officially together now… shouldn’t we celebrate with two red eggs? Or maybe make extra, so we can share with everyone^[1]Distributing eggs dyed red with paint to relatives and friends is a popular way of expressing joy and happiness throughout the country. It is often used in various festive occasions such as weddings, … Continue reading?”

“N-no need,” Ye Chen, who’d stayed out all night, was mortified enough. All he wanted was to sneak back unnoticed. “There aren’t any red eggs at home.”

“I’ll ask Xiao He to buy some—it’ll only take a minute,” Shen Mofeng said, pulling up his WeChat.

“Ge,” Ye Chen quickly pressed down on his phone. “Please, have some mercy.”

Shen Mofeng settled for a backup plan. “Then how about I ask Xiao He to set up some firecrackers and let them off in the Mountain and Sea Realm?”

Ye Chen was about to lose it. “No way!”

Shen Mofeng looked at him in frustration. “I can’t do this, can’t do that…”

After all they’d been through, not being able to go public or even have a small private celebration really irked this long-standing single man. It was like a beggar who suddenly won the lottery with a hundred million yuan prize, but couldn’t tell anyone and had to keep up the facade of sleeping on the streets every night, secretly indulging only in private. He was itching to show off, to make the headlines.

“Chen Chen,” Shen Mofeng gently held Ye Chen’s fingers, his voice soft, “Are you afraid of going public with me?”

“Um…” Ye Chen hesitated, not able to come up with a solid reason why they absolutely couldn’t. “Not really.”

Handling public opinion, managing media relations, dealing with conflicts with his agency… all of those things could be dealt with through Shen Mofeng’s resources and connections. As for Ye Chen himself, he wasn’t an idol dependent on selling a fantasy of romance to fans to stay relevant; technically, he was free to date. Given the changing attitudes in society, coming out wouldn’t greatly harm his career. He’d likely lose a few “girlfriend fans” and homophobic fans, but it wasn’t something they could hide forever. This was something they’d eventually have to face.

At the core, keeping their relationship hidden was mostly due to habit, and perhaps, they just needed the right moment to bring it to light.

“So… when do you want to go public?” Ye Chen asked hesitantly. “Or should we just admit it whenever we’re exposed? I should at least give my manager a heads-up… I’ve already kept too much from him, and I need to figure out how to explain it. I’ve still got over two years left in my contract with the company.”

Shen Mofeng silently fiddled with his phone for a moment, then held it up to Ye Chen.

On the screen was a draft of an artist contract.

“I’ve been preparing to open a studio lately,” Shen Mofeng said. “I’ve been thinking of bringing you over from Xinghan, so I drafted a contract for you. As for the penalties with Xinghan… whatever the amount, the studio will cover it.” Seeing Ye Chen’s stunned expression, he added a bit more leverage. “The studio will provide you with top-tier resources; what Xinghan is giving you now is, frankly…” Shen Mofeng paused, swallowing a choice expletive, and expressed a restrained disdain. “Far from ideal.”

Ye Chen’s position at Xinghan only granted him mid-to-high-level resources, still a step behind the company’s favorite stars. Despite his acting skills advancing significantly under Shen Mofeng’s guidance during the filming of his last movie, he was still relegated to shooting brainless, mass-produced dramas. The only upside was that they weren’t exhausting to film.

Looking at the contract, Ye Chen saw terms so favorable they seemed more like those of a father sponsoring his son than a studio signing an artist. The profit-sharing clause showed the studio would take nearly zero—essentially dedicating all its resources to Ye Chen at no charge.

Shen Mofeng continued, “I recently invested in a film project that should kick off by the end of this year. The director is Guo Sheng, and the script was tailored specifically for you, aiming to win awards. If you’re interested, the lead role is yours.”

“Ge…” The news hit Ye Chen unexpectedly, leaving him a bit at a loss. Shen Mofeng’s offer was undeniably tempting, yet his current company hadn’t treated him poorly either. Aside from Gu Qiu’s secret investigations, things had generally been harmonious. Breaking his contract early for a better future might make sense logically—as long as he followed the contractual terms and paid the penalties without trying to exploit loopholes, he could justify it. But on a personal level, it still felt a bit ungrateful.

Shen Mofeng listened attentively to Ye Chen’s concerns, his tone warm. “Developing your career is one part of this, but on the other hand, I know your circumstances well. I can adjust your schedule more flexibly to suit your needs, and if anything unexpected comes up, you’ll have better control. Operating a company and an online store under your name won’t run the risk of conflicts with an agency…” He paused, adding, “As for resources, it’s about quality, not quantity. I want each project you take on to have real value. Right now, they’re pushing you to take any gig that brings in money. You’re running around all day and coming home to handle everything else… You’ve been working non-stop since filming began—how long has it been since you had a break?”

“No break is no problem,” Ye Chen replied with a calm smile. “I’ve got power pills; you should take a few later too.”

Shen Mofeng: “…”

“You’re absolutely right in your analysis.” Ye Chen scratched his head. “Let me think about it a bit more.”

Gu Qiu had been extremely suspicious of him, to the point his hair was beginning to thin over the past half year. Every time he saw Ye Chen, he wanted to get to the bottom of things, but he knew he wouldn’t get a straight answer, leaving him in constant turmoil. And Ye Chen, carrying a mountain of secrets he had to hide from his manager, had to mentally run through his character bio before every conversation with Gu Qiu to avoid breaking character. Both of them were equally miserable. Rather than torturing each other, a peaceful termination might be best for everyone.

The author has something to say:

Lü Qiqi, this monster has appeared (the closer we get to the end, the more stuck I get with the writing…) 

Shen Mofeng: No red eggs, no firecrackers, well… how about I give each of your divine beasts a big red envelope to celebrate?

Chen Chen: Don’t show off, can you restrain it to death…?