Chapter 45

It started raining.

Wang Zai lay on the hammock, watching as tiny droplets formed on the clean glass window, his ears twitching before he jumped off and slipped away through the open door.

The owner didn’t turn on the light, but it didn’t hinder its vision. The man pressed the youth against the door, blocking off most of the youth’s body.

The cow patterned cat slithered like liquid between the two people, made a circle, then slipped back onto the hammock to sleep.

The rain pitter-pattered, tapping on the flowers and trees in the courtyard.

In the dim room, the breaths of the two mingled, their lips pressed together.

Yan Zhao felt a bit dizzy from the kisses; the man on top of him was more domineering than usual, almost taking away all his initiative and leaving him with no way out.

He didn’t know what had touched Shen Yuanting’s jealousy again. After thinking it over, all he could come up with was the foolish intention of wanting to support him—a person whose name he was almost forgetting.

His tongue felt numb. Yan Zhao pushed Shen Yuanting’s chest, and only then did the man release him, and licked the corner of his mouth.

Shen Yuanting’s voice was hoarse, as if it could ignite at any moment: “Your coat was my choice.”

Yan Zhao: “Hmm.”

Shen Yuanting: “The shirt was also my choice.”

It was as if declaring ownership.

Yan Zhao smiled, holding his hand and placing it on the belt around his waist: “This was also your choice… You can undo it.”

Yan Zhao gained a new understanding of Shen Yuanting’s strength.

His buttocks were lifted by the man, carried up the stairs like a cat clinging to its owner, and when he was thrown onto the bed, his legs felt weak.

The night was heavy, with visibility only capturing the rough outlines of things.

The man’s hands propped on either side of his head, his icy eyes seeming to burn with fire, some unspeakable, extremely vicious desires on the verge of bursting out.

Yan Zhao reached out, grabbed his tie and loosening the neatly tied knot. He then unbuttoned the man’s shirt, his fingertips hanging in the hollow between his collarbones.

Shen Yuanting grabbed his hand, kissed it, while his other hand held onto his belt, with a click, the metal buckle popped open.

Shen Yuanting asked him: “Should I turn on the light?”

Yan Zhao’s breath paused, he licked his lower lip, the tone trembling, but with some anticipation: “Go ahead, turn it on. I want to see you… watch you come in.”

His heart was fiercely scratched, Shen Yuanting’s breath unsteady, his hand already slipping beneath the shirt’s folds: “If it hurts, bite me.”

Originally intending to be gentler.

The rain drowned out the night’s intoxication, water gathered in the flowers, pouring out when the petals couldn’t bear the weight.

When the rain subsided, the windows of the room were pushed open, dissipating the ambiguous scent quickly.

Shen Yuanting held Yan Zhao to clean up, Yan Zhao lying limp on top of him like a boneless creature.

In the peripheral vision, there was still a fresh bite mark on the man’s shoulder, tinged with red, perfectly aligned.

At first, it hurt a lot, so he bit back, kicked and thrashed, giving the man no face. Then…

Yan Zhao: “My teeth are pretty good.”

Shen Yuanting: “…”

Yan Zhao leaned closer, tentatively licking it, there was no taste.

Yan Zhao: “…You’re poking me.”

Shen Yuanting: “You can move around a bit more, see if you can still get out of bed tomorrow.”

It has to be said that Yan Zhao was actually a little tempted for a second, but the rationality of a reliable adult extinguished his impulsive nature.

Yan Zhao leaned in to kiss his man’s chin, showing weakness: “I’m too tired, spare me, will you.”

Yan Zhao and Shen Yuanting simply took a bath and were already exhausted when they returned to bed.

In a daze, he saw his phone light up.

Checking it, it was the fan group of Salt Soda popping up.

Jia Ge: Working dogs don’t have summer vacations 555555…

Home has Xian Zhao: Just finished my internship and the broadcast is about to start, I’m so happy!

Sweetie: Why is it only updating four episodes a week, I’m going to beat Pomegranate Film and Television!!!

Yan Zhao flipped through the chat records, it turns out “You in Teaching Building 7” is scheduled to air during the summer vacation, with six episodes premiering and then updating four episodes per week.

Alongside it in the same time slot is a campus drama, but it’s not on Pomegranate Film and Television, it’s on Greenlight TV.

Pomegranate and Greenlight have always been competitors, with their airing times overlapping and both focusing on campus themes. It’s almost like they’re on the verge of tearing into each other.

There have been debates online about the outcome of these two dramas, with comparisons made from the production teams to various aspects.

【The production company of “Youth Still Unscattered,” Chrysanthemum, has been consistently releasing campus-themed films and dramas. The head writer excels in portraying the inner thoughts of young girls. Last year’s campus drama champion came from their company, which was also highly praised. The original work received wide acclaim, and the male lead, Gao Liang, was even selected as the Best Supporting Actor at the recent Red Bean Awards…】

【“You in Teaching Building 7” is also adapted from a novel, but the production company Xiaoxiao Bing’s level of work has been inconsistent in recent years, with no remarkable achievements in the dramas they have produced. The acting skills of the lead actor, Lu Yinnan, are worrisome, and there have been controversies surrounding his acting. On the other hand, Yan Zhao, a popular idol, has a large fan base, but his acting skills are also questionable…】

【This is a showdown between solid strength and popularity. Will the quality of the product move the audience, or will the cries of loyal fans prevail? Everything will be revealed in the August lineup! 】

Yan Zhao couldn’t help but feel something was off; the article seemed to be subtly criticizing their production team. Upon scrolling to the top, he discovered the author was affiliated with Greenlight TV’s media, and he understood. They were competitors, after all.

Yan Zhao specifically found a public account under Pomegranate Film and Television, indulged in some praise-filled comments, and only then did he put his phone away, feeling content.

Yan Zhao hugged his man, “The web drama I’m in is about to air.”

Shen Yuanting: “Hmm.”

Yan Zhao: “You better support me when it airs!”

Shen Yuanting turned his head to look at him, the young man’s dark eyes reflecting light, full of trust, which made him smile involuntarily: “I’ll make sure all my employees support you.”

Yan Zhao: “…No, that’s a bit… Your employees will definitely gossip about you behind your back.”

Shen Yuanting: “Anyone spreading rumors will have their wages deducted.”

Yan Zhao complained about the evils of capitalism in his heart, and rubbed his face against his: “Anyway, you better personally support me!”

Shen Yuanting scratched the young man’s chin: “I know.”

Yan Zhao: “…” That gesture felt strange.

In early August, the filming of “Tian Yuan” entered its final stage, and the location shifted from the movie theater to a local chess academy, but this didn’t affect Yan Zhao’s schedule much.

During breaks, Yu Youyi invited everyone to watch “You in Teaching Building 7”.

The web drama had just gone online, and Pomegranate Film and Television gave it a prominent spot on their homepage, showing their determination to compete with Greenlight TV.

Campus-themed dramas tend to be moderate in popularity, neither extremely hot nor cold, but since Salt Soda had been eagerly anticipating the show, the viewer count was still considerable.

However, compared to “Youth Still Unscattered,” it was slightly less dominant.

Pomegranate is much poorer than Greenlight, with the latter launching an extensive marketing campaign before the airing of “Youth Still Unscattered.” After the show aired, sweet moments between the lead actors, polished posters, and real-time hot searches flooded in, attracting many viewers. However, Pomegranate’s marketing capability was somewhat lacking, and they didn’t make much of a splash in hot searches.

However, surprisingly, no one brought up acting issues. Even some picky fans only complained about too many script alterations, but they were relatively satisfied with the actors.

In Yan Zhao’s fan group, there was a wave of relief and satisfaction, with comments like “Zhao Zhao’s beastly evolution” and discussions about his acting skills and character portrayal.

Fan Comments:

Jia Ge: Who’s this cold-faced cool guy? Wait, isn’t he my precious Zhao Bao? Shocked! [Picture]

Sweetie: Although I’m the male lead, what does the male lead have to do with me.jpg

Zhao Zhao’s Oolong Tea: Stop associating characters with actors all the time.jpg

There is Immortal Zhao at Home: Look at this micro-expression, a mix of impatience, mockery, surprise, and a little apology, his emotions are so subtle wuwuwu!

Zhao Zhao’s Amulets: In that basketball scene, he instantly returned to his confident and heroic youth. Don’t awaken my girlish heart again!

With both actor and book fans satisfied, many people are looking forward to what happens next. However, satisfying the fans alone isn’t enough; winning the hearts of the general audience is crucial. In the first four episodes of “You in Teaching Building 7” airing this week, besides some mild comments, there have been some more intense reactions from viewers.

[Male lead unexpectedly ridicules the female lead… impressive, quite sharp-tongued. It’s cheap for the female lead to like him. Withdrawn, withdrawn.]

[Besides having no redeeming qualities, the female lead is also a pushover. The plot is so damn suffocating, can’t stand it!]

[Shocked, the direction of this plot is also puzzling, can’t even compare to ‘Youth Still Unscattered.’ Even the popular idols can only take on such scripts! ]

These criticisms mostly appeared in the first episode. After all, the plot takes a while to warm up. The female lead is sensitive and insecure before her counterattack, while the male lead initially embodies the stereotype of a naive straight guy who questions why he should have a girlfriend. Many viewers who came for the sugar coating were directly discouraged by the first episode, but those interested in character development stayed, and the following three episodes didn’t disappoint them, gradually improving, but still lacking a climax.

By the end of the first week of airing, “You in Teaching Building 7” had average viewership data, while ‘Youth Still Unscattered’ achieved excellent results, becoming the best-performing campus drama in the past five years.

Many marketing accounts are promoting this sweet dog food drama, and the popularity of the male and female leads remains high. In comparison, the data for “You in Teaching Building 7” is just mediocre.

When comparing the two dramas, it is a common promotional tactic. In these comparisons, the media’s attitude under the ‘Qingmang’ (a media company) brand is quite evident. Regarding the plot, ‘Youth Still Unscattered’ lives up to its name, radiating positive energy, while “You in Teaching Building 7” pretentiously tries to be profound, but annoys people. Regarding character design, the female lead in ‘Youth Still Unscattered’ is sweet, the male lead affectionate, while in “You in Teaching Building 7”, the female lead is fragile, and the male lead is sarcastic. Regarding production, ‘Youth Still Unscattered’ has beautiful and bright scenery, while “You in Teaching Building 7” exudes an aura of poverty… It can be said that under the ‘Qingmang’ brand, they mercilessly criticize competitors from multiple angles, the only thing they dare not compare is appearance.

After all, Yan Zhao’s face stands out in the entertainment industry where there are so many handsome men and beautiful women.

And in the second week, episodes five to eight of “You in Teaching Building 7” were aired.

The backstage’s steady data also ushered in the first fluctuation—the data began to climb upwards!

Starting from the fifth episode, the gloomy atmosphere will gradually dissipate, ushering in a new world of sweetness, sharpness, and excitement.

And in the eighth episode, the scene where Yan Zhao wears a white shirt and plays the piano is even more fascinating, with the cameraman understandingly focusing on his wrist and fingers, cultivating a large group of fascinated viewers…

[Aaahhhh Zhao Zhao is so handsome awsl^[1]AWSL or  啊我死了(à wǒ sǐ le), is popular internet slang, the meaning is “I’m so happy that I’m gonna die”!]

[I explode into a firework, the white shirt wuwuwuwu no one can resist Zhao Zhao in a white shirt!!!]

[Brother’s temperament is invincible, why are his fingers so good-looking, long and straight, in comparison, I’m just a pig’s trotter wuwuwuwu]

Soon, gifs of Yan Zhao playing the piano circulated widely, and many netizens in the comments were asking about the name of this drama. Fans replied, “Get through the first four episodes, and you’ll find it irresistible. Just when you want to continue watching, you’ll find… why is the update so slow wuwuwuwu…”

With the crazy recommendation from fans, many viewers who had abandoned the drama reopened it, and after watching the first eight episodes, they all exclaimed: it’s really good!

Taking advantage of the momentum, Pomegranate Film and Television also bought a splash screen advertisement for “You in Teaching Building 7” attracting more and more viewers, and the hashtag #YanZhaoPiano# also soared to the top of the trending topics. Some people also questioned if he was using a hand double, but after the crew considerately released behind-the-scenes footage of him playing the piano, those doubts disappeared.

The drama “You in Teaching Building 7” consists of a total of twenty-eight episodes. As the summer vacation passed and half of the episodes were aired, its popularity continued to rise, surpassing even the concurrent fantasy and ancient drama shows, making it the biggest winner of the summer slot.

In the series, the acting skills of all actors are commendable. Although the female lead, Lu Yinnan, may not have fully matured in her acting skills, she doesn’t come across as awkward, and she has several standout scenes. When asked about a past incident where she was forced to sign a military order, which was dug up by reporters, Lu Yinnan openly admitted, “At that time, my acting skills were terrible, but fortunately, I had Teacher Yan’s guidance.”

The reporter was surprised, “Was it really Yan Zhao who taught you? Wasn’t that just a publicity stunt by the production team?”

Lu Yinnan replied, “Half of our production team has consulted him about acting. You can go ask if you don’t believe me.”

Surprisingly, over ten actors admitted to this on Weibo, including a newcomer who had never worked with Yan Zhao before.

“When I was rehearsing for an interview program, I was in the lounge practicing lines with my assistant. The assistant was… um… struggling with the lines, and then Brother Yan helped me with the lines when I had questions. Brother Yan is really great; I’m also his fan QwQ.”

Salt Soda: Male fan +1

Yan Zhao’s recent popularity has been soaring. In the break room of the Yuanzhao Group, two secretaries preparing afternoon tea were discussing him: “There’s an update tonight! My soda and fried chicken are ready!”

“Two episodes are simply not enough; I want to dive into the website to watch more!”

“Don’t forget to screenshot the rankings; there are small red envelopes to be claimed.”

“Hehe, do you think the boss is also a fan of Yan Zhao Soda? Otherwise, why would he give such instructions?”

“You’re silly. Our subsidiary has investments… Oh, by the way, did you buy Beast magazine? Yan Zhao is on the cover.”

“Of course, I did. That cover is so stylish.”

The sound of footsteps approached, the secretary assistant immediately switched to work mode and said seriously, “I need to make copies of the documents later, if you need anything—”

The unfinished sentence disappeared as the figure passing by the door vanished.

The two assistants exchanged glances, and one of them dashed out of the break room, staring at the figure getting farther away in disbelief.

Oh my gosh, was that my idol just now?!