Chapter 64

Shen Yuanting sent Yan Zhao a video request, and the other party quickly connected.

Yan Zhao was lying on his side on the pillow, his black hair falling softly. He was wearing a black and white cartoon T-shirt, and below his collarbone was a shadow that led to imagination, with a silver chain with a ring hidden in it.

As soon as he saw Shen Yuanting, he smiled foolishly, “Why haven’t you slept yet?”

Shen Yuanting asked him back, “What about you, why haven’t you slept?”

Yan Zhao said, “Fishing, to see if you haven’t slept, see? Caught by me, right?”

Shen Yuanting: “……”

Clearly, the man was drunk and acting crazy. Talking about fishing, it was more like he got hooked himself.

Because he can’t hold his liquor well, Yan Zhao usually doesn’t drink outside, but with Xiao Dou around, Shen Yuanting felt a bit more at ease.

Shen Yuanting asked, “Why did you drink, and how much?”

Yan Zhao replied, “Shan Zhou was treating, I accidentally drank a bit. You know Shan Zhou, right? The one you cleaned up with one shot last time.”

Shen Yuanting: “A bit?”

Yan Zhao: “Really, just a bit!” He got up from the bed, the camera aimed at the table, where a can of alcoholic drink was placed: “This is what I brought back to drink! The door is locked!”

Shen Yuanting: “……” Wondering why there was a sense of pride.

Shifting his focus from the alcohol, Shen Yuanting frowned, “How come you are with Shan Zhou? Aren’t you two strangers?”

Yan Zhao: “Director Fang brought him in for a cameo, he’ll leave in a few days.”

Wang Zai, hearing Yan Zhao’s voice, lifted its head, pressed its paw on the phone, and its fluffy head came close, blocking the camera completely. In the frame, only a blurry cat face was visible. Shen Yuanting lifted the cat by the scruff of its neck to make it stand farther away so its full form could be captured in the frame.

Yan Zhao: “Wang Zai, do you miss me? Have you gotten fatter?”

Wang Zai whined pitifully: “Meowww.”

Shen Yuanting translated for it, “It played with the cat teaser for a long time today and yesterday, enough exercise.”

Yan Zhao: “You have to keep it up.”

Wang Zai slumped down dejectedly: “Meow meow meow…”

Shen Yuanting: “It lacks motivation without its owner at home.”

Yan Zhao: “The owner will be back soon.”

The two of them and the cat chatted for a while in cat language, Yan Zhao yawned, and Wang Zai was infected and also yawned.

Shen Yuanting: “Go to sleep, don’t you have to shoot tomorrow.”

Yan Zhao rubbed his eyes: “Hmm, I still want to chat with you…”

Shen Yuanting coaxed him, “How about we chat with our eyes closed?”

Yan Zhao: “Okay.”

Yan Zhao closed his eyes, and his eyelashes fell quietly. Shen Yuanting lowered his voice and chatted with him for a while. Before long, his response became sluggish, and then the volume gradually decreased until it disappeared.

The video’s frame also twisted and turned, finally freezing on the ceiling.

Shen Yuanting sat quietly for a while before ending the video and asked Xiao Dou to prepare sobering medicine and porridge for Yan Zhao. By then, Wang Zai had already found a comfortable position on his thigh to nap. Shen Yuanting moved the cat back to its nest, and Wang Zai stretched its paw, opened its eyes slightly, then slowly closed them again.

…

Three days passed, and Shan Zhou was ready to leave with his luggage, which can be described as hurried.

During these three days, he and Yan Zhao shot hundreds of scenes, and Shan Zhou realized that this young man was not only good-looking but also had exceptional acting skills, and notably, was good at snooker as well.

Shan Zhou’s desire to befriend him was stronger than ever.

Shan Zhou touched his nose and said : “Honestly, when I first found out you were a traffic star, I thought your acting must be terrible, I even bet with my agent.”

Yan Zhao: “Do you really need to bluntly repeat what you said three days ago?”

Shan Zhou said earnestly, “I need to, I’m sorry for underestimating you before.”

Yan Zhao: “But I don’t feel happy hearing that.”

Shan Zhou puzzled, “Why? I think you’re amazing now!”

Yan Zhao: “Because I have a glass heart and can’t hear a bit of badness, even if that sentence is aimed at the past me.”

“Well then.” Shan Zhou smiled, took out a ticket from his pocket, “To show my sincerity in apologizing, ‘Night of Garcia’, do you want it?”

Yan Zhao took the ticket: “What a coincidence, I just happen to be interested in this one.”

Shan Zhou: “Yeah, if it wasn’t for drinking that day, you just mentioned this, I almost threw this ticket away.”

Yan Zhao thought for a moment, in his memory, it seemed that he just mentioned it casually. If it weren’t for his reminder, maybe in a few more days, he would forget even this slight impression: “Really give it to me? This ticket is not easy to grab.”

Shan Zhou said, “I have a friend at the XX Grand Theater, he reserved the ticket for me, told me to bring my girlfriend, but I don’t have one, it would be a waste otherwise—you’re interested, right? The opportunity is right in front of you.”

Yan Zhao asked, “Couple’s seat, do you have another one?”

Shan Zhou: “Yes, it’s consecutive numbers, but I don’t have time, you and your boyfriend go to watch it together. Speaking of which, you two are now considered to be in a long-distance relationship, I’m afraid you don’t have time.”

Yan Zhao looked up at him, did not deny: “You are right, I am more accustomed to being together, if he is not there, I probably won’t go to watch, you can give the ticket to others.”

Shan Zhou was stunned for a moment: “Really your boyfriend, huh.”

Yan Zhao smiled: “To be precise, not really.”

Shan Zhou: “Oh, so you two are still in the ambiguous stage? Well, although it’s a bit regrettable, I hope you get out of singlehood soon. I’ll give you this ticket, but I won’t give the other one, consider it the price for my broken heart.”

His manager urged him from behind, and Shan Zhou said, “I’ve got to go, hope we can work together again, not just a cameo, but a real competitive scene between the two of us.”

Yan Zhao: “……”

Yan Zhao asked Xiao Dou to find time to return the ticket, searched online for presale, and sure enough, they were all sold out. The regret was only momentary, after shooting for three minutes, he put Garcia and everything else out of his mind.

After wrapping up the shooting, he refused Shen Yuanting’s offer to pick him up from the airport, and after taking President Shen to work, he went home alone.

Wang Zai ran over quickly asking for pats. Yan Zhao picked it up and sat on the sofa, but in the corner of his eye, he saw two tickets.

He picked up the two tickets, “Night of Garcia.”

Yan Zhao looked at the two consecutive numbers, buried his head in the cat’s belly, and rubbed it happily.

Wang Zai: “Meow meow meow?”

On the night of the performance, Yan Zhao dressed up and confirmed in front of the mirror that no one could recognize him, then he went out with Shen Yuanting.

After all, it was someone else’s musical, and the place was crowded with people. Yan Zhao still felt a bit restrained when he entered. It would be bad if fans recognized him and caused a disturbance.

Shen Yuanting said, “You’re like a cat sneaking under someone else’s stove.”

Yan Zhao responded: “…Where do you come up with so many weird comparisons?”

In the audience, a girl quietly shook her boyfriend’s shoulder, pointing to the best viewing area: “Look there, perfect side face.”

The boyfriend exclaimed, “Impressive, you can tell even with a mask on!”

The girl thought to herself: “…..” When it comes to looks, straight guys are 500 geese weaker than girlfriends!

“Night of Garcia” is an absurd comedy where both the actors’ makeup and performances, as well as the lyrics, are highly exaggerated. However, the charm lies in how, under the atmosphere’s enhancement, a series of unrealistic language and actions are filled with strong satirical meanings. In short, it’s the type of show that makes you laugh your head off during, but gives you chills when you recall the scenes later.

In the final encore section, the actors were no longer bound to the venue, they walk down the stage, sing around the audience, and will also high-five or shake hands with enthusiastic audiences. The atmosphere was boiling, among them a heavily made-up lady, dressed in a gorgeous long dress, strolled gracefully with her skirt raised – she played the countess in the play, who captivated countless subordinates with her beauty and extraordinary means.

At this moment, the lady sang an elegant song while looking for her next target. When she saw an audience that met her eye, she unhesitatingly took off her brooch, satin gloves, her necklace, or other small accessories on her body, and generously gave them away, with a charming manner, and the lighting engineer also chased the light on those lucky ones.

“Take this knife coated with my sweetness, and kiss me till dawn—”

Her fox eyes, smudged with stage makeup, searched through the crowd. The audience seating was somewhat dark, automatically diminishing the attractiveness of those seated, and her only criterion for giving gifts was whether, even in such an environment, someone could catch her eye — be it through exaggerated behavior, loud screams, and of course, a good face was even better.

As her high heels stepped onto a certain level, her attention was drawn to a seat.

At least from the forehead, eyebrows, and nose, that was a very eye-catching face, handsome and sharp, and the person sitting next to him was equally handsome.

The lady, who had seen countless people, personally certified that they were undeniably handsome.

Finding two handsome guys at once, the countess was very pleased. She walked gracefully towards them, performed a curtsy, showed off her dress with a twirl, then opened her feather fan and threw a coquettish glance at the two men.

Shen Yuanting had no expression on his face.

Yan Zhao, on the other hand, was quite happy and handed her a screaming chicken toy he bought on the road.

The lady: “???”

Holding back a laugh, she showed a surprised smile. If it weren’t for the yellow plastic red-beaked chicken in her hand being too conspicuous, the audience might have thought she received a pigeon egg diamond ring.

The lady threw the fan into Yan Zhao’s hands and gave a coquettish glance to the gentleman who gave her the gift, saying in a sexy tone, “Have a good night~” before lifting her dress and fluttering away like a butterfly.

As the follow spot left with the lady, Yan Zhao savored that look she gave and whispered to Shen Yuanting, “Did you see that? Her acting is amazing, that coquettish glance was bone-tingling.”

Shen Yuanting, “…..”

Yan Zhao said: “Hey, speak up.”

Shen Yuanting turned his head away.

Yan Zhao, with a smirk, grabbed the fan on his knee, closed it, and used the handle to lift Shen Yuanting’s chin, and said frivolously, “Sir, why the unhappy face?”

Shen Yuanting’s eyes were indifferent, his lips pursed, and he didn’t speak.

Yan Zhao: “Jealous, let me smell it.”

Shen Yuanting said coldly: “If her acting skills are so good, you go learn from her.”

Yan Zhao poked his waist with the handle of the fan, clearly feeling the man stiffen for a moment, and gave him a warning look.

That was… his sensitive spot.

Yan Zhao said with a smile, “It’s my fault for making you unhappy. Here, let me apologize, and perform a ‘learn and apply’ for you.”

With that, he opened the fan, the twenty-one fluffy goose feathers attached to the ivory bone covering their faces.

With just a fan between them, Yan Zhao imitated the lady from before, throwing a coquettish glance. The look was ambiguously just right, not too explicit, yet bold and unrestrained, faintly revealing loneliness and desire underneath, enticing others to fall at his feet and kiss his hand.

Shen Yuanting’s eyes darkened, then he grabbed his wrist: “Enough.”

Yan Zhao closed the fan, and laughed softly.

After the musical ended, Yan Zhao took a photo with the countess, the goose feather fan partially concealing the lower half of their faces, adding a mysterious charm.

The Salt Soda screamed in excitement, praising Yan Zhao to the skies and also complimenting the lady for her beauty. Among them were fans who attended the same show tonight, devastated they hadn’t run into him despite being in the same theater! Someone comforted her: [At least you breathed the same air as Zhao Zhao within a kilometer radius!]

Soon, a video exploded online, where the vlogger said she was originally filming the countess, but found an audience member very handsome and recorded him for a while.

Due to mobile phone filming, the video quality was almost like a full screen of mosaic, but from that blurry outline, you can also recognize that the person next to Yan Zhao was Shen Yuanting.

His fans were no longer surprised, as the two of them could watch a movie together, so what was so strange about watching a musical together?

But a few seconds later, Yan Zhao opened the fan, then covered both of their faces.

Solo fans: Huh?

CP fans: Huh—???!!!

What’s going on, you two, watching a musical, what are you blocking your faces for!!!

The video was shot from the side, because of the angle and Yan Zhao’s own side sitting posture, only his back can be seen, and Shen Yuanting’s expression has no big waves (if there are, it can’t be seen clearly), this action is ambiguous, but it’s not impossible to find a reason.

A fan commented: [The two of them are like the gossiping good sisters in palace dramas talking bad about little scoundrels.]

And this comment got quite a lot of likes!

Shen Yuanting once again wanted to suggest to Weibo’s product manager to add a dislike feature.

In the comments section, a fan of @Wang Zai’s Dad said: [When Zhao Zhao is on a date with someone else, the Cat Boss is still showing off his cat. The wealthy fan and the President still have a wall between them.] Although the words were simple, they were simply malicious, deserving condemnation!

Shen Yuanting: “……”

Half a minute later, @Wang Zai’s Dad liked the comment supportive of the Shen-Yan CP.

Killing my own fujoshi^[1]腐粉(fǔ fěn ) = Rotten fan. Rotten fan/Fujoshi/Fundanshi is girls/boys who enjoy yaoi (a genre in Japan that contains sexual and/or romantic relations between two men).

And that is us. LOL fans while also liking my own CP.