Suddenly, Duan Xiubo looked up. “Why don’t we come out?” He couldn’t stand this anymore. He wanted to hold Luo Ding’s hand openly in public, without worrying about being seen. He wanted to be with Luo Ding everywhere, without having to hide their relationship or avoid public displays of affection.
Luo Ding raised an eyebrow, catching the seriousness in Duan Xiubo’s eyes. Was he serious?
The idea of coming out felt so distant to Luo Ding. In his previous life, he had considered it only a few times, mostly in his youth. Back then, when he was deeply immersed in music, he was at his most rebellious. He had even fought bitterly with Xu Zhen about the possibility of coming out. Xu Zhen had been firmly against it. At the time, Xu Zhen’s career had yet to take off, while Cao Dingkun was already somewhat famous. Even if he came out, a large portion of his fans wouldn’t have cared about his personal life. But Xu Zhen was just a small director, with no influence to speak of.
Within the industry, same-sex couples weren’t uncommon. The deeper Luo Ding went into the circle, the more he realized that most people thought like Xu Zhen.
After being scolded by Xu Zhen a few times for the pressure and anxiety his ideas caused, Cao Dingkun gradually became disillusioned. As he grew older, he became more cautious, more like Xu Zhen, less daring.
Duan Xiubo could see from Luo Ding’s expression that he had never seriously considered this idea. He felt a slight pang of unease.
He stared at Luo Ding, who slowly began to smile.
Looking into the mirror, Luo Ding saw Duan Xiubo half-hugging him. The sharp, well-defined face staring back at him was nothing like the calm, composed “Walking Headline” the public knew. He was worried.
Just like he himself had been in the past.
“Let’s wait a little longer,” Luo Ding said softly, stroking Duan Xiubo’s cheek. “When I turn thirty, if we’re still together, I’ll agree.”
Duan Xiubo’s smile grew wider and wider, his face lighting up with joy. Rubbing his face against Luo Ding’s hand, he basked in the warmth of the moment.
A kitten.
He was just like a kitten.
Luo Ding’s smile held a hint of helplessness but was mostly filled with fondness. Looking into the mirror at the identical expressions on both their faces, his heart couldn’t help but soar.
****
Their brief reunion felt like an energy boost, and even as they parted ways and headed to the airport, Luo Ding couldn’t hide his smile, which even his mask failed to conceal.
Wu Fangyuan, clutching his small travel bag, struggled to keep up. His legs were shorter than Luo Ding’s, so while Luo Ding walked briskly, Wu Fangyuan had to practically jog to keep pace.
“Ah Ding! Ah Ding…,” Wu Fangyuan huffed, gasping for breath. “Wait for me.”
Luo Ding stopped, tilting his head to look at him. “You ate five or six egg wraps this morning, and now you can’t keep up? You need to eat less. You were doing so well back when we were on set, but now you’ve gained the weight back.”
Wu Fangyuan, hands on his waist and drenched in sweat, eventually squatted down, looking up at Luo Ding with a pitiful expression. “Ah Ding, you’re in a really good mood today, huh?”
Luo Ding was caught off guard, but then a beautiful arc formed in his brow. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”
Wu Fangyuan thought to himself, *I knew it*. Normally, Luo Ding wouldn’t have waited for him. Today, however, he was unexpectedly merciful. Earlier, when they’d said their goodbyes at the gate, Luo Ding had even shooed him away so he could sit with Duan Xiubo and whisper in private.
Wu Fangyuan had been happy to see Luo Ding and Duan Xiubo getting along so well. He’d even joked with Mi Rui, saying, “These two are as close as brothers.”
Mi Rui’s reaction at the time—an eye-roll that could not be forgotten—made Wu Fangyuan feel a little hurt. What was with that look? Wu Fangyuan genuinely wanted to be friends with Mi Rui. Mi Rui was highly competent, and Wu Fangyuan hoped to learn a few tricks from him so he could better take care of Luo Ding.
*Sigh*, “The devil is easy to deal with, but his minions are tough,” Wu Fangyuan thought to himself. Surely, Mi Rui fit that saying perfectly.
****
Thanks to Luo Ding’s rising fame, Wu Fangyuan’s status at the company had also elevated significantly.
He was technically an outside hire, not officially contracted with the company, and Luo Ding paid his salary directly. His position had always been a bit awkward. Before, when he had to contact the company to arrange activities for Luo Ding, he would often get the cold shoulder from other staff members. But now, regardless of whether they were new or old employees, or even some of the lesser-known artists, everyone greeted him with a respectful “Brother Wu.”
At first, this newfound respect caught Wu Fangyuan off guard, but he soon understood the dynamics at play. Though he was flattered, he knew better than to let it get to his head. He remained humble, and when he sought advice from Gu Yaxing, the latter told him that his attitude would influence how others viewed Luo Ding. As an assistant, he and Luo Ding were a package deal.
From then on, Wu Fangyuan improved significantly in how he handled interactions. Though he wasn’t yet at the level of being able to speak diplomatically to everyone, he had become skilled at making a good impression on event staff before Luo Ding even arrived.
As the company’s operations became more streamlined, Gu Yaxing also refurbished the in-house recording studio, upgrading the equipment for use by the company’s younger artists.
Upon returning to China, Luo Ding began working on his new album in earnest. The songs and compositions were ready, and with the lessons learned from the previous EP, the production of this album progressed more smoothly than before.
While Luo Ding was recording, Wu Fangyuan waited outside, greeting company artists who passed by. In the distance, a familiar duo approached at a brisk pace.
It was Hu Xiao and Yang Kangding, two people he hadn’t seen in a while. As usual, Hu Xiao wore his signature cocky expression, sunglasses perched on his nose even indoors. As they passed a young artist who greeted him with a “Hello, Brother Hu,” Hu Xiao didn’t even bother to acknowledge the greeting.
Yang Kangding, on the other hand, stopped to smile and nod, politely returning the greeting on Hu Xiao’s behalf.
Although Hu Xiao’s position as the company’s top artist had long since been overtaken by Luo Ding, his career was still on solid ground. Earlier in the year, Gu Yaxing had secured him a supporting role in an upcoming idol drama. The script was good, and the cast was solid. Completing the drama would undoubtedly add a thick layer of credibility to his resume.
However, Gu Yaxing had become increasingly distant toward Hu Xiao. In the past, Wu Fangyuan would occasionally overhear Gu mentioning him in casual conversation, but over time, those mentions had dwindled, eventually ceasing altogether. At first, Wu Fangyuan didn’t understand why, but after hearing some company gossip, he found out that Hu Xiao had secretly met with people from Universal behind Gu Yaxing’s back.
Universal had poached quite a few artists from Yaxing Studio in recent years, so Wu Fangyuan wasn’t surprised by this. What surprised him was that Hu Xiao had taken the initiative to jump ship. This must have seriously offended Gu Yaxing.
To be fair, Gu hadn’t mistreated Hu Xiao—he’d received all the resources he was due, nothing more and nothing less. In fact, the upcoming idol drama role had originally been offered to Luo Ding, but Gu Yaxing had gone out of his way to convince the production team to give the part to Hu Xiao.
Yet, despite all this, Hu Xiao’s attitude suggested he didn’t appreciate Gu Yaxing’s efforts. Wu Fangyuan had never liked Hu Xiao; ever since they’d first met, he found the man to be bitter and discontent, always unhappy about something.
Strangely, though, Universal hadn’t poached him. That was the part that truly puzzled Wu Fangyuan. Hu Xiao had gone to them on his own, yet they didn’t want him.
Universal Studios rarely poached artists, and given the strong relationship between Luo Ding and Duan Xiubo, there was a sense of mutual respect between the two companies. As for Tianmei, the company’s young heir, Pan Yiming, was like a brother to Luo Ding, so they wouldn’t even consider poaching out of respect. With Yaxing Studios’ growing influence, no one wanted to risk angering Gu Yaxing. Hu Xiao’s talent clearly wasn’t impressive enough to make other studios willing to offend Gu.
In the end, after all his scheming, Hu Xiao hadn’t been able to leave.
While he stayed, Gu Yaxing’s trust in him had been shattered. Although Hu Xiao had been with Yaxing for years, he surely knew that every artist’s departure during Yaxing Studio’s rise had been a critical blow to the small studio. And still, he had chosen to go. Now that his heart was no longer with the company, Gu’s faith in him was irreparably broken.
As Wu Fangyuan watched Hu Xiao approach, memories of Hu’s past snide remarks and jabs at both himself and Luo Ding flashed through his mind. Comparing the two of them now, Wu Fangyuan couldn’t help but think of the phrase “the wheel of fortune turns.” Life was truly unpredictable.
As Hu Xiao drew closer, he obviously saw Wu Fangyuan. His steps faltered for a moment, and his brows furrowed slightly behind his sunglasses.
He didn’t say anything, but Yang Kangding stepped forward, tugging at Hu Xiao’s sleeve.
Reluctantly, Hu Xiao removed his sunglasses, suppressing his eyeroll, and nodded at Wu Fangyuan.
Then, he quickly walked away. Although he was still impolite, it was clear that his attitude toward Wu Fangyuan had improved considerably.
“Brother Wu, he’s in a bad mood today,” Yang Kangding explained, approaching Wu with a completely untroubled expression, addressing him with exaggerated respect. “He’s been under a lot of stress lately, and Hu Xiao tends to take it out on me too. Please bear with him.”
“…,” Wu Fangyuan stared at him, feeling somewhat taken aback. He hadn’t seen Yang Kangding in a while, but he vividly remembered how stern the man used to be.
The door to the recording studio opened, and soft voices drifted out. “The key can be lowered a bit more. The equipment here isn’t the best, but when we move to my studio, we can lower it just by one key, and it’ll sound much smoother. There won’t be much left to fix in post-production.” This was Mao Xiaorun speaking. Despite not being involved in Luo Ding’s vocal training, Mao Xiaorun’s extensive experience had been invaluable in solving many of the technical issues that arose during the production of Luo Ding’s previous EP.
Gu Yaxing responded respectfully, “Of course, thank you, Teacher Mao. I’ll discuss the key change with Teachers He and Ye. There shouldn’t be any issues, right?”
“Those two old rogues aren’t as stubborn as you think. Still, it’s better if I handle the negotiations. Luo Ding, remember to avoid spicy food and don’t overuse your voice in the coming days, okay?”
“Okay,” Luo Ding answered softly, stepping out of the room first.
He was dressed casually, his bangs clipped up with a hairpin. Though he didn’t appear particularly tired, Gu Yaxing still reached out to steady him.
Mao Xiaorun followed a step behind, clearly unfazed by the order of their exit. He smiled warmly, his eyes sweeping over Wu Fangyuan and Yang Kangding. He nodded at Wu Fangyuan but treated Yang Kangding like a stranger.
Yang Kangding stepped aside with a small, polite greeting, “Hello, Brother Luo, Mr. Gu, Teacher Mao.”
Only Luo Ding glanced at him, offering a smile.
Yang Kangding’s heart pounded as he quickly retreated, feeling a surge of frustration he couldn’t quite express.
A year ago, he would never have imagined that he’d feel such regret today. But now, he had truly come to taste the bitter fruit of his actions. Nearing forty, he finally understood how crucial it was to maintain a friendly, open demeanor. If he had shown even a little kindness toward Luo Ding back then, he might now be sharing in the rewards of this “big cake.”
Mao Xiaorun, Ye Zhou, and He Guan—Yang Kangding hadn’t dared dream of having such illustrious figures involved in Hu Xiao’s album. Yet here they were, all bending over backward for Luo Ding.
Wu Fangyuan, what made him so special? He was clumsy, dumb, and stubborn. Yet somehow, these three people paid more attention to him than they ever had to Hu Xiao.
Turning the corner, Yang Kangding found himself face-to-face with Hu Xiao.
Leaning against the wall, Hu Xiao was toying with an unlit cigarette, holding his sunglasses in his other hand. His expression was tired.
Seeing Yang Kangding approach, Hu Xiao cast him a weary glance, though his face still held that signature, insufferable arrogance.
“Let’s go,” Hu Xiao said briskly, his eyes lingering on his manager’s frustrated expression. He sighed inwardly, put on his sunglasses, and strode forward.
****
“What’s up?” Luo Ding asked, noticing Yang Kangding’s hasty retreat. He tilted his chin in that direction. “Did he say something to you?”
Wu Fangyuan, catching Gu Yaxing’s curious glance, shrugged. “Just a greeting.”
“Forget about them.” Gu Yaxing, satisfied that Wu Fangyuan hadn’t hidden anything, immediately slipped an arm around Luo Ding’s shoulder, steering him in the opposite direction, eager to shift his focus. “The announcement for your new film will be released next week, and we’ll need to get used to the lowered key for the songs. As for the timing…”
Luo Ding wasn’t too concerned with such matters, and once Gu Yaxing brought up business, his attention quickly shifted, and the two of them began discussing details in low voices.
Before following them, Wu Fangyuan turned back to glance at the now-empty hallway.
He had no desire to end up like Yang Kangding. For his own sake, he needed to grow and ensure that Luo Ding’s path forward remained wide and smooth.
—
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
big cat duan lmaooo thank you for the chapter 🥰🫶🏽