LOI Chapter 13 — I Want to Be Famous

Rong Ke’s trending status lasted less than a day, but his Weibo followers kept growing daily.

Since mutually following Yan Zhi, he had gained 100,000 fans. Though still modest in total, these followers were highly engaged, with many urging him to post updates daily.

Rong Ke was inexperienced in social media management and wasn’t sure what to post. On New Year’s Eve, he simply wrote “Happy New Year,” which garnered over a thousand comments within ten minutes.

[First! Happy New Year, hubby! *kisses*]

[Wishing hubby great success and fame in the new year! *bows*]

[Hubby, please post more photos, pretty please!]

There were many people in the comment area asking for photos, but Rong Ke really didn’t have any in stock, so he randomly picked one to reply: “No photos…”

Instantly, a notification popped up:

[Yan Zhi: Reply @Rong Ke: Come to my place, I’ll take some for you]

Within seconds, CP fans flooded the comment section as if celebrating the New Year.

Used to Yan Zhi’s antics, Rong Ke switched to WeChat and messaged him.

[Rong Ke: Can you stop the pointless interactions on Weibo?]
[Yan Zhi: I enjoy it :)]
[Yan Zhi: How are you spending New Year’s Day?]

Rong Ke thought, “Am I really supposed to go to you for a photoshoot?” He fibbed: [Working]

As an idler, Rong Ke had no work commitments.

However, he knew Jiang Si likely had events to attend on holidays like New Year’s Day, so he went to Tianxi Yunwan that morning.

The property management still had his license plate on record, and he was not blocked from entering the community. He parked in his usual spot and entered Jiang Si’s home using the passcode. Seeing several pairs of shoes strewn about the entryway, Rong Ke immediately realized that he might not have picked the right time.

But since he was already there, leaving seemed pointless. Besides, Jiang Si should still be asleep at this hour. Rong Ke quietly entered the living room, where he saw a man wearing an oversized white shirt and bare legs sitting on the couch.

It was Liu Qing.

He was holding a coffee cup in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other, eyeing Rong Ke suspiciously. “Who are you?”

A moment later, recognition dawned. He frowned, “Rong Ke?”

Rong Ke didn’t respond. He glanced at the coffee table, noticing some small gifts and letters, presumably from his fans.

Then he realized what paper Liu Qing was holding.

“Your fans are hilarious,” Liu Qing said, waving the letter. “They think you’ll become famous just because you got MQ’s cover.”

——He opened Rong Ke’s fan mail.

Rong Ke’s expression darkened as he wordlessly approached the couch.

Liu Qing raised an eyebrow, thinking Rong Ke wanted the letter. He twisted his wrist to move it away, but Rong Ke reached for the still-hot coffee cup instead. Before Liu Qing could react, coffee splashed across his face, followed by a loud crash as the cup shattered at his feet.

“Did I give you permission to read that?” Rong Ke asked coldly.

Liu Qing was stunned momentarily before rage consumed him. He stood up, shouting, “Fuck! What’s wrong with you?!”

The bedroom door opened, and Jiang Si poked his head out, half-asleep and searching for the source of the commotion. Upon seeing Rong Ke, he instantly became alert. “You’re back?”

“He threw coffee at me!” Liu Qing looked ready to tear someone apart. “What’s wrong with your ex? He’s so uncivilized, lashing out like that!”

Jiang Si quickly approached the couch, surveying the mess. He asked Rong Ke, “You threw coffee at him?”

Not expecting an answer, he turned to Liu Qing, “Don’t be angry. Don’t you have a schedule today? You should go. I’ll handle this.”

“Go?” Liu Qing laughed bitterly. He tore the letter to shreds, then pushed back his coffee-soaked bangs. Pointing at the kitchen, he demanded, “Get me a cup of coffee. Scalding hot. I’m going to throw it back at him!”

Watching the shredded paper fall, Rong Ke chuckled softly. He walked to the kitchen, picked up the half-full coffee pot, and returned, approaching Liu Qing step by step.

He said nothing, but his eyes were as cold as midwinter. Liu Qing instinctively retreated behind Jiang Si, asking, “What’s he doing?”

“That’s enough, Rong Ke.” Jiang Si quickly stepped in front of Rong Ke, then turned to Liu Qing. “I apologize on his behalf. You should leave now. Don’t risk messing up your face before work.”

This argument successfully persuaded Liu Qing. Clearly not wanting to clash with a “madman,” he cursed, “Bad luck!” Pointing at Rong Ke, he warned, “You just wait. This isn’t over!”

The room finally quieted. Rong Ke crouched down, carefully picking up the torn pieces of the letter. Jiang Si stood beside him, explaining unprompted, “You ignored me for over a month, right? Last night, Liu Qing and I both got drunk on New Year’s Eve, so I brought him back… But I didn’t expect you to be so harsh with him for my sake… It was all my fault before. I promise, from now on, I’ll only pretend with him for show…”

“Jiang Si,” Rong Ke put the letter pieces back in the envelope, looking at him impassively. “Aren’t you being a bit self-centered?”

Jiang Si froze momentarily, then frowned, seeming to sense something was off.

“My relationship with Yan Zhi was to make you jealous, my trending status was to provoke you, and I threw coffee at Liu Qing because of you. When will you realize the world doesn’t revolve around you?”

Jiang Si’s expression darkened. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve broken up. You’re a nobody to me now. Do you understand what ‘nobody’ means?” Rong Ke said. “I don’t care what you do. I came here today just to get my things, including the necklace you gave me. I accidentally took it with me before.”

Rong Ke pulled a necklace from his pocket and tossed it on the floor. “Do you understand now? Why is breaking up so difficult for you?”

As Rong Ke picked up the gifts from the coffee table and prepared to leave, Jiang Si spoke, barely containing his anger, “Is it because of Yan Zhi?”

His rage suddenly erupted, and he shouted hysterically, “At least I only cheated physically! You cheated both physically and emotionally. Who’s worse?!”

Rong Ke’s lip twitched. “You’re truly hopeless.”

“I’ve been faithful to you from start to finish. What about you? Your head turns at every handsome guy. What does Yan Zhi have over me besides a slightly better figure? So what if he’s more successful in the fashion world? His Weibo followers aren’t even a tenth of mine!”

Weibo followers?

Rong Ke frowned. “Are you mental?”

“Even if you want to break up with me for someone else, it can’t be Yan Zhi. What the hell did I do to him? He pulled my cover for no reason. CVV must be crazy too, pairing me with him on the runway. I’m not a professional model, how could I possibly outshine him?”

Hearing this, Rong Ke suddenly understood. Jiang Si’s extreme reaction to their breakup was because of Yan Zhi.

Though he bragged that Yan Zhi couldn’t compare to him, Jiang Si was clearly bothered by the comparison. He’d been nursing this grudge, which was why he lost it when he mistakenly thought Rong Ke had cheated with Yan Zhi.

In other words, if Rong Ke had simply broken up with him, Jiang Si’s reaction would have been “it’s your loss to miss out on me,” without this desperation.

Instead, thinking he’d been outdone by Yan Zhi again, he refused to let go.

“And you,” having finished berating Yan Zhi, Jiang Si turned on Rong Ke. “You’re such a nobody, how dare you dump me? Look at these pathetic fan gifts. That cheap plushie you’re treating like a treasure, isn’t it ridiculous?”

While Rong Ke felt nothing when Jiang Si insulted Yan Zhi, he couldn’t tolerate him badmouthing his fans.

He clenched his fists. “What did you say?”

“I said you’re pathetic! Destined to be a wage slave forever. No wonder your fans are so poor and tacky.”

Rong Ke was about to throw a punch when suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Jiang Si asked irritably, “Who is it?”

There was no response, but the doorbell rang several more times, conveying the visitor’s impatience.

Rong Ke suddenly remembered that if he could hear Yan Zhi playing opera upstairs, Yan Zhi could probably hear Jiang Si’s shouting downstairs.

He walked to the entryway and opened the door, indeed finding an annoyed-looking Yan Zhi.

“Did we disturb you?” Rong Ke asked.

“Don’t you know how to argue?” Yan Zhi frowned. “Why is he the only one yelling?”

Rong Ke: “…” So that’s what you’re upset about?

“Yan Zhi?” Jiang Si looked at the pajama-clad Yan Zhi in disbelief. “You live here?”

A moment later, he turned sharply to Rong Ke. “So you’ve moved in with him??”

Yan Zhi naturally ignored Jiang Si, looking at Rong Ke instead. “Are you done? I can’t find my tie.”

“Your tie…” Rong Ke was about to say he didn’t know where it was, but he quickly realized Yan Zhi was inspired by Jiang Si’s words. The gossip judge was about to strike again, so he changed his response: “…was tied around your hands last night. Check by the bed.”

Yan Zhi’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He clearly hadn’t expected Rong Ke to play along so naturally, even adding more details.

He said, “I couldn’t find it. Help me look.”

As he spoke, a hint of frustration crossed his features, as if he was annoyed at his own lack of acting skills, unable to make the scene more convincing.

“Fine, Rong Ke. You win,” Jiang Si glared coldly at Rong Ke. “We’re breaking up, but let me be clear: I dumped you, not the other way around.”

“Who’s arguing about that?” Finally rid of this nuisance, Rong Ke didn’t want to stay a moment longer. He took his fan gifts and slammed the door shut.

The elevator was on the sixth floor. Rong Ke walked to it but didn’t press the button. Instead, he looked down at the little bear plushie in his hand.

The plushie had no packaging, and its face was stained with coffee. He tried to wipe it off but couldn’t.

After a while, he let out a sigh and looked up at the elevator. “Yan Zhi.”

The elevator doors were mirrored. Yan Zhi looked back at Rong Ke. “Hm?”

“I want to be famous now,” Rong Ke said. “How will you promote me?”

“Hold you in the palm of my hand?” Yan Zhi’s lips curled up, his tone not entirely serious. “If that’s not enough, I could also keep you in my mouth¹.”

Rong Ke raised an eyebrow, his expression odd.

“Uh.” Yan Zhi’s malfunctioning Chinese system finally reset. “I mean, there’s an old saying, right? ‘Afraid to drop when held in hand, afraid to melt when kept in mouth.’ I was just making an analogy.”

Rong Ke smiled, his bad mood from the morning dissipating.

He pressed the elevator button and said, “Your Chinese is very good.”

As the elevator doors opened and Rong Ke was about to step in, Yan Zhi grabbed his arm.

“Come have breakfast at my place?” Yan Zhi said. “We can talk about work too.”

Rong Ke said, “Okay.”