LOI Chapter 36 — He's a Top

“Son-in-law¹, the ‘son’ in son-in-law,” Yan Zhi wrapped his arm around Rong Ke’s lower back, guiding him forward. “My mother’s Chinese isn’t very good.”

Yan Fei, who was born and raised in China: “?”

The four of them got into the car. Rong Ke acted as the driver, while the inconspicuous assistant sat in the passenger seat. Yan Zhi and Yan Fei sat in the back.

The electric car smoothly entered the airport expressway, and the interior was completely silent. Rong Ke couldn’t help but wonder why the mother and son, who hadn’t seen each other for so long, weren’t chatting. Just as he turned on the radio, a WeChat notification suddenly sounded from Yan Zhi’s phone in the back seat.

Yan Zhi only glanced down briefly before switching his phone to silent mode.

A new message from Yan Fei lay in his WeChat: [Son-in-law? Be honest, what’s going on?]

Yan Zhi had no intention of replying. He lazily turned off his phone screen and continued looking ahead at the road. Seeing no response, Yan Fei immediately leaned forward, poised to strike up a conversation with Rong Ke.

The alarm bells in Yan Zhi’s mind instantly went off. He hurriedly picked up his phone to reply to the WeChat message.

[Yan Zhi: Your son is too beautiful]
[Yan Zhi: He hasn’t realized I’m a top]

Yan Fei furrowed her brows, squinting her eyes into slits, looking like an old man struggling to read their phone on the subway.

She also switched her phone to silent mode and messaged Yan Zhi back.

[Yan Fei: Are you two actually together or not?]
[Yan Zhi: I think we are]
[Yan Fei: What does he think?]
[Yan Zhi: He’s actively trying to be with me]
[Yan Zhi: So we’re practically together :)]

Yan Fei rolled her eyes at the car ceiling and continued typing: [So how are you resolving the top/bottom situation?]

Yan Zhi calmly replied: [We’ll figure it out eventually]

[Yan Fei: I hate it most when men lie. You’d better come clean with him soon]
[Yan Zhi: I’ll ease into it gradually]

In truth, Yan Zhi also felt that looking but not touching would be detrimental to his health in the long run. However, being completely honest would certainly be suicide, so…

With this in mind, he opened his chat with Luo Fei and asked: [Do you have a secondary Weibo account?]

–

The mid-year event hosted by RBW wasn’t a ready-to-wear fashion show, but rather an appreciation banquet for VIP clients.

Before the banquet began, there was a showcase of classic styles from past years. The runway featured both professional models and willing RBW clients, with Yan Fei falling into both categories.

She first went to the hotel to recover from jet lag, then headed straight to the banquet venue for hair and makeup. Yan Zhi and Rong Ke, as “family members,” were also invited but arrived a bit later than Yan Fei.

The banquet was quite formal, with RBW requiring clients to attend in formal attire.

Yan Zhi and Rong Ke rarely wore black suits, but their styles differed slightly.

Yan Zhi wore a simple tuxedo paired with a black bow tie; Rong Ke donned a tailcoat with tails reaching his hips and a white bow tie.

Standing before the full-length mirror, both men cut striking figures with broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long legs. Rong Ke adjusted his bow tie and didn’t plan to linger in front of the mirror, but Yan Zhi insisted on taking multiple photos together.

The banquet venue was in the city center, only a twenty to thirty-minute drive away.

As the two men stepped out of Yan Zhi’s flashy Ferrari, they immediately drew a flurry of camera flashes from the media stationed on the street.

This marked Rong Ke’s first public appearance with Yan Zhi at an event in China. He could already imagine how lively the Rong Yan Forever CP super topic would be tonight.

After taking their designated seats at the table, many people—or more accurately, many young wealthy women—came to take photos with Rong Ke.

One had a livestreaming app open on her phone and said to Rong Ke, “I’m waiting for the fifth episode to update at 8 o’clock. I really love your portrayal of Sha Ya.”

Rong Ke politely replied, “Thank you.”

Another asked, “Were Sha Ya and the boss good friends before?”

Rong Ke avoided spoilers. “You’ll find out in the fifth episode.”

Yet another person said, “This feels so surreal, Sha Ya is right in front of me.”

“I know, right? I had no idea Rong Ke would be here. My friends are so jealous, saying they should’ve bought out RBW’s entire store.”

These fans were much more well-mannered than that landlord. Despite their proximity to Rong Ke, there was no sense of discomfort.

Once the pre-banquet runway show began, they all returned to their seats.

“Surprisingly, no one asked to take photos with me,” Yan Zhi said, arms crossed over his chest, tilting his head towards Rong Ke.

“Didn’t they all greet you?” Rong Ke replied.

“But I was clearly just a backdrop,” Yan Zhi shrugged. “The kind that accidentally appears in photos and gets edited out.”

Rong Ke laughed, “What’s this? Is the beauty god feeling a bit left out?”

“No,” Yan Zhi turned to look at Rong Ke. “Seeing you adored by others makes me happy too.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere became lively. The venue erupted with endless applause and whistles.

Rong Ke looked up to see Yan Fei emerge as the finale, wearing a deep V-neck gown.

Few knew Yan Fei would be walking the runway, so this legendary supermodel’s appearance was undoubtedly the evening’s biggest surprise. Many stood up to applaud, showing their respect.

Unlike the popular skinny, hunched models of recent years, Yan Fei maintained a healthy figure. Her long legs, alternately revealed by the swishing skirt, were far from thin, even somewhat muscular, but exuded a powerful beauty.

Her walk differed from today’s common mechanical swaying. The casual swing of her arms and exaggerated hip movements were full of presence, radiating an aura that challenged anyone to compete.

Rong Ke stood up to applaud involuntarily, saying to Yan Zhi, “I’m really envious of you.”

“Hmm?” Yan Zhi also clapped. “Envious of what?”

Rong Ke didn’t elaborate.

After the brand founder’s speech, the banquet officially began. Waiters with silver platters filed out, placing exquisite dishes on the round tables.

Many guests posted live updates of the banquet on social media, including their chance encounters with Rong Ke and Yan Fei’s stunning appearance. With RBW’s intentional promotion, the banquet quickly dominated headlines across major websites.

Rong Ke opened Weibo, unsurprised to see Yan Fei high on the trending list, with his and Yan Zhi’s names also trending.

However, tonight’s buzz clearly wasn’t limited to just the “RBW Appreciation Banquet” and “Patchwork Family Episode 5 Broadcast.”

The variety show “Actors’ Summer” had been heavily marketed recently, with constant news about who had applied or been rejected. An uncertain list had made rounds among all the popular fan circles in the entertainment industry.

Just as Sha Ya’s tragic backstory from Episode 5 topped the entertainment charts, Liu Qing suddenly posted on Weibo, officially announcing his participation in “Actors’ Summer.” The discussion immediately overshadowed the excitement around RBW and Patchwork Family.

Rong Ke showed his phone to Yan Zhi, saying, “Liu Qing is joining Actors’ Summer.”

“I saw,” Yan Zhi replied. “SPL’s people told me Wen Cheng specifically requested him.”

The show had invited four famous directors as judges, with Wen Cheng being one of them. He was also the director of Inferno Case and had previously guided Rong Ke.

Rong Ke didn’t have any particular thoughts but joked, “Seems like your influence isn’t enough yet.”

“He has his own methods, I can’t do anything about it,” Yan Zhi shrugged. “But his fans are arguing with Jiang Si’s fans.”

Curious, Rong Ke checked the public square. It turned out the solo fans of both were fighting over their positions in the industry. Liu Qing’s fans claimed Patchwork Family and Meihua Lane marked a divide—one soaring, the other crashing. They argued Liu Qing had ascended to top-tier celebrity status, while Jiang Si, unable to find his position, would only fade into obscurity.

Naturally, Jiang Si’s fans disagreed. Both fan bases were very powerful in fighting, turning the public square into a chaotic battleground.

Disgusted, Rong Ke exited their squares and idly opened Yan Zhi’s Weibo.

Recently, Yan Zhi had uploaded a photo of them together. The comment section was filled with congratulations, some even joking about Rong Ke meeting his mother-in-law.

However, the top comment wasn’t the most liked. It had few likes but hundreds of replies, clearly pushed up by the nested comments.

[@Fallen Poop: YZ and RK have already registered a studio called Cough (Zhike) Syrup. This is the real official pairing, you’re all shipping the wrong side]

The responses below were heated. Some told the “heretical shippers” to leave, while others checked business records and confirmed that Yan Zhi and Rong Ke’s studio indeed had this name.

[So Yan Zhi is actually the husband? Why am I okay with this?]
[I feel the same!! I can finally say it out loud!!]
[No way, no way. Rong Ke is the ultimate top in my eyes, how could this be?]
[Sisters, don’t panic! This might be the husband trying to please his wife, deliberately putting his name first. We must keep the Rong Yan Forever flag flying high!]
[…]
[@Fallen Poop: I told you all you’re shipping the wrong side. Why are you still in denial?]

This “Fallen Poop” in the comments kept stirring things up, causing many CP fans to waver.

Rong Ke frowned, his expression serious as he said to Yan Zhi, “Have you seen your Weibo comments? This Fallen Poop must be one of Liu Qing’s or Jiang Si’s people. He’s been trying to divide our CP fans.”

“Hmm?” Yan Zhi looked at his own phone. “Did they discover the Cough Syrup?”

He then opened WeChat and sent a message to Luo Fei: [Continue]

Fortunately, those supporting the Cough Syrup ship didn’t dare to promote it too openly. After all, Rong Yan Forever appeared earlier and was certified by CP fans as the official pairing.

Rong Ke temporarily exited Yan Zhi’s Weibo, intending to browse the CP super topic. Just then, a WeChat notification popped up on his screen.

[Zhou Lin: I just realized that your CP name with Yan Zhi called Rong Yan Forever?]

He must have come across Yan Fei’s topic, which would lead to Yan Zhi’s Weibo if clicked.

[Rong Ke: Is there a problem?]

Zhou Lin sent three consecutive messages.

[Zhou Lin: He’s a top]
[Zhou Lin: Isn’t the top supposed to be on the left?]
[Zhou Lin: Or am I mistaken?]

Rong Ke found it amusing and started typing: He’s not…

Halfway through, several new messages popped up in the chat box.

[Zhou Lin: I suddenly remembered]
[Zhou Lin: You introduced me to him]
[Zhou Lin: You don’t actually think he’s a bottom, do you?]

The smile froze on his face, and his typing hands gradually stopped. Rong Ke suddenly recalled Yan Zhi’s inexplicable hostility towards Zhou Lin. For some reason, he felt like he might have missed something. Yan Fei’s “daughter-in-law” echoed in his ears. Rong Ke’s heart skipped a beat. He deleted the few words he had typed and asked: [How can you tell he’s a top?]

[Zhou Lin: You can tell just by looking at him]

The surrounding sounds gradually faded away as Rong Ke’s heart sank.

Reviewing past events, he felt as if an optical illusion had appeared before his eyes.

At first glance, there was a wine glass in the center of the image, and Rong Ke had always firmly believed that what he saw was indeed a wine glass. Until someone pointed out that the lines of the wine glass were actually two inverted side profiles. Once he saw the two faces, he could no longer see the initial wine glass. Similarly now, after Zhou Lin’s hint, he suddenly felt that the more he looked at Yan Zhi, the more he seemed like a top.

Initially, Rong Ke concluded Yan Zhi was a bottom based on his looks and lack of personal boundaries.

But Rong Ke was 100% certain, or rather believed this, because Yan Zhi had personally admitted to being a bottom.

Subtle clues gradually surfaced. Why did Yan Zhi always like to press down on him when kissing? Why was Yan Zhi so eager to see him wear a fox tail? Why wouldn’t Yan Zhi let him touch his backside?

Previously, Rong Ke had agreed to wear the fox tail purely because he thought he was inherently a bottom, so wearing it wasn’t a big deal.

But thinking carefully, when has a top ever worn a tail to top someone?

Moreover, the most fundamental issue, which he had selectively ignored—Yan Zhi was older than him.

Putting himself in Yan Zhi’s shoes, if he had Yan Zhi’s size, would he really be willing to be a bottom?

More details began to surface in Rong Ke’s mind: Yan Zhi helping him refute rumors about clout-chasing, bringing a lawyer to the police station to pick him up, calling him “wife” in front of Jiang Si…

These actions had briefly made Rong Ke think Yan Zhi was quite manly.

But it was just a fleeting thought, as Rong Ke was too convinced that Yan Zhi was a ‘sister’.

So.

If Yan Zhi wasn’t a ‘sister’…

Walking around the house in underwear without any guard, letting Yan Zhi squeeze into the same bed, willing to be Yan Zhi’s transition for the sake of sisterhood… Rong Ke was horrified at the implications. Wasn’t this just offering himself up?

No wonder Yan Zhi told him to be careful in Paris. So he meant to be careful of that wolf in sheep’s clothing?!

Rong Ke gripped his phone tightly, flames of anger burning atop his head.

The question “Are you a top?” was on the tip of his tongue, but reason made him swallow it back.

If he asked directly, Yan Zhi would likely respond shamelessly as he did on New Year’s Eve, insisting he was a bottom.

As for Rong Ke’s doubts, such as why Yan Zhi was so fixated on the apron, he could easily make up excuses to brush them off.

Moreover, what if the two faces were the illusion, and the image really was just a wine glass?

Rong Ke didn’t want to jump to conclusions and wrongly accuse Yan Zhi.

Yan Zhi must have felt Rong Ke’s intense gaze and turned to ask, “What’s wrong?”

Rong Ke employed his best acting skills, instantly returning to normal. “Nothing.”